//------------------------------// // Friends // Story: A Dash of Youth // by Everfree23 //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash felt guilty for betraying her friends that way, it didn't feel right. She decided to get her mind off the topic by thinking about her current state. How old was she? She couldn't tell. Finally, she settled on an old trick her mother had taught her. She counted the stripes on her feathers, there was only one on each feather. She must only be a year old. She thought hard about this for a while. In three years, she could go to kindergarten. In four years, still kindergarten. But in FIVE years, she could be in real school. She dozed and dozed, thinking about her current situation, until it became dark. She flapped out of the crib and over to the balcony, where she gazed out at the stars. Here she was, out in open air again. She could fly off, never see Twilight again, call the police, get her friends back, and join the Wonderbolts. But the only problem was that she didn't want to. One star caught her eye suddenly, and that was because it was moving. It was a shooting star. If she found it when it landed, there was no doubt her wishes would come true. Without a second thought, she dashed off the balcony and up, until she was beside the star, racing side by side with it. The wind in her mane was breathtaking, she hadn't flown like this in quite a while. Without warning, the star hit the ground, and cast an amazing spectacle of light and flame, which sunk away as quickly as they had appeared. Rainbow was shocked as she creeped slowly towards the star. It was glowing softly, and it made her think about Twilight. Did she know Rainbow was gone? Was she looking all over Ponyville for her right now? Rainbow had no idea. She closed her eyes, and placed one hoof on the star. It was warm, a soothing kind of warm, just perfect. Taking a deep breath, she recited her wish. "I wish, I wish, I wish I was five!" she chanted. The star grew hotter, and brighter, but Rainbow didn't pull away. The wind picked up to a gust, and shot up from the ground. A ringing noise echoed through Ponyville, and a blue ring began to form around Rainbow Dash. The star was incredibly bright now, and she was probably burnt, but she didn't care. Then, and blast of blue light exploded, shaking the ground and all around it with great force, and Rainbow Dash passed out. When she awoke, she was laying in her crib, it was just the way she had left it, nothing moved. She had obviously teleported back, there was no other way. She flapped her wings with much more force than she was able to give before, and flew over to the mirror. She was overjoyed at what was in the mirror before her. A bright eyed, orange little filly, about five years old. There was no way she could sleep in that stupid little crib anymore! She could fly to the potty, too! No, not the potty, the real toilet! She was a big filly now! She raced down the stairs into Twilight's room and burst through the door. "Mom! Look at me!" squealed Rainbow as she flew. Twilight gasped. "Oh my Luna, Sunny Dreams! What in Equestria happened to you?!" she gasped. "I grew up!" giggled Rainbow, landing with a plop on the bed. "And now you have to send me to school!". Twilight sighed, and pulled up her laptop. Rainbow giggled, knowing she would be in school tomorrow. That night, she slept snuggled up beside Twilight. She was getting a new bed, she got to go to school, and it was all because of that wonderful little star. The next morning, she found a beautiful saddlebag waiting for her on the ground. It had two little suns on it, and it was bright orange. She tossed it onto her back, and raced down the stairs where Twilight was making her a lovely breakfast and a lovely packed lunch. "Thanks Mom!" she smiled, grabbing the lunch and tossing it into her new Saddlebag. Twilight smiled and served her breakfast, which she quickly inhaled, gave her mother a tight hug, and raced out the door. "That filly..." smirked Twilight. She decided to go for a little walk, down into the Everfree Forest, she needed some new flowers for her vase. "Rarity has a good sense of good flowers," Twilight thought aloud as she trotted to the boutique. "I'll take her along.". As the mares trotted further and further, they became chattier and chattier, many flowers filling their pockets. "Oh my stars, darling! Look at these simply marvelous blue flowers!" Rarity gushed, picking a wad of Poison Joke. "Rarity, no!" screamed Twilight, but it was too late. Rainbow Dash threw herself into the playground, looking around at all the nice fillies and colts around her. There was Scootaloo! She couldn't believe it! She raced over to the orange filly and tapped her on the shoulder, expecting to bee well recognized and praised shen Scootaloo spotted her. "Do I know you?" The words pierced her like glass as she remembered who she was. "No, sorry, but I'm new, and I just wanted to say -" she was cut off. "Oh my god, oh my god! You have no cutie mark, you have no cutie mark!" Scootaloo hollard, and before Rainbow knew it, the whole school was crowded around her. "Oh mah Celestia, please tell me y'all wanna be a Cutie Mark Crusader!" Applebloom gushed. "Totally! I mean, you don't have a cutie mark, you have to!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Well well well, another blank flank!" Diamond Tiara mocked, shoving Rainbow Dash down into the mud. Some other kids laughed, but Rainbow just gasped, and flew up into the air, flying quickly to get all the mud off. Diamond Tiara and silver spoon giggled violently.