//------------------------------// // A Blazing Fire // Story: Twilight Sparkle Gets Flying Lessons (From a Wonderbolt) // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. After an entire month of trying (and failing) to learn how to fly with Rainbow Dash’s help, the mare had finally cracked. It wasn’t uncommon for Rainbow to lose her temper or to let her emotions get the best of her, but it always left a bitter afterthought. But that wasn’t what had caused Twilight’s insomnia. No, what had brought it about was Rainbow Dash’s replacement, as proposed by Princess Celestia. Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts, renowned for her spicy attitude was going to be her new flight instructor. Twilight had only seen Spitfire a couple of instances in the past, and each time had been under questionable circumstances. So, it was with shaky hooves that Twilight pulled herself out of bed. She’d pulled off all-nighters before, but she still felt pretty terrible. Spike, on the other hand, was completely at peace in his basket. Twilight figured he could use the extra sleep, so she didn’t bother waking him up. Besides, he didn’t need to suffer from her own mistakes. “Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Twilight said as she made it to the kitchen. She poured pancake mix into a pan. “A pony at work is different than a pony in a casual setting.” As the pancake mix settled, Twilight spread her overly large wings and looked back at them. “Except… Would this arrangement be considered work or casual?” The alicorn flipped the pancake, and dismissed the thought. She decided one pancake was all she felt like eating, so when she’d finished making it, she trotted over to her dining table and began her small feast. It wasn’t much, but it left a warm feeling in her belly and made her a bit more confident. When she was almost done, Spike was walking down the steps, yawning. “Hey, Twi,” he said, stretching. “How’d you sleep?” “Pretty good,” she lied. “You?” “Like a log!” Spike exclaimed with a toothy grin. “Or maybe a baby dragon, but that would be a little obvious. Anyway, can I have an aquamarine for breakfast today? Please?” The dragon assistant held up the stone he’d raided from one of the kitchen drawers, pleading eyes boring into hers. Twilight sighed, then nodded. “Fine. Just one, okay?” Spike hopped from foot to foot. “Wow, thanks, Twilight! This is gonna be so great…” Twilight smiled as his infectious happiness finally caught up to her. The dragon nibbled on the aquamarine blissfully, apparently trying to savor it. Twilight levitated the parchment Princess Celestia had sent her yesterday, and re-read its content. Then, she glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Eight o’clock. I wish Princess Celestia had been more specific on when Spitfire’s supposed to be getting here…” Twilight handed Spike her dishes before she made her way to the library’s entrance. “I’m going to go wait at the train station, Spike. Would you mind taking care of the library until I get back?” Spike straightened his back and saluted. “I gotcha covered, ma’am!” Normally the dragon would’ve been sour about being left behind to do chores, but considering he’d gotten a treat this morning, he was more than willing. The aquamarine in his claws glittered. “I’ll be back soon,” Twilight said just before opening the door. Behind her, Spike set his breakfast stone down and began to wash up his best friend’s dishes. The trip to the train station was short, but Twilight found herself glancing up at the sky more than she should have been. She hoped she’d come across a rainbow, perhaps in the form of a messy tail hanging off a cloud, but it never happened. “All aboard the Pony Express!” somepony shouted, catching Twilight off guard. Louder, the conductor said, “Five minutes until we leave for Canterlot!” The train station was always excessively loud. Ponies and donkeys and all sorts of different creatures gathered, some more organized than others, and tried to get to where they were going. Twilight remembered doing an exclusive study on how travel could affect a pony’s outlook on life, back when she still attended Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She’d gotten perfect marks on it, plus a bonus ten points for having included citations for every summary, paraphrase, and quote she used. Research papers and independent studies were fun. The train bound for Canterlot chugged to a start and soon disappeared from the station. As Twilight came to realize that she really didn’t know how long she was going to be waiting here, she took a seat on the bench. A pony with a mint green coat and lyre cutie mark reclined beside her, though she sat in a much more peculiar stance. It was how Spike usually sat in chairs. “You waitin’ for somepony?” Twilight blinked before meeting the pony’s gaze, realizing that she’d been staring at her for far too long. “Um, yes,” was all she could manage.   “Me too,” came the chipper response. “The train station’s the best place to meet new ponies. It’s fun to guess what types of lives they lead or what they’re here for.” Twilight nodded briefly, tearing her eyes away from her and back onto where the trains would be arriving. The sight-seeing pony slumped down into her seat and closed her eyes, as if for a nap. Her head was supported by one of her forelegs propped up on the bench’s armrest. Thankfully, ponies didn’t go quite as crazy in Twilight’s presence as they did the first week after her coronation. Today was probably the first time in a while that nopony (especially little fillies and colts) had acknowledged her with a hearty outburst of “It’s Princess Twilight!” It was refreshing to blend in the way she used to. She was about to the point of going around wearing trench coats to hide her identity. Rarity would have a heart attack! Twilight’s eyes drifted shut as her lack of sleep caught up to her. Her head bobbed a couple of times, but she managed to keep it upright. Even the noisy passersby didn’t disturb her, nor did the loud steam whistles. It was nice. That is, until somepony started tapping her shoulder. At first, Twilight didn’t respond. Obviously, it was that mint green unicorn trying to get her attention, and Twilight didn’t want to deal with that. When the incessant tapping didn’t go away, the alicorn groaned. “Unless you can tell me what a super collider is, I don’t want to talk to you.” “Wow, princess, I didn’t realize you had a thing for trivia.” When Twilight’s brain registered that this pony was indeed not the same one that was sitting beside her earlier, her eyes snapped open. The mint green unicorn was now replaced by what looked to be a bright yellow mare in a bulky trench coat with a matching black fedora. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who’d thought about wearing trench coats. Twilight wasn’t able to formulate any response whatsoever, and could only find it in her to glance at the clock nearby—two entire hours had passed since she’d left the library. “W-when did you get here?” she finally managed. The Wonderbolt in disguise shrugged lightly. “It’s only been a few minutes,” Spitfire said as she pulled out what appeared to be a letter. Twilight recognized the royal seal on it, signifying it came from the desk of Princess Celestia. Then, as if thinking better of it, the captain stuffed it back into her jacket’s inner pocket. She glanced around herself precariously. “Do you think we could talk somewhere a little more… private?” Twilight thought for a moment before nodding. “Would the library be okay?” Spitfire stood up, and Twilight followed suit. “Yes.” So, Twilight led her new flight instructor through Ponyville, making a beeline straight for the Golden Oak Library. Her heart beat anxiously, and every silent step made her stomach twist even more. It was a feeling Twilight knew Fluttershy had to deal with on a daily basis. “...How was the train ride?” the princess asked finally, unable to handle the silence any longer. A beat passed between the two, until out of nowhere Spitfire laughed without reservation. Twilight jumped at the sudden sound. “What’s so funny?” “I didn’t take the train.” Twilight stared at the other pony, her brows furrowing together. Thankfully, the captain answered her silent question. “I flew here from Cloudsdale, Your Majesty.”   They’d reached the Ponyville library, but Twilight made no move to enter it. “Wait… You flew all the way from Cloudsdale to Ponyville? In less than a day? And how did you know I was at the train station?” Spitfire straightened the fedora, which was starting to uncover some of her mane. A die-hard fan would have been able to figure out her identity just based on that small detail (and Twilight could think of somepony in particular that could pull that one off). “It’s not that big of a deal; I’ve made the trip a few times in the past. When I arrived in Ponyville this morning, I came across a dragon that I recognized from the photograph Princess Celestia sent me. I asked him where Her Royal Highness was, and that led me to the train station.” Twilight mulled this over before nodding. There was only one dragon in Ponyville, so she had to be talking about Spike. “That makes sense.” Then, she pushed open the door to the library, allowing the two ponies entrance. Her dragon assistant, Spike, was sweeping the floor when they walked in. He smiled. “Hey, Twilight! And Spitfire, it’s nice to see you again.” Spitfire waited a moment, a blank look on her face, before she finally spoke. “What’d you say your name was again?” Spike’s face fell. “It’s Spike. Spike. I told you like three times when you were here earlier. Spike the mighty dragon assistant, remember?” The Wonderbolt captain’s expression showed no recognition. Instead, she shook her head and turned toward Twilight. “We need to work out some details.” Again Spitfire pulled out the parchment she had hidden inside the trenchcoat she was wearing, and made sure it was safely placed on a nearby stand. Then, she slipped out of the trenchcoat and handed it over to a grumbling baby dragon. Spitfire plopped her fedora atop his head, which lifted his spirits some. Now that the bulky, unfashionable clothing had been removed, Spitfire stretched out her wings. She looked a lot more comfortable