9.1
Rainbow needed to be sure that everything in the house was ready. It couldn’t look anything less than perfect. All the furniture nicely cleaned and the cloud floors trimmed. All the wooden flooring also polished. Squeaky clean and sparkling. Everywhere she looked, left and right, scanning across the living room at all the neatly placed sofas and tables shining brightly under the gleaming sunlight coming in through the open curtains. Nothing was out of place. All the things left on the shelves along the walls were well placed and flowers in the vases perfect.

Everything looked good out here. Spending all morning cleaning. But she had to be sure. “Did we get everything?” she asked. “Maybe I should go check the bathroom.” Dash leaned over with her hooves ready to gallop off towards the bathroom down the hallway.

“Sweetie, you already checked it three times. Trust me, it looks good” Windy said, strutting by with a duster in her mouth without any sense of worry in her face. I don’t know how she can be so calm all morning long. This will be the first time having a guest over. “Well maybe the pictures need straightening again. Or do you think my room looks good?” Dash floated up.

What should I go do first? We don’t have a lot of time left. The afternoon was already here so Soul had to be on her way soon. But… she did need to check her room. She wanted to hang out with Soul in there. She had a lot of stuff she wanted to show her friend. Need to make sure it all looks good.

9.2
“Dashie, you need to calm down” said the stallion stepping out from behind the kitchen. Bow gave her an amused shake of his head with that spatula still in his mouth. “Everything is gonna be fine. We went over the house and it all looks good for company. You did a great job on your room too. I bet Soul will love what you did with the place. Way to go” he winked to her.

I only hope she does like it. Didn’t make it any easier for Dash. Rubbing her hooves together with such nerve wracking thoughts. What if she doesn’t like what I did? What if she isn’t impressed with me?

I made my room look cool for her and made sure everything is ready for her. I can’t let her down. Sheesh, …Soul what have you done to me? Dash smacked a hoof over her face. I never got this nervous before. But Dash looked up from under her hoof. Peering around the sparkling vases and shining windows all around the living room and how bright her home was with all the Sun coming in. Even down in the hallway, and the intense smell of delicious food coming in from the kitchen. Dad hard at work on dinner.

I hope she’ll enjoy our feast. It really gave the whole house a lovely smell of frying vegetables and the sweetness of fruits so ripe that she could almost taste them in the air. Enough food for a lot of ponies. Gave the house a good vibe. A sense of being welcomed, and how nice everything looked. There really was this worry that Soul would not be impressed with it all. Even though Dash was always in love with how her house was. How she only wanted Soul to feel welcome and important that they did all they could to make this place look nice for her, and for everything to be ready.

She sighed. Groaning to herself. With Windy giving her that eye from across the room as she dusted along the window ledges. One that told her not to worry. All was going to be okay. Not that we have a lot of time left. Maybe I am worrying too much. This place looks really nice, better than normal. All the vibrant colors and lovely décor that she knew Soul would like. Not able to wait to see how much that filly will love it all.

9.3
“I’m gonna go look over my room real quick, can you let me know if she gets here?” “Of course, sweetie” Windy said. But the mare still rolled her eyes over her daughter’s worry. I’m not worried, just need to make sure.

Dash flew off down the hallway. Turning around past the bathroom, though she did make sure to take a peek inside that real quick. It was all still clean. She cleaned the sink earlier and was quite proud of how nice it looked. Then moving onwards towards the stairs around the corner. Up to where their bedrooms were. All the doors in the hallway up here. She flew past the first one, over to the second. Right before her parents’ room. Right between the two Wonderbolts portraits hanging to the side of the door along the cloudy walls. She set down inside, stepping hoof upon the wooden floor of her room that gleamed of her hard work.

Funny, she never was so self-conscious of her room before today. Looking upon it now, she was less concerned about how she thought it was awesome and now wondering if another would think the same. If they would love the roiling clouds her parents had put in along the ceiling. Such lovely things that changed from blue to black and then back to blue but always shining with the Sun reflecting off all the stars Dash had put up in those clouds. She always thought it looked cool. Having her rainbow light lamp shining bright atop the dresser just against the edge of those clouds and all her books and Wonderbolts training manuals and journals all set up neatly along the shelves under it. Anypony who would step in here would see just how much she loved flying. That’s what I want, Soul should like it. Dash loved to have plenty of Wonderbolts and pegasi portraits and pictures everywhere to look down upon any Pegasus who walked in. Nothing more awesome than that. So many of them lining the rainbow lined walls, maybe I should get Soul one for her room. Or I could give her one of mine. That reminded her.

9.4
Dash looked over to her neatly made bed.

Can anypony see it from here? Dash squinted to make sure, eyeing her rainbow pillows and just seeing if she could catch a glimpse. Nothing. Or maybe it wasn’t there? No. That’s dumb. She still wanted to go check it. Something she was looking forward to doing for Soul on this wonderful day, a day meant for this. She walked over. Checking all along her room as she did. It did ease her, seeing that everything was as she left it. Comforting that she still liked it as it was. Even better now that she cleaned it. Flaring it all up in rainbow stickers she had lying around. Placed all along the walls and her stuff. Her own little touch of herself to her room. I can never have enough stickers. Maybe mom got me some for tomorrow.

Dash looked forward to opening her presents, and also… for this thing. Dash lifted her pillow up. Finding what she left there was still there. A box snug under the pillow. Wrapped up in blue paper with the cutest white bow she could find. It took a while to figure out how to wrap the box, but she did it. It made her giggle. Later.

She couldn’t wait to see what will happen. Just knowing she made the right call on it when they went shopping last night after Soul left. Placing the pillow back down just as it was. Covering up her surprise, and she looked around once more. Able to smile over it. I think she will like my room. I hope she likes everything. From the house to the food to the good time she wanted to have with Soul. Plenty of reason for her to feel confident about ponies hanging out in here.

Today will be that day.

9.5
Do I have enough for her to do while here? For all of us? Dash was thinking of doing some flying. Eating food and celebrating Hearth’s Warming Eve with the ponies important to her. I’m sure we’ll find something to do. Dash had a killer collection of kickballs, and Soul loved to read.

She bet she had enough Wonderbolts stuff to fill a library. Forget the bookshelf, nopony had any idea what she had hidden behind the curtains of her closet. Go over techniques and practice them. Really anything was okay with Dash. She was mostly looking forward to just being a good host to Soul and making her feel welcome to her home.

“Hey, Dashie.” Dash yelped in surprise. Almost smacking against the bed and then realizing that there was no reason to be afraid. Except to be annoyed that he surprised her like that. Dad standing there in the doorway. “Dad, don’t scare me like that” Dash said.

She sighed and looked back around. “I was just checking my room. You think it looks okay?” She glanced at him for his opinion. “Of course it does, you always have a great room. I’m very proud of you for cleaning up.” “Yeah, I did my best” Dash boasted. “I like it now.”

Those stickers really did bring some life into all this. Never mind how beautiful it all looked with her efforts at cleaning and dusting. “I just wanted to mention something while you’re in here” Bow said to her. Dash was still quite happy. Easily announcing her pleasure with a shriek in her “yes, dad?” She turned to him. Finding her dad was looking around her room too with such a satisfied look on him. The violet stallion in his rainbow mane, looking at her with proud yellow eyes. Always giving off that love he always had for her. Even able to tell right now she had nothing to be afraid of from what he may say.

9.6
“You’re going to have a lot of fun today so please don’t worry about a thing. This is your best friend and she will love everything you did to show her a good time. Just remember, your mom and I will be here for you whenever you need us. We’ll be sure not to bug you that much.”

Oh, there was no need to say all that. I really didn’t do that much… but it still sounded nice to get some love over it. I know Soul will love it all too. She’ll see just how much I see her as my best friend. Still though… Dash gave her dad a comforting look.

“You two don’t need to leave us alone.” Especially since Soul said she doesn’t think bad on all the love I get. “I’d love for you two to join us sometime, help me keep Soul company. I just want her to feel like we are all family here.” “I know you will” Bow said as he walked in, coming up to sit down next to Dash. He offered his hoof to her.

Oh dad. Dash stepped in and let him wrap that hoof around the back of her neck and give her a hug. “We’re very proud of all you’ve done lately. Soul is lucky to have a friend like you, and we’re happy she is there for you. As far as your mom and I are concerned, she is like family. If you do want us to help, we can.” “I’d love that” Dash said smiling in the depths of that hug. “Just… tone it down a little on things… you know what I mean.” Bow laughed up above her. He knew. No need to play dumb. “Okay, okay. I’ll bring it down a little, but it will be hard.”

Dash believed he would try his best. Sometimes it was just too hard for the stallion to hold back on his cheers. Just hard to tell if Soul will be scared off by it. Whatever happened, Dash wouldn’t be upset. As long as she got to play with Soul and see just how close they all could be for the first time with all of us being together. Soul is part of the family… huh? I never did think that. My parents really do like you. I like you too.

9.7
“Dashie! Somepony is at the door for you. Better hurry!” Windy called out from below. Making Dash’s eyes widen and jut out from her dad’s hug. Right up into the air with a flurry of her wings. “Oh crap! I gotta go!” Dash zipped out from her room. “Knock ‘em dead, sweetie!” Bow yelled out from back there.

Dash flew down the steps, not leaving the air until she reached the door where Windy stood waiting for her, and a few knocks at the door. Ones that made Windy jump around with excitement. “She’s here, she’s here” her mom said. “I got it” Dash said, settling down on her hooves in front of the door. My friend, I get to open it! As all that worry left her so quickly and filled her only with excitement. I get to spend the rest of the day with my best friend. She didn’t even wait before turning the knob and starting to pull the door open to the chilly winter air.

“Hey Soul! Welcome…” Dash looked at what it was she was seeing and was more concerned with what she found instead of her best friend.

9.8
Soul stood there, a big smile on her face and her wings left unfolded at her sides. There to let her saddlebags be flaunted at her sides… as well as showing off what it was that was sitting behind her out on the porch. There was a big, red bag sitting tall right behind Soul. Bigger than she was and looked to be stuffed up to the top where the drawstrings split.

“Dashie! I’m here” Soul said, she ran up to her. Wait a minute. Dash couldn’t react in time before her friend threw her hooves around her while she still looked at that bag, then down to the filly hugging her. Giving that hug back. Still wondering what it was she had there. Saddlebags and this big bag? “Welcome to my house” Dash managed to say. But she cleared her throat and got Soul’s attention.

“Um, what’s with the big bag? You really need all this?” Or did she happen to… have a ton of presents for them?! Dash hoped not, maybe one or two would be cool. But she’d just feel bad if it was a lot. Since she couldn’t give as many. It made Soul laugh when she let go of Dash.

“I got great news, I hope you all will be okay with it. But… Nimbus told me something today.” Whatever it was was making Soul glow in happiness. Maybe something about our Wonderbolts trip soon. If something came up. “What is it?” Dash asked. “She just came to me and said that it would be alright with her if I…” Soul became giddy now.

“Wanted to sleep over with you.”

9.9
“Sleep over!?” Dash said. Hearing her mom say the same thing next to her. That made Soul slink away. Kind of dropping that on us a bit late now. “Sorry, I didn’t know until today. I brought all my stuff just in case. I’d be totally okay with just spending the day with you all.”

“She really said you could?” Windy asked. “Yeah, this morning. I brought all my bathroom stuff, blanket and pillow. Some other things for tonight.” Soul sleeping over. Forget how sudden it was to her, Dash made a huge grin. Lighting up her eyes.

“Mom!” she turned to Windy. “Can she stay the night? I really, really want her to stay. Please.” Dash made sure to give her the same begging eyes she had seen Soul making to the mare. I want her over. We can stay up and tell stories and eat junk food and no rules when mom and dad go to bed. This was an awesome surprise. “Of course you can spend the night!” Windy said. Just as excited as Dash was. “Ah, it’s always a pleasure to have Dashie’s friend over. You are part of the family, you know? Our house is yours.” Dash and Soul smiled at one another, all the joy in the world that they could do this. I get to have a sleepover! “Bow! Get Soul’s bag, please!” Windy said. The mare quick on her hooves and then taking to the air to fly off down the hallway. “I gotta get the spare mattress.” Making dad come out from over there in a gallop.

