Aura Skies is a blank flank who is afraid of heights, loud noises, fast things, and flying. It's dumb luck she's a pegasus because she has to go to flight camp.
Aura Skies was content to stay on the ground, even though she was a pegasus. While other pegasi her age would kill to fly at extreme heights and speeds of Wonderbolt proportions, she was afraid to even hover an inch off the ground. Then her parents signed her up for Flight Camp. This can't be good.
"Aura Skies, we've signed you up for flight camp."
"Mom, why did you have to do this?" asked Aura Skies. "You know my....condition. Please don't make me go there!" she begged.
"I'm sorry honey, but you need to learn how to fly. You might get your cutie mark in flight, anyway," reasoned Stormdancer. "But your father and I agreed that it would be useful."
"I guess I better get packing. The bus leaves tommorrow," grumbled Aura.
"Ok, honey, be in bed by eight. Love you," said Stormdancer as she hugged her daughter.
"Love you too," mumbled Aura Skies. When her mother left the room, she sighed. Aura dragged out a good sized suitcase from her closet. She dug around in her closet and found a small sleeping bag, and she stuffed it into her suitcase. Aura Skies went into her bathroom and got some soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a manebrush. The white pegasus dropped these items into a side pockect. Aura Skies got her favorite pillow and shoved it in. She then noticed her security toy, a pink elephant that she named Cubby. "I hope nopony notices," she said to herself as she carefully tucked her stuffed friend in a cozy spot in the luggage.
After a quick combing of her light green and lavender mane that flowed slightly, not as much as the Princesses, though, Aura Skies went to bed, unsure of what lay ahead.
"Aura, wake up! It's time to leave!" Aura Skies snapped out of her sleep. As she looked at her clock, which read 6:00, she wondered if she was going to get breakfast. Her mom grabbed her luggage and threw a bagel at Aura Skies. "Hurry up!" she shouted. "Let's go!"
Aura galloped outside, where a huge double decked flight chariot been pulled by 50 buff pegasi waited for her. She kissed her mom goodbye, then climbed on board.
"Leave your luggage here on the first floor. Passengers on the second floor. You're the last one we will pick up," said a friendly looking stallion. Aura Skies obeyed and went up to the 2nd floor.
It was extremely crowded up there. Pegasi as young as her to pegasi about 16 years old, plus four pegasi, one male and three female, who wore hats that said: "Instructor" were sitting everywhere. Aura Skies didn't know where to sit, so she looked for someone without a cutie mark. Aura spotted a grey colt about her age. He noticed her and waved her over. She sat down next to him, hoping that he wouldn't tease her for being a blank flank.
"Hi there!" he said cheerfully. Aura Skies didn't respond. The grey colt tried again. "I'm Rumble Storm. What's your name?" Aura noticed he was staring at her flank. She quickly covered it with her tail. "Oh, that's ok," said Rumble. "I'm still trying to get my cutie mark too. You seem awfully quiet. What's your name again?"
"Aura Skies," she mumbled.
Rumble said, "I didn't hear you. Could you please speak up?"
"Aura Skies," she said, a little louder.
"Aura Skies, huh? My brother Thunderlane is instructing the intermediate group this year. He's the black pegasus with the hat. I can fly pretty well. Most ponies think I'm really good. How well can you fly?" he asked.
"I-I," Aura's eyes began to fill up with tears. Don't cry. He'll laugh at you. she thought. "I...can't," she said. A tear fell from Aura's eyes. She felt ashamed and stupid for telling him her dark secret. She felt as though she lost her first chance for a friend. She expected Rumble to tell her to sit somewhere else. But he didn't.
"Oh. I'm sorry I asked. I just thought, since you're going to flight camp, you would be able to fly," Rumble said, which only made Aura Skies start to cry. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way!" he exclaimed. Aura calmed down quickly as Rumble asked another question. "What's your biggest fear? Mine is small spaces, I'm claustrophobic," he said.
Aura Skies hesitated, then said, "My biggest fear is, well, flying. I can't even open my wings. I feel so useless!" She felt so glad to talk with him, but she needed to say more. "Um," she hesitated, but continued, "are we friends?"
