True Colorsby Toxic_Rainbow_ChaptersPrologue Chapter 1Chapter 2Prologue Prologue Celestia's sun was slowly dipping behind Cloudsdale, bathing the city in a warm glow. The gentle night air swooped through a large, golden gate, and along a well-defined path leading up to a grand mansion. This was known as Thunder Mansion, home to the third richest family in Cloudsdale. On the fourth floor of this colossal home were two pegasi. One was in her late twenties, with a red, orange, and yellow mane and green, blue, and purple tail. The setting sun seemed to make her pale yellow coat shine and lit up her blue eyes. The second pony was just barely a toddler, with a mane and tail identical to the elder mare's. Though, her white coat shone with brilliance and her deep, green eyes shone with sadness. Mirage, the elder mare, sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, stroking the filly's mane. "Please, Momma. Just one story?" the filly, Spectrum Breeze, said. Mirage spoke in a soothing voice, never removing her hoof from the filly's long, soft mane. "Sorry, Breeze. I'm very busy and have things I need to do. Try and get some sleep, we're visiting your grandmother tomorrow and you have to get up early." "Okay," came the soft reply as Spectrum looked down sadly. "Do you promise to tell me a story tomorrow?" "Yes. I absolutely promise," Mirage gently kissed her daughter's forehead before getting up and walking to the door. "I love you, Breezie." "I love you, Momma." Mirage closed the door quietly before starting her descent down the three flights of stairs. She hated that she never seemed to have time for her daughter. Spectrum was only three years old and spent the majority of her time alone. Though, she couldn't dwell on that right now. She had bigger things to worry about. She watched her pale yellow hooves step slowly down the spiral staircase, trying not to think about what awaited her at the bottom. Mirage stepped off the last faux marble stair and onto the soft cloud carpet of her living room. She lifted her gaze from the floor and searched the room for her husband. Finding him absent, she turned her attention to the dining room. There, Mirage found him. Her husband, Cold Thunder, sat at the table with his back to her. She approached the dark blue stallion and placed her hoof on his shoulder. He jumped slightly before turning towards her. He smiled upon finding his wife awaiting his attention, but his smile quickly dissipated upon noticing the worry in her eyes. "Mirage? What's wrong?" Thunder asked, standing to face her. "We need to talk." "Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything," he searched her face for any clue as to what she was so concerned about. "I am so sorry," she muttered, the threat of tears in her eyes. "About what?" Thunder asked nervously. "Just tell me." "I'm pregnant again." Several tense moments passed. The silence only broken by Mirage's ragged breaths. Thunder spoke slowly, with a harsh tone lying just under his careful facade. "You know this is unacceptable." "I know. I knew you would be upset, but it's too late now. We cannot change what is already done." "I want it gone," he said after a moment. "I want an abortion." Tears began to slide silently down Mirage's cheeks. "What?" "You heard me," he said harshly, taking a half step back from his wife. "You know as well as I do that we cannot have another child. We already have Spectrum. She will someday be the heir to the company and will inherit our money. Everyone in this family has a maximum of one child. No more than that." "Yes, yes," Mirage said frantically. "But, we could make a exception. Just this once. It is just one child, it won't change the fact that Spectrum will inherit the fortune." Thunder shook his head slowly. "No, Mirage. No. Our family is considered purebred. You know that. Each child marries someone from Cloudsdale, they inherit their parents' fortune and then have one child themselves. Our one child is Spectrum. What are we supposed to do with this second child? It will break tradition!" "So what? Just-" "No." "But we-" "No! I said no, Mirage! We are aborting that thing inside you and that is final!" Thunder yelled. Silence rang throughout the house and he waited to hear Mirage's next words. "No. I refuse to get an abortion. You can't make me." Blind fury swept through Cold Thunder. He reached out his hoof and struck his wife across the face. She yelped in pain and struggled not to fall over. Confusion clouded her mind. Thunder was gentle and kind. He had never struck her before. Mirage looked up into her husband's eyes and saw what she had always feared. She saw a new kind of bitterness that had taken hold in him. He had asked for one thing only, to have only one child. But she couldn't give that to him. Mirage knew in that moment, that her life would never be the same. Cold Thunder had been broken, and it was all her fault. "Go. I need to be alone," his voice broke Mirage away from her thoughts. She turned and walked slowly up the spiral staircase, trying to ignore the burning in her cheek. As she arrived at her bedroom door, she could hear Thunder opening a bottle of wine downstairs. She knew this was going to be a long night. She crawled into bed and lie awake for hours, trying to distract herself from the occasional noise from downstairs. She thought about Spectrum Breeze and this new foal who would soon become her sister. Mirage eventually fell into a restful sleep, thoughts of her new foal comforting her from the unpleasant thoughts of the mad, drunken stallion downstairs. Author's Note Woohoo! One chapter done. I hope it was enjoyable. Now, concerning Rainbow Dash's father. I know that recently, her father was revealed in Games Ponies Play. But, I have had this story in my mind for months and therefore I am going to ignore that episode. Anyway, stay tuned for more, and feedback is encouraged. Stay brony, my friends. Chapter 1Nine months later Mirage blinked slowly, her surroundings still a bit hazy. She was jerked back to reality by something small wriggling around in her hooves. She looked down, and for the first time, she saw a patch of rainbow-hued hair sticking out of a soft, pink blanket. She smiled at the little pony in her forelegs, fully realizing that she had just given birth to her second daughter. Mirage pulled the top of the blanket down slightly, revealing her daughter's scrunched up face. Her fur was the color of the sky and her mane was a full spectrum of color, just like her grandmother's. Every now and then, her small eyelids would flutter open, revealing a flash of brilliant magenta. Her face remained fairly calm, considering what she had just gone through. Occasionally, she would scrunch up her petite nose in agony and open her small mouth to cry out. Her cries were sharp and short, though, ending as soon as her mother consoled her. Mirage jerked her head up at the sound of a small cry coming from several feet away. She paused momentarily to take in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the bright light that illuminated everything in the room, making her squint slightly. She then heard the steady beeping of the heart monitor next to her. She felt the weight of the scratchy sheets on top of her and the soft cloud mattress that she lay on. Memories came flooding back to her. Rushing to the hospital in the early morning hours, the panic, the pain, the cries of her new baby. A second whimper brought Mirage out of her reverie and she looked up towards the source of the sound. She found a white door, cracked slightly open, leading to the hospital hallway. She stopped and listened intently to the voices drifting in through the doorway. "But Daddy, I wanna go see my sister now!" Spectrum Breeze stood in the hallway of Cloudsdale Central Hospital, complaining to her father, Cold Thunder. "I told you, not now," he said with a quick glance down at his daughter. "Why?" she said in a long, whining tone. "Because I said so." At that moment, an old mare with a chromatic mane ambled towards them. "Thunder! Spectrum! How nice to see you both," she said in her naturally harsh tone. "Grandmother!" Spectrum squeaked, abandoning her complaints and rushing over to the elderly mare. The four-year-old threw her forelegs around her grandmother's