Epilogue
Epilogue
Rays of sunlight streaming in through the glass panes of a window filled the room, shining a bright spot of sunlight onto the face of a sleeping cyan pegasus. She rolled over to try and keep the light off her eyelids, willing herself to hang on to just a few precious extra moments of sleep, but it was no use. Mere moments after having her face and the fur of her pelt warmed by the sun, Rainbow Dash found it impossible to sleep through the light which now cascaded over her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to remove the blurriness of sleep and the glare of the morning’s light.
She jolted fully awake with a start at the sight of the room before her. Her eyes swept the room, from the papered walls to the carved wood furniture, something just didn’t seem right to Rainbow Dash in her dazed early morning state. It took a few seconds of wondering where all the clouds were before her mind caught up with her. She giggled lightly to herself as she realized her mistake - of course, she did expect it would take a while to get readjusted after her big move. Finally giving in to her need to wake and deciding to embrace the day, Rainbow Dash rolled over and sat herself up in her bed – the only cloud in the room. She idly mused to herself about how she had been unable to give up the comfort of a cloud bed, and she chuckled remembering how she had forced this cloud through the small window when she first moved in a couple weeks ago.
Setting her hooves on the panels of wood below her that constituted the floor, Rainbow Dash turned around to get a look at the other side of the room. She smiled as she laid eyes on the other bed in the space – a hoofcrafted wooden one with a comfortable looking green blanket spread over it. However, it was not the bed nor the blanket that Rainbow smiled at, but what was underneath that blanket. The deep green of the bedspread rose and fell with the rhythm of the deep breaths of the pony sleeping peacefully beneath it. With her favorite brown Stetson hat hanging on a bedpost and her head resting on a soft, white pillow, Applejack seemed to be dozing comfortably despite the sunlight.
Rainbow Dash was somewhat perplexed by the scene before her eyes. Applejack was usually the first awake – often due to the work she had to do on the farm – but Rainbow rarely ever had the occasion of waking up first. She strode across the room and approached the bed quietly. She paused to contemplate the pony beneath her. She really was cute when she was sleeping. Her golden straw hair, loose and untied, fell across her shoulders and sprawled out over the pillow. A small smile was visible on her sleeping face as she lay peacefully. Rainbow Dash almost hated to disturb her beautiful slumber.
Almost. Excitedly, Rainbow Dash bent her head down, aiming right for the three freckles on her love’s cheek, and planted a kiss right there. She felt Applejack stir underneath her and was soon rewarded when the orange mare’s eyes flicked open and blinked to adjust to the conscious world. Applejack turned her head over to look up at Rainbow with her tired green eyes. Rainbow Dash almost could almost feel herself slipping into those deep emerald pools, but she settled for leaning in for another kiss. She pressed her muzzle onto Applejack’s and felt the force of the other mare pressing back just as hard, locked in a miniature contest as they shared the pleasure-filled moment.
It was a moment neither really wanted to let end, but all the same, they were forced to soon enough. “Good mornin’ Sugarcube.” Applejack smiled again for her marefriend when they pulled apart.
“Morning, AJ. Aren’t we up a little late?”
“Nah, Ah don’t have any work for today, so Ah’ll just catch up on mah rest for a while. You’re welcome to join me, Sugarcube.”
It was an offer Rainbow Dash couldn’t refuse. She gently climbed into the bed and pulled the other mare close, breathing in the scent of apples off her loose mane as they cuddled. Applejack ran a hoof through the beautiful rainbow mane before her and received a nuzzle in response. Suddenly, their early-morning antics were interrupted by a bright flash of green light, an intrusion which caused them both to jolt up from the bed.
Rainbow Dash peered at the ground and to her surprise, her gaze rested on a scroll that lay on the floor at the foot of the bed. “That looks like one of Spike’s letters.” She pointed it out to Applejack.
“Ah thought he could only send them to the Princess?”
“Me too. Let’s see what it is.” Rainbow swooped down from the bed and scooped the scroll into her hooves, unrolling it to read its contents. “Well, however she got it here, it’s from Twilight. She says that the doctors think Fluttershy might wake up soon, and we should get over to the hospital as soon as possible!” In almost no time at all, Applejack was out of the bed and standing next to Rainbow.
