Dashie's First Dayby ForteFermataChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 1"Awww, but Dad!" Rainbow Dash moaned, sitting in front of her father's bathroom counter. "Dashie, you need to look nice for your first day." Her father said, tugging at the final braid in her mane. "Daaaaad! You know I don't like all this girly stuff." Rainbow complained, looking at her self in the mirror. Indeed, she did hate having her mane done. She usually just kept it in its natural, wind swept state. "Calm down, Dashie. If it really bothers you that much, you can just take it out when you get there." Her father replied. "I know that's what you're going to do anyway. But please, just humor me, honey. Okay?" He asked, smiling at her in the mirror. "Fine..." She said, crossing her forelegs, pouting. "Atta girl. Now how 'bout you go get your goggles, and I'll get you some breakfast?" "Okay Daddy!" Rainbow said, jumping up from her spot on the counter, fluttering down to the floor, and dashing to her room. When she got there, she grabbed her flight goggles from her dresser and put them on, her pigtails getting in the way. Her father just had to braid her mane. Didn't it look fine like it usually was? She didn't really care, though. Her dad was right, she was just going to take them out when she got there. She wasn't going to have her first day messed up by some froo-froo hair style. Rainbow Dash was going to make sure her first day was totally awesome. She was going to wow her instructors, blow away her class mates, and totally wipe out any competition. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her goggles on, her wings strong, her eyes full of spunk. Yeah. She was ready. She was more than ready. She turned from the mirror and went downstairs. Her dad was waiting for her. "Well, if it isn't my little flyer. You're looking like you're more than ready to take on your first day." He said, placing a plate on the table. "You bet Dad!" Rainbow Dash answered, flying up to her chair. She looked at the plate. "Mmm! Waffles! My favorite!" She said before digging in. "Of course dear. Only the best for my little filly on her first day." He said, laughing as he walked up behind the rainbow-maned pegasus, and nuzzled her head with his hoof. "Dad! Stop! You'll mess up my mane!" Rainbow said, pushing his hooves away and covering her head. "I thought you didn't care about you're mane?" He asked skeptically, smirking. "I don't!" Rainbow quickly said, trying to recover from her slip up. It was true she normally didn't care what her mane looked like, but for some reason, she kind of liked it braided in pigtails. Not that she'd ever admit it. "Uh huh. Of course you don't." Her father said sarcastically. He looked up at the clock. "Oh, Dash! We better get going before you're late." "Okay, one sec, Dad." Rainbow replied. She then scarfed down the rest of her breakfast, wiped her face on her hoof, and joined her dad at the door. "Ready?" "Yeah. Let's go." Dad replied, opening the door. The two rainbow-maned ponies walked outside, then took to the air. They soared, side by side, through the streets of Cloudsdale, passing other pegasi. Rainbow Dash was giggling. She always enjoyed flying with her father. Pretty soon, she started edging in front of him. When he noticed this, he sped up and edged in front of her. Frowning, she pulled in front of him, cutting him off. He laughed, and dove underneath her, sticking his tongue out at his daughter as he passed. Inevitably, the two ended up racing, spinning and diving around each other, passing and drafting, taking off in bursts of speed. Rainbow's dad knew he could have easily beaten his daughter in a real race, since his wings were bigger, and stronger, but he held back, enjoying the friendly game. He didn't hold back too much, though. He still gave Rainbow Dash a challenge, and made her work for victory. Eventually, however, Rainbow Dash landed in front of the flight school, then turned to watch her father come down after her. "I beat you!" The filly said triumphantly. "Yeah. Looks like you're old man is loosing his touch." He said, panting slightly. His daughter had really put up a fight. "Come on, dad. I know you could have won if you really wanted to." Rainbow said, nudging her father. "Maybe. But you're really catching up." Her dad laughed. "Come on, lets get you registered." The two walked inside the school. Rainbow Dash looked around, marveling. The front lobby was huge! There were pegasi everywhere, both parents and their fillies and colts, all buzzing excitedly about the first day of flight school. At the far end, there was a table set up, and there were a bunch of stallions and mares sitting at the table, signing up students and assigning them classes. Rainbow and her dad walked up to a table with a grey pegasus mare with a light blonde mane. "Hi. I'd like to register my daughter, Rainbow Dash, for flight school." The father said, standing in front of the table while Rainbow stood on her hind hooves, trying to see over it. "Sure!" The bubbly grey mare said. "Let me just get your information and we'll get started right away!" As the mare and her father talked, Rainbow Dash looked around the lobby, noticing some of the other pegasi. There was one pale grey pegasus filly, with a mane that was very styled. "That won't last when we start flying." Rainbow Dash said to herself. There was a muscular brown colt with a pale brown mane standing with lighter brown colt with a darker brown mane, and a dark grey pegasus with a black mane. The three were obviously friends. Rainbow Dash immediately didn't like them. She continued to look around when she noticed one pegasus in particular. She cocked her head, since this particular colt was so unusual. He was extremely muscular. Much more so than any other pony she had ever seen. His coat was snow white, and his close cut mane was a dirty blonde. She giggled a little when she saw his wings. They were smaller than a few month old filly's, and she wasn't sure they would hold him up. She'd have to keep an eye on him. He looked like fun to watch. Suddenly, a voice pulled her out of her observations. "Rainbow Dash, introduce yourself." Her father was saying, nudging her back towards the table. "Oh, okay." She said, standing once again on her hind legs to see over the table. "Hi! My name's Rainbow Dash." She said to the grey mare. "It's nice to meet you Rainbow Dash." The mare said back, smiling wide. "My name's Derpy Hooves. I'll be your guidance counselor this year." Chapter 2Rainbow Dash and her father walked down the main hall of the school. After a moment of passing classes and smiling at other ponies, Rainbow looked up at her dad. "Hey Dad?" She asked "Yes, Dashie?" He replied, using his pet name for her, knowing that she hated it when he called her that in public. Rainbow Dash cringed just a little bit at the use of her pet name, but she didn't comment on it. "What was with that mare's eyes?" "What do you mean?" Her father asked, looking down at her with a bit of concern. "The mare back in the lobby. The one you talked to. There was something wrong with her eyes." Rainbow explained. "When she smiled at me, her eyes went all..." She thought for a moment, trying to find the right word. "Weird." She said. "Like, they didn't point the same way." "Oh, yes... Well, um..." Rainbow's dad was uneasy for a moment. It's never simple to explain to a child how some ponies are different. "Well, you see Dash... Some mares... And even some stallions, for that matter, are a little bit... Special." He began to explain. "But Daddy, you say I'm special, and my eyes don't do that..." The little filly interrupted. Then her eyes went wide. "They don't do that, do they?" She asked, suddenly worried. "No, no dear. You're eyes don't do that. Some ponies are a different kind of special. They..." He paused a moment. "Their brains work a different way from ours. And sometimes, when they are excited, or happy, or upset, their brain is thinking about that, and their brain forgets to tell their eyes to line up." He finally explained. "Her brain forgot to make her eyes line up? So these pony's brains aren't as good as ours?" Rainbow Dash asked. "No, that's not it at all. It's not that their brain's are worse. They're just different." Her father said, hoping that she would get it. "Oh... Okay." Rainbow replied, though she wasn't convinced. Her father caught on to her tone. "Rainbow Dash, listen. I want you to treat that mare with as much respect as you treat me with, okay? I don't care if any of the other ponies make fun of her, or say mean things about her. You be nice to her. Alright?" He said, a slight hint of sternness in his voice. "Yes dad." Rainbow said. No matter what she thought, she always knew her dad was right. "Okay." He replied, smiling at her. "Oh, look. Here's your classroom." The two stopped in front of a door on the right side of the hall. Rainbow's dad leaned down in front of her. "Alright now, you be good Rainbow, okay? And have fun. Oh, I can't believe it. My little Dashie's going to flight