//------------------------------// // 215. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// After submitting their names for participation, Rumble and Scootaloo were instructed to head over to the Schoolhouse. Along the way and upon arrival, the two pegasus foals saw ponies were setting up a bunch of stuff along the town streets. “Looks like this is gonna be some kind of obstacle race,” Rumble commented. “Shyeah, we can run this race in our sleep!” Scootaloo scoffed before noticing the schoolhouse where several colts and fillies were going. “C’mon, looks like something’s going on.” Entering the schoolhouse, the two friends heard their peers excited chatters and whispers as they stood around or sat at desks, and everypony was wondering what they were waiting for. They saw a lot of familiar faces, including (but not limited to) Cotton Cloudy, Chip Mint, Pina Colada, Twist, First Base, Blade Runner, Silver Spoon, Snips & Snails, their friends and fellow Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Twinken, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle, and of course, standing in the center, bragging how the race was obviously gonna be his, was Hotshot. “Yeah, I’ve started doing twenty wing-ups every morning, like my big sis says,” Hotshot looked cocky was he flexed his wing. “She saved Cloudsdale from a Thunderbird, y’know!” “Wha-?!” Scootaloo was angry, as she and Rumble had been there, “Lightning Dust didn’t save Cloudsdale by herself, she-” “Oh let it go, Scoots,” Rumble waved it off, “when he loses, everypony will see Hotshot is just Hot Air.” “Heh, good one, Rumble!” They looked to see their friends approach, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle stifling giggles, Apple Bloom saying, “Y’all competin’ too, huh? This is lookin’ t’ be a mighty tough race!” “I wish we’d find out what we need to know already,” Twinken looked a little nervous. “We were told somepony would come see us all in here to explain stuff about the race.” “Well, Hotshot, believe it or not, told us that Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane are the ponies hosting this race!” Scootaloo exclaimed proudly. “He also said his dad’s one of the ponies setting the race up,” Rumble added. “Well, I hope whoever’s supposed to talk to us comes soon, I’m getting-” Sweetie Belle was saying when… *WHOOSHOOM* The foals all shouted a little after being startled but a loud THUNK directed their collective attention towards the teacher’s desk where they saw Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, along with a large glass container, filled with slips of paper, and a smaller container beside it, filled with even smaller slips of paper. “Hi everypony! You all know me, the most awesomest flier in Equestria!” Rainbow Dash bragged. “That’s funny, you don’t look a thing like my big sister!” mocked Hotshot, a few other foals actually laughing a little at that jibe. “Oh ha-ha, Hotshot, that was so funny I forgot to laugh!” Rainbow Dash retorted, Thunderlane facehooving that his friend was meeting a colt at his level. “No! I am the one and only Rainbow Dash!” “Thanks goodness there’s only one,” Silver Spoon heckled, “Celestia knows Equestria can’t handle another ego so huge!” “Who said that?!” Rainbow Dash started, only for Thunderlane to pull her back. “Dash…” Thunderlane growled before clearing his throat. “Alright, kids, you’re all here to participate in the first ever Foal and Filly Fair Race! So let’s get started on what you need to know. “First off, this is not just a race, it is a relay race!” “That means,” Rainbow Dash cut in, “that you will be split into random teams of three, and each teammate is randomly chosen for each leg of the race.” “Each leg of the race is different,” Thunderlane added, “the object of the race is to get the team flag across the finish line. At the starting line, one teammate will be given a flag while the rest of your teammates will be stationed at the start of second and third legs of the race.” “The first flag-carrier has to get his or her team’s flag to their next teammate, before the second teammate can race for the third and so on,” Rainbow Dash said, “And be warned! This is a fair and friendly competition. If anypony tries to trip or mess with another racer anytime during the race, you and your team will be disqualified on the spot!” The look Rainbow Dash was giving them made the foals shy back a bit, even Hotshot, when Thunderlane went on. “Also, the racers for the second and third legs of the race, you must receive your flag from your teammates before you can start your leg of the race. If you do so without your flag, you will be disqualified. “Also, any unicorns among you, you are not allowed to use your magic for anything other than carrying your flag. Teleporting or using your magic to take an unfair advantage or