Flight of the Filly

It was a nice sunny day in Maretime Bay, a young white filly stood by the railing, stretching out her white and light purple wings as she looked to the air. Seeing two foals about her age just loving it up there, she stood there, wondering what she could do, she wanted to fly too, but she sucked.

”Lulu!” Stardust shouted, staring at a nearby pale yellow unicorn mare with her pastel pink and blue mane styled similar to Trixie’s. AKA me… “If you are going to write about me learning to fly, since it will be amazing! Don’t say I suck at something I don’t know how to do.”

”Fine.” I grumbled as I went back to writing, watching as this filly tried her best at making the beginning of this story she wanted me to write sound cool… “You gonna name the story anything?” I asked as I smirked, having already had an idea in mind.

“I’ll tell you later!” Stardust shrugged, “Just write the story, you are an otter.”

I rolled my eyes at her rudeness. “It’s author… Not otter…” I muttered, being a sea otter must suck. Like, do they ever get tired of being wet all the time? I watched as she started leaning with her back up to the railing and eyeing the nearby salon. I think one of the members of the royal family in Zephyr Heights owned it? I noticed Stardust just glaring at the salon and back at me with a mischievous smile, this was not going to end well, was it?

“What are you thinking, Stardust?” I asked, not expecting her to jump on my back, I let out a grunt of annoyance as she shouted.

“To Mane Melody!” She cried out, I was sure she was pointing, too. I rolled my eyes as I walked the few steps over the the salon. Wondering how I got into this mess. Oh yeah, she woke me up at 5 in the morning because she wanted me to write about her super epic quest; learning to fly, I mean. Don’t all pegasi learn how to fly, what made her anymore special besides the fact she was late? Oh well, we’ll see… As I opened the door I was immediately surprised by a mare jumping in front of me, teal coat and pink mane, seeming very excited as she spoke.

”Oh wow! A new customer!? Oh- I mean, I haven't seen you here before, welcome. You looking for a mane style, just ask Rocky! He can do massages too, now, but not me.” She sighed, sounding a bit disappointed, “Apparently I’m too hard on the pegasus and unicorn ponies when I do massages.”

”No.” I responded as Stardust jumped off my back and yelled loudly, surprising my poor ears. I’m sure Jazz’s would have also been surprised if they were there.

”I need Rocky!” Shouted Stardust as Jazz stepped back.

”Oh!” Jazz seemed a bit bothered by Stardust’s sudden shout, but she regained composure, lucky her, considering she was used to her shenanigans, from what i heard. Probably not as bad as when she went to prison, right? Oh wait, wrong pony. “He’s just over there.” She pointed as he flew over and landed in front of her.

”Hey Stardust, what’s up?” He asked before Stardust leapt up and clung to him, hooves around his neck as he glared in shock in confusion as she fluttered her wings, I watched on, wondering what this silly filly would do next. I heard she was very annoying…

“You must teach me how to fly!”

”Eh, me?” Rocky asked as his eyes widened, he looked at me as I shrugged and back at Stardust. “You want me? To teach you how to fly?”

”Yes! Get to the point!” Exclaimed Stardust in a way I felt was rude, I simply left her alone, wondering how this would end. I mean, who wouldn’t? He’s probably used to her anyway.

”Well, sure…” Rocky said before gazing at the door. “I’m no teacher, but I can give you the basics, you’ll have to wait till when I’m free.”

”Free?” Asked Stardust. “I don’t have any money!” She cried, as I rolled my eyes at her silly comments.

“Look, I really got to get ready for these customers that are about to walk in,” He said, looking at the door. “I’m simply way too busy today to deal with you, why not ask Zipp? I’m sure she’s a better flight teacher”

“Zippydoodler and her little pink sister are too busy to help me!” She whined getting on my nerves, “It would have been epic for you to teach me, considering you are like an older brother to me! Like how a ukulele is like a little sibling to a guitar!”

“Right, mate, that’s enough!” I grumbled as my horn lit up, I focused the energy on Stardust, who’s eyes widened as she was engulfed in a light magenta aura, reaching out towards Rocky as I pulled her from him. He looked a bit concerned and relieved as he looked at me, quickly backing up to a table and watching as I dragged the naughty, kicking filly out. One advantage of being a unicorn; you could pull screaming, kicking, naughty fillies away while being at no risk of being kicked yourself! “There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”

”I can’t believe it!” Stardust shouted as she was sat outside while I stood near the doors of the salon, blocking her from going back in if she wanted to. I scoffed as she went on a rant. “This was going to be something epic! Me learning to fly! Now Peanut was too busy, I always saw him as an older brother!” She stopped her hooves and sighed, “I suppose it could have been worse, right?”

