She's Got Wings


                                            Synopsis: Starlight's an Alicorn! Now she needs to learn how to use her wings.


                                            >It finally happened—Starlight Glimmer has ascended.

                                            >You're pretty sure that this isn't a canon event, but you're long past the point of caring about such trivialities.

                                            >Sweat was shed, spells were cast, and friendships were forged during her grand journey into alicorn-hood.

                                            >Courts are still deciding what she's a princess *of,* exactly.

                                            >But whatever the case may be—your Glimmy's got wingies.

                                            >And where there's wings: there's flying—or at least the earnest attempts at flying.

                                            >Naturally, being a freshly ascended alicorn, Starlight is…amateurish at best when it comes to utilising her new feathered appendages.

                                            >Luckily, Rainbow Dash has kindly offered to provide flying lessons for Starlight.

                                            >They're lessons that Starlight desperately needs—flying is in a whole different ballpark compared to levitation.

                                            >To that end, Dash has set up a little "training zone" in the clouds near the outskirts of Ponyville.

                                            >And as for you: you're sitting on a picnic blanket that's atop a tall hill nearby; the hill is close and high enough to provide a good view of the two mares flying in the sky.

                                            >Officially, you're here to provide moral support; unofficially, you're here for that, but you also really want to see the new alicorn princess in all of her winged glory.

                                            >From your vantage point, you watch Starlight navigate through all manners of aerial hoops and hurdles that have been made out of clouds.

                                            >Closer to the action, Dash is hovering in the air while she watches Starlight fly in the sky.

                                            >Dressed to impress, Dash dons a blue and white cap; she also wears a necklace with an instructor's whistle hanging from it.

                                            >The two of you watch Starlight fly through one more hoop before Dash blows into her whistle, emitting a shrill sound.

                                            >"Alright! Take five!" Dash shouts, clapping her forehooves together once.

                                            >Both mares fly over to your location.

                                            >"Guys, I think I'm getting the hang of this flying thing!" Starlight beams proudly.

                                            >"Hm," Dash adds.

                                            "Yeah, you're doing great, Glimmy."

                                            >"Oh, Anon—did you see the time I went through that hoop upside-down? Pretty cool, huh?"

                                            "Mm, I liked that one."

                                            >"Yeah!" Starlight does a hoof pump, before turning to Dash. "What do you think, Dash? Not bad for the first day of training, huh?"

                                            >In comparison to Starlight's proud smile, Dash looks unimpressed, and you think you know why…

                                            >"So, Starlight, nice work and all," Dash begins, "but…"

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Try and actually use your *wings* next time, yeah?"

                                            >"What do you mean? I'm using my wings."

                                            >"You're using them a bit, sure, but I'm pretty sure the levitation spell you're casting is doing most of the heavy lifting here."

                                            >"Wh-what levitation spell?"

                                            >"The green one that's covering your body."

                                            >"O-oh, that one, right…" Starlight gives a nervous chuckle.

                                            >Indeed, Starlight's body glows in a turquoise aura, the source of which stems from her horn as she currently channels a spell of self-levitation.


                                            >"Okay, so I'm using a little bit of magic as a safety net just in case I fall, but I can still fly just fine!"

                                            >"Starlight, you're not even flapping your wings right now."

                                            >"Um…"

                                            >Starlight begins flapping her wings rapidly.

                                            >Dash crosses her forelegs, still unimpressed.

                                            >"Yeah, that's not how flying works, either."

                                            >"Y-yeah! I know! I'm just, um, resting my wings for our next training drill, that's all! Nothing wrong with that, right?"

                                            >"Suuure, if you say so." Dash rolls her eyes.

                                            >She then turns her head to look over in the distance.

                                            >"But speaking of training drills…"

                                            >Dash points a forehoof in the direction where she's looking.

                                            >"Check THAT out."

                                            >You and Starlight look where Dash is pointing and see another obstacle course made of clouds; however, this one is way more intimidating than the one Starlight was just flying through.

                                            >There are far more hoops and hurdles densely packed together, and they're not stationary, either.

