It was a bright and beautiful day in the peaceful and harmonic village of Ponyville.
Of course everyday was like this thanks to the fair sun goddess, Princess Celestia, and her younger sister Princess Luna who was goddess of the moon. Both ruled the kingdom of Equestria with good and even hoofs.
Everypony enjoyed their everyday lives by working their everyday careers, or taking their fillies or colts to school before they went to work. It was the way Ponyville, and the rest of Equestria kept it's easy flow of peace and prosperity.
It's thanks to a certain group six mares who possess the legendary Elements of Harmony that helped saved Equestria from events that would revert it to a doomed and depressed state of existence. It's thanks to them that it's not.
Speaking of these friends, they are about to get together now. The reason being is that Twilight Sparkle who bears the most powerful element of Magic has called upon her friends to meet her at her home; which also happens to be a library to demonstrate a new spell that Applejack has requested for her to find.
Apparently it's a spell that can alter a pony's age, or anything else that's sentient. This could be either really good, or really bad.
The reason of this being is that Applejack wishes that her grandmother, Granny Smith to be youthful again so she can once perform farm labor. Twilight was at first unsure about this, but she eventually obliged because she was always excited about learning new spells. Plus she loved her friends so that she would do anything to help them, even if it was the most craziest things.
Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were already beginning to approach Twilight's home. They were both excited, and a little nervous about this situation.
"Ah sure hope Twi knows what she's doin,'" Applejack said uncertainly.
"Why are you so nervous AJ? This was your idea," Rainbow Dash said crossing her forehoofs while hovering above the group by flapping her wings.
"Ah know sugarcube, but we all should know that sometimes Twi's spells contend ta backfire on a few occasions."
"You have a point there," Fluttershy timidly said. Unlike Rainbow, she kept her hoofs on the ground.
"Well, I think it's a neat idea!" Pinkie said with random enthusiasm while simultaneously bouncing up and down with unlimited hyperactivity. "I think it would be cool to see your grandmother as a young mare again!"
"I have mixed feelings about this, but I think it would be wonderful to see your grandmother young again. I'm sure she was very beautiful," Rarity stated.
"She was very beautiful Rare," Applejack said with a small blush and smile.
"In that case, I should introduce her to modern day fashion. I know she'll look fabulous in my dresses!"
Rarity's eyes were now sparkling with delight and excitement.
"Well now; let's not count our chickens before they hatch Rare. We still don't know if this will be a success," Applejack stated formally. This caused Rarity to drop her enthusiasm and chuckle nervously.
"Sorry darling. I guess I got a bit carried away in my own fantasy."
"It's okay," Applejack said with a reassuring smile.
When the friends finally approached Twilight's door, Applejack was the one to knock.
"Twi! We're here!" she called.
A few seconds passed before Twilight's baby dragon assistant, Spike answered.
"Howdy Spike, is Twilight home?" Applejack asked.
"Yes, she's just upstairs in her room making last minute preparations. I'll tell her that your here now," he said and headed up the stairs to retrieve Twilight.
The girls waited a couple of minutes before they heard hoofsteps on the stairs. They all looked to see their lavender unicorn friend appear with Spike riding on her back with a spell book in his claws.
"Hi girls, thank you for coming," Twilight said with a friendly smile.
"It's always our pleasure," Applejack said returning the expression. She then remembered the reason why they came. "So have ya figured out a way to make Granny Smith young again yet?"
Twilight placed her hoof under her chin in thought.
"I believe I have, but unfortunately I need somepony to test it on."
The room went into an uneasy silence for a bit before Fluttershy spoke up.
"Y...you mean to t..tell us....t..that we have t..to....b..be..t..test...s...subjects?" she stuttered obviously very scared.
Twilight gazed at the ground sadly and a bit embarrassed.
"Well...yes,"
Fluttershy hid behind her mane and whined.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to Fluttershy," Twilight reassured.
Fluttershy poked a bit.
"I don't?"
"Yes,"
"Oh thank you Twilight!" Fluttershy said relieved and showed her full face once again.
"Can't ya just test it on a plant or somethin'?" Applejack asked raising a suspicious brow.
