//------------------------------// // Resolve // Story: Learning to Fly // by Aldrigold //------------------------------// The rising sun sent rays of light streaming onto Twilight’s balcony, where she paced back and forth, her wings folded to her sides. She had hoped that just by having wings she would also get some the instinctual knowledge of how to use them. Even in Feather Quill’s book, he had written about how young pegasi, even those who had trouble flying, had basic knowledge of air currents and how to position their wings to get where they wanted to go. Basic flying didn’t require much thought. Twilight certainly didn’t have any basic flight balance or instinctual knowledge of air currents. She had magic, of course, but pegasus magic was a whole different beast. Of course, Luna had good control of weather. She had seen the dark alicorn summon lightning many times. If Luna could learn it, Twilight was sure she could too. It would be a challenge, but Twilight had passed every test put before her. She was a princess now. She wouldn’t let Celestia down! “Twilight?” Spike emerged from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. “Why are you up so early?” “Sorry Spike.” Twilight stopped pacing, ruffling her new wings. Sometimes the feathers tickled her sides, and it was annoying. “I was just thinking. And Rainbow wants to start early today. She says I need to practice precision flying. Also landing.” She winced as she remembered her clumsy landing from the cloud. Back feet first, Rainbow had told her, not front first, unless she wanted to set herself up for a crash once she learned to go faster. “How’s that going, anyway?” Spike leaned against the doorframe, fangs flashing in a yawn. “I’ve never actually seen you fly.” “That’s because I haven’t done much of it yet,” Twilight said with a quiet laugh. “But today you’ll see me. Rainbow wants to take me around Ponyville.” “Bring me back some cupcakes?” Spike asked, perking up. “If you can fly, going to the market will be a lot faster.” “Sure, Spike,” she said with a wry expression. She wondered which would be easier, flying there or teleporting. A multi-colored streak appeared in the clear sky, and Twilight braced herself as Rainbow zipped into view, stopping short in a hover just above the balcony. “Twilight!” The pegasus landed carefully on the edge of the balcony-back legs first, Twilight noted, a split second before the front. “Ready to take off?” The alicorn spread her wings, thankful that there was no breeze. She wondered how she would ever learn to fly in a storm. “Ah ah.” Rainbow smirked. “Today we’re going to fix that.” Twilight blinked. “Fix what?” “Yesterday you did fine, but you did a lot of things…weird, and today I figured out what it was!” Rainbow gave an apologetic grin. “When you take off, you don’t spread your wings out and just stand there first unless you want to get blown over.” Oh. Now she tells her. Twilight folded her wings, feathers rustling. “So what’s the proper way?” “This.” Rainbow leapt, spreading her wings at the apex of the jump, and then flapped to gain altitude. She spun in a tight circle and then alighted again, tossing her mane back. “You try.” Twilight grit her teeth, reminding herself that she was a princess now. She had to get it right. She lowered her head, as though readying for a charge, and then ran and leaped, spreading her wings. She barely heard Rainbow’s cry of “That’s kinda not a good—!” Her wings were spread, but her tilted head pulled her body down, arrowing her into a fast glide straight into the ground. She shoved her front legs forward, but when they hit the ground the momentum carried her over her hooves, flat on her back, her new wings beneath her covered in mud. “Twilight!” Two Rainbow Dashes appeared by her side in a second, four purple eyes open wide. “Are you okay?” “I think so.” Twilight rolled over, shaking her wings to rid them of mud and tiny twigs. “At least, I’ll be okay.” She rubbed her head with a hoof, the two Rainbow’s coalescing into one. “Uh, oops?” “Alright. That was…kinda bad.” Rainbow winced as she said it, and Twilight’s stomach turned in shame. “But it’s okay! Just try again, from the ground this time. Remember what I said. You’re trying to fly like a pegasus, not charge like a unicorn.” “Right.” Twilight shook her head, clearing residual dizziness. Spike dashed out the front door, carrying a water bottle, just as Twilight leaped again. “Twilight!” he called. She flared her wings, flapping hard, and began to gain altitude. Spike grew smaller below her. “I guess she’s alright?” his voice carried from the ground. “Of course. She’s a princess.” Pride radiated from Rainbow Dash’s words. “Man, wouldn’t it be cool if she could learn to fly with me? I’ve always wanted a real flying partner, someone who could fly like Lightning Dust. Except, you know. Not be a jerk like Lightning Dust.” “Lightning Dust? That’s the pegasus who nearly—” Spike’s words faded as Twilight spiraled higher, the rushing wind blocking them out. Twilight frowned. Rainbow wanted someone to fly with. Someone fast and strong, and tough. That made sense, all of a sudden. Rainbow had Fluttershy to fly with, but Fluttershy, for all her good qualities, was no trick flyer, or even much of a flyer at all. Rainbow Dash really was the best flyer in Ponyville. Twilight knew how that felt, and something yawned ahead of her in her mind. Twilight had been Celestia’s student, powerful, but alone, great at magic and not much else. She had only her brother to keep her company. Rainbow didn’t even have that. And now, she was a princess, with power that few other ponies had. No one could match her. It was exciting, and wonderful, but... She didn’t want to pursue her best talents all alone either. Twilight tightened her new wing muscles, turning in midair to head back down toward Rainbow and Spike. She knew how Rainbow felt. If Rainbow wanted a flying partner for her stunts, Twilight would do her best to be there for her. She just hoped, her stomach turning while she flapped her wings and struggled to remember Rainbow’s lessons, that she could be good enough. Twilight arced down, then tilted her body up about ten feet off the ground, pulling her wings in just slightly to try and hover the way Rainbow Dash always did. Instead she dropped, doing her best at the last second to land flat on all four hooves, smiling as wide as she could to hide the bone jarring effect of the fall. Rainbow and Spike just stared. “So, Rainbow,” Twilight said between clenched teeth. “What’s next? Whatever it is, I’m ready for it!” Rainbow’s eyes lit up. “That’s the spirit!”