Fireworks - A Story Through Letters

by MoonMoonStargazer

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Romance, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3674

The Fireworks show meant US, Dashie... where are you now?

There should be fireworks, at least, when a dream dies.
~Kirby Larson

Ty-Day used to be my favorite day of the year. I planned the Canterlot fireworks performance, timed to go off when the Wonderbolt's race ended. Every year, my Dashie would win that race, and I got to see her smiling face as she came back with a medal, proud to be alive.

But where did she go... was it something I said? Will she ever come back?

I have to find her. But how...? All I have is some dumb paper.

Credit to Yalcahoon on DA for this wonderful picture!
Looked over by Commissar Derpy Hooves (With positive feedback!), but this story does not have a formal proofreader (If anyone wants to take a stab! :pinkiehappy: )

Published 2015-12-01 02:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-12-01 02:30:02 UTC

Are You There?

Dashie,

Oh, I can’t believe it’s finally here! Ty-Day, again.

I know I should be planning the fireworks for the race, but I couldn’t contain my excitement, and I just needed to write to you! I know how hard you work, but I promise that tonight will be a special night.

Do you remember what night it is? Oh, who am I kidding, you can’t hear me (Though I wish you could!). Tonight will be our five-year anniversary!

Can you believe it’s actually been five years since we got together? And on Thank You Day, nonetheless (I think we’re the only ones that call it that...).

I remember that night almost as if it were yesterday. As always, you invited me and the others to the race held by the Wonderbolts. It had been snowing the day before and I was shivering, so you offered me your scarf. Ironically, you became too cold, so we had to share.

Being next to you, I felt safe, protected from harm. I know it seems silly; I can use magic to keep myself warm, but I totally forget about it when you’re around. I guess you leave me thoughtless, speechless, more so than anypony else has before.

You kept going on and on about how much you wanted to be a Wonderbolt while the others gave us weird looks. I guess the blush on my face was obvious. It was something even I couldn’t explain, but you seemed to enjoy it, as you kept getting closer, your comments becoming more centered around me.

But one thing led to another and I just fell under a spell, and I couldn’t help but answer yes when you asked me to be your mare. Even better, it was right before I was to set off the fireworks show I had planned.

I can even remember how crazy you went that year when Soarin won the race.

How long had you been planning it? Thoughts raced through my mind that day, to this day, and I can’t seem to stop thinking about you for a single second. And I’m not afraid to admit that… maybe I’d been thinking about you for quite a while myself…

So I started working the fireworks for you. Every year since, you’ve won, and I guess this year won’t be any different. It’s my fireworks that drive you, hmm? Just the thought about the love I put into them...

A day to celebrate the reign of our Princesses, and all I care about is impressing you more than that medal does.

So much for organization, right? Heh…

Anyway, I should really get out of my reveries and back to that fireworks show for youthe race.

Get back to me when you can, dear!

Your love,
Twilight Sparkle

Dearest Dash,

You must be really busy. You usually respond so quickly. I mean, I didn’t give you a teleporter so you wouldn’t use it, right?

Either way, I finally finished that strenuous task of setting up the fireworks for when that winning pony (Obviously you!) crosses the finish line this year. I set the fireworks up really special; I can’t wait for you to see them!

That’s all the news I have for now. I’ll see you at the race!

Love,
Twilight Sparkle

Dash?,

I’m… not quite sure what to say.

Why didn’t you show up at the race? I was outside the stadium for an hour before I realized you weren’t arriving.

Of course, I still had to stick around and make sure the fireworks were lit to the winner (Which just happened to be Spitfire this year). It did seem kind of awkward when a large heart faded from the sky from one of my fireworks...

Even more, I had to cancel my reservation at “Le Foin.”It would’ve felt wrong to eat there without my favorite marefriend to share the food with me.

If you happen to be sick, I can bring you some soup! I know how much you forget to write when your mind's on other things. Heh, I actually find your self-centered attitude kind of cute.

But really, it’s starting to stress me out, not hearing from you or seeing you for so long. I mean, there should be no reason why you wouldn’t, unless, of course, you were dead, but that’s silly, and I’m just rambling on now…

Either way, I’ll swing by tomorrow to give you some soup (Even if you’re not sick, I’d love to share a meal with you!).

For now, this fluffy little pony has to rest.

Nightly wishes,
Twilight Sparkle.

