A filly deprived of a loving, caring Childhood, has to grow up and manage adult-like tasks. Will she be able to do it all on her own, or will she have needs of her own? And will said needs get fulfilled?
After her mother abounded her, thousand of miles away from home, and no way of getting back, Dash gets put into an uncaring orphanage. She keeps hope that her parents will come looking for her. While she stays at said orphanage, she is tasked with things a filly of her age shouldn't be. Will she be able to manage it on her own, or will she break before she can find a way out?
Tags will be added as the story progresses. Base tags are already added, and they will mot be removed. As of right now, Stolen Childhood (SC) is On Haitus until further notice
The cold, Autumn breeze swept past, ruffling the untrained feathers of the Pegasus filly. Dark clouds above blocked Celestial's glorious sun, with a dark and eerie fog. Any noise from passersby's chatter or hoof steps were drowned out by the pouring rain accompanied with the crackling of thunder. The floor of clouds was left unshaken by the heavy rainfall from nearby cloud stations. The ponies in the rain though couldn't say any such thing. Ponies, out in such a weather, scampered off to their respected homes for shelter. While most sensible ponies would do this, two remained out in the cold, wet and almost abandoned streets of Clouds-dale. The younger Pegasus filly, had tears streaming down her cheeks. Her multicolor hued mane was wet and silky, laying on her side. Her small, cyan wings were drooping on her sides, her feathers dampening in the hard, cold rain from above. She stared up at her mother with pleading eyes. The other, older mare, stood with a firm, orange-eyed gaze rested on her daughter. Her fire red hair, normally swept up and looking like a literal fire, now lying flat against her head, waterier then fiery. Her sleek, teal wings were soaked from the pouring water.
"I said. Stay. Here, and don’t. Come. Back."
Her voice was low and strict, had little to no traces of care nor love in them. The filly's eyes went to the size of pin pricks, as she managed to register what her mother meant by, 'Stay here' and 'don't come back'. Tears started falling more and more as she thought about those words harder. Though, those tears were lost to the rain. She returned to her pleading look as she gazed up at her mother,
"Please... what did I do? I'll... I'll... fix it, I promise... please, mom"
She pleaded, between sobs.
Her mother shook her head agitatedly. She pulled out something from under her wing and gave to the filly, who reluctantly took it from her mother,
"What you did, you cannot fix Dash. Read that when you feel... like it, just be warned, it is not the most fun thing ever written",
Firefly said, using her wings to air-quote the word 'fun'. Dash stared down at the letter, perplexed by what was written inside. By what her mom it wasn't something she'd like. The letter was soaked wet, makes sense, it was hidden under a wet wing. It had her family stamp, a lightning bolt jolting out of a cloud. She shot her head back up at her mother, who had begun readying herself for flight. Her aerodynamically trained body rinsed - attempted - off the water, her wings managed to get free from the wetness and somewhat returned to their sleek selves once more.
"Wh-what about d-dad? He... he wouldn't be h-ha-"
The filly managed out through her sobs. She was not long after cut off by the older mare.
"He would never know."
She stated as she stretched out her wings and flew off, leaving an astonished and heartbroken filly behind. She fell to the floor in a heap of tears.
Did her mother just abandon her? Was she left to fend for herself? What kind of mother does that? Why did she do that? Did she fail her that much, to have earned this? What could she have done to be abandoned by some pony who's supposed to love you no matter what? Where was her father through all this? Why would he never know? Dash was quite close with her father, of course he'd know, he'd also care... right? That's what she thought about her mother, and look where that ended her up. Crying from heartbreak out in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles from home, where no pony knew her, huddled up in a ball. Was there a place worse than this for one's pride?
She sat up and leaned herself on a wall nearby. The somewhat warmth of the cloud wall was all that comforted her that night. She hadn't moved from her place the next Morning, hoping that this whole thing was just a practical joke, and that her mom would come back for her, and take her home. But the day went uneventful. Just as the sun had rose that morning to declare that a new day had officially begun, it drifted down the horizon to call forth the dusky night. Fortunately, no other rainstorms were called in that day nor for the night.
The filly was left starving the whole day, didn't move from her place, and stayed there watching the day unfold before her. Mares and stallions rushing off to work, little fillies and colts being bustled in to their school flight-bus, the senior citizens watering their plants. She saw it all, though none saw her. She was left forgotten by all in the world. She was nowhere near home, had no sense of direction and knew no adults that could help her. Sitting there she watched not only the day unfold but the mischief ensues. Little fillies and colts running around planking one another, setting up pranks on neighbors, scaring away any birds that dared venture up that high - the birds that weren't birds of prey, that is. Dash had thought about joining them, but decided to wait for her mother instead.
Although last night may not have shown it, she still had hope that her mother still cared for her and wanted her back, that she was on her way here to apologize and bring her back home. I mean, a mother couldn't abandon her child for too long, right? Though that seemed to be the case, as the next day went by the same as the one before, and no sign of her mother returning.
Her stomach growled demanding that it gets fed immediately. Dash let out a groan before hobbling onto her hooves. She stretched out her little, ruffled up wings, to take flight but failed with her every attempt. Groaning, she made her way out of the little alleyway she was sat in for nearly two days, and made her way across the street.
Ponies must be blind to miss me! I mean I have a rainbow on my head, for Celestial's sake and yet no pony seems to even question why a filly's wandering on her own!
She thought to herself, as she made her way through town, trying to find some way of getting food. She wondered around town, still not noticing a single pony as merely as face her general direction.
Geez! I knew ponies aren't the nicest on the street, but not even bothering to turn my way!?
Thoughts such as this remained poking at her mind. Though she questioned all their sanities, she mostly wanted one of them to come up to her and ask her if she needed help. She would much rather admit to one pony that she wanted... no, needed help, than to make some sort of scene, trying to get their attention. She was not risking that humiliation, anywhere, ever.
Soon after some trotting she found herself in front of a sweet shop. She licked her lips as the aroma of the shop was let out by some pony who opened the door to that place. It smelled like they were baking cakes, caramel Apples, candy corn and ice cream all at once! It smelled delicious, and to a hungry Rainbow Dash, it seemed like the perfect place to get herself some goodies. She trotted up to the door, which was a few feet taller than her, and slowly managed to push the door open. Once inside she could smell all of the tasty treats being made. Chocolate bars, potato chips, caramel corn, all sorts of cakes and cupcakes, different flavors of ice creams and so much more, melted into a mouth watery sent that filled the entire shop. Taking a good long sniff of the place, she trotted over to the counter and tilted her head up to see everything. Looking back at her wings, she mumbled out a curse at them for not functioning right them.
"Howdy!"
A chipper sounding voice spoke from the other side of the counter. Dash looked to her sides a few times, when she noticed a stallion stood at the counter talking to the cashier about something. Under him stood a small filly, looking about the same age, maybe older, as Dash. The filly had her long, pink hair over her eyes, and was looking up at the stallion. Her creamed colored wings seemed to be frail and delicate not for the type of flying Dash adored. Her posture alone, looked as though she would scream and run off at the smallest of noises.
"Hi"
Dash waved a hoof toward the little filly, who let out an 'Eep' before facing Dash. She covered her face with her hair and looked in the other filly's direction. Dash tilted her head, she had never met some pony so shy, they had to use their own hair as a shield. She smiled warmly at the Pegasus,
"Hi, I'm Rainbow Dash, and you are...?".
Dash heard a little whimper come from the filly but nothing more. She tilted her,
"Uh, didn't catch that"
The cream coated filly let out something of a mumble. Again, Dash had no idea what the filly said,
"Uh, repeat?"
She requested.
"Fluttershy"
it was quiet and almost unheard, but Rainbow managed to hear it to some extent. She smiled warmly at the other Pegasus, who she now knew, as Fluttershy, who in turn gave her a very timid smile in return.
"Well, Fluttershy, I like the name, it's pretty and I'm guessing you're very shy?"
To that the filly answered by nodding her head. Dash placed a hoof to her chin for a second before she beamed a smile,
"Can I call you Shy?"
Fluttershy, tilted her head in confusion,
"Y'know like a nickname"
Again, a look of pure perpetual confusion was left on the filly's face. Dash chuckled at the face,
"You look like my dad when I tell him stories about flight school"
She beamed. Fluttershy shot her head back and forth, left and right, trying to locate aforementioned father. Dash giggled at that,
"He isn't here, silly"
She stated as though it was common knowledge,
"Ima call you Shy"
She declared.
As she said that, the stallion who stood above Fluttershy, turn to the filly,
"They've got chocolate bars, do you want that?"
He asked with a sweet smile. Dash watched the two exchange looks and unheard words. She smiled as she remembered having those sorts of conversations with her father, which she intended on happening again! The last time it happened wasn't going to really be the last, last time. She had already made up her mind on that, she was just hungry, that's why she was here. The stallion turned back to the cashier and let the two continue their chatter.
"So that's your father?"
She asked with a sad smile, as she stared up at him. The other filly nodded; she noticed the smile on the other filly's face but decided that it wasn't her place to pry. Said sad smile withered away and left behind it a chipper one instead,
"Awesome"
"A-are you g-getting anything?"
When Dash shook her head, Shy held out a hoof, which held a chocolate bar in it. Dash smiled at it, licking her lips in anticipation. A thought crossed her mind which stayed and made her cautious,
"Don't you want it?"
The cream filly shook her head and pulled out another bar with a smile. Dash returned the gesture and took the chocolate from the filly. She held in her hooves, looking at it as if it was the only piece of food that ever existed, although that is the look all little fillies make when they see something like that.
"Thanks!"