“Soul!” he said. “You’re staying the night?” “Yeah, Rainbow’s dad” Soul awkwardly said. I never did introduce these two. Dash was about to when her dad gave a hoof to Soul. “No, no. Soul Serenity, I’m Bow Hothoof, but you can just call me Bow.”

“Hey dad, can you take her bag to my room, please? I’m gonna show Soul around” Dash said. I don’t think I can even lug that big thing to my room, how did she even move that in the first place? “We’ll get you settled in, please come in” Bow said, giving space for Dash to lead Soul in while he stayed behind. Grabbing that big bag in his teeth and pulling it in after. But Dash had other things on her mind over showing Soul around.

9.10
I get to have a sleepover! My first one!

Dash never got to have any friend over that could even consider sleeping over with her. Just like all the other kids she saw, now she got to do it. I got a best friend for a sleepover now! Take that, everypony who made fun of me. Somepony as cool as Soul, never expected this. It made her mind race with ideas of doing more sleepovers and going to Soul’s house to for them and spending whole weekends together. Yes! “Dashie?”

Rainbow found herself shaking with Soul right in front of her. Staring like she had some problem with her. Oh shit, I freaked out there. Her hooves couldn’t stop jumbling though.

“S-sorry, I’m just excited” Dash said. “You’re gonna be my first friend to sleep over with me.” “Really?” Soul asked. “I didn’t think it would be that big. This will be my first sleepover too.” Well look at that, we both get to do this together. Far beyond what Dash had originally planned for today. Today, tonight and tomorrow. This is going to be so fun. “Your house is so beautiful, Dashie” Soul said. Rainbow checking to see her dad taking the bag off to her room and then coming back up to Soul to guide her in. That magenta filly looking all around.

Yes! She likes it. Dash couldn’t stop smiling. Who’s got the best house? Made her feel so proud. Soul following along with Dash, leading her to go see the house but she really wanted Soul to come back to her room quickly. Still though, Soul was enjoying it.

9.11
The filly looked around the living room and eyeing all the beautiful work that was done to the walls with the glowing rainbow swashes going all along and up to the cloudy ceiling. It may be a little better than Soul’s house, but she did have a lovely one too. Maybe just as much Wonderbolts merchandise as Dash had around. From the portraits to the posters and art they all picked up over the years to decorate the house underneath the glow of the starry sky inside that cloud ceiling.

Dash caught Soul staring at the statue her mom had set up in the living room with its effigy of a Pegasus in midflight wearing that signature flight uniform built entirely in marble. Cast in the rays of the Sun, it was always so beautiful. I’m glad she likes everything. Dash’s parents always did work hard to give this place a friendly Cloudsdale vibe. But Soul walked off to the dining room. Finding all the pictures they had set up on tables all around and really getting that enjoyment Dash felt when she got to see those images. All the same ones that gave off the sense of satisfaction over flying.

“Wow, you have some of the same pictures we have” Soul said standing in front of rows of them. Not daring to touch them. Leaving Dash behind to watch her scurry around the rooms just taking in everything. Really just like a kid. Like it was her first time seeing such a collection. Soul running off and stopping at the kitchen to stare inside, letting Dash catch up with her.

9.12
“Wow, you have a Wonderbolts themed kitchen?”

What else but the best? Not often you find ovens and cabinets painted in blue with streaks of gold lightning going across them with even more portraits posted over where the pots steamed over atop the stove. “Your parents really do love the Wonderbolts” Soul said. She was getting a good look at just how hardcore we all are here. However… “They like them but… you won’t believe how plain this place was before.” “What made them redecorate?” Soul asked.

“Me deciding to become a Wonderbolt.” Dash happy to say that.

“Let’s go to my room.” Leaving Soul to follow her now. Marvel at her house and how beautiful mom and dad made it. “They did this all for you?” Believe it or not, yes. “They did.” Lots changed when I finally decided what it was I wanted to be in life. So much so that her entire life was turned into the love of flying and the goal of being the best of the best. It’s all been so hard but I’m very lucky to have parents like them. “Let’s just say that they really support my decision” Dash said. I was so bad at embracing it, until you came along, Soul. Thanks to you, I feel like I made my parents real happy with me. I hope I never let them down again. I never will.

“You need anything, Soul?” Bow said when the stallion rounded the corner and managed to stop his hurry just to ask. Oh dad, Dash loved how nice he was being. “No, I’m okay.” “Alright!” Bow ran past them, off to the kitchen. Right where they could hear the water boiling over. “Your stuff is upstairs” he called back.

“Come on” Dash said. Leading Soul down the hallway. “Bathroom is here” Dash pointed out the open door they passed and leaving on to the stairs. “I can’t wait to show you my room. Do you have anywhere you want to sleep, exactly?” Soul took a while to answer her. Almost able to feel the bashfulness in her while they flew up the stairs. Into the hallway. “I can use the guest bedroom” Soul said.

9.13
No way! Dash wouldn’t let her sleep in no guest bedroom, mostly because… “Guest bedroom is off limits. Mom and dad don’t want anypony going in there. Not even I’m allowed in there.”

Really weird how they banned me from going in there. Dash always did try to get in that room the two of them passed, but it was always locked and the windows’ curtains sealed. They did a good job on hiding it. Probably some weird stuff in there. “And you’re not sleeping in their room.”

“I can take the couch?” Soul asked.

“No! Dummy.” Dash turned around and hovered with Soul, not going to allow her to downgrade herself. “You’re sleeping in my room tonight. I got lots of room in there.” “You don’t need to do that for me” Soul humbly said. The filly sifting her forehooves in front of her grinning face. No need to deny it, Dash could see Soul liked the idea. “It’s no problem. You’re my best friend, you’re totally welcome in my room all night.” I wouldn’t have it any other way after all you did for me.

“Well, if you’re sure” Soul said and Dash brought her onwards over to where her door left wide open and Windy stepped out from there. A little out of breath. “I got the mattress all set up. Nice and soft, I made sure to put it right next to Dashie’s bed.” “Mom…” Dash muttered. “You two get to sleep next to each other, such good friends.”

Windy laughed and flew past them both. Making Dash growl. “Stop doing that!” she yelled after the mare, and making Soul laugh next to her. It’s not like I asked for that. Well… looked like Soul had no problem with it. I don’t either. Dash smiled away from Soul. “Come on.”

9.14
Dash left the door open for Soul, letting her walk in first. More than happy to show off all the hard work she did on setting her room up for a guest. Where she did find the big mattress left out right next to where Dash’s bed rose high over it, and Windy even put another blanket on top of it. Side by side with Dash’s bed. Soul’s stuff was sitting on top of the mattress.

The filly stepped in in front of Dash. That wide-eyed look on her now and really struck just as Dash always was with how beautiful her room was. “Dashie… do you have enough of an awesome room?”

“Do you like it?” Dash watched her with much anticipation. Soul really did get an eyeful in here. Where the rainbow lighting shone deep across her magenta fur and reflecting off the silver tips of her mane and tail. Soul rushed right in, throwing herself atop the mattress where she just let her saddlebags fall off and she laid out on her back. Sighing pleasantly while she looked around. “You think you have enough stickers in here?” she asked. Dash closed the door. Not enough, there was never enough. “Nope.”

I actually want to put some Wonderbolts stickers on my bed sometime. Her room was good enough as was for a guest, and Soul seemed to like it. “I get to sleep in here with you?” The filly couldn’t stop gazing at all that Dash had set up in here, staring at the basketball hoop set upon the wall and she smiled. As long as she’s my friend, my room is her room. Anytime she wants to sleep over again. I’m so glad she gets to do this with me. This day is so much better than what I thought it would be.

9.15
“Make yourself comfortable” Dash said, coming over to join Soul on the mattress. Plopping herself down on her belly while Soul laid on her back. Both finally getting the rest they needed. “My room is yours.” “I don’t know what to say” Soul said. She stared up at those stars on the ceiling. But she was kind of making Dash flush a little. I really love having her around, and complimenting my room.

“I spent all day cleaning it for you. Hope you do like it” Dash said. That made Soul sit up. Staring down at the cyan filly. “You didn’t have to.” “I wanted to” Rainbow fought back. “Stop your worrying.” She quickly put her hooves up and around Soul just to pull her to lay back down.

Get a load off. We’re here to have fun, don’t worry about what I did. Glad to see that Soul did let it go and willingly laid herself back down. Exhaling so hard. “I tell you, I had a long day” Soul said. So did I. But… “Did you still manage to do something for Hearth’s Warming Eve with your folks?” That made Soul smile. Deeply. Right there saying she must have had a good time. “I ran around all morning getting ready, but we did manage to do a little celebration before… we all hang out tomorrow.” Soul winked to her. That means… “They’re okay with us all going?!” “On one condition” Soul said.

“They get to come with me.”

“Yes!” I knew they would agree. It’s just too good a time for them to say no. Dash couldn’t say she was surprised, just so happy that this plan, months in the making, was going to happen tomorrow. Everypony was on board with it. So that is what makes it complete. That was what let Dash lay back with the most happiness she had felt in a while. These days really will be the best. All of us together at the Canterlot stadium just as Dash had dreamed of. Tomorrow would not be able to come by any sooner. “So they will be coming too, for sure?” “Yup” Soul confirmed. “All of us will be leaving together tomorrow. They’re gonna come by in the morning for it.”

9.16
My parents will be ready. They were ready for a while now. All we needed was this. She’s coming along! “Hearth’s Warming and then Wonderbolts!”

Dash wanted it all to happen now. The filly hardly able to contain herself. Best Hearth’s Warming ever! “You still didn’t tell me if you all did anything today.” “Oh yeah” Soul said. She turned herself, laying on her side. “I did get a present today, but I get to wait till tomorrow for the rest. And we get to have our own feast tomorrow.”

“What did they get you?” Soul sort of got a little hesitant right there. Looking around as if searching for something. But no, she was embarrassed. Why? I’m all ears, she has nothing to fear from me. Dash even turned herself over and crossed her hooves eager to hear what it was she got. “You really wanna know?” Soul asked and got a nod in response. “Okay. They got me a scrapbook. Kind of weird, right?”

Actually no, maybe Dash should show her. She did eye over to her bookshelf amid all the Wonderbolts novels and manuscripts over there. “I got one myself” Dash admitted. Something that did catch Soul’s eye, but she kept going. “Well the one they got me was meant for something else. They want me to… sort of make a collection of…” “A collection of what?”

“Of pictures of my friends… and me” Soul finished.

That wasn’t weird at all. Dash thought it sounded kind of cool and already wanted to give her ideas. “We should totally fill it with pics of us. Like everything we do together.” Maybe one day, that book can have more photos of us doing all we dream of. Looking down at her hooves and imagining that blue uniform on her with bolts running along the hoof lines, and over to Soul with her having the same. Like when we graduate. Just like every other Wonderbolt who gets their photo put up for all to see when they graduate. What will ours look like? Would it go on a wall… or can we have it in our own book? I’d love to have it together. Both of us standing side by side. “Like when we become Wonderbolts” Dash whispered. “You really think you and I can become Wonderbolts together?” Soul asked.

The thing was that there was no doubt that they would. We have done so well together, I only want to stick with her and both of us can accomplish it in the end. “It’s kind of a big change for me” Soul said. “Like… us performing for others. I really wonder if the princesses would like me as one. If I can be one.” Dash stood up. Alright, enough of that.

“I want to show you something.”

9.17
Rainbow stepped over to the bookshelf, goading Soul to follow her over for them both to stand in front of it all and Soul could see with her own eyes just how serious Dash was about this. With all the dozens of novel sized books stacked all across those shelves, all with the same lightning symbol on the spines. But there was one in particular. Hidden in between two of those books that she kept well-guarded for none to see. Until now, because Soul was somepony she could trust.

A little memento Dash used to remind herself of what it was she wanted whenever she doubted herself. Now, Soul could see it. Use it. She made the decision to become one with me, maybe she should see just what it was like to be so devoted.

The magenta filly so wowed by all the books stacked in front of her. Like it was a surprise. “I do have tons of flight training books myself” Dash said. Stuff she never allowed others to see. Much less this. For certain reasons. She still managed to suck up her fears for this pony who had done so much for her. Reaching up and pushing one book aside to reveal what it hid. “I got a certain something, but… it’s kinda full now.”

