Chapter 4: The Lonely Rainbow
Towards midday the dark blue pegasus arrived in Ponyville and landed near the library. He looked around, but only a few ponies were outside in the streets; most of the ponies were either at work or at home having lunch. At the end of the street he spotted two guards who walked slowly towards him; one of them seemed to be a recruit and the other one was a veteran of the last war and was still wearing bandages around two of his legs, his flanks and around his head. The two talked to each other and every now and then they stopped, so that the veteran could show his fellow a few tricks with his sword.
Night Hawk had watched them for a while before he stepped towards the big tree; he spotted motions behind the windows of the second floor which meant that Twilight was at home, or at least Spike.
The pegasus arrived and raised his hoof in order to knock, but before he could touch the door he heard a voice calling from the inside. "It's open!"
His hoof went downwards to the doorknob and as he touched it, he turned his hoof which opened the door. Slowly he stepped into the library; the smell of the dusty, old books reached his nostrils immediately which forced him to cough a bit.
"Miss Sparkle?" he called while stepping deeper into the room which was replete with books.
"Just a moment!" he heard her voice from upstairs.
While Night Hawk waited for her he walked over to the bookshelves and read a few of the spines. "History of Equestria, How to Fly (without wings), Equestria in the course of Time, Tales and Legends of the Everfree forest, Hallucinations and their Origin." He had to read the last title twice before he realized that this book could contain an explanation why he heard that voice again and again. The stallion was about to grab it with his mouth, but before he could reach the book it hovered out of the shelf and towards him. Slowly he turned his head and spotted the purple unicorn mare at the bottom of the stairs at the other side of the room.
"Hallucinations?" she asked incredulously. "Why do you need a book about hallucinations?"
"I just wanted to look something up, but maybe you can help me."
"I'll try my best." The mare answered.
"Can the death of a friend make me hear a voice that asks for my help?"
"Maybe you should see a psychologist." Twilight answered sheepishly.
"I am not crazy!" Night Hawk raised his voice. "Just answer my question."
"I don't know that this happened to anypony before. Just give me a few seconds." She said and the book hovered towards her; while flying it opened and as the book reached the mare she began to read. The stallion saw the fast motion of her eyes as she flipped through the pages. After a few moments she raised her head again and looked at the pegasus. "It could be possible, but only if think you see him in other ponies who look like him. Voices are very unlikely." Twilight said. "You must be mentally ill or there's another reason for that."
"I am not crazy." The stallion repeated, this time without raising his voice. "Then there's only one explanation left: Somepony really needs my help."
"Are you sure that you aren't crazy?" she asked incredulously while putting the book back into the shelf.
"Quite."
"If you say so. – Am I right that this wasn't the actual reason for your visit?"
"Yes, I actually came because I have to meet Miss Rainbow Dash."
"I'm afraid to tell you that, but that's not possible." The mare said a bit crestfallen. "She locked herself in her house and does not even let her best friends in. You won't even get the chance to talk to her through the closed door."
"Hmm... Can you at least show me where she lives?"
"You don't know that?" she said unbelieving. "You are Firebolt's best scout and you don't know where she lives?"
"No, I wanted to ask you since you're her friend and maybe you could give me a few tips how I should deal with her."
"Sure I can tell you where she lives, but you won't be crowned with success." Twilight answered and a map of Ponyville appeared in front of her.
Night Hawk stepped beside her and looked at the map, especially at the place where she was pointing at; a place in a distant of about one mile to the east of the town.
"There is nothing else than fields." He said incredulously. "How could she live there?"
"Because she doesn't live on the ground."
"Damn! For a moment I forgot that she's a Pegasus." The stallion said while face hoofing.
"You should see her home when you leave the town."
"You don't come with me?"
"I'm sorry, but I have to run the library."
"Thanks anyway." He said and left the building.
"Good luck!" Twilight called after him, but he was already out of hearing.
A few minutes later Night Hawk reached the outskirts of the town and just as Twilight had mentioned he saw Rainbow's villa-like home floating above the fields; it was fully made out of clouds and through her garden flew a streamlet of fluid rainbow. He liked the view of the building, but something let it appear abandoned; the windows were boarded up and her garden seemed to be untended.
The Pegasus landed in front of the door; the sign which was nailed to it was conspicuous, it said: "I'm not in the mood of seeing other ponies, so FUCK OFF! -RD"
"She seems to be highly despaired, that could be a problem." He thought while he opened the door very slowly so that he made as less noises as possible. The light which shined through the open door revealed a totally devastated room; the furniture was knocked over and partially it was destroyed, everywhere on the floor lay broken parts of dishes and shredded books.
Night Hawk stepped carefully into the house, but he didn't come very far without making any noises; he had gone two meters before he stepped upon a framed picture of Firestorm. He took a closer look at it and spotted coagulated drops of blood on it. "I hope that this isn't your blood." He mumbled and continued his way, but as he reached the center of the room he spotted a shadow in the dark part of it. "Miss Rainbow Dash?"
"Can't you read?!" a stallion asked in an angry tone. "She doesn't want to see you!"
"That's not her decision." Night Hawk answered calmly and saw that the pony charged at him. "Come on. Somepony has to bring her back to life."
"And that pony will be Firestorm, not you!" The stallion screamed while jumping over a knocked over table and landed there where Night Hawk had stood, but he was gone. The light fell upon the stallion and revealed his body; he was a pegasus with a dark blue coat and a black mane with a yellow streak through it.
