[Northern Solstice Heights] A Fresh Start

[NeonVictorian]

He smiled, having the sense something was on her mind but much more preoccupied with trying to relax her.

Quasar nodded happily, feeling a slowly growing excitement.

He admit, "I... haven't done it in ages... It feels so great to do it again."

He slipped back under the water again, and burst back out, beating his wings heavily to lift himself above the surface.

He hovered there for a moment, dripping with water and smiling more than ever with an energetic happiness he had never felt before.

"Don't worry," he added, hovering back towards her, "Anything for a fri-"

Quasar stopped himself, scared of using the word too freely.

After a slight moment of hesitation, he picked up, "You would have done it for me I'm sure."

Trying not to keep his mind on that, he landed back down beside her, and without saying anything, stretched one of his wings over her hoof, letting the water drip on the edge of it.

"See? Not too cold..." he giggled out.

[Appliance]

Watching him swim, Silversword realized he seemed much more happy then he did before.

It gave her a warm feeling, something she rarely felt.

He almost said friend. She grinned.

"Yes, for a pony I befriended? Anything." she said, quietly, digging her hoof at the ground.

She felt the water drip onto her hoof.

"I.. I like swimming," she said meekly, trotting forward to the lake and dipping her muzzle in.

"But my wings sometimes drag me down. The feathers are a bit long." she said simply, lifting her head and trotting in.

[NeonVictorian]

"B....Befriended?" His mind repeated to himself.

He gave a somewhat wince of a blink and trotting along.

At the moment, he was very excited. He wasn't sure if it was the freedom, the swimming, or feeling so relaxed in front of his nearby companion; but he felt exhilarated.

His wings rustled a bit, as if they were asking not only to be simply used, but to be pushed for what they could do. He was scared of what Silversword would think but, it was too late- he could not hold back his excitement anymore; everything was too great. The clear mind, the open water, the wonderful new- dare he say it- 'friend'; were all too amazing to just let him sit there in such a calm state.

He let the excitement burst from him, slapping down his wings as heavily as he could to toss himself in the air. Before he landed back down he lunged himself forward, beating his wings in a quick and heavy rhythm as he sailed above the water. Keeping his speed around the lake, he let his front hooves skim across the water, adding the warm relaxation on top of the exciting happiness he had just found.

He wanted more.

Taking a deep breath, Quasar directed himself downwards and dived deep into the lake, still beating his wings as if he were flying underwater. He kept himself submerged, steadily slowing down as he moved his way back to the shore where Silversword was.

With the last bit of breath he had, he moved closer to Silversword, and gently poked his head out of the water a few feet away from her.

He laughed for a moment, and then in a joking tone, he snickered out, "....Hi!"

[Appliance]

Silversword was enjoying the cool, smooth feel of the water, when suddenly..

Quasar was flying.

Flying where? she asked herself.

Hush, silly mare, and watch. You learn more by listening anyway, she reminded herself, and lifted her head, pushing her soaking mane out of the way.

She watched, slightly worried, hoof raised as if to go after him, when he dove into the water.

He didn't come up for a bit, so her tail twitched, as the tail of an agitated cat would do.

"...Hi!" he had said, finally poking his head out. "Gah!! You surprised me," Silversword mumbled, as she picked herself up from the shore, where she had landed flank-first after the surprise when he popped his head out.

"Are you certain you're not a hippocamp or something?" she teased, allowing her fi

[NeonVictorian]

He giggled out, "I'm... sorry," keeping the long smile he had been, "I wasn't trying to startle you."

After hearing her inquiry, he poked his wings and still soaking tail out of the water. He wiggled them a bit, as if to make sure they were there, and then glanced back at her.

"Nope," he chuckled out, "only Pegasus."

He watched her a little, as he lowered his wings and tail back into the water. He was still excited, but had gotten the burst of energy out of his system.

[Appliance]

"It's okay. I didn't know you had that in you," Silversword said, offering another rare smile.

This wasn't so bad.. befriending ponies. It was actually pretty neat.

