Flight Camp Memories
Scootaloo woke up one morning in her room at the castle, yawning and crawling out of her bed. She ventured out into the hallway, the corners of her mouth turning up as she started flapping her wings. She shot down the hall, zipping past Spike’s room so fast that the creaking door swung wide open. She looked back, letting out a childish snicker, and gave another strong flap. In seconds, she was in the dining room, fluttering to a landing in one of the chairs. “Morning, everypony!”
On another side of the table, Boltsinger sat next to a filled high chair, a spoon held in his wing. “Good morning, Scoot.” He opened his mouth wide, taking a scoop of the mashed carrots in front of him and bringing it towards Nova with a strange noise coming from his throat.
“Honey, you’re making faces!” Twilight called from the kitchen.
Boltsinger turned his attention to the kitchen door, giving the approaching mare a sour look while the foal clamped his mouth down on the business end of the spoon. “Well, how else am I gonna get him to open his mouth?”
Twilight made her way into the dining room, floating in a simple breakfast and dishing some up for everyone. “Good morning, Scootaloo! How’d you sleep?”
Scootaloo happily buzzed her wings, gratefully accepting the plate. “Great! I’ve really been looking forward to my flight lessons today!”
“Oh, you have been, huh?” Boltsinger started, resting his elbow on the table. He looked over to Twilight, quirking his eyebrow. “Should we tell her?”
“I think we should wait for Spike to get here, first.” The Princess suggested. “He’ll want to hear this, too.”
Scootaloo tilted her head, wondering what they meant. “What about Spike? Is he doing something special, or something?”
Twilight’s face lit up with realization as she finished off a morsel in her mouth. “That’s right, you’ve been doing so much with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, lately, that you’ve hardly seen him, haven’t you?”
Boltsinger snickered as the carrot-filled spoon found its mark again. “He’s a little different these days.”
“What are you talking about?” the filly inquired.
A crash in the hall behind her answered her question. Spike’s screams followed soon after, leading to another crash just outside the door. Scootaloo turned around to see some of the ceiling crystals laying on the floor. “Darn it, still not used to flying in closed spaces…” Upon hearing the word ‘flying’, her gaze slowly rose, finding Spike hovering above the floor, a brand new pair of wings flapping on his back. He dropped to the floor, dusting himself off and entering the dining room. “Guess I’ll just stick to walking when I’m in the castle for now.”
Scootaloo’s gaze followed the dragon as he casually walked in and sat down next to her. “Spike… When did you get wings?!”
“Since I molted a week ago.” he stated, accepting a plate of breakfast from Twilight. “I’ve been practicing my flying since then. You didn’t notice?”
“No, Apple Bloom has been really focused on finding Applejack a special somepony.” She explained. “Between that, school, and helping ponies with their Cutie Marks, I don’t get much down time.” She turned her attention back to the adult ponies in the room, getting a curious gleam in her eye. “So, what was it you two wanted to tell me?”
As Nova eagerly swallowed the last spoonful of his breakfast, Boltsinger faced the filly. “So, we’ve been talking with Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and your aunts about how your flying has been going. Rainbow says that you’ve been exceeding even her expectations.”
“I suggested that you might benefit from formal lessons alongside other foals.” Twilight added, raising a hoof. “That way you can all learn from each other.”
The gleam in Scootaloo’s eye changed a bit as she scrunched up her face, tilting her confused head. “Oooookay… What did Rainbow Dash say?”
“Why don’t you ask her?” Twilight said, pointing at the door.
Boltsinger raised his hooves to his muzzle, taking a deep breath. “YOU’RE UP!” He bellowed, sending the noise all the way into the foyer.
Right on cue, the front doors burst open with rainbow and brown streaks flying into the room. Rainbow Dash hovered over the table next to a brown and white Griffon with a shade of purple over her yellow eyes. They each looked down at Scootaloo and Spike with a cocky smirk, rising into the air. “You better get ready, squirt, because...” Rainbow began, smirking at her Griffon friend.
Rainbow and the Griffon each raised their forelegs high. “Junior Speedsters are our lives!” They rose higher into the air. “Soaring stunts…” They followed up with a swift dive just over the table. “... and daring dives!” They returned to their starting position, pumping a foreleg each. “Junior Speedsters, it’s our quest…” They spun in place, raising a hoof and claw as high as they could without directly ascending. “... to someday be THE VERY BEST!!!”
Scootaloo’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at what she had just seen. Certainly, she had seen the Wonderbolt perform more elaborate stunts, but something was different this time. The implications placed before her were clear, and a whistle-like squee began to build up from within her as the baby began to laugh hysterically.
