Scootaloo felt like she had been run over by a cart. Every muscle in her body, including ones she didn’t know she had, were stiff. Laying there on the cloud bed, she resisted the urge to wake up for as long as she could. Eventually the urge to stretch became too great to ignore. Stretching her wings and legs, she gasped as the muscles tensed, and then relaxed. It was a start.
“Hey Squirt, thought you’d never wake up.”
“Dash?” Scootaloo opened her eyes and tried to sit up, realizing just how sore her abdominal muscles were. “Ugh, how’d my stomach get sore? It isn’t even next to my wings.”
“Those are your core muscles Scoots; they assist in everything from flying to walking. And as your wings got tired, they tried to pick up the slack. Congratulations, you just had your first workout. Ready to go again?”
“You’re kidding right?” Scootaloo rolled onto her stomach and buried her head in the bed.
“Haha, yeah. You were actually asleep so long I went to check on the weather team. I had the perfect idea on how to loosen up your muscles.”
“More bed rest?”
“Better, did you know Fluttershy is a masseuse?”
“A ma—what?”
“Um. . . I give massages.”
Scootaloo craned her neck to look over towards the door. Dash was sitting there with a gleefully smile; probably proud of how hard the filly had pushed herself. Fluttershy had her normal look, somewhere between concern, fear, and kindness.
“Never had one, but I guess it can’t hurt.”
Scootaloo heard Dash laughing, before Fluttershy cut her off. “Well, it may actually hurt a little.”
“It’ll be worth it Squirt, just try not to wake me up when she gets to your wings!” Scootaloo could hear a flap of wings and assumed Dash had gone off to nap.
“Alright Fluttershy, what do I have to do?”
“It’s actually quite easy and I’ve had plenty of practice on Dash. Just lay still on the bed while I pack the clouds in a little more tightly. Then I’ll apply pressure to your muscles to work some of the tension out, and increase circulation.”
“Um… that’s the long version for ‘it’ll feel good’ right?”
Fluttershy giggled. “Yes, it should.”
Scootaloo lay there wondering if Dash felt like this after each day of stunt practice. Could a pony get used to working so hard, or was she sore because it was her first time ever flying? Scootaloo hardly noticed the pair of hooves on her hind legs.
Fluttershy kneaded the small legs. “Don’t tense up, just relax.” Scootaloo took a few deep breaths, and the muscles around her thigh loosened up. It was a wonderful and relaxing feeling, and soon both her legs were relaxed. Fluttershy worked her way up to her back, and began pushing much deeper.
“Ow, not so hard.”
“It’ll feel much better in a moment. There are a lot of muscles attached to a Pegasi’s shoulder. Leg muscles, wing muscles, intercostal muscles. . . I need to push hard to reach the deeper ones.”
Scootaloo sighed and let her continue, and soon her back began to feel at ease. “So do you do this a lot for Dash?”
“Usually after new stunts, or crashes into the library. It’s important to take care of your body. I never really built my muscles up, but if you keep working out you’ll be able to fly just as fast as Dash.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course, after all she is going to teach you all her secrets.” Fluttershy took her hooves off Scootaloo’s back. “That should be good for today. You’ll still be sore but you can probably move around now.”
Scootaloo rolled over onto her back and stuck her legs up in the air. They were sore, as she had expected, but the stiffness had faded. Hopping to her legs, she flexed out her wings. Her back muscles weren’t as co-operative as her legs were.
“So what should we do now Fluttershy?”
“Dash is taking her afternoon nap. I suppose I could take you for something to eat, and I bet the crusaders would love to see you.”
“Oh I almost forgot! We’re supposed to do some crusading this weekend. Let’s go!” Scootaloo hopped off the bed and grabbed her scooter and helmet. “Hmm, how am I supposed to fly down with these?”
“I’ll take them for you Scootaloo, I’d rather you glide down nice and easy.” The pair glided down to Ponyville, and ate lunch at a café. Scootaloo thanked Fluttershy for the meal and headed off to start crusading.
“Wait Sweetie, ah think ah hear her now!” Applebloom looked down the road towards the source of the buzzing sound. Over a small hill came Scootaloo on her scooter, stopping in front of the fillies.
“Hey, ready for some crusading?”
“Yeah, let’s hook up the wagon and get ready to go.” Sweetie Belle pulled the wagon towards the hitch on the scooter.
“I don’t know, I’m pretty sore from flying.”
“You were flyin’! Way ta go Scoots!” Applebloom stuck her hoof up for a hoof bump, which Scootaloo quickly returned.
