Chapters Chapter 2
"When I get my own mansion," Neil huffed, "no stairs. Escalators and elevators all the way."
"I'm pretty sure that's a fire hazard," Eva said.
"Then I'll get a fire-proof mansion. They have those, right?"
Eva opened her mouth to respond but a deafening orchestral blast cut her off.
"Geez," Neil exclaimed. "Those speakers could probably wake the dead...oops," Neil ended sheepishly under his colleague glare.
"You're so tactless," Eva hissed.
"It's fine," Jessica assured. "Even...even if Robert could hear you, I doubt he would mind. He had an unusual sense of
"Thanks for the save back there, by the way," Eva added. "I don't know what I could have said."
Jessica sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure what I should have said. The truth would have been best but could they handle it?" The caretaker sighed sighed. "It's the room at the end of the hall. The doctor's already there. I'm going to lower the volume. I'm sure you'd appreciate a quieter environment to work."
Jessica brushed past and made her way down the stairs. Neil gulped as he watched her descend. "What's the MPAA rating on The Matrix again?"
"R, I think."
"Thought so. I'm gonna be yelled at again, aren't I?"
"Probably," agreed Dr. Rosalene. "Don't know what you were thinking, showing a couple of kids who haven't even gone through puberty something like The Matrix ."
"Well, let's set this stupid thing up then," Neil said, shifting the large suitcase in his arms. "She can't yell at me if I'm unconscious."
*****
Eva opened the door and stepped to the side, giving Neil room to enter. She took a look around the room.
Along the blue walls were more pictures of airplanes and flying vehicles, though paintings of birds were juxtaposed in between, continuing the theme Eva had noticed.
Two bed stands sat next to the large bed. Both had a small umbrella lamp. On the right one was an open, wore-out book. The headboard had little pictures carved in. At the sides of the frame, two spires extended to the ceiling. Hanging directly above the headboard was the painting of a white, wing Unicorn racing a fighter jet.
For a few seconds, Eva simply stared, gaping at the picture. Eventually, she lowered her gaze to her client.
Like a stubborn weed, white hair clung to the top of Robert's head, refusing to recede and die. Beneath a large plastic mask, Eva could make out bits of a beard, also white. His checks were hollowed but the faint lines of muscle could be seen along his jawline, even behind the mask. The rest of his body was hidden beneath layers of blankets.
Robert didn't look like a man who had collapsed some time earlier. He didn't look like he was dying. One could have mistaken him as sleeping if it weren't for the mask and the wires leading from beneath the sheets to a large monitor that displayed a green jagged line every so often and the for the woman wearing a lab coat that sat next to the machine.
The woman hadn't noticed the two as they entered the room. She was far too focused with her own work. When Neil all but dropped the case of vital equipment on the floor, she looked up.
"Oh, hello," she greeted, brushing a loose strand of grey hair out of her face. The rest had been tied back in a ponytail, most of which was also grey, peppered with brown. She extended her hand. "I'm Dr. Marianne Turner. You two must be from Freud Company."
Eva took the hand and shook it. "Sigmund Corp actual. I'm Eva Rosalene."
"And I'm...uh..." Neil sighed. "Neil Watts," he finished lamely. Dr Turner raised an eyebrow but paid no further attention to the cowering man under Eva's glare.
"Thanks for arriving so quickly," the physician said.
"Not a problem. That would be Robert, I presume?"
"Yes, that is Robert," Marianne answered with a sigh. "You know, not too many people make it to a hundred, even in with modern medicine, and he every bit of his century count. I'll risk sounding unprofessional here but if there's anyone who'd actually deserve a final request, it'd be Robert."
"You were close to him?" Eva wondered.
"I'd like to say so. A lot of folks in the city would like to say so. He was a weird fellow, but in a good way. Always doing some community service, helping on committees, that kind of person. A bit of a gambler but a darn good one."
"Do you know what his wish was?" Neil asked, crouched over as he set their machine up. "We, uh, left in a rush and kinda skimmed over that part."
"You told me you read that part!" exclaimed Eva.
"I lied. You should know me better than that."
Dr. Turner thought for a moment, tapping at her chin. She shook her head. "Sorry, can't say. I didn't know him that well. I know he had a bit of fascination with flying. Uh, are you sure a normal outlet will be alright?"
"Yeah, it'll be fine." Neil wiggled the cord into the electric outlet in the wall. The machine lit up and let out a hum. He tossed a white helmet wired to the machine and what appeared to be a digital wristwatch to Eva. He was wearing similar things on his head and wrist.
"Guess we'll just ask him when we see him. Ready?"
Eva nodded, tying her hair back as she placed the helmet on her head.
"Let's do this."
*****
Eva opened her eyes. Neil stood next to her, blinking. She rubbed her eyes, then turned her head and examined their surroundings.
Tall green trees stretched up to the grey skies. Neil groaned as he took off his glasses and wiped away the raindrops. His feet shuffled against the grassy ground.
"I hate the rain," he grumbled.
"At least the trees will provide some shelter. Come on, we need to find Robert. He can't be to far away..."
*****
It did not take long to find their client. The two stood behind the old man in silence, considering the best method of approach.
Robert wore a tattered grey hat and a grey overcoat. In the crook of his arm he held a blue umbrella. In his other hand was a cane that dug into the soil the tree he was staring at was buried in.
"Excuse me sir?" Eva said. She received no response.
"Are you sure interactivity and audio are active?"
Neil checked the device on his wrist. "Yep, all online."
Eva cleared her throat and tried again. "Excuse me, sir? We are from Sigmund Corp regarding your wish? Sir?"
"HEY, LISTEN!" Neil screamed.
"Neil..." Eva groaned, bringing her hand to her head. She paused as Robert turned. He looked surprised, as one would expect after being yelled at, then broke into a giant grin.
"Oh ho, visitors!" he boomed. "We don't get too many around here lately but I'm sure we can accommodate you two. Will you be staying for dinner? Or is it lunch now? Ah, it doesn't matter. We have some leftover cake. I can't eat that sort of food to often anymore but I'm sure you youngsters'll enjoy it!" He laughed, shaking his head. With his face directly before her, Eva could see that Robert had both a mustache and a beard, both well groomed.
"What did you kids say your names were?" he asked, still chuckling.
"My name is Ev-"
"What's that? You're gonna have to speak up miss."
"SHE SAID-"
"Neil, quit it." Eva turned to the device on her wrist and began to tap at the screen. "I'll just amplify our volume."
"You're no fun..." Neil grumbled.
Eva ignored him. "Can you hear me now?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, that's much better, the elderly man replied at a more acceptable volume.
"Good. My name is Eva Rosalene and-"
"Lorenzo Von Matterhorn," Neil interjected, sweeping into a bow. "At your service."
"-and you must be Robert."
"Why yes, I am. How did you..."
"We're from the Sigmund Corp wish fulfillment program," Eva continued.
Robert wrinkled his nose in concentration. His eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh yes, the one about dreams within dreams or something...hey, that's funny. I was thinking about giving you guys a call."
"We know," said Neil. "You see, we're...from the future!"
Eva smacked the back of her partner's head. "That's not true...well, not entirely. You see, the way we fulfill our clients' wishes is by manipulating their memories. By tweaking a few details of you memories, we can influence you in the past to fulfill your own dream. You'll remember things differently but hopefully, all these new memories will lead to one in which your wish comes true. And this..." Eva gestured around her. "...is how we accomplish that."
"What are you saying?" inquired Robert.
"This is only a memory, one that we've modified," Neil explained. "One that we threw ourselves in. We've never really met in person and probably won't so hi."
"This...is only a memory?"
"It'll take some time to get used to but don't worry," Eva assured. "You don't need to understand everything but we do need a little cooperation on your part."
"What do you need me to do?" Robert asked.
"Well, for us to fulfill a wish, we need a motivation," Eva said. "Something that will drive to complete your dream. Can you tell us what your wish is and why?"
"Well..." Robert shuffled uncomfortably. "My wish is to see my daughter again, just to see her one more time. I...well, I can't really explain."
"That's it?" Neil exclaimed. "That's all you want? To see your daughter one more time? Ow!"
"It's a silly wish, I guess..."
"No, it's not," said Eva, shooting a dirty look Neil as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's just a...a little underwhelming I guess. We haven't had something so simple in a while, that's all."
"My bad, really," Neil said. "I shouldn't be complaining about having less work. Heck, if you like, we can arrange this reunion in style." He gave Robert a wink. "How 'bout it? Wanna see her on the moon? How about as the President of the United States?"
"Before we arrange any of that," Eva interrupted, "we still need a motivation. Is there any reason why you can't see her now? An argument perhaps, or a death?"
"I..." Robert lowered his head. "I can't tell you."
"Robert," Eva began gently but with force. "I told you, we need your cooperation."
"I know, I know," Robert said. "It's just, I really can't...remember. There was an argument, I think...maybe..."
"Uh, how about age? Appearance? Blood type? Birthday?"
"September seventeenth. That's all I know. I couldn't even tell you what year." Robert sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just...they say I was in an accident a long time again. The doctors said the smoke did something to my brain."
Neil groaned. "Oh great, another Wyles case," he grumbled softly.
"At least it won't be as difficult Johnny's wish," Eva whispered back. To Robert, she said, "It'll be fine. We've got experience in this sort of scenario."
"Oh, that's wonderful," the old man said with a sigh of relief. "Can...can you really let me see my daughter."
"We'll do our best but all we can do is give you a push," Eva explained. "The rest is up to you."
"Of...of course." Robert nodded with confidence. "Yeah, I'm ready. If you can really help me find my daughter I'll do anything..." He sighed and turned his head to the tree behind him.
"Sometimes I remember glimpses," he said. "Small things like a feather or a leaf...and this tree. I don't know why but there's something special about this tree." Robert shook his head. "Sorry about rambling on like that. I don't know, maybe it'll give you a clue."
"It's a clue alright," Neil said. "Our first memento."
"In order to jump further into the past, we need something that's of importance to you," Eva explained as she held the device on her wrist in front of her. "I guess this tree of yours will work."
The tree began to glow and the light grew in intensity. Soon, the world faded to white.
Chapter 3
Neil took off his glasses and wiped them on the side of his lab coat. "Does ever stop raining here?"
"They're called rain seasons for a reason," Eva answered with a roll of her eyes. "Deal with it."
The two began to examine their surroundings. Very little of the forest had changed, though much of the ground was now covered with dead leaves. Right below the giant tree that had served as their passage laid Robert on a quilt. His hands were folded over his chest, which slowly rose up and down as he snored. His hat and cane sat to his right and an old book was to his left. The book looked much like the one that would sit to his right while he died in the future, though Eva could not confirm without further inspection.
"Isn't that dangerous? Sleeping in the open rain?" wondered Neil. "I'm mean he's old so aren't his chances of catching pneumonia like, I don't know, fifty-five times more likely?"
"Where do you get these numbers?" Eva shook her head. "Whatever, he was fine when we saw him earlier. Guess you don't get to be a hundred without a decent immune system." She looked around and checked the watch-like device around her wrist. "Nothing else is here. We need to find and charge the next memento."
"The house is pretty close," Neil noted, pointing to the manor's roof that peaked out of the tree tops. "Well...allons-y!"
"One of these days, you'll run of quotes and catchphrases to steal."
"You may take my references...but you'll never take my freedom."
*****
"-and why couldn't we disable interactivity at least? I'm getting mud all over my shoes."
"A little psychological mud never hurt anyone. Suck it up," Eva said as she trudged through the wet dirt path leading to the house.
"Hey, I'm just saying, if we were floating heads, we wouldn't have to deal with trivial and barbaric acts like walking. Or do you not like being a head?"
Eva groaned but decided against gracing Neil's words with a response. Instead, she lifted her wrist and examined the device's monitor.
"We're getting close," she said, opening the door to the house.
Very little had changed in the house. There was a small polished table that wasn't there before holding bright blue flowers. A large umbrella case sat in the corner. The walls were decorated with flying pictures of vehicles and objects like in the future, though there were several more at the moment.
"I don't remember that one," Neil said, pointing at a painting that depicted a small small walnut-like object with humming wings zooming past red and green cloaked individuals riding broomsticks.
"Jessica did say Robert gave a lot away," Eva recalled. "He probably gave this one to a library or something like that."
"Huh."
For a few moments, Neil and Eva simply stood there and admired the art piece. They may have stood there for much longer had there not had been a shout from behind:
"Hey! What are you doing here?"
Eva turned suddenly, startled by the shout. Young Peter stood behind them, wearing a disapproving glare and a red box in the crook of his arm.
"Who are you?" the boy demanded.
Instead of answering, Neil and Eva turned to each other, their eyes wide.
"Why didn't you disable interactivity?" Eva asked.
"Why are you blaming me? You're suppose to be the responsible one!"
"I can't be expected to do everything!"
"Well I can't be expected to do anything!"
"You're the one always going on about how awesome we are."
"Awesomeness just flows out of me. I don't need to do anything to be awesome!"
"Why are you yelling?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
They paused their argument momentarily and turned their attention back to the boy. Peter sucked in a deep breath.
"MOM, THERE ARE STRANGERS IN THE HOUSE!"
"Oh cucumbers," muttered Eva. "And resetting," she said as she tapped at her wrist-device rapidly.
"These aren't the droids you're looking for," Neil said to Peter as the room began to glow and disappear.
*****
"Let's try this again," Eva said with a sigh.
"Fine, disabling interactivity," Neil grumbled, fiddling with his device.
"Are you really that lazy?"
"Well, kinda. But messing around in the memories is half the fun."
Eva shook her head. "We'll get our chances later. Let's just find the next jumping point."
As she looked around, Peter appeared and walked through her. He was holding the red box in his arms.
"Mom!" he called. "Where's Mr. Bob?"
There was a sigh and Jessica appeared, wearing a green apron and holding a bowl of batter with the handle of a wooden spoon sticking out. "He just came back from a walk. He's probably taking a nap," she said. "Why?"
Peter frowned, appearing dejected. "Aw, he said he was gonna help us with the model he got us."
Jessica gave her son a weary smile and stoked his head gently. "I'm sure he didn't forget."
"Forget what?"
Robert was leaning against the railings of the stairs, his cane in hand. A blanket was draped over his shoulders. His eyebrow was raised.
"What did I forget this time?"
"You said you were gonna help me and Drew with the model you bought us," Peter said with a pout.
"That's right, I did, didn't I?" Robert said with a rueful grin. "Whelp, it can't be helped, can it? Let's get to work."
"Where is your brother anyways?" Jessica wondered aloud as she mixed the batter.
"Oh, we were playing with the super glue and Drew got some on one of your dresses. You know, the big white one you never wear."
"My...wedding dress?"
"So Drew Googled it and we found out the best way to get rid of super glue stains is toilet water."
"MOM!" a call came from upstairs. "WHERE'S THE PLUNGER?"
The bowl of batter clattered against the floor and swipe of a green apron.
"Don't worry Mom," Peter called after his mother, hurrying after her, leaving the box on the table next to the vase of flowers. "The Internet said so, so it must be true."
Robert's shoulders shook as he tried to maintain a straight face. "I'll call the plumber, again." And with that, he left as well, leaving Eva and Neil alone.
Neil knelt down and examined the box Peter had left. On it was the picture of a blue race car, decorated with silver lightning streaks over the doors and brand logos. A small light radiated weakly from it, like a small lantern.
Neil got back to his feet and took a step back. He extended his arms forward and pressed some buttons on his wrist-device.
"Kaaaaahhh mmmmmeeeehhhh...hhhhaaaahhh mmmeeehh..."
Eva groaned. "Not this again."
"...HAAAA!" Neil roared, flicking his arm. The light emitting from the box grew in intensity until it became near unbearable. Then, everything faded.
*****
"...and that's why you never cock-block a kamehameha."
Eva shook her head. "I still don't understand how we got on the topic of chickens...where are we now?" She looked around.
At first glance, they appeared to be at a fair. People wearing colorful shirts wander from stall to stall, their arms filled with greasy foods and cheap souvenirs. Checkered flags flew everywhere, hanging from stand canopies and clutched in the hands of tiny children. Cheers and exclamations were traded like currency between venders and customers. A small stadium stood in walking distance.
Robert stood in front of one of the stalls, his cane digging into the dirt as he leaned forward to examine the stall keeper's wares and to capitalize on the canopy's shade. Like the others, he wore a bright blue shirt, though it was much cleaner in comparison and wore light grey slacks.
The vender who sat on the other side of the stall was a stouter fellow, wearing a blue T-shirt stained with grease and sweat. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of cheap aviator knockoffs. A red trucker hat sat on his head that said /Nascar/ with a checkered pattern beneath. Under his messy red beard, the vender's lips formed a smirk.
"Anything catch your eye, pops?" he asked.
Robert shrugged. "What about this one?" he inquired, pointing to a box that displayed a blue race car with silver lightning streaks across the doors and brand logos adorning the hood and sides, the same box Peter had, or rather, would have.
The stall keeper picked up the box Robert was indicating to. "Oh yeah...this is a beau...what was it called? Oh right." He scratched the back of his head. "Think it's called the Cerulean Dash." He guffawed loudly. "It was named after an airline that was backing it, I think. Dumb name, if you ask me. So what'll be, pops?"
"Huh, oh right." Robert shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "Uh, how much?"
"Twenty bucks pal. An extra five and I'll add the instructions." The vender chuckled at his own joke.
Robert laughed as well. "I think I'll manage," he said, handing over a bill into the stall keeper's beefy hands.
*****
Neil and Eva wiggled their way through the crowded stands, doing their best to avoiding slipped soda and popcorn and chewed up gum. They found seats right above their client, which gave them a wonderful view of the black cement race track.
Every so often, Robert would turn his head away from the track and toward the sky.
"You don't think it'll rain, do you?" Neil wondered.
"I doubt it."
Cheers swelled as cars of all sorts of colors and advertisements began to occupy the track, mingling with the roars of engines.
"I can't believe the Indy's still around," Neil said. "I mean, it's just cars going in circles. How does anyone find any of it interesting? I mean, besides the crashes?"
"The Indy 500 is more than just cars going around in circles," explained Eva. "It's a celebration of the tenacity and the achievements of the Midwest as well as a recognition of the importance of the development of the automobile and the auto-industry. It represents the continual reconstruction the South faces, hence the circuits."
"Wait, really?"
"Pfft, no." Eva threw a hand full of popcorn into her mouth. "It's all about the crashes."
*****
Eva and Neil followed the crowd out of the stadium, keeping a close eye on Robert. Despite the sea of people, it wasn't to difficult to keep track of their client. Eva was having more trouble keeping Neil focused on their mission.
"...and another thing; how can this be considered a sport? I've got the same problem with poker and hockey."
"Hockey's total a sport-wait." Eva groaned. "Neil, try to remember why we're here."
"Um, to find out why Robert wants to see his daughter so bad but can't or won't?"
"Exactly. I think there might be a clue in this memory."
"Urgh," Neil groaned. "Guess it's too much to hope that one'll just fall in our hands. What do you think we're looking for?"
"Hm..." Eva shrugged. "Dunno. Just keep your eyes out."
The weight and difficulty of their mission dawned upon the two. "Another long night, then?"
"Yeah."
In a single breath, Neil, Eva, and Robert raised their heads to the sky and sighed, an incident that did not escape Neil or Eva.
"He seems disappointed."
"Well, yeah," responded Neil. "Not a single crash. I'm pretty disappointed too."
"Hold on..."
Robert approached a nearby plastic bin. He stuck his hands into his pocket and pulled two pieces of paper out. For a few moments, he just stood there, staring at what he held. With another hefty sigh, Robert threw the paper into the trash and turned and left. A relieving breeze caught the scraps and tossed them into Neil's hands.
"Huh? What the-"
Two ticket stubs sat between the bespectacled man's fingers. A small car was printed on each with the words "Indy 500: Single Admission" below.
"His tickets," Eva noted. "But why does he have two of them?"
"Dunno. Maybe...whoa!"
The stubs lit up like candles as Neil's wrist-device vibrated violently.
"The memento...Eva wait! Let me put it down before you-"
The light of the tickets became blinding and the people and stalls around them faded away in a sea of white.
Chapter 4
"-don't know what you were so afraid of," Eva was saying. "Even if I did end up hitting you, nothing would have happened."
"You don't know that," Neil responded with a frown. "The memento is charged first before activation, right? So what happens to a person that gets charged? Zap! Nothing but ashes, I bet."
"It's not the same as an electric charge," argued Eva. "Quit comparing radishes to carrots and focus on your job. I swear, I spend more time reminding you about work than actually working."
Neil scowled but said nothing, turning his head instead to survey the new setting.
Tan cubicles sat in orderly rows, decorated with posters of palm trees and beaches, many captioned with phrases like "You're Next Vacation!" or "Escape to Paradise!" Similar pictures hung on the building's walls, which were the same dull color as the cubicles. The shrilled voices and clattering of phones saturated the room like sweat in a gym locker room.
Robert sat in one of the tight office spaces, though it was obvious he wasn't here for work. Unlike the man sitting in front of him behind the large desk, Robert was not wearing a tie or a collar shirt or anything similar. He had on a dark damp overcoat instead with a similarly colored hat on his knee. A wet umbrella leaned against his chair. On his knee sat a small box and he patted his other knee as he waited for the man before him to finish his phone call.
"I...yes ma'am, I understand but...I afraid we cannot make any refunds if you didn't purchase-"
"Heh, guess I don't have to ask you how's work treating you then."
"Yeah, but you will just to be polite."
"How's work treating you then, Michael?"
The two men shared a chuckle and shook hands. "It has its perks," Michael said. "Got you the tickets." He leaned back and removed two pieces of paper from his bulletin. "Two to the Indy 500."
"Thanks," said Robert as Michael handed him the tickets. A small race car was printed on each with the words "Indy 500: Single Admission" and some dates right below.
"Hey, no problem. You're almost family," Michael declared with a glare. "Speaking of which, we'll be seeing you for Thanksgiving this year, right?"
"Of course." Robert pocketed the tickets. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Oh, I've got something for you too." He lifted the little box off his knee and placed it on the desk next to a large pile of papers. Slowly, the top was lifted, revealing a slice of...
"Cake!"
The sides slipped apart, displaying the dessert in full. It was a simple arrangement, with a chocolate base and vanilla icing on top. Small strawberries peeked from beneath the white cover.
"Been teaching the kids how to make it," Robert said proudly. "Hopefully, one of us will eventually remember to actually write down the recipe."
"Man, your cakes are the best," Michael moaned in awe as he took a giant bite out of the cake. Chocolate smeared over his lips. "And you don't actually follow a recipe?"
"Well, not a written one." Robert tapped his forehead. "All in here. I don't even remember when I started baking, really..."
"Well, you're doing something right," the younger man said, setting the cake to the side. "Is it raining still?"
The conversation turned to the weather and Neil and Eva soon lost interest. They turned their attention to the chocolate cake, glowing like a lighthouse, a chocolately, mouth watering, delectable...
"Neil, you're drooling."
"Cut me some slack. I haven't eaten yet." Neil knelt down, examining the confection carefully. "Hey Eva, you want this cake?"
"I thought you wanted to charge the next memento but if you don't want to..."
"You want this cake?"
"...Neil..."
"You want this cake?"
Eva sighed, bringing her hand to her face. "Why me?"
"You want you want I WANT THAT CAKE!"
The office area disappeared in a flood of light.
*****
"...and you didn't burn down the kitchen. I am impressed, with both of you."
Andrew and Peter squirmed as their mother brushed their hair with her fingers affectionately. "Aw, ma! Cut it out!" Andrew protested. His brother whined in agreement.
"And this even looks edible," Jessica said, sitting herself in front of the large chocolate cake. She plucked one of the strawberries out from beneath the vanilla icing and ate it.
"Aw, ma, you ruined it."
Robert laughed. "It's fine boys. That's what the cake's for, ain't it? Now, who wants a slice?"
"I wanna cut it!" Peter screeched, banishing a large kitchen knife.
"Peter!" Jessica screamed in horror. "Put that knife down!"
"Aw..."
"You're too young for that job," Andrew laughed. "'Sides, you gotta use this..." the young boy said, holding up a giant cleaver.
"Andrew! Put that down!" Jessica took the blades away. "How are you two getting into the knife drawer?" she wondered out loud as she made her way to the kitchen.
The three males sat awkwardly around the table, forks in their hands and flowery plates in front of them. Robert extended his hand and popped a strawberry into his mouth, his giggles blending with the brothers' protests. He leaned back in his chair and signed.
"Neil, you're drooling again."
The bespectacled man groaned. "Can't I, you know, just pop in and grab a bite? We could just reset the memory and it'd be like nothing happened."
"Exactly. Nothing would happen and you wouldn't be any more full than you were before." Eva stared back and forth between the chocolate cake and the old man. "I wonder..."
"Eh?"
"Is it just me or does Robert look a little, I don't know, nostalgic?" Eva tapped her chin.
"Huh...the cake's his own recipe, right? Maybe it has something to do with his daughter...you don't think he cut her up and turned her into a cupcake, do you?"
"Neil! Of course not! That's horrible!" Eva exclaimed, horrified. "Where'd you get such a sick, deprived, macabre idea from?"
"The Internet...yeah, guess that was a little much, sorry."
A ring echoed through the room. Robert got to his feet but the two boys were faster and raced toward the phone that hung off the wall.
"Hi!" Andrew greeted cheerfully as his brother tried pulling the receiver away. "Ma!" he called. "Telephone!"
Jessica made her way back to the table and accepted the phone. "Yes...I see...I'll let him know." She turned to the old man. "That was the control tower...for the airstrip?" she added as Robert gave her a blank look. He began to nod understandingly. "Someone wants to land and needs clearance," she continued.
Robert nodded and gave Jessica a thumb up. She lifted the phone back up and said, "Clearance granted," and set back in its place.
Robert groaned as he picked himself off his chair.
"Where are you going?" asked Jessica.
"Welcoming our guest, of course," he replied happily. With some difficulty, he slipped his coat over his shoulders and his arms through the sleeves. "Visitors are getting pretty rare. Who knows..." he almost whispered. "...maybe she's..."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing..."
*****
"Whelp, this can't end well."
"What do you mean?" Eva asked as she and her partner followed Robert through the grassy field toward the grey cement strip.
"Well, how many horror movies begin with a stranger-slash-traveler appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a dark and stormy night? How many Kung-fu films end with a final showdown in the rain on a grassy knoll?"
"Okay then, how many of movies deal with the traveler arriving via airplane? And with a pair of psychio-anamnesis reconstruction specialists?"
"Off the top of my head, at least three. Oh, and one of the specialists was black too. She died first."
Eva rolled her eyes but took an instinctive glance over her shoulder.
"Of course, guess I'd be the second to croak, being the dashing comic relief and all..."
Neil quieted as his foot touched solid concrete. The three approached before a large red biplane, its propeller slowing to a stop. A bright US flag was painted on the door, which swung open, revealing the pilot.
"Greetings friend, does thou come in peace?"
"Neil, shut up."
The pilot removed the large helmet, revealing a fiery ponytail.
"Evening miss," Robert greeted cheerfully. "Something wrong with your plane?"
The pilot shook her head. "Nah, nothing serious. Just runnin' a little low on fuel." She patted the plane softly. "Guess this old girl can't handle rainy weather like she used to." The pilot sighed. "Thanks for the clearance by the way, sir. Really appreciate it."
"It's not a problem," Robert said. "I'm sure we've got plenty of fuel to spare. This strip doesn't see as many visitors as it used to." He extended his hand forward. "You can call me Robert."
The pilot accepted the handshake. "Name's Rare."
"Rare?"
The pilot chuckled. "Yeah. It's short for Rihanna Aguilara Rachel Evans. My old man had a way with names. He called this old girl his DASHY for Dynamically Aerial Super Homing Yonder." The pilot gave the plane another pat. "Hey, mister, you alright?"
Robert shrugged. "Y-yeah. Just a little cold is all. Let's get out of this rain and see if we can find some fuel."
He led the way to an empty hanger. Robert flipped a switch and the lights flickered before illuminating the room. A few tool boxes laid scattered on the floor along with a few empty gas cans. On the walls hung motivational posters, schematics, and a few pictures.
Rare whistled. "It doesn't seem like this place has seen much use lately."
Robert nodded. "Yep. When the airfield was first commissioned, we used to see all kinds of visitors. These past few years though..." He sighed. "The town was growing really quickly at that time but now, not so much. Won't be long 'til we have to close it down. Still, we've got plenty of spare parts and room."
Rare approached the side wall and examined the photos. "Sure looked lively before. When was this taken?" she asked.
Robert squinted at the framed picture. "Ah, that one. That was taken the day the airfield was finished. See that young man over there in the center?"
"The one shaking hands with that fat official looking guy?"
Robert chuckled. "Yes, well, the mayor did lose weight after his first term. Anyways, the fellow shaking his hand? Me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Oh, it was such a momentous occasion. The mayor was so convinced that an airport was what the town needed. We had such high expectations for this place, him and I..."
Robert trailed off on another story and began pointing out the other photos. Neil and Eva however were drawn only to the first picture. Like Rare and Robert noted, in the center stood a portly balding man in a lavish blue suit and a much younger Robert, his hair retaining some color. Several others stood in the background, eating or talk with each other. Light beamed from beneath the frame.
A few taps on Eva's device and the world faded to white.
Chapter 5
There was a click followed by a quick blinding flash. Several smaller flashes followed shortly as Robert tried his best not to squint in the midst of the camera shots.
"Never gets easier," the portly man wearing a blue suit muttered to him. "Cameras has to be the worst part of the job."
"Worse than the paper work, Mr. Mayor?" Robert whispered back with a small grin.
"Feh, you'd be surprised."
The mayor let go of Roberts hand and turned to the large crowd in front. "Fellow citizens! Thank you for all you time and efforts! This airport is testimony of the continual growth of our fair city and the citizenship of her people. I would not only like to thank my friend here personally for generously donating land for our purpose but for everyone, every single hardworking citizen, for making this project possible. People!" The official gestured behind him, where hard-hatted workers were already helping themselves to the barbecue. "Your tax dollars at work!"
Several people chuckled softly while Robert noted others deepened their frowns. If the mayor noticed these cynics, he didn't show it. "Enjoy the day," he finished and stepped down from the podium before the air could be filled with the shrill cries and questions of reporters.
"Huh, so that's how he got an airbase in his backyard. He donated land."
"Well, construction is expensive. As amazing as his house is, I don't think he'd be able to pay for an airstrip straight out
"I feel like I should be sprouting out some appropriate quote on generosity," said Neil. "But I'm drawing a blank."
""You make all kinds of mistakes, but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce, you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her'?"
"No, that's not it."
"'Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it'?"
"Uh uh. It's definitely not that."
"The wise man does not lay up his own treasures; the more he gives to others the more he has for his own'?"
"No...oh yeah!" Neil cleared his throat. "'I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse'. Oh look!" He pointed past the mayor and Robert toward a large table over which flew a large blue banner with the image of an airplane. He brushed past his dumbfounded partner. "I smell grease and meat!"
"Media's never satisfied," the mayor grumbled to Robert as he beelined to the grill with Eva and Neil following from behind. "You'd think a few statements like that would be enough but no..."
Even as he piled his plate with greasy burgers and sausages, he continued to growl. "I saw those other folk, you know, the ones who kept trying to kill this project. Gotta lot of gale to be showing up here, stuffing their faces. If this weren't a public event..."
A red mess of ketchup spewed from the bottle the mayor held, crushed by his pudgy fingers. The plastic bottle reshaped itself as the mayor set it to the side in favor for a similar bottle, though yellow instead of red.
"I didn't realize there was so much opposition," Robert said as he struggled and fought for the minuscule amount of sauce for his own food. A large line had formed behind him, waiting eagerly for their own plates. Robert seemed to scan over the crowd, as if trying to pick out a wolf from a pack of sheepdogs. His eyes quickly averted as if in shame and instead turned to the mayor. "Why?" he asked.
The politician snorted. "Dunno. Airfields cost a lot of money, even just considering the construction, yeah? Well, we've got opponents of big spending so there's that. Then there the left field, telling me to stop wasting money on this stuff and more on welfare." He shook his head. "Short-sighted, all of them..." He turned to the empty strip behind them. "Everything I said? I meant it all. Too many folks are moving out and not enough are moving in. We've got an estimate that within twenty years, we'll have a modern ghost town on our hands. We need to expand, give reason for people to come here."
"It's a door, a gateway..."
"...for expansion." The mayor patted Robert's shoulder. "Glad you understand."
Robert nodded. "It's more than that."
"Oh?"
"You know that old saying? Leaving the nest?" He chuckled. "I've always thought that humans wanted to be like birds. Flying and reaching for the skies...that why we invented airplanes and stories about winged animals like dragons, angels, griffins, um..."
"Pegasi?" the mayor offered.
"...yes, Pegasi...Anyways, airports are like big concrete nests and airplanes are like birds. It's a gateway back home. You can always come back home..."
A few moments passed in silence between the two men, moments that Neil eagerly capitalized by screaming "AWKWARD!" into people's reaction-less faces. The silence was broken suddenly by the mayor.
"So, uh...I just wanted to personally thank you for all your efforts in this project. Like, in person personally. I'm sure there's some tax deduction for this sort of thing..."
Robert laughed. "Please. I have all this wide open space, and for what? I'm glad it's being put to some use."
"You did more than that," the mayor argued. "I heard you paid for a portion of the supplies and even took part in the construction."
Robert's brow furrowed. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"Well, let's just keep it a secret between us. You did a pretty professional job after all." He pointed a greasy finger at Robert's chest. "I'm guessing you've got some experience in that field."
"Huh?" Robert looked down at his shirt. "Oh, right."
Robert's attire stood in stark contrast with the mayor's formal dress. He wore faded blue jeans and a faded blue T-shirt with the faint remains of some organization's name or logo. It was much like the dress of the the construction workers who were mingled in the crowd of hungry normal citizens and answer-starved journalists. From the edges of the blue shirt came a light faint glow.
