When Brave Spirit and Rainbow Dash walked in the front door of their house, Rainbow Dash headed straight for her bedroom, and closed the door behind her. Brave Spirit sighed heavily.
Perhaps he should talk to her. There might be something he could do to cheer her up. After all, how bad could it be if she wanted to pursue wrestling instead of flying anyway?
…
Spirit walked down the hall to her bedroom, and slowly creaked the door open. Inside, he saw Rainbow Dash slumped on her bed, clutching her Soarin doll, facing the ceiling.
“Hey, Dashie.” He whispered.
“Hi, dad.” She muttered back.
“So I was just thinking. I have the day off today, and thought maybe you could show me how to play that new Mario game you have on your Wii U.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I don’t really want to play video games right now.”
Spirit entered her room, and closed the door. He walked over to her bed, and sat down with her.
“What’s got you down?”
Rainbow Dash ignored the question. “Dad, why am I different than everypony else?”
Spirit pondered over Dash’s question for a quick moment. “Well, what do you mean?”
“I mean, why do I have rainbow-colored hair? Why don’t I have my cutie mark yet? Why are my wings broken?” She paused for a moment. “Why don’t I have a mom?”
Spirit was taken back by that last question. That was a good question indeed. Why doesn’t she have a mom? Why doesn’t he have a wife?”
He sighed. “You know Dashie, there’s an answer to all that. However, it might shock you a little bit, so I need you to be strong. Don’t walk out on me when I tell you, okay?”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. She anxiously nodded her head.
Spirit held his breath for a second, sighed, and then began. “Dashie, to tell you the truth, I don’t know who or where your real mother is. And I’m also definitely not your father. I used to have a wife, who died tragically in a flight accident. On a dark, stormy night a long time ago, I was taking a walk to clear my head from all the sadness. When I stopped by the park to sit down, I heard crying coming from another picnic table. When I followed the sound, I found you covered in blankets in a woven basket. You were only about a week old.”
Rainbow Dash gasped. “So…I was abandoned? And you found me?”
Spirit solemnly nodded. “Yes. Your original parents abandoned you. Since the basket that you were in was placed in the public park, someone surely would’ve found you if it hadn’t been me.”
Rainbow Dash said nothing. She looked down, trying to fathom the information that Spirit had unloaded onto her.
“You know what, stay here. I have something to show you.” He said.
Spirit got up, and left the room. A few minutes later, he came back into the room holding a large box marked, ‘Old Memories’.
“What’s in there?” Dash asked.
“Well, come over here and I’ll show you.” Spirit replied.
…
With her curiosity peaked, Rainbow Dash got off of her bed, and walked over to the box, which Spirit had set on the floor in front of the door. Spirit opened up the box, and a musty smell filled the room, making Rainbow Dash cough.
Spirit pushed aside some of the other things, like old family pictures and high school awards and stuff like that. Sitting on the bottom of the box was the basket that he had found Rainbow Dash in. He pulled it out, along with the sticky note that was inside it.
“This right here is the very same basket that you were lying in as a foal when I found you. Inside it is the sticky note that I found attached to it.”
Rainbow Dash took the rather small basket with care. She was shocked that she lied in that very same basket before she was old enough to even know it. She grabbed the sticky note, and read it aloud.
“My name is Rainbow Dash. Please give me a good home!” She read. “So…that’s where I got my name from?”
“Yes. It said on that note that your name was Rainbow Dash, so that’s what I always called you.”
Rainbow Dash was stunned. This was all too much to handle. She felt like her whole life was just an illusion.
“So…why did you decide to take that walk? What had you so down?” She asked.
Without answering, Spirit reached into the box, and did some more searching. A few moments later, he pulled out his application folders for the Adoption Agency. The big red ‘Rejected’ stamp still shown on the cover, yet it was slightly faded. He handed the folders to Rainbow Dash to look at.
“I don’t know what it was about that night specifically, but the death of my wife was really weighing in on me for some reason. I decided to apply for the adoption of a foal, since me and my wife never got to have one before she died.” He explained.
“And they rejected you?” She asked.
Spirit nodded. He sniffled a couple times, trying hard not to cry again from those painful memories.
“…Well, I’m glad they rejected you.” Dash stated.
“What? Why?”
Rainbow Dash put all the stuff that she was holding down, and walked over to Spirit, giving him a big hug.
“If they hadn’t rejected you, you wouldn’t have found me.”
Spirit smiled, and returned his daughter’s hug.
…
“Oh, Dashie?”
“Yes?”
“I understand how heartbreaking it must be to not be able to fly. With Celestia as my witness, if it kills me, I will find a way to grant you the gift of flight.”
“How would you do that? The doctor said my wings were all funky, which means I’ll never be able to fly.”
“The doctor said your wings didn’t have enough primary feathers. That’s not something I can’t fix. I plan on going into intensive study on the anatomy of pegasi, so I can find a way to make you a set of artificial feathers or something.”
“But dad, that’s so much work! Are you sure you want to do that for me?” Dash asked.
“I think you’re worth it. Ever since I found you, my life has had a little more meaning to it. I think it’s the least I can do for you.” Spirit responded.
Rainbow Dash grinned ear-to-ear, and went back to hug Spirit again.
…
After a few silent moments of embracing, Dash spoke.
“Hey dad, I think I feel like playing that Mario game now.”
Spirit laughed. “Well okay then!”
The two got up, and left Rainbow Dash’s room, leaving the box of memories on the floor.
“Now remember, you use the 2 button to make Mario jump, not the A button!” Dash told Spirit on the way out.
To be Continued…