To Scoot, Perchance to Dream

by TenderTalons

Chapter 2

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“Guys! Guys! Oh my gosh, have you seen, have you seen?” Scootaloo stormed into the CMC clubhouse with a look of excitement strewn across her face and her eyes beaming.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were resting across from each other on the wood floor doing homework. Upon hearing Scootaloo rush inside, both turned to face her.

“Seen what?” questioned Sweetie Belle. “What's that magazine you're pulling from your bag?”

“Only the best magazine in all of Equestria! It's Extreme Ponies Quarterly. They show off all kinds of amazing things ponies do all over the country! Earth ponies that skydive, Pegasi that scuba dive, unicorns that skateboard, and a great new competition that's coming soon. See?”

She threw the magazine in front of the two resting fillies and it flew open to a two-page advertisement for an extreme sports competition called the Equine Xtreme Games, or EX Games for short. In it there were descriptions of all the sports that would be on display. Skating, gymkhana, but best of all...

“Scooter riding! Can you believe it? I didn't even know it was a real sport until I found this magazine today.”

“That's great, Scootaloo! But why're ya so excited about it? It's not coming ta town fer months.”

“That's just it, Apple Bloom. I've got lot's of time to train for the Amateur Youth Scooter contest. I know I can only get better with practice and you guys can help me!”

“You mean you want to enter the competition? But how are you going to do that? The EX Games don't know who you are,” Sweetie remarked.

Scootaloo pointed to the bottom right of the advertisement where an official entry form was printed, still blank. “I can tell them who I am, or better yet, I can show them! The entry form says I can send in pictures or video to tell my story and earn a spot in the contest of my choice. So what do you say? Will you guys help me find a camera and film me?”

“Of course, Scootaloo! This will be great! Gather around, girls.” Sweetie motioned with her forehooves for the girls to make a circle.

Suddenly, and in perfect unison, the three shouted at the tops of their lungs, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER EXTREME SPORTS EQUINES, YAY!”

Just as they did, Applejack was walking past with full baskets of apples on either side of her. Though she was anxious to drop off the freshly picked fruit and continue her daily work, the yell of the three fillies couldn't help but catch the farm girl's attention. Applejack set the baskets down and called out towards the clubhouse.

“'Ay Crusaders! What's all that fracas, ah' mean ruckus, ah' mean... What're ya'll doin' up there?”

Apple Bloom stuck her head out of the window closest to her sister's call. “Hiya sis! We were just making plans ta help Scootaloo.”

“Yeah!” chimed the pony in question. “I found out that scooter riding is a real sport and I'm going to enter a competition that's coming to Equestria.”

“That so? What kinda competition has scooter riding?” Applejack made her way up to the front door of the clubhouse so they wouldn't have to yell at one another.

“It's called the EX Games. Ponies from all over Equestria enter every year and do all kinds of things like freestyle carriage riding, water skiing, cloud wrestling...”

“Well now all that sounds a might dangerous, don'tchya think Scootaloo?”

“Maybe, but I really love riding my scooter as fast as I can. Haven't you seen me ride through town? Jumping over ponies, weaving in and out between carts during market...”

“Ah have, and can't help but think what a silly filly you're bein' doin' all that. You ain't broken anything yet, either on yourself or somepony else, but it don't exactly inspire much confidence with you whippin' around like that.”

“Well I guess I could find some way to practice somewhere outside of town, but for now I wanted to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you possibly, maybe, have a camera we could borrow? I need pictures or video to send in with my entry form for the competition.”

“Why, sure I do! It's been in the Apple family for generations.”

“We usually use it ta take pictures fer birthdays and holidays,” Apple Bloom added.

“That's right, little sis. I'll let ya'll borrow it on one condition.”

“Name it!” Scootaloo exclaimed. 'I never thought it would be so easy to get a camera. I'm glad I asked!'

“Don't use it anywhere in town. I want ya to have exciting pictures ta send off, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the ponyfolk's safety or your own. Got it?”

“GOT IT!” the Crusaders excitedly agreed.

“Well, alright then. Follow me girls and we'll get ya that camera.”

Applejack and the CMC left the clubhouse and headed towards the barn, AJ grabbing her full baskets of apples on the way. Behind the barn, near the cellar doors, was a shed that held a lot of tools the Apple family didn't use much anymore. AJ dropped her baskets outside of the shed and opened the door.

As the door swung open a plume of dust caused the four ponies to cough and sputter. Inside, the equipment was covered in thick layers of dust and spider webs. Once the cloud cleared Applejack grabbed the camera from its place on a shelf near the door with her teeth. She swung it around and the tripod legs that were attached snapped into place. She gently dropped the camera onto the ground once the legs had opened so she could proudly show off the one piece of high technology the Apple family owned.

“Here it is girls! One gen-u-ine camera ready for your extreme scootin' needs!” The device was still covered in dust and was very old, as evidenced by the sagging accordion attachment between the lens and viewfinder. “In fact, this camera might be one ah the first ones ever made here in Ponyville. Ah think Granny Smith bought it all those years ago once she made enough money with the farm.”

“Yeah, it kind of looks like it,” Scootaloo said without thinking. Apple Bloom nudged her in the side as a reminder to be polite. “OW! I mean, uh, yeah! It looks cool, if a little old. Are you sure it still works?”

“Sure I'm sure! If you fillies stand there in front of it, ah'll take a picture of ya'll to prove it. There you go. Now stand perfectly still, o.k.? Big smiles and on the count'a three I'll take it. One, two, THREE!”

A blinding flash of light hit the three fillies and stunned them. The camera did its best to actually take a photo, but upon AJ's squeezing of the bulb trigger it fell apart completely. The bulb flash was the old machine's last hurrah and it fell in a pile of rusted metal mish-mash onto the grass.

“Cornsakes! Granny Smith'll be awful upset when she hears about this. I thought I did everything the way she did...”

“That's too bad, Applejack,” Scootaloo replied with just a hint of relief in her tone. “We couldn't have used it anyway, since we would have had to stay completely still. That's no good for the kind of high-motion action shots we need it for!”

“I know!” Sweetie Belle's voice cracked. “Rarity has a really nice camera she uses to take pictures of her finished designs to send to local stores. I'll be she'll let us use it.”

“Well, sorry I couldn't be more help ta ya'll. Good luck Scootaloo. I hope you find a way to enter that EX Games. Just be careful, ya hear?”

“Thanks for your help Applejack, see you later!” The CMC quickly took their leave and headed into town. Rarity still had the Carousel Boutique open for a few hours yet. The late afternoon sun started to fall, covering the sky in warm orange and purple tones. It would soon be night and the girl's were beginning to get anxious to start their new assignment.

Comments

[tubaguy]

my god.
an X-games fanfic?
fuckin awesome.
and did that say gymkhana? how in..?