Alternate ending to The Mysterious Mare Do Well. Rainbow has been missing for over a week when Fluttershy finds her letter. Her goodbye letter.
Alternate ending to The Mysterious Mare Do Well.
Nopony has seen Rainbow Dash since the argument about Mare Do Well at Sugercube Corner, over a week ago. Too much time has passed without an attempt at fame, so Fluttershy goes to Rainbow Dash’s house to talk to her. Instead of finding a prismatic Pegasus, all Fluttershy finds is a letter. A letter of apologies, a letter of dreams, a letter of fears. But also a letter of farewell.
“No distractions,” Twilight said serenely as she lit a candle with her magic. She closed the curtains with a purple glow as she walked away. “Today is too important,” she continued with a look of ferocious determination on her face. “Re-shelving day!” she finished dramatically as she pulled all the books in her library off their shelves and dropped them on the floor. She picked up the first one, but before she could truly start her attack on disorginization, she was interrupted by a yellow blur that burst in through one of the closed windows. “Fluttershy!” she cried out in shock and irritation brought on by the sudden disruption of her airtight schedule. “What are you doing? You know today is re-shelving day!”
“Oh, I’m sorry Twilight,” Fluttershy said, her eyes wide with emotion. Her breathing seemed ragged and a few tears stained her pale face. “I know you said not to interrupt you, but this is really important.”
“More important than re-shelving day?” Twilight asked skeptically. But her composure softened as she took in the discomfort her friend seemed to be in. Fluttershy nodded, barely holding back more tears. “Fluttershy, are you OK?” the unicorn asked, her books lying forgotten on the floor. Fluttershy shook her head quickly.
“No. I’m not. I’m-” Fluttershy broke off with a small sob. She shook her head, seeming unable to find the words she needed. “Just- just take this,” she said, shoving Twilight the letter she had been holding. Curious, the unicorn started to unwind the paper with her magic, but was stopped by an uncharacteristic shout from Fluttershy.
“Don’t,” she almost screamed. “Don’t. Not- not yet. Wait, please. I- I need to get the others. You don’t want to read it alone. And the others need to hear it, too.” Fluttershy turned around and lifted her wings, about to take off. Yet she was halted by another inquiry from her purple friend.
“Does this have anything to do with Rainbow Dash?”
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, frozen by… By what? Fear? Anxiety? Pain? Twilight could not tell. But then the Pegasus shook whatever the emotion was off and whispered a single word without turning. Without waiting for a response, she took to the air and flew away.
Silence followed Fluttershy’s departure as the simple word echoed in Twilight’s mind. It was such a small word, yet it could explain so much. She stood without moving for several moments, her books, her previous mission, her other thoughts, all shoved from her mind by this small, simple word. Finally, Twilight could stand the silence no longer and breathed out the word herself, tasting it, what it could mean, what it could hold. She had said it many times before, but this time it held the power to turn her world upside down.
To my friends, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy,
I’m sorry. All I ever wanted was to be a hero. That’s all I wanted. That’s why I did what I did. I hope you can forgive me. I will explain it all, here, in this letter. But I need to go back to the beginning. Back to the foalhood I never told any of you about.
Even back before I first started school, I never wanted to be just another face in the crowd. One of my greatest fears was being forgotten, seconded only by the fear of being remembered a failure. I want to be remembered a hero. That was all I ever wanted. Ever since I was little, I dreamt of being so much more than just another Pegasus.
There you go. That is the short version of why. That is what I have always felt. So, yeah, I guess that’s why I did what I did. That is the root reason of why I needed to be a hero so badly. I guess I should have told one of you that. But I also guess that, since you’re reading this, it’s too late now.
I’m not making sense, am I? Probably because I’ve keep changing tense, so I don’t blame you, although Twilight’s probably the only one who noticed. It’s just that I’m not sure what tense I should be writing this in. But I’m still being confusing, right? Don’t worry, all will be explained. We just need to start back at the beginning. Back to my foalhood and where my dreams, as well as my fears, started.
