//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Flight // Story: Of Loyalty and Chaos // by PxDnNinja //------------------------------// The days passed rather quickly for Swift as he learned his way around Ponyville, meeting different shop keepers and such. The night he had stayed at the library was pleasant, but he was woken up early by the sound of crates being moved around. Turns out Twilight wasn't joking when she said a new shipment of books were coming in, as at least a hundred books had arrived and needed to be sorted. Most likely they still needed to be sorted. Swift had started out helping Spike and Twilight to sort books, but about three books in, Twilight jumped and ran to a desk with some old dusty book and started flipping through pages, speaking of magic and something called Discord Theory. Spike just shrugged and told Swift that when she gets like this, just ignore her. The two ended up getting many of the books put away when Dash had shown up and the three went out to eat at some place called Sugarcube Corner. Inside was a world of sweets more glorious than anything Swift could imagine he had ever seen. Dash and Spike had just grinned at him until a pink blur shot across the room and introduced herself. Swift missed most of the conversation, but managed to catch her name as Pinkie Pie, and apparently he was just in time for his party-to-plan-the-welcome-party. Again Swift felt he was just along for the ride, and went with what Dash and Spike did. A small party was had, or small for Pinkie Pie as he was later told, and the group was well fed. Before leaving, Pinkie Pie invited them to the actual welcome party in a few days. After that, Dash and Swift continued around town while Spike went to help finish up things at the library. The pair roamed the town and Dash showed Swift were all the important buildings were before she eventually had to head to some weather team event. Swift made his way to Sweet Apple Acres and ended up watching after the CMC again while AJ and Mac worked the field. He enjoyed the energy and pure excitement the fillies always seemed to have and found himself sad every time the managed to accomplish a goal, to only end up without their cutie marks that they so clearly desired. He would then get paid and deal with food, before visiting the library to read a few books on flight and history of the pegasi, or would just explore the town until evening. Today however, things would finally change. ---------------------------------- "Good news Swift, your wing looks to be fully healed. All other injuries are gone as well, so you are clear to fly, run, or pretty much whatever you want." Dr. Stable explained, smiling to Swift who was flexing his wings to their full span, enjoying the feel of not having to keep the right wing folded up constantly. A huge smile was on Swift's face. "Awesome! I can finally learn to fly and have a steady job." The hunt for a job each day was his biggest dread. Granted watching the fillies was a majority of what he ended up doing, some of his money came from hauling deliveries or other menial tasks. The doctor simply nodded, understanding the pegasus' excitement, but had one more question. "Well, I wish you best of luck with that. However, I do need to ask about the amnesia. Have you been able to remember anything?" The doctor asked, carefully. He didn't like bringing up the subject in case it brought depression to the pegasus, but he simply needed to mark it down on the records. Swift paused and thought over the past week. "I haven't actually tried to remember anything, doctor." He realized. After a moment, he closed his eyes and thought about something simple. His name: What was his name? "OUCH!" The stabbing pain he hadn't felt in days returned in force as he thought of the past. The doctor jumped forward to catch the wobbling pegasus. A nurse stepped in quickly at the shout as well, but the doctor waved her away. After a few moments, Swift opened his eyes and was able to stand back up. "Thanks doc. I guess there's been no change on that front. Anytime I really think about stuff prior to waking I get a sharp pain in my head, like I'm being stabbed." He explained, still rubbing at the side of his head. The doctor simply nodded and marked some stuff down on the paperwork. "Well, that's sad to hear, but shouldn't have any effect on your physical health from what I can see. Just be careful and if the pain get's worse, or if you do remember something, be sure to come by so we can make sure all is well." The doctor explained as he signed the final release papers. "Other than that, you are good to go Swift. Hopefully we don't have to see you back in here any time soon." The doctor added with a smile. Swift grinned and nodded. "Thank you doctor. I'll try not to be back." Swift replied before turning to head out the door to the clear and sunny day outside. ------------------------------------- The sun was just short of being directly overhead, letting Rainbow Dash know instinctively it was around 11:00 in the morning. Her had woken earlier than normal today in order to finish up clearing the sky so she could wait at the clinic for Swift to get his final checkup before the first flight lessons. Dash was excited to start teaching Swift in the art of aerial maneuvering, since none of her other friends either had an interest, or ability, to partake in it. Fluttershy was way to timid to try any technical flight maneuvers, and the only other friend she had that had flown was Rarity, and that didn't go over too well. Swift, however, had expressed interest in not only flying, but high speed flying and stunts. If Dash could get him near her own level of flight (though not equal, she was the best in all of Equestria after all), then she could have a partner to practice multi-pegasi stunts to show off for the Wonderbolts. 