1994 - Rainbow Family Home, Cloudsdale.
"Rainbow Dash!" Called Fyrefly, stomping her hooves impatiently, then muttered, "Oh, where's that filly got to?"
"Sup', honey?" Asked Spectrum Strike, concerned, although he could take a guess at where his daughter was at easily.
"Rainbow hasn't turned up for dinner, again." Fyrefly snorted, turning to her husband.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Said Spectrum. He put his hoof around his agitated wife, but she pulled away.
"That's not the point, Strike. She needs to do as she's told. I'm not having her wandering off every evening after I've slaved away cooking her food!" Fyrefly huffed and with a swish of her blue tail, she went back into the house.
"Fyrefly... " Spectrum began. He trotted after her. "She's at that age, you know, she needs to be out there exploring, and well, our Dashie's always been an adventurous one and - "
"Strike! Don't you understand? "Our Dashie" is still a filly, and she's got to learn!" She sat at the dinner table and stared at the food. "Ugh, might as well throw this in the bin..." Fyrefly rested her head on her hooves and sighed heavily. Spectrum blinked, but did not attempt to reason with Fyrefly anymore. He was tired, and he knew she would feel even worse. Without another word, he slipped away into the living room.
As his tail brushed the door, there was a faint, yet distinct voice ringing from the front porch. Unmistakably Rainbow Dash, he was about to call her name, but he changed his mind when he heard the soft snore of Fyrefly, who had drifted into a deep, well earned sleep at the table. Instead, Spectrum just listened; he was certain Rainbow wasn't one for talking to herself.
"That was hilarious!" Rainbow Dash was in fits of giggles. "Did you see the look on their faces? Priceless!"
"Too right it was - hey, do you have to go now? The skies are still clear, wanna nother' burn?" The second voice was unfamiliar.
"Er, I really wish I could, but I can't be late. My mum'd be mad..." Rainbow's voice was slightly ridden with guilt.
"Hm, okay then. Same time tomorrow?" The second voice was hopeful.
"Sure! Well, maybe a little earlier." Rainbow suggested.
"It's a date." Agreed the second pony. "See ya, Dash!" Spectrum heard the flapping wings as the pony departed into sky. Rainbow yawned her goodbyes, and her little hooves could be heard tapping across the porch and into the hall. When he heard the slam of the front door, Spectrum waited in the kitchen archway for his daughter: Rainbow tottered sleepily round the corner and right into him.
"Oof!" She exclaimed, and peered up to see what had blocked her path. "Uh, hi dad..." Rainbow instantly looked away and at the floor.
"It's okay, don't rush, your dinner's only gone cold. Your mother's exhausted, but I wouldn't worry, she hasn't been waiting for you the past half hour. I can see that you'd hate to be late home." Spectrum frowned.
"Dad, I..." Rainbow was avoiding eye contact with him.
"Look at me," He said calmly. "Where have you been?" Rainbow's wide magenta eyes glistened.
"Well, I... I guess I didn't really - I mean, you know... I lost track of time?" She glanced sorrowfully up at her father.
"No, Rainbow. I don't know. I don't know how you can do this every single evening—"
"It's not every single evening!" Rainbow protested.
"Don't interrupt. You're getting later and later every day. You're scaring the wit out of your mother. Do you realise how much time and effort she spends on you, and then you fail to even turn up?" Rainbow was silent for a second, but Spectrum looked her in the eye.
"Of course I do." Her glassy eyes blinked furiously.
"Then what gives?" Spectrum demanded.
"I-I'm really sorry, dad." Rainbow stammered.
"Rainbow," Spectrum leant down until his eyes were in line with his daughter's. "Don't say sorry to me. You're a growing filly, and I don't blame you for wanting to play out longer. But you've got to remember your limits. It's your mum who needs your apology. And don't argue with her, please. She's got enough on her plate."
"Why? What happened?" Rainbow asked.
"Nothing that concerns you, sweetie. Now, go to bed."
"But I'm starving!" She complained.
