//------------------------------//
// 59 - Up and Away 
// Story: New Endings, Old Starts 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Silverstream waved wildly, flying up in the air. "You can do it!" she called encouragingly. "I'm not that much higher."

Comforting wiggled her rump as she lined up the shot, horn glowing brightly, at least in her eyes. "Gonna do it..." She was at least as much convincing herself.

Her magic exploded with her jump, the sorcery enhancing her legs as she defied gravity, propelling herself into the air with a rush of wind through her mane. "Here I come!" She reached out a hoof, trying to swat Silverstream's offered hand, missing by an inch.

And then she was falling. "Don't panic!" She put her hooves under herself, spinning like a cat might. The same spell let her hit the ground without hurting herself, bouncing forward and coming to a stop. "I'm alright!"

"That was so cool!" Silverstream applauded the effort. "I bet you could reach if you tried again."

"Ready to--"

Gallus was suddenly in her face, flying in from seemingly nowhere. "What are you doing?"

Comforting squeaked, her spell lost, glow fizzling with it. "Practicing a spell..."

"You gonna fly like Starlight does?" He looked between Comforting and Silverstream. "Not doing a great job of it so far."

"I'm not flying! I'm jumping. Watch." She hunched down, wriggling as she refocused on the magic. "Gonna do it this time..."

With a flash of her magic only she could see and a great unleashing of her wound muscles, she threw herself into the sky, Silverstream growing rapidly in front of her as Comforting approached with the great force of her jump.

A pity she soared right past Silver, hooves flailing in a desperate attempt to nail the high-hoof, but she didn't fall back to the ground. Silverstream was hugging her from behind, having caught her. "Wow! That was a really good jump. I couldn't go that high without my wings." She lowered to the ground and set Comforting safely down. "Can you show me how to do that?"

Gallus landed next to them both. "Just guessing, but I bet little miss spellcaster her used her horn, and neither of us have one of those."

Silverstream pouted at that. "Is it true?"

Comforting regarded Silverstream's pouting beak. She didn't want to deliver that bad news, but what was the alternative? "I was using magic," she admitted. "I can't show you how to do that."

"Because no horn," finished Gallus. "'Bout as likely as you teaching her how to fly."

Silverstream popped out her wings. "Do you wanna know? I'll show you!"

Comforting giggled at the idea. "You, and my mom, and Gallus, are so wonderful when you fly. I love watching it, but it's not something I can do." She pointed back at her lack of wings. "Thank you for offering though."

Gallus elbowed his fellow part-bird. "She's like that. Good luck getting her down about it."

"Why would I do that." Silverstream circled around Comforting with a giggle. "I don't want my friend being sad.  It'd be fun to jump like that, but it's not a super sad thing." She grabbed Comforting by the shoulder, squeezing her shoulder. "Rather we be friends!"

"Well, we are that." Even if Silverstream was prone to unannounced grabs. "Gallus, this is my newest spell. Oh!" Comforting raised a hoof to her face. "I'm being silly."

"I know that feeling." Silverstream giggled, but leaned in as she did so. "What are you being silly about?"

"My spell works on others. Wanna jump?"

Silver's eyes widened. "Can you?! Please!"

Comforting lit up her horn. "Get ready to jump." Even as Silverstream crouched in readiness, Comforting willed her magic into her friend's legs, filling them with the amber color of her magic and preparing her muscles for what would come next. "And... ready. Jump when you--"

Silverstream jumped! Alas, the spell didn't make her any more ready for the sudden new force. She twirled around, feet over her head and right back around. Her wings flapped wildly, aligning herself in the air. "Woah! That was... amazing! It felt all tickly!" She scratched at her legs as she came back down. "Do it again!"

Gallus roared with laughter at the antics on display. "Were you even trying? Hit me next. I'll show her how it's done."

Comforting clapped her hooves. The spell had some things in common with the enhancement spell, but it focused on the legs of the target instead of trying to bolster their entire system. It was way less draining, but also only gave one good jump. She was liking it! "Okay!" She began focusing on Gallus, filling the 'battery' of his legs up with her glowing power. "You get one jump. Make it good."

"Yeah, see." Gallus took a jumping stance, eyes narrow. "Half of her is pony. Half of me, the half touching the ground? Cat. I'll manage." His jump was far different than Silverstreams, smoothly propelling himself into the air. He spread his wings, directing his path in a twirl that ended with him hovering high above him. "Alright, see, that was awesome. If you show this to Rainbow Dash, she'd flip out."

"Who'd flip out now?" Rainbow was right there, arriving on a rainbow streak as she was known to do. "Is this a flying contest? That's adorably awesome." She squeaked at the two foals before her, Silverstream and the high Gallus. "Can I watch? I'd join, but that wouldn't even be fair." She polished her chest, looking a bit smug about it. "But I wanna see!"

Gallus swooped down to rejoin the conversation. "She did it." He hiked a thumb at Comforting, ratting her out without remorse.

Comforting squeaked. "I learned a new jumping spell."

Rainbow hiked a brow. "Jumping spell? What's that got to do with flying?"

Gallus folded his arms over his chest. "If you could jump as strong as you wanted, that'd help you start flying, right?"

Rainbow processed that slowly. "Huh... Yeah. Yeah! I get it. Hit me!" She waved emphatically at Comforting. "Make me a super jumper. Gotta try this."

