Rainbow Dash felt terrible. Just awful. Scootaloo had wrote a whole song about how she had been ignored by her. Rainbow Dash shoved her feelings to the side and stared at the stage.
“This next song is off their first album, most of you have never heard it,” she heard Nirvana say, and they started playing an upbeat tune.
“Well, maybe this one won’t be as bad,” Rainbow Dash said to herself, feeling a bit better. This hope was immediately crushed when Nirvana began singing.
“I need to fly free,
I need a mare to teach me,” Nirvana look directly at Rainbow Dash when he sang the next part.
“I do think you fit this horseshoe,
But you haven’t got a clue.”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell open. Yet another song written about her neglecting Scootaloo! She couldn’t believe how terrible she had been.
“I’ll plead and I’ll cry
I won’t stop to try
But you ignore me all the time
Free...”
Rainbow Dash could almost feel a tear forming, but she smacked herself. Crying made her weak. She always held back tears as long as she could, and sometimes, most of the time, they went away.
“I’m standing in your way...”
Oh Scootaloo. If I had know, I would have never thought of it like that...
“You say there will be hell to pay...”
That was once!
“But I won’t give up, no way,
I won’t give up, not today!”
You hadn’t given up, not on that day, anyway...
“I’ll plead and I’ll cry
I won’t stop to try
But you ignore me all the time
Free...”
Rainbow Dash could feel the offending droplet of liquid squeeze itself from her tear duct. It began its slow journey, sliding down her cheek, and falling off of her, to land with a small, almost soundless splash on the ground below.
“I need to fly free,
I need a mare to teach me,
I do think you fit this horseshoe,
But you haven’t got a clue!”
She hadn’t had a clue...
“I’ll plead and I’ll cry
I won’t stop to try
But you ignore me all the time
But you ignore me all the time...”
I wish I hadn’t... Another tear joined its brother on the ground.
“You do...
You do...
You do...
You do...
You do...”
“I wish I hadn’t!” Rainbow screamed out, electing a few odd glances from the ponies around her who had heard the confession.
The band put down their instruments. “Alright, we’re going to take a short intermission, but we’ll be right back! And also, Rainbow Dash, if you don’t mind, could you come backstage with us?”
Rainbow Dash flew over to her seat. She had gotten a nice one, fairly close to the stage, where she could see the performance quite well.
A black furred stallion walked up onto the stage, electric guitar hanging around his body.
“Hello, everypony, I’m Nirvana. As you may know, I was married to Scootaloo, head singer of Neighvana, before she killed herself 10 years ago. We are here, me and her two former band members, to honor her. Please welcome, the lead singer of the Hoof Fighters, Sweetie Belle!”
Sweetie Belle trotted out into the stage, waving her hoofs at everypony in the massive crowd, who were cheering and screaming as loud as they could.
“And please welcome... Applebloom!”
Applebloom trotted up, and went over to the base, waving as she was met with applause and cheering.
“That’s mah sister!” yelled Applejack, who was in the front row.
“Ok, I’m a little rusty on the drums, but I’ll try!” Sweetie Belle laughed as she picked up the drumsticks.
Nirvana took up the microphone again, and said, “This song was written by Scootaloo, for Rainbow Dash. Dashie, if you’re in the audience today, you should feel pretty bad.”
Rainbow Dash got a couple of stares. She slowly shrunk down in her seat.
Nirvana cleared his throat, and slowly began singing.
“I will never bother you
I will never promise to
I will never follow you
I will never bother you
Never speak a word again
I won't ever try again”
Rainbow Dash was confused. Was this really about her?
“I will move away from here
So you won't see me shed a tear
Sometimes you can be thoughtless
I hoped it wouldn't come to this
This is the end of my tail
I have never failed to fail”
Rainbow Dash was certain that Nirvana had been joking. Crisis averted.
“Pain
Pain
Pain
I won't fly
I won't fly
I won't fly”
Now she understood. The circumstances under which Scootaloo had committed suicide...
“I wish I could touch the clouds
Perform amazing tricks for the crowd
Let’s talk about something else
My composure begins to melt
Nothin’ really bothers her
She just wants to love herself”
Was she really like that? Dashie thought back to all the times she had ignored Scootaloo’s attempts to get her to teach her. Was she that much of a monster?
“I will move away from here
So you won’t see me shed a tear
Sometimes you can be thoughtless
I hoped it wouldn’t come to this
This is the end of my tail
I have never failed to fail”
Rainbow Dash felt like crying.
“Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly
I won’t fly...”
Ponies applauded and clapped, while Rainbow Dash felt sorrow and self-loathing cascade upon her as though it were an avalanche.
Rainbow Dash walked backstage. What did Nirvana want with her?
Entering the dressing room, she saw Nirvana tuning his guitar with magic. “Ah! There she is.”
Rainbow Dash sat down. “What do you want with me?”
Nirvana levitated some candy over to his mouth. “Well, i just wanted to clear something sup for you. I in no way blame you for Scootaloo’s death.”
Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up. “You don’t?”
“Nope. just the order we played the songs were... a bit unfortunate.” Nirvana took a deep breath. “What you have to understand, Rainbow Dash, is that Scootaloo loved you very much, and you neglected her. You never taught her how to fly, the one thing she wanted most in the world. I know you tried your best during her final hours but... I don’t blame you, anyway.”
Nirvana levitated his guitar over to him. “Well, we have a show to play. Enjoy the rest of the music.”
Rainbow Dash left, and returned to her seat. If Nirvana didn’t blame her, then why did she still feel so guilty?
