//------------------------------// // Daring Do and the Words Left Unsaid // Story: The Legend of Daring Do // by The Red Parade //------------------------------// I watch as Daring and her friends trot off towards the saloon, laughing and joking amongst each other. “Hey, Twilight? Do you mind if we end early today? I should probably go visit her.” The world fades away again and Twilight nods. “Of course, Rainbow. I understand.” She hoofs the book back to me and I stick it in my saddle bags. “Did you want to come along?” I ask her. “I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she replies. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rainbow.” With a wave, I exit the library and take to the sky. I head towards the cemetery on the outskirts of Ponyville, taking in the night sky and stars above. Burial traditions among pegasi are pretty different from those of unicorns and earth ponies. I never really realized it until her funeral. But I guess it makes sense since we live on clouds and all that. When a pegasus dies, it’s traditional for them to get cremated, followed by a release of their ashes into the sky. I shudder at that. To me it makes sense, as I’d much rather spend forever flying in the air than being trapped underground in a coffin. But even if it was tradition, I still didn’t like it. The thought of destroying her, so I could never see her again… I frown. The memories from three years ago are coming on strong now. The yelling and arguing with my parents over what was best for her, the days of anger and denial, being consoled by my friends… it’s too much. Eventually I touch down outside the cemetery and trot in, past the rows and rows of graves and tombstones, and the many statues of the princess, acting as a silent guardian. There are a few flowers scattered around, adding some color to the grays and blacks. The path to her grave is burned into my memory. I remember walking it so many years ago, eyes forward and mind numb. I remember my parents and my friends behind me, silent and solemn. And just vaguely I think I remember seeing the others, a blue unicorn, a white mare, a light blue pegasus, a yellow stallion.  I remember going up to the open coffin, and staring at her. It was kind of surreal, knowing that her body had to be magically reconstructed after she was crushed by tons of falling rocks. She looked at peace, like she was just taking a nap in between research sessions, looking like any second now she would wake up and the nightmare would be over. Of course she never did wake up. I watched as they took the coffin to the crematorium, and watched as my sister became ash and bone. I watched as my mother and father took the urn to the highest cloud and released her spirit, sending it flying off into the wind. I watched the grave for a long, long time, hoping that somehow everypony would be wrong and I’d have my sister back. I make my way over to the grave, fighting back the memories that push their way forwards. Every year I go through the same struggle, but this year it feels a bit… different. It feels like Daring’s right beside me, helping me. Rubbing a hoof on my back, whispering in my ear that everything’s alright. As I approach the grave, I pause, realizing something’s out of place. There’s another pony standing in front of it, laying a bouquet of flowers down. The pegasus is wearing a gray hoodie that’s covering her face, but I get the feeling I know who it is. I walk up behind her and clear my throat. The mystery pegasus whips around, showing me her face from underneath her hood. “Oh! Sorry, you startled me,” Fleetfoot says. I shrug. Normally I would be bouncing off the walls after running into one of my heroes, but not tonight. “Sorry.” Fleetfoot awkwardly scuffs at the ground. “I’ll leave, if you want a moment.” “No!” I flinch at how loudly I said that. “No, it’s fine. You can stay.” She nods hesitantly but doesn’t leave. Fleetfoot turns back to the grave silently. I trot up next to her, not really sure of what to say.  “You’re Rainbow Dash, aren’t you?” she asks quietly. I nod. “Then I’m assuming you know who I am.” I nod again, and Fleetfoot sighs. She takes off the hood and shakes her mane lose. “Were you at the funeral?” I ask. “Yeah. I wasn’t really sure how to approach you, and I didn’t want to be recognized, so I hung out at the back most of the time.” She gives an apologetic smile. “It’s fine, I get it.” I sigh, reading the name on the grave to myself. “I had no idea you two were so close.” Fleetfoot flinches at that. “Yeah. We… we never really agreed what we were. Besides friends, I mean.” I hesitate. “Did you… did you love her?” “Yes,” she answers immediately. “I did. I… wish I knew if she loved me too.” I can sense Daring next to me, staring at her own grave. I wish I knew what she was thinking right now. “I’m sure she loved you,” I reply. I realize that I’ve still got Daring’s book with me, and an idea comes into my head. I find the picture of their