My parents had known that I held potential to do whatever I wanted. So they encouraged me as much as they could. They motivated me until they couldn’t. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to anymore, it’s just that it’s hard to offer encouragement when you’ve been burnt to a crisp. Lightning usually doesn’t hit Pegasus Ponies, but accidents happen. The night the storm ended and the medics told us what happened had been a cold one. Not in temperature, because warmth usually follows storms, but we felt cold. By “we” I mean my older sister and I. Yeah, I have a sister. Or had. I’m not really sure, because the morning after our parents died, I watched as my sister wandered around the house, packing up her bags. Then I watched as she just left. She didn’t say anything, just walked out the door. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. Not so much as a letter to let me know it she’s alright. For all I know, she’s a dead as our parents.
So after losing all of my family (I never knew my grandparents) in less than 24 hours, I was sent to the orphanage. I think that was where my fears really began. Life at the orphanage was hard, emotionally, if nothing else. While I was provided with food and shelter, I was given no love, I had no friends and there was certainly no motivation. That is where I grew up, that is where I lived my entire young life. I was never adopted. I moved out once I had enough bits and never looked back. But when I was young that was all there was. The orphanage was everything. It was where I was surrounded by other unwanted Pegasi foals, where it was all too easy to fade into the background.
I didn’t want to, not really, but I had no reason not to. So I allowed myself to get lost in the sea of faces and I slid away from my potential. I was willing to live my whole life that way and I was about to. But one day, I was reminded of what I once wanted to be.
OK, so maybe it was not just one day that I woke up and said ‘Hey, I want to be more than this!’ It was a process that I’m not sure when it ended. Or if it ever really did. But I do know where it began.
It started when I first saw another filly in flight school. I’d seen her in the hallways before, maybe in class once or twice, but I never really took notice of her. She was a weak flyer and bullied because of it. The filly was older than I was by two years, but we were in the same class. My parents had put me ahead a year due to so much potential and I guess she had been held back. When I first saw her getting picked on, she was just a reminder to me that there were worse fates than being ignored. But a few days later, I found myself watching her. I knew it was weird, but I didn’t stop. Not creepy watching, I just found that I was keeping an eye on her, looking out for her, even though I didn’t help her. I always stayed hidden behind the wall of faces, the sea of bodies, taking care that she never saw me. I was still wanting to be lost in the background. But the more I watched, the more I realized that I was wishing she would stand up for herself, put a stop to the bullying on her own. But she never did. A few more months passed and I knew she never would. I wanted to help her at that point, but I was too afraid. I was a coward, caring more for my own safety than that of others. I was unwilling to get hurt for anypony, at risk of my own pain. But one day the bullies said something that made me willing to help her. More than willing, I felt the need to help her.
I don’t recall exactly what they said, but I remember they had been teasing her about her lack of a cutie mark. The bullies, three colts, were older than me but younger than her; the same age as most in our class. I had no mark of my own, so I knew the pain they were inflicting on her. I’m not sure what it was exactly that made me so angry, but know I was mad enough to fly out and give the leader a hard buck to the face. His two cronies were too shocked to do anything, so I had time to send them both to the ground with sharp jabs to the gut. Do you remember that day, Fluttershy? Do you remember how I didn’t say anything to you, how I didn’t even glance at you? I do. I remember that I just took off, just like that.
Although I was almost sure they would, the colts never told on me. Probably because they would have had to admit that they’d gotten beat by a filly in order to do that. I expected you to try and find me, to thank me. But you never did, Fluttershy. Why? Did you not want to thank me? Or were you too afraid? I’m betting the second one, now that I know you.
But that incident changed something. It made me feel like a hero and I liked that feeling. You saved me, Fluttershy. I want you to know that. You probably think that I was the savoir, but it was you that reawakened my wish to stand out, that reawakened who I was. Not by much, but enough that I felt the need to watch over you, to protect you, maybe to repay the favor you had done me. So I watched you, waiting for the opportunity to present itself. But for the next month, the bullies did nothing to either of us. I was almost ready to fall back into the crowd, to forget my old wish once again when they went back to their old ways. But again, I only watched. I was so close to falling back on bad habits, it was easier to let her deal. And I think I wanted Fluttershy to stand up for herself. But you never did, did you? Did you know I would help you again? Did you want me to help you again, to become friends with me? Where you just too afraid, perhaps too kind? Whatever the reason, I’m glad it happened, because I think I felt the same way. I only watched for a week that time, before I helped you again. No more physical fights, or at least not many. Instead, I had an arsenal of verbal comebacks, ready for use at any time. I didn’t stay long, though, after the battles. I would always leave right after the bullies fled. I never said anything to you. But each time, I heard you whisper your thanks. One day, I stayed. I stayed and listened to your gratitude. I stayed and we talked. Not for long, but it broke the ice. I started hanging back more and more, for a little longer each time, until we became friends. I never told you about my home life, never invited you over. Did you wonder why, Fluttershy? You never asked. Is that because you never thought to, or did you guess I didn’t want to talk about? Or, maybe, you mentioned it once. Did you? If you did, I blocked it from my memory. I know I never told you. Until now. When it doesn’t really matter.
