//------------------------------//
// XXIII. Reacquisition  
// Story: Abandoned Memories 
// by Mika 
//------------------------------//

	A pool of blood, shattered glass, a door that hung onto its hinges, a potent, pungent smell of iron, and two corpses; this is what you expected to find behind the door. The source of all your fears and terrors. The reason why you have become such a forlorn, pessimistic pony. The same reason why you spent your entire childhood inside an asylum. The very same reason why cannot remember anything before your final year in said asylum, save for a hoof-full of memories. And the reason why you returned to the source?

Because Rainbow Dash wanted to.

You had your hooves dug firmly into the cloud, yet you felt your hooves lifted as Rainbow Dash crept closer towards the door. Eyes shut, you took one reluctant step into the home and felt the material of the floor, much denser and solidified than the cloud it laid upon. Once more, Rainbow Dash tugged at your hoof and brought you one step closer into the home. At this point, the rain fell only on your tail. It gave you an indication of how far past the doorway you had gone through. With one final tug, you took the last step in. You no longer felt the rain upon your coat. The presence of death that blanketed you replaced the feeling. You still had not opened your eyes—there was no need to. The night you found your parents had burned the layout of your home into your mind. To your left was broken glass. Behind you hung the broken door. Directly before you was an overturned couch. In the northeastern direction near the staircase was a pool of blood. On top of the blood, two pegasi. Two cold bodies. Your breathing quickened as you pieced the outline of the room. Your hooves began to chatter and shake spasmodically. However, something was missing. Something that had been left out of the mixture. Something that disturbed you. The missing piece that you knew should be here but was not.

There was no iron odor.

Moreover, that essential piece that was not evident distressed you far enough to open your eyes. You expected to find nothing but darkness, and the light that perfectly reflected off the moon that shone perfectly through one perfectly placed window that perfectly showcased your mother's and father's corpses.

Instead, dullness had greeted you. There was no blood, no shattered glass, only an observant Rainbow Dash, whose eyes covered every corner of the room, that shut the door. The couch was seated firmly in the middle of the room and the bookshelves and the one lone snow globe that sat upon one shelf were neatly organized and against the wall. Precisely positioned in the middle of the room was a dark maple-colored coffee table. The dim light that lazily cut through the window struck the staircase, the chair-for-one sat over a rug that covered a large portion of the room's space, and a thick layer of dust coated the entire room. The only free dust particles were ones that were pushed away by the initial opening of the door. As you took one, long gaze around your home and took in everything, you finally came to a conclusion.

Everything... is out of order.

"See, not as bad as you thought, huh?" Rainbow Dash asked.

You stood silent for a second while you stared at the one shelf in the room that carried the only ornament in the room.

"No no no, no. This is," you calmly began, "all wrong. None of this, was like this." You stretched your wing and reached for the small snow-globe on the shelf. As you pulled the globe from its spot and closer to you, you inadvertently threw more dust into the air. You brought the globe close to your face and used your free wing to clean off the dust. The small sign inside the globe read 'Cloudsdale'. With that one short glance, you placed it on the floor, glass first and said, "The globe was on the floor."

Rainbow Dash sighed and began with your name, "What are you doing?"

You ignored her as you slowly made your way towards the staircase and passed the chair-for-one. You heard Rainbow Dash scoop up the globe with her hoof as she made some remark about having a similar one in her own home. You approached the window frame, and placed your hoof against it.

"This was cracked. The window was cracked. And these drapes," you stammered, "t-they were a different color." You pulled the now-blue drapes and knocked more dust into the air.

"Are you even listening?"

No.

"Sorry, I was... just thinking..."

Rainbow Dash trotted over to your side and wrapped her wing around your neck as she asked, "You alright? You're acting like you're about to have another one of your flashbacks."

You shrugged her wing off and reassured her that you were fine. As you looked outside the window, you could see that there was a soft breeze that now accompanied the drizzle outside your home. Rainbow Dash coughed a few times because of the abundance of dust and suggested, "Why don't we open a window? The air's pretty thick in here so it'll be good to let some fresh air in."

Without waiting for your input, she places her hooves on the window and gives one strong shove. The window jerks from its position that it had been stuck in for a number of years, and lets in the fresh smell of rain. The soft breeze slowly replaced the stuffy and aged air that lingered inside your home for years.

"See? Better," Rainbow Dash stated. Nevertheless, all you could focus on were the drapes, and how they gently hovered above the window frame. Moreover, how similar it looked on the one night, seven years ago. You immediately turned around and stared at one spot in the ground that was under the carpet. You heard Rainbow Dash turn around and stare at the same spot that you kept your eyes locked on. A few seconds later, Rainbow Dash broke the silence.

"What are you staring at?" she asked while she brought her head back up.

You followed suit and responded, "This is where..."

"Where wh-"

"Where my parents died," you coldly finished her sentence. And the silence fell upon the room once more. But, you had a revelation. Something distressed you, something that was, again, missing. This time, the missing piece was not the smell of blood. The smell of fresh rainwater replaced that. Yet, the missing piece was related to blood. It was blood.

There is no bloodstain...

Rather, the lack thereof. You brought your eyes closer to the floor and tried to find, even the slightest, trace of blood. However, there was none to be found. Suddenly, another idea came to you. It became immediately obvious to you why there was no bloodstain. You gave one glare at the rug before you used your hoof to turn it over, and revealed the floor, that you knew for sure would have some trace of blood. Nevertheless, as you stared into the blue, ceramic floor, your heart sank. There was no hint of any shade of red. Not in the slightest. You released an angry snort as you readjusted the rug and rose to your hooves. You heard Rainbow Dash who was just out of your vision hesitate before she spoke up.

"Why are you trying to look for blood?" she asked, half-confused and half-irritated.

You slowly, almost menacingly, turned to face her and muttered the word, "Why?"

"Do you see any sign of a murder happening here? Is there any indication that something horrible happened here one night, seven years ago? No, there is not. There is not any sign of anything bad ever having happened here! There is no blood, no broken glass or furniture, nothing."

Rainbow Dash stood dumbfounded, the only response she imagined was, "So?"

I cannot believe she is being this thickheaded.

"So? It's almost as if... almost as if nothing ever happened here," your voice slowly trailed off as you craned your head downwards.

And it was with that remark, in which Rainbow Dash came to the realization that your fear of your home did not spawn from the concept of everything having been left in the state when your parents were taken away from you; it was the opposite. It was the idea that there was no sign of it. There was nothing that hinted at the tragedy that occurred here, seven years ago. This house was far better suited for a story that involved a happy family who eventually moved away to a better home, not a story where two pegasi are murdered and their colt, who later returned to his home, found his mother and father dead and proceeded to lie in a pool of their own blood until it dried and stained his coat red.

Rainbow Dash sighed through her nose and slowly spoke up.

"Maybe its better this way," she suggested.

Her justification of your home's current state caught you off guard as you parroted her.

"Better? How could this be better? "

"Well for starters, if everything was the way it was, you might have had a flashback of that night."

What she said was true, and was something you had not thought of. If the simple reenactment of a chant you performed in flight school brought upon a memory, the sight of the scene of your parents' would surely have recalled that night.

"I suppose... That's a possibility," you admitted.

"See? Silver lining," she replied as she said your name. "Come on, I wanna see the rest of your house."

Rainbow Dash trotted past the stairs and you, all the while you kept your eyes glued to the floor. You stared at the section of the floor, the section that your parents were.

There has to be something. There has to be some clue or sign that my parents were killed here.

Rainbow Dash called out your name, this time much more stern. You would have to wait to find your clue. You made your way next to Rainbow Dash as the two of you slowly moved into what seemed like the dining room.

"Were your parents rich or something? 'Cause I gotta say, this place looks pretty fancy."

Rainbow Dash turned to you and you realized that she actually expected an answer.

