Chapter 10: Rough Morning
It was not the shrill buzzing of Twilight Sparkle's alarm clock that woke her up this morning. Nor was it the light of the rising sun just beginning to stream in through her windows. It was much too early for either. Her alarm wasn't set to wake her up this early in the day and the sky only showed the faintest pinkish tint to the east, suggesting the coming morning. Instead, what awoke her was a loud belch and a green flash, followed by the scent of singed bedding as Spike vomited out a burst of emerald flame that condensed into a scroll at the foot of Twilight's bed, slightly burning the poor dragon's blankets in the process.
Twilight found being awakened so rudely a trying experience, but she easily imagined that Spike must have found it worse. The poor drake was quite used to the experience of belching out scrolls sent through his flame at Celestia's behest. But he found it easiest when he was awake and upright. Being woken up in such a manner could not have been a pleasant experience in the least.
"Are you alright Spike?" asked Twilight as she crawled out from under her blankets. Her conversation the previous day had made her quite aware of her recent oversights in how she treated her Number One Assistant, so she wanted to be doubly sure.
"Ugh, yeah," groaned Spike as he rubbed his eyelids before coughing. After finally getting his eyes to focus, he zeroed in on the scroll. "Want me to read it to you?" he asked.
Twilight smiled and shook her head, using her magic to retrieve it as she did so. "No. I'll take this downstairs and read it. Why don't you go back to sleep for a while. You could probably use the extra rest."
Spike smiled at her concern and yawned. "Thanks Twilight." he laid back down and shut his eyes.
Twilight smiled at the peaceful sight of the slumbering dragon and took the scroll downstairs. She was anxious to peruse its contents. The previous day, she had sent the letter regarding Dawn to Princess Celestia, along with some additions regarding the events that had occurred with Applejack. She had waited anxiously for a reply, prepared to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, until Spike insisted that she get some rest. Twilight had obliged, mostly because it wasn't fair for her to make Spike stay up as well.
Reaching the ground floor, Twilight gulped nervously and unrolled the scroll. Even though she was confident in the conclusions she had drawn about the Eyes of Nightmare, she still found herself wondering if she had been mistaken. It took a lot for Applejack to get worked up like she had, which had given the lavender mare more than a few doubts. Carefully, she let her eyes traverse the writing in front of her.
My faithful student;
I am grateful that you have chosen to contact me about this affair. In doing so, I believe you have averted a great injustice, one that has persisted for centuries since before I was forced to banish my sister to the moon. I have done my best to try and prevent these events from occurring, but am limited in the actions I can take. I cannot be everywhere after all. At the very least, you have prevented this injustice from claiming another victim.
You are correct in your assessment that the so-called Eyes of Nightmare are not a symptom of demonic possession. I have very definitive proof of that, at least. Please convey my gratitude to Fluttershy for providing that colt with a place of safety. I must admit that I am deeply troubled by the fact that Applejack, of all ponies, has been taken in by the Cult Solar's slander. I hope that this letter is sufficient in allaying her fears.
I would like to come and meet this colt personally and help do what I can to repair his situation. However, that is not possible currently. I have been detained in Canterlot lately by affairs of state, but shall come down to Ponyville myself when my schedule permits.
I know this letter alone may not be enough to stop some ponies from doing something rash. To that end, I have asked your brother to select some trustworthy and discreet members of the Royal Guard to be stationed in Ponyville should matters get out of hoof. I will ask that you see to their disposition and make arrangements with the local authorities for their presence.
Furthermore, per your request for additional information, I have asked the staff of the Royal Archives to compile all information related to the Eyes and have it shipped down to you. I have also had the staff at the library collect all books and documents produced by the Cult Solar from the restricted section to be delivered to you. You should receive all of this within two weeks.
I commend you on your desire to learn about the Eyes of Nightmare, as few ponies have bothered to try. Even without the Cult Solar, thanks to the situation with my sister, there has long been a social stigma attached to them that prevented anypony from investigating the phenomenon seriously. It is my hope that your work can bring the nature of this condition to light and help end any further persecution of ponies like your friend, Dawn.
