It could have been just another night. Instead, Vinyl Scratch leaves a show to find herself suddenly presented with a chance to make a difference in the life of a filly no one else will look twice at. Now if only she can convince Octavia she's not making a huge mistake...as usual.

Note: This story now has an indirect sequel set several years in the future in The Most Unlikely Places. Cover art by SonicDash777.

For a thousand years, there was just Celestia. Then Cadance appeared, Luna returned -- and now Twilight has ascended. There are ponies who are very curious about just what happened, why -- and how. Especially the how. Twilight herself is on that list, a freshly-minted princess with far more questions than answers, about to face a brand new one: what truly makes an alicorn?

And what happens if it goes wrong?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Cover art by Harwick.

Every pony in Equestria knows the names Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch. Every musician in Equestria knows and reveres their talent and most semi-jokingly complain that Octavia and Vinyl's relationship should count as a monopoly on musical talent. Very few know their early story, years ago when Octavia had only just left Canterlot Conservatory and Vinyl was... well, being Vinyl.

This is it. Junior Flight Camp: where a pegasus gets their Flyer's Certificate, the official proof that they can fly on their own. Scootaloo's anxious to finally leave her flightless state behind, but having two star flyers in your group doesn't exactly help your nerves much. Nor does having a pair of first-timers as your instructors and an insane unicorn bard as the nurse.

And then there's Doldrum Whimper: a bulky pegasus colt who's the victim of choice in his school, yet can't seem to grasp that his strength is something he should be using. He's like Fluttershy on steroids, for Celestia's sake! Well, he's nice to have around, at least, and it's not like Scootaloo can't make new friends... if they measure up...

Rating adjusted for safe measure. There's no gore, no overly explicit themes, but some of the things are mildly suggestive. It would get under the radar of a kid's show, no problem, but it'd be noted for flying under the radar, still. It's mostly meant to be funny, but I warn you there are some sad moments in this. Don't say I did not warn you, I'm merely pointing it out because I can't use the sad and comedy tags together.

16/9 Edit: in the process of being rewritten. Layout will be adjusted, OC's colour scheme will be adjusted, some unclear elements will be clarified.
17/9 Edit: Rewritten to be grammatically more correct, and the OC now has a new colour scheme. Hope you enjoy!
15/12-17/12 Edit:More grammatical correctness in the spacing of dialogues, some little changes to make things sound more natural and some mentions of Whimper being purple corrected. I could've sworn I fixed all that before, though. Oh well...
Edit of the edit: gone over the whole thing based on the WRITE review of the first chapter, hopefully it's an improvement. The grammar should be accurate now, and OOC-ness reduced, at least in those chapters that allowed for enough leeway.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie have always been considered free spirits. Rainbow herself could never have thought she'd ever reanalyze her entire life for the sake of one person. But when she and Pinkie are put in charge of caring for a young sickly friend during the course of a legendary icestorm, the two learn quite a bit about self-sacrifice and growing up. Also there is a tortoise.

Not featured on equestria daily! (that place scares me kinda)

This story features your daily allotment of: sad things, happy things, and sappy things!

Authors Note:
I have the educational level of a kindergartner so if the story is kinda iffy you can blame the public education system! Hooray! In all seriousness I just wanted to write something cute.

edit:

the illustrations were sketches by me that were inked and colored by a friend who wishes, at the moment, to remain Anonymous. (bronies scare him).

Rarity gets a special present that might help another pony get just what she wants. But sometimes getting what we want means giving others what they want. And sometimes, it means giving up what we want completely. This story is about what it means to be a role model, and how it can bring out the best in us.

When Scootaloo moves to Ponyville, she meets a certain cyan pegasus who becomes her idol. Things go well until a pivotal event causes her hopes and dreams to come crashing down around her. Broken and betrayed, Scootaloo must learn to accept her reality and embrace her inner strength with the help of her father and two best friends.

[Now with a super awesome reading by Neighrator Pony.]
[This story's sequel can be found here.]

Rainbow Dash taught Scootaloo everything she needed to live her dreams. Scoot is a Wonderbolt now, while Rainbow Dash never even tried out. But when Dash passes away suddenly, Scoot is left with one lesson Rainbow Dash refused to teach her, the lesson that tore apart their friendship.

But maybe there's still time to learn something from her idol, and the way she lived her life.

Sweetie Belle has been living with Rarity since their parents went off to see the world, but some years have passed, and it may be time for a change.

~~~

Credit to title pic goes to dlazerous of deviantart

Hoofprint Publishing presents: Daring Do, coming to a town near you!

This month, Daring Do will be touring Equestria with the release of her most exciting adventure yet! She'll be on hand to answer questions about her latest adventure and sign copies of her new book. Come along and meet the intrepid explorer in person. It's an experience you'll never forget!

Tour dates: Manehatten - 16th; Ponyville - 17th; Las Pegasus - 18th; Trottingham - 19th...