[i[Umph!
Scootaloo hit the floor head first, all four legs somehow intertwined with either another leg, or her cover.
“Let me go!” Scootaloo squealed, as she struggled to leave the darkness that engulfed her. Several seconds passed before she successfully managed to wrap the cover so tightly around herself, that she couldn’t move. Despite being turned upside down, Scootaloo nonetheless had her head poking out of the cover, and let out a content sigh as she escaped the darkness.
“Twirp? What are you doing?”
Scootaloo arched her back and managed to see four cyan legs stand in front of her, before finally making eye contact with Rainbow Dash herself. Her mane was as unruly as ever, sticking out in every possible direction, but the usual smile was always there; the same smile that had greeted Scootaloo ever since she woke up the first morning in Rainbow’s house.
“I had a nightmare, and I fell out of bed just now,” Scootaloo mumbled sourly, before hiding inside of her covers.
“Same one?”
The bundle of cover made a motion that reminded Rainbow Dash of a nod.
Rainbow let out a sigh, before walking closer, and unwrapping Scootaloo from her prison of cover. Scootaloo looked confused at first, but when Rainbow grabbed hold of it, threw it into the air, and huddled up in front of the little filly, both of them smiled at each other.
Scootaloo wasn’t afraid of the darkness when Rainbow Dash was with her. Only in her dream, because then she knew that Rainbow hadn’t caught her. Her trail of thought was evident in her face, and Rainbow quietly poked the little filly’s shoulder.
“The one where you’re falling?”
A strand of Scootaloo’s forelock tickled Rainbow’s forehead, indicating her nod.
Rainbow Dash sighed again.
“This has been happening too much, Scoot. You know I’ll always catch you, if you fall, right?”
“Of course! I know that, I just...”, the filly sighed, “I don’t know. I don’t know why I keep having that nightmare. It’s not very fun.”
A hidden smile shaped on Rainbow’s lips.
“You know, I’ve had a bunch of nightmares too?”
“Applejack’s told me all ponies gets nightmares once in awhile, so I guess so.”
“Nightmares schnightmares! Nothing wrong with getting nightmares, Scoot. As long as you don’t let them take over your life, alright?”
Scootaloo nodded, and felt Rainbow Dash pulling her into a tight hug. The little filly inhaled as she was held close; strange as she thought it was, Rainbow had a certain smell to her, and it comforted her like nothing else. Her heart had been racing ever since she stumbled out of bed, but as soon as she could breathe in the smell of her mentor, it steadied.
They sat like that for what seemed to be quite a while, just listening to each other’s heartbeats and the chirping birds that announced a new day.
Rainbow Dash ruffled Scootaloo’s mane, and broke the silence as she spoke.
“I’ll always catch you, Scoot,” she whispered.
Scootaloo smiled before she winced as the cover that engulfed her in controlled darkness, was brutally lifted over her head, and the merciless rays of a new day hit her.
“But you still gotta go to school, so c’mon. Your breakfast is probably cold now, you silly filly.” Rainbow said as she left the room, casually throwing the cover over the bed, clearly unmade.
Scootaloo bounced after the cyan mare, and hopped down the stairs. She let out a squeal as semi-warm portion of oatmeal standing before her.
“Oatmeal!” she exclaimed, and didn’t hesitate to dig in. Before Rainbow Dash even got the chance to sit down and eat her own oatmeal, Scootaloo was ready for seconds.
“More oatmeal?” she asked, with big eyes, before Rainbow Dash playfully turned her away.
“Sorry twirp, outta oatmeal. Wanna go to the market with me when you’re outta school?”
“Urgh, do I have to!” Scootaloo groaned, before putting on her saddle bag, and packing her lunch.
“Yup, so quit your whining.” Rainbow Dash commanded, throwing an apple and carrot Scootaloo’s way.
“Fine...” the filly mumbled, sourly catching the apple with her left wing but the carrot smashed against the wall, breaking. Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she saw that she had missed completely, a blush spreading on her cheeks. But a hoof around her neck removed her doubts.
“Getting better at your wing mobility, twirp. Try to get the carrot next time, alright?” Rainbow comforted, and easily managed to grab a carrot off the counter, letting it slide from the tip of her left wing to the tip of her right, into Scootaloo’s saddlebag.
Scootaloo nodded happily, and made her way towards the door. The second she had stepped out of it, she could faintly hear the school bells. She glanced towards Rainbow Dash, who had an arched eyebrow.
“You better hurry, you know our deal.” she said menacingly, but Scootaloo knew the mare meant no evil with it.