                                            >The hoops sway from side to side, while the hurdles slowly rotate in place like the blades of a windmill—you wonder if you can even call them hurdles at this point.

                                            >To top it all off, there are also a few stationary thunderclouds tossed in throughout the course.

                                            >You're sure that a course like this is one of Dash's design.

                                            >Although, knowing her, you're surprised Dash isn't using flaming hoop—

                                            >"So I wanted to set some of these hoops on fire, but I think we oughta leave that for tomorrow—start you off nice and easy, yeah?"

                                            >"I-I see."

                                            >Should've figured.

                                            >"So, I want you to go through that obstacle course—fast as you can."

                                            >Starlight confidently bats a hoof in the air.

                                            >"Oh, that obstacle course? Pfft, that'll be easy; I'll have it done in ten seconds—"

                                            >"WITHOUT magic."

                                            >"W-without…?"

                                            >"Yep, no magic. Like—at all."

                                            >Starlight's eyes flit between Dash and her obstacle course.

                                            >"Can't I at least use a little magic to—"

                                            >"Nope."

                                            >Starlight glances at the course once more and gulps; looking back to Dash, she raises a forehoof and bends it downwards while squinting her eyes.

                                            >"Just a teensy little—"

                                            >"NADDA!"

                                            >Starlight frowns, looking back at the obstacle course.

                                            >"B-but I…I don't know…"

                                            "Give it a shot, Glimmy. You've got this one in the bag."

                                            >"See? Anon's got your back." Dash nods at Starlight with a grin.

                                            >Starlight purses her lips in thought for a few moments, before speaking up.

                                            >"O-okay, I'll do it—with no magic! How hard can it be? ahah…hah…"

                                            >She begins to fly over to the course, but Dash stops her.

                                            >"Starlight."

                                            >"Yes?"

                                            >"The spell."

                                            >Starlight sighs and dissipates the levitation spell.

                                            >But given that her wings aren't keeping her up—she promptly drops.

                                            >"Whoa!"


                                            >Luckily, she manages to catch herself a couple metres into her descent, and begins to pull herself up—not with magic, but with broad, powerful wingbeats.

                                            >By the time she rises back up to Dash's level, you can see the exertion present on her face even from where you're sitting.

                                            >"O-okay! Here I go!" Starlight stammers out while a few beads of sweat drip down her forehead.

                                            >"Uh huh." Dash gives her a doubtful nod.

                                            >Starlight languidly floats over to the starting line of the "extreme" obstacle course; the starting line is also made of clouds.

                                            >Dash follows her and hovers nearby; she waits a few moments so Starlight can catch her breath.

                                            >"Alright!" Dash shouts. "Are you ready?"

                                            >Starlight gives you a brief look; you give her a thumbs up.

                                            >She gives you a tired smile and looks back to Dash.

                                            >"Yeah, I'm ready."

                                            >Dash nods.

                                            >"Okay—on your marks…!" Dash takes her whistle up in her forehoof.

                                            >"Get set…!" She raises the whistle up to her lips.

                                            >"Go!" She blows into her whistle.

                                            >The shrill sound signals the start of Starlight's soaring sprint as she promptly sets off, steadily beating her wings.

                                            >You watch her come up to the first obstacle—a cloud hoop that slowly sways from side to side in an arc that resembles an upside-down pendulum.

                                            >How pegasi manage to produce such autonomous structures out of common cloudmatter is a question you have yet to find an answer for.

                                            >Such questions likely matter little to Starlight, however, as she barrels through the centre of the hoop, maintaining her meteoric momentum.

                                            >You smile; it may have only been the first obstacle, but she clears it with such grace *and* without the use of magic that you wonder why she ever thought she'd need to use levitation in the first place.

                                            "Nice one, Starlight," You state to yourself.

                                            >You know that she likely can't hear you at this distance, but you hope your feelings reach her all the same.

                                            >In a flash, she clears another hoop, and approaches a spinning cloud hurdle.

                                            >As she moves in close, the hurdle is at diagonal angle; Starlight tilts her body so that her body flies parallel to the length of the hurdle.