"In another life..." Robert muttered wistfully.
"Huh?"
Robert snapped back to focus. He shook his head and smiled. "Have a nice day, Mr. Mayor," he said. "I'll leave the questions to you..." and he left just as dozens of cameras and microphones and voices crowded around the politician.
"Well, he's certainly under-dressed for such a momentous occasion," Eva muttered as she readied her device. "I'm going to charge memento now Neil...Neil?"
She turned around. Her partner had wandered off to...
"NEIL! What are you doing?"
"Mphf?" Neil asked, his mouth and cheeks stuffed with sausages and potato salad. Grease dripped from his lips as he chewed noisily. There was a noticeable ring around him as the others had politely backed away and gave the hungry man the room he wordlessly demanded.
He swallowed. "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Well stop it. We've still got a job to do and besides, you're still going to be hunger after all this."
"But it's sooo good," Neil moaned. He lifted another sausage to his lips. He took a bite. "Mmm-pfft!" Neil gagged suddenly and clawed at his tongue, spitting out chunks of chewed food. "Bleh! Pickles olives? How-" He turned to his partner. "You," he growled.
Eva merely grinned as she tapped at her wrist. With one last wistful glance at the meat-laden grill, Neil sighed and join his partner.
"That was mean," said Neil. "I'd even say that prank was...tasteless."
Eva rolled her eyes. The world faded away to white.
*****
"Good afternoon. How are you feeling right now."
"Horrible." Robert groaned. "W-where am I? What happened?" His voice grew shaky and he struggled to get up.
The man in the white coat gently push Robert back down into the bed. "I need you to calm down. My name is Dr. Turner. Right now you are at St. Mary's General Hospital. You were in an accident."
"An accident? How-ngh..." Robert grabbed his forehead and groaned. "W-what happened?"
"There was a fire," the doctor explained, making a note on his clipboard. "It's a miracle you weren't burned but you did inhaled enough smoke to receive some brain damage. To what extent, however, is still unknown. You may be experiencing a few lapses in your memory."
"Lapses? What do you-ngh..."
"I understand this can be frustrating but you're still recovering," the doctor said. "I imagine you're suffering from the worst migraine possible. I'll send some aspirin later, once we've confirmed whether or not you're allergic. Don't try to remember," he added sternly. "You need rest, both physically and mentally."
"What am I suppose to do then?" Robert growled. "Not think?"
"Preferably," the doctor answered dryly. "We'll need to run a few scans later to make sure there's no permanent brain damage and to determine just how bad everything is." He jotted down a few notes on his clipboard before continuing. "The nurse will be by shortly with some water. In the meantime, I suggest trying to relax."
The doctor turned away. Robert watched weakly as he left. He closed his eyes and groaned, rubbing his forehead gently.
"Remember kiddies, smoking's bad for you. The more you know."
Eva slapped her partner in the back of the head. "Is this really the time for jokes?"
Neil rubbed the afflicted area. "Apparently there's time for double-standard abuse-ow!"
"Shut up and get to work." Eva gave the hospital room a quick look-over. It was a small private space with an open window. A light breeze blew through, gently shaking the drapes. A small outdated television hung above. A few chairs and stools sat against the whitewashed wall. Nothing stood out, save for a backpack that laid on one of the small armchairs. Eva considered the pack for a few seconds before deciding to examine their client first.
"Do you think this is how Robert lost his memory?" Neil asked.
Eva nodded confidently. "The doctor mentioned brain damage and memory loss. It's a good bet that the fire was the accident he had referred to."
Dr. Watts rubbed his chin. "Hey, if we went back into his memories to the accident and prevented it from happening, do you think that'd fix everything?"
Eva sighed. "It wouldn't work. He might remember the event differently but those memories he lost after the fire are buried too far in his subconscious. We'd need a catalyst, like the roadkill with Johnny Wiles."
Neil wrinkled his nose. "Nuts. What are we gonna do then?"
"The doctor said they didn't know the extent of the damage. I'm hoping that the memory we're looking for isn't lost and we can work with what we've got."
The door creaked open and in stepped a nurse wearing white scrubs. Her grey hair had been tied into a bun and she wore a weary yet genuine smile.
"I brought you some water, dear," she said softly, holding a paper cup with a straw. "Take small sips now," she cautioned.
Robert took the cup gratefully. He hasn't noticed how dry his throat had been until now and he struggled to follow the nurse's advice.
"Thank you," he said when he finished, letting her take the empty cup.
"Don't mention it, dear. If there anything else you need just let me now."
Robert thought for a moment, turning over to his side. "I-is that backpack someone's?" he asked.
"Hmm?" The nurse looked to where Robert had been staring at. "Oh, I believe that's yours. It was in your arms when you were rescued."
"Is that so?" He frowned. "Can I...can I see it?"
The nurse's smile faded slightly. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said. "I'm sure it's difficult trying to remember what happened but you need rest. Doctor's orders."
"Please," Robert plead. "You have no idea how much it hurts, not knowing who I'm suppose to be or...or...please, I just want to hold it, just for a few minutes. A few minutes is all I ask."
The nurse chewed her lip. She looked side to side, then scurried to the chair holding the pack. She picked it up carefully and placed it at the edge of the bed.
"She's totally fired."
"Thank you," Robert said, taking the backpack.
The nurse smiled. "Don't mention it. No, seriously, just push it under the bed when you're done." And with that, she left Robert to his own devices.
Neil tapped his chin. "What's in the box?"
"Bag."
"Hey loser."
Eva rolled her eyes. "Hi idiot. Can we please get to work? If there is a memento here it'll probably be in that bag."
As Eva spoke, Robert began to open the pack with shaking hands. It suffered from several burns and some lingering ash clung to his fingers as he fumbled with the melted zipper. He stuck his hand in and pulled out a scorched piece of cloth. Robert held it up, turning it around in different directions as he examined it. Upon further inspection, Robert and the two Sigmund Corp. employees saw that it was actually the remains of a T-shirt, no longer fit for wearing. An arm was missing and much of the original color had faded, leaving an ugly hue of sickly pale green. There were a few black letters that once spelled something, a name of an organization perhaps, but many of the letters had disappeared.
He turned the shirt over. On the back were more letters, six in total. With a finger, he traced each letter.
"Robert," he muttered. Robert let the shirt fall into his lap as he rubbed his temple. "...tch..."
Robert reached in again and was rewarded a large book. He shook it lightly, letting ash and dust fall over the side of his bed. If it had a title before, it had been lost in the fire.
Eva blinked. "Hold on, isn't that..."
Carefully, Robert cracked open the tome, half-expecting the book to fall apart. To his happy surprise, the book was studier than it appeared. Most of the pages were intact and while the few pages that had words were illegible, the rest were filled with photos that had miraculously survived.
"It's a photo album," Eva noted, stepping closer for a closer look.
She and Robert were disappointed, however, when both noticed that while the photos were not burned, their images had faded. There was a picture of a couple with a young child, their faces gone. There was a young man posing next to a tower, the landmark impossible to recognize. A few blank pages, then a young man, Robert, that was clear, crouched next to a bathtub. There was something in the bathtub next to the man, covered in suds, a dog perhaps. Or perhaps not.
The clearest image was that of a few blue feathers on a table, nothing more. Robert brushed his fingers against the photo next to that one. It was blurriest one yet. It was of...something, Eva couldn't be sure. She could make a few features like eyes, pointed ears, but nothing more. Eva waited for Robert to turn the page but for some reason, his eyes lingered on that picture. He brushed his hand against, as if trying to brush away the blurriness like one would with cobwebs.
"D...dash..."
Robert grabbed his forehead, clenching his teeth to hold in his pained cry. He opened his eyes and the pain faded away. He put the shirt back in the bag, then put it away under his bed as he had been advised. Shutting his eyes, Robert slowly drifted to sleep.
The photo album, however, had been placed on the nightstand. Slowly, Eva approached it.
"Strange," she muttered, tapping at her wrist-device. "There's no reaction."
Neil shrugged. "Guess it's not the memento then. Let's keep looking then. Maybe-WAH!"
Neil grabbed at his wrist. The watch like device was vibrating violently and emitted a high pitched screech that was almost painful.
"Shut it off!" Eva screamed as she tapped at her own.
"I can't!" Neil yelled back. "Something's wrong with the G-diffuser! I'm sorry! I make bad Nintendo references when I'm scared! Wah!"
"Shut up and calm down! Act like the freaking professional you're paid to be!" Eva chided. "I've got this! I've got-"
Neither noticed the faint glow that had appeared around the photo album as everything faded to black.
Act 2
"D-d-do I have t-t-to go d-d-daddy?"
"It's your actual home...You don't belong here. You need to go back to where you belong."
"I belong here, with you!"
Chapter 6
Everything had faded to darkness. It was as if Eva had fallen into a sea at night and had been swept away with the current. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing. Eva would have questioned her existence had she not been so aware and so frightened.
As she drifted, Eva clung onto a single question that acted as an anchor for her sanity:
Where was Neil?
*****
"Hallelujah, I can see! It's a Christmas miracle!"
Eva opened her eyes at the sound of that familiarly obnoxious voice. She winced at the sudden brightness and blinked several times as she waited her eyes to adjust. Neil was standing right next to her, rubbing at his eyes and polishing his glasses.
"You alright?" she asked.
Her partner nodded. "Haven't got a clue what happened though." Neil tapped at his wrist. "When we get back I'm going to have a little chat the guys down at the maintenance department. And by a little chat, I mean a twelve page rant."
"Remember the last time you sent a complaint to those guys? We ended up having to buy coffee from Starbucks out of our own pockets for weeks." Eva sighed. "Then again, this is far more important than sub-par coffee machines. I'm a little surprised we're still alive. Where are we?"
The two looked around. They appeared to be in someone's living room. A few armchairs and a couch were present, as well as a few pictures on the wall. Crouched in front of a recliner was a young man.
"Hey, it's Robert," Neil exclaimed. "Wow, I almost didn't recognize him without the beard."
"We must still be in his memories," noted Eva. She pointed at the recliner, which blurred as if covered in a fog. There was mist surrounding all sides of the room, where they could see the outlines of outside figures, but nothing more. "I think there are still some missing parts. The audio's pretty missed up too; I can barely hear what he's saying."
"Here, let's just adjust the audio and-hey!" Neil shouted as his coworker slapped his wrist.
Eva shook his head. "I don't want to mess with this memory anymore than we need to. Let's not have a repeat of whatever happened earlier."
Neil shuddered in agreement. "Yeah, I don't wanna go back to the void."
"...God, I wish it was, but-" Robert was saying. He sounded on the verge of tears.
"I understand," came a voice. It sounded as if someone had spoken through a busted microphone or through an emptied paper towel roll. Static and white sound threatened to drown it out. "The...now makes sense."
The static grew. Robert's lips were moving but no audible words could be heard.
"...my little...you have brought me so much joy in...life that...can't possibly...thank you..."
Robert's shoulders began to shake. So did the recliner.
"...don't care what...or if you ever even...me, but...now, you being my...I want..."
Tears fell from the man's eyes and did nothing to stop them. He struggled to keep his balance and leaned forward. He lifted his hands and stretched them toward the chair in front of him.
"I belong here, with you!"
It was the clearest, most coherent phrase they heard yet. It did not below to Robert, but to a young, heartbroken girl, one hidden from Neil and Eva by the fog.
"...are limited here, only able...around the house. You have no...or other...relate to. I was only taking care of you until this time would..."
Minutes passed in silence, broken only by sniffs as Robert cried. Whatever Robert had been holding, with his arms out stretched, he held tighter.
"...love you, Daddy..."
The room began to spin suddenly and the living room was replaced by a crumbling urban environment. The walls of the nearby buildings were in a state of disrepair and vandalized by streaks of graffiti.
Robert, even younger now, stood on the decaying sidewalk. He stood there, staring at a plain cardboard box that sat amid the broken concrete and over-grown grass. He drew closer and looked inside.
There was a flash of light and a beam of color, then everything faded to white.
*****
It took all of Eva's willpower not to toss her helmet off in frustration like the sweaty and uncomfortable headgear it was. Neil had less regard for the company's expensive equipment and his equipment landed on the floor with a clatter.
"Now what?" he asked. "We didn't run over any rabbits on the way here so that idea's scrapped."
"I doubt it would work a second time. We'll be needing a different catalyst this time." Eva untied her ponytail and let her hair run down to her shoulders. "I'm going to make a few calls, see if we've got anything on his past, medical conditions and the like. Maybe we'll get lucky and find a clue."
She turned to Dr. Turner who sat next to the collection of monitors. "How's our patient doing?"
Marianne sighed. "I don't want to alarm anyone or rush you two; you guys are the professionals after all. It's just..." The doctor sighed again. "A couple of hours at best, maybe three."
Eva nodded as Neil paled. "Three hours?" he whispered. "We really need a miracle now."
"That's why we're called in," Eva said, brushing her bangs to the side. "We're too...what was it...awesome to fail?" She gave Neil a small smile. "Come on, we've got a job to do."
"You two can go ahead," the doctor said. "I'll let you know if anything changes up here." She took a sip out of a mug that sat on the nightstand next to her.
Neil sniffed the air. "Is that...the scent of the greatest gift God has ever given to man, made from the golden beans of Heaven itself?"
"...it's coffee, yes. Jessica has a few cups for you two downstairs."
Neil broken into a crazed grin. "Things are lookin' up," he said before dashing out of the room.
Marianne Turner blinked. She took another sip from her cup. "Guess he really likes his coffee, huh," she said to Eva. There was no response and when Dr. Turner looked up, the room was empty, save for herself, Robert, and some fancy machines.
*****
"What's this? A cartoon?"
"Hmm?" Eva looked up. Neil had wandered off and joined Andrew and Peter on the couch.
"This is your sing telegram, I hope it finds you well!"
"Oh, this! My dad and uncle used to watch this with me all the time."
Neil gave Eva a incredulous look. "Seriously? Like, you made them right?"
Eva shook her head. "Apparently, this show had quite the cult following and was real popular with young men at the height of its popularity." She raised her eyebrow. "Funny, as worldly as you are I'd assume you'd know more about it."
Neil laughed. "You kidding? I'm too busy watching 'Ahnold' films and pumping iron for this. Okay, lying about the iron part. I've got nothing against cartoons but pink ponies and purple Unicorns? I mean, maybe it's okay for these fellas," he said, glancing over to his side, "but grown adult men? C'mon, you've gotta be pulling my leg."
"Shh!" Peter and Andrew hushed, their eyes completely glued to the television screen.
Eva shrugged. "It's got some really good voice acting and the animation's surprising fluid...as nice and nostalgic as this is, we're on the clock and we're out of time. I'm going to make a few phone calls, check maintenance on our equipment and see if they've got any information we can use."
"While you're up, see if you can find any more coffee." Neil handed his empty mug to his partner.
"Neil..."
"Thanks."
Eva took the cup and set it on the stand next to the couch. Rolling her eyes, she got up.
"Where can I find a phone?" she wondered aloud. "I don't think we can consider cellphone use as a business expense anymore, thanks to Neil." Eva sighed. "Do you guys have a phone I can borrow?" she asked the boys.
Peter shrugged. "Ask Mom, she's in the kitchen."
Eva pursed her lips and frowned. She tried rationalizing the children's lack of cooperation as a result of ignorance but continued to struggle with her irritations. It was amazing how easily kids could live on in proximity with death.
Shaking her head, Eva walked to the kitchen with her own coffee-less mug. She found Jessica sitting at the table, wiping at her eyes.
"Hey."
"Huh?" The caretaker looked up. Her eyes were red. "Oh, hi." She blew her nose and got to her feet. "Do you need more coffee? I can make some more if you need."
Eva shook her head. "We're fine, thank you. I...I understand this is hard for you. Death is never easy, especially when it's someone close. I've done this so many times and it hasn't gotten too much easier."
Jessica nodded. "Y-yeah. I thought I could handle it better, for the kids, let them think everything okay...but they probably know." She sighed and sniffed. "He reminds me so much of my father. Kind, generous, funny, carefree...I never got to say good bye so...so...so I'm thankful I've got the chance now." Jessica turned to Eva. "Does that make me a bad person, for getting some relief from a man's death?"
"The way you've worded that does, yeah, it sounds kind of awful." Eva rested a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "But I know you don't mean it like that. Death brings catharsis; that's our job, after all. You're not a bad person at all. I think Robert wouldn't mind if you got some peace with his death, might help him go in peace a little better." She gave the caretaker a light squeeze and a small, sad smile, one that Jessica returned. "Is there a phone I can borrow?"
"Oh, of course." Jessica pointed to a wireless telephone that hung on the wall. "Go ahead. I'll give you some privacy."
"Thank you," said Eva. She picked up the phone and began to dial.
"Oh, and Miss Rosalene? Thank you."
Eva gave her an understanding nod as she left the kitchen, leaving Eva alone with the phone. For a moment, she sat there, thinking and drumming her fingers against the polished wood. Then, shaking her head, she continued dialing. She had a job to do after all.
"Oh, and Twilight? You shouldn't hit the books. You should really just read them."
*****
Eva closed her eyes and sighed. She set the phone aside and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall.
"No luck?" Marianne asked. The two were in Robert's bedroom. Eva had retreated upstairs when the volume of the television grew too loud. Even from up here Eva could hear the show's cheery theme song.
Big adventure, tons of fun...
Eva shook her head. "We've got nothing. Nothing on equipment malfunctions or on Robert, a total bust. They said they'd keep looking but we all know that's a lie." She groaned. "Honestly, sometimes my coworkers make me question my choice of career."
Marianne chuckled. "Even your partner?"
"Are you kidding? Especially Neil. While I'm up here trying to figure things out, he's downstairs watching cartoons." Eva threw her hands in the air. "Honestly, it's like working with a seven year old with too much knowledge of old films and an unhealthy habit of shopping at IKEA in bulk."
"But you don't ever think of quitting, do you?"
"Well, no, not really. Besides, if I left, Neil'd be out of a job too. No one else can work with him. Do you know how many partners he had before me? He told me-"
The phone began to ring. Apologizing quickly, Eva answered it.
"Hello? Yes, Rosalene speaking. Uh huh...is that so...are you sure...of course..." Eva closed her eyes. "Thanks anyways," she said as calmly as she could. As she hung up, her hands shook. "Useless, utterly useless."
"Is everything alright?"
"Honestly, doctor? No, things aren't looking to good. It's getting really difficult to remain positive but we've hit a wall." Eva began to chew the tip of her thumb. "Come on, there's got to be something we've missed, something...think, Eva, think..."
"Is her face gonna stay that way?"
Muffled laughter could be heard from down below, cutting into Eva's thoughts. She released a breath of annoyance.
"All that noise must be bothering Robert. I can tell them to quiet down."
Dr. Turner shrugged. "It doesn't matter at this point. He's...he's too far gone now."
"You guys have gotta get me out of here, I'm gonna climb the walls!"
"You sure? His heart rate just rose at bit. I'm getting readings of a small amount of neuroactivity too."
Marianne jumped to her feet and made her way behind Eva. "Impossible," she said as she examined the monitors. "There shouldn't be any change in heart rate yet or any noticeable brain activity at all."
"Huh, must have been a false reading then. It's gone now."
"Reading's for eggheads like you, Twilight. Heh, no offense, but I am not" reading. It's undeniably, unquestionably, uncool."
"Wait, there it is again."
"Doesn't look like anything's wrong with the machines," Marianne said over the rapid bleeps of the monitor. "H-he's reacting to something, look!"
"...to get to the other side! Get it?"
"NEIL! Get your butt up here! NOW!"
Chapter 7
"Fluttershy, pal, this won't cut it, I need a pet to keep up with me."
"Look, see!"
"Everypony is gonna see me fail! The Wonderbolts will never let a loser like me join! Princess Celestia will probably banish me to the Everfree Forest! MY LIFE IS RUINED!"
Neil's brow furrowed. "All I see are green lines and lights."
"What about super-ultra-extreme-awesomazing?"
"Those are brain waves! They indicate neuro-activity! How in the world did you get this job, turnips-for-brains? How did you get your degree?"
"I blame our country's education system. And the government. And the Illuminati," said Neil. "So what do the wavy things mean?"
"Never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!"
"I told you, they indicate brain activity."
"And?"
Eva groaned. "It means he's reacting, like how Johnny reacted when he smelled the roadkill."
"Hold on...then these sound bites are our catalyst?"
"I think so," Eva answered with a nod. "Robert's daughter may have sounded similar or maybe the two had a special connection to this character..."
"And the only racer who crossed the finish line with me, was the one who stopped to save me when I needed help. The tortoise!"
"Sound isn't ingrained in our memory as powerfully as smell is though so activating the catalyst in itself is going to be a challenge."
"I don't know about all this. It all sounds like bit of a stretch."
"I'm not trying to steal your slippers, I'm trying to steal this book!"
"Well, we're running low on options. Of you've got any bright ideas-"
"Hey, hey, no need to get snippy," Neil exclaimed, raising his hands defensively. "It's just, well..."
"I still say you're nutty, but hey, I've done lots of nutty things."
"Isn't there a better way to do this?" Neil asked, jerking his thumb at the four different sets of speakers playing around him. "Makes it kinda hard to have a conversation, yah know?"
Eva shook her head. "It's the best way we've got. Like I said, sound isn't the biggest player in our memory and something like voice recognition would be buried pretty deeply in the subconscious. Even with all this we're barely getting the a strong enough reaction."
"Been dreaming, I've been waiting, to fly with those great ponies..."
Eva shifted her helmet on. "When I give you the signal, turn us on and turn up the volume," she directed Dr. Turner and Jessica. "Ready?" she asked Neil.
"Pfft, I was born ready, for this and for anything and everything," Dr. Watts replied confidently. "Let'sa go!"
Eva nodded to the two ladies sitting in front of the mess of machines who nodded back. She closed her eyes as the helmet on her head began to hum.
"This really is the BEST DAY EVER!"
From behind her eyelids and beneath the helmet everything was in darkness. Then, the darkness faded to white.
****I live my life, one day at a time... ****
The last customer made her purchase and left without a word. Robert sighed as he watched her leave the store. No thank you, no friendly inquiry of how his day was. It wasn't like he had expected one. Still, hearing something, something to remind him that his customers were still human would have been nice.
It was time to leave. Robert hung the depressing uniform on a rack with his name tag. His manager didn't bother to look up from his magazine as Robert walked past him. No good-bye, no see you tomorrow, no questions about tonight. It wasn't like Robert had expected anything. Still, it would have been nice to hear something from the middle aged man behind the magazine, a reminder that he was human.
Robert let the door with the "Employees Only" sign shut behind him. He walked past the counter he sat day after day to scrape a living. He walked past the young men and women that had replaced him and the others whose shifts had ended. He walked past those automatic doors and into...
"Detroit."
"No Neil, no."
"It totally is Detroit!"
Robert zipped his hoodie and placed his hands his pockets. Sometimes he would lift his head and frown at the few crumbling buildings and houses, long abandoned. For the most part however he simply walked forward, his eyes to the litter-filled sidewalk.
His silent stroll paused suddenly before a cardboard box in the way. Without another glance, Robert walked past. It was just another abandoned box after all, not his problem.
His journey finally ended before a small, quaint house. Robert fumbled with his keys before finally unlocking the door and stepping inside. He took off his hooded jacket and hung it in the nearby closet. His keys were tossed on a small cabinet, under an photo of a couple, their hands resting on a smiling young boy's shoulders.
Robert plopped himself in an armchair and flicked on the television. He picked up a game controller. A few moments later, Robert had gotten up and replaced the video game with a different one. His interest hadn't lasted long and soon he was up again, switching disks.
After a while Robert set the controller back down and simply stared at the television screen. His hand found the remote and the screen went black. The only light now was the faint glow of a lamp on the table.
Robert got to his feet. He opened his closet and grabbed the hoodie along with the keys which he placed in his pocket. For another second more, with his hand around the door handle, Robert hesitated. He shook his head and stepped outside, following the path he had taken home earlier. He shivered as a short gust of wind blew by.
Minutes later, he and two others stood before the plain cardboard box once more, sad and alone amidst broken pieces of concrete and tuffs of wild grass. With a shrug, Robert drew closer. Eva and Neil followed.
Something was in the box. There was color that clashed fiercely against the brown of the cardboard. The bright hues stared back at Robert, as if beckoning him closer. He did. So did Eva and Neil.
The trio now stood right beside the box. As one, they tilted their heads forward and looked inside.
* *
* *
* *
* *
"Is...is that..."
"No. Fricking. Way."
Chapter 8
"No fricking way," Neil repeats. "No freaking, flipping, frigging, frogging, frolicking-"
Robert shook as he crouched over the box. With eyes wider than he ever thought possible, he stares. His jaw hangs in astonishment. He tries getting up, tapping the box with his foot in carelessness. Robert swallows hard as bright pink eyes blink open and stare back.
Those eyes are accompanied by a long snout-like nose and two pointed ears that peaked through a mess of hair colored by every hue of the rainbow. The nose and ears were light-blue, like the sky, as with the rest of the body, which was like that of a dog or any similarly shaped mammal, save for a pair of feathery wings. It was barely larger than a puppy. Four long legs were attached, each ending with a hard hoof. At the rear hung an unusual tail, one made more of hair than of flesh. An equine tail, colored the same way as the hair on its head.
A young rainbow-haired pony sat in the cardboard box, staring.
It stares at Robert with rosy eyes. He stares back, his face breaking into a large smile.
"Hi there," he says uncertainly. He waits, as if expecting a reply. There is none.
"Uh, what are you doing here?" Robert tried again. Again, there is no verbal response. It-
"She."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
She looks around, taking in her surroundings, then returns to Robert. Robert rubs his chin, deep in thought. His attention returns to the young pony as she shivers in the cold September wind.
She shakes again and lays down, huddling her legs close to protect herself from the unrelenting cold. She tries ducking her head under a wing, seeking warmth from those blue feathers.
Robert grimaces at the scene, his eyes softening even further, almost to the point of tearing up. He all but rips his warm hoodie from his body reaches forward. The rainbow-maned filly squirms in panic. In her frantic struggle, her wings flutter desperately in an attempt to escape.
Carefully, gently, tenderly, Robert wraps the filly with the jacket and holds her close. He feels her struggle against his arm, though it is much less panicked. She is suddenly aware that the once biting cold has been subdued and she relaxes, ignorant to Robert's discomfort to the cold. As he looks down at the filly that rests in his arms, Robert begins to forget the chill as well.
"It's all right," he assures the young pony. "Let's get you somewhere warmer, huh?"
Robert smiles again. The filly looks up in confusion, tilting her head to the side. She blinks.
"Don't worry," he says, almost coos. "I'm not gonna hurt you." Robert looks around and into the sky. Stars twinkle on the black canvas above. "It's getting late, and you'll freeze out here."
The little pony snuggles in Robert's arms as if in response. She looks back at the jacket-less man holding her before resting her chin onto his arm with a small sigh. Her eyes slowly close and before long, she is asleep.
Robert moves slowly as to avoid waking the winged filly. His eyes pick up the slack, quickly shifting from side to side. Every so often, he glances over his shoulder through Eva and Neil, oblivious of their presence.
At last, Robert reaches his home. His porch light stands like a beacon, like a lighthouse. The neighboring houses sit in the darkness, creating an eerie contrast.
As carefully and as quietly as he can with a single arm, Robert pulls out his keys and works at the locks. Several seconds pass by, interrupted only several sharp clicks as hidden bolts slide from the other side of the door. The little pony doesn't seem to mind. She is warm.
The door is finally opened and darkness reaches out to welcome Robert home. He feels his way along the wall and finds the switch. The bulb above flickers, then floods the hallway with light. He passes by the portrait of the happy family.
"Hello Mom. Hello Dad."
The pony begins to squirm and struggle again as Robert walks into the living room. Her eyes blink open, unsettled by the sudden exposure to light. Robert sets her down on an old couch.
The jacket falls in a crumbled pile. With wide eyes and a child's curiosity, the pony scans the room, taking note of her new environment. Robert watches as she explores the old couch. Her attention suddenly turns to the coffee table nearby.
Robert, for the most part, simply stares. "What are you doing here in my world?" he mutters.
The filly looks up at him with a blank, confused stare. It is her only response so Robert tries again:
"Are...you lost?"
Her ears fall flat against her head and she finds sudden interest in the ground. No words were exchanged but her expression spoke volumes.
"Oh" is all Robert can muster. He stares at the lost filly, himself lost in his own thoughts. He shakes his head; she's beyond lost.
"Well..." he begins uncertainly, "...until something happens, I guess you can...stay with me."
The filly lifts her head. The worry shining in those rosy eyes are a reflection of just how encouraging and convincing Robert had sound. He tries to offset this and his own apprehension with a smile.
"Don't worry," he says, partially to the filly and partially to himself. "I'm sure whatever brought you here will fix itself within time. We just...gotta wait. Is that all right?"
Her ears perk up. For the first time, she smiles.
She smiles and that's all the assurance Robert needs.
*****
"No freaking, flipping..."
"Neil, I get it," Eva groaned in aggravation.
"I don't think you do," Neil shot back. He pointed at their client who led the filly through the house, pointing out various rooms of interest. "If you did you'd be panicking like me, because Robert has a freaking cartoon horse in his arms. How in the name of science do we explain this? They didn't just glue some wings on a horse and dye her blue; she doesn't even look like a real horse. She's the real deal, a real, honest to God, honest to Einstein and Newton, My Little Pony pony! Not a plush, not a toy, a real freaking, flipping, frigging -ow!"
"Stop panicking," Eva snapped, rubbing the back of her hand. "Yes, this job just got real unorthodox, and God writing this report is going to be pain, but it's still our job. Act like the professional you're paid to be and panic after you're done."
Neil stared at his partner. "Sometimes I think I work with a freaking Terminator. How are you so calm all the time?"
"Work now, scream later." Eva tapped her chin as she watched Robert and the little Pegasus enter the small kitchen. "That pony...she's the one from all the voice clips right?"
"Yeah, Rainbow Dash." Neil took several deep breaths before walking over to the chair the filly sat in as she waited for Robert who was at the refrigerator. "Looks a lot younger than she does in the show though."
"There might be a connection between the pony and Robert's daughter," Eva observed as she joined her partner. "These memories were unlocked using the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice after all..."
"You think we'll finally get to meet this mysterious girl?"
"I hope so." Eva sighed. "Otherwise we've hit another dead end and I don't think we can afford that."
Robert returns with a handful of baby carrots and beckons the little pony toward him.
"H-hey, Eva?"
"Hmm?"
"We're seeing this too right? And there's no way, no freaking flipping frigging-"
"Neil..."
"Is it possible that Robert's just hallucinating?"
Eva thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Not with our tech. If we were encountering some hallucinations the system would have booted us out of Robert's memories to protect our own brains. It's a reason why we run background checks for hallucinogen usage."
"What about-"
"Beta blockers aren't hallucinogens. No one could have predicted that Johnny took drugs to deliberately cause memory loss."
"Yeah, like anyone could've predicted blue cartoon ponies with wings," Neil scoffed.
Robert led the young pony back into the living room. Carefully, he broke the carrots into smaller chunks and offered them. The little blue Pegasus regarded the vegetables with a tilt of her head before devouring them hungrily. Robert sat back and watched as the filly chewed away. Her eyes close and she smiles. She must have been hungry. Bits of carrot falls onto the floor but Robert doesn't seem to notice the mess.
At last, the carrots are gone. The pony looks around before her eyes settle on an old recliner. She climbs on it and settles in. Robert opens his mouth as if in protest but quickly shuts it and settles back down on the couch with a small shrug.
The pony shivers. Robert gets up and walks over to a closet. She watches intently as Robert pulls out a small blanket. She yawns and grins as he lays the blanket over her. Robert smiles back, almost apologetically, and sits back on the couch.
Robert watches the filly. The filly watches Robert. Every so often one of them blinks and the other smiles as if in victory. Time passes...
"So...are we just gonna sit here and wait or..."
"I suppose we should start looking for a memento," Eva suggests. She looks around. Nothing special catches her eye. "Time to do some poking around them."
As she spoke, Robert slowly closes his eyes. His head rolls onto his shoulder and he slouches in the couch. Soon, light snore fills the room. The filly grins, triumphant, and she leaps off her chair. She makes her way to Robert's sleeping body and climbs next to him on the couch. The pony wiggles her way through and rests her rainbow hatted head on the inside of Robert's elbow. The rest of her body curls up against Robert and she closes her eyes as well. Soon she too is asleep.
"D'aww..."
"What was that?"
"N-nothing," Neil quickly asserted. "It's just cold is all."
"I could've sworn you said-"
"Let's go find that memento shall we?"
Though the living room lamps were dim, a bright glow filled the area. Neither Robert nor the pony snuggled against him seemed to mind the light they seemed to emit.
"It's doing it again," Neil said, hold up his wrist as the device beeped and shook. This time, he appeared far more annoyed than worried. "Eva..."
The light grew blindingly bright.
Chapter 10
"That'll be twenty six thirty two," the cashier said, her voice dead of emotion as she wearily brushed the bangs out of her eyes. The teenager was probably already counting down the hours she would waste away simply for a (in her opinion) pitiful amount of spending money. Her eyeliner failed to hide the wrinkles already spreading beneath her eyes from the stress and she made no effort to smooth out her uniform.
"And this, kids, is why you go to college."
"To rack up giant amounts of student debt without earning any real world experience or necessary skills or preparation for the working environment?"
"I take you had a horrible college experience, Eva? Should have joined a sorority."
Robert handed over two bills with a smile. "Thank you," he said cheerfully as he received the change. It was a few cents short but nothing worth making a fuss over, Robert decided. "Have a nice day," he said to the cashier as he picked up the bags stuffed with groceries. "Hmm hmm hm hmmm hmm," he hummed softly to himself. "Hmm hmm hm hm hmmm..."
