//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Skyward // by Thecrazyrabidfangirl //------------------------------// Skyward Chapter 3 Rainbow Dash wiped her damp forehead with an exhausted hoof. It had been a tiring day for the weather pegasus. By then, the sun was just sitting on the horizon, already waning into the dull orange and bright gold that foretold of the night to come. It felt as though the day had gone by too quickly, however, as Rainbow Dash had spent all of it looking for the little orange pegasus. She had searched high and low all day long throughout the entirety of Ponyville, the Whitetail Woods, Sweet Apple Acres, even chancing a venture into the Everfree Forest for a quick and frantic search. Yet, despite her best efforts, she had turned up no trace of Scootaloo; it was as if she had disappeared off the face of Equestria. Feeling defeat for one of the few times in her life, Rainbow Dash lazily bobbed through the sky, having given up on her search for the day. She was not even sure why she cared so much. Applejack’s words from earlier that afternoon echoed through her mind, yet she still could not determine what had possessed her to want to find Scootaloo so badly. Something about the filly reminded her so much of herself, but why it meant so much to her was still a mystery. ‘Maybe Applejack is right. I’ve never cared much before, why start now?’ thought Rainbow as she floated through the sky towards her cloud home. ‘...No, I can’t give up!’ she thought as a realization came to her that caused her to stop mid-air; the one place she had not searched, yet the most obvious place to look. Rainbow Dash’s gaze shifted to the very outskirt of Ponyville, where she spied a mighty oak tree, a very familiar oak tree. It all seemed so obvious to her now; the one place she had not looked was where she had seen Scootaloo just the day prior. With her destination clear, Rainbow zipped through the air, hoping that she would at last find the illusive filly. As Rainbow Dash neared, a peculiar buzzing noise filled her ears, and only grew louder and more persistent as she drew closer to the tree. ‘What could that be..?’ she wondered as she halted in mid-air. Not willing to take any chances, she gently and quietly alighted to the ground just a short distance from her destination. Cautiously, she tip-toed closer to the source of the noise, which was now accompanied by occasional groans of exertion. Drawing close enough to take a stealthy glance from behind a concealing patch of bushes and plants, Rainbow could not help but smile at the sight that presented itself to her. There, in the small clearing that stretched out before the oak tree, was Scootaloo. However, she was not firmly on the ground, as Rainbow had expected her to be. Instead, she was hovering just barely a foot above the ground, her tiny wings beating furiously, clearly being the source of the buzzing, and her face scrunched up from the effort. The groans too were coming from the orange filly, as she desperately forced herself inch after slow inch higher into the air, her eyes tightly screwed shut. Rainbow watched this display with a familiar feeling of giddy excitement in her stomach, it almost felt the same as the first time she had ever flown. But, rather than for herself, she felt it for Scootaloo, an empathy that felt foreign to the weather pegasus. She was so used to living in the moment, living for herself, that her mind did not even stop to contemplate the fact that a voice in her mind was rooting the filly ever upwards, her fuchsia orbs glued to Scootaloo as she rose. If somepony had walked by at that very moment, they would have sworn they were witnessing a proud mentor watching her pupil’s attempt at first flight. Then, the placid scene shattered. Scootaloo peaked one eye open when she was a good eight feet off the ground, and her entire body went rigid in fear as both eyes went wide with terror. She let out a tiny squeak as her wings froze and she began to plummet towards the ground with a piercing cry. Rainbow Dash was shaken out of her reverie and, without a moment’s thought, leapt through the brush towards the falling filly. Scootaloo was confused when, after a moment, she did not feel the hard, unforgiving ground unmercifully slamming against her body. Rather, she felt a soft warmth that enveloped her entire body, a rather... feathery softness. Blinking her eyes open, Scootaloo saw that, instead of the ground, she was laying atop none other than Rainbow Dash, who had caught the young pegasus on her back, using her wings as cushions. “R-Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo squeaked just before Rainbow Dash extended her wing to the ground, acting as a ramp for Scootaloo to slide off her back. Scootaloo stood to her hooves and ruffled her feathers as Rainbow Dash turned around to face her. “You alright?” The full weight of the embarrassing situation struck the filly all at once as Dash’s gaze seemed to bore into her, and she did her best to collapse in on herself, her face a glowing crimson. “Um... Yeah...” she murmured as she brought a tiny wing up to hide her face, which did a poor job of it. “Wanna tell me what happened?” Rainbow asked rhetorically as she had been there to see exactly what had happened. “I-it... Nothing....” Scootaloo