“If I'm going to have a Pegasus filly, then I want to have the best Pegasus filly in all of Equestria!” Starburst huffed as she got out of her bright red, brand new top of the range BMW. Opening her passenger door she let her filly barely get out onto the sun-baked tarmac of the parking lot before the middle aged cream earth pony mare quickly slammed it shut behind her.

“Momma!” Air Raid buzzed her little lime green wings in protest, “I wanna go home!”

Starburst turned on her daughter, the late afternoon sunlight glinting off of her burgundy glasses. She straightened her orange, green and purple mane and leant down so she was at eye level, the green eyes boring into the grey. “You want to be an Earth Pony all your life? We are going to get you fixed.”

“B-But momma, that doctor before said he couldn't fix me!” Air Raid squeaked as she hurried along after her mother. She was more than a little upset, the last thing the little filly wanted was to be poked and prodded by yet another doctor. Her mother had already dragged her to see two unicorn doctors – one stallion and one mare – earlier that day.

“Charlatan!” Starburst stopped and stomped her forehoof on the sidewalk next to the parking lot.

Air Raid almost trotted between her mother’s hind legs, she stopped so suddenly in front of her. “Char…charla...what?” The little filly asked, a very confused look on her face. “Miss Sea Swirl at school says I don't need to be fixed.”

Starburst again turned on her filly, her hoof straightening her glasses. She wanted to make sure she understood what she was about to say. “Miss Sea Swirl is NOT your mother. I know what is best for you and flying is best!”

“But, but I can't fly!” The little lime green filly flapped her wings as hard as she could, but resolutely she stayed on the ground. She didn’t even get so much as a centimetre’s hover. Nothing. “I don't want to see a doctor,” she added sullenly, folding her wings away to her barrel.

“Are you moving out of the house?” Starburst asked quickly, her muzzle inches away now.

“Um...” Air Raid rubbed her left foreleg against her right, “no momma.” She answered quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

“Hmm!” Starburst huffed and turned around, moving along the sidewalk towards the third doctor’s with a purpose, her walk almost a trot. “Then I know what is best for you.”

Once more, Air Raid hurried to keep up, this time she actually did trot along. “But…but daddy said you'd take me to Donut Joe's after the first doctor!” She huffed to catch her breath. That first doctor had been hours ago! “They close soon!”

Starburst snorted derisively, “Doctors close long before Donut Joe’s closes.” She sighed, the pressure of the situation starting to get to her. “Yes, Air,” she relented a little, “you'll get a donut, but you need to cooperate with this doctor!”

Air Raid had tears welling in her eyes. Her mother was making out like she wasn’t trying, like it was her fault. “I am trying momma!”

“Let's move along then.” The cream earth pony brushed aside her multi-coloured mane and kept up her pace onwards to the third doctor’s surgery, this time a pegasi doctor, somepony called Wingnut that the second unicorn doctor had recommended to her.

Air Raid was almost at a canter beside her mother, her ears drooping when she saw the doctor’s hove into view. “Y-Yes, momma.”

Inside the doctor’s, the pale yellow unicorn receptionist, a Miss Soundwave, going by her nametag, greeted them with a polite smile. “Greetings Ms. Starburst. This is your daughter, Air Raid?” She enquired pleasantly, giving the pegasus filly a nod and a smile.

“Yes,” Starburst replied shortly, “we have an appointment with Doctor Wingnut.”

“Yes,” Soundwave replied, her hooves working the computer at her desk. “This is your first visit. Please fill out this form.” She used her teal magic to send the clipboard over to Starburst, and the cream earth pony took the pen in her mouth and began to fill out the form she had been given. “There are some magazines and some toys for little ponies.” She pointed with her hoof to the toy box.

Smiling a nervous smile, Air Raid eyed the toys and she sidled over to them, the little filly wanted very much to be anywhere else but there at that moment. Investigating the toy box she found two cars, one red and one blue. Picking them up in her hooves she started playing with them, zooming them around the reception floor with an enthusiastic, “VVvroooooom!”

She knew her mother was busy, and she was mindful not to make too much noise. Her mother never liked her making too much noise. She didn’t want to be chastised again. “VRoooOOOO...” Air Raid paused, her grey eyes focusing on the racing magazine on top of the small pile on the low table in front of her. Once she saw the magazine, she forgot about the cars and picked it up, flipping it open and her eyes went very wide.

Starburst looked up at the vroom, but she saw her daughter was being quiet and so she went back to filling out the form she had been given. “Wow...” she’d never seen pictures like this before, action pictures of various cars snapped going around hairpin bends. She drank in the full colour spread of a Canterlot hill climb rally.

“Okay, that is done.” Starburst passed the receptionist back the completed form.

Taking it back in her magic, Soundwave looked it over and nodded with her practised receptionists smile. “Thank you, Doctor Wingnut can see you now, please follow me.” She opened one of the two doors beside her with her magic and moved to wait on the other side of it.

Air Raid picked up the magazine and took it with her, “momma look at this! Look!” The little filly lifted up the open page, all excited at the pictures of the muddy cars and the perilous drops.

“Very nice Air,” Starburst replied without looking at what she was being showed. “Please put the magazine back. The doctor is ready for you.”

“Awwww!” Air Raid pouted, but she knew better than to argue with her mother. Reluctantly she put the magazine back on the table and slouched into the office.

“Hello Ms. Starburst.” Doctor Wingnut, a sky blue pegasus stallion with a pure white mane and well-trimmed white beard, greeted the mare and filly with very welcoming blue eyes. “I understand you’re concerned about your filly’s flying ability.”

“Yes!” Starburst exclaimed, taking a seating pad in the doctor’s office before she was offered one. “She can't fly at all! I need you to fix that.” In the middle of the office, with eyes on her, Air Raid slicked her ears back and her was tail was down between her legs. The little filly had her head down like she'd been whipped. “Momma says I'm broken…” she said to the floor.

Doctor Wingnut looked at the filly with a great deal of sympathy. “That is why you're here. My records show you are seven, yes? Most fillies are in flight school at that age.”

“Um...yes Sir,” again Air Raid spoke to the thick carpeted floor.

“That is the problem,” Starburst elaborated, “she can't even pass the entrance exam!”

“I know the theory questions!” Air Raid chipped in, trying her best to be helpful, like her mum had told her to. She really wanted that donut.

Wingnut spared her a kind smile and looked over his notes that Soundwave had provided before she had left the room. “I had you fill out a family history for me, Ms. Starburst. I have to ask if that is completely accurate?”

“Of course it is accurate!” Starburst’s eye twitched as she blustered indignantly, “Why would I lie!?”

“Please, Ms. Starburst.” Wingnut raised a placating hoof, “I have to ask, as sometimes these cases are due to...inaccurate data.” Down on the floor, Air Raid looked from the doctor to her mother and, recognising what ‘that’ eye twitch meant, she scooted under the table for cover as the doctor continued, “I've gotten the information from the other doctors you've visited. Nice that you have finally come to a pegasus doctor for a pegasus issue.”

“Are you implying something because I'm an earth pony?” Starburst asked as her eye twitched again.

“No, not at all.” Wingnut sighed internally. ‘Pushy parents,’ he thought to himself. “Just, unicorn doctors are good at injuries and magical issues, but know very little about flight.”

Under the table, Air Raid pulled her ears down, shivering with her blue tail wrapped around her while her mother snorted at the doctor.

“Based on the genealogical history and what the other doctors have observed,” Wingnut lead off, “I have a rather simple test to determine what is happening.”

“If it is so simple why haven't the others done it!?” Starburst asked, the two best doctors she’d been to hadn’t mentioned any simple test to her.

Doctor Wingnut smiled a knowing smile. “They weren't pegasi,” he answered calmly.

Her mother was shouting. Air Raid hated her mother shouting. Shivering, she drew her tail around her and tried to huddle against the wall. “Momma, don't shout.”

Starburst took several deep breaths, calming herself. “And what does that mean?”

“I will demonstrate.” Doctor Wingnut looked around, brushing his short white mane from his eyes as he looked under the table. “Um, Ms. Air Raid, I need you for this.”

“No!” Air Raid squeaked, “I don't want prodding and xamining! I want a donut!”

Starburst looked around and glared hard at her daughter, in a low voice she said, “What did I say about cooperating?”

“Yes m-momma…” slowly, in a subdued manner, Air Raid emerged from under the doctor’s table and stood in front of him.

Walking over to the sink in his office, Wingnut got two shallow trays and filled them with water. Carrying the two trays back, he set them on the floor and the sky blue stallion sat down in front of one. “You sit in front of this one.” He pointed with a hoof to the other tray.

Air Raid looked dubiously at the trays of water. Neither of the other doctors had done this. “Um...'kay.” She sat down in front of the other tray, studying the water. “Will it hurt?”

Wingnut smiled at the little filly, “Does taking a bath hurt?” He asked, and Starburst snorted again.

Air Raid looked down at the water in the tray in front of her. “The other doctor said it wouldn't, and she hurt my feathers when she xamined my wings with her horn, but um...no, bathing doesn't hurt.”

“Do as the doctor asks...”

Doctor Wingnut waved his hoof to get the filly’s attention back to him. “Watch me.” He held his right forehoof at the edge of the pan and used the other forehoof to skim the water towards the waiting hoof and using his innate pegasi magic he manipulated the water and soon he made a little cloud out of the water. “You need to want to make the cloud. Now, you do it.”

“O-Okay…” Air Raid put a forehoof at the edge of her pan and copied his actions, waving her other forehoof towards her. She did it once, twice, up to five times, but nothing happened other than she ended up with a wet hoof.

Starburst exhaled a burst of air. “You're not trying!”

“Please, Ms. Starburst.” Doctor Wingnut sighed, picking up the tray from in front of the little filly and putting it on the table “I will move to the next test.”

“I am!” Air Raid squeaked, tears welling in her grey eyes, “I am I swear!”

Wingnut took his cloud that he had made from the water and gently he moved it to the right towards Air Raid with a smile. “Now you move it back towards me.”

As the cloud moved to her left side, Air Raid lifted up her left forehoof and pushed against it with the toe of her hoof. It was very soft but quite solid but no matter how hard she pushed it just did not move. The lime green filly giggled and prodded it again. “It’s all squishy!”

“What does that mean?” Starburst asked.

“Means the next test.” The sky blue doctor stroked his beard thoughtfully before taking the cloud and he used the second tray of water to make it bigger. After a moment it was about three foot square and just a quarter of an inch thick. Once he was satisfied, he had it floating about one foot above the carpeted floor of his office. “Okay, Ms. Air Raid, I want you to jump up on top of this cloud.”

Air Raid looked at the cloud dubiously. Because it was so thin it was transparent, she could see the carpet through the cloud. That wasn’t what was worrying her though. She’d never jumped on a cloud before. “Um...” her ears were slicked back down to her head. “Okay...” steeling her resolve, she jumped up and landed on the cloud. Not knowing what to expect, she soon started to smile as she jumped up and down on it like it was a bouncy castle.

“You've never done that before?” Starburst asked as she watched her filly jumping on the insubstantial but supportive cloud.

“None of the other doctors tested this?” Wingnut asked in response. When Starburst shook her head, he carried on, “Please jump down Ms. Raid.”

Getting more than a little carried away after the few jumps and bounces, Air Raid flapped her little wings very hard, but absolutely nothing happened. It was like she was magnetised to the transparent cloud. Slowly, thinking she’d done something wrong, she hopped off and landed back on the floor.

“Do you think you are strong, Ms. Air Raid?” Doctor Wingnut asked after he scribbled a few notes on his paper.

“Yes!” Air Raid squeaked with a proud smile. She even made a little pose. “I'm strong when I hit this bully at school!”

“Hmm…” the sky blue pegasus nodded, “We will see. Ms. Starburst, could you please put a hoof through this cloud?”

“Um ah, okay.” Surprised to have been called upon, the cream earth pony mare lifted up her right forehoof and promptly stepped through the cloud to the floor as if it were, well, a cloud. Pulling her hoof back out she left a ragged tear in the thin transparent cloud.

“Very strong.” Wingnut nodded and with his magic he quickly fixed the cloud. “Okay, Ms. Raid, you put a hole in the cloud.”

“Yay!” Given license, the little filly pulled her left forehoof back and, picturing the colt that had called her a dodo, she punched the cloud…and it bounced off of the squidgy cloud like she was punching a rubber dodge ball. “Huh...” she looked down at her tiny hoof like she was doing something wrong. Air Raid hit it again a little harder, getting the exact same result. “I don't get it…”

“Okay, next test.” Doctor Wingnut stopped her after the two hits with a frown on his face. “Please close your eyes Ms. Air Raid.”

Air Raid looked up at him, square in the eyes. “Whatcha gonna do?”

“Air!” Starburst exclaimed.

Wingnut ignored the filly’s mother for the moment. “I'm going to have you back up three steps. You can do it now and then return to where you started.”

Air Raid slicked her ears back and visibly shrunk under her mother’s stern tone. “Yes momma!” Tightly she shuts her grey eyes closed. “I just gotta walk back?”

Kindly, Doctor Wingnut said, “Open your eyes, take three steps back and then return.”

“O-Okay,” she opened her eyes and walked back the three steps then she walked forward again to where she started.

“Now, close your eyes and stay still.”

“Alright.” Air Raid closed her eyes again, and she stayed as still as she could manage. She felt a soft gentle breeze directed at her, like what her own wings made. Watching from her seating pad, Starburst saw him move the cloud so that it was above her.

“Now,” the Doctor said gently, “keep your eyes closed and walk back three steps then forward three.”

Though she was severely tempted, Air Raid didn't peek. “Okay Sir.” Keeping her eyes closed she walked back again three paces and then forwards three to where she started. “What was that breeze?”

“Keep your eyes closed, it was me flapping my wings.” Doctor Wingnut explained, his pen ready to make notes. “I'm going to do it again.” Watching quietly, unconvinced of these ‘tests’, Starburst watched him put the cloud two steps behind her filly. “Okay, keep your eyes closed and walk back three steps then forward.”

Carefully, Air Raid walked back, this time she walked backwards into the squishy un-moving cloud and found she couldn't go back anymore so she walked forward. Watching, Wingnut decided he’d seen enough to make his diagnosis. “Okay Ms. Starburst, I have completed my tests.”

Opening her eyes, Air Raid looked behind her. “The cloud!” She squeaked, “so um...why am I broken, Sir?”

“Ms. Starburst, Ms. Air Raid,” the Doctor addressed them both, “you are not a broken pegasus but a gifted earth pony.”

“What?” Starburst exclaimed vehemently, “She has wings!”

Air Raid didn’t understand that at all. “I'm a what?”

“Have you tried jumping from some place high Ms. Air Raid, like a tree limb to fly?” Wingnut asked pleasantly, seeking an example to make his point. When Air Raid looked to her mum then back, she nodded and he continued, “Did you fall straight down, or at an angle to the ground?”

“I glided down from a tree branch into a picnic table at school.” Air Raid replied, “I broke the table and Miss Sea Swirl was very cross.”

“I would think so,” Doctor Wingnut commented with a chuckle, “did hitting the table hurt more or less than you thought it would?”

“It didn't hurt at all!” The little filly bounced proudly on the carpeted floor, “it was real thick wood too!”

“What does this have to do with her flying?” Starburst asked impatiently.

Wingnut sighed, trying very hard to keep his patience. “I'm getting to that Ms. Starburst.”

Air Raid went back to studying the carpet. “Momma said you'll fix me if I cooperate.”

“Ms. Starburst,” the sky blue stallion started, “can you fly?”

“What?” The cream earth pony mare flustered, “I don't have wings, she does!” She pointed her forehoof down at her daughter.