light purple leg. "Ah! Chroma! I was wondering if you were coming," Cold Thunder said politely. "My daughter is giving birth. Yes, I am mad about it, but that is not enough to deter me from coming," she said, gently shaking Spectrum off her leg. Cold Thunder suddenly felt something hard hit him on his shoulder. The pain was then accompanied by a familiar voice. "Thunder! We've been looking all over for you! We heard the foal was here." He turned to see his brother smiling sincerely at him, with his hoof resting on Thunder's shoulder, indicating the source of the pain. His brother's wife was looking cluelessly around the hospital. Thunder had never liked his brother and often wanted nothing to do with him. Thunder was not born as a part of his wife's esteemed bloodline. He had simply married into it. However, he adopted their beliefs and traditions as if they were his own. Seeing his brother always reminded him of what he really was. Still, he turned to his younger brother and forced a smile. "Gravity Wave! It's been too long. And Omega! You're looking lovely." His brother's wife was snapped out of her daydreams at the sound of her name. "Oh! Thunder! Thank you! We really should get together more often," she said, giving him a quick hug. Gravity Wave turned to Chroma, smoothing his navy colored mane away from his face. "Chroma! How lovely to see you! I don't believe we have gotten together since Spectrum was born. How are you faring?" Chroma simply looked down her nose at him and made a small grunt as her only response. Gravity looked at Thunder, his blue eyes reflecting the awkward atmosphere. Thunder looked down at Spectrum, who had ceased her whining since her relatives had arrived. "Spectrum, why don't you go with your aunt Omega, and get something to eat. You have had a long day and you must be hungry," Thunder said sweetly. Spectrum looked up at him with pleading, green eyes. "But I haven't gotten to see my little sister yet." Thunder tensed slightly, but still managed to speak kindly. "There will be plenty of time for that later. Go on." Spectrum looked down and trudged off with her aunt in tow. Chroma was the first to speak up after they were out of sight. "Maybe you should go too, Gravity. I wish to speak with my son-in-law in private." Gravity paused for a moment, wanting to refuse, but then deemed in unwise and shuffled around a nearby corner. A brief moment of silence passed before Thunder broke it. "What do you wish to speak to me about?" Chroma's dark purple eyes drilled into him as she spoke seriously. "I did not ask for another granddaughter." Thunder's tone turned harsh, "I know. I did what I could, but I couldn't hurt Mirage. I want that nuisance gone more than anything, but it would cause Mirage a great deal of pain. I cannot bear to see her get hurt." "I understand that. Still, it was your responsibility and you failed." she sighed, sounding almost sad. "Mirage had always respected our traditions. She lived by them. She loved them. When she was little, I would tell her stories of our ancestors, every night she would ask for more information. I never saw this coming. It now feels to me that you are the only one who respects our family traditions. I remember the look on your face when we first told you about our way of life. You reminded me so much of Mirage. You were so eager to learn more." Chroma placed a hoof on Thunder's shoulder and spoke to him with sincerity. "You may not be family by blood, but you are in my heart. Please, I beg of you, right this wrong. Make our family pure again." "I will not kill that thing, if that is what you are insisting. Trust me, I never wanted this to happen, but killing it would look bad. It would put our family under a shadow of mock and scorn forever. Not to mention that it would cause Mirage a great deal of sadness. I regret not acting sooner, before it was too late, but the past is the past. Now, all we can do is hope for the best." Chroma lowered her hoof and turned away. "Very well. I can't say I blame you. Do what you wish, just make sure that little brat knows her place." Chroma walked away slowly, her old body carrying her farther and farther down the hall. Thunder turned towards the door of his wife's hospital room and took some deep breaths. He then heard quiet hoofsteps approaching him from behind. He turned to see Gravity looking expectantly at him. "I heard all that, you know," Gravity said. Thunder turned away and remained silent. "Why do you insist on being a part of something you're not?" Gravity asked sincerely. "This isn't your family. Who gets to be a part of it is not up to you." Thunder whipped around, facing his brother. Fury flared within him as his violet eyes stared Gravity down. "This IS my family. They are a better family then you will ever be. Go away. You don't belong here, and you sure as hell don't have any right to tell me what to do." Gravity kept his gaze locked with Thunder's as he spoke. "Fine. I will go. Just remember that that little girl in there is your own daughter. She is your own flesh and blood, just like Spectrum. So, you better start treating her like it." Gravity turned and trotted briskly down the hall. Thunder sighed and sat on a nearby bench, trying to put his thoughts in order. He then registered the sound of hoofsteps coming his way, and looked up just in time to see Spectrum and Omega approaching him. "I thought you two were going to get something to eat. Why are you back so early?" he said. "I'm sorry, Thunder. Spectrum just wouldn't stop complaining about not seeing her sister yet. So, I agreed to bring her back." Omega explained, her empty, orange eyes staring at him. Thunder sighed and looked at his daughter. "Alright, Spectrum. You can go see the baby. Just don't stay too long, we need to get home soon." "Yes! Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Spectrum squealed. The filly turned and ran over to the door to her mother's hospital room, easing it open and stepping through the threshold. Mirage snapped her eyes away from the door as it began to open, hoping not to get caught eavesdropping. "Mother?" Mirage gave a small smile upon hearing her daughter's voice and looked at the small, white filly who had just entered the room. "Come on over here, Breezie. There's somepony I want you to meet," Mirage said as she returned her gaze to the filly in her hooves. Spectrum approached the bed where her mother lay and tilted her head to get a better view of the blue, wriggling pony in the pink blanket. Spectrum's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her little sister. She was so small, so fragile, yet so stunning. "Can I hold her?" Spectrum asked in a quiet voice, as if the silence around them was a piece of ornate china and she was afraid of breaking it. Mirage offered no response other than gently placing the newborn in her daughter's forelegs. Spectrum maneuvered so that her weight was resting on the edge of the bed and she could support the foal's head. Spectrum looked down on the little pony and could not suppress her proud smile. This was her sister. Someday she would teach her everything she knew. She could teach this filly how to fly, how to read, and so much more. She would watch this amazing pony grow up and become someone great. "Hi, little foal. I'm your big sister," Spectrum cooed. The young filly's eyelids fluttered open to reveal rose-colored irises, which then focused on the white pony who was speaking to her. Spectrum gasped at seeing the brilliant color of her sister's eyes. "What's her name?" Spectrum asked her mother without ever tearing her gaze away from the blue foal. Mirage smiled at the sight of her two daughters before answering, "Rainbow Dash. Her name is Rainbow Dash." Author's Note Welp. Here it is, the first official chapter! Woot. Hope you enjoyed it! Also, special thanks to homy_dog34 for being a great proofreader and generally being awesome. Chapter 2Rainbow Dash: three years old Bright sunlight shone through the window on the fourth floor of Thunder Mansion, illuminating the small room. A blue pegasus cast shadows across the room as she paced back and forth. This filly, Rainbow Dash, stopped her frivolous pacing with a quiet huff and walked over to the vent in her floor. She dropped her little body to the ground and