The young lady watched him leave with a raised eyebrow. "Huh, looks like someone got lucky last ni-"
"Hey!" screamed the woman that was next. A brawling child sat the cart, crying as he pointed at the medley of candies. "Quit dawdling! I haven't all day, yah know!"
Robert gave the store a sympathetic glance as the doors closed and cut off the rest of the customer's complaint. Shaking his head and shifting the bags in his arms, he began the trek home. Tonight he was going to try making a salad. He hoped Dash liked at least one of the dressings he bought.
"Maybe it's time for a car," he groaned under the weight of the groceries.
In due time, Robert found himself on his street and as usual, he ran into no one. As he stepped over the curb, his hand slipped, almost upsetting the bag's contents. A few apples tumbled out and Robert quickly but carefully set the other groceries aside and went to his knees. Thankfully, none of the fruit was bruised badly and really just needed some water before they could be eaten.
Robert got to his feet and as he did, he caught the sight of a rainbow peeking from behind the curtains of his window. Robert gasped and looked around in panic, half expecting to seeing people staring and pointing and gaping. He was alone, of course. This was a dead end street that received no visitors. His home was the only one occupied. The more he thought, the more Robert realized just how slim the odds were of a passerby noticing the little Pegasus peering through the window.
The pony in question had just noticed the man and the groceries and waved vigorously. Robert tried his best to wave back with burdened arms but she had already disappeared. He smiled as he heard scratching from the other side of the door even as he took out his keys.
"Still having trouble with the door nob?" Robert teased, setting the brown paper bags next to the frowning filly.
"It's too high," Rainbow complained, sticking her snout into the nearest bag. "I wanna grow bigger! Like you."
"Yeah, maybe." Robert pulled it away before the little Pegasus could make off with a snack. Truth be told, the thought of Rainbow Dash having free, uninhibited access to the outside frightened him. He didn't know what kinds of trouble she'd get herself into but his imagination made him shudder. Despite that, the filly's growth didn't bother him. It was a sign that she was well and healthy after all.
"What's this?" Rainbow asked, pulling out a small booklet. The cover was of a pencil writing out a letter A.
"Oh, that's just something for you to practice with. If you keep at it I'll give you a reward."
"Like a cookie?"
"Yup, if you like."
"Can I have a cookie now?"
Robert quickly turned away from those large, quivering pink eyes. "After dinner," he said firmly. "Don't want to spoil our appetites, do we?"
"Aw...can we play then?"
"Sure, after we put these away." Robert pointed at the groceries. He directed the cyan pony to the lightest load and gathered the rest in his arms as he stood back up. "What were you staring at anyways?"
"Mmf?"
"At the window," Robert clarified. "Just wondering, were you looking at something?"
Rainbow set the bag down before speaking.
"A bird."
*****
"You going to work?"
"Huh?" Robert looked up from his shoelaces. Rainbow stood close by, suffering from a severe case of bed hair, or rather...
"So do ponies get bed manes or is there specific terminology?"
"Neil..."
"I'm serious. Did you know the entire middle of a horse is called a barrel? Why not just call it a middle?"
"What are you doing up so early?" Robert asked. "Did you have a bad dream?"
The Pegasus shook her head. "Are you going to work?" she repeated, suppressing a yawn.
"No, it's the weekend, remember?" he answered with a shake of his head. "Just a quick walk, go back to sleep."
"Oh."
Robert knelt down and held out his arms. When Rainbow had settled herself in them, he stood up and made his way to his room. It was significantly cleaner, with laundry neatly folded and stacked on a chair instead of being thrown haphazardly about. Robert pulled back the covers and carefully placed the pony on the bed.
"It's still early," he said, tucking her in and tossing aside a stray sock. "Try to get some sleep. We'll play later, I promise."
Rainbow Dash stifled another yawn. "Can I go too?"
"Er...no, not now. M-maybe another time, okay?"
The Pegasus shut her eyes and pulled the blankets closer. "M'kay."
Slowly, quietly, Robert left the room. His eyes rested upon the little mound beneath the covers a second longer before he shut the door. He made it all the way to the front of the house before looking back. With a sigh and a quick straightening of his simple grey hoodie, Robert opened the door and accepted the cold embrace of brisk early morning air, just chilling enough to necessitate a jacket. The days were getting colder. He locked the doors and took a breath.
The sun had not yet risen but in less in an hour it would take its place in the sky. If he was lucky he might be able to catch a sunrise, though there weren't any ideal locations for photos. A few clouds dotted the heavens but Robert had a feeling they would not stay for long. Never mind what the meteorologists said, with their five day forecasts and balloons and science, today was going to be a glorious day. A glorious, beautiful day.
The thought did not lift his spirits as Robert thought it would as he looked back to the house, the home he now shared with a little filly, no matter how temporary.
"On second thought," he said to himself, taking out his keys, "it does look like it might rain."
"...no it doesn't!"
*****
"What do you see?"
Rainbow jumped and whipped around in surprise. The familiar sight of the young man calmed her down and she turned back to the window.
"Clouds," she said, pointing up.
"Yeah." Robert tilted his head upward and joined in the staring. Cirrus and stratus and other meaningless terms floated in his head, old knowledge from long ago that had been hidden away after years of disuse. "Cumulus," he hazarded.
To Rainbow, they were big and fluffy and white and when they weren't, the kind man would make hot chocolate with big fluffy white marshmallows if she asked and if they had any. "They're so high. Can you reach?"
Robert chuckled. "Nope, even I'm too short." He set the small booklet next to her. On the cover was the simple picture of a pencil and the letter 'A'. "Come on, it's time to practice."
Rainbow push herself off the windowsill and picked up the small yellow pencil with her mouth.
"Here, let's, uh, try something new today." Robert pulled out a few rubber bands from his pocket. A few minutes later Rainbow sat staring at the pencil now crookedly attached to her foreleg.
"Feels funny. Can you take it off?"
"Just give it a try," Robert pleaded. "I know it probably looks kind of weird but just give it a try." He gestured to the booklet. "Please?"
The filly just stared at her fetlock. She looked back at the man and nodded slowly. "Can I have two candies then?"
"You know what, of course you can," Robert answered with a small smile. He knelt down beside her. "Now, let's get practicing."
Rainbow slowly brought her shaky hoof along the paper and began to write out the alphabet.
/-\ I-} [ |)
"Use your other hoof to steady the pencil."
A B C D...
"Where did all the birds go?"
"Hm?"
"The birds," Rainbow said, pointing at the window. "They're not outside anymore. Where are they?"
"It's winter, Dashie," Robert explained. "It's too cold for them and too hard to find food right now so they fly south for the winter. It's warmer down there?"
"Do we go too?" the young Pegasus asked.
"Nah, just birds."
"Oh."
Was it just his imagination or did Rainbow sound...disappointed? She looked behind her and fluttered her wings right before returning to her work.
Funny, Robert was the one finding it hard to concentrated.
*****
The can rolled a few feet before stopping against a rusted trash bin. Robert bent down and picked it up gingerly. The color had not completely faded and he could still read the brand of beer that it had once been filled with, though just barely.
Who drinks at a public park anyways?
A soft creak drew Robert's attention and he turned his head toward the decrepit remains of a swing set. The once silver chain was now coated in dusty red with the splintering seat hanging limply. Another gale of wind blew by, sending Robert into a fit of shivers even with his jacket on. The creaking swing began to move slowly, as if occupied by a timid phantom child.
The can fell into the bin with a noisy clank.
Carefully, Robert leaned his shoulder on one of swing set's poles. Even after all these years they were still sturdy. This park had been built to last but when the children stopped coming, maintenance stopped as well. There had been a jungle gym, with monkey bars and everything, Robert remembered. He stared at the spot it had stood, now completely vacant. It had been dismantled and melted down years ago. The only indications that this place had once been a playground were the decaying swings and a large sandbox.
Before reason could take control, Robert took a seat and pushed off against the ground with his toes. The swing squealed in protest under his weight, and Robert was sure he was too much for the little thing. The chain proved stronger than he thought however and it held. He let himself sway with the wind.
"Getting late," he muttered, standing up. "Better head home."
With one final glance at his old park, Robert walked away.
*****
Tooday is Septimber twentyth. My name is Rainbo Dash. May i have two cookies tooday?
"Well, your writing's a lot neater..."
The filly Pegasus set the pencil down on the table from her mouth and beamed.
"...but you need to work on your spelling. 'Rainbow' is missing a w, for instance, and 'today' should only have one o." Robert showed Rainbow the paper and pointed. "You still did an excellent job though," he added as Rainbow groaned and hid her face with her hooves. "Better than my handwriting. Guess it's a lot easier to use your mouth, huh?"
"Yeah. It feels really weird to use these to write." Rainbow looked at her hooves.
"Alright then, just make sure you don't choke on you pen while writing." Robert wiped the pencil with his shirt and examined it. "And try not to damage them too badly," he added, taking note of the deep teeth marks in the wood. He handed it back. "Let's correct this and then you can have free time, okay? Rainbow Dash? Dashie?"
"Huh? Oops, sorry." The Pegasus leaped down from the windowsill and
"Was anyone out there?" Robert asked, old paranoia resurfacing before he could squash it.
"Just birds. They're finally back!"
*****
Chapter 11
As Robert took out his keys to lock the door, he turned his head and scanned the area quickly. Still clear. He released a breath of relief and set off with his arms tucked below his stomach and his hood over his head.
The young man walked quickly but carefully, often ducking his head and watching his feet lift and land. A sense of nervousness seemed to follow him and when he wasn't watching his step his head would spin side to side and behind.
"Something the matter?"
"Gah! No, nothing, nothing at all, sir-ur, ma'am, miss!"
The old woman shook her head. "Darn crazy kids," she muttered. "All fat and lazy."
"If he's trying to avoid suspicion he's doing a God-awful job. Seriously, the only way he could look any more suspicious if he was bla-"
"Finish that sentence and I will end you."
"You're a walking stereotype, you know that? All you need is an afro. Ow! I was kidding!"
Concrete gave way to grass. Robert paused at the edge and looked around once more. No kids were running and chasing each other. No families were picnicking or playing ball. No one near the rusty swing set. The little sandbox was vacate as ever.
Deserted as usual. Perfect.
With one final cautious glance over his shoulder, Robert unzipped his jacket. A rainbow-haired head peeked out. The pony stared in awe, her bright red eyes wider than Robert had ever seen before.
"Is it safe?" she asked, staring back up at the man. Robert could feel the filly shake against him both nervously and in excitement. He smiled.
"It'll be fine," he said, opening the rest of his coat. The pony tumbled out of his arms and landed softly in the grass. For a moment she sat there, just staring at the green blades and the occasional dandelion flower, before looking up into the sky.
A few clouds drifted along lazily but not enough to hide sun. Robert laid next to Rainbow and stared up with her.
"Beautiful day, huh?"
Rainbow nodded. "It's so...big," she muttered. "Why can't we live here instead?"
"There's no shelter from the rain," Robert explained. "It gets really cold too."
"Colder than at home?"
He hesitated. "Much colder," Robert answered, trying to ignore how she had said 'home' and what that word implied. "Plus, there's no T.V. or electricity."
"That's okay. I think this is cooler." Rainbow watched a couple of birds soar by, chirping as they flew. She stretched her wings and got into a low crouch.
"Dashie..."
Then she leaped, her wings spread out wide. Robert's eyes widened as she took off and landed on her face.
Robert sped to her side just as Rainbow picked herself up and spat out a mouthful of grass. "Are you alright? Where does it hurt? Do we need to go home? Maybe..."
"I'm fine, geez," the filly said, pushing the man's hands away. Her pouting face was a little dirty but nothing that would last. Rainbow glared at the feathery appendages on her back.
"Why don't they work?" she asked.
"Give it some time," Robert assured. "You just need some practice. What, did you think those birds could fly after being hatched?"
"Maybe...I guess not. Does that mean we'll be coming back here some time?"
Robert nodded. "Of course, if you want to."
"Yes!" the filly cheered, leaping back onto her hooves. She began to gallop through the grass, jumping into the air every three steps with her wings spread.
As Dash ran and cheered, Robert found himself laughing as well. He ran by and scooped her up, holding her just above his head. Rainbow's cheering intensified as she reached closer to the clouds above.
Eva and Neil tried to follow but as they grew closer Robert and the little pony faded away. The sky that had been blue was now orange as the sun began its descent. Rainbow and the young man reappeared, resting at the base of a tall tree right above the old dusty sandbox.
"Think it's time to go home?"
"Aww, do we have to?"
Robert laughed. "Yeah, we do. You need a bath and some dinner would be nice." He climbed to his feet and picked up the little filly. She tried to hide a yawn.
"Can we come back here tomorrow?" Rainbow asked, snuggling against Robert's chest as he began to conceal her under his jacket.
"Of course."
The way back was much less dramatic than the trip to the park. Robert seemed too subdued and too tired to cover his tracks and besides the occasional look over the shoulder, his previous paranoia had been quieted.
Keys...door...jacket...closet...
...pony...tub...
"Hold still. I don't want to get soap in your eyes."
"Do I have to take a bath?"
"Yes." Robert lathered shampoo furiously through Rainbow's mane. "Look how dirty you are."
The pony examined her suds-covered body and gave Robert a questioning look.
"Well, you're clean now. You should have seen all the dirt and stuff on your coat before." He shook the water off his hands. "Can you spread your wings for me? I'm sure there's plenty I missed under them."
With a huff, the little pony extended her wings. Her annoyance gave the action power and soapy water flew from the bathtub and onto the floor. Robert barely had time to blink before the splash soaked his shirt.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry!" cried Rainbow. Her wings quickly shrunk away, tucked neatly next to her sides. The Pegasus tried pulling herself up but the hoof could not grab hold of the bathtub's edge and she slipped. Robert's arm shot forward, catching the filly before she hurt herself.
"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly. "I didn't mean to, really."
"I know," Robert said calmly. "It's alright. It was an accident." He took off the wet shirt and wrung it out before wiping it on the floor and mopping up the mess. "I'm not mad."
"R-really?"
"Of course not,"
If his answer did not reassure her, his smile certainly did. Rainbow smiled back.
"Close your eyes. It's time to rinse." Robert turned the nob.
"Hey! That's cold!"
"Gotcha."
The drain filled with suds and water as the bathroom filled with laughter.
*****
"Okay, I'm ready!"
"Alright, make sure to aim for the sandbox!"
"No way! I'm aiming for the skies!"
Robert, Eva, and Neil flinched as the Pegasus dropped like a stone. Sand ran through her mane as she picked herself up.
"We probably should have done some research first. I wonder if my library card's still valid..."
*****
Flight is the main form of locomotion among birds and other winged animals. Understanding the mechanisms behind flying has given humans ways to experience flight as well. The fundamentals of bird flight are similar to those of human aircraft. Lift, drag, and thrust are all terms used by pilots and ornithologists alike...
[|||]
"Are you ready?"
"I was born ready!"
Rainbow leaped from the tree branch with her wings extended. Gravity reestablished its grip a second later.
"Ow..."
*****
Gliding is possible because lift force (produced by air flow around the wing; see Chapter 3: The Physics on Flight II) is generated at right angles to the air flow, which comes slightly below the horizontal during gliding...
[|||]
"Alright, let's do this!"
"God, I hope I have enough band aids this time."
*****
When a bird flaps, its wings continue to develop lift. The lift is rotated forward (as oppose to a 90 degree angle to the horizontal as in gliding; see Chapter 6: Gliding) in order to counteract drag (see Chapter 2: The Physics on Flight I) and increase speed. This in itself also increases lift so to counteract weight and allowing maintenance and control over height...
[|||]
"Neil, where'd you get the popcorn?"
"I honestly have no idea."
*****
Apart from weight, there are three major forces of drag that impede a bird's aerial flight: frictional drag due to friction between air and body surfaces, form drag (or pressure drag) caused by the frontal area of the body, and lift-induced drag which is caused by wingtip vortices...
"Did you get all that?"
Rainbow simply stared blankly before slowly shaking her head. "Nope."
Robert sighed. "Yeah, me neither. Tomorrow I'll have to see if the library has any other books."
"Can I come too? I can hide in your jacket like when we go to the park."
"Sorry Dashie," he said, patting the filly's head. "I don't think they'd let you in."
"Fine," she huffed. "Can you at least get me a book to read? I think I finished all the ones at home."
"Sure." Robert got up and tucked the pony in. "Ready for bed?"
"Um, actually...can we read one more bedtime story?"
"Of course," he said, sitting back down. "How about we review the chapter on overcoming the forces of gravity and wind resistance...I'm kidding, I'm kidding..."
*****
Growth of equines will often accelerate after the first year and will continue to grow until their fourth year, at which the individual will have reached maturity and growth will continue at a reduced rate. Keep in mind, however, that growth varies among species, both in extent and in rate...
[|||]
"No way."
"Dashie..."
"No. I'm not going out in that."
Robert shook his head. "We've gone over this. You're too big to hide under my hoodie now and wearing a jacket on days like today is suspicious. If we still want to go out you need a disguise."
"Yeah, but I didn't think I had to go like this." Rainbow poked at the brown dog suit laying on the table. She stuck her tongue at it. "Do I have to?"
"Well, the other option is to just stay home." The man knelt down and rubbed the pony's shoulder. "Look, it's just until you can fly, then maybe you can use the clouds for cover. Just try it on. Please?"
The pony sighed in defeat. "Alright, but you'd better not laugh."
.....
"Bahahahaha!"
"Neil..."
*****
The point at which chicks fledge varies dramatically from species to species. By this point the individual will be able to fly and will often leave the nest and its parents, though in some species the child will be accompanied by the parents during the first migration. Those that are incapable of flight will likely die, either from falling or from exposure to the elements during winter...
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
[|||]
"Dashie, you okay? That last one really looked like it hurt."
"..."
"What?"
The filly lifted her head out of the sand. Bits of grain stuck to her cheeks and the wet streaks running down that ran down them.
Robert sat down and quickly placed her onto his lap. "Where does it hurt?" he asked. "Do you need a band aid? Ice?"
"Why can't I fly?"
The young pony stopped resisting the man's touch and settled into his arms, sniffing and rubbing at her eyes. "Why can't I fly?" she asked again.
Robert gently brushed Rainbow's mane out of her eyes so that he could look directly into them. "That's not true. You can fly. I know you can. You know you can. That's why we're practicing, isn't it?" He stroked the tips of her cyan feathers, knocking off sand particles. "As long as you don't give up, you can achieve anything you want. The sky is as good as yours." He gave the Pegasus an encouraging smile. "So, ready for another go?"
Rainbow returned the smile. She wiped away the last of the tears. "You bet!"
"Atta' girl."
*****
The most obvious adaptation to flight is the wing, but because flight is so energetically demanding birds have needed to evolved several other adaptations to improve efficiency...
Take-off is one of the most energetically demanding aspects of flight, as the subject must generate enough airflow across the wing to create lift...
[|||]
"Rainbow, slow down! You'll choke if you eat so fast."
"I can't help it," she said her mouth filled with donuts. "I'm so hungry."
*****
Landing is another problem for large birds with high wing loadings. This problem is dealt with in some species by aiming for a point below the intended landing spot (such as a nest on a cliff) then pulling up beforehand. If timed properly, the airspeed once the target is reached is reduced to practically nil...
[|||]
"D-Dashie...you...you're doing it. You're doing it!"
"I'm flying! I'm flying! Hey, I'm-"
"Ooh, we need to work on that landing.'
*****
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
[|||]
"You said I didn't have to wear this anymore after I learned how to fly," Rainbow grumbled quietly.
Robert chuckled. "You still need a little more practice first. Besides, you seem a little too tired for anymore flying right now."
"Nuh uh, I'm not..." Her attempts in containing the yawn failed. "...tired."
"Right." Robert held her tighter. "Good job today. I think you almost broke fifty feet."
"Heh, I'm pretty awesome I guess," Rainbow boasted wearily. Even through the dog costume Robert could see her prideful beam, her victorious grin. She yawned again.
"Come on, Dashie, let's get you home."
Author's Note
Much of the bold text was taken from the wikipedia page on bird flight.
Chapter 12
"Read it and weep."
Robert smirked in response to the collective groan as he laid down his cards. A pair of kings and three sixes, a full house.
"No frigging way man," one of the players moaned. Like Robert and the rest of the fellows huddled around the small coffee table, he wore a red apron and a name tag. And like anyone that wasn't Robert, he tossed his own hand down in an unceremonious heap in frustration. "No frigging way."
"Aw, shut up Dick," said the man with a red beard. "Ya know Bobby here don't cheat. He beat us fair and square."
Robert chuckled. "Well, I suppose nothing's fairer than luck." He packed all the cards together into one neat deck. "We should probably clean up before the manager hears us. My break's almost over anyhow."
"Boy-scout," teased the sole female in the group. She tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder as she readjusted her glasses. "At least give us the chance to win our cash back."
"Nope." And with a guiltless grin, he pocketed four green bills. Forty dollars total. "Thanks guys but I really need to get back to work."
The door to the break room was swung open as Robert exited. The three others faded away. As Neil and Eva approached the door it opened again and in stepped Robert and the man with the red beard. Both looked more tired than they had been before but Robert's smile remained. In the crook of his arm was a pink box of doughnuts.
"A fan of sweets eh?" Red beard laughed. "Is that what you're spendin' all ya steal from us?"
"Well, that and utilities," Robert said, setting the box down and tossing off his uniform. "Got to pay the bills somehow and, well, this job isn't the best around to be honest."
"Aye, I get ya. You know, I've got a brother whose sister-in-law is a lawyer to one of them big industries. She's gettin' me a job and if ya hurtin' maybe I can throw in a good word for ya. Course, first ya've gotta give me a doughnut."
"I appreciate the offer but these doughnuts are too valuable," joked Robert, holding the box closer to his chest. "Sorry, but I'm kind of attached to this place."
"Really, this dump? No offense."
"None taken. I didn't mean the store though," he explained. "I meant the community."
"We have a community?"
"Now I'm starting to take offense. It's my home. I can't just leave it right now. I'm...I'm not ready."
"Hey, hey, I understand Bobby." Red wrapped his arm around Robert's shoulder. "I miss my homeland too some days."
"Ireland?"
"No, Jersey. Can't ya tell from me accent?" The larger man shook his head. "No, but what I'm tryin' to say is that sometimes ya gotta grow and let go. Home isn't where you were born or raise, it's where ya heart is, ain't it?" He patted Robert on the back, leaving behind a powdery hand print. "Thanks for the doughnut."
"...hey!"
*****
"How come we don't have a car?"
Robert looked up from his Sudoku puzzle. "Hmm?"
Rainbow Dash pointed at the television screen. Brightly colored cars zoomed toward them as they past a turn. "Like one of those," the Pegasus said. "Why don't you have a car?"
Robert shrugged. "There was never any real need for one," he explained. "Besides, I don't have the money to buy one right now."
"Oh." Rainbow turned back to the race. A man on a raised platform was waving a checker flag as the first car crossed the finish line. Cheering roars and applause competed against the rumbling thunders of engines. "I'd like to ride one of those one day. They go so fast."
"I've seen faster."
"Faster than race cars?" Rainbow turned away from the TV. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah." Robert smiled as he brushed aside the curtains and looked out the window. "Rain stopped," he announced. "Ready to head..."
The television went dark. Rainbow Dash was by his side, holding up his coat.
"...to the park," he finished, bending down to pick up the coat and throwing his arms through the sleeves. "Now, remembered what we agreed to?"
"Fly only high enough that people can't see me but I can see them," the filly droned. "Watch where I'm flying, don't bother any birds if I see them, don't fly out of shouting distance, stay in the park's air zone, don't look directly into the sun, wait for you to give the all clear before landing, don't fly over nearby buildings, make sure I can always see you, listen to you when you say it's time to head back, don't fly too hard that my wings start hurting, don't do any tricks that are too dangerous, don't try anything that the TV says not to do at home even though we're at the park and not at home...did I miss anything?"
"Yeah." Robert opened the door just a crack and peeked through. The crack grew larger until the the door was completely ajar. He gestured toward the sky and gave the pony a thumbs-up. "Have fun."
Rainbow rolled her eyes before taking off. She was getting much faster at getting into the air, Robert noted. Despite the somewhat shaky beginning the Pegasus was becoming quite the expert flyer. She took to the sky like a natural, naturally.
Just like in the show...
For a moment, Robert lost sight of the flying blue pony. He scanned the clouds, trying to squash the rising sense of panic. He released a sigh as he saw a little hoof stick out and wave. Locking the door behind him, Robert shoved his keys into his pockets and began to walk. His eyes remained on the puffy cloud that mysteriously floated above him.
The man looked around. As usual, the park was empty. Robert lifted his head and waved both arms over his head. Rainbow Dash appeared moments later.
"Alright, what do we have planned today?"
"Well, I saw this guy in a leotard on TV doing flips and and twists and stuff in the air," Rainbow said. "I thought it was kinda lame but maybe I can make that stuff look cooler since I'm in the air way longer. I'll call it...the Awesome Cartwheel."
"Awesome Cartwheel?"
"Yeah, the announcer person said the guy was doing a cartwheel so I'm going to do one too, but in the sky so it'll be awesome."
"Alright, but why 'awesome'?" Robert asked. "Why not 'cool', so you'd have an alliteration?"
"A alliter-what now?"
"It's when you have words that begin with the same sound next to each other," the man explained. "Like 'Cool Cartwheel'."
"But cool doesn't have the same number of...syllables, that's it! Yeah, cool doesn't have the same number syllables as cartwheel. Nah, I'm sticking to Awesome Cartwheel."
"Fine," Robert conceded. "It's your move, you get to name it. Let's see it in action."
"You've got it!"
Rainbow shot into the sky. Cheers from below followed the filly as she flew by.
"Neil, are you cheering too?"
"What, no, you're crazy. It must have been the wind."
*****
"...the end." Robert closed the picture book and set it on the coffee table before yawning. "Ready for bed?"
"I'm already in bed," Rainbow replied, snuggled beneath the comforters. "Or couch, remember?"
"That you are," Robert said with a smile. Carefully as to avoid disturbing Rainbow's little nest, he crawled under his own blanket. "Ready to sleep then?"
"I guess." The filly pulled the extra pillow closer to her and placed her chin on top of it. "Um...can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?"
"Well, I was wondering..." Rainbow shifted onto her side, bumping a hoof into Robert's gut. "Sorry."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. What were you wondering?"
"I was wondering...if I could have my own room?"
The man lifted his head and pulled himself up onto an elbow. "Your own room?"
"Yeah, like my own bed and everything. Maybe a small bookshelf, I don't know."
"Your own room...well..."
"I mean, it doesn't have to be too big. It's just...sleeping here's getting a little uncomfortable. Sorry."
"I'll see if we've got extra space," Robert answered. "But it might take some time to raise money for a new bed, okay?"
"That's okay," the Pegasus said with a yawn. Her head laid down on the cushion and closed her eyes. She nestled against Robert's arm.
Robert raised a hesitant hand and set on the filly's head, gently stroking through her mane. Reaching with his other arm he turned off the illuminating lamp, bathing the room in darkness.
*****
"Did you see it? Did you see it?"
"You bet I did," Robert laughed. "What was that one called "
Rainbow paused in the middle of a twirl. "Uh...I haven't thought of a name yet."
"Well, how about..."
"Ooh, Buccaneer Blitz sounds cool. That's the Buccaneer Blitz, performed by the one and only Rainbow Dash!" She did another loop in the air and looked down. "Ahem?"
"Oh, uh, right." Robert threw his arms out and cheered.
"I'm going to do it again-whoa!"
The filly wobbled and fell from the sky, landing in Robert's outstretched arms.
"Ow."
"You over-exerted yourself again," he sighed, shaking his head. "You really need to be more careful. No more tricks for today, alright?"
"Aw, I'm not that tired." Rainbow leaped out of his arms and trotted in place. "See? I'm fine."
"How about a ten minute break?"
The Pegasus thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Sure, just ten minutes, right?"
"Just ten minutes." Robert lowered himself into the grass. "My throat's getting a little tired," he noted, taking out a water bottle from his sweatshirt pocket and removed the cap. After a few gulps, he handed it to Rainbow Dash, who accepted it gratefully."
"Slow down, Dashie," Robert cautioned. The bottle was already almost half empty. "You'll get sick if you drink so fast."
"Sorry," she grunted. She took a few more sips before giving it back and laid on her back. "Do you think the birds will back soon? They're late this year."
"Yeah, I guess they are." The man shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be back soon."
"That's nice." Rainbow rolled over onto her side. "Why isn't there anyone else here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this is a park right?" She gestured to the decrepit remains of the swing set. "Why are we the only people that come here?"
"We saw that nice old lady the other day."
"You mean the one with the weird looking cat? She was on the streets. I meant here, at the park? Why aren't there any other kids around? Where are all the other Pegasi?"
"Other...Pegasi?"
Rainbow nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I love flying, but sometimes it gets kind of lonely without a flying buddy." She looked back to the clouds above. "I wish you had wings."
"Same here. Listen, Dashie, I...I don't know if we'll ever find another another Pegasus and, well, I don't know if it's a good idea for other kids to see you."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry."
Rainbow brushed aside Robert's apology with a wave of her hoof. "Doesn't matter," she said. "You know what, if we never meet another Pegasus that makes me the most awesome one by default, right?"
"Ha, yeah, I guess..."
"You guess? Please." The filly leaped back onto her feet. "There's nothing cooler than me in the skies. Never has been, never will be. Is ten minutes up yet?"
"No, not yet." Robert shook his head, biting back a chuckle. "It's a good thing you can fly. I don't think we have enough room on the ground for your ego."
"Ha, as if! Wait, what's that suppose to mean?"
*****
"Is this enough?"
"Almost, I need twenty one hundred for a Dratini."
"You do realize there's more to this game than the Game Corner, right?"
"Hey, if you know an easier way to catch a Dragon-type, I'm all ears," the part-timer grumbled. "The shiny Gyarados doesn't count."
"It can use Dragon Rage, right?"
"Doesn't make it a Dragon."
Robert rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the old game handheld. "There, two thousand one hundred coins to buy a virtual dragon snake thing. Now will you let me get back to work? Break's over and I need get to my station before the manager catches us."
"Yeah, yeah." The boy took the system and pocketed it. "Hey man, thanks, I owe one. You ever thought about doing this as a living?"
"I don't think the gambling mini game market is very lucrative," Robert deadpanned, tying the straps of his apron.
"No, I meant real slots, real craps, the works. You know, at a casino."
"Please, don't be ridiculous. I mean, seriously, me, making it big at a legitimate casino? Where would I find one to begin with? Vegas is out of the question."
"Well, you heard about how they're turning those deserted lots into factories, yeah?"
"I've heard the rumors, yes," sighed Robert.
"Well, the next step is of course casinos."
"Excuse me?"
"Listen, buddy, it's how the economy works. First you have the jobs, then you have the money, then you have to have a system to circulate the money around."
"...commercialism?"
"Nah, communism. But see, this is America so we have casinos instead. Factories first, fixes the economy, people have money, then we gamble it all away. It's the circle of life."
"I...need to get back to work." Robert quickly hurried out the break room, completely unaware of the rapid scratches of a pen against a notepad that were following him.
"Neil, why are you taking notes?"
"Because now it all makes sense."
*****
"Hey, uh, Dashie?"
The Pegasus turned away from the televised car race. She grabbed the remote laying beside her and lower the volume of the laughing sea sponge. "Yeah?"
"I have something to show you. Do you mind coming upstairs?"
Setting aside the bowl of popcorn, Rainbow leaped off the couch and began to follow Robert up the stairs. She hovered over every few steps when she thought the man wasn't paying attention.
"Dashie, you know the rules. No flying indoors."
With a huff, the filly settled back onto the floor and scurried next to Robert's legs. "What is it?" she asked.
"A surprise. But first close your eyes."
Rainbow tilted her head to the side as she pondered the request. "How am I gonna see where I'm going then?"
She yelped in surprise as Robert bent down and scoped her into a cradle. "There. Now will you close your eyes?"
The pony considered protesting. She wasn't a baby and didn't need to be carried everywhere. Her curiosity however was stronger than the indignity she felt and though her pride fought valiantly, the desire for the mysterious surprise won out and she closed her eyes.
"Alright, you can open your eyes."
Rainbow Dash obeyed and looked around. A twin-sized bed complete with mattress and sheets sat in front of her. A few boxes marked in faded marker were pushed against the blue walls. Robert set her down on the bed and stepped back.
"Well, what do you think?"
"Is...is this my new room?"
"Yep and everything in it." He reached into one of the boxes and pulled out a ragged stuffed lion. "This...this is...I can't remember where I got this but it's yours now, if you like. I mean. I know you might be a little too old for these kind of toys but-"
Robert stumbled back as Rainbow tried tackling him. She reached around his neck.
"Thanks."
*****
"You seem awfully excited today. A brand new trick?"
"Kinda," Rainbow said as she stretched, flapping her wings as a quick warm up. "I've got an idea and that's about it."
"Well, what's this idea?" Robert asked, taking a seat on one for the wooden benches after confirming the lack of splinter. "Come on, don't keep me in the dark."
Rainbow Dash hummed as she tapped her chin. "Hmm...I don't know. It's a surprise after all."
"If you tell me now, I'll buy a great big cake from that new bakery that opened down the street for your birthday."
The pony gasped. "You mean the one with the giant pink cupcake for a sign?"
"The very one. Heck, payday's in a week, maybe we'll grab an ice cream cake this year. Well? Will you at least give me a hint?"
"Hmm...nah." Rainbow smirked and with two beats of her wings, the Pegasus was airborne. "Keep guessing!" she shouted before drawing a few figure eights and zigzagging between the clouds.
