A Daughter and her Dragon Side Stories: Gone, But Not Forgottenby Level DasherChaptersAnother WayLetters From A Military Mare (Written by Crystal Moose)The Miracle of LifeA Child's StoriesPrologueAnother Way“So Squirt, what’s the verdict?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo, who came out of the Wonderbolts’ doctor’s office. Scootaloo shook herself. “Lungs and heart are good, reflexes fine—” “Vision and hearing in tip-top shape?” Rainbow interrupted her. “…What?” Rainbow repeated, “I said, how are the eyes and ears?” “What?” “I said,” Rainbow began with a huff, before she caught Scootaloo giggling under her breath. She smirked as she lightly pushed her sister on the shoulder. “Dangit, Scoots.” “Sorry, couldn’t resist,” Scootaloo chuckled. “They’re perfect. Legs are good, too.” Raising her eyebrows, Rainbow said, “And?” Scootaloo’s smile quickly dropped along with her head, then her eyes briefly glanced towards her back. “And I’m outta luck.” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. “Sorry, Squirt. Give ‘em another year, then we’ll try again, huh?” “No.” Scootaloo shook her head. “I mean permanently outta luck.” She buzzed her wings for a moment. “Something about stunted growth. They won’t get any bigger. I’m a grounder for life.” Her ears flattening, Rainbow walked up to Scootaloo and put a hoof around her little sister’s neck. “I’m sorry, Scoots. Guess it just wasn’t meant to be.” “I kinda figured after a while.” A tear ran down Scootaloo's cheek. “It’s just…” She sighed. “Hearing it confirmed by another doctor… the Wonderbolts’ doctor, no less…” Choking out a sob, she finished, “…it sucks serious horseapples, y’know?” Rainbow shook her head. “I can’t even imagine. Well, c’mon, let’s go talk to Spitfire. Better for us to tell her directly than just leave and let the doc tell her.” Wiping away her tears with a sniffle, Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah. Sure.” After a walk down the hallway, Rainbow Dash approached a door to her left, then knocked on it before she opened it. Allowing Scootaloo entry first, Rainbow closed the door before looking at Spitfire behind her desk. “Hey, Cap.” Spitfire kept her eyes on the papers on her desk as she began, “You’ve really gotta let me answer before you just open the door, Crash. What if I’d had a private meeting going on?” “Given how your meetings usually go, I would’ve heard you,” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “Don’t get smart with me, Crash. I still outrank you.” Waving a hoof at her captain, Rainbow responded, “I know, I know. But now you do have a private meeting going on.” “Oh yeah?” Spitfire responded. “And why’s tha—” She finally looked up from her desk and spotted Scootaloo. “Ah, right, your sister.” Putting her papers down and leaning forward as she put her hooves together, she asked, “How’d her physical go?” As Rainbow turned to her, Scootaloo answered, “Perfectly, minus one thing.” She glanced back at her wings and gave them a buzz before turning and looking back at Spitfire. With a frown, she said, “I can’t fly. That… kinda disqualifies me from the Wonderbolts, doesn’t it?” Spitfire let out a quick breath. “Yeah, it kinda does. Sorry, kid.” Turning to Rainbow Dash, she added, “Sorry, Crash.” Then she turned back to the papers on her desk. Rainbow nodded, then turned to Scootaloo. “I’m sorry, Scoots. We tried.” As Scootaloo nodded and hung her head, she turned for the door. Rainbow looked once more at Spitfire before approaching her desk. “Cap, are you sure there isn’t something she can do? Maybe even something around HQ?” she whispered. “She could be the first flightless Wonderbolt!” Spitfire shook her head, keeping her eyes on the papers she was shuffling and her voice low as she said, “I hate to be blunt, Crash, but we can’t recruit a pegasus that can’t fly. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re flight performers. And trust me, doing grunt work around here—or desk work if she worked her way up—while she watches everypony else flying around is not the kind of environment she’d want to be in. If I cou—” She cut herself off as she stopped shuffling her papers, getting a glance at the page in front of her. “What’s up, Cap?” Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire stared at the paper for a moment. Looking up, she saw Scootaloo turning the doorknob. “Hey, kid.” Putting her hoof down and turning around, Scootaloo looked back at Spitfire. “Yeah?” “You know some of the branches of the Wonderbolts are part of the military, don’t you?” Scootaloo nodded. “Of course, Ma’am. Rainbow Dash told me she’s part of one.” Spitfire nodded in return, glancing at Rainbow and giving her a hard stare at the same time. Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, then Spitfire continued, “Well kid, Crash’s told me about how you move on the ground. I may not be able to accept you into our flight squad…” She held the paper in front of her again. Giving it a quick skim, she turned back to Scootaloo as a smile gradually grew on her muzzle. “…but I think I have another idea.” “Sweet Celestia…” Scootaloo shut the door behind her, panting her way up to the bar with Rainbow Dash and Spitfire and grabbing the stool between them. “A mare could get used to that.” “I take it you like the new wheels?” Spitfire asked her with a smirk as she sat down. “Damn right,” Scootaloo answered as she leaned forward on the bar and gave one last heavy exhale. “What a ride! Military equipment rocks!” “Gotta admit, Scoots, you looked impressive on that thing!” Rainbow said, nudging Scootaloo in the ribs before waving down the bartender, who immediately placed three ciders in front of them. Scootaloo smiled before taking a swig of her cider. “Thanks. Definitely better than my old one,” she said, setting her mug on the counter. Spitfire chuckled. “You could probably outrun a dragonfire message on that thing. We don’t call you our fastest runner for nothing, Buzz. And that was with your old scooter.” Leaning forward on the bar and looking at Rainbow Dash, she added, “Heck, you could give Crash’s Sonic Rainboom a run for its bits.” “Eh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Rainbow said with a smug smirk. After a swig of her own cider, she asked Spitfire, “Glad I brought her up to HQ those years ago, huh, Cap?” Spitfire smiled and clapped Scootaloo on the back. “You better believe it, Crash. She’s one of our best recruits.” Turning back to her runner, Spitfire said, “Just don’t go careening off a cliff on that thing, alright, Buzz? It doesn’t have a parachute or anything like that.” “I won’t, Cap, I promise.” Author's Note “Dammit, Buzz… you promised me you wouldn’t. You were just too damn reckless. Both of you.” —Spitfire Letters From A Military Mare (Written by Crystal Moose) Hey AJ, Can’t say I wish you were here, but I do miss you. Princess Celestia asked that I order a recon mission over changeling territory, so I don’t know the next time I’ll be home. The bugs are definitely up to something, I just don’t know what yet. Sorry I missed Apple Bloom’s wedding; you tell that Coffee Caramel if he hurts our ‘Bloom he’ll have an entire wing of Shadowbolts on his plot! Miss you so much, Dash Applejack flicked through the box of letters she had collected. She had kept every correspondence she had received from her wife when she was on duty. Every letter, every telegram, every photo. Dash being a Shadowbolt had certainly taken its toll on Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s marriage. The secretive nature of their missions often