Duskwing alighted onto the cloud gently. He folded his yellow wings, tossing his orange mane back slightly. He crept into the house, closing the door as softly as he could, glancing around furtively. A light clicked on and he knew he was busted. Wincing, he turned to face the tiny pegasus smiling up at him.
"You're home!" she squealed, flinging herself onto Duskwing.
Dusk laughed, stroking the purple filly with one hoof. "I knew that tackle was coming, Sunset. Remember, you can never fool me", he said, smiling kindly at his orange-maned daughter. "Now go on. It's near your bedtime."
Sunset flipped off his stomach and trotted away into a small room off the main hallway.
A pegasus mare emerged from a doorway opposite the one Sunset had just vanished into. "I'm so glad you're back. Scootaloo and I both missed you, you know." She walked slowly over to him, kissing him tenderly. She tossed a long, pink strand of her mane back behind her ear. Suddenly, she groaned, crouching slightly.
Duskwing was immediately beside her, bending down near her. "Are you okay, Dawn Rose?" he asked anxiously, glancing at her swollen belly.
"I-I'm fine", Rose gasped, heaving for breath. Her orange fur was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but the spasm soon passed and she straightened again, leaning heavily on her husband.
He glanced down at her with concern. "Rose, are you sure you don't want to push the vacation back some? I'm sure Sunset wouldn't mind waiting for her little sister to be born", Duskwing pleaded.
But his wife wouldn't hear of it. "No. I have paid for the tickets and the hotel and we. Are. Going", she panted, easing herself into a chair made of fluffy clouds. She smiled up at her husband standing above her. "I'll be fine. It's a short flight to the train station and the due date isn't for a few weeks. And you must promise that even if I do not go, you'll take Sunset. She's been looking forward to it for so long now."
Dusk knew it was no good to argue with his wife, especially when she was pregnant. He nodded in agreement. "Okay, okay." He bent down, kissed her, then turned and headed into their daughter's room. "Hey, there, Sunset", he whispered, trotting over to her tiny bed. He lightly kissed her forehead and pulled the covers up to her chin.
The small filly rolled over in her sleep, a small smile on her face. She snuggled into the covers and a small 'meep' of pleasure slid out, even in sleep. "Love you, sis", she mumbled quietly before rolling over again.
Her father's heart melted. Duskwing flicked out the light, heading back out to his wife who was puffing as she tried to heave herself out of the chair. Stifling a laugh, he extended his hoof to her. "Need a little help?" he asked teasingly.
Dawn Rose glared up at him even as a smile crossed her face. "No...I...do...not..." She continued to struggle; eventually she had to admit defeat and she let Duskwing help her up. "Next time you want a baby, you can carry it", she laughed lightly.
"I'd like to, I really would, but I can't", Dusk said, laughing as he assisted Dawn to their bedroom. "I love you, Dawn", he told her as he helped her onto the bed and turned out the light.
The orange pegasus snuggled up to him, draping her hooves around his neck. "I love you too."
Two days later, Sunset was bouncing around outside, enjoying the day of sunshine. Sunset was a perfect blend of her father and mother. She had her father's mane color and features and her mother's personality. She loved the outdoors and there was nothing she liked better than flying. Sunset was nearly four years old and she knew, just knew, her cutie mark had something to do with her favorite time of day: sunset. Was this because of her name? No. She liked nothing better than to watch out her window as pink, orange, and yellow, the colors of her family, blended into the soft white of the clouds that made up her home. The small filly longed to be allowed to fly outside during that magnificent time just once, but her mother and father had decreed she be in the house by sunset until she was four. And she was so close. Oh, so close, and it was excruciatingly hard to wait. But Sunset was truly obedient and she never went out when she wasn't supposed to.
But tonight was special. Tonight was the night before their vacation and it would be a long time before they would be returning home and she wanted to fly in the sun that she had known since she was born. In her heart, Sunset knew the sun was the same everywhere, but still she couldn't shake the feeling that this was something she had to do. So the moment the first colors of the sun began to touch the clouds around her house, the small filly zipped outside easily. She had already asked her mother if it was okay, and Dawn Rose was willing to agree to anything to get a little peace and quiet.
So it was that Duskwing returned from his work in the Weather Factory to find his daughter bathing in the colors of her namesake, flitting from orange to pink to yellow, humming an old nursery rhyme to herself. He smiled softly at her, deciding not to interrupt. He was just at the door when he heard a squeal. Whipping around, he launched himself back into the air, racing around the house.