placed one ear to the cold vent. She listened intently, trying to hear the voices from downstairs drift up to her room. She sighed and gave up a moment later, after hearing nothing. This was her routine every morning. Rainbow had trained herself to wake up about ten minutes before she was usually let out of her room. The filly would pace and occasionally listen through her vent for the voice she longed to hear. He father's. She had never really met her father. She had seen him from a distance at the dinner parties her parents often threw, or she sometimes passed him in the hallways while she was being escorted by her mother. Thunder Mansion was huge, and it's four occupants would often walk through the entire house without passing each other. Except for Rainbow. She was kept locked in her room until her father left for work in the mornings, then, Rainbow's mother or sister would let her out for the day. Thunder often got home after dinnertime, and when he did, Rainbow would be locked in her room once again. She didn't really mind the routine, it was familiar to her. She knew how to entertain herself in this small room. She spent most of her time looking out her window and dreaming about flying through the sky someday. The filly eventually gave up on her pacing and listening and sat on the wide windowsill next to her window, looking out at the orange and pink sunrise. The sound of locks being turned grabbed her attention and she turned her head in time to see her mother, Mirage, open the white door. "Rise and shine 'Bow! The sun wants to say hello to you!" the pale yellow mare smiled brightly at her youngest daughter. "Good morning Momma!" Rainbow said as she hopped off the window sill and ran over to Mirage. "What are we doin' today?" Mirage wrapped a hoof around the filly's neck and led her into the wide hallway. "Well, I was hoping we could start off the day with a little flying lesson," she said with a glance down at her daughter. She suppressed a chuckle at the wide-eyed expression on Dash's face. "But, I'm not so sure you can handle the challenge. I wanted you to try and stay in the air for twenty seconds today, but I don't think you're ready." Mirage gave an overly dramatic sigh and removed her hoof from Rainbow's withers. "Oh well, I guess we will just have to skip the flying lesson today since you can't handle it." Mirage began walking farther down the hall, away from Rainbow. Without missing a beat, Dash sprang into action, trotting after her mother and talking quickly. "I can handle it!" she said. "I could fly for twenty seconds in my SLEEP." "Well... I don't know." Mirage said with a smirk. "Are you sure?" "Absolutely! I'll prove that I can be as good a flyer as you!" Rainbow insisted, he voice cracking. "Well, I hope your bite is worse than your bark, 'Bow," Mirage said with a wink. The two mares reached the bottom of the spiral staircase and stepped through a large, clear door that led to a backyard made of white cumulus clouds. Mirage turned to her daughter and spoke seriously, "Okay, Rainbow. I honestly think we can get up to twenty seconds today. I believe you're ready. What do you think?" "Don't worry, Mom! I promise I can handle it!" Rainbow squeaked. Mirage sighed, "Alright, time to warm up. 50 wing-ups. GO!" Rainbow Dash spent the next hour pushing the limits on her flying. She followed her Mother's every direction and command, from 1,000 wing-ups to gliding. Eventually, the time came to see how long she could stay in the air. "Okay Dash, lets start the timer." Mirage pressed reset on her small, silver pocketwatch as Rainbow prepared for takeoff. "Ready. Set. Go!" Rainbow Dash took to the skies with a flap of her wings. She got about 15 feet in the air before staying in place. Her head was swimming from the altitude, and her blood ran with adrenaline. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. "5 seconds," Mirage shouted. Rainbow closed her eyes and listened to the beating of her heart. "10 seconds." She took in a deep breath. "15 seconds." She released the breath. "20 seconds." Breathe in. "25 seconds." Breathe out. Rainbow Dash dropped to the clouds quickly, trying to slow the pounding in her chest. Mirage ran up to her and wrapped her in a hug as Rainbow tried to ignore to pain in her wings. "Oh, Rainbow! I am so proud of you! You did it!" Mirage smiled. Rainbow chuckled breathlessly and pulled out of the hug. "Yeah. I guess I did." "Come on, it's nearly noon, you must be starving." Mirage turned and walked inside the cloud mansion, Rainbow Dash followed close behind, donning an enormous smile. Rainbow Dash lie on the floor of her living room, dragging multicolored crayons across a blank white sheet. Her mother entered the spacious room and looked down at her daughter's drawing. "What are you coloring 'Bow?" she asked with a smile. Rainbow looked up at her mother and made huge gestures as she explained. "I'm drawin' me, you, and Spectrum! See that yellow pony? That's you. And that gray one is Spectrum. I tried to make her white, but it wouldn't show up, so I made her gray. This blue one over here," she pointed to a small stick-pegasus in the corner. "That's me. I'm flying." Mirage gave her a small smile. "It's beautiful Rainbow." She turned and walked back into the kitchen, calling behind her, "Just remember to throw it away before your father gets home." "I will!" she shouted, her voice cracking. Rainbow rested her muzzle on her hoof and hummed a quiet tune as she added more colors and symbols to her drawing. She only looked up when she heard the front door open and close. Rainbow gasped and hurriedly put away her crayons and shoved them behind a tall, ornate china cabinet for safe keeping. She grabbed her paper and thrust it into a white garbage can as she raced to the door. "Spectrum!" Rainbow squealed as she caught sight of her elder sister hanging up her saddlebags as she returned from Flight School. "Hey there, 'Bow!" Spectrum said as she picked up her sister and brought her into a tight hug. "Did you have fun with Mother today?" She asked, setting Rainbow Dash down. "Oh, yeah!" she replied, nodding vigorously. "During my flying lesson, I stayed in the air for 25 whole seconds! After that, Mom let me eat carrots for lunch. Oh, and then, I imagined there were squares on the floor and I practiced that hopscotch game you told me about. And right before you got here, I colored a picture!" "Goodness! It sounds like you had an eventful day." Spectrum smiled at her little sister before walking toward the stairs. "Wait! Sis! Can we practice reading before Father gets home?" Spectrum Breeze looked at her sister with an unreadable expression. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Ask Mother." Rainbow Dash sprinted into the kitchen where her mother was working on a new recipe and put on an innocent smile. "Hey Momma, can I practice my reading with Spectrum?" Mirage put down the flour she was pouring and faced her youngest daughter. "I don't really thing you need to, you're so good at it already," Mirage smiled and returned to her baking. "But Mother, I want to do it," she whined. Mirage sighed and looked her daughter in the eyes. A moment of silence passed until Mirage broke it. "Alright. Just keep track of time so you can get back in your room before your father gets home." Rainbow Dash buzzed her wings before galloping back into the living room. "Thank you Mother!" She faced her sister for a moment and said, "She said yes!" Rainbow walked to the couch as Spectrum went upstairs to retrieve a book. Rainbow rested her forelegs atop the couch and lifted her small body up to the cushions. She struggled at first, but eventually landed among the pillows with a muffled thump. She lay her head on her forelegs as she waited for her sister. She soon grew bored and began fluffing a pillow. She then took her hoof and smashed the pillow down before re-fluffing it. This took on a hypnotic aspect as Rainbow waited for Spectrum. Fluff, smash, fluff, smash, fluff, smash, fluff, smash, flu- "Rainbow!" Rainbow Dash looked up to see her sister glaring at her. "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. Spectrum Breeze climbed atop the couch so she was facing her sister. "What book are we gonna read?