Good luck, my faithful student.Sincerely: Princess Celestia
Twilight smiled as she read the letter, a smile that widened as she worked through it further. She had been right after all. More importantly, here in front of her was definitive proof that Applejack's fears were unfounded. Once she delivered this to Applejack, then the problem would be solved.
Unfortunately, as things would turn out, the morning had other things planned.
Cirrus Stratus blinked and groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He had recovered a few moments after his wife had bucked him. In his pain and sorrow, he hadn't bothered to go after her. Instead he had turned to a bottle of whiskey he kept in the cupboard to drown his sorrows, before climbing into his bed thoroughly soused.
In the morning, his agony was compounded by the monstrous hangover that assaulted him. His head pounded and every little noise slammed into his ears, only making his pain worse. Cirrus moaned in agony, only to find that even that noise was too much for him. Forcing himself up, the tottered out of his bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen. The remains of last night's dinner were still sitting on the table and scattered across the floor where Cirrus had left them. Even though it had been sitting out all night, Cirrus sat down and ate ravenously. He also managed to pour himself a glass of water, but making coffee was a little too much for him this morning.
His stomach full and his thirst sated, Cirrus simply sat at the table for a few moments. By all rights, he should have been on his way to work, but none of that seemed to matter. His daughter was gone, his wife had left. He couldn't bring up the motivation to go out and greet the day. Slowly, the stallion sauntered into the living room, where he looked over at the pictures on the hearth. There were pictures of Scootaloo and Melon Cream, laughing and smiling together. But Cirrus was not in any of them. He had deemed such pictures to be frivolous and wasteful and only allowed them as an indulgence for his wife. The only pictures with Cirrus in them were a family photo, where he posed with his wife and daughter, his usual stern expression in place, and another picture with another pair of pegasi, both staring at the camera with complete solemnity.
The two pegasi seemed glare out of the picture, judging their son, who had managed to lose his hold over the one thing that might have restored some shred of his dignity. In spite of all the effort he had given, all of the work he had put in and all the dedication he had fostered, Scootaloo was all but lost to him. She would never achieve anything of worth. She would become just another smear on his name, another sign of his failure to accomplish anything.
No. Searing rage poured through Cirrus's veins as he looked at the picture of his parents, meeting their glare with a look of determination. I won't let it end like this. I won't allow Scootaloo to become a failure. She will succeed, no matter how hard I have to push her.
Fighting down the last remnants of his hangover, Cirrus Stratus headed out the door of his home, determined to bring his daughter back.
The morning light played across Fluttershy's face as she lifted her head up off the couch cushions. She was slightly confused, not used to waking up on something other than her bed. As she did so, she became conscious of the two bundles of warmth tucked underneath her wing. With a gentle smile, Fluttershy lifted up her wing and was reminded of exactly why she had spent the night on the couch.
Dawn and Scootaloo slept soundly, curled up next to each other. After dinner the previous evening, Fluttershy and her two charges had laid down on the couch to sleep in each other's presence. It had been a difficult day for all of them. But now, with the sun shining in through the windows, a new day had started, one that was full of promise.
Dawn was already beginning to wake in response to her movements. As the colt stirred, Fluttershy nuzzled his mane gently. Dawn looked back up to her, his turquoise draconic eyes already fully alert. The canary-colored pegasus envied the colt and his ability to wake up almost instantly. Dawn pushed off the couch, sailing over the table in front of it to the center of the living room. The movement had been so fluid that his departure hadn't disturbed Scootaloo in the slightest.
As Dawn headed out the door to begin his morning routine, Fluttershy slowly slid off the couch to go through her own morning rituals. She reminded herself to get a toothbrush and paste for Dawn, who was generally content to use water to wash his mouth out. It wouldn't hurt for him to start taking better care of his teeth now that he was getting used to more substantial and civilized fare.
Before she headed up to her bathroom, Fluttershy made sure to fetch a blanket and lay it over Scootaloo. After what she had been through the previous evening, Fluttershy felt that the filly deserved to sleep in, if only for a little while longer. Given the circumstances, she probably wouldn't be going to school either. Fluttershy's first order of business was to find out about Scootaloo's family situation in more detail. Once she understood just where the orange filly stood, Fluttershy could decide what to do from there.
