In Which Fluttershy Learns the Pegasus Art of Falling without Dying
Learning to Soar
“Are you ready?”
So much in a single question! Was she ready? Was this something she wanted after all? It was so easy to talk about how much she wanted this, but it was a different matter entirely to stand on a cloud high up in the sky and look down.
It wasn’t that heights scared Fluttershy. No, she once again told herself as she looked back at her companion, she may be a terrible flyer, but she wasn’t that bad a pegasus. It was just the idea of flying so high up, where there was no chance of surviving a fall.
Ponyville was so small below her. She would fall for a long time.
“I…” She hated faltering, but there was just no way she could go through with this. None.
Soarin’ shushed her. “Flutters, don’t run. You have wings—beautiful wings—and they should fly sometime. You can do this.”
“But… it’s so high,” Fluttershy countered, trying not to think or look at how small her cottage was. She could think and look at nothing else. It was so tiny, and she could blot it and all of her chicken coops and trees with a single hoof. If she hadn’t recognize the path leading to it, she would never have realized that this was her own house.
“It is,” Soarin’ admitted. “It’s very high up. I’m not going to lie to you, Flutters.”
“I don’t… have to, right? I mean, they forgot the first time…”
“Yeah, they did. But Flutters, I think they didn’t. I think they didn’t believe in you.”
She scooted away from the edge of the cloud.
“I’m not sure I believe in me.”
He sighed. Suddenly, Fluttershy could feel his forelegs around her. Soarin’ kissed her forehead, and she nuzzled under his chin. Maybe if she just kept doing this, he would simply let it slide. She would distract him; it wasn’t so hard. A good nuzzling, the promise of pie sometime in the future…
But for once—perhaps even for the first time in his entire life—Soarin’ was not to be distracted from the task at hoof.
He kissed her ear and she giggled, but then he was whispering.
“How about this? I’ll show you how it works one more time, alright?”
She shook her head. I’ve seen you, Soarin’. I watch you fly all the time.
“Yeah, yeah, I know you don’t wanna do it. But trust me, won’t ya? You’ve gotta do it. Not because it’s a spot on your record, but for you. If you don’t, then you’ll always be afraid.”
And she was totally fine with that. She continued shaking her head. “No, it’s alright. I don’t mind. If it’s okay with you… Can we just stay here? On the cloud?”
“You can, yes. Watch.”
And then he was gone. She didn’t even see him take off; only a gust of strong wind and a blue blur in the sky right before her face told her what had happened. Hurrying to the edge she had retreated from, she tried to catch sight of him.
There he was, his wings almost tucked in, falling like a stone. She stared in silent awe.
And then the freefalling was done with, and he had pulled up. Soarin’ sailed straight through the hoops of cloud that he’d made for her, and did a barrel roll just for good measure. He was free, coming back up, slowing down as he climbed against the pull of gravity, almost as if he was clawing his way up some mountain’s unforgiving face.
He was beautiful. He was brave. It was like the first time she’d truly, truly seen him, when Rainbow had given them her extra tickets from the Wonderbolts to come see her first show. She’d loved it, and Rainbow had been wonderful. But then she’d seen him, how those gorgeous, strong wings beat at the air and resisted the pull of earth.
And then he was at her side again, and the memory faded away.
His mane was a mess, as it always was. He had a goofy, smug grin, as he always did. He was on the verge of laughing, as it always seemed he wanted to.
“C’mon.”
“I...” It was hard to resist. On one hoof, she was terrified. The ground was so far down, and she’d always hated dives. She had suspected what Soarin’ was sure of: the examiners who’d given her the Civilian Emergency Aid certification test had let her slide.
Diving and flying had just... not come up. Ever.
“Please? I promise you, if you freak out and your wings lock up, I’ll be right there. I’ll save you. You trust me, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
He gestured at the edge of the cloud and his grin grew wider. “Then jump. Be brave, because I know you are.”
Her hooves moved, despite every instinct that told her to stay still. Soarin’s words washed against the dam of her defenses like waves, and slowly they began to crumble. As they often did.
“It... are you sure?”
“I’ve got you. Go for it, Shy.”
She trembled, and flared her wings out. Fluttershy shook them, trying to imagine herself pulling up, soaring through the rings, hitting her mark just right... She took a deep breath.
“Want a count down?” Soarin’ asked from behind her. She jumped a little, and then nodded with embarassment.
“Three.... Two...”
