Rainbow Dash hit the ground with a sickening thud. Blood trickled from the back of her head onto the ground below, the wound was deeper than she thought. Her vision hazed from the pain and injuries but she could still make out the figure towering over her.
"Why do you keep coming back, Rainbow Crash? Haven't learned your lesson?" The figure brought forward a swift kick to Dash's stomach causing her to convulse. "You're just a worthless piece of shit, you know that?"
Rainbow looked up, tears had welled up in her eyes. "Th-thank you Spitfire," blood dripped from her mouth.
Spitfire hauled the beaten pegasus up by her neck. "You will NEVER be one of us!" She delivered a grueling punch to Dash's face. "You will NEVER amount to anything!" Another punch, a cut formed on her forehead, letting blood flow down her face. "And you will NEVER show your face around here again!" The last blow was stronger than the rest, the cut on Dash's forehead opened into a large, open gash. Spitfire tossed the broken pony aside like garbage.
"Pl-please, Spitfire, you're my idol!" Rainbow Dash couldn't even open her eyes, she was too exhausted.
"Listen, you little bitch," Spitfire spat on Dash. "Flight camp, 13 years ago, let me tell you a story. I was just a filly then, the only thing I wanted to do in life was be just like my heroes, the Wonderbolts. You see I was a shoo-in for getting a spot, but the day of my audition, the very same minute!" Anger welled up in Spitfire's face, "Your sonic rainboom RUINED my chances, the judges cancelled my audition to find the pegasus responsible. You weren't old enough to become a Wonderbolt, they passed you off, but I never got my chance." Her rage only continued to grow as hot and fiery as her mane. "All the people I've hurt, all the lives I've destroyed to get where I am today....It's all because of you Rainbow Dash, And I can never forgive you."
Dash's breathing was labored, she was fading in and out of consciousness. "Pl-please Spitfire, I didn't know, I'm your biggest fan!" Her tears came out in torrents. Here she lay, battered and bruised, beaten by her idol, her dream.
"It's too late for that now." Spitfire looked away and signaled to two nearby stallions, both in Wonderbolt costumes. They restricted dash and proceeded to carry her back into the alley.
"Don't do this Spitfire, please not this!" Dash pleaded, but Spitfire just turned away and took off.
Dash was too exhausted to scream, even if she could, no one would hear her.
"Oh today is going to be such a great day, a great day.
Me and my best friend Rainbow Dash will play, will play.
We'll prank, and laugh, and bake, and dance.
Oh today is going to be such a great day!"
Pinkie pie happily skipped down the dirt road outside of Ponyville, on her way to a surprise visit to Rainbow Dash. 'I haven't seen that silly filly for a few days, I'll just drop by to see if she wants to come play,' Pinkie thought. The cloud mansion hovered about 100 feet in the air, Pinkie stopped at the base. "DAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHIE! You up there? Want to come play with me, I got this great prank idea involving Twilight, a flying potion, and a half-ton of concrete!" The ecstatic earth pony waited but got no response. "No need to be such a grumpy pants, all you have to say is no." Still no reply. "Alright, if you're not coming down, I'm coming up." Pinkie took a swig of the flying potion in her bag and soared up to Rainbow Dash's front door.
Without a single knock, she waltzed into the house. The lights were off and it was hard to see. In the corner of her eye, Pinkie spied a blotch of cyan fur. "Found ya Rainbow Dash, now come on we don't have all day. Granny Pie always said, "A prank in the day is worth two in the night, or something like that...lets go!" She flipped the light switch on reveal a shocking sight. The pony that looked back at her was beaten, bruised, and had dark brown splotches on her coat where the blood had dried. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you Dashie!"
The pegasus stumbled to sort out the words in her head "Oh! It's, uh, nothing. Just took a hard fall while practicing an amazing new move for the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash struggled to hold back the tears brought on by the memories that word held.
Pinkie looked at her friend quizzically, but quickly regained her happy-go-lucky composure. "You need to be more careful Dashie, you can't fly for the Wonderbolts if you're dead!" Pinkie would never know how much those words hurt Rainbow Dash.
"I don't feel like playing today, I just want to sit at home." Dash felt like an empty shell of the cocky, live-and-learn troublemaker she once was.
"Come on silly, that's no way to spend an afternoon! Scootaloo has been asking around EVERYWHERE for you."
Before Dash could counter, Pinkie grabbed her tail in her mouth and dragged the poor pegasus out of her house.
"There you are Rainbow Dash! Geez, you look terrible, what happened?" Scootaloo stood below Rainbow Dash excited to hear what her idol had been up to in the last few days.
The field outside Ponyville were grassy and flat, and the weather outside was perfect conditions for flying.
"Just what happens when you do the impossible, you know how it goes kid." Dash forced a small chuckle.
"Wow! That's awesome, you gotta show me!" Scootaloo bounced up and down in excitement.
