(Lesson 1-Your prideful Pegasus filly. Being a proud race Pegasii are reluctant to accept help. Even if they get stuck on a cloud.)
Dash flew over Ponyville, letting the wind carry away her worries. Today had been particularly stressful as she had dealt with a rabid manticore that had rampaged through the town. She had kicked it several times while Twilight had used her magic to too knock the creature out and cure its madness. Fluttershy had then gently led it back into the forest. A few ponies were injured and there was some property damage, but nothing too serious. She landed on a cloud where she was greeted with a very rare sight. Scootaloo was on another cloud. She kept wildly looking down. Dash flew over to her.
“Hey, Squirt.”
“H-hi Rainbow Dash!” She said brightly.
“How’d you get up here? I didn’t think you could fly yet.”
Dash ruffled her mane. “Don’t worry, I kicked it out of town.”
Scootaloo gazed at her with admiring purple eyes.
“R-really?”
“Yep. Bucked it right in its ugly jaw. It tried to bite me, but I was too quick for it. It lunged at me with its supers sharp claws, but I dashed right under its claws and bucked it in its chest. Well it fell down, but jumped right back up-yeah, okay, kid, get comfortable it’s a long story.”
Scootaloo had snuggled into Dash’s tummy the second the elder pegasus had leaned back. Dash stroked Scootalooo’s mane.
“So, there I was the fastest flyer in all of Equestria against this drooling, insane beast. It roared so loud that the trees shook and the birds scattered. Then it leaped at me, its claws going straight for my throat.”
“W-were you scared?”
“A little bit. Not much.” After all, I had my friends to back me up. “But even though I was a little scared I charged right at the monster and slammed my hooves into its face.” And that’s when Twilight’s spell took effect and knocked the thing out. “Anyway, that’s how I singlehoofedly saved Ponyville from a manticore. Well, Twilight and Fluttershy helped too.” She wrapped a wing around the filly. “So, you don’t have to worry about that mean ol’ manticore. Big Sis Rainbow Dash took care of it.”
“You are soooo awesome!” Scootaloo squealed, wrapping her hooves around Dash’s neck.
“So, you need helping getting down from here?”
“No, I can get down.”
“Sure?”
“I got up here didn’t I?”
“Yes, but you’re wings carried you because you were scared. That’s just reflex. Getting down will be harder.”
“I can do it, alright?” Scootaloo said, a bit of fire in her voice.
“Alright, alright.” Dash said, removing her wing. “I got some weather work to do, see ya around.” She stood up and Scootaloo was forced to give up her favorite pillow, Dash’s tummy.
Dash flew off and Scootaloo pawed at the cloud. I shouldn’t have snapped at her. I should just tell her I don’t know how to get down. I hope she’s not mad at me!
She looked down at the ground. The hard, cold, unforgiving ground that seemed very far away. On the other hand the cloud she was standing on seemed very comfortable and most importantly, safe.
I can’t just stay up here forever!
Scootaloo spread her tiny wings, buzzing them as fast as she could. Soon, she hovered above the cloud. After about two seconds she fell back down on it.
Dang it! Okay, you can do this! Rainbow Dash wouldn’t give up and neither will I! She stomped the cloud. Here goes!
She ran from the cloud and jumped. She buzzed her wings to keep from falling. For a while she hung suspended between the endless, blue expanse of the sky and the grassy meadows. She then felt her wings begin to give out and grabbed back onto the cloud, pulling herself up with a supreme effort. She collapsed against its soft surface, panting.
Okay, I’ll just wait a bit to get my breath back then I’ll try again! Scootaloo thought optimistically. (Unbeknownst to her Rainbow Dash was watching her from a nearby cloud. The minute Scootaloo had leaped Dash had left the cloud, but now she returned.)
Scootaloo pawed the cloud and then leaped. For a moment the wind whistled beneath her wings and she felt the full glory of her birthright as she soared in the sky. But her wings gave out and she flew back to the cloud with one last burst of strength. Dash soared over to the cloud.
“This is ridiculous!” She grabbed the filly’s hoof. “You’re coming with me, squirt!”
Scootaloo pulled away from her mentor. “I can do it!”
“You’ll get hurt.”
“I can do it! You’re the one that said I had guts remember?”
“Guts, yeah, but you don’t gotta lick of sense in that head of yours. Now, come on.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m going to get off this cloud all by myself!”
Dash sighed and flashed back to memories of a proud, rainbow-maned filly. “Sure, Scoots.” She patted the filly’s mane. “Call me if you need me.”
She flew over to another cloud. There was no way she was going to be able to talk the filly off that cloud. For the next hour or two Scootaloo alternated between resting and making leaps from the cloud. Dash thought about grabbing the filly, but decided against it. Each time she leapt she stayed in the air slightly longer, her wings acclimating to holding up her body.
'Huh. Maybe this is good for her.'
Scootaloo clung to a cloud with both hooves then fluttered her wings to get back up.
'Filly’s got guts. I was right about that. Nearly as awesome as I am.' Dash thought as she observed the scene.
Scootaloo curled up on the cloud. The sun was now setting below the horizon turning the clouds into a sea of yellows, reds and oranges. Dash flew over to her.
“I give up. I can’t get down.” Scootaloo said to her tail, which she had wrapped around her body.
“Told ya so.”
“I’m stupid.”
Dash patted her head. “That’s not true. You’re just reckless, like I am.”
“You could get off this cloud.”
“I probably couldn’t have at your age.”
“You’re lying. You’re trying to make me feel better.”
“Look, Squirt, I have another story for you.”
She leaned back. Scootaloo climbed onto her tummy. A sheen of sweat had covered her forehead.
“Once upon a time there was an awesome rainbow-maned pegasus named Dainbow Rash who decided to go flying since it was her special talent after all. Well, she got tired and decided to nap on a cloud. When she woke up it was sunset. She thought to herself, Papa’s gonna take away my toys forever if I don’t get home before curfew. Er, if she didn’t get home. Well anyway I tried to fly, but my wings were just too tired.”
“Wait, this story is about you? Your wings got tired?”
Dash chuckled. “Yeah, kid, ya got me. My wings got tired. I was still a filly remember? So, I sat on the cloud thinking I was going to be stuck up there forever. That’s when my dad showed up looking for me. He carried me home on his back. I thought he was going to be mad at me. He wasn’t. He told me he understood. He told me sometimes everyone needs help to get out of a bad situation. And it’s totally true. Let me tell ya, I couldn’t have taken out that manticore without Twi and Fluttershy backing me up.”
Scootaloo buried her face in Dash’s chest fur.
“Scoots? You need help?”
