//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Flying lessons // Story: Project Sunflower: Harmony // by Hoopy McGee //------------------------------// ~~*Erin*~~ ”Magic is all around us. It exists in air, in water, and in the ground itself. Magic is simply everywhere!” Or, at least, that’s what page one of “Beginner’s Magic Exercises” had told her. With Twilight away at Canterlot, and with her wings still not working, Erin decided to do a little self-study and hope that she could get started using magic on her own. The book was easy to understand, at least. Though, she opted not to follow the book’s suggestion of making sure a parent or teacher was present before trying to gather energy. According to the book, Erin had to “think... but don’t think too hard!” about her horn “filling up” with magic. If done right, the book told her, then her horn should start feeling tingly after a while. “Like a leg that needs stretching,” had been the way it was described. So far, after an hour of lying on her couch while staring at nothing in particular and trying to both relax and concentrate at the same time, the only thing she felt was an encroaching headache. It didn’t help Erin’s mood that a long and restless night had led to her giving up on sleep before the sun was even up. Then her run had been even slower and more painful than it had been the day before, leading to her staggering into her house once again with every muscle on fire. And now, here she was just before noon, unable to even manage a foals’ horn illumination spell. It was beyond frustrating, to say the least. Not even the successful manufacture of a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast had turned her mood around for long, as it had only served to remind her that she still couldn’t use basic unicorn magic. Erin sighed and pushed herself off of her couch, which, after the last few nights of her sleeping on it, was now in severe need of pony-hair removal. She was just debating what to do with the rest of her day when a sharp pounding came from her front door. Erin froze, surprise fading into nervousness. Whoever it was knocking sounded impatient, or possibly angry. She approached the door slowly, worried that it might be Meadowlark come to bite her head off for the previous night. It was a huge relief to hear Rainbow Dash’s voice through the front door. “Hey, Erin, you in there?” Erin popped the door open, a grin already on her face. “Hey, Rainbow! Good mor… er… what’s that?” Rainbow Dash grinned and held up what looked like some sort of harness, along with straps, buckles and some padding. “What’s it look like?” “Uh…” Erin tried desperately to come up with something to head off her first guess and failed utterly. “Some sort of pony bondage gear?” she ventured. Rainbow’s grin vanished as her mouth dropped open in shock. “No! What? No! Why would… This is an assistance harness!” She shook the thing furiously at Erin’s face. “Why would you even think I’d have something like that?” Erin started giggling. “Sorry, sorry. I still have no idea what that is, though.” Dash was starting to recover, though her face was still redder than normal. “It’s a harness designed for one pegasus to help another out with flying. You know, if they’re injured or whatever, to help get them back in the air faster.” It took a few seconds for those words to sink in. Erin took in a deep breath and said, with a very thin veneer of calm overlaying a rising torrent of excitement, “Do you mean you’re going to take me flying, Rainbow Dash?” “Well… I figured, just because your wings don’t work so hot, that doesn’t mean we can’t start on the basics. I know you’ve got pegasus magic, or you couldn’t have walked on clouds, so that’s where we can— Agh!” Erin launched herself into Rainbow’s chest, sweeping her up in a huge hug. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” “Eh-heheh, yeah,” Dash said, pushing awkwardly with her forehooves to try and pry Erin off of her. “Don’t mention it, okay?” After finally allowing Rainbow to free herself, Erin grinned and said, “When do we start?” Rainbow grinned back. “Does right now work for you?” Erin gaped at her. “Are you kidding? You’re not kidding!” She squealed and did a little jump. “Yes, now works for me!” “Cool, let’s go!” Erin, radiating excited giggles, followed Rainbow out the front door. ~~*Rose Quartz*~~ You could tell a lot about what an office was like just by listening when you walk into it. This particular office, the Administrative Wing of the Earth Diplomatic Corps, was mostly silent except for the rustling of papers, the click-clack of typewriters, and the distant murmuring conversations between the ponies working there. The conversations were quick, efficient and, above all, quiet. It was an office that was dedicated to Very Serious Business, and the ponies that worked there treated it as such. Rose Quartz looked around her desk, feeling a little lost. Piles of paperwork were stacked up in a tray marked “In”, which was next to a woefully empty “Out” tray. The pencil-holder, a brightly painted clay cylinder, was filled with quills and pencils. Other items on her desk included an inkwell, pencil sharpener, stapler and a variety of stamps resting on covered ink pads. A typewriter sat on its own small stand to her left. Behind her was a filing cabinet, which she’d checked briefly just a moment earlier. It was filled with folders, each of which was