Smiling a serene smile, Wingnut moved the cloud in front of Starburst. “Can you stand on this?” He asked, his smile widening when the earth pony sputtered in outrage.

“Air!” Starburst admonished as Air Raid began giggling without thinking.

“Ms. Starburst,” Doctor Wingnut interrupted her before she could build up a head of steam, “I know what your daughter has, and it is not treatable at this time because it is not a disease. It is genetic.”

Air Raid didn’t fully understand what ‘genetic’ meant, but she knew enough that ‘not treatable’ meant. She shrunk to the floor with a shiver. “S-Sorry momma…”

“It is called Scootaloo’s Syndrome, and she has the highest stage. Her earth pony magic exceeds her pegasus magic.” Doctor Wingnut explained carefully, making sure he was understood. “She can cloud walk, but she cannot walk through clouds. This will be an issue in fog, but you seldom find fog in Equestria. She is an earth pony with natural cloud walking. The wings will save her life in a fall as she can glide, and her earth pony strength will let her survive the fall.”

Starburst tried to follow all this information, “What does that mean?”

“She is more like you than she is like this grand uncle.” Wingnut waved his hoof over the family history section of his records.

“But she is a Pegasus!” Starburst almost stomped her hoof.

“True,” Wingnut countered quickly, “but in shape only.”

“So...um...so Miss Sea Swirl was right,” Air Raid piped up, her ears perking up, “I'm not broken?”

“That is something for you to decide.” Doctor Wingnut said with a degree of sympathy for his young patient. “You will most likely never be able to fly. It would take a force to make your pegasus magic overpower your earth magic. It is very rare that a pony is not born with their dominant magic body type, but it could be worse.”

“How?” Starburst asked, demanding of how it could possibly be worse.

“To be born with strong unicorn magic in an earth pony or pegasus pony body,” the Doctor explained in very simple terms, “would give the sufferer severely painful headaches on an almost daily basis. Anyways, Ms. Starburst, in truth she is normal to her genetic heritage. Not to her outward appearance.”

“So um, does that mean I don't have to be xamined anymore?” Air Raid asked hopefully.

“It means you're not broken, because there is nothing to fix.” Wingnut said to her kindly. “You still have to deal with wings that won't let you fly. That will take counselling.”

“Yay!” Air Raid was dancing and skipping around the office. “I'mma not broke! Momma, i'mma not broke!”

“What is the point of the wings?” Starburst said angrily, ignoring her dancing filly.

“To glide for a landing.” Wingnut explained shortly, “Nice if you're trapped on the top floor of a burning building, hmm?”

Still bouncing happily around the office, Air Raid patted her mother’s hind leg. “Didn't you hear, momma? I'm not broke!”

“I heard.” Starburst muttered, then she did her best to sigh away her irritation. “Let's go. Thank you, Doctor...”

“B-But…” Air Raid’s smile melted like snow on Winter Wrap Up. “That's good, right momma?”

Without another word, Starburst got up from the seating pad and left the office, only pausing for her filly to catch her up in the waiting room as she had to settle the bill that Soundwave the receptionist had produced. After the bill was settled, the cream earth pony mare adjusted her glasses and on the way out she hoofed the racing magazine that her daughter had looked at earlier. 'Think they can charge me for nothing!'

Following her mother outside, Air Raid was quiet until they got to the BMW in the parking lot. Once there she fluttered her little wings. “Can we go get donuts now?”

In the car, Starburst gave her daughter the magazine to read. “Yes, you did cooperate so we will get a donut.”

“Yay!” Air Raid took the magazine and flicked through it as her mother fired up the engine and pulled out onto the main road. “Ooh look! Momma look!” The lime green filly had the page open at a page that showed an adult orange pegasus mare with an unruly purple mane posing next to a scooter holding an impressive looking trophy. The headline read, ‘Another Win for Scootaloo!’ Air Raid recognised the name. “That's her, see!”

Starburst snorted, but said nothing as she drove along. Air Raid couldn’t understand why her mother was being like this, at all. “But she's like me!”

Sighing deeply, Starburst spoke up, “What does she do for a living?”

Air Raid tried her best to scan the article, she had to read it twice because of the movement of the car. “Um…it says she does scooter stunts, momma.”

“Hmph!” The cream earth pony snorted derisively. “That isn't work, that is show business.”

“Oh...” disheartened, Air Raid closed up the magazine and nodded. “Yes momma, you’re right.” She knew better than to argue.

“I wanted you to be the best,” Starburst commented, “but now I don't know what you can be best at.”

Air Raid looked down at her blank flank. “Cos I can't fly?”

Starburst was quiet until she pulled into the Donut Joe’s parking lot. “You can't be the best flyer and you are the first with wings in the family for a long time. In his day, your grand uncle had a lot of awards for flying.”

In the passenger seat of her mother’s car, Air Raid muttered under her breath, just loud enough for her mother to hear. “I'm not my uncle…”

“You are not.” Starburst said, somewhat coldly as she got out and let her filly out as well. Quietly, the cream earth pony mare stalked into the donut shop. She only knew Air Raid was with her because she could hear the patter of her hooves on the concrete. “You can order a donut and drink,” she said after she had ordered a coffee and cinnamon roll for herself.

“Thank you momma!” Finally she was getting her donut! She’d literally been waiting ALL day for this, which was longer than a whole lifetime. “Can I have a maple syrup donut with haybacon sprinkles and a chocolate shake please?” She asked, bouncing up and down at the service counter.

Starburst just nodded to the serving pony and her order was quickly prepared. “Thank you momma!” Air Raid was so happy when they were both sat at a table, she spent a few minutes licking up the haybacon sprinkles. A thought occurred to the young filly, something her teacher had told her. “Miss Sea Swirl says I'm good with my writing. I can be best at that?” She offered, trying to be helpful.

Lost in her thoughts, Starburst just nodded to her, and Air Raid took a bite of her donut and thought a little more. “Momma?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do I have to be the best?” She asked innocently, causing her mother to look at her like she had just asked why it was light out in the day time. Under her mother’s look, Air Raid merely slicked her ears back and she decided to quietly eat her donut.

“Our family is the best that can be in Canterlot.” Starburst explained tersely, “Canterlot, a city full of unicorns run by an alicorn. If we are not the best, we...we…”

Air Raid didn’t get many things. Right now she didn’t get her mother or why she had trailed off. “So...if we aren't the best, we are nothing, momma?” She asked, trying her best to understand.

“I am not a mud pony!” She exclaimed fiercely, suddenly slamming her forehoof down on the table top, drawing herself a few stares as she looked pointed daggers at her filly. “Neither are you!”

Under her mother’s ire, Air Raid flinched away, she almost dropped her milkshake. Almost. “The doctor said I was a gifted earth pony…” she said quietly, almost inaudibly.

“So make the best cloud pillows anypony can make!” Starburst sighed an exasperated sigh. “You wanted to do show business like that mare in the magazine, then be the best cloud walker you can be.” She threw up her forehooves, “Be something! Just…be something, Air Raid.”

“Yes momma.” Air Raid answered her mother but she spoke to the table. ‘Why isn't it enough to just be me?’

In silence, Starburst finished her cinnamon roll and her coffee, but lost in her own thoughts she made no move to leave the donut shop. A moment later and Air Raid noisily finished her milkshake, angling the straw to get absolutely every last drop. “Can we go momma?” She asked, looking at the clock, “Power Ponies start soon!”

Again, Starburst said nothing, but she did get up and left the donut shop to walk to her car. Thoroughly excited, Air Raid galloped on ahead as fast as she could, easily beating her mother to the car. “Whooo!” She cheered, doing a little dance, “faster than Filli Second!”

On the way back to the house, Starburst again said nothing, keeping silent on the drive home. Air Raid however didn’t notice as much as she was busy reading the racing magazine, drinking up what she could of Scootaloo and the stunts. “You can play,” the cream earth pony said once they were in the house, without a backwards glance she turned and went up to her room.