mumbled, her eyes slowly rolling around in her head as she looked at everything and anything but her idol. “It didn’t look like nothing to me.” Scootaloo jerked to attention at this, her wing retracting in a flash as her eyes filled with fear and shame. “Y-you were watching?!” Rainbow Dash simply nodded, which caused Scootaloo to deflate into a puddle of embarrassment on the ground. “I-I was just trying to fly....” she mumbled into her hooves, her depressed gaze fixated squarely on the grass. Dash let out a sigh and knelt down next to the filly before placing a comforting hoof on her head. “You were pretty good,” she said, a warm air of encouragement in her voice. “Not as good as me, of course,” she added quickly, unable to help herself as a self-satisfying grin twitched at her lips. Then she remembered why she was there and stuffed her pride away. “But still pretty good.” Scootaloo raised her gloomy gaze up to meet Rainbow’s. “Ya think so...?” “Yeah, you were great even!” Rainbow Dash replied with confident pep, laying on the charm and support. However, this did not seem to have any effect on the young pegasus as her gaze fell once more to the ground. “Sure doesn’t feel that way....” she mused quietly. “I just want to fly, but I can’t... Whenever I get up too high my wings always lock up.” As Scootaloo spoke her eyes gradually rose up to look at the near-night sky, the stars having already begun to come out from behind the veil of fading sunlight. Tears began to shimmer in her eyes as she looked mournfully up into the domain of her kind, yet the very place she had never been. “I just want to fly....” Rainbow Dash did not know what to say; the normally blunt and tactless pegasus was at a loss for words. ‘She really wants to fly that badly?’ she thought as she looked down at the filly. ‘But what can I do if she’s so scared?’ A pang of sadness struck her heart, she knew she should do something, but she did not know what. Then, a brilliant idea struck her like lightning, causing her lips to curl up into a delighted smile. “Hey, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo’s attention snapped back up to her hero, her eyes wide with wonder, partly because Rainbow had spoken, but primarily because she had addressed her by her name. “Wanna go for a ride with me?” Scootaloo’s spirit instantly soared, her eyes growing larger in disbelief before lighting up with excitement and admiration. “Oh boy, do I ever!” she said as she gave a little hop of joy. Rainbow Dash chuckled at the filly’s radical change in demeanor. “Well, c’mon, hop aboard,” she offered as she knelt down on the grass, extending her wings out to either side to allow the young pegasus room. Scootaloo was quivering with delight as she lost no time in scrambling onto Rainbow Dash’s back, laying down and wrapping her hooves around the pegasus’ sides securely. With her passenger safely aboard, Rainbow rose back up, her wings standing at attention “Hold on tight,” Rainbow cautioned as she bent her legs and pushed up and off the ground, flapping her wings to take flight. A tremor ran through Scootaloo and she buried her face in Rainbow’s mane, digging her hooves into her sides upon take-off as all of her excitement pooled into sickening anxiety in her stomach. Rainbow did not mind, however, and continued to soar up into the sky, now stained purple from the fading light of the setting sun. A small smile gradually began to form on her features as she felt Scootaloo tentatively raise her head, but immediately bury it back into her mane as the younger pegasus began to tremble. “There’s no reason to be scared,” comforted Rainbow as she cast a sidelong glance back at Scootaloo. Raising her head once more, Scootaloo’s purple orbs met Rainbow’s fuchsia ones and the filly instantly felt at ease, relaxing her tight grip on Rainbow’s sides. It was then that Scootaloo really looked around for the first time and truly took in the fact that she was in the air. A curious emotion began to well up within her, one that she had never felt before. Rainbow could see it in the young filly’s eyes, a sparkle that only came from experiencing the joy of flight. All of this was so new to Scootaloo, the wind blowing through her mane and caressing every feather in her wings. ‘She ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’ Rainbow set her gaze back towards the horizon and cocked a grin, eagerly licking her lips as her entire body tensed up. “Hold on!” “For wha-?” The force of Rainbow Dash dramatically banking up and into the sky made the young filly’s stomach drop out and cut her question short as she was pressed down against the pegasus’ back. Fear wrapped around her once more and squeezed tight, but she resisted the urge to screw her eyes shut, even as they shot up higher and higher into the stratosphere, with Rainbow Dash gaining more and more speed by the minute. Both of their manes flailed violently in the harsh, rushing wind, which pinned their ears back against their heads and would have chilled any other pony to the bone. Scootaloo, though, did not feel the drop in temperature in the slightest; she was not sure whether it was because pegasi were naturally attuned to high altitudes or if it was the comforting warmth radiating from Rainbow Dash that blocked the icy