Finding My Wings (Part 1)
Memories
Of them making fun of me
I don't want to feel their ridicule again
But I'll overcome
The worry of disappointing everyone
I'll fly fearlessly through the wind
-Fear of Flight, Sound of The Aviators.
Fluttershy had never been the best flier in Cloudsdale. On the contrary, in flight school, she was considered one of the worst fliers. As if that wasn’t enough, she always scored the best in her class for other subjects, which caused other ponies to think she was a teacher’s pet, and she was a shy little filly, too afraid to stand up against anypony. So naturally, she was ridiculed for it.
“A Pegasus who can’t fly? Can’t even flap her wings? Being a Teacher’s pet? Get out of here, Fluttercry!” her schoolmates used to jeer at her. They mocked her, laughed at her.
She remembered them chanting, in the tone of mockery she disliked the most. And their stares and glares thrown towards her. Disgust, disbelief, loathing even.
Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly. Fluttercry. Fluttercry. Fluttercry.
It was all because of her fear of flight. Most of her peers bullied her (the others ignored her), but the duo she feared the most were Dumbbell and Hoops. The two colts were the most popular in Cloudsdale Flight School, and they went about as they pleased, constantly bullying the underdogs of the school. And the one they liked to bully the most? Their main target? Fluttershy. And she didn’t dare to stand up against them—nopony did— and so she let them. Let them taunt her, and hurt her as they pleased. And they did hurt her, emotionally at least. They hurt Fluttershy so, so much. Until a rainbow-maned filly named Rainbow Dash came along.
Rainbow Dash was different, to Fluttershy. In a good way, of course. She didn’t laugh at Fluttershy, mock her, or ignore her. In fact, she offered to be Fluttershy’s friend.
“What’s your name? Mine’s Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow Dash had asked Fluttershy the day they met.
“Um….F-Fluttershy….” The pink-mane filly had squeaked out in reply.
Rainbow Dash grinned. “Cool!”
Opposites attract, and the two, as different as can be, became instant friends.
Rainbow Dash was tough, tougher than any other blank flank or filly in the school and Cloudsdale. In fact, Fluttershy thought that maybe even Dumbbell and Hoops were afraid of her. Oh heck, she knew that Dumbbell and Hoops were afraid of Rainbow Dash. After all, nopony had dared to stand up against Fluttershy’s bullies. Rainbow Dash had helped Fluttershy, a lot. She stood up for Fluttershy against anypony who dared bully her friend, and soon everypony learnt to steer clear of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Because of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy felt safer, maybe even loved. And she knew that Rainbow Dash was her best friend, a true friend, and she stood up for Fluttershy and defended her, helping her as much as she could.
But she couldn’t be there every time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Fluttershy, you have to learn to stand up for yourself or Hoops and Dumbbell will never stop bugging you.” Rainbow Dash groaned to her friend, who was looking up at her meekly through her pink mane.
“D-do I really…?” Fluttershy whimpered at the thought of the two colts who took so much pleasure in bullying her.
“Yes.” Rainbow Dash stated firmly. “On top of that, I’m going to teach you how to fly.”
“B-but I c-can’t…”
“You’re a Pegasus, for Celestia’s sake! Of course you can!” Rainbow Dash retorted, with a determined look in her eyes. Once Rainbow Dash decided on something, there was no going back.
Let the lessons begin…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“S-stop, please…?” Fluttershy managed to squeak out, causing Rainbow Dash to groan.
“I need you to be louder, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash sighed, rubbing her face with her forehoof in annoyance. “Especially if you’re gonna say that to Hoops or Dumbbell, maybe even both of them.”
Fluttershy sighed and took a deep breath, trying her best to be ‘loud’ and ‘assertive’ like Rainbow Dash said.
“Stop…?”
“Ya know what? How about we save the ‘How to be assertive’ lessons for later.” Rainbow Dash decided. “Why don’t we start the flight lessons first? Maybe it’ll be easier for you. Is that okay, Fluttershy?”
“O-okay…?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Flying is really simple, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash smiled at her friend, “All you have to do is find some motivation—or a goal—and work towards that. Believe in that.”
Fluttershy frowned slightly. “Some motivation? ”
“Something you believe in, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash explained, “Like a goal or a dream. For example, my motivation is my dream. My dream is to join the Wonderbolts’ team, for your information.”
“Oh, yes, I know of your life dream,” Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow Dash. Everypony knew about Rainbow Dash’s dream. The rainbow-maned filly was constantly performing flight tricks and boasting about her skills and speed. Her dream was to prove herself worthy enough to the Wonderbolts and join the renowned flight team. It was as simple as that. To Rainbow Dash, it was her everything. It was her dream and lifelong goal. That was her motivation, to fly and train nonstop.
Anyway, back to Fluttershy’s flight lessons.
Do I have any motivation for this? Fluttershy pondered, any major dreams or goals to achieve?
She sighed in defeat. Unfortunately for her and Rainbow Dash, the answer was a no. A big, solid no.
“I-I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.” She shuffled a hoof on the clouds and sniffled, tears threatening to fall. Fluttershy knew that her friend would be disappointed. “I d-don’t think I have a motivation of any sorts.”
Rainbow Dash smiled at the filly sympathetically, and touched her wing to Fluttershy’s side in a comforting way. “Think about it, and tell me if you think of anything. Then I’ll teach you how to fly. To find your wings.”
That night, Fluttershy went back to her house, and thought about Rainbow Dash’s words over and over again, which struck her for some reason.
I’ll teach you how to fly. To find your wings.