Chapter Two: Rainbow Alert
"Here's the tea, Rarity."
Fluttershy emerged from her kitchen, pushing a small trolley with two teacups, a teapot, and a small plate of biscuits to the table that Rarity sat at.
"Thank you, Fluttershy. Anyway, to business. You recall I mentioned applying for a space in a fashion exposition a while ago?" Rarity said.
"Oh yes. It's that series of cultural events being held all across Equestria isn't it?"
"Indeed, it is. Now, I've been accepted for one - the first of them at the end of the year. And it's in Clydesdale, so I've been asking all our friends..."
"Clydesdale?"
"Yes, it's a big city in northern Equestria, technically in..."
"Um, Rarity, I know it. I was born there." Fluttershy interrupted before Rarity tried to explain the history of her own birth town to her.
"You were?! Marvellous! Do you perchance still have any relatives there?"
"Well, yes, but it's a while since I saw any of them. I was raised in Clydesdale before my parents moved to Cloudsdale when I was about five."
"...Wasn't that confusing?" Rarity wondered.
"Not really, but it was tough with my accent at first." The pegasus admitted.
"No, dear, when I said confusing I meant how alike the two cities names are. I must confess though, somehow I just can't see you with a Scootish accent at all. Your Cloudsdale upbringing's given you a rather obvious accent from there instead."
"Well, yes, I lost it eventually but some ponies made fun of me for it before I did."
Rarity tutted in displeasure at this revelation.
"Dreadful behaviour. It wasn't those ruffians who mocked Rainbow Dash at the Young Fliers contest was it?"
"Oh, no, the colts who mocked my accent are all dead now. I buried them in the Everfree Forest." Fluttershy said, deadpan.
"...Wait, what?" Rarity's eyes widened.
"I'm joking."
"Oh, I see..." Rarity breathed a sigh of relief.
"Angel Bunny buried them. I just broke their necks." She clarified, taking a sip of her tea as her guest shot bolt upright.
"What?!"
"I'm still joking."
"Oh. Honestly, Fluttershy, sometimes you have such a macabre sense of humour..."
There was a pause.
"I still can't quite see you with the accent though."
"Och, ye cannae? How's aboot this fur ye then?" Fluttershy said with a grin.
"Impressive! Now I can see it!"
"Aye, when ah... Er, yes, when I speak with my parents I normally wind up slipping back into my accent for them."
"That's a lovely gesture. Anyway, to get to the point I'll be needing some trustworthy help, so I was wondering if you'd be able to come with me? Twilight's coming, Applejack is a maybe, and I'm going to try track down Rainbow Dash before I see Pinkie..."
Fluttershy pondered this.
"Do you... want me to model anything?"
"If you'd be okay with it. I'm planning to see if the rest of our friends might want to help out that way actually."
"Um... Will Photo Finish be there?" Fluttershy said nervously.
'Drat. I hadn't thought about that...' Rarity fretted.
"It's possible she might be. But if you model for me, you work for me, not for photographers or anyone else."
"W-well, that should be okay then. I'll come with you. Oh, I'd better get in touch with some of my relatives there. My aunt and uncle Neighsbit and their son on my mother's side... I last saw them at my Uncle Crash's funeral ten years ago."
"...Crash? Why would anypony name a pegasus that of all names? Did he..."
"Oh, no. He didn't crash if that's what you mean, he caught fire."
"...Caught fire?"
"Yes, the viral kind, not the bacterial kind. Anyway, um... Apart from my aunt, uncle, cousin and his daughter, there's my uncle McLintrot, but he married one of my aunts who isn't with us any more so he's not a blood relation. My other cousin Gray, their son, is in the Army so he probably won't be around. On my fatherr's side there's aunt Flutterwing and my other other cousin Iron Brew. Oh, and uncle Heely but he works in Canterlot. There weren't many fillies in the family so when I was younger I was kind of shy since all my relatives my age were colts."
"You? Shy? Never(!)" Rarity couldn't help herself.
"I know! It's so unlike me now..."
"Darling, we need to work on sarcasm... But that can wait. So, you've got relatives in the army and an uncle in Canterlot..." Rarity noted.
"Well, just one relative in the army. And my uncle works a government job now, he was in the navy before. He sent me a nice butterfly knife for my birthday last year."
