A small foal is found in Cloudsdale, but Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles know nothing of the humanity within.
Everything dies. Sometimes, a life is left unfulfilled and with many regrets. The problem is, there are no do-overs. No second chances.
Not usually, anyway.
Sometimes, cosmic beings of unknown power just like to provide people with those second chances one such person thought impossible. Why? Who knows? All she does know is that she's now a small blue pony with wings.
A very young blue filly at that, and one who has to deal with the scars of her secret old life while living under the shadow of an older sister who doesn't know what to make of her.
It was all around her, and she felt nothing but the confusion brought on by the endless void. It took her a few moments to compose her mind, to analyse the situation. She slowly recalled what she had been doing just moments earlier, before the void had claimed her.
She’d been laid down on the sofa, weak and thirsty, some animated show about the Justice League on the cheap little television in the family living room. Oh, how she had wished she lived in a world of super-powered beings, ripe with adventure and even magic if you happened to be Shazam. How she fantasised about it, anything was better than the reality after all.
There she had laid, head burning and vision blurring. Her mother had been in the room, and the girl had asked for some water. Her mother told her to be quiet and watch the television, not wanting to have her phone call interrupted.
She had told her mother that she was feeling worse than ever, and she told her it was nothing and she would be better soon. It wasn’t worth the medical expenses.
She wanted to believe her mother, she really did. But there was that look in her eyes, that uncaring and even bored expression that glanced the girl’s way.
Her father wasn’t much help either, he was at work. But sometimes, or a lot of the time, he would come home wobbly and with a foul stench on his breath. Her mother and father would then shout and scream while the girl could only watch. This was how it had been for all thirteen years of her life. Thirteen years in that small little house, barely leaving it, not even for things like school. So it had always been, and now she was sick and nobody even seemed to care.
So she had turned back to watch the cartoon, seeing Superman pummel the bad guy into some building or another. And then she was in the void.
It had been so sudden, so confusing. And there she was, without knowing how she got there or why. She tried to move her arms and legs, finding nothing. No hands, no feet, or a body part of any kind. It was surreal, like having an almost lucid dream but without the fine control over the dream. She wanted to think she had in fact fallen asleep, but something within her told the girl otherwise.
The void stretched onwards still, dark and confusing. Endless, overwhelming in scope and density.
And then it stopped.
The void gave way, and a vast plain of twinkling stars amidst a bright blue coloured expanse. She also had a body again, and she sat on an invisible floor breathing softly as her mind compensated for the sudden change of scenery. She brought her hands to her face, wiggling her fingers to ensure they were real. She couldn’t help but notice an almost transparent effect to her body, and if she peered enough she could just see through her hand and into the expanse beyond. Slowly, she got to her feet and looked around, trying to keep her trembling under control.
“H-hello?” she called out, receiving no response.
After a few more moments of waiting, the girl began to walk on forwards. For minutes she walked, not knowing where she was going or if there was any destination at all. She just walked and walked, until she was stopped by the sudden materialisation of a giant flat square of bright white light. She had to shield her eyes against the sudden onslaught of light, until it faded away to show a scene in a very familiar living room.
As she lowered her protective hand and examined the scene, she realised she could still see her mother talking on the phone in what appeared to be an intense debate. The cartoon was still playing on the TV, though now seemed to be reaching its conclusion. And there, on the sofa, the girl herself was laying quietly.
And she didn’t appear to be breathing.
“Wha…?” the girl muttered out, taking a step back as she seemed to be looking at her own lifeless corpse laying on the sofa yet unnoticed.
“Such a horrible sight, and yet the parent notices not,” a new voice stated from behind the girl. “I pity you, little girl.”
The girl shot around and suppressed a squeak of terror at what awaited her. A large black coloured horse, or perhaps a pony, stood here. Her mane was a transparent black and silver, flowing gently in a non-existent breeze. Her eyes were an almost lifeless grey, a vicious black horn sitting just above them with equally black feathered wings resting on the side of the pony’s torso. Her tail was equally as ethereal as her mane, and on her flank sat a mark depicting two crossed scythes in the foreground with two silvery wings in the background.
The girl shook in terror. “P-please, don’t eat me!”
The pony blinked. “Eat you? Little girl, the first thing you should know about ponies is that we are herbivorous. Mostly. We don’t tend to eat meat.”
“So… you’re not going to eat me?”
The pony shook her head. “No. There isn’t much to eat anyway, you are just a spirit from a deceased vessel.”
“You mean I’m dead?”
“Yes. My condolences.”
“D-does that mean you’re the grim reaper?”
“Ah… I can see why you might think that. But alas, unlike you at this moment, I am very much a living thing. And I am the only reason you have not ‘moved on’ as they might say.”
“Moved on? To… what?”
“I don’t know,” the pony answered honestly. “I cannot go that far, but I can grab departing souls such as yours before they get there. Though taking your from another universe was a challenge.”
Now the girl was even more confused, her mind swimming in circles. “What are you?”
“Little girl, I am what is known as an alicorn. You may call me Penumbra.”
“P-Penumbra?”
“Yes, that is my name. I have been watching you from afar, I stumbled upon you quite by chance. I have seen many things, but I must admit your plight may have touched me. Such uncaring parents, such an unfulfilling life without learning and knowledge.”
“You… have?” the girl enquired. “Are there others too?”
“I was the only one watching as far as I know. And there are very few alicorns in my world, but even if the likes of Celestia and Luna are unaware of the fact that there are other far older alicorns such as myself still scattered around our little planet.”
“Celestia and Luna?”
Penumbra sighed. “I do believe I am getting ahead of myself, my apologies. My point is, I have decided to allow you a second chance at life.”
“A second chance? I don’t understand…”
“You get to live life anew. I cannot say how it will turn out, but you will at least have a chance to be happy.”
“I can be… happy? What are you going to do to me?”
“You shall see. But worry not, I shall allow your memories of your past to remain, and it is up to you what you will do with that knowledge. Tell others… or don’t. It is your life to live,” Penumbra said, but then leaned down towards the girl with an air of warning about her. “But be warned, this is the one time I act without a penance upon yourself. Should we meet again, it won’t be without cost.”
“I still don’t understand, I’m scared…”
“It is understandable, child. I expect that you will understand one day. But, for now, I cannot expect anything more from a newborn filly.”
Penumbra’s horn flashed, and everything went dark again.
???
The girl yawned. She still felt quite drowsy as she awoke from what felt like a nice little nap, the world slowly blurring into view. The girl laid quietly as she took in the bright blue day’s sky above her, taking in slow calm breaths. She must have been dreaming after all, but she couldn’t remember for the life of her how she got outside.
Glancing to her sides revealed what appeared to be walls made of… cardboard? With returning confusion she realised she was in what appeared to be a gigantic cardboard box tucked in a blue blanket.
Or perhaps she was simply smaller than she had been?
She began to feel panic, her young mind being overwhelmed as new sensations began to make themselves known. Two new little limbs fluttered nervously on her back, and the child realised she could not wiggle her fingers or toes.
She brought what should have been an arm, but what in fact seemed to be a foreleg, to her face. She saw a little hoof covered in blue fur staring back at her, a strand of light brown hair falling in front of her eyes.
Panic overtook her completely as she realised the new limbs on her back were tiny wings, and that she was definitely no longer human. One of her ears twitched as she breathed in heavily, making baby-like squeaks as tears began to breach her eyes.
Two pegasi were walking along happily together, the male having his wing draped along the female’s back. Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles were happy as can be, just enjoying one another’s company as they walked away from the restaurant where they had only recently been eating a meal together. Anypony could tell the two were happily married, a marriage that had lasted ever since they were both in their early twenties with their daughter being conceived on the wedding night.
Rainbow Dash, who twenty years later was still the pride of her two doting parents. Their daughter was practically a national icon, having become the bearer of the Element of Loyalty four years earlier and was now both a member of the Wonderbolts and sat within the inner circle of one of the four ruling princesses of Equestria.
Of course, they didn’t actually know about the Wonderbolt part until a few weeks prior when a little filly named Scootaloo revealed that fact after literally crashing through their lawn.
After the family drama that has arisen from that little incident, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had returned to Ponyville while the two proudest parents in Equestria were able to enjoy a little peace and quiet together.
“So, what do you want to do when we get home?” Windy Whistles asked her husband, a suggestive look on her face.
A look he missed completely. “Huh, now that you mention it I was thinking of renovating the trophy room. What do you think about adding confetti to the door?”
Windy rolled her eyes. “I’m not cleaning that up every time you go in there. Which is every single day.”
“Well, if you have any suggestions I’m all ears?”
“Maybe we should ask Scootaloo, she seems to have a few bright ideas when it comes to our little Dashie,” she suggested. “She did like the room after all.”
“We can send her a letter,” Bow agreed. “Or maybe a visit is in order, we can drop in on Rainbow while we’re there. We haven’t interacted much with those friends of hers, we only saw them in passing at the Princess’ Hearthswarming party.”
Windy Whistles’ face lit up. “Oh, what a great idea! It was such an experience being in that castle, and maybe we can see Dashie’s throne even!”
Bow blinked. “Dash has a throne?”
“That’s what I heard, apparently all the Element Bearers do.”
“OK, we have to get a picture of it to add to the collection!” Bow stated enthusiastically. “Preferably with Rainbow Dash sitting in it. You know, it adds to the-”
Windy Whistles stuffed a hoof into her husband’s mouth without warning, a confused expression crossed his features that only increased when he saw his wife’s ears standing on end.
“Do you hear that?”
Bow’s response was muffled.
“Oh, sorry!” Windy apologised, removing the hoof.
“Thank you,” Bow Hothoof deadpanned. “And no, what is it?”
“Listen Bow, doesn’t that sound like crying to you?”
Bow strained his ears, and he finally heard the very faint sound of what seemed to be a baby’s cries. “Yeah… I do. Where is that coming from?”
“Down there I think,” Windy stated, gesturing towards an alleyway a little ways up the street. “Let’s go!”
Windy led the way, with her husband hurriedly following behind her. When they reached the alleyway the solid architecture of the street gave way to simple cloud that was only traversable due to the two pegasi’s innate magic abilities, abilities which unicorns and earth ponies lacked without the proper enchantments. The alleyway led on straight ahead for a ways before suddenly having a left turn. When the couple reached said turn, they were then faced with another straight stretch that led to an eventual right turn that likely led back out into an opposing street. They didn’t need to go that far however, the distressed cries were extremely audible now and the source of those cries was within sight.
“Is that… a cardboard box?” Bow Hothoof asked. “A normal cardboard box… on cloud?”
“It must be enchanted,” Windy Whistles noted. “A unicorn must have left it or something.”
The two gingerly approached the box one cautious step at a time. When they reached it they found it was already open to the sky, and the contents were exactly what they expected them to be due to the constant crying.
A little blue pegasus filly tucked in a blue blanket of a similar shade to her coat. She had a very light brown mane and tail and dark blue eyes that bounced around erratically, as if trying to make sense of what they were seeing. Her entire form shivered in fear that was only added to the constant terrified wailing filling the air, her tiny little wings twitching every few moments.
“What in Celestia’s…?” Windy Whistles mumbled to herself in shocked and appalled disbelief. “Who would leave such a defenceless little filly here like this?”
“Is she alright?” Bow asked, concern dominating his voice.
Gently and with great care, Windy Whistles picked the filly up and let her rest in her right foreleg. The filly seemed to notice the two ponies for the first time, her cries dying away with a final hiccup. Her red puffed up eyes met Windy’s, the filly continuing to tremble in fear.
“Hey there little one,” Windy cooed. “There’s no need to be scared, you’re safe. We’re going to get you help, OK?”
The filly hiccupped again, then proceeding to bury her head in Windy’s chest while emitting a few shy whimpers.
“She’s terrified…” Windy noted. “She must not have the faintest idea where she is, the poor little thing.”
“We’ve got to take her to the authorities, honey,” Bow stated. “They should be able to find out who she is.”
“And what? Let the parents who abandoned her do it again?”
“I don’t think they would get custody, you know that,” Bow pointed out. “But we can find out who she is, and make sure she is placed somewhere safe.”
“Somewhere safe?” Windy mumbled, looking down on the little timid filly with mothering eyes. “Alright… But in the meantime I’m not calling her ‘the baby’ or something. Even if it’s temporary, we need a name.”
“Well… how about Little Wing?” Bow suggested. “Just until we find out her real one.”
Windy chuckled lightly, still holding onto the filly protectively. “Alright. Let’s get her out of this place.”
Later that day
After the two strange pony things had found her, the former human turned filly had fallen asleep. Before that however, she had heard them give her the name ‘Little Wing’. It’s not like she had any great attachment to her old name, but it was still weird. Weirder still, she could understand them. She hadn’t really thought about it during her encounter with Penumbra, only then considering it as sleep enclosed around her. She guessed that Penumbra might have something to do with it, but did not have long to contemplate it amidst incoming sleep and an already taxed mental state.
When she had next awoken, she appeared to be in a rather official looking building with yet more ponies surrounding her along with the first two. As her eyes slowly opened, she noted she was on a small bed that seemed to have been wheeled in while what appeared to be a doctor of sorts looked her over. Over by the two who found her, two other pegasi in armour were questioning them about how they found Little Wing.
“So, she was just in a box down some alleyway?” one of the guards asked. “Mrs Windy Whistles and Mr Bow Hothoof, are you sure you didn’t see anypony else?”
“Nopony,” Windy Whistles stated. “She was alone.”
“Excuse me,” the doctor spoke out towards the others. “She has woken up.”
Windy gasped, and rushed towards the bed with the other walking more calmly behind her. Little Wing looked up towards the blue mare, seeing nothing but care in her eyes. It was a look she was not used to receiving.
“Are you OK, sweetie?” Windy asked, obviously not receiving a reply. “The doc says you’re alright, so we’re just going to find out who you are now.”
“About that,” one of the guards spoke up, having just been spoken to by a third arriving guard. “According to the doc here the filly is about a week old, and we’ve just been going over all births in Cloudsdale over the past week.”
“And?” Bow Hothoof enquired.
“Nothing. No foal born in the past week match this filly’s exact description.”
“She could have been brought in from outside Cloudsdale,” the pony doctor suggested. “They did say they found her in an enchanted cardboard box.”
“We’d have to do some extra digging,” the guard stated. “But it’s also possible the filly was born outside the hospital and hasn’t got any official birth certificate or any other documentation.”
“So, what happens to her?”
“In all likelihood, she may very well be sent to an orphanage,” the guard admitted.
On hearing that word, Little Wing’s heart sank and she curled up slightly while emitting another whimper. She didn’t want to start her second life without any parents, she wanted a home and a mother and father who loved her. She didn’t want to be alone again.
Windy’s eyes widened. “Orphanage!? Bow, we can’t let this poor little foal be thrown in there! It’s not right!”
Bow sighed. “I know honey, but what can we do?”
“I… I…” Windy drooped, glancing back towards Little Wing. The filly met her gaze, which was almost pleading to the mare for help. She saw terror mixed in with a distant longing, and perhaps just a little bit of hope. The mare felt a lump form in her throat; she just couldn’t do it, she just couldn’t leave this filly’s fate in the hooves of anypony else.
“She’s completely healthy,” the doctor stated to the guards. “You can take her whenever.”
“No,” Windy Whistles commanded. “If her only other option is an orphanage, to be alone, then we will make sure that does not happen. We’ll look after her.”
“Honey?” Bow Hothoof called out in surprise. “Y-you really want that?”
Little Wing suddenly found herself being brought up into Windy Whistle’s grasp one more, the mare walking right up to her husband and presenting the filly to him.
“Look at her, Bow!” Windy stated desperately. “She’s so tiny and vulnerable, and yet so beautiful. We have to do this, and I’m more than capable of raising another child thank you very much!”
“I-I know but… you know, it’s just so sudden,” Bow stated. “But if it’s what you want, I’m in.”
One of the guards hummed. “You’re Rainbow Dash’s parents, right?”
Windy nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
The guard nodded. “Well then, I will need to clear it with the higher ups but I think it will be allowed. I think the fact your daughter’s so close to Princess Twilight Sparkle will add some weight to your request.”
Little Wing let out a small and unnoticed sigh of relief. She was still terrified beyond all belief, but it was a start.
Though, what was that about their daughter being close to a princess?
Bow and Windy’s Home
They had been stuck for a few more hours, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof having to sign one form after the next before they allowed Little Wing into their custody. However, the guard had been correct and it all turned out fine in the end. When they were finally able to leave, Windy Whistle gently deposited Little Wing onto her back where the filly found a surprisingly comfortable spot between her wings to curl up. The whole trip she laid staring into space, she had received more affection the past day that she had in thirteen years. She didn’t quite know what to make of it all.
The journey did give her ample time to finally process everything that was happening at long last. Her death and subsequent resurrection, and not only was she now a Pegasus but she was also an infant Pegasus. She was so small and helpless, she couldn’t even walk or talk. She had tried both.
She half expected to nod off again and wake up back where she started, only time would tell.
The sun was dipping below the horizon when Little Wing set eyes on her new home for the first time. It was larger than her old house, and far more beautiful.
“Here we are dear,” Windy said happily as she walked in through the front door, switching on the lights as she went.
Everything was so bright, so clean and tidy. Little Wing was beyond mesmerised by the sight. Windy brought her from the hallway and into the living room, several comfy looking seats were spread about and there was a fireplace with three decorative plates with sun motifs sitting on the mantle.
It was also then her stomach rumbled.
“Oh, you haven’t eaten yet have you?” Windy Whistles realised.
“You sure you’re up to that honey?” Bow Hothoof asked, entering the living room as well.
Little Wing was confused as to what he meant by that.
“It’s not like we have any bottles lying around the house. Besides, I know how to do it.”
“Well, alright,” Bow conceded. “I’m going to set up Dashie’s old cot, and get out the nappies we never used on Dash.”
Little Wing blinked. Nappies? She was an infant true, but she didn’t like the idea of wearing one of those.
She didn’t have time to dwell on that however, as she found out exactly how she was to be fed. She really should have seen that coming, especially since they had to stop off at the hospital on the way home so Windy could receive, as the filly had overheard, a spell to reactivate a specific hormone, though at the time Little Wing didn't really understand what was happening in the least. She was initially repulsed by the very idea of it, but however much she resisted a mix of hunger, Windy’s encouragement and emerging infant instincts soon put an end to any and all rebellion.
When all was said and done, it was as if all of what little energy she had left had completely dissipated. With a yawn and a fluff of her tiny little wings she found herself curling up under Windy Whistles’ protective wing, slowly dosing off back to sleep.
“It’s all set,” Bow stated as he returned with a nappy in hoof. “You all done here?”
“Yes,” Windy stated with a motherly smile. “She’s completely shattered. Let’s put her in the nappy and then right off to bed.”
“No arguments from me,” Bow replied as he lifted a stirring Little Wing away from his reluctant wife. “Now, let’s see if I remember how to do this…”
He did, as it turned out. And once the nappy was on he gently picked up the foal and, with his wife at his side, slowly made his way up the stairs towards Rainbow Dash’s old bedroom. There Dash’s foalhood crib had been set up, the mobile depicting the era’s Wonderbolt team flying around in circles.
Little Wing was still only half asleep when he placed her into the crib, both ponies kissing her on the forehead goodnight. They too seemed to be a little tired, the day’s events being so eventful and so sudden, they needed almost as much time to process it as Little Wing. Almost.
“So, we need to get Rainbow Dash up here ASAP, right?” Bow quietly asked his wife.
“We should invite Scootaloo as well, make it a surprise!” Windy eagerly responded, albeit also in a whisper.
“And what if they do find her parents?”
“They abandoned her, and I’m not letting this little one go without a fight,” Windy stated with a determined expression. “And I can’t wait for Dashie to meet her little sister. And I mean, just look at her…”
The mare looked down on her newly adopted daughter, her face one of absolute adoration. Gently, she took her husband’s hoof and led him out of the room. As sleep finally claimed Little Wing in full, she swore she heard one last declaration from Windy Whistles.
“So, what did your parents want to see us for anyway?” Scootaloo asked her idol, sitting on said idol’s back as she flew them both up to the floating city above.
“Heck if I know,” Rainbow Dash responded. “They didn’t really say in their letter. Only that it was urgent and that we should be there as soon as possible.”
“You don’t think there’s trouble, do you?”
“Nah, I doubt it,” Rainbow Dash responded. “Honestly, it seemed more… happy.”
“How could you tell?”
Rainbow chuckled. “Trust me, if you grow up around them, you can tell.”
“They literally said they were happy in the letter, didn’t they?”
“Yes. Yes they did.”
“What DID it say, exactly?”
“Something like, and I quote…” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat as she prepared the best impression of her overly excited mother she could. “To our Rainbow Dash, the best Wonderbolt ever! Something had just happened and your father and I are really happy and excited about it! Please, collect Scootaloo and come here right now! And I mean now, no delaying now!”
“Wow, talk about being vague,” Scootaloo deadpanned. “Wonder what’s got them so hyped up?”
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough,” Rainbow Dash muttered as they flew directly through the first cloud layer and into the city itself. “For better or worse.”
“Or worse?”
“Where my parents are involved, anything could happen,” Rainbow replied with a slight shudder.
“Eh, you worry too much,” Scootaloo dismissed.
“Yeah. You’re probably right,” Rainbow agreed, though notably half-heartedly. “Hold on tight, we’re almost there.”
Rainbow Dash sped up ever so slightly for the last leg of the flight, passing by several other pegasi going about their days amidst the city in the clouds. The cyan mare ducked and weaved through the larger building towards the centre of Cloudsdale and began moving out to the ‘quieter’ parts of the city. On the outskirts, away from the stadium and weather factories, there was much more open space filled in only by the odd house here or there. It was out here that both the parents of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lived respectively, and from their height it didn’t take long for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to spot the residence they had been searching for.
Rainbow Dash stopped in the air for but a moment to adjust her vector of approach, and then promptly dived down towards it with a barrel roll that had been performed purely for Scootaloo’s enjoyment. They slowed down to a crawl as they neared the cloud surface a short way from the house, before Rainbow folded up her wings and gently landed on all four hooves.
“We’re here, squirt!” Dash announced. “You getting off, or am I carrying you the whole way?”
“I can walk just fine, thanks,” Scootaloo shot back, hopping off of Rainbow Dash’s back. “We heading in?”
Rainbow Dash nodded in response, proceeding to lead the way with Scootaloo falling into step beside her. They walked up into the front garden of the house and towards the front door, Rainbow paused for a moment before giving the front door a loud knock. It took a few moments, but a small commotion began inside and the voices of Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof could both be heard. A few moments later, the door opened and the widely smiling face of Rainbow Dash’s mother appeared in its stead.
“Oh, my little Dashie!” Windy squeed as she gave her daughter a big motherly hug. “I’m so glad you could make it, and as fast as ever!”
“Yeah well, your letter sounded pretty urgent,” Rainbow said as she hugged her mother back, before breaking it off. “What’s got you so excited all of a sudden?”
Windy giggled. “Oh, you’ll see.”
The mare then laid eyes on the young filly beside Rainbow Dash, and her smile widened just that ever little bit wider.
“And Scootaloo!” Windy greeted cheerfully, patting the filly on the head. “I’m so glad you came along too, how have you been?”
“Just fine, Mrs Whistles,” Scootaloo replied.
“Oh, dear you needn’t call me that! It’s just Windy, please!”
“Oh, OK… Windy.”
“See? Isn’t that better? There’s no need for such formalities among us!” Windy Whistles stated. “Now, come in! We have much to talk about!”
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo glanced at each other, and then did as they were told. As they stepped into the hallway, Windy shut the door behind them and proceeded to stand expectantly by the entranceway into the living room.
“So… where’s Dad?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh, he’s in there,” Windy said as she motioned into the living room. “With the surprise!”
“Surprise?” Scootaloo enquired. “What surprise?”
“Pinkie Pie didn’t put you up to anything, did she?” Rainbow Dash asked with concern, looking over her shoulder expecting to see the bubbly pink mare pop out of the wall any moment.
Windy Whistles tilted her head. “Pinkie Pie? Isn’t that one of your friends?”
“I take that as a no then.”
“So, what is the surprise?” Scootaloo asked in anticipation.
“Why don’t you both go in and have a look?” Windy said knowingly.
Rainbow Dash then heard a noise come from the living room that made her stand bolt upright and her ears home in on the sound. She could have been mistaken, but she swore she just heard the sound of a baby coming from that room.
That Morning
Little Wing gave a tiny little yawn and consciousness returned to her. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open and took note of her surroundings. It was her third time waking up in that crib, and she still found the experience rather surreal.
She was still in the bedroom of their daughter… or, that ‘other daughter’ as it stood now. It was a sizable room with blue being very much the dominant colour scheme. From the decorations around the room, right down to the motivational poster of a tortoise, she had managed to piece together the personality of her supposed adoptive sister. She seemed… competitive, at least as a child anyway. And thus far she had only referred to their daughter in Little Wing’s presence as ‘Dashie’, though Little Wing guessed that was more an abbreviation of ‘Dash’; however, it had yet to be seen if that was her first or surname.
Little Wing sat up, examining the room a little more as she had been doing by routine those past few days. Those days had been spent exclusively within her new home, her ‘parents’ doting over the little filly and making sure to stock up on all the supplies needed to effectively raise a small child. It was still taking some getting used to, though emergent infant instincts certainly made the transition easier than she’d expected.
She still had yet to be given her own room, though from what she had overheard from Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof suggested their house included a guest room that they intended to convert into her new bedroom.
But that was all for another day, for now her stomach was rumbling and she wished to be freed from her crib.
“BWAH!” Little Wing babbled out, the most she could seem to manage despite attempts otherwise. “Bwah! Bwah!”
With her little wings fluttering, she got up into her still wobbly legs before then lifting her forelegs up so they were planted on the edges of the crib while she used her hind legs to steady herself on the small mattress.
“BWAH!” Little Wing shouted out again, though this time a small bang from the hallway beyond the door signified that she had got somepony’s attention.
The bedroom’s door opened up and Windy Whistles poked her head in, smiling on seeing Little Wing stood against the side of the crib.
“Ah! Good morning dear!” Windy greeted happily as she trotted into the room, seeing Little Wing hold out her fore hooves expectantly. “You want out of there, huh? Alright, come on then.”
Windy used her wings to scoop Little Wing up on out of the crib and onto the mare’s back. The filly made sure she was sat comfortably between the two wings and then made some pleased baby babbles to signify her readiness.
Windy smiled gleefully. “I’m glad you’re comfortable. Let’s go get you fed and changed, hm?”
From then it was the morning routine Little Wing had known since arriving at the home a few days previously. As Windy had stated, she was firstly fed and had her nappy changed. Bow Hothoof had taken a few days off from the weather factory where he worked due to Little Wing, and he spent half his time with his wife and new daughter and the other half planning out how to convert the guest room into Little Wing’s brand new abode.
The rest of the morning had been spent with Windy Whistles assisting Little Wing in walking, of which the filly was making small progress and was now able to walk a whole three or four steps before landing flat on her face. Though, Windy had always been prepared to catch Little Wing as she fell and offer comforts if she ever hurt herself, even if Little Wing herself never felt she needed it. Intermittently, they would take breaks from the walking lessons to play with some little toys that Little Wing’s adoptive parents had provided her. Some were brand new, and other had apparently belonged to ‘Dashie’.
She particularly enjoyed the Wonderbolt action figures that were pitted against a hydra doll. She had at first thought that Windy would find the epic battle as being inappropriate for the filly, but it quickly became obvious that their older daughter had done similar things with the toys when she had been Little Wing’s age.
Then, lunch finally came around and Bow Hothoof had brought a high chair into the living room. There they sat her down and provided her with a bottle of baby milk. Though Windy Whistles still fed her personally in the mornings and evenings, during lunch they provided her a bottle and would likely start phasing into that full time soon if Little Wing had to guess. How long exactly ‘soon’ was she didn’t know, but she didn’t particularly care either. She felt content, and for the first time in all her lives she felt welcome.
Then somepony knocked on the door.
Little Wing put her bottle down and her gaze followed Windy Whistles curiously as she hurriedly exited the room.
“Oh, I bet that’s her now!” Bow Hothoof stated, causing Little Wing to tilt her head and wonder who he was talking about.
Little Wing could hear the voice of her adoptive mother be joined by two new voices, both rather raspy but one definitely sounded younger than the other. They certainly knew each other, and Windy Whistles sounded even more gleeful that usual which was certainly a feat in itself.
“Bwah?” Little Wing called out questioningly, curious to see who their visitors were.
There was silence for a few moments, and then the elder raspy voiced person spoke up again.
“Uh, Mum? Was that a foal I just heard?”
“Oh! I guess, the game is up!” Windy stated as she cantered into the living room with two other ponies following shortly behind.
The ponies with her were both mares. One was definitely a child, the mark of a shield with a lightning bolt symbol on her flank, and orange coat and a dark purple mane and tail that matched her eyes. She seemed to be between eight and ten years old if Little Wing had to hazard a guess.
The other one, however, she could easily recognise from the pictures.
The other was a cyan mare with a rainbow coloured mane. Her mark was the symbol of a rainbow lightning bolt striking from a cloud.
“Rainbow Dash,” Windy Whistles spoke. “Meet your new sister, Little Wing.”
Rainbow Dash and Little Wing’s eyes met, and Rainbow’s expression was extremely perplexed by the mere existence of the little filly. Little Wing wilted a little under the intense study, letting out a small nervous squeak that made her parents’ smiles become a little bit more worried.
“Oh my gosh!” Scootaloo shouted out, not being nearly as out of it as Rainbow Dash. “She’s so tiny!”
Scootaloo rushed up to the high chair and propped herself against it to get a good look at the filly, the filly in question suddenly feeling rather overwhelmed by it all.
“I didn’t know you were pregnant! When was she born? Can she fly yet? Is she as awesome as any child of yours is bound to be!?”
“Bwah?” Little Wing muttered shyly, and ultimately unheard.
“I have a few questions of my own,” Rainbow Dash stated, albeit less enthusiastically than the orange filly. “For one, I know for a fact you were NOT pregnant!”
“Yes, that’s right,” Windy confirmed. “You see, she’s adopted. It happened only about three days ago.”
“We found her,” Bow explained. “Abandoned, alone and very scared. They wanted to throw her in some orphanage when we brought her in, so we decided to give the girl a proper home instead.”
“Aw, who could do something like that?” Scootaloo asked sadly. “I mean, look at her! She’s so tiny and cute!”
Little Wing wilted back that little bit more as Scootaloo forgot the concept of personal space, but luckily Bow Hothoof saw her discomfort and made his move.
“Scootaloo, could you give her a bit of space please? I think you’re overwhelming her.”
Scootaloo hopped back, a guilty look appearing on her face. “Oh, sorry…”
“It’s alright, dear,” Windy assured. “You’re just a new face, and all of this is already new to her as it is.”
“So, this is a permanent thing or something?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, you could have at least told me you were planning to adopt a foal!”
“Well, us finding and adopting her kind of all happened within a few hours…” Windy admitted.
“What?”
“Dashie?”
Rainbow didn’t know what to think. “So, what? You did it all on a whim? I know I’m not exactly renowned for thinking things through, but seriously?”
Rainbow’s parents glanced at each other. “Dash, it was the right thing to do,” Bow Hothoof maintained.
“I… Maybe, I don’t know. But still…” Rainbow Dash sighed, trying to gather her thoughts. “This… is kinda a big thing to drop on me like that. I-I think I need some time to process this.”
“I… alright,” Windy said, sounding decidedly less happy than she had moments earlier. “Take all the time you need.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Rainbow said, walking out of the room and then out of the house to get some air.
Silence returned, and the remaining ponies in the room shifted uncomfortably. Little Wing’s ears drooped, she hoped she hadn’t just become a wedge between family. She didn’t think she could handle something like that.
“Is she going to be alright?” Scootaloo asked with obvious worry, looking at where Rainbow Dash had just exited.
“Just give her some time, she’ll come around,” Bow Hothoof assured hopefully. “Maybe we should have broken the news a little slower…”
Windy Whistles then noticed how down her new daughter appeared to be, and thusly plastered a brand new smile on her face and planted herself next to Little Wing.
“Don’t worry, honey,” Windy cooed while planting a kiss on Little Wing’s head. “As your father said, she’ll come around. And she is going to adore you!”
It had been another week since Little Wing had been introduced to her elder sister, putting the filly at a little over two weeks of age as far as anypony knew. The rest of her previous meeting with Rainbow Dash had been… unproductive. That is to say, the two siblings had little to no contact at all. Scootaloo, however, had barely been able to tear herself away from the little foal. However enamoured she might have been, Little Wing found it an uncomfortable experience compounded by Rainbow Dash’s aloof attitude. It hadn’t exactly been the filly’s favourite day.
Since then, Bow Hothoof had finally finished work on her new room and moved the cot into there. The walls were painted the exact same colour as her coat, the cot sitting in one corner next to the doorway with various chests filled with toys scattered along the edges of the room. One firmly locked window sat on the wall opposite of the doorway, and various rainbows had also been lovingly painted along the walls amidst clouds of various shapes and sizes.
It was here where Little Wing had just awoken from a midday nap, looking around the room as she regained her awakening senses. The sun was shining through the window, bathing the room in its soft glow.
Little Wing placed her hooves firmly beneath her and lifted herself up, taking a few experimental steps before emitting a squeaky yawn. She was finally getting used to walking on all fours it seemed, a fact that had apparently warranted her parents to provide her with a ribbon that was now pinned to the side of the crib.
#1 Walker
It had been… odd. But she had been quite giddy at her parents fawning over her, having never experienced such a family dynamic before. Still, for all her new found walking skills, it helped very little when it came to escaping her current prison.
“Bwah!” Little Wing shouted out, as was customary when needing to leave the confines of her crib.
Little Wing listened out for a moment, expecting to hear voices or the sound of hooves on the floor getting closer to her room. Nothing, however, reached her ears.
Little Wing huffed, apparently not being heard. Her parents must have been in the kitchen, or Bow Hothoof might have been working in the garden.
“BWAH!” she shouted out again, making sure the volume of her voice had been heightened.
Still nothing.
Little Wing started to feel a little uneasy, she didn’t like the thought of being stuck behind those taunting wooden bars for hours on end with nothing to do. What if she starved to death and nopony was there to notice!?
Rather unlikely, but the thought had crossed the foal’s mind nevertheless.
Little Wing took in a deep breath, her cheeks puffing up from the effort as she held the breath in. Her wings splayed out, and as she unleashed the loudest shout she could possibly muster she gave those wings a forceful flap as if it would better project the soundwaves of her vocal cord.
“BWAH!”
And, just like that, she found herself spiralling out of the crib.
Little Wing stayed perfectly still with her eyes closed on coming to a halt, too terrified to open them. It was apparent she had landed on something soft, and when she did muster the courage to open her eyes again she found it was a large plushy of a white pony with a rainbow mane and both wings and a horn. As she sat up, she saw that several other scattered plushies, depicting three ponies respectively coloured blue, pink and purple had also helped cushion the impact.
Little Wing tilted her head, seeing the cot on the other side of the room. How had she ended up there?
Her gaze fell to her wings, and when she opened them she could feel a strange sensation flowing through them. In fact, that sensation appeared to be flowing throughout her entire body. It felt… powerful.
A curious expression on her face, she gave her wings another flap and once more found herself shooting off into the air. After a few moments of panicking and knocking over a thing or two, Little Wing finally figured out to flap her wings in sync with one another, almost instinctively pulling up and coming to a gentle hover in the middle of the room.
She then gave a happy squeal of delight.
She was flying! She was actually flying! But how? Her wings seemed so small, and what was the power she felt? It hadn’t been there when she went to sleep.
With a joyful giggle, Little Wing began circling the room as if it was some sort of racetrack, laughing to herself as she rapidly gained confidence with her newfound ability.
The filly then stopped by the door, tilting her head as she examined the handle. Normally she wouldn’t be able to reach it, but now with flight on her side that particular issue was now very much a non-issue. Moving gently forwards, she pulled the handle down and let the door swing gently open. Excited at the whole world just begging her to explore it, the filly immediately took off down the hallway. All the other doors were shut, but she held little interest in going into them. Instead, her gaze fell upon the staircase and with a sharp turn she sped down it and looped around into the living room.
It was there that Windy Whistles gave a shriek as the filly’s sudden entrance scared the life out of her.
“Little Wing!?” Windy Whistles stated in shock.
The foal froze up. Now she had done it, she was in trouble now…
Then, Windy’s face morphed into a humungous grin. “Honey! Our little girl is flying!”
Before Little Wing could take another action, Bow Hothoof burst in through the doorway using his wings as prepulsion. He had to take in a gulp of air to compensate for the sudden action, but then shared his wife’s grin.
“So she is! It’s about time, she should have done this already!”
“So she’s a late bloomer, so what?” Windy dismissed. “Look at how masterfully she is navigating, she got out of her room and down here all by herself.”
Little Wing was a little perplexed as to what was actually happening.
Her mother gave a delighted squee, and then gently began to hover in the air so she was eye level with her daughter.
“Look at you! Getting used to your magical surges, are we?”
Little Wing tilted her head. Magical surges? What was she going on about?
Giggling to herself, Windy Whistles gently took Little Wing into her grasp and lowered herself back onto the floor.
“Now I would enjoy it while they last, honey. After it wears off, you’ll have to learn flight all over again!”
So it was a temporary thing, as Little Wing had just come to realise. It was a little disappointing to the filly, she had never felt so good!
Little Wing fidgeted in her mother’s grasp, breaking free and taking to the air again. If it was temporary, she was going to take her mother’s advice and enjoy it while it lasts.
And so she went back to flying around in circles, each lap trying to beat her previous best time. All the while her two parents watched from below, their eyes twinkling proudly.
“Look at her go!” Bow Hothoof stated. “This is worth a trophy, surely!”
“Oh this brings back memories,” Windy remarked. “Remember when Dashie went through all this?”
“We couldn’t catch her,” Bow recalled with amusement. “At least she’s content on flying in circles, and not to the other end of Equestria.”
Then, on one of her laps, Little Wing swerved and dived on into the kitchen. For the first time she was able to reach the high up cupboards, and she was going to investigate them all.
“No! Not that one!” Bow Hothoof exclaimed as he prevented Little Wing from opening one cupboard that seemed to be filled with drinking glasses. But while he was distracted with that, Little Wing opened up the neighbouring cupboard and quickly grabbed the first thing she saw out of it. As it turned out, it was a big brown jar with the word ‘cookies’ written on it. Jackpot!
Little Wing opened up the jar and quickly munched the first cookie atop the pile, and boy was it the best cookie she had ever had. Or, the first, in the case of her new life.
“Uh oh, she’s discovered cookies,” Bow remarked, slight dread tinting his amusement. “And so it begins.”
“Yes, give that here you!” Windy scolded as she pried daughter and cookie jar apart.
Little Wing gave a protesting whimper, wiggling her tiny hooves in the direction of the jar.
Windy Whistles rolled her eyes, but seemed to relent a little. “Alright, ONE more. This is a special occasion after all.”
Windy took a second cookie from the jar, passing it gently over to Little Wing. The small filly took the cookie gladly and happily began to nibble on it, intent to savour the treat for as long as she could. With her daughter content with her cookie, she took her out of the air and deposited the foal onto her back. She then passed the jar over to her husband.
“Go find a hiding place for this, I’m going to take Little Wing to play outside for a while.”
“Yeah ma’am!” Bow replied with a salute, dutifully taking the jar and moving off to carry out his orders and find the perfect hiding place. At least, until the jar was inevitably discovered some point into the future.
While he was busy doing that, Windy Whistles took the still preoccupied filly and exited the house. She walked a little ways out into the front garden, then proceeding to sit down while gently lowering Little Wing onto the cloud.
“Oh, Windy!” a new female voice called out, causing Little Wing to ignore the cookie for a moment and look up, only then realising they were outside.
“Oh, Violet Rain!” Windy greeted back to the other pegasus with a wave.
Violet Rain was a deep violet mare with both a dark blue mane and eyes, her cutie mark being of a raincloud. Little Wing also had to note there was a small filly flying erratically around just next to the mare.
“Oh, I see little Misty Gust has started her surges too!”
‘Misty Gust’, as the filly was apparently named, was a small foal with a dark grey coat with a mane that was primarily a lighter grey with cyan highlights intermittently striking through it. Her eyes were a matching cyan, and obviously she had yet to gain a cutie mark.
“I know, barely a week old and it’s as if she’s been in our lives forever!” Violet stated as Misty spotted the new ponies and immediately hid behind her mother.
Not that Little Wing was much better, quickly planting herself beneath Windy Whistles for protection.
Both mares chuckled, with Violet speaking up a moment later. “It would appear they’re both shy ones. Hay, we’ve barely been able to tear her away from her picture books since she was born.”
Violet approached Windy Whistles and sat down just in front of her friend, the two foals continuing to shyly hide themselves away.
“So, how are things at home?” Windy enquired.
“They’re going fine, Wild Ace has been working ever so hard at the factory now I’m no longer working.”
“I can imagine,” Windy Whistles responded. “My Bow is starting again this week, now that things have settled down.”
“So, she has settled in alright?”
Windy nodded. “Yes. Though, there was a little trouble with our Dashie…”
As their mothers continued to chatter, the two fillies steadily gained the courage to slowly creep away from their mothers and towards one another, fear being replaced with curiosity. Both observed one another for a few tense moments, before Little Wing remembered she still had half a cookie in her hooves.
Giving Misty a welcoming smile, Little Wing presented the cookie to the other filly. Misty Gust took it from Little Wing, seemingly not knowing what to make of it, likely never having had solid food before.
It didn’t stop her from eventually depositing the cookie into her mouth, her eyes lighting up as she gleefully consumed the gifted treat.
Seeing that she enjoyed it, Little Wing gave a welcoming babble to the other foal. Misty seemed to understand, nodding back with a little babble of her own. Both fillies were all smiles as they had a small conversation of their own in baby speak, even though neither truly understood the other, before both of them channelled their giant influx of magic and took to the air in a friendly game of tag.
It appeared that Little Wing had just made her first friend.
Silently, and rather snuggly, two young pegasus fillies laid side by side on the living room floor together with their eyes glued entirely on the book before them. The book was a picture based retelling of the founding of Equestria, though it seemed to have a particular focus on Commander Hurricane. Not that the two fillies really minded, they just liked the colourful pictures.
The two fillies were, of course, Little Wing and Misty Gust.
The two foals had both been unable to sit still for more than two minutes for an entire week out of sheer anticipation for their first playdate, something that had been decided upon by their respective parents after their first meeting had come to a close. Both mothers had been ecstatic to see their daughters get along so well, especially seeing that neither child had up until that point had any interaction with other foals their own age or of any age.
And so, about twenty minutes previously, Violet Rain had dropped her daughter off at their house with the intent of picking Misty up again after dinner. The two didn’t need to find anything to do, as Little Wing had excitedly extracted a variety of things from her room that they could do together. They had settled on the previously mentioned book almost instantly.
“Just look at them!” Windy Whistles excitedly whispered as she and her husband peaked into the living room from the doorway. “This will be the best playdate ever!”
“They do look like they’re having fun,” Bow Hothoof agreed. “Though I half expected them to be racing each other around the house. It’s what Dashie would have done… and did.”
“She’s not Rainbow Dash,” Windy pointed out the obvious. “But just as perfect in her own adorable ways!”
“And you’re already planning the next playdate, aren’t you?”
“You know it!” Windy confirmed. “Probably around Violet’s next time, it would be nice for Little Wing to get out of the house and see the world.”
“By see the world you mean the next house over?”
“Where else? That IS where they live.”
Bow shook his head. “What I mean is that the next house over is hardly ‘seeing the world’. We should take Little Wing somewhere a little more exciting soon.”
Windy tilted her head. “What do you have in mind?”
“Where, there is that Wonderbolt show next week. She’ll get to see her big sister in action.”
Windy seemed uncertain. “You think that’s good for her? I mean, she does seem a little shyer than Dash did at her age; you should have seen Misty and Little Wing when they first spotted one another. And then there is Rainbow herself…”
“What better way to get her out of her shell?” Bow stated. “And if it gets too much for her, we can always come right back home. It’d be good for her to see more of Cloudsdale.”
“Yeah, alright,” Windy said, relenting. “Next week it is then.”
Happy hooves clapping together indicated that the fillies had just finished their picture book, and had thoroughly enjoyed it. Little Wing shot up onto her hooves, bouncing backwards slightly up and down in indication for Misty to follow her. Misty then also got to her hooves as Little Wing wanted.
The blue filly gave a small flap of her wings in excitement before extracting a stuffed hydra toy and the Wonderbolt action figures from the pile of toys she had gathered. She then rushed back and eagerly presented her favourite play things to her first friend. Misty Gust looked at the presented items curiously, picking up two of the Wonderbolts and examining them inch by inch.
With the Wonderbolts now in Misty’s possession, Little Wing held tightly onto the hydra and managed to make a rather squeaky roaring sound in an attempt to mimic what a monster would sound like.
Misty only tilted her head in confusion, at least until Little Wing picked up a Wonderbolt and had it and the hydra doll act out an epic battle sequence to last the ages. At least, that’s what it was in Little Wing’s head. In reality, she just smashed them together while making babyish sounding sound effect.
Misty, getting the idea, picked up another Wonderbolt who then flew in to assist her friend in battling the fearsome beast.
The hydra charged forwards towards one of the intrepid heroes, only to be promptly tackled by another. The hydra then responded by firing fireballs of ultimate doom.
However, a pegasus with bravery to match that of Commander Hurricane continued straight at the creature, performing barrel rolls and other magnificent tricks to dodge all incoming attacks.
The battle continued on and on, each side trying to get an advantage over the other!
And then there was also a knock on the front door.
The two fillies were knocked out of their own little imaginary world for a moment, both looking towards to where the sound came from. After a few moments, they decided to ignore the sound and simply return to playing with their gathered toys.
Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof, who had also heard the knock, did respond to the sound. Confused as to who might be at their front door, the two quickly cantered through the hallway and to said doorway. When they opened the front door they were initially confused as they were met with just empty space where a pony should have been, at least until they glanced down and realised that the pony was only half the size of an adult still.
“Hiya Windy! Hiya Bow!” Scootaloo greeted cheerfully, practically beaming as she always did when meeting with her idol’s parents. “It’s me, Scootaloo!”
Both pegasi blinked, and then smiled in greeting.
“I’m fairly certain we’d recognise that face,” Bow remarked. “How’s it going champ?”
“And what are you even doing here? I didn’t know you were coming for a visit,” Windy added.
“Neither did I until last night,” Scootaloo explained. “My parents are visiting grandma and grandpa, so I’m here too.”
“Your grandparents?” Windy questioned. “Then why aren’t you with them?”
“I, well…” Scootaloo scuffed the ground with one hoof, her smile fading a little. “I would have just been sitting in one corner doing nothing, they don’t really pay that much attention to me. So, I managed to convince them to let me out and ‘explore’ for a little while. And then I decided to come here and see how you guys and Little Wing are doing!”
The couple glanced at each other for a moment, but then turned back to Scootaloo with understanding smiles on their faces. “Well, you’re always welcome here!” Windy assured the filly.
“Yeah, come on inside and I’ll get you a bowl of ice cream out of the freezer.”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo declared happily, following the two elder ponies into the house. “Hey Little Wing, where are you?”
“She’s in the living room with her friend,” Windy stated as she shut the front door up again.
“She made a friend?” Scootaloo asked, eyes glinting. “I want to see!”
Scootaloo promptly rushed on ahead and into the living room, startling the fillies to the point where the orange filly received a hydra to the face. Scootaloo stopped dead in her tracks, glancing down at the hydra doll before looking back up at the two staring foals. She then smiled brightly at them, and Misty immediately hid herself behind Little Wing.
Scootaloo’s smile faded. “Did I do something wrong?”
Windy and Bow chuckled as they also entered the room. “No champ, she’s just a bit shy. A bit like how Little Wing was when you last saw each other, though she seems to recognise you now,” Bow Hothoof explained.
“Ohhhh,” Scootaloo stated in understanding, laying down on her belly and trying to seem less intimidating to Misty. “Hey, I’m not that scary. I’m also Little Wing’s friend, I think, I just want to say hi!”
Little Wing examined Scootaloo for a moment, before looking behind herself to where Misty Gust was cowering. “Bwah!” she stated encouragingly, telling her friend that it was okay.
Misty Gust slowly poked her head out from behind her friend turned hiding place. She then got the courage to come out entirely and sit down beside Little Wing, fully examining Scootaloo for the first time.
“See, I’m not a monster!” Scootaloo assured the filly, glancing at the hydra. “Not like that thing, sorry I interrupted your playtime.”
“Eh?” Misty made a noise that sounded a little like a question.
“My name’s Scootaloo,” Scootaloo introduced herself to the foals. “But you can call me Scoots! I’m just your average twelve year old filly from Ponyville!”
So Scootaloo was twelve. It appeared Little Wing was a little off in her initial estimate.
“Don’t be so harsh on yourself,” Bow jokingly scolded. “We think you’re a pretty exceptional twelve year old filly from Ponyville!”
Scootaloo blushed. “Uh… thanks I guess…”
Little Wing giggled at Scootaloo's embarrassment, before picking up the hydra doll and presenting it to Scootaloo as an invitation to play with them.
“You want me to play with you?” Scootaloo asked, getting pleading dinner plate sized eyes in response. “Well, I don’t usually play with little kid toys like this anymore… but okay!”
Little Wing bounced in place for a few moments, expressing her excitement at the acceptance. Misty was still a little nervous around Scootaloo, but quickly warmed up to her as they began to continue their game with one new player.
While they were doing that, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof prepared that ice cream they had promised Scootaloo. They even made a small little portion each for Little Wing and Misty Gust. When they delivered the ice cream to the three children Scootaloo quickly dug into her serving with the two foals also demolishing their ice cream after that initial cautious taste. No child could resist the temptation of ice cream, and it was then that the two parents realised they might have to make the fridge maximum security from then on.
After their ice cream, Scootaloo had decided to tell the two foals tales of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their many exploits through Ponyville. Of course the foals had no idea who Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle were or even what a Cutie Mark Crusader was; in fact they had very little idea about what she was going on about at all, even Little Wing without having any actual context behind those tales. They listened anyway, mostly due to Scootaloo’s infectious enthusiasm for the subject. If she knew they had no idea what she was talking about, she didn’t seem to care all that much.
From there the day seemed to pass by in a blur, excitement that was a mix of playing various games and with different toys and eventually Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof providing dinner for the trio. Little Wing and Misty Gust sat in their high chairs, the latter’s having been brought around by her mother, and Scootaloo sitting at the table with Windy and Bow.
“So, are you going to the show next week?” Bow asked the orange filly, who had her mouth full of food at that point.
Scootaloo swallowed her food before answering. “No. I wish I was, but Miss Cheerilee is meant to be setting us this assignment that we have to work on. Me and the other crusaders will be doing that.”
“And not finding ways to get out of doing it I hope?” Bow asked knowingly.
Scootaloo couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “No…?”
“You need to make sure you do well in school, the Wonderbolt’s want brains among everything else, they have their own written tests to pass.”
“Yeah, Rainbow Dash told me. Twilight and the others helped her through it,” Scootaloo stated, though that was obviously new information to the two older pegasi. “But it doesn’t matter anyway, not with these…” Scootaloo gave her far too small wings a sad flick, a despondent look on her face.
“So you have a disadvantage, who cares?” Bow dismissed. “You just have to work extra hard, and you WILL earn your spot on that team!”
Scootaloo looked up at them. “You think so?”
“You know it!” Bow stated. “And if you ever need cheering on, you know we’ll be there!”
“The both of us!” Windy agreed.
Scootaloo brightened up. “Thanks guys. I’ll try!”
The filly then glanced towards the two foals in the high chairs, who both seemed to be more interested in their food than the conversation. However, they didn’t noticed Little Wing’s ear subtly trained in on their word.
“So, what about Little Wing?” Scootaloo asked. “What do you think she’ll be?”
“Whatever she wants to be,” Windy responded. “From architect to lawyer, her whole future is ahead of her!”
“Well, she had a pretty great sister to idolise, just like I do!” Scootaloo pointed, though the couple seemed a little unsure about that statement. “What?”
“Well, it’s just that we haven’t heard from Dashie since, you know…”
“You haven’t?” Scootaloo asked, saddened by that. “Well, there must be some way to get them to get along!”
“Sometimes, well, time will only tell,” Bow stated.
“Really, that’s it?” Scootaloo questioned. “I mean, why not lock them in a room together or something?”
“Dear, I don’t think that would be wise,” Windy gently rebuffed.
Bow hummed. “Lock them in a room…”
Windy glared at her husband. “You’re not honestly thinking…?”
“What, of course not!” Bow retorted. “But what if Dash and Little Wing were alone together for a period of time, like if we got Rainbow to foalsit her sister for a night or something. Give them time to bond.”
Windy thought about it for a second, and then nodded. “You know, I don’t think that’s a bad idea! And we could add ‘best foalsitter ever’ to her trophy room!”
“And best foal to foalsit for Little Wing!” Scootaloo suggested.
“Definitely!” Windy agreed.
“If it works,” Bow Hothoof added in.
“It’ll work!” Windy assured. “I just know it will! A little time together and they will be the best sisters Equestria has ever seen!”
“What about the princesses?” Scootaloo asked.
Bow raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t one banish the other to the moon?”
“Yeah, but they got better!” Scootaloo remarked.
“Best. Sisters. Ever,” Windy Whistles hammered in the point, not leaving room for argument. “We can do it after the show, catch up to Rainbow and arrange a date for it.”
“Sounds good to me,” Bow agreed. “Thanks for the suggestion champ!”
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome aren’t I?” Scootaloo stated a little smugly, the twelve year old then leaning back in her chair while tipping it back slightly.
She also promptly fell out of that chair, much to her eternal embarrassment and the immense enjoyment of the two foals.
Little Wing could have sworn she was going to have an epileptic fit because there were so many. Each pony had their own unique colour scheme and all together made Rainbow Dash’s mane look tame by comparison.
Of course, it was equally pretty to look at. However, she just wished they wouldn’t look back.
Little Wing gave a shy squeak as one such mare glanced her way, and the foal promptly hid herself as far as she could between her mother’s two feathery wings. Little Wing had been laid on Windy Whistles’ back for pretty much the entire trip, she had to admit to feeling particularly safe there. Though the crowds were certainly still unnerving to the filly, she had never been amongst so many people in that life or the last.
Every single one of those people were heading to the same destination, a stadium slap bang in the centre of Cloudsdale. There were even some non-pegasi there, most walking on solid paths for their convenience but some walked on the cloud as if they themselves were pegasi. That is to say, they had received the proper spell before they came to the city.
It was all a lot for Little Wing’s mind to process, though her parents made sure to keep a close eye on her in case she got too overwhelmed.
“We’re almost there sweetie,” her mother assured her as they continued on down the street towards the gigantic stadium at the other end. “Then we can find our seats, we’ll have one of the best views thanks to your sister.”
“You can never beat VIP seating,” Bow Hothoof agreed, the filly’s adoptive father grinning like he himself were a foal.
Little Wing didn’t respond, not even in her usual preferred babble. She instead stayed quiet, and positioned herself so she was as unnoticeable as possible by the surrounding crowds.
All this to see what these Wonderbolts were really all about. She had heard much from the general chatter of her parents, including that her adoptive sister was one of them. Of course she also had a fondness for the action figures back home, so she had to admit she was genuinely curious to see the real article.
Maybe then she could begin to understand why her aloof sister had garnered such an admiration from both her parents and Scootaloo.
Finally, they reached the long queues that led up into the stadium’s entrance. As the approached the line of pastel ponies she fully expected them to take their place at the rear of the que and be forced to wait for hours, days or even years on end to get in. But to her surprise, they bypassed the line completely and headed straight for the front. This did earn them a few scornful looks from those less fortunate, which only validated Little Wing’s efforts to blend in with her feathery environment. When they did reach the front they were suddenly halted at the gate as somepony asked for their identification, and the filly hoped they didn’t simply cut the line without permission.
Looking up from her safe spot between her mother’s wings, Little Wing froze in both fear and utter awe as she saw Bow hoof over a pass he had been carrying into what was decidedly not a hoof but rather a claw filled with razor sharp talons. The creature seemed to be half lion and half eagle, examining the pass and a list he had on him with his sharp eyes.
Then he glanced over to the filly on Windy Whistles back, at which point Little Wing immediately fled back to the safety of her mother’s protective wings.
The strange creature chuckled. “A shy one ain’t she?”
“A little bit, yes,” Windy replied with a titter of her own. “She’s also never seen a griffon before, it’s all new to her.”
“Ah, I see,” the griffon said in understanding. “I still remember the first time my little nephew saw a pony, he didn’t know what to make of the situation.”
“Children are children,” Bow remarked. “The whole world is an adventure, ready to be taken at full speed!”
“Some of our children are still doing that it would seem,” the griffons stated, confirming their identity as the family of Rainbow Dash. “I assume you know you’re way to the VIP box?”
“We can manage,” Windy assured. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the griffon replied as the family began to move through the gate, giving one last glance at the filly. “And good day to you little miss.”
Little Wing summoned up the courage to give the griffon a little wave as they passed by, albeit still largely hidden between her mother’s wings. That probably wouldn’t change until they got to their seats.
“See, he was nice,” Windy said to her daughter. “The world is full of many different people from all sorts of species. I’m sure you’ll see for yourself as your grow.”
Little Wing didn’t respond, instead choosing to examine the large space they were walking on into.
And ‘large’ was certainly an understatement.
The stadium was filled to the brim with hundreds, if not thousands, of seats spread out throughout the entire perimeter. On top of the normal seats there was also various clouds set about the stadium where some pegasi had already taken their places as they waited for the show to begin. The entire centre of the stadium was not solid ground or even a cloud, but rather the entire centre consisted of empty space that gave a brilliant birds-eye-view of the land below.
Windy Whistles glanced back at her daughter to see her wide eyed awe, giving a giggle at the sight. “I think she likes it.”
“Well she should, this place make that stadium where they do the young fliers competition look like a school playground,” Bow replied.
“Well, it IS the biggest in Cloudsdale.”
“Well never mind that, we got some stairs to climb.”
Windy gave her husband a deadpan look. “We’re pegasi.”
“…Point taken.”
Windy rolled her eyes, before looking back towards Little Wing. “Now, hold on tight dear.”
Little Wing did as she was told as her mother unfolded her wings and took to the air, Bow Hothoof doing the same. They were heading directly to one end of the stadium, where a bunch of seats were located on a platform raised slightly higher than the rest. This platform was also cordoned off, so it had to be the VIP seating. However, there was also a platform rising out of that one which was even higher up with fewer seats, and then one final platform rising up form that. That final platform seemed to contain almost four seats, if they could really be called that. They were more like thrones, and each one had a unique mark decorating the backrest. From left to right facing the thrones: a lavender starburst, a sun, a moon and a crystalline heart.
Little Wing couldn’t help but feel she had seen those marks before, were they on some of her toys back home? She wouldn’t get answers however, since those thrones would remain empty that day.
The family touched down on the platform, the ride for Little Wing having been short and smooth going. It took only a few moments for them to find their assigned seats, with Bow and Windy sitting next to one another while Little Wing sat between her mother’s legs.
And then the waiting came.
The VIP seats gave them a great vantage point over the rest of the stadium, allowing Little Wing to watch as the seats were slowly filled up as time passed them by. If she thought there had been so many ponies in the streets, she wasn’t prepared for the amount of people collecting in that one location. And it wasn’t just ponies, she could spot a few more of those griffons amongst the crowd too. They were in a vast minority, but they were still present nevertheless.
Eventually ponies stopped piling on in and the doors were closed with a few more having taken spaces in the VIP box, one of whom was an aged yellow mare with a fiery orange mane.
She didn’t get too much time to examine them however, the intense chatter throughout the stadium being suddenly silenced in but a moment by a shockwave cascading through the air that heralded the arrival of five pegasi dressed in blue uniforms. The lead pegasi seemed to have a fiery orange mane that matched that of the mare with them in the VIP seating. With her was a stallion with a blue mane, two mares with a white and yellow mane respectively and one final member of the team who Little Wing could recognise anywhere. The prismatic mane was a dead giveaway.
“Give it up for the Wonderbolts; Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Surprise and Rainbow Dash!” an announcer stated over a speaker system previously unnoticed by the filly, making her jump in her seat.
Cheering and stamping hooves filled the stadium, the Wonderbolts simply hovering in the air a few moments as they examined the gathered crowd before them. Then Spitfire smirked and gave a nod to her squadmates, she and Soarin promptly diving downwards as the other three soared upwards. This marked the beginning of the team’s aerial performance.
And Little Wing was hooked the whole way.
Barrel rolls and loops. Aerial manoeuvres both simple and complex. At one point the performance seamlessly transitioned into a mock version of what appeared to be pegasus dogfighting, all the while still making their moves as flashy and fantastical as they could. Throughout the performance the Wonderbolts didn’t seem to even break a sweat, pulling off each action flawlessly and with the utmost skill required of them. Each manoeuvre was met with a mix and sounds of awe, but none more so than from Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof. Not that Little Wing paid her overexcited parents much mind, she was too invested in the performance.
Finally, after what seemed like a well spent eternity, the performance began to draw near its conclusion. The intensity of the tricks began to wind down, the end drawing near. And then the team gathered directly in the centre of the stadium at the lowest point, Rainbow Dash in the middle with the other four surrounding her. Together they then all shot up into the air, Rainbow Dash seemingly gaining more speed than her fellows and pulling ahead of them. Then, a little ways above the top of the stadium the others pulled backwards away from Rainbow Dash and did a flip as they descended back down until they were equal distances apart and came to a stop around the middle of the stadium height-wise. While they were doing thus, Rainbow Dash shot up ahead with a sudden burst of speed that produces another shockwave akin to their initial entrance, everypony quickly losing sight of her high in the sky.
Several moments passed them by with nothing occurring, all eyes on the sky looking out for the Wonderbolt. Then she began to become visible again, the pegasus shooting directly downwards as a plethora of energy built around her. Then, rather abruptly, a gigantic explosion rocketed the sky as a rainbow coloured shockwave was sent hurting throughout the sky, reaching all the way to the horizon. The explosion was so large that other cities in Equestria almost certainly heard it at the very least.
Little Wing had just witnessed her sister’s sonic rainboom.
The stadium erupted into cheers, the Wonderbolts gathering together once more and all giving a bow to conclude their performance.
Little Wing had never seen anything like it. The world in which she found herself in was full of surprises, she only wished she could pull of such complex moves.
“You would never think they were a part of the EUP as well as performers,” one of the ponies in the VIP box stated, just catching Little Wing’s ear. “I always said the military was good for more than just fighting!”
So the Wonderbolts were more than a simple acrobatics group. That was information Little Wing stored away in her mind, it seemed important.
“GO RAINBOW DASH! YEAAAAAAH!” her father’s voice snapped her out of her ruminations, the stallion hovering above his seat shouting at the top of his voice. “YOU SHOW THEM HOW IT’S DONE! YEAH!”
Her parents were certainly… supportive.
Soon the Wonderbolts vanished from sight and ponies were ushered on out of the stadium. But while most do that, a staff member escorted Little Wing and her parents inside the stadium itself. They weren’t the only ones, that yellow mare from the VIP box was with them. The interior was pretty bland, tunnels leading off to various storage rooms and showers. They bypassed these and were taken directly to what appeared to be the Wonderbolt’s main changing room. When they arrived the Wonderbolts were having something or over read to them from a clipboard by who appeared to be a trainer of some kind. All of them were still in their uniforms albeit with their hoods now down, the only exception being Surprise who had already taken it off and was stretching her wings out with a yawn.
“Spitfire, darling!” the aged yellow mare spoke out.
“Heh, hey mum,” Spitfire responded. “Was the show to your liking?”
“As always, I assure you,” Spitfire’s mother assured her daughter.
“We’re here too!” Windy spoke up. “Hey Dashie!”
“Hi guys!” Rainbow Dash responded. “I would ask if you enjoyed it, but I could hear the answer from across the stadium. Nothing new there.”
“Hey, at least we didn’t use fireworks this time,” Bow pointed out.
Rainbow scoffed. “That’s nothing to brag about, Dad.”
“Well it was really fun!” Windy Whistles stated. “And your little sister LOVED it!”
“Bwubba!” Little Wing called out.
“Oh, she did huh?” Rainbow Dash said, only then noticing the foal on her mother’s back. “That’s… great, I guess.”
“Little sister!?” Surprise suddenly appeared right next to Windy and Little Wing, examining the foal excitedly. “Crash! You never told us you had a little sister!”
Little Wing nervously examined the alabaster pegasus. Now the suit was off her mane had poofed up to the point where it seemed like yellow candy floss, her cutie mark being that a three purple balloons that matched the colour of her eyes.
“D’awww, isn’t she the cutest thing!” Surprise cooed gleefully. “Please tell me you had an adoption party!”
“Slowpoke, I’ll never understand your fascination with parties,” Spitfire deadpanned.
“Yeah, have I ever said you seem eerily like an earth pony I know?” Rainbow Dash added in.
“Earth pony?” Surprise had a look of intense thought for a moment. “Well, I do have some earth pony ancestors. I think our family line split some point…”
“Enough of that,” Soarin interrupted. “What’s the filly’s name anyway?”
“Little Wing,” Windy answered. “She’s only a few weeks old.”
“Heh, she is a cute one isn’t she,” Fleetfoot commented.
“Yes yes, the foal is adorable and all that,” Spitfire stated. “But give the poor foal some room.”
“Oh Dashie, I just remembered!” Windy suddenly blurted out. “While you’re in Cloudsdale, could we ask you for a favour?”
“A favour?” Rainbow questioned. “What do you need?”
“You see, me and you father are going out for a… romantic meal tomorrow night!”
Bow blinked. “We are?”
Bow grunted as his wife kicked him lightly, but sternly. “Yes, we are. So, Dash, we were wondering if you could foalsit your sister tomorrow night?”
“I, uh… huh?”
Spitfire snickered. “Crash the foalsitter, never thought I’d see the day. Hope you’re good with babies, Crash!”
“Now hold on, I haven’t agreed to anything yet!” Rainbow Dash protested.
“Oh come on Dashie,” Windy half-pleaded. “Your father and I haven’t had a romantic meal in… well, forever. I’m sure you can handle Little Wing for ONE night, can’t you?”
“Yeah. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with spending some time with your little sister is there?” Bow Hothoof added in.
Rainbow Dash looked at the pleading faces of her parents, the expectant looks of her team and finally she glanced towards the filly curled up her mother’s back. Little Wing seemed so timid, surely she could endure one simple night?
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
Little Wing looked up at her elder sister. Their eyes met, and Rainbow’s held the same perplexed look they had the first time she had set eyes on Little Wing. That look caused Little Wing to shrink that little bit further.
She honestly had no idea how the following night was going to go.
Windy was backed up in the corner of the living room like a cornered cat, she was even hissing a little. Little Wing, on her part, was trying to wiggle out from under her overprotective mother with an extremely deadpan expression on her face.
“W-we haven’t been apart since she came home, I won’t leave her now!” Windy stated in a slight panic. “My foal needs me! She has to come with us or I stay here!”
“That would defeat the whole point, dear.”
“But she’ll be so lost without me!”
