Dad stared intently on the book he was reading, the dull lamp being the only light source in the room. A moment later, he heard the door open. He poked his head over the book to see Dash standing there. She looked a little frightened, her eyes wandering the room.
"Hey Dash. Why are you out of bed?" He asked, closing the book and setting it on the bed. It was way passed her bedtime, and even a filly like her needed a good nights sleep.
Dash slowly walked over. "I...I can't sleep Dad..." She hopped up on the bed, sitting on her haunches, staring at him with shimmering eyes.
"Why not?"
Dash's ears drooped. "Just...Derpy's story. It keeps swimming in my head..." She paused. "It...it reminded me off..." She looked away from him. "M-Mom..." She breathed.
Dad's heart sank. Oh...Dash, I'm sorry...He thought.
"It...just came back to me, when she was speaking...but I ignored it for the most part." She sighed. "B-But, there was a sliver of thought in my mind where...it just came back and, h-hit me in the face..." Her eyes were welling up already. She clasped her hooves close to her heart, feeling the empty space that had been there for years. She took in a shaky breath.
Dad was right there. He wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her into him. She buried her face into his chest, tears flowing on his fur. If there was one thing that made Dash cry every time, it would be the thoughts of her mother, and what happened to her. She hated to remember it, but she knew she would never forget it. It was scratched into her brain, never to leave.
--Dash was only five years old when it happened. Her mother had an important business trip to attend in Baltimare, but there was only one problem. Three days prior to her departure, she had accidentally clipped her wing when she flew too close to a tree, and she ended up injuring it. She was very distressed that day, but she found out that a Ponyville train was leaving for Baltimare on the day of her trip, so she decided to take it. She had everything packed for the week long trip, and she said her goodbyes to her family on the grounds of the train station. Dad had to help her fly down.
"See ya honey." Dad said as he kissed her on the cheek. She gave him a short hug, before kneeling down to Dash.
"Have a safe trip mommy!" She said, jumping up to hug her.
"I will sweetie." She answered, embracing the small Pegasus. She waved bye to them as she entered the train. The steam exited the pipe and the loud horn whistled as the train began to slowly depart from the station. Dad and Dash slowly trotted away, not knowing that it would be the last time they see her...
A day passed by with nothing going on. Dad was watching TV, and Dash was playing with her Wonderbolt action figures in her room, humming happily. Suddenly, a Braking News scene popped up on the channel. Dad groaned. The show was just starting to get good, but that thought quickly faded when he saw the headline...
PONYVILLE TRAIN HEADED FOR BALTIMARE DE-RAILED BY ICE ON TRACK.
The news pony spoke afterward. A Ponyville train on route to Baltimare was de-railed by a chunk of ice that fell on to the train track in the mountains of Coltorado. The train then was flipped onto its side on a flat stretch of plains after sliding on the snow for many seconds. Officials report that many have been injured, but there have been no reported deaths as of yet. Police are still trying to find survivors in the wreckage of the destroyed train--
The TV shut off. He couldn't watch anymore. His heart stated beating fast as he feared the worst. He had to think positively though, he had to have hope, hope that his wife was okay. He stood up quickly, heading for his room. He picked up his jacket, knowing full well it would be cold in Coltorado, and then proceeded to Dash's room.
Dash looked up at him. "Hey Dash, Daddy's got to go for a while alright? I'll be back soon though, so don't you worry." He headed for the entrance to he room. He tried to be as calm as possible while speaking, as to not entice any bad thoughts in Dash's head.
"Where are you going?" She asked with that cute little smile.
Dad couldn't tell her, not yet at least. "Just...to run some errands. I'll be back soon!" He flew out the door rather quickly, and Dash noticed, but she shrugged and went back to playing. Dad knew that he lied about being back soon. He was headed to Coltorado, which would easily take a few hours tops, just from flying. He hoped Dash wouldn't be too worried about him.
--Five hours passed by, and Dad hadn't come home yet. Dash paced along the cloud floor in the living room, worrying like crazy. Why was he taking so long? Where was he? Did something happen to him? Dash bit her lip. Never had Dad left for this long.
Her ears perked up as she heard the flapping of wings. A smile grew on her face and she rushed to the door. She could see her Dad flying towards her, his head hung low. As he neared ever closer, Dash could see that he was holding something in his right hoof, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. When he landed, Dash immediately started blurting out questions.
"Dad! Where were you? What happened? Why were you so late? What--"
Dash gasped when he looked up. His eyes were red and swollen, the tears flowing freely down his fur. Parts of his fur had dark spots, as if he had been playing in dust and dirt. His hair and tail were frizzy and unorganized. He had multiple cuts along his hooves. His legs were shaking under him, Dash thinking he would collapse right there. Dash slowly turned more worrisome.