full to bursting with papers. The chair was comfortable, at least. Rose reclined and stretched, trying to work out some kinks in her upper back, after which it was back to staring at the top of her desk while trying to connect what it was she was supposed to do with her day. “Rosie!” The mare that had said her name was a slightly heavy-set earth pony with a brown coat and a light green mane. She was trotting up with sparkling eyes and a huge smile. “Welcome back from your vacation! Do anything fun?” “Hey, uh, Mintie.” Rose shook her head. “Nothing much, really. Sat around reading, mostly.” “Whoah, you kicked out all the stops!” Mintie reared up on her hind legs and stuck her elbows on the edge of Rose’s desk, cradling her chin on top of her hooves. “I thought you were going to travel out of town or something? Seriously, you’re so boring without me around.” Rose offered a small and apologetic smile. It seemed the right thing to do at that moment. Some of the ponies around the pair of them looked up from their work with disapproving frowns, and Rose found herself desperately hoping that Mintie would tone her energy down a little bit. “So, guess what?” Rose blinked. “Uh. What?” Mintie waggled her eyebrows. “Come on, you’ve gotta guess!” “We get to go back to the human world,” Rose said. Mintie just gaped at her. “Uh, the Director stopped by and mentioned it this morning. We’re leaving when the next gate opens up in a month.” “Well, dang.” Mintie scowled. “I was hoping to surprise you. Ah, oh well!” The mare shrugged and chuckled. “I can still surprise you with this much, though. Keep it hush-hush, but apparently we’re going back on a weekly schedule with the gateway.” Rose blinked. “Really? Well, that’s… that’s good news. So, we’re leaving this weekend?” “Yeah… Huh.” Mintie’s brows lowered a little. “I expected you to be more excited! Didn’t you enjoy your last trip to Earth?” Rose blinked before smiling. “You know I did. I just… well, I wanted to plan things out a bit more, this time.” “What do you mean?” “Well, more meeting important humans and seeing important sites and less… well, less shopping and goofing around, honestly.” Mintie snorted. “You sick or something? I thought you loved shopping. You sure didn’t complain while we were over there the first time!” “I know,” Rose Quartz shrugged. “I just thought… well, it may be a good idea to take things more seriously this time.” “Well, I suppose, if it bugs you that much.” Mintie shrugged. “We can still do some shopping, right?” Rose considered that for a while before relenting with a nod and a small smile. “As long as it isn’t excessive. I’d like to see human commerce in action again.” Mintie chuckled. “‘Commerce in action’ is a nice way to put it! So, lunch?” Rose stared blankly for a moment. “What about it? Oh! Uh, no thanks. Not really hungry at the moment. I think I’ll stay here and try to get back into the swing of things. You know, vacation and all.” Mintie’s face scrunched up into an expression that Rose recognized as concern. “I was just kidding before, but I have to ask... you didn’t get sick when you were on vacation, did you?” Rose smiled. “No, I’m just fine. Maybe a little tired, that’s all. First it was the diplomatic trip to Earth, then my vacation. It’s hard to come back to work after a week off, you know?” “I get that. Never as long as you want it to be, right?” Rose was about to answer when a booming male voice spared her the need to. The Director was marching down the aisle, his horn glowing with a voice-amplification spell. “Alright, everypony! We get a small break today. Princess Celestia is addressing everypony Grade Eighteen and above in the big auditorium in half an hour. Pack up what you’re working on and assemble out front!” Rose and Mintie watched as the stallion trotted away, repeating his message as he went. “What do you think that’s about?” Rose asked. “What do you think?” Mintie asked. When Rose just stared at her blankly, the mare scoffed and said, “The schedule change for the Earth gateway, duh.” “Oh. Makes sense.” Rose hopped out of her chair and smiled at the taller mare. “Shall we get going?” “Sounds good!” Mintie kept up a cheerful monologue while the pair of them walked out of the office. Rose only listened with half an ear as she chewed her bottom lip. Things were moving a bit faster than she’d expected. She thought she’d have more time to research and plan the next trip out. After all, she had better things to do than go shopping while on Earth. Still, Rose decided, that was something she could worry about later. For now, she slipped on a smile and trotted off after the chattering Mintie, while idly wondering if the gateway was the only thing Celestia was going to be talking about. ~~*Celestia*~~ The murmur of voices in the Grand Hall was getting steadily louder as the clock ticked closer and closer to the time for the announcement. The two Royal Sisters were standing side by side behind a red velvet curtain, waiting until the hall filled to capacity. Luna shifted her weight from one forehoof to another while muttering something under her breath. Celestia looked over to see her younger sister staring blankly at the bottom of the curtain with a scowl on her face and her ears flat against her skull. When Celestia brushed a wing across her back, Luna jumped slightly and reared her head back. “Are you alright, Luna?” “I am fine,” Luna said, her voice clipped. She looked