Robert hollered back, throwing a fist into the air as she zoomed overhead. He smiled and cheered as the flying pony bolted across the sky, punctuating every turn with a loop-de-loop. "Do a barrel roll!" he laughed as Rainbow corkscrewed around. Her giggles echoed his.
He settled back onto the bench and for the moment, simply watched as his little pony race off against forty two incredibly fast flyers. He didn't need to be able to see the others to know just who was in the lead. There was another turn and suddenly Rainbow banked, changing her direction upwards. She climbed higher and higher as one by one, the invisible racers fell behind.
With a hand shielding his eyes from the sun, Robert leaped up and squinted at Rainbow's rapidly shrinking figure. He swallowed and sweated as panic bubbled within him and he opened his mouth to call Rainbow back to the safety of the ground
Even at this distance, he could still hear her laughter, her whoops and joyous shouts. Robert still cried out but no fearful commands or worried pleads were heard. Instead, all he and Dash heard was a cheer, a cry of encouragement, a holler and a hurrah. Like a maniac, Robert had leaped onto the bench and threw his arms up.
"You can do it!" he screamed, not knowing whatever 'it' was. "You can do it, Dashie! You-"
He saw the rainbow before he heard it. His jaw would have fallen if the blast hadn't knocked him off his feet. His ears ring painfully as the loudest boom he had ever experienced washed over him like a wave. It was louder than thunder, louder than any simple old explosion.
*
When an object passes through the air it creates a series of pressure waves in front of and behind it. These waves travel at the speed of sound and as the object's speed grows, the waves are compressed because they cannot get out of each other's way. Eventually they merge into a single shock wave. The explosive sound that results is known as...
*
"A sonic boom," Robert breathed. Laying on his back, he stared up into the color filled sky. "A..." He laughed weakly. "A sonic rainboom." He felt something land softly on his stomach and tilted his head.
"Did you see that?" Rainbow screamed, punctuating each word with an excited bounce. "Did you see what I did? Did you hear it? That. Was."
"Amazing? Cool? Nice?"
"Ha, try awesome!" She leaped off onto the ground and cheered. "I've gotta try that again. Oh man, that was..." She shook her entire body, much like a child on a sugar high. "I need to do that again!"
"Whoa, hold on there, missy. I think we need to celebrate first."
"Birthdays happen every year," Dash argued. "I have to do that again!"
"Yeah, but cutie marks only come once a life time?"
"Cutie mark?" The Pegasus turned as Robert pointed to her flank. A white cloud with a lightning bolt of yellow, blue, and red stood out like an island in a sea of cyan. "What's that?"
"Your cutie mark," Robert declared proudly, grabbing Rainbow Dash up and spinning her.
"A what mark?" she asked as Robert stopped and recovered from dizziness.
"You know, a-"
The shouts and the blaring alarms grew louder or perhaps his ears had finally stopped ringing. Whatever the case Robert quickly stuffed the Pegasus under his jacket and ran, ignoring her muffled protests and dodging the broken glass that littered the streets. He ran past a red windowless Toyota that screamed as its lights blinked on and off. He hurried past the bakery with the sign shape like a cupcake. He made his way around the owner, whose mouth hung open and as she examined the damage and calculated just how much her insurance would cover.
Robert barely had time to close the door behind him before Rainbow ripped through the jacket, gasping for air.
"Can't...breath..."
"Sorry. I-"
"So...smelly..."
"...I am a little less sorry now." Robert tossed off the ruined coat to the side, shaking his head. His mourning for the loyal hoodie was short lived however as he turned back to the young filly before him. She spun in circles, trying to get a good look at the mysterious symbol on her flank.
"So what is this thing?" Rainbow asked, pointing toward the lightning bolt. "You said it was a..."
"A cutie mark," Robert explained. "It's a sign for, well, special ponies like you that shows the world what their special talent is. It appears when a little filly like you discovers just what that talent is." He leaned down and lightly tapped a finger on Dash's nose. "And I think you can guess what your special talent is and what your cutie mark means."
"It means...I'm good at racing, I'm good at going fast." She grinned. "I'm good at going fast. No, wait, I'm amazing when it comes to speed!" Rainbow Dash tore off into the living room with Robert hurrying behind and leaped into the armchair. "I'm the fastest thing you've ever seen or will ever see!" she shouted, laughing as she hopped.
Robert smiled as she smiled. He couldn't even bring himself to remind Dashie the rules against jumping on furniture. "So, ready to celebrate? I think we've got a few reasons to today."
"Ice cream cake?"
"Ice cream c-oh, wait." The memory of the bakery's condition intruded into Robert's thoughts. "Sorry but I don't think that bakery's going to be in business today."
"What? Are you kidding?"
"And I don't think there's anywhere else opened that sells cakes," he sighed, folding his arms.
"What about doughnuts?" suggested Rainbow. "Doesn't the place you work at sell doughnuts?"
"Oh, no, we are not going to celebrate with just a box of doughnuts."
"...two boxes of doughnuts?"
Robert shook his head as he motioned the Pegasus toward him and headed into the kitchen. "We're going to do this right," he declared, opening one of the cupboards. He reached in and pulled out a small book that would have appeared brand new if it weren't for the fine layer of dust on the cover. "With a cake," Robert said, flipping through the pages. "A delicious, moist, Rainbow Dash-worthy cake." He knelt down and showed Rainbow the picture of a three layered cake, with white frosting in between each layer and a strawberry on top.
Rainbow Dash quickly scanned over the words next to the image. "W-we're gonna make it ourselves?" she asked, wiping away a dribble of drool from her lips.
"Oh yeah."
"Awesome! What do we do first?"
"Says here we need a mixing bowl, some flour...no, not that kind!
"Oh."
"The flour's in the pantry next to you," Robert directed. "We have eggs, butter, I guess we can substitute milk with chocolate milk...there's still some chocolate sauce left so we can use that for frosting, we have sugar, maybe throw in a few M&Ms...nothing we can do about cinnamon, I think the oven still works...Dashie, be careful!"
"Whoa!"
The bag of flour fell to the floor with a loud thud. Powder flew into the air and drifted back down, painting the entire kitchen white. Both he and Rainbow rubbed flour off their faces. Rainbow smiled sheepishly with a blush that was mostly concealed behind her new snowy coat.
"Heh, oops?"
*****
"Ugh, I don't think I feel too good."
"I can't believe you ate all that cake, if that even qualified as a cake."
"Hey, it didn't turn out that bad," Rainbow grumbled as she let herself be lowered onto her bed. "We only burnt half of it. Most of it was still edible."
"I suppose so," Robert said, wiping off the lingering chocolate stains on Rainbow Dash's lips. "At least we had fun."
"Yeah. Um, sorry about, you know, the kitchen."
"The floor needed to be mopped anyways." He pulled away the covers and ushered the filly under them. "I'll finish tidying up downstairs, then be going to bed myself. My door will be unlocked like always so if you need me, just come over alright?"
"Yeah, I got it," she muttered tiredly as Robert tucked her in. "Goodnight Daddy," Rainbow Dash yawned, turning over onto her side. "I love you."
For the second time today, Robert's jaw drop. His eyes blinked several times and he grabbed his wrists to keep his hands from quivering uncontrollable. His mouth shut, then fell open once more. He brought a trembling hand up to cover the gaping portal only to lose control and let it fall back to his side.
At last, the man took a steady breath, much like what Rainbow would often do before taking to the skies, and stopped shaking. He leaned forward, brushing his lips gently against the little pony's forehead.
"Goodnight, my little Dashie," he whispered softly, so softly that Eva and Neil nearly missed it. He got up and put a hand on the light switch.
"I love you."
Neil's wrist grew warm as soon even the light of a cartoonish nightlight faded away in the darkness.
Chapter 13
For the first time in years, Robert and Rainbow Dash found their park occupied, though not exactly the kind of people one would expect to find at a park, decrepit or otherwise. Men and women in suits and sunglasses wandered about with rolls of blueprints tucked under their arms as they directed to the small crowd with hard hats and yellow vests following them. Robert's old fears of government sanctioned experiments returned at the sight of those dark foreboding sunglasses and immaculate suits and he immediately looked to the sky. It would either take a very trained eye or an eye specifically searching for a strand of red or yellow or a streak of blue to find the Pegasus among clouds but that assurance did little to quell Robert's apprehension. Hopefully, Rainbow could see the strangers from her vantage point and would remained hidden.
With no way to communicate to Rainbow, Robert turned instead to the nearest group. The man who appeared to be in charge was standing in front of the swing set remains and reading off of a clipboard. "Uh, excuse me," he said, drawing the man's attention as he adjusted his dark glasses. "Hi, I was just passing by and couldn't help noticing-"
"None of your business pal," spat one of the workers wearing vests. His helmet had a large dent in the front. The ill-tempered fellow twisted his lips into a growl but was interrupted by his apparent superior:
"Curiosity isn't a crime and, really, hopefully, this project won't be a secret much longer," the man said, straightening his tie. "My colleagues and I represent Neuhaus Blu Enterprises."
"The industrial firm?"
Those sunglasses, which weren't so threatening up close, began to slip. The man quickly pushed them back up on his nose. "Oh, you've heard of us?"
"Kind of," Robert answered. "I heard rumors about some big company buying land to build factories or something like that. Is that what's going on here? Construction work?"
"Oh, no, just surveying," the businessman explained. "The actual construction won't actually begin for awhile if we do decide to go ahead and build here." He pulled back his sleeve and checked the silver watch around his wrist. "Excuse us, we're on a schedule."
Robert watched the group move on then fade away into nothing. He moved toward the tree that had served as Rainbow's launch point so long ago and sat down at its base. The Pegasus herself hovered a few feet above before landing in Robert's lap.
"Oof," he grunted, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Getting big, Dashie. Man, what a day."
"I thought those guys would never leave," Rainbow grumbled as she shifted into a more comfortable resting position. "Sheesh, what did they want anyways? I didn't even have enough time to try anything new today."
The man shook his head. "Who knows?" he said, folding his hands together and looking up. The sun was leaving for the day, painting the sky red and orange as it made it's journey toward the other side of the world. "Huh, will you like at that?"
"Hmm?" Rainbow twist herself around to follow Robert's gaze. "What is it?"
"A sunset. Been awhile since I've seen one of those." He motioned the pony off and got to his feet. "Well, time to go home."
"Aw, do we have to? Can we stay for a few minutes longer?" Rainbow Dash pleaded. "Please?"
"Dashie, it's getting late."
"Just ten minutes, please?"
Robert placed his hands on his hips and frowned. "Dashie..."
"Please?"
"...ten minutes. You've got ten minutes."
*****
"Can I help you with anything?"
"Huh? Oh, no, not right now," Robert said to the suited lady behind him. "I'm, uh, just looking for the listings."
"Ah, thinking about moving into the big city?" the woman chuckled, adjusting her glasses. "You're not the only one, my friend. Plenty folk are looking around here to settle, mostly workers for the new factories and such." She gestured to one of the plush chairs in front of a large desk. "Please, have a seat," she said before moving behind the desk.
Deciding that politeness would be the best approach, Robert sat. "Well, actually I'm planning on moving out of here before construction begins and was wondering if you knew of any property a little, I don't know, more rural?"
"Really?" The real estate agent leaned forward in surprise.
"I mean, not right away," he quickly added. "I mean, I've got time. Construction doesn't even begin for another year or so."
"I suppose. Tea?" the lady offered, reaching for a large thermos and a stack of Styrofoam cups that sat next to an Employee of the Month plaque.
"No thank you."
She shrugged and poured herself a cup. "Yes, I suppose it could be some time before the factories do open up but you know what they say, the early bird gets the worm. I'm sure you're going to want your current place on the market as soon as possible."
"Well...I don't know..."
"People are coming in fast. That's just how it is. Tell you what." The lady leaned to the side and opened a drawer. She pulled out a small card. "Let's set up an appointment. Call me when you're ready and I'll get your home appraised. Then, we can discuss your new place in detail. Rural, right?"
"Yeah, with lots of open space and...hold on." Robert shook his head. "I'm getting ahead of myself. I can't exactly afford a new place right this moment. I'm only suppose to be looking around, you know, planning."
"Oh." The lady seemed to slump back into her seat. She took a quick sip of tea and her smile returned. "No worries. You've got my card so when you're ready, drop me a line and I'll be sure to get your house on the market at the highest buying price." She got up and extended her hand. Robert took it.
"Thanks. Sorry for wasting your time."
"Not a problem. It was a pleasure to help. Now, before you go, if you could just fill this out..."
A clipboard and a pen found their way into Robert's hands. The paper attached was titled Service Evaluation.
*****
"...and there's some pizza in the fridge. You only need to microwave it for thirty seconds and it'll be fine. I won't be back until it's late so it's up to you to remind yourself when it's bedtime. And-"
"Geez Dad, I get it." Rainbow rolled her eyes and nudged Robert toward the door. "Stop worrying about me, okay?"
The blaring blast of a car horn made it's way through the door and into their ears. Robert ignored it.
"Are you sure you'll be fine? I mean, this is the first time you'll be at home alone, at night, in the dark, with no one around. I'm sure there'll be another opportunity to see that smelly new casino."
"Dad..." Rainbow shook her head and pushed him once more. "I think I can handle one measly night alone in this dark, creepy house. Wooh." The Pegasus waved her legs in the air before bursting out in laughter. "Go on and have some fun, alright?"
"I don't know. I mean, have fun without you?"
"Yeah, I know. Try to, at least."
Another honk.
"You'd better make up your mind soon. Sounds like those guys are getting kinda impatient."
Robert shrugged. "Alright. I'm going. Remember, if you're not in bed by the time I get back, I'm not telling you a thing about my night."
"Psh, if it doesn't have me in it, it's not worth hearing about." The Pegasus smiled as she shoved him one more time.
"Alright, I'm going, I'm going. Stop pushing okay?" Robert chuckled and set his hand on the door handle. "Um..."
"Did you forget something or are you just stalling?" Rainbow asked, exasperated. "Look, I told you, I'll be fine. I'm a big pony now. I won't touch the oven or watch TV all night or prank call people again, I promise."
"It's not that, it's..." Robert shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Could I have a hug for good luck?"
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Rolling her eyes, Rainbow hovered up until she was about eye level and wrapped her legs around his shoulders. She rubbed her nose against Robert's warm cheek just as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Good luck, Dad," she whispered.
"Thanks, Dashie. See you later."
Carefully, Robert slipped out of the house and after making sure the door was locked he ran to the small car parked against the curb.
"About time," the driver grumbled. "Another minute and we would have taken off without you."
"Gee, thanks," Robert said as he settled in the backseat. "Nice to know I can rely on you guys."
"Hey, money waits for no man," laughed the woman sitting in the passenger seat. "Now, let's hit the road!"
Her cry was met with cheers and hollers as the driver turned the key and the engine roared to life.
"Yo Rob, your, um, lights." The young man sitting next to him pointed out at his house, where a small ray of light could be seen through the curtains.
"Oh, come on? Really, more delays?" the driver groaned.
Robert merely shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Let's get going."
"You, uh, sure 'bout that?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
The house disappeared as the car drove away. The passing buildings blurred by into the whitening background. Seconds later, the car stopped in a packed parking garage.
"Hey, be careful, alright?" the driver said as his passengers reached for the door handles. "This is a new car-"
"Coulda fooled me."
"Ha ha. You're paying for any new scratches."
Sharing a laugh, the group exited out of the car. Eva and Neil followed closely behind as the cold concrete of the garage transitioned into a bright color filled room, with red plush walls streaked with lines of gold. Bright brass slot machines stood in rows like regiments. Some were like old arcade games or movie reels while others, more modern, were like computers. Blurry figures that barely resembled people sat in front of the screens, a stark contrast to the richly detailed machines.
"Guess the slots made a bigger impression on Robert than the gamblers," Eva said, tapping her chin.
"So, slots first or cards?" the young man who had served as the driver asked. "Or craps anyone? Roulette?"
"We could just split up and meet together later," Robert suggested.
"What, and lose our good luck charm? You crazy?" cried the driver. The young man wrapped an arm around Robert's shoulders and began to direct him toward the golden slot machines. "You're not gonna monopolize all the luck tonight, pal."
"Well, too bad," Robert said with a chuckle. He took a seat in front of one of the open reel machines, built mostly for nostalgic effect, and took out a bill. "I'm not sharing, luck or winnings."
He laid a hand on the lever, grinning as he saw all eyes fixated on the screen. Robert took a deep breath and pulled. The images began to spin until they were nothing but a messy blur. Then, slowly, the pictures reappeared, first a cherry, then another. The group leaned closer as they waited for the last image to appear.
A seven.
"Well," Robert sighed as everyone around him, including Neil, groaned, "the night's still young. How about some Texas hold 'em?"
*****
"So, Mister, ah..."
"Robert's just fine, miss."
"Very well, Robert. I believe this might interest you."
The smiling lady in red slid a printout before Robert.
"Lots of open land, perfect if you have pets or kids. Few neighbors, however, and town is a bit of a distance away."
"Sounds perfect but..." Robert frowned, tapping at the piece of paper with a pen. "It's pretty pricey."
"Have you taken into account the profits from selling your old home?"
"Er, well, no."
"That's something you should probably consider, hon. I can get someone to appraise your place. Just tell me when and where."
"I'm sorry, this is just going awfully fast. I just need a little time..."
*****
"I just need a little time. Don't rush me."
Robert's eyes shifted from his cards, to his impatient opponents, to the dealer who was swiftly growing annoyed.
"Sir, I will ask only one more time: hit or stay."
Robert turned his attention back to the two cards he had been dealt with. A shiny black five and the queen of hearts stared back.
"Hit me."
*****
"Hey, Dashie, can you come here for a sec?"
Rainbow Dash removed herself from the couch and quickly entered the kitchen. Robert was sitting at the dining table, which was covered in folders and loose sheets of paper. "What's up?" she asked. "Can we go to the park today?"
"Sorry, kiddo." Robert lifted a mug up to his lips and grimaced. "God, how long did I leave this coffee out."
The filly frowned as well. "Are we ever going to go back?"
"We've discussed this."
"Yeah, I know. I can't be spotted otherwise bad guys in suits will take me away or something like that. Liked they'd ever catch me in the first place," Rainbow added under her breath. "Then can you, like, relax the rules about flying in the house? I've got to fly."
Robert leaped onto the table, using his body as a massive paper weight as Rainbow hovered in the air in emphasis. "Dashie!"
"Oops, sorry." The young Pegasus quickly landed. "What is all this junk anyways?"
"Eh, finance stuff. Been looking over the books and I've got a question."
"Uh huh?"
"So, we've saved quite a bit over the past few years."
"Yeah?"
"Not to mention I've been doing pretty well at that casino."
"That's not really a question, Dad."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure those slot machines are rigged but boy, the dealers there are chumps. Heck, I bet you could beat them."
"You want me to try making some money gambling?" Rainbow Dash ventured.
"No, of course not," Robert quickly said.
"Then what is it?"
"Well..." Robert shifted through a near pile of papers and binders and took out a sheet. He laid it in front of Rainbow, whose eyes were first drawn to the colored photo of a decent sized house, larger than their current one she guessed.
"We finally have enough to make the move but I want to put it by you first." He took another sip of cold coffee. "I've been told there's plenty of open space and few people around so you'll be able to fly all you want. I'm checking out the property next week with an agent first. So, what do you think?"
"Sorry, I wasn't listening past the 'be able to fly all you want' part." Rainbow grinned. "Of course I'm going to say yes!"
"Are you sure? This is a big moment in our lives. We'll be saying good bye to this place, probably forever. Lot of memories here."
"Yeah, I guess, but-"
"Like this oven!" Robert had jumped to his feet and placed a hand on the old appliance. "We made our first cake with this thing. Remember, it was just after you performed a sonic rainboom and you got your cutie mark and it was your birthday?"
"I remember. We burnt most of it."
"Or your first bath. We'll be leaving that bathtub behind. You sure you're not going to miss the bathtub? Or what about the coat closet, your favorite hiding spot? Remember when I was looking for you and you didn't want to do your homework so you hid there for hours and I got so worried?"
"Dad?"
"O-or what about the couch? Remember the couch? Your first night here? Do you remember our first night together? I mean, we can probably afford to move the furniture and take it all with us but it won't be in the same spot ever again. Or Dad's recliner? Remember when I'd sit on his lap and he'd...he'd..."
Something softly prodded Robert's shoulder. Rainbow Dash, her features filled with worry, had laid a hoof against as he had knelt in front of the old chair.
"Dad, you're crying."
He turned away, covering his face with a hand. Sniffs and suppressed sobs tore out of him as he fought to control his shaking shoulders.
"We don't have to move, if you don't want to," Rainbow said quietly. "It's not a bad place, our home. I mean, it's home, isn't it?"
"No," came Robert's sudden response. He stood back up and ran his sleeve across his face. "It's not fair for you, to stay all cooped up inside. You should be outside, flying to your heart's content. Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted that. I'm sure they'd understand. Besides..." He took a shaky breath and gave Rainbow a lopsided smile. "I-it's just a house."
Robert placed a hand on one of the Clair's armrests. He stood there silently for a moment, before sighing and taking a seat in the recliner. "It'll be fine. I'll be fine," he said with a weak smile. "I'll set up an appointment with an agent to get this place appraised later this week. Before then, we need to clean up around here and figure out how to hide you when the agent's around."
"Well, what about the coat closet?"
*****
"What do you think, sir?"
Robert lowered his camera. He looked around. Not a single other house in sight. Each breath he took was fresh, clean. He looked up at the clear blue sky.
"Yes, there is a pretty long drive between here and the city but-"
"It's perfect."
*****
"If you'd like my professional advice, I'd say wait for another buyer, one who's willing to pay full price. I mean, this is well below market value. I'm almost certain you can do better."
"That's okay. So I just need to sign here?"
"Yes, and here, and here."
*****
"...happy birthday to you!"
Robert removed his hands from Rainbow Dash's eyes. Those bright cerise orbs grew wide at the sight of the number of colorful candles peaking out of the thick layers of vanilla frosting. Tiny flames flickered and danced from every exhale but stubbornly refused to disappear. M&MS and skittles of every flavor were arranged to spell her name with a tiny rainbow right below it. Four juicy strawberries sat in the corners, one fruit for each corner.
"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen," the Pegasus muttered.
"Is something wrong?"
Rainbow shook her head. "Nah, nothing wrong, just a little weird. Last year there were ten candles, right? Why are there sixteen now?"
"Well, I decided we ought to catch up on those five birthdays we missed," Robert explained.
"And the sixteenth?"
"Do you remember what tomorrow is?"
"Moving day?"
"That's right."
It was then that Neil and Eva noticed the boxes tapped shut and stacked about. The entire kitchen was devoid of objects and furniture save for the single chair Rainbow was in and the table the cake was on. The plates waiting for use were paper instead of ceramic and the forks that sat with them were plastic white.
"And I think that deserves a little celebration too, don't you?" Robert grinned. "Or is it that you can't blow out all the candles?" he taunted, placing a hand on Dash's head and messing up her mane.
"Quit it Dad! Of course I can handle these measly candles. Who do you think I am?" With a humph, she took a breath and held it.
Robert, Eva, and Neil waited patiently as the pony stared at the candles spread all around and about the cake. One flame went out. Rainbow pursed her lips.
"You think she can do it?" Neil wondered aloud. "I don't think so. Rob here knows some stuff. Look at the distance between each candle. There's no way she'll be able to blow them all down with a single-"
A torrent flew from Rainbow's lips, knocking out flames like bowling pins. "Told you I could do it," she said smugly.
"Heh, like there was any doubt. Oh shoot." Robert clapped the palm of his hand against his forehead. "I forgot we packed all the knives. Oh well." He pushed the cake closer to Rainbow. "Go ahead birthday girl, dig in."
"Whoa, really? Just like this?"
"Yeah. Can't really cut out any slices so you'll just have to eat it like this." He stuck a fork into the frosting and ripped out a chunk of the sweet fluffy bread, waving it in front of the young mare. "Unless, of course, you want me to feed you."
Almost immediately Rainbow flung her face into the cake, taking out a huge bite of the corner.
"Whoa, carefully! And save some for me!"
"Bleh! I think I ate a candle!"
Laughter echoed from the two. As it faded away, so did the cake, the pony, and the man. The pony and the man reappeared next to the sink. In Robert's hands and in Rainbow Dash's face was a wet towel.
"That was not a good idea."
Rainbow groaned. "I ate way too much."
"Yeah, you definitely did," Robert agreed as he scrubbed furiously. "And don't worry about the candles. They're not toxic so you'll be fine."
"Well, that's a relief." The pony yawned.
"Bedtime."
"Aw, can't I stay up a little longer?"
"You're not fooling anyone, Dashie. I can see how much trouble you have keeping your eyes open." He gathered her in his arms and with a grunt lifted her up. "Let's go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Gently, he rocked the sleepy pony as he made his way to the couch, the only thing left in the living room. Rainbow made no protests until he tried setting her down. Instead, the Pegasus hugged Robert's arm tighter, refusing to move.
"All right," he sighed. "For old time sake."
He nestled against the cushions as Rainbow nestled against his chest.
"So, what did you wish for," Robert whispered.
Rainbow opened an eye. "Not telling you."
"Aw, come on."
"Nope, I'm asleep."
"You sure about that?" He poked her in the back, right in between her wings.
"Hey!" the Pegasus yelped. "Stop it!"
"Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."
"Fine! Geez." Rainbow Dash stuck a tongue out and rolled her eyes before shutting them. She lowered her voice to a whisper, almost too quiet for Robert and his two observers to hear:
"I wished we'd be together, forever."
*****
"Dashie? Dashie? Time to wake up. We're here."
Rainbow opened her eyes and stretched. "We're here?" she repeated groggily. She gasped and jumped in the passenger seat. "We're here! We're finally here!" She stared out the window, her mouth wide open.
Robert slowed the car to a halt and turned off the engine. "Nice house, huh?"
"Yeah, look at that sky. Wow, I can't wait to stretch my wings."
"Heh, I guess you've been stuck inside way too long. We can take a grand tour later." He unlocked the doors and opened Rainbow's door for her. "We've an hour before the movers arrive with the rest of our stuff. When they arrive-"
"Stay out of sight, got it." The Pegasus was already over his head, taking experimental dives and turns. "So, can I?"
"Go ahead Dashie."
"Yes!"
Her shout was punctuated by a gust of wind Rainbow cut through as she rocketed into the sky, hollering as she did so. Robert smiled as her joyous cries drifted back down to earth and to him..
"Welcome home, Dashie."
Chapter 14
Robert fidgeted with his tie nervously as the older man sitting on the other side of the desk looked over a sheet of paper. Every time the balding man hummed or pushed his glasses back onto his nose, Robert straightened his back. He began to tap his foot softly, stopping when the man lifted his bespectacled eyes from the paper and onto him.
"Sorry."
There was a nod, and the man returned his attention onto the document in his hands. When he was certain the man was distracted, Robert took the time to look around the office. It wasn't too much bigger than a cubicle, and the clutter of mementos on the desk and pinned to the wall made the space feel even smaller. A small picture frame sat in center of the desk with its back turned to him, right next to a small dull brass sign that simply said 'manager'.
"You're living pretty far," the man finally said. "You don't mind the commute?"
"Not at all, sir."
"Hm. Your last occupation's not entirely the same as the position you're applying for, similar but not the same."
"Yes, but I'm more than willing to learn. I'm a pretty fast learner."
"Hm. No family?"
"Well...no sir."
"Hm." The man set the paper down and slowly removed his glasses. "Well, you've answered my questions quite professional, and I must say I'm impressed with your resume."
"But?"
"Neil, shut up."
Mr. Manager smiled. "Can you start next Monday?"
"Y-yes," Robert said, struggling to control the stutter in his voice. "O-of course. Tthank you so much. I won't let you down."
"I don't doubt it." The older gentleman extended his open hand. Robert took hold of it. "See you bright and early."
The handshake ended, and slowly, Robert backed out of the office. Taking a moment to loosen his tie, he briskly made his way through the maze of copying machines and employees marching to and fro, with light Manila folders tucked underneath their armpits. A young lady in red at the reception desk gave him a little wave and a small smile, which Robert return with a far more genuine smile of his own.
He, Neil, and Eva stepped out of the building and turned to face it. The logo and name on its front was blurred, hidden under a shadow. They stood there for a moment longer before Robert took a breath and walked over to a car, grayer and and dirtier than the rental they had seen earlier. Robert fished out a mess of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. The twin edged key went from the latch to the ignition but the engine did not start. The key simply rested there, waiting for its owner to twist it ever so slightly to the side to begin their journey together.
Robert simply sat there. His face split into a grin, and his shoulders shook as he began to laugh.
"I did it, I got the job. I got the job! I got the-ow!"
The thud echoed through the vehicle along with silent snickers heard only by Neil's immensely unamused partner as Robert massaged his lightly bruised knuckles gently and blew hot breath on them. He looked up at the ceiling, checking for dents or any other sign of damage his ill-fated fist bump may have caused to the vehicle.
Satisfied, Robert turned the key and waited for an answer in the form of the hum of the engine. Petals were pressed, levers were pulled, radio stations were dialed, and the car made its way out of the chaotic mess of a parking lot. The buildings and other motors in the background faded into nothingness, and, in their place, trees and green fields appeared. Soon, the large house from before materialized as well. Robert's attention was divided between the road and the sky, looking up into the clouds every so often, ignoring the backseat driving he could not hear anyways coming from Neil.
The noisy hum of the engine had barely been silenced, Robert's door barely opened, before, like a blue bolt of lightning, the pegasus swooped down, performing a short loop-de-loop before landing.
"Well?" Rainbow demanded, hopping as she waited. "How'd the interview go?"
"Well."
There was a period of silence, about ten seconds, before the young mare blinked and said, "Well, what?"
"The interview."
"Yeah, I know, that's what I was asking about. How was it?"
"Well."
There was a period of silence, punctured only by the collective groans of the Sigmund Corp. employees.
Robert pointed a thumb behind him at the back trunk of the car. "Well, Dashie, let's just say all that junk food I bought is for a little celebration we're going to have tonight."
Rainbow's eyes widened. "You got the job?"
The man grinned. "I got the job."
"You got the job!" the pegasus cheered, throwing herself into the air.
"Yep, now help me with the groceries." With a click, the truck was opened, and, with a grunt, Robert pulled out a brown paper bag bulging to the brim. Several others peeked out of the car. "I got your favorite cupcakes."
"The ones with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles?"
"The ones with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. And how does a nice big homemade cake sound?"
Robert stumbled back a bit as Rainbow launched herself into his arms. "You're the best, Dad!" he heard her say. He tried to pat her head but the pegasus ducked out of reach and landed next to the bags. Carefully, she grabbed one with her teeth and her hooves and hovered to the door.
"Dad, hurry up!" she managed to call out.
"Be careful, Dashie. I might have gone a little overboard, so those might be a bit heavy." Once again, Robert pulled out the mess of keys and found the one to the house. "Here we are, home sweet home."
The bags were set down almost completely silently. "Do you have to say that every time you open the door?" Rainbow asked.
"Why not? It's fun."
"It's embarrassing," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. She flew back and shut the car trunk before lifting the last of the groceries and hurrying back. "Wow, these are a little heavy," she wheezed as she approached.
"Told you so. Need help?"
"Nah, I got this. What's in here anyways? What did you buy?"
"Oh, you know, a couple of bottles of sparkling cider."
The bag almost slipped from her grasp. "I got it, I got it," Rainbow Dash quickly assured. "Really, you got cider? Not just juice, right?"
"I told you, we've got something to celebrate about tonight." Robert led the way to the kitchen. The bags were emptied and were replaced with a mixing bowl, a bag of flour, eggs, and a cookbook. Robert's jacket had vanished and a green apron took its place.
"Now, what did we learn last time?"
"There is such thing as too much sugar."
"And?"
"Coca cola is not a substitute for baking soda."
"And?"
"Setting the oven at a higher temperature will not bake the cake faster. And Dad's no longer allowed to lick the spoon."
"That's right. You washed your hooves? Good." He rolled up his sleeves and clapped his hands together. "Let's begin."
Eva and Neil watched as the man and the pony poured flour and milk into the mixing bowl. They watched as Rainbow clumsily cracked open the eggs. The batter was stirred, the oven was preheated, and a lovely little single layered cake was decorated with chocolate frosting and strawberries. The kitchen window became a sheet of darkness, barely pierced by the light of stars.
"You ever notice how time passes by really fast sometimes?" Neil asked. "I don't think I've ever mentioned how weird it feels.
"I would have thought you'd have gotten used to all this timey-wimey stuff by now."
With cake in hand, Robert followed Rainbow Dash to the dining room. On her back she carried a pair of paper cups, and in her mouth dangled a small plastic bag. The table was already prepared with utensils and plates with cupcakes on them. A large bag of potato chips laid open next to a bowl of tomato sauce. Rainbow set the cups on the table and pulled out a bottle from the bag.
"Should I get the cap remover?"
"Nah," Rainbow said, taking hold of bottle's top with her teeth. "I've got this."
The cap flew off and bounced against the opposite wall. With a sheepish grin, the pegasus poured fizzing apple cider into the cups as Robert sliced the cake and placed an impressive portion next to the pink frosting sprinkled cupcakes.
"This is way too much sugar," Robert said with a laugh, holding up his heavy plate. "You're going to be up all night, aren't you?"
"Yeah, probably." Rainbow wiped away away the frosting covering her lips, leaving pink streaks of sugar on her leg.
Robert chuckled. "Looks like some pony needs a bath."
The pegasus stuck out her tongue in defiance before using it to lap off some of the excess frosting from her cake slice. "Mmm."
"Mmm," Robert agreed, taking a bite from his own piece. He cleared his throat. "Listen, Dashie, there's something we need to talk about."
"Uh oh."
"Don't worry, there's no bad news, and you're not in any trouble. It's just, with the new job and everything, I won't be able to spend the entire day with you at home."
