First Flight
Chapter 7: First Flight
Scootaloo suppressed a yawn as she landed clumsily in her front yard. She was worn out from finishing the last of the twenty repetitions that Dawn required of her for the day. She had indeed been experimenting with her descents and had gotten him to coach her a little earlier that afternoon. Aside from that, she had spent the afternoon with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders in their multiple attempts to find something that would identify their cutie marks. Their group was now five strong with the addition of both Dawn and Rumble, both of whom were often quite content to simply watch the antics of the three fillies, rather than get involved themselves. Dawn in particular seemed in no hurry to find his cutie mark and apparently didn't understand the appeal of tree sap.
A slight smile spread across Scootaloo's face. Things felt so much better after she had apologized to Rumble the day before yesterday. She had to admit that, once she had let go of her issues, he was a fun colt to hang around. Although she didn't have the same feelings Rumble apparently felt for her. At the very least, she was resolved to talk to him about it at some point and let him down gently, rather than lead him on.
A rush of air ruffling her mane told Scootaloo that another pegasus had settled down on the ground behind her. Turning around, she was hit by an unsettling feeling of deja-vu when she saw Rainbow Dash standing on the ground behind her.
"Squirt," she said, her tone stern, "We need to talk."
The churning feeling in Scootaloo's stomach doubled at those words. This was playing out almost exactly like the other night, where Rainbow had scolded her for her attitude towards Rumble. What's she mad about this time? fretted the orange filly, She didn't find out about our plan to get lightning bolt cutie marks did she?
Rainbow rested a stern hoof across Scootaloo's shoulder. "I saw what you did the other day. We need to talk to your mom about this."
What I did? Scootaloo wondered. She wondered if Rainbow meant her apologizing to Rumble. But wasn't that a good thing? Why would she be acting so harsh about Scootaloo doing something she had wanted her to do?
"Lets go squirt. Come on, get a move on." Rainbow began prodding Scootaloo up to the front porch, before opening the door for her and shoving her inside.
Two things immediately occurred to Scootaloo. First, Rainbow had never let herself in like that before. She would always knock and wait for Melon Cream or Scootaloo to open the door for her so she wouldn't be intruding. Second, the house was completely dark. Even though the sun had only just started setting, the house was usually still lit when she came home. Scootaloo's body tensed as these two off factors made her even more wary than Rainbow's strange mood had.
And then the lights came on. Their harsh brightness caught the filly's eyes, which had already been trying to adjust to the darkness, and dazzled them. Scootaloo had to blink hard to readjust her vision. But just as she was trying to recover from the sudden visual stimulus, her ears were assaulted by the shout of a single word rising from a multitude of voices with a force that threatened to send her tumbling back out through the front door. The word itself stunned her more than anything else.
"SURPRISE!!!"
Unlike their old house, the front door of the new house Scootaloo and her mother occupied opened straight up into the living room, a living room that was now festooned with streamers, confetti and banners of a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Two small tables were set up with punch and treats, while another held a small stack of presents. A single large banner hung over the center of the room, its brilliant orange color matching Scootaloo's coat, while the fuchsia letters spelling out CONGRATULATIONS matched her mane.
Scootaloo reeled in shock for a moment. Rainbow's little prank had gone off perfectly, leaving her completely unguarded for the actual surprise announcement. Her confusion was compounded by the fact that she was uncertain as to what this party was about. It certainly couldn't have been about her making up with Rumble. A look at the array of ponies attending didn't give her any hints. Rainbow and Melon Cream were there, of course, as was Dawn, looking strangely proud, Rumble, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and their older siblings, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, who had undoubtedly been the one to set up the party, Twilight and Spike, and a number of ponies from the weather team. None of this really helped Scootaloo figure out just what the party was for.
"Uh hey," said Scootaloo meekly, giving the group a shy wave, "What's the occasion?"
Everypony stared at her for a moment. Rainbow spoke up from behind her. "Squirt, this is your First Flight Party. Remember? I promised you one."
"First...Flight...?" Scootaloo blinked in confusion.
"Yeah Scoots," said Rainbow, chuckling, "It was just the other day, while you were watching that race. Remember?"
Scootaloo thought about it. She remembered leaping up to get a bird's-eye view of the race and then using her magic to stay up there instead of descend. Suddenly, it clicked in her head. She had been...
"Squirt, you were flying."
Scootaloo froze as comprehension washed over her. That day, rather than simply return to the ground like she had all the other times she had performed the second exercise, she had actually used her magic to maintain her altitude. At the time, it hadn't even occurred to her. She had been so fixated on the race and her need to apologize to Rumble that she hadn't given any thought whatsoever to the fact that she had indeed taken flight.
"I...flew..." Those words felt like magic in and of themselves. Just saying them made Scootaloo's heart beat faster. "I flew." Scootaloo began to tremble with excitement, a powerful sense of euphoria making her feel as though she weighed nothing.