back and forth before sighing. “I am not certain that this is wise,” she said quietly. “The ponies do not respect me as they do you. There may be… trouble.” Celestia arched an eyebrow. “What kind of trouble could there possibly be?” “There shall certainly be a clamor over this announcement. Perhaps even an uproar.” Luna’s eyes widened. “What if they react poorly? What if… what if the announcement leads to unrest which leads in turn to a riot? They may swarm the stage and murder me!” Celestia snorted. “Nopony is going to murder you, Luna, I promise that.” Luna looked away with a sullen pout. “Later tonight, when Canterlot is burning and the unruly mobs rampage through the streets, I shall try to avoid saying ‘I told you so’.” “I thought you were planning on being murdered?” Celestia said, chuckling at the annoyed look that Luna shot at her. “Everything will be fine, Luna. I’ll stand with you the whole way.” “Ponies don’t like change, sister,” Luna pointed out. “And you must admit, this is a fairly large change.” “It is. But, given time, I just know the ponies will come to love you just as deeply as I do.” Celestia was glad to see that her statement had managed to bring out a small, if strained, smile onto Luna’s face. That smile vanished when one of the Royal staff stepped up and cleared his throat. “Princesses? They are ready for you.” “Thank you, Clear Thought. We’ll be right out.” Celestia turned to Luna to offer some last-minute encouragement, only to hesitate when she saw her sister staring at her. “What?” “You knew that stallion’s name,” Luna said, her voice faint. “Yes?” “You know everypony’s name.” Luna’s eyes widened and her wings flared slightly. “I do not! I don’t know anypony’s names! They are not going to like me! They shall think me… rude! Or arrogant!” She brought a hoof up to cover her mouth as she gasped. “Or both!” “Luna, you’re panicking,” Celestia said flatly. “Stop it.” “We are not panicking!” Luna very nearly shouted. “Our reaction is perfectly normal in these circumstances!” “You’ve slipped back into the royal ‘we’,” Celestia pointed out. She sighed and stepped forward, bringing her sister into a firm hug with one ivory wing. “I will be with you every step of the way. I promise.” “Even when the ponies decide to defeather, tar, and re-feather me?” “I’d never allow it. Besides, they would have to do that to me, first,” Celestia assured her. “I’m going to be awful, I just know it.” “Nonsense. You know what you’re going to say, right?” Celestia nodded at the stack of note cards sitting on a nearby table. “You have all of the notes that you and Twilight worked out last night, don’t you?” “Yes. Twilight Sparkle was very kind to assist me with my speech. She helped me considerably with modern vernacular.” Luna frowned uncertainly at the towering stack of cards. “I am just uncertain about the current length.” “Well, make sure to bring them with you,” Celestia said, hugging her sister once again. “Come along, now. Our subjects await.” Luna took a deep breath, released it, and nodded. “Very well, then.” On stage, Clear Thought was announcing them. It was time to go. Together, the two sisters walked out onto the stage in order to address their subjects. ~~*Twilight*~~ La Balle de Foin was one of Twilight’s favorite restaurants in Canterlot, and its reputation was impressive enough for Rarity to squeal in delight when Twilight had stopped by to invite her to lunch. After a short walk, and a much longer wait for a clean table, the two friends found themselves sitting at a small table outside of the restaurant, enjoying both the breeze and the shade provided by the white parasol that blocked the early afternoon sun. Rarity had barely been seated before she said, “Tell me all about it! What happened?” Twilight shifted uncomfortably on her seat, a thick cushion set on top of the grass. “Well, Celestia talked first. She said some things about how happy she is to be our Princess, and how much joy it gives her every day to see us healthy and happy. And then she told them about Verdant.” “Oooh!” Rarity leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “I bet the audience just loved that!” “The existence of yet another alicorn?” Twilight snorted. “Yeah, that caused a few waves.” “I can only imagine,” Rarity said. “Did they seem upset, or just curious?” “Mostly curious. They asked if he came from the human world, like Erin, and Celestia said no, that he was from Equestria, but that she wasn’t currently at liberty to say what his origins were.” Twilight shrugged and rolled her eyes. “A few of the press started shouting questions, like if he were her baby, or Luna’s, or Cadance’s. Which is just silly. Cadance is still pregnant with my niece!” Rarity looked surprised at that. “Oh, it’s a girl?” “Cadance thinks so. Shiny wants a boy, though.” Twilight waved a hoof and shook her head. “That’s nothing to the reaction she got when she said she was turning the government over to Luna. I’ve never heard a gasp so loud!” If she were to be honest, Twilight had been pleased with that reaction. It showed that she wasn’t unique in being completely blindsided by the idea of Princess Celestia becoming less active in government. “I can only imagine,” Rarity said. “I was simply shocked when you told me last night!” “Yeah. But I think I’ve come to grips with it.” Twilight grimaced and looked at her menu, not willing to look her friend in the eye after saying