Anyway, I’m off topic. Sorry about that. But what is here is important, because it shows that I always needed to be a hero. This need grew over the years. Throughout all of our schooling, I was Fluttershy’s guardian. When I became the Element of Loyalty, I thought that would make me enough of a hero. When I found out none of us would have our cutie marks without me, I thought I would have satisfied my search for fame. It did, but only to a point. It was enough, but it left with the feeling that I needed to do more, so that ponies would not forget me. I felt I always needed to be a hero, constantly proving my worth of the title. I know it looked like I let it get to my head, but that was only to cover up my fear. I was so afraid to let anypony down. I was afraid and I was trapped.
I was trapped. Trapped in a cycle that was endless and painful. The more fame I got, the more I felt the need to keep up the image, to show that I can be a hero. The more I felt that I needed to be a hero, the more heroics I did. The more heroics I did, the more fame I got. Round and round and round I went, unable to stop. It was like a drug. I needed more, always. So I kept going around, gaining more speed and more speed as time went on. I probably would have kept going until I went insane, or snapped, or overworked myself, or something else, if not for Mare Do Well.
She was, is, everything I was and more. She is fast and strong. She is modest, a trait I will never learn. She was also a competitor. She was a threat. I had to be better than her. I don’t think you understand my need to be the best. I don’t think you ever will. It was so important to me. I saw it as the only thing I could do to be remembered, to be notice, to not fade away. I couldn’t fade away. Not again. What If my sister came back to try and find me, but I had been forgotten by everypony? What If the Elements where needed again, but I had vanished into the background? I couldn’t let that happen. I just couldn’t. So I tried to be better than Mare Do Well. I tried with everything I had. But it was not enough. I was not enough. I watched, helpless, as she replaced me, not just in Ponyville, but in our group. Remember how you would talk about her, praise her? Did you see the pain it caused me? I tried so hard to hide it. Maybe I hid it too well. Maybe if I didn’t hide it, one of you would have stopped me, helped me. But it wasn’t like that. Again, I kept everything to myself. Again, I felt myself slipping. But there was another again that took place. Again, Fluttershy came to my rescue. And again, I’m not sure she knew she was helping me. The two of us had been walking around. Just walking and talking. I asked you if anything was happening in the animal world, do you remember, Fluttershy? I tried to ask casually and I must have succeeded because you told me what I wanted to hear. Fluttershy, please don’t feel bad for telling me about the Hydra. Twilight, AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, please do not be mad at her for telling me that the Hydra was planning an attack on Ponyville. I’m not sure why it was, I never asked. I would have thought that Froggy Bottom Bog seems too far away for the beast to be bothered by anything we do here, but apparently the Hydra disagreed.
Anyway, this was my chance! There was no way Mare Do Well could know about the Hydra. There was no chance of Fluttershy stopping it; she said that her attempts to reason had so far failed. If I could beat the Hydra, I would be the hero again! Nothing Mare Do Well could be better than saving the town from a rampaging monster. I would go to the Bog, have a “talk” with the Hydra and come back the Savoir of Ponyville. There was no chance of me being called a liar because Fluttershy could back me up about the impending attack. It was a foalproof plan. But- What If? I’d been plagued with these thoughts, these “What If”’s for so long now. There was no way I would get beaten, but What If I was? What If, What If, What If. So here is the compromise I came up with. This letter. I have written this letter just in case the What If becomes What Is. I am going to hide this letter in my house, where only Fluttershy can find it. I think she will know where to find it. I guess she did, if you’re reading this. I hope that you never have to read this. If you are reading this, I’m sorry. If you are reading this, you know of why I always was so brave. You now know that all I ever wanted to be was a hero. If you’re reading this, then I went off to face the Hydra and never came back.
If you are reading this letter, I’m dead.
Hopefully I took that Hydra down with me.
So, this is the part where I should get all sappy. Only I won’t. Because I know I will be back, I know you will never have to read this. But I am writing this assuming that you will read it, so here is what I need to say.
Rarity. We never got along well, did we? You always wanted me to stay still. I never should have gotten so snappy all those times, but I am who I am, right? Or was. I’m still not really sure what the proper tense for this is. Which one have I been using? Anyway, I think the two of us had more in common than we thought. We both care so much about what other ponies think of us. We both want to help our friends. We both have big dreams. It seems I finished one of mine. Now you go achieve yours. Go be the greatest fashion designer in all of Equesrtia. I know you can do it. Never give up, Rarity.
Twilight. I may not have known you for very long, but you taught me so much. You may have had your nose stuck in a book a little too often for my taste, but you are who you are. I could always come to you with a problem I needed solving. I’m sorry if I ever offended you. And I was wrong, you’re not an egghead. You’re a friend. I’m sorry I ever called you that. But that did end up as a great letter to Princess Celestia. I’m sure this will too. But I do wish I knew you better. But I know you’ll be fine. Just keep studying, Twilight Sparkle.
Applejack. What is there to say? You have always been my most level-headed friend. I could always count on you to be straight up with me, or to keep me out of trouble. How many times did you have to grab my tail to keep me from charging head first into something? Remember the Running of the Leaves? We may have been competing, but I knew that nothing could get in the way of our friendship. Stay strong, Applejack.
Pinkie Pie. Remember how we met? I’d heard that Fluttershy had moved to Ponyville and that you were throwing her a party. How did that go again? Did I blast into Sugarcube Corner at top speed, trying to stop the party that was already in full swing? Yup, that was it. My warning was too late, if I recall correctly. Fluttershy was trying to sneak away when I burst in, but she had already been terrified by all the ponies. I flew her home and came back to yell at you, but you just turned her party into mine since you had never seen me before. After that, I always knew I could go to you for a laugh. Keep on smiling, Pinkie Pie.
Fluttershy. Thank you. Thank you for saving me, not once, but twice. Thank you for being my first friend. If you are reading this, then I may be dead, but I will have died a hero. Probably. I’m assuming that I took the Hydra down with me. Anyway, thank you for letting me live out my final dream. Thank you for understand that I would tell you about my past when and only when I was ready. Thank you for everything. Words cannot describe how much you meant to me. Never forget me, but do not dwell on the past. Live your life, Fluttershy. Become the pony that you want to be. One last time, thank you. For everything. Thank you so, so much, Fluttershy.
I guess that’s it, then. I have one more point I want to be clear. This was not Fluttershy’s fault. It is nopony’s fault. Except maybe Mare Do Well. If you ever meet her, tell her… I’m not sure. Think of something cool and tell her I said that. The blame is not all on her, but some of it. If there is any blame. Because, like I said before, this is only a precaution. I will come back. I will be a hero. You will never read this letter. But in case the unthinkable happens, I want to stress that nothing is Fluttershy’s fault. She told me about the Hydra because I asked her. She did not know what I had planned. Nopony is to blame her.
So, I guess that’s all I have to say. I’m off to fight the Hydra. When I get back, I will burn this letter. Nopony will ever see this. But once again, if anypony does see this, do not pity me. I am not saddened by death. I will see my parents again, maybe even my sister. If I died, I died a hero. If I died a hero, then that is how I will always be remembered.
So, goodbye, I guess.
Rainbow Dash
PS. Somepony better tell Scootaloo. I think she’ll be fine, there are other ponies for her to follow. Tell her that she was like a little sister to me and that I’m sorry I had to leave her the way my sister left me. Oh and tell Spike that he can have my Wonderbolt Action Figures. To remember me by. Oh, and all of you can take any of my stuff you want. But you won’t get to because I will beat the Hydra.
