Family Reunion
Chapter 9: Family Reunion
Scootaloo woke bright and early the next morning, accustomed to the habit of getting up when the sun was only just barely rising above the horizon. She opened her eyes, blinking slowly. She felt wonderful. Granted, that was to be expected. The performance, while an intense exercise, required less exertion than one of her and Dawn's usual sparring sessions. The anxiety that had led up to it meant that her fatigue had been more mental than physical.
Of course, even if she had still been tired and sore after her night's sleep, Scootaloo figured that waking up in Dawn's arms, his chin resting on top of her head and his wings wrapped around her, was almost as good as a soak in a long, warm bath for soothing her aches. Pulling far enough away from him that she could raise her head and look him in the eye, she saw that Dawn was already staring back at her. She was not at all surprised to see that he was awake before her.
"Good morning," he said softly.
Scootaloo kissed him before answering. "Good morning." Then she yawned. Dawn might have long ago mastered the art of coming instantly to wakefulness, but she still needed a few minutes to get her brain running at full speed when she woke up. Then again, if she had spent an entire year in a monster-infested wilderness by herself, she'd probably be quick to wake up too. "You gonna get up?"
In answer, Dawn's forelegs tightened their hold on her, pulling her back against him and tucking her head back under his chin. "Nope," he replied flatly, making Scootaloo giggle. She snuggled up closer still and relaxed, closing her eyes, not quite going back to sleep, but still basking in the warmth of Dawn's arms and wings as he held her. After what they'd done yesterday, she had absolutely no problem with having a lie in until the rest of their group got up.
They enjoyed an hour of peace and contentment before they figured they'd best get up and get ready. Scootaloo took the first turn in the shower. Once she had gone and Dawn had finished and they'd finished the rest of their morning routines, they adjourned to the hotel lobby to wait for the others, sipping at glasses of juice as they waited.
Gradually, the rest of their group streamed into the lobby, coming singly or in pairs. When Rarity, the last of their group to come from her room, joined them, they went across the street to a diner that Soarin' recommended for breakfast. Ultimately, not everypony was going to join Scootaloo and Dawn for a day with the Wonderbolts. In fact, after breakfast was finished, most of the group returned to Ponyville. By the time Soarin' and Rainbow led the way to the Wonderbolt Headquarters, only a few remained, mainly Dawn's family. The rest ended up returning to Ponyville (or Canterlot and Trottingham in the respective cases of Rumble and Sweetie Belle), feeling the weight of their own commitments and not wanting to crowd the Wonderbolts too much. Fluttershy and Caramel brought the foals, figuring that this would be a fun experience, especially for Larksong.
When they arrived, Scootaloo and Dawn both felt the faint buffeting sensation of approaching wingbeats. Looking up, they spied a familiar and welcome mare as she swooped down to join them.
"Hey," said Scootaloo as Sunflower came in for a landing in front of them. "You made it."
"Thanks for having me," said Sunflower, her cheeks reddening.
"Huh, and here I was expecting you to bring the whole gang."
They looked up to see a an orange mare with a yellow and orange-striped mane waiting for them at the top of the stairs leading to the headquarters' main entrance. Spitfire smiled wryly as she surveyed the group. "Nice to see you kept the numbers manageable."
Scootaloo and Dawn exchanged a quick glance before looking back at Spitfire and shrugging in unison. "Not for lack of trying," Dawn replied just as wryly.
"Considering everyone who was hanging out with Princess Twilight in the Royal Box, that makes me happy," said Spitfire with a sardonic smile. "Come on in."
Sunflower's eyes roamed over everything as they entered into the compound, taking in everything that she could, certain that this opportunity would never come again. It took her a moment to realize that the only other ponies doing the same were Larksong and Pepita, the former squealing and bouncing on her brother's back, while the latter observed his surroundings with the same quiet interest that he did everything else. Scootaloo was already chatting quietly with Spitfire while Dawn listened in, occasionally giving his younger sister a fond look as she let out another excited squeal and bounced on his back.
"You've been here before, haven't you?" she asked, coming up next to Dawn.
"Occasionally," said Dawn. "We've visited Rainbow once in a while, so we are somewhat familiar with the place."
"That's kinda why they asked you along," said Rainbow, coming up on Sunflower's other side. "I worked hard to win the competition in my day and the chance to spend a day with the Wonderbolts was a big deal for me too. Dawn and Scootaloo are kinda used to it by now, for more reasons than one, so we figured that you should at least get the benefit of something that you don't get to do on a regular basis."
"But I..." Sunflower found herself looking down.
"Hey. Any other year and you'd probably have come in first," said Rainbow. "Scoots and Dawn just happened to put on one hay of a show. They've spent years polishing the skills they used last night. What you accomplished is nothing to be ashamed of. You've earned your right to be here in my book."
"Thanks," said Sunflower.
Spitfire slowed down so that she could move behind Scootaloo and Dawn and come up alongside Sunflower. "I have to say, that was a very impressive display yesterday," she said, giving Sunflower a warm smile.
"Th-thank you!" Sunflower blushed brightly, amazed that the Captain of the Wonderbolts was praising her performance.
"To be honest, I've never seen a pony with so much skill for complex wind current manipulation," continued Spitfire. "There's nopony in the Wonderbolts who could do what you did."
"Huh?" That got Sunflower's attention. "B-but...you're the Wonderbolts. You're the best fliers in all of Equestria."
"For a given definition of the word, 'best,'" said Spitfire, "Sure, the Wonderbolts are trained to fly longer and harder than anypony else. We're also able to handle the absolute worst weather imaginable, among other things. But we all have our own specialties, the things we're really good at. But nopony on my team currently has skills like yours."
Sunflower's cheeks burned an even brighter red. Spitfire couldn't help but chuckle and drape a wing over the younger mare's back. "You have a lot of potential kiddo. If you aim high, I'm pretty sure you've got the skills to get there."
"Thank you," said Sunflower, her voice barely audible.
