Spectra looked into the sky for a quick glance before blindness. The sun was nearly high noon. Her and Rainbow Dash have been flying since morning.
They were flying a gentle pace, a few small races here and there. Spectra lost most of them. She's not a bad racer. She's just nervous and eager to get to Manehatten.
Rainbow broke off her thoughts, "We should get there soon. I think I can just make out the Manehatten skyscrapers from here."
Spectra looked to verify Rainbow's statement. She could also make out the buildings. Spectra just kept silent as they flew.
Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, was noticeably getting bored, "Hey, you said you can do a Sonic Rainboom right?"
Spectra gave her a half-questioning stare, "Uh... Yeah. But I haven't done one in a few years. Why are you asking?" Spectra knew the answer to her question.
"One more race?"
"What?" Spectra responded with a slight voice crack. She just cleared her throat and continued, "Dash, we've had like six races. I'm too tired for another."
"Fine," Dash replied dejected. She quickly perked back up, "If you're too chicken, I understand."
This got Spectra fired up, "Excuse me?"
"Oh. You heard me." Rainbow gave a mischievous grin.
"Alright feather-brain." Spectra returned the grin, "Whatcha have in mind then?"
"One final race before we get there, a Sonic Rainboom race."
"A what?"
"First one to make a Rainboom and get to Manehatten wins."
"Okay big shot. I'm up for it." Spectra replied with a wink.
"Okay, ready? Set. Go!" Rainbow announced.
The two mares quickly angled toward the sky. Picking up speed faster and faster, Spectra began to feel the force of gravity pushing her back. She bomb dived straight down. Rainbow was right along side of her.
A sphere of air began to form around her, as well as Rainbow. Spectra pushed herself faster to get ahead of the determined pegasus. The mach cones quickly sharpened.
Come on. A little closer. I know you gals haven't done this in a while, but do it for me. She thought to herself, pleading to her rusty pegasus wings.
The mach cones around the two began to glow of bright colors and lightning shocked around them. Suddenly, everything around Spectra seemed to slow as she began to pass the barrier.
BOOM!
Two bursts as loud as thunder rocketed the pegasi forward. Two beautiful spectrums following them. They had created a Sonic Rainboom. No. A Double Rainboom.
Spectra and Dash were side by side. Rainbow quickly pulled up leaving Spectra rocketing downward. Spectra was having a hard time controlling her path.
She came close to the ground and pulled up just in time, Whew. That was close- Oh no. Her next obstacle confronted her. There was a wood in between her and the Manehatten borders.
She strafed side to side, avoiding the trees to the best of her ability. Spectra sped by a small flock of deer, leaving them spinning, "Sorry!" She called back to them.
She emerged out of the woods, and was gliding over a lake. Spectra noticed her reflection. She never looked at herself this way before. She saw her rainbow mane blowing around, her forest-green coat ruffled by the wind, and a wonderful line of color trailing behind her.
Spectra snapped out of her daze when she noticed something else, she saw Rainbow flying above her. Quickly realizing that she hadn't trailed off too far, Spectra flew upwards to meet with Rainbow. The both gave each other determined glares of victory and focused back on their flying.
The buildings of Manehatten approached the pegsasi as they flew toward them. Spectra knew they were still flying at, at the least, mach speeds. She was unable to shake Rainbow though. She knew the cyan pegasus was fast. But didn't think she was this fast.
The speedy ponies flew to the closest roof on the edge of the city. They landed quickly, but with ease, skidding across the roof slightly.
"Woohoo!" Dash exclaimed, "I win!" She was panting heavily of exhaustion.
Spectra wasn't in any better shape, "No... You didn't... Dash..."
"Yeah, I did. I landed on the roof first." Rainbow quickly responded, defending her title.
"... If anything... We tied..." Spectra said between pants.
"Eh. At least I didn't lose." Rainbow noticed the other mare's exhaustion, "Hey, you alright?"