Little Wing rolled her eyes. Sure, she was incredibly nervous about being left with Rainbow Dash for the night. However, that was being overridden by her mother’s sheer silliness. Anypony would think she’d vanish the moment Windy Whistles left the house. Unfortunately for Little Wing, she would just have to wait for her father to calm her mother down.
“Honey, it will all be fine,” Bow assured his wife, slowly approaching the cornered mare. “You were just like this when Rainbow Dash moved to Ponyville, and look how that turned out.”
“Rainbow Dash was a grown mare!”
“Anypony who saw you that day would have thought otherwise,” Bow remarked, earning a glare in response. “Dash can handle Little Wing for one single night. It will be fine. Besides, it’s this or Rainbow Dash and Little Wing remaining aloof.”
Windy Whistles was silent for a few moments, conflict visible on her features. Then she gave a defeated sigh. “Yeah, you’re right… I just don’t want to miss her foalhood…”
“It’s a few hours, honey.”
“I know! But still…”
Windy released her daughter, and Little Wing stretched out her wings to enjoy her newfound freedom. She saw her father sigh before returning to his previous task of readying himself for their night out. Her mother, meanwhile, continued to sit in the corner with her ears drooping and expression mixed between sadness and concern.
Little Wing’s ears also drooped at seeing her mother like that, and so she gingerly approached her mother and gently nosed her foreleg. “Bwah…?”
Windy looked over at Little Wing, a smile forming on her face. “Oh, you do love that sound don’t you?” Windy giggled, nuzzling her daughter on the head. “Mummy’s alright, I’m sorry if I scared you.”
Little Wing nuzzled her mother back, before hopping back and bouncing about playfully. Windy’s mood soared at the sight of her daughter’s cheerfulness, but sadly had no time to play.
“Sorry Little Wing, but I have to get ready. But before that…”
Windy picked her daughter up and brought her into the kitchen. The foal’s dinner was already out on the high chair, and had been placed there just before Windy’s ‘moment’. She placed Little Wing into the chair and let her dig into her meal. She stayed with the foal as she ate, making herself a drink as she waited for Little Wing to fully consume the meal or get to the point where she would complain she was full.
It was the former scenario that ended up occurring, and after Little Wing was done Windy lifted her daughter from the high chair and placed the dirty plastic plate by the sink for washing up later. After that she took the child upstairs with her and had Little Wing sit on her parent’s bed with some of her toys as Windy got herself ready. During this time, Windy replaced her usual attire with a rather elegant yellow dress which she commented to herself she hadn’t worn in a while. She also made sure her mane was extra tidy and applied some blue eye shadow that was a shade darker than her coat colour. After all was said and done, she examined herself in the mirror and gave a huff of satisfaction.
“Well, what do you think,” Windy asked Little Wing as she turned to her daughter.
Little Wing gave a gurgle of approval, clapping her hooves together.
“I thought it was good,” Windy responded happily, before leaning against the bed near Little Wing. “You know, when you’re older I’ll take you out to buy a dress you truly love! Rainbow Dash never cared for such things, it’s the one thing we never got to do together…”
Little Wing tilted her head, her mother briefly being lost in thought.
“Oh, but you don’t care about such silly things,” Windy stated, booping Little Wing on the nose. “Somepony as young as you, all you need is love and care. But, when you’re older…”
“You all ready?” Bow asked as he entered, having just finished readying himself in the bathroom. “My, ain’t that a sight?”
Bow himself was wearing a tuxedo, his usual rainbow coloured hairstyle having been gelled back in an attempt to look stylish.
“Not bad yourself, dear,” Windy responded “So, are we all set?”
“Yup, that’s everything,” Bow confirmed. “Now we just need Dashie to get back.”
Rainbow Dash closed her locker in the changing room, the two other occupants being Captain Spitfire and Fleetfoot. She was due to stay one more day in Cloudsdale for some extra training, and then was to return to Ponyville the day after that. Of course before she got to that she was expected to perform a certain task that night, a task of which Rainbow Dash had been left rather unsure about.
“Yo, Crash!” Spitfire shouted form across the changing room. “You just going to stare at your locker all day, or are you going to get a move on?”
Rainbow Dash groaned, turning away from her locker and all the Wonderbolts related equipment within. She then began to walk towards the room’s exit, though her distraction remained quite obvious.
“Wha?” Rainbow responded absentmindedly, before her brain caught up. “Oh, right! Yeah! I’m fine, just ready to get some sleep you know?”
“Sleep, ha!” Spitfire scoffed. “If you think an infant will let you sleep, you’ve got another thing coming.”
It was that moment that Rainbow Dash had flashbacks to a small yet powerful alicorn filly and her sleep deprived parents. Even if it was a year previous, a zombified Shining Armor was hard to forget.
“Ah, you’ll be fine,” Spitfire then added, slapping Rainbow across the back. “But I do expect a full report in the morning.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. Whatever you say, boss.”
With that, Rainbow Dash left the changing room and the building entirely. That was followed by a gentle and quiet flight over to her parents’ house. She always greatly enjoyed flying through Cloudsdale. Ponyville was great, she even fought for it in the Equestria Games, but Cloudsdale was and always would be her home.
Her enjoyment that time around was diminished however by a small little blue ball of fur that dominated Rainbow Dash’s mind. A few weeks ago she had randomly showed up in her life like one of Discord’s random creations, and she still didn’t really know what to make of her.
Sure, the filly needed a family. Great. Her parents had been kind enough to give her that family. Fantastic. They did the right thing.
And yet Rainbow Dash was quite unnerved by it all.
“Hey, watch it!” one pegasus angrily shouted as he narrowly avoided an oblivious Rainbow, the cyan mare only just catching on as to what happened.
“S-sorry!” she shouted back after the stallion, though he gave no answer.
Rainbow sighed, then moving on to continue her journey.
Was it all because she now had a little sister out of nowhere? It had been so out of the blue, her parents had given her no warning. Beyond that, Rainbow already had a little sister who she cared greatly for. Scootaloo was great, she was everything she wanted from a little sister.
This ‘Little Wing’ was a complete unknown. She had just tried to forget about her when she had returned to Ponyville, not mentioning her to anypony and asking Scootaloo to do the same, though she was certain she told the other Cutie Mark Crusaders in the end. Even as she tried to forget the foal, she couldn’t. It was obvious she was there to stay.
She just wasn’t sure how to proceed from there.
“Gah, why are families so damn complicated!” Rainbow shouted out at the top of her lungs, earning a few odd looks from some nearby ponies.
Rainbow Dash could see her parents’ house by then, and so after composing herself she flew downwards until she landed directly on their front doorstep. Taking in a deep breath, she then proceeded to knock on the front door and wait for it to open up.
That only took a moment or two, and soon she was met with the faces of her mother and father as well as that of Little Wing poking out from between their legs.
“Dashie!” Windy greeted happily, hugging her daughter. “Oh, so glad you could come!”
“Yeah, well, you did ask…” Rainbow muttered.
“Well, we need to be going now,” Bow stated while ushering his wife out of the door, eager to put the plan into motion before his wife had another incident. “Time is wasting!”
“W-wait!” Rainbow protested. “I mean, is there anything I need to know?”
Windy resisted against her husband for a moment, looking back at Rainbow as they exited through the door. “Don’t feed her any cookies. Don’t let her go to bed too late. And be responsible!”
“I, uh… alright. I can do that. I think.”
Windy finally broke away from Bow, and leant down to kiss Little Wing on the forehead. “Be good for your sister. Be the best foal ever for the best foalsitter ever!”
Little Wing looked between Rainbow Dash and their parents nervously, though she remained quiet.
“Alright, be good you two!” Bow stated as he and Windy finally left the house, shutting the door behind them.
And, just like that, Rainbow Dash and Little Wing were alone together for the first time.
Rainbow Dash looked down at Little Wing, who looked back with a tilted head. The older pony had the same confused expression that Little Wing had seen on her the previous two times they had met, and it did little to fill her with confidence.
“Right, so… what do you want to do?”
Little Wing did not respond.
“Right, you can’t talk…” Rainbow Dash scuffed the ground awkwardly. “Well, I suppose I’ll figure it out.”
Rainbow Dash picked Little Wing up and brought her into the living room, spotting the foal’s toys within. She placed her adoptive little sister down by those toys before extracting herself a Daring Do novel and laying down in the sofa. Then, not even acknowledging Little Wing further, she began to read.
Little Wing wilted. She looked between her toys, picking up a Wonderbolt action figure in each hoof and examining them. She gave a quick thought as to what she wanted to play, but she couldn’t find much motivation. She dropped both of the action figures back on the floor and sat in silence for a few moments.
A ticking clock was all that could be heard.
Little Wing looked towards the clock, and then her gaze turned towards and lingered on Rainbow Dash for a little while. Rainbow took no notice, remaining engrossed in her book. Little Wing decided that it couldn’t continue like that, and so she picked up one of her Wonderbolts and walked towards the sofa.
“Yub!” Little Wing yipped, holding up the action figure to Rainbow Dash.
She received no answer.
Little Wing poked Rainbow Dash. Once again there was no response. So, of course, she did it again. And again. And then again. She would continue to do this, Rainbow Dash’s frown increasing every passing moment.
“GO AWAY!” Rainbow Dash finally snapped. “I don’t want to play with you!”
“B-but, I just wanted to…” the young girl said to her mother, who had a cigarette in one hand and her legs crossed as she watched the television.
“I. Don’t. Care,” her mother growled back. “Go entertain yourself. I don’t have time for you.”
“B-but…. You never have time for me!”
The girl yelped as her mother grabbed her arm forcefully, the grip leaving a notable mark on her skin. Her mother was glaring, her resolve remained unrelenting even as the girl began to cry.
“Listen you terrible child! I am not interested in playing with you, so don’t bother me! Honestly, why did we ever have you!?”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as Little Wing fell away from her and began to cry. Her distressed wails filled the house, a mixture of sadness and terror audible amongst them. She had curled herself up into a ball, shivering as her tears continued to fall.
She seemed so frail. So vulnerable. And it had been all Rainbow Dash’s fault.
Her heart tightened with guilt. She hadn’t meant to shout so loud, it had just happened so suddenly. Rainbow found herself unable to move for a moment, before snapping back to her senses and climbing carefully off of the sofa with her book long forgotten. She crouched down low, reaching a hoof out to the small filly who flinched backwards fearfully when it got near. Rainbow retracted her hoof an inch, trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible.
“H-hey, I didn’t mean it… alright?” Rainbow Dash gently stated. “I’m sorry I scared you, that was stupid. I’m sorry…”
It seemed to have little effect, and Little Wing remained completely terror filled. Just what were their parents going to think when they returned? Worse still, what was Rainbow Dash meant to think about herself for what she just did?
“Ugh, I’m so stupid! How completely… not awesome!” Rainbow muttered spitefully towards herself, sniffing as she held back her own tears. “Why don’t you shout at the filly? What if it was Scootaloo? I, just… some sister I am…”
Rainbow slumped back against the sofa, groaning loudly in self-contempt.
That was when she felt a nuzzle against her side, and looking down she saw a still highly nervous Little Wing looking up at her. Little Wing had heard her mutters, seen her tears, and had found some hope among them.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t them after all.
“Bwah?” she called up shakily.
“Heh, hey Little Wing,” she responded, picking the foal up. “I’m Rainbow Dash, your new big sister! Start over again?”
Though with a few tears still stuck to her fur, Little Wing brightened up a little. She nodded, earning a chuckle from Rainbow in response.
“So, you wanted to play for a little while?” Rainbow asked, glancing towards the action figure that had been discarded to one side. Then, a sly smirk formed on her face. “And… I know a way to really make it up to you…”
Windy and Bow laughed amongst themselves as they returned home. They had had a wonderful evening, everything from the food to the atmosphere had been superb. But alas, the time had come for them to pay the bill and return home to their awaiting bed.
As they approached the house, however, the laughs died down as they recalled the true purpose of the whole scenario. They could see a light still on in the living room, though it was a good sign that the house remained in one piece.
Moving on through the front door, the couple walked gingerly on into the living room to see the scene that awaited them.
They had not expected to find Rainbow Dash asleep in the middle of the floor with Little Wing curled up next to her and a jar of thoroughly demolished cookies sitting in one corner.
“Oh, that’s right…” Bow muttered to himself. “Rainbow Dash knows all of our hiding places for the cookie jar…”
They found it in themselves to forgive both their children in the end. After all, their plan couldn’t have been more successful.
Ponyville couldn’t have stood in further contrast to the sky city of Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash had parked herself on a cloud a fair ways above the sleepy earth pony built town, setting down her little sister so she had a breathtakingly beautiful view of the settlement. The clean Friday afternoon air made that view even better. Rainbow Dash also made sure to keep a close eye on Little Wing, lest she slip and fall from said cloud.
Little Wing, on her part, had her eyes wide with both childlike curiosity and glee. She was examining every detail, from the gigantic castle to the small red schoolhouse where she swore she spotted Scootaloo running around with two other fillies her age.
“So, what do you think of my place Squirt?” Rainbow asked, before pointing at one specific structure. “My actual house is the cloud mansion over there, I’ve got your room all set for your stay.”
“Bwashe!” Little Wing exclaimed happily, the babble being some attempt to say Rainbow Dash’s name.
“Glad you like it,” Rainbow Dash responded. “It’s no Cloudsdale. But it’s a home.”
Little Wing looked towards Rainbow Dash’s own home, before her gaze slowly trailed back to the royal castle sitting on the edge of town. Such a small town wasn’t somewhere Little Wing would have thought she’d find such a thing, and it had her immensely curious. It looked like a giant crystal tree in a lot of ways, the kind of treehouse small girls would dream of having in their gardens while playing princess.
It appeared one little girl got her dream, because of course its owner definitely would have cared about such fantasies as a young child. Right?
Rainbow Dash spotted that her sister was looking at the castle, and gave an amused chuckle. “Like the castle huh? Took ages for Twilight to actually sleep in it without becoming a ‘pancake’ the next morning.”
Little Wing tilted her head as she looked up at her sister. Just who was this Twilight?
Rainbow Dash ruffled Little Wing’s mane. “I’ll introduce you to the girls later, we’ve got a meeting at the castle later on today anyway.”
Now Little Wing was confused. Why could her sister just walk into a big castle like that? She had gathered that Equestria was ruled by four royal queens or princesses or something by her plushies back home, along with some of her mother’s memorabilia. The absolute last thing she wanted was to catch the wrath of such a person by committing breaking and entering.
Then again, she couldn’t spot any guards near the castle. What kind of queen or princess doesn’t have any guards?
“Alright, that’s enough sightseeing,” Rainbow Dash announced, picking Little Wing up and placing the foal onto her back. “Since Scootaloo is also staying over, I’ve got to pick her up from school.”
Little Wing looked back towards the schoolhouse where she had spotted Scootaloo earlier, and sure enough her big sister opened her wings and jumped off of the cloud. They simply glided forwards for a few meters before Rainbow Dash did a gentle turn so not to dislodge her small passenger. As they descended, the ponies who had been mere ants from the sky came more into focus. There were all kinds of ponies everywhere. Pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns were in far more equal number than she had ever seen in Cloudsdale, courtesy of the floor being solid for everypony if Little Wing had to hazard a guess. She also noted that earth ponies seemed to be more prominent than the other two kinds of pony, but only just.
The flight was calm and devoid of any showing off, even if it was painfully obvious that Rainbow Dash was resisting the urge for Little Wing’s sake. They proceeded to come in for a landing on the other side of the schoolhouse, which had been largely obscured by the building up in the cloud. It was fairly recognisable as a playground, Little Wing having seen much of the equipment before from… a different time. Not that she had ever used them, rather she had just seen them on television seeing as she never left the house back then.
Little Wing closed her eyes and shook her head, those were memories best forgotten.
Nearby to the swings, five fillies appeared to be deep in conversation. Scootaloo was recognisable among them, and she was joined by a group consisting of pink, grey, pure white and pale olive fillies. The white and olive fillies seemed to have eerily similar cutie marks to Scootaloo, while the other two had a tiara and a spoon respectively.
Scootaloo seemed to stop mid-sentence when she spotted Rainbow Dash land, her features brightening up.
“Rainbow Dash is here!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“Then I think that’s our cue to leave,” the pink filly stated. “Come on Silver Spoon.”
“Coming, Diamond Tiara,” Silver Spoon responded, quickly following after her friend.
“Yeah, see you girls on Monday!” the olive filly called after them with a wave.
“Hey there Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash cheerfully greeted as she approached the group. “Ready to blow this joint?”
“You bet I am!” Scootaloo said in turn, then spotting Little Wing on her idol’s back. “Oh, so she came after all!”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I convinced my parents to let her stay the weekend eventually. Then I had to convince Mum not to come along. This is a sister weekend, not a clingy parent weekend.”
“Well I’ve been looking forward to it!” Scootaloo assured, going up to and smiling at Little Wing. “Hey there Little Wing! Remember me?”
“Swootluu!” Little Wing exclaimed in confirmation.
Scootaloo’s ear twitched. “Was that meant to be my name?”
“She’s trying,” Rainbow Dash stated. “But Mum says it’ll be another few months before she actually gets it right.”
“Oh, right.” Scootaloo then turned and pointed at the other two remaining fillies. “Well Little Wing, that’s Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, also known as Apple Blossom.”
“Scootaloo, nopony calls me that!” Apple Bloom objected in an irritated tone. “Ugh, why in tarnation did you feel the need to dig up my birth certificate? How did you even manage that anyhow!?”
“Because I’m awesome!” Scootaloo smugly responded. “And it was right there, your name was down as Apple Blossom. Why don’t you use it?”
“Because Apple Bloom is just better, alright!”
Sweetie Belle groaned. “This has been argued about all day…”
“Well cut it out girls, we need to get a move on anyway,” Rainbow Dash said. “Come on Scootaloo. Though when we get to my house I’m going to need to take Little Wing up first and then come back for you.”
Scootaloo seemed visibly downcast at that statement. “Yeah, alright.”
Little Wing blinked. Why couldn’t Scootaloo just fly up herself?
Though when she looked again, Scooatloo’s wings did seem a little smaller than the other pegasus colts and fillies running about the play area.
But with no way to actually ask the question on her mind, she simply elected to remain quiet and remain on her elder sister’s back as they began to walk in the direction of cloud mansion. The fact that they walked only further cemented the conclusion the saddened filly had come to.
Through some disability, Scootaloo couldn’t fly.
Twilight’s Castle
Rainbow Dash walked on in through the massive front doors to the castle, Little Wing once again on her back while Scootaloo had been given free reign of the cloud mansion for the time being. The past hour or two had been spent in the cloud mansion, where Rainbow had shown Little Wing her room. Much like back at her home in Cloudsdale, Little Wing’s room had been converted from a guest room into one more suitable for the foal. Rainbow Dash had also mentioned that she had been assisted in that effort by two of her friends, Rarity and Fluttershy. Her elder sister’s enthusiasm was in stark contrast to the Rainbow Dash whom Little Wing had first met many weeks prior, ever since that night of bonding and cookies.
But now they walked through the crystalline halls of the castle, of which there were so many spanning out in so many directions it made Little Wing’s head spin. She was glad that Rainbow Dash knew where she was going.
Except for that one time they walked into a broom closet, that didn’t count.
Eventually however, Rainbow Dash gave a shout of victory as she found the door that led into the castle’s main throne room. Pushing it open, the two sisters were met with a vast space which was dominated by a large crystal table sitting at its centre. Six large thrones, and one smaller seat, spanned the edge of the table with what appeared to be the roots of a tree hanging high above the table. Said table also had a holographic map gently flickering on its surface.
There were also several adult ponies sitting in those thrones. And on top of that, one of them was a slightly more living version of one of Little Wing’s plushies, a purple pony with both wings and a horn.
And then there was the fact that one of the thrones had her big sister’s cutie mark emblazoned on the backrest. That seemed like an important detail.
“In short, our latest mission of friendship couldn’t have been a bigger success,” the royal pony announced to the gathered mares.
“Even if we’re still missing a member,” the orange pony with a southern accent muttered.
“Actually, she just turned up,” another new voice stated as a light purple unicorn entered the room alongside some kind of small purple lizard. “Took her long enough.”
“Hey, I was busy!” Rainbow protested. “Looking after a foal is a full time job!”
“…Huh?” The blank looks from all but two of the ponies around the table was very telling.
Rainbow shifted to one side so Little Wing had a full view of the group and the group had a full view of her. Of course, Little Wing instantly tried to hide herself between her sister’s wings.
“Little Wing, meet the girls.” Rainbow began to point at them one by one while calling out their names. “Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. The other two are Starlight Glimmer and Spike.”
“Other two?” Starlight parroted in an irritated tone.
“And she’s a foal, does she really care about names?” Spike deadpanned.
“Hey, I wanted to introduce my little sister to you guys so I did!”
“Now hang on a darn second,” Applejack interrupted. “Little sister? Since when?”
“Ohhh, right,” Rainbow Dash stated sheepishly. “I forgot to tell the rest of you beforehoof, didn’t I?”
“I thought you said you were going to tell them before she came up to stay?” Fluttershy enquired.
“She is right, you did say that,” Rarity stated in support for Fluttershy’s comment.
“Yeah well… it slipped my mind.”
“Hang on sugarcubes,” Applejack said to both Rarity and Fluttershy. “Ya’ll knew about this?”
“She might have mentioned it to us when she wanted our help getting the foal’s room ready, so yes,” Rarity responded.
“And we didn’t say anything ourselves because, well, she is Rainbow Dash’s family and not ours…” Fluttershy added in.
A sudden flash of purple magic heralded the arrival of Twilight appearing from thin air next to Rainbow Dash and Little Wing.
“Well whatever the case may be, we still got to meet her,” Twilight pointed out, looking down at Little Wing. “Aww, she’s so shy!”
“Only around people she doesn’t know,” Rainbow Dash stated with a chuckle. “You’re all new to her. Hay, Twilight, she might be confused as to how one of her toys suddenly came to life.”
“Huh?” Twilight was momentarily perplexed at her friend’s statement, before putting two and two together. “Oh… She has a toy of me or something doesn’t she?”
“Yup. Along with the other alicorn princesses.”
Alicorn princesses. At least Little Wing knew what they were after that remark.
“I can’t believe you have a little sister!” Pinkie suddenly appeared right next to Rainbow and Little Wing, examining the foal excitedly. “Well aside from Scootaloo but we all know who she is, what’s her story?”
Little Wing nervously examined the pink earth pony. Pinkie Pie had a giant pink mane that had poofed up to the point where it seemed like candy floss, eerily familiar candy floss. This was joined by that fact that her cutie mark being that of three balloons. If she had wings you’d swear she was Surprise with a dyed mane and coat.
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story,” Rainbow Dash explained. “My parents adopted her a couple months back. She was alone, so they gave her a home.”
“D’awww, isn’t she the cutest thing!” Pinkie cooed gleefully. “Please tell me you had an adoption party!”
Even word for word she was Surprise’s clone. Or was it the other way around? Who knew?
“I think it would overwhelm the poor darling,” Rarity pointed out, though that caused Pinkie to deflate a little. “T-though I’m sure we can sort something else out!”
Pinkie inflated again, humming in thought. “Yes… I’m going to need to retreat to the party planning cave and come up with some ideas.”
The others left the pink pony to her deep rumination, and it was the Princess who spoke next. “So, how long is she staying for?”
“The weekend,” Rainbow replied. “Thought I’d show her Ponyville, and hang with her and Scootaloo. A sister weekend.”
“Well if you need any advice on how to handle a foal, just talk to me!” Twilight offered. “I have several books on the subject, each labelled in the most logical and clear order so it’s easy to navigate!”
“Yeah… I think I’ll pass.”
Twilight was disappointed, but not yet done. “Well, I had to offer. But I can give some advice myself too, I am the B-A-E to Flurry Heart after all!”
“I can manage,” Rainbow bluntly stated. “But if you get such a stupid acronym, do I get one? B-S-E, best sister ever instead of best aunt ever?”
Little Wing made a noise of disapproval.
“Yeah, the squirt is right,” Rainbow agreed. “It sounds just as stupid.”
Twilight’s cheeks puffed up rather adorably. “It’s not stupid!”
“It is a bit,” Starlight muttered from one corner of the room.
“You’re all just jealous!” Twilight decided.
“If you say so.”
Little Wing began to sit up a little more, gaining confidence. The Princess wasn’t nearly as scary as she thought she’d be, quite the opposite really. Though she was still surprised that her sister had such a high profile friend.
But then again, Rainbow Dash was a Wonderbolt. As the friends around her continued to chatter, Little Wing couldn’t help but wonder exactly what else her big sister had been a part of before she had come into her life. What was she to discover as she got older?
But one thing was clear, she had a lot to live up to.
Misty Gust laughed with Little Wing as they happily played together in the middle of one of Cloudsdale’s public parks. Various benches sat around along with apparatus set out with the enjoyment of children in mind. Slides and other such structures designed for playing on. With a mischievous smirk, the young cyan foal picked up and moulded a bit of cloud into a shape not dissimilar from a snowball. That was probably due to the fact that it would then be used in the same aspect as a snowball, Little Wing playfully throwing it in Misty Gust’s direction. It splattered harmlessly against Misty Gust’s muzzle, a single spec sitting on the end of her nose.
Misty glared at Little Wing as the filly entered a fit of giggles at the direct hit. That fit of giggles was cut off when she was clotheslined by a ball of cloud sent in response to the unprovoked act of war.
And what a war of the ages it would be.
As the two fillies battled it out, their families were sat nearby. Or if you were Rainbow Dash, napping on top of a climbing frame. Windy and Bow were sat up at a bench with Misty’s parents, Violet Rain and Wild Ace. They were deep in discussion about their respective foals and how they were progressing, the mares in particular getting all emotional at ‘how they were growing up so fast’. It was a pretty relaxed Saturday afternoon in all, and an undeniably fun one.
“The next thing you know, they’ll be starting school!” Windy Whistles noted almost disbelievingly. “Can you imagine that?”
“I know…” Violet Rain agreed. “I mean, I still can’t get my head around my little Misty talking…”
“How is that progressing by the way?” Bow butted into the conversation.
“Quite nicely,” Violet responded. “She’s always practicing, we have new words each and every single day!”
“She loves it,” Wild Ace added in, glancing proudly at his daughter. “Can’t get enough of her own voice.”
“Aren’t all foals like that after their first word?”
“I suppose so,” he conceded. “What about Little Wing, has she said her first proper word yet?”
“Not quite yet,” Windy replied. “We’re getting there though. She’s always trying to form all sorts of words, but it still comes out as random babbles. It is quite cute.”
“I can imagine,” Violet said.
“Little Wing!” Misty moaned as she got hit with two balls of cloud at the same time. “It not fair!”
Little Wing decided to respond with an outstretched tongue and a raspberry blown in her friends, direction. Misty Gust was incensed by the audacity of such an action, and decided she couldn’t let it slide.
Little Wing yelped at the sudden barrage of cloud coming her way, attempting to duck under one group as another intercepted her at a lower angle. Misty was like a machine, creating and throwing each ball faster than Little Wing could even comprehend. The whole situation very quickly devolved into a ‘tactical’ retreat and Little Wing’s part while Misty gave chase. That being the two foals running around in circles as if they were headless chickens.
Rainbow Dash yawned as the shouting from the foals interrupted her nap. She stretched her various limbs to rid them of stiffness before sitting up and examining her surroundings.
“Welcome to the world of the living!” Bow teasingly called up to his eldest daughter. “I would give you the best napper ever trophy, but I believe we already did.”
“Hey, napping is good for the soul… or something like that anyway,” Rainbow Dash responded nonchalantly, then seeing her little sister’s unfortunate predicament. “Huh. What did I miss?”
“Nothing much, they were just playing around,” Bow informed her. “And now I think Little Wing regrets starting something she couldn’t finish.”
“Really? No idea where she could have gotten that from,” Rainbow Dash remarked, ignoring or not noticing the knowing glances pointed in her general direction. “But I won’t leave a sister of mine hanging, or my name isn’t Rainbow Danger Dash, the Element of Loyalty!”
“Your middle name is Ashleigh,” he deadpanned.
Rainbow Dash ignored him and hopped off of the climbing frame. A short glide landed her next to the two scampering foals where she proceeded to create a small ball of cloud herself and gently throw it at Misty. It hit the target, the foal stopping in her tracks and looking around to see where the new attack had come from.
“Hey, squirt!” Rainbow Dash shouted playfully, getting into an ‘attack position’. “Pick on somepony your own size!”
Little Wing saw her sister coming to her aid, her eyes sparkling with glee at Rainbow Dash’s arrival. She knew her sister would come to her aid, she always did!
Misty Gust gave the Wonderbolt an odd look, glancing at herself before looking back at the older pony with a hoof pointing her way. “Bigger…”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Technicalities…”
Misty looked unimpressed, only to receive another cloud ball to the back of the head from Little Wing.
“Bwah!” she shouted victoriously, ducking to dodge the retaliation.
And so the war continued, only with Rainbow Dash attempting to distract Misty while not creating any further balls of cloud herself.
“Aw, look at them,” Windy squeed. “I’m so glad that our Dashie took to Little Wing.”
“You’ve been saying that for months,” Bow pointed out. “She loves Little Wing. Combine Scootaloo and they are quite the trio.”
“I’m just happy to see Misty out and about, playing like they are now,” Violet stated. “She’s normally so engrossed in her story books at home. I think she’s going to be a little bit of a bookworm.”
“Little Wing reads to herself sometimes, but she prefers her Wonderbolt action figures,” Windy noted. “She’s actually played with them more and more since Dashie foalsat her some months back. Between you and me, I think she might be starting to idolise her sister.”
Back at the ongoing conflict, it appeared that Misty Gust had figured out Rainbow Dash’s distraction tactics and was trying to block the mare out completely. Little Wing was forced back again as she dodged a few projectiles thrown her way, throwing the single cloud ball she had on hoof at Misty and missing.
Then she tripped up on her own hooves.
She went down with an audible “oof”, quickly rising back up to her hooves as if nothing happened. However the brief moment had rendered her a stationary target, and another ball of cloud was sailing towards her.
Only for Rainbow Dash to flap her wings for a burst of speed and then, in a rather overdramatic fashion, dive in the way of Little Wing and have the projectile impact her directly on the belly. Even more dramatically she acted as if the ball had any actual severe force behind it and slumped to the floor motionlessly. There she laid, completely still on her back.
Little Wing knew her sister was fine, a little bit of cloud would never hurt somepony like her! And yet the irrational side of her young brain through panic into the mix. What if she had been hurt? It would have been all Little Wing’s fault!
As a result, Little Wing quickly scampered forwards and hopped up onto Rainbow Dash, standing on her stomach. Misty stood back and watched from a distance, a slightly worried and guilty expression forming onto her face.
Little Wing looked at Rainbow Dash’s face, her eyes were closed. She prodded her with one hoof, and then gently shook her a little. Getting no response, she next decided to jump up high into the air and allow gravity to drive her hooves back down onto her big sister’s stomach.
“Oof!” Rainbow spluttered out at the impact, Little Wing and Misty Gust both giving sighs of relief. Rainbow Dash chuckled.
Rainbow Dash adjusted her position slightly, though remained laying on her back with Little Wing now sitting down on her belly. Rainbow chuckled lightly, booping Little Wing on the nose.
“Gotcha!” Rainbow teased. “But you gotta admit, taking that for you was pretty heroic and everything…”
Little Wing laughed in response. “Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!”
Time froze. Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof had her that exclamation, slow grins creeping onto their faces.
“SHE SPOKE!” Windy announced to the world in a great impression of the Royal Canterlot Voice, no longer in her seat but fluttering up in the air. “DO IT AGAIN! ENCORE!”
Rainbow Dash lifted Little Wing off of herself, placing her down onto the ground with a grin of her own. Her mother and father rushed up to the suddenly self-conscious foal, Little Wing glancing around at all the proud and happy faces.
“Come on sweetie, say your sister’s name,” Windy encouraged, pointing at Rainbow.
Little Wing followed the hoof and looked at her elder sister, also pointing at the mare while turning to look back at her mother. “…Rainbow Dash?”
Windy squeed again, Bow having a tearfully proud look about him. “Our daughter, has that much time really passed?”
“Never mind that, I was her first word!” Rainbow reminded them cheerfully. “Now I know how Pinkie felt with Pumpkin and Pound Cake. Awesome!”
“Rainbow Dash!” Little Wing said again, now feeling rather proud of herself.
Windy tapped her chin, an idea or two popping into her head. “I wonder… Little Wing, can you say ‘apple’?”
Little Wing looked at her oddly, wondering where she got that word from as a first example. It probably wasn’t at all important, but she couldn’t help but wonder what went on in her mother’s mind sometimes. She did a little jump to try and see over the adults, wondering if there was an apple back on a bench or something.
“That was jumping. What you did there was jumping,” Windy noted in slight disappointment. “Come on, apple!”
Little Wing related, rolling the word around in her head for a moment. “Wapple?”
“Not quite…” Bow stated. “What about… cloud?”
“Ald?”
“Well no duh that wasn’t going to work!” Rainbow Dash remarked. “Now try 'awesome'!”
Both Windy and Bow gave her an incredulous look.
“Hey, you never know!” Rainbow protested.
Little Wing chose not even to attempt it, instead going back to what she already knew. “Rainbow Dash!”
“There must be something else we can get her to say aside from that and ‘Bwah’,” Windy said with a sigh. “There must be a simple word, come on Windy think!”
Little Wing looked up to her mother, and then decided to try and say something that would undoubtedly make her day. “Wammy?”
“Hm?” Windy looked back down at Little Wing. “What was that honey?”
Little Wing concentrated, rolling the word around her tongue as she forced herself to form it coherently. “Mummy?”
Windy Whistles seemed to stop working.
Gleeful, Little Wing then turned to her father and pointed an enthusiastic hoof at him. “Daddy!”
“She’s catching on pretty quick,” Rainbow Dash complimented, Little Wing in turn clapping her little hooves together with a squeal of delight.
“So it begins, growing up…” Violet Rain commented as she and her own family joined their friends.
“Little Wing!” Misty exclaimed as she bounced up next to her best friend. “Little Wing!”
Little Wing looked towards her friend, having heard Misty say her name so enthusiastically and deciding it wasn’t fair that only one of them do it. Even if it was the last new thing she said on forever, she was going to do it! Determination emanated from the foal, she pushed past her less than a year old brain and her gained childishness and tapped into as much as her old self’s intellect as she could. That wasn’t much, considering she spent her whole life in a small house, but she could handle that one small task if she wanted to!
“M-M-M-Misty,” Little Wing uttered experimentally, grinning in victory. “Misty!”
“She’s catching on really fast,” Violet stated. “What’s that? Five words in the past two minutes? It took Misty a few hours to say her second and third!”
“She does still know more than Little Wing does,” Wild Ace noted. “Not too much competition yet.”
“Well you better watch it buddy!” Rainbow Dash warned. “Competition runs in the family!”
“She’s not wrong,” Bow added in.
The foals, meanwhile, didn’t much care for the competition that was mainly between their parents and one sibling. They were too busy giggling to themselves, reciting the words each of them knew.
Little Wing’s Home, Exactly One Year After Her Adoption
Little Wing yawned as she meekly opened up her drowsy eyelids. She stretched out her various limbs to force out the stiffness within the joints, her surroundings becoming clearer as her mind booted itself up. Her room had changed up a little over the previous month or two, ever since her parents had decided that she had outgrown her original cot, replacing it with a small bed fit for a filly. In retrospect, she had to be amazed at how quickly children in Equestria mentally developed, perhaps that’s why the alicorn had chosen to do what she did. Or at least one of the reasons.
The filly also had to see the bonuses of no longer being locked up every morning, having the ability to leave her bed at will. But then again it was still limited, being far too small to open the door and having been unable to fly properly since her magic surges had ended many months previously. Even if she was no longer confined to a cot, she was still a small child in body.
“Not that I can complain…” Little Wing muttered to herself, hopping off of her bed and then proceeding to smooth the covers over into a state which made it look like they’d never even been slept in.
She next examined the room, specifically looking over to the mountain of toys in one corner. She considered just sitting and playing with them until one or both of her parents came knocking. Alternatively she could have read a book until such a time, but ultimately decided she didn’t want to do either.
Little Wing walked up to the door and gave it a glance over. For a moment she acted as if her glare alone could cause the door to perform her bidding, but that would have been too easy. She propped herself up onto her hind legs and reached up at the handle, coming just short of her intended target. Next she tried jumping up to reach the handle, fluttering her little wings to give her extra lift. It took a few futile attempts in which she always reached the handle but in her floundering didn’t actually manage to pull it, at least until her final attempt where she found herself dangling from the handle and successfully pulling down. The problem was that she also too quickly slipped back to the floor with the handle springing back up, and with the door staying exactly where it was when she began. Closed.
“Oh… BWAH!” Little Wing shouted in irritation. “MUM! DAD! HELP!”
She received silence in return.
The filly groaned in exasperation. “Why couldn’t you have made me a unicorn, Penumbra?”
She considered for a few moments any conceivable way she could get her parents’ attention. She could have continued to simply shout, but she wanted to add a bit of padding to be sure. Simply put, she would make as much of a ruckus as necessary.
She propped herself up against the door again, furiously banging against the wood.
“Mum! Dad! Filly SOS! Heeeeeelp!”
After a little bit more noise making she finally got the desired result, the sound of hooves out on the landing beyond. The voice that originated from the sound of those hooves, however, was quite clearly not that of her parents.
“Alright squirt, no need to give Rarity competition for over doing drama,” the voice deadpanned.
“Rainbow Dash?” Little Wing called through the door. “Sis, I didn’t know you were here?”
The door opened, and since Little Wing was still propped up against it she promptly tumbled over onto her back with a startled squeak. The rainbow maned pony who emerged from that doorway saw the sight and couldn’t help but mirthfully roll her eyes. She shut the door again before her little sister could flee before helping the filly back to her hooves.
“I really got to teach you about a thing called style, Little Wing,” Rainbow remarked, sitting down next to her sister. “With that, even your fails make you seem unimaginably awesome!”
“How would you know that? You don’t fail!” Little Wing replied cheerfully. “You’re a Wonderbolt!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled sheepishly with a few of her less than stellar moments, including a certain incident with rainbow cookies and zombies, all coming to mind. “Well… thanks for the confidence.”
Little Wing happily glomped her sister’s barrel, Rainbow being briefly caught off guard before wrapping a wing around the small pony. When Little Wing pulled away she gave an energetic hop backwards, though she had a question on her tongue.
“When did you get here?” Little Wing asked. “I didn’t know you were coming over today, Mum didn’t say anything about it. Didn’t she know? No, that’s impossible… She knows everything!”
Rainbow Dash snorted at her sister’s ramblings, but answered nevertheless. “Sorry we didn’t give you a heads up, squirt. We had hoped you’d sleep in a little longer anyway…”
Little Wing had an air of confusion come over her. “Huh? Why?”
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with an almost nervous grin on her face. “Well…. No reason! We just thought you would is all. It’s nothing to do with anything!”
“You’re acting funny…”
“Hey! I’m a funny kind of pony when I want to be!”
Little Wing tilted her head. Back in her old life she would see references on TV to a game called Poker. She didn’t remember the rules, but she knew it had something to do with cards and keeping a straight face the entire time, a ‘poker face’. Rainbow Dash was the complete opposite of that.
Of course the worse conclusion came to mind first, the filly wilting slightly. “Did I do something bad? Am I in trouble?”
“Huh? Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know, you’re just being weird.”
Rainbow Dash ruffled her mane a little. “Nah, I suppose I’m just in a silly mood. So now stop being all mopey, we want you to have a good time!”
“A good time? With what?”
Rainbow Dash facehooved. “Ugh, and I thought AJ was terrible at this…”
Little Wing tilted her head. “AJ?”
Rainbow Dash saw a chance to change the subject and took it. “Oh, that’s what I call Applejack sometimes. You met her once, I took you to Ponyville.”
“Yeah, I remember. Was she the one with the funny accent?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” Rainbow confirmed. “And you remember that? I thought small fillies and colts were bad at retaining memories for the first few months or something…”
Little Wing shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I just have a good memory…”
“Hm, well I don’t remember much from when I was that age. Flashes mostly,” Rainbow mused. “To be honest I don’t have that good of a memory anyway. Unless I’m flying, I never forget a detail when I’m in the zone!”
“The zone?”
“Uh… When I’m focused and confident. At my very best!”
“But you’re always the best!”
“No wonder you and Scoots get along so well…” Rainbow muttered. She liked cheers and praise very much, but also liked to think she was modest enough to know when she didn’t really earn it or it was untrue. Mostly.
She couldn’t deny that she was flattered though.
“Can we go downstairs?” Little Wing asked. “I’m actually kind of hungry…”
“Uh…” Rainbow Dash looked up to a clock on the wall. “Maybe in another ten minutes or so. Why don’t we do something with those action figures you like?”
“Why?” Little Wing questioned. “Why can’t we go downstairs?”
“We just can’t right now. Don’t think about it.”
“But why?”
“You ask too many questions.”
Roughly Ten Minutes Later
Little Wing had finally been released from jail, and was instead comfortably nestled on her warden’s back. She hadn’t gotten any answers from her elder sister, and so had simply shrugged it off for the time being. Maybe she would learn what all the fuss was about when she saw her parents.
She was thusly carried from her room and across the landing until they reached the stairs, Rainbow Dash descending down with Little Wing safely secured between her two wings. When they reached the ground floor they were met with silence. Little Wing had expected to see her parents waiting for them, but they were nowhere to be seen on her initial examination. She peeked into the nearby and partially open living room door, and likewise could see no sign of life within.
“Rainbow? Where’s Mum and Dad?”
“Oh, they’re through there,” Rainbow replied, gesturing towards the front door.
“Outside?” Little Wing questioned. “Why are they out there? Is Dad working in the garden?”
“Something like that,” Rainbow coyly stated, walking up to the doorway in question.
Sunlight flooded in as Rainbow Dash opened the front door up, revealing the day filled view of Cloudsdale. She saw her parents out there, as expected. What she wasn’t expecting was to see Misty Gust and her parents, Scootaloo, Fluttershy, a table full of food and a large cake, and a sudden bang to herald a stream of confetti to land on her from above.
Suffice to say, Little Wing found herself suddenly hiding between Rainbow Dash’s legs rather than sitting on her back.
Laughs emanated from the adults, including Rainbow Dash, as Little Wing cautiously peeked through from her hiding spot.
“Happy Birthday, Little Sis,” Rainbow Dash stated, pushing Little Wing out from under her.
“B-birthday?”
“Were you surprised!?” a pink missile demanded to know as it landed on the ground in front of the filly. “When they mentioned it was your birthday I just couldn’t resist getting involved especially since you’re Dashie’s sister and everything and it was you’re first which meant I had to get you started with a bang so I had a party cannon on the roof for a literal bang which was the confetti you saw and I hope that didn’t scare you too much and I’m really really sorry if it did I hope we’re still friends and-”
“Pinkie!” Rainbow abruptly interrupted. “Breathing. Do it.”
The bubbly mare took in a deep breath, and then let it out again. “Heh, sorry.”
“What’s happening?” Little Wing asked. “Do I need an adult?”
“It’s your birthday, honey,” Windy Whistles stated as she approached and picked up her daughter, placing Little Wing on her back. “Remember, you attended Misty’s party last week.”
"Yeah, we worked really hard on it!" Scootaloo added in. "Did we do good?"
“But… I’ve never had a party before…” Little Wing stated, eyes wide as she took everything in.
“Well of course not, you’re one!” Bow reminded his daughter.
“…Right.”
“And we thought you were only a week or so old when we brought you in, so that day might as well be your birthday,” Bow added in. “So… happy birthday!”
“She didn’t need to know that bit,” Windy scolded, kicking her husband in the shin. “But yes, I hope we didn’t frighten you too much…”
"Pfft, Wing can handle this," Rainbow dismissed. "Now if it was the birthday bash Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich pulled for my eighteenth..."
“I have a present!” a younger voice came from down beside Windy Whistles, and when Little Wing looked she saw Misty gleefully holding up a small wrapped box.
Windy allowed Little Wing to hop back down from her back, Misty passing the present over to Little Wing.
“Can I open it?” Little Wing asked.
“Well, of course!” Windy remarked. “You are the best birthday filly after all!”
“You stole my title, squirt!” Rainbow Dash teased.
“Oh, I’m sure we can make it a tie,” Windy teased back in Little Wing’s stead.
While that was going on, Little Wing ripped open the paper and looked at the gift that laid within. It was a small necklace broken into two joinable halves, a heart in the foreground with two flying pegasi fillies in the background, one on each separate half.
“What is it?”
“Mum said we could both wear it, so we’d be friends forever!” Misty explained, before appearing timid. “I wanted to get you a new Wonderbolt toy, but… we will always be friends, right?”
If Little Wing were some silly child only interested in the next big best toy, she might have thrown such a gift cruelly back in Misty’s face. But she was no such child, and such a sentiment resonated deeply for her.
Especially with what happened… before.
“I love it!” Little Wing exclaimed, opening up the box and hoofing over one of the halves to Misty. She placed her own on, looking at it proudly. “I’ll never take it off!”
Misty’s eyes glinted. “Never? Well neither will I!”
“You will when you take a bath,” Bow pointed out, receiving another kick from Windy despite his protests.
“Um, I’ve got something too,” a gentler and extremely kind sounding voice added in. “But I didn’t wrap it, I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Fluttershy wanted to give something as well for your birthday,” Rainbow Dash explained as the yellow mare approached. “She likes to do things like that. Element of Kindness and all.”
“Element?” Little Wing questioned.
The mare in question chuckled. “I’m sure Rainbow will explain someday,” Fluttershy stated, gently hoofing down a small white plush bunny. “I hope you like it.”
Little Wing examined the little white bunny, then looking up at Fluttershy and giving her an enthusiastic nod.
“Oh good, I’m glad you do.”
“Don’t forget, you still have more presents to open,” Windy casually reminded her daughter.
"You should see mine," Scootaloo spoke up enthusiastically. "I think you'll agree that it's the coolest."
Little Wing excitedly looked over towards the present near the table, but her rumbling stomach caused her eyes to move towards the cake instead.
“Cake!” Little Wing pointed at the calling mass of sugar.
“Dear, I think it’s a little early to have it yet.”
“Cake!” Misty agreed.
“See! Cake!” Little Wing concurred.
"I'm in!" Scootaloo said her piece.
“It’s never too early for cake,” Pinkie Pie added in her support. “It IS her birthday.”
Windy Whistles rolled her eyes, but ultimately gave in. “Fine. But just a little for now!”
“Yay!” both Little Wing and Misty Gust shouted, making a beeline for the table.
Little Wing stopped however, catching something out of the corner of her eye. When she turned, she saw a familiar sight awaiting her. And a wholly unexpected one.
Penumbra.
The alicorn was staring right at her, her eyes seemingly glad and yet… expecting. Almost foreboding. Little Wing reluctantly tore her eyes away from the ancient pony to see if anypony else was seeing what she was, but none of them had given any reaction to indicate they had. Perplexed, Little Wing looked back towards Penumbra.
Only to see thin air.
Little Wing stared for a few moments more, before being called back over to the table by her mother. She obeyed, but couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved. She was eternally grateful to Penumbra for what she did, so much so that she would never be able to repay such a debt. And yet there was something about that alicorn that sent a chill down her spine.
Sure, the otherwise bright white structure had various smiley faces and other kid-friendly motifs painted on that it should have been the most welcoming place in the world, but it was nevertheless daunting for the young filly.
The Sky Dance Kindergarten. Presumably founded by someone named Sky Dance.
The day had seemed so far off, and yet there Little Wing was. She was officially starting her first day at school, or at least kindergarten. She was pretty sure it was easy compared to school later on, but this was once area where she couldn’t speak from experience, never having attended such a place previously.
That alone added a bit of excitement into the mix. If they had gone out of their way to deny her the experience then it couldn’t be all that bad, at least in Little Wing’s mind. Plus, she truly wanted to learn. At the same time, however, she had no idea what to expect and where to even begin.
Thus her shy stature and act of scuffing one hoof along the floor was in great contrast to Misty Gust, who was prancing on the spot with the stupidest grin Little Wing had ever seen plastered into her face.
“We’re here, we’re actually here!” she squeed, prancing away. “Can you believe it, Little Wing? Can you? Can you!?”
“…Yes. I’m looking at it,” she deadpanned in return.
Misty stopped in her tracks and tilted her head at Little Wing. “Huh? Is something wrong?”
Caught, Little Wing attempted to plaster an all-too-fake smile onto her muzzle. “No! Nothing at all! It’s the first day of school, with a bunch of kids I don’t know and a teacher who may not even think I’m worth the-”
“Little Wing,” the voice of Windy Whistles interrupted her rant as she and Bow Hothoof approached alongside Misty’s own parents. “Now what is all this about?”
There went the small blue hoof scuffing the ground again. “N-nothing…”
Windy gave her daughter a soft, but knowing look. One that told the filly that she was not that easily fooled, probably because she’d gone through all the tricks with a previous child.
Little Wing couldn’t meet her mother’s gaze. “It’s nothing, OK? I don’t wanna talk about it…”
Windy Whistles sighed, proceeding to outstretch a wing and pull her little filly in for a gentle wing hug. “Are you nervous about school?”
Little Wing was silent for a moment, but then gave a slow nod. “A little…”
“Is there any particular reason why?” Windy asked. “Do you know?”
Little Wing gaze silence in reply.
“You do know you can talk to me, right?” Windy asked. “About anything at all.”
Little Wing looked at the floor. “What if things are really really bad? What if I can’t learn anything, or nopony likes me…”
“Little Wing, you have no reason to think that,” Windy stated, nuzzling the top of Little Wing’s head. “You’re going to learn lots of things, and make lots of new friends. Your sister did, and so will you.”
“Rainbow Dash doesn’t get nervous about anything though…”
Windy Whistles shook her head. “Not true.”
Little Wing looked up at her mother with a perplexed expression. “Huh?”
“Dashie would never admit it, but I could tell she was just as nervous as you on her first day. She just hid it behind a brave face, like she has always done.”
“…What did she do?”
“She just went in and did her best,” Windy replied. “That’s all anypony can ever ask of you.”
“Really?”
Her mother nodded. “Really.”
Little Wing looked towards the building in question, which for some reason seemed a little less threatening that it had done before. She then looked over to the cutie marks of some of the passing ponies, before looking up at her mother again with a new glint in her eyes.
“Will I get my cutie mark!?”
Windy Whistles laughed. “I’m sure you will… in your own time.”
“It’s just about time,” Bow stated from behind the two. “We should get inside, don’t want to be late for the first day.”
That sprung Little Wing into gear, she wanted to make something of a good first impression after all. So with that in mind, she ran from under her mother’s protecting wing and got into step next to Misty Gust. With their respective parents in tow, the two fillies began to move into the building itself alongside several other families. The interior had a carpeted floor that was quite reminiscent of Rainbow Dash’s mane, and alongside that it had light blue painted walls which in turn had various drawings made by the attending children pinned up on various notice boards.
Directly opposite the front entrance sat a standard looking wooden reception desk, an aged pegasus mare sitting behind it ticking off a register as each family approached. Beside each name she read off the classroom each child would be placed in, as well as the teacher who would be teaching them.
“Bright Feather, Classroom Two, Mr Bright Spark,” the receptionist read out uniformly.
Little Wing and Misty Gust had entered the line by that point, they and their families awaiting their turn. The line was moving at a steady rate, with fillies and colts being ushered into their assigned classrooms while saying goodbye to their then departing parents.
“Sky Trail, Classroom Four, Mrs Starry Diamond.”
The line got that little bit closer. Before long there was only one more family in front of them, the receptionist adjusting her glasses as she examined the sheet of paper in front of her.
“I hope we get into the same classroom…” Misty muttered.
“I wouldn’t worry, dear,” Violet Rain reassured her daughter. “They take these things into consideration.”
“Especially when we call ahead,” Bow added in a mutter.
The family in front of them got the classroom and teacher assigned to their child, and so it was Little Wing next up.
“Name,” the receptionist bluntly said as the three stood before the desk.
“Her name is Little Wing,” Windy replied. “I’m Windy Whistles, my husband is Bow Hothoof.”
The receptionist hummed, picking up the paper and examining it again. “Little Wing… Windy Whistles… Bow Hothoof… Yes, here we are.”
“So where is she going to be?” Bow asked.
“I’m getting to that,” the mare stated. “Let’s see… Little Wing, Classroom Two, Mr Bright Spark.”
“Thank you,” Windy said to the mare. “Come on Little Wing.”
“But what about Misty?” Little Wing enquired.
“Misty?” the receptionist asked in turn.
“Here,” Violet Rain spoke up, pushing her husband and daughter forwards. “Misty Gust, Violet Rain, Wild Ace.”
The receptionist hummed again as she looked back towards her paper, a routine long engrained no doubt. “Yes, here you are. Misty Gust, Classroom Two, Mr Bright Spark.”
Both fillies were able to breathe a sigh of relief, and then gave each other bright grins of delight.
“Thank you,” Windy repeated. “We can find our way.”
“A building this small, I’d be worried if you somehow got yourself lost,” the receptionist deadpanned. “We only have five classrooms.”
“Yes, well… thanks again.”
It did indeed only take a few moments to find their designated classroom in the hallway beyond the reception area. There was a door either side of the desk, each one leading to a corridor with two doors on the left of the left side of the building, and on the right wall on the right side of the building. There was then a sixty degree turn at the end of the corridor where another stretch of corridor linked the other two up, another door existing on the back wall leading to the fifth classroom. There were some doors facing the inside walls of the corridors, but they all seemed to lead to a storage cupboard and teacher officers.
Classroom two was located in the door to the left when facing the reception desk, and after that was the second door to the left, further signified by the fact that both the classroom number and the teacher’s name were plastered onto the door.
“Well, that was painless enough,” Bow Hothoof remarked. “But I think we leave them here.”
“You have to leave?” Little Wing asked.
“You know we do, sweetie,” Windy Whistles pointed out. “We’d only get in the way. Don’t worry, we’ll be here to pick you up when it’s time to go home.”
Misty said goodbye to her own parents as Little Wing did hers, and then with a few proud tears in their eyes the four older ponies exited the corridor and left the two fillies alone. With the two of them by themselves, all they did was turn and look at the doorway.
“…So, we going in?” Misty asked.
“I think so. Do we knock?”
“It would be polite,” Misty agreed.
“Ok. Go on then.”
“Why me?”
“Why not?”
“But why not you?”
“I don’t want to break the door.”
“How would you even do that?”
Little Wing shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to get in trouble.”
“But… what if I break the door?”
And then the door opened without help from either of the fillies.
“Ah, I thought I had heard voices out here,” stated the stallion who had appeared. “Don’t be shy, it’s an exciting new day with so much to learn!”
Both fillies gawped at the stallion, not quite knowing what to think. Sure, he seemed like a pegasus. That is if his wings didn’t seem so… bat-like. That combined with the glowing yellow eyes with a slit shaped pupil staring down at them. Aside from that the pony had a grey coat, a blue mane with an even lighter blue tuft to one side and a cutie mark depicting a sparking lightbulb on his flank.
“Uh…” they said in unison.
The stallion smirked in amusement, glancing at his wings knowingly. “Come inside, we’ll consider this your first lesson.”
He stepped aside, gesturing for the two children to enter the classroom and pick a seat of their choice. They did so after a moment of processing, taking a good look around at their new environment. There were at least a dozen other colts and fillies sitting around the room at various tables, one of theme even had bat wings akin to the stallion who had greeted them. Misty Gust pointed to a couple of free spaces at a table already containing two other fillies and a colt. Realising that the whole class was waiting on them, Little Wing quickly followed her friend to the unoccupied seats and sat down on them.
“Ah, now that our stragglers have arrived,” the stallion spoke up again, checking a list to ensure his entire class was present. “I believe that class can begin. First off, my name is Mr Bright Spark. I’ll be your teacher for the next year, at which point you will all move on to a higher form of education. Should you have any questions for me at any point, fell free to raise your hoof so I can see you.”
Misty Gust’s hoof immediately shot up.
Bright Spark nodded. “Yes, it’s Misty Gust I believe? What is your question?”
“Are you a pegasus?” she asked innocently.
A few of the other children laughed, causing Misty, and Little Wing by association, to blush a little. Others did not however, likely just as curious as to the answer.
Bright Spark chuckled. “Yes, my little pony, I am a pegasus. In a sense at least. Specifically, I am a sub-species of pegasus some might call a bat-pony. However, we’re actually called thestrals.”
“Oh, okay…”
“Any more questions?” Bright Spark asked, receiving no reply. “No? Alright then.”
The thestral placed his list down onto his teacher’s desk and leaned against it, giving the class a friendly smile, though he did inadvertently reveal his fangs in the process.
That was enough to peak Little Wing’s own curiosity, her hoof shooting up.
Bright Spark raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Little Wing?”
“Mr bat-pony thestral sir,” Little Wing called out, much to her teacher’s amusement. “What are the fangs for?”
Bright Spark sighed, inwardly cursing the curiosity of children. “Ah, right. Well, just like all other teeth they are for eating.”
“But we don’t have fangs…”
“That’s because only thestrals tend to eat meat as well as fruit and vegetables,” Bright Spark explained.
“Really?” Little Wing questioned. Sure she had never eaten meat since her adoption, but she had never really thought about it until that point. “I’ve eaten meat.”
The whole class turned to look at Little Wing, Bright Spark himself giving her a slight frown. “Little Wing, are you sure about that? Non-thestrals can’t usually digest meat, not very well anyway.”
“O-oh…” Little Wing stuttered, her brain catching up with what she had said. “I think I must have been dreaming.”
“She dreams about eating ponies,” the colt at the table remarked with a snicker. “What a freak.”
Little Wing sank where she sat, but was startled back up again by the teacher’s shout.
“Hey! There shall be no mean or cruel comments like that in my classroom, understood Silver Breeze?”
Silver Breeze grumbled. True to his name his coat was silvery in colour, contrasting with his black mane and blue eyes. “Yes sir…”
“Good, now that’s out of the way…” Bright Spark continued. “Since it’s our first day together we’ll start off nice and easy. First we’ll go around the class and introduce ourselves, and then I’ll go over what I expect of you in the classroom. After that, a little bit of fun and games may be in order.”
Faces around the classroom brightened at the mention of games, including Little Wing’s. The rest of the day went exactly as planned by Mr Bright Spark. And then at the end of the day both Little Wing and Misty Gust were picked up by their parents, who all noticed their visible good moods. Despite it all, however, Little Wing kept thinking back on one event that caused a slight blemish on an otherwise good day. That colt, Silver Breeze, and his snide remark.
She hoped there wouldn’t be more of that in the days to come.
“All right everypony, outside!” Mr Bright Spark announced to the gathered fillies and colts, opening the classroom door and gesturing for them to leave in a neat single file line.
The children all did as they were told, for the most part at least. Little Wing and Misty Gust were among the group, talking idly amongst themselves as they all made their way outside. When they arrived, they all gathered together in one big mass while awaiting their teacher to begin his explanations.
Any of the children who looked up may have noticed a few clouds in the shape of rings. There were six in total, the rings being arranged in a small circular circuit that reminded Little Wing of some similar rings used by her sister and the other Wonderbolts in their tricks. They weren’t exactly as high off the ground as the rings used by the Wonderbolts, but they did stand above the head of their teacher, higher than any of the foals could reach via jumping no matter how hard a few of them tried.
“Alright, alright, settle down,” Bright Spark announced to the class. “I’m sure you’ve noticed the little course we’ve set up just above us, and I do have an explanation.”
Little Wing hoped so, he was the teacher after all.
Bright Spark continued. “You may think that school is all about learning the alphabet and the basics of our own magical properties, and you would be right, but today we decided to allow you all to stretch your wings for a while. Literally, you are pegasi after all. So today we are skipping the books and seeing if you all know how to use those wings of yours.”
“Oh! So flying lessons!” one of the colts in the group shouted out.
“Bingo!” the thestral confirmed. “Now we don’t want you to do anything over strenuous, so we’re going to start with some warm ups. I’m going to place you into four groups, each of you will be given some warm up exercises to prepare you wings. Alright, so first off…”
Bright Spark went about splitting the class into four, each group holding an equal number of children amongst them. After they are been arranged, he went to each one individually and explained the warm up exercises they would be conducting. What Little Wing ended up doing with at first just a series of stretched not only for her wings but for the rest of her body as well, Mr Bright Spark explaining that more than their wings had to be in peak condition if they wanted to be the best flyer they could be. Following their stretches they were required to simply jump into the air and hover in place for a few moments, just so that their teacher could see they could remain in the air at all. You couldn’t well fly if you couldn’t even hover a metre above the ground.
Little Wing wasn’t anywhere near as proficient as she was when she had her magic surges all that time ago, which was to be expected. However, she and the other fillies and colts all were able to perform the simple action with little problems, even if a few of them had a couple of false starts.
Little Wing, much to her embarrassment, was one of them.
“Sheesh, you couldn’t even get that right first time,” Silver Breeze, also being in their group, remarked. “Maybe it’s that meat you eat.”
“I do not!” Little Wing objected, coming out of her hover and pointing an accusatory hoof at the colt.
“Then you’re just a stupid liar!” Silver Breeze rudely shot back, his own hover remaining uninterrupted.
Little Wing looked away from the colt, intent on ignoring him. She jumped and flapped her wings, coming back to a hover as her innate pegasus magic jumped to life.
After another minute or so of that exercise, the teacher called for all of the children to stop and turn back towards him. Little Wing was still a bit fumed as Bright Spark began to explain what came next, but tried to put it in the back of her mind as she listened to the kindergarten teacher.
“Alright class, that’s some good work,” Mr Bright Spark complimented. “Now we get serious. One by one I am going to take you up to the course, and then will accompany you as you complete one lap each. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to catch you if you fall. Now, who wants to go first?”
Several hooves immediately shot up into the air, waving around erratically to get Bright Spark’s attention. The thestral considered the options a moment before picking one of the calmest of the group to be the first up. He guided the little filly up into the air, staying close to ensure her safety. One she was up, and she was given the all clear by the teacher, she began to fly forwards and pass through each ring systematically. She completed her lap in no time at all, Bright Spark giving her an approving smile.
“See? Easy. Simple flight is an ability open to all pegasi, and I have every confidence that you will all excel."
Little Wing frowned to herself. If flight was open to all pegasi from their age, what about Scootaloo?
“Alright, who is next?”
One by one he made his way through the fillies and colts. Each made it through the course, though one smaller colt almost plummeted from the sky just after making it through the final ring, but Mr Bright Spark had been ready for such an eventuality. Misty Gust’s turn eventually came, and with a smile of encouragement from Little Wing she stepped on forwards and cautiously flew up to the small course.
Little Wing cheered as her best friend successfully completed the course, flying through all the rings to near perfection. She wasn’t by any means the fastest, but as Bright Spark reminded a few of the participants it was a lesson, not a race.
And then it was Little Wing’s turn.
“Little Wing,” Mr Bright Spark called out. “Come on up.”
Little Wing was among the last, only two others behind her. Sure she was a little nervous, but she had seen all the others complete the course. She was sure she could also complete it.
She had been so sure…
As she stepped on forwards, she just overheard Silver Breeze remark: “Pfft, she’s not good enough.” Little Wing swore she had somepony say that to her before, but she couldn’t place it.
“Come on, up we go,” Bright Spark encourage, easing Little Wing into the air alongside him.
The filly had to admit a small giddy feeling at returning to the air, aside from a few hops she had remained mostly grounded since her magic surges had ended. She was quickly present before the first hoop, which she examined in anticipation. Bright Spark gave her a nod, and she flapped her wings and proceeded through the first ring with haste. She closed in and passed through the second, and then the third, her teacher encouraging her onwards the whole time.
But despite her elation at returning to the air, what Silver Breeze had said still bothered her. Only when passing through ring number four did it finally hit her.
“You’re not good enough,” her father stated dismissively, returning to his newspaper.
“But I promise I am!” the ten year old begged. “I know I am, please let me try!”
“School is for bright sparks, not you,” her mother agreed with her father. “You’ll stay here until you’re old enough to marry a good man and make him a good wife. Like me.”
“But I want to go to school!” the child begged further.
“No means no!”
“I’ll escape!” she threatened feebly. “Tell someone!”
Her father grabbed her arm, making the girl yelp in both surprise and pain. It hadn’t been the first time. “Listen here, Emma, you will do no such thing! If you do, you won’t be welcome back into this house, and you will have nobody!”
Emma relented, tear wetting her cheeks as she fled the living room and didn’t stop until she crashed down onto her own bed.
When reality came back to Emma, no… Little Wing, she found herself not in the air but back on the ground with Bright Spark looking over her with a worried expression.
“Little Wing, are you alright?”
“Y-yeah, I think so…” Little Wing mumbled as she sat up, quite thoroughly confused as to what happened.
There were several more adults outside with the group now, one mare running over to Bright Spark and Little Wing with a first aid kit in her mouth.
“What happened?” the mare asked as she placed the box down next to Little Wing.
“I’m not certain, she just spaced out and dropped like a stone,” Mr Bright Spark explained. “I don’t know why.”
Amongst the crowd, Silver Breeze and his buddies were snickering to themselves rather cruelly. “Ha! She really can’t fly! All she’s good for is crashing!”
“Hey, enough of that!” Bright Spark barked out, having heard the colt. “I’ll be talking with you afterwards, trust on that.”
The colt huffed, ‘trying’ to act unintimidated by the pony with the fangs.
Even if he’d been told off, Silver Breeze’s comment still stung Little Wing sharply. She had fallen from the sky and crashed in front of all the others, the filly then gave a sniffle as she imagined how pathetic her classmates now thought she was.
“Little Wing?” Misty called out in concern, but was kept back by one of the teachers.
“I don’t see anything wrong with her,” the mare with the first aid stated. “But better safe than sorry, it might be something deeper. I’ll arrange for a quick check-up at the hospital, I trust you’ll call her parents?”
Bright Spark nodded. “I’ll get it done.”
That Weekend
Little Wing sat on the edge of her bed, sniffling as she stared at the wall opposite her. After the incident a few days prior she had been rushed to the hospital and given a full examination by a unicorn doctor, all of the tests coming back clear. Her parents had been there with her, holding her hoof, and were relieved when the results came back. It, however, did leave the doctors clueless as to what happened to the filly, who didn’t give much of an answer.
How could she explain to them what she had experienced? It had been just like when Rainbow Dash and Little Wing first connected, Little Wing had been in the present and then the next moment she was almost reliving memories she’d much rather bury and forget. Perhaps it was some sort of side effect to whatever Penumbra had done to her, but the only one who could answer that was the mysterious alicorn herself. But she, of course, was completely absent.
The doctors had instructed that she take the rest of the week off, and that Windy and Bow both keep an eye out for any returning symptoms. Of course, none ever did. Now it was a Sunday, and the next morning Little Wing was due to return to school as if nothing had happened.
But something had happened, with all those eyes watching her. Little Wing wished she could just bury herself under her covers and never come out, like she had been doing all weekend. She could tell her parents were worried about her, but it wasn’t like they could do anything about it anyway.
Little Wing looked down at a Wonderbolt action figure on her bed, which she had been idly examining a moment before. With a sigh she glumly kicked it off the bed, her downcast eyes then moving to the floor.
