//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Take Flight, Young Pegasus // Story: CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FOREVER! YAY!: A TwiMacVerse Story // by ThatBronyWithTheClipOns //------------------------------// "SCOOTALOO!!! NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! As Rainbow Dash cried out, the little orange pegasus pony Scootaloo had taken her jump off the cloud, eyes shut tight, and began falling towards the ground below. Many things passed through her mind as she fell: Her various adventures with her friends "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS! YAY!" The many attempts at flying “IT'S NOT FAIR!” shouted Scootaloo. “I PRACTICE EVERY SINGLE BUCKING DAY! I DO ALL THE EXCORSIZES YOU TELL ME TO DO! BUT I STILL CAN'T FLY!” That day in gym class with Snowflake “Wondering how I do it, aren’t you,” Snowflake asked. “How you do what,” asked Scootaloo. “I’m not as dumb as I look,” he said with a sly smile. “I know you wonder how somepony as big as me is able to fly so fast and gracefully through the skies, despite having a wingspan no bigger than a filly’s hoof.” Checking out the various books at the library "Why the hay are we at a library?" asked Scootaloo. "I wanna learn to fly, not read a book!" "Listen Scoots, I don't wanna be here anymore than you do," exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "But Bookie says this is gonna help you learn to fly. And I trust anything my super awesome husband says." The day Rainbow Dash discovered Scootaloo's parents abandoned her "What the hay do you think you're doing?" asked Rainbow Dash. "What are you talking about?" Scootaloo lied. "Don't lie to me!" barked Rainbow Dash. "I saw inside there! What happened to your house!? Where are your parents!?" "They...they're..." Scootaloo fumbled to say, before finally breaking down. "I don't know! They left me! They just up and left me! I don't want to be sent away from here!" "It's going to be ok, Scootaloo," said Rainbow Dash. "Bookie and I will take good care of you. I won't let anypony take you away from me..." But what she remembered most was what Rainbow Dash told her to declare “What you need to do is shout, 'I'M SCOOTALOO! AND I CAN DO ANYTHING!'” Rainbow Dash commanded to her pupil. “I-I'm Scootaloo, and I can do anything,” said the filly rather timidly. “Aw! Come on!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “I Know you can do better!” “I'm Scootaloo! And I can do anything!” she shouted again. “EVEN LOUDER!” encouraged Rainbow Dash. “I'M SCOOTALOO!” she finally let out. “I CAN DO ANYTHING!” “AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO!?” asked Rainbow Dash still in a commanding tone. “I AM GOING TO BUCKING FLY!” proclaimed Scootaloo. The little orange pegasus reopened her eyes, and grinned with a determination she'd never felt before. "I'M SCOOTALOO AND I CAN DO ANYTHING!" she declared out loud. "AND I AM GOING TO BUCKING FLY!" Scootaloo positioned herself in a more proper flying position, angled her body at an angle she'd seen in many books, and stuck her wings out preparing to catch the wind. For a split second it appeared as if her idea was a very very very very bad idea! Back up in the hot air balloon, Rainbow Dash was trashing about trying to get free. "SCOOTALOO! I GOTTA SAVE HER! LET ME GO! LET ME GOT RIGHT NOOOOOOOOOOW!" "LOOK!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exclaimed in excitement, directing Rainbow Dash to the skies. Nature had taken it's course, Scootaloo went from facing downwards to soaring through the skies as if she'd been doing it her whole life. "SHE DID IT!" her friends exclaimed. "SHE'S FLYING!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, still tearing up, but this time tears of joy. "SHE'S REALLY FLYING! THAT OLD WORLD SHIT ACTUALLY WORKED!" As the three watched Scootaloo in awe, the little orange pegasus did barrel rolls and loop de loops. She just laughed her heart out, crying out in great joy. "WAHOOOOOOO!" She screamed as loud as she could. It wasn't clear how much time had really passed, but Scootaloo finally landed on the ground, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle descending in the hot air balloon to celebrate with her. Before the balloon properly landed, the two jumped out of the basked to embrace their triumphant friend. "YOU DID IT!" exclaimed Apple Bloom. "YOU FLEW!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "YOU GOT YOUR CUTIE MARK!" the two shouted in unison. They pointed to their orange buddy's flank revealing a purple lighting bolt. "AW YEAH!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "WE ALL DID IT!" "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CRUSADE COMPLETED! YAY!" "WILL YOU GET ME THE BUCK OUT OF HERE ALREADY!?" shouted Rainbow Dash from inside the basket of the hot air balloon. "Oh, right," winced Apple Bloom. "Ah knew we forgot something." Sweetie Belle let out a bit of magic, unraveling Rainbow Dash's ropes. The cerulean mare slowly walked towards her orange protege, given a look that Scootaloo wasn't sure what to really make of. As she stood there for a moment, she eventually began crying and wrapped her front legs around Scootaloo tightly; this really put the orange filly off guard. "Are you ok, Dash?" asked Scootaloo in confusion. "Don't you ever do anything like that again!" shouted Rainbow Dash, but still embracing Scootaloo. "You had me scared out of my mind!" "Aren't you at least proud of me?" Scootaloo asked. "Don't you get it!?" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, pulling away, still in tears. "I was never not proud of you! I will always be proud of you! You are one of the most important ponies in my life." "I am?" Scootaloo wasn't used to this kind of talk from Rainbow Dash. "Oh sweet Celestia, of course you are!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, but she quieted down for the next lines. "I've been taking care of you this long haven't I? I wouldn't do that for just anypony. You're not just my student..." "I mean, I figured I was like a friend to you or something," interrupted Scootaloo. "No," Rainbow Dash continued. "This isn't just friendship, Scoots." "Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Scootaloo interrupted again. "A little sister then, like Apple Bloom and Applejack or Sweetie Belle and Rarity." "NO!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "Stop interrupting, kid! You're not a student, you're not a friend, and you're not a sister...you are my family! You are my daughter!" "D-daughter?" Scootaloo said with confusion. "I wasn't sure when to tell you this," began Rainbow Dash. "But, Bookie and I don't just want you living with us. We want to make you part of our family. We want to adopt you. We want you to be our daughter." "Whoa," Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in a hushed tone. "I hope that's ok with you," said Rainbow Dash with some nervousness in her voice, as if she was channeling Fluttershy for a moment. "Is that ok with me?" began Scootaloo. "Is that ok with me? I thought getting my cutie mark would be the best part of the whole day. But...I never expected that I'd be getting a new mom and dad!" Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash embraced each other once more, both crying with joy they'd never felt before. The two then noticed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looking at them with giant smiles and teary eyes. "Alright," sighed Scootaloo, rolling her eyes. "You can join in." The two friend immediately jumped in on the hug, and all four began to laugh.