Dash pulled it down and showed it to her. Showed it to be exactly what Soul had. With that one solitary rainbow sticker pressed on to the front cover. Nopony would ever know what it was until it was opened, and showed to Soul what it was that Dash had kept in it for many years. All these things that have been collected. Yet she felt no embarrassment of seeing that there was another pony in front of her looking over the pages that Dash flipped through. Joining her in looking down at it. “These are all the pictures that have been taken since I made my decision. All part of my parents’ support of me. They’re things I look at whenever I get down about myself. Gets me right back up to going for what I want.” Like the picture of the cyan filly on her first day to stand before the sets of cloud rings that mom had set up for her. Right next to the one of that same filly sitting between the two ponies who loved her. They took that right after I finished the course for the first time. I did a good job not showing my wings did hurt. The very first time I finished such a hard course after so many failures.

Then the next page, such a goofy photo. Mom riding on top of that cyan filly and all the sweat on that filly’s face. So much effort in her face to carry her along with only her wings. I can’t believe how much she weighs. Mom looks so small and thin but she weighs a ton. Could barely make it ten seconds like that. Or the one of mom guiding the filly through the clouds. Holding hooves and showing her that right way to determine which directions were safe inside an active cloud. Then the one of a proud Bow flying next to her when that filly made her first ever bolt of lightning shoot out of a cloud. Mom was lucky to get the bolt right as it happened. It took a lot of tries to kick that thing out of the cloud.

9.18
More and more pages. Like a trip through the past as it was every time Dash looked through it. That filly flying so fast and happy through any course or obstacle she was given and all of it put right here on these pages. The success in her face whenever she pulled it off, forever caught here. From the first page when it all started, to the later pages as time went on and she became something far more than that young filly fresh out of her foal years aspiring to wear the uniform.

“Awww…” Soul commented over one, one that made Dash have to turn away and smile. A little shaken by Soul seeing that picture. One of her dressed up. The one time when Dash felt she truly had reached her goal. Or what it would be like. Nope, just a filly wearing a Wonderbolts uniform on a trip to one of the shows. But she still closed the book.

“I got my own, maybe we should have our own book together. And, for the last page, let’s put a pic of you and I… graduating as Wonderbolts.” “You really want to start one with me?” Soul asked. “Of course. It will be the best one ever. Full of all the stuff we do to be Wonderbolts together. You and I.” Dash pushed her hoof against Soul’s chest. A light tap. Reassuring her. Soul looked down. Much more happy than before. “Our own memories, huh? I’d really like that. I never did think about being a Wonderbolt much before. Until I met you, you converted me.” “Yeah I did, welcome to the dark side” Dash said.

“You get to do something for me, though” Soul said. “Really? What is it?” Just from Soul’s look, looked to be serious.

9.19
“You remember my dream?” Dash did. Clearly. Something so insane sounding but it might just work with how good Soul was. Now that she knew just what she could do. “You want to inspire all ponies. Be the best of all.” “Really something to show others that… no matter what, you can still be something great. That nothing can hold you back if you try.”

Just like you, Soul. You really have come a long way. Hate to say it, but you rubbed off on me. Coming from what she was when Dash learned all about her and turning into this pony who had so much life in her and so much happiness and hope. She came to think that it can be possible for it all.

“What do you think?” Soul asked her. “Do you think Luna will come back soon?” What? That was something. Dash never expected her to ask something like that.

She really wasn’t one to know that. But, Soul… what was going on in that head of hers? How serious she looked all of a sudden. Like she wanted no jokes and wasn’t joking. She really did want to know. But Dash stayed quiet. Trying to figure it out. “It may take us a while before we become Wonderbolts” Soul said. “We’ll both be mares by then. Do you think she will be back when we get to that?” Banished for a thousand years. Always reminded by that image of a mare in the sky whenever the Moon was up there. The image of that pony long gone. For so, so long. How long has it been? Is it close? Dash was not sure, but Soul… she really was something different over this. It threw Dash off. This sense of optimism in the air.

9.20
“I don’t know” Rainbow said. “It’s been so long, but… is it weird to think she may be back by the time we grow up?” Honestly, I kind of hope she will be back. The same beautiful and loving princess she had heard of… before it all happened.

I really do want her back, so I can know how she is. So I don’t need to rely on pictures to see what she looks like. For all ponies to know her by seeing her with their own two eyes. “I feel for her” Soul said suddenly. Turning Dash away from her thoughts. Into the silence of the air between them both, to where even the wind outside died off.

“Even if I never knew her, I feel for a pony who has not known happiness. It must be terrible for her. To be alone for so long… a thousand years.” What? A shimmer in Soul’s eye. So small and tiny.

“She only has what was left with her. That ponies don’t like her. That she is hated. And having to be up there for so long thinking that. I hate to say… I think I know what she feels like. I feel so bad for anypony who does.”

Like it shifted the reds and yellows in her eyes. A tiny flicker… Dash saw it and… she felt sad. So short. Like it entranced her. Pulling her head back a little and finding that Soul was staring at her. With those churning, bleeding colors… all etched in her mind. Deep in those eyes fresh in her mind. Why? Why did it hurt? My heart… it’s racing. Then it calmed.

Soul… Dash stared at her. Nothing. No feeling. What was that? What was that feeling I got from looking at her eyes?

9.21
“…You okay, Soul?” Am I even okay? Why was I so weird for that? Is it normal… for Soul to talk like that? For me to feel that way? But… alone for so long… with only the thought that you are hated. I hate to say… I never felt that.

Rainbow, she always had her parents there to love her. Encourage her. But, Soul. Soul was a pony she understood to feel that way. No wonder she feels for Luna. After all you went through. Pain worse than what I could say I went through. Yet she was still here. …With a happy feeling in her vibrant eyes once more. How lonely you must have felt. For so long. Worse than me. Dash only wanted to comfort her. After that horrible feeling. So short. So horrible.

“I’m fine, I just… really wonder if you wanted to do something with me” Soul said. “What is it?” “But first, you must promise me something.” The filly stepped close to Dash. “Promise me, we will be friends… until the day we pull this off together. Longer than that.” Like forever? Dash wanted that. She really did. But Soul, she looked… afraid. All of a sudden. Such fear in her. Does Soul think we won’t be? Should I be afraid we won’t be? “I promise” Dash said. Sincere in it. No matter what, you’ll always be my friend. I’ll always come back to you. “Then… I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me” Soul went on.

“I want to perform for the princesses. Both of them. I want both of them to see that nothing can hold you back from what you really want. If I get so good, beyond anypony else. Enough to pull off things that I dream of, and both of them can see it. I… want you to do it with me.” “You want me to perform with you for them?” “However long it takes, even if we need to be Wonderbolts for it. Just something for when Luna comes back. I want to do it with my best friend.” Dash didn’t know what to say. This was what Soul had told her months ago. Her dream. She wanted to include Dash in it.

9.22
Soul, I know you are afraid. You worry that we won’t be friends. But I know we will. I am so honored you want me to join you. Whatever it takes. For both of us to give it our all. Together. Rainbow grinned. She will prove to Soul it will happen. Nothing can get in the way of when they could both achieve those goals together. No matter how long it takes. But, tonight… Dash would show her that they will be friends forever. She had ideas for it. Tonight. After dinner, for sure. Soul… I’ll do something for you. Something big. For now… “I will. I even got an idea, you got a portrait up in your house.”

Dash remembered it and it was always such a beautiful thing. The perfect way for them to perform for the princesses whenever the time comes. She wanted to hope for it to be what she envisioned it. Something to give Soul hope. Something so perfect. “When we grow up, you and I… we need to enter the Best Young Flyers’ competition.”

That perked up Soul’s ears. Dash’s too when they both heard Windy call out “Girls! Dinner is ready!”

The feast can wait. This is our time. Right now. One moment. Dash held Soul back, not letting her leave. Because she was serious about this. Let’s do this together. “The princesses always attended it to see us pegasi show our stuff. How about you and I just forget the competition, we can enter it… and we can do a performance. In front of all of Equestria. In front of the princesses. When Celestia and Luna will be there.”

“You’re serious?” Soul whispered. “The Best Young Flyers’ competition?” She placed a hoof to her lips. Amazed over it.

Only the most prestigious event for pegasi willing to show what it was they could do. Both of them together for it. Just like that portrait, when we can be a part of that. The princesses standing above all the others in the crowd and see the two pegasi who would prove to all just what could be done when you give your all. All the training we’ll have to go through. It will still be worth it. Under this roof, in this room, together. To make a promise. Dash and Soul placed their hooves together. Smiling to one another. It can be the show of that friendship, when they would show it to Equestria. Just how great they were together. Just what they can help the other accomplish. Whatever that accomplishment will be. “Deal” Soul said. “Then we will fly together for them. I promise” Dash accepted.
Dash let Soul go first, heading out the door. But she looked back… feeling the fur on the back of her neck stand. That one little glimmer of it. Of something. What was that feeling? So heavy. To make her fear. Like those eyes still stood there, watching her. Somepony else there. She couldn’t stare. Looking back to watch the magenta filly walk off to the smell of food. Dash stayed put. For just a second. Friends forever.

9.23
“Hope you two are hungry” Windy mentioned right as Dash came in behind Soul to see the table was all set. Spread out with that golden laced mat that mom liked to use for special occasions and the sets of candles all lit in the middle of it all. Those candles were surrounded by what smelled so good. All the dishes set out. Stacked to the top with food, more than what could even be finished by four ponies. Looked more like enough to last a whole week for a family. She hadn’t even seen what it was that her dad was making, but now Dash saw that he did go overboard. Like always. Soul didn’t seem to mind. She went right off.

“You really didn’t have to make dinner for me too. I could’ve made something for me.” “Oh don’t be silly” Bow said from across the table, he waved his hoof over the spread he had made. Stacks of fried greens and char-grilled vegetables with the hay burgers filled full of all that he could have stuffed into them. Salads and plates of fruits. Bowls of fruits as well topped in whipped cream. Hard to tell who would get what.

Rainbow already eyed the carrots and peppers grilled along the skewers in a shish kebab with steam still coming off the blackened crisps along those carrots. Made her mouth already water. “You’re a guest and it’s only right for us to feed you. Now sit down and fill your bellies” Bow said with enthusiasm and expectation. That’s right, Soul. The magenta Pegasus looked back at her and Dash nodded her head to a chair. Letting her know it was okay. This is meant to be a Hearth’s Warming Eve for us so she gets to enjoy my family’s cooking.

9.24
Soul went ahead and climbed up on to her seat, right next to the open one that Dash had hoped for. For her to also climb up on to and sit next to her. Side by side, with only the flickering candles between them and the seats where mom and dad would be. Where all the food was. Now Soul was the one who leaned forward, licking her lips. Scanning across all that they had.

I know I’m gonna pig out. Dash didn’t even bother with the napkin mom left for her. She never was one for wearing that thing. It all made her rub her forehooves together in anticipation. “Mom, what am I allowed to have?” “Whatever you want” Windy said, taking her place at her seat. “Just keep away from those strawberries, those are for Soul.” She pointed out a bowl filled with them and drowned in whipped cream. “And Soul.” Getting the filly’s attention before she could reach her hoof out and grab at whatever. “Leave those caramel apples for Dashie.”

What?! Dash looked over and found the bowl of them sitting behind Soul’s strawberries. Oh sweet, they made those for me! “Okay!” Soul said and then she glanced over to Dash. Seeing the filly wink at her.

No, no. You’re not taking my apples. Dash almost threw herself over to grab at them and… found herself laying atop the table with hooves around the bowl and Soul laughing right over her. Giving her that look. A look saying she never planned on taking them. “Dashie, try not to make a mess this time” Windy said. “I don’t make messes” Dash said, getting back up with her bowl. Don’t tell Soul about that. Damn it, she glared at the snickering filly. Were you just wanting me to be an idiot right there? Looked like it since Soul was careful in picking out her food. Ugh…

9.25
Dash rolled her eyes and brought over what she wanted. Including those delicious looking carrots skewered in the sticks. Holding one in front of her between both hooves made her eyes shimmer. She could just collapse right now from the overwhelming excitement she had, enough to make her giggle. I’ll just have one burger… while Soul was over there with… three on her plate. Taking the ones stuffed with hay too. She must be hungry. Had a ton of vegetables with her as well. Till every bit of her plate was filled and the filly looked down at it all.