school!" He said excitedly. He reached over and hugged her. "Dad! Not in front of the other colts! You're embarrassing me!" Rainbow complained, squirming away from her father's grip. Her father just laughed. "Okay now. I love you. You have a good first day." He smiled at her, then turned to leave. "I love you too daddy." Dash replied, smiling back before turning to the classroom. When she walked in, she noticed that all of the other fillies and colts were sitting at desks, talking among themselves. "Where to sit?" She asked herself. She recognized some of the ponies from the lobby. There were the three ponies she had seen roughhousing. She knew she wasn't going to sit next to them. She chuckled when she saw the muscular white colt sitting in the front row. It was going to be fun watching him. She scanned the rest of the seats, looking for somepony to sit with. Then she spotted an open seat next to a light yellow filly with a pink mane. "Guess I'll sit with her." Rainbow Dash said. "Doesn't look like there are many more spots left, anyway." "Hi! My name's Rainbow Dash! Who're you?" Dash asked as she sat next to the pink maned filly. "Oh, um, hi, my names.... Um... Fluttershy..." "What was that? I couldn't quite here you." Rainbow said. "I said my names... Fluttershy..." "Couldn't quite catch that." Rainbow Dash said, leaning in closer to the filly. "Mmmm...." "Okay..." Rainbow said, eyeing the shy little filly. "Well, like I said, I'm Rainbow Dash. It's great to meet you." Rainbow held out a hoof to the yellow pegasus, who proceeded to hide in her mane. Before Rainbow Dash could react, the door to the classroom opened, and a black pegasus stallion walked in. His black mane had two red stripes in it, which continued through his tail. His cutie mark was a pair of binoculars, and his body was well toned. The stallion walked to the front of the room and stood behind the teacher's desk. "Good morning students." He said in an authoritative tone. "I am Tempest Gale, but you will address me as Mr. Gale, or simply, sir. Do you understand?" "Yes Mr. Gale." The class said in unison. "Good. Now, I am going to be your flight instructor this year. But first, a bit of background on myself." Tempest began pacing throughout the classroom, passing through the rows of desks, looking over his class. Many of the students seemed to lean away from him as he passed, intimidated. "I was in the Equestrian Special Forces as a spotter for twenty years. I've seen a lot of things, and I have learned. I am here to pass that knowledge on to you. As such, I do not tolerate nonsense. Goofing around and joking while I am teaching will not be accepted. Do you understand?" Mr. Gale stopped next to the jocks Rainbow Dash had seen in the lobby. The three looked at the black stallion before saying with the rest of the class; "Yes Mr. Gale." "Now, I try to be fair. Mistakes are alright. Failure is a part of the learning process. Just as long as you correct them." He arrived back at the front of the room after his walk around the class. "Do as you're told, and work hard, and you and I will get along just fine." He smiled slyly. "Now, can anypony tell me the most important thing about flight?" Rainbow Dash quickly raised her hoof, but another filly in the front row beat her to it. "The most important thing about flight is the correct application and manipulation of forces over the wing surface, keeping a pegasus aloft," the filly said matter of factly. "Egghead..." Rainbow whispered to herself. "Incorrect!" Mr. Gale said. "While knowing the science and physics behind flight is an advantage, and it can help some ponies to fly better, it is not the most important thing when you are in the air." Rainbow Dash saw her chance and shot her hoof in the air, her wings fluttering in anticipation. "Yes? You in the back." "The most important thing about flying is awareness." Dash said, confident in her answer. "Yes. The most important thing to remember when you are flying is awareness. Paying attention and being aware of the sky, your body, and how it feels to fly can be the difference between a successful flight, and a crash landing. Very good miss..." Tempest took a second to look at his class roster. "Miss Rainbow Dash." He looked over at Dash. "I can see why they named you Rainbow. Lets see if the rest of your name holds true. Everypony outside. We're going for a little test flight." Chapter 3A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash found herself out on a large runway with the rest of the class. As they walked, she marveled at the setup. The runway stretched out before her, and in the air, there were rings and walls. A floating obstacle course. There were other pegasi flying through it, older students warming back up for another year of flight school after the summer break. Rainbow was so caught up watching the other ponies, she bumped into the colt in front of her as the class stopped. "Sorry," she said as the clot glared at her. Then they turned their attention to Mr. Gale. "This is the world famous Cloudsdale Flight School Training Yard. This flight yard, and indeed the school itself, was originally commissioned over 1000 years ago. Who can tell me what the original purpose of this facility was?" He asked, looking over the class. "You mean it wasn't always a school?" Rainbow Dash said quietly, wondering to herself. "No, Miss Dash, it was not." Mr. Gale said, startling Rainbow. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't talk unless you know the answer." "Sorry Mr. Gale." Rainbow said, frowning. Ignoring her apology, Tempest Gale continued. "When it was first built, this facility was a training ground for Nightmare Moon's air force." This revelation caused a stir in the class, the students making quiet comments to one another. "After she was defeated," Mr. Gale continued, speaking loudly to regain the class's attention, "Nightmare Moon' air force training base was shut down, and forces of the Solar Empire scoured the base for intel. Few ponies know this, but Nightmare Moon was a brilliant aerial strategist. Many of the manuvers used in the air force today are based on concepts she pioneered. In fact, the Wonderbolts have a flight routine, called Nightmare Flight, that incorporates elements from her revolutionary dog-fighting techniques." Mr. Gale looked over the class, ensuring he had their attention. Once he knew he did, he smiled again. "So, who's ready to show me what they've got?" Standing off to the side of the runway, the class watched as Mr. Gale set up their first test. Rainbow Dash took this opportunity to try and talk to the yellow filly again. "Hey there." She said, walking up to the shy little pegasus. "I didn't quite catch your name earlier." Rainbow smiled, trying to put the other filly at ease. "Oh, um, I'm really sorry about that... I guess I was just really nervous." The filly said, crossing her forelimbs shyly. "My name is, um, Fluttershy." She finally got out. "It's uh, nice to meet you." Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash, resisting the urge to hide behind her mane. It was not an easy urge to resist. "It's great to meet you too, Fluttershy." Rainbow said, smiling at her ner friend. Rainbow sat down. "So, are you as excited as I am about your first year of flight school?" "Well, actually, this isn't my first year..." Fluttershy said, sitting down as well. "My first year was last year." "Last year? Then what are you doing in the beginner class?" Rainbow asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be up there?" She pointed up at the other classes flying above them. "Well, I would be. But I kind of... Didn't... Pass..." Fluttershy explained, kicking at a piece of cloud in front of her. "You didn't pass basic flight school?" Rainbow asked, incredulous. "How could you not pass basic flight school? It's so... Basic! It's easy!" Fluttershy cringed, backing away from Rainbow Dash's criticism. The shy yellow filly finally succombed to the urge and hid her face behind her mane, wimpering. Before Rainbow could continue, though, a voice stopped her. "Alright everypony, line up." Mr. Gale called, returning to the class. As the class obeyed, he paced in front of them, explaining what they were to do. "I have set up five rings, each about thirty feet apart. Each ring is slightly smaller than the one before it. When it is your turn, I want you to fly through each ring in sequence. Keep in mind, this is not a grade. There are no penalties, and no shame if you don't finish. This is simply a benchmark so I can see where everypony's flying abilities are. That being said, I want each of you to focus on precision, not speed. The last ring is only slightly bigger than most of you, so it is going to be a tight fit. Especially for you, Bulk Biceps." He said, indicating the muscular white colt as he finished. "So do your best, and remember. It's not the end of the world if you don't finish. Now, Storm Dancer. You're up!" As the first pegasus began, Rainbow Dash looked down the line. A couple of spots down from her was Fluttershy. How did she not pass flight school? Everypony passed basic flight school! And of course, Rainbow had to try and make friends with the one pegasus who managed to find a way to fail. 