"Nah, I bet you can't!" Pinkie said, nudging Rainbow with her hoof.

"Bet you ten bits!" Rainbow Dash said, pulling out ten bits, setting ten bits on the table.

"Now Ah don't want anyone gambling 'round my little sis, got it?!" Applejack said, sliding Rainbow's ten bits back to her.

Rainbow simply nodded and started:

"When I was a little filly, about fourteen years ago, three days to Celestmas.....

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"Rainbow Dash, COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!!" Madame feather, the headmaster said, chasing around the orphanage after Rainbow Dash.

"Nope, you'll never catch me, I'm way faster than..." Rainbow ran into one of the guards, who grabbed her and held her still.

"Arrgh, let me go!!" Rainbow said as she struggled out of the guards grip, when she finally popped her forelegs out, Madame feather had reached her.

"RAINBOW DASH, this is strike four for you, that's four days in the 'dark' room, looks like you'll be missing Celestmas this year!" Madame Feather chuckled and continued, "keep this up and you'll never get adopted,"

Her saying that made rainbow explode in anger, she punched the guard in the face, causing him to falter backwards, Rainbow lunged at Madame Feather and gave her a right hook to the jaw, knocking her out.

"Buck you," Rainbow said, she walked out of the orphanage, down the street, and then she galloped away, not looking to go anywhere but here, anywhere.

Later that night, Rainbow Dash found herself under a bridge, sleeping through a snowstorn, many Pegasi simply looked at her and kept on flying.

"I can't go back now, I'd rather die." Rainbow said quietly to herself to keep her spirit up.

She somehow survived the snowstorm, and the next morning, Rainbow walked to Canterlot, where the people looked disgustingly at her, homeless, little body.

"Hey, hey you!" A strange looking creature said to her.

"What do you want? Dash said to the little creature, who had very large wings, and had lion paws, and eagle's claws and head.

"You look hungry, I had to be on the street too, here's something, merry Celestmas," the creature said as it tossed a loaf of bread to Rainbow Dash.

"Name's Gilda, and I am a Griffon," Gilda said, reaching out her claw.

Rainbow shook her claw, and said:

"So where do you live now?"

"I live with my foster parents, we live right up there," Gilda said, pointing to the third story of a green apartment building.

"Umm, cool, do you have any extra blankets?' Rainbow asked, looking sad.

"I can go check, want to come?" Gilda said, a big smile on her face.

"Sure, that sounds fun!' Rainbow said, following Gilda into the building.

Rainbow followed Gilda up three flights of stairs, when they reached her floor, Rainbow followed Gilda to room number 34, and Gilda opened the door.

"Mom, do we have any extra blankets?" Gilda called.

"Yes dear, why?" a voice said, what Rainbow presumed the kitchen.

"I met this girl on the street, she's a little filly, but she's homeless," Gilda said, her mother, a Light purple mare with dark purple hair.

"No, we don't have any extra blankets," her mom looked at Rainbow.

"Oh, okay, I'll just be leaving," Rainbow said, tears hidden under her closed eyelids.

"But we do have an extra bed," her mom said, catching all of Rainbow's attention.

"Mom, do you mean it?!?" Gilda said, giving Rainbow a hug.

"No one should be alone on Celestmas, that is where your family, little girl," her mom walked over to Dash.

"They're dead, I am an orphan," Rainbow Dash said weakly.

"Well, that settles it, you're here for the holidays, at minimum," her mom said, a smile on her face.

"Thank you so much!!!" Rainbow said, giving Gilda's mom a hug.

"Not a problem, just go into the bathroom and wash up," her mom said, pointing to a white door.

"Yes ma'am," Rainbow said, she wasn't for being the polite type, but she was just invited to live with her new friend.

"Oh, and um, what's your name?" her mom asked.

"My name is Rainbow Dash," Rainbow said with a shy smile.

"That's a neat name, my name is Sarah Feather," Sarah said.

"Sarah, Ffffeather!!!, are you related to Madge feather?" Rainbow said, the last name of feather struck a bolt of fear in her heart.

"Why yes, she is my cousin, why?" Mrs. Feather asked.

"Umm, no reason, I think I uh, know her," Rainbow sort of lied.

"She'll be here in two days, isn't that nice, you two can catch up," Mrs. Feather said.