Rainbow Dash,

Alright, now I’m a little more than concerned. I stopped by your house, and there was this mailpony there. She said that you had changed your home address, but really, that’s impossible. There is no way that you would miss out on such an important date, and you wouldn’t just leave without at least mentioning it to me first, right?

I just gave her a quickly scrawled note for you, and she stared at me with her weird eyes for a couple of minutes before stating, and I quote, “I’ll get this message to her before the muffin sets.” I don’t know what that means, but if she can get you that “letter,” I don’t care what it means.

Today I didn’t really do much. I sat in the castle library, pondering over books for hours. I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the possibilities. What if you’ve been ponynapped, or even worse, were the witness of some pony-mafia incident? I’ve heard stories of what those colts can do to witnesses…

Just… write me back as soon as you get this.

If you get this.

I really hope that mare gave me the right address to you. She didn’t really look like she was in the right state of mind…

Worried,
Twilight Sparkle

Rainbow Dash,

The others started asking questions. As much as I knew this moment had been coming, I wasn’t prepared for it.

I found myself stuttering out hasty responses, which all of them took as some weird sign that we were on a vacation or something, and I had just come back to grab something. What an excuse, huh?

To say the least, I played along as if it were true, and I quickly made my way out of there.

I guess now I’ll have to leave Ponyville for a few days to avoid raising suspicion.

Really, though, it’s a good thing! Now I have an excuse to go out and look for you. As long as you’re safe, I don’t care where you are.

Please, just promise me you’re safe…

Tell me it’s okay…

I miss you…

Twilight Sparkle

I asked the Princess… oh, dang it, I forgot to write your name! It seems to be the only thing that lets me know that you’re still here…

Let’s try again. Yeah, Dash, we’ll do it one more time, for memories, right?

My dearest and closest marefriend Rainbow Dashie (That’s better),

Today I talked with Princess Luna about you. I asked her, quite frantically, if I might add, if she had seen you recently. I wasn’t very surprised to hear that, despite her request to have a short meeting with you after the race, you didn’t show up.

You blew off a princess!?

Dashie, you can’t do this...where have you gone off to?

That’s it. I can’t take this anymore. I have to tell the others that I can’t find you. If I don’t you may be lost forever. My last hope is Princess Celestia. She should have a locator spell somewhere in her mind.

I’m more worried about the way our friends will react a little more than the Princess. It probably won’t be the first time she’s heard of a pony getting lost in Equestria.

But is it wise? Everypony would start panicking; I mean, one of the Elements of Harmony is missing. Who wouldn’t panic? I’m not panicking. You’re probably safe and sound in some cave on the outskirts of Equestria, cold… alone… I NEED TO FIND YOU!

I’ll search around a little bit, and then inform the others.

Heh… what if you’ve found another pony. Heh… heh heh…

Is it Moon Dancer?

It had better not be another mare…

What did I do wrong…

Twilight… Oh I can’t even bother finishing it.

You wouldn’t! You COULDN’T!!! You’re off with some mare or stallion, maybe both, probably having the time of your life on some island!

I don’t even know why I ever trusted you, Rainbow Dash! I’ll just tell the others that you left us all for some stupid job in Griffonstone or something!

I just don’t understand it! What do other mares have that I don’t? I can cook, clean, and...other stuff. I just don’t understand it all!

Thanks for the “good” memories, Dashie.

Twilight Sparkle

Please, Dashie, just answer me. I miss you! I’ll do anything just to know that you’re okay.

I didn’t mean what I said in the last letter, I swear! I didn’t know what to think.

You’ve been missing for nearly two weeks now, and I haven’t heard a single word. I even went to your house, but everything was just as we left it- neat and tidy.

Our pictures hung drearily along your walls, the bed sheets were folded neatly, and your Daring Do books were alphabetically organized along your shelves. I know, I’m a neat freak, but you never complained.

If you happen to return, don’t be surprised to find that I’ve taken “Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.” Remember? It was the first book I gave you, the one that got you into reading in the first place.

Was that when you started thinking about me?

Oh, I can’t bring myself to cry, not now.

Well, I locked the place up for you. I figured you wouldn’t want anypony else in there while you were away. It was the least I could do.

Though I...I can’t really decide on what to do next. I think I’ll take that vacation. I’m going stir-crazy. Every single thing I see reminds me of you, and a change of scenery might actually be a good thing for me.

