“You sure you want to do this? We can do it some other time.” Star Shine asked Scootaloo. They were hovering about a hundred feet above Rainbow Dash. Star Shine thought they might need more room but if he went too high up it would probably make the experience even harder on Scootaloo. She seemed scared enough as it was. Scootaloo nodded shakily and looked down at Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah I’m sure. This is important right?” Scootaloo replied.
“It could be yeah. Rainbow will catch you and I’ll fly down with you too.” Star Shine said.
“I know, it’s why I’m fine.” Scootaloo replied, smiling up at Star Shine. Star Shine smiled back and positioned his body so he was as vertical as he could be and was facing downwards.
“What you have to do is really simple Scoots. Just spread your wings as you fall and keep them perfectly spread. They have to be as rigid as they can go. It won’t need to be so precise when your wings are a little bigger but for now they have to be to build up enough wind resistance.” Star Shine explained. Scootaloo nodded along as he did so. “You catch all that?” he asked. Scootaloo gave another nod and spread her wings ready. When she did this Star Shine adjusted the angle of her wings so they were in the right position. “Try and keep them like this too.” he added to explain what he did.
“Spread my wings and keep them tight, right?” she asked, giggling a little at the unintentional rhyme.
“That’s right. Okay I’m going to count down now. If you want me to stop just say so.” Star Shine said. Scootaloo looked back down at Rainbow Dash with determination in her eyes. She was keen to not fail this and impress Rainbow Dash and show she wasn’t afraid. “Three...two...” Star Shine began, pausing before finishing to give Scootaloo one last chance to say she didn’t want to do it after all. “...One.” he finished and let go of Scootaloo. Her wings were spread ready and she was sure she was ready but as she started to fall memories started to come unbidden into her mind. Some recent, like falling into the Gorge, and some not so recent. The physical pain she felt as her father unceremoniously threw her and she hit the ground hard. The pain she felt as she found herself sprawled across the ground and lying in blood. Her own blood. The emotional pain she felt as her father blamed HER for what happened. How he had shouted at her and left her there in agony. After a second of falling Scootaloo began screaming. Rainbow Dash heard her and flew up to catch her instead of waiting for her to come down. When Scootaloo felt herself in Rainbow Dash’s embrace she huddled up as tight as she could and cried softly into Rainbow Dash’s coat.
“Are you okay?” Star Shine asked worriedly. He was about to catch Scootaloo himself when he saw Rainbow Dash head up to catch her. He was worried something like this might have happened. Scootaloo had been so adamant he had chosen to leave her be.
“What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked, cuddling Scootaloo up tight and nuzzling her.
“It’s just...just...it’s scarier than I thought it’d be.” Scootaloo replied when she calmed down. She was smiling but it was so shaky neither Rainbow Dash nor Star Shine bought it.
“I’m here for you Scoots, I’d never let you fall.” Rainbow Dash reassured her. Scootaloo’s smile became a little less shaky and more pronounced.
“I know, I’m ready to try again.” Scootaloo said after she had calmed down a little more. Rainbow Dash was unsure but Scootaloo held onto her less tightly and allowed herself to be passed back to Star Shine so he could try again. Star Shine was just as unsure and hovered slowly back up to the starting point. He rushed back down to Rainbow Dash when he reached where he was supposed to release Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash looked at him curiously, especially as he was wearing a wide smile. Scootaloo was also wondering what was going on. She felt she really had mentally prepared herself.
“What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked Star Shine.
“Yeah I meant it when I said I was ready.” Scootaloo added.
“I know, but I got a good idea.” Star Shine said, still smiling brightly.
“There you go again with all your good ideas...” Rainbow Dash replied, rolling her eyes and huffing.
“Hey, who’s the professionally trained flight instructor here, me or you?” Star Shine replied defensively. “I can’t help it if I get good ideas about how to train fillies.”
“I know, I know.” Rainbow Dash replied, giving Star Shine a hug and gently squeezing Scootaloo in the process. “So just tell me your idea. If it won’t upset Scoots then I’m sure I’ll be all for it.”
“I think you’ll be all for this one.” Star Shine replied, returning the hug before backing away to save Scootaloo from being squashed further. “So, Scootaloo, you know how you ride on Rainbow Dash’s back all the time?” he asked Scootaloo. She nodded and looked up at him.
“Yeah, what about it?” Scootaloo asked, not seeing where he was going with this.
