S6 E9: Gliders and Griffons (The Fault in Our Cutie Marks) (What If?)
Ever since they had decided to turn their club into a professional business, more or less making a career out of helping other ponies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had become no strangers to solving unusual problems when it came to cutie marks.
And this particular client was no exception, an earth pony filly by the name of Petunia Paleo who had a skull and crossbones for a cutie mark. She had a pale, light grayish-blue coat, light persian blue eyes and a mane and tail consisting of grayish-blue and cornflower blue locks cut short.
Scootaloo was now in the sandbox in the backyard of Petunia's house, using a bucket to catch sand as Petunia tossed it aside by the shovel full without saying a word. It was a task that was easier said than done when Petunia refused to slow down or stop in her digging. It wasn't long before Scootaloo was getting sand all over her body.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were having a conversation with Petunia's parents: Mr. and Mrs. Paleo. Mr. Paleo had a pale, light grayish-gold coat, moderate sapphire blue eyes, a two shades of light grayish-blue mane and tail styled like shaggy curls, and a cutie mark depicting two swords crossed over each other in the shape of an x. And Mrs. Paleo had a light opal coat, grayish emerald green eyes, a grayish sapphire blue and cobalt blue mane and tail styled smoothly, and a cutie mark depicting a pearl inside of an oyster.
The parents were quite concerned about their daughter and her cutie mark, and they had made that fact clear in no uncertain terms as they began to talk with two of the three Crusaders. Sweetie Belle being the one to ask the question. "What did you two want to talk about?"
"Is Scootaloo keeping Petunia busy like we asked?" Mrs. Paleo commented with concern.
Apple Bloom nodded as she briefly looked out the window to the backyard. "Yup. Everythin''s just fine on her end."
Mrs. Paleo breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good," Then she sheepishly and nervously replied. "I'm... sure you fillies get these questions all the time. Oh, this is so awkward. We should be the ones helping our daughter figure out what her cutie mark means, not you fillies."
Mr. Paleo then added. "You're the experts, so we thought you'd have some insight into our daughter's new, uh, cutie mark. We know she got it on a recent class field trip to some old ruins, but we can't hold a cute-ceañera until we know what it means exactly."
"Is that all?" Apple Bloom questioned as she again turned her attention to the backyard and to the client in question. "Sounds like she has a good idea of what her cutie mark means if she's diggin' up a storm like that. What exactly's wrong with it?"
"Nothing, really," Mrs. Paleo admitted. "Obviously, we're both very proud of Petunia and her cutie mark."
But Mr. Paleo went on to say. "Despite its, um... unsettling nature. I mean, a skull and crossbones for a cutie mark, especially with our cutie marks," He pointed to his and his wife's flanks briefly. "Well, let's just say ponies might be starting to get the wrong idea about us. But if it's not pirate related, then what exactly does Petunia's cutie mark mean?"
"You couldn't just ask her what she was doin' when she got her mark?" Apple Bloom questioned.
"We thought about it, but the mark was such a shock to us that we figured we should call in an expert," Mr. Paleo explained. "And we've been told that you three fillies are the ponies to go to in this town if it's a cutie mark related problem."
Sweetie Belle then commented while looking at Petunia and her cutie mark. "I'm pretty sure we can tell you what it is. You're getting all worked up over nothing."
But just then, Scootaloo excitedly shouted from the backyard! "Hey, come check out what we found! You're never gonna believe it!"
Mr, and Mrs. Paleo, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed outside and to the sandbox as fast as they could! And to their surprise, they found Petunia at the bottom of a deep hole she had dug, surrounded by the bones of what had to be a long extinct creature.
Despite being covered in dirt from the bottom of her hooves to the tip of her mane, Petunia happily exclaimed! "Look, Mom and Dad! It's a spiny-backed ponysaurus! In our own backyard, can you believe it?! I found it on my very own!" When she heard Scootaloo clear her throat she then sheepishly confessed. "Er, with a little help, of course."
At that, Mr. and Mrs. Paleo both breathed sighs of collective relief as they now realized what their daughter's cutie mark represented and what her special talent was. "She's a palentologist." They said together.
"Of course she is!" Scootaloo pointed out. "That's why she likes to dig so much," And then she couldn't help but tease. "What did you think she was? A pirate?"
Mr. and Mrs. Paleo hastily tossed away a pirate costume as Mrs. Paleo waved a hoof and replied. "Pirate? Why would we ever think that?" Then she and her husband began to laugh rather nervously.
Scootaloo, meanwhile, turned to her fellow Crusaders and told them. "Well, girls. Looks like another job well done for the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're gettin' pretty good at this! I don't think there's any cutie mark related problem that we can't solve!" But she had no idea that her statement was soon going to be put to the test. And the tomboyish filly in particular was going to recall a similar trial with another, someone chasing after something that was just out of reach.
In order to get back to their clubhouse and officially hang up a picture of Petunia (thus signifying that they had helped the client), the Cutie Mark Crusaders had to travel through Ponyville proper. They didn't mind, though, especially since it meant they got to see many of the ponies they'd helped since getting their cutie marks. And Scootaloo made sure to drive her scooter slowly enough for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to keep up with her, since she wasn't towing them along in a wagon this time.
Scootaloo was swelling with pride as she led her fellow Crusaders along. Their recent success with Petunia was only the latest in what felt like a string of victories for them. And the tomboyish pegasus couldn't help but point it out. "You know something, Crusaders? I don't wanna toot our own horn or anything, but we've sure helped a lot of ponies figure out their purpose in life," Just then she passed by a blue coated earth pony stallion wearing a dark blue jacket and playing on a saxaphone. "Hey, nice saxaphone, Bluenote!" She told him, and watched as the stallion happily blurted out a few notes.
Apple Bloom was next to smile, as she spotted a familiar tap dancing earth pony colt that she had helped personally. "Reckon you're right, Scootaloo. Everywhere you look, there's a pony we've helped find a purpose: Young and old, cutie mark or no cutie mark," She couldn't help but agree with Scootaloo. "We've had a pretty good effect on everypony since we've discovered our destiny. Though, we can't take all the credit: We owe Diamond Tiara pretty big for her suggestion we turn our club into an official business, even if we ain't exactly gettin' paid for it."
"Smiles and thanks are the only payment we need," Sweetie Belle chimed in. "Even Twilight said she was impressed by us, and the fact that we all got our cutie marks at the same time. She obviously thinks that makes us even more of a big deal than we already were," However, she then hesitantly pointed out to Scootaloo. "But, Scootaloo, you do know that there's always going to be challenges, right? Someday, somepony might even come to us with a problem that even we can't handle."
