//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Who is the best Rookie? 
// Story: Scootaloo's Race 
// by RushingWind-01 
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The day of the last two races in the Rookie Tournament has come. And Scootaloo was more than keen to get started and show the crowd what she can do. Once again, Rushing Wind and Rainbow Dash were with her, as mental support.

"Scootaloo, I know you're not leading in the Tournament right now, but if you manage to win the next two races, you should be able to catch up.", said Rushing Wind, knowing that Scootaloo can win her very first tournament if she fares well in the last two races.

"The thing is...", Scootaloo said, a bit in worry, "There's this Pegasus in first place, and he won every race so far. How am I supposed to catch them?"

"This track here in Appleloosa is not easy.", Rushing Wind explained, "It has its fair share of tight turns as well as hairpins. Someone who loves going fast might have problems in turning. Thanks to the training you took on yesterday, you know how to react when taking such turns."

"Yeah. And if they screw up and you get through those turns clean, you might have a shot at winning!", Rainbow Dash said, giving Scootaloo courage. She knew what the two were talking about. Thanks to the training in the Zone Simulator that Rushing Wind and Hanzal created, her reflexes and discernment in turns have improved, and that may help her win.

"Good luck, Scootaloo! Show them what you got!" Rushing Wind cheered Scootaloo on as much as Rainbow Dash did, and she did as well. "Yeah! Take it to them!"

Encouraged, Scootaloo went to her starting position, which was second place. Suddenly, someone called out to her.

"Hey, Scootaloo!" It was Wind Cutter, who started right behind her, in fourth place. Scootaloo turned her head and saw her rival behind her.

"Hey, Wind Cutter!", she called out to her.

"Good luck today! I hope that you take it to that Pegasus in front of you!" It appeared like Scootaloo's rival also believed in her and knew that she could win.

To be a fair sport, Scootaloo said to her: "Thanks! I hope you do well too!"

And then, Scootaloo faced forward again, took a launching stance, and watched the light. As the light turned green, Scootaloo took off, as well as the Pegasus in front of her - the leader of the tournament.

The leader got away from Scootaloo further and further, but as they reached the first hairpin, she noticed that they suddenly slowed down heavily. That was her chance - she approached the turn from the outside, turned in at the right moment and got through the turn without losing too much speed, putting her in first place!

The crowd cheered seeing as someone else now took the lead. Even Rainbow Dash and Rushing Wind, who also sat in the crowd, cheered!

"Go, Scootaloo! Go!", shouted Rainbow Dash, surely excited that Scootaloo has taken the lead.

"Yeah! Go, go, go!", screamed Rushing Wind, so loud that the ponies next to the two heard that and looked to them. Rushing Wind just responded with a "What? She's winning."

Scootaloo kept racing over the track at the best she could do and at the fastest speed she could hit while also trying to go faster than she could hit. Suddenly, the Pegasus who was in first before her, rushed past her, and he said: "Ha! You're too slow!"

And just in that moment of overconfidence and not paying attention to the track, the rival ran into the wall of the upcoming hairpin and bonked off of it, causing him to lose so much speed and control that he had to stop and let Scootaloo zip by again, who, once more, took the turn flawlessly.

As Scootaloo completed Lap 1, she was now the leader, but the race was far from over.

Scootaloo raced over the track with grace, and as she approached the hairpins once again, she repeated her motions of approaching the turn from the outside, turning in at the right time and exiting the turn accurately. As she completed Lap 2, the rival who is after her got closer, but he's still not behind her.

When the rival got near her, Scootaloo got a little bit scared, seeing as he was way faster than she was. But, they were getting closer to the second hairpin, so Scootaloo knew that she had a chance. She swerved to the outside to give the rival room to pass, and when they hit the hairpin, the rival had to slow down heavily, while Scootaloo passed the turn with grace and finished up in first place!

The crowd was going wild - the fiercest flyer of the Rookie Tournament has lost the lead to a newcomer! Even Rainbow Dash and Rushing Wind were very excited about Scootaloo's win.

"Yeah! I knew you could do it! Awesome flying, Scoots!", Rainbow Dash said to her, surely proud about that win.

Rushing Wind soon joined them. "Yeah, you were amazing! You passed that rival really nicely!"

Looking at the tournament table, they saw that the leader, who goes by the name of Silver Bullet, now has 19 points, and Scootaloo has 18. Whoever would win the next race before the other, wins the tournament.

"If you win the last race, Scootaloo, you'd have 26 points... and he would have 25.", Rushing Wind said, "This may well be your chance to win your first tournament."

"You can do this! I believe in you!" Rainbow Dash also encouraged her sister-like friend with the best she could, and Scootaloo appreciated the help from both. However, she knew that Silver Bullet was an amazing flyer, and he'd do anything for the win, which made her a bit unsettling...





The last race took place in Baltimare, and Scootaloo was both excited as well as unsure. She knew that she wouldn't be able to keep up with Silver Bullet, the leader of the tournament. But it was fine as long as she finished in front of him to win the tournament.

