Fifteen years. That's how many years she visited this exact spot. Half way between the cloud city of Cloudsdale and the small earth pony town of Ponyville. It was nothing but a small hill, what ever marks she remembered being there all those years ago when she started coming were gone from all of the natural growth that has occurred.
However, on the very crest of that small hill was why she came. It was not something to huge or grand or what she would call 'awesome' while throwing a hoof into the air. Quiet the opposite, it was one of those things that if you ever used awesome to describe it, the poor pony will end up hospitalized with severe injuries.
It was a single tombstone. Erected fifteen years ago on this very day, Nightmare Night. It marked the passing of a pony too young to be taken, but was taken because of fate's cruel and twisted humor.
Here Lies Spectrum Dash
Twin, Brother, Son.
1988-1998
Rainbow Dash wiped a single tear from her eye as she settled down infront of the grave. Flowers from her visit last week were still there, wilted from the weather. She grabbed them and tossed them to the side, replacing them with a fresh pair of roses. She settled back down and looked it over.
"Sup, Spec. I-I went to Twilight's coronation a few days ago. I'm still a little scared of her mum, but, you know. Our mom was scary too when she needed to be. Good thing I didn't start dating until I was already on my own, huh?" said Dash, laughing slightly. She settled down more and laid her head down on her hooves.
"It's been fifteen years and this still hasn't gotten any easier. Not even three miles away Ponyville is partying it up for Nightmare Night, my marefriend is probably enjoying it her own way back in Canterlot with her mom and aunt, and then you have me, sitting her in sorrow." She scoffed. "The Rainbow Dash, depressed? Yeah, it's a bit shocking."
"If only you could respond or just hold me again. We would tell every single cheesy joke we ever came up with kids, do our secret shake, and play cloud battle with all the left over clouds, just like we used to." She sighed and rolled over, looking up at the darkening sky.
"They say losing a sibling is always painful and I will heal up someday, but I still haven't. I guess none of those ponies ever lost a twin. A twin is more than a sibling, they are you. They look like you, sound like you, act like you, the only reason others could tell is apart was because of our gender. Wasn't for that then we could pull the best pranks ever.
"It also would have been nice to have a 'talk' with your marefriend as you grew older, make sure she knew to treat you right. We look after each other, that's what twins do. Have the others back." Dash sighed and curled up into a ball. "But the one time I wasn't there to have yours, you get killed for it. Just because some fucking idiot decided not to put a thunder head away." Dash was full on crying now.
"It should have been me. I was always more reckless and carefree of the two of us. It should have been me not looking and running into that cloud. It should have been me laying on the ground, burnt to high hell with not a sign of life. But life is cruel. Though, in a way, it made me more weary of flying in thunder storms. Hardly ever do now. If I do, somepony better be dying."
"I miss you, bro."
"So this is the brother of my beautiful marefriend." Rainbow jumped and saw Twilight approaching her, her wings spread out signaling she just landed from flying, an improvement from her first attempts. Rainbow smiled softly and nodded, wiping away tear her tears.
"Yeah. Good old Spectrum." said Dash, chuckling softly. Twilight chuckled herself and sat down next to Rainbow, engulfing her in a wing.
"You miss your mom?" Asked Dash, looking up at the lavender alicorn. Twilight chuckled.
"Of course. I've seen her from my mothers dreams, but never got to meet her. However, that never stopped me from paying me respects and talking to her when I get the chance. I still catch mother doing it as well." said Twilight, looking up at the setting sun.
"Tell me about him." she said, keeping her gaze at the setting figure of her mothers sun. "You never talk about him. I'm just curious."
"Same old Twi." said Dash with a smirk. She sighed and looked back at the grave. "I guess he was like me. He wasn't afraid to find his limit and work past it. We both didn't even know what the word limit meant. To us, there was no limit. Just us, the sky, and the feeling of the air rushing past us at break-neck speed. It drove us and followed us, to our graves.
"He was the more feely one. You needed a talk or just to be held, the big lug would hold you and talk to you until the sun set and our parents yelled at us to come inside. I guess he was just sweet. He also shared my loyalty, we never gave up or turned away from a friend or family. We would stay by them until we were pulled away, even then we would give a good fight.
"Finally, and most ironic and painful, he was the most cautious. While I would fly through a thunder storm without a problem, he would hesitate then go in cautious to be hell, always telling me to slow down and be careful. It just hit me though that he was the one to die from lightening and not me. It should have been me. But Fate is a huge Jackass like that." Rainbow Dash curled up against Twilight. Her lavender wing wrapped itself around the cyan mare tighter, keeping her in its warm embrace.
"Fate is cruel but also teaches us a lesson with everything it does. And even death is to later improve our future. Without death, we can never learn to live life to its fullest. Enjoy ourselves in its moments until one day it comes and takes away our lives when it's time." said Twilight, stroking Rainbow's mane. "Tell me, do you think we would have ever met if your brother didn't run into that cloud? If my mom didn't die in that ambush? It weaves us all together."
"Them I'm glad to have met you." said Rainbow, burying her muzzle into Twilight's fur. Twilight bent down and kissed the mares forehead.
"And I am glad to have met you."
~The End~
Based off this song.
Author's Note
Alright, background time, motherfuckers. I said this when I mentioned RD's brother in Solar Child and I will say this again.
Spectrum Dash is in a way based off of my brother Dane, who passed away on our version of Nightmare Night otherwise known as Halloween over four years ago. Dane was seven years older than me so we were not twins, but a good amount of the things said about Spec are true for him. He passed away on October 31st 2010. He was married for one month and had a nine month old son. He was 19. Dane was killed in a car accident. I'm saying this because he was still young and so much to live for and I'm sure plenty of us have siblings. So, even though I will get hate, stay off your fucking phone while driving. I lost my brother because of a phone, and I don't think Amy of us want the same.
Thank you for reading and listening.
~DragonGenesis