The farm filly couldn't help but agree. "Sweetie Belle makes a fair point. We ain't miracle workers. If we were, Dimaond Tiara's mother would've changed her ways by now. But she's still as stuck up and selfish as she always has been."
Scootaloo nodded. "I know, I know. Don't forget, I once had to deal with a client who was so stubborn in clinging to what she wanted to achieve, even if it was out of reach. And I actually found myself tempted to support her in continuing to chip away at it without success. But we didn't get to where we were by giving up when the going gets tough. We've never met a problem yet that we couldn't solve in the end! And I know that as long as we keep up the can do attitude, we can do just about anything!"
Just then, a very familiar looking magenta coated earth pony filly came into the Crusaders' view. She was easily identifible by the diamond tiara she wore atop her head, which was exactly like the one depicted on her flanks for a cutie mark.
The CMC halted in their tracks as the headgear wearing filly approached them. "Oh, there you are, Crusaders. Back from helping another client, I see." She greeted the three.
Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yup. You can add Petunia Paleo to the list of ponies we've helped. Thanks again for your suggestion about what we could do with our club, Diamond Tiara. You seemed to know even before we did what we could do with our special talents."
Diamond Tiara tried not to blush. "Well, business practically runs through my veins, especially considering who my father, grandfather and great grandfather were. And it was the least I could do for you three after what you did for me. If you hadn't believed I could change, well..." She struggled for a bit before finding the words. "We wouldn't be having this conversation, and I wouldn't have even Silver Spoon for a friend."
"Well, we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And solvin' problems is what we do best!" Apple Bloom proudly proclaimed, before questioning her fellow filly. "There somethin' you wanted to tell us, though? Somethin' that couldn't wait until we were back at the clubhouse?"
The magenta coated young earth pony gasped as she suddenly remembered! "I almost forgot, actually. There's someone who's been looking all over town for you girls. And they're not even a pony, they're a griffon."
Now it was Scootaloo's turn to gasp! "No way! A griffon?! Here in Ponyville?! That hasn't happened since that one griffon Rainbow Dash used to be friends with came here. But I hear she didn't leave town in a very good way."
"Well, I don't know if it's the same griffon," Diamond admitted. "But this griffon came to me and asked me if I knew you girls, although they wouldn't say why. The griffon just said it was a problem only you girls could help them with."
Scootaloo then asked. "Does the griffon have a name?"
Tiara put a hoof to her chin. "I think she said her name was Gabby, but don't quote me on that. It was kind of hard to make out what she was saying, she talked so fast."
The tomboyish pegasus' eyes lit up! "Oh boy! It's our lucky day, Crusaders! We get to help a griffon! This could be our biggest breakthrough since we got our cutie marks!" And she began to buzz her wings! "Come on! We'd better get back to the clubhouse! It's rude to keep a potential client waiting!"
Sure enough, waiting for the CMC when they drew near their clubhouse was a griffon. Said griffon had multiple layers of gray feathers and a gray coat, not to mention moderate turquoise eyes that looked innocent and playful. Was this the "Gabby" Diamond Tiara had mentioned earlier?
The griffon was perched atop a tree near the clubhouse, and had put a claw over her eyes to function as a sort of make-shift telescope. Yet upon spotting the three fillies down below, she immediately let out a happy shriek and swooped down to greet them! In fact, she went on to, completely unprompted, pull the Crusaders into a very tight body hug! "The Cutie Mark Crusaders! I can't believe it's really, really you!" She all but shouted while laughing!
Once the hug had ended and the Crusaders had time to recover from the abrupt crush, Apple Bloom questioned. "Are you Gabby?"
"The one and only! Well, actually, my's name Gabriella, but you can call me Gabby since we're friends now!" Gabby happily chirped! "Oh, I'm so glad I finally found you, Cutie Mark Crusaders! I've been all over town trying to find you fantastic fillies!"
The farm filly was still puzzled. "Just how in the hay do you know about us? Are we really that famous?"
"Why, I've heard about you from everypony in Ponyville!" Gabby explained as she recalled her encounters with the various townsfolk from earlier in the day. "Everypony in town tells me of your amazing assistance! How you help ponies find their place in the world!"
Scootaloo nodded. "It's a calling and kind of a business, even if we don't charge money for it. But..."
Gabby didn't bother waiting for Scootaloo to finish as she excitedly exclaimed! "That's why I'm here. Because I need your help, too. I want you to give me a cutie mark! Any cutie mark, I don't mind which one as long as I have one! And when it comes to cutie marks, there's nopony more qualified on the subject than you wonderful, wonderful Crusaders!"
"Eh, hold on just a hoofstep there, Gabby," Apple Bloom cautioned. "There's somethin' we need to clear up. We can definitely help you find your purpose, but that mark's probably not gonna happen. Besides, why would you even want a cutie mark? I mean, not that there's anythin' wrong with wantin' one, but why exactly do you want one?"
And Sweetie Belle couldn't help but agree. "Apple Bloom's right, Gabby. Why would a griffon like you want a cutie mark? It doesn't sound like a... well... griffon-y thing to want."
The gray feathered griffon just excitedly chirped as she flew all around, unable to keep her enthusiasm inward any longer! "That's exactly the point! I've always felt like I'm not like other griffons! And what better way to prove it than with a cutie mark?! I don't know if you've heard, but griffons can be a little bit... unfriendly. Griffonstone," She paused in her flying and seemed to frown. "It's not exactly a friendly place. It's kind of a mess right now, to be honest."
"Like when I don't clean my room for a week kind of mess?" Scootaloo pondered as she tried to get a picture in her mind of what this easily excitceable griffon was trying to say.
Gabby shook her head. "Oh no, it's a lot more of a mess than that. Griffonstone hasn't been a partiuclarly nice or even safe place to live for a long time now. At least, as far back as I can remember," She started recalling her own memories of growing up there. "Most griffons don't pay much attention to each other. And if they do, it's not, y'know, the good kind of attention. We mostly just mind our own business. But even when I was a child, it always felt like I was different somehow. It always bothered me that no griffon ever wanted to be my friend, even just for a little while."
"I know what that can feel like." Apple Bloom admitted as she briefly recalled how alone she'd felt when she had believed she was the last pony in her class without a cutie mark, and how difficult that it had been.
Gabby smiled a bit. "Exactly! You understand!" And she went on recalling her memories of Griffonstone, including what had led her to take interest in ponies and in cutie marks. "They made me the mail carrier for Griffonstone since it seems I can find anygriffon in a flash if I want to! I tried my best to spread that sunshiney goodness to others, but they never seemed to care. It wasn't until your friends came to Griffonstone that I realized some creatures actually like helping each other, and I saw something so awesomely awesome: How helping spreads from pony to pony and griffon to griffon! And when your friends did that, those marks on their flanks glowed!"
