Login

The Arrival of Ford Mustang

by RoyalRainbow

Chapter 25: Chapter 24 – The Hard Goodbye

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Chapter 24 – The Hard Goodbye

“What?” Rainbow says to me confusingly.

“I can’t stay here.” I rephrase my sentence gloomily. “I… have to leave tomorrow morning.”

I look down in grim silence over the ledge of the nightly balcony we are standing on. I couldn’t bear myself to look at Rainbow right now. I can’t imagine what her next reaction might be.

“Hey, that’s great!” she says in surprising cheerfulness. “That means you get to go home, right?”

“Yeah… right.” I answer quietly.

“This is awesome!” Rainbow continues ecstatically as she hugs my unresponsive body. “I’m really happy for you! I guess that means you’re also one step closer in getting your memories back, huh?” I remain silent as I didn’t even want to answer that for her.

“So Ford, when will you be coming back?” she asks me.

“That’s the thing, Rainbow… I… wouldn’t be coming back… at all.”

“Like… in a while?”

“Like… forever.”

After a brief pause, she exclaims shockingly, “FOREVER?! B-b-but why?!”

“It’s… it’s complicated.” I answer hesitantly.

“Did something happen back home?” she asks of me in concern.

“No, of course not, Rainbow, it’s nothing like that!” I reassure her before sinking back into my misery. “It’s just… something I have to do… that’s all.”

“Well… that’s okay!” Rainbow says with an optimistic grin. “I can always visit you some other time! Just tell me where you live and I’ll be there ten seconds flat!”

“Rainbow… I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”

“Of course it’s possible! You just pinpoint the location, and I’ll be way ahead of you!”

“Rainbow, where I’m going, nopony can follow me.”

“Nopony except me, of course!” she boasts as always. “Or did you forget that I’m the fastest Pegasus in all of Equestria--!

“It doesn’t matter how fast you are!” I snap at her. “It’s absolutely impossible for you or for anypony to follow me at all!”

“Why are you acting this way?” she asks me defensively. I see the startled expression on her face when I snapped at her. I instantly turn my head away from her as uncomfortable silence fills the air.

“Wait… there’s more to this… isn’t there?” she says to me. No. Don’t do this to me, Rainbow.

With my head turned away from facing her intimidating gaze, I can hear her footsteps coming closer as I know for certain that she intends to get the answers herself.

“What is it that you’re not telling me, Ford?” she interrogates me.

“I… I can’t say.” I uneasily respond.

“Why?” she asks sternly.

“It’s… something I have to bear alone, that’s all.” I answer faintheartedly.

I feel a gentle hoof resting on my shoulder as she says to me sympathetically. “You don’t have to bear it by yourself.”

“Yes. I do.” I say firmly as I slowly remove her hoof off of me. Then, I steadily walk away from her before standing in my lonesome at the center of the balcony.

“Don’t you trust me?” she asks me out of concern as she follows me.

“It’s more than just a matter of trust!” I respond abruptly. “It’s… it’s nothing, alright?! Let’s just leave it at that!”

“Ford, talk to me.”

“I can’t.”

“Please, Ford?”

“I can’t.”

“I just want to help you--”

“RAINBOW, PLEASE! I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE!”

What have I done? I can’t believe I did that! After my sudden outburst, I see Rainbow taking a few steps back away from me with a fearful expression on her face. Seeing how terrifying she is of me, I frighten myself on what I have become.

“Rainbow… I’m sorry… it’s just that…” I apologize in a trembling voice.

I wanted to tell her. I really want to tell her the truth. But I’m so afraid on what will happen if I do. How it will change everything to her and to her world if I ever tell her anything about myself. I start feel something watery in my eyes. I swiftly turn away from Rainbow Dash again as I walk back to the ledge of the balcony with my head hanging low.

“Listen Rainbow, I appreciate all the times that we have shared together. To me, they are some of the best moments that have ever happened to me in my life. But soon… I’ll need to go home, and I won’t be coming back unfortunately. But hey, you shouldn’t be so worry about me. You still got your friends and family. And you’re this close to finally achieving your ultimate dream, and I couldn’t be happier and prouder for you than I am right now. You should just… forget about me, and go on with your life. I’ll probably just hold you back from becoming the greatest Wonderbolt in history. You don’t need me to get in your way any more--”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT ALL OF THAT RIGHT NOW! I ONLY CARE ABOUT YOU!”