She spoke with a happy smile. Fluttershy, returned the smile,
"Welcome, my father gave me two, but I don't really like chocolate that much, so you can have it, I'll give this one to my mom, she really likes chocolate"
Dash smiled, her mom absolutely hated chocolate, whenever her or her father would manage to sneak some of it into the house, they felt like they had somehow managed to sneak past a spy agent or something. Rainbow loved that feeling though, so she never minded.
"Cool, your mother sounds awesome"
She said with sad smile stretched across her face, but before it had time to register into anybody else's mind, she replaced it with happy one. Fluttershy nodded slowly. Things went quiet between the two for a while, when she father spoke up,
"I see you made friends Fluttershy"
He looked down at the Pegasus, who smiled brightly up at him.
"Hi Mr. Fluttershy's father!"
She beamed innocently. The stallion chuckled and gave her a small wave.
"Now what's your name?"
He questioned with a soft smile. Dash looked up at him, and all she could see was her father smiling back at her. A tear nearly slipped out, she didn't know why, but it nearly did. She blinked it away at the nick of time.
"Rainbow Dash!"
She exclaimed enthusiastically looking up at the stallion above. He gave her a smile before searching the room for a bit,
"They aren't here"
Dash said with a nonchalant tone, that covered her despair and hatred for that phrase. He tilted his head a bit confused at the prospect, of a filly so young walking around town, alone.
"Do they live around here?
He asked curious about the filly. Dash gave a cautious nod as her reply. He then relaxed and softened his gaze. Turning his head toward his daughter he asked her to say goodbye for now. She did as request and they said their goodbyes.
"Bye Shy!"
"Bye"
Dash watched the two step out of the shop and saw them leaving in a window. She turned her gaze back at the chocolate in her hooves. She shot her head from one place to another and cautiously, with her head low, she exited the store. She looked around to the hustle and bustle of the morning take effect. On her right was her way back to the alley and on her left unfamiliar territory. Smirking to herself, she turned and started trotting left.
If she was going to spend another day out here then she might as well make it interesting, that's what her father would say.
Walking through town, she found that this place felt more and more distant and unfamiliar as she trotted. Her wings had completely given up on her, and so she was left to a mere trot. She made her way across the streets, past the shops and finally found herself in front of the park entrance. It was a community place, where anyone's allowed to just trot on in. Shooting her head around, she found that no one had turned to face her. She smirked and walked in. Looking around for the park, she noticed tall and ‘unclimbable’ wall made purely out of cloud. She giggled at the sight, any Pegasus could just lightly flap their wings and they'd be on the other side, it was a very pointless measure for a place where the entire population could simply fly.
Making her way to the fountain right in the middle of the park, she sat down on the floor and pulled out the chocolate, seemingly out of nowhere, and began unwrapping it. Her mouth began watering at the mere smell of it, having nothing for the last day and a half, got her stomach wanting anything at all.
“Hey kid!”
A voice unrecognized by Dash shouted in her direction. Looking up, she saw a big, buff stallion stood at the entrance of the park heading right for her. His teal coat and wings, seemed puffed out and ready for actions, his hooves ready to pounce and attack. Dash shot up to her hooves, and darted her eyes around, nervously. The stallion stomped up to her with a glare cold as ice on his face. He stared down at Dash, causing her blood to run cold. She gulped, what was happening? Was he going to hurt her? Was this it for her?
Thoughts brewed inside her head, until the last one stuck. He shot her a glare and reached to grab her, but she swiftly dodged his hoof. He groaned and tried again. Her aerodynamic little body was able to swiftly dodge every single hoof he tried throwing her way,
“Why you little-”
He got cut off by the filly sticking her tongue out at him. She didn't want him saying anything bad, one because she didn't like it when others cursed, but mainly because... she didn't quite feel like being cursed at right then.
He shot her a glare that gave her a shiver, then reached down to grab her, to another failed attempt. The filly buzzed her wing, trying to fly away from this, but alas, her wings had completely given up or something, because they just fell to her side. Though they didn't work like they were meant to, they definitely did help her get out of that situation.
After seeing that her wings didn't work, the stallion burst into laughter, mocking her inability. She wanted to counter that with ‘Hey! I can fly they're just not working now!’ or something along those lines, but she was glad she didn't as she saw a way out of this predicament. While he was laughing Dash snuck under him and scurried away. ‘Yes! That was close!’
She thought. Her heart was beating faster and faster as she ran far away from the park.
“Get back here you little rat!”
The stallion’s voice called after her. She shot her head back, worriedly, and saw the Pegasus chasing after her. He had an advantage, he could fly,
“Dammit wings!”
She cursed them yet again.
“Nopony gets away from Cliff Charsher, and definitely not a filthy rat like you!”
He shouted after her. She could hear his wing beats getting closer, and she knew she could never out run a flying pony, she could never out fly one either, at least not one, like, twenty years older than her! She had to think of some other way of getting away from this jerk. Shooting her head, she saw a tiny little pipe she could crawl through. It seemed to be connected to something but right now that's the least of her problems. She turned her head and smirked at the Stallion, who recoiled a little at the sudden confidence but managed to keep up with her anyway. She ran and ran, until she finally made to the tube pipeline. She shot her head back, and saw him not far behind. Gulping, she bent down and crawled, as fast as she could, into the tunnel and went further and further inside until she was out of reach. Finally having a moment, she let out a breath of relief.
“That was something”
She told herself. Looking up, she saw the Stallion’s teal hoof reach inside, and try grab ahold of her. She backed up some more, her breathe getting heavier and heavier as she stared at the hoof in dumbfounded fear. What did this Pony want? She was just a filly sat to eat? When she wanted somepony to walk up to her and ask her something, she didn't mean this! She didn't mean she wanted to be chased and threatened!
“Get out here you little rat!”
He demanded taking his hoof out. She watched as he wiggled his hoof about trying to free it. When it finally did, he poked his through the tube to face her. Of course, it didn't come completely, and got nowhere near Dash, but it still sent a shiver down her spine.
“Nopony makes ME look bad and get away with it! You hear me! The very moment you step one hoof out o’ this place, you’re meetin’ my hoof face to face!”
He threatened. Dash gulped, what is happening! All she wanted to do was eat a chocolate and this is where that ended her up! At the end of a tube, shivering from fear, because somepony she didn't even know threatened her!
‘This day is just the worst!’
“L-look... s-sir... I-I don't kn-know what h-happened but... but I'm sorry...”
she managed to let out through her ever-growing fear. The stallion had already pulled his head out and was glaring off to some other place. He stepped aside, out of view and she could hear wing beats. They didn't get any further nor closer, they stayed the same.
What was happening!? Was this really happening? Why was he chasing her? She didn't do anything to get chases, so why even try making it seem as though she did? She merely snuck under him when he was distracted, that shouldn't do anything to his image. Almost Nopony noticed when she was getting chased but Ponies noticed that silently exchange? Yea like if! And his threats. He really means it? Was he going beat her up if she tried leaving? Is that even legal? No! No, it's not! He'd be put into jail for it or something, right? That this works, right? A groan soon left the filly. This whole thing was bonkers!
Leaning on the tube wall, she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. She couldn't make sense of anything happening, so why not just sleeping to spear her thought, and also wait for the Pony guarding her self-entered cell to leave, Shutting her eyes, she drifted off to sleep, faster than she thought she would
Water dripping from the tube ceilings echoed and bounced off the walls until it reached the sleeping filly. Her ears twitched, indicating her awakening state. Blinking, she opened her eyes, adjusting them to her new found location. Gray curved walls, one small hole to let the moonlight in and her out, and water dripping from the ceiling creating loud clinks as they hit the other side of the tube. She hadn't moved a muscle since she closed her eyes, which by the looks of it was this morning, which had completely drone by.
She stretched her hooves, buzzed her wings and let out a good, long yawn to start things off. She then turned her head toward the exit of this cell. She crawled over to it and poked her head out, trying to get a better look outside. There seemed to be almost no one out there. The streets seemed abandoned,
same as last night
She thought. Only some of the streetlights were on and nothing more, the moonlight seemed to be doing it just fine for those streets. She also didn't hear any beats of wing flapper, which meant he wasn't around.
Taking a breath, she slowly made her way out, but to her utter shock she was grabbed by her waist and lifted off the ground. The Pony who had grabbed her was not as she expected, she thought that perhaps it was the pony who had chased her the day prior, but no it seemed to be some Pegasus, mare, wearing glasses. Dash was tucked under her wing and was tightened every second or so. The mare’s chocolate brown mane, was tied up in a loose bun, and had plenty of strands set off from the main knot. She wore red glasses, that hovered over her muzzle, staying in place. The look on her face indicated that she did not look like she was enjoying what was happening. She had her eyes narrowed, and was mumbling something incoherent under her breath. Her cream - almost white - wing was squeezing Dash more and more as they walked along. Dash tried struggling and she seemed to have gotten a bit unstuck when she felt something hard and painful hit her cheeks. Looking up she saw a furious mare looking down at her. She was now dropped to the floor, but due to the sheer shock of being beaten, she couldn't move. She never expected that.... It just didn't feel right. Looking up at the mare’s sky-blue eyes, she saw her stare back at her, disapprovingly. She sat there frozen, unable to move.
The older mare shook her head,
“I tell you to stay in one place, and what do you go and do?!”
She flailed her hooves about,
“You go running off, doing whatever the buck you want! I thought you already knew the rules around here? No flying, no snacks, and definitely no leaving the property ground!”
She said still infuriated. Dash blinked a few times.
“Where is here?”