“That’s no way to treat a Wonderbolt,” Rainbow Dash joked as she entered the room, having only just arrived at the house.
“Hey Rainbow,” Little Wing half-heartedly greeted her elder sister.
“That’s it? No hug?” Rainbow Dash asked as she sat down next to Little Wing.
The filly shrugged, not answering.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “You know, Mum and Dad are pretty worried. They say you won’t talk to them, so they dragged me up here instead. So… what’s up?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Oh come on Little Wing, you’re not old enough to be acting all down in the dumps like this, you’re not even two yet!”
Little Wing had to concede that point. She supposed the increased rate of mental aging in pony children compared to human children could be a bit of a curse in bad circumstanes.
“I mean, sis. You should be out there and having fun, playing with Misty Gust maybe,” Rainbow stated. “Not… this.”
“Hm.”
“Is it Silver Breeze?” she asked somewhat knowingly. “I got told about him, and what he said.”
“He’s a jerk!” Little Wing blurted out accusingly. “Why can’t he just leave me alone!?”
“So he IS what’s bothering you?”
“I… guess. Sorta,” Little Wing said, unsure. “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow. Everypony probably hates me.”
Rainbow Dash gave her little sister an odd look. “Okay… Why?”
“I crashed in front of everypony!” Little Wing shouted, shooting up and staring Rainbow in the eyes with tears flooding out of her own. “I’ll never be as good as you now!”
“Scootaloo couldn’t fly at your age, and is only now even getting off the ground,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “But she never gives up. Never.”
“That because she’s almost as cool as you,” Little Wing muttered. “I’m just a stupid kid…”
“Let me tell you something,” Rainbow Dash said, draping a wing over her sister. “When I was in school, I wasn’t always the best flyer. Sure I was the youngest flier to compete in all those competitions, but for the longest time I lost every single one of them.”
Little Wing sniffled again. “Y-you did?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t great. Another friend of mind, Derpy, used to be the best actually. But she’s a long and kinda sad story…” Rainbow trailed off before getting back on subject. “But I practiced, and I got better. And there’s something else too.”
“There is?”
Rainbow nodded. “Once, I also had a bit of an… accident. Only I crashed into a bin and got given the name Rainbow Crash.”
Little Wing tilted her head. “But… isn’t that what the Wonderbolts called you?”
“I crashed into a bin a second time on my first day with them,” Rainbow stated slightly sheepishly. “But it’s not quite as mean spirited with them, and Spitfire’s nickname is waaaaay worse.”
“Really? What is it?”
“I’ll explain later,” Rainbow promised. “But yeah, when that happened it made me a little sad. But despite that, I pressed on and now I’m only the coolest Wonderbolt there is!”
Little Wing giggled. “You're the big sister best Wonderbolt forever!”
Rainbow hummed. “BSBWF, huh? Heh, I’m not sure if Twilight would be thrilled or annoyed that we stole her thing.”
“Huh?”
Rainbow laughed. “It doesn’t matter. Point is, don’t listen to whatever that colt has to say, I promise you that it’s all complete horseapples. Besides…”
Rainbow Dash got up and offered her hoof to Little Wing, who stared at it in obvious confusion.
“No offense to the guy, but who needs Mr Bright Spark when you’ve already got the best flight instructor there is?”
“Where are we going?” Little Wing asked as she followed her sister down the stairway.
“Outside,” Rainbow Dash responded factually. “Where else? We need as much open sky as we can get!”
“But why?” Little Wing asked in slight frustration. “Saying what you said and then bolting isn’t as cool or dramatic as it is in your head!”
“Of course it is!” she rebuffed. “Besides, I think I made it pretty obvious, squirt.”
Rainbow Dash stopped just in front of the front door, turning around and looking Little Wing in the eyes. Little Wing took a moment to catch her breath from the sudden sprint, and then sat on her haunches as she awaited the explanation.
“Right, you listening kiddo?” Rainbow asked her little sister, Little Wing gave a nod in response. “Alright, good. Now I think you’re going to be a better flier than you give yourself credit for. You are MY little sister after all! And Celestia knows I am a great influence.”
Little Wing had no argument, holding her elder sister as dear as she did. Had any of Rainbow Dash’s friends been there, however, they might have held differing opinions on the matter.
“And talking from experience, it’s all about both determination and practice. Scootaloo has both in spades, and she’s really improving!” Rainbow Dash stated. “You just need to have some confidence in yourself, Little Wing, that’s all.”
“But-”
“Nope!” Rainbow interrupted with a shake of her head. “No buts! Besides, you don’t need to worry about your class, they’re not here. It’s just you and me, and you know you can trust me, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Little Wing responded with a hasty nod of her head. “Of course!”
“Then you know what I’m saying is true. And you know that I won’t let you get hurt, and that I will help you fly.”
“I know you will try but…” Little Wing sniffled. “But you’re a Wonderbolt! The coolest Wonderbolt! I’ll never be as good as you.”
Rainbow Dash sighed, walking up to her sister and draping a comforting wing around her back. “Wing, you shouldn’t think like that. What I am doesn’t matter, you don’t need to be me. You just need to be you. You’re special in your own way.”
Rainbow then blinked, considering her own words. “Wow. The girls have really rubbed off on me, haven’t they?”
“Huh?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she dismissed. “So how about it?”
Little Wing considered for a moment, before giving a cautious nod. “A-alright. Can you teach me?”
“Kid, I thought you’d never ask!” Rainbow Dash shouted enthusiastically, basically flipping Little Wing onto her back before launching the front door open.
Rainbow jumped out of the house, taking a moment to shut the door before giving an examination of their surroundings. The garden was plenty big enough for what she had planned, she wasn’t about to start her little sister off by throwing her into the deep end or, in that particular case, into the deep drop that came before the green fields below Cloudsdale.
“Where are we going?” Little Wing asked.
“Nowhere,” Dash explained. “We’re just getting the basics out today. Teaching you can’t be any harder than teaching Twilight.”
“You taught the Princess?” Little Wing asked in slight awe. “Did you know each other as foals?”
“Nah, Twi didn’t have wings when she was a kid,” Rainbow Dash stated to Little Wing’s confusion. “So, how far did you get before the crash?”
“I… got through a few rings,” she responded a little sheepishly.
“There were six right? Hang on.”
Rainbow Dash placed Little Wing back onto the ground before kicking off into the air. Faster than the filly could track, her elder sister got to work collecting a bunch of cloud together and morphing them into six rings akin to those Little Wing had seen at her kindergarten. She then finished by standing on the underside of one of them nonchalantly, her mane hanging due to the forces of gravity.
“Ta da! It was an easy ask,” Rainbow said in satisfaction. “Six rings set up in a complete circuit, and now you’ll see you can complete it just fine.”
“…How are you standing upside down?”
“Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked down, or rather up, apparently having not even noticed. “Oh right. Well we can stand on clouds, so we can also cling to their undersides, at least if your magic is strong enough.”
“Oh, so not me.”
“Yet,” Rainbow Dash made sure to add, releasing herself from the cloud and gliding back down to where her sister was sitting. “It’s not something most, if any, fillies and colts can actually do. Actually, most adults I’ve met can’t even do it. I know the other bolts can, and Twi can… most of the time.”
Little Wing nodded, standing up on all fours and looking up at the small course her elder sister had set up. She gave her wings an uncertain glance, the two appendages fluttering in anticipation. Could she truly do this? Was she unsuited for the task because of her… ‘ground trapped’ past? Those questions were plaguing the fillies mind, making her want to run away back to her room and barricade the door.
Rainbow Dash noticed Little Wing shaking a little, and so gave her a gentle nudge forwards with her muzzle, also shooting her a smile of encouragement when the filly looked back questioningly.
“I’ll be right behind you. And I won’t laugh if you don’t get it right the first time, I promise.”
That was relieving for Little Wing to hear. Not that she ever thought her sister would laugh at her, but it was nice to hear nevertheless.
Little Wing attempted to get her nerves under control and muster up some semblance of bravery. She still wasn’t sure whether she truly wanted to be doing it, but neither did she want to disappoint her elder sister and idol. That would sting far more than the laughing faces of her classmates ever could.
With a deep breath and following exhale, Little Wing pushed herself off of the ground and flapped her wings to bring herself into a simple hover to start with. The action was successful, the filly remaining stable in the air.
“That’s it,” Rainbow encouraged further. “Now bring it home!”
Little Wing looked up to the first ring in the circuit, and began to move up towards it. Rainbow Dash, never one to stay grounded, flew up alongside her. She stopped her flight right in front of the first ring, coming into a simple hover and looking at her sister worriedly.
Rainbow gave her a nod to boost her confidence. “Go on, I’m right beside you!”
Little Wing stared at her for a few moments more, before forcing the muscles in her neck to turn her head back towards the rings despite the protests of her very being. Fighting off her nerves, she once again began to flap her wings and move onwards with Rainbow Dash shadowing her every move. She moved through the first ring just fine, as she had done previously. The second and third came next, and with replays of her previous experiences in her mind she approached ring number four. She was going at a snail’s pace, but Rainbow Dash kept supporting her from the side and her encouragement prevented the filly from bailing on the exercise entirely.
She passed through the fourth ring. Her pace remained constant as the fifth followed suit, and then the sixth and final ring passed her by.
Little Wing stopped, heart rate slowing back to normal as the realisation of her success sunk in.
“Told you so!” Rainbow Dash announced both victoriously and happily. “So… how do you feel?”
Little Wing spun to face her sister, a happy grin spreading the width of her muzzle. It was plain to see that her spirits had soared high at the success, confidence renewed.
“I did it! I did it!” she cheered ecstatically
“Knew you could, squirt,” Rainbow stated. “A liiiittle slow mind you, but if you’re not up to the challenge…”
“Nuh-uh!” Little Wing dismissed in an adorable display of playful, fiery determination. “I can totally do better! Lemme try! Pleeeeeese?”
“Well I guess I could…” Rainbow Dash said in mock hesitation. “But only if you promise to try you best and NEVER give in! Especially when kids like Silver Breeze act like jerks!”
Little Wing nodded quickly and enthusiastically. “Yesyesyes! I will, I promise! So… can I?”
Rainbow laughed. “Race ya!”
The prismatic maned pegasus shot off through the first ring, but only at a speed a little above what she knew the filly could manage.
“Hey! No fair!” Little Wing whined in protest, bolting off after her elder sister. “You cheated!”
“You’ll just have to catch me!”
Little Wing took the challenge personally, and channelled everything into her wings.
As this was going on, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles were watching the sisters’ playful competition from their home’s front doorstep, Bow having a wing draped over his wife’s back. They had been watching since the moment Rainbow Dash had taken Little Wing outside, having overheard their conversation in the hallway. Both wore proud, and relieved, looks on their faces.
“See? Told you it would turn out fine,” Bow remarked.
“You were as worried as I was,” Windy rebuked. “But yes, it did turn out fine.”
Windy gave her husband a quick nuzzle, before then looking back up at the spectacle above. Little Wing had managed to increase her pace, almost catching up with her sister who was flying with her back facing the ground just to show off.
“I’ll get the ‘best sister flight instructor’ trophy ordered tonight,” Bow Hothoof promised. “And the ‘best sister flight student’ trophy for Little Wing.”
“Our room is running out of space,” Windy Whistles noted. “I think it’s high time we considered extending the house, like we did when making Dashie’s trophy room.”
“I can get on that too,” Bow replied. “I have a few door opening sound effects in mind.”
Back in the air, Little Wing had finally matched speeds with her elder sister, though the strain was obvious. As they were passing through the fifth ring, Rainbow Dash slowed ever so slightly and allowed Little Wing to take the lead, ensuring her victory during that lap.
“Aw, you beat me!” Rainbow Dash said in pretend disappointment. “Suppose I need more practice, huh?”
Little Wing looked ready to drop. “Heh. You… let me… win…”
Rainbow Dash positioned herself under Little Wing as her wings slackened, allowing the filly to harmlessly land on her back. However, instead of lowering herself and her sister to the ground the pegasus moved steadily on up in the air, leaving the house far behind. She moved on up past all the upper layers of clouds until it was pure unfiltered blue sky above them, all that was between them and the depths of space. The upper layer of clouds was spread out all around them, it in itself like a majestic kingdom high in the sky. Little Wing hadn’t been so high before, and she took it in with awe filled eyes.
“Wow…” Little Wing muttered. “And I thought the high up view of Ponyville was big…”
“You remember that, huh?” Rainbow Dash noted. “Yeah, I can’t get much higher than this, air’s way to thin. If I weren’t a pegasus, I’d be struggling even now.”
“There’s no way to get higher.”
“We’ll wait until spaceships are a real thing,” Rainbow joked. “Twi could probably get a little higher, but she’s some pseudo-goddess alicorn. It’s kinda cheating.”
“How far could she go?” Little Wing asked. “To the moon?”
“I doubt it, kiddo,” Rainbow said. “But if you asked Princess Luna, there’s not much to see. She’s probably the only pony in history to stand on the moon, but I’m sure you’ll learn about that in school.”
Little Wing hummed, looking back over the rolling landscape of clouds below them. She could just imagine a vast civilisation of pegasi rolling for as far as the eye could see.
“You know, there were old legends of an endless city of pegasi up here, unmatched in its power,” Rainbow Dash told Little Wing, as if reading her little sister’s thoughts. “Some pegasi, at least back in the three tribes era, thought it was the afterlife; they believed that our great heroes would greet them all on their passing. Well, I don’t see Commander Hurricane up here, so I don’t think they were quite on the mark with that.”
“Why haven’t we built up here?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “No idea. Probably not enough in the budget. But we have Cloudsdale, and then there’s Las Pegasus, not like we’re lacking places to live anyway.”
Rainbow Dash looked directly below them, to around about where she knew her parents’ house was.
“But anyway, we should probably get back down before Mum and Dad think we got lost up here.”
Little Wing pouted. “Aww, but it’s pretty up here.”
“Maybe another time, Wing,” Rainbow said apologetically as she began to lower both herself and Little Wing back down towards the ground.
Little Wing curled up on her sister’s back, a content smile on her face. Rainbow Dash was right, her classmates’ jeers meant nothing. The jeers of those two humans she knew once meant nothing, just like they meant nothing.
In almost but a flash, the final week had approached.
Little Wing sat in class next to Misty Gust, the entire class consumed in one story book or another. The book Little Wing read was the fairy tale of the Mare in the Moon, which some of the other kids had said to be true and that Nightmare Moon was Princess Luna. She would have to remember to ask her elder sister about that the next time she saw her. As for the book itself, well it was no Hungry Caterpillar but she enjoyed it nevertheless.
As for her progress, she could scarcely imagine herself as soon to be attending the Junior Flight School. The summer would start in the middle of the week, and so too would come her second birthday not too long after that. Or in actuality, which Little Wing kept strongly to herself at the back of her mind, her fifteenth.
She certainly felt a lot smarter than when she had been two the first time around, which she didn’t remember in the slightest. But neither did she feel nearly fifteen, if she would equate it to anything it would be the feeling of being a six to eight year old. She had to wonder how long she would mentally stay at that age, she had heard it mentioned that the age of graduation of the main Cloudsdale Flight School was sixteen, having heard from her sister that she’d immediately gotten a job offer from Ponyville’s weather team on graduation.
Little Wing had tried to ask further questions, but even Rainbow herself didn’t entirely know the reasons why that was, but was just thankful it happened to allow her to meet her best friends.
Little Wing shook herself away from her stray thought pattern, returning to her book. With beautiful art emblazoned on the page she saw the white alicorn with the pink mane fire rainbow coloured magic at the Mare of the Moon, the dark alicorn vanishing in an instant and being replaced by the moon with the alicorn’s shadow sitting upon it like graffiti.
She had also heard the moon had actually looked like that until four years before her own arrival, and that she would learn that portion in history class in the Junior Flight School. Little Wing couldn’t help but feel a little impatient at that, she didn’t like being left out of the loop on things.
Still, she couldn’t deny what little history she’d been taught to that point had been interesting to hear about. The six founders of Equestria with the Hearth’s Warming legend was a favourite. Mr Bright Spark had also briefly glossed over the four ruling alicorns of Equestria, Celestia, Luna, Mi Am-something or other and Princess Twilight. He had been particularly brief about the first two, saying they had come to Equestria’s aid during its darkest time and defeated a creature called ‘Discord’. But that was where he had stopped, saying that it may have been too scary a story for some of the foals, which Little Wing took some childish offense to.
He had been more forthcoming when it came to the latter two, however, as they had been far more recent. The Princess of Love had been a Princess since she was a filly, but only stood up as Celestia and Luna’s equal and created the Equestrian Triumvirate after regaining some birth right that the teacher had, once again, glossed over the details of. Apparently then Princess Twilight became the fourth ruling princess later that same year.
And Little Wing hadn’t at all blurted out that her sister was close friends with the Princess of Friendship before sitting back down in a sheepish and embarrassed silence. Not at all.
“Hey, Little Wing?” Misty whispered over to her friend, giving her a gentle nudge with her wing. “Are you finished with that one?”
Little Wing nodded. “Yeah, I just finished it. What one are you reading?”
“This book about a kind pony who visits little fillies and colts in their dreams,” Misty explained as the two fillies swapped books over. “I wish she would visit me…”
Little Wing looked at the cover, and her muzzle scrunched up as she noticed a weird similarity to the depicted pony on the cover and the Mare of the Moon. Their coats were a slightly different shade, but still…
“Thanks,” Little Wing said to her friend, getting to work on reading the new book in her hooves, before simply putting it back down and looking over at Misty. “Misty? What do you think you’re going to do at Flight School?”
“Huh?” Misty looked at Little Wing like she’d grown a head to three. “Well, I’ll go wherever you go, silly! Why, you think I’d make other friends and forget about you?”
Little Wing scoffed. “No! We’ve known each other since we’ve been in Equestria; we’re practically joined at the hip! No, what I meant was… what do you want to do there?”
“You mean… what do I want to be after?”
“Yeah, whatever, that works to,” Little Wing remarked. “So? What?”
Misty Gust hummed to herself, the tip of her tongue sticking out the side of her muzzle as she entered deep thought.
“No idea!” she finally announced.
“Really? None at all?”
“Nope!”
“Oh. OK.”
It was then Misty’s turn to question Little Wing. “So… What about you?”
“Me? You really wanna know?”
“Well duh!” she responded with a giggle. “You asked me, and now I get to ask you!”
“Oh, um… OK then…”
Little Wing thought to herself for a few minutes, Misty Gust watching her expectantly for the whole time. In the end, however, Little Wing merely gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Dunno. Suppose I haven’t thought about it either.”
“Aww, I was expecting the most amazingly amazing answer ever!” Misty moaned in disappointment. “Well, we need to think of something soon. We’re practically grownups now!”
“We’re one,” Little Wing deadpanned.
Misty puffed her cheeks to argue against the point. “So? It won’t be long!”
Little Wing huffed. “Whatever. We’ll have all of Flight School, both junior and otherwise, to figure it all out.”
“Well whatever we do, we’ll do it together!” Misty announced, before taking a more unsure expression. “…Right?”
Little Wing giggled, throwing a hoof around Misty and giving her a side hug. “Well duh! We’re best friends, we’ll always be there!”
The two fillies giggled to themselves, the other foals either ignoring them or, in the case of a few of the colts, made mock gagging sounds. Silver Breeze was, unsurprisingly, the loudest of those.
After their friendship cuddle was over they both dislodged themselves and returned to their books with renewed vigour. They only had another ten minutes give or take before the school day was to end anyway, so they wanted to finish up their respective reading before the bell.
Little Wing was a little distracted by her conversation with Misty, however, and began to wonder to herself.
What did she exactly want to be? What did she want to strive for?
She simply didn’t know, there were too many options to think about, making her head spin. Where once she had no options, now she had them all. What was her purpose? What was her special talent? What would she be?
Little Wing glanced back towards her blank flank with an air of irritation, a little jealous at all the older ponies with their cutie marks already discovered.
But could she even get one given her past?
Little Wing shook her head, placing that hardly new worry back into the depths of her mind along with the rest of the old, and very bad, memories she possessed. She instead turned her mind to narrowing down those possibilities, thinking on what had made her happy and if it made any relevance to what could be.
She liked reading, she could be a librarian perhaps? Then again, she didn’t find much appeal in working throughout all those dusty old shelves day in and out. Boring was a word that came to mind.
But what else was there?
Little Wing’s mind then went back to some months previous, the memory of a kingdom high in the sky as fresh in her mind as it was the day she experienced it. The day that Rainbow Dash had helped her regain her flight properly for the first time since she flew under the power of random magical surges. She remembered the feeling of flying alongside her elder sister, loving every moment of it as they playfully competed in the course that Rainbow Dash had set up for them.
And then when she had taken her up as high as they could go. The sight that had been before her, unparalleled in majesty and beauty, a sight unlike anything she had ever seen and one that had remained with her since that day.
The bell rung.
Little Wing glanced down on the book in her hooves, realising with a tinge of annoyance that she hadn’t got past the second page due to her own inner thoughts.
The class had already began to rush on out, Silver Breeze in particular shooting Little Wing a dirty glare as he departed, which she did her best to ignore. With a sigh, Little Wing picked up her book and went with Misty to return it to its proper place. Then the two fillies turned to leave, before stopping when Little Wing turned back to look curiously at Bright Spark.
The thestral in question was arranging some things on his desk, as well as eying up an apple one of the foals had left on his desk before leaving.
“Are you coming, Wing?” Misty asked.
“I, uh… I’ll catch up,” she stated in return. “I want to talk to Mr Bright Spark.”
“Well, alright. I’ll find our parents then.”
Little Wing gave her best friend a nod, the filly then bounding off out of the classroom and into the mass of foals making up the hallway. Little Wing then turned back to Bright Spark and began her approach.
“Oh? Still here?” the thestral questioned as the filly sat down onto her haunches next to his desk. “Is something the matter, Little Wing?”
“N-no, not exactly…” Little Wing responded in a slightly sheepish tone.
“Really? So what do you need me for?”
“Mr Bright Spark… Did you always want to be a teacher?”
Bright Spark raised an eyebrow at the question. “Hm? Little Wing, why are you asking me this?”
She scuffed the floor with a hoof. “Well, I was thinking about what I want to be…”
“Hm, I see… So you want to know if I always knew my true calling in life?”
“Uh, I think so?”
Bright Spark chuckled. “Little Wing, things are rarely so defined. Not even our cutie marks necessarily define us, or what our jobs are to be. I know a pony whose natural talent was singing, and yet she’s now a doctor. She still loves to sing to be sure, but never as a career.”
“Oh. So… I’m just being silly?”
“Now I never said that,” Bright Spark responded. “So what was it you wanted to be, Little Wing?”
A bit of steely determination entered Little Wing’s gaze, her eyes meeting Bright Spark’s. “I… I want to fly with my sister! And so to do that, I want to be a Wonderbolt!”
“A Wonderbolt? That’s a high place to dream being, and a difficult one.”
“I don’t care!” Little Wing retorted. “I don’t want to be the best. I don’t want to be better than Rainbow Dash. I just want to fly with her!”
Bright Spark chuckled for a moment, and then gave a light hearted chuckle. “My my, what a duo that would be. I fear for Equestria, truly.”
“Huh?”
“Little Wing, you must understand that as the years go by you may want to move onto other things. As I said, these things are rarely so easily defined,” he said, but then added: “But then again, I do believe your sister too wanted to be a Wonderbolt since kindergarten, and she achieved her dreams. If that is the path you truly so desire, then it will be up to you to see it through.”
Little Wing blinked at his words, and then nodded vigorously. “Oh yes! I promise I will work really really hard! Just like Rainbow… and Scootaloo!”
“I see. So they’re your inspiration for this goal of yours then?”
“Yup! Because they’re the most super and most awesome ponies in Equestria!”
Bright Spark chuckled again, shaking his head in amusement. “Yes, I’m sure they are. But I’m also sure you have your parents waiting ever so patiently for you outside. Go on, before they send in the search and rescue teams.”
“Okie dokie lokie! Thanks Mr Bright Spark!” Little Wing stated as she darted out of the room, spirits soaring.
She found her parents waiting in reception, Misty Gust having insisted to her parents that they also wait as well. When asked what she was doing, she simply responded that she wanted to ask the teacher a few questions before trotting out the door.
As they left Sky Dance Kindergarten there was a noticeable spring in the filly’s step, and there was one very specific goal set deep into her mind.
“Little Wing, it’s time for school!” Windy Whistles shouted up from the bottom of the stairs.
“Okay, be there in a minute!” Little Wing shouted back from her bedroom, the four year old filly scanning her room for her saddlebags.
Little Wing grumbled to herself at the lack of success finding said saddlebags, looking everywhere from under her bed to among her toys. She tapped a hoof lightly, racking her brain in an attempt to remember exactly where she had left it the previous Friday in her excitement for the weekend to come.
It was obviously not in her room, but she still had one more place to look.
Little Wing trotted towards the doorway at one end of her room, a doorway that hadn’t been there for most of her second life. Rather, the doorway led into an extension to the house her parents made, the reasons for which could only make Little Wing roll her eyes.
She rolled her eyes again when the door opened and some over dramatic music greeted her as a result, something her father has insisted added ‘character’ to the door. She wasn’t so sure that the door really needed the ‘added flavour’, or that the bits were at all well spent. The same went for the whole room in general, why did she even need a trophy room?
A quick examination allowed the filly to quickly locate her target, the saddlebags sitting on the floor just next to a podium containing a trophy celebrating the start of Little Wing’s third year at Junior Flight School.
One of many.
Her parents had always been supportive to an… embarrassing degree, something Rainbow Dash had sympathised with greatly. But Little Wing swore that it had only increased in magnitude after the creation of the room in which she stood, or maybe it was just because she’d gotten older.
And there were many more years to come until she finished Junior Flight School and that, Little Wing shuddered at the thought, meant many more pointless trophies.
Pushing her parents’ overenthusiasm from her mind, she sauntered up to the saddle bags and quickly looked through them. Everything was where it should have been, no stray utensils she would have to hunt for within the dreaded chamber.
Depositing her saddlebags onto her back, Little Wing made her retreat from the room and back into her own. With everything now in place, Little Wing was ready for whatever the day had to throw at her.
“Little Wing, don’t make me come get you!” her father’s voice warned from downstairs.
“Yes, I’m coming!” she responded, quickly making her way out of the bedroom and across the landing.
On coming to the staircase she saw that both of her parents waiting for her at the bottom, wondering what had been taking her so long.
“There you are,” Bow Hothoof said, giving her a beaming smile. “Get lost, kiddo?”
“No, I was looking for my saddlebags,” Little Wing explained sheepishly. “They were in that room.”
“That room? You mean your trophy room.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she replied with a noncommittal shrug.
“At least she found them, we should still be on time,” Windy Whistles stated. “Unless we want to just stand around and talk for hours on end.”
Windy punctuated her point by opening the front door and gesturing for her husband and daughter to exit with an outstretched wing. They both got the message, and trotted on outside.
Windy followed them out, closing the front door as she went. Little Wing could see a few other colts and fillies being escorted by their parents to the same location she herself was about to head to, and even one family who had a foal going to the Sky Dance Kindergarten.
She missed it some days, particularly Mr Bright Spark. The Junior Flight School was so much larger than the kindergarten, it boggled her mind just thinking about how that could further increate to the main Cloudsdale Flight School.
“Ready dear?” Windy Whistles enquired of her daughter, looking towards her expectantly.
Little Wing gave her wings a happy ruffle in response. It may have just been a trip to the local school, something other colts and fillies found mundane and a chore, but it was something that Little Wing never grew tired of.
She loved being a pegasus.
With a sudden gust of wind being battered around outside the front of their house, the family of three left the cloud beneath their hooves behind and entered unrestricted flight. The kindergarten had always been in walking distance, which Little Wing HAD found mundane, but everything was better when flying was involved.
Truly she was Rainbow Dash’s younger sister.
Without a word they were then underway, Bow taking the lead while Windy Whistles flew alongside her daughter as the filly in question did her routine examination of the vast landscape rolling out around them.
“So, how has school been lately?” Bow Hothoof asked from the front. “Anything interesting?”
“You’re always asking that!”
“Because I’m always interested,” he rebutted. “So, how has it been?”
Little Wing relented. “Good, I guess. Danger Flight put a spider in Light Breeze’s mane…”
“A spider?” Bow questioned. “How did one of those even get up here?”
Little Wing shrugged, she hadn’t exactly been asking that particular question while watching the ongoing chaos in the classroom.
“Your father pulled that trick on me once,” Windy Whistles mentioned ever so casually. “I almost bucked one of his teeth out as a result, quite by accident though I would add.”
“How was I supposed to know you’d react like that?” Bow defended feebly.
“That seems kinda mean,” Little Wing noted.
“Oh don’t mind that,” Windy replied. “Your father was always a bit of a dork.”
“Charming actually,” he remarked back at her.
Windy giggled. “No, definitely a dork.”
“If not charming, how did I win you over?” he asked.
“Maybe I like dorks,” she countered.
“You are so mean,” he replied with a laugh. “What about you, Little Wing, any colt strike you fancy?”
Little Wing struck her tongue out in disgust. “Ew, colts are icky.”
“Yes, she’s too young for that talk,” Windy rebutted her husband. “So behave.”
Little Wing gave both her parents an odd look, before shaking her head and deciding to ignore the whole conversation.
It wasn’t long after that until their destination came into view, the Junior Flight School sitting on a cloud sitting apart from the majority of Cloudsdale while being connected via a few bridges for those who decided to walk for one reason or another. The main Cloudsdale Flight School was apparently much the same, but Little Wing had yet to see it.
Either way, the school day was about to begin.
“There you are!” Misty Gust happily announced as she fell into step beside Little Wing, the two of them walking through one of the school’s corridors.
There were many other children, and teachers, walking past them to and from various other rooms. There were fillies and colts their age all over the place, but equally there was plenty of students far older than them, ranging all the way up to eleven years old and preparing themselves for the move to the main flight school by the end of the school year. After that those older fillies and colts would remain at the main flight school until they were sixteen, then leaving at that age to pursue whatever goals and dreams they had.
Little Wing had all that to come, but it was a long way off.
“Hi Misty!” Little Wing greeted in return. “Heading to class?”
“Where else would I be going?” she asked rhetorically. “What was our subject for the morning again?”
“Science,” Little Wing replied. “Anatomy, I think.”
“Anatomy,” Misty parroted. “Sounds yuck.”
“I thought you liked learning new things?” Little Wing asked mirthfully.
“I don’t want to dissect a frog!”
“What about a parasprite?”
“No! They’re cute.”
Little Wing gave her friend a side glance. “Cute? My sister said they’re ‘annoying totally un-awesome bugs’.”
“Have you seen a picture of one? They’re adorable little balls of fluff!” Misty argued back.
“They ate Ponyville once.”
“Huh? How could a little thing like that eat a town?”
Little Wing shrugged. “Dunno. That’s just what Rainbow Dash said.”
“Right, well… Maybe Rainbow Dash was pulling your leg?”
Little Wing gasped, appalled by the very notion that her elder sister and idol would ever do such a thing. “She would not!”
“Well I thought that elder sisters were supposed to make fun of their little sister.”
Little Wing puffed up her cheeks. “How would you know? You don’t have a sister.”
“I read!” Misty rebuked with a pout.
“Well… not all books are that good anyway,” Little Wing stated, even if her best friend wasn’t entirely, or at all, wrong.
“Don’t say that, the Princess of Friendship might hear you!” Misty warned worriedly. “I heard some of the older kids saying that if you are mean to lit- liter- books that she’ll find out and punish you.”
Little Wing snorted. “Please, I’ve met her. She’s not that terrifying.”
“But they also said she might send you to the moon!”
“You hear the weirdest things,” Little Wing noted, giving her friend an unconvinced look.
Now it was Misty’s turn to puff up her cheeks. “Well if you get sent to book prison, I’m not to blame!”
With that in mind, the two fillies finally made it to their classroom.
Most of the other fillies and colts were already at their seats, some leaning on their desks with a bored expression while others chatted amongst themselves. The previously mentioned Danger Flight and Light Breeze were present, the latter scowling darkly at the unrepentant colt.
And then there was Silver Breeze and his little friendship group, who Little Wing just couldn’t seem to get rid of. Luckily, he was located at the back of the class while Little Wing and Misty Gust sat next to each other at the front.
Little Wing cantered up to her own desk, setting her saddlebags temporarily onto her chair as she opened her desk up to deposit a few things inside. She frowned at what greeted her, being rather unexpected but more of an irritant over the likely reaction it was intended to create; inside the desk sat a spider, likely the same spider Danger Flight had used, but the sticky note reading ‘for the meat eater’ suggested said spider had been acquired and placed there by another individual.
Little Wing groaned, letting the spider harmlessly crawl up into her hoof as she walked up to one of the windows in the classroom. She opened it up a crack, allowing the spider to climb off of her hoof and cling to the wall outside. She then closed the window, leaving the spider to its own devices as she grabbed the note and threw it into the bin.
Little Wing returned to her desk, not failing to notice the glare of disappointment Silver Breeze was directing at her. She finished sorting out her utensils, then packing her saddlebags up and sitting in her seat.
“What was that about?” Misty asked, leaning over to Little Wing from her own seat.
“Nothing,” Little Wing lied.
“It was Silver Breeze, wasn’t it?” she correctly guessed.
Little Wing didn’t answer, instead seeing the teacher enter the classroom and simply electing to wait for the lesson to start.
The teacher for that particular lesson was a pegasus mare with a blue coat, a brown mane and spectacles covering her light green eyes. After calling the class into order, she produced several rather simple diagrams depicting the anatomy of the various pony sub-species. Earth ponies, unicorn, pegasi, thestrals and even a diagram of an alicorn.
The lesson dragged on, though eventually reached its conclusion. As did the next, and then the one after that too.
The fourth and final lesson of the day, however, was flight practice. It was, by quite a few miles, Little Wing’s favourite lesson of them all. The teacher was a pegasus stallion with an orange coat and a yellow mane, a whistle hung around his neck and his attitude was always quite gruff and serious. Word was he used to be a member of the EUP, retiring and then choosing to teach the next generation of young fliers.
It certainly fit the militaristic profile he had for himself.
Saying that, however, Little Wing wouldn’t have called him harsh. He knew full well he was dealing with a bunch of kids, and knew how to not go overboard.
That lesson was spent conducting various exercises designed to increase the strength of a pegasus’ wings. Little Wing was harldy a wiz when it came to things like mathematics, unlike Misty Gust, but it was here she was in her element. Her declaration to Bright Spark a couple years previously never had been forgotten by the filly.
And then that lesson too came to an end, bringing with it the conclusion of another school day. Before they were dismissed, however, the teacher gathered them up for some kind of announcement.
“What do you think it is?” Misty asked her friend, she and Little Wing gathered with the rest of the colts and fillies. “You don’t think it’s anything bad, do you?”
“I hope not,” Little Wing responded as the teacher began to talk. “Let’s listen and find out.”
“Alright children,” the teacher addressed the group. “I have a special announcement from the headmaster and the school faculty. One week today, a special guest from the Wonderbolts shall be coming to our school to give you all a talk about their group and in general about flight as a career. They will be discussing the Wonderbolts, various weather teams around Equestria as well as some other matters, and the whole school is to be in attendance in the main assembly hall.”
Murmurs spread throughout the group of colts and fillies. Most couldn’t care less about the talk, but were more excited at the prospect of meeting a Wonderbolt.
“Who is the Wonderbolt?” one of the colts asked the teacher.
“I believe we have two mares coming over. One of the Wonderbolt’s main team, Rainbow Dash, and her protégé. Some sixteen year old by the name of Scootaloo.”
The week couldn’t have gone slower for the filly, wishing her will along could cause time to fast forward to the following week where her sister (and sort of sister) were to give a Wonderbolt’s presentation to the entirety of the school.
Slowest. Week. Ever.
But alas, the week did eventually come to an end, along with the weekend that came afterwards. With that the day of the presentation would finally come around, and Little Wing’s excitement was present but adequately contained.
“Eeeeeeh!” Little Wing squeed as she made her way into the Junior Flight School, bouncing in a way that would make Pinkie Pie proud.
There were many student around, going about their usual mornings as they did each and every single other day. There was, however, a steady stream of fillies and colts heading in the direction of the main assembly hall. Rainbow Dash’s presentation was going to kick-start the school day.
Misty Gust, who was accompanying Little Wing, only just resisted a roll of her eyes. “Come on Wing, you see her all the time.”
“Not all the time,” Little Wing rebuked, stopping her bouncing and beginning to walk alongside her friend like a normal pony. “I haven’t seen her in a little while, she lives in Ponyville. It’s been even longer since Scootaloo came up here.”
“Did you see her before school?” Misty asked.
Little Wing shook her head. “Nah. Mum and Dad said she’s busy setting everything up. I’m sure we’ll hang out after school though.”
“Can I come?” Misty asked hopefully.
“Of course!” Little Wing confirmed, laughing lightly. “Why wouldn’t you?”
“I’m not your sister,” she pointed out.
Little Wing shrugged. “You’re my best friend, practically the same thing.”
“Not really.”
“Pfft,” Little Wing said as her retort, waving a hoof of dismissal towards Misty’s remark. “Besides, who else would I bring? Silver Breeze?”
Misty visibly shuddered. “Why wold you even consider that!?”
“I’m not,” she responded, but tapped a hoof on her chin in thought. “Though I’d like to see him try something in front of Dash.”
Misty Gust giggled behind a hoof. “I don’t think he’d be brave enough.”
“Who knows?” Little Wing remarked. “I think he would, he’s just mean.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Misty conceded. “Remember when he said he’d faced down one of those big things from the scary looking airship?”
“That was three years ago, he was just one!” Little Wing pointed out, not hiding her disdain for the colt’s tale. “All I remember was being locked up for a couple days in the house.”
“I don’t really remember anything about all that,” Misty admitted. “Just that it was… kinda scary.”
“Yeah, it was,” Little Wing agreed. “But Rainbow Dash beat them up! She’s told me the story, like… a thousand times!”
“I bet she exaggerates.”
Little Wing puffed up her cheeks. “She does not! There was the seaponies, and this cat person!”
Misty looked unconvinced. “If you say so, Wing.”
“I do say so!” Little Wing countered. “So... there!”
“Well, I suppose we could ask,” Misty noted, pointing one of her small hooves at the entrance to the assembly hall.
Several teachers stood at the entrance, ensuring that all of the school’s students were being admitted in a neat and timely manner. They corralled the little ponies into a single file line, scolding those who tried to push and shove their way inside. Little Wing and Misty Gust placed themselves at the back of a que, a few more students then piling on behind them. The wait was rather gruelling for the many young, energetic and easily bored colts and fillies, but steadily the line did move on forwards and both Little Wing and Misty Gust themselves were eventually admitted.
A few more teachers guided the pair to one of the middle rows, systematically filling up the seats one by one. Little Wing had to straighten herself up to the limit in order to see completely above the heads of some of the taller fillies and colts, but found a comfortable enough view.
Even if she would have preferred front row seats, but what could she do?
It took a little while longer to fill up the entirety of the vast assembly hall, the rest of the school trickling in and taking their seats. The noise within was almost deafening, the fillies and colts chatting amongst themselves to pass the time away while awaiting the start of the talk; Little Wing and Misty Gust were among them, talking about whatever came to mind whilst waiting.
Some of the talking did die down when the last students filed in and the doors to the assembly hall were closed behind them, the teachers lining the outsides of the hall. Some chatter remained, however, only dying off completely when the headmaster demanded it so through the microphone installed upon the forward stage. With the general nattering at an end, he could finally speak.
“Right, well then students,” the Headmaster began. “Welcome to yet another school day, and one which beholds to you all a very special guest. We have a member of the Wonderbolts coming to speak to you all, along with another pegasus whom she is mentoring.”
Little Wing grinned.
“What’s more, this Wonderbolt is among Princess Twilight Sparkle’s inner circle, a Bearer of Harmony who has been involved in many recent historic events in this busy era,” he announced, then stepping to the podium’s side while gesturing a hoof to one of the stage’s entrances. “So please put your hooves together for Rainbow Dash!”
General applause rolled throughout the stadium, the stallion on stage standing there rather awkwardly as the mare he was expected didn’t so much as poke a head out of the side curtain. The applause died down as the children began to look around in confusion, or to laugh at the Headmaster’s predicament. The stallion in question lowered his hoof with a scowl on his face, about to go back stage and see what the hold-up was.
Only for the entrance to the assembly hall to burst open as a prismatic blur streaked up and above the fillies and colts before doing a blatantly practiced superhero landing on the stage that Little Wing, having seen her practice once, couldn’t help but roll her eyes despite her glee.
The applause erupted again, far more enthusiastic due to the children’s enjoyment of the unexpected spectacle.
The Headmaster looked rather cross.
While the applause was ongoing, an orange pegasus also flew in through the doorway and casually glided her way to the stage. Scootaloo came into a land next to Rainbow Dash, the latter of which was fully decked out in a Wonderbolt flight suit. Scootaloo gave a sheepish wave to the crowd, though it became a little more enthusiastic when she spotted Little Wing and her own joyful waving.
“That’s enough, I’ll have silence in the assembly hall!” the Headmaster commanded down the microphone. “That’s enough… excitement for a while.”
“Hey, at least they’re paying attention now,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, confidently taking the podium herself. “You just gotta play it smooth and cool.”
The Headmaster grumbled something to himself, but departed the stage nevertheless, lest there be any more delays.
With all attention on her, Rainbow Dash began to speak. “Well then, I’m pretty sure you fillies and colts should know me and Scoots by now, but in case you fell asleep…”
Rainbow Dash glanced at a couple of colts she knew she had woken up with her… dramatic entrance. Putting that aside, she continued.
“I’m Lieutenant Rainbow Dash of the EUP Wonderbolts,” she announced to the crowd. “I’m the Element of Loyalty, defeater of Nightmare Moon, Discord, etcetera etcetera. And this here is Scootaloo!”
On being gestured to, Scootaloo spoke up. “Yeah, hi! I’m Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash’s protégé and sort of adoptive sister at times. Speaking of little sisters, hiya Little Wing!”
More than a few eyes turned towards the pegasus filly, who could feel herself go from gleeful to melting into her own seat from sheer embarrassment.
“Yeah, you and Wing are both pretty great,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “But anyway, Scoots here is also one of the founders of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their Summer Camp, which I bet some of you will or have already attended. She’s also definitely going to be the next Wonderbolt on the main team, and all at the age of sixteen. Not bad, huh? Reminds me of me.”
“But better,” Scootaloo added with a smirk.
“Heh, you always had big dreams Scootaloo,” Rainbow replied. “But what’s most important about Scootaloo here is, for a long time, she couldn’t fly.”
“It’s true,” Scootaloo confirmed. “My wings have always been… smaller. It was only a couple years ago that I managed it, but I’ve gave it my all ever since!”
A little hoof popped into the air, Rainbow Dash pointed towards the colt the hoof belonged to and motioned for him to ask his question.
“Yeah, um… Miss Scootaloo, how did you manage to do that?”
“Aside from the best flight instructor ever?” Rainbow Dash teased the younger pegasus, before adding: “And being plain awesome?”
Scootaloo chuckled. “I think that can wait until the end, where we’re meant to take questions. First, the Wonderbolts…?”
“Ah, right,” Rainbow stated. “Well, for any aspiring ‘bolts out there, first thing you ought to know is…”
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had continued to talk about the Wonderbolts for the next hour, at the end finally stopping to take questions. Scootaloo had answered the initial colt first, before they moved onto the plethora of hooves that had erupted forth afterwards. Little Wing herself had remained silent throughout the event, content on letting her elder sister talk and the other fillies and colts get answers to the questions Little Wing had mostly already received the answers to.
In the end they had run slightly over their given timeslot, and the Headmaster had to come back onto the stage and conclude the presentation for the now rather annoyed pegasus. Alas, she did depart after a final farewell equally dramatic to her entrance.
Then Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were gone.
With that done the teachers began to dismiss the gathered students row by row, eventually reaching Little Wing and Misty Gust who exited with the rest of the fillies and colts they had been seated next to. They then had a brief break before their first actual class of the day, Misty Gust deciding to head on out into the courtyard while Little Wing promised to catch up after getting a drink from the canteen.
With that in mind, the two fillies briefly split up. Little Wing didn’t want to keep her friend waiting long, so she half galloped towards the canteen and got her drink of apple juice from the dinner lady on duty. Task complete, she rushed back out again to join Misty Gust in the courtyard.
Only to find, when she got there, that Misty Gust had some unwanted company.
“Bet you wish you had her as a sister, huh?” Silver Breeze commented snidely, some of his buddies standing a little ways behind the colts as she spoke to a silent Misty Gust. “Seeing as you’re an only child, must be lonely. Is that why you actually hang out with her, because you’re lonely?”
“She’s my friend,” Misty quietly rebuked.
Silver Breeze snorted. “Yeah right. I bet she only hangs out with you because of pity. It’s quite sad actually, you poor little foal.”
Little Wing, on all days, made a habit of avoiding Silver Breeze and refusing a response. Now, thoug, her blood boiled to the temperature of Celestia’s sun.
“Hey, knock it off you jerk!” Little Wing shouted out, planting herself between Silver Breeze and Misty Gust. “She’s my friend!”
“Were you eavesdropping? That’s not nice you know.”
“Neither are you!” Little Wing shoved an accusatory hoof in his face.
“Hey, don’t talk to me like that!” the colt demanded. “Or is it because you have a famous sister that you can do whatever you like now?”
“What’s Dash got to do with anything?”
“Figures you’re too stupid to figure it out,” Silver Breeze commented, making Little Wing’s feathers stand on end in frustration. “Oh well. Not like it matters, you’ll never be as good as her anyway.”
“I might be, but who cares if I am?” Little Wing retorted.
“Nopony,” he replied smugly. “Nopony will care about you in the slightest. It’ll always be ‘Rainbow Dash this and that’. You’ll be all alone, nopony to love you, and that really is sad.”
Little Wing flinched. “A-alone?”
“Well, yeah. Nopony would care for a loser lost in somepony else’s shadow.”
“Nobody would care for you out there anyway,” her father stated dismissively. “Unless you do what we say, you’ll always be alone.”
"I don't want to be alone! I just want some friends, Dad!" Emma retorted.
"Tough, now sit down and keep to yourself."
“But can’t I at least go to the park?”
“How many times, Emma!?” her father snapped. “You’re not going to school, you’re not going to the park! Now be a good girl before you find yourself somewhere bad with nobody to love you.”
His words stung, but only because she was there already.
“SHUT UP!” Little Wing bellowed out, holding back tears.
Silver Breeze flinched back as Little Wing’s wings flared out aggressively, one hoof raised in preparation to strike at the offending colt.
“What’s going on here?” Rainbow Dash asked, trotting over to the pair. The volatile tension between the two was obvious a mile away.
“She’s crazy, she was going to hit me!” Silver Breeze accused, pointing an accusing hoof at the filly in question.
“You were being a jerk!” Misty Gust spoke up, coming to her friend’s aid.
“Was not!”
Rainbow Dash looked between the two as she was joined by Scootaloo, studying the colt before noticing that her little sister was completely still, and with tears in her eyes.
Rainbow Dash glared at Silver Breeze. “Listen kid, I think you'd better scram. Now.”
Silver Breeze relented under the harsh glare, holding no delusions that he could tussle with a Wonderbolt. “Er, yes ma’am.”
In a moment he and his entourage were gone, Rainbow Dash glaring at where they had scampered off to. Meanwhile, Scootaloo crouched down and spoke to Little Wing.
“Hey Wing, you OK?”
No answer.
“Come on, you can talk to me.”
“Scoots, could you go fetch one of the teachers?” Rainbow suddenly requested.
“Uh... Yeah, sure,” Scootaloo confirmed as she got back up into her hooves, albeit hesitantly. “I’ll be right back!”
Once Scootaloo too had departed, Rainbow Dash laid down beside her little sister and gave her a gentle nudge. The filly responded with a small glance, but then locked back towards the floor and kept her gaze locked on a single random tuft of cloud.
“Little Wing, what was that about?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What did he say?”
Little Wing once again refused to answer, but Misty Gust did.
“He was being really mean to us!” Misty explained quickly. “He said I was lonely, and then told Little Wing that nopony cares about her when she helped me!”
Misty Gust’s gaze too became downcast after she had said that, scuffing a hoof along the ground guiltily.
Rainbow pushed down her own seething at seeing the filly's sadness. “Are… you alright?”
Misty sniffed. “It’s my fault, she was only trying to help me…”
“Hey, it’s not your fault at all,” Rainbow Dash assured the filly. “So don’t blame yourself for something like that, okay?”
Misty Gust sniffled, before suddenly grabbing into Little Wing in a tight hug. “Thank you for helping me!”
That finally got a reaction from the blue filly, who looked towards her friend in surprise. “You’re… thanking me?”
“Well you DID stick up for her,” Rainbow pointed out, Misty still clamped tightly into Little Wing. “But Little Wing… were you really going to hit that colt?”
Little Wing was compelled into silence once more.
Rainbow Dash sighed, knowing the answer was yes. “You know, I’m all for sticking up for yourself. But… you can’t be doing that stuff in school, I don’t want you to get into trouble for what somepony else was doing.”
Little Wing nodded weakly.
Rainbow’s sigh was doubled. “Listen, you want to talk about this some more?”
“C-can we wait until we get home?”
Rainbow Dash grimaced, but nevertheless nodded in the affirmative. “Alright.”
Little Wing sat quietly, muzzle deep in a menu she wasn’t really reading. Both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sat opposite the filly in the booth, both glancing at one another before looking back at Little Wing with concern.
The school day had ended, though Little Wing’s low spirits were obvious throughout. Since the incident with Silver Breeze she had said very little to anypony, so they knew it was still bothering her greatly. In an attempt to cheer her up they had diverted course on the way home and entered the nearest hay burger joint, without much success in the cheering up department.
So they just sat there in an unbearably awkward silence, the elder two ponies not ordering anything themselves while waiting for Little Wing to finish browsing the menu. If she ever did. Little Wing was in her own little world, her thoughts troubled by the previous events of that day. Her… episode only compounded the issue, as it had the previous two occasions it had happened.
Such echoes of the past was one side effect she wished wasn’t a thing.
After an indeterminate amount of time, a groan from her stomach caused her to half-heartedly begin to actually read the contents of the menu. Hay burgers, hay fries and many of dishes of the hay variety dominated the list. An overly sugared salad sat near the bottom of the menu, a list of drinks coming along after it. None of it particularly took her fancy, so she was tempted to go with a pretty standard filly sized hay burger and get it over with.
Her eyes glazed on past the drinks and to the desert menu. Various ice creams that, if she were in a better mood, would have her unable to sit still in anticipation. She thought she might get one, but only if she felt like it after the burger. Which, at the point of reading, she didn’t anyway.
And then there was one final tiny section of the menu past all the other selections. In the bottom right corner of the menu sat a more carnivorous menu designed more for griffon consumption. Pork burger, chicken burgers… Despite her changed digestive system, Little Wing couldn’t help but drool a little on the inside. Burger of meat, she still remembered the taste from those few occasions she’d consumed them way back when. A tiny bit of nostalgia, amidst a swarming mass of bleaker memories that dominated her humanity.
Shaking off the reminder of her past, Little Wing let the menu fall from her hooves and back onto the table without much thought.
“Hay burger,” she said simply, adding afterwards: “Please.”
“That all?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Took you quite a while to just ask for a plain old hay burger.”
Little Wing shrugged in response.
“Let her have what she wants,” Scootaloo defended. “I’ll go order, want anything Dash?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No. Just get something for yourself and Wing.”
“I’m not really that hungry anyway,” Scootaloo stated.
“I’m sure Twilight can hear your stomach growling from Ponyville,” Rainbow retorted. “And you need your strength if you want to become a Wonderbolt you know!”
“And you need your strength to stay in the Wonderbolts too,” Scootaloo shot back, rising from her seat. “But I suppose I’ll get a non-filly version of what she’s having. Be right back.”
So Scootaloo cantered off to go order their food, leaving Rainbow Dash and Little Wing alone at the table. Rainbow looked over to Little Wing, hopeful that she would be the first to speak. She wasn’t.
She realised she would just have to coax her out a little more.
“So, how was the rest of the school day?” Rainbow Dash asked casually. “Keeping you busy?”
“I guess… kinda,” Little Wing replied. “Just boring usual stuff.”
“No lesson with the flying instructor today?”
The filly paused a moment, before shaking her head gently. “Nope. Just book stuff.”
“Heh, I know an egghead who’d be jealous,” Rainbow Dash said with a half-hearted laugh. “So, anything else?”
“Not really,” Little Wing stated. “Just some homework.”
“Homework? What about?”
“Maths.”
“Oh,” Rainbow said, feigning a gag. “Sums and calculations, the bane of my school life. Except altitude, or anything else I could use while flying.”
“I don’t think it’s that kind of maths,” Little Wing remarked. “It’s stupid.”
“It is a little stupid,” Rainbow agreed. “You probably won’t need half the stuff they teach you, but you never know. Besides, there’s no need to look so glum about it. Be awesome, take it all in stride!”
“I’m not bothered about the work,” Little Wing shot back. “We do it all the time. It’s normal.”
“So… your homework isn’t bothering you at all?”
Little Wing shook her head.
“So it is just Silver Breeze?”
Little Wing didn’t answer.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I thought so. Ugh, where’s Fluttershy when you need her?”
“I don’t think there’s anypony more qualified than you, Dash,” Scootaloo stated as she returned with a tray held on her back between her wings.
Scootaloo outstretched a wing and deposited the tray onto the table. The tray held two hayburger boxes, one a fair bit larger than the other, and two small bags of hay fries. Little Wing had also been provided with an apple juice box, while Scootaloo had opted for a coffee instead. With the food delivered, she sat back down next to Rainbow Dash and examined her own meal eagerly.
“That was fast,” Little Wing dryly commented.
“It is a fast food restaurant,” Scootaloo pointed out, consuming the first hay fry.
“Meh, I could do it faster,” Rainbow Dash claimed. “Four seconds flat, no lie.”
“I thought it was ten seconds?”
“I aim for improvement,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk. “It’ll be three seconds before you know it!”
The pair turned back to Little Wing, who was just staring at the yet unopened burger box. They both grimaced, and it was Scootaloo who spoke up next.
“You going to eat that, Wing?” Scootaloo enquired. “You know, before it gets cold or something.”
Little Wing looked up at Scootaloo, and then back to the box. She had to admit it smelled quite enticing, and but a moment after that thought she was taking her first, second and third bites in quick succession.
“Knew she was hungry,” Rainbow commented to Scootaloo as Little Wing brutalised her meal. “She eats these things like Twilight.”
“And you,” Scootaloo jabbed, before taking on a more serious expression. “So… did she say much while I was ordering?”
“Not much,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “She had some homework to do, but she clammed up when Silver Breeze got mentioned.”
Scootaloo groaned. “Maybe your parents will have more luck.”
Little Wing hadn’t taken long to finish her dinner, and Scootaloo had only been a short while behind her. The filly said little more since that point, though having a full stomach did at least manage to make her look a little more content. After that, the sisterly trio departed the fast food joint and headed straight for home, Little Wing nestled on her elder sister’s back for the duration of the trip. When the home came into sight, the pegasi dropped steadily from the sky and came to a soft landing on the cloud a short ways from the front door.
Celestia’s sun was beginning to fall below the horizon when they arrived, a few lights coming on in the home directly ahead of them. Movement could be seen through the living room window, either Bow Hothoof or Windy Whistles relocating themselves to one of the seats within.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, with Little Wing still on the former’s back, approached the front door and let themselves inside.
“Hey, we’re home!” Rainbow Dash called out to her parents. “Sorry we’re late, we hopped into a burger joint while we were out.”
“Yes, I thought that was the case,” Windy Whistles stated as she emerged from the living room, giving the three a broad smile. “Hello dears! How was your day?”
“Uh, about that…” Rainbow sheepishly replied, gesturing to the downtrodden filly on her back. “The presentation went prefect, the colts and fillies loved it! But after that was… rocky.”
Windy gasped, motherly instinct overcoming her as she snatched Little Wing from Rainbow back and placed her down between her own wings. “What happened? Why does she seem so upset?”
“Can we sit down first?” Rainbow asked. “You know, getting comfortable before the heavy stuff hits.”
“Oh, alright,” Windy agreed, leading the other into the living room where Bow was muzzle deep in a newspaper.
The stallion put the paper down and examined the group as they entered. “Alright then, what’s with the moody looks?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Windy muttered as she took a seat on the larger sofa, placing Little Wing between her forelegs protectively.
Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash found their own seats, and then Windy asked the question on her mind once more.
“So…? Somepony is going to explain what happened?”
“Er, yes. That,” Rainbow elegantly began. “Well we’d just gotten finished with the talk, the kids were all having a break. Then we heard some shouting, so we went to check it out.”
“Shouting? What happened?” Bow asked.
“That Silver Breeze colt, he’d apparently been bullying Misty Gust and Wing came to her rescue,” Scootaloo explained. “He’d then started on Little Wing, leading to an argument between them.”
“An argument?” Windy said questioningly. “What did he say to leave her so upset?”
“I almost hit him,” Little Wing interrupted.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo both blinked. They had intended to leave that part out, not wanting the filly to get into trouble.
Bow and Windy both stared at her, the latter saying in a shocked tone: “Hit him? C-can somepony please explain that!?”
“It’s… true,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “But she didn’t actually do it! She stopped just as we were arriving!”
“So you stopped her,” Bow noted.
“Maybe a little, but just listen!” Rainbow protested. “I already talked to her about the hitting thing, so forget that a second. The punk was really laying into Wing before it came to that.”
“He said she’d be alone, that she’d be forgotten and unloved,” Scootaloo further explained. “At least that’s what Misty told us. We think… we think that the colt was playing into the whole adoption thing. You know, seeing as her birth parents…”
Little Wing’s flinch told them all they needed to know, even if they didn’t quite understand the unique circumstances or the magnitude of it. How could they? Aside from Little Wing and one lone alicorn, not a soul knew the truth about the child’s origin.
But neither did they really need to know. They knew enough from how she was discovered, and the hurt it would bring.
Windy held into Little Wing a little tighter, though still gentle enough as to not suffocate the poor filly. The look of concern as to Little Wing’s own actions was wiped away by one of horror as to what caused her reaction in the first place.
“Did he really say all those things, Little Wing?” Windy asked gently, albeit shakily.
Little Wing sniffled, renewed tears breaching her eyelids as she looked up at her mother. “You’re not going to leave me… right?”
Windy Whistles gave her child a loving nuzzle, bringing the first real smile to her face in hours. “Of course not, honey. Never. Ever. We love you, no matter what some brutish colt says. And we will no matter what.”
“You mean that?”
Windy nodded alongside the others. “Of course! No matter who you choose to become, what you do, you are our foal. Whatever you imagine about your birth parents, don’t. They have never been a part of your life, and they never deserved you. I love you, Little Wing.”
Little Wing burrowed herself into her mother’s chest. There was nothing to imagine about her birth parents, and they had been a part of her life. But that life was long gone. She forced her fears and insecurities back down, her mother’s words shattering her shell.
“Thank you,” she muttered into Windy’s chest.
“Well, now the family drama is done with,” Rainbow said with a slightly evil smile. “The squirt has some homework she needs doing, it’s probably best she doesn’t delay it.”
Little Wing emerged from the fluffy chest and glared dagger at her elder sister. “You traitor!”
Rainbow feigned hurt. “Traitor? Kid, as the Element of Loyalty I couldn’t possibly be a traitor!”
Little Wing was less than convinced.
“Homework, huh?” Bow Hothoof spoke up with a hum. “Well since you won’t be having dinner here, I suppose we could make some time to sit down and do it right now, don’t you think?”
Little Wing groaned. “Oh come on! Can’t I do it tomorrow?”
Bow glanced a Little Wing with a coy smirk. "Do your homework, Little Wing."
"Oh, BWAH!" Little Wing snarked back with a frown.
“Look at it everypony!” Silver Breeze boasted joyfully, practically prancing out of the school. “Isn’t my cutie mark just the best?”
The pegasus colt was showing off to anypony who would even shed a glance in his direction, his buddies whooping and cheering to his newly recognised special talent. The brand new image of three silver tinted feathers floating in the breeze adorned both sides of his flank, his cutie mark having appeared but hours earlier. He hadn’t stopped gushing about his achievement since then, not unlike most colts and fillies gaining their marks, and continued to do so even as the school day ended as the children departed through the school’s front doors.
He saw two particular fillies exiting the school while trying extremely hard to ignore him, a slight smirk befalling his muzzle as he singled out the member of the duo yet to gain a cutie mark.
“Well, what do you think, Little Wing?” Silver Breeze jeered. “Seems I got mine first after all. Always knew you’d be last!”
“I’m starting to regret NOT hitting him four years ago…” the now eight-year-old Little Wing muttered to herself, before saying back to Silver Breeze in a not at all sarcastic voice: “That’s nice.”
“Hey, not my fault you’ve been left behind,” Silver Breeze rebutted. “Maybe you should try helping out the janitors, you might get a toilet cleaning cutie mark.”
Little Wing wondered what cutie mark she’d get for introducing Silver Breeze’s face to said toilet.
“Go away Silver!” Misty Gust shouted at the colt. “Haven’t you got something better to do?”
Silver Breeze huffed. “I suppose I have. Got a big old party to plan, I might invite you if I’m feeling generous.”
“One, that means it’s never going to happen,” Little Wing deadpanned. “Two, we wouldn’t come even if you begged us.”
“Pfft, your loss,” Silver Breeze snorted, before trotting off towards where his own parents laid in wait to congratulate their son.
Little Wing groaned, stopping in the courtyard alongside Misty. “He can’t help but boast, can he?”
“You know what he’s like,” Misty stated. “But it’s all bark and no bite, you know that.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Little Wing responded without much enthusiasm. “But he wasn’t all that wrong either.”
“What do you mean?”
Little Wing pointed to the cutie mark sitting on Misty Gust’s own flank, her best friend having achieved it a little less than two full days before. The cutie mark depicted some kind of bird riding majestically along a gust of wind, wings spread wide as it flew to an unknown destination.
Little Wing caught herself staring at her friend’s cutie mark, flinching guiltily as she internally wished the mark was on her own flank instead of Misty’s. She quickly banished that selfish thought, it represented what made Misty a special pony and nopony else. She had no right to wish something like that.
Misty Gust didn’t notice that, looking back at her own mark before noting Little Wing’s still blank flank. She could tell it was bothering her friend at least a little, and so tried to impart some words of comfort to the blue filly.
“Who cares if you haven’t gotten yours yet?” Misty asked encouragingly. “It just means you have a lot of options open to you.”
“But everypony else in class has gotten one but me,” Little Wing proclaimed, resisting the urge to bury her head in the clouds beneath her hooves.
“Not everypony,” Misty Gust corrected. “You might not be dead last…”
“Ughhhhhhhh,” Little Wing moaned, finally failing to resist the head burying temptation and doing just that.
“Everypony gets theirs eventually, the teacher said so,” Misty reminded her friend. “And I don’t think it’s going to be a toilet mark. Yours will probably be super awesome!”
“Imf itsas awsum asyers idbe apy,” came the muffled replied beneath the cloud layer.
“Uh… what was that?” Misty asked for clarification. “I couldn’t catch that because of, you know… the cloud.”
Little Wing extracted her head from the ground with a cartoonish pop, shaking her head to rid herself of a few white fluffy bits of condensed water vapour. With her head no longer literally being in the clouds, she was able to answer far more coherently than before.
“I said,” Little Wing began again. “If it’s as awesome as yours then I would be happy.”
Misty Gust couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. “Well… mine is pretty cool I guess…”
“You kidding?” Little Wing asked incredulously. “Yours is a free bird flying anywhere she wants to fly! That’s pretty darn cool if you ask me, just like you!”
Misty blushed even deeper. “Uh, t-thanks.”
Little Wing sighed, then crossing her hooves in a slight grump. “I just wish mine would hurry the hay up already. I wonder if there’s a spell to make it hurry up? My sister is close to one of the princesses…”
“Bad idea,” Misty instantly refuted. “I can’t see that going anywhere but wrong.”
Little Wing shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Still…”
“Hey, it will be worth waiting for!” Misty proclaimed, bouncing once in place. “I bet it will be a mighty Wonderbolt riding into battle on a dinosaur! Wouldn’t that be neat?”
Little Wing laughed. “Even I am able to see something that’s complete overkill, Misty.”
“Yeah, it is a little much,” the filly admitted. “Well if you’re going for awesome, why not a mark of Rainbow Dash.”
“Too creepy,” Little Wing rebutted. “I love Dash, but who would want their big sister on their flank twenty-four hours a day?”
“Point in hoof,” Misty Gust conceded. “Hm, I did read something once about being able to predict a cutie mark…”
“And I bet it’s wrong all but a single time,” Little Wing stated.
“Those things are scams, trust me,” a third, and older, voice stated as an orange pegasus trotted up to the two fillies. “Hey, Little Wing, ready to move out?”
The two fillies looked up at Scootaloo as she came to a stop, a bright smile on the twenty-year-old pegasi’s face. Scootaloo was completely adorned in a Wonderbolt trainee’s uniform, goggles sitting atop her head as proud as her grin.
“Hey Little Wing, you didn’t say that Scootaloo was going to be here,” Misty said questioningly to her friend. “What gives?”
“Oh, yeah I should have said something,” Little Wing apologised. “Scootaloo is taking us back to the house.”
“I noticed that now,” Misty deadpanned.
“I was trying out for the Wonderbolt reserves,” Scootaloo explained. “So Little Wing’s folks asked me to take you back to the house for your weekend long playdate or whatever you’re doing together.”
Misty Gust gasped. “You’re training with the Wonderbolts!?”
“Well, yeah. You think the costume was practice for Nightmare Night?” Scootaloo snarked. “Now that I’ve passed the written exam, I just need to impress the rest of the main Wonderbolts enough for them to put me in the reserves.”
“Aw, they should just put you straight on the main team,” Little Wing said.
Scootaloo chuckled, ruffling Little Wing’s mane. “I’d have to wait for a spot to open up, and even then I’d have to be at the top of the list.”
“Well, that’s stupid.”
“It’s just how things go in the Wonderbolts, Wing,” Scootaloo stated. “Now come on you two, before your parents think we got lost or something.”
Making sure the two fillies had fallen into step alongside her, Scootaloo opened up her wings and took to the skies. Little Wing and Misty Gust dutifully followed closely, each one flying to opposite sides of the Wonderbolt hopeful.
The school very quickly disappeared into the distance behind them, the trio making good progress towards their destination. The first few minutes were spent mostly in silence, but the eldest of the three couldn’t contain her curiosity as to what the younger two had been talking about when she had encountered them by the school’s entrance.
“So… what were you two talking about?” Scootaloo enquired. “When I ran into you, I mean. Something about cutie marks?”
“Oh, Silver Breeze got his cutie mark,” Little Wing explained with a shrug. “He was bragging about it.”
“I have yet to encounter a foal who doesn’t,” Scootaloo said with a smirk. “A crime which I myself am a little guilty I must admit.”
“We thought so,” Little Wing responded. “But he was being a jerk about it.”
