Balance within Harmony

The next day after the Cloudsdale trip, the bearer six and Spike had met up to hear all about the adventure. Some of the ground ponies had seen the dual sonic booms, and everypony wanted to hear how it had happened. Of course Fluttershy was too bashful to boast all about it, but Rainbow had that covered.

"And when it came to flying home the Princesses insisted that they honoured me and Fluttershy by flying the balloons home..." Rainbow boasted "...which was great situation for me to finally propose..."

"Propose?" five synchronized voices replied, whilst Fluttershy nearly died of embarassment

"Oops" Rainbow faced-hoofed "We were going to keep it quiet for a little while, but yeah, we swapped feathers!" Rarity and Pinkie Pie both started crying at the news. Twilight comforted his emotional other half, knowing her sensitive nature that the tears of happiness would last until the point she realised she had a new dress to make

But Pinkie tearing up at happy news surprised everypony, normally only crying at really sad things "You okay sugarcube" Applejack asked putting arm round her.

Pinkie sniffed a bit "Thats just another two parties to organise...and i have so many other parties to organise! I've forgotten exactly how many, and if i leave anypony out that would be horrible!". Typical of our Pinkie to focus on the irrelevant party Rainbow Dash thought to himself But thats why we all love her!

"WAIT...that means you need a dress...IDEA!" an excited voice then shouted out...

***

At the next Saturday brunch, Twilight and his main five pony friends met up as normally, although had decided to meet without their sisters or daughter. Once everypony had eaten, Twilight addressed the group.

“You know how Sweetie has been pestering Rarity and I about teaching her magic?” The colt was met with five nods "Well, since the fall she has been pestering more so next time she could try to save herself"

“And Scootaloo has always been pushing you two to teach her to fly” he continued and pointed to the pair of pegaus lovers, who nodded at each other. "I guess that since the fall she has been pestering you more?

"Little scoots has been asking every day" Fluttershy confirmed

Twilight then turned to Applejack and Pinkie, who being the only non-pairing were now sat next to each other by default “Whilst Applebloom pushes you two, and everypony else, to teach her more about farming and such, just so to get her cutie mark”

Twilight was met with a chorus of agreements and nodding with every line. “Well, I think it’s about time they got some lessons!”

“Really?” Rainbow asked "Aren't they still a little young, and don't they need to find their calling by themselves, like we all did?"

"Thanks to yours truly" Rainbow reminded them

“Yes, but I'm not talking quite the lessons, or in the way, they probably expect” Twilight smiled, and explained his plan to his friends….

***

It was early on the next Saturday morning, and instead of the usual brunch the nine ponies had instead met at Flutter-Dash cottage. The crusaders were a little confused, as they sensed something was up and they were nervous but excited.

After a quick breakfast of tea and muffins, the three fillies were sat down. Applejack started “Twilight’s had an idea, that we’ve all decided that as usual it was a good one”

“Yes darlings” Rarity continued “We have decided that we should give each of you a bit of a lesson today, to help you along your way.”

Twilight continued “Afterall, everypony needs some help with their magic…”

“…and all Pegasi need somepony to help they fly better…” Rainbow continued

“…and sometimes a little help in finding their path to their cutie marks” Pinkie concluded

The three fillies looked at each other with excitement, and started bouncing up and down a little.

Fluttershy turned to the crusaders “So Scootaloo darling, please go with Twilight and Rarity, Sweetie Belle go with Applejack and Pinkie, and Applebloom come with me and Rainbow Dash”

“What??” The three fillies responded in astonishment

***

Twilight escorted Scootaloo outside where Rarity was already looking up at the beautiful sky “What a lovely day to be outside, one could practically want to make the few clouds change into a pretty pattern!”

“Yes, ma’am” Scottaloo nervously responded.

“No need to be so formal Scoots” Twilight responded “Save that for proper school during the week”

“So, you going to teach me to fly with magic or something?”

Rarity responded “Nope, first we want you to climb up to the cloud”

Scootaloo looked at the unicorns in confusion, but started the familiar jumps up the cloud patio steps. When she got to the top, the small filly looked down at Rarity and Twilight holding a big sheet

“What's that for?”

“Nevermind that…now stretch out your wings to their fullest” Twilight commanded. The orange pegasus did what the powerful colt asked, as everypony always did what Twilight asked. It wouldn't surprise her if he was ruling Equestria someday!

