> A Mellow Encounter
>  by Naeruiih
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Mellow Encounter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Mellow Encounter
Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in Ponyville, was soaring through the skies toward her home. It was her day off from the weather team, but she still had business in town, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Cake. She slowed down as she saw an unfamiliar pony walking along. The aqua colored Pegasus was trotting along, singing to herself. Her wavy orange mane and tail bounced with every step. On her flank was a cutie mark of a flowing musical score. Rainbow Dash could see the happiness in her golden eyes after every note she sang. Curious, Rainbow Dash decided to fly down and meet the newest pony in Ponyville. “I haven’t seen you around before.  You new in town?” 
The new pony was startled a little by Rainbow Dash’s sudden introduction. “Um, yeah. I moved in just a few days ago. I’ve only just gotten settled in, so I’ve been out trying to meet some of the other ponies in town. I’ve met a few nice ponies, but I still have a lot left to go.” 
Rainbow Dash extended a friendly hoof to the newcomer, “Welcome to Ponyville then. The name’s Rainbow Dash, the best most awesome flyer in town.” 
The newcomer shook Rainbow Dash’s hoof in response, “I’m Mellow Note. It’s nice to meet you.” The two ponies exchanged pleasantries and were soon smiling together. 
After a moment, Rainbow Dash remembered where she was heading before stopping to meet Mellow Note. “I was on my way down to Sugar Cube Corner. The Cakes are working on a new treat inspired by yours truly. Naturally they invited me to test it out. You want to tag along? I’m sure they would let you get the ‘second’ taste.” 
Mellow smiled, happy to receive such a kind invitation, “I’d love to.” 
Rainbow Dash took to the air, “Alright! Let’s fly.” She started flying off before stopping. Mellow was still standing on the ground. “What’s up? You coming?” Mellow just stared a little sadly at the ground. She muttered something that Rainbow Dash couldn’t hear. The athletic Pegasus flew in close to the ground. “What was that?” 
Mellow spoke up a little louder, “I can’t fly with you.” 
Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she had just heard. “Excuse me?” 
Mellow just repeated herself, “I can’t fly with you.” 
Rainbow Dash’s puzzled look said more than words could, “What are you talking about?” 
Mellow repeated herself once again. “I can’t fly with you.” 
Rainbow’s confusion started to give way to irritation as she tried to make sense of things. “Come on! Just flap those wings and getup here.” 
Mellow stared shamefully toward the ground. “No. I really can’t do that.” 
Rainbow was beginning to glare at Mellow. “Can’t or won’t?” 
Mellow’s face began to flush. Whether this was from embarrassment or frustration was hard to tell. She shouted, “I can’t! I just can’t!” 
This set Rainbow off. “So, you’re saying you can’t be seen flying with me. Is that it?” Now, she was ticked off. “So, the new pony in town thinks she’s too cool to hang with me.” 
Mellow looked up in shock. “What!?” 
Rainbow Dash was furious, “Fine. If I’m too uncool to fly with you, then I’ll just head off to Sugar Cube Corner by myself. I wouldn’t want to cramp your style.” Mellow tried to explain herself, but couldn’t get a word in past Rainbow Dash’s temper. 
As Rainbow Dash began to fly away, Mellow shouted as loud as she could. ‘I don’t know how to fly!” 
Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t believe what she had heard and flew back to Mellow to confirm what she had heard. “What did you just say?” 
Mellow looked away, humiliated at what she had just admitted. “I don’t know how to fly.” 
After a moment, Rainbow Dash burst into laughter. She was rolling on the ground with laughter. That was the funniest thing she ever heard, a Pegasus who doesn’t know how to fly. “Wow. You’ve got one wicked sense of humor there, Mellow” 
Mellow started to tear, “I never learned how.” 
Rainbow Dash’s laughter died out as she noticed that Mellow wasn’t joking. “How can that be? Every Pegasus that’s been through Cloudsdale’s training knows how to fly.” 
Mellow turned away from Rainbow Dash. “I’ve never been to Cloudsdale. My parents never allowed me to go.” She dried her tears as she recollected her life growing up. “I was raised by earth ponies. My parents were a bit protective of me. Every time I tried to fly when I was young, I would always get scolded by my parents for doing it. ‘Get down from there! You’ll hurt yourself. Keep your hooves planted on the ground where it’s safe’ Every time I tried to fly I was grounded. After a few years of this, I stopped trying. I even ended up becoming afraid of heights.” Mellow was now crying openly. “That’s the reason why I moved to Ponyvile. I couldn’t take all the teasing anymore. I was the laughing stock of the town, a Pegasus who can’t fly” Mellow began to walk off. “And I guess now I’ll be the laughing stock of Ponyville too.
Rainbow Dash put a comforting wing over Mellow’s shoulder. “Trust me. Nopony in Ponyville would laugh at you for that.” Mellow’s tears stifled a bit. This is the nicest anypony had ever been to her. “Come on. Let’s walk to Sugar Cube Corner.” The two ponies started walking off to the heart of Ponyville. Their walk stopped short when Rainbow Dash had a spot of inspiration. “I just had an awesome idea! I’ll teach you to fly!” 
