//------------------------------//
// The Legend Discovered  
// Story: The Legend Reborn 
// by Sky on Fire 
//------------------------------//

	Scootaloo trotted along the cobblestones on her way home from school. The sun was warm on her wings and a gentle breeze tickled her mane as she made her way through town. Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom were stuck at the library working on a partner project for Hoofstory class and as hard as Scootaloo tried not to be jealous, she couldn't help but feel a prick of envy that Sweetie Bell wanted to work with Apple Bloom just because she got an A on the last test. If Scootaloo had just focused on studying for a few hours instead of practicing some new moves in the park, she could've done just as well, she was sure of it.
With her whole afternoon free, Scootaloo decided she might as well get something done. She had heard Rainbow Dash talking to Pinkie Pie about how great Daring Do was and she figured she might as well check it out. If Dash was into it, it had to be cool. But she couldn't go to the library. What is Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell thought she was just following them around because she had nothing better to do? She had to prove she could find something exciting and fun to do all on her own. But where could she go to just sit down and read for a while? 
Of course! Twilight Sparkle's house was full of books! And Twilight was always willing to share if she knew anypony was interested in reading! Scootaloo trotted a bit faster, happy to have something fun to do for the afternoon. Maybe she could tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell how great the series was and they would want to read it too! Or Maybe Rainbow Dash would see how into it Scootaloo was and take her to the next book release in Canterlot! 
Scootaloo hurried along to Twilight's house and knocked softly with her hoof on the front door. To be honest, she'd never visited Twilight before. She was a little afraid of her and never really thought they had any common interests. Plus, now that Twilight was a princess, it felt like she was a part of a whole new world that Scootaloo would never know. And maybe she was just a bit jealous that Twilight had beautiful fully-formed wings the minute she became a princess while Scootaloo still had to wait for her own wings to get bigger. It didn't seem fair. But she really wanted to read the Daring Do books so it'd be worth being a little uncomfortable for a while. 
Twilight opened the door and looked around for a second before noticing Scootaloo standing before her.
"Oh, Scootaloo! What a surprise! I haven't seen you around in a while. Must be really busy practicing your new scooter moves. Dash was telling me you're getting pretty good. Can I help you with something?" Twilight held open the door and Scootaloo could see piles and piles of books stacked just behind her. 
"Actually I was wondering if I could maybe borrow a book?" She asked shyly, rubbing her hoof into the dirt and not looking up at Twilight. 
"Well yeah, of course! I have thousands of books! I never knew you liked to read! Come on in." she said.
Scootaloo hesitantly entered the treehouse and looked around at the massive shelves towering over her. This place easily had more books than her school library. 
"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" Twilight inquired, following Scootaloo inside and trying her best to warm and welcoming. 
"I wanted to read some of the Daring Do books. I heard they're pretty cool." Scootaloo said. 
"Oh yeah! They're Dash's favorite you know. I'm sure you guys would have a lot to talk about if you read some of them." Twilight winked as she walked over to the nearest shelf. Scootaloo blushed. How did Twilight know that's what Scootaloo really wanted?
"I should have them somewhere over here. I've read them all at least ten times." Twilight rummaged through the books, a few notes and papers stuck between pages falling onto the floor as she did. 
"Oh no. I can't seem to find them. I wonder where they could be." she pondered out loud as Scootaloo continued to stare at all the written work stacked to the ceilings around her. 
One little sticky note fluttered down from the shelf and Scootaloo stepped up to take a closer look. The note was hastily scrawled and although the wriitng was messy, Scootaloo could get the general idea. It was a note from Rainbow Dash informing Twilight that she had borrowed her Daring Do series to lend to one of the Wonder Bolts who had been interested in it. Dash had dropped her first copy over Bridaldale Falls the other day and didn't have time to buy a new copy.  Scootaloo picked up the note and trotted over to Twilight. 
"I think I know where your books went." she said, handing over the note.
"Oh Dash. I wish she would have asked me before she borrowed them. Oh well. I guess I can't lend them to you right now. But maybe you could find them at the school library?" Twilight suggested. 
Scootaloo visibly winced and shook her head. "No thanks. I can't really go there right now...maybe you would have something else I could read?" 
Twilight looked a little uncertain but didn't want to pry. "Hmm...well I do have another book that you might be interested in. It's not fiction like Daring Do's books but It has just as much adventure and excitement. I was going to give it to Dash for her birthday but since she has my Daring Do books right now, I could just let you borrow it if you promise to be careful with it."