"Oh yeah, that right. Wow, I can't believe I actually forgot."
"Yeah, as much as it'd be awesome to work at home, that's just not in the cards right now. Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you'll be alright by yourself. I mean, with the commute and everything, I probably won't be home until six, maybe later. Sorry."
Rainbow shrugged. "That's alright, nothing to be sorry for really."
"Well I just wanted to make sure you'll be okay with all this. I think we should have had this talk much earlier." The man sighed and leaned back in his seat. "How did that slip my mind?"
"It happens, I guess," Rainbow responded with another shrug. "Don't worry about me, Dad. I'll be fine."
"You'll be careful when you're flying, right? Nothing too dangerous when I'm not around, okay?"
"Don't worry, Pop, I'll be careful."
"And you won't just sit around the house watching the TV?"
"Of course not."
"And you'll make sure to keep out of sight? And stay away from strangers? And not open the door unless you absolutely know it's me? And you won't mess with the stove, right? And--"
"Dad!"
Robert jerked forward, as if awoken. "S-sorry."
"I'll be fine, Dad, I promise," Rainbow said softly. "I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me and everything, really, I do, but you know there's something as too much worrying, right? Not gonna lie, it'll get kind of lonely without you around, but I'll manage. I don't want to distract you from your work, so please stop worrying about me, okay?"
Robert opened his mouth, then let it close shut. He smiled. "You can't stop me from worrying," he joked. "That's just part of being a dad. But you're right. You'll be fine. I trust you." He shook his head and let his smile grow wider. He gave the little pony a pat on the head. "You're an awesome kid, you know that Dashie?"
"Yeah, I know it," she said smugly, ducking away from Robert's hand. "So, when do you start?"
"Next week, Monday, so we've got some time to spend together. Anything you particularly want to do?" Robert took another bite of his cake. "Maybe a new trick? Or do you want to rent a movie?"
"Actually, I kinda, uh, well, I kinda want to try writing a resume. I read yours earlier, and I was hoping you could help me with mine."
"Wait, you're writing a resume?" Robert asked.
"Yeah. I was think about getting a job too. You know, to help with the house and money and stuff."
"Let me worry about the finances, Dashie. I can handle all of that."
"But that's not fair! I'm old enough work too, aren't I? It's not fair that you have to work all the time, and I can just hang around the house. Why can't I get a job too?"
"That's real sweet Dashie, but I really don't think we'll find any business that hires ponies." Robert shook his head and chuckled, lifting his cup to his lips. As he set it back down, he smiled at the young pegasus on the other side. His smile disappeared.
Rainbow had stuck her chin out fiercely, but even as she did so, everyone could see how her lower lip trembled. Her eyes were downcast, staring into the ground. Her ears laid flat against her head as her wings folded closer over her, like a feathery blanket.
"D'aww."
"Neil, did you--"
"Nope. You heard no--"
"Wait, I didn't mean...," Robert was saying. He had gotten to his feet but stopped short of approaching her, leaving a small distance between him and Rainbow. "Dashie, I didn't mean...I just...I mean...I'm so sorry, Dashie. I shouldn't have...I..."
The decorated table had disappeared, replaced by a simple coffee table. The dining room became a living room.
"It's okay, Dad, really. I get it."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said..."
Another transition. Rainbow Dash had disappeared. Robert now sat alone on the couch with his arms crossed, staring at a mug partially filled with murky liquid. His lips were twisted in a sorrowful frown.
He got to his feet. Holding the half empty mug in both hands, Robert left the room with Eva and Neil following close behind. They stopped in front of a flight of stairs. Once again, Robert frowned.
"I'm sorry," the two heard him whisper. Robert lifted the cup, grimacing as the drink touched his tongue. The cup was lowered, empty, and Robert brushed his lips against his arm, leaving a dark stain on the sleeve.
He turned away from the stairs and started walking down a familiar hallway instead. A few pictures hung on the wall, too blurry to interpret. At the end of the hallway were a pair of sneakers, a coat rack, and a door. Robert set his hand on the door handle and pulled the door open. He stepped outside in his socks, leaving the door opened.
The moon and stars shined from above, illuminating the night. Robert stared out into the evening sky, ignoring the growing dampness of his socks as he stomped through ankle-high grass.
"She wants a job." With his hands deep in his pockets, Robert swung his leg like a pendulum, kicking up loose stalks of grass. "She wants a--"
"Dad?"
Robert stopped swinging. Rainbow Dash was at his side, hovering at eye level. Her frown mirrored his own.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"Yeah, j-just need a little fresh air." He sniffed. "Listen, Dashie, I'm sorry, I--"
Robert's stagger cut off the rest of his apology as Rainbow plopped herself onto the man's back, her legs wrapped tightly around his shoulders.
"It's fine," she whispered. "I-I get it. I'm not like everyone else."
Robert shook his head. "It's not fine. I need to make this up to you. I don't know if I can, but I have to try." He reached behind him and took hold of the pony hanging on his back, lifting her over his head and setting her against his chest. Rainbow gave him a sleepy glare that quickly dissolved as she yawned and settled into his arms, snuggling against him. Robert gave her a tired smile and, with a grunt of struggle, he began to head back inside.
Even as their overgrown lawn threatened to trap his stumbling feet and trip him, Robert continued to smile.
Chapter 15
"There, that should do it, I think." Robert slowly stood up and stretched his arms upward. His fingers were painted black with grease, and five of them were curled around a large wrench. Several additional tools, including various types of screwdrivers and hammers, as well as a few blueprints and chunks of metal laid scattered on the hard concrete floor. A red rusty tool box sat in the middle of the mess, empty save for a box of nails.
"Here I was, thinking shop class was a complete waste of time," he chuckled as he wiped his hands with a rag. The stains transferred to the cloth. "And Mom wanted me to take home econ."
Robert took a step back to admire his handiwork. His invisible audience was less than impressed.
"What am I looking at?" Eva wondered aloud. She rubbed her eyes and squinted. "Is that, a robot?"
"I'll never understand abstract art," said Neil, shaking his head. "But if I had to guess, this must be a representation of modern society's reliance on machines which will inevitably bite humanity in the rear. So basically The Terminator franchise. Heck, it even looks a little bit like Arnold from the first film if you tilt your head."
As if in response, Robert had leaned his head to the side as he stared at his creation. He picked up one of the blueprints laying about and compared the chalked outline to the chaotic mash of metals. Blades stuck out from under a naked motor. Two rods extended out from the base that were then connected together by a single rod between them.
Robert reached down and took hold of a bright red handle. He yanked the handle up, revealing a long thick cable that extended from the motor, and released. Nothing happened. Robert tried again, and this time he was rewarded with a burst of smoke. His coughs mingled with the soft purrs of the tiny engine.
A sudden gust of wind dispelled the hazardous black cloud.
"Dad? You okay in there?" Dashie asked, her wings continuing to beat as she kept herself airborne.
"Yeah," the man said in between coughs. "Just peachy."
"What'cha doing down here anyways?" the pegasus asked, flying closer. Her eyes darted all over the messy garage. "It looks like a hurricane blasted through here."
"Well--"
"Whoa! What is that?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, almost losing her balance.
"That's, ah, our lawnmower."
"That's a lawnmower?" Dashie, Eva, and Neil cried out in unison.
"What did he do? Weaponize it?" said Neil, his glasses slipping off of his edge of his nose. "I want one now."
"You don't even own a lawn."
"So? I don't have any chains, doesn't stop me from keeping a chainsaw."
"...what?"
"What did you do to it?" Rainbow asked. She crept behind the contraption and gave it a cautious prod. The motor began to cough, then died completely.
"Oh, you know." Robert chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "A few modifications here and there. I was, well, thinking about our talk last night."
"Talk?"
"Yeah, about you and a job."
"Oh." Rainbow landed and folded her wings against her sides. She kicked at a discarded can.
"Yeah, that. S-sorry."
"I told you already, I get it Dad," Rainbow Dash groaned, rubbing her forehead. "You don't have to keep apologizing."
"R-right, sor--" Robert cleared his throat as the young mare raised an eyebrow at him. "Anyways, I was thinking, you know how I'll probably be awfully busy with work, right?"
Rainbow nodded.
"Well, that means I'm probably not going to have time to deal with lawn care and stuff. So I was thinking." The man grinned and placed his hands on his hips. "How would you like a job making sure the grass stays short? I'll pay you and everything."
"A job? For me?"
"I mean, it's not the most glamorous job in the world," Robert admitted, deflating a bit. "There's a lot of grass out there, but you'll earn some spending money at the very least, in case there's anything you want to buy. We can work out the details later, but I'll make sure you get a fair wage."
"Wow, that sounds, um..." Rainbow Dash glanced over at the lawnmower.
"Is something wrong? I-it's a work in progress," Robert quickly said, rushing to the machine's side and setting himself between it and Rainbow. "I know this doesn't look like much right now, but give me a few hours, and it'll be set and ready. Just have to add a few finishing touches, you don't have to worry about a thing."
"The lawnmower looks fine," Rainbow assured, waving her hoof dismissively. "Er, yeah, fine. It's just..." She sighed and turned away. The sound of her hoof awkwardly knocking against the floor echoed throughout the garage. "Well, that money's gonna come out of your pocket, right?"
Robert nodded hesitantly.
"Then how is that any different from you just giving me money? I'm still not bringing in anything to help pay the bills. If anything, I'm just making things harder for you, money-wise."
"Just because you're not bringing in paychecks does not mean you're not helping out," Robert said, kneeling next to the little pony. "I know you want to help and believe me, this helps. I can't afford to spend a lot of time making sure the grass is cut. There's just not enough time on the weekends for me to cover the entire yard, and professional gardener cost a lot these days, especially with properties this big. Way I see it, I can save a lot by paying you to mow the lawn instead."
"So, by having me--"
"Hiring." Robert grinned. "Let's be technical."
"--by hiring me, then," Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes, "we'll actually save money?"
"Yep. Sound good to you? Do we have a deal?"
Rainbow stared at the outstretched hand, then turned to the mutilated lawnmower.
"Can I wait until I see the final product?" she asked. "I don't want to end up cutting my own hooves off."
*
Robert knelt down and hovered his hand above the lawn. He smiled and nodded. "Yep, looks good. Consistent work throughout, that's good too," he said as he turned his head slowly to examine the entire area. "Not bad for a first week."
"Not bad?" Rainbow snorted. "Psh, really? I did a great job, and you know it."
"Yeah, but it took you, what, all day?"
"Hmph, I blame the equipment," Rainbow Dash contended, her feathers bristling in annoyance. "Give me some time to get used to it, and I'll mow down every inch of green in ten seconds flat."
Robert picked himself up and brushed off loose pieces of grass from his jeans. He reached into his pocket and held three small sheets of green paper out toward the young mare. "Here you are," he said, "your first paycheck!"
"That doesn't look like a check."
Robert rolled his eyes. "Fine, your first payment, in the form of bills."
"Hmm, I was kinda expecting a suitcase."
"It's forty-five bucks! How am I supposed to fill an entire suitcase?"
"You could've used forty-five one dollar bills," Rainbow Dash said. "Can I at least get one of those money clip thingies those bankers on TV use. I'd settle for a rubber band."
"Dashie..."
"Kidding, Pop, I'm just messing with you." The pegasus leapt into the air and gently tapped Robert's shoulder before swinging her forelegs over and around his neck. "Thanks Dad," she whisper, nuzzling Robert's cheek before leaping into the air with her payment.
"Hey, you're the one who earned it," Robert said with a laugh. "So, is there anything you want to buy, or are you going to start saving?"
"Actually, I was thinking about decorating my room a bit. It's kinda bland as it is now. The walls could seriously use a few posters."
"I'll keep my eye out," Robert said. "Anything in particular?"
"Aw, you know me. Just keep it awesome."
*
"Hey Dad?"
With a mouth full of cereal, Robert managed to say a quick, "Hmm?" He turned away from the newspaper he held in his free hand and looked toward the pony who had called him instead.
Rainbow Dash sat on the other side of the dinning table. In front of her was a half eaten piece of toast covered in jam and the comics section of the newspaper. Her large eyes were focused not on the blurry panels, Eva realized as she followed the pony's gaze, but on a bright blue advertisement pushed to the side. On the ad was a picture of a large satellite dish held in the hands of a silver cartoonish android.
"What's cable?"
"Cable? You mean like rope?"
"I don't think so," Rainbow said, shaking her head. She placed the paper into Robert's hands and leaned over the table to point at the advertisement. "This cable. Something to do with TV, I think."
Robert rubbed his chin and tapped his spoon against the edge of his bowl. "Cable is..." he began before stopping himself. He closed his eyes and rubbed his chin more furiously. "Well, you know how television works through a bunch of cables, right?"
"Really?" said Rainbow Dash. "I thought it had something to do with radio waves or something, like in that one movie with the weird chocolate factory."
Robert's forehead began to furrow. "Er, yeah, that's part of it," he said. "But it catches those radio waves through cables, or something like that."
"Or something like that indeed," Neil commented with a sigh.
"What, do you know how television works?" Eva challenged.
"Magic and science and magical science, duh."
"Anyways," Robert continued, unaware of Neil's interruption, "depending on the kind of cables connected to your TV, you can get different channels. Some cable companies provide for more channels than others because they install more cables."
"Or something like that?" Rainbow asked.
"Or something like that," admitted Robert with a shrug. "Or maybe they use different types of wires, I don't know. Satellites are involved somewhere, which is why you also need to install a satellite receiver in you house."
"That sounds awfully complicated," Rainbow Dash said, resting her cheek against the tabletop. "So basically, cables mean channels, and if you pay companies to set up more cables in your TV, you'll get more channels?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much it."
"Do we have cable, Dad?" Rainbow asked. She continued to stare at the bright blue ad.
"No," Robert said, scratching his chin. "I don't think so."
"Why?"
"Because..." The man blinked twice before placing his spoon down again. "Um, because you never asked?"
"Then can we get cable?"
*
"No offense, Dad, but here's hoping this is our last DIY job."
"What? Why?" Robert cried out, almost dropping the screwdriver he held. "It's fun, isn't it?"
"Sure, it was cool seeing sparks the first time," Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes, "but it gets old pretty quickly when they fly every time you touch something. And all I do is hand you tools and bandages and watch you work. Sorry Dad, but I can't exactly say I'm having the time of my life right now."
"Aw, and I was hoping to renovate the kitchen too. Ow, hey!"
"Wasn't me, Pop. Might wanna pay attention to what's in front of you." Rainbow shook her head and sighed as Robert beat away the flames that threatened to spread and consume. "Anyways, I'm all for saving a few bucks and everything--"
"Electrical tape, please."
Rainbow placed the red rubbery roll in Robert's hand. "--but maybe calling an expert for this sort of thing might be a good idea. I could always just stay outside and out of sight if we do hire an electrician, you know. I mean, you've paid for a plumber before."
"That's different," Robert argued, grabbing for a pair of scissors. "I don't want to mess with our pipes. We need running water."
"And we don't need electricity?" Rainbow joked, her face was expressionless, save for the tips of her mouth, which threatened to rise.
"Electricity is overrated. Why, when I was your age, all we had was a water wheel to grind our grain and power our toasters, none of all this fancy newfangled doohickeys."
"Right, sure." Rainbow rolled her eyes again. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Of course I do. Dashie, you really need to trust--"
Robert fell backwards. A tangled mess of wires remained clutched in his fist, their metallic innards on full display. The other halves limply stuck out of the wall like beheaded serpents.
"Wow," Neil whistled. "You sure this guy's name isn't Murphy?"
Robert got back to his feet and looked over the damage. His face betrayed no emotions, save for his lips which were trembling violently.
"Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"Should I fetch your cellphone?"
"Umm hmm."
"And the yellow pages book?"
"Mhmm hmm."
*
Taps and clicks filled the cubicle and Eva and Neil's ears. Robert sat at the paper-covered desk, his eyes glued to a large computer screen. As the two approached, Robert turned around suddenly, his back toward the computer, his body acting as a shield between them and whatever Robert had been working on.
"Oh, it's just you," he said, releasing a breath of relief. "Like your tie, by the way."
Another man had appeared behind the two Sigmund Corp. employees, his face obscured. Like Robert, he wore a simple dress shirt with a tie loosely draped around his neck. Unlike Robert, however, the newcomer's tie was embroidered with yellow duck patterns.
The man crossed his arms. "Ooh, using company equipment for private personal purposes? Tsk, tsk," he said, wagging an index finger. "Play solitaire on your own time, not during business hours. Should I grab your supervisor real quick?"
"Speaking of which, how's that report coming along?" Robert crossed his arms "You must be finished by now if you've got time to pester, sorry, check up on me."
"Hey, can't a guy take a bathroom break once a while?" the man whined. "What're you working on anyways? Did the higher ups already give you a new assignment?" Ignoring Robert's protests, he brushed past and gave the computer mouse a nudge, brushing away the monitor's screensaver.
In the corner of the screen was bright large symbol, like a coat of arms; it consisted of an upside down triangle with a set of golden wings springing out of the top and a red circle in the center. The words INDIANAPOLIS 500 were stamped in the middle in bright yellow letters. Directly below the symbol was a picture of a silver trophy that had the image of person bent over, waving a black and white checkered flag.
"Didn't know you were into this sort of thing," Robert's coworker said. "Personally, I always took you as a horse track sort of guy."
"Funny."
"Hm?"
"Oh, uh, inside joke."
"With yourself?" The man gave Robert a tired shrug before taking a seat on the desk. "Buying tickets?"
Robert sighed and sunk himself into a chair. "Trying to. It's an incredible pain getting tickets and really expensive."
"Did you look anywhere besides the official website? You know, for alternatives?"
"What, like scalpers?" Robert asked with an incredulous look. "Isn't that, like, insanely sketchy?"
"I'm not talking about scalpers," the man said, waving his hand as he shook his head. "I meant travel agencies and stuff, that sort of deal. A lot of them have started brokering tickets to events and amusement parks. Took my entire family to Disneyland last summer." He grimaced before continuing: "Happiest place on Earth my foot. Anyways, I can introduce you to my agent, she's a good family friend of mine."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. But this settles that debt I owe you, 'kay? We're even after this."
Robert leaned forward with his hand outstretched. "Deal."
*
"Please leave a message after the tone. "
Robert smiled as he waited for the sharp beep to subside. Leaning against a wall, he brought the cellphone receiver to his lips and whispered quietly, "Hey Dashie, it's Dad. Good job keeping quiet. Just calling to let you know I'm almost done with grocery shopping. I hope you didn't have too big of a lunch today, because I thought we'd try making pasta again tonight. So if you could make sure the pot's clean, that'd be great."
Robert became silent and quickly covered his phone as a grumbling old man shuffled by. At the sight of the cellphone, the senior rolled his eyes and continued his muttering. Robert waited until he could no longer hear the elder's vehement ranting before lifting the phone back up and speaking.
"Anyways, I'll be back in about an hour. Try not to miss me too much. Love you."
With a few short clicks, the call ended, and Robert pocketed the phone. "Hmm, maybe I should get her her own cellphone," he thought aloud. "Though we'd have to modify it for hoof use. Heh, I should have been an engineer." He shrugged and returned to the full shopping trolley Eva and Neil had been standing by. "Maybe next year for her birthday," Robert muttered to himself as he pushed the cart into the cereal aisle. "It'll give me time to figure out a convincing explanation."
Two boxes of cereal joined the pile of groceries, one a collection of honey oats and cornflakes, the other filled with a rainbow of marshmallows and little of anything else. From there, Robert made his way to the end of a large line filled with semi-visible shoppers, all waiting for a free cashier. The line moved along steadily and swiftly, aided by Neil with a couple of taps on his wrist device.
The groceries were paid and bagged. The storefront quickly faded away, as did the parking lot, and Neil and Eva suddenly found themselves in a cruising car, with Robert driving. Like before, buildings and traffic blurred into nothing until gray blurs became green blurs, and a familiar driveway appeared before them.
The car was parked. Robert opened the door, stepped out, and simply stood there with his hands on his hips.
"Odd," he said. "She knows I went food shopping. Oh well." Robert walked over to the other side of the car and opened the passenger seat. He removed two stuffed brown bags and cradled them in his arms as he tried to close the door. "There's not much anyways, nothing I can't handle."
With a little more difficult, he opened the door to the large house. His house, his and Dashie's.
"Home sweet home," he chucked as he struggled to shut the door without slamming it. He placed the groceries on the floor briefly in order to remove his jacket and place it in the closet nearby. The ring of keys went on the small key rack that hung above a picture frame. Robert gave the photo a quick glance and smiled. He and Rainbow were there, wearing party hats and holding noisemakers. They stood right next to an old fashion clock hanging from the wall and kept pointing at it. Twelve o' clock, it read, midnight. Robert placed the picture back down.
"Dashie, I'm home," he called as he entered the kitchen. A large metal pot sat on the counter, already filled with water ready to be boiled. As Robert began to sort out the groceries, he heard noise from the other room. Robert picked up the box of marshmallow disguised as breakfast. He rolled his eyes at the picture of the cartoonish mascot.
"I got the cereal you wanted," he said as he walked toward the living room. "Is there anything good on TV or--"
"A Sonic Rainboom! She did it! SHE DID IT! "
The colorful box slipped from Robert's grasp and fell with a soft but echoing thud.
Chapter 16
"How long?"
Her voice was steady, betraying no emotion. Robert licked his lips and swallowed. He opened his mouth and tried to speak. "I..." was all he managed.
"How long have you known about this?" Rainbow said. She pointed a quaking hoof at the television screen. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow colored mane was flying about. A trail of colorful lights followed behind her.
Robert stared, first at the Rainbow Dash on the couch, then at the Rainbow Dash in the TV. "I..." he tried to say. He shut his mouth as Dashie stared back at him with red wet eyes, her cheeks stained with tears. Some were still flowing, leaving new wet trails. She ran her hooves through her hair, turning her mane into a rat's nest.
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS?"
He took a step back. He shut his eyes.
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS?" Rainbow screamed again, pointing at her televised self. "WHAT ELSE HAVEN'T YOU BEEN TELLING ME?"
Robert sighed and let his shoulders sag. He walked over to the television and switched it off. He sat down on the couch, next to the young mare, who continued to glare at him furiously. Robert kept his head low and his eyes averted.
"Since forever," he said.
"What do you mean, forever?" Rainbow demanded. "Why was I on TV? What was that?"
"It's an old cartoon," Robert explained. "It was a reimagining of an old series called My Little Pony and was made for young girls. For some reason, a bunch of reasons really, guys like me were attracted to the show. I used to look forward every Saturday for the new episode. I loved the animation, the art style, the lightheartedness behind the stories, and the characters. I loved the characters, how every single one of them were flawed and had to struggle through their problems." He took a deep breath. "My favorite pony was Rainbow Dash."
"Me."
"Yes," Robert said quietly. "You."
"So I'm a cartoon character?"
"I know it's a little hard to take in, but yes. You're from a cartoon. I...I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
"What, by having to watch my own show to figure who I am?" Rainbow growled. "Yeah, thanks a bunch. So how the heck did I come from that world..." She pointed at the television. "...into this one?"
Robert shook his head. "I don't know. I found you one night, on the streets, shivering in a box. I tried looking for clues, like lights or something hinting magic, but I couldn't find anything. There was nothing on the news, and it wasn't like I could go to anyone for help, so I decided to take care of you." The man's weak smile faded as a Rainbow responded with a cold frown. "At first, I thought it was just going to be temporary, that I just had to wait for someone to show up and take you back to Equestria, but no one did."
"Equestria?"
"Your...your home."
"You sure it's not TV Land?" Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth. "Just what exactly am I?" she asked. "A bunch of colored pictures mashed together? Am I even real?"
"Of course you're real," cried Robert. He tried to rush forward but the pony's glare kept him back. "You think, you talk, you act--"
"All according to a written script, right? Just like in the show?"
"W-well, that is, I-I mean, i-it's--"
"I didn't see much, but I saw enough. I'm exactly like the pony behind the TV screen, aren't I? That blue pegasus with the same colored mane and name as me, she likes flying, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, but--"
"I bet she loves racing, right?"
"...yes."
"Thinks she's the greatest flier in the world, doesn't she? Probably is too. What did you say about cutie marks? That they show 'special' ponies like me what our special talents are? Well, what do you know? We have the same freaking lightning bolts on our butts!"
Rainbow received no response this time. Robert kept quiet.
"Everything I do here is just because what happens on the show," she continued. "Everything about me is all because of a bunch of adventures I don't even remember having, in a place I don't even remember being in, with a life I don't remember living."
"That's not true," Robert tried arguing. "I mean, yeah, you're the Rainbow Dash from the show, but that doesn't you're the same. You're a different pony."
"Do you even listen to yourself speak?" Rainbow Dash yelled. "How can I be different if I'm exactly the same as the pony from the cartoon? We look the same, we sound the same, we act the same, don't we? How am I a different pony?"
"Well...for starters you have me as a father."
"Oh, well that changes everything! Instead of having some normal pony parents I get a guy who thought it'd be a great idea to keep me in the dark about where I came from."
"What was I supposed to say?" asked Robert as he rubbed his forehead.
"The truth!" Rainbow exploded. "I have a right to know, don't I?"
"I was just trying to--"
"To what? Protect me? From what? From finding out I'm just a Saturday cartoon character? Well, it's a little late for that know. How long were you going to keep me in the dark?" the pegasus asked angrily. Her wings flapped, as if fanning her flames of distress.
"Until you were ready," Robert blurted out.
"And who gets to decide when that will be? You, just like how whoever wrote that stupid show decides who I am?"
"Dashie, that's--"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Rainbow screamed. "I HATE YOU! I WISH YOU NEVER FOUND ME!"
Robert flinched as the hurricane the raging pegasus left behind cut into his cheeks and his hands. Loose sheets of paper fluttered in the air. "Dashie, wait!" he called out to the escaping blue blur, but it was too late. A moment later, there was a loud resounding slam from upstairs. Robert made a move toward the stairs but stopped. He slid back into the couch instead and hunched over, defeated.
The papers gently drifted down, blanketing random sections of the floor. Robert permitted the mess. As he covered his face with his hands, Robert faded like a phantom, reappearing instead at the banister of the staircase. He took a deep breath and hurried up. Eva and Neil followed closely behind.
They stopped in front a door. Robert lifted his shaking hand and knocked twice. Minutes passed, but there was no response. Robert tried again, this time knocking three times. "Dashie?" he called hesitantly. "I-it's me. I just wanted to talk."
No response.
"Can I...can I come in?"
No response.
"I'm coming in now," Robert said, pressing against the door. It slowly opened and revealed a room filled with toy cars, posters of jet planes and race cars, and books and stuffed animals thrown on the ground. A pillow rested against a corner, far from the head of the empty bed it should have occupied. A gentle breeze flew by through the opened window.
"Dashie?" he called, looking around. "Dashie, are you here?"
He turned at the sound of the curtains flapping about in the wind. Robert slowly approached and placed a hand on the windowsill. He sighed.
"Dashie? Are you out there?" Robert said, sticking his head out. The only answer was the song of birds and the rustling of leaves and branches. He leaned out a bit further and looked up at the cloud. "Dashie?" he tried again.
No response.
Robert pulled himself back inside. He ran out of the room and flew down the stairs. Neil and Eva hurried to catch up with him. By the time they were once again at his side, the man had already wearing his coat and was reaching for the keys. He slipped on a pair of sneakers and quickly tied the laces, not caring how loose his knots were or how clumsy his fingers had been.
The front door flung up, and Robert left the house and started to run. The trees in the distance grew larger as the space between them and him shrunk. Soon, the clouds were hidden by the canopy of the woods. For a while, Robert ran, looking up every so often and calling out Rainbow's name before lowering his head tiredly. Eventually, his steps became heavy and sluggish. With one final glance into the sky, Robert turned around. The sun had set, leaving behind a magnificent streak of gold and red over the clouds. The sight did nothing to improve Robert's mood. He walked back to the house with his hands deep in his pockets.
The bag of groceries greeted him when he entered the kitchen. Robert ignored it, moving back upstairs instead. He entered the room before. It had remained untouched; books and toys remained scattered about the window was still wide open, and the bed was still a mess.
Robert bent over and began picking up the neglected articles. He placed a hand on the glass window, then decided against it. The cool evening breeze followed him as he collapsed into the mattress. His body began to shake violently.
"Do you think this is?" Neil asked. "The reason for his wish?"
"To his daughter one more time? Maybe, I--"
Before Eva could finish her sentence, the room had faded away, and she was blinded by a sudden flash of white.
*
"Dude, you're not looking too great."
Robert slowly lifted his head and sighed. "What do you mean?" he asked the figure leaning over the top of the cubicle.
"I mean it looks like you pulled an all-nighter," the figure said, crossing its arms. "You look like a raccoon, and you've been yawning all day, it's making me tired."
Despite the furious rubs Robert applied to his puffy red eyes, the dark rings around them remained. "It--" He interrupted himself with a mighty yawn. "It's nothing," he tried again, shaking his head and reaching for a cup at the end of his desk. "I had a little trouble falling asleep, that's all. It's nothing--"
The sturdy mug hit the floor with a soft thud rather than a loud crash. Though no shards flew about, Robert winced as the dark murky contents inside spilled out, staining the carpet black.
"Sorry," Robert muttered as he grabbed a box of tissues and fell to his knees. Something brushed against his shoulder, and he looked up. The figure held out a small towel. With unsteady hands, Robert took it.
"Maybe you should head home for the day, if you think you can drive," his colleague suggested. "I don't think today's going to be very busy."
"I've got a meeting this afternoon," Robert disputed, struggling to get back up on his feet. "And we have another big project coming up."
"I'll let the boss know, she'll understand. Besides, you've got a few sick days saved, don't you?" The figure waited for Robert to finish nodding. "Good, take a couple of days off, get some rest. Subpar conditions lead to subpar results, you'll be a lot more useful when you're feeling better."
"Hmph," Robert grumbled, but he made no argument. Instead, he got up and turned off his computer. He picked up a small brown satchel and shuffled out of the work space.
"Hey, get well soon."
"Thanks," Robert said, trying his best to smile. It came out pained.
The office quickly disappeared. They now stood in a full parking lot. Robert was holding a large paper cup. He approached the car.
The parking lot disappeared. He, the car, and his two observers were in the driveway instead. Robert approached the empty house and opened the door. "I'm home," he called inside nervously. "Dashie?"
No reply. Robert went inside, tossing his pack, keys, and coat unceremoniously in a single large pile on the ground. The door was left ajar.
Robert passed through the dark kitchen without turning on any lights. His dress shoes echoed against the cold tiled floor until they hit carpet. He had reached the living room. He turned on the television, not bothering to check the channel, and threw himself onto the couch. Robert folded his hands over his chest and closed his eyes. Advertisers flaunted their products loudly, unaware of how little attention they were being paid.
Robert laid there for a minute, then sat up. Sighing, he switched off the TV and got to his feet. Neil and Eva followed him as he left the room, marched through the kitchen, and returned to the front of the house. The wind was blown the door open.
"Figure out what's wrong yet?" Eva whispered while Robert picked up his coat and flung it on.
"No a clue," Neil whispered back, poking and prodding the device on his wrist wildly. "Wait, why are we whispering? Where--" Neil cleared his throat. "Where is he going anyways?" he asked more loudly.
As the tall trees grew larger and closer, Neil received his answer. They entered the woods, following the dirt path. The trees and the sky above disappeared, fading to white. Robert continued to walk, like a single figure drawn on a blank canvas, before he too vanished.
*
"I'm sorry, I'll be sure to...thank you ma'am. Yes, I understand, I'll be back in a couple of days. Thank you."
Robert tossed the phone to the side and slid back into his seat. He rested his elbows on the table, between a plate with a piece of nibbled toast and an empty cup, and placed his chin into his hands. The grey shirt he was wearing had not changed from before; even the same dark stain remained.
A minute passed by in silence, save for the soft ticking of the kitchen clock, before Robert groaned and got up. With the plate in one hand and the cup in the other, he went over to the sink, and after throwing away the cold piece of buttery toast, he set them inside and let the water flow freely from the faucet. Most fell on and filled the crumby plate and the cup, some Robert captured with his hands to wash his face. He turned the nob, and the water stopped flowing. He grabbed for a dish towel laying nearby on the countertop and missed, landing instead on a cereal box.
Robert flinched at the sound of crunching cardboard and quickly removed his hand from the mascot's ruined face. The cutesy cartoony grin it had worn became grotesque. Robert pushed the crushed box away and this time successfully acquired the towel.
"Maybe I should go back to sleep," he muttered through the thin wet fabric as he dried his face.
With towel still in hand, Robert left the kitchen and enter the living room. He laid down on the couch with his face toward the ceiling and his hands folded and on his stomach. His chest rose and fell as he breathed. His eyes remained wide open, searching for some hidden meaning behind the roof's design.
He sat up and reached for the remote sitting on the floor. The television buzzed on, and the channels flew by, barely given the chance to display their contents.
"In other news, NASA's newest project has been delayed, due to--"
"Silly rabbit, Trix are for--"
"--es imposible! Que eres mi hermana!"
"--are you in good hands? Call us--"
"Now for tomorrow, there is a high chance of rain in the--"
"The president of Sigmund Corporation proudly announces--"
"--this is the. Worst. Possible--"
"--is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss."
A loud knock echoed through the house. Robert turned the television off and stood up. Another knock followed as he made his way to the front door.
"Who is it?" he asked in a raspy voice. Robert quickly cleared his voice.
"Package," the person on the other side replied. Robert opened the door. There stood a young man dressed in a brown uniform with a box in hand and a clipboard under his arm. "Are you Robert, uh..." The delivery man squinted at the label on the box.
"Yeah, that's me," Robert confirmed, eyeing the small package warily. "Funny, I wasn't expecting anything."
"Well, do you have a piece of identification?" the young man asked.
