//------------------------------// // A Darkened Rainbow // Story: A New Generation // by QuiteNiceDynamite //------------------------------// Rainbow nudged the door of her house open, she had walked it to the base of her home, then flew upwards to it. She had felt no need to rush home, why should she? Her friends were gone, and now her idol was gone. Rainbow felt as if she had nothing left to live for, nothing left that would tempt her to stay alive. This had been the darkest she had ever felt, it was as if some omnipotent power wanted her to be sad, for her life to be a never-ending stream of depression. Rainbow crawled into bed, and she thought about Spitfire, the way she looked, the way she acted, the way she was. The ultimate professional in every single way. Composed and honest, willing to do anything she could to help anypony, regardless of the consequences. Rainbow felt her bottom lip trembling as she started to feel teary, and she slowly drifted into the land of her dreams. Rainbow was stood out in a field, with the green grass flowing with the wind. The sky was pitch black except for the brilliant white of a full moon illuminating the field. Rainbow Dash looked around her surroundings, and she realised that she was stood on the lip of Ghastly Gorge, where Spitfire had perished. Rainbow looked down towards where she had seen the goggles and feathers the previous day, but no evidence of Spitfire's death was to be found. "I can't stay here" Rainbow said, feeling unable to be near the place where Spitfire died. As Rainbow turned away from the edge of the precipice, she collided with something. Somepony. Rainbow tumbled backwards, but a hoof reached out and grabbed her to stop her tripping. "Thanks." Rainbow said as she regained her balance, but then she almost fell again from fainting. "No problem." Replied the pony. In front of her stood a yellow-coated Pegasi with flame-coloured hair. "SPITFIRE!" Rainbow yelled with happiness, flying to the Wonderbolt, hoping to embrace her. Rainbow Dash passed straight through Spitfire, as if she was only a cloud of vapour. Rainbow landed in a heap on the grass, she looked back at Spitfire, a confused expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire said, looking rather sad, "but this is just a dream." Rainbow felt very stupid, she couldn't believe that she had thought that this was actually Spitfire, it was just her conscience playing tricks on her while she slept. "Rainbow Dash, I don't have much time, you will awaken soon, and I have something I wish to tell you, so just listen to me." Rainbow stood back up and stood in front of Spitfire, when she saw that she couldn't be real. Spitfire was standing in the wake of the bright moon, and she was slightly transparent, with some of the moon's light seemingly passing through her. Spitfire began to speak, "I know that you'll be sad that I'm gone, Rainbow Dash, but my death couldn't be avoided. Please don't hold a grudge against Soarin, it wasn't his fault, it was fate. The Eel grabbed me, but it could have just as easily have been him. I want to let you know that I always respected you as a Pegasus and I would have had you alongside me in the Wonderbolts as soon as I could, but you kept leaving the Academy, and you have to pass a trial before you become a Wonderbolt." Rainbow's smile dropped, would it have really been that easy? If she'd have simply stayed in the Academy, she would have become a Wonderbolt? She started to feel unhappy in herself because of how she hadn't utilised her skills well enough while Spitfire was still alive. She could have flown alongside her hero after all. "But Rainbow, you can still get what you want. Whatever you want to tell yourself, you'll always be a Wonderbolt at heart. I want you to go to the next trials, don't think that you're doing this for me, do it for yourself." "Are you saying that..." Rainbow started. Spitfire nodded, replying, "Yes. You can become a Wonderbolt." Rainbow Dash woke with a gasp, had she really just spoken to Spitfire in a dream? And had Spitfire just said that she could become a Wonderbolt? "I'm gonna do it." Rainbow Dash promised herself. "I'm going to those trials."