Scootaloo brightened and nodded excitedly. A chance to read a book for Rainbow Dash before even she read it? How cool was that?
"That would be awesome!" she exclaimed. 
"Great. I'll go grab it for you!" Twilight trotted away and soon returned with a fairly thick book covered in a green and gold cover. 
"Wow. It's pretty big." Scootaloo noted. 
"Yes it is. But it's really interesting. I think once you get into it you'll be glad its so lengthy." Twilight handed over the book.
"You're welcome to stay here and read it if you like. I'll just be upstairs practicing a couple of weather spells if you need me." Twilight said. She smiled warmly before trotting up the stairs. 
"Thank you!" Scootaloo called and she settled down in front of the huge book. 
What have I gotten myself into? This will take moons to read. Scootaloo thought as she opened the ornate cover. I guess I don't have to read all of it if it isn't any good. She reasoned. 
The title of the book was raised in gold lettering and it caught the light so that it sparkled amidst the green background. 
"The Legend of the Silver Pegasus" Scootaloo read aloud. "Huh. Well at least it's about a pegasus." 
There was a seven page introduction that didn't look too exciting, so Scootaloo skipped ahead to the first chapter. She was already feeling doubtful about how well Twilight knew Dash if she thought this would be interesting to her. Then again, what did Scootaloo know? She had only hung out with Dash a number of times. But Scootaloo vowed to give it a chance and at least read the first few chapters. She had nothing to lose. 
The first chapter started with a collection of short stories from ancient ponies from all over Equestria. Although according to the book, it seemed like Equestria wasn't even called that at the time. There were other strange names like the Swamp of Dark Hoofs and The Fields of Maneless Woe. It all seemed pretty dark to Scootaloo. Each of the ponies interviewed told there version of an encounter with a shadowy winged pony with huge wings that flew under the cover of night and was faster and more agile than any creature they had ever seen. They said the pegasus would come around at night and swirl the clouds into huge towers that would bring snow and rain and lightening. At first, this odd phenomenon terrified the ponies. They didn't have pegasi to control the weather for them. Clouds came and went as they pleased and no pony ever knew whether to wear rainboots and a thick jacket, or sunglasses. 
As more and more sightings of this creature in the sky occurred, people became curious. Why was this creature changing the weather? Was it friend or foe? Where did it come from?
According to the legend, one brave young earth pony named Morning Mist decided to get a little bit closer one night. All alone, she wandered out into the forest where most ponies had seen the creature. She waited up all night with only a small candle and a bag of apples. It was very early in the morning when she felt a strong wind begin to blow through the trees. She was a little nervous, but determined to find out where it was coming from. She began to trot along between the dark trees and called out softly to the creature. All of a sudden, there was a flash of silver and a streak of feathers as a huge winged pony appeared before Morning Mist. It was like nothing she had ever seen. It looked exactly like an earth pony but with enormous wings sprouting from its back. 
Morning Mist, shaking with fear but knowing this was her chance to figure out what was happening, bravely called out to the creature. She explained who she was and asked where this pony came from and what it was doing here. 
The creature didn't move a single feather nor hoof. It started down at Morning Mist for a few minutes as if it didn't quite know how to respond. Finally, the pony opened its mouth and began.
He told Morning Mist that he was from a land far away where ponies flew in the sky and lived on clouds. He was banished from his home because he had fallen in love with an earth pony named Golden Heart. Everypony was unhappy with their romance and would not allow them to stay there any longer. And so, together, they left and swore to find a new home where they would be accepted for who they were. They traveled through mountains and valleys for many days. They saw wolves and eagles and fish and bugs. They slept beneath the stars and he promised to always take care of her. But one night, while he was flying around and looking for firewood, Golden Heart was bathing on the shore of the river when a flash flood filled the canyon where she was and washed her downstream. With little experience swimming, Golden Heart didn't stand a chance against the fierce current of the river. She never made it back to shore. 
When he found her the next morning, she had washed up on the shore and was no longer breathing. He was so devastated that he flew into the sky and created a storm so strong that it wrecked havoc on the forest and the sun didn't return for an entire moon. When he finally calmed down enough to think, he realized what power he had. With his wings, he could control the clouds and thus control the weather. But he needed a place to practice. And that was why he was there. So he could train and hone his skills so that no pony would ever drown again. 
