//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: A New Generation // by QuiteNiceDynamite //------------------------------// A year later Rainbow Dash was taking a nap in a tree, away from the town and the general hubbub of the centre of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was awoken by a snapping twig. She woke up and looked down from the branch she lay on. She spotted Fluttershy and Gilda stood at the bottom of the tree. "Hey, I didn't know that you two were friends." Rainbow said, quite surprised. "Yeah, Dash. We fell out, but we've made up now." Gilda pointed out. Fluttershy put a hoof on Gilda's shoulder, proving their friendship. "What do you guys want?" Rainbow asked, wondering why they woke her up. "We were just wondering if you wanted to come to Sugarcube Corner with us, we're all meeting up...that is, if you wouldn't mind." Fluttershy coyly pointed out. "Sure!" Rainbow exclaimed excitedly, flying down from her tree. The three traveled to Sugarcube Corner, where Rainbow was shocked to find Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Twilight all sat around a table outside of the cafe. "Hey, you guys!" Pinkie squeaked. "Come on, the foods coming." Twilight pointed out. The friends had got back together after their separation, their journeys came to an end and they had come back to live in Ponyville once again. Rainbow had given up with the Wonderbolts, she loved the job and what came with it. But the day after she rejected her friend for the Wonderbolts, she resigned. After seeing Scootaloo break down and start bawling in her office, she'd been heartbroken and couldn't deal with it anymore. When Scootaloo started crying, Rainbow shed a tear too. She didn't want to fail her, but she had to. It didn't feel right to pass her. Before she left, she told Scootaloo to never give up, always keep trying. But she couldn't heal her friend's broken heart. "Rainbow, are you crying?" Rarity asked. Rainbow snapped back into her life from her dreams, and she realised that she had shed a tear in memory of her times in the Wonderbolts. Everypony and Gilda were looking at her. Rainbow quickly wiped her eyes, laughing nervously. "Nah, just some...dust." Rainbow was saved from further questions by the arrival of the food. Her friends knew her too well, they'd ordered her favourite hay sandwiches. She didn't shed another tear, but she continued to think back to her time in the Wonderbolts. Scootaloo, when she started, when she became Captain, Spitfire. Wow, Spitfire. It seemed like an entire lifetime ago when she learned of her friend's death. Rainbow was just happy that she had done Spitfire proud. Spitfire herself said that she was a Wonderbolt, and she had proven her right. She had achieved her main goal in life. She lived her dreams and moved on, now she could live like she used to , living normally. Gilda had to leave as the clock hit three in the afternoon, "I gotta be someplace else, you guys. It's been nice catching up with you all." The six friends all said goodbye to her, promising to keep in touch. Rainbow was happy that she'd seen her friend. They had previously been inseparable, but after their fall-out, Rainbow thought that she'd never see her friend again, but they couldn't be kept apart for so long. Rainbow went to hug her friend, "I'm gonna miss you, G." Gilda returned her friend's embrace, "I'm gonna miss you too, Dash." The griffon flew back to her home, sad to be leaving her friend, but happy as she had caught up with her again. Rainbow Dash trotted back to her home from Sugarcube Corner, the sun had started to go down, and she felt that she needed a good sleep. Rainbow didn't know what to do now, she had no more pursuits for the future, but her friends were back. Was this truthfully the best time of her life? No job pressures, no dealing with breaking the hearts of those who love you. Rainbow flew up to her house and was just about to open the door when she heard a whistle from behind her. She turned to see a Pegasi in a Wonderbolt uniform, its face covered. The Wonderbolt held a letter, it trotted over to Rainbow Dash and simply hugged her, then handed her the letter. The Wonderbolt then left without a word, quickly flying away. Rainbow called after it, but it didn't respond. Rainbow trotted inside, she would've chased the Wonderbolt, but it was obvious that they didn't want to talk. Rainbow lay down on her bed and opened the envelope. Rainbow read the letter, at first, she wondered what it was. As she read further down the short statement, she started to cry tears of joy at the letter, the darkest moment of her life now brightened. Her wish had come true. "You told me to never give up in the face of tears and pain, you told me to never give up when times grew dark, you gave me somepony to look up to, I hope I've done you proud. Thank you for everything, Wing Pony Scootaloo"