'With Swift's help, they will have to take me!' Dash thought with a bit of childlike glee building up. 'Perhaps Swift will get in as well, and we can go from city to city showing off our amazing talent!' Dash's imagination had her flying around Cloudsdale Cloudosseum with Swift and Spitfire to the roar of her adoring fans. Unfortunately for Dash, he body was still leaning against a tree when someone shouted at her from behind. "SURPRISE!" A voice shouted just inches from behind her, causing Dash's fantasy to dissolve rapidly as she jumped and spun from whoever it was. After a moment of adrenaline, she recognized the laughing form of Swift who seemed quite pleased with himself. "Haha! I have been waiting for days to do that to you!" He said between laughs. Dash just stood there for a moment, letting her wings slowly relax back down to her side before a grin came to her face at the prank. She had surprised Swift a few times while healing, so turnabouts fair play it seems. "Ha. Ha. Fair enough, you had your fun, and I guess I did deserve that." Dash admitted as she relaxed and walked back over to where Swift was recovering. Looking down his side at the injured wing, she noticed no new bandages or the like. "So how is it? Good news?" Dash asked, looking back into his eyes. Swift just nodded and flexed his wings to their maximum span, taking a pose similar to Dash and Scootaloo's when they posed as Wonderbolts. "Better than ever. Doc says I'm cleared for takeoff, and to be honest, I am excited. I might not remember flying, but being stuck on the ground has kinda been driving me up the wall." Swift explained, the chance to be free of gravity, even slightly, raising his spirits. He noticed after the second day of recovery that he would often look to the sky where pegasi were flying and wish he was up there. Dash just grinned and nodded in understanding. "You're a pegasus. We are meant for the sky. It's in our blood. Even Fluttershy has to go fly every so often, and you know how she is." Dash explained, flexing her own wings as well, tempted to just take off right there. The desire to feel the wind through her main was always pulling at her, and when she thought about it, it made it worse. Swift's look of excitement to learn flight kept her grounded for the moment however. "Well, let's do this. I can't stand not knowing flight anymore." Swift said, closing his wings up and moving alongside Dash. Dash nodded and lead the way, a part of her keeping tabs on how close Swift was beside her. --------------------------------------- Dash lead Swift to a field just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Swift recognized the location instantly as an area he had watched over the Cutie Mark Crusaders the day before. The field was flat and open, good for running around, or in what was sure to be the case, flying low to the ground without hitting things. The sky was mostly clear, with a couple of small clouds lingering. "Ok! Let's start with the basics and hope your wings are strong enough to support you. They should be, but without your memory let's assume the worst." Dash explained as she spread her wings and flapped them slowly, lifting herself about a foot off the ground. Swift watched her wing movement intently and started emulating what he saw, but gravity remained steadfast in its grip. Frustration kicked in as it tended to and Swift started flapping harder. The grass didn't seem to like it, but other than that, no effect. "Ok ok ok. Stop. That was way to fast. You aren't catching air when you flap down. Remember you need to have your wings rigid when you press down so you lift off the air." Dash explained, reaching out and grabbing Swifts wing in her hoofs. She lifted it and lowered it in a method showing where he should be changing his muscle tension. "See, right here, tense up and flap down hard, then rinse and repeat. Keep a steady rhythm." Dash continued. Swift was startled for a moment by the feel of someone holding his wing. Since he had awoken, no one had really touched his wing beyond a slight tap by the doctors and nurses, so he didn't realize exactly how sensitive they were. Luckily Dash knew so she didn't have much pressure on them. "Ok Dash, let me try again." Swift said, pulling his concentration back to the task at hand. After a deep breath, he lifted his wings up and just a single time pushed down. This time he felt it. The weight on his hoofs lessened slightly. Grinning, the continued the motion, flapping down hard and up gently in a steady rhythm. "Perfect, just speed up a little and you will have it!" Dash said, excited at the speed that Swift was picking up on flying. It appeared his body did remember how to fly, even if his mind did not. After a few moments, Swift looked down and saw the ground a good five feet below his hoofs. The smile on his face was nearly blinding. Dash couldn't help but feel warm that someone else was enjoying flight as much as she did. "AWESOME!" Swift shouted, and in doing so, drifted forward nearly crashing into Dash who shot up in the air in time to avoid the hit. After a moment Swift stabilized himself and looked back to Dash. "Oops, sorry." He laughed, self deprecatingly at his obvious inexperience. Dash joined the laugh and lowered back down. "Don't worry about it. Everyone drifts their first time in the air. Lucky I wasn't a tree." Dash said, sounding as though she spoke from experience. "But, now that we have you in the air, I can tell your wings are strong enough to actually do long flights, so just need to relearn how." Dash proceeded to explain how to tilt in order to turn left and right, the logic behind banking, and even how to fly upside down briefly. What shocked her was Swift's ability to rapidly pick it up. "This is fantastic. Finally no more walking all over the place." Swift cheered as he literally flew