Left alone in the living room, Air Raid felt very small indeed as she watched her mother climb the stairs. “Oh...um, you wanna play, momma?” She asked, fluttering her wings hopefully.

“Not now, Air,” Starburst paused on the stairs but didn’t look back. “I'm going to have a nap.”

“O-Okay momma,” Air Raid folded away her wings to her barrel and eyed the television. “Can I watch cartoons?”

Air Raid watched her mother just nod as she walked up the stairs to her room and shut her door behind her, leaving her daughter alone in the living room. Hopping up onto the couch, the little lime green filly used the remote to turn the TV onto her favourite show, luckily Power Ponies had only just started. She didn’t care it was an episode she’d seen before, it was a Filli Second one, so she was happy. “Ugh…” she slumped back on the couch and looked at her little wings with a sigh. “I'm not broken...I don't get it…”

~ ~ ~

“Hi!” Fire Prism, the tan earth pony stallion – except for his lower legs and muzzle, which were a pure white and gave the impression he was always wearing short socks – opened the front door and walked into the house at seven p.m., a good ninety minutes after Air Raid and Starburst had gotten home. “Hi!” He called again, “Star, Raid, anypony home?”

Air Raid’s ears had perked up immediately, but she wanted to watch her heroine Filli Second defeat the Mane-iac one more time. “Daddy!” Smiling, she launched herself over the back of the couch, something she’d never do if her mother was watching, and performed a high speed tackle hug.

“Oof!” Fire Prism smiled, caught off guard by the speed of the tackle mostly thanks to being exhausted from governing Canterlot’s hospitals and to underestimating the sheer strength of the lime green missile that shot his way. “How's my little power pony?”

Air Raid pouted when her father playfully tousled her blue mane with his hoof, “I'm okay, daddy!”

Fire Prism knelt down to his daughter’s eye level. His grey eyes met hers, though he had to sweep aside his black and white mane as his filly had returned the favour of messing his mane up. “Did you go to the doctors, did mommy get you a donut, sweetie?”

“Yes daddy!” Air Raid buzzed her little wings proudly, “I'm a gifted earth pony!”

Fire Prism could not contain his smile, “are you now?”

“Yep!” Air Raid’s wings folded to her barrel and her grin widened at the memory of being called gifted. “The doctor said I was ‘cos I can't fly!”

“Really?” Fire Prism made a show of looking around their spacious living room, in order to hide his exhausted yawn and to find his wife. Mostly to hide his yawn. “Raid, where's your mommy?”

“She's having a nap, daddy.” Air Raid replied, her eyes straying back to the Power Pony marathon on her favourite channel, Tiny Pop. Power Ponies Three: The Doom of Maretropolis, had just started, and though she’d seen it no end of times, she wanted to watch it again. “I stayed down here and watched TV, daddy.”

Fire Prism noted what was playing and realised he’d just lost his filly. As cool as he was, he couldn’t compete with superponies. Grinning, he patted her head. “Good girl. You watch your show, daddy will go talk to mommy.”

“'Kay daddy!” The excited lime green pegasus needed absolutely no further encouragement and without a backwards glance she turned and ran back to the couch while Fire Prism walked up the stairs, his destination their bedroom.

At the ornately carved oak door, Fire Prism paused. If his wife had come straight up here the moment she had gotten back, it did not bode well for her mood, especially as judging by what Air Raid had said, she hadn’t gotten the results she had wanted. “Star?” He asked cautiously.

“Yes?” Was all the response he got from the sullen voice within.

‘Oh good…she’s in a mood, just what I need…’ Fire Prism thought as he tentatively opened the bedroom door. “What happened today? Raid says she's a gifted earth pony…”

The bitter laugh that Starburst gave off cut across her husband, silencing the tan stallion. Laid on their Princess sized bed, she didn’t even bother to turn to face him. “This is all your fault!”

“Excuse me?” Fire Prism looked at his wife’s cream coloured back, at her orange, yellow and purple striped mane utterly confused. This was the last thing he expected after the day he had had. “What's my fault?”

Stifling a sob, Starburst slowly rolled over to her front to face her husband. Her eyes were red and her pristine mane was a mess. “My grand uncle was a gifted pegasus. He was a Wonderbolt reservist. He fought in the second equine griffon war. Won medals and received honours!”

“I see.” Fire Prism sighed deeply. “This is about Raid and her flying.” Stepping into the sumptuous bedroom he carelessly left the door open. “What exactly is my fault this time?”

“I brought that to life by giving birth to a beautiful pegasus!” Starburst stood on the bed, looking down on her husband from her raised position. “Your contribution took away her wings! THEY are going to call her a mud pony with feathers! If you were going to give her your magic you could have left her an earth pony!”

“How dare you!” He fired back, his hackles rising as he took a step backwards under his wife’s stern angry gaze. “Just who are these 'they' you're talking about?”

Downstairs, seated on the couch, Air Raid could hear every word through the open door. The little lime green filly tried her very best to ignore it and watch her movie when she heard her mother’s voice, angrier now, yell out, “Look at her! A pegasus that can’t fly! EVERYPONY will look at her and say, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ And you well know who THEY are! The same THEY that called me a mud pony because I didn’t have that Tartarus damned horn on my head. The same THEY that will ridicule our filly for having wings that can do no more than a palm frond fan!”

Air Raid shivered against the couch and used the remote to turn up the volume of the TV in an attempt to tune out the familiar argument. Sadly it did little good. It never did. She still heard her daddy when he replied, “Star, you're being ridiculous!” She heard the hoofsteps and she guessed he had walked over to try and hold her. “What did the doctor say?”

‘It's my fault...momma's shouting because I can't fly, because my wings don't work...’

Starburst roughly shoved her husband away from her. “He said she will never fly! NEVER!”

“But...I don't understand.” Fire Prism foundered against his wife’s ire, “so she'll never fly, so what? Neither will I, and Raid did say the doctor said she was a gifted earth pony!”

Air Raid gave up on the volume button and tried to use a couch cushion over her head to block out the screaming and the yelling. Traitorously, nothing was working. ‘I'll never fly...it's because of my wings momma's upset...what if I didn't have my wings?’

Again, Starburst laughed that very bitter laugh of hers. “Yeah, he asked if I could fly too! I’m an earth pony and so are you, but we have a pegasus filly!” The cream earth pony was getting up a head of steam, and it was directed solely at her husband. “That damn doctor filled her head with false hope saying she was gifted! She can cloud walk, which is how he knows she can never fly. A fog bank would be a brick wall to her! The only thing those wings are good for is to fall from a low height. At least she won’t smash on the ground like you and me!” Unaware she was being overheard, Starburst stomped over and thrust her hoof at her stallion. “Canterlot will never accept her! NEVER!”

“Starburst...” Fire Prism sighed despondently, “I'm sorry you feel like this.” This time when he hugged her she didn’t stop him, she just cried into his chest as all her hopes for the future died away. “Have you tried talking to her?”

Air Raid threw the couch cushion down and muttered, “momma will never accept me...” the sad little filly made up her mind. Her wings were the problem. Her wings had to go. ‘How can I get rid of my wings?’ She thought to herself as she looked around the living room. When her eyes settled on the kitchen, she got up off of the couch and trotted over to the drawer that she knew held the knives. Opening the drawer she selected the biggest carving knife she could carry. “I'll be accepted if I don't have my wings...” she muttered, and took it up with her to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. “I can do this...I can...I can...I want to be accepted...” with that set in her mind, the determined filly held the knife in her right forehoof and with the blade resting against the joint of her left wing, she started to cut into her left wing. “Aaah...ooOOOOW!”

It was hurting a lot more than she expected it to.

“Talk to her?” Starburst almost laughed at the thought of actually talking to Air Raid. “About what? I got her the donut, and she thinks she has plans for her future, but really? In this city? There is no future for a cripple, Prism!”

