UPDATE: AND IT'S NOT OVER YET! The Epilogue to the exciting and frustrating conclusion of this story. I got so much feedback that I just had to write this chapter. I hope you'll enjoy the ACTUAL last chapter of AppleDash: A Year to Remember.
ONTO THE STORY
16 Years Later
"The boy has grown Rainbow." Applejack put a pen down onto her desk and scratched her head.
"Well ya, but I don't wanna get him a porn stash or bad movies for his sixteenth birthday. I want it to be what he wants."
"Well I don't know what he wants! That's the thing!" Applejack crumpled the paper and threw it onto the pile inside the trashcan.
She leaned back in her chair and sighed.
"What were your dreams Rainbow?"
"My dreams? To go be an All American track star at some big college and get millions of dollars. You?"
"To settle down with a family and really live."
"Well that's what we're doing now right?"
"Ya,...It's just.."
"You feel like you ruined my life, huh?"
"Ya…"
"Well. I'm only 33. Life hasn't blown by yet. I'm still in great shape, and always will be. You're not bad either. Still got those hips and ass." Rainbow wrapped her arms around the woman.
"Oh you. The thing is...I don't want to-"
"To ruin his life? I know."
"Will we ever tell him what high school was like? He's going into sophomore year. It's like time has literally fast forwarded."
"Ya..You know what? I'm gonna go ask him. Straight up ask him what he wants."
"Have fun…" Rainbow let go of Applejack and walked down the hallway.
Music was blaring from the door and Soarin was yelling.
"Hey bud?" Rainbow cracked open the door and knocked on it with her knuckles.
"What's up?" He paused the game he was playing and turned toward her.
His face always made her think of Soarin. Everyday, guit would go through her and haunt her dreams.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Shoot."
"Here. Come here." Rainbow sat on the side of his bed. Soarin soon joined.
"What would you like for your sweet sixteen as a gift?"
"Well we're are obviously middle class, so a car is out of the question."
"What do you mean?"
"Well mom is a farmer and you're an accountant. We aren't going up in wealth anytime soon."
"Ok...What do you want besides a car?"
"This may sound crazy...But...Well,...If it's possible."
"Out with it..Come on."
"I want to see dad. To see if he's alive, and know's I exist...Mom?"
Rainbow glared at the ground and flashed back to the moment when she had a gun pointed at his head.
"Mom?"
"Huh? Oh….Well...I'll see what I can do."
Rainbow walked out and went back into the office.
"Well?"
"He wants to see Soarin…"
"Well then buy him a mirror." Applejack started chuckling and slapped her leg.
"Seriously. He wants to see his dad."
"I don't even know if he's alive."
"Neither me…But I think we know someone who does…."
Applejack looked up and stood from the chair.
"Oh no…"
"Oh yes…."
"What makes you think I know where he is or if he's even alive?" Twilight slammed a stack of papers on her desk and blew her bangs away from her face.
"Because you're an analyst. Your job is to know everything about anyone, and I know you can pull a file with his info." Rainbow stepped forward and put her hands on Twilight's desk.
"Fine...I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks."
3:00 am
The phone rang across the house. Rainbow reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the phone.
"H-Hello?"
"Rainbow! Sorry...I know this is early, but I got a file."
"OH! Ok, what do you got?"
"Well...You're gonna have to see for yourself…"
"Ok, I'm here. What do you got?"
"Soarin, caucasian, male, 35 years old, discharged from prison six years ago after his charge of assault and attempted murder."
"Ok. And?"
"It says here that he moved to the mountains and owns a house up there. He isn't married and is alive and well. That's all we got...Nothing more…"
"Ok, thanks Twi…Lunch sometime with the gang?"
"Sure thing. Later."
Rainbow ran out the door and sped from the building.
"Mom? Where are we going? We've been driving for hours and I haven't seen a building for miles."
"Just hang on, we're almost there. We got a surprise for you."
The car climbed up the dirt road to a small wooden home. It lurched forward into an open space of gravel and stopped.
"Ok, we're here."
"What is this place?"
"You guys stay here. I'll go up." Rainbow trotted up the steps to the outer deck and stopped at the large, oak door.
"Hello?" She rang the doorbell but got no response.
After many tries, she gave up and started walking away, but was cut off from a sound of a door creak.
"I can recognize that hair from anywhere." Soarin stepped out in a rope and coffee.
"Hey there Soarin, how's the hammer?"
"Gone...Remember? What do you want?"
"I know this is unexpected, but I want you to meet somebody."
"Ughghhg. Fine." He slowly came down the steep steps and walked over to the car.
"Soarin….Meet Soarin."
"Who are you?" Soarin lifted his mug and took a sip.
"Well...From the looks of it..You're my dad…"
Soarin dropped the mug from his hand and stood still as it shattered onto the gravel.
"Wh-wh-what? No…It's not possible. I didn't do it with anyone.
"Ya ya did." Applejack stepped from the passenger seat and crossed her arms.
"Applejack? Damn, you still look good."
"Told ya." Rainbow got nudged from Applejack and kept quiet.
"Remember that party at Rarity's? Hm?"
"Oh shit! But...We were protected...Weren't we?"
"It broke Soarin...This is your son."
Disbelieving, Soarin looked over at his carbon copy and scanned him over with his eyes.
"Can I speak with him in private?"
Applejack nodded as the two went up into the house.
"Take a seat kid...I mean Soarin…"
Soarin sat down at the large table and looked around. Track memorabilia and trophies plastered walls all around him.
"Do you think this is really a good idea? Soarin tried to kill us!"
"I know...But AJ...You got to remember...I had my gun at his head, and if it wasn't out of ammo, he wouldn't be here right now. And Soarin wouldn't be able to meet his real father."
"It's just that I think we should be in there."
"So...Why did you guys come up here?"
"I wanted to meet you for my sixteenth birthday…"
"Oh is that right? How come I never knew you existed?"
"Well you were in jail for ten years of those sixteen that i've lived."
"Right…"
"I overheard mom and mom talking...Is it true?"
"What, that I got my dick shot off by Rainbow? Yes."
"Ouch…"
"Yup. Nothing left. It was this one day that your parents were fighting me and she grabbed her pistol and popped one in my crotch."
"Fighting? My parents?"
"Yep. And they were pretty good….Actually...They were the best."
"Not my parents...They're too boring and bland…"
"Trust me. When alone, they'd take out five men, but together...An entire football team."
"Damn…"
"I loved Rainbow and Applejack...I only screwed one and that one came with a package."
"Why did you fight them then?"
"I guess I was misinformed throughout that span of hating them...Gilda tricked me into believing Rainbow had turned and Applejack had, too."
"Gilda? Who?"
"This chick that dated Rainbow, nearly killed her, seaked revenge, and got shot in the head by Rainbow."
"Ok...I'm confused…Let's just start from the beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Senior year, dad. Can you think of anything?"
"Boy...Senior year…"
Soarin looked at the picture atop a shelf over his fireplace. It was the state champion track team. He sighed and looked at his son, who was eager to listen to his story.
"Man...That year...That was a year to remember…"
