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Rarity had forgiven her. She was finally letting herself feel, finally starting to reconnect with those she had wronged, finally coming to terms with Paint’s passing. But Rainbow Dash’s job was not done.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to,” Rarity had told her. “My son was very hurt by what you said.” So that’s where Rainbow’s next stop was: Royal Splendor’s home.

Last she knew, Roy was that shy little colt who followed her daughter around and eventually married her. All she knew of him was that and the resentful image she had conjured of him later…until Paint helped her realize the truth. But still, she didn’t really KNOW him, especially after so many years. She had no clue how she was going to talk to him. But she had to try.

She knocked on his door and waited for a good few minutes, until it opened up to the stallion she had come to see.

“Hey bud,” she forced a smile. “How are ya?”

"Miss Dash…?" Royal Splendor murmured as he opened up his front door. He had heavy bags under his eyes from being woken up so late at night. He didn’t look very excited to see her. He didn't even call her Auntie Dash like he had when he was younger, or Mom as he did when he married Paint.

“My apologies, it’s cold out there. Come in.”

The stallion stepped aside, if a bit reluctantly, to let Rainbow in. She hadn’t been in his house in years. Even before Paint died, she’d hardly ever visited the place. But Celestia, there were a lot of pictures of Paint. Just about everywhere she looked, there were memories hung on the walls and perched on shelves. She didn’t realize how devoted he was to her.

Roy turned around with a concerned look. "What are you doing here? At this hour?"

Rainbow’s smile faltered at this awkward greeting, but she couldn’t say she was surprised. He was always shy like this, not to mention they didn’t end on the best terms. But he was young, so surely he’d be more forgiving, right?

“Well kid, I just talked to your mom, and she said you…heard me say some not-so-nice things awhile back. And I just want to tell you I’m sorry. I’ve learned my lesson, okay?”

Roy tried so damn hard to smile and turn the other cheek, to let it all go, but he just…just couldn't. Something in him told him to fight. His meek anger woke him up right quick.

"Miss Dash, I really appreciate your apology but I heard all the things you said. All of them. The fact you could think that is just astounding."

Tears began to well up in his eyes and his lips quivered.

"P-Paint Swirl was my Aphrodite. The most charming creature under Celestia’s grand shining sun. And you thought I'd EVER do anything to harm her. I would have let myself be taken a thousand times before her."

Rainbow was shocked by his response. He didn’t forgive her easily like she thought he would, but…she should’ve known he wouldn’t. He was a stallion now, not a colt. He was grown up and did not take things at face-value anymore.

“Look, Roy,” she forced out a response. “There’s no excuse for what I said. I regret it more than just about anything…especially after Paint helped me see the truth. I read her letter. You dropped it off at my place, didn’t you?”

Roy nodded somberly in response to her question. Paint wrote these letters for a reason. She wanted her loved ones to know how she felt and that even in heaven she was deeply in love with being alive and all the ponies who made her time on earth worth it.

He was about to deny her again, but he began to ponder. This was his love’s mother, and she was here apolgizing to him even though she was one of the most prideful mares he'd known. So after a moment of silence, he smiled.

"I accept your apology. It’s what she would have wanted."

Rainbow smiled, genuinely this time, with tears welling up in her own eyes at the memory of her daughter. His wife. The mare they both loved and missed.

“Thank you, Roy.”

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Posted previously at: 2019-04-16T19:16:37 | Posted previously by: kindheart525