“With what I know of the colt, I can’t say I’m surprised,” Scootaloo stated. “Was that all you talked about, I also heard something about books and those hacks claiming to be able to predict your cutie mark.”
“Isn’t that what you do?” Misty asked innocently.
“Not at all!” Scootaloo protested. “Me and my friends help ponies find their own marks, but it’s not like we know what it’s going to be ourselves.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Scootaloo assured. “So…?”
“We were just talking about what my cutie mark might be,” Little Wing explained. “…Is there a spell to hurry it up?”
Misty facehooved.
Scootaloo just laughed to herself, shooting Little Wing a glance mixed with both amusement and warning. “I wouldn’t try it if I were you. Apple Bloom did once, it did not go well. She started speaking fancy.”
“Huh?”
“Long story,” Scootaloo dismissed. “But… did I ever tell you exactly what we did to get out cutie marks.”
Little Wing shrugged. “I don’t know, a little bit I think. Your mark is nearly the same of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s, and you help ponies find their own special talents.”
“Yup,” Scootaloo confirmed. “Thing is, we spent so many years trying to find out our own talents that it took all that time for us to try helping others find theirs.”
“How long?” Misty Gust enquired curiously.
“We got ours when we were ten,” Scootaloo responded. “Only two years before the both of you came along.”
“When you were ten!?” Little Wing exclaimed. “Most of our class have them now!”
Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, it was the same with our classmates in Ponyville. Most of the fillies and colts got their marks when they were just eight years old, the same age as you guys are now. Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Twist… all of them. We were some of the ones who got left behind for a while.”
“How did you get by that?” Little Wing asked. “Not getting your marks while everypony else did, I mean.”
“We formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo exclaimed, her eyes almost glazing over as she recalled memories extremely close to her heart. “We tried everything we could think of to get our cutie marks to appear. And to be honest, it became less about the cutie marks over time and more about spending time with the two best friends a pony could hope to have. When we did get the marks, well that was an extremely sweet bonus.”
“So how did it happen?” Misty Gust asked.
“We helped a pony who we used to think of as our greatest enemy,” Scootaloo stated. “Diamond Tiara, who is now a close friend. We helped her stand up to her domineering mother and realise the full potential of her cutie mark, to realise her true purpose in life. With that, our own marks appeared.”
“Oh, that sounds cool!”
“It was,” Scootaloo confirmed. “Very cool. And who knows, maybe something similar will happen with Silver Breeze?”
Little Wing stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Yeah, I doubt it.”
Little Wing’s house came into sight, Scootaloo leading the way as they began to descend down onto the home.
“You never know, but on the flip side you may not be wrong,” Scootaloo admitted “Everypony is different, in the same way that everypony gets their cutie marks differently.
“Unless you’re a Cutie Mark Crusader,” Little Wing pointed out.
Scootaloo smirked. “We’re a joint package.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Point is,” Scootaloo continued just as the trio touched down just outside of the house. “Your cutie mark will come to you eventually, in its own time and in its own way.”
“Promise?” Little Wing said.
Scootaloo nodded adamantly. “Promise. But… if things do start to take too long me and my friends are quite good at this sort of thing.”
Little Wing smiled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Good,” Scootaloo stated. “Now, before we got in there was one more thing I needed to say to you.”
Little Wing tilted her head in curiosity. “There is? What is it?”
“Next weekend, Rainbow Dash will be taking you down to Ponyville to stay a couple days,” Scootaloo informed the filly. “I should be getting confirmation of whether I got in the reserves or not by then, so we thought you’d like to be around for it.”
Little Wing lit up, nodding ecstatically. “Yes! Yes! I know you will definitely get in!”
“I appreciate the confidence you have in me,” Scootaloo responded with a bright smile of her own. “Now come on, let’s go inside. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to your mother’s cooking.”
Neither Little Wing nor Misty Gust could refute that point, so the trio opened up the front door and entered the household with the fillies ready to enjoy a fun-filled weekend together. The following weekend would be no less, if even more, interesting. Scootaloo’s whole future was to be decided, and Little Wing was extremely eager to know the outcome for the pony who was like a second sister in many ways.
“I know you got in!” Little Wing gushed, bouncing around the blushing orange pegasus. “It’s impossible to think you didn’t! You not getting in would be like if the sky wasn’t blue!”
Scootaloo gave a chuckle that was both sheepish and nervous at the same time. “Well, if you’re so sure… But first, could you help me put these things back?”
Little Wing stopped and looked up at the pile of books Scootaloo was pointing at, and then gave a sheepish chuckle of her own.
“Right. Yeah, I can do that,” Little Wing said, not failing to notice the amused glances of the guards at the door.
The two pegasi were standing within what was certainly the largest collection of books in all of Ponyville, and probably one of the largest in Equestria as a whole. They were standing in the library of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle.
During her training to join the Wonderbolt reservists, Scootaloo had been allowed to make frequent use of the library by the Princess to study relentlessly for the role. Unlike her idol, Scootaloo hadn’t required any special measures when it came to studying and had spent many hours muzzle deep in various related texts. But now the day of her acceptance or denial had come, and so had the time come to return all that she had borrowed from the Princess of Friendship.
“Make sure you put them back where they’re supposed to be,” Scootaloo warned the filly who had volunteered to help with the task. “Twilight will notice otherwise.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard the horror stories,” the filly responded. “The guards are a good incentive.”
Scootaloo laughed. “I don’t think they’ll arrest you for that, Wing. Hay, it took Twilight a good part of a decade to get any guards in this place at all.”
Little Wing did recall the lack of guards the first time she visited the castle so many years previously. It had seemed strange for royalty to not have anypony protecting her home.
“Why did she change her mind?” Little Wing asked.
“Reluctantly,” a voice explained. “But it became necessary. My former student and a few changelings were only a few among those who walked through those doors unopposed.”
Both Scootaloo and Little Wing swivelled their heads to the sound of the voice, spotting their lavender-furred visitor. Twilight Sparkle had, like so many things, changed with the passage of time since Little Wing’s initial arrival eight years previously. Where the Bearer of the Element of Magic had once stood but an inch taller than her friends, the Princess now towered over even the adult Scootaloo while emitting an aura of regality to those around her. Her golden regalia shone magnificently along with the crown atop her head, her kind eyes wisened and yet still noticeably younger than those of her three counterparts. Her hair was done up into a neat bun, silvery ribbon tying it together with another wrapped around her equally immaculate tail.
A style that was undoubtedly a design by the Element of Generosity.
“Not that it hurts to have extra hooves keeping the castle in order, mind you,” Princess Twilight Sparkle continued, smiling at the two visitors to her home.
“Twilight!” Scootaloo exclaimed on seeing the royal alicorn enter. “I was just returning those books you leant me, Little Wing was helping.”
“Little Wing, huh?” Twilight questioned as she approached the filly, towering over the young pegasus. Little Wing would have been lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the size difference.
“Uh… yes?”
Twilight gave her a kind smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with you, Little Wing. We met once, a very long time ago.”
“I remember!” Little Wing stated. “You thought everypony was being jealous.”
Twilight blinked in surprise. “Yes, about that silly little acronym I called myself, B-A-E right? I’m… surprised you can remember that. You were less than a year old at the time.”
“I, uh… ponies say I have a really good memory,” Little Wing said as an excuse. “I remember lots of things.”
“She’s not wrong,” Scootaloo added in.
Twilight hummed. “A strong memory can be a valuable thing indeed. Sometimes that sister of yours can barely remember what she had for breakfast.”
“Well, she has important Wonderbolt stuff to do!” Little Wing argued in defence of her elder sister.
Twilight chuckled. “I’m sure she does. But whatever the case, I’m glad I ran into you. I think all of Equestria can expect great things from the little sister of Rainbow Dash.”
“Oh come on, Princess,” Scotoaloo interrupted. “Way to put the pressure on a thousand. I think I’m the only one meant to be feeling anxious today.”
“You’re getting your confirmation from the Wonderbolts today,” Twilight noted. “I’m sure you did fine, and that’s actually why I’m here.”
Scootaloo blinked. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“Your sister wanted me to come get you,” Princess Twilight explained. “Rainbow did say you came to the castle, and the guards said you were in here.”
“If she knew where I was, why didn’t she come get me herself?” Scootaloo asked. “Instead of bothering you about it, I mean. It’s not like the guards would stop the Bearer of Loyalty from entering the castle.”
“Don’t worry Scootaloo, it was no bother,” Twilight assured the pegasus. “Rainbow Dash is very… busy at the moment. And for once my schedule is relatively clear, at least until late this afternoon. So it was no trouble at all.”
“Alright then, what did she want?”
“She wants you to return to her home, immediately,” Princess Twilight stated. “You’d better take Little Wing back with you, unless you want me to play foalsitter.”
“Uh, that won’t be necessary,” Scootaloo replied. “But why go back?”
Twilight shook her head, turning to leave the library. “You’ll have to ask her. Don’t worry about the books, I’ll have Spike clear up the rest.”
And with that, Princess Twilight Sparkle departed while leaving behind a thoroughly confused pair of pegasi.
“What was that about?” Little Wing asked.
“Beats me,” Scootaloo replied with a shrug. “Honestly, trying to figure out the alicorns is like trying to figure out Pinkie Pie. Don’t even try.”
“But what does big sis want?” Little Wing asked further.
“Once again, no clue,” Scootaloo stated, allowing Little Wing to hop up onto her back and sit down comfortably. “I suppose there’s only one way to find out.”
Scootaloo departed the library with Little Wing in tow, leaving their mess for the castle’s only draconic resident to sort out. The guards remained rigid as they passed, as did the others they walked by on their way out. After a few twists and turns, they found themselves staring out of the two massive doors acting as both the main entrance and exit to the largest building in Ponyville. The sun was high in the sky, sitting directly above them as the various inhabitants of the town went about getting their lunches.
Moving past a final pair of guards, Scootaloo opened her wings and shot off towards the cloud mansion at the other end of Ponyville. The floating structure quickly grew bigger as the pair of pegasi got closer, and in no time at all four orange hooves stepped down onto the steps leading directly to the home’s front doorway.
All was quiet around them, albeit with the exception of a few tweeting birds flying past the duo and then off towards the general direction of Sweet Apple Acres. The farm in question being visible in the distance, the Apple Family undoubtedly hard at work harvesting their usual crop.
“Well, everything seems normal,” Little Wing noted.
“If it was urgent we would have known about it,” Scootaloo pointed out to the filly. “She probably has some errand she wants me to run while she’s busy doing whatever it is she’s doing.”
“Ugh, but we were DOING an errand!”
“And now we’ve got a new one,” Scootaloo remarked. “Whatever, let’s just get this done with.”
Scootaloo ascended the few steps between her and the mansion’s entrance, placing her hoof straight onto the door when she got there. She gave it a shove, and the doorway opened up to reveal the hall within.
And was immediately assaulted by an army of confetti pieces, Little Wing falling from Scootaloo’s back with a surprised yelp and landing with a thud into the floor.
“SURPRISE!” a chorus announced from inside.
Scootaloo blinked, Little Wing getting herself off the floor with an indignant huff.
Inside was a decent sized gathering of ponies, the largest of whom was the very lavender princess who had sent them there in the first place. Also, there was Rainbow Dash standing front and centre, Scootaloo’s various friends as well as Little Wing’s parents. The two final ponies was a familiar excitable pink mare operating a confetti cannon and one walleyed pegasus who seemed to be a little lost. A large banner hung atop the grand staircase, ‘Congratulations Scootaloo’ emblazoned on it.
“What’s going on here?” the elder of the two confetti covered ponies asked in confusion.
“Well, it’s only a SURPRISE PARTY!” Pinkie Pie pointed out as she bounced rapidly up and down next to the wide-eyed Scootaloo. “Were you surprised Scootaloo? Huh? HUH!?”
“What? Oh, uh… yeah. Just a bit,” Scootaloo replied sluggishly. “So… what’s the occasion?”
“And why wasn’t I told?” Little Wing asked in irritation.
“Sorry squirt,” Rainbow said while ruffling Little Wing’s mane. “We didn’t know whether you’d be able to keep the secret.”
Little Wing’s cheeks puffed up. “I would have too!”
“Once again, what in Celestia’s name is happening!?” Scootaloo demanded to know.
“Well Scootaloo, what else would it be?” Rainbow said coyly as she presented an envelope to the younger pegasus. “Congrats Scoots, you’re a reservist. What’s more, you’re already near the top of the list. A little more work, and you’ll be first in line to replace one of the main members when they leave.”
Little Wing’s eyes shifted from holding an irritated look to a sparkling one faster than a sonic rainboom. “She made it!? She really made it!?”
Scootaloo was blinking a lot. “I… I did!? But… Dash, did you read it!?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Didn’t need to, I AM a Wonderbolt remember? I was there when it was decided. You had my vote since day one.”
“So since she already knew you were in she wanted to throw this super amazing surprise party to celebrate!” Pinkie Pie further elaborated. “And Twilight knew you’d probably be returning those books so she volunteered to come get you when the time came.”
“Guilty as charged,” the Princess admitted.
Scootaloo looked up at the alicorn. “But… I thought you were going to be busy this afternoon?”
“Oh, I am. Petitioners from Canterlot,” Princess Twilight explained. “But the morning was free, so there was no reason to miss you reaching such an important life goal. You have been working so hard, Scootaloo.”
“Hard is an understatement,” Apple Bloom stated as she thumped Scootaloo on the shoulder. “She practically lives in those books now. Kinda like you, Twilight.”
Twilight threw Apple Bloom an amused glance.
“So of course we were going to be here!” Sweetie Belle added in. “AB has her farm, my music career is going great and now we have a Wonderbolt Cutie Mark Crusader!”
“Reservist,” Scootaloo pointed out.
Apple Bloom snorted. “Yeah, we’ll see for how long.”
“And we weren’t going to miss this either, Scootaloo,” Windy Whistles added in, while making sure to pick her youngest daughter up off the floor and onto her own back. “You have no idea how proud we are of you.”
“She’s right,” Bow Hothoof agreed. “Considering where you started off, with your disadvantage, you deserve it more than anypony.”
“So, you going to open it or what?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing at the letter. “Just to make it official, you know?”
Scootaloo glanced at the letter she was now holding and gave a nod. Moving in short order, she tore open the envelope and extracted the message inside. Sure enough, it was as Rainbow Dash said, she had been accepted into the reserves. It was only then that it actually felt real to the pegasus, rather than some fantasy she had conjured up into her head.
And it was at that moment she took flight and thrust a victorious hoof into the air.
“Awwww yeah! I’m in the Wonderbolts! Wahoooooo!”
Her own excited declaration was met with a flurry of stamping hoofs and cheers from those gathered to witness Scootaloo’s moment of triumph. Young Little Wing was among them, ecstatic to see her sister-figure finally succeed and get to the place she had always dreamed at being.
But as the cheers died down, and the party began, Little Wing began to ponder to herself. Would she be in Scootaloo’s position in however many years time? Would she know what it’s like to achieve her dream? Would she be the third of the three sisters to enter the Wonderbolts and continue that new unspoken tradition?
She hoped so. She had no desire to be a failure, to be the one who couldn’t make it despite the support of those around her.
First, she just needed to get that elusive cutie mark.
“Hurry along children,” the guide beckoned, the shadow of the weather factory looming above them.
Little Wing had never gotten so close to the ever so prominent structure within the city of Cloudsdale, despite the weather factory being both one of the most important buildings in the city and the place of her father’s employment. It was from this structure that the pegasi used their magic to manipulate the weather within Equestria’s borders to the extent that they did, and did so far more efficiently than a team of weather ponies could manage in the same time frame.
However, it did have a history of malfunctions. At least one of which was entirely Rainbow Dash’s fault.
But that was entirely beside the point. Little Wing and the rest of her classmates had been taken by the Junior Flight School on a school trip to come see the famed weather factory first hoof. They were to be given a tour around the areas of the factory designated as safe for such an affair, seeing the day to day lives of the workers and how the factory functioned.
Little Wing couldn’t help but gave a challenging glare at one of the protruding rainbows, considering it a cheap knock off compared to what her elder sister could pull off with her speed alone.
But as it was the class had been gathered around the front entrance by the accompanying teaching staff where a pegasus mare had been ready and waiting for them. The fillies and colts gathered around said mare as she called out to them, reading something from a clipboard held in one of her wings.
“Alright, everything seems to be in order…” she muttered to herself, her tongue slightly sticking out the side of her muzzle as she concentrated on what she was reading. “Alrighty then, let’s begin!”
The tour guide gave the class a welcoming smile, obscuring her clipboard beneath her wing before addressing the group once more.
“Hello there!” she greeted cheerfully. “You can call me Sunny Days, and I’m going to be your tour guide throughout your visit. Is everypony ready to go?”
She got a round of nodding and a couple of more audible confirmations from the children, and a final affirmative nod from the teacher in charge.
“Excellent! The tour shall commence in just a moment,” Sunny Days stated. “First, a few ground rules to remember. First off, do not touch the machinery under any given circumstances. Stay within the boundaries and do not trot where you are not meant to be. Do not disturb the workforce beyond a polite greeting, and do not eat or drink from your packed lunches until we reach the cafeteria. Any troublemakers will sadly be forced to sit the rest of the trip out, understood?”
“Pfft, like we’d cause any trouble,” Silver Breeze snidely commented from somewhere in the back.
Little Wing and Misty Gust both couldn’t help but roll their eyes.
“Now that the unpleasant bit is out of the way,” Sunny Days continued. “Do follow me. If anyone has a question, or just needs to use the little filly’s room at any point, don’t hesitate to ask.”
With that, the guide turned her backs on the group and walked through the main entrance of the factory, the teachers corralling the class in behind her like a group of pigs into a pen.
And there were many ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ upon entering the entrance hall.
The vast room had a single reception desk sitting directly in front of the entering group. Behind the desk was a staircase heading upwards while two other doorways on the ground floor led into other areas of the factory. The structure was largely made from a mix of highly compact cloud and white marble, four pillars lining the room with rainbow fountains streaking down their surfaces. Upon looking up, Little Wing could see several loose clouds lining the ceiling with an almost misty affect drifting among them.
“Oh, that’s really pretty,” Misty Gust commented, her eyes glued to the ceiling.
Little Wing realised her friend’s family also worked at the factory, and suspected she now knew where the inspiration for her name originated from.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Little Wing agreed. “Think we’ll see our dads?”
“I don’t know,” Misty responded. “I kinda hope so though. I’ve never seen my dad’s job.”
“I haven’t either. Well, there’s no better time.”
The guide approached the reception desk and gave the receptionist her clipboard.
“The class is accounted for, make sure to log it.”
The receptionist just grunted in bored manner in response, taking the clipboard. Sunny Days gave the pony a deadpan glare, before returning her smile back onto her muzzle.
“Alright class, follow me!”
Sunny Days led the class up the main staircase behind the reception desk. At the top of the stairs was a central door that appeared to be locked, with several other doors lining the second floor of the entrance hall. Sunny Days led the class to the doorway directly left of the locked important looking door, and led them on through it.
The doorway took the group onto a wide metal catwalk spanning across an extremely large inner space. As the class were led onto the catwalk they could see various large-scale machinery being tended to by a small army of pegasi. There was another catwalk on the other side of the room, and between them on the wall there seemed to be a control station that the important looking door almost certainly led to. The workface flew back and forth as they utilised the various machines, many of which seemed to be producing various elemental effects that would be imbedded within the clouds themselves.
Seeing all of this for the first time, the buried human inside Little Wing couldn’t help but balk at the sight.
“Here we have the main factory floor,” Sunny Days announced. “This is where the elemental effects produced by our various departments are transferred. These machines condense collected water vapor into the average cloud you might find out among the, well… clouds.”
Silver Breeze snorted rather loudly.
Ignoring that, the guide continued. “Then our equipment uses their inbuilt magic to embed the elemental effects within the cloud itself, creating a variety of things from thunder to snowfall.”
“Could you make fire clouds?” a random colt asked curiously.
Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Theoretically yes, with the right enchantment. But I don’t think we’d want to do that anytime soon.”
“Oh, OK.”
Sunny coughed into a hoof. “Anyhow, once a batch is complete, and Cloudsdale as a whole has been positioned where we need it to be, the gathered clouds are released. This way we can give the land below the desired environmental effect to do things like help the growth of crops to simply bringing about the spirit of Hearth’s Warming. This is the whole reason why our fair city, unlike even some other cloud cities like Las Pegasus, does not have a singular fixed location.”
“But you do other stuff too, right?” another child enquired.
Sunny Days nodded. “We do indeed. Our weather controls stations can manipulate the strength of the winds, and with the cooperation of Princess Celestia we can even moderate the average temperature during the day. And, my little pony, I’m sure you have glimpsed the rainbows decorating the factory. Within Equestria only the Everfree Forest and Frozen North are beyond our manipulation.”
“How come?”
“The Everfree is a… special case,” Sunny Days answered simply, not elaborating. “As for the Frozen North, the wild elements are simply two powerful for these machines to handle. And are most certainly too much for any weather team.
“How does it work?” Misty Gust called out. “The machines and stuff, I mean. It’s really different to when weather teams do it.”
“It is, and in some areas not so much,” Sunny Days answered. “For one, only a pegasi’s innate magic can allow us to fully work this equipment properly. A unicorn might be able to wave his or her horn a bit, but not to the same effect. As for the rest of it, a blending of sciences both magical and industrial. If you’re interested, I’m sure you can endeavour to learn the technicalities as you grow older.”
Sunny Days then began to point out the various machines and exactly what effect each was imbuing within the clouds they produced. Little Wing was distracted from this, however, when she spotted a rainbow maned stallion wandering the factory floor. Bow Hothoof was moving aside a few tufts of excess cloud that had escaped the previous batch, before filling the now empty machine with some water. He closed up the hatch and twisted various dials until the machine began to give a soft hum, the water inside beginning the process of being condensed into cloud.
The stallion then glanced up at the catwalk, and spotted his daughter watching him from afar. Little Wing waved her little hoof at him, and with a smile he waved back, silently promising to catch up with her later. At the cafeteria for lunch, perhaps?
It was then that a panicked shout caught the attention of both father and daughter.
“And now, children, we shall move on into the rainbow pro-” Sunny Days was also interrupted by the shout, and then further as a cloud shattering BOOM rocked the factory floor.
The fillies and colts all screamed as a bolt of overcharged lightening obliterated the catwalk just ahead of them, the structure screeching and collapsing down to the floor below as pegasi bolted to get out of the way. They just had to thank their lucky stars that they had the foresight to enchant it so not to conduct electricity, all just in case of such an event.
As Little Wing’s eyes trained to the source, she saw that the machine responsible for the production of lightening clouds had all but burst open as a blackened mass inside spewed on out into the factory, flashes of light visible within.
“Storm cloud!” Sunny Days shouted in alarm. “Uh, children! Move back into the reception area in a calm and orderly manner, now!”
An alarm started sounding as the panicked foals began to scramble to safety. Many of the factory workers began moving off to a safe distance while others move to tackle the storm cloud. However, whatever malfunction the machine had suffered had severely overcharged the black mass, and it was spewing out near lethal bolts as frequently as Pinkie Pie produced parties.
Just as the group was moving through the doorway another streak of lightening shot out, narrowly missing both a worker and the group atop the catwalk. However, the bolt did strike the wall near to the exiting Little Wing. The small blast caused Little Wing both stumble and flap her wings in fright, the momentum sending her over the catwalk’s railing.
“Little Wing!” a panicked and upset Misty called out, just as she was all but shoved out of the main factory floor.
“Ugh…” Little Wing groaned as she rubbed her sore head. “Owie…”
The filly had managed to land head first, but had used her wings to slow her descent enough that she wasn’t seriously hurt beyond a throbbing headache.
Then another bang and the sound of rubble collapsing heralded a stallion scooping the filly up into his hooves.
“Little Wing!” Bow shouted in panic, examining his daughter for injury. “You’re… alright, oh thank Celestia!”
“Dad?” Little Wing looked up at her father’s worried features, and then over to the storm cloud that was retreating through a brand new hole in the wall.
A couple of the workers were slumped to the floor in serious pain, having been struck by one of the weaker bolts to be produced by the monster cloud. The cloud had left devastation in its wake as it fully exited the factory, invading the unfortunate city beyond.
“Come on, I’m getting you out of here,” Bow stated as he deposited Little Wing onto his back. “Hang on.”
“Wait!” Little Wing shouted. “What about the cloud?”
“We have ponies to deal with it,” Bow replied. “And they will, when they get here.”
“But what about before?” Little Wing asked, looking towards the hurt ponies. “Won’t more ponies get hurt?”
Bow grimaced. “Maybe. But everything will be fine, it’s just an accident. We need to-”
“I don’t want ponies to be hurt!” Little Wing announced, glaring out at the storm cloud that had ruined their day.
Before Bow could stop his child, she had shot off of his back at a speed that would have made her elder sister shed liquid pride. Her father’s shout was lost behind her, and neither did she notice him immediately turn to give chase.
Little Wing blasted on out of the hole and into open sky, shooting towards the offending and highly dangerous cloud.
There was a moment, just a moment, where she wondered just exactly what she was doing. Her previous parents had never thought she’d amount to anything, that she’d never do anything worthwhile for someone else. A waste of space and time, nothing more.
And here she was, facing down what could have been another early death.
She didn’t have time to regret her life choices as she narrowly avoided electrocution with a startled yelp, but her speed didn’t decrease. Another larger bolt struck out at a pathway just outside of the factory, nearly striking a family of three who had been sightseeing. A few inches to the left and they would have been fried.
That silenced the doubt. She had to stop it.
Trying to think back on her own practice and what she had seen both her sisters perform in their Wonderbolt related activities, Little Wing narrowly avoided another bolt as she twisted around and aligned herself so that she would impact the cloud hind hooves first.
And the impact cut the cloud into two perfect halves.
The cloud gave what sounded like a roar as much of its internal energy was expelled by the impact, but not completely. However, two weak halves were better than one strong whole. Little Wing twisted around one of the clouds and gave it a hard buck, unleashing its remaining lightening into the sky high above them. She then twisted and did the same to the second half, the second thunderbolt also striking high into the air above where any pegasi would be flying.
Little Wing then flipped backwards and observed her work. Only a few now white tufts of cloud remained, floating off by themselves to lands unknown. No other sign of the gigantic cloud remained, and with its passing so had the danger dissipated.
Little Wing was panting slightly, so mesmerised by what she had just done she completely missed the flash came from either side of her. Her brain was only just catching up with her actions, unbelieving as to what her body had just done.
“YAHOOO!” Little Wing shouted and laughed in victory. “TAKE THAT CLOUD!”
Her massive grin faltered slightly as she caught sight of Bow Hothoof out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face him, and immediately noticed his shocked stare and the fact that his jaw had fallen so far it might as well have been touching the rolling green plains below Cloudsdale.
“Oh…” she muttered sheepishly. “I’m grounded, aren’t I?”
Bow Hothoof blinked, and then shook his head to bring his faculties back into order. “Uh, no. Not quite, not this time.”
He gently flew towards his daughter, and then gestured towards her flank.
“I think you were meant to do that.”
Little Wing gave him a confused look. “Huh?”
The filly looked down to what he was pointing towards, and promptly froze. Right there, on her flank, was the silhouette of a majestic phoenix rising out between two separate gigantic wings rolled out alongside the bird.
A phoenix. Rising out of the ashes of the old and into the new.
Wings. She was born to fly.
“MY CUTIE MARK!” Little Wing gushed excitedly.
Streamers and confetti caked the walls as several ponies within the home of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles shouted in celebration. Several banners hung from those confetti covered walls, all depicting the same image of the phoenix between two wings.
“She got her cutie mark!” Windy Whistles exclaimed definitely not for the millionth consecutive time while pointing towards said mark with a grin even bigger than Little Wing’s own. “CUTIE MARK!”
“Alright honey, we get it,” Bow Hothoof said with a laugh, placing the shield shaped award with Little Wing’s mark decorated on it to one side. “Give her some room to breathe.”
“Yes please…” Little Wing muttered as she escaped her mother’s bear hug. “Breathing is nice. Breathing is good…”
“Yeah, you really showed that cloud who’s boss,” Rainbow Dash said, putting aside her mug of cider. “Couldn’t have done it better myself, squirt.”
Little Wing glowed at her elder sister and idol’s praise, glomping her in an enthusiastic embrace immediately after.
Rainbow Dash chuckled, placing Little Wing back onto the ground. “Yeah, love you too buddy. Proud of you.”
“We all are,” Scootaloo added in, ruffling Little Wing’s mane. “I remember when I got mine, wasn’t as cool yours though.”
“Nah,” Rainbow Dash denied while ruffling Scootaloo’s own mane in turn, much to her irritation. “Yours was awesome in its own way!”
The Wonderbolt reservist’s blush certainly contrasted with her coat colour.
“Yours was the coolest!” Little Wing claimed. “You did a sonic rainboom. You could have taken out, like, a million storm clouds with that!”
“You did do a sonic rainboom,” Scootaloo agreed.
“Yeah, I am awesome,” Rainbow noted. “But this isn’t about our marks, this is the squirt’s day! And that cutie mark is pretty damn cool!”
Rainbow Dash looked over at one of the banners displaying the very cutie mark they discussed. She put a hoof to her chin, humming in thought.
“Though, it’s actually not what I expected you to get. I thought there would be a cloud in it.”
“A cutie mark is rarely what you expect,” Scootaloo stated, also looking at the banner.
“I’ll take you word for it,” Rainbow replied. “You are the expert after all.”
“Yeah, Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Little Wing added in.
Rainbow nodded. “So, Miss Crusader, what does her mark mean?”
Little Wing’s smile fell, and she suddenly felt a little worried. “Uh, I mean… does it matter?”
Scootaloo didn’t hear her, too busy studying the mark. “We’ve gotten pretty good and translating the various meanings of cutie marks, and the wings are obvious enough. Flying, soaring through the air like she did to batter that storm cloud into submission. But the phoenix…”
Okay, now Little Wing was feeling more than a little nervous.
“I’m… not entirely sure. It usually means things like rebirth, resurrection… But I guess it could also be the flight of a phoenix.”
“Or maybe she’s destined to be Philomena’s caretaker,” Rainbow Dash joked. “It has to be the flying thing, Dad was pretty descriptive about the moves you pulled back there.”
Little Wing allowed her worry to die away, replaced with a blush. “Well, I mean… I couldn’t let it hurt anypony else.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled, giving her little sister a light nuzzle. “And that, Little Wing, is the real reason you deserve that cutie mark.”
Little Wing giggled at the attention, nuzzling her elder sister back.
If only she hadn’t then caught sight of that alicorn watching her, standing in the corner of the room where none but Little Wing reacted to her presence.
The locker gave a notable metallic clang as Little Wing swung it shut, ensuring it was locked and all the contents safely tucked away inside. The hallways within the main Cloudsdale Flight School was bustling, teenage pegasi of various pastel colourations chatted loudly as they traversed the halls in many differing directions. Most were heading to the final class of the day, whatever that may be for each individual pegasus, but for Little Wing that was not the case.
For Little Wing, her final class for the day had been fortuitously cancelled. The teacher had apparently come down with a sudden case of the flu, and without a substitute available to take over the afternoon’s class was canned entirely. This meant that Little Wing could just go on home. Or not, as she had knowledge of a Wonderbolt practice ongoing within the city. She thought that might as well drop in.
As for the cancelled class, Little Wing would have had a history class run by an egghead bookhorse of a mare, her enthusiasm for the subject hindered by her natural monotone. The teacher would have to be at least the second most monotone mare Little Wing had ever met in her life, the first being a guest lecturer they had previously who also happened to be the elder sister of one of Rainbow Dash’s best friends.
Small world.
But that had been some time ago nevertheless, the lecture lost somewhere among the previous three years the thirteen-year-old mare had spent in the flight school, moving on to a higher form of education compared to that of the Junior Flight School before it.
Thirteen. The last time she had reached those numbers, she had died. That was something ever present in the back of her mind, and yet seemed so many lifetimes ago. It was, of course, in fact only one. But that didn’t stop the almost vague nature of it, the memory of staring down at Emma’s corpse before being accepted among her family with open hooves.
Little Wing shuddered at the image. Sometimes she wondered if all of that was just a dream, something produced from the trauma of being abandoned as a foal perhaps. Sometimes she also wondered if she was just crazy, imagining up a whole other life that never actually existed at all.
But not, she knew she wasn’t. That elusive alicorn had appeared before her twice since that fateful day, and what she remembered was far too real to be a dream. What was, had been. Her former species had even garnered a mention from her eldest sister, though only via second hoof information that itself came from Princess Twilight Sparkle. They were real. Earth was real. Emma was real. And now here she was again, a big one and a three dominating her age. Square one, and very much alive.
Emma stared into a slight reflection coming off of the locker, Little Wing staring right back at her.
“Little Wing?”
Little Wing jumped wildly as a hoof touched her shoulder, her feather’s standing on edge as she gave an indignant groan at the owner of said hoof. It was a very familiar and not so unwelcome pegasus holding more than a few textbooks underneath one of her wings.
“Misty! Don’t. Do. That!” Little Wing protested at the other mare’s sneaky antics. “I’d rather live past thirteen this time, thank you!”
“Uh, um, sorry about that…” Misty apologised with an embarrassed blush, but then blinked at the second part of her friend’s objection. “Uh… Huh? I have no idea what that means…”
Little Wing groaned. “Ugh, forget it. Are you heading off home?”
Misty considered the previous few awkward moments forgotten and locked away behind a mental lock and key. “Yup. With class cancelled, there’s no point to stay really.”
Misty Gust opened up her locker, conveniently right next to Little Wing’s, and began to load up her text books inside. They were regarding a variety of subjects from the mechanics of pegasus magic to those relevant to the very history class they would have had that afternoon.
“What about you?” Misty Gust asked. “Want to fly home together?”
“To a point,” Little Wing responded. “I’m heading to the Wonderbolt training grounds. I haven’t seen Scoots in action since she became a part of the main team. I really want to see her alongside Dash and Spitfire!”
“Oh, fair enough,” Misty replied. “I still can’t believe that Fleetfoot retired. You ever find out why?”
“Not a clue. Rainbow said it was for private reasons,” Little Wing explained. “She’ll be fine, and it gives Scootaloo her time to shine!”
“I’ll bet,” Misty said with a slight chuckle at her friend’s enthusiasm. “Well if you’re going there, I might go my own way too and head to the library. I need to do some extra studying for that test coming up.”
“You’re always studying for that test,” Little Wing retorted. “You could always come with me?”
“Tempting. But some ponies like to revise before committing to the examiner’s judgment.”
“I revise!”
Little Wing received a critical and knowing look from her best friend.
“…Sometimes,” Little Wing said less confidently. “I do fine! You just love to have your muzzle in a book.”
“I’ll make sure to drag you with me before the test some point.”
“That’s fine, it’s different when reading with you,” Little Wing stated. “Remember when we were foals?”
“Could I ever forget?” Misty replied, a small smile on her face. “But algebra is not Daring Do.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“I could always get those Daring Do math books for foals if it’ll help…”
Little Wing gave Misty a deadpan glare. “One, just no. Two, those aren’t even canon so forget it.”
“You could always ask your parents to revise with you. Mine do.”
“Please, that stuff confuses them more then it does me half the time,” Little Wing retorted. “It isn’t exactly Rainbow’s strong suit either. Hm, maybe I should ask Scoots…”
“Yeah. Trust the special snowflake to rely on her overachieving NOT sister,” a stallion’s unwelcome voice called as it did on an unfortunately frequent basis. “So sad.”
Little Wing groaned, muttering to Misty: “Crap. Douche alert.”
“What was that?” Silver Breeze called over from his own locker, his buddies nearby. “Don’t talk behind other ponies’ backs!”
Little Wing rolled her eyes and ignored him, beginning to trot away with Misty Gust at her side. She, in true fashion, didn’t get far before being intercepted.
“Hey, don’t ignore me either!” Silver Breeze demanded. “Be rude to me and I’ll buck you head first into a storm cloud!”
Little Wing snorted, pointing towards her cutie mark. “Hey genius, remember what I got my cutie mark for? While you ran further than anypony else might I add?”
Silver Breeze growled, all but muzzle to muzzle with Little Wing. “I only went with everypony else, don’t lie about that!”
“Then get out of my face.”
“Then maybe you should be a little nicer to me, huh?”
“Me? Did I turn into a mirror?”
Misty nudged Little Wing. “Let’s just go. You wanted to watch Scootaloo, remember?”
Little Wing glanced at Misty. She gave a hesitant nod, and then began to move off once again. Silver Breeze did not move to follow this time, but tracked their movements with a disdain filled scowl.
“Yeah, go with your marefriend. Better for you that way.”
“Am I missing something?” Little Wing demanded to know, stopping and spinning on the spot part way down the corridor. “Because you’ve been a pain in my flank for ELEVEN years! Eleven! Do you get a kick out of this, or am I some sort of twisted outlet for some pent-up emotions? Maybe both? Simply put, what the hay is wrong with you!?”
Silver Breeze’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been a perfect gentlecolt compared to what I could do. So, you might want to watch it.”
Little Wing snorted. “Yeah. Sure. News flash, I’m done with you. Bye.”
A couple of Silver Breeze’s friends couldn’t help but laugh at how their ringleader got shrugged off like he was nothing. A sharp glare in their direction cut that off, before turning back towards the departing mares. He was not done with them, especially not after that.
Not that Little Wing cared all that much, paying him little mind. She put Silver Breeze at the back of her mind, locked away next to Emma, and exited the school with Misty walking right alongside her.
Wonderbolt's Academy
The Wonderbolt Academy was located on a cleared away mountaintop high above the clouds. A large complex ran across one side of the clearing, while another held considerable space and a runway running along from end to end. It wasn’t too far a flight from where Cloudsdale was situated at the time, so it was simple of Little Wing to detour from the flight home and to the facility.
Normally ponies weren’t allowed to just come sightseeing to the training grounds, especially considering that rather than just being purely for show the Wonderbolts were also a special branch of the EUP. Exceptions were usually made to family, however. At least it had been while under the command of Captain Spitfire. And since Little Wing was already quite well known to all those working in the Wonderbolts, the various personnel around the site didn’t think much as to her arrival.
Little Wing had to wonder if the same would be true in less peaceful times. But on the flip side of the bit she couldn’t really recall any prolonged conflict with another nation that wasn’t a thousand years past. The changeling invasion was before her time, but had lasted a mere afternoon. The closest thing she could think of was the Storm King, and even that only lasted a couple days.
Little Wing decided not to think about it too much, and thank her lucky stars war was such a foreign concept for Equestria.
Little Wing could already see the various Wonderbolts out in the open skies, deep into their practice routine. The teenage mare decided to stop mid-air for a moment and just watch from a distance.
“Crash, manoeuvre Alpha Six!” Spitfire roared out against the g-forces, ensuring her underling heard her order.
“On it!” Rainbow Dash confirmed, doing a stylish one hundred and eighty degrees turn and speeding off towards a set of three set up clouds.
Rainbow Dash stormed on through the three clouds as if they weren’t even there, three of the other Wonderbolts coming in from the opposite direction. Scootaloo, Surprise and Soarin shot back up through the three newly created rings with a glass shattering boom before splitting up into three different directions upon exiting the final ring.
All the while, Spitfire was watching them from above. Her gaze, as always, was extremely critical.
“Alright, not bad,” Spitfire stated as the other four assembled in front of her. “But there’s room for improvement. It could be flashier. And we also need to work on your synchronised flying, Flutaloo.”
Scootaloo saluted. “Yes ma’am!”
Spitfire nodded. “Alright, take a break. We’ll start again shortly, be ready.”
With that, Spitfire shot off back towards the academy. Surprise followed on quickly, though Soarin turned back to Rainbow Dash.
“You coming, Dash?” Soarin asked, winking at the mare.
Rainbow blushed. “Uh, I think so? I mean, yes! Coming.”
Soarin chuckled. “Alright, don’t take too long.”
Soarin then followed on after the other two, leaving just the two mares behind.
Scootaloo gave Rainbow an odd look. “If you wait any longer to do it, you’ll be an old mare.”
“Huh? Wait for what?” Rainbow Dash replied defensively.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Forget it.”
“I already have. You coming?”
“Yeah, I- Hang on a second…” Scootaloo tapped Rainbow Dash on the shoulder as she made to fly off, pointing towards an open patch of sky nearby.
They both saw Little Wing waving happily at them from a short distance away.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo glanced at each other, before flapping their wings and quickly making their way over to their little sister. Little Wing stopped her waving as the two Wonderbolts approached, though her smile didn’t let up even for a moment.
“Hey guys! What’s up?”
“Wing? Shouldn’t you be in school?” Rainbow Dash asked carefully.
Little Wing shrugged. “Last class got cancelled, and I wanted to see how Scootaloo was getting on with the other coolest ponies in Equestria! Speaking of… Flutaloo?”
Scootaloo chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, uh… It’s my nickname. First session I got so nervous I couldn’t do much talking, and when I tried what came out ended up sounding like the whistles of a flute. So, you know… Flute and Scootaloo…”
“Flutaloo, right…” Little Wing deadpanned. “When I join the ‘bolts, will I have to have such a dumb nickname?”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Not if you don’t mess up on your first day.”
“You would be the first,” Scootaloo added with a knowing smirk.
Oh yeah, she was definitely getting a nickname down the road.
“So, while we scheme what to name you,” Rainbow Dash said with a devious smirk. “You’re welcome to watch the rest of the session, Wing. Maybe you could pick up a few pointers of what to do when it’s your turn!”
“And what not to do, sometimes,” Scootaloo added in.
Little Wing nodded. “Sounds awesome! Count me in!”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “Alright then! Come on you two, let’s head back down.”
So the three sisters gave a flap of their powerful wings and soared down onto the academy below. Soon enough Spitfire would send her team back into a variety of drills to enhance their flight performance, Little Wing watching on in complete wonderment.
She would be up there one day, flying alongside both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. And nopony would stop her.
The next school week started out as normal, Little Wing’s detour to the Wonderbolt Academy quickly becoming but a pleasant memory to add to the sizable collection. The first couple of classes had come and gone, nothing particularly notable about any of them. Little Wing would enter and sit at a desk next to Misty Gust, listen to a teacher drone on for a little while before maybe doing some exercises in their books. They would then be dismissed upon that relieving bell, and wander off to their next class. Rinse and repeat, with the occasional break in between.
As was the nature of school life, of course.
Every young mare and stallions’ favourite part of the school day was, by and large, the lunch break. Not only was it the longest break of the day, but food was involved! What could have been better?
Little Wing had currently reached that point in her school day, and so cantered into the Cloudsdale Flight School’s cafeteria alongside Misty Gust. The line to get to the food counter was predictably long, but it was nothing they weren’t used to doing. So, with that in mind, the duo latched themselves onto the end of the queue and waited their turn patiently.
In the meantime, Little Wing and Misty Gust got to chatting amongst themselves. Topics varied from what they planned on picking up from the food counter, talks about the classes they had attended that day to general day-to-day life gossip. Included among these was the fact that one of their regular teachers was soon to go on maternity leave with her foal expected to arrive extremely, to one of the guys in their class buzzing about how he had successfully asked his hopefully soon-to-be marefriend out on a date. Little Wing found that situation adorably amusing, Misty Gust just thought it was rather cute.
The line whittled down bit by bit, not counting those who joined on behind Little Wing and Misty Gust, and eventually the two young mares reached the front and collected their food trays. There was a decent enough selection on display, the two looking over their options with telling rumbles coming from their stomachs. Misty Gust elected to place a salad onto her tray with an apple standing to the side. She also made sure to grab an orange juice box before she departed.
Little Wing did not go with a salad, rather immediately scooping up the nearest hay burger and a small hoofful of fries, and her juice box was flavoured with apples straight from Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville.
“You always go for the apple juice,” Misty noted as they looked for a table to sit down at.
“You always go for orange juice,” Little Wing shot back. “So what?”
“I don’t always go for orange,” Misty rebuked. “But you do always go for apple, every single time. Just something I noticed.”
“I like apples, alright?” Little Wing said defensively. “Especially from Sweet Apple Acres, they do it the best.”
They located a spare table at the very corner of the cafeteria, placing down their trays and taking seats behind their respective meals.
“I know they’re good, but try and have variety, Wing.”
Little Wing snorted. “Of course they’re good! I would hope since they’re literally made by ponies called ‘the Apples’. And once again, so what?”
“It’s called your five a day.”
“I have five apples a day, at least in some form or another.”
Misty rolled her eyes. “Never mind.”
“You’re just being overly dramatic,” Little Wing stated. “I can’t wait until my parents let me have that cider that RD is always squawking on about. She loves the stuff.”
Misty giggled. “Well, as long as you don’t turn into a raging alcoholic.”
Little Wing was the one to roll her eyes this time. “Don’t worry about me. They won’t let me until I’m sixteen anyway.”
“Put it on the calendar.”
“Yeah… right,” Little Wing said sheepishly, taking a drink from her juice box.
Misty gave her a deadpan look. “You already have, haven’t you…?”
“Maybe.”
“Seriously?”
“Rainbow makes them sound REALLY good, okay!?”
Misty gave her best friend a coy smile, leaning up against the table. “You’re adorable when flustered, have I ever said that?”
Little Wing’s cyan coat turned a nice tomato colour very quickly. “M-Misty! Don’t say things like that!”
Now it was Misty’s turn to become bright red, apparently haven spoken without thinking. “Oh, uh… I-I didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything it kind of just slipped out and I don’t actually think you’re adorable even though I kinda do and now I’m rambling and-”
“Misty? You remember how breathing is a thing?”
Misty decided it was prudent to take Little Wing’s advice, taking in some gulps of sweet beautiful air before calming herself down slightly.
“There you go…” Little Wing said with a teasing, vengeful smirk. “Now who is the adorable one? What’d gotten into just then anyway?”
Misty was still bright red, tapping the table with one hoof with her food seemingly forgotten about. Little Wing tilted her head in confusion as Misty Gust gawped like a goldfish in an attempt to find some words to say. Just as Little Wing was becoming a little tempted to clip her gently around the ear to bring Misty out of her weird daze, the dark grey pegasus suddenly shot up from her seat and began to back away.”
“Yeah, uh… I’ll be back in a minute!” she claimed. “Just need to use the bathroom… Yes, that. Back soon!”
Then she had dashed off at alarming speeds, leaving behind a bewildered Little Wing staring at the now abandoned food tray sitting opposite her.
“I… guess I’ll look after your food then,” Little Wing muttered to herself. “Well, that conversation went weird fast… I wonder what that was about?”
Little Wing stared at her own food with a decreased appetite, before looking back over to the doorway Misty Gust had raced through in her odd retreat from… whatever it was she had been retreating from.
And then she saw Silver Breeze.
Silver Breeze had been standing by himself, his usual gang nowhere to be found, and had actually been watching Little Wing and Misty Gust from a distance. Little Wing only realised this as he saw him glance through where Misty Gust had exited, and with a stone-like expression exit directly after her.
Little Wing blinked. That had to be bad.
Very bad.
Sneaking one last bite of her hayburger, Little Wing abandoned the table and also raced out through the doorway. When she came out into the hallway, she lost sight of Silver Breeze and Misty Gust among the crowd of ponies heading in and out of the cafeteria. She scanned the area for any sign of either pegasi, but to no avail.
“Hey!” Little Wing called out to a random passer-by. “You seen a colt named Silver Breeze pass on through here?”
“Silver Breeze?” the other student responded. “Yeah, I think so. He was heading out back in a bit of a rush.”
“Out back, thanks a bunch!” Little Wing shouted back at the pagasus, already running off in that general direction the moment she heard it.
She ducked and dived through the various ponies in the hallways of the school, getting at least one warning for running along the way. But eventually she was able to make her way to the back of the school and burst through the doors into the open sky.
Outside, running along the bare cloud or flying through the clear air, were a great many young pegasi. Many were doing various aerial games to pass away the time until class was to begin again, while others simply talked among their friendship groups to waste the time away. Little Wing had a moment of doubt that she would be able to find Silver Breeze or Misty Gust among such a sizable crowd.
Until she looked directly ahead, and saw Silver Breeze bearing down threateningly on the smaller form of Misty Gust.
“-saw the way you interacted with her. Who knew you really are marefriends?” Silver Breeze taunted. “You must feel so special, on top of the world like you can get everything you want…”
Silver Breeze snorted. “Oh, I see now. You like her, but she doesn’t even notice you! Pfft, that’s the most pathetic thing in the world! If you can’t even get that dork to notice you then who will?”
“Go. Away. Now!” Misty Gust shouted angrily, trying to move past Silver Breeze back towards the building.
Only to give a yelp of surprise as she was forcibly pushed to the ground.
“You’re not going anywhe-”
Silver Breeze’s yelp was even greater as a cyan hoof impacted his face.
Silver Breeze was on the ground himself as his senses returned, one hoof held against his cheek as he checked the damage. It was minor, unlikely to even leave a mark, but had been no less surprising and out of nowhere. He shot back to his hooves with a growl and looked towards his attacker, seeing the fuming Little Wing standing in opposition to him.
“You can insult, belittle and be a jerk all you want…” Little Wing began to say through clenched teeth. “BUT YOU DON’T TOUCH MY FRIENDS!”
“You… just hit me?” Silver Breeze asked in slight disbelief. “You… You punk! There’s no Rainbow Dash around here if you didn’t realise, and now you’re toast!”
Little Wing was staring daggers at Silver Breeze, but slowly lowered her aggressively raised wings. “No. Stay away.”
Little Wing turned away from Silver Breeze dismissively, moving to help the bewildered Misty Gust up off of the ground.
“Don’t be a coward!” Silver Breeze shouted as he charged.
Silver Breeze headbutted into the side of Little Wing’s barrel, sending her off her hooves and down onto the floor. The young stallion looked to where Little Wing had dropped and moved forward again, aiming to drive his hooves again into her side.
Little Wing rolled to the side desperately, scrambling painfully up to her hooves as tears breached the sides of her eyes.
Silver Breeze had fire in his eyes. “You don’t get to run! You don’t get to cry! Just this once, you don’t get everything handed to you on a platter!”
By this point all eyes had turned towards the fight, most watching in both curiosity and shock while a few turned tail and ran indoors to collect the closest teacher they could find.
Silver Breeze shot forwards again, hoof aimed for Little Wing’s muzzle. Little Wing gave a fearful step backwards and she caught the strike in her own hooves, only for his second forehoof to also be brought up and successfully meet its target.
With Little Wing once again on the ground, face bloody, Silver Breeze jumped on top of her to keep her pinned down.
“You don’t know what it’s like! But you will!”
It was then that Little Wing, through her own bleary eyes, noticed that Silver Breeze had also begun to tear up. This observation was put to one side, however, as she saw his hoof raise up again with wide eyes.
“Stop!” Misty shouted desperately, grabbing onto Silver Breeze from behind.
With a grunt, Silver Breeze flailed a wing out wildly and caught Misty Gust directly on her muzzle, drawing some blood and knocking her away.
Little Wing, enraged by the strike against Misty and given some wiggle room by her actions, was able to buck Silver Breeze off of her and roll back onto her hooves once more.
Screw the ground, there was another way she would finish the fight with ease.
Little Wing jumped, her wings stretching outwards and propelling her into the sky.
“Come on then!” Little Wing shouted angrily. “If you’re so big and tough! Let’s do this like proper pegasi!”
Silver Breeze gave a feral growl, wings opening as he met Little Wing’s challenge head on. He flew directly up towards her, blind rage filling his mind over any tactical sense. As he attempted to slam his hooves into Little Wing she did a simple dodge and bucked one of her hind hooves into his barrel.
Silver Breeze gave a shout, spinning a little back managing to maintain his control. When he focused again, however, he saw that Little Wing was literally flying circles around him. She was putting her flying session with her elder sister go to good use.
Silver Breeze darted ahead, aiming for where Little Wing would be when he made it there. Little Wing had anticipated, and wanted, this however.
When Silver Breeze thrashed out with his hooves, Little Wing did a small flip in the air to position herself above him before driving both her hind legs between his two wings.
That had done it, and Silver Breeze fell from the short distance they were in the air and back onto the cloud below.
Good thing that clouds were inherently soft.
That didn’t stop Silver Breeze giving a cry of pain, however. And before he could force himself back up the teenage pony found Little Wing landing on top of him and pinning him in place. Unlike with Little Wing, however, nopony was coming to the young stallion’s aid.
Silver Breeze whimpered, tears streaming down his face as he stared up at the fuming features of Little Wing.
“Why!?” Little Wing shouted straight into his face. “Why are you like this!? Why have you got to be such a twat!?”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Silver Breeze asked between sobs. “Go on then! As if you couldn’t make yourself seem any better anyway!”
Little Wing started to get her breathing under control, looking at the infamous bully questioningly.
“Better? What the hay are you talking about!?”
“Don’t act dumb!” Silver Breeze replied. “You just love to have it all! Have everything hoofed over to you free of charge, never knowing what it’s like to be miserable?”
Now Little Wing was really confused, not understanding a word of what he was saying.
And then she truly looked into his eyes, and she saw it.
Misery. Suffering. Sadness. Pain.
“I. Don’t. Care,” her mother growled back. “Go entertain yourself. I don’t have time for you.”
“You’re not good enough,” her father stated dismissively, returning to his newspaper.
“Nobody would care for you out there anyway,” her father stated dismissively. “Unless you do what we say, you’ll always be alone.”
Little Wing stepped away from Silver Breeze, the young stallion looking onwards and sitting up uncertainly. He saw the shock and horror on Little Wing’s face, but that was nothing compared to her next question.
“Silver, how long have your parents been neglecting you?”
Silver Breeze’s eyes widened, his lips trembling. “W-what?”
“How long?” she reiterated.
Silver sniffed, wiping away from lingering tears as new ones emerged. “You’re not even their flesh and blood, but your parents adore you. They give you everything, you have a family who adores you! Your sister is super famous, and with her you’re practically guaranteed some success in life! Some ponies even think you’re a hero because of how you got your cutie mark… You. Have. EVERYTHING.”
The pegasus was doing his best not to hyperventilate, a lifetime’s worth of pent up emotions bubbling up to the surface.
“Meanwhile, my folks don’t even know I exist half the time! I don’t remember the last time they gave me a hug, gave me a compliment or… anything! I drag myself to school, but they don’t pay that much interest. I do really well in a test? They just snort and get back to reading the paper! I bet you come home to a cooked meal each and every single day? I have to make my own… and have done since I was a colt!”
“Silver…” Little Wing muttered, voice shaking.
He took little notice. “They’ve never cared! They never wanted a foal in the first place! I’m just an unfortunate accident! A stain they have to live with! While you, the adopted special little filly, have everything and everypony you could even want or need. You… You and that friend of yours have what I never will. And I HATE you for it! Understand that! I DESPISE you! I-”
He was interrupted mid rage by two cyan hooves gently wrapping around his neck, the little pony holding gently onto the weeping pegasus. He sat in silent shock for a moment, but the sheer depression forcing its way down upon him made Silver Breeze relent and bury his muzzle deep into Little Wing’s neck furr.
She let him cry his sadness away, just holding him as he did so.
Silver Breeze was Little Wing. Or rather, he was Emma. A little glimpse into what could have been, potentially, had events not led the young pegasus to where she was that very day.
And she understood him far more than he could ever possibly imagine.
You know, it had just been a short while prior that things had taken a rather unexpected but not all unwelcome turn. There Little Wing was, a little bruised to be sure, and yet contently holding the weeping Silver Breeze as he let loose a lifetime’s worth of misery she could heavily relate to. The crowd hadn’t dispersed around them, but the young mare was just happy to stay there until her now maybe now former mortal enemy spent all of his tears and composed himself once more.
But there were a few things that ensure that was never going to happen. For one, they had just been in a fight and given each other quite a few nasty hits. Two, not everypony had been in the crowd for the whole event.
No, some of the pegasi decided to run and tell a teacher what was going on.
Which was exactly how she ended up in the headteacher’s officer next to an equally embarrassed Silver Breeze.
Of course that hadn’t been their first stop when a group of teachers rushed out to stop the already finished fight. After both teenagers had bothered to look up from their cuddle pile they had been met with several rather cross looking faces, though mixed in with some concern as they saw the signs of their struggle. They had then dispersed the crowd as some of the teachers began asking the other pegasi what happened, while another couple forcibly escorted both Little Wing and Silver Breeze to the school nurse.
The nurse had been, to put it lightly, rather bemused by the situation. She had given both of them a quick examination to ensure there were no broken bones or any other serious injuries that might have required a hospital to fix. As it was, no such injuries existed beyond some nasty bruising she warned may cause some discomfort the next morning. So with their mostly clean bill of health, the nurse released them back into the school.
Or at least back into the hooves of their escorting teachers, who next took them straight to the headmistress.
A headmistress who really did not look very happy with either of them.
“You two…” the Headmistress began with a sigh of extreme disappointment. “Where do I even begin with you two?”
There were two audible gulps from the guilty parties.
The Headmistress was an aged pegasus mare with a white coat and a grey mane with specs of brown hair remaining here and there. She had glasses sitting on the end of her muzzle that had red coloured rims, her navy blue eyes piercing down at the two students called into her office that day.
“Violence of any form is not, and this really shouldn’t need to be stated, permitted under any circumstances on school ground,” the elderly mare cautioned. “And here you two are, bruised and battered while fortunately not sustaining any serious injuries. But that may not have been the case, one or both of you could have been seriously harmed! So… explain!”
Little Wing blinked, shifting nervously in her seat. “Er, we were… just messing around...?”
The Headmistress rolled her eyes in slight exasperation. “Miss Wing, do you know how many times I’ve heard that excuse in my long career?”
Little Wing gave a sheepish shrug. “I don’t know. At least twelve times?”
Now the elderly mare’s eye twitched. “That’s not…! Well, technically you’re not wrong, but it’s far more than that I can tell you! Now, would one of you mind explaining to me the real reason?”
Little Wing glanced over to Silver Breeze, but the young stallion just sat in silence with his eyes glued to the floor. Little Wing couldn’t help but feel both a little irritated and disappointed at that, she’d been rather hoping that Silver Breeze would admit what he did to Misty Gust. But alas, it seemed not to be.
“I don’t know…” Little Wing stated lamely, despite her irritation at the other pegasus she didn’t want to spoil any gained goodwill by throwing him completely under the best. Perhaps against her better judgement, but that’s nevertheless how she felt. “One thing led to another and then the teachers came to stop it all. I don’t really remember much, it’s all a blur…”
“Oh, you don’t remember?” the Headmistress said in a tone that suggested she didn’t believe Little Wing in the slightest. “Well that’s OK, because the students we interviewed about the incident had-”
“It was my fault,” Silver Breeze suddenly spoke up while looking the Headmistress straight in the eyes, much to the surprise of the two mares. “I started it. It was my fault.”
The Headmistress blinked in surprise, staring at the resolute Silver Breeze as if he had grown a second head that happened to be that of Discord himself. “Uh, yes. Our inquiries did paint that picture but… please, do continue.”
Silver Breeze nodded, letting out a long sigh. “I was being a bit of a jerk to Little Wing’s friend, Misty Gust. I was being verbally abusive, and then I pushed her to the ground. Little Wing came to her defence and clocked me in the side of the head.”
“Oh, so in other words it was Little Wing who threw the first punch?” the Headmistress enquired, looking questioningly at the pegasus in question. “Is that right, Miss Wing?”
Little Wing’s eyes glanced anywhere but the Headmistress’ own. “Yes ma’am…”
“No!” Silver Breeze blurted out, making them both jump. “I mean, yes, technically she did… But she was just sticking up for Misty! I was the one who then hit her back and escalated things!”
Now it was Little Wing looking at Silver Breeze oddly.
“Witnesses claim you tackled her to the ground, hit Miss Gust on the muzzle and then your fight took to the skies,” the Headmistress recounted sternly. “Which was where, as one of the colts put it, she ‘utterly trounced you’.”
Silver Breeze puffed up his cheeks at that description, looking away in embarrassment. “Well, I wouldn’t say it happened quite like that…”
“It kinda did,” Little Wing muttered, getting a fiery glare in return.
“I don’t suppose I even need to ask where you learnt to manoeuvre in the air like that after your display at the weather factory some time ago,” the Headmistress commented, glancing at the cutie mark on Little Wing’s flank. “Or maybe it’s that sister of yours?”
Little Wing flinched, really not wanting to get her elder sister in trouble. “Uh, I don’t know…”
The Headmistress rolled her eyes. “Please try to act a little bit more mature about this, Little Wing. We’re not in the Junior Flight School after all…”
“Uh, sure. Sorry ma’am…”
“Well whatever the case may be…” the Headmistress continued. “While Silver Breeze is by no means innocent, and may even be the main instigator of this incident…”
Silver Breeze tried to hide his shame between his wings.
“…Little Wing was still the one to throw the first punch. Young lady, you had other options. You could have come to find a teacher and reported the action, or tried less… physical means of persuasion. If you had, you might not be here today.”
“But you said it yourself, I started it!” Silver Breeze protested adamantly. “It’s not her fault, it’s mine!”
“Nopony is necessarily disputing that.” The Headmistress shot Silver Breeze a disapproving glare, making the colt wilt in his seat. “Some may even say her action was justified, but it doesn’t change the fact that you BOTH broke the rules of this school knowingly and willingly.”
Now they were in for it, there was no talking their way out of trouble now.
“I can tell you right now that both your parents will be receiving letters from the school and you’ll BOTH be in detention for a yet undecided amount of time. The details of your punishments will be included in the letter, which I promise will be received by your parents before the school day is over. Understood?”
“Yes, Headmistress,” both ponies glumly replied.
The Headmistress nodded, standing up from her desk and towards the doorway. “Now, I shall release you to the rest of the school day as normal. I do hope you both will learn something from this incident.”
The two students glanced at each other. That was one point they couldn’t claim to be wrong.
“Now,” the mare announced, opening the door and gesturing for them to move on through it. “Get out of my office and get to class. We’ll be speaking again soon.”
Little Wing and Silver Breeze arose from their seating and slowly marched towards the door with their heads held low. Once they passed through and back out into the hallway the door was swiftly shut up behind them, leaving them alone.
“Well,” Little Wing began, stretching a tense muscle in her right wing. “That could have gone better.”
“We’re not expelled, so there’s a plus,” Silver Breeze noted, even if it was a mere silver lining. “Your parents going to be angry?”
“Oh yeah, big time,” Little Wing replied with a sigh. “Understanding probably, but miffed nonetheless. Heh, Rainbow will probably scold me and then ask for the juicy details.”
“Siblings are different to parents like that I guess,” the young stallion said in turn. “Not that I would know, bit it’s how I imagine it.”
“What about your parents…?” Little Wing asked as if she were treading on thin ice, and she probably was. “What will they do?”
Silver Breeze’s glare hardened, though it wasn’t directed at Little Wing this time. “Snort and laugh. Call me a weakling for losing to a mare. And then forget about it. All in that order.”
“Well… at least they won’t be mad.”
“I want them to be!” Silver Breeze shouted, wings raised. “At least then I’d know they’d give a damn! But… GAH!”
“Hey! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve!” Little Wing said quickly to prevent another episode.
Silver Breeze was panting in anger, but managed to slow his breathing down to more normal levels. “Yeah, I know. Just… Ugh.”
Little Wing put a hoof on his shoulder. “I know. You may not think I do, but I do.”
“Your parents love you, how could you…” Then Silver Breeze looked into Little Wing’s pained eyes, and it was as if he was truly seeing her for the first time. “Your parents… abandoned you, right? Left you for your current ones to find?”
That wasn’t the whole story, but she couldn’t tell him that. But she could still tell him the truth. “I’ve… always wondered what I did wrong. Why they despised me as they did, why they didn’t care…”
“I suppose some ponies are just like that, I guess you do know at least a little what it’s like…” Silver Breeze took a moment to compose himself, before shooting Little Wing a small and unsure smile. “So… I guess we’re friends now?”
Little Wing bit her lip. “I… guess so? I mean, after all these years…”
Silver Breeze sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“I can understand you, why you acted as you did,” Little Wing stated. “But… you caused me and Misty a lot of grief. I don’t think all of that can wash away in one day.”
“Well, maybe we can start from here?” Silver Breeze suggested. “See where things go?”
Little Wing gave it a moment of thought, and then nodded with a smile. “Yeah. I’d like that. But first…” Little Wing looked down the corridor, right towards the corner. “What do you think, Misty?”
The young mare in question gave a small squeal, popping out of her hiding place a little flushed. “Uh, yeah. Sounds better than what we’ve been doing until now… How did you know I was there?”
“Awesomeness,” Little Wing replied matter-of-factly. “You should really know that by now.”
Misty gave a highly nervous chuckle as she approached the duo, sitting down on her rump. “Yeah, I guess so…”
Little Wing tilted her head. “Hey, you okay?”
“Uh, yeah! Never better!” Misty assured her friend. “My muzzle’s fine now. You didn’t hurt me that bad, Silver.”
The pegasus stallion scuffed a hoof. “Uh… good to know.”
“But still…” Misty continued, looking back towards Little Wing. “That was so amazing of you, Little Wing! You jumped in when I needed you, you protected me! I mean, not that I needed protecting necessarily but I needed help and you came and it was really sweet and-”
“Breathing,” Little Wing deadpanned.
Misty blushed even deeper. “Uh, yeah. That. Well, I just wanted to thank you. That was really sweet of you, I like you Little Wing…”
Little Wing rolled her eyes. “Well duh, I like you too! We’re best friends after all, have been since we were foals.”
Misty looked away. “Yeah, of course… Well, we should really get to class. Come on…”
And with that Misty turned away and started walking down the corridor. Little Wing couldn’t help but notice a little bit of sadness in her steps.
Little Wing frowned. “What’s with her? She was ecstatic one minute, and all mopey the next.”
Silver Breeze raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk on his face. “So, ‘best friends’ huh?”
Little Wing gave him a look of confusion. “Yeah, we are. So what?”
Silver Breeze shook his head in amusement, starting to follow Misty Gust to the classroom. “Oh well. I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually.”
And then Silver Breeze was also gone, leaving Little Wing alone in the hallway with absolutely no idea what in Celestia’s name just happened.
Being grounded, if Little Wing was to be brutally honest, really sucked.
Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof had received the Headmistress’ letter, just as the latter had promised. Everything after that had fallen into place pretty much as Little Wing had predicted it would. The rant her mother went on, with her father getting the odd word in every now and then, hadn’t exactly been short. But they had been… conflicted on the subject, as it became apparent during their tirade.
Little Wing had gotten hurt, put herself in harms way when there might have been alternative measures to be taken instead. But at the same time she had defended her friend against an aggressor, which in no version of Equus could they claim was the ‘wrong’ thing to do. After that had been brought up, the conversation took a more mellow turn with voices not quite turned up to Royal Canterlot levels. They calmly told Little Wing that they understood why she did it, and in her place they might have even done the same. But the news of what happened had scared them. It was bad enough that, despite their proudness of her, their eldest daughter was often in harms way at the side of Princess Twilight Sparkle; they didn’t want to worry about their youngest daughter getting into scuffs when she was still in school.
They understood. Deep inside they might even have approved. But neither did they want it becoming a habit.
So they nuzzled her on the head, gave her a few comforting words, and then grounded her for the rest of the week.
