Rainbow continued to lean her had on Soarin's chest. He was gone, and out of her life forever. The blue pegasus' tears were all over her face, but she didn't care.
She looked over to Spitfire, who was in tears herself. Spitfire really cared for Soarin, and even though she and Rainbow did not have the most pleasant experience the last time they were together, she still wouldn't wish such a thing in her worst enemy.
Rainbow knew that there really was nothing left to do. It was over. She now had to do the hardest thing imaginable at a time like this: move on.
Spitfire came over to the crying mare, who lifted her head from off of Soarin's chest.
Spitfire said to Rainbow after wiping some of her own tears, "I'm... I'm so sorry that it ended this way, Rainbow. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No... There's nothing you can do. He's gone. At least his pain is over," Rainbow concluded.
Spitfire leaned in gave Rainbow a hug, one of love and compassion. After she broke off the hug, Spitfire informed her, "We will prepare his body for the funeral. It can take place wherever you want it to. Is there any place that was special to Soarin?"
"I know where he would want to go to rest: Violet Hill. That was his special place," Rainbow answered.
"I don't quite know where that is," Spitfire replied. "But we will come by Ponyville when we are prepared for the funeral. You can show us the place then." Rainbow sadly nodded her head up and down. "The chariot can take you home if you want," Spitfire added.
Rainbow turned around and leaned down over Soarin one final time. "I'm sorry, my love. Goodbye." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. She patted his body with her hoof, and with one final tear from her eyes, turned around and left to go home.
Rainbow's dream of marrying Soarin was crushed. She would now need to find a new dream. Raising their foal alone would be one of her new dreams, but doing it alone was never in her plans.
She looked at the heart monitor, just to make sure he was gone for real. The line was flat, signalling that he truly was gone. Rainbow lowered her head, stared at the ground, and left. Her dream was finally over. She could now return to Ponyville and begin her life anew.
What she didn't know, was that her dream could still be kept alive. All it would take would be one single heartbeat...
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Rainbow returned home that night. It was the worst day of her entire life. She lost her fiancé, her hero, her dream. She got off the chariot, and with her head hung low, walked back into Twilight's house.
The room was full of many of her Ponyville friends, who were hoping for the best. But as they saw the sadness on Rainbow's face, they knew what had happened.
Spike, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom all looked back at her with sadness as well, knowing that the pain in her heart must have been strong.
And strong it was. She just looked at them and didn't say anything. Her heart hurt like she was stabbed multiple times. But then, out of the group of ponies just looking back her, out came Scootaloo, crying her eyes out, to give Rainbow a hug. The older filly, who was still quite shorter than Rainbow, buried her head into the bigger mare's body under her chin.
"I'm so so so so so so sorry, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo cried out with her head still buried.
Rainbow rubbed Scootaloo's mane with her hoof and managed to crack a small smile. The filly put her head back and looked at the mare in the eyes. Rainbow's eyes were red from crying earlier, but they were no longer wet.
"It's okay, Scootaloo. He's... he's in a better place now," she said, full of hope.
All of the other ponies in the room readied themselves to come up and give Rainbow words of consolation.
First was Pinkie Pie, with her mane completely straight and down. "I'm so sorry, Dashie. We are all here for you, to give you a smile when you are feeling down." Pinkie rubbed her hoof on Rainbow's cheek. Rainbow was able to smile once again in return.
Next was Applejack, who came up and removed her hat as she said, "I know that this must be the most difficult day you've ever had to go through.” Rainbow nodded lightly with her head tilted diagonally to the side. Applejack used both of her hooves and put them on Rainbow's cheeks, straightening her face directly square to Applejack's. "But sugarcube, we are going to get through it together." The two of them put their forelegs around each other for a hug.
Next was Rarity. "Darling, you are the most brave pony out of all of us. Remember when you saved me from falling to my death?" Rainbow smiled and nodded proudly. "You put me ahead of your dream of winning the Best Young Flyer competition. Even though you ended up winning it anyway. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for that. You are a caring, loving, and brave mare, and you are going to get through this. We'll all be here for you." This time Rainbow was the first one to hug the other. The comforting words from Rarity eased a little bit of the pain.
Twilight came up next. "Rainbow, just as Rarity said, you are a brave mare. You were the second pony I met when I came here to Ponyville. You were there for me since day one. The least I can do it be here for you now."
Rainbow out her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "And you have been here for me. You opened up your house for me when I had nowhere to go, and for that, I thank you." The pegasus and the unicorn hugged.
Fluttershy them came up to Rainbow. "Rainbow... I've always been jealous of you."
"What? Why?"
"Well to start, you were blessed with beauty. You are the greatest flyer I've ever seen. And you are the greatest friend I ever had the privilege of knowing. Your bravery was one of your best qualities, and I know you will be able to get through this."
"Thanks, Fluttershy," Rainbow replied with a tear. But it was a better kind of tear.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle then came up to the mare. "We are so sorry, Rainbow," Apple Bloom said.
"I can't believe what happened to you. I would have never thought such a thing would happen to any friend of mine," Sweetie Belle added.
Rainbow leaned down and hugged both of them, one in each arm. After the hug, Rainbow looked at Scootaloo, who was sobbing in the corner for her hero. "Hey squirt, come here," Rainbow said to the younger pegasus.
Scootaloo slowly walked over to Rainbow. The orange filly swallowed her sadness and tried to smile at her hero.
"I'm sorry," Rainbow said.
"Sorry? What could you ever be sorry for?" Scootaloo replied in confusion.
"I'm sorry about how things turned out for the two of us." Rainbow stroked the filly's mane with her hoof. "You were the coolest little filly I've ever known. You were my little sister. You had a life just mine. You were orphaned from an even younger age than I was. You had to grow up without your parents."
"How is that your fault?" Scootaloo asked.
"I promised you that I would be your big sister, and I failed you. I left to follow my own dream without even thinking about how it would affect you. I wasn't able to see you get your cutie mark, and that really hurts. I always thought I would be the one who would help you get it." Rainbow wiped away one final tear from the filly's eye. "I wasn't there for you, and yet you still grew up fine. And now that I'm going to have a foal of my own, things just won't be the same between us. I won't be able to devote time into being your older sister, and for that I am truly sorry."
"It's okay, Rainbow. I understand," Scootaloo replied while looking down.
"But squirt," Rainbow said while putting her hoof under the filly's chin and raising her head up. "You are the coolest little filly that I have ever known. You're just like me, and you have a great future. I can't be your big sister like I wanted to be, but I'd be honoured if you could be the big sister of my foal."
Scootaloo jumped up into Rainbow's grasp to give her a hug. "You really mean it?"
"Of course I do, Scoots," Rainbow replied while leaning her head on the filly's head.
This day was truly difficult for Rainbow Dash. She lost someone who meant the world for her. But the world went on, and she needed to also. Being with her friends back in Ponyville was a start on her way to feeling better.