"Come on," said Spitfire. "Since you're a special guest, you get to see all the things that aren't on the tour. Let's get started."
Sunflower was fairly certain that her eyes would explode from everything that she saw as they made their way through the Headquarters. Many parts of the cloud compound, which sprawled over a fair-sized corner of Cloudsdale and towered impressively over many of its neighbors were fairly mundane in nature. There was a mess hall, lounges, indoor training rooms, some packed with obstacles, while others featured heavily padded walls, ceilings, and floors. There were multiple lounges, with large, soft, cumulous couches for tired Wonderbolts to rest on between practice sessions, performances, and their regular duties.
On an average day, ponies might be led on tours through these sections of the building. If they were lucky, they might catch a glimpse of an actual Wonderbolt as she made her way from one section to another or relaxed on a lounge couch. However, that was the extent of what the average ponies got to see.
Spitfire led them deeper into the compound. Sunflower got to see the formidable stormnaseum, the fearsome construct of nearly black storm clouds that hovered at the rear of the compound. The stormnaseum interior could be set to mimic any number of countless weather patterns, simulating everything from severe thunderstorms, to tornado-force winds, to even the conditions of volcanic eruptions (with chili powder in place of volcanic ash).
To Sunflower's amazement, she got to see even more of the compound than she'd expected. They got to see some of the Wonderbolts' private rooms, which were, in their own way, even more amazing than what the rest of the compound had to offer.
Spitfire's room was relatively modest, with a nice, homey look to it. What got Sunflower's attention was the phoenix who rested on a perch in one corner of the room. The bird was a magnificent specimen, somehow managing combine the features of a peacock, swan, and eagle into the same body. His long, arched neck, suggested a swan, while the jewel-like plumes of shimmering colors that dangled from his tail were reminiscent of a peacock. Finally, the bird's hooked beak was most definitely like that of an eagle or another bird of prey. The plumes aside, the feathers along his wings also shimmered with a variety of colors that danced, almost making them seem as much like tongues of fire as anything else. He turned his intelligent gaze on the visitors and cooed a greeting.
"Hey there," said Scootaloo, raising a hoof. "Long time, no see."
The bird trilled a response and voiced several sounds as he turned his attention to Fluttershy.
"I'm doing very well, thank you," said Fluttershy with a happy smile. "Thanks for asking."
"Um..." Sunflower gave Dawn a questioning glance.
"Mom can communicate with animals," he explained. "It's one of her special talents. She's in charge of Ponyville's wildlife management."
"Oh..." Sunflower gave the phoenix a dubious glance. "But you can't?"
"Not naturally," said Dawn. "I've learned to understand a little of what Ouranos says, but I'm not exactly fluent. Scootaloo neither."
"Fluent?" Sunflower blinked. "He's just a bird, isn't he?"
The bird whipped its head around, having apparently heard Sunflower's words, despite her low tone, and cawed harshly. The grating nature of the sound causing Sunflower to squeak and take a step back.
"Easy," said Dawn levelly, giving Ouranos a careful smile. "She's never met a phoenix before. Please don't judge her too harshly."
Ouranos's feathers, which had begun to fluff angrily, subsided and he let out one more indignant squawk at Sunflower before turning his attention to other matters.
"Did you understand that?" asked Sunflower.
"Yes," replied Dawn.
"What did he say?"
"You don't want to know." Dawn closed his eyes. "Birds have an amazing vocabulary, especially when it comes to profanity. Suffice to say, it wasn't very flattering at all."
"Oh..." Sunflower drooped. She hadn't meant to insult the phoenix.
"Don't let it get to you," said Dawn with a reassuring smile, "You're not the first pony to make that mistake and you won't be the last. Phoenixes are fully sapient and intelligent as any pony...often more so." He chuckled. "But they are also very prideful and don't like being belittled, even unintentionally. I can't speak for all of them, seeing as I've only met two, but I know that Ouranos can be particularly...touchy about the subject."
"Ah," said Sunflower nodding in understanding.
Dawn opened his mouth to speak some more. But he instead uttered a startled "oof!" as Ouranos' weight suddenly settled onto his back. Ouranos had landed directly on his haunches, looking down curiously as Larksong spun in place on her perch between Dawn's wings to stare in gleeful awe at the phoenix.
"Oooooh!" gasped the filly, looking up at Ouranos with wide eyes, "Pretty!"
Ouranos trilled and preened, clearly pleased with the praise before dipping his head to use his beak to comb through Larksong's mane, the sensation causing the filly to giggle happily. She moved along Dawn's back until she could nuzzle against Ouranos' chest as the bird continued to run his beak through her mane.
"That's so cute," squealed Sunflower, her hooves flying to her mouth.
Dawn gave Ouranos a curious look over his shoulder. "I had no idea you were so good with children," he said.
"He loves foals," said Spitfire, raising a hoof. Ouranos gave the top of Larksong's head one last tap with his beak before fluttering to Spitfire's outstretched foreleg, prompting Dawn to sigh in relief as Ouranos' weight left his back. Ouranos wasn't extremely heavy. But between his weight and Larksong's, Dawn had found himself feeling a little overburdened. Spitfire continued her explanation. "Phoenixes don't reproduce very often. Their mating cycle takes centuries to come around. Thus, they often have a fondness for children of all types."
"So he's your p-" Dawn's hoof over her mouth cut Sunflower off before she could utter the dreaded P-Word.
"Ouranos is one of my oldest friends," said Spitfire, giving Sunflower a knowing smile. "He's also my partner in the field."
"Oh! But I've never seen him during your shows," said Sunflower.
"He's not one for performances," said Spitfire, "But he's with me whenever we have to respond to an emergency."
Sunlfower nodded, a bit surprised by Spitfire's explanation. From the looks Dawn and Scootaloo exchanged with Rainbow Dash and Soarin', she got the distinct impression that the kind of emergencies Spitfire was talking about didn't just involve the odd out-of-control storm system.