Yeah, comforting words did not lessen how much it completely and truly sucked.
“Bored.”
A small ball bounced off of the wall opposing Little Wing’s bed, barrelling back towards the pegasus who caught it in her hooves.
“Bored.”
Another small thud as the ball made contact once again, and equally it soon found its way back into the hooves of its owner.
“Still bored.”
One final thud, though on its return trip there were no hooves outstretched ready to catch it. Instead, the ball impacted the mattress and rolled off the bed onto the floor. Little Wing didn’t even spare a glance to see how far it rolled, instead having her eyes glued to the ceilings as her various limbs splayed out in all sorts of directions atop the covers.
This seemed to have become a routine over the past few days confined to her room for all but a few select hours a day. Things were not overly bad during the week when she spent the majority of her waking hours at school, even if detention was an ongoing process during breaks, though at least in those she’d had opportunities to get to know Silver Breeze better. But during the afternoons she had only ever seen the downstairs of the house at dinner, with the rest of her time being spent in her room. And now the weekend had come that was ALL she was doing, the only silver lining being that come the next morning her ridiculous exile would be well and truly over.
With one final groan of frustration, Little Wing turned and buried her face in the pillow, attempting to get something of a nap before she was called for dinner. No sleep would come, however, and the young mare didn’t even feel remotely tired.
She shifted slightly, allowing her eyes to see above the pillow and scan the room for any ideas that may yet alleviate her intense boredom.
Nothing.
Welp, there was nothing for it.
Little Wing hopped off of the bed, crouching low and slowly sneaking her way up to the door. She pressed one ear up against it, listening for any sounds on the other side.
She forced herself not to flinch back at the sound of heavy hoofsteps, undoubtedly her father. Instead, she remained ramrod still as the sound of the hooves grew more muffled and distant. Finally, they were gone altogether. Still, she waited another minute or two just to make sure that they were not going to return.
Once she was certain that the coast was clear, she began to open up the doorway one crack at a time, ensuring it would not make any noise.
“Just pretend you’re Rainbow Dash on some super-secret stealth mission behind enemy lines,” Little Wing instructed herself under her breath. “Just to the end of the hall, see if anything interesting is going on downstairs, and back again, Nopony will be any the wiser…”
If worst came to worst, she could just claim she’d been going to the loo.
The doorway was fully open now, and the next step of her master plan was to steadily slide into the hallway. As it turned out, the friction between her own fur and the carpet made that plan difficult. So, in all of her wisdom, she decided to go back to normal crawling instead.
All the other doors on the landing were shut up tight, and the only movement her ears could detect was coming from downstairs. Little Wing crawled along the landing until she had reached the very top of the stars, carefully dragging herself over the boundary just enough to get a view of the ground floor.
Then there was a knock on the door.
“You got that?” Bow Hothoof asked from the living room, and somepony got up from their seat and began to move.
Little Wing retracted slightly in panic as Windy Whistles moved to answer the door, moving past the bottom of the stairs in doing so. She heard the door open, and then her mother make a surprised noise.
“Misty Gust? I’m sorry for the surprise but we weren’t expecting you,” Windy explained, Little Wing’s ears trained in to hear the conversation. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, um, I’m here to see Little Wing,” Misty Gust explained. “Is she in? I really want… need, to talk to her.”
Little Wing could imagine her mother’s sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, dear. Little Wing is still grounded and is up in her room. It might be best that you come back tomorrow. You might even be able to catch her at school?”
There was a slight noise that Little Wing surmised was Misty shuffling awkwardly in place, probably drooping her ears while she was at it. After all, Little Wing’s ears were doing the same.
“Oh, OK then…” Misty muttered. “At least tell her I called round?”
“Of course I will, she’ll be thrilled to hear of it,” Windy replied. “Now hop along, there’s no need to stand out in the cold by yourself.”
“Okay… Bye, Mrs Whistles,” Misty said in farewell, followed by the click of the door closing up.
And then there was the sound of hooves approaching the staircase.
Little Wing quickly shuffled back, reversing through the door and closing it as quietly and quickly as possible. Finally, she hurriedly leapt onto her bend and buried her muzzle back in the pillow.
Just in time, the door to her bedroom opening back up again.
“Little Wing, you awake?” her mother asked.
“Hm,” Little Wing’s muffled reply came, only afterwards did she look up from the pillow. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know that your friend, Misty, dropped by,” Windy informed her daughter.
“Oh? What did she say?”
“She wanted to talk to you about something, but she’s going to wait until school tomorrow.”
Little Wing sagged. “Oh, alright then. Was that all?”
Windy shook her head slightly. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, I’ll give you a shout when you can come down.”
“OK Mum.”
Windy smiled, planting a kiss on Little Wing’s head. Then she exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Little Wing groaned, falling back and staring up at the ceiling once more. Now she had ten minutes to kill, where did she put that ball?
Maybe she could have thought about it more if not for that weird tapping on the window.
“…Wait, what?”
Little Wing sat up straight, looking over towards the window cut into one of the bedroom walls. The source of the tapping was of a young grey mare shooting Little Wing a sheepish smile.
“Hey, uh, can you let me in?” Misty asked from outside the house.
Little Wing snorted. “Oh, the wonders of having wings.”
She got up off of the bed and trotted over to the window, releasing the latch and allowing Misty to squeak her way through the frame and into the room. Little Wing closed the window up again, turning to give Misty an amused but questioning look.
“This isn’t some kind of jailbreak, is it?” Little Wing joked. “If so, we got a ten-minute time limit to pull this off.”
Misty rolled her eyes. “If you wanted to leave, you would have just opened up the window.”
Little Wing opened up her mouth to reply, but then closed it again with an embarrassed look.
“You never even considered it, did you?”
“I forgot I even had a window in all honesty.”
Misty Gust laughed, then quickly tried to stop herself. She didn’t, after all, want to give away her presence in the house.
“So… what IS this about?” Little Wing asked. “You must have a reason to break in like this.”
“Um, yeah. I do,” Misty confirmed, scuffing a hoof nervously against the carpet. “You remember the other day?”
“There are plenty of other days, but I’m going to assume you mean the fight,” Little Wing replied.
“Yeah, that’s the one. Only, what came after it.”
“You mean when we met outside the headmistress’ office?” Little Wing enquired, getting a nod in turn. “What about it? Has something else happened?”
“No, nothing like that,” Misty denied. “It’s just… I said I like you, and you said it is because we’re best friends…”
Little Wing raised an eyebrow. “Yeah… so? Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting a little weird.”
Misty sighed. “Well, that bothered me because… well, I LIKE you. Do you know what I mean? I mean, we’ve known each other since we were young and we’ve always hung out. But more than that, we’ve always been there for each other and you’re smart and brave and…”
Misty stopped mid-sentence, taking in a deep breath as Little Wing stared with wide eyes.
Eyes got even wider when she felt Misty’s lips press up against her own. Little Wing just locked up, not fighting it but not leaning into it either. Misty, after a few moment, broke off the kiss with a look of sadness.
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t even know if you like mares or even want relationships at all or… I’m sorry…” Misty whimpered, turning to leave.
Only for a hoof to gently touch her on the shoulder, halting her.
“I… I didn’t know you felt like that,” Little Wing admitted. “I mean, we’d always just been best friends, you know? This is… I don’t know…”
“Can we just go back?” Misty asked. “If you want to?”
“I… I don’t know,” Little Wing replied. “Because honestly… I kind of like you too.”
Misty’s eyes widened hopefully.
“I mean, you’re smart. Smarter than me,” Little Wing explained. “And you’ve been there since the beginning. And then, well… I just never really thought about it being more…”
Before Misty’s hopeful eyes could die, Little Wing planted a kiss right onto her nose.
“But, to be honest, I’d kinda like it if we did.”
Misty Gust stared at Little Wing for a moment. And then, like the first rays of light bringing about the dawn, a wide and happy smile appeared on her face. She flung her forelegs around Little Wing’s neck, hugging her tightly as Little Wing hugged her back with equal enthusiasm. The two giggled to themselves, Little Wing nuzzling the top of Misty’s head affectionately.
They finally parted, each one glowing with glee.
“So… what now?” Misty asked.
“No idea,” Little Wing admitted with a laugh. “But you should probably still go before my parents find you here. See you at school tomorrow?”
Windy sighed, placing a hoof on her brow in exasperation as she approached the pair.
“You know you’re grounded, Little Wing. And you, Misty Gust, were supposed to be going home!” Windy exclaimed. “Why did you have to sneak around behind our backs right before you were going to be freed from your grounding? Now, what do you have to say for yourselves?”
Little Wing and Misty Gust glanced at each other nervously, but then Little Wing stepped forward with a far more resolute expression dominating her features.
“Mum, I’m gay and Misty Gust is my marefriend.”
Windy Whistles blinked. She just looked blankly down at her daughter, and then glanced up to Misty Gust. When Misty Gust gave her a sheepish wave she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and then she looked back towards Little Wing again.
And then she smiled.
“Well, in that case… Perhaps Misty would care to join us for dinner?” Windy asked, turning around and walking out of the door again.
Both Little Wing and Misty Gust just stared after her in bewilderment.
“Alright, that went quite well,” Misty Gust commented.
Little Wing hummed. “Yeah… I almost expected a-”
“Our daughter’s got a marefriend!” Windy Whistles shouted excitedly to her husband from downstairs. “Best. Fillyfooler. EVER!”
A tiny little yawn echoed out from the crib sitting in the corner of the foal’s bedroom. The occupant of that crib shuffled slightly, the echoes of reality slowly beginning to assault her senses. Her eyes steadily cracked open, one hoof being used to wipe away the vestiges of the sandmare that had begun to form within them. With her tiny wings fluttering, Little Wing slowly sat up while still half concealed by her covers, eyes scanning the room tiredly, and without full focus.
The curtains across the window were closed up tight, only a few mores of dull light sneaking through the cracks. The light outside seemed dull, as was fitting with the season. Little Wing was disappointed that Cloudsdale was not to have any snow, but it did make sense considering that they were living atop a cloud.
The only place that you would find snow in the pegasi city would be the weather factory, the very place where Little Wing would one day earn her cutie mark.
But she didn’t know that at the time. All she knew was that winter had come, and that it was very cold outside.
Her room, thankfully, was far toastier than the outside environment. She had gotten a good night’s sleep, though could not recall her dreams. Little Wing simply laid back down in her bed, simply letting her eyes begin to close again. She thought that she might as well try to garner a bit more sleep for however long it took for her parents to collect her. And how knew how long that would take?”
“GOOD MORNING!” a chorus of two announced as they burst into the room.
Little Wing gave a squeak of surprise, jumping high into the air before bumping back down onto her mattress. Her covers floated down after her, landing on top of Little Wing head and obscuring her from view, as well as obscuring the world from her.
Little Wing gave an indignant huff that was given a responding giggle from her mother, who lifted up the covers to reveal the little pony beneath the sheet ghost.
Little Wing crossly looked up at her parents, before tilting her head in confusion. They were both adorned in multicoloured scarfs and had elongated red hats with fluffy white balls on the end.
Since when did ponies dress up as Santa Claus?
Little Wing glanced out into the hallways, and saw little decorative lights lining the hall. That hadn’t been there the night before.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming!” both Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof exclaimed in unison, with the former then saying: “Which will be the absolute BEST first Hearth’s Warming ever!”
Little Wing blinked. “Wha…?”
Windy giggled again. “Oh look at her, she’s so surprised!”
Windy Whistles plucked Little Wing up from her cot, placing the foal between her wings. Little Wing was just trying to process things, with Hearth’s Warming… Christmas?
“Mama?” Little Wing said questioningly, a little perplexed.
“Yup!” Windy just responded happily.
“Oh, oh!” Bow Hothoof blurted out. “Now me! What am I?”
Little Wing glanced at her father with a blank expression, before a small mischievous smirk came onto her face.
Little Wing pointed at him. “Bwah!”
Bow Hothoof blinked, and then he pouted. “Aw. Favouritism, pure and simple.”
Little Wing giggled, then reaching over to boop him on the nose. “Daddy!”
Bow’s pout turned to a smile as he nuzzled his youngest daughter on the head, chuckling to himself.
With Little Wing sat securely between her wings, Windy Whistles exited the room with her husband following on behind her. They gently made their way downstairs, moving through the hall before then emerging into the main living room.
And the sparkle of the lights of the newly erected tree danced within Little Wing’s wide, bewildered eyes.
She had never seen a Christmas tree like that. Or… was it Hearth’s Warming tree?
And then there were the presents.
Her parents saw the amazed expression, and couldn’t be happier at result of their endeavour. A lot of effort in so little time had produced all that the young foal saw before her, and there was also one more surprise about to make her entrance.
“I think you’ve fried her brain enough for one day,” Rainbow Dash joked as she emerged into the living room from behind them. “Seriously, why did you wait until last night to do all this gain? Aren’t you, like, tired?”
Little Wing gasped, homing in on Rainbow Dash as she launched herself from Windy’s back and glomped the rainbow haired pegasus with untold glee.
“Rainbow Dash!” Little Wing squealed in delight, hugging the older pony furiously
Rainbow chuckled lightly. “Heh, hey there squirt. Excited for Hearth’s Warming.”
“Of course, she’s more excited for you than the presents,” Bow said mirthfully.
“When here?” Little Wing asked. “When Rainbow here?”
“Just arrived this morning,” Rainbow Dash explained, prying the little winged pony off of her body. “I have a little hangover from Pinkie’s Hearth’s Warming Eve party, but that wasn’t gonna stop me. I’m too awesome.”
Little Wing bounced on the spot from sheer delight, their parents laughing to themselves in amusement.
“As for your question, Dashie,” Windy Whistles then continued. “We wanted her first introduction to the holiday to be a special one. I don’t think she’s even heard the holiday mentioned until now. Certainly not from us.”
“Because that would have ruined your ridiculous master plan,” Rainbow replied in a deadpan, before regaining her smile. “Eh, I dig it. Wing certainly agrees.”
Rainbow Dash looked towards her little sister, who seemed to have wandered off towards the presents sitting under the tree. She could already see several, if not most, with her name on the labels.
“Hearth’s Warming gifts, given between family, friends and even complete strangers on a day of absolute friendship,” Rainbow remarked, definitely not paraphrasing something Twilight Sparkle had once ranted towards her. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Little Wing looked up at her family, a slight worried expression on her face. “…Gifts?”
Windy shook her head. “You didn’t need to get us any, dear. You’re too young. This is YOUR Hearth’s Warming. Almost all of them are for you.”
“You got gifts from me, Scootaloo, even the girls wanted to pitch in for your first one,” Rainbow explained, before glancing at her parents. “You, er… remembered to get me something though, right?”
Windy rolled her eyes. “We wouldn’t forget.”
“Awesome,” Rainbow remarked, before trotting forwards and sitting next to Little Wing. “Alright then, squirt, which one first?”
Little Wing pointed towards a bright green present, and Rainbow Dash brought it forwards. Together, they opened up one gift after another as the family enjoyed their Hearth’s Warming alongside its newest member for the first time.
Present Day, Hearth’s Warming Eve
“Little Wing!” somepony shouted as they tried to shake Little Wing awake.
Little Wing stirred, the world beyond a blur of voices and loud music. The pony tried to shake them awake again, but Little Wing just began to drift off.
And then felt somepony lick her cheek.
“WHA!?” Little Wing blurted out as she jolted out, holding her damp fur as she looked over to the mischievous looking Misty Gust. “Misty… what was that!?”
“I had to get you awake somehow,” Misty responded with a smirk on her face.
“Misty, you’re weird.”
“I love you too,” Misty replied as Little Wing got to her hooves, then bumping her flank against her marefriend’s. “But really, how did you dose off with all this noise?”
Sure enough, loud electric music echoed across the wide-open space around them. Dozens of ponies surrounded them, dancing to the beats of the DJ at their head. The DJ in question was a blue maned unicorn, undoubtedly using a cloudwalking spell, wearing huge funky purple glasses over her eyes. It was a rather chaotic Hearth’s Warming party, and one that pretty much all teenage students at the flight school were invited to. Being only thirteen, this made Little Wing and Misty Gust among the youngest of the attendees.
“Still can’t believe we got dragged out to this thing,” Misty remarked, holding her hooves to her ears. “It’s so loud!”
“It’s energetic!” Little Wing defended.
“And yet you fell asleep,” Misty shot back. “Dream about anything interesting?”
Little Wing shrugged. “Mostly about another Hearth’s Warming, a very long time ago.”
“Was it as loud as this one?”
“Not even close.”
Misty Gust chuckled, resting her head on Little Wing’s shoulder affectionately. When the part was over, Misty was going to be sleeping round her marefriend’s house. An air bed, which was actually just a cloud with a sheet spread over it, had been set up in Little Wing’s room for her. There she would then spend the morning of Hearth’s Warming day with her marefriend’s family before heading back to her own house around lunchtime.
But they first had to survive their current mad surroundings.
And mad it was. Ponies all around were cheering and hollering. Most of them, including all the younger participants, mostly stayed on the dance floor and waved their limbs around, suitably, like madponies. Some of the older students had brought along several crates of alcohol, either drinking it themselves or trying to drunkenly entice some of the younger students to partake. There was even one couple, both stallions it seemed, lustfully shoving their tongues down each other’s throats.
Whether it was serious, or they were too drunk to know what they were doing… who knew?
“At least they’re having fun,” Little Wing laughed.
“Too much to drink, so many of these ponies,” Misty noted.
“What? Don’t want us to join in?” Little Wing remarked as she gently nudged Misty. “Don’t want to follow those stallions’ example.”
Misty blushed. “One. We’re too young for that much alcohol, our parents would probably murder us. Two… not in front of everypony!”
Little Wing giggled. “I know. I’m just teasing you, Misty!”
Misty puffed up her cheeks. “You’re the worst.”
Her marefriend just laughed alongside a bright smirk. “No I’m not.”
“The biggest evil. Discord in pony form.”
“I know. I’ve been found out!”
“Shut up.”
“Never!”
Misty tried to keep her pout, but she couldn’t completely stop the smile on her face from being shown. Little Wing didn’t miss it either, giving Misty a smug look of victory.
“Whatever,” Misty finally conceded.
“I’ll take that as a victory!” Little Wing announced, trotting forwards with a spring in her step before stretching a hoof out for Misty to take. “Come on then!”
“What? Where?”
Little Wing rolled her eyes. “Dancing! What else?”
“You know I can’t dance!”
“Neither can I, or any of the other ponies here, so who cares?” Little Wing pointed out, gently taking Misty’s hoof and pulling her towards the mass.
“You’re gonna pay for this!”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Little Wing replied, letting go of Misty as they made it to the young partying pegasi.
Little Wing shot Misty a smirk, and then began to join in with the rampant supposed ‘dancing’ the others were doing. Misty just stared with a blank, but not-so-secretly amused look, before rolling her eyes and moving to join in herself. And so the pair danced, remaining in close proximity to each other, for the entirety of the night under the watch of Luna’s moon and stars. Despite the ‘assault on the senses’ nature of the party, in the end neither could claim to not have enjoyed themselves. What the other party goers did was none of their business, they just enjoyed spending the night together and having as much chaotic fun as they could fit in.
But the night could not last forever. Eventually, the party began to die down as the sober began to leave and the drunk were dragged on their faces towards home. Little Wing and Misty Gust ended up being among the few to remain when DJ Pon-3 finally called it a night, silently bidding the remaining teenagers a happy Hearth’s Warming before departing.
And so it was time for Little Wing and Misty Gust to head on home. Both were tired, each walking close together with a wing wrapped around the other. As they neared their destination, the moon was directly above them to mark the coming and going of midnight. They were both eager for sleep, and the day that sleep would bring.
The day that, since midnight had passed, had technically already begun.
“I had fun,” Misty admitted, nuzzling into Little Wing’s neck. “Even if you are a complete jerk.”
“I am not,” Little Wing defended. “Somepony has to encourage the bookhorse to relax every now and then.”
“A book is relaxing. That was anything but relaxing,” Misty retorted. “I feel more tired than I have done in years.”
Little Wing chuckled. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’m… really looking forward to a quiet family Hearth’s Warming when we wake up. And having you there just makes it all the better.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Misty replied with a small smile, humming contently.
The house came into view. Their parents were likely already asleep, though the key had been left under the doormat for them. And as they approached the front door, Misty stopped in her tracks. When Little Wing was also forced to stop as a result, Misty promptly gave her a quick kiss on the nose.
“Little Wing.”
Little Wing blinked, a light blush on her face. “Yeah?”
“Oh, you look so beautiful!” Windy Whistles said proudly, doing her best not to tear up as she made some final adjustments to Little Wing’s dress. “I remember when Dashie was graduating, just before her move to Ponyville. Though, it took a little more convincing to get her into a dress on that occasion.”
Little Wing snorted. “Yeah, I can imagine. You just had to find one cool enough.”
“And a lot of persistence,” Windy agreed with a chuckle.
Little Wing was located in her parents' bedroom, looking upon her own reflection in the large vanity mirror. The set up made her recall a faint memory from sixteen years prior, where her mother had been preparing for a night out while she, as a mere foal, sat on the bed and watched curiously. Only now it was Little Wing adorned in an extravagant blue dress that matched the colour of her eyes, small motifs of a phoenix running down either side of the long flowing attire. The dress had been commissioned by Rainbow Dash, on Little Wing’s behalf, from none other than Rarity herself. The Element of Generosity had been delighted to make a dress for her friend’s youngest sister, and had even done it free of charge.
She certainly earned her title. Or maybe having personal connections counted in that regard.
Little Wing, in that moment, didn’t give much thought either way. She just turned back to the mirror, her eyes sparkling in glee with the largest ever grin adorning her face. She had never worn a dress before, not in all sixteen years of her current life. But the wait had been ever so worth it, and in her mind the dress couldn’t have been more perfect.
She just hoped that Misty Gust would feel the same way that both she and Windy Whistles did.
“Hm, doesn’t time fly?” Windy commented, using a hoof to shift Little Wing’s head around to face her own, and then planting a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “I can’t believe we’re here already. My little filly, all grown up.”
Little Wing offered her mother a small smile, giving her a gentle hug. “You’re telling me. I suppose you’ll be kicking me out soon.”
Windy snorted, wiping tears from her eyes. “You’re graduating, don’t even talk to me about that right now. I don’t think I can handle it.”
Little Wing chuckled. “Oh, alright. I’ll leave the house hunting until later.”
“Just focus on having a brilliant night,” Windy Whistles encouraged her daughter. “You only get to graduate once.”
“I will,” Little Wing assured, sharing a small nuzzle with her mother.
“Everything set up here?” Bow Hothoof asked, poking his head through the door. His eyes promptly widened at the sight. “Wow. Who are you and what have you done with my little filly?”
“I was just telling her how grown up she looks,” Windy explained fondly.
“That’s certainly one way to put it,” Bow remarked. “Are you trying really hard to impress the missus?”
Little Wing blushed, puffing up her cheeks. “Dad! S-shut up!”
“No can do, kiddo,” Bow replied cheekily, ruffling Little Wing's mane with a hoof.
Windy Whistles looked at the now messed up mane, and proceeded to shoot a dangerous glare at her husband, who only offered a slightly sympathetic smile. With a sigh, Windy got to work fixing the damage done to Little Wing’s mane and tidy it up again.
“But really, I’m proud of you,” Bow stated.
Little Wing smiled. “So… is this the part where you start tearing up?”
Bow rolled his eyes. “Not on your life. I cry on the inside.”
Windy snorted. “Liar. He’ll be bawling when you are up there on that stage with the other graduates.”
“Won’t that interfere with the erratic cheering?” Little Wing commented.
“I’m sure we’ll manage. Every single certificate and trophy you win will go in the room!”
“You can put them in there,” she deadpanned in response. “That door’s fanfare gives me a headache.”
Bow Hothoof have a mock gasp of shock and horror. “You insult the door? Oh, Windy, where did we go so wrong!?”
Windy gave her husband a light smack, though it did little to wipe the grin from his face. Moments after this, Windy took a step back and gave a huff of satisfaction that her daughter’s mane was fixed, ready and presentable for the graduation.
“Thanks, Mum,” Little Wing said, just as there was a loud knock on the front door that reverberated throughout the house.
“Oh, just in time!” Windy announced, hopping out of the room with an obvious spring in her step.
Little Wing and her father followed the excitable mare out of the room, following her downstairs and arriving just in time to see the door open to the early evening beyond. A family of three stood on the other side, one wearing a long silvery dress that made Little Wing give a wide eyed gawp, a renewed blush spreading throughout her cheeks.
Misty Gust had a mirroring expression upon seeing Little Wing.
Alongside Misty Gust where her two parents, Violet Rain and Wild Ace. The latter two pegasi, much like Little Wing’s own parents, had noticeably aged during the past sixteen years. There were some new creases under their eyes, and the odd grey hair creeping into their manes. But aside from that, they looked very much as they had always done.
“And there you all are!” Windy stated happily, greeting their family’s friends. “All ready for the big night?”
“Misty certainly is,” Violet Rain commented with a light chuckle. “It’s all she’s been able to talk about for the past week. That, and Little Wing of course.”
“Not that she can talk now, apparently,” Wild Ace commented, gesturing to both young mares.
The older four all shared a laugh as Little Wing and Misty Gust finally pulled themselves together and approached one another, both in awe of the others’ attire.
“Yeah. You too,” Little Wing replied, gaining enough of her faculties back to offer Misty a light nuzzle. “So… ready to graduate?”
“Can’t wait!” Misty replied eagerly. “I’ve already got a job lined up at the Cloudsdale library. You?”
“Weather factory,” Little Wing replied, though with a growing smirk. “But that’s really just a stepping stone. I’ll be in the Wonderbolts in no time!”
Misty chuckled. “I believe you.”
“Come on you two!” Bow Hothoof called over to the pair, camera in hoof as the other three got into formation. “One last job before we head off.”
“We’re coming, Dad!” Little Wing replied, taking Misty’s hoof and leading her over to their families.
Little Wing and Misty Gust stood in front, their parents standing around them with prideful smile on their faces. Bow set up the camera, putting it on a timer before running over to join the group. When the flash went off, the resultant picture showed the six pegasi all bunched together, the parents proud while Misty and Little Wing couldn’t help but glance away from the camera’s lens and towards each other.
Cloudsdale Flight School
A large gazebo had been set up in the field of cloud outside the Cloudsdale Flight School. The graduation ceremony had taken place in the school’s main assembly hall, each graduating student being called up one by one to receive their awards and shake hooves with the headmistress. Students were called up in alphabetical order of the first letters of their first (and in some cases only) names. This meant that Little Wing was called up right before her marefriend, trotting up from the audience and onto the stage. The headmistress congratulated her, as she had done with all the others, and loud cheers rang out as she went to join the other graduates. Her parents were very noticeable among the crowd, and true to form Bow Hothoof was indeed crying a river.
If only Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo could have been among them, but Wonderbolt business made that impossible. Still, they had promised to make it up to her.
Sister weekend!
Misty Gust went up after, and was soon enough trotting up to stand next to Little Wing among the small crowd on stage. More students came and went, before Silver Breeze was also called on up. Whatever spotty history they had, here they were, the bookend of their young lives.
All the graduates were called up and greeted, and when all was said and done the headmistress only had to say a few parting words to the crowd. It was a rehearsed speech of the pride the school had in its students, and how bright futures awaited all of them. But once that was done, the main event could begin.
The graduate’s ball, held beneath the outside gazebo.
It was a much more mellow party than the one from a few Hearth’s Warmings back, a more subdued feel with more classical music. Several musicians had been hired to come up to the school and play their instruments, at the head of which was a rather posh looking mare with a grey coat and black mane, a small collar with a pink bowtie around her neck. She held a contrabass in her hooves, playing it lovingly for the gathered now-former students.
A certain contrast to DJ Pon-3, and the type unlikely to ever associate with the likes of the mute DJ.
Their parents had departed after the main ceremony, leaving their children to enjoy the ball. A dance floor sat just in front of the musicians, a large banquet table to the side and tables spread neatly to the rear of the gazebo. The interior was mostly decorated with motifs of the sun, moon, a crystal heart and images of a pink starburst. Beyond that, various pieces of artwork from the art department were also on display, all created by a few of the graduates.
Most ponies were on the dance floor, each with a partner doing a slow waltz in time to the music. Little Wing and Misty Gust were among them, each getting the time to admire the others’ appearance as they gently moved around alongside the other dancers. Not that either of them were particularly good, and neither could suppress the odd laugh as they stepped on various hooves and dresses around them.
Maybe they should have practiced before coming?
After a time, Little Wing and Misty Gust departed the other dancers and headed over to one of the tables. Silver Breeze was sat there, a sizable plate of food before him and a drink to one side. He saw the mares approach, offering them a friendly smile.
“Enjoy yourselves?” he asked. “You looked exhausted.”
“Not really, just need to sit down for a while,” Misty replied, sitting at the table next to her marefriend.
“Well, there’s still plenty of food left over. I think they bought enough for the entire EUP.”
“Maybe in a bit,” Little Wing stated, though she did fill up her glass with a beaker of water placed on the table. “Are you really content just to watch?”
Silver Breeze shrugged. “I got my food, I’m good. Besides, it’s not really my thing.”
Little Wing snorted. “And think it’s mine?”
“You have Misty,” Silver Breeze pointed out, nodding towards the mentioned grey pegasus. “I think it balances out when you’re with your special somepony.”
“I’m sorry you and Feather Swift didn’t work out,” Misty apologised to the stallion. “Right before graduation too, that was a little cold of her.”
“It’s fine,” Silver replied. “It was mutual, we’re still friends. You’re lucky you two both found your true special somepony.”
“True somepony, huh?” Little Wing muttered, sharing a small glance with Misty. “You really think so?”
“I resist the urge to gag every single time you’re together,” Silver Breeze said jokingly. “Yeah, you’re perfect for one another.”
“Thanks… I think?” Misty replied, a small mirthful smile on her muzzle.
“Not that there was any doubt,” Little Wing claimed, bumping Misty. “I enjoy her adorableness.”
“Adorable?” Misty deadpanned, frowning at Little Wing. “Must I remind you who it is with the sensitive hooves?”
Little Wing sank a little into her chair, blushing. “H-hey! Rainbow Dash has it too! So does my mother! It must be hereditary!”
“You’d have to be related by blood for that,” Silver Breeze noted in a deadpan of his own.
“Ouch, the low blow,” Little Wing responded in annoyance. “I still think she’s cute! You can’t take that from me!”
Misty Gust shook her head, smiling. “Alright, fine. But you’re cute too, just so you know.”
“By cute, you must mean unbelievably awesome.”
“No. Just cute,” Misty jabbed, bopping Little Wing on the nose.
"This is the place,” Little Wing announced, her parents and elder sister trailing behind her. She adjusted the saddlebags on her back, containing the last few items she had to ferry up to her new home.
Little Wing and her family were located towards the very centre of Cloudsdale, building and pegasi all around them. It was bustling in comparison to the outer edges of the city, like where Bow and Windy Whistles lived, constantly busy. The stadium could be seen rising up in the distance, a scant few minutes’ walk from their location. The building where Little Wing was pointing to dwarfed several others around it. It was a largely box shaped building, though designed in the same style as all the other structures in Cloudsdale. Many people, ponies and otherwise, were moving in and out quite regularly.
“I still don’t know why you settled for an apartment,” Rainbow Dash commented off to the side. “It’s not like mum and dad are short on bits. I mean, have you seen my house in Ponyville?”
“Misty has already moved here, but a few doors away from mine,” Little Wing shot back as they walked into the reception area. “Where she goes, I go.”
“We could’ve bought you that house, and had you move in together,” Bow Hothoof pointed out, if just a bit teasingly.
“Dad!” Little Wing protested, a blush making its way onto her features. “You know we’re not… ready for that. But hay, we all have to start somewhere.”
“Well, at least it’s not the worst apartment building in Cloudsdale,” Rainbow Dash conceded. “You should see the rip offs they sell ponies in Manehatten.”
“Well, this is not Manehatten,” Windy Whistles said with a small bit of pride for her city. “We have standards.”
“Yeah, try telling that to Rarity,” Rainbow muttered in a deadpan. “Just when I think her obsession with that place is over… Boom, out comes the fainting couch.”
“I would agree, but…” Little Wing trailed off, fighting off a laugh. “She gave me a dress, I’d better not.”
Rainbow Dash just snorted. “Suck up.”
“Am not!”
“Totally a suck up.”
“Shut up, Dash!” Little Wing flushed, she and the trio with her moving past the reception desk and into the hallways.
Little Wing grumbled, Rainbow Dash only snickering wickedly in reply. It was the job of the elder sibling to tease the younger, after all.
Little Wing led them along the ground floor until they reached the staircase, which led to Rainbow Dash complaining that they didn’t need a staircase because they had wings, before being reminded that not everyone in the world had wings like pegasi. It was then Rainbow Dash’s turn to grumble to herself as they ascended two flights of stairs, bringing them up to the second floor of the apartment building. They were met with another long hallway with a few intersections here and there, but they traversed down none of those. From the staircase, it was a simple matter of moving down seven doors on the left until they had reached their destination.
Little Wing’s own new apartment.
Little Wing fished the key out of her saddlebags, letting it slide into the keyhole and then turned it with an audible ‘click’. It swung readily open, letting the ponies emerge into the relatively specious living area beyond. Past the door sat a space containing a sitting area with several small sofas, a dining table, and to the corner of the room sat a kitchen counter alongside a new looking oven and fridge. Three doors sat along one of the walls, each leading to a bedroom, bathroom and storage cupboard respectively. Another wall contained a window with the curtains already open, daylight spilling in and revealing the rest of Cloudsdale beyond it. Everything was furnished, having been set up shortly before Little Wing was due to move in.
Little Wing lifted off her saddlebags and casually threw them onto one of the sofas, then looking back at her family and shooting them a smile.
“Come on in, my home is your home!”
Windy and Bow were seeing the apartment for the first time, though their expressions gave off an aura of approval. All three of them had a quick nose around the living area, Rainbow Dash turning on the radio and letting some of DJ Pon3’s ‘wubs’ start to fill the household. She then proceeded to inspect the next most important aspect, the fridge. Cracking it open, she saw it was fully stocked and even had one or two bottles of apple cider inside. She shot her little sister a slightly puppy eyed look, who just rolled her eyes in turn before giving a nod of confirmation.
Grinning to herself, Rainbow Dash took one of the ciders and fluttered over to one of the sofas. She opened the bottle, sat down and gave a sigh of satisfaction as she took a sip.
Though she spluttered a little on Little Wing’s comment of: “Might have to start calling you Zephyr.”
“Well, this place seems comfortable,” Bow noted. “I think you’ll be fine here.”
“Well of course,” Windy Whistles chimed in. “Any apartment that has our little filly in is automatically the current holder of the ‘Best Apartment Ever’ title!”
“Of course it is,” Little Wing deadpanned, trotting over to one of the other doors and pushing it open. “And there’s the rest of it.”
The bedroom was also decently sizable, a good thing since it was the only bedroom inside the apartment. It contained a double bed, a dresser in front of said bed and a couple of wardrobes against the far wall. A Wonderbolt poster was also plastered on one of the walls, and several framed photographs sat on the dresser. The photographs all contained images of Little Wing, her family and her friends. The most recent addition was of Little Wing and Misty Gust at the graduation, snapped by Silver Breeze as the mares had danced together.
“Oh, you look so adorable,” Windy said wistfully, looking at said photograph. “Speaking of Misty Gust, I’m surprised we haven’t seen her yet.”
“Oh, yeah. About that,” Little Wing said, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. “She doesn’t know I’ve moved in yet.”
Both her parents looked at her oddly. “What?”
“I mean, I told her I was moving here, but didn’t give a date,” Little Wing explained. “I kinda wanted to surprise her. You know… ‘Hey Misty! I’m here now so… yeah.’ Or something like that.”
“Smooth,” shouted Rainbow Dash from her position on the sofa, definitely not listening in on the conversation.
Little Wing turned and looked through the open doorway, glaring at the back of the sofa where Rainbow casually laid. She trotted back through and walked up to her elder sister giving her a bemused glare.
“At least some of us have special someponies. I’m still waiting for you to ask Soarin.”
Rainbow Dash puffed up her cheek. “This is about you, not me! I… Don’t you dare turn this around, squirt!”
Little Wing gave her a mischievous smirk, swiftly swiping Rainbow Dash’s cider and trotting over to the window.
“Hey!” Rainbow protested. “Sis, give that back!”
Little Wing opened the window as far as it could go. “Take it.”
And then she jumped out the window, her wings unfurling to catch her mid-air. Rainbow watched with her jaw falling wide, before she accepted the challenge and charged out the window after her little sister, a rainbow coloured trail being left in her wake.
“Should… we stop them?” Bow Hothoof asked in concern.
“They’ll be fine,” Windy Whistles responded with a laugh, before giving the apartment one last look over. “She’ll be fine.”
Ultimately, the chase didn’t last all that long, Rainbow Dash still being IMMENSELY faster than Little Wing was. Not that it was a victory, however, as in her haste Rainbow Dash accidentally lost her grip on the bottle. Which then hit a wall, showering some random bystander in stray cider.
That led to Rainbow Dash and Little Wing BOTH running away, though they were both faster than their poor soaked pursuer.
Little Wing had never heard a griffon swear before. And certainly not to that vulgarity!
After giving him the run-around, the sisters managed to lose him and changed course back to the apartment building. When they entered through the window into Little Wing’s apartment, their parents were both waiting with bemused expressions on their faces.
The remainder of their time was spent conversing, discussing Little Wing’s immediate plans now she had her own place. In short, she was going to wait a few more years before signing up for the reserves. Not only did she wish to improve her own flight skills before moving to join the Wonderbolts, but also wanted to ensure she had a somewhat stable independent life before reaching that point. Rainbow Dash noted that was not a terrible idea, not even she had joined the reserves right out of school.
Being the saviour of Equestria before that had certainly helped her reputation.
“Well, you’ll get some real working experience in the coming days anyway,” Bow Hothoof stated. “Speaking of, I suppose I’ll next see you at the factory on Monday.”
“Huh, I suppose we shall,” Little Wing replied. “Never really thought about it, but… It’s going to be weird working with you.”
“A good weird I hope.”
“Oh, look at the time!” Windy noted, looking up at a clock on the wall. “We really shouldn’t keep you, dear. Unless… you need anything else from us here and now?”
Little Wing shook her head. “Don’t worry, I think I got it. Thanks though.”
Windy Whistles seemed almost disappointed. “Oh. Okay.”
Little Wing sighed, moving over and giving her mother a comforting hug. “Thanks, Mum. For everything. You gave me everything, I love you guys.”
Little Wing felt some warm tears on her shoulder as Windy Whistles gave an audible sniff. And then from Bow Hothoof as he joined in on the hug, and even Rainbow Dash followed suit. For that moment, the family was just glad for each other’s company, content in their embrace. But such things couldn’t last forever, and they had to part.
“Darn it, I promised I wouldn’t tear up,” Bow said with a laugh, wiping a hoof across his eyes.
“Dad, that’s one promise you could never keep,” Rainbow Dash jabbed, before she turned to Little Wing. “I’d better go too, wouldn’t want to get between you and the missus.”
Little Wing gave her a momentary deadpan look, but then smiled. “Alright. See you soon, yeah.”
“Course. Couldn’t keep me away, squirt.”
The family said a few final farewells, and then Little Wing saw them to the door. Windy Whistles, Bow Hothoof and Rainbow Dash all departed and soon disappeared as they began to descend the staircase at the end of the corridor.
This left Little Wing, for the first time in sixteen years, completely and truly alone.
But she could change that.
Little Wing let out a breath, also exited the apartment and closed the door behind her. It was then a simple matter of moving two doors down, and then turning to face the entrance before her. Her ears twitched as she just caught the sound of movement inside, confirming that she was definitely home. Bracing herself, Little Wing lifted a hoof and gave four firm knocks on the door. It only took a few moments, but the sound of hooves approaching heralded the opening of the door and the wide-eyed stare of the grey mare within.
“Hey Misty,” Little Wing greeted, offering a sheepish smile. “Guess who finally moved in today?”
She was not prepared for the tackle hug.
“You could have at least told me,” Misty Gust scolded, thumping Little Wing on the shoulder.
“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise!” Little Wing protested. “The look on your face was worth it.”
Misty Gust just stuck out her tongue at her marefriend in response.
The two had walked back to Little Wing’s place, Misty wanting to give it a good inspection. This eventually led them to curl up on the sofa in enjoyment of one another’s company, the day outside beginning to be replaced by the coolness of the night.
“Well, I’m just glad you’re here,” Misty Gust said. “Even if we’re not living together.”
“Hey, we both agreed we weren’t ready for that,” Little Wing replied with a small frown. “That’s… a big step.”
“I know, and I still think that,” Misty stated. “I mean, we just got out of school. And besides, we’re practically next door.”
“Gotta keep you close,” Little Wing joked, nipping on the tip of Misty’s ear and eliciting an embarrassed squeak. “Anyway, how’s the library?”
“All the books I could want,” Misty replied with a giggle. “They have me sorting and categorising them right now.”
Little Wing snorted. “I have no idea how you can stand it.”
“Superior attention span.”
“Touché.”
Misty laughed, turning to look Little Wing in the eyes. “Really though, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Yeah, so am I.”
Their noses touched, each one grinning at the other affectionately. And so, with the two mares cuddling on the couch, their adult lives truly began.
The sounds of machinery echoed throughout the weather factory with pegasi of many colours, all wearing the same uniform and hard hats, flying to and from the different stations while ensuring production carried on smoothly. Water vapor was being turned into white fluffy clouds, before being infused with the desired elemental effect and sent forward for distribution. Managing the country’s weather was a full-time job, shifts going both day and night, never ending. The main factory floor was abuzz with its usual activity, the damage caused by the rogue storm cloud long repaired and largely forgotten.
And it was here, at the very site where her cutie mark made its grand appearance, that Little Wing worked on the factory floor.
“Stupid clouds,” Little Wing moaned to herself, batting away a few random small tufts that had broken off from a larger whole. “Behave!”
The tufts dissipated, and Little Wing returned her attention to the machine she was operating. The cloud inside was being unfused with just the right properties to turn it into a ferocious storm, some poor saps below being due for some rather rough weather.
It was an important, if monotonous, job to perform. And Little Wing had been doing it for a good two years. Ever since moving out of her parents’ home and into her own.
But hopefully not for too much longer, should things work out that afternoon. And in the day to come, of course.
“It’s clear,” Little Wing called out, pulling on a leaver and watching as the storm cloud was piped out of the machine and into the distribution system.
An advantage to living in Cloudsdale, she never had to deal with those things ruining an otherwise bright and sunny day.
“Next lot ready for the oven,” Silver Breeze stated, floating down from above with a currently nice and calm cloud in his hooves. “Ever considered becoming a baker?”
“Pfft, I’m not Pinkie Pie,” Little Wing replied, taking the cloud from her friend and placing it into the machine. “But if you want a batch of baked bads, I might make the attempt.”
“Maybe not then,” he joked in response.
Little Wing made sure the machine was secured, utilised a few of the controls and watched as the talismans inside began to imbue their power into the cloud. The nice fluffy whiteness turned a dark and foreboding black, flashes of light hitting the sides of the chamber as lighting struck at random.
“This should be the last one, shift will end any second now,” Little Wing noted.
“Thank Celestia for that,” he replied. “I could use a nap or two.”
“Lucky. No naps for me today.”
“So I heard,” Silver Breeze said, before adopting a small smirk. “That aside, I’ve been meaning to ask. You and Misty talked any more about…?”
“Still living in separate apartments. No change,” she deadpanned on impulse. This was a common conversation with the stallion.
“It’s been two years. One of you has to make the move some point.”
“I know…”
“I mean, you’ve been ‘together’ for six years anyway. Other ponies would have-”
“I. Know. She knows. WE KNOW!” Little Wing shot back, huffing indignantly. “You make me sound like my sister.”
Silver Breeze laughed. “You’re not that hopeless.”
“Actually, they finally did it,” Little Wing replied, getting a blink from him in turn. “She and Soarin, I mean. Took them long enough.”
“I’ll say. She’s thirty-nine, he’s forty-one.”
“Eh, still plenty of time,” Little Wing dismissed, briefly turning away to send the cloud into the distribution system. “Look at my folks. They’re still as gooey over each other in their sixties as they probably were in their twenties.”
“And yet Soarin and Rainbow will still probably be living together before you and Misty are.”
Little Wing’s cheeks puffed out, glaring at the stallion who was trying to look all innocent. “You’re pushing it, buster!”
A large booming horn sounded throughout the factory, signifying the end of one shift and the beginning of the next.
“Right on time,” Silver Breeze commented, stretching his wing muscles. “Now, relationships aside, I’m beat and you have training to get to.”
That put a smile onto Little Wing’s face, previous teasing forgotten. The excitement washing over, she couldn’t help but do a quick hop in place accompanied by her bright squee.
“My first day of training to be in the reserves!” Little Wing proclaimed in excitement. “This is going to be so awesome!”
But then Little Wing stopped bouncing in place. She took on a more nervous posture, looking towards Silver Breeze in worry.
“Unless… I mess it up. Silver, what if I mess it up!?”
Silver Breeze rolled his eyes, giving Little Wing a bump on the shoulder. “You won’t mess it up. You’re too tenacious for that.”
“But what if-”
“Little Wing,” he said evenly. “Stop worrying. Go to practice. And let me go and have that nap.”
Little Wing blinked at him, before giving a sigh that turned into a sheepish chuckle. “Yeah, you’re right. See you when I get back next week?”
“Don’t have anywhere else to be,” he pointed out, giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder before cantering off.
Little Wing gave another sigh, trying to psyche herself up for what was to come. She knew she could do it… After all, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo would be there. If she messed up with them there, she might as well die all over again.
“No, bad thoughts. Very bad!” Little Wing scolded her brain, shaking her head and standing up tall. “I can do this. Just go in there, and don’t crash. Simple!”
Having half convinced herself, she took in a breath and then began to make her way off the factory floor. As she went, she briefly spotted her father up on one of the catwalks. She waved at him, and he waved back. Bow also shouted down some encouragement, and promises of a new trophy for the room.
Yeah, because that’s what she wanted him to say in the middle of a crowd of other ponies.
Flushing a bright red, and trying to ignore the innocent yet embarrassing tittering from her co-workers, Little Wing pressed swiftly on. She returned her uniform and hard hat and ensured she was clear to depart, and then did just that without a moment to lose.
With the skies above clear and perfect, Celestia’s sun offering its own encouragement, she stretched out her wings and kicked off. Little Wing left the factory far behind her, heading in the direction of the Wonderbolt’s academy and headquarters.
The mountaintop holding the Wonderbolt’s main headquarters and training ground had even more activity than usual. Most of the time it would only have the facility’s staff and security on site, keeping the site safe and well maintained. Then, on other occasions, you would have either the main Wonderbolt team or the reserves conducting various training sessions in order to hone their skills. Sometimes both groups at the same time.
They would also, of course, use it to gather and prepare for any deployments they may be commanded. It was well stocked, and all members had a place to rest their heads there.
Today it was indeed host to the entirety of the main team; Spitfire, Soarin, Surprise, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, they were all present and looking over the second larger group who walked atop the mountains. They weren’t the reservists, but those young pegasi who were very much interested in becoming one. Some of them were already in their provided flight suits, being overseen by various instructors while traversing obstacle courses and other such tests of skill and endurance.
Some other, however, had yet to be provided their flight suits. Rather, these newest of recruits had just arrived and been immediately lined up and prepared for inspection by one of the five main Wonderbolts overseeing them.
Little Wing was, of course, in this group. She stood next to seven other aspirational pegasi, being positioned at the very end of the line-up. She made sure to stand up tall and in complete silence, all while a very specific Wonderbolt walked up to the first nervous pony and began to examine the ponies one by one.
“Well then, what have we got here?” Rainbow Dash asked mockingly as she walked by them. “Bet you all think you’re Wonderbolt material, dontcha?”
“Yes, ma’am!” all the recruits shouted out, though Little Wing was trying not to snort at Rainbow Dash’s authority act.
Her elder sister reached the end of the line, giving Little Wing a quick and stern examination. She then turned and began walking back down the line, though Little Wing didn’t miss the wink.
“You all think you’ve got what it takes to be elite fliers?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Rainbow Dash reached the end of the line, once again spinning on the spot and walking back in the other direction. She gave a snort, stopping at the centre of the line and stepping back to look over each and every single one of them equally.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” she finally said. “Give me five hundred and one laps! Right now!”
The entire line up looked ashen at that command, but the other seven ceased any and all protests upon Rainbow Dash’s glare. In a puff of smoke they were all gone, not wishing to earn the ire of the Element of Loyalty on their first day.
Little Wing didn’t take off immediately, however. She looked blankly towards her sister while mouthing silently: “Five hundred and one…?”
Rainbow Dash shot her a smirk. “Hey, it’s one more than Spitfire made us do. Actually, you can make that five hundred and two for you, squirt!”
Little Wing’s eye twitched. “I’m so going to get you back for this.”
“Five hundred and three.”
“But… I- Bwah!” Little Wing shouted in annoyance, quickly racing after her fellow recruits as Rainbow Dash watched on in amusement.
“Ouch…” Little Wing muttered to herself as she came in for a relatively soft landing, the sky crimson as the sun began to set behind the horizon.
The day had certainly been a busy one to say the least. After all five hundred and two laps had been finished, Little Wing and the others had been allowed to set up their bunks and get something to eat while they recovered from their lengthy flight. But that hadn’t been all they had been tasked to do that day, not by a longshot.
After they had eaten, all the new recruits had been provided their uniforms and taken to a classroom where they were given an overview of procedure while on site and what was expected of them. Getting shouted at about proper uniform maintenance was about as fun as it sounded, but luckily they hadn’t run on for longer than they needed to on that. When they finally had concluded the class, they had been led back out to the runway where Surprise was busy talking to another group of fresh out-of-uniform recruits.
Little Wing silently wished she had been the one to greet them. She seemed far more bubbly and fun, even while talking to those ponies and getting them set up. She had even promised them a ‘Welcome to the Wonderbolts Party’.
But while that was happening, they were once more met with Rainbow Dash. Captain Spitfire was with her this time, and together they had informed the recruits of their next task. That task being an obstacle course that was required to be flown in pairs. If one half of the team failed to pass the course, both would fail to pass the course. The whole point of the exercise was teamwork, and supporting your fellow flier rather than perusing personal glory.
And then there was the dizzatron. Little Wing had never, ever, in all of her two lives, felt that horrendously sick.
And Rainbow Dash was having way too much fun being the instructor.
But despite spewing her lunch all over the tarmac, Little Wing did manage to regain her stability mid-flight and come to a landing. Maybe she didn’t do it as fast as some of the others, but she had succeeded in the task where some of the others simply floundered into the ground.
“Hey, squirt,” Rainbow Dash greeted as Little Wing was making her way into the provided locker rooms.
Little Wing turned to see her sister approach, her hood down and a far more relaxed posture gracing the pegasus. It seemed as though she was returning to sister mode, rather than evil tormenter of innocent pegasi mode.
“Hey,” Little Wing said back, accepting a small nuzzle from her sister.
“You okay?” Rainbow asked, looking concerned. “I didn’t push you too hard, did I?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Little Wing assured. “If I couldn’t handle that stuff, I wouldn’t be much of a Wonderbolt.”
Rainbow Dash gave her a small smile. “Yeah, I guess. I can’t afford to treat you differently from the other cadets, Little Wing. If I did that, I might end up just hurting your chances.”
“You learn that from your friendship lessons?”
“Something like that. Me and the girls have done a lot in our time.”
“You make yourself sound old talking like that,” Little Wing joked, bumping her flank against Rainbow’s. “I know why you were acting all gruff and stuff. Though you were a hundred percent enjoying the torment!”
Rainbow Dash blushed. “Was not!”
“You totally were,” Scootaloo agreed as she emerged from the building, approaching the two. “Hey, Wing. You did good out there!”
“You think so?”
“Sure I do, the lack of broken bones is a good indicator,” Scootaloo joked, hugging Little Wing in a sisterly way. “It’s good to have you here with us.”
“Eh, she’ll be a main bolt in no time,” Rainbow Dash stated. “As if this team couldn’t get more absolutely awesome!”
“We’re your sisters, you’re kinda biased,” Scootaloo pointed out.
“What, you think we’re not totally awesome?”
“I never said that!” Scootaloo shot back, giving Rainbow a glare. “Still, Wing has to get through the week first.”
“I’m not exactly planning to drop out,” Little Wing said, shaking her head. “I’m in it for the long haul.”
“That’s the spirit!” Scootaloo complimented. “Now hurry up! Surprise is setting up that party!”
“Huh, I wasn’t sure she’d actually do it.”
“Of course she would, she’s Pinkie Pie in pegasus form,” Scootaloo said with a roll of her eyes.
“And you better enjoy it why you can, squirt,” Rainbow Dash said teasingly, leaning against her little sister. “Because things are only gonna get harder from here. It’s a thousand laps tomorrow.”
"What!?"
Rainbow Dash’s smirk only widened. “Make that a thousand and one.”
Little Wing glared at the paper before her, thinking for a moment that if she stared hard enough it will fill itself out. Of course she had no such luck, and all she could do was lean back on the sofa and groan in frustration.
Her apartment was lit only by some gently flickering candles, the main lights remaining switched off for the time being. Outside the window night had already fallen, and the presence of the moon bathed everything in its silvery glow. In the kitchen, several ingredients had been arranged in preparation for what was to come later on in the night, the very same reason that the candles had become Little Wing’s lighting of choice for the time being.
But that was all for later, and to pass the time away she had decided to break out the papers before her and give them a run through. She was regretting that choice, and the headache it had brought.
The papers in question were all practice for a written exam all Wonderbolt hopefuls were expected to complete. It was mostly all about details on the organisation through the years, its history from its founding to present day. It seemed to be about proving your dedication to the Wonderbolts and willingness to do what was needed to get in. So, this meant reading texts and history for many hours in agonising detail.
Sure, some of it was interesting. But after you got several key figures mixed up for the seventh time in a row one might start to get a little frustrated.
Still, whether she liked it or not, it was just something that Little Wing was going to have to deal with. The exam was coming up soon, after all. And if she failed it, she could kiss her spot in the reserves goodbye.
“Not gonna fail… Not gonna fail…” Little Wing gently reassured herself, sitting up and looking back towards the paper. “Easyglider was the leader in the fourth celestial era, not Fairweather…”
Little Wing wrote that answer, before shifting to another sheet of paper to see if she got the answer correct. When she saw the result, the mare’s eye twitched, Little Wing then facehoofing heavily as she gave off yet another groan.
“No, that was Purple Dart. Easyglider was the one who came up with all that flight choreography stuff the bolts still use!” she scolded herself. “Gah! Why is memorising stuff so annoying?”
She discarded the papers to one side, laying down on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Taking a few breaths to calm herself, she then proceeded to close her eyes and rack her brain. She went from the ground up, trying to run a thousand years of history in her head.
“General Firefly split from the EUP to form the Wonderbolts…” she began to say to herself, reciting a few more leaders following their founder before reaching back to Purple Dart. “…And then Fairweather founded the academy. Flair… De’mare, did the thing with the uniforms. Made them all cool and stuff.”
Little Wing sighed, opening her eyes and sitting up as she checked over her knowledge from one of the sheets. She was quite relieved to see she had gotten it right.
“Okay, going well, now…” she bit her tongue, entering deep thought once more. “Princess Celestia’s favourite stunt… Icaranian something… Sun Solution? No, Icaranian Sun Salutation.”
Little Wing nodded resolutely, glad to see that she was finally getting someplace. She still had plenty more to go through, the skull drilling to do if she didn’t want to forget them again when she got to the exam itself. Wouldn’t that just be typical?
She picked the papers up, giving them one final look over. As thrilling as the flying and ridiculous laps Rainbow Dash assigned them were, the written part was definitely less thrilling.
“Altius volantis indeed,” she muttered. “Heh, I’m half tempted to get Misty to dye her coat and swap places with me during the test. Words require smart ponies.”
A knock on the door caught her attention, Little Wing’s head immediately turning to look at her apartment’s main entrance.
“Speaking of…”
Little Wing rid herself of the infuriating papers and arose from her position on the sofa. Stretching her limbs out to banish the stiffness in the muscles, she then trotted over to the front door and had a look through the peep hole. Sure enough, the wonderful sight of Misty Gust sat on the other side with an adorably nervous expression on her face.
Grinning to herself, Little Wing opened the door up wide and set eyes on her marefriend. Misty Gust managed to brighten on seeing Little Wing, offering her a small smile.
“Hey Little Wing, I’m not interrupting?”
“You were meant to be coming round, so not really,” Little Wing replied in bemusement as Misty Gust made her way inside, Little Wing closing the door behind her. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, fine. Just a little nervous.”
Little Wing rolled her eyes. “You act like it’s the first time we’ve hung out.”
“Hm,” Misty responded simply, looking over to the papers by the sofa. “Oh, so I was interrupting something?”
“Just some revision for that test,” Little Wing explained. “No big deal really, unless you want to know about my lack of study skills.”
“Oh I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Misty Gust refuted, giving her marefriend an amused glance. “ Just keep at it and you’ll be fine. I know you’re tenacious enough if nothing else.”
“Hopefully that’s enough,” Little Wing replied, trotting up to Misty and giving her a light nuzzle. “But enough about that, ready to get this night in started?”
“The candles are quite romantic,” Misty noted with a soft smile. “Nice touch.”
Little Wing chuckled sheepishly, a small blush appearing on her features. “Well, I do try. On occasion.”
“On occasion,” Misty Gust jokingly agreed, walking into the kitchen and looking at what had been gathered there. “So, what’s on the menu?”
Little Wing followed her in and began motioning to the various ingredients. “It’s this weird spicy curry thing, but it sounds interesting. Apparently, it’s the speciality of some exotic restaurant up in Canterlot. I got the recipe off Rainbow Dash, who got it off of Pinkie Pie, who got it off of the restaurants owners, who are apparently friends of hers.”
“Of course, who else would you go for advice but your sister?”
“She has yet to disappoint,” Little Wing defended.
Misty Gust hummed. “Fair enough. Anyway, shall we start to get all this ready? I’m quite famished.”
“You? Famished? How do you ever work up an appetite working in a place as calm as a library?”
“You haven’t seen some of the visitors we’ve had to deal with,” Misty Gust said with a roll of her eyes. “Some people don’t understand the concept of silence, or returning books on time.”
“Still haven’t chased down that Daring Do collection?”
“Oh, we did. Some colt who told his parents he’d returned them, when he obviously hadn’t.”
“How’d you catch him?”
“We keep very specific records, all we had to do was find them and knock on their door,” Misty Gust explained. “I actually kinda felt bad for the colt, he’s so very grounded.”
“Maybe next time he won’t try and steal.”
“Though, it’s ironic since Daring Do is all about stealing things.”
“She doesn’t steal anything!” Little Wing defended. “She just liberates artefacts from old abandoned tombs!”
“And yet for an archaeologist she gets into a serious amount of world ending threats.”
“So does my sister, your point.”
Misty Gust laughed. “Well, one is but a fictional character. Wasn’t Rainbow in one of those books?”
“Yeah, she was,” Little Wing confirmed. “Apparently she knows AK Yearling. She never did go into detail though.”
“Being friends with a Princess, I bet she knows a lot of people,” Misty noted, finally turning back to the ingredients and the recipe next to them. “Anyway, enough procrastinating! Let’s try and figure this out.”
“After you.”
With Misty Gust reading off from the instructions, she told Little Wing what to put where and when. Slowly but surely, and with only once incident of a food fight, the meal began to come together. Spices and various vegetables were mixed in with the source, along with some added paneer, and cooked atop the oven. It certainly added a spicy smell to the air, though the couple just enjoyed doing it together.
And not catching fire, that was always a plus.
When it was done, they deposited the pots and pans in the sink before serving their individual portions up onto a plate. They brought their meals back over to the largest sofa, where they sat and snuggled closely together before turning to eat. Little Wing had even surprised Misty Gust with a pricey bottle of wine that had been originally bottles in Zebrica. Little Wing wasn’t so sure if it was a decent vintage or not, hardly being in the know about fine wines, but Misty was touched all the same.
Their meals were soon consumed, the plates contently put to one side while each had a refill of wine poured into their glasses. With the drinks sat to the side, the pegasi sat contently up against one another on and sofa.
“Ah, that was nice,” Misty stated. “Good recipe. Maybe we should go to Canterlot one day and try out their own version.”
“Hm, maybe,” Little Wing replied. “I’m glad you liked it. I don’t usually cook things that… complicated.”
“It was more filling that simple hay burgers. Though you’ll probably still be smelling our efforts for days.”
Little Wing laughed. “Probably. For months maybe, unless I’m not here in those coming months…”
Misty Gust looked towards her marefriend. “You want to continue that discussion.”
“Is there a better time?” Little Wing asked rhetorically. “I mean, I would still like to. We’ve been together for so long now… And it would get Silver Breeze off my back.”
“I don’t know, I like seeing you blush.”
Little Wing stuck out her tongue. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up. But seriously, are we ready to actually… live together?”
Misty Gust sighed. “I’m not opposed, as you said we’ve been together for years. We’ve been living here going on three soon enough. It’s just… daunting.”
“Would living together be that bad?”
“I never said that!” Misty Gust protested. “It’s just… you know. Big.”
Little Wing sighed. “Yeah, I know. But… I want to take that step sometime. And have an actual big house like my parents. And, you know… we can take things from there.”
“And where do we go from there?” Misty Gust asked. “I love you, Little Wing. And once we’re under the same roof, it’s like a whole new step…”
“I’d like to get the whole Wonderbolt thing achieved, that’s for sure,” Little Wing answered. “But after that… one day at a time. I don’t know.”
“Well, whatever the case, we could start looking tomorrow,” Misty Gust stated. “I’m sure our families would be willing to help in the hunt. Something not too far from our jobs, but maybe closer to our families than we currently are. Somewhere in the middle.”
“It’s not like it would be a long trip even if we become my parents’ next door neighbours,” Little Wing deadpanned. “We can fly, remember?”
“It’s all about convenience,” Misty retorted. “But I suppose you do have a point. Well, we can see what’s available. I’m sure we can find the perfect place.”
“I hope so…” Little Wing muttered. “I want everything to go right, you know?”
Misty Gust smiled, kissing Little Wing on the nose. “I know. And it will, I promise.”
Little Wing responded with a small smile, though that steadily morphed into a slight smirk. “You know, if we’re living together, we’ll have to share a bed…”
Misty Gust raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well then…”
Misty got up from the sofa, much to Little Wing confusion. She then turned around and stretched out her hoof, offering it to Little Wing.
“We might as well get the practice in now…?”
Little Wing’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. “You mean…? Are you sure? I’m mean, we’ve never…”
“I am,” Misty Gust replied gently. “I am very sure.”
Little Wing stared on with that bewildered expression, before allowing it to fall away into a happy little smile. She took Misty Gust hoof and got up from the seat, letting herself be led towards the bedroom.
The first rays of Celestia’s sun were creeping across Cloudsdale and seeping into one particular apartment directly in the centre of the flying city.
Inside that apartment, two mares began to stir as the morning came. Both held the other in a loving embrace, awakening from their pleasant dreams. Little Wing’s eyes opened first, looking towards the half-asleep form of her marefriend. She gave her a small lick on the nose to help rouse her, the grey mare’s own eye fluttering open.
“Morning,” Little Wing happily greeted.
“Hm, morning,” Misty Gust greeted in turn. “You okay?”
“Never better,” Little Wing replied honestly. “You?”
“Heh, ditto,” Misty Gust stated, before giggling. “I can’t believe we did that.”
“Neither can I. But not a word to anypony for a while, they’d want all the details.”
“Well they can keep their noses out,” Misty replied with a roll of her eyes, though remained content in their embrace. “You know, I’m actually looking forward to getting a proper house.”
“So am I. Especially with you.”
The two lovers remained in their cuddle for a while longer, but as the sun continued to rise so did they eventually have to. They had house hunting to do, and a shared life to live.
She was stood out on the airfield of the Wonderbolt Academy, standing to attention alongside several other stone faced, and yet undoubtedly equally terrified, pegasi. They were all in the reserve uniforms that had been provided, and there were far fewer of them than when they had started their training previously. Any pegasus who didn’t have the ability required to be in the bolts, was out. Any pegasus who couldn’t shake that bad habit of ignoring every single order, was out. Any pegasus who flunked the written exam with a bold zero percent mark rating, was out.
Little Wing felt lucky that she wasn’t in any of those three categories, though the others had assured her it was down to her determination and skill. She sure didn’t feel like it even if that was the case, and her fears remained unabated to that very day.
The day that would make or break their careers, the final test.
Over the course of their training they had been taught coordination as a team while in the air. The Wonderbolts had tried to drill discipline into their heads, having their commands be carried out to the letter. The recruits, who had made it past the initial stages, had been taught how to effectively dogfight against other fliers. They had been taught how to combat those on the ground and run through various scenarios a Wonderbolt might one day encounter. This ranged from simple wild weather to hostile encounters.
The Wonderbolts may perform, and many uninitiated ponies might have seen them as only meant to do just that, but the Wonderbolts were EUP first and foremost.
And now they had one final test to carry out, and passing it would mean initiation into the reserves.
They had to perform for the Wonderbolts themselves. Something big and flash, and something that would equally show off all of the skills they had learnt. This meant not only showing off their aerial acrobatics and flashy tricks, but they also had to incorporate their combat skills into the mix. Worse still, the Wonderbolts gave them absolutely no advice on how they were to do this, even Rainbow Dash had been completely tight lipped, even though it blatantly killed her being unable to assist her little sister in any way. But alas, the details of the performance were being left to the recruits themselves. They had to come up with the moves, the choreography, and then implement them as a perfect team.
Any pegasus who let the others do all of the work, was out. Any pegasus who didn’t pull through for the team on the big day, was out. If the performance itself was unanimously awful and poorly constructed, then they were all out.
But that was the worst-case scenario.
Little Wing and the other recruits had poured their hearts and souls into the coming show, each of their dreams being within reach and yet so fragile. All who had reached that point were determined and hopeful, and none wished to fail at the finish line. They had met frequently, to the point where Little Wing had taken a few days off work at the factory, discussed their options and practiced like no tomorrow.
Occasionally she swore one or two of the Wonderbolts would sneak a look at their progress, but if they were they made sure to never be caught.
Whether they had or hadn’t was irrelevant, however, as the day had come.
A small gallery had been set up for the audience to sit in, all of the main Wonderbolts alongside trainers and even a few actual reservists were sitting in to watch what would either be a spectacle or a tragic flop. The recruits were all lined up in front of the audience, trying to look as stone faced as possible. Little Wing’s eyes trailed across each one. The reservists were chatting idly amongst themselves while waiting for the show to start, the trainers were going over their records and notes, while the Wonderbolts themselves sat quite stoically as they looked back at the young fliers, even Surprise managed to keep a straight face.
Well, except for Rainbow Dash.
Little Wing’s elder sister shot her a smile that was attempting to be encouraging and yet failed to hide her own nerves. Rainbow Dash very much wanted Little Wing to succeed, and was failing to hide that fact quite thoroughly. Scootaloo, sitting to Rainbow’s left, gave the cyan mare a small glance before looking back at the recruits. The orange pegasus may have been hiding her feelings a lot better than her sister-figure, but Little Wing could still see a twinkle of hope in her eyes.