meant Rainbow Dash would be called up, with less than a day’s notice, to report to Canterlot, and then fly out to Celestia-knew-where. As the commander of the secret squadron, Rainbow was always the first to be informed of any missions that Princess Celestia requested. Most ponies weren’t even aware of the existence of the Shadowbolts. Applejack only knew through her wife, and an awkward confirmation from Twilight. AJ! I can’t believe you sent that photo! You know the MPs read all incoming and outgoing mail! No exceptions! Not even for me! Damn, you are the bravest pony! Still missing you! Dash Applejack laughed, reading the letter. That had certainly been awkward; having her sister-in-law Cheerilee help her take the photos, having to look Photo Frame in the eyes after getting the film developed, then to top it all off, forgetting about the Military Police checking all military mail. She was far from a vain pony, but Applejack sincerely hoped nopony had made copies of those pictures once they were out of her hooves. Hey AJ, The damned dragons and griffons are at it again. Tensions are increasing again, so Princess Celestia has us patrolling the coast, making sure the fight doesn’t spill over into Equestria. Missing you from sunny Fillydelphia! Dash Applejack smiled as she added the latest letter to the pile, along with a newspaper clipping. AJ, We’ve got word that some changelings have taken some ponies from along the Macintosh Hills, and we’ve been sent to investigate. Time to go smash some bugs! Dash Applejack placed a hoof on the newspaper clipping; she was so proud. Her Dash was doing these amazing things. …citizens of Appleloosa rejoiced as missing friends and family returned home today. Citizens reported sightings of an unknown group of pegasi clad in black flight suits. Princess Celestia announced today that while she applauded the bravery of these pegasi, she could not condone vigilante actions, and urges citizens to leave such matters to her military. See page six for full report. Applejack was far from comfortable about the Princess denying that it was a military action, but Rainbow had assured her many times that it was necessary. Being a member of the Wonderbolts wasn’t just to do amazing sky shows—the Shadowbolts doubly so. A gentle knock at Applejack’s door pulled the mare out of her thoughts. “Applejack, I think you should come downstairs,” Cheerilee called through the door. Applejack jumped off her bed, quickly ran a comb through her mane, and put on her stetson. Dash is home! She trotted down the stairs towards the front door, her heart beating madly at the thought of seeing her wife again. She practically galloped, only to find two ponies she was not expecting. Princess Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy. Scootaloo, also bleary-eyed, stood next to the Princess in her service uniform. “H-heya, gals. Whatch’y’all doin’ here?” Applejack asked, nervous as to what their response might be. Scootaloo turned to her side, revealing what lay across her back: a folded Equestrian flag. “Applejack… I-I’m so sorry,” Twilight croaked. Author's Note “Sorry, AJ. Even if I knew, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t have that clearance.” — Scootaloo, A.K.A. Buzz This was the first of the side stories that was written by Crystal Moose when he was still writing the main story. It was too short to publish on its own, though, so I finished writing all the ones we wanted to have before starting to publish them all. If you’re wondering why Scootaloo is in this chapter when I just wrote about her death first—the reason this one is listed afterward is because I wanted you all to know how Scootaloo got into the military first. I thought it would be strange to have you be exposed to Rainbow’s death without knowing how Scoots became a recruit. To answer the obvious question, yes, Rainbow Dash died first chronologically. Take a look at Spitfire's quote at the end of Scootaloo's story again—you may have missed the hint. Also, before anyone asks (since I'm guessing at least one person would), the lines in spoilers in Rainbow Dash's letters are lines that the military police redacted so nobody could read them. Only you can. The Miracle of LifeFluttershy lay alternating between panting and cringing in the middle of her sanctuary, all of her animal friends surrounding her. After eleven months of waiting, they were all ready to see the miracle, however unexpected it may have been. “Breathe, Fluttershy, breathe. Deeeeep breaths,” Twilight soothed. “The sac is coming. Just push.” Fluttershy nodded, but halfway through, she had to relax and just lay there breathing. Discord hovered above them both doing figure-eights. “Oooohoohoohoo! It’s got my legs!” he said with glee, spotting the small, respective lizard and goat legs poking out of the sac. When he saw a third, wiggling appendage, he added, “And my tail!” “That’s not surprising,” Twilight said to him. “It is half draconequus, after all.” Focusing on Fluttershy, who still lay on the ground panting, Twilight asked her, “Fluttershy, you’re clearly exhausted. Would you like me to pull? It is a natural part of the birthing process.” Fluttershy lightly nodded. “Yes please,” she replied. Discord began, “You know, I could have that child out with but the cli—” “No, Discord!” Fluttershy cried. “I told you I wanted this to be a natural birth!” “Oh, fine,” Discord responded, crossing his arms. “Can I at least help pull?” Fluttershy gave a weak nod. “Oh, goody!” As Discord floated down to the ground, Twilight stepped aside with a small smile. “Well, Dad, go ahead. But if you do anything funny, I’m taking over,” she said. “Remember, Fluttershy isn’t exactly in her thirties anymore.” “I could fix that, too.” “Not in the middle of the birth. It could kill both Fluttershy and the baby,” Twilight responded with a hard stare. Cracking the knuckles on his paw and claw, Discord suddenly pursed his lips as he said with complete seriousness, “Very well.” “Start gently, then increase your strength as necessary. You want to be careful in case it has large wings like Flurry Heart did,” Twilight told him. “Or wings at all, for that matter.” “Yes, Doctor Sparkle,” Discord said with just the slightest of huffs. Grasping the mismatched legs firmly, he slowly pulled as Twilight talked Fluttershy through her breathing. When Fluttershy closed her eyes and began clenching her teeth between ragged breaths, Twilight turned to Discord. “Harder, Discord. We need to relieve more pressure.” Stretching his ear like taffy, Discord wiggled it around and placed it on Fluttershy’s chest. Hearing her heartbeat slowing, he flipped his tail up to his forehead in a salute, then pulled harder. As he pulled, the baby’s legs slipped slowly, and he saw the beginning of a butter-yellow coat and the tips of pegasus wings emerge. A smile gracing his face, Discord looked up at Twilight. “There are wings; the tips are out.” “Then the chance of harming them is almost nil now. Pull!” With a nod, Discord pulled as hard as he could. As Fluttershy let out a wail, the baby slipped free smoothly, the sac falling away with ease. Discord flew backward onto his rear, expanding his torso to the size of a picnic blanket and catching the baby. He cradled it back and forth slowly before picking it up in his claw and paw, holding it properly as his torso returned to normal. When the baby’s chest began to rise and fall at a steady rhythm, Discord smiled, allowing a tear to fall down his cheek. “Fluttershy, she’s beautiful.” Discord glowed like a lightbulb. Literally. “Sh-she?” Fluttershy asked between her ragged breathing. Discord hovered over to Fluttershy’s head and lowered his arms to her. “Yes, Sweetie, it’s a girl. She looks just like you. Well, from the hip up, at least,” he finished with a chuckle. Twilight’s eyebrows rose as she walked up and took a look at the newborn. Had the legs not given it away, she could have sworn Fluttershy had given birth to a clone. Fluttershy smiled as she opened her eyes, then shakily reached a hoof out and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “Oh, she’s wonderful,” she said. The baby continued breathing silently as a smile grew on her tiny muzzle. “And she’s so calm.” Discord smirked as he settled on the ground with his legs crossed. “That won’t last, trust me,” he whispered, somehow managing to restrain his laughter. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle. “I’d imagine not.” Twilight smiled as she looked up at Discord and said, “Good job. And congratulations. Both of you.” “Thank you, Twilight.” Discord’s smile was honest and sincere. Fluttershy let out a sigh as she placed her hoof in her husband’s lap. “Let’s go home, Honey. I’m…” “You must be exhausted,” Discord finished for her, shifting the baby into his paw as he grasped Fluttershy’s hoof in his claw. Fluttershy nodded as she closed her eyes again. Then her hoof went limp. When Discord felt the weight leave Fluttershy’s hoof, he wiggled it for a moment as he looked over her. There was no movement. No rhythm on her chest to match her daughter’s. “…Fluttershy?” Author's Note “I’m sorry, Discord. It happens sometimes. No, don’t try to bring her back.” — Twilight Sparkle A Child's Stories“Once upon a time… there, there was a cave. And in the cave there was ursas.” “Mhm.” “And, they had a baby. But the baby was lost!” “Oh my!” “And… and, he was almost eated by a bugbear!” “The poor dear!” “But then he rooooolled back to his mama.” “I see.” Rarity listened intently to the little teal green unicorn colt sitting on the rug in front of her as he concocted his story, his muted opal mane bouncing around as he exuded as much enthusiasm as he could wherever he found it necessary. She sat in a chair, running a needle through a sparkling, jewel-encrusted tie for Spike that she had brought from her boutique with her aura. Now in her eighties, there was only so much she could do when she wasn’t sitting down, but it never stopped her from babysitting for the family who lived above the shop next door. The little colt continued, “And then the dwagon blew a giant fiaball inta the air and hit the bugbear!” “Wow!” Rarity exclaimed. “And the bugbear aspoded! PFBFTHBT!” he cried, raising his hooves high in the air before falling onto his back. Her eyes widening for a moment, Rarity muttered under her breath, “Oh my…” Before she could react to him directly, the colt zipped back into his seated position and kept going. “And tha ursas said thank you for savin’ ‘em.” “It’s always appropriate to thank your saviors,” Rarity told him with a nod. The colt stopped for a moment and tilted his head at her. “Wha’s ‘a-pope-ee-it’?” “It means it’s the right thing to do,” Rarity replied. Staring at nothing, the little colt simply said, “Oh.” Shaking his head, he finished his story. “And the dwagon waved g’bye… and they all lived happy eva aftah!” He raised his hooves up one more time before dropping them into his lap with a grin. Rarity chuckled, placing her sewing down beside her before clapping her hooves together. “Very nice, Dreamweaver! I do love your stories. It’s much better than working downstairs in my lonely shop.” Dreamweaver beamed. “Thank you, Missis Rarity.” “You are quite welcome,” she replied, picking her work up again. After a moment, there was a groan and a wail just across from her. She looked up at the crib behind her storyteller. “Uh-oh, seems my sound dampening spell has worn off. Steel Masque is up from his nap.” First placing the tie back down, she then levitated a little light gray unicorn colt out of the crib and brought him towards her. As he watched his newborn brother hover over his head, Dreamweaver said, “At least he was… a-pope-ee-it enuff to wait ‘til I was done.” Rarity chuckled as the infant colt dropped into her forearms and she cradled him. “That’s not quite how you use that word, dear.” “Why not? It was the right thing to do!” Dreamweaver countered. Breaking out into a laugh, Rarity shifted Steel Masque into one arm as she rocked him back and forth, then picked Dreamweaver up in her aura and brought him toward her so she could rub his cheek with her now free hoof. “You are absolutely adorable!” “Missis Rarity!” Dreamweaver cried. “C’mon, stoppit!” Rarity chuckled again as she placed him back onto the floor, then shifted her forearms to cradle his brother in both again. “I’m sorry, dear, I just couldn’t resist.” “…S’okay,” Dreamweaver replied, rolling his eyes as he crossed his forelegs. Steel Masque continued crying as Rarity rocked him back and forth. “My, Dreamweaver, your brother certainly has quite the set of lungs, doesn’t he?” “Yeah,” Dreamweaver replied with a nod, “but at least he doesn’t do it at night.” Raising her eyebrows, Rarity said, “Well, that’s quite courteous of him.” Seeing the colt tilt his head again, she continued, “That means it’s nice of him.” Dreamweaver’s muzzle formed an ‘O’ at this, then he looked out the open window with his eyebrows curled up as the sunlight cast a narrow beam through the glass. “Missis Rarity, do you know when my mom and dad are comin’ back?” Rarity glanced out the window momentarily, then looked at the clock above Steel Masque’s crib, which read three-fifty in the afternoon. “I honestly couldn’t tell you, dear. You never know when it comes to doctors.” “Is my dad gonna be okay?” “Absolutely, dear. He only had a minor leg injury, after all,” Rarity said. “Bad enough that your mother had to go with him to his appointment, but I’m sure he’ll be fine in a week or two, if not sooner.” Dreamweaver nodded as he turned back toward Rarity and looked at the floor. “Okay.” As Steel Masque continued crying, Rarity let out a breath. “My, I’m surprised he hasn’t tired himself out yet.” Standing up, Dreamweaver slowly approached her, then nudged his brother lightly as Rarity stopped rocking. He looked up at her, then back at Steel Masque, then back to Rarity again. Rarity raised her eyebrows. “Would you like to take over, dear? Perhaps you’ll have better luck.” “Maybe,” Dreamweaver replied as he shrugged one shoulder, then sat back down on the rug in front of her. “Well, let’s see.” Rarity lifted Steel Masque in her aura, then gently levitated him down into his older brother’s open forearms. Dreamweaver gently rocked his little brother back and forth. “S’okay, Steel, Daddy’s gonna be okay.” He leaned forward and nuzzled Steel Masque’s cheek, and the infant’s wailing began to lessen. Dreamweaver simply kept rocking. Rarity smiled as she looked down at the two colts, the crying slowly fading to occasional hiccups, then soft groans, then only breathing. “Well well, seems you have the magic touch, dear,” Rarity whispered. Dreamweaver looked up at her with a small smile and nodded, then looked back down at his brother. With a barely audible voice, he began, “Once upon a time… there was a… a…” He looked up in thought for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. “…there was two unicorns. They—” His story was interrupted by a loud bang from outside. He and Rarity both gasped and looked straight out the window as Steel Masque immediately began crying once