"Hey, Squirt. Wake up!"
"Hmm?" More sleep, please.
"Sunshine, sunshine Scoots. Up and at 'em!"
I reluctantly blink my eyes open. Turns out it's a welcome sight looming over my bed. "Rainbow!"
She gurgles a bit due to my tight hug. "Good to see you too, Squirt. How'ya been?"
"Pretty awesome as usual."
"Well rise and shine. I've got a big surprise for you. Hey, did you take down some of my posters? What gives, I'm not your hero anymore?"
"I'm just trying to make the place look a bit more adult. Nothing personal, sis."
Dash shrugs it off. "Grab your goggles on the way downstairs, we're going flying later."
My heart leaps a little, it's been a long time since we did some quality soaring. Then some practicality bubbles up in my mind and I hurry to meet her on stairs, goggles around my neck. "Uh, Rainbow. It's a workday. I'll have to pass."
"Got'cha covered. I've sent a note to Filthy letting him know you're needed for official Wonderbolts business. Put it in official letterhead and everything."
"Won't you get in trouble for that?"
"What's more important than hanging out with my sister?" She ruffles my mane, just like she used to do when I was little. I shy away like I'm too grown up for that but secretly I love it.
Dad's in the kitchen making breakfast. There's a big map taking up most of our table. Looks like Dash had made all sorts of notes on it.
"How long have you been down here?"
Dash puts forelock to forehead. "Ages! Waiting for you to wake up."
"I didn't know you got up that early for anything. Dad, are you in on this too?"
He always looks so silly in an apron. "Don't look at me; all I did was wake up at like Five AM and made you all these pancakes."
Dash takes a seat. "Eat up, sis! We've got to carb load."
Dad sets a big plate of flapjacks in front of me and I tuck in. I can't help sneaking looks at Rainbow. I've missed her. It's been what, two or three months? She catches me and flashes one of her lopsided grins.
"Scoots."
"Yeah?"
"You've got some syrup on your chin."
I grab a napkin. "So where're we going?"
"Somewhere I've been meaning to take you for a long time. We're flying to Cloudsdale, kid!"
I can feel my ears fall flat. "Rainbow, you know I can't make it there."
"It's not that far. Remember our trip to Appleoosa?"
I toy with my meal. "This is different. How do you expect me to maintain altitude that high up?"
"That's why I've been waiting for weeks." She extends an arm and dad hands her the newspaper. "Been watching the weather report. It's going to be a nice clear warm day. In about an hour the sunlight will have warned up the lake enough to cause a nice updraft," she points to the map, "we're going to ride it up, up like the vultures. Easy peasey." I must have given her a doubting look because she frowns. "Where's the filly daredevil who rode off Ghastly Gulch? I was hoping you'd be jumping for joy."
"I don't know if I'm up for this is all."
"I'll be there to help you out in a pinch."
I run my front hooves through my mane. She's right, as a kid I would have been overjoyed to spend the day on a seemingly impossible task like this as long as Rainbow Dash was involved. What changed in me to cause me to feel this dread. "Dad, you're okay with this plan?"
"Everyday you're careening about on one of your scooters. This is a bit of a feat but you've got an honest to Celestia Wonderbolt looking after you. Sounds like fun."
The giddiness in Dash's magenta eyes are a bit infectious. "And the REAL surprise comes after we reach our destination. Whaddya say, are you in?"
I smile and turn back to my meal. "I'm in."
"Awesome! I'll get our gear together."
Dash was right. There were some wicked thermals above the park and soon we were ascending in lazy spirals high above town. I tried not to look below the horizon line. I was definitely not used to this altitude. After that it was just a matter of taking to an air current going in the correct direction. Once over open farmland and forest it was easy for a pony to lose her bearings so I let Rainbow take care of that. I'm far used to land navigation. Every now and them I'd recognize some rolling hills or a certain road. The rail lines and mountains certainly helped. But my little delivery business kept me pretty tied to Ponyville for the most part barring weekend excursions and special circumstances.
We chatted while we flew if the wind permitted it. I love talking with Dash about life or whatever. Apple Bloom is great for practical advice and I go to Sweetie Belle to talk about feelings and stuff but with Rainbow it was like I could get advice from an elder version of me. We had similar outlook on life.
I updated her on my racing training and my working relationship with Apple Bloom. I told her about the party which inevitably led to telling her about Jacinth.
"So do you like this colt or what?" Rainbow and I rested on a cirrus cloud while she matched landmarks to the route on her map.
"I like to be around him. That count?"
"Something to build on."
"Eh. It's just that he was born into slavery in the Crystal Empire and that's left him all skittery. Dating me is like taking a ride in my little red wagon. It's going to be a bumpy exiting time. I don't want to leave him more traumatized."