My heart couldn’t take it anymore as tears begin to gradually pour out of my eyes. It’s bad that enough that I had to leave her, but now Rainbow Dash doesn’t want me to leave at all. I really hate myself for doing this to her.

“Ford… please… don’t go.” she pleads to me softly.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.” I respond quietly before my turning my head to see her one last time with a gentle smile. “I’ll never forget for all that you have done for me. Thank you… and… goodbye.”

Without a moment of hesitation, I kick off into the dark sky as I fly off into the distance. I couldn’t turn back now, and I don’t have anywhere else to go before I see Twilight tomorrow morning. As I fly aimlessly, my aching heart feels heavy, my eyes get really watery, and I couldn’t be able to fly straight anymore. I’m getting so emotional right now, that I decide to find a cloud to pour out all of my sorrow into it. Once I find a suitable cloud, I stuff my pitiful face into it as I let the cloud soak in all of my uncontrollable tears. I’m so pathetic right now!

I sought to make it the best night ever, now it has become the worst night ever!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Excuse me, Ford?”

“Umm… Ford Mustang?”

“Mmm… wha…? What is it?” I mumble as I slowly wake up from my dreary sleep.

“Oh, so sorry to wake you up like this…” the gentle, feminine voice continues to speak to me. “…but… umm… could I put this rope around your waist for just a minute?”

“Sure… why not? Go right ahead.” I answer without a care in my pitiful, drowsy state.

“Oh, thank you! And… I’m so sorry about this.” she apologizes to me as she secures the rope around me. After that, I go back to my nap of self-pity.

Wait… was that Fluttershy--?

“WAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

I scream hysterically as the rope wrapped around my waist pulls me down from my cloud and slams me into the hard ground below. I black out for a bit before I widely wake up and see myself hogtied down with my hooves and wings securely fastened. After my head clears up, I look up and see seven angry faces staring down at me: Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Big Mac, and even Fluttershy.

“You’ve got a lot of explainin’ to do, mister!” Applejack starts it off with an intense glare at me. I gulp heavily to myself upon facing the wrath of the ponies around me.

I notice that Twilight isn’t with them, considering that she must be doing her duties as a princess for tonight’s Gala. But I’ve also notice somepony else is missing. Somepony who should be just as angry towards me as they are.

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” I ask them. “How come she isn’t with you?”

“Rainbow told us that she was gonna fly straight home after what you’ve done to her!” Applejack answers with an angry frown. “In all my years that Ah’ve known her, Ah have never seen her so… defeated before!”

“What happened, Mustang?!” Rarity exclaims. “Everything was going swimmingly, and then you had the audacity to crush her like that!”

“Yeah, Mustang! What gives?!” Vinyl snaps at me.

I agree!” Octavia says in disappointment. “I would have never believed that you would be such as heartbreaker towards somepony like Rainbow Dash!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie chimes in. “And I’ve been planning an awesome party to commemorate your new relationship with Rainbow Dash the day after! I’m still deciding on whether to shortened it as something like “FordDash” or “RainbowMustang!”

After the awkward moment of silence thanks to Pinkie Pie’s usual randomness, Fluttershy says to me firmly, “I’m sorry to say this, but they’re right! How could you hurt Dashie like that?! I warned you what would happen if you ever do that to her, didn’t I?!”

As for Big Macintosh, all he did is shakes his head in disappointment towards me. His actions always did speak louder than his own words.

“You’re right.” I admit shamefully to them. “I wish I didn’t have to do that to her, but it doesn’t matter now, because I’m going home tomorrow and there’s nothing I can do about it!”

“Yeah, that reminds me.” Applejack ponders on that notion. “RD said something like that to us before she left the Gala. What’s all this about going home and never comin’ back again, Ford?”

“Yes!” Rarity insists greatly. “Aren’t you happy with living here in Ponyville with us?! With Rainbow Dash?!”

“Of course I was!” I say to them. “You guys are the best things that have happened to me!”

“Then why do you need to go home all of a sudden?” Applejack growls at me.

“Because I have to, alright?!” I answer snappily. “I don’t have a choice.” After stating my claim, a heavy stomp presses on the ground firmly next to my head. Looking at the mighty, orange hoof, I follow it up to meet up with Applejack’s emerald eyes as she furiously looks down at me.

“Don’t even think about lying to me like that!” Applejack warns me strongly. “There’s more to this than what you’re telling us! NOW START. TALKING.” And she ends her immense threat with another earth-shattering stomp next to me.