“I don’t have guts. I need help and I was too scared to admit it. I just…I wanted to impress you! You’re so cool and awesome and if I asked you to help you’d know I’m not cool.”
“Even cool and awesome ponies need help sometimes. Do you need help?”
“Just let me try one more time.”
'Celestia’s tits…' “Fine.”
Scootaloo hopped from the cloud and leapt. Dash leapt after her. Scootaloo landed on Dash’s back.
“I did it!” She exclaimed in pride as she wrapped her arms around Dash.
“Yeah, Squirt. You sure did.”
Scootaloo buried her muzzle in Dash’s mane. She was asleep by the time Dash got her home to her parents.
(Lesson Two-Motivating a discouraged filly is never easy. But a little loving encouragement goes a long way)
Today was the day. Scootaloo whistled happily to herself as she as she scooted along the road. Random ponies got out of the way as she rode down the path towards the field just outside Ponyville.
Today, Rainbow Dash had finally agreed to teach her to fly. Scootaloo slowed her scooter as she came to the expanse of grass. Dash was already there, with a whistle around her neck and wearing a cap. She smiled at the younger pegasus. Scootaloo hopped off her scooter and ran up to Dash, latching her arms around her neck.
“Thank you for agreeing to teach me Dash! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”
Dash ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “Take it easy, Kiddo. Of course I’d make time to teach my number one fan! Now, let’s see what you can do.”
“Well, I can’t do anything.” Scootaloo sheepishly admitted.
“Of course you can do something.” Dash protested. “I’ve seen you hover when you’re excited about something.”
“Well, sure I can do that. But that’s not flying. I want to fly.”
“Well, try to hover. Let’s see what ya got.”
With a buzz of her wings Scootaloo lifted into the air. Her wings buzzed desperately as she tried to keep herself above the ground. Dash mentally calculated how long she stayed in the air. Sweat broke out on Scootaloo’s face as her wings began to tire.
She fought the tiredness. Her wings were burning, but she tried to keep in the air. She grimaced as her fragile wings finally gave out. Dash caught her in her hooves and set her down. Scootaloo looked down.
“Thirty seconds. Not bad, kiddo.”
“Whatever.” Scootaloo replied.
“No really, that’s good for a beginner.” Dash assured her. “Not everypony can be as awesome as me. Can I see your wings?”
“Sure.”
Dash went behind her and took Scootaloo’s little orange wings in her grasp. She stroked and caressed each feather, running her hooves through them. Many of the feathers were twisted or broken. Scootaloo winced as Dash’s hooves reached the most sensitive areas.
“Scootaloo, when did you preen last?”
“Um…”
“If you can’t remember it’s too long.”
“What’s it matter? I can’t fly.”
“Proper wing care is the first step to learning how to fly. Most pegasii your age preening by themselves. Still, my mom would have thrown a fit if my wings had ever looked like this. Not that they ever did.”
“Are they really that bad?”
“Gotta be honest with ya, Squirt. Feathers this bad could be the whole reason you can’t fly yet.”
“Really?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yeah.”
“Um, can you preen them? It hurts when I do it.”
Seven-fire alarm bells went off in Dash’s head. Preening wasn’t supposed to hurt. For most pegasii, preening was a happy and relaxing activity. Mothers preened their foals to comfort them. Mutual preening was considered the height of intimacy and love, done between close friends and lovers. She even had preening sessions with Fluttershy.
“Scootaloo, could you show me how you preen?”
Scootaloo reached behind herself and struggled to reach her tiny wings. Finally she bit down on a feather and yanked it out. Dash winced.
“Stop. Just stop. Have your parents ever shown you how to preen?”
“They’re both earth ponies. They don’t know how.”
“That’s not an excuse. Heck, I showed Pinkie and Mrs. Cake how to preen Pound Cake.”
Scootaloo shuffled a hoof. “I sometimes think my parents don’t want me to fly. My dad…” She trailed off.
“Your dad what?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
“What does your dad do?”
“He says I can’t be his daughter. That Mommy is a lying horse.”
Dash had a good idea of what Scootaloo’s dad really said.
“But he’s nice when he isn’t drunk!”
Dash gritted her teeth.
“Scootaloo, I’m going to preen you alright? I promise it won’t hurt.”
“Are you sure?”
Dash nodded and sat on the ground. She took Scootaloo in her lap and wrapped a wing around her, just like her mama used to do. Scootaloo nestled against her chest. Dash spent a few moments running her muzzle through Scootaloo’s right wing. Scootaloo nickered in pleasure.
“Oh, that feels good.”
“Preening is supposed to.” Dash told her, continuing to brush her muzzle through Scootaloo’s feathers. With each brush through she straightened any errant feathers. Then she began the task of pulling out the broken and old feathers. She’d gently take one of the broken or old feathers in her teeth and gently pluck them out.
Then she moved on to the next one. A few worms and parasites had settled into the wing. Dash pulled those out. They left bloodstains. Dash winced, but she continued the task. She gave the wing one final brush. She finally moved on to the left wing which was just as bad. She buried her muzzle into the wing, straightening Scootaloo’s crooked feathers. Scootaloo’s eyes grew heavy.
“Sleepy?”
“Hm.”
“I think this is a bit better than what you’re used to, huh?”
“Um-hm.”
Dash ran her muzzle through each feather, gently twisting off the old or broken ones.
“How do your wings feel?”
“Lighter.”
After the old, broken feathers were collected into a pile Dash went back and brushed the wings some more. Scootaloo nickered in contentment. Dash stood and Scootaloo hopped from her lap.
“That felt nice. Really nice.”
She flapped her wings and her eyes widened. “Whoa, they do feel light!”
“Yeah, the extra weight was dragging your wings down.”
“Does this mean I’ll be able to fly now?”
“It means you have a better chance at it. You’ll need to do some exercises though. Let me show’em to you.”
Dash lowered herself to the ground and hovered from the ground on the tips of her wings. Scootaloo lowered herself and imitated Dash’s stance. Her wings trembled.
“Now, we’re going to go down like this.”
Dash lowered herself. Scootaloo followed and with a grunt of effort she lifted herself back up.
“Let’s do five of these.”
“Five?” Scootaloo asked. She was already sweating. “I can’t-”
“You what Scoots? I don’t know what that word means.”
She did a second wing-up. Scootaloo reluctantly followed. Her wings trembled with the effort of keeping her body suspended, but they didn’t give in. Together they did two more. Then Scootaloo steadied herself with her hoof.
“Just one more Scoots.”
“I can’t.”
“Okay. Two more.”
“I can’t.”
“You want to do three more? If you insist, Squirt.”
Scootaloo glared at her mentor then got back in position with Dash.