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spectrum held up the thin picture book and smiled, "This book is called The King and Queen of Cloudsdale." Dash stared at it in wonder. "Oh, we've never read that one before." She snatched the book and opened up to the first page. Rainbow opened her mouth to read before looking up to her sister for encouragement. After seeing Spectrum's nod, she began. "Once u-upon a time, there was a King an' a Queen. They lived in a big ca-castle. They ruled over Cloudsdale. They were alw-ways good to the ponies in Cloudsdale. One day they-" Rainbow stopped short as the sound of a closing door resounded through the mansion. Spectrum gasped and jumped from the couch, running to the doorway. Mirage galloped from the kitchen, joining Spectrum. Rainbow Dash stretched her neck over the side of the couch and peered at where her mother and sister had gone. Rainbow gasped as she caught sight of a large pony with a grey mane. Her ears perked up as she listened to the muffled voices. She could make out her mother's voice, but she could not tell what she was saying. Rainbow then heard the deep rumble that she had heard so few times in her life. Her father! It was her father's voice. Rainbow leaned over to get a better view of her dad, but her line of sight was blocked by her mother. Rainbow Dash sat back down with a sigh and returned her gaze to her book. Rainbow Dash was skimming over the words when an idea struck her. The book! she thought. I'll show Father how good I can read. Then he'll be proud of me like he's always proud of Spectrum! Rainbow grabbed the book and bounded onto the floor. Rainbow rounded the corner at full speed, but slowed when she caught sight of her family. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her mother mouthing the word "No" and trying to get her attention. Rainbow Dash ignored her mother's pleas and kept her gaze locked on her father as she slowly approached. After what seemed like ages, Rainbow Dash stood still next to Cold Thunder and spoke. "Father?" Everything in the room stood still, seemingly holding it's breath. The enormous mansion was eerily silent as Thunder peered down at his youngest daughter. Rainbow gulped. It's now or never she thought. She opened the book with agonizing slowness and began to read, "Once upon a time, there w-was a King and a Queen." "What are you doing?" Cold Thunder snapped. The floors and walls seemed to shake at the sound of his voice. Rainbow Dash stuttered her answer, her voice cracking as it betrayed her nervousness. "I-I was. Um. I was just. I w-wanted to show, um, to show you how good I can r-read. I thought. Um. That maybe you-" "You thought this pathetic attempt at reading would make me proud of you." It was less of a statement and more of an accusation. Thunder snatched the book from his daughter's hooves and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thump. "How could you ever think I would be proud of you? You will never make me proud." Cold Thunder turned to leave, but Rainbow Dash was persistent. "But, Father. I-" "Enough!" he yelled. Thunder whirled around and faced his daughter. He took his hoof and smacked Rainbow across the face. It took a moment for her to realize what had happened. Rainbow Dash had subconsciously closed her eyes on impact and upon opening them she found herself on the floor, her head spinning. Once her eyes refocused she tried to get up, but found herself stopped by a dark blue hoof, which was weighing down on her chest. Rainbow turned her head to see that her mother had disappeared and her elder sister was sitting on the staircase, peering through the bars at the unfolding events. The look on Spectrum's face was a mixture of fear, anger, and pure sadness. Rainbow Dash had never seen her sister look so vulnerable, and that was what scared her the most. Rainbow looked up into a pair of yellow eyes and noticed that Thunder was not even trying to mask his feelings. Emotions flashed through his eyes, one after another. Anger, disappointment, sadness. These scared her, but the worst one of all, was the look of someone who had been deeply betrayed. As these things happened, Rainbow didn't have much time to ponder why her father was feeling this, but this would not be the last time that she would wonder who had betrayed Cold Thunder and why it drove him to such drastic measures. "You ignorant, sorry excuse for a pegasus. I wish you had never been born," he growled as his hoof dug deeper into Rainbow's lungs. She suddenly found it hard to breathe and could no longer understand what her father was yelling. Her ears felt like they were full of cotton and her vision was black around the edges. Rainbow Dash watched Thunder's mouth move, but she heard nothing but wretched silence. She watched as her delivered blows to her face and torso and watched blood streaming from open wounds, but she felt nothing. All the while, the blackness edged closer until it covered Rainbow's vision and pulled her under. Rainbow blinked a few times and set her sights upon an empty room. She still lie on the floor, but her family had seemingly vanished. The floors and furniture were bathed in moonlight that streamed through the windows, but endless, dark shadows lingered in corners. She looked towards the stairs to see that her sister was no longer watching over her with that haunting expression. Somehow, Rainbow Dash found the strength to stand and began to make her way upstairs, the only thing she felt was a dull ache in her left hind leg, but did her best to ignore it. After walking for what seemed like forever, she entered her room, not bothering with the myriad of locks on her door. Rainbow looked at herself in the mirror briefly, taking in her torn and frazzled mane and the cuts that seemed to cover her body. Even in the dark, she could see bruises forming on her face and legs. Rainbow turned away quickly, and sat down awkwardly on her bed. She sat there, staring into space for what could have been minutes, hours, or even days, all she could comprehend was the overwhelming feeling of numbness that enveloped her. Barely thinking, Rainbow got up and reached under her mattress, searching until she grasped a small scroll. Sitting down on her little chair by the window, she unraveled the parchment and began to read the words that were scrawled in her own childish writing: THINGS I KNOW ABOUT MY FATHER 1.) His fur is dark blue 2.) He is really rich 3.) His mane is gray 4.) He owns the Weather Factory 5.) He has lots of friends 6.) His eyes are yellow 7.) His cutie mark is a gray cloud, a black cloud, and a dark blue cloud 8.) He likes to throw parties 9.) He likes to drink 10.) Even though he has never said it, he loves me Rainbow Dash looked at the list for a moment before ripping it down the middle. She proceed to rip the flimsy paper over and over again until it was nothing but shreds the size of a coin. She used all her strength and lifted up the window, letting in the cool night air. She looked out at the regal Cloudsdale houses and down at the empty street below. In one swift movement, Rainbow put her hooves out the window and let go of the shredded paper, watching it's pieces get taken far away by the wind. Rainbow Dash had no idea how long she had been laying in her bed. She only knew that the outside world had remained as dark as before and the silence in the mansion had never been broken. She had long ago let her mind wander to distant places, and was only brought back to reality at the sound of her door being slowly opened. Rainbow didn't move, not even as hoofsteps continued across her room, or as somepony lay down in her bed, facing her back. A pair of white hooves wrapped around the little blue pegasus and pulled her close. Rainbow could smell rosemary and rainwater, the scent of her big sister. She relaxed and sank deeper into Spectrum's embrace, not even realizing that she was already crying. Author's Note Hey, it's me again! Looks like Chapter 2 is finally out. Woot! Sorry for the delay, I was really busy with school and final exams and I just recently started writing again. Hopefully I'll be able to start writing on a more regular basis now. Probably not, but I can dream. Also, looks like I have no editor for this chapter, so I apologize for mistakes. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I can't wait to hear back!