Dash always smiled when she made Scootaloo happy. Things had been rough ever since her parents died. The poor filly had no family to look out for her, the school teacher Cherilee offered to take her in, but she was far too busy to have a meaningful relationship with Scoot. That's where Rainbow Dash came in; she was Scotaloo's hero, and Dash thought of her as a little sister. She had vowed to protect her sister, no matter what.
"Please, Rainbow Dash! You need to help me practice for the Fast Filly Fliers Competition today!" Scoot begged.
The competition had completely escaped Dash's mind. She wanted to cheer Scoot on more than anything, but showing her face in Cloudsdale was...risky business. 'No, this is too important Dash, you need to do this for Scootaloo, she needs you there more than anything!'
"Alright Pipsqueak, stretch out those wings 'cause we got some records to break!" The two soared up into the sky, and for a while, Dash didn't have a care in the world.
"What are you?!"
"A winner!"
"And what do winners do?!"
"They....uh....win?"
Dash laughed wholeheartedly as she flew alongside Scootaloo. The competition wouldn't start for another hour or two, but the two always enjoyed having the track to themselves for a while. Cloudsdale certainly was a beautiful city, the architecture of the coliseum was breath-taking.
"So, whats this race for anyway, a trophy, a plaque, what?"
"Even better!" Scoot was brimming with excitement "A chance to fly with the Wonderbolts! It's going to be great, they are guest judging today!"
Dash froze, her heart stopped, all color drained from her body. 'No, I need to get out of here!' It was too late.
"Rainbow Dash look, there they are!"
Three uniformed Wonderbolts walked through the front entrance, laughing and flying around each other. If they had noticed the pair of pegasi above them, they didn't show it.
"Listen Scootaloo, we need to get out of here right now. Don't ask why, just come on." Dash was shaking, a cold sweat running down her forehead over a fresh scar.
Scootaloo was dumbfounded "What are you talking about Dash, those are the Wonderbolts, THE WONDERBOLTS. They are your heroes, I bet if we catch 'em quick you can show them a few moves!" Before Scoot was able to fly off, Rainbow Dash grabbed her and brought her in close.
"Listen, I don't want to hear it, were leaving, NOW." As she turned to the direction of Ponyville, she found she was unable to move. A figure stood in the way, darkened by the position of the sun.
"Oh boy, Spitfire! You're the leader of the Wonderbolts, it's such an honor to meet you." Scoot was ecstatic to meet one of her heroes. Rainbow Dash couldn't cope with the horror she was faced with. She feared Spitfire more than anything, she knew she would go after anyone she loved, until now, Spitfire never had the chance.
'No, not here, please Celestia, not in front of Scootaloo'
"Who's the runt Dashie, a little fangirl? Or maybe someone closer..." Spitfire didn't move her eyes from Dash. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson last time." She brought forward a powerful kick to Rainbow Dash's knee, she screamed as her knee contorted into an unnatural position, it was broken.
Scootaloo was in shock, she didn't understand what was going on, but her big sister was in trouble. "Hey! What are you doing, get away from her" She flew forward, striking Spitfire across the face.
Two pegasus colts flew up besides the stunned Wonderbolt, one restrained Scoot while the other forced Dash to the ground. Spitfire walked up behind the restrained Rainbow Dash, striking her hoof down forcefully on her back. The fiery maned pegasus was beyond formalities, a loud crack echoed across the stadium as she stomped on Rainbow's left wing. Dash wailed in agony, the pain was worse than anything she had felt before. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Spitfire continued to grind her hoof into the swollen red area, it was excruciating, the fractured bone twisted and cut through Dash's skin, leaving a large bloody pulp on the exterior of her wing.
"Leave Rainbow Dash alone!" Scootaloo struggled to escape the grasp of the colt but his grip held firm.
Spitfire turned her attention to the orange filly, she left dash with a kick in the gut before walking over.
"So, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire grabbed Scoot by the neck, jerking her head around. "This is your little fan, I bet she wants to be just like you."
Dash continued to cry and groan, barely aware of what was going on.
"Well now," She threw Scootaloo to the ground and forced a hoof on her back, ensuring she couldn't escape. "We can make that happen." She beckoned for the other colt and whispered into his ear. He grabbed one of her wings as Spitfire leaned in close to the filly's ear, "So, how about it?"
"What are yo-" *SNAP* Scotaloo screamed in agony as the colt bent her wing back far enough for it to break. She convulsed and cried as the pain filled her body.
"Stop it, please, she hasn't done anything!" Dash yelled. She was held down by the other colt and was bleeding out, she couldn't help her sister.
"I'm not done yet." *SNAP* The other wing broke sharply, leaving a large piece of bone protruding from Scotaloo's right wing base. The pain was too much for her to handle, the poor filly's body spasmed as she vomited on the ground. She continued to cry against her burning throat.
Rainbow Dash lay face down, watching. Sitting there, unable to help this filly who she treated like a sister, a filly who had gone through so much loss already, being torn apart before her eyes. It hurt more than a thousand bones breaking.
Spitfire stomped down on Scootaloo's head, a small crack was heard, the broken filly didn't move though, the pain and blood loss had left her unconscious in a pool of her own vomit.