Scootaloo was still puzzled. "Rainbow Dash visited Griffonstone quite a while ago. If you found out about cutie marks then, why did you only come to Ponyville now to seek us out?"
The gray feathered griffon explained. "I had to basically bug Gilda for answers, she was the only one who knew what you ponies were like and what those marks on your flanks were," Then she put her claws together and tapped the fingers on the ends of them as she sheepishly added with a blush. "I admit, hehe, I became, um, maybe a little obsessed. So first chance I had to deliver a letter from Gilda, I took it, so I could find the perfect pony to help me understand what those marks are. And that's what led me to you ponies," Then she asked. "So, lay it on me, Crusaders! What do I gotta do to get a cutie mark on these here haunches?!"
That put the Crusaders in a bit of a bind. They did not know what to say. Gabby seemed to be asking the impossible of them.
Hesitantly, Apple Bloom spoke up. "Uh, Gabby, do you mind if we talk this over among ourselves for a little bit? Alone?"
Gabby smiled, suspecting nothing. "Sure thing, Crusaders! I have to deliver Gilda's letter to Rainbow Dash anyway. So I'll take care of that. And when I come back, you can tell me what you've decided!" She took off with a flap of her wings, though not before promising. "I won't be long! Oh, just thinking about my cutie mark has got me all excited! I know I'll love it, whatever it is!"
The three fillies retreated to their clubhouse just seconds after Gabby departed. And they quickly huddled together, trying to think about the seemingly impossible situation they'd found themselves in. It was made especially difficult by the fact that Gabby didn't seem like she was in a mood to take no for an answer.
"Maybe we should ask Twilight or Miss. Starlight if they have any ideas?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "I hear Miss. Starlight is just as skilled at magic as Twilight is, and she's only a unicorn. Plus, I hear she has some experience in dealing with cutie marks."
Apple Bloom didn't seem to think that was a good idea as she nervously replied. "You really think they can just make a mark appear on somecreature? Don't you girls remember what happened the time I tried to give myself a cutie mark?" She shuddered at the memory. "That didn't go so well. If it hadn't been for Zecora... I don't even wanna think about what might've happened."
Scootaloo, however, commented with concern. "But Gabby came all this way just to see us. She's counting on us. We can't disappoint her. We've never disappointed a client before, no matter who they were," And she added while looking to her wings. "Besides, I know what it's like to want something that's just out of reach. Something that everypony says probably won't happen. But just because it's never happened before doesn't mean it can't happen, right?"
Sweetie replied back. "Actually, Scootaloo, this is sounding a lot like that one filly you helped. You remember, the one with the gliders?"
The tomboyish pegasus slowly nodded as the memory came back to her in an instant. "I do! Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!" And immediately, a light bulb went off inside the filly's head as she seemed to get an idea and knew at once what to do. "You girls let me handle Gabby when she comes back. I have a feeling I know just what she needs to hear."
The farm filly hesitantly responded. "Okay. Just don't get ahead of yourself. And make sure to be extra clear with her, like crystal clear."
Scootaloo firmly nodded. "Don't worry, I will be."
Just then, a loud and energetic shriek split the air! In the blink of an eye, Gabby appeared by one of the clubhouse windows, hanging upside down not unlike a bat. "Hiya, Crusaders! I'm back!" She eagerly declared! "Now don't keep me waiting! I wanna know how I get my very own cutie mark! Everypony says you have to find your special talent, but I've already done so many things just trying to find you girls. So, what am I still missing?"
Plucking up courage, Scootaloo slowly trotted forward and locked eyes with the gray feathered griffon. "Well, Gabby, I actually have a story to tell you. Because what you're asking of us right now is reminding me a lot of another client we once helped. And this client had a very specific problem, not unlike yours. Well, not exactly the same, but you get the idea."
Gabby immediately became excited again! "Ooh! Color me intrigued! Just a minute," She flew back, righted herself and then touched down and entered the clubhouse proper. "If you're gonna tell me a story, I want to make sure I can hear everything you're trying to tell me. I always love to hear stories!"
The tomboyish pegasus smiled, convinced that she'd already begun to forge a genuine bond with this griffon. But she had to temper her enthusiasm, what was most important was that Gabby understand what the point of the story was. "Okay, Gabby," And she began to recall the memory as if it were yesterday. "It actually started while I was trying out bungee jumping one day. Or rather, right as I was getting done doing it."
Indeed, Scootaloo had just finished another session of bungee jumping. For obvious reasons, she couldn't do it very high off the ground. But she made do with what she had. Just the falling and the speed experienced during the fall was enough to satisfy the filly.
The tomboyish pegasus filly stowed her equipment back in her saddle bags and smiled as she trotted away from the bridge. "Guess that's enough for one day," She said to herself before thinking of her friends. "Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, you girls don't know what you're missing out on. Oh well."
As the pegasus with an orange coat began the long trot back to the clubhouse to check in with her fellow Crusaders, she didn't realize until too late that another filly was in her path. "Ow!" The filly exclaimed upon Scootaloo bumping into her.
Scootaloo sincerely apologized. "Sorry, sorry, didn't see you there. Totally my fault." Then she took notice of who this filly was. It was a unicorn filly about the same size as Sweetie Belle. She had a sky blue coat, a white mane and tail that looked like whisps of clouds, and eyes a shade of light brown. Her cutie mark appeared to depict some kind of triangle shaped object roughly in the form of the letter V. Scattered around the filly were a couple of what looked like blueprints of some kind.
"Oh no, it's my fault," The unicorn filly insisted. "The name's Olivia Winden," Then she gasped as she looked down on the ground! "Oh no, my blueprints!" She hastily lit up her horn, casting a light brown glow as she hastily scooped up the blueprints. "Sorry," She blushed afterward. "But I didn't want them to get blown away again. If I lose them I'd have to start all over again! I can't afford another setback! I'm having enough trouble as it is!"
Scootaloo's ears perked up upon hearing the word "Trouble". And she immediately asked the filly she'd just met. "What sort of trouble? Is it cutie mark related?"
Olivia blushed as she confessed. "Actually, yes, sort of," And she explained. "My cutie mark is all about flying, or rather how to achieve it without the aid of wings. I got it from studying airships and zeppelins. I'm trying to make something on a smaller scale. Something that could be used by anypony."