"No," Twilight replied guiltily. "The spell only works on living ponies."
The room fell silent again for another brief moment. This time, Rainbow was the one to speak up.
"I'll do it."
Everypony looked at her with surprise.
"Rainbow no," Fluttershy said looking very worried at her closest friend.
"I have to Fluttershy. I'm not going to let Twilight, AJ, and the rest of you down!" Rainbow said with a strong determined look and tone.
"But what if something goes wrong?" Rarity asked nervously. "What if something bad happens to you?"
"I'll take my chances."
"But Dashie," Pinkie interjected.
"No buts Pinkie. I have to do this."
Rainbow turned her attention to Twilight who looked just as worried.
"I'm ready Twilight. Do what you have to do," Rainbow said not breaking her confidence and bravery.
"Are you sure Rainbow? I mean I can always find somepony else to do this instead of you," Twilight offered.
"Yes, I'm super positive! Now please, I need to do this!" Rainbow replied growing more impatient.
"Okay okay," Twilight said and turned to Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. "You guys may want to back up a little."
The friends quickly did what they were told leaving Rainbow at the mercy of Twilight.
Twilight's horn began to glow purple as she powered up her magic to perform her spell.
"Wait!" Applejack suddenly cried.
Twilight immediately ceased her magic and turned to look at Applejack.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
"What are ya going ta make her into?"
"I was thinking maybe an eight year old filly," Twilight replied.
"Okay; just wanted to be sure," Applejack said satisfied.
Twilight just nodded and began charging up her magic again.
Her horn grew brighter and Twilight concentrated harder and harder on her spell. Rainbow was bracing herself for whatever Twilight had to throw at her. She did worry that it would hurt, but she didn't want to sound like she was scared because everypony knew her as the bravest pony in their group, and did not count on ruining her reputation.
When Twilight's magic reached it' climax, it shot from her horn in a beam of magenta light and struck Rainbow directly.
Rainbow vanished in a bright flash of light that caused everypony to shield their eyes.
When the light subsided, everypony focused their attention to the area where Rainbow took her place for Twilight's test. What they saw shocked them.
When Rainbow finally opened her eyes, she noticed that her friends were staring at her funny.
"What's wrong guys? Did it work?" she asked. She noticed that her voice sounded funny. It sounded young, but not filly young. She also noticed that the room and her friends seemed to be bigger and taller.
"Well...uh...yeah," Twilight managed to say with a small smile forming on her muzzle. Rainbow then noticed that her friends were beginning to form the same expression.
"What's so funny?" Rainbow demanded angrily. This caused her friends to coo at her.
"Awww, she's soooo cute!" Fluttershy sqeed.
"Hey! Nopony calls me cute!" Rainbow snapped and stomped her front and back legs while sitting on her flank.
"I think somepony's getting a little fussy!" Pinkie giggled.
"Will somepony please tell me what's going on around here and why I'm being adored? True I do like to be adored; but not like this! Your treating me as if I were a baby or something!"
"Well darling, literally you are," Rarity said chuckling. This strongly infuriated Rainbow.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!?"
"Here," Twilight said and used her magic to levitate a small mirror over to the furious pegasus.
When Rainbow saw her reflection, her heart skipped a beat.
Gazing out of the mirror at her was an extremely adorable face of a cyan coated foal with black eyes and a couple of small eyelashes. For her wings, she only had a couple of small feathers that wouldn't be able to make her fly. Her mane and tail still had their bright colors, but they were a lot shorter. Her forward and back legs stretched out only half a foot from her tiny body which was slightly smaller then her head. Luckily she could hold it up on her own. This meant that she had to be about two years old.
Staring down at herself, Rainbow horribly discovered that she was wearing a diaper as well. Seeing herself like this, Rainbow screamed in horror!
"What on Equestria did you do to me?!"
"I think I may have turned you into a foal by accident," Twilight replied nervously rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.
"Well I can see that! It was a rhetorical question! My real question is that can you make me twenty again?"
"I don't know," Twilight replied rapidly flipping through her spell book that Spike had. "I could find a reversing spell, but it make take some time through."