Boltsinger started a slow clap of his hooves as Rainbow Dash and her friend took a seat. “Excellent intro, you two.” He brought his attention fully on the Griffon. “So, Gilda, what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Scootaloo’s squee grew in volume as the Griffon dished up a plate of the breakfast. “Pretty much the same thing we just did for the squirt, here. I’m helping a friend’s little sister get on her way to--"
“JUNIOR SPEEDSTER’S FLIGHT CAMP!!!” Scootaloo screamed, going into a squee so high in pitch that Twilight began magically holding the plates on the table in place so they wouldn’t break.
Boltsinger dove over the table, putting his hoof over the scqueeing Filly’s mouth and patting her back. “Calm down, Scootaloo. Yes, you’re going to flight camp. And that’s really cool. Just…” He directed her attention at Nova, who was beginning a fuss. “We don’t want to overdo it, okay?”
Scootaloo’s squee stopped entirely as she slowly nodded in understanding. Boltsinger removed his hoof, revealing a large smile on the filly’s face. “Sorry, I just can’t believe I’m going to the same flight camp as my idol!”
“Pretty sweet, huh?” Rainbow boasted, crossing her forelegs.
The orange filly nodded emphatically. “You have no idea!”
Boltsinger chuckled, giving his former flight student a little squeeze of a hug. “I look forward to hearing all about it.” As his hug retreated, he looked down at the floor. “Just… watch yourself, Scoot.”
Scootaloo reached her wing out to pat Boltsinger on the side, letting him see her confident grin. “Don’t worry, Bolt, I’ve got this!”
Twilight smiled and looked over at her faithful assistant. “Besides, it’s not like she’ll be going alone.”
Spike took a long look back at his oldest friend, slowly swallowing his latest morsel. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re going, too, Spike!” she declared, happily flapping her wings.
Spike’s jaw and fork dropped in unison as he let out a few scraps of sound. He stood up in his chair, digging his foot into the cushion and standing his ground. “What?! Why do I have to go to a flight camp for foals?!”
Twilight rolled her eyes, pulling the purple reptile in and leaning close to his ear. “Even Rainbow Dash faced a lot of hurtful teasing from the other foals when she went there. It’d be nice if Scootaloo had some backup.”
A knowing grin slid into Spike’s face as he looked over at the filly. “Okay, I can get behind that.”
Boltsinger smirked, leaning in towards Scootaloo for a whisper of his own. “Just letting you know, Spike thinks he’s going just to be your backup. We know you can handle yourself, but… try to humor him a little, okay?”
Scootaloo nodded, eyeing the dragon’s newest appendages. “Got it. Should I give him some flying advice while I’m at it?”
“Anything that’ll help him stop making such a mess of the castle would be great.” he confirmed.
Spike and Scootaloo walked into a large, open area full of clouds. There were Pegasus foals flying around all over the place, rings of cloud floating in various places that some of the faster flyers flippantly flew through. Spike's steps were slow and careful, constantly looking down to try and make certain of his footing. “This is weird… Not used to walking on clouds yet.”
“Really?” Scootaloo started, casting the dragon a curious look. “Didn’t you try it when you first started flying?”
Spike sent a flat look back, holding a wing up with his claw. “I’ve only had these things for a week. I’m still trying to get used to flying, let alone walking on something that’s not even solid.”
“Well, at least you had an easy time getting off the balloon.” She looked back the way they had come, waving her hoof as if to be on someone along. “Gloria! Come on! It’s awesome here!”
“Aww, fine… Coming!” a songbird-like soprano called. A young female Griffon with bold goldenrod fur, darker gold wings, and pure white feathers on her head that were tied into low pigtails walked up to them. She looked around the area with her green eyes, a sense of uncertainty making itself obvious in her expression as she spotted the flying ponies. “I don’t know why Gilda insists this place is so cool… Looks like a lot of hard flying…”
Scootaloo smirked, putting her hoof around the fledgling. “Don’t worry about it! Sure it looks difficult, but that’s part of the fun!” She began buzzing her wings, lifting off and turning to face her. “Besides, I’ll be here with you the whole time! We can all improve together!”
“You sure?” Gloria asked, spreading her wings. Scootaloo gave her a definitive nod, extending her hoof. The little Griffon smiled, flapping her wings to flutter up to her. “Okay! Let’s--” A yellow streak flew between the two young flyers, sending both of them spinning out. Scootaloo, having practiced recovery with her idol, immediately flared her wings and skidded to a halt. She looked over at Gloria, who was spinning out of control into a nearby cloud, landing in what looked to be an explosion of fluff.
“Gloria!” the Crusader exclaimed, rushing to her new friend’s side. Her eyes were wobbling back and forth as she regained her equilibrium. “Are you okay?” Gloria shook the dizziness from her head, giving a soft, stable nod. Scootaloo glared at the pony that passed them, rushing over to her and catching her by the haunches. “Hey! What was that for?!”
