Rainbow Dash sighed.
Her sister was trying to fly; flapping her wings hysterically, leaping into the air. Her attempts were fruitless, she just wasn't meant to fly.
Rainbow Shine's white coat glistened in the sunlight as she strained her wings, trying to lift up into the air. Her rainbow-colored hair flew into her face.
"I can't do it, Dashie," Shine sniffed. "I can't fwy wike you can."
"Aw, it's okay," her older-by-six-minutes sister replied, kindness in her eyes. "Not every pegasus was meant to fly. You'll find your special talent. I'm sure you can."
"No I won't." Shine slumped to the floor. "I'm not good at anything. Except messing things up."
Rainbow Dash hugged her sister. "You're great at painting like Mommy is. You're waaaay better at making friends than me."
"Those aren't WEAL tawents! I'm a faiwure. I'm stupid, wike Quarterback and Biwwy said."
"Those guys don't know anything." Rainbow Dash grimaced just thinking about the neighborhood bullies. "You're my little sister, and you're definitely not stupid. You're special, and I think you're at least twenty percent more talented than those punks."
The blue filly brushed the rainbow mane out of her sister's eyes. "Let's get some lunch. I'm starved."
The two fillies walked back to their house. They lived in Cloudsdale with their Mommy and Daddy. Their Daddy used to tell them stories about before they were born, when Mommy got really-really-REALLY sick and Daddy had to save her by flying really fast to get medicine.
Sometimes Daddy called Dash and her sister the "rainbow miracles" because they almost weren't born. Especially Rainbow Shine, she was so weak and helpless when she was born that the doctors thought she wouldn't live.
Shine was still very undersized and weak, and sometimes she couldn't do a lot of things Dash could because of her size and extreme lack of athletic talent. But Dash would never leave her out. She would always twist the rules of the game they were playing, or purposely not run as fast just so Shine could have a chance.
Rainbow loved her sister more than anything in the world. Despite their differences. Despite the strange looks Shine would get from other fillies.
It was hard, protecting her. But worth it. Dash felt somehow complete whenever Shine looked up at her with her big blue eyes, hugged her, and whispered softly: "I wove you, Dashie."
That was more valuable than anything in the whole world.
Fluttershy never spoke a word outside of her home. Not one. She was teased at school, called "freak" and "crybaby". Yes, she cried. But she cried because of the teasing, the mean teachers, the loneliness.
She sat on the porch in front of her home, watching the sunset after another day of being called names and having her schoolwork drenched in a puddle.
She felt the urge to cry, but she didn't. She was practicing for school. Maybe they would stop teasing her when they saw that she was growing stronger.
She couldn't do it. A tear trickled down her face. Soon the trickle became a stream, and the stream a river.
Weak. She was so weak.
"Fluttershy?" A voice from behind her called.
Her mother, Stitch in Time, walked up to her. "How are you doing?"
Fluttershy wrapped her skinny arms around her mom. "They hate me, Mummy, all of them."
"Oh baby, they don't hate you. They just think you're different."
"Yes they do! Everypony in my school thinks I'm a freak."
Stitch didn't know what to say to comfort her daughter. "You'll find some friends. I'm sure you will." She pulled Fluttershy closer. "You know what my mother used to say to me? She said that wherever you feel lonely and sad, just look up into the sky."
Fluttershy looked up.
"You never know, maybe your future friends are all looking up at the same rainbow."
Fluttershy sniffed and hugged her mother tighter. "But when will I find them?"
"When the time is right. When you need them the most, then they'll find you."
"Thanks Mummy," Fluttershy whispered.
Stitch stood up and flew back to the house to finish preparing supper. Fluttershy was left alone to think about what she had said.
It was a pleasing thought to think that there were future friends out there somewhere. But would they stand up for her when she was bullied? Would they love her despite her weaknesses? Would they be loyal enough?
Lightning Bright and Olympic Dash sat across from each other, cups of coffee next to them. Neither of them said a word for a long while, until Lightning cleared his throat and said, "Stitch gave me the results of the test. The disease is still in her bloodstream. Is Mosaic having any trouble?"
"Not Mosaic." Olympic took a sip of coffee. "Rainbow Shine."
Lightning looked down at the floor and bit his lip. He would not cry in front of his best friend. He would NOT. His wife had survived this disease the first time she contracted it, she could do it again.
Olympic watched his friend struggle with his feelings. He himself showed no emotion, even though inside he was screaming. His little girl was dying. He couldn't let that happen. Shine was too precious to lose.
What would their fillies do without their best friends? Fluttershy wouldn't be able to comprehend life without her mother, and Dash would tear herself to pieces if anything happened to her sister.
Lightning's love for his wife was usually described as "unconditional". They fought sometimes, but they made it a rule that they could never stay angry at each other for more than twenty four hours. They didn't have to force it, either. Lightning couldn't bear to be away from the one he loved so much.
Olympic had yearned for a son since he first married Rainbow Mosaic, but they minute he saw his two daughters, that all went away. Sometimes he wished Shine was stronger and more athletic like her sister, but having his heart melt whenever he saw his daughter smile made it all worth what he went through to make sure his wife lived to give birth to get. He couldn't give her up.
"We're going to save them." Olympic's voice cracked. "We won't let anything happen to them."
