"Alright, Scootaloo. Are you ready?"
"Yes, ma'am!" came the reply.
The sun's light and warmth warmed Rainbow Dash's back as she looked down from her position in the air. It was a beautiful day, one that Rainbow had seen but not yet gotten to enjoy. The sound of her flapping wings and the feeling of being in the air once more shot excitement to every place in her body, and she knew that eventually the corners of her mouth would hurt from beaming so much. She couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day, or better ponies to spend it with.
Scootaloo's hopeful and determined face looked up to Rainbow from her place on the soft green ground. She gave Rainbow a careful smile, almost as if she were joyous, but fearful to accomplish what her beloved mentor was instructing her to do. Soarin', who was beside the pegasus filly, also smiled up at Rainbow, but more genuinely this time. He was just as joyous as Rainbow was about her recent transformation, but he knew his joy was nothing compared to his marefriend's.
"You can do it, Scootaloo!" said a voice nearby. Scootaloo turned away from Rainbow to smile at the voice, and Rainbow winked in the voice's direction as well.
The speaker was none other than Twilight, who sat comfortably, levitating a glass of ice cold punch just nearby her mouth. However, the studious purple unicorn was far from alone.
A checkered picnic blanket was laid out on the soft green ground, and everypony had decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by having a picnic right under their best friend's home, all the while casting frequent glances into the sky, watching.
Peace and contentment eminated from each pony as they lounged on the blanket, enjoying various sweets and foods brought in by one another. Rainbow was extremely pleased that each could spend time with her today, and she was also glad to see that the deep violet circles that had painted their faces previously weren't so deep anymore. This pleasure mixed with her excitement, all the while adding to her unexplainable joy.
Pinkie Pie sipped loudly from her glass of punch, and Spike offered Rarity a refill on hers as each picnicker watched their rainbow friend be at bliss once more. Applejack took a large bite out of a fresh Red Delicious apple, and Fluttershy finished a cucumber sandwich in a final delicate gulp.
"Okay, Scootaloo. Now, when you get off the ground, it's always good to have a nice breeze propelling you forward. This makes it easier to start flying." said Rainbow, and made a gesture with her hooves to indicate wind blowing by.
Scootaloo nodded, and began flapping her wings very quickly, the buzzing sound of her tiny wings filling the air even quicker. Soarin' stood close by, observing, and the pegasus filly turned in the direction that the wind was blowing and waited for a good and subtle breeze.
"That's good, squirt. There should be a really good one in a minute..."
As Rainbow continued with her instructions, Twilight tried to focus on her current task. Taking another careful swallow of punch, she looked down at the empty parchment, inkwell, and unused quill that she had brought with her. She knew that this incident would make an excellent letter to Princess Celestia.
Igniting her horn, she levitated the quill into the air, dipped it in the inkwell, and held it, poised, over the empty parchment. Before she knew it, her eyes had escaped into the sky once more, and she watched tentively as Rainbow mirrored Scootaloo's actions from her place in the sky. Before Twilight could mentally scold herself for not focusing and going back to her task, Rarity broke the ice. She too, was watching their best friend, while sporting a very stylish pink sunhat.
"She does look very happy up there, doesn't she?" asked Rarity to nopony in particular, her gaze still wistfully watching Rainbow. Twilight acknowledged her friend, and saw something flicker behind Rarity's irises. Twilight looked more closely, but the flicker had vanished, and Rarity looked the same again. Meanwhile, there was a tidal wave of agreement supported by everypony, not a single refusal to be heard.
"She is excellent at flying, though. It does seem like...so much fun. I wonder...." continued Rarity, her voice trailing off.
Curiosity sparked in Twilight, and the gears in her mind started turning.
Does she mean?...., thought Twilight.
Nah, she couldn't, concluded Twilight with a shrug, and turned back to her parchment, forcing herself to concentrate.
