On The Edge

by Roxxi

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Rainbow Dash
Length: 11901

When you feel pushed to your edge, sometimes the only option left is to jump.

Rainbow Dash had a great life, but eventually she finds herself at her limits. As she stands of the lonely edge of a cliff, she looks back to everything that brought her to this point, the good that led to the bad, and the bad that led to the worse. Between a party for a gift she never got to keep, the tears shed for the life that never was, the betrayl froom the one she held closet, the tower in the sky where she locked herself away from the world, and the mask she wore when she was taken from her self-imposed exile... All of it led to her choice to jump, her choice to end the pain she felt. Can anypony save her, is there nopony left who can fix the damage in her soul?

Published 2012-06-18 21:54:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-24 11:36:08 UTC

A Party To Remember

A Party To Remember

A cyan pegasus stood at the edge of a high cliff. She looked down at the rocky terrain at the bottom, she breathed slowly. How easy it would be, to just jump, and not pull up. To just let gravity take her to the sharp, jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe how it had ended up this way, how she was pushed to her limits, and was now feeling as if giving up were the only way out. Closing her eyes, she thought back to everything that had brought her to this moment. Not only the bad moments, but the good as well, a certain party in particular, to be precise.

1 year ago, Sugarcube Corner

A group of best friends had all gathered at Ponyville’s top bakery, for a party in honor of something nopony could honestly say they had expected.

“Ah still can’t believe ol’ Rainbow Dash was the first one to get married and be expectin’! That just beats all, don’t it?” An orange earth pony said, giving the expectant pegasus a friendly knock on the shoulder with her hoof. Dash laughed, it was a laugh that was warm and full of life, the laugh of a mare who had so much to be happy about.

“Jealous AJ? I’ve been married to Soarin like forever and you’ve only been dating for a few months with what’s-his-name. And I’ve got a little filly on the way too!” Dash laughed again, grinning at her farm pony friend.

“Shoot Dash, yah know I’m happier than Granny Smith when she’s makin’ Zap Apple jam about all this for yah. And his name is Topsoil, beg yer pardon.” Applejack replied, trying her best to look upset as she said the last part, but a smile ruined the effect.

The orange earth pony had been with Topsoil, a stallion who’s coat was a deep rich brown, with a dark green mane, giving him the overall appearance of a tree when he stood on his hind legs and held arms out, for just under 6 months, but the stallion was treated like family when he first started staying at Sweet Apple Acres with the Apple Family. Dash had to admit, the two made a great pair, and Topsoil was a hardworking farm pony, and the orchard’s trees had seemed to be doing much better the longer he stayed, which made it easy to understand why his cutie mark was a group of thick, tall trees.

It had brought memories of her own stallion, Soarin. Rainbow Dash’s marriage to the Wonderbolt was a happy marriage, as it had always been, ever since Soarin had proposed to the cyan pegasus five years ago. She had to admit that she was shocked to tears when not only all of her friends, but the rest of the Wonderbolts, and even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had attended the wedding. The reception was originally going to be in Cloudsdale, but for the convenience, not to mention space, to accommodate all the extra guests, the princess sisters had graciously offered to hold the event in the castle in Canterlot, and Princess Celestia herself would be the one to wed the two pegasi.

And after Soarin and Rainbow Dash moved in together, they had a few years to themselves, to enjoy the love they had for each other. Eventually, Dash had asked Soarin about having foals, who naturally agreed to his mare’s request. Their little pegasus filly was going to be born soon, and this predictably led Dash’s pranking partner to throw her a “Congratulations Rainbow Dash On Getting Pregnant!” party, which brings us back to the aforementioned party.

“OH BOY! I just can’t wait to see my little niece Dashie! Auntie Pinkie Pie is going to teach her how to throw super duper fun parties for everypony! And how to make cupcakes, pound cakes, hotcakes, pancakes, ice cream cakes, and even-“ Pinkie had started rambling enthusiastically, before having a cupcake shoved into her mouth by a lavender unicorn. Twilight smiled apologetically at Dash.

“I’m sorry about that Rainbow Dash, you know how Pinkie Pie can get.” The librarian pony said, laughing slightly at the pink earth pony beside her who was still failing her arms enthusiastically, not seeming to notice she couldn’t speak.

Dash chuckled at the antics of Pinkie. “Yeah, I thought maybe dating you would calm her down a bit, but that failed, right egghead?”

Twilight Sparkle blushed slightly at the cyan pegasus’ words. Even though she had been marefriends with Pinkie Pie for almost a year now, she still blushed every time somepony mentioned it. Not from embarrassment at being with such an eccentric pony as Pinkie, but more so at being in a ‘more-than-just-friends’ relationship at all.

“Well, I’m going to take Pinkie over to the punch bowl and try to get her to settle down, I’m not sure she can breathe to well with the cupcake in her mouth.” Sure enough, Ponyville’s premiere party pony was still smiling and waving her hoofs in the air, but her normally bubble gum pink color was turning a slight, almost Twilight-ish purple, not that she showed any indication of being in distress as Twilight used her magic to lift her into the air and towards the buffet table and punch bowl.

Rainbow Dash just shook her head grinning. “Man, those two are so random.” She trotted over to Rarity and Fluttershy, who were having a pleasant conversation about French fashions.

“Um.. Rarity, I think you should try a more Renaissance style in- Oh, h-hello Rainbow Dash, did you need to talk to Rarity? I can go talk to somepony else if you want.” The timid yellow pegasus whispered, hiding in her faint pink mane. She shuffled her hooves, not wanting to speak anymore till Dash had made a decision.

“Nah Fluttershy, I’m just seeing what’s up with two of my best friends, ya know? So what’s up you two?” Dash asked, looking between both the fashionista and animal lover. Rarity was the first to answer, as Fluttershy was still hiding in her mane.

“Well darling I have been very busy with the simply massive order Fancypants placed last week, you know how it is dear. And Fluttershy, bless her heart, was kind enough to offer some of her opinions and advice, she’s very knowledgeable about the matter to be quite frank. I haven’t forgotten your maternity clothes, don’t you worry one feather about that. I’ve even put slits for you wings in them, so you can still stretch your wings. You needn’t ask me about your special requests dear, I put you cutie mark on each and every one of them!” Rarity gushed, as nothing excited her more than designing dresses and such. Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes and turned to her fellow pegasus, who looked at her from behind her mane as if it were a security blanket.

Dash knew just how to get Fluttershy out of this phase. “Hey Fluttershy, you’re still helping with the delivery, right?” She chuckled as the introverted pegasus before her immediately brightened, and seemed to glow.

“Oh yes! I wouldn’t miss that for anything Rainbow Dash!” A faint pink blush started creep up on her face, which, thankfully in the timid pegasus’ opinion, went unnoticed by Rainbow Dash. “We are best friends after all, so I’ll be there to help you with everything, since you decided to have an at home birth. I just need to get some things from Nurse Redheart though, because foal births are different from bunny births you know.” Fluttershy smiled gently, hesitantly reaching out a hoof to the slightly bulging stomach of the expectant mare, touching her stomach gently after getting a nod from Dash that it was okay. “Oh my, I can feel her moving ever so softly. She’s going to be beautiful, just like her mother.”