Mellow was shocked at this sudden outburst, “What?” 
Rainbow Dash was flying around with excitement. “Trust me. When we’re done, you’ll one of the best flyers around. Not as good as me, but then again, nopony is.” 
Mellow’s tears had all but dried up, “You would really do that for me?” Rainbow Dash landed beside Mellow. “That’s we do here in Ponyville. We help our friends. So what do you say?” 
Finally a smile returned to Mellow’s face. “Okay!”
*******
The Ponyville training course was a haven for athletic ponies. The racing track in particular saw more than its fair share of use. Standing there, tall and proud, was Rainbow Dash. With her coach’s hat and whistle around her neck, Rainbow Dash was ready to begin. Mellow was eager to begin her lessons. She could barely contain her excitement as Rainbow Dash started speaking. “In order to be a good flyer you need three things; speed, stamina, and guts! A little style helps too, but we’ll work on that after we get you in the air. Now let’s see what you can do.” With a loud blow of the whistle, Mellow took off running. Fifty laps later, Mellow was breathing heavily and dragging herself across the finish line. Rainbow Dash stood over the panting pony, “Not too bad, for a beginner. Let’s get you started on some flight drills.” Mellow slowly got back on her hooves and followed Rainbow Dash. 
As the day went on, the results of Mellow’s training became more and more apparent. Every flight drill she tried ended in her tripping, stumbling, falling, and flailing. Optimistic at first, Rainbow Dash began to realize what a trial she had agreed to undertake. “You actually did pretty good, all things considered.” 
Exhausted, Mellow looked up to meet the eyes of her instructor. “R, Really?” 
Rainbow Dash grinned an uneasy smile, “Yeah . . . Of course you did.” Rainbow Dash had never seen a Pegasus perform as poorly as Mellow did, but she couldn’t crush the pony’s dreams of flying like that. “We still have a lot to do. You should go and rest up. You’ll need your rest for tomorrow.” 
Mellow panicked a little. Today was so rough; she could only imagine what tomorrow would bring. She struggled back to her hooves. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Thank you for your help, Rainbow Dash. You don’t know what this means to me.” 
Rainbow Dash’s unease faded when she saw Mellow’s tired but appreciative smile. Rainbow hated quitting, and she was not about to quit on this pony in front of her. “Don’t you worry. We’ll get you flying up in the clouds before you know it.” Rainbow Dash then flew off with a new determination to finish what she had started. Mellow just sighed and walked off, back toward Ponyville.
*******
Every step through town was a chore as Mellow’s sore muscles complained at every step. She was so tired; she didn’t even notice the pony that collided into her. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I . . .” She trailed off as looked up to see the most elegant unicorn she had ever lair her eyes on, Rarity. “I’m really sorry, Rarity.” 
Rarity quickly looked herself over, checking for dirt. Her coat was still as pristine as ever. “No need to worry, nothing was damaged.” Rarity let out an audible gasp. “Good heavens! What happened to you? Your mane looks positively ghastly and you have dirt everywhere!” 
Mellow looked herself over. She hadn’t realized how dirty her training had made her. “I was just training with Rainbow . . .” 
Rarity cut Mellow off. “No. No. No. This cannot do. You need a spa session and you need it now.” 
The two ponies arrived at the spa. The Unicorn was not about to listen to Mellow’s objections. “Ladies! We have a spa emergency. This pony here needs the works, stat. And I’ll take one as well.” Within moments, the two ponies were being pampered. 
Mellow looked to her generous host, “Thank you, but you really didn’t need to do this, Rarity.” 
Rarity smiled back at Mellow. “Nonsense! You shouldn’t worry about something as trite as this. Like I always say, ‘Any excuse to go to the spa is a good excuse.’” As the treatment continued, the two ponies exchanged pleasantries and started to chat among themselves. “So, Mellow, what exactly did you do to get yourself looking so dreadful?” 
Much of the fatigue Mellow had been experiencing had melted away at the work of the spa ponies. “I was training with Rainbow Dash. I never learned to fly, so she volunteered to teach me.” Mellow flashed back to some of the teasing she suffered through growing up. Her heart sank. “I wonder if I’ll ever be able to fly.” 
Rarity saw the sullen look on Mellow’s face. Without missing a beat she jumped right in and steered the conversation to a happier route. “With an attitude like that, what did you expect?” 
Mellow was confused by Rarity’s response, “What?” 
Rarity continued on as the spa ponies started working on her hooves. “You see, confidence is the key to success. If you go into any endeavor thinking that you will fail, you will end up doing just that. Take me, for example. There might be some ponies out there, as silly as they are, that doubt my sense of fashion. However, I am confident that I am the finest producer of fabulous fashion on this side of Canterlot. So I can stitch together any garment know that it will be fabulous.” 
Mellow was impressed by Rarity’s confidence. “But, how do I boost my confidence? I’ve got years of teasing holding it down.” 
Rarity muttered to herself as he was thinking of how to answer Mellow. “Hmm. There’s always the spa. A good pony petty is always nice. A new dress works wonders and …” A moment of brilliance struck as Rarity chimed out loud, “Ideaaaa! I’ll give you a makeover!” 
