Despite its relative proximity to Canterlot, Ponyville was not a very busy town. Nowhere was this more apparent than the local train station. There were plenty of trains that stopped at the station, but it was very infrequent that ponies ever got off of those trains, rather choosing to pass straight through. Likewise, it was rare that anypony got onto those trains to depart to other locales.

Today however, was an exception to the rule. The train station was bustling. Ponies were scurrying here and there, each one in a frantic rush. Some were desperately trying to reach their intended locomotive before its departure, while many others were there to greet those who had just completed their long journey. The conductors, not used to such a rush, were frantically running back and forth, attempting to swap out the luggage that had just arrived with the luggage that would soon be leaving, all while attempting to calm down the occasional pony whose luggage appeared to have gotten mixed up in the process.

What could have possibly caused such a sudden change to this normally peaceful scene? Why, only one of the most popular and favorite holidays of the residents of Ponyville.

Today was Mother’s Day.

But the large crowds wasn’t the only strange thing seen today. There was also an orange blur bouncing around in the midst of everypony as well. Blissfully ignorant of everything around her, the filly skipped along happily letting her light purple hair bob with each hop. If her carefree frolic wasn’t enough to give away her mood, the beaming smile, so large it would make Pinkie Pie proud, adorning her face was.

Ever since her mom had died, Mother’s Day had become a solemn holiday for Scootaloo, a stinging reminder of everything that she had lost. Normally, she spent the day alone in the orphanage, refusing the company of friends so that she could mourn and remember in privacy. The next day, she would return to normal, pretending that the previous day had never occurred.

But ever since the knock on the orphanage door early that morning, this day had become anything by normal. Not only had the coolest pegasus in all of Ponyville come to see Scootaloo, but she also offered to spend the entire day doing whatever it was she wanted. Can you imagine the filly’s delight? An entire day to spend with Rainbow Dash, and she was going to go pay her respects to her mom on Mother’s Day. What could possibly be better?

Scootaloo rushed up the edge of the train tracks, giddily anticipating the soon to arrive train. Turning back, she couldn’t help but notice that Rainbow Dash had fallen quite far behind. Perhaps her happy skipping had been a little bit too quick. “Hurry up Rainbow! We don’t want to miss the train to Hoofington!”

While the young pony was the very image of excitement, the cyan pegasus was anything but. Her movements were slow, almost lethargic. And though her face wasn’t wearing a scowl, it still revealed her irritated mood.

Now, I’m not insinuating that she wasn’t excited to spend the day with Scootaloo. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Ever since the forest fire a couple of months previous, the two had grown much closer together, spending a great deal of time with each other. Rainbow had even come to think of the filly as a sister, and sincerely enjoyed the time that they spent together. This morning, when she went to the orphanage, she absolutely wanted to spend the day with the young pegasus, thinking it would be a good way for both of them to forget about their problems.

She just wished that Scootaloo had picked a different activity.

Putting on a brave face, she trotted up to the crusader. “Take it easy squirt. We’ve still got a good 15 or so minutes before the train shows up. We’ve got plenty of time.”

Scootaloo couldn’t contain herself and started bouncing up and down again. “I know, I know. But, I’m sorry. I just can’t help it. This is gonna be so awesome!”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile. The filly’s enthusiasm was infectious, even if it wasn’t shared.

A tap on her flank caught the flyer’s attention. Turning back, she found herself staring into a set of bright blue eyes. However, the second her magenta eyes met, the other pony immediately broke the gaze and looked elsewhere. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I interrupting? I didn’t mean to. I’ll just leave.”

Scootaloo peered around Rainbow to examine the newcomer, smiling brightly at her. “Hey Fluttershy! What are you doing here?”

The timid pegasus returned the smile. “Oh, I’m just waiting for the train to Hoofington to visit my parents.”

This puzzled Rainbow Dash. “Wait a second. I thought your parents lived in Cloudsdale. Isn’t that where you grew up?”

Sheepishly, the yellow pony responded, “Oh, well. Yes, they did live in Cloudsdale for most of their lives, but it’s my dad. You see, he’s been having more and more trouble flying over the years, so they decided to move somewhere a little closer to the ground. Since they wanted to stay close to their friends, they decided to move in with my sister in Hoofington.”

“Wow! I didn’t know that you had a sister!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “That’s so awesome. I bet the two of you were great friends growing up.”

Rainbow Dash did her best not to laugh. She had met Fluttershy’s sister before. Saying that the two were polar opposite personalities would have been a gross understatement.

Fluttershy just smiled politely. “And what are you two doing out here so early today?”

Scootaloo swelled with pride. “We’re going to visit my mom today too! It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”

“Oh how wonderful. I’m sure that she’ll appreciate that,” the yellow pegasus responded before turning to Rainbow. “Though, I have to admit. I’m a little surprised to see you out here Rainbow. I thought that you would have stayed home today. I mean, what with your mom and everything.”

The athlete tensed at the comment. It was the one topic she had foolishly hoped she could avoid all day long. Scootaloo looked up at her inquisitively, suddenly realizing that in her own excitement, she had completely forgotten to even ask about her idol’s parents. “Oh yeah. What about your mom Rainbow Dash? Maybe we should go and visit her too.”

Biting her lip, Rainbow gazed down into the light purple eyes of the filly. She didn’t want to ruin this day for her. There was only one logical action. Lie.

“Oh, we can’t do that. She’s um…. dead. Yep, dead. Dead as a doorknob. It was tragic, and I uh… I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Scootaloo was a little taken aback by this, as was Fluttershy. “Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe we could…”

“Oh would you look over there! Heh.” Rainbow exclaimed cutting off the young pegasus. “Isn’t that Sweetie Belle? Why don’t you go say hello and tell her all about our plans for today.”

Instantly, Scootaloo’s overeager enthusiasm returned. With a quick agreement, she darted off to meet her friend.

Rainbow and Fluttershy watched her run off. They sat in relative silence for a few seconds, before the quiet mare finally spoke. “Why’d you lie to her about your mother Rainbow?”

Bowing her head, the cyan mare sighed deeply. “What else could I have told her?”

“Well, the truth, I guess.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Oh yeah, I’m sure that would have gone over well. I should tell the young filly that is so excited to be visiting her mother’s grave because she loves her so much, all about how ‘great’ my mom is. Yeah, I’m sure that would just make her day.”

“Well, I was just thinking. I mean, it’s been a long time after all. Maybe it’s time the two of you…”

The glare from Rainbow’s magenta eyes silenced the timid pegasus, an intense anger burning behind them. “No. Absolutely not.”

Fluttershy may have been the “Stare Master”, but even this gaze was too much for her. “Oh, okay. I mean, it was just a suggestion after all.”

Releasing another sigh, Rainbow turned her destructive gaze away. “I’m sorry Fluttershy. I know you’re trying to help, but I don’t think that enough time will ever pass that could fix this.”

A train whistled in the distance, and in an instant the hyperactive filly was back by Rainbow’s side. “Itscomingitscomingitscomingitscoming!”

Rainbow didn’t even try to stop her laughter, nor did she bother to try and calm Scootaloo down. She should enjoy this day, she thought to herself. Even if I can’t.

The Grand Galloping Gala is the premier event of high society in Equestria. Many ponies worked their entire lives, attempting to get into the right circles just to try and get an invitation. After all, attending that party, all but guaranteed your position as a high class citizen: the kind of pony everypony should know.

Prism was just such a pegasus. She was tall, slender and extremely beautiful. Her coat was the faintest shade of pink, though it was so subtle that you would not have been entirely incorrect in calling it white. Though what really stood out was her mane. It was extremely long, and had it not been styled to prevent it, it would have been drug across the floor as she walked.

That however, wasn’t the strange thing about her hair. It was the way that it shone in the light. The color of it twisted and changed depending on what angle you looked at it from. Sometimes it was a bright blue, almost blending into the sky above. Sometimes it was a faint yellow, like a newly blossomed flower. Green like the grass or violet like the sunset, her mane shined brightly, melting from one color to another as she cantered along.

Her party this evening had more than been a success. It had been a stroke of genius to combine her incredibly popular Mother’s Day party with the celebration to honor the newest Wonderbolt. Pegasi from all over Equestria had come to Cloudsdale to attend. True, the inability to invite all the Unicorns, made the party much smaller than it could have been in Canterlot, but Prism just couldn’t give up this chance to increase her social status amongst the pegasi.

