Chapter One: The Last Words
Rainbow Dash rushed into the hospital. Without further hesitation, a nurse at the counter pointed to where Rainbow Dash’s mother was. Then Rainbow Dash flew through the pointed aisle, and right near the end of the aisle, was an open door. Rainbow Dash peeked into it. Then she saw it.
She saw her mother, Spectrum Dash, lying in a small hospital bed, looking out the window.
“Mom!” Rainbow Dash cried, “I’m so glad to see you!”
“Rainbow,” Spectrum said weakly, “I haven’t seen you for a long time.”
Rainbow Dash trotted toward her mother and hugged her tight, not being able to see her for years. Spectrum was the one to break the hug, and hastily spoke in a weary tone.
“Rainbow, the doctor said I’ll be gone in thirty minutes. There was nothing he was able to do to treat my illness.”
Rainbow Dash, completely traumatized by the news, burst into tears. She had never cried harder than this in her life. She had cried at some of her relatives’ deaths, but she never cried harder than to hear that her mother was going to leave her in a half an hour.
“Do not worry, my daughter, there are still a few places that I can live in, you know,” Spectrum said, with a soft tone.
“W-w-where?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I will always live in your and Scootaloo’s hearts and memories. So do not worry.”
“But…mom…” Rainbow Dash started, but was hushed by her mother.
Spectrum too started to cry, but not as powerful as Rainbow’s sobs.
“Rainbow Dash, let me tell you about our family tree…”
“Mom…I don’t need to know anything about our family! Our family was just you, Scootaloo, and me!”
“Let me just tell you a small story, come on now, Rainbow, you liked to hear stories as filly, didn’t you?” Spectrum said, with a forced smile.
“I did, mom, but I want to spend time with you! Not some unimportant story…”
“This story…is my prized possession, and I want you to listen.”
Rainbow Dash stopped arguing and let Spectrum tell her story.
“We Dashes are both famous and notorious for our talent in high-speed flying. Nearly every Dash has done a Sonic Rainboom, like you. Did you ever know that one of your great-grandmothers was a Wonderbolt?”
Rainbow Dash was given a surge of excitement at the sudden words that came from Spectrum’s mouth.
“I never knew that.”
“Yes, Neon Dash, one of the Wonderbolts. How she was able to be a Wonderbolt? Many say that she did the Sonic Rainboom, not once, not twice, but three times. And do you remember your Uncle Roy?”
“Yeah, I remembered him…”
“He worked as a scientist in Cloudsdale’s top secret factory. The Lightning Factory.”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. Her uncle had once worked in the legendary Lightning Factory. She had heard stories about that factory, but never knew it was real.
“It’s a good thing your Uncle Roy is still alive…but let’s not go further into that, shall we? It is very odd how every Dash has a rainbow mane and tail…”
Spectrum kept on her story, Rainbow listening attentively. Then Rainbow Dash gazed at the clock in the room. It was only five more minutes until her mother would leave her. So Rainbow Dash asked, “Mom, so what was your most important story you were going to tell me?”
“Oh, I nearly forgot. Well, did you know-AH!” Spectrum exclaimed. She put a hoof on her chest. Rainbow Dash, watching in horror as a doctor and a nurse poured inside the room, ignoring Rainbow, and trying to help Spectrum.
“Rainbow…..you…are…a descendant…of Commander Hurricane…” Spectrum sighed.
Then the heartbeat detector went on flat line, and Rainbow Dash knew what happened. Her mother is gone, for good, forever, never to return. Tears then came pouring from her eyes and she started to sob, even harder than minutes earlier. Then, after failing to help Spectrum, the doctor said to Rainbow Dash, “I am truly sorry, Miss Dash. We did everything we could. But she’s gone.”
Rainbow Dash didn’t know what to say. She was drowning in her tears. She never actually talked about her mother to her friends, so her friends don’t really know about her. But she didn’t care. The only thing that she cared in that very room was her dead mother. Spectrum Dash, the most wonderful pony Rainbow has ever seen is now gone, nopony knowing what her faith is.
The only thing that Spectrum doesn’t know is that Rainbow Dash will still remember her last words. But Rainbow didn't care whether or not she was a descendant. She just wanted her mother back.
Before leaving, though, Rainbow put one of her hoofs on her mother's, and slowly trotted out of the room. Rainbow Dash did not know what was worse: to see her mother dying in front of her or to live with the horrible memory.
Rainbow Dash walked out of the hospital, saying nothing. She gazed up at the town of Ponyville, her home, everypony doing their business as if nothing happened in the hospital. Rainbow Dash glared at them. She saw Ponyville as her home, but also saw her home was not perfect. Her home was full of ponies who wouldn't care what happened to her mother. Then Rainbow Dash asked herself, "Who would blame them? They didn't see what happened." Then Rainbow Dash looked once again at Ponyville. Now to her, it was still her home, but now perfect. Then she frowned. "Why did I never think of visiting her?" Rainbow asked herself, now angry once more. But this anger was different. This anger was inflicted to herself, the one who never visited her mother for years.
Then Rainbow Dash remembered what her mother told her. That her mother would exist in Scootaloo's and her hearts. This Rainbow Dash knew was true-Rainbow and Scootaloo would never forget their mother. This thought made Rainbow smile. But then Rainbow Dash remembered her mother's last words that were said not so long ago. "You are a descendant of Commander Hurricane," Rainbow Dash repeated. Then she repeated it again. And again. Then Rainbow Dash just asked herself, "How?"
