Just Be Yourself

by Wrangle Wolfe

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Tragedy
Length: 1100

Rainbow remembers her tragic past and what she has become of it.

Rainbow Dash is just a shell of how she used to be. She doesn't know how to be herself at all, and she reflects on her past that changed her entire life for the worst.

Published 2014-04-08 09:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-08 09:40:01 UTC

Be Yourself

Rainbow Dash sighed as she looked out into the cold night on her lone cloud. What could she have done so wrong? She punched the cloud that she laid on in anger, which caused it to dissipate into nothingness, but she didn’t care. She let herself fall onto the cold, unwelcoming grass and, after landing, looked up into the silver moon. Why did everything go this way?
The blue Pegasus sighed. Her friends always saw her as the confident, cocky mare that was loyal to her friends. But Rainbow Dash knew that she was only a shell of what she used to be. She wasn’t as confident, as brave, or as happy as everypony thought she was. All of the pranks, laughter, and bravery… It was not her. She wasn’t brave; her life wasn’t… rainbows and sunshine. She was suffering, and she had admitted that to herself long ago. But there was one thing that she had that wasn’t a lie. Something that she could truly and proudly call herself was loyal.

With all that she’d went through, all of the hardships she ever suffered, a small flicker of something great stayed with her through it all, and that is why she was alive today. She could call herself one thing without crying in the inside, without lying to her closest friends, and without remembering her troubled pasts. Her loyalty was dear to her, and without it, Rainbow Dash would be completely gone forever. The thought made her smile a little.

But then, she had a deep frown on her face after remembering how her loyalty started. How she lost the only family she had. She still couldn’t believe that she had disappointed the one bit of family she ever had on their day of death. She could still remember him… how he comforted her, how he said he loved her for the first time, how he was…

Sorry.

He had apologized to her, and it was her fault. She didn’t listen to him, and now he’s dead because of it. She could still remember
how it went.

“Daddy?”

“S-spectra fa—no… Rainbow Dash… That’s your real name. I-I’ve only calle you that horrid name because all of my life I thought that you were the reason to my problems but… now I know it was me being a fool. I thought of you as a failure and… and now I’ve come to realize that what I did was wrong. Your name is not really Spectra Fail… no, it’s Rainbow Dash. What your mother named you. Never use the name I gave you… NGHH!”

“Daddy… what’s wrong?”

“I… never told you this Rainbow Dash but… I love you, little angel. Now, before I go—“

“Go? Wait, where are you going?!”

“Remember when I said your mother is in heaven? That’s where I’m going, to go keep her company. And… if you keep being your wonderful self, you will join us when it’s time.”

“No, don’t leave! You just saved my life, you’re like my hero. Please, don’t leave me now!”

“Dash, I want you to do something for me okay? I want you to be the best flier you can be. Be the best flier in Equestria if you can.
And also, be yourself. Don’t pretend to be somepony you’re not, like I tried to make you do.”

“Yes, anything you want dad!”

“Rainbow… I don’t have much time. What I want you to do is go into my closet and grab the rainbow colored box. After that, you’ll know what to do… kagh!”

Rainbow Dash hugged her father in her little hooves and cried, and the two held their embrace. They stayed like that, hugging each other with their eyes closed in a warm hug. Warm, at least, until her father’s body grew icy cold and his breathing came to a permanent pause.

“D-daddy. Daddy? Daddy no! NO!!!” The rainbow colored filly screamed out to her father’s corpse, which had its eyes closed and its mouth curled up in a peaceful smile.

He had died in her arms.

And it was all her fault.

Rainbow Dash cried harder that she ever had in her life, not noticing the crowd that had formed or the pony that gently led her away from her father’s lifeless body.

Rainbow Dash cried into the night, wishing she had just done what her father had asked her to do. Crying into the night, she didn’t hear the hoofsteps coming behind her.

“I’m sorry dad… I never was able to be myself…” she whispered.

“But you are still loyal.” Said a familiar voice behind her.

“T-twilight?!” Rainbow Dash yelped.

“Yes, Rainbow Dash. I know what happened, and I saw it all.” Came the calm voice from behind the Pegasus.

“But you weren’t there! How could you know ANYTHING!?” Rainbow Dash yelled to her friend. She was in Canterlot, frolicking with Princess Celestia and her books and laughing her rich little head off when that was happening.

“I… “

“You don’t know ANYTHING! You don’t know what I’ve went through in my life! YOU DON’T KNOW--!”

“Your father died from doing the Sonic Rainboom to save your life. His body couldn’t take the energy and speed he had made and so he died after catching you to stop you from falling like you did for Rarity. When going to flight school, you made a pegacorn friend named Lunar Eclipse, you two became close, but then you left her to seem cool to the other foals. You were shy, nerdy, and didn’t like to be in the spotlight as a foal. Rainbow Dash… I know, and I saw everything.” Twilight said.

“But how? How could you know any of this when you weren’t there?!” Dash said in disbelief.

“Because, Rainbow, in a way I was there.” Twilight responded. “And I really want to help you out with this. I’ve been through a lot too, and I understand…”

“NO! No, it doesn’t matter what you saw… however you saw it, you’ll never understand what I went through!” Rainbow interrupted.

“You… you’re right. I won’t understand what you went through, and you won’t understand what I’ve went through, because we’ve went through different struggles. But, Rainbow Dash, I think I know how you can help yourself.” Twilight said in a caring tone.

“And how is that?” Rainbow muttered.

“Be yourself.”

Author's Note

I felt depressed and started thinking of one of the stories I never published, so I decided to write down a sadfic... again. I hope you all enjoy...

Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.