(Lesson Five-Training isn't always physical. Don't neglect your pegasus filly's spiritual training.)

Scootaloo had become accustomed to pain. Under Dash's tutelage, she was beginning to believe pain was in fact good for her. This startling revelation had dawned on her when she realized how much stronger she was growing. It used to be her wings were barely strong enough to carry her. Under a month of Dash's very traditional Pegasan training her wings were now strong enough to carry her in the air for at least fifteen seconds. All the sweat, all the effort, all the aching, soreness of her muscles after a workout ,all the endless wing-ups and crunches and laps were worth it. Even the brief, hardly mentionable, pain of the spanking had woken her up to the fact that her temper was becoming a serious problem. The fact that she had made Dash that mad-or worse disappointed-in her was something that had inspired her to tackle that problem.It was something her and Dash had decided to work on together. Dash had promised not to spank her again, of course, unless Scootaloo thought it would help her. Traditional Pegasan training always involved a bit of corporal punishment, but Dash was reluctant to go down that path.

Today was another training day. Scootaloo hovered over the field, the blue sky arching above her, her wings straining with the effort of keeping her body suspended between the heavens and the earth. She looked up to the heavens, that blue expanse that was her inheritance, the glory and pride of her race. How she longed to cast off her earthly bonds and soar like her ancestors before her. She knew she would one day. The sky was within her reach.

"Come on, Scoots. You got this!" Dash cheered her on. Dash was directly above her. "Come on up here!"

Scootaloo breathed and angled her wings like Dash had taught her. A burst of air lifted her up and she flew upwards. Dash lifted out of her reach.

'Always out of my reach...always...'

She zoomed forward, trying to catch her. Dash stuck out her tongue as she lifted even further upwards.

'No, not always! I will reach you!' Scootaloo thought, more determined than ever. The thrust of her wings carried her farther than they ever had before. This time instead of flying upwards, Dash got her by her hooves and pulled her up. The field was far below them. Scootaloo looked down. The green field stretched below her. From here it looked so small. She was at least five-hundred feet up.

"Wanna go higher?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Let's go higher."

The larger pair of hooves held onto hers. Scootaloo no longer flapped her wings, just letting the air flow through them as her mentor carried her. As they ascended the town below shrunk. Scootaloo looked down and saw the buildings and houses of her hometown. Then she looked back up. While it was a mostly cloudless day thin wisps were scattered here and there.

"I'm going to let you go." Dash said.

"W-what?"

"You trust me, Squirt?"

Scootaloo nodded. "W-with my life."

"Yeah. You're about too."

She let go of her hooves. Scootaloo flapped wildly as Dash slid under her. She landed on Dash's back and wrapped her hooves around her neck.

"You got any plans today?" Dash asked.

"Nah. I have to be back before eight though."

"Great, we'll be back long before then."

Scootaloo looked around. They were now surrounded by open sky. The hills and pleasant meadows of Equestria were far below them while the rocky, grey mountains were rising up to greet them. A shroud of mist covered them.

"Where are we going?"

"It's just a place pegasii like to go, sometimes. Earth Ponies have their burial mounds, Unicorns have their temples, we have cloud shrines."

"Cloud shrines?"

"Yeah. I don't go too often."

She lifted up over the mountains, diving through the narrow and dusty paths, rising above their peaks. They took a detour through fog. Scootaloo tightened her hold as they went through it. The mist obscured their vision and for a while the world was a thick, grey blanket. They burst through the other side, drops of mist bathing their wings. Soon, the mountains were far behind them. Scootaloo wondered just how fast they were going. Ponyville was gone and the world below was nothing but rocks and mountains. She had never paid much attention to geography, but she wished she had. She had heard of cloud shrines before. Rumble told her that her brother Thunderlane took him there sometimes. He hadn't told her much about it though. The farther they flew the thicker the clouds got. Scootaloo kept expecting to see Cloudsdale, but they were going in the wrong direction for that. Or at least she thought they were. They were now so high that Scootaloo couldn't even see the world below.

"What's at a cloud shrine?"

"It's kinda hard to describe. It's like a really old cloud formation. I never paid much attention to the old stories, but it is said Queen Majesty made them when the world was young for Pegasii to enjoy. Or something like that. Some Pegasii pray there. Some just go there to think." Dash said. She flew over a jagged mountain peak that looked like it was as old as the world.

"Where are we?"

"These are the Majestic Mountains. I love flying here. It's fun to dodge the peaks. Here we are."

Scootaloo couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. Before her was a vast expanse of rolling mists and cloud that seemed to stretch for endless miles. She couldn't quite describe it, but she felt a sense of ancientness and somehow understood that these clouds were incomprehensibly old, older than the first pegasus, older than the pony race. What magic held these clouds together was so much greater than she could fathom. There were other pegasii around. Some had their wings spread in reverence and their hooves lifted in prayer. Others were just sitting. A few were speaking to each other in hushed whispers. Dash landed on a part of the formatiom that nopony else was on. Scootaloo hopped off her back and sat down. Dash laid down.

"What do we do now?"

"Nothing. That's the point."

Scootaloo chuckled. "Sounds boring."

"Anywhere else and it would be. Remember when we both lost our tempers a week ago?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Let's take it easy for a bit. Close your eyes. Breathe."

Scootaloo didn't know where this was going, but obeyed. She closed her eyes and began to breathe.

"Slowly. In. Out."

She fell into a steady rhythm with her mentor. After a few moments, she realized what Dash was talking about. With each breath of the fresh, clean air filling her lungs a sense of calm filled her. Soon, all thoughts had melted away. She allowed herself to sink into the clouds. Tension she hadn't known she was carrying melted away as her muscles fully relaxed. Time lost all meaning. She wasn't sure how long she was in that state, just breathing with her mentor, when Dash placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"This place has a way of bringing peace." She said. "And you can carry it with you."

"How?" Scootaloo asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"If you feel yourself getting angry close your eyes, breathe and imagine you're back here. Doesn't always work, but most of the time it will."

"Can we keep doing it?"

"Sure."

They went back to the sitting and breathing. Scootaloo had never been so happy just sitting still.

...
It was a few days later. Scootaloo was walking home from school, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle beside her. They were planning on getting spelunking cutie marks. Unfortunately, there were no caves around Ponyville. Sweetie Belle suggested that they try something like swimming cutie marks. Scootaloo was about to second the idea when she heard a taunting voice.

"Hey, Blank Flanks."

They all groaned.

"What do you want, Diamond?" Applebloom demanded.

The pink filly and her grey flunky were standing on the path they were walking.

"What lame plan to get your cutie marks do you have this time?" Diamond asked.

"Swimming, if you must know." Sweetie Belle said.

The two fillies burst out laughing.

"What kind of stupid cutie mark would that be?" Diamond asked between laughs.

Applebloom stepped forward. "I've gotta mind to sock you in the jaw!"

Scootaloo closed her eyes, breathed and imagined an expanse of clouds all around her. The anger inside her was still there. It would always be there, but it began to subside as she focused on the image. She grabbed Applebloom's shoulder.

"No, let's ignore them." She said.

"Scootaloo?"

"Let's ignore them. Let's just walk away."

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look, shrugged and followed their companion as she walked around the bullies. They looked on in utter shock.

"Hey! You can't ignore us!" Diamond shouted.

"Just did!" Scootaloo shouted back, smiling to herself.

Author's Notes:

Pegasan=Spartan.
Just a bit inspired by Flarity fanfic "Listen" by Taialin.