Spectra gulped a lump in her throat before replying, "Yeah.. I just haven't flown like that in years." She took one more inhale before bursting into a light chuckle, "That was awesome."
Rainbow nodded in agreement then turned to her saddle bag. She began shuffling through it with her muzzle. Rainbow Dash pulled out a small piece of paper. Spectra got close to peek at the paper, it was a map. A map of Manehatten to be specific.
"What's that for?" Spectra asked the cyan pony.
Rainbow just examined the map, confused out of her mind. She looked away to answer Spectra, "Well. Like i said, I never knew my family." Rainbow Dash looked back at her map, "I'm trying to find my aunt's home. I think she lives somewhere here." Rainbow finished, pointing to a small building on the map.
Spectra recognized the building and it's surrounding areas, "Hey. That's where my apartment is!"
Rainbow looked at Spectra with a puzzled look, "Really?"
Spectra nodded.
"Okay then," Rainbow Dash began as she put away the map, "Lead the way."
Spectra lifted off the building and began flying in the direction of her apartment building. It has only been a few days, but she was excited and missed being home.
They weren't far from Spectra's building. They arrived shortly. Spectra landed in front of the building and walked inside, Rainbow following closely.
Spectra trotted up to the front desk.
"Oh, hey there Miss Hue." The lobby manager greeted her, "That was a quick vacation." He joked.
Spectra just chuckled in response, "Yeah I'm not back permanently. Me and my friend, Rainbow Dash, came to visit with her aunt." She turned to Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash stepped forward, "Is there a Sapphire Flare here as a tenant?"
The manager pondered with a hoof on his chin for a second, "Hmm... Lemme check. The name sounds familiar." He turned to his log book and flipped through it quickly with his unicorn magic, "Ah yes! Sapphire Flare. She lives on the fourth floor. Room 415."
"Okay thank you." Spectra replied, dashing for the stairwell, Rainbow Dash followed her up.
The mares made it to the fourth floor. They trotted beside each other to the room. Spectra scanned the room numbers as they walked.
409, 410, 411... "Ah! Here." She flew down past a few doors and stopped in front of it.
Rainbow just stared at her, "What?"
"It's your aunt. You should knock."
Rainbow sighed and stepped up to the door. She knocked.
A few seconds later, they heard clinking of the lock being unhinged. The door then opened, a chocolate-brown coated mare on the other side.
She looked at Rainbow and Spectra, mouth slightly agape.
"Uh, Aunt Sapphire?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Sapphire looked at Dash and smiled, "Rainbow Dash? Is that my Dashie?"
Rainbow half-smiled back, "Yeah it is. It's nice to meet you."
Sapphire walked up to Dash and embraced the cyan pegasus in her hooves, "It's so great to see you again, I haven't seen you since you were a newborn filly."
The half-smiling, half-crying aunt opened her eyes over Rainbow Dash's should to see Spectra.
Her mouth fell agape... Again.
"Sp- Spectra?" She asked as if she was in shock.
"... Hi?" Spectra replied unsurely.
Sapphire let go of Rainbow Dash and stepped toward Spectra, "Is that really my Spectra?"
Spectra's mouth was now the one agape, as well as Rainbow.
"Yo- Your Spectra?" Rainbow Dash questioned.
Sapphire ran her hoof through Spectra's rainbow mane, "Oh... Oh my Celestia..." She began to get teary eyed, "It is you!" The teary mare grabbed onto The confused pegasus and embraced her in a deep hug.
Spectra returned the hug, completely unsure what was going on, "Uh..."
Sapphire pulled away from Spectra and looked into her deep red eyes. She smiled and chuckled softly, "You don't remember me, huh?"
Spectra just shook her head.
"Spectra-" She began, realizing they were all still in the hall, "Why don't you all come inside? I can make us some tea." Sapphire said, leading the pegasi inside.
Sapphire trotted to the kitchen area, "You girls can take a seat, make yourselves at home."