"I FLEW!!!" All other thoughts departing, Scootaloo rushed and flung herself at her mother, who caught the filly in a tight embrace as Scootaloo nuzzled energetically into her chest. "Mom! Mom! I can fly! I can finally fly!"
Both mother and daughter shed tears of joy as Melon nuzzled the top of Scootaloo's head. "I'm so proud of you dear."
"Well, now that Scootaloo's caught up, there's only one thing left to do," declared Rainbow Dash. "Lets party!" She thrust a hoof into the air. The other guests needed no further encouragement.
Cirrus Stratus hit the ground, stumbling forward a few steps after failing to completely kill his momentum before landing. Looking up, he saw his mother looking down at him from the front porch of their home. Her dispassionate expression alone wasn't enough to wilt the colt's exuberance like it usually was. This time he had done something great. This time, he was sure, she would be proud of him; his father too.
"Mom! Did you see it? I flew! I made my First Flight!"
Mother sighed before nodding. "I did see Cirrus. And to be honest, I think you could have done better. Your efforts were clumsy at best. How can you possibly hold that up as a First Flight."
Cirrus tilted his head, confused. "Because it's the first time I flew."
Mother shook her head again. "No Cirrus. You are destined for greatness. A colt with a pedigree like yours cannot have such an embarrassing First Flight. If you showed that to other ponies now, you would making a laughingstock of us. Is that what you want? Do you want to bring shame on your family by making such an utterly lackluster effort and calling that your First Flight?"
She shook her head and slammed a hoof onto the cloud porch. "Absolutely not! You will not speak of this again until you have learned to fly properly. Am I understood?"
Cirrus shrank under his mother's glare, his ears going back. "Yes mom."
Cirrus glared at the house his wife inhabited. It seemed that glaring and glowering was all that he did anymore. He couldn't approach. Melon Cream had already filed the restraining order. Coming within a certain distance of her or Scootaloo would earn him a trip to prison. And so, Cirrus was stuck watching his wife and his daughter like some kind of outsider. It was mortifying.
Inside, he could see the silhouettes of ponies moving about as they celebrated his daughter's First Flight. It was a momentous milestone for any young pegasus, rivaling the importance of receiving a cutie mark. Had it been up to him, there would have been no First Flight party. A First Flight didn't warrant a party unless it was truly perfect. Cirrus learned that the hard way. After being told off by his mother, he had practiced his flying in secret, perfecting his skills until he had a flight that his parents thought warranted a celebration. Cirrus got his First Flight party, just like he wanted. But it only made him feel hollow. It wasn't really celebrating his First Flight. He had ruined it with his own lackluster efforts.
To see Scootaloo actually being permitted to celebrate her First Flight (which couldn't have been impressive in the slightest if her manner of arrival was any indication) irritated him. To celebrate it like this would be to reward her for her lack of effort in honing her skills and teach her that mediocrity was an acceptable fate. Scootaloo was fast sliding down a slope that would only lead to her eking out a life in total obscurity; nothing but a failure. And everypony in that house right now was helping her do just that.
Had he not known that doing so would have gotten him arrested on the spot, Cirrus would have forced his way into the house and told the ponies what he really thought of their foalish shenanigans. There was no way he could allow them to continue to corrupt his daughter like this. I need to act.
"How's yer back feelin'?" asked Apple Bloom as she sat with Spike, the two of them sipping punch and watching the festivities.
"Still achy," admitted the dragon, once again rolling and popping his shoulders, "And now it's starting to get itchy too."
"Ah hope yer not comin' down with somethin'."
"Me too," admitted the drake readily enough, "Coming down with some kind of unknown disease would really ruin my day. Twilight would probably go crazy because we don't know anything about the kind of diseases a dragon can get."
"Maybe yer back's just sore from liftin' all those books fer Twilight," suggested Apple Bloom.
Spike shrugged. "Makes about as much sense as anything else."
Apple Bloom looked like she was about to say something when she caught sight of somethiing out of the corner of her eye. "Hey look!" she exclaimed, pointing to catch Spike's attention.
Following the line indicated by her hoof Spike saw Scootaloo leading Rumble out of the living room and into the kitchen. Apple Bloom rapidly stood up and rushed after them. "Come on Spike! Ah think somethin' big is about to happen!"
"Woo boy," groaned the dragon as he followed along, "That doesn't make me happy in the slightest." Considering the kind of "big things" that seemed to happen around him and his friends, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
Rumble's cheeks heated up as Scootaloo led him into the kitchen. Then, to the colt's surprise, Scootaloo continued to lead him right out the kitchen door and into her back yard. For a moment, they stopped and stood awkwardly. Scootaloo looked like she was working up the courage to tell him something. The anxiety made Rumble's heart beat a little faster.