She wiggled her own wings, as if to assure herself that she sill had them.

"Well, that's good. I wouldn't want to put you in a fishbowl," she said jokingly, getting up and walking further into the water until it was chest-deep.

[NeonVictorian]

"To be honest, I didn't either..." he remarked, quite surprised with himself, "its, been a while since I flew like that..."

He thought back, to some of his few good memories at flight school, but quickly directed his mind elsewhere to stop himself from the other memories.

He changed his mind to a question as he slowly bobbed around in the water. He was a bit nervous to ask but, pushed himself to inquire anyways.

"Maybe... one day... if it's ok... I could fly with you?"

He winced a little, hoping it didn't sound too weird to here.

"As long as it'd be a comfy fishbowl.." he joked back.

[Appliance]

"You should try that more often. It was impressive." she said, submerging her head in the water, and rising up again.

Her ears perked at his words.

"..fly with you?"

Her eyes widened and she snorted in surprise, as she treaded water, nearly slipping for a second.

"Oh.. I.. Well.."

She looked down, submerged herself completely, then got up and looked away from him.

"I would enjoy that, but..My wings.. my wings are weak. I cannot fly very well. I've never touched a cloud. I can only hover, only go a dozen or so feet in height." she said apologetically.

"I apologize." she was embarrassed. This was one thing she couldn't help him with.

[NeonVictorian]

Quasar blinked, never noticing her so timid.

He neared toward her, and wanting to comfort her, nudged his muzzle to the edge of her wing.

"Maybe... you just need a little practice?" he asked, hoping to comfort her.

"I was, a slow learner in flight school, I still can't do as much as the other ponies there could," he continued, hoping it would let her relax.

"Please don't apologize, you haven't done anything wrong."

In one last thing, he began beating his wings again, sailing high in the air, not stopping until he reach the edge of the clouds. When he got there, he fluttered around for a moment, looking for the smallest cloud he could find.

After finding a nicely sized one, about the size of a saddlebag, he took it in his hooves and rolled upside down, beating his wings to pull it back down to the surface.

He nudged the small cloud about a foot about the surface of the water, and pushed it a bit closer to her.

"Would you like to touch one?" he inquired with a smile.

[Appliance]

"It's.. I tried! I tried to fly when I was younger! My mother was a Pegasus.. and she tried to teach me how to sky-dance. It was terrible. I fell," she said, cringing and treading water.

Silversword felt useless.

She wondered why she would be born a pegasus, and watched as he began flying, wrestling a cloud down.

He brought a cloud to her.

A cloud!

"I.. touch one?" she asked, staring at it, eyes wide and ears back.

"I.. um.. Okay," she agreed quickly, tentatively reaching out a hoof.

"Like this?" Silversword reached out, and gently touched the cloud. It felt strange.. but.. Soft.

[NeonVictorian]

"Maybe, you went too fast? You know, like... not ready to do that yet?" he attempted to keep comforting her.

He smiled, and held the cloud closer.

"Would you like to hold it?" he asked, offering it to her.

He added, smiling a lot, "If... you'd like to practice, either now or ever... I'd gladly help.."

[Appliance]

"I don't know. My mother always wanted me to be graceful like her." Silversword said, ears back for a moment.

She stared at him, bringing the cloud closer.

"Hold it?" she reached out, expecting her hoof to go through it.. and it didn't. She held onto it, then clambered onto it, soaking wet. She stared at in wonder.

"It's like.. a cushion!" she said in amazement, her eyes wide, like a foal discovering her special talent. She tested her hooves against it, then pressed her muzzle on it and rubbed her cheek on it.

Oh, wait. She lifted her head, and blushed in embarrassment. "I.. ah.. well.. Okay," she stammered, her heart pounding.

She would practice flying again!

It would be safe, over the lakes, if her wings snapped shut as they usually did when they could fly no more.

[NeonVictorian]

"Flying doesn't have to be graceful," Quasar continued still with his smile, "I mean, what I just did wasn't really graceful, right?"