"Yeah, give me a sec." Robert went back into the house and grabbed the wallet laying on a table, next to his keys. He removed a thin card with a small photo of himself frowning, next to a bunch of dates, and returned to the waiting postman.
"Here you are," he said, handing over the driver license. "Everything check out?"
"Yep, sure seems like it. Just need your signature, and we're all set."
Slowly, Robert scribbled his name on the clipboard. After accepting the tiny box, he watched the young courier hurry to his truck and drive off. As the truck became smaller and harder to see, Robert leaned back and looked up into the sky full of clouds. With a heavy sigh, he went inside, closing the door behind him. The door remained unlocked.
Robert returned the license back to the wallet and walked to the kitchen. Instead of returning to the living room after placing the box on the table, he went upstairs. Eva and Neil followed as he walked past the room from before and enter a different yet somewhat familiar bedroom. A large bed stood against the blue walls. Twin night stands were on both sides. On one was a small umbrella lamp, the other was bare. Robert went over to the dresser and grabbed a clean shirt and a pair of white boxer shorts.
Eva and Neil followed closely behind until Robert had entered a new room. He had shut the door behind him, and neither of the two moved to open it. The sound of running water could be heard from the other side.
Neil rocked on his heels nervously. "I mean, we've gotta give 'em some level of privacy, right?"
"I suppose there's a line even professionals like us won't cross," Eva agreed, folding her arms.
The door opened, and Robert stepped out, his hair still partially wet. The new clean shirt had replaced the old stained one, which he held in his arms. He made his way back downstairs, tossing the dirty clothes over the banister, and returned to the kitchen.
Robert stared at the box sitting in front of him. He removed a pair of scissors from the drawer and took a seat before the package, looking for a starting point to cut. Like the jaws of a beast, the scissors tore and ate through the cardboard and tape.
The box fell apart, and Robert reached through its remains for the contents. His hand returned with a miniature model of a race car, red and covered with colorful names and symbols. He reached again and returned with a pair of thin, yellow cards. On each was a silhouette of a car in front of a checkered flag. In big, bold white letters standing in front of a black background was the word 'NASCAR'.
Robert's arm dropped to his side. A blinding whiteness engulfed the room.
*
A low rumble shook the darken skies. Robert ignored it as he drudged through the forest, stumbling over the occasional, exposed root, pushing aside the rare, outreaching branch. The dark gray clouds followed him from above, growing larger and heavy every second. A strong breeze shook the leaves, knocking off a few and throwing them out into the open air. Robert shivered as the wind passed by, his shirt offering little protection.
Another roar of thunder fills the air, followed by the soft pitter-patter of the raindrops beating against the foliage. The shoulders of Robert's shirt grew darker as they became wet, but Robert made no effort to quicken or widen his pace.
"Hmm."
"Something wrong?" Eva asked, turning to her partner. Neil shook his head.
"Nah, it's nothing important," he said quickly. "It's just, you know, you don't get to hear the sound of raindrops in the city. It reminds me of that one time my grandpa took me stargazing, and it ended up raining."
"Sounds like a disappointing bust."
"Yeah, it was, but it sure was peaceful," Neil said with a shrug. "But like I said, not important."
The rain suddenly slowed, no longer falling so heavily onto Robert's head. Eva and Neil followed his gaze as he looked up into the broad canopy of a large tree. With it's far-reaching branches and a thick trunk, the tree stood like a prideful king towering over his subjects. Robert approached the base, taking shelter underneath the tree's leafy arms.
Robert turned and leaned his back against the hard hulk of the tree, closing his eyes as he rubbed his arms for warmth. His fingers tightened until his nails dug into the skin. A sudden flash of lightening flooding the world in whiteness, followed closely by a crash of thunder.
"I'm so sorry."
His words were no louder than a whisper, but even the drop of a pin could have been heard during that moment of calm silence that followed the storm's symphony; that soft whisper might as well have been a shout, a scream.
Robert lifted his head, his eyes still shut. His hands, now fists, shook. His shoulders quaked. Though the tree provides ample shelter, his face is still stained and wet. Something flowed down from his eyes, forcing its way through Robert's eyelids. A single drop of rain water bursted open as it strikes his forehead, but there was no reaction.
"I'm just so sorry, Dashie."
A loud crackle, different from the thunderous applause above, resounded. Eva and Neil jumped at the loud noise as Robert opened his eyes and turned his head to his left, toward the source of the sound. A young blue pegasus covered in burrs and tree sap sticking in her rainbow mane and tail stood there. Nothing was said as she slowly approached, her head hung low.
She sat down, less than a foot away from him. Robert glanced over her with wet wide eyes and swallowed. Slowly, hesitantly, he raised a hand toward the pegasus, to reach out and hold his little pony. The hand, and his resolve, fell short; Robert let his arm fall into his lap.
He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.
"I...I heard you."
Rainbow Dash spoke first, her whisper barely audible as she mumbled to the ground. Keeping her eyes hidden behind her mane, she lifted her head. "And...and..." Rainbow hugged herself closely with her wings and sighed. "And I'm sorry too."
The edges of Robert's lips twitched upward. He quickly wiped his face. "Dashie, you have nothing to be sorry for," he said softly. "It's my fault, simple as that. I shouldn't have kept it a secret."
Rainbow shook the hair out of her face and turned, her eyes meeting Robert's for the first time since she had approached him.
"Dad, do you still...love me?"
This time, Robert's hand reached its goal. He pulled her into an embrace, one that Rainbow accepted and returned, her forelegs tightening around Robert's torso.
Of course, Dashie," Robert assured, smiling confidently at the pony he held in his arms. "I'll always loved you. I love you, no matter what. Not even a fight like the one we had could ever change that."
"I'm sorry," Rainbow Dash cried into Robert's chest. "I don't hate you. I didn't mean to say that. I shouldn't have shouted."
"It's alright, I know, I know. I'm sorry I kept everything a secret. I thought..." He shook his head as tears fell from his eyes once more. "I was afraid. I didn't know what would happen if you found out."
"I'm sorry I ran away. I-I was just so angry. I'm so sorry."
As the two exchanged apologies, the rain weakened and subsided. The storm had moved on, its thunder heard only from a distance. The gray clouds above disappeared.
"Dad?" Rainbow said, tugging on Robert's sleeve.
"Hmm?"
"Can we go home now? the young pegasus asked. She shook dirty mane and messy feathers. "I need a shower, bad."
They shared a chuckle as Robert got to his feet. "Of course. Do you mind if I carry you home like this?"
"No, not really," Rainbow allowed, fighting back a yawn. "I'm too tired to walk anyways."
"Then let's get going, Dashie. There's a warm shower waiting for you back at home. Oh, that reminds, before I forget, you got a package."
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. "A package, for me?" she said in disbelief.
"Yeah," said Robert as he marched through the grass. The thick canopy above was growing thinner and thinner. "I think you'll like it."
"If you say so," she murmured, nestling closer to the man's chest.
"Hey, don't fall asleep yet. What about your shower?"
"I'm not sleeping, don't worry. Hey Dad?"
"Yeah?" Robert said.
"Never mind, it's nothing important."
Robert's frown last for only a short second, but it was there. "Whenever you're ready," he said, shifting his arms around so he could give her a soft assuring pat. The house soon came into view, the lights from inside like a beacon.
"You left the lights on," Rainbow muttered sleepily.
"Yeah." The house grew larger as they approached. "Hey Dashie? With everything that's been happening lately, just remember, you are real, okay?"
"Mmhmm."
The door swung wide open. The tired pegasus stirred at the sound and at the light.
"Well Dashie," Eva and Neil heard as they were blinded once more, "welcome home."
*
Chapter 17
"Beautiful day for a race, ain't it?"
"Huh?" Robert lowered his head and turned to the man talking to him. The speaker's face was blurred, but the gaudy red trucker hat he wore was as clear as day, as was his wide girth.
"Yeah," Robert answered, "I guess it is." He looked back up to the sky.
"Worried about the clouds?" The man chuckled. "Don't be, kid. A little rain never stopped a race before. Besides," he continued, pointing toward the white puffy billows floating up above, "those aren't rain clouds. If anything, it'll be nice to have some shade."
"That's nice," said Robert, evidently distracted as he continued to search the skies. His eyes lit up as they fell upon one cloud slightly larger than the rest. He stretched an arm upward and gave it a little wave.
Neil and Eva almost missed a small blue hoof wave back.
"Well, I guess now we know why he kept buying tickets to the Indy 500," Eva said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Or at the very least, we know it had to do with his daughter."
"Probably," Neil agreed with a frown. "But why did he buy two tickets? I mean, it's not like the pony can actually use, or even needs her seat. Might as well save the money, right?"
Dr. Rosalene shrugged. "Maybe it's for the memories or something like that. I mean, why do you still keep that silly Christmas mug I got you for your birthday around your office?"
"To mess with other people's perception of time. Also the reason why I never update my calendar." Neil suddenly leapt to his feet. "Hey, I think the race is starting! C'mon, let's see some crashes this time. Hmm, in fact--"
"Don't you dare start manipulating things around here," Eva warned fiercely. "I don't want to waste time cleaning up your carnage. We really don't have the time to mess around right now."
Neil sighed and sat back down. "Fine," he grumbled as the race cars began to line up at the start. "I still don't get the appeal of this."
"Well, Robert seems happy."
"Yeah, well..." Dr. Watts sighed again. "You know, this job would be so much simpler if his wish had just been to become a racer and compete in the Indy 500 or to own a race car. Hey, do you think we could just skip the race?" he suggested. "I really don't think I want to watch another one."
"What if we miss some crucial information?" Eva pointed out. She shook her head. "Just suck it up and hope for a crash."
"Argh," Neil groaned. "I don't know how any person could sit through this thing more than once."
*
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that was so totally awesome!" Rainbow shrieked as she bounced in her seat. "Can we go again next year?"
"We'll try," Robert said with a smile, his eyes glued to the road as he drove. "Tickets are a bit expensive, so we'll have to see. I'm glad you had fun, but could you settle down a bit, please? You're shaking the entire car."
The pony sat still, tucking her legs under her barrel. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "That was the best birthday present ever. You even bought me a poster too."
"Hey, don't worry about. If you're happy, then I'm happy." Robert quickly glanced to the side at the pony beside him before returning his attention to the road. "Hmm."
"Do you need the GSP?"
"The GPS? Nah, I'm fine, we're not lost yet. I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Robert bit back a yawn and quickly rubbed his eyes with his wrist. "We'll have to fine some place to stop for the night."
"Well..."
"No, you're not driving."
"Bummer. What if I promise to obey the speed limit?"
"Absolutely not," Robert replied.
"So don't obey the speed limit?" asked Rainbow Dash with a smirk.
"You're not driving," Robert closed, leaving no room for argument. The pegasus snorted and settled back in her seat.
"Fine," she said. "No hotels, right?"
"No hotels, sorry. Sleeping in the car isn't too uncomfortable, is it?"
Rainbow shook her head. "I'll be fine. Hey, that parking lot looks deserted. Dad? Dad, wake up!"
"I'm up, I'm up!"
The car came to a stop. Robert lowered the back of his seat and looked over to the back where Rainbow was curling up in his jacket. "We'll be home tomorrow before lunch. Anything specific you want for breakfast?"
"Not really," Rainbow mumbled through the makeshift blanket that hid her. "Whatever's fine for me."
"Alright. You sure you want to hold onto your poster? I could keep it up here in front to keep it from getting wrinkled," he offered, reaching under the jacket to scratch the young mare under her chin. His hand returned with a large, rolled up scroll of glossy paper held tight by a rubber band.
"Good night, Dad," Rainbow whispered."
Robert yawned and lowered his head onto the inclining car seat. "Sweet dreams, Dashie."
The poster began to glow as the devices on Neil and Eva's wrists began to vibrate and hum.
*
Robert stood at the room's threshold with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. He looked past the walls decorated with posters of sports cars, racers, and jet planes, past the messy floor that was covered with stuffed toys and books, and at the dirty pegasus who hadn't noticed him as she struggled to pull herself inside through the window.
"Need some help?"
Robert winced when Rainbow's head struck the top of the window as she lifted it in surprise. The cold disappointed facade he wore vanished as he rushed to the mare's side and forced the window fully opened. Grabbing the pegasus's sides with both hands, Robert pulled her inside.
"Heh, hey Dad," Rainbow Dash said with a nervous chuckle. She rubbed her sore wings absently as she spoke.
After releasing a breath of relief, Robert's brow furrowed, and he frowned. "Just what were you doing out there? Did you forget there's supposed to be a storm today?" He sighed again. "I know you hate being coped up inside, but, well, it's a storm. I mean, look at yourself." Robert gestured to the leaves stuck in Rainbow Dash's messy mane and the dirt that colored her blue fur gray.
"Uh, well..." The pony began to pout and looked up at the man with quivering eyes. When Robert simply gave her another raised brow in return, Rainbow sighed and stopped forcing her eyes to water. "Bath time?" she said, her shoulders sagging.
"Bath time," Robert affirmed. He pointed behind him with a thumb and said, "Go on ahead, you can clean your room later. We'll have dinner afterwards, and then we'll discuss punishment."
With a defeated groan, Rainbow Dash hovered out of the room, holding her hooves up to avoid tracking mud on the carpet. Robert waited for her to leave before shaking his head and sighing. "That's totally not fair," he muttered as he sat down on the bed. "Stupid adorable pony face, almost got her off scot-free."
The window was closed shut and locked. The books on the floor were placed back on the shelf. Once the toys were put back on the bed, in the closet, and in a little corner, and the floor was cleared, Robert got off his knees and stood up.
"Hmm, I could really go for Italian," he said to himself as he stretched. "Hope Dashie won't mind frozen pizza two nights in a row, I'm way too tired to cook."
Robert exited Rainbow's room and gently closed the door. He made his way toward the staircase when another door cracked open. Rainbow Dash stuck her head out her mane dripping and her fur soaked.
"Dad?" she called, "could you grab me a towel? I, uh, can't find mine."
"Can't fi--aw, shoot." Robert slapped his forehead in exasperation. "I forgot I did the laundry today." He quickly checked the watch around his wrist. "The towels should drying right now, do you think you could soak for a few minutes longer? It won't take too much time, I promise."
"Yeah, sure," the mare said with a nod. "Just, try to hurry, you know?"
"Wet feathers?"
Rainbow nodded again. "I hate them," she said before closing the door. Robert, meanwhile, was flying down the stairs and into the kitchen. The freezer door was flung open, and he swiftly removed a flat orange box from the freezer.
"Preheat to...for...at setting..." Robert muttered to himself as he yanked open the oven and shoved the icy pizza inside. After turning a few nobs, he rushed out of the kitchen and hurried into a different room that was bare except for a pair of large machines and some cabinets.
Both appliances shook and hummed softly as he approached. Opening one of the cabinets, Robert removed a large basket and set it on the floor. A quiet ding came from the dryer as the machine stopped moving. Quickly, Robert opened it, reached in, and grabbed a green towel. The well-positioned basket captured any loose laundry that clung to the dry fabric or that fell out of the dryer as he yanked the towel out.
Robert hesitated, turning his head from the laundry to towards the upstairs, and back to the dryer. "Guess I'll just get the rest later," he decided, getting back onto his feet. He folded the towel in half, hung it over his arm, and ran off, bounding up the stairs two at a time.
"Dashie, I got the towel," he gasped as he leaned against the door and tried to catch his breath. "You mind if I come in?"
"No," Rainbow said from inside, her voice echoing off the ceramic-plated walls.
He opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. The mare raised her soaking head and tried to leap out of the bathtub, only to topple over onto the shower mat.
"Whoa, careful," said Robert as he helped Rainbow Dash back up. "Sorry it took so long," he said as he wrapped the little pony with the towel and began to rub.
"Geez, Dad," she giggled, struggling out of Robert's grasp. "That tickles."
Robert grinned wickedly and lifted Rainbow Dash up. "Aw," he cooed at the bundle in his arms. "You look like a little filly again."
"Dad..."
"Man, I wish I took baby pictures. You were so adorable when you were small."
"Ngh, please stop."
"Yep, those were the good old days," Robert continued teasing with a grin. "Where did all the years go, when I could hold you with one arm?"
"Hey, do you smell burning?"
"And now I need t--"
Neil and Eva watched as the cheeky grin Robert wore disappeared and his eyes grew wide with panic instead. With Rainbow still tucked in his arms, he rushed out, leapt down the stairs, and sprinted as fast as he dared while carrying a pony into the kitchen, sliding to a stop in front of the oven.
Placing Rainbow in the floor and removing the towel from her, Robert swiftly wrapped his hands with the fabric and threw the oven door open. He instinctively raised his covered hands over his face to protect himself from the billow of smoke and heat.
He met the heat from the oven, but the smoke was absent.
"So, pizza tonight?"
Robert groaned. "You got me," he said, shutting the oven. "Though, thanks to you, dinner's going to be a little late."
"That's okay. Can I have the towel back?" Rainbow asked, shivering. "Still kinda wet here."
The man dropped the towel onto the pony's head who gave a surprised shout when it landed. As Rainbow dried herself, Robert left the kitchen and returned to the laundry room. The washer had also stopped.
The basket was quickly filled to the brim. The dryer was refilled with wet clothes and was rumbling once more. With the basket in his hand, Robert headed back upstairs.
"Can I help?"
Rainbow sat at the top of the stair case, waiting patiently for Robert to join her.
"What happened to the towel?" he asked, shifting the heavy basket.
"It's already back in the bathroom," Rainbow explained. "You want me to take the other one there too?"
"Nah, I got it. I could use some help opening the door though," Robert said, nodding to the room at the end of the hall. Rainbow saluted and hovered over to the door. Even with her hooves, it didn't take long for her to press the handle down. A simple kick with a hind leg later, the door opened, and both she and Robert entered together.
"Thanks," Robert said, dumping the basket's contents onto the bed. He grabbed the nearest shirt and quickly folded it.
"No problem," said Rainbow. The pony sat at the base of the bed, next to the man. "You don't my help for this, right?"
Robert shook his head. "That's alright, I can handle this, but I'd love the company." Another folded shirt joined a growing pile. "So, any reason why you thought sneaking out and flying in a storm would be a good idea?"
"Huh? Oh, that." Rainbow Dash grimaced.
"What, you thought I'd forgot?" Robert said with a little grin. "I'm not mad," he assured, taking a moment to give the pegasus a soft pat on the head. "I'm just a little curious."
"Well, I thought I'd try clearing out the storm," Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head and looking to the side.
"Clearing out..."
"Yeah, you know, like in the show."
Robert's fingers fumbled with a pair of slacks. "Oh," he said after a moment of silence. "Um, why?"
Rainbow shrugged. "Eh, I just wanted to see if I could. It's a little harder than I thought it'd be. Um, I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" she asked nervously.
"No, not really. It sounds awfully dangerous though, so I'd rather you didn't." Robert looked away from his chores and stared down. "You were careful, right?"
"Yeah, aren't i always?"
The confident smirk Rainbow wore won her a chuckle from Robert. "Well then, how'd you get so dirty?"
"Urgh," the pegasus groaned. "Please don't make me explain, it's downright embarrassing."
"Fair enough," Robert conceded with another short laugh. The chortle soon disappeared and gave way to more serious features, however. "But seriously," he began, "I'm not sure messing with the weather around here's such a good idea, might disrupt eco-things and stuffs. I mean, maybe a few times for practice," he continued as he began to roll socks. "And if there's an emergency, but you probably shouldn't try to make every day a sunny one, you understand?"
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Rainbow said. "I can live with that."
"That's good. Hey, uh..." Robert took a deep breath. "Dashie?"
"Hmm?"
"I know we haven't spoken much about the...your origins." He flinched as Rainbow looked up. "Anyways, I just wanted to check up on you, make sure you're doing already with...stuff."
"I'm okay."
"You sure?" Robert asked. "I mean, I'm only bringing it up because you mentioned it, and I just wanted it to make sure that, well--"
Robert stumbled forward as Rainbow Dash latched herself onto his back. "I'm fine, Dad, I promise," she whispered. "It doesn't matter where I came from. I don't really care about that anymore, I'm here now."
"Dashie..." Robert muttered softly.
"Dad? I smell smoke, for real this time."
"Oh thank God," Neil said as Robert ran out of the room, with Rainbow still holding on him, leaving behind a single, loose, blue feather. "I thought I was going to drown in cheese."
"Well, at least you had the decency not to interrupt," Eva commented, rolling her eyes as the discarded feather began to glow.
*
Robert twirled the blue feather between his fingers. He tapped his foot anxiously. "Hurry up, Dashie!" he called. "We don't want to be late for the flight show."
"Pfft," Rainbow Dash scoffed as she flew to Robert's side. "Me, late? Please, I could get to the field in ten seconds flat." She spotted the feather in the man's hands. "You still haven't thrown that away?"
"Hey, it's my lucky feather," Robert protested. "And anyways, as fast as you are, it'll take at least a half an hour to get there by car."
"We really need a faster car. Hey, can I get my own next year?" Rainbow asked.
"Eh, we'll have to see." Robert looked down at his wristwatch. "We'd better get going soon, if we want to be there before all the good souvenirs are gone." He took a step toward the door when there was a loud knock. Both he and Rainbow Dash froze, their wary stares focused on the door.
"Dad?" Rainbow whispered, trying to catch Robert's eye.
Property swallowed and slowly lifted a finger to his lips. "Go to your room," he hissed quietly. "Close the door and keep quiet. I'll let you know when the coast is clear."
The pegasus nodded, confirming that she understood, and flew off. Once Robert heard the door close upstairs, he took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
"Who is it?" he called, keeping his voice calm and steady. "We're not expecting anyone tonight, so you probably have the wrong house."
"That is fine," came an elegant yet soothing female voice from the other side of the door. "May I come in."
Robert quickly shut his gaping jaw and shook his head. "Um, w-well," he stuttered, running his fingers through his hair frantically. He turned around and looked toward the upstairs. With his hands still in his hair, Robert clenched them into fists.
"Hello?" came the warm voice.
"Y-yeah, give me a second." With shaking hands, Robert unlocked the door and took hold of the nob. Grabbing hold of his wrist with the other hand to steady it, Robert pulled back and opened the door. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open.
Before him stood a slender majestic mare, as tall as he was. Light seemed to radiate from her entire white coat, from the tip of her spiraling horn to the ends of her beautiful white feathers of her wings. Her colorful mane and tail seemed to shimmer and flow despite the lack of wind. A golden crown adorned her head and similarly golden coverings clothed her hooves. She gave Robert an assuring smile, motherly and kind. The one Robert gave in return began silly, became strained and forced, and soon disappeared entirely. He quickly took a step back, giving the mare room to enter. His jaw dropped once more as he saw who was with her.
A purple unicorn with a simply styled mane that was cut straight at the ends and had streaks of pink in a mix of blue and purple hair. Following behind her was an orange mare wearing the end of her blond mane in a ponytail and had the top of her head covered by a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Another unicorn enter next, this one pure white and with her violet mane in perfect graceful curls. Shuffling right behind her was a light-yellow pegasus, her long pink mane covering part of her face as she looked around her nervously. The final pony to enter was a bright pink one, her puffy pink mane, which was like cotton candy, bouncing as she bounced over the threshold.
"Ooh," she chirped as she looked around. "So this is what an alien house looks like on the insi- OH MY! YOU HAVE A KITCHEN!" The pink pony's bounce grew in frequency. "I'm starving, are you starving? I can make us some-"
The orange mare in the cowboy hat stuffed a hoof into her excited friend's chattering mouth. "Easy there sugarcube," she said. "We're jus' here fer Rainbow, so we ain't got no time for any eatin', no matter how hungry we are," she added over the rumble of her own stomach.
Robert seemed to have finally recovered from the shock of his guest's sudden appearance. His mouth had been closed, and he was no longer staring. "Uh, we have some left overs from dinner last night. You're more than welcome to some," he offered calmly.
The pink pony suddenly disappeared. Her voice could be heard from the kitchen as she commented on all the different appliances.
"Ah'll go keep an eye on her," said the blond orange pony said with a southern drawl, hurrying toward the sounds coming from the kitchen. As she passed by, she politely tipped her hat in Robert's direction. Robert nodded back. He watched her disappear out of sight, then returned his attention to the remaining ponies.
"I'm quite surprised," the tall crowned one began. "I had expected a little more resistance to us entering."
"Why? I know who you all are," Robert said. He leaned against the wall and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
The tall one nodded. "Ah, so you do know then."
"That you are fictional characters from a children's TV show, then yes. Otherwise why you are all here I've no clue."
Robert's shrug was careless, but his eyes refused to meet with any of the ponies.
The tall one noticed. "Oh, I think you know," she said. Robert said nothing in response.
"Um, excuse me sir," the purple unicorn was now saying, "But from what we could figure out Rainbow Dash should be here. Is she?"
Slowly, reluctantly, Robert nodded. "She's up stairs in her room."
"In...her room?" the white unicorn suddenly spoke up, her eyes widening in curiosity and surprise.
"Yes, Dashie is in her room. I wasn't sure who was knocking and didn't want her to be spotted," Robert explained to the floor.
"Dashie? My my, you're that friendly with her already?"
At the white unicorn's words,Robert's hands balled into fists. "Friendly?" he snarled through gritted teeth. "That's not even the beginning of it. And I should be asking you ponies as to what the hell you did."
The tall one raised a brow. "You see, my student--"
"I know who she is, get to the chase," Robert interrupted impatiently. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his frown grew heavier.
The purple unicorn and the tall one gifted with both horn and wing exchanged looks. The little unicorn bit her lip as the tall one continued:
"Yes, of course. Ahem, she was working on a spell to help the weather team with some storm development," she explained. "Well, they made slightly too large of a storm, and when Twilight used her magic to try and dispel it, it shot a lightning bolt meeting her magic. Rainbow Dash was unfortunate enough to be within reach of the blast, and it engulfed her and sent her to, well, here. So, we are here to retrieve her, simple enough I'd imagine."
Robert raised a hand to stop her. He opened his mouth.
"Dad? Is everything alright?"
A collective appearance of shock overcame everyone's features as Rainbow Dash's voice echoed down from the floor above. Every pony stared at Robert, giving him the same confused and worried look.
The orange mare in the cowboy hate had returned to the room. "Uh... 'scuse me sugarcube," she said hesitantly. "Did ah jus' hear Rainbow call ya 'dad'?"
The tall mare with the crown narrowed her eyes slightly. "Care to explain?" she said softly.
Robert opened and closed his mouth. He looked at the tall white horse, at the ponies surrounding him, at the ceiling above, where he knew Dashie was waiting. He sighed, unclenched his fists, and gestured toward the interior of the house.
"Go to the living room and make yourself comfortable," Robert said. "I'll be right down with her."
Before anyone could respond or object, he left and headed up the stairs. Each step was slow and heavy and reluctant, but they were steady and constant; there were no pauses or breaks in between steps as Robert marched upward. Loud echoes rang from under his feet.
"Dad?"
Robert lifted his head. At the top of the stairs sat the pegasus with the mane that was colored by the entire rainbow. She stared at him with curious eyes.
"Yeah Dashie," Robert said without interrupting his stride, "I'm coming up."
He stopped just short of the very last stair. Robert bent down onto his knee so that he stood at her eye level. Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side and frowned, waiting for an explanation. Her cerise eyes found the man's own. Robert looked away.
"Listen, we...we need to talk," began Robert. "Your friends are here. I think they're here to, well, take you back."
"Hold on, wait, hold on." Rainbow Dash shook her head and raised a hoof. "Slow down. What do you mean, my friends?"
"You know." Robert rolled his hand around as he shrugged to explain. "The ones from the show," he blurted out after a moment of inner deliberation.
Rainbow lifted an eyebrow. "The ones from the show," she repeated slowly. "As in, ponies from the cartoon?"
Robert nodded. "Yeah, they're downstairs waiting for us. Well, you mostly."
"Right, hmm." Rainbow closed her eyes and nodded seriously several times. The tips of the pegasus's lips began to tilted upward. The rest of her mouth followed suit as she started to snicker and shake her head.
"Very funny, Dad," she said. "Oh, those ponies you saw on TV are actually real and they're downstairs in our living room." Rainbow let her eyes roll up toward the ceiling. "Real funny. For a second there I almost thought something serious happened. Almost." Rainbow grinned. "Better luck next time."
In spite himself, Robert smiled back. It was a weak smile, one that did not seem completely genuine. No humor could be found behind it. "Well, let's go downstairs and meet them," he said, standing up. With one last chuckle, Rainbow followed him downwards.
"So," the pegasus was saying as Robert led her to the living room, "do you think there's still time to buy some souvenirs before--"
"DASHIE!"
Robert stepped to the side as the pink pony jumped and tackled Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, get off me!" Rainbow cried, pushing the pony back. Her eyes grew large at the crowd of ponies in front of her. She took a fearful step back and crouched down, with her wings spread out. Her intimating display was ruined by the sudden increase in her breathing and the panicked look she wore.
The relief and joy the ponies had on their faces vanished and were replaced with looks of confusion and concern.
The pink pony's cotton candy mane seemed to deflate and flatten like a pierced balloon. "Y-you...don't recognize me...do you?" she sniffed.
Robert tried to looked away, to look at anything besides the worried features of the ponies before him.
"No, or any of you," Rainbow said, her eyes darting between the ponies. Her voice shook, betraying her nervousness.
"Dashie," Robert whispered, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and her shaking slowly subsided. "Take a seat please so I can talk to them."
Rainbow Dash nodded and backed away slowly from the colorful ponies until she bumped into the recliner. Carefully, without breaking her stare, she climbed onto the chair and took a seat. After sharing one final look with Robert, she folded her wings against her side and began to relax.
"How long ago was she sent over here?" Robert asked.
The ponies began to look at each other and mutter quietly amongst themselves. The purple unicorn cleared her throat, and all the other ponies became silent. "About fifteen days ago," the unicorn said. "Why?"
Robert's lower jaw dropped. "Fifteen days?" he mouthed. He reached forward and grabbed the corner of the coffee table. The yellow pegasus extended a hoof timidly, but Robert shook his head and got back up.
"Well," Robert said, fighting back a bitter smirk, "it's been a lot more time than that here."
"How long?" asked the purple unicorn, leaning forward.
Robert hesitated. "Fifteen years ," he answered, placing extra emphasis on the word years.
The mouths of all the ponies, save for Rainbow Dash and the majestic white mare, fell agape.
"That don't es'plain why she don't know us," the pony in the cowboy hat exclaimed.
"Well, that's the thing. When I found her, she was, well, just a filly," Robert explained.
The orange mare blinked. "Come again?"
"From my math, I think she was no older than four or five years old," the man elaborated.
At this, even the white winged and horned mare looked surprised. "You mean to tell us, that you have been taking care of Rainbow Dash for fifteen years, since she was a small filly?" she asked.
Robert nodded. He looked over to the cyan pegasus sitting in the recliner. She blankly stared back, her features displaying no discernible emotions.
"We...she is..." Robert began to gasp and choke. He shut his eyes. A tear escaped and slowly rolled down his cheek. "I know it's not true...God, I wish it was, but--"
"I understand," the crowned pegasus-unicorn cut in. She wore a stern but thoughtful expression on her face. "The 'dad' now makes sense."
Robert said nothing in reply. He finally sat down, taking a seat on the follow in front of the table. A few ponies stared, but no one spoke or brought Robert's shaking to attention. In silence, he rubbed his eyes furiously.
"So what's supposed to happen now?"
Everyone looked at Rainbow whom had spoken. From her, Robert turned to the mare in the golden crown and shoes. She remained expressionless and unreadable.
"Well, it's quite simple," she finally said. "Twilight?" The mare turned to the purple unicorn whom instantly perked up at the mention of her name. "Do you still remember that memory spell? From the Discord incident?" she asked.
The unicorn gasped in understanding and nodded immediately. She leapt up from the couch and onto the floor and began to approach the recliner Rainbow laid in.
"No, wait please," Robert suddenly pleaded, climbing to his knees. He turned to the large white mare as tears cascaded down his face. His breath came out as gasps. "Just, give me a moment with her please," he begged. "All I ask, since...since this is the last time we'll see each other."
Without taking even a moment to think, the crowned pony nodded. Robert hurried to Rainbow's side. The blue pegasus, shook her head fiercely as she fought back her own tears. Robert knelt and held her hoof in his hand.
"Dashie, my little Dashie," he said softly. "I love you with all my heart. You have done wonders to open me up from the man I once was. You..." Robert gasped and shut his eyes. He let go of Rainbow's hoof and dug his finger nails deep into his palm. He took a deep breath and continued.
"... you have brought me so much joy in my life that I can't possibly ever thank you for."
Rainbow's struggles ceased. Her tears fell freely. Her shoulders quaked as she sobbed, even as she tried bracing herself with her wings. Robert began to shake too.
"These fifteen years we have had together, talking, playing, flying; all those have been so special to me. I just want you to know, I'll forever love you. It doesn't matter if we aren't biologically related, or of different worlds. I don't care what you may ever think of me, or if you ever even remember me, but right now, you being my Dashie, I want you..." Robert gently poked the pegasus in the chest with a finger. She lifted her heavy head and looked up at him. "...to know that fact. If there is ever a problem that happens, and you need me, don't hesitate to find a way to get me, okay?"
His laugh felt faked and rigid, without any true mirth. Rainbow Dash tried to smile, but her attempt was just as pathetic as his.
"D-d-do I have t-t-to go D-D-Daddy?"
Robert bit his lip and broke eye contact. Slowly, he nodded and began to rise. He fell back as Rainbow leapt forward and threw her forelimbs over his shoulders. She buried her face into his neck, hiding her tears. With quivering hands, Robert returned the embrace.
"It's your actual home, Dashie," he whispered. "You need to go back to where you belong."
"I belong here, with you!"
Robert shook his head forcefully. "No, you don't," he managed to choke out. "You're limited here, only able to fly around the house. You have no friends or other ponies to relate to. I was only taking care of you until this time would come, but I-I never thought it would be so painful."
