The morning came quickly. Fluttershy met up with Twilight, Spike, Flash, and Boltsinger inside, where they shared a breakfast that felt like it was pure carbo-loading. Once plates were empty, Boltsinger stood up. “Okay! Everypony ready?”
“Ready when you are!” Twilight replied, standing up with a fluff of her wings. “I’ve been looking forward to it!”
“Ready for what?” Fluttershy wondered, following suit.
“You’ll find out when we get to the balcony, come on!”He said, pulling her along with his wing as he trotted past. They made their way up to the balcony at the front of the castle, where Rainbow Dash and Soarin warmed up.
“Dash? What are you doing here?” the caretaker asked, trotting up to her foalhood friend.
Rainbow got up from her exercises. “You mean Bolt didn’t tell you?”
“I was just about to, actually.” he told her, standing at the edge and flexing his wings. “Fluttershy, come over here for a second.” His friend did as suggested, standing next to him as they looked out at Ponyville. “We’re going to have a race.”
Fluttershy looked out at the expanse, letting some confusion show itself on her muzzle.“A race? Why are we having a race?”
Soarin stepped up beside Fluttershy with a smile. “For fun, of course!” he stated, stretching his wings. “Why else would we do it?”
“To win some kind of prize, or to prove you’re the best or the fastest or--” the yellow mare said, finding herself cut off by Boltsinger’s wing.
“Or just to enjoy going as fast as you can with your friends!” He finished for her. “That’s the reason I do it.”
Twilight joined the gathering at the edge, nodding in her agreement. “That’s the reason I do it, too! It’s feels amazing to have the wind blow against you as you pick up speed!”
“But what if the wind is so strong it disorients you and you can’t tell where you’re going?” Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow Dash came to a hover above Fluttershy, dropping a pair of flight goggles to hang from her muzzle. “That’s what these are for!”
“Okay, but what if you get tired and lost and can’t find your way back?” the inquiry continued as she put the goggles on her forehead.
“Can’t you just land?” Soarin responded. “Besides, it’s hard to get lost when you have a bird’s eye view of everything!”
Fluttershy raised her hoof. “But…”
“Okay! We’re almost ready!” Boltsinger announced, strapping on his electrically-styled goggles. “First thing’s first, the rules.” He pointed his hoof at Twilight. “No magic! Wing power only!”
Twilight nodded, tapping the tip of her horn and saluting from there. “Got it!” She put her own goggles on, clipping her pendant into her mane. “And I might even go easy on you, too!”
“Oh, there’s no need for that, your Highness!” Boltsinger retorted with a smirk. He turned to Fluttershy, causing her to recoil. “Next thing: You are not allowed to worry. Not about failing. Not about falling, ‘cause we do all have wings, here. And you are most certainly not allowed to worry about winning! You are to do one thing, and that is to do your best, got it?”
“Um… Okay…” she affirmed, sliding her goggles into place. “I think i can do that.”
“Awesome.” he stated with a twinkle of his wings. “Spike, you got a course for us?
“First one to Sweet Apple Acres and back wins!” the dragon announced, taking a position at the end of the line that had formed. “On your mark!” He raised his claw, the six winged ponies facing the farm in the distance. “Get set…” Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Flash Sentry, and Boltsinger hunched over, Fluttershy slowly easing herself into doing the same. “GO!” Spike brought down his claw, sending a tingle down everypony’s spines.
Rainbow Dash and Soarin took off in an instant, streaks of rainbow and white lighting up the sky. The next to shoot off was Twilight, faltering at little, but eventually settling into a decent speed that slowly gained on the Wonderbolts. Flash took off immediately after the Princess, turning around and giving Boltsinger a cocky grin as he lifted off. He turned around, hovering for a moment.
“Come on, Fluttershy! Just do your best!” he shouted, waving his hoof and turning back towards the farm. “It’ll be great!”