Slowly, Twilight lowered the letter. Fighting tears, she looked at the four ponies in front of her. Fluttershy was weeping in the corner, hooves over her ears in a feeble attempt to drown out the letter she had already read. Applejack had removed her hat out of respect at some point and sat with her head bowed, dry eyes closed. She was not one for tears, but it was still clear she was upset. Rarity’s eyes lacked the farm pony’s dryness; tears slid down her face, smudging her perfect makeup. Yet the fashionista made no attempt to clean herself up, she just stared as Twilight slowly rolled up the letter and placed it on the ground before her. Pinkie Pie sat uncharacteristically still, wide eyes dry. Her head, cocked to one side, portrayed her confusion: the party pony could not understand what the letter meant. Twilight sat down before her legs could fail her, allowing her tears to fall freely. She looked at her friends as the silence stretched on. Slowly, Fluttershy stopped weeping. She uncovered her head and sat up. After looking hard each of her friends, lost in their own pain, she broke the stillness of the air.
“I killed her,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. Four heads snapped to face her, four sets of lungs tried to regain the air stolen by the sudden words. Fluttershy blinked slowly and took a deep gulp of air. “I killed her,” she repeated, louder, as if daring her friends to contradict her. But there was no response, so Fluttershy nodded her head mutely. She stood up and turned to the door to leave, but she was stopped by Twilight.
“Fluttershy, wait.” The Pegasus stopped, her hoof on the door to open it, but did not turn. She waited stiffly for Twilight’s next words. “You didn’t kill Rainb-”
“Didn’t I?” Fluttershy softly cut across her friend, still facing the exit. She had stopped crying, but when the tears had left her, they had taken all of her emotions with them. The Pegasus spoke in a low monotone as she continued. “I was her oldest friend, I should have seen this was bothering her. I was the one that told her about the Hydra. I-”
“Would you let me finish?” Twilight burst out, reclaiming her place as the speaker in the conversation. Fluttershy said nothing as she turned to face her remaining friends. “Good,” Twilight continued, momentarily using her usual brisk manner before returning to one of grief. “Now, as I was saying, you did not kill Rainbow. We- we all did.” Twilight waited, expecting one of her friends to say something. This time it was Applejack that spoke.
“You’re wrong, Twi,” the farm mare said. “We didn’t. Mare Do Well did.” Applejack looked at the ponies around her, wishing for one of them to make a move, to break the silence. She slowly turned back to Fluttershy as the Pegasus took another step to the door. She stood there for a moment, her head bowed and eyes closed, before speaking once more.
“Isn’t that the same thing?” she asked. Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door. She froze for a moment before speaking. “Who are you?” she asked the Pegasus mare before her.
“My name is Rainstorm. I’m looking for Twilight Sparkle, the librarian. Is that you?” the mare asked. She raised a dark blue hoof and ran it through her pale red mane.
“No, I’m Twilight,” the unicorn spoke up from inside. Fluttershy stepped back to allow Rainstorm to enter the building. Twilight wiped her tears from her eyes and tried to be businesslike again. “How may I help you? Is there a particular book you want?”
“Oh, no. I’m- I’m not looking for a book.” The Pegasus blinked her yellow eyes as she looked around. “But it looks like you’re in the middle of something, I can come back later,” she said, backing up.
“No, now is fine. If you’re not looking for a book, then what are you looking for?” Twilight asked.
“If you’re sure. I’m looking for my sister. We- she- I haven’t spoken to her in years. Something happened and-” the mare broke off with a sigh. She looked down, digging at the ground uncertainly. “I just- I want to apologise. I made a mistake. I just need to find to her again and I was told that you are her friend, Twilight. Do you think you could help me?”
“I could try, but I’m not friends with many ponies. All my friends are right here,” Twilight said, gesturing around her at the solemn ponies. “You might want to talk to Pinkie Pie here,” she continued, nodding to the pink pony. “She knows every pony in Ponyville.” Rainstorm nodded.
“Her coat is lighter than mine and her mane,” she started, only to be cut across by Pinkie.
“I’m sure I already know what she looks like. It’ll be easier if you tell me her name.”
“Alright,” Rainstorm agreed, nodding. “Her name is Rainbow Dash.”
A/N: Well, you demanded it so here it is. The alternate ending. The first part is the same so skip to a few lines before the line of stars if you don’t feel like re-reading most of the last chapter.