She tensed. Could she do this? Maybe she shouldn’t. She’d never done this excercise right in flight school. She had her certification anyway... she should’ve never told Soarin’ about this... telling her Wonderbolt that she was afraid of freefall was such a bad idea!
“One!”
And then somehow, she jumped.
It was a nightmare. The ground was rushing to meet her, and she stared in wide-eyed terror at the bridge. Oh gods, she would never make it. She was going to crash! She’d never pull up in time! She tried to open her wings early, but they were locked to her sides and she began to scream.
But the descent tore her breath away, and there was no sound. She tried to open her wings again and pull out of the dive.
It worked. She could feel the pull on her wings and body and the wind howled in her ears, but she leveled out. The rings were right before her, but she was still barely in control of her speed and avoided clipping the bottom of the rings by an inch at most.
It took only a moment, and then she was back in the open, free of the cloud rings. She’d slowed enough to control herself, and came to a stop, hovering. She panted, her eyes wide and her heart protesting rebelliously. Her windswept mane hung in her face, and she tried to brush it away with a shaky hoof, but found it too hard to keep herself still. Laughing nervously, she shook her head and the pink strands cleared from her vision.
Soarin’ was below her, grinning like a foal at Hearth’s Warming. He let out a cry of triumph and was in front of her in a flash, wrapping her in a bear hug.
“You did it!”
She couldn’t get any words out at all. But she was fine with that; Soarin’ could talk for both of them.
He kissed her in mid air and then released her. She wobbled, but stayed upright.
“I’m proud of you, Shy. C’mon, back to the cloud so you can sit and breathe. You look like you’re about to faint.”
Fluttershy followed him up to their cloud, and tried to dispell the nervous twitching in her hooves. Some leftover terror still flowed through her, but then she watched Soarin’ and it left her.
They landed, and she folded in her wings, shocked at how the terror had drained away.
“So... was it... good?” She asked.
He grinned.
“Amazing.”
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I think ya might have messed up with the character tags there, Cyne.
Cyne...
The only should really get left out.
Yeah, I believe in you! Also, shouldn't there be an apostrophe before "Shy".
Cyyyyyneeee.....
Wait...
Does that look purple to you?
Fluttershy being happy and brave and terrified makes me happy! More 'Shy!
Short but very sweet. A simple moment between them, and captured their love for each other.
Only complaint is the tags, you've got AJ confused with Fluttershy.
1965765 you are both my savior and my bane
1965711>>1965683 This is why life is sad
1965787 Sorry 'bout that!
1965823
You're... welcome?
Sweet story, and a very nice change from all the fics that ship the exact same the exact same way.
1965837 :3 This is what happens when something is not good enough to bother y'all with. :P I mess it all up. haha.
1965840
I'd have gladly helped you. (Have you checked FB?)
1965765 "Task at hand" is used numerous times in the show; it is correct.
1965854 Actually that makes me like it even more.
1965864 haha. Actually, I'm with both of you. I prefer to stick with equine-y terminology.
But, it's not something that's terrible to not use here and there. They say "someone" sometimes too.
1965823
Not a problem, I happen to like SoarinJack as well
1965874 I've never once heard "Task at hoof" in show, though. I remember directly off the top of my head that Shining Armour and Rainbow Dash (as Commander Hurricane) used "Task at hand," but roll with what you want. It's a great story either way.
1965864
It just... I've got this thing with human stuff. I know it may be correct, but it still bugs me.
1965884 I have this thing with human stuff as well, but I *personally* try to keep as accurate to the show as possible. But whatever floats the writer's boat, y'know.
1965874
Is that how you spell Flier?
1965840 That was adorable! I love Fluttershy!
Have some mustaches! 
This makes me want to see more of this pair
Well, after reading, I can safely say this: adorable. Good job as always.
1966785 Yay it doesn't totally suck~~
This was great! I'd love to see more of them as well, but a oneshot is great too! I think you did a pretty good job of getting into Fluttershy's head! This is coming from some one who doesn't write Fluttershy often ( or particularly well), but, regardless, wonderful piece!
1966961 The debt is repaid!
Hurrah the contract fulfilled!
I think that SoarinShy will be a small part of Mad Gods, maybe a bigger part if I get a good idea. And if I get a good idea, I might come back to these two.
1966979 I enjoy the idea of Fluttershy being attracted to someone who makes her try new things and do things she may be normally afraid of doing.
cute
loved it
Fluttershy and Soarin'.... never imagined that happening.
1965711 Pie helps to maintain the relationship.
1968666 I wish there was more!
I was surprised. I couldn't find a group for it.