Prologue Prologue Celestia's sun was slowly dipping behind Cloudsdale, bathing the city in a warm glow. The gentle night air swooped through a large, golden gate, and along a well-defined path leading up to a grand mansion. This was known as Thunder Mansion, home to the third richest family in Cloudsdale. On the fourth floor of this colossal home were two pegasi. One was in her late twenties, with a red, orange, and yellow mane and green, blue, and purple tail. The setting sun seemed to make her pale yellow coat shine and lit up her blue eyes. The second pony was just barely a toddler, with a mane and tail identical to the elder mare's. Though, her white coat shone with brilliance and her deep, green eyes shone with sadness. Mirage, the elder mare, sat on the edge of her daughter's bed, stroking the filly's mane. "Please, Momma. Just one story?" the filly, Spectrum Breeze, said. Mirage spoke in a soothing voice, never removing her hoof from the filly's long, soft mane. "Sorry, Breeze. I'm very busy and have things I need to do. Try and get some sleep, we're visiting your grandmother tomorrow and you have to get up early." "Okay," came the soft reply as Spectrum looked down sadly. "Do you promise to tell me a story tomorrow?" "Yes. I absolutely promise," Mirage gently kissed her daughter's forehead before getting up and walking to the door. "I love you, Breezie." "I love you, Momma." Mirage closed the door quietly before starting her descent down the three flights of stairs. She hated that she never seemed to have time for her daughter. Spectrum was only three years old and spent the majority of her time alone. Though, she couldn't dwell on that right now. She had bigger things to worry about. She watched her pale yellow hooves step slowly down the spiral staircase, trying not to think about what awaited her at the bottom. Mirage stepped off the last faux marble stair and onto the soft cloud carpet of her living room. She lifted her gaze from the floor and searched the room for her husband. Finding him absent, she turned her attention to the dining room. There, Mirage found him. Her husband, Cold Thunder, sat at the table with his back to her. She approached the dark blue stallion and placed her hoof on his shoulder. He jumped slightly before turning towards her. He smiled upon finding his wife awaiting his attention, but his smile quickly dissipated upon noticing the worry in her eyes. "Mirage? What's wrong?" Thunder asked, standing to face her. "We need to talk." "Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything," he searched her face for any clue as to what she was so concerned about. "I am so sorry," she muttered, the threat of tears in her eyes. "About what?" Thunder asked nervously. "Just tell me." "I'm pregnant again." Several tense moments passed. The silence only broken by Mirage's ragged breaths. Thunder spoke slowly, with a harsh tone lying just under his careful facade. "You know this is unacceptable." "I know. I knew you would be upset, but it's too late now. We cannot change what is already done." "I want it gone," he said after a moment. "I want an abortion." Tears began to slide silently down Mirage's cheeks. "What?" "You heard me," he said harshly, taking a half step back from his wife. "You know as well as I do that we cannot have another child. We already have Spectrum. She will someday be the heir to the company and will inherit our money. Everyone in this family has a maximum of one child. No more than that." "Yes, yes," Mirage said frantically. "But, we could make a exception. Just this once. It is just one child, it won't change the fact that Spectrum will inherit the fortune." Thunder shook his head slowly. "No, Mirage. No. Our family is considered purebred. You know that. Each child marries someone from Cloudsdale, they inherit their parents' fortune and then have one child themselves. Our one child is Spectrum. What are we supposed to do with this second child? It will break tradition!" "So what? Just-" "No." "But we-" "No! I said no, Mirage! We are aborting that thing inside you and that is final!" Thunder yelled. Silence rang throughout the house and he waited to hear Mirage's next words. "No. I refuse to get an abortion. You can't make me." Blind fury swept through Cold Thunder. He reached out his hoof and struck his wife across the face. She yelped in pain and struggled not to fall over. Confusion clouded her mind. Thunder was gentle and kind. He had never struck her before. Mirage looked up into her husband's eyes and saw what she had always feared. She saw a new kind of bitterness that had taken hold in him. He had asked for one thing only, to have only one child. But she couldn't give that to him. Mirage knew in that moment, that her life would never be the same. Cold Thunder had been broken, and it was all her fault. "Go. I need to be alone," his voice broke Mirage away from her thoughts. She turned and walked slowly up the spiral staircase, trying to ignore the burning in her cheek. As she arrived at her bedroom door, she could hear Thunder opening a bottle of wine downstairs. She knew this was going to be a long night. She crawled into bed and lie awake for hours, trying to distract herself from the occasional noise from downstairs. She thought about Spectrum Breeze and this new foal who would soon become her sister. Mirage eventually fell into a restful sleep, thoughts of her new foal comforting her from the unpleasant thoughts of the mad, drunken stallion downstairs. Author's Note Woohoo! One chapter done. I hope it was enjoyable. Now, concerning Rainbow Dash's father. I know that recently, her father was revealed in Games Ponies Play. But, I have had this story in my mind for months and therefore I am going to ignore that episode. Anyway, stay tuned for more, and feedback is encouraged. Stay brony, my friends.
Chapter 1Nine months later Mirage blinked slowly, her surroundings still a bit hazy. She was jerked back to reality by something small wriggling around in her hooves. She looked down, and for the first time, she saw a patch of rainbow-hued hair sticking out of a soft, pink blanket. She smiled at the little pony in her forelegs, fully realizing that she had just given birth to her second daughter. Mirage pulled the top of the blanket down slightly, revealing her daughter's scrunched up face. Her fur was the color of the sky and her mane was a full spectrum of color, just like her grandmother's. Every now and then, her small eyelids would flutter open, revealing a flash of brilliant magenta. Her face remained fairly calm, considering what she had just gone through. Occasionally, she would scrunch up her petite nose in agony and open her small mouth to cry out. Her cries were sharp and short, though, ending as soon as her mother consoled her. Mirage jerked her head up at the sound of a small cry coming from several feet away. She paused momentarily to take in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the bright light that illuminated everything in the room, making her squint slightly. She then heard the steady beeping of the heart monitor next to her. She felt the weight of the scratchy sheets on top of her and the soft cloud mattress that she lay on. Memories came flooding back to her. Rushing to the hospital in the early morning hours, the panic, the pain, the cries of her new baby. A second whimper brought Mirage out of her reverie and she looked up towards the source of the sound. She found a white door, cracked slightly open, leading to the hospital hallway. She stopped and listened intently to the voices drifting in through the doorway. "But Daddy, I wanna go see my sister now!" Spectrum Breeze stood in the hallway of Cloudsdale Central Hospital, complaining to her father, Cold Thunder. "I told you, not now," he said with a quick glance down at his daughter. "Why?" she said in a long, whining tone. "Because I said so." At that moment, an old mare with a chromatic mane ambled towards them. "Thunder! Spectrum! How nice to see you both," she said in her naturally harsh tone. "Grandmother!" Spectrum squeaked, abandoning her complaints and rushing over to the elderly mare. The four-year-old threw her forelegs around her grandmother's light purple leg. "Ah! Chroma! I was wondering