"A... Oh, it's a little ornamental letter opener with butterflies on it, right..." Rarity realised, spotting a similar implement on a table.
"Uh, no, it's an actual Fillypeno style butterfly knife..."
The yellow pegasus then produced it from a small saddlebag Rarity knew she wore when doing her rounds of the small animal warrens and dens nearby. She opened and closed the knife, putting it on the table. Rarity stared at it, puzzled.
"Whatever use could that be?"
"Sometimes I need a knife, and you saw how easy it was for me to open it. If I carried a normal knife an animal might climb in my bag and hurt themselves on it. Besides, don't you think it kind of fits me?"
Rarity regarded the small knife, which had yellow and pink handles but was otherwise just a knife.
"Again, if I'm honest, the actual colour scheme does but I just can't see you using a knife. Especially not this kind... It looks like something one of those spies would use in the films Sweetie Belle likes. You know, the ones where they wear magically enchanted facemasks and turn invisible?"
Fluttershy had no comment on this, mostly because she didn't know.
"Oh my, just look at the time. Anyway, darling, thank you for the tea and for agreeing to come. If you need to pull out for any reason just let me know right away, but for now I had better go track down Dash and hope Pinkie doesn't find out from somepony else first... I'm still trying to think of good excuses to stop her having a party about it."
As Twilight and Dash neared, Rarity was just leaving, greatly simplifying the white unicorn's goals.
"Hey, is that Rarity?"
Pinke Pie was fortunately not present to point out to Dash that the narrator had just said that it was her, meaning nopony received a set of funny looks. A stallion in Canterlot opened a box to find that his shipment of door latches had manufacturing faults meaning somepony had a set of funny locks. However this was merely a contrived effort at a lame pun executed by the universe at large, and no one actually was aware a joke had happened as a result.
"Yeah. Oh, she mentioned something about some fashion show, she wants to see if we could all come and lend her a hand." Twilight added.
"Ugh. Fine, let's see what she wants so I can say no..."
"Rainbow Dash! You haven't even heard anything about it."
"I heard fashion show. Me and the fashion industry don't mix well." Dash said, even as she waved along with Twilight to catch Rarity's eye.
"Ah, hello again, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash! Just the pony I was looking for!" Rarity said brightly as she trotted up.
"Let's hear it..." Dash sighed.
"Ah. I take it Twilight let you know then. Well, I'll be honest, I'm not expecting you to say yes but I ask you please just hear me out first..."
Rarity then explained. Dash half-listened, only picking out key words. Twilight meanwhile sat down and had produced a book from somewhere.
"...And Fluttershy might be a natural model but I have a desire to try for a more... everypony approach to some pegasus fashions. I won't hold a candle to some of the big wings in flying fashion circles, but with your input I hopefully can get something practical and fashionable enough to diversify my portfolio."
"Uh, okay... "
"Oh, and it's more than just a fashion show. That's just the main event in my humble opinion, but there are other cultural exhibits on at the time. I hear rumours certain flying and stunt teams may be there..."
"You mean the Wonderb... Wait, that's a trap, you probably mean the Steel Talons or Red Wings."
"The what?" Rarity said in confusion
"Griffin Defence Initiative flight team and the Equestrian Army Air Force flight team. Since they're both stuffy soldier types they're about as cool as one Wonderbolt if you combine both teams. Wait, now I remember! Oh man, I know what that'll be! They hold these culture things once a month in different cities, right?!" Dash suddenly perked up.
"Yes, why?"
The pegasus leaped into the air with a whoop of joy, performing a small loop-the-loop.
"AWESOME! That's the first leg of the Iron Wing tournament! Eleven of the best teams from all around the world will show up so the Wonderbolts can kick their butts twelve months in a row!"
"Ah. I'll confess I didn't really look into that, I just heard something involving a flight tournament was happening. I was actually more interested in the various other fashion designers who would come."
"Yeah, I get that. But if I can get some time off, I'm definitely coming now!" Dash said with excitement.
"Wonderful! If you can spare some time soon would you be okay visiting me to have a few ideas for some fashions run past you? I won't design anything for you without your input, but Fluttershy should be easier to work with. I doubt I'll produce pegasuswear on a par with Peacock or Shimmer, but..."