messing with the other racers will be grounds for automatic disqualification.” “Now, you’re all probably wondering what these jars of paper slips are about,” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “In my jar, are the signup slips you all signed your names on. In Thunder’s are slips each with one of the numbers, 1, 2, or 3 on them. “I draw the names for each team, and Thunderlane draws the order in which each team’s members will race. Let’s get started! First team…” Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane drew a slip of paper from their respective jars, Rainbow Dash announcing, “Twist.” “Leg 2,” Thunderlane announced. “Cotton Cloudy.” “Leg 1.” “Sweetie Belle.” “Leg 3.” “Aw, I wanted to race with one of you guys,” Sweetie Belle whispered to her fellow Crusaders before going to join her teammates. “Now for the next team,” Rainbow Dash pulled a slip, and snorted with mild irritation “Hotshot...” “Leg 3,” Thunderlane declared, which apparently pleased Hotshot. “Oh yeah, set and ready to be the first `cross the finish line,” Hotshot bragged, “right where I belong.” Ignoring the little showoff, Rainbow Dash announced Hotshot’s teammates, two earth pony colts named Bladerunner and Carrot Crunch, Thunderlane assigning them to Legs 2 and 1 respectively. The third team was Button Mash, Twinken, and an earth pony colt named Train Tracks. The next team was a pegasus colt named Chip Mint, Apple Bloom, and Pina Colada. After them was Snips, an earth pony filly named Peach Fuzz, and Silver Spoon. Next were a unicorn filly named Ruby Pinch, an earth pony colt Shady Daze, and Snails. Two more teams were set up until finally… “And last but not least,” Rainbow Dash picked the third-to-last name, “Dinky Doo.” “Leg 1,” Thunderlane added. “Scootaloo!” “Leg 2!” “And… Rumble!” “Leg 3!” “And that’s everypony!” Rainbow Dash declared, giving the clock on the wall a quick glance. “The race will begin in thirty minutes!” “Use this time to talk with your teammates,” Thunderlane advised, “remember the legs each of you are running.” “The race will start just outside, nearby the school,” Rainbow Dash instructed. “It’s pretty straight and arrow. Run as fast as you can down the roped streets and stay in the roped streets! If any of you move outside the roped streets, you and your team will be disqualified!” “The first leg of the race ends at Ponyville Park,” Thunderlane explained, “from there, those running the Second Leg will be running an obstacle course. There’s all kinds of different obstacles you have to go over, go under, around, and through. Skipping even one gets you and your team disqualified.” “The second leg ends at the Library Tree,” Rainbow Dash informed, “and once you pass your team flag to your third runner, that’s where things get interesting! “For the third leg of the race, it’s anything goes! Except for deliberately messing with the other racers, your goal is to be the first to Town Hall! You can take any route or way you want! Any street, any shortcut you might know, any path, it doesn’t matter!” “Also, for those of you running the third leg who are pegasi,” Thunderlane brought up, “you’re allowed to fly but you can’t fly any higher than the rooftops, and you cannot cross over them. The earth ponies and unicorns have to run through the streets or around the buildings surrounding the square and town hall.” “The Ponyville Weather Team will be watching each and every one of you during each leg of the race,” Rainbow Dash warned, “and we’ve got eyes like eagles! Anypony tries anything funny, we’ll see it…” The teams were now outside getting ready for the race. Most teams encouraging the ones participating in the first leg, while others… "Listen up, you two! If there's one thing I don't like, aside from the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, it's losing. Which is why I’m running the third leg. But the only way for that to happen is for both of you to get your hooves in gear. Yes, I know that you don't have my level of hoof-eye coordination, agility, or speed but that doesn't mean you should suck at this race. You two are on my team and by default that means we're the best! So I expect you two to PULL YOUR WEIGHT IN THIS!!" Hotshot’s two teammates stepped back nervously at his words. He continued to yell at his teammates, intimidating them in the process, all the while observed by Rumble's team. "I feel bad for Bladerunner and Carrot Crunch. They got stuck with Hot Air of all ponies as a teammate." Rumble glared disapprovingly at the bully. "They're not the only ones. Peach and Snips get to enjoy this race with Silver Spoon. She's not as bad as Diamond Tiara when she's not with her but she does have her moments," Scootaloo commented. The three looked to see Silver Spoon not too far from them giving her teammates a bit of a tamed version of Hotshot’s