Rainbow Dash looked at the envelope which had just been delivered to her house. It was from the hospital. More specifically, it was her test results from yesterday.
She tossed the envelope onto her couch, regarding it as nothing, and proceeded to make herself a cup of coffee to wake herself up.
Once she had made it, she sat down on her couch, and picked up the letter. She stared at it for a moment, before tearing away the envelope. She unfolded the paper that it contained, and was quite surprised to find not only her results, but a letter from the doctor.
She looked at the various charts and tables which showed her results, which she couldn't entirely understand, so she moved on to the letter.
Dear Miss Rainbow Dash,
We regret to inform you...
"Regret?" Rainbow Dash said to herself. "That doesn't sound good..."
We regret to inform you that your test has come back positive. Your results should be on the paper also enclosed in the envelope.
There's no easy way to tell you this, but we're afraid you're diagnosis shows that...
Rainbow Dash stopped reading and looked up. "Should I keep reading?" she asked herself. "Heh, not that I'm scared or anything..."
She took another look at the various charts and tables on the other sheet of paper, and although she didn't actually know what they meant, they didn't look good.
"I should read it..." she said aloud. "If I don't, I won't stop thinking about it."
She looked down at the paper, and continued reading.
...diagnosis shows that you are in fact dying.
"D- D- Dying?!" she stammered.
She looked back down at it with fear in her eyes.
We're sorry you had to find out like this, rather than firsthand. We apologise, but there's nothing we can do.
You will be dead before dawn tomorrow.
Our deepest condolences,
Ponyville Hospital
Rainbow Dash lay on her bed, curled up and tears running over her face onto the bed. Her friends stood by her side, depression and sorrow in their eyes, as well as tears.
The continuous thought that she would die before she woke tomorrow scared Rainbow Dash to the bone.
"I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash." Futtershy said, walking over to her and placing a compassionate hoof on her shoulder. "We all are." The other four all nodded in agreement.
"What does it matter?" Rainbow Dash sniffled. "I'm gonna die, and being sorry for me's not going to help!"
Fluttershy retracted her hoof and stepped back. Rainbow Dash curled back up and continued to cry.
"Don't cry now, sugarcube." Applejack said under her own tears.
Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. "I did so much..." she mumbled to herself.
"Excuse me?" Twilight asked.
"I did so much!" she yelled. "And this is what I get... My reward..."
"Rainbow Dash, you shouldn't-"
"It's not fair!" she yelled, punching her lamp across the room, causing it to shatter against on the wall. "It's not fair... Why now?"
"Come on, Rainbow Dash." Applejack said. "You still got a few good hours left in ya."
"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking up at her.
"I'm sayin' that you still got the whole day ahead of ya." she replied with a forced smile.
"Applejack's right." Twilight said. "It's still early, you have most of the day to go, why not make it a good one?"
"No, it doesn't matter." she moped. "It's not like I can make a significant change to my life in a single afternoon..."
"What are you talking about?" Twilight said with a discerning expression. "We became friends AND defeated Nightmare Moon, all in one night."
"Eh, what's the point?" She rolled over to face the other side.
"The point?" Rarity scoffed, wiping away her tears. She levitated Rainbow Dash back towards them and stood her up on the floor. "That's not the Rainbow Dash I know, you would never give up without a fight."
"Well that Rainbow Dash is already dead." she grumbled.
"Come on, now." Rarity said, taking a brush and fixing her untidy mane. "I want you to go into town, and make this day worth it."
"How?" she asked rhetorically, pushing the brush away. "How in Equestria could I possibly make this day good?"
"It's your last." Pinkie Pie said. "If you don't have a good time, then you might as well die n-"
"Pinkie!" Twilight whispered to her, giving her a small kick.
Rainbow Dash flopped back on the bed and continued sobbing. "I don't want to die!" she cried.
"Sshhh, calm down..." Twilight said, patting her on the back. "It'll be alright."
"No it won't!" Rainbow Dash cried angrily. "You're lying, you're just saying that to make me feel better!"
"Listen, Rainbow." Applejack said. "If ya just stay here all day, of course this day's going to be terrible. If ya wanna make this day worthwhile, then you'd best get a move on."
Rainbow Dash looked at her two hooves in front of her face, which she clenched tight. "You know what, you're right." She looked back up to her friends.