“Well then, ponies,” Captain Spitfire finally spoke, giving them all a critical glare. “You made it to the finals, congratulations. Bet you feel special, don’t you?”
Little Wing knew where this was going…
“Well you’re still not!” Spitfire bellowed. “You are ONE, and I mean ONE step away from earning that feeling. You get through today, and you can feel like that all you want as you will be a Wonderbolt! But you mess this up, and you can run along home and think about where your life went so terribly wrong!”
Little Wing loved Spitfire’s speeches, so inspirational!
Spitfire didn’t miss the brief smirk on Little Wing’s muzzle. “Something funny, recruit?”
“No ma’am!” Little Wing answered in practiced uniformity.
“Wrong!” Spitfire rebutted. “You’re still on the ground, that’s certainly funny to me! So get you flanks in the air! Impress us! And maybe you might just make the cut.”
“Yes, Captain!” the entire line of recruits said simultaneously, each giving her a smart salute.
Then, with but a shared glance of confirmation, they all bent their knees as one and kicked off into the air. With visible trails left behind them, the pegasi swirled into the air while staying in sync, twirling high into the sky until the watching Wonderbolts were but tiny dots far below them. They were in a circular formation, equal distances apart and all hovering in place. They remained there for a moment, looking between one another and nodding to indicate their readiness.
And then they dived.
Little Wing crashed onto the sofa, every single muscle in her body screaming for a very, VERY long holiday.
“You could just sit normally instead of diving on it, you know,” Misty Gust commented as she sat on the edge of the seat by her marefriend. “I’d think you’ve done enough of that today.”
“Don’t judge me!” Little Wing retorted jokingly. “Ugh, I could sleep for a few years. Maybe more. I don’t know…”
Little Wing and Misty Gust were located in the living room of their shared home. The house they had decided on was located towards the outer edges of Cloudsdale, despite Misty’s initial talk of getting somewhere closer to the centre. It was a small flight away from the house of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, but was still in the same general area. The area was quiet and relaxed, only a few other homes in the vicinity and with plenty of empty space to practice aerial manoeuvres. Really, the young couple had both agreed on its perfection for them.
The house itself consisted of two floors and an attic. The bottom floor contained a spacious living area, a small storage cupboard and a nice enough dining room/kitchen area. Up the stairs was a bathroom and two bedrooms. It wasn’t quite so large as the home of Little Wing’s parents, which had three bedrooms and two extensions that made good trophy rooms, but it was peaceful and cosy. All in all, Misty Gust and Little Wing had both found themselves quite happy to live there.
“So… how did it go?” Misty asked gently, stroking Little Wing’s mane. “You’ve been talking about the performance for weeks, I would’ve thought you’d come home grinning like a filly.”
“Oh, I wish,” Little Wing muttered. “I think we did alright. I mean, there was that one near collision halfway through, but it was narrowly avoided. Boy, it would have been a disaster had that happened!”
“But it obviously didn’t.”
“Yeah, but Spitfire would have still noticed it!”
“I don’t think they’ll fail you for something that nearly happened, and ultimately didn’t. Especially something like that, it seems pretty minor all things considered.”
“Maybe…” Little Wing groaned. “I just hope we did good enough.”
Misty rolled her eyes, giving her marefriend a nuzzle. “I’m sure you did, you’re such a worrywart when it comes to the Wonderbolts.”
“Of course I am! It’s my dream!” Little Wing retorted. “And they were all watching!”
“And I’m sure they thought you were awesome,” Misty said encouragingly. “So, when you get into the reserves, what’re you going to do then?”
“Heh, you really believe I’ve gotten in, huh?” Little Wing asked sheepishly.
Misty gave her a boop on the nose. “I don’t think the mare I love has the ability to fail even if she tried. No matter how over the top she can be.”
Little Wing blushed, sitting up and allowing Misty to shift over a little closer. “I’m not over the top… Just… you know…”
“I’ll find a dictionary, your picture will be next to the definition.”
“That’s not fair!” Little Wing protested. “You work at the library, you could probably just glue my face in!”
“And it is soooo tempting!” Misty teased further. “But alas, I don’t think the library itself will agree.”
“It probably wouldn’t go down well,” Little Wing agreed with a laugh. “Uh, anyway… What was the question again?”
Misty just smiled patiently. “When you get into the reserves, what then?”
“Oh, right…” Little Wing scratched her mane. “Well, it’s not like being a reservist is a full-time job. I’ll have to wait until I’m in the main team for that.”
“You sound pretty sure that’s going to happen Miss ‘I Just Hope I Did Good Enough’.”
“Ah, shaddup,” Little Wing replied with her tongue stuck out defiantly. “But anyway, I’ll have to keep working at the factory for the time being. At least I won’t be leaving Silver Breeze and Dad high and dry just yet. And, well, I’ll just have to keep working hard.”
“How hard is it to get on the main team anyway?”
“Hard,” Little Wing replied with a small shiver. “I’ve got to keep sharpening my skills, get myself noticed by Spitfire and the others. That way I’ll be placed high on the list, preferably right at the top. That way I’m the first one they try and call when they need somepony to fill in for an absent member. And then when one of the Wonderbolts leaves the team for whatever reason, I’ll be the one they select to fill the gap.”
Misty frowned. “But then what happens with those lower on the list?”
“They got called in order if the one above them is unavailable for whatever reason,” Little Wing explained. “And then if something BIG happens that required a lot of wings, then the entire reserve can be called in. But that apparently hasn’t happened in years, not since this big centaur stomped around the country.”
“Tirek, I know about him,” Misty replied, sighing as she leaned into Little Wing. “Sounds like lots of hard work and physical activity. Give me a good book any day.”
“Nerd,” Little Wing said jokingly, returning that earlier boop playfully.
“I’ve seen how you geek out over Daring Do,” Misty shot back with a small predatory smirk.
“Blame my sister, she introduced them to me,” Little Wing retorted, waving a hoof of dismissal.
“And you never complain when I ask you to read with me…”
And so the blush returned. “Well, that’s different. It’s with you…”
“Softy.”
“I’m not soft!” Little Wing proclaimed indignantly. “I’m a soon-to-be Wonderbolt!”
“And a very soft one,” Misty stated, not letting up for a second.
Little Wing huffed. “You’re the worst, you know that?”
“Yes, yes I do,” Misty Gust said with a large grin, before patting Little Wing on the shoulder and rising from the seat. “But that aside, I’m thinking that we go out for dinner tonight. To celebrate, hm?”
“Fast food or fancy?”
Misty shrugged. “Whatever we’re hungry for. We can just hunt around for a place.”
“Eh, I can roll with that,” Little Wing agreed. “Something big and greasy, I feel like I could use it after today.”
“Big and greasy it is then!” Misty Gust sang, cantering off upstairs to get herself ready.
Little Wing just shook her head, smiling to herself. The Wonderbolts… Misty Gust… Things were good for her. For every off day, times like this generally overshadowed them by a long mile.
And she could see nothing that could put a damper on it.
“Little Wing, please stop pacing!” Misty Gust shouted in extreme irritation towards the light blue pegasus in question.
Little Wing had been at it for a while, nervousness painfully clear in her every single action. All of her training left in the dust, and with nothing else to do but wait, Little Wing had been driven well and truly mad.
And now the day had come that would decide all of her dreams, and where she would go in life from that point onwards. All of it depended on a tiny little envelope that would soon arrive, for better or for worse. And because of that, all the Wonderbolt hopeful could do was pace back and forth with no end in sight, Misty Gust just watching with a bored expression from the sofa.
“No!” Little Wing shouted back, in fact increasing her pacing quite substantially. “Gah! It should be here by now! What if I failed!? What if they lost the envelope and I don’t get in because of a clerical error!?”
“I’m not sure that would happen,” Misty deadpanned.
“You don’t know that!”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Misty decided, getting up from the sofa and stepping in front of her marefriend. “Sit. Down. Now!”
In any other circumstance, Little Wing would have been defeated by her marefriend’s balefire glare there and then, sitting her rump right down onto the ground and doing as she was told.
Not this time.
“No!” Little Wing protested as Misty bit down on the scruff of her neck and dragged her towards the sofa. “I refuse! Let go of me!”
Misty Gust just rolled her eyes, all but throwing her special somepony onto the sofa and standing in her way when she tried to get up again.
“Sit,” Misty commanded, placing a hoof onto Little Wing’s chest until she stopped squirming.
It took a few moments, and a decreasing amount of protests, but eventually the mare caved in and did as asked. Misty was eventually able to remove her hoof, which left Little Wing to huff and cross her forelegs in a sulk.
“There,” Misty said with only a hint of smugness in her voice. “Isn’t that better?”
Little Wing glared up at her marefriend. “Bwah.”
Misty Gust rolled her eyes, flopping down into the sofa next to Little Wing. “Oh don’t be dramatic. Time might actually go faster if you just calmed down a bit.”
“Calm? Who isn’t calm? I’m calm!”
And so the deadpan look returned, Little Wing trying not to wilt under it while adopting a sheepish smile.
“Okay… Maybe a little bit of stress.”
“A little?”
Little Wing groaned. “Okay, a LOT of stress. But come on! How could I not?”
“Sitting down is a good start,” Misty quipped, wrapping a wing around her marefriend. This was partially to provide her comfort, and partially to ensure that she remained seated for the foreseeable future. “And talking. Anything to pass the time. Want a book?”
“How could I read at a time like this?” Little Wing lamented. “Ugh, not even Daring Do could save me now…”
Misty laughed. “You’ll be fine! Seriously, you’re getting worked up over nothing.”
“Yeah, we’ll see,” she muttered in turn. “I just… don’t want to feel like I’ve messed this life up, you know?”
“This life? Whatever life is there?”
Little Wing chose not to answer that.
If Misty found the lack of an answer odd, she didn’t show it.
“Besides, assuming for a moment you did fail, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Disappointing, sure. I’d expect plenty of tears, some probably my own. I hate seeing you sad.”
Little Wing chuckled. “Softy.”
“Pot calling kettle,” Misty Gust replied with a small grin. “Point is, it’s not like I’m going anywhere. Or any of the others. We’d get past it. And the Wonderbolts would come to know exactly what they missed out on.”
Little Wing’s chuckles now turned into full laughter. “Oh, maybe I’d form my own team! Little Wing’s Fliers! No, Shadowbolts! Something catchy like that.”
“Of course you would.”
“And it’d be awesome.”
“Yes dear.”
“Don’t be all snarky with me, you set me on this path!” Little Wing retorted jokingly.
Misty laughed in response. “Yes, I suppose I must bare some of the blame.”
“More than a little.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Misty shot back, though the smile on her face was obvious. “So, are you feeling a little calmer now?”
“Calmer? Huh, yeah. I guess I am.”
“Sitting down and talking. What did I tell you?”
“Yes yes, I know,” Little Wing replied with a roll of her eyes. “You’re the smart pony here.”
And then the doorbell rang.
“IT’SHEREI’VEGOTIT!” Little Wing blurted out, slipping out from under Misty’s wing and shooting off forwards.
A loud smash filled the house.
“You could’ve just opened the door!” Misty Gust called out from the smashed window.
Little Wing, now outside the house, looked back through the new hole sheepishly.
“Uh, whoops.”
“Little Wing?” a familiar motherly voice called out, Little Wing following its source back to the two pegasi at the door. “Uh, are you alright?”
“Huh, hey Mum,” Little Wing greeted, awkwardly landing back down into the ground. “I, uh… thought you were somepony else.”
They both just blinked, Bow Hothoof saying: “We were just coming around to see if the result had arrived yet.”
“Oh! Well, uh… no. It hasn’t come yet. We were just waiting for it.”
“Well, can we come in?” Windy asked, still a little startled by her daughter’s entrance, or rather sudden exit. “And wait with you?”
“Yeah! Sure! Door’s unlocked, go right ahead!”
Windy nodded, opening the door and walking into the house. Bow stayed for a moment, fixing Little Wing with a grin.
“And yes, I will,” he stated.
Little Wing blinked. “Will what?”
“Fit a new window in for you.”
Little Wing beamed, hugging her father tightly. “Thanks Daddy! You’re the best!”
“I know,” he said with a chuckle, he and his daughter entering the house.
As the two entered the living room, they found Windy Whistles already having taken a seat and Misty Gust just looking towards Little Wing with a raised eyebrow.
“So, did you get in?”
“Ah shut it,” Little Wing replied, taking a seat back next to her marefriend. “Just a little longer, I can wait.”
“Oh you can, can you?”
“Now that we’re here,” Bow observed with a chuckle.
“I take it she’s been a little stressed about it,” Windy noted.
“Like you wouldn’t believe!” Misty declared, raising her forehooves into the air in exasperation. “Back and forth! Back and forth! All day!”
Windy chuckled. “What can we say? She’s eager! She’s just lucky to have a very special somepony to keep her on track.”
“Isn’t she just?”
Little Wing looked mortified, pouting heavily. “Can we change the topic?”
“Oh no, I’m enjoying this way too much.”
The pout increased. “You’re evil!”
“I know!” Misty Gust sang.
“Believe me, it’s part of having a special somepony,” Bow Hothoof joked.
“Oh, is it now?” Windy Whistles asked, glaring playfully at the stallion. “Have I been such a bother all these years?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Bow replied without missing a beat. “Love you all the more for it.”
That comment actually caused Windy’s features to brighten somewhat. “Aw, that’s sweet!”
“When I asked for a change of topic, I didn’t mean to my parents’ love life,” Little Wing deadpanned.
“Well we could get back to yours,” Bow remarked. “When is the wedding?”
Now both Little Wing and Misty Gust turned a bright red.
Luckily, they were saved from the interrogation by a second knock on the door.
“And on that note!” Little Wing shouted as she shot up, though this time decidedly not through a window. “I’ll go get that.”
She left the three behind, Windy giving Misty a break by turning the conversation to something a little more mellow. Little Wing then walked on out into the hall and quickly reached the door, taking hold of the handle and swinging it open.
And it was there she saw the faces of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.
“Sis!” Little Wing shouted in surprise.
“Hey Wing!” Rainbow greeted back. “Uh, did you have a break in or something?”
Little Wing flushed. “Um, no. The window was… an accident.”
“Really?”
“Yes! So, uh… what are you doing here?”
“What do you think?” Scootaloo asked, producing an envelope and holding it out to the mare in the grip of one of her orange wings. “You got in, by the way.”
Little Wing blinked. “I… did?”
She all but snatched the letter from Scootaloo, ripping it open and seeing the confirmation for herself.
She was a Wonderbolt reservist.
She was a….
She was…
“YES!” she proclaimed, her voice carrying for miles around.
After sharing the good news with both her marefriend and her parents, Little Wing and the others had all decided to head into the city to celebrate. To that end, they found a restaurant that seemed appealing to the group of six pegasi and managed to acquire some tables inside. It was decently busy within, pegasi of all colours nose deep in either a menu or their own plates of food. A waiter brought over the menus, leaving the family to browse the selection.
“This is so exciting though, isn’t it?” Windy said to the other, placing her menu face down into the table. “Both our daughters in the Wonderbolts! The BEST Wonderbolts, I’d say!”
“Technically it IS still the reserve,” Little Wing noted.
“You went through all that worry and now you’re bothering to correct her,” Misty pointed out with a small titter. “Mixed bag of emotions, aren’t you?”
“If you say so, Misty,” Little Wing replied, quickly nosing her marefriend’s cheek. “Honestly it’s like a massive weight has been lifted off of my chest. I mean, I got in! Now I just need to keep working until one of the team leaves.”
“It isn’t gonna be either of us,” Scootaloo remarked, deciding on her food and placing the menu to one side. “I’m sticking with the bolts until I’m old and grey.”
“Ditto,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “We could start a bet, who’s gonna leave next?”
“Spitfire would have our tails if she saw us doing that,” Scootaloo pointed out, before tapping her chin with a hum. “Or join in. Or both? Hard to say sometimes.”
“Soaring will stick with it so long as Dash is,” Little Wing said, shooting her elder sister a knowing smirk. “Spitfire’s too much of a hard ass. I’d say Surprise would go next.”
“Hm, maybe. I suppose we’ll find out some point or another.”
Little Wing hummed. “Yeah, I guess. It’s just… I guess now I’ve found out the result, it’s still sinking in.”
“I know that feeling,” Scootaloo stated. “Remember that party you all threw me? I spent the next week wondering if it was a dream or not. Still do sometimes.”
“Yeah, you’ve come a long way since you were the little filly unable to get up off the ground,” Rainbow Dash agreed, ruffling Scootaloo’s mane. “Heck, you too, Wing. I remember the first time I foalsat you.”
Windy Whistles let off a small whimper. “Oh, please don’t. This talk is going to make me cry and that’ll be a mess!”
“Oh, sorry Mum.”
“Well on another note,” Misty said to change the subject. “At least I can now tell my co-workers that my marefriend is a Wonderbolt.”
Little Wing chuckled. “And I can tell mine that my marefriend is the one who makes sure I stay sane.”
“Yeah, I guess you can,” Misty replied, leaning her head on Little Wing’s shoulder.
“Gag,” Rainbow said jokingly.
“Like you’re one to talk,” Scootaloo shot back with a smirk. “I saw you and Soarin the other day.”
Rainbow Dash blushed. “That was supposed to be in private!”
“Are you ready to order?” a smart looking stallion in a suit asked from the side, having just walked up to the table.
The group all told the waiter what they wished to eat and drink, the waiter then collecting the menus and departing to inform the kitchens. And once their food was ordered, the pegasi all returned to their general chatter. The conversation turned to what they had all been doing as of late, Windy and Bow describing a run in with a couple who they shared an intense parental rivalry due to some mare named Lightning Dust. But over time Little Wing began to let the conversation fall into the background, entering her own thoughts.
She’d actually made it into the reserves. This had been a goal, a dream, for so long…
Now the question was, where would her life go from there?
And as if to expand on that question, movement caught Little Wing’s eye. Raising her head, and looking out of the large restaurant window, she saw her again.
There she was, staring at Little Wing from across the street. She hadn’t seen the dark coated mare in so long, not since the day she got her cutie mark all those years ago. But there she was, her gaze as expectant as ever.
Penumbra.
Her first birthday, she was there. The day she got her cutie mark, she was there. And now the day she officially became a part of the Wonderbolts and an organisation, Penumbra was there.
The length between each sighting had increased, but each had always been at a major milestone of her life.
Was she just checking in on her? Or was this… something else?
A carriage moved past in the street, and when it was gone from sight so was Penumbra.
A large group of pegasi flew through the air above a vast, largely barren rocky landscape. The town of Appleoosa sat distantly behind them, the pegasi having been brought to such a remote location for some training exercises. Most of the pegasi were speeding around the landscape with determined expressions, though a few others were beginning to sweat and lag behind the rest. All the while their airborne instructors looked down from above, watching the trainees carefully as their flew the circuit.
“Move it cadets, move it!” Little Wing shouted from high above the Wonderbolt hopefuls below her, dressed fully in her reserve uniform alongside one other reservist as well as Scootaloo. “Of you want to make it into the bolts, you’ll need to be faster than that! Go!”
A snort from behind Little Wing caught her attention, and she spun around to give Scootaloo a deadpan glare.
“What’s so funny?”
“You,” Scootaloo replied. “First time you’ve been assigned to help train new cadets and you’re trying to pull a Spitfire.”
“It actually works,” Little Wing rebuffed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never ruffled their feathers a bit?”
“It’s more Dash’s thing,” Scootaloo replied with a titter. “Besides, I might just have to tell the recruits how a certain pegasus I know absolutely flipped out while waiting for her own results.”
Little Wing’s face turned from its usual cyan to a bright red. “Don’t you dare!”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Scootaloo!”
Scootaloo gave her a smug look. “Hey, since you’re the younger sibling I get to tease all I want, remember?”
Little Wing huffed. “Alright Malcolm in the Middle, doesn’t mean I can’t get you back.”
“You’re the one’s who’s a tomato right now.”
Little Wing’s cheeks puffed up. “Once a chicken, always a chicken!”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Jump a couple decades into the past and then try that one, Wing.”
“Well, I… will think of something!”
“I’ll be waiting.”
The other reservist just looked on at them in bemusement. “And this is why I’m an only child.”
Scootaloo shot him a smirk. “Technically, so am I. But what can I say? Life finds a way!”
“Lucky me…” Little Wing moaned in dramatic fashion, before stifling a giggle. “But while I think of my oh so sweet revenge, we really should make sure these cadets don’t faceplant into some boulder or another.”
“Probably,” Scootaloo agreed, looking off to where the cadets were rounding for another lap. “Got a few good candidates among them. Better see them through.”
“Speak later?”
Scootaloo smirked. “You bet.”
Little Wing nodded, giving her wings a flap before heading off towards the other pegasi. She did miss the sudden perplexed look on Scootaloo’s face, however, as the orange pegasus seemed to realise something that had slipped by her before.
“Hey, Little Wing?”
Little Wing stopped in her tracks, turning to face the now distant Scootaloo. “Yeah?”
“Who’s Malcolm?”
The cadets began to pile in one by one, touching down onto the dirt in the middle of the remote town as its denizens, mostly earth ponies clad in various hats, watched on with mixed expressions. Some of the cadets fell in line with an air of pride about them, chests puffed up and wings fluttering with pride. Others plodded their way up to the others with gasping for breath and receiving desperately needed bottles of water from their instructors.
Scootaloo was taking individual notes for each of the pegasi, writing observations next to their names detailing their performance, how they were left after the exercise and even their attitudes. As Scootaloo inspected the line of Wonderbolt recruits, Little Wing and the other reservist hung back as she made her assessments, talking amongst themselves about some of their own observations. When Scootaloo was done she joined the other two, discussed her own notes with them before turning towards the cadets with the two reservists flanking either side.
“Alright ponies, that’s it for today,” Scootaloo announced. “You will all received individual assessments within a week from now. You have two hours to rest up, and then it’s back to base for all of you!”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Fall out.”
The pegasi broke formation with intense relief, most immediately heading towards the nearest bar while others would find a nearest dark corner or rooftop to take a nap. While outcomes had been mixed, it was undeniable that each had given their all and deserved the break before their return to the Wonderbolt Academy.
Scootaloo and the others waited for them all to depart, before sharing a few final words. The stallion with them gave his momentary farewells before going to join some of the cadets at the bar, while Scootaloo and Little Wing elected to instead attend a small little café that was devoid of any other Wonderbolt affiliated pegasi. They would have liked to attend that bar, but they needed a quieter and more… private setting for some of things they needed to discuss.
As they walked in, there was a small pink earth pony mare behind the counter with a yellow mane and a half-eaten apple as her cutie mark. Blatantly some relative of Applejack, Scootaloo had to note, though not surprising since they were all over Appleoosa. But relations aside, she shot the two pegasi a friendly smile as they trotted on in.
“Hi! My name is Apple Rose!” the mare greeted cheerfully. “Ya’ll are Wonderbolts, right? Well we’re not very busy right now, so what can I do you for?”
Indeed the café did seem to be mostly empty, only one Appleoosian sitting in the corner with a coffee between his hooves. But if the current lack of business put a damper on Apple Rose’s spirits, she did little to show it. She hopped on over the counter and directed the two technically sisters over to a small table for two sitting by the window. She shifted them over to the table in a blink of an eye, having them sit down and providing them with a menu. They looked up at Apple Rose, who had a notepad in her hooves and a pencil held in her mouth, before giving the menu a parsing glance.
“Uh, just a lemonade, thanks,” Scootaloo said.
“Same for me,” Little Wing added. “Oh, and a small plate of muffins to share.”
Apple Rose finished writing the order down on her pad, before flipping the pencil in the air and having it land perfectly behind her ear. “You got it! I’ll have it back lickety-split, enjoy!”
The mare pranced off back behind the counter, and then through another door and out of sight. With Apple Rose off to prepare their order, Scootaloo and Little Wing were given a moment to breathe.
“So, good group huh?” Little Wing broke the silence. “Though some of the stragglers probably aren’t going to make it all the way. This isn’t the first time those ponies have faltered during their training.”
“I know, so does Spitfire,” Scootaloo said regretfully. “I’m going to recommend she bring them to her office and… ‘discuss’ their futures in the Wonderbolts.”
“Maybe they can turn it around with a good kick up the rump?” Little Wing suggested.
“For their sakes, I hope so,” Scootaloo replied, before she gave a chuckle. “Seems only two minutes since you were one of those cadets. Hay, seems that long since I was.”
“The last two years have flown by,” Little Wing mused. “Pun completely intended.”
Scootaloo snorted. “Funny. But really, sorry I couldn’t make it to your twenty first. Things were just so busy…”
“You know I get it, Scoots,” Little Wing assured the other pegasus. “I got your gift and card. It’s fine.”
Scootaloo gave a small smile. “Thanks, Wing. Heard it was a good party.”
“And now I really need to go all out on Misty’s next birthday,” Little Wing replied with a smirk. “I’m thinking a cruise to zebrica, after the party of course. Celestia knows I can’t remember the last time we went on holiday.”
“You’ve never gone on one with just the two of you.”
“Exactly,” Little Wing stated. “That’s why I know she’ll like it.”
“Rainbow knows a few good places from when she went with Soarin.”
“I was thinking something that didn’t involve death jumps and the likes,” Little Wing deadpanned. “Something quieter.”
“Heh, fair enough.”
Apple Rose returned from the kitchens with a tray of lemonade and muffins balanced expertly on her back. She carefully trotted up to the table Scootaloo and Little Wing were sat at, sliding the tray onto said table without spilling a drop of lemonade. Content that all was well, she shot them both a happy smile.
“Lemonade and muffins, just as ya’ll ordered!” she announced with a prance. “I hope you like em’!”
“Thank you, Apple Rose,” Scootaloo thanked. “We’ll ask for the bill when we’re done.”
Apple Rose gave them a node, before trotting back behind the counter to await new customers.
The two pegasi each took their respective drinks. Little Wing took a sip from her lemonade, before inspecting and nibbling on one of the chocolate chip muffins. Her eyes lit up from the taste, and she began to take more eager bites out of it.
“Good?” Scootaloo asked, picking up a muffin of her own.
“Very,” Little Wing replied, before appearing more solemn and placing her muffing down. “Now, Scootaloo. I need to ask you about something…”
“Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo stated knowingly.
“Yeah,” Little Wing replied. “How is she? I haven’t really seen her since she broke the news about the foal.”
Scootaloo smiled. “She’s doing well. You should arrange a visit to Ponyville, she’d love for you to visit.”
“I think I will,” Little Wing confirmed. “I bet her friends are gushing up the walls about it.”
“You bet,” Scootaloo replied with a smirk. “Don’t get me started on Rarity.”
Little Wing laughed. “I bet she’s driving Rainbow up the wall with designs of baby clothes.”
“Very,” Scootaloo chuckled. “They’re all excited to meet the latest addition. Though I think we’ve all decided not to let her name the foal.”
“Let me guess… Little Ass Kicker? The Awesome Foal? Daring Do?”
“I think she suggested them all! I can feel Soarin’s migraine from here.”
“Eh, they’ll think of something not stupid eventually,” Little Wing remarked, before resisting the urge to squee. “I’m just excited to be an aunt!”
Scootaloo resisted one of her own. “I know right!? Seriously, I bet the kid’s gonna be a Wonderbolt messiah!”
“Talk like that and she’ll end up being Princess Twilight’s next magic student,” Little Wing replied jokingly. “Wouldn’t that be a twist?”
“I can imagine it,” Scootaloo replied with a grin. “Well, we’ll find out in a few months. Can’t wait.”
“And hopefully by then whatever the hay is going on with the griffons will have died down too,” Little Wing noted. “What’s with that group that’s been popping up in the news? The Sovereign Empire?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Just some group who want to griffons to go back to the ancient ways of war and conquest. Just a group of morons making noise and spraying graffiti on walls, the griffon Emperor has already condemned them. They’ll slink back into their holes probably in another month.”
“Probably,” Little Wing agreed. “What do they even think is so great about killing other people?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Beats me, some ponies- er, people are just twigged like that I guess. Bet none of them could even last in an actual fight. The griffons will deal with it.”
“But back to relationships and foals…” Little Wing said. “What about you? Any mare or stallion on the horizon?”
“If I did I’m sure you’d have already heard about it,” Scootaloo replied in a deadpan. “Not for me. I should really be asking you about Misty. You know, foals and marriage and the likes.”
“We’re both mares.”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “So? There are ways, magical and otherwise. So… are you?”
Little Wing sighed. “Foals… no idea. Not anytime soon.”
Scootaloo smirked. “Marriage then?”
Little Wing squirmed in her seat, nibbling on the muffin nervously. “I… don’t know. I mean, I’ve thought about it. We’ve talked about, if only while teasing.”
“So…?”
She sighed. “I guess… maybe after Dash’s foal is born? I don’t know. I mean, I’d like to. Someday.”
Scootaloo gave Little Wing a sympathetic smile. “Well, no rush, right? Whenever you’re both comfortable I’m sure you will. Just make sure to tell your parents first, otherwise you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I’m aware,” Little Wing deadpanned, gulping down the last of her lemonade.
The two made small talk for a little longer, getting a refill for Little Wing’s glass and finishing off their plate of muffins. Eventually they called Apple Rose back over for the bill, delighting the cheerful earth pony with their compliments as to her baking. They gave her the bits they owed before bidding her farewell.
The two hours were soon over, and the cadets were gathered back in the main street. A headcount confirmed that none of them had napped for too long, and soon they were all on their return journey to the Wonderbolt Academy.
“You must have a plan,” Silver Breeze commented as they moved through the locker room, casting aside the uniforms they wore whilst working within the weather factory. “Something unique. Special? Something?”
Little Wing blushed profusely, feebly patting the hardhat into the locker and slamming it shut. “I-I don’t know! I’m kinda just… winging it!”
“Oh sure, it’s only a massive commitment. What’s the hassle?”
“Which is why I’m asking you for advice, oh snarky one!” Little Wing shot back.
“Why me? I’m not exactly most active in the dating department,” Silver Breeze replied, ensuring his locked was sealed up tight before making his leave alongside Little Wing. “Surely your own parents would be better suited?”
“Ugh, they’d squee so loudly she’d hear it before I even got to the damned thing!” Little Wing moaned as they exited the factory, and one they were in the open air she promptly smashed her head into one of the outer walls. “GAH! Why is asking somepony to marry you so… so hard!?”
He just shrugged in response. “Again, I wouldn’t know. Just so long as you don’t get cold hooves, and switch to asking to go to the bathroom instead, you’ll be fine.”
Little Wing groaned, glancing up at Silver Breeze while maintaining her forehead’s connection to the wall. “Thanks, Breeze. Really helpful, I feel so much better…”
Silver Breeze sighed, taking hold of Little Wing’s tail in his mouth and dragging her limply away from the wall. He then dropped her onto a pile of cloud near the factory, waiting for her to sit up and compose herself before speaking again.
“Alright, from the top,” he said. “Tell me, what have you got in mind so far?”
Little Wing’s wings fluttered, shuffling around nervously. “I was thinking about taking her out on a date, getting some food. And then at sunset perching us up on the highest cloud we can find to watch it. Something sappy like that…”
“At which point you’d ask her.”
Little Wing nodded sheepishly.
“Eh, sounds fine to me. Just don’t take her to a fast food place, that would be a disaster of amazing proportions.”
Little Wing puffed her cheeks, glaring at him. “I wasn’t going to! I’m not that hopeless!”
“Could have fooled me.”
“You- I… Oh, B-”
“Bwah?” he finished for her with a grin.
Her eye twitched. “I hate you.”
“Keep telling yourself that, I’m sure it’ll help with the proposal.”
Little Wing got up onto all four hooves, walked up to the stallion and promptly punched him hard in the shoulder.
“Ouch! What was that for!?”
“You know what,” she responded, unfurling her wings and taking to the skies as Silver Breeze moved to follow.
“Alright, maybe I do. But your punches hurt…”
“Don’t aggravate the Wonderbolt,” she replied with only a moderate amount of smugness in her voice.
“Touché,” he replied, conceding her temporary victory. “But in all seriousness, you’ll be fine. Just go through with your plan and I don’t see the problem.”
Little Wing sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just really daunting.”
“What prompted all of this?”
“Scootaloo,” Little Wing replied. “Months ago, when we were taking a bunch of cadets through a training session around Appleoosa. She was asking about it, and I told her we’d talked about it before… Now, I really want to. I really do.”
“And Misty has no idea?”
“It’d defeat the point if she did.”
“True,” he admitted. “When are you going through with it?”
Little Wing was silent for a few moments, though after thinking for a minute she did give her answer. “The earliest? Next week. I’ve been working up to this ever since Appleoosa, part of me doesn’t want to wait another second. Another annoying part of me wants to run for the Crystal Empire and scream!”
“That’s just the nerves talking.”
“Really? Gosh, I never knew that!”
Silver Breeze just ignore the sarcasm. “Well, if next week it is then I’m sure it’ll all go fine. Just run through as you planned, from A to B until you’re on top of that cloud. Try not to pass out while asking the ever-important question. Though feel free to do so after you’ve asked it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she responded in a deadpan.
“Of course, she could end up asking you first. You never know.”
“That would be relieving and disappointing at the same time,” Little Wing mused, undecided as to whether she should be pouting or not. “I’ve put a lot of through into this…”
“And how much of that was a tiny filly Little Wing running around in circles and screaming in panic?”
“Almost all of it, why do you think it’s taken this long?”
Silver Breeze laughed. “I thought as much. But wedding bells and panicked screaming aside, planning on much tonight?”
The two came to a hover, reaching the point where they were due to part ways towards their respective homes.
“Not particularly. Misty has some novel she’s been wanting to read, I’ll either end up reading it with her or practicing some of my aerial moves. Depending on how dull the novel is.”
“Not the latest Daring Do then.”
“Unfortunately not. What about you?”
Silver Breeze shrugged. “Thinking I might have a wander around town. Either that or catch up on the goings on in the rest of Equestria. I heard something about griffon problems?”
“Eh, there’s some group continuing to make noise. Nothing major, but they’re refusing to back down. Princess Twilight has started looking into it.”
“Well then I’ll leave it all in the capable hooves of her majesty,” he quipped, turning away. “See you tomorrow, Little Wing.”
“Goodnight,” Little Wing called back as Silver Breeze departed.
Once the stallion was gone, Little Wing turned away herself and flew off in the direction of her own humble abode. The journey was a relatively calm one from that point on, and soon enough the quaint little building came into view. Lights were on inside as the sun began to set, signifying that Misty Gust was already home.
Little Wing began her descent, feeling the satisfaction of the cool air running through her feathers and fur. She pulled up a short distance above the surface of the cloud cover, gliding across the fluffy white surface for several meters before she closed her wings up entirely. She dropped to the ground, coming in for a running landing that took her right up to the front door.
A perfect landing if Little Wing did say so herself.
She wasted no time in opening up the door and trotting in, heading directly for the living room.
“Misty, I’m home,” she called out, her eyes locating her other half standing in the kitchen with a sheet of paper held in one of her wings. “Misty? What’s wrong?”
Misty gave a small yelp as Little Wing walked through the living room and on into the kitchen, taking a breath in and shooting her an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I called out for you,” Little Wing pointed out. “What’s got you so distracted?”
“I got a letter for you,” Misty said cheerfully, holding the said message out for Little Wing to take. “It’s from you parents.”
“Oh?”
“Your sister is in hospital.”
Little Wing jolted, her eyes widening. “Huh!? What do you mean? What’s wrong?”
Misty rolled her eyes, counting down silently for the gears in her marefriend’s head to turn.
“…Oh!”
Cloudsdale General Hospital
The moon was high in the sky when Little Wing and Misty Gust arrived at the hospital, briskly trotting up to the reception desk and all but interrogating the poor mare behind it as to where Rainbow Dash had been taken. After verifying their family connection, they were pointed in the right direction and finally left the mare in peace.
The hospital didn’t appear to be overly busy that night, though there was always some activity in the maternity ward. Pregnant mares arriving for check-ups, the cries of newborn foals, they were all present as Little Wing and Misty Gust traversed the halls. They followed the signs hung up above them to locate the correct room, even asking for directions once or twice to ensure they were heading in the right direction.
Finally, they were able to locate the correct waiting room that was positively full of ponies. Little Wing’s parents, Scootaloo, and even Soarin’s parents were present. Banners had been hung up around the waiting room, each one coloured in pink with the words ‘It’s a filly!’ written onto them.
“Wing!” Scootaloo called out as the two mares entered. “About time, what took you?”
“We just got the message,” Little Wing replied as she approached the orange pegasus, panting slightly from the rush over. “How is she? Has it happened!?”
“Soarin is in there with Rainbow now,” Windy Whistles whispered gently with proud tears in her eyes. “The foal was born just a few minutes ago, only Soarin has been allowed in for the time being.”
Little Wing’s mouth gaped open, and she looked towards the door where her newborn niece lay within.
“How long do we have to wait?” Little Wing asked quietly, feeling Misty’s wing drape itself over her back.
“Until the docs confirm that everything is good, and Dashie gives the OK after that,” Bow Hothoof said amidst his own bawling. “I hope it’s soon… I have to meet the best grandfoal ever to grace Equestria!”
“I’m sure everything is fine, dear,” Windy assured her husband, giving him a tender hug.
“Any idea what they’re calling her?” Little Wing asked around, getting no answer for several moments.
“They decided on a name, but haven’t told us yet,” Scootaloo finally answered. “I suppose they’ll tell us when we meet the filly. Damn, I knew it was due any day now but… Well, I wasn’t expecting today!”
“Would tomorrow have been any different?” Misty Gust asked with a chuckle.
Scootaloo gave a chuckle of her own in response. “No, I guess not. But still… It’s weird. You know, Dash being a mother.”
“And we’re aunts!” Little Wing announced cheerfully, her excitement bursting. “Can you believe it, Scootaloo? This is the best!”
“Yeah it is!” Scootaloo agreed, giving Little Wing a hoof bump. “I just hope we can meet her soon…”
The desired meeting would not come immediately, however. The doctors went over several tests to ensure the safe condition of both the foal and Rainbow Dash herself. Eventually, however, the all clear was given. They had further insisted that the meeting could wait until Rainbow had rested enough, but the Wonderbolt had insisted that ‘it had been no biggie’ and wanted her family to meet the foal despite that blatant lie.
The doctors ultimately kept to her wishes, under the compromise that only a couple of ponies could be admitted at once for the time being.
So in that regard, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof had been called in first. From the overjoyed noises inside the room, the meeting had gone very well indeed. And after they had exited with joyful tears rolling down their faces, Soarin’s parents had been admitted next. All the while both Little Wing and Scootaloo began to get restless and impatient, hoping that it would soon be their turn to meet the young filly.
And, eventually, it was.
Soarin’s parents exited, and Rainbow Dash’s two sisters were given the all clear to enter. And when that door opened up and the bed came into view, both had their hearts stop.
Rainbow Dash was clearly exhausted, though typically trying to look like she could run a marathon of Equestria. Soarin was at her side, silent and yet proud. And in Rainbow Dash’s hooves, a small sleepy foal shifted gently before falling back into a peaceful sleep.
The foal had a cyan coat a shade in-between that of Rainbow Dash and Soarin’s. Her mane and tail were coloured with a familiar rainbow, or at least it almost was with the yellow stripe having been replaced with a deep blue akin to her father’s own mane. A moment where she blinked amidst her shuffling, her eyes had been revealed to be a similar shade to the dark blue stripe in her mane.
Little Wing and Scootaloo quickly moved over to the side of the bed opposite Soarin, Rainbow Dash looking up at her sisters with a tired expression. She offered them a small smile as they continued to be mesmerised by the small pony.
Sky Dancer gurgled happily as she held Little Wing’s large hoof in her own tiny ones. Little Wing was pulling all sorts of funny faces in order to amuse the foal, completely and totally doting over her young niece.
The past week had been a tender one for the family, Rainbow Dash and Soarin haven initially taken the foal back to their home in Ponyville to spend the week ‘getting to know the little gal’. Of course Rainbow Dash had introduced Sky Dancer to her friends, all being quite enthused to the new arrival, before bringing her back to Cloudsdale a week later to visit the grandparents.
So there they were, inside Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof’s home. Little Wing had come over before Rainbow had even arrived, and she’d have been hard pressed to keep her little sister away even if she had wanted to.
Sky Dancer was laid out on a colourful playmat with her aunt and grandparents giving her all of their attention, giggling in delight at all the activity. Rainbow Dash meanwhile was laying on one of the sofas, just watching it all play out with a happy smile of her own. A few foal toys were scattered around the living room, namely a few plushies that were predictably depictions of the current Wonderbolts, including both of Sky Dancer’s parents. Though Little Wing had gifted a few of her own old toys for the little filly to amuse herself with, namely dolls of the four Princesses of Equestria.
Sky Dancer sat up onto her haunches, picking up a nearby Spitfire into her hooves and presenting the doll to Little Wing with a happy little foal babble.
“Oh! Why thank you!” Little Wing chirped cheerfully, accepting the ‘gift’. “And what is Miss Spitfire going to do today?”
Rainbow Dash snorted from behind her. “You make her sound like a schoolteacher.”
“Then she’s a scary schoolteacher,” Little Wing joked in response, before ruffling the foal’s prismatic mane. “But nothing you can’t handle, right Sky Dancer?”
“Bwubbaha!”
“Yeah, you tell her!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Well, at least it wasn’t ‘Bwah’.”
Little Wing smirked. “Actually, I intend to teach her that phrase. It is power, Rainbow Dash.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Bwah,” she simply responded.
“Alright then,” Rainbow Dash announced as she got up from the seat and parked herself down right beside her little sister. “Think I’m just going to sit around while you teach my kid bad habits?”
“She’ll get enough from you.”
“Pfft, I am the face of responsibility!”
“I think she’ll be the judge,” Little Wing replied with a chuckle, tickling the oblivious foal with her wings. “What do you say, Dancer, gonna keep your mama in check?”
Sky Dancer giggled in response.
“That’s a yes.”
“No, she’s definitely sticking up from me,” Rainbow Dash denied, scooping Sky Dancer into her hooves and holding her close. “Don’t listen to your mean aunt, Sky, she’s just jealous.”
Little Wing laughed. “Only a little.”
“Well perhaps you and Misty should get on fixing that,” Bow jabbed slyly, getting the desired reaction of Little Wing blushing so hard the room heated up a few degrees. “Do whatever it is you need to do to get your own rascal.”
“L-let’s get tonight out of the way first!” Little Wing protested.
“Speaking of, you need to get ready!” Windy Whistles pointed out, dragging Little Wing away from her niece and towards the doorway. “You dress is all ready to go. Oh, I cannot wait to hear how it all goes!”
“Neither can I…” Little Wing muttered. “Mum, what if it all goes wrong…?”
“Misty loves you, dear,” Windy assured, draping a wing over her nervous daughter’s back. “Just go through with what you’ve planned, and it will all work out. The best ever, in fact!”
“I thought you might say that,” Little Wing said in an amused deadpan. “Gah, I’ve never been as good at hiding my nerves as Dash. How does she do it?”
“You know how she’d respond.”
“By being awesome,” Little Wing recited, before sighing. “I wish it were that easy.”
Windy gave her daughter a light nuzzle mixed in with a smile of reassurance. “As I said, it’ll all be fine. But first we need to get you ready to go at all.”
“Yeah, alright. What the hay, let’s just do this.”
Little Wing’s insides fluttered alongside her wings as she laid eyes on Misty Gust, wearing a grey dress designed to match her coat, standing a little way from the restaurant’s front entrance. Little Wing herself was wearing a dress more matching her eyes, working up the courage to take the final few steps out into the light and into Misty’s view.
The restaurant itself had some fancy name Little Wing wasn’t going to even try pronouncing, a griffon with a twirly black moustache greeting people at the door and directing them to their booked tables. It had been more than a little expensive to book even just a table for two, though Little Wing considered it well spent if it helped make the night the best it could possibly be.
Misty spotted Little Wing through the shadows.
Misty Gust waved a hoof at Little Wing, giving her a questioning gaze as to why she was hiding in the darkness of the night. As far as she was aware, it was just a normal date Little Wing had set up for a nice romantic evening. She had no idea what Little Wing’s true intentions were, and so had no idea why Little Wing looked well and truly terrified.
But she couldn’t stay there all night with cold hooves, so she imagined a familiar female human teenager kicking her up the rump and towards her date.
“It’s just a normal date so far, nothing unusual…” Little Wing muttered weakly to herself as she trotted on forwards with that new imaginary bruise stinging in reminder. “Just one step after another, that’s right…”
“Are you talking to yourself?” Misty Gust asked curiously, clearly trying not to laugh at the odd display from her marefriend.
“Yes, yes I am!” Little Wing stated, not hiding the twitch of her eye. “So… are we going in?”
“Are you alright?” Misty Gust asked in stirring concern. “You seem a little… out of it.”
“Fine? Me!? Why wouldn’t I be fine!?” Little Wing blurted out. “See? Never better! Let’s go!”
“If you say so, my brave Wonderbolt,” Misty Gust said, taking Little Wing’s hoof in her own. “You look great, by the way.”
And with that compliment, the fluttering overwhelmed the nerves. “You too, Misty. More than great… Awesome!”
“Did Rainbow give you that line?”
“It’s not like she owns the word,” Little Wing retorted as they reached the griffon, giving their names and booked time.
The griffon nodded, bringing up a list and scanning over it quickly and efficiently. It took but a moment to locate their names, and her directed them towards the table for two as he had for countless other customers and would with many yet to come.
They trotted through the moderately filled dining hall, passing by some of the richer Cloudsdale families and other couples out for a night of romance. As they sat down at their table, a waiter very quickly approached to provide their menus and take any immediate requests. Both asked for a simple glass of water for the time being while they browsed, and it took only a minute for the waiter to depart and then return with their requested beverage. Confident that he had done his job, the pegasus then departed to assist other customers.
“You picked the fanciest restaurant in Cloudsdale,” Misty noted, taking a good look around the place. “You’re being awfully secretive about tonight, what’s the reason?”
“Oh, no reason!” Little Wing denied. “Just, you know… I think you deserve it. It’s something nice, and we haven’t done it before.”
“Well, that’s very sweet,” Misty said with a smile, relaxing a little. “Sorry I wasn’t able to come with you to see Sky Dancer. The library has gotten a whole new shipment and they couldn’t spare me.”
“So you said, it’s fine,” Little Wing assured the cute grey mare she loved. “She’s doing really well. And she’s an angel, definitely takes after me.”
Misty laughed. “I’m sure. How is Rainbow Dash?”
“Happy,” Little Wing answered. “I don’t think she ever realised how much she wanted to be a mother until it happened. It actually suits her, believe it or not.”
“I believe it. But I don’t think it’s the father any future coltfriends are going to have to worry about,” Misty quipped. “I can see her being a mama bear.”
“Yeah, I could see that too,” Little Wing agreed. “Celestia help them all.”
The two shared a hearty laugh over the matter, before turning to their respective menus. They ordered a simple shared plate of garlic bread for the starter, saving room for the main course. When everything they desired had been ordered on the waiter’s return, the starter was brought out post-haste before the pony retreated back to relay their wishes to the chefs.
Each took a piece of the bread and took experimental bites. Finding it to their satisfaction, they continued to nibble on it as their conversation continued forwards.
“So, did anything interesting happen while unpacking this shipment of yours?” Little Wing asked after swallowing a bite. “Any books I’d be interested in.”
“Nope. It was mostly romance novels and a whole load for the non-fiction section,” Misty Gust explained. “It was a pretty dull day, really. Though I did hear a few… interesting things from my co-workers.”
“Oh? Like what?”
“Eh, I’m not so sure if I should really say it here… Forget it.”
“Oh come on, Misty. Don’t keep me in suspense!”
“Well, okay…” Misty said, still unsure. “You remember The Sovereign Empire?”
“What? Those whiny group of griffons that keep poking up?” Little Wing enquired. “Wasn’t Princess Twilight Sparkle dealing with them?”
“That’s the thing, I heard that they attacked her,” Misty Gust replied, catching Little Wing off guard. “Or tried to, they apparently never actually got close.”
“What happened?”
“The Princess was meeting with some griffon representative about the issue when they tried to storm the building,” Misty Gust continued. “Nopony was too badly hurt, not for lack of them trying though. I heard that the Princess was furious.”
“Don’t blame her, they have to put a stop to it all now,” Little Wing replied, before she sat back with a groan. “And I just know the Captain will use this to order extra drills.”
“I’m sure you can handle it,” Misty said coyly. “Anyway, aside from that…”
Their small talk continued on for a good while, before being briefly silenced by the arrival of their main course. They ate through it all at a steady pace, having a glass of wine poured each as they continued to converse. After the main course they even found room for dessert, rich enough in chocolatey goodness to make even the hungriest of pegasi satisfied. And after all was said and done, they gave their compliments to the catering staff and made their exit. Each had a happy smile on their face as they exit, remaining all but glued the each other’s side as they laughed and giggled amongst themselves.
But the night wasn’t over, and Misty was more than a little confused as Little Wing pulled her aside and up into the night’s sky.
“Little Wing, where are we going?” Misty asked as they flew amongst the cool still air, a single cloud ahead of them sitting perfectly in Luna’s light. “The house is the other way, remember?”
“I know,” Little Wing replied. “I need to show you something, I promise that you’ll love it.”
“Okay, now I am curious.”
Little Wing came in to land on the well positioned cloud, taking Misty’s hoof delicately as she followed suit. Bathed in moonlight, the two lovers sat close to each other as Little Wing traced her hoof along the entirety of the city below, showcasing the entirety of Cloudsdale tinted blue by said light.
“Like the view?” the cyan pegasus asked.
“It’s wonderful,” Misty assured, offering Little Wing a small confused smile. “But nothing I haven’t seen before, what’s this about?”
“Well, you haven’t seen anything yet!”
“Little Wi-”
Misty yelped as Little Wing shot off of the cloud and positioned herself beneath it, beginning to rapidly move it higher into the air with Misty still on board. Higher and higher she lifted it, the floating city becoming more and more distant. Other clouds passed them by, and soon enough they were covered completely by a higher layer.
And then there were stars.
The cloud came to a halt, Little Wing gently bringing herself back up the side and next to a wide-eyed Misty Gust. All around them was that majestic kingdom in the sky that Rainbow Dash had shown her little sister many years prior, a landscape of pure cloud spanning for as far as the eye could see. Looking up, you almost got the feeling that you were in the vacuum of space itself when presented with the night’s pure embrace.
“I’ve… never been this far up before,” Misty muttered, looking around the landscape in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
“Rainbow Dash took me up here once, a long time ago,” Little Wing gently explained. “So peaceful and quiet, untouched and immortal. Nopony to bother us, the entire world to ourselves.”
Misty Gust took it all in, breathing slowly as she let the soft breeze wash over her. It was most certainly peaceful, the only other soul in sight was the warm body laying right beside her. Misty let out a breath, and then turned to look her marefriend straight in the eye.
“And what exactly would two ponies do with the world to themselves?”
Little Wing had anticipated this moment for a long time. Playing it over and over, seeing all the ways it could go horribly wrong. She was, at the very least, expecting to choke on her own words.
She didn’t.
“Marry me?”
Misty Gust blinked, and for a moment it seemed like a fuse had been blown inside her mind. The universe was silent and waiting, Little Wing not daring to even breathe as she waited for Misty Gust to process what had just happened. Fear and anxiety began to creep along her body, threatening to explode in an instant.
“Yes.”
Now it was Little Wing who blinked. “Huh?”
“Yes,” Misty Gust repeated, looking upon her new fiancé with enough love to fill a changeling hive. “Yes, so many times YES!”
Misty glomped Little Wing as hard as she could, burying her head in her chest as she shed tears of joy. Soon, Little Wing’s own tears were joining the mix as they held each other in front the entirely of creation itself.
“I am fine. It’s fine. Just go out there, so a few lines, and be done with it,” Little Wing informed her own reflection, trying to maintain a serious gaze into her own eyes. “There is nothing to be worried about! It’s not like if you mess up that… that…”
Little Wing grimaced, dropping to the floor and placing her front hooves over her eyes.
“I’m not fine! Not fine at all!”
“Please, dear, try to calm down,” Windy Whistles cooed from the corner of the room, shutting the window to ensure her daughter didn’t flee out of it. “It’s natural to be nervous, but this is your big day! And nothing will go wrong, I promise.”
Windy Whistles and her quivering daughter were in a spacious dressing room, a large mirror standing in one corner nearby to a sizable dresser. The rest of the room was lined with wardrobes and ponnequins, the midday sun pouring on through the window and casting light onto the dress that Windy was preparing for Little Wing. It was a long flowing white dress with cyan highlighting running along the sides, tailor made for the younger pegasus on what would be one of the most important days of her life.
The past few months had been a flurry of excited activity and preparation. Nary a day after their engagement had the dresses been ordered from the obvious source and a venue prepared to host the wedding. They had arranged for the ceremony itself to be held in a large hall that on other occasions would be used as something of a ballroom. The party afterwards would also take place there, but after the ceremony everypony would be ushered out for photographs while staff hastily rearranged the hall for the festivities.
That was the idea, at least. They had to get Little Wing to the aisle first.
“I’m not ready for this…” Little Wing muttered fearfully.
“Nope,” Windy replied, standing Little Wing up and preparing to help her into her wedding dress. “And neither will you be tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or after that.”
Little Wing huffed. “So in other words, buck up and get on with it.”
“And you didn’t need me telling you that,” Windy replied with a chuckle. “You’ve both been so excited, it’s infectious really.”
“I don’t think you need us to infect you with excitement,” her daughter pointed out with a wry smirk.
“True enough,” she conceded. “But as I was saying, you’ve both been so excited in the run up that it’s clear how much you both want this to go well. Jitters on the day itself are to be expected, but it’ll all melt away when you see each other.”
Little Wing remained silent for a moment as parts of the dress were fitted onto her, only responding when the moment was opportune. “And yet you all won’t let us near each other.”
“You know it’s bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding, Little Wing,” Windy gently reminded her youngest child.
“I’m pretty sure that rule applies to brides with grooms!” Little Wing protested. “We’re both the bride, so it doesn’t count!”
“That’s not how it works, dear. I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait in anticipation a while longer.”
Little Wing pouted. “No fair.”
“And now you sound like your father,” Windy noted with a wide grin. “It will all be worth it, don’t worry.”
“I know it will! Just… AH!” Little Wing tried to slump back down to the floor, though was prevented from doing so by her mother, who just continued to work. “I can face down a rampaging manticore! Probably. I’m a reservist for one of the most elite units in the Equestrian military! And yet this… this TERRIFIES me!”
“We’re only ponies, dear,” Windy responded.
“More or less,” Little Wing deadpanned under her breath, unheard by her adoptive mother.
“I’m sure you and Dashie could beat that manticore with your hooves and amazing flying and go home to brag about it later,” Windy continued. “But love... Well, you can’t conquer that in the same way.”
“And Misty is far more dangerous to me than a manticore,” Little Wing stated with a giggle. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Windy joked in response. “But just a little while longer and it will be done… and my little filly won’t be my little filly anymore.”
Little Wing’s ear twitched at her mother’s sniffle, and she turned her head to see Windy Whistles’ eyes begin to water as she battled to control herself. Little Wing gave her a soft smile, wrapping a wing around her mother and giving her a light nuzzle.
“Hey, nothing’s gonna change with us. You’re my mother, and that’s a right that belongs to nobody else. I’ll always be right here, and I love you.”
Windy cupped her daughter’s cheek, smiling back at her. “I know, my sweet girl. Now please help me stop crying before I ruin the dress, I just got it done!”
Little Wing laughed, turning back to the mirror to view herself fully dressed up and ready. She had very few words to describe herself; she was seeing the image of a true bride she’d only seen in photographs of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s wedding and, even further back than that, on an old television set that used to be much of her life.
Suffice to say, she couldn’t stop her own tears from falling.
“Thank you…”
“I think Ms Rarity would die should a wedding dress not be its best,” Windy mused, overwhelmed herself. “Best. Bride. Ever.”
“Brides. There are two of us,” Little Wing reminded her mother.
“Of course, you are right. Just wait here for a few moments, Little Wing. I need to make sure the others are in place… And get some air.”
Little Wing only hummed in confirmation as she heard the door creak open and then close again with a click. She stared at the fantasy mare in the mirror, breath caught in her throat.
It all suddenly seemed so surreal, almost like a dream. She could imagine herself being back on that sofa, haven simply fallen asleep and dreamt of pastel ponies and a life far out of her reach.
She stopped a step short of pinching herself.
She decided then and there that she was, in fact, finally ready. Ready to marry the mare she loved and continue on with her life.
Little Wing then glanced at the space behind her in the mirror, before turning around entirely.
One more thing she had to admit… She was surprised she hadn’t yet spotted a familiar dark alicorn watching over such a significant event as she had done with others, albeit with decreasing frequency.
Maybe, if no such sightings occurred, she had departed for good. And that Emma too was gone forever.
Little Wing was led right up to the large wooden doorway leading into the hall where the marriage was to commence, her father holding her hoof tenderly. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were with her, her chosen bridesmaids of course, while the rest of her family were already seated within.
Music was already playing inside the hall, with Misty Gust having just been led in by her own father but a few moments before Little Wing arrived. Their families were working very hard to time it all down to the letter, something Little Wing could never adequately articulate her gratefulness for. But now it was just a matter of waiting for Misty to be set by the alter, ready to be ‘given away’ by Wild Ace, and for the doors to be opened once more for Little Wing’s admittance.
“Scared?” Rainbow Dash whispered over to Little Wing, getting a dirty look in return. “Heh. You’ll do fine, squirt.”
Rainbow was wearing a rather simple blue dress that design wise matched Scootaloo’s, the only difference being that Scootaloo’s dress was coloured after her mane. Also, Little Wing didn’t like the odd smirks they were wearing that were less of a ‘you’re getting married’ smirk and more of a ‘we know something you don’t’ kind of smirk.
“What are you two grinning about?” Little Wing hissed back at them. “What am I missing here?”
Scootaloo looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Should we tell her?”
“I don’t know, might leave it until later.”
“Spit it out!” Little Wing insisted.
“If you say so, Wing,” Scootaloo replied coyly. “Nothing major really…”
“Just that Surprise is retiring from the Wonderbolts,” Rainbow continued on. “And the pegasus at the top of the reservist list is being bumped up to main team member.”
Little Wing blinked.
“And that member happens to be some mare who is getting married today. What a coincidence, right?” Scootaloo finished.
Little Wing blinked… again. “…You’re being serious?”
“I also heard that Spitfire wants to talk to you about something during the reception,” Rainbow added in. “I wonder what’s that about…”
Wonder indeed…
Any time there was to process this information was dashed when the doors opened up wide, increasing the volume of the music tenfold as all eyes turned towards the entrance. Bow Hothoof began to move the catatonic Little Wing forward, sharing the grins of the two bridesmaids.
“Come on, my little Wonderbolt,” Bow Hothoof remarked, though desperately trying to hold back his own prideful tears. “Show time.”
He led her into the hall, immediately seeing the countless ponies sat row by row in the chairs set up for that exact event. Family, extended family, friends and other invitees were all staring right at her. She could easily spot Rainbow Dash’s best friends among the crowd, it was hard to miss the now ethereal mane of the large lavender alicorn.
That in itself was… daunting. A princess at the wedding; no pressure, right?
But it all paled in comparison to what, to Little Wing’s eyes, was an angel at the altar. Misty Gust stood there with a similar expression on her face to Little Wing’s each staring at the other as Bow led his child all the way up the aisle to the very end.
And then they were there, side by side. Each looked at the other in complete awe. No longer even noticing each other’s dresses, instead looking deep into their eyes.
“Hey…” Little Wing muttered.
“Hi…” Misty returned. “You look…”
“Yeah. You look better.”
“I doubt that.”
“No, you really-”
A cough got their attention, and they looked towards the pony official from the mayor’s office who would be conducting the wedding ceremony.
“We are ready to begin,” the pegasus stallion announced.
The music cut off, everypony taking their seats as the noise levels reduced to nothingness. They all waited with bated breath, each of their fathers standing to the sides alongside their respective bridesmaids, the rest of their family sitting in the front rows. Princess Twilight could be seated at the very back, likely done so her tall stature wouldn’t block the view of anypony behind her. Pinkie Pie even gave an enthusiastic wave when she saw Little Wing looking towards them, only to be chastises quietly by Rarity. Twilight, Fluttershy and Applejack remained in a respectful silence during their friends’ shenanigans.
Little Wing could even see the Wonderbolts, main team and reservists alike, sitting around in the middle rows. Each of the main team, even the soon to retire Surprise, had come in their dress uniforms while the reservists were in the usual suits and dresses most of the guests wore.
And then the official began to speak.
“Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Princess Twilight herself to witness and bless the joining together of these two mares in marriage. Into this union are Little Wing and Misty Gust, now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”
Nopony made a sound.
“Very well. I charge you both, here in the presence of an alicorn, and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with Equestrian law, do now confess it.”
Once again, not a sound.
The official smiled, turning to Little Wing. “Little Wing, will you have this mare to be your wife; to live together with her for the rest of your days until death do you part? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”
And so the moment had come. And really now, was there any other possible answer she could give?”
“Yes. I do.”
The pony nodded in approval, and he turned to Misty next. “Misty Gust, will you have this mare to be your wife; to live together with her for the rest of your days until death do you part? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.”
“And who shall give these two mares away to be married?”
Bow Hothoof and Wild Ace stepped forth, each of the fathers confirming their approval of the ceremony.
“With the approval of the fathers, and the lack of objection from those gathered here today, there is only one course,” the stallion announced. “Little Wing, Misty Gust, I declare you both…”
And here it was, that one final word to decide it all…
The atmosphere was loud and cheerful up in the cloud city, the moon high in the sky and yet the surrounding area lit up like the day as the festivities continued. Pegasi and some other ponies with cloud walking spells were all enjoying the various stalls and attractions dotting the aftermath of the Wonderbolt’s charity show, and all proceeds made from those stalls would further boost the bits gained for charity as well. The main Wonderbolts team, that being Spitfire, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Little Wing were the main attraction and hosts of this event, though other high-profile figures such as Princesses Celestia, Luna and Twilight were also in attendance.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her family, Prince Shining Armor and Princess Flurry Heart, had sent their apologies ahead of time for their lack of attendance. But as it was, the royal schedule wasn’t always beholding to one’s wishes.
Little Wing, now twenty-two, was with the other Wonderbolts as they mingled around a sizable cloud garden hanging above the other festivities. The garden was hosting the more ‘elite’ ponies who had been attending the charity event, nobles from Canterlot and the likes. Little Wing would have, in all honesty, preferred to be down with the ‘commoners’ laughing and having fun at the stalls over listening to the unicorns around them discuss prestige and other rubbish like that.
But there wasn’t much she could do at the time. She knew her bride was down there somewhere, waiting for Little Wing to join her. Their wedding was a few months before the event she now found herself in, but it and the following two-week honeymoon in Zebrica seemed like a mere day previous. Two weeks of sun and bliss the likes of which she couldn’t have imagined before experiencing it. And it was all spent with just Misty, a time when neither of them could have been more joyous.
Too soon had it come to an end, as all good things do. And now she found herself with her squadmates, all simply trying to appease the aristocracy around them.
The Wonderbolts were also all still in their flight suits, albeit with their hoods down. The alicorns were at the other end of the garden talking with a pony by the name of Fancy Pants. Little Wing had never actually seen Celestia and Luna up close, only at a distance like now and during shows where they sat in the royal box. But while that was going on the last noble to approach them had been called away, giving the team a moment to themselves.
“Try to look a little less bored, Skips,” Spitfire admonished, using Little Wing’s nickname earned by her being so excited on her first official day as a main team member she practically skipped and pranced all over the place. “The nobles like it when they think you’re paying attention to them.”
“When we’re not. At all,” Rainbow Dash quipped with a smirk. “Seriously, who wants to have a go on the High Striker when we’re done with this stuff?”
“You only want to because you’d win,” Scootaloo noted.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Spitfire muttered. “But you know regulation. The Wonderbolts set up this event, we’ve got to stay at least a couple hours to keep the powers that be happy.”
“I don’t think the princesses would care,” Scootaloo commented.
“I meant the nobles,” the Captain retorted. “Describing them as ‘powers’ might be an exaggeration, but it’s procedure nevertheless.”
“I’m sure it won’t be too much longer before some of us could mingle down there,” Soarin stated. “The Captain and I will probably have to stay a little longer to have some parting words, but I don’t see why the rest of you couldn’t go on.”
“And we thank the Captain of her XO for their sacrifices,” Rainbow Dash quipped. “I will keep the juniors safe while you’re gone.”
Scootaloo and Little Wing rolled their eyes.
“Hey, I’m just glad we got to come at all,” Soarin remarked. “We need to thank that Silver Breeze for foalsitting.”
“Yeah, never thought I’d see the day,” Rainbow muttered to herself with a small frown.
“He couldn’t say no to the bits,” Little Wing explained, though held a small smile on her face. “And I think he might be fond of children. Who knew?”
“Foalsitting and hidden soft sides aside…” Spitfire interrupted. “You’re all juniors to me, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash. And if you dare call me Grandma for that, I’ll have you do one thousand laps for insubordination.”
Rainbow made a face that made it seem like that was no big deal.
“Every hour.”
The face dissolved, and Little Wing couldn’t help but smirk with the rest of them as Rainbow’s own fell away into nothingness.
“I’m surprised you’re not taking it as a challenge, Rainbow,” a new regal voice noted in amusement. When they all turned to the source, Little Wing saw Princess Twilight Sparkle steadily approaching them before she joined the group altogether. “How are you all?”
“Twilight! Get as bored of the nobility as we are?” Rainbow Dash asked knowingly.
“Dreadfully so, but needs must,” Twilight replied. “But everything seems to be winding down. Some of you could probably get away with sneaking away while the Captain and I go talk rules and procedure with Blueblood or somepony.”
“Is that a hint?”
Twilight gave Rainbow a bemused stare. “Yes, Rainbow, it’s a hint. Now scat, before I drag you along too.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Hey, don’t need to tell me twice. Uh, right Captain?”
Spitfire looked as bemused as the Princess, but she didn’t seem to argue. “Alright, dismissed. Try not to have too much fun without me and Soarin.”
“We’ll try,” Rainbow Dash remarked, looking towards Soarin next. “See you later, honey.”
“It’s a promise,” he replied, departing with Twilight and Spitfire so that the other Wonderbolts could make their escape.
Something they all promptly did, with a single flap of their wings they glided away from the garden and down into the crowds of ponies below. And Little Wing was just as glad as her sisters to get out of there and be able to stretch their wings. It may have been for a good cause, but there was only so much of the nobility any sane pony could take.
“Well now that we’re officially off-duty, what games do we hit first?” Scootaloo asked, examining the varying stalls around them.
Now that was the question, wasn’t it? Ponies all around, young and old, were all enjoying themselves on whatever the event had to offer. With all the bits she could see being thrown around, they would be coming away with a good haul to give away. Some to orphanages, wildlife sanctuaries, and ponies displaced in the Griffon Empire by the Sovereign Empire group. The details would be finalised after they knew exactly how much they had to give, so for the time being all they had to do was add their own share to the pile.