cold. Just as they were about to break through the cloudline, Rainbow banked downwards in a dramatic arc which caused Scootaloo’s stomach to jump up into her throat. Now, instead of the peak of the sky, the ground was fast approaching. To Scootaloo’s surprise, she felt no fear grip her, but rather felt more exhilaration than she had in her entire life envelope her in an intense embrace. Rainbow Dash gave a quick glance back at her passenger, having felt the pressure of her hooves let up slightly. Part of her was afraid that her impromptu descent had caused the filly to pass out, but she was delighted to see that, rather than horror, a large, breathless smile had spread over Scootaloo’s features to match the joy in her eyes. Just before they would have reached the ground, Rainbow Dash pulled back from her dive and leveled out her flight path, decreasing her rapid speed. Instead of the rushing, violent wind, a soft and gentle breeze now tousled both her and her passenger’s manes as she slowly drifted from side to side in the evening air. Scootaloo’s wide-eyed excitement began to mellow down into comfortable, passive joy as she relaxed against her hero and enjoyed her first venture into the air in a soothing manner rather than the pulse-pounding exhilaration from just moments ago. The orange filly buried her muzzle into Rainbow’s mane, inhaling the spicy-sweet scent and basking in the entire situation; she feared that at any moment she would wake up, for what she was experiencing at that very moment was truly a dream come true: drifting among the clouds with her idol. Rainbow glanced back at the little filly on her back and could not help but smile. Something had changed in the rainbow pegasus, she did not know what, why, or when, but bringing Scootaloo joy had brought her joy as well. “Hey, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo perked up, now aware that Rainbow was looking over her shoulder at her. “Wanna fly with me?” An insurmountable feeling of happiness began to swell within the filly’s chest, and she could not help the bright, gleaming smile that grew on her lips. “Would I ev-!” But, harsh reality came back to haunt Scootaloo as it reminded her of the crippling fear which prevented her from doing what she desired more than anything. Grim despair replaced the joy on her face with a somber frown and gloomy, downcast eyes. “I... I can’t....” she stammered, a fearful tremble in her voice. Rainbow observed this not unexpected change in emotion play out on the filly’s features and put on the most encouraging smile she possibly could. “Don’t be scared. You can do it, Scootaloo,” she replied, her voice full of pep and confidence. Peering down at the far ground, Scootaloo began to tremble slightly as she audibly gulped. “A-are you sure?” “I’m always sure,” replied Dash with a grin, never one to be lacking in humility. Rainbow gradually slowed her speed until she came to a full stop, hovering mid-air with only the soft beating of her wings to keep herself afloat and steady. Scootaloo looked to the ground once more, which seemed to zoom in and out of her anxiety-fueled focus. Rainbow kept her gaze trained forward, though, monitoring Scootaloo only from the corner of her eye so as to not put any more pressure on her. Screwing her eyes shut and swallowing her thumping heart, Scootaloo stretched her wings out and gave a tentative flap. Her wings felt like rusty iron in their stubborn refusal to move, but the next beat came more naturally as the fearful rust began to chaff off. The orange pegasus swallowed again, her throat strangely feeling dryer for it. “I can do it... I can do it...” she began to mutter to herself as she looked down once again, feeling beads of sweat beginning to form on her coat. Rainbow’s very presence began to give the little filly confidence and she felt her grip on the older pegasus loosen as she beat her wings again, a quiet hum turning into a light buzzing. Steeling her resolve, Scootaloo at last released her grip on Rainbow and squeezed her eyes shut. With her only anchor gone, the motion of her wings took over and she slowly began to rise into the air, her stomach filling with a curiously empty feeling as her body felt lighter. A foreign emotion surged through Rainbow Dash as she glanced back to see Scootaloo taking flight. She could not quite place what the emotion was, but she knew it made her feel happy and fulfilled in a way to see the little filly in the air. With a smile that reflected the new emotions flaring up within her, Dash gradually moved forward as Scootaloo rose higher, turning to face the younger pegasus and watching as she hit a peak in her rise and steadied herself in the air. Opening her eyes, Scootaloo looked around at the vast, open skies that she was now afloat in, the buzzing of her wings keeping her safely stationary. Wide-eyed and mouth agape with joy, the filly snapped her head back and forth as she took in the infinite horizons to either side. “Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Da-!” she cried out in excitement as she looked down at the older pegasus. In doing so, however, she looked straight down at the ground, and all the color drained from her face. Before she could even think to stop it, her wings stiffened in fear, and with no force to keep