“Well what are we waitin’ for, Sugarcube, let’s go!”
Applejack galloped down the road at a high speed as Rainbow Dash flew alongside her. Partly distracted by the site of her marefriend, the farmer pony failed to notice a tree root which stuck out of the ground. As soon as her front hooves met this root, the orange earth pony found herself falling face-first towards the ground.
“Ah, horseapples,” moaned Applejack as she sat up from her fall. She started to brush the dirt off her pelt as Rainbow Dash landed a few feet away from her.
“Are you okay, AJ?” asked the cyan pegasus as she approached the earth pony.
“Ah’m fine, Rainbow. It wasn’t that bad of a fall,” replied Applejack with a stern voice. Although she was not injured physically, the tone of her voice made it clear that her pride had taken the blunt of the impact. As she stood up, she noticed the weather pony was holding a hoof to her mouth, trying to contain her laughter at the situation.
“An what do ya think is so funny?” continued the farmer pony, annoyance clear in her voice.
Rainbow Dash gently nuzzled her cheek before turning her head to Applejack’s ear to speak. “Sorry, I just think you look cute when you’re upset like that,” she said with a chuckle.
Applejack calmed down and started to smile. “Ya really think so, Sugarcube?” she asked Rainbow, with the annoyance in her tone quickly dissipating.
“I insist. In fact-” Rainbow dash cut off abruptly as her gaze fell upon something just past AJ’s shoulder, something that made almost all coherent thought stop. Floating in the clear, blue sky, A towering mansion of cloud hovered in the distance. Even from her position, it was unmistakable. The springs of falling rainbow water made the identity of the structure even more clear, as did the “For Sale” sign, planted on a small cloud outside the entrance. Rainbow Dash’s eyes followed a path upwards from her old house to a patch of sky. It was a place high above that seemed just like any other such area of the sky that surrounded the two ponies, but this particular spot held unparalleled significance to the cyan pegasus. No small, high cloud resided there now, but in the memories that now unwittingly assaulted her subconscious, that high cloud felt all too real. Like a flood, the pained knowledge of failure, the crushing sense of hopelessness, and the terrible loneliness swept through her mind. Memories of that day weeks ago, brought on by a chance encounter with her old house, were still too much to bear.
Concern piqued when Rainbow’s voice trailed off, Applejack followed her lover’s line of sight to understand immediately what had invaded her mind. Turning back to Rainbow Dash’s now-frozen face, she leaned forward, knowing full well what she must do.
For Rainbow Dash, the sudden appearance of AJ’s face in her vision, coupled with the equally sudden sensation of a muzzle and lips being pressed to her own snapped her out of her reverie. She found herself pressing back just as hard, opening her mouth to accept her lover’s tongue and closing her eyes, getting lost in the moment and wishing for it to never end.
When it did, Applejack pulled away and smiled warmly at her marefriend, keeping her held tightly in her embrace. “Don’t get caught up in the past, Rainbow. Ah love you, and Ah want ya to feel better. Ya’ll never be alone again.”
They arrived at the hospital, walking flank-to-flank, to find Twilight Sparkle waiting for them in the lobby, muzzle buried in a book. Rainbow Dash bent down to read the title before she acknowledged their presence. “‘Love and Tolerance; a Guide to Helping Your Depressed Friend’, seriously, Twilight?”
“This has been hard on us, Rainbow. I still don’t think I know what to do…”
“I’m sorry Twilight.” Rainbow Dash sighed, the gravity of her friend’s concern reaching her just barely too late, “Can we go see Fluttershy now?”
“Sure. Rarity and Pinkie are already there.” The three mares made their way through the corridors of the hospital towards Fluttershy’s room, a route which all three now knew by heart. Upon arriving, they opened the door to see Pinkie Pie and Rarity both standing at the side of Fluttershy’s bed, the mare herself was shifting her head back and forth on the pillow, but still seemed unresponsive
“Fluttershy, Fluttershy? Can you hear me, Darling?” Rarity gently stroked her pink mane, hoping to illicit some sort of response from the waking pegasus.
