//------------------------------//
// One with the Wind 
// Story: Daring Do and the Tiny Tornado 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//

	"Now now, you two.  I understand how you feel, but Ms. Daring really needs your help."

For five minutes, Fluttershy tried to persuade the breezies to demonstrate their flying ability.  However, Tra-La-La and Tiddlywink simply continued to chitter back and forth, neither of them making a move.  Windsday cleared his throat noisily.

"Well, while Ms. Fluttershy handles that, I suppose I could give you a brief lecture on your new form," he said.

"Oh, goody," said Daring, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, come now, Professor Do.  Don't be like that," Windsday chided. "We both know you need this."

Daring gave Windsday a bemused look. "You're just getting a kick out of this, aren't you?"

Windsday ignored the question and launched straight into his lecture. "Now then, the first thing you need to understand is that a breezie's wings are very different from those of a pegasus."

Daring glanced over at her long, insect-like wings and deadpanned. "Yeah, I think I figured that one out already, Bluster.  Please, try not to patronize me."

"Alright, alright," said Windsday. "Goodness, there's no need for you to get all snippy."

"Considering that I'm going to be spending my vacation trying to stop a pair of evil masterminds and get some payback for what they did to me, I think I have every right to be snippy right now," said Daring, folding her forelegs. "Now, just tell me how I'm supposed to fly."

"Well, see, that's the thing," said Windsday, adjusting his glasses. "Breezies don't fly, at least not in the same way pegasi understand flight.  Their wings are more like sails, allowing them to catch the wind at any angle and propel themselves through the air.  It's actually quite fascinating."

Daring raised an eyebrow. "So, I don't fly so much as, glide."

"Yes."

"Through the air."

"Yes."

"With these things."

Windsday wrinkled his nose. "I can't say I'm very fond of your tone, Professor Do.  You sound like you don't believe me."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just a bit confused," said Daring, flexing her wings. "I'll admit, I'm no entomologist like you are, Bluster.  But whenever I see these kinds of wings on something, they're usually going a mile a minute.  By contrast, these things just feel so stiff and unresponsive.  Getting enough lift to get off the ground feels like it's gonna be a monumental task.  Also, how exactly are these supposed to act like sails when they look about as sturdy as tissue paper?"

"Looks can be deceiving, Professor Do," said Windsday sagely. "Why, according to my research, a breezie's wings can survive wind speeds of up to fifteen knots.  Mind you, no breezie should under any circumstances be traveling at those speeds."

"And why not?" asked Daring.

"Because it would be too easy for you to lose control," Windsday explained. "Although a breezie's wings are similar to sails, there's one key difference.  You are not reliant on the wind's direction to steer.  You are free to move in whatever direction you wish as long as there is the slightest breeze for you to ride on.  However, the stronger the winds, the more difficult it is to steer.  Any pegasus who wishes to help the breezies in their great odyssey must be trained beforehand to know how fast the wind currents should be.  Too slow, and the breezies would miss their ticket home.  Too fast, and the breezies are sent into disarray."

"So, basically, I can't control how fast I'm going," said Daring, knitting her brow. "I gotta say, Bluster.  I'm not a big fan of this.  If Tailspin ends up getting herself into trouble, I can't exactly rush to her rescue without nearly killing myself in the process.  Granted, the risk may end up being worth it.  It usually is."

Windsday sighed. "I highly advise against that, Professor Do.  Remember, the body of a breezie is extremely fragile.  Even something as simple as a leaf can be fatal if you're not careful."

Daring scowled. "What did I say about patronizing me, Bluster?  I'm fully aware of the risks here; it's just a matter of whether or not I care about them.  And nine times out of ten, I don't."

"Well, consider this the tenth time, Professor Do," Windsday countered brusquely. "This is not a matter to be taken lightly."

"I never said it was!" Daring snapped defensively.

"Okay, that's enough," said Fluttershy firmly, moving between Daring and Windsday. "Now, I know we're all a bit stressed, but fighting amongst ourselves is not going to do anypony any good."

Daring sighed. "She's right.  I'm sorry, Bluster.  I guess I'm still a bit upset by all this."

"Hmm.  Right," said Windsday, letting out a short cough. "Anyway, Ms. Fluttershy.  Have the breezies come to an agreement of sorts?"

