“Wow I can’t believe this weather, today is almost as awesome as I am.” Rainbow Dash said to her shy yellow friend as they flew in the direction of Rainbow’s house.
Fluttershy smiled at her, “Well it is because of you and your weather team that we can enjoy a day like today,” she shyly puts a hoof up to her mouth. “Oh and Princess Celestia too… I mean without her raising the sun for us would it really be a good day?”
Rainbow Dash flipped around and started flying on her back, putting her forelegs behind her head. “Yeah I guess the Princess deserves a little praise for such a beautiful day,” she spun around rapidly until she punched a pony sized hole through a cloud, making it disappear with an audible poof. “But I deserve a lot more because without my awesomeness it wouldn’t be nearly as beautiful.”
Fluttershy smiled in agreement.
After a few minutes of flying they touched down on Rainbow’s welcome mat, Fluttershy watched as Rainbow reached up to open the door, stepping back hesitantly.
“What’s wrong Rainbow? Are we going in?... I mean, the girls will be waiting for us…”
Rainbow just stared into her house, “I locked this door before I left...”
Fluttershy gave a worried look and dove behind Rainbow Dash, speaking very softly, “Y-You.. d- don’t think…… they’re still here d-do you?”
Rainbow Dash narrows her eyes, “one way to find out.”
Taking a bold step into her house Rainbow Dash noticed it was eerily dark. After a few steps inside, a voice caused both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to jump in surprise, wrapping one another in a tight embrace.
“Dashie, is that you?”
A figure walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He was a tall, strong pegasus that resembled Rainbow Dash herself. He had her rainbow mane and tail as well as the same light blue coat.
He looked at Rainbow and Fluttershy and smiled weakly, “Dashie... and Fluttershy? This will make things easier.”
Fluttershy and Rainbow’s faces lit up. Rainbow leapt at the stallion wrapping him in a tight hug. “DADDY!” They both cried in unison
Fluttershy walked up to him nervously, he reached over and pulled her into an equally tight hug causing her to squeak softly.
Rainbow pushed him back slightly to look him in the eye, “what will be easier?”
The older stallion looked at his daughter sadly. “Dashie, I’m not here for a friendly visit. I have some bad news.”
Rainbow looked into her father’s eyes and couldn’t help but notice that he suddenly looked many years older. Her heart started crawling up into her throat. “What’s wrong dad?”
The Stallion sighed deeply before looking into his daughters eyes. “Honey, Scootaloo has taken a dramatic turn for the worse.”
Rainbow’s eyes went wide but it was Fluttershy who spoke, “What do you mean a turn for the worse? She was fine a couple of days ago.”
Rainbow finally found her voice, “I was just hanging out with her a couple of days ago…” Rainbow’s eye narrow dangerously, she was fine when I was with her.”
Rainbows father pulled her in for another tight hug, “Rainbow? Have you ever asked yourself just how rare is it for a pegasus to be born with underdeveloped wings?” He paused for a moment “It is a lot rarer than you think for a pegasus to be born with any sized wings and not be able to fly.”
He squeezed her tighter, “Dashie, Scoot has a rare condition that attacks the spine, it slows or stops the growth of certain limbs, finally it spread to the base of the brain.” He started to shake, “her hind legs are paralyzed now.”
Rainbow Dash completely blanked out. Somehow it made a logical sort of sense, she herself has seen many small winged pegasi that could fly but, Scoot no matter what she did couldn’t.
“Why wasn’t I ever told?” Rainbow asked weakly.
“You’re uncle Red Line didn’t tell me until he sent a letter explaining what he was going through.” He released Rainbow, stood up and walked to the door. “I’m on my way to the hospital to do what I can.”
Rainbow jumped to her hooves, “I’m coming too.”
Fluttershy finally able to find her voice managed to say something, “I… I’ll go find the others and tell them what is happening…they will want to be there for support.” Without looking at either them Fluttershy ran out the door and leapt into the sky.
Their father watched as she flew away, “poor Fluttershy.” He turned to Rainbow Dash, “I know how much your friends mean to you.”
Rainbow Dash just stood there fighting back her tears while anger built up inside of her. “Let’s... let’s just go dad.” With a nod, they walked out the door and took off into the air.
At the hospital, an orange pegasus with a deep red mane and tail sat next to Scootaloo watching her as she slept.
“What have I done to deserve this?”
After a few minutes of silence a nurse stepped into the room “Excuse me Red Line?”
He looked up from the bed, “yes?”
She looks at him sadly, “your brother is here.” Upon delivering her message, she left the room.
Red Line looked at Scootaloo and smiled weakly, “your uncle is here to see you baby,” he leant over and kissed her on the head. “I’ll be right back” he stood up, to walk out of the room. Pausing at the door, he give his daughter one last long look before pulling himself away to find his brother.