"How much time are we talking about here?!"
"I wish I knew Rainbow. Really I did, but this is very complicated magic. I'm guessing it might take a day or two."
Rainbow's tiny jaw to her small muzzle dropped.
"Oh no! Nononononononononono!" she panicked. "I don't want to be a foal that long! I just can't! My life! My job! My reputation! My chance to be a Wonderbolt! It just can't be!"
Rainbow then began wailing hysterically.
Fluttershy trotted over to her foal-turned best friend and picked her up in her hoofs when she sat down. She then proceeded to gently rock Rainbow back and fourth to comfort her.
"There there, don't cry Rainbow. Fluttershy is here," Fluttershy said in a motherly gentle tone.
Rainbow immediately stopped crying and gave Fluttershy a squeamish look.
"Uh Fluttershy, your really making me uncomfortable right now," she said. Rainbow was a little freaked out at the fact that Fluttershy was talking in third person.
"Oh don't be silly. I'm just trying to make you feel better," Fluttershy retorted keeping the tone the same.
"Well it's not working. I'll feel better when I'm a mare again. Now please, put me down."
Fluttershy conceded and placed Rainbow back on the floor.
Rainbow then looked at Twilight with pleading eyes.
"Please Twilight. Please find someway to change me back today. I don't know how long I can stand to remain like this."
Twilight thought for a moment.
"I suppose I can find a way to quickly reverse the spell, but I request that you all leave me and Spike to figure this out on our own. Please return to your normal duties. I'll call for you all when a solution has been found."
Everypony nodded in agreement.
"What about me?" Rainbow asked.
"I'll take care of you," Fluttershy offered eagerly. She never looked after a foal before. She had a chance with the Cakes, but she turned them down because she had her hoofs full with her animals. This time she was available.
Rainbow was about to protest when Twilight said, "Good idea Fluttershy. You can look after Rainbow until I can find a way to fix this."
"Oh thank you Twilight!" Fluttershy said and hugged Twilight affectionately. She then quickly backed off and blushed cutely in embarrassment from her excited outburst.
"No problem Fluttershy," Twilight said with a friendly smile.
Everypony then proceeded to leave Twilight and Spike to their tasks while they all went home to perform their own duties. Fluttershy of course carried Rainbow with her to her cottage.
Applejack felt guilty for dragging Rainbow into this mess. She wished it could have been her instead because it was her idea in the first place, which means the fault was pinned on her and she accepted it.
Ah'm sorry Rainbow. Ah'm so, so, sorry.
***
At Fluttershy's cottage, Fluttershy presented Rainbow with toys that she used to play with as a foal which mostly consisted of big stuffed toys.
"Uh Fluttershy, you really don't have to do this. I may be a foal, but I'm still the pony I was before this catastrophe," Rainbow stated.
"I know that, but I never got a chance to look after a foal since that visit from the Cakes and their children," Fluttershy explained.
"I highly respect that Fluttershy, but c'mon. We all know I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, foal or not."
"You wouldn't be able to look after yourself the first time you were a foal," Fluttershy reminded.
"I'm referring to right now. I have a mind of a twenty year old mare in the body of a supposedly mindless baby. You see how the matter applies?"
"That's so cute the way you explain stuff," Fluttershy cooed.
Rainbow let out a frustrated groan and facehoofed.
"Ah ah ah. You might hurt yourself if you do that," Fluttershy scolded lifting Rainbow's hoof from her forehead to inspect for any signs of injury. There was just a faint red mark.
"Oh you got a boo boo! Let me get something for that," Fluttershy said and headed toward her first-aid cabinet.
Rainbow could not believe her childhood friend was treating her this way, and not taking her seriously. She understood how a talking foal like herself was simply adorable to look at and listen too, but she felt like her dignity was being slowly stripped away from her. It was only a matter of time before her friends lost total respect for her, even if she was still smart.
'Please hurry Twilight,' Rainbow frantically thought.
Fluttershy then returned with a small icepack in her hoofs.
"Here, this ought to help," she said and pressed it against Rainbow's forehead.