The evening had begun as any social function should, with light Hors d’oeuvres and quiet mingling. The band had been playing beautifully throughout the evening, increasing the overall caliber of the event. Prism had made sure to take time to talk with all the right ponies, making sure to spend just enough time with each to make an impression before calmly excusing herself and moving on to the next.

The party had now moved onto the dinner portion. Prism had taken great care to make certain that all the most important ponies would be seated at the table with her. What better way to improve her status even further? She was a little upset that the guest of honor had disappeared, but no matter. There were more than enough other high class people to mingle with.

Prism had just told another one of her riveting stories, while everypony around her chuckled respectfully. A wealthy stallion near the end of the table was the first to speak. “My dear girl, you do tell the most delightfully entertaining stories.”

The mare smile gracefully. “Oh, you are too kind. Really. Honestly if you really wish to hear a truly riveting tale, you should hear my little angel tell you one.”

A mare near Prism gleefully clapped her hooves. “Oh my heavens, yes. Your daughter is just so exquisite and charming. Where is the dear child? I simply must see her.”

“Well, if you insist, I’ll call for her. Please excuse me.” Twisting her head, the white pegasus turned to one of the tables on the other side of the hall. “Rainbow Dash! Would you please be a darling and come over here for a moment?”

Slowly, a young cyan filly trotted over towards her mother. She was still extremely young, no more than a couple of years old, yet she was one of the most well groomed of any of the attendees. Her dress was a brilliant shade of Purple with Red trimming, perfectly complementing her magenta eyes. It had cost her mother a small fortune to have it custom designed, but it was worth it for her daughter.

Though it really didn’t matter what the pegasus wore, because everypony immediately took notice of her mane. Not unlike her mother’s, her mane was incredibly silky and was already incredibly long for her age. Almost reaching to the ground, it waved and curled with every step the pony took. But, again like her mother, the color was what really took everypony’s attention. While most ponies had two, at most three colors in their mane, Rainbow Dash’s took after her name, matching every color of the rainbow simultaneously.

As she approached the table, an elderly mare was the first to remark on the filly’s apparent beauty. “Oh, my! Just look at her. Isn’t she just a little darling? Tell me dear, where did you get that magnificent dress.”

The small filly didn’t respond. She just stood there shuffling her hooves.

Her mother smiled as she rebuked her daughter. “Now, now Rainbow. You can be so shy sometimes. Really, you should try and speak out more.” Turning to the guest, she responded to the question. “Oh it’s just something that we had lying around. Nothing special.”

“Nothing special! Why that looks like a custom made design by Hoity Toity himself!”

“What?!? Hoity Toity? The new and upcoming fashion designer from Canterlot? I’ve heard that his designs are impossible to get a hold of. How did you manage it my dear?”

Prism just smiled. “Oh it was nothing really. I just thought that my daughter deserved the best. After all, she always dresses in style.”

As another round of reserved laughing commenced, nopony noticed that the source of their conversation had silently excused herself and disappeared. The young filly meandered through the crowds heading towards the large doors leading outside. Silently she fiddled with the handle, and slipped out without anypony noticing. Shutting the door behind her, she found herself on the large home's main balcony, overlooking the great expanse of Equestria. More importantly than that though, she finally found herself completely alone.

Taking a sigh of relief, the Pegasus reached back and pulled the shawl off her dress, revealing her wings. Having been held down all night, they were understandably sore. She stretched them every which way, attempting to relieve some of the pain. Carefully, she attempted some glides around the balcony. Nothing too crazy, mind you. Her mother would have killed her if she had ruined her dress, but just enough to feel the light breeze through her long mane.

“Couldn’t handle the crowds either?”

The sudden inquiry took the young pegasus off guard. She immediately fell to the ground and landed flat on her face. She jumped up quickly looking everyone for the intruder. A sudden burst of laughter came from above her revealing the location of her visitor.

“Nice moves kid.” The pegasus that had been lounging on a cloud above the filly drifted down to balcony. “But, I think you might need a bit more practice.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she recognized the mare. Bright yellow fur, with a wild, flaming mane. She didn’t even have to see the older pegasus’ cutie mark, a lightning bolt burning at the top to know exactly who was standing in front of her. “Oh my gosh. You’re Spitfire!”

The older pegasus, blushed slightly while stroking her mane. “Looks like my reputation precedes me once again. I take it you’re a fan.”

The young filly’s eyes brightened. “Are you kidding? Winner of last year’s Best Young Flyer competition? Newest member of the Wonderbolts, and the youngest pony ever to join? I mean you’re… and I’m… and…” Her voice trailed off, as her countenance fell. “I mean, um. It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am.”

Spitfire sat silent for a second, then burst out laughing. “Wow. Talk about an instant change of character. Seriously, kid. What’s that all about?”

Rainbow shuffled her hooves. Her response was quiet and extremely monotone. “A lady does not get overly excited, but always carries herself with dignity.”

The Wonderbolt could hardly contain her laughter. “Oh really? You don’t really seem to be the proper lady type to me. More the superbly awesome type if you ask me. The kind of pony who could accomplish anything she puts her mind to.”

With beaming eyes, the filly gazed up at Spitfire. “You really think so?”

“Kid. I know so. You just have to believe in yourself. Come on. Indulge me. What do you want to do when you grow up?”

A large frown overtook the small pegasus. “Well, my mom wants me to…”

“No, no, no.” The yellow pegasus cut her off abruptly. “I don’t care what your mom wants. What do you want to do? What’s YOUR dream?”

The blue filly looked around sheepishly for a bit, kicking up the tiny tuffs of the cloud balcony, too afraid to speak.

“Kid. It’s just us out here. Just be yourself.”

There was a moment of silence, before the filly spoke, this time full of the life and vigor that she showed when she first recognized her idol. “I want to be a Wonderbolt! I want to soar through the sky while ponies cheer my name. I want to be just like you someday!”

Spitfire smiled. “Then do it.”

The young pegasus bowed her head and sighed. “I can’t. My mom won’t let me. She thinks it’s too dangerous and not ladylike.” Spitfire couldn’t help but notice a twinge of disgust in the filly’s voice at that last word, almost as though it was poison.

The Wonderbolt pondered for a moment before speaking, knowing that what she said next could help shape this kids entire life. “Hmm… Perhaps your mom’s right. Maybe you should just forget it.”

“WHAT!?!” The filly was shocked. That wasn’t what she expected.

“Yeah. Forget it. It’s a foolish dream anyways. I mean, it’ll take years of work and practice, and it’s nearly impossible to get in with the Wonderbolts anyways. Besides, I’m sure that you’d be much better off at socializing that you would at soaring. You don’t look like much of a flyer to me.”

“Now wait just one second.” Determination overtook Rainbow, as she tensed up and posed like she was ready to strike. “I may not be the best flyer now, but just you wait and see. I’ll be the greatest flyer in all of Cloudsdale! No, all of Equestria! No, the entire world!”

A wry smile crept over Spitfire’s face. “That’s better kid. That’s the fire I was looking for.”

Rainbow lifted her head a little as she slightly relaxed. “…Huh?”

“That fire. That determination. That go to, I can do anything attitude. The mark of a true champion.”

Rainbow stood up tall, her eye’s beaming. “Me? A champion?”

“Oh yeah kid. I definitely see you doing great things someday.”

The filly’s face shone brighter than it ever had before, but that faded as she thought on it. “But, what about my mom?”

Spitfire sighed. “I’ll admit it kid. I admire your loyalty. That’ll take you far someday. But before you can be loyal to others, you’ve got to be loyal to yourself first.”

“To myself?”

“Yes, to yourself. Would you want to trust somepony who you knew lied about everything?”

“Well, no. I guess not.”

“If you refuse to be yourself, you’re lying to the entire world, by not letting them see the real you. How could anyone trust a pony that can’t be true to themself?”

The filly didn’t respond. She had never thought about it like that before, and yet something about it rang true. More so, than anything she had ever heard before.

The door to the balcony suddenly opened as a rather posh pegasus came out to the balcony. “Oh, there you are Spitfire. We were starting to wonder where you had run off to. Please, you simply must come in from this dreadful cold and grace us with your presence.”

