//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 - From the Ground Up // Story: Rising Above // by Quick Fix //------------------------------// April 16th Ponyville was basking in the light of a beautiful spring morning, the pleasant warmth bringing everypony outside for a day of fun and bonding. Apple Bloom was out among them, making the most of the day before she went to open up her shop for the day. After what she had been through the last few months, it was nice to get back to a normal routine, even if she was limping slightly with her leg bandaged up to get there. That was a long story though, one she'd rather not remember right now though. First things first, she wanted to catch up with Scootaloo. It was a simple walk, but one that Apple Bloom used to simply look around, taking in the sights of everypony just enjoying themselves. It was funny, there was such a thin line that kept them so safe and happy. She didn't envy the ponies that constantly had to sit on the other side of the line for their sakes but they had her infinite respect, especially those she knew. She shook the thought from her head and continued on, those bad memories were just that now. As Apple Bloom finally reached her destination, she saw Scootaloo out on the front lawn, putting her gear on and giving her scooter a check over. The closer she got, the more Apple Bloom noticed that the scooter had undergone some modifications. The handlebars were much lower down, the rear end had been widened and all the edges had been rounded off, the overall effect was a little strange but admittedly professional looking. She could ask why later, it had been almost four months since they had last seen each other and she wasn't ready to wait a minute longer. "Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom called, finally running up and hugging her friend from behind. Scootaloo stumbled slightly but stayed upright, looking round and grinning broadly at the sight. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo managed to turn herself around and returned the hug, grateful to have another friendly face back around. "How's my little buddy been?" "I'm still only two months younger than you, you know." Apple Bloom retorted, though she was grinning just as much. "As for me, the usual you'd expect for a Ponyville resident. Exploring the wilds, facing rouge unicorns, probably saving Equestria. That's why my leg's like this. You?" "A bit more subdued but the same usual. Motivating ponies, landing myself in the hospital, realising I actually can fly. That sort of thing. Before you ask, yes, that explains my eye." "I wasn't going t...wait, something happened to your eye?" Apple Bloom waited as Scootaloo removed her goggles, showing off her injury. She winced slightly at the sight of the scar but otherwise didn't react, both of them had always just assumed that Scootaloo would end up being the one that this sort of thing happened to. "Does it hurt?" "Not anymore, I can still see pretty well out of it as well." "Glad to hear it. Just as important though, you can fly? For real?" Apple Bloom stepped back as Scootaloo spread her wings and took off, doing a lap round the house. The moment she landed, Apple Bloom cheered in approval, bouncing slightly in excitement at the sight of her friend exceling any goal she had set all those years ago. Scootaloo blushed slightly at the approval, almost embarrassed to get such a strong reaction. "Thanks, it took some getting used to but I'm an okay flyer now. I had to adjust the scooter to keep using it with my wings like this though, trying before lead to my injury," She looked away slightly before perking up as a thought came to her. "Hey, I was setting up for a ride into town. You want to come along?" "Just like old times, I could use the lift to my shop." Apple Bloom smiled and nodded, waiting as Scootaloo went into her scooter shed and rummaged round, bringing out a spare helmet and ski equipment like they used when they were fillies. "Feels like forever since we've used these, when was the last time?" "That Crusader day trip to Appleloosa...Do you think they've forgiven us for that orchard fire?" "I don't know, I couldn't even figure out how it happened, all I remember is the tree sap." The two of them couldn't help but chuckle at the memory before Scootaloo passed the helmet to Apple Bloom and fitted the ropes to the back of the scooter. With everything attached securely, she climbed on board and gripped the handlebars, rear end raised as she planted her hooves on the wider edges at the back. "All set! " Apple Bloom called from behind her, hooves fitted into the skis as she picked up the tow rope in her mouth and bit down. "Alright, time to make the road mine again." Scootaloo fitted her goggles back in place and spread her wings, feeling the familiar rush as she took off at a pace. She'd been