After finishing in the bathroom, Fluttershy came down the stairs and went into the kitchen. Dawn was still in the yard, going through his morning exercises as persistently and methodically as ever. As she prepared breakfast in the kitchen, Fluttershy watched Dawn go through his forms again, moving through each technique with grace and ease. By the time she had finished preparing breakfast, three bowls of porridge lightly sweetened with honey (especially lightly sweetened in Dawn's case) and garnished with lavender, Dawn was finished and coming in, having adapted to the morning routine in the days since his arrival.
Fluttershy looked up from setting the table as Dawn trotted into the kitchen, followed shortly afterwards by a bleary-eyed Scootaloo, still yawning and rubbing her face as she fought off the dogged weariness that accompanied most ponies upon awakening.
The three ponies ate in silence. Fluttershy wanted to make sure that Scootaloo was fully awake before she started pressing for information. After they had eaten, Dawn volunteered to do the dishes, having learned how over the previous week, while Scootaloo helped Fluttershy tend to her animals.
As they set out bowls of feed, Fluttershy turned to look at the filly. "Scootaloo, do you have any idea about what you're going to do now?"
Scootaloo froze in the middle of pouring out birdseed into a bowl. She barely recovered in time to stop from letting it completely spill out onto the floor. "I don't know." She shied away from Fluttershy. "I don't have to leave, do I?"
"Oh dear, of course not," answered Fluttershy quickly, "Not if you don't want to, that is. I just wanted to know. You said your father threw you out. What about your mother?"
Scootaloo looked forlornly at the floor. "I don't know. I ran out before she could say anything. Mom's always tried to keep dad from being too strict with me. But he only really listens to her if she threatens him with sleeping on the couch or something like that."
"Then maybe I should talk with your mother," suggested Fluttershy, "We might be able to work something out. It might be best for you to keep staying with Dawn and I. Perhaps all you and your father need is a little time away from each other."
"You think so?" asked the filly hopefully.
"Oh yes," agreed Fluttershy, "It doesn't sound like you actually did anything wrong. But at the very least, your father needs some time to think about how he's been treating you."
"So, we're going to see mom then?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Not right away. I'll go into town and talk to your mother right now. You would probably be better off staying here with Dawn for now. You didn't bring any of your school things with you this time, so it might be best for you stay here. Besides, you look like you could use some rest."
"But what about my friends?" protested Scootaloo feebly.
"It's just for one day," said Fluttershy soothingly as she gave the filly a quick hug before heading out the door.
Scootaloo ran to the window and watched sadly as Fluttershy cantered down the road leading into town. She continued to stare out long after Fluttershy had vanished from sight.
"Are you done moping?"
A shriek burst from Scootaloo's mouth as she inadvertently activated her magic and leapt up, her wings giving her just enough lift to slam her head into the ceiling quite painfully. Scootaloo dropped back to the floor, groaning and clutching her head as her skull throbbed from the impact. She barely managed to open one eye and glare at the ebony colt that had come up behind her.
"Not bad," he commented, "But you probably shouldn't be trying the second exercise indoors."
"Ha ha," retorted Scootaloo as she continued to massage her scalp, "Ow!"
Dawn retreated to the kitchen for a few moments before returning with a bag of ice, which he positioned on the lump swelling up through Scootaloo's fuchsia mane. "I'm sorry," he said earnestly, "I didn't mean to scare you like that and I hadn't realized you had been hurt so badly."
"'s okay," hissed Scootaloo as she sank to the floor, the cold ice bringing welcome relief to the pain. Dawn continued to use his hoof to steady the ice pack's position, in spite of the fact he was beginning to lose feeling in the appendage.
"However, that was a good sign in a way," he commented.
"Really?"
"It means that you are beginning to draw out your magic instinctively, without thinking about it. Once you feel better, we should go outside and have you practice for a little while. You may not be that far away from getting the second exercise."
"How long did it take you to get it?" asked Scootaloo as she looked up at Dawn.
"I won't say."
For a moment, Scootaloo stared at him, her expression baffled. "Huh! Why not?"
