Wings of Glory - Part 2
By Andrew Esquivel
As rainbow dash laid her new daughter into her bed for the first time, she felt an overwhelming sense of joy when looking upon the sleepy child. She knew in her heart that she done the right thing, but deep down inside she worried about the filly. Scootaloo was once a rising star in her own respect. Young as she was, she showed the distinct signs of one day being among the best, but now all her dreams were slowly fading away. Dash knew that as a Pegasus, she would never be content with the ground. She knew that seeing her own brethren soar into the clouds above would eat her up inside. Dash knew what she had to do, but she had no idea how to do it. Somehow, some way she would fix Scootaloo's wings, but no remedies came to mind. With her filly fast asleep, dash covered her with a blanket and kissed her goodnight. Walking out the room, she whispered to herself,
"I've got to find a way. I've just got to..."
Despair started to set in, and no longer could she stand to be alone in her home. She knew she was in over her head, But she would not give in. Dash needed help, but didn't know who to turn to. Sitting on the floor, she thought for a moment, until a spark of inspiration hit her mind. Without hesitation, she quietly closed her front door, and swept to the ground. There was someone she needed to see.
*knock, knock knock*
"Who in the wide wide world of Equestria could that be at this hour?"
Walking to the door, the pony asked, "Who is it?"
Dash replied, "It's me...Rainbow dash." And with that the door slowly opened to reveal the pony behind it.
"Dash? What are you doing here so late?"
"Twilight, I need your help."
"Well sure, but what's so important that you need to come knocking at my door this late? Cant it wait till tomorrow?"
"No. I mean, yes. I mean...uggg...just, please Twilight, I really need someone to talk to."
"Dash, are you ok? You look really worried."
"I am"
"Well, what's wrong?"
"It's my daughter"
Twilight's eyes opened in a bit of a shock.
"You're...daughter?"
Confused, she inquired once more
"What ever do you mean?"
Dash blushed, realizing that she said too much too quickly, but shacked her head and quickly shied her feelings away.
"Uhhh...look, it's a long story. Just tell me, do you know how to fix a broken wing?"
Twilight, while still in a bit of awe, simply responded,
"I'm sorry dash, but I've never been asked that before. Maybe my books have something on it, but I don't know anything off hand."
Dash got a glimmer of hope in her eyes, wishing to herself that maybe they could find an answer.
"Great! You're sure to have something in there. You do live in a library and all. Right...?"
"Well, no guarantees, but I can check. But first, what do you mean by your daughter? I never thought you were...ya know."
Dash sighed at the question and figured it was best to just be straight with Twilight. After all, she was bound to find out sooner or later.
"It's not what you think twilight." she said awkwardly. "You mind if I come in to talk?"
The clouds were heavy, and rain started to fall.
"Sure" she said, "I wouldn't want you to get sick standing out there in the cold."
Both girls walked into the den of the tree house at sat down near the couch together. Positioning herself facing towards Dash, Twilight asked
"So tell me Dash, and be honest, what all is really happening?"
Dash's eyes wondered the room as she tried to recall the events. It's not something she wanted to talk about, but she knew she had no other real choice. She sighed once more and spoke.
"2 days ago, Scootaloo tried to do something and got hurt. I found her near the ever free forest out cold and by herself. When I went to check on her, she wouldn't respond, so I took her to the hospital. When she woke up, she couldn't move her wings."
"Oh my God..." twilight said as her eyes grew, her hooves covering her mouth. She couldn't believe what she just herd. Her heart sank as she dared to ask yet another question.
"What do you think she was trying to do?"
Ashamed at herself, she looked away into the windows that gave a view of the sky. Thunder cracked down as she slowly gained the courage to speak.
"She was...she..." tears filled her eyes as she tried to talk once more, but couldn't bring herself to.
"She was what Dash? If you want me to help, I need to know what she was doing."
With rain like eyes, she looked at Twilight and said,
"She was trying to imitate me."
Twilight developed a puzzled look on her face. In her mind, things didn't add up.
"Imitate you? Imitate how?"