Twilight smiled and nodded slightly. "Do the right thing." she said. "Everything you need to do, get it done."
"Alright." she replied, walking to her front door. "I should get going, I have things to do, ponies to see..." she fought back more tears. "This is going to be the best last day ever."
Rainbow Dash landed in Ponyville, the town was quiet as always. In fact, her friends were the only ones who knew that she was dying, besides the hospital.
She trotted through the street, trying to act like it was just another ordinary day, and no one seemed to notice her anyway. She looked around and didn't see anything significant happening. Today was completely ordinary. For most ponies, anyway.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" a voice said out of nowhere.
She turned around, and saw a very familiar filly pegasus, along with a scooter in her hooves. "Oh, hey Scootaloo." she said glumly.
"Hey, you seem upset. Something wrong?"
"Yeah, but..." she said, looking away nervously. "I don't really wanna talk about it..."
"Oh, really?" the filly asked. "Is something wrong with your friends?"
"Well, no..."
"Did you get kicked out of the Wonderbolts Academy?"
"No."
"Or did Tank die or something?"
"It's me!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, lowering her head in woe.
Scootaloo looked up at her with an unsure expression. "You? What's wrong with you?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, wishing she wouldn't have to break her heart like this, but at the same time knowing she would find out eventually. "I don't want to tell you, but..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm going to die."
Scootaloo's face began to form into a sad frown. "W- W- What do you mean?" she stuttered.
Rainbow Dash let out a long, deep sigh. "Remember how I had to go to the hospital yesterday? Well, today I got a letter from them..."
"Yeah, and?"
"I'm dying... Simple as that."
As much as it hurt her, Rainbow Dash watched as the little filly's face began to fill with tears. "D- Do you know when?" she asked, trying to hold back her crying.
"I'll be gone before I wake up tomorrow..." she said with a depressed sigh. "I'm really sorry..."
Scootaloo lunged forward towards Rainbow Dash and gave her a tight hug, crying.
"It's okay, Scootaloo. Don't cry." Rainbow Dash reassured her, even though she had been doing the exact same thing ten minutes ago. "It'll be fine."
"But I don't want you to die!" she sniffled, looking up at her. "You're like my big sister, who else am I supposed to look up to?"
"Come on, Squirt, you'll be fine without me." she said with a smile.
"No I won't..."
Rainbow Dash lifted up Scootaloo's lowered head, and gave her a slight smile. "Come on, you can do better than that! Where's the Scootaloo that I know, the fearless one?"
"But who am I supposed to look up to as a sister?" She was still crying.
"I dunno, Applejack or something..." Rainbow Dash said awkwardly. "Don't cry, kid. I'm telling you, you'll be fine."
Scootaloo looked up at her and smiled, and wiped away the tears from one of her eyes.
Rainbow Dash gave her another hug, before taking step back. "Goodbye, Scootaloo." she said, before lifting back into the air and flying away. "I love you..."
"Bye, Rainbow Dash..." the filly said as she watched her fly away.
"Hm..." Rainbow Dash mumbled to herself as she flew over the town. "What next?"
She landed in a cloud, and looked down at the peaceful ponies. It was so quiet. She couldn't hear anything other than the slight wind which was blowing past her ears.
She wanted to take a nap, but she knew she couldn't. That would waste her precious hours, they had to be used wisely. In fact, just by sitting there she was wasting time.
She looked out towards the horizon, her mane blowing lightly in the breeze. It was quite relaxing.
The more she sat there, however, the more she thought about what she was leaving behind. Everything she'd ever worked towards or achieved, was going to be crushed in an instant. And it hurt her to think about it.
She snapped herself out of her deep thought, and looked down at the clocktower, which read 12 o'clock.
"Hm, I'm running out of time..." Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "I have to get going."
She flew back into her house and looked around.
"I should probably return this..." she said, picking up her Wonderbolt cadet uniform. "That's what I'll do, I'll go to the academy."
She put her uniform and badge into her saddlebag and flew out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Dash looked over at the academy, she saw all the cadets training. She spotted Spitfire standing on the runway.
"Come on ponies, keep it up!" Spitfire yelled at the trainees as they flew around the circuit. "I don't want any slacking!"
"Uh, ma'am?" Rainbow Dash said nervously, landing beside her.