"Dad? W-What's wrong?" She asked.
He didn't answer. Instead, he slowly, very slowly walked up to one of the cloud walls, lying his back against it. His back slid down it, his face still having that sullen look of complete loss. Dash trotted up to him, still waiting for an answer, the worry building inside her.
"D-Dad?"
He stared straight at her. He uncurled his hoof, revealing the item he was holding. Dash glanced down and saw the last thing she expected...her mothers necklace, the one that Dad got her on their 10th anniversary. Dash stared at it for a moment, shock and disbelief taking her. Why does he have her necklace?
When Dash looked back up, Dad's head was slightly turned, revealing his grey, tear stained cheek. He was sobbing lightly.
"Mom's necklace...Dad, why do you have this?" She asked, confused.
He closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his face. "D-Dash..." He said shakily. When he opened his eyes, he motioned to Dash for an embrace. Dash leaned into him, feeling the soft fur of his coat. Dad took a deep breath, fearing his own words.
"Dash...m-mommy's gone..." He said with difficulty.
Dash looked up at him, not quite understanding what he meant. "I-I know. She's on her business trip..."
"No Dash..." Dad gulped. He didn't want to have to say the word, but he knew he had no choice. "Mommy's...dead." He said, nearly breaking down into a sobbing fit.
Those words hit Dash's heart like wrecking ball, and in that moment, she felt a piece of herself get ripped away from her.
She sat there in complete shock, feeling the imminent tears rising to her eyes.
"Wh-What?" She asked, trying not to believe him.
"Th-The train h-hit a piece of ice a-and she was i-in one of t-the cars that sustained the most d-damage and...s-she--" He couldn't finish. He broke down right then and there. Dash had never seen him break down like that, but due to the circumstances, and the feeling of sadness overtaking them, she couldn't help but join in his grieving.
"N-No...no-no-no it c-c-can't be--" Dash cried, feeling hysterical and broken. Her tears were hot from all the feelings hitting her at once, and she couldn't help but want to scream, scream from the pain she was feeling in her heart.
"No no no no no!" She repeated, yelling into her father's fur. She closed her eyes tight. Dad wrapped both of his hooves around her and held her in a tight embrace, not wanting to let go of the little Pegasus. She was so young, but already, she was having to experience the blistering pain of loss, which to Dad, was the worst pain anypony could ever feel.
Dash buried her head in his chest, crying uncontrollably, the hot tears staining his fur. She had never felt so empty inside, feeling her mothers presence in her heart disappear into thin air. Dad felt the exact same way, sobbing into his daughters rainbow hair.
They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, grieving over the loss they just faced. Finally, Dad raised his head, breathing a shaky sigh as he stroked his daughters hair.
"D-Dash..." He said, "I-I know it's g-gonna' be hard but...w-we have to be s-strong." He paused to look down at her tiny form, he body shuddering at his words. "W-We'll get through this...w-we'll get through th-this together..." He stuttered.
Dash finally looked up, tears rimming her eyes, stains on her cheeks and below. The utter destruction that was on her face made him want to hug her until the day broke again. She seemed darker, metaphorically darker.
"L-Look Dash...Mom...Mom wouldn't have want us to...m-mourn for her, y-you know that...I u-understand it's hard not t-to, believe me..." Dash lowered her head, silent tears falling on his hind hooves. "B-But you know that she w-would want us to keep going...s-she would want us to l-live our lives like w-we always have, a-and in the process, t-try not to r-remember what happened, a-and all the bad things...b-but r-remember all the good times w-we had with h-her..." His voice was shaken. He didn't even want to speak anymore. He just wanted everything to be silent, just for a moment.
Dash sniffed, feeling his words touch her in a way. If there was anything about mom, it was her motto. Whenever something bad happened, she wouldn't look at the negatives, she would look at the positives, even if for Dad and her, there weren't any. She would say, Why look at things in a negative way? Look at the positives to those negatives, and you'll be happier, you won't stress out as much, and you won't have to be so worrisome." Dash remembered the first time she ever said that, the first time that mom lost her job, when the company she used to work for laid off half the workers, her included. Dad and I were both upset, but she wasn't. She just said, "Well, I guess I'll just have to work hard now, to find another job!" She ended that sentence with a chuckle, which surprised them both. She was literally the happiest Pegasus on the face of this planet...and now she was gone.
When Dash looked back to her dad, she saw something about him that surprised her, something she thought she wouldn't see at all tonight.
He was smiling.
Shock and confusion combined with utter destruction and sadness, and Dash really didn't know what to do or say. She just sat there, frozen in place, staring at her father, bewildered.