The streak stopped, revealing a pale yellow-coated Pegasus filly with a blown back mane and tail in alternating shades of green. She had bright red eyes, and a noticeably blank flank. She examined the pony that confronted her, looking back at the other two she had come with. As her eyes fell on the dizzy Griffon and the dragon that walked far too carefully to be comfortable. “Didn’t see you there, ‘bud’. Was probably going too fast to see!” She pulled back, letting her smile turn into a smirk. “Name’s Goldenrod. I hope to see more of you three, soon!” She performed a mock salute, flying off into the distance.
Spike shakily flew over to Scootaloo, eyeing the fleeing filly. “What’s her deal?”
Scootaloo sighed, returning to Gloria’s side. “I don’t know…”
Gloria rose into the air beside Scootaloo, following her gaze. “Well, she called you ‘bud’, maybe she wants to be friends?”
“I don’t know…” the Pegasus replied, squinting at the streak. “There’s something about how she said it…”
“Okay, is everypony here?” a stallion wearing a coach’s outfit asked, looking around. He had a fiery orange and white mane and tail in a puffed up and blown-back style, with a white coat and purple eyes. The field around him was full of Pegasus fillies and colts, some flying about, while others were running into place. Scootaloo, Spike, and Gloria finally walked up to the back of the group. The stallion cleared his throat, prompting the foals to straighten up, land, and give him their attention. “All right, my little ponies, let’s settle down!” He gave the crowd a smile. “Now, my name is Fire Streak, and I’d like to welcome you to Junior Speedsters flight camp! During your week here, we’re going to take your wings and turn them into speed machines! By the time you go home, your parents will have to come here just to learn how to keep up!” The foals all burst into cheers, save for Spike, who simply crossed his arms.
Scootaloo looked over at the huffing dragon, putting her hoof on his shoulder. “Why aren’t you excited? We’re gonna be learning from Fire Streak! A former Wonderbolt!”
“I don’t know… Guess I’m just embarrassed to be in a camp with a bunch of foals…” he admitted, letting his arms dangle at his sides again.
Scootaloo gave him an understanding nod. “Yeah, we’re both a little older than most of the ponies here, but just think of the things we’ll get to do here!”
Spike smiled back at her, remembering the mission Twilight had given him. “Yeah, we’re gonna do fine.”
“Mister Fire Streak, I have a question!” a voice in the crowd announced, a yellow hoof rising from the gathering.
Fire Streak smiled at the statement, pointing his wing at her. “Yes! Goldenrod, right? Ask away!”
“This is a pony flight camp, right?” the yellow filly asked.
Fire Streak nodded. “Yes, but we’ve had other creatures, namely Griffons, attend as well.”
Goldenrod grimaced, looking back at the orange filly and her friends. “Have you ever had dragons?”
The ex-Wonderbolt rubbed his mane with his hoof. “No, I don’t believe we have.” He went into a low hover, spotting the dragon in the back.”But I’m certainly happy to see him! Welcome to flight camp, Spike!” He waved a friendly hoof as the other campers turned to stare at him. Spike shrank into himself, his face turning red as he waved at the group.
Goldenrod smirked at the purple reptile, rising up to clearly point his way. “But why would a dragon even need to be here? Don’t they learn with their own kind?”
Spike took a proud stance, putting his fists on his hips. “Most dragons, do, but I’m not most dragons!” He looked directly at the berating filly with a smile. “I’m here by request of Princess Twilight!”
Eyes widened all around with several comments being passed around. Goldenrod’s wings began to slow down, returning to the clouds below. “Princess Twilight, huh?”
“Well, that’s quite a feat!” Fire Streak exclaimed. He put up a hoof, directing the young ponies to quiet down. “Anyway, it’s time to assign bunk mates!”
Scootaloo dropped her saddlebag next to a bed of clouds with a disgruntled expression plastered on her face. She looked behind her, where Goldenrod was pulling out her own belongings. So after promising Gloria that I had her back, I get bunked with someone else? How fair is that? And why am I with her?! I swear, I’d have had a better time bunking with a tree... She sighed, heading for the door. “I’m going on ahead. Don’t linger too long, okay?”
“Got it.” Goldenrod replied. As the aerial Crusader made her way out the door, she heard the thud of something hard hitting the nightstand. “Now, you be good, and give me a lot of data about the new environment, okay?”
Scootaloo finally heard the sound of flapping coming up on her as Goldenrod flew up to her. “What was that about?” The orange filly started to look back to the room, finding herself gripped in the yellow filly’s hooves, forcing her attention at her angry face as it shifted into a nasty smirk.
Goldenrod swiftly flew ahead of the purple-eyed Pegasus, performing an aileron roll as she went. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be flying here at flight camp?! And why are you so much bigger than all the other campers, ‘bud’? Did you only learn to fly last year?”
The unknowing accuracy of the teasing sent Scootaloo back a few steps. “What makes you think that? I’ve been flying for a long time, now!” she asked, her expression betraying her words.
Goldenrod huffed. “Yeah, whatever you say ‘bud’! I know a late bloomer when I see it!” She buzzed her wings, shooting off towards their destination. “See you later, ‘bud’!”