The orange filly crossed her front legs and gave Rumble a mournful look. "Listen Rumble...I'm really sorry about what I said before."
"It's okay. I forgave you, remember?" Rumble leaned towards her, trying his best to be encouraging.
"It's not okay!" blurted Scootaloo, "Because I...because I knew how you felt about me and I held a stupid grudge because of my jealousy. I was just so angry and I took it out on you."
"You knew..." whispered Rumble, his cheeks now practically glowing in the evening light.
"Yeah. That's why I'm really sorry," said Scootaloo, "Because I know how you feel and..." She hesitated, unsure if she should say what came next. Best get it over with. I've hurt him enough. "Because, even though I'm not angry or jealous anymore, I still don't feel the same way about you."
Rumble's blush vanished. "Oh," he said, his voice breaking.
"I'm so sorry," whimpered Scootaloo, looking down, "But I didn't want to lead you on or try and fake it. That would have only made it hurt worse."
Scootaloo felt Rumble's hoof brush against her cheek. She flinched away from the touch, afraid to even look at him. "It's okay," said Rumble. It seemed his mouth and his heart weren't in complete agreement though. Dreams died hard. "I understand."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Thanks for being honest with me."
Rumble tuned around and made his way back into the house. In the kitchen, Apple Bloom and Spike withdrew from listening before the colt could figure out they were there. However, they weren't the only ones. As Rumble slowly moved towards the door to the living room and back to the party, he felt a pair of forelegs wrap around him from behind as somepony gently pulled him against her.
"Rumble?" Rumble's ears twitched as he recognized the voice.
"Sweetie Belle?"
"I'm sorry...I heard you and Scootaloo and...and I..." a sniff escaped her, "I eavesdropped. I know it's wrong but..." She went silent as Rumble slowly pulled away from her. At first, the little unicorn filly wilted, thinking he was angry with her. But then Rumble turned around and pulled her into a full embrace, resting his head over her shoulder. Sweetie felt the spreading dampness as his tears began to soak into her coat. She wrapped him up in a hug again and let the colt cry silently against her.
This is it. This is my chance! Cirrus tensed, trying to figure out what to do. Scootaloo was alone in her backyard, apparently sulking over her conversation with that pegasus colt. He probably rejected her for being such a weak flier, thought Cirrus viciously, thus thoroughly cementing his skill in overlooking basic details in the conversation. But in his mind, he was more concerned with his course of action.
He had to get Scootaloo away from her mother, that much was for sure. He couldn't very well start a confrontation right there in Melon's yard. Even with the party going on, it wouldn't be long before someone noticed he was out there with Scootaloo and, with the restraining order in place, he would quickly find himself being towed away to prison. No, the best course of action would be to just swoop in and grab her before anypony noticed. Then, he could get her to see things his way at his leisure. Once Scootaloo understood how serious Cirrus was about securing her future, he was sure that she would come around.
However, Cirrus's plans were disrupted by the appearance of another colt. Cirrus blinked as his eyes took in the strange young pony, whose coat was pitch black with a silver mane. Especially noticeable were the colt's unsettling eyes, turquoise, with vertical slit pupils, like a dragon's. Cirrus felt a shiver go down his spine. This colt was unnatural, he was sure. There was no way a pony could be born with eyes like that unless his lineage was tainted in some way.
As he watched, the colt began to speak with Scootaloo, who seemed somewhat comforted by his presence. Cirrus's hesitance at acting in the presence of another pony vanished as he noticed how taken his daughter seemed with that strange colt. There is no way in Tartarus that my daughter is having anything to do with a freak like that! Cirrus sprang into action.
"Scootaloo?" The orange filly lifted her head at the sound of Dawn's resonant voice. Looking over, she saw him standing behind her.
"Did you hear us?" she asked.
"No. I only just got out here. But I can piece together what happened, more or less." Dawn stepped a little closer as Scootaloo turned around to face him.
"I just didn't want to drag it out or it would have hurt him even worse," said Scootaloo, lowering her head, "But I still hurt him again. After everything I did to him already, I went and hurt him all over again. I'm a terrible friend!" She was practically shouting by the last sentence.
"Sometimes there is no option to avoid pain," said Dawn simply, "Life doesn't work that way. Sometimes there's no ideal solution. Sometimes there's no way you can avoid hurting yourself or others. Sometimes, the only thing you can choose is who you hurt...and how much."
Scootaloo looked up, surprised by the weight of Dawn's voice, as though he spoke from personal experience. He continued to talk. "Of course, you could do what I did and learn to ignore it, shut off your feelings and not worry over how much something hurts. You can make yourself numb." Now it was his turn to look away. "But I've been finding out that that path is not the best one lately."
"Dawn..." Scootaloo didn't know what to say.