"Wait, Shimmer?" Dash interrupted.
"Yes, she's a..."
"Pegasus fashion designer, I know. Will she be there?" Dash interrupted again.
"It's quite possible. Funny you should mention her, in fact, I was waiting on a message from her." Rarity said.
"You trade letters?"
"Well, not quite, but we've exchanged a few back and forth. Strange you should ask about her actually, she was most interested in the dresses we wore at the Gala - yours in particular. That's what sparked off our little correspondences and made me think you might be the best subject to try and design for."
"...W-what did you tell her?" Dash stuttered.
"Oh, I didn't tell her your name, dear. I just said you were one of my friends I made a dress for. She rather liked Fluttershy's as well. Wait. Come to think of it she knew Fluttershy by name... Oh, yes, the modelling thing, of course. So, why the interest in her? I wouldn't have you down as a fan of her work, her lines are a little... incompatible with your tastes, I would think." Rarity said.
"Wait, what about the sonic rainboom or the young fliers contest?" Twilight suddenly reminded the other two she was there.
"What about them?" Dash and Rarity both said together.
After they stared at each other horrified for a second, Twilight spoke up.
"Well, shouldn't Dash have become better known amongst pegasi then? I remember overhearing some guards at the gala who recognised her."
"A fair point." Rarity noted. Dash however waved it off.
"Nah, those guards must've been into racing and stunt flying. I doubt fashionistas keep up with the racing news. I bet Rarity wouldn't have a clue about any results..."
"Actually, Dash, Shimmer said she has children who race so I think she might pay attention to some sporting news. But apart from them and you I've no clue about racing at all."
"And I've no clue about fashion. In fact, if I can come, I'll be honest - I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a model..."
"You don't have to do any modelling if you don't want to, Dash..." Rarity said gently.
"Yeah, you could help Rarity organise in the back and I'd just model instead!" Twilight said perkily.
"...Twilight, darling, she's not a unicorn, she won't be able to help out the way I need you." Rarity said bluntly.
Twilight visibly deflated, not that anyone actually noticed. It was fortunate once more Pinkie Pie was not present, as an argument over the action being visible if it was unseen would ensue.
"Well, I'll check if I can get time but uh, not promising anything, Rarity."
"I understand. I hope you can come, even if you can't model for me. I know you might be a little concerned about doing something so... so... frou-frou, but I really do think you'd be the key to any pegasus garments I design."
Dash nodded.
"I'll see. Anyway, me and Twilight have to see Fluttershy about something so..."
"Oh, of course. To be frank I've spent..."
Rarity looked at the clock tower in town.
"Oh, good heavens, I've left Sweetie Belle minding the store for almost an hour! I'd better run, girls..." Rarity said, and bolted.
"Remember to just say Sweetie Belle when you phone Weather and Rescue, Rarity! I want my ponies to know to bring the Hazardous Materials gear if they go in your kitchen again!" Dash shouted after her.
Twilight blinked out of her slight depression at this.
"Wait, what?"
"I'm joking, she's never actually called us out. But if Sweetie Belle ever cooks, you already ate, got it?" Dash warned.
"Oh, okay. Hey, just in case the crusaders ever corner me, can Scootaloo cook?"
"Duh, her parents do run the chip shop, even if they don't trust her unsupervised with the fryers. Hay, you probably ate her cooking if you ordered a pizza. "
Twilight blinked again.
"...Why doesn't she have a pizza making cutie mark then?"
"I know, right?"
At the cafe in town, two unicorn sisters spoke with a pegasus. More accurately, one sister spoke while the other was trying to figure out her horn telekinesis.
"No, sorry. I haven't seen Rainbow Dash all day. Have you, sis?" Sparkler said.
"Nuh-uh." Dinky Doo shook her head, and then tried to turn the page on the book she was reading with her horn once more.
"Ah, well, thanks anyway..." Runner said, about to leave when the elder sister spoke.
"Oh, there's Mom, looks like she's finished working! She might know. Hey, Mom!" The pink sister shouted, alerting a grey pegasus.
"Hello, muffins!" She waved back and approached.
"Mom. This is Rainbow Runner, he's Dash's little brother. This is our Mom."
"Ditzy Doo." She introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you. You haven't seen my sister at all today have you?"