“Now jump off, and don’t flap your wings”

“What?”

“We’ll catch you in this sheet”

Scootaloo gulped nervously, but after a few seconds jumped. As soon as the filly was in the air and started fall, she instinctively flapped her wings to no effect. The filly dropped like a stone, which brought up memories of the fall from Clousdale. But no sooner had the fall started, she landed in the stretched soft sheet.

The unicorn pair put her down, and Rarity gave the scared filly a big hug “There there, it’s okay see?”

After a few moments, Scootaloo broke the hug not being a fan off all the smooshy stuff. Twilight than put a hoof on the fillies should “Okay, up you go to try again, but this time don’t flap your wings”

Twilight teleported Scootaloo back up to the cloud, causing her to squeak. “Don’t be afraid, just spread your wings like before”.

Scootaloo looked down at the two unicorns, and slowly spread her wings again “Good” Rarity cooed “Now this time, hold your wings wide as possible and hold them out as you fall. And don’t move them!”

“But I’ll just fall” the filly whined.

“Do you trust us?” Rarity called back.

“Yes” the voice of the filly was filled with nerves

“Then do it!”

Scootaloo took a deep breath and jumped. She fought her instincts and did not move her wings, which instead of collapsing caught the air. The young filly started to glide a little, but without any control she soon stalled and started falling away from Twilight and Rarity.  Before the pegasus hit the ground, she was caught in both Rarity and Twilights aura, who levitated the foal over to them, before leaving her to fall the final few inches into the sheet.

Scootaloo jumped up and started to give Rarity a massive hug “I did it, I did it, I flew!”

“You sure did Scoots!”

Twilight teleported her back up to the cloud “”Good good, lets keep going now you've started. This time aim to keep yourself pointing slightly downwards so you keep moving”

Hours went past, as the pair of unicorns taught the Peagsus on how to glide. Slowly the glides got longer and longer, and whilst aiming took a while to get used to, the unicorns used their magic to always keep the little flyer from hitting the ground. After more than fifty jumps, eventually Scootaloo could glide all the way down before landing safely on her hoofs.

It had reached lunchtime so Twilight decided to call it a day.

“So, when do I start flying?” the excited young glider asked

“Oh, not today” Rarity put her hoof on the filly “Not even possibly for months. You need to grow a little more first!”

“Then why teach me this…it just seems cruel. Can’t you use your magic to make me stronger” Scootaloo moped, giving the best puppy dog eyes she could to Twilight.

Twilight laughed at the sight, reminding him of how Sweetie Belle acted “Gliding will act as an important safety net when both learning to fly, and even when you can. It will keep you safe. Today is an important step along the path to flying, but like many pegasi, including your mother, you will need to work hard before you can fly. Theres only one Rainbow Dash afterall. But for now remember that the ground has so much wonder…”

“Like having a smart unicorn aunt and uncle to teach you things?” the little filly responded with a sigh, realising that sometimes lessons have to be learnt the slow way. She was never going to be a Wonderbolt, but if a weak flyer like her mother can save the day, and go supersonic, then perhaps one day she may be able to do the same…

***

Fluttershy, Rainbow and Applebloom walked out of the front of the cottage, and went to sit by the river. The adult pair had a bit more of a harder time than the others, as afterall Applebloom was already a good earth pony. She was strong and fast from the farm work she does, and there wasn’t much to teach her physically. However, they knew emotionally there was a lot to for the small filly to learn.

“Isn’t it a lovely day” Fluttershy sighed as they enjoyed the lovely morning sun.

“Being an earth pony sucks” Applebloom moped

“Applebloom Apple! Such language!” Fluttershy responded in shock

Rainbow stifled a laugh “Relax Flutters, sucks isn't the worse word in the world. But why do you say that Applebloom?”

“Well, I bet my friends are doing epic things, whilst we just sit here. Sweetie Belle is going to eventually going to be able to do Magic. Scootaloo will eventually learn to fly. And they will both also get their special talent on top whenever we all get our Cutie Marks. But me…I’m going to have a cutie mark, but no extra special ability like my friends”

Rainbow dash looked at the sad small earth filly, worried that he wasn’t the best pony to talk to about the ordinariness of Earth ponies. Afterall, he was as strong and fast as Applejack, without the use of his wings. With them, he was the fastest pony in all of known history! He looked over to his weaker lover for some help, but she shock her head as if to say I’m not letting you out of this one!