Spectrum and Rainbow looked up as the doors of the hospital ward swung open. Red Line looked at them, wiping the tears from his eyes. Rainbow Dash’s thought to herself, ‘he doesn’t look anything like the uncle I know” Their unfamiliarity didn’t stop her from walking up to him and driving her right hoof directly into the side of his face.
Tears streamed from her eyes, “WHY?” She screamed, “WHY DIDN’T YOU EVEN TELL US? WHY?”
Spectrum walked up behind Rainbow and pulls her away as Red Line looked up them sadly. A small line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
“Then What?” He asked bluntly.
Rainbow stopped crying immediately and look at her uncle.
“What would you have done if you knew about it?” He sat down and started to shake while looking at the floor, “I can tell you what wouldn’t have happened.” She watched as a couple of tears splashed on the floor, he looked deep into her eyes, “I wouldn’t have the bravest little girl in the world. Every day she would come home with a big smile on her face and long story to tell me.”
Rainbow Dash put her hooves up to her mouth, ‘what have I done?’ she thought to herself as she looked at her uncle ,feeling guilty for hitting him.
He continued, “because of you and your friends, Scoots was able to beat it for a long time.” On cue, Fluttershy and the gang burst into the corridor, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom bringing up the rear. Red Line continued, ignoring them, “I wasn’t able to tell you because if you knew you would have treated her differently.” Rainbow closed her eyes tightly as her father squeezed her.
Applebloom walked up to Red Line, “umm, scuse me.” He looks down at her, “we heard Scootaloo might be sick so we wanted to come down and try to cheer her up.”
Red Line wiped his eyes and leaned down close to them, “I’m sure she would love for you to make her happy.” They looked eagerly at sisters who both give them a watery smile before turning and running through the door Red Line came out of.
Just as the door was about to close Apple Bloom poked her head out. “Uhhh, what room is she in?”
Red Line chuckled, “1408.” The door snapped shut she pulled her head back inside.
Rainbow released herself from her father’s comforting grasp and walked up to her uncle. “I’m so sorry Uncle Red… I just… I mean I didn’t… I… I…” Red Line grabbed his niece and pulled her close.
Red Line stroked her mane gently as they hugged, “you were always her favorite.” Rainbow squeezed him harder at this. “If she didn’t mention you at least three times a night, it was a bad day for her.” Rainbow began crying into her uncle’s shoulder. He continued to stroke her mane gently, “she would always tell me how you promised her to help her fly.”
Rainbow hiccupped as she spoke, “but… but I… but now I can’t…” she squeezed her uncle even tighter. “I can’t keep that promise… I… I didn’t know and I promised to help her…”
“And you did.” Rainbow opened her eyes wide and stared at her uncle as he smiles down at her. “She knew that she would see her mother again before I got the chance. She told me that because of you she was never afraid of what was coming.” Rainbow buried her face into her uncle’s chest as she cried loudly.
When she had finally calmed down, the door to the ward opened again and into the waiting room walked Sweetie Belle and Applebloom who both look confused and hurt. They stop in front of where their sisters stood.
Applebloom looks up at Applejack and whimpered, “why did she say she was going to go and see her mom? She kept saying that she was going back to heaven because her mom and dad wanted a filly so bad they asked if they could raise an angel for a little while.” Tears start to build up in the corner of her eyes, “I don’t want her to go.”
Applejack bent down and pulls her sister into a warm embrace, pulling her hat down so that no one could see them crying together. Sweetie Belle was already bawling into Rarity’s shoulder.
Red Line whispered to Rainbow Dash, “do you want to go and see her now?” She nodded slowly. Red Line looked to Spectrum who nodded as well. Spectrum picked up Rainbow without difficulty and carried her to Scootaloo’s room like a small filly.
When they enter Rainbow looked at the bed to see Scootaloo grinning at her. “RAINBOW DASH!”
Rainbow walked shakily over to the side of the bed, trying to hide her emotion. “You came here to see me?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow fought back her tears, “of course kiddo, gotta make sure my number one fan is ok.”
She tousled Scotaloo’s mane,
“I’m only your number one fan because we’re related.” She says playfully.
Rainbow hugged the filly tightly, “no… you’re so much more than that.”
Scootaloo starts to stroke Rainbows mane, “are you sad Dash?”
Without saying a word, knowing she would burst into tears again if she did, Rainbow Dash nodded.
“Well don’t be because now I will becomes a better flier than even you now.”
Rainbows voice cracked as she squeezed the filly tightly, “I hope so.” After a few minutes of holding her, Rainbow let go of Scootaloo who let out a long yawn. “Tired kiddo?”
Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, “yup can you send my daddy in? He told me he would read me a story till I fell asleep.” Rainbow nodded and kissed the filly on her head. Spectrum walked over and repeated the motion.
“Goodnight squirt,” a tear falls splashed on the filly’s forehead.
“Uncle Spectrum, it’ll be ok.” The Stallion couldn’t stop himself from wrapping the filly in a teary hug, visible shaken.