“Starburst, she's hardly a cripple!”

As she cut herself deeper, as the sharp metal of the blade cut deeper into her wing, Air Raid finally began to notice the blood that was spilling out of her and onto the white tiled floor. “Oh...” she mused, “oh I'm bleeding!” She kept on cutting into her wing, determined to remove what her mother didn’t like. “there’s…so…so much…” she swooned.

“Tell that to those thrice damned unicorns!” Starburst exclaimed as she stomped out of the bedroom. The moment she got onto the upstairs landing, the coppery tang of blood reached the back of her nose. “Air?” She called out in a panic. “Air!” She yelled again, all of her previous vitriol forgotten in an instant with the thought her filly was in danger. “Air Raid!” Walking past the bathroom she smelled the blood stronger, more pungent than before.

In the bathroom, Air Raid barely heard her mother’s voice. “M-Mom-ma...” as she slumped weakly against the sink she dropped the knife with a loud clink on the white tiles, blood spurting like a geyser from the wound in her wing. “Mom...”

On the other side of the bathroom door, Starburst wrinkled her nose and opened the door. She recoiled in horror at the sight that greeted her, she fell against the wall opposite the bathroom door at her filly covered in her own blood, of the floor covered in that same awful fluid. “P-Prism!” She managed to scream, “Prism, call nine one one, it’s Air!” She staggered out of the bathroom, retching with each step.

At his wife’s cries, Fire Prism came running out of the bedroom. “What's happened!?” The moment he asked, he saw. He saw the sight he’d never forget through the open door. “Oh…oh sweet mother of the alicorns!”

“I…” Air Raid looked up at her mother through half-lidded weak eyes, “I don't w-want wings, m-momma…” with that she fainted from the blood loss as he father galloped down the stairs.

Having finished upchucking in the upstairs hallway, Starburst growled, “Damn that doctor to Tartarus, filling you with false hope!” She could tell her filly was bleeding out, and since Fire Prism ran off to call the emergency services, she knew she’d have to go back into the abattoir that was her bathroom to stanch the wound with a towel, and that she’d most likely dry heave while doing so.

When the bathroom door opened for a second time, Air Raid looked up from the red slick tiled floor with bleary grey eyes. “M-Momma...y-you came b-back...”

She knew her momma would come back.

Her momma always came back.

Except this time, it was different. This time it was wasn’t her mother.

Wildfire walked into the bathroom, tall, tall as Princess Luna. The yellow pegasus looked skeletal in appearance, like she had been laid out in the Saddle Arabian sun for decades. Her eye sockets were deep black pits with taut scarred skin covering them, and her bones could be seen through rips in her thinning fur. Her wings were torn and tattered remnants of what they once were. “Well, well Raid, is that the same knife you stabbed me in the back with in the hospital?” The ghastly pony spoke with a haunting parody of Wildfire’s voice.

Seeing the hideous apparition stalk into the bathroom, Air Raid lurched up to a sitting position. “Wh-What!?” She gasped, so overpowering was the sheer stench of death that permeated the very air surrounding this creature, the stunned lime green pegasus didn’t realise what had happened at first. “Who're you...where's momma...” she backed away, only to find that she was a fully grown up mare now, not a filly anymore. “W-Wily!”

The Wildfire spread her wings, rotten feathers falling to the blood slickened floor. “Not enough to screw me over, you had to screw yourself over?”

“Wildfire!” Air Raid exclaimed, looking at her marefriend properly now, confusion and fear vying with joy in her heart. “But...how can you be here? What happened to you...you came back!”

“Wait,” Wildfire lifted up her left forehoof to her chin, bone and muscle was visible through her skin, “was it me that said, ‘I’ll never be seen with a flightless dodo’, or was it you that said ‘I’ll never be seen with a blind pegasus.’ I forget.”

Air Raid got to her knees in front of the monstrous creature, kneeling in the blood. “Wily please, I can change!” She begged pitifully, “I'll make it up to you!” She bargained, edging nearer to her, barely a hoof's width away. “I'll do anything you want, give me another chance please!”

Though it was blind, the ghastly Wildfire moved like she was fully sighted. It swirled its decaying hoof in the pool of blood. “If you'd done this right it would have saved me a lot of pain later.” It said dispassionately, a horrible sneer on her face.

“I know I hurt you Wily, and I'm sorry!” Air Raid cried, grovelling at the apparition’s foul hooves, breathing in its fetid stench. “Name it, anything, I'll do whatever you want, anything, to make it up to you!”

The Wildfire flipped the carving knife back to her. “Then finish this up. I think it is the only way you can join me in Tartarus.”

Blinking twice, Air Raid looked at the knife. “Is that what you want, Wily?”

“What I want? What I want!” It lowered its head so that it was inches from Air Raid’s own, the empty sunken eyes ‘staring’ into the grey eyes of the kneeling mare. “I wanted a marefriend that would love me for who I am! I don't have that Raid, and you can't give that to me!”

“I can!” Air Raid picked up the knife again in her right hoof. “Wily I love you! I've always loved you!” She put the blade on the deep scar of her old wound. “I'll prove it to you, watch!”

The Wildfire laughed, and it was a horrible, hideous death rattle of a laugh. “What, so you can fail again? You've already shown me you can fail.” It snorted derisively and snatched the knife up in her skeletal wing. “What I want is a life worth living!” It raised the knife above its head. “I'd take yours, but it isn't worth living either.” It then swung down with the knife towards her target’s heart.

Air Raid saw the flash of the blade as it swung in slow motion. “Take it Wily! I can't live without you!” She knelt and spread her forelegs apart, not even tempted to defend herself as she bared her chest for the point of the knife, her eyes closed for the strike.

Instead of a very sharp blade, a midnight blue feather struck the lime green chest. “You are one of my son's friends, yes?”

‘Wait…what the hay?’ Air Raid cautiously opened her grey eyes when instead of the expected knife strike a feather hit her chest. “Huh...” she looked up to where the voice had come from. “Princess Luna!” She exclaimed with a boundless joy as she realised what was happening. “I'm dreaming! Um...yes, I'm one of Dusk's friends, or rather I was.”

Stepping forward, Luna spared a moment to look distastefully around the little bathroom, covered with more blood than ten ponies could hold. “Part of this is part of your reality, from where the dream comes.”

Gathering her wits around her, Air Raid too looked around. “Aaah yes, from when I was seven, Princess.”

Silently, Luna stomped her left forehoof into the floor and in a swirl of magic the colour of pure midnight the copious amounts of blood vanished as did the walls themselves, only to be replaced with her own bedroom in her house. “You are Raid. The race driver, yes?” Luna enquired politely.

“Air Raid,” she bowed respectfully, “yes Princess.”

“One shouldn't dream of one's death if one wishes to wake again.” Luna chastised gently, very pleased they were in a clean blood-free environment. The scent was a little too real for her liking.

Air Raid rubbed her right foreleg with her left. “I um...”

“Your dream was a black cloud on my dreamscape.” Luna said, “I know of you. Dusk has spoken of you. You are part of why he has but one friend left.”

“Yeah...” Air Raid looked guiltily at her floor, “We ah...had words a couple of weeks ago after what happened to Wily…I just want her back, Princess.”

Wily. Wildfire. That was a name Luna was very familiar with. The alicorn owed that particular pony a debt she could never adequately repay, although she had given her the reward money herself in the hospital. “Yes, the mare that rejected my son in anger and hurt. He is a foolish colt. Are you as equally foolish?”

Air Raid nodded sadly. “I rejected her from fear...and I lost Dusk, Cy and Bright too.”

“You give yourself undo credit I think,” Luna said firmly. “Dusk lost himself. The others. They were also part of the group that visited, yes?”

Air Raid nodded again. “Punching him didn't help any. Yes, though it was just me, Dusk and Darkie that saw her in the hospital. By the time the others came she was gone. To Fillydelphia, apparently.”

