Twilight sat on the fields, tired, exhausted. Rainbow Dash landed in front of her and looked at her with a neutral expression. Twilight looked up at Rainbow and scanned her face for any sign of disappointment or anger, but found none. Twilight looked down at the ground again. She wiped some sweat from her chest and face before standing up again.
All day, Rainbow and Twilight had been out in the fields, training. Rainbow had been giving her Instructions, but try after try, Twilight had only achieved failure in her attempts.
Just as Twilight stood up, Rainbow stopped her by putting a hoof on her shoulder
"Sit down, Twi," She said, looking into Twilight's eyes.
"But-"
"No buts." Rainbow removed her hoof as Twilight sighed in defeat. Rainbow folded her wings and sat down in front of Twilight, causing some loose grass to fly up from the ground. Twilight stopped and felt the wind blow in her mane a bit, causing a cool, refreshing feeling in her face. She sighed as the wind stopped a second later, then sat down against her will. The two ponies sat there on the hill, feeling the wind blowing through their fur and manes. It was a very welcome feeling for both of them after a day full of hard training and rough landings. The two mares sat there for a minute or two, until Rainbow decided to break the silence.
"Let me tell you something... A poem, that my dad told me." She looked up into the sky, following a small cloud with her eyes as it floated along. It was so peaceful, So calm... So... Balanced. Rainbow closed her eyes. What she was about to tell Twilight was something important and almost sacred to her. She finally opened her eyes, and looked at Twilight, whose violet eyes were filled with curiousity.
"Flyght," She said, making Twilight's right eye twitch. She had obviously expected something more from the rainbow coloured mare but quickly realized, this was Rainbow Dash. The super duper non-poetic pony that had almost nothing to do with literature. Twilight opened her mouth to snap something at Rainbow, but quickly closed it. She took a deep breath, letting fresh air enter her lungs. She stopped mid action, and closed her eyes as she thought of what to say. When she thought of what to say, her violet eyes met Rainbow's magenta ones.
"I thought flight was what I was trying to achieve," Twilight said. "And 'flight' is not a poem its a w-"
Rainbow placed a hoof over Twilights mouth, silencing the mare before she could give the pegasus a lecture. Rainbow stared into Twilight's eyes, waiting for them to close so she would know that she wouldn't continue speaking. They did close, and Rainbow chuckled.
"No, Twilight. Flyght. F-L-Y-G-H-T. It means 'Fly in the flight'," Rainbow said. She removed her hoof from Twilight's mouth, leaving the unicorn with her mouth agape. Twilight closed her mouth, thinking she must have looked silly with her lower jaw practically hanging to the grass. She groped for an answer as she thought about what Rainbow said. She slowly picked apart the sentence, trying to make sense of it. Rainbow Dash sat back on her haunches, watching Twilight. Twilight, who couldn't come up with a explanation, just said what she believed.
"That doesn't make any sense," Twilight muttered. Rainbow smiled wisely.
"It does make sense, Twi," Rainbow said. The wind was beginning to feel chilly.
"But it ca-"
"Didn't I say no buts?" Rainbow cut her friend off. Twilight lowered her gaze, feeling confused and defeated. the wind suddenly stopped, leaving the two ponies in silence. Rainbow placed a hoof under Twilights chin and lifted her head up so she could look her in the eyes.
"Think about it." Rainbow said. She removed the hoof and watched Twilight form a 'o' with her lips.
"You have to believe you're flying," Twilight realized. The wind returned, stronger this time.
"Right now, all you're thinking of is flapping your wings and forcing yourself," Rainbow explained. "You keep thinking you'll never do it; you keep thinking you're not flying. You're not thinking it, so you're not feeling it. You've gotta feel it here." Rainbow poked Twilight's chest, indicating her heart.
Rainbow opened her wings and took to the air, hovering just over Twilight's head. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. In her head, she could hear her father's voice.
"Balance yourself," His voice said. "Your wings are the Yin and the Yang. The Yin can't exist without the Yang, and the Yang can not Exist without the Yin. They must circle each other, flap in rhythm to maintain balance. They can not beat each other. One is weak where the other is strong, and the other is weak where the one is strong. Both have their weaknesses, both have their strengths. Combine them, and you will create enormous power and force. Combine them..."
Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open as she shot herself into the air, the wind flowing around her. A cone began to form, it's tip beginning at her left hoof, which was extended in front of her. The cone grew tighter and tighter as she went faster and faster, until suddenly...