“Wow, this all looks amazing” Soul commented. “It does…” Dash sighed without realizing she was drooling over the steaming carrots she held before her. “Aww I hope you both enjoy it, eat all you want” Bow said. The stallion put both of them to shame with how stuffed his plate was. “Thank you!” Dash said, and she heard that Soul said the same thing with her. Both of them looking at one another and smiling. Before Dash chomped away at her shish kebab. So good. It’s been a bit since I last had grilled carrots. The peppers are okay too. But she more preferred to go at the carrots instead. Taking her sweet time going through that all and finding just a stick left in her hooves. Eating fast was always something she did with this stuff but… somepony else put her to shame when she looked over at Soul and found that she was on not her first, but her second burger. Practically inhaling it and leaving Dash stunned. Is it really that good? I rarely see her eat like that, and all the noise she was making.

“It’s so good!” Soul said. “You know it is, I need more of this” Dash said and grabbed hold of another shish kebab. There had to be a dozen of them and Dash had every intention to eat them all.

9.26
Windy laughed across the table in the middle of her own food. “I thought Dashie would be the only one who eats like that.”

“Really?” Dash said, glancing over at her. “I don’t eat that bad.” Throwing aside her second empty stick. “Soul’s got me beat.” The only thing I will be willing to give to her. As long as she knows I will always be the faster one. At least… not at eating. “Sorry” Soul said. “It’s just so good. I can’t believe you all made so much for me. You really didn’t need to.” “Ah, Soul. You should hang with us more often on holidays” Dash said. “You’ll get to eat all you want. Dad is a beast at cooking.” “You know, I made those carrots” Windy said, raising an eyebrow with Bow goofily laughing next to her. Trying his best to not get involved. “Oh… well they’re awesome!” Calm down, mom, you’re a good cook too.

Windy was quick to drop it. “You know, Soul, after all that Dashie said about you, you are always welcome to join us for holidays. We’d love to have you with us at our feasts. Anything worth celebrating.”

“When you two become Wonderbolts, I’ll even make a feast for that” Bow chimed in. That’s’ right. You’re a part of our family now, Soul. Dash was always proud to think that. Best wingpony always has a spot with us. “You’re actually wanting to cook for me?” Soul said, and then her eyes lit up with a big and white smile growing wide.

9.27
“Mom and dad always make me food like this whenever I do amazing on my training” Dash said. Their own little way of rewarding her. For all her efforts that she had put in for years now. “If they want to cook for you, it means something big.”

Plus, any excuse to be able to have Soul over here was fine with Dash. Even more sleep overs. “Wow…” Soul calmed down. Looking back at all the steaming vegetables covered in sauce she had on her plate. “I get to celebrate with you guys?” “Of course” Dash answered. Mom and dad know everything about how I feel about this filly, there’s no way they would be against having her. Sometimes, they even did act like she was more than a guest. Because they really do appreciate all she has done. All we will do. We’re gonna kick ass together, and they know it. It made Soul laugh.

“Wow, I’m not used to this kind of treatment. I rarely get to enjoy feasts or have anything like this on holidays.” “You mean your folks never did stuff like this for you?” Windy shot out there with quite a bit of sudden worry in her voice. Even Dash rose an ear to that. That didn’t sound right to her. Or… are you talking about something else, Soul? “Oh, Nimbus and Starry do things like this for me. We do, it’s just… I never got to do it with friends before. Or anything that felt like a party.” Now that sounded very familiar, even Windy shot Dash a glance. One that she caught. Well that’s not the case anymore. Because now, her and I are together as best friends. “But…”

9.28
That broke everypony to look back at Soul and see how she frowned down at her food. Wait, I’ve seen that face on her before.

“Even with Nimbus and Starry… it never did feel like this. I’m actually happy to celebrate. Instead of being… jealous.” “Jealous of what?” Windy asked. Dash raised her eyebrow. Jealous? “I always did want to have a celebration like this” Soul said. Oh. No. Dash saw mom was about to say something more. Waving her hoof at her to shut it, and Windy held back. Sadly sitting against her chair and staring at Soul instead.

You’re talking about… what you told to me long ago. Nimbus and Starry aren’t enough. You… Soul Serenity, you want a family. Something you never got. I really wish I could understand it. Dash looked around at what she had. Her mom and dad sitting across from her. The ponies who loved her deeply and always held her and kissed her. Let… let her sleep with them. As far back as she could remember. The only ponies who had been with her for life. You want that. You want ponies who can give you what I got. Like back when you admitted it to me. How Soul looked so broken saying… saying she never knew her parents. Never got to know that love. That of a pony who will always be there to love you and support you. The ones who kiss me one my forehead at night and tell me the words I love to hear. Those three words.

9.29
Dash felt so bad over it. She never will get to know what I had. Will she? I don’t know. Can there be a pony out there who can do that for her? Can I do that? Can we?

Her family was the one who embraced Soul with open hooves. For the first time, letting her be here in their home and treat her as family. Getting to all eat together and sleep together in the end. I want her to be happy. Damn, I really hope what I have planned can cheer her up.

“Soul, you know you’re always welcome over here with us” Dash said to break the silence. “We’d love to celebrate things with you and make you feel like a member of our house. Tonight, you’re a part of us.” Soul sighed and turned to her. “I don’t want to be a burden.” “You’re no burden!” Windy said. “Soul” Bow finally spoke in on it. “Dash never told us anything about your birthday, Windy and I were thinking on us all joining with you to celebrate it.”

That… that made Dash feel stupid. I never asked her! She’s the same age as me so I should know when she will be turning ten as well. Damn, this fall was hard on me. Dash shook off her inner embarrassment. “Yeah, when is your birthday, by the way?”

Soul paused. Looked surprised to be asked that. Seeing them all expecting her to answer. They all wanted her to.

“It’s April tenth.” Four months away. “No way!” Dash said. “We’re so close to one another. Mine is in February!” So that meant Dash would be turning ten before Soul. It felt good to know she was the older one. Especially since she knew for a fact both of them were almost completely equal in skill. Almost. Not much of a gap now. “Dad, can she come over for my birthday?” “That’s up to her, sweetie.”

9.30
“I’d love to come” Soul said. Sweet! We already got things we get to do together. “We can have a huge feast again and play all day long and open presents. Then we get to do the same for your birthday.” “You want to celebrate mine?” Soul asked. “Yeah!” Dash couldn’t believe she asked that. The whole family was on board with that idea, mom and dad nodded with her. Letting Soul know that they will be there for her whenever she wanted. Soul’s birthday was worth celebrating for them, and looked like Soul knew that with how she was quick to smiling so wide and a tear came to her eye. “Oh…” she wiped it away. “You guys are the best.”

After all she did for me, anything for her. Dash was always going to be the pony who would be there to support her and make her feel better. Always be there to have fun with her. Starting today. First, Hearth’s Warming. Next, every other holiday and moment. Dash wanted them to give her that love she wanted. I want to do it for her. Tonight.

Dash smiled. Going back to eating her food. Listening to Soul give off a few little whimpers under her breath that her ears caught and she too went back to eating. Mom going on to ask Soul if the bed she set up was comfy for Soul and asking about how her day had been before coming over. Dash was happy that Soul told her everything that she had told Dash. Including the scrapbook. The one we plan to do together. Oh, wow these apples are good. Rainbow devoured them all. Happy to feel her belly was satisfied now… even if Soul had finished long before she did. That filly still had a lot of food all over her face which Soul licked off. But she was still glad that Soul had cheered up. She had a lot to look forward to now. We’re both best friends and we get to have so much fun forever.

9.31
“That was so good” Dash told her parents. She licked her plate clean. “Thank you!” “No problem, sweetheart!” Windy said with Bow. Both of them so happy to hear her say that to them. “Thank you too” Soul also said. “It was great!” “We loved having you two” Windy said. “Thank you for choosing us today.” Waving while both fillies got down from their seats, and Dash shook her head. Since when did we become a restaurant?

“Dashie, we expect a tip later. One hug” Windy mentioned. Ignore that she just said something like that at the worst time she could. I can trust Soul; the magenta filly didn’t seem to care. “Okay, mom” Rainbow agreed.

“How about you two run along and play?” Bow said. “We can clean up.” “Yes!” Dash reached out and grabbed hold of Soul’s leg. “Let’s go outside.” “Alright, if we’re allowed to?” Soul said and looked back at mom and dad. “Go on” Bow said, waving his hoof to them. I would normally help them clean but they both seemed to know this was my day to give Soul a good time here. We can go outside, maybe it hasn’t gotten too bad out there and we can find something to do. Yeah, we need something to do now that dinner is done. Something that would show Soul just how much they all wanted to include her, and mom and dad knew that very well. Dash pushing Soul along, but she gave them a look that they knew what it meant. Both of them nodding as a way of saying that they’ll let her know.

“Come on, I got something to show you” Dash said back to Soul, just to get her mind off things. At least until Hearth’s Warming Eve actually got underway. It made Dash give a mischievous grin behind Soul’s back.

9.32
She guided her over to the sealed doors to the deck, both double doors covered over in the windy patterned curtains draped over them. “What is it?” “Something you’ll have a lot of fun with. I bet you’ll love it.”

Rainbow leapt in front of her, eager to take the lead. But when she pulled open the door and revealed what it was beyond those curtains, that is when both their manes flapped wildly for an instant and Dash felt the chilling air of winter come over her. Take her and give her chills all down her spine and to her hooves and wings. Right as a burst of snow also came in through the doors and settled onto the floor before it melted in to join with the cloudy build of the house. It was… just a little cold.

Dash opened her eyes and shook it off. Finding that Soul was not at all held back by it but she did shiver for a moment, looking at Rainbow and giggling a little about it. Good enough for her. Come on. Dash stepped out over the threshold. Onwards atop where the wooden deck would have been. Now her hooves crunching down upon sheets of snow. So much worse than earlier. Like it all got so bad just over dinner. But out here in the open, with no walls to protect her from the cold or the weather, Dash still felt like there was nothing to worry about. That this was something she could handle since she had done it before. Many times. Happy to find that Soul followed her out.

9.33
She saw too it was nothing like when she arrived. Winter really has come to Cloudsdale now with all the perfectly placed clouds of grey all set up in layers above the flying city where they dumped all their waves of white sparkles across the cityscape. Lining the great spires far out in the distance in white laces that reached down to the bottom and disappearing inside of that thick snowfall that already was making a fresh and thin layer of snow pop up on Dash’s muzzle for her to lick off. Not much she could do for the rest of her body with all this snow coming down around them and dumping along her back.

“Wow, it really picked up.” “Is this your backyard?” Soul said next to her, not even phased by it all. More focused on what it was that Dash wanted her to see. Even inside of the grey and hazy sky of heavy snowfall, they could still look out and see the vast field reaching far out into the distance, far beyond where the fences and houses reached out to. But it was still there. A field of clouds spanning far out. “It all is” Dash confirmed.

Everything outside of the yards of the neighbors to their sides, that big and open plain that Dash got to see every day. That was all theirs and Rainbow was rather proud of it. Not nearly as big as what Soul had. No way. They got to have an entire damn countryside to themselves between them and the factories. This was just a stretch of clouds heading off to where the cloud towers rose and the center of the great city reached out towards them all. “Actually everything out there is ours.” “Everything?” Soul asked.

“What about the…?” “That’s what I wanted to show you” Dash said. Proudly directing Soul to what it was they had out there for all the neighborhood to be envious about since no other house around here had a setup like this. Didn’t look like much at first, but Soul got it just as Rainbow expected her to.

9.34
“Wait… those are all for you?” Dash nodded to her. All that. That being the scene that could rival even the scene at the flight camp. Everything the camp had to work with, like it all had been moved here. A spectacle that any aspiring Pegasus would kill to have. While Dash, Dash was so lucky to have a hold of it all for her to use every day.

A vast maze of clouds thickly packed all around the sky over the field. As low to the ground as they could go and as high up as where those white clouds met the snowy, grey ones. Just looked like a jumble of clouds until you saw how they were set up. “This is what I train with every day” Dash said. “And I wanna know if you want to fly in it. My treat.”

