Will of Fire

Chapter 31 - Still got it~!

By: TheXIIILightning

"Twilight! What happened?" I said as I rushed to her side.

After a nice and quiet meal, everything went to Tartarus...

From what I can tell, Twilight had spent a long time trying to make small talk with Rainbow Dash. She probably didn't like it and stormed of.

"We don't know." Sparrow said, talking to me for once. "She didn't say anything during entire meal, and just suddenly snapped." Sunshine nodded, looking a bit worried.

"I don't know what's wrong with Rainbow." Twilight said, her ears were floppy and her eyes were glazed. "I- I tried talking with her, but she wouldn't say anything. I thought that if I tried hard enough she would open up, but then she just..." Her bottom lip started quivering and Shining gave her a hug. Twilight squeezed him tightly.

"It's ok Twily, I'm sure it's just a big misunderstanding." Shining Armor said, carefully nuzzling her little sister.

"I- I know, but it's still my fault. I shouldn't have forced her t-" I interrupted her.

"It's not your fault Twilight!" She looked up at me. "Rainbow Dash's been like this since we boarded the train, and I won't let her stay like this any longer!" As I made my way towards the exit, Shining put a hoof on my shoulder.

"Take your time, I'll bring Twilight home with me for now. Don't worry if the gates are closed, I'll let the guards know to let you enter the palace." I thanked him and left.

I don't know where Rainbow went, but I'm not coming back without her.

"Argh! It's hopeless!" I said as I laid down on a random bench.

I spent the last hour looking for her, I checked her room, my room, the gardens and even the barracks. I still don't know why I went there...

After wandering around the palace I decided to expand my search a bit more, I went to talk with a few guards and they agreed to let me enter when I returned. And since Shining Armor kinda let me look for her, I guess that 'escort' rule is void for now.

The first thing I did was fly towards the Wonderbolt stadium, I remembered that she loves them, so she might have gone there. Maybe she was upset about a failed audition or something, I'll see if I can remember that later, it's something worth asking.

Then I went around town searching everywhere I could think of, my old home, the orphanage, the 'Drunken Mare'...

"The Drunken Mare..." I said while I gazed at the stars.

I went in there to search for Rainbow Dash. I didn't know if she was a drinker or not, but even if she wasn't it was still a good choice. Who knows what she's capable of in that state.

Once I was inside, the smell of liquor and sweat filled my nostrils. Loud music was playing in the background, but the sound of fighting and catcalls could still be heard, this place was chaotic at night. Thankfully Trixie only took a day shift...

I glanced at the stage and noticed a cyan coated mare dancing there, at first I assumed it was Rainbow Dash, but then I noticed her multicolored orange mane. She was clearly enjoying the attention the patrons were giving her, so I moved on towards the bar.

I sat down in a stool and waited for the bartender to come. If Rainbow is here, he has to know.

"Evenin' kid, what's your poison?" He asked me while cleaning a cup nonchalantly.

"Actually, I just want some information." He stopped cleaning and eyed me suspiciously, from the corner of my eye I noticed two other stallions drop their drinks." Trixie was right, we can get information from this place, but we need to get some reputation first.

"What kind of information?" He asked, putting his forelegs on the table." I kept my cool.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine, pretty mare, cyan coat and rainbow mane. Can't miss her." He seemed to relax at that, but the patrons keep their gaze on my neck. I could feel the tension in the air.

"Sorry kid." He shrugged. "Can't say I have, since you haven't told me your poison yet." Ah, he wants to bribe me. Well two can play that game.

"That's a shame." I leaned back and put my hooves behind my head. "She wants to be a dancer, so I asked her to meet me here so she could get a job. So either she left, or got a job at the 'Blitzen' up-town." I got up from the chair and turned away from the counter. "Well, thanks anyway, but I'll see if I can still catch her there." I moved slowly towards the exit...