“Oh… I’m not so sure about this…” she told herself. She looked down at the ground below, then at her flying friends ahead of her. They all moved with their own levels of grace and velocity, each of them performing a number of aerial stunts and plowing through smaller clouds. “I don’t think I can do things like that…” She slowly began to back away. “Maybe this was all a bad idea… Maybe I should just sit these games out! Nopony would think any less of me if I backed out here, right?” Her mind began to wander into a state of worry when her friend’s words rang in her ears again. “Who am I kidding? I would think less of me! And Boltsinger said that worrying wasn’t allowed in this race! I just have to do…” she brought her head low, still facing forward as she began moving forward again. “... my…” She erupted into a gallop, making for the edge of the balcony. “... BEST!” She jumped, her wings spread wide. She began descending, picking up momentum as she neared the ground. This was the one technique she knew she could do well, since it always helped her to help animals in need. Finally, when she was about to touch the ground, the pink streak that was Fluttershy veered up, ascending at such a rapid pace that she quickly overtook the neck and neck heat of Boltsinger and Flash, sending both of them spinning. The two stallions quickly righted themselves, stopping to look at the shy filly flying ahead. Boltsinger let out a cheer at the top of his voice, spurring her on. She began flapping harder, gaining on the Princess of Friendship. She looked at her lilac-coated friend and waved a hoof, doing her best not to open her mouth and have it blown back. After soaring past her, she once again spotted Rainbow and Soarin. Am I really catching up with those two? Do I actually have a chance? She asked herself. Looking around, she could see the orchard rapidly coming into view as the streaks of the professional flyers turned around.
“Hi Fluttershy!” Rainbow exclaimed as she zoomed by.
“Nice flying!” Soarin added, not too far behind the mare in the lead.
Fluttershy beamed at the compliment, spotting the barn nearby. That’s right! I can do this! I can fly with them without fear! She twisted her body to the left, attempting to turn around, but finding her direction difficult to influence. I… CAN’T TURN AROUND!
There was a large ‘poof’ of a cloud. As it cleared, Fluttershy sat up, rubbing her head. “Ow… How does hitting a fluffy cloud hurt like that?” She turned around, watching her friends fly happily away from her. A defeated sigh sounded from the mouth of the mare, She fell onto her side, pulling off her flight goggles. “I can't do this after all… How can I help my team if I can’t even turn while I’m finally catching up?”
Soon after the unexpected landing, Twilight caught up and spotted her. “Hey, Fluttershy. You okay?” She asked, landing next to her.
“I don’t know why I even tried this…” she lamented, looking up at the Alicorn.
“Haven’t you been having fun?” she wondered. “I saw that smile on your face when you passed me, and you were going really fast!”
“It was fun for a little while, but once it was time to turn around, I couldn’t stop myself… I couldn’t turn around, and I hit this cloud instead…” she explained, sitting up. “How can Dash expect me to keep up during the relay if I can’t even turn correctly?”
“I don’t think she expects you to do that much.” Twilight mentioned. “The only thing we ‘expect’ out of you today is to just enjoy yourself! Why don’t we fly back together?” She stood up, reaching her hoof towards her dejected companion. “Don’t worry about the race. We’ll just fly.”
Fluttershy climbed to her hooves, spreading her wings. “I think I can do that.” she said, looking back towards the castle. She jumped forward, not quite letting herself descend so much this time. She was quickly followed by Twilight, settling at a nice, leisurely pace.
“So, why is this whole business with the Equestria Games bothering you?” the Princess asked as the last two racers passed them. “You didn’t seem to mind the last time you competed.”
“Last time, I wasn’t in Cloudsdale competing.” Fluttershy answered. “There’s no telling how many ponies from flight school are going to be there! If I do this, I’m going to be flying in front of all of them, and I’ll be doing it with two members of the Wonderbolts!”
“Isn’t it a dream for most Pegasi to fly with Wonderbolts, though?”
“Maybe to most Pegasi, but I feel like it would just make me look worse in front of all of them… Boltsinger suggested just enjoying the flying, but… You saw how that turned out…”
“So the race didn’t go as planned.” Twilight started, performing a small loop. “That doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun flying! Aren’t you enjoying yourself now?”
Fluttershy looked around, thinking. Her friend was with her, the breeze was nice, there was no danger, no expectations, and no problems. She smiled, facing forward again. “You know what? I think I am enjoying myself! If only some of my furry friends could be up here with us…”
“Hmmm…” Twilight stewed for several moments, the words sparking an idea in her mind. “I think I have an idea!”