“You can do this Scoots.”
Scootaloo muttered something unkind about her mentor. Together they did the final wing-ups. After the eighth wing-up Scootaloo collapsed.
Her wings were aching. Her body was covered in sweat.
“How you feeling?” Dash asked. Scootaloo panted. Dash ruffled her mane.
“I don’t like the word can’t. Don’t say it around me. And you did three more than you thought you could didn’t you?”
Scootaloo grinned. “Yeah. Yeah, I did didn’t I?”
“Just do five a day every day. Then we can move up to ten.” Dash wrapped a hoof around her. "After every exercise, remember to stretch." She demonstrated by pushing her forelegs out, and then her back legs. She flared out her wings to their full extent.
Scootaloo observed her mentor and followed her, stretching out her much less impressive wings. Dash returned to her starting position. “Now I think somepony deserves some ice cream.”
“Yay!” Scootaloo jumped up, her tired spell mysteriously vanished.
“I was talking about myself, but you can come too.” Dash said, grinning and inviting Scootaloo to hop on her back. Scootaloo did and soon they were off to the ice cream store.
(Lesson Three-Sometimes, a pegasus filly just wants to hang out with her big sister. Sometimes, it's something more. Listen closely to your pegasus filly's concerns.)
Today, was supposed to be a cloudless day. Blue, sunny skies were scheduled throughout Ponyville. Unfortunately, some things were beyond the control of Ponykind. Supposedly, the Gods had appointed Ponykind as guardians of the world long ago. To Pegasii, the sky was given and with it mastery of the weather. The Everfree Forest had different ideas. The flock of pegasii dove through and into the clouds. Dash's wings were spread wide as she bucked and whirled through the sky. At her side was Cloud Chaser. The stallion was visibly sweating as he bucked a storm cloud. An angry bolt of lightning shot from the cloud and Cloud Chaser dodged a few seconds before it struck him.
"What the hay is going on with these clouds?" Dash demanded. The weather team was high over the Everfree Forest. The wild land spread out under them, dark and forbidding. From deep within came dark storm clouds. Again and again the pegasii dove into them, dispersing and bucking them into nothing. Finally, after hours of constant bucking the storm clouds were gone.
"Good work, everypony." Dash said, wiping sweat from her brow. She looked up at the vast, blue sky. "We got'em."
There were cheers all around. Dash soared away as the weather team dispersed. She had no plans for the rest of the day and was thinking of snagging a stray cloud for a well-deserved nap when she heard a cheerful, happy voice.
"Hi, Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!"
Dash looked down. Trailing after her on her scooter was a familiar orange pegasus. Dash landed beside her.
"What's up, Squirt?"
"I was just wondering if maybe we could hang out today?" Scootaloo asked, fixing Dash with a hopeful smile.
"Well, we trained yesterday and it's a good idea to give your body a break. I'm not going to be training today."
Scootaloo shook her head. "No, I mean, just spend time together."
Dash thought for a second. She hadn't just hung out with a filly Scootaloo's age since she was Scootaloo's age. "I don't know, Scoots. Wouldn't you rather hang out with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle?"
"Applebloom's sick, Sweetie Belle is on a fishing trip with her dad."
"If you really want to hang out with me, sure. What'd you want to do?"
"I was going to do some moves on my scooter and I want to show you this neat trick!"
Scootaloo took off on her scooter, urging Dash to follow her. Dash followed along till Scootaloo came to a stretch of meadow on the outskirts of town that was ringed by gently sloping hills. A patch of yellow wildflowers were blowing in the breeze. Dash's eyes widened as she saw a series of complicated ramps and rings in the center of the meadow.
"Scootaloo..." She pointed to the obstacle course. "Did you make that?"
"No, Applebloom did."
"It looks freaking awesome." Dash praised. "And you do tricks on your scooter on it?"
"Yep."
Scootaloo fluttered her wings as she positioned her scooter by the first ramp. With a kick of her hoof she was off. Coming off the ramp, she spun through a ring, landed perfectly on a second ramp and swung onto a series of increasingly higher ramps. Each ramp was positioned to bring the filly slightly higher. Occasionaly, a ring jutted out. Scootaloo took her scooter through each ring. Dash stared in amazement. Scootaloo's wings buzzed as she dove through the rings and off of the ramps. The ramps were leading to a curving slope made of planks. It was a drop of at least five feet. Scootaloo's face took on an expression of effortless concentration as she angled her scooter downwards. Dash gasped as Scootaloo tore down the slope and then into the air. Letting the scooter fall she spread her wings and briefly soared. She caught the scooter again as she came to earth.
"Tah-dah!" She announced proudly.
"That was awesome!" Dash gushed, tousling her adoptive sister's mane. Scootaloo beamed.
"Ah, it was nothing like anything you could do." Scootaloo said, shyly shuffling a hoof.
"Yeah, if I knew how to ride a scooter." Dash said.
It was Scootaloo's turn to gasp. "You don't know how to ride a scooter?"
"Nope. We don't have'em in Cloudsdale."
Scooters were more or less an earth pony's toy. Many pegasii children scoffed at them including Dash when she'd been a filly. Dash, though, wasn't going to tell Scootaloo that.
"Would you like to learn?" Scootaloo asked.
"Why not?" Dash asked. After all, it looked easy enough. Scootaloo hopped back on her scooter.
"You just grab the handlebars, and kick-like this." Scootaloo demonstrated and pushed the scooter. "You try."
Dash got on the scooter. It wobbled a bit at her weight. She spread her wings for balance like she'd seen Scootaloo do. Then she kicked her leg. The scooter toppled. She cursed as she fell and the scooter nearly landed on top of her. She glared at Scootaloo who was trying to hide her giggles.
"That's not very nice, you know." She scolded. "I don't laugh at you when you mess up."
Scootaloo blushed and hung her head. "Sorry." She mumbled.
Dash sighed. "Aw, c'mere Squirt." She spread a wing and wrapped it around Scootaloo, drawing her into a hug. Scootaloo smiled and nuzzled Dash's cheek.
"So, what did I do wrong?" Dash asked, letting Scootaloo out of the wing-hug.
"I think you were tipping too much. I should have told you to stand on the center."
"Okay. Center."
Dash stood on the scooter, this time on the direct center. It didn't wobble this time. Dash took that as a good sign.
"So, kick?"
"Er, maybe just a tap."
Dash nodded and gently tapped the ground. This time the scooter went about a couple of inches.
"Harder than that." Scootaloo coached.
Dash tapped it harder and it went farther. A few more attempts and she felt she'd gotten the hang of it. She kicked the ground and flapped her wings like she'd seen Scootaloo do so many times before. The scooter zoomed towards a tree. She yelped and flew off of it. The scooter trashed into the tree and fell into the ground.
