//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - Advanced Training // Story: Rising Above // by Quick Fix //------------------------------// November 14th Quick fix shivered slightly as he checked a saw, trying not to think how he couldn't turn up the heating inside a tool shed. He had a routine for tool maintenance though and even the cold wasn't going to deter him from it. On the plus side, Scootaloo and Trixie were coming over soon to discuss their progress soon so he could take a break for that. Picking up a metal file, he sharpened a few of the saw teeth, thinking back to how far things had come over the last month. Scootaloo had come along so far already, she looked like she could try flying any day now. Of course, that would require practice and there weren't many places on the ground that had those kind of facilities at short notice. There was a workaround though. Finishing up his work after a few minutes, Quick put his tools back and stepped out into the snow covering his garden. It was still only a foot deep but nopony was sure how much more would be coming, the main problem he had with it was the increased workload as everypony seemed to need house repairs in the winter. Except his, a perk of the job was free practice at, or on, home. For now, he stopped at the fence and leaned on it slightly, watching the sky. It was cloudy but with some sun coming through, quiet and reflective, just like him at the moment as he stood there. What if this was all just a hope spot and they were ultimately fighting nature's indomitable will? How would Scootaloo take it if she really was grounded forever, resigned acceptance at best, the utter destruction of her will at worst. What about his own outcome, putting everything he hoped for on the line and failing. What if she took her frustrations out on him? In truth, the idea of them both coming so near, yet so far was what scared him the most. "Come on, Quick. It's just the cold getting to you, nothing is going to go wrong...I hope." He told himself, finally heading inside. The warmth was a welcome relief as he got something to drink before checking his living room was ready. All his furniture had been moved to the walls to give Scootaloo space in the centre, space he really hoped they were going to need. There wasn't time to adjust anything now, all he could do right now was check the fire was alright and prepare himself. Yes his thoughts were rather circular right now but when trying to find a way past nerves, he had a tendency to keep thinking about the same thing until he found a way past it. Scootaloo was just as tense, though that was a side effect of walking in the snow with just her scarf and wing warmers. She almost envied Trixie having a fully body cape right now, even if she was also shivering with the cold. Focus was a bit of an issue in this weather and both of them were silently hoping Quick Fix kept his house warm. "So, I was just wondering. Is your friend, Apple Bloom at work over the winter?" "Hmm? Oh right, I don't actually know. She left a notice at the shop saying she'd be out of town the day after I did my talk, I haven't seen her since then." "Hmmm, hope she's alright." "You and me both." Scootaloo tried to put the thought out of mind, maybe she was just away on business or a crusader trip while they were off school. There wasn't anything she could do about it now though, even if she knew where Apple Bloom was. She had her own task at hoof anyway and the sooner they got to it, the sooner they could get somewhere warm. After a few minutes of trying to figure out which house was the right one, they found Quick Fix's place and quickly knocked on the door. Quick opened up and stepped aside to let them in, glancing out at the snow as he did. "Thank you, Trixie is not a fan of the cold." Trixie sighed as she removed her cape and held it up with her magic, brushing the loose snow off. Scootaloo shook her head slightly as she took her things off and hung them up. "You'll have to excuse her, Quick. We got a little lost on the way." "Don't worry about it, I put the fire on early so we should we warm enough and you can stay as long as you want to." Trixie still didn't look too convinced but didn't comment as Quick lead them through to the living room. Scootaloo couldn't help but grin at just how much warmer it felt, coupled with the sight of hot drinks. As she went to get one, she noticed a few notes that Quick had moved aside, they looked like more of the notes he'd used before except they were focused more on horn injuries. Wasn't he just trying to focus on her? Whatever the reason, she didn't think it was a good idea to let him know she'd seen it. "This is, an impressive mix. Did you put some herbs in the drinks?" "Yeah, tried something new from Flora Flavour's shop. Let me know what you think." Scootaloo took a drink and just about managed to keep a straight face, it wasn't unbearable but Quick clearly didn't have the talent for drinks making as he did repairs. "Honestly, I think you should ask a bartender for advice next time. It is nice and warming though." Scootaloo stepped aside so Trixie could try one, heading for the centre of the room and spreading her wings, same as every time they met up. Quick checked her posture over, feeling for muscle tension and comparing against notes he made the last time. "Well, your progress is ahead of the normal. How does flapping feel?" "Not too bad now, still don't trust them to hold my weight but they can whip up a storm down here." "Good, I think your body has almost adjusted to proper position. We're going to try something new then, see if you're right about holding your weight. Trixie, if it's alright, we're going to need your help with this one." "Me?" Trixie almost spat her drink out and stared at Quick in surprise. She was only here to make sure he didn't cause any trouble for Scootaloo, now she was being roped in to help him? "Well, depends what you want me to do." "It's nothing serious, I'd just like you to hold Scootaloo up with your magic while she tries flying posture. If you're alright with it of course." "Well, I haven't done any telekinesis on this this level for some time, but I can try." Scootaloo nodded in thanks and tucked her wings back in, waiting for Quick to step back before nodding to Trixie. On cue, her horn lit up with it's pink aura, enveloping Scootaloo a moment later. Trixie gritted her teeth and focused, her magic sparking off her horn slightly as Scootaloo was levitated about a foot off the ground. As taxing as it was, Trixie still managed to look up at her and grin. "Perfect! Go for it, Scootaloo" Quick stepped back further to maximise space, leaving Scootaloo in control. She could hardly believe this moment was happening, she hadn't been able to pretend to fly like this since Rainbow Dash had joined the Wonderbolts reserve. With a small whoop of glee, she dropped into a flight pose, spread her wings and started flapping. Lack of airflow aside, this was it, this was everything she'd wanted to be. Her wing muscles were already starting to ache from being used in this position but she couldn't care less right now. All the years she had endured Diamond Tiara's bullying, all the times she had felt trapped under her big sister's shadow, all the nights she had sat and wept at the thought of her dreams slipping away into the dark. None of it mattered anymore, a lifetime of fears and heartache was being blown away in the wake of Scootaloo flying under her own power, or near enough, for the first time in her life. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, any sound she wanted to make choking up in her throat, pushing herself for just a few more seconds of freedom, pretending she was a match for any pegasus, being as awesome as her sister was. "I'd prepare for landing, Scootaloo. Trixie's wavering over there." Quick warned. As much as she was enjoying herself, Scootaloo knew it wasn't worth exploiting her friend's power to do so and she brought her flaps to a halt, shifting into a hovering pose as Trixie let her magic trail off, dropping back to the floor. She had to keep her emotion in check right now, Trixie was sitting down and panting hard, clearly drained, while Quick rushed to get something to boost her. "I'm sorry, I got carried away." Scootaloo sat down with Trixie and put a hoof on her shoulder. To her suprise, Trixie looked back up at her and grinned weakly. "I needed to push myself anyway. I'm not a young pony anymore, I have to take what I can get. Besides, you looked happier than I've ever seen you before. It was all worth it." "You have no idea." Scootaloo smiled in return, finally letting the joyful tears fall as she hugged Trixie in thanks. She believed now, that she really did have the strength to fly and though having it under her control was still some way off, with Trixie and Quick supporting her, Scootaloo knew it was only a matter of time. She didn't need flight to be awesome, but from the taste just given to her, it certainly didn't hurt.