Rainbow Dash flew silently through the air, her rainbow mane and light blue fur contrasting with the dark night sky.
The pegasus was humming idly to herself, when a soft cry picked up in her ears. She looked around for the source, eyes landing on purple mane. It was nearly invisible to the untrained eye.
"Who could that be?" Rainbow asked herself as she began slowly flying down.
She landed without a sound, folding her wings at her sides. She slowly began trotting up to the sobbing filly, reaching out to place a hoof on their back.
They jumped and turned around, showing Rainbow the puffy and red eyes of her familiar "little sister."
"Scootaloo," Rainbow nearly shouted upon seeing the young filly.
"R-Rainbow?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Scootaloo's eyes began to water as she threw her hooves around Rainbow's neck. She sobbed into her chest as Rainbow rubbed a hoof up and down her back.
"It's ok, Scoots. It's ok."
Rainbow nuzzled the filly and sat her down, wrapping a wing around her as she took a seat next to her. Scootaloo was still sniffling as she hugged the feathery appendage closer.
"Now, why are you crying out here all by yourself?"
Scootaloo was about to cry again, but Rainbow's stern yet caring glare made her keep it in. She took a deep breath and began to pour her heart out.
"I can't fly, ok?! And I'll never be able to!"
"Scootaloo, that's not-"
"Yes it is! All I can do is hover less than a foot in the air, before crashing back down. I'm a failure!"
Rainbow was about to say something, but nothing came to mind. Scootaloo didn't notice and continued to rant.
"I'm nothing like you! I-I can't do barrels rolls or dives! I can't even fly up to a cloud! My wings are useless, I should have never been born with them."
Something went off in the back of Rainbow's memory when she saw feathers fall from Scootaloo's wings. She suddenly thought of something to cheer her up or help her at the least.
"You know, I didn't always have these beautiful blue feathered wings or this rainbow mane."
"Of course you did. You even performed a Sonic Rainboom with them," Scootaloo murmured deadpanned.
"But, long before that, I wasn't as awesome as I am now."
"Not helping."
"Sorry, anyway, let me tell you something about my past, Scoots. But my name wasn't always Rainbow and I didn't always have these feathers."
Filly Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as hard as possible, but still only got about half a foot off the ground. She sighed and plopped back down to the cloudy ground.
"Why can't I fly?"
Her mother, Aurora Dusk, wrapped a pale blue hoof around her daughter.
"Now don't say that, Snowy! I'm sure you can do it."
Snowy sniffled and looked into her mothers pink eyes.
"No I can't! I don't create the Northern Lights like you or make shooting stars launch like dad! I don't even have colors in my mane."
Snowy's mane was white, while her mother and father had vibrant manes. Aurora had a rainbow mane made of the brighter colors of the rainbow, fading into each other, while Star had a normal rainbow mane.
"My wings are useless, I should have never been born with them."
Aurora was shocked. Her tomboyish daughter had just said one of the worst things she could possibly think of.
But, the mare sighed, looking out of the window to see the sun finally set over the horizon. She huffed and got up, stretching a bit.
Her eyes landed on Snowy, who was sniffling again.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you watch your father launch the stars."
Snowy's face brightened immediately and she wrapped her hooves around her mothers. Endless amounts of, "Thank you!", poured from the young filly's mouth.
"Well, come on now. He should be starting soon."
Aurora bended down, allowing Snowy onto her back. Snowy bounced up and down excitedly as Aurora lead them out to the roof.
"There he is, Snow!"
Snowy looked up to see a lone cloud high up in the air. A pony could clearly be seen perched atop it. He unfolded his wings and began flying downward with such speed.
"Watch."
"Ya don't have to tell me twice!"
Snowy watched her father, Star Strike, as he started to gain speed. A barrier was forming in front of his hooves, but he continued to fly.
"Almost there! Come on, dad!"
Star continued to flap his wings until he finally broke through the barrier, creating a giant white wave and now a glowing trail following behind him. He went from star to star at blinding speeds, telling the sun princess that the stars were ready for the new ones.
The trail ended with the same cloud he started with. One at a time, the stars blew up and became smaller stars. Some of the star bits flew off, creating the shooting stars.
