AN; new chapter!

Ponyville, Rainbow Dash thought, really was wonderful.

The people were kind and friendly and earnest in a way the young princess had never encountered before. Even now, as a complete stranger, she was being smiled and complimented. It was a bit overwhelming and Fluttershy, bless her, seemed to understand and kept close.

"And there's the library," she murmured. "It's been empty since Quick Star left for Manehatten. But I've heard we'll be getting a new helper soon."

Rainbow dash made a noise in the back of her throat.

A library...Twilight would totally dig it.

Thinking of Twilight made her think of Shining Armor and that just wasn't something she was ready for. She shook a chunk of mane out of her face as if to clear the thoughts from her mind.

"There's Mane Street. On weekends, we have the largest, best farmer's market around. Sweet Apple Acres grows some of the biggest, reddest, juiciest apples I've ever seen. We have ponies coming down all the way from Canterlot to buy some."

"Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash stiffened.

Fluttershy nodded, smiling that sweet, sweet smile of hers. "Yes. Some of the students from the Academy of Magic and a few of the guards when they have time off."

She forced herself to relax. "Oh...that's nice," she murmured.

"It really is."

"Really is what?" asked a voice.

Fluttershy 'eeped' and spun. A mare with dark purple hair smiled at them. "Rarity!"

Rarity tossed her head back and stamped the ground, long, luxurious locks falling perfectly back into place. "Hello, darling, new darling. I haven't seen you before."

"This is Bright." The yellow mare introduced. "She's new to Ponyville."

"That's very nice, how are you-oh! Oh, what happened to you?" She asked, not unkindly, staring at her bandaged appendage.

"Uh..."

"She had a bit of an accident earlier. Nothing serious that I couldn't fix with a little TLC and a few wraps."

Rainbow Dash suddenly felt a rush of affection for her new friend when she failed to mention that the 'accident' was Rainbow Dash freefalling 500 feet into her backyard.

"Oh, that looks absolutely dreadful! You must be so strong! I have no tolerance for pain whatsoever," Rarity said, almost admiringly.

"Oh, yes, very strong. She hardly flinched at all."

She could not help the swell of pride. Here were ponies complimenting her. Honest, good ponies who hid no sarcasm behind upturned noses. And they weren't complimenting her on her clothes or her mother or things she couldn't care less about but her strength. It was a wonderful feeling. "Yeah, well," she said. "It was nothing really."

"Well, my cutie mark isn't for anything medical but I don't think you should walk on that too much, dearie." Her horn glowed and the bags she had set down began to bob softly in the air. "Where are you going now?"

"Nowhere." Fluttershy said softly. "We were just taking a stroll."

"Not on that leg you aren't. Shall we take the stroll to my Boutique? She broke into a soft trot. Just for a bit. Some tea, some cake, a story or two. It'll be lovely."

"We couldn't intrude."

"Nonsense."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "A sit down would be nice," she said finally. "If that's alright with you, Fluttershy." Her leg was starting to ache along with her ribs.

"I'm sorry, Bright," she apologized as they began to walk. "I hadn't thought you'd need to rest."

"And I hadn't brought it up. So stop being sorry all the time."

The Carousel Boutique was a pretty little shop that smelled vaguely of perfume and the fresh, indescribable smell of fabric. Rarity pulled out two large, overstuffed ottomans for her guests and a full length half sofa for herself. A fat white cat dozed on the windowsill. The air was comfortable and warm. "Sweetie Belle!" She called melodiously. "Would you be a dear and start the kettle?" There was a long pause. "Sweetie Belle!"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Tea Makers!" came the response. Rainbow Dash started as three brightly colored blurs swung into the room. There was a pink-purple and white foal that came to nuzzle Rarity, a light yellow-red one and finally an orange-magenta one that hung towards the back. She kept her eyes on Rainbow's cutie mark.

"Up here, squirt," she said, as gently as she could manage. She had always sort of liked foals, when they were loud and fun and easily given back to parents when they grew tiresome.

"Oh, uh, sorry!"

"Bright, Fluttershy, this is my little sister Sweetie Belle, and her friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo."

"That's a cool Cutie Mark," says the orange-magenta foal.

She tips her head in recognition and wriggles her flank. "Thanks."

"What does it mean?" asks the yellow-red one. 50% chance she was Scootaloo. 50% chance she was Applebloom. She assigned their names to the order they came in.

"I'm a fast flier," she said, "Applebloom." She flapped her wings and turned in the air.

"That's so cool!" she shouted, with a hint of a country twang. "Scoots is a Pegasus, too, 'cept she can't fly!"

"Applebloom!" the orange-magen-Scootaloo said, blushing bright red against her odd colored coat. Rainbow Dash felt a sting of pity. Other ponies didn't understand. It was very rare for Pegasus' to stick around to raise their children. They were normally tossed off the cloud the second their wings unfolded, to teach them to fly, and then sent to flight school until their Cutie Marks came in. Meetings between parents and offspring (or any family) was very, very rare and saved for coincidences and funerals.

She wondered what had happened that she had fell to the ground and was living there. Most that didn't fly didn't survive the fall and those that did didn't last long on the ground. It was a secret, cruel way of life that the other ponies would surely shun did they know. instead, they were content to assume that some Pegasus were stupid and raised their children on thin clouds.

Rainbow Dash had been lucky. Her mother-she would not think of mother-had loved her too much to send her off in such a way. But then again, she was only half Pegasus. "Buck up, squirt," she found herself saying. "I'll teach you how to fly.

Scootaloo looked up. Her eyes were wide and shining. Her little wings did flap with joy, as they should, and instead, she shifted her haunches like a common Earth Pony. "Really?" she breathed, her tiny grin showing off missing baby teeth.

"Yeah," she said, standing despite the twinge of pain in her back flank. "Yeah, no problem. I'd love a prodigy to carry on my legacy." She found herself with two hooves' full of foal.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she squealed. "Thank you!"

"Hey, back up, kid," she demanded and was shocked to find she didn't really mean it.

And there we go! Remember, anything you don't recognize is probably stupid headcanon anyway. And remember, this is AU and things are bound to be different. I'm thinking of making this with Rainbow slowly adjusting to Ponyville before bringing anyone else in, what do you guys think?

Any couples you'd like? I'm mostly set up for ShiningDash but that could change! So review! Review like the wind then review The Truth's Lie! She makes this story the best it could be!