"I'm afraid the closest I've come to seeing her today was thinking you were her."
"Gha! Dumb horn, work!" Dinky fumed.
The trio around her stared at the young filly, who paid them no attention.
"Don't mind Dinky, she's just trying to get her magic to work before her father comes back from his business trip to Canterlot." Ditzy explained.
"I see..." Runner said, his only unicorn experiences amounting to a few neighbours and some of his mother's employees.
"And she really should be waiting for him to come back since he was hoping to help her out..."
"Gonna learn myself then Dad can teach me the cool stuff faster!" Dinky protested, eyes still on the book.
"Oh, I see. So not even, say, some muffins would convince you to wait?"
Dinky slammed the book shut with her hooves.
"Well, good luck, Runner, I think we've got to take somepony to Sugarcube Corner now." Ditzy explained.
"Oh, hey! Pinkie Pie might know where Dash is! He could go ask her." Sparkler realised.
"Ah, yeah. You're sure you don't simply want to hang around with him some more?"
"Oh Celestia, Mom, you did not just say that!" Sparkler squeaked.
"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, mothers tease..." Runner grinned as he reassured the elder sister who seemed to be wishing the ground would swallow her.
Ditzy pouted at how easily he dismissed the comment.
"Darn, I forgot teasing colts is harder than it sounds. Especially after you've been married nineteen years. So, coming, Runner?" She said.
"Sure. I ought to try and see if the owner of Carousel Boutique is back yet soon as well though."
Runner, however, wasn't going to find Pinkie Pie at the bakery. She was at the boutique, waiting outside.
"Hey, Rarity! Are you looking for me?" Pinkie waved.
"How did... Oh, Pinkie sense. Right. As it happens I was looking for you..."
She was interrupted by Pinkie's ear twitiching and knee trembling.
"Ooh, ear twitch, knee tremble, itchy leftside cutie mark at the right-hoofside lower balloon..."
"Your penpal in Cloudsdale just had an awesome idea for a party?"
"Nah, that one's ear tremble knee twitch rightside left-hoofside balloon and then a white pegasus shows up and remembers she was meant to send a letter instead of flying down herself and then we have the awesome party anyway."
"Quite. You and Surprise do both realise the point in penpals is they live far away?"
"Cloudsdale is ten miles north and a mile up in the air! That's pretty far away for an earth pony, especially since Dashie realised I need a licence to fly anything other than a balloon and that I can't just tie a lot of little balloons to myself anymore."
"Ah. Well, shall we go inside so I can ask you something?" Rarity steered the conversation back to the point.
"Okay, but my Pinkie Sense says somepony else is looking for both of us right now so expect another guest!"
Rarity sighed as she entered the boutique.
"Sweetie Belle, I'm ba... OH LUNA HELP ME ALL THREE OF THEM ARE HERE!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked puzzled as they stared up from where Scootaloo had been reading a book entitled "Basic Flying Laws of Equestria and the Griffin Fiefdoms".
"Er, I mean, hello, girls."
"Hi, Miss Rarity." Scootaloo said cheerily.
"Nothin' is or was on fire." Apple Bloom denied suspiciously.
Since none of the other two kicked her, it was probably true.
"I... see. Oh, thank goodness the place isn't in a mess and nothing's been disturbed..."
"We've just been listenin' to Scootaloo tellin' us all about pegasus flight rules and stuff mostly. Glad ah ain't got wings, it seems mighty complicated..."
"Anyway, now Rarity's back we can go crusading!" Scootaloo added.
"Er, yes. Are you sure you girls won't stay for some tea?" Rarity offered.
"They're not the extra guest, Rarity, it's somepony else!" Pinkie pipped up.
"Uh, no thanks, Miss Rarity, we've got crusadin' to do!" Apple Bloom declined.
"Oh, hey, I sold a bunch of glassy white rocks that were in a chest behind the green changing screen to Spike as food, is that okay?" Sweetie Belle pipped up as she left, the other two going on ahead a little.
Rarity screamed.
"The diamonds?! Tell me you're joking!"
"She is, she pinkie promised never to sell any of your gems again, remember? And promises to not sell diamonds are FOREVER!" Pinkie said gleefully.
"Thank goodness... Oh, wait, Sweetie, were there any messages?"