Sunset buzzed up to him, tiny wings pumping like pistons as she showed off her newly earned Cutie Mark. "Look, Daddy, I got it! I got it!" she said, bouncing up and down in midair. On her flank was a small strip of clouds, marked with a setting sun, dazzling colors spilling out onto the clouds. "It's beautiful!" she whispered to herself.
Duskwing embraced his daughter smiling down at her fondly. "It most certainly is."
Her mother was delighted when Sunset proudly showed off her brand new cutie mark. She embraced her, burying her muzzle into her daughter's mane. "I'm so proud of you, Sunset. It's spectacular. But I'm afraid we'll have to wait until morning to admire it some more. It's time for you to get to bed", she said, leading her towards her bedroom. "Good night, sweetheart." She and her husband both kissed Sunset goodnight and settled themselves in, all three drifting off into happy dreams of family and comfort.
"You're sure you'll be okay?" Duskwing asked once more, glancing anxiously at his wife. Her belly was rounder and bags were piled by the door, announcing the departure of him and Sunset. They were leaving soon, tickets in easy reach. The plan was for Dawn Rose to join them a few weeks after their new child was born.
Dawn smiled softly at him, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, dear, it's not like I've never done this before." She cast a fond glance at their daughter who was peering at them from outside, hopping from hoof to hoof. "Now, go on, don't keep her waiting."
Dusk snatched a last quick kiss from Dawn before loading their bags into the small cart waiting for them on the ground. He soared back up into the sky, waving a goodbye to his wife before slipping into the cart.
Sunset leaped in amongst the bags, giggling as her dad began to gallop forwards, both calling goodbyes to the one they were leaving behind.
About half an hour later the duo pulled into the train station, just in time. They hurriedly checked their baggage and leaped onto the train just as it began to pull away from the station. Neither knew that they would never see their house or Dawn Rose again.
Sharp pains woke Dawn Rose the following morning. The pegasus struggled to sit up just as a particularly sharp pain stabbed her. "AAAAH!" she screamed, collapsing heavily onto the bed. She began to crawl desperately toward the door, but she couldn't even make it off the bed. "Make it STOP!" she shouted as wave after wave of pain swept through her.
A knock sounded at the door. A kind hearted neighbor had decided to drop by and see how Dawn was doing before heading off to work, but when an anguished scream sounded from inside the house, the pegasus, named Duly Noted, burst through the fluffy cloud door easily. "What is it? What's wrong?" Duly shouted, racing through the house. He eventually came upon the bedroom to see a soaked orange mare, screaming in pain, blood pooling around her. Her head jerked up at his hasty entrance and her tortured eyes met his. "Please..." she gasped. "Help...me." Her head dropped forwards and her eyes closed.
Duly spun instantly, galloping out of the house. He launched himself into the air, heading straight for the hospital.
Nurse Redheart was fixing up a room for one of their many guests when she heard a frantic knocking on the window. Glancing out, she saw a pegasus fluttering outdoors, panic obscuring every other feature on his face. "How can I help?" she asked, opening the window and poking her head out.
"Mare...foaling...blood", Duly panted, wings aching after his breakneck pace during the entirety of his frantic flight.
The faithful nurse turned, disappearing into the recesses of the hospital. Two pegasi dressed in the familiar outfits of the traditional nurses were soon following Duly Noted up into the clouds, all three making straight for the house of Dawn Rose and her absent family.
The household of Dawn Rose was a cacophony of sound. The nurses bickered with each other, Dawn screamed in agony, and above all the rest, the crying of a filly could be heard. The little pony had been born only a few minutes previous and Duly Noted was trying desperately to calm and quiet her.
She had been born in a lake of blood, her mother shouting and panting laboriously. The nurses had quickly toweled off the tiny baby, revealing little purple eyes, an orange coat, and a short pink mane and tail. She had been uncooperative, wriggling and squirming away from her mother. Duly had managed to snatch her up and now hovered in the air, cradling the finally silent filly in her forehooves.
As the sun flooded the house with light, Dawn Rose grew still. Her breaths came quicker until they suddenly stopped and her twitching hooves fell limply onto the bed. Duly knew she was dead even before a nurse nodded in confirmation of the unspoken question. Silently, they busied themselves about the body, cleaning it thoroughly before wrapping it in a sheet. The medical ponies carried her off, back to the hospital, chatting quietly off other cases as they flew.