"Because if I told you, you would see it as some sort of invisible line that you couldn't cross, no matter what," explained Dawn, "You would put undo pressure on yourself to avoid going over that limit, which would undermine your focus. It is not a question of whether you take more or less time than I did. It does not make you inferior or superior. You will simply get it when you get it. It is best not to dwell on how long it takes, but finishing the task itself."
The filly let out an indignant sigh. "Fine."
"For now, just rest. We'll start your practice sessions when your head feels better." The two of them continued to go through their day, unaware that, in Ponyville, somepony else was in for a much ruder awakening.
Rainbow Dash groaned and forced her eyes open at the sound of someone pounding at her door. The first thing she did was pull some clouds from her bed and pile them around her ears to block out the sound and hope that the one behind the obscene racket would get fed up and leave. It had been a fitful night for her. Her anxiety over the situation in Cloudsdale was beginning to take its toll. Rainbow had been nervous about sharing the information with her friends. It was troubling enough to deal with on its own.
The situation wasn't helped by the fact that there hadn't been any clouds delivered from the weather factory either. They were nearing the end of what little grace period they had before Rainbow and her team had to tap their reserve supply of water to make up for the lost storm. Some of the more fragile crops wouldn't last another two days. Even the mayor was beginning to express her concerns with the situation.
And all that had been before Applejack had completely flipped her lid the previous day. The sheer stress of all these problems had kept Rainbow Dash up, tossing and turning through the night. Just when it seemed that she would finally be able to get some sleep, somepony had decided she needed to be woken up with an impromptu percussion session.
Even with her hearing muffled by the clouds, Rainbow could still hear the distant pounding. She could even make out the sound of someone's voice, but it was too indistinct to make out, much less identify.
Having had enough, Rainbow batted away the clouds stuffed into her ears and got up. Storming down the stairs, she mentally prepared herself to give the jerk on the other side of her door a piece of her mind. However, she found herself pausing as the voice of the other pony became clear.
"RAINBOW DASH! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
Hearing the pounding and the shouting from her bedroom had left Rainbow without an impression of the sheer fury being unleashed upon her threshold. With each impact, her cloud door shuddered in its frame. And the voice of the stallion responsible was filled to the brim with righteous fury.
"I KNOW SCOOTALOO IS IN THERE! STOP HIDING HER AND SEND HER OUT THIS INSTANT!"
What? Rainbow blinked in confusion as she eyed the door. Now she recognized the voice. She'd heard it only rarely as the pony it belonged to refused to speak to her. But she had heard it on occasion before. Cirrus Stratus was on the other side of the door, pounding away with all his might and rage. But Rainbow as confused. What made him think that Scootaloo was here? Checking the clock, she determined that Scootaloo would most likely be at school, rather than at home. Had the orange filly gone missing? Had she finally run away from her father and his expectations?
Apparently, whatever happened, Cirrus seemed dead certain that Dash's home was the first place the wayward filly would run to. Not that it seemed so cut and dried to Rainbow's mindset. Right off the top of her head, she could think of at least two other places where Scootaloo might run if she was trying to get away from her home.
While Rainbow contemplated this, Cirrus continued to howl and hammer her door like a stallion possessed. Rainbow briefly considered sneaking out through her window and leaving the raging pegasus harassing an empty house. But the thought struck her that if he got desperate, he might try to force an entry.
With a sigh, Rainbow mentally gathered herself and opened the door in between rounds of pounding, trying her best to time it so that she didn't open it just to take a hoof to her face. It was close. Cirrus had been drawing back his foreleg to launch another fusillade of blows at her door. Seeing that she had finally answered, Cirrus lowered his leg and glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
Rainbow took a moment to take in Cirrus's appearance. His coat was matted and ragged. His mane and tail were knotted and unkempt. The sky-blue pegasus had to brace herself to avoid reeling as she was blasted by the stallion's breath. Clearly, he hadn't bothered brushing recently. His wings were flared and tense. It was clear that Cirrus had come looking for a fight.
"What do you think you're doing?" snapped Rainbow as she returned his glare, "Pounding on my door like that? I outta report you to the Guard for disturbing the peace."
"Shut up!" snapped Cirrus, "Bring my daughter out here this instant."
"What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow, "Scootaloo isn't here. Shouldn't she be at home?"