"Of course we are!" said Rumble. Aura Skies was never happier. She had a friend now!
"We're here!" shouted the stallion Rumble said was called Thunderlane. Everyone cheered except Aura, and the grey pegasus who was apparently an instructor shouted "WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone got off the bus, and they lined up in front of the grey pegasus.
"Hi! I'm the lead instructor, Ditzy Doo!" said the pegasus. "You can call me Ditzy, Derpy Hooves, or Ms. Doo! To decide which group you'll be in, you'll take a quick flight test." At this Aura gulped. Ditzy continued. "You'll have 2 hours, split into 2 sessions, of classes with whichever group you are in, and 4 hours, split into 2 sessions, of lessons with the entire camp! Fluttershy will teach the beginner group, Thunderlane will teach intermediate, and Rainbow Dash will teach advanced! Come get your schedules then we'll begin flight testing."
Aura Skies got a schedule and looked at it. She would have breakfast at 7:30, lessons with her group at 8:30 to 9:30, a break at 9:30 to 10:00, entire camp lessons from 10:00 to 12:00, lunch, 12:00 to 1:00, group lessons 1:00-2:00, entire camp lessons 2:00- 4:00, free time 4:00-6:00, dinner 6:00-7:00, and free time till 10:00, lights out. Wow, this is going to be hard, she thought.
"Okie dokie artichokie! Line up in front of this course!" called Ditzy.
Oh, no, thought Aura Skies. The dreaded flight test.
Everypony lined up in front of the arena as Rainbow Dash explained how the course was going to be set up. "First," she began, "you will to a 20 meter dive onto that cloud, bounce off it, next go through the cloud maze, then fly through the hoops, and last the twisty cloud tunnel. Any questions?" Nopony raised a hoof. "Alrighty, then, let's get to buisness. First up," Rainbow Dash flipped through her papers, "Turboline Ace!"
As the ponies went through the course, Aura Skies could hear the instructors tell the other pegasi which group they'd be in. It was hard to keep track of them all, but a few she heard were, "Turboline Ace, advanced!", "Scootaloo Dash, intermediate!", and "Opal Stamper, intermediate!" Then it was Rumble's turn. "Good luck, Rumble," said Aura Skies.
"Thanks, Aura Skies," he replied as he ran into the arena. About a minute later, she heard Rainbow Dash say, "Rumble Storm, advanced!" Rumble came out looking cheerful. The two high-hoofed with happiness. Rainbow called out, "Aura Skies Striker!" "You'll do fine Aura," said Rumble. "I hope so," mumbled Aura. She walked into the arena.
It was huge, beautiful, and terrifying. She stared at the 60-foot drop in front of her. Aura Skies nervously opened her wings and was immediatly frightend. She felt so exposed with her wings extended. Aura took a deep breath. She knew she was expected to start from a hover. Aura flapped once and was consumed by terror. Her wings felt so unnatural. This extension of her body made her feel....altered, different from everyone else. Shaking, she knew she wouldn't be able to start hovering. Maybe if I just jump off, my instincts will kick in, Aura thought. She closed her eyes, spread her wings, and jumped.
Aura Skies tried to flap her wings, but they wouldn't move. She could see herself falling through the floor of the arena. She was falling back to the earth, the sweet, beautiful earth. Then something saved her. Aura looked up to see Rainbow Dash, who, in her haste, had performed another sonic rainboom. When they landed, everypony was staring at Aura Skies. She felt so embarrassed and ashamed. Rainbow Dash who was staring at her also, quickly regained her composure and said, "Aura Skies, begginner!"
By dinnertime everyone was sorted. Aura was the only beginner. She sat alone in a corner as she ate the carrots and lettuce provided in the salad bar; she didn't really like hamburgers, the main course that day. Rumble came over to join her, along with an orange filly with messy purple hair. She didn't seem especially happy to be around Aura.
"You brought me over here to the loser table to talk to her? She's the biggest loser here!" exclaimed the orange pegasus. Hearing this, Aura Skies began to cry.
"Be nice, Scootaloo! You were at her level a week ago!" snapped Rumble. In a much more gentle tone, he said, "It's ok, Aura, you're not really that bad of a flyer."
