Author's Notes:

It came to my attention that I gave the Royal Armourer the incorrect name in the last chapter. I had called him Light Hammer which was incorrect but in this new chapter he has been given the correct name and I have changed it in the previous chapter to.

Next Chapter = Nightmare Night!

“I have very bad reservations about this!”

“Oh stop being a foal, you wanted to learn and this is it!”

“Yeah I do, but this...”

“John, I'm teaching you this way because I know you're capable of doing it. Now just step to the cloud edge and we can begin.”

I step to the cloud edge and look down. It was early in the morning so not many ponies were moving around in town, the one's that I could see were setting up their stalls for the early morning shoppers. I never really thought of my problems with heights as of late but now I was feeling nauseous.

“Ok, so how do we do this?” I ask Rainbow, the mare was hovering nearby tapping her chin.

“Right, first I need to find out just how much true thrust your wings have got. I want you to spread your wings and try to hover above the cloud.” Rainbow says, she drops to the cloud and watches me with interest.

I back up and take a deep breath. “Ok, I can do this!” I slowly extend out my wings and I hear a faint gasp from Dash. I close my eyes and feel each muscle in my back flex and pull. I open my eyes and start to flap my wings, I feel my body lifting as my flapping continues. I feel myself leave the surface of the cloud but it was not easy and I quickly fell to my knees as my wings gave out. I went to stand up but I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“Not too quickly, gliding is one thing but flying is another, you're just not used to using those wing muscles fully yet.” Rainbow says giving me a smile. “It seems we're going to have to go back to flying school for this, and I know just the teacher.”

“Who?” I ask, finally standing up.

“You just wait here, I know he can get you flying in no time.” Rainbow takes off and flies away leaving me alone on the cloud.

“Guess, I'll just wait here then.” I mumble.

I sat on the edge of the cloud for what must have been an hour or so before Rainbow finally came back with another pegasis flying beside her. I stood up as they both approached and landed. Rainbow walks up and gesture to the stallion behind her.

“John, I would like you to meet my father, Cloud Blitz.”

I stood up straight and bowed to the stallion. “It's an honour sir.”

“An honour? I've never been called that before.” Cloud Blitz states, giving me a grin. “Now John, my little Rainbow has told me that you need some help in getting off the ground and staying there.”

“I can get off the ground, it's just my species isn't designed to fly so my body isn't used to the new muscles that my wings gave me. I can glide pretty well but I just can't fly or hover.”

“Hmm, let me see your wings so I know what I'm dealing with.”

I nod and extend out my wings, I see Cloud Blitz's eyes widen.

“You were not lying my little filly, his wings are a marvel.” Cloud Blitz starts to walk around me. “I think is see why, your wings have a lot of primary feathers but very few secondary feathers. Your wings are designed for thrust but I can make these work.” Cloud Blitz turns to Rainbow and grins. “When he flies Dash, I'm afraid he's going to be faster than you.”

“What!?” Rainbow shouts. “Are you serious dad?”

“I am terribly serious, with these primaries he can fly faster than you.”

I chuckle as Rainbow huffs in annoyance. “Don't worry Rainbow I don't think I'll be doing a sonic boom anytime soon.” I turn my gaze to Rainbows dad. “So, How do we do this?”

“Well with your primaries you can't fly from a standing start.”

“Eh?” I reply, giving him a confused eyebrow.

“Yes, you need air passing over your outstretched wings before you can take off. In essence, to fly you need to run.” Cloud Blitz gestures to the edge of the cloud. “So...Jump.”

I look at Cloud Blitz like he just told me to cut my own throat.

“What?”

“Commander, to fly you need to jump, trust me.”

I look to Rainbow who looks back to me with her ears folded back. I wanted to fly so badly that jumping from the cloud seemed like the best idea. If Rainbow trusted her dad to teach me then I can trust him not to kill me in flight training. I walk up to the cloud edge and take a deep breath.

“John are you really going to do this?” Rainbow asks, coming up behind me. “Dad! How could you do this?”

“You asked me here to teach him how to fly, this is the only way.” Cloud Blitz replies.

I stood on the cloud edge and looked down. “Well if I die at least I die with a bang!” I chuckle. I turn back to the two pegasi. “So I jump and just flap my wings?” Cloud Blitz nods. “Well, better now than never!” I give Rainbow one last smile before against my better judgement I jump off the cloud.

