Dear Rainbow...

by Ninjadash

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Sad, Other, Romance, Fluttershy, Tragedy
Length: 2173

Rainbow Dash had worked hard to forget those painful memories, and then... there they were, written across the page in his cursive writing, the harsh details of their childhood. All in a letter from a friend she thought she lost ( NOT GILDA )

Rainbow Dash receives a letter from an old friend detailing their harsh foalhood and resurfacing memories she had tried to forget
"You didn't tell them did you.
You didn't tell your friends that you grew up in a dilapidated orphanage. You didn't tell them you endured years of child abuse. You didn't tell them that everypony told you that you'd never be special. You didn't tell them your father gave you up because he spent all his bits drowning his sorrows in cider. You didn't tell them of the little family you made, and of the happiness they brought you. Of our flight sessions beneath the stars, wings and hearts beating in tandem."
"And look what it has cost you."

They wouldn't understand anyway
An RD one shot
A HUGE THANKS TO MY PREREADER/EDITOR WhatMakesaRainbow

Published 2014-01-28 00:00:08 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-28 00:00:08 UTC

A Letter To My Rainbow

Dear Rainbow Dash,

I remember the day I met you

They dragged you off the streets, just a little filly kicking, biting and yelling. You weren't an orphan! You didn't belong here.

Your daddy lived in Cloudsdale and he was gonna take you home where you belonged. Somepony loved you!

He never did come for you.

I remember watching a small filly sob under her blankets, as the world around her lost all colour. The one who you loved most abandoned you, your freedom snatched by his words.

And in a rare moment of confidence, telling her it would be alright.

Our friendship continued to grow, and so did your attitude .

We flew when told to walk, walked when told to run, lived when told to die. You grew more restless yearning to be free.

We dreamed of the day when we would walk free, the day when we would soar away from our prison and never look back. We would reach 18 if it killed us. But ideas never consoled you, action was needed.

And as the years flew by your attempts to escape grew desperate and bold.

They even installed iron bars in the windows, a useless attempt to contain their charge.

That never stopped you from trying, again and again, in all sorts of devious ways.

But our captors did,

Then pain began.

The sound of flesh on hooves is unmistakable, the sound etched into my minds ear.

Keeper after keeper circling like sharks, a flurry of hooves rain down on your small form.

Scarlet blood dyed your coat red, your lifeblood draining out. Your bones crackle like thunder, shattered under hating hooves.

Gasp nor wail was heard from you, refusing to give them satisfaction of your pain

Your ruby eyes scream for help, fluttering helplessly as you strain to keep conscious

And they are deafening

No one could help you, so you became your own hero.

Oh Faust, how I wish I could have helped.

They forced us to watch your torture, small foals cried for you, watching as their big sister was beat into oblivion.

Us, the older foals could only watch, screaming at our restrainers.

They stopped when you lost consciousness, unable to take the pain.

Somepony would always volunteer their bedsheet to wrap your beaten body in, crimson steaks adding colour to the gritty, grimy,  yellow fabric.

You looked so peaceful when you slept, moonlight illuminating the fresh black eye.

I stayed there all night making sure that your light did not fade.

I wanted so desperately to take your pain.

A little filly shouldn't be beaten so bad that she could barely walk the next day. So bad that to move caused her to fall the the floor, a lone tear escaping clenched eyes.

You preferred flying anyway.

You were our hero.

You brought life, colour and hope to the dreary world we lived in and inspired us to live.

For the first time we dared to hope life was worth living.

Of course that all changed.

Do you remember that time when we almost escaped? We were so close to freedom...

You lead the small children in the front, desperately urging them to go faster. Some older kids and I held the rear, pushing the throng of children. You had insisted on taking the foals. We had almost reached the safety of the forest, outstretched hooves grasping at freedom...

We were too slow. Rough hooves held us tight as we tried feverishly to escape their clutches. Somepony screamed as their freedom was snatched violently away.

You could have kept going, left us to rot, some ponies did. But not Rainbow. Unhesitatingly you turned straight around leading the charge. A fierce battle cry rang out as you tackled our captors.

It doesn't surprise me you're the element of Loyalty.

We noticed your punishment was harsher that night. Scarlet blood painted the walls as the whip lashed you over and over.

They'd never used a whip before.

This time you did cry out, a wail of agony, as the devil tongue scorched your tender skin. It's something a filly of your age never should have gone through.

The next day was worse

You...you were picked.

We knew for some it was inevitable, but never the boisterous, tough as nails mare, with the untameable mane. You were 16 and fillies that old almost never get picked.

A mare and a stallion unable to have foals of their own took you from us, you and a small filly named Fluttershy.

We were torn from each other, two best friend against the world, separated.

We could tell you didn't want to leave, we were your family, for Fausts sake. But of course the orphanage couldn't expell you fast enough, happy to be rid of their problem filly.

I still remember your goodbye, telling us to be strong, to keep fighting, to keep hope.

It's funny, they wanted to take you away from that hay-hole and give a you real home. Instead you wanted to stay with the people who hurt you, told you you were worthless

You wanted to stay with your...family

We.. we tried so hard to keep believing in freedom. Weak attempts were made to escape and some Prism Shine broke all his legs jumping off the roof, trying to fly away.

Our hope must have gone with you.

The next couple years of my life were awful. I was 17 when you left so I only had a year until I too could leave.

That year was the slowest most painful year of my existence.

It was achingly dull without your rainbow spark, no laughter echoed off the walls, no fillies or colts ran through the halls bowling over anypony stupid enough to get in their way. No shoulder to cry on when all seemed lost.