Well, I’ll start in Cloudsdale. If you were to go anywhere obvious, it would be there.

I’ll see you after my visit to Cloudsdale.

Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Are you getting these? Of course you are! Sorry for asking!

Dashie,

So, Cloudsdale was a bust, but I’m so happy! Now I know you must be around!

I came back so discouraged. Nopony had seen you, leaving me stuck for a little bit on where to go next. So much for taking a long vacation, right?

Well, when I went back to the castle, I entered to find that your scent was in the air! The sweet smell of baked goods in the morning!

You know, you never did explain why you smell like that.

Either way, you must be waiting to surprise me! I knew you wouldn’t just leave!

I guess I’ll just have to stake out the castle until you come back!

Until then,
Twilight Sparkle

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Ah, finally a formal greeting. I guess it suits my mood.

I don’t know why you wouldn’t return, but I watched the castle for so long before deciding that you weren’t coming back.

A month has already gone by, but still you won’t speak to me. There has to be some logical conclusion for this, right?

I started doing some studying. I actually found out that some Pegasi have this tendency to “migrate,” in a sense, when they get too nervous. Of course, I read it in a filly’s children’s book, but it’s the best I can come up with!

Aside from that theory, I finally told the others the truth about what has been going on. They seemed to be a little shaken, mostly silent.

I teleported out of there pretty hastily. I couldn’t even tell it straight.

“Well, Rainbow’s gone missing. My only love is gone. Any of you know where she is?”

Ha, crazy.

Staring out the castle windows, I can see them trying to find a way in. If Fluttershy tries to fly up, I think I’ll just conjure up a window to shut her out. I’ve also put a magic proof barrier around the castle (not inside), which should keep Rarity away for a little while.

I can see how much they’re worrying, but I mustn’t let them any more than they have to. So here I am. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, secluding herself from her friends inside of her castle.

What have you done to me, Rainbow Dash?

Who have I become?

Guess I’ll have to find that out for myself…

Twilight Sparkle

Oh Dashie,

I don’t know how long I’ve been in here. I couldn’t stand the sight of my clocks anymore. Every second reminded me that you were somewhere out there, watching the sun rise and fall.

Do you still remember me, or am I just some memory in the back of your mind, forever to be lost in the dark abyss of your thoughts?

The others finally left. I guess staying in here for so long can wear out any pony. Even I’m starting to wear out, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

My food is wearing thin, but I still have hope that you’ll come back before I’m forced to go out again. Questions.

I think the lack of fresh air is really getting to me, though. I swear I’m seeing shadows in the dark, and I can feel a cool presence whenever I go anywhere but my bed, almost as if I’m to be confined here in my small little space.

Spike tells me it’s most likely just him moving about the castle and making sure everything isn’t dusty and that the food doesn’t go bad, but I have to keep him in the castle.

They could be conspiring against me. You’re the only one I can trust, Rainbow Dash.

That’s it! You can’t message me because you’re on a secret mission! You’ve been watching me to make sure I don’t get too close to a friend that might not actually be a friend. Oh, I’ve been so clueless this entire time!

Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your seeeeeeecret mission!

Shhh,
Twilight Sparkle

Dashie,

War…

Twilight Sparkle

Dearest Dash,

I truly underestimated the powers of my friends… I forgot I had a mail slot added…

Silly me, hmm?

Hmm…

Well, they slipped a letter through earlier… I could hear their tears through the door, but at first, I had no idea what they could be crying about…

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,
We are sorry to inform you that, as of yesterday night, General Rainbow Dash has passed away. Her belongings are being transported to your current residence, and her funeral will be held on the fifteenth day in the month of July. We deeply regret your loss. She was a great leader and will be missed.”

This.

This is where you went.

You were sent off to war!

But you would still have received my letters, right?

Rainbow? Say something! This can’t be true!!!!

It just can’t be…

Where do I go now…

Dashie,

Do I still have the right to call you Dashie?

Do you remember that day when you promised to take me to see Octavia’s Equestria-famous performance? You told me that… that you hated classical music. You were all for that “dubstep,” whatever you called it. Even still, you said you’d do anything to keep me happy…

You even made a list for me...a list of things we were going to do before you grew old and…

I still have that list… I even made a copy! That way, you and I could both have one!

So… I’m not quite sure where I’m supposed to go now…

I guess I’ll have to go out to our friends… they need me…

I love you, Rainbow Dash.