Rarity was very pleased with the idea, but Mellow was a bit more skeptical. “A makeover?” 
Visions of new outfits and mane styles flew through Rarity’s imagination. “Yes, a makeover. Improving one’s appearance is the easiest way to boost confidence. We will have to get started immediately!” She called out to the spa ponies, “We will need the maximum beauty package. We have a lot of work to do.”
*******
Rarity was busy at her shop, picking some of her finest designs for Mellow’s makeover. She was comparing two hats when the ringing of the bell at her door alerted her to a guest in her store. “I’ll be right there.” Quickly deciding that neither hat was good enough, Rarity went out to the storefront. She was happy to see Mellow had arrived from the spa. “Mellow, my dear, you look positively smashing. I see the girls at the spa really worked their magic with you.” 
Mellow’s coat was positively sparkling. “I have to admit, Rarity, you were right. I feel like a whole new pony.” 
Rarity was very pleased with what she saw. “It’s marvelous, no? Now, let’s get you into something more fashionable. I’ve prepared a sampling of styles that should make you feel gorgeous.” Mellow smiled with eager anticipation as Rarity pulled out her a rack of dresses meant for Mellow. 
As the afternoon dragged on, Mellow tried on dress after dress. While each looked stunning, Rarity inevitably found something that was off with each of them. With each dress change, Mellow’s enthusiasm declined. By the time they had gone through every dress, Mellow was feeling sad once again. Rarity, however, was bound and determined to see Mellow in a dress that made her look good. “None of these dresses work. It seems I have no other choice. I must create for you, a special dress like no other.” 
Mellow tried to object, “It’s okay. You’ve done so much for me, I couldn’t . . .” 
Rarity would hear none of it. “Nonsense. This is a challenge that I mean to conquer. It’s no trouble at all.” Rarity immediately went to work drawing up dress designs. Mellow tried to continue the conversation, but Rarity was so drawn into her work that Mellow’s objections all fell on deaf ears. After an awkward silence, Mellow let herself out. Rarity was completely lost to the world in her work.
*******
As Mellow was walking through town, her mood had soured a bit. Every pony had been working so hard to help her fly, but nothing seemed to be working. She was starting to wonder if she would ever fly when a certain perky pink pony seemed appear out of nowhere. “Hello!” Mellow shrieked and leaped into the air, clinging to a tree branch overhead. “Wow! You can jump really high! You’ll be flying in no time if you can jump like that.” 
Mellow looked down to see Pinkie Pie staring up at her. “You scared me, Pinkie.” She tried to climb down, before the branch she was holding on to snapped and she fell to the ground. “What are you doing here, Pinkie?” 
The festive pink pony was bouncing with eager anticipation. “I’m here to help you fly. What else would I be doing here?” 
Mellow was a bit confused. “How did you know about that?” 
Pinkie’s boundless energy had her bouncing all around. “That’s easy. Rainbow Dash told me. Then I told Twilight, and Fluttershy, and Applejack, and Rarity already knew. We all felt so bad when we learned that you didn’t know how to fly. I’m not a Pegasus, so I don’t know what it’s like to fly, but if I was, I would probably be crushed if I had wings and couldn’t use them. Then I had the most brilliant idea! This is sure to get you flying high in the sky in no time!” 
Mellow was a little hesitant, but Pinkie’s charms are hard to resist, and she soon found herself following Pinkie. Even sooner after that, Mellow found herself questioning Pinkie’s logic. “Um, Pinkie? It’s not that I doubt you, but I have to ask again. Why am I in a cannon?” 
Pinkie wide grin was offset by her giggling. “It’s simple. You’ve been here a week but we still haven’t had your welcome to Ponyville party, but we can’t have a party with you being such a gloomy hooves. It just can’t be done. Parties are supposed to be happy! And since you can’t be happy while you’re not flying we can’t have a party while you’re still stuck on the ground. So I started thinking about how we can get you flying so we can start your party. Then it hit me! By stuffing you into my jumbo party cannon, we can launch you into the air, where you’ll start flying. You’ll then do some cool loop de loops and I can get the decorations up all at the same time. Then we can start your ‘Welcome to Ponyville Congratulations on Your First Flight I’m so happy to be here Super Special Pinkie Pie Party Spectacular! It’s the perfect plan.” 
Mellow, while impressed that Pinkie could talk so much on what seemed like a single breath, couldn’t quite get behind Pinkie’s enthusiasm. “I don’t know. Maybe there’s another way to get me to flyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” Pinkie had pulled the trigger and Mellow was flying over half of Ponyville with the sounds of Pinkie’s party cannon echoing behind her.
*******
Mellow soared through the air of Ponyville. She struggled as hard as she could to slow down. After a few moments, she managed to finally come to a stop, by crashing into the door of the Ponyville Library. A moment later, the door was opened by a happily surprised Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, Mellow Note, just the pony I was hoping to see.” 
Mellow was still very dizzy from her landing. “Hi, Twilight. So sorry to just drop in unannounced.” 
Twilight seemed very pleased to see Mellow. “It looks like the flight training is going well.” 