Speaking of griffons, a few were also among the ponies that night. Not just griffons, a few other species were present, but it was a group of griffons that had passed Little Wing by as they were deciding on what to do. There were three, one female griffon leading her excitable young son towards a stall with large teddy bears up for prizes. The third was a black feathered and furred male who didn’t seem to be with the other two. While the former duo rushed on ahead, he stopped briefly to glare at the trio of pegasi.
And then a far lovelier sight stepped in between them.
“Hey!” Misty Gust said cheerfully as she booped Little Wing on the nose, causing the cyan mare to go cross-eyed a moment before shaking her head to rectify herself.
“Misty!” Little Wing shared a quick kiss with her wife. “Good timing, we just got relieved by the Captain.”
“I figured,” Misty Gust replied with a giggle. “Don’t mind me joining you, right?”
“If it means getting to watch Wing squirm, I’m in,” Rainbow Dash said casually as she began to lead the group towards the previously mentioned High Striker.
“I don’t squirm!” Little Wing protested.
“You kinda do,” Scootaloo agreed. “I think Misty just has that effect on you.”
Little Wing’s blush was beginning to show through her fur, most blatantly around the tips of her ears. Of course this was all the evidence they needed, and a round of hearty chuckles sounded as Misty gave her special somepony a nuzzle on the cheek, one Little Wing gladly returned.
“Heh, whatever you say,” Little Wing said, draping a wing over Misty as they continued to walk.
The group arrived at the game Rainbow Dash was, like a filly, bouncing slightly on her hooves in her eagerness to play. Little Wing, Misty Gust and Scootaloo stood a few feet back as Rainbow Dash provided the stallion overseeing the game a couple of bits. They all watched in an amused anticipation as Rainbow Dash sized up the hammer, and then the bell high above them. With a smirk she looked back towards her sisters and sister-in-law, confident in every conceivable way.
“Piece of cake,” the prismatically maned mare boasted, picking up the hammer in her mouth while managing to say: “Wats dis!”
Rainbow Dash reared back as the other watched, hammer raised into the air ready to give the decisive blow that would either supplement or wound her pride.
And it was then that, for Little Wing, everything seemed to happen in almost slow motion.
Out of the corner of her eye, Little Wing just managed to spot that dark coloured griffon from earlier return in a severe hurry. What’s more, he was holding something. Something that made the onlookers he passed look on with questions in their eyes, or shrieks of alarm for those who were certain it was very much real.
Wooden and metal, a bow drawn back and hitched into place. An object placed against it, aimed forwards and snarling like an animal with its eyes set right on Rainbow Dash.
He had a crossbow.
And the string was snapping forwards as his talon pressed down into the trigger, even as a few patrolling guards spotted his act and made a mad rush towards him. They would apprehend the griffon no doubt, but too late to prevent what he had started.
Rainbow was swinging the hammer down, eyes only on her target as even Misty and Scootaloo remained blissfully unaware of what was transpiring behind them.
But Little Wing saw. And Little Wing decided.
The arrow was racing forwards with deadly intent, bearding down towards her older sister as she remained ignorant. But Little Wing was not prepared to watch her elder sister die.
So she shot forwards, forehooves reaching outwards as her wings gave an almighty flap. Rainbow Dash was caught completely off guard as Little Wing barrelled into her spine, knocking the hammer out of her mouth and sending it flying off to the side.
THUD.
Little Wing heard the arrow hit something but had no time to see where. All she could feel was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she and her sister impacting with soft cloud. They skidded a few metres, and then halted. And when Little Wing looked around she could see everypony in the area looking over to either them or the now restrained griffon with wide eyes filled with shock and horror.
“For the Empire!” the Sovereign Empire griffon cawed, trying to fight off the guards before they hit him around the back of the head with the hilt of a blade and knocked him out.
Little Wing breathed a sigh of relief, looking around to see her sister intact and equally as wide eyed, staring into Little Wing’s own.
“Close one…” Little Wing remarked, the adrenaline fading and a supreme sense of tiredness beginning to spread throughout her body.
And then Misty screamed. It was an anguished scream, filled with terror and sadness that could not even be described and given justice by the those who heard it that night.
“W-Wing…” Rainbow Dash muttered with a trembling voice, much to her little sister’s confusion.
And then she felt something wet running down her barrel.
Wet… and red.
That was never going to come out of the uniform. So strange that it was Little Wing’s first thought at the sight, as if she couldn’t comprehend it.
Until she looked a little harder.
There was the arrow, sticking so deep into her side that it was probably poking through the other side too. And given that she could feel the wet patches forming from both sides of her body, that was almost certainly the case. Though that wet feeling was quickly dying away… along with all other feeling.
“WING!” Rainbow Dash shouted in grief, reaching forwards and cradling her little sister as her usual bravado crumbled and was replaced with something more desperate and… begging.
Scootaloo and Misty also rushed to her side, sitting down beside her and whispering promises of help and medical attention.
“No…” Rainbow muttered, before her eyes fell onto the arrow. “We… We’ve got to get it out!”
“No!” Scootaloo shouted back. “It would only increase the bleeding! She needs a doctor!”
“Please please please…” Misty was begging as her hysterical cries echoed around their now silent surroundings. “You’re going to be alright! You’re going to be alright…”
“Misty…” Little Wing muttered, trying and wanting to say more.
But nothing more would come.
All further shouts became distant, the sights around her still open eyes blurring together. All feeling became numb, and a familiar darkness began to creep in. It was different this time, though. Before she had been unaware of its passing, but now she was painfully so…
And she was scared.
Her breathing ceased, her eyes closing as the last thing she saw was the sight of a lavender alicorn flying down towards her with urgency in her movements, and the broken features of the ponies she loved.
And then she died.
“Hello, Emma,” Penumbra greeted, a smile on her face. “Hello… Little Wing.”
“Hello, Emma,” Penumbra greeted, a smile on her face. “Hello… Little Wing.”
“WAH!?” Little Wing shouted as she flapped her wings, shot off of the floor where she’d been lying on her back, and firmly planted her four hooves beneath her. “What are YOU doing here!? Wait… where even is here!?”
The rolling plains of cloud that was Cloudsdale was nowhere to be found, instead everything around the Wonderbolt was a mass field of stars stretching for as far as the eye could see. The floor beneath her was like an invisible barrier preventing her from falling for eternity, the only other life in sight being the dark coated alicorn before her.
“Do you not recognise it?” Penumbra questioned. “I would think it hard to forget. Even as long ago as it was. It is not something a person would easily forget.”
“Recognise…?” Little Wing questioned, trying to calm her breathing and try to place the void. And once she really though about it, it was easy to do so. “This place… I was here when…”
And then she was no longer a pony. Standing on two bare legs she brought up a hand and examined it with a bewildered expression. She gave couple of fingers experimental wiggles, before running them through her dark brown hair that run down to the top of her shoulders.
“…I’m taller than I remember…” Emma muttered to herself.
“You have aged a great deal,” Penumbra pointed out. “You are not as I last left you.”
“You would know. You’ve been watching me.”
“It took a great deal to resurrect you, I was interested in your progress,” Penumbra explained. “I am pleased you did not disappoint.”
Emma groaned, feeling a headache coming on. “How did I get here? I was with the others… Ugh, I have a LOT of questions…”
“I imagine you do. The last time you were here, your young mind wasn’t the most prepared for full explanations.”
“Then try me now,” she crossly demanded, her form shifting a moment before the cyan pegasus known as Little Wing returned. “My last life… It’s like a dream, but I know it happened.”
“It most certainly happened,” Penumbra confirmed. “Neglected, alone. Left to die. I have lived for thousands of years, experimenting with a whole manner of abilities.”
Windows appeared around the duo, each one showing a large globe that Little Wing recognised as Equus… or Earth. Many had the same landmass shapes, others seemed to have gone through different continental shifts. The windows shifted again, each one showing an image from their respective planets. One showed an eerily familiar rainbow haired human hanging out in front of a school, and its neighbour showing a dreary wasteland with the shattered city of Manehatten far in the distance. Another showed a quiet night in Ponyville, her sister’s cloud mansion floating idly high above.
“Time. Space. I can see many places, but I cannot visit,” Penumbra continued. “Others have breached other realities and taken a peek, but it is something I personally never accomplished. But I do watch, and I listen.”
“And you found me,” Little Wing finished for her.
Penumbra nodded. “Yes. I saw a small child pass away, unnoticed and unloved. It was… a terrible thing. I have seen many, and I know not why on this occasion I decided to act… But I did.”
“But you just said you cannot interact with other worlds?”
“I did. And it remains so,” Penumbra responded. “This place around us… it is a world between worlds. Every star you see is another place and time, and it is here that I can see and hear them. But more importantly, for people like you, it is a road.”
“A… road?” Little Wing deadpanned. If that was true, it was the sparsest road she’d ever seen. “Alright, a road to where?”
“I don’t know,” the alicorn responded with a sigh. “If other realities are beyond my visitation, then that place is most assuredly so.”
As she was explaining herself, a small memory came to the forefront of Little Wing’s mind.
“I don’t know,” the pony answered honestly. “I cannot go that far, but I can grab departing souls such as yours before they get there. Though taking yours from another universe was a challenge.”
“Death,” Little Wing said. “And what comes after.”
Penumbra nodded. “Indeed. The shape of that existence is unknown to me, but all souls from all places pass through here to reach it. Seizing your soul as it travelled there was… difficult. But what was more difficult was giving you your life.”
If this was a place between life and death, then the connotations were starting to fill Little Wing with a sense of dread and alarm. But she had a push that aside for just a moment, that could come after she got the answers she’d sought for so long.
“I can’t say I know much about unicorn magic. But I know large spells can be… draining.”
“Indeed,” she confirmed. “I used a sample of my own DNA to build a body and shape it to a suitable form. But that was the easy part. Binding your soul to the foal? I cannot begin to describe how much energy it took, and how many years it took for me to fully recover. There is a reason that foul necromancers bring their victims ‘back to life’ sans the soul.”
“I’m sorry,” Little Wing apologised, feeling a little guilty for the pain she had- Wait. “DNA!? You created my body from your DNA!?”
Penumbra blinked. “Yes? What is the issue?”
“Well, I mean… Doesn’t that make you my…?”
“No,” she deadpanned. “Don’t even go there.”
She decided to take her up on that, her life was complicated enough as it was. “Well… Okay then! It was good seeing you again but… um, can I go now? I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but this is all… a lot to take in.”
Penumbra just silently stared at Little Wing for a few moments, before releasing a regretful sigh. “I will release you, Little Wing. I must. But you shall not return to your body.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Do you not recall?” Penumbra asked. “The griffon?”
“Griffon…?” Little Wing muttered questioningly, shutting her eyes as images of an arrow rushing through the air entered her mind.
“The Sovereign Empire group you’ve heard so much about. I imagine he was there for one of the princesses, but he couldn’t get close. So he decided a Wonderbolt and Element Bearer would suffice… Until you got in the way.”
“WING!” Rainbow Dash shouted in grief, reaching forwards and cradling her little sister as her usual bravado crumbled and was replaced with something more desperate and… begging.
Scootaloo and Misty also rushed to her side, sitting down beside her and whispering promises of help and medical attention.
“No…” Rainbow muttered, before her eyes fell onto the arrow. “We… We’ve got to get it out!”
“No!” Scootaloo shouted back. “It would only increase the bleeding! She needs a doctor!”
“Please please please…” Misty was beginning as her hysterical cries echoed around their now silent surroundings. “You’re going to be alright! You’re going to be alright…”
But she hadn’t been alright. She’d slipped away as she had done many years prior, everything proceeding as it had before… Right down to a dark alicorn taking her soul before it reached its final destination.
"You are dead Little Wing," Penumbra informed her regretfully. “The arrow made its mark.”
"...Oh bwah."
Despite the severity of the situation, Penumbra couldn’t help but snort. "I don't get the appeal of that random babble."
"It stuck, give me a break! I'm dead so I get to say what I want!"
"No you-"
"BWAH!"
Now Penumbra was getting annoyed. “Little Wing! You. Are. DEAD! I’m sorry it came to this, but you know better than anyone how cruel life can be.”
“Yes, I do know!” Little Wing shouted back, tears beginning to stream down her face. “But… Rainbow. Scootaloo… Misty. Forget about me, what about them? My friends, my family… I can’t just leave them now!”
“The act is done. As we speak, back in your final place in time, Rainbow Dash clings onto your corpse as Princess Twilight Sparkle attempts to resuscitate you. She will fail. I’m sorry it has come to this, and I know how much this will hurt them. But there is nothing more to be done.”
But that wasn’t true, was it? Little Wing couldn’t stand the thought of what this would do to the ponies she loved, the curse of having a family that cared the second go around. But as she looked into the eyes of Penumbra with an almost maddened expression, she knew there was another way.
“Put me back,” Little Wing requested. “You can put me back.”
Penumbra gave her a dark frown. “You’d still be mortally wounded.”
“Princess Twilight is there. If I’m breathing, she can keep me that way.”
“That’s not for certain.”
“You can try!”
“Do you think I go around handing out lives like treats to foals on Nightmare Night!?” Penumbra suddenly bellowed, wings flaring wide and her eyes glowing a bright white. “Did I not state the energy it takes!? I already gave you one extra life, Emma. Is that not enough!?”
“Then why bring me back at all!?”
“I felt sorry for you, you whelp!” the alicorn angrily admitted. “What I did the result of a bleeding heart, a momentary decision without much considering. In truth, I shouldn’t have. It interfered with the natural cycle of life and death in the multiverse. Not only does it take so much energy away from me, but who knows what unseen damage it may be causing to reality itself?”
Little Wing slumped, grief ravaging her mind as she tried to think of some way to convince the alicorn. The problem was that she wasn’t wrong, Penumbra had interfered with something that was… questionable to interfere with.
But Little Wing couldn’t stop thinking about the others. And in truth, she wanted to live.
“Please,” Little Wing begged. “Once more, that is all I ask. If I die again, no matter the way, don’t even take my soul aside like you've done now. Just let me go.”
Penumbra growled, screwing her eyes shut in conflict. But she did finally open them again, never losing her frown. A few more moments passed as she looked down at Little Wing judgementally, before seemingly coming to a decision.
“I once said that should we meet again in these circumstances, there would be a penance,” Penumbra growled. “If I put you back a second time, it will be as a blank slate. No memories of Emma or Little Wing shall go with you. They will be locked away, and you will start anew.”
“What…?”
“That will be your penance. If I have to perform such a dangerous and even damaging spell for your sake, then you will give something in turn.”
“But… I…” Leaving her memories behind, all those times she’d shared… Could she do that? Would it even be worth living if she couldn’t be… Little Wing anymore? “Erase my human memories. But… maybe have my pony memories return? Even fragments… Anything! Even if it takes years, please?”
“…Perhaps. But my terms have been laid out, your answer?”
Little Wing shut her eyes in though, so many factors running through her head. What would happen between her and the others if she couldn’t remember? Should she consider it at all? The spell was said to be dangerous and damaging…
Why couldn’t there be a simple right answer?
“Do it,” Little Wing decided. “I will bear it. Just… let me see them again. Don’t let them bear the pain of my death.”
Penumbra nodded, her horn beginning to light up with her magic aura.
“Then waken, my little pony. And live with the consequences.”
Everything blurred away. The stars, the void, and Penumbra all vanishing in an instant. And they weren’t the only thing, as Little Wing began to lose… more.
Where had she gone to kindergarten again?
She had a sister… what was her name?
Why couldn’t she remember… what was she trying to remember again?
A spark erupted from Princess Twilight’s horn, coursing through the still body of Little Wing as her family members all gathered around. Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles had since run to the scene, word of the attack haven spread like wildfire around the event. For minutes on end the Princess had worked tirelessly to revive the young pegasus, going on far after any doctor would have called it in. Maybe it was the fact that one of her best friends was a mess as she looked on with the tiniest glimmer of hope that Twilight would succeed… Hope that was fading fast.
Another jolt, and still nothing. Not even the tiniest sign of life, even with the arrow removed and Twilight magic keeping the wound contained.
Little Wing was dead, and there was nothing more Twilight Sparkle could do for her.
Twilight sighed, fighting away her own tears as she looked over to Rainbow Dash and all the other ponies who’d held Little Wing close to their hearts. Rainbow, Scootaloo, Misty, Bow and Windy all looked at the Princess with that fading hope…. Hope that the Princess now had to shatter entirely.
“I’m sorry, my little ponies,” Twilight whispered regretfully. “She’s g-”
Little Wing gave in a sharp gasp of breath as her eyes shot open. A few of the onlookers gave shouts of surprise, Princess Twilight only looking at the pegasus in utter confusion.
“But… how…?”
“Little Wing!” the revived pegasus’ family all shouted, though stopped short of their attempts to embrace her out of fear of hurting her further.
Except for Rainbow Dash, still holding her sister tightly in her hooves. “Wing, you’re okay! I told you, right? Twilight had this this, you’re going to be fine!”
Little Wing’s dazed eyes glanced over all the ponies present, almost as if she was seeing them for the first time…
“I don’t understand, she wasn’t responding…” Twilight muttered to herself, before shaking her confusion away. “Forget that, I’ll teleport us straight to the hospital. She still needs major medical attention if she’s going to remain alive.”
“Yeah, right. Do it,” Rainbow Dash agreed.
“We can come along, right Princess?” Misty asked beggingly. “Please?”
“I said I’ll teleport us,” Twilight confirmed, before looking down at Little Wing. “Little Wing, did you understand that? Are you ready for the teleport?”
Little Wing’s eyes met Twilight’s own, and what she weakly said in response almost floored them all.
The beeping of the equipment assaulted the bedridden pegasus’ ears, her one constant companion in the clinically white room. She had no idea how long she’d been confined to the room, but it certainly felt longer than the clock on the wall seemed to suggest. Worse still was that her body ached to the point where it hurt to move from her laying position, her torso largely bandaged to the point of mummification.
It didn’t help that everything leading up to that point was a jumbled messy blur.
She had vague recollections of waking to extreme pain, as if sharp needles were being forced into her body with the pain originating from her barrel. And then between the pain were the faces of so many unfamiliar ponies in an equally unfamiliar environment.
And then everything had returned to the darkness, and she had woken up in the room.
When she’d first regained consciousness, she was met with a pegasus in a white doctor’s coat. The stallion had peered at her through his spectacles, before trying to give her an extremely practiced grin. He’d called her ‘Little Wing’, and then said that she’d been unconscious for a few days. After asking a few questions, and then noting some things down on a document of some kind, he had left with assurances that he would return soon and that she was not to move until then.
Little Wing hoped he would return soon, she had so many questions.
For one thing… who the heck was Little Wing? Of course she’d gathered that it was her name… but why didn’t she remember anything beyond that!? It was like a thick fog in her mind, and whenever she tried to traverse it a swarm of fog creature… things would force her back out again.
Not knowing… well, she quickly discovered how much it sucked. Not being able to remember parents, any siblings, or where she even was.
Oh, but she could tell you the exact speed needed for a theoretical sonic rainboom. So she had that.
And more information like that would pop up whenever she would go looking around in her own head. She could mentally do a few simple sums, recall reading and writing and many other basic skills and pieces of knowledge related to those skills. Likewise, she knew the names of the pony tribes, griffons, dragons and any other species you might be able to find. She could tell you that she lived in a land called Equestria, which was ruled by four alicorns… But the names and faces of those alicorns? Not a chance.
It was like she remembered the basic outline of the world around her, and the skills she had somehow attained throughout her life… But she couldn’t for the life of her remember any specific individual she might have known, including herself, or any events that had proceeded her waking in the hospital.
It was really weird… and really terrifying.
The door opened up almost silently, but Little Wing saw it nevertheless. The doctor from earlier slipped in, adjusting his spectacles as he approached the bed with a clipboard held in his wing.
“Ah, Little Wing. How are you feeling?” he asked politely with that practiced smile.
Little Wing groaned. “You asked me that earlier.”
“And it never hurts to ask again,” the doctor replied. “You are my patient, after all.”
“I’m fine,” she responded. “I ache. A lot. But I’m fine.”
“I see. Aching is to be expected, it would be worse without the painkillers,” the doctor stated as he flipped through his notes. “But the pain should fade with time, your wounds have healed nicely.”
“Wounds? What are you talking about?”
“You were grievously injured, I’m afraid,” the stallion informed her. “You had a puncture wound clean through your body, causing both internal and external bleeding. You were teleported straight here from the scene and given emergency surgery.”
“Surgery?”
“Yes, and you gave us quite the scare once or twice. Princess Twilight had already removed the arrow and was holding the wound shut until we took over for her. From there it was ensuring that none of the shaft had splintered inside your body and removing excess shards of wood, before healing magics were applied to seal it shut before we flushed your system with antibiotics to prevent infection.”
The doctor paused in his explanation, biting his lip in through before placing his clipboard down on a table beside the bed.
“The fact is, you’re a miracle case,” the doctor told her, examining her in simple disbelief. “And I meant that in every sense of the word.”
Little Wing frowned. “What do you mean?”
“According to Princess Twilight Sparkle, you were dead. You were not breathing, and your brain was shutting down. No vitals, no signs of life,” he continued, huffing as he reached for an explanation that was beyond him. “All attempts at revival failed… And then you woke up on your accord.”
“I’m… not sure I understand,” Little Wing mumbled, staring off away from the doctor and into space. “You said there was an arrow?”
“Yes, though the circumstances behind that can come later,” the doctor replied. “For now, however… There is something else that is troubling us about your recovery.”
Little Wing knew where this was going. “My memories.”
The doctor nodded. “Your family reported your failure to recognise them on your revival. And the questions I asked earlier only confirmed it.”
Little Wing was doing her best not to shake as she listened to the stallion talk. “Confirm what?”
The doctor sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his muzzle. “I’m afraid you have gained a form of amnesia. You know Equestria, the races of this world and so on. But history before today, any history before today, eludes you.
Little Wing sniffed, moving an aching hoof to wipe away the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
“You said something about a family…?” Little Wing shakily enquired. “I don’t remember a family. Why… Why can’t I remember!?”
“I’m afraid we don’t know, Miss Wing,” the doctor said apologetically. “It could be minor brain damage that occurred before your revival. But since we don’t even know how or why that happened we can only speculate.”
“I… I see…” Little Wing muttered, still doing her best to put on a brave face and hold back the tears. “W-what happens now…?”
The doctor replaced his spectacles, picking up the clipboard once again. “You’re healing up nicely, though we will want to keep you a few more days for observation. We don’t want that wound opening up again… and we may have a few tests for your mental health.”
“But then I can go home, right?” Wherever home was, anyway.
“Yes, you can,” he answered with a more genuine smile. “But before then, some ponies have been waiting for you to wake up. If you would like to see them, that is.”
“M-my family?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “They know of your… condition. But they want to see you nevertheless. And seeing them might jog a memory or two. You never know.”
Little Wing took in a deep breath, but then nodded. The doctor gave his own nod in turn, before retreating out of the hospital room while shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Little Wing turned her eyes towards the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. That ever-present fog wouldn’t lift no matter how hard she willed it, and the answers remained out of reach.
And she felt so alone.
The door clicked open again, only this time it wasn’t the doctor who was entering the room. Instead, there were five ponies all of the pegasus variety. Every single one of them stared at Little Wing with wide worried eyes, barely hidden fear seen within them.
The door was shut behind them, and gently and silently they all began to surround the bed in a manner that was almost as if they feared one false move would harm the patient on the bed.
“…Hey squirt,” the pegasus with the rainbow hair said as she settled down by the bed on Little Wing’s left. “Do you, uh… know who I am?”
Regretfully, Little Wing shook her head in denial.
The rainbow pony’s ears drooped, anguish crossing her features. However, when she saw Little Wing flinch back into her pillow at her sorrow she tried to plaster a more cheerful expression onto her muzzle… with little success.
“Heh, well that’s alright…” she responded with a lie. “I mean, I’m sure you’ll get it in time. I mean how awesome were you back there, saving my flank like that!”
“…Huh?”
“I… guess I’m getting ahead of myself,” the mare admitted sheepishly. “I’m… your big sister, Rainbow Dash. That there’s our other sister, Scootaloo. Our parents, Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof…”
Rainbow Dash then looked towards the grey mare sitting to Little Wing’s right, her face hidden behind her mane with uncontrolled tears dripping down onto the bed.
“…And that’s your wife. Misty Gust.”
Little Wing’s eyes widened, looking towards Misty with a shocked expression. “…Wife? I… Oh dear, I’m sorry. I don’t remember any of you. I think I knew I was into mares but… I don’t remember…”
“It’s okay dear,” Windy Whistles cooed softly. “We understand. It’s not your fault.”
“She’s right…” Misty mumbled, before letting out a humourless laugh as her mane parted to reveal bloodshot eyes that clearly hadn’t seen any sleep in several days. “It was that stupid griffon! Oh Little Wing…”
“Griffon? What happened? How did I…?”
Bow Hothoof growled. “It was that group, the Sovereign Empire. They went after Dashie, but they hit our other little filly instead!”
“Your dad wanted to go after them all himself,” Scootaloo remarked with a half-hearted chuckle, before her face fell. “You had us all really worried there, Wing.”
“But don’t worry about those feather brained morons,” Rainbow Dash assured. “The Princesses were super peeved that this was allowed to happen, and they upped the ante with dealing with them. Over the past few days joint griffon and pony teams have been raiding their hideouts left right and centre. Heh, you should have seen Spitfire. Nopony messes with us Wonderbolts without consequence!”
“Yeah, she’s on the warpath,” Scootaloo added in. “She and Soarin have been with the EUP sent up to the Griffon Empire to deal with this crap.”
Little Wing had no idea who Spitfire or Soarin were, but she got the gist of what they were saying. But still…
“Ugh…” Little Wing groaned, holding a hoof to her throbbing head. “I… wish I could remember any of you. But I just can’t! It’s all so cloudy… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, please,” Misty begged, gently reaching out and holding onto her wife as carefully as she could. “We’re here… We still love you, even if you don’t know it. We’re here…”
Tears were now freely flowing down Little Wing’s face, and in truth there wasn’t a pony in that room who didn’t.
“I wish I could remember…”
Rainbow gave her little sister a small smile. “Well, why don’t we tell you just how awesome you are?”
Cloudsdale Hospital, Reception Area
The reception area seemed to be only mildly busy that afternoon, though the presence of the large lavender alicorn was certainly of note. She stood regally by the entrance, her eyes glued on the passage leading to the ward where her friend was seeing to her fallen sister. Regret tinged her eyes, regret that she couldn’t do more for one of her subjects when it was needed…
Twilight then spotted a pegasus with a rainbow mane come trudging down the corridor and into the reception area. She spotted the Princess of Friendship, immediately trotting slowly in her direction.
“Rainbow…?” Twilight gently called out, her ethereal mane dimming with her mood. “How is she?”
“Yeah, uh… better,” Rainbow Dash replied, setting down on her haunches just in front of the alicorn. “She still doesn’t remember, but she should be out of here soon. We hope.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Twilight replied with a small, albeit hesitant, smile. “How did your talk go?”
“…Hard,” Rainbow admitted, before groaning loudly. “This sucks, Twi. We told her as much about herself as we could, but we may as well have been reading her Rarity’s stupid biography. She doesn’t remember any of it.”
“So the information might as well be fiction to her,” Twilight mused. “I’m sorry, Rainbow.”
Rainbow Dash huffed. “Yeah, well… She’s still my little sister. And I know she’ll get better! We’ll just have to place her on medical leave or something from the Wonderbolts until then, but then she’ll be back up there with us!”
“Rainbow…”
“WHAT!?”
Twilight didn’t flinch back from the snap, being patient with her distraught friend. “I do hope for the best outcome, but you must know there is a chance she will never recover fully. The mind is… unpredictable. Whether it be Starswirl or myself, nopony who has ever studied the mind has ever been able to fully understand it.”
“Ugh, at least we got the guys who did this to her,” Rainbow growled, before her expression turned into something a little more… thoughtful. “Wait, you studied brains and stuff?”
“The mind,” Twilight corrected. “How it works, the formation of memories… and how it’s the seat for our consciousness. But as I said, nopony has been able to understand it fully.”
“But… you have studied it…” Rainbow Dash mused as an idea popped into her head. “Twilight, is there any way…”
“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash protested with a stomp of her hoof. “You could help her!”
“Or break her mind entirely!” Twilight retorted. “Mind magic is extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be used ever.”
“Princess Luna is always doing dream stuff!”
“That’s different, she only interacts with a pony’s outer most thoughts as they sleep!” Twilight pointed out. “You’re asking me to go routing around in her mind for lost memories of her entire life! The mind is unpredictable, in trying to force memories up I could scramble them! One wrong turn in her subconscious and I could cause irreparable damage!”
“That… sounds bad.”
“It is bad!” Twilight stressed. “A Little Wing who can’t remember faces is better than a Little Wing who is brain dead! There are so many things that could go wrong I could make the mother of all checklists!”
“Look, I’m not saying we actually do it right now or anything…” Rainbow Dash rebuffed. “But if there’s a chance… Well, should we ask Little Wing? What if she wants to take the risk?”
Twilight spluttered. “But… I…”
“Twilight! Your weird princess magic could save my sister! I know it’s dangerous, and if she doesn’t want to then I would never force it on her! But if she does…”
Twilight eyes twitched, and every fibre of her being screamed that this was a bad idea. But Rainbow Dash was her friend, and she wasn’t without a point…
“Rainbow, you… GAH! Fine, but only if she says yes and understands the risks and only if you give me time to prepare and figure out ways to do this as safely as possible!”
Relief showed on Rainbow’s face, and she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Thanks Twi. If it was anypony else but you, I wouldn’t even ask. But you’re an alicorn, the freaking Element of Magic and the biggest egghead I know!”
“Thanks,” the Princess deadpanned.
“Point is, you’re the only horn head I would ever trust doing something like this,” Rainbow Dash continued. “So please, help her…”
“If this was anypony but me doing this, you’d be in trouble,” Twilight responded, before tapping her chin with a hoof. “Well, maybe Luna or- Ah, I’ll begin some risk assessments. But let’s wait until she’s out of the hospital before we approach her with this.”
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Got it. And Twilight… thanks.”
At least that had been her ‘first’ thought on the castle sitting just outside Ponyville. Well, not her first… but Little Wing couldn’t remember the actual first.
Though, maybe that would soon change…
Little Wing was flying above Ponyville alongside Rainbow Dash, both on their way to Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle to see the mare in question. It had only been a couple of days after she was discharged from the Cloudsdale General Hospital that her elder sister had approached her with an… idea.
And those couple days before had not exactly been a walk in the park. Living in an unfamiliar home with a mare who loves her but may as well have been a perfect stranger… Little Wing could see that pain every time she looked at Misty Gust, and their eyes could never quite meet. Little Wing herself was feeling guilty that she couldn’t return what Misty felt for her, but those feelings simply didn’t exist…
At least not on the surface, but perhaps buried with everything else.
And that was exactly what Rainbow Dash had wanted to talk to her about. If nothing else, Little Wing had learnt that her elder sister was a very determined individual, and not one to give up easily. Little Wing liked to think that she would do the same, but she couldn’t really be sure about anything regarding herself or… anypony for that matter.
Photographs of a childhood she could not recall. Friends and family, she knew nothing of. Even one stallion trying to jog her memory by telling her about the time she punched him in the face.
Silver Breeze seemed nice enough, those stories he told of their school days seemed like pure fantasy to her.
But they were real, and Little Wing wanted to remember them more than anything. To know more than how to simply fly and do tricks, but to also remember the joy she received doing them. To remember the times she had spent, and the experiences that made her into the Little Wing they knew. To feel what Misty felt for her, and to finally see the cute grey mare smile.
So when Rainbow Dash mentioned the Princess’ super dangerous mind spell, what else was she going to say but ‘yes’?
And so off to Ponyville they went. Princess Twilight had been kind enough to situate the family in some of the guest rooms in the castle, and two more days had passed while she made final studies and preparations for the spell. She was nothing if not prepared.
But the time had come, Little Wing and Rainbow Dash returning from their flight around Ponyville the moment the summons were given.
Rainbow Dash had been bunking with Little Wing since they arrived, all of them deciding somepony should be keeping an eye on the mare until the spell was to take place. Her mother and father had shared a room, Scootaloo receiving her own. As for Misty Gust… she had a room to herself, it hadn’t felt right for them to share given Little Wing’s ‘condition’.
“You okay, Wing?” Rainbow Dash asked as they made their final descent towards the castle’s entrance. “You seem kinda distant there…”
Little Wing didn’t meet her gaze. “Sorry, I was just thinking about Misty.”
Rainbow Dash didn’t answer immediately, knowing the topic was a rather sore one. “She’s just worried, Little Wing. We all are.”
“Well, it’s different for us,” Little Wing stated. “I know you’re my sister. But Misty, well… she’s my wife! But how can she be…? We’re family, but she’s… She’s been so nice to me since I woke up, but I haven’t seen her smile once.”
“Hey, that’s not your fault.”
“But it is! All because I can’t feel what I should feel!” Little Wing shouted as they came to a landing at the castle’s entrance, the guards outside not moving an inch. “I feel awful for her, but I’m not able to be the mare she married.”
“Really?” Rainbow said doubtfully. “You’re freaking out a lot over a mare you don’t love.”
“Well, I… don’t know!”
“Hey, cut that out,” Rainbow gently scolded as she draped a wing over her trembling sister. “You’re still you, squirt. And I’m willing to bet my place in the Wonderbolts that you still feel the same way for her, even if it’s confused because of the whole stupid memory thing. But Twi’s gonna fix that, no sweat!”
“I hope so…”
“You haven’t seen her when she’s all egghead and stuff,” Rainbow replied with a smirk. “So… you going to be okay?”
Little Wing sniffed, but then gave a slow nod.
“It’s going to be fine, you’ll see,” Rainbow promised before leading the way into the castle. “Besides, the quicker you’re back to normal the quicker we can stop the sappy stuff.”
Despite it all, Little Wing couldn’t help but laugh. “You haven’t stopped being sappy in the whole few days I’ve known you.”
“Trust me, I’m way cooler normally,” Rainbow replied in fake insult. “And you’ll remember it!”
The two mares walked up the central staircase and made their way through a head-spinning number of corridors. And she had a peculiar sense of déjà vu when they walked into that broom closet by accident.
But they finally found their way into the royal wing of the castle, and Rainbow Dash led Little Wing directly towards Princess Twilight’s room. She was honestly expecting the infirmary, a library decked out in lap equipment or anywhere else but a bedroom. But when they entered they found everypony already waiting, Princess Twilight Sparkle muzzle deep in some ancient looking scroll.
Misty was there, looking at Little Wing as they entered with that same saddened expression, albeit now with a small twinkle of hope in the corner of her eyes. Scootaloo was by her side, seemingly having been talking to Misty Gust. And finally, there were her parents, along with an extra little figure perched upon Windy Whistles’ back.
Sky Dancer gave an adorable little gasp as her mother and aunt entered, flapping her tiny wings in excitement as she stood up on her hind legs while placing her front hooves down on her grandmother’s head.
“Hababa!” the foal giggled happily at the two mares. “Bwah!”
All eyes turned towards the babbling foal, who continued to say that very specific word over and over as she held out her little hooves towards her mother.
Rainbow Dash blinked, and then shook her head in amusement as she took her daughter into her grasp, to the filly’s immense joy. “Of course you learnt that one, of course you did.”
Little Wing didn’t get it.
Princess Twilight held her own small smile at the little pony’s adorable display, Sky Dancer now scampering up between her mother’s wings for a nap. But when her eyes turned to Little Wing, her expression become far more serious.
“Little Wing, this is your last chance to back out. You’ve been told the risks, this could make things worse…”
Little Wing gulped, but she wasn’t about to back down. “Princess, I need to remember. I can’t be like this.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, you do know that, right?” Misty Gust asked as she stepped towards her wife. “I don’t want to see you hurt again. We can make it work as it is…”
Little Wing gave her a small, sad smile. “But then you’d never smile…”
Misty Gust stared at Little Wing for a good few moments, before choking back a sob as she wrapped her hooves around the other pegasus in a tight embrace. Little Wing hesitated a moment, but that dissolved as she felt the tears running down the fur on her neck. She wrapped both her hooves and her wings around the mare, resting her head atop her own as she felt the smallest ping of recognition towards the action.
But no matter how much they may have willed they could not stay that way, for the spell had to be cast sometime.
“Are you ready?” Twilight asked as they parted, getting a nod in response. “Alright then. Lay on the bed, get comfortable. I have no idea how long this may take.”
“And we can stay, right?” Bow Hothoof asked. “We wouldn’t be in the way?”
“Of course you can. You should all be here for her… in case of the worst.”
Little Wing hopped up onto the bed, laying gently down on her front as she examined all those faces around her. Her family stood either side of the bed, while the Princess stood at the end, her giant horn lighting up with lavender coloured mana.
“We’ll be right here, sweetie,” Windy assured her youngest daughter. “We’re not going anywhere, just as I promised you we wouldn’t.”
And Little Wing was glad she remembered it, even if she couldn’t. But as she placed her head down onto the mattress, and felt the light of the alicorn’s magic wash over her, she was sure that everything would be just fine…
Twilight sucked in a deep breath as her eyes shot open, the Princess of Friendship jumping up to her hooves and quickly examining the space around her. And what she saw took her breath away.
She stood in a void filled with ethereal lines streaking off for as far as the eye could see, little pulses travelling down the inner workings of Little Wing’s mind. But the otherwise beautiful expanse was filled with a dense fog, obscuring many of the lines the further away they were. Only those immediately around her were without the fog, clear and functioning as they should be.
“So far so good…” the Princess muttered, following one of the pulses as it travelled close to her head.
In the outside world, she would be seen standing with her horn alight, eyes closed and standing perfectly still. Little Wing, meanwhile, would appear to be in a peaceful sleep. And indeed, when Twilight looked up she saw one particularly bright spot within her mind, undoubtedly Little Wing’s current dream.
She ignored that, it was more Luna’s domain anyway.
There were other bright spots too, the skills and general knowledge that Little Wing had retained. They spread out in one direction, bright and wonderful in all their glory. But where all her personal experiences laid was all but shrouded in the darkness.
Twilight began to cautiously walk towards the fog, leaving Little Wing to her hopefully pleasant dream. But when the alicorn reached the edge of the fog she lifted up a hoof and slowly stretched it out forwards, only for the fog to act as a solid wall to her touch. Tracing a hoof around the perimeter revealed that it was the same for all the fog, and the clear expanse she stood in was the only traversable area.
And she couldn’t just brute force her way through any old piece of the fog, the potential trauma she would cause to Little Wing made it inconceivable. From her own studies and limited knowledge she knew it would be her best bet to find the closest lost memory, something that wouldn’t be too far out of reach and would be the easiest to access.
And she found it. Following one of the lines visually, Twilight saw it led to a dim spark that branched out to further ethereal lines deeper in. Twilight could spy other such sparks, all memories, within the fog. This one, however, was but a few centimetres behind the shroud, the latest memory to be blocked off by the incident.
Of course, the incident itself.
The memory was located beneath where Twilight stood, so she unfurled her wings and took flight as the invisible floor beneath her dissolved. Twilight flew gently down towards the dim light, stopping before the fog as she considered it well. Her horn lit up as she carefully reached out with her magic as a surgeon would a scalpel, one wrong move being able to cause a dire consequence.
Her magic reached out and started to push away the fog, just enough so to allow Twilight to move forward ever so slightly.
And then the fog hardened again, beginning to push back as Twilight detected a magical signature belonging to neither herself nor Little Wing!
Twilight gave a grunt as the unfamiliar magic pushed at her, and she steeled herself to fight back against the torrent. Something really didn’t want her going in and was doing its designated purpose in keeping her out. The force she was using simply wasn’t enough, and Twilight almost aborted the spell right then and there.
And yet her task had suddenly taken on a new urgency. Unknown magic? This was no simple case of trauma-induced amnesia!
“Who are you?” Twilight growled as she began to increase the magic flow, keeping her eyes peeled for any damage she might be causing to Little Wing and if she’d need to eject herself.
But no damage was visible, and the increased pressure caused the outside magic to squirm back enough for the mote of light to emerge from the fog.
And then the fog, and the expanse itself, melted away.
Flashes reached out all around her, and as she watched a world began to build around her. The night was dark, but the heavily populated area was bright and full of activity. Ponies laughed and cheered as they attended the many stalls around them, enjoying the festivities to its maximum.
“If it means getting to watch Wing squirm, I’m in,” the image of Rainbow Dash said casually as she began to lead the group towards one of the games.
“I don’t squirm!” Little Wing protested.
“You kinda do,” Scootaloo agreed. “I think Misty just has that effect on you.”
Twilight watched with a sad smile as the family went about their night in joyous fashion, unaware of the tragic about to befall them. The moment of the attack, and Little Wing’s loss. Death and resurrection, and yet with memories buried beneath an unnatural fog.
But this was progress, and when Little Wing awakened she would at least remember the entirety of the night leading up to her amnesia. Unless whatever malevolent force plagued her mind pushed it back again…
“What are you doing here?”
Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly span around to see a male griffon staring at her cautiously. And when Twilight looked off to the side she could see an identical griffon reach for his weapon, followed by the sound of a meaty impact and a scream.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, looking away from the fading image of Little Wing’s temporary murderer to his duplicate. “Who, or rather what, are you?”
“You’re an intruder,” the griffon warned. “You should leave.”
“Intruder?” Twilight questioned before her eyes lit up in understanding. “Oh, I’ve read about this! You’re just part of Little Wing’s subconscious, right? Part of some kind of mental defence mechanism?”
“You have no place in here,” the griffon warned again. “This is your final warning, or you shall be purged.”
“Little Wing, you know I’m trying to help you,” Twilight said to the faux griffon. “I need to continue.”
“I’m not-”
“Everything here is Little Wing,” Twilight rebutted quickly. “Everything. Even if her conscious mind is unaware, everything that happens in here is a part of her.”
“Not everything here is us,” the griffon refuted, looking over his shoulder almost nervously. “There is some power at play. But we can’t… recall…”
“The magic, I felt it,” Twilight confirmed. “Can you lead me out of here? If I can uncover all of your memories, I might also be able to find the source.”
The griffon seemed to consider the alicorn for a moment, before turning around without a word and walking away. Twilight moved to follow, and the griffon led her past the stalls and through the crowd until they rounded a corner. From there the memory seemed to get a little… blurry. These were sights, sounds, smells and whatever else Little Wing had consciously and subconsciously picked up on in the distance, but very quickly the memory faded away to nothingness where Little Wing had not born witness to any of the events there.
“Keep pushing back the fog that binds Little Wings until you meet the next block from the other outsider,” the griffon instructed. “Then do as you have done here.”
“Thanks,” Twilight muttered, staring off into the void beyond. “You know, this is really strange. I’m talking to a part of a pony’s subconscious, which I guess is like talking to them themselves but only a part of them and they’re not even actively aware its happening. Does that make any sense?”
The griffon stared at her blankly.
“…Right. Good talk, Little Wing.”
She would talk at Spike about it later.
She stepped forwards, and onwards she went.
And on returning to the fog, the magic presence wasn’t immediately as prevalent as it had been before. Following the flow of memories further and further back Twilight got to work undoing all of the fog she came across. Memory after memory was restored in order of descent with the utmost care. And for good reason, demonstrated when Twilight finally made a mistake.
The Princess took a wrong turn, trying to access a memory before clearing up the one that came immediately after it. Twilight hadn’t realised her mistake until the entire void began to rumble, and in alarm Twilight immediately cut the pressure she was pushing on the fog and stood completely still. The ethereal lines leading between those memories had begun to flicker, before the mote of the bypassed memory exploded.
It had been like a bomb in a glass house, the shards of the memory cascading towards other motes of light. Fortunately, Twilight had been quick enough to grab the shards with her magic before they then disintegrated, the ethereal lines rearranging themselves to connect the gap that had been left behind.
But the exploded mote, that memory, was gone forever. Where the memories in the fog were merely suppressed, memories too could be destroyed. If Twilight hadn’t stopped the shards it could have caused a cascade that would have destroyed a large swath of Little Wing’s mind. Destroying enough could leave her brain damaged, or at the most extreme end up leaving her a blank slate.
And if Twilight herself was to get hit by one of those shards? Well, she never said it was dangerous only to Little Wing.
“It was only one, save the rest,” Twilight muttered regretfully to herself. “Come on, Twilight. You can do this, one of your subjects needs you. I won’t let you down, Rainbow Dash.”
And so she continued, redoubling on her caution. Memory by memory she went, more and more unravelling. Enough for Little Wing to recall many things, including her love for Misty. Their wedding day had long flashed by, that had given the Princess a smile.
And then she felt it once more, the pressure pushing back against her. But Twilight was not about to be stopped, and so she pushed back. It was a snail’s pace, so not to hurt Little Wing further. But back it went until she met with the obscured mote.
And found herself in a cast expanse high in the sky, the clouds majestically rolling out below her. And there, high above the land below, were the two sisters she expected, one of them but a small filly.
“You know, there were old legends of an endless city of pegasi up here, unmatched in its power,” Rainbow Dash told Little Wing. “Some pegasi, at least back in the three tribes era, thought it was the afterlife; they believed that our great heroes would greet them all on their passing. Well, I don’t see Commander Hurricane up here, so I don’t think they were quite on the mark with that.”
“Why haven’t we built up here?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “No idea.”
Twilight recalled this event, at least from what Rainbow Dash had once told her. From what she remembered, Little Wing had been suffering at the hooves of the school bully. Rainbow Dash had used the opportunity to bond with her sister more, and boost her spirits.
And perhaps, in the proves Rainbow had inspired a future Wonderbolt.
“I know, I am pretty awesome,” a second Rainbow Dash remarked as she lounged next to Twilight. “Little Wing thinks so, anyway. I think she’s the squirt’s hero or something.”
“Your hero, you mean,” Twilight said with a mirthful grin.
“Eh, details,” Rainbow Dash dismissed. “But you’re doing good work, it’s a lot less clouded around here now. Could have done with less of Dad’s teasing, but oh well.”
“I can’t be too picky,” Twilight responded. “Having good dreams?”
“Actually, we’re dreaming about pegasus cloud empires right now,” Rainbow stated, waving a hoof at the clouds around them. “As we recall more, well… it’s nice to know.”
“You’re welcome. Though, Little Wing, have you recalled any more about this influence?”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Ugh, no. It’s really weird, it’s like there’s a memory way back up that’s not connected to the rest of them.”
“Another memory? Where?”
“Just after Little Wing got killed,” Rainbow explained. “I know it’s odd, but I feel like there should be something after that, but before we woke up again…”
“After your death?” Twilight said questioningly, a frown forming on her face. “Interesting…”
“Yeah, well… only one way to find out.”
Twilight nodded, and as before she followed the image of Rainbow Dash until she found her way out of the memory. She continued on as she had been, unclear as to how much time had actually passed in the outside world. Inside a person’s mind, time was rather… skewed.
But there was no time to lament on it, as she came across a memory with the same magical influence blocking further access. Like the other times, she pushed back against it, and the fog peeled away as the memory came into view.
It was Cloudsdale, detached houses dotting the landscape all around the Princess. Two mares were deep in chatter, and two fillies seemed to be slowly gaining the courage to creep away from their respective mothers and towards one another. Both observed the other for a few tense moments, before the memory of Little Wing remembered she still had half a cookie in her hooves.
Twilight watched curiously as Little Wing gave the young Misty a welcoming smile, presenting the cookie to the other filly.
The grey filly seemed confused by the gift, though eventually deposited the cookie into her mouth, her eyes lighting up as she gleefully consumed the gifted treat.
Seeing that she enjoyed it, Little Wing gave a welcoming babble to the other foal. Misty seemed to understand, nodding back with a little babble of her own. Both fillies were all smiles as they had a small conversation of their own in baby speak, even though neither truly understood the other, before both of them channelled their giant influx of magic and took to the air in a friendly game of tag.
“I’ll never forget this day,” an adult Misty Gust wistfully stated as she trotted up next to the Princess and sat down on her haunches. “Little Wing didn’t really know its significance back then, so new to everything as she was. Misty Gust too.”
“And now you’re married,” Twilight concluded with a chuckled. “Such innocent beginnings, a simple friendship blossomed into something more. Huh, from my territory to Cadance’s.”
“For so long we hadn’t even considered it,” Misty Gust continued. “Little Wing, I mean. We feel such an idiot for not noticing for so long.”
“Well, Rainbow Dash is your sister.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her that,” Misty joked.
“No you won’t, you’re an aspect of Little Wing’s subconscious. You won’t retain memories of any of this,” Twilight responded a little smugly.
“Cheater,” Misty deadpanned back with a raspberry blown at the alicorn, royal status be damned. But then Misty’s expression turned… troubled. “But we’ve recalled something.”
“Recalled something? Little Wing, what is it?”
“We remember being… aware.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean that Little Wing was mentally more developed than Misty Gust was at this age,” the image replied. “Oh, we were still very inexperienced. The world was our oyster, experiencing it for the first time. But that fact alone seems… almost tragic. There’s something else here, a reason a mind as young as ours back then was able to retain so many memories so clearly.”
A creeping feeling was spreading over Twilight the more she heard. “This is not what I expected to find. What secret are you hiding, Little Wing?”
“We don’t know,” Misty Gust answered, seeming to shrink down to the ground a little. “But we are scared to find out.”
Twilight looked at the happy memory one last time, before moving to follow Misty Gust as she headed towards the exit.
“Only one instance of the outside magic remains. The truth is within reach…” Misty said, fading away as Twilight stepped through the portal.
And onwards she went. Little over a week of memories remained… or that’s how it should have been. Now Twilight got closer, she saw something that only added to the feeling of alarm she was feeling.
A whole other set of memories below the first week in the household of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles. Years of memories, if she were to guess at first glance. Twilight passed by Little Wing’s introduction to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, her adoption by her parents and finally the moment she had been discovered in that cardboard box. That memory was the final clear memory in the path, something any normal filly should have been too young to remember. But it was clear, along with a disturbing about of her childhood.
And then the final block came in place, right where the next set of memories began.
Did she want to do this? Perhaps it was time to back out, she had succeeded in her task. Her memories were returned, everything she should have known just before the attack had returned to her, barring the once memory she destroyed. Maybe it was best to leave well enough alone…
And she broke the seal like she broke all the others.
Human.
The people before her were human.
It was a living room, the TV playing a cartoon show Twilight was not familiar with from her time at Canterlot High while visiting Sunset Shimmer. An adult was sitting off to the side, completely ignoring the sickly-looking child on the sofa. Sweat poured down her head as her breathing was slow and laboured, and yet the mother seemed interested only in the phone at her ear.
And then the girl’s breathing became shallow, before ceasing altogether…
“We remember,” a timid voice said from beside the Princess, and when she turned she saw the girl looking as sickly as ever, but on her feet and staring the alicorn dead in the eyes. “Emma. Our name is Emma.”
“Emma…?” Twilight whispered, not believing what she was seeing. “What is this? What joke…?”
“No joke,” Emma replied. “We died. We remember now. All our thirteen years as a human have flooded back, and what memories we took while in death. We have died twice. And we have returned twice.”
Twilight didn’t know what to think, her mind doing summersaults as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing. Little Wing… was human. A dead human.
“How is this possible?”
“She took us from death, the first time because she could,” Emma replied, glancing away before staring off into empty space. “The second, a deal was struck. And Little Wing’s penance was enacted.”
“Who?” Twilight asked. “Who could do this? Who would have that power? Discord?”
“…No,” a new voice came from Emma, and as she turned her body transformed faster than Twilight’s eyes could register.
And there stood an alicorn, dark and regal. Eyes cold and foreboding.
“Penumbra.”
And then everything blurred out of focus, the connection severed.
Little Wing gave a sharp gasp as she jolted awake, rapidly sitting up and examining her surroundings. All eyes were on her, her family all hopeful… while the alicorn’s held suspicion.
“…Did it work?” Misty Gust asked.
“Yeah, uh, what happened in there?” Rainbow Dash added in, directing her comment at Twilight. “You had us worried for a moment, Little Wing started shaking really badly.”
“A minor incident, she should be fine,” Twilight explained as she stood at full height, looking at Little Wing with an intently studious gaze.
And as her memories in her head began to click together, Little Wing realised something. Something she couldn’t have known without her memories, but now she had them back…
She never should have let the Princess inside her head, for now she knew the truth.
“Wing?” Rainbow Dash called out. “You were working at that for seven hours. Did it work?”
Little Wing diverted her eyes from the alicorn, her breath shaking as she came to realise the oncoming consequences.
But for the moment…
“Yes, Rainbow,” Little Wing confirmed. “I remember everything.”
“You do?” Misty murmured. “Everything…?”
And then Little Wing kissed her.
“Oh yeah, she remembers!” Scootaloo laughed as she gave a whoop of victory. “Way to go, Princess!”
Little Wing and Misty fell into an embrace, though the latter began to feel some concern as she noticed the former was shaking. And while Bow, Windy, Scootaloo and Rainbow all crowded Little Wing to welcome her back, Twilight Sparkle just looked on from the background.
She looked at the display, and she couldn’t hold onto her frown. The reunion, Little Wing and Misty Gust in particular, it was genuine... But she couldn’t deny what she had seen, nor could it be ignored.
“Little Wing,” Twilight addressed loudly, cutting off all celebration as all eyes turned towards the alicorn princess.
“Is something wrong, your highness?” Bow Hothoof asked.
“Yeah, Twilight. You’re acting a little weird,” Rainbow Dash concurred. “…Did something else happen inside the squirt’s head?”
“Oh, she’s not hurt is she!?” Windy fretted, grabbing onto Little Wing like her life depended on it.
“No! I’m fine, Mum!” Little Wing assured. “I’m sorry I scared you, and I’m sorry I can’t be all happy with you but…”
“But what?” Misty asked, her worry growing every second. “You remember! That’s wonderful! Right…?”
“Yeah, it is,” Little Wing assured her wife. “Not knowing you… It was the worst, Misty. It was… Celestia, I can’t even describe it.”
“Hey,” Misty said soothingly. “You’re alright now. If you remember, then what could be wrong?”
Little Wing didn’t answer, shamefully diverting her eyes away from Misty Gust. And nothing could hide the tears beginning to streak down her face.
“…Little Wing?”
“Misty, I’m so sorry…”
“Twilight, what the hay is going on?” Rainbow began to get a little agitated as she walked up to her friend and fellow Bearer of Harmony. “What. Happened!?”
“…I need to speak to the other princesses,” Twilight announced. “I need to explain the situation to them… before we hear what Little Wing has to say.”
“Has to say?” Bow said questioningly. “What does that mean? Princess…?”
“I shall leave that to Little Wing to tell you,” Twilight said. “If she wishes, but I would advise her that this secret cannot be kept any longer. Excuse me.”
And then Twilight swiftly departed the room, leaving the family to all glance between one another in confusion.
“Wing, what’s going on?” Scootaloo asked towards the mare in question. “Tell us what?”
“I’m so sorry…” she just repeated.
“Honey, you know you can talk to us. Right?” Bow stated as he sat down next to his adoptive daughter. “Anything at all.”
“And we mean it,” Windy concurred. “If something’s bothering you, I want to know.”
“Yeah, so do I,” Rainbow Dash said seriously. “Whatever it is has got Twilight all freaked out. Wing, please just tell us.”
“They’re right,” Misty concluded. “Please, love. We just want to help. Let us do that, and then we can finally go home. Please?”
Little Wing could not stop her shaking, her breath unsteady as she slowly brought her eyes up and scanned the other pegasi one by one. She finally rested on Misty, looking towards her pleadingly.
“And it won’t change us?”
“Why would anything change us?”
Little Wing swallowed. “This might… But OK. OK, I need to…”
Anypony could tell just how terrified she was, and the sight left deep pits in all of their stomachs. But they all sat attentively, waiting patiently for Little Wing to begin her tale.
Silence reigned across the royal chamber, nopony knowing what to say as Little Wing finished up her tale. She had gone over everything she was now allowed to remember thanks to Princess Twilight’s intervention, from both her lives. She told them all about Emma, a human girl of unfortunate circumstance who had her life cut short due to the neglect of those who should have cared more than anything… but did not.
She then told them of the day that little girl had died. Fading away, unnoticed to all but one. An otherworldly visitor, looking upon her through pure happenstance and making a life changing decision on a whim.
Penumbra, the alicorn who could see between worlds, and step onto the plain of existence between life and death, though not all the way to the other side. One who had taken her soul and given her a new existence as a small, frail blue filly. A new existence that put her in the path of a pony couple who were the complete antithesis of the kind of parent she had known before. Caring and kind. Encouraging… even to an embarrassing degree.
Of course, they knew all what came after from there. But Little Wing hadn’t stopped, instead going on to describe what went on in her mind during those first days… and afterwards. Her fear of discovery, of rejection due to her human past. The identity of Emma fading away as she lived more life as Little Wing than Emma had, in truth even before reaching the age of thirteen once more.
And then she finally reached the day she lost herself. How she met Penumbra again, and how Penumbra had been angered by her pleas for revival. She admitted that she, in actuality, wasn’t even sure if she’d been right to ask. But nevertheless, Penumbra had answered.
With a price, of course.
But now the price had been revoked, and all Little Wing could now do was stand before her gawping family and await their denials. Then their anger. Then their rejections.
She had lied to them. Deceived them. Wormed her way into their home and lives like a parasite, making them believe she was one thing while the whole time she was something else entirely.
Little Wing had betrayed them, and she knew what came next.
“Best. Human. EVER!”
…OK. Apparently she didn’t know anything at all and should just stop thinking about it.
The outburst had been, predictably, from her mother. The aged pegasus mare had her hooves pressing deep into the mattress, eyes starry and her smile a little too eager.
“I knew there was something special about you!” Windy squeed. “The excellent memories, the drive to excel! The… everything! I mean, I never imagined you were another species who had come back from the dead, but I knew it was something! Ha!”
“Uh…” Little Wing muttered with great dignity and intelligence. “Bwah…?”
Windy saw the confused look of her youngest daughter and gave a ‘tsk’ of bemusement. “Oh come now, did you really think this would change anything? We always knew your birth parents were mean, you just confirmed it.”
“But… I’m not even a pony!”
“Then what are these?” Scootaloo coyly asked as she grabbed onto one of Little Wing’s wings and held it up in demonstration. “I think that’s a wing…? I should know, took me ages to grow mine.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“Little Wing,” her father spoke up firmly, shutting her down mid-sentence as he placed his hoof on hers. “You were just a child. We’re happy you were taken away from that terrible place, you’re our daughter. We saw you go to school, grow up, get married…”
“I had a whole other life before I met you. I wasn’t even truly a foal. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“It is a lot to take in…” Windy Whistles admitted. “I never would have guessed, you were so small…”
“Very small,” Bow confirmed. “I remember when we first found you. You were crying. Why?”
“I was… I was scared,” Little Wing told them, curling up a little. “I had no idea where I was, or what would happen to me. Dear Celestia, I had never felt more terrified.”
“At first glance, we’d figured you were a scared child abandoned by neglectful parents who’d left you for dead,” Bow stated, sighing. “Pretty on the mark, weren’t we?”
Little Wing didn’t answer, but neither could she quite meet the gaze of either of the pegasi who’d taken her in and raised her as their own. But then she felt a hoof turn her head up towards them, and she saw both Windy and Bow looking at her with no small amount of concern.
“…Daddy…” Little Wing muttered as she accepted a loving embrace from the both of them. “Mama…”
“Hey, we’re here,” Windy cooed. “We don’t care where you came from, and who. That’s never mattered. Ever.”
Little Wing gave a tearful nod as she broke away from the embrace, before wiping the tears away with a small chuckle. “Ugh, some Wonderbolt I am, breaking down like this. Glad Spitfire isn’t here to see it.”
“It’ll be our secret,” Scootaloo assured her. “I’d like to meet this Penumbra, though. Nopony messes with my little sis!”
Little Wing thought to stop Scootaloo’s crusade right there, but instead decided to let it be with a shake of her head and a small laugh. Then she turned her head towards the remaining ponies who had yet to speak up, and her eyes met that of Rainbow Dash.
“And you…?”
“And me what?” Rainbow asked with a shrug. “So you were born a human, big deal. I’m kinda sorta best buds with a griffon. See? I get around.”
Well, what did she expect from loyalty incarnate?
Rainbow Dash gave Little Wing a small smile, before glancing at the clueless Sky Dancer still sitting on her back. “Besides, I don’t think Sky’ll care all that much. So you got her vote.”
“Lubub!” Sky Dancer babbled in the affirmative.
Little Wing felt herself getting emotional again. “You guys, I… I don’t even know why I was so scared of you all finding out now.”
“Yeah, you can stop that crap,” Rainbow Dash affirmed. “We’re sisters, right? Come on, Squirt. Did ya really think some mystic alicorn stuff would change that?”
Little Wing gave her a slightly embarrassed sheepish grin in response. “Kinda?”
“Seriously? I couldn’t ditch you if I tried. You’re practically glued to my hoof.”
“Er, thanks…?” Little Wing assumed that was a compliment, just worded… well, in the way Rainbow Dash would word things.
“But really, Wing,” Rainbow Dash said in a softer tone. “You and me? We’ve got each other’s backs, forever. Got that?”
“Yeah. I love you, sis.”
“Love ya, you featherbrain.”
Her sister. Her parents. Her subdued humanity hadn’t change them. For all her fears, they still looked at her with the same eyes. If just a little more understanding.
That just left one more pony.
“Misty…?” Little Wing called out to the silent mare, seeing her leaning against one of the bedroom’s walls while staring out into space. “So, uh… yeah.”
The room became awkwardly silent, all eyes moving between the married pair as a sense of unease began to descend.
“Please talk to me…”
Another moment passed, and then Misty finally looked at Little Wing. Her eyes were still red from past tears, but no more were breaching her eyes. In fact, Little Wing was having a hard time telling what emotions the mare was feeling.
“Can I speak to you alone?” she finally asked, not breaking her gaze.
Little Wing looked between her family, before giving them a nod. They sent her silent looks that said they’d be right outside if she needed them, and then they reluctantly began to exit the room until only Little Wing and Misty Gust remained.
And then there was more silence.
Misty Gust seemed to study Little Wing, the latter shifting nervously from her place on the bed. An eternity of quiet that assaulted Little Wing’s ears, ears wilting further by the second as she braced herself for whatever her wife had to say.
Misty Gust took one step forwards, and then kept on moving onto she had gently made her way up to the bed.
“So… Emma, huh?”
“Yeah…” Little Wing muttered in response. “Though, er, Little Wing is fine. I’ve kinda gotten used to that one.”
Misty Gust didn’t respond, only sighing as she hopped up onto the bed next to Little Wing before collapsing. She played herself out on her back, letting off an irritatred groan into the heavans.
“You know, I never thought this is how the whole memories thing would end,” Misty Gust said, Little Wing remaining silent. “What happened to you… I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared you wouldn’t love me again, that our lives had just been messed up for good.”
“And then I get them back, but I mess it up anyway through the human thing,” Little Wing finished for her.
“You haven’t messed anything up,” Misty refuted as she sat up. “It’s just… here is me worrying about how I will handle things with a wife that doesn’t remember me, while there’s you who has grown up with terrible life that led to your death, come back only to be murdered by a griffon only to come back a second time with no memories of yourself.”
Misty sniffed, wiping away a new tear trying to fight its way to freedom. “I’m all ‘woe is me’, when I really had no idea…”
“Hey, stop that,” Little Wing asked of her, wrapping her forehooves and wings around her wife, entering into a gentle embrace. “There’s nothing wrong with how you felt, given what happened. Besides, I’m the idiot who kept the secret.”
“Yeah, you are an idiot,” Misty agreed with a light laugh. “But still, I don’t know whether I was more worried for you or myself… I feel like a terrible pony.”
“Takes one idiot to know another,” Little Wing gently refuted. “I remember a mare who stuck by my side even though I didn’t know who she was. Another pony might have run off during a time like that, seeing no future. You’re not a terrible pony, Misty. No more than I’m still that girl from two decades past.”
“You think so?”
“That girl never thought she’d have somebody like you. Or anything. Misty, I love you.”
“I love you too,” Misty replied with a sniff, nuzzling Little Wing lightly. “And… all this talk of the past has gotten me thinking about the future too.”
“What do you mean?”
“The past week, I had no idea where we were going,” Misty mused, slowly pulling away from Little Wing and looking her in the eyes while keeping hold of her forehooves with her own. “I do now. And I want…”
“What…?” Little Wing enquired quietly. “What do you want?”
Misty took a breath in, and then let it out again before speaking her mind.
“I want a foal.”
A fuse blew somewhere in Little Wing’s mind. She rolled the word around in her head, again and again like a washing machine.
Foal.
Such a weird word, huh? Sounds like fool, only cuter. Could be used in the same context, but she didn’t think Misty was calling her an idiot again. No, she was talking about the cuter one. Kid. Child. Baby. Little screaming things who raid cookie jars.
She wanted a cookie now.
Where was she again? Oh yeah, foal.
“Little Wing…?” Misty called out hesitantly.
“A foal?” she parroted in turn. “You and me? Parents? Like a Sky Dancer kind of foal?”
“Yeah,” Misty confirmed. “I want to be a mother, and I think you do too. And after all this… I want that future with you. To share in this with you.”
Little Wing let out a breath, giving her mind a moment to reboot. Was this how Misty felt when she asked for her hoof in marriage? Only less ceremony and more nappy changing.
“A foal…” Little Wing mused to herself. “Wow. That’s… huge. Filly or colt? Unicorn, pegasus or something? Adoption or…?”
“We could adopt,” Misty confirmed. “Hm, could you imagine a little griffon running around the house?”
“We’d have to full the fridge with meat products.”
“Or… we could do it another way,” Misty suggested. “Go through the full thing, like Dash did.”
“So go to the hospital and arrange the, er, thing?” Little Wing asked. “For one of us? I mean, just some random…”
“I don’t think I want it like that,” Misty interrupted. “If we do it that way, I want it to be from a source we can trust.”
“Well, that’s not exactly a small ask,” Little Wing pointed out. “If we want a foal, who on Equus are we going to ask for something like that?”
Misty pondered a moment, before an idea popped into her head…
“You want me to do what!?” Silver Breeze blurted out incredulously. “A foal? Seriously!?”
He was sitting in the living room of his home alongside Misty Gust and Little Wing. He had been relieved to have them show up with Little Wing’s condition fully cured, safe in the knowledge that his friend had regained all her lost memories and recovered from her injuries. What he had not been expecting, however, was that!
“We wouldn’t have to, you know, do anything…” Little Wing assured. “I don’t think you’re either of our type.”
“I noticed a long time ago,” Silver Breeze deadpanned. “But why me?”
“Well, you’re a close friend. And we trust you,” Misty meekly informed him. “Ironic, I know.”
“Tell me about it…” he muttered, trying to wrap his head around the question. “This isn’t something we can just brush under the rug if we go through with it. It’ll be my foal to and… I don’t know.”
“If you’re out, you’re out,” Little Wing assured him. “We don’t want to pressure you. But you were our first choice.”
“You really want this foal, huh?”
“We talked about it,” Little Wing confirmed. “And yeah, we do. Everything has just gone so wrong recently, but this… We want it to go right. I’ll admit that it’s scary. But I want this, I really do.”
