5.1
It was nice while it lasted, yet Soul still could not believe that every time she saw this place, all it did was serve as just an example of why it is she was so sad. The first time she came here over a week ago. No way to tell this was how she would be now, feeling as she was now so quickly. Standing in the same spot. Looking up at the same archway overlooking the entrance to Junior Speedsters. Not even faking her hoof being injured again worked. Not this time.

It was good that Nimbus didn’t seem to realize that she lied yesterday or she may have gotten in trouble. Seeing right through Soul’s ploy this morning. Soul looked to the mare who was with her. Content and not at all showing that she may be troubled. Like she was ready to get back at it with Soul here to join her. Soul, more or less, ready as well… physically. No bandage on her this time. Nothing wrong with her leg. Surprised to find it had healed rather quickly which is what gave it away to Nimbus. That was the only part of her that was ready. Deep inside, she wanted to back away. Hide, for on the other side she did not know what it was to expect. She just needed to keep telling herself the same thing again. Just get through it. Fly through the exercises and get a good workout in. Keep to herself. For the most part. Of course, there was only one pony here now that she could truly say would be up for hanging out with her.

She hoped there to be more cooperative flying of some sort today. We didn’t really get to do any flying together yesterday. So much training and so much that made Soul sit there and realize just how much she was hurting inside. Being here again, it only hurt more. Much more. So strange, I used to look forward to things. Even if the days would be tough, there was always some sort of bright side that helped me. Today, I just feel like total crap. Like she had gotten little sleep. Her head aching and her eyes plagued by heavy lids. Even if she did sleep peacefully last night. Nimbus walked on ahead, eager to get inside and start the day. Just another day for her. I wish it were as easy for me.

5.2
“Psst” a whisper came out from beside her. From Starry, who kept up with Soul in her slow trudge towards the door. “You doing alright, Soul?” He spoke at a level head with her. Kneeling his neck down. Soul did her best to give a little smile and nod to him. But just wanted to keep going. So drained already. I’m not alright. I just want to lay down into a nice and warm bed and sleep. Get away from all this. Really the only thing peaceful she had any more. Already missing holding onto her pillow tightly. Burying her face in its softness and not letting go inside of her own little semblance of comfort. To hell with whatever was going on at the camp today. She didn’t care unless it was some sort of relaxing flight that could just let her get away with being alone with Dash. Or maybe just be alone. At this point, she didn’t know.

“Here’s your lunch, champ” Starry said. Pulling out the bag he had been carrying for Soul, giving it over to her. Soul accepted it into her mouth. “I packed something special in there for you…” Starry whispered. He edged in closer, close enough to whisper into her curious ear. “Don’t tell Nimbus, …I got you some chocolate.” Huh, but I thought no dessert for a month. Soul did want to ask him what was up… but she held her tongue. Understanding with his mischievous face. With quite a smile on it too. So Nimbus doesn’t know?

Soul looked over to the mare. She held the doors open for both of them to follow her in. Glancing to them. Then going back to what it was she was looking over inside her saddlebags. Soul held the bag tighter in her mouth. That… is nice of him. Starry rushed ahead on longer legs to join with Nimbus. Inviting Soul in. So this is a secret, huh? I’ll be sure to thank him later. Honestly, she needed that. A little something to look forward to. Missing so much the sweet taste of candies and chocolates. A month felt like it would be so long. Even just this bit right now would be like heaven for her. A little bit of something sweet inside this place. Soul passed in through the doors. Standing back inside of the large and open cloud fields of the camp once more. All so familiar. Like I’ve done this a thousand times now.

Another day here. Looked like she was among the first ones here. So few of the others kids were here spread out among the camp. Ones she recognized from her group. But there were many more she saw further off. Lots of ponies. Fillies and colts flying and diving. Swooping in alongside older pegasi who instructed them. The other groups. This place was starting to get more lively with the hustle of happy pegasi more than ready to get to flying. Learning all they could and heading towards their goals. So much that none of them even noticed her. I would rather keep it that way. After all, not like many ponies here even care to like me.

5.3
Soul was blinded when something came over her head and covered her eyes. Like her head was being cupped. So suddenly. She lifted it off her face. Running her hoof over it in her frantic effort to get it off her until she found out what it was she was feeling. Feeling the rim of it over the top of her face and the embroidered emblem over it. Along with another hoof lifting off it, belonging to Nimbus. The mare giggled. Standing with her husband and looking over her handiwork. Soul didn’t do anything to get rid of it. Keeping her hoof on it. She contemplated getting rid of it. But… no. This was the hat they gave me. Just like my first day on the first week. Like a total repeat. Confusing her. She looked to them for reason why. “Lookin’ snazzy, Soul” Nimbus winked. “Just thought you may want to wear it.”

Soul still didn’t remove it. In fact, she lowered her hoof from it. Leaving it atop her mane. “I… guess I can” she submitted. “Probably not when I fly, of course.” “Yeah” Nimbus said. “You just look cool with it on. Like our own little Wonderbolt.” Both of the pegasi laughed to one another, except for Soul. She blushed a little. Come on now, it’s not that big a deal.

“I’m not nearly as good as the Wonderbolts” Soul wrote it off. “Not yet…” Nimbus said. Confident in her claim. A claim that made Soul feel a little better about it. As long as I keep training, pretty sure I will be like a Wonderbolt. Better. Just like I want. “Just give it time” Nimbus said. The mare trotting past her, head held high in pride as she went off towards the courses. “After all…” she stopped suddenly. Looking down from under her wing. “You did pretty well yesterday.” That made a shock go down Soul’s spine. Silent. Watching Nimbus walk off. Leaving it at that. “What…? But I…”

5.4
“Don’t be afraid, Soul” Starry said next to her. “She’s not mad. Both of us were pretty surprised you flew as well as you did yesterday. We could hear you from all the way over here.”

Was I really that loud? Soul did not notice just how powerful her wings had been yesterday with all that noise she was making. And they knew it was me? That’s amazing and… frightening. A huge relief came over her though. Just when she thought she would be in trouble again. When neither of them knew her reasoning for not wanting to come here in the first place. “We’re proud of you, but… don’t do that again or you will get in trouble. Understand?” Soul nodded. “Yes. …I won’t.” That means… no more lying to get out of this. Those two were good. No wonder they didn’t fall for it this morning.

“Alright, you should go put your lunch away” Starry suggested. Pointing her over to the locker building. Right. Guess this is it. When she would have to part with them. Off into dealing with all this again. “And Soul” Starry stopped her before she left him. “You don’t need to wear the hat, Nimbus and I just wanted to let you know that we’re here for you. Always. And that both of us are very proud of you.” That was what made Soul’s wings fall a little. She did not meet his eyes. So he could not see how that was the thing that made her lower her head and meekly stare upon the ground. As she heard that thing that made her heart hurt. Starry leaving her with that.

She waited to hear his hoofsteps upon the clouds dim to a distant canter. Taking a deep breath. I don’t think you two can help me at this point. Really, the only thing left would be to disappoint both of you… and leave the camp forever. Ruin all the hard work you two have done and all the trust you have in me. It’s not that easy. Not at all. Even if I do want to leave. I don’t want you both to feel the same way I’ve made many others feel. As the ponies I can see there for me just go away. Slowly, they left her. Like she was now, alone. She decided not to stand there any longer. Heading off to do as she was told.

5.5
She was not alone. Not inside. As she stepped into the locker room. Where the benches split the two sides of the locker room apart, she saw another pony in there close her own locker with a loud slam. Rainbow Dash. That surprised Soul. She’s already here. Every day, Soul noticed her always got here just in time. Never early.

“Dash?” Rainbow’s ears perked up. She got her attention from Dash’s dead stare into her locker door. Startling her it looked like. “Soul, oh wow, I didn’t expect to see you here so early.” “That’s what I should be telling you” Soul laughed a little. She stepped down from the stairs, coming to join her flight buddy at her locker. Even if it’s just been a night, Soul still had to admit that she missed seeing her flight buddy. The one pony here she was sure wanted to actually see her. Dash must have figured out what it was Soul was getting on about. “Hehe, oh yeah.” Running her hoof through her mane. She jumbled a little in place. Looked like she was pretty excited. That’s good, guess she’s been having a good day.

“I got up a bit earlier this morning and did some more training while my parents were still asleep. So we were able to get here early.” Some more training? Oh, just like me. But… Soul didn’t even think that Dash would be one for getting up super early just to train too. Not in that chilly morning air that would make Soul’s fur stand up. That was still pretty cool of her to be that devoted. “Nice, what training did you do?” “Your awesome technique” Dash admitted happily.

Happy, except Soul… she was the one who no longer felt happy. Not inside. “Oh, really?” Rainbow is training in the morning for it? But… it’s better to do it with a partner, she’s doing it on her own. “Yup, I got as much time in as I could. Even did a little last night after my daily training with mom.” “Did you train with her for it?” Soul asked. “Nope, I want it to be a surprise for my parents when I figure out how to do this move. I can see it already, they’re gonna be so proud of me. And I got you to thank for it, Soul. You’re an awesome teacher.”

But I thought it would be something we do together. I… I want to figure out how to do the move too. I thought… that we could learn from one another. Though… I never did say that to her. I just thought it would be obvious, our own special thing to do. Rainbow went ahead and worked on it so much without her. “Well… I’m glad you got so into it” Soul lied. “I wasn’t able to do any training last night to keep up the whole injured leg thing.” But… I guess I can do some tonight. With my teacher. It pained her to think that. A kick in her gut.

5.6
“By the way, did we get found out?” Dash asked. For the most part “No, mom and dad don’t know what happened.” “That’s a relief” Dash said with a little shake of her hind legs. “My mom was surprised with my speedy recovery. Thanks a ton for letting me hang out with you yesterday. I think it was a ton of fun. We need to do it again.” “S-sure” Soul said. “Next time should probably be when my mom allows it.” Especially when she now knew Nimbus was not as easy to fool. Dash agreed. Hastily, she nodded and stamped her hooves a bit. That drew Soul’s attention.

“Look uh… you caught me at a bad time” Dash said. Kicking her hind legs again. Oh. “I need to pee, been holding it in all morning… so, please wait for me. I’ll be right back!” Turning tail and rushing off towards the hallways beyond the locker room. “Okay…” Soul called after her. Left with so much on her mind that she wanted to say to the rainbow tailed filly who flew off down the halls and out of sight. So much to say.

It left Soul disheartened when she replayed all she had heard. “I can’t believe she went on without me” she whispered to herself. Although… I never told her not to… just, I wish she would have waited for me. Because it’s what I wanted to do. Something special alongside her flight buddy. So we both can achieve our goals together. Soul didn’t like it, but she was disappointed. In herself more than Dash. Stupid to think it would be otherwise. She opened up her own locker. Placing her lunch inside. Longingly looking down at it inside that dark locker. Rainbow wants to become a better flyer, of course she would move on and try her best to achieve that goal. Except… she hated this sense of being left behind inside of her. What if… if she finds out how to do it before me?

Would she even need me anymore?

It wasn’t hard to imagine that Pegasus quick to leave her behind once it was all finished, so she would be far away from the pony who caused so much trouble for others. Because so many ponies leave me. It wouldn’t surprise me… if she didn’t want to hang out with me once I have nothing left to give her. Then I’d be all on my own again. I really have been an awful pony to her and… I don’t blame her. I don’t blame her for not being there for me too. Soul pulled the hat off her head. Letting her mane fall back down against her face. Covering up her eye once more. Staring down at it with her free one. Pushing it into the locker with her lunch. Setting it in and then… she didn’t let go. Hmm… Nimbus and Starry. The only two ponies I can rely on. But also… can’t rely on. Because they can’t rely on me to do what I need to do. I could ruin everything they’ve done for me and yet… they still stand with me now. With that threat looming. This little hint of a happy pair of pegasi who did like her. Didn’t leave her behind. When they took me in when nopony else did. I can honestly say that I appreciate all their efforts. I just don’t want to let them down too. I won’t. Soul brought the hat back to her. Holding it against her chest. You two had faith in me. So much that you train me to be a better flyer. Patient and diligent. Those two were proving to be the only ones she could rely on. They made her put that hat back on her head. Wear it with pride. Their little Wonderbolt. Their champ. Anything to keep her smiling. I’ll keep going. Soul closed the locker.

5.7
“Wow, Soul.” Soul shot her head up. Oh no. She pressed her hoof hard against the door to her locker, leaning back to peer around it. To where the stairs rose high over the lockers and where Aurora was standing at the top of them. The colt frowned. Curling his brows up in disbelief. As both of them looked upon one another. Soul’s yellow eyes cracked in tiny bits of red meeting with his bright green eyes, upon a pony she had forgotten about. For just a moment, yet he is back.

Here I was afraid of everypony else. Now here I am, alone… with him. Soul realized that. She was all alone with Aurora.

After a week without him. Without having to deal with him and having to deal with the crap he started. I can’t believe he’s back. She did not speak. Did not dare to respond to him with anything. Just hiding her face in her locker. Maybe I should just look like I’m busy, maybe he’ll leave. Or… did I look terrified when I saw him? I feel so terrified. She wished nothing had happened to make this go on. After what she had to deal with. But his hoofsteps sounded from the stairs. Walking down them, she knew he was coming towards her.

“I really don’t get you” his voice came out from the other side of the locker door. Stepping loudly over his voice, every miserable rotation of his hooves. Coming closer to her. Telling her that this was happening. That things were back to normal here. The norm when it came to camps for her. Just go away. Soul shifted her hoof along the bag that held her lunch. Roaming around on it and then pulling her hat further down her face. “Is that why you weren’t here yesterday?” Soul didn’t answer. Frozen when his hooves reached the bottom of the steps… and no more. Feeling, hearing him over there. Across the room. Watching her. Only her tail poking out from behind the open door.

5.8
“You two really do get along” he said. Soul edging her ears over towards him. Holding her breath. More wondrous as to why he said that. “So you both fly together when you’re not here? I get it… this place does suck when it comes to teaching more talented pegasi new things. I can’t wait for spring, so I can get in to the more advanced classes.”

Soul backed herself up a little. Fully awake now with her eyes open to their max, staring into the dark space of her locker with such confusion that came over her. Because of how he’s talking. What is going on? Like he’s saying that stuff like he thinks I’ll care about his feelings or plans. “What do you want?” Soul whispered. “So what if we hang out after camp?” “Except you both train together, right?” Aurora said. “That’s what I heard. Sounds like you both got some move you two are trying to learn.”

So he overheard us. Soul lowered her hoof off her hat. Scowling… she didn’t know why it was he was talking to her like this, but the question still stood. What did he want? “My dad teaches me a lot of moves too after camp” he went on. “It’s a lot of fun, because I want to be an awesome flyer to make my parents proud. Pushing yourself to be better, that’s something that pegasi are better at than other ponies. You may not be a good flyer, but… at least you’re making an effort to get better.” “I am a good flyer…” Soul protested from behind the door. “But why are you hiding it? You really like to waste your ability, and that’s not something I like about you.”

Hoofsteps resumed and the colt came closer. Echoing loudly across the room and she saw that he was coming closer from the shadows that flickered under her locker door. From the colt on the other side. Going on and on but she just wanted him to leave.

“As far as I see, you’re not a good flyer. And you never will be.” Liar, I am a wonderful flyer and nopony here is better than me. So what if I don’t show it, I’ve only been shown that nothing I do works. If it were up to me, I would leave this camp forever and pursue what I want without it. But that’s if there weren’t ponies that I need to keep faithful to. “Why don’t you just leave me alone?” Soul whispered to the pony on the other side of the locker door. “I think you should be more worried about other ponies, and that’s why I just don’t get you. A great flyer is supposed to be strong and proud enough of themselves to beat out any pony else who tries to stand in their way. But you let others step all over you, like that pony…”

5.9
Soul glanced over to the door. Where she knew the colt was on the other side. His steps having been so loud in his sudden stop. He was right there with her. There to tell her that. Where she held her mouth open for so long and finally licked her lips when she started to shake. Shake from hearing that there were words out there that did make her truly tremble inside. Being stepped on. I don’t know where it was he got that idea about flying but… I know I already am a great flyer. And I will become even better. There are none who step on me. Nothing holds me back from my goal. I’ll make sure of that.

“Just leave me alone. I got flying I need to do today” Soul said and she set her hoof back on the locker door. Ready to close it and leave. “You’re not the first pony” Aurora said. Stopping her in her tracks. “Even if I don’t like you, I feel so sorry for you that she’s messing with you like that. Looks like not even your own flight buddy is somepony you can rely on now.” What… did you… just say? “Didn’t Amber talk to you about Crash?” “Dash.” Soul corrected him. “Whatever, doesn’t change how she used to be. She’s playing you just like she always did with everypony else who had to deal with her.”