"Don't lie to me you dropout," snarled Cirrus, "She has to be here. That brat of mine worships the ground you fly over. It's obvious that this is the first place she would go."
Now Rainbow was simply confused. "What do you mean go? Why would Scootaloo not be at home or school?"
"You know exactly why!" yelled Cirrus, pushing forward, although Rainbow refused to budge from the doorway, "You're the one who kept filling her head with those damn ideas of yours! You're trying to make my daughter into a failure like yourself!"
"I still don't have any idea what you're talking about, but you'd better watch yourself pal," said Rainbow, tensing slightly. Cirrus looked like he was on the verge of attacking.
Ignoring her warning, Cirrus tried to push himself past her. "SCOOTALOO! GET OUT HERE NOW!"
Rainbow blocked Cirrus from entering. "She's not here you jerk. And don't even think of trying to force your way into my home. Now get out of here before I make you leave."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do you dropout. Now get out of my way. I know my daughter is in there."
"Well you're wrong. If you try to force yourself through my door again, I'm gonna stop you." Rainbow grit her teeth as she readied herself. "And even if Scootaloo was here, the last thing I'd do is hoof her over to a nut-job like you. You need to calm down and then figure out where your daughter is."
"Enough!" shouted Cirrus as he surged forward.
He didn't get far. Flaring her wings, Rainbow reared up and punched out with her forelegs in a swift one-two set of jabs that Cirrus's charge to a halt. Not letting him regain his balance or come out of his daze, Rainbow spun around, bucking with her hind legs in a single smooth motion, the force launching Cirrus out and away from her door and into the open air. He would have plummeted to the ground, but he managed to catch himself before he began falling, spreading his wings and righting himself. Cirrus hovered in the space in front of Rainbow's home, glaring.
"You filthy piece of manure!" he screamed, "I'll have you arrested for assault!"
"Just try it jerk!" Rainbow shouted back, "You were trying to force your way into my home, bellowing some random manure about your daughter without any proof. I have the right to protect myself on my property. You'll only get yourself thrown in prison."
Cirrus opened his mouth to shout back a retort or random insult. But he froze. After a moment, he began to look around, as did Rainbow. The two of them realized that they had attracted quite an audience. On the ground below, unicorns and earth ponies looked upwards in stunned silence, while the few tufts of cloud still hanging around Rainbow's home had become weighed down by pegasi drawn to the shouting match.
Rainbow Dash didn't acknowledge their audience and held her ground, glaring at Cirrus. The stallion looked for a moment like he wanted to continue their argument in spite of all they eyes on them, but appeared to think better of it. With a final glare, he sped off in the direction of his house.
Rainbow let out a long breath and sagged down tiredly on her doorstep.
"What the hay was that all about?"
Rainbow looked up to see a dark gray pegasus with a silver mane styled up in a mohawk drop down in front of her on her yard.
"I wish I knew Thunderlane," groaned Rainbow as she stared in the direction Cirrus had gone, "I wake up to that jerk trying to break my door down and shouting about his daughter being here. I tried to talk him down, but he sounds like he's gone completely around the bend."
"Sounded that way to me too," agreed Thunderlane, "You wanna take the day off boss? That's a heckuva wakeup call."
With a groan, Rainbow hauled herself back up onto her hooves. "No, I need to talk with the mayor. We're gonna take the clouds we have and set up that storm tomorrow. Everypony on the team needs to take all the clouds they can find to the holding zone."
"You've got it boss," replied Thunderlane with a cheeky grin before taking off to give her orders to the others.
Rainbow watched him go for a moment, contemplating her own plan of action. There was no need to see the mayor right away. The first thing she needed to do was find out what was going on with Scootaloo. Rainbow needed to know for sure that her fanfilly was alright. I need to talk to Melon Cream.
Rainbow spread her wings and took to the air, trying to find Scootaloo's mother.
Applejack slammed her hooves into the tree trunk with more force than she'd intended. The rain of apples still came down, but the impact had left clear indents in the trunk. Big Macintosh wouldn't be happy about that. But it was the only way that Applejack could deal with her frustration. Like Rainbow Dash, Applejack was a mare of action. She did her best work when she could just go out and do something. The notion of waiting around for Princess Celestia to come solve their problems never sat well with her, especially with the thought of that colt still living in Fluttershy's home.