'Well, not anymore,' she thought, turning away from the timid little foal. Her attention returned to the course just as the first student was finishing up. "Good job Storm." Mr. Gale said. Then he looked down at his class roster. "Next up is... Bulk Biceps." "Oh boy, this should be good." Rainbow said, smiling as Bulk took his spot at the starting line. She snickered as his wings began beating furiously, prepping for take off. "On your mark!" Mr. Gale said. Bulk crouched down, his head low. "Get set!" Bulk's flank rose in the air, ready to kick off with his hind legs. "GO!" Bulk shot forward, propelled by his legs. Surprisingly, his wings kept him aloft as he passed through the first ring. He kept flying, gaining speed as he approached the second. Rainbow couldn't believe it. Wasn't it physically impossible for wings that small to lift a pony that big? But here he was, his tiny wings buzzing as they pushed him through the third ring. As Bulk Biceps looked ahead, he realized that he was indeed to big to fit through the fifth ring. He passed through the fourth and started to slow down, but then, a look of inspiration crossed his face. He sped forward, zooming towards the final ring. He tensed his muscles, then, as he collided with the edges of the cloud ring, his limbs exploded outward, demolishing the relatively flimsy cloud. "YEAH!!!" He cried as he burst through the fifth ring like an arrow through a melon. Most of the class was in awe. Nopony expected him to be able to make it past the first ring, let alone completely destroy the last one. Bulk flew back and landed next to Mr. Gale. "Yeah." He said, a bit quieter this time. Mr. Gale was shocked. "Well then... Well done, Bulk Biceps." He shook his head, coming out of his shock. "Now, after I'm done replacing the last ring, the next flier will be..." He looked down at his clipboard. "Rainbow Dash." Author's Note I was going to have Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy go in this chapter, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to let Snowflake show his stuff. XD Chapter 4Rainbow Dash stepped up to the starting line. She was ready. She was confident. She was going to blow them away. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" Rainbow Dash shot off, speeding through the first three rings. As she neared the fourth, she dove, passing underneath it. This was all part of her plan, though, and she tilted her wings, slowing her down and sending her upwards. She climbed, looping around upside down above the fourth ring. She grabbed the top, flinging herself around and through, adding even more to her momentum. She zoomed towards the fifth ring, closing her wings as she drew near. She popped through the smaller ring like a cork from a bottle of her dad's apple cider, then snapped open her wings, again gaining altitude. After climbing for a minute, throwing a few spins and barrel-I mean aileron (Why'd you lie Peppy?) rolls for good measure. After a moment of climbing, she dropped again, diving almost perpendicular to the ground. The ground rushed towards her, and she planned to pull out just before hitting it. She didn't quite achieve that feat, however. A sudden updraft buffeted her small frame, throwing her off course. Rainbow Dash began to wobble, then spun out. "Whoa!" She yelled as she struggled to recover, but to no avail. Her wings refused to cooperate, and she began to plummet, an uncontrolled fall that undoubtedly spelled disaster. Or, it would have if Mr. Gale hadn't shot up and plucked her from the sky. He brought her back from the course and dropped her off with the rest of the class. "Very impressive Miss Dash," he said as she walked back to the class, her head down. "But maybe next time, you could simply do the assignment, hm?" "Yes sir." Rainbow replied, the sound of defeat in her voice. She scowled as she passed the jocks, who had already begun to snicker. "Hey look everypony! It's... Um..." The short grey one started, but he couldn't come up with an insult fast enough. "Hey, look everypony, it's Rainbow Crash!" The dark brown jock said, covering for his friend and enticing laughter from almost the entire class. The tall tan jock laughed, but then stopped a moment. "Hahaha! Wait..." he thought a moment. "She didn't crash though..." "Shut up Hoops!" The brown one said. "She would have!" "Oh, okay." Hoops replied before laughing again. "Good one Dumb-bell." Rainbow Dash glared at the jocks, then turned and ran to the end of the line. Bulk Bisceps watched her, and as she took her spot, he walked over to her. "Hey, Rainbow..." He started to say, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Dash just shrugged it off and turned away. Bulk looked at Rainbow for a moment before turning back to his spot in line. When he got back, Fluttershy looked up at him. "What did you say to her?" the pink maned filly asked, the concern evident in her voice. Bulk jumped a little, not noticing the small filly until she spoke. "I just tried to console her, but she shrugged me off." He explained, then he frowned. "I was just trying to help..." "It's okay. You tried your best." Fluttershy told him. "I think she just needs a friend." With this, Fluttershy walked over to Rainbow. "Um... Rainbow?" "What do you want?" Dash asked harshly, not turning to look at her visitor. Fluttershy backed away a step at the hostility in Rainbow Dash's voice. She wanted to just apologize and leave. It was obvious that Rainbow was upset, and Fluttershy hated confrontation. 'No,' she thought. 'I can't run from this. Rainbow Dash is my friend, and right now, she needs my help.' "I, uh, just wanted to say..." Fluttershy again fought the urge to hide behind her mane. "I just wanted to say that, um, your flight was very impressive." Rainbow Dash snapped. "Impressive? What do you know about good flying?! You flunked, you failed out of basic flight school! You wouldn't know good flying if the Wonderbolts themselves came and took you on a personal tour of Equestria!" She yelled. Rainbow was furious. She was mad at Mr. Gale for saving her. She could have recovered! She was mad at Fluttershy for thinking she could cheer Rainbow up. Who was she to think she could help Equestria's next great flyer? But most of all, Rainbow Dash was mad at herself. "Just... Just leave me alone!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Fluttershy backed away, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She turned and ran back to her place in line, next to Bulk Bisceps. The large colt looked at her, concerned, but before he could say anything, a voice stopped him. "And finally, our last flyer of the day will be... Fluttershy." Mr. Gale called out. Fluttershy froze. This is what she had been afraid of all day. She had been so worried about Rainbow, her fear of flying had been all but forgotten. Now, however, it came back to her all too clearly. Her legs buckled underneath her, and if it weren't for a gentle nudge from Bulk, she might never have made it to the start line. At the signal from Mr. Gale, Fluttershy took off hesitantly, and her flight was shaky at best. Her flying wasn't helped by the fact she was still upset over what Rainbow Dash had said to her. Her wings pounded, working to keep her aloft. She almost reached the first ring when... WHOMP! Fluttershy fell flat on her face, just a couple of feet away from the ring. Mr. Gale trotted over to her. "Fluttershy, have you been doing those flight exercises I gave you to do over the summer?" All he got was a slight nod as Fluttershy buried her face in her hooves. Mr. Gale sighed. "Okay." He stood up and looked back to the class. Since his attention had been on the flyers, he hadn't heard any of what had transpired between Rainbow and Fluttershy. "Rainbow Dash, would you please come and go with Fluttershy to the councilors office?" Chapter 5Rainbow Dash sat in a chair outside the counselors office. She had her forelimbs crossed, and she was staring at the ground. Why did she have to stay there? Fluttershy had made it to the office, so what did they need her for? When she listened, she could hear the muffled voices of Fluttershy and the counselor. What was her name again? Ditzy Doo? Dinky something? Rainbow couldn't remember. What were they even talking about in there? To Rainbow, there was only one logical choice for what to do with Fluttershy. The filly couldn't fly, so why not send her to an earth pony school? That's what Rainbow Dash would have done, just to be done with it. She wasn't trying to be mean, but it was what she thought. Rainbow's face softened. Maybe she was being a bit harsh. She thought about how she would feel if she were sent to an earth pony school. She would be grounded, unable to fly, surrounded by ponies who couldn't understand the wonder of flight. Maybe she should apologize... "Rainbow Dash?" A voice said. Rainbow turned to see the counselors head