A Sister's Guilt

by Flameon_Heart

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Tragedy, Scootaloo, Lightning Dust, Death, Alternate Universe, Sad, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1015

Rainbow Dash attends her little sister's funeral after a horrible accident...

What if the events of the Washouts' last stunt ended very differently?

Submitted for A Thousand Words Contest III in the Drama Category

Published 2024-07-07 03:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-07-07 03:20:01 UTC

Loss

Author's Note

Please don't end me for this....

Scootaloo best pone

Loss

The sky was black with storm clouds. As the rain poured down on the ground below, lightning illuminated small patches of land. Just to the side of Ponyville stood the town's cemetery. It was seldom visited, other than for funerals and memorials. Today was no different. If one were to look out at the sea of graves, they would see a canopy draped up on tall poles. Underneath the array of black cloth stood a gathering of ponies, all dressed in black. The gathered crowd consisted of many different sorts: Pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies alike stood under the clothed roof as the rain poured down. At the head of the mass was a single, blue pegasus, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash stood over a small grave in the front. Upon the grave was inscribed a short message: Here lies a young filly by the name of Scootaloo. She was a light in this world that was extinguished too soon. She is survived by her many friends. May she rest in peace and tranquility.

Rainbow Dash stood still, the only pony not to be under the canopy. You would not be able to tell, due to the rain, but tears ran down her face, as well as the faces of every pony present. Behind the cyan pony stood many recognizable figures. Among them were Scootaloo’s best friends, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. The two young fillies held onto their sister’s hooves as they cried louder than the rest. The rest of those gathered silently sobbed with them, echoing the somber tone in the air.

Rainbow’s eyes stung with tears as she stared down at her surrogate sister’s grave. ‘I should have been there! I should have been faster! Why couldn’t I save her!?’ Rainbow thought back to that fated day. The day Equestria lost one of its brightest lights, and the day Rainbow would always remember as the day she was not quick enough.

It was the day of the Washouts’ big performance. Rainbow Dash had left on bad terms with Scootaloo but decided to go back and apologize. That was when she saw the rocket go down the ramp. Rainbow screamed as she raced toward the ramp, but the rocket was just too fast. Rainbow watched as the rocket zipped past her and plummeted to the ground with a massive Boom! The air turned thick as Rainbow shot down to the wreckage. The crowd had stopped cheering and looked on with horror and dread. Rainbow landed to see a smoldering crater where the rocket had landed, and in the middle was Scootaloo. "SCOOTALOOOOOO!!!" Rainbow cried out as she raced over to the little filly.

As Rainbow held Scootaloo's bloodied and beaten body in her hooves, the little filly coughed shallowly and spoke only four words. "I....forgive....you....sis…...." was all the orange filly said before her body went limp.

"No! No no no no NOOOO!!!! Rainbow hugged her sister to her body, screaming so loudly it echoed in the quiet stadium.

That was when the medical staff on site came rushing in. It took some effort, but they managed to get her to release the little filly's body and set it down on the ground. The paramedic put her on the ground inspected her form, listening for a heartbeat. There was none... He frowned before turning to Rainbow. "I'm sorry.....she's gone."

Rainbow's vision turned red. She looked around, and saw Lightning Dust standing in the crowd, watching with shock and horror. Rainbow lunged at her, knocking them both to the ground. "YOU DID THIS!!! YOU KILLED MY SISTER!!!!" Rainbow started to buck and kick at Lightning's body below her. She got in a few rough shots to her head before onlookers restrained her. Being pulled away from Lightning kicking and screaming, Rainbow could only watch as they put a tarp over Scootaloo's body.

The rest was a blur in her memories. She remembered being called to the Town Hall three days later. By order of the princesses' court, Lightning Dust had been charged for Scootaloo's death. As Lightning Dust was led onto the train to Canterlot, her hooves chained together, Rainbow had wished the news would bring her some sense of justice, but it did not. She remembered shutting down emotionally, opting to cry herself to sleep in her cloud bed. In the coming weeks she opened back up enough to help plan the funeral, but it was still hard. Everywhere she went she saw things commemorating the brave little filly. It filled her with so much pride, and yet so much sadness too.

As her mind came back to the present. She felt herself coming undone again. Rainbow nearly collapsed to the ground, but then she heard something beside her. She looked up to see her friend Twilight walking up to her. Twilight smiled before speaking in a somber tone. “This is not your fault Rainbow Dash. You are not to blame for all this.”

“But it IS Twi…I was supposed to be there for her! But instead of saving her I watched her die! How is that not my fault!?”

Twilight frowned before continuing. “Scootaloo’s death was because of Lightning Dust. She manipulated Scootaloo into that situation." Twilight looked the other mare in the eyes. "Please, do not blame yourself for the mistakes of selfish and reckless individual. I cannot bare to see you like this. Scootaloo would not want you to beat yourself up like this either.”

Rainbow Dash's heart broke into half. She had been so angry for so long she failed to realize she was no longer the mare her sister admired. Rainbow sniffled. “You….you’re right. She would hate to see me like this. I…I have to be strong. It is what she would want me to be!” Rainbow smiled shyly, which Twilight returned. Rainbow walked over to Twilight and wrapped two hooves around the small alicorn. “Thank you. Both mares held each other close as Rainbow silently sobbed. But this time, they were tears of joy.