Magnificent, isn’t it? Just when they have you cornered, you find the golden opportunity.

“Dad?”

It’s then that you charge back at them. The hunters become the hunted.

“Dad.”

“But it’s never that simple, is it? No, those bastards who you annihilated; they just get replaced by more of those blood-sucking bastards. It never bucking ends. BUT!!! That’s all part of the thrill of the hunt. It’s about the journey, not the destination. It’s about taking as many of them down as you can before you get down yourself. It’s all a game...the most dangerous game.....”

“DAD!!!!!!!!!!!”

The stallion was broken from his deep concentration/inner monologue by a colt with messy brunette hair. Saltlick jerked his head and gave his son a fiery glare.

“Saltine, this better be important. In case you weren’t paying attention, I was kicking ASS at Ms. Pac-Mare! I was this close to the high score.” The stallion took his hooves off the top of the cabinet and held them only centimetres apart to emphasize said closeness.

“Um...I think the doctor wants us to come in. Mom like, had the foal and stuff.”

Saltlick’s eyes widened at the realized. “Oh, that’s what you’re pestering me about. Oh yeah, let’s go see her.”

The father and son walked down the corridor of the hospital waiting room, eventually making their way into the maternity ward. Along the way, the two engaged in spirited banter regarding the latest addition to their family, Saltlick casually trotting at a steady pace, while Saltine bounced around and ahead of him, as colts do.

“So kid, you excited to get a little brother?”

“Yeah! I just hope it’s not a pegasus. They think they’re so cool just because they can fly. Or a unicorn; that magic is just plain freaky.”

“Freakish as it is, this foal is still gonna look up to you, and you gotta be the best big brother no matter what he turns up.” The stallion then bent his head to the level of his son’s and whispered with a devilish smirk, “Also, don’t knock pegasi. There’re a lot of advantages when it comes to being married to one.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Saltlick replied, widening his grin and nodding his head in a slow and VERY creepy fashion. Saltine did not reply, but did proceed to recoil and distance himself from his father.

Eventually, the two made it to the door of Sky Surfer’s hospital room. The Wonderbolt reject had a relatively quick delivery. In her time alive, she was quoted to have “fired out” her son, Saltine. Obviously, this foal was no exception. Peeking into the door, Saltlick found his wife sitting straight up in her bed, chugging a mug of cider. Saltlick and Saltine exchanged confused glances before the elder stallion let out a cough to alleviate the silence.

The bedridden pegasus finished the mug of cider down to the last drop before slamming it on the meal tray attached to the bed. Sky smacked her lips in satisfaction before letting out a fantastic belch. She grinned at her husband and son before blurting out a very loud, “Sup?”

Saltlick raised his eyebrow in confusion. “Uhh....didn’t think hospitals carried cider.”

“They don’t. But I knew that after I had the kid, I could drink again. I was gonna take advantage of that opportunity, so I snuck in some of my personal stash.”

“Gotcha.” Saltlick looked around the room looking for his new child. “Uhh, shouldn’t there be like...a foal in here? Our foal?”

“Uhh, yeah. The doctor said he wanted to examine her. Apparently, she wasn’t crying when she came out, and that was cause for concern. I honestly didn’t notice because I was hurting like no tomor....”

“WHOA, SLOW DOWN!!!!!......her?”

Sky shot a quizzical look before replying, “Uhh, yeah. It’s a filly.”

“Jeez, this is some day. First I lose my chance at a high score, now you’re telling me my son is a daughter who’s like dead or something.”

“Correction. She’s going to be fine.”

Everypony looked to the doorway and saw the doctor: a unicorn stallion.

“Where the hay is my daughter, doc?” Sky asked in a rather agitated tone.

“Oh, where are my manners....or yours, for that matter.” The doctor replied in deadpan.

Sky Surfer was prepared to make a heated retort, but was cut off by her husband. “Sky is very sorry doctor, aren’t you, Sky?” No response. “Yes...she is very sorry. Now, about our daughter...”

“Here you go, sir, a healthy baby filly.” The doctor brought the foal up from behind him using his magic and levitated her into the forelegs of her father.

Lightweight; soft; warm......eeyup, this was a foal: one that Saltlick took an immediate liking to. The newly crowned father of two carried his new child to Sky’s bedside. The parents spent the longest time gazing at their filly.

“You know, I was a little concerned when I was pregnant with her. She wasn’t doing a whole lot of kicking.”