“Yeah, her mom is pretty awesome, like 20% more awesome than anything in Equestria, and my little Sunny Skies is gonna to grow up to be just as radical!” Dash grinned, already thinking about her daughter’s future, even though she hadn’t even entered the world yet. “Well I’m gonna see how AJ’s holding up, I kinda got sidetracked by that crazy Pinkie Pie. See ya Rarity, see ya Fluttershy!” With that, she trotted away, leaving the other two ponies to their previous conversation.

Applejack as it turned out, was leaning on a table, empty cups of cider littered the table, and the apple loving earth pony blinked and grinned at Dash. “Why hey there Sugarcube! Hic! Great purty.. Err, porty… Ah mean party! Yeah, party! How yah doing Rainbow Cider, want some Apple Dash?” Applejack had apparently managed to stun herself with the cider, which Dash had not had been able to drink any of. Again.

“Uh AJ, I think you might wanna go home, before you pass out here like the last time you overdid it with the cider.” Dash sighed, smiling slightly as she hoisted the farm pony back up on her hooves.

“And miss the rest of yer party? Nu-uh! Nothin’ doing! Ah’m staying!” Applejack emphasized her point by putting her hoof down forcefully on the table. Or at least that’s what she had meant to do, but she missed the table completely and ended up sprawled out on the ground. “Well… Maybe Ah am gettin’ a little dizzy. Hey Rarity! Ah’m gonna need help gettin’ back home, unless yah really need to stay that is.” The orange earth pony called out across the room. The unicorn in question simply rolled her eyes, smiling wryly.

“I’m sorry everypony, but I have to leave and take Applejack back to the boutique, you understand, right?” Rarity smiled apologetically to the rest of the room, all of which gave general replies of understanding, and wishes for Applejack to have as smooth a morning as possible after her cider caught up with her and she had to fight a hangover, a fight which Applejack had always inevitably failed to win. The white unicorn took a page from Twilight’s book, lifted the red-faced farm pony up with her magic, and trotted out the door, back to her dress shop.

“Wait a minute, did she just say the boutique?” Rainbow Dash asked, the surprise on her face was obvious. She would never admit it to anypony, but she could be very oblivious. How she could have missed this new revelation though, had stumped her.

Fluttershy was the first to speak, an almost amused smile on her face from the look on the stunned pegasus’ face. “You didn’t know? Rarity and Applejack have been together for three months now. You must be very focused on your foal and Soarin to not have noticed it.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said, and immediately backtracked, trying to fix the damage she thought she had caused. “I m-mean, not that you shouldn’t pay attention to them, but it.. was kind of… obvious… and…….” The already quiet peagsus’ words had grown steadily quieter, until they had reached the point where her mouth could be seen moving, but her voice was audible.

Rainbow Dash snorted and waved a hoof dismissively to dissuade Fluttershy’s fears of upsetting her. “Relax, I’m not mad, and I guess I was caught up with everything that’s been happening lately. Hehe, who would’ve thought those two would end up together? Rarity’s a drama queen who hates dirt and anything ‘unfashionable’, and Applejack’s a farm pony who loves to get dirty and work hard.” Dash chuckled, putting a hoof to her chin. “But then again, a boring librarian unicorn and a pranking party pony don’t seem the likeliest pair either.”

Fluttershy giggled softly as she looked around the room. “I think maybe we should… Um… Leave, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie seem… busy…” Fluttershy squeaked, a blush overtaking her face as she pointed the pair, who were sitting in a corner, nuzzling each other, thinking they were hidden by a potted plant Twilight must have magicked up to try an hide them, but it didn’t do a very good job.

Rolling her eyes, the soon-to-be mother trotted to the door, holding it open for the other pegasus, who graciously thanked her, told her to be careful flying home in the dark, and headed home after a last good-bye.

Rainbow Dash took one last look at the now entangled ponies in the bakery, reminding her of her own love, who was waiting for her to return. She unfurled her wings, and after giving them a few test flaps, took to the night sky, flying back to her cloud home.

Present Day, Cliff Edge

Rainbow Dash, sighed slightly, a broken smile on her face. It was odd, she thought, that such a happy event was part of the reason why she currently standing on the edge of this lonely cliff, preparing to jump. But the memory of the party had always dragged with it sadder moments of her life. It was almost ironic when she thought about it, that the day the joyful celebration in her honor had been on a bright and sunny day, with skies as clear and blue as her coat, and one of the saddest, soul crushing moments of her life had been on a very similar day.

The memory was emotionally and physically painful for Rainbow Dash, because every time the memory came up, it always seemed that the skies had been mocking her, the sun Princess Celestia raised shining in a tauntingly bright manner. It was a day she could never forget, even if she could rid herself of it, she would never have the heart to. After all, it was the only time she had been able to see her daughter, even if royal blue pegasus foal hadn’t been moving when Dash had first seen her. The day was painfully burned into her mind, her heart, and her soul forever.

The day that Rainbow Dash’s daughter, Sunny Skies, had died at birth.

Author's Notes

Hi there everypony, this is my first attempt at something sad and I would like some feedback, please? I hope this chapter makes you want to stay around and read the next chapter.

To my fans, NO I am most certainly not abandoning any of my other stories, The I'm The Villain? fans will get their mischievous moon mare's update soon, and Discord's Day and Ping Pong Just Got 20% Cooler will get continuations asrequested when I have the time and caffeine.

When You Burn The Bridges And Your Castle Crumbles

Rainbow Dash let her gaze fall back down to the rocky terrain below her cliff. She felt a twinge of cold pass through her. It was a familiar feeling, something she had been feeling more and more through out the past months leading to this day.

Loneliness…

“I shouldn’t have pushed them all away… Twilight… Applejack… Rarity… Pinkie… Fluttershy… I should have let them in; I should have let them help me… Now it’s too late for anypony to help me, I have to do this…” Dash whispered quietly, tears misting her magenta eyes. She couldn’t help but cry when she remembered all the times she had sent her friends away while she locked herself away in her cloud home, she even pushed Soarin away, that had to be why…

Why had he betrayed her? It must have been her… She became a lifeless pony after the baby had died at birth, and it hadn’t improved since. She had spiraled further and further into a debilitating despair, it had felt like her wings and her heart had been grounded with lead constraints.

She almost vomited in disgust when she thought about the way she had acted, the worst incident she had had against her friends.

“Element of Loyalty? Tch… After what I did to them… I shouldn’t even be allowed to be an Element…”

Rainbow Dash And Soarin’s Cloud Home, The Skies Of Ponyville, 3 Months ago

Rainbow Dash curled tighter against the pillow on her bed and sniffled, throwing away another tissue onto the growing pile of damp and dirtied tissues. She had tried going back to work, to get back into her normal routine, but the spirit of joy that flying gave her had left. In fact, she couldn’t even remember what joy and happiness felt like anymore, everyday now was a gray routine of crying and grieving.

“Why… What did I do..? Was I not fit to be a mother..?” She nodded, of course she wasn’t fit to be a mother, and she wasn’t fit to be a pegasus, let alone a pony at all. “I should be a diamond dog… No, even that’s too good for a screw up like me… I should be a roach or worm…” She shambled out of bed and head to the kitchen, maybe some hard cider would do something this time.

She knew it wouldn’t, it never did. It only made things worse, she couldn’t get out this. “Useless…” She sighed and pulled open the fridge, grabbing at one of Soarin’s hard cider bottles, the kind he only had after a good show when there was nothing important coming up in the next few days.