"How am I supposed to know whether or not my mother and father were wealthy? How am I supposed to remember anything about them? Have you forgotten about my condition? I have complete and total amnesia from my childhood, save for what I have remembered as of a month ago or so. Furthermore, this is the reason we are here, at my home! To try to recover a lost memory. Have you forgotten that as well? Perhaps I am not the one with amnesia. Perhaps it is you that ha-"

And a feeling that was all too familiar to you cut you off. Rainbow Dash smacked the back of your head with her wing and quickly spat out, "A simple 'no' would have done the trick, y'know."

You muttered to yourself in a small fit of annoyance, "And not being completely ignorant would have had the same effect..."

Unfortunately, you spoke your mind much louder than you should have as Rainbow Dash partially heard you.

"What was that?!" she shouted, now directly in front of you. You lost whatever nerve you had and stammered, "No, nothing!"

She snorted and turned her attention back towards the room. She approached the circular glass table in the middle and swiped her hoof across it. As expected, she left a clear trail surrounded by dust on the table. She brought her hoof back down and turned to towards the window behind her to open it. As Rainbow Dash struggled with the window, you turned your attention to the rest of the room and noticed the decor. There were shelves and shelves of various ornaments and trinkets that complimented the room. Found all around the room were little sculptures of pony figurines and various pieces of art. And as Rainbow Dash opened the window and let in a slight breeze, the chandelier that hung above the glass table swooned and rattled ever so slightly.

Perhaps Rainbow Dash brought up a good point. Were my parents affluent? None of this is in Rainbow Dash's home. Although, that is because it's Rainbow Dash's home. She does not have any of the ornaments or decorations like those in this room.

"There, much better," Rainbow Dash said as she landed on her hooves.

You continued to stare at the chandelier until Rainbow Dash snapped you out of your trance.

"Hey, you still there?" Rainbow Dash asked as she shook her hoof in front of your face.

You pushed her hoof away as you assured her, "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Thinking about... what?" Rainbow Dash led on.

About how much you're irritating me.

"Nothing important," you responded coldly, as you slowly made your way through the doorway into the next room. You refused to admit it, but you have become somewhat curious about the condition of the rest of your home. Littered with ornaments was the room with the glass table, while the room that led to the entrance was rather bare. This is what confused you. As you peered into the adjacent room, it was quite clear that you had entered the kitchen. The sink and counter-tops accompanied with the stove all attributed to your deduction. Rainbow Dash followed closely behind you, and remarked about the current state of the room and how similar in air quality and dust quantity it was. Although, it was not a shock to you. After all, Sun Drop had said that she had not been in your home for well over a year.

You took another good look around the room and absorbed the aesthetics. The room had not retained the same level of artistry but did manage to keep it in some degree. Despite that you were only able to see the exterior of the kitchen, you still figured that the room exuded a sense of affluence. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, only managed to notice the refrigerator as she trotted over towards it with the most impudent of grins painted across her face. But it soon changed into disappointment as she found nothing in the refrigerator to eat.

Even I knew that there would be no food in there.

"What did you honestly expect? An entire feast waiting for you?" you asked.

"Hey, can't blame a filly for trying," she retorted as she slammed the refrigerator shut and knocked a substantial amount of dust towards her which caused her to sneeze loudly. She quickly regained her composure after having done so.

"Gah, it wouldn't have killed Sun Drop to come in here every once in a while to at least clean up the place."

You were reminded of what Sun Drop had said, that she could no longer return to your home because of her age, which you felt the need to remind Rainbow Dash of.

"You do remember that she said she was a bit too old to keep cleaning my home, correct?"

"Nah, I bet she's still got a good few years in her. And speaking of remembering things, I got a few more questions for you," Rainbow Dash quickly sneaked in.

You sighed heavily and loudly as you tried to make obvious your annoyance with her questioning. You believed you already had the answer in mind of the question she would ask, as you answered for her.

"The only thing I remember from my childhood, Rainbow Dash, is the night, along with when I had met you. Everything else is a fragment either of a memory or of an event. That is all I can recall."

"That's not what I was going to ask," she responded, in an 'as-a-matter-of-fact' tone. "I was going to ask how much you remember from when you came back to Ponyville."

You stood quiet for a second before fully realizing the true query of her question.

"You want to know what I've done ever since I've left the hospital."

Rainbow Dash walked closer to you as she restated her question.

"Well, sort of. I just wanna know how much you remember."

Why does that matter? Why does any of this matter?!

"What does it matter? My recollection of these last few days is perfectly fine," you pledged.

"These last few days... since you've left the hospital, right?"

You affirmed her question by nodding your head. Rainbow Dash cringed a bit, which only served to unnerve you. You raised an eyebrow as to why she had done so.

Rainbow Dash began with your name, "It's been more than two weeks since you've left the hospital. Not a few days."

A few weeks? But I'd just last spoken with Sigmund no more than three days ago! She is lying, she must be.

"How is that even possible? I've just spoke with Sigmund a few days ago. We discussed my departure from the hospital," you defended. You could even recall what he said about your monthly visits.

"I think we should have you visit me in my new office once a month."

Yet, Rainbow Dash seemed to be unconvinced that you had been released no more than three days ago.

"Uh huh... so when did we meet again for the first time?" she asked.

You rolled your eyes and began your retort. "Rainbow Dash, listen. I know what I am telling you. We first met again when I... when you... I was walking through the, uhm..."

Your mouth hung open and your voice trailed off as you could not recall the first time you had seen Rainbow Dash again.

How in Celestia's name did we first see each other?! I was walking through a hoof-beaten path and I... she... It was a dirt path! I just walked out of the path from Manehattan and we!...

"I flew into you," Rainbow Dash said, answering her own question.

The memory then returned to you of the day you had seen Rainbow Dash for the first time after having left the hospital. You flew up into the air to avoid any social contact with the ponies that were on the ground. However, you had not expected Rainbow Dash to have flown into you and send you back towards the earth.

"Right..." you sheepishly began, "and you said that, this was about two weeks ago?"

Rainbow Dash nodded and you proceeded to slowly pace around the room, stuck in your own thoughts.

It is not conceivable. How could I have let my memory escape me from these last two weeks? Why? I thought I had finally beaten this damned amnesia!

"Did you forget how I found out that it was you from flight school too?" Rainbow Dash asked again, which only caused more anguish for you as you tried to remember.

You halted your pacing as you brought a hoof up to your temple and began to circle it, hoping that it would recover the memory of when Rainbow Dash realized your true identity. You envisioned the setting, the small hillside that was surrounded by trees on one end and the dirt path that led back towards the town on the other. Nevertheless, when you placed yourself and Rainbow Dash in that setting, nothing spawned. You could not imagine yourself giving Rainbow Dash your case file and being able to confide in her so easily. You gritted your teeth as you softly pounded your head, expecting it to revive your forgotten memories of these last few weeks.

Remember dammit, remember! It was during the night! And I was standing right before her! And I, no wait... She started to... No, that's not right, that's not right!

"I saw your Cutie Mark."

You kept your hoof rested between your eyes as you opened them and saw Rainbow Dash. You had expected to see her boastful that her claim was correct, but as your eyes met, you knew she had become just as you were: discouraged and disheartened. Your hoof fell to the floor and your eyes trailed towards the ground as you recalled the night Rainbow Dash had seen through your guise. The two of you have fought; she had pinned you onto the ground twice and on her third attempt, she managed to unbuckle your saddlebag and allowed the contents to spill like a glass of water. And when you were busy furiously throwing your items back into your saddlebag, she had seen your mark.

"Huh...? Wait, I've seen that Cutie Mark before..."

When you directed your attention back towards Rainbow Dash, she still carried the anxious look. As you cut the direct eye contact between the two of you, you went down a few steps that placed you into another room without a connecting doorway. It seemed like the living room of your home. To the right was the vestibule of your home, where everything was bare and bland. This however, was just like the dining room. There was more subsistence in this room. The bookshelves were nearly full and there were two chairs in the center of the lowered room that faced a large picture window that covered the entire wall. The window began from the base of the floor that eventually began to slant into the top left corner of the window. The view it gave was that of the mountainside and the light rain that poured outside onto its frame. For a moment, you referred back to the question that Rainbow Dash had asked before. However, that only lasted a moment, as Rainbow Dash pulled your attention once more.