The look on rainbow dash's face only grew more grim.
"She saw me try out for the wonder bolts that day, and all she wanted to do is be like me. She tried to fly, but she wasn't ready Twilight. She just wasn't ready"
With that said, dash burst into tears, no longer able to hold back her emotion. Twilight offered what comfort she could and held rainbow dash in her arms.
"It's my fault this happened. It's all my fault" dash cried.
Now realizing the guilt that dash had ensued, Twilight reassuringly replied,
"Oh come now dash, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known this would happen."
Dash took a deep breath and started to regain her sanity. Her eyes opened once more as she again held back her tears. Slowly, she removed herself from Twilights grasp, and displayed a look of calm and composure.
"Better?" Twilight asked,
"Yeah...I think I'm good now." dash said as she wiped some goop from her nose. Twilight still unsure of the entire situation reluctantly asked another question.
"So, what happened after that?"
Dash, struggling to keep her nerve, but mustered the strength to answer the question.
"Once she started to stabilize, they brought her back to the orphanage. They said she would be okay, but that she would never be able to fly after that incident."
Slowly, the pieces to the puzzle come together in Twilights mind. But one thing still didn't make sense.
"Dash, I'm so sorry for what happened, and I can only imagine how you feel right now, but I gotta know...what did you mean by 'your daughter'?"
Dash looked up into twilights eyes and continued with the story.
"She was miserable twilight...if only you had seen her; you would have done the same..."
Twilight cocked her head to the side and softly asked, "Done what?"
Rainbow dash looked back and said, "I adopted her."
There was a long pause between the 2 as they both sat there in the room. Twilight stunned, she didn't know what to say, but after a short moment she spoke once more.
"Dash, that's really admirable, but...I didn't know you were ready to take such a big step in your life. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Dash scratched her arm softly as she replied, "she needs me Twilight...and deep down inside, I know I need her..."
Twilight smiled and said, "I understand dash. You don't have to explain anymore."
Dash grew a subtle but pleased grin on her face as slowly came to terms with the conversation.
"Thanks twilight."
Thinking for a moment about what Rainbow dash had told her, she came to a sad realization about the situation at hand. If the doctors couldn't find a cure for Scootaloo's wings, the chances of there being one in a book were next to impossible. Surely the doctors tried magic, but if that didn't work either, then there was nothing she could do.
"Dash...I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't think there's anything I can do. I'm really sorry. I think it's for the best that you just try to do the best you can with what she's got. I know that-"
"NO!" dash yelled, "I won't give up on her. She deserves better that this! Please twilight, you the smarted pony I know. There's got to be something you can think of!"
Twilight startled by the sudden reaction by dash backed up a small bit as an act of precaution. Seeing tears start to fill up her eyes again, she moved back to her original spot and thought for a moment.
"Well..."
"Please twilight...isn't there anything we can do?"
"I'm sorry dash, there's nothing we can try that the doctors haven't already thought to doing."
Dash looked at the ground, but couldn't see it as the tears blocked her view.
"I see..." she said with her head swung low as she started to make her way to the door. Twilight brought her hoof to dash's side to stop her. She looked back at her friend with a look that said 'all hope is lost', when suddenly twilight had a great idea.
"We may not be able to do anything, but I think I know someone who can.
Chapter 2
As the sun rose into the morning sky, Scootaloo opened her eyes to find Rainbow dash lying by her side. Delighted to see her mother smiling in her direction, she said
"Good morning mommy"
Dash looked back into her daughters eyes and said, "Good morning sweetie"
Scootaloo got up to stretch her wings, but found she could not move them. With sad expression on her face, she remembered her ailment.
"Oh yeah" she said with a sigh of depression. Rainbow dash gave a sad but happy smile.
"It's okay Scooty." she said, "your guna be good as new."
Confused, Scootaloo looked back at her mother and replied,
"But, the doctors said I would never fly again. How will I ever be as good as before?"
Dash just smiled and said, "Cuz we're going on an adventure"
"An adventure?" Scootaloo inquired. "Where are we going?"
"To see someone very special."