Rainbow felt an electrical wave of pure coldness quickly travel around and envelope her entire body. She let out a startled cry and batted the icepack away with all four of her tiny hoofs and legs.
"S...sweet mother of C...Celestia! T...that's...c...cold!" she stutered crossing her forehoofs over her chest and shivered violently.
"I'm so sorry Rainbow! Hold on! I'll get a blanket!" Fluttershy said apologetically and retrieved a thermal baby blanket from one of her closets. When she got back, she gently wrapped it around Rainbow's shivering body and picked her up with her forehoofs while hovering over her floor.
Rainbow's shivers quickly ceased as she relaxed herself and settled down more into her warm cocoon.
Now that she thought about it more, Rainbow kind of like being nurtured once again. Sure it wasn't by her own mother, but Fluttershy had the same caring qualities like her. This thought brought a smile to her muzzle, and a single happy tear to leak from one of her closed eyes. Fluttershy immediately noticed this.
"What's the matter Rainbow?"
"Oh it's really nothing. It's just that you remind me so much of her," Rainbow replied.
"Who?"
"My mother; Firefly."
Fluttershy remembered Rainbow's mother so clearly even after all these years. She sat down on her sofa, then closed her eyes as her thoughts took over.
--
Firefly was a nice and beautiful young mare with a dark bluish mane and tail that matched the color of her double lightning bolt cutie mark. She had a light pinkish coat and wings. The color of her eyes was a stunning purple that nearly matched Rainbow's who were actually a light magenta.
Fluttershy remembered that every once in a while after Flight School ended, Rainbow invited her over to her house to have her mothers famous rainbow frosted cupcakes which both fillies really enjoyed. Even her father, Sparkler joined in on the party. These were the most happiest days in Rainbow's life, but soon; it was all over.
One fateful day, a malfunction at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory created a freakish lightning storm over Cloudsdale and all of Ponyville and Canterlot. Firefly told her husband to watch over Rainbow while she tried to help get rid of the storm.
"But honey, it's not safe. Let me handle this," Sparkler pleaded with his wife as he huddled little four year old Rainbow Dash close to his side in front of their home.
"I know darling, but I'm the only one who can still fly. Your wing still hasn't fully recovered from the accident you had at the factory. I need to do this," Firefly said calmly along with a hint of determination.
"I'm willing to take my chances. Dashie needs you, so do I," he said gazing into the wide eyed and worried face of his daughter.
"Please mommy, don't go! We love you!" the little multicolored mane filly pleaded with tears flowing down her cheeks.
"I love you both too," Firefly said with a sad and joyful smile and kissed Rainbow on the forehead while she kissed Sparkler on the lips. "Which means I need both of you to be safe."
"There has to be another way," Sparkler said slowly being blinded by his own forming tears.
"There isn't I'm afraid," Firefly replied sadly. "I swear I will be alright. I'm just asking you to look after eachother until I return."
"Promise mommy?" Rainbow asked very worried.
"I will sweetheart," Firefly said and gently stroked her daughter's mane. "I won't let you down. Now please, I must go now."
Rainbow and Sparkler gazed at one another with worried faces, then looked back at Firefly.
"Okay, but be careful dear," Sparkler said trying his best to choke down his starting sobs.
"I will," Firefly said and tightly hugged her husband and daughter for one last time. She kissed Sparkler again, but this time longer and more passionately. It was hard for Sparkler to lock lips with his wife as small sobs escaped from his mouth and into hers.
She then gently broke away as Sparkler tried his best to keep her close, but was failing fast.
When she was fully free, she took to the sky and vanished into the monstrous thunderclouds while Rainbow and Sparkler held eachother tightly constantly praying that Firefly will return to them safely. Their prayers were never answered.
A strong flash of lightning emanated from the monstrous thunderclouds before they began to dissipate along with the rest of the storm.
The civilians began relaxing at the sight of the dying storm, but Rainbow and Sparkler couldn't find a reason to relax because there was still no sign of Firefly. They quickly galloped outside and frantically searched the skies for any sign of her. They didn't have to wait long.