"Oh, it's you, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire said sternly. "You're very late. I suspect there's a good reason?"
"Well..." Rainbow Dash sighed. "I came to return this." She opened her saddlebag and pulled out the uniform.
"Return?" She looked at the uniform. "You're quitting the academy?"
"I'm afraid there's no other option, Ma'am..."
Spitfire took the uniform and badge from her. "For what reason?"
"I got a letter from the hospital this morning..." she said with a frown. "I'm going to die tomorrow..."
"Oh..." Spitfire looked at her. "I'm... sorry."
"Yeah, I know... I just thought I'd return the uniform before I... go."
"Well then," Spitfire said, giving her a salute. "So long, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash gave her a quick salute back. "Thank you, Ma'am. It's been an honour."
"Well thank you for returning the suit."
"Yeah, it's the least I can do."
Many activity filled hours later...
~~~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Dash was back in Ponyville, and the sun was setting. As she walked through the town, she made sure she said hello to everypony she passed, it was the last time she was going to see them.
She was happy, she had done everything she needed to. She didn't mind dying so much now, because if she did leave, at least she spent her last hours doing good.
She stopped at the park, and sat down on a park bench, facing the lowering sun. It had been a long day, and she was content with what she had done.
Then, out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie jumped up from behind and sat down beside her on the bench.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash." she said.
"What the?" she replied, looking at her. "Oh, hey, Pinkie. What are you doing here?"
"The others told me to come find you, we have a surprise for you."
"Really? Like what?"
"You'll have to come and find out!"
Pinkie Pie lead Rainbow Dash through the darkening streets of Ponyville, towards Twilight's library.
They both walked inside, and Rainbow Dash found her four other friends waiting for her.
"Hello..." Rainbow Dash said upon entering.
"Rainbow Dash, we're all really sorry that ya'h gonna die..." Applejack said with a slight frown. "So we decided to throw ya the best darn goodbye party ever!"
"Yeah, why don't you come in, relax for the rest of the night?" Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash looked at them, their faces in smiles, and then looked down. "No..." she said, starting to cry. "I... I just want to be alone."
"What?" Fluttershy said sadly. "This is the last time we'll see you."
"Yeah, I know, but... I just need to be alone."
Twilight walked over to her and placed her hoof on her shoulder. "Okay..." she said with a compassionate smile. "I understand. Who am I to deny a dying mares wish?"
"Thanks, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said, looking up. "I'll miss you, I'll miss all of you."
"We'll miss you too." she said, giving her a tight hug.
Her friends also joined in on the hug, everypony now in tears.
"I don't want you to go!" Futtershy cried. "You're my best friend, I'll miss you so much!"
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said. "But there's nothing I can do." She broke away from the group hug.
"So... I guess this is it." she said with a glum frown. "Goodbye."
"G- G- Goodbye, Rainbow Dash." Pinkie Pie stammered as she bawled out with tears.
"Goodbye, Rainbow. We'll miss ya." Applejack said.
"Hm, thanks." She turned for the door. "I... guess I'll be leaving now."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Twilight asked before she left.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's you five I'm worried about... Actually, that reminds me." She grabbed a piece of paper and a quill from Twilight's desk and began scribbling down a note. She handed it to Twilight. "Goodbye, girls. I hope you remember me well..."
Then she left, without another word.
"What does the paper say, Twilight?" Applejack asked.
Twilight looked down at the piece of paper in her hoof.
THINGS TO DO WHILE I'M GONE
•Find someone else worthy of the element of loyalty
•Take care of Tank for me
•Make sure that Scootaloo is okay and tell her that I love her
•Tell Princess Celestia that I'm dead
•Make sure I have a good funeral
•Don't forget me
P.S My house, money, and personal property is to be owned equally by you five. You can decide what to do with it.
"Come here, Tank." Rainbow Dash said as she sat in her recliner.
Her pet tortoise slowly made it's way to her hooves, and then she picked him up and sat him down in her lap.
She looked down at the framed picture in her hoof, it was of her and her friends, the last good picture they took together.
She sat and thought of everything they had been through, everything they had done, and everything she was losing. It made her cry.
She wiped away her tears and leaned back into the soft cushioning of the chair.
"Hm, what a day..." she whispered as she closed her eyes.
She sighed as she slowly drifted of to sleep, for the very last time...
