In Search of Fire

Chapter 3 ….Killed the cat

Roy could not remember the last time his daughter had come to see him; it had been a few years at least. He understood, she was busy, on the fast track to becoming a wonderbolt and what was he but a retired weather manager. The weather is a job he understood all too well. He sometimes questioned how his daughter could manage every aspect of her life as well as she did with how often she slept. She was the Ponyville weather manager, one of the elements of harmony, and she trained for 4 hours a day. Perhaps that explains why she was always tired. Noticing Rainbow looking in his storage room he spoke up to grab her attention. “So what is my favorite mare doing in Cloudsdale this time of night?” A smile spread into his cheeks as she turned her attention from the office.

“What, I can’t just come see my dad for a day or two?” Rolling her eyes into a devilish smile, she adds “You know I just show up whenever”

He recognizes the look in his daughter’s eyes; He sees the fire behind those waves of magenta. He knows there is more depth to her visit than she is letting on. He gestures for her to come to the table with him. “I was just finishing dinner when you got here. Your lucky tonight was salad night, I always make too much”

He disappears into the kitchen to retrieve the salad. Roy wonders why Rainbow has shown up at such an odd time. He knew that she didn’t usually visit. she did so when she had the time. Which is what makes this a particularly unusual situation, this upcoming month should be the busiest of her life. How did she find the time to visit? Rainbow shifts in the other room, causing him to quicken his pace as not to take too long.

As Roy re-enters the kitchen Rainbow has settled into a chair, placing her saddlebag on the floor And she asks, “How has retirement been treating you? It must be so much fun. I know your job isn’t the easiest, especially now that it is my job.”

“I told you so”

“Hey, you’re not supposed to say that…” Rainbow spoke and was unsure how to feel about the statement.

“You know I kid Rainbow. What was I supposed to say, that it was easy for me? You know how hard you work, and you never listened when I told you why I was tired. If I remember right you used to tell me” As he makes air quotes, “You work with clouds all day, how can you be tired?” He lowers his hooves and shoots his daughter a knowing glare, “Now you see it wasn’t the clouds, it was the ponies I worked with.”

Throwing her hooves over her face and slouching slightly “Oh Celestia..how I wished I had listened.” She chuckles and sits up again, “ponies can be lazy. I don’t understand lazy..er, well I do..but not when you have something to do.” A sheepish grin spreads on her face.

“Rainbow” her father begins, “you must understand that not everypony thinks weather is important.” He slides her some of the salad, “And then again, not everypony is about to be in a show with the wonderbolts, the one that will decide if they take you or not.” He grins and sips a glass of water,” I have no doubt that you will be one.”

Rainbow toys with the salad for a moment, thinking of what to say to her father. She takes a mouthful of the greens, and swallows it. “I..hmm..The wonderbolts are the best fliers in Equestria, it would be an honor to fly with all of them. I have trained hard for this, stressing myself about it will only make me nervous, and I don’t want this to be like the best young fliers competition..” She shifts uncomfortably as the memory passes through her mind.

Managing a slight snicker as he eats some of his food, “You will do fine, how could they possibly refuse you? You have after all done the impossible twice, and saved their lives.” He drinks some more of his water. “I’m surprised they haven’t just offered you the job.”

Looking up with a smile on her face Rainbow replies, “Oh, they have..more than once..i turn them down because I want to earn it.” Her smile widens, “It’s more of an accomplishment that way.” Her grin turns slightly sinister, “ and it lets me see what kind of ponies I’ll be competing with.”

Roy laughs as he gets up and collects the plates. He speaks as he takes them to the sink, “That’s my Rainbow” the dishes make a distinct sound as he sets them down, “Always pushing yourself, and refusing the easy way.” A sigh escapes, “I wish more ponies were like you”

Rainbow slides away from the table and starts to look around, “it’s been a while since ive been here. I missed it, and you.”

She walks to her old room and studies the way it has changed over the years. The walls looked slightly greyer than she had remembered, that might be because she wasn’t there every day to kick the water out of them. She had always found the clouds to be interesting. As a child she never did understand why only pegasi could walk on clouds, it seemed so unfair. They got to fly, and walk on clouds? But now she understood the balance that the three races had with one another. There was music that she would never be able to play because she lacked magic, and farming..forget about it. Rainbow was about as good with the ground as rarity was. She turns to see her father in the doorway.

He speaks softly at first, “I know you must miss it.”

She smiles, “Yea..”

He stands up straight and asks, “What brings you here so soon before your show. I know you took the month off to do so. I know that must have been difficult to arrange.” He laughs, “ Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see you. But, shouldn’t you be training? Or resting?”

