“And that,” finished Scootaloo, “was how I saved Twilight's life, earned my Cutie Mark, and invented Scootalooboarding, all at the same time.”
There was a round of applause, punctuated by cheers from Pinkie Pie and the foals. Apple Bloom, however, cleared her throat as she tried not to grin.
“Wait, Ah thought it was called 'skateboarding'.”
“What? No, it's Scootalooboarding.”
“I've heard it called 'scootboarding,” chimed in Sweetie Belle.
“That's just stupid!”
“They're calling it 'ponyboarding' in Canterlot,” Twilight added helpfully.
“I invented it! I get to say what's it's called!” Scootaloo insisted, gesturing to the picture of a “Scootalooboard” on her flank.
The group fell into a fit of giggles as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom began to bicker about the name of Scootaloo's new sport. Pumpkin found herself once again falling into the background a little, watching the group of old friends as they teased and joked with each other. It was still so strange to see Pinkie Pie, a pony she had known all her life, talking with famous ponies like Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash like it was nothing. And the Cutie Mark stories she had heard hadn't been what she had expected. They were exciting, sure. But she envisioned the moment she got her Cutie Mark as something momentous, something life changing. The way the old Crusaders told it, they had gotten their Cutie Marks just by being the ponies that they always were. Was it really that simple?
Her reflection, along with the chatter of the group, was brought to an abrupt halt by a voice behind Pumpkin. Rainbow Dash broke from her conversation with Pound to find herself face to face with Applejack.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Oh. Uh, hey Applejack.”
“Good to see you could make it,” said the farmpony, sporting a decidedly neutral expression. “Fluttershy's askin' to see you.”
“Ok. I guess I better, uh, go see her then. She's, uh...”
“In the kitchen, with Rarity.”
“Right. Uh, see you guys around.”
There was a long, chilly silence as Rainbow Dash trotted off in the direction of the farmhouse. Applejack watched her retreat for a moment, but when she turned back to the group, her expression had softened considerably.
“Land's sake, it good to see you, Twilight. How's the big city treatin' you?”
Twilight chuckled nervously, but she stepped forward to embrace Applejack all the same. “It's terribly exciting, though of course I still miss Ponyville. Do you think we could find someplace to sit and talk?”
“'Course we can. The rest of you want to sit for a spell? Ah think we've got this weddin' just about set up.”
“Actually,” chirped Pinkie, “I better get these two back to Sugarcube Corner. We have to get you guys all smartened up for the wedding!”
Pound groaned. “Aw man, do we have to? I hate my suit, it's so itchy.”
“It was very nice to meet you, Ms. Sparkle,” Pumpkin said in her best grown-up voice. She felt an enormous burst of pride when the older unicorn smiled down at her, but it was tempered by the confusion she felt surrounding everything she had seen and heard that afternoon. By the time everpony had said their goodbyes and the three of them were on their way back home, she was already deep in thought once more.
As the sun set and the shadows began to stretch across the fields outside of Ponyville, a chorus of crickets filled the summer air with their song. But the music they made was insignificant next to the noise that came from the pavilion set up across from Sweet Apple Acres, where the wedding reception was well underway. Lightning-bug lanterns hung from the canvas roof, casting warm light on the eating, drinking, and dancing ponies. In the center of the dance floor Fluttershy and Big Macintosh moved in slow circles, both looking extremely tired but extremely content. At one table Twilight Sparkle chatted with Princess Cadance, who had indeed arrived with more than enough time to perform her duties as Master of Ceremonies. In another corner Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat talking together, the stories they had told that day evidently sparking a long series of fond memories of their days as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
And at a table close enough for their parents to watch over them but far enough away to appear cool, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake sat arguing.
“Just go up and ask her if you want it that bad!”
“I can't do that! She's Rainbow Dash. If I just walk up to her and am like 'Hey Rainbow Dash, can I have your autograph?' she'll think I'm some crazy fan!”
“You are a crazy fan.”
“I'm not crazy! And would you just walk up to Twilight or whatever and ask for her autograph?”
“I don't want Twilight Sparkle's autograph, that's just tacky.”
“Oh admit it, you think it would be totally cool.”
“I mean, sure, if I happened to have my copy of 'The Legend of Starswirl the Bearded' on my (which, incidentally, I do) and she happened to have a quill on her (and I have spare one in case she doesn't) and I happened to bump into her on the dance floor, then maybe-”
“Hey kids!”
Pound nearly choked on his water when Rainbow Dash landed next to their table. She pulled a sheet of parchment out from under her wing and dropped on the table in front of Pound with a grin.
“Pinkie Pie said you might like this.”
Pound's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he unfurled the scroll. On it was a photo of Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts uniform, and in one corner was her messy scrawl of a signature. Pound coughed as he scooped it up and hugged it close to his body.
“Yeah. It's cool. Whatever,” he said, his voice cracking noticeably.
“Pinkie Pie asked you to do it?” asked Pumpkin.
“Yeah, but don't tell her I told you. I think she was trying to be sneaky.”
“It's so weird that you're friends with her,” said Pound.
“Why is that weird? Pinkie's pretty much the coolest pony I know,” Rainbow responded as she took a seat next to the foals.
“Are you kidding?” asked Pound. “Pinkie's pretty much the lamest pony ever!”
“Woah, what? I thought you two grew up with Pinkie!”
“Well, yes,” said Pumpkin, “and it's not that we don't like her, it's just that she's, well...”
“A total lame-o?” offered Pound.
“Pound!”
“It's true! C'mon, Rainbow Dash, look at her and look at you. You're a Wonderbolt, and all she cares about is throwing parties and working at our parent's dumb bakery!”
Rainbow Dash was just staring at them with a thoughtful frown on her face. Pumpkin fidgeted nervously, but Pound stared back defiantly. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth once, closed it again, and then sighed.
“You know, I gathered that you two heard a couple stories today. About something that happened back in the day. I think I'd like to tell you guys my own story.”
Pound's ears perked up. “About how you got your Cutie Mark?”
Dash chuckled. “If you're that big a fan of me, you already know that one. They make me trot it out at pretty much every interview. Nah, this is the story of the time I tried out for the Wonderbolts.”
“Oh. Well, I know that one too! A blizzard had rolled in and they were going to call it off, but you went right up to Spitfire and you said-”
“Not that story. This is the story of the first time I tried out for the Wonderbolts.”