"So you can't remember what happened earlier today then, right? Or when you had asked about my past? And all the things I've done after you left?"

You did not bother to try to recall any of those memories. You knew it would be a waste of both time and effort on your part. And you still had not realized what Rainbow Dash was trying to get across with this analysis of your amnesia. Hesitant to answer her question, you turned the conversation back towards her.

"What are you trying to get at, Rainbow Dash? I know what I have. I know that I can’t remember a damn thing past no more than a few hours ago! Why bother reminding me of it?! As if that’s what I need!" you roared as you stomped your hoof on the floor.

"It doesn't make sense is what I'm saying. How come you can remember when we first met, but you can't remember that you went to go talk with your therapist today?" she questioned, not accusingly but with sincerity. However, this did not help relax you. Being reminded of all your conditions and all your ailments only further served to infuriate you.

"I don't know! Don't you think that if I knew why this happened that I would have remedied it long before?! I have no control over what I remember and what I do not! It is not a decision of my own! If it were, I would not be here in my own home, pondering whether or not my parents were wealthy! I would know!"

You had lost control. You lost control over the level of your voice. You lost control over what you were saying. Something else had taken a hold of you. And to Rainbow Dash was all of your rage being directed in one concentrated speech.

"I wouldn't be plagued by a depression and the recurring memory of my parents' death! I wouldn't have to struggle to remember what I had just done a few hours prior to now!"

Without thought, you reached for the nearest object you could grab with your wing; in this case, it was a glass pony figurine. And with one swift turn of your body, you released the glass figurine. It was not directed towards any specific direction. You just released it, and with a soft crack, it shattered into a number of small pieces, all with a distinct sound as the smaller pieces fell onto the tiled floor, some cracking even further, others not. As you stared at the now-disfigured figurine, you returned your attention back towards Rainbow Dash as you caught your breath. Her expression had not changed whatsoever. She still seemed dismayed, most likely at your outburst. When you finally felt yourself back in control of your own actions, you became enlightened.

Enlightened as to just how little you have progressed.

You have not learned how to control your anger and frustration and worst of all, you directed it towards one of the two ponies you trust. Your feelings of loss and hopelessness have yet to subside, despite years of psychological and therapeutic methods. You have been able to accumulate a total of one memory from your past and only because Rainbow Dash had told you what transpired that day. In addition, if it were not for her, the nightmare of your parents' demise would revisit you every night. Everything you have accomplished up to this point is because of her. Yet, here you stood, enraged and infuriated with her, when all she has done is attempted to help your pitiful, insufferable, agonized soul. You fell back and sat onto the ground as you stared into nothing for a few seconds.

Then, you felt something familiar begin to spawn inside you. You took in a shaky breath of air and let it out almost immediately. You tried once more but only managed to produce a whimper. As you clenched your teeth, you shut your eyes in hope that your tears would not form. But, as you felt them roll down your cheek, your hopes were dashed. You brought your hooves up to your face in a pathetic attempt to hide your tears but it was of no use.

It is no use. I'm destined to be forever in misery. Never to be able to experience joy or find happiness. And every waking moment of mine is spent harboring hatred and angst towards those who care for me. What good am I to others? Nothing! I should have killed myself when I was given the chance!

Then, you felt a wing wrap around your shoulder as your head was rested upon her shoulder. As you momentarily opened your eyes, you saw the blue wing wrapped around you and felt Rainbow Dash rest her head with yours.

"Hey, relax. Everything's gonna be okay," she soothingly cooed. And for that moment, it did seem as if everything would be fine. Whether it was your amour for her, or her fidelity for you, she always seemed to be able to pull you from the reaches of your depression and revive you. No matter how aggravated or desolated you seemed, she stayed loyal to you; she has never abandoned you, even when you prayed for her to do so. And as if it were a reflex, you managed to sputter something out.

"I'm... I'm s-sorry Rainbow Dash..."

You felt her wing tighten up around you as she brought you closer to her. She said nothing in return, yet her actions were enough to have allowed you to infer that she had accepted your apology. With that, your tears eventually began to subside which ended with a heavy sigh. Your eyes closed once more, as you relished in what little time left you had in this moment. There was no need for thoughts, no need for tears, and no need for misery. Just peace and serenity.

Then you felt Rainbow Dash's wing rub vigorously up and down your shoulder as she asked, "There, all better now?" She lifted her head up and turned to face you. The look you had on your face was not one of elation but nor was it one of pessimism. It was one of neutrality, although with the slightest hint of joy. You nodded your head in agreement, as you rose to your hooves. Rainbow Dash did the same as she said, "Well, whadaya say we keep looking through the rest of your home, huh?"

She's only trying to help. Say yes, dammit.

"Yes," you quickly responded.

"That's the spirit! Now c'mon, I think we've seen all there's to see downstairs. Why don't we check the next floor?" she asked rhetorically, as you knew your response would not make a difference. Before leaving, you took one last glance at the ornament you had destroyed. And then, you realized what you had done. You had just destroyed an ornament that had belonged to your mother and father.

You suddenly flinched at the unexpected ringing in your ears. The high-pitched whine that you had experienced before returned and caused you to bring a hoof up to your ear. But the whine was not coming from some other exterior force. It spawned entirely in your own conscience, the familiar, piercing, deafening whine that forced you to grit your teeth. The familiar noise that caught you off-guard so many times before, just like it had done so now. It was the familiar noise that served as a sign for the oncoming, inevitable flashback that you were bound to experience.

And that scared you. You were in the building in which your parents had been murdered, in just one room away for that matter. You knew what memory you would relive if you let yourself succumb to a flashback, and you were not about to let yourself do so. Yet, you grew weak as the world around your vision grew dark. It began to seem as if you were entering a tunnel, with the edges of your vision growing dark. You closed your eyes and tried to reimagine the world around you to prevent yourself from falling into another flashback, but it did not work in your favor. The complete darkness only made it easier for your consciousness to slip. But the whining slowly degraded. What replaced it was a voice; the voice of a whimpering colt.

“I’m sorry Mom, I didn’t mean to break it...”

You began to lose your grip on consciousness when you heard yet another voice. It was the voice of a mare, and it was not whimpering. It was soothing and angelic. The voice softly called out to you.

“It’s okay sweetheart,” the voice trailed.

Without any indication or thought, you stammered out, “W-what did you call me?” And it seemed that Rainbow Dash believed you were referring to her. Although you had your eyes shut, Rainbow Dash’s tone revealed that she was confused with you.

“I didn’t call you anything.”

There was little time between the end of her reply and the return of the voice you previously heard.

“Accidents happen, and this was an accident, right? Don’t be scared,” the voice cooed as she ended her sentence with your name.

And when the voice disappeared, so did your stressors. The ringing vanished and you found yourself no longer gritting your teeth. As you brought your head back up and noticed Rainbow Dash with concern marked across her face, you sighed.

“You were not talking to me, were you?” you dubiously questioned.

Rainbow Dash merely shook her head and followed up on your question.

“Why? Did you hear a voice?”

You imitated Rainbow Dash’s previous motion, only in the opposite direction that would imply that she was indeed correct. She asked you what the voice had said, but you responded with a blank stare.

“Well? What did it say? Who was it,” she asked as she stacked another question onto you.

“I don’t know,” you quickly responded.

“You don’t know? How do you not know what it said? Did it speak in a different language or something,” she asked, with a hint of frustration.

“No, it isn’t-” you began, “I know what the voice said, I just don’t know who the voice belongs to.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head and raised an eyebrow before she proceeded to question you once more.

“So, are you still hearing this voice?”

Without hesitation, you answered, “No, not anymore. Let’s just continue before I change my mind about exploring the rest of... my house.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and turned around towards the foyer. You followed her back into the room with the single lone ornament. The entire time you followed her, you tried to solve the mystery behind the voice.

