Note: This fic draws heavily upon the scenarios established in “My Little Dashie” by ROBCakeran53 and “The Cold Hand of Mercy” by Staeg Masque. It is recommended but not required to be familiar with them.
A Fool and His Filly Are Soon Parted
by Firefox Lantern
Chapter 1 : The Fool
I gently tread across the rotten tiles of the rooftop, surveying the damage to figure out the materials I will need to fix it. I look up at the sky, the sun is shining brightly with a few clouds lazily gliding across. I picture her taking a nap on one after she had fluffed it out.
It's been over two decades since the joy of my life was gone. Rainbow Dash, my dear little Dashie somehow crossed into my universe as a foal, whom I found in a cardboard box. I adopted and raised her like a daughter for 15 years. With the apparent time shift between our dimensions her 15 years here was only 15 days over there. Still it must have felt like an eternity to her friends and Princess Celestia who frantically searched for her and finally found her here. And taken her back to Equestria.
In the immediate aftermath I was just an empty shell mechanically going through the motions of life and flipping through my photo album of her, the only remaining trace in this world of her passage. Princess Celestia had deemed it necessary to restore everything back to the way it would be without Rainbow Dash's arrival. Her belongings, like the posters in her room, all gone by magic. I can only hope her memories of me weren't completely wiped out when they restored her Equestrian memories, like Twilight implied.
I pondered, mulled over, examined that day under every angle to see if there could have been a different outcome. Ultimately I accepted that no, it couldn't have gone any differently. This is the way it had to be. I scout the horizon again, visualizing a cyan mare beating its wings, making daredevil maneuvers. Carefree. The image tingles my senses and with a similar attitude I carelessly set down my foot without looking. This particular spot of the roof was weakened from years of wear and tear and caves in just a bit under my weight. Enough however to make my body lunge sideways and lose my balance.
Time seems to slow down like in a movie. I desperately flail my arms at lightning speed to get a grip on something, anything. Unlike the movies I don't get the lucky break. My body continues onwards in its tumbling motion. In an instant I'm soaring through the air. Or so I wish to believe. In reality I dive head first onto the stone tiles lining the rear exit of my house.
*thud*
Bizarre, I barely feel any pain in my crash landing. In fact, I don't feel anything at all. I try to get up, move my arms and legs. No response.
Uh-oh.
It looks like I paid a very high price for my foolishness. I am sprawled out on the steps leading to my backyard with no way of locomotion. I try screaming for help. No answer of course, I live in a picturesque rural area and the nearest neighbor is miles away. Today is Sunday, so no chance of the mailman or such passing by.
In some of my past depressions I had toyed with the idea of prematurely ending my stay on this planet. I decided against it because my equestrian best friend would have certainly deemed it the coward's way out. Now it looks like my darkest wish may come true whether I like it or not. I yell out from time to time, each subsequent shout carrying less force. With every passing moment breathing becomes laborious. I had probably sustained some internal injuries. I stare into the sky and imagine the crazy flying antics of a rainbow coloured pegasus to fight losing consciousness.
Several hours pass.
The night is now upon me. The stars twinkle in their distant dance. The moon graces me with a sad stare. Fluttershy flies towards me with a sorrowful expression.
Fluttershy!?
I would have lept up if not for the fact that I am paralyzed. Sure enough the form I had recognized as Fluttershy lands next to me. A bolt of joy pulses through me, giving me a second wind to stay awake. Was she sent to rescue me? Why is she alone? And why is she carrying a scythe and wearing a creepy black robe?
I gather every last ounce of energy I have left and barely manage to croak : "Fluttershy, is that really you?"
Fluttershy stood still, her eyes meet mine for a brief moment then glance to the side to avoid my direct gaze.
-Yes, it is me.
-I am so glad to see you. Did Princess Celestia send you?
-No she did not.
-Then how did you get here.
-Well... you see... it is possible now for me to go see anyone in the universe.
-Really? How on earth did you get such a...