poking out the door. "Could you come in here for a minute?" "Oh, um, sure." Rainbow said, hopping down from the chair. As she walked into the office, the first thing she noticed was the basket of muffins on the desk. Really? A basket of muffins? This mare sure was weird. Rainbow sat down in a chair next to Fluttershy, and the counselor sat behind her desk. "Muffin?" She offered. Rainbow politely declined. "Okay then." She said, taking one for herself. After she took a bite and swallowed, she began. "Rainbow, my name is Derpy Hooves. I met you this morning, but I understand if you don't remember me. The first day of flight school is always exciting, though I feel you've had a bit... Different experience." Derpy smiled, her eyes doing the weird thing Rainbow had noticed earlier in the day. Rainbow Dash wanted to say something, to ask her what was up with her eyes, but she remember what her dad had said, and decided against it. "You can say that again, Ms. Hooves." Rainbow said instead. Derpy continued. "You can just call me Derpy." She smiled again. "Now, Fluttershy tells me that you two have talked already, so I don't need to introduce you." At this, Rainbow looked over at the pink maned filly, who's head was down as she twiddled her hooves. Of course she told, Rainbow thought, she probably spilled her heart to anypony who asked. If she could work up the courage to speak. Derpy interrupted her train of thought. "Fluttershy told me that you think that she isn't the best flyer. Is that right?" "Yeah. She sucks." Rainbow said, being completely honest. "Well, I'm sure you weren't the best flyer when you started either." Derpy replied. "Yeah, but I can fly great now!" Rainbow snapped, taking Derpy's comment as an insult to her pride. "So you learned quickly, right?" Derpy said, not reacting to Rainbow Dash's outburst. "Yeah. Flying is easy." Dash said. "Well, maybe for you, but not for everypony." Derpy said. "For some ponies, flying is rather difficult. Every pony is special, and everypony learns at different rates. You may be a natural flyer, but for Fluttershy, flying is a bit more difficult. She needs some extra help." Derpy smiled again. "And she's asked if you would be willing to help her." "Me? But, but..." Rainbow stammered. She didn't know what to say. The filly she had yelled at, belittled, and made to cry... Wanted her help? Rainbow couldn't imagine asking for help. Her sense of pride wouldn't allow it. She remembered what her dad said, though, about some ponies being special in different ways, and how she should respect other ponies' specialness. She nodded. "Okay. I'll help her out." Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, surprised. She hadn't expected the rainbow filly to say yes. She hadn't really wanted Derpy to tell Rainbow about her request, and she was really embarrassed, but... Rainbow had said yes. Maybe they could be friends after all. Fluttershy really wanted to be friends with Rainbow Dash. Almost like... Almost like they were meant to be friends. Suddenly, Fluttershy smiled and threw her arms around Rainbow Dash. "Yay!" She squeaked, taking Rainbow by surprise. "Whoa, whoa there." She said, trying to push Fluttershy off of her. "That's enough of that." Derpy laughed, smiling, her eyes derping. "See Rainbow. She's not that bad." Derpy joked. "Good. Now that that's settled, how about you two run off back to class?" Fluttershy let go of Rainbow, and the two of them left the office, and walked next to each other back to class. The rest of the day was spent in class. Mr. Gale was teaching about basic aerodynamics and flight techniques, stuff that most of the young fillies and colts already knew. Rainbow Dash sat next to Fluttershy, and made sure that she took good notes. While she wasn't watching over Fluttershy, though, Rainbow wondered why most of the class was quiet and attentive. Normally, they'd be chatting quietly, trying to seem like they were paying attention, but not really. They already knew most of what Mr. Gale was teaching them, so why the intent stares? This left Rainbow Dash puzzled, but only because she didn't know what happened just before she and Fluttershy got back to class. Chapter 6About ten minutes before Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived back to the classroom... Mr. Gale was teaching. "And as you glide, the air going over your wing travels faster than the air under..." He said, teaching the class basic aerodynamics and flight techniques. He knew that most of the class wasn't paying attention. Most of them knew this already. It was fine with him if they didn't pay attention. It was their grade on the line. What bothered him were the three jocks. All three of them were sitting right behind the muscular colt, Bulk Biceps. Mr. Gale knew he would have to keep an eye on them from the moment he walked into the room. He had a keen eye for troublemakers, and it seemed like he had a ripe batch right here. The three jocks were silently making fun of Bulk's tiny wings. At least, that is what Mr. Gale thought they were snickering about. He wasn't going to say anything to them. They weren't disrupting the rest of the class. This didn't last The three had the brilliant idea to try and tie a string around the base of Bulk's wings. Now, for most pegasi, this wouldn't be a problem. For Bulk, however, this was a major problem. His small wings needed all the mobility they could get, and any limitations on that mobility would render him unable to fly. The jocks knew this. They didn't get away with it, though. There were many factors that lead to their getting caught. They hid behind the large muscular colt, blocking Mr. Gale's view of what they were doing, but it didn't block the view of one of Bulk's best friends, Storm Chaser. When she saw what the jocks were trying to do, she raised the alarm. "Hey! Stop that!" She cried. This, naturally, caused the class to turn and look at the commotion, including Bulk Biceps. "Huh?" He said as he turned in his seat. "Hey!" He yelled as he realized what they were trying to do. Though, instead of retaliating, as most ponies would think he would do, he clambered over the desk, trying to get away from the three bullies. The three were irked that their practical joke had failed, and the dark brown one, Dumb-Bell turned toward's Storm Chaser. "What'd ya do that for?" He said, pushing the filly. Bulk saw this assult on his friend, and his mind switched to defence. He jumped towards Dumb-Bell, tackling the colt to the ground. The two other jocks sat, shocked, before regaining their awareness and jumping on Bulk's back. "YEAH!" Bulk yelled as he reared up, easily dislodging his two assailants. At this opening, though, Dumb-Bell got up and jumped, headbutting Bulk in the stomach. The muscular white colt fell backwards, landing on his back. Before Dumb-Bell could get the jump on Bulk, though, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. When he looked up, Mr. Gale was standing there, towering over the colt, a stern look on his face. "Tell me, son. Do you really think you can take on this young colt?" Mr. Gale said, indicating Bulk Biceps. "I can take on anypony. Let me at him!" Dumb-Bell said, tugging towards Bulk, who was getting back to his hooves. Mr. Gale's grasp held firm, though. "I'm pretty sure that would be a bad idea." Mr. Gale said, looking over at Bulk Biceps. The colt was just standing there, staring at Dumb-Bell. Mr. Gale's trained eyes saw that the colt's legs were tense, indicating a readiness to attack. That attack, if it were allowed to come, would probably knock Dumb-Bell out cold. Maybe that's what he needed... "Do you honestly believe you can take him?" "Yeah! Come on, he started it! Let me finish it." Dumb-Bell said, tugging harder against Mr. Gale's hoof on his shoulder. "Okay. Have it your way." Mr. Gale said with a smile. He let go of Dumb-Bell, and the dark brown colt shot forward towards Bulk. The white colt was ready for him, though, and whipped around, bringing his hind legs to the front. As Dumb-Bell closed on Bulk, he realized what was about to happen, but he was going to fast to stop it. He slammed against the bookshelves in the back of the classroom as Bulk bucked him, kicking out with his hind legs, his hooves making solid contact with Dumb-Bell's chest. Dumb-Bell struggled to get up, but then collapsed, dazed, as his friends ran up to him. "Hoops, Score, would you please escort Dumb-Bell to the nurse, then promptly report to the principal's office for your punishment?" Mr. Gale said, his voice calm and level. The remaining two jocks looked at him, then at Bulk, and nodded vigorously. They lifted Dumb-Bell and carried him out of the room. The rest of the class had their gaze fixed on Mr. Gale. "Now, if anypony else is looking to disrupt my class with pointless shenanigans, I'll gladly let them have a word with Bulk. If not, lets say we all pay attention from now on, hm?" Mr. Gale said as he walked to the front of the class, righting desks as he went. Bulk and Storm Chaser went back to their seats, and Mr. Gale continued teaching, just as if nothing had happened.
