A Pair Of Aces

by Bronies Zack and Nicos

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Fluttershy, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1629

[GuestFic] Rainbow Dash decides to teach Fluttershy how to "really use those wings". What could possibly go wrong...?

A Guest FanFic by my friend, AwesomelyMe0728. Fic belongs to him, but we agreed to publish it here. Edited (Slightly) and published with his permission.

Fluttershy has never been the greatest flier. In fact, she's never really enjoyed it either. But when Rainbow Dash finds out, she decides immediately to help her "really use those wings". What could go wrong?

Cover art by yours truly.

Published 2013-04-02 12:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-02 12:30:01 UTC

Chapter 1: Basics

Chapter 1: Basics

After delivering the bowl of icing and cookbook to Pinkie Pie's house, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy met in the fields at 3 'o clock on the dot. The cyan-colored mare leaned back and breathed in the fresh air.

"Ahh, isn't this great? This is where I practice my stunts," explained Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy nodded.

"So, um, how do we do this?" asked Fluttershy in her usual whispery tone.

"Okay, so first, we start with the basics." said Rainbow Dash. "Slowly, start flapping your wings." Fluttershy obeyed.

"Good! Now just a little bit faster." commented Fluttershy's 'mentor'. The animal caretaker did as she was told.

"Okay...faster...FASTER..." said Rainbow Dash, waving her arms in a circle motion. Fluttershy was quickly panting as her wings became a yellow blur, but yet did not lift off the ground. Then she was overwhelmed and abruptly stopped.

"Is...flying...always...this...tiring...?"wheezed Fluttershy, who had now collapsed onto the silky grass. Rainbow Dash stood over her, helping her up.

"Hmm...I see the problem now...you're afraid of trying to fly, but instead you should be trying to BELIEVE that you can fly! That's the key: believing." explained Rainbow Dash, emphasizing on the word "believe".

"Can... we just take a break for a short while?" asked Fluttershy, still tired. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"Fine," said the cyan mare. "But only for a little while." Fluttershy then flumped onto the grass, looking up into the clouds.

"Huh, I guess it is pretty peaceful here." realized Fluttershy. She saw the Rainbow Dash was on the ground as well.

"Now do you see why I picked this spot as my practicing spot?" asked Rainbow Dash, turning her head to face Fluttershy.

They both laughed and enjoyed the sunshine.

oOoOoOoOo

"Alright, breaktime's over, sleepyhead." said Rainbow Dash, getting up. "We need to get to work now." Fluttershy yawned and got up.

"Fine. Ok, so what's next?" wondered Fluttershy.

"Wait right here." said Rainbow Dash, zooming off into the horizon, and instantly coming back.

"What did you get?" asked Fluttershy. The cyan mare presented Mr. Wiggums the rabbit, Fluttershy's first duty to take care of. The caretaker yelped.

"But-but- MR. WIGGUMS! Rainbow Dash, you can't hold her like THAT!" complained Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash held the squealing rabbit up higher from the ground.

"Now for your first test. I want you to fly up here, grab Mr. Wiggles and fly back down safely. Got it?" commanded the cyan mare. The yellow and pink pony whimpered.

"It's DANGEROUS, Rainbow Dash! What if you drop him?! And it's Mr. WIGGUMS," shouted Fluttershy, truly worrying her head off.

"Well, then, you better fly up here and save her." stated Rainbow Dash, showing no signs of backing down now. Fluttershy attempted jumping up high to save the rabbit, but her trials were futile.

"Come on Fluttershy! Pretend that your life depends on flying!" demanded the cyan mare, holding up Mr. Wiggums up higher.

"But...I don't want to die..." stammered the caretaker.

"Well then BELIEVE!" screamed Rainbow Dash, getting impatient now.

In that single moment, Fluttershy understood what to do. She spread her wings and thought the same loud thought in her mind: I can do it. I can fly. Fluttershy flapped her wings as hard as she could and to Rainbow Dash's surprise, the caretaker flew up with such speed that she dropped the rabbit. With lightning-fast reactions, Fluttershy caught Mr. Wiggums and set her down on the ground.

"Wow, Fluttershy!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "You did it! You even surprised me, because, you know, you being a shy person and all and that HUGE burst of speed!"

"Yes!" said Fluttershy, throwing her hooves into the air.

"Tomorrow we start on something even harder." said Rainbow dash, flapping off. "See you in the morning!"

As for Mr. Wiggums, he quickly scampered to his pen. He had had enough, what with zooming ponies and being handled incorrectly.

Chapter 2: Books

Chapter 2: Books

That night, Fluttershy tossed and turned in her bed. She simply couldn't get to sleep.

If that challenge wasn't hard, then Rainbow Dash must have something even harder up her sleeve! Oh, what could it be? Dive-bombing into the ocean to get a treasure chest? Or maybe race one of the Wonderbolts? What if it was to race Rainbow Dash herself?! worried Fluttershy, sitting up. I need help from another pegasus.