She popped the top off and threw back her head, draining the bottle in seconds. She twitched and sneezed, nothing. “Buck… I can’t even get wasted right…” She took another one from the fridge and was about to pull the cap off again when a knock came from the door. Visitors? Who would-?

“Rainbow Dash? It’s me, Fluttershy, and the others… Are you home? We wanted to talk to you, if that’s okay I mean…” Rainbow Dash let the fridge door swing shut and sighed, this was something she didn’t need right now, she just wanted quiet.

She opened the front door and there before her were Fluttershy on her porch and the rest of her friends in Twilight’s hot air balloon. She grimaced slightly and Fluttershy offered a timid smile.

“H-hello Rainbow Dash, I was wondering, I mean we were wondering… If you maybe wanted to get out of the house for a little bit and go have lunch, if that’s not asking too much I mean, I wouldn’t want to impose…” The yellow pegasus looked down at her hooves and muttered a few unheard words.

“I thought I said I just wanted to be alone… I don’t want to go anywhere, it isn’t worth it… I… I’m not worth…” She whispered the last part to herself, and Fluttershy didn’t seem to hear it but persisted.

“We’re your friends, we just want you to be happy, so if-”

“I WANT TO BE ALONE! OK?!” Fluttershy squeaked and took a step back when Rainbow Dash snapped angrily at her. Dash turned around to head back inside. “Just go…”

Fluttershy reached out a hoof a placed it gently on the cyan pegasus’s shoulder, Dash froze. “Dash…”

Dash whipped around and backhoofed Fluttershy across the muzzle. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” Fluttershy stumbled and fell from the force of Dash’s strike and held a hoof to stop the bleeding that had started from the cut just below her eye. The mares in the basket of the balloon gasped in horror and shock and Rainbow Dash took a few stumbling steps backwards. “F-Fluttershy- I didn’t- I mean-” Dash’s gaze hardened and she turned around and pushed the door to her home open again.

“I told you to leave…” She didn’t even glance back she heard her friends shout at her in confusion, anger, and to bring her back to them. She didn’t even hear whatever Fluttershy choked out through her tears. She didn’t care what they had said. She had told them to leave, they didn’t, consequences happened.

Present Day, Cliff Edge

Rainbow Dash shuddered and fell to her knees, tears starting to run from her eyes. She truly just realized how bad she had hurt her friends. Not just Fluttershy, but the others as well.

“Oh Celestia… Fluttershy, what did I do..? I’m… I’m so sorry…” She beat the ground with her hooves, if she could take it back, if she could have taken a blow instead, she would have gladly done it a thousand times over. What made it worse, however, was the fact that even she had so cruelly treated her friends; they continued coming back, every week, once a week. Even though the visits and attempts to reach her became further apart, they still came, no matter how she rejected them, how she pushed them away.

“How could I have done that to my friends..? Why did they come back..?” Dash dragged herself closer to the edge, it wouldn’t long soon, she was going to jump at sunrise. She had decided that firmly, so the day would start with a gift, her last gift. The gift of not having such a worthless pony taking up space anymore.

Dash rummaged through the saddle bag she had brought with her and pulled a small pile of pills. Tranquilizers, she had stolen them from the hospital before coming here to make sure she wouldn’t be able to back out of this. She put the pills to her lips and swallowed, shuddering slightly at the taste.

“I wonder… if Soarin’s happier now… Is he happy now that he has somepony better?” Dash wondered aloud as tears started to stream from her eyes. She vividly remembered the day her world really fell apart, when Soarin had left her for good.

One Month Ago, Rainbow Dash And Soarin’s Cloud Home

Rainbow Dash sat on the couch of her cloud home’s living room, still looking worse for wear, but also better than she had in a week or so. Sure, her mane was disheveled, her eyes were red from crying, and coat was a little dull, but she didn’t care. No, tonight she was going to turn things around and pick her life up again, starting with her marriage.

Dash had noticed that Soarin seemed to be growing a little more distant each day, and after every show on the road when he came home, it felt like he wasn’t as interested in her.

“I just have to show him I love him, that’s all. I’m sure the girls will forgive me for missing whatever they had planned tonight, they’ll understand when they find out it was to fix things with my husband, right? Of course, they’re… they’re my friends, even if I was terrible to them… to Fluttershy…” Dash tapered off into silence, looking at the offending hoof that had struck her friend. She shook her head, a small glimmer of determination in her eyes.

“No, I can’t let myself get down again, I have to be strong for Soarin, and I won’t let him go.” Dash said and settled onto the couch to wait for her love to come home.

A few hours later, Dash was snoring lightly on the couch. The soft breeze of air and whoosh of the front door woke her up. Rubbing at her eyes, Rainbow Dash stood up and faced the entrance to the living room to see a swaying blue pegasus stumble in. She smiled; he probably partied too hard again after the show was done like he usually did.

“Welcome back Soarin; I missed you so much… I’m sorry I’ve been so down lately, forgive me?” Dash asked as she stepped towards him, expecting a kiss or words of condolence from him.

A stunned look of surprise and slight panic, however, was not what she had expected at all.

“R-Rainbow Dash? What the hay are you doing here? I thought you had that thing with your friends and stuff. What- Why are you here? You can’t be here!” Soarin finished with a slurred growl, as if he was mad at her for being home to greet him. Dash tilted her head in confusion and took another step closer.

“Soarin, honey, what’s wrong? I just wanted to see you; I want us to be like we used to be.” Dash smiled hopefully at him. She didn’t care if he was drunk off his hooves or not, she was going to show him how much he meant to her. “Come here honey, I’ll get you a nice-”

“Like, oh my Celestia Soarin! This is like, where you live and junk? Totally sweet baby! Hey, can we get hot and heavy in the kitchen, that’d be like, super awesome!” An obviously drunk pegasus mare wandered into the living room and spotted Rainbow Dash. “Whoa, is she like, your maid or a prostitute or something?”

Dash looked between the stranger and her husband and she was very confused now.

“S-Soarin, who is th-this? What is she talking about? Tell me she’s just a crazy fan, Soarin, please!” Dash was starting to back away now and Soarin rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

“Well… This is Stardust, and she’s… Kind of…” Soarin was tackled to the ground by Stardust who grinned deliriously and bubbled happily. “I’m his lover, and we’re totally gonna smash all over the place, that’s like, totally cool, isn’t it? I’m gonna be sleeping with a celebrity!”

“Y-you’re lying! He’s my husband!” Dash screamed at the drunken mare on top of Soarin. She looked pleadingly at Soarin. “T-tell her Soarin, tell her that you don’t love her and that you’re my husband!”

Soarin shrugged the inebriated pegasus off of his back and reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a stack of papers. “I didn’t want you to find out like this Dash, but we’re no longer married, I had the marriage annulled while the team was in Las Pegasus last month, I just didn’t have time to tell you.” He looked down at the floor and scuffed a hoof against the cloud.

“I… I just can’t be with you anymore, you’ve been sort of a total bummer lately and I don’t want to be with a pony that can’t go three minutes without crying over a baby who died months ago or crying about how she beat up somepony. Dash, you’re a wreck and I can’t deal with it anymore, I’m sorry… But we’re done…” He turned away, wrapped a wing around Stardust and walked out the house. “Come on Star, we’ll get a hotel room or something.”