again. “What in Equestria was that?” Rarity cried. “I dunno!” Dreamweaver looked down at Steel Masque and lightly bounced him up and down. “S’okay, Steel, s’okay.” Rarity slowly rose from her chair. “You hold on to your brother, Dreamweaver. Perhaps I can see what’s going on.” She shuffled over to the window, then poked her head out and looked in all directions. What she saw to her left made her eyes open wide. “Oh my!” “Wha’s wrong?” Dreamweaver asked, still cradling his crying brother. “I see quite a lot of smoke. There must be a massi—a very large fire a few blocks over. That looks like Pudding Lane. It was likely an explosion!” “A a-spo-shun??” Dreamweaver cried. Rarity turned around and told him, “That would be my best guess. You keep hold of your brother, dear. Steel Masque clearly likes you better.” Looking back out the window, she saw multiple unicorns galloping towards the fire with their horns lit to put up heat shields, and pegasi pushing dark clouds in the same direction. “Oh, I wish I could assist, but these old bones would be of no help at all.” As she saw embers fly past the window, she turned and looked back at her charges. “Besides, I need to keep you two safe.” As Rarity leaned out the window to keep on eye on the ponies’ progress, Dreamweaver called from behind her, “Are we gonna be okay, Missis Rarity?” Turning back in his direction, she let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know, dear. But everypony out there is trying as hard as they can.” “Can I help, too?” Rarity let out a little chuckle. “I wish you could, dear, but you aren’t quite big enough for that.” Dreamweaver frowned, then looked back down at Steel Masque, whose crying had once again lessened to hiccups. “You’re doing a very good job keeping your brother calm, though. That is quite helpful at the moment.” Glancing back out the window, she whispered to herself, “And it will hopefully keep him distracted…” She looked toward the door to the apartment; though she couldn’t see them, she knew that a stairway lay just across from it. After a minute of thought, she shook her head, then looked back over at her two charges, the little five-year-old colt cradling his infant brother. It only took her a moment to make her decision, then she looked back out the window and leaned out to peer at the danger once more. As if Celestia had read her mind, she heard a door slam only a few shops over. She then saw two unicorns, a stallion and a mare, galloping in the opposite direction of the fire. The mare glanced up at Rarity in the window, then stopped and called out to the stallion. “I’ll be there in a minute, Honey! Please be careful!” The stallion nodded without looking back, then kept going. The mare looked up and cried, “Lady Rarity, what are you doing up there? The fire is only a couple shops over! You need to—” “Lily,” Rarity interrupted, “I’ve told you countless times not to address me with my title. And you shan't do it again. Now, I need you to do me a favor.” After a moment of confusion, the mare shook her head and nodded. “Of course I’ll come and get you! I’ll only be a moment!” “No, Lily. Stay there. Just give me a minute,” Rarity said. As the mare tilted her head, she turned around and called, “Dreamweaver, please hold tight to your brother and keep calm.” Dreamweaver looked up at her, confused. “Huh? Why? Wha—woah!” He clutched his brother as the two of them were levitated over to the floor next to Rarity. Leaning down to the two colts, Rarity said, “Dreamweaver, I want you to be a good colt, okay? Miss Lily is going to watch over you until either your parents or my husband return. Whomever is first.” She pushed the two of them behind her with her aura, then continued, “Now, keep calm, and when he gets back, tell my husband that I love him very much.” Dreamweaver’s eyes widened as he saw Rarity’s face begin to strain. “Missis Rarity, what’re you—” “Please hush, dear. I need to concentrate. It’s been a long time since I’ve used this spell.” As the colt closed his muzzle, Rarity’s horn lit, then her aura intensified. After a moment, a beam shot out of her horn, cutting through the wall around the window. When she had created a hole large enough to fit a sizable pony through, the wall fell away to the ground below, and Lily backed away to avoid being crushed. “Rarity, they’ve called for an evacuation! What in Equestria are you—” “Lily, please take care of these two until their parents or my husband return. I cannot look after them anymore.” She turned back to the colts and said, “Now dear, behave for Miss Lily, and don’t look back.” She lit her horn again and lifted the colts into the air, then levitated them down to the mare below, who caught them in her own aura. Lily called, “Rarity, please, let me help you down! I’ll only—” “No, dear. Those two need your attention more than I.” Rarity took a deep breath and let it out. “It was a pleasure to know you, Lily.” She then turned around, shuffling her way back inside. The blaze of the fire ripped into the walls of the lower floors, and the three of them had to pull back. She could hear the faint sound of a colt calling, “Missis Rarity! Wait! Come back!” This was accompanied by an infant’s wailing. Painfully ignoring the words, she lifted up the tie she had been working on. “It’s a shame Spike won’t get to wear this. It would’ve been so much classier and less repetitive than those silly bowties.” She felt the temperature around her quickly rise. As she was engulfed in flames, she heard the booming voice of her husband nearing. “RARITY! RARITY!” So long, my dear Spikey-Wikey… Author's Note “That’s just like Rarity; always thinking of others first… to the very end…” — Spike the dragon This is the last completed tale behind the passed Elemental family members. There might be an alternate ending for one of them coming in the future, but for now I'm marking this complete. Rarity was the one whose passing had the most people wanting to know about it, which is one of the reasons this is the longest of the four chapters. Well, that, and writing kids is fun for me. Speaking of which, in case you were curious, the very beginning of Dreamweaver's first story was inspired by this video (up to the 0:42 mark). With a few alterations, of course. It was the cutest one I could find. I don't know if I'll do other side stories for DaD, whether they be a one-shot or another collection. For now I can't think of anything that wouldn't be a huge spoiler for the main story. But we'll see, I guess. One final note: Once again I want to thank NixWorld for doing an amazing job with the cover art. I never thought Spike could look so friggin' badass. PrologueCotton Candy sat with her father in his room, looking through a photo album. Spike had pointed to a few pictures, describing the context behind each of them. There were a few ponies she had only heard about; they had passed away before she became part of Spike’s eclectic family. She had picked them out from a photo from nearly twenty years prior—one of a giant reunion. “Daddy…” Cotton stretched her neck upwards. “What… what happened to them? I’ve never had the nerve to ask.” Spike let out a deep sigh. “I admit, I’d been wondering when you would.” Cotton looked away, her eyes downcast as her father looked at the photo again. “I can tell you what I know from others, but I’m afraid I don’t know all the details.” “…It’s okay,” Cotton responded. “Would you still mind telling me?” With a smile and slight shake of his head, Spike said, “Not at all, Cotton.” He brought her in close, then pointed one of his talons at the photo, singling out an orange mare with a purple mane. “This is one of your aunt Sweetie Belle’s friends…”