The doctor nodded. “Indeed. Even for a foal, this one seems to be petite and fragile. Not to mention, very shy.”

Saltine snorted. “Well, duh. She’s a foal. Aren’t they supposed to be helpless when they come out the mom?”

“Well, yes, but this seems to be an extreme case. Don’t believe me?” The doctor walked over to the window by Sky’s hospital bed and unfolded the blinds. A ray of light touched upon the foal’s creamy yellow face. She let out a very loud squeak before receding into the sheets she was wrapped in. Saltlick juggled the squirming lump of sheeting before it landed into the lap of Sky Surfer. Everypony gathered around the bed and peered at the unfolding pile to reveal the foal in its entirety curled up into a fetal position.

Her entire body was creamy white; her mane was a messy layer of pink that slightly obscured her eyes, which were a very bright shade of blue. Her wings were tiny, and they were pointed outward fiercely to indicate fear and excitement. The foal was jittering and breathing heavily, all the while keeping her tiny forelegs wrapped around her stubby hindlegs. The doctor levitated her into the arms of Sky Surfer, who was bearing a confused look.

“I don’t understand, doc. What’s wrong with her?”

“There’s nothing wrong with her.” Saltlick immediately replied.

“Your husband is correct, Ms. Surfer. Physically, there is nothing wrong with your daughter.”

Sky raised her eyebrow and looked down at her daughter. “If you say so.....”

Saltlick gave his wife a quizzical look before reaching over to take hold of his daughter. “Look honey, I know you must be disappointed or whatever, but this is probably a phase. She’s just a foal, after all.” Saltlick adorned a big grin before holding his daughter up like a monkey priest presenting a lion cub prince. “And besides. Look at her! You look at her and you tell me you aren’t in love with this filly!”

A moment of silence passed before Sky started to burst into laughter. The doctor and Saltine eventually followed suit and now everypony was giggling at Saltlick’s wide grin and enthusiasm.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Sky Surfer finally managed to generate words. “O-ok, Saltlick, you’ve got me. I’m smitten.” The pegasus took back her daughter. “It’s probably just a phase. She’ll grow out of it and become the bestest Wonderbolt in all of Eqwestria!!!” Sky pulled her foal up to her face and started cooing and uttering other sorts of “baby talk”.

Saltlick gave a chuckle. “Yeah, she could be a Wonderbolt, or....” Saltlick picked up the foal again. “She could be whatever she wants to be. Isn’t that right, Butterfly?”

Saltine was the first to snort at the sudden namedrop, then Sky Surfer....then the doctor. Eventually, everypony was in hysterics again by the very silly name.

“I’m sorry....I-I’m sorry. What?” Sky uttered between guffaws.

“What? That’s what she reminds me of. She’s soft, timid, but she’s also the sweetest and most beautiful thing in all of Equestria.”

“She’s great, Dad. Nopony’s disagreeing with that, but....what the hay is a butterfly? Is that literally flying butter?” Saltine queried.

“Butterflies are these flying insects. Back when I was a colt, there were butterflies all over Foalando before the city developed over all the natural parts. I’m pretty sure they’re still out on the frontier near the Everfree Forest.”

“That’s all fascinating and stuff, but I am not naming my daughter off of such an uncool animal. No offense.” Sky deadpanned.

“Well fine, let’s have a compromise. How about......Fluttershy?”

“That’s even dumber than butterfly, what the hay, Saltlick?”

“Look, I’m sorry I don’t have a fancy phd in naming foals, but if you’re not gonna let me name my daughter, who is from my seed...”

“and who I carried for 11 months.” Sky murmured under her breath.

“name my daughter the name I like best, then we’re gonna name her my second option, which just so happens to rhyme with Butterfly.”

Sky Surfer rolled her eyes again before looking at her foal again, and this time she was giggling. Softly and sweetly...she was giggling. A smile came across the pegasus mare’s face and she let out a sigh. “Well, I guess I can’t argue with that. Fluttershy must really like her name.”

Saltlick bore a victorious grin. “You bet she does.” He brought his newly dubbed daughter to his face and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Fluttershy. No matter what you are, I always will....”

______________________________________________________________________________

“YO! Fluttershy! Get your flank down here, I’m starving!”

“Hey. Dontcha be talkin’ to yer daughter like that....”

“Dad, shut the buck up! I’ll be down in like two seconds!!!!”