Always and forever,
Twilight Sparkle

5 years later

Dash,

The best (and worst) thing happened to me today! I was getting ready to travel to Canterlot with my friends to meet with the Princesses about getting a party together in celebration of you, when I heard your voice.

I turned around, and there you were, just standing there. You called me an egghead and told me my conspiracy theories were hilarious, and then you giggled at me.

I couldn’t help but hug you, it was so emotional for me. The tears weren’t meant to happen, but it felt so good to have your soft, fluffy feathers in my hooves once again.

At that moment, Pinkie walked in, but I didn’t turn around. I must’ve looked crazy, though. Later on she asked me about the experience, and told me that she didn’t see you next to me.

Well, when I hugged you, I could feel the memories flooding back into my mind, straight to the front of my brain. In seconds I saw our years together pass by, and I couldn’t have been happier. You were back, and we could be together again! Those mailponies in the army lied to me, it was all I could think about.

But then you told me that you weren’t there. You… you told me it was your way of saying goodbye.

I was speechless. I was staring directly into your eyes, staring right at your rainbow mane!

I opened my mouth to object, to say something that would keep you there. It felt like a big joke. It had to be a joke!

But as soon as I opened my mouth, you planted your lips onto mine, and time stopped.

I wanted that moment to last forever. I felt minutes, hours, days pass by in that one second.

When I finally had the courage to pull away, a bright flash of light beamed over the room, and when it dispersed, your feathers had changed. They were the color of an angel’s wings, and your face was flushing with confidence.

I didn’t know how to react. I wasn’t going to accept it. You couldn’t go.

But, like always, you had some response. You told me you were always going to be watching over me, that you were going to be the reason the snow fell. You told me to thank Celestia for every new day, to treat it as if it was to be my last.

The best I could get was an “I love you,” and I smiled, feeling the tears starting to well up in my eyes.

All you said was that you loved me to, and then you spread your wings. Your eyes glistened in the light of the day, and then you flew off, out the window.

Closing it with my magic, I knew, at that moment, that I was ready to finally let you go. For once, I was truly happy since that fateful day. The day that you never wrote back.

Turning around, I assured Pinkie that everything was quite alright, and together, we went out, ready to finish our day.

All in all, I know that I will find you again one day. Who knows: Maybe you did get all of my letters. The only question I must ask is: Why didn’t you send any back to me? What happened to you out there?

Well, I can only guess that you were too busy leading an army. Your mind was elsewhere. But I refuse to believe that, for even one minute, you forgot about me. It just isn’t you.

So, even though I’ll never figure it out, thank you, Rainbow Dash, for the good memories.

Yours forever,
Twilight Sparkle

Dear Dashie,

I can’t fully say that I’ve accepted what happened…

But I can say that I’m ready to let you go…

If I hold onto you forever, I’ll just depress them. Our friends.

I know letting you go means that I’ll never see you again, but I have no choice.

Rainbow Dash, those 5 years we spent together were the best years of my life. If you think I’m just going to forget them, then you’re wrong. I will stay in my memories for as long as I live. Letting you go just...I don’t know what it means. It just feels like it’s time to do it….

And… I did go to one. A concert… I started with Octavia’s symphony performance. It was absolutely lovely. I think you really would have loved it, Dashie.

After that, I even stopped to check out a… dubstep party thrown by Equestria’s leading DJ, Vinyl Scratch. Did you know her and Octavia are together? It’s strange, huh?

You were right, though. Vinyl does put on a really good performance. You never lied to me, even after death.

One more thing. The fireworks. After you left, I couldn’t bring myself to host the performance anymore. I gave up the position, but still, every year I root for you to win, even though I know you’ve lost the ultimate race…

So here I am, letting you go. This letter, though never lost, will lose its way from my mind.Eventually. Forever to live in my archives.

I’ll never forget you, Rainbow Dash.

I hope you’re staying 20 percent cooler up there. I’ll see you soon. Ten seconds flat. I promise.

With love, heart, soul, and time,
Twilie Sparklie

Dash,

Goodbye.

Twilight Sparkle

Author's Note

This story has been sitting in my Google Drive folder for months now, and finally, even though I couldn't find a stable proofreader, I decided to publish it. I do hope you like it, and there will be a sequel with Dash, I promise :pinkiehappy: Thank you all for checking out my little story here, and a good day to anyone reading!