Dashie's First Day

by ForteFermata

Chapter 2

Rainbow Dash and her father walked down the main hall of the school. After a moment of passing classes and smiling at other ponies, Rainbow looked up at her dad.

"Hey Dad?" She asked

"Yes, Dashie?" He replied, using his pet name for her, knowing that she hated it when he called her that in public.

Rainbow Dash cringed just a little bit at the use of her pet name, but she didn't comment on it. "What was with that mare's eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Her father asked, looking down at her with a bit of concern.

"The mare back in the lobby. The one you talked to. There was something wrong with her eyes." Rainbow explained. "When she smiled at me, her eyes went all..." She thought for a moment, trying to find the right word. "Weird." She said. "Like, they didn't point the same way."

"Oh, yes... Well, um..." Rainbow's dad was uneasy for a moment. It's never simple to explain to a child how some ponies are different. "Well, you see Dash... Some mares... And even some stallions, for that matter, are a little bit... Special." He began to explain.

"But Daddy, you say I'm special, and my eyes don't do that..." The little filly interrupted. Then her eyes went wide. "They don't do that, do they?" She asked, suddenly worried.

"No, no dear. You're eyes don't do that. Some ponies are a different kind of special. They..." He paused a moment. "Their brains work a different way from ours. And sometimes, when they are excited, or happy, or upset, their brain is thinking about that, and their brain forgets to tell their eyes to line up." He finally explained.

"Her brain forgot to make her eyes line up? So these pony's brains aren't as good as ours?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, that's not it at all. It's not that their brain's are worse. They're just different." Her father said, hoping that she would get it.

"Oh... Okay." Rainbow replied, though she wasn't convinced. Her father caught on to her tone.

"Rainbow Dash, listen. I want you to treat that mare with as much respect as you treat me with, okay? I don't care if any of the other ponies make fun of her, or say mean things about her. You be nice to her. Alright?" He said, a slight hint of sternness in his voice.

"Yes dad." Rainbow said. No matter what she thought, she always knew her dad was right.

"Okay." He replied, smiling at her. "Oh, look. Here's your classroom." The two stopped in front of a door on the right side of the hall. Rainbow's dad leaned down in front of her. "Alright now, you be good Rainbow, okay? And have fun. Oh, I can't believe it. My little Dashie's going to flight school!" He said excitedly. He reached over and hugged her.

"Dad! Not in front of the other colts! You're embarrassing me!" Rainbow complained, squirming away from her father's grip. Her father just laughed.

"Okay now. I love you. You have a good first day." He smiled at her, then turned to leave.

"I love you too daddy." Dash replied, smiling back before turning to the classroom. When she walked in, she noticed that all of the other fillies and colts were sitting at desks, talking among themselves. "Where to sit?" She asked herself.

She recognized some of the ponies from the lobby. There were the three ponies she had seen roughhousing. She knew she wasn't going to sit next to them. She chuckled when she saw the muscular white colt sitting in the front row. It was going to be fun watching him.

She scanned the rest of the seats, looking for somepony to sit with. Then she spotted an open seat next to a light yellow filly with a pink mane. "Guess I'll sit with her." Rainbow Dash said. "Doesn't look like there are many more spots left, anyway."

"Hi! My name's Rainbow Dash! Who're you?" Dash asked as she sat next to the pink maned filly.

"Oh, um, hi, my names.... Um... Fluttershy..."

"What was that? I couldn't quite here you." Rainbow said.

"I said my names... Fluttershy..."

"Couldn't quite catch that." Rainbow Dash said, leaning in closer to the filly.

"Mmmm...."

"Okay..." Rainbow said, eyeing the shy little filly. "Well, like I said, I'm Rainbow Dash. It's great to meet you." Rainbow held out a hoof to the yellow pegasus, who proceeded to hide in her mane.

Before Rainbow Dash could react, the door to the classroom opened, and a black pegasus stallion walked in. His black mane had two red stripes in it, which continued through his tail. His cutie mark was a pair of binoculars, and his body was well toned. The stallion walked to the front of the room and stood behind the teacher's desk.

"Good morning students." He said in an authoritative tone. "I am Tempest Gale, but you will address me as Mr. Gale, or simply, sir. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mr. Gale." The class said in unison.

"Good. Now, I am going to be your flight instructor this year. But first, a bit of background on myself." Tempest began pacing throughout the classroom, passing through the rows of desks, looking over his class. Many of the students seemed to lean away from him as he passed, intimidated.

"I was in the Equestrian Special Forces as a spotter for twenty years. I've seen a lot of things, and I have learned. I am here to pass that knowledge on to you. As such, I do not tolerate nonsense. Goofing around and joking while I am teaching will not be accepted. Do you understand?" Mr. Gale stopped next to the jocks Rainbow Dash had seen in the lobby. The three looked at the black stallion before saying with the rest of the class; "Yes Mr. Gale."

"Now, I try to be fair. Mistakes are alright. Failure is a part of the learning process. Just as long as you correct them." He arrived back at the front of the room after his walk around the class. "Do as you're told, and work hard, and you and I will get along just fine." He smiled slyly. "Now, can anypony tell me the most important thing about flight?"

Rainbow Dash quickly raised her hoof, but another filly in the front row beat her to it. "The most important thing about flight is the correct application and manipulation of forces over the wing surface, keeping a pegasus aloft," the filly said matter of factly.

"Egghead..." Rainbow whispered to herself.

"Incorrect!" Mr. Gale said. "While knowing the science and physics behind flight is an advantage, and it can help some ponies to fly better, it is not the most important thing when you are in the air." Rainbow Dash saw her chance and shot her hoof in the air, her wings fluttering in anticipation. "Yes? You in the back."

"The most important thing about flying is awareness." Dash said, confident in her answer.

"Yes. The most important thing to remember when you are flying is awareness. Paying attention and being aware of the sky, your body, and how it feels to fly can be the difference between a successful flight, and a crash landing. Very good miss..." Tempest took a second to look at his class roster. "Miss Rainbow Dash." He looked over at Dash. "I can see why they named you Rainbow. Lets see if the rest of your name holds true. Everypony outside. We're going for a little test flight."

Comments

[Rainbow87dash]

Looks like she's gonna get the nickname Rainbow Crash next chapter huh?