"Y-yes I am!" she sobbed. "I-I was scared to e-even open my w-wings. I-I'm too scared t-to fly!"
Scootaloo and Rumble stood there, shocked. They could never imagine a pegasus who didn't want to fly. Scootaloo burst out an apology, while Rumble tried to comfort her. Aura calmed down eventually, just as Ditzy began to announce cabin assignments. The trio waited for their names and cabin numbers, and eventually they heard their names. "Ok, cabin 7: Scootaloo Dash, Rumble Storm, Aura Skies, Turboline Ace, Bolt Lightning, and Arrow Shooter. Hup, hup, get to your cabin! Your luggage awaits!" called out Ditzy.
Aura Skies walked while Scootaloo and Rumble flew together to the cabin. The three were going at a slow pace so Aura could catch up. She asked Rumble, "How did you meet Scootaloo?"
"Our older siblings have the same job, weather patrol, and they're good friends. We've met at company parties," replied Rumble.
Scootaloo asked, "Where do you go to school? I know Rumble is privately tutored by Flitter, and I go to Ponyville Elementary."
"I used to go to Gala Belle Trottingham Memorial School, but when I moved to Ponyville, well, my parents have been looking for a school, and they chose your school," answered Aura.
"Cool! I'm going to Ponyville Elementary this year, too!" chimed in Rumble.
"Hey, you guys wanna join the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" asked Scootaloo. "It's a club where we go on adventures to find our cutie marks!
"Sure!" the two said in unision. They realized that they arrived at Cabin 7, and they went inside.
The other three foals, two colts and a filly, had their sleeping bags set up. They all had cutie marks, which Aura noticed. "Hey look," said a grey colt with a lightning bolt cutie mark, "it's those blank flanks. What are their names, Turboline?"
A red colt with a fire cutie mark said, "I know their names, Bolt. The pumpkin is Scootaloser, the fat grey one is Fumble, and the bleach is Aura Cries." All three of the bullies laughed.
"Ignore them," grumbled Scootaloo. "Let's just get set up."
After they unrolled their sleeping bags, Arrow noticed Aura's stuffed elephant. The black pegasus shouted to her friends, "Hey, look! Crybaby has a stuffed animal! How lame is that?"
Aura tried her best to ignore them. Soon everyone was in their sleeping bags, and Aura Skies fell into an uneasy sleep.
"ALL CAMPERS PLEASE REPORT TO THE MESS HALL IN 20 MINUTES!" The bullhorn made Rumble jump out of his sleeping bag. He shook like a rattle before he calmed down and looked around. Everyone else's sleeping bags were messed up, including his, except for Aura's. Her pillow was fluffed out, her sleeping bag was perfectly straight, and her stuffed elephant was right within easy reach.
Dragging himself to the bathroom, he knocked before a panicked shout, "DON"T COME IN!" resounded through the cabin. Anyone who wasn't awake was definently wide awake now. Rumble, ears still ringing, trodded to the next bathroom, which, thankfully, there was no frantic screaming. He went inside and headed for the sink.
Rumble washed his face and combed his hair; like the other colts in camp, he didn't want to take a shower, so he resorted to sink showers. There was a light knock at the door. "Come in," he said. Aura stepped into the door. She looks clean, thought Rumble. She smiled and slipped behind him. He noticed that her bath supplies were on a rack in alphabetical order. She obviously had a thing for organization. She slipped out again. Looking at the racks, she had actually color coded and alphabetized the order of the supplies. Now that is impressive, he thought.
Rumble remembered he had to be down at the mess hall soon, so he trotted out of the bathroom and was about to leave when he couldn't help but over hear a conversation between Scootaloo and Aura Skies.
"...and they broke my scooter. I'm still very mad at them, and last night, I had to take out my anger on someone, and I chose you. I'm really sorry, Aura." Scootaloo gave her most innocent look.
"Relax, Scootaloo!" laughed Aura. "You don't need to do that look, I've already forgiven you last night! Let's go find Rumble, maybe we can walk with him." To Rumble, Aura Skies seemed a bit hopeful. That just makes her pretty. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he jogged to the two fillies.
"Hey, want to walk together?"
"Sure!" replied the two fillies.
