Motherly Dash

Five years later

The pegasus colt clenched his eyes shut, He was absolutely determined not to be woken up by his mother. The colt sighed dreamily as his mother, finally left him alone, however, his slumber would only last five seconds as he suddenly gasped awake as a bucket full of cold water splashed onto his head. With cold water dripping down from his drenched mane, he glared at his mother, who stood over him with a mischievous smile, she then said, "Rise and shine, Void, you have a big day today. It's your first day of school."

He crossed his hooves and grumpily mumbled, "You made me wet."

Rainbow laughed and exclaimed, "Well get up, the first time that I tell you to and I wouldn't need to pour water over you."

Void Streak pouted before jumping out of bed and following his mother downstairs to the kitchen. The house is still the same as five years ago aside from pictures of Void Streak at different stages of his life, such as when he first learned to walk and when he spoke his first word. Rainbow couldn't help but smile as she passed these pictures, her little colt had come a long way from when she first found him on her doorstep all those years ago.

Void Streak asked, "Can we have pancakes for breakfast?"

"Of course, my little lightning bolt." She said, planting a kiss on his forehead, which Void Streak groaned at.

Void Streak clapped as Rainbow flipped the pancakes, giving the room a sugary smell. As Rainbow Dash set the pancakes on the table, Void Streak’s eyes lit up with excitement. The stack of golden-brown pancakes, glistening with melted butter and syrup, made his earlier grumpiness melt away. He eagerly dug in, the first bite making his ears twitch with joy.

Rainbow chuckled, watching him. "You’re eating like you're preparing for a race. Slow down, kiddo. You don't want to give yourself a stomachache on your first day of school."

Void Streak swallowed quickly and grinned, his mouth still half-full. "But I need all the energy I can get! I want to be faster than everypony else at school."

Rainbow's heart swelled with pride. Void was definitely her colt, already thinking about speed, competition, and being the best. She tousled his mane affectionately, causing the damp strands to fall over his eyes. "That’s the spirit! But trust me, you’ll want to save some of that energy for later. The school day can be pretty long."

Void nodded but kept devouring his breakfast, practically inhaling the last pancake before Rainbow could even finish hers.

"Alright, lightning bolt, let’s get you ready." She stood up, stretching her wings as she led Void to the bathroom. "Don’t forget to brush your teeth. You’ve got syrup all over your face."

Void ran to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush, his wings fluttering in excitement as he scrubbed away. Rainbow, leaning against the doorframe, smiled at how quickly her colt was growing up. She still remembered the tiny, fragile foal she had found on her doorstep. Now, he was a lively, confident colt, full of curiosity and determination. It made her both proud and a little nervous, knowing that sending him off to school meant letting him face the world on his own, at least for a few hours each day.

She shook off the thought. "He'll be fine", she reassured herself. "He's got this."

After finishing up in the bathroom, Void ran to his room to grab his new saddlebag. Rainbow had made sure it was as cool as possible, with lightning bolt designs and his name embroidered on the side. He slung it over his back with a grin. "Do you think it makes me look awesome?"

Rainbow looked him up and down, then ruffled his mane. "You look more than awesome, you look like a future Wonderbolt. But hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to get you through your first day of school."

They walked out of the house together, stepping into the clear morning sky. Void jumped off the edge of the cloud house, flapping his small wings enthusiastically. He wasn’t quite as fast or as skilled as his mother yet, but Rainbow had been training him since he was old enough to hover, and it showed. He swooped around the house, spinning in circles before catching up to her.

"Hey, race ya!" Void challenged, speeding ahead.

Rainbow chuckled and easily caught up with him, matching his pace with barely any effort. "I thought you said you wanted to save your energy for school?"

Void glanced over at her with a smirk. "Just a warm-up!"

They continued to fly side by side, the wind rushing through their manes. Rainbow couldn't help but feel a surge of pride watching her son zip through the air with such confidence. He was a natural flier, just like her. She wondered if the teachers at school would recognize his potential right away.

As they neared the schoolhouse, Rainbow spotted several other young fillies and colts walking with their parents. The sight of all the little ones gathering for their first day made her heart tighten. For the first time, it really hit her that Void Streak was going to be away from her for hours at a time. "Would he make friends? Would the other kids be nice to him? What if..."

"Mom, look!" Void’s voice cut through her thoughts.

She followed his gaze to see a familiar orange pony waving at them. It was Honey Due, the elderly mare who had helped Rainbow when she was first adjusting to motherhood. Standing beside her was a young colt, about Void’s age, with a golden coat and a wild mane. He looked shy, hiding slightly behind Honey Due, but his eyes lit up when he saw Void.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash!" Honey Due greeted with a warm smile. "And Void Streak! I bet you’re excited for your first day."

Void nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! I can’t wait to meet everypony and show them how fast I can fly!"

Honey chuckled, giving her grandson a nudge forward. "Well, this here’s Starburst. He’s starting school today too. Maybe you two can look out for each other."

Void grinned and waved, "Hey, wanna race?"

Starburst blinked, looking a little unsure. "Uhh, I’m not very fast."

Rainbow laughed, stepping closer to Honey Due. "Don’t worry about it, Void just gets excited about racing. I’m sure you’ll have fun."

The bell rang, signalling that it was time for the school signalling. All around them, parents were saying goodbye to their foals, offering hugs and encouragement. Rainbow crouched down to Void’s eye level, brushing a bit of his mane out of his face.

"You ready, kiddo?"

Void Streak nodded confidently. "Yep! I’ll be the fastest in class, just like you said!"

Rainbow smirked. "I know you will. But remember, it's not all about speed. Listen to your teacher, make some friends, and most importantly, have fun."

Void smiled brightly and gave her a quick hug. Rainbow wasn’t expecting it, and for a moment, she just froze, savouring the unexpected gesture. When Void pulled away, he was already bouncing on his hooves, eager to join the other foals.

"See ya later, Mom!" he called as he ran towards the schoolhouse, Starburst following closely behind.

Rainbow stood there for a moment, watching him disappear into the building. Her heart swelled with a mix of pride and a little bit of sadness. This was a huge step for Void, and she knew he would be just fine. But it didn’t make the moment any easier.

"You're doing great, you know," Honey Due’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Rainbow turned to look at the older mare, who was smiling kindly at her. "Raising a colt on your own ain’t easy, but look at him—he’s a confident, happy little guy."

Rainbow smiled, feeling a little better. "Thanks, Honey Due. It’s hard sometimes, but he's worth it."

Honey Due nodded, then glanced towards the schoolhouse. "They grow up fast, don’t they?"

Rainbow chuckled softly. "Too fast."

They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, watching as the last of the colts and fillies disappeared into the school. Rainbow Dash felt a sense of peace wash over her. Void was in good hooves, and she knew he would handle whatever came his way—just like she had.

With a deep breath, Rainbow spread her wings and prepared to take off into the sky. There was still a whole day ahead of her, but she was already looking forward to hearing about Void’s first day when she picked him up later.

"See you later, Honey Due!" she called as she soared into the sky, feeling the wind rush through her feathers. Life was changing, but for the first time, it felt like everything was exactly where it should be.