“So how many of you campers can tell me what this device is?” Fire Streak inquired, pointing his wing at the fan-like contraption next to him.
Spike raised his claw, drawing the eyes of the other campers. “That’s an anemometer! Something to measure wingpower when you fly past it!”
“Thank you, Spike, that’s absolutely right!” the stallion confirmed. “Would you like to give us a demonstration?”
The dragon puffed out his chest, stepping up to the designated starting line. He hunched over onto all fours, spreading his wings wide. “It’s simple, you just do this!” He leapt forward, flapping as hard as he could to take off full speed down the track. He sped by the anemometer, causing the fan to rapidly rotate. He came to a stop on the other side, fluttering back over to the device and reading the measurement. “Hm. Five point eight wingpower, huh? Not what I was expecting, but I am still new at this.”
Fire Streak patted his bipedal camper on the back. “That’s a fine wingpower, Spike. I’m sure Princess Twilight would be proud!” He looked out at the gathering young ones with a grin. “So, who wants to go next?”
“I’ll go!” Goldenrod declared, hovering above the group.
The former Wonderbolt beamed. “I like your initiative, Goldenrod! Step right up to the line!”
Goldenrod did as instructed, stepping up, hunching over, and moving her tail ever so slightly to conceal her flank. She took a quiet, yet deep breath, buzzing her wings and shooting off. Like the dragon before her, she zipped past the anemometer, triggering a fast spin from the mechanism. Spike took a look at the reading, then looked happily at the filly. “6.0 wingpower!”
“Excellent!” Fire Streak exclaimed. “You’ve got some powerful wings for somepony your size!” Goldenrod remained in her hover, putting her hooves on her hips. “So, who’s next?”
As Fire Streak’s question ended, he saw that Scootaloo had already stepped up to the start line. Her wings had already started buzzing as she took her stance. “That was nice, but I’ll show you how it’s really done!”
With as much force as she could muster, Scootaloo rocketed forward, leaving behind an orange streak in the air. The fan of the anemometer spun wildly as the dragon examining it was sent spinning by the turbulence. Fire Streak ran to the device to get a reading, recoiling his head from what he saw. “10.0 wingpower?! That’s amazing for someone your age!”
Goldenrod’s wings immediately clung to her sides, dropping her down to the cloud in a slump. “How did you…?”
Scootaloo landed next to Spike, rubbing her neck. “I had a pretty good teacher.”
Spike sat up, regaining his balance. “Just a ‘good teacher’? You’re working with Rai--” Scootaloo reached forward, covering Spike’s mouth with her hoof as he muffled his next few words.
“Yeah, just a ‘good teacher’!” she confirmed, nodding nervously. “Really good teacher!”
“That’s not fair! You’re already bigger than everyone else here!” Goldenrod declared, pointing an accusing hoof at the Crusader. “Of course your wings are more powerful than everyone else’s!”
“Now, Goldenrod, she may be a little older, but she has just as much experience as you do in flying.” their instructor pointed out. “From what I’ve been told, Scootaloo had some pretty weak wings until roughly a year ago. The fact that she’s made it so far in such a time is quite a feat, and Junior Speedsters flight camp doesn’t discriminate just because she took a little longer to lift off than the rest of you, understand?”
“Yes, sir…” the accusing filly responded, hanging her head.
Fire Streak gave her a firm nod, taking another look back at the other campers. “Good. Now who is up next?”
“Still a misfit, though…” she resentfully muttered.
“Um… I think I can go next!” Gloria called, raising her claw. She stepped forward, fluffing her wings in preparation. “Might as well get it over with, now…” She jumped forward and flapped her wings as hard as she could, moving ahead as fast as she could. Unlike the flyers that had preceded her, Gloria’s flaps were… slow. She put forth as much effort as she could, but the strain in her movements was clear. After several seconds, she finally passed the anemometer, causing it to rotate a grand total of three times.
Fire Streak gave the Griffon a wide-eyed look, slowly turning his gaze to the readings below. “That was very good, Gloria, you have… Oh my…” He swallowed a lump in his throat, taking a preparatory breath. “You have… 0.7 wingpower, Gloria.” The Griffon in question stared back at the white stallion, her beak hanging open. “But that’s not a problem! We can work on that while you’re here!”
Goldenrod bursted out laughing, falling to the cloud and clutching her stomach. “0.7? How can you barely be able to fly when you’re a Griffon?! Isn’t your kind supposed to have bigger wings?” She soon found herself joined by the laughter of most of the other foals.
Gloria fell to the clouds, covering her head with her talons while the ponies all laughed. Her eyes were closed, with pools of water forming at the corners of them. Scootaloo ran to the Griffon, putting her hoof on her shoulder and glaring at the other ponies. As she opened her mouth to speak, Gloria rose to her feet, glowering fiercely at those that laughed at her. She took a massive breath, jutting her head forward and letting out a loud noise that combined an eagle’s shriek and a lion’s roar, blowing back a great many manes and stopping the laughing entirely. She turned around, bolting away as fast as her legs would take her.
