Chapter 1
The sunset signals the end of the day. The time for creatures of all shapes and sizes to rest. But the Nighttime is more active then it may seem at first. For it is alive. It is alive with dreams and the secret wishes they hold. But some do not sleep the night away, even if that is what they should be doing. The stars and moon are sometimes the only witnesses to the things that go on in the night. Tonight is no exception.
The mare stood there, facing the edge of the cliff. Her heart clenched. She slowly walked backward, away from the edge. This, she thought, could end one of two things tonight. It could end everything, for her at least. Or it could end all the pain in her heart, all the longing. She inhaled slowly. She reared back and started to gallop towards the cliff edge. As she did time seemed to slow down. All the names, the ridicule, the hurtful comments, ran through her mind.
"Idiot."
"Why would you give magic up?"
"Wow, you must be retarded to want that."
"Why?"
"You are extremely gifted. And you want to give that up for a plain pair of wings? That would be a shame."
But they were not just a pair of wings. To her they were everything. Yes, she was gifted. It was rare to find a unicorn whose talent was just magic in general. But she was also cursed in her own eyes. For all the reading she had done, she could not find a spell that would grant her her heart's desire. To the first of Luna's subjects I see tonight, the stars that shine so very bright, grant me the wish I wish tonight. She closed her eyes tightly as she jumped. The mare felt a sense of falling. This, is the end. She thought, bracing herself for the impact of the cold unforgiving ground. The ground that had tethered her physically, but been unable to tether her heart.
She dared to open her eyes. To her amazement she wasn't falling. The cool night air wrapped around her like a long lost friend. Nervously she turned her head to look at her back. Tears formed in her eyes when she saw them. Two beautiful rosy pink wings that faded into a rosy red at the end of each feather. Quickly she raised her hoof up to her forehead. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Her smile grew even wider, for she knew this was not an illusion cast by a local bully. If it had been her hoof would have hit her horn. But that accursed appendage was now none-existent.
Most would love the chance to use magic. In truth it did make some things easier, she would give it that. But in her heart she knew magic was not part of her. Physically yes, but emotionally and spiritually it was not. She through the thoughts away. This was her chance. Finally after years and years of wishing, hoping, and praying, she was finally flying.
She now began to sculpt the air with her wings. The wind flowed freely underneath and over her feathers. The brand new secondaries and primaries and downy fluff molded the air currents beautifully. Her wings were strong and perfect. It was as if she had had them all her life. And in truth, she had. Not literally though. Many summers and days off she had dreamed of this very moment. The joys of flight, the joys of not being trapped by the ground. She had half a mind to go and fly over her town and yell at the top of her lungs that she could fly, just like she had always wanted. But then again that was only half her mind. There would be time for that later. To prove all those other ponies wrong. Instead she carved a beautiful banking turn and veered far away from the town.
Her eyes shut in pure bliss as the air obeyed her. This sensation felt so right, so good. If this was the only thing she could ever have in her life then she would be perfectly happy with it. Being able to fly was freedom. Being able to fly was joy. No longer would she, a Pegasus, suffer in the body of a unicorn. Now that she could fly everything was right in the world.
The rose mare began to effortlessly climb the air. She twirled around in flight, still going upward. Yes. I am the air and the air is me. Skimming across the silk of the night was utter and complete bliss to her, nothing could ever amount to how wonderful she felt at this moment. Oh how she wished a nighttime storm had been scheduled. Soaring on all the different winds and air currents would have been great fun. Probably more fun then learning the names of them. She, in particular, wanted to experience flying what was called a baggy-wrinkles. They were said to be great fun to ride, if one was brave enough to fly in a gale that was. The mare slowed and tilted her wings just so as she reached her desired height in the sky.
Then she stopped and hovered there in the moon lit sky. She twirled once more as she hovered in the crisp night time air. She silently thanked the soft, icy stars that glittered around her. The mare tilted her head downward. The ground below looked so small so faraway. Thank you Luna, thank you for this gift. she thought. Then she began her descent. Stretching out her front hooves and flattening her wings to her side. She relished in how perfectly they responded to her every whim. She began to spiral in flight. The pressure began to build up around her. The mare closed her eyes happily as she thought of that one cyan Pegasus, the one known as Rainbow Dash. She had been the only pony in Equestria to ever preform a sonic rain-boom, and more then once!
This was what she was meant to do, she knew it. She pulled up sharply. A loud boom followed suite. She had done it! She had preformed a sonic boom, and only on her first flight! She flipped her head around and grinned at the circular pink and red light. Her smile quickly faded as she realized that she was heading on a collision course for the ground. She began to pull back her wings, but could not. She hit the ground hard.
Her emerald green eyes flew open. Breathing heavily the mare looked around frantically. She was laying on the cold unforgiving ground, completely unharmed. Slowly and shakily, she reached up to her forehead. Her hoof hit it. That terrible horn. Then she craned her head back. Her sides were bare. Yes, she still had the three little green stars that were her cutie mark, but her wings were gone. Tears filled her eyes. She looked up to the now lightening sky. It had only been a dream. A wonderful, blissful, magnificent dream. And now it was over.
Dreams only last a night. And that meant wishes did to. Dear Luna had granted her wish for flight, only for a night. She wiped her eyes. Wasn't it better this way? Wasn't it better to have at least had her dream, her desire, for only a moment? Only one night, to at least have felt that sensation? Yes, it had been true, she had been flying. But not in her own waking world. Maybe, just maybe she would be able to revisit that wonderful world every night. No, that she new was only wishful thinking.
The mare sighed. "At least I got one chance to live my hearts true desire." she murmured softly to herself.
Wishes and Dreams, she realized, were one in the same thing.