"Never know what'll happen, squirt. Get to know him I guess and be there if he's interested but don't string the guy along."
"Got it, sis. I'll take him to the wedding so you'll get to meet him."
She glances over at me. "You haven't told me about any relationship stuff in a while. I figured you were waiting for another Archer type to come along."
"Ugh. Someone who will make big promises and abandon me again? No thanks."
"I realize she really hurt you, and it's true there's no excuse for just up and leaving, but I can kind of sympathize with the decision she had to make. The Night Guard is serious business. If I had to choose between being a Wonderbolt and my special somepony it would really tear me up. Her unforgivable mistake wasn't including your views in her decision. Pretty foalish and cruel move. But she was, like, the type that gets you going? A little more rough and tumble?"
I shrug and blow bangs out of my eyes. "Was at the time, I guess."
"Hang in there, Squirt. You'll find somepony one of these days. Till then just work on being the awesome mare that'll turn admirers heads."
We fly on for what seems like hours. My shoulders and back muscles ached from soaring so long. Flapping like a madmare is more my bread and butter so I'm taxing muscles I don't usually use too often. Eventually I notice something wrong.
"Rainbow Dash, Cloudsdale is to the north. Aren't we going the wrong way?"
"Trust me, kid. I was kind of stretching the truth. We aren't going to Cloudsdale proper though we can stop by afterwards. We're going over that cloud ridge up ahead. Brace yourself, it's going to get choppy!"
I follow her up and turbulence tears at my belly and the underside of my wings but it lifts us up and over the front. Suddenly an new vista opens up below us. A peninsula rises up out of the cloud, surrounded by pegasus-made buildings. There is a runway, a rainbow waterfall-fed stream, and what look like hangers.
I recognize the place immediately. Horror and nausea take hold. "Oh no... Rainbow, how could you? How could you take me to this place?"
"Easy kid! Careful, you'll fall out of the sky."
"This is Wonderbolts Academy, Rainbow. I've dreamed of this place all my life! Why do you take me here now?"
"Come down with me and see, Scootaloo. This isn't one of my pranks. You're going to have to trust your sister on this."
I look down again. It is like seeing a paradise of afterlife. Something dreamed of and aspired towards but always infuriating out of reach. Years ago I had to give up all hope of seeing this place in person. Now, actually seeing it, and now having it within reach, it made me scared. Like the gods lived there or something and would punish me for trespassing. Looking back at Rainbow I search her expression.
"If this was a prank it would be the single most cruel thing you could ever do, taking me here."
"Bear with me. Element of Loyalty, remember?"
I look back down at the Academy and sigh. You shouldn't be allowed to see dreams in person, knowing you can't stay there and possess them. But maybe that's what makes them dreams. But this is a real place. Sweetie would be better at making sense of that I guess. I might as well. Never get this opportunity again. I dive down toward the runway not waiting for Rainbow to show me the way. I don't want her to see the look on my face right now.
I land on the Tarmac, rub my eyes, and stash my goggles so Rainbow won't see how much tears I got on them. "Okay, where to now?"
"Aren't you forgetting something? Just like I will always be your sister I'll always be your coach. If you don't do some stretching when we leave your wings will lock up and you'll tumble down and fall as flat as Twilight's standup comedy act."
Her lame joke actually coaxes a laugh out of me. Must be all the tension. "Whatever you say, Rainbow Dash."
"Wait out here for a second, Squirt. I'll be right back."
Man, the buildings aren't as nice as I imagined. Not a lot of decoration. Guess they serve their purpose. I still can't believe I'm here.
My sister pokes her head out the door. "Come on in, Scoots. There's somepony I want you to meet."
It's a little office, quite a bit nicer than the rest of the place but frankly my attention is drawn to the flame-haired orange pegasus behind the desk. "Scootaloo Swallowtail. I'm glad to finally speak with you." She makes her way over and offers her hoof. "I'm Commander Spitfire... Is something funny?"
"No, no!" I accept her hoofshake. "It's just that it seems silly for you to introduce yourself. You've been looking down at me from a poster on my wall since I was little."
She gives me a brief smile. "Have a seat. I am hoping you can help me with a little problem."
"ME help YOU? I don't know how I could."
"Hear me out, Ms. Swallowtail. We've been having some trouble retaining cadets here at Wonderbolt Academy. It's always been a small problem but if it keeps up like this for the next few years I fear we won't make our quota for the Reserves. The Academy selects the best fliers from towns and cities all over Equestria. Often this is the first time they face competition with anypony at their skill level, or past it. They aren't used to that sort of pressure to perform way past their usual limits. They wash out after a few days. Even Lieutenant Dash here tried to quit on me, though for different reason. Granted, she found being made wing pony a bitter pill to swallow."
