Home sweet home

Quill stumbled along the road, exaustion made his legs feel like they were being dragged through knee deep mud. He probably would have collapsed at some point along the way from Whitetail Wood if he didn't have Bolt supporting him. At last they arrived at Quill's house. It was a fairly small house, but at least it was a roof over Quill's head.

"Well, here we are," Quill said, "it may not be much, but it's home." He opened the door and lead them inside.

"Make yourself at home," he said to Bolt, "can I get you anything to drink? My throat's still hurting from all that yelling."

"can I get you anything to drink? My throat's still hurting from all that yelling."

Golden chuckled, even when Quill was at his lowest, he still remembered his manners. Golden would have just grunted and pointed at the kitchen before flopping down on his couch if he was in Quill's position.

"I think its the other way round Quill."

Golden laughed, while he say Quill down on the couch, before he went into what looked like the kitchen.

"Water Quill?"

Asked Golden while he rummaged through the kitchen cupboards, searching for glasses.

"water would be amazing, thanks." Quill said as he flopped onto the coutch. "Glasses are in the second cupboard." His throat was aching from the expirence. Tired as he was, he tried to stay awake just to be refreshed by the water.

"Glasses are in the second cupboard."

"Second cupboard, right."

Echoed Golden, soon he found the glasses and quickly filled one up. He took it over to Quill, before heading back into the kitchen to fetch the other glass.

"Cheers."

Said Golden with a smile, before sipping from the glass of water.

"Cheers," Quill echoed as he drank from the glass. The water felt so good going down his throat. It felt like the water had healing powers of its own, and was busy mending Quill's throat. Of course that wasn't true, and Quill knew the soarness would come back eventualy.

"ahh that feels so much better!" Quill exclaimed. He then turned to Bolt, "thanks for helping me out back there. I don't think I wouldv'e made it back without your support."

"thanks for helping me out back there. I don't think I would've made it back without your support."

Golden smiled at Quill, after watching him being engulfed in flames the least he could do was make sure he made it back home in one piece.

"Think nothing of it. Friends are there for a reason."

Golden said, still smiling.

"I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"I'm sure you would have done the same for me." Bolt said

"I hope I don't have to." Quill said, "I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anypony, even my worst enemy." He knew that the memory of that pain would never leave him. To have that kind of pain with no hope of release, it was a pain no one could bear forever. He was shuddering at the memory already

"I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anypony, even my worst enemy."

"Well at least its all over, no chance of it happening again."

Suddenly Golden gave a large yawn.

"Oh, sorry about that. Must be more tiered than I thought."

Golden said, his eyes watering slightly from yawning.

"Erm... Mind if I use the bathroom?"

"Sure, it's the door on the right." Quill said. He closed his eyes for a second, and all of a sudden it all came back. It was as if he was reliving the expirence all over again.

Tackling Shala to get her to stop running around...water hitting the fire...the flare up...unimaginable pain...screams coming from his throat...the smothering blackness...panic...explosion....light

Quill suddenly gasped as he was ripped away from the memory. He knew he would see what happened later on in life, but he never expected it to be so intense. It sent a sudder through him.

"Sure, it's the door on the right."

"Thanks Quill."

Golden said with a smile, as he got up and went to the bath room. He opened the tap and splashed his face a few times. Allowing the cool water on his face to refresh his body slightly. He still needed to get home after this. As he lifted his head up, Golden heard a loud gasp from the lounge. He almost forgot to turn the tap off as he lost he train of though.

I wonder if Quill is going to be ok. I mean that was really quite... Something... to have to experience.

Subconsciously Golden flailed at the tap in an attempt to close it. Suddenly there was what felt like a small ball hitting Golden's hoof. He looked over to the basin, expecting to have seen something that had fallen from somewhere, but saw nothing but the metal taps.

Metal... Oh a static shock.

Golden thought, the wheels turning in his head.

I had to shock Quill to extinguish him... For all we know he is still in shock.

Quickly Golden trotted out of the bathroom and back to the Lounge.

"Um... Quill..."

Golden started, searching for the right words.

"Are you ok? I mean ok after all that happened today? Because if you need somepony you know I'll be all to happy to stay. That is if you want somepony to talk to I mean."

Golden stumbled over his words, not sure if he got his point of wanting to help across to Quill.

"Are you ok? I mean ok after all that happened today? Because if you need somepony you know I'll be all to happy to stay. That is if you want somepony to talk to I mean."

Quill looked up at Bolt, surprised at his offer.

"I don't know," he said to answer Bolt's question, "I mean I knew I'd never forget the expirence, but I never expected the memories to be so...intense, or vivid, like I'm expirencing it all over again. Even memories of what happened in Manehaten aren't even close to this."

