Rainbow Dash yawned as she walked out onto the training field. The grass was still covered in dew which gave a pleasurably cool sensation to her hooves. The sun had risen above the green and fruitful hills only a few hours before and shone in a sky dotted with puffy, white clouds. Dash had an afternoon shift, but this morning she had decided to get in a practice session with her student.

Despite being ostensibly "punished", the filly looked rather happy and enthusiastic. She had a cheerful expression and was prancing as she strove to keep up with her mentor. Dash looked down at her as Scootaloo bounced up in the air, fluttering her wings. Dash patted her head as she came down. "This isn't much of a punishment, huh Squirt?"

Scootaloo shook her head, sending her wild, purple mane flying. "I like training with you, Rainbow Dash!"

"Well, the reason I want you to train today-and we're not leaving until you get it right-is that I want to know you can get this right and do it safely when I'm not around cause I know you're going to do it when I'm not around."

Scootaloo lightly blushed and shuffled a hoof. Dash pointed a hoof at the tall oak. "Let's see you get up there."

Scootaloo looked up at the tall tree and its wide, leafy branches. Despite its gnarled roots and high branches Scootaloo had gotten up the tree twice yesterday and she knew she could do it again. She angled her wings sharply upwards and flapped them, ascending into the air. A light wind nearly blew her off course. She tumbled in air, but then grabbed onto the branch and scrambled up it.

Dash spread her wings and easily flew up next to the branch, hovering beside it. "You may have noticed yesterday that you were going down instead of going up. With a corkscrew pattern you have to go upward, or if you prefer, you can go straight. We can save that one for later."

She angled her wings and nodded in approval as Scootaloo imitated her position. "Now just watch me before you try it." She twisted and took off into the air. Her wings beat, stirring up a gust of wind that shook the branches of the oak. Scootaloo's jaw dropped as the rush of air whooshed over her, as she felt the power of her mentor's wings.

She wondered if she would ever stop being amazed by her mentor's moves. Dash twisted in the air as she reached the peak of her ascent and then glided back down, hovering by the branch. "That's how it's done, Squirt."

Scootaloo scuffed her front hoof. "What was I doing, yesterday?"

"You sort of had it. You were kind of doing it backwards, though. The key is to twist just after you jump. Try it."

Scootaloo closed her eyes and took a breath, closed her eyes and tried to remember how Dash had done it. Then she opened her eyes, snapped open her wings, angled them into the correct position and leapt into the air. She felt the air resist her, gravity trying to push her down. In the manner of her warrior ancestors, she felt a sudden longing to conquer it, to claim dominion over gravity itself. Before gravity could knock her down she twisted in midair. Going upward, she realized, was much harder than going downward.

Before she could complete the twist she faltered and lost control, spiraling wildly in the air. Dash rushed upward, catching her in a protective embrace before placing her back down on the tree branch. "Okay, Squirt. What do you think went wrong?"

Scootaloo rubbed her chin. "I'm not sure."

"Muscle control, Squirt. It's all about muscle control. And the only way you develop muscle control is to do it, practice over and over again. That Earth Pony blood of yours is a plus. You have some very strong wings and your other muscles are just as strong."

Scootaloo blinked. "I...I do?"

She patted Scootaloo's shoulder. "Yep. You just haven't been able to learn how to really use them until now. I've watched you on that scooter of yours. You're strong. You can do this. I know you can. It'll feel kind of weird at first because you're just not used to using your muscles like this. Enough gabbing, get in the air!"

Scootaloo snapped open her wings once more. She closed her eyes and sensed something that she never had before. It wasn't wind, but it was rushing by her, tickling her wings, stirring her feathers. "Rainbow Dash, I feel something."

Dash cocked her head. "What do you feel?"

"Um, it's like wind, but it's...not." Scootaloo opened her eyes.

Dash was grinning. "Your Pegasus magic is awakening." What Dash didn't say was that with access to Earth Pony strength and Pegasus weather magic, along with Dash's training, Scootaloo was going to be an arcane powerhouse when she came into her mark. Mixed-tribe foals were known for their magical gifts. It would be enough to rival Twilight herself. Dash hadn't been joking when she'd said she looked forward to racing Scootaloo.

"My Pegasus magic?"

"Yeah. Bout darned time too. Feel it. Let it flow through you. Let it guide you."