something that was disturbingly close to a lie. “You should try the panais avec sauce au beurre, Rarity. I think you would like it.” “Hmm…” Rarity glanced at her own menu with a contemplative frown. “I need to take off a pound or two, so I was thinking of a nice, simple salad.” “You’re dieting?” Twilight looked her friend over. “You look fine, you don’t need to lose weight.” “Perhaps,” Rarity said with a dainty sniff. “However, being surrounded by fashion models all day yesterday gave my self-image a good thrashing.” “Rarity, you look as good as any of them.” She meant it sincerely, and Rarity laughed and patted her hoof, but Twilight wasn’t sure if the other unicorn truly accepted what she said or not. The waiter came out, then, to take their drink order. Twilight asked for an apple juice, while Rarity requested a sparkling mineral water with lime. The waiter left them with a basket of fresh, warm rolls, which got Twilight’s stomach rumbling. She quickly nabbed one of the rolls in her magic, split it, and spread a little butter on it. Rarity, who had spared a longing look at the basket, turned back to Twilight. “And what happened after that?” “There were tons of questions, of course,” Twilight said after swallowing her first bite of her roll. “Celestia let them run their course, then calmly told them that more information would be forthcoming, but that this wasn’t a question and answer session.” “Oh, my. I bet they didn’t like that!” “Well, she put it more diplomatically than I did,” Twilight said with a shrug. “Anyway, she said a few more comforting things, which did manage to calm everypony down, and then she turned it over to Luna.” Twilight tore what was left of her roll in half and popped one half into her mouth. “And what happened then?” Rarity asked. She giggled when Twilight rolled her eyes at her. “Sorry, of course you can wait until you finish chewing, I’m just eager to hear it all!” “Well, I told you that I was going to help Luna with her speech, right?” After Rarity nodded, Twilight continued. “Well, I spent half the night with her, writing everything up on index cards. And then she didn’t even use them!” “Darling, you’re pouting,” Rarity chided. “I am not pouting,” Twilight said in her most rational tone of voice, which for some reason got a smirk out of Rarity. “I just don’t know why I put all that effort into a comprehensive speech if she’s not even going to use the cards!” “Did you ask her about it after the audience?” Rarity asked, still holding onto her smirk. “I did. She said it would have taken too long, and she just wanted to get it over with.” Twilight grabbed another roll from the basket and tore it into pieces before slathering butter on the mangled remains. “Glad I spent all that time helping her.” “How long would the speech have been?” Rarity asked, her eyes following the floating bits of bread roll as Twilight ate one after another. Twilight held up a hoof and took a sip of water before answering. “About half an hour, if she got through it smoothly.” She scowled at the table. “It would have answered so many questions the reporters had if she’d just stuck to the speech.” “Well, she’s a princess,” Rarity said in what Twilight felt was an insufferably reasonable tone. “They’re known for doing things their own way.” Twilight was about to answer when they were interrupted again as the waiter brought out their drinks, then efficiently and politely took their order before disappearing once again. And, whatever Rarity had said, Twilight wasn’t pouting. “Now you’re sulking,” Rarity said once the waiter was out of earshot. “No, I’m not!” Twilight cleared her throat, blushing as half of the restaurant looked her way. “I’m just a little upset, is all.” She glared at her friend, then noticed that Rarity was still wistfully eying the bread basket on the table between them. With a smug grin, she picked up another roll, spread some butter on it, and then levitated it back and forth across the table. Rarity’s eyes followed it the whole way, causing Twilight to laugh for the first time since the Princess’ audience. “Rarity, you’re obviously hungry. Just take a roll. You’ll feel better, and maybe be a little less snippy.” “But my diet…” She cut off when Twilight levitated the roll over towards her. “Oh, you are such a bad influence, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, chuckling as her magic took the roll. Rarity barely managed to maintain her ladylike air as she tore into the roll, though the groan of pure delight almost pushed her over the line. Twilight smiled and picked up the thread of her story once again. “Luna did the rest of the announcements. We’ll be opening the gate to Earth weekly, starting this weekend. I mean, we were planning on opening it this weekend anyway, since we have the cultural exchange students coming over, but now we’ll tell the humans that they can open it every weekend.” “That’s wonderful!” Rarity said, helping herself to the last roll in the basket. Twilight watched it go mournfully. “She also announced the creation of the Dreamguard. Or, the re-creation, I guess.” Twilight grinned as her eyes sparkled. “A whole new school of magic! And she’ll teach me the spells first!” “You mentioned that last night. But what does the Dreamguard actually do?” “Their primary duty consists of casting and maintaining a dreamward spell. In the event of the ward failing, they cast a spell to go into a trance, enter the