“Rainbow Dash doesn’t play me” Soul said. “She’s my flight buddy and we are wonderful teammates.” “Aren’t teams supposed to look out for one another? I’m just saying she’s gonna end up hurting you. Like she did to another pony before.” Soul perked her ears up. Why did those words sound like something that, …with a heavy heart, she admitted sounded like something so familiar to her. Deep inside… how she felt for a while now.

She couldn’t believe it made her actually listen to him.

5.10
“I went to the same camp as Dash did and I tell you that she sure did hurt a lot of ponies back then. She was a total showoff but man did her flying suck. Didn’t get much better no matter how hard we all trained. She didn’t get many friends cuz of it except for one. Another filly that always gave and gave and gave to Dash while Dash didn’t do anything for her even when her friend needed her help the most. Word was that Dash didn’t want anything more to do with that pony when she needed her help and even yelled at her. If you think I’m lying, you can ask the pony who caught her yelling at her old friend. She’s in this camp now, her old flight buddy, Amber. From what I heard, Dash really made that pony cry.”

“Stop talking about her that way” Soul said. “You don’t believe me, so you’re just gonna keep getting walked over. The moment you ask something from her, she’ll do nothing. Has she done anything to make you feel better?” Aurora asked. “Please… stop talking about her…” Soul muttered. Finding it a little harder to hold herself in. Because it all… all of it sounded so familiar to her. Because I wanted to ask her for… for something too. Something more than usual. Just to be my flight buddy. A true flight buddy. But he’s full of it. Rainbow likes hanging out with me and always wants to be near me. “She’s been the only one who has talked with me and played with me… you’re lying.” “You really aren’t gonna get anywhere” Aurora said. “I’m trying to help you, but… looks like you’re a weak flyer again. Dash will just keep taking from you and when the time comes, she won’t need you. Nopony here needs you anyways. After all, you are just an idiot and she knows it too. The time will come when she leaves you as well.” She won’t leave me. Shut up. Soul pushed her hoof deep into the locker door. Making it tremble along with her leg. “She’s not going to leave me.”

Then she heard him walking behind her. Feeling him behind her. Though she hid herself. Hid her emotions. As hard as it was not to start because of his words. Him walking off, she wanted to put her head into the locker and hide. Let it out in there. Rainbow Dash has been with me since the start and she always takes any opportunity to play with me. We both have the same goals. I want her to become something amazing. I want to see her be comfortable and happy with her flying and to feel like she has something to be proud of. I don’t want her alone. And I’ll do anything to keep her happy. Rainbow Dash would not do that to me. She would not hurt me. Even if her heart was already hurting. “She knows you’re not good enough and she’ll leave you when you can’t do anything more for her. Maybe, she’ll even yell at you.”

I don’t want her to, I’ve given her no reason to. I’m there for her to teach her and make her happier. Soul looked up. At that looming shadow of a filly inside the dark recesses of her locker. Standing there across from her. A shadow she wanted to reach out towards, and her hoof hovered to it. I want to give her so much. All I want is to make the ponies important to me happy and see that I am there for them. All I ask for… is the same back. So I don’t need to feel that way again. I don’t want it again. Where Soul could see it. The shadow that walked away from her in a dark and rainy alley. Leaving her alone. Growing dimmer and smaller. Please don’t go. I need you. I want to do anything for you… all I want is your care. So I don’t feel alone. Please don’t leave.

Don’t leave me, mommy.

5.11
“Rainbow Dash is no better than before.” “Shut up!”

Soul slammed her locker door hard. Closing it in on the disappearing shadow. Gone. Left with a loud clang echoing across the building and ringing in her ears. Her entire body trembling. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. All I want is your care. I’ll give you all… just don’t leave me. The room fell silent. With the two ponies left in the dead of it all. Aurora’s eyes peering back at her. She felt him there wrapped in silence… and shock. With just the rustle of his mane as he shook his head. As much as Soul wanted to slam her hoof into that very head. The hoof that shook violently against the door to her locker. She stared at it. Nothing more except the sight of that shadow leaving her.

“As long as you let her step on you, you won’t get any stronger. You’re only giving her all she wants. She doesn’t do anything for you. She never will. Maybe you should move on and never come back.” He stepped away. His hooves leaving from the room and out into the camp beyond. With just Soul left there on her own. Never come back. Soul sighed. A haggard breath. So hard to think. So hard to do anything, not with it still there. There to be seen, all alone. As every pony leaves her behind. Because she knew that there was not much use she had to give to them. Maybe that was why… she never got anything from another pony to let her know that everything will be alright. As she gave up everything for them. Everything gone. She would give them all… yet they always left in the end. Is that why… you never do anything to make me feel better?

A tear went down Soul’s cheek.

5.12
Soul ran her hoof over her cheeks once more… and again she was so unhappy with herself for crying so much. So much that nothing she did could keep the tears from stopping. Nopony had entered or left. None to see her crying like this. Keeping to herself with only her own fur to hold. Only her own words to let her know everything will be okay. She won’t leave me. She does like me. I’ve given her so much and she has no reason to abandon me. I really do wish I had somepony to hold. Something more than what I’m always left with. Maybe the one thing that she did have left to give her some sense of comfort. Her hat. She scrunched it up in her legs. Holding it close from where she sat. Rubbing her cheek along it, no matter how rough the thing was. She didn’t care. There are ponies who like me. There are ponies who are proud of me. Who wouldn’t leave me… as long as I keep being the wonderful Pegasus I am.

I can never give up on my dreams. Never give up on myself when others do. When others leave me or choose to hurt me. I still have this. This reminder. Like the emblem on the hat itself. One she looked upon with teary eyes. That of something so much better. Better than wallowing around in misery. She just needed to remind herself that she still had her drive, still had her ability. As she was always left with. The one thing that always got her home. Always loved her. She loved it too. Always. She heard the hoofsteps. Oh no, the one reason she did not run to the bathroom to cry. Damn. Soul wiped her cheeks again. Putting the hat back on her head and hoping for the best. Just wanting to get this day over with.

Rainbow Dash was the one who stepped out from behind the corner with such glee in her smiling face. The total opposite of Soul. “Now that’s what I needed” she commented. Rushing across the room. She got closer and that was when she slowed down and stopped. Together with Soul and Soul edged away from her. Slinking away with her sulking face. Hide it. She doesn’t need to see it. See any more of it, that was. “Soul! Are you okay?” “I’m fine.”

Soul snapped her mane back down against her face. She doesn’t need to concern herself in any of it. All that mattered was getting this day over with. Soul was eager to do just that, hoping Dash was too. Get done with another day. “Something got in my eyes. It really stung” Soul said. “Did something happen? You know you can tell me” Dash said. Tell you? Tell you what it was that Aurora said about you. That he said what happened at the last camp you were at. I’m sorry, but I just can’t. Soul saw it now, words like those enough to make Dash angry with her. That was the last thing she wanted. Preferring to just go on with how it was now. For as long as it would last. Days being just like this. As she did whatever it took to keep what few ponies were left for her close. Prove that she was a strong Pegasus. One who would not disappoint or let anypony else down.

“I’m fine. Let’s just go join the others” Soul said. Already pointing her nose to the doorway. Waiting, until Rainbow finally stepped forward and off to the door. “Okay…” With that rainbow tail venturing off into the beaming sunlight shining in through that door and out into the world beyond. Soul hesitated, but she followed along with it. Like she always did. Always did… with the same tears that came down her face.

5.13
The night sky was still so beautiful, as perfect as always for training. Now that she was alone and her mom had gone in to read. Rainbow could get to it. No wind or even a breeze out tonight, not even a cloud. Just her and the Moon… and her thoughts left behind from the day. She just wished that Soul could be here too. The one pony out there she wanted to be with her. For this would be another momentous night. For tonight, Dash was ready to figure out that move that Soul taught her. No matter what it took, or how long it took. Well… until her mom called her in for bed. It left her pumped. Smacking her forehooves together.

“Let’s do this.” A silent and wonderful night for her to fly up into, hovering over her spot high above the cloudy yard around her house. Inside of a darkness that did not move. Yet it did. For she knew that there was always air around her that always moved. She had felt it. She had heard it. Someday, she would get as good as Soul was with it. Because that… that was a pony worth training for. Soul Serenity, so strong and so skilled. With wings unlike any other she had seen before and such kindness in her heart. Enough to give me a chance. It really does make her shine for me. Her heart is as beautiful as she is.

Maybe one day… one day I will show her that I am a pony that tries so hard. As hard as she does. Soul may feel that there are no ponies around that bother with her or see her ability but Rainbow will be the one who will always be there with her. She will be the one to prove herself worthy of flying alongside Soul. Dash closed her eyes and settled herself. Ready to slip into that moment once more. No matter how intense it may be, she will do it. For Soul. Soul is a pony who may actually care for me. For that, Dash would make her proud. She would prove herself to be a pony that Soul can stand proudly alongside and that Rainbow Dash was a pony who was worth flying with alongside. She took a deep breath and smiled.

5.14
Another silent night. Yet it was not calm. No way for it to calm her. Soul could not even try to keep herself calm for anything. More than glad that she was alone with nopony out here to see here like this. Though she tried so hard. Hovering high over the deck in the light of the Moon. Looking out upon it with closed eyes that shed so many tears that fell to the land below, shimmering in the moonlight.

She just wanted to concentrate. Just pay attention to the air. This is my peace. This was the best place for her to be, yet it wasn’t. Not tonight. As she flew within it all alone. All alone. With nopony else who wanted to fly with her. She was glad, because none of them would want to. Aurora put it right. She was a weak pony. A weak pony who tried so hard to be strong and that is why they left her. That is why she was left behind in that box long ago.

“I always fail… just like this. I just can’t get anypony to like me.” No, I can’t talk. Not when I’m trying to concentrate. She had to focus. Focus only on the goal. The end point when she could be that amazing flyer that all ponies looked up to and saw her for what she was worth. That she was not a pony who hurt others or stood in their ways. That she was a kind and sweet Pegasus who only wanted the best for others, and she only asked for their kindness in return. That’s all I wanted from you, mom. It’s all. I did so much for you… and for everypony. But I never could do enough to make you proud. To make anypony proud of me. So much so that it always led to the same result. To where she was now… alone, a solo Pegasus floating in the still sky under the orb that told her so much how it was to be alone. I feel it will end the same.

Nopony likes me… not enough to care about my feelings. And it hurts me so much. So much that her heart ached. Pounded against her. Fought against anything she tried to do just to prove she could pull off anything. So many don’t like me… what if… what if Dash was among them? Like all the others who would hurt her, as she did now. I gave you me, and… what’s to stop you from being like her or Amber? Afraid of being with me because there’s nothing more I can offer. When something will happen to get rid of Dash too. I don’t want that. I only want friends who care for me. Please. But there was always too much that drove ponies away from her. Far too much.

5.15
Dash broke from her concentration. So much sweat. So much of a rush going down her body. She looked down upon her hoof, out of breath. And I couldn’t do it anyways. This is not easy at all. You were right, Soul. But I just can’t shake it. I want you here with me. Give us both something to be happy about. Under this night sky, for both pegasi to train together. To reach that goal together. As hard as it is. Rainbow just wished for Soul to be happy too. As happy as Dash would be when they got there. But every time she tried to imagine it, …all she saw was that filly’s crying face.

She looked up to the Moon. Sweeping her bangs out from her face. Letting the cool air come over her. Somewhere out there, you are training to reach that goal. I hope you don’t leave me behind or think little of me. Because I want to love flying the same way you do. Soul Serenity. Dash smiled.

Soul huddled up on the clouds far below the night sky, hidden in her wings, she cried. “Please don’t leave.”
-----

5.16
The autumn air was getting crisper. A lot more chilly with every passing day. Something that really did serve as a nice wakeup call that winter was coming. Fast approaching as the days went on. But each day sure did feel like it was nothing different from any other to Soul. They went by fast while they also felt like they lasted forever. She did not know how that worked. None of these days was something to look forward to. Only eyes set on the end goal. Times like now, they were the best part of any day. Perfectly content with these conditions. Really, so what if it was a little chilly? The other pegasi who complained about it did not know just how magnificent it was to fly through air like this where the chilly breeze went through the smallest cracks in her thick bundles of feathers and lit up her wings in an icy touch. When both of them were spread out and she soared across the sky, forgetting for a moment that she was so tired this morning. A brief respite. Good.

She hated this morning, crawling out of bed and slinking down the stairs for breakfast while yawning ceaselessly. She’d much rather lay in bed for a few more hours than have to go anywhere. But duty called. A duty she wanted to reject. Save for the times like this. She loved flying like this. Swooping in with the strong wind that sent the clouds flurrying along on their paths. One of her two favorite seasons for flying, the other being spring. Because there was some charm to it. Flying amidst a strong yet calm and steady breeze that whistled softly with each pass. Even more beautiful when she would fly over the lands below. Seeing the vast forests with their swaying branches and the crystal blue streams with small waves splashing over to shore. No matter what she needed to deal with, she went on with the fact she always had this to do. Her flying was always by her side. Letting her see and do things other ponies could not. Even things other pegasi could not, for did they see the beauty of the world the same way she did when in flight?

5.17
Up here there were no problems she had to anticipate or any bit of reminder of anything else. Simply the drive she had to perfect herself and join with the air in a dance she always did see herself in every time she flew. The best things to stand beside her. The air and her two wings that always stuck with her. Flapping strong and proud in the breeze. Sending gusts of cold air up into her face that chilled her and cooled. Making her smile. Relief and then warmth when her mane fell back down on her face with every dive.

She didn’t care how many weeks would pass by with this same scenario, as long as she had the chance to fly, it was worth it. For up here was the beauty of the world. Almost like it wanted to approve of that by sending a stray leaf flying by with her, caught in the wind. Carried off from somewhere far off. Pretty beautiful. She bet the autumn leaves were coming over the land below with how red that leaf was. Not so dense the last time she looked out past Cloudsdale and to the world that surrounded it. She bet now the forests were thick with these leaves.

“Hey Soul, will you hurry up! Some of us still need to go!” Soul shook her head. Snapped back out of it. That’s right… for moments like this don’t last forever. She hated to see that she had been lingering up here so long, high above the cloudy fields of Junior Speedsters, where all the kids mingled about far below as little dots yet somepony’s voice rang out. One of the kids. She guessed she did must of lost track of what it was she was doing. Too caught up in the moment she had to fly without worry. Brought right back to the thing she hated to worry about. Whatever.

5.18
Just like that, she felt her entire mood dampen. “Right” she whispered to herself. Content with just finishing off the course and getting back to ground so the others could go. “Sorry.” Nopony would hear her anyways. Though none would care. As days went by, it became more or less the same. Do what she needed and then venture back off into the shadows so nopony would bother her, or she wouldn’t bother them. Anything to keep away from it all. Can’t give them any more incentive.

Soul put her wings back into gear and glided in at the last few remaining cloud hoops. A few quick clearances through them and then a pass by a series of clouds from where she spotted her target long ago hidden inside the formations. Grabbing hold of the flag embedded into a cloud deep inside the cluster and keeping it in her mouth as she descended back to join the rest. Prove she had done her task. Soul settled down with a hard smack to the cloudy ground. Lowering her head and out came the dozens of flags she had picked up. The tiny things falling spread out before her and she left them behind. Fifty flags as needed. She had recounted them all in her head and saw she had done it. Nimbus saw it too. Giving her a quick nod and smile. Soul glanced to her.

Alright, so that’s done. Guess since I did it, I can go off to lunch. She walked away from the start up. Passing by the rest of the kids who were getting ready. Ones who still needed to take the course while others frolicked off to enjoy their free time since they had finished up. “Took your sweet time. Some of us are trying to get to lunch too” a filly commented as she passed by. Soul didn’t look. Just seeing her in the corner of her eyes along with a couple others who looked just as dissatisfied as the first one sounded. Whatever. Like I care what it is you all want. I don’t at all.

Soul’s cheek flinched replaying the harsh tone in her head. That of a pony very upset with her. Much of the same tones she was used to. So used to. Funny though, wasn’t there a brief period when you all thought I was something great? How easy is it to change your minds? Camps and asshole kids all around. Really, it always proved to be much of the same no matter which direction she went. The same thing to deal with. At least I’m strong enough to do it. I bet none of you could handle feeling this down and this defeated all because of the stupid decisions you made.

5.19
Another strong gust of wind came in along with the sound of rustling feathers that told her another pony had landed. She bet she knew who it was. She looked. Rainbow Dash folding her wings back up and dropping off her set of fifty flags right next to where Soul had placed her own. She did take her time. But that was okay. Dash had taken off before Soul did but she still managed to almost finish at the same time as Soul. Getting her approval for a job well done for completing the course and she was right off to trot after Soul. The same carefree smile on her face. Soul tried to mimic it. Maybe I can actually be happy after camp when we get to hang out together. In the time I have to be with you.