“And that adorable little thing you do where you sit on her head?” Star Shine asked, giggling at the mental image. Scootaloo sighed in exasperation. She hadn’t realised she looked so cute doing that.
“You have to admit that is pretty cute.” Rainbow Dash said, laughing herself. “But where are you going with this?” she asked Star Shine. She couldn’t see what he was getting at with this either.
“Like most of my ideas it’s brilliantly simple.” Star Shine replied.
“So they’re like you?” Rainbow Dash teased him. Scootaloo laughed as Star Shine sighed dejectedly.
“Pretty much.” he replied, smiling. “So anyway, if Scoots rides on your head when you fly, and spreads her wings, then it should be the same really. When she gets her wings just right then she’ll be knocked back while you keep moving forward. So it’s a safe way for her to learn how to glide.” Star Shine explained. When he finished his explanation Scootaloo jumped out of his forelegs and onto Rainbow Dash’s head. She planted herself down on her stomach like she normally would and spread her wings.
“I take it you like the idea Squirt?” Rainbow Dash asked, giggling up at Scootaloo who nodded her head.
“Aren’t you glad I’m so awesome?” Star Shine asked, puffing out his chest with pride and patting it with a foreleg.
“If you were THAT awesome you’d have thought of this before, don’t you think?” Rainbow Dash replied, winking at him. Star Shine let out the breath he was holding in with a sigh.
“Okay, okay. Just get flying already. I’ll fly underneath you so I can catch Scoots when she starts gliding. Remember this isn’t flying, she WILL fall, but she’ll do it so slowly that it’ll be safe.” Star Shine explained. Rainbow Dash nodded and started flying in circles around her home. Star Shine started flying about a hundred feet below her and Rainbow Dash had to try hard to keep herself flying at the same speed and not let it turn into a race.
“You okay up there Squirt?” Rainbow Dash called out when she had completed a few laps without Scootaloo doing anything.
“Yeah, this is just harder than I thought.” Scootaloo replied through gritted teeth. There was a lot more wind resistance on Rainbow Dash’s head than there was on her back. Scootaloo was very glad that Star Shine had thought of this if it would be this difficult to learn how to glide. She didn’t want to think about how many times she would have had to fall to try and get this far. Every time she thought her wings were getting rigid the wind would hit them and knock them out of place. It was tough to even keep them spread at times.
“To be honest I learned to fly first so I don’t know what it’s like.” Rainbow Dash replied. “But I know that you’re awesome and you can do this, just keep at it.” she added reassuringly with a smile. Scootaloo closed her eyes in determination and tried harder to keep her wings forced open but they were starting to get tired and sore. After a few more laps with no success Scootaloo tucked her wings into her side and tapped Rainbow Dash, causing her to stop and look up at her.
“I’m sorry Rainbow, I’m too tired.” Scootaloo said quietly. “Think we can get something to-” she began before yawning, “eat?” Rainbow Dash smiled at how cute she looked when she couldn’t finish a sentence and nodded. She flew down to the roof of her house and was joined shortly after by Star Shine. He had seen Rainbow Dash stop and land and followed suit to find out what happened.
“She alright?” Star Shine asked worriedly, fearing the worst. Scootaloo was sat on the cloud and breathing heavily.
“She will be when she has something to eat, she’s just worn out.” Rainbow Dash explained. Star Shine smiled and patted Scootaloo on the head.
“You rest up, and I’ll go make something to eat for you.” Star Shine said softly to her. Scootaloo smiled at him and gently rubbed her face against his. “Something for you too I guess.” he added to Rainbow Dash and ran off laughing as Rainbow Dash chased after him. Rainbow Dash gave up chasing him when he reached the edge of the roof and ducked into the house.
“Hey...Rainbow!” Scootaloo called out. Rainbow Dash ran back across to Scootaloo.
“Yeah Squirt?” Rainbow Dash replied, settling herself down next to Scootaloo.
“Do me a favour?”
“I’d do anything for you Squirt.” Rainbow Dash said, leaning up against Scootaloo. “What is it?”
“Don’t chase him off. He cooks.” Scootaloo said, giggling.
“Hey I cook too!” Rainbow Dash replied indignantly.
“Yeah, but he can cook well.” Scootaloo teased, laughing louder as Rainbow Dash poked her in the sides, tickling her.
“I’ll keep him around.” Rainbow Dash replied. “For your sake of course.” she added.
“Sure, for my sake.” Scootaloo replied, smiling as she rested her head on her hooves and closed her eyes.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, but it was too late; Scootaloo had fallen asleep almost instantly.