She asked still completely shocked and now more confused. The mare shot her a glare and rubbed her eyes with her wings. She then picked the filly up and continued her walk. Still not knowing what was going on, Dash decided to remain quiet and not bother the mare. She seemed quite aggressive and the last thing she wanted was for another slap to come her way.
The mare kept walking until they reached some massive old building. Looking around, she noticed a lot of things that suggested this place being almost run down. For one, the decaying plants placed near the path way leading inside. And two, the flimsy sign in front, it was made of wood, and was tilted to the right, as if it was hung up by a mere nail. The sign said something's about a ‘Sunny Filled Orphanage’
Orphanage?
She thought,
Why would I need to go to an orphanage, my mom will back for me, I know she will! I just need to get out of here and find my way back!
The mare opened the big wooden, and almost broken door, leading the two inside. Once in, she noticed a lot more things. Well for one, how massive it was, it seemed as though it could fit hundreds of kids in there. Two, there seemed to be a room in every direction she tried looking. None had signs over it to say what it was, but most had boards plastered onto the door, saying in big, red letter ‘STAFF ONLY’ as though the children there could read or something. Dash could, of course, but kids in an orphanage can't read, right? Is that how that works?
The mare walked through the empty halls until she made it to a room that said ‘12-13’ on it. She tilted her head a bit in confusion. Why come to a room that said twelve or thirteen, she wasn't even ten yet? The mare opened the door, to reveal... Fillies and colts sat in either a corner of the room, or some made up fort of some kind. The room looked dull and dreary. All the kids, looked dead, and afraid. Each had a look of despair on them.
She wondered if she was going to end up like that. If this was her destiny. She shook her head at the mere thought. This whole thing was a huge misunderstanding. Her patents would come and explain that. She would go home with them and things would return to normal! Yes, that sounds right!
The older Pegasus placed Dash on the floor and motioned for her to take her place or something. Dash merely blinked at the mare. Where was she? Why was she there? Where was she supposed to sit at? Why was she supposed sit in a specific place? Nothing made sense to her!
The mare groaned and trotted off. Before leaving, she leaned against the door and called out,
“Get to bed! The whole lot o’ you”
What was happening!?
As the mare said this, she locked the door behind her and trotted off. Dash watched as, yet again, she was locked up with no sure-fire way out.
Just as the mare had closed the door, all the fillies and colts began hustling and busting around looking for certain things. They looked through boxes, containers or any sort of thing, that had an opening for them to look through and place things in. Some shot her a few distant looks but most were busy with their own things. And those who did look at her, only did so for a second and returned to their searching.
After a minute of searching most of the kids had gotten their things and wandered off to some room in the back. They each got things varying from toys, stuffed animals, blankets, books and more. Some were still left searching but most had left by the time the clock above them struck nine. She stared at it for a second. She had slept from some time in the late morning to nine o’clock at night? Eh, not the most she'd been able to do before.
One of the kids shot her a look, motioning for her to follow, not knowing what else to do, she got up and trotted after the kid. The child was a colt, who had a silver-like mane, covering his eyebrows, and his ears, to some extent. His mud-brown coat seemed dry and uncared for, and he seemed to be a blank-flank, like her. His little wings didn't seem as though they were preened in ages... Wait preening! She internally facehoofed. After wings get wet, they need to be preened for them to be useful later on! How did she forget that!? This whole time she blamed her wings for not working, when in reality all she had to do was pluck a few feathers back in place! She groaned at the realization. This whole time she could have just preened herself and she could have gotten out of so many of that day’s problems!
The colt shot her a confused look. He seemed to have heard her groan. There wasn't much noise to override it anyway. She gave him a sheepish smile. He rolled his eyes at her, before directing her to a small bed at the corner-most part of the room they were now in. Said room, contained many beds, with the fillies and colts all laid in one. Each had something in their hooves, they were cuddling or just holding onto. The beds each had the same blankets, bedsheets, pillows, bed frame and all, the only difference was a sign above their beds, which said their initials on it. The colt motioned to the bed she was given, on top of it read the initials, ‘RB’. So, whoever is RB, just got replaced or something? Was she mistaken for that kid? Who has a rainbow in their mane apart from Dash? Her father has, but his initials aren't RB, there, BT, for Blazing Thunder, so who was this Pony?
Dash gave the colt a look, which he dismissed and trotted away. Dash tried reading the kid, understanding what his motives were, or who he was, or how he acted, basically anything about the kid, but nothing. She was completely blocked out.
Shrugging, she watched the colt hover onto a bed, somewhere in the middle of all the others, atop his bed, the sign read the initials ‘CC’,
wonder what that stands for...
Climbing into her new bed, she stared up at the blank, gray ceiling. Was this her life now? Was she just another orphan? Her parents didn't abandon her, or at least not intentionally. Her mother was just... Confused... That's it. Once she realizes what she did, she'd be back for her daughter. She'd take her home and they'll live like they did before, the three of them. Her father, mother and her. Things are going to go back to normal... They have to... All she has to do was make her way back to that alleyway. That's it. That's what she had to do. Go back to the alley and wait for her parents, they'll be back.... They always come back... The have to.
Alright, so that’s the plan, head back to the alley tomorrow,
She told herself,
Mom and Dad will be waiting, they just have to. I mean isn't the third day the charm? Isn't that how that goes? It is! Tomorrow will be the third day and then they have to come back for me... They just have to.
Slowly drifting her eyes shut she fell fast asleep soon after. Sure, she had woken not long before, but merely thinking got her exhausted, and this whole day was full of thinking, questioning, pondering and so much more! She'd had enough and sleep was a little escape she had.
Good night, Mommy, Daddy
“Ring!”
Magenta eyes shot open in shock. Her wings activated, buzzed up and soon fell to her side. She slipped out of bed, and hit the ground with a quiet thud. A groan soon left her moth. She heard bustling noises from the other side of her bed, which were soon drowned out by the loud speaker that echoed through their little room.
“All kids are to report to the Main Hall in ten minutes!”
The speaker announced, the voice on the other side sounded fake and stern. She shook her head.
Ten minutes!
She thought,
For what?! To get ready? And how do I even do that?!
She sat up and stretched her wings, and hooves. Finally getting a chance to look around and adjust, she managed to recognize her location. White, tall walls, hushed chatter from behind her, the creeks of the bed frame, as kids jumped off and on the bed. The opening and closing of doors as said kids made their way in and out of the room. She heard and saw it all. Letting out a sigh, she propped up to her hooves and strode away from her bed. Not getting far, she noticed most kids had made their beds, and not wanting to stick out more than she already did, she returned to her bed and quirky made it. It still had wrinkles on it and the pillows weren't fluffed but she couldn't care less. The clock in the room, read seven-five. She assumed she had spent five minutes on the bed, so scurried off out of the room.
She walked through the door that led her into the main room. Said room, had toy boxes, cupboards, shelves with books placed side by side, and a carpet in the middle of the room. Though all this was in there, the room still looked dreary and empty. The walls were blank white, and so were most of the objects in there. The only things that weren't white or gray, was the fillies that roamed it. Even they didn't look as bright as a filly or colt should look at that age.
Her eyes darted around the room, from one kid to another, she didn't recognize any of them. All were Pegasi, and each had a look of pure despair written all over their faces. Other than that, none of them had much in common, at least not by their looks at least. There didn't seem to be any siblings or anything, either.
“Uhh...?”
She darted her eyes back and forth, looking for what to do. The same colt from the night before, walked up to her and motioned for her to follow. She followed suite. They arrived in front of a large, gray cupboard. Dash tilted her head at it'll, what was she supposed to do with a cupboard? He then opened it up to reveal, several brushes, combs, blankets, jars, even some filly or colt clothing.
Still confused she tilted her head. The colt facehoofed, agitatedly, and picked out a brush for he really to use. He handed it to her, and she took it, still very confused. He then pointed to her mane, and then at the brush. He was telling her to brush her hair? She nodded, but then looked down at the brush in hoof. She knew how to comb her mane, for the most part, although, it usually was her mom who did it... so she didn't have all that much practice.... she gulped and looked back up at the colt. He rolled her eyes and trotted away. Ponies here aren't the nicest are they she thought. She then brought the brush up to her mane and began combing it as best she could. It got caught in a few knots here and there, but for the most part it seemed to be okay. She pulled it through her still, somehow, wet parts, and that was where the brush eventually did get stuck. She tried pulling it out, but was unsuccessful. She fell to her haunches and sat there trying to pull the brush out.
Geez! How stuck can this thing get!? I knew I was bad but not this bad! s
She thought angrily.
Her brush got tangled in the front part of her mane. Pulling it up out only made it messier. She tried and tried, but failed each time. Her hooves were beginning to give up on her all together.
“Seriously!?”
A stern, angered voice came from behind Dash. She shot her head toward the door, stood there, with a look as cold as ice, was the mare from last night. She looked just as angry if not more as the day before. She facehoofed before trotting in beside her.
She hadn't noticed earlier, but the room was now empty. All the kids there had completely abandoned it or something. The lights were still on for some reason but other than that the room looked quite empty.
The mare trotted up to her, picked her up and carelessly pulled out the brush from her mane. It left a big mess in its wake; her bangs became ruffled up and messy... er.... messier.
She put the brush back and dropped her to the floor, and gave her a quick, painful slap on the cheek, “Wasn’t it made clear to you, that you had to come to the Main Hall in ten minutes?!” She scolded. Dash looked down, in shame. Had she really taken that long to do her mane? Stupid hair! she decided to try and never do her mane, it was already causing her pain, along with irritation for the older mare and assumedly stallions too.
