I Gotta Live with the Choices I've Made...
The bell chimed as Rainbow Dash entered the flower shop. Roseluck, the shopkeeper, greeted her with a smile, "Why, hello! How's the new official resident Wonderbolt doing today?"
Rainbow smirked as she slowly approached the front counter, "Awesome, as always!"
Roseluck nodded, "Good, good. How can I help you today?"
"Oh, not much," the pegasus replied, "just a dozen roses is all."
"Oh~!" Roseluck whinnied as she turned to her stock of various flora, "Got a date with a very special somepony?"
Rainbow paused for a moment before chuckling, "You could say that."
The store clerk turned back around and placed the roses on the counter, "Well? Who is it? Soarin? I hear he's absolutely dreamy!"
"Nope." Rainbow shook her head as she traded the flowers for her bits.
The earth pony slid the bits behind the counter, "Big Mac?"
"Nuh-uh."
Roseluck rubbed her chin, then gasped, "Doctor Whooves?! How did you ever get a hold of him?
Rainbow rolled her eyes, chuckled, and turned to leave, "Keep on guessing."
"Oh..." Roseluck mused, absolutely puzzled. Then, she waved, "Have a good day then!"
With another bell chime, Rainbow Dash tightened her cyan jacket to protect against the cool Autumn breeze and gently placed the crimson roses into her saddlebag. The crisp air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. Back when she worked as a weather pony, she always loved setting up this kind of weather. Although she was no Rarity, even an athlete such as herself could sense the beauty in these types of things.
She exhaled her breath and exclaimed excitedly, "All right! Let's do this! Gotta get a gift for the Kid! Now, what does a kid like Squirt even-"
A high-pitched scream interrupted her planning,
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
Rainbow shook her head and laughed as she braced for impact. Her assailant was none other than the party pony extraordinaire herself, Pinkie Pie. Caught in a death hug on the ground, the she gasped, "Pinkie... Can't... Breathe."
"RAINBOW DASH!" Rainbow gagged as Pinkie squeezed tighter, "I missed you so super-duper much!" Pinkie released slightly and stood the both of them on their hooves. Rainbow gasped for delicious air as the party pony glared angrily (well, as angrily as Pinkie could be at her best friend), "Why did you not send me a lot of letters?! I specifically requested that you send me letters everyday while you were gone!"
Rainbow broke away from her friend's hug and rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah, sorry about that. Things got a little bit hectic after Basic." She giggled, "As if Basic wasn't hectic enough." She sighed, "Anyway, the 'Bolts are stationed just outside of town for the next few days. They let me take leave to do some visiting and stuff." She shrugged, "It's cool, I guess. Thought I'd wish the Kid a happy birthday while I was here."
Pinkie's mane deflated slightly, "O-Oh... Wait here, I've got the perfect gift."
Rainbow replied, "Cool."
Within seconds, Pinkie disappeared around a nearby corner, then reappeared in Rainbow's vision, holding an orange balloon, "Here ya go."
The pegasus gently smiled as her friend handed her the balloon, "Thanks Pinkie."
"Mm-hm." Pinkie returned the small smile, "Tell her I said hi, okay?"
Rainbow nodded and began to trot away, "Will do!"
After leaving Pinkie behind, Rainbow's trot down the cobblestone pavement out of town inevitably slowed to a walk. As the cobble changed to grass under her hooves, they started to drag. She lowered her head as her hooves became anchors under her legs, where she could only move them with great effort through the fallen leaves. After feeling that she could bring herself no further, she stopped and collapsed on her stomach. With heavy breathing, she slowly brought her face up to read the stone slab protruding out of the ground:
RIP
SCOOTALOO
2003-2014
MAY OUR LOVE ALWAYS FLY WITH HER
Rainbow slowly sat up, grief welling in her stomach, "Hey, Squirt. How're ya doin'?"
Too nopony's surprise, the headstone didn't respond.
"Me? Yeah, the Wonderbolts are great... Pinkie Pie says hi... I don't get to visit much anymore but..." She choked out, "Livin' the dream, y'know?"
"Hey, I, uh, I just came to talk for a while... Got some things... I need to say..." She dropped her head, "I wish... I wish I coulda been here..." Her prismatic mane covered the tears that began to fall from her eyes, "If I had, then maybe... Maybe I could have done something..."
She sniffed before continuing. "Who am I kidding? When Pinkie sent me the letter tellin' me you were really sick, I knew this would happen... You were never the strongest pony..." She sobbed, "..b-but you were m-my l-little sis..."
She paused again, letting her tears fall. "...I just couldn't write back, y'know? How could I? I-I couldn't even say your name!" She had to cover her mouth to quiet her sobs, "I never even got to say goodbye..."
She extracted her roses from her saddle bag, tied the orange balloon around their stems, and laid them on her sister's grave, "Hey Scootaloo... I remember your name... I left a dozen roses on your grave today." Her forelegs buckled into the grass in front of her. She wiped the Autumn leaves that littered the grave site away, and instead allowed her tears to replace them.
Rainbow threw on a fake smile, "Hey Scootaloo, I remembered your birthday!"
However, that smile quickly faded, "Everyone said that it'd bring me some closure to say your name... Heck, I know I'd do all different if I had the chance..." She covered her mouth once more to stop the onslaught of sorrow, "But all I got are those roses... And they can't help me do things over again!"
As her tears stained both her face and hooves, she felt slight pressure on her back. She turned to see her friend Applejack, solemnly holding her hat at her side and a somber expression on her face. The cool Autumn breeze blew through her blonde mane as she rubbed Rainbow's back to console her, "Pinkie told me y'all might be headin' this way."
Rainbow leaped up, hugged her friend and muttered, "Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her... AJ, I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me. B-But... But I gotta live with the choices I made... And I can't live with myself today!"
Applejack cooed, "It's gonna be alright, Rainbow. Now, just for a bit, imagine one last day with her alright? Tell her what you wanna tell her."
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and sobbed. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer embracing Applejack, but instead, her sister Scootaloo.
The little orange filly cocked her head, "Yo, Rainbow Dash, why're ya crying? That's totally not like you!"
Rainbow lip trembled as she squeezed the little pegasus tighter, "Heh... Here we are; now, you're in my arms... I-I've never wanted anything so bad..."
"Not even the Wonderbolts?!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
The older sister chuckled in her tears, "Nope, not even the Wonderbolts."
"Uh-huh..." Scootaloo replied skeptically, "but hey, I gotta get going! Heaven's waitin' on me, y'know? I can't miss Heaven!"
Rainbow trembled. She wasn't ready. She just wanted one moment longer to gaze into her sister's eyes.
"Um... Rainbow Dash?"
She shook her head, "No... not yet."
"C'mon, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo exclaimed, "Don't worry, I'll see ya in another life! I'll see ya in Heaven when you get here! Then, we'll never have to say goodbye!"
Rainbow took a long pause, before releasing her sister from her embrace.
"Awesome! Thank ya Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo smiled the hugest smile, before turning and running into whiteness. As she disappeared, her voiced echoed, "See ya later!"
Rainbow choked but smiled, "See ya later, kid..."
"Hey," Rainbow opened her eyes to face Applejack's green ones, "ya alright Rainbow? You stopped crying."
Rainbow nodded and wiped away the remaining tears. She turned to face the tombstone, "Hey Scootaloo, I remember your name."