Duly followed them, filly still wrapped in his grasp. The somber group landed just outside the hospital doors and a nurse turned to him.
"We'll take care of the baby until her father can return for her", she told him. "I'll inform him of his wife's passing." She took the baby gently from Duly Noted and disappeared into the hospital with her fellow compatriots.
Duly was just about to depart when he happened to catch a glimpse of a newspaper nearby, fluttering in the breeze. Shrugging, he decided he might as well catch up on the times. As the headline on the front page caught his eye, his brow furrowed in concern and his pace quickened. He snatched the paper up, scanning the cover story. When he had finished, his face was as white as Nurse Redheart and his trembling hooves could barely hold up the newspaper.
"This is going to be amazing!" Sunset squealed as she hopped lightly on her train seat. "And I can't wait until mommy gets here with my new brother or sister!" She turned eager eyes to her father.
Duskwing smiled delightedly at his daughter. One of his and his wife's greatest concerns had been that Sunset would resent them for having another child, but there was no sign of that. "I can't wait either", he told her, hugging her close to him.
Hours passed uneventfully and daughter and father watched out of the window as plains whipped by. Sunset's eagerness never dimmed and she kept up a steady stream of chatter, Duskwing butting in at intervals.
The train gave a sudden jolt and screams emanated from the front compartments. A sudden flood of ponies stampeded into their car, all pushing and shoving, trying to get to the back of the train. Without a moment of hesitation, Duskwing grabbed his daughter, racing through the train, trying to stay ahead of the mob behind him. When he was a few cars away, he set Sunset down gently, looking directly in her eyes. "Keep running. Don't stop, okay? You have to do this for me. Get as far back as you can." With that, he turned, racing back the way he had come.
Sunset, confused and scared, obeyed her father. She raced as fast as she could towards the back of the train.
Duskwing was trying to guide a couple of the more elderly ponies toward the rear when the second train hit their own. The explosion instantly killed the majority of the ponies, flames eating up the remaining cars.
Sunset was hurled into the early morning air; she tumbled head over hooves through the air, too stunned to even try and fly. She was rocketing towards the ground when she finally unfolded her wings. It was too late to do much good. The small filly managed to slow herself down, but she still slammed into the ground. Sunset felt one wing snap under her and one leg was wrenched out of its socket. Debris from the train blasted backwards, giving her a dozen gaping wounds. She tried to stand, but she fell with a cry of pain. Before she blacked out, she cried, "Daddy!"
Sunset woke slowly, blinking at the lights above her. The steady beeping of a heart rate monitor sounded in the background. As she became aware of where she was, memory of the train wreck hit her. She groaned, wing and leg sore and stiff. Sunset was about to call for a nurse when she heard the small cry of a fellow pony beside her.
She turned her head to see a tiny orange bundle with a short pink mane and wings so big they nearly covered her whole body.
Duly Noted rose from his seat nearby. "How do you feel?" he asked gently.
Eyes filling with tears, Sunset gazed up into the kind face of Duly. "Where is my mother?" she whispered, voice ragged.
"She's dead", Duly Noted said without hesitating. "That's your sister." He bent his head to indicate the now waking filly. "What is her name?"
Sunset was still trying to process everything her neighbor was telling her. She shook her head, pain spinning around inside her whole body. All of her wounds ached and she could feel herself losing consciousness again. "Scootaloo", she whispered. "Her name is Scootaloo."
"NOOOO!" Scootaloo shouted, waking up in a pool of sweat. She clung to her covers, shivering, before realizing it had just been a nightmare. Sighing, she sat up and glanced over at the nightstand, head tilted slightly. Scootaloo picked up a small picture frame. As she caressed it lightly a small smile crossed over her face. Out of the frame her mom and dad smiled at her, Sunset posed prettily in front of them, smiling not at the camera but up at her parents.
"I love you, mom and dad", Scootaloo whispered, kissing the photo. She replaced the picture on the nightstand and threw off the covers, leaping out of bed. She began her daily routine of eating, brushing her mane, and getting ready for school.
As she trotted to the small schoolhouse she was joined by Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "Hiya, Scoots!" the pale yellow filly shouted. "Ready fer school?"
"Always", the orange filly responded cheerily.
Sweetie Belle was bouncing on the tips of her hooves with excitement. "Guess what?" she finally burst out.
