“Holy horseapples, look!”
Thunderhead’s excited shriek reclaimed Scootaloo’s attention from the papers she was grading. Thunderhead was out of his desk, test abandoned, face pressed tight against the window of the classroom. The other students were starting to shift as well, and those closest to the windows were scrambling over to see what Thunderhead was looking at. Scootaloo knew she had to move fast. Thunderhead was a chronic disruptor — much like Scootaloo had been at his age, Sweetie Belle liked to point out — and if she didn’t get this under control fast the whole class would forget what they were doing and she’d have to make them start the test from scratch.
“Thunderhead, sit down!” Scootaloo tried to make her voice sound stern. She usually tried for a chill approach with the students, but Celestia knew she needed to sound authoritative right now.
“Miss Scootaloo, you have to see this!” Thunderhead insisted.
More and more of the students were hurrying over to the windows now. Scootaloo sighed, and stood up from her seat, giving her wings a threatening buzz as she went. At least, she hoped it was coming off as threatening.
She walked over to Thunderhead, fully prepared to drag him away if she had to. “I don’t think Headmare Starlight will be pleased to hear what you’re—”
Her words cut off mid-flow as she caught sight of what Thunderhead was looking at. Outside the window, the school grounds were awash with light of every hue. When she looked up at the sky, she gasped and her eyes filled with tears. A tidal wave of rainbow power was washing over Ponyville, the curve of it so vast she couldn’t even begin to guess at where the epicentre would be. The heavens were alight with radiant power, so raw Scootaloo could feel the electricity from here. She hadn’t seen one of these in decades. A sonic rainboom.
“What is it, Miss?” Thunderhead demanded, tugging at her foreleg.
Tears filled Scootaloo’s eyes, and one spilled down her cheek.
“Miss Scootaloo?” Thunderhead’s tone changed to one of concern.
Scootaloo smiled through her tears, crying freely now. She knew exactly what this meant. “It’s magic, Thunderhead. It’s — it’s Rainbow Dash.”