“Gloria, wait!” Scootaloo called out, reaching in her direction. She sent one more glare at the blank-flanked filly that instigated the teasing, letting out a snort and galloping off after her. She found her way to the tents, looking around. “Gloria! Hey, Gloria! Where are you?!” She continued along, looking into each of the tents to see if she could find her feathered friend. When she passed the one she shared with the pony that had started the cruel treatment, she noticed a tiny evergreen tree that bore needles instead of leaves in a pot on the nightstand. She looked curiously at it for a moment, then snorted once more. I guess I am bunking with a tree… She shrugged it off, continuing on her way until she heard a high, sad melody on the wind. She followed the song a ways, leading her to a gap behind two tents, where she found the creature she sought sitting on the clouds, beautifully belting out her song with tears in her eyes. Scootaloo let her expression go soft as she approached, sitting next to her and listening until the song broke down. “You okay?”
Gloria wiped her eyes, turning to see Scootaloo’s sympathetic face. “I'm fine… I’m a Griffon. I’m used to teasing…”
“I’ve had my share of teasing, too.” the Pegasus assured her, putting her hoof on her back. “That doesn’t stop it from hurting, though.”
The fledgling sniffed up an encroaching sob, trying and failing to put on a tough front. “I know… I wasn’t expecting ponies to be so mean… Gilda always said that the ponies she knew were all super nice, and I wouldn’t have anything to worry about… but… but…”
“You don’t have anything to worry about!” she interjected. “Because I’ve got your back! Besides, Fire Streak has a great point! Sure, your wingpower is low, but we can work on that! Fire Streak is a professional, and my own flight lessons were all about building up wingpower! You want to get off the ground? We’ve got you covered. No amount of teasing can stop that!”
Gloria smiled at her newest friend, giving her a soft nod. “Okay… I’ll do my best!”
Over the next few days, a routine was established. The nights were a mix of peaceful sleep and some kind of egg-headed rambling from Goldenrod. Something about roots and needles and all that. Every morning after breakfast was an activity to exercise the wings, where Scootaloo stuck close to her Griffon friend. Then came lunch, where Goldenrod would unleash a scathing comment at the late bloomer and the supposedly weak Griffon, joined in her laughter by a small group of foals, causing the two of them to simply ignore the commentary. They would then go between different activities, taking part in toned down versions of various Wonderbolt exercises. Each evening after dinner, Scootaloo and Spike would take Gloria out to a large training field, where the filly would create a patch of fog for her friend to disperse. With each passing day, Gloria’s abilities improved, and Goldenrod’s teasing intensified.
The fifth day of camp arrived, and Scootaloo awoke with a mild headache. Goldenrod had spent half the night once again babbling on about what she could only assume was the tree she had brought with her, and while it was beginning to tug at her curiosity, she knew she had more important things to worry about. She left the tent without a word, immediately making for the first of the day’s activities. Things went as expected, with the day’s highlight being a mock aerial relay. She immediately chose Spike and Gloria as her teammates, pitted against a team of fillies from Las Pegasus. Gloria had gone first, showing the results of her training in full as she matched her opponent’s velocity to meet with Spike. Spike, in turn, showed a dexterity that he hadn’t before camp had started, easily outclassing his opponent for the hand-off to Scootaloo, who was at the goal within seconds.
Finally, the time for dinner had come. She quickly got her meal, moving to the table where Gloria and Spike sat by themselves. “You two ready for tomorrow?”
Spike nodded confidently. “Of course! I can’t wait to see what we do!”
Scootaloo sat down next to the dragon, giving him a knowing smirk. “Even though it’s a camp for foals?”
“Hey, it’s a camp for flying, and I never realized how great it was to be able to do it myself!” he corrected, giving his wings a practice flap. He looked over to Gloria, who was poking at her food with her claws. “How about you? You ready?”
“Good question! You ready for more?” a mocking voice asked. The three of them followed the sound, seeing Goldenrod standing at the edge of the table with a disdainful smirk. “With how you fly, I can’t imagine you doing anything but spinning out!”
“I’ve gotten better…” Gloria spat, returning to state at her breakfast.
“Not good enough!” She argued. “From what I hear, we’re doing wind resistance tomorrow! Best of luck, ‘buds’!” she turned around with a stomp, strategically placing her tail over her flank as she went, and joined the line for their meal.
“Wind resistance, huh?” Gloria repeated, showing Scootaloo a hint of uncertainty. “You think I’m ready for that?”
“Don’t worry so much about that. We’re here to have fun!” Spike stated, spreading his arms. “So what if one pony laughs at you! You’re here for you, no one else!”