After introductions had been made, Ouranos was left to his own devices and Spitfire took the group to see the rest of the Wonderbolts' private quarters, with the permission of their occupants, of course. The Wonderbolts' personal rooms had been modified by their occupants to suit their personal tastes, leading to some eclectic and fascinating developments. Estelle, the Wonderbolts' high-altitude flight and aerial reconnaissance expert had turned her room, the highest one in the compound, into a full observatory, complete with a telescope that offered spectacular views of the stars, with its position at such a high altitude. Silver Lining's room was practically an art museum, featuring the numerous cloud sculptures he had designed. But perhaps the strangest and most amazing room belonged to Wave Chill, the Wonderbolts' resident expert in marine weather patterns. His room was home to a massive aquarium, designed to be a self-sufficient ecosystem, populated by a wide variety of colorful fish and even a few species of relatively small sharks.
They spent quite a bit of time in Wave Chill's room, not in the least because Pepita and Larksong were especially fascinated by the fish, cooing and laughing as Dawn and Fluttershy hovered above the tank, holding the foals just above the water's surface so that they could get a view of all the fish swimming below.
Sunflower's mind was reeling by the time the adjourned for a late lunch in the mess hall. "So what do you think?" asked Spitfire, settling across the table from Sunflower.
"It's incredible," admitted Sunflower.
Dawn and Scootaloo settled in next to Sunflower, setting their trays on the table. Fluttershy and Caramel took seats next to Spitfire, sitting across from them. Rainbow and Soarin' also took seats, sitting on Sunflower's other side.
"That's good," said Spitfire, "You think you have what it takes to be a Wonderbolt?"
"Um...I don't know..." admitted Sunflower.
"Are you interested in being one?"
"Maybe," said Sunflower, looking up from her food. "But I'm not sure."
To her surprise, Spitfire's expression wasn't disappointed, but curious. "May I ask why?"
"Um...well..." Sunflower prodded her food nervously. "I'd kinda thought the Wonderbolts were performers. But it sounds like there's way more to it than that. It's almost like...I don't know...You obviously handle dangerous weather a lot, but...I think there's something else too." She gave Spitfire a speculative look. "It's something you don't talk about to ponies like me...outsiders, that is."
To her surprise, Spitfire was smiling. "You hit the nail on the head," she said, "Yeah, some of our work is extremely dangerous and also the kind of thing we don't tell the public about. You catch onto that a lot quicker than most of our fans." She gave Rainbow Dash a wry smile, prompting the cerulean mare to blush and avert her eyes. "I won't say that you should be a Wonderbolt. But, I definitely think you have what it takes to be one of us in the future."
"Really?" gasped Sunflower, her wings flaring in surprise.
"Yep," said Spitfire, "Which is why I'm extending a special invitation to you three..." She nodded to Dawn and Scootaloo to include them. "...to attend the Wonderbolt Academy's next session."
Scootaloo and Sunflower both gaped at Spitfire. "Are you serious?" demanded Scootaloo.
She had good reason to be skeptical. The Wonderbolts Academy was a very exclusive institution. In the normal course of things, a pony would have to apply and then wait while her physical capabilities and her work history were evaluated in order to determine her fitness. Countless pegasi applied every year, but only a small hoofful made the cut. Being issued an actual invitation, by Spitfire herself no less, was an unprecedented occurrence.
"Yep," said Spitfire, "I think you three are more than up for it."
"Wow!" gasped the two mares in unison. Beside Scootaloo, Dawn looked at his food pensively. Spitfire noticed his silence and raised a curious eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing.
After they finished eating, Spitfire continued their tour. There wasn't a whole lot left to see, so she instead gave them a crash course in some of the ways the Wonderbolts trained. Dawn, Scootaloo, and Sunflower, all got to take a turn inside the stormnaseum on some of its less dangerous settings, trying some of the different tasks Spitfire walked her trainee Wonderbolts through. This was actually something they wouldn't experience at the Academy, but she figured it would give them a good idea of what the Wonderbolts dealt with fairly regularly.
By the time they'd finished their experience, the sun was starting to set. Scootaloo, Dawn, and Dawn's family had to make the trip back to Ponyville, so it was best that they got going while it was still light out.
"Thanks for bringing me along," said Sunflower, smiling at Scootaloo as they made their way to the entrance.
"No problem," said Scootaloo, "I'm glad you got the chance. We should write to each other."
"Sure thing," said Sunflower her cheeks heating up. It had been a while since she'd last made new friends. Cyclone often hanging around her had made that extremely difficult at times, as Cyclone would often actively chase away anypony she deemed unfit to associate with them. Thus, the only ones that usually did were the ponies who were toadying for Cyclone's favor.
As the main entrance to the Headquarters came into view, they could see some sort of commotion. A pair of pegasi from the Wonderbolts' staff had interposed themselves between a trio of ponies standing at the doors and the rest of the building. From the gestures they were making and the tone of their voices, it was apparent they were trying to get the intruding trio to leave, with little success.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but your presence has not been authorized. You aren't permitted to go any further in."
"Get out of my way. If they can let ponies like her in, then they can certainly let me through."
"Not without approval from the Captain. We have to ask you to please leave and send a request for a meeting."
"I will not be shooed away as though I were some lowly paparazzi. I insist on speaking to Spitfire immediately!"
Scootaloo's group paused, watching the scenario unfold. Looking past the staff members, Scootaloo's eyes widened as she saw that one of the three ponies was none other than Cyclone. In what was perhaps the strangest thing Scootaloo had seen from her, Cyclone actually looked nervous and embarrassed as a much older mare, standing a little in front of her, fiercely berated the staff members barring their entry. The mare stood a little bit ahead of and off to one side of Cyclone. Cyclone was also flanked by an older stallion on her other side, also standing a little ahead so that he was abreast with the mare currently causing all the ruckus.