As if on cue, Fluttershy’s eyes suddenly blinked open and she groaned softly, the light of day reaching her for the first time in weeks. Seeing this, Nurse Redheart rushed over with a glass of water and administered relief to the coughing pegasus. After a few tense minutes, Fluttershy seemed to register her surroundings and her eyes settled on the face of her best friend, looking down at her. Senses coming back online for the first time in three weeks, she blinked a few more times before mustering up the will to speak. “R… R-Rare… Rarity?”
“Oh, Fluttershy, Darling!” Rarity cried, throwing herself onto her friend. Pinkie Pie did the same, shouting her own joyful greeting, and soon the newly-unconscious yellow pegasus found herself held tightly by both mares.
“Oh… H-hello Pinkie. Hello Rarity. W-what’s going on?”
“Fluttershy, we’ve missed you ever so much. You might not believe this, Darling, but you’ve been in a coma!”
“Oh my. That sounds serious.”
“Oh it was! Tell me, Darling, are you OK, how do you feel?”
“I… I feel… nice. Like I just woke up from a nice nap.”
“A nap? Well it was much more than that! You’ve been unconscious for three weeks, dear.”
“Th-three… three w-weeks?” Fluttershy noticeable blanched, her mouth falling into a frown as she shook her head in incredulity. “Oh, no no no. I can’t have been asleep for three weeks…. What about my animal friends? Are they OK? What about… what about…” Fluttershy froze as a sudden deluge of memories crashed upon her. In an instant, she relived every moment leading up to the point when her recollection went blank, a look of pure horror crossing her face. “What about Rainbow Dash? Where is she? Is she… Is she safe? Is she OK? Is she…”
“I’m right here Fluttershy, and I’m fine. I’m fine thanks to you.” Rainbow Dash trotted across the room to the bedside from her position by the door, speaking up for the first time since watching Fluttershy blink her way back into the world of the living.
“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy stared at her, blue eyes locked onto her own magenta ones. Rainbow waited for her to say something more. “Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash… how… how could you…?” Ever since she had awoken, Fluttershy had spoken in her usual, quiet, shy little voice, and everypony expected as much since they assumed she would be very weak after her ordeal and her three week sleep. For this reason, it came as a major surprise to everyone assembled when the quiet mare’s voice unexpectedly sharply rose in volume. “HOW COULD YOU!? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, RAINBOW DASH!?” Pinkie Pie and Rarity leapt backwards in shock and nearly everypony else was stunned into silence the likes of which they had not heard since the Grand Galloping Gala.
Stunned herself, Rainbow found she could do nothing more than stammer before she too trailed off. “F… Fl… Fluttershy…?”
“HOW COULD YOU JUST GIVE UP? HOW COULD YOU JUST… HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF KILLING YOURSELF?”
“I’m sorry… I… I wasn’t thinking… I just… I felt so hopeless and… and… alone… I’m sorry…”
“DID YOU EVEN STOP TO CONSIDER HOW WE WOULD FEEL? HOW I WOULD FEEL?”
“I… I… I wasn’t thinking…” Rainbow Dash was near tears now.
“”DO YOU KNOW HOW TERRIFYING IT WAS TO WATCH YOU JUMP OFF THAT CLOUD AND THEN JUST LET YOURSELF DROP? I WAS SCARED, WATCHING YOU FALL. YOU COULD’VE DIED; YOU MIGHT’VE DIED IF I DIDN’T CATCH YOU.”
“I know. Thank you Fluttershy… thank you for catching me… thank you for saving my life... thank you so much.” Rainbow rushed forward and threw her hooves around the upset mare, finally letting the barrage of tears that had built up go, crying as she held onto Fluttershy dearly. Even as she did so, however, she felt hooves pushing on her chest, trying to push her away.
“DON’T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN…” Fluttershy choked. Even as she felt her own hooves pushing on the cyan pegasus before her, she felt the grip of terror and fear release her, and her anger dissipated instantly. She had been distraught with worry over her friend, but now that she felt wet, hot tears dripping onto her pelt and hooves grasping her, her raging emotions reversed completely.