To answer Bolt's offer, Quill said, "I wouldn't want to be a bother to you, if you have to be somewhere, you should go." Quill of course was hoping Bolt would stay, he doubted that he would last the night if those memories came back without somepony to talk to.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother to you, if you have to be somewhere, you should go."

"Don't worry about me Quill. I've got no-where that I need to be any time soon."

Golden said with a smile as he sat on the couch. He looked over at Quill. He looked so tiered are drained, but his eyes were wild, it looked like the memories of the fire were really getting to him. Golden felt that he had to help Quill. No matter what.

"So you writing any new books?"

Golden asked. He wanted to ask about Manehaten, he wanted to know what had happened. But he knew that he would have to ease Quill into it. Asking him straight would just make him feel worse.

"Don't worry about me Quill, I've got nowhere to be anytime soon."

Quill sighed in relief, glad to have somepony to talk to.

"So you writing any new books?"

"I have several ideas," Quill answered Bolt, "I might just make a seris out of them, but no, I haven't started to write the books yet."

"I might just make a series out of them, but no, I haven't started to write the books yet."

Golden nodded his head. He had always wondered what kind of books Quill wrote.

"So when did you first start writing books?"

Golden asked,

"I've been writting for as long as I can remember," Quill replied, "even back in Cloudsdale, when I was supposed to be practicing flying, I was in the library, reading and writing, much to my father's displeasure." Quill laughed a little at the memory, beause the alternatate was to remember why he was displeased at it in the first place.

"I wonder what he's doing now," Quill thought to himself, "no, can't think about that now, got too much on my plate as it is."

"I've been writting for as long as I can remember," Quill replied, "even back in Cloudsdale, when I was supposed to be practicing flying, I was in the library, reading and writing, much to my father's displeasure."

Golden chuckled. He imagined what would have happened if he decided becoming a weather Pegasus was not one of his life goals. Maybe he would be a different pony, have different friends. He shuddered. Golden rather liked the life he was living now.

"So what happened that you decided to move to Ponyville?"

"To be honest, I wanted peace and quiet, away from all the big cities." Quill said, "I've been to alot of places, and seen alot of things, and so far, Ponyville's been the one place where I've been able to fully relax, not having something happen when you least expect it." He thought back on the events of that day, "well most of the time at least." His thoughts unknowingly whent back to his father.

"Maybe Bolt knows something." Quill thought to himself. Out loud he said, "hey Bolt, can I ask you a question? It's about my father, I haven't seen him in so long, and I know he probably doesn't feel the same way, but I still care about him. I just want to know if he's still doing ok, I figured since you're a weather pony, and he's the director at the weather factory, or at least he was the last time I saw him, you might know something. His name's Lightning Chaser if you know him."

"His name's Lightning Chaser if you know him."


Lightning Chaser, I know the name... My old boss.

Golden thought, pictures of ponies flashing in his mind as he searched for the pony he was looking for. Finally settling on a certain pony. Golden chuckled.

"So Lightning Chaser was your father? I remember him. He was my old boss before I became a Specialist. Used to show us a lot of respect. He was always proud of the factory. But he sold his shares in the factory a while back. Said he was going into retirement. I remember sitting in his office one day. He was standing by his window just staring out of it. After a while he sat down in front of his desk. He asked me one thing before he packed everything up and left."

Golden couldn't help but laugh. A few years back, the question hadn't made sense to him. But now, sitting here in Quill's home. It suddenly made sense. It was like a puzzle and the last piece that was needed to finish it was found somewhere under the couch.

"He asked me if I read books."

Golden laughed again. The reality of the situation now sinking into his head.

"My answer was yes. I do read books. Next thing I knew I was out of his office with a bottle of whiskey. He said, that he had made a few mistakes in his life and that I should learn from his mistakes."

Golden shook his mane. Thinking that he still had that bottle of whiskey on a shelf.

"Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw him."

Quill was stunned, his father had shown nothing but contempt for the thing that Quill loved to do. He sat for a while in a state of shock greater than when the memories of being on fire came back to him.

"Are...are you sure he said that?" He asked. Quill had memories of his father, always the proud weather pony, always concerned about his work, and how it was helping other ponies all around Equestria. He also remember the day that he left, out into the cruel, unforgiving world that almost killed him on more than one occasion. He had always thought that if his father had seen him in those years after he had left, that Lightning wouldn't even acknowledge Quill's presence.

"You want to know what he said to me before I left?" Quill asked, tears in his eyes, "he said 'no son of mine's going to spend his time writting pointless books, leave if you must, but if you do, don't expect me to welcome you back.' after that I always assumed he meant it. I thought he never cared about me again, that I was just another pony out there in the world. I wish I could take back everything wrong I've said about him now." Quill sat in silence after that, not knowing anything else to say.

