//------------------------------//
// Found 
// Story: Loss 
// by Hodd 
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Rainbow Dash had always assumed dying would be a terrifying experience. Every time she had though about someone dying, their face would be full of dread, their features locked in a confused and disoriented gaze as it slowly fills with grief. She usually thought very little of death, however. Rainbow Dash's family was some of the healthiest in all of Equestria, and she hadn't ever really lost anyone close to her... until now that is. In reality, it was a relatively peaceful event, she thought; at least, from what she remembered. Her last memories before slipping into her comatose state were blurred. She remembered the hall lights of the hospital drift by, as the cart she was on sped into the Urgent Care section. Voices were no longer clear, crisp, comprehendible thoughts, but droning noise, as if she'd been submerged in a swimming pool too long, and her friends clamored for her safe return. These moments were fleeting, as she felt herself fall into unconsciousness. She didn't fight it. She didn't want to. A cold embrace gripped her, but it wasn't the air conditioned interior of the hospital that was chilling her bones. She knew what would happen next.


Rainbow Dash awoke with a fright. She was in a bed; a hospital bed, to be exact. Instinctively, she crawled from beneath the pure white bed sheets. Was it real? Was this all just a big nightmare? She was definitely in a hospital, but the lights were off, and her friends were no where to be found. Her heart fell into her stomach as she started to catch on to the reality of the moment. A slow turn to the hospital bed confirmed her suspicion. In that bed was a blue pegasus, with a brightly colored rainbow mane, and a single bouquet of flowers with a tag that read, “goodbye, friend.” Her legs could no longer bear the weight of the situation, and gave out on her, her body falling to the cold tile floor. Rainbow didn't try to get up, nor did she really want to. She simply laid there, weeping; so much to understand all at once. Scootaloo, her 1 member fan club, the one that looked up to her no matter what she did, the one who always wanted, more than anything, to be just like Rainbow Dash had passed in the night, cold and alone. And now she, too, joined the hidden ranks of those passed on. Her mind raced. “Oh Celestia,” she cried aloud, letting grief enshroud her. The room was pure white, but never had she been in such a dark place. She never even got to say goodbye. A sudden sickening realization flooded over here. “I did this,” she whispered to herself. “I killed Scootaloo... and now I killed myself.” She had never felt such complete solitude. Rainbow Dash looked at the ground for some time, pondering her situation, regretting, wishing, scorning herself. 


It was only after her gaze shifted upwards that she noticed a large mare, ancient by the looks of it, and an alicorn. Her coat seemed to once be a brilliant white, but had now faded to a dull grey. Her mane was simple and white, as if washed too many times. Rainbow Dash peered at her wings; they were all but plucked free of their feathers with the occasional stray piece of down clinging to them. Her horn, Dash noted, was broken. She winced at the sight. It was a painful injury to be sure, even more so than breaking a bone. It was only after this that she saw her eyes, brown portals into utter sorrow, that Rainbow Dash started to break again. She welled up at the sight, not even exactly sure why. The alicorn took a step forward, worn hooves clopping gently against the hard tile floor of the hospital. “I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash,” she said with genuine empathy and sorrow. “Don't be,” was the only reply from Rainbow. The alicorn was taken back at the statement, shocked even. “What do you mean?” inquired the old Mare, with genuine concern for the emotionally battered pegasus. “I killed Scootaloo, the only one who looked up to me, who wanted to be just like me. How can you be sorry for that?” The alicorn felt a surge of emotion fly over her. She was talking about the same Scootaloo she had just recently visited just days earlier. “You did no such thing,” was the reply from the ancient and weathered alicorn, almost a defensive tone in her voice. Rainbow was a little surprised at the statement, but replied anyway, genuine blame on herself evident. “Yeah well, I might as well have. How could I not see it? How could I have never asked what was wrong every time her face dropped when she couldn't stay at Fluttershy's? It was so obvious!” Rainbow Dash found herself screaming at the world, as tears of bitterness poured from her face. The alicorn stepped back. She was used to ponies begging and pleading for their lives back, but this one... she thought; “This one cares only for the ones she lost and left behind,” she spoke to herself. The sight before her was enough to cause her old heart to thaw just as it did when she encountered Scootaloo. “Rainbow Dash,” she said, catching the attention of the pitiful blue pegasus on the ground before her. “What?” she asked, as if ordering not to be disturbed. “Blame will never help you,” she said “You have wielded the Elements of Harmony on more than one occasion, you have stayed loyal to a band of friends that not many ponies could even dream of. You've brought laughs and cheer, and you inspired a soul; Scootaloo.” That last sentence was like a strike in the gut. “What do you mean?” The query came out as a half snarl, half genuine question. “Scootaloo,” she repeated. “She saw you come to the service. She had never truly formed a bond with anypony but you,” she explained. “You were the best thing that ever happened to her. Don't ever doubt that,” she explained. “Well then what happens now?” Rainbow Dash questioned. She had seemed defeated. If anything, the Mare's last statement plunged a dagger of guilt into her already ceased heart. The Mare picked up on this. She had never felt such empathy to a pony. Rainbow Dash had gone through so much, seemingly for nothing. “Death does not fail to reward a beautiful life,” she said, a sad half-smile ghosted her face as a tear outlined the contours of her ancient face.  “You have touched ponies everywhere. You've accomplished things that other ponies don't dare dream of,” she said, a truly warm tone coming from her gentle face. “So like I said,” butted in Rainbow Dash, seemingly taking to heart what the old mare had said. “What happens now?” “Now,” said the mare in a soothing tone, similar to a mother with her foal, “You choose your Heaven,” she explained. “However, please be wise with your decision,” her tone changed to that of concern, as if speaking to one of her own kin. It didn't take her long to reply. She had her mind on one single thing. “I know what I want,” she said, a resoluteness even more firm than when she dreamed of becoming a Wonderbolt. A large white flash soon enveloped the blue pegasus, her expression of resolution unchanging.


“Gah!” Scootaloo, yelled out loud. “What the hay was that?” The flash was visible under the fluffy white door of the small orange pegasus's room. She was hesitant in walking towards the door. What awaited on the other side?  Her thoughts raced. What could possibly cause a flash that powerful? After some time, she gained her composure. The door was silent as it cracked open. A small purple eye peered out from around it. “Dash?” she said, confused. “What was that?” The blue pegasus in the center of the room spun on her heels and simply stared at the little filly. “Uh, are you OK, Rainbow?” Scootaloo asked. “Yeah,” she said, tears in her eyes. “Yeah. I'm fine, Scoots.” With that, she walked up and embraced the small orange pegasus, their very souls bound together, unending, and absolute. Scootaloo felt something different about Dash, something familiar about her that she hadn't seen since the accident. She couldn't quite place it, but it sparked something in her. The next thing she said was from the bottom of her heart, and she meant every word. “I love you, Dashie,” Scootaloo said. “I love you too, kiddo,” she said. She was truly whole for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, tears of a million different emotions coating her in moisture. A pair of familiar brown eyes peered into the window, with an expression of no longer sorrow, but happiness. Happiness that two souls finally found peace, even in the afterlife, perhaps one day destined to see their friends once more.