Dreamrealm, and stop whatever creature is causing trouble.” Rarity shivered. “Are there really creatures that attack us while we’re dreaming? That doesn’t seem very fair!” “According to Luna, they’re very rare. Plus, ponies have natural defenses. But they can cause nasty nightmares.” Twilight smiled. “Sort of like fighting off a flu and getting a fever, I suppose.” “Still, that’s very disturbing.” The waiter showed up then with a tray held in his telekinetic grip. He set their food on the table and left a moment later, promising refills on their drinks in a little while. Twilight quickly dug into her meal of pasta parmesan, and a side salad with vinaigrette dressing and little cherry tomatoes. She also made a mental note to check her breath after eating the garlic bread that came with it. After a few seconds of eating, she realized Rarity wasn’t joining in, instead staring morosely at her dressing-free salad. “You sure you don’t want anything else, Rarity?” Twilight asked. She lifted up the small plate that held her bread. “You can have this, if you want. I’m gonna be stuffed if I try to eat everything I ordered.” “Thank you, darling, but no.” Rarity sighed and lifted a forkful of lettuce to her mouth. “The things I do for fabulosity.” They ate in silence for a few minutes. For Twilight, it was time to gather her thoughts and try to sort out her feelings. There was something about the audience earlier that day that had bothered her, but she just couldn’t put her hoof on it. “So, was there anything else?” Rarity asked suddenly, dispelling the silence. “A little bit,” Twilight said. “She also reiterated that Erin is not a real alicorn, since I guess there’s been a lot of speculation in the news about it.” “Now, see, that confuses me,” Rarity said. “I had always thought that an alicorn was simply a pony who had all three types of pony magic. Is that not the case?” “Well, not exactly.” Twilight sat up straighter, her ears perking up as she remembered the conversation she’d had with Celestia the previous day where she’d asked a similar question. “Erin’s magic is compartmentalized. It’s like each magic type is separate, distinct.” “And the Princesses aren’t like that?” Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head. “No. The three types of magic actually combine into one magic. That allows for greater flexibility in its use. Not to mention, each type of magic enhances the other two, which greatly increases an alicorn’s raw abilities.” “I never knew that! That would explain why Celestia and Luna are so much stronger than average ponies, I suppose.” “You got it. But that’s not all. You know how a pony’s magic will oftentimes line up with their special talent?” “Like mine with gems, I imagine,” Rarity said with a nod. “I know that location spells like that would be much too difficult for me, ordinarily.” “That’s right. Your special talent gives you a boost in that regard.” Twilight smiled, enjoying having such an attentive listener. “But, for alicorns, the effect is much, much greater. Then there are additional talents. Like Luna’s dreamwalking, for example. Anypony with the right skills can enter the Dreamrealm, but only Luna can actually enter a pony’s dream if she wants to. That’s a skill unique to her. Even a very powerful unicorn wouldn’t be able to do that.” “I wonder what Celestia’s alicorn talent is?” Rarity asked while drinking her sparkling water. “Well, I asked her about it, and it seems like she has a few.” Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin as she recalled the previous night’s conversation. “She can manipulate light, control any open flames, and can control gravity in a highly localized area. And, like Luna, she has a gift for limited foresight.” “Well, that’s very impressive!” Rarity smiled as she skewered a cucumber on her fork. “Not unexpected for our Princess, though.” The smile fell away. “What did you mean by foresight?” Twilight smiled. She spent the next few minutes describing how some ponies in history had been able to see the future, at least to an extent. She listed some of the most famous, from Eagle Eye the griffon, to Shademist, to Clearsight the Seer. The book that she’d used to predict the return of Nightmare Moon had been a collection of visions called Predictions and Prophecies, containing prophecies from many different sources. As the meal went on and Rarity poked morosely at her salad, Twilight happily continued to expound on the differences between limited and unlimited foresight. “Limited tends to be far more accurate, but only focuses on events in the next few months. Unlimited means that the events could be taking place in the far distant future.” She took another bite of her pasta before continuing after a hasty swallow. “Also, the unlimited variety tends to be frustratingly vague. Most times, there’s no way of knowing for certain what it means until after the events have happened.” “That’s fascinating, Twilight,” Rarity said with a smile. Though, her eyes seemed a little glassy. “Are you alright, Rarity?” “Quite alright, dear.” She blinked a few times and smiled again. “Not to change the subject, but I’m wondering how you are holding up.” “Me?” Twilight sat back on her cushion, frowning. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?” “Well, you know Princess Celestia better than most anyone. She’s been your teacher for years. I have to imagine that this little semi-retirement of hers must be…” Rarity twirled her fork in the air for a moment while she hunted for the right word to use. “...upsetting, to you.” “What? Pfft, no.” Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. “No, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? Everything’s just peachy. I mean, it’s just a little time off of work, and I’m sure Celestia’s earned a little vacation after all these centuries, right? I mean, just because she’s taken this time to spend with Verdant, it doesn’t mean that she’s any less my teacher.” Twilight laughed, shifting uncomfortably on her cushion. “I mean, sure, she’s going to be spending less time with me, because Verdant will have to come first. And, granted, she never took time off of being a Princess to spend time with me, but I’m not a little foal, right? I mean, I was a foal way back then, but I wasn’t an infant, so it’s different, right? It’s not like I have any reason to… to be jealous...” Twilight’s voice ran down as the words she was saying filtered back into her head. Rarity was sitting calmly across from her with a sympathetic look on her face. “Oh my goodness, I’m jealous of a little foal.” Twilight groaned and lowered her head to the table. “I’m a terrible pony.” “Twilight!” Rarity said sharply, causing Twilight to raise her head in surprise. “You are not a terrible pony. Trust me on this.” “But I’m jealous of Verdant…” “True. But your feelings don’t make you good or bad. How you act upon them does.” Rarity smiled. “And you’ve been supportive of Celestia’s decision, even though it means you now have to share her as a teacher. I think that speaks volumes for your character, darling.” Twilight smiled wanly back. “Thanks, Rarity.” “Please, don’t mention it.” Rarity said loftily. “I do have one last question, however.” “Okay?” Rarity pushed aside her half-empty salad bowl. “Are you going to finish your garlic bread?” Twilight laughed and lifted the plate with the bread over to her friend. ~~*Erin*~~ Rainbow set a quick pace. Erin, already a little worn out from her morning workout, grimaced and clenched her teeth, determined to keep up with her pegasus friend, who was trotting along and chattering away, without even a shortness of breath to show she was exercising. Erin, struggling not to pant, thought ruefully about how much she’d lost in becoming a pseudo-alicorn. Hopefully, once she fully realized her earth pony magic, she’d get her speed and endurance back. The pair of them ended up trotting out to a hilltop a few miles away from Ponyville. They were surrounded by high, untamed grasses and wildflowers, with the occasional batch of bushes scattered here and there. There wasn’t a pony in sight, though there were plenty of birds flitting around. Erin watched them fly, eager for her own chance. Getting the harness on had been an exercise in awkwardness. There was no way for Rainbow to fit the thing on her without intruding into some very personal space. The harness was a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, with the straps and buckles designed to be adjusted to whatever length needed to fit snugly—but not too tightly—on any pegasus. Rainbow was the one who did most of the work, all while explaining how pegasus flight worked. During her instruction, she would occasionally ask Erin to lift or move a leg, followed by her tightening or loosening one of the many straps hung around Erin’s body. Three times, Rainbow had to duck under her belly to take a strap in her teeth to adjust it, which inevitably caused Erin to burst out giggling every time something brushed across her belly. “I didn’t know you were ticklish there before today, Erin,” Rainbow said after the latest bout of giggles. “I didn’t either,” Erin replied airily. “New body, you know?” Rainbow shuddered. “Ugh, don’t remind me. It’s pretty freaky. But, hey, at least you have wings, now!” She reached out and gave Erin a little shove with her hoof. “That’s the most important thing, right?” “Right!” Rainbow grinned, and then studied her hoofwork closely. “Hmm… Looks good. How does it feel? Stretch those legs out and tell me if anything pinches.” Erin did so, and even walked in a lazy circle just to be sure. “Feels good.” “Great! We’re just about ready. So, you think you can manage to do what I asked you?” Erin scowled at that. “I don’t know, Rainbow. That explanation didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.” “What’s so hard? All pegasi learn this stuff.” She shrugged. “It’s just basic atmospheric alteration, though nopony calls it that outside of flight school.” “Rainbow, you said that pegasus magic can make the air seem thicker on the wings, but without altering either the wings or the air. That’s not possible.” Dash rolled her eyes. “I do it every day, Erin. It’s not like even my wings are big and strong enough to support my weight on their own. And it’s not just the wings, though that’s a big part.” She looked up into the sky and gestured with a hoof. “A pegasus can also make the air in front of them act like it’s thinner, cutting down wind resistance, and the air beneath them seem denser, helping with buoyancy.” She smirked. “And, if you’re really talented, like me, you can make the air seem denser behind you, pushing you ahead. You know, like if you’re doing a sonic rainboom?” “Yeah, but…” Erin shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense! You say you can change the way things interact without actually