Soul waited for her. Letting her catch up. Indulging in her frantic joy over her flying. “Nice! We finished together!” Dash said. “Yeah we did” Soul agreed, not at all mentioning a little fact that would shoot this all down if Dash was trying to brag about her skill compared to Soul. It was fine. Soul didn’t want her head to get too big, but a little playful banter about flying was really something she had to enjoy sometimes from Dash. Maybe I’m thinking too hard on it. Dash only mentioned them finishing together. Not like she’s bragging or trying to make me feel down. I got plenty who do that for me.

“I don’t know about you but I love how cool it is today. Fall air, so tons of wind and tons of clouds… I can’t wait to get to busting them at some point” Dash said in her stride alongside Soul. “You know winter is around the corner” Soul pointed out. “Do you look forward to that wind?” That was what made Dash hold her tongue and laugh like a dork for a moment. Clearly not anticipating any joy in flying through that.

“I hope there’s not another snowstorm this year. Those things suck to fly through. Almost clipped my wing during the last one” Dash said. “But let’s enjoy fall while we can.” “Let’s” Soul agreed. Leading Dash on back to the lockers and leaving all the others behind. I’ll try to enjoy it as best I can. Would be better if I could spend all my time flying and ever have to come back down to deal with any of this.

5.20
“You seemed relieved up there” Dash said. “Haven’t seen you so in your element lately.” “Oh, you know, lots of training these past few weeks and… and its always tiring but I’m getting there.” Soul looked back off. Laughing to herself. Holding in her need to just yell out, bottling it up with so much force that it made her almost croak. “Is it that?” Dash asked.

Soul stamped her hooves down. Stopping the pony behind her. “I did hear what that filly said. Don’t let her get to you. You flew pretty good and it was a relaxing flight. I think we both deserved it.”

“The autumn air is always so nice to feel when I fly” Soul whispered to herself. “Sometimes I just forget what it is I’m doing when I’m so relaxed in flight. No demands or anything. Just the wind and me. It’s lovely, isn’t it?” “Y-yeah…” Dash said. Soul looked back to her with a smile. “Then nothing to worry about. Not like they get to me.”

Soul continued on. Prompting Dash to follow if she wanted to. The sound of hooves on clouds let her know she kept up with her. Let’s just go eat lunch. I’d rather have a break and enjoy some peace until afternoon activities and then… then I get to do something actually fun when I leave here. Maybe someday I’ll leave her and not come back and just enjoy that free flying as long as I desire. The only thing I’ll have left when I fail everypony. When I show that I just am not strong enough.

“I hope they don’t get to you” Dash said. Making Soul groan inside. I don’t care. “You know, you’re pretty strong for still being so happy and relaxed. That’s pretty cool of you, Soul. Maybe I can learn a thing or two from you.” Why even say that? The way Dash said that. Kind of sounded like she was longing for something or even… reflective? Soul looked back at her. In time to catch Dash looking off in the distance. Quick to look back to Soul. Really stupid of her to say.

5.22
“I’d rather you not have to learn anything from it. I’ve got my flying and fun times to look forward to.” “I’m still having a hard time believing it” Dash said. “Why do you put up with it? You know I’m here for you and so are your parents. Can you really do this on your own? I just think it’s been a bit long now.”

Everything you just said… like it melted away. Telling Soul more and more that nopony would understand. Because you’ve never experienced the loss I deal with. Seeing how everypony turns against me. I still don’t know why it is you’re still with me. Look at me, I’m a loser. A pony like Rainbow Dash should not be with me, at least for as long as I’m still useful. “It’s fine…” Soul said. Glancing off to the ponies they passed by. All of them running by with such joy in their happy laughs. Playing together with nothing to worry about. One pony did stop as she passed. Leaning away, though Soul caught her worried gaze. Something that told Soul more and more that that pony was still afraid of her. I don’t know why you’re afraid to be near me, Amber. The curly maned filly stood there and watched Soul trudge off, while Soul forgot about her. The same things she needed to accept. Ponies don’t want to deal with me. Probably worried I’ll make bad things happen to them too.

“I’m just used to it” Soul admitted. “Once you know what to expect, you can just brace for it.” Soul grinned back to Dash. Finding the cyan filly sitting back with a long face and eyes glued to the ground. The filly let out a deep breath. “Soul…” she muttered. “Let’s go eat lunch” Soul said. She rushed off to the locker building. Expecting Dash to follow her, she did when she heard her distinct hoofsteps running up behind her. “I got strawberries in my lunch today and I’m dying for them” Soul said.

A long pause but… “I got chocolate today!” Dash said.

5.23
“So did you hear?” Rainbow asked the magenta filly who wandered off to the fountains across from the lockers. Rainbow rummaged through her locker. Finding her lunch plopped where she left it under the scarf and leggings her mom had given her… yet she didn’t need them. Eager to tell Soul. She held a happy grin on her face waiting for Soul to ask what it was. Oh she just couldn’t wait. Not since her mom had told her last night. This was the perfect time to tell Soul. All day long, the filly had been so down. She bet she knew what it is that would cheer her up. Only the best thing ever. “Hear what?” Soul asked over there.

“So there’s something special that’s gonna be happening in the winter. I think both of us can look forward to it…” Dash led her on. “What?” Soul asked again. “Okay…” Dash stepped down from her locker. Turning to face Soul. The filly busy taking a drink from the fountain.

“My mom told me there’s going to be a showing of the Wonderbolts on the day after Hearth’s Warming! All admissions allowed. She’s gonna reserve tickets. Don’t you think that would be an awesome way to finish off the camp semester? I was thinking you should come with your parents. Have a cool hangout with all of us!” “A Wonderbolts showing, huh?” Soul asked, stepping down from the fountain and licking her lips. “Yup, and it’s gonna be in Canterlot this time.”

If Dash didn’t know better, she would say the whole reason Cloudsdale was going to be hanging around the Canterlot valleys next season was just so the Wonderbolts could perform for the area. But that was only because the area was due for quite a snowing this season, according to her dad. Still though, she wanted to think it was only for the Wonderbolts. A group like that could cancel everything in Equestria just because of a showing. They really were just so awesome. “Well I hope they want to take me along. It would be my first showing” Soul said.

5.24
“Your first one? As in your first ever?” Dash asked. She had to have heard that wrong. “Yeah… I just never made it a point to really ask them all the time about it” Soul said. “Maybe I am too caught up in training.” “You’ve got to go!” Dash would not take any excuses. A flyer as great and wonderful as Soul, she expected her to have already watched the Wonderbolts. Seen just what it was amazing pegasi could become. But… to have never seen them. Dash would not allow it. She would be sure to insist it to Soul.

“Trust me, the stuff those ponies pull off is fantastic. When I watched you flying at your house, it reminded me a lot of them. I just know seeing them would inspire you to pull off some new moves. Or just be left in total awe for how awesome they are!” Dash flew over to Soul. Hovering over her. “You need to go. This December, Hearth’s Warming.” “I got it” Soul said. The filly smiled and waved Dash off. Good.

She watched her go back over to her locker. She didn’t sound impressed but… Dash wouldn’t be fooled. Soul looked eager. Like she did want to do it. Her parents would be cool and let her go for sure. Then all of their families could be together for a great event. Now that was something to look forward to. Deep down, Rainbow knew it was something Soul surely needed. These weeks had been pretty hard for her and so hard for Dash to watch… even though Soul fought back against her… she would still give her a good time. Such a showing, I bet you’ll get the same reaction I did when I first saw them. You’re going to be like a foal. Already seeing Soul squealing and cheering at the spectacle that it would be. Those very moves that Dash wanted to perform with that group someday. Just what Soul needed.

5.25
Rainbow flew back over to her locker. Setting her hoof upon the open door and… just staring in at the scarf that lay in there. Nothing special to any pony else… save for the emblem that was on it. An emblem very similar to that of something a certain other filly wore. The same Wonderbolts winged lightning bolt stitched into its fabric. The symbol of a wonderful flyer. Someday… I know both of us will be able to have that title. I want it to happen when I can fly in those same displays they pull off… however long it takes. Inspiring ponies just like they inspired me. Someday I will and… she looked over her shoulder to the filly who was with her. Not even noticing Dash staring at her. Smiling at her. I think you can pull it off too. Wherever you decide to go… I hope you can be there with me when I wear that blue uniform. If not there for me to thank you for all your help, …then… oh wow… Dash widened her eyes. Not believing she just saw that. Seeing Soul in that same uniform.

Oh man. That actually made her chuckle a little into her hoof. Now that was a cool thought. Maybe both of us being given the medal together. Soul was an awesome flyer, she can definitely be Wonderbolt material. Oh yeah, that settled it.

Dash had to get Soul to come see the Wonderbolts.

If she got to see them, what if that encouraged her to want to be one too? Another amazing goal to look forward to. I just know I would be worthy enough to be there with you. Rainbow smiled so widely. Opening her eyes and… shocked to find herself now hugging her scarf. When did I… she tossed it back in the locker. Soul opened up her locker at the other side of the room.

“Maybe ponies won’t be mean to me when December comes around.” How sad she sounded… like poison. Dash could not believe how quick her own spirits fell when she heard Soul say that over there.

5.26
I knew you were lying. Rainbow grabbed a hold of her lunch. Clutching it in her hooves. Slinking her head down between her shoulders. Hurt by what Soul had said. I just don’t understand, why is it you put up with all that? I really wish I could help you but… I… Dash shook her head.

Soul, she really has changed. From that Pegasus who spoke such mysterious things on that first day. When she saw Soul as that pony who really did have a light in her eyes for something more than any normal flying. With a goal that was beyond anything Dash had heard of for most pegasi. Any Pegasus. How grim she has gotten. How much things have changed, and through all of it… you’ve stuck with me. Would Soul be alright if I showed her? Dash glanced back at the pony, her silver tipped tail sticking out from the locker and facing back to Dash. She was nervous. So nervous. If the time would come or not. I’m just so nervous to show her. But… I have no idea if it would make her feel better. Enough that… I feel so highly about her to show her. That she may be the only pony I trust. I don’t know. I just want her to smile.

She did want Soul to come along for the showing and… her mom seemed to like Soul. Maybe… she thought for a moment. She would definitely need to ask her parents about this. Last time didn’t work out so well but maybe a second time would. She would certainly need to ask for a raise on her allowance then. That made her smile. Yes, she would love if I did that for her. Giggling to herself under hushed tones. Something to cheer up that filly standing over there… clearly sulking at her locker.

I want to make her smile again. It’s just so hard, like she didn’t even want to try and make things better. Standing there, staring into her locker, Soul was so much unlike the Soul she first met. I really wish she would just take my advice. It’s the best way for her to watch out for herself. There was nothing wrong with it. “I think you need to tell your parents about all this stuff you’re going through. I’m sure they will help you. They’re pretty cool, you know?” Dash grabbed hold of her lunch bag and shut her locker tight. “There’s nothing wrong with asking them for help.”

5.27
As much as the same, Soul was remaining silent. Unsettling Dash with how cold she was being. There is nothing wrong with it, it helps. But she’s just so stubborn lately. Watching her be like this, just a sad and sulking pony stuffed away into the corner with this eerie look upon her that made it like she was just always tired and lost, it hurt Dash to see her like this every day it went on.

Oh Soul, I really miss how carefree you were the day we first laid eyes upon one another. You were so beautiful back then. Such an awesome filly to be around. I should share some of my chocolate with her for lunch. Something to lift this bad mood that befell upon them. Rainbow did come over to join with Soul. Still stick with her just to know she would be there to keep trying. I will keep trying.

“I bet they can help you! It’ll all stop and we can go back to normal.” Dash smiled to her, standing side by side with the filly. Seeing Soul’s vacant eyes staring deep into her locker. Just seeing her, it was even more unnerving to see her so blank in her sight. So much so that she even looked to be ignoring Dash. Quick to make Dash’s wide smile disappear. Lowering her own ears as she got her answer that Soul was just going to keep this up. Guessing they could just go on to eat lunch and put up with more of that sad sight of a filly so wrapped up in sadness. I wish she would do something. She’s got it easier than… than most ponies.

“What is normal anymore?” Soul whispered. Freaking Dash out with how sudden it was. How direct she was in asking that. Eyes fixated on the darkness in her locker, not even bothering to turn to Dash to address her. Maybe even sounding like she wasn’t even asking Dash that question. Something to just throw out there. A scary tone to it. Rainbow wasn’t even sure why it was she couldn’t answer her.

What is normal? Why am I too afraid to say something about it? The harshness in Soul… it was so vocal in that question. So dim, something had changed in her.

5.28
“Here I thought it was already normal” Soul said. “Isn’t it? Where it’s always so hard for me and I can’t rely on anypony no matter what. As life has always been.” “What are you saying?” Dash whispered. It’s really not that bad, Soul… she was never this down. Never this defeated in her voice. Even her massive wings drooped down to hang on the floor. As did her ears fall too.

“You can rely on me. And you got your parents too” Dash had to tell her. We’ve been here for you. After how great you’ve been, you know you can count on me always. Dash could not wait for more awesome time they could spend together until they could get to those goals that had set out. She saw it clearly. Soul was the one she wanted to do them with. You and me. “No I can’t…” Soul spat. “Because… you have no idea… what it is I’ve had to deal with and… and all the bad things that will happen if I tell my parents. If I try…”

Soul gulped. Her cheeks flinching for a moment in her gasp for air. Shocking Dash… even more when she stepped aside, Soul showing what it was that was inside that locker. “My parents were the only ponies I had…”

Soul’s hat… Dash widened her eyes. Torn to shreds. So many scraps tossed aside and about within the locker like somepony had sent a tornado through it… but Dash knew what it was that had happened. “I can’t…” Dash couldn’t finish her sentence. Couldn’t even think with how shocked she was at what the other kids would do to Soul. Something like this. I’ve never seen ponies be this mean to another.

Soul… I’m so sorry. That hat… Dash looked to the filly cringing before it. Clenching her eyes shut, not able to look upon her hat there with that beautiful emblem left alone amidst the shreds and scraps. It meant… a lot to you. “Soul… I’m so…”

The locker door slammed hard. Pressed against by the magenta hoof that Soul held up before her shaking body. Closing away that sight. But it was there… right there in Soul’s face, she was furious. Under her gritting teeth. Soul…

5.29
“You think it’s so damn easy for me!?” Soul spoke, finally opening her eyes only to do something that made Dash want to back away. Never seeing this side of her. Soul shooting her a glare so wracked in the pain that Soul was under for so long. I didn’t know it was this bad. Soul Serenity. Dash backed away from her.

“I…” Dash tried to mutter out something. Anything to let her know that she understood. She did understand. That’s just what Soul wasn’t getting. She was there to look out for Soul and was sure it would work. It wasn’t a big issue for her. Not with her parents being how they were. They’re here with us. She can… I can’t even talk. Not with how scared she was of the pony in front of her. “Why don’t you try dealing with it then!” Soul yelled. Kicking another hoof against her locker. Reeling back and bucking at it once more. The filly stamped away from it. I… Soul… “Of course you won’t, because you’re always too busy just sitting back and watching it happen to me! You never do anything to help me and think I can handle it on my own. You’re so selfish, Dash. You’re the most selfish pony I’ve ever met.” “Soul I’m not…”

“Shut up! You don’t want to help me, but I do everything for you. I do so much to make things fun and happy for you and you don’t want to do the same for me. I thought we were supposed to be flight buddies.”

Soul was so loud, she may attract everypony else, though Dash didn’t care. Shriveling up behind her lunch bag. Closing her legs together and feeling once more the pain of fear. Fear of another pony. So familiar, and I thought I escaped it. Soul… what happened to you? Why are you being so mean to me? “Flight buddies are supposed to watch out for one another, yet you don’t do it for me. You just ignore my problems and focus on yourself” Soul whimpered. So sad yet her anger was true, while tears fell from her eyes. Dash sat there, watching her flight buddy fall apart before her. It was enough to make her eyes feel so heavy. So much pressure on them. That she thinks so badly of me. “I thought I could rely on you to protect me” Soul said. “But no… you just act like everything is good and don’t even care about my feelings. How hard it is for me. I can’t go to my parents. I can’t! But I thought I had you instead. I’m fed up with you ignoring my problems.” “I don’t…” Dash squeaked out. Shaking on her hooves.

Soul… please don’t be mad at me. Please. I didn’t want this. She couldn’t even blink. There like a stump listening to the filly yelling at her. While the shame fell over her. The fear coming back once more. That she had lost it all. “I think you just don’t care about me at all. Rainbow, …if you don’t care then…” Soul closed her eyes. Clenching her teeth amidst her tears. “Just leave me!”

Leave me. Leave me. Staring into those angry, yellow eyes. So like what she would expect. It made her want to… Dash felt it. A single tear coming down her cheek. She doesn’t trust me… Rainbow dropped her lunch. She doesn’t. Leave it, leave her… Dash turned tail. Going off to the one place she knew she could feel safe. She spread her wings.