"Wait!" Right on target. "The only cyan mare I saw today was that one on stage." He pointed a hoof at the dancer I saw earlier. "There was also some azure unicorn we hired to do some magic, but I doubt you meant her." I nodded.

"She's a pegasus, so it definitely wasn't her." I glanced at the dancer again. Gotta keep in character.

"Let me tell you kid, we're always in need of dancers." He put on a slight grin. "How about a drink while you wait for your marefriend? Free of charge." I chuckled.

"Sorry man, but I don't drink. Thanks for the info!"

I waved a hoof and made my way towards the exit, only to be stopped by a huge wall of fur.

I looked up and saw a mountain of a pony. He was red with a very short brown mane, and looked like a grade A idiot. The guy was nothing but muscle but still only a head taller than me.

"Where do you think you're going?" He spoke in a deep voice. I heard chairs being pulled and the crowd whispering, they knew there was going to be a fight, and so did I.

"I want to leave, but it seems like somepony is blocking my way." I calmly said, that brute laughed loudly.

"Hahaha! You're a puny lil' pony." He lowered his head and snorted in my face, he reeked of booze. "That's a pretty little necklace you got there, mind if I borrow it?" He laughed a bit more, and so did the crowd behind me.

"I know, it's beautiful right?" I chuckled and look him in the eye, smiling. "And you better back off before I bash your face in."

The crowd gasped and a bunch of 'Ohhhhs' and 'Ahhhs' were heard, that brute snorted and put his left hoof on my right shoulder. Big mistake.

"Listen here pal, yo-" I didn't let him finish.

With a quick movement I grabbed his left hoof with my right foreleg and pulled him towards me. At the same time, I put my left wing behind his head, and did the same movement as before. That got me out of his way, and in a position where I could use my left hind leg to kick his right foreleg from underneath him.

I kept my balance and cool, and the guy went headfirst into a nearby table. That counter-attack Mentore taught me, only took a second to execute, but if properly applied, it could neutralize the target for...

"HE BWOKED MY NOUSE! TWATH GUY BWOKED MY NOUSE!" That guy was now on the floor, grabbing his blood stained muzzle and crying like a foal.

The crowded gasped and a few of them went towards me, but when I turned around unfazed, my scars showing, they lowered their ears and took a step back. Nice to see I still got it, even if unarmed.

I turned around with my head up, and with a flick of my tail exited the bar.

Inside, some hooded pony was smiling.

"I hate fighting, but it was fun showing that guy who's boss." I sighed. Rainbow, where the hay are you...

I kept gazing at the stars for a while longer, then I noticed something odd. One cloud was very different from the others, it had a rainbow colored tail swishing back and fort. Only one pony has a tail like that.

I got up and flew upwards towards Rainbow's cloud., hopefully I can convince her to come home for the night.

I flew up to her level and sat down besides her, she flinched at first, but calmed down after noticing who it was.

I took a closer look at her, her eyes were red from crying and the fur on her face was slightly matted. She was in a bad shape.

"Hey..." I said, she didn't reply me for a while.

"We were worried for you..." I said, still the same long silence, but finally she asked me something.

"How's Twilight?" She asked me, not daring to move her eyes away from... nothing it seems.

"She's worried sick." I said, Rainbow sighed. "She thinks it's her fault you're like this." She gave a small growl.

"That egghead..." She turned at me, her eyes were puffy and sad, her expression was blank. "What did you tell her?" She asked.

"I told her it wasn't her fault. She's with Shining Armor and Princess Cadence right now, in their home." Rainbow wiped her face with a hoof.

"I bet she hates me right now." She spoke, her voice sounded hoarse and sad. "You must hate me too..." Now she spoke with venom in her words, but I knew it wasn't directed at me, she was beating herself up for doing what she did.

"Come now Rainbow..." I scooted a bit closer and put my wing over her, she flinched at first but didn't move away. "We are your friends. We could never hate you, no matter how much you hurt us." She sniffed a bit.