Chapter 1"Awww, but Dad!" Rainbow Dash moaned, sitting in front of her father's bathroom counter. "Dashie, you need to look nice for your first day." Her father said, tugging at the final braid in her mane. "Daaaaad! You know I don't like all this girly stuff." Rainbow complained, looking at her self in the mirror. Indeed, she did hate having her mane done. She usually just kept it in its natural, wind swept state. "Calm down, Dashie. If it really bothers you that much, you can just take it out when you get there." Her father replied. "I know that's what you're going to do anyway. But please, just humor me, honey. Okay?" He asked, smiling at her in the mirror. "Fine..." She said, crossing her forelegs, pouting. "Atta girl. Now how 'bout you go get your goggles, and I'll get you some breakfast?" "Okay Daddy!" Rainbow said, jumping up from her spot on the counter, fluttering down to the floor, and dashing to her room. When she got there, she grabbed her flight goggles from her dresser and put them on, her pigtails getting in the way. Her father just had to braid her mane. Didn't it look fine like it usually was? She didn't really care, though. Her dad was right, she was just going to take them out when she got there. She wasn't going to have her first day messed up by some froo-froo hair style. Rainbow Dash was going to make sure her first day was totally awesome. She was going to wow her instructors, blow away her class mates, and totally wipe out any competition. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her goggles on, her wings strong, her eyes full of spunk. Yeah. She was ready. She was more than ready. She turned from the mirror and went downstairs. Her dad was waiting for her. "Well, if it isn't my little flyer. You're looking like you're more than ready to take on your first day." He said, placing a plate on the table. "You bet Dad!" Rainbow Dash answered, flying up to her chair. She looked at the plate. "Mmm! Waffles! My favorite!" She said before digging in. "Of course dear. Only the best for my little filly on her first day." He said, laughing as he walked up behind the rainbow-maned pegasus, and nuzzled her head with his hoof. "Dad! Stop! You'll mess up my mane!" Rainbow said, pushing his hooves away and covering her head. "I thought you didn't care about you're mane?" He asked skeptically, smirking. "I don't!" Rainbow quickly said, trying to recover from her slip up. It was true she normally didn't care what her mane looked like, but for some reason, she kind of liked it braided in pigtails. Not that she'd ever admit it. "Uh huh. Of course you don't." Her father said sarcastically. He looked up at the clock. "Oh, Dash! We better get going before you're late." "Okay, one sec, Dad." Rainbow replied. She then scarfed down the rest of her breakfast, wiped her face on her hoof, and joined her dad at the door. "Ready?" "Yeah. Let's go." Dad replied, opening the door. The two rainbow-maned ponies walked outside, then took to the air. They soared, side by side, through the streets of Cloudsdale, passing other pegasi. Rainbow Dash was giggling. She always enjoyed flying with her father. Pretty soon, she started edging in front of him. When he noticed this, he sped up and edged in front of her. Frowning, she pulled in front of him, cutting him off. He laughed, and dove underneath her, sticking his tongue out at his daughter as he passed. Inevitably, the two ended up racing, spinning and diving around each other, passing and drafting, taking off in bursts of speed. Rainbow's dad knew he could have easily beaten his daughter in a real race, since his wings were bigger, and stronger, but he held back, enjoying the friendly game. He didn't hold back too much, though. He still gave Rainbow Dash a challenge, and made her work for victory. Eventually, however, Rainbow Dash landed in front of the flight school, then turned to watch her father come down after her. "I beat you!" The filly said triumphantly. "Yeah. Looks like you're old man is loosing his touch." He said, panting slightly. His daughter had really put up a fight. "Come on, dad. I know you could have won if you really wanted to." Rainbow said, nudging her father. "Maybe. But you're really catching up." Her dad laughed. "Come on, lets get you registered." The two walked inside the school. Rainbow Dash looked around, marveling. The front lobby was huge! There were pegasi everywhere, both parents and their fillies and colts, all buzzing excitedly about the first day of flight school. At the far end, there was a table set up, and there were a bunch of stallions and mares sitting at the table, signing up students and assigning them classes. Rainbow and her dad walked up to a table with a grey pegasus mare with a light blonde mane. "Hi. I'd like to register my daughter, Rainbow Dash, for flight school." The father said, standing in front of the table while Rainbow stood on her hind hooves, trying to see over it. "Sure!" The bubbly grey mare said. "Let me just get your information and we'll get started right away!" As the mare and her father talked, Rainbow Dash looked around the lobby, noticing some of the other pegasi. There was one pale grey pegasus filly, with a mane that was very styled. "That won't last when we start flying." Rainbow Dash said to herself. There was a muscular brown colt with a pale brown mane standing with lighter brown colt with a darker brown mane, and a dark grey pegasus with a black mane. The three were obviously friends. Rainbow Dash immediately didn't like them. She continued to look around when she noticed one pegasus in particular. She cocked her head, since this particular colt was so unusual. He was extremely muscular. Much more so than any other pony she had ever seen. His coat was snow white, and his close cut mane was a dirty blonde. She giggled a little when she saw his wings. They were smaller than a few month old filly's, and she wasn't sure they would hold him up. She'd have to keep an eye on him. He looked like fun to watch. Suddenly, a voice pulled her out of her observations. "Rainbow Dash, introduce yourself." Her father was saying, nudging her back towards the table. "Oh, okay." She said, standing once again on her hind legs to see over the table. "Hi! My name's Rainbow Dash." She said to the grey mare. "It's nice to meet you Rainbow Dash." The mare said back, smiling wide. "My name's Derpy Hooves. I'll be your guidance counselor this year."
Chapter 2Rainbow Dash and her father walked down the main hall of the school. After a moment of passing classes and smiling at other ponies, Rainbow looked up at her dad. "Hey Dad?" She asked "Yes, Dashie?" He replied, using his pet name for her, knowing that she hated it when he called her that in public. Rainbow Dash cringed just a little bit at the use of her pet name, but she didn't comment on it. "What was with that mare's eyes?" "What do you mean?" Her father asked, looking down at her with a bit of concern. "The mare back in the lobby. The one you talked to. There was something wrong with her eyes." Rainbow explained. "When she smiled at me, her eyes went all..." She thought for a moment, trying to find the right word. "Weird." She said. "Like, they didn't point the same way." "Oh, yes... Well, um..." Rainbow's dad was uneasy for a moment. It's never simple to explain to a child how some ponies are different. "Well, you see Dash... Some mares... And even some stallions, for that matter, are a little bit... Special." He began to explain. "But Daddy, you say I'm special, and my eyes don't do that..." The little filly interrupted. Then her eyes went wide. "They don't do that, do they?" She asked, suddenly worried. "No, no dear. You're eyes don't do that. Some ponies are a different kind of special. They..." He paused a moment. "Their brains work a different way from ours. And sometimes, when they are excited, or happy, or upset, their brain is thinking about that, and their brain forgets to tell their eyes to line up." He finally explained. "Her brain forgot to make her eyes line up? So these pony's brains aren't as good as ours?" Rainbow Dash asked. "No, that's not it at all. It's not that their brain's are worse. They're just different." Her father said, hoping that she would get it. "Oh... Okay." Rainbow replied, though she wasn't convinced. Her father caught on to her tone. "Rainbow Dash, listen. I want you to treat that mare with as much respect as you treat me with, okay? I don't care if any of the other ponies make fun of her, or say mean things about her. You be nice to her. Alright?" He said, a slight hint of sternness in his voice. "Yes dad." Rainbow said. No matter what she thought, she always knew her dad was right. "Okay." He replied, smiling at her. "Oh, look. Here's your classroom." The two stopped in front of a door on the right side of the hall. Rainbow's dad leaned down in front of her. "Alright now, you be good Rainbow, okay? And have fun. Oh, I can't believe it. My little Dashie's going to flight school!" He said excitedly. He