Deep in thought, Luna tilted her head to one side. “Really,” she led off, “but she was here just yesterday.”

“Yeah her dad told us all Wildfire had gone to family in Filly...what!?” Air Raid spoke without really hearing what the lunar alicorn had said until it began to sink in to her brain. “Princess...Wily was here?” She didn’t dare to believe it.

Suddenly, with a wave of her midnight blue wing, there stood Wildfire, diminutive and whole and with all the animation of a life sized doll. Air Raid recognised the scene as her living room, and she could see in the hallway Darkstar was sitting with her horn aglow with her yellow magic. “Is this not the Wildfire you want?” Luna asked directly.

Just as suddenly as the scene changed, Air Raid began crying fountains of tears. “I…I…I w-want my marefriend back! Darkie...Darkies' been helping me.” The lime green mare sniffled as she cried, “that day...I thought I was going crazy, her illusion was so good.”

“Are you sure you’re not?” Luna questioned as the Wildfire doll disappeared and Air Raid was treated to another, different scene. In the hall, she saw herself and Darkstar standing. Talking. She remembered this argument. She saw Darkstar stomp her hoof. “I need to stop doing this…”

Air Raid watched herself thrust her hoof at her friend. “No!” She raised her own voice.

“She isn’t real.” Darkstar tried to reason with her.

“I don’t care,” Air Raid watched herself argue, “she is what I need!”

The real Air Raid turned her back on the scene. “Darkie keeps warning me about depending on her illusions, but I can handle it, I know I can, I mean, what's the worst that can happen, it's just a spell, right?”

With another wave of her powerful midnight blue wings, the skeletal nightmare Wildfire reappeared with her rotten wing holding a wicked looking knife. “I can finish what I started.” It said evilly.

Luna raised her eyebrow at the pegasus. “Is that what you really want?”

Air Raid shook her head desperately. “No...I want Wily back. My Wily...I want my marefriend. I want to make it right with her.” She looked at the ghastly nightmare version of Wildfire. “That's not my Wily.”

The nightmare Wildfire disappeared in a flash of Luna’s magic and the life size Wildfire doll took its place. Luna walked over to her creation, and Air Raid noticed a big round ring located between the doll’s wings. Reaching for it, Luna pulled it with her hoof and there was a string attached. Looking Air Raid dead in the eyes she let it go and the string pulled it back into the body. “I love you Air Raid.” The doll said in a simpering impersonation of Wildfire’s voice. “Please hoof me again.”

“Oh my…” that made even Luna blush hard.

Air Raid looked at the doll, and for a very brief moment her wings fluttered upwards. “Princess, what's that supposed to be?”

The nightmare Wildfire reappeared next to the doll Wildfire. Luna pointed a wing at the nightmare. “That is your sleeping dream.” She then pointed her wing at the doll. “That is your waking dream.” Luna turned and walked over to Air Raid, a very serious look on her face. “Will you ever leave my dreamscape?”

Utterly defeated, Air Raid slumped to the floor. “Princess…what do I do?”

Without warning, both of the Wildfires disappeared, as did the surroundings, leaving them floating in an ethereal void. “Wake up, Air Raid. Wake up and live.”

“Whu...” Air Raid blinked her grey eyes open and took in her surroundings. Two blinks and as many seconds later and she realised she was on her mother’s couch. “A dream…” she sighed as she propped herself up onto the knee of her right foreleg. “Just a dream.”

“Ah, you're awake!” Starburst smiled over her glasses and put the gossip rag she was reading on her coffee table. “You were tossing a lot.” Getting up from her chair the late middle aged cream earth pony walked over and stroked her daughter’s mane. “Breakfast is ready. When do you race again?”

Air Raid smiled up at her mother and nuzzled her hoof. She always did like the way she stroked her mane, ever since that time in the bathroom. “Uh…I've got a tournament coming up in Filly next week momma, big south eastern event.”

“I expect you to win,” Starburst smiled as she stroked the blue mane with her hoof, “eat up and be strong.”

“Momma…” the younger mare asked her mother the question that had been bothering her, the question that she suspected had led to her dream, “am I broken?”

Starburst smiled sympathetically at her filly. “You can answer that for me by telling me if you are a flightless pegasus or a winged earth pony.”

Air Raid knew the answer to that. Many, many hours spent with one of the best therapists that bits could buy in Canterlot had put that issue to bed long ago. “I’m a winged earth pony momma...sorry, I was just dreaming about Wily.”

Starburst stood to her full height and smiled, “Then you're not broken, Raid.”

Air Raid smiled and got up from the couch. “Thanks for letting me crash here, momma. I just can’t face the empty house.” She looked down at the thick carpeted floor. “Momma I miss her so much...”

“Keep winning and maybe she will contact you.” Starburst offered helpfully as she now nuzzled her daughter’s cheek. “Other than that, I well know that we must sleep in the bed we've made.”

“I know momma, I reacted like a bitch, that’s all.” Air Raid sighed as she returned her mother’s affectionate nuzzle. “I know Canterlot wouldn’t accept her looking like she does...I just didn’t think, y’know, priorities.”

“How well did Canterlot accept you?” Starburst asked with her forehoof on her filly’s shoulder.

Air Raid laughed out loud at that. “You know full well how Canterlot accepted me, momma.” She looked at the older pony ruefully. “They still don't, it just helps that I'm successful.” Air Raid had learnt very early in her racing career that success and wealth helped to paper over many cracks in Canterlot.

“Yes,” the cream earth pony adjusted her glasses with an indifferent sniff, “we have to prove ourselves every day. As for your moping, be the best at what you do and move forward. I know when you burn a bridge it can only be rebuilt from the other side.”

Air Raid flashed her cocky grin, “you know I don't accept second place momma.” Her grin disappeared into a sigh, “if Wily wants to know, she'll contact me I guess. So! What's for breakfast?” She asked when her rumbling belly reminded her that she was in fact hungry.

“Rolled oats, raisins, fruit, and coffee.” Her mother replied as she walked into her kitchen.

“Whoo! You know me so well momma!” Thoughts of Wildfire momentarily forgotten in favour of her belly, Air Raid trotted through to the kitchen. Taking her seating pad, her grey eyes wandered over to the knife drawer as she recalled her dream. With a shudder she banished those thoughts as far away as she could. “You doing anything today?”

“As it’s Tuesday,” Starburst replied, setting a very large bowl in front of her daughter, “the bridge club is meeting at the Season's house today.”

“Cool,” Air Raid commented as she surveyed the rather full bowl of oats, raisins and fruit. It was much fuller than she’d ever prepare for herself. “I'm gonna go hang out with Darkie for a bit.”

Starburst set the mug of black coffee down next to the bowl. “She still not returning your feelings?” The cream earth pony teased as she added the three sugars to Air Raid’s mug. “It is good to have friends, but you shouldn't lock yourself out from finding a partner.”

“Momma,” Air Raid started then paused as she made a start on her breakfast. “Darkie's straight. Besides, I already have a partner, I um...I just don't know where she is, that's all.” Starburst said nothing to that, she merely gave her daughter a very severe ‘motherly’ look over the top of her glasses.

Seeing her phone on the kitchen table, Air Raid reached for it and again she tried to dial Wildfire's number. After several rings it clicked over to the very familiar voice mail. “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you. The roses have wilted, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty, and so is your head. The roses stink, sorta like sheep but leave your name, number, and message after the beep. The roses are molding, the violets are rotten and I might call you back, if I haven't forgotten.” Air Raid sighed deeply ad put her phone away. “Alright momma, you don't need to give me that look.”

Taking a moment to swallow a mouthful of her own oats, Starburst put her hoof on her daughter’s foreleg. “Move forward, Air. How often do you back up on the track?”

“I don’t…” Air Raid sighed, “point taken momma.” Finishing up her breakfast with a loaded spoonful and a mighty swallow of her coffee she smiled, “alrighty, I'm gonna head on over to Darkie's place momma, I’m meeting her for a picnic, thanks again for letting me stay last night.”