“We both do,” Misty confirmed. “And we didn’t want the father to be some random stallion we’ll never meet, not knowing anything about them…”
Silver Breeze leaned back in his seat, mulling over the proposition in his head. Little Wing could see that he was highly conflicted and wondered just what it was he was thinking. They had come there knowing there was a good chance he’d so no, that he wouldn’t even want a kid never mind that it was as a favour to other ponies. Little Wing herself was still trying to wrap her head around it, and yet there they were…
“…Could I see them?” he asked slowly. “If I go through with this, would I be a father or just some stranger who they might see around every now and then?”
“If you go through with this, whichever you prefer,” Little Wing responded. “If you want to be in their life, we won’t stop you. Why would we?”
Silver Breeze was silent for a few moments, his mind slowly coming to a consensus. “I would be lying if I said I’d never thought about parenthood. I’m just… not sure I’d be good at it.”
“Can’t be any worse than either of our birth parents,” Little Wing responded with a small smile.
Silver Breeze had to concede that point, but still… He would never have imagined himself in such a position a few years back, when he still hated the mares asking something so personal of him. He was hesitant to even consider it, and yet he was considering it. And a not-so-small part of him wanted to say yes.
“Two mothers and a father, it’d be the most loved foal in Cloudsdale,” he lightly joked to himself. “Ah, to Tartarus with it.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“If you two want a kid that bad, and I get to see them every now and then. Then yeah, I’m in.”
It was a jewel on the side of the mountain, shimmering marble and gold tipped spires shooting high into the air for all of Equestria to see. The capital city of Equestria, having stood for a thousand years ever since the banishment of Princess Luna. It was the home of two of the country’s four alicorn rulers and was the birth place of another. The city had weathered strikes from hostile forces, rampaging monsters and the odd rogue storm without breaking. Many of Equestria’s greatest inventors, philosophers and artists had been born and raised within those structures on the side of Mount Canterhorn, and it had been host to more than a few Wonderbolts during its time.
Though Little Wing doubted it had ever hosted a human-reborn-as-a-pegasus Wonderbolt before.
Little Wing had never actually been to Canterlot before, something she was alone in compared to the rest of the team. She had been a fully fledged Wonderbolt for less than a year and had yet to be apart of the team’s annual attendance of the Grand Galloping Gala. She had heard… mixed reviews about the gala, but was looking forward to seeing it for herself, and the possibility to meeting the rest of Equestria’s alicorns up close.
What she had never anticipated was being summoned by Princess Twilight Sparkle to a private audience with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
The message had been sudden, though not exactly unexpected. It also expressed an urgency to appear before them without delay. Of course, her family had wanted to come along and lend their own support and word on the matter to the princesses, though Little Wing had decided they had travelled far enough for her as of late. Princess Twilight’s own assurances that nothing bad was going to happen to Little Wing did help put them at ease, and in the end only Rainbow Dash and Misty Gust ended up accompanying her in the trip to Equestria’s capital.
Their arrival had been swift, and they wasted no time in making their way to Canterlot Castle. The city truly was a marvel to behold, but their haste hardly left Little Wing time to take in the sights. They had flown over the rooftops across the three great platforms the city was built upon, hanging from the mountain with the assistance of countless supports both material and magical in nature. Among them the palace stood the greatest of all, its spires reaching for the heavens while reflecting the sun’s rays. Both Little Wing and Misty Gust had been gawping at the sights, seeing whatever they could as they passed over the city while the far more travelled Rainbow Dash simply smirked at their reactions.
The trio didn’t stop until they had arrived at the front gates, making themselves known to the guards before flying into the castle grounds themselves. They were allowed passage, and Rainbow Dash led her little sister and her wife into the castle’s main entrance hall.
The interior, Little Wing noted, was just as lavish as the exterior. The windows were made to depict a whole manner of events from Equestria’s long history, while banners hung from the ceiling showing mainly motifs of the sun and moon. They a few of the tapestries did include the odd lavender starburst and crystalline heart.
The entrance hall was a flurry of activity. Guards stood vigilant as the castle’s staff moved in and out of the various hallways alongside the odd noble who walked with their muzzles pointing skyward. A large staircase with velvet carpeting sat directly opposite of the main entrance, and atop those stairs almost expectantly was the form of Princess Twilight herself.
“You were quick,” the Princess quipped to the trio as they approached.
“Peh, who are you talking to again?” Rainbow Dash boasted, shooting Twilight an ever-so-slightly cocky smile.
“Clearly Little Wing is a truly fast flier,” Twilight retorted, giving the awkwardly shuffling pegasus a sweet smile, though she couldn’t help but stifle a snort when she added: “How did you ever keep up, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash gave the Princess a deadpan look.
Twilight chuckled behind a hoof. “But yes, I had anticipated your early arrival, it’s why I was waiting here. Are you all alright?”
She used the term ‘you all’, though her gaze was clearly upon Little Wing respectively. While her eyes seemed far brighter than the last time they settled down on Little Wing, the pegasus could still feel a sense of unease and uncertainty radiating from them.
“We’re alright, Princess,” Little Wing replied, forcing her nervousness down and letting her face gain a small smile. “It’s actually nice not to have secrets at the back of my mind.”
“Little Wing, you should have talked to Applejack a long time ago,” Twilight mused lightly. “Honesty is a keystone in friendship. But I take it the revelation of your origins hasn’t… soured anything?”
“You kidding me?” Rainbow Dash refuted. “Come on Twi, look at us. We’re all here, aren’t we?”
“We’ve been working through it, your highness,” Misty Gust added in far more softly. “But we’re fine.”
“Better than fine…?” Little Wing asked over at Misty, giving her a knowing smile.
Misty giggled. “I hope so.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the two, matching Rainbow Dash’s own momentary look of confusion. Though it was quickly erased as the Princess of Friendship moved back on topic.
“Right. Well, Princess Celestia is still overseeing the day court. Though I will send word of your arrival, she will have Luna collected and time set aside for you,” Twilight explained. “I’ve told them both what I found during my foray into Little Wing’s mind. They were both intrigued.”
Little Wing wasn’t so sure how to feel about that.
“So, what do we do while we wait?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight was silent a moment, but then nodded to a nearby guard. The armoured stallion quickly stepped forward and threw a smart salute to his princess.
“Would you please see my guests to the royal lounge, they are to wait there until I come to collect them.”
“Yes, your highness,” the guard replied, nodding for the three pegasi to follow him down one of the hallways.
While the three moved to follow, Twilight spoke up again. “Hopefully this won’t take long. In the meantime, you can all feel free to relax; though don’t touch anything from the liquor cabinet. Luna’s moonshine is not for mortal ponies.”
Little Wing didn’t want to imagine why the Princesses of Equestria had such alcohol in their lounge, or what happened when it was brought out…
Rainbow Dash said a few more words to her friend, though Little Wing paid little attention as she and Misty fell into step behind the guard. Though a thought crossed through Little Wing’s mind, and she stopped mid step as she glanced back at the Princess.
“Little Wing?” Misty called back, concern crossing her features.
“Uh, I’m good,” Little Wing assured. “I’m just going to go chat to the Princess a minute. I’ll catch up.”
Little Wing doubled back, passing Rainbow as she went and ignoring the question on the rainbow maned pegasus’ face. She trotted straight up to Princess Twilight, who stopped to examine the human turned pony.
“Little Wing? What is it?”
“Princess Twilight, can I talk to you?” Little Wing asked, before adding: “In private?”
Twilight tilted her head in consideration, surprised by the request. But sure enough she gave Little Wing a nod and motioned for the guard to depart with the other two. But a moment later she lit her horn up with bright lavender magic that reached out to envelope the both of them before a loud pop echoed throughout the entrance hall.
Simultaneously, another pop and a bright flash lit up a sparse bedroom decorated only with bookshelves and a single desk, Princess Twilight and Little Wing appearing from it with the latter swaying slightly on her hooves.
Twilight gave her an apologetic smile, realising it had been Little Wing’s first teleport. Besides the one where she’d been in dire need of medical attention, at least.
Little Wing shook her head to rid herself of the sudden onset of dizziness, before giving the room a good looking over. She saw the bookshelves, completely packed with reading material both new and old. The desk had a single inkwell sitting on it with the quill and paper most likely tucked into the desk’s drawer. There was a closed entranceway to a balcony, and against one wall stood a four-poster bed with lavender coloured sheets and pillows draped over it.
“I thought my room would be the best place,” Twilight responded to Little Wing’s unspoken question. “There are sound proofing wards, and only those with permission can usually enter.”
“You have a room here?” Little Wing questioned.
Twilight frowned. “Well, yes. All the princesses do, this is Equestria’s capital city, remember? Cadance has a room and study here just as I do, even though she chooses to live in the Crystal Empire, as I choose to live in Ponyville.”
“Oh, right,” Little Wing replied, though that certainly explained why the room was far sparser than the Princess’ room in her own castle, lacking any personal touches beyond the bookshelves. “So, er…”
“You wanted to talk to me?”
“Uh, right…” Little Wing scuffed the carpet with a hoof, taking in a deep breath. “Princess, I need to ask you something.”
“Alright…” Twilight said slowly. “What is it? My little pony, you look really nervous. Is something wrong?”
Little Wing took several more breaths in, trying to contain her nerves in a mental locker marked ‘do not touch for the love of Celestia’. After she composed herself, she was able to force her vocal cords to do something useful.
“Uh, Princess? Is there, erm, you know… a scanning spell you can do?” Little Wing asked. “Just a small one?”
Twilight’s confusion only deepened. “Scanning spell? Well, I’ve studied countless spells for detecting all kinds of things. I mean, Rarity has a well-trained spell for finding gems. I could probably cast a spell to find a lost bit if I needed to. Sorry Little Wing, but could you be a little more specific?”
“Er, specific… heh heh…” Little Wing gulped, the locker was being stubborn. “Right, specifics. Um… try a pregnancy detection spell?”
Twilight’s eyes widened, her mouth gaping like a fish for several moments. “You… think you’re pregnant?”
“Maybe, I don’t know,” Little Wing responded, uncertainly rubbing the back of her head. “We went to the doctors, and we had stuff done. And now… Well, it just happened pretty much. We were just going to wait and see, but then you sent that letter and now I’m here and yeah… So can you?”
“Well, I guess so…?” Twilight muttered. “I mean, if the conception has actually occurred since the procedure. Even if I don’t find anything, it may simply be that enough time has yet to pass.”
“But if time has passed?”
“Well, I’m pretty good with magic if I do say so myself,” Twilight proclaimed proudly. “My spell could probably detect a recently fertilised egg cell. And, wow…”
Little Wing gave the alicorn a questioning look. “Huh?”
“I just realised how strange this is,” Twilight mused. “I met you when you were a foal. Well, kind of I guess, seeing as… Well, I guess it just hit me how much time has passed. Whew, I guess I just need to look into a mirror for that.” She regarded her own ethereal mane with a thoughtful expression.
“Princess?”
“Right! Right. The spell…” Twilight took a breath in, but then nodded. “Hold completely still, or else you could disrupt the scan.”
The alicorn’s horn lit up, and a grid of magic began to spread through Little Wing’s body.
The great doors to Canterlot’s throne room opened wide, admitting the three pegasi inside. Little Wing had returned to the others after her meeting with Princess Twilight, remaining oddly silent throughout the wait, as if lost deep in thought. But the call had eventually come, and another guard had proceeded to take them from the lounge and escort them over to the throne room, the princesses ready and waiting.
And the throne room was yet another Canterlot feature to take Little Wing’s breath away.
It was a vast space, blue the dominant colour in contrast to the marble white of much of the castle. A long red carpet spanned the room, passing by four ornate engravings in the floor and a great many more of those windows containing a retelling of Equestria’s history.
And there, at the end, were the thrones. They were sat up on a raised platform, a small fountain of water built into the pedestal. Two thrones stood atop the platforms, one with bright golden trimmings while the other had a dark blue set, the sun and moon sitting at the top of their respective backrests. And in those thrones sat two alicorns who Little Wing had only ever seen from afar, their ethereal manes easily as recognisable as their cutie marks, each giving Little Wing a considerate expression as Princess Twilight stood to the left of the golden throne.
Celestia and Luna. The Royal Sisters, and the eldest of Equestria’s alicorns.
And yet so much younger than another Little Wing knew…
“This is her?” Princess Luna mused quietly to her sister, the pegasi all stopping shortly before the platform and giving a quick bow. “I expected… I’m not sure.”
“You have seen her perform, Lulu,” Princess Celestia pointed out to her younger sibling.
“But I have never seen her up close,” Luna refuted. “But alas, we should not keep her waiting any longer.”
Celestia nodded in agreement, and then turned to look at the three new arrivals. Rainbow Dash gave them a quick nod, before stepping aside to bring Little Wing into centre view. Misty Gust made sure to stick close, but their attention was on Little Wing solely.
“Welcome, I do hope you are well, my little pony,” Celestia greeted, a motherly smile on her face. “You are Little Wing, I presume?”
“Formerly Emma, of the alternate realm know as Earth,” Luna interjected. “Is that correct?”
“Y-yes, your highness,” Little Wing confirmed with a quick nod. “Though, uh, it’s just Little Wing…”
“If that is your wish,” Celestia agreed. “I have heard much about you from Twilight. I must say, it’s an extraordinary tale. Though I am glad to hear of your recovery after that terrible incident with the Sovereign Empire, this discovery does require some explanation.”
“There is no trouble, is there?” Misty Gust squeaked, before quickly adding: “Your highnesses!”
Luna considered Misty for a moment, before her gaze moved after Little Wing and then a protectively glaring Rainbow Dash. “No, not at this time. From what Twilight has told us, you are hardly an invader from another realm, but a child of unfortunate circumstance.”
“But for such a thing to happen, well, it’s hardly usual,” Princess Celestia stated. “We simply wish to hear how such a thing occurred, and how you came to be adopted by the parents of Rainbow Dash.”
“Our parents,” Rainbow Dash interrupted.
“Ah, of course. My apologies for my poor choice of words,” Celestia humbly amended. “But nevertheless, we would like to know everything from your own testimony.”
“And about Penumbra,” Little Wing observed.
Silence echoed around the throne room, the three princesses all glancing between one another. Princess Luna coughed, and then moved to speak up.
“Well observed, Little Wing,” Luna commended. “Yes, that plays a part in this too.”
“We truly wish to hear how you have come to be where you are now from, with what Twilight has described, are truly terrible origins,” Celestia explained. “But the matter of this other alicorn is… concerning. We did not know another of our kin existed beyond the confines of Equestria. And for her to have such a power… She also took your memories as a penance, if I recall. Such an action is… concerning, adding to the considerable worry we hold to her mere existence.”
“Well, I’ll tell you everything I can…”
And so she did. Little Wing started with her life before her first death, all that she could recall from the hazy period of her life. Princess Twilight had retrieved a stack of paper from behind the throne and was making extensive notes, occasionally injecting to ask questions about Little Wing’s version of Earth compared to one she was apparently familiar with. The other alicorns remained silent throughout, though she did notice the both of them lean forwards ever so slightly when the subject of Penumbra finally came about.
She described the shadowy alicorn, her proclaimed abilities and what they had spoken of. She told them of her cryptic and unexpected first appearance, and how scared the young girl had been of who she had initially presumed to be death itself. And as her story progressed, she explained how Penumbra would continued to appear throughout her life as she recovered her magical strength from her act.
And then there was Little Wing’s second death.
All three princesses seemed… perturbed as Little Wing described her last encounter with the enigmatic mare. How she had warned of the potential damage Little Wing’s revival could cause, and how the alicorn’s tone had changed to one of hostility. She told them of the deal, how Penumbra would only revive Little Wing again if there was a penance enacted on her…
“But what was the point?” Luna asked solemnly. “I can understand her reluctance to grant life a second time, given its effects on her and even reality itself. And to be honest, I am disturbed you were brought back at all if that was the case.”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash objected. “That’s my sister! I don’t care if reality got dinged a bit, if we had lost her…”
“I can understand your feelings, Rainbow Dash,” Princess Celestia said softly, looking back towards Little Wing. “And if it was Luna… None of this situation is a clear black and white, it would seem. I am glad to see you safe, my little pony. But I can’t say I wholly agree with the method of your revival.”
“But be that as it may…” Luna continued. “The morality of the act aside, the penance was wholly not moral.”
“I agree,” Twilight added in. “As concerning as Penumbra’s ability to bring back departing souls is, the act itself was still a clear act of kindness. But the penance? That suggests a more malicious attitude, arrogant and egotistical. The penance served her no purpose, except maybe to fuel her own pride.”
“Kindness, but one followed by an unnecessary price,” Luna mused. “Perplexing, and I worry for this alicorn’s psychological state. She may not be the most mentally sound individual.”
“I… I don’t know…” Little Wing muttered, accepting Misty’s comforting hoof and holding into it tight. “I mean, she saved me. But now… I just don’t know.”
“Might I add, I’m relieved to hear of her current magic deficiency following the spell,” Twilight noted. “If she were to learn of my interference, well… I don’t really want to find out exactly how damaged her mental state may in fact be.”
“Yeah, let her try to do anything!” Rainbow Dash blurted out, quickly taking to the air and hovering above all the other ponies. “She won’t lay a hoof on Wing! And if she tries…”
“And if I try, what will happen, Wonderbolt?”
Time froze, as did everypony present as they heard that new voice enter the fray. The voice was cold and angry, a distinct growl accompanying those words. The three alicorns on the platform all stared with wide eyes at one specific spot, Celestia and Luna haven shot up from their thrones in their shock.
Little Wing, Misty Gust and Rainbow Dash all began to turn around, and all their breaths caught in their throats at the sight that awaited them.
“Were you, by chance, discussing myself?” Penumbra asked with zero friendliness. “But what does it matter? Here I was, the last few weeks recovering from the initial shock of my action. And just as I regain the first embers of my abilities, what is it I see?”
Penumbra laughed, her cackled chilling Little Wing’s spine as it echoed across the vast throne room.
“Memories,” she stated. “Memories, which that girl should not have. Was that part of our deal? No, I think not. And now you have broken your penance, now…”
There was a gold, blue and lavender flash as the three princesses interposed themselves between Penumbra and the pegasi, their horns all flashing to life at once as their wings flared protectively. All the while, Penumbra glared at the interfering princesses with complete disdain.
“Foolish children, this is not your place,” Penumbra dismissed. “Give me that girl. She owes me her life, and it is forfeit.”
Once, there was a girl. She wasn’t the… happiest child on Earth. Perhaps not the most downtrodden ever to exist, but she had little to compare it to. Surrounded by those who did little to show care to devotion a parent should to their child, she wasted away in their shadow until she was not more. A life cut short, having in reality lived no life at all.
But then it happened. A stranger from another realm, through an unplanned act of kindness, gifted life upon the girl. A life anew, from the very beginnings in the hooves of those who would love her the likes she never comprehended was possible. And so she lived, and she too came to love. Life wasn’t always straightforward for the girl, but it was hers and it was good. She had other ponies to share it with, which was the brightest point of all.
And then it ended, but the stranger returned once more. The girl was mourning, desperate, heartbroken. She asked for another chance, to save those she loved the feeling of a loss most profound. And it was given, but the girl found the stranger had a darker side…
As it is with one who herself has never known friendship.
“Give me that girl. She owes me her life, and it is forfeit.”
Penumbra stood tall and proud before the princesses of Equestria, not even blinking as they stared dagger into their very being. Her eyes were hard and cold, a profound rage burning within them. Clearly, she had no intention of backing down.
But then, neither did the princesses.
Princess Celestia returned Penumbra’s glare, glancing at her fellow princesses a moment before slowly quieting her horn and standing up regally. “Penumbra, is it? I’m afraid we have yet to be introduced, and it isn’t everyday you meet a fellow alicorn.”
“Only if one knows where to look,” Penumbra retorted. “But I am not here to play with children, stand aside. Now.”
“Children!?” Luna said in outrage, stamping a hoof in a way that actually did little to disprove Penumbra’s words. “The arrogance! We have not been fillies for a millennia!”
“Add four,” Penumbra replied with a wry smirk, causing Luna to blink. “Ah, the Princess of the Night, thinking herself big and powerful. The grand Nightmare of the Moon. Hm, how little you understand.”
“We understand you wish harm upon out subject, which is enough for us!”
Twilight took this moment to step in between Penumbra and her fellow princesses, and the three pegasi in the back could only watch in bewilderment.
“Now, hang on a minute,” Twilight said diplomatically. “We don’t need to fight, let’s just talk a while longer!”
“And so speaks the Princess of Friendship,” Penumbra said predatorily. “Your title hasn’t prevented you from confronting me just now.”
Twilight shot Penumbra a glare. “You’re threatening Little Wing. I don’t want to fight, and I hope it won’t come to that. But you won’t hurt her either.”
“You tell her, Twilight!” Rainbow shouted from the back, though was largely ignored.
“Enough of this!” Penumbra growled, horn sparking. “You have interfered enough, Twilight Sparkle! Give her here. NOW!”
“Penumbra, please!” a far quieter voice final addressed, and from the back of the group a blue pegasus hopped into the air and glided over the heads of the princesses. She came to a swift landing beside Twilight Sparkle, looking directly at Penumbra.
“Ah, so she delivers herself,” Penumbra stated. “Come now, child. I believe you have avoided your fate long enough.”
“Wait, please,” Little Wing said with a shake of her head, glancing to the side as Misty Gust and Rainbow Dash also flew out to stand by her side. “Penumbra, why has it come to this?”
“I would also like to know,” Twilight concurred.
Penumbra’s eye twitched. “Why? WHY!? You know very well why, you insolent foal!”
“Enlighten the rest of us, then,” Celestia asked of her. “In your own words.”
“Enlighten? Are you so naïve?” the dark alicorn questioned. “She’s is an anomaly. She shouldn’t be alive at all! That was my error, one I intend to rectify!”
“You told me once that you took me from death out of kindness, because you felt sorry for me,” Little Wing stated. “So what changed? Why are you doing this?”
“Your memory has been restored, I would advise you use it while you can,” Penumbra growled in response. “I warned you. I told you how my spell could very well be causing unseen damage to reality itself. And yet you wanted to live, so I gifted it to you a second time!”
“With the ‘penance’,” Twilight noted.
“With what I was doing for her, shouldn’t there have been a price to pay? I still feel the strain, and I will for years to come!”
“In other words, you’re currently in a weakened state, and yet you wish to challenge us?” Luna pointed out. “Foolish.”
“I do not need to defeat you, Princess. I just need her,” Penumbra spat, glaring at Little Wing.
Rainbow Dash stepped in front of Little Wing protectively, eliciting a snort from Penumbra. Little Wing, however, used a wing to move Rainbow aside while not faltering under Penumbra’s judgement.
“But why?”
“Why what, Emma?”
“Well, we’ve been talking and… what was the point? Of my punishment, I mean.”
Penumbra frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She’s asking what it got you,” Twilight concluded. “I understand the strain, and the moral grey area surrounding her resurrection. But what did the penance get you in the end? What did it cause but needless suffering for an innocent family?”
Penumbra faltered, if just for a moment, seemingly grasping for a retort. “I… I brought her back once! And yet she had the gall to ask for what I never should have given for a second time! There… had to be consequences.”
“I would think ‘no’ would have sufficed,” Luna mused. “If it is as dangerous as you claim, why not simply deny her?”
“Indeed,” Celestia concurred. “While I am glad for her good health, I can’t say I would have done the same. I love all my ponies dearly; however, meddling with death is not something to be undertaken on a whim.”
“You think I don’t know that!?” Penumbra bellowed in a rage. “Necromancers use such practices to create abominations, I took careful steps to prevent that. The lack of dark magic was a help, I assure you. But I know my own folly, I just couldn’t help myself!”
“Why?”
“I saw a girl, a mere child, neglected and alone! What would’ve you had me do, when I, in that moment, realised I could gift that poor soul something invaluable!”
“So, it was on a whim.”
“…Yes. It was,” Penumbra admitted. “I shouldn’t have, I have long realised that. It broke too many rules, but…”
“You regret it?”
“…I don’t know. Maybe not, seeing the life she has led.”
Little Wing’s eyes widened. “But… you said it was a folly…?”
“Maybe…” Penumbra replied. “But sometimes a folly, no matter how serious, can lead to good things.”
“And yet you wish to kill her now,” Celestia noted with a frown.
Penumbra gritted her teeth. “She broke our agreement.”
“Technically, Twilight was responsible for that,” Luna pointed out, before raising a hoof to halt the lavender alicorn’s incoming retort. “But alas, back to my point. Why couldn’t you have just said no?”
Penumbra was silent.
“You meddled with what should have been left alone, doing a questionable act to thankfully pleasant results, even if it had a cost,” Luna surmised. “Then she died for a second time, and you were against her resurrection. But instead of simply denying her, you sent her back with a set punishment.”
Penumbra’s silence continued, though she took a step back as if struck. Where there was once nothing but cold, certain rage in her eyes… Now, there was conflict.
“What was with that!?” Rainbow Dash demanded to know, anger in her voice. “I… I don’t get you! You helped my little sister twice, but now you wanna hurt her? Seriously, what the hay!?”
“…I… I have to!” Penumbra suddenly shouted, her horn sparking up and her wings flaring aggressively once again. “You broke our agreement! I cannot give in to my weakness again! I must do this!”
“Kindness is not a weakness, Penumbra,” Twilight Sparkle said, shaking her head. “It’s not a weakness. You are a complicated pony, but not necessarily a bad one. And really, I don’t believe you could kill a mare who is with child.”
And just like that, the bit dropped.
The entire room seemed to freeze, and all eyes barring Twilight’s turned to gape at Little Wing. The pegasus, on her part, seemed to blush fiercely under all the scrutiny.
“Uh, yes. Misty, it did,” Little Wing confirmed, turning to face her wife with a sheepish smile. “I asked Princess Twilight to confirm it and… Yeah, I’m pregnant.”
The silence lasted for a few more precious moments, before being promptly destroyed by Misty Gust’s squeal of delight. The mare wasted no time in glomping her wife so hard that both of them ended up sprawled out on the floor, both giggling as they seemingly forgot where they were. But it couldn’t be said their happiness wasn’t infectious, and all the others couldn’t help but smile at the couple’s moment of joy…
Except for one.
Penumbra sat down hard onto the red velvet carpet, her breath seemingly caught in her throat but a step away from hyperventilation. Her eyes were wide, conflict and rage both replaced with one very distinguishable emotion.
Guilt.
“What… am I doing…?”
The giggling died down, and all eyes turned back towards the ancient alicorn. Little Wing used this moment to pick herself up from the floor, and approach Penumbra gingerly.
“Penumbra, why did you bring me back that second time? Why… any of it?”
Penumbra sighed, taking a moment to collect her though. “Every instinct demanded I say no. I had already meddled enough with death, I knew this. The damage I could cause… I knew I should just let you move on to the everafter. But…”
Penumbra paused, and they all just waited for her to collect herself.
“But, I couldn’t do it. Every time I thought of the notion, I just saw that child dying while her parents did nothing to help. And in truth, I couldn’t bear the thought of you being alone in death. I know all too well what it feels like to have nopony.”
“Penumbra…”
“Immortality is a lonely place, Little Wing,” Penumbra said quietly. “Four thousand years is a very long time.”
“Only if you don’t have friends to share those times with,” Princess Twilight softly retorted.
“Yes, I suppose you are right,” Penumbra admitted. “Hm, Little Wing may be the closest thing I’ve ever had to a friend.”
“Then why…?” Misty Gust asked. “Why did you…?”
“Take her memories?” Penumbra finished for her. “I don’t know, in truth. Pride, perhaps? A part of me hated that I couldn’t bear the thought of saying no, I saw it as a weakness. I guess I may have also taken it out on Little Wing.”
“You hurt her,” Rainbow Dash growled.
“I know. And I am a fool,” Penumbra muttered. “Worse still, when I found out what Princess Twilight did… I was angry. I let my anger control me, to almost make me do the unforgivable…”
And then Little Wing saw it, a single tear running down Penumbra’s cheek.
"For all my years, it seems I still have much to learn about the responsibility that comes with power."
Little Wing sniffed. “I’m sorry.”
Penumbra gave her a look of confusion. “Sorry? Why are you sorry?”
“I shouldn’t have pressured you into bringing me back a second time,” Little Wing stated. “I knew what it would cost, but I did it anyway. I was selfish.”
“You were distraught and in mourning,” Penumbra said with a shake of her head. “No, I should have been strong enough to say no. But I didn’t. And then I took it out on you, which was not fair or just.”
Despite it all, Little Wing let out a chuckle. “So, I suppose I can’t count on revival number three, huh?”
“No, I think not,” Penumbra answered with a chuckle of her own. “Despite what we have done, and the unseen damage we may have caused, I am glad your life turned out for the better. I suppose that makes it worth it. But I shouldn’t do it again, no matter how much it hurts not to. That’s the problem with having such a power, the consequences.”
“Well, even if it’s really complicated…” Little Wing began. “Thanks. For bringing me back, for giving me… everything.”
Penumbra sighed. “Thank you for saying so. Still, I’m not sure how you can be so quick to forgive me for, you know, all of this…”
Little Wing shrugged. “I guess that’s what friends are for.”
“So… no epic fight to decide who lives and who dies?” Rainbow Dash suddenly enquired, giving a dramatic groan. “Aw, that’s so lame!”
A round of chuckles made its way over the entire group, Twilight flicking Rainbow’s ear with a wing.
“Not everything is solved with magic bullets and sonic rainbooms, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight chided.
“Yeah, I hear ya,” Rainbow responded. “Welp, I’m just glad the squirt is okay. And hey, and least Sky Dancer is gonna get somepony to play with!”
“I’m so excited!” Misty Gust chirped.
“Then I will leave you to your celebration,” Penumbra announced. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome. And embarrassed myself enough.”
“Wait!” Little Wing halted Penumbra. “You can stay a while longer, you know.”
Penumbra shook her head. “No, Little Wing. This is your life, and I expect you to continue living it to the fullest.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll… be around,” Penumbra stated. “And when your final close comes, we shall meet again. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Little Wing sighed, but then nodded. “Well, okay. Just… don’t be alone, please?”
Penumbra nodded. “I will endeavour not to be. Farewell, ponies of Equestria.”
And then in a flash of magic, Penumbra was gone.
In Penumbra’s absence, a silence returned. The ponies in the throne room all looked between each other, registering what had just transpired. The reconciliation of Penumbra and Little Wing, the latter’s pregnancy… It was certainly a lot to take in.
“That was an… interesting experience,” Luna finally noted. “And now we know there are others like us out there, with mother knows what abilities.”
“An issue for another time,” Princess Celestia concluded. “But for now, I think we should let this family celebrate. Congratulations, Little Wing, Misty Gust.”
“Thank you, your highness!” Little Wing and Misty Gust said together, glancing at one another in amusement before sharing a happy hug.
“Come on guys, let’s get outta here,” Rainbow Dash said, leading the two lovebirds away. “See you later, Twi!”
The three alicorns watched the pegasi go, amusement gracing their features.
“Your friends always seem to be involved in the most peculiar of situations, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna mused. “Why is it always you?”
Twilight shrugged while Princess Celestia could only laugh at her little sister’s comment.
Despite how close things had come to violence, crisis had been averted. Through the Magic of Friendship, all was right with the world once again…
The party cannon erupted in a fountain of confetti, the multicolour avalanche of papers covering just about every surface within the home of Little Wing and Misty Gust, the two mares in question sitting on the sofa as everypony gave a cheer. Except for Little Wing and Misty Gust themselves, anyway, who just gave the stupidly grinning pink mare a deadpan expression.
“I hope you’re cleaning that up!” Misty Gust protested.
Pinkie Pie gave a snort of dismissal. “Ah, I’ll do it after the party. Enjoy yourselves! It’s not everyday you have a baby!” Pinkie exclaimed, gesturing to Little Wing’s slightly enlarged belly.
Little Wing flushed. “I’ve still got months yet!”
“Yeah… But now you’re showing the foal will probably start kicking and that means they’re awake and aware which means that they must be so BOOOORED just sitting and doing nothing and then I thought…” GASP! “…the foal would probably love a party and so what better way than to have the foal’s first party be a BABY SHOWER!”
Another firing of the confetti cannon, and much more mess to clean up.
Still, the couple couldn’t hide their small smiles as everypony else just laughed at the pink party maniac’s antics.
And their home had never been so filled.
The moment the foal had started showing, and given its first kicks, Rainbow Dash had gone and told all her friends in her excitement and happiness for her little sister. Which, as the said pink party maniac had just explained, inspired her to invite everypony over to their house for a baby shower.
And everypony means everypony. Or close enough, anyway.
Little Wing’s parents were there, as were Misty Gust’s, standing together behind the sofa with tearfully proud expression on their faces. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were in attendance, as were all of Rainbow Dash’s closest friends. Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and of course the unmistakable presence of Princess Twilight. The latter was doing very hard to not impale the roof with her long spikey horn. And Scootaloo, on her part, had also invited her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. Little Wing wasn’t really all that acquainted with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, far less so than the Element Bearers, but Scootaloo had assured them that they still wanted to wish their friend’s kinda-sister their best.
Scootaloo added they may have also been enticed by the word ‘party’ in particular. But still.
Oh, and the Wonderbolts were also there. Of course Soarin would come, given his relationship with Rainbow Dash, and the stallion had Sky Dancer standing on her hind hooves on his back with her fore hooves resting on the top of his head, giving all the new faces an adorably cheery smile. But Captain Spitfire was also there, and Little Wing was a little embarrassed at having her superior officer attend, but the fiery maned pegasus had assured the youngest Wonderbolt that she was there strictly as a friend.
And then there was Silver Breeze. He had come alone to offer his own congratulations to his friends, and he had awkwardly accepted a few himself considering it was his ‘donation’ that had resulted in all of what now transpired.
And despite his awkwardness, he wasn’t doing a good job to hide his own excitement at the prospect of being a father.
In all, the living room was packed as tightly as a can of sardines.
“Alright, Pinks, try not to give the foal a heart attack or something,” Rainbow Dash said as she nudged Pinkie away to one side. “And breath. That’d be good too.”
“So how are you feeling?” Princess Twilight Sparkle asked. “I’ve studied the subject of reproduction, since I have yet to experience the matter myself. Shining Armor has also told me of the intense irritability Cadance suffered during the-”
“Princess!” Little Wing interrupted the alicorn. “I’m fine! Really! Please stop!”
Misty Gust giggled. “Irritable. Definitely.”
Little Wing puffed up her cheeks. “Misty!”
Another round of laughter, much to Little Wing’s expense, though the Princess only offered an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, Little Wing. I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said honestly, though with an amused glint in her eyes that she failed to hide. “If you say you’re fine, then you’re fine.”
“Of course, Princess!” Wild Ace remarked, patting Misty on the head. “We have our daughter looking after her, after all.”
“I think you’ll find that Little Wing is more than capable of looking after herself,” Bow Hothoof challenged.
Misty and Little Wing both groaned, bemused by the competitiveness of their respective parents.
“Are we gonna get to the presents or what!?” Pinkie suddenly shouted with an impatient edge.
“Bwah!” Sky Dancer babbled in agreement.
“If Sky says so, then we do it,” Little Wing remarked, smirking at the chosen word. “Or does anypony want to embarrass us more?”
“Well, we could get out the foal pictures…” Violet Rain mused with a predatory glance.
“Oh! I have the perfect set!” Windy concurred.
“NO!” Little Wing and Misty Gust declared simultaneously, moving the topic right along to the gifts they’d brought.
The group all decided to concede it to the couple and move things along. Besides, there was plenty more time for ribbing them later…
“So who wishes to go first?” Princess Twilight asked. “I would, unless somepony else wishes to.”
“Nah, go ahead Twilight. I mean, we all know it’s a book,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.
“Wrong, Rainbow Dash. It’s two books!” the Princess announced, levitating up said books from a nearby saddlebag. She deposited the books in the hooves of Misty and Little Wing, who looked at the cover titles with an odd mix of both amusement and bemusement. “Just a little something I picked up for the foal, plus something to help you with the parenting part. You’re welcome!”
The title of the former was entitled ‘Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on Rainbows’, while the latter was ‘Parenting for Dummies’. Three guesses which once gave the respective amusement and bemusement.
Rainbow jabbed her little sister on the shoulder, whispering: “Don’t worry, Squirt. She gave me the same book.”
“Thanks, Princess,” Little Wing said, placing the books to one side.
The alicorn rolled her eyes. “You need to stop calling me that. To friends, it’s just Twilight. And I think we’ve been though enough recently to count as friends.”
“Well, okay… Twilight.”
“Me next!” Scootaloo announced, picking up a wrapped box shaped item. She hoofed it over to Little Wing, giving them a wide-eyed look of anticipation as her tail wagged almost like a dog.
Together, Misty Gust and Little Wing got to work ripping open the paper and unveiling the contents it was hiding. Inside was a blue box decorated with clouds and stylised cartoon versions of each of the current Wonderbolts, a clear plastic covering much of the front and showing the Wonderbolt action figures inside.
Little Wing suddenly had a very surreal feeling as she stared at a small, lumpy plastic version of herself.
“Since you loved the old ‘bolt figures when you were a foal,” Scootaloo explained. “And to show how kickass her mother is!”
“Her?” Misty questioned.
“Hey, I’m betting it’ll be a filly,” Scootaloo remarked. “Literally betting. Me and the others have a pool going.”
“Ah’m thinking it’s gonna to be a colt!” Apple Bloom remarked. “Betting ten bits on it!”
“Don’t be stupid, it’s always a filly!” Scootaloo protested.
“I’m being wise and not losing my bits either way,” Sweetie Belle muttered.
While the three crusaders bickered over the child’s yet to be announced gender, the gifts continued to come. A custom-made crib from Bow and Windy, and a highchair from Wild and Violet. Each of the Element Bearers also gave their own gifts. A stuffed bunny toy from Fluttershy, various baby toys from Rarity, a mini confetti cannon from Pinkie Pie and a few pieces of rustic-looking foal sized plates and cutlery from Applejack. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s gifts were extensions of that of their sisters’.
Even Spitfire had gift, a warm looking and completely adorable cotton Wonderbolt outfit to dress the foal up in.
Rainbow Dash, Soarin and Sky Dancer had gifts from the three of them, as Rainbow Dash had announced when their turn came. And well, they had a few things. And by a few, they had a lot of things. It seemed that Rainbow Dash was going to be the kind of aunt that spoiled her niece.
Maybe she had taken tips on being an aunt from the Princess.
But the centrepiece of all the bits they’d bought was the expensive foal carrier, much of their other gifts being held inside it for the time being. Actually, now that Little Wing looked around it seemed that Bow and Windy almost looked offended that Rainbow Dash had bought more than them…
Oh dear, Little Wing sensed a lot of spoiling from multiple directions in the future.
And that just left Silver Breeze. And as all eyes turned towards him, he produced a colourful book decorated with all sorts of foal related imagery, and with a simple title written upon it.
‘Happy Times’.
“It’s a photo album,” Silver Breeze explained. “With everypony else getting all this stuff, I was kinda at a loss of getting something that wasn’t a copy. Then I thought… well, this way you have something to put all the memories you make with the kid inside, you know?”
Little Wing and Misty Gust shared a look and a smile, placing the gift to one side before turning back to Silver again.
“We have a gift for you too,” Little Wing announced.
“Since this is your party as much as ours, really,” Misty concurred.
Silver Breeze blinked. “Er, really?”
They both nodded, and Misty Gust got up from her seat and retrieved something. When she returned, she held out a small silvery object to Silver Breeze.
“It’s a key to the house,” Misty explained. “So you can come and go whenever you please. And so you can see your child anytime, all without even having to knock first.”
Silver Breeze stared at the key a moment, before then gingerly taking it into his grasp. He choked back a sob, giving a small laugh. “Thanks…”
“You’re our friend, Silver,” Little Wing stated. “And now you’re practically family, too.”
It was clear to see that Silver Breeze didn’t know what to say. One who was once their mortal enemy, their childhood rival. Now one of their closest friends, enough so that the couple had entrusted him to father the child they couldn’t have naturally on their own. It was probably as close as friends could possibly get without being anything more.
And family? Well, he was just glad to finally have a family who gave a damn.
From there, a round of applause broke out for the three parents to be. And then Pinkie Pie called everypony to the buffet table.
They weren’t even sure where all that food had come from and were pretty sure it wasn’t there when they were dishing out the gifts. But Pinkie had managed it somehow, and they chose not to question the matter further as they dug into the variety if delightful items the party mare had set out.
There was laughter and talk amongst the entire group, further congratulations and gushing about the coming foal and talk of a more trivial nature.
And then Twilight gave a serious look at Little Wing, staring at her from across the room even as the party continued, Pinkie Pie dishing out punch to anypony who even glanced at the bowl. Little Wing caught her gaze, and how it had suddenly turned… solemn. Silently, Princess Twilight gave a nod for Little Wing to follow her before exiting into the hallway.
What else was the mare to do but comply?
With a slight bit of worry, Little Wing followed the Princess into the hallway. The alicorn was silent a few moments, looking left to right before casting a lavender bubble around them.
“Bubble of silence,” she explained. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I had to talk to you about this. You deserve to know.”
“Know… what?” Little Wing questioned, the worry rising.
“I had a visit from Penumbra a couple days ago, in preparation for this part,” she began.
“Penumbra!? Really?” Little Wing questioned, shocked. “What did she want. And… how is she?”
“She’s fine,” Twilight assured. “Still feeling a little guilty, I think. Though she was typically evasive when I probed about what she’s been up to since Canterlot.”
“And her magic?”
“Well, I think it’s pretty much the same as the last time we saw her,” Twilight responded. “She indicated as much. She… told me about your parents, too. Your human parents, I mean.”
Little Wing froze. “M-my…”
“Yes. And apparently, this is something she’s known since before you last resurrection,” Twilight continued. “When she first regained the power to look between worlds, which she has yet to regain since.”
“And what about them?” Little Wing asked with a small huff. “Do I even want to know? Just… I thought they were out of my life for good.”
“They were terrible people, I know,” Twilight said sympathetically. “But they were still your parents, and so you deserve to know what happened to them. I can’t make you care or not, but… Penumbra also thought you’d like to know.”
Despite the disdain she held for her birth parents, she couldn’t hide the small ember of curiosity within her eyes. Twilight took that as a sign to continue.
“Well, apparently they at least had the decency to call an ambulance when they finally found out you’d stopped breathing,” Twilight explained. “Of course, it was too late. And Penumbra told me that your death led to an investigation.”
It didn’t take much for Little Wing to work out where this was going.
“And I’m sure no local school having a record of you, and other obvious signs led to one thing and another,” Twilight stated. “And Penumbra told me that your world’s authorities arrested them. Charged them with child abuse and manslaughter.”
“So… they got…”
“Prison time? Yes, and the last Penumbra knew they were still there.”
Little Wing let that information sink in a moment. Those people had gotten their just desserts… so should she have felt happy about it? Victorious? Relieved? Honestly, Little Wing felt… nothing. Even the disdain she had been feeling a moment before had melted away, and she held no emotion towards the thought of them.
“Thank you for telling me, Twilight,” Little Wing said sincerely. “Is that all?”
Twilight studied her for a moment, but then released the bubble of silence with a nod. Little Wing thanked the alicorn again, before returning to the living room.
“What did the Princess want?” Misty asked her wife as she returned.
“Oh, nothing important,” Little Wing replied as she wrapped a wing around Misty, smiling a little as she felt the slightest kick from the foal she carried. “Everything important is right here, and that’s all that matters.”
Little Wing groaned from her position on her parents’ sofa, on her back with her various limbs splayed in whatever direction they felt like. Her parents sat in armchairs across from her, while Misty Gust sat near the sofa just softly stroking Little Wing’s mane in comfort.
They had been sat in near silence for Celestia knows how long, though the source of Little Wing’s discomfort was all too clear. She was due any day now, after all. Her greatly expanded womb certainly supported this fact, and for Little Wing that due date could not come soon enough.
“Feels like I’m carrying the biggest potato ever grown. Spliced with iron,” Little Wing moaned, getting a titter from the others at her… unique comparison. “What? I mean it, this would be my punishment in Tartatus…”
“I know, dear. I’ve been through it as well,” Windy Whistles pointed out. “But you’ve been very brave so far.”
“…Bwah,” Little Wing just responded, rolling her eyes.
“I mean it,” Windy continued. “It’s not the easiest job, carrying a foal. But it is a rewarding one. Any day now, you will get to meet the baby and you’ll see.”
“I blame Silver Breeze,” Little Wing continued, and they had to wonder if she was even listening to her mother. “I bet he was a fat baby. And that gene has been passed on.”
“I suppose I’m talking to a brick wall, then…” Windy muttered with a pout.
“Now dear, you remember how you were with Dashie,” Bow lightly reminded his wife. “I’d never been so scared in my entire life.”
Windy’s pout increased. “Not. Helping.”
“She’ll be fine,” Misty Gust cooed over Little Wing. “She’s just as excited to be a mama as I am, aren’t you?”
Despite her foul mood, Little Wing looked up and offered her special somepony a small smile. “Yes honey. I am.”
“So, you’re still not going to find out the gender?” Bow enquired.
“It’s due any day, so it’s a bit late now,” Little Wing deadpanned.
“And we want it to be a surprise,” Misty Gust added in. “We’ve talked about filly and colt names. I think we’ve nailed down one for each… unless we end up changing our minds.”
“I don’t know, I’ve still got a few suggestions!” Windy proclaimed enthusiastically.
“More…?” Little Wing said in disbelief. “The last load you gave us was practically a novel!”
“Don’t be dramatic,” Windy dismissed. “It was only twelve pages.”
“And that was the shortened version,” Bow claimed. “I do believe we have the rest still around somewhere…”
“Thanks, but… we’ll sleep on it,” Misty softly refused. “For now, though, we’re pretty set in our choices.”
“Any sneak peeks?” Windy asked hopefully.
“Nope.”
The older mare drooped. “Aw, drat!”
“Don’t worry Mum. Any day now, you will get to meet the baby and you’ll see,” Little Wing parroted with a smirk. “And I think you’re being very brave about it.”
“Hush, you!”
Little Wing just chuckled. “What goes around comes around.”
The mare’s amusement was cut off, however, when she winced from a particularly volatile kick her foal saw fit to administer.
“Owch…”
“I guess my grandfoal is on my side,” Windy teased her daughter.
“Ugh, please don’t encourage the demon spawn…”
“Does that make you the demon?” Bow remarked with a small laugh.
“I’m getting there…”
“You’re not a demon, Wing,” Misty chided with a bop on her wife’s nose, which crumpled up a little in annoyance. “What you are is dramatic.”
“Yeah, well… If we have a second, you’re doing the carrying next time,” Little Wing decided as she looked directly up at her wife’s amused face, returning the boop in great vengeance. “And I’ll be sure to remind about allll of this!”
Misty leaned in with a coy grin. “Is that a challenge?”
Little Wing returned that very grin. “Maybe…”
The light grey mare chuckled. “Well, let’s get through one first, yeah?”
“Eh, you’re probably right,” Little Wing conceded, finally sitting up properly and allowing Misty Gust to settle down on the sofa next to her. She put a protective hoof on her stomach, her mood rising a bit. “And with the trouble the foal’s already given me, just wait to they’re flying and running.”
“Well, it’s a good thing our resident Wonderbolt has the speed to catch them,” Misty remarked. “Who knows, maybe it’ll be like you with Dash, and you’ll inspire the kid to join up.”
“Yeah…” Little Wing mused. “And I’m already thinking up the many, many, laps I’ll make them do for the many months of hell they’re putting me through.”
“Or just bill them the rent they owe you,” Bow Hothoof joked.
Little Wing gave him the briefest of bemused looks, before rolling her eyes and moving on.
“So, speaking of them, have you heard from the other Wonderbolts as of late?” Bow then enquired. “I know you miss flying with them.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to coming off of maternity leave, my wings are getting dusty,” Little Wing responded, giving her wings a quick stretch in demonstration. “Of course, Scoots checks in quite often, and Soarin does whenever Dash does. The Captain… well, she’s always in hardcore training mode every time she does.”
“Only because it makes you squirm,” Misty added in. “Though she is treating the foal like her most prized future recruit.”
Bow chuckled, before asking: “And how is the reservist they’ve got filling in for you doing? Heard much about that?”
Little Wing considered for a moment. “From what I’ve heard, they-”
Little Wing suddenly gave a sharp gasp, and she grasped her stomach in shock. Misty was holding onto her in an instant, and all faces looked towards her with worry. A few moments of silence passed them by, before Little Wing waved a hoof to signal that she was alright.
“Are you okay, dear?” Windy asked tenderly.
“Y-yeah… that was just a weird- Gack!”
Little Wing nearly doubled over as the pain returned, and suddenly began feeling like she had wet herself. A rather odd sensation, but one completely overridden by the soul crushing pain taking over her body!
“Oh my…” Misty whimpered suddenly, and she began to tremble.
“W-what is it…?” Little Wing asked through clenched teeth, taking in deep breaths.
“I-I think it’s starting!” Misty shouted, shooting up off of the sofa. “Her water’s broke!”
“WHAT!?” everypony else, including Little Wing, all shouted at once.
“H-hospital!” Bow stammered out in a mild panic. “We should go. Right now!”
“Yeah, I gathered that…” Little Wing said as she unsteadily got to her hooves. She could at least still walk, but by Celestia she was not enjoying herself at that moment!
“Come on,” Misty cooed as she began to lead her wife away, burying her own sudden onset of terror and anxiety. “You did want it to happen soon…”
Little Wing’s parents followed close behind. But while Bow looked about ready to faint, by great contrast there was a noticeable spring in Windy Whistles’ step.
“Oh, this is going to be the best-”
“MUM!” Little Wing shouted in pain and completely uncontrolled terror from the fact that she was about to have a baby. “NOT! NOW!”
Cloudsdale General Hospital
The pain had decidedly not abated after the family’s panicked rush to the hospital, and if anything was progressively getting worse each passing second. The moment they had arrived, Little Wing had been admitted and seen to by a sizable team of doctors and midwives as she was carted off for all sorts of last minute medical checks and preparations. It was all a mad flurry that seemed to both pass by in an instant and yet go on for several millennia, which did little to alleviate the mare’s extreme hormone and pain induced aggravation nor the nail biting fear the rest of them were feelings during the insanity.
And not only did they have to deal with everything going on in the hospital around them, they also now had the arduous task of sending out messages to everypony else about what was going on. They did their best to do just that, even as the hours ticked on by and the tension remained as constant as ever. Since Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were all the way out in Ponyville, it would likely take them some time to arrive. They were also doing their best to get in touch with Silver Breeze to tell him of the foal’s impending arrival, though he seemingly wasn’t home. Not that they were going to stop until he’d been informed, however, even if they had to track him down the old-fashioned way.
If the old-fashioned way was convincing the Wonderbolts to locate him for a surprise aerial extraction.
Better to leave that as a last resort.
More hours passed on by, until the medical ponies finally announced that Little Wing was undergoing the final stages of labour in the delivery room, and her family had all been urged to wait patiently in the waiting room.
Well, ‘patiently’ was a strong word…
“Nghhhh,” Misty half cried in her seat, being patted on the back by Windy Whistles. Bow was currently absent from the room, leaving the two mares alone. “She’s okay, right…?”
“Yes, dear. She’s fine,” Windy replied softly. “This is all normal. Why, just under a year ago I was waiting here for little Sky Dancer.”
“Yeah… I guess…”
They had been doing this routine of worry and comfort since the final delivery began. And to be honest, Windy knew all too well that the process never got any less terrifying. Not that she would tell that to Misty Gust during a time like this, that would not go down well…
So the older mare just continued to pat her back as soothingly as possible, as that was probably all that was keeping Misty from truly freaking out.
“T-this is probably what Little Wing felt like when waiting for her results from the final Wonderbolt’s exam, huh…?” Misty noted with a half-hearted chuckle.
Windy just smiled and nodded in response, though internally was raving about how much worse this truly was to that.
Yes, smiling and nodding was definitely more productive.
“I got him!” Bow suddenly announced as he burst into the waiting room… right past a rather annoyed looking nurse.
The mares both gave him blank looks.
“Silver Breeze!” he elaborated. “He’s apparently on his way now.”
“Oh, thank goodness for that,” Windy said while breathing a sigh of relief. “Hopefully Violet and Ace should be here any minute, too.”
“Yeah…” Misty muttered from her seat, taking in further deep breaths.
“Er, would you like me to get you a book to pass the time?” Windy suggested. “I do know you enjoy a good read!”
“N-no thanks…” Misty turned her down. “I don’t think I could concentrate on a book right now…”
“Oh, of course, dear. I understand.”
It was then that Bow Hothoof looked towards the door, a grimace crossing his face as he started to prance in place. “Well I can’t blame her, this is taking too long!”
Misty’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean ‘too long’!?”
Windy looked at her husband with what could only be described as a shooty look. He stopped immediately, trying to shove his own panic down a little as he gave them both an apologetic and highly sheepish smile.
“Never mind him, he’s just nervous,” Windy dismissed, continuing her usual back patting as the younger mare’s coat somehow seemed to go from it’s light grey to a pale white.
And the, mercifully, the door opened… and a foal’s wails could be heard inside.
If the doctor said anything, Misty Gust didn’t hear it as her vision and other senses all seemed to tunnel into that room. As if on autopilot, she got up from her seat and began to slowly trot towards the threshold into the delivery room. Windy might have said something, something supportive perhaps, but it was lost on Misty as she finally emerged into the room.
The foal quietened down as Little Wing began to hum a quiet lullaby to it, rocking the child slowly and steadily in her forehooves. The foal gave a whimper, and then a small hiccup before seemingly drifting off to sleep.
Little Wing looked up, seeing her wife standing dumbstruck at the end of the bed. The medical staff were piling out to give the couple some space, though her parents were peeking in through the doorway.
“Hey…” Little Wing tiredly greeted. “About that demon spawn…”
That comment seemed to knock Misty Gust from her stupor, and she just shook her head in bemusement as she rounded the bed and sat herself down beside Little Wing and their new…
Son. The foal was a pegasus colt.
He had a dark brown mane and tail, dark enough that it was very nearly a clear black rather than a brown. Meanwhile, his coat was only the slightest bit darker than Little Wing’s, and even shared the eye colour of his mother.
A perfect little colt, in their eyes. He snored lightly, and on inspection he had no human aspects to give away his unusual ancestry. Neither a horn, a potential they’d considered when thinking how Little Wing’s current body was formed…
Just a little baby pegasus, sleeping soundly in his mother’s grasp.
The sky blue, a small breeze waving through the green blades of grass along the vast field. A few leaves from the tree the ponies were sat under became dislodged, floating away with the small gale.
Only for a Little Gale to steal them away in mouth, jumping up to catch them like an excitable puppy.
The small colt looked so proud of himself as he presented the leaf in his mouth to the other ponies, who all giggled at the foal’s playful antics. Sky Dancer seemed a little jealous of the sudden attention, so she immediately got competitive and started to catch more leaves than her cousin.
She was definitely the daughter of Rainbow Dash.
The whole family was gathered around that tree, sat on a chequered picnic blanket with the city if Cloudsdale sitting idly in the distance, the weather factory pumping away and fulfilling its duties. They weren’t that far from Ponyville, which made it easy for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to hop over for the gathering, and the flying city would probably pass over the town after it was done in the local area.
Rainbow had of course brought Sky Dancer, who had become fast friends with her cousin, if always in some kind of competition that Little Gale didn’t quite understand. Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof had also joined Misty Gust and Little Wing in coming down to this little family picnic, as had Silver Breeze, who just contently watched his son play.
While the foals were enjoying themselves in whatever manner they saw fit, the adults were happy to nibble on the various foods they had brought with them for the picnic. Daisy and cress sandwiches, various fruits along for some sweets and a bit of cake. For drinks they had both simple juices and some cider fresh from Sweet Apple Acres that very morning, which Rainbow Dash was typically doing her best to hoard. The kids’ own meals had been hardly touched, but they would eat when they felt like it. And the way they were currently going, they would wear themselves out soon enough.
“Gale!” Sky Dancer said in a babyish voice as her younger cousin hopped around the tree while giggling in delight. “Gale!”
Sky Dancer gave chase, and soon they were chasing each other’s tails round and round again. More than once one of the foals would turn to run the other way, while the other would respond by doing the same, keeping the cycle ongoing.
This would go on for a while…
“So, bits on the winner?” Bow said jokingly.
Joking or not, he got a clip around the ear from his wife. “No betting on the grandfoals, Bow!”
“Heh, yes dear.”
“With the way those two going, it’ll probably be a draw,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “At least I know Sky’ll sleep well tonight.”
“Not before they eat their food,” Misty stated. “If we put Gale to bed on an empty stomach he’ll be a nightmare tomorrow morning.”
“He’ll come over when he’s done,” Silver Breeze assured her. “Honestly, I’m not sure where the scamp got the apitite from.”
“Little Wing thinks you were a fat baby, so maybe from there?” Misty said innocently.
Silver Breeze tilted his head at the mare in question, while Little Wing went very red. “Misty! Traitor!”
“Fat baby, huh?” Silver deadpanned.
“I was… a little out of it at the time, Gale was being born!” Little Wing protested with a pout. “And I had thought that’d stay private.”
“In the family, we said,” Misty said with a smile. “I didn’t lie, did I dear?”
“Still a traitor,” Little Wing decided, jabbing Misty Gust on the shoulder in defiance. “Anyway, Rainbow… Anything new in Ponyville?”
“What, you mean aside from the occasional monster attack, friendship lesson, world ending nightmare or misbehaving students at Twilight’s school?” Rainbow asked with no small amount of sass, causing Little Wing to roll her eyes. “Not too much. I got Applejack to fill in for me in class today so I could be here, so I now owe her a favour. Great, huh?”
“I’m sure it won’t be that bad, Applejack does seem like a nice enough mare,” Windy Whistles said, still only ever having limited contact with the apple farmer.
“Pfft, we’ll see,” Rainbow Dash responded with a snort.
“How are things at the school?” Misty Gust asked. “You never do talk about it. Not often, anyway.”
“Ah, well… it’s as good as it ever was,” Rainbow Dash explained. “We’re getting more and more students from other species each year. I’ve got five or six dragons in my class now, and a couple of new griffons started this year.”
“Oh, didn’t you say someone related to that griffon friend of yours has started?” Windy asked.
“Yeah, Gilda’s got a teenaged kid that’s going,” Rainbow said somewhat sheepishly. “I… never actually thought that’d happen in a million years.”
“Why ever not? You’ve long patched things up, right?”
“Well, yeah. We’ve been good for years now,” Rainbow confirmed. “Just… I don’t know. Teaching my friend’s daughter is… weird. Maybe it’s just because she’s Gilda’s spitting image. In every way.”
Little Wing could only assume that class had gotten suddenly louder upon that particular griffon’s arrival.
“Well, don’t forget we’ve got a show next month,” Little Wing reminded her elder sister. “Dear Celestia I’m looking forward to flying with you guys again.”
“Wasn’t the same without you, Wing,” Scootaloo stated honestly, nudging the younger pegasus with a wing. “The reservist we got is good, maybe even material for the main team in time. But they aren’t you, sis.”
“Thanks, Scoots,” Little Wing replied. “I appreciate it. I’d better start putting in some hours of practice to get back into the swing of things first, though.”
“It has been a while,” Rainbow Dash noted. “Heh, maybe this is how things go back to normal.”
All eyes turned towards the rainbow maned pegasus, Windy Whistles asking: “How so, dear?”
“Think about it. First Sky Dancer is born, and then Wing gets married not so long after. Then she dies. Then she isn’t. We find out she was a monkey. Then we’re dealing with ancient weird alicorn crap, and then we spend the next nine months with a grouchy and pregnant little sister calling people fat babies,” Rainbow said to them all, and Little Wing blushed more than a little. “Sheesh, saying it out loud… I thought Ponyville was where all the weirdness in my life came from.”
“I think you are just a weirdness magnet, Dashie,” Bow teased.
Rainbow blamed it all on that stupid crystalline tree…
Not that Little Wing could deny the weirdness. Rainbow Dash hadn’t even been exaggerating, that was the scary part, she realised. Even scarier was that despite all that she had been through herself, she still couldn’t even hold a bit to her elder sister. In fact, just thinking about it made Little Wing all light headed…
Luckily, reality came crashing back when the two foals each gave a squeak as they tripped over one another, rolling back towards the adults in a tangled pile of limbs.
“BWAAAAAH,” both shouted simultaneously as they came to a halt, trying to disengage themselves from the forced embrace.
Their parents all just rolled their eyes and moved to separate the foals. Once they were free, the children were placed back on the ground to get their bearings. Each swayed from dizziness for a few moments, before Sky Dancer went and glared at Little Gale.
“Cheat!” she accused.
Little Gale just giggled and proceeded to boop his cousin on the nose. Sky Dancer went cross eyed as her snout crinkled, trying to process the assault her poor muzzle. She then huffed, the filly crossing her hooves in a sulk.
Sky Dancer’s indignation only seemed to make the other foal giggle all the more. He also saw it as incentive to go in for a second strike. And a third. And so on and so forth.
“Mamaaaaa!” Sky Dancer whined as she attempted to hold off the persistent onslaught, Little Gale crouching down and pouncing like a predator chasing after his hapless prey. “MAMA!”
Rainbow Dash tried not to laugh as she picked her daughter up and deposited her onto her back, Sky Dancer finding safe haven between her mother’s wings. As Rainbow Dash carried to foal back to the picnic matt, she shot another accusatory glare towards her unrepentant cousin. The foal, on his part, just responded by blowing a raspberry. Sky Dancer gave an overly exaggerated gasp at the audacity of such an insult, and promptly gave one back.
Little Wing then made sure to scoop up Little Gale and bring him back to the picnic as well.
“I think they just became rivals…” Silver Breeze mused.
“I look forward to them competing in the ‘bolts one day,” Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle, sitting back down and placing Sky Dancer between her legs. She brought the small plastic plate carrying the foal’s food over and placed it in front of her.
Little Wing did the same for Little Gale, only she placed the colt between herself and Misty Gust. Each finally began to dig into their meals, though never seemed to stop glancing at each other in almost challenge. Though there was a friendly playfulness in their glares, each eager to continue their game another time when their parents would allow it.
And so the family chatted away, enjoying their spent time together. Later on Silver Breeze would enjoy playing around with a ball alongside Little Gale, Sky Dancer eventually forcing her way into the game so not to be left out. Many more hours of fun would be had, laughs shared and memories created, before the sun eventually began to dim as Cloudsdale also began to disappear into the horizon.
At that point came the time to depart, each family member bidding the other a fond farewell before turning in for the night.
The moon cast its bright light on the cloud city by the time that Little Wing and Misty Gust returned to their home, Little Gale almost asleep on the former’s back. They stepped into the warm home and turned on the light, ensuring that the front door was locked behind them before they stepped out of the hallway into the living room.
“Well, that was fun,” Misty commented. “I think I needed a calm moment. Your sister was right for how hectic things have been for the past year.”
“Tell me about it…” Little Wing muttered, glancing at the colt on her back. “But would we trade it for anything? It all turned out fine in the end, didn’t it?”
Misty Gust smiled, giving her wife a loving nuzzle. “It did. It really did.”
Little Wing returned the smile, before then turning to exit back out of the room. Misty followed on, and no verbal interaction was needed to know what came next. The indication was just about snoozing on Little Wing’s back, after all.
Small foals need their sleep.
They carefully made their way upstairs, doing their best not to disturb the colt. They headed straight for Little Gale’s room, quietly opening the door and spying the crib in the corner, surrounded by a mountain of toys. They made it to the crib without incident, and Little Wing then slowly took her son from her back and placed him down onto the small mattress. He gave a small groan at the disturbance, but quickly settled down on touching his own bed, small hooves latching onto and cuddling a Princess Twilight Sparkle plush that had been inside.
The two living mothers looked down into the crib, nothing but love and adoration in his eyes.
“Everything was definitely worth it, just for this,” Misty whispered, kissing Little Wing on the cheek before making her way back out of the room.
Misty stopped at the doorway, turning to see that Little Wing was still by the crib. She sat down patiently, just waiting for her wife to follow.
Little Wing gave her son a smile, giving him one last kiss on the forehead.
“Dream of the skies, honey,” Little Wing whispered gently. “Soaring on little wings.”
She then retreated from the room, joining her wife in the hallway. They gently shut the door, casting the foal’s room into darkness. And he slept peacefully, the great expanse of blue playing right before his eyes, the whole world awaiting him.
It was everywhere, filling Little Wing’s very being. This… was different than before. Where previously this very sensation had been filled with nought but despair and dread, now it was… peace. She was peaceful, and happy.
The slow beeping of the heart rate monitor was fading away, as were the faces around her. She had been admitted some days ago as her strength began to fail, her old bones no longer being able to support her anymore. She had been given a nice room and a comfy bed, every need seen to by the nice ponies working in Cloudsdale General Hospital. Her dearest possessions laid out on cabinets around her, the room looking more like a nice bedroom than a hospital room now. There was her old Wonderbolt uniform. Pictures of her life, from the day she got her cutie mark beating a storm cloud into submission to the birth of their second child, a daughter that time around. Then there were the images of her parents, Scootaloo, Misty…
It had been such a long time…
And those faces around her now… everypony she loved, and who loved her. Her children. Her friends. Her remaining sister; Rainbow Dash, as young and stubborn as ever thanks to the Tree of Harmony, who had been doing her best to get Little Wing to fight for every breath.
And she had. Each and every single one.
But the time had come. For good, this time.
And they were all there, holding her hooves as she faded. Sky Dancer held Little Gale as the stallion couldn’t restrain his emotions, letting tears freely fall. Rainbow Dash sat stroking Little Wing’s greyed mane, offering her a comforting smile as she struggled to hold in her own sadness.
But they would see each other again, just as she now went to see Misty Gust.
Everything blurred, and all sensation began to dissipate… until there was nothing left to feel. Her loved ones could no longer be seen, everything being that one bright light. But then, as it had been before, she was halted.
“Are you ready, Little Wing?” Penumbra asked amidst a familiar field of stars. “Standing here, one final time…?”
So, here she was. Looking at a hoof, Little Wing saw it was the vibrant cyan of her younger years. She felt more energy than she had in a long time, her wings fluttering freely on her back. And was it just her or did this realm feel… brighter than it had before? Much like everything else, it seemed more at peace…
But still, Little Wing couldn’t stop tears of her own.
“They will be okay, won’t they?” she asked the alicorn that had been the catalyst for everything, and now the one to send her on her way. “My family, now that I’m gone…?”
Penumbra gave her a small smile, nodding in assurance.
Little Wing nodded, wiping away her tears with a hoof. “Good. I… think I’m ready this time. If you would… walk me there?”
The smile brightened. “It would be my honour, old friend. But I can only accompany you to the edge. I cannot enter with you.”
The smile was returned. “That’s okay. Just to the edge then.”
And so they began to walk, deep into the twinkling lights of reality itself. And as they went, Penumbra steadily slowed her pace while Little Wing’s remained constant. This continued until Penumbra finally slowed to a complete halt, watching calmly as Little Wing took a final few steps in peace…
And then she faded away, finally passing into the beyond.