"It's a bit late for that, Rainbow. Here, have a biscuit or two." He grabbed a couple of oat crackers from the open tin he'd been snacking on and tossed them to Rainbow, of which she caught eagerly. Stuffing both in her mouth, she trotted towards her bedroom.
"Rainbow?" Spectrum asked, stopping Rainbow in her tracks.
"Hm?"
"Who were you talking to?" Outside, on the porch?" Rainbow spat the biscuits out.
"Oh, you heard me..."
"Of course I heard you! I could recognise your voice a mile off!" Spectrum chuckled. He noticed Rainbow scuffing the floor sheepishly. "Why can't I know?"
"I never said you couldn't know!" She argued, but then shied at her rudeness.
"So, tell me." He said plainly.
"I was with... Soarin'." She admitted almost inaudibly.
"With whom?" Spectrum teased.
"With Soarin'. Rainbow repeated a little louder.
"Soarin'? Oh, that troublemaker..." Spectrum wondered.
"He's not a troublemaker!" Rainbow replied.
"Really? Well, he must be if you've come home in this cheeky mood, madame!" Spectrum laughed and nudged her as he walked past towards his own room. "Y'know I'm kidding. Now, bed."
"That's where I was - I mean, yes daddy!" She battered her eyelashes at him, and the two cracked up.
"Night, my little Dashie." Spectrum said.
"Night." Then came the rare soft clunk of her bedroom door shutting. Spectrum smiled contently, and flopped onto the marvellous cloud bed. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep, and the Rainbow household was peaceful.
~~~
"Hey daddy!" Chimed young Rainbow, bouncing excitedly on her father, who groaned in detest of being woken up so early.
"What is it, Dashie?" Spectrum groused and flung the sheets of cloud off the bed.
"Today is sports day!" She jumped up and down all over the place.
"Where'd you get all this energy from, considering you only had two biscuits for tea?!" Spectrum asked in disbelief, watching his daughter bounce off the walls.
"It's sports day, so I've got more energy than anypony in the whole school!" She gave a cheesy, proud grin.
"Sure you have, kiddo," He laughed and ruffled up her forelock. Then he stopped dead. "Oh, Sweet Celestia, you mother!" And with that he shot out the room.
"Hey, dad, what's up?" Called Rainbow, and scurried after him.
"Fyrefly? Fly, honey, you okay?" Spectrum leaned over his sleepy wife who'd slept at the table all night. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Fly, I shoulda come and brought you to bed..." He brought his hoof to his face in frustration.
"Really... I'm absolutely... Feeling wonderful..." Fyrefly murmured, half awake.
"Here, drink this." He pushed a glass of fresh orange juice under her hoof, which just lazily flopped off the table.
"I'm thinkin'... I'm just gonna sleep here every night. So comfy..."
"You've not slept at all, have you? C'mere," He huffed and threw Fyrefly over his back, taking her to their room. He dropped her gently onto the bed and tucked her in the cloud. He kissed her on the forehead. "You have a good rest, now, Fly. You know you can't start sufferin' from insomnia in your state!"
"What state?" Questioned little Rainbow. Spectrum jumped, having forgotten she was there.
"Nothing, sweetheart. She's just a little behind on sleep, that's all. Why don't you go and get ready for school?" Spectrum said, a little flustered.
"I've already done that." Replied Rainbow. "I'm not missing a second of sports day! I'm doing the 100m sprint - flying and non-flying - and the 500m race and the egg and spoon race and... What else? Oh yeah, the six-legged race with Soarin'!" She babbled on proudly.
"Wow, that sounds fun!" Spectrum forced a smile and laughed.
"So, you comin'?" Rainbow asked expectantly.
"Huh?"
"Are you coming to watch me win everything?" Rainbow stood straight.
"Wow, don't get too full of yourself, honey, y'know, I don't want my Dashie to be disappointed." Spectrum said.
"You're not coming, are you?" Rainbow sighed, crossing her legs and frowning.
