"Skylark! Where you hidin'?"
The violent voice made Rainbow Dash tremble. She wanted to get out of bed to close and lock her door, but fear paralyzed her.
"Skylark! You answer me!" His voice was slurry, but that was normal. He'd been drinking again. "SKYLARK!" he yelled.
"I'm taking a shower!" Skylark replied, her voice strained.
"Come out here! We need to talk!"
"I'll be out in a few minutes!" She was clearly annoyed.
"'A few minutes' isn't good enough!" He rattled the doorknob. "Why'd you lock me out of this bathroom?" He was still yelling loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
Her mother replied, but Rainbow Dash was too far away to hear.
"I need to take a piss!" His fist pounded against the wall. "Open this door, mare!"
Rainbow Dash pulled her blanket up to her chin, her whole body quivering.
"I SAID 'OPEN THIS DOOR!'"
Suddenly the door opened, and Skylark's voice reached Rainbow. "What do you want?"
"We need to talk! Sit down!"
"I'm not finished!"
"I said 'Sit down!'"
"You can wait 'til after I'm done!"
"You're not goin' back in there!"
Skylark cried out. "Let go of me!"
Rainbow Dash pulled her blanket over her head, wishing she was somewhere else. She tried to stay calm, but she couldn't stop hyperventilating.
"I'll teach you respect, mare! Now sit down!" her father yelled.
"No!" Skylark protested.
"Sit down!"
"I said 'no!'"
"SIT! DOWN!"
Skylark's body hit the floor.
Rainbow grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her ears, but nothing could block the sound of her father beating her mother. With every landing blow, every shriek, every plea for mercy, she groaned and writhed in her bed, tangling the blanket and her clothes around her body.
"Rainbow! Rainbow!" Skylark desperately cried between screams.
Rainbow Dash's heart pounded harder and harder. "Mom. Mom!" Urgency spurred her to throw her pillow against the wall and tear off the blanket. "Mom!" She leapt up, threw open her bedroom door, and flew as fast as she could down the hall and into her parents' room.
Skylark was curled up on the floor, towel wrapped around her body, still wet from her shower. She yelped, moaned, and sobbed miserably. Rainbow's father was standing over Skylark, kicking, punching, and slapping her viciously.
"MOM!" Rainbow screamed, so loud and reedy it hurt. She stepped forward boldly, shoving her father away from her mother. Before he could regain balance, she was striking him frantically with her fists, elbows, wings, knees, and heels.
He tried to fight back, but Rainbow Dash was too quick. She punched him hard in the chin, making his head snap back and his eyes roll.
Rainbow halted, stunned by her power.
Her father seemed dizzy. He braced himself against the bed and looked at her. He must've noticed the blood on her knuckles, because he licked the corner of his mouth then wiped it with his thumb, leaving a red streak behind. He looked from his hand to her intense eyes. "You need to learn your manners, whelp."
Rainbow Dash spat defiantly, nailing him on the cheek.
Enraged, he stepped threateningly toward Rainbow, but she straightened her back and tightened her fists. He hesitated, then snorted. "I'll teach you respect someday." He flung his finger in the direction of her mother. "You need to learn like she did!" He stormed out of the room and down the hall, cursing as he went.
Rainbow Dash exhaled, relieved and dazed. Remembering her mother, she knelt and helped her sit up. "Mom. Mom. Are you okay?"
Panting, Skylark looked at Rainbow Dash and smiled weakly. Her eyes were red and swollen. She reached out a wet, trembling hand and tenderly stroked Rainbow's cheek. "My hero," she hoarsely whispered.
Rainbow pulled her mother close, letting her rest her head on her chest, and petted her wet hair. Her heart was still pounding, but her face was set like stone. "I won't let him do that to you again, Mom. I'm your protector now."
Rainbow Dash woke up, trembling. Her heart was racing. She looked down. The sheets were tangled around her legs and dark from sweat. It was just a dream, she told herself. It was just a dream. He's not coming back. He's not coming back. She tried to slow her breathing.
A sound startled her. Her eyes darted to her wrist. Oh, good. It was just her watch alarm.
Oh, her watch alarm! She was gonna be late for the party! "Come on, Rainbow, pull yourself together!" She slapped her cheeks and exhaled sharply, then jumped out of bed.
Rainbow changed out of her sweaty clothes and rinsed off in a flash. As she was drying herself off in the bathroom, she felt a bump through the towel. She didn't have to look at it to know what it was, but she did anyway. She had a long scar on her tricep, cut flesh that had healed a pale pink, interrupting the white cloud on her cutie mark. She'd always told people it was from crashing into something when she'd been flying, but that was an easy lie—it was from her father.