reached over and hugged her. "Dad! Not in front of the other colts! You're embarrassing me!" Rainbow complained, squirming away from her father's grip. Her father just laughed. "Okay now. I love you. You have a good first day." He smiled at her, then turned to leave. "I love you too daddy." Dash replied, smiling back before turning to the classroom. When she walked in, she noticed that all of the other fillies and colts were sitting at desks, talking among themselves. "Where to sit?" She asked herself. She recognized some of the ponies from the lobby. There were the three ponies she had seen roughhousing. She knew she wasn't going to sit next to them. She chuckled when she saw the muscular white colt sitting in the front row. It was going to be fun watching him. She scanned the rest of the seats, looking for somepony to sit with. Then she spotted an open seat next to a light yellow filly with a pink mane. "Guess I'll sit with her." Rainbow Dash said. "Doesn't look like there are many more spots left, anyway." "Hi! My name's Rainbow Dash! Who're you?" Dash asked as she sat next to the pink maned filly. "Oh, um, hi, my names.... Um... Fluttershy..." "What was that? I couldn't quite here you." Rainbow said. "I said my names... Fluttershy..." "Couldn't quite catch that." Rainbow Dash said, leaning in closer to the filly. "Mmmm...." "Okay..." Rainbow said, eyeing the shy little filly. "Well, like I said, I'm Rainbow Dash. It's great to meet you." Rainbow held out a hoof to the yellow pegasus, who proceeded to hide in her mane. Before Rainbow Dash could react, the door to the classroom opened, and a black pegasus stallion walked in. His black mane had two red stripes in it, which continued through his tail. His cutie mark was a pair of binoculars, and his body was well toned. The stallion walked to the front of the room and stood behind the teacher's desk. "Good morning students." He said in an authoritative tone. "I am Tempest Gale, but you will address me as Mr. Gale, or simply, sir. Do you understand?" "Yes Mr. Gale." The class said in unison. "Good. Now, I am going to be your flight instructor this year. But first, a bit of background on myself." Tempest began pacing throughout the classroom, passing through the rows of desks, looking over his class. Many of the students seemed to lean away from him as he passed, intimidated. "I was in the Equestrian Special Forces as a spotter for twenty years. I've seen a lot of things, and I have learned. I am here to pass that knowledge on to you. As such, I do not tolerate nonsense. Goofing around and joking while I am teaching will not be accepted. Do you understand?" Mr. Gale stopped next to the jocks Rainbow Dash had seen in the lobby. The three looked at the black stallion before saying with the rest of the class; "Yes Mr. Gale." "Now, I try to be fair. Mistakes are alright. Failure is a part of the learning process. Just as long as you correct them." He arrived back at the front of the room after his walk around the class. "Do as you're told, and work hard, and you and I will get along just fine." He smiled slyly. "Now, can anypony tell me the most important thing about flight?" Rainbow Dash quickly raised her hoof, but another filly in the front row beat her to it. "The most important thing about flight is the correct application and manipulation of forces over the wing surface, keeping a pegasus aloft," the filly said matter of factly. "Egghead..." Rainbow whispered to herself. "Incorrect!" Mr. Gale said. "While knowing the science and physics behind flight is an advantage, and it can help some ponies to fly better, it is not the most important thing when you are in the air." Rainbow Dash saw her chance and shot her hoof in the air, her wings fluttering in anticipation. "Yes? You in the back." "The most important thing about flying is awareness." Dash said, confident in her answer. "Yes. The most important thing to remember when you are flying is awareness. Paying attention and being aware of the sky, your body, and how it feels to fly can be the difference between a successful flight, and a crash landing. Very good miss..." Tempest took a second to look at his class roster. "Miss Rainbow Dash." He looked over at Dash. "I can see why they named you Rainbow. Lets see if the rest of your name holds true. Everypony outside. We're going for a little test flight."
Chapter 3A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash found herself out on a large runway with the rest of the class. As they walked, she marveled at the setup. The runway stretched out before her, and in the air, there were rings and walls. A floating obstacle course. There were other pegasi flying through it, older students warming back up for another year of flight school after the summer break. Rainbow was so caught up watching the other ponies, she bumped into the colt in front of her as the class stopped. "Sorry," she said as the clot glared at her. Then they turned their attention to Mr. Gale. "This is the world famous Cloudsdale Flight School Training Yard. This flight yard, and indeed the school itself, was originally commissioned over 1000 years ago. Who can tell me what the original purpose of this facility was?" He asked, looking over the class. "You mean it wasn't always a school?" Rainbow Dash said quietly, wondering to herself. "No, Miss Dash, it was not." Mr. Gale said, startling Rainbow. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't talk unless you know the answer." "Sorry Mr. Gale." Rainbow said, frowning. Ignoring her apology, Tempest Gale continued. "When it was first built, this facility was a training ground for Nightmare Moon's air force." This revelation caused a stir in the class, the students making quiet comments to one another. "After she was defeated," Mr. Gale continued, speaking loudly to regain the class's attention, "Nightmare Moon' air force training base was shut down, and forces of the Solar Empire scoured the base for intel. Few ponies know this, but Nightmare Moon was a brilliant aerial strategist. Many of the manuvers used in the air force today are based on concepts she pioneered. In fact, the Wonderbolts have a flight routine, called Nightmare Flight, that incorporates elements from her revolutionary dog-fighting techniques." Mr. Gale looked over the class, ensuring he had their attention. Once he knew he did, he smiled again. "So, who's ready to show me what they've got?" Standing off to the side of the runway, the class watched as Mr. Gale set up their first test. Rainbow Dash took this opportunity to try and talk to the yellow filly again. "Hey there." She said, walking up to the shy little pegasus. "I didn't quite catch your name earlier." Rainbow smiled, trying to put the other filly at ease. "Oh, um, I'm really sorry about that... I guess I was just really nervous." The filly said, crossing her forelimbs shyly. "My name is, um, Fluttershy." She finally got out. "It's uh, nice to meet you." Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow Dash, resisting the urge to hide behind her mane. It was not an easy urge to resist. "It's great to meet you too, Fluttershy." Rainbow said, smiling at her ner friend. Rainbow sat down. "So, are you as excited as I am about your first year of flight school?" "Well, actually, this isn't my first year..." Fluttershy said, sitting down as well. "My first year was last year." "Last year? Then what are you doing in the beginner class?" Rainbow asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be up there?" She pointed up at the other classes flying above them. "Well, I would be. But I kind of... Didn't... Pass..." Fluttershy explained, kicking at a piece of cloud in front of her. "You didn't pass basic flight school?" Rainbow asked, incredulous. "How could you not pass basic flight school? It's so... Basic! It's easy!" Fluttershy cringed, backing away from Rainbow Dash's criticism. The shy yellow filly finally succombed to the urge and hid her face behind her mane, wimpering. Before Rainbow could continue, though, a voice stopped her. "Alright everypony, line up." Mr. Gale called, returning to the class. As the class obeyed, he paced in front of them, explaining what they were to do. "I have set up five rings, each about thirty feet apart. Each ring is slightly smaller than the one before it. When it is your turn, I want you to fly through each ring in sequence. Keep in mind, this is not a grade. There are no penalties, and no shame if you don't finish. This is simply a benchmark so I can see where everypony's flying abilities are. That being said, I want each of you to focus on precision, not speed. The last ring is only slightly bigger than most of you, so it is going to be a tight fit. Especially for you, Bulk Biceps." He said, indicating the muscular white colt as he finished. "So do your best, and remember. It's not the end of the world if you don't finish. Now, Storm Dancer. You're up!" As the first pegasus began, Rainbow Dash looked down the line. A couple of spots down from her was Fluttershy. How did she not pass flight school? Everypony passed basic flight school! And of course, Rainbow had to try and make friends with the one pegasus who managed to find a way to fail. 