Slowly, Twilight lowered the letter. Fighting tears, she looked at the four ponies in front of her. Fluttershy was weeping in the corner, hooves over her ears in a feeble attempt to drown out the letter she had already read. Applejack had removed her hat out of respect at some point and sat with her head bowed, dry eyes closed. She was not one for tears, but it was still clear she was upset. Rarity’s eyes lacked the farm pony’s dryness; tears slid down her face, smudging her perfect makeup. Yet the fashionista made no attempt to clean herself up, she just stared as Twilight slowly rolled up the letter and placed it on the ground before her. Pinkie Pie sat uncharacteristically still, wide eyes dry. Her head, cocked to one side, portrayed her confusion: the party pony could not understand what the letter meant. Twilight sat down before her legs could fail her, allowing her tears to fall freely. She looked at her friends as the silence stretched on. Slowly, Fluttershy stopped weeping. She uncovered her head and sat up. After looking hard each of her friends, lost in their own pain, she broke the stillness of the air.
“I killed her,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. Four heads snapped to face her, four sets of lungs tried to regain the air stolen by the sudden words. Fluttershy blinked slowly and took a deep gulp of air. “I killed her,” she repeated, louder, as if daring her friends to contradict her. But there was no response, so Fluttershy nodded her head mutely. She stood up and turned to the door to leave, but she was stopped by Twilight.
“Fluttershy, wait.” The Pegasus stopped, her hoof on the door to open it, but did not turn. She waited stiffly for Twilight’s next words. “You didn’t kill Rainb-”
“Didn’t I?” Fluttershy softly cut across her friend, still facing the exit. She had stopped crying, but when the tears had left her, they had taken all of her emotions with them. The Pegasus spoke in a low monotone as she continued. “I was her oldest friend, I should have seen this was bothering her. I was the one that told her about the Hydra. I-”
“Would you let me finish?” Twilight burst out, reclaiming her place as the speaker in the conversation. Fluttershy said nothing as she turned to face her remaining friends. “Good,” Twilight continued, momentarily using her usual brisk manner before returning to one of grief. “Now, as I was saying, you did not kill Rainbow. We- we all did.” Twilight waited, expecting one of her friends to say something. This time it was Applejack that spoke.
“You’re wrong, Twi,” the farm mare said. “We didn’t. Mare Do Well did.” Applejack looked at the ponies around her, wishing for one of them to make a move, to break the silence. She slowly turned back to Fluttershy as the Pegasus took another step to the door. She stood there for a moment, her head bowed and eyes closed, before speaking once more.
“Isn’t that the same thing?” she asked. Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door. Nopony stopped her as she took to the air and flew out of sight.
As Fluttershy flew, she could feel the tears sneaking upon her again, but only in the physical sense. She felt no pain inside, no sorrow, no anger. She felt nothing. Empty. But still the tears fell from her eyes as the ground fell away beneath her. The yellow Pegasus made no move to stop the tears, or even acknowledge them. Fluttershy flew silently and quickly, but seemed unaware of the distance she was traveling. Although she had no particular destination in mind, her wings lead her to Froggy Bottom Bog. Silent other than the soft panting of her breath and the pounding of her heart, Fluttershy landed and started walking to where the Hydra had lived. {Lived}, she thought to herself,{ as in past tense? I think so, Rainbow must have succeeded. Or the Hydra would have attacked by now. But then that would mean that she really is- No. I-I don’t believe it. Maybe Rainbow is still OK, maybe she just got hurt and can’t fly and, and}, Fluttershy broke her thoughts off as she drew closer to where the Hydra once lived. The stench of rotting flesh and dead fish hung heavy in the air, accented by another, less familiar sent. {No!} Fluttershy screamed internally as she recognised the smell. She had known that this was the scent she would find but she hadn’t wanted to admit it. The smell that seeped through the air was the scent of death. Death and blood and fear and sorrow. Fluttershy let out a soft whimper, wanting nothing more than to flee the scene. But she had to know for sure. Slowly, painfully, she sloshed through the bog to where the scent came from. {I have to know,} she told herself every time her body tried to flinch away. {I have to know. I just have to.}
It took an eternity in the space of a second for Fluttershy to round the corner and push past the cattails that swayed in the soft breeze. The scent, greatly intensified, hit her like a wall, causing her to stumble back through the plants. The pain, the sorrow, came back but she pushed forward once more, her eyes closed against the tears. {I have to know,} she told herself once more as she forced her eyes open. What she saw made her cry out in shock.