“You could have made him late?”

“No, well, maybe…” She said as she looked into the distance and back at me with a smile, she wasn’t going to ask em to teach her how to fly, was she? I’m a unicorn, we don’t exactly fly… I mean, if I learned how to levitate myself, I could, but that doesn’t really count, does it? “Do you think you could run me to Bridlewood?” She asked innocently, fiddling her forehooves together.

“Bridlewood?” I asked, puzzled on her choice of location. She was still trying to learn how to fly, right? Hardly any pegasi lived there, as far as I know. How could a unicorn teach her how to fly?

“Yes! You can teleport us there, right?” She asked, pointing at my horn.

”Teleport?” It was a spell I knew, but hardly ever used, “I don’t know…” I thought to myself, it could end with us charred or lost, I didn't want that. I mean, wouldn’t it be easier or safer to just walk than use some complex spell. I just stood there, staring at her until she spoke again.

”Yes, you know? I know you know the spell! It’ll be faster and easier than walking!” She exclaimed, getting in my personal space. I let out a sigh as my horn lit up. I really did not want to do this, I had a sour feeling just thinking about it. It let out a deep breath as my horn shone brighter as I tried to think about the location, my horn starting to get really hot as I tried to prepare the spell, my mind getting foggy just seconds before there was an explosion of thankfully harmless sparks.

”Nope! I can’t do it!” I exclaimed out of relief and annoyance, making her jump back. I just hope she won’t ask again, but if it’s any reassurance for her, I bet she’ll find flying easier than I find teleportation. “No, not today. Perhaps we’ll just walk… Hey, imagine the views we’d miss out if we teleported.”

”But that’ll take forever!” She groaned. “But fair point, I guess?”

As we headed through Bridlewood, I paused when Stardust gasped, pointing at two unicorns talking to eachother on the grass near a home. “Onyx, Dapple!” She called out as I smirked at the two unicorns who’s names did not suit their appearances very well. I don’t know why I find the fact that Dapple isn’t in fact ‘dappled’ so amusing, but hey, weird name. Also, onyx is a blackish rock with sometimes bits of red or white. But Onyx the unicorn was a pale grey-blue with a purple mane, who thought of that name? I wondered.

“Stardust?” Dapple spoke first.

“You look ready to ask a request.” Added Onyx, monotonously, I let out a sigh, just hoping she wouldn't blurt out a poem anytime soon, my ears were pinned back as I looked at Stardust as she stretched out her forelegs and wings. “I need to fly!”

Dapple raised a brow as Onyx responded. “Good for you.”

”I am a late age at learning how to fly.”

”A lot of pegasi I know were adults when they learned…”

”I need someone to teach me!”

”Good luck on that.”

“Someone to help me!”

”Don’t we all?”

”Someone brave, smart, caring and optimistic, like me!”

”What a wish…”

”Someone who is a good flier!”

”I’ve seen plenty of good fliers taped to walls,”

”Can you teach me?”

”I don’t think the pony you should be asking that to can hear you from here…”

”You could throw me off a cliff, like a baby gosling jumps off a cliff to fly for the first time?”

”I don’t think flying is the only thing you need to learn…”

”Worth a try.”

“I’m not interested in… Jail time… for murder…”

I groaned, having enough at this conversation that was going back and forward. “I think she means ‘no’”

“She hasn’t said no?”

”Good suggestion, Stardust, much better than the other ones from today.” Onyx paused. “No.”

”Aww…”

“Let’s go to ZH…” I muttered, “Much higher chance to find a pony there that knows how to fly.”

After I dragged the naughty and crazily optimistic filly to Zephyr Heights, she leaped from me and started running away, with a groan, I chased after, wondering where she was going now. She was a dang fast runner, despite being a small filly. I gasped as I skidded to a stop, my heart skipping a beat as I worriedly watch her run towards two guards who were on break. “Stardust!” I whisper-yelled.

”Thunderwear! Zoomwings!” Stardust cried out as Zoom , a blue royal guard mare groaned as Stardust leaped on her.

“What brings you here?” She grunted before looking at me and back at her. “You brought another pony on your silly venture again?”

”Not silly!” Stardust exclaimed as she slid off her. “I need your help with something!”

”My help!?” Zoom asked in a more determined voice and posture, “What do you need help with?” She asked, a hint of concern in her expression, which I suppose made sense. Stardust lives on her own in a tree house, from what she had told me. Of course a royal guard would be concerned when any foal-especially one who lives like Stardust when she asks for help. As Stardust got ready to speak, I put my hooves together, just hoping the guard wouldn’t be bothered by it, she had a serious job.