Scootaloo closed her eyes and felt the currents of air wrap around her. She spread her wings, unfamiliar energy tingling, spreading through her feathers. Before she leapt this time, she tried to figure out what she was doing wrong. She gave her wings a few experimental flaps, then she jumped from the branch and twisted in midair. Just as she felt herself about to fall she flared her wings and forced them to angle upwards.

As she did, she felt that web of energy all around her, flowing through her. This time, for a few seconds of triumph, she came out of the twist and tried to hover. Then vengeful gravity caught up to her and she plunged like a rock. None of her desperate attempts to slow her fall by flapping her wings helped. Before she could hit the ground, she found herself in Dash's forelegs. Instinctively, she wrapped her hooves around Dash's neck in an appreciative hug.

Dash placed her down on the branch. "Maybe I should put down a trampoline."

Scootaloo giggled.

"I wasn't joking. Although seeing you bounce up and down would be pretty cute. So, that was your best attempt. As you get better at flying, you'll feel more of a connection to your Pegasus magic. Flight isn't just physical. It's magical too, spiritual even. If you feel yourself about to fall, don't panic. Remember how I taught you to meditate at the cloud shrine?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Remember that. Try to get your mind in that state again and let your magic guide you."

Scootaloo saluted, got back into position, angled her wings, and spent a few seconds feeling and exploring the new sensation. It felt just like the wind, streaming and curling around her. She breathed in and out, calming her mind. The energy swirled around her, lifted up her wings. She allowed it to.

Then, she realized what she was doing wrong. She leapt upwards, jumping from the branch. Her wings carried her up into the sky. She could still feel the insistent tug of gravity. She ignored it. She felt a crick in her side, her abs starting to burn as she twisted in air. She turned fully in midair and fluttered her wings as she came to a complete stop. She kept fluttering her wings, trying not to trip.

"Go into a glide, Scoots!" Dash shouted from down below.

Scootaloo hovered, flapping her wings to stay up. "I, uh, I don't know how to glide!"

Dash slapped her face. "Damn it. I, uh, never showed you. I'm so sorry, Scoots." She flew up to her. Scootaloo was beginning to falter. A few beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her wings weren't burning, but they were beginning to tire from the amount of effort she had put into using them.

Dash took hold of her, guiding her and turning her upside down. "You have to learn how to move in the air." She put her hooves on top of Scootaloo's wings, flapping them. "Do you feel it?"

"I think so."

"Let's do it." Still holding onto Scootaloo's middle, Dash spread her wings and glided down onto the tree branch. She set Scootaloo down. "So, uh, it looks like we need you to do some gliding practice." She picked Scootaloo up, tucking her under her foreleg and jumped off the branch. They landed on the ground, Dash letting Scootaloo go. "Gliding is harder than you might think, which is why I didn't show it to you before. It was supposed to be next. Control is what you need for this so this'll be a good exercise. I'll show it to you."

Dash took off into a run and spread her wings. Without flapping them, she allowed the wind she'd kicked up to carry her and glided upward. She spun in the air and returned to earth. "Think you can do that, Scoots? Just gotta get used to feeling the wind in your wings."

Scootaloo imitated the elder pegasus and took into a fast gallop. She spread her wings and the wind kicked up in her wake sent her forward. She yelped as the wind sent her sprawling and then she hit the ground. Dash helped her up. "Yeah, you're gonna get real familiar with the ground and how the dirt around here tastes. Gotta learn how to crash before you can learn to fly."

"Seriously?"

"They used to call me Rainbow Crash."

Scootaloo gaped. "I don't believe you."

"Yeah, it's true. Anyway, do it again. Remember, the word for today is control."

Scootaloo took off into a gallop once more and, once she felt she'd gotten up enough speed, she spread her wings. The wind carried her straight. She had to flap a few times to direct her course before she once more crashed. This time, she didn't need Dash to help her get up. "I'm going too fast, aren't I?"

Dash patted her head, giving her a noogie. "Knew you'd figure it out. Try a trot, instead of a gallop."

Scootaloo began to run, breaking into a trot this time. She snapped open her wings and flew as the wind pushed her. This time she didn't need to flap her wings, mainly because of how slow she was going. She only glided about a foot before she stopped, her hooves connecting with the ground.

Dash nodded. "That was better, Scoots. Just a bit faster."