The tomboyish pegasus immediately became intrigued. "Hey, that sounds pretty cool, actually! I've never been able to fly for more than a few seconds if I try really hard. And even then I can't really get myself off the ground all that much. I've actually thought about trying to make my own glider, but I'm not all that great at building stuff. I mostly just make small repairs on my scooter. I tried to build my own glider once," She frowned. "It didn't work. It fell apart the first time I tried it."
Olivia nodded. "It can be hard if you don't use the right materials and don't get the calculations just right. You need something that's aerodynamic so it doesn't drag, but it has to be able to sustain itself while being sturdy enough to survive a crash landing," That's when she frowned. "Seems like every glider I make lately crashes and falls apart. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. I keep tweaking the design, making small changes here and there. But every time I think I've figured it out, I end up discovering a new problem after another crash landing," And she unhappily sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if I've been looking at my cutie mark all wrong."
Scootaloo wouldn't hear of such an idea, not even for a second! She immediately extended a hoof and pulled Olivia close. "You're not, Olivia! I can tell you that much! And I can also tell you that today's your lucky day! If it's your cutie mark that's bothering you, you've come to the right place!"
The unicorn filly couldn't help but playfully laugh. "What? Are you some kind of cutie mark counselor or something?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Not that I mean to brag, but I am. I'm a Cutie Mark Crusader! I'm sure you've heard of me, and of my fellow Crusaders! We solve problems, especially cutie mark problems. If it's trouble with a cutie mark, either a lack of one or not understanding what it really means, we're the ponies for the job!" And she quickly added. "I'm sure Apple Bloom could help you build some more gliders: She's way better at building things than I am. Heck, maybe Sweetie Belle will help you out, she's good at gathering supplies."
Olivia could hardly believe her ears! "Really?! You'd help me, even though we just met?!"
"Of course I would," The pegasus member of the CMC proudly replied. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders always help a pony in need, no matter what. And I promise you, Olivia, we'll do everything we can to help you solve this cutie mark problem of yours and get your gliders soaring again!" She promptly led the unicorn away. "Come on! I was just on my way to see my fellow Crusaders anyway. Wait 'til they hear we've got another client already. Diamond Tiara was right, turning our club into a business was an excellent idea!"
Olivia was soon brought to the clubhouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres and led inside by a giddy Scootaloo! "Hey Crusaders, guess what?! I've found our next client!" She promptly pushed Olivia forward while introducing her. "This is Olivia Winden, and she's got a cutie mark problem."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle (who had just met up with each other a short time ago) both turned to look at the newcomer. "She does?" They asked in unison.
With a nod, Scootaloo confirmed it. "Yup," Then she nudged the unicorn slightly in the side with a hoof. "Go on, tell them what you told me."
Olivia somewhat nervously swallowed a lump in her throat. "Well, it's related to what I'm working on, actually. I've been having a lot of problems lately, and it's making me wonder if I've been looking at my cutie mark all wrong this whole time. But Scootaloo says that's not true," She then opened up her saddle bags and took out the blueprints she had gathered earlier. "This is what I've been dedicating myself to making since before I got my cutie mark. You could say it's my life's purpose."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle eyed the blueprints with looks of wonder and amazement! These weren't your average, run of the mill blueprints. These were highly detailed and well thought out sketches that had all kinds of numbers written all over them. The hoof work was on an unbelievable level of quality, no detail had been too small to overlook. In fact, there were lots of hasty scribbles where old notes had been replaced by new notes, or new calculations had replaced old ones. "Whoa!" Was all they could say.
"So, do you girls think you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong?" Olivia asked as she plucked up courage. "Every glider I build keeps crashing and breaking. I can't seem to get a single one to stay in the air for more than a few seconds. It's so frustrating!" She pulled on her mane with her hooves to emphasize her point!
Scootaloo then practically encouraged with excitement! "Come on, girls! I know we're just the ponies to help her with this problem! And when her gliders are soaring high in the sky, she'll know for sure that her cutie mark is just fine and that this is what she's meant to do with her life," She buzzed her tiny wings. "Just think of the possibilities if we help her pull this off! Ponies' lives will be changed forever!"
"Well, I don't know..." Sweetie Belle hesitantly replied.
Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin as she pondered and contemplated. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try. It's been a while since I've done any kind of buildin'. I'll have to ask Big Mac if I can borrow his tools, though. And no power tools!"
The tomboyish pegasus buzzed her wings again as she lept off the ground and shouted! "Awesome!" When her hooves again touched solid ground, she turned to Olivia and said to her. "Olivia, I guarantee you we'll have your gliders better than ever in no time! And don't worry, this won't cost you a thing. We don't charge money for this, the only payment we need are the smiles of satisfied clients."
And so the three fillies set to work helping their latest client. Apple Bloom gathered the tools, Sweetie Belle fetched the materials to build the gliders out of and Scootaloo helped Olivia by looking over the blueprints with the unicorn.
Slowly but surely, a glider was built to the exact specifications Olivia had laid out in her blueprints. At first glance, nothing seemed to be wrong with it. It looked like it should fly pretty well once it was airborne, and it had even levers to either side of where the pony flying it would sit. Said levers could be used to adjust the wing flaps, moving them up or down as needed.
Olivia seemed rather excited! "I never could've gotten a glider built this quickly without your help, Crusaders!" She told them! "Now I just need to test it out and make sure everything works," But she bit her lip. "I don't see any good hills or anything to use here, though. And there's too many trees. If I tried to fly the glider here, I'd crash for sure."
Sweetie commented in uncertainty. "Well, there's a lot of hills just outside of town. But I don't think that's a good idea. It's too high! If anything happened up in the air, it'd be a long way to the ground. And, I don't think anything could survive a crash like that, let alone anypony."
Scootaloo smiled. "Good thing I know of plently of smaller hills we can use. There's one just across from the bridge where I usually bungee jump," And she encouraged. "Let's go test it out!"
But now Olivia seemed more concerned than she had been just a minute or so prior. "I don't know. Now that I think about it some more, I'm not sure if tree bark is durable enough to survive an impact while being flexible enough to move the flaps. Maybe it would've been better if I'd used cloth instead?" She thought aloud in a hesitant tone of voice.
Scootaloo, however, was far too excited to consider that possibility! "It'll work just fine! I know it! We all built it according to your blueprints. And after all the adjustments you've been making to your design, it's got to have all the bugs worked out by now, right?"
The unicorn filly with a sky blue coat hesitantly responded. "Well... I guess, but..."
Apple Bloom simply replied to the client. "It can't hurt to try. Especially since I think Scootaloo's all fired up to be your test pilot. If it doesn't work, at least we can say we gave it a shot," Though she couldn't help but add. "I'm not sure how this thing is supposed to get off the ground on its own power, though. Feels like you'd need to put a fan behind it or somethin'."