Mellow shuddered at the thought of another possible flight from Pinkie’s party cannon. “Actually it’s not going that . . .” Mellow stopped as she heard Pinkie’s fanfare approaching. She jumped and ran inside as fast as she could. 
Twilight closed the door at Mellow’s behest. “What’s wrong?”
Mellow was trembling from her hiding spot beneath Twilight’s bed. “I just don’t think I can handle any more of Pinkie Pie’s help today. She shot me out of a cannon. A cannon!”
Twilight was very comforting. “Pinkie Pie means well. She just tries too hard sometime. Give it time. You’ve only been here a week after all. It took me a while to get used to it too.” 
Mellow came out of the spot where she was hiding. “I guess you’re right.” Mellow sighed. It had been a long day and she was worn out from all the excitement. “You said you wanted to see me, Twilight?” 
The unicorn smiled as she remembered the task she had been working on for the duration of the afternoon. “Oh yeah! When Pinkie pie told me about your problem, I came straight home to see if I could find something to help you.” She ran through the library, pulling various books off the shelves. “I found a number of books on Pegasi and the mechanics of their flight.” She started putting all of the books into a bag. “There is a lot of information in these books. I’m sure that you will find a trick or two in here to overcome your flying problem.” Using her magic, Twilight picked up the stuffed bag and placed it over Mellow’s back. Once she released the bag, it continued its trip to the floor, pulling Mellow down with it. 
Mellow struggled to stand up straight under the weight of the books. “T-Thank you, Twilight. I really, umph, appreciate it.” 
Twilight was very pleased with herself. “You don’t need to thank me, Mellow. I’m happy to help my friends in whatever way possible.” 
Mellow grinned as best she could. “Do you think you could help me with the door? These books are kind of heavy.” 
Twilight trotted over toward the door, “Sure.” Twilight held the door open as Mellow slowly walked out of the library. “If you need anything else don’t hesitate to ask.” The two ponies said their goodbyes, and Mellow started making her journey back home. 
*******
Mellow was dragging the heavy bag along the ground. The fight to walk with the heavy burden on her back had proved too much for the Pegasus to handle. “Hey!” Mellow was startled as Rainbow Dash swooped in out of the sky. “Glad I could find you. I wanted to show you some of the new drills we’ll be working on tomorrow.” 
Before Mellow could even respond, she was interrupted by Rarity calling out as she was trotting in. “Mellow! I’m dreadfully sorry to ask, but do you think you could come by the shop again? I need to test out a few colors against your coat to find the perfect match for your new dress. Is tomorrow clear for you?” 
Mellow tried to answer, but Rainbow Dash cut her off. “Sorry, Rarity, but she’s kind of booked tomorrow. If this pony is going to fly, then we have to train her up right. And tomorrow, we are going hardcore.” Mellow nervously gulped as her imagination started flying off at what “hardcore” could mean for her future. 
Rarity, however, was not put off by Rainbow Dash’s zeal. “With all due respect, Dash, I don’t think that is such a good idea. I’ve seen what condition she was in after your training today. If Mellow is going to soar gracefully through the air, the first thing she needs to do is build her confidence.” 
Rainbow Dash was a bit agitated by Rarity’s brush off. “So she’s going to fly by getting a new dress?” 
Rarity was certainly assured of herself. “It’s all about confidence. Once she is feeling good about herself, the chains that bind her to the ground shall be broken.” 
Rainbow Dash was starting to get a bit aggravated. “It doesn’t matter how much confidence she has if she doesn’t have the muscle to fly. She’s almost never used her wings, so we have to build up her stamina.”
The two ponies argued while Mellow was caught in the middle. She tried to slip out before she was caught by Twilight, who had showed up carrying another book. “I’m glad I could catch up with you, Mellow. I found another book on flight I forgot to give you. This one has a lot of useful diagrams.” 
The two arguing ponies took notice of Twilight’s presence. Rarity brought Twilight into the debate. “Twilight! Thank Celestia you are here. Could you please talk some sense into Rainbow Dash? Mellow needs to build up her confidence, then she will be able to overcome her fears and fly.” 
Rainbow Dash was not about to let Rarity get the last word in. “She hasn’t used her wings at all since she was just a little filly. She needs to toughen her wings up. Once she has enough strength in her wings, she’ll fly no problem.” 
Twilight was caught off-guard by her sudden involvement in such a heated debate. “Actually,” she opened up the book she was carrying and pointed to one of the diagrams, “It would probably be best for her to work on her technique. After all, to learn anything you need to start with the basics. Mastering basic flying technique will go a long way in her flight education.” 
Mellow was starting to get a bit scared now. She was stuck in the middle of three ponies who were arguing intensely for what they all thought was in Mellow’s best interest. She had to get away, but when she tried to escape again, she was blindsided by Pinkie Pie. “I finally found you. Yay! I had no idea you would fly so far. How do you feel after your first flight? It must have been so fun! I’ve flown before in a hot air balloon and that was a lot of fun. I can only imagine how much more fun it would be to fly on your own. I’m so so happy for you!” Pinkie Pie started singing and dancing in celebration.