Knowing that her father could see right through her, she didn’t try to hide her purpose. “I was given a book..you are in it. I am curious as to how you got in it.”

Surprised Roy searches his mind for what she could mean, and he finds nothing. “I..I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about Rainbow. I haven’t even seen any authors in years. What book is this?”

He forces himself to keep the worry in the back of his head. He knows there are only a few possibilities. Rainbow walks past him to her saddlebags and starts digging in it. Only a few seconds pass but every thought of what it could possibly be entered his mind, he hoped it wasn’t what he thought it was. He pleaded that if it was, Rainbow hadn’t seen something she shouldn’t. There was far too much that he could not explain. His fears became reality as she pulled out the collection of words out of the bag.

Rainbow pulls the Daring Do novel out of her bag and sets it on the table. She flips the book to the back and places her hoof next to the picture. “This, I see you. And you are sitting right by this guy like you know him. Do you? Or..rather.. Did you?”

Roy feels a bit relieved. He recognizes the picture, and he knows that they are not the only two in it. Believing that rainbow hadn’t noticed the tail of the third he responds, “Why yes, I knew him. I knew him quite well actually.” He stares at the photo for a moment and speaks again, “His name is Greyscale, and he is the pony who writes these novels.”

Rainbow looks up at her father, “How do you know him? And why have you been staring at him so long?”

Snapping himself back into reality he quickly looks at Rainbow. “I’ve said too much as it is..we should get to sleep..its late.”

Confused, “Told me too much? What do you mean? If you know him why is it such a big deal?” she deadpans and her eyes go wide, “Is he a secret agent?”

Defeated by his daughter’s curiosity he takes a deep breath, “ He is..my brother.”

Rainbows jaw hits the floor. She cannot find any words to say. Her mind races, and fills with questions. Her mouth opens several times but closes again thinking those aren’t the right words.

Roy stares at his daughter as she sits dumbfound in his living room. Biting his lip he says, “We really should sleep now” he motions to the clock, “Its two in the morning..and I really shouldn’t have said anything..im sorry”

Rainbow jumps up and shouts, “Wait! One more question!”

He sighs and starts to speak, “ Rainbow I can’t answ..” he is interrupted by his daughter.

“Please just!” rainbow points to the orange tail in the photo, “Who is this?” her tone calming down as she asks.

As he hears the question he turns around to see her hoof on the picture next to the tail. His eyes widen and his heart sinks in his chest, breathing becomes hard. She had noticed more than he had hopped. He couldn’t explain who that was, not now, not when Rainbow was so close to being a wonderbolt.. sadly he spoke, “Rainbow..I can not tell you who that is..I wish I could. But I can’t, not now. You will know soon enough. Now, I really mustn’t say more.” He again bites his lips, he can’t look her in the face.

Confusion and pain hit Rainbow like a brick wall. What secret was my father keeping from me? Her thoughts running wild in her head, was that her mother? If it was, why would he hide that from her? Why would her father hide anything from her? A blank expression falls over her face as she speaks to her father’s back, “That’s my mother in the picture, isn’t it?”

As that question leaves his daughters lips Roy stops in his tracks. He thinks to himself, “Roy G. Biv..this is a fine mess you’ve walked into” he knows he can’t tell her the truth, but he won’t lie to his Rainbow. He knows if he turns around he will feel too guilty and heartbroken not to tell her everything. He bites his lip again and closes his eyes, fighting the erge to face her. He speaks softly, “Rainbow, get some sleep dear.” He walks into his bedroom and closes the door. As soon as he is inside he lets out a sigh and sits in front of the door. Several minutes pass and he hears the front door open and close. He sobs to himself, not because he had kept the secret, but because he had to face his daughter about it. If he had told her, he would have disappointed someone just as important to him. He hated to be the bad guy.

As Rainbow watched her father enter the room she thought of again asking more questions, but quickly killed the idea as it was apparent she was going nowhere fast. She sat alone with her thoughts for a few moments; she looked at several familiar objects in the house. Her gaze shifted between several rooms each adding a different emotion to the mixture of confusion pain and anger she already felt. She thought about entering her father’s room, but that thought was quickly tossed out. She knew her father would never hurt her on purpose. He had never been one to keep secrets. It wasn’t often she found herself at a total loss as to what she needed to do. She decided it would be better to leave. Her father wasn’t willing to tell her anything more. And she didn’t want to push him. There were several times when she was a filly where she regretted taking a few things too far. She didn’t want to add tonight to the list. She got up, put her things in her bag, and walked out the door, closing it just hard enough so her father would know she was gone.