//------------------------------// // To Be a Pegasus // Story: Twilight Sparkle Gets Flying Lessons (From a Wonderbolt) // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// “Hey, Twily, what’re you doing?” Twilight straightened her back, smirking, and made a show of her wings. She flew up and swirled in the air, spelling out her initials in the sky: ‘TS’. “Flying, of course!” she replied at last, sticking her chest out. Rainbow Dash frowned and crossed her forelegs over her own chest. After a moment, her frown became a smirk and her eyes sparkled. “Yeah, well, I can see that. I’m surprised that you were able to get off the ground!” Rainbow flew up and did a backflip mid-air. Upon righting herself, she was muzzle-to-muzzle with Twilight. “What would you say to a race? All the way to the Everfree Forest, best pony wins.” Twilight Sparkle found herself grinning, pressing her muzzle against her competitor. “I would say, ‘Eat my dust!’ ” Then, the alicorn dashed off, nothing more than a purple blur left behind. Rainbow Dash chased after her, and the two raced around clouds, the weather soon turning sour. The sunny day became overcast, and rain, thunder, and lightning took over. It was loud and frightening, almost as if there were an evil presence commanding the sky. Lightning struck a tree, setting it ablaze. But Twilight and Rainbow were not deterred in their race. Twilight was determined to beat Rainbow Dash, and to show her how great a flyer she was. At the last neck of the race—Twilight was about to prove herself, prove that she wasn’t a failure, prove that Rainbow Dash was wrong about everything—something flashed, then everything went dark. “No!” Twilight sat up with a start, sweat beading down her neck. She was breathing hard, the dream still heavy in her mind. Her wings were rigid, her eyes glassy, and her bedding tousled from tossing and turning in her sleep. “Everything okay?” Twilight Sparkle glanced to her left to see Spitfire standing at her bedside, an expression mixed with concern and apprehension. The scent of muffins wafted through the air, setting the alicorn princess more at ease. Her heart began to slow. She nodded. “I’m fine. I just had a nightmare, that’s all.” Twilight got out of bed and stretched her still stiff wings, trying to relax them enough so they could rest at her sides. Upon sight of Spitfire’s upturned eyebrow, she felt the need to elaborate. “A nightmare, nothing more.” Slightly embarrassed, Twilight bypassed Spitfire and made her way to the bathroom. Spitfire shrugged, and headed downstairs, where Spike had been making muffins. After cleaning herself up and convincing herself the dream meant nothing (after all, Twilight doubted she’d ever be able to fly like that), she brushed her hair and returned to the library’s main floor. The smell of freshly baked muffins compelled her. There, Spitfire was plopping a blueberry muffin into her mouth. Spike was wearing his frilly apron with the pink heart on it, seeming to wait for his second batch of muffins. After he saw Twilight, he grinned. “Good morning, Twilight! I made some muffins.” The dragon gestured to the table, where it became clear a basket full of strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate muffins awaited. There were plenty of them for everypony. “Thank you, my number one assistant,” Twilight said, smiling as she took a seat opposite Spitfire. “Are you going to join us?” Spike glanced at the oven, his chef’s hat shifting slightly at the movement. “Yeah, I’m just waiting for my specialty muffins—chock-full of gems of all kinds!” Part of Twilight wanted to scold Spike for eating gems for breakfast two days in a row, but she decided to let it slide, just this once. She lowered the hoof she didn’t realize she’d raised when preparing to reprimand the young drake. Twilight lifted a muffin with her magic and was about to take a bite when it was suddenly snatched away. She stared at the pegasus in front of her. Spitfire said, “No magic. While you’re learning how to fly, you will be, strictly, a pegasus pony. As far as I’m concerned, that horn is nonexistent.” Twilight’s jaw dropped. Indignation flared from within her, her wings doing just the same as a response to the extreme emotion. She pointed at her cutie mark several times before she was finally able to speak. “My special talent is magic, I can’t just… stop! You have got to be kidding me!” “Nope!” she said cheerfully. Then, she reached into a brown paper bag she’d apparently brought with her. A ring was revealed when Spitfire pulled her hoof out. A very, very familiar ring. “Don’t tell me that’s what I think it is.” “It’s a Magic Neutralizing ring. Once you put this puppy on, any spell you attempt will be ‘cancelled’, as it were. Magic will become impossible as long as you wear it,” Spitfire explained, turning it over in her hooves. She slid it across the table toward Twilight. “And I insist that you do. To learn how to fly, you need to think like a pegasus.” Twilight glared, but her resolve was fading. Spitfire had a point. The alicorn figured if she always had magic as a crutch, she would go nowhere in flight training. Maybe that was the issue she had with Rainbow Dash... Despite that, Twilight was not about to give up her magic because this pony told her to. “Look, I’m not doing this to be mean.” Spitfire leaned forward, her hooves clasped. “I really do think that this is something necessary for you to learn how to fly properly.” Twilight sighed, looking back down at the ring. It’s only for a little while, right? What harm could it do?  "And if I don't?" "I won't teach you." Twilight found her eyebrows lifting up at the prospect. Would this pony really disobey Princess Celestia's direct orders? For some reason Twilight didn't think it would have been too hard to believe. This pony could probably talk her way out of a diamond dog's lair, if she didn't decide to use brute force. Twilight didn't have it in her to even suggest disappointing Princess Celestia. She had no choice. With that thought in mind, she lifted the ring and slipped it onto her horn. There was a spark of protest, but once the ring was at her horn’s base, it felt lifeless and numb. Twilight had only worn one of these rings once in her lifetime, back in her school days. It was in her Magic Accessories class, sponsored by Professor Severing Snake. The old pony explained that he’d gotten his name because, mere days after he was born, he had ripped a snake in half. The guy was cold-blooded, from what Twilight could remember. It was that day in class that, as punishment for knowing all the answers (and being “a nuisance”), Severing Snake had forced Twilight to wear a Magic Neutralizing ring. It was the most awful hour of her life. Spitfire smiled in satisfaction, nodding her approval. Twilight already felt dead inside. Spike, however, was as cheery as always. He didn’t seem to care a lick about what the other two had been talking about, and only hopped onto his own seat and began chowing down on his newly acquired muffins. The dragon didn’t care for the heat that still came off the muffins in waves. Any pony who attempted to eat muffins that hot definitely had a death wish. “It looks pretty good on you!” Spitfire commented, as relaxed as ever. She ate another muffin. “Don’t forget to do your wing exercises, though. Once you finish, we’ll get started.” “Uh, thanks,” Twilight replied, unsure of the compliment. Then she frowned, but began to unfold her wings to follow the order. She continued, “Where did you go yesterday, anyway? And when did you get back?” Spitfire pointed at the paper bag resting on the table. To Twilight’s dismay, it still looked like there was plenty in it. “I bought a few things, and when I got back here, I was really tired so I just flew upstairs and passed out. I’m, uh… really sorry about the mix-up though. I didn’t mean to do that.” “It’s no problem,” Twilight replied between reps, “It just would’ve been nice to know when you got back. That could’ve helped to… avoid that awkwardness, wouldn’t you say?” “What awkwardness?” Spike piped up, curious about last night’s happenings. Neither pony paid him any mind. Spitfire looked away bashfully. “Yeah, I know. I wasn’t thinking straight at the time, I just really wanted some sleep. I’m sorry.” The pegasus drew circles in the table, avoiding eye contact with both Twilight and her assistant. Then, she stood up. “You ready to go?” the Wonderbolt said. Twilight nodded and got up as well, having just finished her exercises. Spitfire donned the trench coat and fedora and stuffed the paper bag into the inner lining of the jacket. Spike watched. Twilight frowned. “Where exactly are we going?” Spitfire led the way to the door, a cursory glance sent Twilight’s way. “While flying here yesterday, I came across this open field, and I figured it’d be perfect for what we’re doing.” The alicorn only nodded, and looked over at Spike. “I’ll be back soon, alright? You can stay here or go to Rarity’s, if you’d like.” A knowing smirk crossed Twilight’s muzzle when Spike’s expression lit up. He hurriedly finished his meal before washing the dish and racing over to give Twilight a hug—all in the matter of seconds. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t wait to see her!” Then, the dragon pushed past Spitfire lightly and raced outside, apparently intent on reaching the Carousel Boutique in less than a minute. The Wonderbolt chuckled. “Does he have a crush?” Twilight smiled and caught up to Spitfire’s position at the door. “Yes, but don’t say anything about it to him. He’s pretty touchy about it.” “I understand.” With that said, both ponies made their way outside, and walked casually to the outskirts of Ponyville. Spitfire saw the lovely couple from the other day, Time Turner and Roseluck. This time, however, it was at her flower stand. There were many beautiful flowers, most of which roses (for obvious reasons). Upon sight, Roseluck waved exuberantly. Spitfire nodded in her direction but didn’t make a show of it; Twilight didn’t even notice. In fact, the alicorn princess still had her eyes on the sky, hoping to see a rainbow somewhere. But by the time they reached the field, Rainbow Dash was still nowhere to be seen. Spitfire took the trench coat and fedora off at once, showing off her bright yellow coat and fiery mane to the world. Twilight stretched, feeling a bit nervous and unsure of how hard whatever was to come would be. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was exactly what came next. Spitfire pulled out a white mass out of the paper bag. As it was unfolded, there was orange and red attached to the overall white… thing. Twilight didn’t know what it was until she saw Spitfire smiling, pulling out an orange cone to go with it. “A… A chicken costume?” Spitfire was enjoying this far more than any decent pony should. Twilight wasn’t. “Go ahead, put it on.” “But—” “Chickens can only fly short distances. Therefore, until you prove otherwise, you are at the lowest rank possible—chicken.” Spitfire straightened herself up, her eyes hardening. "I might put on a Magic Neutralizing ring, but I will not stoop this low. I refuse." Twilight Sparkle squared her shoulders. "Do you want to disappoint Princess Celestia? Because if you don't put that on, the training will not work properly and you will learn nothing. It is temporary, for pony's sake! Besides, a princess must have knowledge of what it's like from the bottom up, before she can rule anything. No one will listen to a princess who got it all for no reason." "Hey! You don't know anything about me!" protested Twilight indignantly, anger flaring up within her. Her wings sprang out. Spitfire took a deep breath, steadying herself. She smoothed her mane out. "Okay, okay... I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I sometimes get a little bit emotional." She glanced away before meeting Twilight's gaze. "Please understand that everything I'm doing is for a reason. I promise." Twilight waited a moment, trying to read the merit behind what Spitfire had said. Eventually she replied, "Fine, I forgive you. We have only just met, after all." The alicorn slipped into the chicken suit without any more protests. Spitfire smiled genuinely, without any hint of sarcasm or amusement at Twilight's expense. It was a nice change. Twilight liked it so much better. “Now that we have that settled... get on the ground.” Twilight stared in confusion, but did as she was told. Spitfire got down in front of her, too. Spitfire said, “Have you ever heard of wing-ups?” “Are you talking about when a pony does a push-up, but instead of using their hooves, they use their wings?” she questioned. Spitfire grinned in response. “Bingo. Okay, so I want you to do twenty. I’ll show you the correct form, see”—Spitfire lifted her hooves behind her back and let her wings rest on the ground—“You have to ensure you’re completely straight, and that your hooves won’t have even the slightest chance of touching the ground. Then, you let your wings do all the work.” Spitfire lifted herself up with her wings with ease and perfection, before leaning back down. She didn’t touch the earth. She said, “You can’t touch the ground until you finish all twenty, or else you have to start over.” Twilight nodded, swallowing. She never was one for physical exercise. She preferred books and nights spent sipping tea and reading editorials. She hoped she wouldn’t be embarrassed by her lack of strength, especially in her wings. Nonetheless, Twilight assumed the position. She lifted herself off the ground once, and with a bit of struggling, was able to go all the way up. Spitfire followed her pace. Then, Twilight went back down, and pushed herself back up. It became easier the second time, and the third time came instinctively. But then… it started to grow difficult. Twilight’s breathing became labored and sweat beaded down her face. She was in the middle of pushing up on her eleventh winged push-up. “Keep going, you’re more than halfway done! Don’t give up,” Spitfire exclaimed. Twilight began to shake from holding her weight up so long, and her wings couldn’t take it. She hit the ground with a plop. The Wonderbolt sighed. Her wings were perfectly still and held up her weight easily. She wasn’t sweating at all, or even showing any signs of weariness. Spitfire then sat up on her haunches. “That wasn’t too bad. Now, tell me, why did you give up?” “I… I didn’t,” Twilight said between breaths. Her wings already ached. “Well, what went through your mind just now?” Twilight didn’t reply. Instead, she worked on getting her breath back. Spitfire didn’t rush her; it was quite the contrary, actually. She was being really patient about it. The chicken costume was making it feel even hotter than it actually was, prompting more sweat. Eventually, Twilight was able to sit up. “I was thinking about how my wings were starting to hurt, that there was no logical way for me to get to twenty, about how I really didn’t want to have to start over—” Spitfire shook her head, causing Twilight to trail off. The pegasus said, “No, no, no. You’re thinking like a unicorn. You need to assume the role of a natural-born pegasus! Instead of thinking ‘Oh, my wings hurt,’ tell yourself ‘This will be worth it in the end.’ Don’t you dare say ‘I can’t do this,’ or ‘there’s no way I can,’ what I want you to think instead is ‘I can overcome any obstacle if I put my mind to it.’ If you think about what will happen if you fail, you’re already telling yourself that you will not succeed. So don’t!” Passionately, Spitfire hit the ground with a hoof. “You got that, Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight nodded, a little surprised by her teacher’s outburst. But she took her words to heart, nodding for a second time. “Okay, I’m ready to try again.” The Wonderbolt’s eyebrows lifted, but she smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.” The two ponies got ready to start their push-ups once again, and this time, it came a lot easier to Twilight. She lifted herself, went back down, lifted herself again, and went back down. It was simplistic, but her muscles were once again starting to ache. This time, instead of telling herself negative, statistical things, she tried inspiring herself the way Spitfire had explained. To her surprise, she passed the eleventh wing-up, and kept going—straight through to twenty. Upon reaching the new benchmark Twilight had to keep herself from jumping up and yelling of her success. There were so many issues with how she was trying to fly before—why couldn’t she see it? It wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s fault and Twilight wasn’t unteachable, she just needed a