//------------------------------// // Limits // Story: Gift of Flight // by Skylas //------------------------------// Gift of Flight         The breath of the air touched her lips, becoming cold from her licking them in anticipation, peering over the edge of the cloud she was perched upon and staring out at the endless expanse of land, as well as the layers of clouds beneath her.         “Breathe.” muttered the mare. After a sharp inhale, her breathing slowly returned to normal, taking a step back and slowly letting her wings unfurl, catching the wind beneath them. Tilting left and right with them, feeling the bones strain slightly from the tilting with a soft grimace. She had become used to the soft pain of trying to flap what couldn’t. Keeping her breath in tempo with the wind, she took a step forward and stared down once more, feeling an intense vertigo take over her for a short moment before looking up, breathing. The feeling in her gut had told her she could jump and be free, but logic told her she wasn’t able to.         “Sugar!? Where are you!?” called a mare from behind Sugar. Giving a soft sigh, her wings furled nicely against her body once more, as they had nearly always been.         “Coming!” responded Sugar, turning and galloping along the cloud constructed path back to her parents. Observing and watching all the other pegasi, and while some unicorns were capable of flight, the skies truly were their domain. Peering up at the others who seemed so free and happy to be among the clouds, feeling her thoughts slowly plummet to a darker place. When she arrived, she had collided headfirst into the chest of her mother, who had quickly wrapped her forehooves around her.         “Oh my sweet Celestia, you know how worried I get when you disappear like that! I was about to check the net. Goodness knows what you were doing all the way near the edge.” a mixture of scolding and love filled her voice, much to Sugar’s dismay.         “I’m fine… I told you that I-”         “Upup! It’s okay, I can take you to town to look around soon, just stay right there, I’ll go get my bags and we can head out!” The stream of words left her mother’s mouth faster than she could quite keep up. Before she could respond her mother had turned and entered the home. Sugar gave a sigh, simply turning and watching the sky and the area around the home. The area typically was quiet, given her condition the home was one of the few directly connected to the main areas of the city, typically reserved for upper class ponies. The outer reaches of Cloudsdale were places without physical connections, where the average pegasi lived. This only really served to remind Sugar of her longstanding condition. Sugar observed the plants that her mother had purchased.         “A way to get used to what you’ll see on the ground some day!~” sneered and mimicked Sugar, being a bit louder than she had intended, a simple reply coming from above her.         “Pft what?” Sugar quickly peered up, coming nearly nose to nose with another pegasus, who had quickly turned and landed in front of her with a rather wide smile. Recognizing the mare who had intruded on her quiet time, Sugar gave a soft giggle, smiling herself.         “Heya Red.” huffed Sugar with a slowly fading smile, shuffling her legs beneath her.         “Ayo!” barked the grey pegasus behind a widening grin, who slowly started flapping her wings and drifted upside down. “Ah come on, before I turn you upside down too, I can see the frown coming.” Sugar kept her soft smile, until of course Red’s hoof extended out and pushed against Sugar’s snout softy, “Boop.” snickered Red, which had finally gotten a bit of laughter and a bit of a brighter smile from Sugar.         “Hmheh… Thanks. I really don’t know how you always know when I’ve got bad thoughts on my mind.” huffed Sugar, who watched Red land back on her feet and lay down.         “It’s a bit easy, you always look through me instead of at me.”         “What? How do you look -through- someone?” questioned Sugar.         “Like this!” Red stared at Sugar, her pupils slowly widening, continuing until Sugar’s hoof pressed against the center of Red’s face and pushed it away gently. “What’s wrooong?! That’s how you look when you’re freakin’ out inside.”         “I doubt it… I can still see you staring!” snickered Sugar, who looked down and removed her hoof. “Hey, my mother’s taking me out to the stores soon, wanna come with?”         “Huhm~ Do pegasus fly?” smiled Red… Who had quickly realized her mistake and coughed, “I-I uhm I mean d-do uh-”         “It’s fine Red, in most situations that would have worked perfectly. Gotta remember i’m not exactly uh… normal.” Sugar’s wings stretched out, tilting them the half inch they would tilt.         “Ugh, now it’s my fault you’re thinking bad things! Yes, i’ll come, but now I owe you ice cream!” groaned Red who rolled onto her back and wiggled her legs into the air.         “Red, you don’t have to get me anything. It’s fine really.” as she finished her sentence, Red’s nose was pressed quite firmly between Sugar’s eyes as she stared.         “I’m going to buy you the biggest tub of ice cream they have.” Red stated firmly.         “Fine.” sighed Sugar. The sound of hoofs pitter pattering behind Sugar alerted her to the presence of her mother, turning and standing to face her with a soft smile. Her mother had donned a simple bag, as well as what seemed like a quick layer of makeup, the one thing her mother didn’t seem to do quickly.         “Hey, is it alright if Red joins us? She said she wants to buy me ice cream.” Sugar said with a look that her mother had seen lots of times, which basically meant, Red is insisting again.         “Alright~ That sounds lovely.” chuckled Sugar’s mother as she gave Sugar a pat. The trio set off towards the main city, walking as they always did. A conversation between Red and Sugar’s mother had quickly started as they walked, leaving Sugar with her thoughts as she stared up at the layers of clouds above her.         “Can a pegasus truly be a pegasus if she is bound to the ground? I suppose I have to figure that one out by myself.”