Mellow was trapped between the four ponies. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were all arguing. Pinkie Pie was prancing, dancing, and celebrating. All the noise began to blur together for Mellow as she started to flash back to the teasing she grew up with. She could almost hear all the ponies from her old home mocking her. They called her a weirdo, broken, strange. They would tell her she would never be able to fly, and Mellow was beginning to believe them. All her new friends have been so kind. They were all trying so hard to help her fly, but nothing was working. They were now so angry and it was all her fault. She really was broken. She worked her way out from in between the warring ponies and ran, sobbing with tears pouring from her eyes. As she was running, she passed by another Pegasus. This pink haired pegasus was one of the first ponies Mellow had met and befriended when she moved into Ponyville, Fluttershy. Fluttershy saw Mellow coming and tried to greet her. “Oh, Mellow! How are you doing ... to ... day?” Mellow just ran right by Fluttershy. “Was she crying?”
*******
Fluttershy flew through the air, frantically searching for Mellow. Following nearby on the ground was an orange pony known for her loyalty and hard work, Applejack. “Thank you so much, Applejack, for helping me find Mellow. You should have seen the look on her face. She was so sad.” The two ponies were looking high and low. Fluttershy managed to figure out what had happened to Mellow from listening to the other ponies’ debate. Fortunately, she ran into Applejack. 
When she told Applejack about what happened to Mellow, Applejack didn’t hesitate to join in the search. “Happy to help. Mellow may be new to town, but she is still a friend. It’s only right to do our best and help her out.” 
Fluttershy was frantically searching over roofs and through the trees. “I had heard that she used to be teased about her flying ability, but I’m starting to believe that it might have been worse than that.” 
Applejack knew very well what Fluttershy was implying. “Bullying. No pony deserves to be bullied. It just ain’t right.” 
Fluttershy knew all too well what is was like to be bullied and teased. If all of that torment had continued for Mellow even after she had graduated from school, the thought of it made Fluttershy want to cry too. “We have to find her.” A look of determination spread across Fluttershy’s face. 
Applejack saw this flashed a confident smile to the Pegasus. “We will, and we won’t stop looking ‘till we do. YEEE-HAW!”
The two ponies continued searching throughout all of Ponyville. They searched every corner and asked everypony they met. Still there was no sign of Mellow. After an hour of searching, Mellow was still nowhere to be found. Fluttershy was starting to worry. “We’ve looked everywhere and we still can’t find her. Where could she have gone?” 
The concerned stare on Applejack’s faced was laced with a sturdy determination. “I can’t say I know. I’ve searched every last inch of Sweet Apple Acres, and all of the woodland area south of Ponyville. That mare just seems to have disappeared off the face of Equestria.” 
Fluttershy let out a nervous gulp as a terrifying thought hit her. “Y-You don’t think she went into the-the Everfree Forest, do you?” 
Applejack thought about it for a few seconds. “There aren’t many more places we can search. I really hope she didn’t go. There is no telling what kind of danger she could be in if she did.” The two ponies were running out of options. “We had better get going. We still have some places left to check before we need to search the Everfree Forest.” Applejack started off to continue the search. 
Fluttershy started to follow, but stopped short when a squirrel ran up and started squeaking at her. “What’s wrong?” Fluttershy’s amazing ability to communicate with animals had helped her in the past. She earnestly listened to the little squirrel. She gasped when she heard the message and flew off. She doubled back quickly to thank the squirrel, and then flew off to catch Applejack. “Applejack, wait! I know where Mellow is. She’s over at the pond nearby my cottage.” 
Applejack’s mood picked up after hearing that good news. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get down there, and go help Mellow!” The two ponies dashed off to Mellow’s location.
*******
The sun had fallen and given way to night. Mellow sat by the edge of the pond. She finally managed to stop crying, but she still felt miserable. She stared woefully at her reflection. “I really am broken, nothing but a misfit.” She opened her wings and looked at them. She sighed as she began to sing.
“ All my life, I’ve lived on the ground ”
“ Never flown, never left my home. ”
“ Now it seems that maybe what they said was true, ”
“ My wings are just for show ”
“ I wonder why, where did I go wrong? ”
“ I’m a misfit pony. Where do I belong? ”
“ A Pegasus like I, should be flying in the sky, ”
“ Swimming in the clouds, flying true and free. ”
“ When I look up, it makes me want to cry. ”
“ I should be in the air. It’s not fair. To fly is my prayer. ”
“ I’m a misfit pony. I must not despair. ”
“ And although I’ve been teased, bullied, and abused ”
“ They’ve always put me down. They always have been rude. ”
“ As dark and sad as it all does seem ”
“ They never were able to kill this misfit pony’s dream! ”
“ I can see myself soaring through the sky! ”
“ I see it every time I close my eyes. ”
“ I can see the smile on my face, the sparkle in my eye ”
“ And I will no longer need to cry. ”
“ So no matter what they say to try and keep me down, ”
“ I know for sure that someday soon I’ll be flying off the ground. ”
“ They will never make me cry again, I’ll only laugh and cheer ”
“ My wings will take me to the top, I will have overcome my fear ”
“ And when this is all said and done, I will know for sure ”
“ I’ll be a misfit pony no more. ”
*******
Mellow sighed. Singing always made her feel better. She stared into the sky, watching the stars overhead. Her solitude was soon interrupted when she heard a sound that sounded like sniffling. She turned around to see two ponies standing behind her.  “Fluttershy! Applejack! What are you two doing here?” 
