The front door of the farmhouse slammed into the wall as a pony's kick tore it from its lock. The sudden noise startled the three Pegasus causing them to lose grip of their mugs and they shattered on the wooden floor below them. The fat orange Pegasus blundered his way towards sound of breaking glass breathing heavily, filling the air with his alcohol ridden stench.

"Dad!" Scootaloo squeaked.

"What did you tell them you little whelp?" The fat pony screamed as he stumbled closer.

"You need to leave." Rainbow Dash said calmly.

"Shut up you filly-fooling freak." The drunken pony reached the opposite side of the table, "You killed Lemonburst and yet I still raised you, and this is how you repay me? Spreading filthy lies about me, trying to get rid of me just like her."

"Stop blaming me for mom's death!" Scootaloo's eyes filled with tears, "You knew she was sick and needed help, but you ignored her. If anyone killed her, it was you!"

The drunken pony let out a fierce roar. He swung his hooves at the chairs of the table sending them colliding into the walls and breaking on impact. In his blind fury he grabbed at the heavy keg in front of him. He steadied himself, aimed, and hurtled it towards the cowering orange filly.

Raven Flame pushed Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash out of the way. The barrel crashed into the wall behind them leaving the three ponies un-scathed from its force. Rainbow Dash finally took action, she flew at the large Pegasus and pressed his throat down with her hoof, "You need to leave, NOW." She said in a menacing voice and let go of him.

The fat orange pony nodded and scampered off like a cowardly bunny. "Every pony all right?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cried out from the floor.

Rainbow swooped over to see Raven Flame had slipped in the puddle of cider. Shards of the broken glass deeply imbedded throughout her entire body. Blood flowed rapidly from her, the pool of cider turning a deep red as the blood flooded the floor.

"Go get help!" Rainbow Dash screamed at Scootaloo who nodded and bolted out the front door.

Rainbow Dash returned her attention to the injured pony, "Hey, how you feeling?" she asked gently.

"It hurts and it's cold…" Raven Flame shivered, "I'm so tired…"

Rainbow Dash put on a small smile, "You're gonna be just fine." she tried desperately to stop the bleeding but nothing was working and it continued to seep out.

Raven Flame ignored the pain and smiled comfortingly at Rainbow Dash, "Thank you…"

Rainbow Dash stroked the filly's forehead, "For what?"

"Everything you've given me."

Rainbow Dash's lip quivered, tears rolling from her eyes, "Don't talk like that!"

"You brought me so much in such a short time." Raven Flame squeezed at Rainbow's hoof. "You opened my world to so many new things. I never imagined there could have been such joys in the world."

"No, shh, you'll be fine." Rainbow said, though now it felt she was trying to convince herself more than the filly. "We've still have so much left to do. You haven't even made the Wonderbolts yet."

Raven Flame laughed weakly, "I wasn't cut out for that anyway."

"Of course you were!" Rainbow Dash nudged the filly's head with her own, "You're going to be the greatest flier Equestria will ever see."

"I guess now they'll only see the second best…" Raven Flame coughed a little and her mind returned to the things she wanted to say while she still had a chance, "You didn't have to take me that day the orphanage. I'm so grateful you did though you lit up my life when you did. That day was the happiest I could ever remember that I'd ever been."

Tears dropped from Rainbow Dash's eyes onto the filly, "It was one of the happiest of mine too." She whispered.

"I didn't have anything and I didn't feel I was anything." Raven's smile widened, "That day you made me feel special. You made me feel important. You made me feel like I belonged, that I mattered to some pony. Most of all though, you made me feel loved."

Rainbow Dash pulled Raven onto her lap and hugged her, "Don't…"

"I'm so tired…" Raven said again her eyes starting to shut.

Rainbow shook her, "No, you need to stay awake, help is coming." She sniffled.

Raven Flame placed her hoof on Rainbow's cheek, "Be strong for me."

Rainbow nodded, "I will, but you need to be strong for me too."

The golden locket popped open, revealing the photograph of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rainbow Dash looked at it, and deep down she knew it wasn't going to be okay. "Raven..." she said softly. Raven Flame looked at her with questioning eyes. "I love you Raven Flame."

Raven's fiery black mane faded into an empty white. Her eyes started to change from their lively blue into a dull, empty, and lifeless black. Her breathing slowed down drastically.

Rainbow Dash cradled the filly, squeezing her tightly, "No! Stay with me Raven, just hold on. Just a little bit longer, please!" she pleaded as she held Raven in her hooves. "Don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, I can't." Raven coughed, blood rupturing from her mouth.

Rainbow wiped away the blood from the fillies mouth, "Yes you can! Please, just hang in there for me."

Her eyes started to shut once more, and with her last breath Raven whispered, "I love you... Dashie."

To be continued...