Another Way“So Squirt, what’s the verdict?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo, who came out of the Wonderbolts’ doctor’s office. Scootaloo shook herself. “Lungs and heart are good, reflexes fine—” “Vision and hearing in tip-top shape?” Rainbow interrupted her. “…What?” Rainbow repeated, “I said, how are the eyes and ears?” “What?” “I said,” Rainbow began with a huff, before she caught Scootaloo giggling under her breath. She smirked as she lightly pushed her sister on the shoulder. “Dangit, Scoots.” “Sorry, couldn’t resist,” Scootaloo chuckled. “They’re perfect. Legs are good, too.” Raising her eyebrows, Rainbow said, “And?” Scootaloo’s smile quickly dropped along with her head, then her eyes briefly glanced towards her back. “And I’m outta luck.” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. “Sorry, Squirt. Give ‘em another year, then we’ll try again, huh?” “No.” Scootaloo shook her head. “I mean permanently outta luck.” She buzzed her wings for a moment. “Something about stunted growth. They won’t get any bigger. I’m a grounder for life.” Her ears flattening, Rainbow walked up to Scootaloo and put a hoof around her little sister’s neck. “I’m sorry, Scoots. Guess it just wasn’t meant to be.” “I kinda figured after a while.” A tear ran down Scootaloo's cheek. “It’s just…” She sighed. “Hearing it confirmed by another doctor… the Wonderbolts’ doctor, no less…” Choking out a sob, she finished, “…it sucks serious horseapples, y’know?” Rainbow shook her head. “I can’t even imagine. Well, c’mon, let’s go talk to Spitfire. Better for us to tell her directly than just leave and let the doc tell her.” Wiping away her tears with a sniffle, Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah. Sure.” After a walk down the hallway, Rainbow Dash approached a door to her left, then knocked on it before she opened it. Allowing Scootaloo entry first, Rainbow closed the door before looking at Spitfire behind her desk. “Hey, Cap.” Spitfire kept her eyes on the papers on her desk as she began, “You’ve really gotta let me answer before you just open the door, Crash. What if I’d had a private meeting going on?” “Given how your meetings usually go, I would’ve heard you,” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “Don’t get smart with me, Crash. I still outrank you.” Waving a hoof at her captain, Rainbow responded, “I know, I know. But now you do have a private meeting going on.” “Oh yeah?” Spitfire responded. “And why’s tha—” She finally looked up from her desk and spotted Scootaloo. “Ah, right, your sister.” Putting her papers down and leaning forward as she put her hooves together, she asked, “How’d her physical go?” As Rainbow turned to her, Scootaloo answered, “Perfectly, minus one thing.” She glanced back at her wings and gave them a buzz before turning and looking back at Spitfire. With a frown, she said, “I can’t fly. That… kinda disqualifies me from the Wonderbolts, doesn’t it?” Spitfire let out a quick breath. “Yeah, it kinda does. Sorry, kid.” Turning to Rainbow Dash, she added, “Sorry, Crash.” Then she turned back to the papers on her desk. Rainbow nodded, then turned to Scootaloo. “I’m sorry, Scoots. We tried.” As Scootaloo nodded and hung her head, she turned for the door. Rainbow looked once more at Spitfire before approaching her desk. “Cap, are you sure there isn’t something she can do? Maybe even something around HQ?” she whispered. “She could be the first flightless Wonderbolt!” Spitfire shook her head, keeping her eyes on the papers she was shuffling and her voice low as she said, “I hate to be blunt, Crash, but we can’t recruit a pegasus that can’t fly. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re flight performers. And trust me, doing grunt work around here—or desk work if she worked her way up—while she watches everypony else flying around is not the kind of environment she’d want to be in. If I cou—” She cut herself off as she stopped shuffling her papers, getting a glance at the page in front of her. “What’s up, Cap?” Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire stared at the paper for a moment. Looking up, she saw Scootaloo turning the doorknob. “Hey, kid.” Putting her hoof down and turning around, Scootaloo looked back at Spitfire. “Yeah?” “You know some of the branches of the Wonderbolts are part of the military, don’t you?” Scootaloo nodded. “Of course, Ma’am. Rainbow Dash told me she’s part of one.” Spitfire nodded in return, glancing at Rainbow and giving her a hard stare at the same time. Rainbow Dash shook her head slightly, then Spitfire continued, “Well kid, Crash’s told me about how you move on the ground. I may not be able to accept you into our flight squad…” She held the paper in front of her again. Giving it a quick skim, she turned back to Scootaloo as a smile gradually grew on her muzzle. “…but I think I have another idea.” “Sweet Celestia…” Scootaloo shut the door behind her, panting her way up to the bar with Rainbow Dash and Spitfire and grabbing the stool between them. “A mare could get used to that.” “I take it you like the new wheels?” Spitfire asked her with a smirk as she sat down. “Damn right,” Scootaloo answered as she leaned forward on the bar and gave one last heavy exhale. “What a ride! Military equipment rocks!” “Gotta admit, Scoots, you looked impressive on that thing!” Rainbow said, nudging Scootaloo in the ribs before waving down the bartender, who immediately placed three ciders in front of them. Scootaloo smiled before taking a swig of her cider. “Thanks. Definitely better than my old one,” she said, setting her mug on the counter. Spitfire chuckled. “You could probably outrun a dragonfire message on that thing. We don’t call you our fastest runner for nothing, Buzz. And that was with your old scooter.” Leaning forward on the bar and looking at Rainbow Dash, she added, “Heck, you could give Crash’s Sonic Rainboom a run for its bits.” “Eh, I wouldn’t go that far,” Rainbow said with a smug smirk. After a swig of her own cider, she asked Spitfire, “Glad I brought her up to HQ those years ago, huh, Cap?” Spitfire smiled and clapped Scootaloo on the back. “You better believe it, Crash. She’s one of our best recruits.” Turning back to her runner, Spitfire said, “Just don’t go careening off a cliff on that thing, alright, Buzz? It doesn’t have a parachute or anything like that.” “I won’t, Cap, I promise.” Author's Note “Dammit, Buzz… you promised me you wouldn’t. You were just too damn reckless. Both of you.” —Spitfire