Scootaloo stiffened as she looked at the older ponies, a sick feeling churning in her gut. The mare was an older matron with a regal baring, standing with a flawless posture of superiority, her head held high, her wings calmly tucked against her side, despite her angry tone. Her face was framed with wrinkles and stress lines, clearly visible through the pale-gray color of her coat. Their presence gave her physique a wiry quality that reflected strength, in spite of her advanced age. Her mane was an icy blue and rolled into tight curls in a much more conservative version of the style that Rarity frequently wore. Likewise, her tail was also curled into a tight, elegant style, not so much as twitching as she glared at the staff with flat, gray eyes. Her cutie mark was a trio of clouds linked by lightning bolts.
The stallion's rust-red coat, especially around his face, was just as lined with wrinkles as the mare's. His grayish-blue eyes seemed perpetually narrowed in an angry glare, his nostrils flared in a perpetual arrogant snort. His mane and tail were a silvery gray that was a reflection of his age, rather than their natural color, his mane having been buzzed down so that it scarcely rose an inch above his head and neck. His body was much more heavily built than the mare's, taut and fit, despite the wrinkles, without a single sag or bulge of fat to be seen. His cutie mark was similar to the mare's, being a single cloud with a trio of lightning bolts striking out from it in three different directions.
Scootaloo stared at them, utterly flummoxed by the sight of these ponies. What truly disturbed her was that she knew exactly who they were. She'd never actually met them in pony, but their picture had stood on the mantlepiece above her family's fireplace throughout the years of her early childhood, a photo that had disappeared along with her father when he had been forced out of her family and out of Ponyville.
What the hay are they doing here? she wondered. And why in Celestia's name are they with Cyclone?
The mare, finally noticing the presence of Scootaloo's group halted mid-monologue, pausing her argument with the flustered staff member to shift her eyes to the group and Scootaloo specifically. Her eyes narrowed fractionally and Scootaloo felt as though she were an apple for the mare's inspection, an apple with quite a few worms if the mare's attitude was anything to go by. "You!"
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes in return. "Yeah, it's me."
The old mare ignored the staff members completely, shouldering her way past them, blocking out their startled protests. Behind her, the stallion did much the same, his expression as dark and angry as his companion's, although he seemed content to let her do the talking.
"I see the years haven't improved your attitude one bit," said the mare.
"Like you would know," retorted Scootaloo. "You didn't want to have anything to do with us."
"You haven't learned any respect for your betters, at least," said the stallion, his voice dry and gravelly. He looked as though he wanted to pound the defiance out of her with his bare hooves and was restraining himself only by a slim margin.
"When I meet my betters, I'm sure I'll respect them just fine," sniped Scootaloo. "I certainly don't see anypony like that now."
"Arrogant..." hissed the mare. "It figures that being raised in that pathetic middle-of-nowhere town would leave you with no respect."
"Um...Scootaloo...do you know these ponies?" asked Fluttershy, tentatively stepping forward. Caramel currently held both Larksong and Pepita and had retreated behind the corner of the hall they'd come in from to keep the foals out of sight. Sunflower stayed back with him, clearly unhappy with the thought of a confrontation with Cyclone.
The mare glared at Fluttershy then snorted derisively. "By all means, Scootaloo, introduce us."
Scootaloo snorted in reply, just to show that she wasn't about to do it simply because she'd been told to. "Fluttershy, Dawn, these are my grandparents, Nimbus Stratus and Alto Stratus."
Dawn blinked and stared at them in confusion. "Your grandparents?"
"Yeah," said Scootaloo flatly, "from my dad's side."
Both Dawn and Fluttershy were taken aback by that statement. Scootaloo's father had not been the most pleasant of ponies, relentlessly pushing his daughter in between berating her for failing to live up to his expectations or follow the life path he'd set for her. Ultimately, things had come to a head with Scootaloo's mother leaving him and the stallion himself ultimately being banished from Ponyville for attempting to abduct her. Nopony that they knew had seen him in years.
"It's just as well that you're here now," said Nimbus. "We have a great deal to discuss about your actions these past days."
"We don't have anything to discuss," replied Scootaloo.
"That is not for you to decide," said Alto, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward next to his wife. "You should not have even been part of the Best Young Fliers competition. Your presence and your actions have turned it into a farce and an insult to Cloudsdale."
"Uh huh," Scootaloo deadpanned, "Whatever floats your boat, gramps."
Alto bristled at her casual dismissal. "How dare you, you little..."
"I think that's enough," said Spitfire, having had enough of watching the drama unfold. She stepped up to stand next to Scootaloo and Dawn, her dark expression enough to make most ponies tremble. Cyclone let out a barely audible whimper and took half a step back, but neither Nimbus nor Alto was cowed.
"Ah, Spitfire, just the mare I was looking for," said Nimbus, turning to address Spitfire as though Scootaloo and her friends weren't even there anymore. "We need to talk about yesterday's competition and address some errors in your judgment."
"Good for you," said Spitfire. "You can leave now."
"Excuse me!" snarled Nimbus, drawing back in surprise. "I believe I was perfectly clear. We. Need. To. Talk."
"Oh, you were plenty clear, just like I'm being clear right now," replied Spitfire. "Leave. We are not talking."
"How dare you?" snapped Nimbus. "I am not some tourist to be shown the door. We have important matters to discuss."
"I don't care," replied Spitfire blithely. "I have a policy against having discussions with mares who think they can get their way if they throw a temper tantrum and flaunt an entitlement complex in my lobby. It sets a bad precedent."
Alto let out a low growl, his body tensing. However, Spitfire met his glare and narrowed her eyes the tiniest bit. Alto abruptly froze in place, his entire body locking up as a feeling of terror washed over him, complete with the sensation that his life was about to meet a very violent end.
"Don't even think about it, bucko," said Spitfire in a cool, dispassionate tone. "You may be old enough to be my dad, but I will not hesitate to beat the tar out of you if I think you're gonna try and force the issue." The force of her gaze actually drove Alto several steps back.
Spitfire snapped her gaze back to Nimbus. "You come waltzing in here like you own the place to try and dictate to me how I should use my judgement. You insult my guests and my friends. That's not gonna fly. You may think you're Celestia's gift to the world, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna take your complaints and your ideas about how things should be and you're gonna walk out the door with them...Now!"