changing anything! How… Physics doesn’t work that way!” Rainbow casually flexed her wings and grinned. “Magic, I guess.” She snickered at Erin’s frustrated expression. “Look, it’s just like the cloud, right? You didn’t actually change it, and you didn’t change yourself, but you were able to climb up on top of it. It’s the same thing!” Erin shot her a cynical look. “Really?” “Yeah! Well, sort of. That was ‘tensing’, making clouds seem thicker. What you’re going to be doing now is ‘thinning’. Look, don’t worry too much about it. For now, all I want you to do is imagine that the air in front of you isn’t holding you back when we fly, okay?” “But—” “You don’t need to understand it, just do it!” Rainbow snorted and stomped a hoof. “Get to thinning, girl!” Erin opened her mouth to protest before stopping herself. Rainbow was going to take her flying, and she was going to complain about it? “Alright,” Erin said, feeling a grin stretch across her face. “Let’s do this!” “That’s more like it! Now, just give me a minute to hook up the harness, okay?” Rainbow quickly shrugged herself into her own harness, managing to get into it in roughly half the time that it took for Erin to get into hers. Then she attached some straps between the various rings set into each of their harnesses. Flapping her wings, Rainbow hovered over Erin, slowly descending until each of her hooves were almost touching her back while shortening the straps with sharp tugs of her teeth. “You ready?” Rainbow asked. Erin, who had spent the last few minutes in steadily rising anticipation, was practically dancing in place on the hilltop. “Yes!” Rainbow was managing to hover above Erin, keeping place with lazy, slow wing beats that drove what felt like perfectly normal air downwards. Whatever it was that the pegasus was doing to the air, it didn’t feel any different to Erin. “Okay, when I tell you to, start running forward, and jump when I tell you. Don’t worry about me keeping up, just go. Got it?” “I got it!” “Okay,” Rainbow said. “Get ready… set… Start running!” Erin took off, running full-tilt towards the side of the hill, which cut off sharply. Panic started welling up as the edge got closer, and every instinct she had was telling her to slow down, to stop. She ignored them and, when Rainbow shouted “Jump!” Erin leapt, laughing with the sheer joy of it as the ground dropped away underneath her hooves. Rainbow grunted above her as the straps between them tightened. The ground below sped by faster and faster, and Erin let out a wild whoop of complete joy. “You okay down there?” Rainbow’s voice rasped down at her. Erin could only answer with excited giggles as her legs instinctively kept running on air. She was too distracted to even notice that her wings had spread open a few inches when the air hit them. “How about you start thinning the air, like I told you?” Rainbow called down. “I’m not doing this just for the exercise!” “Okay!” Erin did her best, imagining the air in front of her as not being a barrier, trying to cut down wind resistance. She folded her legs up underneath her and stretched her head out, trying to make herself feel more aerodynamic. Almost immediately, the air around her seemed to change. The wind still moved just as fast, but the impact of it didn’t feel as strong, as if something were blocking most of it from actually touching her. Erin shook her head and grinned widely. Understanding could wait. For now, this was just too cool! “You’re doing great!” Dash called down from above and slightly in front of her. “Keep it just like that! We’re going to have a little fun.” “What fu—aaaaah, Rainbow!” Dash pulled up sharply, wings beating as she shot into the air like a rocket. With the pegasus going up nearly vertically, this had the unfortunate side-effect of the back of Erin’s head pressing into Rainbow’s belly, just under the ribcage. Erin’s concentration shattered, and suddenly the air was pressing against her full force once again. The ground was dropping farther and farther away as the wind roared in her ears, and suddenly flying seemed like a lot less fun and a lot more terrifying. Rainbow finally leveled out, and Erin dropped away from her, dangling helplessly in the tethers of the harness. Erin had no way of knowing how fast they were moving. Her eyes were shut tight against the sting of the wind, which streamed over her coat and pulled at her mane and tail. Her ears were folded down to protect them against the constant roar of it. Eventually, Erin was able to lever her eyes open, blinking away the tears that instantly sprung up. Her breath caught in her throat. The sky was empty for as far as she could see, with the exception of some distant clouds. The wind was a constant torrent, much stronger up here than it had been closer to the ground. Erin’s mane and tail were streaming and fluttering behind her wildly, with the occasional wisp of mane getting in her eyeline before whipping back again. The wind also tugged on her wings, which she vaguely noticed were slightly open, pushing on her feathers and making them bind closer together, sealing the air away from the skin underneath. “Take a look at this!” Rainbow’s shout was barely heard over the rushing air. “All of this around you. This is what it means to be a pegasus! The sky is yours!” If Rainbow was waiting for a response, she would be disappointed. Erin was far too busy drinking in the sight of the ground slowly moving