                                            >And with that, she glides under it with ease.

                                            >Your eyes flit over to Rainbow, who floats in place, forelegs crossed, watching Starlight with a focused, dispassionate expression.

                                            >After turning a corner on the course, she speeds through another hoop and approaches another hurdle.

                                            >She attempts to go for the parallel manoeuvre once more, but her body isn't able to adjust in time and she clips one of her wings on the cloud bar.

                                            >Disoriented but still keeping up her speed, she soars onwards towards the next hoop.

                                            >As she passes through the opening of the hoop, one of hindlegs gets caught on the rim, the impact sending her tripping and flipping forward through the air…

                                            >And into a thundercloud.

                                            "…Oh dear."


                                            >Starlight emerges out from the other end of the thundercloud with a noticeably sootier shade of lilac fur.

                                            >Her eyes are covered with one of her forelegs, yet she still speeds forward…

                                            >Which causes her to slam through a hurdle.

                                            >And then a hoop.

                                            >And then another hurdle.

                                            >Spinning and flipping through the air, she careens off-course and quickly loses altitude.

                                            >From the way things are looking, she's gearing up to make a crash landing…

                                            >In Ponyville.

                                            >She disappears from your line of sight, falling somewhere within the town.

                                            "Starlight!"

                                            >You stand up with every intention of heading down there and making sure she's okay, but then you see Dash land next to you on the picnic blanket.

                                            "Dash, we've got to—"

                                            >"One sec, Anon; I just gotta note this stuff down."

                                            >Dash heads over to a nearby bag and quickly pulls out a pencil and clipboard.

                                            >Taking the pencil in her mouth and the clipboard in one of her forehooves, she begins writing something down.

                                            >"'Kay, uh…unchecked speed, bent posture, uneven wingbeats, easily distracted, irregular breathing…" she mumbles through her teeth.

                                            "You're…taking notes? What if she's injured?"

                                            >"She'll be fine. Clouds don't hurt."

                                            "And the electric shock from the thundercloud? The crash into Ponyville?"

                                            >"Aw, give us a little bit of credit, Anon. Ponies like us don't let a little crash keep us down. And besides—she's an *alicorn* now; she's way tougher than she looks."


                                            >She likely has a point; you *have* known ponies to be ridiculously durable at times.

                                            >But still…

                                            "Still, that was a bit cruel, wasn't it? Sending her off into the deep end like that."

                                            >Dash shakes her head.

                                            >"Ya gotta take the training wheels off at some point, Anon."

                                            >She spits the pencil off to the side.

                                            >"And this way, I have a better read on where she needs to improve."

                                            >She beckons you over to her side and shows you the contents of her clipboard.

                                            >"Here, take a look."

                                            >On the clipboard, you see written bullet points at the very top of the page; they're a list of the critiques which you heard her mumble earlier.

                                            >Not only that, but you see same hastily scrawled diagrams of Starlight's body in the midst of flight as well as some of the obstacles in the course—the pictures are all labelled, too.

                                            "Wow. You really got all of that from twenty seconds of her flying?"

                                            >"Heh, 'course I did! This is Rainbow Dash you're talking to, here!"

                                            >You have to squint your eyes to even attempt to understand what Dash has jotted down on the labels.

                                            >Partly because her mouthwriting is *really* sloppy, but also because the words that you *can* make out appear to be highly technical pegasi-specific jargon.

                                            "I'm surprised you managed to get everything down to the last detail, Dash. Unusually perceptive of you."

                                            >She rolls her eyes.

                                            >"What—were you expecting me to just tell her to 'fly better' or something?"

                                            >She scoffs.

                                            >"You remember I'm vice-captain of the Wonderbolts now, right? I gotta have an eye for this kinda stuff. And to do that—I needed to see her actually fly."

                                            "Alright, alright. Point taken."

                                            >Dash tilts her head towards Ponyville.

                                            >"Okay, I think we've dragged our hooves—and feet—long enough. You should go and bring her back here; she'll probably need your help."

                                            >You were going to do that anyway, but you can't help but press her with a question.