professional! Things were sure to go better now. Twilight was feeling confident in her small victory, positive that it would only lead to even more, much more significant victories and the conquering of inner demons. Was this what it meant to be a pegasus? Besides Fluttershy, of course. She was a rare case. “That was great!” Spitfire stood up, grinning. She truly felt happy for the princess and even more confident in her abilities. Obviously, this was just proving her superior skills as captain of the most elite team of flyers in all of Equestria. Plus, Twilight Sparkle’s smile was starting to become infectious. “Thanks!” Twilight replied cheerily. She jumped up and spread her wings, feeling light inside. “What now? Should I run fifty laps? Flap my wings a hundred and twenty-three times? I thought you were a crazy pony ever since you got here, but wow, you’re a miracle worker! I can see that now. I feel the best I have in a really long time! So, what next, captain?” To Spitfire, Twilight was reminiscent of a little filly who’d only just learned how to be airborne. She was talking faster and could barely sit still, with an eager tone and expression giving her away hours before her words would. Spitfire chuckled at the comparison, and all that could go through her mind was, Sheltered princesses… “From now on, we will perform twenty winged push-ups before we start our lessons. They help maintain and improve wing strength, which will in turn help you keep yourself aloft in the air for longer periods of time, once we get to that point.” “I understand.” Spitfire smiled, pleased. “But now the real lesson begins. Proper breathing is key, and it’s the first thing you need to work on. No pegasus can concentrate or keep in the air if they can’t regulate the air within them in the most precise way.” Twilight should have figured this would be the very first lesson. It was pretty obvious—after all, she had to learn a specific breathing technique in order to cast spells when she was still learning them. She wondered if it would be different. Spitfire was sitting on her flank, but straightened her back and spread her wings. She said, “Okay, so I want you to sit like this.” Twilight did so, spreading her larger wings and sitting back the way her mentor was. She watched as Spitfire slowed her breathing to a near standstill, and did as best she could to mimic her. The Wonderbolt explained, “As a new flyer, you need to master some breathing techniques. Before you take off or even think of getting off the ground, your breathing needs to be steady and slow. It provides you enough energy and keeps your concentration on your wings—plus it keeps you from freaking out, most of the time.” “That would make sense. A raised breathing rate could easily turn into hyperventilating, which definitely would not produce positive results for a pony exercising. It could lead to a black-out.” Spitfire agreed, and the two practised breathing long and slow. She explained that you should never let your breathing get too fast, even when pushing yourself. Obviously you needed to breathe a little harder if you were racing or doing an air show, for example, but it should never make you feel unbalanced or make you see black spots. For safety reasons, you should land immediately if you start to feel woozy. With time the two’s first lesson reached a conclusion. Spitfire decided that the sun setting was the best indicator that they’d been out practicing long enough, and that Twilight was prepared for the next lesson. For trying her best and doing well, the captain allowed her to take the chicken costume off… but not without explaining she would be wearing it again in the morning. The two made their way back to the library without any issues. Nopony interrupted them, and they even engaged in a little casual banter about Ponyville. Twilight decided that, despite some rough edges, Spitfire could make a pretty good friend. At least, when she was out of captain-mode. The pony she became then was ruthless and unfriendly. Once they made it back Twilight made a meal out of hayburgers, and a bit into dinner Spike returned home. He was exuding happiness. “Hey, Spike, I made enough hayburgers for you to have some,” Twilight said, rather proud of herself. Spitfire raised a hoof and added, “Yeah, little dude, these things are tasty.” The alicorn beamed as Spike walked over to the table and grabbed one for himself. Her smile grew even wider when his eyes lit up and he practically inhaled the burger along with a second. Twilight wasn’t a good cook by any means, but she could make a mean hayburger. They continued eating as Spike told them about his day at Rarity’s—mostly, about how he was her chivalrous knight in shining armor and how he saved her life… by fetching the purple fabric and sequins. But hey, no one was going to burst his bubble or self-confidence. Eventually they finished the meal, picked up, and all unanimously decided it was time for bed. Spike ran himself rampant around all of Ponyville on Rarity’s behalf, and Twilight was feeling sleepy because of all the excitement she’d had today. Plus the ring on her horn had drained her of energy. Spitfire seemed to follow the regular pegasus attitude, and didn’t turn down a chance for some shut-eye. Rainbow Dash was the same way about naps, and always had been. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire were alike in many ways, but there were many differences as well. Idly, as sleep began to take her, Twilight wondered if they’d get along. It would be interesting to see how that would work.