It became a moot point then, because Dawn suddenly tensed. A red and blue blur rushed at the colt from behind before Dawn could turn around. Instead, he simply sidestepped, his left wing flaring out. Scootaloo heard a burst as the displaced air slammed into the attacking pony and flung him across the yard. The unknown pony plowed into the dirt, leaving a substantial furrow. Now that he was stationary, Scootaloo's jaw dropped as she recognized the compass cutie mark on the stallion's flank.
"Dad!"
Cirrus Stratus struggled to his feet, extricating himself from the small trench he had just dug through the backyard. Upon standing, he wheeled about, his eyes fixing on Dawn. "Get away from my daughter you freak!"
Dawn sighed and rolled his eyes. "Another one."
Scootaloo planted herself between the two. "Dad! You've got it wrong. There's nothing bad about Dawn. He's the one who's been teaching me how to fly."
Unfortunately, this declaration did nothing to salve Cirrus's anger. If anything, it only seemed to inflame his fury as he bared his teeth. "To see you associating with scum like that..." His voice was a low growl. "It's clear that I can't trust your mother with raising you. You're coming with me right now! I will decide your future and I will make sure to do it right."
"From what I have heard, that's no longer your prerogative," observed Dawn as he stepped out from behind Scootaloo, "I believe her mother has made certain of that."
"That's because my wife is a sentimental idiot," snapped Cirrus, "She doesn't know the first thing about what's best for a pegasus. This little brat certainly doesn't." He jabbed a harsh hoof in Scootaloo's direction. "She can't be trusted to make her own decisions in life. Time and time again, she's shown me that she only knows how to make a failure out of herself. First she associates with that dropout Rainbow Dash and now she's milling around with a freak like you. It's clear you come from tainted blood. No pegasus with any brains would have anything to do with you."
Dawn tilted his head. "Tainted ancestry. Tell me, are you aware of the source of this 'taint?'" Dawn's question brought both Scootaloo and Cirrus to halt with the sincere curiosity in his tone.
"Dawn, you aren't believing this are you?" asked Scootaloo, staring at him in horrified shock.
The colt shrugged. "It seems a valid line of inquiry to me. Granted, calling it a taint is a little strong, but it is entirely possible that my eyes are the product of some form of mixed lineage. If we could find the source then I think Twilight Sparkle and I might be able to answer our questions."
"Filth!" snapped Cirrus, "How dare you treat this like some kind of joke. I don't know what kind of filthy sodomy your parents engaged in to produce something like you. But there is now way a defect like that is natural."
"Well," mused Dawn, unfazed, "It still seems a valid question, but I can see I won't get any useful information from you."
"Quit treating this like some kind of damn game!" howled Cirrus, flaring his wings, "Get the hay away from my daughter. Scootaloo, you don't have any choice. You are coming with me now!"
Cirrus leapt into the air, his wings flapping to gain height as he tried to fly over his daughter's head to attack Dawn. But he had vanished. Suddenly, Cirrus's vision was cut off as Dawn appeared directly in front of him, his fierce draconic gaze boring straight into Cirrus's own. Instinctually, Cirrus threw his hoof at the colt, but Dawn's form seemed to blur and melt, before flowing around Cirrus's hoof like water. The colt seemed to spiral up Cirrus's forelimb before spiraling up and around his barrel, making several rounds in an instant.
The air beneath the stallion's wings came alive, sweeping him into a roll, like he had been caught in a very sudden, very small, yet very powerful storm. All control was stollen from him as he found himself whirling round and round. Before his eyes, the entire world became and indistinct, spinning blur.
Scootaloo watched the event in stunned awe. Dawn's maneuver had set Cirrus spinning like a top. Suddenly, the axis of rotation seemed to shift and it now was Dawn who seemed to be spinning in place while Cirrus whirled around him. In fact, both were in motion through the sky as Dawn pulled his opponent into a sharp dive, all while keeping them both spinning. At the last second, Dawn halted his body's rotation, sweeping Cirrus around him and flinging the helpless stallion straight down.
Cirrus slammed into the ground...hard. The close distance of his fall was made up for by the speed and force, accumulated through several revolutions around Dawn's body. He hit hard enough that he made a deep impression in the packed dirt beneath the backyard's grass. A hacking wheeze escaped Cirrus's mouth as he hit, the breath being forcefully knocked from his lungs. Dawn landed daintily on the ground past where Cirrus had landed, not even bothering to turn his head to look back at his handiwork.
"I thought I'd give you a demonstration of what your daughter will one day be capable of," said Dawn levelly as he turned around and strode past the fallen stallion, "Perhaps you can judge for yourself how much of a failure she will be."
Scootaloo stared, torn between awe and horror at the spectacle before her. She had heard about Dawn being powerful. After all, she had once seen him knock Applejack away like a baseball. She had also heard the story of him saving Fluttershy on two different occasions, once from timberwolves no less. Her father was no fighter by any means. But she hardly expected to see Dawn spin him about like a top right before tossing him like a rag-doll. Hearing about his exploits was one thing seeing them another.