I take awhile to consider my options when confronting with the menacing Applejack, but despite how afraid I am of her, I stubbornly refuse to tell the truth. “I can’t tell you. I can’t tell anypony for that matter. Not ever Rainbow Dash.”

“Why?” she asks firmly.

“Because… it’s something I have to bear alone.” I answer dejectedly.

Noticing how my answer wasn’t good enough, Applejack gets really close to my face as she threatens me once again. “Ford, if you expect to walk on outta here in one piece, you will tell us what’s going on here right now!”

“Yes, talk to us!” Rarity insists.

“Come on, Mustang!” says Vinyl Scratch impatiently.

“Please! Tell us!” says Octavia.

“Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?!” says Pinkie Pie sweetly.

“Please, Ford! We only want to help you!” Fluttershy says gently.

“Don’t do this to yourself, Ford.” says Big Mac.

I couldn’t take it anymore! They just wouldn’t leave me alone! How can they understand what I’m going through or what I had to sacrifice to keep all of this a secret from them?! I feel like I’m going to suffocate! I feel like I’m just about to explode any second now!

“Dangit, Ford!” Applejack continues to question me furiously. "What is it that could be so important to hide the truth from your own friends?!”

"BECAUSE I’M NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM!!” I finally let out my answer explosively. My outcry shakes the surroundings as everypony around me becomes silent. Sigh… Looks like I have no choice but to reveal some of my origins discreetly.

“Look, I’m not from Equestria! I’m not even from this world! I’m… nothing more than just an outsider! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! From my world, I have a way of knowing so much about Equestria and its inhabitants! As much as I am fascinated by this magical place, I have always been fearful on how my actions may affect everypony around me! Despite meeting all of you and having the greatest time of my life, I know that deep in my heart that I can’t stay here forever! I just… don’t belong here.”

I close my eyes tightly as I couldn’t bear to see the ponies’ reaction, nor do I want them to see the depressing tears that I’m trying to hold back so hard. I am certain that they’ll hate me now seeing how I’m not a true pony. But as I imagine all the worst things they could say to me, I feel a soft hoof stroking my mane as I peek with one eye to see that it is Octavia, who’s caressing me with a caring smile.

“Ford…” Octavia says to me sweetly. “I may not know what’s going on with you, but I don’t think you have done anything wrong since you’ve came in our lives. In fact, I say you have made our lives better since then.”

“Yeah, totally!” Vinyl chimes in as she lovingly embraces Octavia with a hoof. “If it wasn’t for you, I may never have found the nerve to tell Octavia on how much I love her!”

“Why, that’s right!” Fluttershy agrees cheerfully. “Without you, Big Mac and I won’t have been able to overcome our shyness for each other!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac responds with his catchphrase as he gently nuzzles with his pinked-haired marefriend.

“And if it weren’t for you, I won’t have discovered my own feelings for my beloved Applejack here!” Rarity says to me gratefully as she affectionately nestles with her farm pony before receiving a nice kiss from AJ.

“You see, sugarcube!” Applejack speaks to me nicely. “If you never have shown up in the first place, we may have never found our special someponies! So, isn’t it about time for you to find your own?”

A lot of things flash before my mind. Some of the things I recall are from all those matchmaking incidents. How in a way, I did make their lives better despite my initial worries regarding with the show’s continuity. Not just that, but most of the things I think back to are from all the times I’ve shared with Rainbow Dash: how we first met, my first flying lessons, our sick days, our date at the fair, and most recently, our first dance together. All of these warm memories are what led me on falling in love with Rainbow to this day.

“I… I want to make it work with Rainbow Dash…” I admit to Applejack softly before moping to myself. “…but I know that’s not going to happen anymore. She probably hates me now more than ever. Besides, I don’t deserve her anyway.”

AUGGH! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” Rarity aggravates dramatically out of nowhere.

For some reason, Rarity rushes over to Pinkie Pie before pleading to her, “Pinkie Pie! I really hate to ask you for this, but I really need to do this for Rainbow Dash and Ford Mustang! Please, Pinkie! Just let me break this one Pinkie Promise! It’s very important that he finds out about this right now!”

Pinkie Pie thinks this over carefully upon this rare request from Rarity. “Hmmmm… Okay!” the pink mare answers in her usually cheerful tone. But as Rarity sighs happily from this, Pinkie Pie gets dangerously close to Rarity as she warns her with grave significance. “BUT JUST… THIS… ONE.” Pinkie enunciates as she pokes Rarity’s chest sternly with each word she just said.