"I didn't say I wasn't coming, sweetie!" He retorted.
"But you didn't say you were coming," Rainbow growled. "Dad, there's some reason why, I know there is. And you're not telling me. And can you quit the sweet-talk, I'm not a little filly anymore!" Rainbow Dash stomped her hooves. Here we go again...
"Rainbow, don't be like that! You hardly gave me chance to reason with you!" Spectrum left Fyrefly's side and jogged after Rainbow.
"Okay, tell me. What's the real reason you don't wanna come watch me?" Rainbow spun on the spot and questioned her father.
"Dashie, it's not that I don't want to come..." Spectrum exclaimed, lost for words.
"Exactly!" She grabbed her saddlebag and before she stormed out the house, she turned and said, "You know, Soarin' was hoping you'd be there for him too, but thanks for leaving me the job of having to disappoint him." She turned to leave.
"Don't slam the—" SLAM. "Door..." Spectrum sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "Wow, I guess she really isn't a little filly anymore..."
19 years later - Castle Ballroom, Canterlot.
Chatter was drowned out by the loud orchestral music. Rainbow Dash was beat. Her head was thumping, her eyes puffy and sore, threatening to close. She didn't think she would have felt so groggy so early - before all of her friends - but this reception had drained all her energy. Twilight suspected she was coming down with the flu, but Rainbow was rarely ill, and she wouldn't admit it anyway. She blamed it on all the psych for the coronation. This was one heck of a party, and one Rainbow Dash just really wasn't up to.
"Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie's high voice shattered Rainbow's attempt at shutting out the party noises.
"Ugh, what?" She groaned, dropping her head on the table.
"You're being awfully boring this evening, Dashie. You've hardly danced or gossiped or partied, and you didn't even join in smashing the candy piñata! We really think you should—"
"Pinkie Pie, please, I'm not in the mood..." Rainbow mumbled.
"... I was gonna say: we really think you should call it night."
"Huh?" Rainbow had hardly registered what Pinkie was saying. Maybe that was because what she was saying was quite unbelievable.
"We think you should take a break," This time it was Applejack's Southern drawl. "Rainbow, sugarcube, it's doin' y'all no good to stay up, not in your state."
"What state?" Rainbow retorted, though she knew perfectly well what was up with her. A memory suddenly tug painfully at her heart - Applejack's words echoed like her father's had all those years ago. She'd felt ashamed to let it get to her, and for her friends to notice to this extent.
"You need to get some rest. You don't wanna be all messed up for the funeral, now do yer?" Rainbow felt Applejack's hoof wrap around her, but she shook it off instantly. Applejack had said it. The one thing she'd been trying to block out her mind the whole day. Gathering enough energy to bring her head up, she saw all five of her friends with concerned looks on their faces.
"Don't. Mention. That." Rainbow said through gritted teeth.
"Ah'm sorry, Rainbow. It's just Ah know it's a hard time for you right now, and yer need to—"
"You've said that already! You think I don't know that? You think you understand what I'm going through, AJ? Because you don't." Rainbow sniffed. "He was the last I had - the best I had - and now he's g-gone! You've still got all your relatives and - and -" Rainbow could control it no longer as her stuttering voice turned to sobs; she hid her face in her hooves again and bawled.
"I knew she wasn't fit for the party," Twilight whispered. "Applejack, will you take her to her suite?" Applejack, however, looked rather in shock.
"Ah don't think... Ah don't think she wants to see me right now, Twi." Applejack wiped her own tears away.
"I'll take her." Offered Rarity. Rainbow still wept, unable to hide it from her friends anymore. Rarity's surprisingly strong forelegs suddenly swept Rainbow from the chair. She would have felt stupid, but she didn't care. For once, she knew she was helpless. Her chin rested on Rarity's shoulder as she carried her through the hallway and up the marble staircase, the boisterous party noises fading. Rainbow could not bring herself to speak when Rarity placed her on the bed in her castle suite, so she left without a word. She could only continue to sob: she'd hurt her friends, because of her careless, silly attitude at the party. She had tried to keep herself together. That one word Applejack had said triggered it all over again. Of course, it wasn't Applejack's fault, and if it were Rainbow, she'd have probably had been even less sensitive than her five best friends. If only she could just disappear from the scene. Rainbow had never cried herself to sleep before, but now, she had done just that twice in the last week.