"Isn't it a beautiful sight, Snow?"
"Sure is, mom."
"That's gonna be me one day," Snowy thought to herself.
Aurora lifted Snowy onto her back and flew them into the house. Instead of landing, she flew them up to Snowys bedroom. She opened the door and set the filly to bed.
"But I'm not tired," Snowy said, yawning mid-sentence.
"Yes you are, my darling little Snowy Dash. Get some sleep now, ok?"
Snowy nodded, her eyes no longer fighting to stay open and slid down safe and sound. Aurora kissed her forehead before turning off the light and walking to her room, finding Star muzzle-first on one of the pillows.
"You're filled her head with dreams, ya know," Aurora said, getting into bed.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, no. I'm just saying that, but she is getting discouraged about flying."
Star's head shot up from the pillow, locking eyes with his wife.
"What do you mean?"
"Today she said her wings were useless and that she should have never been born with them."
Tears suddenly pricked at the sides of Star's eyes, but he shook them away.
"There is no way, Celestia send me to the moon if I'm lying, that our daughter won't be amazing."
"I-I know. Let's just make sure we don't let her get hurt in the process."
"Yeah, alright."
Star kissed his wife goodnight before curling up next to her. He sub-consciously wrapped a hoof around her.
"Is it true? Does our little snowflake...think she'll never fly?"
Snowy Dash sat silently on the cloud as it flew toward flight school. She watched as the landscape below slowly carried on. She smiled small and sighed quietly.
"Hey, look! It's Snowy Crash!"
"For the love of Celestia," Snowy mumbled as she turned around.
Hoops and Dumb-Bell were walking over.
"Hey, there Snowy Crash! How many windows ya break today?"
"She can't break windows."
"Why not?"
"Cause she can't fly!"
The two colts burst out laughing, Snowy snorting and returned to watching the ground roll by. Hoops jabbed her in the chest to get her attention, of which he did not receive.
"Look at me when I'm making fun of you!"
Snowy merely laid down, her light red eyes noting a small orange filly in an apple orchard. Hoops growled and grabbed Snowy by her white mane.
"Hey! Ow!"
"Look, Bell, her name's Snowy, and her mane is blank!"
"So not only are you a blank flank..."
"You're a plain mane, too!"
The bullies chortled as Snowy continued to try and free her mane from their grip.
"If you can fly so well, why don't you show us," Hoops said, dropping Snowy finally.
The filly rubbed her mane, glaring at the two.
"I don't have to. It'd be too amazing anyway."
"Yeah right!"
"Your parents do the amazing stuff! You're just a useless filly!"
Snowy felt tears try to prick at her eyes, but she didn't allow it.
"Take that back!"
"Show us you can do what your parents can!"
"No!"
By now, everyone on the cloud was watching the argument unfold. Snowy was growing more and more hurt and angry as it went on.
"Blank flank!"
"Plain mane!"
"Shut up!"
The colts laughed again, Snowy's tears falling through.
"Look, she's crying!"
"What a baby!"
The colts laughed harder, causing Snowy to growl.
"You wanna see me fly? Fine!"
Snowy walked to the edge of the cloud, unfolding her small wings. She gulped, the ground seeming father away than when she was watching it.
"Go on, Slowy! Fly!"
"I am!"
Snowy looked at the ground again, feeling like she was gonna vomit. Hoops tapped Dumb-Bell, nodding toward Snowy. Dumb-Bell nodded and began running toward the filly.
"Have a nice flight!"
"Wha-"
But Snowy didn't finish, as Dumb-Bell shoved her off the cloud. The foals gasped as they watched Snowy began to plummet to her soon-to-be death.
"Help me! Anypony," Snowy cried.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through her head.
("I'm sure you can do it!")
"Mom?"
Snowy looked around, seeing only herself and the Grim Reaper gripping at her throat. Another message went through her head, this only accompanied with a memory.
("Watch."
"Ya don't have to tell me twice!"
Snowy watched her father, Star Strike, as he started to gain speed. A barrier was forming in front of his hooves, but he continued to fly.
