//------------------------------// // Fly Higher // Story: Whatever It Takes, I Love You // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// 16. Fly Higher Scootaloo stood in an open field just outside Ponyville. She carefully spread her new wings wide, admiring her new plumage. It had been a long time coming, longer than any other pegasus she'd ever known, but her wings would now be able to carry her through the sky. Smiling, she gave them an experimental flap. Her flight muscles were strong from years of hummingbird-style flapping to propel her scooter, but moving larger wings was a different movement, and it put a slight strain on her shoulders as she moved. She gritted her teeth and ignored it. Like the stallion ghost in her dreams had taught her, pain was to be endured and overcome. That was the path to one's dreams. She knew it was true. She had endured and overcome the pain life had thrown at her every day. As a result, she had gone from orphan to Rainbow's little sister, from dodo to flier, and from Blank Flank to having her Cutie Mark. She wouldn't let anything stop her from being as great a flier as Rainbow Dash. She gave her wings another strong flap, pushing through the stiffness. As she continued to flap her wings, the soreness in her shoulders faded as her flight muscles grew accustomed to the new movements. She'd have to completely relearn how to flap her wings, but it was worth it to soar through the sky someday beside Rainbow. She grinned as she felt her body starting to get lighter as the lift her wings were providing began to combat the effects of gravity. She gripped the ground. She didn't want to make it back into the air yet, just get her new wings used to the movements, so that when the time came she would be strong enough to fly long and strong. "That's quite a set of wings you've got on you, kid," a voice called out to her. Pausing her wingflaps, she turned towards the voice, surprised to see gold and orange against a yellow and blue flight suit. "S-Spitfire?" Scootaloo said in shock. "W-what are you doing here?" Spitfire smirked. "When Luna up and moved out of the palace, she didn't take any guards with her. The Lunar Guard still does their job, but Celestia thought she needed an honor guard of sorts, the best of the best on permanent assignment to assist Luna in whatever she needs." Spitfire's smirk softened into a pleasant smile. "She assigned Soarin' and I." Scootaloo blinked, then smiled. "The Sun Princess really wants to help you reconnect with your daughter, huh?" Spitfire stepped back, shocked. "How did you-" "When Soarin' told Rainbow the whole story, I was up the tree," Scootaloo interrupted with a smirk. Then her face went neutral. "I...I hope you and Rainbow are able to reconnect at some point." Spitfire smiled. "At this point, that depends on Rainbow." She walked up to Scootaloo, examining her still spread wings. "At least Rainbow got my eye for natural talent. Good definition on these wings, and I can see the strength in your back. Lots of attempts to get into the sky?" Scootaloo shook her head. "When my wings were smaller, I used them to propel my scooter." She sighed. "Can't do that since they grew. It's kinda made it a bit more difficult for me and my friends to get around. They used to ride in a wagon we hitched to the back of my scooter as I zipped us around town." She shook her head. "Can't do that since my wings grew." Spitfire lightly tapped Scootaloo on her back. "Don't worry. Once you master low altitude flight, you'll be able to tow them along faster than your scooter ever went." Stepping to Scootaloo's side, Spitfire got into a starting stance. "Why don't we see what you can do in the air?" Scootaloo stared at her. "Are...are you saying you're going to give me flying lessons?" Spitfire nodded. "Yeah. Somepony needs to, right? Come on, let's take to the sky." Scootaloo got a little starry eyed. Getting flying lessons from the captain of the Wonderbolts...it was like a dream! She started to spread her wings almost without thinking...then paused. She blinked for a time, then folded her wings. "Actually...I'm not ready to take to the sky yet." Spitfire blinked, standing up straight to stare at Scootaloo. "Why not? Scared? Nervous? Tummy troubles?" Scootaloo shook her head. "Nothing like that," she said. "It's just...Rainbow's not here." Spitfire nodded. "Well, yeah. She's still confined to bed rest for another week, and then she'll need another two weeks of physical therapy. It'll probably be a full month before she's back at full strength." Scootaloo nodded. "Then I'll be ready to take to the sky in a month." She shook herself off a