"You must be her brother. – What was your name?" Night Hawk smirked while he fell down from the ceiling and landed upon the other stallion. "Blitz?"
"It seems as if my reputation precedes me." Blitz answered and knocked the Pegasus off his body. He tried to nail him down to the ground, but before he could reach Night Hawk's hoof he felt that it hit his face and realized that the stallion had knocked off his shades which revealed Blitz's fogged over eyes; Night Hawk had heard of a blind pony who had fought in the great Hellwar, but he didn't know that it was Blitz.
"There's no need for you to fight me." Night Hawk said and used his hind legs to lift the stallion up so that he could jostle him away. "But if you don't stop I'm going to defend myself."
"Hm – Don't make me laugh!" Blitz mocked while standing up. "As if you can beat me!"
"You don't even know who I am, don't you?"
"You are one of those ponies who want to use her!" the Pegasus said and got ready to charge at his opponent. "But I won't allow this."
"I don't want to use her; I just want to help her. - Her friends worry about her." Night Hawk answered in a calm tone while preparing for the next attack.
"LIAR!" Blitz yelled and charged at him.
"You really want to know it." The dark blue Pegasus stallion said and just a moment before Blitz crashed into him he flew up and with his hind legs he kicked him hitting his ears.
The power of the kick sent Blitz to the ground; his sonar didn't provide a clear image anymore which made him much more vulnerable. He knocked with his hoof a few times on the ground, but he couldn't spot Night Hawk.
"You're a good fighter, but since I know that you're blind I know that you can only use your hearing to find me; so it was nothing to beat you." The Pegasus said just before his hoof hit Blitz's head and knocked him out. To be sure that he wouldn't disturb his talk with Rainbow Dash Night Hawk tied him to the heavy wardrobe which stood beside the entrance.
Finally he began to search the house for her. He searched the whole first floor, but there was no sign of her only the devastation he had already seen in the room where he fought Blitz. The stallion went upstairs, but found nothing more than devastated rooms.
Half an hour later he had searched the second floor and so he went upstairs, but a door blocked his way at the end of the stairs. His hoof went slowly to the doorknob, but as he tried to open it he noticed that it was locked. He was about to go down again as he heard the hoarse voice of a mare. "Blitz?"
Night Hawk didn't answer and after awhile he heard steps coming towards the door.
"Blitz?" the mare asked again.
"Don't worry he has left already." He answered in an assumed voice which was similar to Blitz's. "He won't disturb you."
"Who was it?" she asked while opening the door.
"Me." The stallion said dryly and put his hoof into the door before she was able to close it.
"Leave me alone!" She screamed and tried to close the door, but after a time she realized that it was useless and she had to let him in. "Where is Blitz?"
"I think he's enjoying a nap."
"What?!" The mare screamed and tried to punch him, but he dodged every time and after awhile she was too exhausted and slumped down.
"I know that you miss Firestorm, but your life doesn't end with his death." Night Hawk said in a soothing voice while he lifted her on his back and carried her to the bed.
"Let me down." Rainbow sobbed and began to cry as he mentioned Firestorm.
"Do you even know how much your friends worry about you?" He placed her upon the bed and began to search for a box of tissues, but he found only dozens of empty ones.
"I-I don't w-want to s-see them."
"Why not?"
"They only w-want me to f-forget about him." Her eyes were sore because of all the tears she had shed in the last few days.
"No, they want to help you to deal with it. They never wanted that you forget about him." Finally he found a box which was still unopened and brought it to the mare.
"You are just saying so!"
"No." He flew up and landed upon the bed before he lay down beside her. "Nopony wants you to forget him."
"Really?" He could saw the spark of hope his words had created. "But why did I think that they want to?"
"Because you're in despair. Ponies don't act normal when they're in despair" The stallion said and laid his foreleg around her neck. "Think about it and you will realize that they just want to help you."
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and began to think. After a few minutes she opened her eyes again and began to speak with tearful eyes. "You are right, they are – they are my friends – they wanted to help me and I've rejected them. – What if they don't want to be my friends anymore?"
"Don't worry; they're still your friends." Night Hawk soothed her while he got up and as he saw that he has awakened her hope he added. "I know that you've been told that Firestorm died in the war, but that's not the whole truth. We have never found his remains, so it is possible that he's still alive."
"No! – If he's still alive he has already tried to contact me. – He must be dead."
"There is still hope as long as we don't find his remains."
"No-no-no" She mumbled again and again while shaking her head.
"I think he's trapped together with Firebolt. – You are the only pony who can help me to find them."
"W-why?" she sobbed
"Because I think that you can feel Firestorm when he's around."
"No – Why haven't you told me earlier?"
"Because I couldn't."
"But why?"
"Every pony has its own way to deal with a loss." He answered saddened. "And my way is to believe that he is dead and I can't help him."
"When you believe that he's dead, why are you here?"
"I changed my mind, that's all I want to tell you."
"So you want me to help you, but you don't want to tell me why you think that they're alive?"
"Yes."
"You said you can help me to find him?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes."
"Do I have time to rethink your offer?"
"Sure." The stallion answered. "Meet me in Manehatten if you accept my help."
"But how should I find you in such a big city like Manehatten?"
"Every midday, for the next two weeks, I'll wait in front of the city hall for an hour."
Night Hawk stepped towards the door and partway he turned his head towards her. "It's probably your only chance to find him."
"But what if he returns while I'm away?"
"You have to decide." He said while leaving the room. "I'll wait for your answer."
