"I bet you looove chasing rainbows, huh boy?" A soft huff came from between the little pony's lips, watching a white pegasus howl. His wings, far too big for such a tiny body, flared out and flittered. The white feathers gleamed, glistening with drops of dew from the waterfall.
"Just let me through." He begged. This was a daily thing. The little baby pony trying to make his way through in this heat was just… abnormal? Unlucky perhaps it was, that his tiny form was that of a smooth hoofed stallion, standing before a pair. One was tall and bulky, strong muscled and dim-witted, a beautiful green Clydesdale. "Plleease?" He was begging, truly, trying to wedge his head, carefully held downward. He looked more submissive than a pathetic stray puppy.
"My ma says that rainbows are for queeeer little boooyys." The white pegasus seemed the picture of the legends, of stupid fairytales that always had the galant hero and the pitiful damsel the kind that spoke of humans, and gods and goddesses (that really seemed no stronger than some ponies.) This one, pegasus, with a short-cropped mane and tail, seemed just like some graceful steed out of legend.
"Is not!" Recently, the ponies had taken a turn for the worse. Not many ponies had been born lately, at all. And more so, there hadn't been any males, born since the day of his birth. That meant nine long years without a colt born. Something was wrong. That was all they could say. Aside that it seemed only one filly was born a year!
Four days into the winter celebration, that which lasts approximately two weeks and ends on the first day of the twelfth month of the year, a baby was born to the couple, Parasol and Sunlight. Both were rainbow ponies, a pairing unmatched ever before…
"You rainbow-ponies is losers! You're jus stupid earth ponies! Your magic ain't strong or nothing!" It was the pegasus that spoke haughtily. Four hoofs, large and powerful, reinforced with the delicate clop of iron, landed down behind the two.
It was contemplated by even the greatest scholars what the baby would look like. Rainbow ponies were born to special mares when a rainbow passes overhead during birth. Would the baby match the two, and make the rainbow coloration a mere gene, proving this superstition? Was it possible these colors we revered were merely a gene mutation? And perhaps, the baby would not show a hint of it's great parentage, be it that it seem another run-of-the mill earth pony-
"Hhhhuuup we go!" Starshine's large muzzle dove downward and snatched up a mouthful of blue tail and launched into air. Once up, he flapped his wings, gliding slowly and gracefully. On the other hand, the tiny pegasus flapped his wings franticly, flailing his wings.
"Let me down!" he cried.
"Rightyo." Those giant white wings slapped outward at the wind and braced their position, allowing the mouthful of tail hair to slid from between his lips. In a slight spasm of his lips, the little pony tumbled downward, trying it's best to catch itself on the wind.
Which would be a shame, because the numbers of rainbow ponies seem to dwindle as the time goes on. Not a baby has been born under the rainbow's light since Brightbow, the tiny pink pegasus who seemed even less than a rainbow than the likes of Pinwheel or Strawflower. Rainbow ponies are protectors, or at least, should be, barring Skydancer as example, for his erratic behavior and love for mischievous pranks. When that day came, everyone was waiting.
The little Clydesdale was shaking, even on land, as he watched his friend struggle. The little blue pony was too distracted to bother watching because he was intent on seeing his feathered hero. Starshine was the perfect example of a rainbow pony. He was all it was cracked up to be, even if he occasionally insisted on getting in on the pranks of Skydancer. Not that it mattered to the little one, because he seemed so cunning and beautiful as well.
Starshine's mane and tail made beautiful arcs of color as his wings closed. Tightly pressed against his body, his form started to rapidly fall, with his nose facing downward. It was so, dangerous looking! It took the breath right from the spectators' mouths. His descent was so graceful, and of course, he managed to perfect his landing. Only a hare's breath from the surface of the pond he found himself facing, he pulled upward with wings out. Majestic, as an eagle, even Majesty herself held no competition. As he pulled up, a loud splash sounded. The blue baby pony took his eyes off Starshine to laugh at the baby pony, still flailing in the shallows of the pond.
No one could believe which mare's scream echoed into the corridors. Everyone who could wanted to be there, barring a few stallions. Sunlight let his muzzle dig into Windy's neck, while Moonstone watched concerned. This day would be the deciding point of so many decisions in his life. And other ponies' too. It was hard to imagine Parasol in pain. She was a strange little dam, newly wed. And she always seemed so sarcastic, tough, but still, she was easily the only mare for Sunlight, with enough love for him and the baby they awaited.
I myself was allowed in the room, to document this birth. It was the turning point in many things. And hour and a half, I noted precisely, was the time it too for the foal to be birthed. A tiny little blue body lay in the crib-like container used for all newborns. He made a few whimpering howls, but not much noise at all. The little one was just content with holding his upwards and watching with large purple eyes. Parasol smiling wearily, with Cotton Candy grinning ear-to-ear. With that southern accent she cooed to mother and baby alike
"Your 'ittle colt's just plum beautiful, Parasol."
Now the underdog was on top. He clapped his hoofs on the ground and made a little squeal, as girlie as it sounded. The larger colt fled, as soon as he saw Starshine coming around. It seemed that his feet barely skimmed the ground in landing. On his knees, he threw his muzzle toward his back, and let the colt squirm on. First he reared back and eased the fall of his hoofs onto the pegasus's back, and then kicked his hoofs up onto the stallion's back. He chuckled and made an 'oomf!'.
"It's time to head home. What're you doing getting in trouble like that? I can't always be around to save your hide, you know." Starshine chuckled, but it seemed to have a morose tang.
"They were saying the rainbow ponies were stupid and useless." He whimpered, and with annoyance, both males flicked their rainbow-colored tails.
It had been a perfectly wonderful day. Without… a rainbow in the sky. Yet a banner of color hung from the neck of the colt. Sunlight was let in, and Moonstone beamed behind him at the sight of one like him. Just like the six. Magenta, yellow, green, and blue.
"That's great!" He whispered to Windy, whom he nuzzled affectionately.
"No." she corrected, "It's horrible."
Everyone in the room took a somber moment of silence, as the little colt struggled to stand up. Even Parasol's eyes were watery, and Sunlight held his mate carefully.
It was just as suspected. I didn't let it out. It seemed in an instant everything had changed. No rainbow had blessed the baby, and so the other ponies began to talk. Because this little one had all the looks of what was supposed rainbow-blessed, yet he wasn't. It was pure coincidence that the ponies were born with a rainbow nearby. It explained a lot, that a set of filly twins had been born under a rainbow and hath no color in their hair.
Those rainbow-blessed were no more.