                                            "But didn't you *just* say she's an alicorn who can shrug off anything?"

                                            >"Physically? She's fine. Mentally? Eh, I have a hunch that she's gonna need a good pep talk after that, and she's more likely to listen to you than me."

                                            "Alright, I'll take your word for it."

                                            >"Cool. I'll get the obstacle course back up and running."

                                            >After setting the clipboard down, Dash takes off into the sky; meanwhile, you head down the hill towards Ponyville.


                                            ***


                                            >You head into Ponyville, armed with the knowledge that Starlight Glimmer is in there…somewhere.

                                            >Assuming she hasn't teleported away, that is. But you'll deal with that possibility later.

                                            >You ask ponies around town about the whereabouts of any crash-landing alicorns.

                                            >The ratio of useful answers for all the ponies you ask is frustratingly low—turns out a lot of ponies either don't look up all that often or have goldfish memory.

                                            >Thankfully, you are given *some* directions, and the trail of pointed hooves leads you to the centre of Ponyville-the Town Square.

                                            >Unfortunately, the trail has now gone cold, as there are no further ponies to guide you, and no Starlight to be seen.

                                            "Come on, Starlight, where are you…" you whisper to yourself.

                                            >Your eyes catch a glimpse of something on the ground.

                                            "Hm?"

                                            >Crouching down, you pick up a feather that has nearly been completely trampled into the dirt.

                                            >Shed feathers are no rarity on the streets of Ponyville—but this one's purple.

                                            >And how many winged purple ponies are here in Ponyville?

                                            >…

                                            >Well, there's Drizzle over there.

                                            >Still, this lead is better than nothing.

                                            >You keep an eye to the ground, scanning the area for any further feathers.

                                            >With a little bit of foraging, you find another portion of purple plumage.

                                            >And then another…

                                            >And another…

                                            >And you keep going, until…

                                            "Wait, have I just gone in a circle?"

                                            >You have.

                                            "Ugh…"

                                            >You lean against a nearby tree as you consider your next plan of action.

                                            "If I was a newly appointed alicorn that fell out of an obstacle course—where would I go…"

                                            >Take refuge in Town Hall?

                                            >Dive into the river?

                                            >Hide within the branches of this tree that you're leaning against?

                                            "Hm."

                                            >That last option…it's *speaking* to you in a way the others don't.

                                            >So you take a chance and tilt your head upwards, looking up the tree…

                                            >And against all odds—you see a tuft of green and purple peeking out of the foliage.

                                            >That's not what the good doctor ordered—that's a tail!

                                            >And as for who it belongs to…

                                            "Starlight, you up there?"

                                            >No answer.

                                            >So you do what any good guest would do when intruding upon a pony's tree-based abode:

                                            >You knock on the tree bark and ask again.

                                            "Starlight?"

                                            >"Go away!"

                                            >Yep, she's up there.

                                            "Come on; get down from there."

                                            >"No! I'm not coming out! Just let me shrivel up and die along with these stupid wings!"

                                            >Yep, she needs a pep talk.

                                            >Gotta hand it to Rainbow Dash—she can pretty good at reading ponies when it counts.

                                            >Or perhaps she has experience in the matter.

                                            >Either way, you've still got to get this mopey mare out of this tree.


                                            "Your wings aren't stupid, Glimmy."

                                            >"They are! I can't use them and they're way too big and I can't even hide in this tree properly because they're taking up too much room since they're all splayed out and they're really itchy and now that I have them they're gonna be another part of my body that I have to wash every day and I never should've become an alicorn because…because this is just the worst!"

                                            >You lean back against the tree and sigh, feeling the full force of her frustration.

                                            "I get it. These wings are a new change to your body that you're not used to; kind of like growing up. Give it time—you'll get used to it.

                                            >"Ugh, I don't *want* to get used to this, and I certainly don't want to crash through any more clouds trying to."

                                            "Look, Dash wants you back there; she's setting the obstacle course back up for a second go around."

                                            >"Well tell her that I'm *not* coming back! In fact—tell her that I never want to see another obstacle course again for as long as I live!"