That voice... I haven’t known too many mares in my life. Rainbow Dash, a few nurses at the hospital that I can remember, and my own mother. And the other voiced called her, ‘Mom’. But surely that wasn’t her. That wasn’t her voice... was it? No, it couldn’t have been. I’d remember my own mother’s voice... wouldn’t I? Yes, of course I would. I’d d-

Your analysis was stopped short by you bumping into Rainbow Dash, which almost caused her to stumble. She glared at you and said, “C’mon, watch where you’re going!” You apologized, as that is all you could do, and she continued towards the stairs. She began to ascend the stairs when you looked back towards pool of non-existent blood once more. But rather than trying to spawn the blood through concentration and invocation alone, you focused on following Rainbow Dash up the stairs and placed the majority of your focus on not missing a step on the stairs. The staircase stuck to the wall as it made the formation of a right angle, which eventually led you to the second floor of your home.

The staircase eventually flattened and led both of you towards what seemed to be another living room, although smaller than the one you entered on the first floor. Besides it was a rather thick hallway that branched into three doors. As far you could tell, there was nothing of interest in this room; there was another shelf filled with books and a few chairs. However, there was something that did catch your interest, as well as Rainbow Dash’s.

Rainbow Dash looked towards you. “Is that a piano?”

It certainly appeared to be one, but you could not tell from this distance. You and Rainbow Dash both made your way closer towards the piano, only to see that Rainbow Dash was right.

A piano? I haven’t the slightest memory of this being in my home.

“I don’t remember you ever playing piano,” Rainbow Dash remarked as she ran her hoof across the lid.

“Nor do I.”

“Well, do you think your mom or dad might have played it?” she asked.

You gave her a distinct look that told her you did not know. Luckily, she picked up on your look.

“Alright, alright. Let’s just check out the rest of your house.”

You nodded and Rainbow Dash started for the hallway. Upon approaching the first door, Rainbow Dash halted and opened the door. To your surprise, it was merely a bathroom. 

“It’s just a bathroom, nothing interesting in here.” Rainbow Dash closed the door without giving you a chance to look inside. However, you figured that she was right, and that there was no reason for you to enter the bathroom. Rainbow Dash made her way to the final two rooms of your home. One had a single door, and the other was a double door.

“So, which room do you wanna check out first?” she asked.

As you compared both of the doors, you fixated yourself on the single door. You gazed at it and you felt a strange sensation from the door. It seemed that the door had pushed you away. And as you then changed your focus onto the double doors, they seemed to be the opposite. They seemed to be more inviting and comforting. Without speaking aloud, you entered into the double door room.

“Alright then,” you heard behind you as you observed the environment. The light in the room barely shined through the curtains and blinds, and the air was thick inside the room. It was stuffy, despite the gentle rain outside. On the far left was a large bed caked with dust on its frame and sheets, along with the pillows. The walls were adorned with various paintings that ranged from flowers to entire landscapes. There was a dresser with a large mirror seated on top of it.

To the right was the walk-in bathroom, with a bathtub connected to a shower. Across from it, on the other side of the wall, was a mirror that extended between the two closets. The windows were much higher in this portion of the room, but the blinds still prevented light from flourishing in the room. Rainbow Dash entered the walk-in bathroom alongside you.

“So I’m guessing this is the master bedroom,” she said as she took a look inside one of the closets.

Unsure of what she meant by ‘master bedroom’, you repeated it to her.

“Master bedroom?”

“Yeah, y’know, the biggest room in the house.” She then whistled and made a remark about the amount of clothes inside one closet. “This might give Rarity a run for her money.”

You ignored her for a moment as you realized that this was likely your parents’ room.

Well, that explains why Rainbow Dash found plenty of clothing inside just one closet.

You walked towards the other closet with a premonition of what you would find inside of it. When you opened it and found more clothing inside, you scoffed and muttered to yourself, “Figures.”

Rainbow Dash seemed to have not heard you, as she asked, “What’s in the other closet?”

“Just more clothes,” you replied as you shut the door.

“Shoulda guessed. Well c’mon, I think we’ve seen all there is to see in this room. We’ve got one more room left, so let’s check it out.”

You sighed in despair, as you remembered the aura that emerged from that door. It was dark and foreboding, not inviting and pleasant. Yet, you had no choice. Rainbow Dash had already made her way out of the room, and you knew that she would want you to follow her. You stepped out back into the hallway and shut the doors with your wings. You turned back towards the door and stared at it for a few good seconds before Rainbow Dash broke the silence.

“Last room. Let’s see what we find in here.” 

However,  you were not as enthusiastic as Rainbow Dash was. You were afraid of what you would find. But, you knew all too well that If you tried to object, Rainbow Dash would argue that It was the last room in your house, and that after the two of you had seen what hid behind the door, then you could leave. So, you decided to keep your mouth shut and trust Rainbow Dash. As she turned open the door handle, she ever so slightly opened a crack to see what was inside. You tried to look over her, but she pulled the door back to cover the small indent she had open. Before you could question why, she chuckled.

“We shoulda known what this room was gonna be,” she said as she swung the door open. 

She took a few steps in and moved towards the side to allow you space inside. The last room was different than any other room In your home. It was unlike any of the facilities, nor was it like the master bedroom with a few ornaments and the paintings of landscapes and such. This room had posters and pictures on the walls. There was a single, lone bed in the middle of the room, with a countertop on both sides of it. A small desk was right beneath the window with blinds and drapes, again, only letting in a few rays of light. The pitter-patter of the rain against the glass was much more audible in this room. On the other side of the room, adjacent from the window was a shelf built into the wall, with various books and toys, among other things.

Upon closer inspection, you could see that the posters were actually Wonderbolt posters, and the sheets on the bed, although covered in dust, had the trademark symbol of the Wonderbolts. Slowly, the pieces started to come together as you came the realization.

“This is your room! It has to be, ‘cuz I know my room was like this when I was a filly,” Rainbow Dash rationalized.

You took another good look around the room and reasoned the same as she had. This was your room. 

“Huh, y’know I’ve never actually been inside your room before now that I think about it. Guess you really were into the Wonderbolts,” she noted as she closed the door behind you.

You stayed quiet for a few more seconds as you took in the notion that you were in the same room that you slept in nearly eight years ago.

Rainbow Dash stepped up to one of the posters and wiped the dust off with her wing, as she mentioned, “I dunno if you remember, but you wanted to be a Wonderbolt when you were a colt.”

The majority of the poster was revealed as Rainbow Dash folded her wing back in place. It displayed three Wonderbolts in their traditional outfits as the looked onwards towards the sky, with black outlines that flew through the sky. At the bottom were two lightning bolts that stood in between the Wonderbolt symbol. However, you did not receive any sensation of familiarity or recognition from the poster. But, if Rainbow Dash said it to be true, then you figured that it was just that.

Rainbow Dash then made her way to your desk before she said, “You do know this is your house, right? You can look wherever you want. Stop just standing there and look around a bit.”

You were about to respond before you quickly understood that she was right. While Rainbow Dash went through what was your desk, you looked at the various items on your shelf. There were books and a few toys, but nothing of interest. You decided to pick up one of the books to see what the content matter was. As you lifted the closest book towards you, you dusted it off and read the title. The Basics of Multiplication and Division.

“A math book?” you spoke to yourself.

Rainbow Dash softly laughed and said, “Yeah, you were kind of an egghead when you were a colt. Always studyin’ and stuff.”

You gave no reaction towards her comment and proceeded to place the book back on the shelf. You looked over the other items on the shelf, but found nothing of attraction. You turned around and saw Rainbow Dash still fumbling through your desk. You looked at the rest of your room, and still found nothing of interest. However, you considered this to be a blessing. This meant you could now leave your home, and perhaps if you were lucky, would never have to return.

“Rainbow Dash,” you began, with a hint of excitement in your voice, “we’ve looked in all the rooms in this house. We’ve looked in about just every corner, and we’ve done everything you wanted to do. Can we leave now? It’s obvious that I won’t be recalling any memories here, anytime soon.”

