A Disappearing Trail

by Deathscar

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad
Length: 1253

All of her friends have left Ponyville, each one for the different reason. The only pony left with Pinkie is Rainbow, and she knew this day would come. Where she has to say goodbye. Question is, can she?

All of her best friends have left Ponyville, each one having departed for a different reason. As such, the only pony left with Pinkie is Rainbow Dash, and even she knew the day when the pegasus would leave would arrive as well. The question isn't whether she can ask Rainbow to stay, but its whether she can say goodbye.

Cover art is by PhillyPu and is inspired by the song of the same name.

Published 2014-04-05 17:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-05 17:00:02 UTC

A Disappearing Trail

(Inspired by Philly Pu's Sleepy Ghosties, which can be found here. Listening to it while reading it is recommended.)

Pinkie galloped down the route, her eyes shining bright from the many weeps and sobs that stuttered her speech with some streaming down her face.

“D-Dashie, wait!” she cried out to the soaring rainbow streak in the distance, watching the drops of tears that fell from the cyan blur in the sky glisten in the bright orange of the evening sunset. “Please! L-let me talk!”

Rainbow didn’t stop, in fact, she could blaze forward, leaving the village and mare behind her in a fit of dust. Yet, something restrained her, prevented her for doing just that. She swore she was connected to the area behind her with a long leash as the further she flew, the less breaths she was able to take, the less she was able to see and think.

“Dashie! P-please!” Pinkie pleaded, galloping as fast as her hooves would carry her. Her hooves ached from the constant running, the dirt track that she had been galloping on provided little respite and yet she didn’t slow down, going at the same, quick pace.

Rainbow’s speed slowed, her imaginary leash having reached its maximum distance. Her heart tugged endlessly to leave it all, to run away, never look back. After all, hadn’t that been what she was best at? Having no regrets? She heard the gallop of hooves behind her, getting louder with every second she spent hovering in midair.

“Dashie!”the familiar voice called out the same word she had been for the past few minutes that she had been chasing. “Dashie! Why don’t you just talk to me!? We can work something out! We…we can!”

Rainbow slowly lowered herself down, her tail swishing dejectedly in Pinkie’s direction. “What can I say?”

“S-so many things! Everything!” Pinkie tossed her hooves up in the air, her voice cracking every couple of words. She stared at Rainbow’s lack of movement, her hooves slowly dropping to the ground. “…A-anything.”

Rainbow huffed with a smile. “P-Pinkie, you knew this day would come. You knew…”

Pinkie lifted her hooves to her head, shaking it violently. “N-no! No no!”

The pegasus finally spun around, locking her eyes with those of her best friend. “Pinkie… you knew. We had to grow up sometime, all of us had to.”

Pinkie stared back into Rainbow’s glistening magenta eyes, the shaking of her head having been stopped by a hoof on her shoulder. “…Why? Why must we grow up? W-we were so happy in Ponyville! You, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy!” She dotted each name with a slam of her hoof onto the ground, slamming up a cloud of dirt every time she did so. “We were happy! B-better than happy! We were really happy!”

Rainbow couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle upon hearing Pinkie’s best description for ‘better than happy’, turning her gaze towards the grass that flanked both of their sides. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke, “yeah… we were. But things change, Pinkie. Ponies grow up. They have dreams. Goals. Hopes.”

Pinkie bit her lower lip, moving her gaze away from Rainbow as well. Mustering up all the courage she could, she said with quivering lips and a broken tone, “first it was Rarity. Then Twilight. Then Fluttershy, Applejack. You are the only friend I have left in Ponyville, Dashie!”

Rainbow gave a much larger laugh this time. “Aren’t you friends with everypony in Ponyville?” she rebutted, turning her attention back towards the party pony, who met returned her gaze, her usually bright, perky and cheerful smile having been replaced with a heartbroken frown.

“Best friend!”

“Pinkie.” Her smile vanished, staring at Pinkie with a serious look. “We aren’t not gonna be best friends. We’re still gonna be the best pals!” She chirped as best she could, her grin quickly returning as she threw her hoof lightly around Pinkie’s shoulder, moving up to her side.

Pinkie paused for a moment, hanging her head low as she focused downwards on a blade of grass dancing in the breeze. “I just… I just don’t want to say goodbye.”

“This isn’t goodbye.” Rainbow pulled the pink mare closer to her side, tilting her head up to stare at the bright blue sky that was dotted with clouds both large and small. “Think of this as more of a…” Lowering her gaze back to Pinkie, who had lowered her head significantly in grief, she continued, “‘see you soon’”.

The words made both mares giggle as Rainbow shook Pinkie lightly, elated she had finally worked out any form of happiness from her.

“Which drama did you get from?” Pinkie asked, tilting her gaze just a little upwards to see Rainbow’s stunning myriad of colors giving off a soft radiant glow from the setting sun.
“H-hey!” Rainbow recoiled a little. “W-what? You don’t think the totally awesome Rainbow Dash can come up with something so cool on her own?”

Pinkie didn’t break her look, raising her left eyebrow just a little which caused Dash to sigh.
“…P-ponies in our lives.” Her smile quickly returned. “There’s really no getting anything past you is there?”

Pinkie laughed and snorted, causing the mare who still had her hoof around her shoulder to laugh as well. “You’re my best friend, Dashie. You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember!” She raised her right hoof to the air in an arc, as if painting a stroke through the sky. “And that’s a long time! Us Pies remember everything!”

Rainbow brought Pinkie as close as she could. “Pinkie, I’ll miss you. Everything about you. But this just isn’t goodbye. Not even close!” Breaking the hug, she moved in front of the cotton-candy colored pony, locking gazes. “You’ll see me again. That’s my Pinkie promise. And the next time you see me, you’ll be seeing the best flyer in all of Equestria in a Wonderbolt suit.”

Pinkie shook her head. “No, I’ll be seeing Dashie. That’s who I care about!” She booped Rainbow’s head lightly, tearing up the exact same time as the mare across from her did and for a few moments, silence consumed the both of them. No words were uttered, yet more emotions had been transferred from their eyes alone than any time in the world would allow.

“W-well, what’re you waiting for silly filly? Get going!” Pinkie gave a playful push onto Rainbow, giggling as she did so.

Rainbow nodded, opening her hooves towards Pinkie, who immediately dove and gripped Rainbow as tightly as she could.

Once their hug was broken, Rainbow gave her signature confident smile, tears still flowing from her face. “See you soon, Pinks.”

As Rainbow rocketed upwards, she unleashed a huge gust of wind, causing Pinkie to lift up her hooves to shield her eyes. Upon lowering her hoof, she stared at the pegasus who had already soared far away in the distance, decreasing slowly in size until the only trace that she was ever there was the trail of seven colors she had left in her wake.

Pinkie smiled. It wasn’t the biggest smile she had done, not by a long shot, but it was arguably- no, definitely her most genuine. With a soft mutter under her breath, she felt the weight that had weighed her down for years lift off her shoulders, “see you soon…Dashie.”

Author's Note

Little short story! Trying out a new writing style! Hope you guys enjoyed!