Spitfire rolled her eyes. She really hated these gatherings, but it was all part of the job. She turned to the filly, who still seemed to be deep in thought. “See ya in the headlines kid. Just remember, be true to yourself and follow your dreams.” And with that she turned and left.

Now alone, the cyan filly sat pondering what had just taken place. She looked back at her wings, still a little small, but growing quickly. She flapped them a couple of times, just to feel the wind blow through them. She then turned to the party. All the ponies inside, chatting and drinking. For the first time in her life, she could see that they were all just playing the part. Just acting for the sake of prestige and popularity.

She smiled wide. Spitfire was right. That wasn’t the life for her. She needed to fly, to soar, to accomplish the impossible.

She needed to be fantastic.

Scootaloo loved riding on trains. The constant bumping about as the locomotive moved across the tracks. The way that she felt like she was going to topple over every time they went around a curve. Feeling the wind blowing through her mane when she poked her head out the window. Every second of the trip was a moment of pure bliss for the filly.

Rainbow Dash was slightly less enthused. Sure there was a certain thrill about being in a vehicle that made getting from place to place easy, but did the cars have to be so small? If there was one thing that the mare hated it was being cooped up. Being confined to a small area and being told that she couldn’t fly, was not her idea of a good time. Yep, being told that she couldn't fly was…

Rainbow shook her head. She knew where this train of thought was leading, and needed to nip it immediately. The last thing that she wanted to do was to end up depressed and moping for the rest of the day. Scootaloo deserved better than that.

“Everything alright Rainbow Dash?”

The pegasus gazed down into the inquisitive eyes of the small filly. “Of course kid. Just got a small headache is all. Not used to trains I guess. Flying’s much more my thing.” Another half-truth. Rainbow might not have represented the Element of Honesty, but she still hated that she was lying to the orange pegasus. It was for the best though that she did, wasn’t it?

The young filly smiled warmly. “Oh, ok. Fluttershy and I were just talking about starting a game of Go Fish. Do you want to join us?”

In all honesty, Rainbow Dash didn’t want to. Not only did she not really care for the game, (Poker was much more her style, but Scootaloo was a little too young to be taught about gambling) but she really wanted to take a nap at the moment. But she knew that if she declined, then she’d be left alone with her thoughts for who knows how long. And on this day of all days, that was something she wasn’t willing to do.

Besides that, how could she say no to that excited looking face?

“Alright Squirt. Deal me in.”

With a gasp of delight, the filly ran off to tell Fluttershy to deal another hand. Rainbow just smiled, glad that at least somepony was having a good day so far.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Rainbow Crash.”

“Hehe, yeah. Run into any more walls recently?”

Rolling her eyes, the cyan filly cantered on, completely ignoring the three new annoyances that she’d apparently picked up in her journey.

“So, where you heading Rainbow Crash? One of your little namby pamby parties?”

“Of course she is. Look at her in her little frilly dress, and her fancy hairdo. Would she be going to flight camp like us dressed like that?”

“Yeah… uh wait. I mean no.”

Really? How could anypony be that dumb?

“What’s the matter Rainbow Crash? Sad because your mommy won’t let you go to flight camp? It’s probably for the better. That way you won’t be able to make a fool of yourself crashing into the mayor again.”

Of course they had to bring that up. One simple slip up, almost killing the mayor of Cloudsdale, and you get stuck with a lame nickname like Rainbow Crash for the rest of your life. In all honesty, it really hadn’t been her fault anyways. It really should have been a simple stunt. If only her left wing hadn't gotten tangled up with her long hair, she would have been able to turn when she was supposed to.

By itself it was a pretty miserable experience, but the lecture she got from her mom when she got home was far worse. Her mom didn’t yell at her for jumping off the roof, or for almost killing herself, or even for hurting a very important pony.

No. Her mom had gotten mad that Rainbow had ruined her dress.

“Well? Come on Rainbow Crash. Where you headed?”

The young filly sighed. Clearly ignoring them wasn’t working. “I’m going to flight camp.”

The colt jumped back in surprise, though whether it was Rainbow actually speaking, or her response that did so, Rainbow couldn’t tell. He started laughing, and soon the other two joined in. “You?!? Going to flight camp? That’s rich.”

“Yeah. You can barely even fly!”

“Hey!” In a flash, she was turned and facing her tormentors, poised and ready to strike. Nopony, and I mean nopony, insulted her flying. “I can TO fly! I’m a better flyer than all of you put together. And soon, I’m gonna be the greatest flyer in all of Equestria. Just you wait and see!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

The leader of the gang just chuckled. “Well, I guess we’ll see soon enough at flight camp. See ya later, Rainbow Crash!”

With a set of sneers, the three pests flew off leaving Rainbow alone. As soon as they were gone, the tension left the filly, and she relaxed. Great. She thought to herself. Now what mess have you gotten yourself into? Saying you’re going to flight camp… what a joke.

Reaching into her saddle bag, she pulled out her Flight Camp permission slip, worn and faded, but worse still, unsigned. She had done everything that she could think of to try and get her mom’s permission, but all the pleading and begging wouldn’t sway her elder. Flight Camp was apparently too uncouth for a lady. Madam Sky’s Summer Seminary for Proper Ponies was a much better way to prepare for her future.

Rainbow sat and turned the paper over in her hooves. She didn’t understand why her mom wouldn’t allow her to do anything that she enjoyed. Could one summer at flight camp really cause that much harm? It was a question that unfortunately would never be answered, since there was no way that she would be able to go now.

…or was there?

A chill shot down her spine as a thought that simultaneously excited and frightened the pegasus ran through her mind. What if she just went to Flight Camp anyways? After all, the Seminary and Flight Camp ran for the about same amount of time. She’d be back home and her mom would never be the wiser. Even the signature wouldn’t be a big problem. She’d seen her mom sign documents hundreds of times before, and was sure she could emulate it just as well.

In an instant it was decided. She could actually pull it off. Darting into a nearby store she ran into the small bathroom and shut the door behind her. As much as she hated to admit it, those jerks had been right about one thing. She was way too well dressed to be heading off to flight camp. She needed to lose the dress and quickly. Thankfully, her mom had been too afraid to send her off with nicer dresses, so it was a relatively cheap one. She could easily pack it away with her other clothes she had with her and hide it for the duration of the camp.

She started to undo the various buttons, ribbons and buckles before pulling the dress up over her head. This led to the discovery of another problem, as while removing the dress, it kept getting caught in her mane. Normally, somepony would help her put on and take off her dresses, so it had never been a problem in the past, but now by herself, it was nothing short of a disaster.

It took a few minutes, but she finally got the dress removed. Grabbing her mane in one hoof, she looked it over carefully. The memory of her last big crash kept replaying in her mind as she stared at it. She couldn’t bring herself to let something like that happen again.

There was only one solution. She would have to cut her hair.

Digging though her bags, she finally came across a pair of scissors her mom had packed. Why she had packed them, Rainbow would never know. They were the little foal kind, not even sharp enough to properly cut paper, but they would have to do. Walking up the mirror, Rainbow took a few small strands of mane and raised the scissors up to the top of her head. She couldn’t bear to watch, and closed her eyes.

*snip*

Cringing, the pegasus slowly opened one eye. There lying in the sink was several strands of long red hair. Invigorated, the filly grabbed another group and continued to cut. It was a slow process and took a long time, since she could only cut a very small amount of hair with each snip. But by this point, it was far too late to stop.

After who knows how long, the last long strands fell to the floor. Rainbow looked herself over in the mirror. She could barely recognize herself now. It hadn’t been a very clean manecut, but what could you expect from a pony who had never cut hair before using dull scissors? Everywhere, there were strands that didn’t quite match the length of their neighbors, making it look insanely frizzy all over her head and tail. It made her look like quite the little punk.

And she liked it… A lot!

Quickly cleaning up the hair around her, she tossed her once long pride into the trash can, before running out of the store. The shopkeeper stared in disbelief as the filly ran past him. This was not the same one that had run into the store minutes earlier. He tried to stop her and ask her what happened, but the cyan pegasus just flashed him a massive smile.

“Sorry mister. Can’t talk right now. I’m going to flight camp!”

There was a solemn reverence in the air as Rainbow and Scootaloo approached the small graveyard just outside Hoofington. Though only a few seconds ago, the two had been talking and laughing while enjoying a hearty lunch at a small local diner, both were now silent, as the sacred area took a hold of their emotions.

