Tough Little Pony
by Isseus
Today was special for the six ponies arriving to a meadow near Ponyville. The Elements of Harmony were assembling for a picnic with someone very special. Not somepony special, either.
Twilight Sparkle, the newly crowned Princess of Magic, landed onto the grass with only a few extra skips along the ground before slowing to a halt, burying her muzzle into the mud with Princessly grace.
Rainbow Dash landed next to her and tugged her back upright from her tail. "Twilight! What have I told you about landings? You can't glide the whole way when you're coming in so steep. You have to right your body—"
Twilight spat a mouthful of ground out and took the lesson over. "And give several good flaps horizontally to halt my forward momentum. I know! These things just have a mind of their own!" She fluttered her newly acquired wings to the Pegasus.
"No wonder!" Rainbow Dash took an appraising look at the wings presented to her. "When was the last time you've preened? Your primaries are all messed up and I've never seen someone with knots in the downs, for pony's sake!"
Twilight blushed at the scolding. "I, well, you see, I've been researching the box we found at the Tree of Harmony and then there are my new duties as a Princess and—"
"Do you bathe?"
"What? Of course I—"
"Brush your teeth?"
"Twice a day, but I don't—"
"Eat? Sleep? Preening is not something you do when you have some time off. It's something you have to do every day! Hay, if you go flying, you have to do it several times! I for example do it after every practice!" She unfurled her own wings. "Just look at these babies." She gave the tips of her wings short kisses before folding them back along her sides. "They're a part of you."
Twilight's ears drooped from shame. "I'm sorry."
"Now that's something worth seein' right there. Rainbow Dash telling somepony off for being lazy. Never thought Ah'd see the day!"
Applejack and Rarity entered the meadow, the former carrying a large picnic basket on her back, the latter levitating a divan along with two carts full of assorted amenities after her.
Rainbow Dash abandoned her student to assault her eternal rival. "Are you calling me lazy, Applejack?"
They leaned their foreheads together. "Ah would never even dream of it. We all know what a hard worker you are. Why, not a day goes by without me hearing you 'working' so hard on cutting down a tree branch in one of mah trees!" She leaned even closer, both their muzzles wrinkling from the pressure. "If it was any other pony, I'd say they was snoring so loud it'd shake the hay down a loft."
Rainbow Dash backed away from her grinning adversary. "Hey! I can't help it if I'm so fast at clearing the sky that I have so much extra time. And didn't I catch you napping under a tree a few days back too?"
"That was because of a dry branch falling on mah head an' knocking me out!"
"You saying that there's something harder than your head in Equestria?"
"ROCK CANDY!" Pinkie shouted as her head popped up from Applejack's basket. The rest of the pink pony soon followed her, accompanied by a stray balloon. "That's the toughest thing ever! Just yesterday I tried to bite down a jawbreaker and they've really figured out a great name for them because it felt like my jaw was going to break when I bit down on it and I think I chipped my tooth!" She opened her mouth wide and revealed her teeth in a wide grin that she shoved into Rainbow Dash's face. "Cang you shee it?"
"Pinkie, darling, I am certain that nothing made of sugar exists in all of Equestria that could endanger your dental wellness," Rarity called from her couch. She levitated a hoof-file from the depths of one of her carriages and got to work on her hooves. "I simply abhor these treks to utter wilderness. Why must we travel to such a secluded location surrounded by all this... nature? Could we not just as easily meet up at some chic café in town?"
"Rarity, you know why we agreed on holding this picnic here. It's because—"
"Hello, ladies." The deep yet nasal voice of the only draconequus in existence echoed around them.
"—him." Twilight finished with a facehoof.
"I'm so sorry we're late," Fluttershy said as she arrived with Discord. "There was a squirrel tummyache emergency and I had to stay and help." She turned around to smile at the chimeric creature towering over her. "We would have been even more late if Discord hadn't helped me."
"Oh, you know me," he answered as he plugged his stethoscope into his ears and straightened the collar of his doctor's jacket. "I just couldn't bear to see a creature suffer."
"Isn't he just adorable," Fluttershy said to the rest of the ponies.
"Yeah, totally," Rainbow Dash answered under her breath. The rest of the ponies didn't seem any more convinced than her, performing various other activies such as coughing, looking at the time, and, in Pinkie's case, only eating one cupcake at a time. Nopony thought to ask where she'd gotten them from..
Rainbow Dash was the first one to talk out loud. "I still don't get why we need to have this picnic with him. Isn't it enough that he's free to terrorise the countryside with no supervision?"
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight Sparkle admonished her. "Discord has been at his best behaviour ever since the episode at the Tree of Harmony. Even though I wouldn't have thought it possible, it seems he's turned a new leaf, so having a picnic with him is the least we can do."
"Oh, yes, Your Royal Highness! I am a changed person!" He lifted a claw to his chest and the other one into the air. "Why, not a second goes by without me thinking of the well-being of all the ponies in Equestria!"
"Right. I'm sure you're just thinking on how to make their lives more miserable," Rainbow Dash said.
"Why, ye of little faith! What could I do to convince you of my redemption?"
"You can start by removing the halo and telling that chorus to shut up," she answered and pointed at the group of white-clad fillies looking rather confused behind him.
"Oh." He sighed. "As you will." With a snap of his fingers, the ponies vanished in a cloud of smoke. "It is a nice production to come from schoolfillies. You just don't have an appreciation for good theater."
"Discord, that's enough," Twilight said in a stern voice.
"My deepest apologies, Princess. It seems we got off on the wrong foot." Discord snapped his cloven hoof off and threw it into a shrubbery nearby. "Might we begin our most enjoyable outing?" With a clap of his appendages, a red-and-white striped blanket appeared on the grass with a selection of comfortable cushions.
Without further ado, Applejack tossed her basket onto the blanket and this time, instead of a hyperactive pony, an assortment of various treats landed in a perfect circle around it. "Dig in."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Rainbow Dash lunged in to grab one of the plates filled with apple tarts and plopped her rump onto a cushion. The parp of ripping flatulence reverberated around the clearing.
The ponies fell into a stunned silence and stared at her, save for Rarity, who merely exclaimed "Oh, my!" before fainting.
Rainbow Dash's face flushed crimson in one second flat. "I-it wasn't me! I wouldn't... I..." She wiggled a hoof under her seat before pulling out an emptied whoopie cushion as evidence. "See?"
"Now how could something like that have ended there, I wonder," Discord asked. The rest of the ponies couldn't help but giggle at the successful prank.
Apart from Rainbow Dash. "A whoopie cushion? Really? That's, like, ancient."
"Harrumph." Discord put on a fedora and hipster glasses. "I used them before they were cool."
"How did it go with the Equestria Games flag carrying competition?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Oh, it was totally awesome!" Rainbow Dash squealed. "The Crusaders did such an amazing job. And with so little practice too!" She tried to assume her more professional attitude for a moment. "I knew they had it in them, of course."
"Sweetie Belle told me all about it," Rarity said. She took a sip of her tea. "She also told me that you stopped the train and took her and Apple Bloom back to Ponyville to get Scootaloo to join them."
"Yeah, well, they got into a little fight, that's all."
"That is not how I heard it," Rarity continued. "I heard that you acted most admirably towards them and most of all to little Scootaloo."
"Heh." Rainbow Dash put a forehoof behind her head. "I just thought their act was so good that leaving her out would have messed up the whole performance."
"You did a swell job there, RD. Apple Bloom told me Scootaloo had gotten it into her head that she needed to fly for them to look good and didn't want to hold them back because she couldn't." The mood in the meadow darkened instantly. Applejack covered her mouth with her hat. "Ah didn't mean it like that. It doesn't matter if she does, of course."
Rainbow Dash talked in an unusually serious tone. "That's what I told her too. I mean, she should have been flying years ago. I don't know what's wrong with her wings or if they're gonna grow. Maybe I should talk to her folks about taking her to see a doctor or something?"
"That might be a good idea, Rainbow Dash," Twilight Sparkle said. "But what is most important is that you made sure she understands that no matter what, she should be proud of who she is. I think it's a valuable lesson to learn."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah. I know she'll be okay. She's the toughest little pony I know."
"Oh, bravo. This is so touching." Discord blew his nose on the corner of the picnic blanket. "You sure are a fantastic role model for that little filly."
Rainbow Dash was in the air and face to face with the draconequus in an instant. "You got something to say, pal?"
"Me? I would never presume to come between you and your, how should I say, adopted sister. I am honestly in awe of what a grown-up mare you have become." He grabbed her under an arm. "I couldn't be more proud of you!"
"Hey! Lemme go!" Rainbow Dash struggled out of his grasp and huffs. "What's your problem?"
"I am just admiring how tough little fillies are these days. This Scootaloo sounds like a real champion. She might even be tougher than her 'big sister'," he finished with air quotes.
"Hey! She's had it tough. But she'll be okay."
"I'm sure she will. We should all try to be more like her." A tiny glimmer appeared in his eyes. "Especially you, Miss Loyalty."
"Discord?" Fluttershy asked and put a hoof onto his scaled side.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Just listening to how tough this little filly is has made me realise how soft some other ponies are in comparison."
"Wait... Are you calling me soft!?" Rainbow Dash shouted, her voice stalling from the steep rise.
"Well, now, that is an interesting thought, isn't it? A Pegasus who has been a masterful flyer since she was a cute little filly." A baby cap appeared onto Rainbow Dash's head and a pacifier in her mouth. She spat it out. "Why, compared to that little filly, you've had it so easy. Best Young Flier even, I hear. Even performed the Sonic Rainboom."
"If you're trying to say something, spit it out. You're really getting on my nerves." She ripped the cap from her head.
"What I am saying is that the little filly is in a completely different league of tough compared to Miss Element of Loyalty here."
Rainbow Dash had gone completely red in the face. "Is... is that a challenge?"
"A challenge, you say? What an intriguing idea." Discord seemed to contemplate the matter. "So are you saying you are as tough as that little filly? That you could live without your wings as well?"
"I so could!"
"Well how about a little friendly experiment? Why don't we see how well you do without them? Just for a day or two."
"Wait, what?" the rest of the ponies asked. "You can't be serious?" "Is that a joke?"
"Maybe it could even bring you closer to this Scootaloo. Allow you a different..." Discord shrunk down to the size of a fieldmouse. "...perspective?"
"Like I'd trust anything you say. What'd stop you from just not giving my wings back?"
"Rainbow Dash, you aren't actually considering this?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Well he's... he's got a point, okay. I told Scoots that she'd be awesome no matter if she can fly or not."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Twilight muttered. "He's just goading you into doing something you'll regret."
"My dear Princess Twilight. If you are so worried, we can make a binding agreement on it. You must know a sealing spell or two to finalise a deal, don't you?" A scroll and a quill popped into existence in front of him. "If I, for example, wrote that:
Until such a time as Rainbow Dash proves to me, Discord, that she is just as tough as Scootaloo, I, Discord, shall hold
her wings in safe keeping. Nothing bad will happen to her wings during that time."
"Sounds good to me!" Rainbow Dash said with a determined look.
"Rainbow Dash! Can't you see it's a trap? What if he never admits—and I can't believe I'm even theoretically thinking about this—that you are tougher than Scootaloo? What then?"
"My dear, untrusting Twilight. This is just a challenge for Rainbow Dash to see what life without wings is all about. Why don't I add:
Rainbow Dash can ask for Discord to return her wings at any time."
"I guess that would work," Twilight said. She looked at the paper for a moment. "It... could be a good learning experience for you, Rainbow Dash."
"Hey, I'm not afraid to put my wings where my mouth is! At least I'll get this bozo to shut up about it!" She glared at Discord.
"Sign here," he said and pointed at the dotted line at the bottom of the paper.
She grabbed the quill in her mouth and scratched her name onto the paper. Discord then drew a smileyface on the other line.
"Wait, aren't you going to use your name?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Silly filly, that is my name."
"I don't think this is a good idea, but if you both want me to, I'll seal this spell and it will bind both of you." Twilight said.
"Umm... Discord?" a quiet voice interrupted them.
"Yes? What is it, Fluttershy?"
"Don't think I wouldn't believe that you aren't thinking of anything bad with this, but promise me you'll honor this deal?"
For a moment, Discord seemed to be taken aback by her words. He then gently lifted her up and talked in a quiet and serious voice. "I swear by my friendship with you that I will."
The rest of the ponies gawked at the pair in amazement. Even Rainbow Dash had to land and shake her head.
Fluttershy turned to look a Twilight. "I'm sure it'll be okay."
"Here it goes." Twilight said. Her horn glowed for a moment and the words did the same on the paper. A tiny bit of smoke left the paper as the letters burned themselves into it. She then rolled it up and put it into her saddlebag. "I think I'll hold on to this, if it's okay with you."
Discord looked at her, and then at Rainbow Dash. "Done and done." With a snap of his fingers, the wings on Rainbow Dash's back vanished and re-appeared in a small glass cube in his claw. "My, you really do preen admirably well."
Rainbow Dash sat on the ground, the reality of the situation slowly sinking in. "Umm, take good care of them, okay?"
He tossed the cube in the air, then fumbled it and only managed to catch it mere inches from the ground. "Oh, no need to worry."
Rainbow Dash could only swallow the giant lump down her throat.
The ponies cleaned up the picnic and went their separate ways. Applejack and Rainbow Dash ended up trotting along the tiny path leading away from the meadow.
"Ah'm not too sure about this, Sugarcube. I wouldn't trust that Discord further than I can spit."
"Aww, it's nothing." Rainbow Dash said. "It's not like this is the first time he's taken my wings away either, and he gave them back then. And you made me run the Running of the Leaves without them too."
"Huh. I didn't even think about that." She took a long look at the Ex-Pegasus. "Still, you do look kinda off without your wings. Can't imagine what it feels like."
"Chilly."
"Huh?"
"It feels chilly! I mean, I'm used to having them on my sides all the time. It's like wearing a sweater, you know?" Her teeth chattered involuntarily, despite the warm weather. "See?"
Applejack laughed a bit at her. "Maybe I could lend you one of them woolies Granny Smith makes us for every Hearth's Warming. Celestia knows we've got a-plenty."
"I think I'll manage." They came to a crossroads halfway between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres. "Well, it's been fun but I think I'll go take a nap before I need to get to work."
Rainbow Dash trotted a few more steps before freezing in her tracks.
Applejack casually walked next to her. "Ah'm guessing that'd be you realisin' you can't take a nap on a cloud, on account of not reachin' them."
She could hear Rainbow Dash swallowing.
"And that's you figurin' out that you can't go to work on the weather with no wings, eh RD?"
A sad whinny escaped the cyan Pegasus.
Applejack turned around and trotted a few steps towards her farm before looking over her shoulder. "If you ask real nice, Ah'll put you up for the night. Y'all have to work for it, of course."
Rainbow Dash's head drooped down. "This is gonna suck."
Rainbow Dash kicked the apple tree as hard as she could. It barely budged, let alone dropped any fruit.
Next to her, Applejack easily filled a large basket with fallen apples from her tree before moving onto the next one.
Determined not to lose, Rainbow Dash gathered all her strength and leaned forward, coiling her whole body for a kick. She hit the tree, but ricocheted forward. The ground started coming at her face, but she just casually flicked her wings to dodge it. When that failed, she drew a deep gorge in the ground with her muzzle instead.
Applejack turned around when she heard the thud. "RD, if you want to help Big Macintosh with ploughing, just say so."
"Mmmph." Rainbow Dash clambered back onto her hooves. "What's with these trees!? I hit it as hard as I can and it didn't drop a single apple! Is it some secret Earth Pony trick or something?"
"Beg ya pardon?"
"Yeah, like, are your hooves magic or something? I know I'm not that much weaker than you, so what gives?"
"Earth Pony magic?" Applejack said in a hollow voice. "Is that what you think it is?"
"Err, it isn't?"
"Now lissen' here, RD. That Earth Pony magic is me knowin' what tree to kick and how. That there tree y'all been kickin' ain't ripe yet. Even if it was, y'all are kicking it on the wrong side on account of it growin' in an angle. It's also shorter and sturdier than the other trees around and it grows in the shadow so it wants to keep ahold o' its apples tighter than the others."
"You coulda told me that!"
"Well, y'all never asked." Applejack turned around and kicked another tree, barely dodging the torrent of fruit raining around her.
Rainbow Dash walked to her. "Okay. What's up."
Applejack looked at her, then back to her work. "Ah don't know what yer talkin' about."
"You're the worst liar I know, AJ. You're angry at me for something, so spit it out."
Applejack turned back around again. To Rainbow Dash's surprise, she could see actual tears in her friend's eyes. "What's wrong? Rainbow Dash, do you understand how insultin' y'all have been today?"
"What!?"
"Y'all heard me!"
"What the hay are you on about?"
"This dare of yours? No wings for a day or two? To show how tough you are?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"You are the single, thickest pony Ah've ever seen, Rainbow Dash! You ask to live a day without wings and think it's some achievement? To live a day just like every single Earth Pony in Equestria?"
Rainbow Dash stared at her with an open mouth. She felt like she'd been hit in the face.
"That's right," Applejack continued. "Then you come to my home when I offer you a place to stay, and what do you do? You go accusin' me of usin' magic."
"That's the problem? I didn't mean it like that!"
"Lissen' here an' lissen good. The fact of the matter is that us Earth Ponies ain't got no wings or fancy horns. All we got are our four hooves. That's all we got and that's what we live by. There ain't no Earth Pony magic. It's all just hard work and learnin' from doin'."
Rainbow Dash sat down onto the ground, the last bit of gusto knocked out from her. "Applejack, I didn't mean it like that. You know I don't think like that. You're my friend!"
Applejack walked in front of her and offered a hoof. She took it and was lifted back up. "Ah know you don't, Sugarcube. Ah didn't need to snap at you either. Y'all just got under mah skin just now."
"Sorry about that."
"Look, Ah know it ain't the same as havin' wings and not being able to use them. Same as me havin' a lame leg or a blind eye. But don't for a moment go thinkin' that there was something us Earth Ponies got that Pegasi or Unicorns didn't."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "I won't."
"Now, why don't Ah teach you how to buck apples the proper way?"
Her legs ached. Her back ached even more. Those were nothing compared to the chill.
Rainbow Dash was lying in the hayloft above the Sweet Apple Acres' barn. It was brand new, yet she felt like a constant wind was blowing through it.
"This. Totally. Sucks," she said through chattering teeth. The thin blanket Applejack had given her felt completely useless. "This is stupid! I can fly a mile high and it isn't this cold." For the hundredth time she tried to use her wing muscles to catch some air under her wings, but nothing happened. She could practically feel the wings, but when she looked, they weren't there. They were like two phantoms teasing her.
She'd never admit to her friends how bad she felt. The whole dare felt like the stupidest thing in the world.
"I guess I could go talk to Discord and ask for my wings back. I mean, I already went almost a full day without them. Well, half a day. But still. He'd totally tell me I'm as tough as..."
The image of a tiny orange filly filled her mind. Jumping in joy when she watched her perform her wildest routines, cheering her on.
"I guess it can wait until morning."
She tried to bury herself deeper into the hay. The wind howled against the walls of the barn, joined by the timberwolves in the distance.
"This. Sucks."
The morning came. A rooster crowed somewhere nearby, shaking Rainbow Dash awake from her thin veil of sleep. Her eyes ached and she had to cough the hay dust out from her lungs. She rolled onto her stomach and stretched her back, followed by her wings. Except there were no wings. It was then that she remembered everything that had happened the day before. She crawled to the edge of the loft and looked down. It was maybe ten feet to the ground—just a tiny flutter of her wings, usually. This time she had to turn around and force her hind legs over the edge, then slowly inch herself backwards until they found the first rung. She remembered how the ladder had been so much easier to climb upwards than downwards. She glanced down over her shoulder, and the floor looked as if it was miles away. Her heart beat like crazy for fear of falling.
"A Pegasus afraid of falling. How stupid is that?"
It took her over a minute to descend. Finally back on the ground, she sat down to catch her breath. The ladder looked far shorter and less intimidating from bottom. She gave it a quick kick to show who the boss here was, only to end up hobbling out of balance on just one hoof. She ended up falling down onto her back on the floor.
"Up and at 'em!" Applejack called out from the farmhouse proper. "Soup's on!"
Food. That was the one totally awesome thing about being at the Acres. Nopony in the whole town made better food than the Apples. Yesterday's dinner had been bigger and tastier than anything she was used to eating. She had gotten so used to grabbing some fast food or just making a sandwich and downing it with a protein shake that getting a full warm meal with freshly baked bread felt like heaven. Her stomach grumbled in agreement, and she set off for the awaiting breakfast.
Applejack met her at the farmhouse's door. "G'morning RD."
"Hey, AJ. What's for breakfast?" Rainbow Dash just got a long look from her friend. "What?"
"You look like you'd slept in a barn, that's all."
"Very funny."
"Go wash up. Can't let you in looking like that."
"What do you mean looking like..." Rainbow Dash noticed the stray strand of hay dangling from her mane. "Oh."
"Eeeyup."
"You wouldn't happen to have some extra rain clouds stashed around somewhere?" she asked with a pathetic attempt of a grin.
"Nnnope. But the well's over there."
"Well? As in—"
"Freezing cold fresh water. Nothing quite like it to get you goin' in the mornin'! Now hop to it or the porridge'll get cold!"
"Wait, porridge? What about fresh-baked bread? Apple fritters?"
"Don't be silly. Those are for dinner. Porridge is the best thing to start off a hard day of work!"
Rainbow Dash just shook her head and gave up.
The wellwater had been horrible. The porridge was at least still warm when she got back. She also got a shared giggle from the assembled Apple family thanks to her wet mane.
"Hey come on! I usually dry it with a twenty-gee tornado twist. Just... shaking it didn't work."
Apple Bloom was still staring at her empty sides. She decided to pretend she didn't notice. They'd told her the foal-friendly version of what had happened. 'A grown-up game' was what they'd called it. She'd accepted it with a shrug, but she still kept staring.
"Apple Bloom! Stop it!" Applejack said.
The filly jumped up on her chair. "Ah'm sorry!"
"It's not polite to stare."
"Ah'm sorry! It just looks so strange."
"You're telling me," Rainbow Dash said to her porridge. She'd walked past a large mirror in the farmhouse foyer and almost screamed when she'd seen what she looked like. For one, she looked a lot thinner than Applejack. The wings usually gave her some bulk, but now she looked almost scrawny in comparison to the farm pony family. Granny Smith had also commented about her needing to eat more and her looking unhealthy, which didn't help.
"So, ready for another day of applebuckin'?" Applejack asked.
"Err, I was actually thinking of maybe going to town today. I mean, I have to report to the weather team office." She sighed when another realisation hit her. "They're gonna laugh their flanks off." She noticed Applejack staring at her. "Is it okay?"
Her friend just smiled at her. "You're a grown mare. You're welcome to do whatever."
Rainbow Dash let out the breath she hadn't even noticed she was holding.
"But..." Applejack continued. The grin spreading on her face made Rainbow Dash's heart skip a beat. "...it just so happens that today is market day, so you might as well help me draw our apple cart to town."
"Is that all? No sweat! It'll just take a few minutes, ri..." Her brain caught up to her once more. "On the ground, right?"
"Eeeyup," the whole Apple family said in unison, before bursting into laughter. If Rainbow Dash didn't know better, she might have imagined some schadenfreude mixed somewhere in there.
It didn't take just a few minutes. It took over an hour. Rainbow Dash was covered in sweat from pulling the cart when she finally reached the marketplace. Added to her already wet mane, she must have looked like something crawling up from the depths of the sea. Usually a Pegasus would have just used their natural magic to make a cart weightless before pulling it over great distances in the sky. Now the few miles from the farm to the town felt like a thousand to her. When she finally pulled the cart next to Applejack's stall, she could only fall on the ground.
"Well, you sure took your sweet time."
Rainbow Dash was so out of breath that she couldn't even answer. Applejack silently uncoupled her from the cart.
"Still, a job well done, RD. Ah'm mighty proud of you today."
"Err, thanks?"
"Now, off you go. If you still ain't got your wings back tonight, you're welcome to crash at the farm again."
"Really? And I don't need to work for hours for that?"
"Ah reckon y'all have earned your keep for a few nights. Hay, I would have let you stay for free if you weren't actin' like a mule."
"Who are you calling a mule, farmer girl?"
They stared into each other's eyes with a murderous glare, before they both burst out laughing.
"Anyway. Thanks for letting me stay the night, AJ." She looked around quickly so that nopony would hear her. "And, uhh, thanks for the other stuff too."
The smile she got from Applejack was all the answer she needed. She waved her goodbye and headed for the weather office.
The weather office was just outside the town. It usually took Rainbow Dash only a few seconds to get there from the marketplace. This time, it took her almost a quarter of an hour as she had to navigate the crowded streets and find her way after getting lost several times. She didn't enjoy the weird looks she got from ponies who recognised her (meaning everypony in town) and didn't see her wings on her back. It made her feel naked. For a moment she thought of visiting Rarity and maybe buyi...borrowing a cape or something to cover her back.
"That would be kinda cheating though," she muttered to herself and walked on.
She finally made it to her workplace. It was a low wooden building set on a low hill with a good view of the surrounding sky without any other buildings in the way. Her next shift would be late afternoon, so she wasn't too worried about being late for work. She ducked inside, dodging the few ponies in queue to make requests or complaints about the weather schedule.
Flitter and Cloudchaser lifted their gazes up and yelled "Morning, boss!" to her before returning to their paperwork. Their heads then shot back up in unison. "Wait, where are your wings?"
"Long story. Sorry, girls, but I have to take today off."
"No. Nu-uh," Cloudchaser circled around her table and came to stand in front of her. "You are not doing this. Not today! Thunderlane called in sick, Blossomforth is taking care of a family matter and we have a huge order of rainclouds for tonight." She poked a hoof into Rainbow Dash's chest. "I've been here since before sunrise and so has my sister and we're due to finish in a few hours, so there's nopony else to do that."
"Could you, uhh, do a little overtime?" Rainbow Dash asked. She hated these administrative duties she'd been stuck with after being made the head of the weather team.
"We were gonna hit the spa and I have my martial arts class tonight. There's just no way!"
Rainbow Dash knew where this was going. She wasn't that stupid. "Okay. How much."
"Triple pay and a shift off next week."
"Triple? You gotta be kidding me!"
"I still have to pay the reservation fee for the spa and this is coming on short notice, so yeah. Triple."
"And a day off?"
"The Wonderbolts just announced an extra show in Ponyville for next Saturday. We wanna go. It's also scheduled for clear skies, so it's an easy day."
Rainbow Dash slammed her forehooves onto Cloudchaser's shoulders. "Wait, Wonderbolts? The Wonderbolts? Why wasn't I told!?"
Her hooves were casually brushed off. "You just were. We only got the message today. There was some mix-up with the mail."
"Omigosh! The Wonderbolts! In Ponyville! I gotta reserve tickets and—"
"Boss. If me and Flitter are going to have the day off, guess who has to be on duty?"
Rainbow Dash's face went pale. "No! Nononononono! You can't be serious! It's, like, the Wonderbolts! What if they have a, I dunno, tryout for the team or something?"
"Hmph. Suit yourself. At least I know I'll get to enjoy the spa today."
"Urgh!" Rainbow Dash facehoofed. "Fine. You win."
Cloudchaser threw her hooves around Rainbow Dash's neck in a tight hug. "You're the best, boss!"
Rainbow Dash left the weather office in a mood even fouler than the one she'd had the night before. Applejack had been pretty cool in the morning, so she'd been feeling a lot better, but now she had decided that the world officially hated her.
"I really need to clear my head," she said to nopony in particular, and took off. Or rather jumped up and down a few times, before remembering her predicament once again. An elderly Earth Pony couple walked past her and gave her an amused look.
"Heh... gotta... stretch those muscles before going for a... jog! Yeah! That's right. I'm gonna go for a jog. Heheh." Without waiting for an answer, she shot off down the hill at full gallop. After she was sure the couple couldn't see her any more, she eased into a more steady trot.
"Hay, maybe I could go for a jog. I need to do some exercise anyways." She decided to take a lap around the pond for starters and set off. Running with no cart behind her or a throng of ponies to hinder her made her feel a lot better. Her heart pounded and her hooves, still tired from the day before, ached, but it was the good kind of ache that always got better from some physical exertion. Before long, the pond came into view. Her muscles had warmed up and her mood was rapidly getting better and she started contemplating on where to head for next, when she saw the foals.
A group of three schoolfillies were playing on a low ridge overlooking the pond. It wasn't too high, but the drop was still several feet. The fillies were playing a game of tag and one of them was already precariously close to the edge. She could see everything happen in slow motion as the dirt gave way underneath the filly and she plummeted down to the water below. She surfaced again soon, trashing in panic and yelling. "Help! I can't swim!" before vanishing again.
"Time for a Dash of heroics it seems," Rainbow Dash called to herself and took off at a full sprint. She leapt over the water, spread her wings, and unceremoniously landed belly first into the pond. The last thing she saw before going under was a bright streak of blue and gold cutting through the sky. When she got back to the surface, she saw a large stallion with a pair of the most magnificent wings she'd ever laid eyes upon, clad in a Wonderbolt uniform, putting the fallen filly on the shore. There was no way she wouldn't recognise him immediately.
"Soarin'? OMIGOSH IT'S SOARIN'!" she squealed, forgetting to paddle for a moment and getting her mouth full of water. After coughing it out, she was able to open her eyes up again. And there, standing on the strand just a few feet from her, was one of her greatest idols.
"You okay in there, Miss?" He asked in a voice that could make a mare swoon. "I saw you jumping in from above, but I thought it was better to save the little filly as fast as I could."
"You were totally awesome!" she exclaimed from the water. "I mean, I could have totally saved her."
"Don't worry, she's safe. Told her off for playing around water if she couldn't swim, though. Lucky for her there were two heroic ponies there to look after her."
"Yeah." She couldn't help but blush at the compliment.
"Hey... don't I know you? Aren't you Rainbow Dash? From the Young Flier competition!"
"Yes, sir, Lieutenant Soarin', sir! I'm also a member of the Wonderbolts Academy!" she exclaimed while saluting him.
"That's right! Spitty told me you were racking up all kinds of records a while back."
"So, uhh, what are you doing in Ponyville, sir?"
He shook her head slightly and smiled. "We're not in the Academy now, cadet. No need for 'sirs'. Just call me Soarin'."
"Yes, sir, I mean, Soarin'!"
"I'm checking out Ponyville for our next week's performance."
"I heard you were coming here! I, uhh, hope to get to see the show!" she said, before adding, "If I can push my shift onto that lazy Thunderlane."
"Do you live around here?"
"Me? Yeah. Ponyville's my home."
"That's awesome. Hey, umm, are you busy today? I mean, I could use someone local to show me around and maybe find a nice place for the show. You up for it? I hear you're pretty good with tricks, so maybe we could get in some practice together too?"
"Practice? With one of the most amazingest Wonderbolts? That'd be totally cool!"
"Heh. I'm just a Pegasus like you. No need to put me on a pedestal or anything."
"Just a normal... Pegasus..." Rainbow Dash's mood did a complete one-eighty. "Umm, hanging around with you would be, like, a dream come true and stuff, but... I'm kinda busy today. I mean, I would really, really like to, but..."
"I understand. Didn't mean to put you on the spot."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash slunk lower into the water, only leaving her eyes above the surface.
"Well, it was nice to see you again. I'm sure we'll see each other again. As far as I hear, you're bound to be a Wonderbolt soon."
She answered him with a few bubbles floating up from her mouth.
"Anyways. Gotta soar. Have a lot of ground to cover today and, well, to be honest, I wanted to check if there was a certain pony selling apple pies at the market today too. Well, see ya!" He took off into the sky, flattening the grass around where he'd stood just moments before.
Rainbow Dash waited for several seconds before she screamed all of her frustration into the water. She thrashed around in fury, splashing water everywhere. It took several minutes for her to compose herself and crawl out of the pond.
"That's it. I'm done. I'm gonna go see Discord and ask for my wings back. Today's officially the worst. Day. Ever."
The once-again drenched and shivering Ex-Pegasus made her way to Fluttershy's cottage. It was on the complete opposite side of the town, so it took her the best part of an hour to get there. She wasn't in a hurry. In fact, she was hesitating with every step. She'd have to admit to that smug draconequus that he'd been right and that she wasn't as tough as Scootaloo. It had barely taken her a day without wings to give up.
"Heck, at least now I know how Scootaloo feels. That filly sure doesn't have it easy."
When she rounded that bell tower near her friend's house, she could already hear Fluttershy's uncharacteristically loud voice.
"Put him down this instant! I'm not going to ask again!"
Her interest piqued, Rainbow Dash hurried to the cottage.
"My dear, I was just trying to help your bear friend experience something new!"
Rainbow Dash turned the last corner and saw the scene unfolding behind Fluttershy's cottage. She could see Fluttershy in the air next to Discord. He was holding Harold, Fluttershy's bear friend, in his hands. And on Harold's back were...
"I understand, Discord. But you still shouldn't put Rainbow Dash's wings onto Harold!"
"HEY!" The former owner of the wings in question shouted. "What do you think you're doing with those?"
Discord immediately set the bear free and the wings vanished, returning to the empty cube sitting on a bench nearby. "Why, nothing, my dear Element of Loyalty. They have never left their holding place."
Rainbow Dash wanted to charge the grinning draconequus, but had to stop to unceremoniously climb over the low fence surrounding Fluttershy's yard. "You said that you wouldn't do anything with the wings!"
"My dear little kiwi, our deal said I wouldn't let anything bad happen to them. I think letting various animals try flying for a while is actually a very good thing!"
"Yeah, well, the joke's over. I want them back."
"Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?" Fluttershy landed next to her friend with a worried expression.
"No. I'm not okay. Going without wings totally sucked. So give them back."
Discord slithered down to the ground, making sure to come within inches of Rainbow Dash's face. He leaned into his hands and smiled wickedly. "No."
"What!? But I'm calling the deal off! Give them here, you creep!"
He once again grinned. "No. I will not."
"What are you doing, Discord?" Fluttershy asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and fear.
"Exactly what I said, my dear Fluttershy. I'm refusing to give this blue chicken here her wings back."
"We made a deal!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Oh, yes. So we did. Good thing I brought a copy with me." A white curly barrister wig appeared on his head and a magnifying glass in his claw. Finally, he opened the table next to them as if it was a briefcase and procured the incriminating document for the court. "Allow me to read the contract we made:
Until such a time as Rainbow Dash proves to me, Discord, that she is just as tough as Scootaloo, I, Discord, shall hold her wings in safe keeping. Nothing bad will happen to her wings during that time. Rainbow Dash can ask for Discord to return her wings at any time before this time."
"There! See? Says I can ask you to give them back any time."
"Why yes, my dear. So it does." His eyes closed halfway into a dangerous glare. "Doesn't say I have to give them back, though."
"WHAT!?" Rainbow Dash grabbed the scroll and read it again. "But... that's... that's..."
"Exactly what it says there, is it not?"
"Discord! I am very disappointed with you," Fluttershy flew up to him. "Just please give Dash's wings back to her."
"Alas, if it were so easy, I would. But the contract says that I can not do so before she has proven her toughness to me." A pair of handcuffs appeared around his wrists. "I'm afraid my hands are tied. I can't go against the contract. Your friend made sure of that."
"We'll see about that. I'll... argh!" Rainbow Dash huffed. She galloped full tilt for Ponyville.
The two ponies were sitting on the floor of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle read the contract over one more time while Rainbow Dash fidgeted with her forehooves.
"I'm afraid he's right, Rainbow Dash," Twilight Sparkle said.
"What? But he can't be!"
"I'm sorry, Dash. The spell I cast really does make it binding and he can't return your wings before the condition is met." She looked down at her hooves. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have seen through his trick, but instead I just played into his trap."
"Urgh! I hate him so much!" Rainbow Dash shot up and paced around. "How can I even prove something like that to him for pony's sake? I thought it was about me walking a mile in somepony else's horseshoes."
"I think it still is."
"Whaddya mean?"
"Well, we were all fooled into the dare, but I still think it's possible for you to prove he's wrong."
"Like, some loophole in the contract?"
"I can't think of one right now, but I'll keep on thinking about it. But, in the meantime, I think you should keep on trying."
"Trying what?" Rainbow Dash threw her hooves in the air. "I already know going without wings sucks. What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, I'm not sure what Discord is really up to, but maybe you should do other things apart from flying. Try different things and see if you can prove to him that you can be yourself even without your wings. Isn't that what the whole dare was about?"
Rainbow Dash sat back down. "I was afraid you'd say that."
"If it helps, I don't think something like this will slow you down."
Rainbow Dash lifted her head up. "You're right. I'm the most awesome pony in Ponyville! I'm not going to let him win that easily! I'll show him just what I can do!"
A week went by.
Every day Rainbow Dash tried something new. She worked another day at the farm, helped Twilight with sorting out books and modeled for Rarity. They baked a huge cake with Pinkie Pie. At the end of every day, she would go to Discord. She'd show him what she'd accomplished. He'd listen carefully, nod, and then tell her:
"Yes. You sure were amazing today. But you're still not as tough as Scootaloo."
She didn't give up. She decided to be even more awesome. She helped tame a lion that wandered into Ponyville, watched over the Cake twins for several hours, won a featherweight title in wrestling, and even helped Roseluck plant flowers to show she had a softer, yet just as awesome, side. But to no avail. Discord still refused to acknowledge her. No amount of coercing from Fluttershy or threats from the rest of Rainbow Dash's friends had any effect on him. He even seemed to get more and more bored of the whole thing every day. The pair of azure wings were always there on show. Discord would toy with them as he listened to her achievements, but even that seemed to start to lose interest to him. The day before the Wonderbolt show, he didn't even bother to pick it up when he listened to Rainbow Dash.
"And then I carried the huge sofa upstairs all on my own. And the ponies were still sitting on it! You've got to admit that's amazing!"
"Yes, yes, quite," Discord said and sighed. "But you're still not as tough as..." another theatrical sigh, "...Scootaloo."
Both Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle sighed as well. They were at the former's cottage, and the latter had demanded to be present whenever Rainbow Dash talked with Discord to make sure there would be no foul play.
"Okay. Fine. Well, then I—"
"Oh, please do spare me from your gloating! It's coming out of my ears!" A few miniature blue Pegasi poured out from his ear. He leaned to the side and knocked his head with a claw to get the last one to come out. "Maybe you should admit that you aren't as tough as that little filly and just give up?"
"Give up? But... I'm tough! I mean, I've been doing amazing stuff for over a week! Nothing that's required me to fly! Isn't that what this whole thing was about? Me showing you I can be amazing without wings?"
"Yes. You have really outdone yourself. But still, you're nowhere even close to the filly."
"How do you even know how tough she is!?" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You don't even know her! Not like I do!"
"So, you know her well?"
"Yeah, well, she's my number one fan. We hang out together all the time. She even called me her big sister."
"Please... hold... on... must..." Discord clutched at his chest, then opened it up, took out his heart and turned a key behind it to get it going again. He then tossed it back inside. "Ahh. Much better. So very touching."
"She's the most awesome filly I know! She can't fly, but she does amazing things with her scooter. And they do pretty crazy stuff with her friends too."
"Sounds like she's plenty amazing, yes."
"Gah! This isn't getting us anywhere! I'll be back tomorrow. I'll show you!"
"Oh, please don't bother."
"What? But—"
"I am going to be busy tomorrow. We are going to go watch the Wonderbolts perform." Blue-and-gold flags appeared in his hands. "Go Spitfire! Go Soarin'!"
"Oh... yeah. The show." Rainbow Dash sat down on the ground.
"The best fliers in Equestria, I hear."
"Yeah. They're totally awesome. Hay, Soarin' even told me that I'm sure to join them soon."
"Even with your little, how should I say, disadvantage?"
"That's different. I'll just make you eat your words and admit I'm as tough as they come. I mean, this stupid game's gone on for too long as is."
"Oh, I most certainly agree on that part. This isn't any fun at all." He blew on a party whistle that just let out a sad little whine.
"Well then, you could just admit I'm tough and that'd be it. We could just move on and I'd get back to actually living my life. Can you believe they sacked me from the weather team? I mean, I was still doing all the bossy stuff, but now they're having Thunderlane do it. Thunderlane, for pony's sake!"
"Controlling the weather really requires a lot of flying," he said.
Twilight's eyes shot open behind them. She was almost about to say something, but took a deep breath and remained silent. Fluttershy looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Twilight just shook her head at the Pegasus and pointed at the talking duo. Neither Rainbow Dash nor Discord seemed to have noticed that they were sitting side by side and looking at the horizon.
"Yeah, but I've done it, like, a thousand times. They just wanted to cut on costs because I couldn't do the shifts."
"Well, what use is a flightless Pegasus in a job like that?" He asked.
Rainbow Dash lifted her head up with a challenging glare on her face, but Discord didn't even seem to notice. Her expression slowly softened into a frown. "Yeah, well, at least I can work at the farm. AJ's been really nice about that and the food's great."
"Yet," Discord interrupted, "Not flying."
"Yeah."
They sat in silence for a moment. "Have you found a new place to live in?" Discord asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, I imagine you can't live at your friends' homes forever. I mean, they surely welcome you with open hooves, but you must understand you'll become a nuisance after a while."
"But I have a home! It's just... a bit hard to reach right now."
"It must be so hard not to sleep in your own bed every night."
Discord turned around and winked at the two other ponies present. Fluttershy was about to admonish him, but to her surprise, Twilight put a hoof in front of the Pegasus' mouth and quietly shook her head. Fluttershy let out a tiny 'eep' but didn't say anything.
"Yeah. There's no other bed like it. I got the cloudstuff specially made at the weather factory for the mattress. There's just no substitute for the real thing, you know." She sighed. "I really miss it."
"I'm sure you'll get to sleep in it again soon enough," Discord said. He actually patted Rainbow Dash on the back. "To be honest, I'm, maybe, just slightly, sorry for this."
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked up at him.
"Well, I did want you to see for yourself how it feels like not to be able to fly, but seeing you like this is just not fun at all."
"And... you really can't change the contract."
Discord shook his head.
They both sat in silence for a long time. "What... what if..." Rainbow Dash begun. "What if I don't manage to impress you? I mean, you're some weird chaos thing. What if... well, you've seen everything possible, so... what if I can't do it?"
"Hmm?" Discord backed down from her slightly. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I've done everything I can to show you how awesome I am, but you've hardly even noticed. I'm not... I'm not sure there's anything more I can do."
"But if you never succeed, then doesn't that mean that..." He left the sentence in the air.
"That... that I'll never be able to fly again?" Her eyes shot open. "That... I'd... I'd really have to move out from my home? And... I couldn't get back to the weather team or... or even join the Wonderbolts? Like, ever?!" She looked up at the draconequus. "That can't be true, can it?"
Discord just looked at her, pity clear in his face. "Seems like that."
"But... I don't want that. I... I have to fly! That's... that's what I'm good at! I mean, ever since I've been a filly I've wanted to be a Wonderbolt! It... it can't end like this? With a stupid paper?"
"There isn't anything I can do," Discord said.
"But... but..." Tears begun to flow from Rainbow Dash's eyes. "That can't happen, right? I mean... it just can't, right? I... flying is my life!"
"Yes. It is, isn't it. At this rate, you'll never fly again. No weather team, no home, no Wonderbolts, no races, no naps on clouds..." Discord leaned right next to her ear. "Not even showing your stunts to Scootaloo."
"NO!" Rainbow Dash falls onto the ground. "P-please! There has to be something you can do, right? We can fix the contract? Y-you're good at stuff like this?"
"No, Rainbow Dash. There's nothing he can do." It was Twilight's turn to talk. "You made the deal and it clearly says you will not get your wings back. I'm sorry, but it doesn't look good."
"Twilight... what are you..?" Fluttershy asked. Even Discord looked taken aback with her intervention.
"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but it seems like Rainbow Dash will not be able to fly any more," Twilight Sparkle said.
"NO!" Rainbow Dash shouted, her last remnants of self-control vanishing. She curled up into a ball on the ground, her eyes flowing with tears. "Please! I... I can't live without my wings! Please just... let me have my wings back! Please! I'll do anything, just... let me have my wings back!"
She bawled like a foal, desperately begging for things to be different. For something, anything to happen to change the situation. But she knew there was nothing she could do. She'd be grounded for the rest of her life and it was all because of her own stupidity.
Then she heard it. The slow clap of mismatched hands. She sniffled and looked up to see Discord slowly clapping at her. Next to him, she saw Twilight Sparkle grinning at her, and Fluttershy looked at her in amazement.
"W-what?"
"Well you really took your time with it, didn't you?" Discord said. "Now maybe I can finally do something more interesting?" He produced an ancient yellow poplin jacket and a wide-brimmed hat from somewhere. "Some ponies can be so slow on the uptake sometimes. Makes me wonder why I even bother." He walked to the chicken coop and pressed an invisible button. Soon, a loud 'ding' rang out and he stepped inside the coop, which inexplicably descended into the ground, returning empty a few seconds later.
Rainbow Dash only now noticed the familiar weight of her wings on her back. "Wha... I don't get it."
"The conditions of the contract were met, Rainbow Dash. You got your wings back," Twilight Sparkle explained.
"What the hay is going on here?"
Twilight Sparkle massaged her temples for a moment, setting her level of communication to 'little foal'. "The condition was for you to be just as tough as Scootaloo."
"But I just broke down! I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to fly! I wasn't tough at all!"
"Maybe now you understand how Scootaloo actually feels?" Twilight said. "She doesn't show it, but she must be really scared about the future all the time. She doesn't know if she can ever learn to fly or not. Now you actually, honestly, know how it feels."
"It... it sucks." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Wait... were you in on this thing?"
Twilight actually looked a bit hurt. "Of course not! I figured it out just a moment ago when Discord started reminding you of all the things you might lose if you never flew again. He did... something similar to me a while back too."
"Well... he's a... a... TOTAL! JERK!" Rainbow Dash shouted. A few birds flew out from the trees nearby.
"Oh, my, I hope they weren't in the middle of their dinner," Fluttershy whispered.
Twilight walked next to Rainbow Dash and nuzzled her. "Yes. Discord isn't a good person by any stretch of the imagination. But he isn't evil either. He wanted to teach you something important, and I think that despite it being hard for you, it was something you needed to find out for yourself."
Rainbow Dash's head slumped. She brushed away the rest of the tears still on her face. "I... guess."
"And think of it this way. You'll get to sleep in your own bed tonight."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, trying to get comfortable with them again. "I think I need to do something else first, though."
She rocketed off into the sky without another word.
The sun was already low in the sky when she found Scootaloo. The filly had built a ramp from some loose boards and a barrel, and was jumping from it with her scooter. Rainbow Dash stayed behind a tree to watch for a moment. Scootaloo did jumps, twists, turns, and even a flip over the ramp, sometimes landing perfectly, sometimes falling face first into the ground. Every time she crashed, she climbed back up onto her scooter and tried again. Finally, she leaned onto the handlebar and her wings buzzed like an engine. She accelerated, her scooter hitting the ramp with a loud thud. She was sent airborne, and she performed a perfect double-flip, her scooter screeching to a halt on the hard-packed dirt as she landed.
"Nice moves, Squirt," Rainbow Dash finally called out.
The filly took off her helmet and flashed her idol the widest grin she'd ever seen. "Rainbow Dash! Did you see me just now?"
"Sure did!"
"First time I got it right! I just usually end up falling head first into the ground." She presented her helmet up. "See? You can actually see the dents!"
"Good thing you got that thing. Would hate to see your head look like a soft apple."
Scootaloo smirked at her, then clearly tried to get a glimpse of the older mare's sides.
Rainbow Dash instinctively flared her wings out. They had never felt so good. She ruffled Scootaloo's mane and then walked with her to the top of a nearby hill. They sat down and silently watched the sun go down. Rainbow Dash turned to look at the filly. "There's gonna be a Wonderbolt show tomorrow. Wanna go together?"
"Would I ever!" Scootaloo hugged her on impulse. Rainbow Dash was always surprised at the feeling she got in her chest whenever the filly was near her. She had to admit it really felt good. "I asked both my parents to go but they have to work. On a Saturday! Oh! I'll have to ask Mom for some bits for the entrance though. I already spent my allowance on new kneepads."
"Don't worry about it, Squirt. I'll make it my treat this time."
"Wow! Thanks." The both looked at each other with wide smiles. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice Scootaloo's gaze drifting to her wings again.
"Spit it out, Scoots."
"Sorry, uhh, it's just that Apple Bloom told me you'd had your wings taken away by Discord. Was she pulling my hoof?"
"No, she wasn't."
"Why? You're the best flyer in Equestria! Why'd you do something like that?"
Rainbow Dash could see the confusion and hurt in Scootaloo's expression. "I needed to see what it feels like when I can't fly."
"That's... weird," Scootaloo said. Her expression told a completely different story.
"It's... well... that is... Remember how I told you that you're still awesome whether you can fly or not?"
The filly looked away and muttered a barely audible "Yeah."
"It's true. You're the toughest, most awesome filly I know."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for a while. Rainbow Dash finally took a deep breath. "Doesn't mean it wouldn't feel bad, and there's nothing wrong with that either."
Scootaloo's head drooped down a bit. After a moment, Rainbow Dash heard a tiny sniffle from her side.
"I know, Scoots. I know."
The little filly tried to put on a brave face when she looked up at her. "I'm sorry! I'm not a crybaby or anything!"
"Scoots, I also know that there's one other thing that wings are good for, apart from flying."
"T-they are?" Scootaloo asked and tried to wipe her eyes with a hoof.
"Yup," Rainbow Dash said, and wrapped her wing around the tiny filly. "I told you I'd take you under my wing, and I'll always be here when you need it."
Under her wing, nopony in the world had to see Scootaloo cry and cling desperately to Rainbow Dash.
Author's Note
Just to start things off: No this is not a "Very Special Fanfic". I wrote it because ever since I saw Flight to the Finish, I've been disgusted. FTTF was a nice episode, but it was so lukewarm that I couldn't actually bring myself to like it. I'm not even talking about the ambiguity on whether Scootaloo should learn to fly. I thought it glossed over the uncertainty and fears she has with just a casual "Doesn't matter cos you're still awesome." To be honest, and I know some might be offended by this, that's something nice for someone who doesn't have a handicap to tell someone who is. It's politically correct, and completely empty. It's something that's said when one means well, but doesn't know what they are talking about.
The people who say that are the same ones who think that having a handicapped person in a story makes it deeper. I had to grit my teeth when I saw the latest poll on EQD. "Does Scootaloo not being able to fly make her a more interesting character?" Why yes, yes it does! Why not ask: "Does Twilight Sparkle having cancer make her a more interesting character?" Yes, yes it does! It STILL doesn't mean that she should get diagnosed with cancer. I hate it how this fandom is so intent on getting 'the feeeeels' to forget that a tiny child's dreams have to be crushed for drama. I wouldn't have thought this fandom to be so cruel.
The nasty truth about things is that you can't really understand what being handicapped actually means if you don't have to live with one. Even family members of someone with a disability or heck, even the _possibility_ of a disability have no idea how to act about them. I wrote this fic because I've lived with mine for over thirty years. I've heard all the empty comments like "Doesn't mean you couldn't do other things" or "You're still awesome, even with your handicap." I've heard those until they're coming out from my ears like little Rainbow Dashes, yet I've never believed them.
No, what only a handful of people have told me has been: "Dude, that sucks. I can't do anything about it, but at least I'll listen." They don't just dismiss the problem. They don't deny it exists by dancing around the issue. They are willing to actually confront the problem with me, help me when I'm down and do it from compassion, not pity or a sense of obligation.
Those are the people I'm proud to call my friends.