"Are you married?" Rainbow asked, curious as she was looking at a photo of Gilda, Ms. Feather, and a red stallion.

"Yes, I've been married for seven and a half years," Mrs. Feather said.

"That's cool," Rainbow said as she washed up, when she was done, she walked into her bedroom, it was painted light blue, and had some bookshelves, and a single twin bed against the far wall.

"Dinner is ready!" Mrs. Feather said, leaning out of the kitchen.

Gilda and Rainbow Dash ran into the kitchen, where they were greeted by Mrs and Mr. Feather, Mr. Feather looked at Rainbow and said,

"You must be Rainbow Dash," he held out a hoof, Rainbow accepted and shook his hoof.

"Yes I am Mr. Feather," Rainbow said, blushing slightly.

"Well, let's have a great dinner shall we?" Mr. Feather said as they all sat down around the table.

The dinner they all ate that night consisted of shrimp, broccoli and cheese casserole, which surprisingly, Rainbow dash loved, and mashed potatoes.

"Dinner was delicious, thank you," Rainbow said to Mr. and Mrs. Feather.

"You're welcome," Mrs. Feather said.

"I'm very tired from the last few days, I am going to go to bed early," Rainbow said with a yawn.

"Okay, see you i the morning," Mrs. Feather said, rising from the table, along with Mr. Feather, who took the dishes to the sink.

Rainbow went to her bed, half expecting to wake up still under that bridge, or well, not wake up, but still be under the bridge.

That night Rainbow drempt of her old family, which made her scream out for her mom in the middle of the night.

Mrs. Feather came galloping in to her room and said:

"Shhh, Shh, what's wrong?"

"I, I remembered my family, I'm sorry," Rainbow said, tears falling from her eyes.

"it's okay, it's okay," Mrs. Feather said, comforting Rainbow.

When Rainbow woke up later in the morning, it was nearly 1 o' clock in the afternoon, and outside her door, there was a bustling of noise.

"What's going on?" Rainbow asked, looking at the Feathers' dining room filling up with fancy dishes, the smell of turkey was in the air.

"We have some family coming over for dinner, and we're setting up, Gilda is down at the park if you want o go and have fun, our Auntie Rosin is watching her," Mr. Feather said.

"Well, that's where I'm going then," Rainbow said, grabbing a scarf.

"Alright, but be safe," Mrs. Feather said.

Rainbow walked out of the door, down the stairs, toward the park.

"Rainbow, what's up?" Gilda said, looking at Rainbow from the top of the slide.

"Nothing much, where's Auntie Rosin?" Rainbow asked.

"She's right there," Gilda said, pointing towards a vanilla pony with a red mane, Rainbow and Gilda waved, and Rosin waved back.

After about three hours of playing and talking, Gilda and Rainbow were tuckered out, they and Rosin went back to the apartment, where a nearly full table was waiting, only three seats were empty, one for Rosin, one for Gilda, and even one for Rainbow Dash.

:"YOU!!" Madame Feather said, pointing a hoof at Rainbow.

"What, you!" Rainbow had forgotten that Madame Feather was coming.

"This was the little demon I told you about!!" Madame Feather said, looking at Mrs. Feather.

"She has been very polite, in fact, I, Sarah Feather, would like to adopt her," Mrs. Feather said.

"What, you can't!!" Madame Feather said.

'Why not?" Rainbow and Mrs. feather said in unison, both irritated.

"Because, she, she has a single relative, an aunt in fact, she lives in Cloudsdale," Madame Feather said.

Rainbow looked at Sarah, then at Madame Feather, and said,

"Really!!!" Rainbow was so excited.

"Yes, that's why I was chasing you," Madame Feather said, faltering a little.

"So when do I meet her?" Rainbow asked.

"I will take you right now," Madame Feather said, walking out the door, as they were leaving, Rainbow said, "I will see you again someday, and you were all the family I hadn't had in a long time, thank you,"

"I'll miss you Dash," Gilda said, tears forming.

"I'll miss you too," Rainbow said, tears welling up in her eyes too.

"I'll be back in about twenty minutes," Madame Feather said.

Madame Feather walked out the door, and headed for a cart, Rainbow got in back, knowing that she would wake up with her family.