"Really?" Her voice was pleading, I nodded and gave her a small chuckle.

"What was that thing that Pinkie Pie did? Cross my hearth and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

I did the gesture as best I could, that seemed to cheer up Rainbow Dash, because she let out a small smile and a laugh.

"Yeah, that's it." She said as she leaned onto me. I was surprised at first, but considering her emotional state right now... It would be strange if she didn't...

We stayed like that for five, ten, fifteen minutes. I wasn't counting, because we were both lost on our own little worlds.

After a while, Rainbow Dash asked me the strangest question.

"How was it like, living at the orphanage?" I turned towards her with a lift eyebrow, but she just gave me that pleading look. I couldn't say 'no' to those eyes. Those big, beautiful, magenta colored jewels.

"It was... lonely." I didn't like remembering those days. "At least before I met Trixie, and a few years later, Sunshine." I already told her this, why is she asking again?

"Tell me more, from when you were alone..." I moved my head to look at her again, but she kept that look. "Please." I sighed.

"I was all alone, I had no friends, I didn't know who I was, I didn't have any dreams, I didn't have anything. I only had my name that held no meaning, and some useless wings that I could not use." My tone got a bit more rash.

"I was bullied for being who I was, I was bullied for being weak and different, and nopony was there to defend me." I was getting angry.

"Nopony ever told me that they loved me, nopony ever tucked me into bed at night. I never had anything close to a Mother or Father, and when I had, he was taken away from me."

I turned my head towards her, growling and spitting every word at her.

"Is that what you wanted to hear!?" And then, Rainbow Dash surprised me once again.

She hugged me, she didn't hesitate and she didn't back down. She just hugged me while using her wings to keep me there, carefully wrapping them around me. After a few seconds I heard her cry, and so I hugged her back. It was a warm and caring hug, one shared by two ponies in pain.

After a few more seconds, we were both crying.

"Thanks." Rainbow Dash said.

We were both lying down on the cloud, watching the stars with only our sides touching each other.

"Why?" I asked her, still staring at the sky.

"For no reason... " I saw a small smile from the corner of my eye. This mare is driving me insane!

"Look Rainbow, can I ask you something? I turned my head towards her.

"Shoot." She said, still staring at the sky.

"Why are you still in Canterlot?" She bit her bottom lip and turned her head away.

"I- I can't tell you that..." Now she moved the rest of her body away, turning her back at me. I sighed.

"Fine, I respect your privacy." I playfully poked her in the back, she let out a small 'eep' from the shock. D'awww.

"S- stop that!" She got up and flapped her wings a bit, getting her feathers into place again. "You said that my friends are there if I need them to help me, and I don't need any help!" She noticed the glare I was giving her, the last couple of hours were not forgotten.

"Fine, I promise that I'll tell you guys what I'm doing, but only when I absolutely have to!" I kept my glare and she just chuckled. "Please! Applejack does that way better, and so does Rarity." I sighed and gave up.

"Okay Rainbow, like I said, I respect your privacy. Just come and find me if you need any help." I extended my hoof, Rainbow noticed and gave me a large smile.

"Deal!" She bumped it. "Now excuse me, but I have to go. I need to talk with Twilight." She gulped and moved towards the edge of the cloud, hesitating her jump a bit.

"Good luck!" I said to her, she looked back at me and gave me a small wink before jumping off.

I sighed and laid back on the cloud again.

Might as well stay here and sleep a few hours before training...

I heard a few birds chirp on the ground below, even though the sky was still rather dark.

"Ugh, maybe I'll skip training until lunch..."

I thought as I put some bits of cloud inside my ears.

End of Chapter 31

Beating a bully and snuggling with Rainbow.
This was a good / strange day... in that order.

Now for the Hype. *Ahem*

Rainbow Dash is back to her old self, Lightning has his reputation back and...
The plot is actually moving! What kind of 'plot' you ask?

Find out in the next chapter of...
Will of Fire!