Scootaloo started trotting again, this time slightly faster. When she spread open her wings this time, she felt the wind pushing her wings, pushing her forward and off the ground. It was almost disorienting, very different from flight. She glided a few feet before she gave out again, her hooves landing back on the ground.

Dash patted her back. "And that was your best. Good job, I think you're getting the hang of it. Do it again."

Scootaloo panted. "Can we take a break?"

Dash took a bottle of water from her saddle bag and handed it to her. Scootaloo took off the cap and drank it greedily. "Remember what I said. We're not leaving this field till you get it right."

"Heh. You're serious."

"Very. Serious."

Scootaloo took another sip. "What if I get hungry?"

Dash took off her saddle bag. "I'm not cruel, Squirt. I packed us a lunch last night. You hungry?"

Scootaloo finished up the water bottle. "Not after all those pancakes I had." Dash took the empty water bottle and put it back in her bag. Scootaloo flapped her wings. "I'm gonna give it another try."

This time, Scootaloo broke into a much faster trot that bordered on a gallop. She spread her wings as she started picking up speed. She was getting used to the rush of the wind, the way the air buoyed up her wings. She lifted into the air and tilted her wings instinctively to catch the breeze. The breeze pushed her onward as she glided over the field. The grass danced and stirred as she soared over it.

For just a minute, it felt like she was flying. She lost her momentum and almost tumbled. At the last second she caught herself and came down to the ground. She got another pat on the back from Dash. "Way to go, Squirt."

Scootaloo beamed.

"Do it again." Dash ordered.

Scootaloo turned to look up at her. "Again?"

"Again. I want to see it done perfectly."

After that, Scootaloo lost count of how many times she did it. She galloped, trotted, even cantered to get up speed and then glided on the wind. Each time she did it, she got more used to it, felt her wings adjust to the push of the currents of air rushing against her feathers. After her last attempt, she nearly collapsed as she came down to the ground. Dash offered her a bottle of water and wiped away the trail of sweat about to run into her eyes. "That was perfect, Squirt."

Scootaloo gulped down the water, relishing the coolness of it against her throat. "Really?"

"Really. Perfect form, perfect speed. Took you an hour, but I knew you'd get it."

Scootaloo rested her head onto the grass and munched a bit. She rarely indulged in grazing, but this particular patch of grass was rather sweet.

Dash took a sandwich from her saddle bag. "Getting hungry?"

Scootaloo stood and took the sandwich. "Yeah." She bit into the sandwich and laid back down.

Dash laid down beside her and munched on a fried oat sandwich of her own. "After lunch, we'll get you working on the corkscrew again. By the way, this is only the single corkscrew. You wanna learn the triple corkscrew?"

Scootaloo swallowed a piece of her friend hay sandwich. "I think I'll stick to the single corkscrew for now."

Dash took a sip from her own water bottle. "Suit yourself."

After lunch, Scootaloo scrambled back up the branch. Dash hovered beside the branch to keep an eye on her. Scootaloo spread her wings and closed her eyes. She felt the strands of energy moving all around her. She hadn't felt them very strongly on the ground, but this close to the sky they were strong. They still felt like currents of air to her. But if it was Pegasus magic, feeling it stronger when she was in the air made sense.

Like the wind had on the ground, she could feel the strands of energy wanting to push up her wings. She let them. Then she leapt from the branch, rocketing straight into the air. The magic and the wind pushed her upward. As she ascended, she accelerated, gaining speed. Once she felt she was high enough she twisted.

That's when the danger set in. The wind nearly knocked her down, but she used it to her advantage as she directed herself downward. She flapped her wings and spread them, going into a glide. A sense of vertigo struck her. She had never flown downward before ,just jumped, but still she glided towards the ground while trying to ignore the momentary disorientation.

Dash flew up to meet her, catching her. Scootaloo shook her head as she was laid on the ground.

Dash laid a hoof on her shoulder. "You alright?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, I...I think so. I'm a little dizzy. That didn't happen yesterday."

"You weren't coming out of a full corkscrew and coming down that fast yesterday. You need to get used to that sensation. And that means more practice."

Scootaloo wiped away the beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. She saluted Dash and then flared her wings, jumping up on the branch. She closed her eyes, sensing the strands of magic, realizing that they connected her to the sky itself. Slowly it began to dawn on her how the magic was working.

She snapped open her wings and focused. Then she she shot into the air, feeling the magic twist and wrap around her. After getting to the midpoint of her ascent she twisted and then went downward into a glide. The wind whistled through her wings as she came closer to the ground.