far beneath them. She’d seen this sight before, or one very much like it. But seeing the video recovered from the first exploratory drones was completely different from seeing the same thing with her own eyes. Fields and hills as far as the eye could see stretched out in every direction, the grasslands around Ponyville mottled with color and broken by wide stretches of plowed land, the farms budding with green from the new growth of spring. Then there were the deeper textures of the Everfree forest, stretching away like a rippling ocean of leaves as far as she could see. The only roads from Ponyville were made of dirt, stretching away from the town in vaguely wandering lines so unlike the straight, black-topped roads Erin was used to seeing on Earth. The roads branched away constantly, becoming narrower as they led to the farms that surrounded the little town. The railway, currently without a train, glimmered like a silver needle across the land, straighter than the roads, pointing towards Canterlot one one side of Ponyville and towards Manehattan on the other. The air even smelled different up here. Cleaner and less humid, with a chill crispness that invigorated her and stung the back of her sinuses if she breathed too quickly. I could get used to this, Erin thought. “You okay down there?” Rainbow asked, lowering her head to look down between her own forelegs. Dash’s concerned, upside-down face would have caused Erin to start giggling in any other situation. Instead, she nodded slowly with a huge grin spreading across her face. “Well, get back to thinning out that wind,” Rainbow shouted. “This isn’t as easy as I’m making it look!” That finally broke Erin’s trance. She giggled and began focusing on making the air seem thinner before her once again. Even if she wasn’t flying under her own power, this was one of the most profound experiences she’d ever had so far. It was nearly perfect, and she desperately didn’t want it to end. ~~*Caretaker*~~ Deep underground, long-dormant systems activated. Air began to circulate in the maze of tunnels and chambers that had been left unused for ages. Lights began to glow from the walls and floor themselves, chasing away the darkness that had abided in these corridors for a longer time than a living mind could easily grasp. When the area was once again capable of supporting life, the systems began the process of waking the Caretaker. In a small chamber, red lights in the walls pulsed, then grew in intensity, illuminating a space of smoothly carved rock and gleaming metal. The chamber was very nearly empty except for the large crystal in the center. The pulsing lights revealed a figure inside the crystal, stuck like a fly in amber. The red lights faded into white and the pulsing slowed and eventually stopped, bathing the entire room with a scintillating brilliance. Inside the crystal, the figure stirred. It was long and slender, six frail-looking limbs moving and stretching in the new light. The front of the crystal holding the shape dissolved into nothingness, allowing the Caretaker to step out and stand on two thinly-toed feet. Deep blue irisless eyes blinked in the harsh light, and he inhaled the stale air through thin nostrils set into a slightly protruding muzzle. The Caretaker’s skin was roughly pebbled, forest green in color over most of it, though with bright rainbow frills along the head and neck. Most of the rest of the thin and frail body was obscured by a thick and intricately-folded robe of creamy white, embroidered with whorls of blue and red up the front. A narrow tail, nearly as long as his body, undulated in the air behind him, with its own set of rainbow frills down the center that ended in a plume of thick, feather-like white hairs. The tail acted as a counterbalance, keeping him from pitching forward when he walked, though it wasn’t needed when he was standing upright. Sluggish thoughts stirred in the Caretaker’s mind. Automated systems had woken him from a slumber too deep for dreaming, which could only mean that something had gone horribly wrong, something which the self-correcting systems couldn’t deal with on their own. Something that he, himself, would have to deal with. A thinly-fingered hand, one of four, reached out and waved over the floor of the chamber, and concentric rings of light shot up from the floor. Images resolved in the air before him, and his eyes narrowed at what they showed. A gateway from another world had opened many days ago, allowing mechanical devices to ramble their way in, tearing up the grass and disturbing the lesser animals. The Caretaker’s throat let out a series of irritated clicks. The most recent hibernation had been a long one, and the system hadn’t woken him as quickly as it might have. This had allowed plenty of time for the intruders to open still more gates in other locations, sending more of their metal devices through. Disruptions and distractions. It will have to be corrected, the Caretaker decided. The Caretaker’s upper left arm reached back into the recently-vacated crystal cocoon and retrieved his staff. Nearly as tall as he was, the staff was made of carved ebony wood twined with ivory, and set with dimly-glowing runes along the length of it. Leaning on his staff and muttering to himself in a language that hadn’t been heard in ages, the Caretaker made his way slowly out of the chamber and into a vast hallway outside. He was on his way to see a Goddess.