The door to the now unbearably empty house slammed shut and Rainbow Dash collapsed on the floor. What just happened, what did she do?

“S-Soarin… P-please c-come back…” Dash called quietly, her voice staring to crack as the house answered her with cold silence. She threw back her head and wailed as tears flooded her eyes and poured down her face onto the cloud floor.

“SOARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!! COME BACK SOARIN!!!” Dash fell onto her side and curled up tightly, shaking violently, her pleading screams blurring in to choked sobs and retching noises as she threw up on the floor.

Present Day, Cliff Edge

“I’m the reason he left, I was just too much to bear… I just wasn’t worth it… I never was…” Rainbow Dash choked back her tears, they weren’t going to help her now, the only thing that would help would be reaching the bottom of the cliff. Looking out to the horizon she saw the sky starting to lighten as the first rays of Celestia’s sun broke through the night sky.

Getting shakily to her legs, Dash swallowed what ever remaining pills were still in the bag and spread her wings in a test to see if the medication had taken its hold on her yet. Her wings gave a few pitiful twitches and nothing more; there was no going back now. She stood on the very edge of the cliff and closed her eyes.

“Good bye everypony… I’m sorry I ruined your lives… Forgive me…” An almost serene smile broke out on her face and she pushed off.

Rainbow Dash jumped from the edge and plummeted like a stone; wind trailed through her knotted mane and ruffled her immobilized wings. As she turned and twisted through the buffeting air that roared past her, she glanced up at the rocky ledge she had just leapt from.

It seemed the meds were making her hallucinate now because through her tear blurred eyes and the medicated haze she was in, Rainbow Dash could have sworn she saw a figure standing on the ledge.

“RAINBOW DASH, NO!!!”

Important Notice And Apology

Hey everypony, I'm sure most of you are wondering why I haven't posted in about a week. You can blame my terrible drunk driver friend Xavier for driving through the telephon poles near my house and knocking out my cable and internet. I am very sorry that I haven't been able to make you all cry in so long, I hope this chapter makes up for that a little bit. You can hate me if you want, I totally deserve it... *hides under a rock*

Also, I regret to inform you all that I'll be in Hawaii from the 2nd till the 21st of July visiting family, and as such, I may or may not be able to post anything till I get back, so please don't abandon me, pwease?

Love Sincerely,

Roxxi

The Fire That Melted The Ice And Cleared The Haze

“Good bye everypony… I’m sorry I ruined your lives… Forgive me…” An almost serene smile broke out on the cyan mare’s face and she pushed off from the cliff’s edge.

Rainbow Dash jumped from the edge and plummeted like a stone; wind trailed through her knotted mane and ruffled her immobilized wings. As she turned and twisted through the buffeting air that roared past her, she glanced up at the rocky ledge she had just leapt from.

It seemed the meds were making her hallucinate now because through her tear blurred eyes and the medicated haze she was in, Rainbow Dash could have sworn she saw a figure standing on the ledge.

“RAINBOW DASH, NO!!!”

The blurry figure leaped from the cliff and wings spread out to rocket the figure towards Dash. She felt the mystery pony grab her tight and with a grunt of effort pull her out of her suicidal plunge. The cyan mare struggled, but the pills she had taken beforehoof had left her to feeble to put up any substantial resistance.

“N-no… Let… Let me go… I have to do this…” Dash mumbled as her vision grew darker and darker and she slipped into unconsciousness.

“It’s okay Dash, I’m gonna get you help, just stay strong.”

2 Days Later, Ponyville Hospital, Suicide Watch Unit

Beep… Beep … Beep… Beep…

It was an incessant noise through the haze in her mind. It was familiar, she knew that much, but where had she heard it before? Rainbow Dash wrenched her eyes open, blinking in the bright light of her sterile white room.

A Hospital. She was in a hospital, but not just any part of the hospital, no, she was in the wing for suicidal ponies who needed to be watched and kept in a “safe and relaxing” environment. This was just what she needed.

“Another freaking way for life to kick me while I’m down. I can’t even suicide right!” Dash rasped, her voice slightly scratchier than usual from lack of use. “But… How did I get here? Who caught me?” She wondered out loud, as if voicing the question would bring an answer.

“I… I did Dash; I saved you and took you here. You’ve been out for 2 whole days, and I was getting worried.”

Dash looked over to see a very familiar face, Spitfire.

“I mean, not that I wasn’t worried before! I was freaking out the whole way here too, and with you not waking up I thought maybe you’d ne-” Spitfire started rapid firing explanations till she was cut off by the hoarse voice of the cyan mare in the sterile white bed.

“Why? Why did you do that? I wanted to die Spitfire; I needed to die so I could stop ruining everypony’s life!” Rainbow Dash glared at the confused mare in her hospital room with tears starting to stream down her face.

“Ruin everypony’s lives? Dash, you make my life better just by being alive! You don’t ruin anypony’s lives; you make them better because they get to have such a great friend!” Spitfire protested, standing up and waving her hooves to emphasize how serious she was. “So you may have messed up a few times, big deal. We all mess up sometime in our lives I messed up big time by not telling you sooner…” The fiery pegasus’s voice tapered off as she looked abashedly at the cyan mare before her.

Dash tilted her head, a puzzled expression taking over her damp face. “Tell me what sooner Spitfire?”

Spitfire looked up at Dash with a sad smile. “I guess it started back when I first saw you at the Young Flier’s Competition. You were so brave and strong, and the way you flew, oh Celestia! It looked so free and spirited, like there was nothing that could catch you; it reminded me of why I joined the Wonderbolts in the first place, the joy of flying.” She closed her eyes and smiled wider.

“It was exhilarating, I wasn’t actually knocked out by your friend, she just hit a nerve and I sort of froze up, but I saw the Sonic Rainboom, felt the rush of speed again, and it made me feel more alive then ever before! To be honest, I was thinking about ending everything that day, but you changed all of that, you changed me Dash.” She leaned back in the chair and sighed remorsefully.

“But I was too chicken to talk to you about how you made me feel, I wasn’t sure if it’d freak you out or not, so I just stayed quiet. I had a crazy crush on you since then Rainbow Dash, and it’s only gotten more and more serious. I love you Dash, I have for a long time. You’re strong, brave, loyal, an amazing flier, and b-beautiful when you’re unconscious.” Spitfire almost choked on the last part and a furious blush spread like flames on her face.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t speak, this was nothing she could ever have seen coming. Her idol, having a crush on her was incredible enough, but actually loving her? Impossible, it had to be some cruel joke at her expense. She growled and shut her eyes, as if she didn’t feel crappy enough.

“Shut up! You don’t love me, you’re just trying to play a sick bucking joke on me and I ain’t gonna take it! Nopony has ever or will ever love me; I’m a failure and a waste of space, and you!” A shaking hoof pointed at Spitfire. “You ruined the only shot I had at making things right for once!”

“Dash, listen to me, I really do love you! I’m not playing a trick on you or anything, I’m being honest, you gotta believe me.” Spitfire exclaimed pleadingly. Dash reached for the buzzer on her bed and smashed a hoof against it and a few seconds later a lavender unicorn rushed into the room wearing a white coat.

“Is everything alright Miss Dash?”

“No, please get this pony out of my room.” Dash answered flatly, and the nurse nodded towards the door.