*************
*************
Rumble drowned his waffles in maple syrup, then dug into the fluffiness from heaven. Scootaloo ate her waffles, lathered with chocolate syrup, in two large bites. Aura just stared at them for a moment, before deciding that she needed to eat, too. Her waffles, with melted butter and powdered sugar, were not nearly as sugary was theirs.
Rumble stared at her. He nearly got lost in her pale green eyes, which were glowing with beauty. Her mane, the normally contrasting colors blending together. Stop, it, Rumble! He fought the urge to slap himself. He felt sick, nauseated, ready to pass out.
He was in love.
"OK people, listen up!" Rainbow Dash's voice resounded out through the mess hall. "Derpy's cleaning up a toilet backup in Cabin 3"- The foals in Cabin 3 were dripping in what Rumble hoped was shower water-"so I'm in charge today. Now for orientation!" She flipped through some papers. "Ok. The beginners lessons will be held at Fluff Puff Point,"- A couple of foals giggled and Aura Skies blushed-"the intermediate at Rainbow Falls, and the advanced at Cloud Death Gorge. Any questions?" Nopony replied. "Good. Camp Rules are: No fighting, no bullying, listen to instructors, listen to your peers, no making tornadoes, THAT GOES FOR YOU TORNADO BOLT!" she shouted unexpectedly. "Oh yes. If you think I'm too tough, if you think, you can't handle the pressure, if you want your mommy, TOO BAD. Now finish up and get to your classes.
Rumble looked at Aura and she was shaking like a leaf. He felt that way too.
Aura Skies slowly made her way to Fluff Puff Point, making sure to stick to the pathway and not get lost. Or fall off and have to be rescued again, she thought with a shudder.
As she pondered over this, Aura accidentally bumped into somepony.
"Whoops, sorry," she apologized. The pony turned around to reveal a mean, tough-looking teen.
"Watch where you're going, klutz!" he barked. Aura Skies squeaked another apology and got away from there as fast as she could.
"Hey! Aura! Stop" a voice screeched. She turned around to she Rumble, flying in the air and panting. "Do you know," he began, "how fast you're flying?!" Aura Skies looked down and saw that she was 10 feet into the air and all the flight instructors were gaping at her. She felt pride for a moment, then extreme fear. Aura's wings clamped to her sides, and she fell on a not-so-soft cloud. Rumble helped her up. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled. Before anypony could say "smoozheberry", she ran out of the small clearing as fast as she could.
When Aura Skies arrived at Fluff Puff Point, she saw a yellow mare with a long, pink mane smiling and holding a lesson plan.
"Hello, I'm Fluttershy," said the flight instructor. "I know you dislike flying, so I've decided to start with something simple, but Twilight says it works really well."
"Um, hi. I'm Aura Skies," she said. Aura wondered what this "Fluttershy" had in store for her, and who she wondered, is Twilight?. Fluttershy disappeared for a moment, only to come back with the mean teenager behind her, who was pulling a strange grey contraption, with all sorts of gears and fancy jimjams. If this was Fluttershy's definition of simple, then Aura didn't want to know what "complicated" was. But before she could say anything, Fluttershy took out a small thing from the back of the strange machine. It was two wing straps connected to a pulley system, its purpose, Aura was unsure.
"Ok, just strap yourself in, I mean, if thats ok with you," said Fluttershy. Aura Skies got in the little mechanisim. It fit well, but she realized she'd have to open her wings to do this correctly. Aura nervously fit her wings into the straps.
Fluttershy said, "This machine is designed so that you won't fly, but it strengthens your wings. Now go ahead and start flapped, um, if you want to."
Aura Skies nervously flapped and was startled at the strain on her large wings. But, she knew if she wanted to make her mother proud, she'd have to do this. So Aura Skies, no matter how terrifiying or hard it was to flap, she flapped.
"Ok, you can stop, only if you really want to." Fluttershy's voice snapped her back to Cloudsdale.
"Sure, Miss Fluttershy," Aura said, before undoing the harness. She flopped onto a soft cloud and rested there.
"You can call me Fluttershy," said her instructor. Aura Skies noticed that this was the first time Fluttershy hadn't been so...shy. She acknowleged it with a nod before sinking into the cloud and forgetting all her worries.
