//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: A Miracle // Story: Hope in the Storm // by PegasYs //------------------------------// It was a rainy day, the kind of day where ponies stay inside their warm homes and drink cider by the fire. The clouds made the afternoon sun invisible in the sky, casting a dark shadow that spread all over Equestria. Canterlot was getting the worst of it. There was nothing out of the ordinary for the scheduled Storm of the Century. In the presence of the drenched streets, there was a frantic pegasus pulling a covered carriage. His coat was a bright blue. He was soaked to the bone in the pouring summer rain. Down the street, no more than a few blocks away, was his intended destination. Canterlot’s hospital. The cargo he pulled wasn't ordinary. Resting in the dark, safe carriage cabin was a beautiful teal mare. Her mint white mane fell straight over her head. There was only one thing about her that stood out… her extravagantly magenta eyes. They almost shone light onto the dark carriage she found herself in. They stopped the heart of all who gazed upon them. To the stallion pulling the carriage, she was the most beautiful creature in all of Equestria. She was also crying out in pain... she was in labor. Her cutie mark was a rainbow. Some might say that, looking at it with a passing glance, she was good for nothing. With a rainbow on her flank, she had to be destined for weather control. In truth, she had one real special talent and it had nothing to do with working in a factory. The pegasus couple rushed into the hospital. The nurse ponies escorted them into the emergency room, and the mare lay out on the bedding. Her love stood by her side, her hoof clasped in his. He was tearing with the beauty of the moment he found himself in. He loved the teal pony with all his heart. He was so proud of her; she was delivering his foal. Through raspy breathing, the lovely mare began to speak to her love. “Valiant Wing, I… Can’t believe this moment has finally come. I love you so much, I never thought we would make it this far.” “I know, love. This is the happiest moment of my life; I would never trade these moments with you for anything in the world.” He comforted her as her convulsions continued. Lightning struck outside the window. Rain pattered on the glass window of the small hospital room. The sky was almost black with the rolling clouds. Her breathing quickened. “Valiantwing, I’m scared.” “I remember something you told me once, a long time ago. Storms bring life to Equestria, and after every storm, there will always be hope.” She looked at him; her face contorted with pain. His words sank in, and understanding shone through. She let out another exasperated cry. He gazed into those magnificent magenta eyes. He knew everything would be okay. Everything would always be okay. The nurse came into the room, followed by a doctor. Valiantwing turned to the mare and smiled. “I’ll be here, the whole time. I will not let go of your hooves, do you understand me?” She nodded, and calmed down, knowing that her love would never let her go. Everything would be okay… Valiantwing was gazing upon the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. His love had been spent from her ordeal, and was resting in the nearby hospital bed. Nestled in a tightly wrapped bundle, in a crib by the mother’s bed, was a tiny female foal. She was asleep, lying in the folds of cloth. Her coat was blue, her hair a bright, blinding white. She was making soft breathing noises, sleeping restlessly in the new world she now found herself. She was the awesomest baby in all of Equestria. She looked… off. Withered. Her crib was blocked off by a glass chamber. She was dying. The bundle of newfound joy, the life in the storm, was dying. A unicorn mare, adorned with a white smock, walked in the room. She whispered quietly to Valiantwing, so as not to disturb the sleeping pegasus. “I’m sorry, we have to take your daughter to the N.I.C.U. We will do everything we can, but there is not much we can see to at this point. We can make sure she doesn’t suffer, try to recover her, but her chances are slim. I’m sorry.” Valiantwing nodded, not truly comprehending what he had just heard. The doctor took the crib out of the room. Tears began to run down the stallion's face. He stroked his love’s white mint mane, as she began stirring slightly in her satin lined bedding. He was trying desperately to hold on to all the hope he had left inside himself. Everything would… be okay. The mare had awoken. The pegasus couple went to see their fading child. At the end of the hall sat the double door entrance to the I.C.U. The stallion told his wife what was going on, what the condition of their daughter was. She seemed worried, but somehow, she was under the impression that everything was going to be fine. Almost as if she knew what to do. She always seemed to know what to do, the stallion noticed. Valiantwing embraced her, giving her strength. She stepped through the doors; her eyes fell on the light blue pegasus, hooked up to a magical device that was only thing keeping her clinging to this world. Her hope faded. She broke into pieces. She looked away, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice became hoarse as she cried out in anger and misery, her wings flaring out in grief. Valiantwing stepped through the doors, and offered to comfort her. She shrugged him off. She walked over to the window, and looked out into the dark sky, cursing the storm and the promise she was told so long ago. Storms bring life; they weren’t supposed to carry it away with them. She screamed out once more, and collapsed on the hard tiled floor, tears pouring down her chin, hitting the floor with a soft pat, pat. She looked up into the sky once more. The rain miraculously stopped. The clouds began to separate and disappear. A band of color spread across the blue. The most beautiful rainbow in all of Equestria graced Canterlot with its presence. Something inside of the mare surfaced. It was acceptance. It was understanding. After every storm there will always be hope. She walked over to her beloved daughter. She knew if she didn’t do what she had to do next, they’re beautiful creation wouldn’t be long for this world. She leaned in close to the filly, and whispered something into her ear. The newborn pegasus opened her eyes. They were a beautiful magenta, as deep and gorgeous as her mother’s. She smiled at the mare. Then, something that had never been seen on the face of Equestria happened. The extravagant rainbow on the mother’s flank lost all color, turning into a band of white. She collapsed once more onto the floor. Valiantwing rushed to her side; she had fallen unconscious. Their daughter’s mane began to glow. The fresh sunlight shone through the window, and landed to rest on the filly. The colors of the rainbow flowed through her, painting into her mane and tail. Seven colors, bringing back into the filly life, hope and beauty. She began to cry. The kind of crying that newborns made: a healthy beautiful noise of life. The mare came to and rose to see her baby. She was weak. She laughed at the noise coming from her daughter. “You are so wonderful! you are my baby. I will be a part of you forever, Rainbow Dash.” She smiled at her husband, who embraced her in return. “That’s a beautiful name, darling.” It seemed as if every doctor in the hospital had rushed into the room to see the commotion. They didn’t know what to make of it, but they knew one thing: somehow, the baby was alive. The filly was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay…