My, Daughter, Maree

For many seconds, everyone stood completely still. Dash wouldn't dare spoil this, one of the most wonderful

moments of her life, with mere words, of which no quantity or quality could ever be sufficient to accurately sum

up her feelings right then and there. Maree's beaming face, perched atop 4 small, shaky legs, was transfixed on

her mother, waiting expectantly for words of approval that wouldn't come, simply because Dash knew they would

never be enough. Dash felt her eyes well up once again, but these new tears; these tears of joy; she had very

little control over, and could not regulate them as she had before. Despite her reluctance, they eventually flowed

freely down her smiling face, and passed her quivering bottom lip. When Maree's excitement finally became too much

to bear, Maree finally spoke up.

"Mommy look!" She squeaked, as though she believed Dash hadn't noticed her at all. Dash knew she could say little

else with her limited vocabulary, and so she too finally broke her silence.

"I see you... I see you Maree!" She finally said, her voice shaky with excitement. "You're doing so good, look at

you!" She took a step forward and crouched down to the ground about 6 feet away from Maree. "Come on, Maree! Come

on over here, I know you can do it!"

Maree's shaky legs got even shakier as she tried shifting her weight off of her front right leg, now

balancing on only 3. She reached out ever so slowly and tentatively, setting her hoof back down just a few inches

in front of her.

"There it is! Your first step! Come on kid, come on Maree! You can do it! You're doing it!" Rainbow Dash continued

to shower Maree with confidence, lending her all the encouragement she could. Maree then tried to bring her

corresponding back leg forward. That's where complications occurred, and Maree's frail little legs gave out, and

she quietly and softly fell to her right side, accompanied by a gentle "oof!"

The moment that lasted forever was finally over, and Dash rose to walk over to her fallen daughter, who's

ear-to-ear grin had receded slightly. She pulled Maree in, embracing her warmly.

"I go boof!" Maree giggled.

"That's okay, Maree, that's okay.." Dash assured her stroking her daughter's mane. "You took one step. one whole

step. Next time, you'll take two steps, and the next time you'll take 4 steps, and the next time..." Rainbow Dash's

voice faded as she sobbed quietly for a second. She hadn't been so out of control of her own emotions in a long

time. It was a little bit frightening, but also incredibly relieving and therapeutic. Finally, she composed herself

and continued. "..And the next time, we'll take you around the whole house. we'll just keep on trying until you

can get anywhere you want, any time you want! Maree, let me tell you, there's a a big world out there, a big, big

world. And the more you walk, the bigger it gets. It's full of amazing things you've got to see, and people you'll

come to know and love. From here on out, your world's going to get just a little bit bigger every day... one step

at a time."

Pinkie Pie, who had been lying on the floor a couple feet away, was profoundly moved by the scene. She

couldn't remember ever seeing Dash get so emotional, nor could she ever remember her ever crying before. She

looked over at a clock on the wall. She knew she had to go soon, but wanted to hold out as long as possible, so

she could be a part of this moment.

There was silence in the room for a minute or so. Dash stopped crying, and calmed herself down.

"I've let myself get caught up in this stupid competition with Paragon, and I've been letting myself get obsessed

with beating him. So much so, I'm missing the true point of what I'm doing here. I already missed my chance to see

Maree crawl for the first time, and I almost missed her first steps just now. I've been treating this parenting

thing like it's just something I do on the side; a hobby I do between shifts at the track. But that's not right at

all. This is my life now, and I need to see that now more than ever. What does it matter if Paragon is better than

me? So what? Maree needs me now, I don't have time to deal with Paragon. From now on, I'll be different. Better.

For Maree."

Pinkie slowly nodded her head in approval. She was seeing a side to Rainbow Dash she had never seen

before: a loving, nurturing, motherly side. And she liked it. This passed while with Maree had really changed her

personality, and Pinkie expected that this change would continue you happen. Dash was becoming a very mature and

responsible mare.

"Dash, I..." Pinkie knew that she really had to leave, but she badly didn't want to go. "I really ought to get

going right about now, I'm needed back at Sugarcube Corner. I'll probably talk to you again pretty soon, right?"

Pinkie finally stood up.

Dash smiled up at her friend. Maree was starting to go to sleep in her arms. "Right. Thanks for everything,

Pinkie." Pinkie started to head down the hall for the door, but stopped right in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey Dash?" She called back.

"Yeah, Pinkie?"

"This is normally when I'd wish you 'good luck', but I don't think you'll need any. I think you'll do just great

without it!"