The older mare brought her wings up to her eyes and rubbed them, agitatedly. She looked back down at the filly and let out a groan, “Come on, breakfast is going to finish up before you make it there” she spoke with little to no emotion.
Dash gave a slow nod and bounced up to her hooves.
The mare led her to a large, blank white room, with multiple cafeteria tables placed around, with fillies and colts of all ages sat, eating their own food. Looking around, she noticed a very familiar trend with the kids;
None smiled.
She was taken to a table filled with kids, who looked a year or three older than her. The mare sat her down and brought her a tray. Atop said tray, were different sorts of breakfast foods, pancakes, eggs, bread, all sort, except they all looked dry and icky, sort of like that place itself. The mare placed her food on the table and trotted away, wings tugged and head high.
Dash stared down at her tray, brunt eggs, slightly toasted bread with butter, and a packet of milk, was what sat atop her tray. She shot her head up, and darted her around the table. Each kid looked down at their food, minding their business. She noticed that almost none were seeming to enjoy their food, burnt eggs didn’t seem nearly as good as one might make it sound. She didn’t recognize most of them, but once her eyes fell on a Pegasus colt, her face slightly lit at the familiar face. It was the kid from earlier, CC, was it? She tried gaining his attention but ended up getting irritated glares and shoves from the colts there.
Dash wanted to shoot back, show them she wasn’t one to be taken as a foal, but decided against it as she noticed their faces, and the fact that she was much younger than them, defiantly added to her choice to stay quiet.
She poked at her food, trying to figure out how to eat it. Burnt things were never anything she liked per say.
The piercing quiet was deafening, nopony spoke, none. No noise whatsoever. She had figured that an orphanage would have been loud and obnoxious, but this was not even close to what she had expected - not that she had ever thought about a place like an orphanage or anything. Letting out a heavy sigh, she gulped down the rest of her food – figured she at least should have some food, before making her way out.
“RING!”
A bell above them rung, alerting them of something. The kids propped up to their hooves and wandered off to some place with Their trays placed flimsily on their back or in their mouths. They wandered off to some place in the corner and placed their trays their and trotted out. Dash followed their steps; prop up to her hooves, pick up her tray, place it at the corner, and lastly walk out of the room. She followed the kids she recognized to another, blank, white room. This time, it was filled with small knickknacks and toys. Most looked old and broken, the stuffed animals there were all torn and most of their limbs were ripped off. The walls were painted in dull colors, that seemed to attempt to match Dash's hair. She chuckled at the thought.
Each filly and colt rushed off to some toy box, placed at the corner, to get something to play with. In that room, there seemed to be kids from all ages, some looked like foals while others looked like young mare and stallions.
Kids gathered into small groups to play with each other. This seemed to be their favorite time of the day. Some gathered to play with cards or board games, while others played some game with their hooves, others sat there to talk with one another. The foals gathered around and set up little playsets to roleplay in. The room was soon filled with bustling noises, and happy chatter, This is more like it, she thought. This truly did seem more fitting for a place filled to the brim with children.
She shot her head about trying to locate the 'CC' kid. She spotted him playing board games with some other colts his age. She thought about joining him, but then gave in to her hesitation. He was probably playing with his friends and Dash was definitely not one of them.
Looking around she spotted a little filly, seemingly younger than her sat alone with a sad frown stretched across her face. The filly was gray coated, and had thing blonde hair, that sat straight against her side. Her bangs covered her eyes, as she sat leaning against the wall. Dash saw the sad look on her face, and decided to see what was wrong - that and, she wanted to know more about that place. Getting out hadn't seemed to be the easiest, considering, there seemed to be fillies and colts eyeing her every move, that and mares all over the area with stern glares plastered their faces, watching them.
She trotted up to the filly and sat down beside her. The filly didn't seem to notice her at first, so Dash decided to take advantage of that moment and get a better look at the filly.
Her little wings were untrained and didn't seem to be preened, just like every other Pegasi there. She was also covered in bandages, one on her cheek, a few on her hooves and a few more near wings and flank. She was also a Blank-Flank - just like every other filly or colt there. Sure, the older kids seemed to have gained it but most of the place was packed with fillies and colts who seemed too young for their Mark to appear just yet.
"Hi"
She spoke softly as not to startle the little filly. The gray coated Pegasus shot her head toward Dash with a surprised look. Dash flinched at the sudden movement, but soon regained her cheery smile,
"Hi I'm Rainbow Dash, and you are?"
Dash beamed. The other filly looked straight into her magenta eyes, seeming to search for something. When she seemed to have not found whatever it was, she was looking for, she gazed back at the floor as if she hadn't acknowledged the rainbow filly sat next to her. Dash tilted her head, she was confused by this filly, sure in the span of a day she had met all sorts of ponies but this one confused her the most.
The gray filly's eyes were odd to say the least. Her eyes seemed to be looking in complete opposite directions. One facing her and the other directed up or down or some other direction.
Although a bit weirded out by this, she dismissed and attempted to connote the conversation, as best she could. Her mother had taught her better than to judge somepony based on looks alone.
"So, you're very shy?"
Dash asked curiously. The filly drifted her crossed-eyed, yellow gaze onto the rainbow filly. She gave a slight nod, alerting the cyan filly that she was paying some attention to her. Dash smiled at the new information,
"Cool, I met this other really shy filly the other day. She even had shy in her name. So, I call her Shy, as a nickname, but she didn't seem to know what that was..."
She trailed off into some other conversation completely, all the while attaining the cross-eyed filly's attention.
"...oh!"
she exclaimed a bit louder than needed, gaining a few distant glances, which she dismissed and continued,
"Is there a reason all the adults in this place are... well... unquestiony, like I was walking through town and nopony even noticed I was there!"
She flailed a hoof in the air to exaggerate her point.
"Well,"
The gray Pegasus spoke up for the first time while Dash had been sat there,
"It's normal for them to see a filly roaming alone,"
She explained, gaining Dash's curiosity. The filly continued,
"Whenever one of the kids here manages to escape, they go wandering through town, and it happens more often then you'd think. Every month or so two or three kids manage to escape but each time they get caught, again."
She ended her statement with a sigh.
"Escape?"
Dash asked,
"Why escape, isn't an orphanage a place where kids stay until their adopted?"
The filly pandered, causing a sad smile to appear on the other filly's face.
"Well yes, but this place has different ways of doing things, "
She paused and motioned to the entire room, "Its normally supposed to be bright and colorful, or at least that's what the older kids say" she briefly paused before continuing,
"But here its very.... boring. According to some of the older colts, it's supposed to be colorful and bright and happy and this other word one of them used... alive? Live? Lively!"
She gave a proud smile. Dash nodded at the information. She was never taught about how an orphanage worked or how it looked, but even she knew that it shouldn't looked so dull.
"And nopony, really, knows why this place became like this, it just did"
"So, was it always like this?"
The yellow maned filly shrugged,
"I don't know"
She stated blandly,
“So... what's your name?"
Dash repeated her earlier query. The other Pegasus seemed to sag at the mention. She slumped her shoulders and her face fell.
" Ditzy" Dash tried hearing it, to no avail. a quitter murmur was heard from the filly.
"Um.... I didn't catch that?"
"It’s Ditzy Doo, okay!"
She exclaimed, gaining chuckles and snickers from the other fillies there. Once they settled down Dash spoke up,
"Okay, cool I like it, Ditzy"
Dash repeated the name to herself. The filly covered her face with her mane and looked away, both her eyes shot away from her. Dash noticing this questioned her about it,
"Do you not like it or something?"
"It says how much of a... a... clutz I am!"
She explained in an agitated yet upset manner.
"It just reminds everpony that I'm a clumsy little filly and nothing more"
"Hey, hey, don't say that, sure I don't know you that well, but even I can tell you're not all clumsy, and those bandages proves my point"
The other filly cocked an eyebrow,
"You haven't seen me walk yet or fly, or try anything at all, how would you know, besides I got these bandages when I fell over a bunch"
She retorted.
Dash smirked at that.
"Trust me, I know exactly how that feels. My mom always says that bandages on you show that each time you got right back up and tried again instead of laying on the floor all defeated, not that you were a clutz or anything,"
She softened her smirk into a caring smile, one her mom gave her a lot of the time, when she herself had fallen while trying to perfect her flying,
"And don't you think that's more than clumsy?"
"I-I guess..."
She smiled warmly at the older Pegasus.
The two got to talking and both found that they enjoyed each other's company. Dash found out that the little filly was picked on for her clumsiness and cross-eyedness. The rainbow filly did not like the sound of that. Bullying was something the filly couldn't stand and so vowed to always protect her from any bullies that might come her way. The filly, Ditzy, quite appreciated it.
Dash had also told her a lot about herself, about when her mom left her, but also had assured the younger filly, that her mom was going to come for her. She also mentioned the stallion's chasing and the encounter with Shy, basically her whole yesterday.
The other filly had also talked about her day. About how boring it had been compared to Dash's, about how the older colts had picked on her for being small, and weak and clumsy. It had sounded uninteresting and quite boring, but that the whole point, wasn't it? Dash listened and her responses when she felt it was right, nonetheless.
"...colts here aren't the nicest y'know"
Dash gave an attentive nod. As they sat there chatting away, the door to their little room burst open and the mare with red gasses walked in. She had a small filly trotting behind her. She motioned for the filly to come out of her tail and introduce herself or something.
Peeping out, the little Pegasus made her way out of the tail she was hid in and shot her head around nervously. The mare groaned at her shyness and trotted off, closing the door behind her. The little filly watched as her freedom was snatched and she was left their all alone.