speech. With a few threats of her own mixed in. "Maybe I should give their teammates some of the muffin's mommy made for the fair to feel better after the race. I know it would cheer me up." Dinky said thoughtfully, her teammates nodding in agreement. "To be honest I'm just as nervous as they are." Rumble and Scoots look back at her with curious looks. ”What do you mean?” Dinky looked a little down. "It's just that I'm on the first leg of the race. What If I do something to make us lose?" Scootaloo immediately placed her hoof around Dinky to comfort her. "Dinky, it's going to be alright. Out of the three of us you have the easiest leg to go through. It's just a straight shot from here to the park. You'll do great out there." Scootaloo said encouragingly. Dinky started to brighten up when... "Attention everypony! The first leg will begin shortly!" announced the voice of Cheerilee. "Well looks like I'm up." Dinky said as she headed to the front of the school. "Good luck Dinky!" "See you at the park!" Scootaloo waved. Dinky headed over to the starting line and stood next to Apple Bloom and Twinken who started looking a bit red and flustered. Scootaloo and Rumble started making their way to their legs. "Think you'll be able to handle the obstacle course, Scoots?" Rumble asked. "Please. I barrel through Ponyville at high speeds on my scooter any chance I get! Running this course will be a cinch for me," Scootaloo boasted confidently. They soon arrived at the park and saw the course before them. The first obstacle was lines of heavily-condensed clouds on the ground in rows that they had to jump over. The next obstacle were lines of rope bridges over a pit full of water with rain clouds right over it. The third was a climbing wall, with rope, that seemed to look like a mountain with some added snow. There were also some slides at the top that go down on the other side. The last obstacle was a straight shot towards the library, the third leg, with some big fans on the sides of the path to generate some small gusts of wind. The two friends couldn't help but gape at the large course. Scootaloo gulped nervously, "Okay I might have some trouble with the course but I know for sure I can make it through. So don't worry about me and focus on kicking Hotshot’s butt in your leg, got it? "Got it." Rumble agreed and the two parted ways with Scootaloo walking towards her starting point and standing next to Button Mash. Rumble meanwhile started toward the library. As soon as he got there, he was greeted by Sweetie Belle and eagerly went over to his friend. Much to their disdain Hotshot and Silver Spoon arrived as well. "Out of the way, losers. Winner’s circle coming through." Hotshot proclaimed as he shoved his way to the tree with Silver Spoon right behind him. "Move it, blank flanks, me and Hotshot have first and second place reserved for us and us only." If Silver Spoon’s nose were any higher she’d be touching the clouds. "You're not going for first place?" Sweetie Belle looked confusedly at Silver Spoon. "Me and Hotshot came to a deal. I let him get first place with me in second and after the race he escorts me around the fair for the rest of the day." Silver Spoon swooned as the two crusaders rolled their eyes. "Besides, silver medals look way better on me. It's in the name if you must know. Besides it'll be even more satisfying when I laugh at while you both get last place. But then again, Sweetie Belle, you should be used to disappointment considering you're under the shadow of Rarity all the time." Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth in irritation and silently growled. Before Rumble could come in defense of his friend Hotshot sauntered in front of him. "You know, she has a point. Beating you will be so satisfying in the end because at least you can give me a decent challenge. Unlike your friend chicken wings over in leg two." Rumble knew exactly who he was talking about. "Her name is Scootaloo, and what's that supposed to mean?" Rumble demanded as he narrowed his eyes. Hotshot’s grin just got wider, "Isn't it obvious? Me, especially me and, I guess you too to some degree, are fine examples of a true pegasus. But chicken wings over there is an embarrassment to the Pegasus name. Us pegasi are respected for our flying capabilities but she can't even get two feet off the ground. She should've been flying when she was in diapers. To put it bluntly she's pathetic and a waste of time." At this point Rumble was seeing red. He wanted so badly to kick the snot out of the jerk in front of him but before he could act on that… "Attention everypony! The first leg of the relay is about to begin!" The race was starting to get underway with Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash flying above the school with microphones in their hooves. "Foals and fillies of all legs get ready! As for the first leg. On your marks!" "Get set!" GO!!" Dinky took off, running as fast as she could. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the other racers all more or less keeping pace with her. It soon became apparent though that despite her best efforts, Dinky’s skills didn’t really lie with athletics. While Snips stayed relatively even with her (and huffing and puffing pretty badly, seeming to have realized quite painfully that he wasn’t in the greatest shape) the other racers, primarily all earth ponies, started to pull ahead. Leading the group was Carrot Crunch, though he certainly didn’t seem to be taking pride in this. Rather relief that Hotshot wouldn’t end up screaming in his face when his turn was over. The foals approached the corner of the street, swerving with the rope that showed them the right direction. Parents, friends and townsfolk alike all cheered loudly as the teams bolted through the streets. Up above, pegasi watched, looking out for the runners and making sure no cheating was going on. Leading this group of adults was Rainbow and Thunderlane, the rainbow mare holding a megaphone so the rest of ponyville could hear her race commentary. “Well Ponyville, these foals sure can run. Leading the herd right now is Carrot Crunch who really seems to be flying! Behind him is a tie between Button Mash and Peach Fuzz and boy do they seem determined to best each other!” “Heh, that’s right, Rainbow! These fillies and colts are really giving it their all. Look, here comes Snips really pushing himself. Wow is his face red, I really hope he doesn’t hurt himself. Then it looks like Cotton Cloudy, Chip Mint and Ruby Pinch are starting to get a bit tired. They’re falling back. Wait it looks like Dinky is giving herself a last push of effort as the group approaches Ponyville Park.” “That’s the spirit, give it all you got and make sure you look AWESOME!” Dinky could see the colorful flowers at the edge of the park as she drew closer, starting to reach the end of her endurance. She saw her mother and father, Ditzy and Time Turner, cheering her on which gave her the drive to push herself to her max. Her face started to turn red and she was huffing and puffing, but Dinky pounded away as fast as she could, passing Button Mash and Peach Fuzz. Carrot Crunch however noticed her kicking into gear and likewise started speeding as hard as he could, lest he have Hotshot deafening him with angry yelling. Dinky’s boost though definitely kept her in 2nd place, a feat she was incredibly proud of. Up ahead she spotted Scootaloo jumping up and down with excitement and adrenaline, her wings buzzing and ready to run. Carrot Crunch arrived first and passed his flag to Bladerunner before keeling over and lying in a heap. Bladerunner definitely suited the young earth pony though as he rocketed off towards the obstacle course, a cloud of dust in his wake. “*huff* here… Scootaloo… good luck… *puff*” Dinky panted as she reached her partner and passed her own flag. “You got it Dinks, just rest up and watch me win us that gold medal!” with that the young pegasus took off, with a confident smirk and a speed that made Dinky’s run look like a calm walk. The lilac unicorn smiled and trotted over to join the exhausted Carrot Crunch as several of the other races caught up and passed their flags. To Dinky’s delight, her parents came over and pulled her into a proud hug. Scootaloo raced as fast as her hooves could carry her, and wings buzzing on her back like a bumblebee. She could see up ahead that Bladerunner had just started the cloud jumping obstacle (which had been enchanted prior to allow anypony besides pegasi to walk on them), but he was soon to be left behind. Scootaloo sprinted full pelt and leaped, passing two clouds at once before dashing forwards. Bladerunner looked over his shoulder and gave a slight yelp when he realized just how close Scootaloo was.He pushed himself hard, jumping over the clouds as fast as he could. Unfortunately, while Scootaloo might not have been able to fly just yet, her wing could still generate an enormous amount of wind, which made leaping feel like nothing. Within seconds she bypassed Bladerunner and took the lead. Clearing the clouds Scootaloo headed for the rope bridges. She quickly discovered however that her wings were far more of a hindrance than an asset here. The wind generated from her wings kept making the ropes wobble and risk dropping her into the water below. She stopped flapping to stabilize herself, but the momentary delay allowed Bladerunner to catch up. The earth pony was nimble and quick on his hooves. He wasn’t amazingly flexible, and did wobble and teeter a few times over the water, but he was certainly proving to be more adept at this area of the course then Scootaloo. Behind the two ponies, the other races were