Choices

by Secret_Shadows

Choices

As I sit by the lake, my tears drip into the calm of the lake creating small ripples in the water, the shimmering moon and starlight reflecting off of the ripples causing a low glow of blue to cast on the trees surrounding the lake. I look down at the ground to my right, in the grass lay a blue and yellow flight suit with the name Rainbow Dash embroidered into it.

“It was all so perfect... I was one of the best Wonderbolts there had ever been... but now...” I gaze up at the moon and sigh. “Now nothing is perfect... it’s all wrong... the last time I talked to any of my friends was...” I stop thinking aloud... I close my eyes and tilt my head down as tears flow out. “It’s been so long... I can’t even remember the last time I talked to any of them! Twi, Flutters, AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, I can’t remember!” My words resonate off of the water creating an echo so loud, yet nopony could hear it. “I remember the first day... the day it started...”

“Welcome to the Wonderbolts kid, you’re gonna go far.”
[
I smile as widely as I can as she hoofs the Wonderbolts flight suit to me, I take it in my hooves and clutch it tightly. “Y-you m-mean it!? I passed?” I ask, my eyes watering up in excitement.

“I just gave you the flight suit didn’t I?”

I reach my forehooves out and hug Spitfire tightly. “Y-you have no idea what this means to me!”

“Just don’t disappoint kid.” I heard Spitfire say, I released her from the hug and looked at her, seriousness in my eyes.

“Never, I won’t ever disappoint you, Captain.”

“And that was the day it all started... If only I had known... I would have stopped... I would have come home...

“What’s wrong?” I asked, I was surrounded by four of my friends.

“Rainbow... there’s ah, been an accident...”  Applejack said to me.

“What kind of accident? Where is Twilight?”

“Rainbow, Darling, I...” Rarity stopped and looked down, she raised a hoof to my shoulder. “Twilight... had an accident... and...” She stopped and sniffled and backed up.

“Somepony tell me what happened to Twilight!” I say with a fierceness in my voice, tears starting to well up in my eyes.

“She’s gone, Dash... Twi is gone.”

I could feel the room getting smaller around me as Applejack spoke, tears started to pour out of my eyes. “Wh-what do you mean gone! T-Twilight c-can’t just be gone! She wouldn’t leave, She wouldn’t leave us! She wouldn’t leave... me.” I felt Applejack’s hoof on my shoulder.

“Ah know how much Twi meant to you, and how much you meant to her, it’s gonna be hard sugarcube, but we’ll ge-”

“No You Don’t Understand Applejack! The Last Time I Left... I didn’t say goodbye... we... had a fight and...” I collapsed to the floor and my tears increased in volume. “I never got to say I was sorry...” I cried in silence as my four friends hugged me tightly. “I loved her... and I never even got to say I was sorry, I... I was going to make it official at the gala...”

I stare into the water, my face reflecting off of it. “You know Twilight, you were right too, I was working too hard, I wasn’t spending any time with my friends, buck, I had even stopped talking to Scootaloo... you were right Twilight... you were right...”

I stood alone over the grave stone, the rain poured down around me, I stood there anyway, tears rolling down my face disguised as raindrops. “I’m so sorry Twilight, maybe if I had been there... I could have saved you, or maybe I could have at least gone with you... why did you go and fight an ursa major on your own, why Twilight!? Why didn’t you just run away! You were too good to die like that! Twilight... My Twily...” I collapsed down onto the ground, I closed my eyes trying to fight the tears. “Why...”

I hear hoof steps from behind me, I turned to see Applejack standing there with a bouquet of roses in her mouth. She walked over to the grave stone and placed the roses down before gesturing for me to follow her, I followed her from the cemetery all the way into town and into Twilight’s library. “What are we doing here?”