like this, and much more like the captain of an elite team of flying ponies. Then, Spitfire took a seat at the table, and Twilight, gulping nervously, took her seat directly across from her. Now that her new mentor had shed the ridiculous outfit she’d been wearing, she was a lot more intimidating. Her eyes seemed sharper and her mane looked almost as if it were a blazing fire. Her coat was entirely too bright, but it suited her. She seemed like the type of pony that, no matter what the setting was, demanded all attention. What with the bright yellow coat, pointed gaze, messy mane, the tone of her voice and even just the confidence with which she carried herself. It was nerve-wracking to be in the presence of somepony so… vibrant. It made Twilight feel duller in comparison. “I understand you’ve been having trouble flying.” Twilight nodded slightly, hanging her head. Spitfire cleared her throat. “Now, before we do anything, I need you to understand something. I’m the best of the best at what I do. And I respect anypony who wants to get better. But even though you’re a princess, I’m not going to treat you any differently.” Twilight’s wings sprung open. She pushed herself up from her seat. “I don’t consider myself better than anypony! I want you to treat me just like you would any other pony. And I didn’t get to say so earlier, but that means I don’t want you to refer to me as ‘your highness’ or anything like that.” The Wonderbolt captain smirked, but dipped her head behind her clasped hooves so Twilight couldn’t see it. “That’s perfect.” Spike set down a tray between the two ponies (apparently for tea and crackers), and poured tea into two matching cups. Then he set the dishes down and took the tray away. He was still wearing the fedora. “Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said as she levitated her tea cup and brought it to her lips. “Yeah, thanks, little dude.” Spitfire lifted her drink with both hooves, oblivious to the seething dragon. Twilight felt bad for him, but the little inner hissy fit he was throwing was way too funny. He lifted the tray and stormed off, mumbling something along the lines of “My Celestia-given name is Spike, or Spike the brave knight, or number one assistant, not little dude..." Spitfire set her cup down and leaned forward. “I’m afraid there’s more we need to discuss. If I’m going to be your personal trainer until you show results, I’m going to need a place to stay. In my rush to get here, I wasn’t able to make any arrangements. And somehow, I doubt there are any good hotels around here.” Twilight blinked. Then, idly, she wondered if she should be offended by that last comment. “Well, since you’re already doing so much for me, it’d be the least I could do to provide a place for you to stay while you’re here. I have a spare bed you can use upstairs.” "Thanks.” Spitfire looked like she was going to say something else, but stopped herself and frowned. Twilight stared back, confused, until finally the other mare spoke up. “Uh… Princess, are you going to put those away?” The subject of her gaze seemed painfully obvious now. After Twilight’s outburst about her not being any different from other ponies, her wings hadn’t gone back to their relaxed state. Instead, they had been upright this entire time. Well, there was a good reminder of her inexperience. “Oh, um, yes, of course,” Twilight said, blushing in embarrassment. She had trouble getting them down in a way that wouldn’t embarrass her further, so she resorted to using her hooves. At least they weren’t sticking out anymore. Silence. “Well, this is a worse case than what I expected.” Spitfire stood up and walked over to Twilight’s side of the table. “Princess, if I may, would you flex your wings?” Twilight gulped—she wasn’t a shy pony by any means, but this was a touchy subject. She wasn’t confident in the least over her ability in anything wing-related, so performance anxiety (even for something as simple as flexing her wings) was to be expected. Luckily, she was able to get them out easier than she had putting them away. Spitfire, not impressed, stared at Twilight. “Now put them back.” Twilight furrowed her brow, but did as she was told. As soon as they rested flat against her back, Spitfire spoke again. “Open them back up.” Twilight was starting to get annoyed; this felt pointless. Still, she flexed her wings out to their full span. Spitfire was a professional, and she knew what she was doing. “Keep doing that, and I’ll stop you soon enough.” Spitfire trotted back to her seat and leaned back in it, though her eyes didn’t leave Twilight’s wings. The alicorn continued the exercise, though within a couple more reps she was starting to sweat. “Sp—” “Call me captain, if you would.” Twilight glared. Rainbow Dash might have gotten frustrated and quit on her, but she was never quite so rude. “Captain,” Twilight stressed, “How many times are you going to make me do this simple exercise?” “I’ll tell you when to stop,” Spitfire repeated, resting her back legs on the table and leaning back even further. Twilight watched the captain as she continued to relax. If this was punishment