Rainbow Dash was not at all comfortable being here right now. In all honesty, graveyards gave her the creeps. That subtle reminder that she actually wasn’t invincible was a terrifying thought for the otherwise brash pegasus. Maybe that’s the reason she hated hospitals also, she pondered to herself.

Scootaloo however, didn’t seem to mind the area at all. She was no longer bouncing up and down anymore, but she still had a wide smile on her face as she reached up and opened the gate to the memorial ground, being careful not to disturb the flowers she held under her wing in the process. Stepping in, she turned and held the gate open for her idol.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash mustered all the courage she had. This was Scoot's day, and she was intent on not ruining it for her. With a flap of her wings, she gently hovered through the gate, only to be stopped by the horrified expression on the orange filly.

“Rainbow Dash! You’re not supposed fly in a graveyard!”

“Wha… huh?” the confused pegasus queried. “Why not?”

“It’s to show respect to the dead. And to try and be as close to them as possible.”

Rainbow snorted. “You mean they’d prefer that I walk over the top of them? Honestly, who gave you that crazy…” Her voice trailed off, as she saw the sad expression come over the young pegasus. “Oh… I’m sorry squirt. I didn’t mean that.”

The filly gazed up at her with a sad smile. “That’s okay Rainbow Dash. You didn’t know. You can fly if you’d like. I don’t mind.”

“Oh no. That’s alright.” Reluctantly, the mare folder her wings in, dropping gently to the ground below. “If it’s important to you Scoots, then it’s important to me as well.”

Scootaloo didn’t answer vocally, but gave a bright smile and a nod of gratitude. She turned and trotted on, Rainbow following close behind. Although the graveyard was relatively small, to Rainbow Dash it seemed massive. In every direction, there were rows and rows of memorials, neatly arranged and each bearing some happy remembrance of the pony lying beneath them. She couldn’t help but read a few of them as they trotted on. Most of them bore the names of ponies who had lived long and happy lives, with memorials written by grandchildren and in a few cases, great-grandchildren. Occasionally though, they’d come across a smaller tombstone, celebrating the short life of some colt, filly or even a foal. These ones seemed to have the strongest effect on the brash pegasus, and she couldn’t bear to look at them for too long.

While she wouldn’t like to have admitted it, she was glad that Scootaloo was leading the way. Had she been asked to navigate, she would’ve already been completely lost in this maze of remembrance. But Scootaloo was here with purpose, and seemed almost instinctively to know exactly where she was going. So when she suddenly stopped walking with a small gasp, Rainbow Dash was more than a little surprised. The mare trotted up to the small pegasus to find her smiling brightly with tears forming in her eyes, staring off to the side.

The cyan pegasus followed her gaze to a rather plain looking tombstone. Rainbow smiled as she realized whose it must be. Not wanting to break the mood, she gently nudged the orange filly with her wings. Scootaloo didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly ran over to the grave. Upon reaching the plot, the first thing the small filly did was brush away the leaves and tidy up the area. Then standing in front of the tombstone, she gently deposited her bundle of flowers at the foot, before taking a step back.

“Hi mom,” she said as tears of joy streamed down her face. “Happy Mother's Day.”

Rainbow Dash gazed at the sweet scene from the side of the road. She had figured it would be better to give the young filly a moment alone with her mother, before she stepped in to pay her respects. She was glad that she did, as the reunion caused her own eyes to start to water.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been to visit for a while, “ the young orphan continued her one sided discussion. “I wish that I could come more often, but it’s a long way from Ponyville, and none of the ponies at the orphanage can afford the time to take me. That’s alright though. I can’t blame them. It’s a long trip after all, and we definitely keep them busy.”

Scootaloo, continued on for several minutes, talking about everything she could possibly think about. She talked about all the different ponies she had gotten to know. Her guardians at the orphanage, Miss Cherilee, her best friends and their adventures crusading. (She also had to apologize for several of those stories since they involved doing things so risky.)

Once she ran out of stories about the ponies she knew, she told her mom all about the places. She talked about Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres, Carousel Boutique, and Sugarcube Corner and all the wonders that they held. When she ran out of things to say about the places, the filly proceeded to talk about nonsense. The weather, math, books; anything and everything she could think of, so long as she could try and keep the conversation going.

Up to this point, she had only briefly mentioned Rainbow Dash during her conversation. But there was a reason for that. Looking over at the cyan pony, Scootaloo motioned for her to come and join. Carefully, Rainbow Dash made her way over to the gravestone and stood by the side of the small filly. Scootaloo nuzzled up close to Rainbow Dash. “Mom, I’d like you to meet somepony. This is the coolest pony I know, the greatest flyer in Equestria, the one and only Rainbow Dash.”

She looked up at her idol, inviting her to say a few words also. Sheepishly, Rainbow Dash spoke, “Um… Hi there. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her voice was shaky and uncertain. After all what exactly are you supposed to say to a tombstone?

It was the right thing apparently from Scootaloo’s expression. “Isn't she just awesome Mom? Not only is she the fastest flyer, but she’s one of the Elements of Harmony, representing the Element of Loyalty. She and her friends actually saved the world. Twice! Once from Nightmare Moon and once from this nasty creature called Discord. And on top of all that she’s going to be a Wonderbolt someday! Isn’t that just the coolest thing you’ve ever heard?”

Rainbow had started to blush from all this praise, even if it was being told to a deceased pegasus.

“But there’s more than that mom. She actually saved my life a couple of months ago.” Scootaloo took a brief moment to explain the sad event of that day that had led up to her planning on running away. (Rainbow was more than relieved that she left off the part involving her that terrible afternoon.) She talked about the forest fire and how frightened she had been. But just when all hope seemed to be lost, how Rainbow Dash had risked life and limb to come and rescue her at the last moment. “She’s really something isn’t she mom? In fact, she’s the closest thing I’ve had to a family ever since… well… you…” Her voice trailed off for the first time during the conversation and a sad silence overtook the area.

Rainbow unfurled her left wing, wrapping it around the young pegasus and pulling her into a warm embrace. The filly stared at the ground for the longest time, before finally gazing into the loving magenta eyes peering down at her. “Tell me about your mom Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo swallowed deeply. “She was amazing Rainbow. She was tall and slender. We looked a lot alike. She had a bright orange coat and purple mane just like me, though her mane was much longer. She was the nicest, most kind pony in the world. Even after she had gotten sick, she still went out of her way to help others.” Tears starting to flow down her face again. “The doctors all told her that she shouldn’t try and force herself to do so much. That it would only make her sicker. But she wouldn’t listen to them. She used to tell me that if she was going to die, she was going to die by making the world a better place, and so she… she…” Scootaloo couldn’t finish that sentence, the tears were just too much as she wept bitterly.

Rainbow wrapped her arms around the young filly, to which Scootaloo returned the gesture. “I miss her Rainbow,” The young filly cried. “I miss her so much.”

The mare didn’t respond. She sat and rubbed her hoof through the filly’s mane, attempting to comfort her and support her, while she got everything out of her system.

“But I’m sure you know exactly how I feel, don’t you.”

Rainbow tensed at the statement.

“I mean, you probably miss your mom just as much as I miss mine. You’re just too strong to say so.”

A wave of guilt engulfed the pegasus. How could she possibly respond to that?

Scootaloo almost seemed to instinctively know that something was wrong. Pulling back from Rainbow Dash, she saw the sad stunned look in her eyes. An awkward silence followed, before Rainbow tried to say something. “Scootaloo… I…”

The filly didn’t let her finish. “That’s alright Rainbow. I know you don’t want to talk about it. But I know what you’re going through, and that’s enough for me.”

The guilt swept over the pegasus again, this time much harder than before. Lying to the filly was one thing, but this? She cleared her throat, speaking softly, “It’s starting to get late Scoots. We don’t want to miss our train.”

Scootaloo wanted to continue the issue, but wisely realized that she should drop it. Nodding in agreement, she said her farewells to her mother, making sure to promise to come and visit more frequently. Then she turned and walked back to the main path.

Rainbow Dash took one last look at the flowers at the base of the grave. A small gift, filled full of all the love the small filly could possibly muster. The sight broke her heart, for so many reasons more than it should have. Finally, she broke her gaze, turned and somberly followed the orange pegasus out of the graveyard.