“I just walked over here from Rarity’s, she kicked me out of the house again. Come on, give us a ride.” A mischievous glint appeared in Sweetie’s eye. “Unless. . . you’re chicken!”
Scootaloo glared at her. “Hey! No pony calls me chicken!”
“Yeah she can fly now Sweetie.”
"Scoot--Scoot--Scootaloo!" Sweetie flapped her arms in the air.
“Alright! get in and I’ll teach you a thing or two.” Scootaloo looked Sweetie right in the eye. “Unless, you’re chicken!”
“No way! I just don’t want you to get a cutie mark in being a taxi driver.” Sweetie stuck her tongue out and strapped her helmet on. Applebloom hooked up the wagon and the two jumped in.
“So Scoots, how ‘bout ya show us how fast you can go now?”
“I’ve got the perfect idea in mind.” Scootaloo began pulling them forward at a slow pace. It was just quick enough they wouldn’t want to jump out. “I’ve already turned an apple cart into a ramp downtown. Cutie Mark Crusaders Stunt Ponies!”
Scootaloo began flapping full force. Luckily it was downhill from here towards the town, and the scooter made it much easier on her sore muscles. She just had to buzz the wings to build and maintain her speed until she got to town.
“Wait Scootaloo! We agreed no more stunt cutie marks!”
“Well if you want a chicken cutie mark feel free to jump out now! Allons-y!”
“What does that even mean?” Applebloom looked to Sweetie.
“It’s French for ‘let’s go!’, I’m surprised Scoots can remember such big words.”
“And I thought we agreed no more arguing cutie marks, now hold on girls! This is going to be the most wicked jump ever.”
Sweetie looked over to Applebloom. “I’ll bail out if you will.”
“Ah reckon it’s too late for that! Hold on!” Applebloom gripped the handles that she had built into the inside of the wagon. Sweetie did the same as the Scoota-missile rocketed down the final stretch of street into town. Several ponies were standing around looking at the over-turned apple cart, trying to figure out who it belonged too.
“It must be one of Applejack’s, but how’d it get out here?”
“I don’t know, has anyone seen her? Hey what’s that noise?” The crowd turned as one towards the sound of buzzing and ricocheting wheels.
“It’s a gryphon!”
“No, it’s a train!”
“No, it’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Everypony gasped, and dove for cover. A mint green mare tripped and didn’t make it behind the bushes. Screaming in horror, she curled up in a ball and shielded herself with her lyre.
Scootaloo had never gone this fast on the scooter before. The wheels were starting to lift off the ground as her flight training, and history of scooter riding conflicted. She was now half-flying half-scooting, and trying to stay in control of the scooter. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but she had never bothered to build breaks onto this thing. Hopefully she could stick the landing or she’d never hear the end of it.
Risking a glance back, she saw Applebloom grinning like a mad-pony and Sweetie screaming for Celestia to intervene.
Eyes forward she covered the last twenty feet to the apple cart ramp. She saw a green mare blur past, and then she was on the ramp. The impact nearly shook the handlebars out of her grasp. Flapping down hard, she lifted the scooter and wagon up the ramp. With a loud crack, the trio launched off the apple cart just as it shattered under the impact.
Scootaloo was in her element. They were soaring down main street over several market stalls. Time had slowed down to pay its respects to the daring trio of ponies. This time, she had to earn a cutie mark. Behind her, Applebloom was risking a glance out of the wagon. Sweetie had closed her eyes and her horn was sparking. Whether she’d admit it or not, Scootaloo knew she loved the feel of the adrenaline pumping through her.
Scootaloo continued to fly the oddly shaped missile through the air, as the wagon began to sag beneath its weight. It pulled on the scooter, and began to angle downwards. The wind began to drag on it, slowing them down. Scootaloo looked down to gauge her landing. She realized they had flown much higher then she had intended. Beneath her a stray cloud with a blue dot sailed by.
“Hang on!” Scootaloo angled the scooter down, leveling out wagon. Time started to speed back up as the wagon wobbled, and the ground quickly approached. Scootaloo saw her salvation ahead, there was a cart full of hay. Scootaloo slammed into the ground on her scooter, the wagon thudding as it impacted behind her. She spread her wings to slow down, which was something she had never tried with well-groomed wings before.
It turned out that holding her wings perpendicular to the ground was a little too effective at slowing them down. Before she realized what had happened, she face planted into the ground and bounced up into the cart of hey. She saw an orange and white blur sail by at one point, into the distance.
It took Scootaloo a second to recover from the shock of what had just happened. It had been the most awesome stunt she’d ever done. Then she remembered the other crusaders.
