//------------------------------// // 1 The Coolest Wonderbolt // Story: A Flight to Remember // by Bronyxy //------------------------------// The sky was that kind of grey best described as ‘moody’. It had covered the sun with a thick duvet of cloud, and although it looked sufficiently brooding as to dump a giant waterfall onto the unsuspecting inhabitants below, it had become prisoner to its own apathy and had just decided to sulk instead. No wind stirred the disinterested trees as they stood or squatted in the manner that their shape dictated, waiting for something to happen, but equally reconciled not to get upset if it didn’t. Even the birds seemed to be content to conserve their energy, and went about their business with a lethargy borne of the ambience around them, barely summoning the enthusiasm to utter anything beyond the occasional obligatory cheep. Suddenly a bright flash in the distance notified everypony and everything that a change was coming, and coming fast. The flash propagated into a rainbow hued disc, the shockwave instantly smashing the nearest clouds into their component atoms and banishing them from the sky. An observer looking down on the sight would have seen the shockwave radiating outwards in a circle below, collectively bending every individual plant stem across fields of crops simultaneously away from the overpressure, as it swept across the unsuspecting landscape. A colourful trail arced heavenwards, describing the perimeter of a large diameter circle. The celebrated Wonderbolt continued to pile on the power right up until apogee, when she finally relaxed to let the momentum carry her on inverted, over the top of the loop. She did not expend any time marvelling at the unparalleled view of the curve of the planet below, or its thin blue atmosphere as it somehow clung on. Such sights had taken her breath away for the first few years, but by now it had become as routine as waiting in line to be served in a shop. Continuing her loop back down, the Wonderbolt cast a cursory glance around the sky, just on the off chance that her wingpony had been able to pull off a sonic rainboom of his own this time. Even though she provided him constant encouragement, deep down she knew it was beyond him, as it had been beyond every other pony except for herself and one other, the legendary Rainbow Dash. Today, the sky was hers, and hers alone. Sure enough, hers was the only trail across the sky, confirming that her wingpony had either not succeeded or possibly not even tried, and so set about looking around for the tell-tale colouration of his blue and yellow flight suit. She performed a grid search outwards from an approximate point where she expected him to be, and quickly enough sighted a pegasus wearing the distinctive colour scheme, standing out from the landscape beneath. Having secured a visual on her wingpony, she lined herself up on a tail chase intercept vector and lowered her hooves just enough to increase her drag and slow her down so she could drop effortlessly out of her Mach cone, gliding down to fall into formation alongside him with the last of her momentum. “I really thought you were going to stay with me that time …” she said cheerfully. “Not a chance” replied the black tailed wingpony with a good-natured shrug, “We both know you’re the star of the show, Scoots. You’re the one all the fans pay to come and see.” “Come on Rumble” she consoled him with a comforting smile, “I chose the best wingpony - a bit more practice is all it will take, and soon we’ll be doing rainbooms together …” “Scootaloo …” a voice intruded from outside of her comfortable alternative reality. The rich colours of the dream faded into monochrome as she watched, reluctant to leave the fantasy of being Equestria’s greatest flier behind. “Scootaloo …” came the voice again, this time with a gentle rocking from a forehoof on her shoulder, “Come on now.” She groaned unenthusiastically as the last mists of her dream evaporated and she became, once more, the earthbound pegasus she had been all her life. “Five more minutes …” she groaned, desperate to hang on to her favourite dream. “C’mon now y’all” came a familiar voice through the begrudging haze, “Breakfast’s on the table.” Scootaloo’s nose twitched as she registered the sweet smell of flapjacks wafting up from downstairs and tempting her senses. As her waking thoughts waved farewell to those from her dreams, she began to remember where she was; on a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres, so needed to be on her best behaviour. “OK” she replied, summoning the most switched on smile she could find, “I’m coming.” “Right, I’ll leave you to get up” replied the smallest Apple cheerfully, “Don’t take too long now!” The enticing smell of breakfast reminded Scootaloo just how hungry she was, and placed herself in front of a mirror where she quickly ran a forehoof over her mane, grateful that she did not have a case of bedhead to contend with. Content, she trotted downstairs to where Granny Smith, Big Mac and Apple Bloom waited, an enormous plate of apple fritter flapjacks piled high on the table before them. “Well, there you are young ‘un!” greeted Granny Smith as all heads turned towards their guest, “Hope you’ve got an appetite on yuh. C’mon, take this seat here, Applejack won’t mind none.” “We sure do appreciate you coming over to help out after the storm” said Apple Bloom. “Eeyup!” agreed Big Mac. “Specially what with Applejack being out of town an’ all” agreed Granny Smith, giving Scootaloo a friendly wink as she placed a plate in front of her and forked two fresh fritters off the top of the pile onto it. “Well, whaddya like?” asked Apple Bloom leaning over the table with a beaming smile, “Caramel syrup or praline?” “Give the poor filly some space now, y’hear?” Granny Smith chided gently. “Thank you” said Scootaloo somewhat overwhelmed by the intensity of the welcome she was receiving, “I’ll try one of each please.” “Sure” agreed Apple Bloom, poised to pour out either depending on her friend’s response, “Which one first?” “Come on, back it up a little” prompted Granny Smith, fixing her granddaughter with a beady stare, ”She’s big enough to do it by herself.” “Oh sorry” Apple Bloom offered, “I’m just so excited!” “Me too” agreed Scootaloo, pouring out some caramel syrup and tucking into the first of the fritters on her plate.