Not to be so easily swayed, Rainbow Dash attempted to put up one final fight. She closed the top drawer of your desk and turned to face you. “But wait, I bet there’s some things we probably missed and I bet tha-”.

The expression on your face was all she needed to see before she gave up.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s just go then,” she sighed as she made her way towards the door. Satisfied that she had agreed with you so quickly, you reached for the door handle. Rainbow Dash arrived at your side and as she did, you turned the handle and began to pull the door open.

“Woah, hold up!”

Yet as you did, Rainbow Dash slammed the door shut and pulled you a bit forward. Aggravated that she had found one last item to bring focus on, you growed, “What? What is it this time?”

Rainbow Dash pointed towards the door, or more specifically, a calendar that hung on the door. You took a glimpse at the calendar before you returned to your attention towards Rainbow Dash.

“What about the calendar?” you asked, slightly less irritated than before.

As Rainbow Dash put her hoof down, she said, “Check out the dates.”

You sighed out loud as an attempt to show your discontent with Rainbow Dash and you took a look at the calendar once more. It had a Wonderbolt design on the top half, which was no surprise as your room was decorated with it, and the actual month and date on the bottom half. As you inspected the calendar, you noticed the dates all had something in common. In red ink, there was a circle with an ‘X’ through each date. It went on with the same pattern for about two weeks or so, until the last marked date was merely circled. There was no ‘X’ through it, it was only a hastily drawn circle.

You dropped your head and sighed, “What does this have to do with anything?”

You picked your head back up in time for Rainbow Dash’s response. “Look at the circled date.”

Again, you observed it and took note of the actual numerical date and month. However, you still found no relevance or significance in it, which left you to ask once more.

“I still don’t see wh-”

“C’mon, doesn’t that date mean anything to you?” she hastily interrupted.

You rolled your eyes and examined the calendar one last time.

Well, every date has the same circle with an ‘X’ through it, save for the last marked date. And... if I had really done this for every day...

Before you could even finish your own though, Rainbow Dash interrupted once more.

“Agh, listen dude. It was a really important day. We were at school, and we were taking a test, remember-”

Just then, your vision quickly flashed to white and back and caused you to flinch.

“-and then after the test I came up to you and said-”

”All I could think about was the competition today!”

And the ringing returned to your ears. Your breathing quickened and you struggled to keep your eyes open. As you brought your right hoof to cover your ear, Rainbow Dash noticed.

She called out your name first, “Is it happening? Are you having another flashback?”

Hello fillies and gentlecolts! And welcome to Cloudsdale-

The voice was cut off by Rainbow Dash who called your name once more, louder this time around. She asked the same question right as you saw an image of the colosseum you had visited with Rainbow Dash the other day.

It’s happening again, another flashback!

You felt a pang of fear travel through your body as your spine chilled, afraid of what you would encounter in your flashback. As you learned before, not every flashback was pleasant, and for all you knew, you might just re-experience the night you found your parents. However, you did not have time to ponder whether or not that would be the case this time, as Rainbow Dash pulled you up off your front hooves and stared into your eyes and repeated her question one last time in a desperate attempt to gather your attention.

What? No way, we’ve been training months for this!

The ringing became stronger and you shut your eyes and gritted your teeth as a reflex. However, in between breaths, you managed to shout, “Yes!” Rainbow Dash set you back down as you kept your eyes shut and as your heart rate quickened. Then, you felt her set you down on your back. You forced yourself to open your eyes, but your vision was fading quickly. With every passing second, it became darker and blurrier, and your hearing began to suffer as well, with the audible pitter-patter of the rain now becoming a dull drone. Rainbow Dash spoke one last time.

“Don’t worry,” she said and continued with your name, “I’ll be here when you wake up.” Her voice became more detached, and it sounded as if she was leaving the room despite the fact that you could see her still stand over you, with one of her hooves on yours. You closed your eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. 

“I’m not going anywhere unti-”

And that was the last you heard.	



As you sat in your seat, you circled in bubble C for number fifty. You set your pencil and went to the teacher's desk to turn in your exam. You placed your exam on her desk. The teacher did not look up from whatever it was she was reading, so you simply returned to your desk. On your way back, you saw many of your classmates still on the test: some were still on the first page, others were on the final page. And then, you saw your friend, who sat across the room from and saw that she was struggling with the same exam you had just breezed through. You couldn't help but feel guilty as you were the reason she was struggling; rather, it was a lack of you. Normally, you would be the one to help her study for such an exam, but ever since the the teacher had moved the both of you apart, that was no longer the case. You sat down in your seat and reached into your desk for your history book to brush up on your knowledge of the history of Cloudsdale. After all, you had just taken a test about the founding of Cloudsdale. As you skimmed through the last chapter you read, you gave yourself a silent cheer, having given yourself a boost of confidence that you may very well have aced the exam. You returned the book into your desk and placed your hooves on your desk.

You turned to the clock on the wall to check the time, in hope that the class would end soon. You were disappointed to find that there were still ten minutes until the end of the class. You slumped further into your seat and sighed. You stared at the ceiling and began to count the number of ceiling tiles. You counted the first row and found that there were eight tiles. You counted it once more to double check, and confirmed that there were eight tiles in the first row. Then you counted the first column. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. There were seven tiles in the first column. You counted once more to be sure. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. You brought up your hoof to cover your mouth while you yawned and proceeded to multiply seven by eight. You concluded that there were 56 tiles. 

You picked your head back up and read the time on the clock, only to find that there were still nine minutes and 37 seconds left. You quietly groaned and crossed your hooves onto your desk. You turned back once more to your friend and saw that she was tapping her forehead, as if doing so would unlock an answer for her. You turned forward and rested your head on your hooves, and hoped that the next nine minutes would pass quickly. After a couple of seconds, you open your eyes and observed the room. You saw that some of your classmates had finished, but that there were still a few students working on the test. Afterwards, you turned your attention to your desk and studied the design of it. It was only a few seconds until you started to focus on your hooves. You lightly clicked them against the desk and slowly shaped the disorganized rhythm of clicks into the Junior Speedsters melody. You repeated the song that you swore you would never forget. You continued it for a couple of seconds until your attention span ran out. 

You started to turn towards the clock to check the time but you stop yourself. You knew if you checked the time so quickly before the last time you checked, time would seem endless. You resisted the urge to check for now. To help pass the time, you looked over to your friend once more who was now banging her head against her desk in what you assumed was frustration. Normally, you would feel pity for her, but the sight of her hitting her head against the desk was too much for you. You quickly turned forward and covered your mouth to stifle your snicker. The last thing you wanted was to be the only pony laughing in a quiet classroom. 

After you successfully hid your laugh, you suddenly had the urge you had before. The sudden urge to check the time returned. You knew that if you turned towards the clock, you would be upset. You knew that checking the time right now would only make you mad. It was an itch that you couldn’t reach. Your head began to turn but you continued to avert your eyes. The temptation was too much. The itching to know how much time was left grew too powerful. You quickly turned towards the clock and saw the time.

There were two minutes and 47 seconds remaining. You rolled your eyes but in truth, you were slightly relieved that the time had gone quickly enough. As you looked towards your classmates once more, you saw that most of them, if not all had finished the exam. All except for your friend, who was in a race against the clock. You averted your eyes forward and leaned on your hoof as you daydreamed about leaving the class and returning home which kept you occupied for a minute or so. However, the teacher’s clearing of her throat snapped you out of it. As you sat up straight and brought your hooves down, you noticed that the teacher was staring at your friend. You quickly glanced at the clock and saw that there was no more than 30 seconds left. Your friend was quite audible when she grumbled and carried her test to the teacher, whose expression had not changed from its original disapproving look. Your friend returned to her seat, and right before the teacher could announce anything more, the glorious sound of the bell rang across the school. After sitting through what seemed to be an eternity for you, you could not help but whisper, ‘finally’ to yourself. The teacher dismissed all of you before she returned to her seat. 