Or should I say alicorn?

oOoOoOoOo

Carrying a torch in her mouth, Fluttershy knocked on Twilight's door. The caretaker felt a cold breeze ruffle her fur. She hoped that Twilight would open the door soon. As if on cue, a groggy purple alicorn opened the door.

"Hmm...? Fluttershy? What are you doing at this time of night-HEY-don't shine that in my eyes!" mumbled Twilight.

"Oh, um," stuttered Fluttershy, laying the torch on the ground. "I am so sorry to have disturbed you, Your Majesty."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she lit one of the candles. "Come in. And how many times do I have to tell you, you do NOT have to call me that!" said the alicorn princess.

The tiny candle illuminated the library eerily as Fluttershy and Twilight walked over the Twilight's desk.

"So *yawn* what brings you here at," asked Twilight, glancing at the clock. "midnight?"

"Well, um, I've been taking flight lessons with Rainbow Dash recently," explained Fluttershy, also stifling a yawn.

"Go on," said Twilight.

"And I'm REALLY scared because she's going to make me do something really hard and I need your help to make sure I'm prepared for everything!" said the animal caretaker, the words tumbling out of her mouth uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Twilight pulled out a book from a shelf with her magic. It floated down gracefully onto the alicorn's desk.

"Simple! I learned how to fly with this very book," said Twilight, holding up the thick book entitled 'The Physics Behind Flying'. "I have all the other books in the series too!"

The purple pony began to read from page 67.

"There are four forces pulling at the flyer are lift, weight, thrust and drag. The windspeed is equal to the lift multiplied to the area of the flyer. The windspeed and the direction of flight must be parallel yet in different and opposite directions. For example, if the flyer wants to go left, then the total windspeed must be going right. Also, if a high speed bomb to the ground is required, there must be no thrust and more drag to the friction of the forces. In this particular force, the friction is the DRAG friction is in action here. Also, the total aerodynamic force is exactly halfway through the drag and lift forces. If there is no drag and no windspeed, then it is an arc also created by using coordinates and the quadratic formula: negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four times a and c over two times a. The force of thrust must be over equivalent to the weight or else there won't be a proper liftoff when-" rambled on Twilight.

Fluttershy's hooves clamped down on her own ears.

"Please, stop!" whispered the animal caretaker, her head spinning with formulas and thrust. "I don't get this. Rainbow Dash told me that this stuff was for 'eggheads'!"

"I am NOT an egghead." snapped Twilight, frowning.

"But I don't get it!" complained Fluttershy.

"Oh. Then do you want me to start at 'Centrifugal Forces in a Turning Airplane'?" asked Twilight, flipping to another page. Fluttershy sighed and just headed for the door.

"I'll never get flying. Maybe I'll just have to stick to the ground with Rainbow Dash flying faster than everything." sighed Fluttershy, opening the door with a squeak. Twilight looked at her quizzically.

"Silly Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash can't possibly be faster than everything!" said Twilight, half smiling. "She isn't faster than the speed of light! Nothing is!"

"Thanks. Good to know." muttered Fluttershy and left Twilight's library. The door closed with a slam.

As Fluttershy headed towards her humble cottage, Rainbow Dash was practicing in her usual spot when she spied something very...strange.

Prolouge: Beginnings

MLP-FIM: A Pair of Aces

By AwesomelyMe0728

Prologue: Beginnings

"It's RIGHT THERE! Can't you reach it?" demanded Rainbow Dash as she nodded towards the cookbook perched on the top of the tall bookshelf. Rainbow Dash was meanwhile frantically trying to shove cupcake icing into a metal bowl.

"I can't!" whispered Fluttershy, stretching for the book. "I'm even standing on my tippy-toes!"

Rainbow Dash sighed, stopped what she was doing and flew up to the book and retrieved it. She handed the book to the animal caretaker.

"There are things called WINGS, and you USE THEM." said Rainbow Dash sarcastically. Fluttershy tried to hide behind the book.

"Well, uh, you see, I don't, you know, really, um, use them that much." stuttered Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash recoiled.

"Are you SERIOUS?!" shouted Rainbow Dash, half smiling. "You're a pegasus, and you should be proud! In fact, I think I might just teach you how to fly. Like me."

"Well, um, actually, I-" started Fluttershy.

"We start tomorrow morning. Meet me in the fields." stated Rainbow Dash.

"But, uh-" began the pink and yellow pony.

"But what? You can't start tomorrow?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Um, n-" whispered Fluttershy.

"You want to start TODAY?"

"Uh, actu-"

"Okay then, today at 3:00 in the fields. See you there!" Rainbow Dahs remarked as she trotted out of Fluttershy's cottage with the bowl of cupcake icing. Fluttershy began to sweat.

Oh dear oh dear, what am I going to do? thought Fluttershy. If I don't be there and bail, then Rainbow Dash will be disappointed in me and I can't let that happen so-sigh-I'll have to go there.

Fluttershy sighed again, and promptly fainted.