An Earthly Portal

by Nightmare Darkness

Skys and Clouds

Sand Paper, after opening the shop went to the break room to set on a pot of coffee. It had been eerie to me the way he was still inebriated and I couldn't shake the familiarity he had to my father. I spent most of the day taking his orders and completing menial tasks that required little to no supervision and around lunch he approached me.

"Fledgling, Fridays are early days so you are off, go find something fun to do make friends or if you want, come get a drink with me," he said with a smile, I gave a meek smile in return.

"I'm, ok not much of a drinker. It so happens I have plans." I said with a shrug and he chuckled.

"It's ok. More for me then. I'll see you on Monday." He said closing up shop. I turned away from the shop and made my way towards golden oaks library when I saw a small group of ponies. I frowned as I approached and saw it was Soaren surrounded by groupies. I gave a small laugh as I simply stood by at a distance to observe. It wasn't long till he was able to see me. He gave me a pleading look and I responded with was a simple wave and a smile. He began to say apologies and the like before the ponies dispersed slightly and he made his way towards me.

"You didn't help me? I was getting mobbed." He said accusingly.

"Do I look like I can save you? Maybe if I could fly, that reminds me I said not to pay for my procedure." I stated with mock anger and a smile. Soaren shrugged and gave a smirk.

"I do what I want. Within reason," he said simply and looked at my wing.

"So whats first?" I asked as I finally removed the sling that was holding my wing in place. I put some thought of spreading my wings. I felt the oddest sensation, to explain it would be like when you walk you don't think about it really, but if you were to stop in place and think about each movement you realize how effortless it really is. Soaren looked at my wing and examined it with his hoof.

"Ok so have you like ever had any instruction in how to fly or you just been afraid of heights." He said letting go of my wing as I tucked it away.

"Never had any instruction before, treat me like I know nothing," I said as he Soaren gave a shrug and shook head.

"Well, to teach you from scratch." He looked around before he beat his wings for a moment and was airborne looking around before he came back down in a circular pattern before landing in front of me.

"Impressive," I said mockingly.

"I needed to find a hill you feather brain," he said before he began to walk. I began to follow him and fell step beside him.

"Hows your mom?" I inquired and he looked over at me.

"The nurse told me her condition is stable and they will keep her for a few more days. She might have gotten the infection because of living in Cloudsdale. Constant humidity and the like but I don't think she will leave home because it has been in the family for a while." He said sounding more upbeat than he did just the other day so that was good. As he mentioned Cloudsdale I few questions came to mind.

"How can clouds be made into a city doesn't the wind blow the clouds around?" I asked as Soaren gave me a look I couldn't really place.

"I know Griffinstone has their own weather manipulators but uncontrolled wind sounds like chaos. Like Everfree for that matter. Flying over Everfree is only for experienced fliers." He explained before continuing.

"Cloudsdale can be moved but it won't because of the magic that is in place. I don't know the specifics I'm not a weather factory pony." Soaren explained as I listened intently.

"Wow. Magic kinda screws with all kinds of logic." I said more to myself than to him. He looked at me and chuckled.

"It sounds like you don't know anything about magic." Soaren laughed and realized when I didn't laugh that it was the truth.

"I really don't know anything about magic," I said confirming.

"Celestia, you're like a filly." he said surprised and gave a sigh as we rounded the corner and saw a hill with a steep slope.

"I'll try not to cry much," I said with a half lidded expression. Soaren simply gave a smile and beat his wings and hovered with me as I climbed the hill.

"Tell me why we need a hill?" I complained.

"Well, you can glide down the slope and not really be worried about crashing hard." He explained as I reached the top and took a breather as Saoren landed beside me.

"Ok first things first. Feeling the wind," he instructed and I cocked my head to the left quizzically confused.

"Can you explain?" I asked and he gave a frustrated sigh.

"Ok, open your wings, close your eyes and just feel the wind under your wings." He explained as he did so to show me. I shrugged and did as he told me too.

"Feel the wind huh..." I said to myself as I spread open my wings. Closing my eyes I felt a flutter under my wings, the wind slowly began to make my wings move on their own as I felt a draft under my wings and I countered it instinctively trying to keep my wings level. I opened my eyes and blinked.

"How do you feel?" Soaren asked.

"Surreal," I said simply as the only word to really pop into my head.

"Good, let's try gliding now." He said and looked down the slope.

"Already?" I said nervously.

"Yep now. Ok so open your wings and just jump lightly. Keep your wings open, or you will take a lesson in gravity." He said with a smile.

"I don't think you should smile this much when I could hurt myself," I said looking down the slope that seemed steeper than the climb had been.

"Open your wings and don't mind my own amusement," he said chuckling. I spread open my wings and looked down the hill and closed them again.

"I can't..." I said suddenly closing my wings quickly and Soaren landed beside me.

"Open your wings and I'll do the rest." He assured me, I looked at him confused but opened my wings.

"Ok, don't close your wings." he said before I felt his hooves on my flank as he shoved me forcefully over the edge.

"What the fuck?!" I cried out but forced my wings to remain open. I closed my eyes instinctively and was sure I was going to crash.

"Open your eyes." I heard Soaren say next to me and I opened one eye and saw him gliding beside me.

"Ok look at me, and do what I do," he said and flapped his wings once. I opened both my eyes and flexed my back and my wings responded by scooping air under me. I felt my body rise and the knot that was in my stomach doing backflips was changing to one of happy abandon. I was flying! I beat my wings twice more and gained more altitude.

"Seems like you're a natural Feather Beak," Soaren said giving out a laugh and he took to the air above me quickly. I watched him do some aerial acrobatics before coming back to my side.

"This...this is amazing," I said almost breathless. I looked down and saw several ponies going about their daily lives.