As you climbed out of your seat, you stared at your desk as you created a mental note of what you would need to bring home tonight. You pondered whether you would need to bring your ‘Basics of Multiplication and Division’ book or your ‘Cloudsdale History’ book, but you concluded that you need not bring anything, which only brought you more joy to this day. You have a very high likelihood of receiving a perfect score on your test, and you did not have to bother with the heavy weight of the books to wear you down. You felt the need to hum to yourself to use up some of the energy that you felt inside of yourself. You left your seat and merged into the sea of ponies that were exiting the room and lost yourself among the horde. As you waddled your way into the exit, you were greeted with the warmth and brightness of one of the sunniest days you’ve seen. The sun was preparing itself to set within the next few hours or so. There was not a cloud to be spotted in the sky and there was a soft, refreshing breeze that blew through the air. 

“Hey.”

The taut, depressing voice came from behind you, yet you did not need to turn around to see who it was. You only slightly turned your head to your side to greet your friend.

“Hey Dash, what’s up?”

“What’s up? How about me totally just bombing that test?!”

Your glee was suddenly brought down a touch with Rainbow Dash’s remark. You brought your hoof up to rub the back of your head and hoped that it would ease the guilt you felt.

“Yeah, sorry about that Dash. I couldn’t get any free time, been busy y’know?”
Rainbow Dash began to flap her wings and said, “Yeah, well I couldn’t concentrate anyways. All I could think about was the competition today! And we better get going soon, we gotta sign up.”

As Rainbow Dash took to the air, you realized you had no idea what she was talking about. Before she could go any farther, you called her back.

“Dash, wait!”

She came to a complete stop and glared at you for a second before she sped back towards you.

“What dude? We can’t be late!” she exclaimed, arms crossed and wings still flapping.

You had a premonition that your next question was only about to anger Rainbow Dash even further.

“What competition are you talking about?”

You took a few steps back from Rainbow Dash as her jaw dropped.

“What?! I- it’s the, I can’t beli- Are you kidding me dude?!” she stammered, something you have rarely seen her do.

You stayed quiet as you took one more step backwards and raised your hoof off the ground.

“The competition that’s starting at the Cloudsdale Colosseum in like, 10 minutes?!” she shouted while she threw her hooves in the air, all while she still hovered.

And when she reminded you of the location, it seemed to connect the synapses in your mind, as a flood of memories of months of training came back to you. The competition was a race created by your school, however it was not a normal race of the quickest. No, you knew Rainbow Dash was already the quickest. The race had a different set of rules. There were to be 10 teams of two. These two ponies would be tied together with rope around their waists, leaving their inner wings useless. Thus, the two ponies would have to work and coordinate with each other and use their outer, free wings to race through the track while avoiding various obstacles. The school called it a “three-winged race”, which confused you as, technically, only two wings were still being flapped. Furthermore, the event was being called the “10th annual Relay Race”. There was no form of relay whatsoever. Nevertheless, you did not give it much thought, as you remembered spending the last two months or so training with Rainbow Dash for the race.

The first attempts were clumsy and without grace, so much so that you did not dare to practice without being over a cloud for safety. However, after the first two to three weeks of training, you and Rainbow Dash had finally achieved a rhythm, a flow. Then, after more practice, the two of you acted as a single unit, being able to swerve and dodge clouds and obstacles. It benefited both of you, as you were able to train yourself to become a better, stronger flyer and you were able to help Rainbow Dash with her homework. At least before she became bored and wanted to go back to training.

Having remembered all this, you now understood why Rainbow Dash had become so upset that you’d forgotten two to three months worth of training. And all you could muster was a meek apology.

“Oh, right... Sorry Dash, it totally slipped my mind.”

Fortunately for you, Rainbow Dash just grumbled to herself as she crossed her arms and said, “It’s fine I guess. But seriously, we need to go sign up before the competition starts!”

And without thinking, you told her that you could not.

“I can’t Dash. I gotta go home early today.”

Once again, her jaw dropped but this time, her eyebrows furrowed.

“What? No way, we’ve been training months for this!” she shouted again, this time having made you flinch.

“I’m sorry Dash, but I promised my p-”

Rainbow Dash landed back onto the cloud and pushed her hooves into your shoulders. You were now face-to-face with Rainbow Dash, who you knew would not let you go so easily.

“C’mon, it won’t even be for that long, like not even an hour! And it’ll go quicker the sooner we sign up and the faster we race!”

With Rainbow Dash’s hooves still on your shoulders, you stayed silent for several seconds with your eyes wandering around as you contemplated the consequences of staying long enough for the competition. Eventually, you reached your decision.

“Fine. Let’s go, I don’t wanna waste like three months of training for nothing!” you exclaimed as Rainbow Dash managed to reignite your excitement for the competition.

Rainbow Dash took to the sky, performed a quick frontflip and gave a rather loud cheer.

“Yes! Now c’mon, let’s go!”

You nodded and unfurled your wings, as you did not want to waste any more time than you already had. As soon as your hooves left the ground, Rainbow Dash bolted towards the colosseum which left you little time to keep up with her. The colosseum was not too far from the school, since it was mostly used by the school for events or for flight training. After a few minutes of high-speed flying, the two of your reached the massive colosseum. There were numerous flags on top of the ring of the colosseum that flapped from the gentle breeze, along with with the row of arches on each level of the colosseum, save for the very first level. There was an audible roar of a crowd that could be heard from the outside, but you were already preoccupied with pursuing Rainbow Dash to be nervous of the massive crowd.
Finally, Rainbow Dash landed on the base of the cloud, right next to the tunnel entrance of the colosseum. You were still a few seconds behind and you were quickly running short on breath. You saw that she was already speaking to the mare at the table and that Rainbow Dash pointed towards you as you landed next to her. You did not have time to catch your breath before the mare that sat at the table began to speak.

“You two are late. I’m afraid I can’t let either of y-”

As you caught your breath, Rainbow Dash interrupted (a common habit of hers) the mare and began to explain your situation, all in one breath of air.

“Look we know we’re late but we’re not here to watch the competition because we’re in the competition because we’re team six!”

The mare stared at both of you as she repositioned her glasses and cleared her throat. She looked at her clipboard and began to mouth the names that she read. After a few moments, she spoke up.

“Ah, yes. A miss Rainbow Dash and a mister-”

Before she was able to read your name, Rainbow Dash interjected.

“Yes, that’s us! That’s us! Can we go in now?!”

The mare placed her clipboard down and reached under the table she sat behind. As she propped herself back up, she placed two square slips of paper on the table, both marked with a bolded number ‘6’.

“Make sure you put these on before you go onto the field. Now, go into the tunnel and keep going straight until you see a stallion in a referee’s shirt.”

Rainbow Dash snatched one the number cards and took off into the tunnel before you were able to grasp what she had just done. You reached for what was now your number card and thanked the mare behind the desk. Then, you heard your name echo from the tunnel.

You placed your number card in its proper position and said, “Thank you miss,” before you went into a dead sprint down the tunnel that Rainbow Dash went in. As you entered the tunnel, you heard a “good luck” behind you. You moved further into the tunnel and eventually caught up with Rainbow Dash who stood right before the aforementioned stallion in a white and black striped shirt. Just a mere few feet from the other end of the tunnel, the stallion had a coil of rope that hung from one of his wings. Upon having seen the rope, Rainbow Dash placed herself right at your left side in preparation for the rope. The stallion uncoiled the rope and began to use his wings to tie the rope around you and Rainbow Dash. You did not give the procedure much thought, as the two of you have gone through this multiple times, albeit with the help of another pony. If anything, you were surprised Rainbow Dash was able to sit still enough for the stallion to finish his job.

“There, should be nice and snug. See if you can get your wings out,” he requested.

Without fault, you and Rainbow Dash unfurled your respective outer wings and displayed the two-toned wingspread.

The stallion nodded, “Good. Alright, you’re just gonna walk out onto the stage and we’ll let you know when you need to get into your spot.”

Both you and Rainbow Dash nodded in unison, but it soon became clear something the two of you had not practiced. Rainbow Dash took off once again as she had done before, however, being bound to you, she caused the two of you to stumble.