making their way through the clouds with varying levels of difficulty. This part of the relay was certainly going to trip up a few ponies. Above the course, Rainbow and Thunderlane continued their commentary. “It looks like Bladerunner and Scootaloo are ahead of the herd here. Wow, look at `em go. That’s the way, push yourselves guys!” “Boy they are really racing. It’s too early to tell who will win this leg of the race, but with how fast they’re going, the rest of the foals are going to have to be quick if they want to catch up!” “Look, Bladerunner and Scootaloo have reached the climbing wall! Let’s see if one of them can pull ahead!” Bladerunner and Scootaloo reached the wall at the same time. The wall wasn’t massively high, and there was protective coating at the base in case anypony fell, but it was still an impressive obstacle. Rocks jutted out at odd angles, all in different sizes and shapes. At the top were large clumps of loose snow that would fall if too much force was put on them, meaning that the foals had to either avoid them, or be very light hoofed. Both remained relatively neck and neck as them began climbing. Scootaloo’s wings pumping lessened her body weight and made it easier to climb, but Bladerunner was taller and stronger, giving him better reach and letting him pull himself with greater ease. Behind them they could hear a few foals making their way through the rope course (there was a splash and the sound of Twinken grumbling as he had to pull himself back out of the water). Bladerunner slowly started to pull ahead, but a fierce level of competitiveness overtook Scootaloo and she pushed herself hard to catch up. One hoof then the other, the two foals climbed. Scootaloo felt herself stumble and nearly lost her footing when she grabbed a snow pile, but she managed to right herself quickly. Bladerunner however was motivated by more than competitiveness, wanting to avoid dealing with an angry Hotshot, and pushed himself until he reached the top. Scootaloo was right on his tail as the earth pony hauled himself over the top of the wall and slid down the long slide towards the final stretch of the obstacle course. At the bottom of the slides was the last stretch, plain and open with no twists or turns. However large fans were mounted on the outsides of the track, harsh winds pushing at the runners to slow them down. Bladerunner kept his head down and pushed forward, teeth grit and adrenaline pushing him onwards. Slowly falling behind was Scootaloo, who growled as it became clear that Bladerunner’s strength was giving him a far bigger edge here. She could see at the end of the track Rumble watching her with determination, an encouraging smile on his face and eyes filled with pride. She would not give up. However as Bladerunner kept making more ground ahead of her, it occurred to her she still had an edge that could help. She started to buzz her wings as hard as she could, as if she was riding aboard her scooter right this moment. Normally when she was on her wheels, she would be shooting forwards at ridiculous speeds that tended to make all adults in her vicinity worried and seeking an insurance broker. Here she discovered she had made a mistake. Instead of shooting forwards, the buzzing wings gave her a momentary lift from the ground. With the large fans whizzing away, this was her downfall. Immediately the young pegasus was swept backwards at speeds she only seemed to feel when Rainbow took her flying with her. She quickly became disorientated and tried to control her spin, but she was going too fast and couldn’t see what was happening. She could hear everypony gasping and shouting from all around, but she couldn’t see from where. Without warning there was a sharp crack and she felt pain all over her back as she slammed hard into a tree off the side of the track. She slumped into a groaning pile at the base, her eyes closed and her legs curled tightly around herself. However before she could pull herself together, there was another crack and she look up with terror to see that the impact had snapped a large branch from above her that was now rapidly descending. There was no way she could get out of the way in time, and the branch was large enough that it would probably crush her on impact. Fear overwhelmed her and Scootaloo squeezed her eyes tight waiting for the end. Suddenly hooves were around her and she felt herself zoom to the side, the large branch impacting nothing but ground with a dull thump. The frightened filly opened her eyes to see Rumble holding her tight, a worried, almost scared look on his face as he flew her towards the adults. Taking in her surroundings she could see had flown a fair distance from the track, but into a clear area between the large crowd that had been watching the race. Already ponies were mobilizing and rushing over