On wings of Glimmer

Twilight's hooves connected to solid ground. Quickly after, a young, gray filly jumped off her back. She usually flew little Dawn Light to flight class, for more reasons than she admitted.

Officially, the way would simply be too dangerous and long for her daughter, especially with the many obstacles that made the path be an easy two times as long on hoof as the direct line.

But she also did it because she liked to meet Scootaloo, the young pegasi's teacher, and maybe stay for a while and watch as she, the pony who had had to learn how to fly harder than anypony else, instructed her class with great joy and motivation.

There was a third reason, as well. Nopony but Twilight herself and Glimmer knew it, but they strongly believed that there was nothing better to help their daughter develop into a proper pegasus than to take her to the air, to let her feel the flight wind and flap her little wings in excitement, despite not even coming off her hooves.

That excitement was missing, however, and the mare couldn't help but notice it.

"Why so down?"

The filly sighed deeply. "You wouldn't understand..."

Why can they never make things easy? Twilight thought. "I'm sure I will. What's on your mind?"

"All the others in my class can do things like jump thirty feet or do a backflip from the ground and land on their hooves. I can't even slow my fall. I'll never be able to fly!"

Twilight extended a foreleg to keep the two of them out of earshot of the other ponies already assembled. "Great talent doesn't come right at the beginning, Dawn. You never know when you might discover how good you're at something you thought impossible to you. Do you know when Scoots over there first took off into real flight?"

"On my second birthday. She doesn't really make a secret out of it, anyway. But how is that supposed to make me a better flier?"

"Okay, secret time. I wasn't born with those wings, you know. Do you want to know how I got them?"

"Wha? Tell me, please!"

"It was on the day you were born. Glimmer always was a pegasus, but I was okay with that, even though I couldn't keep up when she took to the sky. But when I saw those wonderful little wings on your side, all I wanted was to be with you two, to protect you while you'd soar through the skies. And as magic works, when I didn't give up my heart's desire, I was granted this gift."

She pointed towards her outstretched wings. "Now, what do I and your teacher share?"

"Functional wings, unlike mine?"

The tenacity of keeping her point was surprising. Twilight wondered where her daughter might have gotten that from. "Ye... No! We both faced an impossible task, but even then, before the seemingly impossible, we didn't give up. Where would you think I'd be today if I had just surrendered to the logical borders?"

Dawn Light was visibly thinking, so Twilight pushed her point further. "Don't be discouraged by what your classmates do or say. The only thing important is what you are. You'll become the finest flier of all of your year. Believe it or not..."

"Mom..."

"When I had freshly gotten my wings, I was much worse with them than you are now."

"Mom."

"... So don't give up. Just that something is impossible doesn't mean you can't do it."

"MOMMY!"

"Huh?"

"That's great and I think I've learned my lesson, but look, now we're late!"

Indeed, Scootaloo caught Twilight's look and waved them over, waiting to begin her lesson.

Before she went to attend other business, Twilight had a short talk with the flight teacher.

"Is she already in that age where every peggy gets their personal crisis 'cause they can't fly?"

"Sure is. If only they knew how common it is. Have a nice lesson with her!"

"I will, I'm sure. Make sure to tell your wife how grateful I am for her to help me over mine!"

With those words, Scootaloo turned towards her class, and Twilight flew off.

"Oh colt, they sure get old so fast. I wouldn't have expected her to bring up the topic of flying so early, would you?" Glimmer had made tea while Twilight was gone.

"It's those early starters in her class. But again, her teacher is Scoots. I don't think there's any pony better suited for teaching young pegasi in that stage of their lives."

"That reminds me so much of how you learned to fly."

"Funny that you mention that. I had to tell her of it to cheer her up."

"She'd have figured out sooner or later anyway, right?"

"Maybe. Kind of how I figured out you had a crush on me?"

Glimmer blushed, but giggled shortly afterwards. "Kiss me, you."