When he finished, he expected Morning Mist to be angry with him for using her home to create storms and blizzards while he practiced his trade. But she was not angry at all. She saw him as a pony that had experienced great loss and needed a place where he could feel comfortable and learn how to use his power to make the world safer for everypony. She promised to help him and explain to her town why he was there and that he meant well. She asked him if he had a name. He confessed that the name he used to go by reminded him too much of his old life and he wanted a new name that he could build a new life around. Morning Mist thought about it for a while and finally came up with the name that inspired the legend: Stormfront Silverwings, or Silverwings for short. 
Silverwings was soon the talk of the town and although there was great controversy over him being there, many ponies were willing to help him and train him so he could be the best flyer in all of the land. Silverwings started small. He made rain over the lakes and pushed clouds together to create shade on hot summer days. He made it snow some days so the fillys and foals could sled and build snowponies. As he practiced, his wings became stronger and more agile. He was free to learn and grow and see what his power could really do. Word spread beyond the town and soon he was known everywhere as the master of weather. 
Pegasi came from miles away to train with him and learn about the weather.  He showed them how to wrangle clouds and squeeze the water out of them. And how to cut and spin through the air in graceful patterns and formations. He was soon the greatest flyer in the sky. 

Scootaloo stopped reading for a moment and looked up. The sun had set a while ago and the library had gotten very dark. She hardly realized she had been reading for hours. Startled, she looked down and realized she had already read at least six chapters. I need to get home. I hate walking in the dark. But she couldn't leave the book behind. She had to know what happened. There was so much more to read. She grabbed a scarf that hung off one of the shelves and wrapped up the book so she could carry it home. 
"Thanks for letting me borrow the book, Twilight!" She called as she opened the door. 
There was a loud crack like lightening and then a very load groan as water started streaming down the stairs. "You're welcome Scootaloo," Twilight called back, sounding agitated. "See you later."
Scootaloo hurried home with the huge book hanging from her mouth. Wow Silverwings is awesome. And Morning Mist was so brave. She thought as she trotted along in the dark. I guess I don't have to be so afraid at night. She obviously wasn't. 
As soon as she got home, Scootaloo lit a candle and dove back into the book. It was late and she was exhausted but she wanted to read just a bit more. As she turned the page to start chapter seven, she noticed an intricate handdrawn picture of a lightening bolt with two silver wings sprouting out from either side of it. The description below read "Stormfront Silverwing's cutie mark". 
Wow that's really cool. I wonder if there are any other pictures in here. Scootaloo flipped through the pages but couldn't seem to find any other drawings. It was just that handrawn picture of the cutie mark. Scootaloo and put her hoof on the drawing and traced the outline of the wings and lightening bolt, and then looked back at her own blank flank. Maybe someday I'll have a cutie mark too. She sighed. 
Her eyes suddenly felt very heavy and she began to feel weariness pulling on her hoofs. Maybe I'll just read some more in the morning. Scootaloo yawned and closed the book. She wondered briefly how Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were doing and she thought for a second about running over to tell them about Silverwings, but an image flashed through her mind of the two of them laughing together without her. Maybe she would just keep this to herself. And with that, she curled up in bed and put out the candle. She had lots to read tomorrow. 
All through the night Scootaloo dreamed she was flying alongside Silverwings, the breeze blowing through her mane and the clouds hovering on either side of her. Her wings were fully formed and strong and she felt agile in the sky. Morning Mist was running on the ground below her and she looked up to see Rainbow Dash soaring above her. When she looked down and saw her, she smiled and winked, shooting up into the clouds. Scootaloo realized she could follow her now and pushed herself up and into the air right behind her. She had never felt so free before. She was at peace in the sky with Rainbow Dash flying high on her right side and Silverwing soaring to her left. This was where she belonged.

Scootaloo awoke to warm light filtering in through her window. Her dream felt so real and so wonderful, she was disappointed to wake up from it. But she was also excited to read more about Silverwing's adventures. Jumping up, she trotted out into the living room and sat down in the middle of the room with her book. She had just started in on the seventh chapter when there was a knock on the door. Mildly irritated at being disturbed, Scootaloo wandered over to the door and opened it to find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell standing on her front steps, looking sheepish.
"Hey Scootaloo! We're sorry about yesterday but we just wanted...ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed. "Scootaloo! You never told us you got your cutie mark!" 
"What? My cutie mark..." Scootaloo mumbled confusedly before glancing back. She gasped in shock. There on her flank clear as can be was a golden lightening bolt with two wings on either side. It was real and there and familiar. And it hit Scootaloo like a winter storm blowing in: this was Stormfront Silverwing's cutie mark.