5.30
Cyan feathers flew and left the last image of that pony in Soul’s head. The filly flying off. Leaving her. Left to quiver and shake so violently she… she needed to let go. Soul collapsed onto the floor. Spreading her wings out. Not caring anymore. For it was all over. She saw what it was that happened. She felt it all flowing through her. Just how mad she had been. Rainbow really thinks it’s so easy. Stupid. Soul cried onto the floor. So easy.

She doesn’t know what it’s like to be abandoned. To fear it. I don’t want ponies to hate me. I need ponies in my life. I have so few left. I just can’t disappoint them. I can’t expose… how weak I am. I’m just not strong enough to deal with it. Yet Dash thought it was so easy. All you have to worry about is what your next time would be to hang out with me. Watch me suffer and be upset all the time. Try my life for once, maybe you’ll see how hard it is.

Soul smacked her hoof against the floor. It stung to do that. She didn’t care. Not at all, about anything else. Only the ache in her heart. Looking back up… at the lunch bag left in front of her. Left alone with her. The last bit of Dash left behind. I don’t… want to disappoint Nimbus and Starry. I don’t want them to leave me… just like that hat… the hat that told me they were with me. Taken from me. I have them… and I have you, Dash. Yet I feel like it’s so close to being gone.

Those lunches we shared together, every day. All the time we got to be together and how much more I want. We barely knew each other not long ago, yet now… now you’re the one pony who has made me laugh more than any other in my life. I did all I could to please you. Yet I still feel you will leave me. Just like another time.

5.31
Deep in those shadows. Of that time… the moment I fear the most. Of a pony upset with me because I am not who I was supposed to be. Flickering and fading in the light. Disappearing and shifting back. Like it took little hoofsteps away from her. Leaving but a tail to face back to her. Leaving her behind. So many times, so many times I lost ponies. But this… this hurts the most. You left me because I wasn’t good enough for you. …And now, now I did it again.

Soul’s hoof tapped the bag. Running it up and down. Like a small bit of a pony left behind for her to remember what it was like to be able to reach out to another. Gone. Fading. You left me behind in that alley… now I get to deal with it again. I made it happen again. Rainbow Dash, I drove her away. Like with everypony else. Gone. Because she was too stupid to handle it on her own and too caught up in her own personal problems… that I hurt the only pony who was truly with me. I hate myself. So much. Hate how I keep doing this.

Dash is gone. The tears that came out, like so many other times. Like they never stopped, there from years long passed. Returned for the same reason. She couldn’t look at the bag anymore. Turning away, pulling herself back up against her locker door. Streaking it in her tears. Unable to stop crying. I still hear you. Those wings of yours as you fly from me. Leaving me behind. Like I’m meant to be. To always be alone.

I hate crying so much. I hate always being sad. I hate it. I hate it. Soul smacked her hoof hard against her face. Ringing loudly inside. But she deserved it. Her punishment. One for driving another pony away. As much as she would let it. No. I can’t. I can’t let her leave me too. Sending her back down on all four of her hooves. Turning to face the open doorway beyond. I can’t let it happen again. Never. Rainbow Dash! I won’t be that foal again. The foal sitting in her box with no idea what to do, crying for her mommy. I won’t cry for you. Because… I won’t let you get away. Ever!

Not another will leave me. Soul galloped past the lunch bag. Blasting through the door and back out into the cool and open world beyond. You’re not getting away. I’m not going to let it happen. Let that filly she saw flying away so far off get away from her. I’ll take to the air once more with you.

5.32
Soul sent her wings out and that was all she needed to leave it all behind in a gust of wind so strong she could feel her own power kicking back against her tail. Scattering the clouds behind her and clearing from the camp. Soaring high over the walls and high into the blue and welcoming sky once more. Unlike any other time, not for pleasure… no more.

I fly for you, Dash, and this sky is my road. Leading a path on to the filly that flew away. A mere dot in the sky that Soul could still hear. Her distinct wing flaps. Anything, I’ll do anything for you. Not caring if she may have frightened the other kids back there with her sudden take off. Her massive burst of speed carried on by the wind inside of a gale so strong that hummed alongside the beautiful strokes her wings took. Sending her across the sky with one fell shot of her wings being all it took before that same wind struck her face and the world below blew past her. As hard as she could fly. Soul wiped her tears away. No more crying. No more sadness. I’ll get rid of it all. This is the sky you and I are meant to fly together in.

The way we spoke about our dreams to one another and our goals in life, I want to be there with you every step of the way. We will overcome it all and fly together in this with no more fear holding us down. As long as I have you. But she will not let her get away without letting her know that. All those words she had said were not true, caught up in her own anger and so many weeks of pain.

So wrong to lash out at her. So wrong to blame her. I could have just asked her. But I blew up on her. I was wrong, so I will be the one to make it right.

Soul flapped her wings harder. Cleaving the wind around her. Billowing it all into an endless swirl about her feathers with a speed that felt familiar to her. Coming back to her with it once more. This is what I’ll do to fix us. Even if it hurts. The wind lashing at her face and tearing at her wings, like her own feathers may rip off. So be it.

5.33
Soul glided over the peaks and rooftops so high above it all with the last rocking and thunderous blast to echo across the sky from such a strong whip of her wings. Dash may not hear me. She didn’t care. “Rainbow!” she yelled out to the figure ahead of her. Wrapped inside of the churning maelstrom of wind circling about. Tearing through the chilly and strong autumn winds just to get to her. “Come back!” Nothing.

The cyan filly flying a clear path across the sky ahead, Soul kept up. Kicking her wings back into gear and shooting straight forward at her. I got to stop her, I got to let her know. I can’t let her leave me. No more ponies. I’ll fight for the ponies I need in my life. Anything it takes. Even starting to hurt her wings. They never stopped flapping. Those beautiful wings of hers knew as well as she did that this was too important, they would do any distance for this. Just to make her happy. For us all to have wonderful days together. More of those wonderful moments you and I share.

We can go to the Wonderbolts for sure, whatever you want. We can go to things I want to do too, together. Because we are a team and we will figure out what needs to be done to makes things work. Together. No skill or anything involved, she shot at her flight buddy. Closer and closer till that rainbow tail was flapping in the wind within her vision.

“Rainbow!” Soul came in with her. Holding her wings back to slow down, skidding to such a violent slowdown that she almost threw her neck out from the force. Finally back with Dash. Back with the pony she hurt. “Get away from me!” Dash yelled out. Not stopping at all. Keeping up on her flight, Soul would not let up. She stayed with her. Even when she saw the filly turn her head and… and she saw the tears streaming out from Dash’s eyes. Left behind in the wind. Just like that last tear I saw from her. I made her cry. So I won’t let her go on feeling like I meant all that stuff. “Dash, I didn’t mean that stuff! Please, can we just talk… I just…”

“Leave me alone!” Dash yelled once more. “You hate me! So why don’t you just go off leave me to be by myself. Isn’t that what you wanted all along!?”

5.34
Leave you to be by yourself? Dash, what are you saying. I wouldn’t leave you. I want to be there with you. Please.

“Dash I’m so sorry about what I said” Soul leveled herself out next to the filly, wanting to get closer. Close enough to touch her. Wipe her tears and let her know all will be fine. That is what she wanted them to be again. The last time they touched, when she held me. I will do the same for you. Because that’s what flight buddies do. They look out for one another. Not just in their flying… but for them entirely. “It was wrong of me, but I just want us to be strong again. It’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have let things get so bad between us.”

Soul reached for her. “Take my hoof, let’s go back to how we were. You don’t need to be scared of me.” Rainbow Dash looked to her with teary eyes. Flowing endlessly. Her wings did not slow down. Quite the opposite and Soul had to keep changing her speed too. Just to stay alongside her. “You never trusted me… everypony always wants me gone…” Dash said. “That’s not true. You can rely on me. I’m here for you.” “That’s what they always say.”

Dash, what? I’ve never seen her this upset. This is my doing? I must have really hurt her. Whatever it is, I can be there to calm her. I want to be. So Soul never let her hoof drop, keeping it out for Dash. Waiting to take hold together. “You want me gone…” Dash said. Her wings flapping faster… and Soul did feel it. The wind shaking around her. Amidst the churning sound of rippling air cast out, not by her wings, but by another pair. So strong. So powerful. That Dash… Soul’s hoof left from her side. When the pony slipped away. “So just leave me!” Dash yelled in one last cry.

Soul blinked. Before it hit her.

5.35
Rainbow Dash was there and then… she wasn’t. Like light that zipped across her eyes and as quick as the wind striking her face, it dawned on her that the pony she was flying alongside had disappeared so quick within that brilliant flash of light and echo of thunder.

Faster than she could blink. But she saw it happen before her very eyes just as her lashes dropped. So many wonderful colors zipping across the sky. A path ahead of her going on forever and painting the sky in such radiance that Soul swore Cloudsdale had grown a new rainbow.

Billowing and shaking the world around her. All in the time it took for her to see that this rainbow trailed off from the pony with the tail to match it. Off into the sunny sky like a swooping angel so elegant and powerful to rock the sky itself in a hail of thunderous cracks. It sounded so scary and so empowering to all who may hear it, sounding within her the thing that made her cringe. Made her scared more than anything else that was happening.

Just leave me. Just leave me. Soul was not the one leaving her, she was the one leaving Soul. Leaving her behind in a trail of rainbow dust and the coming force she didn’t even know until it was too late. Soul screamed when the blast of wind came over her even stronger than any before it. Tearing across her with the sound of another crackling sound bursting out from Rainbow Dash’s path.

The filly was gone, out of sight. No longer able to see where she went as Soul tumbled through the sky. It all going through her. That Dash was leaving her. She’s going. And here I am, stuck like a rock. Locked in an endless loop at the amazing thing she had just seen. Just heard. Unlike anything she thought possible from the very filly who had been her flight buddy. That she may not be it anymore. Rainbow Dash was flying away, faster than ever before. Faster than Soul didn’t think she could even go. Is she really this determined to leave me? Leave her entire world spinning around. Plummeting down to the clouds below. A deadly spiral leaving behind only her own trail of tears that she no longer cared to hide. Only fixed on that rainbow that streaked the sky high above her.

Rainbow Dash, you really don’t want me near you. Pull off something like this… to get away from me. I had no idea it hurt that much.

But… Soul flapped her great wings up. Shining brightly down upon her in the Sun. All she needed. Glaring off into the sky with her teary eyes. I won’t let it hurt any longer. You are my flight buddy. We are both flight buddies. Together as one in the sky. No matter our problems. You were the first to stick with me. Soul caught the wind. The world stopped. Blazing the clouds below in such a great gust of wind beneath her wings. You’re my buddy. I won’t let you get away from me. Even if you try to run. All Soul had to do was follow that tail that always led her to better moments. A streak in the sky. Off into the distant cloudy horizon. Soul flew off after it.

5.36
She had only been to this place a few times, yet it still felt so weird to come here alone for once. Setting hoof upon the cloudy stairs leading deep down into the depths of the sauna she had always come here with alongside Dash. Relaxation or training, not today. Soul had to wipe away the last of her tears. Be strong, after what she did, she needed to. Seeing just how badly her feelings could affect another so dear to her. No way she would leave that very pony here alone. Down there thinking that Soul hated her, thinking that she meant the worst for her and never wanting to be together again. That is what Soul expected. For it would be such an appropriate punishment to feel that may be.

In all her years of running away from her problems. This was one she would not run from. No, she stepped to it.

Going down the steps and deeper into where the Sun barely came in through the small breaks in the clouds. Shimmering in the rain drops that soaked her. Like she did not walk at all, only the rain could be heard and no hooves dared to sound out over it. Like she truly was alone. Stuck with the echoing words of all she had said. I never had any idea on what to do to help myself. I never was the best pony for any others, I never have been a good pony. Doing stuff like this. So used to it. But not anymore. Rainbow, I’m here for you. No matter how fast you fly or where you go, I won’t let you get away while thinking I truly don’t like you. There is no way I would hate you. I only ask for you to not hate me. But that had always been her problem. She always expected it to be different. She never took those steps she made now.

Approaching that cloud doorway below, it had been so far. So close now. She set hoof upon the bottom of the steps with just a short walk between her and that cloud wall.

5.37
She knew she was on the other side. Rainbow Dash was in there. My one and only flight buddy. Wracked with everything Soul had said. Soul couldn’t even begin to think of what she should do. How hard it would be. Terrified that Dash may truly leave her. That she lost the only pony she could call her buddy. All from another mistake, I can’t make any more. No more today. No more after. Soul gulped.

“Rainbow…” she whispered. Not expecting any answer. Only her own small plea to herself to see it through for that pony. She made me laugh, she made me smile and played with me. The only pony who wants to fly with me. Here I thought she was only my equal in goals.

Rainbow Dash, unbelievable how fast you can go. If only to get away from me. For the first time, a pony that she was truly excited to call her flight buddy. Now more than ever, I understand why you are afraid of me. But it won’t stop me. Soul would not be afraid. She would be the bigger pony now. For the first time.

Soul’s hooves stepped forward. Pushing her onwards into that wall of clouds. Stepping deep into the steamy room within. Where the air hung heavy. So strong, it was hard to breathe at first. Not until she could truly take a deep breath of the humid air and embrace the cascading downpour of rain and thundering waterfalls. Piling down into the same pool she had swam in with Dash. Running in together, side by side. Two fillies splashing about and being able to laugh. So many weeks have passed since then. So much has changed.

I can’t believe how fast I changed. How badly I have gotten. That Soul felt uneasy just stepping into what used to be the most peaceful place for the two. Where she could say she had bonded with Dash. We’re not in this together. Now, we are separate. Something Soul did not want.

5.38
Soul standing at the wall while the other filly sat in the water. Deep in the middle of that shallow lake, where Dash was, back towards Soul. Though she saw the cyan filly splash water into her face. Her little wings left plopped into the water. Rainbow tail floating in it. As bright as the trail she had left with those wings.

Good thing Dash had not left. It was just Soul and her. Alone with nothing to stand between them. Weeks since we played in the water together. So long. Too long. A time with few worries. Can it even be like it now? Soul wanted to go back to it, go into the water with her flight buddy. Sit with her and soak in the warm water. An occasional splash before she would use her wings to pile water on to Dash. Those were things she wanted. Jumping on to her and laughing. Just like the kids in the streets. Torn away by all that has happened.

Soul couldn’t believe she let it get so bad. Let it get to her. Here we are now. Me hesitant, while I hear you cry over there. So much did Soul want to help her stop crying for nopony deserved this. None at all. Soul could not cry anymore. Only shame. Shame did not stop her.

Her hooves kept her going. Creeping along the cloudy embankment around the lake. Warm water swishing around her hooves. Though Soul did not go in. She stood there overlooking the pony out there. We’re so close to one another but you feel so far away. Not drawn like last time. Soul still did the scary thing. She set a hoof into the water. Rippling around it. Then another. Soul’s hooves fell into the water, looking out at the filly’s back. Soul let it go with no thought.

“Rainbow…” One name to travel and echo inside of the peaceful place. Like it were louder than the waterfalls, itself but a mere whisper. I’m here and I won’t let you go. They stood in this water together. One that once warmed them, now only cold between them. Soul just wanting to reach out through the silence. But Dash did not turn.

5.39
“Why did you follow me?” Dash’s raspy voice whispered. “You should have left me.” “I still came, I won’t let you fly away from me” Soul said. “No matter how fast you fly.” Just a little tremble that Dash made with her back still to Soul. Lowering her head. Dash’s hooves slinked along her sides, holding herself. “And I’ll keep flying away from you. Because you were right, I am a horrible flight buddy. Always have been. Didn’t even change with you. So you should just leave or I’ll leave.” “I’m not going anywhere” Soul plopped her butt down into the water. Sitting well behind Dash. Facing her back. Not letting her eyes leave her. As long as it takes. Soul will sit there and do anything to stop it. If you try to leave, I’ll do anything I can to stop you. No matter how much she didn’t know about this filly’s flying ability. Soul’s wings still shook with anticipation. If you run, I’ll keep after you. As far as Dash knew, she didn’t know how skilled Soul could be.

Until you calm down, until we both can be calm and talk to one another like we usually do. Soul would not leave. Not leave this spot. Even if she wanted to be closer. Sit right behind Dash and hold her. Lock her down so she couldn’t leave even if she struggled. But Rainbow Dash’s wings never moved. Quiet she stayed. “I came after you because I don’t want you to leave” Soul told her. Trust me, Dash.

If Soul wanted to leave then it would have happened. Like every other time. Soul ran from her fears. Rainbow Dash would not be another one of those fears. We will stay like this. “I’m so sorry for what I said to you, Dash.” Silence filling the air.

5.40
Like her apology kept sounding off inside this room. Soul heard echoes she never heard before. Like this place was always so silent. So calm just for these two to talk. “You’re sorry?” Dash asked. Her voice growing more and more shaky. “For what? I was terrible to you so you can be a total jerk to me. I’m… completely alright with it.”