Letters From A Military Mare (Written by Crystal Moose) Hey AJ, Can’t say I wish you were here, but I do miss you. Princess Celestia asked that I order a recon mission over changeling territory, so I don’t know the next time I’ll be home. The bugs are definitely up to something, I just don’t know what yet. Sorry I missed Apple Bloom’s wedding; you tell that Coffee Caramel if he hurts our ‘Bloom he’ll have an entire wing of Shadowbolts on his plot! Miss you so much, Dash Applejack flicked through the box of letters she had collected. She had kept every correspondence she had received from her wife when she was on duty. Every letter, every telegram, every photo. Dash being a Shadowbolt had certainly taken its toll on Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s marriage. The secretive nature of their missions often meant Rainbow Dash would be called up, with less than a day’s notice, to report to Canterlot, and then fly out to Celestia-knew-where. As the commander of the secret squadron, Rainbow was always the first to be informed of any missions that Princess Celestia requested. Most ponies weren’t even aware of the existence of the Shadowbolts. Applejack only knew through her wife, and an awkward confirmation from Twilight. AJ! I can’t believe you sent that photo! You know the MPs read all incoming and outgoing mail! No exceptions! Not even for me! Damn, you are the bravest pony! Still missing you! Dash Applejack laughed, reading the letter. That had certainly been awkward; having her sister-in-law Cheerilee help her take the photos, having to look Photo Frame in the eyes after getting the film developed, then to top it all off, forgetting about the Military Police checking all military mail. She was far from a vain pony, but Applejack sincerely hoped nopony had made copies of those pictures once they were out of her hooves. Hey AJ, The damned dragons and griffons are at it again. Tensions are increasing again, so Princess Celestia has us patrolling the coast, making sure the fight doesn’t spill over into Equestria. Missing you from sunny Fillydelphia! Dash Applejack smiled as she added the latest letter to the pile, along with a newspaper clipping. AJ, We’ve got word that some changelings have taken some ponies from along the Macintosh Hills, and we’ve been sent to investigate. Time to go smash some bugs! Dash Applejack placed a hoof on the newspaper clipping; she was so proud. Her Dash was doing these amazing things. …citizens of Appleloosa rejoiced as missing friends and family returned home today. Citizens reported sightings of an unknown group of pegasi clad in black flight suits. Princess Celestia announced today that while she applauded the bravery of these pegasi, she could not condone vigilante actions, and urges citizens to leave such matters to her military. See page six for full report. Applejack was far from comfortable about the Princess denying that it was a military action, but Rainbow had assured her many times that it was necessary. Being a member of the Wonderbolts wasn’t just to do amazing sky shows—the Shadowbolts doubly so. A gentle knock at Applejack’s door pulled the mare out of her thoughts. “Applejack, I think you should come downstairs,” Cheerilee called through the door. Applejack jumped off her bed, quickly ran a comb through her mane, and put on her stetson. Dash is home! She trotted down the stairs towards the front door, her heart beating madly at the thought of seeing her wife again. She practically galloped, only to find two ponies she was not expecting. Princess Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy. Scootaloo, also bleary-eyed, stood next to the Princess in her service uniform. “H-heya, gals. Whatch’y’all doin’ here?” Applejack asked, nervous as to what their response might be. Scootaloo turned to her side, revealing what lay across her back: a folded Equestrian flag. “Applejack… I-I’m so sorry,” Twilight croaked. Author's Note “Sorry, AJ. Even if I knew, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t have that clearance.” — Scootaloo, A.K.A. Buzz This was the first of the side stories that was written by Crystal Moose when he was still writing the main story. It was too short to publish on its own, though, so I finished writing all the ones we wanted to have before starting to publish them all. If you’re wondering why Scootaloo is in this chapter when I just wrote about her death first—the reason this one is listed afterward is because I wanted you all to know how Scootaloo got into the military first. I thought it would be strange to have you be exposed to Rainbow’s death without knowing how Scoots became a recruit. To answer the obvious question, yes, Rainbow Dash died first chronologically. Take a look at Spitfire's quote at the end of Scootaloo's story again—you may have missed the hint. Also, before anyone asks (since I'm guessing at least one person would), the lines in spoilers in Rainbow Dash's letters are lines that the military police redacted so nobody could read them. Only you can.
The Miracle of LifeFluttershy lay alternating between panting and cringing in the middle of her sanctuary, all of her animal friends surrounding her. After eleven months of waiting, they were all ready to see the miracle, however unexpected it may have been. “Breathe, Fluttershy, breathe. Deeeeep breaths,” Twilight soothed. “The sac is coming. Just push.” Fluttershy nodded, but halfway through, she had to relax and just lay there breathing. Discord hovered above them both doing figure-eights. “Oooohoohoohoo! It’s got my legs!” he said with glee, spotting the small, respective lizard and goat legs poking out of the sac. When he saw a third, wiggling appendage, he added, “And my tail!” “That’s not surprising,” Twilight said to him. “It is half draconequus, after all.” Focusing on Fluttershy, who still lay on the ground panting, Twilight asked her, “Fluttershy, you’re clearly exhausted. Would you like me to pull? It is a natural part of the birthing process.” Fluttershy lightly nodded. “Yes please,” she replied. Discord began, “You know, I could have that child out with but the cli—” “No, Discord!” Fluttershy cried. “I told you I wanted this to be a natural birth!” “Oh, fine,” Discord responded, crossing his arms. “Can I at least help pull?” Fluttershy gave a weak nod. “Oh, goody!” As Discord floated down to the ground, Twilight stepped aside with a small smile. “Well, Dad, go ahead. But if you do anything funny, I’m taking over,” she said. “Remember, Fluttershy isn’t exactly in her thirties anymore.” “I could fix that, too.” “Not in the middle of the birth. It could kill both Fluttershy and the baby,” Twilight responded with a hard stare. Cracking the knuckles on his paw and claw, Discord suddenly pursed his lips as he said with complete seriousness, “Very well.” “Start gently, then increase your strength as necessary. You want to be careful in case it has large wings like Flurry Heart did,” Twilight told him. “Or wings at all, for that matter.” “Yes, Doctor Sparkle,” Discord said with just the slightest of huffs. Grasping the mismatched legs firmly, he slowly pulled as Twilight talked Fluttershy through her breathing. When Fluttershy closed her eyes and began clenching her teeth between ragged breaths, Twilight turned to Discord. “Harder, Discord. We need to relieve more pressure.” Stretching his ear like taffy, Discord wiggled it around and placed it on Fluttershy’s chest. Hearing her heartbeat slowing, he flipped his tail up to his forehead in a salute, then pulled harder. As he pulled, the baby’s legs slipped slowly, and he saw the beginning of a butter-yellow coat and the tips of pegasus wings emerge. A smile gracing his face, Discord looked up at Twilight. “There are wings; the tips are out.” “Then the chance of harming them is almost nil now. Pull!” With a nod, Discord pulled as hard as he could. As Fluttershy let out a wail, the baby slipped free smoothly, the sac falling away with ease. Discord flew backward onto his rear, expanding his torso to the size of a picnic blanket and catching the baby. He cradled it back and forth slowly before picking it up in his claw and paw, holding it properly as his torso returned to normal. When the baby’s chest began to rise and fall at a steady rhythm, Discord smiled, allowing a tear to fall down his cheek. “Fluttershy, she’s beautiful.” Discord glowed like a lightbulb. Literally. “Sh-she?” Fluttershy asked between her ragged breathing. Discord hovered over to Fluttershy’s head and lowered his arms to her. “Yes, Sweetie, it’s a girl. She looks just like you. Well, from the hip up, at least,” he finished with a chuckle. Twilight’s eyebrows rose as she walked up and took a look at the newborn. Had the legs not given it away, she could have sworn Fluttershy had given birth to a clone. Fluttershy smiled as she opened her eyes, then shakily reached a hoof out and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “Oh, she’s wonderful,” she said. The baby continued breathing silently as a smile grew on her tiny muzzle. “And she’s so calm.” Discord smirked as he settled on the ground with his legs crossed. “That won’t last, trust me,” he whispered, somehow managing to restrain his laughter. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle. “I’d imagine not.” Twilight smiled as she looked up at Discord and said, “Good job. And congratulations. Both of you.” “Thank you, Twilight.” Discord’s smile was honest and sincere. Fluttershy let out a sigh as she placed her hoof in her husband’s lap. “Let’s go home, Honey. I’m…” “You must be exhausted,” Discord finished for her, shifting the baby into his paw as he grasped Fluttershy’s hoof in his claw. Fluttershy nodded as she closed her eyes again. Then her hoof went limp. When Discord felt the weight leave Fluttershy’s hoof, he wiggled it for a moment as he looked over her. There was no movement. No rhythm on her chest to match her daughter’s. “…Fluttershy?” Author's Note “I’m sorry, Discord. It happens sometimes. No, don’t try to bring her back.” — Twilight Sparkle
A Child's Stories“Once upon a time… there, there was a cave. And in the cave there was ursas.” “Mhm.” “And, they had a baby. But the baby was lost!” “Oh my!” “And… and, he was almost eated by a bugbear!” “The poor dear!” “But then he rooooolled back to his mama.” “I see.” Rarity listened intently to the little teal green unicorn colt sitting on the rug in front of her as he concocted his story, his muted opal mane bouncing around as he exuded as much enthusiasm as he could wherever he found it necessary. She sat in a chair, running a needle through a sparkling, jewel-encrusted tie for Spike that she had brought from her boutique with her aura. Now in her eighties, there was only so much she could do when she wasn’t sitting down, but it never stopped her from babysitting for the family who lived above the shop next door. The little colt continued, “And then the dwagon blew a giant fiaball inta the air and hit the bugbear!” “Wow!” Rarity exclaimed. “And the bugbear aspoded! PFBFTHBT!” he cried, raising his hooves high in the air before falling onto his back. Her eyes widening for a moment, Rarity muttered under her breath, “Oh my…” Before she could react to him directly, the colt zipped back into his seated position and kept going. “And tha ursas said thank you for savin’ ‘em.” “It’s always appropriate to thank your saviors,” Rarity told him with a nod. The colt stopped for a moment and tilted his head at her. “Wha’s ‘a-pope-ee-it’?” “It means it’s the right thing to do,” Rarity replied. Staring at nothing, the little colt simply said, “Oh.” Shaking his head, he finished his story. “And the dwagon waved g’bye… and they all lived happy eva aftah!” He raised his hooves up one more time before dropping them into his lap with a grin. Rarity chuckled, placing her sewing down beside her before clapping her hooves together. “Very nice, Dreamweaver! I do love your stories. It’s much better than working downstairs in my lonely shop.” Dreamweaver beamed. “Thank you, Missis Rarity.” “You are quite welcome,” she replied, picking her work up again. After a moment, there was a groan and a wail just across from her. She looked up at the crib behind her storyteller. “Uh-oh, seems my sound dampening spell has worn off. Steel Masque is up from his nap.” First placing the tie back down, she then levitated a little light gray unicorn colt out of the crib and brought him towards her. As he watched his newborn brother hover over his head, Dreamweaver said, “At least he was… a-pope-ee-it enuff to wait ‘til I was done.” Rarity chuckled as the infant colt dropped into her forearms and she cradled him. “That’s not quite how you use that word, dear.” “Why not? It was the right thing to do!” Dreamweaver countered. Breaking out into a laugh, Rarity shifted Steel Masque into one arm as she rocked him back and forth, then picked Dreamweaver up in her aura and brought him toward her so she could rub his cheek with her now free hoof. “You are absolutely adorable!” “Missis Rarity!” Dreamweaver cried. “C’mon, stoppit!” Rarity chuckled again as she placed him back onto the floor, then shifted her forearms to cradle his brother in both again. “I’m sorry, dear, I just couldn’t resist.” “…S’okay,” Dreamweaver replied, rolling his eyes as he crossed his forelegs. Steel Masque continued crying as Rarity rocked him back and forth. “My, Dreamweaver, your brother certainly has quite the set of lungs, doesn’t he?” “Yeah,” Dreamweaver replied with a nod, “but at least he doesn’t do it at night.” Raising her eyebrows, Rarity said, “Well, that’s quite courteous of him.” Seeing the colt tilt his head again, she continued, “That means it’s nice of him.” Dreamweaver’s muzzle formed an ‘O’ at this, then he looked out the open window with his eyebrows curled up as the sunlight cast a narrow beam through the glass. “Missis Rarity, do you know when my mom and dad are comin’ back?” Rarity glanced out the window momentarily, then looked at the clock above Steel Masque’s crib, which read three-fifty in the afternoon. “I honestly couldn’t tell you, dear. You never know when it comes to doctors.” “Is my dad gonna be okay?” “Absolutely, dear. He only had a minor leg injury, after all,” Rarity said. “Bad enough that your mother had to go with him to his appointment, but I’m sure he’ll be fine in a week or two, if not sooner.” Dreamweaver nodded as he turned back toward Rarity and looked at the floor. “Okay.” As Steel Masque continued crying, Rarity let out a breath. “My, I’m surprised he hasn’t tired himself out yet.” Standing up, Dreamweaver slowly approached her, then nudged his brother lightly as Rarity stopped rocking. He looked up at her, then back at Steel Masque, then back to Rarity again. Rarity raised her eyebrows. “Would you like to take over, dear? Perhaps you’ll have better luck.” “Maybe,” Dreamweaver replied as he shrugged one shoulder, then sat back down on the rug in front of her. “Well, let’s see.” Rarity lifted Steel Masque in her aura, then gently levitated him down into his older brother’s open forearms. Dreamweaver gently rocked his little brother back and forth. “S’okay, Steel, Daddy’s gonna be okay.” He leaned forward and nuzzled Steel Masque’s cheek, and the infant’s wailing began to lessen. Dreamweaver simply kept rocking. Rarity smiled as she looked down at the two colts, the crying slowly fading to occasional hiccups, then soft groans, then only breathing. “Well well, seems you have the magic touch, dear,” Rarity whispered. Dreamweaver looked up at her with a small smile and nodded, then looked back down at his brother. With a barely audible voice, he began, “Once upon a time… there was a… a…” He looked up in thought for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. “…there was two unicorns. They—” His story was interrupted by a loud bang from outside. He and Rarity both gasped and looked straight out the window as Steel Masque immediately began crying once again. “What in Equestria was that?” Rarity cried. “I dunno!” Dreamweaver looked down at Steel Masque and lightly bounced