Comforting raised her hooves defensively. "Sorry, um, miss Dash, but I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt? Pfft." Rainbow landed, wings folding tight. "I'm a pro flyer! I can handle it. Gallus handled it! Are you saying he's a better flying than me?" The look of indignity only grew. "As if! No offense or anything, but I'm the top flyer around here! Hit me and watch out!"

Comforting considered the athletic mare. "Alright... But even if you're the best at flying, are you the best at jumping?"

"I can handle it." She crouched down, ready. "Hit me!"

Gallus settled next to Silverstream. "Two bits she does the funny flip thing you did."

Silverstream burst into giggles. "I wanna see that." Both were eagerly watching Rainbow's attempt, even if Silverstream didn't actually agree to the wager. "Do your best!"

"As if I ever don't. Am I magicked or whatever?" She looked towards Comforting, brow raised. "Tell me when."

Comforting willed her magic into being, focusing on Rainbow's legs. Funny thing, it took a little more power, a little, for Rainbow rather than Gallus, but that was because Rainbow was on all fours, and Gallus was on two, and all the legs needed equal power or you'd be in trouble. She filled those limbs with her amber power. "One jump, ready!"

"Awesome!" Rainbow pushed off the ground and it fled her. "Woah!" Perhaps she wasn't expecting the jump to come, but she ended up leaping several feet ahead without getting very high up. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

Silverstream stuck out her tongue at Gallus. "She didn't flip."

"Yeah yeah, but you didn't take the bet." Gallus looked like he considered himself the winner of that exchange. "Hit her again if you're up for it. I wanna see what she does."

Comforting nodded. "Alright. That was good practice for you." And nopony got hurt! A victory in her book. "Charging..." She filled Rainbow's legs before she got into position. "Can you feel it?"

"Yeah..." She slowly flexed and unflexed each leg. "Kinda weird, but a good weird... Alright. One more time." She crouched down tight. "Gonna do it for real!" She apparently could feel the magic topping off. "Aw yeah! Watch me go." She thumped against the ground in a proper leap, surging into the air with a mighty cry of joy. "Yeah!" She spread her wings, turning the velocity from upwards to forwards as she zipped around, leaving rainbow bands thickly behind her.

Rainbow looped around and landed between the others. "That was fun! It's like the Dizzitron without the whole dizzy part!" She ruffled Comforting's mane  casually. "You keep that up. Seems like you have a specialty."

Comforting took a step back. "I do?! Transmuting, right?"

"Transwhatnow? No. You make ponies better." Rainbow nodded firmly. "You did it with Sweetie Belle, and Bulk Biceps, and today on us." Rainbow waved at herself and Silverstream and Gallus. "You make creatures go further than they could on their own. It's what you do." She reached to poke Comforting on her rump. "Got it figured out."

"What's that have to do with it?" She wasn't sure how a hugged heart translated to things at all. "I don't... get it."

"C'mon!" Rainbow waved that way. "You're a good friend that gives creatures a big hug and encourages them on. You help us reach as high as we can!" She thrust a hoof up towards the sky. "It's what you do. C'mon, you like it, I bet."

Gallus rubbed the bottom of his beak. "Huh... Well, you did help me reach higher."

Silverstream waved a hand excitedly. "Me next! I wanna be Comforted!" She burst into giggles, looking entirely delighted by the whole thing. "Sounds fun."

Comforting worked through it. If her mark was her destiny, and had a big impact on how she approached magic... "Is that why it messed up?"

Rainbow leaned in curious. "What messed up now?"

"My biggest mistake." Comforting fretted with her hooves. "I turned a pony into a statue. We fixed her! But it was really bad for a moment..."

Gallus shrugged. "Well, that isn't making anycreature better, so if that's your thing, the statue thing wasn't your thing."

"Makes sense to me," cried out Silverstream with a giddy clapping. "Congratulations. I'm almost jealous of ponies. They have a cutiemark. I don't." She pointed to her blank rump, unadorned with any sign of her destiny. "So I'll have to figure out my purpose the hard way."

Comforting smiled at that. "You're already on the right path."

Silverstream blinked rapidly. "I am?! Well... Then I'll keep going forward! You really are super good at comforting people, Comforting. Did you hear that?" She shook Gallus with a grin. "I'm already on the right path."

Gallus pushed her away with a smirk. "Good for you. Wait." He scrunched at Comforting. "You didn't stop with the machine. You're trying to improve me, aren't you?" He leveled a talon at her. "Cut that out."

Comforting scurried behind the laughing Rainbow Dash for cover. "Don't be mad at her. We ponies can't help doing our thing. It's like asking me not to be awesome. Not gonna happen. But she's not hurting you, right?"

Gallus squinted as his teacher. "I guess not... Still! Anyway, you got to jump. Not bad, after your first try."

Rainbow scoffed at that. "Anything worth doing takes a little practice. You think I was awesome at flying right away? I had to practice, a lot!"

"I'm still practicing my magic," piped in Comforting from behind Rainbow.

Rainbow grabbed the filly and drew them in front of herself. "That's the spirit. I bet you'll keep getting better at it. You'll give Starlight and Twilight a run for their bits."

Comforting smiled, but briefly. "Wait, if I have a specialty, am I still a wizard?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Not an expert, but why not? I bet a lot of wizards had specialties. They can't all be Twilight or Starlight, show offs they are." She would know one!