//------------------------------// // Back To The Scooter // Story: Replacing Scootaloo // by I am not a Dalek //------------------------------// Chapter 11- Back To The Scooter Trotting away from a dumbstruck Cloud Chaser, I end up underneath Rainbow’s regular sleeping cloud. “Rainbow!” I yell and flutter my wings in attempt to get a little higher. I get closer and closer to the cloud before, suddenly, my wings decide to give out, causing me to tumble to the ground. Rainbow’s head shoots out over the edge of the cloud to peer down at me. “Are you okay, squirt?” I sigh and climb to my feet, my cheeks turning red with embarrassment. “Um, yeah, yeah,” I mumble, “I was just wondering if you had my scooter?” Rainbow’s face changes from one of concern to one of excitement within a nano-second. “Yeah! I was going to keep it as a surprise, but now that you’re looking for it, well...” The cyan Pegasus floats down and lands beside me. “I decided to get it fixed for you because it looked pretty busted up... I just got it out of the store yesterday!” I stare at her in awe, a grin spreads across my face, “You... You did that for me?” I whisper and throw my arms around Rainbow’s neck. “Of course kid,” she grins, “Now let’s go and get your scooter, I put it in your clubhouse!” I bounce up and down as if I was Pinkie Pie. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, th-“ I am interrupted by Rainbow placing a soft, cyan wing over my lips. “Calm down, squirt.” Rainbow Dash picks me up and places me carefully onto her back. I squeal in delight as the Pegasus takes off into the deep blue sky. My small wings buzz vigorously behind me as I feel the wind flow through my mane and my feathers. Ponyville grows smaller and smaller below us, I clutch on tighter to Rainbow Dash. “Go faster!” I yell through the wind. Rainbow glances back at me and grins, “You sure, kid?” I nod in reply and she leans forward, pushing herself through the sky faster. My body is pulled back slightly from the force but I keep my grip around Rainbow’s neck as strong as ever as she cuts through the air with ease. Rainbow points her body down towards the ground as we speed towards the ground, it grows larger and larger; I begin to fear that we will not stop in time. I squeeze my eyes shut and grip onto her polychromatic mane, I’m about to yell out to her and tell her to stop. However, when Rainbow’s face is only about 20 centimetres away from the ground she straightens herself out and glides to a stop. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I breathe heavily from the experience I just had. If that’s even half as good as what flying feels like then I want to learn fast. I jump off Rainbow’s back and proceed to bouncing around her. “That. Was. Awesome!” I cheer as I run around my idol. A cyan hoof is put in front of me to stop me and I look up at Rainbow. “Whoa there,” a smile spreads across her face, “Now, do you want your scooter or not?” I grin excitedly and sprint up the ramp into the clubhouse, Rainbow follows close behind. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are already sitting in the clubhouse with Cloud Chaser. “Hey Scoots, we went to ya house but y’all weren’t there,” Apple Bloom smiles at me. “Oh yeah, sorry guys!” I smile sheepishly, “I went to ask Rainbow about my scooter because I lost it the other day, and she said she put it in here!” Both fillies nod in acceptance before looking around. Rainbow Dash walks into the clubhouse, her head nearly brushes the top of the doorframe because she’s so tall. Cloud Chaser speaks for the first time once he sees Rainbow walk in. “Hey Dashie!” I flinch slightly but brush off my jealousy before looking at Rainbow. He better have listened to my advice and not try anything funny. “Hey,” she says nonchalantly before looking over in the corner. “There it is!” My scooter is propped up against the wooden wall, all its wheels intact. I grin and run over to it. “Oh Celestia, I am so sorry that I left you!” I caress my scooters long neck lovingly. “I will never do it again!” Rainbow stares at me with a smirk on her face and I cover my scooter defensively. “Hey! Leave my baby alone,” I mutter and carefully climb onto it. Apple Bloom giggles, “Aww, look at Scoots and her little baby,” she says mockingly. I glare at her and move forward, “Don’t listen to them, they’re just jealous of your awesomeness.” “Not in the clubhouse!” Apple Bloom says firmly. I roll my eyes in response and jump off my scooter before rolling it out of the clubhouse, muttering under my breath about how unfair Apple Bloom was. “Stop being a foal, ah don’t want ya ruining the clubhouse!” She says. I roll my eyes. “Happy now?” I yell back in mock anger. “Eeyup!” I can almost hear the smile in her voice. I grin and flutter my wings as fast as I can, then zoom across the clearing. I swerve around the sweet apple trees. The familiar feeling of the wind in my mane makes me feel as if I am at home. This is where I belong. An old fallen tree is laying across my path so I beat my wings harder as I prepare to jump over it. Once the time is right I push my body up into the air and pull my scooter with me, my body flies through the air behind me for a few moments until I have to place my hooves back onto the platform. I cheer once I have touched down; I haven’t completed a jump like that in a while. The feeling is exhilarating, my heart is pounding, my breath is coming short and fast, my whole body feels warm and fuzzy as I propel myself back towards the clubhouse. I feel as if I could go all day. Once I skid to a halt in front of the small clubhouse I find that I was being watched by three ponies. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom run down to me and throw themselves on me in a massive hug, causing me to fall down onto the ground. “Welcome back Scoots,” Sweetie Belle whispers into my ear. I smile widely as I look at my two friends. She’s right, I am back and it’s all thanks to Rainbow. I hug the two fillies for a few more moments before standing up and walking over to Rainbow before throwing my arms around her. She pulls me close, causing me to have my face being pressed into her soft cyan chest. “Thank you, Dashie,” I whisper with tears in my eyes. “No problem squirt,” she smiles proudly at me, “Now I need to go and sort out a few jobs, you should go and crusade for a while then I can give you a few flying lessons?” I nod enthusiastically before turning to face Sweetie and Apple Bloom; the two fillies are looking at me with hope in their eyes. “Let’s go crusading!” I cheer. “We should try bungee jumping!” Sweetie Belle suggests. Cloud Chaser walks out of the clubhouse as we all cheer, “Cutie Mark Crusaders: Bungee Jumpers, YAY!” Rainbow Dash laughs and flies off as she mutters, “I don’t think I want to know how this is gonna turn out.” Cloud Chaser frowns, “Isn’t bungee jumping dangerous?” “We’ve done lots of dangerous stuff.” I roll my eyes, “And the worst thing that has happened is us getting covered in tree sap without our cutie marks...” The colt still frowns and I look at him. “Are you in or out?” I say, secretly hoping that he says he’s out. “Let’s do this,” he mutters uneasily. Sweetie Belle trots towards us with the scooter wagon being pulled along with her mouth. She spits it out and beams at us. “Let’s go guys!” she grins and hops onto the wagon. The other two ponies follow in suit, Apple Bloom puts a hoof over Cloud Chaser’s but I choose to ignore it this time. I jump onto my scooter and prepare for the journey by placing my helmet on my head and securing the strap tightly beneath my chin. I check back to see if my passengers are sitting comfortably before zooming out of Sweet Apple Acres, towards the town centre. Bungee Jumping... What could go wrong?