A small smoking mass fell towards Cloudsdale and landed hard on the soft plush surface of a cloud platform, but didn't splatter or anything; but it still earned screams from the locals. Rainbow and Sparkler were too stunned to say or do anything. They could only stare at the charred corpse of the mare that they held dearest. She had been struck by over ten-thousand volts of electricity which immediately stopped her heart, and fried her body.
After a few moments, Rainbow finally caved. She galloped over to her motionless mother and began frantically shaking her and shouting with a river of tears pouring from her eyes.
"Mommy, wake up! Please wake up mommy! We need you! Please open your eyes and look at me! You said you were going to be okay! Why aren't you answering me mommy? Please say something! Please snuggle me!"
Sparkler put his hoof on his daughters shoulders halting her rants and forcing her to look into his sorrowful and sorry face.
"I'm sorry Dashie, your mommy's gone," he said choking on his words. She noticed that he was crying as well.
"What do you mean daddy? She's right here," Rainbow asked pointing toward the body. She was too young to understand the meanings between life and death.
"She's dead Dashie."
"What does that mean daddy? I don't get it!"
"That means she's not coming back to us sweetheart," he replied before his voice fully cracked.
"You mean, she's never going to wake up?" Rainbow said in a painfully soft and sorrowful whisper.
Sparkler could only sob and nod for a reply.
"Oh daddy!" Rainbow wailed and embraced her father.
The townsponies could only watch in sympathy as Rainbow and Sparkler hugged and cried into eachother's necks.
"Rainbow Dash!" called the voice of a filly Fluttershy.
Rainbow, Sparkler, and everypony else turned their gaze to the shy pegasus.
Fluttershy felt intimidated and nervous by all the eyes on her, but she knew she needed to be there for her distressed friend, so she never backed away. Instead, she slowly trotted toward Rainbow with a look of pure sorrow and sympathy. When she noticed the body of Rainbow's mother' she began crying and held Rainbow close. Rainbow started crying again as she hugged Fluttershy back.
"I'm sorry Rainbow! I'm so very sorry!" Fluttershy sobbed.
Rainbow tried to say something back, but couldn't. She could only pull Fluttershy closer and hug her more tightly. They even allowed Sparkler to join in. It was the most heart wrenching scene the citizens of Cloudsdale ever witnessed.
A few days later, an open casket funeral took place in Ponyville's cemetery. It was a legit place for proper burial considering the fact it was kind of hard to bury ponies in clouds.
Firefly's body was cleaned and dressed up in her wedding gown. Make up was applied to cover up the burns that couldn't be cleared up. Her cooked mane and tail were cleaned up and groomed to look beautiful once again.
She held a rose in between her hoofs which rested gracefully on her chest making her look peaceful. She wore a serene smile on her face as if she was having a wonderful and dreamful sleep.
Sparkler asked the priest if he could give his wife one last kiss which the priest allowed.
He stared into the face of his beautiful wife and smiled sadly.
"Rest easy darling. I love you," he said and planted his lips with her unmoving ones.
As soon as he made physical contact with his wifes' corpse, he started sobbing again. Rainbow hugged him tightly allowing him to get his emotions out.
When he finished, it was her turn to say goodbye.
"Mommy. I don't know if you can hear me, but I just want to say that me and daddy love you," Her voice began cracking. "A..and that we miss you already. I h..hope your safe with the a..angels that daddy mentioned to me. May they guide you and let you l..look after us from high above."
It was Sparkler's turn to hug his daughter as she cried her eyes out. This earned audible sobs from the bystanders that attended the funeral. Even Celestia herself was there, but she had a hard time maintaining her composure. She began weeping for Rainbow and her father; along for her banished sister.
Celestia was so broken that she requested to one of her guards to give her some tissues to dry her eyes and blow her muzzle.
After the ceremony concluded, the casket was closed and lowered to its final resting spot where it would lay for the rest of eternity. The only thing that Rainbow, Sparkler, and everypony else could do was try to find ways to carry on their lives and get over this unfortunate event. Rainbow and her father were having the hardest time coping.
