A Final Gift
After 40 years of being a Wonderbolt, a good friend, and an overall successful mare, Rainbow Dash lies at her deathbed with Scootaloo close by. All her life, Scootaloo has looked up to Rainbow, trying to mimic her every move. She was, after all, her number one fan. The two had gotten close over the years, moving in with each other as if they were sisters. Now, with Scootaloo watching over Rainbow, she tries to savour the last few moments she has with her hero.
"Thanks for taking care of me these last few years, Scootaloo. You're like the little sister I never had. I love you," Rainbow tells her.
"Anything for you, Rainbow Dash"
"Hey, kid. I know I don't have much time left, but there is something I need to tell you"
"Dash, Don't say that!"
"It's true, and it’s my time to pass on."
"But I'm not ready for you to leave yet!"
With Rainbow’s last dying breath, she manages to tell Scootaloo one final thing.
"I have one final gift to give you. You know that I will always love you like a sister. Inside my drawer at the house..."
"Yes? What’s there?" ... "Dash?"
Rainbow's eyes slowly close, and Scootaloo can hear the EKG monitor above her flatline.
"Goodbye, Rainbow Dash. I love you, too"
Scootaloo gives Rainbow a hug before leaving the room. Scootaloo was all Rainbow had left after her adventures with her friends came to an end. By then, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had all gotten their cutie marks, and stopped going out on their crusades. Neither of the mares had been in contact with anypony from Ponyville once everypony got older and didn't have time for their charades anymore.
Walking through the hospital walls, Scootaloo tried to think happy thoughts, but nothing worked. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. She loved Rainbow Dash, and was going to have a hard time managing without her. Since Scootaloo never knew her parents, or had any siblings, Rainbow Dash was the only pony she ever really had. She had great friends, but never any real family, and Dash was the closest thing to it.
Finally reaching home, Scootaloo unlocks the door to a quiet, dark house. It would be a long time before she would ever get used to it, seeing as everyday she would get home, there Rainbow Dash would be, eager to greet her home with a welcoming hug. The house was much larger than Rainbow's old house in Cloudsdale. It wasn’t made of clouds, or had any fancy cloud furniture, but it was more simpler, perfect for the lives they both led.
Making her way into her bedroom, Scootaloo lays down on her bed, resting her head on the pillow. But before she can close her eyes and get some rest, she hears a knock at the door.
Who could that be this late at night?
She gets up to answer the door. Opening it, she's surprised to see Twilight and Rarity standing at the door, with both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom behind them.
"Oh, hey.. I...What are you guys doing here?"
"Word travels fast. I'm -- We're all sorry Scootaloo," Rarity starts, "May we come in?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry. Please come in."
She hugs everypony as they enter the house, each making their way over to the living area. Closing the door behind Applebloom, the last to enter, she makes her way to Rainbow's favorite spot to sit. It seemed fitting.
"How has everypony been? It's been such a long time since the last time we’ve seen each other. Even if it's another death that brings us together." She sighed.
"Yeah," Rarity frowned, "We all miss Pinkie too"
"So, where are Applejack and Fluttershy?" She asked
"Oh, well, Applejack came down with something, and Fluttershy stayed with her" She paused. "So Scootaloo, how have you been?"
"Things were really tense, and I was really scared. But now... I just don't know what to do."
"You know we will always be here for you. I know things are going to be hard from here on in. Now, was there anything that Rainbow Dash said to you before she left?"
"Actually, yes. She told me something about a final gift in her drawer. But that’s about it."
"A final gift in her drawer? Why don't you go take a look then?"
Getting up out of her chair, Scootaloo heads over to Rainbow's room. Opening the door, she sees old photos and posters. Most of them are of the Wonderbolts, but others are of friends and fans.
I'm sure going to miss you. Why did you have to leave so soon?!
She walks over to the nightstand beside Rainbow's bed, and opens the single drawer. It's completely empty, except for a single envelope marked To my #1 fan.Grabbing the letter out from the drawer, she brings it back into the living room and opens it.
"What does it say?" Twilight asks.