"Oh, yes," said Fluttershy with a nod. "They decided they were going to demonstrate together.  Come along, you two."

Tra-La-La and Tiddlywink complied, floating through the air side-by-side.  Daring and Recon watched as they flew this way and that with the grace of a pair of ballerinas.  Their wings barely moved at all, only adjusting ever so slightly at certain moments.

"Quite impressive, isn't it?" said Windsday whimsically.

"Impressive, yes," said Daring, stroking her chin. "But, here's the million bit question.  How exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, that's quite simple," said Windsday, clearing his throat. "You see—"

"Mmm?  Oh?  Is that so?"

Windsday's grandiose lecture was interrupted by Fluttershy listening intently to Tra-La-La as she whispered in her ear.

"Is there something you wish to share, Ms. Fluttershy?" he inquired.

"Oh, not me, Professor Windsday," said Fluttershy, turning to Daring. "But Tra-La-La just wanted to mention that you have to use your breeze magic."

Daring arched an eyebrow. "Breeze magic?"

"Yes.  You see, the breezie's magic is used for more than just keeping their pollen safe," said Fluttershy. "Tra-La-La says that every gust of wind is stored within their wings, and if there is no wind, they can use that stored energy to move by themselves."  Tra-La-La whispered again. "Oh, she also wants to say that it's actually very strange for a breezie to not be airborne, and she's worried you hit your head."

Daring pursed her lips and crossed her forelegs. "Did you explain to her that I'm not actually a breezie?"

"Well, no.  The subject never came up," said Fluttershy sheepishly. "I was too busy trying to get them to cooperate.  It's a bit, tricky."

Windsday scoffed. "Ms. Fluttershy, while you may have a strong connection with animals, there is still much you need to learn about the breezies.  As such, I'd greatly appreciate it if you refrained from interrupting my lecture."

"Oops.  S-sorry," whimpered Fluttershy, hiding her face behind her bangs. "I'll just, be over here."

"Wow.  Way to treat your almighty guest of honor, Bluster," said Daring sardonically while Recon gave Windsday the evil eye.

"I-I'm not trying to be rude to Ms. Fluttershy," Windsday sputtered. "I-it's just that, well, she's an amateur in these matters.  I can't very well leave your well-being in the hooves of an amateur, Professor Do.  You need the expertise of a professional scientist who has studied breezies all his life if you're to have any hope of surviving."

Tra-La-La and Tiddlywink gave Windsday a blank stare before turning to each and chittered back and forth.

"Uh, translation?" asked Daring, looking up at Fluttershy.

"They're trying to decide which one of them should tell Professor Windsday something," said Fluttershy. "Um, girls?  Why don't you tell me, and I'll tell him?"

The breezies paused for a moment before they started chittering again.

"Now they're trying to decide which one of them should tell me," Fluttershy translated, sounding a bit embarrassed.

Daring frowned. "Are those two really so petty that they have to argue over everything?"

"Oh, it's not like that," said Fluttershy. "Actually, they're rather polite."

Daring blinked. "Polite."

"Yes.  They each insist that the other should have the honor.  From what I could tell, that's pretty much how all of their arguments go."

Daring rubbed the bridge of her nose with her feeler. "Okay, that's not as bad as I thought it was, but that doesn't make it any less annoying."

Finally, the two of them touched antenna and made a loud proclamation. "Eetch a groome!  Faldara!"

They then each floated over to one of Fluttershy's ears and whispered to her.  Fluttershy closed her eyes and nodded.

"Uh-huh.  Mmm-hmm.  Oh dear.  Um, oh my.  W-well, when you put it that way, I suppose...  Uh-huh.  Okay, I'll tell him."

Fluttershy turned to Windsday, brushing the back of her foreleg with her hoof.

"Um, well, first of all, Tra-La-La and Tiddlywink don't want you to take this the wrong way," she said. "They honestly mean no offense; they're simply a bit curious."

"Oh, this oughta be good," said Daring with a sly smirk.

Windsday growled. "Just spit it out, Ms. Fluttershy.  What did they want?"

Fluttershy swallowed. "Um, well, they want to know why you think a pony would know more about breezies than the breezies themselves."