Rarity laughs nervously to herself at Pinkie’s sudden threat before composing herself as she speaks to me. “Ford, there’s something you need to know! The dress Rainbow Dash was wearing tonight… that was my present for her on her birthday last week!” Then, I remember Rarity’s present, on how there was a shimmering, purple aura from the opened box. It’s the same aura that Rainbow’s dress was illuminating this evening.

“But there was more to it than that!” Rarity continues her explanation. “The dress she asked for wasn’t just for the Gala, it was to also impress you, Ford!” Now that is something I didn’t expect to hear!

“Me?!” I exclaim in immense surprise.

“Yes!” Rarity happily responds. “She even made me Pinkie Promise to not tell you about it! Also, it was my idea to invite Rainbow Dash along at the fair last week so I can orchestrate the double date fiasco! I figured that might help out between the two of you when she asks you out to the Grand Galloping Gala this year.”

“Wait, so was it your idea to have Rainbow give me her extra ticket?” I ask Rarity.

“Umm… actually, it was my idea.” Fluttershy adds gingerly. “You see, when she told about me about her feelings for you less than a month ago, I was the one to suggest to her on asking the princesses for an extra ticket to the Gala, so that she can give it to you.”

“So… she… did all this… for me?” I stammer at this revelation. “Wait a minute! Did all of you know about this?” They all gladly nod at me, but I am more surprised to see Applejack nodding with them.

“Even you?!” I point at Applejack. “But I thought you said last week that you didn’t know if Rainbow likes me or not!”

She just smirks at me before saying, “Ah only said that Ah couldn’t say, sugarcube, since Ah also promised Rainbow to not tell ya all about! So technically, Ah didn’t lie about anything!”

“Then… does that mean…?” I flabbergast greatly.

“Yes, featherbrain…” AJ says to me with a chuckling smile. “…it means that she loves ya!”

I… I don’t know what to say! I just… couldn’t believe all of this! Rainbow Dash actually loves me! Me! I begin to feel fresh tears pouring out of my eyes. I couldn’t tell if these tears are expressing happiness over this unexpected news, or if they are expressing sadness over the fact on how much of a full-blown idiot I was towards Rainbow. My mixed feelings start to lean more towards overwhelming grief than joy right now.

“Oh no… what have I done to her?!” I realize this tearfully. “I should have told her my feelings first before this whole mess I’ve made for myself happened!”

“It’s not too late, darling!” Rarity encourages me. “She’s waiting for you in her castle up in the clouds, and you’re the only one who can rescue her from her own tower of despair!”

“Just ask yerself this, Ford.” says Applejack. “If you had a choice between going back to yer homeworld, or stayin’ here with the pony you love most, which would it be?”

As Applejack points this out to me, I immediately recall something that Hindel the Dragon once said to me months ago.

“Eventually, you will reach a crucial point where only you can choose your next destination, but once you find the answer you seek, I am certain that you will make the right decision for yourself.”

I smile on this recollection from the dragon’s wisdom as I believe I have finally found that answer all along.

“AJ… could you untie these ropes for me?” I ask her sincerely. “There’s somewhere I have to be right now.”

“Sure.” AJ replies with a satisfied smile. And in a few minutes, Applejack gently unfastens the ropes off of me, and I stretch out my wings and legs in satisfying relief.

“I supposed I should tell you all the truth about myself, huh?” I ask them concerningly.

“You don’t have to tell us anything, Ford.” Applejack surprisingly reassures me. “But Ah think there’s only one pony out there who you should talk to about right now.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” I chuckle lightly. “Thanks everypony, for knocking some sense into me.”

“Well next time, if you ever try to hurt Rainbow Dash like that again, then we’ll literally knock some sense into ya!” Applejack threatens me playfully before giving me a quick hoof punch to the shoulder.

“I’ll… be sure to keep that in mind next time!” I respond with an awkward smile as I rub my briefly sore shoulder.

“Good! Now go get her, sugarcube!” AJ smiles and winks at me.

I smile beamingly at the support of my friends, and take off to the sky once again to set things right this time. I know I’ll have a lot to answer for when I see her again, but no matter what, I have to persevere… and not just for myself… but more importantly, for Rainbow Dash this time!

Author's Notes:

Almost there... just 3 more chapters left to go!

Next Chapter: Chapter 25 – No Holding Back Estimated time remaining: 48 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch