> Losing a Friend > by kittycake12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Finding Out > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was dawn. Most ponies were still peacefully slumbering. Except for one lone, yellow Pegasus, who sat upon a cliff, gazing at the sunrise. “Sunrises,” she thought, “They have at least one use. They wake ponies up.” She looked down, wondering about the use of her own existence, as here silky pink mane flew in the breeze. All of her life, she too had tried to fly, but it was hopeless. All of her life, people teased her, and thought she couldn’t do anything by herself. Even her best friend had fought bitterly with her the day before. The mare looked up, and a lone tear, falling down her yellow cheek, interrupted her thoughts. “Not anymore.” She said in her quiet voice, “No more suffering!” Suddenly, the pale yellow mare stood on her hooves, and without another thought, she lept off of the soft earth, plummeting hundreds of feet to her freedom. Rainbow Dash flicked on the television. “Back to you Bon Bon!” the weatherpony exclaimed. Rainbow sat on her plump cloud couch and listened to the news. There was a lot of mumbo jumbo, until the mention of her best friend’s name was mentioned. Dash sat up straight and turned up the volume. “On a more depressing subject, local pet sitter, Fluttershy,” A picture of the Pegasus’ face appeared in the corner. “Has tragically been found dead, having committed suicide, at the bottom of Starswirl’s cliff.” Rainbow Dash’s heart skipped a beat. She could not look away. She turned of the television and rushed to her mail. A single, tear-spattered envelope sat in the box. Dash quickly tore it open. It read: Rainbow Dash, I hope you watched the news this morning. I can’t think straight at all. I send you a letter to invite you to her funeral. Our friends will all be there, and we need you to be there. She was closest to you. The ceremony is tomorrow. Thanks, Twilight. She could barley make out the last part. Dash’s face was so wet she thought she might drown. “No, no, no, no, no, no! This can’t be true. This cannot be happening to me!" Rainbow bit her lip. This was not a dream. > The Funeral > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Rainbow Dash first woke up, she felt happy. However, that feeling drained when she remembered what had happened the day before. She had cried a river, even though Iron Ponies weren't supposed to cry. Rainbow felt a hot tear down her cyan cheek. She was crying again. "Stop it!" She said to herself. But yet, she kept crying. She just missed her flying partner. Sure she wasn't the best, but it was nice to have Fluttershy by her side. Rainbow trotted over to her dresser, and pulled out her many outfits Rarity had made. Just behind a make-shift Shadowbolt costume, there hung a beautiful black outfit. After putting it on, Dash slowly flew out side, where she half-heartedly waved to her pet turtle. Fluttershy had helped her find that pet, But Fluttershy was gone. "Hello everypony, thanks for coming on such short notice." a lilac alicorn said. She was looking down at a speech she had prepared. Twilight was the funeral leader, and she was standing next to a gorgeous mahogany coffin lined with pink butterfly ornaments. "We are here today at the funeral of Fluttershy. If anypony would like to say something kind about her, please come up to the stand." Of course Pinkie and Rarity, who were very sensitive couldn't. However, Applejack slowly walked up to talk about the yellow pegasus. "Ah know Fluttershy was a real good friend, and we knew this day would come, but ah don't, it just, ah didn't want it to come this soon." She was starting to choke up, which signaled Rainbow Dash to come to the stand. "Um, well, as you all know, Fluttershy was, and is, a very kind pony. I don't want to believe this happened but I have to. So, I feel it appropriate that we have her live on in our hearts, and never forget our amazing friend. She obviously didn't think she was needed but she is. I need her, we all need her. Thank you." Rainbow Dash quickly flew home so she could be in peace. Even though she didn't want to cry, she did the whole time they lowered Fluttershy's coffin. Rainbow plopped down on the sofa and started to sob again. She started to read her copy of Daring Do and The Ring of Destiny when somepony knocked on her door. She opened it and found her friend Twilight on her porch. "Hi Twilight." Rainbow mumbled. "Come on in." Twilight followed the directions and trotted into the living room. Without warning, Twilight started talking. "I saw how sad you were so I came to try to help you with your feelings." She pulled out a book and showed it to Dash. "You see, this book I found tells you how to deal with grief." Rainbow Dash scanned the content and looked at Twilight. "You want to help me?" She asked. Twilight nodded. "I can't bear seeing you like this. It's so, well, sad." Twilight continued, "You see, there are supposedly five stages to go through when dealing with a death. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance." Rainbow Dash was reluctant to respond. What does an egg-head like Twilight know about stuff like this? she thought. "Okay, I guess. I seem to be feeling all of this stuff right now though." "Alright, tomorrow I'll come and take you to the park so we can talk. Be sure to be ready bright and early!" the purple alicorn flew home and Rainbow shut the door. "She better not mean 6 in the morning early." Rainbow muttered. She did. > Denial > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight was waiting outside of Dash's house at around 6:30 to take her for her scheduled "therapy". "Hello? Anyone home?" The lavender alicorn called. At her question Rainbow Dash appeared at the door with her toothbrush hanging in her mouth. "Ha Twiligh" she muttered. "Beh Righ ou" she closed the door, flew to the bathroom, rinsed her mouth, and ran back to the door. "Let's go." The pair of friends flew around while Twilight chatted it up. "So, I was thinking, if we tap into your innermost thoughts, we can find a way to help you move on from this all." She explained. But Rainbow wasn't paying much attention. Partly because she was scanning the ground and sky for obstacles, but also because she didn't want to talk to Twilight right now. "Rainbow? Rainbow?! RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight yelled. "Are you even listening?" Rainbow sighed. "No I guess not." she said. She looked back at the ground and saw a pink mare running in a circle. Pinkie Pie was always like that. Now they had reached the park and Rainbow Dash immediately started looking around. "Fluttershy's not here Dash. Stop looking." "Sorry." Rainbow sat down on a bench next to a shady tree. Autumn leaves in shades brown, yellow, red, and oranges littered the ground. Fillies and colts played games in the distance, blissfully ignorant of how depressing life can really be. Rainbow slowly sighed and imagined that her yellow marefriend was still there. Rainbow and Fluttershy had a very private relationship. Rainbow could almost feel Fluttershy's cream-colored hooves stroking her multi-colored mane. Closer together until... "Rainbow?" Twilight asked softly, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you thinking about her?" Rainbow shook her head a little to quickly. Twilight sighed. "Just another sign of denial. Look Rainbow! There's Fluttershy!" Rainbow turned her head but only saw Scootaloo jump-roping with her filly friends. "Your right it is Fluttershy." Rainbow's eye twitched ever so slightly. "Maybe she can come over today." Twilight smacked Rainbow upside the head. "Ow!" she yelled. "What the heck!?" "Rainbow, look at me. Fluttershy is gone. You need to accept it." Rainbow's face became saddened. She looked at Twilight and closed her eyes. "I know. I don't want to accept it but I know I've gotta. Please Twilight, help me. I refuse to face the truth. I'm staying here, believing Fluttershy is by my side. I-" Twilight put her hoof up to Dash's muzzle. "Pinkie's coming. It's best not to make her cry right now." The pink earth pony bounced over like the skunk on the morning cartoons Rainbow sometimes liked to watch. "Hiya gals! Wanna here the song I wrote for Fluttershy?" Twilight shook her head, but Rainbow nodded vigorously. "Here goes!" "Now and then, I look my reflection, and all I think about is you, and how sweet and kind you were. You were my best friend, life with you was a blur. So, rest in peace my dear, dear, friend. Now until I see you in the end. You will be greatly missed, you were so nice. I hope my song eases you, as a friend you were at the top of my list, hope ya know that. So, rest in peace my dear dear friend, now until I see you, now until I see you, Now until I see you in the end." "Wow!" was all the other two had to say. Pinkie Pie said a quick thanks than bounced away in her cartoonish style. "I think that that was nice!" Twilight exclaimed. "Yeah I guess." Rainbow responded. "I think we're done." She flew home before Twilight could respond. The answer would have been a