~~~
"Rainbow, darling? We didn't want to wake you, but, time is getting on and, well..." Rarity was delicate with her words, but even she could not bring herself to speak about this afternoon's service.
"Rarity got your outfit together," Added Twilight. "Everything is organised."
Rainbow rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy were standing around her bed, looking very smart in vividly coloured dresses.
"Where's Applejack? I want - I need to apologise to her. I was so... rude to her." Rainbow felt ashamed as she recalled last night.
"It's okay," Uttered Fluttershy. "She forgives you. Best friends always do." She gave a weak smile.
"Well, we'll be in the foyer, waiting for you. You missed breakfast so I saved you a muffin." Twilight said and placed a honey and walnut muffin on the bedsheets. Before Rainbow could say her thanks, the four left her suite.
Rainbow slipped off the bed and shuffled towards the French windows, ripping open the curtains so the morning light beamed right across the room. She resisted the urge to step outside onto the balcony, knowing her friends would get impatient if she took too long. Peering over to the crumpled bed again, she saw a freshly ironed dress draped over the edge: a pink-crimson satin sweep with a laced collar and cuffs, encrusted with tiny diamonds which glinted in the sunlight. There was a quad of matching heeled boots just beneath it. Rainbow also noticed a neat rose headband of the same colour placed on top. It wasn't at all Rainbow's style, but it didn't matter to her.
Rainbow brushed her scruffy mane and tail and dressed into the garments, finishing it off by gently placing the rose in her forelock, and she saw the colours bring out the magenta in her eyes. She took a deep breath, knowing she would have stay strong today: for herself, for her friends, for Spectrum Strike; she left her suite and down into the foyer where her friends waited. They wore identical outfits, the only differences were the colours of the dresses. Twilight's was deep purple, Rarity's royal blue, Pinkie Pie's a lighter sky blue and Fluttershy's was aqua. Rainbow couldn't see Applejack, until emerald green satin flashed in the corner of her eye. Turning to face her, Rainbow mouthed, "I'm sorry", but Applejack just smiled warmly in reply.
"Let's go." Said Twilight, waiting for Applejack and Rainbow to catch up before leaving the castle.
The funeral was in Cloudsdale. Twilight had performed her spell which enabled herself and the others, excluding Fluttershy, to walk on clouds. Arriving there via hot air balloon, the six made their way to Cloudsdale Church. Rainbow was shaky, but kept herself together - the last thing she wanted was to fall apart now. The service started swiftly: there were many faces Rainbow hadn't seen before. Some looked rather upper-class, so she guessed they may have been co-workers during Spectrum's career. Nevertheless, none of them seemed terribly distraught of his death, and none of them said their sincerest apologies to Rainbow Dash. Not wanting to think about it, Rainbow turned away. She would have felt so lonely if it wasn't for her friends being with her. She was extremely grateful, and she still couldn't get over how ungrateful she has acted towards them at the reception.
When the vicar surmised Spectrum's life, Applejack grabbed her hoof and held it tightly; Rainbow knew she was forgiven. The service had ended, and Rainbow tried ever so hard to keep in the tears she'd locked away during it, but it was no use. She shed the last of her tears in the churchyard while her friends comforted her.
"You know," Rainbow began. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. You've really made sure I've kept sane and... I'm really sorry if I was ever ungrateful to you... And I..." Rainbow struggled through her snivelling.
"Aww, we don't mind, Dashie," Said Pinkie sympathetically. "What are best friends for?"
"We'll always stick by you, Rainbow." Said Fluttershy, taking Rainbow's hoof.
"Thanks," She sniffed, breaking free from Fluttershy to wipe her eyes. "Ugh, look at me..." She giggled.
