Loss

by Hodd

Found

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.

Comments

[SevenVenom]

So many tears. I cant hold all of them in my eyes.

[SevenVenom]

IT
REALLY
HURTS!

[Hodd]

272674

Do you mean that in a good way?

[who149]

I Know what this is a sequel too now, I just don't remember its name. I was confused at first because I read two scootaloo dies fics, where Rainbow Dash blamed herself for.

EDIT: Okay..I'm dumb, its in the description

good story.

[SevenVenom]

272799 Of course!
It was so sad but so good. It was both
All i can say is
dash.ponychan.net/chan/files/src/132440564370.png

[aporath25]

The end made me cry hard! At least Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash will be forever together in heaven. It was a terrifically written story! I will favorite this.

[Hodd]

275924

Thanks! Had a hell of a time trying to tie the end together, but I guess it worked

[Ribgf]

Beautiful, just like Final Dream of a Filly.
Very, very well done

[PonyOfTheFall]

273064 I couldn't wake you because you could never wake up again

[tubaguy]

well Im really sad now soooooo
I guess I need to go play happy wheels

[dark_wolf06]

To many tears

[Hodd]

505400

Well, if you're too lazy to read Final Dreams of a Filly *wink wink*

She dies of Hypothermia in the cold of the CMC clubhouse.

[nonameguy0010]

505410 Oh... I can't take anymore of scootaloo dying. I'm already reading one sad fic where she gets cancer.

[Hodd]

505422

Well this one isn't just about Scootaloo, so if you can't take anymore, then I don't suggest reading further. I welled up a tiny bit writing this.

[nonameguy0010]

Noooo damn you! I cried again. That is the third time today from a scootaloo related fic. Stop making me cry, people! argh!

[Hodd]

505521

I warned you

[nonameguy0010]

505533 Great... now I get to sleep on this. I swear to god if I have a nightmare where Scootaloo dies, I know who all to blame. Also, that will be one of the few nightmares (other than Pinkamena) that I actually consider to be scary. If I have a dream about zombies or something, I enjoy that stuff so it is more of a fantasy than a dream.

[Hodd]

505566

Sad nightmares are the worst.

[nonameguy0010]

505576 Yep.. they are also harder to lucid dream during because emotions get tangled in there. Well.. I'm off to bed nao. if I wake up crying, I blame you.

[Hodd]

505586

Sorry man, it's what I do.

[Wolfkiki]

This is the fourth story in the past 2 hours that involve Rainbow either dying or getting hurt, this story deserves its own episode, or movie, or series OR SOMETHING ITS SOO SAD ITS GOOD! -Sobs like Pinkie Pie-
Oh and it would be 10% better that 1,000,000,000,000% if you stated how the other ponies coped with the death.

[Hodd]

520632

I'm thinking about rewriting it, but longer. I have a lot of projects I need to finish first, however. And thanks for the positive feedback!

[Monty]

So sad and yet beautifully uplifting. I'm so glad I read this.

[Cinnamon Clover]

Wait, did Rainbow's soul replace the Rainbow of Scootaloo's heaven?

[Hodd]

716574

Instead of Scootaloo's and Dash's souls living in seperate heavens, they were joined together in one, so that they could be reunited for eternity.

[Hodd]

Wow, lot of views on this story. Almost as many as a featured story.

[Hodd]

I'm still baffled that this story has no dislikes

[Infamous]

I cried when I read this. I was really sad when pinkie pie broke down and cried but it kinda did have a happy ending. Rainbow dash gets to spend the rest of her life with her number one fan. Amazing story.

[Radioactive Jar]

"I couldn't wake you, because you could never wake up again." The life of a young filly is extinguished before its time. Both of these story's were amazing and sad. Ahhhh... Another well written story.

[TheGreatEater]

912266

Don't be. The reason it has no down votes is because it is a beautifully written sad story.

[playnwin]

I'm depressed. The way I see it, they both live in a fantasy world, trying to live a normal life. Except it isn't real, and it never will be. And that is more sad than their deaths.

[FlutterBrony101]

Amazing story
I really love the ending, the two souls living together in one heaven.
Maybe when the other mane 5 and the other 2 crusaders die they will be reunited with their friends.
In one eternal heaven.

[Mr Grimdark]

This is a great story but how did Dash die in only a couple of days???

[KawaiiPotato]

OMG THATS SO SAD IF ONLY RAINBOW AND SCOOTALOO COULD OF LIVED
I CRIED SO HARD I HAD TO TAKE A BREAK CAUSE HOW SAD IT WAS

[KawaiiPotato]

[Reiku]

You know, I'm normally not a fan of 'fix it' fics. Unofficial Squeals to dark or tragic fics that either change or add to the ending to make things better (Countless Cupcakes sequels come to mind) but this was really quite good. It's not going to make it into my head canon for the original fic... But this was very enjoyable nonetheless

In the future though, new paragraphs when a different character speaks, it clutters the page otherwise.

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

the sorrow is real!