The deal was, that if Scootaloo couldn’t make it to school before the 5th ring of the bell, almost certainly making her tardy for class, she’d have to do extra training after school. If she did get to school in time, the extra training was still happening, but lighter.
Or so Rainbow Dash had claimed. Scootaloo was sure that there was little difference in their afternoon workouts, whether or not she had become tardy earlier the same day. But either way, Scootaloo liked their workouts. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle always groaned at the mere mention of sweating and having a pounding heart, but they respected it nonetheless. Scootaloo thought that Applebloom could understand it slightly better than Sweetie Belle; Applejack and her younger sister did many chores around the farm, the majority of them were physical. The worst physical thing that Rarity could put Sweetie Belle through, was the filly pulling her older sister’s overloaded carriage when they went camping.
Then again, Scootaloo could understand that if that was the only exercise Sweetie Belle had endured, it sucked.
So Scootaloo didn’t hesitate to burst into the open skies, in order to get to school in time.
“Remember to meet me at the market when school is out!” Rainbow Dash shouted, earning a barely visible salute from Scootaloo as she flew towards the school.
With a pounding heart and heaving chest, Scootaloo stepped into the classroom. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon shot her dirty glances, but remained voiceless.
“Yes, I made it!” Scootaloo cheered, as a damp strand of her mane glued to her face, and she sat down in between Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Both of them wrinkled their snouts at Scootaloo in fake disgust, waving their hooves in front of their faces.
“Somepony stinks! Phew!” Sweetie Belle dramatically said, and faked passing out on her chair.
“I don’t stink! Only because you’ve never smelled bad in a day of your life!” Scootaloo retorted.
Sweetie Belle regained her posture, before sticking her tongue out at Scootaloo. The pegasus was about to rise from her seat, to disgust the squeaky clean unicorn even more by hugging her, but miss Cheerilee entered the room, and the moment was gone.
“I will get you later, miss Belle.” Scootaloo menacingly said, with a hint of jest obvious by the sparkle in her eyes.
“Morning class!”
“Morning miss Cheerilee!” the class echoed obediently.
“I hope you are prepared for a very interesting class today, my little ponies. By request of our very own scholar, miss Sparkle, we have been chosen to take part in an educational experiment.”
“Bet Twilight just wanna add something crazy smart into our brains...” Scootaloo mumbled, causing the two fillies next to her to giggle.
“Got anything to add, Scootaloo?” Cheerilee quickly asked, with an arched eyebrow.
“No miss.”
“As I said, we will be a part of a new experiment. For many years, specific knowledge about each pony kind have been restricted to themselves. Twilight have suggested that we expand the amount of information we have about our fellow ponies. Please note that I said expand, ponies. The secrets of earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns alike will remain among themselves. However, basic knowledge about unicorns and pegasi will be shared in earth-pony dominated schools, and vice versa. Considering we have been generally have been educating you all in earth pony knowledge, for the next two days, we will have a great unicorn and a great pegasus speaking to you about their own kind.”
Several whispers broke out in the classroom, every student eagerly gossiping about the possible ponies that would attend their class.
“Does anypony have any idea of who could show up today?”
Many voices echoed throughout the room, each one suggesting a possible pegasus that would show up. None of them were correct though, and to her own frustration, Scootaloo mumbled something under her breath.
“It couldn’t be Spitfire...”
“Settle down, little ponies. I’m sorry to say that none of you were right, but this makes the surprise so much better! Please, allow me to introduce the leader of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire!”
As if on queue, the door flew open, and the yellow mare followed suit. She wasn’t wearing her usual blue uniform, nor her goggles, but her coat and mane shone nonetheless.
“Hey ponies! Are you ready to listen to the cool behind pegasi like myself?”
“Yeeeeeah!” the entire class cheered, and all of them rested their heads quietly, totally focused on the pegasus in front of them.
“So let me tell you a thing or two about pegasus ponies...” Spitfire began.
Whereas other ponies had lost their attention after a certain amount of time, Scootaloo had not. Her eyes seemed to grow with every passing minute as Spitfire had her lecture.
Before she knew it, it was over, and some of her fellow students clapped as enthusiastically as she, where others, Diamond Tiara specifically, did not. Miss Cheerilee placed a hoof on Spitfire’s shoulder with a bright smile.
“Thank you so much, Spitfire. I am sure we were all...”, she gave a unimpressed stare at Diamond Tiara, who immediately straightened herself up with a fake smile, “entertained. Are there any questions for Spitfire?”
Scootaloo was the first filly to raise her hoof for a question.
“Yes, Scootaloo?”