circles around Rainbow Dash, who was just watching him from a static spot in the air. "You're right, it is very fantastic. But how are picking this up so quickly? Even muscle memory wouldn't explain this." Dash finally asked as she lifted up and landed on a cloud. Swift followed and landed beside her, looking out over Ponyville in the distance. "That would be Twilight's fault." Swift explained as he let his wings rest. Dash's look of supreme shock was priceless, causing Swift to wish he had a camera. "She had books on pegasus flight, including some practice techniques that would work on the ground, plus the physics behind controlling flight in the air." Swift continued, reaching over and closing Dash's mouth with his hoof. "Why do you think I spent time at the library each afternoon?" He asked. "Well I thought you were staying there. Didn't realize you were being an egghead." Dash teased once her shock wore off. Part of her felt bad for brushing off Twilight's offer to help a week ago just before they met Swift. Maybe, just maybe, it was worth looking into. But that would be later, for now, she had a better plan. "Not at all. Only stayed there the first night out of the hospital. I don't want to impose on anyone." Swift explained as he looked back out over Ponyville. For a moment, they sat in silence. Then Dash simply turned and pushed him off the cloud. "WHAT THE HAY!" Swift quickly flipped in the air and stopped his fall, raising back up and looking Dash directly in the eyes. He was clearly unamused, whereas Dash was highly amused. "BWAHAHA!" Dash rolled on her back, laughing enthusiastically. "You should have seen your face!" She exclaimed between breaths. Swift realized what she had done, and what. The sudden fall forced him to face the fear of falling, which had been hiding in the back of his mind, and proved he could recover from such an issue. Still, the method of teaching sucked in his opinion. "Ha ha Dash. You're a riot." He said, deadpanned. Dash just looked at him and nodded that he was absolutely correct. "I am, I know. But I have a great idea. Now that you have control and seem to have decent speed, how about a race over Ponyville. READYSETGO!" Dash explained then took off, spinning Swift like a top in the air. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Swift yelled, taking off after Rainbow Dash. ------------------------------------ "Hello, Ms. Cheerilee. How are you this day." The shopkeeper stated as the local schoolteacher walked up to purchase some cherries. "Oh I'm quite fine. How are you?" Ms. Cheerilee responded with a friendly smile, setting down some cherries to purchase.The shop keeper opened his mouth to answer, but a ruckus from down the street pulled their attention. "BETTER KEEP UP!" A voice yelled as people were diving out of the way. Suddenly a cyan blue with a rainbow trail shot past Ms. Cheerilee on her left, and a purple blur with a matching color trail passed on her right kicking up a cloud of dust. Dash and Swift continued cutting up and down streets, typically above everyone's head, but dipping down for a challenge. Pulling up beside Dash, who was clearly not using all her speed, Swift glanced over and grinned. The two had been at this for half an hour, trading lead and trying to out maneuver each other. At least Swift was trying to, he had no illusion that Dash couldn't lose him if she tried. "Swift, we will have you doing stunts like me in no time at this rate!" Dash said, looking over to Swift with a cocky grin. The two shared the moment before looking ahead, right at the cart being pushed into their path. "OH CRAP." Swift pulled up at the same time as Dash, however the two drifted a bit to close and their wings collided. Typically wings falling out of sync isn't an issue for a pegasus, however with their speed, the impact numbed their respective wings, causing the to fall towards the injured limb. Naturally this means they fell into one another, and rather violently given their speed. "Ouch!" Dash managed to say before the two collided in mid air. The lack of any wing support at this point caused the two to hit drop towards the ground and hit it hard, rolling across the street and up some stairs. --------------------- "Opal, where are you? We need to get ready to take you to Fluttershy's place. You know you enjoy how she cuts your hair." Rarity searched around her studio for her white fluff ball of a cat. She was such a darling, but sometimes Rarity thought that cat could be more trouble than she was worth. Not that she would ever tell the poor thing such a terrible thing. "I know you are around here, come on out." She tried to coax the cat into showing herself, but she hadn't had any luck over the last half hour, so why she expected it to work now she had no idea. 'Rainbow might be onto something with that turtle or whatever of hers. I can't imagine it could hide well.' She thought, looking over at the time. "BAM!" 'What in the world was that!' Rarity jumped at the loud impact of her door. 'Someone must really need a dress, and I really need a break from this wild hunt.' Rarity made her way to the door to see what was going on. Opening it, she met a sight she couldn't image. On her doorstep lay Rainbow Dash and Swift, cuddled up with each other in quite an inappropriate position, wish Dash's head laying against Swifts neck while he lay on his back beneath her. The two didn't move for a moment till Dash moaned slightly. 'Well, um...this is interesting.' Ponyville's professional gossip recovered and started grinning with a grin promising no end of ridicule for Rainbow Dash. The pony in question finally got her senses and looked up to see Rarity standing before them, smile on her face. 'Rarity? OH MY GOD!' Dash thought as she looked down at Swift, then up to Rarity and back a couple of times. "It's not what it looks like!"