The green coated Pegasus assured his little daughter. He stared into her Aqua green eyes, with as much love as he could muster. The filly stared back into her father’s bright blue eyes, with worry and fear.
“I will be back, I promise… for now, you’ll be staying here, alright?”
He brought the filly in for an assuring hug, rapping his hooves around her, as she rapped her long, skinny, cream-colored hooves around him too.
The pair was stood out in front of an old, run-down looking building. The door seemed to be old yet, able to do its job quite well. Any plants nearby seemed to be dead, uncared for. The building in itself looked run down and abandoned although it that wasn't quite the case. On a burnt, flimsy looking sign read the words, Sunny Filled Orphanage. The sign was coated in sky blue, to make it seem as though it was the sky above, at the very corner of its borders, was bright yellow, sun drawing. The words themselves were a shade of bright yellow to light orange.
The building in itself was massive and seemed to be able to hold a half a hundred elephants or more. The windows on the place seemed to lead in to some place bright and - as the name suggested - sunny filled. The bright blue color it was coated in almost masked the run-down appearance, it other-wise had.
"P=promise?"
The little, pink maned, filly, questioned with pleading eyes. She was now sat on her haunches with a sad frown stretching across her cream coated muzzle.
The older Pegasus eyed his daughter, an unsure smile soon left his face to make way for a sad one instead. He gave her a slow nod, and uncertain nod. He shot his head up at the mare stood behind the two. Her brown thick mane, tied up in a loose bun, and her snake-like eyes, made her look almost.... evil. Though, her sweet smile and welcome posture said other-wise. She lifted a hoof up to her muzzle, to push up her red spectacles, somewhat floating over her muzzle.
"I assure you, sir, she'll be happy here"
The mare spoke with a tint of annoyance, though that was easily missed by the fake chipper tone she had chosen to use. The gray maned stallion nodded. He gazed back down at her daughter. Tears forming in her eyes, she watched as he gave the filly a little wave and goodbye. He trotted out of view, into the horizon, leaving his only foal behind at an unknown location. As he slipped away from her gaze, she let out a little whimper. A hoof was soon placed on her shoulder. The filly shot her head up, to see a stern mare look back at her. She pursed her lips;
"Come with me"
This time, there wasn't any fake chipper or cheery to mask away her annoyance, it was now in full view for everypony to hear. The filly gulped; what was going to happen?
The mare directed her into the massive hallway, leaving to an unreasonable amount of doors scattered about, in every direction she turned. Each door had nothing more than a simple sign on it, informing the ponies there, that the room was Staff Only. The walls inside didn't seem as bright and colorful though. The walls still looked bright, in an odd fashion. They beamed something, though the filly had no clue what that particularly was, nor did she seem to want to find out. She heard a hushed chatter coming from around the corner, it sounded like older mares gossiping on and on. She ignored the noises and just followed the cream, almost pale white, mare in front of her.
They walked through multiple hallways each having a dozen or so door seeming to lead to nothing . Some had the Staff Only warning, while others had numbers, varying from 1 all the way up 14, that was all she saw, there could have been more.
They soon came to holt in front of bare door, with no indication as to what was inside anywhere. The filly whimpered and hid behind the mare, at the louder noises coming from inside. It seemed to be a whole room filled with that same hushed chatter from the older mares earlier, just louder and more obnoxious.
The mare banged the door open, revealing a surprised, shocked and maybe even scared group of fillies and colts. Some in their own circles other on their own, some in pairs or trios. The cream filly kept herself hidden in the older mare's tail. That was until; the mare shook her tail, ruffling it up in the process, she shook the filly out of her tail. The cream-colored Pegasus stood on her forehooves, and covered her face with her thick, pink mane. The brown maned mare groaned, and motioned for her to introduce herself. The filly just stared at her in confusion and fear. Another groan left the Pegasus. she raised her hoof, but let it fall to her side, upon seeing all the other fillies and colts there. Sighing she made her way out of the room, locked the door and trotted off.
The cream filly watched as the last bit freedom she had was harshly snatched from her hooves. She fell to her haunches in a heap of desperation.
"Shy! Over here!"
A familiar voice, called out for her. She recognized both the name used and the voice it was coming out off. Shooting her head up, she searched the room the filly behind the call. To her sheer glee she spotted an unmistakable rainbow filly trotting up to her. She seemed a little different than the last time she had seen her. For one; her bangs seemed messier and was even more unkept than the last. Her chipper smile from last time was replaced with a fake happy one instead. She looked the same other-wise. She had a hoof up to her side, waving toward the filly on her haunches.
Shy got up and rushed over to the rainbow filly. She wrapped her forehooves around the little Pegasus, glad to see a familiar face. She let go of the filly just as fast she had wrapped her hooves around to begin with.
"Hey Shy, what are you doing here?"
The rainbow filly questioned with both an incredulous and worried look. A gray coated, cross-eyed filly walked up beside Dash, and stood with a little smile on her face. She eyed the two; she had never seen the gray filly before, but she knew Dash a little after their anointer the day prior. It was just wonderful to see a face recognized by her. She had assumed she'd have to be alone and scared through this whole thing, until her father returned for her, if he ever was going to, that is.
Looking around she spotted, multiple groups of kids, pairs, trios, circles, groups, or just solo, kids gathered around the room in all different places.
She shot her head back at the two in front of her. A frown stretched across her muzzle:
"I-I don't know"
She replied sadly. Both fillies blinked at the statement, neither knowing what to say, to such a claim.
"What about your father?"
The rainbow filly questioned. The cream coated didn't reply, she merely remained quiet. Not knowing how to brush away the awkwardness, Dash decided to start a new topic.
"So... Shy this is Ditzy, Ditzy; Fluttershy"
The rainbow filly announced. Fluttershy shot her head up to take a good, long look at the gray. Her eyes drifted down from the filly's bright, yellow locks, to her ruffled up wings.
"H-hi"
Ditzy greeted, waving a nervous hoof, weeing a sheepish smile. A soft smile wither its way onto the shy filly's muzzle.
"H-hi"
"Had breakfast?"
Rainbow asked. When the cream coated filly nodded, the three remained quiet, neither wanting to speak up, or just not knowing what to say in general. What were they meant to say, anyway? Ask each other about the weather? What a riveting conversation that would be. Besides, that would end in les than three or four words. A few times, their mouths fell open but nothing was let out, nothing more then a whimper, that is. The question on all their minds - or at least the new two Pegasi; Shy and Dash - what was up with this place?
As if on cue, the doors flung open, again, revealing a Pegasus mare, wearing a similar glare as the red-glasses-mare. Her eyes narrowed, muzzle scrunched, and glare sharp, she trotted into their playroom, of sorts. The mare came to an abrupt holt in the middle of the room, earning the attention of most of the kids there. She ignored any that weren't already facing her, and spoke up, hushing the rest of the room;
"Alright, times up, back to yer rooms, the whole lot o' you!"
The mare's clear yet stern voice, earned looks of fear from each of the fillies and colts there. Any kids who hadn't looked toward her, had stopped their own chatter in fear of what she might do. Kids began making lines, according to their Hight, and assumedly age, and quietly made their way out. Ditzy followed a group of smaller, younger looking fillies out the door, and away from view. Rainbow and Fluttershy, remained in the room, unsure as to what was going on, and what they were meant to do.
The stern, yellow maned, mare trotted up to the two fillies, remaining in the room.
"What did I say? The whole lot o' you! Out!"
She pointed a wing at the door, directing them toward it. Still confused, both the fillies followed the instruction, but were halted before they could carry them out completely. A teal coated hoof blocked their exit, halting both fillies in their tracks. Shooting their head up they were met with a stallion's evil glare. The rainbow filly seemed to notice him and tremble a little as she stepped back. Shy did not take long to follow her. The stallion wore a devilish grin, seeming to stretch across is whole muzzle. He had his eyes glued on the cyan filly, eyeing her from top to bottom. His emerald eyes striking fear into their hearts. His wings seemed to be ready for flight, but were tucked back to his side. His dark blue mane swept up to create an ocean like esthetic.
"Now get!"
The stern mare from behind, demanded. Unsure as what to do, both fillies remained frozen. The stallion made his way to and away from the fillies, he gave them, or more like Dash, one last, evil look before trotting out of view. Both fillies scampered out the room as quick as can be, and only stopped when they cam across another lined up group of fillies. They had to be at least three years older than the two, but Dash seemed to recognize one. She trotted over to mud-brown colt, with a silver mane.
Shy remained at the back of the line, trotting along side them. They seemed to be going in a general directions, though their speed was not one to be praised. It was as slow as can be. Slow and quiet. It didn't seem like these were the same kids making such a racket in the other room., but that definitely was the case. Shooting her Aqua-green eyes about, she spotted nothing but empty, white walls, occasional doors here or there.
Where were all the doors from earlier? She wondered.
They passed a large, open door, leading to plenty of cafeteria tables and chairs, when another groan was heard. Before she could react, the cream-coated filly was being carried away by the same mare from earlier. The cream filly was tucked under a wing, being taken to somewhere unrecognized. She tried struggling, but that only earned more tightening on the mare's part.
It didn't take long for her to be dropped off with a whole new group of fillies, all of whom she found unrecognizable. The mare dropped her off, and trotted beside them to escort them. This new line was packed with fillies and colts who actually seemed to within her age. They trotted toward a bright, white door. It blinded Fluttershy as they walked in
Trotting over to the brown coated filly, she felt a hoof wrap around her waist. She felt herself lift up from the ground, and taken away from there. She shot her head up at the mare who had grabbed her. It was the same cream coated mare she had come across not long ago. The mare seemed just as agitated as she was the first time they had encountered each other. She was mumbling something incoherent under her breathe, and her sharp glare was set forward.