It made him smile a lot to see how happy she was with the cloud, hoping it would help her to relax more.

He hadn't seen her so nervous, but he could understand why.

"Relax," He whispered, hoping to reassure her, "I won't let anything happen."

We can start slow if you'd like? He sailed back up into the sky quickly nabbing another cloud, slightly smaller than himself, and pull it down with him.

He stopped about halfway in between the rest of the clouds and the water.

"You, could try for this?" he pondered with a smile.

[Appliance]

"My mother said that grace was the most important element in a good flight.. She was crushed when she learned that her only foal was not like her." Silversword muttered quietly, half to herself, and laughed. "But I suppose.. One could be a good flier.. even without grace. I never went to flight school." she added, eyes narrowed in concentration as she watched him.

After a moment of serious thought, she went back to her curious examination of the cloud, attempting flapping her wings and grabbing it as if to steer it. Her long feathers brushed the cloud, and she stopped, suddenly aware of how much of a foal she must look like.

Her ears pressed back against her skull, and she seemed bashful, as if ashamed she was being so free with herself.

"You want me to fly to that cloud?" she shook her head, and looked away, uncooperative, unwilling to learn.

But for a friend..

Silversword hesitantly unfurled her wings slowly, with a tentative look upon her face as she hopped up and gently beat her fragile wings as she flew to the cloud. It seemed to take an eternity. Her face seemed to be in pain, and beads of sweat collected on her face, as she strained her wings, even at this short distance. Her wings nearly gave up, but with an unexpected burst of energy, she reached the cloud, dragging herself over the edge with her hooves.

She panted, chest heaving.

Flying took quite a lot out of her.

"I.. I am sorry I am so weak," she said, between pants.

[NeonVictorian]

Quasar couldn't help but feel amazed at Silversword, watching her make her way up to the cloud.

After she made it on there he gave her big smile. "How does it feel?" he inquired.

He stayed there- unmoving for a moment, allowing her to catch her breath.

"And... you're not weak. Weak would have been not giving it a chance." he returned, still amazed with her making it that far.

He looked up in the air, to the hole in the clouds that was once filled by the one she stood on now. He looked back to her finishing himself, "Think we can finish the job?"

He hovered beside her, trying to show that he wouldn't leave her side.

[Appliance]

Silversword was still panting from exertion.

"I feel.. tired. My wings hurt." she said, although that was an understatement.

The tendons in her wings ached, but she would not let her friend down.

"I am weak because I never learned in the first place." she said simply, head down.

She lifted it, her muzzle pointed defiantly at the sky, as the sun rose sleepily. Somewhere, Celestia was performing her daily magic.

She looked at the cloud, and went slightly pale.

"I.. um. Okay." she agreed reluctantly, and attempted flying. She made it halfway before her wings snapped shut, and she began to spiral down.

She seemed dazed, remembering her dreams, and aimed to land on the cloud, hopefully landing ON it and not going through it.

[NeonVictorian]

He smiled, understanding how she felt remembering his childhood. He didn't want to push her too hard but it made him smile how hard she was trying.

"It's ok" he said, trying to reassure her. "Only a little more, it's takes practice."

He watched her steadily rise to the cloud, smiling more and more with every bit she got closer. Suddenly, he witnessed her wings shut quickly, and she started to plummet. He panicked and, without a clear plan did the only thing on his mind. He winced, and dove under her, making sure she quickly landed on his back.

He grunted as she landed with a thud, and continued to beat his wings harder, unaccustomed to carrying much weight whilst flying. However, he didn't stop, exerting nearly all of his energy until he had flew through the hole in the clouds above, and clambering his way up. He leaned over to slide her onto the safety of the larger clouds there, and flopped down on the other side of the hole exhausted.

"Are..... you alright?" he panted out, nudging her hoof.

[Appliance]

Silversword had stopped plummeting.

She landed heavily on Quasar, and, too dazed to do much else, laid upon him limply until he deposited her on the clouds.