Fluttershy took a few steps toward Mellow. “We were looking all over for you. After I saw you running off earlier I just had to do something. Luckily I ran into Applejack, and she helped me look.” 
Applejack was struggling not to cry. “Sorry to sneak up on you like this, but we couldn’t help listening to that song of yours. Please don’t tell anyone about me blubbering like this. I’m sure Rainbow Dash wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.” 
Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “You have a really beautiful singing voice. Your singing was absolutely enchanting.” 
Mellow blushed a little. “It’s not really all that great. I just like to sing whenever I’m . . . sad.” The sadness Mellow’s song had cleared started to creep back into her heart. “You just don’t know what it’s like to have ponies tease you for not being good at something. It’s like you’ve got this gigantic wall in front of you.”
Fluttershy embraced Mellow in a gentle hug, one that reminded her of the hugs her mother used to give. “Actually, I know exactly how you feel.” 
Mellow was surprised to hear this news. “You do?” 
Fluttershy’s gentle smile seemed to melt away the sadness Mellow was feeling. “Yes. When I was a filly, I was pretty bad flyer. All the other ponies laughed at me, teased me, and called me nasty names. It wasn’t until not too long ago that I was able to overcome the fear all that teasing created and really came into my own as a flyer.” 
Mellow’s eyes widened with anticipation. She hung on Fluttershy’s every word. “How? How did you do it?” 
Fluttershy smiled. She had a simple answer for Mellow. “That’s easy. I got over it with the help of my friends.”
Applejack had finally managed to regain her composure and joined in the conversation. “That’s right, Sugar Cube. There’s no problem too great that you can’t solve with the help of your friends.” 
Mellow grinned a little, but it didn’t last. “I’m not so sure about that. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight, and even Pinkie Pie all tried so hard to help me today, but I’m even worse off than when I started.” 
Applejack put a reassuring hoof over Mellow’s shoulder. “Now that’s no way to be thinking. Look, I may not know much about flying, but I do know about hard work and tackling big tasks. When harvest time comes around, I have to buck down every last apple in Sweet Apple Acres. It’s a really big job, but I still have to get it done. I just take it one tree at a time, and before you know it, I’m done. Do you understand what I’m saying?” 
Mellow was touched by her friends going so far out of their way to help her. She grinned and nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
Fluttershy was so relieved to see Mellow beginning to smile. “We would more than happy to help you. I can help teach you to fly the same way I learned.” 
Applejack too was happy to help her newest friend. “And I can help you put a little muscle on your wings. Plus, I think I have an idea on how to help you with you fear of heights problem.” 
Mellow began to smile as Fluttershy spoke. “We’ll take it nice and slow,” 
Applejack stepped in to finish the sentence. “One step at a time.” 
Mellow had begun to cry again, but this time, they were tears of joy. Mellow could only say one thing as the three ponies gathered together for a group hug, “Thank you.”
*******
So, Mellow’s training began. Fluttershy and Applejack took turns with Mellow. Fluttershy helped Mellow by teaching her some of the basics. The two started off with mellow practicing her form. Fluttershy’s beginning lessons were to keep her wings fully extended and stability. The two ponies would keep spend their time out in the fields were Mellow would practice gliding down a gentle hill. 
Meanwhile, Over at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was having mellow carry buckets of apples with her wings. Mellow could hardly lift even a small bucket at first. As time passed, however, the size of the buckets steadily increased. As the lessons continued, Mellow’s stamina and ability grew. These two elements of training culminated in one fateful incident.
Applejack’s idea to help Mellow overcome her fear of heights was pretty simple. She borrowed Pinkie Pie’s trampoline and had Mellow jumping on it. Unfortunately, Mellow was consistently bouncing off of the trampoline and crashing onto the ground. So, that’s when Applebloom, who had been watching them train, decided to bring a mattress and drag it around to catch Mellow whenever she bounced too far off the trampoline. One day, Mellow bounced off again. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the impact, but the impact never came. Instead she heard Applebloom cheering. She opened her eyes to see she was hovering above the ground. She was actually flying. She grinned the biggest grin that she ever had. The three ponies were celebrating, but Mellow’s lessons were far from over.
Fluttershy was very pleased to hear about Mellow’s success and even happier when She demonstrated it. Now Mellow could now move on to her next big lesson, moving around. Her lessons started with her moving by running into it then taking off. As the lessons progressed, she got better at controlling her flight with less effort. In many cases, Fluttershy taught Mellow to fly much like a parent teaches a child how to ride a bicycle. At one point Fluttershy actually let go of Mellow and let her fly on her own. She was a bit wobbly, but she was still flying on her own. When she looked back to see Fluttershy was far behind her, she couldn’t help but celebrate that she was flying on her own. Unfortunately she wasn’t watching where she was going and crashed into a tree. Fluttershy rushed in to see if she was okay. Mellow was just lying on the ground laughing. She was so happy that she was finally flying after all these years. The two ponies laughed together and continued their practice.
