Rainbow Dash and the Ghosts of Hearts and Hooves Day

Rainbow Dash and the Ghosts of Hearts and Hooves Day by Lonesome Rider

>Be Rainbow Dash
>The sun has started to set. It's Hearts and Hooves day and you're spending it alone. Again.
>Not like you mind. It's always been like this.
>Back in Cloudsdale, stallions never paid much attention to you.
>They always saw you as the scrappy tomcolt. Even if you could fly better then them, none of them ever wanted to date you.
>You spent your high school prom with a few of your mare friends (no homo) sharing a bottle of whiskey you snatched from your parent's liquor cabinet using the key they didn't know you found.
>It was worth getting grounded for later, your mom even complimented you on your sneakiness once dad had left for work. She had done the same thing as a teenager.
>You just got back from Pinkie Pie's Hearts and Hooves day party. It ended at 6:00 p.m., since she wanted to go to a fancy dinner with her new husband, that French baker guy she was matched with.
>The cake they baked together was the best thing you've ever eaten, those two have improved their baking skills working together the past few months.
>Pinkie hardly shut up about him the first few weeks.
>You were happy for them, but all their lovey dovey behavior started to grate on you after the first few days.
>Now it's just you and tank back at your place.
>You bought a nice bottle of champagne and assortment of chocolates. You don't even have to share them with anypony else.
>It could be worse. Getting hitched right now would be a huge setback in your flying career with the Wonderbolts.
>Spitfire even took a three month leave of absence towards the end of her pregnancy. She made you interim lead Wonderbolt in her absence.
>This is your big break. Her getting hitched last year has allowed you to advance much faster then you planned. She'll be coming back to work soon, since she had her baby almost a month ago.
>You'll be going back to your normal wing mare spot soon enough, but now is your chance to prove you can handle the responsibilities of leadership.

>Settling down now would throw a wrench into all the hard work you've put into your training.
>Ever since Cadence founded that Husbando Initiative, everypony around you has been looking to settle down. Not just the ones with human matches either. Octavia finally got married to Dr. Hooves a few months after the Initiative was founded.
>It's like everyone has been in a rush to get married and have foals.
>You never imagined that Spitfire would be one of them.
>You looked up to her ever since she got her start with the Wonderbolts.
>You were ten when you first saw her fly with the Wonderbolts.
>Spitfire is the kind of pony you wanted to be when you grew up. Cool and confident without being arrogant. Tough but kind. She even signed your poster after the show.
>When you asked Spitfire about why she signed up for the Initiative, she said that she was getting on in years. She was about to turn 34, and she felt her time was running out to start a family.
>You'd never guess it by her flying ability, but she was a decade older then you, and her time as a top flier wouldn't last forever.
>Spitfire wanted to start a family before it was too late, said she had rejected too many suitors back in the day because of her career.
>Her loss was your gain, when Spitfire retires you're almost guaranteed to get her spot as top bolt.
>Drinking your champagne straight from the bottle, you felt that something was missing from your life as you took another chocolate from the heart shaped box.
>Despite having Tank cuddled underneath your wing, you felt completely alone. You hate being alone.

>You're having a cheat day right now, with all the gourmet chocolate and booze. You're fit enough to get away with it though. You'll be out training again tomorrow despite the hangover.
>Tank snuggles up a little bit closer to your barrel. You smile at him. You're eyes feel dry and you close them for a few seconds. When you open your eyes you realize you've been crying.
>Celestia damn it, you've got no reason to feel sorry for yourself. You're the best flier in Equestria, you've got nothing to be sad about.
>You grasp tank in your forelegs and push him into your tuft as tears stream down your face.
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see movement outside your window.
>Keeping tank in your forelegs, you roll away from the window and get behind your bed for cover.
>Glaring at the intruders you see two ponies gently flapping their wings, just enough to keep them off the ground.
>As the ponies come close to your window you see your parents. You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in and release the latch on your window to let them in.
>Twilight was right about it being rude to use the window instead of a door just because you can fly. You never thought about it before until she pointed it out at you.
>Ponies don't like being taken by surprise like that, even if they know you well.
>You hold the window open so you can talk to them and figure out why they are here.
>"Rainbow Dash, please don't cry sweetie. You're father and I are here to help you" Wendy says to you as she flutters outside your window.
>"You deserve to be happy Rainbow. You just need to find your special somepony" Bow said to you.
"What are you guys here for? Come to cheer me on as the best lonely Hearts and Hooves Days single? Tell me that I'm the best crier?"
>Don't be so down on yourself." Wendy says to you. "You just need a little help learning what Hearts and Hooves day is all about.