BOOM!
The cone exploded. Rainbow Dash shot forward. The cone's shockwave blasted every colour of the rainbow across the sky. Rainbow glided through the air, not flapping, not steering. Just letting the wind carry her where it may.
Content, she turned back, heading back to Twilight. Twilight, who was waiting right where Rainbow had left her, was astonished. Though she had seen a Sonic Rainboom before, it was a sight that she would never get used to. She stared at the colours in the sky, not noticing Rainbow heading back to her. When broke out of her reverie, she realized Rainbow had landed behind her, and was waiting patiently for Twilight to return from her daydream. Twilight turned around to face Rainbow.
"Oh! Erm... Sorry for spacing out. I ju-"
"Don't worry Twi, I understand." Rainbow cut her off. "What I am curious about is how you felt when you spaced out. Care to tell?" The cyan mare asked. Twiligh,t who was a little confused about this question, put a hoof under her chin and thought about it.
"Well, I don't know... A little astonished, dumbstruck, elated..."
"That's it." Rainbow cut her off again. She stood up, her eyes never leaving Twilight's.
"Your mind was in a state where you felt like you were over the moon, correct?" Rainbow asked Twilight. Twilight tilted her head a little and looked at the mare in front of her, an amused smile playing across her muzzle.
"Yes... That was what I said, wasn't it?" She replied.
"In smart people terms, yeah," Rainbow teased. "Now stand up," She said, opening her wings. Twilight obeyed, opening her sore wings gingerly.
"I want your state of mind to be the same as when you saw the Rainboom," Rainbow Dash commanded.
"You mean astonished and happy?" Twilight asked with confusion.
"No. Like you're floating over the moon. Like you're in the air, soaring. Or you're a cloud without a care in the world, just floating! That's how your state of mind should be," Rainbow said enthusiastically.
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the athletic mare before chuckling lightly.
"This is nothing to laugh at, Twilight. This is serious. Look at that cloud over there," Rainbow said, pointing at a random cloud above them. She felt like the same way she had all those years ago, when her father had first started teaching her how to fly. She could hear his voice in her own as she repeated the words that he had told her.
"Look at the cloud and memorize it. Watch how it moves along the sky."
'Look at the cloud and memorize it. Watch how it moves along the sky.'
Rainbow Dash jumped. She was shocked to hear her father's voice behind her. She whirled around and saw herself as a small filly. Her father stood beside her, gently instructing her younger self. She shook her head and turned back to Twilight. She could still hear her father's voice, murmuring instructions the 3 year old version of herself. She opened her mouth and continued, her father's voice continuing to echo her own.
"When you fly, I want you to imagine it in your head. Imagine floating along slowly but surely. Then place yourself in that position. Floating, flying... Hovering. And before you know it, you'll be flying."
Twilight nodded, spreading her wings. She closed her eyes and stood there for a few seconds, before gently starting to flap her wings. Rainbow watched with great pride as her friend floated into the sky.
Before Twilight knew it, she was flying. She opened her eyes cautiously and glanced down. She was hovering about 10 meters above the ground.
"I... I... I'M DOING IT! I'M FLYING! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!" She screamed, shooting forward. Rainbow could see herself in the lavender Alicorn. Flying all around, doing loops, barrel rolls, and more. She looked so balanced... So happy.
Rainbow sat back and admired her handiwork. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but snapped them open again when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw her father's blue hoof resting there. The older Pegasus smiled at his daughter.
"Well done, Rainbow Flower. Well done."
Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine at hearing her real name for the first time in 16 years. A few tears appeared in her eyes and she blinked, trying to get rid of them, but to no avail.
"I'm proud of you," Her father told her.
"Th-Thank you... Daddy," She whispered, smiling up at her father. A few tears escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Her father nodded and backed away, disappearing into thin air. What she didn't notice was that Twilight had landed behind her with a small thump.
"Rainbow, thank you so- Are you... Crying?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow jumped and quickly swept the tears from her face. "N-No, Of course not! It's just...Sweat. Yeah, just sweat, you know? Long day and all... Heh Heh..." Rainbow said nervously, pushing herself off the ground. She looked at Twilight with a weak smile on her face. Twilight raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying the sweat story. Rainbow groaned.
"Let's just go celebrate.. Does Sugarcube Corner sound like a good Idea?" Rainbow asked as she turned her tail towards Twilight.
"Sure," Twilight answered. "Wait up!" She called, sprinting to join her friend.
