The sun was high in the afternoon sky as Pyrefly casually flew through town. Even though it was getting late, Ponyville bustled with life. Everywhere he looked, Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth Ponies lived and worked together.
"This place is so much different than back home." Pyrefly said to himself.
Thinking back, he began to recall life back then and just how segregated the races were. The only exception was at his school. And during this time, Pyrefly went by a different name. Back then, his name was Jay.
At his school, everyone came together in the name of harmony. It was here where Pyrefly met his two best friends. First there was Bacon Hair herself, Sunset Shimmer. She was a star pupil, witty, and always ready with a snarky retort. And then, there was Bright Dawn. She was an Earth Pony, always quiet and reserved. But don't let her outward appearance mislead you. She was fiercely loyal, never letting her friends down. However, her private life was not bathed in sunshine and rainbows. She was always coming to school covered in cuts and bruises. But she never told her friends what the cause ever was.
However, one day she came to school, tears covering her face and cuts all over her body. Seeing her like this was the last straw, sending Pyrefly into a rage.
"That's it!" Pyrefly shouted, observing the slew of fresh scrape and scratches. "Once we graduate, we're leaving this trash heap of a town. All three of us."
Sunset nodded in agreement, but Dawn objected.
"Guys, please. This isn't what you think. I got these from doing yard work. I'm fine, really."
"Bullshit." Sunset said sternly. "Look at you. These are not from yard work. One day after getting you from school, your father even went so far as to tell us to stop hanging out with you."
"That was to our faces Dawn." Pyrefly raged on. "Your dad's a racist. Not to mention he abuses you just because you're our friend. And I bet this happens all the time, and I've personally seen him do it."
At this, both mares looked at him, heads cocked in confusion and interest.
"Well, you see…" Pyrefly stammered, trying to form his thoughts as quickly as possible.
"Jay, have you been spying on me and my family?" Bright Dawn asked pensively.
"Of course not!" Pyrefly answered quickly.
"Then how?"
"Look. I was flying around the other day. I happened to be in your area. I figured I'd swing by and say hi. As I got close, I saw you were reading by yourself in your yard. That's when I saw your father come stumbling out of the house. Not wanting to be seen, considering how he feels about me, I hid behind a cloud." Pyrefly paused. He suddenly started to fight not only his building rage, but something else. There was sorrow, and fear. As he tried to hold back his tears, he continued the explanation. "I heard him start to shout. He was complaining about how you weren't acing your classes. He blamed it on playing Buckball. On Sunset and me. I heard him call us inferior. How we rely on our magic and wings. How we're nothing like Earth Ponies. That we have no right to even share the same space as you. That's when I heard glass break, followed by you screaming and starting to cry." Now Pyrefly was openly crying. The tears freely streaming down his face. Even Sunset had started to weep, silently sobbing with her head hung low and Pyrefly carried on. "And like a coward, I flew off. I should have flown down there. I should have protected you. I should have -"
"Jay." Bright Dawn quietly said as she walked up to her friend, pulling him into a tight embrace. "There was nothing you could do. Thank you, but I'll be ok. I am ok. So please, don't think about it. And don't go doing anything crazy."
Pulling away, she looked Pyrefly square in the eyes, tears flowing from both ponies. With one leg still around the pegasus' neck, she turned towards Sunset, who was also letting the waterworks run. Delicately, Dawn reached out and pulled the unicorn into her hug.
"I love you guys…" the Earth Pony said quietly, a woeful smile secretly resting on her face.
When Pyrefly came back from memory lane, he found that he was reclining in a cloud high above Ponyville. As his senses returned to him, he began to hear a pony talking. Once his sight refocused, standing above him was a sky blue Pegasus mare. Her mane was a full rainbow and on her flank sat a rainbow lightning bolt as a Cutie Mark.
"Hello? Anyone in there. Equestria to random pony. Hello?"
"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm alive, I'm alive."
"Oh good." She sighed in relief. "I thought I'd have to fly you to the hospital. And no offence, but you do not look light."
"Gee, thanks for the concern." Pyrefly deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "And to do I owe thanks to for this noblest of rescues?"
"Names Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in all of Equestria and resident Wonderbolt. What's your name?"
"It's Pyrefly. I just moved here from…" Suddenly, Pyrefly stopped and took a closer look around him. The sun was just over the horizon, bathing the sky in a crimson red. "Sweet Celestia, just how long was I out for?"
"How am I supposed to know? I was just out flying practicing a new routine before the sun went down when I heard crying. Concerned somepony was in trouble, I followed it and found you."
"Damn it. Did it again." Pyrefly muttered under his breath, his face becoming flushed with embarrassment.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Sorry. Didn't mean to be a bother."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're ok. By the way, you said your name was Pyrefly right? You wouldn't happen to be the same Pyrefly that played Buckball up north would you be?"
Pyrefly sighed, re-centering himself as he lazily began to stretch his limbs and wings.
"Yup, that was me."
"Was? What do you mean by was?"
"I retired."
"But why? You and your team were the coolest. And I was hoping to one day put my Sonic Rainboom against your Cosmic Comet!"
"Sorry. But I'm so out of practice I couldn't possibly fly fast enough to keep up with you, let alone trigger the Comet. Besides, let's just say there are personal reasons for it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to head home before it gets any later. Thanks for making sure I was ok. It was a pleasure to meet you ma'am -"
"Please, call me RD. All my friends do."
"Alright then, RD. Whelp, it was a pleasure meeting you. It's time to call it a night. And if you're really curious about the team, seek out a pony in town named Sunset Shimmer. She was on the team. Maybe she'd be more willing to talk about it."
As soon as he turned to leave,he heard Rainbow gasp and curse.
"Damn it Sunset! Why haven't you told us how awesome you were!"
'Looks like she already knows Sunset. Well, have fun Bacon Head.' Pyrefly thought as he stepped off the cloud, and right into a free fall.
With his eyes closed, he fell, the ground below getting ever closer. Then, at the last second, without opening his eyes and without missing a beat, he opened his wings and swung right into an effortless glide.
Far above still in the cloud, Rainbow looked on in awe as she watched Pyrefly after his stunt. "So awesome!" she squeed, bringing an unknown smile to Pyrefly's face.
"You still got it, Jay. You still got it."