But she was stuck. Macintosh had taken the apples into town to sell, forcing Applejack to stay and mind the orchards. The mare grumbled as she took her frustrations out on another tree. She had wanted to spread the word and maybe get the townsponies ready to take action. But her brother had put a stop to that. Every hour we put this off is an hour that scum has to corrupt us, she thought angrily. Her father wouldn't have allowed things to drag on this long. He would have been ashamed. Her town was in danger and none of her friends would allow her to protect it. They all thought she was crazy. No doubt that was his doing as well.
"Big sis! Big sis!"
Applejack's head snapped up at the voice. Looking over in the direction of Ponyville, she saw her little sister galloping through the orchard, a look of frantic distress on her face.
"Apple Bloom!" shouted Applejack, "Yer supposed to be at school. What's goin' on?"
"Scootaloo's missin' and nopony knows where she is!" exclaimed Apple Bloom as she ground to a halt in front of her sister, "Rainbow Dash just had a big fight with Scootaloo's dad over it. Ya've gotta help sis!"
"Scootaloo?" Applejack thought about Apple Bloom's bright orange pegasus friend. The one thing that stood out in Applejack's mind was that Scootaloo had been getting flying lessons from Dawn Lightwing.
"It can't be!" she whispered. Without another word, she broke into a gallop, taking the straightest course she knew to Fluttershy's cottage. Ah was a fool fer goin' along with mah brother about this. Ah shoulda done what Ah knew was right from the get-go. If anythin's happened to little Scootaloo, it'll be because we didn't act soon enough. Ah don't know if Ah'll be able accept mah friends' apologies fer this. She poured on the speed, running even faster, unaware that her younger sister was still behind her and desperately trying to keep pace.
"Rainbow Dash!"
Only years of experience allowed Rainbow to hear the yell that was barely more than a whisper. Having grown up together, she was intimately familiar with Fluttershy's yelling voice, which barely qualified (if it qualified at all) as louder than most ponies' normal speaking voice.
"What is it?" she asked, swooping down to meet her friend, "Can it wait? I need to find Scootaloo."
"Oh, that's perfect," said Fluttershy, her troubled expression breaking into a happy one, "She's staying with Dawn at my house right now. She spent the night there."
"Why?" asked Rainbow.
"Didn't you know?" asked Fluttershy, puzzled, "Since you were looking for her, I thought you knew already."
"Knew what? All I know is that her dad showed up at my door this morning practically foaming at the mouth and with a massive chip on his shoulder. He straight up accused me of hiding her there and tried to force his way in."
"Oh dear," said Fluttershy, "Scootaloo showed up at my door last night. The poor dear told us that her father had thrown her out."
"What?" exclaimed Rainbow, her surprise lifting her off the ground, "That jerk! I shoulda broke every bone in his body!"
"Um, do you know what's happening?" Fluttershy asked gently, "What should we do?"
"We need to talk to Scootaloo's mom. We can get the full story on what happened." Rainbow lifted up and oriented in the direction of the market. And if what the squirt said is true, Melon owes me an explanation for why she'd let her husband get away with that.
Rainbow knew that Melon Cream worked for the mayor. She oversaw the Ponyville market, handling the layout of the stalls and managing the permits that allowed the vendors to sell there. While she had her own office at town hall, Melon spent most of her time at the market itself, overseeing the start and end of it every day, as well as dealing with any disputes that popped up.
Rainbow almost missed her as she flew. Melon wasn't at the market, she was actually cantering down one of Ponyville's streets, looking around frantically.
"Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Where are you?"
Rainbow flipped a quick turn and descended towards the other mare. "Melon!" she shouted.
Melon looked up and an expression of relief spread across her face. "Rainbow Dash! Thank Celestia you're here. I can't find my daughter. Could you help me look for her?"
"No need," said Rainbow as she set down in front of the earth pony. A light breeze told her that Fluttershy had settled onto the ground behind her as well. "Scoot's at Fluttershy's place."
"Oh thank goodness," said Melon, sagging with relief. I've been looking for her since this morning."