"Is it so hard for you to listen?!"
The mare placed her at the back of the line, away from the CC kid. Dash merely blinked; was she supposed to do something? She wondered. The mare let another, long, groan slip her lips.
"Stay. Here."
The mare tapped a hoof on the floor,
"Don't. Go. Anywhere!"
Still very confused, Dash gave an obedient nod. What else was she to do?
"Follow this line, wherever it goes, you go"
Well that was counter intuitive. One second it was all 'don't go anywhere’ then the next its all, 'follow there kids'. Nevertheless, Dash nodded, getting up to her hooves. The mare rolled her eyes, and trotted off, leaving her alone, at the very back of a line. She shot her head back, Well, that was pointless. Why didn't she just stay with me! I mean if she hates me so much, why can't she just watch me! Another small thought crossed her mind, she shot her head back at the line, which was now a few feet away from her. She scurried to the back of the line, following the rest of the kids to wherever it was they were headed.
The walk to wherever they were going was a long one. They passed through and by many places. At first the walls looked dry and dull, with a door leading to some random room, spreading across the walls lie the holes on cheese, the found themselves in front of one almost every five minutes or so. A little further into their trot and now they were seeing walls of a mesh blue and green, a shade of yellow was even dotted about in the blue, which was painted right above the hues of green. Said green coat, made up more than half of the bottom portion of the walls. It closely reassembled a landscape of sorts, but was disturbed among the two by the sever lack of flair and attraction the walls just seemed to have. The doors in this part seemed to have died down too. Instead of doors that decorated the walls, here it was chairs, plenty of them too. There seemed to be chairs placed nearly as much as the doors in the previous section.
Once they crossed this chair-filled section of their trot, they found themselves in a more sport-themed walkway. The walls itself repeated the words, 'Sports' or 'Game On' or 'Work Is Play' or something along those lines. This part didn't seem to have an abundance of anything aside from maybe those encouraging quotes plastered all over the walls. In fact there didn't seem to be a single door nor chair in sight, it was completely dull, if the quotes were non-existent that is.
They walked for quite a while in the sporty area, before they reached a massive doorway. The blinding light, made her, instinctively, squeeze her eyes shut. She didn't stop moving, just kept blindly trotting. She could hear the other hoof steps and so listened to them for directions.
When she could feel the blinding light subside, she opened her eyes, to see a massive gymnasium. The room was bright, more so than the room they were meant to play in not so long ago. The room had plenty of sport activities dotted around, such as basket ball hoops, plus the balls themselves. There also seemed to be a tennis court, for playing... well... tennis. It was in a more secluded area, but it was there. There was an area seemingly dedicated for relaxing, stretching, breathing and so on. This gymnasium didn't have the regular bleachers for ponies to watch them from, in fact it didn't seem to have that at all. This is gotta be some private gym, then huh? Dash wondered.
She was a little in awe at the size of the gym, but quickly snapped out, when she heard the trotting continue. She shot her head about, watching as the colts and fillies grab themselves a broom, or a mop, or a white rag, and begin cleaning. Some colts swept the shine clean floor, while the other fillies mopped behind them. Some of the colts took off into the air and wiped the higher up areas, such as the hoops and the net.
Dash stared in dumbfound shock, as the fillies and colts got down dirty to clean this place. Was that what she was supposed to be doing? Was she supposed to be cleaning this place? Why was that? Why did they make little fillies and colts clean? Could they really not afford to get actually cleaners?
"Hey, get to work"
She shot her head around at the source of the demand. To her utter relief it was that CC kid from earlier, the one she had gone off searching for but never managed to find again. He looked quite the same, dull eyed, brown coated, silver maned, Pegasus colt. Yep, the same colt she had met before. As a few more thoughts entered and left her mind, she realized what the colt had said.
"What for? Aren't there supposed be, I don't know, cleaning ponies to do this? I thought that was their job?"
Dash asked both snidely and genuinely. The brown coated colt gave her a shake of his head,
"That's what we're here for, kid"
He answered, then handed her a mop,
"Get to cleaning. Over there is your part, make sure you follow Cinder and what he does, got it? Or else, you know what happens"
He explained with a dull expression. He wandered off leading some filly around. Forgetting the ever more questions she had, Dash shot her head back in the direction the CC kid had pointed to. When she did so, she made eye contact with this older looking colt. What didn't surprise her was the fact that he seemed older than her, almost everyone there did. Though his dull expression did say he might just be a carbon copy of the CC kid. She made her way over to the colt, still holding that mop in her mouth. No where else to hold it.
"Ima assume your that RB filly?"
His voice sounded low, raspy even, but more tired, dull, eerie maybe, just like the CC kid. She eyed the colt, messy swamp-green mane, a grey cinder-like coat, unkept wings, and no Cutie Mark, yep seemed just like every other colt or filly there, aside from his own appearance ,his overall demeanor seemed just the same.
"Er... not really"
She responded, a little too distracted taking in everything around her at the moment to explain further. Cinder, was it, gave a fake 'mhm', and begun his sweeping. Dash only noticed his actions when she heard light sweeps, from the floor. She recalled the CC kid's instructions, and not wanting to make more ponies mad, she too begun in, what could only assume, was her part.
The mop she was handed, was already dipped in water, and she had previously spotted a bucket nearby for her to dunk it in if she so needed to.
For now, she merely followed this new kid around with the mop, wiping the floor in every spot the colt swept with his broom.
Things remained this way, none uttering a word, not even a slight ‘hello’ or ‘hi’, was in order apparently. This wasn't just the case for her and this colt, it seemed to be the case for everyone. Looking around, she quickly noticed a running theme in the pairs, that were there. Each pair had a sweeper and mopper. The job of a mopper seemed to only be given to fillies while the role of a sweeper was handled by colts. It also seemed to be that the sweepers led the two, while the mopper followed. That took Dash quite the while to figure out, she's not completely certain as to why it took her so long, though.
Aside from the visual and task similarities there seemed to be one last thing connecting all these fillies and colts to one another; their dullness. It seemed as though, everywhere she went, she was going to come across dull, bland, emotionless looking ponies, which for some reason, didn't sit right with Dash. Kids were supposed to look happy, joyous, they weren't supposed to look so... so... so dead!
Wanting to at least attempt to change one colt, she begun conversation, be it if the colt listened or not.
"So uhh... the name"s Rainbow Dash, as in RD, not B"
She rambled,
"I have no idea why the bed I got even says RB...."
A question quickly popped up in her head, it was better to clear a few of her questions now rather than leave them to eat away at her sanity. She had already been trying to search for some answers on her own, without the need to bother ponies, but if she needed help, she wasn't afraid to ask. Finding answers had become her new goal in this... this forsaken place.
"Hey, do you know who RB is?"
She squeaked. The colt stopped for a mere second before continuing.
"RB?"
He asked. Dash gave him a nod, but soon realized he couldn't see her, so just answered with a 'mhm' instead.
"Well, I don't really no anything..."
He spoke dryly yet his words had this scent of fear and sorrow as he spoke. Well that wasn't quite what she had hoped it would be.
"...except that her name was Racing Bolt, the other girls might know more about her"
Alright that's a lead! Better than nothing at all! Though she still had plenty of questions to ask, maybe just a few more won't hurt anyone else, right?
"So this RB is a 'she'?"
Dash propped up with a spring in her step. It was so nice to finally talk with someone, other than really shy folks, not that they were bad companions or anything! It's just that she wanted somepony more like her to speak to. The colt gave a nod.
"So where is she?"
This time the colt stopped, making an oblivious Dash bump into him. She fell to her haunches, more chocked than anything else.
"Hey! What was that for!"
She shot up to her hooves, nursing her head, from the obnoxious hit to it. The grey coated colt shook his head, then whipped his head back at her, frightening her all the more.
"Don't ask me! Are you deaf or something?!"
He scolded. Again, Rainbow blinked, confusion overshadowing anything else in her at the moment.
"Well it was a simple question!"
She retorted, not seeming to back down. Her wings were flared, her glare worse than it had ever been in the past, her teeth gritted, she wasn't backing down, not without a fight. She shot to her hooves, and shot the colt a glare. Enough was enough! She had been pushed around far too many times it a way too,little time span, she was not letting that happen again!
"Nobody cares, Rainbow freak!!"
His hoof raised and fell to hit her on the cheek, yet again. A stinging pain shot through her body, coursing from her cheeks to the rest of her, a tinge of crimson seeped from her cheeks, making its way down her face and dripping onto the icecold floor. Dash fell to her haunches, dumbfounded by both the pain in her cheek at the random need for violence and the shock of having been beaten, yet again. She wasn't used to being hit even once back home, and now it seemed as though she might be getting it every day from now on.
Her eyes were wide with adrenaline, her body was shivering from shock, and a fresh flood of tears threatened to escape. She tried to keep herself together, but the tears streamed out anyway. She didn't know what it was that made her tear up right then and there, she didn't know if it was the unnecessary serge of pain or the immense amount of shock, but she did, and she hated the feeling. The feeling of being vulnerable. She felt it when her mum left her, she felt it when she was trapped in that tube for so long, she felt it when she was being carried away to some place she never knew not heard of. She hated each and every one of those encounters and events.
She could hear all sorts of rumors being spread about her. She could hear fillies and colts whispering away at what just took place; an older colt punching a younger filly. That, now that, seemed to be out of the ordinary for these kids. She could feel the judgmental looks and glares, and comments, pierce through her fragile pride.