"Oh! Yeah! Somepony working for Shimmer was here! He left that letter on the desk and said he'd come back later!"
Rarity opened it, and Sweetie Belle noticed the sign still said closed. While her sister was distracted she quickly flipped it over and ran to catch up...
"Ooh, this is wonderful news!" Rarity beamed as she read.
"What is it?" Pinkie asked.
"A fellow fashion designer of some notability plans to come to visit my boutique on Monday! She's sending some helpers on ahead to deal with a few things first but she's offering to compare designs! Oh, she wants MY input on some earth pony designs she's been toying with! This is wonderful!"
Rarity made a squee noise, then stopped when she realised Pinkie Pie was breathing in to say something.
"But not party-wonderful. On the other hoof, there is something you might be excited by...."
And so she explained. Pinkie listened, and then replied.
"...Yep, I'll go, and I think both those things together calls for a party! The 'We're Going to Clydesdale and Rarity is Awesome Combined Party'!" Pinkie bounced up and down.
"Er, no, we can't hold any party for going to Clydesdale yet, Pinkie. Remember Dash and Applejack aren't sure they can come yet. It's not fair to celebrate us going if they can't."
"Ohhhh... That makes sense! Well, I'll not hold the party yet then, maybe they'll know by Monday so we can hold the party after the fashion pony's been. Or even while she's here!"
"Oh, goddesses... I mean, er, oh good... esses. Anyway, I'd better get that tea ready..." Rarity said, only for the door to open. She began her standard introductory message she gave to all customers.
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifiq... Oh, hello Rainbow Da... Wait. You're not Rainbow Dash."
"Nope, I'm not. Are you Miss Rarity?" Runner asked.
"Yes, I am, and the proprietor of this establishment! What would sir be looking for?"
"Well, my name's Rainbow Runner. I work for Shimmer - did your, uh, assistant leave you my message?"
"Rainbow... Runner?" Pinkie tilted her head.
"Indeed she did. Would you like some tea or biscuits? I was just about to make some for myself and my friend Pinkie Pie here..."
"Oh, you're Pinkie Pie? They said you'd be here at the bakery. Do either of you know where I might find Rainbow Dash?"
"Why are you looking for Dashie?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm her little brother..."
Pinkie then gasped and jumped in the air. The startled colt backed up a little.
"OHMYGOSH! This is awesome! I never knew she had a brother!"
"She's got two and a little sister actually." Runner pointed out.
"Aw, cool, and he's not just cute and handsome, he's hot!"
Rarity blinked as Runner simply stared at how blunt the earth pony was being.
"Pinkie, he looks just like Rainbow Dash but male and with a yin-yang cutie mark that likely symbolises balance."
"Exactly! He looks just like Dashie but a colt! That's twenty percent hotter!"
Rarity sighed.
"Please forgive Pinkie Pie. She's not the most subtle of ponies, especially since in certain areas she's rather flexible... Oh Celestia, why did I phrase it like that?!"
"U-uh, that... I guess that's cool but, um... I'm not sure I'm interested..."
"Oh, that's fine, I'm not offering or anything. You only look about eighteen and I'm twenty-one. Anyway, what about I make that tea for everypony so you and Rarity can talk about the fashiony thingy?"
"Wait, Pinkie Pie. Runner is looking for Dash, yes? I just saw her going to Fluttershy's cottage not ten minutes ago. Perhaps it would be prudent to reschedule this for some other time?" Rarity said.
"If that's okay with you, ma'am." Runner nodded.
"Oh, it's quite all right. Go see your sister. Siblings come before work, right, Pinkie?"
Pinkie pondered this.
"Welll... Sometimes we're all really busy in my family and work has to come first but I get what you mean sorta, like if Blinke broke her leg again I'd be all 'aaaaah my baby sister is hurt!' and if Inkie got sick or something I'd be all 'big sister Pinkie nurse away!' and help them. And I kinda wish Mom and Dad managed to have a fourth foal, cos if it was a colt they'd have called it Clyde but they decided not to since we were all still young at the time and it was getting difficult to watch over us cos we were all too young to help out on the farm and stuff but not too young to wander about the place so...."
"I'd leave while she's rambling, dear." Rarity whispered to Runner, who nodded in agreement as he slipped away.