-...when they are about to pass away.
Shock chokes off my remaining sentence. In my weakened state of mind it takes me a few moments for me to recover.
-What... what do you mean 'when they are close to passing away'?
-It is a long story that I do not wish to go into. The previous Grim Reaper, Blanche, chose me to be the successor in deathly duties. My only purpose in life now is to take it away.
Huh? I guess that explains her garb, but why would the element of kindness be playing such a morbid role? Maybe being near death I am becoming delusional.
-I don't understand.
-I help ease the separation of the deceased's body and soul. I guide the soul into the Ever so they can join their final resting place. I grant final requests whenever possible.
This only adds to the confusion in my mind. I want to question her about it however at this point I could barely form coherent thoughts as my lifeforce is slipping away. I figure I don't have much time left:
-Can I make my final request?
-I'll try my best to fulfill it.
-Tell me how is Rainbow Dash doing.
She recounts the adventures they've had. Some cute episodes like Rainbow Dash choosing a turtle as her pet because it rescued her while the others focused on the race she had set up. Some more nerve wracking like their confrontation with Discord and how they almost lost her. And some awe inspiring like how Rainbow Dash finally got accepted into the Wonderbolts, making her dream come true.
It feels great to hear all these wonderful stories from Fluttershy about my dear Dashie. I'm so proud, I wish I could relay that to her before I die.
“Please tell her how proud I am and how much I missed her.” I whisper with the throes of death upon me. Fluttershy droops a bit at my request:
-Umm, sorry I will only be able to do that once she is near death as I cannot communicate with the living.
-Oh.
-But I'll be sure to remember that when the time comes.
-Did she mention missing me?
Fluttershy blinks, then immediately turns away from me in a nervous hop and hesitantly replies "She boasts about how great a father you were to her. I'm sure she misses you a lot and cherishes every moment she spent with you ."
I know Rainbow Dash was the boastful type, but she wasn't particularly boastful about me; something rings hollow with Fluttershy's answer. I can see her trembling as much as the tree branches during the Running of the Leaves. Clearly she is uncomfortable with the question and wishes to avoid potentially hurting my feelings. Oh Fluttershy, even as the Grim Reaper you live on as the element of kindness. I am guessing Rainbow just got over me and quickly moved on with her life in Equestria. As tempted as I am to embrace these white lies, I need to know the full story.
-Fluttershy, I know you're trying to spare my feelings but if I die without knowing the truth my soul will never be able to rest in peace.
Fluttershy keeps her gaze focused on the ground, her left-front hoof twirling about in a vain effort of distraction.
-Fluttershy, just how well does Rainbow Dash remember me?
-She remembers you... a lot.
-Hmpf, you're just saying that because you think that's what I want to hear.
-No no, she talks about you... all the time.
-All the time?
-All the time.
-If she doesn't remember much about me you should just say so.
-But she does remember you... a little.
-You just said a lot. Now it's a little?
-Umm, both?
-Which is it, a little or a lot!?
-Please stop asking me this, I...
-Just be honest with me.
-Really, that's all...
-Come on.
-No, I can't...
-Tell me.
-Eep...
-Tell me tell me tell me tell me TELL ME!
-Alright, since you really want to know *deep breath*: after we got back to Equestria we talked about how we rescued her in the human world but all she could show was a puzzled expression and we told her the story about the way you found her in a cardboard box but she dismissed it as 'no way could I have been so uncool'. We showed her the photo album with you and she exclaimed 'woah, now that's one fugly creature' so we explained to her how that creature took care of her for 15 years and she got quite attached to it and cried when she had to say goodbye but she snorted 'how could I have possibly tolerated some Everfree Forest runaway freak, ugh' and dumped all the photos into the trash.
My breathing freezes at the torrent of words. I would have cried out in agony if the shock had not robbed my vocal chords of its capacity to function.
-...but err, you know, we recovered the photos and stored them in the Royal Archives where they are safe.