This time, Nimbus was driven back by Spitfire's glare as well. She looked as though she wanted to argue or press her case. However, Spitfire's unyielding gaze brooked no argument and Nimbus backed down. Instead, she settled for directing one last glare at Scootaloo. "This is not over, you little upstart brat. There will be a reckoning for your insulting behavior."
"Whatever," said Scootaloo with a snort. "I'm quivering. Can't you see?"
Nimbus looked as though she wanted to continue volleying insults, but a cough and a pointed glare from Spitfire stopped her cold. Spinning about so sharply that her tail snapped like a whip when she stopped, she marched toward the door. "Come," she said sharply to Cyclone as she walked past the younger mare.
Cyclone's usual haughty attitude was nowhere to be found and she instead fell in meekly behind the two older ponies as they strutted out the door.
When the door swung close, Scootaloo let out a slow sigh and sagged slightly. Dawn wrapped a wing around her and gave her a concerned look. She met his eyes with a tired smile. "That was tense," she said.
"Those two are a couple pieces of work," said Spitfire as the rest of the group came out of hiding to join them. "They've been harassing me at every opportunity since they found out you two were entering the competition: trying to get me to change the rules to disallow tandem performances, talking about how important it is to preserve Cloudsdale's pride, yammering about my potential bias..." She sighed and shook her head. "It must suck to be related to them."
"To be honest, it didn't," said Scootaloo. "This is the first time I've actually met them in pony. They went out of their way to have absolutely nothing to do with us for longer than I've been alive. I don't think they ever forgave Dad for marrying Mom...It's kinda complicated."
That was putting it lightly. It wasn't as though Scootaloo's father and mother had been in some star-crossed romance. In fact, her grandparents' disapproval over his choice of wife had been, more or less, why Cirrus Stratus had married Melon Cream in the first place. Unable to meet his parents' high expectations throughout his life, Cirrus had dealt with their scorn and disappointment over his "failings" by choosing to marry Melon as a way to punish himself, rather than have a wife who met the standards his parents had. Learning that had been the final straw for Melon and their relationship, ultimately resulting in their divorce.
"Yeah," said Spitfire with a wince. "They keep reminding me of what a disappointment their son was and how you would never achieve anything worthwhile in your life."
Rainbow Dash barked out a harsh laugh. "Oh boy! I'd love to see their faces if they knew what the squirt here's already accomplished."
Scootaloo flushed at Rainbow's praise. The major accolade she'd received before the Best Young Fliers Competition was something she typically didn't flaunt, not because she was adverse to being recognized for her accomplishments, but mostly because it would involve explaining the very messy circumstances under which she had earned it.
"It's kinda creepy, really," said Soarin'. "It's almost like they needed Scoots to fail."
"In a sense, they did," said Spitfire quietly. "They made a bunch of predictions about her future and they can't bring themselves to admit they might be wrong about anything concerning her, considering that they'd already rejected her long before she was born. Any evidence to the contrary has to be whitewashed out of existence."
"Are they tribalists?" asked Rainbow.
"Sort of," said Spitfire. "They're of a different stripe than Meadowlark and her cronies. They're loyal to the Princesses and they don't talk down about the other tribes. But they have a 'keep to their own' attitude that borders on isolationism at times. They don't like the idea of pegasi sharing living space with the other tribes, especially if it means living on or near the ground, and they really don't like the idea of mixed marriages."
"Hence why they never talked to Dad," said Scootaloo dryly.
Dawn glanced sidelong at Sunflower, who was staring after the departed ponies with a sad, resigned look. "So they were the 'connections' you mentioned Cyclone having."
Sunflower nodded. "Yeah," she said sadly, "Those two still have a lot of pull with the Weather Bureau. That's how Cyclone managed to get us assigned to the same team and why I can't transfer to a different one."
"So they're...what...sponsoring her?" asked Rainbow.
"Pretty much," said Sunflower, "The way Cyclone put it, they've basically offered to sort of adopt her."
"Sort of...?" asked Dawn, raising a concerned eyebrow, "She's not an orphan, is she?"
"Not really," said Sunflower, "Cyclone has a family. They're not too bad, I guess. The problem is those two. They disowned their son-"
"My dad," Scootaloo put in.
Nodding, Sunflower continued. "And they're too old to have any more kids. So they picked out a few 'promising prospects' and basically set them to compete against each other. The winner will have all the Stratus Family assets signed over to them as an inheritance, along with all the perks that go with it."
"Let me guess," said Scootaloo, "Cyclone came out on top."
"Pretty much," said Sunflower. "But she has to keep living up to their expectations. If she doesn't then they'll pretty much toss her out and focus on another prospect."
"Geez, that's harsh," said Caramel with a wince.
"No wonder she's such a prissy nightmare," muttered Scootaloo. "Now I feel kinda sorry for her."
"I thought she seemed desperate last night," said Dawn, scratching his chin, "I am guessing that winning the Best Young Fliers Competition was one of the hurdles they set out for her."
"Maybe," said Sunflower with a shrug, "She doesn't exactly tell me what they want her to do all the time."
Scootaloo nodded, while Dawn gave Sunflower a concerned glance, raising an eyebrow. Given the circumstances, had he and Scootaloo not been competing then Sunflower would have been the winner of the competition, given the fact that she had been in second place to Cyclone's third. He wondered what the response of the Statuses would have been to that...and what Cyclone's response to their demands would have been. As it was, Cyclone's insistence that Dawn and Scootaloo turn over the accolade of Best Young Fliers over to her also counted as a demand to be elevated over her "friend" in order to be granted first place in the competition. Yet he had also noticed that Cyclone had left any mention of Sunflower or her place out of the conversation any time it had come up.
Glancing past Sunflower at Scootaloo, Dawn used a breeze to gently tug at one of her feathers, letting her know he wanted to talk. She met his gaze and nodded, the two of them deciding to save the conversation for a later time.