A few moments after the fashionista had left the cottage, Twilight and Dash sat where Rarity had been, backs to the doors and windows. They had declined tea, and explained the situation. Fluttershy was a little startled at the news.
"Runner's here? Oh my. Your mother never mentioned anything to me about this in her last letter. Oh, but I've not seen him in years. I bet he's grown up into a really handsome stallion..."
Twilight spotted an opening for some teasing.
"Oh, he has. Very handsome."
She didn't hold in her laughter long as Dash span around in horror to stare at her, and make strangled squeaking noises.
"I'm just kidding Dash. Well, I'll admit he was kind of cute but he looked too much like you to be honest."
"Well, good. I don't want any of my friends dating my brother, it'd just be weird. I mean, can you imagine dating Big Macintosh?"
"Yes." Fluttershy and Twilight both said, then eeped as they realised what they had done.
"...Oooookay, gonna have to warn AJ about that."
"Don't tell her!" The other two both said together once more.
Dash just smirked at how the tables had turned.
"But yeah. I'm not here for us to all tease each other. If Runner's here and looking for me, then I've no idea what's going to happen next. All I know is what happened before. Why I don't want them to find me if it means what I think it might mean."
Dash sighed.
"Fluttershy, I'll need you to keep me straight when I tell this story, okay? You know I wasn't really all there back then."
"Oh, but I was just as upset, Rainbow Dash.... " Fluttershy mumbled.
"Yeah, but you're more objective. Okay. Twilight, you love both your parents, right?"
"Of course."
"But I bet you'd say you were closer to one of them than the other?"
"Well... I was like my mother more than my father, so I spent more time with her when he was working. She also knew more magic so she helped me with my studies and my homework more. So I guess I was closer to her."
"It was the same with me, but I was closest to my father. It's weird, now I think about it. I was born with my twin, Mane. But he became momma's boy and I was daddy's girl. Don't get me wrong, I loved Mom too. But when other kids would cry for mommy I wanted daddy."
"Well, I guess he must have been pretty influential in your life then." Twilight noted.
"Yeah. He got me hooked on the Wonderbolts, he was a fast racer too - I pretty much grew up as a mini-him that looked more like Mom. He might have spoiled me a little, but Mom did the same to Runner and Mane. The two of them kept each other balanced. Together they were fair with us."
"It sounds like they're good parents."
Dash sighed.
"Were, Twilight. My dad's been dead for five years."
The unicorn was mortified.
"Oh, I'm sorry! When you used past tense I thought you just meant when you were younger! I was assuming you were just a rebellious teenager."
"Well, she kind of was, but... Well, Dash's mother had one golden rule for us all." Fluttershy spoke up.
"One rule? What was it?"
"She wanted us to grow up as ourselves. She said she and Dad would never try to force us to do what they wanted us to do when it came to our futures, she wanted us to make our own choices and not just try to be whatever they thought we should be. Trouble is, even before the accident she'd never liked racing much..."
Twilight frowned.
"But... She married a racer! And she's your mother!"
Dash nodded.
"That's the point, kind of. Mom wanted to raise us so we became our own ponies, made our own choices. She didn't force her career choices on us, and she didn't let Dad try to pressure us into racing. Not that he ever tried. He just supported us when we began to race at junior levels, and so did Mom even if she didn't like it. End of the day though, the two of them kept each other balanced. Dad didn't force us to be racers, and she didn't force us into her line of work."
"So... When your father passed away, the balance shifted?"
"That's pretty much the nail on the head. When it happened, she was inconsolable. Me and my brothers and sister were too. I was only fifteen, and my dad had been killed in a racing accident. But Mom had to keep it together for us. She had four children to take care of alone now. But it changed her..."
Dash paused for a moment.
"I'm guessing she started disliking you racing?" Twilight asked.
"She always had disliked me racing the way I did. Mane flew marathons and other endurance races at slow speeds. Runner did more balanced racing - You saw his cutie mark, right? If anypony influenced him it was me and Mane. He's the middle child in more ways than one. But I went fast. I loved speed. The adrenaline rush. The wind rushing past, everything."
"And that was kind of my fault since... Well, you know how she got her cutie mark." Fluttershy interjected.