Golden couldn't believe what he was hearing. In his head he had an image of Quills father. A proud Stallion who cared about his staff was always kind and thought logically. But Quill was putting another image of him in his head now. A cruel, biased and proud stallion. Who turned his back on his own flesh and blood.

The images clashed like fire and ice.

Golden ran a hoof gently through his mane before continuing.

"Do you ever think you father was scared?"

Golden asked, he took a breath before continuing.

"I mean, scared that you might not make it in life? You know he might have been scared that you won't be able to look after your-self, or your family if something were to happen to him."

Golden sighed, he knew these kinds of things were hard to accept. Golden didn't know what he would do if his foal was a unicorn or earth pony. It was all just... complicated.

"But your father did step over a line. There is a time when you have to accept that things won't go your way and when you told your father that you were going to become a writer. I think he took that as an insult. Feeling that if you were to become a writer, you didn't care about your family any more.

I'm not saying that you don't Quill. Its just, this is how ponies react to these things. I was lucky. I was interested in the things my father did. It became my passion and I followed it and you did the same. You took your passion by the horns and you followed through with it. Which on its own is incredibly admirable.

Look I don't know how your father feels about you now. Maybe he has come to terms with the fact that you are a writer, maybe he hasn't. But what I do know is that he misses the one thing that only you could have given him. Weather Pegasai or not. He misses your love.

Golden sniffed, trying to think of the last time he had told his parents he loved them. It was too long ago...


"I think right now, all he would do right now if he saw you was to give you a hug. Then probably ask you if you decided to become a Weather Pegasia"

Golden laughed at the irony.

"The truth of the matter Quill, is your father loved you so much that he almost killed you trying to change your mind about becoming a writer. I think he was just so scared that you might not make it in life, that he didn't know what else to do."

Then Golden got up off the couch and walked over to Quill. He put his hoofs around his neck and gave him a tight hug, not letting go until he was sure Quill was either feeling a bit better, or about to break something over his head.

" don't know what he was feeling when he said those things," Quill said, "but he probably was afraid, he had put his heart and soul into weather, and to see his son wanting to do something different must have been hard on him."

"The truth of the matter Quill, is your father loved you so much that he almost killed you trying to change your mind about becoming a writer. I think he was just so scared that you might not make it in life, that he didn't know what else to do."

"You really think that?" Quill asked, he never tried to contemplate Lightning's reasons for disowning him. He just knew that it had happened, and that he was on his own. "I guess that could be the reason, I just don't know. I've been through alot since I left, and alot of that stuff wasn't pleasant. I just have a hard time beliving that he did it out of love for me." Quill returned the hug as tears flowed from his eyes. He was glad Bolt was there. Right then, at that moment, he just needed somepony to care.

"Its ok Quill. Everything is going to be ok."

Golden said as he felt Quills warm tears being smothered against his fur. For a while Golden just stood in the middle of the room, his hoofs wrapped around Quill. They stood there in silence for a moment, before Golden released his embrace.

"You've got something other ponies wish they could have Quill. You're stronger than others. You know what life is like. You know what to expect and how to react. You've got experience. Either from your father or Manehatten, but you have it."

Golden looked out a near-by window. It was now well past sunset and into the night. There was no way Golden was going to get home tonight. Not that he minded, he was at least here with a friend. A much better option than some dirty hotel.

"You're stronger than others. You know what life is like. You know what to expect, and how to react."

Quill thought about that statement for a moment. He knew that he had seen alot in his realativley short lifetime, but could he really say that he knew what to expect from life? He had almost died earlier that day, but he was reacted without thinking. There was a pony in trouble, and Quill had tried to save her.

"You've got expirence, either from your father, or Manehatten, but you have it."

"I wouldn't say it was very good expirence to be gained in Manehatten," Quill said at last, "I had more than a few close calls there. My father however, helped make me the pony I am today, both before and after he disowned me. I guess he did help me in some ways." Quill was finaly beginning to feel better, he hoped one day he could see his father again, and finaly set the record strait between them.

"I had more than a few close calls there. My father however, helped make me the pony I am today, both before and after he disowned me. I guess he did help me in some ways."

Golden smiled at Quill.

"There you go. Now you're getting back into the spirit of things."

Golden chuckled lightly, his mantra popping into mind.

"Theres a silver lining in any cloud Quill. No matter what evil happens, there will always be good. Hidden behind the chaos. All you need to do is look for it."

Golden took a deep breath a gentle smile on his face.

"Theres a silver lining in any cloud Quill. No matter what evil happens, there will always be good. Hidden behind the chaos. All you need to do is look for it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Quill said, "thanks for listening Bolt, you don't know how much it means to me." He felt more relaxed than he had been all day. This was the first time since before te incident in Manehaten that he had a true friend to tell his past to. He probably wouldn't have even brought his past up with other ponies.