Rainbow examined the house then looked to her aunt, "So Aunt Sapphire, what were you saying to Spectra? How do you know her?" Her ears perked up, "Is there a chance we are related? Is she from part of the Dash family?!"
Sapphire poured tea into two cups and carried them over with her one hoof. Spectra was surprised at the mare's talent at walking on three hooves.
"Indeed she is." Sapphire replied, handing one cup to Dash.
"Really?! How?!" Rainbow Dash was surprisingly overjoyed.
Sapphire trotted to Spectra and handed her the other cup of tea, "She's your cousin..." She said, looking at Spectra calmly.
Spectra, on the other hoof, was rather shocked. Is this what she thought it was, if she was Rainbow Dash's cousin. And Sapphire was Rainbow's aunt. Then...
Spectra took the cup, "How have you been sweet heart?" Sapphire began to ask, "You've been gone quite a while." She noticed Spectra's mouth agape. "What? You can't talk to your own mother?"
Sapphire was beginning to tear again, but was smiling a Pinkie Pie smile.
"M- Mom...?" Spectra asked, a lump began to choke down her words.
Sapphire just nodded in response and hugged her daughter, "I missed you, honey."
Spectra returned the hug, beginning to cry herself. Sapphire let go of Spectra.
Spectra looked toward Dash, who was also teary. She chuckled at the stubborn pegasus.
Dash shook out the tears, "Oh! Now you're making me all sappy!"
The mother and daughter laughed.
Sapphire sniffled, "Are you girls staying in Manehatten overnight? You're more than welcome to stay for dinner."
Spectra looked to Dash. Then back to her mother, "Uh... Yeah. We'd love to mom."
Sapphire smiled, nodded, and returned to her kitchen.
**********
Spectra sat quietly and contently as she watched her mother cook. Meanwhile, Rainbow was becoming antsy.
She tapped her hoof on the hardwood floor, "Hey, Aunt Sapphire?"
"Yes Dash?" Sapphire replied, still focused on her dinner preparations.
"How long until dinner is done?"
Sapphire chuckled at her niece's impatience, "It will be done soon." She began stirring in a rustic kitchen pot, "So will you girls need a place to stay? You're more than welcome to stay here."
"No mom, thanks though. My apartment is on the fourteenth floor. We will stay there overnight." Spectra replied.
"Oh yes. I forgot you live here in the apartments. You know, I've known you have lived here. When I saw you come on the lift the day you got here, I was overjoyed."
Spectra was rather confused now, "Ma, if you knew I was here, why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to scare you but confronting you saying, Oh hi sweetheart, remember me? I'm your mother that you haven't seen in like sixteen years! I mean, how else would you react if I did that?"
"True..." Spectra said agreeing.
Rainbow suddenly perked up from her boredom, "Oh yeah! What happened to you anyways Spec?"
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"You told me you were 'taken away.'" Rainbow said with air quotes, "Where'd you get taken away to?"
Spectra dropped her head as the memories returned to her while Sapphire spoke up, "Well if Spectra doesn't mind..."
Spectra shook her head to her mother's statement.
Rainbow soon became irritated, "Why can't you tell me Spec? I told you everything about my life. Can't you tell me one measly fact?!"
Sapphire tried to calm the situation, "Now Dash. Stop. If she doesn't want to talk about it the. Leave her be."
"Well I don't understand! She can trust me! Heck, I AM the Element of Loyalty! Just 'cause I'm hard-headed, does NOT mean nopony can trust me!"
Spectra teared up before her fuse shorted out, "You know why I can't tell you, DASH?! Because you won't understand if I did! Even though you're 'Miss Element of Loyalty,' doesn't mean there aren't thing that can ruin your friendship with other ponies, OKAY?!"
Dash fell back defeated, "I-"
Spectra didn't give her time to speak, she flew out the door and sped off toward the stairwell.