A- and something changed, you seemed like a dream an illusion of a hopeless mind. I found my thoughts returning to you more often, wishing you were here. Before you were just my best friend but maybe we should have been more than friends.

Yes that sounded right.

I spent the rest of the year dreaming what I would say to you, aching for just one word.

Then suddenly I was free.

And totally alone.

Nopony knew where you were. I had a minimal education and nopony to turn to. Life looked bleak.

And I died, a hollow shell of what had once been so full of life.

The conditions I existed in didn't really count as living. Working odd jobs and just barely having enough to buy food.

I lived under a park bench.

A park bench.

It was only by chance that I came to Ponyville, transferred to a cloudbusting unit.

And there you were.

I could only stare as the rough little filly with the band aids and scraped knees I knew had been replaced by a mare. A beautiful goddess of a mare. Light shone through your mane making a myriad of colour dance on the ground. Your unkept wings had been replaced by the sleek wings of an angel, looking far better than they ever had at the orphanage. No more ribs poked out from a once hungry belly and your coat shone in the sunlight.

Quick as a flash you were gone, leaving only a fading rainbow as a parting gift.

I almost cried.

Feeling kind of shaken I headed to a nearby bar, needing food and drink.

Mostly the drink.

And there you were, smiling, surrounded by friends.

You are beautiful

So beautiful

You've changed so much, you're no longer a little filly but a beautiful mare

And the stallions have noticed.

They eye you like a dragon does a beautiful jewel.

You don't notice, preferring to idly chat with your friends, laughing and smiling, confidence radiates off you

Suddenly some guy wanders up to you, drink in hoof, throwing cheesy pickup lines like bombs.

I resist my urge to hurt him.

You never were one to chase after the stallions, always the hero of the story, not the dainty damsel locked away, awaiting her Prince Blueblood.

You blaze your own trail, into newfound glory.

His attempts to woo you are failing miserably, disgust plainly shows on your visage. As you turn to leave he does the unthinkable

He grabs your flank.

And as you turn to him, eyes narrowed like a tiger ready to pounce, looming argrily over your prey I can see his fear. He is trapped by the top predator, ready to be eaten. And like any trapped animal he lashes out, desperate to escape.

His hoof makes impact with your cheek with a nasty crunch .

You don't take it well.

Suddenly you are on top of him landing hit after hit, screaming obscenities at the top of your lungs. A blur of orange unsucssesfully tries to haul you off the poor stallion and the others just sit, dumbfounded at your rage.

You are crying.

It was too close to your torture to be let go, too much like those awful days in which pain was normal. They hurt you and now you have hurt back.

Snapping out of her stupor a purple unicorn tosses you off your prey via telekinesis, throwing your body to the floor.

You don't get up.

Just lay there dejectedly while they tend to the wounded. Your body contorts around as it attempts to swallow back the sobs wraking it and to suppress the forgotten memories. Nopony helps you as they place your needs second. Just like your father did all those years ago. Unlike the stallion bleeding on the floor your wounds cannot be seen.

That doesn't mean they're not there.

Your heart has been slashed, beaten tender by hooves and words.

I need to get you out of here before somepony does something stupid. You remain motionless as I haul you out of the pub, too wrapped up in the folds of your mind to notice anything. I wander away from the unsightly bar and eventually end up in a nearby apple orchard. Delicately I lean you against the base of a tree, and carefully sit down beside you, trying not to disturb your slumber. If our situation was not so somber I too may have succumbed to the tendrils of sleep.

Almost immediately you cuddle up to me, pressed to my side, head resting on my shoulder. A warm summer wind blows by smelling slightly of honeysuckle. This is harmony.

Your breaths are slow and steady, the vibration of your heart resonating through our bodies, forcing my mine to beat in time. I run a hoof through your shiny coat.

And I find the scars.

They crisscross across your back, like a sick game of tik-tak-toe, etched into your flesh by a demonic player. Not even a pleasant afternoon such as this one can hide those,

And you will carry those scars till you die.

Your adorable little snore brings me back to Equestria,  seriously it's like a little tiger yawn. A fierce rainbow tiger. You are certainly not getting up anytime soon.

It must be a coping mechanism, because when they beat you, you'd always lose consciousness and when your daddy left you for dead you slept for two days straight and nopony could wake you. If they hadn't sent me to shove some food into you we might never have met. Sleep is the only time you look vulnerable, like a little filly again.

Ponies are approaching, their hoofsteps jarring the peaceful silence of the orchard.

Gently I peel you from my side, and leave you amongst the sweet smelling grass. I can't help but run a hoof  across your face as you lay in the shade of the apple tree, sunshine dancing through its leaves, a little smile painted across your face.

And I regretfully trot away.

But I will be back

Your screams can be heard through the walls of your cloudy home

Angrily they pierce the silence of the night, guttural cries of fury directed at the world.

But..They are also pleas, begging somepony, anypony to help you. To hold you in their arms and tell you that it's gonna be alright, . Nopony ever has.

Somepony will.

Accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, an item comes hurling out of the window and I just barely miss being pierced by its shrapnel.

Eventually your screams turn to wails and wails to sobs as you cry yourself to sleep,

Dry your tears for this is the last night those memories will harm you. For now we will face them together, warriors in a battle fought by few. And together we will be victorious.

Once again I walk away from you, but this will be the last time.

And yeah things are rough now, but don't worry.

'cause at the end of every storm comes a Rainbow.

I love you Rainbow Dash.

Never change.

Sincerely,

I figured you'd want to keep this