//------------------------------// // Flight // Story: Pony synthesis. // by Bronyofcuba //------------------------------// Scootaloo woke up, but she was not in the tree house anymore. A dense forest surrounded her, leaving few gaps for light to reach her below the tree tops. She rose a few minutes later, growing tired of the never-changing scenery, and started walking. She did not know where she was, however, and although a blurred picture in her mind, she knew where she was walking towards to, the reason hidden. The forest remained quiet except for the constant sounds of leafs and branches being pushed and cracked by wind and hoof. There was a goal to reach at the end of her trip, something awaited her amidst the trees. Memories about the day which had just gone by remained in her head, but slowly melted away as she felt her destination get closer. Her pace became faster with each passing second. She could feel her skin itching to reach whatever it was that she chased. A sudden excitement ran throughout her, like a chill, and pulled every single one of her muscles forward. Her wings flapped, her hooves stepped faster and faster… she was running. The wind rushed against her and refreshed her body, her head rose in order to capture every bit of sky visible from below… the gaps between her steps kept growing wider and she was soon lost to her marathon. She felt just the same way whenever she rode the scooter, albeit less tiring. She did not mind however, after a whole day of standing still, she urged to forget about everything and keep running through mountains, plains and even more forests until she reached the end of the world. But she would be stopped before that, by the sight of what she was searching for when she first started walking. There he was, a pale cyan stallion sitting next to a rock, looking up towards the very same spots of sky Scootaloo had daydreamed into as she ran. He was a pegasus as well. His mane was yellow, pale like his coat. But despite his dim colours, his constitution was not weak at all. Scootaloo approached him and noticed how he towered over her. She sat beside him and stared into his eyes, which would return the gaze back at her own shortly after. A small smile made its way into the stallion´s face as the two swam within each other´s eyes. He then broke the ice. “Hello,” “Hello mister.” She replied. Silence followed. He looked to the trees above him again, before continuing the conversation. “Do you like it down here?” “It’s quiet, it’s nice,” “Would you like it better up there?” He asked, followed by him looking at Scootaloo again, while pointing with his right wing to the small fractions of sky visible from below. The same urge from before made her spread her tiny wings in excitement and made her forget all shyness. “Y- yeah!” “Then let´s go.” No more words were spoken. Before she could ready herself, he held her close to him with one hoof, jumped into the air and flew right through the thick foliage blocking the sky. She had closed her eyes in fear, but opened them shortly after she no longer felt her skin being scratched. It was her who smiled then. The wind rushing past her skin and wings, the tenderness of the clouds at a hoof´s grasp, and the vast landscape unfolding before her eyes forced the joy and the tears out. She was flying, thanks to the efforts of that stranger who carried her. She was finally flying, and the sun of dusk she once stared at finally made sense. She reached out towards the world with her small hooves and laughed, like a baby born only minutes ago. Green fields filled with flowers alongside the forests and mountains of the wilderness; quiet rivers, clear lakes and oceans bursting with life; the immensity of the world she inhabited was hers, and she belonged to it. All equestria laid itself within her vision, below her wings. The stallion eventually stopped by a cloud and Scootaloo sat beside him, still watching the world below. “Thank you mister,” She said. “For showing me this,” “It’s pretty isn’t it?” “Yeah. It’s like a dream,” “Indeed.” He replied, while looking at the stars above them. “It took me decades to realize what you have overnight: the gift of soaring, this freedom that comes with the sky opening up and embracing you with its clouds, with your wings stretching out to their whole size.” Scootaloo looked at the stallion as he spoke, then turned her head up to see the same skies of stars, flowing like a shoreless ocean. She spread her small wings to their full width as a tender gust of wind caressed both pegasi. Her eyes started weighting more and her body less as the softness of the clouds called out for a long sleep. Her back leaned slowly against the cloud, but found nothing to lay on. Instead, Scootaloo fell and time seemed to slow down as the same wind kissed her good night. She closed her eyes and fell asleep among the skies.