Subject #126

by Neon Venue

Prologue

"Alright Rainbow, thanks for the help! I'll see you soon!"

Rainbow sped off into the sky as her librarian friend waved her goodbye. She had been helping (more like forced to help) Twilight take care of her assistant Spike, who had come down with a case of the dragon flu. It involved cleaning up lots of thrown-up gems and an awkward moment with a thermometer...

Rainbow Dash shook her to get the strange thought out of her mind. She just wanted to sleep. Any cloud would do. But, her being Rainbow Dash and all, it was just her luck that Cloudsdale had a cloudless sky scheduled for today. Rainbow Dash sighed as she alighted the cloud base of her home. She gently pushed open the door and walked inside, scanning her living room as she entered. Rainbow spotted something hidden under the drawer stand she had next to the door. A small paper triangle peaked out from underneath the stand, it's paper-white standing out against the floor's almost pearlescent white. Rainbow reached down, curious to see what the foreign object was doing in her home, and grabbed it. The paper slid out from underneath the drawer stand and into full view.

It was an envelope, it's faded white surface showing it's age. A name was written on it's surface. Rainie. Rainbow immediately remembered and pulled it into her chest, her eyes leaving the letter to stare off into space. She backed up aimlessly, falling onto her couch, it's plush surface helping to calm her down some.

How could I have forgotten... It's been so long, how could I FORGET?!

Rainbow Dash stared the envelope with her name on it, tears coming to the rims of her eyes. She wiped them away with a hoof and smiled sadly. Nopony even calls me that... She gingerly opened the envelope and unfurled the letter inside. Rainbow Dash began reading it.

My daughter Rainie,

I'm sorry...I'm just so sorry. I'm sorry you will never get to grow up with me and your mom. I'm sorry I have to do this to you.

I wish I could stop it, find some other way. I want to be there for you, to hold you when you have nightmares, to take care of you when you're sick, all the things a good dad should do. I wanted to teach you how to fly, I wanted to teach you how to soar... I know it's a stupid thing to think. A unicorn can't teach a pegasus how to fly. But I would have found a way, any way to be there and share those moments. Alas, I can't under the given circumstances. I can't tell you much, but it doesn't matter... As long as you're safe. So I'm sending you to Ponyville, to live in a house I provide and be provided for by me. At least I can have that. A good friend of mine, Rays, will check up on you to make sure you're doing okay and going to Cloudsdale Academy. If you're going to fly, you should only have the best instructors...

I don't know when all of this is going to clear up, or when I can see you, but I just wasn't you to know that I will do everything in my power to be with you. I hope it will be sometime soon.

I'm...I'm sorry about mommy. She won't be able to come with me. I'll explain everything when I see you. She loved you Rainie. She loved you so much. You look so much like her...

I know you'll probably be mad at me once you learn to read and receive this. Everything will work out.

I love you.

Be strong,

Daddy

Rainbow could only make it halfway through the letter before she began sobbing. She just couldn't take it anymore. She'd been waiting so long. The crying wracked her whole body, but she didn't care. If anyone dared make fun of her for crying now, she would buck them right where it hurts. Rainbow set the letter down and held herself, and began softly singing to nopony in particular. Rainbow Dash sang the same song she had always sung when she felt bad. She learned it as a foal, but couldn't put her hoof on it. She just laid on the couch, holding herself and pouring her heart into the words. Her beautiful voice echoed off of the walls of her home, creating the perfect harmony to match the tune.