Rainbow Dash stepped closer to the starting line. Taking a moment, she felt the gentle breeze blowing across her short mane. She turned to look at her competition, two of the ponies that had caused her so much grief over the past few years. But that was all about to change. Today she was going to leave them in the dust.

Today was her day to shine.

Getting into flight camp had been almost as easy as she had expected. She presented the forged permission slip at the entrance as soon as she had arrived. For a moment, she had almost lost hope when the consoler told her that it was supposed to have been mailed in weeks earlier, but she put on the saddest face she could muster and asked if they couldn’t squeeze her in somehow. Apparently it had worked, because here she was now.

Rainbow turned from her competitors to concentrate on the task at hoof. She had a race to win after all. She let out a deep breath as she got herself into position, ready to blast off the moment the flag bearer waved the flag.

As excited as she was, Rainbow took a moment to remind herself that this race was for Fluttershy. Since the start of the camp, Rainbow had been treated like an outcast. Thanks to her “pests”, the story of her encounter with the mayor was already well known throughout all of camp. Everypony either decided to join in mocking her, or were just too embarrassed to talk to the camp clown. Everypony, that is except Fluttershy.

They met the very first day of camp. Rainbow found herself sitting alone at dinner. Well, alone except for when the bullies had come to poke fun at her. The jerks even stole her desert! Seriously beginning to regret the decision to sluff the seminary, she started to consider just leaving and heading home.

At this critical moment was when Fluttershy decided to show up. She didn’t say much. Actually, she didn’t say anything. She just walked timidly up to the sour pegasus.

Rainbow was irritated by the new pony. “What do you want? Come to make fun of me also?”

The yellow pegasus didn’t respond. She muttered something briefly that sounded similar to an apology then placed a small plate of Jello in front of Rainbow before turning and walking off.

That single act of kindness was enough. The cyan filly chased her down and (with a lot of coaxing and persuasion) got the stranger to talk to her. It turned out that this was Fluttershy’s third year at Flight Camp. Her parents had sent her in hopes that it would improve her flying. But despite how long she had been coming to camp, her flying never did seem to improve, and she was still stuck in the beginners’ courses. This, along with her naturally timid nature, had made her the perfect target for bullies for the past two years.

Finding themselves in the same boat, the two naturally became close friends. They spent almost all their time together. From meals to practices, the two were inseparable the past three weeks. That’s why when those punks had started to mock Fluttershy, Rainbow had to intervene. She couldn’t just let her best friend’s honor go undefended.

Watching closely now, Fluttershy raised the flag over her head. Rainbow Dash licked her lips in anticipation, beads of sweat pouring down her face. The tension was unbearable. She flapped her wings anxiously. The flag seemed to just hang there for an eternity. And then…

*WOOSH!*

The flag fell, and in an instant they were off! Rainbow strained against the wind. Although she was the top of all of her classes, they had never done any sort of speed flying before today. It was more difficult than she had imagined it would be.

As she rounded the first turn, she turned back to look at the bullies. She already had a small lead against them, but it wasn’t enough. Refocusing, she turned and urged her wings to fly faster, slowly pulling farther ahead. As they turned the next corner, Rainbow heard a small crash behind her. One down, one to go, she thought with a smirk.

As she continued onward, something came over her. The speed. The adrenaline. The wind in her mane. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The thrill overtook her as she flew on, a broad smile forming on her face. This was pure bliss. This was awesome!

Suddenly from her side, the remaining colt slammed into her. She’d been so caught up in the moment, that she had allowed herself to slow down slightly, giving him the chance to catch up. He turned to her with a stupid smirk. “Heh, later Rainbow Crash!” he sneered before turning into a dive and taking the lead.

That insult was his great mistake. Filled with a new sense of determination, Rainbow turned after him. Flapping her wings for everything they were worth, she followed him into the dive. The speed was unbearable as she flew on, faster and faster. Within seconds she had blown past him, but it wasn’t enough. She had to win.

Slowly the air began to swirl around her, forming into a perfect cone. Most ponies would have tried to slow themselves, or would have pulled up in fright, but not Rainbow Dash. She was going to go all the way. She could just make out the last ring in front of her.

100 meters: tears poured from her eyes from the strain.

80 meters: the cone narrowed a little more.

60: The adrenaline was overwhelming.

40: The cone was now pulsing with energy.

20: This was it.

*BOOM!*

It wasn’t so much as Rainbow Dash pulling up, as it was an explosion rocketed her up. Her speed doubled almost immediately, sending her soaring through the sky. Shocked, the filly turned back, just in time to see a massive explosion of color where she had been only seconds earlier. A rainbow trail followed, leaving from the epicenter and trailing up directly to herself.

A Sonic Rainboom… She thought in awe. I just did a Sonic Rainboom…

The Sonic Rainboom had been a thing of legends for centuries. It was claimed that only the greatest fliers in the world were capable of such a feat. But nopony had ever seen one before, so it had turned into a myth. Nothing more than an old mare’s tale.

A massive smile formed on the young filly’s face. I’ve done it… I’ve actually done the impossible.

Rainbow burst through the finish line, dragging the rainbow trail with her. The crowd behind her cheered as she blasted past. With giddy glee, she flew a couple of laps all over Cloudsdale, all the while watching all the ponies come out to stare at this once in a lifetime spectacle. When the energy finally faded and she made her way back to camp, she was met with wide smiles and the exuberant chant of her own name. Somepony even pointed out that she had earned her Cutie Mark, a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt bursting out of it.

Rainbow Dash was elated. She was on Cloud Nine, in heaven. By all accounts, this was without a doubt, the greatest day of her entire life.

Her mom was going to kill her.

“Alright Scoots, you’re doing great! Just hold your wings up a little bit more to prep for the landing!”

Scootaloo stained against the wind, carefully turning the front of her wings up just as Rainbow Dash had shown her before. She suddenly felt herself slow down and start to drop slowly.

“Perfect! Now just hold that position for… That’s too high, lower your wings a li… No no, that’s too low, Higher! No lower!”

It was too late. Panic set in, and the series of mild corrections quickly turned into a jumbled mess of motions, leading to the filly spiraling out of control, and crashing with a thud into the ground. Who knew gliding off a park bench could be so painful?

Rainbow Dash rushed over to the crash site, to help up the small Pegasus. “Not bad kid, you got a lot more distance this time around. We just got to work on that landing a little more.”

Scootaloo got up and rubbed her head. Thankfully the years of crusading had gotten her used to crashing into things, and thankfully this time it didn’t end with her washing off tree sap. “Let’s face it Rainbow Dash,” she said with a sigh. “I’m never going to be as good of a flyer as you.”

The rainbow maned pony laughed. “Well, that goes without saying kid, but don’t you fret. With me as your guide, you’re sure to be the second best flyer in Equestria. You just have to keep practicing. So come on! Let’s do it again.”

The orange pegasus rubbed her sore head. “Couldn’t we take a short break? Give me a chance to catch my breath?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Fine. But just a quick one. We’ve still got a lot that we can go over today.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help but notice that something was off with her idol. After they had left the graveyard, Rainbow had been far cockier than she normally was. Aside from talking a lot more than normally, she had been far too eager to make it to the train station. Upon learning that a small accident near Las Pegasus had delayed all the trains about an hour, Rainbow had immediately suggested that they head to the park to get some flying lessons in for the day. Scootaloo didn’t object to the idea, but still, something about the whole experience was odd. It was almost as though Rainbow Dash was trying to avoid something.

The filly had a pretty good idea as to what that something was. After all, it was obvious that the experience at the graveyard had a profound effect on the cyan mare, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it. And this morning, she had been so unwilling to talk about her own mom when asked about it. Clearly, Rainbow Dash hadn’t yet come to grips with her own mother’s death.

Scootaloo couldn’t bear the thought that something could possibly be bothering her idol, and decided then and there that she would just have to help her through her problems. She could be a… Cutie Mark Crusader Consoler! Yay!

Rainbow Dash had flown over the bench Scootaloo had been jumping off only moments before, and was sitting watching the clouds above. The filly sauntered over and planted herself down next to it. Rainbow smiled at her as she stood up. “Alright. Ready to try again?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not yet. I was wondering if we could just talk for a few minutes.”

The cyan mare looked a little dejected for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off. “Alright, whatever you’d like Squirt,” she said, sitting herself back down. “What do you want to talk about?”