to make sure everypony was ok. Above Rainbow moved almost fast enough to generate a sonic rainboom, and Thunderlane was right on her tail. Back on the track, Hotshot was bolting to the finish line, completely uncaring about Scootaloo and the rest of the foals. There was a medal to be won. Rumble sett Scootaloo down, only for the filly to be swept up in blue hooves as Rainbow embraced her little sister. “Are you ok?!” “Y-yeah… I’m fine…” Thunderlane landed next to them as Rainbow fussed. “Wow, Rumble, great save! Rainbow and I were too far away to help and nopony else could get there in time. You saved Scootaloo’s life, little bro!” The crowd that had been worriedly looking over Scootaloo now turned to Rumble. Within minutes, they were all cheering and praising him. The colt was bashful and unsure under all the attention, but with everypony suddenly surrounding him and lifting him into the air, he couldn’t really move away. “Way to go lil’ dude!” “What an amazing flier!” “You’ll be a wonderbolt someday for sure!” “He’s so cool!” “What a hero!” “Heck he’ll be better than Spitfire when he’s older!” Rainbow Dash put Scootaloo down and floated up to Rumble. “Rumble, that was some amazing flying. You reacted quick and saved Scootaloo. That kind of flying shows a pony with immense talent. Heck that was almost as fast as I was at your age. You Rumble are awesome!” Flapping her wings to reach Rumble’s height on Thunderlane’s shoulders where the crowd had deposited him, Rainbow placed a hoof on his shoulder and addressed the ponies around them. “Three cheers for Ponyville’s best young flier! Hip hip!” “Hooray!” “Hip hip!” “Hooray!!” “Hip hip!” “HOORAY!!!” the crowd cheered and cried with pride. One pony though didn’t feel like cheering. Down on the ground, Scootaloo looked over herself. Despite all her athletic prowess and speed, despite how hard she pushed herself, despite how hard she tried, in the end, it had done nothing to help her. Instead she been nothing but a damsel in distress. Rumble however had shown just how amazing a flier he was. He had flown so well even her idol had been impressed, stating he was almost as good as her. They were the same age, more or less, and yet despite this, he was so much more talented than her. She had been hurt for a while now, with horrible ponies like Hotshot and Diamond Tiara pointing out how different she was. That pegasi should all be flying by her age. It always hurt to hear. But to see… To see just how out of league she was compared to the others. Every pegasus in her class could fly, not just Hotshot. They all outclassed her. And now. Now her best friend outclassed her too. She felt like nothing. Like a complete failure. Her big sister’s words from flag bearer competition echoed through her head, telling her that she didn’t need to be somepony else. She was awesome as she was. But no matter how comforting those words were, it still didn’t change one fact. She still couldn’t fly. Slowly, her head held low and the makings of tears in her eyes, Scootaloo skulked away, her negative thoughts swirling all around her. Behind her a worried Rumble was the only pony to notice. But all the ponies surrounding him held him in place. Calls of his amazing flying skills was all he could hear. The ponies crowding around and cheering started block off his view until Scootaloo was gone. Soon he felt completely overwhelmed. But there was nothing he could do. Scootaloo was gone and he was an awesome flyer. He knew in his heart which was more important, and it wasn’t the wings on his back. “I WON! I WON, HAHAHA!!!” Several heads turned to look down the street and they saw Hotshot had just crossed the finish line and was zipping about, gloating like there was no tomorrow. “Who’s hot? Hotshot! Bring it in, everypony! Number One in Ponyville right here!” The ponies who’d looked to see Hotshot all frowned at his gloating, while some shook their heads at how Hotshot had apparently failed to notice how very little ponies were even sparing him a look. It didn’t last as Hotshot noted the lack of cheers aimed at him and he gaped incredulously at the ponies crowding around Rumble who was being hoisted up by his brother Thunderlane. “HEY! You’re all supposed to be cheering for me! I won the race!” Rainbow went over to Hotshot, a blank look on her face, and unceremoniously dropped the medal for the winner in front of him, and said, “Congratulations.” The flat tone of voice made Hotshot gape in vexation at Rainbow Dash as the rainbow-maned pegasus returned to the ponies praising Rumble. Hotshot looked on, a cauldron of emotions bubbling inside of him, anger, frustration, and… hurt. He glared down at the medal, seething and shaking, refusing to shed tears… and he kicked the stupid piece of scrap away before storming off. This was supposed to be his day! His victory! Showing