I know she would want to. Out there in that snowfall, flying through the jumble of clouds that was actually one hell of an obstacle course. Hoof made by dad himself with everything he was allowed to take back from the factory and shaped into this display that Dash got to test herself on all the time. Just like it was a course at camp. Spread out in so many thin lanes that allowed for so little room to maneuver and required you to fly with precision between checkpoints or tumble from a collision like Dash had done a lot. Where the hoops that you needed to fly through got smaller and smaller till your wings couldn’t even fit through them. Even her small wings. Needing to time her flaps perfectly for those. In better weather, the thunderheads dad put out would shoot lightning that you need to dodge as well. Crisscrossing over and over in an upwards spiral along the wide pillar that this course made up. With so many end points all leading to many more courses that got even windier and trickier, and the checkpoints became few and far between. So much so that Rainbow had gotten lost in side of those clouds many times before. Needing mom to come get her out of it. But that was all just for speed and agility tests.

9.35
Mom and dad assured Dash that they would be able to set up harder stuff as time went on and she grew up more. Anything to help guide her along her path to reaching that end goal. But she had this for now. Each night, training in warm up exercises and stretches before doing short dashes and stunts around in the open air. Then moving on to agility training inside of that thunderous course of endless clouds where one mistake would lead to her plummeting out of it and either recover herself with her own wings or a speedy rescue from mom. Each time. To the point where Dash was no longer as afraid as she was first time seeing it. Now that she knew she could rely on her mom to help her. Making her sigh.

The path to a Wonderbolt isn’t easy at all. Wonder if all pegasi who want to become one go through stuff like this. As far as she knew, Soul didn’t have a private course like this. That was why she wanted to do this.

“From now on, you’re welcome to use my course whenever you want. Even right now.” Give us a little something to do while we wait, which made Dash nod at her with a big grin as if telling her to go ahead. But Soul was more fixated on staring at it all. “I never even realized that belonged to you. Just looked like a mess whenever I saw it. That thing is your obstacle course?” “Damn right, it is” Dash said. But Soul gave her a glance.

“And how did you get it?” “Dad… got it for me for my seventh birthday” Dash admitted. “Being a factory worker has its perks.” Smiling with a squee.

9.36
Soul arced her brow. “You really get insane presents.” Dash hated to admit it, “Yes…” though she never asked for them. Mom and dad are just really involved in helping me. Not just cheering and comforting me. Training me to the best of their ability. Quite an ability. Sometimes, even mom scares me with how good she secretly is.

“Wonder what they’ll get you in two months” Soul said. Unfortunately, they weren’t masters of subtlety. “I… already know. They want to get me a mock Wonderbolts uniform.” “Like the one in that pic? Oh… you’re gonna look so adorable” Soul said. “Shut up” Dash looked away from her. “I hope I get to see you in that at your birthday” Soul said.

Sweet Celestia, she probably will. A picture was one thing, I’ll be wearing one in front of her. Why am I so embarrassed about that? Better yet, why didn’t she care? More focused on what it was that Soul was saying. What she meant.

“So… you really do want to come to my birthday party?” Dash asked her. Right when another breeze came over both of them. Chilling her fur. “Only if you want me to come” Soul answered. “Of course I do, and I want to come to your party too.” We meant what we said and that seemed to warm Soul’s heart over there. We are best friends and wingponies so that means we get to enjoy one another’s birthdays. Something… I never got to do. Soul, I can’t wait to tell you… but when it comes, she will be the first friend of mine to ever come to my birthday. Soul sounded sincere in wanting to go. She was welcome any time over here, anything to show her that she is a part of us.

9.37
Soul laughed. “A few more months, but we get to go through winter first.” The filly brushed snow off her back with a swipe of her huge wings. “Deal with it, it’s just a little cold” Dash said. Finding that a lot of snow also built up on her and had to be kicked off. “Oh yeah? How about we both fly through the course then? You and I.”

“No prob…” Dash paused when she saw Soul begin to laugh at her. “What?!” “You think I’m serious?” Soul asked.

Why not? Dash saw no problem in it. Even if the course had thin lanes, we could still find a way to fly through it. Keeping Soul behind her to stare at her butt the whole time and eat her dust for one. Dash actually did step up to the challenge. “I’ll fly.” “I’m not sure if I will” Soul said. Oh come on! Why is she so afraid now, it’s just a… Dash looked back up and… and then she realized it. Oh. “I don’t know about you” Soul said. “But… that’s a bit of a blizzard coming down.” She’s right. Could hardly see the course now, like it was getting worse by the minute.

Dash actually looked back at her and giggled over it. Oops. Hope she doesn’t think I’m stupid or something. But… “You sure you don’t want to try?” “Maybe we can go inside and hang in your room… where it’s warm” Soul said with a shiver. “I… actually haven’t been keeping up with perfecting our little ‘move.’ I don’t know if I can try flying through a blizzard.” Really? She hasn’t perfected it. But I thought she would be training in it a lot more than me. A lot more so that she would be the one to get there first… before me, since I sure am having a hard time with it. “Yeah, I haven’t either” Dash admitted.

9.38
“Okay, let’s go inside” Dash agreed. She opened the door back up for Soul to go in before her. Back into that warm and calm house that felt so lovely the instant they stepped in. Making Dash sigh. Quickly shutting the snow away from her behind her.

“Where was your bathroom again?” Soul asked. The filly heading off ahead of her into the living room to look around. “First door on the right, down the hallway.” “Thanks! I’ll be right back!” Soul rushed off on her wings and left a gust of wind to blow the curtains along the windows. Take your time. Dash looked to the floor. I hope she’s having a good time. Ugh, I’ve never done this before.

She heard the clang of plates and dishes to her right where dad was cleaning all of them in the kitchen. Taking his time to look over his shoulder and find her standing there. “Weather looks pretty bad right now” he mentioned. We noticed. The Canterlot valleys were getting their first real blizzard in a long time. We’re just in the middle of it with the Pegasus city floating over the fields and towns of the valleys. Too much for little fillies to fly in right now. Just to give one hell of a snow for the holiday. “Yeah” Dash said but her mind wandered off to Soul.

“I hope she’s having fun.” “Are you kidding? You’re an awesome host, Dashie. If she wasn’t having fun, I don’t think she’d be smiling as much as she has been.” “Hope you’re right, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Dashie, she’s your best friend. Just treat her like you would any other time. You’ve been doing a wonderful job” Bow said. Rainbow believed him. Though she looked out to the living room and frowned. Hoping that things will change as the night would roll in. Soul, I’m so glad you get to sleep over. I got a special, extra special present for you. Something I want to ask you. Maybe it will help her see that she is a part of my family. Right as she heard a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it” Dash said and walked off to it. Good, right on time. I’ll show you that I’ll do anything for you, Soul.

9.39
Does Dash have a big enough bathroom? This house looks a lot smaller on the outside, but it’s like a mansion.

Soul really could tell that Windy and Bow loved their daughter so much, enough to make this whole place almost themed after her and her goals. But that rainbow striped curtain around the bath was cute either way.

She left the door shut behind her. Taking her time to look back over to where the stairs were and about to head over there before she heard ponies talking that let her know Dash was still back in the living room. A lot of ponies talking, for one. Which made Soul pause for a moment. Confused. She did think it may just be her parents talking at the end of the hallways but her ears recognized it, that’s not them.

Was Dash expecting company? She never said anything about it. A little worrying. Soul wasn’t sure if she should go and see or just go to wait in Dash’s room. What with the sounds of voices she wasn’t sure about over there, plenty of them… alongside Dash talking. Greeting them or something. Talking about the day and Hearth’s Warming. Along with a small draft coming in down the hall. That did make her hooves go on their own, Soul walking off towards where she heard them. Keeping to the wall, she was cautious, not sure if it was right of her to intrude but so curious to know who was here. Sounded like… other kids?

“Thanks for inviting us over, Dash.” Wait, but she never told me about something like this. What’s going on here?

9.40
Soul edged in to the corner of the hall, giving a little peek around the corner to see. Where nopony could see her, while Dash was busy there with her tail to Soul and standing in front of the open doorway where something stood to make Soul gasp. What are they doing here? She was right about it being other kids. But not these kids.

It was Amber… and her sister Breezy standing out there in the doorway under a hail of snow. Not even noticing her staring at them.

Both of the fillies shivering and quick to come in when Dash waved them along. Slamming the door closed only when Amber finished pulling in what looked like a big, pink box tugged along by a rope. A box? Wait, Soul got an idea. Really lost now, not sure what to think. Because these two were ponies she had not spoken to in so long. Neither of them had spoken to her. Not since when… they both hurt me.

Here they were under the same roof as Soul and Dash with what made Soul begin to think may be a box of none other than… their own things. Are they sleeping over too? Dashie, why didn’t you tell me? Especially since she didn’t feel right seeing these ponies here after so long. The first ponies at camp to talk to her and the ones who hurt her. Who never crossed her thoughts again. She had to confront them. No longer willing to be that pony who cowered. She had to know because she was not sure if she could sleep together with them too. It’s not like we’re much in the way of friends or ever were.

Soul stepped out.

9.41
That was what made them both cease their laughing and talking with Dash and find Soul there staring at both of them from across the room. Turning from happy… to frowning as the fillies all stood face to face with Dash there to stand between them all.

“Hey, Soul” Dash said like nothing was wrong. “Surprise!”

Surprise, huh? So that’s why she didn’t ever tell me this would happen. Not that much of a surprise. Not one she would consider a good one. I’m sorry, but after what these two did, I don’t know why it is she thinks I’d be so happy to see them. “Hey, Soul. It’s been a while” Amber also said. Doing her best but Soul caught her timid voice inside of her greeting.

Soul grunted. This day was going so perfectly to her, this was not needed. Because all it did was remind her. “Hi, so… I didn’t know they were coming too” Soul said first to the twins and then to Dash. Really annoyed as she said it. “To be honest, I didn’t think about inviting them at first. But I know you all got along before and thought that maybe you would like it if they showed up to have some fun with us” Dash explained. “I wanted to keep it a surprise for you.”

We did get along until certain things happened and now, now I don’t think they actually do think well of me. If they can ever be ponies I would want to be around all the time like with Dash. “Yeah! We thought we could all celebrate Hearth’s Warming Eve together” Breezy said with such hype in her voice. Even if it did sound like a nice and kind idea, Soul had a hard time accepting it. Just seeing both of them, made her wonder what this will all lead to. If they would hurt her heart once again.

9.42
“Dashie, I thought it would just be you and I having a sleepover” Soul commented. Making Dash wave her hoof at her. “No, no. They can’t stay that long. We just wanted to all hang out for the evening before they head back home. It’ll just be you and I tonight.” “Then what’s with that box?” Soul pointed at it. Thinking there was sleeping gear in it. Where both the twins put their hooves on it. Proud to display it to her. “We just brought a little something for us all to help celebrate. We wanted to share it with you two” Amber said. Both twins smiling alongside Dash.

Really? How much has changed? Dash, I remember her not being so friendly with these two and now she stood with them happy to have them over and wanting Soul to join in with them. But… it did sound nice to have a group to celebrate with. A group. Maybe not this group.

Soul still lowered her head, saddened at the thought that so much happened between all of them to drive them all apart and leave these feelings in place. To question if she should forgive them, since neither of them ever apologized. “I don’t know…” Soul said. “I thought it would just be a party for you and I, Dashie. Maybe if you had told me sooner…” “Oh…” she heard none other than Amber say with a whimper, the filly lowering her own head. Not able to meet Soul’s eyes anymore.

“This is about what happened before? I understand.” “We were pretty terrible” Breezy said to her sister. As if to let her know why it was that Soul felt this way. Conflicted on how to feel over them staying over.

9.43
“No, she’s right” Amber said. She stood back up with a straight face. “I guess we get what we deserve. After all, we never did say we were sorry and we never did do anything to help you, Soul. That’s why you got Rainbow. She proved to be a much better friend than we could be. Look…”

Amber stepped aside and pulled the box up to be front and center before them all. “There’s a cake in this box for you two. We’d like to leave it for you, our little gift for you both for this Hearth’s Warming. But… there is another thing we should give first.”

They got us a cake? Soul looked at the box and then across to where Amber pulled her sister to her side and nudged her. Both of them doing the same thing. Bending one foreleg and stretching the other before them as both of them did something she didn’t expect of them. They both knelt down in front of her. Eyes closed. Wings low. Neither dared to move when Amber said “We’re very sorry for what we did.” “Yeah, we’re sorry. Please don’t be mad at us” Breezy said. Shocking Soul to see them actually kneel before her.

