Dash flew around the skies of Ponyville at tremendous speeds, the sky was so liberating, she never wanted to leave, she wanted to fly forever. Dash closed her eyes and slowed her wings beating, she felt so great, so alive...
Suddenly, Dash hit a tree and began tumbling to the earth, she tried to steady herself by flapping her wings to no avail, she began screaming as she hit the ground and her head slammed against a jagged rock. The huge wound on the back of her head began bleeding profusely, she could feel herself slowly fading away as her vision slowly started fading to black. In her last moments, Dash thought about her friends, but they weren't just friends, they were family... 'Not now,' Dash thought, 'I have so much to do!' But the darkness kept coming and death's cool embrace wrapped around Dash.
Dash was transported into a dark tunnel with a blinding white light at the opposite end, she slowly began floating towards the light, it got brighter and brighter until the light engulfed her. Suddenly she was standing in a darkly lit room, and across from her was a dark mass, slowly morphing from a pony to something with two legs, and to another something with a very large head. Dash knew exactly what this mass was, it was... Death.
Death spoke in a monotone, yet soothing voice, "Welcome, Rainbow Dash." Dash knew what was happening, she knew she had dead, and she couldn't accept it, she didn't want to die, she wanted to grow old, get married, have fillies, but she couldn't now. "Please," Dash pleaded, "Send me back, I don't deserve to die yet, I've done nothing with my life, it had no meaning." Death sighed gently and replied, "My dear, your life had more meaning then you can ever comprehend. Many question what the meaning of life is, and it truly is simple: To laugh... And to love, and you did both of those things, you brought together 5 ponies to their destinies, you impacted them more than you'll ever know."
Death continued, "I agree, not many who come to me deserve death, most deserve a full life, but the rules of the Universe say otherwise, I cannot change those rules on a whim, though I wish I could." Death slowly floated towards Rainbow Dash and said, "Dear, it is not my job to send you to the afterlife, for that is your choosing, my job is to merely present you with a decision, and to show you..." Death touched Dash's chest and they instantly transported to Twilight's Library.
Twilight was at her desk, sobbing uncontrollably, her head in her hooves, her shoulders shaking. Dash ran up to try and console Twilight, but she ignored her... Dash continued yelling, "Twi! It's me, I'm right here!" Death floated behind her, "We can see and hear her, but she cannot see nor hear us." Dash's eyes began tearing up and she yelled at Death, "Why are you showing me this?!" Death said, "Wait, watch." And Dash turned around to notice Twilight had begun writing a letter.
"Dear Rainbow Dash," she said aloud while writing, although her speech was hard to understand because of her sobs, "Before I came to Ponyville, I didn't know how beautiful friendship could be, studying was my life. But now, after knowing you and loving you, I know that friendship is the basis of life, the bonds we make, the happiness we share, the turmoil we face together, that is what life is about... You're gone now Dash, but I'm writing this letter because... Saying goodbye is too hard..." Twilight put the letter in an envelope and left the building.
Rainbow Dash and Death followed her to the cemetery, where there was a casket set up, surrounded by beautiful rainbow flowers, behind the casket was a picture of Dash, she looked so happy, she remembered that day well, it was spent with all of her friends, and it was one of the best days of her life. Twilight placed the letter on the casket and stepped back before sitting down and crying.
Pinkie entered the cemetery, her head down, this was the first time that Dash saw her so sad, and not bouncing around like she always did. Pinkie approached the casket and whispered, "Dashie... I miss you so much, I can't smile anymore Dashie... How can I make others smile if I can't smile? Dashie... Please come back, we all miss you..." Pinkie turned away from the casket and sobbed into her hooves loudly.
Rarity and Applejack, too entered the cemetery, their eyes bloodshot from crying so much, both mares placed their hooves on the casket, Applejack tried to say something, but started sobbing uncontrollably, Rarity hugged AJ to console her. Applejack sobbed in her shoulder and Rarity manager out a few words: "Thank you, Rainbow Dash, for everything you've done for us." Dash began crying, why did she have to make her friends feel so much pain, she wanted to leave this place, she looked over to death, but before she could, she saw Fluttershy in the distance.
Fluttershy was hiding behind a tree, watching the funeral intently, despite being so far away, Dash could tell that Fluttershy had been crying, a lot. Dash approached Fluttershy as Death followed silently behind, Dash heard Fluttershy mumbling, "Without you, I would have never found my special talent, I wouldn't have been able to live this happy life I live now... Rainbow Dash, I know you're up there somewhere... And I wanted to say... Thank you."
Dash turned to Death and said, "I get it now, I mattered, please, can we leave?" Death transformed into a black stallion, and shook his head, "One last stop, Rainbow Dash. Then you will truly know." Death touched Dash's chest and they teleported to the Everfree Forest, Dash heard light sobbing coming from ahead of them, the duo went through a bush, and there was Scootaloo. The young filly was sobbing gently, her scooter laid on its side next to her, but Dash noticed something was different about her, she had her cutie mark, and it was a scooter.
Scootaloo looked at her flank and sighed sadly, she whispered to herself, "This is for you, Rainbow Dash... All this time I looked up to you... You were like a sister to me... And I-" Scootaloo paused and let out another sob, "And I... Love you, Rainbow Dash." Dash looked to Death and pleaded, "Please! This is enough! Take me back!" Death obliged and touched Dash's chest and they were instantly transported back to the darkly lit room.
"I've always wondered... Why people love life but yet hate death. And after all these millennia, I realize that life... Is a beautiful lie, and death is a grotesque truth." Death said, taking a few steps back from Dash, he then said, "Now... Time for your decision. All who pass through here gets this decision, and I hope you do not take it lightly... Your decision is this: Either you follow me to the afterlife, or you take this door to be reincarnated." A red door appeared behind Death, "If you are to be reincarnated, you will have no memory of me, of Fluttershy, Scootaloo, of Twilight, Pinkie, or even Rarity or Applejack. You will remember nothing. Make your decision." Dash paused, she didn't know what to do...
Dash realized that her destiny was not to return to Equestria, but to follow Death to the afterlife, she knew that if it was her destiny to stay in Equestria, she never would have died in the first place. Dash's destiny was not in Equestria. Her destiny was in the afterlife. Dash walked before Death and nodded, he nodded back slightly and opened a white portal next to him and walked through.
Before Dash stepped through the portal, she relived all the memories her and her friends had, relishing in the fact that she changed their lives. Dash hoped they would never forget her... She hoped that her impact was great, and she hoped that one day she would see her friends again.
Dash stepped through the portal and was engulfed in white light, as her eyes became adjusted to the blinding light, Dash saw in the distance a colt and a mare with rainbow manes...