“I’m afraid you have to leave now ma’am, we can’t have you upsetting Miss Dash, she’s in a delicate state.”

Spitfire lowered her head sadly and trotted to the door. “I‘m glad you‘re okay...” With one last longing glance at the mare of her heart’s desires, she reluctantly left.

Once she was alone in her room again, Rainbow Dash snorted. “Love me? Nopony loves me…”

The look in Spitfire’s eyes danced in her mind. The conviction in her eyes was too sincere to be faked; it looked like there was a fire behind her eyes, possible proof of the idea that Spitfire loved her. “And she did rescue me… What if…” Dash felt like she had been bucked in the chest by a Windigo.

“Oh Celestia… What if she actually loved me? I just drove her away… I bucked up again big time…” Dash slumped down in the bed, another brilliant failure to add to the list.

2 Weeks Later, Ponyville Hospital, Suicide Watch Unit

Dash stared dejectedly at the white wall across the room, as she had done for the past few weeks since Spitfire’s confession. She couldn’t do anything but wallow in self-pity and beat her self up inside as she played snatches of the scene over and over in her mind.

Dash, you make my life better just by being alive!

“How? All I ever did was make things worse and push everypony away…”

I love you Dash, I have for a long time.

“Then why didn’t I notice? We always talked for a bit whenever… Whenever he brought me with him to a show… Celestia, was I really that blind…?” Now that she thought about it, Spitfire did always seem to be more jittery and tenser when she was around, but never seemed to be put off by the fact she had been a downer since the untimely death of her daughter.

“I‘m glad you‘re okay...”

“She sounded so sad and happy… And I was a jerk to her, just like everypony else who tried to be nice…” Dash’s shoulders sagged and she hung her head, a tired sigh escaping her lips.

“DASH! DASH! IT’S SPITFIRE!”

The door to her room burst open and the very mare she had been thinking about barreled in and was shortly tackled by two of the hospital’s staff. The orange pegasus struggled beneath the two orderlies who were fighting to drag her out of the room. One of the orderlies, a muddy brown earth pony looked at her in what looked like an apologetic manner.

“Sorry about the intrusion ma’am, but she kicked Johnson in the… Well she kicked him where it hurts most and threw this delirious pink pony at me. We have the situation under control now, and will remove this pony immediately from your room.” The orderlies began to drag the writhing Spitfire away and Rainbow Dash almost didn’t react from the pure shock of what had happened. She shook her head and called out a little shakily.

“N-no, that’s fine, I need to talk to her anyways…” Dash looked at Spitfire who had stopped moving and was staring back at her with wide eyes.

The orderly that had addressed her frowned, but nodded and motioned for the stallion who must have been Johnson to release the Wonderbolt captain. “Very well ma’am, just buzz if you need her escorted out later.”

The two orderlies left and Spitfire got up from the ground, looking a little embarrassed at her antics. “Dash, I know you must hate me and all, and I know you told the hospital ponies not to let me in, but I had to say I was sorry for what happened last time, I shouldn’t dumped my feelings on you right after something that big, it was stupid of me and I get it if you never want to see me again.” Spitfire said as she shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof.

“I don’t hate you Spitfire… And I should apologize too; I was way out of line, treating you like that. It’s just… after everything with Soarin, I didn’t think anypony would ever really love me, or ever did in the first place.” Dash all but whispered, and when Spitfire opened her mouth to say something, the cyan pegasus raised a hoof to silence her.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately… About what you said that day, what you did, what I did… I don’t know if I can love anypony easily anymore, but…” She paused as if afraid to continue. After a few moments of deafening silence, Dash looked at Spitfire with eyes that held years of pain and heartbreak, the eyes of a mare who was frightened by herself and what might happen to her if she let anypony in.

“But I think… That maybe… We can see where it goes…” She smiled slightly and Spitfire just blinked in stunned silence.

Spitfire swallowed nervously and trotted to Dash’s bedside and looked at her with hopeful eyes. “R-really?”

Dash nodded and Spitfire threw her forelegs around the pegasus she had dreamed of being with for years now in a tight, tear filled hug. Dash looked taken aback and gingerly put her own forelegs around Spitfire and felt a soft warmth she hadn’t felt in a long while.

“I can’t say I love you right now Spitfire and I don’t if I’ll be able to for a long time, but I’ll give it a shot… Ok?” Spitfire just nodded and hugged her tighter, and she could feel a damp spot forming on the front of her gown where Spitfire’s head has buried into, and Dash felt tears threatening to show in her eyes as well.

But that didn’t matter, she felt safe now, she felt like a weight had come of her shoulder and that maybe, Celestia willing, that she could be happy once more.

Still, one thing had been buzzing in the back of Rainbow Dash’s thoughts the last two weeks, and she had to have answers.

“Spitfire, I know why you saved me… from myself… But how did you know where I was? I didn’t tell anypony what I was going to do…”

Spitfire let go of Dash and climbed onto the bed beside her and took a deep breath. “Well, I was planning on confessing to you the day you jumped, and the night before, I went to your friends Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy and asked them for advice or anything they could offer. We talked for a while and it was getting dark by the time we finished, so I was going to wait till the morning to tell you, but Fluttershy said that you could use something happy as soon as possible, so I flew over to your place and…”

2 Weeks And 2 Days Ago, Rainbow Dash’s Cloud House

An orange pegasus with a fiery mane touched down on to the porch of Rainbow Dash’s home in the skies above Ponyville. She looked a little nervous as she knocked on the door and waited for a response.

“Man, this is making me so bucking jittery, why is it this so hard? All I have to do when Dash opens that door is look her in the eyes and say it. That’s all, Twilight and Fluttershy said it would be fine, that this wouldn’t blow up in my face.”

“But what if she doesn’t feel that way about me?” Spitfire gulped, stricken with panic at all the possible ways this could screw up. “Oh hay, I’m so dead, she’s gonna hate me and never speak to me again!” The panicking pegasus drew in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. “Come on Spitfire, if you can be the captain of the Wonderbolts, you can sure as hay talk to a mare.”

Spitfire waited patiently, but when no response came, she began to feel a little worried.

“It’s way too quiet… Maybe I should go in and make sure everything’s okay…” She bit her lip and hesitates a moment before pushing the door open. The orange mare stepped inside and looked around, gasping at the sight she was met with.

The whole house was in disarray, furniture had be overturned and shredded, photos in frames were smashed in pieces, and there were empty cider bottles all over the floor along with a large assortment of other items. The only thing that seemed okay in the room was a small coffee table with a wrinkled piece of parchment on top.

Spitfire smoothed out the letter and began to read whatever had been written on it.

To My Friends,

I’m sorry I made you put up with me fro so long, I never meant to ruin things for you all. I can’t live like this anymore, the guilt from what I did to Fluttershy and the pain of losing my daughter and husband are tearing me up inside, and I need to end the suffering, not just mine, but the suffering of everypony who was affected by my screw ups.