She covered her face with her hooves, wiping away the tears as they flowed, but it was no use, they just flooded out, and didn't seem to want to stop. When her attempt at preventing her teary eyed expression, failed, she merely sat there, with her head lowered, cowering from the embarrassment she felt.
The colt seemed almost remorseful about what he did, but when he spotted the crowd around him, all cheering him on, things changed. He heard their chants;
"Cinder! Cinder! Cinder!"
They cheered. He was a favorite among the older kids for a reason; because he gave in to no one. This new filly was no different. She was just the same, pathetic filly he had thought she was. His hoof raised up high, to hit the filly one more time, maybe even continue the beating. He managed to get one slap, earning a small whimper from the filly. He had punched in the same place, which in turn called for more of the red liquid to seep out.
The filly's eyes drifted away, not bothering to make eye contact with her attacker. She didn't have the strength in her to stand up to this bully, no way! This colt looked like he was far, far stronger, and older than her, and those are a few factors one muster consider before picking their enemy. And this, this was not a good choice for her.
"Cinder! Cinder! Cinder!"
The words echoed through the gymnasium, giving the colt more strength as it continued. It was a nice feeling for him, to feel like he was back in the spot light, and not in the back rotting away for other's pleasure. It felt good not being on the receiving end of this sort of beating. He definitely preferred this one over the other.
He smirked, raising his hoof to get another punch in. The defeating quiet made him blink. He lowered his hoof, but not with the sharp sting it had before this. It merely feel to the ground like it should have the alt two times. He shot his head around and to his utter shock and fright he saw two adult ponies stood with glares on their faces. The colt gulped, and tried to deny what they seeing before them;
"P-please, I-I was j-just... it-it was just... w-we were h-having-"
"Can it!"
Came the sharp voice of the mare. Her glare seemed to burn a hole in the ever courages Pegasus.
"Back ta work, all o' ya!"
The mare demanded, motioning for the crowd to disperse. With no second thoughts, all the fillies and colts returned to what they were doing prior to this. The stallion, stood next to the mare, trotted up to Cinder, grabbed him by one hoof and dragged him out of the room. The mare remained a second longer, eyeing each and every child there, then followed the stallion out of the room. His pleas and begs were all lost to the wind. Neither ponies seemed to even register that he was speaking, let alone what he was saying. The mare shot her head back one last time, giving each filly and colt there, a sort of, warning, as to not repeat it again.
Dash had merely watched this exchange with a dead expression, nothing on her face screamed, 'thank you for this, I really appreciate it!', or anything of the sort. She merely had a look of guilt. She didn't know why, but she felt that way, she felt guilty about it. The reational part of Rainbow Dash told her there was no reason to, but her heart and gut was telling eh that other wise. She sat there unsure as to what is next, what she has to do or deal with next.
Rainbow Dash sat there, eyeing the exit, blinking repeatedly trying to comprehend wheat had just happened.
A colt, whom she barely got a word out off, randomly began punching her, then was taken away by that same mare that had dragged her here and some other stallion, and now she was left wondering what happened. Questions after question popped up in her head.
Who was that colt?
Why did he attack her?
Why were the other fillies and colts cheering?
She sat there, deep in thought, different feelings boiled up inside her, she didn't know know which to be. Whether she should have cried out of pain, shouted in anger or apologised out of guilt, she didn't know. Her heart raised, her breathing fast and unsteady, she could feel herself shivering, that be from the breeze that past them by or the fear she felt, she didn't know.
She shook her head, trying to get all those questions out of her head, nothing seeming to work, though. One simple question, that had been bothering her since the minute her mother flew off, reappeared, this time asking a different sort of question.
"Why is he like that?"
She asked, seemingly to the wide, open archway in front of her.
"No one really knows," came the voice of a colt she hadn't heard before.
Turning her head to face him, she met the gaze of that CC colt. He was staring at the exit, like she had been, though he was less in pander than she had been. He wore a scowl, his eyes were narrowed angrily.
"Knows what?" Dash asked simply. The CC kid turned his gaze to meet hers, his gaze as dull and lifeless as ever.
"Know how he became that way. He lives off of pony's cheering for him. He attacks anypony that gets him angry to any level,"
He paused, looking back at a crowd of kids gathered a little behind the two.
"See those kids over there?"
He asked, pointing one hoof at the group of fillies and colts.
They were gathered there to finish up the cleaning they were assigned. Most of the colts had brooms in their clutches while the fillies held onto the mops and followed the colts around, mopping up anything left by them.
What got Dash's attention was not how unified they seemed to be, no. What got her attention was something far different from their uniformed appearance. What got her attention was the fact that some, older seeming kids, had bandages plaster on them. From under their wings, to on their forehead, slightly covered by their bangs. These certain colts, she had not spotted before this. Either they were just hard to see, or she never turned their direction, or just blatantly missed them on purpose, the point still stands; they had more bandages on them than the kids she had gotten to recognize to an extent.
They weren't the kid she shared a room with while sleeping, they weren't the kids she had come across while eating. They weren't even the kids she had spotted when arriving at the gymnasium. They were older kids, seemed to be in their teenage years, a few seemed nearly at the age of eighteen. Though that was all she assumed, she had no idea how old these kids actually were.
"Those kids with the bandages are some of the other kids that got Cinder angry."
He finished.
Dash stared at the fillies and colts. Each wore the same dull expression as CC, it was odd. They all had the same look on their faces, and practically looked the same, while each seemed so different. One of the fillies had a hot-pink mane and a cream coat, while another had a dark red mane and a midnight blue coat. One colt even had a bright white coat and a bright yellow mane. Individually, they may have been equally as different and unique, but put them side by side, and they looked just about the same.
"The name's Choco, I'm assuming your name is Rainbow something?"
He asked, blankly. He was still eyeing at the group of kids. Dash stared at him, trying, yet again, to see what he was thinking, if in any way, she could figure out, by the way he acted and looked, what he was thinking or feeling.
"Uh yea, Rainbow Dash."
She replied just as lifelessly as CC did.
"Oh!"
She propped up to her hooves, with a wider smile on, having thought off something that got her distracted.
"I'll call you CC!"
She declared.
The brown colt cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Why?"
He asked simply, quite baffled both by the name she used and the random change from near devastation to outright excitement.
"Cause, that's what I've been calling you! Since I read that sign above your above your bed, 'the CC kid', that's what I've been calling you!"
She enthused.
Still finding it puzzling how she changed from one drastic to another, CC didn't divert from the confused look he wore.
"Mhm, sure, I guess"
He replied, more or less eyeing her, who was now distracted by something completely different.
"Hey, you think I can learn to be like you?"
She asked, innocently.
"What do you mean by that?"
Dash motioned around the room before replying.
"Y'know, seem so... dull all the time. Everypony here doesn't smile, I wanna know how! I can't not smile, at times. How do you all do it all the time?"
His gaze fell distant, not daring to look her in the eye. "It's not something to learn, you get used to its around here."
Dash blinked, her smile withering.
"Oh."
An unreasonable amount of silence soon engulfed the two, CC staring off in some other direction, while Dash remained both confused, and angry. She wasn't focusing on anything specific, merely staring at random positions.
"Hey, do you know why I was put here?"
She let the question slip her lips. She didn't intend for it to, but it did, and now it remained out in the open, for anyone to take an use as they wish.
The brown colt stared down at the filly sat on her haunches. He nearly had a sympathies look on his face, but that quickly disappeared.
"The same reason we all were."
Was his only reply.
He motioned for her to follow, which she promptly noticed and decided to do. She, for the second time in their little conversation, propped up to er hooves, and followed CC. He seem to be going toward the crowd of kids. It wasn't long before both were stood in front of a group of fillies and colts, most with confused or concerned looks on their faces, some with angry and irritated glares shot toward the rainbow pegasus.
"Who is she?"
Asked a random voice from the crowd. A midnight blue pegasus was the source of the question. The little filly trotted up to CC, a more angry look on her face. She gave the cyan filly a glare before turning her attention back to the brown colt.
"I'm Rainbow Dash."
She stated, though a bit less enthusiastic than she had been for any other greeting. She gave a sheepish smile, and rubbed the back of her head nervously.
The red headed filly glared at her, clearly unhappy with her presence.
"Why is she here?"
"She's new. Figured she might need a proper introduction."
His reply may have given an answer to blue filly but definitely not to any other present there.
"You, as in CC."
Asked another voice, one which was left a mystery to Dash.
"Yes, me. I think you all can help her get used to things, so what just happened,"
He shot the filly a glare.
"Doesn't happen again."
"Oh no, no!"
The red maned filly stomped a hoof on the floor, not pleased with this new information.
"You are not leaving us to babysit this filly! You went up to her, and started talking, so she's your problem, not ours!"
She clarified.
"Besides, we have our own problems to deal with. We don't need an annoying kid messing everything up. Like she did just now!"
"Hey! I didn't know he'd attack me! How was I supposed to know that!"
Rainbow defended, a glare of her own was formed on her face. Her muzzle scrunched up and her eyes narrowed.
"As I was saying,"
She promptly ignored her.
"We don't have to deal with your dirty work, Choco!"
CC rolled his eyes.
"If you don't want to help-"
"You take that back! I am not anyone's dirty work!"
She cut him off. Her wings buzzed, but did not take her off the ground, her eyes were narrowed yet again, and she wore a nasty scowl.
The dark blue filly rolled her eyed, and proceeded to promptly ignore him.
"You're taking her with you, or she's doing it on her own. She is not, I repeat to you, she is not staying with us."
