A Pair of Wings
They were laying in the grass in the moonlight and gazed at the stars.
Scootaloo knew nothing better than to spend time with Rainbow Dash.
Maybe crusading, but that’s another kind of activity.
As they were laying in the grass field Rainbow Dash said “Hey, I just thought of a new trick, want to see?”
“That’d be awesome!” Scootaloo responded and sat up to get better vision of what Rainbow Dash was about to do.
Rainbow spread her wings and jumped up in the air with incredible speed and dove down to the ground again,
spinning around several times, and when she was close to the ground she stopped suddenly,
and flew up again backwards, flipping over and landing with perfect posture.
Scootaloo wanted to be just like her, to be able to fly just like that.
“That was awesome RD!” she said, looking up at her idol with big eyes.
“I know, and it was inspired by you too.” She said, tilting her head to the side with a smile.
“For real?” Scootaloo said, bubbling with happiness. “That’s… so… cool!”
“Hey Scoot, look over there.” Rainbow Dash pointed at the sky with her hoof.
“A shooting star, make a wish.”
Scootaloo knew exactly what to wish.
She opened her mouth to say it but was stopped by Rainbow Dash who put a hoof on her mouth.
“If you say it out loud, it won’t come true, you know.”
“Oh…”
“You look tired, want me to take you home?” Rainbow asked.
“I’m not even close to being tired.” Scootaloo said, letting out a big yawn right after.
“Yeah right, and I’m not awesome.”
“Fine, maybe a little tired.”
As they were on the way to her home, Scootaloo felt a weird feeling inside her.
But she ignored for the moment, it couldn’t be that important that it couldn’t wait until the morning,
and besides it didn’t hurt her in any way.
--
The next morning Scootaloo woke up very uncomfortable.
She felt something on her wings, so she looked back and had to gasp for air.
Her wings had grown to the size of Rainbow Dash’s.
She jumped out of bed and ran out of the door to try them out.
She took off, if only a little and it was an amazing feeling.
She’d always wanted to fly, and now she had wings to help her do so.
“It must’ve been the shooting star.” She mumbled for herself. “Unless it’s a dream of course.”
But she knew that it wasn’t a dream, it couldn’t be.
She couldn’t wait to tell Rainbow Dash all about it, and they could fly together, and it’d be awesome.
She remembered that Rainbow told her she’d be at Sweet Apple Acres all day, helping Applejack with something,
and then she could show Applebloom at the same time.
Without giving it more thought she dashed away towards the farm, testing her new wings.
--
Rainbow Dash woke up, with a strange feeling that something was wrong, but no idea of what.
Ah, whatever, she told herself. Gotta help AJ at the farm.
But when she prepared to fly away to the farm, she realized what horror had occurred.
Her wings… were gone. They were nowhere to be seen.
She froze, not knowing how to react. After a minute or two, she started breathing again, but she couldn’t think.
Panic had struck her head, and she couldn’t think straight.
After pulling herself together somewhat she decided that Twilight would probably know what to do.
She trotted slowly, her legs were heavy.
But after getting some weird looks from passing by ponies she picked up the pace and was soon running at top speed.
She stormed into the library, where Spike was mopping the floor.
“Where’s Twilight?!” She asked the confused little dragon.
“Hi Rainbow, she’s upstairs I think. Uhm… where are your wings?”
“Thanks, don’t know.” She responded quickly and ran up the stairs.
“Twilight! Get out of bed, it’s morning and I need your help!”
“Mm? Rainbow? It’s Six in the morning.”
“So? Get up, I need help!”
Twilight opened her eyes and looked at her friend.
Her eyes slowly became wide open.
“Rainbow! Your wings!”
“I know! I don’t know what happened, they were gone when I woke up!”
Tears started making their way down her cheeks.
Twilight jumped out of bed, walking around Rainbow Dash to inspect the spot where her wings used to be attached.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like a spell has been cast on you, unless.”
“Unless? Unless what?”
“Unless it’s magic that’s not from a unicorn.” She said slowly.
“Can you do something about it, Twi?” she asked, looking at her friend with a helpless expression.
“I can look into it, but I’m not sure.” She said, trying to comfort her, but couldn’t help to sound unsure.
“Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner, maybe I can cheer you up with something? Twilight suggested.
“I… promised to help Applejack this morning, the roof needed some repairs, and she needed some Pegasus assistance. I guess I can’t do anything about it now though.
I’ll go let her know I can’t help, and I’ll meet you at Sugarcube Corner in thirty minutes, okay?”
Her voice was shaky and sad. Without being able to stop it, she bursted out in tears.
Twilight put her hoof around her and tried to comfort her as much as she could.
“I’m okay…” Rainbow said after a while, but her voice said otherwise. I’ll see you soon Twi.”
“I’ll try to find something that might help, don’t worry, you’ll get you wings back, I promise.”
“Thanks Twi, you’re a great friend.”
She responded as she walked out the door and started making her way to Sweet Apple Acres.
--
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo shouted over the farm,
as soon as she saw the cyan pony make her way in through the gate.
Scootaloo was standing by the barn door with Applebloom and Applejack,
and they all went to greet Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow was walking slowly towards them with her face down, looking at the ground.
“Rainbow Dash, look at… my… wings…” Scootaloo said,
but her enthusiasm she had earlier died out when she saw the cyan pony’s back.
“They weren’t there when I woke up.” Rainbow Dash said emotionlessly with an empty look in her eyes,
to answer the groups questioning faces.
Scootaloo instantly felt guilty. She thought back at her wish she had made the night before.
She had wished for wings, just like Rainbow Dash’s. She must’ve gotten her actual wings.
She approached Rainbow Dash who had stopped a couple of seconds after she had passed them,
to tell her about what she had wished. But when she looked into Rainbow Dash’s empty eyes,
her voice wouldn’t cooperate and she ended up being quiet.
“I have to go see Twilight at Sugarcube Corner, she insisted on trying to cheer me up” she said,
and turned around towards the gate again.
I thought I’d let you know I can’t help with the roof, that’s all AJ.”
But when she had reached the gate again, Scootaloo landed in front of her.
Rainbow Dash hadn’t even seen her wings until now, since she had had her eyes focused on the ground.
She tried to smile at Scootaloo and congratulate her on her wings,
but she couldn’t get even a faint smile on her face.
“I…” Scootaloo started. “You know the shooting star last night?”
“What about it?” Rainbow asked, not really interested in anything.
“Well, I kind of made a wish, to get wings just like yours.”
“Mmhmm… wait what did you say?” Now actually listening.
“I don’t know if it’s true, but I think my wish was granted and…”
She paused and swallowed hard. “I think I have your wings.” She said,
looking up at Rainbow’s face, hoping she wouldn’t be scolded.
Rainbow Dash got a mix of feelings, she was mad, because of the reckless wish,
but who knew it would be granted?
She was also confused because she didn’t know shooting stars actually could do that,
and she was happy (even if only a little)
for Scootaloo, because she knew how big it was for her to fly.
But it was even bigger for herself, it was her destiny to be a professional flyer.
In fact, she was one of the best flyers in all of Equestria.
To lose her wings to a newbie (even if she knew and loved this newbie) was unthinkable.
But now she knew where her wings were. Twilight could probably fix this.
“Come with me.” She finally said and put a hoof on Scootaloo’s back.
“Where are we going?” Scootaloo asked nervously.
“Twilight.”
--
Twilight had already ordered a milkshake with extra oats on when Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo walked in.
Spike had left his cleaning duty and gone with Twilight, so he was sitting beside her at their table.
“Hey Rainbow, you look somewhat better now.” She said with a faint smile.
And hi Scootaloo.”
They walked up and sat down beside Spike and Twilight.
“I think we know what happened to my wings.” Rainbow said,
glancing at Scootaloo, who still felt uneasy.
“I’m listening.” Twilight said, and leaned forward over the table.
“When we were stargazing last night, a shooting star granted Scoot’s wish to get wings like mine.
What she didn’t realize was that she got wings like mine, because they are mine.”
Twilight looked at Scootaloo’s wings and then back at Rainbow Dash.
“It’s most likely true, since that’s nature’s magic, not magic from a unicorn.
And I think I read a book about this just before I left. Spike, would you mind go fetching it?
It should be on my desk.”
