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// Chapter 16: The Thrasher, A Crusade Ends, Graduation Day 
// Story: The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Scootadad! 
// by Adorned ungulate 
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I was feeling particularly defeated. I had failed at comforting and finding my distraught daughter. I couldn't teach her to fly. I couldn't even help her find her special talent. All these thoughts churned around in my head as I passed over Ponyville scanning the ground below. After a bit I admit defeat and returned home but thankfully my daughter was there in the yard surrounded her family! I came down for a landing, calling her name. She gave me a hug and I checked her for injuries. 

"I'm fine, dad. Don't worry."

"I just want to make sure you're okay, where did you go?"

"She jumped off a cliff," Dash's voice sounded out from my right. "But I was there to catch her... Not that she needed it, she was doing fine."

I turned to her, I was tearing up. "Thank you, Rainbow. You've certainly proven yourself as a big sister." She just shrugged and put on that cocksure half smile if hers. 

"Dad, look. I got my cutie mark. I'm not sure what it is." Sure enough there it was, a silhouette of a bird in differing tones of violet and purple. It reared up on long legs, stubby wings spread, long and slightly curved beak open defiantly. "Is it a roadrunner or something?"

"I think it's beautiful, darling." her mother said.

"Looks badass!" added Dash. 

"It's a thrasher." Everyone stopped and looked at me. "...um, or a thrush or mockingbird. Hard to tell without the coloration. The long tail is a giveaway."

Scootaloo looked thoughtful. "What can you tell me about them?"

"Well, thrushes have one of the widest vocal range of all songbirds, and mockingbirds are legendary mimics. They've got a lot of attitude. Make a lot of noise scraping around in the leaves looking for food. You'd think it was a much larger animal all the commotion they make."

"Can they fly?"

"Oh sure they can. But usually not far above the trees... They're ground foragers, they... they get pretty much everything they need there."

She was quiet for a short time. "I think I would like to go to bed now, I've got a lot to think about."

Vervain put a wing over her back. "I'll put you to bed, darling. I don't get a chance too often."

After the rest of use said out goodnights Rainbow addressed me in a whisper. "I'll pull up a cloud near her window to sleep on, you know just in case she makes another escape."

"Thanks, Dash." I gave her a nudge on the shoulder. 

After everything had quieted down for the night I poked my head into her room just to check on her. My nerves were still frayed. She was on her bed looking up at the ceiling. I backed out quietly. 

"Dad."

"Yes, honey bunch?"

"I don't really think you're pathetic."

I went over to her bed. "I know dear. We say things when we are angry and hurt sometimes. I forgive you. Just be aware of your feelings and words. Spoken in anger or hate they can be cutting words, and they cut both whom you say it to as well as the pony saying them. The wounds upon the relationship can heal with forgiveness but it leaves a little scar behind. I suspect ponies like Diamond Tiara have hearts all covered up in scar tissue from all the cutting words she uses, metaphorically or spiritually speaking."

I gave her a peck on the forehead and another hug. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, dad."

"You were right about a few things though. I have been sad and I have been lonely. If it is alright with you I'm going to fix that, okay?"

"Okay dad, goodnight."

"Night, Scootaloo."




The success of one of their members reenergized the Cutie Mark Crusade. I watched them celebrate followed by some good natured teasing and moping then back to speculation and enthusiasm that true talents would emerge if they just stopped looking in the wrong places. 

Sweetie was the next. Her sister invited her to come with her to one of her bourgeoise fashion shows in Canterlot. While Rarity was busy attending to the details a bored Sweetie Belle loitered on stage and the sound engineer and DJ asked her to test out the microphones. Maybe it was the low pressure atmosphere of an audience not giving their full attention. Maybe she was able to tap into her creativity in singing a new song off the cuff. Maybe it was just her time but with a flash there it was, lavender quarter notes ringed in mint green. How many fillies can say that they were congratulated on getting their mark with a brohoof by Vinyl Scratch herself?

That meant that much to her consternation Apple Bloom was last. Again, it happened when she least expected it, tinkering with some equipment at the back of one of their barns she was able to repair and even improve upon an old apple press ensuring that with the added cost of a little labor the Apple Family would double their cider output next year. Her mark was rather intricate, blueprint with a white outline of an apple crossed with compass and T-square. You wouldn't believe the banquet at her cutecênera. 

Then they were able to put their full energy into final exams and their graduation performances. I was able to set worry aside for the most part and focus on my job. It was a relief to relinquish the duty of escorting an unhappy filly to school. I wrote long longing letters to Helvetica and she wrote back filling me in on her travels to Saddle Arabia, Los Pegasus, and the like. 

Soon enough winter was wrapped up, spring settled in and I was escorting my daughter to her graduation talent exhibition. She was quiet and contemplative the whole walk over. My marefriend and I did not press the issue until we reached the schoolhouse. 

"Why don't you join your friends and Rainbow, honey bunch. I'm sure you have some last minute questions for her."

"Thanks, dad." She gave me a forced smile."

"Break a wing." I gave her a nuzzle. 

Helvetica shot her a wink. "Merde!" 