                                            "I…uh…"

                                            >Quick, you're losing her—think of something!

                                            "I can't do that, Glimmy."

                                            >"You can, because I'm going home."

                                            "No, you don't understand; she—Dash—had me *promise* her that I'd bring you back. If you leave, then it's gonna look bad for me as well—I'll be breaking her trust in me."

                                            >Obviously, that's a lie; you didn't promise Dash anything.

                                            >But there's a glimmer in truth in there as well; you doubt Dash would be terribly impressed if you came back to her empty-handed.

                                            >So if you want to keep Starlight from teleporting for the hills—you're going to have to bend the truth a little.

                                            >Starlight ruminates on your ultimatum for several seconds before speaking up.

                                            >"…Was it a Pinkie Promise?"

                                            "I…"

                                            >You take a second to answer.

                                            "No."

                                            >You might be willing to spin a little white lie here and there, but you'd never dare debase the sanctity of a Pinkie Promise.

                                            "But my friendship with her is still on the line here. So…come on down, please?"

                                            >Silence hangs in the air.

                                            >Which is good, in a way, because it means she hasn't warped away yet.

                                            >After a few more moments, you hear a rustling in the branches up above.

                                            >You look up and see Starlight gracefully descending to the ground, held within her turquoise magic.

                                            >She touches down and gives you a hesitant look; her lips are curled downwards into a frown and her eyes are puffy and red.

                                            >Her wings are tucked in, but they're both ruffled, and there's a feather out of place.

                                            "Starlight…"

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Don't get your hopes up. I still haven't decided if I wanna go back or not."

                                            >She sits down on her haunches.

                                            >"You're still awful at lying, by the way."


                                            >You give her a smile of reassurance.

                                            "I prefer to think of it as me 'having room to improve.'"

                                            >She quirks an eyebrow, and there's a feather out of place.

                                            >"Let me guess, that's supposed to segue into an uplifting speech about me 'having room to improve on my flying' and 'never giving up,' right?"

                                            "That was the general idea. Not a bad plan, right?"

                                            >"No. Becuase it wouldn't have worked."

                                            "Ah, but you see—now I can segue into my tangent about still giving it an honest go anyway because—hey, you never know until you try, right?"

                                            >Her pout morphs into a neutral flat line as she glances at the ground.

                                            >"I *did* try. And I failed."

                                            "So you crashed into a tree—"

                                            >Her eyes flick back to you.

                                            >"I crashed into a stall; I climbed up the tree." She pouts.

                                            "So you crashed into a *stall,* so what? Everyone makes mistakes all the time. Making mistakes and learning from them is how we grow and improve."

                                            >She looks to the side.

                                            >"I know…"

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Just…why can't I just stick with levitation? I'm good at that."

                                            "You are *very* good at levitation."

                                            >Her lips slightly curl upwards in response to your praise; that's a good sign, and there's a feather out of place.

                                            "But I also think it's a shame for these wonderful wings to go unused."

                                            >"Wonderful? Well I'm glad *somepony* likes them. If I knew the spell—I'd give them to you, because I'd be better off without them."

                                            "Now that's not true at all. For a first-time flier on a deathtrap course like that? You were killing it out there."

                                            >"Up until the part where I crashed into Ponyville, you mean."

                                            "Hey, like I said—mistakes happen; it's all a part of learning how to fly."

                                            >"Yeah, well I…I think I'm going to go home; I don't want to disappoint Dash any more than I already have."

                                            "Trust me, you didn't disappoint her. She was absolutely raring to see you back in action; she even drew little detailed diagrams of you for when you came back."

                                            >"That's nice of her…" she mumbles.

                                            "I know, right? Dash doesn't draw diagrams for just anyone; she really believes in you."

                                            >You crouch down and rest a hand upon her withers.

                                            "And I do, too."

                                            >She gazes at you, lips pursed, as her face flashes through a mix of uncertain emotions, and there's a feather out of place.

                                            >"I…well…maybe just the—hm…"

                                            >After taking a deep, contemplative breath, she speaks up again.