"What's going on?" asked Rainbow, "Fluttershy told me that Scootaloo's dad threw her out."
"He did," sighed Melon, "And before you ask, she was gone before I could say anything. I was too shocked by my husband's behavior to stop him before it was done. I left after that. I can't believe I was with him all this time and I didn't realize what he really was."
"What do you mean?" asked Rainbow.
Before Melon could explain, she was cut off by a shout.
"Oh there you are!" The three mares turned to see Pinkie Pie, followed by Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle, galloping towards them.
"Thank heavens we found you!" Rarity added as the group came to a halt.
"What's going on?" asked Fluttershy, "Is this about Scootaloo?"
"Well, yes," replied Rarity, "Twilight here was just telling me and Pinkie about your charming tenant when Sweetie Belle burst in on us and told us about Scootaloo missing and how you had a fight with her father Rainbow."
"Then everything's okay," said Rainbow, smiling smugly, "Scoots stayed at Fluttershy's house and she's there now. So we don't need to worry about her right now."
"That wasn't the only problem," said Twilight, hopping from her right hooves to her left in a nervous imitation of Pinkie's usual inability to stay still. "Sweetie wasn't the only one to hear your fight with Scootaloo's father and find out that Scootaloo was missing."
"So?"
"Oh no," whispered Fluttershy, covering her mouth with her hooves, "It was Apple Bloom, wasn't it?"
Twilight and Rarity nodded gravely.
"I don't get it," said Rainbow, "So Apple Bloom's worried too. Don't we just have to find her and explain what's going on?"
Twilight rolled her eyes with a look that just screamed "Celestia give me patience" before explaining. "When Apple Bloom finds out about a serious problem, who is the first pony she's going to run to?"
"Well that's obvious," said Rainbow, rolling her eyes in turn, "She'd run to AJ and..." She trailed off as she finally put two and two together.
"You see," said Twilight, "Applejack knows that Scootaloo was getting flying lessons from Dawn. Given her perception of him, Applejack's first thought is going to be to go after him."
"Um," interjected Melon, feeling extremely left out, "Is there something I'm missing here?"
"It's a bit of a long story, so..." Twilight began. She was cut off as the entire group was enveloped by a cloud of dust resulting from Fluttershy's rapid takeoff. Rainbow quickly beat her wings to clear it away. In the few seconds it took, Fluttershy had turned into a yellow speck in the distance. The rainbow-maned pegasus mare had to suppress the urge to whistle. To say that Fluttershy wasn't much of a flier was an understatement. The fact that she walked nearly everywhere was a testament to that fact and she was especially notorious for her weakness in the air. Even Rainbow Dash would go as far to say that her oldest friend would probably have been happier as an earth pony. But then, as moments like this showed, when she wanted to, Fluttershy could fly with a speed that left even Equestria's fastest flier gaping.
"What was that about?" coughed Melon as she looked up, trying to follow Fluttershy's flight.
"She must have gone to try and stop Applejack from doing anything rash," observed Twilight, "I should go too. I just got a letter from the Princess that should get Applejack to back down. I'm gonna go on ahead. You girls catch up as soon as you can."
Twilight's horn blazed to life and she teleported in a flash of violet light. The remaining ponies blinked to clear their eyes.
"Could somepony please tell me what this is all about?" asked Melon, quite distraught that the whole situation was getting so complicated.
"I'm terribly sorry dear," said Rarity in a consoling tone, "But explanations will have to come later. We should head for Fluttershy's as fast as we can right now."
"Way ahead of you!" By the time Rainbow's voice reached their ears, she was already gone.
The others looked at each other. "Come on then, we have no time to waste," said Rarity. They took off running for Fluttershy's home as fast as their hooves could carry them.
Scootaloo sighed as her hooves gently touched down, the wind from Dawn's catch dissipating. She was already on her fourth try to get the second exercise. This last time, she had managed to to get her wings out and had actually managed to slow her descent slightly before Dawn was forced to arrest her fall. She supposed that some progress was better than no progress. She found herself wondering at the difference in difficulty. She had hardly any trouble doing the first exercise, using her magic to lift herself off the ground without flapping. But trying to do that up in the sky, with the threat of falling hanging over her head, it suddenly seemed so much more difficult than before.