bit. "My First Flight...I'm going to take it with Rainbow." Spitfire chuckled. "You know, just about every pegasus filly and colt in the world would give their left foreleg for flying lessons from a Wonderbolt, let alone the Captain." Scootaloo smiled softly. "I'm not like them. If not for Rainbow, I wouldn't have a left forehoof to give." She thought back to the first time Rainbow had saved her, when she'd leapt off the edge of Cloudsdale, to fly or die. "She's been there for me since the beginning, from my first attempt at flight. It's only right that, when I finally do take to the sky, it's by her side." Spitfire stared down at the filly for a time, then smiled. "Yeah, I see what you mean." Her eyes flicked to Scootaloo's Cutie Mark. "That's the two of you, all over." She spread her wings. "Well, I can at least give you tips and exercise regimes so that your First Flight with Rainbow can last as long as possible, right?" Scootaloo grinned widely. "That'd be AWESOME!" she shouted out. "As long as we don't leave the ground." Spitfire chuckled. "Don't worry, kid, we'll stay ground bound." Bracing herself, she spread her wings. "Hold your wings like I am." Scootaloo quickly assumed an identical position. Spitfire continued. "Now, the first thing you need to know about flight is angles. The angle you hold your wings at determines everything. Even one feather out of place can cause a major loss in velocity. So..." --------------- Luna and Rainbow cuddled together on Rainbow's bed, the one thing Luna could do that kept Rainbow from trying to get out of bed. This had been helped when Luna had one of her Night Guard pegasi bring them their meals in bed. At Rainbow's suggestion, he was wearing a pink frilly apron. The added frilly bonnet with booties had been the Guard's addition to the look, and neither mare was going to gainsay the ridiculousness. The one thing Luna was doing that Rainbow didn't like, however, was her insistence on feeding her. Rainbow disliked the fact that she was still pretty much an invalid, and found any such reminders - or worse, any treatment along those lines - almost unbearable. However, Luna had made such an adorable pout the first time Rainbow had tried to make a fuss over it that she had acquiesced, and now faced each meal with grumbling resignation. Admittedly, the joy Luna showed as she took care of Rainbow like this was rather heartwarming. Their somewhat flirtatious play, however, was interrupted as Spitfire entered the room, an unconscious Scootaloo draped across her back. "Is she okay?" Rainbow asked, concerned. Spitfire chuckled. "The kid's fine, Rainbow. She just worked herself to exhaustion in flight lessons." Rainbow blinked. "Oh. So...you're giving her flight lessons, then?" Spitfire nodded. "I offered, she accepted on her terms. As Rainbow lowered her head to the bed, feeling somewhat sad that she couldn't be the one teaching Scootaloo how to use her wings, Luna spoke up. "How high did young Scootaloo fly today?" Spitfire laughed. "She didn't leave the ground." "Huh?" Rainbow asked, surprised. "In point of fact," Spitfire continued, "she refused to. Right at first she eve refused lessons. Told me flat out that she wasn’t taking her First Flight without her big sister." Rainbow flushed, burying her head in the coverlet. "Squirt..." Luna chuckled indulgently. "Truly, Loyalty defines her," she commented happily. Spitfire smiled. "So instead, I gave her a few ground exercises to get her wings and lungs in shape so when you're ready, she can fly with you for hours on end. Worked her as hard as she was willing to push herself." Spitfire gently shifted the unconscious Scootaloo off her back and onto the bed. "Pushed herself harder than most Wonderbolt recruits, for that matter. She did you proud." Smiling, Rainbow gently ruffled Scootaloo's mane. "Yeah, she does that." Luna chuckled. "You'll have to recover a bit faster, than, if you want to keep up with her." Rainbow bridled. "Hey! She's still a good decade too early to surpass me!" Luna and Spitfire laughed, their laughter increasing at Rainbow's glower. ------------- One month later... Rainbow Dash flexed her wings and legs happily as she walked across the clouds in Cloudsdale. Having finished the physical therapy and being back at full strength, she knew it was time for her to take Scootaloo for First Flight. And she knew just where she wanted to do it from. She glanced over her shoulder. Scootaloo trailed along behind Rainbow, eyes shut tight behind a blindfold, holding Rainbow's tail in her mouth to know where to go. Rainbow had insisted, wanting this to be a surprise. Luna had got two Night Guards to