Raven Flame, terrified, leaped out of her bed when the ringing of a whistle pierced her ears. Grumbling tiredly she climbed back into her bed and pulled the sheets back over herself which were removed shortly afterwards. She turned to search for her blanket and instead found Rainbow Dash standing at the bedside wearing a black and white striped coach hat.
"What time is it?" Raven Flame yawned.
"Time for you to get your flank out of bed and march down those stairs! That's what time it is!" Rainbow Dash grinned, she began to think she was more excited to teach the filly to fly then the filly was to learn. Raven Flame sat there stretching her limbs as slowly as she could just to irritate the Pegasus.
"Come on!" Rainbow Dash whined and began to tap her hooves floor impatiently.
"Okay, okay!" Raven Flame started to move her hooves towards the wooden floor but the pace was to slow for Rainbow Dash. Within the blink of an eye she found herself on top of the blue Pegasus's back and they were bouncing down the stairs. "Can I at least have something to eat first?"
"Ugh! Fine!" Rainbow Dash began pouting childishly, "But hurry it up, I want to get started!"
Raven Flame hopped off Rainbow Dash and ran into the kitchen, two things capturing her eye. The first was the pile of shining red apples which decreased in size drastically as she stocked up for whatever Rainbow Dash had in store for her. The second was a glinting golden locket that lay next to the large stack of torn envelopes and papers. She scooped up the piece of jewelry and trotted back into the main room.
"What's this?" Raven Flame held out the pendant, dangling it from its golden chain.
"It's a necklace." Rainbow Dash pointed out quite bluntly.
"Well I can see that." Raven Flame covered her face with a hoof, "The housemare at the orphanage, I saw her take it out of a locked drawer and give it to you."
"It was my mom's. I guess the pony who found me and brought me to the orphanage came back to give it to me." Rainbow Dash studied it for a moment then took it from Raven and slid it around her neck, "I think it looks good on you. You should wear it."
"R-really?" Raven Flame asked in disbelief, staring down at the glittering jewelry that now weighted down on her neck.
"Mm-hmm!"
"Thank you!" Raven Flame leapt up wrapping her hooves around Rainbow Dash whose cheeks turned bright red.
"Alright, alright!" Rainbow gently shook off the clinging filly. "Now can we please get started?" she asked as she started jogging in place. Raven nodded and bounced joyfully outside the farmhouse just behind Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash turned her hat sideways and began to pace back and forth, "The next couple of weeks are going to be rough! There's going to be cuts and bruises. You may even die several times, but that will not stop me from teaching you to fly. DO YOU GET ME?" she boomed at the wide-eyed filly.
"Sir, yes, ma- wait what?"
Rainbow ignored her still pacing back and forth, "Some of you are going to think that you won't fly, others that you can't. They all say that until they're out there."
Raven Flame raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? Out where? And who is they?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, "Your killing me here Raven, I'm just trying to have some fun! Can't you just go with it?"
"I guess?"
"Good!" Rainbow Dash resumed her pacing but didn't say anything, "Aw horse radishes, now I can't remember where I was at!" Raven Flame tried to suppress a giggle which Rainbow heard, "You think that's funny, soldier?"
"N-no, s-sir…" Raven Flame said as she tried to keep a straight face which she couldn't maintain and she burst out into laughter, "I'm sorry, it really isn't funny." She said in between laughs. Her laughing slowed and then stopped altogether, "Okay. Continue."
"Oh forget it, let's just cut to the chase!" Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, "Okay we'll start off with the basics, hovering. Why don't you give it a shot to see where you're at."
Raven Flame kicked her hoof against the ground nervously after several minutes she finally extended her wings and flapped weakly. The feeble flaps were barely strong enough to create gusts of wind strong enough to make a small cloud of dust from the dirt.
Rainbow Dash examined her for a moment, "Stop, stop, stop." She said finally, "You'll never get enough lift off the ground with that. You have to put more strength into it, or as Applejack would say…" Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, "Y'all gotta beat those wings like an apple on a turnip farm." She said with a near perfect imitation of Applejack.
Raven Flame was confused again, "That doesn't really make sense."
Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Okay so she probably wouldn't say that, but it doesn't change anything. You need to flap your wings harder and faster or you'll never get off the ground."
The two ponies stood in the field for hours as they stretched their wings out with various exercises. Every so often they would take a break but they were determined and kept at it. As they worked an orange filly rolled herself up towards them.
"H-Hey, whatcha guys doing?" The filly called out hoping they couldn't detect her shaky voice.
Raven Flame's heart skipped a beat when she Scootaloo's voice. She was so busy trying to think of an explanation for what they were doing that she paid no attention to her still beating wings that slowly lifted her off the ground. "Rainbow Dash asked me if I wanted to train with her!" She lied.
"Um, Raven" Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah, she is uh, training, for uh, the next race." Raven Flame started to babble. She tried to shut herself up but she just couldn't seem to get a hold of herself.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Raven, you're flying." She said pointing at the dark hooves that hovered inches off the ground.
Raven Flame looked down her wings locked in place at the realization and she fell back to the ground. She began to skip in circles excitedly, "I flew!" she squeaked with each bounce. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash both let out quiet laughter at the display. Raven Flame again realized what she was doing and fell back to the ground as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.
Rainbow Dash decided it best to give Raven a minute to collect herself, "So what are you doing here Scootaloo?" she asked.
"I uh, err. I came to ask how the race went last night. I was kind of stuck at home." Scootaloo said with a frown.
The question stabbed at Rainbow Dash, "I don't want to talk about it…" she said glumly as a depression began to cast over her.
Raven finally recovered from her excitement and she could tell Rainbow Dash would need some time alone, "Scootaloo promised she'd tutor me. So, we're gonna go inside now, kay?"
"Okay." Rainbow Dash said dejectedly.
Raven Flame started running towards the farmhouse porch; she waved her hoof at Scootaloo silently telling her to follow. As the door shut behind the two fillies Rainbow Dash plopped herself onto the ground and sat there in deep though, repeating the race inside her head again and again, wondering what she could have done different.
Applejack revealed herself from behind a tree, "Yer beatin' yerself up again."
Rainbow Dash bounced, "How long have you been there?"
"Shucks, ah've been out here all day watchin' you two. Just 'cause I ain't got no wings tah fly with doesn't mean ah can't watch." Applejack chuckled, "'Beat those wings like an apple on a turnip farm', now what in the hay does that even mean?"
Rainbow Dash's cheeks turned bright red, "I was just trying to be all charismatic and inspiring or whatever…"
Applejack laughed again and trotted closer their faces only inches apart, "You missy, were being a goof" she said with a grin and pressed her lips against Rainbow's before she was able to get a word out.