If she should pity them or something else, it was so weird to see. While Rainbow was left at the side just there to watch this.

“Guys…” Soul started and was quickly interrupted by Amber. “No, we were wrong. We shouldn’t have left you. You were the one who talked with us at the start and we never did give you anything back. So please, take the cake.” Both twins stood back up. But Amber actually smiled. So close to Soul that she saw she was sincere in being happy. Like the filly let a massive weight off her shoulders. “Happy Hearth’s Warming. I’d love if we can all find a time to hang out… maybe without it being so sudden.” “You sure you guys want to leave?” Dash asked.

9.44
Amber answered her when both her and her sister turned tail and walked back over to the door. Back over to where the snow came down hard outside the windows, and both of them left that box behind as they said they would. Leaving it there with Soul. The magenta filly stepped forward with Dash. Watching them off.

“We’ll catch you both at something else” Amber waved them off. “No problem.” Yeah, all of us doing something else together. Not for Hearth’s Warming. But… Soul glanced down to the ground. Sighing softly to herself. I hope we do find a chance to hang out again. Some time when we’ll all be on better terms. When I’m not so worried about them. When I don’t think they will be anything like they were at camp. Soul did consider it, to invite them both to her birthday. If Dash was going to come, it wouldn’t hurt to have more ponies there. After time had gone by for her to trust them entirely.

Four months away. That should be plenty of time. While Dash and Soul would get to enjoy this holiday together, a holiday about togetherness and giving. Acceptance and friendship. The perfect holiday for these two. But also one that made her see that such a holiday did not just mean it was something the two of them should only share together.

“I accept your apology” Soul said after the twins. After seeing how serious they were with it. “As well as the cake. Thank you so much for it.” That was enough to make both the twins look back at her and she saw they were moved by it. So why not work on fixing all of us right now?

“How about you both join us in eating it?” Soul asked with a smile. Feeling all eyes come on her in surprise. “It’s Hearth’s Warming, after all. What better way to spend it than for all of us to be together?” That alone was enough to warm her when she saw just how happy it made all the fillies around her and the cheers they made… when all three of them rushed in and Soul found herself in the middle of a big hug. Stunned at first, then she wrapped her hooves around Dash, Amber, and Breezy. There, there.

Everything will be okay.

9.45
No matter how cold it was getting outside in the waning hours of the day. As night crept in and the chill got worse, it didn’t matter in here where it only got warmer. Inside this loving and welcoming home that Soul really did feel was as comforting to be in as her own house. But it never did get like this at her house where she could sit here atop the sofa and watch the tiny little flames flicker and dance in the dying light. Where the fire was the only thing that lit up the house. Burning bright inside of the fireplace. Where all the logs had completely disappeared in the time she spent watching it. Held in place just staring at the reds and oranges that warmed her up just by looking at them. Doing their best to make her want to fall asleep. Just too comfortable.

She never thought it could get like this where she could actually feel so safe and calm as to just drift off atop somepony else’s couch. Inside a house that was not her own. She loved it. Setting her head down against Rainbow’s cyan fur along the side of the filly’s head, both of them held tightly inside the blanket till both of them couldn’t help but… actually snuggle up against one another. Just leaning against her and her leaning against Soul, it didn’t help in keeping her awake. Like she could just do this for hours and sleep with her like this. Just so calming and peaceful inside this place. Sitting side by side with her… and even more so with none other than Amber laying down in a curl at Soul’s other side. The older filly covered up in the blanket and her little sister’s own fur with Breezy laying on top of her. All of them left their staring at the fire. Relaxing… just one more burp coming from Amber.

9.46
“Sorry…” she giggled. Those empty plates left on the table showing why it was she did that, and Soul too felt so satisfied after just too many slices of that delicious cake which Amber claimed to have made herself. She believed it. The icing had been messy and didn’t look like something from a shop. Still tasted amazing.

She actually went out of her way to make a cake for all of them. Something about that made Soul kind of appreciative. Kind of safe. Forget what happened between us long ago. Because this moment was like nothing had ever happened where all four fillies could be with one another under the same blanket. Laid out among the couch watching the fire and listening to the snow coming down outside. Small patters against the windows.

“I really hope we get to do more stuff like this” Amber said. “We should be able to” Dash assured her. No matter what, they could still all stick together. Rebuild all that they had before, Soul felt confident of it even if they would see less of these two from now on. Their long conversations about the future and what it held for all of them until Soul and Dash learned what would be happening. “Even if we’re apart, we can still visit and find lots of time to play together” Amber said. But each line still struck Soul. A little saddened that they would be seeing one another less. But it was for the best. Amber and Breezy were off to do what they wanted to do.

Transferred.

Not there to be with her and Dash for the next rounds of camp, not when both of them will be gone to learn to be weather pegasi at another camp… all the way on the other side of the city. So we never will have our own little group for camp. Still… “I wish we could still be camp buddies” Soul said. Making them all fall silent. All of them must feel the same way. “We can still be together outside of camp” Amber mentioned. “I know we can all find time between lessons to have fun. …Are Breezy and I still allowed to come to your birthday parties?” “Of course” Soul said. Followed by “Duh” from Dash.

“It’s not that bad” Breezy said. “We can find time to all goof around. Maybe we can play in the snow sometime. Amber and I love snowball fights.” “Soul and I would wreck both of you” Dash boasted. Even if we never did such a thing before. Still so funny how confident she was, and Soul was too. That sounded awesome. All of us having a little competition to see who was better, a little one sided. Soul hated to admit it, but… the twins had little to compare with how Dash and her were able to coordinate. It can still be fun.

9.47
“You know, Soul also has this killer spot down by the forests where there’s this lake we can all swim in too when it gets warmer” Dash mentioned.

She’s inviting them to join us for that? Wait, we’re gonna go back? Wow, all of us as a group. Soul smiled about that. “Are you talking about those forests surrounding Ponyville?” Amber asked. “By the Everfree forest, yeah” Dash nodded. “I know those forests get beautiful in the spring, we’d love to go. Wow, trees so thick we could play hide and seek in… and then going swimming.”

Sounded like a joy. We really have come a long way. Soul never did think about hide and seek in that forest. Not even sure if the adults would let them do that, unless they also participated. All of us together on a trip. All of us together. Like we are now. All the fillies able to finally sit down and talk to one another like nothing had happened. Where Soul felt there was some sense of… of friendship coming back. For all of them to be friends. With Dash here as her best friend. She remembered not long ago when she would sit alone on her bed, left to stare out at the moonlight in the darkness of her room, every night. Just left to look forward to the same thing every day. Training. Reading. Watching with envy of the other ponies. Hoping for something fun to do with Nimbus and Starry. Rare, it would be. So rare, but every day was mostly the same.

9.48
We sit here together, I’m with other ponies. Inside of a new house, enjoying this beautiful moment with others. Left to look forward to so many things. Wonderbolts soon. Birthdays and parties. Trips and play dates. Training alongside others and… and to be proud to fly with another pony at her side. To put all the skills she had learned to light and all could see how good she was, and for her to be loved for it.

She, Soul Serenity, had three ponies here with her that she could honestly see being her friends for a long time. Or even forever. Let the past be damned. Because they could fix it all. If tonight was any proof of that. That she truly had entered a new world where she could trust these ponies. All of them. That she had that life she craved for. The one Nimbus wanted her to have.

Nimbus, you didn’t have friends and were alone for most of your life. So much longer than anything I could try to do, and you wanted me to have something different. Now, now I have it. I reached what it was you wanted me to have.

I… I’m happy. Happy to have a pony here to hold her. To enjoy life with. So much that it brought a tear to her eye. Left to shimmer bright orange in the reflection of the flames and twinkle in her sunny eyes. That we get to do things like this. Rainbow Dash crawled out from the blanket and went off.

“I think it’s time” she said before she flew off down the hallway. Soul smiled, holding hooves to her chest. Such joy in her heart. I got to tell her.

“Dashie” she caught the filly before she flew off. “There’s a box in my bag. Can you get it for me? Don’t open it.” Rainbow nodded. Flying off to go get them. Go get what it was that Soul could finally do with another pony. Smiling to herself, and she felt the twins looking at her and happy for her. “I bet she’ll love whatever it is” Amber said. I know she will. And I will too. How could she not? This will be her first Hearth’s Warming to do this. None other than open gifts… with a friend.

9.49
Those presents came out held between Dash’s hooves with the little filly flying in, only her wings could be seen flapping behind the two boxes stacked up in her hooves. There was a blue one sitting under the yellow one that Soul knew to be her present for none other than Dash. So… did that mean the blue one was for Soul? Her heart raced a little. Always so excited for the chance to open presents. But maybe it was for somepony else. She still drooled over it.

“Is this the box you were talking about?” Dash asked. The filly flew in closer, having a hard time carrying it all with both boxes as tall as she was. “That’s it” Soul confirmed and took some of that weight away from Dash, taking the yellow box in her hooves. “Alright, present time!”

Dash was excited to sit back down between the fillies. Though Soul did feel a little bad when she saw the twins scooch in to sit with them and watch. Dash must feel it too, the filly joining her in ashamedly looking towards them. “Sorry, …you two. Uh, I didn’t know you would be staying… or even what to get either of you.” Soul nodded too. I didn’t even know they were coming.

“Don’t worry about it” Amber waved a hoof. “Letting us stay over for a bit is reward enough.” “Come on! Open your gifts!” Breezy leaned in. A huge smile on her face. If she insisted. It took Soul a long time to find the perfect gift for Dash, her first ever friend. In fact, as she looked down at the box she held, the first ever gift she gave to another. A secret Dash did not need to know. For it to be her own thing to know and be happy about, her own accomplishment. That is why this is so special. All of this.

9.50
“This is my gift to you, Soul” Dash said across from her. Both fillies sitting and staring at one another. Both boxes between them. With Dash nudging the blue one she held closer to Soul.

Dashie, you’ll never know that you’re the first friend who has ever given me a gift. Kind of pathetic to admit. Still though… is this why Soul almost shed a tear looking at that box?

“And this is mine to you” Soul also pushed her yellow one over. Such huge relief when that box left her hooves so slowly and cyan ones set themselves upon it to pull it over to Dash. Relief and worry. No idea how she will react, but Soul wanted to believe that Dash would love it. I spent so long yesterday trying to find it.

Soul pulled the blue one to her, but she didn’t do anything more. Watching her best friend of all tear the yellow paper off the box Soul hid inside. Pull with her teeth and toss aside with her hooves. As the time came near. But Soul could not take her eyes off it, no matter how much worry filled her. If she will like it or not, because this moment meant a lot to her. Right here, under the glow of the fire, with Amber sitting by Soul and watching with her sister sitting over with Dash. All of us here to see just how much you mean to me, Dashie. Our first Hearth’s Warming together. Their first day together to truly celebrate just how much they cared for one another. For them to be together. I finally… finally have a friend to do this with.

Soul never did think this would happen. But here she was. Right now, with thoughts of so more to happen. Just the two of them, to make Dash so happy with Soul… like she looked right now when the flaps of the box lifted open and Dash pulled it out. For them all to see what it was that Soul got. For Soul to finally see it in the hooves of the one she meant it for.

9.51
Dash was silent. Staring at her gift. Held before her, like a trophy.

“Soul…” “It’s for you” Soul said fidgeting in place. It was none other than a hat. One so familiar. Just the memory of what it meant, the perfect gift for the pony that Soul cared for more than any other. The same blue and white cap that Soul once wore like made anew, and Dash turned it around in her hooves. Seeing that winged golden lightning bolt gleaming in front. Shining so bright even in the dark from the flickering of the flames.

“I was able to find where Nimbus and Starry got mine, I thought it would be…” “I don’t know what to say” Dash cut her off. “You actually got this for me?” “Yes” Soul said. Pausing and… she saw just how little she had to worry. No more. As Dash’s smile grew and the filly held the hat closer to her. Giggling shortly but she never took her eyes off the gift. “I took up doing more around the house this past month and used up all my allowance to get that for you” Soul said.

Looked like it was work well spent. “Same hat I had except… there’s more.” All eyes came to her. This was the part that she was sure to be happy about. The one thing that made Soul decide to get this.