Rainbow Dash took an inhale, and then an idea came to him. “What about me?”

“Well, you are awesome fast flyer, you can do Sonic Rainbooms!” Applebloom responded.

“So, except for being a flyer, what are my special skills?”

Applebloom seemed a little speechless, so Rainbow Dash carried on “Fluttershy can fly and speak to animals, so she has two skills, one more than me. Rarity can use magic and be a wonderful designer. Pinkie, an Earth pony, is a master partier and can tell the future. And then take Derpy - she can barely fly and I'm not sure what bubbles represent, but that hasn't stopped her from being happy, finding her special somepony, a lovely earth colt, and having a family”

“Shucks, I’m not thinking about that sort of stuff yet” Applebloom blushed

“Maybe not, but I’m just saying that there’s more in life then our tribes and cutie marks. If you are a rounded good pony you will find your life full of fun and adventure.”

“And you never know what you’re special talent will be” Fluttershy stepped in, impressed by her loves response “After all, nopony would have guessed a pegasus would have my ability for ground animals. Until you find out what yours is, there’s nothing to worry about!”

“So what are we going to do today?” Applebloom asked

“What do you want to do…what do you like to do?” Fluttershy asked.

Applebloom pondered for a second “I’m not sure…I guess I never sit down and think about it”

“Welcome take your time young filly” Fluttershy put a wing round her “There’s no rush”

A few minutes passed with Applebloom just sitting thinking. Firstly a whole bunch of crazy schemes passed through her mind, but she realised that wasn’t what she liked to do, it’s just what she enjoyed doing with her friends.

“Actually, can we make something, I like working with my hoofs?” the ribbon headed filly suddenly broke the silence.

“Of course” Fluttershy smiled “I like arts and crafts myself, I’ve got loads of supplies. Or I have loads of wood and nails…”

“Well, can we make a go-cart?” she filly excited interrupted.

“Oh, bit of a speed demon are we?” Rainbow laughed. The trio got up and went out to the back of the cottages vast estate, where all the supplies from animal feed to repair equipment was stored. They quickly got to work making a simple cart, the pegasi pair surprised at how quickly Applebloom could work with tools. This was clearly going to be part of the filly’s future in some way as usually only Unicorns could manipulate tools that well, if only she would realise it.

Within two hours the cart was finished, the paint drying slowly in the sun. It looked an impressive machine, with a simple design well put together. They agreed that the filly could take it home with her and try it out on some of the smaller hills on Sweet Apples Acres.

Applebloom looked at her creation with pride “Thank you Fluttershy, thank you Rainbow Dash. It was great just to do something I love without having to worry about trying to find my destiny in life”

“Really, you think that was todays purpose?” Fluttershy asked in surprise

“Yep, wasn’t it?”

The two pegasi looked at each other and laughed.

***

Applejack and Pinkie sat in the main living room of Flutter-Dash cottage, with the curtains drawn and some candles providing a little illumination instead. Sweetie entered the room, and sat between the two ponies as the indicated. Applejack had removed his hat and both ponies were sat almost looking like they were in meditation.

“Are you ready young unicorn” Pinkie asked in her Madam Pinkie voice.

“I guess” Sweetie replied a little confused.

“Pick up the pebble” Applejack commanded trying to sound mystic rather than earthy as usual. As anypony would have guessed, he failed and just sounded as country as ever.

“How, I don’t know any magic!” Sweetie squeaked back annoyed.

“Not with your magic, with your hooves” the colt calmly responded

Sweetie cast a look of scepticism at Applejack, but picked up the pebble “Done”

“Now, what are you holding” Applejack asked.

“A pebble”

“Just a pebble?”

“Yeah”

“It’s not just a pebble, it’s a round piece of smooth sedimentary rock with streaks of Quartz and other minerals causing a multicolored effect” Pinkie replied

“Yeah, I guess? What does that have to do about anything?” the youngster replied

“Well, if you just see a pebble, you’re not seeing what it really is. You’re just seeing the surface, you’re not looking beyond what your eyes are telling you” Pinkie replied in a mysterious manner.

Sweetie looked back down at the small meaningless pebble What on earth are these crazy ponies going on about

“Now, put the pebble back down and close your eyes” Applejack spoke as plainly as possible. Sweetie put down the rock, and closed her eyes.