Twilight, I only called you an egghead because I was always kind of jealous of how smart you were, you knew everything and always had an answer to save the day. Pinkie, you’re so random, and everypony loves you for it, I’m sorry about telling you I hated your snacks the last time you visited, they were amazing. Applejack, you were always my best friend, you made me push my limits and break past them, you were the one who deserved to win the Iron Pony competition and I know you’ll be the best athlete in Equestria. Rarity, you always looked great no matter what we were doing or what happened, and even though I always said I didn’t care about frilly stuff like that, I was jealous of how good you looked all the time, I’m sorry for called you a prissy stuck up snob and tearing up the dresses you made for me. Fluttershy, oh Celestia, I’m so sorry, I was a terrible friend to you most of all, you were always there for me, through flight school and through life in Ponyville, and I feel like garbage for hitting you when all you did was try and help me, you can be brave, I know it, and you can be a great flier too, just believe.

I’m going to jump from Pegasus Plunge when Celestia raises the sun, so you won’t have to worry about me bucking everything up anymore. This is my gift to you and all of Equestria, please forgive me for what I did.

R.D.

Spitfire felt her heart lurch in fear. Pegasus Plunge was no joke, littered with jagged rocks, a wrong move could cost you, and anypony bent on jumping without flying off was guaranteed a painful death.

“I have to stop her… I have to stop her!” Spitfire shouted in a panic, bolting out the door and rocketing towards the cliff Rainbow Dash had said she was going to jump from.

After what seemed like an eternity had passed, Spitfire reached the cliff, but nopony was in sight. She felt a wave of cold wash over her and ran to the edge, and screamed when she saw the limp form of a cyan pegasus twisting through the air as she fell.

“RAINBOW DASH, NO!!!” Spitfire launched herself off the cliff and dived to catch Rainbow Dash before she hit the ground. Her heart was racing and pounding in her head as she reached out to grab the suicidal mare, and with more effort than she had ever put into her flying before, Spitfire pulled up from the deadly dive, inches away from the jagged rocks below. She made a beeline for the nearest hospital and clutched the feebly struggling body in her forelegs tighter to herself and whispered in her ear.

“It’s okay Dash, I’m gonna get you help, just stay strong.”

Present Day, Ponyville Hospital, Suicide Watch Unit

“The doctor said all the medication you took would have caused you to die from overdosing if I hadn’t brought you in when I did… I was so scared; I thought I’d lose you before I even had a chance to have you as a real part of my life…”

Dash pulled her legs closer to her body and hugged herself, shaking slightly, and Spitfire could hear faint sobbing.

“But now you’re safe, and I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy again Dash, I swear.” Spitfire said determinedly, bringing Dash in for another hug, which she immediately reciprocated, wrapping tight around the orange pegasus.

“Th-thank you Spitfire… I almost made the worst mistake of my life, but you stopped me, and I can’t thank you enough…” Dash looked up into Spitfire’s eyes, a grateful look in her tear filled eyes.

Spitfire smiled warmly and bent her head down to place a small kiss on the cyan mare’s forehead. “Just saying you’d give me a chance was all the thanks I needed Dash.”

“Awwwwwwwwwwwww! That’s so super duper adorably cute!” A chipper voice cried out from the door and Dash looked back to see all of her friends trotting into the room.

“Pinkie Pie, Ah told you not to go barging in before ya knocked, what if those two had been doin’ somethin’ more than kissin’?” Applejack scowled slightly at the pink earth pony bouncing up and down excitedly.

“See? We told you it would be fine Spitfire, we’re all happy for the both of you.” Twilight Sparkle said, with just a hint of her trade mark I-told-you-so tone.

Fluttershy smiled softly at the pair on the bed. “You two make a wonderful couple. You really deserve each other, not that you can’t have anypony you want that is…”

“At least somepony gets the mare of their dreams…” Spike sighed wistfully, and Twilight thumped him on the head, earning a glare from the young dragon.

“Just let me know when you need wedding gowns, alright darling?” Rarity winked at Rainbow Dash conspiratorially, the latter of which sputtering and blushing.

Spitfire chuckled and stroked her love’s mane to calm her down. “We’ll keep that in mind, but we’re going to take it slow till Dash is comfortable.”

“I’m glad to see all of you and everything, but why are you here?” Dash asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“I asked them to come with me Dash, I thought maybe seeing your friends would help you out a little, and Pinkie Pie was more than happy to help distract that orderly for me.” Spitfire admitted sheepishly. There was a round of agreements from the ponies that had come to see Dash.

Dash wiped at her eyes and sniffled slightly. “You… You guys are the best friends a pony could ask for…” She held her arm out and her friends all gathered in for a group hug.

Later That Night, Ponyville’s Library

“Spike, take a note. It’s for the Princess, and it needs to be sent out immediately.” The lavender librarian said, and Spike rushed to grab a quill and scroll.

“Aye, Aye Miss Sparkle!” The green and purple baby dragon saluted Twilight and pressed the quill to the scroll.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

A dear friend of mine learned a very important lesson about friendship today. Sometimes things seem impossible for us to handle alone, and we may see no way around it but to give up. That’s when the best thing to do is to let your friends help you, no matter how hard it may seem to open up about your problems, because if you don’t, it can lead to disastrous consequences, such as losing a friend for good. Accepting help can be difficult, but it just might save a life.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle.”

Author’s Notes And Apologies

First off, I have to say I’m a little unsure as to how well I pulled this ending off, and I hope you all let me know just how it made you feel.

And oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I kept worrying about all of you while I was on vacation and whether or not you hated me for leaving this story unfinished, I wish I could hug all of you and I hope this makes up for it in some small way. It took awhile to get this chapter up because of personal issues that I will not go into detail with.

The Darkest Day With Sunny Skies

Rainbow Dash took another step closer to the edge of the cliff; a few loose rocks crumbled away and fell to the bottom, as if demonstrating what she would soon be doing. Tears filled her magenta eyes as another memory came back to her, the one that had push-started her downward spiral into depression.

“My Precious Sunny Skies… I’m so sorry…”

6 months ago, Ponyville Maternity Ward

“Push! Miss Dash, you have to push harder!” Nurse Redheart was coaching Rainbow Dash through the birth process while her yellow pegasus friend, Fluttershy flitted about, handing various medical supplies to the nurse, and occasionally holding Dash’s hoof to give her the much needed support any mare needed during something like this.

The pregnant pegasus growled in frustration, pain, and irritation that she was being told what to do, even if it was Nurse Redheart’s job. “Well I’m giving her all I’ve got nurse! I’m a stunt pony, not a piston!” Rainbow Dash gripped Fluttershy’s hoof, which was beginning to turn red from the pressure on it. Fluttershy either had gone numb in that hoof by now, or was ignoring it for the sake of her friend.

“Rainbow Dash, I know it’s hard, but you have to give maybe 20% more effort. If you want I mean.. I can’t really.. Tell you what to do…” The timid, temporary nurse started to trail off, but quickly regained her resolve, she had to make sure Rainbow Dash stayed strong, and so she had to as well. “You can do it Rainbow Dash! I just know you can if you try just a teensy bit harder!”

With her face screwed up in pained concentration, the cyan mare drew in a deep breath, and pushed as hard as she could, almost screaming herself hoarse at the strain the Herculean effort put on her body, and suddenly, it was over.

The pain was still there, oh yes, that pain was going to stay for a while, but it was worth it. All the pain, the fatigue, the tears, and misguided swear words were worth getting to see her little filly. To see the bundle of joy she and her husband(under the threat of no pie for a month) had named Sunny Skies. She had to see her foal immediately, she couldn’t wait a second longer.