The four fillies set off for their destination even as Olivia couldn't help but comment to herself. "Maybe I should've added that too? But how would I fit it into the design? And how would that affect how much weight it would have?"
A short time later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Olivia had gotten set up on top of the small hill Scootaloo had mentioned. Olivia brought up the rear as she had to carefully transport her glider in the wagon the Crusaders usually attached to Scootaloo's scooter. It was a miracle the glider was small enough and light enough to fit into the wagon while allowing the wagon to still be towed.
Scootaloo had really thought ahead, and had brought out her bungee jump helmet and a pair of safety goggles. "Oh, this is gonna be so sweet!" She excitedly chirped as she couldn't contain her enthusiasm! "If only Rainbow Dash could see me now! This would totally blow her mind!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, however, couldn't help but exchange nervous glances and whisper to each other. "This is just like the last time she became obsessed with flying." They could well remember how their fellow filly had become so fixated on that that she had stayed out all night long, before giving up and becoming so depressed that she'd thrown away her scooter.
Olivia carefully removed the glider from the wagon with the soft brown glow of her magic. She looked it over once more and her light brown eyes seemed to find dozens of small problems. "Should I have adjusted this? What if that doesn't work? Will the flaps function properly?" She asked herself, growing more and more uncertain by the moment.
Scootaloo brushed off the concerns and waved a hoof. "Relax, everything will be just fine. This is only a test run. We can always make some changes later on. But I've got a good feeling about this!" She climbed up into the cockpit, strapped on her helmet and goggles, and sat down. Then she reached her hooves out to grab the levers that controlled the flaps. "So it's down to pull them up and up to pull them down, right?" She asked Olivia.
Olivia firmly nodded. "Yeah, something like that. The idea is that you can increase or decrease drag depending on how you move them. But they might take a few seconds to reply, so be careful."
The tomboyish filly beamed a bright smile as she made sure her helmet was secure. "Don't worry, I will be. Honestly, you're starting to sound like my mother," She briefly giggled at the mental image that brought up, before turning to Olivia and telling her. "Well, I'm ready when you are! Let's see what this thing can do!"
The three other fillies exchanged nervous and hesitant glances, but decided to press on anyway.
Olivia slowly came up behind the glider and gave it as firm a push as she could muster up, eventually bringing it to the edge of the hilltop. Then she stopped. The rest was out of her control, it was all up to fate and gravity.
The glider did manage to lift off the ground instead of immediately rolling down the hill. Scootaloo was practically beside herself with joy as she screamed in excitement at the top of her lungs! "YEAH! THIS IS AMAZING! OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M FLYING! I'M ACTUALLY FLYING!"
For about a moment or so, all seemed well. The glider performed as it should have, and Scootaloo seemed to be enjoying the sensation of actually being in the air (even if not under her own power).
But the moment faded all too soon as the glider's brief bout of flight started to come to an abrupt end! It started to descend towards the ground at a frightening speed!
"Oh no, it's happening again!" Olivia gasped as she ran down the hill to keep the glider in sight!
Scootaloo, meanwhile, found her joy turn to terror! The ground was fast approaching, and the glider was losing altitude at an alarming rate! "What do I do?! What do I do?!" She exclaimed in horror as she started breathing rapidly, her heart pounding so hard and so fast it felt like it would jump right out of her chest!
With Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle following close behind her, Olivia shouted up to Scootaloo! "Pull back on the stick! Pull up the flaps!"
The tomboyish pegasus barely had time to react! She shut her eyes, gripping the levers to control the flaps tightly as she yanked them down as hard as she could!
The glider's flaps rose upward, its descent slowing a little. But not enough to stop it from impacting the ground with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust!
The three frightened fillies frantically rushed to the scene of disaster! Even though it hadn't been that far off the ground, the crash of the glider had looked pretty serious in their eyes. All hoped that Scootaloo hadn't been hurt, or at least not hurt very badly.
When at last the three little ponies drew near, they could see quite clearly that Scootaloo was indeed unharmed. She coughed a bit from the dust that had been stirred up, but she didn't have a bruise or a bump anywhere on her. So Scootaloo was okay.
The same could not be said for the glider. Although it hadn't been completely destroyed, it was a badly battered mess of patchwork, timbers and string that had once all held together perfectly. But now it was all but falling apart.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran over to hug their fellow Crusader, relieved to see that she was alright! "Scootaloo!" They both said in unison as they threw their hooves around her, hugging her tightly.
Although normally one to detest such strong displays of affection, Scootaloo didn't protest in this particular instance even as she took off her safety goggles and her helmet (never was she more grateful for having it than she was now). "Sorry I made you worry, girls," She sincerely apologized, right before declaring. "But did you see that?! I was actually flying! If only I'd been higher up, I could've actually touched the clouds!"
Meanwhile, Olivia was looking at the wreckage of her glider with a frown. "Why did I think that would work?" She complained to herself. "I should've realized the extra weight of a pilot would have to be taken into account. I should've realized that it has to actually carry a pony, and that the flaps need to respond quicker."
"Hey, don't give up," Scootaloo encouraged as she turned to look at Olivia. "We actually got it in the air. And the flaps worked. I mean, isn't that what tests like these are for? I'm sure we can build it back up better than it was before! And now we can see if cloth works better."
Sweetie Belle shook her head. "I'm not stealing fabrics from Rarity's boutique, and I'm nowhere near skilled enough at knitting to know how to make enough fabric to fit something like that," She pointed a hoof to the glider. "I don't think it'll ever be perfect enough for Olivia at this point. She keeps finding things that she thinks she needs to fix."
And Apple Bloom added. "I don't think we should keep throwin' ourselves at this in the hope it works. Seems like we built that glider about as well as we possibly could've," She then concluded. "I think it's Olivia herself that's the problem. That glider and those blueprints of hers are all she cares about."
The tomboyish pegasus immediately protested. "Girls, come on! It's not our place to tell her that she's doing it all wrong! She just wants everything to be perfect! I'm sure we can get it to where she'll be satisfied. All we have to do is get it airborne again and make sure it can land safely. That doesn't seem that hard to do."
The farm filly groaned as she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "Scootaloo, quit bein' so stubborn! I know how much this must mean to you, finally gettin' a taste of what it's like to fly like a pegasus. I get it, this is a way for you to live that dream you've always had."
"But is it really worth constantly risking yourself?" Sweetie added with concern. "You weren't hurt this time, but next time it could be worse. What are you going to do if Olivia suggests trying it out on a bigger hill? Or what if something goes wrong while you're in the air?"