"Are you okay?" Scootaloo asked.
"Of course." She flew back down to the ground. "It'd take more than that to hurt the Dash. I'm more worried about your scooter."
Scootaloo picked it up and appraised it. "I think the wheel is loose." She tapped it and the wheel flew off. "I'll take it by Applebloom's later. Also, I think it might be too small for you."
"Heh. Should've thought of that. Sorry, I didn't mean to break it."
"It's okay." Scootaloo hugged her. "We can do something else."
"How about going over to Sugarcube Corner? I'm in the mood for cupcakes." Dash suggested.
"That does sound cool. But first, I need to take my scooter back home."
"Wanna ride? It'll be faster." Dash said.
"Really? You'd let me ride you?"
"Sure I would."
Scootaloo enthusiastically clambered onto Dash's back. Dash held onto the scooter as she ascended into the air while Scootaloo threw her arms around her neck. The wind whipped her mane as Dash glided on the currents. From up on her perch Scootaloo could see all of Ponyville.
"There's my house!" She exclaimed, pointing to it after they had been flying for a while. Dash angled towards it, going carefully, but still fast enough for the younger pegasus to enjoy it. Scootaloo's house was a modest, one-story home in the center of town. Dash couldn't make out much of it, but as she got closer she noticed that it was well-maintained. It looked like there was a fresh coat of paint on it. Dandelions bloomed near the front porch. They landed and Dash placed the scooter inside. Scootaloo produced a key from her saddlebag, opened the door and took the scooter inside. A few minutes later she returned.
"Can I ride on your back again?" She asked.
"Hop on." Dash answered. Scootaloo climbed on her back once more and this time they flew towards Sugarcube Corner.
...
At some point Dash couldn't remember she and Scootaloo had began a cupcake eating contest. Dash rubbed her full tummy while Scootaloo wolfed down another cupcake. Dash nibbled on her last chocolate cupcake.
"Okay, Squirt. I hate to lose, but you win." Dash conceded.
Scootaloo cheered. "So, what do ya wanna do now?" She asked.
Dash yawned. "You ever taken a nap on a cloud?"
"Uh-huh."
"You ever napped on a cloud with your honorary sister?"
"I'd like to." Scootaloo responded.
After paying for the substantial number of cupcakes they walked outside. Dash picked Scootaloo up, located a stray cloud and flew up to it. Dash laid down. Scootaloo snuggled up to her tummy. Dash placed an arm around her.
"You having a good day, Squirt?"
"It's been an awesome day."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Can we have a sleepover?" Scootaloo asked.
Dash sank further into the relaxing, fluffy cloud. Many times had Dash been accused of not being very bright, but this wasn't true. She had what could be termed street smarts, something a certain purple unicorn could learn.
"Is everything okay at home?"
Scootaloo didn't answer.
"Squirt? I asked you a question."
"Why don't we have a race?"
"What?"
She hopped up on the cloud. "I wanna have a race."
"Um...okay."
Dash carried Scootaloo as she went back down. They went to a field Dash liked to practice in. Both pegasii got into a racing position.
"I, 2,3...GO!" Dash shouted. They took off. Scootaloo soon fell behind. Dash slowed to give Scootaloo at least something of a fair shot. Scootaloo chased after her, keeping up at her flank. The tree at the far end of the field was their finish line. Scootaloo nearly gave out of breath in her attempt to keep up with her much faster, stronger mentor. Dash hopped across and reached the tree. Scootaloo panted and collapsed next to her.
"Better luck next time." Dash said, sitting down next to her. "So, how are things at home?"
"Not gonna let that go, are you?"
"If things were alright, you'd say so."
"I can't lie to you."
"So, what's going on? Is one of your parents hitting you?"
"No."
"So, what is it?"
"Mom and Dad got in a fight last night because of Dad's drinking. He says really bad words to her, like I'd get in trouble if I called somepony the things he calls her, but I guess it's okay cause he's a grown stallion."
"No, it really isn't okay."
"So, can I sleep over tonight? Just tonight. I don't wanna go home right now. I kinda told them the Cutie Mark Crusaders were having a sleepover tonight, anyway."
Dash thought about telling her it was a bad idea to lie to her parents, but decided to let it slide.
"Course you can sleep over tonight, Squirt." Dash said, reaching down to nuzzle her.
So, You're Pegasus Needs A Little Discipline (Edited)
(Lesson Four-Sometimes, you're pegasus filly needs a little discipline.)
It was the next day. Dash had woken up to find a little bundle curled up beneath her wing. She lifted her wing and found the bundle to be Scootaloo snuggling up to her. Scootaloo had said she was going to sleep in a guest room, but at some point in the night must have snuck into Dash's bed. Dash wasn't able to resist pulling her a little closer and then using her feathers to tickle Scootaloo's side. Scootaloo had woken up giggling. Then she had taken her revenge and pounced on the elder pegasus and dug her hooves into her belly. Dash hadn't wanted to knock her off so had just lain there and let Scootaloo mercilessly tickle her. Scootaloo ended the tickle assault when Dash suggested they have breakfast. Dash wasn't a very able cook so she just poured two bowls of cereal. Scootaloo didn't seem to mind even if Dash didn't have her favorite kind. After breakfast, Scootaloo entertained herself by bouncing on the soft, fluffy clouds that made up Dash's home.
"These are so cool!" Scootaloo gushed, bouncing up and down. She buzzed her wings and bounced against a wall, laughing when she fell onto the floor.
Dash chuckled. "Yeah, cloud floors are the best."
"When I grow up I'm living in a cloud house!" Scootaloo said, beginning to prance along the soft, fluffy material. "Oh! Can we do some training today?"
"I'm not working today. When are your parents expecting you back?"
"Um...I dunno. I told them I was at a crusader's sleepover. Usually, I go crusading with the girls after. So, I'm usually back after noon."
"Sure, we can get some training in. First let's do some wing-ups."
Dash went to sit next to Scootaloo and they assumed the position for wing-ups. By this point, Scootaloo could do about fifteen wing-ups, which was standard for her age. By thirteen she was struggling to maintain her balance while on the tips of her wings. Dash eyed her position critically.
"Scoots, it'll be easier if you keep your back straight." With one hoof she gently corrected Scootaloo's form. Scootaloo went down and did the other two wing-ups with a perfect form. Dash couldn't deny the spark of pride she felt in her heart at seeing how much Scootaloo had progressed in a month. "Now, let's see how long you can hover in the air."
Scootaloo flared her wings and rose into the air. A buzzing sound came from her wings as she hovered.
