Rainbow Dash sat impassively, flanked by her two children, Lightning Dash and Thunderbolt, waiting for the Wonderbolts display to begin. The sky was clear and there was no wind, in fact perfect conditions for an aerial display; just the sort of day she had always liked.
Much to her surprise, she had outlived her five closest friends, having beaten the odds she had always believed would be stacked against her, considering her reckless attitude towards her own personal safety. However, in an ironic and unexpected twist of fate, she had said goodbye to each of them at their gravesides once their time had come, each time feeling that a piece of her heart died with them.
She reflected briefly on how, through her sheer dogged persistence, she had taught Scootaloo to fly and how she in turn had competed with Rumble to get into the Wonderbolts. This rivalry had drawn Thunderlane and herself together, firstly as competitive mentors, then later as close friends, romantic partners and eventually parents. In all their time together he had always treated her well and she had wanted for nothing until the day she had stood by his graveside. Then she had wanted him back more than anything.
As a couple, they had been blessed with two children, Lighting Dash and Thunderbolt, both of whom had entered the Wonderbolts in their turn, but neither of whom had ever managed to replicate their mother’s feat of the Sonic Rainboom. Indeed, this phenomenon had now been absent from the skies for so long that it had begun to pass into the realms of mythology as so few surviving ponies had ever seen it for themselves.
Today was a big day. Lighting Dash's daughter, Rainbow Flash, was to lead the Wonderbolts for the first time, carrying on a tradition established by her grandmother and perpetuated by her own mother, who were being hosted at this display as guests of honour. Rainbow Dash still had dreams where she recalled fondly the glory days of her own flying displays, although she hadn’t even had the strength to get herself airborne for years. She recalled the waning of her own ability with some sadness, but was proud to have been able to relive familiar success through other members of her family.
She reached a frail cyan forehoof out from under her blanket to her daughter just as the public address system announced the start of the show, still feeling that familiar excitement building; the adrenaline pumping round her body, propelling her to ever greater achievements. However, the announcement that came did not denote the high speed, low level approach of the famous blue suited fliers, but instead their arrival by hoof into the VIP enclosure where Rainbow Dash waited. The applause was deafening as three generations of Wonderbolts star fliers were united in front of the crowd, creating a tableau of flying achievement which everypony could look up to, whether they were young or old.
Rainbow Flash stepped forward and gave a short speech, talking about the proud heritage that the Wonderbolts represented and announcing new display moves specially for the forthcoming season. Finally, she paid her respects to past stars of the legendary display team and Lighting Dash and Thunderbolt helped Rainbow Dash to her hooves to receive the loudest cheers of the day.
When the applause had died down, the members of the display team took off and flew past the VIP enclosure each drawing a smart salute as they filed past and continued flying on down the crowd line before building up speed and beginning their display. While the new moves were indeed as spectacular as Rainbow Flash had promised, there were still many favourites included from previous seasons and in a special tribute, some of the routines pioneered by Spitfire and Rainbow Dash herself had been reintroduced especially for the occasion.
After almost a full hour of dazzling display flying that had drawn an unending stream of gasps and applause from the crowd, the Wonderbolts formed up into a climb, each one streaming smoke in the exact sequence of Rainbow Dash's trail, before bursting into the multicoloured petals of a flower with Rainbow Flash diving through the middle.
Down in the VIP enclosure, a proud grandmother shed a tear.
After the show, the family met up and all went out together to talk about their experiences of display flying, telling stories of exciting incidents, near misses and comedic anecdotes, including how each had earned their embarrassing nicknames. When finally it was time to leave, the happy family group noticed a contented serenity about their grandmother, a proud fulfilment that radiated from her, even though she had spoken least during the evening. When they put her to bed, each thanked her in their turn and gave her a kiss goodnight.
When the morning came, Rainbow Dash did not rise at her usual time, and by midday, Lightning Dash was starting to worry, so she went in to check on her mother.
She knocked on the door and listened for an answer, but there was none. With some trepidation she cracked it open and peered into the darkness inside. The drapes remained closed, so she tiptoed as quietly as she could and pulled them apart just enough to allow a narrow shaft of sunshine to spear across the room. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the rainbow maned form of her mother laying motionless in her bed with a contented smile on her cyan face.
“Time to get up now, Mom” she said tenderly, reaching out with a forehoof to rock her shoulder gently, but even before she touched her, she knew she would never wake again.
Rainbow Dash, the last of the fabled Element Bearers had passed into history, joining not just the ranks of her lifelong friends, but also famous Wonderbolts such as General Firefly, Admiral Fairy Flight, Commander Easyglider and above all, her beloved Thunderlane.
To this day, nopony else has ever managed to perform a Sonic Rainboom. Many believe it never happened in the first place and indeed scientists have lined up to say it is impossible and never actually happened, but was only invented by storytellers to motivate young pegasi. However, the genes remain in her descendants and maybe one day, perhaps ponies in the future may witness the phenomenon for themselves and keep the legacy of Rainbow Dash alive.
Rest in peace Rainbow Dash. Legend.