She landed and her knees gave out. Dash wrapped a hoof under her, helping her back up. "That was better. How do you feel?"

Scootaloo wobbled. "I'm good."

"You know the drill."

Scootaloo repeated the maneuver, leaping off the branch and into the air. When she reached the midway point, she closed her eyes and sensed the magic coursing through her veins. Somehow, she felt it. The sky, the magic coursing through her, her wings, herself. It was all connected.

She twisted, corkscrewing and diving down, going into the glide. She kept her eyes closed as she picked up speed.

"Hey, Squirt! Open your eyes!"

Scootaloo's eyes shot open. She was only a few inches from the ground. She yelped and went into a roll.

Dash wrapped her up as she caught her. "Seriously, Squirt, why did you close your eyes? Do not close your eyes when flying."

Scootaloo shrunk back at the scolding. "I just..." She hesitated as she tried to explain. "When I closed my eyes I felt the magic. I felt it'd help me fly."

Dash gave her a brief hug which Scootaloo returned. "Yeah, Scoots, you will feel the magic if you close your eyes. But you have to keep your eyes open when you're flying. Try to feel it with your eyes open this time."

Scootaloo once more bounded up the tree. She kept her eyes open, but focused on the magic, the wind-like energy that swirled around her. She spread open her wings, the magic tickling and running through her feathers, then she soared off the branch. She corkscrewed in midair, turning and twisting, using her wings to maintain her balance. Once she completed the twist, she fell into a dive.

She resisted the urge to close her eyes as she landed on her hooves, instinctively bending her knees. She still swayed as she landed. Dash steadied her with a hoof on her back. Scootaloo leaned into her. "I think I got it this time."

"Let's see. Do it again."

Scootaloo flapped her tired and sore wings. Dash preened one of her errant feathers. "One more time, Squirt. Show me what you got."

Scootaloo repeated the technique, soaring off the branch and corkscrewing once more. As she corkscrewed, she felt her wings strain to keep her in the air. They did and she angled them as she went into a glide. This time her knees barely buckled as she landed. She stood there, panting.

Dash stroked her mane. "By Celestia, I think you've got it. Since this wasn't really a punishment I'm gonna take you by Sugarcube Corner and make you eat cookies and cake."

Scootaloo giggled. "No, anything but cookies and cake."

The two Pegasii burst into giggles. Scootaloo looked up at Dash. "Hey, Dash. How come you didn't tell me about Pegasus magic before?"

Dash shrugged. "I was busy trying to get you in the air."

Scootaloo looked back at her wings. They were sore, exhausted. Beneath her fur, she was nearly dripping with sweat. She felt good, though, that good kind of soreness she had learned to like. "Do you think I'll ever learn to really fly? Not just stay in the air for a few minutes?"

Dash laid in the cool grass. Scootaloo followed her lead, laying down beside her. "Squirt, no Pegasus ever really learns to fly. Even I, the greatest flyer in Equestria, am still learning. There are still techniques I haven't mastered. I'd bet that Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts are still learning too. And once you do learn, you have to constantly train to keep up your skills. The journey never really ends."

Scootaloo rested in the grass for a few moments, leaning against Dash and mulling over what her mentor had told her. "I'm gonna keep training till I get as good as you."

"Go for it, Squirt. And once you reach that point, keep going. Ever higher."

Scootaloo stood, stretching out her forelegs and tired muscles. "Ever higher."

Dash stood. "Let's go get those cookies."

Scootaloo followed. Dash placed a wing over her as they left the training field and headed towards town. The sun shone from its place in the sky over the magical land of Equestria. Two Pegasii, two sisters one elder, one younger, walked down the road. The younger leaned into the elder. They were sisters, though not by blood. Through sweat and tears, through all the things they had gone through, they had been bound as sisters now and forever.

The journey would not end here, nor even on that distant day when the younger surpassed her elder and took on an apprentice of her own. It would keep going, forever and ever. The legend of Rainbow Dash and her disciple, and Scootaloo and her as yet unknown disciple would be passed down from generation to generation.

That day would come when these moments would pass into legend, to be remembered forever, but for now Scootaloo and Rainbow sat down at a table in the sweet smelling bakery over a plate of chocolate chip cookies, Dash deciding she could skip her diet just this once.

Author's Notes:

The end for now ;)