“Not at all. I’ll be back before you can say ‘Spike’s awesome’ ” Spike said and ran as fast as his short legs could.
“By the way, Scoot. It wasn’t your fault.” Rainbow Dash said,
realizing Scootaloo was sitting next to her feeling miserable.
“But it was, I wished for wings like yours.” She said, almost mumbling.
“Wings like mine, not for my wings specifically, right?”
Her voice was still sad, but she tried to sound comforting.
She thought it was kind of funny that she was the one who lost her wings,
and she was comforting the one who had them,
but Scootaloo was still only a filly and she understood how she felt.
“Yes, but… If I hadn’t wished it, everything would be great.” Scootaloo said,
now with tears in her eyes.Rainbow Dash put her arms around her and patted her back,
but couldn’t help but to be a bit mad when she saw the wings on her back.
As she pulled back from the hug Spike came back, panting with a book in his hands.
“Spike at your… phew… service.” He said, taking deep breaths.
“Thank you Spike.” Twilight said with a smile and levitated the book in front of her.
“It’s a book about the nature’s magic, Zecora lent me it.
Twilight’s expression darkened as she read through the book.
“Found anything?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.
“Yes… It says here, that if anything is lost, in this case body parts, from a pony…”
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath before continuing.
“Then there’s no other option than to take over another body.” Her voice faded away as she said the last words.
“So can I get my wings back, or what?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Not while still in your own body, no… I’m sorry Rainbow.”
Twilight said looking up to see Rainbow’s expression.
Rainbow Dash stared out the window, looking over yonder.
Nopony said a word, until Scootaloo finally broke the silence.
“Can I go? I don’t feel too well.”
After not getting any response except a simple nod from Twilight,
she stood up and walked slowly out of Sugarcube Corner.
Rainbow Dash spent that night in the library, since Twilight insisted.
She was thinking as she laid on her bed Spike had prepared for her.
I love having wings as much as I love my body. And if I changed body my cutiemark would change,
changing my destiny. If, that is, I would find somepony that could give up their body.
She let out a big sigh. This isn’t what I wanted.
--- 10 years passing by---
Rainbow Dash had put up with being an earthpony for 10 years,
and she had really tried to make it work. But it was not who she was supposed to be,
and every time she saw a Pegasus she couldn’t help but to feel sad,
especially if it was Scootaloo. That mare wasn’t a filly anymore,
and was almost as good in the air as she used to be.
Not even Pinkie Pie's Super Duper Cheer-up Rainbow Dash party had made her happy..
She trotted out of her house that she’d bought when she realized she couldn’t live in her house in the clouds anymore. After pinning a note to her friends on her door, she started walking.
There was no sign of anypony else as she trotted through the town.
She was walking to the cliff, where she had saved a baby carrier from flying over the edge,
and she had gotten caught up in her ego.
She looked back at that memory, remembering flying and doing a good deed, all because of her wings.
She had made up her mind now though.
She didn’t want to live like this, without her wings, or in somepony else’s body.
After 10 years she had finally given in, but not without a fight.
She could make out the cliff in the distance now.
She thought about her friends, she knew that they would miss her, and she would miss them too, but this was her decision,
and she’d already made up her mind about it. No backing down.
She had lost her meaning in life and it wasn’t worth living anymore.
She was now on the edge of the cliff.
It wasn't the first time she'd been here since the incident.
It happened that she stood there thinking about her life as an earth-pony, wondering if ending it would be the best choice.
But every time she decided not to. Although this time she was determined.
She looked down, and saw a lake rippling through the valley beneath.
She stood there for a while, no need to rush things.
After another deep breath, she looked down again.
It was an awful distance down, it would only take a couple of seconds if she had flown,
but falling, she had no idea.
She gave the whole idea a second thought, she thought about her friends, about Scootaloo,
and all the moments she would never share with anyone, not even herself.
She knew she would think like this, she always did. After all it’s a huge decision and she wouldn’t want to make the wrong choice.
Then she thought about flying. There was nothing she wanted to do more at this moment than to fly.
It was a perfect night to do so. She jumped high, like preparing for flight,
and she pretended to fly straight down as she fell downward, closer and closer to the ground.
Her thoughts were blank,
she couldn’t think of anything as she closed her eyes and embraced what would happen next.