The next thing she knew, Fluttershy was waking her up.
"Uh, would you like to countinue napping, or finish the lesson?" asked Fluttershy.
"Finish the lesson," replied Aura. They flapped for another 20 minutes before it was time for the 30 minute break. Aura Skies had barely made it out of Fluff Puff before Scootaloo nearly crashed into her.
"OhmygoshIhadthemostamazingtimeIlearnedsomuchseehowfastIcanflynowIevenlearnedhowto-" Scootaloo stopped when Aura Skies shot her a look. But before Scootaloo could apologize, Aura Skies told her about her day so far.
"Well, um, I can open my wings now, without getting scared, and I can flap them a little, too..." Aura expected Scootaloo not to be very enthusiastic, but the orange filly surprised her yet again and shouted "THATS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT! GOOD JOB!" before giving her a painful, yet rewarding noogie.
"Come on! Tornado Bolt is going to teach us how to make tornadoes!" shouted Scootaloo.
"B-but isn't that...not allowed?" whispered Aura Skies. But Scootaloo was half flying, half dragging poor Aura to someplace, so Aura just gave up and went along for the ride.
************
Scootaloo zipped through the air, unsucessfully dodging any unlucky pegasus that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Forgetting she had a passenger, Scootaloo proceeded to do a few flips in the air, not knowing or caring that Aura Skies was hanging on for dear life. She cut through a training course and tried out a few dives, navigated a very twisty maze, and practiced a barrel roll or two, while her friend was screaming her head off.
**************
By the time they got to Tornado Alley, where Tornado Bolt directed them to, Aura Skies looked and felt more green than white. Scootaloo landed roughly on a cloud and finally noticed Aura.
"Oops. Heh, heh, sorry about that," said Scootaloo sheepishly. If looks could kill, Scootaloo would have been dead just from anticipation. The white pegasus glared at the orange one for at least a full minute before a light grey pegasus with flyaway hair broke the silence.
"'Sup. I'm Tornado Bolt. You ready to make a tornado?" she asked. Aura Skies felt pretty sure that she wasn't ready at all, but before she could refuse, Scootaloo just had to jump in.
"We're in!"
Aura Skies suppressed a groan as the other two pegasi took to the skies.
"You coming or not?" shouted Tornado Bolt. "We don't have all day here!"
"Yeah, I-I'm coming, um, I have to, I mean, well you see, UGH!" shouted Aura Skies unexpectedly. "Look, you two, I can't fly and I don't care who knows it! And I will NOT, I repeat, will NOT make a tornado! I am NOT a pushover! Flying feathers, everyone at camp has been messing around with me! SO BUG OFF!"
Scootaloo and Tornado Bolt stared at her for a few seconds before they turned tail and flew far, far away, probably to make a tornado. Or more likely, discuss how to get back at her. Aura sank into a cloud, and cried quietly there. This was unlike her. Getting upset over hardly anything. Overeacting. She was a monster.
"Stupid, stupid me," she whispered to the cloud.
***************
Scootaloo and Tornado Bolt had finally flew off to a place where there wasn't some counselor to chew them out. Scootaloo thought that her so-called "friend" was being just plain stupid, and any reasonable pony watching would bet 1,000 bits that Tornado Bolt felt the same way. The two read up on how to make a tornado for a bit, before catapulting themselves into the air.
The two pegasi spun faster and faster. Scootaloo's wings were starting to hurt. The air current was looking more like a tornado every passing second. But the ignorant pegasi didn't know that their little "tornado" was spinning out of control. And it was headed right for Aura.
She had no idea of the danger everypony was in. She had no idea that the counselors were trying and, ultimately, failing to stop the chaos. She had no idea that anyone without flight would be sucked into the vortex. Scootaloo just cared about one thing.
Awesomeness.
Scootaloo was enjoying it. It was so exciting. Until she heard the screaming. She recognized it. Uh oh.
A white shape was hurled around in their tornado. She was screaming and crying. Her lavender and green mane was flying all over the place. Her large wings worked fruitlessly to steady herself. But she had no chance. Before Scootaloo could think up a way to help her, Aura Skies crashed into her. Then everything went black.