And yet, a sick feeling filled her at the sight. For better or worse, that was her father lying prone on the ground. However much grief he had caused her, Scootaloo couldn't stop loving him. It hurt to see Dawn treat him like that, even if he deserved it.
However, she found herself shocked still further when Cirrus rolled over onto his stomach and forced himself back up onto his hooves. The motion was slow and unsteady. Clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, Cirrus managed to stand up. When his eyes opened, Scootaloo gasped and took an involuntary step back. His normally gray eyes were tinged with red as he directed a savage glare at Dawn's backside. Scootaloo was horrified to see her father angry like this. She wanted to rush inside and find her mother, but fear kept her rooted to the spot.
Dawn paused, but didn't look back. "I didn't strike hard enough to make you pass out. However, that pain should serve as a warning."
Had Cirrus's glare been an actual force, Dawn would have been incinerated on the spot. As it was, he simply allowed the stallion's hatred wash over him like a wave breaking against the rocky shore. Dawn showed no more regard than a stone for Cirrus's animosity.
Cirrus was well past the point where he could articulate a response. Rage and pain warred across his being in equal measure. His field of vision narrowed to the point where the only things he could see were the colt in front of him and his daughter behind Dawn. Everything else was lost to a sea of red. Cirrus's anger peaked when his eyes locked onto Scootaloo. It was her! Everything he had lost, all that he had suffered; it was all Scootaloo's fault. Because she didn't listen...because she didn't do as she was told...I've lost everything because of her! With an inarticulate howl of pure rage, Cirrus surged forward, his mind no longer certain whether he was trying to attack Dawn or Scootaloo. He just wanted to leap on and tear into the first thing that crossed his path.
Scootaloo's eyes widened as she watched her father charge. She had seen Cirrus look at her and felt the full force of his rage. She wanted to run. She wanted to cry. But she could only stand there and watch as Cirrus threw himself at Dawn's backside. She tried to shout out a warning, but couldn't get her mouth to work. No sound would come out.
It was pointless anyway. Dawn already knew what was coming. A sigh escaped his lips. Looking ahead, he saw the fear in Scootaloo's eyes. He felt a fountain of anger spring up in his heart. No father should put that look on his daughter's face. He no longer felt so concerned about what damage Cirrus suffered. Before, he had simply been batting the stallion away, the way one might brush off a spark falling on their fur. But the anger in Dawn at Scootaloo's father changed his attitude. Before, he had merely been defending himself. Now however, he wanted to punish Cirrus Stratus for his behavior.
"Perhaps I've been too lenient," said Dawn with an angry snort and raised his right wing.
Before, Scootaloo's fear had kept her anchored in one spot. But now, it made her suddenly back away. This time, the source wasn't her father, but Dawn. There was something different about the way he held his wing as he prepared his attack. The angle was wrong. Instead of holding it out and level, Dawn had instead raised it upwards diagonally, aligning the feathers so they pointed straight back at the charging Cirrus like the edge of a blade. The way the atmosphere swirled around the wing made Scootaloo quiver, making her back away even more. She didn't think she was going to like what was about to happen.
Fortunately, Dawn never got a chance to act. A hissing sound cut through the air, followed by a dull thunk of impact as something slammed into the back of Cirrus's head, right in the poll. Scootaloo's eyes caught a flicker as something small retreated from the point of impact, her eyes tracing the motion all the way up to where a dark gray and purple pegasus hovered.
Whatever Storm Front had attacked with vanished into the sleeve of his shirt. He stared impassively down on the affair before slowly dropping down to land behind the fallen Cirrus. Dawn turned around and regarded Storm Front carefully.
"Your assistance wasn't necessary," said Dawn.
For a moment, Storm front said nothing, only carefully examining Cirrus's limp form before finally meeting Dawn's gaze. "Still too numb."
Dawn raised a questioning eyebrow. Storm Front continued. "You were prepared to maim him."
Scootaloo gasped, turning her eyes to Dawn, searching desperately for any sign of denial in his expression. However she only saw a look of acknowledgment in his eyes. She shivered and backed away from him slightly. She had never seen this side of Dawn before. He seemed so cold, so callous, so cruel at that moment.
"I don't feel that numb," protested Dawn, his tone calm and even.
Storm Front shook his head. "You acted in anger. You were told not to allow your emotions to control you. You may be feeling more, but your development is uneven. You need to balance yourself or you will only become a danger to those around you." Storm front reached into his sleeve and produced a cord, which he used to bind Cirrus's limbs. As he worked, he said something else. "The fact that your awareness wavered and narrowed is proof that you have a long ways to go."