“I’m such a big fan, Spitfire! Your tricks are awesome, and the Wonderbolts too! I hope to be like you one day, but you should let Rainbow Dash be a Wonderbolt too! She’s awesome, and your squad would be even more awesome with her in it! I-”
“Scootaloo, Spitfire is on a very tight schedule, so if you could make it quick, please.” Cheerilee gently commanded, with a wide smile on her face.
“Oh, right. Sorry Spitfire, gosh, you’re just so cool! Anyway, what’s your speed record?”
Spitfire’s chest puffed up.
“Well, it’s been awhile since I was in a good ol’ race, but I still remember my record from then! 28 meters per second, or, 100.8 kilometers an hour.”
Gasps echoed through the room, but a hoof was quickly in the air too.
“Yes, Twist?”
The stuttering pony nervously started to speak, as well as she could.
“Is it right that your... um, record is 67.1081 miles per hour, miss Spitfire?”
“That is right, kid. Well done on that math! I couldn’t have done that with a calculator by my side!” Spitfire praised, and winked at the clever filly. Twist immediately blushed, but smiled nonetheless.
“Spitfire, Spitfire!” Scootaloo demanded, with a waving hoof in the air.
“Yes, Scootaloo, was it?” Spitfire replied with a nod of her head.
“She knows my name!” the filly squealed as she leaned towards either of her friends, who, less enthusiastically squealed back.
“Yeah, I’m Scootaloo! Better remember it! Anyway, are you and Soarin’ a couple?”
Spitfire was obviously surprised at the question, but tried to hide it.
“Nah, I like to keep my relationships outside of my work. He is quite the stallion, isn’t he though?” the flied replied, causing several fillies, even miss Cheerilee to giggle, and nod in agreement.
Wonderbolt fan or not, few mares and fillies were unaware of the leadstallion of the flying squad. Rainbow Dash had told Scootaloo of a time she watched a Wonderbolt show with Rarity, whom only had agreed to come along because of Soarin’s appearance. The rest of the unicorn’s time was spent considering how she could improve their uniforms, while Rainbow Dash remained flabbergasted by their tricks.
“This gotta be my last question ponies. I gotta hurry up so I can get back to Cloudsdale. A flier’s job is never over!”
Much to anypony’s surprise, Scootaloo’s hoof was the first, and only one, to be lifted.
“Make it good, Scootaloo!” Spitfire laughed.
“Why did you become a Wonderbolt?”
Spitfire rubbed her chin with a hoof for what seemed to be an eternity for Scootaloo, before she finally answered, a smile spreading on her face.
“Heh, well, it may sound silly, but it is because I love to fly. I’m sure you’ve heard it from all of the pegasus ponies you’ve met. ‘I love to fly’... yeah, all ponies with wings do, I can tell you that much! Just as much as unicorns love to use magic, or earth ponies love to tend to the soil they walk upon.”
Spitfire had been standing behind Cheerilee’s desk during the talk, but now stood in front of it and began to pace around the room.
“Flying is so much more than a pair of wings. Not all pegasi do what I do, but each and every role a pair of wings can play, makes a difference. The lives of many pegasi rely on their wings, but not all, and just because you are born with wings, does not mean that you can achieve a cutie mark with it.”
Scootaloo’s ears drooped, which Spitfire immediately noticed.
“And that is quite alright too, okay? If all were stunt fliers like myself, who would control the weather? If all unicorns were scholars, who would assist us in various matters that could only be done with magic? If all earth ponies were farmers, who would be doing tasks as nurses or doctors? Point is, kids, is that whatever kind of pony you are, that does not limit you to doing various things.”
Spitfire waved her hoof.
“Sorry, I’m getting off track here. I became a Wonderbolt, because I realized that if I died while flying, I died happily. I am willing to put my life at stake for performing wild stunts, that’ll blow ponies’ minds. It takes dedication, and it hasn’t always been easy. But I promise you little ponies, your future is a bright one, if you do what you love, despite the obstacles on the road.”
The applause was overwhelming, and it seemed neverending. Scootaloo acknowledged her hooves clapping, but all she saw, was the glory that Spitfire seemed to bathe in. As if there was nothing in the world but Scootaloo and the leader of the Wonderbolts. She didn’t even notice the smirk that she got from Spitfire, as she was the only pony still clapping when the others had stopped.
Scootaloo laughed sheepishly.
“It was great to teach you kids! Remember, for all of you pegasi, there will be a flight camp this summer, and since it is just a month away, if you wanna join, train hard, and I’ll see you in Cloudsdale! Catch you later!”
Flight camp?!
Scootaloo smiled widely to the friends on her sides, whom sighed happily, despite knowing that the orange pegasus would suddenly have much more on her mind than simple crusading.