Everypony was stunned at that last statement. To hear such a curt and cutting response from somepony as timid as Fluttershy was nothing short of astounding. Never did they expect to hear such an exchange between father and daughter, let alone find out that this was the norm for them.

“Well it’s not really that shocking.” Twilight posited. “When family members get so close and comfortable with each other, certain cordial barriers are shattered. For example, every year, when I visit my parents for Hearth’s Warming, my family always ribs on my mom for getting drunk and passing out. Everypony in our family is comfortable with everypony else’s quirks.”

Applejack’s mouth went agape. “Twi, that’s horrible. Y’all should be helpin’ yer mama.”

“Oh it’s not that big a deal. Besides, Twilight’s family once tried to do an intervention, but it just got messy. Nowadays, we just laugh off her habit.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s for the best.”

Applejack stared at her two friends with her eyes wide open before shaking her head in a swift jerk. “That....Ah really wished Ah hadn’t learned that. Ah mean seriously, Twi...what’s wrong with y’all?”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other and shrugged. “I guess Ponyvillians have a different sense of humor.”

“That’s the only logical explanation.”

AJ just stared.

______________________________________________________________________________

“So that’s it, you just flew out on her?”

“Issswwass fer da bessss anyhoot. I don’ dessert nopony az gewd az Shyyyyyyy.”

“Vinyl, did we have to get her blind-stinking drunk. She’s practically speaking gibberish at this point.”

“Hey, liquid courage always enables somepony to let the truth out. Besides, I can understand her fine. She’s talking about a parasail, correct?”

Lyra shot Vinyl a look to which the DJ raised her hoofs defensively. “Kidding, kidding; but seriously, that’s really terrible, Dash.”

Lyra, Vinyl Scratch, and a very drunken Rainbow Dash had found themselves in the back alley behind the Canterlot public house where the two unicorns had taken the cyan pegasus to allow her a forum to recall her sorrowful afternoon. Eventually, Dash became so drunk and dramatic, that the proprietors asked the three mares to leave. Which brings us to that back alley I just mentioned.

Lyra raised an eyebrow at the pegasus perched over a trash can. “So...you didn’t even bother talking to Fluttershy or anything?”

“Well, whassther ta talk about? Flu-(hiccup)-ttashyzashamed o’ her bein’ a filly fooler, and she’s embarrazed o’ me.”

“Really? Because to me, it sounds like she was just afraid of getting rejected by her dad and all them.”

“Whu-(belch)-what?” Rainbow stumbled and fell to the ground, knocking the trash can over in the process.

Lyra rolled her eyes and approached the pegasus lying face down in the cobblestone. The amateur anthropologist brought Dash’s chin up and the two made eye contact. “Listen to me. Fluttershy is not ashamed of you. So stop this little pity party of yours, go back home, and go back to her.”

When Lyra removed her hoof from under Dash’s chin, the daredevil’s face immediately fell back into the alley surface. Speaking into the cobblestone, Dash murmured an incoherent phrase that most likely translated to, “Why bother? I would just hurt her if I stuck around. I made her cry when I beat up that brother of hers. She’s probably crying right now because of what I did. All I ever do is make her cry or hurt her feelings. It would be best for her if I just got out of her life forever.”

“That’s not the way Pinkie tells it.” Vinyl interjected.

Both mares looked to Vinyl, Rainbow slowly tilting her head upward.

“W-what’s Pinkie tellin’ yew?”

“Oh, only everything. Seriously, that filly will not stop talking about you guys. I know about Applejack’s favorite brand of horseshoe; Rarity’s fear of dying alone; Twilight’s dream journal of Princess Luna; and all about how you’ve become Fluttershy’s protector?”

Rainbow tried to muster the balance to get on her hooves, but ultimately plopped back to the ground. “Pr-protector? HA! That’s a load.”

“Is that so? Then I guess Pinkie lied when she told me about how you protected her from bullies when you two were fillies. I guess Pinkie was being dishonest when she told me about how you provided comfort and encouragement to Fluttershy leading up to Tornado Day so that she would get the courage to fly alongside the other pegasi. I guess Pinkie made up the story about how you saved Fluttershy from a group of shape shifting monsters and gave her a chivalrous kiss on the nose afterward. Yeah, I guess the element of honesty made ALL of that up.”

“Pinkie’s not the element of honesty, that’s.....wait, is it her? I forget sometimes. Hold on.” Rainbow put a hoof to her chin and tried to crack the riddle in her drunken state. “Okay, so if Twilight is....generosity, then that makes Pinkie.....loyalty?”

