A Blooming Hope

November 12th, 9 years ago.

I trotted to the schoolhouse, Lumius on my back and a look of determination on my face. I watched the other fillies and colts who trotted beside me. All of them shared something I was incapable of having. Cutie marks.

But unlike the me from a year ago I was my going to let it phase me. Nearly everypony here had a cutie mark now. Even the CMCs had gotten their cutie marks. They got a big party and everything. Whereas all I got was a pity party.

I sat at my desk and watched as ponies filed in and sat at their desks around me. And as things had been for nearly a month now. The seat beside me remained empty.

Cella had moved away when her family did just about a month ago. It devastated me, she was the only pony I could really call my friend anymore, and then she was just gone. The last few days we spent together just weren’t enough to get out all my goodbyes.

I cried a while after she was gone, but I toughened up. But just because I didn’t show it doesn’t mean I wasn’t upset. It hurt me more than almost anything that she was gone, and I was reminded of it every day when I saw the empty seat.

Class flew by in a breeze as it had for a month now. Days were always so much more fun when Cella was there. She was a friend, and a friend was what I needed most in my hardest times. And it was the one thing I didn’t have.

I left the building, my drooped ears perking up as I saw the opportunity. The sky was just cloudy enough that I could pull my stunt. And with everypony from school here, they would all see that I was more than just “the pony with the scars”.

I flapped my wings, they’d grown in the past year, actually much faster than I had. So I could easily glide and control my movements. But with the growth my injury had worsened.

Now I could barely keep steady flight if I got too fast. But I knew, that if I took it slow I could impress them all.

“Hey guys! Watch this!” I shouted as many ponies looked over at me.

I looked at them with a smile and nodded lightly. Flapping my wings and gaining altitude. Some nearby ponies gathered to watch. It took a couple of minutes for me to reach the top. I began to dive, pulling my wings tight to my sides. Some other ponies turned to see, a couple pointed, a few with their mouths agape. When I’d nearly reached the bottom I spread my wings wide and glided into four loops sloops, doing a small twist at the end and landing gently on the ground. A couple of ponies around me applauded, and one certain Pegasus cheered louder than the rest.

“Go Willow Bloom! That’s amazing!” The small orange Pegasus shouted, half fluttering in the air each time she jumped with glee.

I looked at her. Scootaloo, a pony I knew well, as every other pony here. A while back she struggled with an inability to fly. But now she barely seemed to care. I knew it was because Scoots knew my struggle that she cheered so loud. It didn’t make it any less great to hear.

I stood there for a moment soaking in their praise when a gentle weight landed on my back. I turned to see Lumius, his deep brown eyes warm. I smiled at him and held out a hoof for him to step onto.

I sat down and began to groom his feathers with a comb.

Scootaloo trotted over to me her eyes wide with excitement.

“That was so cool!” She said, “How’d ya do it?!”

“I just flew into the air and fell into a couple loops, it’s nothing special,” I said, blushing a little at her compliment.

“So what if it’s simple!? It still looked cool!” She said with a smile.

“Well thanks,” I said gratefully, “that’s what I was going for.”

“You know, you could make it big one day with flying skills like that!”

“You really think so?” I asked, blushing at her compliment.

“Of course!” She said, turning her head as she heard her aunts calling her, “oh! That’s my aunts, gotta go!” She grabbed her scooted and zipped away.

I watched her go with a smile on my face. Despite everything, maybe I did have a destiny after all.

***

I flapped my way to the lower cloud level and sat down. Looking at the world below I wondered what life would be like if I couldn’t fly at all. I was lucky, many young ponies who break their wings while they are still growing are never able to fly again. By some miracle, my injury hadn’t affected me as much.

I took a deep breath and took off into the sky, testing my limits and flying quickly, I hit a sharp turn against the wind and felt my wing falter, I managed to stop myself before I spun out of control but only barely.

“Why’s it so hard to just fly!?” I angrily asked, “it’s just flapping and gliding! How could such a small bend limit me so much?!”

I sighed, and landed on the ground, starring at the clouds above me. As much as I wished for it, something in my heart told me that flying just couldn’t be my special talent. So I went home and grabbed my bags and woke Lumius from one of his naps.

“Hoot!” He hooted at me quite loudly.

“We’re going on a trip Lumius.” I said, gently petting him and smoothing his feathers with a wing.

We walked all the way to Sugarcube corner and I stepped inside. In the corner the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat, having cupcakes together. I walked over to the counter and Pinkie Pie bounced over to get my order.

“What can I get for you Willow Bloom?” Pinkie asked with a bright smile.

“Just one cupcake please,” I said.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” She said, skipping off to grab one, she came back quick as could be and set it in front of me. I set two bits in the counter but she pushed them back towards me.

“This one’s on the house,” she said giving me a pat in the head, “I can tell your upset right now, but darkness passes Willow Bloom, Cheer up.”

I thanked her and went over to a table, I was sitting alone for a minute or two when the CMCs scooted up beside me.

“Howdy Willow Bloom!” Apple Bloom said with a smile, “How are ya? Trying any new flying tricks?”

“I’m fine, I think I’m done with flying though.” I said.

“But why!? You were doing so well!” Scootaloo said.

“Well, my injury is only getting worse with time, there may be a day when j can barely get off the ground. So I don’t see a point in wasting time learning something that won’t be useful to me when I’m older.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah, I mean, why waste time, I need to find something to do.” As I said the word a flyer drifted through the open door and landed right in front of me.

Join today, Canterlot Royal Gaurds, positions open for all ages 14 and up and all comfort levels.”

“And I think I’ve just found it.” I said.