Poor Dash, it sounded so hard for her to say those words. She doesn’t mean it at all. Soul saw the pony wipe her tears away behind her mane. Does she really believe that? Soul hated to think she had put these ideas into Dash. After she came off as such a strong pony, I’m supposed to be the weak one. After all, I was the one who let this happen. I shouldn’t have.

“Dash… I should never have said those things to you. You’re my flight buddy after all. But… I let my anger get the better of me.” “You have every right to be pissed” Dash said. “No, I don’t. I shouldn’t take it out on you. It’s just…” “Then why take it out on me?” Soul gulped.

I hate to answer her. Just… everything. It’s been so hard for me. Everything is too much. She had to put her face in her hooves. Groaning inside them silently. But she spoke through her hooves. “I’ve been so scared and so sad for too long. I hate being bullied… I couldn’t take it anymore. And then… then Aurora told me terrible things about you. That you were mean to other kids at your last camp and that you didn’t like me. I fell for it… I’m so sorry. It all got to my head. So much that I’m scared I ruined it for us. I want us to keep going as flight buddies… but it’s so hard for me to be happy.”

Soul smacked her hoof back down into the water, splashing her face. Water dripped down alongside her tears. Did she say the right thing? Rainbow Dash… she was silent. She really, really must not like me now. I must look so pathetic to her now, falling for that stuff to let it ruin us. I ruined our relationship. To where now both ponies were separated. Split between such a vast water that filled in Soul’s tears. Not able to shake her fears.

5.41
“I remember how well we worked together. We were perfect… like we were meant to be flight buddies. Each other’s wingpony, even. Doesn’t that sound cool? Wingponies?” Soul lowered her head. “All the fun we had together and all the time we spent. I threw it all away for nothing and now I’m so terrified it’ll all be over. I don’t want it over. I want us to keep going… remember our dreams? How both of us want to be there for one another to help. Seeing the Wonderbolts together. I want to do it all with you. I don’t want it to stop. Dash… please answer me.”

Stop being so silent. Stop ignoring me. I want us again. I’m so sorry. “It’s all a stupid idea now. After all…” Dash’s magenta eye glanced out from under her rainbow mane. Warped in the water of rain and tears to shine so eerily. “We’re messed up now.” “No we’re not!” Soul screamed out. Feeling her own heart plummet hearing Dash say that. No telling how painful it was for Dash to say it as she turned away with a cringe in her face so harsh that her body shook.

“Please don’t think that!” Soul said. “I can fix it. Because I’m so sorry. I will always be sorry. But I won’t give up on us.” There was just too much for both of them. Too much to give up on. Soul saw that they both had a great path to follow together. That same road into the sky that she always took every day. One that this other Pegasus had shared. Never knowing that those roads would cross. Change both of them. For the worst… or for the better?

5.42
“You and me, Dash. We always took to the sky together. M-mom put us together for a reason. I don’t care what it is because I also think we were meant to be flight buddies. Because… look at us.” Soul spread her wings out wide. Dripping water down in droves from her feathers. Hoping Dash would see.

“Do you know what we can do together? With you, I feel like we can be something awesome. Rainbow… we can be the best flyers Equestria has ever seen!” It can be so. All they had to do was not give up. After all, Soul had seen that it was possible. “Please don’t give up on it. I want you with me when it happens and we can’t let this ruin it.” Soul lowered her head once more along with her wings. Silenced from Dash’s silence. Only able to whisper. “I made a mistake… and I’m so sorry. Please, Dash… don’t leave me. I want to fly with you again.”

No answer. Nothing more. Just a cyan filly sitting ahead of her. Not even her wings moved. For all Soul knew, she may have just fallen asleep or ignored her entirely. Something that made it harder for Soul to bare this. It hurt so much, so much that she may lose this pony. They could be the best of all. Together. However long it took. When it happens, for both of them to do it together. Because they could. Soul saw it as fact now. All she needed was the strength to pull Dash back to her. There is a reason for us to be together and I think it’s something important. Maybe it has something to do with what happened earlier in the sky. Soul needed to ask her now. The burning question. “Dash, why… why did you hide your flying abilities from me?” Whatever it was, it was too much for Dash that she shook for a moment.

Soul heard her gasp. Just a little thing… but she was quiet. You can try to hide but I won’t let this go. Something told Soul this was meant to be. She could not let it slip. “I’ve never seen any other filly fly as fast as you did. I can’t help but wonder why you hid it. But I won’t let you hide it any more. I’ll be here until you talk to me. I’m not going anywhere.” They will be here together in this calm and soothing place torn by the pain of all that had happened. Soul would not abandon her, ever. Stay here with her. Even if it hurt to do so. Soul watched her. Keeping that frightened, little filly in her sight. Hoping she would turn around and finally talk to her. Anything to make this beautiful place peaceful again. Truly. All was silent. Soul waited. As long as it took.

Soul Serenity. Never give up. You both need one another.

5.43
We both need one another. Soul opened her eyes. Such warmth and comfort but her neck hurt. Leaning forward, she shot back up. Looking back out across the lake. Startled. Except… wait. Dash! She was gone. An empty lake. Oh no, I fell asleep.

Soul frantically jumped back onto her hooves, splashing about in the water in a hurry with both wings out and ready to take her off. No Dash over there, nowhere. She gasped… turning… finding Dash across the room. The filly walking away with her hooves just about to step through the entrance to this place. She’s leaving me!? No! I won’t let you leave me. Soul’s wings flapped hard. Sending the water behind her into a wave rumbling along the walls and the zipping of her feathers splicing through the air before the cyan fully knew what happened. Soul stopped herself. Quicker even for her own concentration, she found herself before Dash and the wall. Just short of her leaving. Soul held her wings out. Refusing to get out of the way of the stunned Pegasus.

I can’t believe you, Dash. Soul had been the one wanting to fix this. How can she just leave like that? After all the pain it was causing just to try to fix this, Soul could barely keep herself from crying at knowing her flight buddy just tried to leave her. Once more. “I won’t let you, Dash.” Flight buddies stick together. Forget the fight, now… now it was about them. Soul held her ground. Determined to do anything, whatever Dash tried to do. If she tried to run or fly off. Dash knew this too. So terrible when Soul finally saw her flight buddy scowl at her.

5.44
“I don’t want to talk to you!” she yelled at Soul. Trying to step aside but Soul still managed to slide over and stop her. Again from the other side. Soul kept her wings out. Hating herself for having to do this, but it needed to be done. For us. Even if Dash doesn’t want to talk… “Well I want to” Soul said. “Shut up” Dash yelled. “You’re no different from any other pony.” That was when Soul became afraid when Dash’s wings unfolded. “I was stupid to trust you.”

You don’t trust me. I understand. But… I can’t let that stop us. Even if you are fast, I will be faster. Though Soul’s legs shook in fear that Dash would try to fly off. After how fast she had been. I could lose her. No. Rainbow Dash always seemed too brash when it came to her decisions, but this was the most heartless thing she was doing. Soul would not take it. This pony did not deserve to say such things to her. Even if Soul had done something bad to her, forget that. Rainbow Dash, this is about you. You will not leave me as long as I stand, and you can’t think that way.

“Well how the hell can I trust you when you are the one always hiding your feelings from me!” Soul yelled at her. Like a hammer to steel, it sounded out loud. Ringing in her ears. As all fell silent once more. Soul stood there, glaring upon the cyan pony. Both their wings unfolded. Either of them ready to take off. One pair stayed open even as they fell. Rainbow Dash sat down. Only her mane faced up to Soul. Such a long and dreary pause. Soul did her best to do it. To stay strong. Facing down with her flight buddy. The one true moment. She could not be weak. She felt weak. Never show it. Never give in to her. Even if I have to yell. She’s my flight buddy and I will do anything for her. As long as it helps both of us. As long as we can talk. “I want to talk to you” Soul said. Able to calm down. Not letting up in standing before the bowing filly. Not sure if Dash was angry or not. But… the filly whispered beneath her bangs.

“You have every right to not trust me. Soul, I’m sorry…” Dash’s wings finally folded, and Soul joined her to sit before one another.

5.45
“I spent the last three years training very hard with my mom” Dash spoke out in a tone so calm and reflective. With such a gaze in her face as she told that which Soul had known. “She showed me everything from aerials to wing control and flight patterns. Pacing and senses. Even proper use of speed. I was always struggling with it all but she never gave up on me, even now… cuz I still am not so good. Anything to teach me to be the flyer I dreamed of when I admitted it to my mom. So she spent so many months teaching me. Every night usually. Even if we didn’t get much sleep. I did use to be a bad flyer but mom and even dad were there for me. Always there to make me feel better about myself whenever I failed their practices and taught me all they know. It’s because of them that I’m as good as I am now. And I won’t stop till I am better than everypony else. It’s the least I can do for all the long nights and frustration I put them through.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before…” Soul muttered. Thinking over all the time she spent with Dash. Never had she seen any proof that this could be true. Yet, that speed she pulled off, it must be true. “Why did you hide it from me? We both have been so good this whole time, we could have flown however we wanted.” “You’re really gonna ask me that?” Dash said. She looked up from under her mane. Staring with disbelief. No clue though what it was she meant. Soul was her flight buddy, they should not hide their abilities.

5.46
“You did the same thing on your first day” Dash said. Leaving Soul silent. Admitting to herself she too had hid her ability. From everypony, even Dash. For the longest time. All for one reason.

“My flying always got me picked on before” Dash said the truth. The same words the resounded inside of Soul. It made her eyes widen. Astonished to hear the thing that made her feel so much more that Dash was no different. When she thought the opposite. Dash was picked on. This pony here, she suffered the same thing. “It was really bad… back at my old camp.” So hard for the filly to say. She had to look back down. Only to hide the tears that Soul had seen welling up under her eyes. “They made fun of me so much because I always made mistakes when I flew. I was a terrible flyer. Even when I started getting better… it didn’t stop. I kept trying and trying to make them stop making fun of me. To stop calling me names that… really hurt. But it kept going. They called me a show off whenever… whenever I tried to show them how good I was getting at flying. I felt like nothing I could do would stop it. That my flying was gonna get me in trouble. I couldn’t win. For the first time in my life, I felt…” Dash looked back up. Squinting tears away, wiping a hoof over her face. “Like a loser. Nopony liked me. They all left me just because of what I felt was right to do. So… I didn’t want to show my ability off to any pony ever again.”

“Dash…” Soul whispered. “I love flying… but nopony wanted me to show it. So much work my parents put me through and all the long hours I spent. But I couldn’t feel proud of myself. I couldn’t show it. …Soul… it always hurt.” “It hurt to hide it…” Soul said. She had no idea what it was that stopped her from reaching out and hugging this crying filly. This, the most that she had ever seen Dash so sad. She was not making this up. As she started sobbing into her hooves. Tears that sounded like they were much closer to heart for Soul. The same ones she uttered so many times. Coming from another pony. Rainbow Dash, I never knew.

5.47
“I lost all my friends…” Dash wailed into her hooves. “Nopony wanted to be near me. I had to deal with it on my own… and I didn’t have my parents there to protect me. Everypony was mean to me, even your buddy Aurora did it too… so… I’m so sorry for hiding it.” She looked up from over her hooves. Yelling now. “Because I didn’t want to be bullied at a new camp! Not again!”

“But Dash… we’re flight buddies… and you saw that I was being bullied for my flying too” Soul shook her head. Amazed by it all. Just wanting to stop all this and hug her flight buddy for as long as possible just to show they were still connected. Not so different. Not split like she felt between them. “And you know that I have the same goals as you! Why did you hide it from me?! Of all ponies. I am there for you.” “Because I learned never to trust anypony else!” Dash smacked both her hooves down on the clouds between them. Rustling her feathers, just her voice echoing in the room. “You don’t trust me?” Soul whispered.

“I learned to watch out for myself. That I didn’t need others and you proved that today. I told myself not to ever feel hurt like that again so I never wanted to trust anypony again. I don’t need them. I don’t need friends! They always turn on me… just like you did.” “You… saw me as your friend?” Soul whispered.

Dash turned away. Soul left to look at her back. She saw me as that? Soul never had another pony think that way of her before. She realized it there, how badly she had messed it up. Rainbow saw her as a friend this whole time. Something so much more than what Soul thought them to be. Something that made her heart writhe. Even more with how she had turned that very pony into this. Rainbow Dash was no longer the Rainbow Dash she had known. This was a new pony. Somepony she never could expect to call equal to her. In everything. Rainbow Dash relied on me and I turned on her. How bad it was. Soul could not let it go on.

5.48
“Dash…” she whispered to her back. “I’m not going to hurt you. You have no idea how much… it means to me that you wanted to be my friend. I… I never had a friend before. None that I could play with or be together with. I can’t forgive myself for yelling at you. After all we did together. It was wrong of me. I won’t be like the ponies who hurt you. I won’t turn my back on you. Can you look at me?” Dash did not. Not even to the sweetest voice Soul gave to her to let her know all was going to be okay.

“I only wanted you to help me more. Because I was always there to help you. I did so much for you all because I wanted us to be there together. You were the only pony I truly felt comfortable with. But… I never thought you may have felt the same way about me. You always hid your feelings from me. I just didn’t know.” “I didn’t know either” Dash said. “Because it’s not like I have ponies around who know what it’s like to look out for me. They all left me long ago. I feel you will do the same too. You just don’t understand.”

Rainbow… Soul looked down to the clouds. Sifting her hooves around their fluffy surfaces. Without the stomach to realize just how saddening it was to see her flight buddy talk this way and show her that things never had been what they looked like. She fooled me. Never looking to be nearly this sad. This alone. So afraid of Soul leaving. She just wanted to trust me. Same as me, I wanted to trust her too. I should start trusting her. “You really don’t want friends?” Soul asked. “Why would you not want that? A friend is something I want. Haven’t you ever been happy with another pony?”

5.49
“Not since I learned to fight for myself and myself alone.” You say that like it’s been a long time. Just how much pain are we both under? “There was a filly at my last camp…” Dash paused. Looking up to the waterfalls around them. Her shoulders lowered. “We used to talk and play together, not as good at flying as I was but… that didn’t stop us. That wasn’t what stopped us. We stopped seeing each other when I started getting bullied. Wanna know why?” Dash looked over her shoulder back to Soul. Goading her on. Soul obliged. Nodding her head.

“She didn’t want to be bullied too. Too afraid to be around me since she was picked on just for being with me. She was so pathetic. Only time she had any guts was when she told me… that she didn’t want to play with me anymore.”

That made Dash look away as her voice went to a whisper. “I yelled at her for leaving me… because she hurt me. I never want to see her or those ponies again. Nopony can ever understand me enough to help me. They don’t want to be my friend.”

You really think nopony understands? Soul held her breath. Looking across all the waterfalls and letting the soaking and soothing rain water be the one thing to keep her from breaking down as she remembered everything that she had to go through too. Shaking with chills at the thoughts. Dash doesn’t know at all. Dash never trusted me. I didn’t trust her. But neither of us told the truth. I can’t go on like this. Dash, I want you to trust me. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I know it must have really hurt for ponies to leave you and… for ponies to be so mean to you for who you are.” “What do you know?” Dash said. Soul took a deep breath.

5.50
“Rainbow… I need to tell you. I can’t hide it anymore. Please just listen to me. There’s a reason why I don’t go to Nimbus or Starry… something I’m sure would happen since… since it happened before when I failed.”

Soul closed her eyes. Not able to keep in how hard it was to say this. The tears came out freely. Chilling her cheeks in the breeze. “I’m so terrified that they’ll leave me. That all ponies don’t want anything to do with me. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Like nothing I can do is worth it. Because it never mattered before. It didn’t matter when I was left in a box in… in a dark alley in the rain. I could barely even fly, couldn’t do anything to stop her from leaving me. The only memory I have of her is the shadow. She didn’t even say goodbye to me. I cried for her to come back… I didn’t want her to leave. But she ignored me. I was only a baby… but she didn’t care…” “Soul…”

“Nimbus and Starry… they aren’t my parents. I lied to you the entire time but I didn’t know if I could trust you. I never knew my real parents. I never knew if they loved me. If they saw me as anything other than a failure. They were never proud of me. That’s all I was left with. That I failed to be what I was supposed to be to them. All I had left were Nimbus and Starry. They took me in, taught me everything. Fed me and gave me a place to call home. They were the only ponies I had in my life so I didn’t want to disappoint them. I never want to. Not after all the things they did to keep me happy.

Rainbow, you think you’re any better than I was. That I don’t understand? It’s like life loved to just mess with me. Keep me miserable. Junior Speedsters wasn’t the first… but it’s so easy now compared to what I had to go through. Dash… they hurt me at my other camp. I loved showing my growing flying skills to the others and… and they hated me for it.” Soul held her wing tightly. No matter how much it hurt to do so, she squeezed it. Making her squeal. Never letting go. Hold it and care for it. Just having to say it. It hurt so much to do so. To see it happen once more. “The other ponies… they broke my wing. Hated me so much that they wanted to take away my one true love. The only thing I lived for. I had no friends or family. Nothing else but my wings and they stamped their damn hooves on it.”