Vinyl dismissively shook her head. “Look, it’s not important, alright. The point is: was I wrong about any of those. Is Pinkie telling the truth?”

Rainbow let out a sigh. “I-it’s true. I guess I am Fluttershy’s protector.” Another sigh. “But it’s hopeless. Even if I did come back, nothing would really change. There would still be somepony trying to drive us apart. Not just her family, but the town. Oh sure, couples like us, Lyra and Bon Bon have our friends and junk, but a lot of ponies still don’t like it, and those few that don’t like it are getting in the way of us getting married. i-I know it’s silly, but I just want Fluttershy to know that I want to be hers forever, and...oh Celestia, this is corny...I wanna give Fluttershy the fairytale ending: a wedding that’ll make her my princess; I wanna marry her and let her know that she’ll never have to worry about being alone or scared again.” One more sigh. “But, it’s hopeless. Somepony will always get in the way.” Tears began to stream down the pegasus’s face.

The long silence that ensued was broken by Lyra. “I thought you were a fighter.”

Dash turned her head to the green unicorn. “Huh?”

“Seriously? You’re giving up on the love of your life just because somepony says you shouldn’t be married? Where’s your drive, Dash? Your initiative?”

The lyre player kneeled down to the inebriated pegasus and once again brought her face close by the hoof.

“Let me tell you a story, Rainbow. Back in music school, I met the mare of my dreams, and no, it wasn’t Bon. I love her to death, but this filly was different. She was my best friend and we did everything together. I realized I loved her, and do you know why I lost her? It was because I was too passive and didn’t fight for us. She slipped from my hooves, and I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting it. Don’t make the same mistake, Rainbow Dash. You go to Fluttershy, you hold onto her tight, and you fight any foe that tries to pry you two apart. You got me?”

Vinyl sighed. She knew the truth. Lyra was telling a mixed bag of truth and lies with her story, but the DJ chose not to bring it up at this particular time. It didn’t really matter anyway, at least not for Dash.

Rainbow pondered for a moment before sighing. “I just don’t know if I can do it.”

“Okay, so you’re just a coward.”

Rainbow jolted to her hooves and shot Lyra a piercing look. “What!?”

Lyra adorned a smug grin, knowing she had baited the cyan mare. “Well, yeah. Obviously you don’t have the guts to go home to Fluttershy. You’re not daring enough to fight for your right to love her and spend the rest of your life with her. You don’t have the cojones to stand tall against anypony who tries to destroy your love. You’re just a gutless foal.”

“First of all, I don’t know what the hay cojones are; second of all, I’LL SHOW YOU A GUTLESS FOAL!” Rainbow attempted to flap her wings to get herself off the ground, but just ended up stumbling and falling to the ground.

“(Belch) horseapples, I’m too drunk.”

Vinyl snorted. “How does one get too drunk?” Silence. “Um, anyway, Dash, I think I have a solution to your problem.” Vinyl reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a lump of sparkling white dust. Carrying the mysterious substance in her hooves, Vinyl gingerly walked over to Rainbow Dash and knelt down so that the two were at eye contact. The DJ blew at the substance like birthday candles into Dash’s face. The pegasus instinctively yelped and recoiled from the unexpected action, fluttering her eyes to try and get the powder out of her eyes. Eventually, Dash snorted the sparkling dust that had entered her nasal cavities. Immediately, a jolt of sobriety and energy shot through the cyan daredevil’s body. Her wings, her legs, her entire being were now all standing tall and determined.

Dashed howled at the moon like a wolfmare and shot up into the sky, leaving only behind a distinctive rainbow streak and howling breezes that tossed around the surrounding debris and ruffled the two mare’s manes. Rainbow was setting a course for Ponyville, for home...for Fluttershy.

Before disappearing into the distance, the pegasus shouted, “VINYL! WHATEVER THAT WAS...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! WOOOOOOO, DON’T YOU WORRY FLUTTERSHY, DASHIE’S COMING HOME!!!!

Vinyl looked to the night sky and nodded in approval, while Lyra looked to Vinyl in dumbfoundedness. The green unicorn finally asked, “Was that....was that pixie dust?”

Vinyl just simply grinned and made a little nod.

Lyra’s eyes shot wide. “Dear Sweet Celestia!......we forgot to ask Rainbow where Pinkie was, didn’t we?” Next Chapter: 14. Pop the Question Estimated time remaining: 29 Minutes