“You be a good girl for me and your daddy ok?” Scootaloo hugged him back and nodded.
With a final kiss on the forehead, Rainbow allowed herself to be lead back into the waiting room. She headed over to Red Line and said, “she said she is getting sleepy and is waiting for you to read her a story before she falls asleep.”
Red Line turns and walks to the door, but stopped right when he got there. “Thank you all for being there for her throughout these long years.” He turned his head around and gave them a teary smile, “thank you from the bottom of my heart.” With that he walks through the door and finds his way back to Scootaloo’s room.
When he entered the room Scootaloo looked up at her him with droopy eyes, “I want you to read this one for me daddy.” She was holding up an old, well-read book.
Red Line smiled, “I figured you would want that one,” he chuckled softly, “It is your favorite after all.”
Scootaloo beamed at him and he climbed onto the bed next to her, wriggling about a bit to get comfortable. Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around his torso and put her head on his chest, as he begins to read to her.
Nearing the end of the book his mind wandered to when he read to her the day that he and his wife brought her home. A piercing alarm jolted him from his memories as a small alarm went off on the monitor that shows Scootaloo’s vitals. Red Line didn’t pay it any mind as he continued to read, his vision blurring as the tears began to stream from his eyes. A doctor ran into the room, Red Line ignored him as he reads on.
The doctor looked at the monitor before grabbing his stethoscope, he placed it on Scootaloo’s chest and moving it around. After a few seconds of listening he lowered his head, turned the screeching monitor off and walked to the door. He stopped and looked at Red Line, he opened and closed his mouth a few times but the words did not come.
The only thing Red thought he could do at this point was finish the story. He felt that if he did, it was all over. Instead he lay the book open on his lap and reached over, scooping up his filly and holding her close to him just like the day she was born. Unable to hold back any longer, he let loose a wild howl, unleashing a torrent of tears on the disheveled bed.
He cried for what felt like hours before a nurse walked in and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. Looking up at her, he asked, choking back a sob, “please make sure she’s comfortable.”
The nurse, on the verge of tears herself told him in a soft voice, “of course we will sir.” He carefully passed Scootaloo to her and slid off the bed. The nurse placed Scootaloo back on the bed and handed the book to Red Line. “Sir the book?”
Red Line looked at it and then to the nurse, shaking his head, “Can you make sure she has it on her at all times until I...” He was overcome by another bout of sobs before he could finish.
The nurse smiled at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. “It will never leave her side sir. I promise.” Red Line smiled weakly as he turned to walk out the door, stopping, he took one last look at his daughter, who looked like she were simply sleeping, a sweet smile on her face. The nurse unhooked her from the machine and pulled a sheet over her head.
When Red Line entered the waiting room a new voice caught his attention, “Is she asleep?” He blinked the tears from his eyes to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing in the corridor.
Princess Luna looked at him, “I wish to say my goodbyes, even if it is in her dreams.” She looked sad but hopeful.
Red Line gave her a smile, the expression barely registering on his face, “yes she is sleeping,” his voice began cracking as more tears flowed down his face. “But I don’t think you can reach her where she dreams now Princess.”
Princess Luna’s closed her eyes to try and stop the tears falling but she knew that it was impossible. Princess Celestia grabbed her sister, Luna looked up at her to see tears falling from her eyes, “Luna? It’s never easy to let a loved one go.”
Luna puts her head against Celestia’s chest and watches as everyone around them broke down, “but sister, we are the rulers of Equestria we should…”
Celestia could feel her sister shaking and tried to be strong for both of them. Slowly, she could feel herself breaking. “So what? I don’t care what any pony thinks of me if I cry for a friend lost.” Luna looked back at her sister, Celestia had given up trying to hold the tears back and pulled Luna into a tighter hug. “And neither should you.”
Celestia’s resolve shattered Luna’s iron mask, she buried her face in her sister’s mane soaking the ethereal strands with her tears. After a time, she looked back at everyone else who had moved forward to embraced Red Line who was being held up by his brother.
Luna looks into Red Line’s eyes, “would you allow us the honor of holding her funeral?” Unable to answer; his throat raw from crying for so long, Red Line nodded. She bowed low to him, “thank you, Red Line.” She turned back to Celestia, the sisters hugged again, holding the embrace for several minutes.
Celestia climbed to her hooves and looked at Luna, “I think everyone might need help tonight.” Luna nodded in agreement, shining a silver light from the tip of her horn, causing everyone in the room to collapse, fast asleep. Celestia cast her own spell, causing everyone to vanish with a slight pop . “Everyone will stay at the castle tonight. We will talk about funeral arrangements in the morning.”
The two sisters left the hospital and walked out into the starry night. Luna stopped along the path from the hospital and looked up, a new star shone brightly in the dark sky,
"Goodbye, sweet Scootaloo .”