CC gave a sigh, knowing there was no way he was going to win this argument. He gave a lifeless glance back at Dash before motioning for her to follow him to some corner of the room.
"Now, don't go starting fights with anypony. And don't even bother trying to escape,"
That las sentence caught Dash off guard. Yet another pony in this orphanage mentioned escaping. What was there to escape from? As far Dash knew, orphanages were places where ponies get adopted into new homes and families, nothing more. Not some place you'd need to escape from, right?
Another spine-chilling thought crossed her mind, "Wait, you're leaving me here?" She asked, genuinely scared for her life at this point. If more kids like Cinder were around, then she wouldn't survive a day without get beaten up some more. She just didn't know to protect herself.
The brown colt eyed a distant pole behind Dash, not making eye contact with the filly in front of him. All that went through Dash's mind was how she didn't want to be left alone here.
"Yes, yes I am."
He answered blankly. The filly' face fell, disheartened by the answer.
"I'm not leaving my friends to help some..."
He muttered the last bit under his breath, preventing the rainbow filly from hearing. She could only assume it was not something that he said.
"Now, like I said,"
He paused collecting his words.
"Don't bother trying to escape, don't start any fights, and definitely don't complain about any of it. If you do any of that stuff, you'll be called in, and they'll have you on their radar. That's somewhere you want to avoid at all cost."
All her got in reply were blank blinks of incomprehension. He sighed, evident fed up with the filly' lack of concentration.
"Sue, I'll keep that in mind. No escaping, no fighting and definitely no complaining. Got it."
She gave a salute. The colt tilted his head a little, then proceeded to walk off, in the direction of the kids
Dash watched as he went and rejoined with the other kids, not even a single glance her way, did she receive. Looking around she quickly spotted a mop, and went to grab it.
"Racing Bolt!"
A sharp voice called out to all the kids. Each filly and colt there turned their head toward Dash, baffling her all the more. The cream coated mare trotted up to Dash, her walk as stern as ever, her glare sharper than usual, and her scowl seemed to blend in with the rest of her face.
"Seriously."
She muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Dash to pick up on. The mare approached Dash, who was already readying herself to sprint off, not wanting to be caught by this mare again. She plead her hooves and buzzed her wings.
"Bolt! Stop acting like an idiot!"
She scolded, grabbing the filly by the waist. She tried fighting her grip, but one glare from the older was enough to silence her right then and there. She had no intention of getting slapped again. Not by that mare or anypony else.
"My name is not Bolt!"
She spoke up with gritted teeth. The cream mare didn't give her any of piece of mind, just kept moving.
They passed through all the corridors before arriving at a little room with the words, Foal Nursery on the board above it. Dash blinked. Why was she at a foal's nursery? Was she going to be kept there or something? Did they think she was a foal now too? The mare opened the door to reveal a very blank looking nursery. Cribs were leaned against the wall, with little foals inside. She heard a few crying but most seemed to be quiet.
"Uh"
The mare plopped her on the floor.
"Now get to work!"
She prompted for the filly to get up and do whatever it is she was meant to do. Dash stared up at the older pegasus with a baffled stare. She b.inked a few time over, still unsure as to what she was to do.
The cream coated pegasus, grunted before motioning to some of the crying foals inside.
"Get them sleeping."
She ordered. Still very confused, Dash asked the mare how she was to do it, and other groan left the cram pony's mouth.
"Get to it!"
She demanded before leaving the room, locking it behind her. The rainbow filly stared dumbfounded for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She shook her head. This time she wasn't going to sit around and do nothing until told what to do. Ponies here just didn't seem to be happy with her, maybe if she did this, they'd be pleased, and stop looking at her as though she were some alien from another planet.
The made her way to the first foal show as crying. Her job was made quite simple, get the foals to sleep. Simple. Vey simple... right?
She tried holding the baby to cradle them to sleep, like she remember her mom doing to her when she was much younger. But the foal had other plans. They flung Dash's hooves away with their own, seeming upset with her or something. She tried doing the same with other foals, but the same thing happened with each. She grew frustrated, stomping a hoof on the ground, upset with both the babies and the mare who had Locke her in there.
She tried again, reaching for the foals, and trying to cradle them. But again, they shook her hooves away with their own tiny ones.
"How in Equestria do you ponies get these things to sleep!"
The babies weren't even half her size, and she wasn't that big either, and yet, she was unable to grab hold of even one of them? Now that was embarrassing.
She grunted falling to her haunches, unhappy with this whole thing. She rubbed her hoof against her eyes.
"I hate this!"
Exclaimed the little filly, flailing a hoof in the air.
The day before had started out quite horribly, from the rude awakening to the Cinder kid and maybe even that CC colt, Choco was it? It was quite easy to call that the second worst day in the little life of Rainbow Dash. Second to the day before that when her own mother abandoned her, now that was not fun.
Though, if she were to tell ponies that the entire day had gone by in a similar manner, then she'd be called a liar right away.
She was left alone with dozens of foals for a good, long while - to her it had felt like eternity. The foals hadn't fallen asleep as she was instructed to make them do, in fact, most of them were flying around as though they were ready to be apart of some Air Force, or something. She had scowled at each of them, not getting the reaction she wanted. What ended up working was not any lullaby she may have remembered from her own parents or some glare that never seemed to phase the foals, but her chasing them around.
Yes, she chased the foals around. She couldn't fly herself, her wings being useless at the moment, so she found a magazine lying around and used that to chase the foals back into their cribs, she then rocked the cribs back and forth, until they fell fast asleep.
She herself had fallen asleep after taking care of all the foals and had decided to take a little nap, hoping to forget that entire day and the one before that.
"Please let this be a bad dream."
If she told anypony, now, that she hadn't let even a tear slip, then she'd be lying. In fact, quite many had stroked her soft, cyan cheeks that day, maybe more so than she ever had before.
The filly soon awoke in the same place she had once fallen asleep in, a drowsy-like state she was in, no doubt. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, adjusting her gaze to the bright lights of the little room. Blinking a few times, she took note of her location. Stone-gray wallpaper, slightly carpeted floors - one rough carpet was placed at the foot of each crib - and the unmistakable cries of foals echoed the little room.
"Oh."
She let out a small, nearly unheard, sigh. She was not fond of that room, nor the cries and most definitely not the foals inside said room. Getting up to her hooves, Dash made her way over to the right, a foal in the crib next to her. Getting up on the tip of her hooves, she managed to take a good look at the foal that was crying to her right this early in the morning.
The foal was small, like really small. She hadn't seen this foal flying about the day before, hadn't even known he existed until now. The foal was a small boy, wearing the cheekiest smile she'd ever seen in her life. The foal had a chocolatey brown mane, with the brightest shade of yellow as his coat colour, and baby blue eyes. The foal had his hooves raised up, flailing them about, trying to reach the older pegasus with them, making all sorts of foal-noises.
Blinking, Dash returned the cheeky smile and picked the foal up in her small hooves. She herself may have been just half his size bigger than the foal, but she definitely was able to hold him. She was now sat on her haunches, holding a bright yellow foal in her hooves, staring down at him with a cheeky smile.
The foal reached up and grabbed Dash on the muzzle, laughing to himself as he did so. Dash watched the foal play, clapping his hooves together after letting the cyan muzzle out of his little grasp.
"Having fun?"
She smirked. The foal paused, staring at her as though he were examining her. Then he clapped his hooves together, once again, and giggled.
Dash smiled, he was sweet, wasn't he?
"I like you, kid."
She said, rubbing his tummy, seeing if he liked it.
"Do you have a name?"
She asked the foal, expecting at least one chuck of it for her to make something out of - a nickname, at least. The foal merely blinked, again, staring as though the cyan filly had gone mad.
"What did I expect?"
She asked herself, rolling her eyes in a dismissive manner. She then looked down at the foal in her hooves and thought for a second.
Something chocolatey, something yellowy, something blue - to match his baby blue eyes - something coltish, and something she liked... she shrugged. The only thing coming to her mind was a very simple name - that had nothing to do with chocolate - and was about to declare the future stallion's name, when something a little better hit her.
"How about Baby Bee? You're really yellow like a bee, and when you're older we can call you Big Bee and-"
The foal clapped his little hooves, smiling brightly. The foal then placed a hoof on Dash's chest, looking up at her, curiosity evident in his little stare.
"Oh my name?"
She asked, to which the foal said nothing back to.
"Rainbow Dash!"
She placed a hoof of her own on her chest, and smiled proudly; she'd been having to say that a lot lately. The foal tilted his, seeming to register what she told him, then clapped his hooves, making all sorts of weird baby-noises, Dash couldn't understand.
"W-waim..."
The foal tried to get the name, falling quite short on that attempt.
"How about 'Bow?"
She asked, watching the foal's face take on a few different expressions before landing on a satisfied one. He, yet again, clapped his hooves together.
"B-bow!"
He giggled, closing his eyes, satisfied with himself. Dash smiled.
"Now say, Bee."
She asked of him, to which her delivered quite quickly.
"Bee? Bee!"
He rejoiced happily, taping his hooves together, clapping, once again. Dash chuckled.
"You really like clapping, don't you?"
Her small chuckles were quickly followed up by the little foal - Bee - clapping his hoovesm giving her an affirmative 'yes' as an answer.
She spent the rest of the morning playing with Baby Bee, and had fun with him too. The little foal was a lot of fun to play with, he'd clap his hooves at anything he found pleasing, and the cheeky smile on his face just made Dash's day. She had found herself smiling more often that not, actually smiling this time, not pretending like she had for the entirety of the day before.