“Agh,” she grunted, “dude c’mon! Let’s go!”

“Well, we gotta take it slow. One hoof at a time, alright?” you tried to explain.

Despite the first step being in unison, Rainbow Dash’s impatience made it difficult for you to find a rhythm as you had done so with flight in this form. Nevertheless, you quickened your pace to match Rainbow Dash’s as the two of you walked out onto the stage.

The roar of the crowd you had heard before was now much louder and sharper. Although the colosseum was far from being completely filled, there were still quite a number of attendants. When you turned your attention towards the course, you could begin to feel the butterflies in your stomach. The race track was far more intricate and puzzling than the clouds you and Rainbow Dash flew around. There were pillars of clouds that were positioned close to each other. As from what you could see, you judged that no more than four ponies could fly in between each pillar at any given point. The next portion, fortunately, was something you were more experienced with; it was simply clouds, riddled without rhyme or reason. You assumed you would just have to avoid them as you’ve done before. What followed was a series of cloud rings that took sharp turns and loops around the entire track. Again, the spacing was anything but sparse. And the more you reexamined the track, the more nervous you became about your abilities and your limitations.
And it seems Rainbow Dash could sense so.

“Hey, you’re not nervous are ya?” she asked as she came to a halt without notice.

You nearly stumbled once more but you were able to keep your composure as you answered her question.

“What? Hah,” you nervously laughed, “not at all!”

She shot you a smile and said, “Good! Besides, this isn’t anything we can’t handle.”

Your mouth became dry and you reflexively gulped as you glanced back towards the track.

“Y-yeah,” you stammered, “nothing we can’t handle..”

You weren’t sure if Rainbow Dash simply could not hear the shakiness in your voice or whether she simply ignored it. Regardless of either-or, she spoke up.

“Alright, let’s get to our spot,” she said as she began to slowly move her hoof and waited for yours.

You then moved your hoof in unison with hers and gradually made your way towards the small area labeled with the number “6” on the edge of the stage. Both of you came to a stop right before the edge, and you could not help but peer over it. Although very distant, you could see the grassy fields of Equestria, with a thin dirt trail that continued for what seemed like miles. You were not frightened by the fact that you and Rainbow Dash might plummet to your death because of your inability to fly together as one. You and her have proven yourselves more than capable of being able to do so. What you were scared of was being made a fool of in front of an entire audience and 18 or so other racers, especially since it you would not be the only one to suffer from the humiliation. You studied the track and tried to imagine yourself racing through each obstacle. But, your concentration was broken by the sound of your voice being spoken by another pony.

“Haha, I can’t believe you’re racing with a filly!”

You took your vision away from the track and turned it to the left, only to see two familiar ponies. One with a coat of dark brown, and the other with a color akin to a light bronze. Normally, you’d speak up for yourself and Rainbow Dash but with your stomach in a knot and your heart nearly beating out of your chest, you could not. Even so, Rainbow Dash gave a retort.

“Yeah, we’ll see who’s laughing at the end of this race!” she boastfully claimed.

And before the two other ponies could make a reply, you heard somepony behind you shout, “Racers, take your places!”

Now, your heart began to beat much faster than it had before, so much so that you were afraid Rainbow Dash would be able to hear because of the proximity. You looked around and saw the other racers slowly making their way to their lane. Although you did not admit it, you had unconsciously hoped that something would go awry and that it would further delay the race. However, when you heard the booming voice of the announcer ask the attendants to take their seats, you knew that the start of the race was inevitable.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Rainbow Dash asked one last time.

And if you were to be honest, you were not. The crushing anxiety and doubt you felt was overwhelming and you were sure that heart rates as fast as yours were impossible. But, the fear of losing and having humiliation cast upon you and, more importantly, Rainbow Dash was far more insurmountable than the nervousness you felt now. And for that, you were willing to snap out of your current state and give these next few minutes your all. You took in a deep breath and reassured Rainbow Dash.

“I could ask you the same thing!”

Then, the announcer began to speak.

“Hello fillies and gentlecolts! And welcome to Cloudsdale Junior Flight School’s 10th annual Relay Race!”

The thought crossed you again as to why it was called a relay race but before you could contemplate as to why, the announcer started up again.

“Please allow me to introduce our contestants today! On team one, we have-”

Rainbow Dash, apparently not interested in being introduced to her fellow competitors, spoke to you.

“Hey, so you remember the plan, right?”

The plan being to win.

“Hay yeah, I do! We’ve practice for like, months!” you responded in your best attempt to keep your spirits up.

“Remember, it’s first place or nothing!”

The announcer must have breezed through the names quicker than you expected, as he was now about to announce the start of the race.

“So, without further ado, let’s get started!”

This time, you took the initiative in having the first word.

“Alright, this is it!” you exclaimed, in a final attempt to clear your anxiety.

“Months of training all comes down to this!”

As the crowd cheered and roared with excitement, the announcer started, “Racers, get ready!”

Rainbow Dash unfurled her outer-wing as she said, “Okay, come on! Open your wing!”

“Yeah, I got it!” you shouted as you mimicked her action.

Now, there were only a few seconds until the start of the race. You swiftly glanced at all the other contestants to see them prepared and in position for take-off. The announcer then began his countdown.

“In five, four,” he started.

Everything seemed to slow down as you looked around the colosseum. You could still hear the announcer’s voice echo in the background, but everything seemed still. The crowd was quiet, as was Rainbow Dash, and the other contestants kept their eyes open and glued forward. The soft breeze that blew the flags overhead before seemed to be nonexistent.
“-three,” the announcer continued.

And yet, you could still feel the breeze blow through your mane. Your heart still beat incredibly fast, and your mind still raced around hundreds of thoughts and outcomes regarding the race.

“-two,” the announcer continued.

There was no noise or sound to be heard, save for your heartbeat. You flapped your wing once to ensure no mistakes upon take-off. Before you knew it, the announcer reached the final number in his sequence.

“-one...” the announcer continued.

And as if you were taken from your short time-lapse and thrust back into the current timeline, everything instantaneously returned. The rumble of the crowd to the breeze that was previously present were all now present.

“GO!”

Your wings pushed as hard as you possibly could as you propelled yourself and Rainbow Dash into the middle of the pack. With your forehooves out, you struggled to even maintain your middle status in the race. As the pillars of clouds quickly approached, both you and Rainbow Dash moved further to the right of the pack to give yourselves more leeway. You kept your eyes glued onto the leader, as you knew that their position was your goal. The leaders of the race then tried to fly around the first pillar, but to their dismay, came to close and crashed into it. They began to spun out away from the track and granted themselves the last place in the race. You quickly counted how many places you were away from first and found that you were still three away. The three teams ahead of you made their way around the pillars of clouds easily enough and now your turn quickly approached. 

Rainbow Dash tilted her body sideways as the other teams had, and allowed you and her to fly between the first pillar with ease. Upon reaching the next set, she continued to to turn until a complete turn was made with you on the opposite end. You used your wing to keep the momentum that you and Rainbow Dash had. You continued this pattern of twists and flips until you reached the end of the pillar segment, with both of you upright and having been able to maintain your speed unlike the racers ahead. And as they came upon the first major turn, they were unable to make a fluid turn. You could hear Rainbow Dash cheer as you and her took the lead.
Now confident with your current position, you lost all the anxiety you previously felt. As you reached the portion of the race riddled with clouds in no definite pattern, you began to flap your wings harder to guarantee your victory in the race. You and Rainbow Dash dodged the first cloud, ducked under the second, and flew above the third cloud. Now as the clouds became more tightly niched, you knew that there was no longer room for error. You came upon the patch of clouds, but before you and Rainbow Dash could maneuver around them, the other team that had heckled you before came up too close to Rainbow Dash. And, to avoid being bumped into a cloud by them, Rainbow Dash jerked upwards to save herself. However, you were not so lucky.