Yeaa shy
This is a shipping I'd never thought would see Celestia's light: Well done, you brought it to life so vividly!
can we get a prequel to this plz?!
2275564 I would like to have a bit of them after Fluttershy's... well.
There is sort of a sequel. Unfortunately, it has tons to do with Fluttershy and none to do with Soarin'. It's in my gallery: Where the Sun is Silent. Sadly, it is dark.
Hm. I might just have a real story with the two of them.
2275585
2275597 Be not too eager! Fluttershy's road in my "Songverse" is a rough one
Very sweet and powerful. Sometimes when you're really shy and scared you need someone else to help support you. Nothing wrong with that either
.
2328868 I liked this one, though I wish it could have been stronger.
Fluttershy is VERY hard to write, I've found- she ends up seeming to be a parody of herself, because all of her behaviors (except the uncharacteristic ones) are so muted that they don't stand out at all.
This is pleasant, with a nice buildup, and a simple and warming ending. I like the 'overcoming fears' aspect of it, always an uplifting story element! I like it because it's the kind of story that just feels... nice.
And there I go, making a parody of 'Shy. Now I feel bad. I should read it again to feel better.
Found one thing, if you want to poke around in the guts of this - "dispell" in one of the last paragraphs.
2555566 you're so mean, Feather.
Glad ya liked it. I paid off my debt to Bronius and all was well
and if you like being sad
This is Songverse
2555589
*L* I'm not a fan of bein' sad, but... if that's the price of having Songverse to read?
My wallet of emotions, sir, it is yours to rifle.
2555602 *rifles with glee*
Have you read the fic that started it all? Where the Sun is Silent?
2555650
Not yet. I'll admit, I've been shying (hah!) away from them 'dark' tags...
On the list, next up, i'll read it though. I trust my trust is not misplaced, like my emo-wallet now seems to be?
2555660 It's a dark story. I think you might like the central conflict, though, for the story's many flaws.
2555671
Well, tomorrow then, I shall read it, and see how it sits with me. I have read some dark stuff and found it to be good.
I just have a weak spot for these colorful equine folk; I just want them to be happy in the end, y'know? Not super-ecstatic, but... content.
2555650
Wrong Story. Oh 'Props, what are ye doin', boy?
Where The Sun Is Silent:
I lied again- I stayed up and read until I had to prep for work.
I didn't finish, but I got through the part I knew was coming, the part I didn't want to have to really acknowledge.
You and your 'central conflict... ' I've said before that your writing shares some uncanny parallels with my own experiences, and that's present again in the first part as well. Twilight's dream was prescient and dredged up a haunting sense of guilt. Good imagery, the black hole...
Trapped in a snare of her own making. The dichtomous feelings of love and hate... They're enough to make you give up or lash out.
The build-up is very good, a little slow but steady, with such normal, happy scenes interposed that it's almost painful up keep going without skipping ahead.
As I feared, this was both painful to read and hard to stop reading. Rainbow Dash, well, for her I have a feeling of sympathy and fear. To have what you love, what you define yourself torn away from you... Let's just say I get re-acquainted with those sort of fears on an annual basis.
This is very good. There is a great, demanding story of tragedy and love and survival in here, and to be honest its not one I would prefer to be along for, but there's a loyalty, almost a kinship that your writing creates, and I can't leave this unwitnessed - it would feel like an abandonment.
Thank you, it's good, but... Ouch.
This wasn't bad at all (though I don't really get what flying has to do with being a medic... or why she's a medic...)
The odd thing this stirred in me is a sense that Soarin is another pony I can only ship one-way (with Applejack; at least as far as straight shipping goes...) I just can't see him in a relationship with Fluttershy, and I sort of want to know how they got to that point. :B
2561255 I actually ship SoarinJack too! Writing a bit of Soarin' and Applehat was one of the most fun parts of writing The Night is Passing actually.
Aww.
Good to see Flutters in better spirits. Not a common ship, but this shows that she and Soarin really can complement each other.
I think I've only seen this ship once or twice other than this here. It's sweet.
D'aaaaawwww.
So sweet. 
This was a pleasant little read, and it was fun imagining them up on the fluffy cloud. Cute story. Thank you for sharing. 
Aww thats sweet
This is actually pretty nice a little short but nice and it was very sweet of soarin helping Fluttershy to conquer her fear and and yeah she was pretty terrified when she went down but she really did conquer her fear thanks to him and they share a moment with each other and this was also a very interesting shipping between these two which I like that again it was nice keep up the good work