                                            >"If I return, do you think she'll let me go back to the beginner course? I really don't want to get zapped again, and I—"

                                            >Starlight starts to ramble a bit as she weighs her options, but you find it harder and harder to concentrate on her words.

                                            >Because there's a feather out of place—ugh.

                                            >"—make my levitation spell transparent, maybe she won't notice? What do you think, Ano—"

                                            "Hold on, Glimmy; something is…"

                                            >"Hm?"


                                            >Unable to hold yourself back any longer, you take your hand off of her withers and you move it towards her right tucked-in wing.

                                            >There's a feather that has been pervading your thoughts this entire time; it sticks out at an odd angle compared to the rest of her plumage—the absolute audacity of this quill!

                                            >Taking the problematic pinion in between your fingers, you gently adjust it so that it lies even against the rest of her wing.

                                            >"Oh…!" she gasps.

                                            "There."

                                            >You look back up to her, seeing her stare at you wide-eyed with a flushed face.

                                            >A blush crosses your own cheeks as you realise what you have just done without asking her permission.

                                            "S-sorry, I just…that was really bothering me for some reason."

                                            >"N-no, that's fine."

                                            >You take your hand away from her wing and hold it close against your chest.

                                            >The two of you avoid each others eyes in an awkward silence.

                                            >"Actually, um…"

                                            >Slowly, your eyes meet once more; her face still glows a fierce red, but now her expression is complemented with a shy smile.

                                            >"Could you do that again? I think I've got a few more feathers like that."

                                            >She steadily tilts her body and lays on her left side; she then shakes her right wing slightly, still keeping it tucked in.

                                            >She's right; there are a *lot* more feathers out of place.

                                            "Of course, leave it to me." You smile at her.

                                            >She exhales softly and whispers:

                                            >"Thanks. Take your time."

                                            >You silently nod and sit down, getting ready to work your hands over her wing.

                                            >Slipping one of your hands in the warm crevice that's between her wing and body, you gently lift her wing up while your other hand drifts over her plumage, probing for pinions that are out of place.

                                            >As you do so, you note how warm and soft the downy membrane feels—it's like running your fingers across a blanket on a pleasant summer's day.


                                            >Soon enough, your fingers come across another errant quill, and you gently set it back in its proper position.

                                            >"Hm~"

                                            >And then another, and then another…

                                            >Each feather you fix elicits a satisfied hum from Starlight.

                                            >After a few feathers are fixed, you question her while you work.

                                            "How is it?"

                                            >"It's…nice. It's like scratching a really bad itch."

                                            "That's good to hear."

                                            >Your hand comes across a rather loose-feeling feather, and you attempt to set it back in place.

                                            >And as your hands drift away…

                                            >"Wait, that one…"

                                            "Yeah?"

                                            >Starlight cranes her neck and squints her eyes to examine the last feather you handled.

                                            >"It still feels uncomfortable."

                                            "Hm, it *does* look paler than the rest."

                                            >"I think it's damaged. Could you check the quill?"

                                            >You do as she asks, noticing that the shaft itself is crooked beyond saving.

                                            "It looks really bent."

                                            >"Oh. You might have to…could you pull it out?"

                                            >You nod.

                                            "If you're okay with it."

                                            >"Yes, please."

                                            >You grasp the damaged feather in-between two fingers and look to Starlight.

                                            "Alright. On the count of one, two, three—"

                                            >Applying a focused, firm force—you swiftly pluck the faulty feather out.

                                            >"Nn…" she winces.

                                            >You set the feather down on the ground.

                                            >After that, you gently rub your fingers around the area where you plucked the feather from while you question Starlight.

                                            "Are you alright?"

                                            >She opens her eyes and smiles at you.

                                            >"Yeah…it feels a lot better now."

                                            >She flexes her wing slightly; it tickles the hand that you have resting against her body.

                                            >"Keep going?" She looks back to you with a grin.

                                            >She doesn't need to tell you twice; your hand works its way across her wing once more.

                                            >From loose feathers that need straightening to dead feathers that need plucking—you make sure to give Starlight's wing the proper care it deserves.

