"Better Luck Next Time" and Other Short Stories

by Tarot Card

The One Where Rainbow Dash Momentarily Loses Her Cool

Prompt: Two of the Mane Six have just learned that they’re related

“I don’t get what you’re saying,” Rainbow Dash said, furrowing her brow. She eyed the picture of the stallion her mother always had identified as her father. But that was all he ever was. A photograph. A photograph that stayed tucked in the back of the photo album, one that never showed up for dinner, or asked her how her day was, or scolded her for staying out too late, or kissed her goodnight.

She never imagined for even a moment that he was a flesh and blood pony, who cared for and raised a whole other family in a boring old rock farm. Let alone one that made a point of polishing his shotgun whenever colts came by to take his daughter out to dinner. It was Just Dash and mommy, a pair that scraped by in spite of dumb old stallion leaving them both. Still, it felt really lonely, especially when her mom was working.

“It’s simple Dashie! When I was born, my daddy says he had a ‘mid-life crisis’, and made a lot of mistakes that made mommy really angry! He was always out late, and sometimes he’d be gone for weeks at a time! It turns out that he had a few marefriends... I guess your mom was one of the marefriends that we weren’t ever allowed to say the name of.” Pinkie pointed to the stern, brown Earth pony, standing next to her frizzy maned, filly-self.

Dash stared at the picture. “So... Are we like, sisters?” she said after a minute of silence.

“Half-sisters, but sisters all the same!” Pinkie tackled Dash into an embrace. “Isn’t this the best? You can come up with me for the next Pie family reunion! It will be great, there will be dancing and singing, and you don’t even have to travel! They're all coming to Ponyville! And...”

Rainbow’s focus drifted away from the loquacious pink pony, fixating on one word.

Sister.

Sister.

Sister.

This sugar addicted, hyperactive party pony was her sister. Her own flesh and blood sister. Well, half-sister if you wanted to get technical. She imagined for a moment all those lonely days, waiting for mom to come home from work, but with the addition of a certain pink pony.

“But, I’ve never had a sister before...”

“Oh, it’s the best! And that means Inkie and Blinke are your sisters too! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

Dash didn’t know quite how to respond. She thought Of Applejack, and how she envied and admired her care of Applebloom. She scraped her hoof against the ground wistfully. “Will you take me to the sisterhooves social?” she blurted out. Pinkie look surprised for a moment. Dash was painfully aware of vulnerability of her question. She quickly composed herself, and crossed her forelegs casually. Calm. Cool. The very picture of nonchalance. “If ya want, since we’re sisters and all now...” she cast a quick glance at Pinkie to see her reaction.

Instead she was greeted by another bear hug. “Oh Dashie, of course! After all, that’s what sisters are for!”

Comments

[Ms_Fruit_Bat]

D'aaaaaaaawwww.....

[Tatsurou]

I want to see this one expanded into a full story. I mean, the idea of Dash and Pinkie sharing a father, of Dash being the result of a 'Mid-life Crisis'...the emotional charge of this story would be huge! Sure, Dash and Pinkie could bond easily - they're already friends - but what happens when Dash meets the father she's never known and never cared about her/knew she existed? What happens when her Mom gets involved?

This. It needs to happen.

[Bookmark88]

Normally, I ship Pinks and Dashie.

But I could see this expanded into a decent story.

would read again.

[The1templar]

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