5.51
Soul went out crying. Breaking all the words she had left to say, beaten out by her cries. Never letting go of her wing. Never letting go of her fear, and dash thinks Soul is the better pony. It all rushing back into her, Soul cried so hard. Burying her face into her wing. Soaking it over the rain water. “I was so afraid of showing off at a new camp… I was crushed when it didn’t work. But you were there. You were the only pony I could be with. We were flight buddies and now… I ruined it…!” Soul gasped. Blinking out her tears when her eyes opened once more, looking down the back of a cyan filly who held her close. Soul dropped her wing. Dropped her hooves. Dropping her head down onto the filly’s shoulder. Crying into it. Doing nothing to stop it. For she knew what it was and never wanted it to end. To get these moments back. The one pony she felt comfortable with doing this with. Rainbow Dash hugging her. Holding her against her soft and warm self with tightened hooves around her. Soul kept gasping. Pleading for breath. Not able to stop her tears. Her sobbing. It hurt so much to remember it. Like her heart will explode. Scarred so deep. She couldn’t bare it anymore. Choosing to be the weak and defenseless pony she was. Succumbing to Dash’s hug. She embraced it. Crying and laying her cheek down against Dash’s mane. Looking up to the sky.

“And I lost you. I drove you away. I don’t want to lose you too. I don’t want to lose anypony else.” Dash hushed her. “I… I… I want to be there with you, Dash. Please don’t leave me too. Don’t leave me like my mommy did. I don’t want to fail you too.” “Soul…” Dash whispered into her ear. “I understand what you’re going through, please don’t think I don’t” Soul said.

5.52
“I don’t” Dash whispered. “I’m so sorry, Soul. I never knew you needed me that much.” “I… I want to be there for you. But I want you to be there for me too…” Soul cried on into her mane. “Soul… I wish you had told me.” “I just didn’t know if I should. I was so afraid of everypony” Soul said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you. It’s just… I hate losing others.” “You’re not going to lose me. Stop being so hard headed… and I’ll stop too.” “It’s too hard… I hate having to deal with this all the time. So scared of everypony” Soul slid her own hooves up and she returned the hug that Dash gave her. “Not even my parents liked me. I was not the pony they needed me to be.”

“I think your parents were the ones who failed you. They weren’t the ponies you needed them to be. You don’t deserve what they did to you.” “Please don’t leave me” Soul pleaded her.

Forget her parents, whoever they were, they didn’t matter. Not now. Not when she needed the one pony who held her. This was the one she always wanted in her life. Somepony who understood her and hugged her when she felt bad. Told her things that sounded so lovely and made her spirits rise. Something beautiful. Anything to have ponies like that. Please keep hugging me. Be there for me and I’ll do the same for you.

“I’m not gonna let it go on any longer. You can rely on me, Soul. We’re gonna stop it.” Soul felt herself being pushed back. Letting Dash move her, holding her in her hooves. Both fillies looked to one another. Seeing that Dash was also crying with her. Placing a cyan hoof upon her chest. “We’ll stop it.” “How…?” Soul couldn’t understand what could even be done to stop any of it. She just wanted Dash to be there for her. Nothing about stopping the bullying. There was nothing she could do. “I only make things worse… I can’t stop it.”

5.53
“Soul…” Dash wiped her tears and then… Soul flinched when her hoof touched her cheek. Dash wiped the tears off of her. “There’s something we can do. You can do.” “I don’t want to tell Nimbus and Starry. Please. They’ll be so mad at me. They gave up so much just to bring me to this camp and then…” Soul squirmed at this thought. “They’ll take me out of camp and… we can’t be together. I don’t want them to take me away. I don’t want them to be mad. Please… I can’t ask them.” Not now, after we finally got to hug again. I don’t want to lose you for even a single day.

Soul put her head into Dash’s chest. Hoping she would understand. For them to be separated would break her heart. For her to betray Nimbus and Starry in their trust of her, it would destroy her. Not after her parents. Not after that. Please. “Soul, you need to… stand up for yourself.”

Soul looked up into her eyes. She was serious. “I can be there with you, but you need to take a stand. You… you need to do what I didn’t do. Stand up to everypony and prove to them you are strong. That… that is what makes a Pegasus.” “How am I even supposed to do that? I’m too afraid.” It’s me against everypony else. I did too much to make them all not like me. Rainbow, she did not stick up for herself, how can she tell Soul to do it? Like it was just so easy. If only it was. She needs to understand. So many weeks. So many years. I can’t just turn around like that. “Soul, you’re an amazing flyer” Dash said, placing a hoof to Soul’s chin. Lifting her head up.

“You have an awesome teacher and an amazing goal. I’m the only pony who knows that. You’re going to be a kick ass flyer someday and not many others will be able to stand with you… hell, I’m hoping I get to. After what I saw when we hung out at your house, you are the real deal. You need to show them.”

“What?” Dash’s smile went away. Looking deep into her eyes. Her voice dropped. Uttering that name. “Aurora… he was at my last camp when something bad happened to him. He is a jerk but… you can make him stop. He doesn’t like you because of why he didn’t like me. You’re choosing to be bad at flying. He is mean cuz you… I’m sorry Soul, you’re taking your flying for granted by hiding it. He knows you are a good flyer just like I could tell.” “Why would he be mean to me because of that?”

5.54
Dash’s voice grew even softer. Like the air went still. Silent. A calm and dead world. Soul felt the chill along her back. “Aurora’s mom got into an accident back when we were in our last camp. …She lost her wings.” Soul couldn’t breathe. A Pegasus without their wings. No way. It’s what makes us special and… Soul didn’t want to imagine what it was like. “I know this because we used to be neighbors” Dash uttered. “It made him decide to love flying. He went from not really caring about it to such an arrogant jerk over it so quick. But… I heard him one time. When he was talking to his mom. He said that… that he will fly for both of them and love it. All because she couldn’t.”

He’s mean to me because… I failed to be what he wanted. Soul couldn’t help but feel so sorry for his mom. Somewhere out there, a Pegasus without her wings. Yet she had a son who wanted to fly for her. She would call it sweet if she wasn’t so afraid. But she knew what she needed to do. Something so terrifying. After all the pains and agonizing moments of the past. All the failures and ponies who left her. Now… now she was the one who had to be strong and stick up for herself. Soul hated to admit it, she hated it. But she wasn’t sure she could. Yet it came anyways.

“You need to show him how good you are. You need to beat him at his own game” Dash said. …Prove everypony wrong. Even when it didn’t matter before how much she tried. Show all the ponies that she was a great flyer who loved her ability. Reach out for the final goal she had. Though so far away and so blurred. So much pain between her and it. It held her back. I failed so many times before. I ruined so much and almost destroyed what I had with Dash. For me to do something like this… I’m too afraid. Too afraid to lose. I don’t want to know what it’s like to lose. Lose it all. Her against everypony else. With only her wings at her back. Only her pride left to keep herself strong. Strong against the sadness. Strong enough to endure it for so long.

Rainbow Dash, how can you expect me to stick up for myself when even you were too afraid to do the same for yourself? You really think I am strong enough to do it on my own? Dash, you were always tougher than me. It’s not like being strong ever helped me in the end. It wouldn’t here. If I fail. No, I’d rather not. I’d rather… Soul let go of Dash. Parting from her. Standing on her own four hooves now. Leaving Dash there with open forelegs to her and sinking eyes. But she didn’t stop her. She didn’t do anything more as Soul wiped the last of her tears away and did her best to give the smallest smile. It will be okay.

5.55
“I… I think Nimbus is waiting for me at home now…” Soul said. “Mom… is probably waiting for me too” Dash said. Her tone so down. “D-do you still want to play with me and… be flight buddies with me?” Soul asked. After all that happened today. Soul hoped for her to still be okay with her. Now that she knew just how messed up she was. But… the feeling of her hug still warmed her. That they got to hug again. It meant so much to her. So much that she could smile. Even if they had to part. Dash hesitated but “Yes… let’s keep flying together. I want us to be there for one another. I promise.” Soul nodded.

“I’ll be there for you too.” If you accept me for who I am just like I accept you. So much so that it was so hard to leave. Not with all the pain on her mind and the desire to stay with the only pony who made her feel happy. But she needed to. Too hard to manage it all. Too hard to think when all was cloudy. Soul took a step away. “Will you think about what I said” Dash asked. Stopping Soul.

She looked to her. About what you said. I’ll try. But… right now, I’m just too scared. Soul would not admit it to her. Just another one of her own problems that she needed to figure out. To hide or not. Take the risk. Too much. Soul nodded. “Thank you” Dash whispered. “I’ll be there for you.” Dash stayed there. So hard to part with her though… they both could smile. Both could rest assured that the other was there. That they will be there the next day. Whatever that day met them with. Soul said to her “Goodbye, Dash. I’ll see you tomorrow.” “I’ll see you then” Dash said. “Please be strong.” Echoing in Soul’s head. She stepped away. Be strong. Be strong.

5.56
Soul set the tip of her hoof into the water. It was steaming, felt so good to her hoof and told her that the water was ready. A little ripple going across the entirety of the water from her touch and she saw her face staring back up at her. Morphed and shaking from the ripples. Gone when she swiped her hoof over it. Casting it away, she got off the edge of the bathtub. Rather not see herself like this.

She looked out across the wide tub filled near to the top with steaming water just how she liked it. Alone with herself amidst the bathroom so shrouded in the misty embrace of hot steam rising all the way up and along the walls. Making the tiles she stood on shine a vibrant blue sheen. Even being her bathroom, she could not see the difference. Cloudy walls on all ends with so much steam set out from a wonderfully soaking hot bath and only the sounds of running water. Wading through such shallow puddles that flowed off and got lost into the clouds.

Peace and warmth. No different from before. Like this place was just like the sauna. Except without another pony here with her. Such a shame though. She had wished to be able to get a chance to soak in the lake. Enjoy herself before dusk, though dusk came so quick. This was the best she could do. I wonder what Dash is up to right now. She hoped she made it home without a problem after such a long and hard day for both of them. She was probably training. That filly sure did know how to push herself. So much that she was such a wonderful flyer. Devout to her skills. Or was she like Soul?

She looked around her lonesome bathroom. Torn between now and then. As if she never did leave the sauna and was still here with Dash, wrapped in the memory of such a day and such words. She could hardly accept it all happened, yet it did. Rainbow Dash, how things have changed. Hopefully, the cyan Pegasus could rest easy tonight. Soul would try to as well. A good and hot bath would work wonders to help her just relax and think.

5.57
“Soul…” a knock struck the door. Turning her around back to where it came from. “Are you done running the water?” Nimbus asked on the other side. “Yes.” Soul slinked back over to the tub, sliding her forehooves up its height and perching them atop the edge once more. Ready to get in, just in case. How odd if Nimbus would come in and just find the filly standing here.

“Alrighty, I’ll go get your towel.” She listened close for the hoofsteps to walk away. A little relieved, a little annoyed that she interrupted her. Soul looked back out across the bath. So warm to her hooves. She couldn’t wait. She slid in over the edge. Loving every second that the sweltering hot water came over her and then she was in. Shaking with electricity running across her spine. She had to sigh her pleasure. Now that is good. Much hotter than the sauna could hope to be, and the steam already soaked her mane.

She didn’t know how long she wanted to stay in here. Anything went. She had a long time before bed and just wanted to relax for a bit. Best way to do that, she sifted through the neck deep water over to the edge of the tub, turning and she let herself fall back against the tub. Sitting down, she sighed even deeper. Laying back against the wall and that wonderful feeling of piping hot water soaking her fur and warming the skin beneath came over her. Now this is so much better.

5.58
Soul wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to skip on training tonight so she could relax, but now… now she could say it was a good idea. She could do this for hours if she pleased. Hehe, but she could see her skin being some raisin later. Did Dash take baths? If she did, did she take them like this? Maybe she was at home relaxing the same way, Soul sure could tell they both would need something like this. The only time today where Soul could say for sure that she was alright.

Strange how she wasn’t at all upset. She surprised herself. Looking down into the water at her hooves deep in the crystalline blue that surrounded them. None of them could shake. She didn’t have anything happen to her for the longest time as she told herself just how incredible today had been. Incredible. If only it was the type of incredible she looked forward to. What a mess.

She set her head back against the cloudy wall. Perking her ears up and closing her eyes. Listening to those lovely sounds of running water. All the tiny waterfalls streaming down the walls of the bathroom and flowing into the tub. The drips of a drizzle coming down from the ceiling and the single fall of water from the faucet. Like a roaring symphony of water much like where she and Dash had been. Today, yet it felt like ages ago. As if Dash had told her all that stuff long ago and just now went through her head. Because of how weird it was to hear the story of another Pegasus who felt the same way she did. Admitting to so much. Way too much. Soul still could not figure it all out. Dash had told her everything and it was such a big problem for her to understand. Understand how similar they were. Really, why did Nimbus put us together? Why were you the one that I got to know? When Dash had been such a mystery before. Such a strange pony unlike any other. Soul now saw why that was. Not such a mystery anymore. All the while… she had told Dash everything.

5.59
How did she take it? Learning Nimbus and Starry aren’t my parents. Does she think bad of me for being adopted? No telling. Rainbow Dash was the first pony to ever, ever learn that. And she hugged me. So warm, like the water that crept along her body. I lied to her and hid so much from her, she still wants to be there to hug me. Wants me to be strong.

Sheesh, Soul opened her eyes. Spotting the little things sitting along the edge of the tub and she smiled. Why not? She reached out, pulling her hoof over one of them and she pulled it in. A little, yellow rubber Pegasus with the tiniest wings and such a dorky smile on its face. Floating along the top of the water with her. Moving on its own. She let it. Soul watched it scoot along so slowly. Seriously, why did Nimbus buy this for me? Or any bath toys. How old even were they? It made her smile, watching the little Pegasus float along on its path. Bobbing and swaying in the water, turning to her and then back. Like it didn’t know where to go. It still went. Some goal in sight. Soul giggled. Flapping both her wings up out of the water, sending out a jet of water to splash against it. Watching it fly off across the tub and settle at the other end. Recovery and going back to its gentle trip along the water. Spinning and dunking under the water.

She kept her smile, putting her head back. Just not able to take her eyes off of it… or its eyes off of her. Its magenta eyes and its laughing smile.

5.60
What? Soul jumped up again. Sending water splashing out around her.

The little Pegasus kept going with its side to her. Beady, black eyes avoiding her. Did I just… Soul looked around her. No, she was alone. W-why did I just see her? Did I… Soul laughed.

She had to have been mistaken. Nothing in the steam and only her. She was the only one in the water. It’s just a little bath toy. No point in seeing it as anything else. But… why did she smile? Honestly admitting to herself that that had been a pleasant sight if only for a second. Seeing a cyan pony across from her. Laughing with her. Kind of like when we played in the sauna. When did I start imagining you?

Soul laid herself back once more. Taking a deep breath. Calm down. Dash is home, out there relaxing and recovering from a hard day like Soul was. One day that truly did wane on her mind. To think I almost lost her. So close. She didn’t see just how fragile they both were, how strained this had gotten. So stupid of her to have let it get to the point it got to today. Really, seems like as the weeks go on, it only gets harder. Close to where Soul could see that she had come close to losing the only pony she could dare to imagine being with right now. But it was just a toy, floating away from her. On its own path and leaving her to herself. Not the pony she hoped to see from now on. The one she came close to not seeing again. Who left her with one final request.

5.61
We both did a good job. Both pegasi did so good at hiding everything from one another and it almost ruined them. Almost tore them apart and Soul had only to blame herself for the events. But she at least got to be able to hang out again with Dash tomorrow. Let this blow over and go back to having fun together. We can keep going and flying together… oh wait! That was right, Dash showed her secret today. Soul giggled to herself. She’s just as good a flyer as me.

What if they could do some tricks together that Soul was afraid of trying with her before? Get done with another day and go together to fly across the sky with such intense purpose. Hours of it. Perfecting their craft… for months or even years. Go on together in this wonderful thing they shared. They could keep playing together. Keep… keep… Soul lost her smile. If only it were that easy.

Rainbow Dash being one to fly with her and be so open with her when she had been so afraid to admit to her for the longest time all because Dash didn’t trust her, and Soul didn’t trust Dash in the end. I know you want things to change, Dash, I want them too. But I don’t know how to do it. If I can even do it. Because one fact remained. Soul was still trapped. Trapped within so many walls that went on forever yet kept her inside this shadow that she… she couldn’t even tell anymore what to expect. If Dash would leave her again? No! She wouldn’t. She trusts me… right? I trust her. For how could Soul not trust a pony who gave her so much? Admitted so much.