                                            >And when you've fully preened one side of her wing, you gently turn it over and work on feathers layering the underwing.

                                            >Her half-lidded eyes calmly trace your hand's movements; her breathing is relaxed and her hums are harmonic.

                                            >And as for you—your attention is captured in its entirety by every wave and ripple in her feathery lilac sea.

                                            >The two of you drift together in this mutual trance as you tend to her wings, shutting out the outside world.


                                            >Time passes; you're not sure how much time, but you eventually find yourself gazing upon Starlight's neatly arranged plumage with pride.

                                            "I think…I think I got them all."

                                            >You look to the side and notice a surprisingly large pile of lilac feathers—you must have been at this for quite a while.

                                            >She looks over both sides of her wing with a soft smile.

                                            >"Mm, you did."

                                            >She stands up and performs a few stretches while flexing her wings.

                                            >"Ooh, that's sooo much betterrr~"

                                            >You notice that while her right, preened wing almost bounces in the air as a testament to how flexible it is—her left, unpreened wing jitters about as if weighed down by something.

                                            >"But…mm…" Her nose wrinkles as she eyes her left wing.

                                            >She quickly turns back to you.

                                            >"Other one?" She wiggles her left wing and flashes you a hopeful grin.

                                            "You got it." You smile at her.

                                            >"Great! Oh—could you hold still for a moment?"

                                            "Sure."

                                            >Starlight walks up to your left side and sits down next to you.

                                            >You gasp as you feel a feathery curtain drape over your back; the pleasant warmth contrasts the cold breeze that you have been feeling up until this point.

                                            >Glancing at your right shoulder, you see a few lilac primary feathers resting around it.

                                            >Even after all of this time you've spent preening her, you're still surprised that her wing is able to reach that far.

                                            >Just goes to show how you should never underestimate an alicorn's wingspan.

                                            >"There we go."

                                            "That's…that's real nice…" you sigh in satisfaction.

                                            >"Mm."

                                            >She leans against you.

                                            >"Since you like my wings so much, I thought I'd reward you for your hard work."

                                            >You enjoy the soothing sensation of her winghug for a little while longer, before Starlight clears her throat.

                                            >"Now then…"

                                            >She extends her left wing in front of the both of you.

                                            >"Whenever you're ready." She smiles.

                                            >You nod and slowly work through her left wing just like you did with the right; the only difference is that you're starting with the inner side of her wing this time, considering your positions.

                                            >Starlight closes her eyes, losing herself to your touch.

                                            >As you pluck and straighten, you find yourself reclining against the wing draped over your back; it's surprisingly strong—able to hold your weight with ease.

                                            >"Hm hm hm-hm~"

                                            >You also hear Starlight hum and coo through your ministrations; she settles into a melodic rhythm—crooning with the voice of an angel.

                                            "You have a beautiful voice," you blurt out.

                                            >Her eyes shoot open.

                                            >"O-oh, thanks."


                                            >The two of you share a bashful smile between each other before you continue.

                                            "Is that song from somewhere?"

                                            >"Not that I know of; it just sort of sprang to mind when I was…whenIwasthinkingofyou."

                                            >Despite the speed of which she ended that sentence, you caught every word; you struggle to contain your smirk.

                                            "I don't hear you sing often, so it was a nice treat."

                                            >Her pre-existent blush intensifies.

                                            >"I-I'm not sure what came over me; maybe it's the ascension?"

                                            "Got a little bit of pegasus in the brain, eh?"

                                            >"Eheh, you might be right."

                                            >You spend the next several moments realigning Starlight's feathers in silence.

                                            >It's an unfortunate silence—you hope you didn't make her too self-conscious about her birdsong.

                                            >Spying another misaligned feather, you move in for the kill and—

                                            >"Could we make this a regular thing?" she suddenly speaks up.

                                            "Oh?"

                                            >She nervously rubs her forelegs together.

                                            >"This is…well, it's really nice. It's nice being cared for like this. A-and it'll be quicker then doing it alone, obviously."