him up and down. “S’okay, Steel, s’okay.” Rarity slowly rose from her chair. “You hold on to your brother, Dreamweaver. Perhaps I can see what’s going on.” She shuffled over to the window, then poked her head out and looked in all directions. What she saw to her left made her eyes open wide. “Oh my!” “Wha’s wrong?” Dreamweaver asked, still cradling his crying brother. “I see quite a lot of smoke. There must be a massi—a very large fire a few blocks over. That looks like Pudding Lane. It was likely an explosion!” “A a-spo-shun??” Dreamweaver cried. Rarity turned around and told him, “That would be my best guess. You keep hold of your brother, dear. Steel Masque clearly likes you better.” Looking back out the window, she saw multiple unicorns galloping towards the fire with their horns lit to put up heat shields, and pegasi pushing dark clouds in the same direction. “Oh, I wish I could assist, but these old bones would be of no help at all.” As she saw embers fly past the window, she turned and looked back at her charges. “Besides, I need to keep you two safe.” As Rarity leaned out the window to keep on eye on the ponies’ progress, Dreamweaver called from behind her, “Are we gonna be okay, Missis Rarity?” Turning back in his direction, she let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know, dear. But everypony out there is trying as hard as they can.” “Can I help, too?” Rarity let out a little chuckle. “I wish you could, dear, but you aren’t quite big enough for that.” Dreamweaver frowned, then looked back down at Steel Masque, whose crying had once again lessened to hiccups. “You’re doing a very good job keeping your brother calm, though. That is quite helpful at the moment.” Glancing back out the window, she whispered to herself, “And it will hopefully keep him distracted…” She looked toward the door to the apartment; though she couldn’t see them, she knew that a stairway lay just across from it. After a minute of thought, she shook her head, then looked back over at her two charges, the little five-year-old colt cradling his infant brother. It only took her a moment to make her decision, then she looked back out the window and leaned out to peer at the danger once more. As if Celestia had read her mind, she heard a door slam only a few shops over. She then saw two unicorns, a stallion and a mare, galloping in the opposite direction of the fire. The mare glanced up at Rarity in the window, then stopped and called out to the stallion. “I’ll be there in a minute, Honey! Please be careful!” The stallion nodded without looking back, then kept going. The mare looked up and cried, “Lady Rarity, what are you doing up there? The fire is only a couple shops over! You need to—” “Lily,” Rarity interrupted, “I’ve told you countless times not to address me with my title. And you shan't do it again. Now, I need you to do me a favor.” After a moment of confusion, the mare shook her head and nodded. “Of course I’ll come and get you! I’ll only be a moment!” “No, Lily. Stay there. Just give me a minute,” Rarity said. As the mare tilted her head, she turned around and called, “Dreamweaver, please hold tight to your brother and keep calm.” Dreamweaver looked up at her, confused. “Huh? Why? Wha—woah!” He clutched his brother as the two of them were levitated over to the floor next to Rarity. Leaning down to the two colts, Rarity said, “Dreamweaver, I want you to be a good colt, okay? Miss Lily is going to watch over you until either your parents or my husband return. Whomever is first.” She pushed the two of them behind her with her aura, then continued, “Now, keep calm, and when he gets back, tell my husband that I love him very much.” Dreamweaver’s eyes widened as he saw Rarity’s face begin to strain. “Missis Rarity, what’re you—” “Please hush, dear. I need to concentrate. It’s been a long time since I’ve used this spell.” As the colt closed his muzzle, Rarity’s horn lit, then her aura intensified. After a moment, a beam shot out of her horn, cutting through the wall around the window. When she had created a hole large enough to fit a sizable pony through, the wall fell away to the ground below, and Lily backed away to avoid being crushed. “Rarity, they’ve called for an evacuation! What in Equestria are you—” “Lily, please take care of these two until their parents or my husband return. I cannot look after them anymore.” She turned back to the colts and said, “Now dear, behave for Miss Lily, and don’t look back.” She lit her horn again and lifted the colts into the air, then levitated them down to the mare below, who caught them in her own aura. Lily called, “Rarity, please, let me help you down! I’ll only—” “No, dear. Those two need your attention more than I.” Rarity took a deep breath and let it out. “It was a pleasure to know you, Lily.” She then turned around, shuffling her way back inside. The blaze of the fire ripped into the walls of the lower floors, and the three of them had to pull back. She could hear the faint sound of a colt calling, “Missis Rarity! Wait! Come back!” This was accompanied by an infant’s wailing. Painfully ignoring the words, she lifted up the tie she had been working on. “It’s a shame Spike won’t get to wear this. It would’ve been so much classier and less repetitive than those silly bowties.” She felt the temperature around her quickly rise. As she was engulfed in flames, she heard the booming voice of her husband nearing. “RARITY! RARITY!” So long, my dear Spikey-Wikey… Author's Note “That’s just like Rarity; always thinking of others first… to the very end…” — Spike the dragon This is the last completed tale behind the passed Elemental family members. There might be an alternate ending for one of them coming in the future, but for now I'm marking this complete. Rarity was the one whose passing had the most people wanting to know about it, which is one of the reasons this is the longest of the four chapters. Well, that, and writing kids is fun for me. Speaking of which, in case you were curious, the very beginning of Dreamweaver's first story was inspired by this video (up to the 0:42 mark). With a few alterations, of course. It was the cutest one I could find. I don't know if I'll do other side stories for DaD, whether they be a one-shot or another collection. For now I can't think of anything that wouldn't be a huge spoiler for the main story. But we'll see, I guess. One final note: Once again I want to thank NixWorld for doing an amazing job with the cover art. I never thought Spike could look so friggin' badass.
PrologueCotton Candy sat with her father in his room, looking through a photo album. Spike had pointed to a few pictures, describing the context behind each of them. There were a few ponies she had only heard about; they had passed away before she became part of Spike’s eclectic family. She had picked them out from a photo from nearly twenty years prior—one of a giant reunion. “Daddy…” Cotton stretched her neck upwards. “What… what happened to them? I’ve never had the nerve to ask.” Spike let out a deep sigh. “I admit, I’d been wondering when you would.” Cotton looked away, her eyes downcast as her father looked at the photo again. “I can tell you what I know from others, but I’m afraid I don’t know all the details.” “…It’s okay,” Cotton responded. “Would you still mind telling me?” With a smile and slight shake of his head, Spike said, “Not at all, Cotton.” He brought her in close, then pointed one of his talons at the photo, singling out an orange mare with a purple mane. “This is one of your aunt Sweetie Belle’s friends…”