pull them up here in a carriage. As she reached the spot she had in mind, she smiled. "Okay, Scoot, you can take the blindfold off now." Scootaloo released her tail. "Finally," she complained, taking the blindfold off. "I don't know why I had to wear...it..." She gazed around in awe. They were at the edge of Cloudsdale, the clouds coming to an abrupt halt right in front of them. The moon was just setting in the western sky, and the stars glimmered like jewels, the light from them sparkling across the clouds. Scootaloo let out a breath. "Wow...it's beautiful up here..." "Yeah," Rainbow replied. "This is why I was almost always sleeping during the day a while back. There is nothing so exhilarating and enthralling as flying at night, where no one sees." She chuckled. "I was practically nocturnal even before I started spending so much time with Luna. But tell me, Squirt...do you recognize this place?" Scoot blinked, looking around. "Well, it's Cloudsdale. We're near the edge. The orphanage is over that...way..." Her eyes widened, staring down off the edge. "This is where I jumped!" Rainbow nodded. "Right. This is where you made your first leap into the sky. I thought it only right that here be where you took your first flight." Scootaloo nodded, blinking away tears. "Yeah," she said, hugging Rainbow around the foreleg. "Because this is where we first met." Rainbow nuzzled the filly's mane. "Alright. I know Spitfire's been teaching you a lot. It's time to put that knowledge to the test." She got into a start position, spreading her wings for flight. Scootaloo took an identical position beside her, her body thrumming in eagerness. With a graceful leap, the two went over the edge of the clouds, their wings guiding them as they gained speed as they shot towards the ground. And then, together, they both made that first all-important down stroke and shot upwards into the air. As the air rushed over Scootaloo's feathers, she resisted the urge to scream out in joy. She was doing it! She was flying! She reveled in the feeling, the glory of the air all around her and the clouds beneath her, free of the chains that had bound her to the earth, free at long last to fly. Rainbow wasn't flying fast, at least not for her. Her flight tonight was leisurely, taking the time to enjoy each moment, each flap of her wings gentle and controlled. As she shifted into a slow bank, Scootaloo matched her movements, banking along with her. She was flying with Rainbow Dash, flying on her own wings. After so long, her dreams had come true. Rainbow suddenly pulled up, flapping her wings hard as she began to pull into a loop. Without thinking, Scootaloo matched her body movements exactly. She had practiced some of these movements on the ground with Spitfire. Spitfire had said Scootaloo had the best 'body memory' she'd ever seen, and could recall and assume any physical position and movement set flawlessly after practicing it for one day. The truth of the matter was that the spirit in her dreams that called itself Hurricane drilled her in everything flight related endlessly every single night, since flight was the basis of all pegasi combat. As a result of her two-fold training, she was able to follow Rainbow through the loop with minimal effort. Rainbow noticed Scootaloo keeping pace with her through the loop and grinned. She'd meant to loop around behind Scootaloo to keep an eye on her and advise her on flight, but that obviously wasn't necessary. Scootaloo was much further along than she had anticipated. "You're a natural, Scoot!" she called out happily. Scootaloo blushed in pleasure in response. "Let's see what else you can do!" She immediately rolled into a forward flip. Scootaloo quickly followed suit, matching Rainbow's movements. Rainbow's grin widened at this, as she then led her little sister into a tight barrel roll. She performed a few more simple tricks, nothing too advanced, and Scootaloo was able to match every single one without waver, although Rainbow could tell it was starting to make Scoot's concentration waver. Rainbow pulled up, floating up into the air to hover several hundred feet above the ground, a good ways amongst the clouds. Scootaloo quickly joined her, flapping her wings beside her. Rainbow grinned at the little filly. "You've got some serious talent, squirt...so I'm going to show you something cool. Stay right here!" Leaving Scootaloo hovering there, Rainbow shot high into the sky, grinning as she saw a thundercloud had somehow been left to wander into the perfect position for this next part. Having achieved the necessary altitude, she positioned herself over the thundercloud and dove, flipping