Chapter Two: The Funeral
Four weeks have passed since Spectrum's tragic death. Rainbow Dash has never forgotten her mother since.
Spectrum's burial was to be in the Ponyville Graveyard, where Rainbow Dash picked because she was the eldest daughter. Rainbow Dash rarely talks now, her friends know that she is in pain. When it was Rainbow Dash's turn to speak in front of everyone who attended the funeral, she spoke.
"I thank you all who have attended...mom's funeral. I'm serious, you people are great for attending...the funeral," said Rainbow Dash with reluctance, "Now, shall we? Mom, I probably didn't know you enough, but yeah, you were awesome."
Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her face, afraid her friends think she's weak. Then she resumed. "Mom, if it weren't for you...I wouldn't be here. Scootaloo wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met my best friends. Mom, if it wasn't for you, I would never have told you that you were probably the closest friend and family member I ever had. Thank you."
Many ponies, though they may have never known Spectrum, were shedding countless tears, as if Spectrum was one of their family members. Rainbow Dash then solemnly walked out of the funeral, as if that event meant nothing to her. Twilight Sparkle saw Rainbow Dash and then started after her. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity followed. When Twilight finally caught up with Dash, she said while catching her breath, "Rainbow Dash, wait! Don't leave!"
"What do you want, Twilight?" Dash asked.
"I heard your speech, and you're right. If it wasn't for your mother, we wouldn't have met you," Twilight said.
"You are one of the greatest ponies I've ever met," Fluttershy said, forcing a smile.
"And if it weren't for you, we would never get those cutie marks," Applejack said.
"Thanks for the compliments, guys, but it won't make a difference. Mom's...gone..." Rainbow Dash said, and then started walking in another direction, ignoring the noises in the background.
"Wait! Rainbow Dash!" a familiar voice said to her.
Rainbow Dash turned to face the pony and saw it was Scootaloo, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
"Oh...Scootaloo, I haven't seen you yet," Rainbow Dash said, slightly surprised.
"Is it true? Is mom really....gone?" Scootaloo said, her eyes starting to tear up.
"It's.....true," Rainbow Dash said, with a large hint of reluctance in her voice. She couldn't lie to Scootaloo since the evidence was already there.
Scootaloo said nothing but started to cry. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle then tried to calm her down.
"It's okay, Scoot', there's nothin' to be crying about," Apple Bloom said. Then she looked at Rainbow Dash, whose face was pale than the usual blue, and said, "I'm sorry for this, Rainbow Dash."
"Don't worry about it Bloom, I can handle," Rainbow Dash said, even though the last three words she lied.
Then Rainbow Dash started to walk again, this time in another direction, not even stopping for her friends. Then, when out of sight of her friends, Rainbow flew to her cloud home.
Rainbow Dash woke in the middle of the night. She knew what happened. She had another nightmare since the death. Rainbow Dash slowly looked from left to right, the darkness and silence heavy. There was a slight wind blowing, the only thing she could hear. "Why can't I just stop thinking about it?" she asked herself, puzzled.
Rainbow never again wanted to talk or think about her mother, but her mind refuses. Rainbow then tried to count sheep, but it didn't work. Then she tried to think about something other than her mother. She searched her mind for something that can make her think deeply about, and she found it. Her mother's last words. "Hmm...am I really from Hurricane's family? I mean, mom did say it was-"
Rainbow's words were cut off when she heard a knock on the door. "What the? Who could be awake at this time of the night?"
Though she didn't really believe the door was being knocked on, Rainbow trotted downstairs and opened the door.
She saw Fluttershy, carrying a basket on her mouth. Fluttershy put the basket down on the cloud and spoke. "Um...hello Rainbow Dash. I just wanted to see if you were okay...and I brought some tea I made myself for you."
"Thanks...Fluttershy...you didn't really need to visit me in a time like this. And yes...I'm fine," Rainbow Dash said, a little bewildered that Fluttershy visited her in a time like this.
"Okay...that's all I came here for...sorry for your mother, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said, turning to leave.
When Rainbow Dash heard the words "your mother" she hugged Fluttershy tightly and started to tear up.
Fluttershy was a little frightened at first from the sudden movement, but then she started patting Rainbow Dash's back with a hoof.
"It's okay, Rainbow Dash, let it out."
Rainbow Dash quickly recovered, not wanting to be seen crying. "Fluttershy, I need to tell you something I haven't told anypony else."
"What is it, Rainbow Dash?"
"At the hospital, my mom said I...was a descendant of Commander Hurricane."
"Oh...that's quite impressive, Rainbow Dash, anyway, I have to go home now, if you don't mind."
Fluttershy flew out of Dash's cloud house and out of sight. Rainbow Dash stared at the sky from the open door. After telling Fluttershy about her own ancestry, the thoughts of Commander Hurricane were once revived. "Every Dash had a rainbow-colored mane and tail," Dash's mom had said four weeks ago. Rainbow Dash remembered it, and this started a new question. "Does Hurricane have what my family has? Rainbow manes?" Dash asked herself. This sparked new questions, deeper than the question she asked. Rainbow kept asking questions until morning. Every thought of her mother was gone, and was replaced by new thoughts of Commander Hurricane.
"If I really was a descendant, that would have been awesome," Rainbow Dash told herself, starting to smile. This smile is the first of the many smiles that happened after the dreaded four weeks of nonstop thoughts of her mother. Because of this smile, Rainbow Dash is going to one of the greatest journeys of her life. The quest to prove her descendance to one of Equestria's founders, Commander Hurricane.