With the First Light of Day

by Crystal Secret

With the First Light of Day

As the little filly slowly opened her eyes, an arctic blast of wind blew in from the south, chilling the little filly’s thin coat. Her legs quivered under the weight of her body as she steadily rose to her hooves. Darkness covered the streets of Cloudsdale like a blanket, but the warm red glow in the east heralded the arrival of a new dawn. She had little time to spare.

Upon standing she paused, realizing that her small section of cloud had drifted. As she edged nearer to the gap, she gazed down into the cloudless sky that stretched beneath her. Stumbling back she saw a small landing. It belonged to the mare that had rescued her from the bullies at flight camp.

“Leave her alone!”

She began to calm at that thought until she realized it was nearly four feet away. Her focus quickly returned to the daunting task of reaching the landing. Her eyes darted between the platform and the chasm that stood between her and it. Was it even in the realms of possible for somepony of her stature and wind power to make it?

There is only one way to find out.

She had to jump. She had to make that leap of faith if she wanted any chance of watching the rise of Celestia’s sun. But if she fell, her final cries would go unheeded by the hundreds of pegasi still slumbering in their beds.

The filly leaned in and reared her wings into position for departure. Then, with every fiber of her being, she flapped her wings. She flapped them like this would be last time she ever did, she beat with all of the might in her scrawny figure. She could feel her hooves rise up off the cloud as hope rose inside her.

In this moment, in this insignificant moment of one pegasi’s life, she would find out if she could. If she could get her hooves off the ground and her trembling wings up and over to the other side; for what lied beyond was a mystery and as she drifted away, she felt as though the whole world was slipping away. And as slight as the chance may be, she would find out if she could make it.

She closed her eyes and launched herself off the cloud and into the unknown. The air around her was cool and still but this moment could be her very last. She breathed in the crisp morning air as she frantically flapped her wings. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and for a moment she felt the entire world get much bigger, victory was sizably closer.

Yet all of these feelings were all just momentary, it was like somepony had pulled back the curtain only to reveal that the magician had been there all along. Because life was not all what it seemed and it wasn't until you opened your eyes and looked around that you truly saw what had been concealed the whole time.

It was the disappointing truth that, despite how much you believe in yourself to make it, you never will because for some bizarre reason life doesn't want you to succeed right off the bat. But rather learn the hard way through hardship and struggle, which is exactly what she had coming to her all along.

Perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, life won’t prevent you from succeeding, but it will make it more difficult. So as she could feel the soft, fluffy texture of the cloud brush against her hooves, she knew that she had made it. Yet life was right there, just to give her a kick in the stomach.

The little filly tried with all her prowess to follow through with a smooth, graceful landing but was sorely disappointed. She could feel her strength waning as her muscles began to fail her. Gasping for air she knew she could not continue for much longer. Suddenly the flight muscle in her right wing froze into a painful cramp. Realizing she was doomed she screamed in panic as she began to fall, crashing right into...Rainbow Dash?

As their body’s collided, she let out a loud squeal, alerting the sleeping filly who was about to be rudely interrupted. Shock coursed through her veins as she took a moment to fully realize the situation. She was now lying face down on top of the filly, which looked up at her with eyes filled with surprise.

For the filly that had just woken up, she was not at all sure how to appropriately react. It wasn't a big deal or anything, this sort of predicament happened to her all the time. She was now staring up at the bashful face of –

“Fluttershy?” she asked questioningly.

Having her name been called, Fluttershy quickly got off her friend. Her cheeks were crimson red as she forced a smile. But Rainbow Dash simply stared at her, eyes wide with surprise.

“Um, I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash! I um, I didn’t mean to crash into you.” She said quietly, slowly cowering away from the filly.

Dashie rose to her hooves. Here was a scared little filly that, for reasons unknown was awake before dawn and was now apologizing for crashing into her. Could the situation get any more peculiar?

After a long, awkward pause she finally spoke up. "Its okay Fluttershy.' a sincere smile spread across her face as she extended a hoof to the cowering filly.’ But why are you up so early? The sun hasn't even come up yet."

The fear slowly vanished from the filly's eyes as she mustered a reply.

"I...I just wanted to see the um...the sunrise." she murmured quietly.