They did their best to help one another overcome the grief they felt. They sometimes had heartwarming moments that brought them closer; or disagreements that nearly split them up, but they eventually apologized to eachother to repair the damages in their relationship. It truly was an emotional rollercoaster for Rainbow and her father. Fluttershy even joined them on this sorrowful ride. She wanted to help Rainbow and Sparkler they best way she could. Little did she and Rainbow know that another tragedy would take place six years later.
The morning after her tenth birthday, Rainbow came downstairs to discover that her father hadn't gotten out of bed yet. He usually wakes up before her to have his coffee while reading the newspaper.
She thought he must be really tired from work, and asked his boss if he could sleep in late to catch up on some well deserved rest. She decided just to poke her head in and say good morning.
She gently pushed open the door leading into her father's bedroom. He was lying flat on his back with one of his hoofs covering the area where his heart was.
"Good morning daddy," Rainbow said in a cheerful tone. Her cheerfulness turned to concern when he didn't show any signs of a response, or movement.
"Daddy? Are you okay?"
Still no reply.
Rainbow then proceded to give him a tiny nudge. Still nothing.
"C'mon daddy! This isn't funny! Wake up!" her voice became more hysterical and cracked. Tears started welling up in her eyes again.
Rainbow placed an ear next to the area where his heart was. Then she listened for any signs of breathing. Both area's showed no vitality.
"No," she whispered. "No, please! Don't leave me yet daddy! I can't do this without you!"
Her cries were in vain.
She opened her fathers window and quickly flew off to Cloudsdale's emergency center in hopes of saving her father. Unfortunately, she was too late. Death has claimed another victim.
The coroner diagnosed that he died in the middle of the night due too extreme depression. To simplify it; a broken heart.
The grief that he suffered from the death of Firefly finally caused his demise. He loved his wife so much that he couldn't bear to live without her each and everyday. Hopefully, he has reunited with her in death, but that leaves poor young Rainbow Dash to fend for herself.
After Sparkler's funeral, Fluttershy and her family decided to adopt Rainbow into their family because Fluttershy was an only child, and always wanted a sister.
Rainbow gladly accepted the offer and lived happily with her best friend, and her kind and giving parents. However Rainbow was still devastated by the losses of both of her biological parents.
This sadness and grief made her into a tough and determined filly who learned to stand up for herself, and Fluttershy.
Whenever Rainbow witnessed Fluttershy being harassed by bullies, she would tell them to back off or deal with her instead. All that determination and guts eventually led up to her first Sonic Rainboom!
From then on, life got better for Rainbow. She got a job, her own home, and great friends who supported everything she did.
--
Tears began flowing down Fluttershy's cheeks from her closed eyes as tiny whimpers emitted from her mouth.
"What's wrong Fluttershy?" Rainbow's infant voice asked.
Fluttershy's eyes immediately shot open and gazed down at the concerned foal.
"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know. I just was telling you how you reminded me of my mother. You then closed your eyes and began crying," Rainbow explained.
"Oh...I'm sorry. I was just deep in thought. That's all," Fluttershy replied wiping her tears away with her hoof.
Rainbow cracked a smile.
"You were thinking about our childhood weren't you?"
"Yes...I was," Fluttershy replied with a sad chuckle.
"I admit it's kind of silly that your crying over what has to be my grief."
"I don't see how. What kind of a friend would I be if we didn't understand eachother's sorrows. Don't forget I was there with you during all your hardships."
Rainbow thought for a moment.
"You're right. My mistake," she said with a small blush forming on her cheeks along with her own little tears.
A sudden knocking sound came at Fluttershy's door.
Fluttershy immediately pulled herself together and said, "Come in,"
Twilight and the rest of the friends poured into her cottage.
"Good news! I found a way to reverse the spell and change Rainbow back," Twilight proudly announced.
"How so fast?" Fluttershy asked raising a brow.
"Pinkie here felt bad about me and Spike being on our own to find the right spell, so she asked Mr. and Mrs. Cake if it was okay if she came over to my home to offer her assistance. Thankfully they gladly accepted because Pinkie reassured them it wouldn't take long. Boy was she right. Pinkie simply walked in, pointed at a book, and told me the section completely from her mind. I don't know how she did it, but she was correct about it all. It's all thanks to her that we can change Rainbow back to normal!"