Silence followed for a few seconds. Scootaloo wasn’t sure what to say, but knew that she had to start somewhere. “Do you remember when your mom died?”

Rainbow sighed. Ever since they had left the graveyard, she had known that this moment was going to come. She had honestly hoped that by keeping busy she could avoid it. Unfortunately, her attempts had been in vain, and she wasn’t at all prepared for it. “No. Not really.”

Scootaloo hadn’t been expecting that answer. She had assumed that since Rainbow Dash had been so hurt by the event, that she would still vividly remember it. Though more likely, she did remember, and was just afraid to say so. Either way, the filly knew she had to approach the topic gently.

“I remember. I was at school. There was a big storm scheduled that day and I had begged her to let me stay with her. She had just given me a big hug, told me that she loved me, but that my education was important and I needed to go. I think she knew that it was going to happen and didn’t want me to see it.”

The filly looked up at the cyan pegasus. There was no response or sign of emotion. With a sigh, she continued. “It was a couple of hours afterwards that I got the news. The principal had knocked on the door with this sad look on his face. Even before he said anything, it was almost as though I knew exactly what he was going to say. I mean, my mom had been sick for a long time, and she had told me several times that someday she was going to… you know. But even then, it still shocked me when he finally told me. I didn’t want to believe it, even though I knew deep down that it was true. I just wanted to run away. Run away and hide and block out everypony and everything.

“Thankfully, there was this very nice consoler from the hospital. She made me sit down and talk through everything. I didn’t want to admit it, but I’m really glad that she made me do it. Even though it still hurt, I felt as though I was able to get through it.”

“Scootaloo…”

The filly stopped breathing for a second when Rainbow finally spoke up. Perhaps this crazy idea was actually working. Quickly regaining her composure, she continued before her idol could object. “I know you don’t want to talk about your mom Rainbow Dash, but maybe that’s just what you need also. Maybe it would help you to come to grips with it as well?”

Silence. Scootaloo stared up at her idol, hoping and waiting for some sort of sign of acknowledgement, but nothing followed. No words, no returned glace, nothing. As much as the young pegasus hated awkward silences, she had to hold out for a little longer, just hoping and praying that Rainbow Dash would finally say something. Yet, seconds soon turned into minutes and the silence continued. Frustrated and upset with her own inability, the young filly was about to speak when suddenly…

“I’m sorry, Scoots, but I…” Rainbow’s voice trailed off at the end.

For Scootaloo, that was the end. She had failed. With a sigh of regret, she admitted so. “It’s okay Rainbow, we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want. I just thought that…”

“No Scoots. I’m sorry... that I lied to you.”

Puzzled, the orange pegasus queried, “About what?”

“…My mom. She’s not dead.”

Scootaloo was dumbstruck. “Wha…? But… why would you tell me she was?”

Rainbow shuffled in the seat, but didn’t look at the filly. “I didn’t want to ruin this day for you.”

“Ok… How so?”

Rainbow sighed. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, but she didn’t even bother trying to dry them. “Well, you love your mom a lot, and I just didn’t want to ruin that today, by telling you about mine. You see, my mom and I, we’re not exactly on good speaking terms.”

“What do you mean by, ‘not on good speaking terms’?”

Another sigh. “We haven’t spoken in over five year.”

“FIVE YEARS?!?”

Rainbow nodded, still refusing to look at the filly. “And the last time we did talk, we had the worst fight of our lives.”

“Wow… would you… like to talk about it?”

Rainbow was silent for a few seconds, again much longer than Scootaloo would have liked. When she finally spoke, her voice was even more hushed.

“Alright…”

With that she scooted over on the bench, making some room for the filly, and motioning for her to join her. Scootaloo was more than happy to oblige, jumping up and nuzzling up next to the cyan mare.

“You’d better get comfortable. It’s kind of a long story. It started a long time ago, when I was younger than you. I had just met my own idol, Spitfire, for the very first time…”

“I told you already. I am not wearing that dress, and I am not attending your stupid party! I am going to Flight Camp!” Rainbow Dash stood firm, glaring across the room at her mother.

Prism gazed into her daughter’s eyes. “And I’ve already told you young lady. You are not going back to that silly camp. You are staying home this summer, so that I can teach you…”

“How to become a proper lady,” Rainbow replied with a mix of over the top enthusiasm and sarcasm. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve already heard it a thousand times. I don’t think I need to hear it anymore.”

The mother’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you speak to me in that tone of voice! You are still living in my house and you will treat me with respect.”

“Why should I? It’s not like you treat me with any.”

“And what have you done to deserve it? Disregard my every wish? Go behind my back to engage in trivial pursuits instead of doing something that might actually help you in life?”

The blue mare snorted. “You mean spending my entire life being prim and perfect, just to impress a bunch of ponies whose opinions mean nothing? Why can’t you just accept the fact that I’m not cut out for a life like that. I HAVE to fly!”

“But you also have to act like a lady. How else do you think that you’re ever going to meet a proper stallion to take…”

“Ugh. This again. I still think that I’m a little young to be thinking about getting married, don’t you?”

“Well, if I don’t pound it into your head now, then you’ll probably never think about it. Either that or you’ll bring home some rough and not at all appropriate swine of a pony. Or worse, you’ll bring home some sort of filly tramp to…”

“MOM! Seriously?!? What kind of pony do you think I am?”

Prism sighed, shaking her head. “Honestly, I don’t even know anymore. You used to be my little angel, my pride and joy. I had such high hopes for you one day, but now… just look at yourself! You’re arrogant. You’re proud. You don’t take advice from anypony!”

Rainbow shot her a piercing smile. “Why thank you. I honestly think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me before.”

Prism could feel the anger boiling up inside of her. She was doing her best to remain patient, but it was quickly wearing out. “Ever since you went to that camp, you’ve been nothing but a pain in my flank. Why can’t you for once, just listen to me and stay here. It would do you a world of good. What’s so important that you have to go this year anyways?

Rainbow looked at her incredulously. “Are you kidding? This is my last year that I can attend Flight Camp. If I graduate with top honors, which let’s face it, I will, then I get the chance to become a Junior Wonderbolt.”

Prism facehoofed at the comment. “This foolish dream again?”

“Yes, mother. This ‘foolish’ dream again. I have to get into the Junior Wonderbolts if I want to become the youngest Wonderbolt ever. They’re the only underage ponies that are allowed to attend tryouts. If I don’t go now, then I’ll have to wait several years before I’d even be old enough.”

“Peh. Why even bother? There’s no way that you’ll ever be able to make it after all. You’re not nearly good enough of a flyer.”

Rainbow’s ear twitched involuntarily. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me,” her mother retorted in an almost mocking tone. “You’re not good enough. You’ll never be good enough, so just give up on this foolish notion already that you actually have what it takes to become a Wonderbolt.”

There was one thing Rainbow Dash could not tolerate. And that was ponies telling her that she couldn’t fly. She got down into her war poise, the same menacing one she always made when her skills were insulted. “How dare you say that to me? I’m the greatest flyer in all of Equestria. The Wonderbolts would be foolish not to want me!”

“Oh please my dear. You couldn’t fly your way out of a paper bag.”

“What are you talking about? What about my Sonic Rainboom? Have you already forgotten about that?”

“Oh come on Rainbow. The Sonic Rainboom is just an old mare’s tale and nothing more.”

“Yeah, thanks to you it is! After you pulled me out of flight camp and wouldn’t let them record my race in the record books! By the time I finally got to go back there, either nopony believed me or was too afraid to admit it. You made me a laughing stock all over again!”

“Oh and how do you think I felt about it? Not only did I find out that my precious daughter had lied to me and snuck off to that camp, but you had managed to make a complete mess of yourself. I mean, your mane alone was enough to make me…”

Rainbow stomped her front hooves. “My Mane?!? I had just accomplished something impossible, and all you cared about was my MANE?!? For once, just once, don’t you think you could care about what I want, about what I think?”

“What about what I want? Everything I’ve done for you, to try and help you to live a long and happy life. You just expect me to sit by and watch you flush it down the toilet?”

“A happy life? A HAPPY LIFE?!? You honestly think that I’d be happy spending my entire life sucking up to a bunch of ponies who I honestly couldn’t give a flying feather to what they think!”

“You watch your language young lady!”

“MAKE ME!”