“So, let me get this straight…” Rainbow Dash said, pointing between Twilight, Fluttershy, and Boltsinger. “You practiced this whole time by… flying with birds?”
“Eeyup!” Boltsinger replied, looking over at Fluttershy. “Racing just… wasn’t doing it for her. I understand that much. Luckily our favorite Princess is a certifiable genius!”
“Well, I wouldn’t say genius…” Twilight denied, a modest blush adorning her cheeks. “I just thought she might enjoy it more with her animal friends.”
Rainbow laid down in her spot, trying to make sense of it all. She shook her head in relent, looking at Fluttershy. “I don’t understand… Can you explain it one more time?”
Fluttershy laid comfortably in her seat, a falcon and an eagle each perched on her back, with an owl on the other. “It’s simple, really. I didn’t like the racing, so much as I liked flying with good friends! And flying with the fastest flyers at the sanctuary let me see how fast I could go! Of course, Twilight and Boltsinger came by every now and then to join in. And when we tested my wingpower yesterday, I’d made a big improvement since the last time!”
“Well, if it helped you make up your mind, and helped you train yourself, I don’t see a problem.” Rainbow told her, sitting up and eyeing the familiar birds. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing this improvement for myself, if you’re okay with showing me.”
Boltsinger looked over at Fluttershy, who smiled back at him. “You’ve got this, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy nodded confidently. “I think so, too!” She wrapped her wings around the birds nestled with her, pulling them in for a hug. “With all we’ve done, I’m sure I can do this!”
The train pulled in and the group disembarked. Rarity was hard at work in getting her new idea for uniforms ready, and pulled a rather large cart full of supplies behind her. Applejack, as well, had a sizeable load. She had packed an ample amount of her prized Apple brown betty, and was ready to help any hungry ponies looking for some eats. Pinkie Pie cartwheeled off of the train in her cheerleading outfit, pom poms fully stocked, and backed up by Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, who laughed as they made their way. The winged ponies of the gathering all exited the train in the air, Soarin and Rainbow Dash flying side by side, quickly followed by Twilight, Fluttershy, and Boltsinger, who headed straight for the training field.
“Well, I’ll be!” Applejack started, noting the smile evident on her bashful friend’s face. “I know she’s been hard at work, ‘n all, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fluttershy so excited to just be flyin’!”
“Indubitably!” Rarity confirmed. “I think these new uniforms are going to be just the thing to keep that confidence going, too!”
Landing in the training field, Spike ran into position, placing the anemometer by the track. “Okay, everypony, it’s all set up!” He told them, readying a quill and parchment. “You’re up, Fluttershy!”
“Right!” She said, getting into position and flexing her wings. Rainbow, Soarin, Twilight, and Boltsinger all sat by the anemometer, eagerly awaiting as the yellow pony started flapping her wings. She leaped forward, flying past the fan device at such a speed that Rainbow Dash almost didn’t recognize her. She quickly landed, turning and confidently facing the dragon monitoring the feed. “So, how did I do?”
Spike took a close look at the number the needle pointed to, turning around and spreading his arms. “You did amazing, Fluttershy! That was nine point four wingpower!” He announced.
“Oh, my!” Fluttershy replied, taken aback by the result. “That’s a whole point above yesterday!”
Rainbow Dash looked at the still-spinning fan with eyes wider than she could manage. “Nine… point… four?! But wasn’t it only at six during the last games?”
“It was a solid five point one back then!” Twilight corrected.
Rainbow dashed over to Fluttershy, her hooves placed firmly on the mare’s shoulders. “That’s awesome!” the blue Wonderbolt exclaimed, shaking her friend rapidly. “Do you know what this means?” Fluttershy took a breath to speak, only to be shaken more. “We have a real shot at Ponyville gold!”
“You really think I make that much of a difference?” Fluttershy asked. “Even though you and Soarin are so much faster?”
“Every pony on the team counts, Fluttershy.” Soarin mentioned. “There's a lot of ponies out there who can’t get that high, and you did it after just a couple weeks!”