Once Mellow had gotten good enough to fly forward on her own, Applejack stepped up her training regimen. Instead of using her wings to carry buckets of apples, Mellow was strapped into cart and had to fly to pull it on top of carrying buckets of apples. It was a bit rough, but Mellow was determined to follow through with it. Although Applebloom still had to keep an eye on Mellow to make sure she was flying to move the apples.
When Mellow first started her trampoline training, she could scarcely jump a few inches high. As time passed she started to bounce higher and higher. After she reached the point where she could hover on her own, Applebloom stopped bringing the mattress. She still came to cheer Mellow on though. Fluttershy too had started to come and cheer Mellow on during her training on the trampoline. After a while, Mellow continued to bounce higher and higher. She soon reached a point where she was bouncing above the trees. 
When she saw the view above the treetops, she was speechless. This was the view that had so long denied her. This is what she had been missing. At that moment, her heart felt so light. At the peak of her highest jump, she spread her wings and took off toward the sky. The feeling was indescribable. The wind in her mane felt even better than she had ever imagined. The view was gorgeous. She could hear Applejack, Applebloom, and Fluttershy’s cheers coming from the ground. At that point, nothing could remove the smile from her face or the joyful sparkle in her eyes. The trees echoed with her cheers. After all the years of teasing, all the bullying, all the put downs, Mellow had finally broken free of the limitations that had plagued her. At last she had overcome her fears and the wonder of flight was hers at last.
*******
After a while, she finally flew back down to the ground, where the three cheering ponies were waiting and congratulating her. Fluttershy was immensely proud of Mellow’s success. “I’m so happy for you, Mellow. You’ve done even better than I could have even dreamed.” 
Applejack was just as pleased. “You sure have done pretty good.” 
Applebloom was just bouncing with excitement. “Pretty good? She’s done amazing! You were flying up there like you had done it all your life.” 
Mellow was positively beaming. “It’s all thanks to you three. There is no way I could have done this on my own.” Mellow embraced all three of her friends in a passionate group hug. “You are the best friends I’ve ever had. I don’t even know what to say to express my gratitude.” 
Applejack chuckled, “Well that’s easy enough. Just say ‘Thank you.’” 
Mellow laughed, “I suppose that will work. Thank you, for everything.” 
Fluttershy smiled right back at Mellow. “You are welcome.”
Applebloom couldn’t contain her excitement anymore. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go celebrate!” 
Applejack started picking up on her sister’s enthusiasm. “Now that sounds like a great idea. Let’s head back to the house. I’ll whip up one of the best apple pies you have ever tasted.” 
Applebloom disagreed with her sister’s idea. “That’s not big enough.” 
Fluttershy tried to think of something else. “We could go up to Sugar Cube Corner and get a cake.” 
Applebloom still wasn’t happy with the idea. “It’s still not big enough.” 
Mellow had an idea as well. “Maybe we can go to Pinkie Pie. I’m sure she would jump at the chance to throw a big party.” 
Applebloom denied this option too. “No. No. No. We need to do something big. Pretty much the entire town knows that Mellow has, err had, flying troubles. What we need to do is find some way to show off to everypony that Mellow can fly now . . . and I think I may just have the perfect idea.” 
*******
Applebloom’s plan was simple enough. Applejack, with the aid of Pinkie Pie, would gather up everypony in town square. Once she had everypony’s attention, Applebloom, from a hot air balloon, would hold up a banner with Fluttershy that read congratulations. Mellow would then fly through the banner, announcing to all that she could now fly. So far things were going smoothly. It was a bit windy, but everything was ready. 
Pinkie Pie’s one pony band routine was more than enough to draw the attention of the ponies of Ponyville. Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were among the ponies at the front of the crowd. Applebloom was sitting inside of the hot air balloon while Applejack and Fluttershy stood center stage. Mellow Note was standing a bit farther back, just out of sight, waiting for her cue. Her legs were trembling with nervous anticipation. 
With everypony gathered and in place, it was time to show all of Ponyville that Mellow could now fly. Applejack stepped up to the megaphone, “Howdy, everypony. The reason we’re all gathered here today is to celebrate the accomplishment of one of the newest ponies to call our ‘little slice of heaven’ home. Now, I’m sure y’all know I’m not one for speeches. I prefer to let my actions do the talking. So why don’t we let our new friend do just that and show y’all just what she can do. Take it up, Fluttershy!” 
At Applejack’s cue, Fluttershy grabbed a rolled up banner and flew up to meet Applebloom as the hot air balloon rose. The little filly held on to one end as Fluttershy unfurled the banner for all of Ponyville to see. “Congratulations, Mellow Note, on your first flight!” was written in bold letters. Mellow saw the banner rise and moved into position to fly right through it.  As she was she was about to take off, the wind picked up. The sudden gust of wind ripped the banner out from Applebloom’s grip. The gust carried the banner straight toward Fluttershy, smacking into her. Fluttershy fell toward the ground, only to be caught by the quick reactions of Rainbow Dash.
