In the warmth of her cloud home, Rainbow Dash is about to turn in for the night when she hears Scootaloo crying outside in the middle of a vicious blizzard. Plucking the freezing filly from the snow, Rainbow hopes to provide some much-needed comfort for the otherwise tough young pegasus, but she uncovers a disturbing reality that she knows she cannot handle alone.

Knowing only one pony that could really help her out, Rainbow enlists Twilight’s help, determined to set things straight for Scootaloo. But what Rainbow doesn’t know is that in her efforts to provide a better life for the filly, her friendship with Twilight will develop into something more.

Edited by Alcatraz, Rated Ponystar, Rocinante, Ponysopher, Marshal Twilight, Knight of Cerebus, ShimmeringStallion, and Jake The Army Guy

Proofread by Neko Majin C

A lot happened to Twilight Sparkle the year before she made the transition to Ponyville, before she realized the value of a friend, and before she saved all of Equestria...

After a chance encounter with "Rainbow:" an enigmatic, amnesiac pegasus mare with a rainbow-striped mane and a knack for mischief, Twilight begrudgingly finds herself overseeing her recovery, all while questions keep surfacing. Like who is she? Where did she come from? And more importantly... why can't she get her off of her mind?

As days turn to weeks, and weeks turn to months, destinies are revealed and the past is dug up as Rainbow's memories begin to resurface; and as sinister forces set their sights on Equestria, Twilight and Rainbow find they must overcome themselves in order to become the heroes they are meant to be.

Edits for the story provided by xgfhj.

Sequel officially now in progress exclusively (for the time being anyway) over on my patreon.
Check out the sneak preview here.

Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Certainly her dream job.
Well, dreams and reality are two very different things.

Especially when our newly minted captain has to deal with an empty roster, budget cuts, the first non-pegasi cadets, and the pressure of finding out your best friend is now your boss, let alone a princess.

If that weren’t enough to make her quit, her three wing commanders might. Cloud Kicker is a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen; Surprise makes no sense; and Lightning Dust is, well, Lightning Dust.

Meanwhile, Scootaloo arrives at the academy, ready and raring to prove she’s got what it takes to be an elite flyer. Pressure mounts as Scootaloo aims to make her hero proud.

Now on Equestria Daily
Editors: ping111
NotMurphy
Georg

Thanks for pre-reading go to:
John Perry
Distaff Pope
SolidFire
nygiants93
Eakin

Cover art used with permission by GSphere