//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: School is Now in Session // Story: Initial D: First Equestria Stage // by SixShooterOutlaw //------------------------------// The next morning, after the ponies met up at the castle and decided where they were going to do the training, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy decided to do the Pegasus training in the park. Itsuki and Kenji were sitting in the park while Rainbow was giving a lecture on flying. "Alright" Rainbow began "The first thing you need to master is hovering, like this" Rainbow unfurled her wings and started flapping them softly, she then started hovering a few feet off the ground and then landed "Now you try it" she told them. Kenji spread his wings out and started flapping hard but wasn't getting anywhere. Rainbow shook her heard "You're flapping too hard, Kenji" she explained "Light, gentle flaps". "Got it" Kenji then started flapping his wings lighter and started to hover a little. "That's it! You've got it! Now just keep flapping!" Rainbow said encouragingly and Kenji managed to keep hovering for a few minutes longer before getting tired. "Great job, Kenji!" she turned her head "It's your turn, Itsuki". "Alright!" Itsuki said enthusiastically, he started flapping then he managed to hover a few feet above the ground for a few moments, before starting to flap too hard and promptly falling face first into the ground. "Ouch" Itsuki groaned. "I'll get the first aid kit" Fluttershy told everyone, flying away. At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were getting ready to teach Takumi about the strength of Earth ponies. "Aright Takumi, me and Pinkie are gonna teach ya what we Earth ponies can do!" Applejack told him. "What can Earth ponies do with their strength?" Takumi asked. "Well, that all depends on what ya wanna do or what your special talent is" Applejack explained "I run the family farm, so I have to haul apples around the farm and to the market, it's harder than it sounds". "I kinda have special abilities of my own for my party planning, but I did grow up on a rock farm so I did have a way to put my strength to good use" Pinkie Pie added. "Rock farm?" Takumi asked. "Yep, I grew up on a rock farm!" Pinkie Pie answered. "Let's get things back on track here, Pinkie" Applejack told her "Now Takumi, I'm gonna help you learn how to pull a cart of apples". "Alright" Takumi said to her. Applejack went over, pulled a cart that was full of apples over and Pinkie helped her hitch it up for Takumi to pull it. "Can you pull the cart from here to that tree over there?" Applejack asked as she pointed to a tree that was several feet away. "Okay" Takumi replied, he started walking then realized he was straining slightly "This cart is heavier than I thought". "Eeyup, it takes a while to build up the strength to haul apples like I do!" Applejack informed him. At Twilight's castle, Twilight and Rarity were preparing for Iketani's magic lessons, Twilight and Rarity decided that the best place to start was using telekinesis. So Twilight brought out some teacups to practice with, Iketani was waiting in the library when Twilight and Rarity walked in. "What's with the teacups?" Iketani asked curiously. "It's for your magic lesson" Twilight answered as she set one on the ground "I wanted to start with something simple, like a teacup". "It's something most ponies use on a regular basis" Rarity explained. "Alright, Iketani" Twilight began "Just focus on the cup, then try lifting it". "I can do this" Iketani told himself, he started focusing on the teacup, then it began to shake a little. "You almost got it" Twilight told him "Now try lifting it". Iketani attempted to lift it and the cup started shaking more and more. "Wait, Iketani, relax a little or you going to..." Twilight started but suddenly the teacup exploded, scattering little pieces everywhere "..break it" Twilight finished then let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry, Twilight" Iketani said apologetically "I guess I focused a little too hard". "It's alright, Iketani" Twilight replied with a smile "Every Unicorn has had trouble the first time they used magic" she told him "I had trouble turning a page in a book when I was first learning magic". "And I embedded a sewing needle in my bedroom wall" Rarity admitted with a blush. "And if I get the chance, I can tell ponies I managed to blow up a teacup!" Iketani told them, then they all started to laugh. "Let's get back to the lesson" Twilight said still chuckling. A few hours later, the guys met up at Twilight's castle to talk about how their lessons were going, they were sitting around a table, talking about the days events when Takumi noticed something about his friend. "Hey Itsuki, what's with the bandage on your nose?" Takumi asked. "Oh, I was learning how to hover and well.." Itsuki began explaining. "What happened?" Iketani urged. "I hovered several feet off the ground for a few moments, then I fell flat on my face" Itsuki finished telling his story. "Ouch" Takumi said wincing a little "That sounded painful". "It kinda was" Itsuki admitted "But I'll get better and be the best flyer ever!". "Yeah, how did your flying go Kenji?" Iketani asked. "I hovered a few feet off the ground" Kenji told him "Nothing special, but I learned if you flap too hard, you won't get anywhere" he then looked at Takumi and asked "How did your Earth pony lessons go?". "I will never look at apples the same way again" Takumi answered "I tried to move a cart full of them and I didn't get very far, they're heavy". "Wow, sounds like we all have had some interesting moments today" Kenji observed "Hey, Iketani, you're the only one to not have talked about what happened during your lessons, tell us what happened". "Nah, nothing exciting happened" Iketani told them. "Come on tell us!" Itsuki urged him. "I'd rather not.." Iketani insisted. "Come on dude, spit it out!" Kenji added. Iketani sighed then muttered "I made a teacup explode". "What?" Itsuki asked "I didn't hear you". "I made a teacup explode" Iketani said loud and clear. His friends stared at him in silence, then burst out laughing. "Seriously?" Kenji asked "You made a teacup explode?". "Yes, I apparently focused on it too much when I was trying to make it levitate" Iketani explained. "Wow, so we all managed to mess up somehow today" Takumi noted, thinking of the stories his friends had told him. "Hopefully, we'll do better tomorrow" Kenji added "but I kinda want to relax until then, my wings hurt". "Yeah, how about we get some sleep then regroup after our lessons tomorrow?" Iketani suggested and everyone agreed. They chatted for a while longer then decided to go to bed to get some sleep and prepare for their lessons tomorrow morning.