The Hydra lay still in the murky water, its body laced with bruises and cuts. There was little blood: the rest had been washed away by the soft flow of the bog. The many heads lay in ways not possible had it been alive. Twisted and bent at wrong angles, their dead eyes gazing at nothing but still full of rage. Two heads had been tied together and one had its tongue in the bog. But the massive beast was not what stolen Fluttershy’s breath. No, the cry had been caused by the tuft of rainbow mane that hung from one of the dead Hydra’s many mouths.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness,” breathed the mare as she crept closer to the splash of colour. “Oh my goodness, Rainbow? Rainbow Dash? Are you there?” she asked softly, desperately, hopefully. Only the breeze dancing in her ears replied to her question. Shivering despite the warm sun on her back, Fluttershy reached forward a trembling hoof and picked up the patch of mane. It was Rainbow’s, no doubt. Although one end was stained a dull brown by dried blood, enough colour shone through to make it clear whose it was. Tears slid down her face as the mare tried to fly away in fright. {I don’t want to know! No, no!} Fluttershy told herself as she tried to make her wings work. But her limbs would not cooperate and she was as flightless as an Earth Pony.
The wind blew softly in her ears, wordlessly whispering to her. The Pegasus shook her head against the noise as she tried to make up her mind. Would she run away from her fears and her pain? Or would she be brave and find her friend? She wanted to be brave. Oh, how she longed to be brave, brave like-
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy called out gently. She had heard something. It sounded like a cough and it came from somewhere to her left. Turning away from the Hydra, the yellow mare called her friend’s name once more, a little louder. When no response came, Fluttershy made up her mind. Steeling her nerve as much as she could, she started walking to where the sound had come from. She called out again and again but the only noise was the pounding of her own heart in her ears. She pushed her way past a curtain of vines and let out another cry of pain as she felt ice stab her heart. Her eyes worked furiously to try and get the scene before them to Fluttershy’s brain. Slowly, she managed to get a good look at the small clearing. The space before her was about as big as the picnic blanket the girls often use and about three quarters of the ground was covered by bog. On Fluttershy’s right, spilling out into the centre, was a small chunk of solid land. Lying there, half in and half out of the water, was a blue lump. Rainbow Dash lay still, ignorant of the weeds that had started to creep over her unmoving body. Most of her tail had been torn clear off and where her cutie mark once was had become a bloody clot. Only the tip of one ear, most of which had been ripped off, was out of the water. The rest of the brash mare’s head was completely under the gently lapping waves. Fluttershy cried loudly and painfully as the realization hit her. She had wanted to believe that her friend was still alive when she found the letter. She had believed that Rainbow was still alive when she had heard the cough. But now Fluttershy cried as she pieced together what had made the sound.
It was the wind. It was the wind pushing past the vines and teaming up with her hopeful, over-active imagination. She had wanted, had needed, Rainbow to still be alive. But it was clear, as the living Pegasus splashed over to the dead one, that Rainbow could not have coughed. With her head almost completely submerged, the Pegasus would have been able to make a sound, had she even been alive. As Fluttershy drew closer it was clear that the blue mare had been dead for a while. The blood that stained her fur was too much and no living creature would allow plants to grow on and over them. No; Fluttershy had come too late. Perhaps, had she found the letter sooner, she would have been able to save Rainbow. But she hadn’t and it was too late.
For the second time that day, Fluttershy felt her emotions flee her. In a dream, she reached under the water and pulled her friend out. She was vaguely aware of tears falling and her breath coming in weeping gasps as she placed the other Pegasus on the solid ground. The weeds tugged at the body, reluctant to let go but Fluttershy ignored them. They broke and the yellow mare brushed them away gently, as if afraid to wake Rainbow. Looking down at her friend’s face, Fluttershy felt a soft smile form on her lips despite the tears that fell. Although the water had already set to work on decomposing Rainbow’s face, it was still clear what her final thoughts had been. Although she was dead, Rainbow did not look sad. The still and stiff pony held a smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes that even death could not take away. Rainbow’s face, although slightly scrunched up against the pain of her final moments, was that of a happy pony. She had the face of a foal who had gotten the Hearth’s Warming Eve gift that she had asked for, longed for, {begged} for. And, in a way, she was that foal. She had known that she was dying but that pain had given her joy. It had told her something. As Fluttershy gazed down at her friend, she felt like she knew why the blue Pegasus looked so happy. It was simple, really.
Rainbow Dash had died knowing that her last dream had finally come true.