“I know, right?” The rainbow mare replied, pulling Fluttershy into a hug. “I can’t wait for the qualifiers!” She jumped into the air, hovering in place. “Come on! Let’s get practicing! Gotta learn the course so we can make the best time!” She sped off towards the starting line for the practice course, Fluttershy giddily following suit.
“Now that’s a wonderful sight, wouldn’t you sa--” Boltsinger started as he looked over at Twilight. She had a mischievous look on her face, floating over an outfit much like the ones worn by Pinkie, Bon Bon, and Lyra, with a pair of pom poms and a poofy rainbow wig. “--ay… What is that, and why am I scared right now?”
“Don’t worry so much!” Twilight teased, inching closer. “Just show your friends some support!”
Boltsinger bolted, finding himself stopped dead by Rarity’s magic. His eyes widened, looking frantically between the mares as they closed the distance. “No… No! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
After several hours of practice, it was time for the qualifying rounds. Cloudsdale, Griffonstone, Fillydelphia, and Stratosburg had all qualified. Next up: Ponyville! Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Blaze looked down at the track, where each competitor flew into position. They all wore a form-fitting, bold yellow uniform that featured violet accents, the Ponyville flag featured on their flanks. The official stepped into place at the finish line, eyeing the stopwatch that marked a qualifying performance.
Fluttershy looked at her section of the course, then at the horseshoe in her hoof. Nerves began to set in, and her entire body began to shake. I know I trained for this, but… I didn’t expect stepping up would be this… scary… Oh, what would my friends do? As her friends came to mind, the realization struck like lightning. She ascended a few feet, giving herself a bit of air, then reached both of her wings forward, striking her muzzle firmly on each side as she fell back into place. At the moment if impact, everything came together. The rapid thoughts and emotions that bombarded her swirled together to a single point, dramatically intensifying her focus. She knew it for certain now. She could do this.
“Wait… Did she just…” Twilight started.
“Eeyup.” Boltsinger finished, his face looking flat.
Twilight directed her attention to her husband. “You could sound a little more excited…” She wore her cheerleading outfit and wig, Pinkie, Bon Bon, and Lyra positioned behind them in a pyramid of ponies.
“This is about as excited as I’m gonna get right now…” he deadpanned. Like his spouse, he wore the cheerleading outfit, complete with skirt, pom poms, and the wig. “Considering you put me in a dress…”
Rarity, who sported the same outfit, laughed to herself. “Oh, come now, Bolt, everypony is dressing up! We just wanted to let you in on the fun!”
“Everypony but Applejack…” he corrected, pointing at the farm pony. She sat by her wagon, still wearing nothing but her hair ties and her stetson as she munched on some apple brown betty. “Why didn’t you dress her up?”
“They couldn’t hold me down long enough if they tried!” Applejack stated, taking another nonchalant bite.
Boltsinger sighed, looking back up at Fluttershy. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
Fluttershy waited patiently as the official looked down at the competitors. “Ready…” he started. Fluttershy performed one more muzzle slap, setting herself up to fly her best. “Set…” A single bead of sweat trickled down from Soarin’s forehead. “GO!”
Fluttershy let out the strongest flap she could muster, shooting off to the course. She darted between each hoop with a level of grace akin to an eagle, quickly coming to a sharp turn. She slowed down considerably, turning upward and taking off again. Within the next few seconds, she reached Soarin, giving him what he needed as he shot off like a rocket. Several seconds later, the rainbow streak was off, bursting through the cloud that was the finish line with ten seconds to spare. Rainbow kept the momentum going, immediately turning towards Fluttershy and catching her in a hug as they landed in front of their friends.
“Fluttershy, that was nothing short of epic!” She shouted, standing and helping her up. “How did you…? That was just like a bird!”
“Well, I have been flying with them for the last two weeks…” Fluttershy said, pawing the ground sheepishly with her hoof. “I guess that helped me in more ways than one!”
Everyone from Ponyville jumped for joy, cheers coming from the dedicated cheering section. Even the embarrassed stallion couldn’t hold himself back. He jumped up, going into a hover as he waved his forelegs with a holler that shook the mountain. Pinkie took full advantage of the situation, setting a camera up on a tripod and triggering a delayed picture. She quickly sped back over and returned to her pony pyramid as the flash shined, lighting up the moment forever.