Dawn blinked in confusion before turning around. Suddenly, he realized that they had gained an audience. The party's attendees were assembled on the back porch, looking on with various degrees of shock. Turning his eyes to Scootaloo, the only pony close enough to actually hear his conversation with Storm Front, he saw something else...fear. Scootaloo was afraid of him. Dawn's heart dropped in his chest and his body felt like it had suddenly been dipped in ice water. He wrenched his gaze away, unable to meet her eyes.
If, after everything else, I make her afraid of me, then I truly am wrong.
"I will be taking this stallion to the hospital," declared Storm Front, lifting off and taking the cord in his mouth, allowing him to carry the unconscious stallion through the air.
"After that, you can take him to prison," said Melon Cream coldly. With a huff, she turned around and marched back inside. One by one, the other members of the audience filed in after her, leaving Scootaloo and Dawn alone in the backyard again.
For a moment, Dawn and Scootaloo stood there, uncertain about what to do. Then, slowly, Dawn raised a hoof toward Scootaloo. Just as he was about to touch her, the filly flinched away from him. Dawn froze, unable to do or say anything more. The orange filly slowly inched away from him before turning and dashing back inside. Now alone in the yard, Dawn stood as still as stone, hoof outstretched. In his mind, he was certain that he had lost Scootaloo's friendship for good.
Cirrus's appearance had put a damper on things, but Pinkie Pie showed her skill in doing her best to get the party back on track. Rumble appeared to have gotten over Scootaloo's rejection and seemed to be enjoying himself now. Sweetie Belle stuck close to him and they ended up playing several games together.
Unfortunately, Scootaloo was no longer in much of a mood for parties or games. The things she had seen that night haunted her thoughts, completely dispelling the euphoria of finally getting to have her long-awaited First Flight Party. The thing that troubled her most was the shiver that went down her spine every time she now thought of Dawn. She had seen a side of him tonight that filled her with trepidation. As it was, in spite of her status as guest of honor, Scootaloo hung around the edges of the celebration and did her best to remain unnoticed.
She didn't succeed as well as she hoped. It was her party after all. The filly flinched when she felt a gentle hoof touch her shoulder. Turning around, she looked up at Fluttershy. "Scootaloo, what's wrong?"
Scootaloo diverted her gaze, somewhat unwilling to tell Dawn's mother that she was now thoroughly terrified of her son. "Nothing," she said softly.
"Now I know that's not true. Is it something your father said or did?"
Scootaloo silently shook her head.
"Is it something...Dawn did?"
Scootaloo hesitated slightly, before nodding slowly. Fluttershy withdrew her hoof. At first, Scootaloo wondered if she was about to be scolded. But instead, she felt a gentle wing wrap around her. "Please tell me," requested Fluttershy, giving Scootaloo her most encouraging smile.
Dawn had not rejoined the party. Instead, he sat silently in the backyard, staring at the aftermath of his brief fight with Cirrus. His mind replayed the words Storm Front had spoken to him and added them to the advice he had gotten from Red River and Granny Smith. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Scootaloo's face, the fear in her eyes when she looked at him. I'm a fool, he thought sullenly, How can I ever face her again? I don't think I can face Fluttershy like this. Perhaps I should leave.
"Dawn."
The colt's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his mother's voice. Looking up, he turned his head to see Fluttershy slowly walking towards him. She sat next to him and wrapped a wing around her son. "Scootaloo told me."
Dawn looked back to the ground and blinked away tears, albeit with limited success. "I...I saw how much Scootaloo was afraid of him. It made me angry. I...I wanted to hurt him...wanted to make him suffer for frightening his daughter like that. I thought that, if his pegasus heritage made him so proud that he had to ruin his daughter's life to make him feel better, I thought it appropriate that I take that heritage away."
Fluttershy gasped softly. "You mean...?"
"I was going to cut off his wings," said Dawn, "It didn't even occur to me that I was taking things too far. If Storm Front hadn't been here, I would have crippled and maimed Scootaloo's father.
"And the worst part is..." Dawn's voice cracked. He turned his head to look back up at Fluttershy again. "...I never felt I was wrong to do so. The only reason I feel bad now is because I know Scootaloo is afraid of me. I don't the feel the slightest bit of remorse for what I was about to do."
Slowly, he began to pull away from Fluttershy. "I've been trying to understand what you and everypony else have been trying to teach me. But I can't seem to grasp it well enough to avoid hurting the ponies close to me or driving them away. It seems that, ever since I've arrived, I've done nothing but cause you and everypony else hardships. I'm starting to wonder if those ponies from the other towns, the ones who rejected me, were onto something. I may not be a demon, but I seem to be a blight all the same."
Fluttershy's wing tightened around Dawn, pulling him back against her side. Before he could say anything else, Fluttershy wrapped her arms around him and held the colt close to her. "Don't ever think of yourself like that ever again." Fluttershy's voice hummed with an anger Dawn had never heard before. "You are not a bad pony and you are not a blight." She used one hoof to tilt Dawn's head up so that he could look directly into her eyes. "We all love you Dawn. And I will never...ever regret making you my son."