"Slow flaps, no buzzing." Dash reminded her.
Scootaloo slowed down her wings and nearly fell. At the last second she caught herself. The struggle to stay in the air was visible on her face.
A bead of sweat appeared and trickled into her eyes. She ignored it. When they had began training last month she had only been able to stay in the air for nine seconds. Two weeks later it had been twelve seconds. This time, Scootaloo was determined to stay in the air a full minute.
She felt the strain in her wings, but she ignored them and gritted her teeth. Dash impassively observed her, noting the angle of her wings. Mechanically, she had her form down. Her wings were still weak, however. Suddenly, her wings gave out. Dash caught her.
"How long was that?"
Dash glanced at her timer. "Fifteen seconds. Good job, Squirt."
"Not good enough." Scootaloo grumbled. "I'm going to do it again!" She lept back into the air and began flapping her wings again. At this point her wings were burning. She tried to ignore it, but began to slow. Her hooves nearly touched the floor, but she flapped back up every time that happened.
"Awesome, Scoots." Dash praised. Scootaloo beamed, determined now more than ever.
"I'm going for a minute in the air!" She panted. Her lungs were begging for air. Her wings felt like they were on fire.
"Scoots, you don't have to do that. You don't want to hurt your wings. Take it easy."
"No, I have to do this!" Scootaloo said as she began to sink. She yelped in pain and finally fell into Dash's waiting arms.
"Are you alright?" Dash asked. She rubbed soothing circles into Sootaloo's back.
"Yeah, fine. How long was that?"
"Fifteen seconds."
Scootaloo groaned.
"I'll get you some water, Squirt. Don't try to fly. I mean it."
Dash disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with the glass of water. Scootaloo took it and gulped it down.
"I want to try again."
"If you think you can."
"I can. I know I can." Scootaloo said.
Dash tousled her mane. "I like your spirit."
Scootaloo flapped her still sore wings and rose into the air. Pain shot through her feathers and she fell. Dash once more caught her.
"Five seconds." Dash told her. "But hey you have improved. Fifteen seconds is your best time."
"Fifteen seconds...a month and I've only improved by a few seconds."
"What'd you expect kid? That'd you be pulling a sonic rainboom?"
"Of course not, I'm not stupid." Scootaloo responded stomping a hoof. "I just-it just makes me mad!" She bucked out wildly and kicked a table.
The vase that the table was on fell and landed on Tank, shattering.
"Oops." Scootaloo said. Dash moved so fast that Scootaloo didn't register that she was across her knee till the first spank connected with her rump.
'Okay, even when she gives spankings she's awesome.' Scootaloo thought as Dash smacked her butt again. A cascade of swats fell down upon her behind, making her yelp though she tried not to.
"Go sit in the corner." Dash ordered, picking her up off her lap and gesturing with a hoof. Scootaloo hung her head and walked over, pressing her muzzle to the wall.
Dash busied herself with sweeping up the pieces of the vase. Then she picked up Tank and gave her a hug, making sure her pet was alright.
She made a mental note to tell Scootaloo to apologize to the tortoise. Scootaloo sniffled a bit. Dash looked at her. Her ears were drooping. Her bottom was a little pink and she was holding back pitiable whimpers. Dash winced.
'Okay, Dash. You could have handled that a lot better. She probably hates you now. Great going. How long is a time-out supposed to last? It's been so long since I was on the receiving end of one.'
After five minutes, Dash decided that Scootaloo had served an acceptably long time-out. She walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder.
"Scootaloo, I-um..."
Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Scootaloo embracing her. "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash!"
"Hey, it's okay. I forgive you." Dash said, returning the embrace. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I should have told you why you were in trouble before I spanked you."
"I shouldn't have thrown a tantrum. I didn't know Tank was behind me, I didn't mean to hurt him."
"Oh, yeah. You need to apologize to Tank too."
She looked over Dash's shoulder. "Sorry Tank."
Tank smiled at her graciously and went back to sleep. Dash sat down and invited Scootaloo to sit down beside her.
"Why don't we both try to work on our temper?" Dash asked.
"That sounds good." Scootaloo agreed. They hoofbumped. Dash wrapped a wing around her and Scootaloo leaned against her mentor.
"Y'know, Squirt, learning all this takes time. It might be hard to believe-and if you tell anyone I said this I'll deny it-but I wasn't born awesome."
"You weren't?" Scootaloo asked.
"Nope. I had to learn just like you. You want to know something else? I almost got kicked out of Flight School."
Scootaloo's jaw worked up and down. "What for?"
"I just couldn't do the work. The flying I could do, but not the written stuff. Math and stuff like that. So, after Flight School I traveled the world. I learned Scoots, from everypony-and everybody-I could. It took me weeks, but I ascended the Epona Mountains and learned from the Pegasus Sky Masters. To test if I was worthy they threw me off the highest mountain peak they had while weighted down. Almost died, but I soared at the last minute. I learned from Griffon masters too. I even learned from a passing Changeling. I learned Changeling martial arts from him. I think I saw my old teacher at the wedding. Socked him in the jaw."
Scootaloo stared at Dash with reverence bordering on religious awe.
"Will I ever be as awesome as you?"
"No. You'll be as awesome as yourself. The potential is in you, Squirt. Now why don't we go back to training? I'm thinking some light arm and ab exercises? You have other muscles besides your wings, don't neglect them. "
"I'm always up for more training." Scootaloo said. They spent about half-an-hour training before Dash took Scootaloo home. She asked Scootaloo what her mother's name was. Scootaloo pointed out the purple-maned, brown coated earth pony who was working in the garden as Dash and Scootaloo landed by the house.
"Hi, Scootaloo. Who's your friend?" She asked as she put down the spade and walked up to the pair.
"This is Rainbow Dash! She's teaching me to fly!" Scootaloo announced.
A confused expression crossed the mare's face. "I thought you spent last night with the Crusader's."
"We got in some training this morning." Scootaloo said..
Dash couldn't help but admire the skill of the obfuscation. Technically, it wasn't a lie. Nor was it the truth. Sccotaloo had a future in politics.
"Say, do you have some time to talk, Mrs. Oak?"
"Please just call me Oak. Mrs. Oak is my mother. And what's this about?"
Scootaloo looked between the two adults.
"I just need to talk to you about something." Dash said.
Scootaloo chose to leave, going away into the house.
"What's this about?"
"Scootaloo spent the night with me."
"What? Why?"
"She told me that you and her dad had been fighting so much she didn't want to be home."
Oak sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I could see that. If she'd told me the truth I'd have let her stay over with you. Don't know why she'd lie to me like that."
"You and your husband fight a lot?"
"None of your business."