"Well, Let's see;
Dear Scootaloo,
I wanted to give this to you much sooner, but never had the time to do it. I still remember the very first day we met. You admired me so much, and I saw a lot of myself in you. From that day, I always knew I would be taking you under my wing, literally. Throughout the years,you have been like a sister to me, and I will always love you, no matter what. Having the privilege to know you was the best thing I could ever have. Being in theWonderbolts was nothing compared to having a friend like you, and don't you ever forget that. You know I’m not that good with words, so I'll get right to it. I buried a box with my gift to you underneath the big apple tree where we went when you learned to fly. I have to go now, but I want you to remember one last thing. You will always be my hero Scootaloo.
Love, Dash"
"Hey, Isn’t that right outside of Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight wondered aloud.
-
"C’mon kid! Just jump, then at the last second, spread your wings!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Dash, I'm scared!" Scootaloo screamed, backing away from the edge on the cloud they were standing on.
"Ah, don’t be such a chicken!"
"I'm not a chicken!"
"Yeah? Prove it!"
She moves over to the edge once again, glancing down to the ground, feeling sick to her stomach.
"I can't do it!!"
"Sure you can! Just watch!" Just then, Rainbow pushed Scootaloo off the cloud, and followed her as she plummeted to the ground
"Aaaaaaaahhh!!!!!" She screamed, flailing her forelegs all through the air.
"Whooo hoooo!!!!!" Rainbow shouted. "Get ready to spread those wings kid!"
The ground was quickly approaching, and Scootaloo was running out of time. If she was going to fly, she needed to extend her wings before Rainbow Dash had to save her from hitting the ground.
Just before she got close enough to the ground to be able to see individual pebbles, she closed her eyes and put her hooves over her face. Before she knew it, everything was peaceful, and quiet. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was flying!
"Look! I'm doing it Rainbow Dash!"
"Way to go kid! Now try to keep up with me!"
"You're on!"
-
"Hey Scootaloo! You alright?"
Huh?
"Scootaloo!"
Opening her eyes, Scootaloo could see Applebloom over top of her, waving her hoof back and forth.
"Oh, sorry, what happened?"
"You sort of blacked out right there. You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm alright. I... I need some rest. Sorry to cut the visit short, girls. But, you're all welcome to stay if you want."
Scootaloo gets up and makes way to her room. She knew her friends most likely wouldn’t stay, and would make their own way out. She slipped into her covers, and closed her eyes.
Goodnight, Rainbow Dash.
The next morning Scootaloo awakes with no intentions of doing anything. She just wants to lay in her bed all day and stay there. But, of course, that can’t happen, since things need to be done.
The smell of something burning finds its way into Scootaloo's snout. Alarmed, she jumps out of bed and runs into the kitchen. She finds Sweetie Belle and Applebloom trying their best to make breakfast. Sweetie Belle must have done all the cooking; she never was good at it.
"Girls? What are you doing here?"
"Good mornin' Scootaloo!" said Applebloom, the first to acknowledge she had awoken. "We tried makin’ you some breakfast, but, well, as you can see..."
"That's alright. Since you two are over, I have a question for the both of you..."
"Shoot, ask us anything! We're here for ya!"
"Well...I was thinking...Would you like to go on one last adventure? To find this gift?"
"Well, you can never be too old to go on adventures"
"Thanks, Applebloom. How about you Sweetie? Are you down for this?"
She smiles and nods her head.
"Alright then, girls. We can still catch the train to Ponyville if we hurry."
The three quickly clean up before heading out. It will only take a few minutes to get to the train station. Making it just in time, they board the train and take their seats.
--
Getting off the train, Scootaloo takes everything in as she stretches. Ponyville still looked the same as the last time she was here.
"Well girls, let's not waste any time. The spot’s just a short walk this way" She points. Eager to get there, Scootaloo takes to the air, advancing ahead of her friends.
She turns her head back to her friends to speak before running into a tree.
Smooth.
"Are you alright?" Sweetie Belle asked picking up her friend.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Looks like we're here, then. This is the big apple tree from the letter,” She says, looking up at the tree.
"So how do we know what to look for?" Applebloom asked.