There's no way I'm going to finish this, is there, she thought after staring at the parchment for several moments and having her mind blank. Finally giving in to her eye's wishes, she turned her head back towards the sky, like everypony else's, lowering her quill, and continued to watch, feeling the desire to fly melting in her mouth and crawling into her heart.
".....help you there, Scoots." Rainbow was saying, and Twilight saw something fly across Rainbow's expression. In an instant, Twilight recognized it. It was disappointment. Before Twilight could question why, she was answered, as the rainbow pegasus lowered herself from the blue abyss and onto the soft ground.
Once there, she kept her wings open, cast a modest smile over at her friends, and turned her attention back on her student and her coltfriend.
Twilight watched as her rainbow friend exchanged a wink with Soarin', and in an instant throw out a cyan blue hoof and secure it just under Scootaloo's front. Soarin' followed suit, and opened his wings. Scootaloo, on the other hoof, was pleasantly surprised, and a slow beam crept on her muzzle because she too knew what was to happen next.
Rainbow began to flap her wings, and Soarin' did the same, all the while their gazes fixed on the filly they were carrying securely.
Before Twilight knew it, the three were in the air, and were hugging the cloudless sky. All eyes watched, and all movement stopped as Rainbow exchanged a look with Soarin', and began to fly forwards, towards the gleaming sun.
The cheer was out of Twilight's mouth before she could process it.
"Whoooohooooo!!!!"
Every eye turned from the sky to their purple friend, and after a few moments of staring, Applejack shrugged, and followed suit. Smiles began to creep on muzzles, and one by one, everypony who was lounging took up the cheer.
From the air, the sense that all her friends were cheering her on gave Rainbow new hope and excitement to press on. She looked from Soarin' to Scootaloo to her friends, and let the biggest beam she had ever let onto her muzzle come and rest there.
Soarin' returned this beam, and Scootaloo gave one as well, and the three continued to fly towards the sun, the wind racing past their faces and the cool air of the sky chilling them ever so slightly.
Rainbow and Soarin' turned, and flew back to where everypony was cheering, Twilight at the helm. Rainbow and Soarin' and Scootaloo too all began to encircle the air far above the blanket, going slowly but not snail paced, and quickly but not fast enough to drop Scootaloo.
With the wind whipping quickly past her now pegasus friend's mane, Twilight let a whoop escape her lips and watched tentively as the three pegasi flied above her. Rainbow heard this cheer, and glanced down at Twilight and everypony to give them all the beam that had painted her face.
It was then that Twilight saw it, but only for a slim second. It was deep magenta, the same color as Rainbow's magic had been, and it was shaped like a star with too many points.
Twilight knew what it was instantly; she'd know it anywhere. It was a scar, right on Rainbow's forehead. And in the same place as a unicorn horn had been.
The shrieks of joy and happiness echoed through her ears, and with one final glance from her view in the air, Rainbow let a cheer of her own rise out of her throat and into the sky.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Rainbow Dash here. Over the past few weeks, I learned that honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, and lying to those you really care about is never a good idea. Maybe lying sounded like a good idea at the time, but if I had just told the truth in the first place, those ponies I love so much would have been loyal to me in trying to help.
So, I guess you could say that I learned how to be more honest, like Applejack. Maybe she could use some help being more loyal, am I right? Just a joke for you.
Hey, just a friendly note ahead of time, don't ever let Spike near a cloud resistant potion. I couldn't believe it when he told me, either.
Also, there's this strange little scar on my forehead where the horn was, so I guess the horn and it's magic will always be with me? I dunno. I'll ask Twilight.
Soarin' and Scootaloo are here too. They say hi. They also say that they want me to go flying with them and get me out of the house. It seems I can't fly enough lately.
I think it's time to go. Hope you enjoyed reading my letter, your majesty, and I hope to learn more lessons along with everypony else in the future.
See ya!
-Rainbow Dash, Soarin', and Scootaloo
The End