her afloat she instantly began to fall. “Whoa!” Rainbow exclaimed as she dashed forward in time to catch Scootaloo under the forelegs, leaving her hind legs to dangle limply in the air. “You alright?” Rainbow asked as Scootaloo drearily stared at her chest rather than at her face. “Y-yeah...” she managed as her rigid wings began to relax. Rainbow chuckled lightly to relieve the tension, which had an immediate and evident effect on the filly as her expression lifted. “Maybe we should try that again? I’ll hold your hoof this time.” A shy, little smile formed on Scootaloo’s features as she looked directly up into her idol’s encouraging face. “Alright.” “Great!” Rainbow said with her usual confidence. Scootaloo began to flap her wings again, quickly and easily bringing them up to speed. Dash could feel that the filly had gained enough momentum to keep herself afloat and cautiously released her, keeping her left hoof hooked under Scootaloo’s right foreleg long enough to flit around to her side, where she slid her hoof down and securely wrapped it around Scootaloo’s. Dash glanced down at Scootaloo at exactly the same time that Scootaloo glanced up at her. “Ready?” “Ready.” Scootaloo, now firmly steadied by her own wing beats and by Rainbow’s helping hoof, leaned forward into the air currents, prompting Rainbow to do the same. Lined up side-by-side, Rainbow pressed forward, flapping her wings back to give herself forward momentum, but not too much as she knew Scootaloo’s fears coupled with her underdeveloped wings would mean she would lag behind at first. Sure enough, for the first few moments of forward motion, Scootaloo was dragged along rather than flying on her own. Rainbow felt Scootaloo’s grip on her hoof tighten immensely as they began to sail along, and glancing over, saw that the filly’s eyes were wide with fright as she peered directly down at the ground. Despite this, her wings never locked up or halted in their movement. Dash was not completely sure why this was, but she had a sneaking suspicion as her eyes scanned over to their coupled hooves and felt the filly’s grip tighten again. Rainbow reciprocated the motion and squeezed back reassuringly, breaking Scootaloo out of her fear-induced downward trance. “Don’t worry, I got you, Scootaloo. Just keep your eyes on the horizon.” Scootaloo gazed at Rainbow’s genuine expression until the older pegasus pointed her free hoof towards the golden-purple horizon to reinforce her statement. “Don’t think about the ground, just think about the air, the freedom.” The encouraging words, coupled with Rainbow’s presence and the serene surroundings, were all Scootaloo needed as her body tensed up and her gaze narrowed towards the distance. Doing her best to mentally block the ground, Scootaloo thought of nothing but the cool air that caressed her coat, the fluffy clouds, and the soothing wind that gently breezed through her mane and tickled her ears. And, most important of all, the fact that she was there with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow chuckled lightly, causing Scootaloo’s attention to be diverted back to her. “And don’t tense your body up so much. Relax. Let the air carry you. You’re a fish in the ocean, not a rock in the sea.” Scootaloo laughed as Dash wriggled her body through the air like a fish, and both mare and filly shared an amused giggle. Following her advice, Scootaloo relaxed her body and let her body float with the breeze. With her body less tense and her mind more at ease, she could actually began to truly feel the air beneath her wings, caressing each and every feather in them. “Good!” encouraged Dash as she eyed the change in Scootaloo’s demeanor. “Now, let’s see if you can keep up!” Rainbow Dash immediately increased her speed, eliciting a surprised squeak from the young pegasus at the sudden move. She was careful not to speed up too much, as she did not want to overwhelm the filly. Even so, she knew that the best thing to do for Scootaloo was to push her, even if a little. She was delighted to see that her instincts were correct when, instead of lagging behind, Scootaloo began to speed up to match Rainbow’s speed. They were in no way going nearly as fast as Rainbow could go, or even as she was used to casually going, but for a pegasus that had only a short time ago been terrified by the thought of flying at all, it was a vast improvement. Now, instead of terror, sheer joy shone on Scootaloo’s feature, her eyes wide and filled with sparkling excitement and her mouth wide with inexpressible joy. It was enough that Rainbow Dash could not help but smile with her. “Scootaloo.” Scootaloo, brought from her reverie, glanced over at Rainbow. “Look.” Dash held up her left hoof, free of Scootaloo’s grip. Scootaloo flexed her hoof, and sure enough it was no longer in Rainbow’s grip. She did not know for how long it had been like that, but all she knew was that she was now flying on her own. Upon this revelation, to her surprise, she did not feel her wings lock up, nor did she feel herself begin to fall to the ground. “I-I’m flying...” she stammered in shock as her mind slowly took everything in. Then it clicked. Scootaloo flipped in the air, filled with too much exhilaration to even stop and think about being scared of what she was doing. “I’m flying!”