end over end endlessly as she dove down towards it. Just before she hit, she pulled up, going into a tight triple barrel roll that dragged along the edge of the cloud. Lightning leapt from the cloud, dancing around her in a bright flash of light. Scootaloo clapped her hooves happily, remembering not to cheer because so many ponies were still sleeping. Rainbow Dash glided back to her, panting a little. "And that's the Buccaneer Blitz!" she said proudly, catching her breath. "Took a while to get that one right." "I wanna try it!" Scootaloo said happily, flying upward. "Now hang on-" Rainbow started, then shook her head. "Go ahead," she called out, "just watch out for the painful bounce if you hit the cloud instead of scraping it." Grinning, Scootaloo flew up above the thundercloud, ready to start. She then dove, flipping end over end. However, unlike Rainbow, she wasn't as used to such movements, and she started to get dizzy. As a result, her timing was a little off, and when she tried to pull into the triple barrel roll, she wasn't horizontal. This caused her to punch through the thundercloud rather than skim the top, causing the cloud to disperse and the lightning to painfully cling to her. "SCOOTALOO!" Rainbow shouted in fear. "Hang on!" She immediately took flight up towards her. Scootaloo managed to pull up to be flying horizontally, pumping her wings as hard as she could. It hurt, but she wouldn't let it beat her. She just needed to find some way to shed the lightning. Rainbow flew up to her, ready to grab her, but pulled back as the lightning zapped her. "OW!" She gritted her teeth, than steeled herself, ready to try again. "Rainbow!" Scootaloo cried out. "I need to shed the lightning first! Find me a way to do it!" She continued to fly, moving as fast as she could so the lightning couldn't settle into her body. The side effects of that could be quite horrid. Rainbow nodded, flying alongside her, thinking. Then her eyes lit up. "I got it!" She flew forward rapidly. Scootaloo continued pulsing her wings. Eventually, she came in sight of Canterlot. She had no idea how she got so far. Adrenaline was the most likely culprit. She saw Rainbow Dash putting the finishing touches on a huge fog bank that stretched across a good portion of the sky. "Into the fog!" Rainbow shouted from the other side, as the sky started to be tinted by the rising sun. "Water conducts electricity, right?" Rainbow stared in shock. Somehow, the lightning dancing around Scootaloo had taken on her colors. Scootaloo nodded, pushing herself to her limits. She could see Rainbow positioning herself to catch her once she passed through. However, she felt her wings starting to flag. In desperation, just as she was about to enter the fog bank, she went into a tight a barrel roll as she could and kept spinning, trying to throw the lightning off her. There was the sound of something igniting behind her, and the pain of the lightning ended. Then she crashed into Rainbow Dash, and the two of them spun backward through the air to land on a cloud. Rainbow was immediately clutching Scootaloo tightly, obviously having been scared witless by what had happened. Then her grip relaxed as she stared. Confused, Scootaloo turned to see what was so distracting. The entire fogbank, stretching all across the western horizon, was now stained with her orange and purple coloration, painting the sky in the colors of the sunset. The colors - and the fog - kept spreading, until the sunset coloration met the beginnings of the sunrise. It may have been a trick of the light, but for a brief moment it looked like the sun dropped back under the horizon before lifting up again. As sunrise and sunset met in the middle of the sky, Rainbow and Scootaloo stared in awe. "It's beautiful," Scootaloo whispered. "I'll say," Rainbow said happily. "Wonder what you're going to call that awesome trick?" "A very good question," a masculine voice said nearby. Rainbow and Scootaloo turned to stare. Three pegasi flew up towards them. The two unfamiliar ones appeared incredibly athletic, the stallion being a bright orange with a flaming red mane and tail, with a Cutie Mark of twin trails of flame. The mare was a very dark blue with a purple mane and tail with a Cutie Mark of a music note resting in a cloud. The third pegasus was Firefly, not looking quite happy. "Firefly?" Rainbow asked. "Who are they?" Firefly swallowed. "This is Fire Flash and Skysong. They've been trying to push me into getting into contact with you." Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. "...why?" Firefly closed her eyes, expecting this to go badly. "They're Scootaloo's birth parents."