Scootaloo turned to the unicorn. "I'll never guess", she laughed. "Just tell me!"
"Rarity and I are going to be in the Sisterhooves Social again this year!" she squealed, jumping up and down fully now.
The smile nearly disappeared off of Scootaloo's face, but she managed to keep it up. "That's cool. What about you and AJ, Applebloom?"
AB nodded, a big grin on her face. "Of course me 'n AJ'll be competin'. What about you, Scoots?"
Scootaloo's eyes widened in shock. "I don't have a sister", she pointed out.
"You could come watch", Sweetie Belle offered, eyes still shining with happiness.
Wordlessly, Scootaloo shook her head. With that, she turned and began to walk quickly away from the two other fillies, eyes filling with tears.
Sweetie and Apple Bloom exchanged baffled looks before trotting silently after their friend.
Rainbow Dash rolled over, watching the three fillies walk away. A slow smile crept over her face. The beginnings of an idea were forming in her mind.
Applejack readjusted her hat, sweat dripping off of her muzzle onto the ground. She leaned heavily against an apple tree, staring at Rainbow Dash. "Ah dunno. Ah'm not sure that's a good idea", she said hesitantly.
"Just for one day", the pegasus promised, looking anxiously at her friend.
Applejack sighed, giving in. "Fahn. But Ah still don't think yer gonna do anythin' but break that poor filly's heart", she warned. AJ grunted as she was tackled by Dash in a powerful hug. "All right, all right. Ah'll just be clearin' off then", she said, a little embarrassed.
Pumping her wings, Rainbow flew around the property quickly, setting up for the afternoon.
"See ya'll later!" Apple Bloom shouted, waving goodbye to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. She turned towards the farm, but was surprised to see Applejack trotting up the dirt road towards her. She bounced up to her, eyes confused. "Aren't we gonna practice fer the Sisterhooves Social?" she asked.
Applejack shook her head, trying to ignore the disappointment that filled AB's eyes. "Tomorrow", she promised. "Today Ah thought we could take a break n' see Pinkie Pie." She tried not to let her little sister see that that was not the original plan.
Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Oooookay", she conceded finally.
"Hey, squirt!"
Scootaloo jerked her head up to see Rainbow Dash hovering over her. The orange filly had just said goodbye to Sweetie Belle and had been walking alone for a few minutes. "Oh! Hi, Dash", she muttered, not in the mood for conversation.
The blue pegasus landed in front of Scootaloo, halting her progress. "Hey, I was thinking you and I could have a little flying lesson", she offered.
Scootaloo immediately shook off her little cloud of depression, eyes lighting up. "Yeah! That would be great!" she squeaked.
"Okay, the first step is to open your wings", Dash laughed, watching the filly.
Scoots opened them, wincing at their small size. "They're not very impressive", she mumbled.
Dash couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yeah." Seeing hurt fill Scootaloo's eyes she added quickly, "But they'll get there, don't worry. Now, flap. Only once, though."
Though she didn't see the point, Scootaloo obeyed, flapping them lightly once.
"Now, put some power into it", Rainbow Dash suggested, unfolding her own wings. "Like this." She brought her wings up and then snapped them down sharply. Her hooves lifted slightly, but she didn't get all the way off the ground. "Now you try."
Scootaloo stretched her wings up as far as she could get them and then brought them down with as much power as she could. The very tips of her hooves lifted, but she didn't get very far.
Dash grinned. "That was great! Now try it again, but don't stop. Keep going as long as you can", she suggested.
Her wings arced up and snapped down again and again. Gradually, Scootaloo's hooves began to lift and she began to feel lighter. As soon as she was completely off the ground she grew too tired and slumped back down. "I'll never get it", she mumbled.
Rainbow Dash helped her off. "Sure you will! Your wings just need to get stronger. Keep practicing like that half an hour every day and you'll be flying in no time." She looked at her warmly. "Hey, Scootaloo", she said, suddenly serious.
Noting the change in tone, Scootaloo looked up. "Yeah?"
"Would you like to compete in the Sisterhooves Social? With...with me?" Rainbow stammered. "I know I'm not your sister, but it would really mean a lot. I've always wanted a sister." This was a complete lie. Dash enjoyed being an only child, but she wasn't about to tell Scootaloo that.
The filly in question was staring at Rainbow, eyes popping out of her head, jaw open to the ground. "Yes." She finally said. "I'll compete with you."