no. > Anger > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You've been drinking haven't you." Twilight said when she saw Rainbow Dash the next day. When she tried to respond, Twilight held her hoof up to Rainbow's face. "I can smell it on your breath. Don't try to argue." It was true. The cyan pegasus with the multi-colored mane had spent all night (give or take a few hours while passed out) at the upbeat nightclub downtown. She had tried to drown out her anger and sorrow with a cider or ten. Or twenty. She sat next to a heavily drunk earth pony that had a pink and blue curly mane. After she too had reached the status of the other mare, she had sung "At The Gala" twelve times. Vinyl Scratch was wubbing away on her system, and Rainbow was dancing like Twilight. Mares and stallions were flirting with each other and other ponies were either passed out or drinking. Rainbow stopped dancing and guzzled down another apple drink. She looked over at a group of stallions who were unlucky enough to be looking at her at the time. "What 'chu starin' at big-hic-boys?" she asked. They turned away and Dash uttered a quiet 'that's what I thought'. Rainbow's vision was starting to get fuzzy, and she turned to the mare she had befriended named Sparkler who slurred, "What a bunch of stupid boys." Rainbow agreed and just stared at her cup. She was still pretty upset, and was trying to take herself away it alcohol. "Crap! What time is it?" she suddenly exclaimed. Glancing at a clock, she saw the it was around two in the morning. Rainbow was supposed to meet Twilight in four hours. She had to go home and get sleep. She left money on the table and flew home quick as a flash. Twilight looked at Rainbow with her mouth gaping open. "You drank twenty-one ciders?" she asked. Rainbow nodded. When they reached the park, Rainbow looked pissed. "Why am I such a jerk?!" she yelled. Twilight jumped back a step and asked what was wrong. "Before Fluttershy, well, passed, we had a huge fight. The last I saw of her was when she ran off. I guessed we would both take some time to cool down, but, you know, I just don't know why I even ever fought with her." Rainbow crunched a leaf under her hoof and noticed that that there were no more to be seen. It reminded her of how she wouldn't see anymore pink butterflies around. She felt as if she would break into tears. "Wanna' talk about it?" "Sure." Rainbow walked back from her kitchen with two steaming mugs of coffee. Fluttershy, who was the best marefriend anypony could ask for, was throwing what she thought was old junk away. "Thanks for coming over for spring cleaning Flutters. I figured my house was getting too cluttered anywa-" CRASH The two mugs and the tray they rested on now lay shattered on the floor. A warm brown liquid was oozing out of the cups. Rainbow stood looking at Fluttershy with a dropped jaw and angry eyes. Fluttershy looked worried and asked, "What's wrong Dashie?" "Oh nothing, It's just that YOU'RE RUINING MY FIRST EDITION SIGNED ONE-OF-A-KIND, CAN'T-GET-ANYWHERE-ELSE COPY OF DARING DO AND THE GRYPHON'S GOBLET!" she replied, so loud, outside that Celestia perked her ears. "YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL FLUTTERSHY! NOT ONLY THAT BUT YOU THREW AWA-" She gasped. Then flew fast over to the trash can on the other side of her cloud home. "Daddy..." A shattered glass figure of Dash's deceased father sat in the garbage. Tears stung Rainbow Dash's eyes. "How could you?" Fluttershy was about to respond, but was cut off. "DON'T YOU KNOW HOW SPECIAL THIS IS? OR ARE YOU TOO STUPID?!" Fluttershy was about to cry herself. "I'm sorry Dashie I thought you didn't need it. I'm really sorry." "DON'T YOU 'DASHIE' ME!" Rainbow screamed. She took a deep breath and replied in a quieter tone. "Just please leave Fluttershy. We need some time apart." Fluttershy flew off crying. Inside the cloud house, Rainbow was crying too. Not just for her father, but for Fluttershy. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on her. I feel terrible." Dash said sadly. As Twilight was about to speak Dash suddenly punched herself in the muzzle. She received a bloody nose and kept swinging at herself in multiple areas. "I hate myself!" was what she kept repeating. Shocked and appalled, Twilight used her magic and help Dash in the air. "Stop it Rainbow!" But she wouldn't she squirmed and twisted and cried livid tears. Finally, she gave up and hung limp. "I'm taking you home, strapping you in your bed, and your going to sleep off the ciders." Twilight said. And that is what she did.