The knock at the house's front door silenced the two pegasi. It couldn’t have come at a better time. The two ponies were now face to face, mere centimeters between them, ready to strike. Neither one moved though. They just sat burning their gaze into the other’s eyes. Another knock followed after a few moments. Not breaking eye contact, Rainbow finally spoke up. “You’re precious guests are here. You’d better go see them in. It would be rude to keep them waiting.”

More silence and more staring. Another knock at the door, finally broke it as Prism pulled away. As she reached her daughters door to leave, she paused. “You are not going to flight camp. End of discussion. I want you downstairs in that dress in the next 5 minutes.”

Rainbow sniggered. “Not. Happening.”

That was the last straw. Prism slammed the door shut. “That is it. I’ve had it up to here with you young lady! Fine. Go to your stupid flight camp! Go and be a failure! See what I care!”

“Failure? FAILURE?!? Oh, I am going to make you eat those words. I am going to be a Wonderbolt, just you wait and see!”

“Oh I highly doubt that. But don’t you worry. WHEN you fail, I’ll be here waiting for you to come back, tail between your legs. Then we’ll see who’ll be the one eating their words!”

“Well, don’t hold your breath. Because once I’m a Wonderbolt, I am never, ever, ever, ever, EVER going to come back here again!”

“FINE! Then do it! Do it and GET OUT!”

Rainbow didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed her saddle bags and jumped out the open window. Outside, her mother’s guests were sitting dumbfounded. Clearly they had heard the entire conversation. But Rainbow didn’t care about that. She just wanted to get away. She flew to town and found a dark alley. For a few minutes she just sat and vented her anger, thrashing on a poor defenseless trash can, until finally exhausted she collapsed on the ground and proceeded to sob uncontrollably.

“And that’s about it. We haven’t spoken to each other since that day.”

Scootaloo was speechless. Other than a couple of times to ask for clarification, the filly had only sat and listened to the sad tale, but now…

“Wow, I… I don’t know what to say…”

Rainbow sighed. “Not much to say squirt. That’s just the way it is I’m afraid. Can you see now why I don’t like to talk about it?”

The filly nodded, but didn’t respond immediately. She really couldn’t think of anything to say that could help the overall situation. “I’m sorry Rainbow. I didn’t realize… Have you ever told anypony else about this?”

Rainbow shrugged. “I told Fluttershy a little bit once, but I left out most of the details. It’s never come up with any of the others though.”

“That’s a sad story to keep to yourself all this time.”

“I try not to think about it. Unfortunately, having an entire holiday dedicated to it, kinda brings it back up. Normally, I just lock myself in my house for the day. Since everypony else is so busy, it’s pretty easy to avoid them.”

“If you wanted to avoid today so much, why’d you come and ask me to hang out with you.”

“Well, to be honest, I thought that you’d hate this holiday as much as I did. I figured that we could hang out, practice flying, get some food, and you know, just forget about it.” She sighed again, “I’m really sorry that I had to go and ruin it for you.”

Scootaloo looked up, almost a little hurt by the comment. “Ruin it for me? Are you kidding, this is the greatest Mother’s Day that I’ve had in years! I should be the one apologizing for ruining your day.”

The blue pony smiled. “Thanks kid, but I don’t blame you for it. I was the one who came and got you after all.” Also, she would never admit it, but the kid had been right. Somehow talking about it had made her feel a little bit better.

Scootaloo nuzzled up next to the blue mare. “You know something Rainbow? In some way, I’m kinda grateful for your mom.”

The cyan pegasus shot the filly a nasty look. “What do you mean by that?!?”

The filly shrunk from the dark gaze, but didn’t back down. “Well, what I mean is, if she hadn’t done… all of that, then you wouldn’t have felt like you needed to leave, and you probably wouldn’t have moved to Ponyville.” She looked up to the now softening face of her idol and smiled. “You would have never met your friends, and helped save the world. Twice! Besides that, you might have already made it as a Wonderbolt, and then I never would have had the chance to meet the coolest pony in Equestria either!” she said with a laugh. “Isn’t that worth something?”

Rainbow wrapped her wing around the filly, pulling her in tighter. “You might have a point there squirt, but that still doesn’t change anything. What she did was still unforgivable.”

“Well, have you ever thought about…”

Rainbow tensed up defensively, already knowing what Scootaloo was about to ask. “No. Absolutely not. I think it’ll be much better if we just keep staying FAR away from each other.”

“Rainbow…”

“Besides,” the cyan mare interrupted. “It’s not like she’s made any attempt to contact me in the past few years. Obviously she’s much happier with me gone. Showing up would just stir up all sorts of problems again.”

Scootaloo remained still for a moment or two, gaining her composure. “You know, back before I moved to Ponyville, I had a really good friend named Sparkler. The two of us we’re practically inseparable. We did everything together.” Rainbow looked down at the young pony, unsure of where this story was heading, but allowed the filly to continue without interruption. “Then one day, something happened. We got into a fight about… something. I don’t even remember what it was. We both swore that we would never talk to each other again.

“And for a couple of days we didn’t. We’d give each other nasty looks whenever we did see each other. We’d make sure to walk on opposite sides of the street. It was terrible. But the worst bit of all was that how miserable I felt those couple of days.

“My mom saw this, and decided to intervene. She told me that being mad at Sparkler wasn’t doing me any good. It was just making me worse, and that I should go and apologize. I didn’t want to of course. I insisted that she had started this argument, and she should be the one to apologize first. My mom, just looked at me with loving eyes and told me that I should be the bigger pony and be the one to apologize first.”

The rainbow maned mare rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you went and apologized and the two of you became best friends again, right?” Honestly, doesn’t she realize the world doesn’t work like that sometimes?

Scootaloo didn’t answer immediately. Tears started to form in her eyes. “Actually, “ she finally said at last. “I did go and apologize, but Sparkler refused to accept my apology. She decided stayed mad at me, and continued to insult me.”

Rainbow Dash was stunned. That was completely unexpected.

“But, do you want to know something? After that day, I didn’t hate her anymore. Sparkler still did everything she could do to try and avoid me, but I didn’t care anymore. Sure it still made me sad and upset, but I was sad FOR her, not mad AT her anymore. Then she moved away about a year before I did. I don’t know where she went, but I honestly hope that wherever she is that she’s happy there.”

Silence fell across the pair, as the weight of what Scootaloo had just said completely settled in. There was a strange wisdom in the filly’s words, one that Rainbow Dash couldn’t easily ignore. “Sounds like your mom was a very smart mare.”

“Yes she was.” A thin smile crossed the filly’s lips as she stared up at her idol. “Maybe her advice could help you too? I mean, isn’t it at least worth a try?”

Rainbow didn’t answer. She was still letting the words of wisdom sink in, when the sound of the upcoming train whistle, broke her thoughts. “Come on squirt. We don’t want to miss the train.”

Scootaloo nodded, unsure as to whether or not her words had the desired outcome. Together, the pair walked side by side, silently towards the station.

Rainbow Dash sat at the café table. Although her mind was racing, she felt completely numb. Sighing, she picked up the letter again. Although it was only a few hours old, it was already worn and faded from so many frequent readings. She didn’t bother to reread the entire thing, but rather only looked at a select few lines. The ones that hurt the most.

“…regret to inform you…”

“…your repeated disregard for rules…”

“…unfitting a member of this flight camp…”

“…hereby expelled, effective immediately…”

Trying to blink back the tears, but failing miserably, Rainbow shook uncontrollably. How could she have let this happen? It was just a harmless prank that she and Gilda had come up with. Nopony had gotten hurt, only a little spooked. Yes that one girl had fainted and fallen off the cloud, but Rainbow had swooped down and caught her before anything bad happened.

Yet there it was, staring her right in the face. Expelled. Expelled with only 3 weeks to go. She was the top of the class, and was all but guaranteed a spot with the Junior Wonderbolts, but now… now she had nothing.

She turned the paper over, just so she could reread one last line. The worst of all of them. The one that cut more deeply, and hurt more than all the others put together. It read, “A copy of this letter has been sent to your parents or guardians as well.”

That was it then. The fight from a month ago was still fresh on the mare’s mind, and she knew it would be fresh on her mother’s as well. Sure they had argued several times before that, but they had never had an argument like that before. She could already see her mom’s smug face as she approached the door to her house. “You’re a failure.” That’s what she’d say. “No, you’re worse. You failed at being a failure. Why couldn’t you have just listened to me you foolish little foal?”