“Twi wanted ta make sure if somethin’ ever happened ta her, that ah would give ya a letter when ya were ready...” Applejack said as she walked over to a small bookshelf, she pulled out a few books and set them on on the floor before opening a small door behind where the books were, she pulled out a scroll and set it on a table next to me. “This isn’t A way to talk ta her directly... but ah think ya need this... I’ll be in the other room, just come n’ get me when ya are done.”

I nodded and opened the scroll as soon as she was out of the room.

        ‘Dear Rainbow Dash,
If you are reading this, then I have fought the Ursa Major and failed, you are probably thinking that it is your fault that you didn’t come save me, or die next to me, it is not your fault Rainbow. You are now probably thinking that I was stupid for going and attacking an Ursa Major without any help... you are probably right, but I had too, to save Ponyville... it had already destroyed the school and part of the Apple Farm, I couldn’t let it get any closer and the royal guard wasn’t here yet... Rainbow Dash, I know you are probably upset over me being gone, sad or angry, or both, don’t be. I wish I could be there to give you a hug and tell you everything would be okay. Know I am there in spirit. I know last time we spoke we left our relationship on a bad note, but you are free to live your life how you want to live it, I was wrong, know that I love you very much Rainbow Dash, My Dashie... I’ll always be with you as that gentle breeze under your wings. I love you.
        ~Eternally Yours, Twilight Sparkle,
                                        Your Twily’

I dropped the note after reading it, I knew instantly that Twilight was right, our argument...

“I knew... she was right, letting the Wonderbolts push me around like they did, making me work overtime, stealing the fame for tricks that I did, they treat me terribly... and I gave up three years I could have spent with ponies that actually loved me and cared for me, but instead I stuck around the Wonderbolts...” I felt a gentle breeze tug at my wings. “I know... you said not to be upset over this... but I have to be upset! I... It wouldn’t be right if I wasn’t.” I felt a hoof on my shoulder, but there was no reflection in the water, I turned my head and the hoof was gone, so was the breeze tugging at my wings.

“No... I won’t let it happen again!” I said as I started to cry again, this time more intensely causing more ripples in the water.

“Spitfire, I can’t-”

“Rainbow Dash...”

I looked at Spitfire confused, then my expression changed to annoyance “Captain...” I said rolling my eyes.

“Better... What do you want? I’m busy.” Spitfire said as she lounged in the break room at the Wonderbolts training arena.

“You can’t keep pushing me like this! The doctor said my wings-”

“The doctor was wrong.”

“SPITFIRE! My wings are sprained in twelve places! And...”

Spitfire looked over her sunglasses at me. “And?”

“My bes- My marefriend died and I didn’t even get to say goodbye... I barely get to spend any time with my friends anymore... I... I can’t do this anymore...”

“What are you saying?”

“I... I D-don’t know... I...”

“We all make sacrifices Rainbow Dash, you’re either in, or you’re out, we don’t need quitters.”

“You know what Spitfire, I used to look up to you, you were my idol... but now... I’m not sure what to think of you... I, I quit...” My eyes water up.” If this is what it means to be a Wonderbolt... to lose loved ones and never get to see friends, then I’m out.” I flapped my wings and flew away as fast as I could ignoring the pain.

“And that’s how I got here... I... my dream was to be a Wonderbolt... To fly with those brave ponies... performing tricks and stunts... but, you know what they say... don’t meet your heroes...” I looked down at the flight suit again and sniffled. “Because it won’t be what you think.” I said. I stood up started to trot in the direction of ponyville, leaving the wonderbolts uniform on the ground next to the lake. as I felt a gentle breeze tug at my wings again, almost as if somepony was acknowledging that I was making the right choice. “I love you too Twily...” I said as I walked off to Ponyville, giving my wings a well needed rest.

“I love you too, Rainbow Dash.”

I turned my head back to the lake once, seeing nothing I attributed it to the wind and I proceeded to trot, the gentle breeze seeming to wrap itself around my body as I trot, I smile knowingly as I make my way back into Ponyville, a new start awaiting me.