“Take some deep breaths, and picture the pebble in your mind” Pinkie softly spoke, putting a hoof on the fillies shoulder.

“Okay” Sweetie responded

“Now, what do you see”

“A pebble”

“Just a pebble”

“No…I see a smooth sedentary rock with streaks of courts and other miners, causing a multicoloured effort”

“Close enough” Pinkie laughed “Is it the pebble in the room with us?”

“I don’t know, it was when I closed my eyes”

“Okay, now rather than just imagining the pebble, seek out the real pebble in your mind”

“What?”

“You are a unicorn, and therefore to interact with any object you need to see it with mind, not your eyes”

“But I don’t know how” the filly whined back

“Actually partner, you do” Applejack responded “You just need to take your time and not rush into it like you usually do”

Sweetie sat there for a long time, breathing in and out. Suddenly, she squeaked a“Whats that?”

“What?” Pinkie responded, having opened her eyes to keep an eye on the filly

Sweetie kept her eyes closed but pointed with a hoof “Over…over there”

Pinkie looked over and laughed “That’s just one of Fluttershy’s Pets…I mean roommates, scurrying across the floor”

“Hmmm, I could feel something different about it” and without further encouragement Sweetie went back to concentrating. Every so often she would point to an object and either Applejack and Pinkie would say what she was pointing to. It was clear that the young unicorn was for the first time just being calm enough to allow her innate unicorn sense just to flow over the room.

After a couple of hours, it was time to end the ‘lesson’, with something Applejack planned. He softly and without any noise moved the pebble from just in front of the filly to one of the tables. “Now Sweetie Belle, where is the pebble?”

Sweetie pointed to where the pebble was when she had closed her eyes “There!”

All the other ponies were watching this unfold just out of sight, being told to keep quiet by Twilight.

“Are you sure?” Applejack enquired

“Yeah…no…wait” Sweeties face filled with confusion “No…it’s over…there” she correctly pointed with her hoof “Somepony moved it?” she asked in surprise, opening her eyes.

“How did you know the pebble had been moved with your eyes closed?” Pinkie asked

“Well, I sensed it over there…wait, I sensed it?”

“Exactly” Rarity entered the room and beamed a smile at her sister

“Exactly what?” The younger belle replied “It’s not like I moved the pebble” she squeaked

“No, not today. That wasn’t the point, but you did something you hadn't done before. You used your magic to sense things in the room. And you didn’t need a unicorn to teach you that, you just needed to keep calm and concentrate.” Applejack responded.

“Sensing things…hardly the stuff of my sister” Sweetie Belle pouted

“Now, in comparison I and nearly everypony else in Equestria feel that way about Twilight” Rarity responded, causing her fiance to blush “Sweetie Belle, everything in life takes hard work, not just ‘earth pony stuff’” she motioned the quote symbol with her hooves “but everything. Twilight only got as good as he did through years of dedicated studying. Eventually, you will find your magic but it won’t come overnight, you need to work hard. And anypony can teach you that lesson”

“So, today wasn’t about really teaching us what we wanted to know?” Scootaloo asked

Fluttershy put a wing around her daughter and Applebloom next to her “Not exactly teaching you what you wanted to know, we taught you something you need to know before you grow and get your cutie marks”

“Whats that, how to fail?” the brash peagsus responded, before casting a sorry look to her adopted mother.

“No, that finding your Cutie Marks won’t be the end of the story, it’ll just be the start. Any everypony from us to Cheerilee will be able to teach you about all sorts of things.”

Twilight turned to the foals “Take Rares…I mean Rarity, for example. Her special talent is gem finding, but she is a dress maker. Rainbow’s special talent is fast flying, but he’s just as committed to being Ponyvilles Weather Team Leader. Applejack is an apple farmer, but also one of the fastest runners around.”

“But our cutie marks…” Sweetie Belle started to whine.

“Will only be a part of what you are. It may signify one of your most special talents, but there’s so much more to each pony than that!” Pinkie laughed “Afterall, it’s not like all I care about it parties and fun!”

Everypony else just looked at each other, not sure how to respond.

“Kidding, afterall I’m the exception that proves the rule!” Pinkie fell over laughing being joined in by the rest of her friends.

The three cutie mark crusaders looked at the six ponies in a group hug, and decided to leave them to it. They started talking about what they learned, and decided to go watch Scootaloo glide, before having a go on the go-cart and finally testing Sweeties new sensing ability…