Applebloom was leaning far over the side of the basket to see if Fluttershy was okay. “Are you alright, Fluttershy?” 
Fluttershy was a bit embarrassed, but otherwise unharmed. She was tangled up by the banner, along with Rainbow Dash who was currently stuck underneath Fluttershy. “I’m okay.” Applejack saw how far her little sister was hanging over the edge and called out. “Applebloom! Get your buns back in that basket. It’s dangerous to be leaning out so far.” 
Applebloom was not as concerned as her sister was. “Don’t worry. I’ve got complete con . . . woah!” The rope anchoring the balloon had snapped. The sudden jolt upwards caused Applebloom to tumble out of the basket. She barely managed to grab a hold of the severed rope. Every pony gathered gasped in shock as the balloon rose higher and higher, with little Applebloom dangling by a thread. Rainbow Dash struggled to free herself from her entanglement with Fluttershy. Everypony held their breath as Applebloom hanged there. 
The seconds felt like hours as everypony watched. Rainbow Dash was struggling to get free, but was not having much success. Applebloom held on as tightly as she could, but the frayed edges of the rope were tickling her nose. She tried to resist it, but after a while she couldn’t resist anymore. She sneezed and let go of the rope. Everypony screamed as they saw Applebloom fall. Rainbow Dash was almost free, but she wouldn’t make it in time. Applejack prepared for the worst when suddenly a blur flew by. Everyponys’ mouths were agape. Flying in the middle of the air, high above Ponyville, was Mellow, holding a terrified Applebloom.
The crowd of ponies erupted into thunderous cheers and stomps. Mellow landed on the stage and gently set down Applebloom. Applejack was never so happy to see her sister as she was at that moment. “Oh, Applebloom! I’m so relieved.” She looked up from hugging her little sister to see a very concerned Mellow staring back at her. “Thank you so much, Mellow. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.” 
Mellow smiled, “I’m just happy Applebloom isn’t hurt. Besides, you two and Fluttershy have done so much for me as well. Why don’t we just call it ‘friends for life’ and we’re even? Deal?” 
Applejack wiped the joyful tear from her eye. “That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”
Applebloom blushed with embarrassment, “So much for having you bust through that banner.” 
Fluttershy, who had managed to finally free herself and was accompanied by the rest of her friends, joined the ponies on stage. “I think that was really neat, even if it was kind of scary.” 
Rarity was in awe of what she had just seen. “You looked absolutely marvelous in the air, Darling.” 
Pinkie Pie’s usual energy levels seemed almost doubled. “That was one of the COOLEST things I’ve seen in a while! Did you see that? Applebloom was falling like Yaaaaahhhhh! But then Mellow swooped in Wooooossssshhh and snatched her out of the air! And we were all like Yaaaaaayyy! And now we’ve got to have one big party!” 
Twilight congratulated Mellow, “Mellow, you’re a hero.”  
Rainbow Dash was probably the most enthusiastic of all the ponies gathered there. “That. Was. Awesome! Where did you learn to fly like that?” 
Mellow looked over to Applejack, Applebloom, and Fluttershy and smiled. “I had some help, from some very good friends.”
Rainbow Dash took to the air. “Why don’t we finish this right?” Rainbow Dash flew off and came back with a fluffy white cloud. “Why don’t you bust through this?” Mellow smile grew even bigger. She had always wanted to break a cloud and now was the time. She flew off and charged straight through the cloud, smashing it out of the sky. The breaking of the cloud was accompanied by the cheers of all the ponies present. Mellow landed on the stage again to the sounds of congratulations.
Mellow approached the ponies who had worked so hard to help her. “Thank you so much, Girls. You’ve taught me a lesson far more important than just flying. If you have a really big challenge in front of you, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed; but if you break it down and take it one step at a time, you’ll find it’s not as scary as you originally thought. Most importantly, if it still seems too much to handle alone, you can always count on your friends to help lighten your load.” 
Twilight chuckled happily. “I think that would make a great letter to Princess Celestia. Would you like to write it, Mellow?” Mellow was speechless. She never thought in her wildest dreams that she could get the privilege to write to the princess. 
Rainbow Dash stepped in before Mellow could answer. “She can write that later.” Rainbow turned to Mellow. “I remember you saying you’ve never been to Cloudsdale before. Fluttershy and I would be more than happy to give you the grand tour of the greatest city in the sky.” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took off and turned around to Face Mellow. “You game?” 
Mellow looked back to Twilight, who nodded her approval. Mellow squealed with delight. She joined the other two pegasi in the air. “Count me in.” The three pegasi flew off into the distance towards the sky-bound city of Cloudsdale. All of them were as happy as can be, but Mellow was the happiest out of the three. At long last she was flying with her fellow pegasi. More than that, she was flying with her friends. As the city of Cloudsdale drew closer, Mellow knew what her future held. The sky was the limit and her wings, along with her new very important friends, would take her through those lofty heights and any lows life would throw at her. There was also one more thing that she knew for sure. She was a misfit pony no more.