Gulping, Scootaloo's voice betrayed her intentions as she insisted. "I... I'd be fine. I'm sure I'd think of something," Yet upon seeing her fellow Crusaders glare at her, she realized in a heartbeat what they were trying to tell her. Unhappily, she sighed as if she were a balloon that just been deflated. "But you're right. This can't go on. Her dream is becoming a nightmare." She knew then and there what she had to do, and that she was the only pony who could do it.
Olivia was still fussing over her wrecked glider when Scootaloo trotted up to her. "Scootaloo!" She exclaimed in sudden realization! "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I forgot about you even though you were my test pilot!" She kicked at the ground! "This stupid glider! Why can't I make it work?! I keep getting close, only to have it always come crashing down in my face!"
The tomboyish pegasus sighed and steadied herself. "Olivia, look, there's no easy way for me to say this," Her lips quivered in uncertainty as the next words were slow to leave her mouth. "But I don't think we can help you anymore. It's not the glider that's the problem, it's you."
"W-what do you mean?" Olivia asked with concern.
Desperately holding back the tears, Scootaloo told the unicorn in no uncertain terms. "You can't stop thinking about that glider, about those designs on your blueprints. You're letting your cutie mark control your life. Face it, you've been at this since even before you got your cutie mark. You've come so far already, but you're not satisfied."
Olivia groaned. "Of course I'm not! If I can't even make a glider that can handle a filly, how can I ever build anything that's airworthy?! That can truly be just an airship or a zeppelin, but it's small enough so that anypony could use it? If I could just figure out the one thing that keeps throwing me off, keeps me from succeeding..."
Scootaloo could only shake her head. "You'll never find it at this rate. You'll destroy yourself and your dream. You're chasing after something that's just out of your reach, and it continues to be that way no matter how high you jump. Maybe it's time to step back from it all. Aren't there are other things you can do with your life?"
The unicorn filly slowly nodded as she started to cry. "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe it was silly of me to think I could build something out of nothing, to make something that had never existed before," Then she started to trot off. "Thanks for trying to help me, Scootaloo. You and the Cutie Mark Crusaders did your best. But you're right that it's me who's the problem. What I want is impossible."
"No, wait, that's not what I'm saying at all!" Scootaloo insisted as she tried to run after Olivia, only to trip and stumble to the ground.
Olivia let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "You don't have to keep trying for your sake, or for the sake of your 'business'. I know it's hard to be confronted with failure when you've only ever known success," And then she ran off, though not before saying. "Just forget about me, Crusaders. I'm sure you have plenty of other ponies you can help. I've wasted enough of your time as it is!"
"Wait! You just told Olivia to give up?!" Gabby gasped as she interrupted the story!
"No, not at all!" Scootaloo groaned in reply. "I just wanted her to take a step back from continuing to chase after something she could never find: Perfection."
The gray feathered griffon chirped in frustration. "But I don't want perfection! I just want a cutie mark, any cutie mark!"
The tomboyish pegasus took a deep breath and explained. "That's the thing, Gabby. Much like Olivia couldn't make the perfect glider to meet her high standards, I don't think there's any way we can do what you want. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but we're not miracle workers. We can't make the impossible possible.
Gabby stumbled back in disbelief upon hearing those words and realizing what they meant! "But, but... you're the world-famous Cutie Mark Crusaders! I can't believe it! I... I... I won't believe it!" She began to tear up! "I flew all this way just to see you! And now you're telling me you can't actually help me?!"
"No, Gabby!" Sweetie Belle tried to insist. "We can help you. We can help you find a purpose in your life if that's what you want. We can make a chart and help you decide what you wanna do, what you think you'll be good at."
Apple Bloom added. "We could even sing a song if that'll cheer you up. We're just sayin' that we can't give you a cutie mark, or make one magically appear. Nopony can do that, not even us."
Scootaloo then apologized. "I'm sorry, Gabby. It's great that you admire us and think so highly of us. I know how it feels when the thing you want is just out of reach, and nothing you do can make it come to you," She then sympathetically stated. "But I made my peace with not being able to fly. At least, not right now," She briefly looked to her wings. "Maybe someday they'll start working on their own, or maybe someday I'll find a way to fly without needing to use them."
Gabby could only reply as she unfurled her wings. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Crusaders. But if you can't help me, then I guess I'm beyond help. I wouldn't want you to waste your time on me if it's what I want that's the problem. Guess it was silly of me to think that griffons could get cutie marks in the first place. Every griffon tried to warn me, even Gilda, but I just wouldn't listen," Then she began to flap her wings as she said. "If you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go see if the Ponyville post office needs me. At least I know I'm good at delivering mail."
"Gabby, wait!" Apple Bloom frantically called! But it was no use, Gabby took off and soon left the clubhouse with tears in her eyes.
Scootaloo then looked to her fellow Crusaders. "Come on, girls. Maybe Twilight will know how we can reach Gabby in a way she'll understand. We can't let Gabby give up on herself!"
The three fillies soon made a beeline for Twilight's crystal castle. And upon arriving and meeting with the alicorn, they told her everything.
Twilight was quick to dash any hope the fillies might have of a magical solution. "I don't think I need to remind any of you that using magic to get a cutie mark never really works out all that well. I can't say for certain that it's impossible for griffons to get a cutie mark, but everything that I've ever read tells me the odds are... pretty slim at best."
Scootaloo nodded. "We figured as much. And we weren't looking for a magical solution anyways, I don't think that's what Gabby wants."
The young alicorn then commented. "It's funny you should mention Gabby, though. She apparently stopped by the castle earlier completely unannounced. But all I know is, by the time I got here she'd left after dropping off this letter. It's probably for you girls."
Now filled with concern, the CMC grasped a finely decorated envelope that Twilight had given them. They ripped it open, and Scootaloo scanned over the letter as she read the message on it aloud: "Dear Cutie Mark Crusaders, I'll never forget you. You really are every bit as awesome as I'd heard. And don't feel bad, I found a way to get my cutie mark after all. You girls helped point me in the right direction. I'm heading home to tell all the griffons how you did the impossible by getting me my cutie mark. Toodles. Gabby."
Upon hearing the message, Twilight dropped the books she'd been carrying in her magic as her wings poofed outward and her eyes went wide as she exclaimed! "Wait a second! Cutie mark?! You actually managed to get a griffon a cutie mark?!"
"We did?" Apple Bloom blinked in confusion.
Twilight Sparkle nodded and smiled brightly! "You must've done something, or Gabby wouldn't have left that letter for you to find!" Then she asked the Crusaders. "You know what this calls for, right?!" She didn't bother to wait for a reply as she proudly declared! "A full-scale research project! Oh, I hope I have enough ink and parchment to document everything!"