“Spike’s right!” the Crusader declared, looking at their recent aggressor. “One pony…” She looked harder, noting the position of Goldenrod’s tail. “... with a blank flank!” She pounded the table with her forelegs, turning to Spike. “What if she’s embarrassed because she doesn’t have her Cutie Mark?”
“What do you mean?” Spike wondered, casting the filly’s flank a glance of his own. “She just seems mean. Why would this have anything to do with her Cutie Mark?”
“We thought Diamond Tiara was simply ‘mean’ for a long time, but she was just having Cutie Mark problems, too. Besides, have you seen what she does with her tail?” she reasoned. “Only a pony who’s embarrassed by their flank does that!”
“Why are you even concerned about her?” Gloria inquired, giving the unaware yellow filly a side-eyed glare. “She hasn’t done anything to deserve it!”
“She’s a Cutie Mark Crusader.” Spike pointed out. “Helping others is just part of who she is.”
Scootaloo lit up, her Crusader instincts coming to the forefront. “Okay, then it’s settled! I’m already bunking with her, so tonight I’ll talk to her and see what her Cutie Mark problem is!”
Scootaloo sat on her bed, patting her knees with her hooves and doing some basic wing exercises. She was waiting for her bunkmate to return, a question burning at the back of her mind. Across the tent, on the nightstand, stood the little tree, pristine and beautiful. “She really does take good care of you, huh?” she asked the plant. “I can’t imagine somepony that mean taking such good care of anything… Maybe there really is a deeper issue, here, huh?”
“Who are you talking to?” Goldenrod asked, entering the tent. “Some imaginary friend?”
“Nopony, really.” Scootaloo deflected, shaking her hoof between them and looking away. “That’s a nice tree, though.”
“Isn’t it, though?” though the red-eyed filly affirmed, letting the first genuine smile Scootaloo had seen from her reveal itself. She rushed over to the tree, resting her elbows on the nightstand and her head on her hooves as she stared dreamily at it. “At first I thought it might not do so well at such an altitude, what with us being up in the clouds and all, but the constant sunshine with immediate access to life-giving rain has allowed my little bonsai to thrive like nothing I’ve ever seen! I’ve been collecting so much data on its progress, and it’s simply incredible!”
“Banzai?” the purple-eyed filly started, trying to repeat the name she heard. “Like… BANZAI!! Where you jump from really high up with nothing but a bungee cord to hold you up?”
Goldenrod scowled back at Scootaloo in a way that seemed to ask what was wrong with her. “No, bonsai. B-O-N-S-A-I. That’s the kind of tree this is! Doesn't your school teach you anything about flora?”
“I guess not…” Scootaloo replied. “So, you must really like plants.”
Goldenrod smiled, returning her attention to the evergreen in front of her. “Yeah… Ever since I saw this little guy, I’ve wanted to know everything about him and any other plants out there… I read that the study of plants is called ‘botany’, and it’s a really fascinating field! I only wish I could get a Cutie Mark for it someday…”
“Well, why wouldn’t you?” the Crusader wondered, moving to look at the tree next to her. “You’re clearly passionate about it. If it’s what you want to do with your life, then that’s all you need, right?”
“I wish it were that simple…” Goldenrod spat. “No, I doubt I’ll get the Cutie Mark I really want…”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, fluttering back over to her bed. “Not with that attitude, you won’t. What makes you think like that, anyway?”
Goldenrod let out a frustrated growl, facing the older filly and stomping on the floor, her wings as aggressively flared as she could get them. “‘Cause I’m a weather pony, born and bred! That’s all I can be! And what makes you such a Cutie Mark expert?”
Scootaloo shifted herself to show off her haunches, raising her wing and pointing a hoof at her flank. “Check the flank! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader! Cutie Marks are kind of my special talent.”
“Wait… Your Cutie Mark… is about Cutie Marks?” She took a seat on her bed, pawing the blankets and looking at Scootaloo. “And… you want to help me… Even after all the teasing?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” she assured her. “But, could you lay off my friend? She deals with enough of it back in Griffonstone.”
Goldenrod sneaked a glance back at her tree, enjoying the idea of a Cutie Mark that fit her passion. “I... think so.”
Fire Streak stood on top of a large machine that bore a vast on the top and what looked like a cannon on the side. The campers were all gathered around it, some of them eagerly flapping their wings while others swallowed a nervous lump in their throats. “Does anypony know what this is?” Fire Streak asked.
Scootaloo raised an excited hoof. “That’s one of the things they use at Wonderbolts Academy for training! Rainb-- I mean… My sister told me about it!” She flew up over the device, pointing to the hole at the top. “You put water in here…” She moved to the barrel at the front. “And then a strong gust of wind comes out here that you have to fly against!”
“That’s absolutely right, Scootaloo!” the instructor affirmed. “Have you used one of these before?”
“Nah, but my first flight coach can make wind that’s almost as strong just by flapping his wings!” she explained, doing a loop in the air to show her enthusiasm. “He had a lot of methods to improve my wingpower.” She came to a landing next to Spike and Gloria. “He’s become like a dad to me… I really owe him a lot!”