up Scootaloo and her jerk idol Rainbow Crash, and winning this victory for his big sis Lightning Dust! One day…! Hotshot swore, one day he’d show those jerks! Somehow, Rumble managed to give his admirers the slip because honestly he didn’t like being mobbed like that and wondered, Is this how Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight feel all the time?! Sighing, he looked around, afraid to call out for Scootaloo in case he got heard and mobbed again by his sudden fanbase. “I hope she’s okay…” the little gray pegasus mumbled to himself as he kept a sharp eye out for his friend when his ears perked at a very familiar buzzing sound. He followed the sound and soon came upon Scootaloo in a small but out-of-the-way lot behind the Ponyville Clock Tower, and to Rumble’s confusion Scootaloo was obviously trying to get airborne! He recognized the efforts from back when Scootaloo tried to change their flag-routine for the Equestria Games to include her flying. But, just like then, Scootaloo was giving it her all and barely managing to hover a couple hooves off the ground. “Nnngh, c’mon Scootaloo…!!!” Scootaloo groaned as she buzzed her wings so loudly she sounded like a swarm of hungry parasprites, and the sweat on her mane indicated she was exhausting herself. Finally- “OH! Oof!” Scootaloo’s wings finally gave out and she belly-flopped onto the ground, panting and barely able to hold herself up as she furrowed her brows, looking frustrated. “Scootaloo?” Scootaloo looked and to her disappointment she saw Rumble, looking concerned. “Are-are you alright? I uh…” “I’m fine, Rumble!” Scootaloo said irritably as she forced herself onto her hooves and started walking away, but Rumble followed. “Hold on, I- I wanted to check on you after what happened at the race, but uh, I-” “I said I’m fine, Rumble! What more do you want?” Scootaloo snapped but she continued to walk away, wishing Rumble would stop following her. “Scoots, please! I-I can see you’re upset, but if you’d just tell me-” Rumble tried to say only for Scootaloo to whirl around and give him such a stink eye! “Tell me what?! That I have chicken wings?! That I’m a flightless loser like Hotshot said?!” Scotaloo yelled, tears welling up in her eyes, making Rumble feel awful. “Why don’t you just go show off to Rainbow Dash what an awesome flyer you are AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!” Scootaloo took off running, propelling herself faster with her wings, and leaving a distraught Rumble, confused and hurt, as he whimpered, “What did I do…?” That evening, at their house, Thunderlane had prepared Rumble’s favorite food as a congratulatory dinner, cheese enchiladas with salsa and colt cola to cool their scorched throats. They were sitting in the living room, their meals on the coffee table, as they watched a hoofball game, the Fillydelphia Eagles vs the Seaddle Seahawks. “Heh-heh, my stomach’s gonna hate me after this but you are worth it, little bro,” Thunderlane chuckled as he enjoyed his enchilada, flatulent consequences be damned. I gotta say, Rumble, you’ve definitely inherited Dad’s cast-iron stomach to enjoy this stuff.” “Uh-huh…” Rumble responded as he poked at his enchilada with his fork. “But wow! The way you moved, how fast you were, I’m almost surprised you didn’t to a- A… a Sonic Rumboom!” Thunderlane laughed as he took a swig of cola, the salsa already searing his esophagus. “Ugh, ahem! Sonic Rumboom… Eh, maybe not the right name, but I got nothing else right now.” “Sure…” Rumble took a nibble, but didn’t feel all that hungry. “Y’know, bro, maybe we should talk about getting you into Junior Speedsters Flight Camp,” Thunderlane was still oblivious to his brother’s lack of enthusiasm. “You’re old enough, you’ve definitely got the right stuff, I bet you’d-” *Knock-knock-knock* They both looked towards the front door, Rumble asking out of mild-interest, “Are you expecting somepony?” “As a matter of fact…” Thunderlane chuckled as he answered the door and in walked, “AJ!” “Howdy, Thunder,” Applejack gave him a peck on the cheek and walked in, carrying a nice and steamy applepie. “Brought a lil’ somethin’ fer th’ hero of th’ day!” “Um, thanks, Applejack, but uh…” Rumble was really in no mood for the company as he stood up from the couch and said, “I’m… kinda really tired, y’know, from all that happened today?” “Well, that’s no surprise,” Thunderlane shrugged, still oblivious to his brother’s feelings but Applejack was not. “Oh no problem, sugarcube,” she said kindly, “why don’cha hit th’ hay an’ you can enjoy this pie in th’ mornin’.” “Thanks, AJ, g’night,” Rumble took his dishes to the kitchen before heading upstairs to his room. Meanwhile Applejack intended to give her Thunder some thunder of her own as she raised a disapproving brow at him. “What?” Thunderlane didn’t like that look.