//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: A Scootaloo Story 
// by Golden Tassel 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash was flying. She was soaring around the sky so fast that all anypony could see of her was the rainbow streak she left in her wake.

Scootaloo, along with her friends Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, and most of the rest of Ponyville, was watching Rainbow Dash do a practice run for a routine she would be performing at the upcoming Cloudsdale Sky Rally. While Rainbow Dash's movements were too fast to follow for most of her audience, Scootaloo could see her perfectly. The young filly had learned how to watch her idol. Unlike the other spectators, she didn't try to follow Rainbow Dash with her eyes alone, and while Dash zoomed across everypony else's field of vision, Scootaloo was already turning her whole body, hopping around to follow Rainbow Dash. She never once lost sight.

Scootaloo could see every move that Rainbow Dash made in the air: the beats of her wings, the way she alternately tucked her legs in or stretched them out to change her drag and center of mass, even the way her rainbow mane and tail rippled behind her. It was all crystal clear to the young filly.

Rainbow Dash made a close pass along the ground, a move met with raucous applause. The gust of wind that followed her swept up a number of fliers that had been posted around. One of these fliers landed in Scootaloo's face so she couldn't see Rainbow Dash's next stunt. After pulling the flier off her face, Scootaloo had a look at it. "Junior Stuntpony Competition," it read. It was advertising an event being held next month in Manehattan, an event for young ponies like Scootaloo to show off their moves and compete for prizes.

"Sweetie Belle! Applebloom! Look at this!" Scootaloo called to her friends and showed them the flier. Her small wings buzzed with excitement.

"But Scootaloo, don't you do stunts all the time around here?" asked Applebloom. "Why would you want to go all the way to Manehattan to do them?"

"Because look at the first place prize: two VIP tickets to a Wonderbolt show!" answered Scootaloo. "I can totally win that, easy. Rainbow Dash loves the Wonderbolts, so I know she'll want to go with me when I offer her the other ticket."

Scootaloo read further down the page and then her excited grin faded. "Oh. Except there's a registration fee, and the deadline to register is in two weeks."

"Can't you just ask your parents for that?" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Now, Sweetie Belle," Applebloom said as she shifted her tone to a mock imitation of her sister's often stern demeanor. "It ain't right to just go asking for handouts all the time. A filly's gotta know the importance of hard work and earning the things you want." She perked up as an idea came to her. "I know! All three of us can work together to find a way to make enough money to pay for the registration fee, and maybe we'll find our cutie marks in the process."

All three of them then cheered out in unison, "Cutie Mark Crusader Entrepreneurs!"