"You what? Speak louder." Dash said rolling her eyes at the ridiculously timid filly.

"I just want to see the sunrise..." she whispered, still mumbling to her hooves.

Rainbow Dash just stared at the filly momentarily before letting out a chuckle.

“Was that all?” she asked jokingly. “Gosh Fluttershy, I thought you wanted to see a cloud made of cotton candy or something like that. Gees, if that’s all you really wanted all you had to do is ask.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! But this isn’t exactly the best spot for it though. I mean, there are an awful lot of large cumulonimbus clouds blocking out the view, but I know a great place not far from here where you can get an awesome view of it! Come on, follow me!” she exclaimed as she started flapping her wings, preparing for departure. It wasn't long before she was several feet high in the air and Fluttershy looked up and wondered how in Equestria she ever did get up there so fast.

A small part of her knew that she would never know what it felt like to be so high up and yet feel so safe. However, another part of her beckoned at her to get her hooves off the ground and it wasn't long before Rainbow Dash turned around to realize that her friend was still standing there.

There she was, staring back up at her with wide eyes and a little heart that seemed to pound right out of her chest. She had seen this before; she had felt this before, to be terrified of the unknown. To be scared to even get a hoof off the ground.

“Come on Fluttershy, let’s go!” she exclaimed, but the filly didn't budge.

“I-I...can’t.” she murmured quietly, her wide eyes downcast as she rolled a hoof around.

Cold gushes of wind wafted over her and down her spine, sending an icy chill throughout her body as Rainbow Dash came towards her, landing gracefully before her with eyes filled with sincere worry.

“Well, why not? I mean, how did you manage to land on top of me?”

“I-I...I flew.” She replied softly, a cold breath of fog escaping her mouth as she spoke.

“Exactly. And if you've done it once you can do it again right?”

Fluttershy just stared into Dashie’s eyes in the hope that she would fully realize her pain. But she instead said nothing, leaving her with only one thing to say in return.

“I-I...can’t.” she whispered softly.

It was then Dash’s turn to let out a sigh. “Listen to me Fluttershy; you’re a really nice pony. I mean, anypony can say that. Anypony can see that. But you just don’t believe in yourself.” She paused for a moment to let the words hang in the air.

Truer words had never been spoken. She didn’t believe in herself and to be honest, wasn’t sure if she ever would. The tormented agony of her past was now floating in a dark cloud between them and she tried to remind herself that after the rain, always comes a rainbow.

But her rainbow had never come, it had never been there to bring her the hope that someday, things would get better. Well, not until now. For at long last, her rainbow had indeed arrived. Brining her foundations on which she could build a better life, a better world and a better her. All she had to do was get her hooves off the ground.

The little filly’s eyes were downcast and her mane was now hanging over her face, covering the entirety of her right eye. She extended a hoof out and brought the pony’s face up to hers, pain struck her eyes ever so boldly as she saw all the wretched flames of the filly’s dark past.

“You got to believe in yourself Fluttershy, or else you’ll never how good you could have been if you at least tried. You ready?”

Fluttershy simply nodded in response as Rainbow Dash steadily hovered a few feet above the ground. With all of the might in her weak little wings, she started beating her wings slowly, building up some momentum. Before long, she was hovering above the ground and was making a slow ascension to where her friend was waiting.

“Come on Fluttershy! You can do it!” the pegasus cheered.

With those words of encouragement Fluttershy managed to reach where Dash was already waiting, and for the first time that morning, a smile lit up her face as they hovered together.

“I knew you could do it! Now, let’s go see the sunrise.”

They shot up straight into the heavenly layer of clouds that made the over reaches of Cloudsdale, as they flew through each delicate layer; they were smothered with the wet, smooth puffiness of its internal sector.

Fluttershy did her best to keep up with Dash, but did so to no prevail. The rainbow colored pegasus was simply too fast. She could smell the morning dew and the fresh dampness of the scarce rain clouds that were scattered about the outer layer. They had not forecasted for rain that day, but were prepared for any unlikely occurrences that came with the unseasoned weather that were having lately.

They were gradually getting higher as they glided above the colossal floating city of clouds. A light breeze was blowing and wafted over them with its cool, treacherous arms. They twirled in and around the many layers of canopy as dawn started breaking in through the clouds. The air became rather thin and Fluttershy was beginning to worry that they wouldn't make it there in time.