“Look at the back of it” she pointed out. Dash did so and saw it. Saw the little things stitched along the flanks of the hat. Like the hat itself had wings of its own back there set out in one thing that Soul’s hat did not have. A pair of yellow buttons wrapping a crimson Sun on each with wings extending out along the back of the hat. I only know what those are thanks to Nimbus. Dash however…

9.52
“These are symbols of the Wonderbolts captains. How did you…”

“Nimbus… knows somepony” Soul said. “They set me up with it.”

It was a long time she had to wait yesterday, but it was so worth it and every bit she had to pay. “You can’t even buy stuff with these” Dash said. She let out a big exhale. Shock in her shrill voice. Just ogling the pendants stitched into the hat. But one thing was certain. “I love it!” The filly laughed, setting the hat aside and leaping over to Soul in a surprise move that made Soul jump for a moment and then calm when Dash gave her a hug.

“You really got that for me?” she whispered in Soul’s ear. “I don’t know what to say.” “It’s all yours, take care of it” Soul said. “I’ll keep it safe. Probably my most prized possession now, nopony will touch it.” Dash tightened her hug. “Oh… thank you. You really didn’t have to.” “But I did want to. You’re my best friend and have done so much for me, it’s my gift to you. Happy Hearth’s Warming, Dashie.”

Rainbow actually did show something… that there were tears welling in her eyes, when the filly let go of Soul. Little pools that billowed of orange from the light and she wiped them away. Sighing pleasantly. “I still need to get a chance to say that too. Open your gift” Dash said.

No matter what your gift is, I’ll cherish it. I’ll be sure to keep it safe. Soul happy to look down at the blue box she held between her legs. Rainbow sat back and held her hat close. Watching Soul and waiting for the magenta filly to do the same thing Dash had done for Soul. I’ll do it.

9.53
Soul opened up her box. Peeling away the wrapping paper and finding a box inside. With all of them waiting on her to open it, she took one last breath. Loving she was doing this and pulled open the top flaps to see what lay within. What it was, surprised her. Really surprised her. Not at all expecting Dash to do this. So much so, it made her laugh.

Staring down at it. It was really funny, even Dash joined in. The cyan Pegasus running a hoof behind her head. Oh Dashie… I can’t believe you made this happen. Who else but us. Looks like great minds think alike.

Soul pulled out… that blue and white hat.

The same Wonderbolts symbol on the front. What the hell. Soul couldn’t stop snickering to herself. How did we both have the same idea? Except… when Soul turned it around, her eyes widened. Bare. No captain emblems. No nothing. A normal Wonderbolts hat.

“How did you both…” Amber started. “I really didn’t think she’d get me a hat” Dash said. “I kind of feel bad now… yours is so much better than what I got you.” “No…” Soul said. Looking down at it, turning back over the side where the symbol was. Dashie… this is a wonderful gift. As wonderful as the hat that I… that I once had. For a reason. To remember that which others do for me. You went out of your way to get this for me, as a piece of our friendship. This hat, it was more than what she could expect from others.

I had a hat just like this and I loved it. Before it and what it was were taken away from her. Given back to her anew… from the hooves of a pony most dear to her. Rainbow Dash’s gift. The reward for our months together… and many, many more. Such a plain and simple Wonderbolts hat, yet it was the gift from a friend. From her best friend. The one pony I can trust and rely on. Hats for both of us to wear together.

“I love it” Soul whispered. “It reminds me… of that day.” Soul put it on top of her head. Scrunching in her mane. Wearing it like she used to. That day so long ago. That led to when Soul could now look this filly in the eyes and… she could lean in and hug her. Pull her into her massive wings for Dash to disappear inside those lovely feathers. For as long as she could, Soul hugged her best friend. “Thank you so much.” Thank you for reminding me of what it was that brought us together. Everything that did. Even if it wasn’t her intent. But Dash smiled.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming” Dash whispered to her.

9.54
Soul felt her best friend’s hooves come up and hug her too. Once more. Even more when she saw the twins join in. Nopony resisted, and all four of them shared in this moment together. For them all to be able to enjoy it. No matter the past, because what mattered now was the future. A future so bright. So beautiful. Gone forever were those sad days. Forever. For us to have many more nights like this. Holding one another for so long. Soul embraced it.

“Hey, the snow is letting up” Amber said. “Look…” They all did. Letting go, though none of them slid apart from one another. All four of them sitting side to side with one another. Looking out at the scene beyond the windows. One of white and fire. The Sun disappearing in the horizon with only a faint shroud of red cast out over the world, shining bright over the calm Cloudsdale where the cloud mountains rose into the hazy skyline. Shining bright. Burning off from the shallow snowfall coming down. Coming down upon this dying day and the coming of a new one. A new day in the future, a future as bright as the Sun. Where darkness would rise, but the light would come back.

To think that light would never come, Soul was glad she never felt that way anymore. As nothing can keep us apart. Nothing. Hearth’s Warming Eve was ending and all of them would soon part. But Soul didn’t keep herself hesitant when she felt something touch her hoof and did as it wanted. Slinking her hoof around Dash’s and the both held tight between each other. Smiling out at the sunset.

A bright future with you. For both of us.

9.55
Everything had fallen quiet. A still house. Soul left the stairs and the darkness down there with all the lights removed down there, and everypony now upstairs. The filly still had her sleep over to look forward to. So close, she yawned. Hat left atop her head, the last piece of the day that was ending. Yet something did stop her. Heading over to Dash’s open door, where a little slither of light shone out from, her hooves stopped at the door before that one. The closed one that she looked up to. A guest bedroom, one she couldn’t use. Should she be lucky she couldn’t use it? Being able to sleep in the same room as Dash.

She still did wonder why it was she couldn’t use it. Each time she passed it, giving it a glance. If something special was on the other side. No matter how much she wanted to know, she never did. Still didn’t even as her hoof glided along the wooden door and she looked down. Thinking to herself. I wonder if Dash had a sister, …would this be her room? If she had more for her family, would this be theirs?

I did want to know why I couldn’t use it, but Soul’s hoof slid off it and she sighed. Another yawn coming out, bigger than the first. Curiosity drowned out by the voices inside the open room just ahead of her. But she waited there. Waited for it to end. Not wanting to butt in. Because she knew what it was that was happening in there. It made her frown only grow.

9.56
If another pony lived in this room… would they get the same treatment before bed? For somepony to come in and wish them good night. Read them a story or talk to them before bed. Let them know all was okay and how much they loved them. For somepony to come in and kiss Soul on the forehead.

She touched her forehead. Longingly staring still at the closed door. She’s so lucky. To have somepony like that. Breaking out of that only when she heard the hoofsteps and Windy stepped out from Dash’s room. Spotting the filly at the other end of the hall just standing there. That pony did come over to her.

“Soul, everything okay?” “Yeah… just waiting” Soul said, not giving her the real reason she did wait. But she couldn’t look at Windy, only at that door. She heard the mare stop right next to her. Looking down at her in wonder, but Soul spoke. “I was told I can’t sleep in this room, …why? What’s in there?”

Was it wrong to ask that? I really do want to know… know what it’s like to live… in another pony’s house like it was normal. Like all was normal. “I did catch you staring at it before” Windy said. When was that? Soul didn’t even notice if she had seen Soul before. “I made a promise to myself that nopony can go in there… not just yet” Windy said. “I can’t let you in.”

Soul nodded. But what was inside? What’s so important about this room? “Is it wrong to ask why?” Soul asked. “Not at all” Windy said. The mare stepped up and… Soul watched her smile as she placed her hoof against the door. Sliding it slowly. Even in the dark, she lit up as she spoke.

9.57
“This room will be a very special place. It will be there one day as a reminder for our little Dashie to see just how wonderful a pony she is and how much we love her. Someday… but not today.” “Remind her?” “Yes” Windy nodded.

“Can you do me a favor, Soul?” Soul stepped up and listened. She would do it. Whatever it is. It was the least she could do. “Someday, can you also remind her how special she is. I know she means a lot to you, maybe… any day she’s down, you can remind her how important she is to you. I know she’ll do the same for you whenever you need it.”

For me to remind her? Dashie, I always will care for her. “Okay, I’ll do that.” That made Windy happy. She looked down at the filly.

“This room is empty right now, but… because of you, it’s going to be something special for her someday. For all you did for her. You made her confident again. And…” she sniffled and Soul saw the mare’s eyes shimmer in what little light was up here. “You’ll both achieve your dreams together and… I’ll be sure to fill this room with everything you get on that path. Thank you, so much Soul.”

She wasn’t quite sure why, what to be thanked for. But she did know that… that things have changed. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here like this. Wondering what day it will be when she could see what it was Windy planned to fill this room with. The filly nodded. Concerned about the teary mare, but she walked off when Windy opened a hoof to present Dash’s room for her. Walking over to it. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Soul” she whispered behind her. Soul stopped and looked back at the mare.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming” Soul said with such warmth inside. Happily wishing her “Good night.” “Sweet dreams.” Soul closed the door on her.

9.58
It really was weird stepping in to a bedroom like this. Really different. Not stepping in to sleep in her own room. A completely different room… with another pony in here. In this dark room, Soul still saw Rainbow in the light of the last flickering candle burning atop the table by her bedside, where the filly rolled over and found Soul stepping into the room to join her.

Looked like Windy had tucked her in with only Dash’s head above the covers. Looked to be pretty tired too. But she still reached a hoof out from under the blankets and waved to her. Yawning as she did so. It was not often she saw the filly worn out. Today really was a tiring day but it was just so fun. So worth it and many more fun days like this to come. For now, Soul was content with what she had gotten today. Now ending with her here sleeping alongside her best friend.

Soul climbed up on to the mattress set out for her. Lumbering over the thick blanket to where she could settle her weary head on that big pillow. Really soft to the touch. As was the blanket. They didn’t give her the old stuff to use. All of this looked as nice as what Dash had up there to sleep in.

“Did you manage to find everything alright?” Dash whispered from up there. The filly peering down over the mattress. “Yup…” Soul said. She slowly took off her hat, Dash’s present. Pulling it down with one hoof and looking at it. Staring, but she still adored it. Having to set it aside, safely placed down with her bag at the side of the mattress. “Today was a great day” she said.

I’ll have to find a special place for this hat. Or maybe she would wear it every day. Maybe Dash will wear her hat every day. Whatever she wanted to do, Soul would be happy. That wonderful hat was left by Dash to hang atop her bed post. Right above where her head lay on her pillow.

9.59
“I can’t wait for when we get to hang out again, I really like being with you…” Dash spoke with such a tired voice. Whenever she said stuff like that, it made Soul’s heart feel faint. That pony up there with her magenta eyes shining in the waning fire of the candlelight. All joy in those eyes. Watching Soul.

“Thank you so much for spending the day with me” she said. Soul pulled her blanket aside and found a nice spot to fall in to. Sliding herself down onto the bed, quick to throw that blanket over her. Ah… this feels nice. Rolling over so she could be face to face with her best friend up there. Getting herself comfortable. Pretty easy to do. This really was a nice bed she had gotten. Listening to the wind outside and hearing the faint taps of snow landing on the windows. Yet she wasn’t cold. Couldn’t be. Dash didn’t look to be either. Nice and tucked in up there all thanks to her mom.

“I really can’t wait to hang out with you again soon. You still want to go to the Wonderbolts?” Soul asked. “Of course, and you’re still coming “Dash pretty much affirmed.

I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Any chance for us all to hang out together. “We both will get to see the ponies that we are gonna be someday.” Rainbow’s confidence was always so lovely to hear. Listening to her go on about how wonderful the uniforms will be and wanting to try one on when they go, it made Soul happy to hear her. Blindly smiling up at her. I love listening to her. Rainbow being the most talkative pony she has known. The most confident one too.

All thanks to me… according to her mom.

9.60
“You okay?” she heard Rainbow ask. Seeing her staring. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just listening.” Soul shifted herself and found a very nice spot to lay her head down on the pillow. Sinking into it. “I talked to your mom before I came in. About that room next to yours.” “What about it?” Dash whispered. “Do you know what she wants to do with it?” “Yes, even want to install a door in here to go in that room. Easy convenience or something” Dash answered.

“You really do have awesome parents, wanting to always support you and remind you they love you. I really am jealous of you…” Here Soul was not sure if she should have said that, she scrunched up under the blankets. Looking away, but Dash still asked “Why?”

