Rewritable

by Detsella Morningdew

Chapter 7: And I'll Fly

School the following week went well. Classes were interesting as usual, especially history. It was amazing how peaceful things were now compared to back then. Sure, Nightmare Moon was a recent event, but that was one pony. In general, Celestia led a golden age in Equestrian history.

Recess was a time for the Crusaders and me to get to know each other better. Apple Bloom fixed up the schoolhouse, and although Scootaloo wanted to meet every day, Sweetie Belle and I vetoed that plan. Rarity wasn't what I would call restrictive, but she put her hoof down on having every single evening taken away.

I objected for a similar reason. Although hanging out was fun, I wanted to spend time alone too.

I also wanted to practice with my faulty magic, something that Scootaloo immediately understood.

So Crusader meetings, approved by all parents involved, were to be held on Wednesdays.

Of course, weekends were also possible meetings, but most members' parents insisted that those meetings be individually approved.

The meeting on Wednesday, while unproductive in the cutie mark realm, was still rather fun, despite the disaster that it appeared to be.

Scootaloo is now henceforth banned from suggesting cutie marks for at least three meetings.

And I must research the statistical unlikelihood that tree sap can be found more than one hundred meters from the nearest tree.

---

The weekend arrived, and I relished the opportunity to have the whole day to myself. I really needed to get a handle on my magic.

I had been practicing in my free time, and had gotten my body shape from a vague approximation to a generally smooth surface, but I had yet to have an uninterrupted session of practice.

If I didn't get so distracted by everything, this would be a lot easier.

And Twilight's library was full of distractions.

I think I got about an hour of uninterrupted practice.

I still did pretty well. Instead of just getting the normal, body-related magic into my wings, I finally got something more. The kind of magic that is concentrated enough to allow pegasi flight.

In retrospect, I have to thank Pinkie Pie later. All those pegasi were great role models. Scootaloo doesn't count.

In essence, I got good enough to create some lift. But I still couldn't manage the fine control that is necessary to shape my magic just right. More practice was required.

By Sunday, I was able to hover weakly. I still didn't have the wing model perfect, but right then, I didn't care. I was the happiest pony in the world right then. But then I encountered another obstacle: my wings were tired.

Mundane, yes. But I hadn't exercised my wings since, well, the forest. And that's if you can call that exercise, flapping them a few times.

I needed more practice. But with my short attention span, I wasn't able to for any length of time.

How would Pinkie Pie do it?

She has such a short attention span. How does she concentrate on anything?

Of course! she makes it a game.

But how would I compete with myself?

Well, how does any single-player game do it? Beat your score.

So, every day, as I went to or from school, I would "fly" as far as I could along my regular route, then mark how far I got on a piece of parchment.

At first, I just hovered slowly along, but that's why I got up early each day.

By Friday, I approached walking speed. Not much, but a start. And I could make it almost halfway there.

Scootaloo, of course, already surpassed me in ability. Her wings were strong. Once she had her magic in the right shape, she would be flying better than most adult pegasi. Right now, her flying was okay for a filly. She couldn't get that high, but she was a lot faster.

Oddly enough, she still used her scooter.

---

Twilight informed me that Saturday that the search for my real family was fruitless.

"There was nothing in the records anywhere. There was no pony by either the name Sidereus or Blank Record. We even checked for your coat and mane colors. None of them looked like you at all. Officially, you don't exist."

"What does that mean for me?"

"Princess Celestia rectified that. You now do exist, and I am your legal guardian. The only drawback is that you're legally two weeks old."

She laughed, but continued on. "That doesn't really mean anything to you, of course. You can still go to school just the same, and Celestia made sure that you'd be considered an adult at the proper time."

'But the important thing that I wanted to tell you was that I am now your legal guardian." She smiled again. "That means that I can act as your parent in every legal capacity."

I smiled mischievously. "Thank you...mom."

I went back outside, noticing how she had frozen in place, perhaps reflecting on exactly what she had done.

---

That weekend, as Twilight frantically read every book she could on parenting, I practiced my magic again. It would definitely improve my wings' efficiency.

I did tell Twilight that being legal guardian didn't really change anything at all, and that she already had taken care of Spike, but she didn't really listen. Noticing a lost cause when I saw one, I gave up.

I did a little better at focusing on my work this time around. It helped me to have a small distraction while I worked, and Twilight's frantic studying did just that. It also was good practice maintaining focus, even when ponies were talking to you.

With Twilight's unintentional help, I was able to form wings that were at least as good as Scootaloo's attempts. A bit rough compared to a normal pegasus, but they worked, and not uncommon for a developing filly.

Though I doubt most of those fillies put as much work into them.

I could now gain height, instead of relying on the ground for my lift. This was, of course, tiring, but entirely necessary for my wing muscles to develop properly.

Now I could fly all the way to school, if I stayed along the ground.

So, in my revised version of the game, that was now labeled as cheating. I now had to stay at least ten feet off the ground to ensure that the ground was of no assistance.

Needless to say, I wasn't able to make it that far at all.

But I had a new goal, and I was really flying. For once in a very long time, I was content.

Until Twilight came up with that stupid (but still brilliant) idea of hers.

Comments

[Shy Marble Pie]

6579549 The paragraph right after the sentence- "Timberwolves, oh I get it now."

Idk everytime I read that small part the word now just keeps jumping at me as a reader, feels just a tad repetitive.

But as said I'm enjoying the story so far.

[Detsella Morningdew]

6581730 Thanks! I fixed it.

[Draco Dei]

"I went back outside, noticing how she had frozen in place, perhaps reflecting on exactly what she had done."
-Well, this is sorta the SECOND time that has happened. Of course, Word of God is that Celestia handled that first time to start with.