Rainbow Dash leaned her chair back and stretched her legs. The soft warm glow of the sunset illuminated her room with vibrant hues of red, orange, and pink. The rays of light reflected off of her floor to ceiling trophy case, making the medals and awards sparkle in the late evening sun. The day’s events had sapped her of most of her energy, but that weakness had been replaced with the satisfaction of a job well done. Today she and the rest of the wonderbolt team had put on a dozen or so awe inspiring airshows. With each successive performance the crowds only grew louder and larger.
Rainbow let out a long sigh. It was just like she had always imagined. Everypony’s eyes were on her. Her sonic rainboom had gone off without a hitch, and the rest of the team flew with impeccable precision and agility. It was a dream come true. Sure she had competed in countless airshows ever since she had become a Wonderbolt, but today had been perfect. The sky had been clear, their minds had been sharp, their stunts had been jaw dropping, it was an awe-inspiring display of raw talent and performance. It was perfect.
The doorbell to Rainbow’s house pierced the silence of satisfaction that had rested in the halls. “Come in!” she shouted, too lazy to open the door herself. The sound of an opening door and-
“It’s ok. I’m sure she will see you,” twilight’s voice echoed through the house. “She isn’t mean.”
“Now who could that be?” Rainbow whispered as she walked to her door. “Twilight?”
“Hello Rainbow,” Twilight said as she limped into her friend’s room, her pace hindered by the little filly who was using Twilight’s wing to hide herself. “This is your biggest fan,” she said as she gently pulled her wing away from the grip of the little filly. As soon as the emerald foal’s eyes made contact with her hero she darted back behind Twilight.
“Who is this?” Rainbow asked as she knelt down and tried to see her biggest fan. “Hello there,” she said softly. “What’s your name?”
“I…” the little filly whispered, trying to work up the courage to address the rainbow pegasus who meant so much to her. “I’m Raindrop.” Her soft response was followed with a gentle silence
“Well?” Twilight broke through the silence. “You wanted to ask her something, didn’t you?”
“I… It’s nothing,” she whimpered as she tried to hide behind Twilight’s wing again. “I want to go home.”
“It’s ok,” Rainbow said as she gently lifted Twilight’s wing, uncovering the small dusty blue pegasus. “I won’t bite.” Her gaze shifted from the filly to the colorful picture that was poking out of her saddlebag. “Whatchya got there?” Rainbow asked as she gestured to the photo.
“It’s a picture, of you,” Raindrop said as she nervously pulled the piece of paper out of her bag and gave it to Rainbow. “C-Could you autograph it?”
“Of course!” Rainbow said as she rocketed to her desk and grabbed her favorite pen. “What do you want it to say?”
“T-to your biggest fan, Raindrop.” she said slowly. “No, wait. To your bestest fan, I mean… umm…”
“How about: To my biggest and loyalest fan, Raindrop.”
“Yeah!” Raindrop exclaimed, her little wings lifting her slightly off of the ground in excitement. Rainbow quickly scribbled her iconic signature onto the image of her posing heroically against a blue background.
“Why didn’t you get my autograph at the airshow?” Rainbow asked nonchalantly as she gave the image back to Raindrop. The little filly stared at the black scribbles, eyes wide with wonder.
Twilight leaned over and whispered, “Her family couldn’t afford the tickets to the show.”
“Oh, I didn’t know,” Rainbow started.
“You couldn’t have.”
“Miss Dash?” Raindrop asked. “You are my hero.”
The words caught Rainbow off guard. My hero? Wow. She looked at the little filly who stood so innocently at her hooves. Her bright green eyes sparkled with wonder as she gazed at the pony who meant the world to her. Rainbow smiled, her eyes beginning to tear up at the sight of the little pegasus. Twilight gave Raindrop a nudge toward Rainbow. She took a few steps forward, still resisting the thing she desired so much to have. With one last stumble Raindrop gave in and galloped to Rainbow’s leg. She latched on with her forelegs and hugged as hard as her fragile body would allow.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” she said as she looked up to Rainbow with tear filled eyes.
Rainbow blinked the tears out of her eyes and knelt down next to the filly. Raindrop took the opportunity to hug her hero’s neck and bury her face in her multi-colored mane. “Now wait just a minute,” Rainbow said as she pried the little filly off of her. “Why do you want to be like me?” she asked as she placed Raindrop in front of her. “When you grow up, I want you to be better than me. I want you to be the best Raindrop the world has ever seen. I want you to be you, and nopony else.”
The little filly’s eyes were filled with as much wonder as they were with confusion. “But, why can’t I be like you?”
“If you spend your life with me as your goal, that’s all you can become, just a copy of me. Everypony has a destiny, and I want you to follow yours,” she said as she rubbed her hoof through Raindrop’s mane. “Will you do that for me?” The little pegasus nodded her head as she reached out and hugged Rainbow’s foreleg again.
Twilight subtly gestured toward the door. It was time for Raindrop to depart and return to her parents.
“Well I think its time for you to go home.” Rainbow said as she lifted the little pegasus onto her back and strode toward her front door.
“Aww,” Raindrop moaned. “We can’t stay just a little bit longer?”
“I’m afraid not little one.” Twilight said as she carefully picked up the little filly with her magic and placed her into the hot air balloon. “Your parents might start to worry.”
Raindrop sighed, “Okay. Thank you for bringing me.”
“You are quite welcome.” Twilight said as she flew over to the balloon and undid the knot that held it in place.
As they slowly drifted away from the house, Rainbow could hear the quiet little voice of Raindrop echoing through her mind. “You’re my hero.”
As the balloon disappeared beneath the clouds Rainbow whispered, “Be your own hero, Raindrop.”