Soul paused. Really, this day had been awesome. Excellent. But… she kept seeing it. Just how very different things are between her and Dash. What she had and what Soul didn’t. “You’re as amazing as I am” Dash tried to assure her. Is it even right to tell her? There was so much that Soul felt seeing all that this family had and how happy Dash was. Even tonight, did Windy kiss her good night? Am I so lucky as to have anything like that… even… a pony to let me know how much I mean to them? Too much to ask for? Or would she understand?

“I want to know if… if I would also have somepony out there who would be proud of me. Just like your parents are. Do… do you think my mom would be proud if she saw me become a Wonderbolt? Wherever she is.” If she had never left, what would my life be like? Could she get a kiss or even compassion and comfort? Anything to let her know she was cared for by somepony so close to her. Her own family. But it will never happen.

She’s gone.

9.61
“I get it…” Dash whispered. “Soul… I know she would be proud, she would be right now. Look at you. You’re one of the best flyers at Junior Speedsters and you’re gonna be a Wonderbolt. You got a wingpony and skill. It’d be stupid for her to not be happy.”

Really? If only she had never left. Then Soul could go to bed tonight… with her there to kiss her good night and wish her pleasant dreams. Let her know how special she was. “You’re a great flyer and my best friend. You… you mean the world to me, buddy.” Soul looked down across the blanket. Shimmering eyes so faintly going across the darkness in the room and she could not shake that feeling. For her to mean so much to other ponies. Even just one. She had Rainbow Dash.

Is it wrong to want that family too? Even… even just one pony. One for her to hold and be held by. Who would kiss her and let her know she is loved. Rainbow Dash had introduced her to an entirely new world. One so free and open… but… there was still the bleak corners of it all where the darkness still hid.

What could be out there? What to look forward to? If things will stay the same, or if things will get better.

“Come on, Soul” Dash said. “One for tonight?” One? Soul knew what she meant. Turning her over in her bed and both of them facing one another. Soul still smiled. Even if she were wanting what it was that others got, what she could never have before, she still could end the day with something so bright and lovely. She nodded. Saying it alongside Dash. “Cloudsdale Wingponies!” Dash’s wings flailing a little under her covers and she laughed along with Soul. No matter how weird it was, they still had that little reminder of the day they became best friends. Something to end the day with. For a new day to come tomorrow.

“Good night, Dashie” Soul whispered. Tucking herself in. With only tomorrow to look forward to… when she would go home and… then what? Then what? What did she want? What is it that I want? Something special. That I should not be afraid of. Rainbow has it for herself, it’s not wrong for me to want it too. Stuck on her mind and seeing how it was with this family. I do want it too. For there to be a pony there for me. Looking forward to it.

9.62
“Soul…”

Dash broke out from the long pause and silence in the night, while the candle still flickered and danced. Nopony bothering to put it out yet. That pony up there who stirred under her blanket. Neither of them falling asleep yet. Soul could not. Feeling a little better that Dash couldn’t either. That this day could go on a little longer of her being with a special pony. “Yes?”

“I got something crazy I wanna ask” Dash continued. “Feel free to say no.” “What is it?” If there’s something on her mind, maybe we can talk about it. Both of them could talk until they could feel better and fall asleep. “About what we talked about yesterday in the woods, it’s been on my mind and… I wanted to know something about you” Dash said. The filly leaned over her bedside. Close to coming out from under her blanket. But she wanted to get closer to Soul. “If you’re okay with it.” “What’s wrong?”

Soul patiently waited for the filly to talk. Rainbow looking left and right, she couldn’t even keep herself still as she fidgeted under her blanket and her wings fluttered a little at her sides. “Since you’re my best friend… I was thinking about you and I doing something. Since we’re both here… how about… you…” she giggled a little. Taking a deep breath.

“Come on up here?” “What?”

9.63
Soul was confused, looking up at this pony. What it was she was asking. Sounded a lot like something familiar to her. What it was they did talk about yesterday. But… that was something different. This… what Dash was asking was between the two of them. But… she had heard right, and Dash looked serious.

“You’re gonna make me spell it out, huh? I want to know if you want to sleep with me… ugh!”

Dash threw herself back up on to the bed. Holding her forehooves over her face. Mumbling to herself. “Damn it…” she whispered. Her raspy voice breaking from embarrassment. But Soul was there and she heard it right. Rainbow Dash wanted to sleep with her. This… this was not something she had expected her to ask. At all. Of all ponies to say that, to leave Soul with those words. Rainbow Dash to be the one. Why… the only other pony Soul knew of to do that was… Windy.

She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to think. But there was another pony here asking her that question. Actually wanting her to. Or did she? “You want me to sleep with you?” Dash threw down her legs. “Yes. But only if you want. I… I don’t ask this of all ponies so… uh, you’re lucky. I want you to sleep with me.” Mumbling off on that last line. The filly turned over and left her back to face Soul. “Didn’t you want somepony to do that with you?” she asked back there. Somepony, yes. She never expected it to be this pony.

There were others she wanted to ask to do the same thing with. Always afraid of what they would think if she did. Never Dashie. This pony was the last she would expect this of. Does this mean… I really don’t have anything to be afraid of? Why are my hooves moving on their own? Pushing the blanket off of herself and pushing herself off the bed. Standing right up for her face to look over Dash’s bedside and wonder if it would be right. Where that big space that Dash left at her back with the blanket flipped open and room for… for another. The filly left to whimper into her hooves on the other side of the bed in total stunned silence that she asked this of Soul. But she was brave. Braver than Soul. Such a strong and confident pony who let go of her guard and… and asked me something so crazy. So crazy and… so sweet. Enough for Soul to shake her head and smile.

If she’s not afraid, why should I be? I’m her best friend. She’s mine. Of all ponies out there, this was the one Soul felt most comfortable with. Enough for her to do this.

9.64
Soul kicked the blanket off her hooves and actually stepped up to the bedside. Dash not even noticing, not until she turned over when Soul’s hoof stepped down onto the bed and she pulled herself up. Shocking Dash. Shocking herself, but she did it.

Soul stepped up to where Dash was. Looking down upon her and smiling sweetly.

“Can I?” she asked. Dash held her mouth open. Laying on her side but… she slowly nodded. Looking away. As she expected, Soul could tell the filly was embarrassed. So am I. But it’s not going to stop Soul. Because I finally get to know what it is like. To be this close to another.

Soul laid down. Going under the same blanket as Dash, setting her head down on the same pillow. So close to her… and her heart beat fast. So very close. To where Dash’s rainbow mane sat just at the edge of Soul’s nose. Where she could see her best friend shaking. So frightened. Even Soul’s wings trembled a little. But she still managed to laugh.

“We’ve… never done anything like this before, huh?” Closest they got to do was hugging. Nothing like this. Is it weird for us to do this? We’re best friends and all, wingponies and friends forever. I… I don’t feel weird at all. Indeed, Soul could admit to herself that she was actually starting to love this. Actually wanting more of this. For them to be so close in the dark together.

9.65
“Yeah…” Dash laughed. Fading out and the filly went back to trembling in terror over there. “I uh, never had a friend sleep in bed with me before. First time for everything” Dash said. “It’s kind of different.”

“Do you want me to get out. I can sleep back on my bed” Soul offered, about to get up but a hoof stopped her and Dash turned over.

“No!” The filly’s wide eyes settling back down just like her rushed voice. “No. Lie down.”

Dash pushed her back and Soul did as she wanted. Finding a place on the pillow once more. Where Dash joined her again. Keeping her back to Soul and she sighed. “I’ve only done this with mom so… I’m a little… um…” No need to say. This is new to me too. But, Dash was right about something. Soul did wonder.

“Why do you want me to sleep with you? I’m not your family or anything.” Though sometimes, I wish I had a family like this one. “It’s nothing that special…” Dash said. Stopping right there. The filly slinked under the blanket a little. Nothing special? But I thought… she wanted this. I really did wish she did see this as something. Honestly, Dash, you’re the first pony I’ve ever laid in a bed with. For her to lay down next to another as both of them drifted off into the night. She never felt it before. But was this what it would be like if she had a mother there to do this with her?

Is this what she had missed out on?

This feeling. It’s something so meaningful to her. So much so that she did want to say something about it.

9.66
“It’s Hearth’s Warming so I figured we could keep being together” Dash said. “Oh… okay” Soul whispered. Pulling the blanket over her a little and laying down inside the soft and warm bed.

I really don’t know why she wanted me to do this. Dash was so scared right now. If she had something to say, she should say it. Because Soul had something to say. “This must be what it’s like to have a mother to sleep with.” “No… it’s not.”

Soul couldn’t react when Dash scooched back, her rainbow mane filling her vision and coming over her. All those hairs falling on her face and… all the warmth coming over her. Feeling so close to her. Because they were. She could tell that Dash was laying against her. So close, and Soul… she had to move her hooves. Laying them down on Dash’s side and seeing right now that she held the filly against her stomach. With Dash’s little wings swaying against her belly and Dash’s back fur warming her. But she couldn’t believe it. Her heart pounding. So warm. So… soft. That she was holding her best friend under the covers. “This is what it’s like” Dash said calmly.

So calm now, and Soul listened to her beating heart. Laying her nose into Dash’s mane. Like a pillow. I’m actually hugging her like this? In bed.

Why… why can’t I even move? Only able to tighten her hooves around Dash’s body. Hold her tight against her stomach.

9.67
“I wanted to do this because you’re my best friend and I want you to be the pony I get to sleep with” Dash said. “I know you have felt so lonely for so long, but… I don’t want that anymore. From now on… I want you to know that I will always be there for you. You don’t need to be alone. Just please, never leave me alone. Promise me, Soul.”

No exaggeration. No smart ass tone. Dash was serious and Soul could hear it. Why else would she make me feel this way? For my heart to calm and my eyes to feel so heavy, breathing against her lovely mane. Not even the lose hairs tickling her face, only warming her. Closing her eyes against the back of her head. Not letting go of her.

Rainbow Dash has never shown me this side of her. For her to be this sweet, this open to me. Only… only her parents. She trusts me. She includes me. She is the pony who will always keep me company and… and I’ll never be alone. She’s here with me. So much that Soul could cry. Loving it so much. We are best friends, and you showed me a world I never thought I would have. Thank you.

Soul would do something for her. Keep her warm. All night long. Soul lifted her free wing up. Rising it under the blanket and sliding the feathers over Dash. Curling it down and pulling Dash in. Deep into her wing’s embrace. To where she felt all of Dash underneath that massive wing. You can have a special hug from me. All night long. Like no other. To show how much you mean to me. Dashie. You are important to me. You mean the world to me. I’ll never let you go. I’ll never leave your side, my heart won’t let me. Her heart driving her.

“I promise.” Leaning in. “I promise I will never leave you.” I hope this will show it, how much you mean to me. More than a wingpony. You are… my family.

9.68
Soul’s lips set down on Dash’s cheek. Going back and waiting… but nothing came. A small shudder from Dash under her wing and the pony fell still. Breathing softly. Leaving with the kiss Soul gave to her cheek.

Nothing more.

Soul put her face back into her mane, smiling… then fading. Listening to her friend breath. “Thank you… for today” Soul whispered.

Even as her heart felt shallow now… now that Dash fell asleep. She still remembered what Dash had said to her. It meant a lot. Though… I wish I could get a kiss too. I wish.

Soul closed her eyes. Remembering the soft feeling of fur against her lips. The first kiss… I’ve ever given. Given to you, Dashie. I’ll always be by your side. Please… be by mine.

Sweet dreams, Soul Serenity.

9.69
Rainbow waited, unable to speak. Like something stuck in her throat. Hard to breath. Fearing her pounding heart. Waiting for Soul’s breathing to calm against the back of her neck. The filly fell asleep.

Dash was so warm, so cozy under her best friend’s wing. Closer than anything else before. Held so tight. Another pony behind her who left a strange feeling on her cheek. She wanted to touch the spot. She didn’t dare or else wake Soul up. But it still hung there. That little touch to her cheek and… and how hot her face was.

As the candle died away and darkness came over her. Hiding how red her cheeks were. Leaving that feeling only to her and hidden from everypony else. Even from the pony who made her feel this way. Why? Soul.

Dash placed her hoof upon her own chest. How fast it did beat.

Why do you make me feel this way?

Next Chapter: Part 1 Illusion - Act 10 Estimated time remaining: 42 Hours, 53 Minutes