'Well, not anymore,' she thought, turning away from the timid little foal. Her attention returned to the course just as the first student was finishing up. "Good job Storm." Mr. Gale said. Then he looked down at his class roster. "Next up is... Bulk Biceps." "Oh boy, this should be good." Rainbow said, smiling as Bulk took his spot at the starting line. She snickered as his wings began beating furiously, prepping for take off. "On your mark!" Mr. Gale said. Bulk crouched down, his head low. "Get set!" Bulk's flank rose in the air, ready to kick off with his hind legs. "GO!" Bulk shot forward, propelled by his legs. Surprisingly, his wings kept him aloft as he passed through the first ring. He kept flying, gaining speed as he approached the second. Rainbow couldn't believe it. Wasn't it physically impossible for wings that small to lift a pony that big? But here he was, his tiny wings buzzing as they pushed him through the third ring. As Bulk Biceps looked ahead, he realized that he was indeed to big to fit through the fifth ring. He passed through the fourth and started to slow down, but then, a look of inspiration crossed his face. He sped forward, zooming towards the final ring. He tensed his muscles, then, as he collided with the edges of the cloud ring, his limbs exploded outward, demolishing the relatively flimsy cloud. "YEAH!!!" He cried as he burst through the fifth ring like an arrow through a melon. Most of the class was in awe. Nopony expected him to be able to make it past the first ring, let alone completely destroy the last one. Bulk flew back and landed next to Mr. Gale. "Yeah." He said, a bit quieter this time. Mr. Gale was shocked. "Well then... Well done, Bulk Biceps." He shook his head, coming out of his shock. "Now, after I'm done replacing the last ring, the next flier will be..." He looked down at his clipboard. "Rainbow Dash." Author's Note I was going to have Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy go in this chapter, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to let Snowflake show his stuff. XD
Chapter 4Rainbow Dash stepped up to the starting line. She was ready. She was confident. She was going to blow them away. "On your mark. Get set. Go!" Rainbow Dash shot off, speeding through the first three rings. As she neared the fourth, she dove, passing underneath it. This was all part of her plan, though, and she tilted her wings, slowing her down and sending her upwards. She climbed, looping around upside down above the fourth ring. She grabbed the top, flinging herself around and through, adding even more to her momentum. She zoomed towards the fifth ring, closing her wings as she drew near. She popped through the smaller ring like a cork from a bottle of her dad's apple cider, then snapped open her wings, again gaining altitude. After climbing for a minute, throwing a few spins and barrel-I mean aileron (Why'd you lie Peppy?) rolls for good measure. After a moment of climbing, she dropped again, diving almost perpendicular to the ground. The ground rushed towards her, and she planned to pull out just before hitting it. She didn't quite achieve that feat, however. A sudden updraft buffeted her small frame, throwing her off course. Rainbow Dash began to wobble, then spun out. "Whoa!" She yelled as she struggled to recover, but to no avail. Her wings refused to cooperate, and she began to plummet, an uncontrolled fall that undoubtedly spelled disaster. Or, it would have if Mr. Gale hadn't shot up and plucked her from the sky. He brought her back from the course and dropped her off with the rest of the class. "Very impressive Miss Dash," he said as she walked back to the class, her head down. "But maybe next time, you could simply do the assignment, hm?" "Yes sir." Rainbow replied, the sound of defeat in her voice. She scowled as she passed the jocks, who had already begun to snicker. "Hey look everypony! It's... Um..." The short grey one started, but he couldn't come up with an insult fast enough. "Hey, look everypony, it's Rainbow Crash!" The dark brown jock said, covering for his friend and enticing laughter from almost the entire class. The tall tan jock laughed, but then stopped a moment. "Hahaha! Wait..." he thought a moment. "She didn't crash though..." "Shut up Hoops!" The brown one said. "She would have!" "Oh, okay." Hoops replied before laughing again. "Good one Dumb-bell." Rainbow Dash glared at the jocks, then turned and ran to the end of the line. Bulk Bisceps watched her, and as she took her spot, he walked over to her. "Hey, Rainbow..." He started to say, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Dash just shrugged it off and turned away. Bulk looked at Rainbow for a moment before turning back to his spot in line. When he got back, Fluttershy looked up at him. "What did you say to her?" the pink maned filly asked, the concern evident in her voice. Bulk jumped a little, not noticing the small filly until she spoke. "I just tried to console her, but she shrugged me off." He explained, then he frowned. "I was just trying to help..." "It's okay. You tried your best." Fluttershy told him. "I think she just needs a friend." With this, Fluttershy walked over to Rainbow. "Um... Rainbow?" "What do you want?" Dash asked harshly, not turning to look at her visitor. Fluttershy backed away a step at the hostility in Rainbow Dash's voice. She wanted to just apologize and leave. It was obvious that Rainbow was upset, and Fluttershy hated confrontation. 'No,' she thought. 'I can't run from this. Rainbow Dash is my friend, and right now, she needs my help.' "I, uh, just wanted to say..." Fluttershy again fought the urge to hide behind her mane. "I just wanted to say that, um, your flight was very impressive." Rainbow Dash snapped. "Impressive? What do you know about good flying?! You flunked, you failed out of basic flight school! You wouldn't know good flying if the Wonderbolts themselves came and took you on a personal tour of Equestria!" She yelled. Rainbow was furious. She was mad at Mr. Gale for saving her. She could have recovered! She was mad at Fluttershy for thinking she could cheer Rainbow up. Who was she to think she could help Equestria's next great flyer? But most of all, Rainbow Dash was mad at herself. "Just... Just leave me alone!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Fluttershy backed away, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She turned and ran back to her place in line, next to Bulk Bisceps. The large colt looked at her, concerned, but before he could say anything, a voice stopped him. "And finally, our last flyer of the day will be... Fluttershy." Mr. Gale called out. Fluttershy froze. This is what she had been afraid of all day. She had been so worried about Rainbow, her fear of flying had been all but forgotten. Now, however, it came back to her all too clearly. Her legs buckled underneath her, and if it weren't for a gentle nudge from Bulk, she might never have made it to the start line. At the signal from Mr. Gale, Fluttershy took off hesitantly, and her flight was shaky at best. Her flying wasn't helped by the fact she was still upset over what Rainbow Dash had said to her. Her wings pounded, working to keep her aloft. She almost reached the first ring when... WHOMP! Fluttershy fell flat on her face, just a couple of feet away from the ring. Mr. Gale trotted over to her. "Fluttershy, have you been doing those flight exercises I gave you to do over the summer?" All he got was a slight nod as Fluttershy buried her face in her hooves. Mr. Gale sighed. "Okay." He stood up and looked back to the class. Since his attention had been on the flyers, he hadn't heard any of what had transpired between Rainbow and Fluttershy. "Rainbow Dash, would you please come and go with Fluttershy to the councilors office?"