I plummet through the air and realise at an alarming rate the ground was coming up to greet me. I hold my breath and fold my arms in increasing my speed. I let out the breath as I snap open my wings and give them one flap, next thing I know I'm being pulled upwards by my wings and to my surprise I was feeling no pain. I stick out my arms in front of me and use my wings like rudders as I flap, I cheer out as I bank through several of the houses in Ponyville square. I notice surprised ponies running for cover as I fly over head, my huge wingspan frightening some of the younger one's.

I laugh and hoot as I continue flapping and banking around buildings, I take notice of a shape taking up a position beside me. I look to my left and see Rainbow flying with me, matching my movements.

“How do you feel?” Rainbow asks.

“I couldn't be more alive! Who would have thought flying would be this exciting!” I reply, turning and flying upwards. I get to roughly about one mile up and flap my wings slower and much to mine and equally Rainbows disbelief, I hover.”

“John! You're hovering!” Rainbow says, letting out a small squeal. “Ugh, please don't tell Applejack I did that?”

I smile. “No secrets between family Dash.” I laugh as Rainbow scowls at me, I shrug and look around. “Hey where's your dad?”

“He said you didn't need him any more, so he went home.”

“Shame, I can't believe I'm flying!” I shout as I somersault in mid air and catch myself into a hover again.

“Oh and dad said that you could fly all along.”

I almost stop hover at Rainbow's remark. “Pardon?”

“Yeah dad said he could see it straight away, it wasn't your wings or your muscles keeping you from flying, it was the fact you were scared to do it.”

“I was scared of flying?” I ask myself out loud.

“Look this is your first time flying let's head down and talk some more, ok?” I nod and follow after Dash as she leads me to the ground, I manage to land without falling on my face but it wasn't graceful either.

“I don't understand Dash, what did your dad mean?”

Rainbow sighs. “Look, my dad used to be a Wonderbolt ok? He is the reason I want to become one. I watched him my whole foal hood being the greatest flyer around and then it was taken away from him. During a practice run on a course my dad did hundreds of times he got hit by a lightning bolt from a rogue cloud, it almost took his right wing off. He recovered of course but not before his life as a flyer was destroyed, I want to become a great flyer not for me...but for him.”

I felt a tear roll down my cheek from Rainbow's story, I sat on a nearby grass verge as I thought about her tale.

“Why don't you tell the others this?” I ask.

“Up until now, I didn't want to tell anypony but life has a way of changing things huh?”

I stretch out a wing and gesture for Rainbow to sit beside me.

“Dude you know I'm not-”

“Don't want to hear it! Get under this wing Dash!” I keep my gaze on Rainbow as she walks over and sits down beside me, I wrap my wing around her and pull her close. “I love you Rainbow and everypony else, I don't care how tough you are, you are my family and I will take care of you.”

Rainbow rests her head on my shoulder and I hear her sniffing. “Thanks John.” Dash suddenly breaks down into sobbing as her body starts to shake against mine.

“Let's get you home.” I whisper and in one flash of light we vanish.

I sit by Rainbow's bed and stroke her hair. It has been almost an hour since I brought her to her home and she has only now just dropped off to sleep. She had literally cried herself to sleep.

I turn my head to the large open window as I her the approach of wings. I smile when I see Cloud Blitz land on the balcony outside. I get up from my seat and head outside, I close the window behind me.

“I thought I would find you here.” Cloud Blitz says as he gives Rainbow a quick glance through the window. “I guess she told you about what happened to me?”

“She did. Is it all true?” I ask.

“For the most part, right up to the rogue cloud.”

“Would it be wrong to ask what happened?”

Cloud Blitz sighs. “Everything my daughter told you was true commander, but the cloud was no rogue. I made the cloud myself to prepare me for the trick I was going to do, I made it too good however and during training I was hit by a stray lightning bolt. What happened after that was the end of it.”

I purse my lips. “Have you told Rainbow?”

“I couldn't do that, my daughter aspires to be a Wonderbolt because of me. I can't destroy her dreams because I screwed mine by failing. Dash is everything to me, I can't risk she knowing the truth.” Cloud Blitz steps towards me and looks me in the eyes. “Promise me you won't tell her.”

“I can't lie to her.” I reply.

“Promise me.”

I walk to the window and place my hand on the glass, I notice Rainbow was smiling in her sleep/

“I promise.” I take my hand off the glass and look to Cloud Blitz. “I have to go pick up my costume for Nightmare Night but rest easy, If dash learns the truth, it wasn't from me.” Cloud Blitz gives me a nod as I jump off Rainbow's balcony and take off towards the train station.