Dash smiled again. "Thanks, Pinkie."

After that day, time seemed to move a lot faster. Each and every day, Dash spent time with Maree helping

her walk. And she got better at it every day. She took 2 steps, then 4, then 8, then 16. Before long, the days

had turned into weeks, and Maree was walking all over the house unassisted, Which brought Dash unending joy. Soon,

she could run, and even jump. It was a snowball effect of progress; the more she could do, the stronger she got.

And the stronger she got, the more she could do. She was the master of her own legs at last by the time she was

about a year old.

As her teeth continued to grow in, she was eating more and more solids. She was off the formula by the time she

was about 6 months, and it was replaced with baby food reminiscent of apple sauce but of different foods for a little while.

Maree's diet consisted mostly of fruit. When her teeth finally did finish growing in, she ate a lot of apples. She loved the

ones that Dash picked up from Applejack's, and Maree even started accompanying her on the walk. Maree liked to

just take an apple raw, but occasionally she still enjoyed the special apple sauce made by the Apple family.

Maree was talking in complete sentences by the time she was just 16 month old. Slow for her, Dash thought,

but well ahead of anypony she knew. Not long after, Twilight started inviting Maree over for a couple hours every

day to tutor her, giving her lessons on proper speech and math to start, gradually introducing more and more

complex things as she progressed. Twilight, for one, took unending joy in teaching her new student. She never had

to repeat herself. Maree absorbed knowledge as though it were water, and she was the world's driest sponge. Math

came to her remarkably fast, and she could perform basic arithmetic in no time. Language was yet another breeze to

teach her. Maree had almost abolished her 'baby accent' by the time she was about 2, and her words were crystal

clear. She learned to read young, and quickly picked up the habit of reading some of the easier books on

Twilight's shelf. She often stopped to ask how to pronounce a word, and what it means. Twilight was delighted to

see how much progress she was making in such a short time, and at such a young age. She often wondered if perhaps

Maree possessed even more potential for intelligence than herself. She decided if that were true, then she could

only be happier. It is, after all, every teacher's ultimate desire that their student will one day surpass them.

She felt so accomplished becoming Maree's mentor; she herself had been a student for many years under Princess

Celestia, and now she had finally come full circle by becoming Maree's teacher.

Once she was old enough, Dash decided it was time Maree started sleeping in a real bed, as opposed to a

crib. Maree disliked the idea of moving to another room so soon, so Dash compromised; she moved the bed in the

guest room into her own bedroom, and set each bed on either side of the room. Luckily, the Master Bedroom was

fairly large compared to the rest of the house, so both beds fit. It was tough work, and she scuffed up the floor

a bit, but she figured it was worth it to help Maree transition into a new stage in her life. She disassembled the

crib, and was going to throw it away, but decided to put it into the closest, for sentimental reasons. The first

night with Maree's new bed in place was strange. It was the first time they had slept more than an arm's reach

away from each other in years. Maree was visibly upset by the separation.

"Mommy, do I have to sleep way over here? Can't I just sleep over there with you? Just for tonight?" She asked

quietly.

"You know you can't sleep by my side forever. One of these days, you're gonna have to learn to sleep by yourself."

Dash replied softly, but firmly. Truthfully, Dash wasn't sure she was ready for it. She had slept by herself for

many years before Maree came into her life, but now the feeling of sleeping alone seemed so...unnatural. This

would be a period of growth for them both.

"But Mommy, I can barely see you! How will I know you're even there?" Came Maree's worried voice through the dark of

night once more.

"Because I'm always here, Maree. Even if you can't see me, or touch me, I'm still here. I'll always be here." Dash

said soothingly. "Now, get some sleep, you. You're gonna be okay. I promise."

Dash and Maree both started off to bed. Dash had an easier time than Maree, which wasn't to say it was at all

easy. It was stressful not being able to see, feel, or even hear her, despite her being right across the room from

her. She kept feeling around, instinctively, for something to hold, or for something to hold her. But every time

she reached too far, her hoof would only meet the air, and hang over the edge of her bed. Eventually, she started

to relax a little, and started to doze off. At one point she felt something large wriggling next to her, and she

almost jumped right out of bed, but soon enough she realized it was just Maree. She almost told her to go back to

her own bed, but said nothing. Instead, she just went right back to sleep, putting an arm around her daughter. She

knew now that even she wasn't totally ready, and that this would take some time. So, she decided to let Maree sleep

in her bed. Just for tonight.