“Give her to me! Let me hold my daughter, please? Pleeeeeeeeeeease?” Dash practically begged Nurse Redheart, who still had her back to her. The nurse pony seemed to shaking, which Dash attributed to the awesome beauty Sunny Skies must have inherited from her equally, if not more so, awesome mother.

“Hey Nurse Redheart, I know Sunny’s beautiful, but she is my foal after all ya know.” Dash grinned, her forelegs outstretched to receive Sunny Skies. Fluttershy smiled softly at her excited antics, Dash was acting like a little filly getting a gift on Hearth Warming Day.

A sob was the only response she received from the medical mare. Still shaking, Nurse Redheart slowly turned to the pair, a small bundle of royal blue fur and feathers cradled in her forelegs.

“She… She’s……” the shaking, sobbing nurse couldn’t continue, so Fluttershy gently took the foal from her, the smile instantly shattering into pieces as she realized why the nurse had been crying.

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong, why the hay is she crying? Why won’t you let me have my baby? Fluttershy, please tell me what’s going on!” Rainbow Dash was becoming more and more impatient with every passing second. She couldn’t understand why the nurse was crying. She couldn’t understand why she didn’t have her daughter in her hooves, cooing to her and nuzzling her like any mother would do to their child.

“Oh Rainbow… It… It isn’t your fault… I promise you did everything right.. But your daughter… Sunny Skies…” Fluttershy was tearing up now, and she placed the cyan pegasus’ daughter into her trembling grasp.

“What isn’t my fault? Why are you two act-” Suddenly Dash understood, and it cut through her heart like a blade of ice. “No…” She whispered quietly, as if saying it as softly as she could would erase to chilling reality she was faced with.

Her daughter, her little filly, the bundle of joy that she had carried with her for so many months, her precious Sunny Skies, was dead.

The room was silent for several agonizingly slow seconds, and then it was as if a dam had burst and Rainbow Dash broke down.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT MY BABY! NO! NO! NO! IT ISN’T TRUE! IT CAN’T BE! It c-can’t be Tr-tr-true….” Rainbow Dash wailed, tears flooded her eyes, and she hugged the now cold little body in her forelegs closer to her chest. “N-no.. Please… Please tell me this isn’t true… Fl-Fluttershy… Please…” She looked at the pegasus at her side with such a broken look in her eyes, Fluttershy couldn’t believe it was her.

“Rainbow Dash… I’m so sorry…” Fluttershy couldn’t finish her sentence, the pain in Dash’s eyes was cutting into her heart as well.

Waiting Room, Earlier

A small group of ponies was patiently waiting for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to return with the soon to be born foal. They were chatting idly to pass the time, gossiping about the whole ordeal and any surrounding details. The owner of the Carousel Boutique, Rarity, did most of this.

“Isn’t simply delightful? In just a few scant moments, our dear friend Rainbow Dash is going to be a proud mother! You know who she picked to be the godmother of her child, right?”

“No, Ah don’t believe she happened to mention that little detail to anypony, but Ah guess you weaseled it out, didntcha?” An orange farm pony asked, giving her mare friend a squinty-eyed look. The lavender unicorn to her side nodded.

“I wasn’t aware she told anypony, how did you know Rarity?” Twilight Sparkle looked at the white fashionista pony tiredly, as if the fact she knew a previously unknown fact were somehow annoying.

“OH! Maybe Rarity is a ninja pony! Then she could totally sneak around and gather clues and secrety secrets about secret stuff!” A bubbly pink earth pony exclaimed, bouncing in her chair before being silenced by a ring of purple aura that had bound and gagged her.

“Please Pinkie? Just this once can you calm down a little? It’s a hospital for crying out loud.” Twilight sighed in exasperation. “You were telling us about who Rainbow Dash asked to be Sunny Skies’ godmother?”

“Indeed! She asked” Rarity leaned in close to the others as if giving away top-secret information stolen from the Canterlot Archives. “Spitfire!” The other ponies gasped in shock. Well Twilight and Applejack did, Pinkie Pie just hummed and bulged her eyes in shock.

“Spitfire? Captain of the famous Wonderbolts Spitfire”

“Like, the Spitfire, the honest-to-goodness Spitfire? Well Ah’ll be a dragon’s mother!”

“Mpahlkalkdfjhs?”

Rarity smirked, reactions like these were what gossip was really all about. Shock and awe, seeing who could dish out the best dirt. “Precisely! Moreover, the juiciest part is, she accepted! She’ll be coming here soon to see her goddaughter. Speaking of ponies that should be here, where in Equestria are Soarin and Topsoil?”

Twilight shook her head smiling. “Honestly Applejack, I can’t believe Granny Smith was okay with you dating Rarity AND Topsoil.” Applejack blushed and turned away, muttering incoherently.

“Well, we all had a very long talk with Granny Smith about the matter darling, and after a few hours, I convinced that this beneficial for everypony. Topsoil can help out on the farm, I can bring in extra bits from the dress shop to help with the farm’s bills, and Applejack gets all the love and care she needs, one pony just isn’t enough some times Twilight.” Rarity winked at Twilight with a self-satisfied grin on her face.

“A-anyways, those two stallions are out havin’ a quick bite before they get here. Ah told them not to be late, or else Ah’d buck them halfway to Manehattan. Looks like somepony’s gettin’ free flight lessons.” Applejack growled with a hint of red tinting her face.

“I sure hope you don’t mean me Applejack, I’m pretty sure I’m innocent. Maybe, it’s still early, plenty of time to buck something up, am I right?” Called a confident and laid-back voice. The group of friends turned to see the owner of the voice, a warm, almost fiery orange pegasus.

“Spitfire, you made it!” Twilight waved at the captain of the Wonderbolts, inviting her over to a chair on the other side of her.

“Well I couldn’t leave Dash hanging, not since she asked me to be her filly’s godmother and all, ya know?” Spitfire took the offered seat and looked at the gathered group. “Where’s Soarin and Applejack’s stallion, Soiltop?”

“His name’s Topsoil sugarcube, and I ain’t too sure, we were waitin’ for’em to show up for awhile now.” Applejack said, looking out the window behind her seat. “Here they come now, insult a dog and he’ll come runnin’ every time!”

And true to her country saying, a blue pegasus and dark brown earth pony were gunning it for the hospital. A few seconds later, the pair slid through the doors and slammed into the check-in counter with a loud thudding noise.

“Ouch! I think I twisted my wing, are wings supposed to bend that way?”

“Get off me! Ah don’t need no third pony on my back, I get enough of that at home!”

After disentangling themselves from each other, Soarin and Topsoil made their way across the lobby over to the group of mares whose expressions ranged from bemused to amused to down right smoldering. Topsoil made an attempt to hide by pulling his hat down far over his eyes, leaving Soarin to take the full force of whatever was coming their way.

“You know, being fashionably late is only acceptable at parties, not when your wife is giving birth..”

“You two need to be more organized, I have a few books back at the library that could help you.”

“Ah’m gonna buck you two so hard, even the princesses are gonna say ‘DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!’ you hear me?”

“Mthys! Blpfhg, mfhf rmmgh rfetyjk? Bmmphr! Bmmmmmphrrrrr!”

“I can’t believe you Soarin, you’re a Wonderbolt, you should’ve been here like forever ago! And you Topsoil, what’s your excuse?”

Soarin flattened his ears and looked sheepish. “I’m here, that counts, right? Now can I go see my baby and my wife?” Spitfire, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight all face hoofed. Pinkie just sort of wobbled around in her chair.