Her eyes had been closed. Tentatively, she opened them.

And stared.

Clouds.. everywhere! She grinned foalishly, and suddenly remembered that Quasar had brought him here.

"I apologize! I did not mean to make you carry me.. I could have simply fallen into that lake instead.." she mumbled.

[NeonVictorian]

Quasar smiled roughly, and laid his face down on the cloud, relaxing.

"I'm... sorry..." he whispered out, "I... pushed you too hard...."

He winced, hoping he hadn't hurt her.

[Appliance]

Silverswords' wings ached like she had never felt before, but she did not mind.

She was here.

In the clouds.

Testing her weight on one carefully, she crouched and leapt, falling onto her flank.

Her ears twitched, and she came closer to him, looking at him with a curious look upon her face.

"I would never have made it to the first cloud had it not been for your help." she said solemnly, then graced him with a smile and continued her foalish playing amongst the clouds. She nudged them with her muzzle, giving a delighted squeal as she felt it.

But she knew he would probably feel guilty, although it wasn't his fault, so she trotted back to him, unfurling her wings painfully, but quickly.

They seemed battered, and a couple feathers were missing, but she would be all right.

"New feathers will come. But the knowledge of flying is not something so easily fixed as ruffled wings can be." she explained, tucking her wings back against her body, wincing slightly.

[NeonVictorian]

Quasar couldn't help but smile watching her play among the clouds.

"You.... deserve... to be... here..." he panted out, still slightly exhausted.

He looked down a bit, slightly ashamed of himself hoping she wasn't hurt too much.

"I, shouldn't have... made you go... so fast." he confessed.

In an attempt to make her feel better, he stood up, and slowly trotted across the clouds, to a spot where many where bunched together. He poked his head in the jumble of clouds, scooting back holding a small slightly darker cloud in his mouth. It dripped with water as he held it, bringing it to her.

"It... was meant to be a raincloud one day," he said, placing it in front of her hooves, "So it might help, being wet."

He looked down a bit, mouthing the words, "I am sorry." yet the sound did not follow. He cleared his throat and went on, "How... do you feel?"

[Appliance]

Silversword was fluffing a cloud, slowly, carefully.

When she heard him speak, her ears twitched, and she turned around.

"Do I? Was I really meant to be one that could dart in and out of clouds? Maybe I'm meant to stay close to the ground," she said, rolling in the clouds, excitement still there, despite her new thought.

She looked down at the small, dark cloud, and up at him. Suddenly, she leaned forward and embraced him, careful to not let her hooves touch his wings, which must be sore.

"Thank you, Quasar." she said, giving him a small smile, as she bucked the cloud gently and made it rain.

She stood under it, letting her wings soak.

"I feel all right. I've had worse pain in training. You?" she responded casually, lifting her wings.

[NeonVictorian]

He smiled at her questions, and replied softly, "That's for you to decide Silversword, you're only meant to do exactly what you want with your life."

Suddenly, he was embraced. He paused up, completely surprised.

"You're w....welcome." he stumbled out, blushing slightly.

"My, wings are a little irritated with me," he said with a slight laugh, "I've pushed them more today than I have in years, but I'll be fine."

He gave her a slight smiled, and laid back down, resting for a moment.

[Appliance]

She cringed.

Decisions. There were always decisions.

"You should wet your wings, too," Silversword said, smiling a little and bringing it closer to him.

"Thank you for all your help." she smiled serenely, and sat next to him.

It would be morning soon, and they would have to go on to Canterlot. She yawned slightly.

[NeonVictorian]

He nodded in agreement, and stretched out under the small rain cloud, smiling to her.

"Thank you for letting me help." he said lightly, happy seeing her smile as such.

"We, should rest soon?" he asked her, wondering what was on her mind. "Would, you like to go back to the ground? I'll... take you back down if you want?"

He sat down alongside her, very happy about how his day had turned out.

"A... Friend~" his mind repeated, as he looked smiling to Silversword.