"Well, no, it was me and me alone that started racing like that. I'd never really thought of it as following what Dad was doing, it was just something really cool to watch before and then it turned out to be even cooler to do. But yeah, Mom didn't like that. When I first raced she tried to start steering me away from it. Dad stopped her, but when he died, he wasn't there to stop her."
"So... She started pressuring you not to race?"
"Yeah. And after that we... We argued a lot. At least once a week and then every other night, pretty much. About really stupid things sometimes. The problem though wasn't her pressuring me then. It was that Dad wasn't there any more. And of course with me being me, it meant everypony else saw Dad in me. I reminded Mom so much of him every day that... I guess I see why she was scared."
"It does seem understandable to me, but I guess there's more?
"Yeah. You see, at first my reminders of Dad came from what wasn't there. Every day I'd see only five places at the dinner table. I'd not hear the door open. I'd not get the sports pages read to to me, I'd not hear about new tricks somepony at the racetrack had done, what he'd been practising that day, what his mail route was like that morning. I'd see he was gone every night and wake up every morning thinking for a while that this was the day I'd wake up and he'd just have gone to work as usual."
"It all sounds like it was a hard time for you all. I've never really lost any relatives so I can't say I know what your family went through." Twilight commented.
"Yeah. Uh, so, where was I?" Dash said.
"You'd got to the part where you thought your mother was pressuring you into not racing and all the... arguments." Fluttershy said, staring at the floor.
"So, yeah. Basically, Mom and my siblings were reminded of Dad by me. I was reminded at first like I said by him not being there. And then I noticed how the others acted. Me and Mom still argued. Mane and Runner would sometimes take her side, but Runner sometimes took mine and he and Mane just started a seperate argument. Prism just hated the arguments... That's our little sister by the way. "
"I guessed that, you mentioned a sister earlier." Twilight said gently.
"That lasted nearly a year, and more and more times the arguments lasted days, more and more times Runner and Mane argued too, and they started arguing with Mom as well. Sometimes I'd stay next door with Fluttershy to time out, others we'd go too far arguing and I'd stay with Gilda and her parents. But as it went on practically the minute I was back in the door sometimes it just all started again."
"So it just got worse and worse?"
"Yeah. Until one night just after our sixteenth birthday we had the last argument. She'd tried to stop me entering the Young Flyers competition and I wasn't happy, so it just fell to earth from there. I don't remember which one of us said it first, but I think it was me. One of us wished the other had died instead of Dad. The other wished the same thing back. I remember Mom slapped me, that's why I think I said it first. But at the same time it could have been her response to me answering back."
"W-what happened then?" Twilight stuttered.
"I really don't know. I think I tried to hit her back, Mane showed up and next thing I knew I was fighting my twin brother, really fighting. Mom was crying so she didn't break us up, Runner was just petri... scared stiff."
Once certain that almost saying "petrified" hadn't resulted in a unicorn with a phobia of Cockatrices building herself yet another book fort, Dash pressed on.
"Prism broke it up after a few minutes, but it seemed like hours. She just screamed at us to stop fighting and we did. And after a few seconds or minutes with just her and Mom crying, and Runner staring and Mane just glaring at me... I ran. I just flew all night, I came back in the morning and said I was going to leave for good after I'd slept. I couldn't stay there. If I did, things would never change for them."
Dash paused for a few moments, leaving Fluttershy's cottage strangely more silent than normal.
"Well, Mane tried to start the argument again but Mom stopped him. I didn't realise until a lot later she'd been up all night herself, probably crying. I... Well, I was going to say I'm not ashamed of it, but I'm a little ashamed to say I'd been doing my share of crying all night as well. But even though I was upset I knew what I had to do. If I stayed, we'd just argue a lot more. If I stayed, Mom would stop me racing. If I stayed, I'd let her break her rule entirely..."
Another pause.
"Dad balanced Mom out. With him gone there was just me like him, but I just.... I weighed her down, threw off the balance. No one could get over him dying because we kept being reminded every day he was gone. The only way I could ever bring the balance back to my family, the only way we could all move on, was to leave. I might not have been the problem but I was the solution. It was the second hardest night of my life and it still is. But I left. And the rest is history."
The pause this time was interrupted by some soft sniffles. Dash trotted over and patted Fluttershy reassuringly on the back before sitting back down beside Twilight.