                                            >You temporarily stop your preening to move a hand behind one of her ears and give her a few gentle scritches.

                                            "Hah, anything for you, Glimmy."

                                            >She exhales happily.

                                            >"Maybe these wings aren't so bad, after all."

                                            >With a smile, you resume your fit of friendly feather fondling.

                                            "It's hard to believe that pegasi have to constantly maintain these things; it feels like we've been at this for ages.

                                            >"All the more reason to have you help me with mine, right?"

                                            >"Hey."

                                            "Mm, I wonder how Twilight manages it—I wonder how *Celestia* manages to keep her wings looking as nice as they do."

                                            >"Ooh, it must take *hours* of preening to get those wings just right."

                                            >"Hey!"

                                            "Maybe she has her personal maids help—"

                                            >*FWEEEEEE*

                                            >A loud, shrill sound cuts through the air and startles the both of you.

                                            >Starlight's wings shoot upwards then immediately cover her ears.

                                            >You wince, and look up towards the direction of the offending noise.

                                            >Hovering in the air with her forelegs crossed is Rainbow Dash; she has a whistle in her mouth, and she is looking none-too-pleased.


                                            "O-oh, Dash. Hey."

                                            >She spits out the whistle; it hangs by her chest, still attached by her necklace.

                                            >"Yeah, 'hey.' Nice of you two to finally answer me."

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Seriously, Anon. I sent you to get Starlight *ages* ago! What gives?"

                                            "I, uh, got side-tracked."

                                            >"Yeah, clearly." She rolls her eyes.

                                            "But I *did* find her."

                                            >"And then you got 'side-tracked,' I know. You don't have to tell me twice."

                                            >"Dash," Starlight begins, having folded her wings back to her sides, "I'm sorry for…letting my nerves get the best of me back there."

                                            >Dash's expression softens as she looks at Starlight.

                                            >"Aw, don't sweat it, Starlight. Like Anon said a while back—I kinda tossed you into the deep end there. But despite that, you did great for a first-timer."

                                            >Starlight's eyes widen.

                                            >"W-wait, really? I did good?"

                                            >"Yeah! It took me a solid week before I could get past the spinning cloud bars back when I was learning to fly."

                                            >Starlight perks up at the praise.

                                            >"Then again," Dash continues, "I was just a little filly in flight school back then, and you're a grown mare, but—eh, details."

                                            >Starlight slumps a little.

                                            >Dash notices Starlight's reaction and flashes an awkward grin.

                                            >"Uh, anyway—how about we call it for today, alright? I'm sure you two have got other things you'd rather be doing."

                                            >Now what could she mean by that?

                                            >"But!"

                                            >Dash readjusts her cap, rests her forehooves on her hips, and puts on a serious face as she addresses Starlight.

                                            >"Tomorrow morning—same place, same time. Got it?"

                                            >"U-um, right! I mean—ma'am yes ma'am!" Starlight performs a shaky salute.

                                            >"Yeeeaaah…you don't need to salute me; you're not a Wonderbolt."

                                            >Starlight lowers her hoof and gives a nervous grin.

                                            >Dash eyes the skyline for a brief moment before she looks back to you.

                                            >"Oh, and one more thing…"

                                            >A wide, knowing smirk adorns Dash's face.

                                            >"You guys miiight wanna keep that kinda stuff behind closed doors next time."

                                            >Dash snickers to herself, before turning around and shooting off into the distance.

                                            >"Huh?" Starlight starts. "What did she mean—"

                                            >As if a switch has suddenly been flipped in both of your brains at the same time—the two of you finally notice that you're not alone out here.

                                            >After all, why would you be alone? You're right in the middle of Town Square.

                                            >There are a few ponies who have stopped in their tracks to stare at you and Starlight—and they're mostly pegasi.

                                            >Some glare at the two of you with barely-restrained disgust on their faces, while others gaze with clear envy.

                                            >At least one of them is covering the eyes of their foal with a wing.

                                            >Starlight's face flushes.

                                            >"U-um…"

                                            "Ah…"

                                            >Today was a "don't preen in public" kind of day.