He saw Dash's confused expression, and he said, "I-I'm just trying to...b-be positive in t-this, rough t-time..." Dash then surprised herself.
She smiled with him.
Dad brightened up when he saw her change of expression. "I-I was t-thinking the exact s-same thing..." He nodded. Dash leaned into him again, feeling his chest rising and falling, filling her body with warmth.
"I...I can't b-believe she's g-gone..." Dash sighed. Dad started stroking her hair again, making the little one purr. She loved it when he did that...
"I know...I know." was all he could make out. He couldn't believe it either. He wouldn't dare try to describe the things he saw...Dash was already traumatized enough. She buried her face in his chest, purring lightly from her dad's actions. He smiled down at her, relieved that she had stopped crying. He started scratching her right ear with the other hoof, knowing full well she loved to be scratched there. She gasped from the sudden feeling, leaning into it happily. He chuckled, seeing her instant change of character. He was so glad that the mood had changed, for he was starting to get sick, just from thinking about...everything.
Dash was starting to get sleepy from the incredible fallings she was receiving, along with the intense warmth of her father. She shifted, pressing her whole body against his, her cheek against his chest. She sighed, letting his warmth take over. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about her mother. The one thing she did know was that it would be strange to wake up in the morning and not see her mother. Then she would remember...
"Dash...I know it's going to be a rough couple of months but, we just have to be strong. We'll get through them..." He kissed her on the head. "We'll get through them together."
Dash smiled, sighing in response. Dad lightly pat her on the back.
"Goodnight Dash..." He said. That was the last thing she heard that night, before the sweet warmth, the mental exhaustion, and the caring love took her into the land of dreams...
--Dash had stopped crying. The tears were running dry now. Dad had been comforting her through her sobs, patting her back, or rubbing her hair, or scratching behind her ears, just how she liked it. Dad looked down at his daughter, remembering how young an little she was when it all happened. To think that it's been seven years...it blew his mind. But he did know one thing...
"Hey Dash, I just gotta' say..." Dash looked up, whipping the remaining tears from her eyes and cheek. "I know for a fact that mom would've loved to see how much you've grown, and just the Pegasus you've become."
She smiled at that. "Y-You really think so?" She asked.
He nodded. "You're strong, you're caring, you're very passionate, you're an excellent flyer, and you have a bit of an attitude." He chuckled. "It was everything you're mother envisioned in you."
Dash felt butterflies when she heard those kind words. Then she realized something. "Wait, I don't have a bit of an attitude!" She said defensively.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "No? You should hear yourself sometime Dash. You might surprise yourself." He said with a wink.
Dash did not find that at all amusing, but nonetheless, her hard expression filled out, and she smiled. "Maybe sometime." She responded.
She leaned into him, and he hugged her soft body. "I love you Dash."
"I love you too Dad."
Dash sat back up. "You feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I am. I just needed to, you know, let some of my emotions out." She blushed, knowing that Dad, and occasionally Fluttershy would be the only two people she could openly cry and let her emotions out too.
"Of course Dash. Anytime you need to do that, you know who to go to." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Dash jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Thanks Dad. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Dash." He said. She closed the door behind her as she left the room. He looked around for the book he had been reading before Dash came in. He spotted it on the same dresser with the lamp. He picked it up, turning to the page with the rainbow colored bookmark.
"Now...where was I?"
Before he continued the riveting story, he thought of something. It was something that pertained to the situation of Dash's remembrance. He reached down into the last drawer on the dresser, fumbled around the other assorted things he had collected, and pulled out a necklace. His wife's necklace, the one that he saved up and bought for her on their tenth anniversary. It truly was a special necklace, and it cost a fortune, but it was because of the main features. The necklace itself was silver, but it also had seven colored gems all around it, one each for every color in the rainbow. The gems were made of ruby, orange sapphire, yellow mail garnet, emerald, sapphire, azurite and amethyst. It was absolutely beautiful to look at, including in any type of sun or moonlight. It looked even more beautiful around her neck, how it shown off her pink fur.
He stared at it for a moment, remembering her reaction when he pulled it out of it's little case and gave it to her. She said it was the best thing she had ever received, and it really did show how much she had meant to him. He sighed, grasping it tightly, closing his eyes and saying.
"I miss you honey."
When he opened his eyes, he could've sworn he saw the gems sparkle, and not from the lamp light in the room. He blinked, figuring it was his imagination playing tricks. He set it neatly back in the drawer, and closed it, knowing that he may not look at it again for a while. He took a breath, then he picked up his book, continuing his story, remembering his wife and the joy that she brought to Dash, to him, to his family, knowing full well that she, as well as Derpy's mother, were watching down on them every day, and every night.