She gave him her brightest smile and gently kissed the tip of his snout. "I'm alive today because you saved me in the forest. I'm safe today because you protected me from that stallion. And right now, a certain filly is having her First Flight Party because you taught her how to fly.
"Dawn. You made a mistake tonight. You did something wrong. But that's what happens. Ponies make mistakes all the time. What's important is that you learn from them so that you don't make them again. You're going to make other mistakes too. Please don't give up just because of that."
Unable to respond, Dawn simply leaned against his mother as the silence of the night pressed in around them.
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Well, Cirrus got what he deserves... (if I was Celestia, I'd do more though***)
)
Please let Dawn and Scootaloo reconcile, they make such a good team (and maybe a cute couple in the future to come
*** See "Risks of Braving a Storm, Chapter 23"
Faust was planning on having Scootaloo a cripple who could never do much more than hover for a second of two. Since she is no longer leading, we can't be to sure what direction they have planned (if any). And unicorn's could have a party for when they can first use their TK, sense that's just about the one thing they all have in common, then you could give earth ponies the cute-ceañera, since Diamond Tiara, the only pony we know that has had one, is a earth pony.
I'll admit, seeing Cirrus get curb stomped would of been neat, but having Scootaloo be scared of Dawn for what would likely be the rest of her life wouldn't of been worth it. Not to mention that Dawn would also probably be regretting his actions once he calmed down.
Funny thing is... I was going to ask after this chapter for a scene where Dawn kicks Cirrus's flank when he got to close to Scoots.... Well I guess I don't have to ask anymore.... Great Chapter!!!
Yay
Great work on the chapter, though I do hope Scootaloo and Dawn make up because TheMyth is right they do make a great team, and they would make an even better couple.
Dawn is clearly enthrall to his anger. He is letting himself feel again, but his most predominant emotion is anger. That's his biggest problem; in his anger he feels justified in administering any form of retribution that he sees fit as if in doing so he is giving back the pain he has endured when what he is actually doing is taking out his anger on anyone that pisses him off. Just like with Flash Spark, he did not think anything of the fact that he was taking his future as a pegasus away from him. Even is Flash did not deserve any less than that, it was still completely unnecessary and really not Dawn's decision to make on how he would be punished. No hesitation, no remorse, and little patience. No doubt a problem like this would have come to light even if Cirrus did not blatantly ignore his restraining order (a good bit of insight on Melon's part) and could have ended with with far worse than just a trip to the hospital if Storm Rider and Red River were not there to run interference. Sorry about the wall of text but when something catches my interest I tend to rant about and analyze it.
Now I know what's going on with Spike! He's molting!
Well even if it's not that, I feel close!
th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/302/4/1/what_a_fright_by_chaoticbrony-d5je3qj.png
I like how you develop Dawn's flaws! It's all coming along nicely! It's real good character development as he learns.
I'm also glad Cirrus Status finally got his! He won't be bothering Scootaloo and Melon anymore!
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Can't wait for next chapter!
I'll admit I'm a but scared of what Dawn was about to do. Not that Cirrus deserved better but, Dawn needs to learn how to balance his emotions before he really hurts somepony! Luv this story can't wait for the next chapter.
If i'm not mistaken, Lauren FAUST actually wanted to make Scootaloo really having a disability that prevent her from flying. But that's not what Hasbro is planing anymore for the young pegasus.
Sir or mam you are quite possibly my faivorite author on fimfiction I can't wait for more chapters
Yay!
This was a valuable lesson for Dawn, and it's obvious that Storm Front delayed intervening so that Dawn could learn it.
Now, somebody needs to remind Dawn that martial arts typically encourage conflict resolution with minimal force and non-escalation. With, of course, the exception of schools which encourage conflict resolution with minimal expenditure of energy and time.
If Gale King was of the second sort then Dawn would have been leaving towns depopulated instead of at the front of an angry mob. His master would kick Dawn's ass, were he alive.
I guess earth ponie could alway celebrate their fist show of strength.
3023197 Given that the itch is on his back, it could be early wing development before they actually, you know, grow out.
3024984
Would depend on how the story has earth pony magic. If they just build muscle faster and heavier than pegasi or unicorns, then there's really going to be no leap up like with magic or a first flight.
I'm thinking something more like first plant grown suddenly with a burst of magic, plant shoots upwards.
3024991 Oh yeah! That could be it too!
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I would have broken his wings
Man. That was awesome! I can't wait to see the next Chapter...
Maybe magic takes energy to use and that controlled magic would suffic a party. Another thing would explain why unicorns would be thought of as "fat pompus snobs" would be that they need to eat alot to do magic on a daily basis. Got nuthin on the "pompus snob" part though, might just be the concentration of unocorns in Canterlot, and well, they are many brainless pricks.