>You're more then a little angry about them stopping by this late. Remembering how you blew up on them in front of Scootaloo last time, you decide to play it cool.
"Come on in then, no sense having a heart to heart through the window."
>When Wendy flies past your nightstand lamp you can see right through her, though the lamp becomes blurred. Same thing when your dad follows her into your room.
>Their translucent forms let you know that thankfully your folks haven't dropped by unexpectedly [spoiler]again[/spoiler].
>Maybe it's just the booze, but you don't feel afraid of them. There is a peaceful presence around them. You can't put your hoof on it, but somehow you can sense this situation isn't dangerous.
>Noticing you go wide eyed, spectral Wendy gives you a gentle smile.
>"Don't be afraid sweetie. We're the spirit of Hearts and Hooves Day's past and we're here to help you learn the true purpose of the holiday."
"Don't guilt trip me right now. I feel bad enough already.
>"We're not here to make you feel bad. We're here to get you to accept the helping hoof you already want to grasp" Says Bow.
"What do you mean?"
>We're here to show you what our relationship was like when you were born. We want to show you how much we love each other and how much we love you." Wendy says.

>Your dad reaches a hoof towards you. "Come on Rainbow, we've got something we want to show you. You should see how happy you're mother and I where when we welcomed you into our lives."
>You take your ghostly father's hoof and your parents lead you straight through your bedroom window. You tense up for a moment but the glass never shatters, you pass right through it.
>They lead you over Ponyville, you know this town's aerial view sow well after all these years that you know you are headed off to Cloudsdale after the first ten seconds. The ground below you is covered in slowly melting snow. Dirt has been kicked up over the snow along side the road. Winter has yet to end.
>You are pulled up through the cloud cover surrounding Ponyville. You see the moon and thousands of brilliant stars shimmer in the winter sky. You see the cityscape of Cloudsdale growing larger over the nimbus horizon.
>You can't feel the wind through your fur as you come in for a landing, a flier's sixth sense never shuts off. The feeling of wind on your feathers and fur helps you gauge your speed.
>Come to think of it, you haven't flapped your wings once this whole time.
>You're outside your fillyhood home, the home where your parents still reside.
>You fly right through the living room window. You finally come to a stop in front you're parents. They look so young. Their dated sense of fashion is one you instantly recognize from those photo albums your parents love so much.
>You see yourself as a baby in your mother's forelegs. Your father sits next to you two on the couch as he feeds you from a bottle of milk with the skilled yet gentle hoof of a surgeon.

>"You're the best thing that ever happened to us Dash. You're mother had trouble conceiving. We were so happy when the doctor said Wendy was pregnant and the foal was healthy. We're sorry we could give you any siblings." Bow says as he looks at your past self.
>You watch your past self babble while being gently rocked back and forth by your mom. Your dad smiles as he watches your mom.
>You look back at the spectral parents that brought you here.
"You guys looks so happy. I used to be mad that you fawned over me so much. I never knew you had problems conceiving mom. I'm so sorry I took you guys for granted."
>You bring your parents in for a tight hug, completely lost in the moment you don't think about the fact that these spirits aren't really your parents.
>"I meant what I said. The day that you were born was the best day of my life" Bow says
>"Your father and I tried so hard to have foals. I miscarried once before and twice after you were born. Your father and I never told you” Wendy says.

>You turn back to your past self to see that you are no longer at your childhood home, but at your first official race. Your past self stands in a long line next to the victory podium for the top three contestants. You watch a young Ms. Harshwinny pins a participation medal to your tuft. Your past self gives a sad nod toward her, Ms. Harshywinny doesn’t notice. She is already giving the same medal to the filly next to you.
>You then hear the cheers of your parents. "That's my girl! You did great! You're the best flier in Equestria! We love you!" They chant in unison.
>You can't stop yourself from crying now. Your spectral parents hug you close as you lose your fake composure.
>"I'm so proud of the mare you've become Rainbow. I want to help you take the next step in your life." Wendy says to you.
>You hug your mom, burring your muzzle into her tuft, you try to wipe your tears off into her fur.
>When you look up to meet your mother's gaze you see Princess Cadence. You leap back in shock. Looking at her tuft, you see your tears and snot still fresh reflected in the moonlight.
"I'm so sorry princess, I didn't mean it!" You shout.
>As you look to your father for reassurance you see Shining Armor standing in his place.
>You can feel blood rushing to your face, you must be blushing redder then a rose right now.
>"It's alright Rainbow. We're the ghosts of Hearts and Hooves Days present and we want to show you what your friends are doing tonight." Cadence and Shining say to you.