"I know right? I can't think of a life without my wings." Soaren said turning upside down and beating his wings before turning right side up.

"I'm speechless really...Soaren thank you." I said as I began to have a warm feeling well up in my chest as my eyes began to wet.

"Nah, I like helping out. It not everyday you can find a pony or griffin who doesn't know me at a glance, needed to tell you my name for you to recognize me." He said with a small laugh.

"Really? All you ponies look alike besides the colors and well guys from girls." I said with a smile.

"That's ponyist..." He said with a smirk.

"Don't you mean racist?" I said to him and he looked at me slightly confused.

"You have some weird words that you use," he said before he laughed. He climbed up in the air a bit. and looked at me.

"Where are we going?" I asked and he pointed up at a cloud.

"There, I don't think you have ever been on a cloud before, now is the best time than ever to get that crossed off your list," he said. I added some stronger beats to my wings and I climbed up after him. Soaren landed on the cloud and I followed after him. The cloud was big enough for five ponies. When my paws and claws landed on the cloud it was soft and had the texture that reminded me of the floating islands that were on a swamp I once visited. You could walk on them but you could easily pass through them if you put enough force.

"Wow..its...soft," I said and pulled a chunk of it out of the cloud to better look at it.

"Its the best bed," Soaren said falling over and then rearranged it so he had a pillow.

"Hey Feather Beak!" I heard my name called and suddenly a rainbow mane flashed from underneath me and I blinked.

"Hey Rainbow." I greeted.

"You said you didn't know how to fly." she accused pointing a hoof to my beak.

"I didn't, Soaren taught me," I said pointing to him and he looked up and gave a wave. Rainbow raised her hoof again and her mouth fell open.

"Soaren! You didn't tell me you were in town!" she said passing me and landing on the cloud. I looked at him and he smirked. I think he kind of liked the attention. Soaren stood and chuckled.

"Nice to see you Rainbow." He said giving her a hoof bump.

"How do you two know one another?" I asked and Soaren seems to get a bit red in the face as he kind of seemed reluctant to say but he did anyway.

"Rainbow here saved me and two other wonderbolts at the fliers competition a year ago. She a fellow wonderbolt also the element of loyalty so ye, she's kind of important." He said and Rainbow waved her hoof but anyone could know she reveled in the praise.

"Please you were trying to save Rarity who was falling, and being an element is just...being a friend." she said simply.

"Still cool," I said in truth.

"Yea...I'm pretty awesome," she said confidently. Sorean looked up at the sun and looked at the both of us.

"I got to go, need to see somepony." He said and I knew he must have been talking about his mom. He must really not want anyone else to know and worry. I gave him a nod and he raised his hoof to rainbow and gave a bump before moving to me and I bumped his hoof. Heh...brohoof. I thought momentarily and he took off.

"Rainbow you can teach him how to land right?" Soaren said with a smile.

"Is that suppose to be a jab at my crash name!" She said shaking her hoof at him as he flew off. I simply laughed and she looked at me and gave a smile.

"What?" I asked and she opened her wings suddenly.

"Let's race." she said and my eyes widened.

"You kidding I just learned to fly not a half hour ago," I said shocked.

"Gotta fall before you can fly!" she said as she tackled me off the cloud and I went into a free fall. The wind whipped past my face causing my eyes to water up. I forced my wings open and my body then had weight again. Rainbow flew past me laughing, I glared at her and slammed my wings down and I took off after her. Rainbow was ahead but I caught up in moments. She looked over at me slight surprise in her eyes then I swear a competitive spark appeared.

"Keep up," she said and she took off like a car with a nos boost from the fast and furious. I was already struggling at this pace. I chased after her but I couldn't even come close. she banked around and came back to me and flew beside me.

"You got promise Feather but you are nowhere near as awesome as me." She boasted and she looked down at the large tree that was Twilight's home.

"Let's land there," she said and banked downward. I ungracefully followed after her. She landed like a well-practiced flier she was. The ground approached so fast I didn't have time to react. I bit the dirt hard and rolled four times finally stopping on my back staring up at the sky breathing heavily as I felt some minor pain. Rainbow appeared over me.

"Don't be too bummed out. Nopony lands their first flight," she assured.

"Well I'm just surprised I don't have more broken bones," I said rolling onto my paws and standing up then brushing myself off.

Comments

[megabyte97]

Achievement unlocked: Icarus

Take flight for the first time and crash horribly.

[SkipBopJr]

Looking forward to the next chapter...

[Discord12]

I give 8 out of 10

[Nightmare Darkness]

8343079
Glad your liking it.

[Discord12]

8343494
I like the concept of a griffin instead of a pony
More like Humans with their tempers

[Nightmare Darkness]

8343877

[Discord12]

8343993

[Texus]

"Don't be too bummed out. Nopony lands their first flight," she assured.

"Well I'm just surprised I don't have more broken bones," I said rolling onto my paws and standing up then brushing myself off.

It seems she can'T teach him how to land.

[The-Hidden-Fox]

"The nurse told me her condition is stable and they will keep her for a few more days. She might have gotten the infection because of living in Cloudsdale. Consent humidity and the like but I don't think she will leave home because it has been in the family for a while." He said sounding more upbeat than he did just the other day so that was good. As he mentioned Cloudsdale I few questions came to mind.

Constant*

[The-Hidden-Fox]

"Seems like your a natural Feather Beak," Soaren said giving out a laugh and he took to the air above me quickly. I watched him do some aerial acrobatics before coming back to my side.

You’re

[RedArrow85]

"Don't be too bummed out. Nopony lands their first flight," she assured.

Sigh...... Everyone Falls in the first time.

Matrix Reverence.