"So, I guess that all sounds really stupid, huh? I must sound like a total mule, right?"
Twilight shook her head.
"I... I'm not sure, Dash. You said it was a bad time in your life and it was complicated, and it sure all sounds that way. But why does Runner coming mean something bad?"
Fluttershy spoke up.
"Either he's here to try and get Dash to talk to her mother, or something has happened."
"Yeah. And all the 'something's happened' things I can think of are bad if my Mom's letters never mentioned it to Fluttershy. He's left home too, somepony's ill or dead, or she's coming here."
"Well, it's been five years, right? Surely you could try patch things up if any of those are why he's here?" Twilight tried.
"I... I'm not sure. When I saw him today it was... I really don't know if I can face him or anypony from my family."
Fluttershy squinted and looked out the window.
"Um... Rainbow Dash? I think there's a problem with that..."
"What? What problem?"
She turned and looked out the window. In the sky approaching was a small rainbow trail coming from Ponyville.
"Oh, hay... If I go outside at all he sees me... What do I do?!"
"Uh, hide upstairs?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Just speak with him and hear him out!" Twilight raised a counterpoint.
"Wait! I've got it! Twilight, use a magic spell and turn me into a bunny, I'll go hang out with Angel for a bit."
She dodged a carrot.
"Okay, plan B, a chicken, I'll go hang with Elizibeak..."
"Dash, I don't have spells like that. Where did you get the idea I did?"
"Alright, hide upstairs it is! If he wants to look up here tell him there's something like a bear up here. Yeah. A big shaved bear that hates ponies."
"That's laying it on a little heavy, Dash..." Twilight noted.
"Whatever, I'm not here!"
"Um, why don't you try sneaking out the window while we're talking?" Fluttershy tried to suggest, but went unheard.
"She might figure it out herself. Well, I guess you'd better act surprised when he knocks on the door..." Twilight advised.
There was a knock at the door. Fluttershy squealed and dived into the kitchen.
"...Not that surprised."
"O-oh, right..."
Fluttershy went to answer. Luckily for her, actually coming face to face with Runner surprised her anyway.
"Who is it... RUNNER! Oh it's so good to see you, I last saw you when you were practically still a baby! Oh my, look at how much you've grown..."
Twilight simply stared in amusement as the embarrassed colt was enthusiastically greeted and hugged.
"U-uh, hi, Fluttershy, it... it's nice to see you too... Um, not that I'm not here to give you a visit as well, but I heard Rainbow Dash was here? I'm kind of looking for her..."
He then noticed Twilight.
"Hey, you're the librarian. Hi again." He tried to wave a hoof, but Fluttershy hadn't let go of him yet.
"Hello. I'm afraid you just missed Dash, she left shortly after Rarity. I was just here to talk to Fluttershy about... a bear. Only got here after she left. "
"Y-yes, that's right, I'm sorry, Runner. I can try to let her know you're here but... Oh, she might not react well..."
Runner sighed.
"I thought as much. I didn't want to ask anypony else about how she's been since then but... I guess she still hates us."
"Oh, no, she doesn't hate you!" Fluttershy gasped.
"I'd like to believe that but... Ah, darn it. I should have just come here to deliver the letter and speak to that fashion designer...."
"You have a letter for Rarity?" Twilight asked.
"Had, I delivered it. I work as a courier and messenger with the Shimmer Fashions company. But yeah, Fluttershy, I came to let Dash know as well."
"Let her know what?" Fluttershy wondered.
"I'm here to tell her the rest of the family is coming to town. It's a school holiday next week in Hoofington so Mane's bringing Prism up later tonight..."
Fluttershy then squealed with excitement.
"Oh, I bet she's grown so much as well!"
Runner chuckled.
"Yeah, she has. Wants to pass her flying tests and find her cutie mark as soon as possible. Thinks colts have cooties, math is boring... You know. Normal filly stuff. But, uh, if you see Dash, let her know, will you? I should probably go back and speak to Rarity about the "
"I will." Fluttershy nodded.
"Wait a second, I've heard the name Shimmer before. Rarity mentioned the name. " Twilight spoke up.
Runner nodded.
"Well, yeah. She might specialise in pegasus fashions but fashion is fashion, so Mom's pretty well known even to unicorn and earth Pony designers."