Rainbow Dash felt Fluttershy’s hooves freeze just as her voice abruptly stopped, and then they left her chest entirely, only to return a split second later to wrap forcefully around her midsection. Before she even had time to register what was happening, Rainbow felt herself pulled into a crushing embrace by the very same mare who had been screaming at her mere seconds earlier.
Fluttershy hugged her friend with all the force of a mother terrified to lose a child. She too, began to cry as she realized just how worried she had been about Rainbow Dash and how mean that worry had made her sound just a few seconds ago. Tentatively, she lifted her head to whisper softly into Rainbow’s ear. “…please?”, and she broke down completely.
For Rainbow Dash, hearing the small, soft voice usually harbored by her friend address her once again was enough to make her squeeze even tighter as Fluttershy wept. Rainbow was just glad to have her timid friend back, and the tearful whisper she received seemed to confirm that all was going to be alright between her and her oldest friend. Resolutely, Rainbow answered her distraught, sobbing friend. “I promise, Fluttershy. I promise you I won’t do it ever again. I… p-promise…” Sobbing again herself now, Rainbow Dash joined her friend, both of them letting their fears, their worries, and their emotions, spill out in the form of innumerable salty drops.
Feeling a hoof stroking her hair, Rainbow Dash pulled her face away to look up into the green eyes of the one pony who loved her more than any other. There were tears there too. Even through the brimming tears, those green eyes, twinkling with a light that could forever guide her home – a spotlight shining upon her – said more than words ever could. Without hesitation, Rainbow reached out and pulled the mare she loved into her embrace as well. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle soon found themselves sucked into the growing group hug as well.
Rainbow Dash lost her entire family to tragic circumstance and searing flame as a young filly. For the first time in the many years since then, Rainbow realized that she was not alone. She had a family once again.
She was home.
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Must not cry... Activate pokerface:
28157
Actually, "Shattered Rainbow" wasn't brought to my attention until after "To Fix You" was posted on EqD.
At that point, the author of "Shattered Rainbow" was already reading mine and told me mine was even better.
Read up to chapter 5, realized it was the end. Went all "BUT WHAT ABOUT FLUTTERSHY!?!?!?!"
Then I read chapter 6, and then I cried.
(Thankfully not as dark as expected)
28294
What?
Little do you know I've already read this on EqD.
Insta 5 star go
28394
End of chapter 3
Read this on EQD; a good story. I also like the picture for it on here compared to the one on EQD.
I really enjoyed this one, can't believe I missed it on EqD.
I love the cover image too, whose it by?
36944
Thanks!
The cover image is by GoneDreamer over on dA.
http://bronyneumo.deviantart.com/favourites/46710214#/d4dmec3
Good job. I really couldn't find a flaw in your entire story. Both story-line and grammar wise. (well there was ONE grammatical error, but it was very minor so I wont bother about it; plus finding it again may be a issue :P it was a single word.)
SPOILER ALERT
And now for the emotional analysis. I will admit that I cried when you killed Fluttershy, but I was both slightly happy and yet disappointed that it was all a dream. I would have loved to see how the death of fluttershy would have played out with Rainbow Dash.
The shipping was good, all the characters took to their expected personalities.
One small continuity issue I did notice was with Applejack's backstory. If we were to relate her story to that of the actual episode, her age would have been that of Appleboom, and the level of maturity she showed, even as good ol' Applejack was a bit too much for her as a filly.
Grammar: 4/5
Story line: 4/5
Appeal: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
CAN-NOT-CRY
THE DARKNESS IN MY SOUL FORBIDS ME TO CRY!
*sniff*
SCREW IT!
BRILLIANT! PLEASE STOP MAKING ME CRY!
This story was just so fucking
My first thought after reading the final line: NUH UH!
Thank you for writing this.
I recently went through something similar to Rainbow Dash's experience and I know how hard it is.
So again, great story and it almost made me cry.
Merry Christmas!
It's great to see this on here - I read it on EQD way back when... and loved it.
I always thought it was funny to see a few similarities it has with my fic, 'Hearts Aflutter'.
Only just now getting around to writing that out properly though.
Anyways, awesome fic. Truly one of the better ones I've read.
112434
It would be wise to learn the difference between "oldest" and "eldest".
Oldest friend means: "Friend who you have known the longest."
Eldest friend would mean: "Friend who has the largest age."