Sweetie Belle was just as confused as her fellow Crusaders as she openly questioned. "This makes no sense. Gabby didn't show you her mark?"
The young alicorn giddly exclaimed! "It must've slipped her mind! But you three have got to get Gabby back here right now! It could take days to get a reply with how slow Griffonstone's mail is, and I can't just drop everything to go to Griffonstone!" Then she ran out of the castle library while shouting! "Spike! Spike, come quick! You'll never guess what just happened!"
As soon as Twilight was out of sight, Apple Bloom turned to her fellow Crusaders as she said. "Weird. How could Gabby get her cutie mark without us or Twilight noticin'? And why wouldn't she come and show it off to us? Somethin' in this here applesauce smells kinda fishy."
Scootaloo then decided. "We'd better find her and find out what's going on. Come on, Crusaders. She couldn't have gotten far!" And they all dashed out of the castle library (and out of the castle) to find the supposedly cutie marked griffon!
As the three frantic frillies dashed all over Ponyville to look for Gabby, Scootaloo drew her attention skyward as she instructed! "Keep your eyes on the skies, ponies. Gabby's sure to be flying to somewhere."
But Apple Bloom suddenly noticed something up ahead. "She's not in the air. She's right there!" And she pointed a hoof to where Gabby was currently trying to push a mail cart that had gotten stuck in the mud. On her flanks, it was possible to see what looked like a painting of a black cauldron. Was that her cutie mark that she had gotten?
"Gabby, wait!" Sweetie Belle shouted as the Crusaders rushed to the gray feathered griffon! "Don't leave! You've got some explaining to do, and so do we!"
But Gabby let out a strangeled "Eep!" and began to nervously stutter. "Um... S-sorry, n-no time to chat. I-I just stopped to help this pony get out of the muck is all, and... and then I-I really gotta fly. Okay?" She gave a great heave, managing to free the stuck mail cart! In doing so, however, she slipped and fell into the mud! She quickly stood up and shook herself clean, and this delay allowed the Crusaders to close in on her.
Sweetie was the first to ask the griffon. "Gabby, why in Equestria are you running away from us? We want to help you."
The griffon protested. "Running away? Oh, don't be silly, I'm not running away! I'm just, uh, e-excited to show my lovely new cutie mark to everyone in Griffonstone is all!"
The farm filly immediately noticed something running down the griffon's flanks as she bluntly commented. "You mean the cutie mark that's runnin' right off your flanks there?"
Gabby unhappily sighed as her "cutie mark" disappeared into a splotch and stain of black ink. "Yup, that's the one," She confessed. "Should've known I couldn't fool you girls. You're the experts on cutie marks, after all. Guess it was silly of me to think borrowing this unicorn's cutie mark paints would be enough."
"Wow, Gabby. Painting on a fake cutie mark to make yourself feel better?" Scootaloo commented. "Guess you must've been more upset than we realized."
The usually cheerful griffon confessed. "Sure, I was disappointed. But I didn't do it to make myself feel better. I wanted to make you feel better. You've apparently never failed a client before," Then she realized. "Except for that one filly, obviously."
But that at the tomboyish pegasus shook her head from side to side as she told the girffon. "Gabby, you didn't let me finish my story. It's true that I had to tell Olivia to stop focusing on her gliders and blueprints. But that's not where the story ends. You won't believe what happened next." And already, her mind began to recall the memories.
It had only been a day since Scootaloo had met Olivia, and had roped her fellow Crusaders into helping design (and subsequently fly) one of the unicorn filly's gliders. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had hoped that by having Scootaloo talk some sense into Olivia, this obsession with flying and flying machines would be nipped in the bud.
However, when they met up at the clubhouse at the edge of the orchard at Sweet Apple Acres, the two fillies soon took notice of the fact that Scootaloo was not present. And although they waited a bit, the tomboyish pegasus failed to show up.
"Somethin' ain't right, here," Apple Bloom nervously commented. "It ain't like Scootaloo to be late for a Cutie Mark Crusaders meetin'."
Sweetie Belle nervously nodded back and gulped as she asked. "Why do I feel like she's off doing something crazy?"
The farm filly couldn't help but comment. "You know, it's weird. Scootaloo ain't the only thing missin', Big Mac's tools have gone missin' too."
Sweetie added. "And Rarity said that some of her fabrics vanished even though she swore she had them last night," Then, suddenly, something clicked in the filly's mind. "You don't think..."
But neither filly needed to have pondered the possibility. For at that very moment they could hear an energetic, excited scream split the air! They ran outside for a better look, and saw a shadow hanging over the orchard and fast approaching! Looking up, the Crusaders gasped at what they saw!
There was Scootaloo, flying a noticeably scaled down and heavily modified form of the glider from the day before. It still had the levers to control the flaps, but much of the wings on either side of it had been removed. And it stood out in colorful contrast thanks to the rolls of fabric that had been used as a covering.
As it just so happened, Olivia was seeing the same thing! She could hardly believe her eyes and ears! "How is this possible?!" She thought aloud!
"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shouted together! More out of concern than of geunine amazement! But it seemed their friend was too high up to hear them. She just kept glidding along, slowly but surely drawing nearer and nearer to the ground.
Yet it seemed that the pegasus filly with an orange coat was enjoying every moment she was airborne. She still had on her helmet and safety goggles, but any concern about a crash seemed to have left her.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle joined Olivia as the three fillies chased after Scootaloo on the ground, running as fast as they could to keep her and the glider she was in in view!
Eventually, the glider descended low enough to where it could no longer stay airborne. It hit the ground at a low speed, but it was still a crash since it had clearly not been brought down as intended.
Scootaloo climbed out of the glider's cockpit, removing her helmet and safety goggles just in time for her to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Olivia all run up to her! "Hey girls!" She greeted with enthusiasm. "What did you think of my beautiful flying back there? I can't believe I pulled that off!"
Olivia was speechless, her mouth hanging open in shock!
Apple Bloom was the first to find the words to speak. "Scootaloo, what the hay were you thinkin'?! And how did you manage to build that glider and get it off the ground all on your own?"
The tomboyish pegasus willingly confessed. "I had to make some adjustments, but I just followed the same blueprints Olivia was using. But I had to have Rainbow Dash generate a small breeze to get me going, so the take-off and landing still need some work."
The unicorn filly with a sky blue coat replied in confusion. "But, I thought you didn't want me to bother with my gliders anymore? I thought you told me to put away my blueprints and just give up."
Scootaloo shook her head from side to side. "I never meant you should just give up, Olivia. What I was trying to tell you was that you don't have to keep obsessing over trying to build the perfect glider all the time," And she explained. "You kept looking for any mistake, no matter how small. It stopped being something you enjoyed, it started being something you didn't like doing. So I'd hoped you would try some other things. Focus on what you could do instead of what you can't do."