"It's getting late," said Fluttershy, taking Pepita from Caramel, who was carrying Larksong on his back. "We should head back to Ponyville."
"Sure," said Scootaloo.
"I guess I'll see you later," said Sunflower, giving Dawn and Scootaloo a wan smile.
Dawn was about to nod when he twitched, his ears pricking upright and his wings extending slightly. The actual movements were tiny, but Scootaloo was the only pony who noticed. Spitfire, Soarin', and Rainbow were too wrapped up in saying goodbye to each other to notice, while Caramel and Firefly were seeing to the foals. At the very edge of the range of his wind-sense, Dawn felt the faint stirrings of moving air from multiple directions, the approach of several ponies, lingering outside his range.
Gently, he sent a breeze that stirred over the tips of Scootaloo's feathers, washing from one side of her back to the other. She blinked and extended her own senses, picking up the same cues that he had.
That was fast, thought Dawn. They only left a couple minutes ago.
He and Scootaloo shared a look and an incremental nod. Under the circumstances, they knew what to do.
"Actually," said Scootaloo, giving Sunflower a grin. "Why don't we fly you home. I'd like to see where you live."
"We'll catch up to you," said Dawn, nodding to his parents, Rainbow, and Soarin'.
"Are you sure?" asked Rainbow. Dawn gave her a serious look and nodded. In the fading light, it was hard to see enough to be sure, but he thought she paled a little under her coat. The faint hitch in her breath he felt through the air. She nodded back at him. Soarin' had not missed the little exchange and, together, they began to herd Dawn's parents and siblings back towards the city's edge, where the balloon was waiting to take them down.
Sunflower, Dawn, and Scootaloo took off. Sunflower led the way towards Cloudsdale's residential districts. They passed over countless cloud houses of an endless variety of shapes and sizes. Thanks to the malleability of cloud construction, pegasi were free to exercise much more individual variation in the designs of their homes, so long at they conformed to certain rules that kept the casual flier from being snagged from some jutting cloud construct or that the houses themselves didn't intrude into the space of their neighbors. Unlike Scootaloo's cloud home, which floated free over Ponyville, the homes of Cloudsdale were joined together along streets and avenues, almost like the kind one would find in a ground city, the clouds merged into a continuous, solid surface. The reason was fairly obvious. Homes meant families. Families meant foals. Open spaces between buildings would mean an oblivious foal, too young to fly, tumbling off to a messy demise.
As they flew, Dawn and Scootaloo could feel the stirrings of the air shifting around them. Their shadows were indeed following them. In fact, just a few minutes into the flight, the pursuing ponies drew in closer, within the reach of couple's wind-sense and allowing them to know exactly where their pursuers were.
Sunflower's flight led them to just one house of many. There was nothing overly distinct about it, though Dawn fancied that it was a bit puffier and fluffier than its most immediate neighbors, giving a softer, milder impression. On either side of the front door were a pair of cloud couches that were little more than puffy pieces of molded cumulous, hovering a few feet above the tamped down clouds that formed the front porch. All told, it seemed a nice place to come home to.
"Good night," said Sunflower, grinning at both Dawn and Scootaloo. "Today was amazing. I hope we get to see each other again. I'll try to write you as often as I can."
"Us too," said Scootaloo, returning the smile. She hugged Sunflower and stepped back so that Dawn could do the same. Sunflower gave them one last wistful smile before she turned and made her way into her home.
"She's nice," said Scootaloo.
Dawn nodded in agreement. The two of them walked away from the door and into the street outside. They stood there for a moment, working out what to do.
"They aren't getting any closer," Scootaloo noted.
"They're waiting for us to get away from the residential district," said Dawn, draping a wing over Scootaloo's back and gently tugging her into a walk, guiding them in the general direction of the section of the city the others would be leaving from. To even the most dedicated observers, the two of them were just a couple seizing a quiet moment together, enjoying the Cloudsdale evening before making their way back to Ponyville, strolling along without a care in the world.
"What do you think they're planning?" asked Scootaloo.
She felt, rather than saw Dawn's shrug. "It's difficult to say. They might simply be planning to attack us and try and take the crowns by force or simply attempt to force us to say we cheated...or something along those lines. We won't know really until they act."
"How should we do this then?" asked Scootaloo. "Head out and pick a nice place for them to try and jump us?"
"As sensible a plan as any," said Dawn with a chuckle. "Though, it's tricky to know where anywhere like that is in Cloudsdale. The best approach would probably be to let them decide. At some point, they will start herding us towards a particular destination. It's best if we let them."
"Okay," said Scootaloo.
The two of them took off and almost immediately saw the 'herding' begin. A pair of particularly burly-looking pegasi swooped in from above, their fetlocks curled around heavy truncheons. They cut across Scootaloo and Dawn's flight path with menacing glares and a brandishing of their weapons, cutting them off from being able to get any higher.
Taking their cue, the couple went into a descent, once again returning to street level. As they landed, another intimidating pony emerged from a side street, while still another brought up the rear. One of the ponies menacing them from above dropped down on the street ahead of them, leaving a break left as the only option.
Dawn and Scootaloo broke into a gallop, turning sharply left and ducking down the side street that had been left open as the only route for them. As she ran, Scootaloo found herself fighting to keep a giddy grin off her face as she realized that their harassers were buying the act hook, line, and sinker. The stallion menacing them from above continued to fly overhead, keeping the aerial route cut off. Another of their pursuers brought up the rear to continue urging them on. The couple could also sense the remaining two of the fearsome foursome taking to the air to move up and cut off other routes of escape to continue adjusting their path.
And so it went. Scootaloo and Dawn galloped along streets, down alleys, and through intersections, two of their pursuers hounding them from behind and above, while the remaining two leapfrogged about to continue cutting off specific routes in order to force them to take another one. At the same time, they sensed other ponies hovering around further out, following the progress of the entire affair at a distance.
Finally, the thugs chased Dawn and Scootaloo into a section walled off from the street. The two of them came to a halt as they saw that they'd been directed into a construction site near the edge of the city.
