Instinct of Flight

by SweetieTheBot

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Random
Length: 899

When Rainbow Dash teaches Twilight hwo to fly, Twilight learns an important lesson that will get her through the toughest parts of life.

Learning to fly couldn't be that hard, right? Wrong. The height is dizzying, and the wind is harsh. But sometimes you have to learn to rely on something that you really don't have power over, but could really save your life. Even in the toughest parts of life, it'll always be there to rely on, and it won't let you down.

Cover by DoktorRainbowFridge on Deviantart

Published 2013-08-31 17:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-31 17:40:02 UTC

1

Twilight was new to this.  She was not only scared of her new responsibilities, but she was scared of the ground.

"Come on, just flap them, and you'll lift off!" Rainbow Dash said, flying around Twilight.  Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had invited her to this cloud to help her learn to fly.  They had brought the cloud down to earth, and Twilight stepped on the cloud.  She just didn't expect Rainbow to fly her so high.

"Its okay to be nervous, I was nervous my first time flying." Fluttershy said sympathetically.

Rainbow gave Fluttershy a funny look.  "Nervous?  You're a pegasus, were born to fly." Rainbow said, and did a little twirl.  "I was anything but nervous.  You see, Fluttershy was being bullied and I-" Rainbow began, but Twilight had heard the story of how Rainbow got her cutie make too many times.

"Can we please get back to me now?" Twilight said, and the pegasi turned to Twi.

"We're sorry, Twilight." Fluttershy said, and Rainbow nodded.

After a moment, Rainbow's face lit up again.  "If we're just going to sit here we might as well have stayed on the ground.  Let's get you flying!" Rainbow said, and pushed Twi's rump, trying to get her off the cloud.  Fluttershy dove in in front of Twilight, and pushed on her other end, trying to keep her on the cloud.  "Fluttershy?  What are you doing?!  We have to get Twilight off the cloud and in the air." Rainbow said, and Fluttershy shook her head.

"We have to begin slowly.  Twilight needs to get comfortable with the air." Fluttershy said, and pushed harder to keep Twi on the cloud.

"She'll never get comfortable if we keep babying her.  We need her instincts to kick in!" Rainbow said, and shoved harder. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash battled with Twilight on the edge of the cloud for a few minutes until Twilight snapped, mostly from the fear of falling off the cloud.

"Stop it!  I'll learn to fly at my own pace, thank you very much!" Twilight said angrily, and the two pegasi stopped shoving.

"Sorry Twilight." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Twi." Rainbow said.

Twilight looked down at the ground woozily.  "How am I ever going to do this?" She said, and Fluttershy sighed.

"As I said before, I was nervous when I first began, too.  It takes awhile to get used to the air, and the vertigo, and the height, and the wind, and if you fall..." Fluttershy said, and then looked down.  Fluttershy bolted back to the cloud, and once she was settled, she looked at Twilight.  "See?" Fluttershy said sadly, "I still get nervous." she said under her breath.

Rainbow Dash was staring at the two scared mares, huddling on the cloud.  "Oh come on, Fluttershy.  You know that's not true." Rainbow said, and then rolled her eyes.  She snuck behind Fluttershy, as quiet as her wings would take her. "Bah!" Dash yelled, and Fluttershy jumped from the cloud and into the air.  Once Fluttershy saw she was flying, she blushed sheepishly.

"See?  It's easy.  You just need the right..." Rainbow began, and snuck behind Twilight. "..incentive!" She yelled, and pushed Twilight clear of the cloud.

"Aaah!" Twilight yelled, her mind was rushing as the hard ground grew closer and closer.

***

Twilight's squeezed closed shut as she felt the harsh wind whip her mane back, as she fell to her death.  She heard Fluttershy's distressed as she fell farther and farther from the cloud.  In the back of her head, she hoped that instinct would kick in, like Rainbow Dash said.

She felt helpless to her fate, until the wind whipping her mane back stopped.  The air was light around her, and she tentatively opened an eye.  She looked up to see her horn was glowing, and so were her wings.  Her magic was flapping her wings, back and forth, keeping her aloft.  Instinct had kicked in, but not the way Twilight thought it would.  Magic had always been her strong suit, and apparently she knew it so well, she could do it without even thinking about it, literally.  Now that she knew she was making her wings flap with magic, she put her mind to it, making her wings flap harder and harder, going higher and higher, until she was back at the cloud.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both had appalled looks on their faces.

"Th-th-that was..." Rainbow said softly.

"I-I can't believe you did...oh my Celestia..."Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash was the first to break out of the trance.  "That. Was.  AWESOME!  I'm so proud of you!" She squeed, and hugged Twilight.

"How did you do that?" Fluttershy said, and looked at Twilight' horn.

Twilight shrugged, "Instinct."

2

After that day, Twilight felt more confident about flying, she knew she always had her magic to rely on if she fell.  She practiced every day with Fluttershy and Dash, flying faster and faster each time, she suspected Fluttershy being a little jealous.  Flying became fun for Twilight, even though her wings had only been there for a short time.

After awhile, things began to change.

Twilight grew, taller.

Her wings became grander.

Her horn became longer, and skinnier.

Her mane became longer, and lighter.

Her friends and her became older.

She was looked up to, and gaped upon.

She ruled the land, beside Celestia and Luna.

She was Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Life was hard, but she knew she'd get through it.  If there was one thing Rainbow Dash had taught her, it was to be confident, and see things through.  How did she do this, you ask?

Instinct.