"Alright, guys, that's enough," The colts released the two broken pegasi. "I think Dash here finally gets the point." They never looked back, the Wonderbolts flew off, laughing and talking as if nothing had happened.
Dash's view was blurry, she was fading out of consciousness. She reached her hoof out and pulled herself forward, pain reverberated through her body, each movement made burning more intense. inch-by-inch she pulled herself to the unconscious filly, the filly who's hero had failed her, who had let her be beaten and assaulted. Dash wrapped Scotaloo in her hooves, crying into her coat as she finally lost the will to fight the haze overtaking her. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off.
Nobody had seen Rainbow Dash for days, they all understood this time. Scootaloo had been in a coma for a month after the incident, Dash never said what happened, but everyone could tell she was torn up inside. Her eyes were lifeless, her personality was gone, there was not a trace of the old Rainbow Dash left in her body. Today was the day Nurse Redheart said Scootaloo would awaken, Pinkie Pie was sent to fetch Rainbow.
The lights were off, there was a cold feeling about the house. Pinkie opened the door and walked inside, the living room was a mess. Furniture has been thrown around and broken, food lay rotting on the floor, the scene was a bit disgusting. She continued further into the house, searching every room for the missing mare. She began towards the final room of the house, Rainbow's bedroom. A foul odor struck Pinkie's sinuses, 'Pee Yew, Dashie really needs to clean up this place, it smells like something d-' Pinkie collapsed on the floor. Nothing could have prepared her for what she had seen. Rainbow Dash was in the room with her, hanging limply from a rope tied to the cloud ceiling. Pinkie lay face down crying into her hooves, grieving the loss of her best friend. She could feel a emptiness inside herself grow, a void where Rainbow Dash used to be.
She cried until the tears ran dry. Pinkie's mane wrung flatly against her skin, she managed to lift herself up off the ground. Her legs wobbled, she could barley stand. Slowly, Pinkie Pie freed the lifeless corpse of her best friend from it's executioner. She lay down next to the body for a while, hoping that by some miracle, Rainbow Dash would come back, that moment never came. The heartbroken mare noticed something in Dash's hoof, a small piece of paper. She unfolded it, the ink had been stained with tears but the writing was still legible.
Dear friends,
If you are reading this, I'm gone. I'm not sure why I was put on this planet, but I never deserved to be. All I have ever done is hurt others, I should have never been born. Recently I stood by and watched as a young filly, Scootaloo, the closest thing I ever had to a family, the one thing I loved most in this world, was beaten and broken before me. I was never her sister, I couldn't even keep my promise to protect her. I know she can never forgive me, I can never forgive myself, I hope it will ease the pain if she never has to see me again. Soon I won't feel the pain anymore, I won't feel anything. I'm sure everypony will be better off without me. To my friends, I love you all, please don't grieve over me long, I truly don't deserve it.
-Rainbow Dash
Scootaloo was groggy as she regained consciousness for the first time in a month. Her bed was surrounded by familiar faces and close friends. They were all happy to see her awake, but underneath their smiles was a crippling sadness that gripped them all. There was one pony missing from the group, the one she wanted to see desperately, Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie slowly shooed the other from the room until it was only her and the young orange filly, alone together.
"Where's Rainbow Dash? She couldn't make it could she, is she alright?" Scootaloo didn't care about herself, she needed to know how Rainbow Dash was.
A single tear dripped down the side of Pinkie's eye. "Dashie had to go somewhere, somewhere far away. She felt really bad about what happened to you and..." The pink pony found it hard to speak, a lump had formed in her throat. "She went away to make things right." Pinkie's voice was solemn, her party attitude and happy spirit were not with her today.
Scootaloo was dejected "I never even got to say goodbye..." Her hero was gone, "Will I ever see her again?"
"I don't think so" Pinkie was breaking
Scootaloo looked miserable "Pinkie.....can you do me a favour?"
The straight maned pony just looked up and nodded slightly.
"If you see Rainbow Dash, can you tell her I forgive her. She is my family, no matter what. Maybe if she knows I will always love her.....you can convince her to come back."
Pinkie's spirit finally buckled, she cried once more, the full effect of the loss of Rainbow Dash hit her harder than ever before. Hours past as Pinkie let out her sorrow with Scootaloo in the hospital room together.
The funeral came shortly after, Scootaloo and the other Cutie mark crusaders were invited to Canterlot to meet princess Celestia during the reception. Death was not a common occurrence in Ponyville, but they were a close-knit community. When one of their own died, they all felt it. Each of Rainbow Dash's friends stepped up and said kind words about their amazing friend, Pinkie was unable to speak, she sat in the front row with her eyes covered by a black hat. The reception ended with ponies in tears, it would take a while for things to return to normal. The casket was lowered below the ground, a sun emblem imbued on the top, the highest honor for a pony. The hole was filled and ponies left, one-by-one. Pinkie was the last one, she stood, staring at the ornamented gravestone.
Here Lies Rainbow Dash
A Hero Of Equestria