“I need to fly.”

”You need to fly?” Zoom asked, “Something wrong with your wings?”

”Yes, I can’t fly! You know this, already, Bluey! C’mon, I need you to teach me! Onyx and Dapple said no!”

She was not surprised. ”Really? I wonder why.”

“Rocky and Jazz were too busy…”

“Shocking…”

”So, you are my last option…” Stardust said, looking at her with enlarged pupils and fidgeting her hooves together. “I’m sure you’ll only want to throw me off the cliff once?”

Zoom looked puzzled at her remark as I rolled her eyes. “Out of annoyance? Or do you still seriously think pegasi learn to fly by being thrown off the cliff?”

“They don’t?”

”No, they don’t…” Zoom sounded rather annoyed. “That’s that endangerment, in fact, I can assure that would end in more deaths than successful first flights. Not only that, more ponies would be in prison.”

There was a pause as Stardust looked to the ground, puzzled and stuck in thought before she leaped in the air with joy. “That makes it so much easier! Let’s go! Let’s go! Bleue Ciel!”

Zoom looked a bit puzzled at the new nickname, I was puzzled too. Was that something she heard in some media and started using it or something? I had never heard of that in my life, it was like she had just spoken another language. I mean, Stardust was a weird pony at times, but I suppose she was full of surprises. “Not teaching you, we have the afternoon off and Thunder wants to attend the grand re-opening his favourite ice cream store…”

”Ice cream can wait, not like it’ll grow legs and walk away!” Stardust exclaimed, “Well, unless walking buildings exist?”

”Answer is still no, I’m a guard, I have other plans. I am not a flight teacher, find somepony else!” She barked and started walking as Thunder stood there, looking at her.

“Actually, Zoom…” Thunder said, looking at her with concern, I guess Stardust was heartbroken, she did look upset. But she was being a bit of a brat. But why was Thunder looking remorseful, if I were him, it’d be a ‘no’ and straight to the ice cream shop. “Are you sure we can’t do anything?”

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him, as I just sat there, confused, agreeing with her. “Like what? It’s not our problem, Thunder. It is hers.”

”But, I mean… From what I’ve seen, she’s been really wanting to fly since- I don’t know! Fillies younger than her are able to fly, I don't blame her on being upset.” He said, his ears drooping. “Before we got magic, remember how much you wanted to fly?”

”Remember how often she trespassed into the palace just to annoy us!?” She exclaimed, “I have no remorse!” She said before looking ahead and taking another step.

”B-But-“ Thunder exclaimed before sighing and following, I shrugged as I smirked at Stardust.

“There we go.”

“I’m not gonna give up…” Stardust mumbled, reaching into her interdimensional pocket. Which even I was confused about, do I have one? Anyway, she seemed to grab out a net that looked somewhat familiar, the stick was wooden while the hoop part appeared to be red plastic. I watched curiously as Stardust started running towards Zoom, a part of me wanted to stop me, but I kind of wanted to see how this would unravel, I mean, that would make an interesting situation for a story later, right? I watched as Stardust ran after Zoom like a lion hunting her prey, leaping in the air with hope, her wings fluttering as she came back down with giant swipe of the net on her hooves, encasing the guard’s head in the net, standing on her back as her face almost went red.

“Stardust!” She cried with anger as she took the net off.

“I caught Zoom! I wonder if she can make my flight bloom!” Cried out Stardust with a wide grin as she made a pose, just seconds before she fell off Zoom’s back.

“Lula!” Cried Zoom, pointing at me, how the hay she knew my name? Everypony called me Lulu! Great, just hope she dose not figure the unicorn I was named after… “Aren’t you in charge of this filly!?”

I gulped, knowing I was in trouble, but I kind of had a reason, I mean… I may be reckless. “I was not paid to be foal-sitter. She paid me to write a story. Two different things.” I said, likely sounding a little nervous, but she seemed to accept the answer, much to my relief.

“Believable… But be more careful around her, I’ve seen her do stuff…” Zoom warned, she must have been through a lot of Stardust shenanigans. Hold on- That news last week with the filly that filled a bunch of guard helmets with slime last week, any chance that might have been Stardust?

“Okay Stardust.” I said, having enough as I engulfed my magic around her. “Let’s leave these guards alone so they can go to the ice cream shop. They don’t need a spoiled filly annoying them…”

“I am not spoiled!” She cried as I dragged her away, where the hay was this filly’s parents? Why weren’t they with her? Would be easier for me and a lot others. I felt rather bitter at those creatures I hadn’t even met now, they threw their responsibility of this child onto us. What was stopping them from staying in Equestria with her, too embarrased?