Oh, the performances. I thought the demonstrations would be endless. Sure, Snails' essay on the life cycle of Gastropoda and parasitic wasps was enlightening but the child has no sense of brevity. It certainly was more bearable than Diamond's sorted tale on maximizing quarterly earnings at her father's Bargain Barn. By contrast Snips made short work giving Twist a complete, and astonishingly competent makeover. Taming those curls was no easy feat. She was so happy she gave him a snog in front of the whole audience. Maybe that would put the rumors to rest. Sweetie managed her stage fright by closing her eyes and doing this breathing thing the Princess taught her. She sang a tune she composed for Miss Cheerilee accompanied by Ms. Heartstrings. Her reaction to applause was to turn bright pink and slink backward off stage. She still has a bit of work to do before she's ready for Cadance Hall. 

Eventually we moved outside for the last few demonstrations, such as Archer's target practice and the other two Crusaders. We were making our way past the playground when Helvetica gave me a peck on the cheek. 

"You ex wife is coming over, I think I'll get us some punch so you two can have some time to talk." She needn't have for Vervain was happy I had found a special somepony, but my marefriend was a lady of tact. 

"Hey, Martin." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. New mane color this week. 

"Sup, brother," Needles added. 

My ex socked me on the flank. "We've done pretty well by her I'd say. Just look at her. Graduating today." She blinked away sentiment from her eyes. 

I did look. Scootaloo was going over last minute planning with Rainbow Dash. Imagine my daughter having her own flight captain consulting her. Rainbow wore her dress blues for the occasion. 

I felt Vervain's breath in my ear. "I still don't like that she isn't wearing a helmet. I don't care if it would weigh her down."

"This is her special day so it's her choice I suppose. There's enough of us here to take care of any emergencies... I'm worried a bit too but I want this to be her special day to shine. Her pride would be more hurt than her head if she were to crash at any rate."

"We're going to find a good seat."

"Take care, Vervy; thanks for all your help over the years."

She shrugged and put a wing over Needles' back, departing. I consciously let my tensed muscles free as I always upon her departure from my life. My violet-eyed beauty returned to my side with a cup full of Department of Education approved beverage and I marveled at my fortune. 

The last few demonstrations rolled by with Archer scoring impressive bulls-eyes with his specialized unicorn weapon. Ditzy Doo's stage magic act put Snips' and Snail's debacle last year to shame but I kept sneaking looks at my daughter doing her warm-up exercises. She hid her anxiety well, looking determined and brave. Kind of like Rainbow Dash when we first met her in fact. 

Eventually Miss Cherilee announced Apple Bloom. She strode up in front of a large sloping object covered in a red tarp. I can't imagine what favor Sweetie promised her sister to borrow and surely dirty that much fabric. 

"Howdy, y'all. Fellow students, parents, my teacher of course. It look me many years a'struggle to find mah calling but with help from my friends and family I found it was in engineering an design. I'd like to show you one of my latest projects. This here's a new scooter for my friend Scootaloo. Aluminum frame, duel shocks fer the wheels. Lightweight an sturdy so she can be fast and still be durable for when she crashes." She gave my daughter a sly wink. "Now I made a second thing with the help of the whole Apple Family which we will move to the park so everypony can enjoy it..."

Hearing his cue Big Macintosh trotted off, the rope attached to his yoke pulling the tarp free revealing a wooden structure with an inverted bell curve roof and rather high peaked walls, decorated with hearts and filigree. 

"This here's a half pipe an mah friend Scoots is gonna show you how to use it for her presentation." She gave her broad country grin in response to the hoof stomps of applause and took a seat in front of her creation. Then silence as Scootaloo gave one last nod to her sister and climbed the rungs up the wall. With effort Sweetie Belle floated up the new scooter and piped up squeaky well wishes. 

My daughter paused for a moment after checking over her ride. She looked out upon the crowd for the first time, picking her mother and me out amongst the gathered ponies. She did not bother with words, a filly of actions that one. She instead kicked off with her right back leg and swung down the side of the ramp with her wings gulping in beats of air to shove behind her. 

Everypony was expecting a showy trick I'm sure because I heard confusion when she instead angled her body and wings for a tight turn and came back down the other direction, gathering more speed. Up, swish, down, up, swish, down again and again until she was an orange blur of motion. 

"That's it!?" I tried not to glare at Diamond Tiara instead checking my camera. I felt Helevetica's warm furry flank slide against my own quivering a bit with anticipation. We were two of the few who knew what was coming next. 

Again and again she ascended and dove until gaining just the right velocity. Then instead of swerving Scootaloo rocketed into the air, letting go of the scooter which was caught by Sweetie's magic just as it had dozens of times in practice off out apartment roof. My daughter streaked into the air reaching an egg-shaped parabola then diving downward, arcing just above the half pipe as if she still had her wheels. The assembled crowd gasped, then some called out in alarm as she repeated the move and dove close to the ground just above their heads. Pumping her wings with great effort she looped up a third time, slid down into a steep dive before again pulling up last minute and angled her wings for a tight triple corkscrew and shedding speed in a broad soaring loop taking her far over all of Ponyville. Her classmates cheered loudly. Parents clapped their hooves. The Elements of Harmony looked on with pride. I was simply stunned with happiness and kissed my lady love. She had done it, proved for all she could fly on her own terms given the right preparation. As her father I had helped her find her talent and she could carry on into adulthood on her own wings. It was my proudest moment since rocking her soothed with songs in my arms the night of her birth but this time her mother, friends, teacher, bit sister, and even my lovely special somepony was there to share the joy.