I turn to look at Dash. She's standing by the door. "You were a wing pony?" Her eyes lock with mine and her expression wavers slightly before she snaps back to attention.
Spitfire clears her throat. "A lot of these special snowflakes haven't had to deal with disappointment or adversity before. That's where you come in."
"I'm some sort of expert at being a disappointment?"
"Not at all. I understand you had quite a bit of difficulty learning to fly. How old were you when you finally managed it?"
"Weeks away from finishing primary school."
"Get hassled a lot for it?"
"Yes, a bit."
"When told you would always be a weak flier you, uh," she looks down at notes on her desk. "you rode your scooter off a cliff so you could gain enough altitude to soar. Is that right."
"Yeah, I did."
"Sounds dangerous. Why'd you do that?"
"Because I knew I could."
"You didn't worry you could fall to your death?"
"It's not like I didn't want to live if I couldn't fly. I needed to do it because I could. I was sick of ponies telling me I had to settle with life on the ground. I was meant to fly."
"But you did go back to using a scooter again."
I shrug. "I'm capable but... limited. Wheels get me around faster."
"So you started a racing career?"
"Yeah. No Wonderbolts Academy for me!"
"It says here in this magazine article you took a medical exam and be declared 'a pegasus of diminished capacity'. Why is that?"
I feel an ache in my chest remembering that day. "Ma'am, motocross is mostly a unicorn and earth pony sport. They put a lot of pride into designing and building their bikes. I wouldn't exactly say there's a culture of tribalism but they're extremely suspicious of pegusi. Like we would somehow pick up and carry our rides as we fly to the finish line."
"You think that's fair?"
"It is how it is, though with engines powered by unicorn magic it certainly is hypocritical."
"Dash tells me you wanted to be a Wonderbolt like her. Going in for that diagnosis and getting it printed in the media, must have really stung."
"I wanted to race, ma'am."
"Hmm. I'm starting a guest lecture series for the first week of classes here. I would like you to come in and tell the cadets your story."
"Commander! I doubt I could teach anything to Wonderbolt Academy students. I'm not in their league."
"You wanted to be but couldn't. But you landed on your hooves to strive out somewhere else. If it weren't for some chance quirk of nature I'm sure you'd be right there in the audience from what Lieutenant Dash had told me."
"She talks about me? To you?" I catch her grinning but Spitfire calls her to attention.
"She goes on and on about your racing career and how she taught you everything you know. Frankly it's a relief from her talking about herself."
"I'm really just starting out, Commander. I don't think I'd have a lot to say."
"Really? Bookies in Las Pegasus have you placing close to or even beating the the favorite, this Blithe Skim."
"You've really done your homework!"
"This is the Wonderbolts, kid. Intelligence gathering is a primary asset. What is it, you don't think you are memorable or important enough?" She holds up a yellowing newspaper clipping with a familiar photograph. A copy hangs framed in our living room. "Do you think ponies forgot about this? Inspirational story of the 'flightless' pegasus who carried the flag for Ponyville in the first Equestrian Games held in the Crystal Empire? Do you know how many papers this ran in?"
"What would I even say?"
"That's up to you. I just need these kids to strive ahead when faced with adversity, like you have. Listen, I know you wanted to come here as a cadet but unfortunately that's not possible. But you can still serve your country with this one favor. Can I count on you?"
"I'm sorry Commander, Rainbow, but I don't know if I can-"
Commander Spitfire takes off her sunglasses. "You don't have to apologize to her. You aren't here because of nepotism. This lecture was my idea. I ordered the Lieutenant to bring you here."
"Really?"
"Yes, on one condition. That you fly here under your own power. Did you?"
"Yes."
"Pretty huge feat for 'a pegasus of diminished capacity' don't you think?"
"I guess."
"The kind of challenge for someone with the heart of a Wonderbolt."
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "How much time do I have to prepare?"
"Six weeks."
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Thank you, Ms. Swallowtail. Lieutenant Dash, show Ms. Swallowtail the campus then you are dismissed for the day."
"Yes ma'am."
Once we were out of earshot Rainbow trotted in place. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! You did great Scootaloo! I'm so proud of you!"
She swoops me up in a tight hug. I should be over Luna's moon with excitement right now. I should be fangirling all over the place. I mean I met Spitfire and she chose ME for a kind of important mission. I've got kind of mixed emotions. After all, I've got homework for the first time in years. But Rainbow's mood is kind of infectious.
"Yeah. Thanks for talking me down big sister."