Chapter 5Rainbow Dash sat in a chair outside the counselors office. She had her forelimbs crossed, and she was staring at the ground. Why did she have to stay there? Fluttershy had made it to the office, so what did they need her for? When she listened, she could hear the muffled voices of Fluttershy and the counselor. What was her name again? Ditzy Doo? Dinky something? Rainbow couldn't remember. What were they even talking about in there? To Rainbow, there was only one logical choice for what to do with Fluttershy. The filly couldn't fly, so why not send her to an earth pony school? That's what Rainbow Dash would have done, just to be done with it. She wasn't trying to be mean, but it was what she thought. Rainbow's face softened. Maybe she was being a bit harsh. She thought about how she would feel if she were sent to an earth pony school. She would be grounded, unable to fly, surrounded by ponies who couldn't understand the wonder of flight. Maybe she should apologize... "Rainbow Dash?" A voice said. Rainbow turned to see the counselors head poking out the door. "Could you come in here for a minute?" "Oh, um, sure." Rainbow said, hopping down from the chair. As she walked into the office, the first thing she noticed was the basket of muffins on the desk. Really? A basket of muffins? This mare sure was weird. Rainbow sat down in a chair next to Fluttershy, and the counselor sat behind her desk. "Muffin?" She offered. Rainbow politely declined. "Okay then." She said, taking one for herself. After she took a bite and swallowed, she began. "Rainbow, my name is Derpy Hooves. I met you this morning, but I understand if you don't remember me. The first day of flight school is always exciting, though I feel you've had a bit... Different experience." Derpy smiled, her eyes doing the weird thing Rainbow had noticed earlier in the day. Rainbow Dash wanted to say something, to ask her what was up with her eyes, but she remember what her dad had said, and decided against it. "You can say that again, Ms. Hooves." Rainbow said instead. Derpy continued. "You can just call me Derpy." She smiled again. "Now, Fluttershy tells me that you two have talked already, so I don't need to introduce you." At this, Rainbow looked over at the pink maned filly, who's head was down as she twiddled her hooves. Of course she told, Rainbow thought, she probably spilled her heart to anypony who asked. If she could work up the courage to speak. Derpy interrupted her train of thought. "Fluttershy told me that you think that she isn't the best flyer. Is that right?" "Yeah. She sucks." Rainbow said, being completely honest. "Well, I'm sure you weren't the best flyer when you started either." Derpy replied. "Yeah, but I can fly great now!" Rainbow snapped, taking Derpy's comment as an insult to her pride. "So you learned quickly, right?" Derpy said, not reacting to Rainbow Dash's outburst. "Yeah. Flying is easy." Dash said. "Well, maybe for you, but not for everypony." Derpy said. "For some ponies, flying is rather difficult. Every pony is special, and everypony learns at different rates. You may be a natural flyer, but for Fluttershy, flying is a bit more difficult. She needs some extra help." Derpy smiled again. "And she's asked if you would be willing to help her." "Me? But, but..." Rainbow stammered. She didn't know what to say. The filly she had yelled at, belittled, and made to cry... Wanted her help? Rainbow couldn't imagine asking for help. Her sense of pride wouldn't allow it. She remembered what her dad said, though, about some ponies being special in different ways, and how she should respect other ponies' specialness. She nodded. "Okay. I'll help her out." Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, surprised. She hadn't expected the rainbow filly to say yes. She hadn't really wanted Derpy to tell Rainbow about her request, and she was really embarrassed, but... Rainbow had said yes. Maybe they could be friends after all. Fluttershy really wanted to be friends with Rainbow Dash. Almost like... Almost like they were meant to be friends. Suddenly, Fluttershy smiled and threw her arms around Rainbow Dash. "Yay!" She squeaked, taking Rainbow by surprise. "Whoa, whoa there." She said, trying to push Fluttershy off of her. "That's enough of that." Derpy laughed, smiling, her eyes derping. "See Rainbow. She's not that bad." Derpy joked. "Good. Now that that's settled, how about you two run off back to class?" Fluttershy let go of Rainbow, and the two of them left the office, and walked next to each other back to class. The rest of the day was spent in class. Mr. Gale was teaching about basic aerodynamics and flight techniques, stuff that most of the young fillies and colts already knew. Rainbow Dash sat next to Fluttershy, and made sure that she took good notes. While she wasn't watching over Fluttershy, though, Rainbow wondered why most of the class was quiet and attentive. Normally, they'd be chatting quietly, trying to seem like they were paying attention, but not really. They already knew most of what Mr. Gale was teaching them, so why the intent stares? This left Rainbow Dash puzzled, but only because she didn't know what happened just before she and Fluttershy got back to class.
Chapter 6About ten minutes before Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived back to the classroom... Mr. Gale was teaching. "And as you glide, the air going over your wing travels faster than the air under..." He said, teaching the class basic aerodynamics and flight techniques. He knew that most of the class wasn't paying attention. Most of them knew this already. It was fine with him if they didn't pay attention. It was their grade on the line. What bothered him were the three jocks. All three of them were sitting right behind the muscular colt, Bulk Biceps. Mr. Gale knew he would have to keep an eye on them from the moment he walked into the room. He had a keen eye for troublemakers, and it seemed like he had a ripe batch right here. The three jocks were silently making fun of Bulk's tiny wings. At least, that is what Mr. Gale thought they were snickering about. He wasn't going to say anything to them. They weren't disrupting the rest of the class. This didn't last The three had the brilliant idea to try and tie a string around the base of Bulk's wings. Now, for most pegasi, this wouldn't be a problem. For Bulk, however, this was a major problem. His small wings needed all the mobility they could get, and any limitations on that mobility would render him unable to fly. The jocks knew this. They didn't get away with it, though. There were many factors that lead to their getting caught. They hid behind the large muscular colt, blocking Mr. Gale's view of what they were doing, but it didn't block the view of one of Bulk's best friends, Storm Chaser. When she saw what the jocks were trying to do, she raised the alarm. "Hey! Stop that!" She cried. This, naturally, caused the class to turn and look at the commotion, including Bulk Biceps. "Huh?" He said as he turned in his seat. "Hey!" He yelled as he realized what they were trying to do. Though, instead of retaliating, as most ponies would think he would do, he clambered over the desk, trying to get away from the three bullies. The three were irked that their practical joke had failed, and the dark brown one, Dumb-Bell turned toward's Storm Chaser. "What'd ya do that for?" He said, pushing the filly. Bulk saw this assult on his friend, and his mind switched to defence. He jumped towards Dumb-Bell, tackling the colt to the ground. The two other jocks sat, shocked, before regaining their awareness and jumping on Bulk's back. "YEAH!" Bulk yelled as he reared up, easily dislodging his two assailants. At this opening, though, Dumb-Bell got up and jumped, headbutting Bulk in the stomach. The muscular white colt fell backwards, landing on his back. Before Dumb-Bell could get the jump on Bulk, though, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. When he looked up, Mr. Gale was standing there, towering over the colt, a stern look on his face. "Tell me, son. Do you really think you can take on this young colt?" Mr. Gale said, indicating Bulk Biceps. "I can take on anypony. Let me at him!" Dumb-Bell said, tugging towards Bulk, who was getting back to his hooves. Mr. Gale's grasp held firm, though. "I'm pretty sure that would be a bad idea." Mr. Gale said, looking over at Bulk Biceps. The colt was just standing there, staring at Dumb-Bell. Mr. Gale's trained eyes saw that the colt's legs were tense, indicating a readiness to attack. That attack, if it were allowed to come, would probably knock Dumb-Bell out cold. Maybe that's what he needed... "Do you honestly believe you can take him?" "Yeah! Come on, he started it! Let me finish it." Dumb-Bell said, tugging harder against Mr. Gale's hoof on his shoulder. "Okay. Have it your way." Mr. Gale said with a smile. He let go of Dumb-Bell, and the dark brown colt shot forward towards Bulk. The white colt was ready for him, though, and whipped around, bringing his hind legs to the front. As Dumb-Bell closed on Bulk, he realized what was about to happen, but he was going to fast to stop it. He slammed against the bookshelves in the back of the classroom as Bulk bucked him, kicking out with his hind legs, his hooves making solid contact with Dumb-Bell's chest. Dumb-Bell struggled to get up, but then collapsed, dazed, as his friends ran up to him. "Hoops, Score, would you please escort Dumb-Bell to the nurse, then promptly report to the principal's office for your punishment?" Mr. Gale said, his voice calm and level. The remaining two jocks looked at him, then at Bulk, and nodded vigorously. They lifted Dumb-Bell and carried him out of the room. The rest of the class had their gaze fixed on Mr. Gale. "Now, if anypony else is looking to disrupt my class with pointless shenanigans, I'll gladly let them have a word with Bulk. If not, lets say we all pay attention from now on, hm?" Mr. Gale said as he walked to the front of the class, righting desks as he went. Bulk and Storm Chaser went back to their seats, and Mr. Gale continued teaching, just as if nothing had happened.