"Almost there! Come on, dad!"
Star continued to flap his wings until he finally broke through the barrier, creating a giant white wave and now a glowing trail following behind him.)
Snowy wiped her tears and furrowed her brow. She straighten herself and put her hooves in front of her. She opened her wings and closed her eyes.
(Snowy was in the air with her parents, her parents holding her up with their hooves. The filly was giggling as she pretended she was flying on her own.
"You'll fly just like us one day," Star said, nuzzling Snowy.
"Do you think I'll be able to make shooting stars? Or create the Northern Lights?"
Aurora chuckled slightly.
"Probably not."
"What? Why?"
"Because that's our job, Snow. Each pony has their own destiny."
"And we're sure yours will come to be soon."
"Oh alright. Do you think it'll be something cool like you guys?"
"Of course, Dashie."
"But until then..."
Her parents stopped flying and hugged her.
"You're our little Snowy Dash.")
Snowy didn't open her eyes, but continued to flap her wings. She began to steady, a barrier forming in front of her hooves.
"She's can't be!"
"Of course not!"
Snowy felt the barrier get tighter, but she continued to fly.
("Our little Snowy Dash.)
Snowy's eyes snapped open and she did a loop, cracking the barrier.
Because it wasn't fully broken, there was no shock wave, but a white trail did follow behind her.
Everypony gasped as they watched the trail, along with Snowy's mane and tail, slowly fade in. Soon the trail was glowing vibrantly and Snowy was flying back up.
The foals parted, allowing her to land. The trails ended the moment she touched cloud. Uproars of applause filled the air, Snowy allowing the praise to go to her head like a speeding bullet.
"I am awesome, aren't I?"
Snowy pulled a pose, causing a strand of hair to fall in front of her face. She was about to blow it back up, when she noticed it was red.
"Oh my Celestia. Somepony give me a mirror!"
A grey filly with a blonde mane gave her pocket mirror. Snowy's mouth went ajar at the sight of her mane.
"It's a rainbow..."
Snowy's smile grew with each passing second.
"Awesome!"
Snowy jumped in the air, her wings flapping as a reflex. She looked back at them and smiled bigger, if possible.
"I got my second set of feathers!"
Snowy cheered and flew in circles, performing tricks and creating a faint rainbow trail behind her.
Aurora and Star landed on the school grounds, looking through the crowd for their daughter.
"I don't see her."
"She made it to school, right?"
"Down here!"
The adults eyes traveled downward to see a rainbow-maned pegasus. She had Snowy's light red eyes and fur color, but she had her second set of feathers.
"Snowy?"
"Yep!"
"But your mane and tail..."
"And your feathers."
"I know! I can finally fly and I have colors in my mane!"
"How did this happen?"
"I don't know exactly how it works, but I look awesome!"
Star and Aurora were baffled, but happy none the less for their daughter. They brought her into a hug, Star ruffling her mane.
"We can't call you Snowy anymore, with that mane of yours."
"How about Rainbow?"
"Sounds simple, but awesome!"
"Rainbow it is then."
They locked in a family group hug.
"Our little Rainbow Dash."
"So ya see, Scoots, I wasn't always the great flyer everypony claims me to be."
Scootaloo wiped a stray tear from her eye, still wrapped up in Rainbow's wing.
"You were just like me, minus the mane thing."
"That's right. I started flying because I believed I could. You have to believe can too."
"A-alright. I will keep believing."
Scootaloo smiled and leaned on Rainbow, who in turn put her chin in her mane.
"You know, you're talent might have nothing to do with flying."
"What?"
"I've seen you fix things, Scoots. You're pretty good at it."
Scootaloo looked down at her flank, than at her scooter. She had to fix that thing a lot with the tricks she does with it.
"Maybe you're right."
"I always am. Now come on, let's get you home."
Scootaloo grabbed her scooter and climbed up on Rainbow Dash's back. The blue mare took to the air and began flying her home.
"Maybe one day, I'll be able to fly like Rainbow," Scootaloo thought to herself.
Scootaloo looked at her wings then up at her mane.
"But for now, I have my orange feathers and purple mane."