"Looks like we're here," said Scootaloo, glancing sidelong at Dawn, who smiled back.
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Well shit.... Now we finally see Scootaloo's Grandparents and they are nothing but absolute jerks, idiots, etc.etc.! And now both Dawn and Scootaloo are trapped by four thugs, (10 points for guessing who hired them...) but these guys have no idea who they're messing with!
thanks for the update!!
Called it! Now time to read and see who's family, and how messed up they are.
i cant wait for her grandparents to be broken...
can THEY do the gale king style? did THEY help save al of existence?
did THEY ever do anything worthwhile with their lives?
do THEY deserve to fly?
no.
I was expecting something like this to happen after the last story, and I am laughing much harder than I thought I would have. I really wanna see perlin show up and just watch both of them kick ass. Great writing and keep it up!!
HOw suicidal are these ponies?
I can't believe how close my guess about Cyclone and Scootaloo's grandparents was. I even got the 'get kicked to the curb if you don't win' clause
No! Don't end now! It was just getting good!
Well, I say that, it sounds like the story hasn't been good until just now when nothing could be further from the truth, the stories been at least 'good' the entire time, but you get the point!
7310639 That does bring up a good point. Will Perlin come into this story? I hope so. It'll be interesting to see how he's matured and changed over the years. Oh, and it'll also be cool to see him again.
7310651 Very. While maybe Scootaloo might not be known about much, Anyone in any kinda Power of any kind should know everything that Dawn has ever done since coming to Ponyville and should know he is a top pony that no common thug is going to even be able to touch, let along intimidate, kill, or blackmail.
I mean seriously, the guy has kill a lot of people, saved a lot of people, and been part in saving the entire world. How do these people not know how to deal with such a very high threat, even if he is still young?
I can see this going bad. Even though the two of them are defending themselves, they are in another city and are going up against a family with a lot of influence. They may win the fight but then Cloudsdale may have grounds to arrest them for assaulting their citizens. Could end up worse if one of the thugs is a part timer for the Cloudsdale Guard, which would make sense that people with influence like that those two have would need contacts in the Guard.
Jesus... Ungrateful pricks. That's all I can come up with, without having to sound so blood thirsty. Hopefully, this whole thing will blow up in their faces soon.
7310651 they aren't suicidal at all. Scootaloo and Dawn haven't done anything that would suggest otherwise. They've let themselves be meekly herded after these aren't true Pegasus but weaklings that live on the ground.
It's been years since Dawn did anything that they would've paid attention to. The rest didn't matter since theyou were on the ground. Also it's easy to dismiss Dawn's action he was a colt and there were adults involved they really did everything at the weather factory
so i was close...damn, i feel like shite now.
7310664 Dawn has only really killed one pony, the cult leader, he's been involved in the death of others yes but not directly killed them.
7310719 Yeah. But it's nice to know things they don't. But also, did they not just come out of the Wonderbolt headquarters? Seriously! The Wonderbolts! Who are actually competent in this canonity.
7310664 And didn't they just perform using freaking lightning?
Mistakes: A number of ponies have just made some
You know, I actually expected Cyclone to have some relation with Scootaloo, and that it had something to do with her grandparent's from Cirrus' side. The big hints were her attitude towards Scoot's, even though it was first time they ever met, and how she called Scootaloo's father a failure. That made me rememeber the event of when Melon finally had enough of her husband's attitude and kicked him out. How he was grovelling over the fact that he was a failure, though not in terms everypony else thought about him. My first idea was that Cyclone was actually Scoot's unknown first cousin, that Cirrus had siblings and one of them had a daughter, Cyclone. But the way it's described here is a little more original and shows how rotten those ponies are.
Anyway, loved the chapter, can't wait for the next!
7310664
These ponies are just like the Canterlot Nobilty. They believe that they are Faust's gift to ponykind and they've already made up their minds when it comes to other manners. For instance Scootaloo's grandparents see her as nothing but a worthless hybrid in spite of everything Scootaloo has done to save Equestria, has a self-centered view of how things should be and apparently have no qualm in threatening physical violence on others to get what they want (until they met Spitfire).
two chapters in one day you spoil me
and beat down you had my curiosity now you have my attention
I'm getting popcorn. Who wants some?
Well, his parents have actually made Scootaloo's dad a somewhat sympathetic figure.
I know he was thoroughly bad, but his having to live the rest of his life with no contact with his wife, daughter, or parents is especially sad.
7310921 only in our oppinion. TO Scootaloo's grandparents they are morons or worse since they won't listen to common sense. Also the Wonderbolts are playing favorites with royality instead of playing fairly by the rules. These things instantly make them incompetent
7311071
I'll take mine with generous butter and honey, thanks.
7311071 Gonna need a really big bucket buddy lol
can someone explain how he uploads these? is it scheduled, random or whenever he feels like it?
Dawn sensed something at the end of his wind sense. Something of the darkest evil. Lurking and not being shown. This evil is known as the cliffhanger.
7311257 usually one chapter a day. He writes a story till he's completed it and makes a single chapter upload a day. I personally like this style.
Curses! damn you cliffhanger! Once again you have foiled my plans!
7311436
With the way moguera releases his stories, i seriously doubt we will have to wait long.
7311163 Of course! Scootaloo's grandparents must be Tumblr bloggers!
7310664 They'll probably use a rich coward's tactics: Get them arrested and, in the ensuing court battles, disqualified. Hiding behind their lawyers and their political influence. Granted, Scoots and Dawn have a fun little "Rod of God" they can drop if they can get the evidence that they're innocent, but it'll be a major headache in the short term.
Heh... completely forget about Cirrus' parents... what ghastly ponies they are...
Also, the thugs... they really don't know what they got themselves into with two practitioners of the Gale King
7311441 Thanks
Well, time to grab popcorn.
I do love a good comedy scene.
7311163
Except, that's the entire thing about Scoot's grandparents--they're SUPPOSED to play favorites with "royalty" but AREN'T if they're not giving Cyclone the reward they cultivated.