if you were coming," Cold Thunder said politely. "My daughter is giving birth. Yes, I am mad about it, but that is not enough to deter me from coming," she said, gently shaking Spectrum off her leg. Cold Thunder suddenly felt something hard hit him on his shoulder. The pain was then accompanied by a familiar voice. "Thunder! We've been looking all over for you! We heard the foal was here." He turned to see his brother smiling sincerely at him, with his hoof resting on Thunder's shoulder, indicating the source of the pain. His brother's wife was looking cluelessly around the hospital. Thunder had never liked his brother and often wanted nothing to do with him. Thunder was not born as a part of his wife's esteemed bloodline. He had simply married into it. However, he adopted their beliefs and traditions as if they were his own. Seeing his brother always reminded him of what he really was. Still, he turned to his younger brother and forced a smile. "Gravity Wave! It's been too long. And Omega! You're looking lovely." His brother's wife was snapped out of her daydreams at the sound of her name. "Oh! Thunder! Thank you! We really should get together more often," she said, giving him a quick hug. Gravity Wave turned to Chroma, smoothing his navy colored mane away from his face. "Chroma! How lovely to see you! I don't believe we have gotten together since Spectrum was born. How are you faring?" Chroma simply looked down her nose at him and made a small grunt as her only response. Gravity looked at Thunder, his blue eyes reflecting the awkward atmosphere. Thunder looked down at Spectrum, who had ceased her whining since her relatives had arrived. "Spectrum, why don't you go with your aunt Omega, and get something to eat. You have had a long day and you must be hungry," Thunder said sweetly. Spectrum looked up at him with pleading, green eyes. "But I haven't gotten to see my little sister yet." Thunder tensed slightly, but still managed to speak kindly. "There will be plenty of time for that later. Go on." Spectrum looked down and trudged off with her aunt in tow. Chroma was the first to speak up after they were out of sight. "Maybe you should go too, Gravity. I wish to speak with my son-in-law in private." Gravity paused for a moment, wanting to refuse, but then deemed in unwise and shuffled around a nearby corner. A brief moment of silence passed before Thunder broke it. "What do you wish to speak to me about?" Chroma's dark purple eyes drilled into him as she spoke seriously. "I did not ask for another granddaughter." Thunder's tone turned harsh, "I know. I did what I could, but I couldn't hurt Mirage. I want that nuisance gone more than anything, but it would cause Mirage a great deal of pain. I cannot bear to see her get hurt." "I understand that. Still, it was your responsibility and you failed." she sighed, sounding almost sad. "Mirage had always respected our traditions. She lived by them. She loved them. When she was little, I would tell her stories of our ancestors, every night she would ask for more information. I never saw this coming. It now feels to me that you are the only one who respects our family traditions. I remember the look on your face when we first told you about our way of life. You reminded me so much of Mirage. You were so eager to learn more." Chroma placed a hoof on Thunder's shoulder and spoke to him with sincerity. "You may not be family by blood, but you are in my heart. Please, I beg of you, right this wrong. Make our family pure again." "I will not kill that thing, if that is what you are insisting. Trust me, I never wanted this to happen, but killing it would look bad. It would put our family under a shadow of mock and scorn forever. Not to mention that it would cause Mirage a great deal of sadness. I regret not acting sooner, before it was too late, but the past is the past. Now, all we can do is hope for the best." Chroma lowered her hoof and turned away. "Very well. I can't say I blame you. Do what you wish, just make sure that little brat knows her place." Chroma walked away slowly, her old body carrying her farther and farther down the hall. Thunder turned towards the door of his wife's hospital room and took some deep breaths. He then heard quiet hoofsteps approaching him from behind. He turned to see Gravity looking expectantly at him. "I heard all that, you know," Gravity said. Thunder turned away and remained silent. "Why do you insist on being a part of something you're not?" Gravity asked sincerely. "This isn't your family. Who gets to be a part of it is not up to you." Thunder whipped around, facing his brother. Fury flared within him as his violet eyes stared Gravity down. "This IS my family. They are a better family then you will ever be. Go away. You don't belong here, and you sure as hell don't have any right to tell me what to do." Gravity kept his gaze locked with Thunder's as he spoke. "Fine. I will go. Just remember that that little girl in there is your own daughter. She is your own flesh and blood, just like Spectrum. So, you better start treating her like it." Gravity turned and trotted briskly down the hall. Thunder sighed and sat on a nearby bench, trying to put his thoughts in order. He then registered the sound of hoofsteps coming his way, and looked up just in time to see Spectrum and Omega approaching him. "I thought you two were going to get something to eat. Why are you back so early?" he said. "I'm sorry, Thunder. Spectrum just wouldn't stop complaining about not seeing her sister yet. So, I agreed to bring her back." Omega explained, her empty, orange eyes staring at him. Thunder sighed and looked at his daughter. "Alright, Spectrum. You can go see the baby. Just don't stay too long, we need to get home soon." "Yes! Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Spectrum squealed. The filly turned and ran over to the door to her mother's hospital room, easing it open and stepping through the threshold. Mirage snapped her eyes away from the door as it began to open, hoping not to get caught eavesdropping. "Mother?" Mirage gave a small smile upon hearing her daughter's voice and looked at the small, white filly who had just entered the room. "Come on over here, Breezie. There's somepony I want you to meet," Mirage said as she returned her gaze to the filly in her hooves. Spectrum approached the bed where her mother lay and tilted her head to get a better view of the blue, wriggling pony in the pink blanket. Spectrum's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her little sister. She was so small, so fragile, yet so stunning. "Can I hold her?" Spectrum asked in a quiet voice, as if the silence around them was a piece of ornate china and she was afraid of breaking it. Mirage offered no response other than gently placing the newborn in her daughter's forelegs. Spectrum maneuvered so that her weight was resting on the edge of the bed and she could support the foal's head. Spectrum looked down on the little pony and could not suppress her proud smile. This was her sister. Someday she would teach her everything she knew. She could teach this filly how to fly, how to read, and so much more. She would watch this amazing pony grow up and become someone great. "Hi, little foal. I'm your big sister," Spectrum cooed. The young filly's eyelids fluttered open to reveal rose-colored irises, which then focused on the white pony who was speaking to her. Spectrum gasped at seeing the brilliant color of her sister's eyes. "What's her name?" Spectrum asked her mother without ever tearing her gaze away from the blue foal. Mirage smiled at the sight of her two daughters before answering, "Rainbow Dash. Her name is Rainbow Dash." Author's Note Welp. Here it is, the first official chapter! Woot. Hope you enjoyed it! Also, special thanks to homy_dog34 for being a great proofreader and generally being awesome.