Fire Streak smiled as warmly as his name, holding up a phial of water. “This is about how much water we’ll be using for you young ones. It’s about a tenth of what we use at Wonderbolt Academy! Scootaloo, since you gave such a good explanation of the wind machine, why don't you go first and show everyone else how it’s done?”
With that, the filly was in the air again, hovering in front of the machine. “Hit it!” she told him, rearing back and buzzing her wings faster than ever. Fire Streak smirked, dumping the water into the machine. From out of the barrel came a powerful burst of wind that blew against the flying filly. Her face blew back with the resistance, but she kept her forelegs stretched forward, pushing against it with all of her might.
A moment later, the wind subsided, and Scootaloo shot forward a ways. She swiftly turned around, stopping herself before she hit the device and hovering in front of it. Fire Streak stomped his hooves in applause. “Quite impressive, Scootaloo! Who’s next?”
From there, several ponies made their attempts. Goldenrod lasted a while before being blown away, with Spike showing similar results. Many more ponies didn’t last nearly as long, having been sent flying in mere moments. Finally, Gloria fluttered into place. She looked down at Scootaloo, who pumped her hoof to show her support, then looked at Fire Streak with a nervous nod.
“What’re you gonna do this time, Goldie?” a filly asked, drawing the ear of the pony in question. She looked back at her, then back at Gloria with a hint of uncertainty.
“Umm…” she started, raising her hoof.
“Come on! I know you’ve got an idea!” a colt behind her added. “You haven’t disappointed yet!”
“But…” Goldenrod loomed around, seeing the expecting faces of the ponies around her. “I don’t know…” They leaned forward, their eyes boring into her from all around. Her expression grew more panicked as more ponies stepped forward and egged her on. As Gloria began her test, Goldenrod spread her wings, several nearby foals nudging her in the side. The Griffon made her approach against the wind, flapping furiously as the gale attempted to push her away. One second, and she began to move back. Two seconds, and her flapping intensified. Three seconds in, and she began to wobble.
“Come on!” the first of the egging foals cried out, nudging Goldenrod directly on her flank. She let out a small whinny, letting her eyes turn fierce as she gave the hardest flap she could muster. Her wings created a powerful wind that blew into the struggling Griffon, sending her spiraling out of the machine’s ebbing gust and spinning into a far away cloud.
“GLORIA!!!” Scootaloo yelled. She and Spike lifted off that instant, rushing to their friend’s side. “Are you alright?”
Gloria sat up, holding her head with a claw to try and keep her balance. “I’m… okay… just dizzy…”
Spike came forward, putting a claw on her back and holding her steady. “I’ve got this. Don’t worry about it.”
Scootaloo nodded, lowering her eyebrows and flying straight at Goldenrod. “What the heck was that about?!”
Realizing what she had done, Goldenrod’s eyes widened. Her mouth and ears both went low as she struggled to come up with a response. “I… uh…”
“You told me you weren’t going to do anything like this today!” the furious flying filly continued, pointing back at her downed friend. So why?”
The cowering Pegasus took three steps back. “I… Well… The other ponies… They…”
Scootaloo’s face came to be less than an inch from her target’s with a fierce glower. “She gets enough rough treatment at home. Would you do something like this to your banzai tree?”
The budding botanist’s face soured enough to match Scootaloo’s. “It’s… called… a… BONSAI!!!” She flared her wings, lifting off to face her. “And she’s not the only one who doesn’t get any support at home! Why do you think I’m even here?! I told my family that I liked plants, and then they threatened to throw my little bonsai away unless I ‘got my head off the ground and in the clouds where it belongs’!” She pushed forward. “They’ve never wanted me to follow my dream!” She pressed her hoof against Scootaloo’s chest, letting tears roll down her cheeks. “You’ve got ponies who support you! You’ve got ponies who love you and want you to succeed! All I’ve ever had is a family that hates me and a blank flank to prove it!!!”
Scootaloo flashed back on her own life, slowly coming to a landing. “You’re right… I have lots of ponies who want me around and want me to succeed.” she admitted, putting her rump on the cloud and coiling her tail around herself. “I’m really lucky to have my friends… I wasn’t so lucky before I met my friends, though. Before I met Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, I didn’t have anyone to tell me I could do anything. I couldn’t fly, I didn’t have my Cutie Mark yet, and I had a bully of my own making me miserable with no support from what little family I had… I know where you’re coming from, Goldenrod, and I know that bullying isn’t the answer.”
“And how do you know that?!” Goldenrod asked.
“Because that bully that teased me before is my friend now.” she stressed. “She stood up to her unsupportive mom and started doing what she wanted to with her life! I’m sure you can do that, too.”
“Right… your whole ‘Cutie Mark Crusader’ bit… You’re just saying that to be nice.” the yellow pony spat.