She squeezed her tricep hard, feeling her hatred for him.
Rainbow Dash looked up at the clock. She had to hurry. Pushing the thought away, she dressed herself in a racerback tanktop, comfortable for the winged Pegasi; shorts, which wouldn't give as much air resistance as a skirt; and a pair of sneakers. She looked in the mirror. She was strong, athletic, and good-looking. Flexing her biceps, she gave herself a short pep talk. "You're awesome! Let's do this!"
Feeling confident, Rainbow Dash flew out of her cloud-house and toward town.
Fluttershy crossed her mind.
I'd better check up on her and make sure she's okay, she thought to herself. But if she asks, I'll just tell her I didn't want her to be late. She sped up, worry infringing on her mind.
-o-
Rainbow rapped a couple times on Fluttershy's door, too wound-up to land on the ground.
"Hello?" Fluttershy seemed surprised to have company, but she was fine. In fact, she looked more than fine—she was beautiful. She wore a nature-inspired sundress, thin and flowy, likely made by her.
Rainbow Dash wanted to compliment her, but she'd never been good with words. "Fluttershy, hurry!" she blurted. "We're gonna be late to the party!"
Fluttershy looked over one shoulder at her clock and gasped. "Oh, my goodness! You're right! But…" She stared at her animals, wringing her hands anxiously.
Rainbow felt a pang in her heart. Fluttershy's animals were more important to her than even her best friends, though she'd never admit it. They were like her support group.
Fluttershy spent too long talking with her animals. Rainbow wondered if she could actually understand them, or if it was a fantasy she liked to live in. "Everything will be fine," she was saying to them. "Right, Rainbow?" She turned to look at her, sunlight warming her pale face and wind playing gently with her long, soft pink hair.
Rainbow Dash swallowed over a lump in her throat. Of course everything will be fine. I'll make sure you're safe, she thought. "Yeah!" she reassured her, unable to resist smiling. "Your animals will be fine."
"Animal friends," Fluttershy corrected, almost in a whisper.
How could anyone get mad at her, even when she corrected them? "Animal friends," Rainbow agreed. She saw the clock behind Fluttershy's head. They'd lost too much time. "C'mon, Fluttershy, we gotta go!"
"Alright."
That was good enough for her. She grabbed Fluttershy's hand and started flapping harder, barely giving her enough time to close the door before she pulled her off the ground.
They had to hurry. No one liked a late party guest. Besides, this party was important—it was celebrating the day they all met Twilight, just one year ago.
Rainbow Dash felt resistance on her arm. "C'mon, Fluttershy, we're only halfway there! You can't slow down now!" she called over one shoulder. She glanced back at Fluttershy. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. "Fluttershy?" She cried, terrified.
Rainbow Dash landed on the nearest roof, laying Fluttershy down as gently as she knew how. She checked Fluttershy's pulse under her chin, breathing steadily in an attempt to calm her own palpitating heart.
Fluttershy opened her eyes. "Did I black out?"
"Your heart rate's too fast," Rainbow said, feeling the worried edge in her voice. "Just rest here for a minute." She should've been more careful. This could've been prevented. She couldn't let her end up like her mom. She swallowed over a lump in her throat, but it only made it bigger.
She looked back at Fluttershy, who looked a little better. Dash gave her a hand, pulling her gently to a sitting position. "How do you feel?"
She didn't need to ask. Fluttershy was swaying and blinking. "A little dizzy."
A little?
"But I'll be okay," Fluttershy reassured. "I'm feeling much better." Foolishly she stood, trying to smile, but crumpled to her knees.
Rainbow Dash shook her head disapprovingly and scooped Fluttershy into her arms, holding her close. Why did she have butterflies in her stomach?
She ignored the feeling, declaring, "I'm not gonna let you fly yourself there!"
"Oh! Are you sure?" Fluttershy looked so innocent and helpless, like a child.
Rainbow smiled at her. She wanted to protect her. She had to protect her. "Don't worry—I'm strong as a stallion and twice as fast!" she boasted. "I'll getcha to that party on time!" She took off, flying a little more slowly than before. Her cargo was precious.
Rainbow Dash looked down at Fluttershy. She was resting her head on her chest, reminiscent of her mother. Fluttershy was weak, like her. But Rainbow Dash was stronger now than when she was a filly. She wouldn't let Fluttershy end up like her mom.
She couldn't.