“Sweetie! Applebloom!” Scootaloo clawed her way through the hay until she reached the edge of the cart. She looked around but couldn’t see them. Then she heard somepony gasping for air.
“Yee-haw!” Scootaloo glanced over at the fountain in the center of town square. Sweetie and Applebloom had landed in the water, and the splash had drenched a white and a brown mare.
Scootaloo felt something land on the back of the wagon. Turning, she saw Dash frowning at her. Scootaloo suddenly didn’t feel quite so awesome.
“Scootaloo, are you alright? You fillies could have been hurt, and those two can’t fly like us.”
“Yeah, I guess I just went a little faster than I thought I was going.”
“I’d say so, you sailed clear over the cloud I was napping on. I was at least fifty feet in the air.”
“Wow! Fifty feet! I bet I could jump over the town hall!”
Dash sighed. “I think I know what my dad must have felt like now. Alright, go check on your friends, and take it easy! We’re going to workout tomorrow and I don’t want you breaking a wing.” Dash smiled and jabbed her shoulder.
Scootaloo watched Dash fly back up to her cloud to nap. She jumped out of the wagon to survey the damage. Applebloom was shaking her mane and flinging water everywhere in an attempt to dry off. Sweetie belle was still curled up in a ball.
“Hey Scoots, ah think you broke Sweetie.”
“Huh? I doubt that. Hey Sweetie you got a daredevil cutie mark!”
Sweetie gasped, and sat up in the water mumbling. “no. . . please no. . . too fast. . . the horror. . . .” She looked down at her flank, and then glared at Scootaloo. “You’re not chicken, you’re a mad pony with a scooter!”
“Come on Sweetie, ah reckon we can think up a way for her to make it up ta us.” Applebloom helped her friend out of the fountain, and the trio walked up to Scootaloo.
“Hey, it’s the filly from the train! That was a pretty sweet move.” The white pony with a blue mane and purple glasses walked over and shook Scootaloo’s hoof.
“Sweet? Did you say Sweet Vinyl? She nearly killed the unicorn and earth filly.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t Octy, thus it’s sweet!” Vinyl was dripping wet from being splashed by the pony projectiles.
“Heh, I guess so. Hey, uh I never said thanks for the train. My name is Scootaloo.” Scootaloo shook Vinyl’s hand. “This is Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, and we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
“I’m Vinyl Scratch and this is my sister Octavia. Back when I was an orphan her family adopted me, and boy are they boring!”
“I’m standing right here Vinyl!” Octavia glared daggers at the white mare. “And it wouldn’t have been so boring if you’d stopped blasting that music at night and getting grounded.”
“See kid? Boring." Scootaloo could just make out Vinyl rolling her eyes behind the shades. "So I saw the whole mess in town square with the cops, you got adopted now too kid?”
“Yeah by Dash, she’s the fastest most loyal pegasus ever!”
“I hear she’s saved Equestria a few times too. Well, feel free to stop by any time to hang out, we live in the house with the wubs.” Vinyl began to walk away and was stopped by Octavia.
“Wait, they ruined my bow-tie! We need to tell their parents before they crash through the side of some pony's house!"
Vinyl looked back at Scootaloo and winked. Scootaloo wondered what she meant, when Vinyl suddenly used her levitation to knock Octavia into the fountain.
“Vinyl you are so dead!”
“You’ll have to catch me first!”
The two mares ran off and were soon out of sight.
“Wow that was really weird. Rarity says Vinyl is usually too hung-over to come out during the daytime.”
“What’s a hangover?” Applebloom and Scootaloo looked to Sweetie.
“Uh it has something to do with dance clubs and a colt named Daniels, and adult beverages.” Sweetie shrugged. “Well, now that you’re done trying to give me a heart attack, how about we get back to our real crusading?”
“What did you have in mind?” Scootaloo grinned and looked back towards the wagon.
“We’re going to the day spa and trying to get makeover cutie marks! Rarity takes me there all the time and it looks really easy. They just keep the baths warm and bring in fresh mud, and they even have a masseuse.”
“Sounds lame, back me up here Applebloom.”
“Well, ah reckon we’ve tried skydivin’, zip linin’, and nearly dyin’. So let’s work on some cutie marks that don’t involve unsafe velocities.”
“Alright.” The fillies put their hooves together.
”Cutie Mark Crusader Makeovers!”
The trio headed off towards the spa with the scooter and wagon in tow. Off to the side of the road, Rarity sighed. “Well Opal, looks like we won’t be going to the spa today after all.”