Dash cocked her head. "When your kid wants to stay over with me cause her parents are fighting so much, it's kind of my business. There are a few other things, too."
Oak trotted away and knelt down in a patch of carrots. She began to dig. Dash trotted next to her.
"Is it about her not being able to fly at her age?" She asked. "We're both Earth Ponies. We can't teach her. You're welcome to though."
"It's not just that." Dash said. "Scootaloo's wings looked awful. She hasn't been preening properly. It's a mother's duty to make sure their child's wings are preened."
Oak stopped. "I'm not a pegasus, if you haven't noticed."
"It doesn't matter. There are professional preeners out there who don't charge that much."
"We're not rich."
"Then you could have learned how to do it yourself!" Dash snapped.
Oak stood and Dash saw where she got the name. Her muscles were so solid and well-developed that Dash wondered if she didn't work out herself. "Are you accusing me of neglect?"
"She had parasites. Your daughter's wings were covered in parasites. I had to pull them off." Dash responded.
"You are. You're saying I'm neglecting my daughter!"
"Well, if the horse shoe fits-"
She stomped her hoof, reminding Dash of her daughter. "I do not neglect her! Look, I just...I just don't know how to take care of a pegasus. I don't know what she needs."
"Lady, pegasii aren't that different from any other pony. Other than wing care you take care of them like you take care of any other foal."
"Wanna know something? When she was born, I wasn't ready for a foal. But I have done the best I can! How dare you accuse me of neglect!"
"I'm not accusing you of anything!" Dash shouted, "Just...I'm just worried about her. I want to know what's going on."
Oak shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing is going on. You want to preen her, teach her how to fly, teach her everything a young pegasus should know, go ahead."
"Okay. Also, please don't get mad at her about lying. I think she was just scared about what you might say."
"Sure, sure." Oak said, then returned to her gardening.
Dash backed away, flared her wings and took to the air.
... It was a bit too early for a drink, but Dash did enjoy the pub. It was the atmosphere. The light filtering through the red, stained-glass windows. The sound of the pool balls knocking into each other. The loud chatter of the stallions and the mares flirting with each other. The familiar smell of beer and greasy, hay burgers. And one of her oldest friends sitting by her side. It felt like home.
"I don't get it, AJ." Dash said, sipping her root beer. "Aren't Earth Ponies supposed to be all into family? I get the feeling Scootaloo's mom doesn't even care."
Applejack bit into her hayburger. "I don't get it, RD. What's up with Fluttershy? Aren't pegasii supposed to be into flying and being brave warriors?"
"I see your point. But, I mean...my mom cared about me. I mean really, really cared about me. It got a bit annoying at times. 'Dashie put on your sweater, I'm cold.' 'Dashie, eat your veggies.'"
"Your mama calls you Dashie?" Applejack asked with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, it's adorable I know. She loves me. I always knew that and never doubted it. I can't imagine a mother not caring about their foal."
"It's sad, but at least Scootaloo has somepony that cares about her."
"Me? I can't be a mother. I screw up too much. Training her, sure, I can do that. But I can't be her mother."
"You don't need to be. Be her sister, be her friend, be her wise old mentor-"
"Who ya calling old?"
"Missing the point, Dashie. Just let her know that somepony out there cares about her."
Dash sipped her drink. "Your right. I just gotta be there for her."
Scootaloo had become accustomed to pain. Under Dash's tutelage, she was beginning to believe pain was in fact good for her. This startling revelation had dawned on her when she realized how much stronger she was growing. It used to be her wings were barely strong enough to carry her. Under a month of Dash's very traditional Pegasan training her wings were now strong enough to carry her in the air for at least fifteen seconds. All the sweat, all the effort, all the aching, soreness of her muscles after a workout ,all the endless wing-ups and crunches and laps were worth it. Even the brief, hardly mentionable, pain of the spanking had woken her up to the fact that her temper was becoming a serious problem. The fact that she had made Dash that mad-or worse disappointed-in her was something that had inspired her to tackle that problem.It was something her and Dash had decided to work on together. Dash had promised not to spank her again, of course, unless Scootaloo thought it would help her. Traditional Pegasan training always involved a bit of corporal punishment, but Dash was reluctant to go down that path.
Today was another training day. Scootaloo hovered over the field, the blue sky arching above her, her wings straining with the effort of keeping her body suspended between the heavens and the earth. She looked up to the heavens, that blue expanse that was her inheritance, the glory and pride of her race. How she longed to cast off her earthly bonds and soar like her ancestors before her. She knew she would one day. The sky was within her reach.
"Come on, Scoots. You got this!" Dash cheered her on. Dash was directly above her. "Come on up here!"
Scootaloo breathed and angled her wings like Dash had taught her. A burst of air lifted her up and she flew upwards. Dash lifted out of her reach.
'Always out of my reach...always...'
She zoomed forward, trying to catch her. Dash stuck out her tongue as she lifted even further upwards.
'No, not always! I will reach you!' Scootaloo thought, more determined than ever. The thrust of her wings carried her farther than they ever had before. This time instead of flying upwards, Dash got her by her hooves and pulled her up. The field was far below them. Scootaloo looked down. The green field stretched below her. From here it looked so small. She was at least five-hundred feet up.
"Wanna go higher?"
Scootaloo nodded.
"Let's go higher."
The larger pair of hooves held onto hers. Scootaloo no longer flapped her wings, just letting the air flow through them as her mentor carried her. As they ascended the town below shrunk. Scootaloo looked down and saw the buildings and houses of her hometown. Then she looked back up. While it was a mostly cloudless day thin wisps were scattered here and there.
"I'm going to let you go." Dash said.
"W-what?"
"You trust me, Squirt?"
Scootaloo nodded. "W-with my life."
"Yeah. You're about too."
She let go of her hooves. Scootaloo flapped wildly as Dash slid under her. She landed on Dash's back and wrapped her hooves around her neck.
"You got any plans today?" Dash asked.
"Nah. I have to be back before eight though."
"Great, we'll be back long before then."
Scootaloo looked around. They were now surrounded by open sky. The hills and pleasant meadows of Equestria were far below them while the rocky, grey mountains were rising up to greet them. A shroud of mist covered them.
"Where are we going?"
"It's just a place pegasii like to go, sometimes. Earth Ponies have their burial mounds, Unicorns have their temples, we have cloud shrines."
"Cloud shrines?"
"Yeah. I don't go too often."