Then again, I also lied to her for the longest. I wanted to hide everything. That… that has always been my problem. That is what hurt her. Trapped inside that darkness, yet only one hoof reached out to her to pull her out. One that gave her a choice. One she didn’t want to make. Not after all her decisions had made such bad things happen to her. How would this be any different? How could she know that it would be something worth doing? Rainbow Dash, you told me to stick up for myself. In my entire life, I just don’t think I can do it. Dash makes it sound so easy, but… she also ran away from her problems. Can I really be that pony who doesn’t? I feel like I can’t do it, that it will be a mistake. Soul to keep being that pony who hid in her room and hoped for the best. Without fear of what could happen if she just wasn’t the pony who could pull it off. If Dash was too weak and failed, how could she do it? How could she be strong enough to do it? I want to be strong. I want to…

5.62
“Soul!” The door swung open. Startling Soul to flail in the water. Almost falling in. She really did want to yell out something obscene but she stuck to peering through the steam at Nimbus, standing in the doorway proud of herself. Towels on her back. “Took your time getting the towel” Soul told her. “Get lost on the stairs?” She set herself back up. “Oh you’re funny” Nimbus said. “I can take your towel back if you want.”

Soul stayed quiet. More or less displeased that… that she didn’t even remember what it was she was thinking about. I’m so out of it. Dash, is your mom like this? Soul rubbed her eyes. Hearing the door close again. Kicked shut by Nimbus and the mare came across the room. Setting both towels down on the sink. Wading her way through the steam.

“Water warm enough for you?” she asked. “Yeah” Soul said. She smiled to Nimbus. The mare’s kind voice really was still pleasant to hear. Good to see she wasn’t mad about leaving camp earlier. Maybe she didn’t know what happened. Whatever it was, Soul kept her mouth shut. “Thanks for getting the towel, I think I’ll soak for a bit. Did… you and Starry have any plans for tonight?” “Nope, unless you want to train with one of us later.”

Nimbus sighed calmly. Breathing in the hot steam and looking very satisfied. “I’ll be sure to get dinner started when you’re done.” Soul just didn’t want to say yes to her. She had no drive in her to do any training tonight. Just kick back and enjoy a little time away from anything that reminded her of flying or work. Lay back and listen to the flow of water and even the gentle hum Nimbus was making. “I’ll be out later” Soul told her.

5.63
“That’s cool” Nimbus said. The mare standing by the sink, looking into the mirror and… she put a hoof up into her mane, doing something Soul had to raise an eyebrow at. A thin, red ribbon fell out and Nimbus’ spiky mane came down. Flipping it off of her face so it may go down her entire neck. Blue and orange hairs shining along her golden body and her red eyes peered over to Soul. Smiling like she was pleased with herself.

What is she doing? I… I didn’t even know she used mane ribbons. Soul had never seen her with her mane down. Always a short span of flaming hair sticking up over her head. She didn’t know it was actually long enough to settle over her shoulders and her wings.

“Mind if I stick around till you get out?” she asked Soul. But I was wanting to be by myself for a bit. But Nimbus still walked through the steam and stood tall over the tub. So close that she… oh wow, she looked beautiful with her mane down. Soul still had no idea why she did that. Let alone why she looked so thrilled. Staring at Soul with pleading in her eyes. Expecting something from her. Was she actually asking me if she’s allowed to be in here with me? Soul would want to say no to her, she couldn’t get her mouth to say anything. Geez, she always looked so boyish before, now… why is she looking like such a girly girl now?

Honestly, she did look cute like this. Unlike what it was she came to know from the Pegasus. She never saw her before in this light. Okay, so what is going on? “Why do you want to… stay here?” Soul managed to smile. Sinking her head down a little into the water. “I can wash myself tonight.”

5.64
“Don’t play dumb” Nimbus said. She put her hooves up onto the ledge of the tub. “Why do you think I brought two towels?” Two? Soul looked over at the sink. It was a stack of two. She didn’t even think of that. Especially with Nimbus tapping her hoof into the water and she showed just how satisfied she was with it.

“Ooooh, that feels nice.” “Are you actually wanting to…” “Yup” Nimbus said with no shame. “I’m getting in with you.” “Say what!?”

Soul couldn’t even blink before the Pegasus leapt high over the tub and then… a huge splash of water came over her. Soaking the walls and flowing out over on to the floor. Soul shielded her eyes. Coughing up a little water that got in her nose. But she recovered. Finding herself in the tub with Nimbus, the mare laughing in the water that barely came up to her stomach. Water dripping from her drenched feathers and mane. Having soaked Soul’s own mane too with that splash.

“W-what are you doing?” Soul asked. “Oh don’t be shy, Soul. We’re both girls after all. Not like you got anything to be afraid of with me.” A splash of water came in so quick. Soul yelped when it struck her. The mare proud of herself and using another wing to splash more at her. “Stop” Soul said. Holding her hooves up. “Okay, okay” Nimbus turned tail and waded on over to the other side of the tub. Her big legs making such big strides in the deep water that easily slowed Soul when she tried to walk through it. She couldn’t even understand what it was she was seeing to begin with. Why is Nimbus in the bath with me? And where does she get off splashing me?

Soul struck the water herself, sending a plume of water smacking against the mare’s tail. Shaking her for a moment. “Oh aren’t you sly?” Nimbus laughed. Giving her tail a quick flick and spraying a little bit of water back to Soul.

5.65
“Really, why are in here with me?” Soul asked her. “I want to take a bath with you, is that so bad?” No… it wasn’t bad, Soul had no real problem with it except for the fact that she was bathing with another pony who was also doing the same. Nimbus was the one who usually just sat at the outside of the tub and helped Soul wash her mane. She never was one who came in with her.

“I just wanted to relax for a bit, that’s all” Soul said. Admitting the least of it. Though, she was thinking to herself that she wasn’t that uncomfortable with the mare bathing with her. It was just a bit of a surprise. She didn’t expect it of her. “But… aren’t you a little old to take a bath with somepony else?” Soul asked her. “Who are you calling old?” Nimbus sat down in the water. Stretching her forelegs over her head. “Nothing wrong with doing this with somepony you’re comfortable with. You know… they got public baths in Canterlot where you can bathe with tons of strangers. Isn’t this better than that?” A bunch of strangers. Wow, those ponies must be crazy. Soul didn’t like the sound of that, but she did like the sound of what Nimbus had said before that.

“You’re comfortable taking a bath with me?” “Of course, so how’s about we relax together?” Nimbus said, she laid herself down and stretched her legs out. Sinking slowly into the water. Only her head and wings remained propped up over the water. Sighing so lovingly over it. “Now this feels good.”

5.66
Soul kept her mouth shut, more fascinated with keeping an eye on Nimbus. Watching her unwind like this. The mare closed her eyes. Leaning her head up and looked like she would fall asleep over there. Raising her huge, soaking wings out over the water. Placing them both down on the ledges of the bath. While wagging her tail under the water. Seriously, she looked like a kid now. It was amusing. Soul never did expect to share a bath with Nimbus, ever, not able to see it turning out like this. She couldn’t go back to laying herself down again. Not with another pony in here. Soul could curse herself for blushing over this. Why did it feel so different to have her in the tub with her instead of at the side? No privacy at all. Soul shifted on her hooves. Nervously looking about.

“You okay?” Nimbus asked, one eye open to Soul. “Do you want me to get out?” “No!” Soul said. She wouldn’t kick Nimbus out. Not when she looked so at ease over there. “I’m just not used to this.” Soul laughed a little. Hearing her own self play this off. It was more than that. She just never did see the mare like this before. “You’ve never taken a bath with me before.” “Strange, huh?” Nimbus said. “I probably should have long ago. Honestly, I did think about it before but I was always too worried to do it. Wasn’t sure if you would want me to. Are… you sure you’re okay with me taking one with you?”

Nimbus sat back up. Raising a hoof. “I can get out if you want.” “You can stay” Soul whispered. “I don’t mind.” That made Nimbus smile. “Even if I am older than you…” she laid back once more. “I still don’t mind doing stuff like this. There’s nothing wrong with two ponies who trust one another to do this, I trust you after all. Otherwise I’d be scared to get this way in front of you.” “I’ve never seen you with your mane down” Soul said. She looked out to the floor where the ribbon sat. “Why didn’t you tell me you used ribbons. Here I thought your hair naturally stood up.” Nimbus cocked a brow. “You really think I can keep my mane sticking up on its own? Nah, I just like to keep it cool in front of others, plus I don’t use crazy shampoo like others do, but… you can see how it really is now.” Sounded like she meant that like it was a special thing to see her like this. Really, it was too confusing for Soul. This was an entirely different pony. She trusts Soul with this?

“I’ll be sure not to tell anypony else” Soul said. “Better not” Nimbus stretched her wings and legs out with a quiet yawn. “Only you and Starry can know how I really am, tell anypony and I’ll put slugs in your dessert.” Soul would not dare anyways, she was surprised Nimbus had this secret. Really, she needed to keep something like this a secret. She looks adorable with her mane down. Such a self-conscious mare.

5.67
Soul and Nimbus could take the time to both lay back and relax. Enjoy the warm water together with silence between them. Rushing water getting louder like the waterfalls picked up speed and the slush of water spreading across the floor. Soul looked up into the night sky high over her through the small windows dotting the ceiling. Beautiful stars shimmering together that both of them laid under. Calm and warm. This was exactly what she needed. A nice and relaxing time to just clear her mind a little. Let alone doing it with Nimbus here too. The mare looked to be doing the same. But she giggled quietly.

“You know, I haven’t done something like this in years.” “Done what?” Soul asked. “Taken a bath with another pony.”

“You’ve done this before?” Soul said, intrigued at the reflective voice Nimbus spoke with. The mare staring up into the night sky. Lifting a hind leg up and down in the water, then she crossed her legs. Focused so much on the beauty above them.

“Yup, when I was not much older than you. I never took baths with anypony else, you’re lucky, I never even had any there to wash my mane and my back… such a pain. Never did want it, until my mother just came in all goofy and happy one night and wanted to come in with me. Said she wanted to spend time cleaning up her ‘little girl’” Nimbus put her hoof to her face and groaned. Still made Soul laugh a little at her. It must have been embarrassing. “Caught me by surprise but I didn’t say no to her. Not because she washed my mane for me… and it was something else with how good she could do a head massage. Maybe…” Nimbus grinned to Soul. “It’s for the same reason you let me come in?”

5.68
“I don’t know” Soul muttered. “I just saw no harm in it. But you did sort of jump in without saying anything.” “Oh…” Nimbus realized her mistake. Widened eyes and laughing at herself. Ashamed a little. “Well… uh, I’ll tell you what.” Nimbus sat back up. Opening her huge wings to curl around her sides and leaving a big space in front of her. “How about you let me wash your mane” she patted down in front of her with one hoof. “Come on… I don’t bite.” She said that with such a sinister sneer in her voice though it was obvious the menacing face she made was all a joke. “If you do, I’ll tell you why I let my mom do this for me.”

Soul waited for a moment. Eyeing the big and open space in front of Nimbus. Soul was more curious of why it was she wanted to do this all of a sudden. Really, this mare was such a loose cannon. She rarely had much incentive to her decisions and she changed so much. Yet she was still a happy Pegasus that Soul was not at all afraid of being around. She always washed Soul’s mane at the side of the tub, not much difference in doing this. Soul obliged. She stood up, wading over to where Nimbus sat. The mare shifted and gave her more room, where Soul stepped in between her wings and turned. Leaving her back to Nimbus as she sat in front of her. Nimbus giggled.

“I’ll try my best to recreate her head massage. Don’t be mad if I suck at it.” Soul felt her pouring shampoo in her mane up there and heard the water swash from the hooves that moved through it and came up to her head. Then… Soul tingled. All when those hooves buried into her mane and feeling them dig against her scalp. Slowly and gently rubbing along it. She… says she’s not good. This was surprisingly pleasant. No way to tell if this is how her mother did it. Whatever it was Nimbus was doing, it felt amazing nonetheless. Soaking her mane in foamy shampoo and softly scraping her hooves over her head. Soul could fall asleep like this. Forget the normal scrubbing she did, Soul wanted Nimbus to do this massage from now on when she washed her mane. It made her purr for a moment. Closing her eyes. Just as long strands of her silver mane fell against her face. She couldn’t stop smiling.

“Hope I’m doing well” Nimbus said. “Ye-yeah…” Soul groaned. Her hooves started to shake.

5.69
“I was pretty scared at first to do this with my mom, just for a moment, I never did anything like this with another pony but… I figured it was okay with her. Otherwise, I would have hid my body from any other pony. I was always so shy back then… just the thought of anypony else seeing me in a bath would kill me. But with mom, I felt I had no reason to hide from her since she was a pony I trusted dearly. And it was a good decision. I made my mom so happy when I showed I wasn’t afraid around her and… she admitted she was a bit nervous at doing this with me too.” “Really?” “Yeah, she was a scaredy pony just like me. But she still got over it and wanted to spend that time with me in a way we… certainly found to be unique for a change. I really did trust her because of that. I learned that if a pony is willing to share their secrets to you, then you have no reason to hide from them. That you can trust them. The ones who trust you will support you, that’s why I wanted to take a bath with you too.”

Soul lowered her ears. A pony who trusts you. Nimbus’ mom was actually afraid to bathe with her own daughter. It must have taken a lot of courage for them to get over their fears and learn to trust one another. Like… a certain pony Soul knew. It must have taken a lot of courage for Dash to admit those things to Soul. All bottled up, and… the tears she shed when she told those things. It hurt just as much for Soul. But they shared everything. I know Dash lied all this time and she suffered so much for her talent. She knows I am adopted and also suffered so much too for my talent. Could she really say that Dash was a pony she could trust now?

Does she trust me? And… Nimbus is bathing with me. Doing the same thing she was afraid of doing with her own mom. Soul didn’t know why it was she was all of a sudden so open to share these things with her.

5.70
“You trust me?” Soul asked. “Of course, I hope you trust me too. You know, you have nothing to hide from me. You can trust me and anypony else who works to comfort you. My mom did so much for me but it took a lot for me finally expose my body to another pony, one so close to me. After everything I went through, it takes a lot of strength for a pony to come out of their cage and show…” Nimbus’ wings came up and curled around Soul. Glistening in golden light as the water fell through their feathers. “Just how beautiful they are.”

Beautiful? Soul didn’t look upon her wings. Staring blankly across the tub. All the strength it takes for a pony to step up to something. Nimbus, why is it you’re doing this for me? Why… do I feel so close to Dash now? As Nimbus kept massaging her head, she felt only her confusion. Taking her away from what was going on. Soul held her wings close. I remember when I was afraid to show my wings off. How afraid I was to be myself. All because of what happened to me. Even with another pony there she could call her buddy, she was still too afraid to admit anything to her.

Dash, she was the one who admitted everything. She really is a strong pony and she wants me to be strong too. Does she really trust me?

“Is there anything you may be hiding from other ponies?” Nimbus asked, making Soul’s heart stop. Something I’m hiding. I… Soul had too many problems. Too many to count. Was this just Nimbus trying to get into her life once more? As ponies prodded her for the words that would lead to so much disappointment. “No…” Soul said. “You know, Soul. You have nothing to be afraid of. You have plenty of ponies who are there to support you. Rainbow Dash and I included. You can trust me. If there’s something you are hiding, I’m here to listen, and I won’t think any less of you. I’ll be there to help you.”

Nimbus’ words slithered like a snake through Soul’s head. Her whisper and calming voice. Speaking like she knew exactly what it was that plagued Soul. Why is she talking like this? This is not like her. Of all the ponies in the world to plead Soul for her secret so scary, Nimbus was not one to talk. Indeed, it made Soul lower her head. Not able to keep herself from scowling. She pulled her head away from Nimbus’ hooves. I can’t yell at her, but… why does she think she can know my problems? After all, she’s the one who will be affected by them. If I’m supposed to trust her, does she think this alone will let me know I can rely on her to be strong and… have to go through my pain again. Soul was not one to know and neither was Nimbus.

5.71
Soul’s words were calm and slow. But she had to say it. Even if it upset Nimbus.

“You expect me to trust you? But how can I trust you when you always hide things from me?” “What are talking about” Nimbus asked. She knows exactly what it is. All these months, years that Soul noticed. Treating the filly like she was stupid and that none of it was her concern. Believe it or not, Soul had some semblance of care for the mare, and seeing it happen to her all the time hurt her. Hurt her so much and Nimbus expects her to be able to trust her.

“I can’t trust you… because you don’t trust me with what it is you’re hiding” Soul said. “What I’m hiding?” Nimbus said shakily. Soul sighed. She stood back on all hooves, leaving Nimbus where she was. Preferring that since Nimbus was continuing to play stupid and treat her like she didn’t know a thing. It’d rather be where Soul did not want to be with her like she had been. Soul wanted to choose her words carefully, though… she couldn’t. Not when she bit her lip so hard that it hurt. Not as much as it hurt to be kept in the dark for so long. Lied to so much. Being told all was okay when Soul had seen something that told her it wasn’t. Long ago, when both of them swam together in water much like this. On a day where Soul learned she could not trust Nimbus since the mare was always so scared to tell her the truth. Soul turned to face her. Finally able to confront her with the questions she had for so long every time she saw this mare tell her all was okay.