That was strong
Fluttershy is best pony, mommy, comforter, and squee machine
So... not that much of a shitstorm then. Guess the Cloudsdale problem is story three.
3022530 3030807 I was hoping he was aiming for his throat. And Proud got what he deserved.
I've been listening to this for a while.
3062421 My mind has been raped.
You know i really don't the way you present the cirrus character at all, I'm not trying to mean when i say this but it seems to me that you're really forcing us to hate him when (atleast in my opinion) there isn't that so much reason to do so. Throughout the past stories all of his actions just made him look like a pathetic asshole, he's just not worth all this hate.
Also How exactly can melon cream file restraining order on him, so far up to this point he hasn't done anything physical nothing sexual or anything except shouting at them.
Next chapter: Diamond Tiara gets hers.
OOOOHHH SHIT!! smack dat bitch!
3193899
To be fair, he did slap Melon Cream across the face, didn't he? I think that's grounds for a restraining order.
That moment of hindsight when the very next season had more than a couple ponies in wheelchairs and/or rollers for their hind legs.
4496913 originally she was supposed to be, but Hasbro vetoed that episode (too serious for the kids)
After reading much of Dawn's interaction with the others, I realized It's easy to forget that he is, in fact, still pretty much a child unless it was specifically mentioned.
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a partially amnesiac ancient "Gale King" martial artist that's been physically regressed for reasons that only Pinkie could understand.
Fretted
she
__________
Maybe a Spark Party? Since until we saw Sweetie Belle's first spark on the show we never saw her do or attempt magic. I think that like Pegasi's flying, Unicorns run out of magic ability, like pegasi run out of flying ability. Until their old enough were they're old enough to cast spells of their own volition rather than the subconscious, random castings of a foal. Heck, it was actually a few seasons after first spark when we see her attempt magic, and get training in how to use it to any degree.
But yeah, I got nothing for Earth Ponies. Uni's get their Sparks, and Pegi's get their flight. But EP''s just don't have anything external that they can really show like the other races.
Whoa. And next time, yay!
Does that mean we get cupcakes?
5419447 I dont know man, those cupcakes would probably kill you....
5084534 perhaps they have a moment when they just Connect to their surroundings, feeling the whole of the earth around them.
5891766
Later fic has Earth Ponies do that, where they learn to breathe / draw in earth energy. But it's still not really the same. I mean as I mentioned, unicorns eventual spark and that's huge (Since it's when they can start casting spells), and Pegasi fly. But yeah Earth Ponies can connect with stuff, but there was no real celebration on that. Just telling AB that she needs to keep breathing was all that pretty much happened.
Front
____________________
First Flight parties sound like they'd really be a huge achievement.
3022947
your picture is Gary Ash's first generation Pokemon i approve the new Pokemon i a lot less appealing
Dawn does have a lot to learn about controlling his emotions. Cirrus seems to suffer from sanity slippage because he's more unhinged than in the previous story.
I love Sweetie Belle so much for how sweet she is. No pun meant.
i guess you could say he dawn goofed.
Do these ponies not have psychiatrists? I mean... seriously. No one has yet to try just getting Dawn to sit down and fully talk about his past. Not only could it give clues about where the Cult Solar have a strong presence, it could also help Dawn address the root of his emotional trauma. Instead, they just say, "No, you're handling your emotions wrong. Figure out how to do it correctly." I really like this story, but the idea of leaving a child who is essentially struggling from PTSD to figure everything out for himself... it's just discordant with the 'friendly, loving, and supportive' narrative that is used to describe Equestria. If the government can fund a staff of two permanent guards, state-sponsored therapy seems like a given.
Good fic, otherwise!
8546659
The whole series has a lot of plot holes like that, some are even more glaring, but if you can get past them the series is a really good read overall
This is writen really well, i can kinda understand his way of thinking
, i don't agree with him, but i can understand it 
3023197
where did you find that
8546659
Ponyville is a really small town.
8546659
To be fair much like 8998653 mentioned Ponyville is a really small town. Which are notoriously lacking in mental health care. Add into the fact that what Dawn had gone through would have required specialized health care.
It kind of makes a bit of sense. Maybe not in the best of ways, but worked with what they had. Especially since we don't know exactly how common mental health problems (that they qualify as problems) are. So far the only 4 major ones we've seen have turned into villains (Sunset, Starlight. Sybian (sp?), and Luna). The rest are either thrown in Tartarus (Cozy Glow), or seen as nothing more than a quirk (all of Twilight's neurosis, Fluttershy's PTSD and phobias, etc.).
So ... it may simply be that there aren't really all that many places that could help him past the Mercs., Granny Smith, and Flutters.
8653875
I wouldn't really call it a plot hole. But yeah there are a few that I've noticed. And yep! This is a good read overall.