“That’s because she is nice.” Gloria stated as she came in for a landing. “She wouldn’t have even looked at someone like me if she wasn’t! And if she’s willing to give you a shot…” She reluctantly held out her claw. “I suppose I can, too. Friends?”
Goldenrod looked at the outstretched appendage, stewing for a moment. “It certainly sounds better than what I’ve got now…” She looked behind her, where the foals who had egged her on were now several more feet away. She turned back to Gloria and Scootaloo, placing her hoof in the talon. “Okay. Friends.”
“YES!” Scootaloo cheered, pulling both of them in for a tight hug. “You two can come visit Ponyville, and we can do all sorts of things together!” She squeezed Goldenrod harder. “Like help you get your Cutie Mark!” she squeezed Gloria in turn. “And work on your flying! Oh it’s gonna be great!”
The sound of a clearing throat came from behind them. “Uh, Scootaloo, you might be hugging a little too tight, there.” Scootaloo let go of her friends, who proceeded to gasp for air. The three of them turned around to see Fire Streak looking firmly at them. “I’m glad you were able to settle your differences, but I’m afraid that doesn’t stop it from being true that Goldenrod could have seriously hurt Gloria with that little stunt. I’m afraid she’s going to have to sit out the rest of the day’s activities.”
Goldenrod turned her gaze dejectedly downward, letting her ears and wings droop. “I understand.” She looked back up at the ex-Wonderbolt hopefully. “Can I at least spend the time in my tent?”
“I don’t see why not, as long as you behave yourself.” he confirmed, offering her a knowing smile. “You have fun with your little tree!” Goldenrod turned back to Scootaloo, pumping her foreleg triumphantly.
Scootaloo, Spike, Gloria, and Goldenrod approached the entrance to the camp, saddlebags on the back of every quadruped that came forward. Goldenrod walked ahead of the rest of them, turning around to look at her new friends. “So, you’re all going to write, right?”
“Of course!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “And what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?”
“I’m gonna tell my parents exactly what I want to do, no matter what they say!” she declared. “And I’m gonna get my Cutie Mark for exactly that!”
“That’s what I like to hear!” a baritone called from behind the filly. Goldenrod jumped, hovering in the air as she looked to the source of the voice. Boltsinger trotted up, chuckling to himself with Twilight and Gilda following close behind.
“Twilight! Bolt! You’re here!” Scootaloo stated, galloping to the older ponies and giving each of them a hug. She pulled back, looking around. “So where’s Rainbow Dash?”
“She’s practicing with the other Wonderbolts.” Twilight explained, beckoning Spike over. “So, how was flight camp?”
Spike flew up to be level with the Princess’ head, holding his fists up excitedly. “It was great! My wingpower went up three whole points, and we got to do all sorts of…” He stopped for a moment as Twilight’s face turned sly. “... I mean… It was okay, for a foals’ camp.”
Twilight giggled, pulling him into a hug. “I’m glad you had a good time.” She patted her bare back. “Come on, we took a balloon to get here. Thought you might want to rest those weary wings.”
Spike plopped onto her back, slumping forward and getting comfortable as Gilda stepped up to Gloria. “So, you get any better?”
“Yeah.” the smaller Griffon replied. “Made some friends, too.”
Gilda let a grin onto her face, giving the fledgling a pat on the head. “Good. You can tell me about it on the way back.” She turned to leave, looking back wryly. “Over some Griffon Scones.”
“Really?!” Gloria asked, fluttering along behind her. Gilda nodded, twitching her tail. “All right!”
Goldenrod took a long look at the adults that had come to get her friends, letting her jaw drop. “Wait, Scootaloo, you never told me you knew Princess Twilight! And… and… Rainbow Dash? Like, the Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash?! Why didn’t you just mention them?”
Scootaloo smiled back at her. “I wanted to get through this on my own.” She nudged her head towards the royal purple pony. “Last time I dropped her name, I really regretted it.” Goldenrod simply gave the orange filly a dumbfounded stare, prompting a laugh. “Make sure you write me as soon as you get home, okay?” The yellow filly slowly nodded, descending to the cloud and landing on her rump.
Boltsinger splayed his wings, giving them a good stretch as his favorite filly approached him. “Ever the Crusader, aren’t you?” he queried, tussling her mane. “I know you’re fresh out of flight camp, but what would you say to an endurance flight home?”
“Let’s do it!” she affirmed, bringing her wings wide. The orange Pegasi trotted over to the edge of the cloud, the stallion pulling a pair of apples from his mane. After a few stretches, the two were off, streaks of orange in a bright blue sky.
Stats
Page generated in 0.038 seconds
Total duration
638 users online
887,898 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
An Incredibles reference?
... rrrrooooooolllll credits!
This was so awesome! I loved Gloria and Goldenrod, and you fleshed out their relationships so well!! I loved the Incredibles reference.