“Um, Rainbow Dash, where are we going?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” She called out before taking a narrow dive as Fluttershy quickly tailed her as they descended through a row of puffy alto cumulus clouds. She giggled at the joy and feeling of flight as she embraced each cloud like it was a warm cloud as she flew through them. They took a sharp turn around a large cascade of alto-stratus before flying upwards into the highest of cumulonimbus clouds.

With a bird’s eye view of the cloudosseum, it looked like someone had draw the number zero and painted it white or like a large piece of fluff stuck to some pony’s painting. They took a dive as they flew towards it, why Rainbow Dash had led her all the way over here was beyond her, the cloudosseum wasn’t even open yet and there weren’t any flags flapping in the wind. As they got closer, she noticed a thick layer of clouds along the brim of the open roof.

They flew in and touched down on the clouds as she crashed landed into their fluffy texture. It was a relief to finally be on solid cloud once more. Her wings cramped in pain as she frustratingly tried to flex them out, only for them to return to her sides.

“You okay?” asked Rainbow Dash sincerely. “I guess you’ve never flown such a distance before. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”
It was then she realized that her former pegasi was trembling violently against the cold as a harsh wind rolled in from the south, causing the filly’s teeth to chatter as her legs shivered.

“Come here.” She beckoned the filly, extending a hoof out to her.

The pair of pegasi snuggled against one another into the clouds, Dash wrapped a wing around the small of the shivering filly’s back as they sat there, not wanting to break the silence as they waited for the sun to rise.

The first rays of sunlight started creeping up from the rolling hills in the distance. A spectacular array of soft creamy yellows, pinks and creams highlighted the marvel of a city. What they had come such a long way for was now making its glorious entrance as it gradually rose into the sky.

It had been a long time since Fluttershy had witnessed such a beautiful display of the princess’s sunrise. A whole year in fact, making this an occasion to remember, of course this would not be the last time she would ever get to watch such an underappreciated event but for a filly who had grown up without much guidance from her father, this was something special.

“Wow.” She breathed quietly as her eyes lit up and a smile danced around her face. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled her up inside as the breeze died down and the sun warmed her aching body. It wasn't long before the silence was broken however, but nothing could ruin such a perfect moment.

“So, why did you want to see the sunrise in the first place?” asked Dash curiously.

“Well...uh...I haven’t seen it in a really long time. Not since my mother died. My father used to take me to see all the time but it hasn't had the time now that he’s working longer shifts at the weather factory. It’s been a year since he’s taken me and I miss him terribly.” She explained quietly, a look of sorrow smeared the once cheerful pegasus’s face.

“Fluttershy, I had no idea. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Upon hearing her name she turned to look at the sincere face of her apologetic friend, there was a certain warm and kindness in Dash’s smile. The kind of smile that hides away behind a pony’s eyes and only comes out on the rarest of occasions, yet her eyes were so filled with pain. And yet day in, day out, she carries on with her life. Knowing that there was simply not room in her life to be sad all the time that sometimes, bad things happen to good ponies, but no matter what happens; life doesn't stop of anypony.

“It’s ok.” She said after what felt like an eternity. Her attention returned to the spectacle before them.

Cloudsdale gleamed and glowed as it lit up with the dawn of a new day. The sun was still making its ascent as it climbed up the morning sky slowly, shifting the shadows slightly as it do so, creating a variation of warm pastels from the creamiest whites to the most luscious mauves.

As Fluttershy sat there with wide eyes and a brilliant, sincere smile, it was though for as long as she was up here, nothing could get to her and nopony could harm her. But deep down, she knew that at some point she would have to return to the inescapable troubles of life.

For now, she would sit up here next to one of the first ponies she could call a friend and enjoy the sunrise whilst contemplating on whether a not the sunrise was even considered an important event.

It is. Why else would ponies wake up as it occurs? She thought quietly to herself, closing her eyes and listening to the imminent sounds of the residents of Cloudsdale as they wake up and start their days. For the first time in her life, Fluttershy knew what it felt like to witness what most pegasi would call ‘an ordinary and daily event that occurred each day without fail.'

She got to experience the sunrise and with it;

The first light of day.