for having not been paying attention to her wings’ positioning earlier, then this was a bit harsh. And what was with that attitude? One second she’s reasonable and even a bit playful, and then the next she’s all stubborn and rude. It was like a switch. I think my wings are starting to cramp up, Twilight thought, but she tried to persevere past it. Her efforts had produced a small breeze, which Spitfire seemed to be enjoying. She didn’t even look like she was paying attention to Twilight. The alicorn princess gritted her teeth, but took a deep breath and relaxed. When under Princess Celestia’s tutelage (back when it was in a classroom setting), her teacher always did things in a backwards, confusing manner that didn’t make sense until you were all finished. It was always a string of seemingly unrelated assignments that led to her learning a new spell or technique in the end. Maybe Spitfire was using that method. But this pony was literally dozing off. Twilight’s wings started to beat harder, causing a stronger wind to develop. Spitfire’s mane was catching it, and if Twilight thought it looked like a blazing fire earlier, it definitely fit the bill now. The sun was even casting light on it so it looked almost as if it were glowing. But that observation wasn’t made with curiosity. Rather, it was noticed with a growing sense of irritation. No, this pony obviously hasn’t made some intricate plan to teach me how to fly the way Princess Celestia would have. She’s sleeping. I mean, she’s probably tired from her fly here, but still… If she’s going to tell me to keep doing some stupid exercise until she tells me to stop she’d better be paying attention. “Captain,” Twilight said after a while, but she was met with no response other than a small snore. “Captain,” she repeated, louder this time. But Spitfire was still watching the back of her eyelids. Twilight Sparkle folded her wings back down and, though the previous rhythm had compelled her to, didn’t unfurl them again. Out of nowhere, Spitfire jerked awake. It almost seemed like the lack of air hitting her face had woken her up. “Well, excuse me, Princess!” she blurted out. She cleared her throat and straightened her mane out before speaking again, seeming almost bashful over her exclamation. “When did I tell you to stop?” “Don’t call me princess. My name’s Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight reminded heatedly. “And you fell asleep. I’m not about to sit here for three hours straight doing flight motions while my mentor takes a nap.” “What did you think you were gonna do when I got here? Talk about super colliders?” Heat rushed to Twilight’s face, but she glared all the same. “Of course not! I’d just appreciate it if you’d supervise and make sure I don’t sprain a wing.” Spitfire screwed up her expression in a you-can’t-be-serious look. Still, she took a deep breath and sat up straight. “Okay, you win. You looked like you were getting a little winded there, but you had pretty good form. What I want you to do is every night before you go to bed, do thirty reps, and when you wake up in the morning, do thirty more. Take your time when doing it to make sure you do it correctly. Got it?” Twilight nodded, a little surprised at how quickly Spitfire had conformed to her wishes. The captain continued. “Good. We’ll continue our session tomorrow.” Spitfire drank the rest of her tea and stood up, stretching her wings. Twilight stood up too, her eyes wide. “We’re finished already? But we’ve only barely scratched the surface!” Spitfire frowned. “I’m your mentor, and I said we would continue class in the morning. I have things I need to attend to, so try not to hurt yourself while I’m gone. Hey, little dragon!” Spike appeared from the kitchen, handling a dish in his claws. He glared at the pony who’d summoned him, who at an earlier point in time he looked up to and admired. He still did, but was more upset that she wouldn’t refer to him by his real name than anything. “Could you bring me my coat?” As Spike walked away, Twilight stepped closer to the pegasus. Her brow furrowed. “Excuse me, captain… But what do you plan on doing in town?” The dragon assistant returned with Spitfire’s jacket, to which she promptly put on. Before the drake could get away, however, she grabbed the fedora atop his head and plopped it onto hers. His face turned red from the barely contained anger that coursed through him. Stiffly, he walked back into the kitchen. Once her outfit was back on, Spitfire turned toward Twilight. “I need to buy some stuff.” The alicorn frowned, but knew she had no authority over the mare’s actions. Spitfire trotted over to the door and cracked it open. “I’ll be back in a bit,” she said briefly, “but don’t wait up.” “Okay." The door closed shut behind her, and as a few seconds passed, Twilight sat back down and sighed. She obviously wasn’t going to have an easy time with this pony. She just wished Rainbow Dash hadn’t overreacted earlier.   Then, Twilight heard what sounded like someone stubbing their toe against something heavy. It became clear Spike couldn’t contain his frustration any longer. “GRR! My name is SPIKE!”