Rushing Wind saw the track and said to Scootaloo: "This track here is awesome. It has its fair share of speedy sections as well as tough turns. The perfect all-round track."

"Are you guys really sure I can match up with Silver Bullet? You saw him fly, and he's way too fast for me..." Scootaloo felt her insecurity come back as they approached the track.

"Rushing Wind told you that several times, squirt. Match the perfect flying line, approach the turns from the outside, swerve through the hairpins and you're golden.", Rainbow Dash encouraged her.

Filled up with courage from her friends, Scootaloo smiled and went over to the track. Before she went to the starting line, she ran into Wind Cutter again.

"Hey, Scootaloo.", she said to her.

"Hey, Wind Cutter. How are you?", Scootaloo asked.

"Doing fine, thanks. Good luck for the race. I hope you're taking it to that super fast Pegasus, Silver Bullet!" Wind Cutter also believed that Scootaloo was able to win, and this filled her with confidence even more.

"I'll do my best! This guy won't stand a chance!" With these enthusiastic words, she went to the starting line, onto the Pole Position.

Scootaloo's heart was pounding, her breath was fast... Victory was so close...! But first, she needed to win the duel against Silver Bullet. She buzzed her wings and watched the light. Red... yellow... and green!

Scootaloo took off, and Silver Bullet did the same. As they approached Turn 1, Scootaloo had the inside, causing Silver Bullet to take the outside, which slowed him down a little.

That was just one turn - next was a whole 3 lap race.

When Scootaloo approached the first long straight line after a series of tight turns, she made sure to pass as many speed rings as she could to get a distance to the competition - but Silver Bullet still was right behind her.

But then came his biggest weakness - a hairpin! Scootaloo moved to the outside, let Silver Bullet pass so that he gets problems with the hairpin and swerved through the turn with grace. The crowd was cheering - nobody has ever seen a flyer go through these turns very fast before.

After another K turn, one lap was done, but there were still two more to go, and Silver Bullet wouldn't let up until he wins.

Scootaloo repeated her flying line in Lap 2. Nobody was behind her, and nobody will catch up sooner or later. But there came Silver Bullet, over the long straight line! He wanted to slipstream her to get more speed. As the two approached the hairpin, she knew that he wanted to copy her flying line. So Scootaloo did what nobody would've predicted - she stayed on the inside until the very last second in which she would enter the hairpin. Then, she quickly turned away, then back towards the turn.

In an attempt to dodge this unpredictable maneuver, Silver Bullet crashed into the wall. He was hurt, but not out of the race yet.

However, in Lap 3, Scootaloo was way gone from the competition. After that crazy maneuver in Lap 2, she felt like she was on fire, and for that matter, also faster. She took the hairpin one last time, went through the K turn and finished the race in first place.

Scootaloo was filled with joy. "Yeah! I did it! I did it!", she yelled to the crowd, and everypony cheered for her.

The award ceremony followed not too short after the race, and Scootaloo stood on the top of the podium, with Silver Bullet and Wind Cutter next to her. Silver Bullet looked up to her.

"Well, I guess I can't avoid saying that, so... Congratulations. I didn't think you would swerve away and then back into that hairpin. I wasn't prepared for that kind of thing.", Silver Bullet admitted.

Scootaloo smiled. And then, she happily took the Winner's trophy and lifted it up in the air, and everyone cheered for her while Wind Cutter and Silver Bullet clapped their hooves.

After the award ceremony, Rainbow Dash and Rushing Wind came to Scootaloo. "Hey, Scoots! Congratulations on your win! I just knew you could do it!", said Rainbow Dash, surely proud of her friend.

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash.", Scootaloo responded.

"You know, Scootaloo..." Scootaloo looked to Rushing Wind. "That maneuver in Lap 2 was amazing. I have not seen a Feint in years."

"A feint?", asked Scootaloo.

"It's a technique that's featured in Rally Racing. If you're on the inside of a tough turn like a K turn or a hairpin, and want to take it quickly, you just turn away then back towards the turn. In my world, a technique like that is called a 'Scandinavian Flick'.", Rushing Wind explained.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Looks like Rushing Wind will always come up with racing experience from his home world.

"Say, Scootaloo...", Rushing Wind said, "Now that you won the Rookie Tournament, how about you take on the Amateur Tournament next? It's the second speed class, in which Pegasi with speeds of at least 136 mph - or 7 wing power - can show what they got."

"Seven wing power?" Rainbow Dash was a bit surprised, and a bit unsure. "Are you sure that Scootaloo can hit that kind of speed? And do you think that her little heart can handle that?"

"Aw, come on, Rainbow Dash.", Scootaloo said, "I may be small, but I have a really powerful heart."

"Scootaloo is right.", Rushing Wind confirmed, "Even if she still is a small filly, if her heart can handle speeds like that, I'm very certain that she could go even faster. All it takes is a bit of training before the Amateur Tournament starts in two weeks."

End of the Rookie Class...