She lifted up over the mountains, diving through the narrow and dusty paths, rising above their peaks. They took a detour through fog. Scootaloo tightened her hold as they went through it. The mist obscured their vision and for a while the world was a thick, grey blanket. They burst through the other side, drops of mist bathing their wings. Soon, the mountains were far behind them. Scootaloo wondered just how fast they were going. Ponyville was gone and the world below was nothing but rocks and mountains. She had never paid much attention to geography, but she wished she had. She had heard of cloud shrines before. Rumble told her that her brother Thunderlane took him there sometimes. He hadn't told her much about it though. The farther they flew the thicker the clouds got. Scootaloo kept expecting to see Cloudsdale, but they were going in the wrong direction for that. Or at least she thought they were. They were now so high that Scootaloo couldn't even see the world below.
"What's at a cloud shrine?"
"It's kinda hard to describe. It's like a really old cloud formation. I never paid much attention to the old stories, but it is said Queen Majesty made them when the world was young for Pegasii to enjoy. Or something like that. Some Pegasii pray there. Some just go there to think." Dash said. She flew over a jagged mountain peak that looked like it was as old as the world.
"Where are we?"
"These are the Majestic Mountains. I love flying here. It's fun to dodge the peaks. Here we are."
Scootaloo couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. Before her was a vast expanse of rolling mists and cloud that seemed to stretch for endless miles. She couldn't quite describe it, but she felt a sense of ancientness and somehow understood that these clouds were incomprehensibly old, older than the first pegasus, older than the pony race. What magic held these clouds together was so much greater than she could fathom. There were other pegasii around. Some had their wings spread in reverence and their hooves lifted in prayer. Others were just sitting. A few were speaking to each other in hushed whispers. Dash landed on a part of the formatiom that nopony else was on. Scootaloo hopped off her back and sat down. Dash laid down.
"What do we do now?"
"Nothing. That's the point."
Scootaloo chuckled. "Sounds boring."
"Anywhere else and it would be. Remember when we both lost our tempers a week ago?"
Scootaloo nodded.
"Let's take it easy for a bit. Close your eyes. Breathe."
Scootaloo didn't know where this was going, but obeyed. She closed her eyes and began to breathe.
"Slowly. In. Out."
She fell into a steady rhythm with her mentor. After a few moments, she realized what Dash was talking about. With each breath of the fresh, clean air filling her lungs a sense of calm filled her. Soon, all thoughts had melted away. She allowed herself to sink into the clouds. Tension she hadn't known she was carrying melted away as her muscles fully relaxed. Time lost all meaning. She wasn't sure how long she was in that state, just breathing with her mentor, when Dash placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"This place has a way of bringing peace." She said. "And you can carry it with you."
"How?" Scootaloo asked, genuinely wanting to know.
"If you feel yourself getting angry close your eyes, breathe and imagine you're back here. Doesn't always work, but most of the time it will."
"Can we keep doing it?"
"Sure."
They went back to the sitting and breathing. Scootaloo had never been so happy just sitting still.
... It was a few days later. Scootaloo was walking home from school, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle beside her. They were planning on getting spelunking cutie marks. Unfortunately, there were no caves around Ponyville. Sweetie Belle suggested that they try something like swimming cutie marks. Scootaloo was about to second the idea when she heard a taunting voice.
"Hey, Blank Flanks."
They all groaned.
"What do you want, Diamond?" Applebloom demanded.
The pink filly and her grey flunky were standing on the path they were walking.
"What lame plan to get your cutie marks do you have this time?" Diamond asked.
"Swimming, if you must know." Sweetie Belle said.
The two fillies burst out laughing.
"What kind of stupid cutie mark would that be?" Diamond asked between laughs.
Applebloom stepped forward. "I've gotta mind to sock you in the jaw!"
Scootaloo closed her eyes, breathed and imagined an expanse of clouds all around her. The anger inside her was still there. It would always be there, but it began to subside as she focused on the image. She grabbed Applebloom's shoulder.
"No, let's ignore them." She said.
"Scootaloo?"
"Let's ignore them. Let's just walk away."
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look, shrugged and followed their companion as she walked around the bullies. They looked on in utter shock.
"Hey! You can't ignore us!" Diamond shouted.
"Just did!" Scootaloo shouted back, smiling to herself.
Scootaloo hummed happily to herself as she nearly pranced out of Cheerilee's classroom. Her two best friends in the whole wide world, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, were right beside her. Together, they had gone on several poorly thought out adventures to earn their cutie mark. Yesterday, they had tried to be seamstresses at Sweetie Belle's suggestion. That hadn't worked out in the least bit and Applebloom and Scootaloo were now permanently banned from Carousel Boutique and Sweetie Belle was banned from going anywhere near Rarity's sewing machine. Scootaloo still thought that the leather-and-glitter dress she'd made was awesome. Unfortunately, Rarity had disagreed, especially after Scootaloo used up Rarity's entire collection of gemstones.
"So, what do you wanna do today?" Applebloom asked. The weather was warm today, puffy, white clouds floating in the endless blue of the sky. The weather was warming as the year turned towards summer. A cool breeze stirred the leaves and passed through Scootaloo's feathers. It reminded her that today she was having a flight lesson with Rainbow Dash. Dash had stopped her yesterday while she was on her scooter and told her that for the next lesson they were taking it to the next level. Scootaloo didn't know what that meant, but she was ready for it. Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice Sweetie Belle ask her what she thought of the idea of trying for rodeo cutie marks. Applebloom had suggested the idea, but Sweetie wasn't sure.
"Scootaloo? Equestria to Scootaloo. You there?" Applebloom asked, nudging her shoulder. "My sister has all her rodeo stuff set up. Want to try it out?"
"Aw, I'd love to girls." Scootaloo answered, a little regretfully. "But I have practice with Rainbow Dash."
"Oh yeah! How is that coming along?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I can stay in the air for longer. Watch!" Scootaloo flared her wings and lept into the air. She hovered, her wings furiously flapping and making a buzzing sound. After about twenty seconds she landed back on the ground.
"That was so cool!" Applebloom said.
"Yeah, Dash will have you flying in no time!" Sweetie Belle added.
"Thanks." Scootaloo said, smiling. "Can we try for rodeo cutie marks together? I really want to do that."
"Sure." Applebloom said.
Scootaloo said good-bye to the two, hopped on her scooter and began to ride through town. The market place was crowded in the afternoon and all the ponies gathered there were forced to move out of the way as Scootaloo zoomed past. She drove wildly, darting around ponies and stalls, using improvised ramps to jump into the air, spinning around and kicking up the dirt. Some of the adult ponies shouted after her, but for the most part they had gotten used to it. Scootaloo soon left the town behind, going towards a gentle clearing separated from the rest of town by a slowly moving brook. Scootaloo rode over the bridge and into the clearing. She passed Fluttershy's cottage, the yellow pegasus waving to her. Scootaloo waved back. The practice field was a bit farther away. Scootaloo coasted most of the rest of the way there.
