Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I was thinking of just ending my story, but I had dug myself into a hole with one certain part. I was stuck, I couldn't think of a way to fix it. I hit writer's block, lost the will to write, then got really sick. After all that passed me, I decided to try again, this is what I got. I think for my situation, I did pretty god. I like my story. I want to thank everyone who likes this story. Also, thank my pre-reader (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/bronzewolf78) and all the readers who helped me correct things.This one my first real story on here, and I'm glad so many people liked it. So thank you all, thanks for waiting, and enjoy the final chapter.
Chapter 9:
Two weeks had passed since Scootaloo found out about Dash’s plan to adopt her. Scootaloo had begun living with Rainbow Dash permanently, and life was looking up for the little pegasus. Norman had begun looking into Scootaloo’s past as well. He hadn’t found much yet, but he had found some pictures of Scootaloo’s parents, which he sent to her. Scootaloo appreciated every little thing she got from him. The days continued to go by.
“Come on, keep your wing speed up!” Dash encouraged.
“Control speed, keep control.” Scootaloo mumbled to herself as she flapped her wings at a quick steady pace. Soon she began to rise from the ground.
“That’s it, keep steady.”
Scootaloo closed her eyes in concentration, she didn’t want to open them and get freaked out by the height.
“You know,” Dash yelled up, “it looks a lot better when you can see it.”
“But what if I fall?”
“Then I’ll catch you.” Dash said encouragingly. “Trust me.”
Scootaloo thought about it for a moment and slowly began to open her eyes. What she saw was herself, a few feet up in the air, on her own.
“I-I’m doing it! I’m doing it!”
“Good job kid!” Dash yelled out. “Just keep focused.”
Scootaloo tried to stay focused on the task at hand, but her mind was racing from the fact that she was flying! Soon, her wings began to flutter and she started to lose height. Before she could correct herself, she found that she was on the ground, flapping her wings to no avail.
“Don’t worry about it!” Dash encouraged; “You’ll get it eventually. You need to remember to keep focused and keep your wing speed up. Then your pose needs to be improved too, but we can worry about that later.”
“Ok Dash!” Scootaloo said with a smile; “Hey, why is this so hard for me?” she asked.
“Well, everypony is different.” She answered; “Fluttershy had trouble flying at first. So did Derpy, and I’ve heard Soarin was a terrible flyer before he learned the right way.”
“What about you?”
“Me? I didn’t really have trouble. It just sorta came naturally I guess.”
Scootaloo thought for a moment. “Hey Dash?”
“Yeah?”
“If you’re such a great flyer, then why are you a weather pony for a small town like Ponyville?”
Dash looked at Scootaloo and smiled; “That’s a long story, I doubt you would want to hear it.”
“Please?” Scootalo’s intrigue was growing and she wanted to know.
Dash laughed a little; “Ok, ok. Well, it all started back at flight camp….”
Dash’s days at flight camp went by without any worry. Her special classes went by with a breeze, and her actions had made everypony realize that Fluttershy was not to be messed with. But as the days went on, Dash became more and more quiet. It was eerie to her friends, who were used to the loud and boastful Dash who never declined a challenge. She had just started to go with the flow, started to become like everypony else.
One day after class, Dash and Fluttershy gathered at their usual spot to do homework, but Fluttershy had other plans.
“Hey Dash?” She asked. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing,” she mumbled. “Hey, what does the wind speed equal if the tornado’s going in the opposite direction?” Dash tried to change the subject.
“Please Dash, you're acting strange. Tell me what’s going on.”
Dash sighed after a pause. “They want to send me to Manehatten.”
“That’s great! You’ll get to go to the big city and have a great job as a weather pony there!”
“No it’s not! It means that I have to leave my friends!” Dash yelled.
Fluttershy had never seen this before. Rainbow had never showed this much care for her friends. Sure, she had defended them, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity she was giving up.
“You know that little town, the one on the ground near the Everfree Forest?”
Fluttershy nodded. She remembered she fell near that town when the butterflies had saved her life. She liked it: it was quiet, had a lot of nice ponies, and plenty of critters for her to take care of.
“Well, I’m gonna ask to be transferred there instead.” Fluttershy just looked at Dash.
“But why?” Fluttershy asked. “You can to the big city and become a big shot! Maybe the Wonderbolts could draft you from there!”
“Fluttershy,” Dash sighed. “I don’t care about that stuff if I’m away from the ponies I care about. I mean, I’d be leaving Mom, Dad, you, Gilda... I don’t think it’s worth it.”
Fluttershy looked at her friend and smiled. “I don't think anypony can change your mind. Well, whatever you do, we’ll be there for you.”
“Thanks Fluttershy.” Dash smiled back. “But um...”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks.”
The two laughed and continued on with their work. It would be a few weeks before Dash left the academy. The instructors couldn’t believe what she was asking, but knew they could not stop her. Dash left before she finished all of her work, but that didn’t stop Ponyville from hiring her instantly. It’s not every day a pony with her skill comes along and offers herself as a new weather pony. Her parents also knew that they couldn’t stop her, so instead of fighting her, they decided to support her from a distance. They offered to help her and the town of Ponyville whenever they needed it. Dash’s life seemed to fit perfectly into place.
“…And that’s about it.” Dash finished her story as she laid back down on a cloud.
Scootaloo had been listening to the whole story, beginning to end. Now that the story had ended, she was deep in thought.
Dash saw this and perked up. “Something wrong, Scoot?”
“Well, I was just thinking if I could do that.” She replied. “Give up something like that so I could be with my friends and…”she trailed off looking at Dash. “…family.”
Dash smiled. “Look squirt, you gotta remember this: no matter where you are, your friends and family will be with you. Say when you become an expert flyer one day and get offered a job in Las Pegasus or Baltimare, you’ll have to make a choice. When I was younger, I thought that if I left, that I would be all alone, and I hated that thought. But now ever since I became friends with the rest of the elements, I’ve realized that no matter where I go, my friends and family will always be with me, here.” Dash put a hoof over Scootaloo’s chest. “I know that your family has been with you throughout everything. Now I know I will be too, and so will your friends.”
Scootaloo thought for a moment, all of this as making so much sense to her. She looked back at Dash and smiled.
“Thanks Rainbow.”
“Anytime Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo looked back up at the sky. “Can we try again?”
Dash followed her gaze, then looked back to her and smiled. "Sure thing Scootaloo; let’s go.”
The two of them began to train once again. Rainbow finally felt that Scootaloo was going to be ok.
ColeTrain4EVER: Thank you All Again!