“GO!” They all shouted, earning them admonishments from the nurse at the counter.

Soarin took off down the hall, after checking which room she was in first. Wouldn’t want to get lost on the way, would he?

A few minutes later, the golden orange leader of the Wonderbolts stood up and sighed. “I better go check on him, he probably got lost on the way, and even if he didn’t, he’s not the most tact of ponies, ya know? He’ll probably say something stupid and get kicked to the couch for a month or something.” She trotted down the hallway Soarin had taken.

The Same Moment, Rainbow Dash’s Room

“No… She’s not… She can’t be… She’s just… Just sleeping, y-yeah, Sunny’s just sleeping… Right ‘Shy? Tell me she’s just sleeping ‘Shy, please…” The grief stricken mare looked pleading at her friend, a shadow of desperate hope glimmered in her magenta eyes, almost drowned out by the despair that had taken their usual luster away. Fluttershy lowered her head sadly, she couldn’t speak, nothing she could think of to say would help ease the pain Dash was feeling.

“Hey hey hey! How’s my beautiful wife and filly doing? Sorry I’m late, got lost on the way to hospital, not the room. That’d be stupid, right?” The door to the room had swung open and Soarin had trotted in with a big smile right up to Fluttershy, who was still looking at the ground while Rainbow Dash was still rocking gently in her bed, huddled over a wrapped bundle. “Whoa… Not what I expected, come on girls, lighten up! You don’t have to be jealous of little Skies good looks just cause she got’em from me.” Soarin laughed a little uncomfortably, the heavy atmosphere in the room didn’t feel quite right for something like this.

“I’ll g-go get the d-doctor…” Nurse Redheart hiccupped and shuffled out of the room. Soarin raised an eyebrow and nudged the yellow pegasus beside him, who hadn’t said anything at all since he had arrived.

“Yo Fluttershy, what’s going on, why’s everypony acting like somepony just died?” Soarin asked jokingly, trying to pout a positive mood back in the somber room. The effect was devastating and immediate.

Rainbow Dash froze up for a split second, tightened her grip on the bundle in her forelegs, and let a fresh cry of despair spill from her. “IT ISN’T FAIR! WHY? WHY CELESTIA? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?” Breaking down into hysterical sobs of anguish, Dash curled up protectively around her unmoving daughter, as if to protect her from the world as though it would bring her back if nopony else could get to her. Fluttershy turned slowly to Soarin and glared at him, the cold fury and tears in her eyes making him step back.

“You… You…” Fluttershy closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. “Sunny Skies is… She’s dead Soarin, and you just made it worse… I’m not trying to be mean, but I think you had best leave… Rainbow Dash doesn’t need somepony who just makes jokes… Not right now…”

“H-hey, I didn’t know, I was just- I mean I- Fluttershy, she’s my wife… I think I have more of a right to be here.” Soarin made to move closer when a hoof on his shoulder pulled him back. Soarin whipped around to see Spitfire shaking her head softly, a look of disapproval and understanding all at the same time on her face.

“Soarin, take Fluttershy back to your house, make sure everything’s ready for Rainbow Dash to come home, make sure she won’t have to put too much more stress on herself, I’ll stay here and make sure things don’t get to far out of control…”

Fluttershy walked out of the room, and Soarin trailed after her after giving one more apologetic look at his crying wife. “You’ll be okay Dash; I’ll be waiting for you.”

A stallion in a white coat trotted into the room and approached Rainbow Dash’s bed. “Miss Dash, I need to take your daughter’s corpse out of the room, we will provide a funeral, free of charge, so there is no need to worry.” He reached for the unborn foal and was instead given a mouthful of teeth from a growling cyan pegasus.

“You… You won’t take her away from me, she isn’t dead! Never say she’s dead! She c-can’t be! She isn’t!” Rainbow screamed at the doctor, tears running down her already matted fur. Spitfire came around to her other side and rubbed a hoof gently on her shoulder.

“Hey Dash, it’s me, Spitfire. You need to let go of the doctor first of all, and then you have to let him take Sunny. I swear on my honor as a Wonderbolt, they won’t do anything to her, I’d break all of their necks if they did, okay?” Spitfire didn’t push the issue and just continued her gently rubs until Rainbow Dash’s shoulder went slack and she gingerly held out the bundled up body of her daughter to the doctor who nodded gratefully at Spitfire and left the room with Sunny Skies.

“Mind if I stay with you for a bit Dash? We can talk or just lay here and you can think about whatever it you need to, sound okay?” Spitfire climbed in beside Dash after getting a slight nod from her. Spitfire wrapped her wing around the shaking pegasus. “You’re gonna be okay Dash, I know you will. You are the strongest, bravest pony I know. If anypony can make it through something like this, it’s you. I know you miss her already even though you never really got to know here, but you have to stay steady for your friends, for Soarin, for me…” Spitfire pulled Rainbow Dash closer and rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

“If you ever need me for anything, just say it, I’ll be there in a flash, alright? I’m part of your family now, even if I’m not anypony’s godmother, and I don’t let family down ever.”

Silence filled the room and Spitfire waited patiently to see if the morose mare she was comforting had anything she needed to say or ask. Rainbow Dash shuddered against her slightly and turned her head to look at her, her already rose-colored eyes reddened by crying.

“Wh… What did I do..? What did I do wrong..? Am I… Am I being punished for something..? Is that why… Is that why my Sunny Skies is dead..?” Dash croaked feebly, more tears welling in her eyes. Spitfire shook her head quickly and hugged Rainbow Dash to her chest.

“No, it wasn’t you. Don’t ever think you’re being punished with this, you’re a good pony and you haven’t done anything wrong at all, I swear. Some things just happen without a real reason, and we can’t stop them. I bet you that Sunny Skies is in pony heaven right now, flying through the clouds, and trotting on sunshine, living in skies just as sunny as you named her for.”

Rainbow Dash sniffed and wiped at her eyes then looked at Spitfire like a filly needing direction. “R-really? You… You think she’s happy there..? W-without m-me?” Spitfire smiled softly and stroked Dash’s mane in a comforting way.

“She’ll be happier if you keep going Dash, she’ll be watching her mom, looking for advice, even if you can’t tell her directly, you need to show her how amazing her mother is by being the fastest flier in Equestria, by showing her what to do from down here. She still needs you to teach her and love her Dash, don’t let her down.”

Present Day, Cliff Edge

Rainbow Dash sighed and wiped a tear from her eye.

“But I did… I let my baby down… All I could show her was how to cry like a broken pony… I showed her how to let sorrow take you and drag you down from the clouds…” She scuffed her hoof dejectedly against the ground sending a few pebbles tumbling down. “But I’ll make it up to her… I’ll go see my little Skies and tell her how sorry I am… I tell her how sorry I was for being a disappointing mother… For showing her how to reject friends who try to help… For driving her dad into the wings of another…”

Rainbow Dash swallowed bitterly, that was another hurtful memory. When Soarin came home that night with that strange mare, reeking of cider. When he told her he didn’t want to, no, couldn’t be with her anymore. The push she really needed to make the climb up to this cliff, the push she really needed to stand her and look at her mistakes, her pitiful life. To take another step closer to the edge and jump.

The betrayal of the one pony she loved more than any other.