first kiss and take it out. “I was actually going through some of my sister’s things and found this.” I pass her the photograph. “I guess you might want it.” Fleetfoot’s face lights up when she sees it. “Oh, I remember this! I completely forgot Brae had his camera with him.” She chuckles, shaking her head at the memory. “Those were the days. Thanks for this.” “Yeah, no problem.” We stand there in silence for a while. “Do you miss her?” She blinks at that question. “Of course I do. Why?” “I… I dunno. I’ve just always thought that one day I'd stop missing her, and it’d just stop hurting so much.” I’m not really sure why I’ve decided to start confessing to her, but the floodgates are already open. “It sucks, you know? I hate feeling like I should’ve done something else and stopped this.” Fleetfoot reaches out and sets a hoof on my shoulder. “Listen, Rainbow. You’re not alone like that. But if there’s one thing I can tell you, you should never want to stop missing someone. Forgetting them or shoving them away isn’t going to make the pain stop. I… we learned that the hard way. Loss sucks, and it’s always going to suck, but if we remember them and keep them in our hearts, it’ll help so much more in the long run.” My ears droop at that. “Yeah, I guess. But it’s just… I can’t… I’m not…” I blink hard as I feel tears well up in my eyes. Damn it, not now. Fleetfoot drapes a wing over my shoulder. “It’s okay, Rainbow. Letting it out doesn’t make you weak or less awesome.” I wipe the tears from my eyes, but they keep coming. On my back, I swear that I feel another set of wings over Fleetfoot’s. I glance to my right and see the blurry form of my sister, hugging me tight. “But I have to… I have to be strong.” “You are strong,” Fleetfoot tells me. “Don’t ever think that you’re not. We’re all just ponies, Rainbow. Even the best of us have to cry sometimes.” We sit there for a while, in front of the grave. It takes some time, but I get myself under control. Fleetfoot steps back with a sigh. She tucks the photograph into the pocket of her hoodie. “You’re a great sister, Rainbow. Daring always looked up to you. She loved you as much as I loved her.” She wipes her eye with a foreleg before smiling. “Oh, and you didn’t hear this from me, but your flying skills have our attention.” I blink. I just got a compliment. From a Wonderbolt. And I’m not flipping out. Instead, I’m smiling and shaking her hoof. “Thanks.” Fleetfoot nods and spreads her wings, flying away. As I watch her go, I take a few deep breaths. I still feel sad, but somehow I feel… lighter. Like a weight’s off my wings now. “Hey, Sis,” I say aloud, “a lot of ponies loved you. I hope you know that.” I’m not sure how long I stand there, in the cold winter night, in front of my sister’s grave. My ear twitches when I hear someone coming up behind me. I turn around to see Nurse Redheart, giving me a sheepish smile. “Oh. Hello, Rainbow Dash. I… didn’t expect to see you here,” she says. I shrug. “Hey, Nurse. I was just paying some respects.” Nurse Redheart nods. “I understand. Do you mind if I join you?” “Not at all.” She trots up next to me and pulls some flowers out of her saddlebag. After laying them on top of the grave, she takes a step back respectfully. “I want to apologize for my actions the other day,” she says. “I had no right to treat you the way I did.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “Hey, it’s cool. I kind of came at you pretty heavy there.” Nurse Redheart sighs. “Maybe so. The truth is I was lying to myself. I kept saying that I was over her death and that it didn’t bother me anymore. It took a long time to realize that lying wasn’t going to work.” I nod, remembering some of the things I heard from Minuette and Fleetfoot. “I get it.” “It’s kind of funny. In my line of work, you have to avoid getting attached. Loss comes with the job. You try to prevent it, try to fight it, but you don’t always win. But it’s so different when you lose someone close to you.” “Does loss ever get easier?” “I can’t say it does,” she answers. “But pain is an important part of healing, whether we like it or not. I had to hurt before I could heal.” Redheart pauses before continuing, “Minuette tells me she spoke with you. Did you meet the others?” “I met Fleetfoot earlier,” I answer. “What about Braeburn?” I shake my head. “Who’s he?” Redheart smiles. “He moved out some time ago. Lives somewhere in the South now, I believe. You should talk with him if you get the chance. Actually, I think you might know his cousin, Applejack?” “Yeah, I know her.” “Right, stupid question,” Redheart chuckles. “Of course you know her. She might be able to get you in contact with him.” I nod. “I’ll ask, thanks.” We lapse into silence again after that. Redheart wipes her eyes with a foreleg. “Daring, wherever you are… we miss you.” From somewhere behind me, I hear a reply. “I miss you guys too.” Her voice is lost in the wind, blowing through the wind. I close my eyes and start to cry.