Chapter 2Rainbow Dash: three years old Bright sunlight shone through the window on the fourth floor of Thunder Mansion, illuminating the small room. A blue pegasus cast shadows across the room as she paced back and forth. This filly, Rainbow Dash, stopped her frivolous pacing with a quiet huff and walked over to the vent in her floor. She dropped her little body to the ground and placed one ear to the cold vent. She listened intently, trying to hear the voices from downstairs drift up to her room. She sighed and gave up a moment later, after hearing nothing. This was her routine every morning. Rainbow had trained herself to wake up about ten minutes before she was usually let out of her room. The filly would pace and occasionally listen through her vent for the voice she longed to hear. He father's. She had never really met her father. She had seen him from a distance at the dinner parties her parents often threw, or she sometimes passed him in the hallways while she was being escorted by her mother. Thunder Mansion was huge, and it's four occupants would often walk through the entire house without passing each other. Except for Rainbow. She was kept locked in her room until her father left for work in the mornings, then, Rainbow's mother or sister would let her out for the day. Thunder often got home after dinnertime, and when he did, Rainbow would be locked in her room once again. She didn't really mind the routine, it was familiar to her. She knew how to entertain herself in this small room. She spent most of her time looking out her window and dreaming about flying through the sky someday. The filly eventually gave up on her pacing and listening and sat on the wide windowsill next to her window, looking out at the orange and pink sunrise. The sound of locks being turned grabbed her attention and she turned her head in time to see her mother, Mirage, open the white door. "Rise and shine 'Bow! The sun wants to say hello to you!" the pale yellow mare smiled brightly at her youngest daughter. "Good morning Momma!" Rainbow said as she hopped off the window sill and ran over to Mirage. "What are we doin' today?" Mirage wrapped a hoof around the filly's neck and led her into the wide hallway. "Well, I was hoping we could start off the day with a little flying lesson," she said with a glance down at her daughter. She suppressed a chuckle at the wide-eyed expression on Dash's face. "But, I'm not so sure you can handle the challenge. I wanted you to try and stay in the air for twenty seconds today, but I don't think you're ready." Mirage gave an overly dramatic sigh and removed her hoof from Rainbow's withers. "Oh well, I guess we will just have to skip the flying lesson today since you can't handle it." Mirage began walking farther down the hall, away from Rainbow. Without missing a beat, Dash sprang into action, trotting after her mother and talking quickly. "I can handle it!" she said. "I could fly for twenty seconds in my SLEEP." "Well... I don't know." Mirage said with a smirk. "Are you sure?" "Absolutely! I'll prove that I can be as good a flyer as you!" Rainbow insisted, he voice cracking. "Well, I hope your bite is worse than your bark, 'Bow," Mirage said with a wink. The two mares reached the bottom of the spiral staircase and stepped through a large, clear door that led to a backyard made of white cumulus clouds. Mirage turned to her daughter and spoke seriously, "Okay, Rainbow. I honestly think we can get up to twenty seconds today. I believe you're ready. What do you think?" "Don't worry, Mom! I promise I can handle it!" Rainbow squeaked. Mirage sighed, "Alright, time to warm up. 50 wing-ups. GO!" Rainbow Dash spent the next hour pushing the limits on her flying. She followed her Mother's every direction and command, from 1,000 wing-ups to gliding. Eventually, the time came to see how long she could stay in the air. "Okay Dash, lets start the timer." Mirage pressed reset on her small, silver pocketwatch as Rainbow prepared for takeoff. "Ready. Set. Go!" Rainbow Dash took to the skies with a flap of her wings. She got about 15 feet in the air before staying in place. Her head was swimming from the altitude, and her blood ran with adrenaline. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. "5 seconds," Mirage shouted. Rainbow closed her eyes and listened to the beating of her heart. "10 seconds." She took in a deep breath. "15 seconds." She released the breath. "20 seconds." Breathe in. "25 seconds." Breathe out. Rainbow Dash dropped to the clouds quickly, trying to slow the pounding in her chest. Mirage ran up to her and wrapped her in a hug as Rainbow tried to ignore to pain in her wings. "Oh, Rainbow! I am so proud of you! You did it!" Mirage smiled. Rainbow chuckled breathlessly and pulled out of the hug. "Yeah. I guess I did." "Come on, it's nearly noon, you must be starving." Mirage turned and walked inside the cloud mansion, Rainbow Dash followed close behind, donning an enormous smile. Rainbow Dash lie on the floor of her living room, dragging multicolored crayons across a blank white sheet. Her mother entered the spacious room and looked down at her daughter's drawing. "What are you coloring 'Bow?" she asked with a smile. Rainbow looked up at her mother and made huge gestures as she explained. "I'm drawin' me, you, and Spectrum! See that yellow pony? That's you. And that gray one is Spectrum. I tried to make her white, but it wouldn't show up, so I made her gray. This blue one over here," she pointed to a small stick-pegasus in the corner. "That's me. I'm flying." Mirage gave her a small smile. "It's beautiful Rainbow." She turned and walked back into the kitchen, calling behind her, "Just remember to throw it away before your father gets home." "I will!" she shouted, her voice cracking. Rainbow rested her muzzle on her hoof and hummed a quiet tune as she added more colors and symbols to her drawing. She only looked up when she heard the front door open and close. Rainbow gasped and hurriedly put away her crayons and shoved them behind a tall, ornate china cabinet for safe keeping. She grabbed her paper and thrust it into a white garbage can as she raced to the door. "Spectrum!" Rainbow squealed as she caught sight of her elder sister hanging up her saddlebags as she returned from Flight School. "Hey there, 'Bow!" Spectrum said as she picked up her sister and brought her into a tight hug. "Did you have fun with Mother today?" She asked, setting Rainbow Dash down. "Oh, yeah!" she replied, nodding vigorously. "During my flying lesson, I stayed in the air for 25 whole seconds! After that, Mom let me eat carrots for lunch. Oh, and then, I imagined there were squares on the floor and I practiced that hopscotch game you told me about. And right before you got here, I colored a picture!" "Goodness! It sounds like you had an eventful day." Spectrum smiled at her little sister before walking toward the stairs. "Wait! Sis! Can we practice reading before Father gets home?" Spectrum Breeze looked at her sister with an unreadable expression. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Ask Mother." Rainbow Dash sprinted into the kitchen where her mother was working on a new recipe and put on an innocent smile. "Hey Momma, can I practice my reading with Spectrum?" Mirage put down the flour she was pouring and faced her youngest daughter. "I don't really thing you need to, you're so good at it already," Mirage smiled and returned to her baking. "But Mother, I want to do it," she whined. Mirage sighed and looked her daughter in the eyes. A moment of silence passed until Mirage broke it. "Alright. Just keep track of time so you can get back in your room before your father gets home." Rainbow Dash buzzed her wings before galloping back into the living room. "Thank you Mother!" She faced her sister for a moment and said, "She said yes!" Rainbow walked to the couch as Spectrum went upstairs to retrieve a book. Rainbow rested her forelegs atop the couch and lifted her small body up to the cushions. She struggled at first, but eventually landed among the pillows with a muffled thump. She lay her head on her forelegs as she waited for her sister. She soon grew bored and began fluffing a pillow. She then took her hoof and smashed the pillow down before re-fluffing it. This took on a hypnotic aspect as Rainbow waited for Spectrum. Fluff, smash, fluff, smash, fluff, smash, fluff, smash, flu- "Rainbow!" Rainbow Dash looked up to see her sister glaring at her. "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. Spectrum Breeze climbed atop the couch so she was facing her sister. "What book are we gonna read?