"Well... the letter said she buried it. So, around the bottom of the tree maybe?"
The three begin their search at the base of the tree.
There's nothing that looks like there would be something buried, but it has to be here.
Looking around some more, Scootaloo notices a small entrance, like a fox hole leading inside of the tree.
"Hey girls, I think I found something"
She reaches in the hole, and sure enough, she feels a box.
"I...I think I found it!"
"Well pull it out then!" Sweetie Belle tells her.
Putting her other hoof in, Scootaloo gets a good hold and pulls the box out. The box looks fairly old, and was full of dirt.
"What are you waiting for? Open it!"
Doing just that, Scootaloo opens the box only to find something she doesn’t understand.
"What's with the face? What's inside?"
"I..It's my birth certificate... I... I don’t understand it."
"Well, is there anything else inside?"
"Let me see..."
Reaching in, she accidentally drops the box, revealing two other articles.
Huh..what are these?
Looking down at the ground, she can see the first article looks like another birth certificate. She picks it up to read it, revealing that it’s Rainbow Dash’s. Looking at the birth parents, she notices something similar...the names were the same as hers!
What?
"Hey Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle says, breaking the silence, "There's a picture here of Rainbow Dash when she was younger. There are two other ponies that might be her parents holding what looks like...you."
What didshe just say?
"Let me see that!" She says, grabbing the picture out of her hoof.
Looking at the picture, Scootaloo's heart sinks as low as it has ever been. Taking a step back, she takes a seat on the grass staring at the picture.
"Scootaloo...Are you okay? You look pale.”
Is it possible? All this time...
"Scootaloo..Answer me!"
I...had a sister.
"Hey!"
RainbowDash...Why did you leave me!!
By now, both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom are shaking Scootaloo, trying to bring her back to reality.
She snaps back to the cold reality of what she has learned. "I...I have a sister..."
"Uhh... what?" They both say, confused.
"Rainbow Dash....her parents...are mine..."
With the two certificates in her hoof, she shows the two the information on the papers, showing them that both parents are the same.
"So then Scootaloo...this gift..."
"Was to show me I had a family all along. That she...was my sister.”
I love you Rai...Sister.
Scootaloo gets up off the grass and back on her hooves. She picks up the box, putting everything back inside.
"The funeral is tomorrow. I think we should head back now. Thank you both... for everything.”
"Anything for you, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle says
Anythingfor youRainbow Dash.
--
Not a single beam of light shone through Scootaloo's bedroom window when she awoke in the morning. Today was Rainbow's funeral, and she wasn’t feeling the best. The weather was scheduled for a rainy day, and there was nothing Scootaloo could do about it. There’s a knock at the door. She gets out of bed, walks over to the door and answers it to meet Twilight. Not a single word was shared; only a few nods here and there. Scootaloo grabbed the box she found earlier, and left with her friends to the funeral.
Rain drops pound all over Scootaloo's coat as she stares at the black coffin waiting to be lifted down into the ground. Rainbow's cutie mark was painted on the top of it, with a bunch of different flowers all around it.
"Would you like to say anything, Scootaloo? Before we bury her?" She hears a pony say, completely oblivious to the scene around her.
"Oh, yeah, give me a moment."
She reaches underneath her wing, pulling out the old, dirty box. She places it on top of the coffin, and pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts.
"All my life I have always looked up to Rainbow Dash. I wanted to be just like her, and tried everything I could to do just that. Over the years we became like sisters...and it was everything I could have ever asked for. We loved each other as such, and always looked out for one another. Though, over these past few years, she had gotten very sick, and I did everything I could to help her. It wasn’t enough, and she ended up leaving us. There was one last thing she wanted me to find...and I have it here, in that box. It contains documents of my birth parents and hers." She opens the box and grabs the picture, kissing it. "We both had the same parents..and Rainbow Dash was always the real sister I wished she was."
Choking on the last few words, she can’t finish her thought before backing away and returning to her welcoming friends, who were doing their best to comfort her. She watches as the coffin is lowered into the ground.
Goodbye sister. I... I will always remember the times we had, and maybe one day write a book about our adventures. I love you Dash, and don’t you ever forget that!