Chapter 53 – An Urgent Matter
Rainbow Dash once again stood at the door, waiting for it to open. She inhaled deeply and, in her exhale, released all her pent-up frustrations and worries. she turned her head slightly as she senses an unheard presence, her special somepony, Breeze. She turned to him, and he chuckled, "You know the race doesn't start until tomorrow, right?" he asked with a smile.
She chuckled, and turned back to the door, "I know." she admitted, "But, it just feels right."
"Still mad at me?" he asked.
She sighed, and turned to him, "Not totally at you." she said, "It's just a lot of wrong all at once, you know?"
"Yeah." he agreed, "Honestly, I never meant for any of this to happen. It took me by surprise just as much as everypony else."
"I get it, and to have it spring up without anypony being ready?" she asked, "You were going to ease me into that conversation, weren't you?"
"I think so. I was mostly hoping it wouldn't be this advanced, but yeah." Breeze said, "I was going to tell you all about her on my own time, not just the, 'Oh, I saved a shaman in my youth' bit, like I did before."
She chuckled at his own attempt to mimic his own way of speaking, she knew it was an attempt to make her laugh, but she allowed it to succeed. "What did you mean by 'you think so'?" she asked curiously.
"I was actually thinking of the how!" he said, "The timing, the words to use, the place. Even now I was going to keep you from freaking out."
"I don't 'freak out'!" she corrected him. He simply gave her a look, one with a tilted head and half-laden eyes that asked if she really wanted to say that, because he knew better. "At least not often." she said with a blush.
He chuckled a bit, "Your secret's safe with me!" he said earnestly, "But it was never really a question of 'if', it was always a question of 'will I be ready' for me because I don't want to keep secrets from you. I've just done so much in my life that, it's a bit much all at once."
"I get it." she said, "But how did she know of the nightmares?"
"I had one the night we…well, you know." he said, "Plus, she saw me assassinate the guards of her prison. I'm assuming she put two and two together."
"I guess that makes sense." Rainbow said and turned just as the garage door began to open up. The moment the morning sun touched her hooves, she breathed in deep, catching the morning air as it rushed in. Breeze closed his eyes, letting the rushing air cool his mane as he felt the rest of the day greet him. "Ready for the day?" she asked.
"I sure hope so, because I can't handle any more surprises like the last one." he said.
"You and me both." Rainbow said with a smile.
The day soon came into full swing. Once Pinkie Pie was awake, she and Breeze rushed to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast for everyone, then Blade and Writch came in, each grabbing a piece of breakfast before going back to work on the Rainbow Trail MK. 2. Then Fluttershy and Hulon both came out with little Lau at their side, a smile from the boy as he ran into the kitchen to wish his father a good morning. Twiggs, Applejack, and Rarity arriving right behind the little boy as they chuckled, watching him in his excitement. Piks and his family all rushed out to join the rest while Phis walked slowly while holding onto a sleeping Kips. Spike, Twilight, Pilit, and Image being the next to last of the team to arrive for breakfast. Rainbow smiled, it would be a while until Tusks showed up, the large boar of a man loved sleeping in. She watched as her friends separated, each to do their own job for the team. She smiled, even as Twilight walked up to her, "What are you smiling about?" the purple alicorn asked.
"Just thinking." Rainbow said, "About everything that just happened yesterday, and what's going to happen tomorrow."
"Crazy huh?" Twilight asked, "Breeze is a father, and he had to miss eight years of his son's life because of one small obsession."
"I guess I hadn't thought of it like that." Rainbow said as she lowered her eyes to think, only to lift them back up in worry when Twilight spoke up again.
"Oh, gosh!" she said, "I hope I don't become like that when I have a foal!"
Rainbow began to chuckle a bit, "You do get hung up on a lot of things!" she teased.
"I'm serious Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said.
"I wouldn't worry." the blue pegasus said with a grin, "You've already had plenty of practice with Spike. I'm sure you could handle it."
Suddenly Twilight smirked, an evil thoughtful smirk, "You could practice to you know!" she said.
Rainbow gulped, hard. She knew where Twilight was going with this, so before the mare could continue, she changed the subject, "Eh heh. So, got any more magic control pointers for a beginner?" she asked.
"Oh NO, you don't!" Twilight said with an even bigger grin, "We are going to have this conversation." Twilight listened as Rainbow whinnied and turned to take off, Twilight just watched her friend as she sped off, and giggled at her own deviousness. She was only slightly taken off guard when she felt a hand touch her front left leg. When she turned, she found Lau at her side and a smile on his face, "Good morning Lau." she said.
"I like Rainbow Dash." he said, getting the alicorn to chuckle, "I think she can win."
"Of course, she'll win." Twilight said, "She's the best flier out there, and with expert training, we'll make sure the Sunik Emperor doesn't get to conquer the four planets."
"This team may be small," the two of them heard Pilit said, "But with the best of the best you don't need much!"
Suddenly, the group heard a knock at the bay door, and each looked to spy the small Dryskian of a woman, Syls, standing there looking to them with worry, "Syls!" Twilight shouted in excitement, and flew to her, quickly discovering the troubled look on her face, "s everything alright?" she asked as she landed in front of the fox girl.
Syls sighed a bit as the entire team eyed her, "We need your help." she said. These simple words got all of Rainbow Dash's team to turn to each other, each one searching for an answer.
"What can we do to help?" Twilight asked as she received silence.
The only answer she got was when Syls moved from the edge of the garage, gently pulling on the arm of a very familiar Sunik. The smaller of the two suniks that the team had seen at the end of every race stood there, his cloak draped over his shoulders and his hood haphazardly placed on his back, "WHAT THE…" Rainbow Dash called out, "Why are you bringing the enemy to our garage?" Rainbow then eyed the Sunik gunner, "Did you brainwash my friend?" she asked.
"He did nothing like that!" Syls said in defense, "Trust me, I would know if I was Brainwashed."
"No, you actually wouldn't…" Twilight mumbled in correction.
"Ok, then what's the big idea?" Rainbow interrupted.
By this time, the smaller Sunik was trying his best to hide behind the slightly smaller Dryskian, "Look, I normally wouldn't come to others unless I really needed it, but Krisskkil is in real trouble." Rainbow eyed the Sunik with anger until she was pulled away by magic from Twilight.
"Your name is Krisskkil?" she asked, trying to match the hisses and the growls perfectly.
"Yes." the gunner said.
"What can we help you with?" the purple alicorn asked, though she was wary of his presence, her curiosity overshadowed any doubts she had.
"The children." he said, and somehow, the team was on full alert.
"What children?" Fluttershy asked.
"I guess this is going to need some explaining, huh?" Syls asked.
"You think, short stuff?" Rainbow asked.
"YOU WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT SKITTLE HEAD?!" the Dryskian shouted.
"It's real guys!" Rainbow shouted to the group, "She's not brainwashed!"
"I ALREADY SAID I WASN'T!" Syls countered.