“Anytime Air,” her mother replied, taking far more delicate bites of her breakfast, “I do love you after all.”

“Awww, you old softie!” Pausing at the front door she turned and trotted back over to the older pony and hugged her tight.

As she hugged her daughter back, she reflected on the day she almost lost her and Prism. “Stay safe, Raid, but stay fast.”

“Done and done, momma.” Air Raid kissed her cheek. “I love you, and give my love to daddy when he comes home.” When her mother just smiled and nodded, a thought occurred to her. “Do you mind if I stop by again later? Only, you cook better than me.”

Starburst raised her eyebrow questioningly. “You bringing Darkstar with you?”

Air Raid nodded, “yeah, is that ok?”

Starburst gave her the look that said ‘yes of course it is’ and smiled, “Just need to know how many plates to set and how much to cook.”

“Then, two setting momma please.”

“Oh, so a private meal then.” Starburst laughed, “I guess Prism and I can go out to eat.”

“Momma you're awesome!” Air Raid squealed and kissed her mother again.

Snorting, Starburst performed the motherly eye roll number seventeen. “No earlier than six p.m.”

“Why?” Air Raid shuddered, “you aren't gonna be doing the nasty with daddy are you?”

“Before or after six p.m.?”

“Before...”

Starburst gave her daughter an informational shoulder shrug, accompanied by a very salacious wink that spoke volumes. “Uuugh...I'll definitely make it after six…” Air Raid shuddered once more and headed for the door, her mother’s laugh accompanying her as she departed.

“Uuugh…” Air Raid almost heaved as she got in her car. “Not enough brain bleach in Canterlot...”

~ ~ ~

Eleven a.m. and Darkstar arrived at Canterlot’s largest lake for her picnic lunch with Air Raid carrying a wicker basket held in her glowing yellow magic. Approaching the lakeside in the late morning sunlight she found a shady spot under a large tree and looked around for Air Raid, but didn't see her. ‘I bet she forgot’, she thought as she set down the basket and used her magic to spread out the blanket and set up the food. ‘I hope she is just running late’, the pure white unicorn thought, settling down to enjoy the scenery in peace.

It was twenty minutes before Air Raid finally arrived at the lake, out of breath with her chest heaving, she walked on staggering hooves over the grass to greet her friend. “H-Hey…” she breathed in a gulping lungful of air, “hey hun, sorry I'm late, my car wouldn't start…had to run.”

Darkstar treated the gasping pegasus to a raised eyebrow. “I thought Ratchet lived in your garage?” She asked, referring to the unicorn mechanic that made up a fourth of her pit crew.

“She does,” Air Raid replied as she sat down on the blanket by the lake, choosing a particularly shaded spot to Darkstar’s immediate left side. “Sparky's been 'tinkering'.” She said by way of explanation.

Darkstar shrugged. She knew the perky young unicorn was ‘gifted’ with engines, and it was best to leave it at that. “At least you're here.” She slid a light salad Air Raid’s way and poured her a glass of chilled lemonade.

“Ooh thanks hun, I so need that.” Getting herself comfy, she reached for the lemonade and sipped it, allowing the cold liquid to slide down her throat. “Y'know,” she said, looking at the delicious spread that her friend had provided all on her own, “I offered to make something.”

“I know, which is why Canterlot General is on my speed dial.” Darkstar smirked as she took a mouthful of her salad.

Air Raid stuck her tongue out. “Ha, de ha, har.”

Darkstar giggled and rubbed her forehead with her hoof. “Raid, I've been getting headaches more often lately.”

“Oh?” Air Raid chewed thoughtfully on a radish and fresh lettuce leaf, “can't be Bright singing, he's in Filly. So what's up?”

“I think it's magic fatigue.” Darkstar took a moment to sip her lemonade and gather her resolve before she continued. “You are getting more and more dependent on my magic, Raid.”

“I am not…” Air Raid muttered, immediately getting all defensive in the face of her friend’s accusation. “Well, not much, I mean um, I'm grateful and that, it's just nice having Wily around.”

“I'd like to have Wily around too, Raid.” Darkstar chewed a carrot stick and looked pointedly at her friend. “The real one.”

“Illusions are real if you believe them, that's what you said.” Air Raid countered quickly, then she noticed the lack of magic, that Darkstar had used her hooves for everything so far. “Can you pass the pepper, hun?”

Grunting a little at the ‘illusion’ comment, the pure white unicorn hoofed over the pepper. “How long will you keep believing what I make is real?” She reached into the large wicker basket and she hoofed out a basket of hayfries and a couple of loaded hayburgers out for them both when she saw the salad was gone.

“I um...” Air Raid was at first stuck for what to say to that, when her focus was diverted by the burgers and fries. This was her kind of picnic. “Ooh thanks!” The lime green mare took hold of her hayburger and took a huge bite. “I just need the illusion to help me sleep at night, that's all, it’s not like I'm addicted or anything, right? You just take the edge of it, that's all.”

“And the night I ended it early after I thought you were asleep and you woke up and hounded me to bring her back?” Darkstar asked bluntly.

Air Raid knew she’d been caught with that one. With nowhere to manoeuvre, she said, “I...well...ok, maybe that was a bit much, but I am, I was, lonely! Everypony's gone apart from you and 'Shot...and I thought it was just a spell, I didn't know you could get headaches. Is that why you haven't cast anything yet?”

“What,” Darkstar shot her a filthy look, not even trying to hide the hurt slighted tone in her voice. “You think I’m one of those stuck up unicorns that can’t wipe their ass without magic? I’m just pointing out that you don’t need magic for everything.”

“Darkie...” Air Raid knew almost immediately that she’d gone and upset her friend, apologetically she put her hoof on her foreleg. “I'm sorry hun, I didn't mean any offense.” She took a deep breath and, remembering the brief chat she’d had with Luna in the dreamscape earlier that day, said, “I wanna talk about the illusions, actually.”

Darkstar waited until the hayburgers were gone – something that Air Raid took care of quicker than she did – before she spoke again. “So do I. I got us salted caramel donuts for dessert, but I can understand if you don't want yours.” The pure white unicorn brushed aside her grey mane and hoofed a plate with four donuts out of the basket and set it down between them both. “You know you could get the same effect if you had a life sized doll of Wily made.”

“Me, not want salted caramel?” Air Raid asked incredulously, “yeah right!” She immediately picked one up, sniffed it and licked the frosting off. “A doll wouldn't have the feel that yours do, or the body heat or the scent...you're right, Darkie, I am dependant.”

No sooner had she licked up the delicious smelling frosting than the taste of caramel vanished in her mouth, to be replaced with that of week old wilted lettuce. “Uuugh,” Air Raid spat out what was in her mouth. “Darkie, what the hay?”

Darkstar simply smiled sweetly and floated a donut up to her mouth, and as she bit into half of it the pegasus noticed her horn did not light up. “I just love these things! What's wrong, Raid?”

“This tastes like something I made!” The lime green mare exclaimed, “what gives, your horn didn't light up!” Warily, she backed away slightly.

Deciding her point had been well made, Darkstar dropped her illusions. Her horn glowed a bright yellow and what was in Air Raid’s hoof as well as the other donut nearest to her revealed themselves for what they really were as they turned into piles of wilted lettuce. “But if you believe in an illusion it is real.”

“Damn...” Air Raid muttered, “I thought I was going crazy there for a minute, that or I was dreaming again...”

Darkstar moved the plate so that the real donut was near to her. “I kept that lettuce by the toilet all week for this. I don't think I peed on it...hummm...anyway, illusions are never really real, no matter how much you believe.”

Air Raid mulled over her friend’s words, as well as the fact she was just the victim of a grade A Darkstar prank as she ate the real donut in an attempt to rid herself of the taste of old lettuce. “You know I will get you back for this, right?”