Scootaloo let out a scream of frustration, stomping her hooves on the ground. "I don't get it! What am I missing?"
"Hmm," Dawn mused "You were going through the first exercise easily enough. I think I have an idea of what the problem is."
"You do?"
"Yes. I encountered a similar wall in my training. At that time, my Master asked me a very simple question."
The orange filly blinked. "What was it?"
A rare smile spread across Dawn's face. "Where does the sky begin?"
"Huh? What's the point of that?" asked Scootaloo.
"It's everything. After all, we pegasi are ponies of the sky. We should know where our domain begins and ends. It's an essential question."
Scootaloo sat and thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I've never thought about it like that."
"The answer is actually quite simple when you think about it," added Dawn, "After all, the sky is simply air."
"Simply air..." Scootaloo jumped up, "But wouldn't that mean...?"
"Yes," agreed Dawn, "If the sky is just air, then that means we are in the sky right now. You see..." He waved his hoof a few inches above the ground. "...Everything above the ground is the sky. It makes no difference whether you are a single inch or a whole mile up. In the end, it's all the same sky."
"But how does that help exactly?" asked the filly.
"That resistance that you felt when you pushed down with your magic was not the ground, but rather the air itself," explained Dawn, "Our magic melds with the air, the essence of the sky. The key to flight is to use your magic to grasp the air around you."
"Grasp the air..."
"You feel it when you activate your magic, don't you? You feel your reach extending beyond yourself. That is you reaching through the air. Now you need simply bend it to your will and you will be able to complete this exercise." Dawn nodded at her. "Now, try again."
Scootaloo glared at him and resisted the urge to growl in frustration. She took a few seconds to mull over their exchange. It was then that she realized how tense she was. Her frustration and anger were drawing her muscles taught. She even felt it affecting her magic, agitating it as it flowed through her wings.
Scootaloo took a deep breath and relaxed her posture. In her mind, she imagined all her negative feelings escaping like steam as she exhaled, relaxing even further. From where he was watching, Dawn's smile slowly widened. She's beginning to understand.
Scootaloo raised her wings and flapped them down, releasing her magic as she do so. Once again, she felt the rush as she rocketed upward into the air. This time, she didn't bother opening her eyes. Instead, she allowed her momentum to lift her wings up as she reached the apex of her ascent, spreading them out. This time, she released her magic from them while they spread, feeling the air around her. Following Dawn's advice, she reached out as though the air was an extension of her self and gently pushed down.
The feeling that accompanied falling never came. Opening her eyes, Scootaloo saw that she was now slowly drifting down. Concentrating on what she felt with her wings, she realized that, if she wanted to, she could arrest her fall completely and hover up there in the clear blue skies for as long as she wanted. This feels...AMAZING!
Looking down, she saw that Dawn was now positively beaming at her success. A few seconds later, Scootaloo finally touched down. The colt opened his mouth to congratulate her, but was stopped by the filly as she tackled him in an excited hug.
"I DID IT!" she screamed, "That was so awesome! I can't wait to show Rainbow Dash what I can do now!"
Dawn went completely rigid at the unexpected physical contact. After the euphoria of accomplishment wore off, Scootaloo realized that she and the colt had come to a rest, laying on the ground, the filly laying on top of Dawn, her muzzle mere inches from his own.
Scootaloo's normally orange face flushed bright red and she jumped abruptly jumped away from Dawn and stood off a few yards away, scratching the back of her head sheepishly as she struggled to look anywhere but the colt's unique eyes.
"Um...sorry."
"Don't...don't worry about it," replied Dawn as he slowly got back on his hooves, "In any case, you've shown you can do that once. Now I want you to show me that you can do that every time you go up. Once you manage that, we can move on to the next step."
"Roger!" replied Scootaloo, her sheepish grin becoming eager as she tossed her instructor a mock salute. Bending down, she lifted up her wings and prepared to take to the air again.
"There ya are!" The two looked up to see a very angry Applejack bearing down on them, "Ah've gotcha dead to rights now ya varmint! This time ya ain't gettin' any mercy from me."