"So, why use one of my gliders and prove that they work?" Olivia still pondered.
The tomboyish pegasus answered. "So you could see that there wasn't anything wrong with them. You can keep trying, and I'm sure eventually you'll solve all the problems with them that need to be solved. But there's more to you than those gliders and blueprints."
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom eagerly chimed in. "With your mechanical knowledge and know how, you could build just about anythin': Wagons, buggies, carts, you name it."
And Sweetie Belle added. "Cutie marks don't have to restrict you to doing one thing, Olivia. It's the pony that makes the mark, not the other way around. You say your cutie mark means you have to build those gliders? Well, I think we all agree that your mark means so much more than that!"
Scootaloo buzzed her tiny wings in agreement. "And I know that anything you build will be spectacular! But you should give the gliders a rest for a while. You'll never get anywhere if you keep trying and keep looking for perfection. Take a step back and try something else. Then you can use your experiences in other things to help you when you do eventually come back to your gliders."
Olivia seemed to slowly nod as she replied. "I understand that now. I've already made a lot of progress. But it obviously means nothing if I keep thinking I have to improve, and that nothing will ever be good enough. I should take pride in what I've managed to achieve. And if I fail, I should just use that as motivation to learn and to do better next time," She smiled as she trotted up and gave Scootaloo a hug. "Thanks, Scootaloo. You and your fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders were just the sort of help I needed most, even when I didn't realize it."
"So do you see now, Gabby?" Scootaloo asked the griffon as she concluded her story. "You've been focusing on what you can't do: Get a cutie mark. And you're ignoring all the things you can already do better than anyone else. I mean, after all, they didn't make you the mail carrier for Griffonstone just because they wanted to, right?"
The gray feathered griffon slowly replied. "Well, they always said I was the fastest griffon anygriff had ever seen. That's how I could always find a griffon in a hurry if I wanted to."
The tomboyish pegasus nodded. "Exactly. And you went to all this trouble of faking a cutie mark just to make us feel better. That took talent. Any griffon who could think of a way to fake a cutie mark and make it look convincing, is a griffon who doesn't need a cutie mark to be special. You're already special in your own way, Gabby."
Gabby slowly smiled. "Well, thanks. I guess I got so caught up in the idea of a cutie mark, I never stopped to consider whether or not I really needed one to stand out," Though she then longingly sighed. "Still, it would be nice to have one, even just for a little while. I feel so ashamed that I came all this way for nothing."
But it was then that Scootaloo got an idea. "Actually, Gabby, maybe there's still a way to give you what you want. We can't give you a cutie mark. But maybe we can make one for you."
At that the griffon's moderate turquoise eyes blinked slowly. "How are you gonna do that?"
Scootaloo smiled. "Get cleaned up, then meet us at the clubhouse. That should give the three of us time to put something together. And I think you'll like it."
A short time later, Gabby arrived at the clubhouse with uncertainty. She had no idea what the Crusaders might do.
When the griffon entered the clubhouse, the Crusaders smiled and presented her with a wooden box. Scootaloo took the lead in explaining. "Gabby, finding your special purpose doesn't have to be about being good at something. It's about feeling good about something inside."
Apple Bloom then added. "And it looks like your special purpose is a whole lot like ours: Helpin' others. And you don't need some symbol on your flank to know that."
Sweetie Belle smiled as she concluded. "However, since we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we put our heads together and made you a cutie mark of your very own anyway."
The box was then opened to reveal a wooden, carved shield similar to the ones the CMC had. But Gabby's shield had a picture of a trophy inside of it. Gabby could hardly believe her eyes! "Does this mean-" She asked with her heart all a flutter!
The three fillies nodded as Scootaloo proudly declared! "-You bet it does! Gabby, as of today, we proudly dub you:" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle then joined her in saying together! "The very first griffon member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
Gabby was absolutely speechless! Eventually, however, she found the words she wanted to say! "I am so grateful to you, Crusaders! I'm proud to be one of you! I won't let you down! I'm gonna go home and do my very, very best to bring Cutie Mark Crusader values to Griffonstone! I promise."
Scootaloo then asked. "Can you promise us one other thing?"
"What's that?" The gray feathered griffon asked.
The three Crusaders shouted together! "Come back soon!"
"Oh I will!" Gabby eagerly promised! "After all, I'm one of you now! And we Cutie Mark Crusaders gotta stick together, forever!"
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Again, you did an excellent job on the exchanges, characterizations and general wrap-up as well as the reasoning behind the rewrite. Yeah, the Crusaders telling Gabby that story about Olivia and the hang gliders DOES make a quite a bit of sense. Really good use of past inspiration there. And to be fair, Gabby's skills DO all fall under the stuff that ANY griffon with the right amount of heart and work ethic could figure out how to do. Keep in mind that griffons have comparable strength to Earth ponies, can fly like Pegasi and, while they don't have telekinesis like unicorns, DO have claws with opposable thumbs, so pretty much all griffons are basically two-and-a-half-thirds of a rookie alicorn (emphasis, admittedly, on "rookie"), which means they COULD learn how to do A LOT if they put in the effort. The only reason more griffons haven't been able to do those things is because they didn't care enough to learn. But I digress. I can still understand why you would make the flashback the main story.
Anyway, very definitely looking forward to more of this.
Speaking as a mechanical engineer: More specifically, what Olivia needs (in addition to the lesson on not obsessing over being perfect) is to develop her skills with simpler things where a malfunction won't have tragic consequences. I've sometimes wondered if G4 Equestria has engineering schools - with the technology we've seen, they look like they'd be at the point where they're ready to start transitioning from a pure apprenticeship-based system.
And for what it's worth: Turn Tank's propeller sideways, and you have forward thrust. Plus we've seen liquid-fueled rockets. So somepony with the right skills very well could build a half-decent airplane with what's available in G4 canon.
I thought it wasn't gliders, but somepony obsessed with Princess Twilight Sparkle building set of mechanical wings in hopes of flying like her.
And yes, everything about how Scootaloo's wing situation was handled made it feel like the staff didn't want to formally mark her as disabled, but also didn't want to piss off the fans who had held her up as a role model for people with disabilities. Though one would think that showing her the wonderful world of aeronautics would have been a logical compromise - certainly a hell of a lot less tragic than having her yearn to fly but receive no real help there.
11382006 I agree. Would've rather they trimmed or cut the montage, and maybe even cut down a little on the montage scenes from "Love Is In Bloom" if it meant it would give them time to do a proper apology scene.