The rain fell all around her, the cold droplets of water plastering her mane onto her unblinking face. Still, she laid—unmoving—up on the top of the hill. Laying there, unmovingly, she watched them. She watched the other ponies going about their daily routines, almost as if they didn't know. Rainbow sighed. She was so high above all of them, yet so far beneath it all.
The heavy rain turned into a gentle snowfall.
Honestly? She preferred the rain.
The constant pitter-patter of the rain was relaxing. The heavy droplets falling onto her body reminded her that she was still real. It was all real. Everything was completely and utterly real, all because of the rain.
But now the rain was gone.
She shivered, but not from the cold.
Rainbow sniffled. Maybe she was starting to come down with something. She really should go inside, anywhere to get out of the cold, but she didn't want to. She wouldn't leave. She couldn't leave. This was where belonged. Right here, up on top of the hill, watching over all of them. Watching. Unmoving. Still as stone.
A snowflake landed on her nose. She made no move to remove it. Who was she to decide where the snowflake should be? If it wanted to be on her nose, then she should leave it be. She didn't want to move it. She wouldn't move it. She couldn't move it.
She hated the snow. It was graceful, sure, but it fell so slowly. Slow was bad. You've got to do things quickly in order to get everything done. You've got a limited amount of time live, so you need make all of it count. If you do everything slowly, you can't possibly get everything done before your timer hits zero. It's simply not possible.
Of course, the snow didn't know that.
Just then, a pony reached the top of the hill, a brown paper bag sitting in her mouth. The lavender unicorn walked briskly, her tired eyes bloodshot and wistful.
Rainbow felt a smile tug at her lips, but she pushed it back. She didn't want to smile. Not now. She wouldn't smile. She couldn't smile.
The unicorn plodded over to her and sat down. Her eyes bored into Rainbow's soul. She was staring directly at the pegasus, yet not at the same time. It was almost as though Rainbow wasn't actually there.
The unicorn gingerly placed the bag onto the ground and wordlessly pulled out a bouquet daisies.
Daisies were Rainbow's favorite.
Instead of handing them over to Rainbow, the unicorn placed them down the ground beside her. The unicorn stared down at her own hooves, nervous. "H-Hey, Rainbow..." she said, choking over her own words. Tears were now freely flowing down her gentle, lavender cheeks.
"T-Today marks a year. It... it has been a whole year since it happened, Rainbow. Three-hundred-sixty-five days," she murmured.
She shuffled her hooves. "I... I think the others are starting to forget, Rainbow, but I haven't. I won't ever forget you, Rainbow Dash," she whispered, her voice trying to find just the right words.
Rainbow felt a lump form in her throat. As tears began to well in her eyes, she mouthed the words, "I won't ever forget you either, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight sighed. "Rainbow... it's all my fault! I'm so sorry! Maybe if I had been there watching over you, you wouldn't have crashed. But instead I blew you off to write another stupid friendship report for the princesses. It's all my fault..."
Twilight's tears flowed more heavily now, her tired eyes even more bloodshot and wistful than before. "Some friend I am..."
After a moment of silence, she reached into the bag once more and pulled out a mug filled to the brim with a drink. "I brought you some cider, Rainbow. I know how much you like it."
She placed the mug down next to the bouquet of daisies.
The wind picked up, blowing the snow around in a frenzy. Rainbow shivered.
"Applejack almost didn't give it to me. She said I was wasting a perfectly good drink. She just doesn't understand, Rainbow. I know you can hear me. I know you can. They just don't understand..." she breathed.
"Nobody understands," she muttered under her breath.
Twilight's legs gave out and she fell to the ground, weeping. She was a wreck. Her mane was mess, and her wracking sobs sounded dry and empty, devoid of any emotion. More than anything else in the world, Rainbow just wanted to sit down and place a comforting hoof around Twilight's shoulder, but it would be fruitless. So she she sat there. Watching. Unmoving. Still as stone.
After what felt like hours of Twilight crying, the unicorn shakily dragged herself back onto her hooves. Reaching back into the bag one last time, she pulled out a shiny, rectangular object.
"I f-forgot to tell you last time, R-Rainbow, but I contacted the Wonderbolts," she said, looking at Rainbow. This time it was as if Twilight was truly staring at Rainbow, not through her. It made Dash feel real, just like the rain did.
"They sent this back in response," she said. She took the object and placed it down next to the cider and the bouquet of daisies. The placard read, 'Rainbow Dash—Honorary Wonderbolt'.
Rainbow's heart leapt up into her throat. She... she was a wonderbolt now?
Twilight sniffled. "You see, Rainbow? They made you an honorary wonderbolt. You're a wonderbolt now, Dashie. You're our little Wonderbolt. You're my little Wonderbolt."
The warmth within Rainbow's heart felt hot enough to melt all the snow in the world. Rainbow felt that incessant smile tugging at her lips again, but she pushed it away. She didn't want to smile. Not now. She wouldn't smile. She couldn't smile.
Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, it's getting late. I... I have to go, Rainbow. I'll be back again tomorrow. I promise." She turned around and left, her silhouette slowly fading into the distance.
After staring at the spot where Twilight had once stood, Rainbow turned and read the stone that lay behind her. She didn't need to read it—she had it memorized—but she did anyways.
Here lies Rainbow Dash, daughter, friend, and hero.
Rest In Peace
The gentle snow turned back into a heavy rainfall.
Honestly? She preferred the snow.