working on finding this new position and adjusting the scooter for it since she got home, now it was paying off as she felt at ease while riding for the first time since she'd taken flight. As they rode into Ponyville, Scootaloo picked up speed a little, feeling her confidence grow again. She recognised the patterns of ponies walking the streets, bobbing and weaving her way through the crowds, leaving enough space for Apple Bloom to follow her through the gaps as they appeared. Her ears twitched in the wind, catching the sounds of ponies noticing their presence, many of them enjoying the sight of a professional...No, an artist, at her craft. Time to step it up for them. She could see two options for a little showboating, on the left was one of the bridges across the river, a longer route and maybe a tamer one. Closer on the right was an upturned cart, the old classic for a ramp, that would take them across with enough air. The sight filled her with...Dread? Scootaloo tensed up, flashes of that February night rushing through her mind. The instinct to stop flooded her, fear coursing through her veins, her eyes locked up as she fought just to keep moving. Some small part of her mind knew that this could be worked around, even if today wasn't that day, that she had another option today. Her balance shifted and she went for the bridge, an idea coming together as her mind started to relax again. It wasn't too difficult, which was a plus considering how tense she was now. As she got close, her hoof pushed off the ground, kicking her into the air and bringing the scooter down on the stone edge, grinding along the small arch. Only then did an afterthought come to her; Apple Bloom. She had pretty much no control back there and the stone orbs at each end of the bridge looked...Painfully solid. There wasn't much that could be done about it as things were. The thing was, Scootaloo remembered, things weren't the same as they used to be. "Hang on!" She called back before wrapping a leg around the bars and shifting her torso back. The next flap pushed her vertically up and over the orb, time seeming to slow down as she tucked her back legs up to make sure she'd clear the gap. Another flap to put some extra height in and real time speed kicked back in, her speed trailing off as she dropped her grip and resumed the riding position. Gravity kicked back in and she came down wheels first, her body absorbing the landing shock before dropping back into place. A quick glance back showed the rope was still doing it's job, whipping Apple Bloom up and letting her clear the decoration, just. Scootaloo finally took a breath and let herself slow down, figuring both of them had pushed it a little hard back there. Her wings folded back in once Apple Bloom had landed and she settled for cruising, letting the tension wear down along with the adrenaline. A few minutes of riding later, she pulled up to a stop outside the carpentry shop and looked back. "That...Was a ride." Apple Bloom finally said, pulling her helmet off and wiping the sweat away. She'd forgotten just how intense those rides could get when she wasn't in control, as nice a wake up as it was it had been extra taxing with her bad leg. "Sorry about that, I was in the zone." Scootaloo stepped off and sat down for a breather, smiling over at Apple Bloom. "Were you? I would have thought you'd have gone for the ramp." "Normally, yeah." Scootaloo raised her goggles and pointed at her eye as a reminder. Apple Bloom opened her mouth to comment but decided against it, gathering up her things and passing them back over. "Just like old times though, right?" "Of course, I didn't realise just how much I missed it," Scootaloo smiled softly and raised her hoof. Apple Bloom smiled in return and hoofbumped her. "Thanks, for everything between us all." "Hey, Cutie Mark Crusaders forever." Apple Bloom grinned and waved farewell, heading off to open up her shop for the day. Scootaloo watched her go with a smile before gathering the ski gear onto her scooter, thinking over the run she'd just made. There was still some hesitation and weakness, but everypony had those moments in their talents, nothing that couldn't be overcome again. With things settled down again, she could focus on getting back to her passion, performing daring stunts for the entertainment of ponies everywhere. Some parts would need to be redone from the ground up, but she'd done it all once before, what was another small learning curve? With that settled, Scootaloo remounted her scooter and set off for home at a casual pace. Once all these things were back in place safely, then it was time for the real business of the day, she'd been waiting on a reply about this since she'd got home and today was the day when it could happen. Just one more pony she had to give her thanks to. And it was the one she was looking forward to most.