One Pony Amongst Many People

Rainbow Dash sat in front of the fire that night. Everybody else was on top of The Wall, watching for intruders. The sound of the wooden elevator creaking as it came down caught her ear. The door to the mechanism opened, revealing Sansa. The cyan mare looked away. "Hey," she murmured, seeming annoyed at the fact she was there.

Sansa sat at the other side of the fire. Dash crossed her hooves. The young woman giggled slightly. "What're you laughing about?"

"Something Jon thinks about you, but I promised I wouldn't tell," Sansa said through soft chuckles.

"You can tell me."

"I said I promised. I won't tell unless he tells me I can."

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. "Can I tell you what I feel about him without you telling him?"

Sansa crossed her chest with her hand. "You can trust me."

Dash whispered, so quietly that Sansa had to lean in. "As long as you tell me what Jon feels about first!"

Sansa sat back and folded her arms. Frowning, she pondered this. She was torn between forgetting this or telling her. She had finally made her decision in about ten seconds. "Jon... Jon..."

"Jon what?"

Sansa clenched her eyes shut, then said quickly, "You remind him of another girl."

"What do you mean?"

"He had a personal connection with this girl. Her name was Ygritte. He loved her. He feels the same about you."

Sansa opened one eye and, through the flames, she could make out Rainbow Dash, cheeks on fire, practically, and her rose colored pupils were the size of peas. "...Alright... My turn. Ever since I answered my door and saw him on my front porch, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I think I might have a crush on him, but I'm not entirely sure."

The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears. Soon enough, her entire face was burning red. A door creaked open. A woman with a crimson cloak stepped out. She spoke. "Rainbow Dash? Follow me."

Rainbow hesitated. She shrugged. "Okay."

The blue pony stood up and followed the woman in red. As they walked down the hallways of the castle, the woman kept asking Rainbow questions, such as "How did you lose your wings?"

That nerved Rainbow a little bit. "I don't want to talk about it."

When the woman stopped, she turned her head and opened a door that led to the infirmary. "Lay on any bed, on your stomach."

Rainbow slowly followed her orders. As soon as she did, she felt extremely drowsy. She closed her eyes, as the woman commanded. Within seconds, she was in a deep sleep. The woman grabbed two steel wings that were able to be folded. The base of each wing had a needle-like edge. She took one and, carefully, stabbed it into one of the two wounds on her back. It fit perfectly. Rainbow stirred in reaction, but quickly fell asleep again.

The woman sighed with relief. She grabbed the other wing and did the same thing on the other side. Then, she shouted softly, "Lord of Light, bless Rainbow Dash with another pair of wings."

After she said this, she checked if the steel wings could move out of place. They couldn't move, but they could fold when Rainbow had the choice.

Rainbow Dash stirred, yawning as she stretched. What her back felt was as if she had wings, but... She looked over her shoulder and gasped. She had steel wings. She tried to move them, and it was as if she had her old wings taped to her back again.

She glanced around the room, but there was nobody to be seen. She gazed in the corner and there stood the lady in red. "Rainbow Dash, get up. You've got to get ready."

"For what?"

"You'll see."

The red woman tossed a black cloak, but kept some shears in her hand. "Come on, put it on."

Dash looked at her as if she were the craziest person she'd ever met, but soon gave in and put on the cloak. The woman smiled sweetly. "Looks good on you."

She approached with the shears in hand and stood behind Rainbow. It didn't take long for the cyan pegasus to know that she was cutting her mane and tail. A long lock of oranges, reds, and yellows drooped over one side of her face. The back of her mane was spiked upwards. The tail was cut short. Before long, the woman finally spoke. "Perfect."

She handed Dash a mirror. She looked at herself. She had to admit, she looked pretty good. The woman spoke again. "Come, let's get to the ceremony."

"What ceremony?" Rainbow asked as she tried to fit her wings through the holes in the fabric.

"You'll see."

They both walked out of the castle. There were two lines of men, leading to Jon Snow, tho stood at the end of the lines. Sansa stood beside him, a scroll grasped in her hands. The woman in red beckoned for Rainbow to go.

Dash stood up straight and marched between the lines of men. Her steel wings couldn't fit through the holes, so they stayed folded at her sides. She stopped in front of Jon. Sansa set a scroll down in front of her. The directions on the top said to read the following words aloud and kneel while doing so.

"Hear my words and bear witness to my vow.

Night gathers, and now my watch begins.

It shall not end until my death.

I shall take no husband, hold no lands, mother no children.

I shall wear no crowns and win no glory.

I shall live and die at my post.

I am the sword in the darkness.

I am the watcher on the walls.

I am the shield that guards the realms of men.

I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch,

For this night, and all the nights to come."

Jon spoke. "You knelt as a filly. Rise now as a mare of the Night's Watch."