Minutes passed, the silence broken only by the sobs from the man, the cyan pegasus, and the rest of the ponies. No eye in the room was dry.
"I love you, Daddy." Rainbow finally said, tightening her grip.
Robert's eyes squeezed shut and leaned forward. He brushed his lips against her forehead. "And I love you, my little Dashie."
They separated. Rainbow lowered herself to the ground. She did her best to remove the trails of tears from her cheeks, only for those to be replaced with new ones. Robert took a few steps back, making way for the purple unicorn whom approached. Her horn glowed with violet light as she sniffed and wiped her own eyes. She gave Robert a questioning glance. With evident reluctance, he nodded. The unicorn drew nearer.
"Wait!" Rainbow suddenly exclaimed, taking a step back as everyone stared at her. The purple unicorn looked to the tall crowned one worriedly,
"Rainbow..." the purple unicorn began.
"I-I just want to grab something before I go. J-just hang tight."
Before anyone could protest or speak, Rainbow flew off. Robert had enough time to shrug when the ponies all turned to him for an explanation before the pegasus had reappeared with a shoebox in her front hooves. She hurried to the coffee table and tore out a sheet of paper from a notebook. With a pen in her mouth, she began to write.
"Princess," the purple pony said, "is this--"
"It's fine, Twilight," the crowned mare replied, nodding toward Robert. The man released a sigh of relief.
Rainbow set the pen aside and flipped the written message over. Slowly, the slowest Robert had ever seen her move, Rainbow returned to the purple unicorn's side. Tears continued to cascade, but she wore a smile, a small sad grin, the same defeatist one Robert wore.
"I'm so sorry Rainbow," said the purple unicorn, light still emitting from her horn. "I...I honestly wish there was another way to do this. I wish I didn't have to do this. But..."
"Can't...can't he come with me?" the weeping pegasus pleaded weakly.
"Rainbow Dash," the crowned white mare said as her student shook her head. "He cannot join you in our world much like how you cannot stay in his. This was all never meant to be, and the world around us was not made to house you. And yet..." The mare looked toward Robert, smiled, then began to look around the living room, her gaze falling upon the framed photos of the man and the pegasus. Her eyes lingered on the one on the coffee table. The odd duo smiled back at her, their faces were illuminated by the glow of several candles sticking out of a cake.
"... and yet," she continued, "something beautiful happened here. Something I cannot explain in full. When I realized where you ended up, I expected the worst. I figured you to be ruined, tainted and tarnished from this world's cruelty. But now, I see that it's quite the opposite. This here, this man that has raised you, shows me that you were in good hooves. Or, hands as it were," the crowned mare amended, gesturing toward Robert's forelimb appendages.
Rainbow sniffed and rubbed her nose, but her shoulders no longer shook as she stared at the majestic mare. The mare smiled and gave Rainbow a little nod before returning her attention toward Robert.
"I cannot speak for you," she said to him, "but from what I see in front of me, the amount of love you both share and have shared together, tells me that you raised her as if she was your own. Even with the obvious differences, you still raised her un-biased toward her species or her origins. You raised her as your daughter." Her warm smile wavered. "Which only makes this entire ordeal so much worse.
"So I must say to you, dear sir, please do not hold my student accountable for this," the crowned mare said. "It was never her, nor anypony elses intention to cause this much hurt to either of you. If you must blame somepony, I would ask you to blame me. I am the one that helped bring them here, to take Rainbow Dash back to her home... away from here."
Hands rose and covered Robert's face. Water leaked through his fingers as muffled sobs and choked breaths escaped.
"Just how could I blame anypony for sending Rainbow Dash here?” he gasped, bringing his hands back down to his sides. He cleared his throat and sniffed. "These years have been the best fifteen years of my life. If anything, I feel the opposite; I wish, have to thank you, Twilight, and the rest of you. Thank you for what you did, unintentional or not. Thank you, for all that came out of this. Thank you, for all my years, my life, and my love...with D-Dashie."
The purple unicorn looked away, refusing to look at the sobbing man as she too began to cry anew. The tall mare got up, first giving the unicorn a soft muzzle of comfort before approaching Robert.
"No need for thanks, good sir," she said. "Instead, I wish to thank you for taking care of one of my little ponies. She would have never made it without someone much like yourself."
Her long horn became to shine brightly. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, touching the glowing horn to Robert's forehead. The man blinked as she stepped back, the light from her horn disappearing. The mare smiled and lowered her head.
"Thank you."
The purple unicorn lifted her head. "Thank you sir," she struggled to say.
The orange pony in the cowboy hat stepped forward. "Thank yah," she said in that southern accent.
"Thank you, darling, for caring for our Rainbow Dash," said the white unicorn with the curled mane.
"Um, th-thank you," the yellow pegasus said softly, shyly peeking through her long pink bangs.
"THANKS!" shouted the pink pony as she bounced over and swung her forelegs around Robert's waist. Robert laughed and turned his head, nodding at every pony until he reached Rainbow Dash. She smiled back.
"Are you ready now, Rainbow?" the purple unicorn asked after awhile. Rainbow Dash answered with a nod. She closed her eyes as the unicorn's horn grew bright. With one final look at Robert, she leaned forward, touching her horn against Rainbow's forehead. One more tear fell from Robert's eye as a blinding light filled the living room.
The light faded, and the room remained. The only inhabitant was Robert, Neil, and Eva.
Robert looked around. The living room seemed barer. The coffee table was less cluttered. The walls had more empty space. Without a word, Robert dashed out and ran up the stairs. He threw open the door leading to Rainbow's room.
The posters and toys had vanished. There was no bed, no bookshelf with old colorful picture books or adventure stories, no corner filled with stuffed animals. Instead, a simple desk, a dusty computer, and an ugly potted plant were there to greet him.
"Whoa," Neil whispered. "You didn't do that, did you?"
"Not me," Eva said, shaking her head. "And if you didn't either..."
Robert turned and started down the stairs. He returned to living room and sat on the couch. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Something seemed to have caught his eye, and Robert reached forward toward the coffee table, where a strangely familiar book sat.
Robert opened the book to the first page. On it was a picture of a man and a woman holding a baby. They smiled at him, and slowly Robert smiled back. He turned the page, and the next had a photo of the man, woman, and child having a picnic. The next, the trio around a Christmas tree. The next, the three surrounding a cake with candles. In icing, the cake read Happy Fourth Birthday, Rob .
More pictures of birthdays and of holidays, of the happy family of three. Suddenly, the mother and father vanished from the pictures, and the little child was grown up. The boy, now a man, stood in front of fountains, landmarks, and with friends, but the smile he wore was not the same as the ones from earlier. These ones looked forced and unnatural. Robert spent little time on these photos, turning the page soon after a quick scan.
The next page had no photo. Instead, there was a small piece of paper ripped straight out of a notebook. With unsteady hands, Robert picked the paper up and turned it over, revealing the message underneath.
Dad , it read, for fifteen years you took care of me. For fifteen years you loved me, played with me, and made sure I enjoyed my life in a world not meant to house me. I'm not a mare of many words, but even though I told you this in person, I felt you needed a written version of it so you will know it was all real.
I love you daddy. You helped shape me into the mare I am now. I'm not sure what is going to happen, if I will remember any of this or not, but I want you to know that you did a darn good job of raising me, even if I was a bit stubborn at times and short with you during others.
With Celestia's permission, I hope to allow you to keep our photos; our memories, with you so that you will never forget. Again, I love you, and thank you.
Your little daughter always,
Your little Dashie forever,
Rainbow Dash.
Robert set the message down and flattened it between his palm and the album. He reread it once more, and once more, and just once more, mouthing each and every word. Slowly, he turned to the next page, holding his breath.
A young Rainbow Dash, no older than when he had first found her, was there, her smile captured and recorded photographically. More pictures of the pegasus followed, of her drawing, of her reading, of him teaching her to write, of her beginning to speak, of the two making a mess as they battled with a bowl of cake mix, of her struggling as Robert tried to give her a bath. Her first flight, her cutie mark, her first birthday, her attending the Nascar race, a simple photo of a blue feather, her nestled against Robert's chest as they napped...
The next page is blank. Robert ran his hand against the bare page and smiled. Carefully, he closed the album, tucked it under his arm, and got up.
"Thanks, Dashie," he whispered.
And everything faded.
Act 3
I still have a lot of life ahead of me, and I plan to make the best of it.
For myself.
For my little Dashie.
Chapter 18
"So, that was..." Dr. Rosalene waved her hand in the air as she thought. "Well, it was definitely a thing."
"I've seen things before, Eva," Neil said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I've seen plenty of things. Dinosaur skeletons are a thing. MP860s are a thing. Helping geezers fly to the moon? Totally a thing. This?" Neil flapped his arms wildly. "This is beyond things. Heck, I'd say this is even beyond stuffs. I can't think of any word that properly conveys the insanity of the situation so I'm just going to make a word up: veshch. Yes, this is a veshch."
Eva raised an eyebrow as she gave her partner a curious look. "You're taking this far worse than I thought you would, calm down."
"Calm down? Eva, were you paying attention?" Neil nearly screamed, grabbing handfuls of his own hair. "We just saw walking, talking, technicolor ponies literally walk straight out of a cartoon. Robert's daughter, the girl we're supposed to be reuniting him with, is a pegasus with rainbow colored hair, from a television show made for little girls. We've just discovered that a world behind the plasma screen is real, with real beings living real lives. Eva, do you have any idea what this entails?"
"That our chances of becoming the Doctor's companions just increased dramatically?"
Neil opened his mouth, then closed it as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I was going to say that writing a believable report for this mission's going to be impossible, not to mention how are we supposed to reunite a man with a pony from another world, but yeah, I guess that'd be pretty cool."
"Well, we can discuss the implications of other universes trapped in TV after we finish the job," Eva said, folding her arms over her chest. "Now, we can't go any further than when the pegasus returned to her world so..."
"Wait, hold on," Neil butted in, holding out his hand to stop her. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole there's a real world of magical talking ponies out there, give me a minute."
"We don't have a minute. We're on a timer, remember? I can't imagine Robert can last much longer."
"Okay, then I just need a second." Dr. Watts took a deep breath. "Okay, so what if we just made that pegacorn--"
"Pegacorn?" Eva repeated questioningly.
"Pegasus-unicorn, you know, the tall white one," Neil explained. "Anyways, what if we made her and all the others that were trying to take her away disappear? That way, Robert remains with his kid--wait is kid a baby horse or is that just goats?"
"Just goats. Continue."
"Well, then Robert gets to stay with his little pony--" Neil bit back a snicker.
"Neil..."
"Sorry, sorry," Neil quickly apologized. "Anyways, he and the pony stay together and live the rest of their lives in Robert's memories in happiness. We wrap things up in a nice cheesy bow, he dies happy, bing, bang, boom shakalaka, mission complete. Well, until we have to write the report, which I'm still not looking forward to."
Eva chewed on her lip doubtfully as she considered Neil's suggestion. "Our agreement was to reunite Robert with his daughter, not to prevent their separation."
"Oh come on," Neil groaned. "He'll be happy regardless."
"Maybe, but that's not our mission. Besides, do you really think preventing Rainbow Dash from leaving will make Robert happy? You saw that last memory; he was ready to let her go. He told us what he wants, and that's to see his daughter one more time." Eva sighed. "No loopholes or shortcuts this time Neil."
Neil frowned and huffed. "Well, I don't want Eddie to yell at me again. Fine, we'll do it the hard way. To legit to quit now. Hmm." Dr. Watts scratched the back of his head. "Okay, so all Robert needs to do is to find a way into pony land or whatever and..." Slowly, his eyes widened. "Aw, the hard way's extra hard this time around. And the furthest we can embed his desire is right after his daughter leaves, so who knows if the motivation will be strong enough or if he has enough time."
"Maybe, maybe not, we might have to give Robert an extra push, like with Jonny."
"That's going to be some push," Neil said, laughing weakly. "I mean, we've got to motivate him into inventing inter-dimensional travel or something in maybe forty years. It'a going to have to be something drastic."
"Neil, why are you staring at me like that?"
The young man pointed his expecting eyes elsewhere. "Just thought you might have an idea already," he replied. "I mean, you kind of have a knack at this sort of thing."
Eva shook her head. "Let's return to the last memory," she suggested. "We'll prepare the desire and plant it as far as we can, then see if there's any change. We can go back to the last memory, right?"
Neil examined the device on his wrist. "Everything looks stable, I think so." He tapped it a few times and the living room reappeared.
"...how could I blame anypony for--"
"And pause." Robert froze with his mouth open just as Neil raised his finger. "Alright, so considering how everything else has gone so smoothly tonight," he began sarcastically, "how much trouble do you think fixing the desire here is going to be?"
Eva simply shut her eyes and sighed. With a few taps on her own instrument, the room faded away again, leaving the two in an empty white area.
"Well nuts," Neil groaned as he scanned the endless space. "Where are all the mementos?"
"Hold on, look." Eva pointed at a few blurry figures that had suddenly appeared. Slowly, the figures became more distinct and more detailed until Eva and Neil could determine what objects they were easily. They separated into clusters, with each cluster surrounding an image of Robert. Each Robert differed from the others by age, from the old white haired Robert they had actually met, to the middle aged Robert they had seen sharing a cake with the Shoichet boys, all the way to the young depressed Robert they saw working at a cashier. A few additional figures stood beyond them, hidden by impenetrable shadows.
"Okay, so we need to create a connection from there..." The black haired scientist gestured to the old Robert they had spoken to earlier this night. "...to here." She pointed to the Robert they had frozen in mid speech in the living room before arriving here. "So, let's see, we can start from the tree and...and Neil, what are you doing?"
Neil's entire body below the head had vanished, leaving his bespectacled head floating right above Eva's shoulder. "Well, you know what they say, two heads are better than one," he joked.
"Is this really the time?" Eva asked, bring her hand to her face.
"Making bad jokes is how I cope with stress, and by Jove, I am stressed."
"Then let's get this done." Eva's finger flew along the screen of her device. Her body disappeared, leaving behind her floating. She drifted toward the large that stood beside old Robert and waited it to finish glowing.
"Now here next," Neil called from besides a younger looking Robert. "This one's next, I think," he said, nodding to a nearby memento. As Eva approached, a long trail of light followed closely behind her. Once she arrived next to her partner, the trail extend out, connecting the tree to the object. Both Roberts began to shine brightly, as if cocooned in warm sunlight.
Eva released the breath she held. "Okay, we're on the right track. Next is..."
More connections between the time periods were made as the two heads floated between the period's respective Roberts. Once a link had appeared between every memory they had visited this evening, Neil and Eva drew back, their bodies slowly materializing.
"Like Christmas," Neil muttered, squinting to protect his eyes from the brightness in front of him. His attention went to the little device on his wrist, and he pressed a few areas on its screen. The device lit up with a green glow and emitted a short shrill beep. "Okay, desire implanted. You think this will work?" Neil asked.
Eva shrugged. "We've never set a desire so late in someone's life, who knows? We're entering unprecedented territory now."
"I'd say we've been in unprecedented territory for awhile," Neil grumbled. "Talking ponies, weird fluctuations with the instruments, and a house with actual coffee in stock? Heck, I'm not sure if anything else could surprise me tonight."
"Well, if this works, that'd be a pleasant surprise for me." Eva sighed. "Alright, you stay here and make sure none of the links break or anything like that. I'm going to the most present memory to see if anything changed there."
"Alright," Neil agreed with a short nod. "I'll try to figure a plan B out and stand here like an idiot talking to himself because you've already gone and left." Neil frowned at the spot his partner had been occupying just a few seconds ago. "Seriously, you could have at least waited for an answer," he said as he began to pace. Neil paused just as he lifted his right foot as Eva reappeared right in his path.
"So, any luck?"
Eva shook her head. "No pleasant surprise tonight," she said, rubbing her forehead. "The scene was absolute the same as the one we had visited earlier."
"Really?" Neil asked, his eyebrow rising. "He was still napping under the tree in the rain? There wasn't any change at all?"
"None, just like--"
"--with Jonny," Neil finished with a groan. "Is it too much to ask for a job without a freaking hitch for once?"
"To be fair, most jobs really aren't this difficult," Eva said. "Well, any ideas?"
"Plenty, none of them good. I was hoping you had a backup plan before we resorted to giving up."
"And you're sure the desire was transmitted?"
"Abso-posi-lutely. And nothing changed on my end either, so we know the issue has nothing to do with desire being implanted, it's just not working.
Eva pursed her lips. "Let's return to that last memory," she suggested, "the one when Rainbow Dash left him. There might be a clue there, something, anything that'll help us motivate Robert."
"You think something like that exists?" Neil inquired as the blank space surrounding them was replaced with the old living room. Robert was still in the middle of his speech, with the ponies around him watching with wide eyes. "I mean, did you see anything like that beforehand?"
"No," was Eva's hesitant answer. "I didn't catch anything obvious, but if there's something that'll trigger a strong reaction to the implanted desire, it'll be here, I can feel it."
"Woman's intuition?" Neil wonder aloud as he checked the pictures on the wall.
"I don't know, maybe," Eva replied as she too began to search the living room. "Though it'd be nice to know what we're looking for in the first place," she added, brushing a long strand of hair out of her face.
"Hmm, well, hmm..."
"What are you thinking?" Eva prompted.
"Just thinking, you know," her partner said. "Like, with Jonny, we had River whom was kind of sort of in the way of his dream. Like, how being with River meant he didn't have go to the moon to find her again. So I'm just thinking here, was there something like that, something that would have prevented Robert from wanting to find his daughter again? I know I can't remember anything like that," Neil grumbled as he leaned against the wall. "Can you? I mean, you're probably right about it being in this memory, but I'm sort stumped here."
"Hmm. I'd hate to admit it, but you might be right about this."
"Yes! One point for the Neilstro!"
"Play the memory again," Eva ordered. "What we're looking for might be a little further ahead."
Neil's device lit up again, and Robert continued to speak.
"--sending Rainbow Dash here?" he was gasping as he brought his hands back down to his sides. Robert cleared his throat and sniffed. "These years have been the best fifteen years of my life. If anything, I feel the opposite; I wish, have to thank you, Twilight, and the rest--"
"Skip a bit," said Eva, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Yeah, I'm not sure I could stand going through that speech a second time."
The watch-like instrument made a low hum as the scene changed. Robert now stood awkwardly as the pink pony with the mane like cotton candy clung to his waist.
"THANKS!" screamed the pink pony as Robert laughed. He turned to the rest of the ponies, giving each one a short nod and a sad smile. He stopped at Rainbow Dash, whom smiled back.
"Are you ready now, Rainbow Dash?" the purple unicorn asked as she slowly approached. Rainbow turned, took a deep breath, and nodded. Her bright red eyes closed as the unicorn's horn gently touched her forehead.
"Another skip?" Neil asked.
Eva shook her head. "We're already pretty close to the end, just let it play out."
Both of them had to shut their eyes as light flooded the room. When they opened them, the ponies had vanished, leaving Robert by himself. The two watched Robert rush upstairs and fling open the door to Rainbow Dash's old room. They followed him back into the living room and watched him fall back onto the couch. They spotted the photo album on the table in front of Robert before he did.
"It's the book!" Neil exclaimed. "That cheesy note and all those pictures and memories--"
"They must have been enough to give him closure," said Eva with a nod. "Knowing that Rainbow Dash was happy and well kept him content. That's what's interfering with the desire implanted."
"So if we remove the photo album--"
"If we remove the photo album, we'll remove the contentment he got from knowing that Rainbow Dash left on good terms. That should make room for the desire to see her again."
"Hold on," Neil said, raising a hand, "why would simply knowing that she left amicably keep Robert from wanting to see her again? I mean, it's not like have a bunch of photos is going to stop him from missing her."
"It's not that simple," Eva replied impatiently. "The note and the pictures might have eliminated any doubts or regrets in his mind, which may have resurfaced after Robert lost his memory. No regrets, no desire. It doesn't matter what the reason is, we don't have the time to speculate right now,"
"So erasing the photo album creates doubts and regrets..."
"Yes, and that generates, or at least bolsters, the desire to see Rainbow Dash again in order to make sure he was a good father or something like that. Do the details really matter right now?" Eva groaned.
"I'm not exactly sweating about that," Neil began, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just, I can deal with implanting desires and motivations and stuff but creating regrets? Isn't our job to help geezers die without baggage, not give them more?"
Eva brought her hand to her forehead and sighed. "The lack of sleep is finally getting to you," she said. "You're thinking too deeply into this."
"Me, thinking too deeply?"
"Believe me, I'm just as surprised," Eva quipped as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, fulfilling Robert's wish will still let him die without any regrets. Any we create now will disappear once he sees Rainbow Dash again, especially since we'll be basing her personality on the album and her note."
"I guess that makes sense, it still feels a little weird. Maybe, ngh, I don't know," Neil moaned, throwing his arms in the air. "I mean, I took this job so geezers could die in peace. Making them unhappy first, it just feels so...ironic."
"Sometimes life is ironic. Robert's unhappiness will only temporary," Eva dismissed. "We need to think about the big picture, remember?"
"Yeah, sure." The bespectacled man shrugged. "So, just like moving River from Jonny's memories then?"
"Hopefully with less hassle. You're not going to give me any trouble tonight, are you?"
Neil held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, just tell me what I need to do so I can complain about how bossy you are."
"Rewind this memory a bit," Eva commanded. She was already focusing on her device, tapping away at the screen. "Just before Robert sees the album, so I have a chance to remove it."
"Done," Neil announced. "Your turn--"
"Done."
"It's not a race," said Neil as he folded his arms against his chest. "So now what?"
"Nothing, at least nothing here. We're done with this memory, unless you want to see what immediately happens to Robert now that the photo album's gone, but I wouldn't expect much," Eva said. Her attention returned to her device. "All we have to do now is go to the most recent memory and make sure his reunion goes smoothly. Then we're finally done for the night. Ready?"
Neil took a hesitant step forward. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he said.
"You're probably just hungry."
"Yeah, maybe. You're probably right." Neil drew in a quick breath, exhaled, and nodded. "Alright, hit it, let's finish this."
Light flooded the living room the moment Eva's finger touched the screen on her wrist. Neil shut his eyes instinctively as the flash threatened to blind him.
*
The first thing Neil noticed was the soft beep of a machine. He peeked from under his eyelids, slowly opening his eyes wider as his vision adjusted.
"Well, this is new," he said as he looked around the white room he was in. There were no windows, but several curtains hung from the ceiling. In the corner was a small television suspended from above. On both sides of the small plain bed were several monitors and machines, with wires running every which way. Neil heard the soft blips and beeps the machines made as lines of green and red light flashed across their screens. Neil followed the trail of wires as they led to the outlets on the walls, to other machines, and to Robert, whom laid in the bed under plain white covers. A large clear mask sat over his mouth and nose.
Eva hovered over their client, shaking her head and muttering under her breath. "No no no..." he thought he heard her say.
Neil gulped. "This is definitely new," he whispered. He turned to his partner. "Eva, this doesn't look like a reunion."
It took Eva a moment to respond. "Yeah," she croaked.
"It kind of looks like we're in a hospital."
"Yeah."
"And those machines look an awful like life support."
Eva's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the bed railing. "Yeah," she muttered.
"So, uh..." Neil coughed and tugged at his collar. "What happened here?"
Eva shook her head but did not speak. She continued to stare at the unconscious Robert.
"This wasn't part of the plan, was it?"
Eva lifted her head and glared. "No," she growled. "This wasn't what I thought would happen."
"Well, what happened?" Neil asked again.
"I don't know!" Eva shouted, making Neil step back. "I don't know what happened here! I didn't think getting rid of those pictures was going to hospitalize him. I knew he'd probably be depressed, but I thought he'd get over it." Eva released the bed frame and grabbed her arms to stop herself from shuddering. "I thought he'd be stronger. I didn't think this..."
"Wait, what are trying to say?" Neil said. Cautiously, he approached his partner and his client. As he got closer, Neil could see how young Robert was at this time; he didn't look too much older than when Rainbow Dash left. "He didn't try to..." The man swallowed. "Did he?"
"I don't know, probably. It wasn't an accident, we know the memory altering process can't simulate those."
"So whatever happened here, he must have done it to himself," Neil concluded. He looked over at one of the screens and watched the numbers gradually decrease as Robert's chest rose and fell. "Uh, what'll happen if he, well, croaks in his memories? Can that even happen?"
"I don't know," said Eva. She grabbed a handful of her hair. "It's never happened before. His entire nervous system might just shut down."
"Okay, well, so let's not panic." Neil began to pace across the length of the room. "Let's not panic. Oh, can we restore the old memory so the album'll still be there?"
"That won't work. We've already replaced his old memories with this new set," Eva said, slumping over. "If we try to restore the old set, everything we've accomplished tonight will be resist, and we don't have anymore time. I-I messed up."
Neil stumbled and tripped. "I'm sorry, what?"
Eva rubbed her forehead and her temple. "I messed up. I didn't think this would happen, but maybe...maybe I should have. I should have accounted for this. I mean, he just lost his daughter and any evidence that she ever existed, of course he was going to be unstable."
"Well, even you can't predict everything."
"But I should have!" Eva cried. "It's my job! I'm supposed to be able to...to..."
"Eva..."
"I-I'm sorry Neil, you were right," Eva said softly, lowering her head. "We shouldn't have taken this risk. W-we failed this mission. I failed. I can't believe..."
"Eva!" Neil screamed, grabbing Eva's arms. "Listen to yourself! We haven't failed yet, we can still fix this. We've never failed before, and I don't plan on starting today. Say it with me, we. Are. Awe--"
"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Eva snarled, blinking and rubbing her eyes. She push Neil away. "We don't have time to start over, and Robert's dying in his memories now. How are we supposed to motivate him into accomplishing his wish now?"
"Uh, well..." Neil looked around, thinking. "Can we go deeper?"
"Is this any time for your stupid innuendos?"
"No, like in that old movie with dreams and DiCaprio," Neil clarified. "Like, what if we made another memory alteration machine here, and used that to drive Robert here into waking up."
"Do you know how complicated that would be? How do you know that would even work?"
"So we take a risk, it might work."
"Might? Risks are what got us here!"
"Yeah, and thanks to them we managed to get this far," Neil argued. "Maybe we can...we can..." His eyes that had been scanning the room for solutions suddenly grew wide. "I have an idea."
"Where are you going?" Eva demanded as she watched her coworker march over to the television in the corner.
"Taking a risk," Neil replied. The black box turned on, displaying a screen of static. "Just trust me on this, alright?" Neil lifted his hand toward the flickering television. "Metsu Hadoken!"
The black and white flickers were replaced with defined colored images. "Bravo, Knight Rainbow Dash!" Eva heard from the TV speakers.
"Isn't there... somepony else who could... take over the jousting demonstration with you?"
There was a short scoff. One of Robert's fingers twitched.
"The fate of an entire empire rests on us showing these ponies a good time. But, y'know, if that isn't important to you..."
The surrounding monitors began to beep more intensely. Robert's hand tightened into a fist as the yellow pegasus on the television screen released a soft whimper.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it easy on you next time. But not too easy. I've got a reputation to maintain!"
Robert's eyes slowly opened as doctors and nurses began to rush in. "He's awake!" they cried out, failing to notice the two Sigmund Corp. agents that were already fading from sight. One nurse move forward and switched the television off before returning to his post.
"I...I think that did it," Eva whispered. "I can't believe that worked."
"Hey, never underestimate the power of a Hadoken." Neil gave a weary chuckle before sighing. "Well, we're not finished yet. Ready to keep going?"
Neil held out a hand toward his partner. Eva simply stared at the outstretched limb until Neil awkwardly lowered it. As he did so, Eva grabbed it with her own hand and gave him an exhaust grin.
The room faded away.
Chapter 19
Entire crowds of empty silhouettes marched past by Robert, Neil, and Eva, cheering noisily. Several tables were lined against the sidewalk edges, creating aisles as their featureless attendants waved their arms wildly, trying to draw the attention of theirs and the other faceless figures. Robert ignored it all. He walked purposefully past the screams and the colorful posters that advertised clubs and fraternities. He wore a faded brown backpack over a shoulder, and under the other he carried a few textbooks.
"Never thought I'd actually go back to school," Robert muttered with a chuckle. He made his way through the crowd toward a glass building in the distance. A giant stick model of an atom sat on the ceiling. "If only Mom could see me now."
"So this is definitely new," Eva observed. She bit her lip and frowned.
"What's up?" Neil asked, noticing his partner's actions. "I mean, sure, I don't really get how going to college has anything to do with seeing that pony again, but at least something changed."
"It's not that," Eva assured, shaking her head. "I'm just not looking forward to reporting my breakdown back there. I can't believe what happened." Eva groaned. "Ngh, I can't believe you had to jump and save the day, that's just downright embarrassing."
"Just give me a cape and call me Superman," Neil said, smirking. "Hey, I won't say anything if you won't."
"What's the catch?"
"It'll be our little secret, and I get to remind you of it every time you scold me for doing something stupid," Neil said. He giggled like a child as Eva stared at him. She planted her face into her palm.
"I don't know what'd be worse, but I doubt you'd let me forget this anytime soon anyways."
The gaudy atom model grew larger as Robert got closer. A large sign sat on the cut grass in front of the building, on which several students were laying about. A few figures ran on the lawn tossing a frisbee around. Robert paid them no mind as he read the sign. In bold letters, it said Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. . Robert turned toward the entrance of the building with Neil and Eva following shortly behind.
He moved past the reception desk, giving the greeter a wave as he walked by, and went down a long hall. Doors, and the rooms they guarded, aligned the wall, each with a small plaque on it or next to it. Several began with the abbreviation Dr or ended with PhD . A few had a pane of enforced glass that acted as a little window, revealing the run of the mill office workspaces or the advanced machinery on the inside. Eva paused when Neil suddenly stopped moving.
"What is it?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"I think that's a Tesla coil in there," Neil whispered, pointing into one of the rooms. "I've always wanted to see one of those in action."
"Neil, focus. We still have...is that a particle accelerator?"
"I know, right?" Neil hopped on his heels. "Ooh, I'd bet half of the guys back at the office would be jealous if they knew."
Eva shook her head and tore herself away from the window. "Come on, let's go," she said, dragging a reluctant Neil along. Robert himself had stopped in front of a door labeled Dr. Leo Cuskind . Taking a deep breath, he knocked.
"Come in," came a low voice from inside. Robert pushed the door open and walked in. Another undefined figure of a person sat at the desk with their hands folded neatly on the desk. "Hello?"
"Hello, Dr. Cuskind," Robert said. "I'm, uh, one of your new students this year, and I thought I'd introduce myself before classes began. My name's Robert."
"Ah, well hello Robert," the professor said, taking Robert's outstretched hand. "So, you have an interest in theoretical physics, eh? Well, I suppose you're never too old to learn. Just look at me." The figure chuckled. "I see you have your books already."
"Yes sir," Robert said with an eager nod. "I've actually taken a look through a few chapter, and I have a few questions on a certain section."
"Already? Impressive," the shadow said. "Well, show me, and I'll see if I can help."
Robert placed the large text books he held down on the desk and opened one of them. His question was muffled and incomprehensible as the room disappeared.
*
A large lecture hall, packed with silhouettes, replaced the cramped office. Robert sat at the front, his pen flying furiously across his notebook. As his surrounding peers whispered to one another, Robert focused on the figure standing at the podium at the front and the projector screen behind him. Several complex formulas were on both the screen and Robert's handwritten notes.
"...is a property of string theories and a supposed property of quantum gravity that states that the description of a volume of space can be thought of as encoded on a boundary to the region, preferably a light-like boundary like a gravitational horizon," the professor had been saying. "In a larger sense, the theory suggests that the entire universe can be seen as a two-dimensional information structure painted on the cosmological horizon, such that the three dimensions we observe are an effective description only at macroscopic scales and at low energies. Cosmological holography has not been made mathematically precise, partly because the cosmological horizon has a finite area and grows with time.[4][5]"
Robert raised his hand. "How does this principle relate to the black hole thermodynamics we discussed earlier?"
"The principle was inspired by black hole thermodynamics, which conjectures that the maximal entropy in any region scales with the radius squared and not cubed as might be expected," the figure at the podium droned. "In the case of a black hole, the insight was that the informational content of all the objects that have fallen into the hole might be entirely contained in surface fluctuations of the event horizon. The holographic principle resolves the black hole information paradox within the framework of string theory.[6] However, there exist classical solutions to the Einstein equations that allow values of the entropy larger than those allowed by an area law, hence in principle larger than those of a black hole.
"These are the so-called Wheeler's bags of gold," the professor continued, quoting the phrase with his fingers. "The existence of such solutions is in conflict with the holographic interpretation, and their effects in a quantum theory of gravity including the holographic principle are not yet fully understood.[7]"
"What?" Neil asked as he stared back at his partner. Eva shook her head.
"If you're going to just lift stuff out of a wiki, at least have the decency to remove all the citation reference numbers," Eva said. "How is he even saying those things out loud?"
"Robert doesn't seem to mind," Neil said dismissively, waving a hand. "Cut me some slack. What, you really think I'd predict he'd need public information on string theory and have it ready beforehand? I'm awesome, not omniscient."
"It's not that hard to edit something like that out," argued Eva. She frowned and folded her arms. "This just sounds sloppy. Listen."
"...the oscillation of the horizon of a black hole is a complete description[note 2] of both the infalling and outgoing matter, because the world-sheet theory of string theory was just such a holographic description..."
"I stand by my previous argument. Robert doesn't have a problem, and neither do I. Here's a question though," Neil said as the classroom disappeared, and a laboratory took its place. Robert sat in front of the monitor of a large machine. He listened intently to the instructor next to him, whom was giving an explanation on the machine's operations. "What's all this about?"
"What's what all about?"
