//------------------------------// // Apple Pie // Story: Flown past // by Swish //------------------------------// Scootaloo didn't know how long she had been laying on the ground for, and she didn't care. All she could think about were those million questions racing in and out of her head as she tried to sort out what was going on. Why did she forget me? Scootaloo brushed some dust off her hooves, and curled into a small c-shaped ball. Was there an accident? Does she hate me? She shook her head. She doesn't hate me. And I would have known if there was an accident. Scootaloo sighed, and curled into an even tighter shape. Rainbow's always had a bad memory, and it sometime's just takes a bit for old memories to return. She blinked back tears. She had heard from Twilight once that you can stare at a math problem for hours, only to remember how to solve it a week later. I'm not a math problem. Scootaloo stared at her tail, and began to attempt to smooth all the strands back into place. The wind from her try-outs had caused her to look like a complete mess. I am a problem though. She closed her eyes, and began to dream about a sunny day in Ponyville she'd experienced many years ago. Scootaloo was sitting on a cloud, watching all the pegasus fillies and colts practice their flying tricks. Somewhere nearer to the ground she could barely see Fluttershy struggling to imitate the techniques the ponies years younger than her were easily accomplishing. "Hey, kid!" Scootaloo heard Rainbow Dash's voice from above her. "What are you moping around for?" "I'm worthless! I'll never be as good at flying as any of the kids in my class! I wish I could fly!" Scootaloo complained. "What, you're upset about that? Trust me kid, nopony else has the motivation you do. Whether you believe it or not, you're going to be great someday" Scootaloo looked up to see Rainbow's face. Her blue wings were over her, blotting out the gray atmosphere, and making it seem like a sunny blue day. She was grinning, and her magenta eyes were sparkling as if somepony had sprinkled fairy dust into them. "So what do you say? Wanna practice flying with me?" Scootaloo smiled. "Hey, kid!" Scootaloo couldn't quite figure out who was speaking. It was a stallion's voice, someone's she'd heard before... "Are you awake?" Scootaloo opened her eyes to find herself staring into the face of a light blue pony, with a brushed back darker blue mane. "S-Soarin?" She asked. Soarin didn't really look like the poster of him Rainbow Dash used to have on her wall. It had been a few years since then, and the apple pie loving pegasus had gained a few wrinkles under his eyes. "That's my name." The blue pegasus smiled. "I"m to say two things." Scootaloo stared at him, waiting. "The first is that you made the tryouts. You're not surprised, are you?" Scootaloo forced a smile, but she did already know that she'd made it. How could she not have? "And the second is..." Soarin's face became serious. "You knew Rainbow Dash very well before today, because she was your mentor and idol. And that's why you're sitting here looking like you were just told you'd never be able to fly again. Am I right?" Scootaloo stared, awestruck. "How did you know that?" "Well," Soarin began. "You seemed a bit down after the tryouts, so I asked your friend Featherweight what he knew about you." "You talked to Featherweight?" "Yes," Soarin continued. "I think you'll be pleased to hear he passed the try-outs also. Along with two other ponies, Firebreeze and Nightshade." "Oh. That's good, I'm glad." Scootaloo really was happy for Featherweight, but she seriously had no idea who the other ponies were. "Well, I'm telling you this because I think Dash should remember who you are. And I'm going to help you make her remember, no matter what it takes." "You'd do that?" Scootaloo wasn't sure whether she'd misjudged the wonderbolt team. She looked up to them a lot, but they never seemed like they would be ponies she would feel comfortable confiding all her problems in. "I'd do that because you're training with us now, and emotional issues get in the way of that. So for now... why don't we practice some flying?" Scootaloo blinked. Somehow... I feel like this has happened before. Whenever I'm sad, there's always somepony there to help me reach my goals. And when I'm angry, there's somepony who understands and doesn't try to pretend that everything's alright. Two hours later the sun had hid itself behind the gray clouds being carried in by the pegasi, but Scootaloo didn't care. She was in a much better mood though, because she finally had something to do... and it was something she cared about. I'm getting flight training... from a Wonderbolt! Soarin arrived a few seconds later. "Hey kid! Are you ready?" Scootaloo giggled. "Almost. But one thing first..." "What is it?" "You have apple pie in your mane." Soarin laughed, and shook his head until the apple pie had completely dislodged itself. "Now are you ready?" Soarin had finally stopped laughing, and was now trying to look as serioius as possible. "Of course." Scootaloo answered with a grin, and adjusted her focus to the course in front of her. "Then let's get going!" Soarin gestured forward, and Scootaloo took off. Over the next two hours Scootaloo learned more than she had in the past two weeks, and she couldn't imagine what would have happened if she hadn't. I can do all the simple things easily, but boy do I suck! Luckily Soarin didn't seem to care at all and was surprisingly kind when pointing out mistakes. Scootaloo started laughing as she flew faster and faster, the obstacles seeming to get easier and easier to avoid. She hardly even noticed as the sun began to set, and after a while Soarin called her back. "Okay, that's it for today" "But I'm not tired!" Scootaloo wasn't tired at all actually, she felt more alive than she had in a long time. "Yeah, well too bad!" Soarin smiled while he spoke, and Scootaloo sighed. "Why do we have to stop?" Soarin hesitated before answering. "Because I wanna eat some pie. Let's go." Scootaloo burst out laughing, and fell on the ground. Rain was beginning to fall from the sky, and as Scootaloo opened her eyes it felt as if time was slowing down. For a second, she could see her reflection in a drop of rain, the reflection of a smiling, happy pony. In her reflection she saw an orange mare whose mane was mixed with some water that had pooled up beneath her. And in that moment Scootaloo realized that no matter what cause she had to be sad, there was so, so much to be happy about. And I'm never going to forget that.