Darkstar raspberried her friend. “Every time you make me cast the Wily illusion you are getting back at me.” She sighed, “Raid, I know what happens when illusions become real.”

“Oh yeah?” The lime green pegasus took a last bite of the real donut. “What's that then?”

“And, I'm flattered you dreamed of me. I thought you only dreamed of Wily.” Darkstar led off before her countenance turned very serious. “And you know what's that! Tartarus, I didn't want to go there, but there is someone you need to meet. Even if she doesn't know who you are.”

Air Raid decided the serious frown did not suit her friend at all. She lent in and nuzzled her cheek. “Sweetie, I'm sorry. You hardly ever speak of your mother. You don't need to introduce me.” Air Raid knew it was hard enough for the young unicorn to see her mother in the asylum alone, never mind dragging her along for the ride like her mother was an old time circus freak to be looked at.

“Really?” Darkstar questioned, “She lives in an illusion and you are living in an illusion. What will you do when illusion Wily is as appetising as that lettuce donut?”

Air Raid sighed deeply. “When I was dreaming…Luna paid me a visit.”

“Oh?” Now Darkstar was interested. “I haven't seen her since...well, since Dusk left us.”

“Same here.” Air Raid agreed. “I was dreaming about the time I was diagnosed with Scootaloo's Syndrome, when momma and daddy were arguing.”

“Isn't that when you, um…” Darkstar trailed off, gesturing a hoof at her wings.

Air Raid nodded and pulled the feathers back on her left wing and showed her the deep ugly foot long scar that was there at her wing joint. “I never showed you before, did I?”

“Illusions can leave scars as deep,” Darkstar commented, “but not as visible.”

Again, Air Raid nodded. “Everything happened as normal, but instead of momma coming in the bathroom, it was Wily...but it was a twisted 'nightmare' version of Wily.”

That really did peak Darkstar's interest. “A nightmare version? What, like clown make up?”

“No...” Air Raid shuddered at the memory of what she’d seen. “Like Luna's size, all skeletal, dried out, her face was all shrunken and scarred...you could see bones, her wings were tatters and, and she smelled like she looked, like death walking. It was horrific.”

Darkstar smiled evilly. “Now, do I prank you with that Wily next you call for her?”

“NO! Please no!” Air Raid pleaded quickly, still shivering. “It was going to kill me, Darkie, take me to Tartarus with her...”

“Dark is right,” the unicorn commented. “That must have woke you up.”

“Not straight away...” the lime green pegasus looked down at the blanket. “I was gonna let it. I was on my knees in a pool of my own blood, I wasn't protecting myself.”

“Raid,” Darkstar touched her gently with a hoof. “No matter what you've done, death isn't the answer.”

“At least then I’d be with her.” Air Raid smiled and nuzzled her friend’s hoof. “That's when Luna intervened. She turned the knife into a feather.”

“One of yours?”

“I dunno,” Air Raid admitted, “I wasn't looking.”

“Scaredy pony.”

“I am not!” Air Raid protested, “anyway...we had a chat.”

Darkstar giggled, “Tea and cakes?”

“Not exactly.” Air Raid explained, “she accused me of never leaving her dreamscape. She showed me the Nightmare Wily and...and she showed me this d-doll. She pulled this cord on its back and it asked me to hoof her again.” She paused for breath when the unicorn shuddered at the mention of being hoofed. “It was...as lifeless as the Nightmare. Darkie, I've been such a foalish mare.”

Darkstar giggled. “Finally figured that out have we? I figured it out long ago when my brother rubbed my nose in it.”

“Luna told me to wake up and live...Darkie, I'm sorry.”

Dark star smiled. “Buy me a coffee and a caramel donut and I'll forgive you. So, now what, you going to quit cold turkey? Some sort of reduced schedule? Or has nothing really changed?”

“Well um...” Air Raid delicately stroked her right wing up her friend’s barrel and draped it over her back. “I was thinking perhaps somepony real would be better.”

Darkstar's yellow eyes narrowed a bit as she looked at the lime green pegasus. “Oh, you going to hang out with Cy more? That could be difficult.”

“I meant you.” Air Raid kissed Darkstar’s shoulder. “We could have some fun, like that time you tied me and Cy up for Wily's nineteenth birthday…”

“Raid...” Darkstar said as delicately as she could manage, “You know I don't see you in a romantic way?”

Air Raid let her feathers stroke Darkstar’s barrel in an obviously flirtatious manner. “C'mon...it'll be fuuuun~ you, me, the lake.”

“Sure, I'll be happy to go swimming with you.” Darkstar let out a soft sigh. “I can even tie you up again and paddle your flank...but don't ask too much of me Raid, please.”

Realising what she’d just done, or rather what she’d been about to do here by the lake, Air Raid hung her head on her forelegs and withdrew her wing. “I...just hit on my straight friend.”

Lighting her horn, Darkstar used her magic to gently pull Air Raid’s wing back over her. “As long as you know that we may be okay.”

Looking at her hopefully, Air Raid said, “we can cuddle?”

Smiling, Darkstar leant forward past her lime green muzzle to nuzzle her ear and she whispered, “Just so you know if you hoof me I'll horn your ear…” she blew a soft breath and sat back up.

“Aaaah!” With the breath on her ear, her wings sprang up at sharp angles to her body. “Aaa-and the paddling of my flank?” She gasped excitedly.

“Call it…‘firm cuddles’.” Darkstar giggled. “That is a good sign.”

“I like firm cuddles...” Air Raid panted, “um, what is, a good sign?”

Darkstar put a tender hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “She isn't even here,” the hoof then slid down to her wing joint. “Yet your wings just got Willy’d.”

“Hmmm...” as the unicorn caressed her sensitive wing joint, Air Raid’s blue tail automatically hiked up in the air a few degrees.

Darkstar performed a picture perfect eye roll at her friend’s raised tail, very thankful that there wasn’t anypony walking behind her at that moment to see her exposed marehood. “Yes, I'll watch you clop off. I miss her too, and I'm not going to give up on finding her.”

“I ah...” Air Raid struggled to bring her wings back under control. “I know you won't, hun.”

Darkstar smiled sympathetically. “You're pretty hard up, aren't you?”

“You ah,” Air Raid blushed, it had been a good few months, “you could say that.”

“You know, we could take a short trip to Ponyville and invite Cy to come down off her cloud.”

“Now that's a good idea!” Her mind filled with the possibilities of rutting and / or being rutted by Cyclone, her lime green wings shot up again. “Heh...you know she rutted me good that time when Wily was busy.”

Darkstar leant forward again, and with a very sultry voice whispered in her horny friend’s ear, “Maybe I'll do unspeakable things to the two of you and then sit back and watch.”

“HNNG...” Air Raid moaned as her wings became even more erect. “I'd like that very much!” Grinning at a wind up job well done, the unicorn put away the remnants of the picnic into the large wicker basket and stood to move off the blanket. Getting up off the blanket beside her, Air Raid asked, “you want any help?”

Shaking her head, Darkstar used her magic to fold up the blanket and put it on top in the basket. “Plans for today?”

“None really,” Air Raid replied, “my momma's prepping us a meal at her place tonight for after six, DEFINITELY after six, that is, if you wanna come, still?”

Darkstar shrugged, “Sure, at least Starburst knows 'how' to cook.” She giggled as she teased her friend. “that sounds like fun and we can always meet up with Cy in Ponyville tomorrow to have her dull weather pony life interrupted by two fabulous mares.”

“Would you be up for some of those 'firm cuddles'?” Air Raid asked hopefully, “Cy had me crawling on the bedroom floor licking her hooves.”

Darkstar nodded. “I'd rather do firm cuddles than the false illusion.”

As they walked side by side away from the lake out of the park, Air Raid reached with her wing into her saddlebag to pull out her phone. She was intending to try calling Wildfire again, when Luna’s intervention came to mind, to wake up and live her life. Smiling to herself she changed her mind and put her phone away, determined to enjoy the coming afternoon with her friend.