112471
oh that makes much more sense!
Great story, I'm not sure why, but I've read a few incredibly well-written fics that just make me cry, good thing too, as I've been living as a bit of a cold-hearted jerk these last few years. It's always good to get a slice of life in these stories. Overall impression of an obvious 5/5 for this story.
28136
dont you mean
this was the first ever fanfic that I read. it was amazing. It made me cry, then feel about as happy as possible. Amazing
I remember reading this on EqD a few months ago. Basing a fic on a song is quite the interesting concept.
Can't believe I hadn't commented on this fanfic earlier. This was one of the first fanfics that I ever read, and I think it's one of the reasons I keep reading them now. This was a very moving story if I ever saw one. I'm glad that everyone made it in the end, but it's obvious Rainbow had to work her way back towards some semblance of normal. And the various Coldplay lyrics peppered into the song made it all the more interesting. Long story short, awesome story.
Are you going to upload your sequel on fimfiction, too? I don't like the non-existent tracking system of DeviantArt/EquestriaDaily...
200311
I'll get it here eventually, give me at least a day to get the files sorted. I've been pretty busy this week.
201966
I was just already asking, so that I know if I should begin to read already. It was a question, not an order or something =(
...must.......not.......cryimg.ponibooru.org/_images/68d5489e3754b85e3e2c62d928549c36/47509%20-%20computer%20denied%20hardware_abuse%20no%20punch%20twilight_sparkle.jpg
Since the start, I wanted to see some Pinkieshy. Oh well, still well done.
Also, I didn't shed a tear after the "Fluttershy's fine part"
122976
Same over here. just worse.
This was a really well written story. I am glad I found it and I hope you write another fic in the future. You have a real talent for it as the tears that have been shed will tell you. Great job.
Great story! Happy to have found it indeed.
keep up the good work!
Out of all 47 fics I read this will be readed tonight.
Whait it's status says it had had most 22 ponys reading it at once?! How can my X-COM get 46 when my story is nowhere as close and whel done as this?! I'm confused
28136
If you have read My Little Dashie you get a permanent pokerface. That fic stole my ability to cry. And I wanted to cry in joy. I'm geting angry on that. This is a good fic but it don't make me cry. It has a far lower cry rate then My little Dashie.
Must. Not. Cry!
Must. Be. Strong.
Aw who am I kidding
422834
Yes. Yes it was.
422913
I figured it was, other than that...freaking great story. I'm on Chapter 5 right now, and I usually have at least something bad to say about a story...but nothing here. I can't find anything, normally you don't get such a great combination of the story and the writing, but this is
i loved this fanfic. the wording the pacing were just perfect. the characters where a smidgen of though. like rarity not knowing her parents. i am not sure when this fanfic were made though so it could have been made before we knew about rarity's parents. still a great fanfic. totally saved for later enjoyment! grade A
Wow. Just wow.
Thanks for just making my day good sir. :twilight smile:
Cheers to you!!!!
I absolutely loved this.
There was darkness, but it wasn't grimdark. And it served to contrast the heartwarming bits excellently.
*standing on the cloud looking down* ......
... "wish it wouldn't have to end like this" ...
So I stumbled upon this fanfic, and I read it. Well, it instantly became my number one favourite, because I generally like dark and sad stuff. I almost cried tears of happiness in the end
But anyways, this fic is my absolute favourite of all time! Keep up the good work!
Beautiful in every sense. The Coldplay references were amazingly well placed!!! 5/5 And yes I cried manly tears openly!
Never hide the fact that something moved you to tears. Bravo.
864610
That was a bad pun. And you should feel bad.
"The gods of Canterlot have abandoned me"
"Now there is no hope"
And Rainbow cast herself from the highest cloud in all of Equestria
After 10 years of suffering, ten years of Wonderbolt rejections, it would finally come to an end, death, would be her escape from sadness
But it had not always been this way, Rainbow had once been the fastest flier of Equestria
Let's play the 'guess the reference game'
905564
Never heard of it.
919972 god of war :)
Quite good. Though I did catch a lot of the Coldplay references and all I could do was sigh (I'm not sure).
Well done, I enjoyed this. Thanks for writing.