Daring burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and flipping over onto her back.  Windsday blushed profusely and cleared his throat.

"W-well, um...  You see...  Alright, alright.  Point taken," he grumbled.

"Oh, man.  You so had that one coming, Bluster," chuckled Daring, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yes, yes.  I'm glad to see you're so amused," said Windsday flatly. "Now, can we get back to making sure you don't die?"

"Yeah, I'm good," said Daring as Recon helped her back to her feet. "Seriously, though, Bluster.  Try to keep your ego out of this, and maybe you won't end up getting burned so badly."

Windsday let out a low snarl before taking a deep breath. "Right.  Anyway, as our breezie friend described, you have to use your magic in order to levitate."

"Okay.  And how do I do that?"

"It's not as complicated as it sounds, I assure you," said Windsday. "Any breezie can do it with no effort at all.  You just need to concentrate a bit."

Daring nodded. "Concentrate, huh?  Alright, let's give this a shot."

She raised her wings and scrunched her eyes shut, focusing intently on getting off the ground.  With a single flap, she rose a few centimeters into the air.  Opening one eye, she took a brief look at her accomplishment.

"Well, it's a start," she mused. "Okay, now I want to go, um, left."

She tilted her body to the left, but nothing happened.

"Mmm.  It appears the wind is quite sparse around here," said Windsday. "Not a problem."

He then rose into the air and daintily flapped his wings, creating a slight breeze.  The breeze washed over Daring, and she felt her wings bend out ever so slightly.  A pleasant scent wafted through her nostrils, causing her fur to ripple as each bit of fuzz stood up on end in turn.

"Woo.  That was, unexpected," she said, trying to shake herself of the odd sensation.

"Don't worry, Professor Do.  Your body is simply releasing its magic through pheromones," said Windsday. "It's perfectly natural."

"Um, okay," said Daring, raising an eyebrow. "Does this help me at all, or should I be worried?"

"Not only is it helpful, Professor Daring.  It's imperative to your survival," Windsday explained. "Those pheromones provide a musky barrier that deters predators.  It has also been documented that the pheromones can paralyze enemies in stronger doses, but that would require an entire swarm of breezies and a very strong wind.  That or the exact environmental conditions of the breezies' grotto, which have yet to be recorded."

"So what you're saying is I have a way to fight back, but I can't use it properly," said Daring with a pout.

"Not without the proper resources, no," said Windsday, adjusting his glasses.

"Which means we'll have to get a bit creative," said Daring. "Recon, go scout ahead.  See if you can find Tailspin and lead her back to us."

Recon saluted and skittered away.

"Now, while he's doing that, I think we need to make sure we're all on the same page," said Daring. "Fluttershy, try asking the breezies what they know about what's going on."

"Um, okay," said Fluttershy, turning to Tra-La-La and Tiddlywink. "Uh, if it's not too much to ask, do you think you could tell us why there's so few of you around?  I mean, if it's okay; I don't wish to make you uncomfortable."

The breezies paused to think before turning to each other and twittering back and forth.

"Do I want to know what they're talking about?" asked Daring.

"They're, um, trying to decide which one of them should tell the story," said Fluttershy.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," said Daring, rolling her eyes. "Well, at least it gives me time to adjust to this gliding thing.  Gotta say, it's not as difficult as I expected it to be."

As if on cue, a strong cross-breeze blew in, causing Daring to spin out of control.  Flailing her legs and trying desperately to control her wings, she went careening straight into a cactus.  While she managed to avoid the spines, her head became embedded within the plant.

"I stand corrected," Daring snarled, her voice muffled by the cactus.

Windsday shook his head. "I understand this is sort of your 'thing,' but try not to get cocky, Professor Do."

Daring groaned. "You just couldn't resist taking a shot at me, could you, Bluster?"

"Oh, you mean like you've been doing this entire time?"

"Mmm.  Touché."

Fluttershy sighed and turned back to the bickering breezies. "Um, I have an idea.  Why don't you two take turns telling the story?"

Tra-La-La's expression brightened. "Coomo mey, pommella!  Tiddlywink, lalu lazu."

"Ay, ni ni ni, Tra-La-La.  Lalu lazu."

Fluttershy's face clouded with concern. "Oh dear."