As you were pulled up by Rainbow Dash’s sudden movement, your wing clipped right into one of the clouds. Had it been any other cloud, you might not have even felt you doing so. But these clouds were designed to absorb impacts by fast-flying ponies. And thus, your wing absorbed the propulsion of two ponies flying incredibly fast into a small area. You shouted in pain and retracted your wing back, which caused you and Rainbow Dash to descend and fast.

“Hey what’s the matter with you?! Get your wing out!” she hastily yelled.

You listened and as you did, an indescribable pain emerged in the lower section of your outer wing. Every time you flapped your wing, you winced in pain. You entered back into the race and were now just one place behind the lead with the other racers not far behind you. You were now in the second turn of the race, which lead to the cloud rings that you were to fly through. Although the space was small, you could overtake the leader if you were fast enough. However, that proved challenging as every second you stayed suspended, the more pain you endured. And when you saw out of the corner in your eye the other team about to overtake you, Rainbow Dash growled and began to push herself further than you had ever seen.

As you and Rainbow Dash passed the first cloud ring, the pain started to become unbearable. But you reminded yourself how much worse you would feel if you were the reason as to why you and Rainbow Dash lost the race. The shame and guilt as well as the constant teasing and torment the other ponies would give you and Rainbow Dash for losing was unimaginable. Upon that realization, you started to match Rainbow Dash’s speed as well as her determination for first place. You tried your hardest to shut out the pain you felt and instead focused on the leaders of the race. As you passed through the final cloud ring, you were now just a few inches away from being neck-to-neck with the leaders of the race. As you and Rainbow Dash made your way around the last turn, you reached the final stretch of the race.
It was truly that. There were no obstacles to avoid, no clouds to fly around or rings to pass through. It was an open airfield with the finish line at the other end, with enough landing space for each team. And as you corrected your orientation from the last turn, you mustered all the energy you had left and pushed yourself forward as much as you could. Rainbow Dash did the same and the two of you eventually reached the leaders. As far as you could tell, the other racers were nowhere near close. You heard the announcer energize the crowd and shouted about how the race was going to be a photo finish.

As the finish line crept closer, you shut out your surroundings and only focused on being the first one to cross it. You pushed your hooves further out and gave your last measure of energy to fly faster than you had ever done so before. With time having passed so quickly, it wasn’t apparent that you were just a foot away from the finish line. Unfortunately, so was the other team of ponies that had taunted you. And in less than a second, both you and the other team passed the finish line.

The announcer exclaimed, “And the winner is…”

He began his sentence before you and Rainbow Dash were able to slow down to a complete stop. But eventually, you and Rainbow Dash were able to land on the cloud and the two of you began to catch your breath. You looked around and stared at the announcer for what seemed to be an eternity. The other team what you had raced for the finish was not too far from you and were doing the same as you were. And the announcer stated the winner of the race.

“Team six!”

And with that, you felt the heavy burden that you carried with you across the majority of the race lifted off your shoulders. You let your wing retract back into its place, all the while Rainbow Dash cheered. Then, one of the referees came by and undid the knot of the rope which freed both you and Rainbow Dash. She turned to you and expressed her enjoyment from having won the race.

“We did it! We got first place! I knew we could do it!”

You wanted to show the same amount of elation for victory, but you were exhausted, and most of all, relieved that you had not cost Rainbow Dash the race. The announcer began to announce the placements of the other racers, but you did not pay any attention to it. As you looked towards the other teams, you could see them having their ropes undone by other referees. Something then caught the corner of your eye, and it was a referee with a golden trophy in his hooves. You turned to Rainbow Dash whose eyes lit up when she noticed it.

“Congratulations on getting first place, kids!” he said as he placed the trophy before you and Rainbow Dash.

He then walked off and allowed both you and Rainbow Dash to awe in its glory. The trophy was gold and had a small golden image of two ponies that were flying side-by-side.

“Dude, this trophy’s so cool!” she remarked.

You were still out of breath, but you managed to agree with her.

“Yeah, it sure is.”

While Rainbow Dash continued to ogle the trophy, you looked back towards your number card to remove it only to notice a different color in your coat that hid under the card.

“Huh? What the…” you whispered to yourself.

You peeled away the card and you nearly could not believe what your eyes saw.

There was an image of a grey cloud, with three rays of sunshine that pierced through them, and slightly expanded until they reached an abrupt stop.

This was your Cutie Mark.

And Rainbow Dash noticed that you were lost in your own world.

“Woah, dude! You got your Cutie Mark!”

You were still in a daze. You had received your Cutie Mark and yet, you were not aware of the meaning behind it.

“B-but, I have no idea what it means! I don’t get it, what does it mean my special talent is?”

And then, your vision went dark.



You opened your eyes and found yourself in a nearly dark room. You could hear what sounded like drops of rain that fell onto a window. As you looked around, you remembered where you were and what you had been doing. You were in your room, when a certain date on the calendar had just reminded you of the day you received your Cutie Mark. As you looked towards the floor, you saw your saddlebag leaned up against the desk in your room. Once you regained your memory of where you were, you noticed that you lied in your bed with a blanket draped over you. You also felt a soft breathing on your neck as well as hooves wrapped your forelegs. It was then that you noticed the warmth that resonated all through your back and onto your hind legs. You quickly threw up the blanket and lifted yourself off from the bed. And Rainbow Dash awoke from the commotion you created.

She begun with a heavy yawn and said, “Finally you’re awake. You were asleep for a long time.”

You ignored her comment and made one of your own.

“I remember, Rainbow Dash,” you said without emotion.

“What do you remember?” Rainbow Dash asked as she ended with your name. The emotion in her response was lacking as well, although you figured that it may have been due to how tired she was.

“I remember when I got my Cutie Mark.”

What you expected was for her to be extremely ecstatic about, arguably, one of the pinnacle events in your life. You expected her to ask hundreds of questions about what you remembered, about the meaning of your Cutie Mark and if you ever solved the mystery behind it, and what else you could remember from the flashback.

What you expected and what you obtained were two different things.

“That’s,” Rainbow Dash yawned once more, “great but I’m tired. Can we talk about this in the morning?”

Shocked to see that she was not as interested as you had expected, you remarked, “S-sure, I suppose it wouldn’t make a difference.”

She seemed to notice that you were surprised at her reaction.

“Look, it’s not that I don’t care or anything. I’m just tired. Now, c’mon,” she said, half asleep.

You sighed at the fact that you would have to travel all the way back towards Rainbow Dash’s home to sleep, especially with the rain outside, but you realized that it was better this way.

“Fine, just let me get my saddlebag,” you said as you reached for it.

“Huh? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked, now propped up on one hoof.

“What do you mean why? I’m not going to leave my saddlebag here,” you explained.

Rainbow Dash groaned, “I meant get back in THIS bed. I’m not flying all the way back to my house just to sleep.”

You were taken back by the idea that Rainbow Dash wanted to spend the night in your home, since she knew what happened here. You tried to reason with her.

“Rainbow Dash… you can’t be serious. I can’t sleep in this house. It’s far too… unnerving,” you meekly explained.

Rainbow Dash then gripped the blanket and covered herself, all while she said, “You can go back to my house if you want, but I’m not going anywhere.”

And so you stood there, with two options. Travel into the cold, rainy night for a sound sleep, or risk another dreadful night in this house. You made up your mind in a matter of seconds, as you reached for your saddlebag. As you lifted it with you, you placed it next to the wall and opened the door. You stared into the dark hallway of your home and felt a cold chill travel up your back. And as soon as you did, you shut the door.

I… I can’t go out there… Not alone…

You left your saddlebag leaned up against the wall and reluctantly walked back towards the bed. You reached in for the blanket, but Rainbow Dash had her foreleg over it, which prevented you from being able to lift it up. You stood there, unsure of what to do for a few seconds before Rainbow Dash groaned and lifted up the blanket. As she did, you delicately climbed into the bed and left a small space between you and her. However, you were not surprised that she had closed the distance between you. You could feel her warmth against your backside and she soon wrapped one of her hooves around your stomach.

And you did not resist.