"This." As if to clarify, Neil gestured to their surroundings. Lab technicians hurried to and fro, from station to station. The one instructing Robert took a step back, making room for Robert. "The whole going back to school business, and to study theoretical physics no less." Neil snorted. "I'm glad something's changed, but it doesn't seem like he's any closer to seeing R--the pony."
The monitor lit up, along with Robert's face. He turned toward the tablet laying on the desk nearby and quickly tapped at it. A few unfamiliar symbols appeared on both the machine's monitor and Robert's tablet. A couple of laboratory assistants walked by to watch.
"Hmm, well what exactly did you expect?" Eva said. "His daughter lives in a world we only know from a cartoon. It's probably from a completely different universe, maybe even a totally different dimension. It's not like he can just take a bus or something. Even with today's technology, traveling between separate universes is nothing more than science-fiction."
"So that means..." Neil prompted.
Dr. Rosalene hesitated before saying, "If the technology doesn't exist, maybe he's trying to invent it."
"Oh." Neil nodded his head slowly. "So our buddy here is going to somehow invent inter-dimensional travel, something mankind has only ever written and dreamed about." The man smiled. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love this job? It's like we're just being paid to turn fantasies into realities."
"Well, this assignment has definitely been one of the more fantastic," Eva said, watching as Robert now sat alone in a dark library, next to a lamp and several stacks of books. Eva bit her thumb worriedly. "I just hope he has enough time."
"What, you mean before he croaks?"
"There's that, yeah, but I'm thinking about how much time he has left in this new life we set up for him," Eva explained. "Robert's what, in his mid-thirties here? That means he has forty, maybe fifty, years to find away to see his daughter again before he becomes too old to achieve his goal."
"That hasn't never happened before," Neil said.
"True, but normally we insert the motivation as early in the client's childhood as possible to give them as much time as we can. What Robert's trying to do though..." Eva gestured to the man sitting at a desk, writing quickly while his featureless peers scratched at their heads or pulled at their hair. "I just...I just don't know. I mean, it's been so many years since the original Star Trek aired, and the greatest minds of this generation still aren't any closer to making teleporters. People have spent their entire lives trying to study and understand these vague concepts, and Robert's going to try and turn those abstractions into something practical?" Eva shook her head. "I mean, we've done some crazy things, but never this crazy."
"Yeah, well, those greatest minds of yours didn't have motivators like us," Neil declared, placing his hands on his hips as he smirked. "Robert'll make it, have a little faith."
Robert, clad in a dark gown, with a square academic cap on his head, made his way up a set of steps toward a large podium. There was a great wave of applause as he accepted a sealed roll of parchment from the figure at the podium. Robert wore a triumphant grin as he held his diploma over his head.
"Wow, everything I say sounds like I've given up or something, huh?" Eva said with a sigh. "Just, ugh!"
Neil leaped in surprise as his partner pulled at her hair and groaned. "What?"
"I can't believe you're telling me off again," Eva grumbled, frowning. She crossed his arms over her chest. "I hate it."
Robert made his way into a large building, past a sign simply read Department of Energy with the background of an American flag. He wore a sharp black suit and tie and carried a beige Manila folder under his arm. A figure greeted him at the entrance with a hand extended. Robert shook the figure's hand and followed him inside. His suit was suddenly replaced with a lab coat as the figure he followed became five. Robert's hair had grayed, and his clean-shaven chin was now covered with whiskers and dark stubble. He stood over one of the sitting silhouettes and looked through the thick glass screen in front of him at a pair of large rings interlocked together.
"Yes, it feels nice to finally have the moral high ground," said Neil smugly. "Or whatever you call it. Having a better attitude? Yeah, let's go with that." Neil laughed as his colleague rolled her eyes. "You know what, I think I'm going to try to be more optimistic in my life. Heck, I bet nothing else bad'll happen tonight."
The two giant metal rings started to spin around. Robert alternated from watching the contraption spin and hum to examining the monitors in front of him. As series of numbers scrolled along the computer screen, Robert bit his lip. He bent down, nudging aside the person at the computer, and rapidly typed in a few lines before hitting the return key. As the twin rings began to rotate and flip about faster and faster, Robert ran his fingers through his thinning gray hair before his fingers danced across the keyboard again. The few figures around him slowly inched back as the hums became louder.
A small spark appeared in the center for a barely noticeable second before being replaced by a brighter ball of light. For several moments, the light blinked, threatening to die out and disappear, but the flickering eventually stopped. The hovering orb slowly became more and more intense, the light as bright as the sun, and its shape was more obvious, to the point of appearing solid.
Every figure in the room stood up and began to clap enthusiastically. A few whoops, hollers, and cheers mingled with the applause. Robert rubbed the back of his head and blushed as he bowed under the pats and slaps his back received.
"I think you might be right." Eva said over the celebration, turning to her partner. She smiled. "And you know what? For once, I'm perfectly okay with that."
*
"...and so, it is my honor to introduce to you, the president of EQ Innovators!"
The auditorium was flooded with applause as an elderly man carefully climbed up to the podium on the stage, his wrinkled hands leaving the cane he used to grab the stand for support. He squinted as the flashes of cameras reflected off his glasses, and he dug a small handkerchief out of the pocket of his coat. He quickly dabbed away some of the glistering sweat from his brow and the top of his balding head before stuffing it back into his pocket, replacing it with a folded sheet of paper. He smiled as he leaned over the podium, waiting for his audience to quiet down.
"My friends call me Robert," the old man said, lowering his head slightly to speak into the microphone to address the crowd. "I consider everyone of you here a friend. If you weren't, I'm not entire sure what you're doing here, perhaps to watch an old decrepit geezer's speech slowly degrade into sad ramblings?"
A small laugh rippled through the crowd. Robert's grin became bigger. "When we talk about future, we're not just talking about the next generation or the generation after that or the generation following that one," he continued, his voice resonating through the entire room. "At least, that's what EQ Innovators believes. That's what I believe. The future belongs to this generation as well, to each and every single one of you, be you forty, fifty, or my age. The future is now," Robert said, raising his index finger toward the ceiling, "and this company's goal, from day one, has been to devote all we can into the development of the world's technology into the most efficient, most affordable, and least damaging it can be. We hope to create and bring a future that both the people of today and the people of tomorrow can enjoy.
"But technology is only the first step," Robert declared with a sniff. "What good is technology if it is stagnant? When we leave this world for our children, we leave them not only memories and our own previous achievements, but also a foundation for them to build upon. Research has always been a top priority, and I am proud to say that we are closer to calling theoretical physics simply physics."
There was another collective chuckle, one that Robert echoed. "Clean, renewable energy is just the beginning, my friends. The isolation of photon particles? That's nothing. The space shuttle that made a seven hundred million mile trip to Saturn in less than six months?" Robert smirked. "Only a taste of what we have in store. I've been told that I am an ambitious man. Well, what better investment is there than setting my ambitions on the impossible?"
The old man shook his head and sighed. "To the future, my friends," he said, lifting his hands. "To us. To our children. Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the fifty-ninth HRT Conference and Exposition!"
A deafening roar trumpeted from the audience as Robert slowly made his way off the stages. He greeted the figures approaching him with handshakes and and smiles as he passed, but the kind words they had said were muffled, like if Robert had been underwater. He continued to smile and nod politely even as the faceless crowd began to blur and blend together with the background. A sharp shrill buzz overcame the applause of the assembly, and a burst of white light swept away the room and everything in it like dust, save for Robert. He stood there, smiling, waiting.
The light died away, revealing a large, deserted laboratory. A huge contraption sat in the center, shaped like a standing horseshoe. Several massive tubes and wires ran through the device and into the walls and other large machineries. Of the several dozen computers that littered the room, only one monitor glowed and hummed.
Robert slowly walked toward the machine in the center, loosening his tie as he approached. He stopped before a small control panel locked behind a glass screen. With a clumsy swipe of a card by Robert's shaking hands, the glass slid away. His fingers pressed against the touch screen, and suddenly the horseshoe began to vibrate. A small sheet of dim light appeared between the two arms. Slowly, the light became stronger.
Robert took a step forward. And other. And other. He lifted his hand and touched the light. The blaze became blinding.
*
* *
* * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
*
Robert opened his eyes and blinked furiously. He tore the spectacles off and rubbed his eyes. When he removed his fingers, Robert's arms fell to his sides. His glasses were dropped along with his jaw as Robert stared at the meadow he stood in.
Green grass grew beneath his feet and across the field and beyond. He could hear the cheery voices of songbirds from the trees nearby. A brook babbled past him, reflecting the clouds from above. Robert raised his head and stared at the bright blue sky, clearer than he had ever seen it before.
*
* *
* * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
*
Robert knelt in front of the stream and washed his face. As he did, he saw a young man in the water looking back at him. Robert touched his hand to his cheek, searching for those aged wrinkles and lines. He found none. He brushed his restored hair back and shook his head in laughter.
*
* *
* * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *
*
A shadow suddenly appeared over him, blocking out the sun. It had disappeared just as quickly, but before Robert could ponder over it, he felt something fell on his head. Carefully, he removed a cyan feather from his head. As he examined the feather, rolling it between his fingers, he heard a soft thud came from behind. Robert's breathing accelerated, his entire body tensing, and he slowly turned around.
"D-Daddy?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Epilogue
"Hey rookie, what's up?"
Hair of all colors swept to the side as the mare shook her head. She looked down at uniformed pegasus whom had called out to her from the ground. "It's nothing ma'am!" she replied, removing the goggles over her eyes and rubbing them. "Just got something in my eye, that's all."
Spitfire glanced over to one of her aides and gave him a questioning look. The assistant merely shrugged, his expression hidden behind thick sunglasses, before returning his attention to the other pegasi in the air. Sighing, Spitfire looked back up. "Alright, Rainbow Dash, gather the cadets. We're done for the day," she said.
"Yes ma'am!" Rainbow exclaimed, taking a second to salute before flying off. Another second later, a dozen pegasi hovered in the air next to her. Spitfire's frown deepened as she watched them carefully descend and clump around her.
"Not bad, ladies and gentlecolts," she said. "Not bad at all. Maybe you ponies are Wonderbolt material. But," the veteran flyer added, glaring at the pair of mares whom had grinned at each other, "we don't want maybes. Here at the Wonderbolt Academy, we don't accept not bad's or so-so's or good enough's. If you want to make the cut, I'd better see some major improvement. Or is this really the very best you can do?" Spitfire sneered.
"No ma'am!" the entire congregation hollered. Nopony noticed Spitfire's ear twitch under the overwhelming sound, though a few of her greener assistants held their ears painfully.
"That's what I want to hear!" she shouted back. "The weekend's here, but there'd better not be any slacking, understand? And I will find out. Team dismissed!"
The pegasi dispersed in every direction, flying in pairs and in groups. Spitfire scanned the sky for a multi-hued mane. She flew past the crowd, weaving through clusters until she reached the cyan mare. "Rainbow Dash," she said, tapping her shoulder.
"Ma'am?"
"What's wrong?" asked Spitfire. "You kept zoning out today, and it took you a lot longer to get everypony together."
"I-it's nothing, ma'am," Rainbow Dash said. "It's just...I don't know, I just feel a bit down today. It's just today, I swear," she assured hurriedly. "It won't become a thing, I'm totally fine."
"Alright, alright, it's just an off day," Spitfire said. "I get that, it happens to the best of us. You look like you could get some sleep though," she noted. "Watch yourself, okay? Even the Wonderbolts need rest sometimes."
"Yes ma'am, you got. it Captain."
"Good." The Wonderbolt nodded and grinned. "Have a nice weekend."
"You too, ma'am," Rainbow Dash responded. The two mares went their own separate directions, with Spitfire returning to the camp belong and Rainbow toward the horizon. For several minutes, Rainbow glided in silence, her flight absent of loops or aerial rolls. Soon, a large cloud structure came in view. Colorful liquid rainbows gushed out of the top of a fluffy tower and leaked through the soft foundation it stood on.
Rainbow Dash landed on the white base and stared down at the town below her. She leaned over, spread her wings, then shook her head and folded them back against her sides. She turned around and headed toward the house of clouds instead. Rainbow brushed aside her door and slumped onto her couch.
She laid there on her side for awhile, occasionally rolling onto her back or her stomach and kicking her legs lazily in the air. A strand of hair fell over her cerise eyes, which she blew away with a breath.
Rainbow slid off of the couch and landed gracelessly onto the floor with a grunt. She sat there, staring around her house and at the trophies and mementos that littered the walls. Rainbow Dash got onto her feet and walked through her house, past the dirty kitchen and a stack of adventure novels.
Up a flight of stairs she went, her hoofs leaving small prints in the clouds that faded shortly. She stopped at the very top, in front of a spacious room without a door. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow walked in, kneeling down at the base of a large bed. She reached underneath, sticking out her tongue as she searched by touch. Rainbow shifted onto her other side and extended hooves. Her eyes widened and lit up as they finally brushed against something solid.
Rainbow Dash's forelegs retreated from beneath the bed. With them came a small box.
*
"What are you doing?"
"Gah!" Neil leapt up and turned off his computer monitor. "N-nothing, nothing at all," he said nervously, hovering over the keyboard. He looked up at Eva, standing at the doorway of his office, with her eyebrow raised. Neil quickly sat back into his seat as smoothly as possible. "What's up?"
"You're not using company resources to make another video game, are you?" Eva asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared disapprovingly.
"No, but I've got this really cool idea all planned out," Neil said excitedly. "See, it'll be us racing ponies on a rainbow bridge and--"
Eva interrupted Neil's spiel by dropping a massive bundle of paper onto his desk. It landed with a loud, audible thud and shook the entire desk. "I didn't know you wrote fanfiction," Neil observed as he straightened his glasses.
"This is our report detailing Robert's job," Eva explain. "I left everything in it, from all the weird malfunctions in our machinery to the ponies."
"So? Shouldn't you be giving that to our supervisor or something?"
"I did. He thought the entire thing was a joke and told me to write it all over again more seriously." Eva frowned. "Your turn."
"And you really think he'll take me more seriously?" Neil wondered incredulously.
Eva shrugged. "Well, he does like you better for some reason. Good luck. Oh," she added right before leaving Neil's office, "and maybe you should leave whatever you were doing there until you got home."
"Yeah, yeah," Neil muttered, waving his colleague away. With a sigh, he picked up the papers Eva had dropped on him and began to read. It didn't take long before he lost interest and set the report back on the desk. Neil glanced around the room and peaked over his computer toward the outside. Eva had shut the door for him. Grinning, Neil slid back into his chair.
The monitor flashed back on.
"I used to wonder what friendship could be..."
*
Author's Note
The End
Act 1
"Hey rookie, what's up?"
Hair of all colors swept to the side as the mare shook her head.
"...it's nothing..."
*****
Chapter 1
"Geez, what's with old dying geezers and fancy houses?" the man in the long white lab coat asked. His brown hair had been cruelly cut with a pair of scissors and a bowl. A pair of glasses hung on top of his nose. In his arms was a large grey box. His feet seemed to sink into the muddy path leading to a large house, the kind he had been referring to. "I think the guy has his own airfield. It's like, after you turn eighty, you get a manor instead of cake."
"None of these houses were just handed out, Neil," said the woman next to him. She wore a similar outfit. Her black hair that flowed freely to her shoulders complimented her ebony face. Her arms lacked the heavy load Neil had; instead, she held a large umbrella to provide shelter from the downpour. Rain fell like bullets.
"If you want to live a nice house like this," she continued, "you'll have to work hard and stop spending all your money on IKEA products you end up giving away."
"If I did that, I'd deserve a mansion already," Neil grumbled. "With like five hundred servants. That are robots. And monkeys. Yeah, robot monkey servants."
"You're impossible," the woman said with a sigh.
"And why do I have to carry this thing again?" he complained.
"I carried it last time."
"No y-"
The woman slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She swiped the screen a few times with her finger then shoved it in Neil's face.
"Wha-"
"It's a calendar. I've been keeping track ever since that tantrum you had."
Neil grumbled. He looked carefully for their last job. "September 21st...Client: Lara Frey...E. Rosalene's turn to carry...darn."
"See?" she said, putting the phone back in her pocket. "It's your turn. Besides, do want a repeat of last week?"
Neil shuddered. Lara may have been dying but she still had the energy to rant and rage on the death of chivalry. Ms Frey had given her last scolding right before collapsing and Dr Watts had been on the receiving end.
"Whatever. Lets just out of this rain." He and Eva shivered as a gust of wind blew by. Their thin lab coats provided little protection.
"Well, at least the house is probably heated," said Dr Rosalene. "Or at least dry."
"Think they've got coffee?"
"Since when do they ever?"
Neil sighed. His glasses began to slip down. "This is gonna be another long night."
*****
"Oh, thank you for coming in such a short notice," the young woman who greeted them said as she held the door open. She was younger than Eva, with with only the slightest amount of white on her blond head. She wore a simple yellow dress.
"Why don't any of the caretakers ever wear maid outfits?" Neil whispered as the woman led them through the house. "I know that'd happen if I was in charge. Rawr."
Eva shushed her colleague and instead turned her attention to the house's interior. It was definitely larger on the outside but it still beat her own flat by a wide margin. What struck her was the decorum; pictures of avian vehicles, both in action and on runways. Jets, biplanes, helicopters, even rockets followed the three down the hall. It was a definite change from the painting she had become used to in a house like this, landscapes and portraits and the like.
"This guy sure likes to fly," hypothesized Eva.
"What ticked you off? The pictures of airplanes?" Neil responded with a scoff. "Another guy wanting to go to the moon?"
"Who knows? Maybe..."
The three found themselves in front of a winding staircase. To the left was a dining room which lead to the kitchen by another path. On the left was a living room with a large entertainment center consisting of four large speakers and a wide-screened television.
"Huh, will you look at that," Neil said. "No piano."
"So?" his partner said quizzingly.
"Well, I dunno. Doesn't it feel weird?"
"Not really."
"We used to have a grand piano here actually," the young woman chimed in. "But Robert gave it away to the elementary school's music program. He's been giving all his life and now that it's coming to an end, he's giving even more. That television is actually now mine." She shook her head. "I'd never be able to afford something like that but the kids love it and it keeps them out of my way." She sighed then suddenly smacked herself on the forehead. "Oh, I'm such an idiot. I'm Jessica, Jessica Shoichet."
"A pleasure." Eva shook Linda's hand. "I'm Doctor Eva Rosalene. And my associate-"
"The Doctor."
"-Doctor Neil Watts," she finished with her teeth clenched.
"The 'the' isn't optional, you know," Neil said with a sigh. "Neo works too if you like," he said to Jessica with a wink.
"I'm sorry, is that a reference? I don't have much time to play video games."
Neil's jaw dropped. "...buh...huh..."
"Maa!" came a sudden voice. A small blond head popped out from behind Jessica's dress. "Drew won't share the Nintendo!"
"Nuh uh," said another child who appeared to materialize from thin air. He was not much older and had brown hair. "Besides, it's only one player anyways."
"Make him share!"
"No, it still my turn!"
"Peter! Andrew! Enough!" the mother scolded. "Can't you see we have visitors? What do you say?"
"Are you gonna see Mr Bob?" The older, brown-headed boy asked. "That's not fair! Why can't we go see him? We made him a card and everything!"
"These people are going to help Mr Bob. Remember? I told you some very important people were coming soon"
"Are you gonna make Mr Bob all better?" the younger asked.
"Well...I..." Eva stuttered. How could she answer the child that no, none of the fancy equipment Neil was carrying could save the old man? She turned to to her partner for assistance but Neil was just as speechless.
Jessica came to their rescue. "Now now, boys," she interjected. "If you two are so loud, how will Mr. Bob get any rest?"
"Oh..." Peter, the younger, said. He averted his gaze shamefully.
"Sorry," his brother, Andrew, said, just as embarrassed.
"It's alright," their mother assured. "Why don't you two go watch some movies and leave everything to these two?"
The boys' expressions brightened. "Okay!"
"Come on," Jessica said to the two Sigmund Corp employees. "I'll show you to Robert."
"Hold on," Neil quickly said. He leaned over to the children and asked, "What do you two know about...The Matrix ?"
"Is that console or PC?" Peter asked.
Neil groaned. "Such insults to the classics and to culture must be corrected." He tossed the case into the arms of his partner and followed the boys into the living room. He began to examine the shelf that displayed rows upon rows of DVDs and CDs. "Next thing you'll be telling me the prequels were the best of Star Wars."
"Nuh uh," exclaimed Andrew. "Episode seven was the best!"
"Ngh..."
"Neil," Eva called. "Quit wasting time."
"Give me a moment...man, this guy's got quite the collection."
It was true. Classical movies mingled with sitcom seasons and cartoons. At last, Neil found his quarry between a boxed collection of Sean Connrey filmography and a faded copy of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Friendship Express .
"Neil..."
"In a minute," Neil called back. "Let me just watch a first scenes, maybe the first fight...just a couple of hours..."
"NEIL!"
"Alright, alright." He handed the black box to Andrew. On the front was a picture of three people dressed in black and with dark glasses. All wielded a gun or two and green symbols fell from the sky.
"Don't repeat anything you hear to your mother and don't watch the sequels." And with those last bits of advice, Neil hurried back to his partner.
"You're impossible," Eva said, shaking her head.
"You've said that already."
Chapter 9
****Though a few months isn't a long time, it's how long I have wanted a moment like this.****
"That's the T.V."
Rainbow Dash gave Robert a blank stare, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Robert grins.
"It stands for television," he elaborates. "It's like a big window that let's you see other worlds and stories."
"What a magical description," Neil snarked in response as the filly simply blinked at Robert. She turned her head to the "television" and gave her reflection a poke with a hoof. A small hollow echo rang as she knocked against the glass screen.
"Not like that, Dashie," Robert said with a laugh. The pony glared at the young man and scowled. Her attempts in appearing intimidating fell short, looking more cute and adorable instead. Robert gave the filly an apologetic smile. "C'mere you. Please?"
Rainbow huffed and turned her back on Robert. Her tough facade fell quickly however and she soon found herself at the man's feet. Robert bent over and gently picked the pony up. He set her on the couch and watched her pound against the old cushions to soften them. Robert sat next to her and grabbed the remote that laid on the coffee table in front of them.
The little blue Pegasus regarded the strange gadget with wide eyes brimming with curiosity. She moved a hoof forward, then hesitated, looking to Robert for advice.
"Go ahead," Robert urged. "It won't bite."
At his encouragement, Rainbow Dash began to play with the remote. Her hooves pressed a few buttons down and gave it a shake. A large red stud near the top caught her eye. Naturally, her hoof gravitated toward it.
"-and now the forecast for this week. Relatively cloudy for a majority..."
Rainbow's head whipped up as light flashed behind the television screen. Her eyes widened as a man in a suit and tie gestured to five boxes, each with a few numbers and a crude picture of a sun hidden beneath dark clouds. Except Thursday, Robert noted with a soft groan; he had to find that umbrella eventually.
The filly leaped off the couch and cautiously crawled to the television. Tentatively, she waved at the man inside the magic box. Having received no reaction, Rainbow got closer and waved her foreleg right in his face. Still no response. Again, the pony began to tap at the screen. Robert got to his feet, hoping to stop the filly before she broke the glass.
"Anytime we'll be seeing the sun this month, Tom?"
Rainbow jumped back as the man was replaced with two other people sitting behind a large desk. She glanced over to Robert in confusion as the two stranger began to laugh.
"They're not real people," Robert explained, picking her up. "Well, no, that's not true...it's like a picture, a moving picture. You remember what a picture is, right?"
The pony rested her chin on Robert's arm, then nodded and pointed at the portrait of his parents. His grin faltered for a moment.
"R-right, like that." The young man pointed back at the T.V. "It's a moving picture of those people. I mean, it's not like people are actually hiding inside the T.V. There are just wires and stuff that get signals from satellites and beam those images from space and...I'm not very good at explaining this, am I?"
Robert sighed as he felt Rainbow shake her head her head against him. He sat back on the couch and turned to the television. The pony copied him, watching the news in fascination.
"And now we've got something interesting for you folks today..."
Robert leaned forward.
"Is your Kentucky Fried Chicken actually chicken? You could be eating duck! We'll be back after a short break."
Robert relaxed. He felt something tug at his sleeve and looked down to find Rainbow pointing at the screen.
"It's a commercial. It's...something to...uh..."
Robert racked his brain for some sort of explanation. What were televised ads besides a miserable pile of lies and a distraction from the actual shows? Rainbow, meanwhile, watched in a hypnotic state as catchy jingles played for detergents.
"I'm going to change the channel," Robert finally said, finally giving up. "That okay?"
Rainbow gave him another blank look.
"A different picture will pop up on the screen," Robert tried again. He held up the remote. "I can change the pictures so I can watch what I want. That okay?"
This time, Robert got more that a confused stare. Rainbow nodded, her eyes alternating between the television, the remote to the television, and the man holding the remote. Robert's thumb fell.
"...Wall Street has suffered another major loss..."
For awhile, Robert would rotate between news channels. At the mention of crime or war and the channel would change so quickly the filly next to him jumped or turned in surprise. Subjecting her to the harsh world outside didn't seem fair. Rainbow Dash didn't belong here, after all; why should she have to suffer along with the rest of them?
No news on ponies however. Nothing on mysterious portals or surges of wild energy. No mention of sonic booms followed by window-shattering rainbows. No strange phenomenons beyond how the governor's ratings were so low and yet he was still being reelected.
Nothing about or even hinting Rainbow Dash's presence. Another sigh, this time out of relief.
Robert felt something push against his arm. Rainbow was pouting, having lost interest in the current state of the stock market. She frowned and pointed at the remote, then at the T.V.
"Sorry, Rainbow. Are you getting bored?" Robert's hand went for the control. "Let's see if there's any cartoons on right now."
"...it could happen, only on the-"
The channel changed.
"Arrr you ready kids?"
"Aye aye captain!"
"I can't heeear yoooou!"
"AYE AYE CAPTAIN!"
"Ooooh..."
Rainbow laughs as the pirate began to sing. Robert smiles as well. He puts the control back on the coffee table.
"I'll be right back," he tells her, getting to his feet. Rainbow nods and turns back to the television. Robert makes a quick dash upstairs, removes his laptop from a desk hidden beneath a pile of old papers and laundry, and heads back downstairs. Robert stops by the kitchen and picks up a few stalks of celery and a water bottle.
Robert breaks the celery into chunks and hands them over to the little pony. Rainbow accepts them gratefully with a grin, one that Robert happily returned as he waits for his computer to turn on. As she continues watching the laughing abomination of a sea sponge chase pink jellyfishes, Robert opens his browser and is welcomed by his homepage.
No new emails, he notes. Doesn't matter. Robert's attention is on the news bulletin. Again, there is no news of interest.
Robert tries something else, this time typing in a few keywords in the search bar. Rainbow Dash's page on a fan wiki is first. A few other fan pages and websites. Some images from the show. Robert shifts himself and the laptop away from the pony, hiding the screen. Rainbow is too focused on the television to notice. Once more, there is no hint of cartoon ponies popping around in real life, besides an occasional video with some impressive editing.
The backspace on the laptop's keyboard is held down. Clicks soon compete with the sounds of the T.V. as Robert's fingers dance across the board. Tabs are opened and bookmarked, most notable Rainbow Dash's wiki page and the Wikipedia article on ponies.
Who knew how accurate those pages were or how much would apply to the Pegasus sitting on his couch. Who knew how long she would be in his care. Who knew if Robert could even take care of the little pony. There was a reason why he didn't own a pet. He barely made enough for himself. His love for the show was a secret so he couldn't go to his friends.
But what was the alternative? Drop her off at the pound? Leave her on her own to defend herself? Give her to some lab where she'd be experimented on in the name of science? Robert shook his head. No, he would have to take the responsibility himself.
Robert's eyes lingered on the computer screen a little longer before he closed the laptop and set it aside. Research could wait. Besides, it had been awhile since he enjoyed a good Spongebob.
*****
The scene had barely changed. Robert and the little blue Pegasus still sat on the couch. The laptop was still in front of the young man. The filly still watched the television with rapture and amazement. There were a few differences but it took a moment before Neil noticed that Robert now wore a sweater and that speeding cars now populated the screen instead of colorful cartoons.
A half-eaten box of donuts was on the table. Sprinkles and bits of sugar dotted the Pegasus' lips. Robert had been hesitant about introducing pastries into Rainbow's diet but she was quickly getting bored of raw veggies. The show did depict ponies as sugar-loving fanatics, never mind that half of the ingredients were poisonous to real horses. Besides, there was a sale and if there was one thing Robert couldn't resist another than little baby Pegasi, it was a sale.
A small cup of milk sat awkwardly in Rainbow Dash's hooves. She squirmed as Robert wiped away the remnants of the donut she just ate and the white mustache right above her lip.
"There," he declared proudly, throwing the napkin into a growing pile. The little filly tried to clean herself by wiping her foreleg across her face. Her grip around the cup broke and it fell onto the table. A large milky pond was released, with small white waterfalls poured over the edge. Rainbow Dash's mouth fell open and when she looked up at the young man, Robert could see the beginning of tears.
"Hey, hey, it's alright," he said, mopping the mess up with napkins. Robert gave her a tender pat on the head. "It's fine, it's fine. Don't cry, okay? Nothing's broken and we still have plenty of milk left." He gave the filly the warmest smile he could conjure. "No use crying over spilled milk, huh?"
The little Pegasus gave Robert a confused look, her head tilted to the side as she processed his words.
Robert shrugged. "Yeah, I don't get it either," he said, setting aside the soggy napkins. He shut the laptop and picked up the pile of used napkins and the empty glass and, with another quick pat on Rainbow's colorful head, walked back to the kitchen. He didn't look behind him but Robert knew that those rosy eyes were upon him as he left the room.
Robert filled the cup about halfway so that it would be harder for the filly to spill. He shook the carton, frowning as he released just how false his assurance had been. It was amazing how much the two of them could eat and drink. Mentally, he added milk to his ever growing shopping list and hoped that he would remember to write it down on the actual list that was magnet'd to the refrigerator.
He gave the strip of paper a look over. He needed eggs, toilet paper, and hay. There was a large question mark next to the word hay, since Robert wasn't entirely certain where he could buy some.
Horses are herbivore with a digestive system adapted to a forage diet of grasses and other plant material, consumed steadily throughout the day.
Wheat was a grass, right? Maybe Robert could just buy bread. Just so she could have a more diverse diet. She couldn't just eat donuts and cupcakes all the time; she wasn't Pinkie Pie after all, Robert joked to himself.
His eyes lingered on the second item on the list. Even if Rainbow wasn't going to stay very long she should still have her own toiletries. Would his shampoo and soap work or did the filly need a special type? Robert racked his brain as he tried to remember any clues from the show. There...was a bubble bath, yes, yes a bubble bath, the Pinkie Sense episode.
"Here you go," he said, helping her take a sip. Straws, they could use some straws. Robert opened his laptop and punched in the password.
Horses are a precocial species, and foals are capable of standing and running within a short time following birth Robert read. Absently he reach forward and grabbed a glazed donut and began to chew slowly. In biology, the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching...
A loud hum distracted Robert from his research. He lifted his head just in time to see the final race car make it pass the curve. He turned to Rainbow Dash who watched in awe at such speed. Noticing the attention she was receiving, Rainbow looked back at Robert.
"Vroom!" she squealed, trying to imitate the sound of the cars. She threw her hooves into the air and wiggled her wings, ruffling her feathers.
Robert laughed. How could he not? "That's right Dashie," he said, smiling. "They're going really fast." He took another bite from his donut.
"Fast!" Rainbow Dash chirps. "Go fast!" She turned back to the television screen as Robert nearly choked.
D-did she just...talk?
In biology, the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature...
*****
"Okay, apple. A...ple."
"Apple!"
"Very good," Robert praised, handing the filly the slices of fruit with the skins peeled. "Now, what about this one?" He held up a small orange slice.
Rainbow Dash made a face. "No orange! Bleh!"
"Hey, I though you liked orange juice. This is the same thing, see?" Robert ripped the fruit from the skin before making a face. "Geez, that's sour!" he exclaimed.
The little Pegasus' giggles grew as the young man took the skin peel, placed it over his teeth, and grinned. "That's silly!" she cheered, reaching for an orange slice herself.
*****
"Alright, Dashie," said Robert. He wore a green hoodie and faded jeans. He held an umbrella in one hand and a bag in the other. "I'm heading off."
Rainbow looked up. "To work?" she asked. It had taken her awhile to get used to Robert's morning leavings. She still hated waiting for him to come home but at least she didn't cry anymore. Rainbow knew Robert would be back.
"Yeah. Gonna be a little late tonight." Robert gestured to the clock nearby. "I'll be back around when both the small and big stick are at the six. You remember what six is, right?"
The filly nodded.
"Good, I'm bringing dinner so don't spoil your appetite with snacks. Be good, okay?"
"Wait!" she cried before scrambling back to the living room. Robert waited impatiently, rocking on his heels. He was running a little late this morning and was having a little trouble thinking of an excuse. It was a good thing he was on decent terms with his manager.
"I could use the 'helping old lady' one again," he muttered as Rainbow galloped back. She was carrying several blocks Robert had given her. They had been his once and color of the letters on the blocks had faded with age, though still legible. The little pony stuck her tongue out in concentration as she began to arrange them side by side.
She stood aside and proudly pushed the blocks forward for Robert to see.
GOOD BEY
Robert smiled as he bent down and corrected her mistake. "Good job," he praised, giving her a wave. "Bye."
"Bye!" she said, returning the wave.
*****
"And...and the duck...um..."
"Went."
"And the duck went home, back to her fr-fr...uh..."
"Friends."
"Friends. And the duck went home, back to her friends." Rainbow closed the picture book. "The end!" she concluded proudly.
Robert smiled. "Good job, Dashie," he said, tucking her in. "Get some sleep, little filly. 'Night."
"Good night!"