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spectrum held up the thin picture book and smiled, "This book is called The King and Queen of Cloudsdale." Dash stared at it in wonder. "Oh, we've never read that one before." She snatched the book and opened up to the first page. Rainbow opened her mouth to read before looking up to her sister for encouragement. After seeing Spectrum's nod, she began. "Once u-upon a time, there was a King an' a Queen. They lived in a big ca-castle. They ruled over Cloudsdale. They were alw-ways good to the ponies in Cloudsdale. One day they-" Rainbow stopped short as the sound of a closing door resounded through the mansion. Spectrum gasped and jumped from the couch, running to the doorway. Mirage galloped from the kitchen, joining Spectrum. Rainbow Dash stretched her neck over the side of the couch and peered at where her mother and sister had gone. Rainbow gasped as she caught sight of a large pony with a grey mane. Her ears perked up as she listened to the muffled voices. She could make out her mother's voice, but she could not tell what she was saying. Rainbow then heard the deep rumble that she had heard so few times in her life. Her father! It was her father's voice. Rainbow leaned over to get a better view of her dad, but her line of sight was blocked by her mother. Rainbow Dash sat back down with a sigh and returned her gaze to her book. Rainbow Dash was skimming over the words when an idea struck her. The book! she thought. I'll show Father how good I can read. Then he'll be proud of me like he's always proud of Spectrum! Rainbow grabbed the book and bounded onto the floor. Rainbow rounded the corner at full speed, but slowed when she caught sight of her family. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her mother mouthing the word "No" and trying to get her attention. Rainbow Dash ignored her mother's pleas and kept her gaze locked on her father as she slowly approached. After what seemed like ages, Rainbow Dash stood still next to Cold Thunder and spoke. "Father?" Everything in the room stood still, seemingly holding it's breath. The enormous mansion was eerily silent as Thunder peered down at his youngest daughter. Rainbow gulped. It's now or never she thought. She opened the book with agonizing slowness and began to read, "Once upon a time, there w-was a King and a Queen." "What are you doing?" Cold Thunder snapped. The floors and walls seemed to shake at the sound of his voice. Rainbow Dash stuttered her answer, her voice cracking as it betrayed her nervousness. "I-I was. Um. I was just. I w-wanted to show, um, to show you how good I can r-read. I thought. Um. That maybe you-" "You thought this pathetic attempt at reading would make me proud of you." It was less of a statement and more of an accusation. Thunder snatched the book from his daughter's hooves and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud thump. "How could you ever think I would be proud of you? You will never make me proud." Cold Thunder turned to leave, but Rainbow Dash was persistent. "But, Father. I-" "Enough!" he yelled. Thunder whirled around and faced his daughter. He took his hoof and smacked Rainbow across the face. It took a moment for her to realize what had happened. Rainbow Dash had subconsciously closed her eyes on impact and upon opening them she found herself on the floor, her head spinning. Once her eyes refocused she tried to get up, but found herself stopped by a dark blue hoof, which was weighing down on her chest. Rainbow turned her head to see that her mother had disappeared and her elder sister was sitting on the staircase, peering through the bars at the unfolding events. The look on Spectrum's face was a mixture of fear, anger, and pure sadness. Rainbow Dash had never seen her sister look so vulnerable, and that was what scared her the most. Rainbow looked up into a pair of yellow eyes and noticed that Thunder was not even trying to mask his feelings. Emotions flashed through his eyes, one after another. Anger, disappointment, sadness. These scared her, but the worst one of all, was the look of someone who had been deeply betrayed. As these things happened, Rainbow didn't have much time to ponder why her father was feeling this, but this would not be the last time that she would wonder who had betrayed Cold Thunder and why it drove him to such drastic measures. "You ignorant, sorry excuse for a pegasus. I wish you had never been born," he growled as his hoof dug deeper into Rainbow's lungs. She suddenly found it hard to breathe and could no longer understand what her father was yelling. Her ears felt like they were full of cotton and her vision was black around the edges. Rainbow Dash watched Thunder's mouth move, but she heard nothing but wretched silence. She watched as her delivered blows to her face and torso and watched blood streaming from open wounds, but she felt nothing. All the while, the blackness edged closer until it covered Rainbow's vision and pulled her under. Rainbow blinked a few times and set her sights upon an empty room. She still lie on the floor, but her family had seemingly vanished. The floors and furniture were bathed in moonlight that streamed through the windows, but endless, dark shadows lingered in corners. She looked towards the stairs to see that her sister was no longer watching over her with that haunting expression. Somehow, Rainbow Dash found the strength to stand and began to make her way upstairs, the only thing she felt was a dull ache in her left hind leg, but did her best to ignore it. After walking for what seemed like forever, she entered her room, not bothering with the myriad of locks on her door. Rainbow looked at herself in the mirror briefly, taking in her torn and frazzled mane and the cuts that seemed to cover her body. Even in the dark, she could see bruises forming on her face and legs. Rainbow turned away quickly, and sat down awkwardly on her bed. She sat there, staring into space for what could have been minutes, hours, or even days, all she could comprehend was the overwhelming feeling of numbness that enveloped her. Barely thinking, Rainbow got up and reached under her mattress, searching until she grasped a small scroll. Sitting down on her little chair by the window, she unraveled the parchment and began to read the words that were scrawled in her own childish writing: THINGS I KNOW ABOUT MY FATHER 1.) His fur is dark blue 2.) He is really rich 3.) His mane is gray 4.) He owns the Weather Factory 5.) He has lots of friends 6.) His eyes are yellow 7.) His cutie mark is a gray cloud, a black cloud, and a dark blue cloud 8.) He likes to throw parties 9.) He likes to drink 10.) Even though he has never said it, he loves me Rainbow Dash looked at the list for a moment before ripping it down the middle. She proceed to rip the flimsy paper over and over again until it was nothing but shreds the size of a coin. She used all her strength and lifted up the window, letting in the cool night air. She looked out at the regal Cloudsdale houses and down at the empty street below. In one swift movement, Rainbow put her hooves out the window and let go of the shredded paper, watching it's pieces get taken far away by the wind. Rainbow Dash had no idea how long she had been laying in her bed. She only knew that the outside world had remained as dark as before and the silence in the mansion had never been broken. She had long ago let her mind wander to distant places, and was only brought back to reality at the sound of her door being slowly opened. Rainbow didn't move, not even as hoofsteps continued across her room, or as somepony lay down in her bed, facing her back. A pair of white hooves wrapped around the little blue pegasus and pulled her close. Rainbow could smell rosemary and rainwater, the scent of her big sister. She relaxed and sank deeper into Spectrum's embrace, not even realizing that she was already crying. Author's Note Hey, it's me again! Looks like Chapter 2 is finally out. Woot! Sorry for the delay, I was really busy with school and final exams and I just recently started writing again. Hopefully I'll be able to start writing on a more regular basis now. Probably not, but I can dream. Also, looks like I have no editor for this chapter, so I apologize for mistakes. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I can't wait to hear back!