What Stupid Moronic Grandbitch doesn't understand is that, while Scoots and Dawn not only actually have the abilities, powers, and skills that earned them the Best Flyer Competition--they ALSO DO have the Royalty factor:
1) Scootaloo is adopted sister to a FUCKING BEARER!
2) Has given indispensable aid to the ENTIRE COLLECTIVE OF KNIGHTS OF CELESTIA during a series of major crisis that directly averted each and every said crisis, resulting in a personal Literal Saving The World appreciation from Princess Celestia, herself!
3) And finally, is a close personal friend to not one, not two, not three, but ALL FUCKING FOUR ALICORN PRINCESSES!
Not only that, but Moronic Grandbitch actually got one of the Knights Of Celestia to LEAN on said Stupid Moronic Grandbitch, which is just one step away from getting the Ultimate Sanction that Said Princess Celestia wouldn't even bother to question had such result been deemed needed by Spitfire!
It Simply Doesn't Get Much More "FAIR" Than That!
As for Dawn's apprehension, I can understand it: If he and Scoots are recruited into the Wonderbolts, then they're going to be Spitfire's major backup in any future issues she might need to be involved with.... potentially putting those two rookies in command of all the other Wonderbolts should it come to a major crisis that can even take out Spitfire! At some point in the future, Spitfire will have to retire and Dawn knows they he and Scoots are being recruited to be her replacement.
.
.
As cliffhangers go, this one actually sucks--the protagonists aren't in any sort of danger. The ones facing the cliffhanger are the thugs
7312072 depends on your point of view.. from Scootaloo's grandparents that favoritism with Royal is the real reason she won not talent.. it's the same reason Spitfire won't listen to reason from 'proper' Pegasus. As for Scootaloo's accomplishments and talents those can't be real she isnt a 'proper' Pegasus.
All of which is funny since I am sure Celestia wouldn't have Spitfire as a Knight of she didn't trust her to think on her own. Ironically Scootaloo's Grandparents wants Spitfire to show Cyclone the favortism they are acusing Scootaloo of getting
I like the cliffhanger.
The beatdown commences and I have a really good feeling there is going to be need of a ambulance or 5 when this is over.
or will Dawn and Scootaloo just play with them?
time will tell.
7312087 That's exactly my point. They're demanding such favoritism for their own because they're "proper pagasi" while, in their eyes, Scootaloo isn't.
What is truly ironic is, if you discount their obvious skill, which the real reason they won in the first place, that same favoritism they're demanding for their own, Scootaloo actually exceeds their own "proper pegasi" status by leaps and bounds. So that, even within their own twisted sense of logic, Scootaloo is truly more deserving as she's MORE a "proper pegasus" than they are.
7312072
Except that the Knights are just a legend to most of ponydom. Population at large doesn't know that they are in fact real and who those ponies are.
As for the rest, maybe you missed the fact that they are isolationists. That means, among other things, that they are quite probably ignoring most news that doesn't concern Cloudsdale, and especially that which does not align with their worldview.
I am not saying the attitude is not moronic. I'm just pointing out that there is a twisted kind of logic behind it.
7312167 Oh, I don't deny their "logic" is twisted....it's even more twisted than that different type of matter that Morning Star had created. At least that contra-matter faithfully followed the rules of physics that governed it.
Those moronic isolationists...? Not so much.
by the time they adjourned
So, it was Scootaloo's grandparents... I not only hope they try to join in the fight, but Cyclone is there too and gets to see exactly what Dawn and Scootaloo are capable of...
7310639 7310661 Plot twist; Perlin is actually in charge of the security forces for Nimbus and Alto Stratus, but when he sees exactly who it is he's been ordered to 'teach a lesson', he instead walks over and talks to them like old friends.... then turns on his 'employers'.
7311163 Really? When were they playing favorites to royalty?
7312673 Its a matter of point of view.. To Scootaloo's parents something has to make Spitfire not listen to them not like she can make her own decisions.
7312163 To them Scootaloo can NEVER be a 'proper' pegasus first of all is her parentage. Not only is she not pure Pegasus her father was a failure therefore Scootaloo must as well
"We want you to track down and beat up these two kids who just put on a performance where they casually tossed ball lightning around like tennis balls and moved fast enough to resemble teleportation. Oh, and at least one of them is a professional martial artist and national hero who helped disband a rather large group of pegasus supremacists that you all may have been a part of and squared off solo with a psychotic mass murderer when he was a foal, and the other launched her abusive father through a wall in a single blow when she was also a foal. Alright, go get 'em!"
"...Hey, why are you all laughing at me?"
And ignorant jerkwads continue to be ignorant jerkwads. Scootaloo's grandparents should be proud that they have a Gale King adept and Medal of Honor recipient in their bloodline, but their heads are stuck so far up their own plots... *grumble grumble*
One of the hallmarks of a good writer is not only likeable protagonists, but also antagonists that are unlikeable without being cardboard cutouts. Well done, indeed, moguera.
So, it appears that the Stratuses want to beat the crowns off Scootaloo and Dawn? Will they be in for a surprise!
es from tribalists!
Psst: Hey, Stratuses! Maybe you should pay attention to whom it was that the news reports claimed saved your own sorry
The correct spelling is "cumulus".
You don't need the comma before "suggested".
You might want to add a comma after "expert".
You don't need that comma after "Sunflower." The difference between this and the earlier example is that in the earlier example, the phrase "the Wonderbolts' high-altitude flight and aerial reconnaissance expert" is an appositive; it defines "Estelle". Appositives generally must be set apart by commas.
Here, however, "Sunflower" is part of the subject of the sentence (the full subject, of course, being, "Dawn, Scootaloo, and Sunflower"), and thus should not be separated from its verb (got) by a comma.
averse
I believe you meant "Stratuses".
That first period should be a question mark.
7311071 img.pandawhale.com/47778-colbert-popcorn-dis-gun-b-gud-fqXR.gif
Wait dreaded p word? Whats the dreaded p word?
7317860 probably "pet"