Pinkie blushed and smiled widely with a *sqee*.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's do this thing!" Rainbow exclaimed excitedly.
The friends wanted to coo at how adorable Rainbow looked wrapped in a blanket along with her excited voice, but decided to hold it off.
Fluttershy unwrapped Rainbow from her blanket and set her gently on the floor.
"Are you ready for this Rainbow?" Twilight asked her.
"Yes, hit me with your best shot," Rainbow replied with a cocky look.
"Okay, here we go," Twilight announced as her horn began glowing.
The friends once again cleared room between Twilight and Rainbow as her magic charged up, which eventually lead to another bright beam of magic that directly struck Rainbow.
When the bright flash of light dissipated, everypony turned to look at a grown up Rainbow Dash. She had been restored to her proper age!
Rainbow examined every inch of herself to make sure a feather wasn't out of place metaphorically speaking.
When everything checked out, she hugged Twilight close and began talking rapidly.
"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"
"Um...your very welcome," Twilight said a bit awkwardly and confused, but returned the embrace.
When Rainbow was done hugging Twilight, Applejack steped up to her looking guilty.
"Ah'm sorry I got you into this sugarcube! It was my fault that this happened to ya. Ah should've never brought this up to y'all. Can you ever forgive me?"
" I already have. The same goes for the rest of us. Plus, you managed to help me," Rainbow said.
Applejack looked at Rainbow confused.
"How in tarnation did ah help ya sugarcube? It's thanks to me that you were turned into a foal?"
"Yes, but that helped me to see the past I have long forgotten. It may have not been so pleasant, but its what got me to be the pony I am today. It also helped me realize that even through I may be a bullhead at sometimes, I have a soft side as well," Rainbow explained. She blushed a bit at her own confession; even at the fact she had a tear already running down her cheek.
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack were still a little baffled, but understood at what Rainbow was getting at and they all joined in for a group hug. Everypony knew that this would make a great friendship report to the princess.
***
A few days later, Rainbow decided to visit the final resting spot of her mother and father in Ponyville Cemetery all by herself. She really needed to be alone.
Their headstones rested by one another to create the image of them resting peacefully side by side.
Her mothers' headstone read:
FIREFLY LOISE DASH
1970-1997
Mother, Daughter, An angel to all
.
"Thank you mommy for bringing me into this world and raising me to be a trustworthy and loyal compatriot to my friends. I wish you could've gotten to know them in person."
Rainbow was already shedding tears and her lower lip was quivering before she focused on her fathers' stone.
SPARKLER PHILLIP DASH
1967-2003
Father, Son, A compassionate stallion who now is reunited with his beloved wife. May both their souls rest in peace together until their daughter, Rainbow joins them in the future.
Rainbow then proceeded to look at her future gravestone with happy tears knowing that her parents would be waiting for her until it was her time.
RAINBOW ROXY DASH
1993-
The rest of the tombstone remained blank for now.
"I love you both. It's thanks to you two that I have such a great life and friends. Also for making me the best flyer in all of Equestria. I will never forget you and I hope I'll see you guys at the grand gates when it's my time."
Rainbow was now sobbing like she hasn't done in years. It was hard to tell if she enjoyed the feeling of being sad once again, but she understood it was perfectly natural. She then decided not to let the word cute get to her either. It was just a harmless compliment after all.
As Rainbow continued crying, she swore she could feel a sudden warmness on her shoulders as if somepony or two were placing a hoof on them.
Rainbow didn't want to turn around to see if anypony was there, because she already recognized the feel and the comfort she got from it. It was her parents.
She felt both of their presences standing on either side of her and comforting her as she stared at the graves still crying a little, but not as bad as before. She knew her parents were always watching over her from beyond the grave until the day she passed on to join them. Eventually they will all be staring at these graves again all as ghosts. This time, Rainbow's would be completely filled out.
A smile crossed Rainbow's face at the thought of her tombstone reading, Died from being awesome!
End.