5.72
“Why do you think I don’t want to know what it is that’s wrong with you? Do you think I’m not worth knowing? I bet Starry knows, but why can’t I? You always used to fall and hurt yourself. How much it’s been happening lately, I can’t believe you when you tell me you’re okay. It looks painful when it happens. Do you think I don’t care?”

“Soul, I…” “Trust me, it hurts whenever I see it happens to you. Maybe I want to know if you really are okay, if it’s something I can help with. Or at least why you keep falling and getting hurt. Why are you so afraid to tell me the truth?”

“Soul, I just don’t know if it’s something you should know about.” “So there is something wrong?” Soul caught her. Just as she always suspected. “I know you told me you were very scared about showing your body, but… it’s me. Soul. Your little champ. I look up to you and rely on you to take care of me and teach me. Maybe I want to know if you’re alright and try my best to comfort you. If it’s something, I’m sure you can rely on me to be there for you. Whatever it was that I saw when we went swimming long ago.”

That was what made Nimbus blush. Pomfing her wings up in embarrassment that Soul still remembered she had seen something back then. But it didn’t last. The mare lowered her head. Drooping her ears down hearing what it was Soul had to say. “You tell me to trust you, but you always lie to me about your problems. You’re the adult. If you can’t trust me with it, why should I trust you… especially if you’re trying to teach me to be the strong pony. Maybe it’s because it’s better to hide. …At least then… I don’t have to worry.” That must be the same with Nimbus. She didn’t need to worry about it at all. As long as she bottled it up and didn’t look to it again. Keep it her own problem. Because she didn’t want that burden to be on any other pony. Like I don’t want my burdens on Nimbus. Nimbus could tell what she went on about.

She was silent. She ran a hoof up from the water, looking down at it. Not daring to look at Soul. The filly took her place back at the end of the tub. Keeping to herself. As long as Nimbus wanted to play stupid, Soul could not dare. It was only right.

5.73
“You’re right…” Nimbus muttered. “I have been hiding from you. Ever since I was a kid, I was always afraid of showing my body to others. I stay very active and fit, I have beautiful wings and I love my fur. I love my eyes and have strong legs. I even think my cutie mark is awesome. But… I’m still afraid to show myself to others. I’m not really one to be self-conscious, right? Mom always did try to teach me to not be afraid of others and what they think. But it was always hard. I was unique. Starry calls me gorgeous, and I want to believe him. But I’m always held back.”

The mare quivered. Shaking. Running both her forelegs up her chest and holding herself. Taking a ragged breath. Soul could say the same about her too, she was gorgeous. Strong, too. A pure and powerful athlete that surpassed most pegasi. Why are you so afraid? “It was never easy at all. Because I wasn’t like the others. Lots of ponies didn’t like me for my problems and it taught me to stay away from them. Hide myself from them, and I never had a friend. I was always so afraid of them finding out. It was a miracle that Starry still loved me when he found out about my problem. From then, I knew I had found the stallion for me. The first pony outside of my family who did not think I was a freak. I loved him. He told me to love myself too. Spent so many years doing his best to teach me that, and I still have a hard time believing it. Not when I have a body like mine.”

“What’s wrong with your body?” Soul asked. “Is it really worth hiding from me? If it makes you feel better, I shouldn’t have wings like these at my age.” “And you were still afraid to show them” Nimbus added. True. She was. Soul understood. “Forgive me for being afraid of showing you. I just didn’t know how you may take it. But… you’re right. I should trust you. We’ve been together for years now and I’ve learned a lot about you. You’re that happy and ambitious filly with so much potential in her, so much that you often can’t recognize it. You let the world get to you so often, just like I did. But… you are not like the rest of the world to me.”

Nimbus sent water rippling from her, standing up on her tall legs and towering over Soul once more. Holding her massive wings out and down along her sides. So much pain in her eyes, yet she smiled. Shaking. Leaving Soul astonished at how she had gotten. “You are my little champ, Soul Serenity.” Nimbus gulped. One hind leg stepped forward so cautiously. Nimbus turned. Showing her wing to Soul, and she closed her eyes tightly. When she lifted her wing and bared her entire side.

5.74
Nimbus, …what happened to you? So much time had passed since she caught a glimpse of it. So short and she barely got a sight of it. Never knowing just what or why it was. Never being able to find out just what it was that plagued this mare. But for it to be this. Soul never could have imagined this mare having to suffer with this. No wonder she was afraid to show her. To show anypony. It must really take somepony so strong to show this. To have to endure it. To know their body had this.

Here Soul had been afraid of having abnormally large wings, Nimbus… she had this.

All along her side. From the base of her wing, to her flank. Never able to be seen when that massive wing covered it. Golden yellow was her fur, red was her side. It took so long for Soul to figure out what it was she was looking at. Nimbus had a huge scar running all across her side. Like… like she… she didn’t even know what it was that could make this. No fur at all over it, just a large patch of red flesh and torn tendons. Almost her entire side, never to be seen under those feathers. It hurt Soul to see it. To imagine herself having this. What it was Nimbus had to deal with. Rips in her flesh going down her side and even along to her neck. Coming so close to the arrow shooting through the wind that was her cutie mark. Having been there so long that the flesh around it had turned black. Pocked in small blisters all around. They looked so painful too. Like something of a pony in agony. Even Nimbus shook in fear with her eyes closed. Never lowering her wing. Keeping this massive scar that popped out from her fur visible. Could scars even get like this? Her skin had even turned green in a few small patches along it. Unlike any wound Soul had seen before, she couldn’t look away from it. No matter how unsightly it was, she could not. Sitting there seeing the pony who had to have this mark on her.

This rip in her skin. This terrible burden to have. Soul, she could not help but feel sorry. If she had this, she would want to hide it too. “Nimbus… what happened to you?”

5.75
“Oh…!” Nimbus squealed. Placing her other wing over her face. So ashamed to show herself. She didn’t cover the scar back up. “I’m sorry I hid it from you, please don’t think badly of me. I’m still me.”

Think badly? Soul looked away from the scar and to the cringing pony trying to hide behind her wing. Why would I think badly? Nimbus was the pony who gave her a home and cared for her even when she had such freakish wings. “Why would I do that?” Soul asked. Licking her lips and trying her best to calm herself. Never anticipating it being like this. Nimbus was so scared of this. “Please, are you hurt?” Soul asked. “Is there something I can do?” “No.”

Nimbus lowered that wing a little. She still stepped away. Keeping to the edge of the bath. At least she was able to look out from over her wing now. Looking at Soul with those lovely, red eyes once more. “So…” Nimbus lowered her other wing back over that massive scar. Done showing it off. “Now you know. Pretty ugly, right? Guess you don’t think I’m so pretty anymore.” “I don’t think that” Soul said.

The mare calmed herself. Able to relax her wings once more and stand in the water like a stump. Probably unable to accept she just showed Soul that. But Soul understood. A pony as beautiful as Nimbus with so much talent and kindness in her heart, held back by something as striking and terrifying as that. Yet she was able to move on, hiding it forever and going on with her goals in life. Still keep herself happy and vibrant. Entirely a different pony from the frightened one she had seen. “I don’t think you’re ugly at all” Soul said. One little thing like that would not change how it was Soul saw the mare. So many years together for them to get to know one another, Soul was just surprised she had kept this hidden for so long. Finally able to show her now. Years later.

“You take care of me and help me so much. I think you’re awesome for wanting to teach kids to fly, and doing everything you can to make me better. You’re very pretty inside, …and outside too.” Nimbus sniffed. “Really?” “Yeah” Soul said. “You actually look really cute with your mane down too. So what if you have whatever that was?” “Don’t expect me to start having my mane down all the time. I like my spiky hair.” “Okay…” Soul said. Happy to see the mare look at her and give her a little grin. “I’m… actually pretty to you?”

“Yeah, you are.”

5.76
“Aww… you cutie.” A jet of water went across the bath and struck Soul once more from the shaky mare. “Stop making me blush” Nimbus fawned.

Back to normal so quickly. Like nothing had happened. Nimbus really did like keeping this façade and pretending like there was nothing wrong with her. It must have been so hard to come out from that normal look she gave and show Soul what it was that was wrong with her. But she didn’t think any different of her. Nimbus settled down once more. Soul wanted to let her know. “You’re very strong for showing me. It must have been hard.”

“There’s not many ponies at all that I would be willing to show that to. Not after everything I had to go through with it. How much pain it put me through.” “Would you want to tell me about it?” Soul asked. “I’ll listen.”

Nimbus looked at her. Cocking a brow. She was surprised that she offered that. Soul sitting patiently at the end of the tub. Wondering what it was that Nimbus must be thinking, if this was something she was wanting to talk about with Soul. She sighed. “Can I sit with you?” the mare asked. Soul nodded. Scooching over for enough room for Nimbus to come over and plop herself down in the water next to Soul. Breathing heavy. The mare guided her eyes across the tub. Soul watched her curiously. The adult being the one very lost on what to do here. Stars in her eyes in such a glimmer. She held her mouth open for the longest time. Soul was patient. It took a lot of strength just to show it, Soul saw now that Nimbus was not one free from worry. Not one afraid to admit her problem.

5.77
What do you want to know?” Nimbus asked. Soul asked the burning question. “Where did you get that scar?” Nimbus gulped. “It’s not a scar. It’s… a disease.”

A disease! Soul shuddered. “You’re sick?!” “Not something like that” Nimbus said. “It’s not contagious, you won’t get it even if you touched it. It’s just something I was born with. Mom always told me it was a scar until she told me the truth that I had some sort of illness in my body. That was when I was almost a mare when she finally told me that it was going to be with me for the rest of my life. All the tests and treatments the doctors did to me, nothing got rid of it and I was left with it.” “Your entire life?” Soul asked. Nimbus nodded.

“There’s no treatment for it. Not even unicorn magic. Some unique disease. We couldn’t even find a name for it. It hit me so hard when mom told me all that. I went through my entire childhood hoping to be rid of it someday, so I didn’t need to hide it all the time. It broke my heart. I was so afraid that every pony I met would be sickened by me. Like all the kids at my flight camp were.”

Soul was shocked. Hearing that last part. She almost didn’t want to ask. Almost. It hung on the tip of her tongue. Nimbus was afraid of other ponies. Just like me. She didn’t need to ask. “One day, when I was a kid, the others found out about it and I became a laughing stock. Ponies thought I was disgusting, called me a plague pony. It destroyed me.” Even looking hard for the mare to keep herself from crying, but a tear went down Soul’s cheek. “I knew I would have to deal with it for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to be near anypony else because of it. And the thing just kept getting worse as I got older. I started getting spasms in my legs and it hurt a lot. I didn’t think it would get any worse. But it did. I kept trying to go to doctors to figure out what to do about it. So I wouldn’t need to be afraid anymore. Running tests on me. Anything to get rid of this horrible thing. But one test they did, …it… almost broke me.”

5.78
“What happened?” Soul asked. Sliding her hoof along the bottom of the tub. Wanting to hold the mare as she began to shake. Nimbus cringed and gritted her teeth, like she was angry for a moment. “This thing… getting me made fun of and losing control of my body was bad enough… but… Soul.”

She took a deep breath. Putting one hoof to her mouth. She sighed deep into it. Shocked when Soul wrapped her hoof around the mare’s back. Letting her know it was alright. She was here for her. Never seeing Nimbus so upset before. Soul had to cry for her. One tear welled from Nimbus’ eye… and then it fell.

“It left me infertile.”

Nimbus threw her face into her hooves. “I can’t have a baby…” That was when she sobbed loudly into her hooves. Soul didn’t care now, she slinked both her hooves around her. Placing her head against the mare’s wing. Listening to her hoarse cries and ragged breaths. Nimbus would not stop shaking. Soul could not either.

This thing did that much to you? Nimbus, I’m so sorry. No wonder you were afraid to show me. This thing that hurt you so much. “It was always my dream to have my own little foal. And it was taken away from me. I couldn’t even fight it. I was born with it. It’s not fair… I felt like the whole world was against me. I felt like my body was so ugly, useless. It couldn’t even make me happy. So I’m so sorry that I hid it from you. It’s my shame. You were right to not trust me, but please don’t think bad of me. Not after all I had to go through.” “It’s not so bad” Soul said. She tightened her hug around her as best she could. Barely able to hold her large body. Hating to hear Nimbus cry so much.

Oh Nimbus, you felt your dreams were crushed. You were hurt so much. I never even could tell. How did you walk away from it? You must be so strong to go through it all, and here I am not trusting you for being afraid to show me. Yet you did.

5.79
“You just told me more about yourself than you ever did before. But I don’t think you’re ugly. I don’t think anything is wrong with you. Nimbus, I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. I should have trusted you.”

“You were right to not trust me” Nimbus said. Soul would have none of it. “But you admitted it to me. I could never go through what you did, but you found a way and you’re still able to smile every day. Telling me about it. You’re the strongest pony I’ve ever known. I think you’re awesome. Even if you feel your dreams are crushed, don’t forget that you got Starry, and you have me too. I won’t think bad of you. You’re beautiful on the inside, and that’s what counts.” “I could never go a day…” Nimbus looked down to her. Her own hoof coming over and went around Soul. Pulling her closer into the soft feathers of her wings.

“Without either of you. I’m so glad that I have you, Soul.”

Soul buried her face into her wing. Wondering to herself just why it was that she was able to cry right now. Not tears that pained her, the tears of joy. For it to all lead to this, she could not guess what it was that would happen to her when this all began. She felt as though this mare was somepony she could truly call a friend. One that she really did look up to in all her strength. A magnificent flyer with a heart of gold and so much kindness to share to others. Never letting anything hold her back from her goal of helping all who needed her. She was so quick just to show Soul the one thing that had plagued her her entire life. That had caused her so much pain. For that, Soul envied her. She always envied her. She always should have. Frail and scared, shy and sad. None of that stopped this Pegasus from being so strong, like iron was her blood. I thought I was the one who had it worse. But… there are two ponies out there who I truly feel pity for. Pity and affection. Those were the ponies who were strongest for admitting to her what it was that ailed them.

For that, Soul knew exactly what to do.

5.80
All my life, I always thought I was weak. No more. I am a strong Pegasus. One that needed to fight for her happiness. She would destroy the things that held her back the most. Break from it and soar into the sky among freed wings. She would never be alone. Nimbus trusts me, I should trust her. I have nothing to be afraid of.

“Nimbus.” “What is it, my little champ?” Nimbus held her closer. Soul would not let go, she smiled into her golden feathers. Confident to ask her. Confident in herself to do what was right.

“Is it too much to ask you to delay tomorrow’s activities for a little bit?” She was so calm in her answer, not even any guilt. Nimbus was happy to tell her. Eager in her voice. “You got something special in mind before we start?”

Soul would not stop now. She had her goal and ponies there with her. Nothing could stop her now, now that she had her strength. “Yes, I do.”

Nimbus chuckled. Letting go of Soul, she looked to her. Patting a hoof down in front of her again. Soul did as she wanted. Moving over to sit in front of Nimbus. Letting her do what she wanted. More than pleased when her large hooves went up and down her back. The most lovely back massage she could ever hope for right now. Calming and soothing. Just like she was. Thank you so much, Nimbus. For everything. I promise that I won’t let you down. I’ll be so strong and prove to all that I am the best. Rainbow Dash. You. All of Cloudsdale, and that pony out there somewhere. Whose shadowy tail did leave Soul behind in that dark and rainy night long ago. Never able to see just who it was that Soul would become. She did fail me. I did not fail you, mom. Rainbow taught me that. Now, I see she was right. Tomorrow, Soul would show just how right she was.

“Give them a good show” Nimbus said. “You know I will.” Soul grinned.

5.81
She was sleeping peacefully. Nimbus was sure of it, that this was the calmest she had seen Soul been in her sleep for a while. Over there, snug in her bed, clutching her pillow with a big smile on her sleeping face. With the only light cast on her from the crack in the door Nimbus looked through. It made her so happy. Finally, knowing that Soul had come so far from that little filly she once knew. You are stronger than I was when I was your age.

“I’m so proud of you, Soul” she whispered. Closing the door gently. Letting herself see that sweet filly for as long as she could before she disappeared behind the door. Sleep tight. Nimbus set her hoof upon the door and smiled. Fluttering her wings. You really are my wonderful little filly. With so much there to help her become the best she could be. Whoever the mare was that left Soul, they were so foolish. So blind to not see who you would become. All you needed… was that little push.

Nimbus looked off to the wall. Somewhere out there, she knew another filly to be there. As hopeful as Nimbus was. Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I did choose right. No other pony would come to me so late tonight and beg me to help Soul. You gave me strength to open up to her.

You really are her friend.

Nimbus could sleep well tonight.

Next Chapter: Part 1 Illusion - Act 6 Estimated time remaining: 46 Hours, 59 Minutes