Rainbow pounded her hoof against the table. “IT’S NOT FAIR!” she screeched out. Everypony in the area turned to look at her, but she didn’t care what they thought. She didn’t care what anypony thought anymore. Her life was already ruined, and now she was going to have to go and have salt rubbed into her wounds. She started to cry again. “It’s just not fair…”

“Rai…Rainbow Dash?”

The rainbow maned pegasus’ head shot up immediately. She’d recognize that soft voice anywhere. Turning back, she looked straight into the kind, worried blue eyes of her old friend Fluttershy. She turned back, hiding her tears while trying to wipe them away. “Oh, hey Fluttershy. I haven’t seen you for a while. What’s up?”

“Oh, um… I’m just running an errand for a friend… Are you alright? I heard you scream out and…”

Putting on a brave face, Rainbow turned back to her friend. “Me? Of course I’m alright. Never been better. So yeah, what kind of errands?”

“Well… you know… just a little bit of this and that… Are you sure you’re alright. You seem upset about something to me.”

“It’s nothing really,” she lied with a fake smile. “So tell me about yourself. I haven’t seen you since you left flight school last year.”

The timid Pegasus kicked her hooves bashfully. “Yes. I moved to Ponyville. I got a job taking care of animals there. It’s nice and quiet. I really, really like it. Speaking of flight school though, I thought you’d be there right now. There’s only a few weeks left isn’t there?”

“Oh, yeah. Flight school… I... I guess it just wasn’t my style, so I left. No big deal.”

Fluttershy gave a tiny gasp. “You quit flight school? That’s so unlike you Rainbow. I mean you loved flight school. And what about the Wonderbolts? You won’t be able to get in now that you…”

Her voice trailed off as she recognized the watery eyes and trembling lip on her friend. It only took her a second to realize what really happened. “Oh, Rainbow Dash… I’m so sorry. I mean, I didn’t realize…”

Rainbow turned back to the table. She just couldn’t bear to look at her friend while lying anymore. “Really, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

A yellow hoof appeared on her shoulder comforting the downtrodden pegasus. “I’m still sorry. Is there anything I can to help?”

Rainbow sighed. “Not unless you happen to have some way to change the past hidden in your saddlebags.”

Fluttershy pondered that for a moment. “Well, no I don’t have anything like that, but I might have something you could use.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a flyer which she placed in front of the cyan pegasus.

The flyer was confused. “This is just an advertisement for a job as a weather pony. What good does that do to me?”

Fluttershy bowed her head and shuffled her hooves. She was good at that. “Well, I was just thinking. I was sent to deliver these flyers at the weather factory to try and find a new lead weather pony for Ponyville. Maybe, I mean that is, if you don’t mind, you could do it?”

Rainbow was about to refuse, stating how uncool a job as a weather pony would be, but she stopped and thought about it. Ponyville was a small town, meaning that the weather wouldn’t really be hard to manage there. Plus a management job could actually have a half decent wage attached to it. Not to mention all that wide open space. That would be just perfect for practicing new moves until she could try out for the Wonderbolts again.

But still, could she really leave Cloudsdale? She had never really left it behind before. The thought was kind of scary to her. Could she really just drop everything and run away?

“…I am never, ever, ever, ever, EVER going to come back here again!”

Her own words from weeks previous echoed in her head. Yes. She could run. She’d already been running for years.

“Maybe, you’re right. Being a weather pony could be kind of fun.”

Fluttershy looked excited and relieved. “Really? You’ll come down for an interview?”

Smiling at her friend, Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. Why not?”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I’ll wait for you to gather your things and we can…”

“Nah, I’m good. I’ve got everything I need right her.”

“Oh… Are you sure? Don’t you want to stop by your house and get some supplies?”

“No. I absolutely do not.”

This puzzled Fluttershy, but she was so glad not to have to talk to some strange pony at the weather factory that she let it slide. “Well, alright then. Follow me back to Ponyville. That is um… if you don’t mind…”

As the two flew off, Rainbow took one last look at her hometown. The sun was starting to set on it giving it a faint orange glow. It was too much for the mare. She turned away, and focused on the mysterious unknown in front of her.

Fluttershy noticed something a little odd as Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had gotten on the train. For starters, the pair were walking extremely close together, and both had appeared to have done a lot of crying that day. But more than that, both of them were extremely quiet, even by her standards. Scootaloo had said a brief hello, but Rainbow Dash had remained completely silent upon walking in. Within seconds, the smaller of the two had lain down and quickly fallen to sleep, exhausted by whatever the day’s events had been. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof had trotted over to the window and planted herself staring out it.

The timid pony had attempted to start a conversation, but was only met by curt responses or grunts. Whatever had happened that day, clearly had a lasting effect on the cyan mare, but she also clearly did not want to talk about it. After only a few attempts, Fluttershy surrendered to the silence and resigned herself to reading a book.

The train trudged on at its speedy pace, almost eager to be finished for the day. Fluttershy kept close tabs on her two travelling companions, but little changed during the trip. Occasionally, a bump in the tracks would awaken Scootaloo, but Rainbow Dash would rub her head a little, and she’d soon be lightly snoring again. Other than those few moments, Rainbow had continued to stare out at the sunset, lost in her own thoughts.

The whistle blew signifying the next stop. They were about halfway to Ponyville at this one. Thankfully, since it was so late, these stops were all relatively short, since everypony wanted to get home quickly.

“Fluttershy. Do you think I could ask you a favor?”

The sudden noise from Rainbow, frightened the skittish pony, but she was able to quickly regain her composure. “Um… sure Rainbow. What do you need?”

“Would you mind making sure that Scootaloo gets home safely?” Standing up, she started walking towards the door. “This is my stop.”

Surprise returned again to the mare, but this time for a different reason. “Oh. Um… ok… But I don’t understand. Where are you going?”

Rainbow paused at the door. “I… I’m not sure myself. I just need some time to think.” And with that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving the very perplexed pegasus wondering even more what in Equestria could have happened today.

The sun had set by the time Rainbow Dash reached Cloudsdale. The moon shone down brightly, illuminating the area in front of the mare. It was a good thing too, because aside from a solitary light within the house, there was no other sources of light outside.

The pegasus paced nervously in front of the large building, not sure what to say, or even if this was a good idea. She'd come close a couple of times, but had never knocked yet. She knew that once she did, she would be locked into her decision. Until that point though, she could still walk away if she wanted. Actually she had turned and walked back to the edge of the street several times already, only to hear the words of her biggest fan float through her head again, and then turn and walk back up to the front door.

A light came on in the upstairs window. Immediately two thoughts passed through her head. Somepony was indeed still awake, so she at least didn’t have to worry about that. And also, the room that the light had come on was in her old room. Despite knowing that she couldn’t be seen from her current position, Rainbow still tensed up and tried to hide herself. However, the light was soon extinguished as quickly as it had come and once again the building was dark.

Curiosity got the best of the mare. She wanted to see what had happened since she had left. Flying up to the window she took a glace inside. What she saw surprised her. She had expected her mom to remodel the room, maybe turn it into a library or a guest room. Instead, other than looking a little bit smaller than she remembered, the entire room looked exactly the way it had when she had left. Her old clothes still messily thrown against her cupboard. Her bed, with the old Rainbow blanket across the top. Even her old Wonderbolt posters, something she was certain her mother would have tossed out were hanging on the wall.

Rainbow Dash peered over the scene for a few seconds. It was almost like looking through a photograph. Something she wasn’t expecting came over her as she stared over her old home, a warm feeling that stopped and made her smile. It was enough.

Gliding down, the pegasus took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. For a second, she thought that maybe the knocking hadn’t been heard, or quite possibly had been, but was promptly ignored. She raised her hoof to knock again, but a light coming on in the entry stopped her.

Rainbow’s heart was pounding as she held her breath when the door began to open. Slowly, a nearly white mare came into view, her long mane, currently appearing violet shining behind her. She appeared to be tired, as her head was bowed. When she raised it, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice that her eyes had large bags under them.

The elder mare had planned to say something about the visitor coming at such a late hour, but suddenly found herself completely at a loss for words as she stared with narrowing eyes at the unexpected guest. There was silence between the two for quite some time. Finally, Rainbow took a deep breath, letting a thin smile form on her face. “Hi mom,” she said softly. “Happy Mother’s Day.”