"Nah, we'll let you off this time," Applejack tried to keep a straight face, but she too, was struggling to dry her face. "You're settin' me off now!" She chuckled.
"That's a lovely quality to have, Applejack," Said Twilight. "Crying for some pony else's loss - don't ever lose it." And she pulled the five friends into a hug.
"Heh..." Rainbow Dash speculated. "Do you... Do you mind if I go and say goodbye to my parents, by myself? I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything, I just—"
"Of course we don't mind." Said Twilight. She stepped back and beckoned the others to. "Do what you want."
Relieved, Rainbow turned her back on her friends made her away across the church yard. Fourth lawn, fifth row, ninth stone in: her beloved parents lay. Facing the stone, Rainbow gulped. She was well overdue visiting Fyrefly, but she didn't want to feel any worse than she already did. Underneath the mound of soil, Fyrefly and Spectrum Strike were together now. She stared at the stone; it was engraved with a single rainbow, underneath it was,
"Fyrefly - 1979-2003. Also lies Spectrum Strike - 1982-2013. Loving parents, leaving behind their beautiful daughter, Rainbow Dash."
"Mum, dad..." She started, clearing her throat. "Applejack was right... I am in a state." She laughed it off. "Mum, I'm really sorry that you've spent all these years alone, but... But I missed you. You weren't forgotten, I promise. And... And I'm super sorry for not realising that you were ill, real ill. At least you... At least you left us peacefully." Rainbow's voice began to crack. "Daddy, look after her, up there. Just like you did all those years I ignored you and shouted at you... Mum needed you more than I did that sports day. T-Tell her of all the fun times we had together, and that we always remembered her."
Taking one last breath, she recalled her childhood, grateful that they were at least there for her then, no matter how stubborn she'd been. Her parents had always said something to her that had cheered her up: "B-but I guess you can't have a r-rainbow..."
"Without a little rain." A deep, soothing voice finished her sentence.
Rainbow gasped in disbelief. She spun around, and stood before her was a broad, handsome stallion of pale blue and navy mane. His light green eyes stared deep into Rainbow's, and she instantly knew who he was.
"S-Soarin'?" She murmured in disbelief.
"Rainbow Dash," He replied. Without a moment of hesitation, Rainbow threw herself at Soarin'; he embraced her, he held her tight like he would never let her go.
"Oh, Soarin'," Rainbow's heart leapt with joy. Her childhood friend. Her idol. "You... You came back?"
"Hey," He said simply. He held Rainbow lovingly. "Course' I came back. Figured you might need some support, what with all that's goin' on n' stuff." Rainbow giggled at his casual attitude, admiring his strength, for she knew that Spectrum had always been there for Soarin', caring for him like his own.
"Soarin'," She repeated. "Is it really - I can't believe you're - what are you - I mean—"
"Shh." Soarin' hushed, putting his hoof to her mouth. "You know I'd never leave you."
"B-but I thought I'd never see you again!" She cried into his chest. "You never wrote or visited or... I thought you'd forgotten me!"
"C'mon, you really thought that? We both knew we were risking it, me leaving for the Academy, but, don't you remember? I told you I'd never forget you - forget us - the day I left for the Wonderbolt's Academy, I promised." He grabbed Rainbow's tear-stained face and held it in front of his, so that they could only look into each others' eyes. "Would I break a promise to you, Dash?" Rainbow could not answer; she only cried harder. Whether those were tears of joy or sadness, she did not know. But Soarin' was back. Her Soarin'. He wasn't just her best friend, or her idol.
"I love you." She whispered in his ear. Soarin' pressed his lips to Rainbow's forehead in reply, but she pulled him to her own. She clung to his neck and dug her hooves in his mane. She would not let him go. Ever. Soarin' managed to break free and breathe,
"I love you too, Rainbow. Always have, always will."
Author's Note
Sorry it's really short. And it's nothing special. I was bored and it took me an evening to write.