I arrive in Canterlot in the early evening, the sun was going down and the days were getting shorter. I didn't take a cab to the castle and instead decided to use my teleport, I still had a long way to go as I appeared inside of a cleaning closet. Though I was glad it wasn't Celestia's bedroom again.

It doesn't take me long to get to the armoury only to find no guards posted outside.

“Strange?” I say before pushing open the forge area's doors. I walk in to find the forge was shut down and all the fires were put out. “Hello?” I say, only for my voice to echo slightly. “Ok, this is unsettling.” My fears were unfounded however as Heart Hammer comes out of his office.

“Ah commander! You're just in time, your armour is finished and awaiting your inspection.”

“It's quiet in here tonight.” I say, following Heart Hammer into a back room.

“Yes, with Nightmare Night tomorrow all ponies in the castle have been given tonight and tomorrow off to celebrate.”

“Oh crap, I'm not keeping you from your family am I?”

Heart Hammer chuckles. “No, I will be with them later but first...” Heart Hammer opens a door and gestures to the far wall. “..your armour commander, just like you wanted.”

My wings flutter as I stare at the armour perfectly fitted to a mannequin shaped like me. I walk up to it and run my fingers over the breast plate, its polished shine reflecting my face.

“You'll be happy to hear that the armour is full working as you requested, it should take the same punishment as your current set of armour you wear already. I would however liked to have put chainmail on the arms here and here.”

I shake my head. “That would ruin the armour as the original never had chainmail.” I turn my gaze away and hold out my hand, Heart Hammer nods and puts his hoof in my palm. “It's perfect.” I say shaking Heart Hammer's hoof.

“Oh and it comes with it's own little chest too.” Heart Hammer gestures to a small box on the side.

“That doesn't look like it can hold the whole armour.” I state, looking at the small gold box.

Heart Hammer laughs. “That's because it has this great little feature.” Heart Hammer touches the left vembrace with his hoof and the armour flashes to leave behind a small gold bracelet. “I had the armour made to be the same as your ring armour but I thought this time a bracelet might suit the armour better.” Heart Hammer places the bracelet into the gold box and then holds the box out for me to take.

“I just noticed something, where's the weapon?” I ask.

“Right here!” Heart Hammer holds out a small shaft like Moonbeam's hilt but this time it was gold and thicker in size. “It activates just like your sword, press the gem and away you go.”

I take the gold shaft from Heart Hammer's hoof and look it over.

“Is it going to be intimidating?” I ask, giving Heart Hammer a smirk.

“Oh yes, might ruffle some feathers too!” Heart Hammer replies, returning my smirk.

I hold out my hand and Heart Hammer places his hoof into it, I shake his hoof and pick up the box using my magic. I float it over into my grasp and smile to Heart Hammer.

“Thanks for this Heart, I won't forget it.”

Heart Hammer snorts. “Don't think to much about it, I have the glorious job of creating the armour for your Crescent Guards. That will be my legacy, creating a new armour set for a new army. It will be glorious.”

I shake my head and smile. “You're one strange pony Heart Hammer.”

“You try staying sane when you work in here most of your life.” Heart Hammer grins.

I shake my head again. “Just get home to your family you weirdo.” I make my way to the exit as I know the last train to Ponyville was scheduled to leave soon. I turn back as Heart Hammer shouts to me.

“Hey! You catch the train home right?”

“Yeah.”

“I have something you might like, the princesses gave me some new gem to test, I thought you might like to check it out.” Heart Hammer walks over to a chest and flips the lid, he pulls out a red gem that glows a feint blue light. “This is a gem that gives the user a one time teleport to a location that the user thinks of. The princesses think this might be good for the troops that can't use magic, like pegasi and earth ponies.”

Heart Hammer holds the gem out to me and I take it.

“So the user just thinks of a place and the gem takes them there?” I ask, holding the gem up.

“Yes, I need a test pilot for the gem and I thought you might like to try it.”

“I am intrigued I can tell you that.” I reply.

“Well just hold the gem and think of where you want to go and the gem will take you there, if you survive just send me a letter.”

“Ok, I will see you later Heart Hammer.” I hold the gem in my hand and think of Sweet Apple Acres, I feel the gem warm up before a bright red flash engulfs my vision.

Heart Hammer waves to the spot I once stood. “Happy trails commander!”