As she rode she wondered what going to the next level meant. The practices already left her drenched in sweat with aching muscles. What could be next? More wing-ups? More crunches?
'Whatever it is, I'm more than ready!' Scootaloo thought to herself. Like Dash had instructed her she had been exercising every day. She could feel her body getting stronger with each exercise session. The closer she got to the field, the more she became aware of an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. Dash was waiting for her by an old oak with a whistle wrapped around her neck. She never blew the whistle. It was just there. The older pegasus smiled and gave her a friendly wave.
"How's my number one sister?" Dash asked.
Scootaloo flushed and smiled back. Then she gulped when she saw two pairs of heavy looking weights. Parking the scooter, she hesitantly approached Dash. Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Everything alright, Squirt?"
Scootaloo kept her eyes on the weights, wondering how heavy they could be. A thick line of rope was connected to each one of them.
"W-what are those?" Scootaloo finally asked, pointing at them.
"Those are wing-weights. We'll be using them later. Today, we're going to be working on our muscles. In order to fly a pegasus can not be too heavy, but their wings still have to be strong. Also, strong muscles let you heal faster from injuries. Let's get started."
Scootaloo gave one last, wary look to the wing weights.
"You're not scared, are you?" Dash asked.
Scootaloo chuckled nervously. "What? Me scared? No, of course not!"
"Sure?"
"Yep."
"If you say so, Squirt."
Dash got into position, the tips of her wings holding up her body. She seemed to find the stance easy, her body revealing no tension. Scootaloo's wings still trembled at the tips when she got into the same stance. Even so, she had gotten better at it.
"Fifteen reps. Starting now!" Dash barked.
Dash and Scootaloo both lowered down and pushed back up. Scootaloo's wings had once trembled every time she had even attempted a wing-up. Other times, she had done five or even less wing-ups before her body just collapsed. Then she had gotten till about ten without her body collapsing, but her wingtips would still tremble. Now, she could do fifteen wing-ups and her wingtips barely trembled at all. She grunted as she pushed herself back up on the twelfth rep. Dash gave her a concerned glance.
"You alright?"
Scootaloo grunted in response.
"Heh. Of course you are. You're tough." Dash praised as they went down together for the last three reps. Scootaloo stood and stretched out her wings like Dash had taught her. Dash spread out her much larger wings and bent down, stretching out her forelegs. Scootaloo followed suit.
"Now let's do some push-ups!" Dash announced, getting into the position. Scootaloo reluctantly followed.
"Why push-ups? What I really want to do is work on my wings!" Scootaloo complained as she balanced on her forelegs and pushed down. The strain of holding herself up spread through her forelegs.
"Like I told you, strong muscles let's you heal faster. I think that'd be something you'd be interested in considering the number of crashes you get into." Dash told her as she completed a rep. Scootaloo, despite her grumbling, went along with doing the push-ups. By this point, beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead. As she pushed up for the last few reps, the beads of sweat dropped down onto the grass. Curious, she glanced over at her mentor. Rainbow Dash had a perfect form as she held herself above the ground on her hooves. Scootaloo's form was good, but she felt it was only a cheap imitation compared to her mentor. However, Dash was sweating. Scootaloo smiled as she slowly came down. Her mentor was as equine as she was. Scoootaloo pushed herself up, her muscles straining.
"Okay, that's enough." Dash said. They stretched and Dash went to retrieve the wing weights.
"You ready for this, Scootaloo?" Dash asked.
"You know I am!" Scootaloo said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt.
Dash took two of the weights, stretched out her wings and strapped the weights to them. Scootaloo's jaw dropped as she read that the weights were both fifty pounds. She wasn't very good at math, but she knew fifty and fifty made one hundred.
"You can carry one-hundred pounds with your wings?" Scootaloo gaped.
"I've been doing this a long time squirt." Dash answered as she strapped a pair of two-pound weights to Scootaloo's own wings.
"I think I could do more." Scootaloo said as she tried to spread out her wings. The weights acted as a counterbalance, pulling her wings downward. She could hardly get them fully spread, only raising them a few inches. There was no real strain though.
Dash shook her head. "Uh-uh. No way. Those things can hurt. I started out at four pounds. Let's go for five reps. But tell me if it's too much. I mean it. I know you like to impress me, but if it's too much say so."
Scootaloo nodded. Dash and Scootaloo spread out their wings. Scootaloo could still only lift her wings a few inches with the weights dragging them down. The weights felt wrong. She wanted to spread them further. On the fourth attempt she strained and was able to lift them about an inch higher up. Even that sent a jolt of pain through the wings. She wondered why Dash said only to do five, but by the time the fifth rep came along she was panting and her wings were aching. Sweat trickled down her forehead and back in rivulets. Dash unhooked the weights from her wings before getting the weights off her own. She trotted to a cooler, got two bottles of water and held one out to Scootaloo. Scootaloo drank it down.
"Rainbow Dash? My wings are sore."
"You wanna know something? So are mine."
"Really?"
Dash nodded. "But can you still use them?"
Scootaloo gave them some experimental flaps. "Kind of."
"Good. Try to get in the air."
Scootaloo flapped her wings and lifted upwards. Her wings made their familiar buzzing noise. Dash shook her head.
"Try to flap, not buzz. Slow them down."
Scootaloo focused on her wings. It was a long habit and she wasn't sure if she could break it. Still, she would try. Focusing, she slowed down the flapping of her wings. She nearly fell, but to her great surprise she tipped over and her body instinctively fell into a natural form for flying. Dash grinned and patted her head. A surge of exhilaration flowed through her at the sign of approval from her mentor.
"Great. I was thinking of a game we could play."
"A game? What kind?" Scootaloo asked as she landed with Dash's help.
"It's a pegasus game. I'll show you."
After resting for a little while Dash invited Scootaloo onto her back. Scootaloo clambered up and Dash took to the sky. Scootaloo kept her hooves wrapped around Dash's neck while they rose and the world below got smaller and smaller. She could only make out vague stretches of greens and blues. They were soaring through the azure expanse, dodging puffy clouds. Scootaloo nuzzled Dash's mane. They landed on a large cloud bank and Scootaloo hopped off.
"So, what are we going to do?" Scootaloo asked.
By way of answering, Dash jumped off the cloud and held out her hooves. "It's called catch-me-if-you-can! Just jump off and try to stay in the air while I catch you. It's fun!"
Scootaloo's jaw worked up and down. "B-but I can't fly!"
"Nor could I when I first played it! But my mom and dad were there to catch me!"
What Dash left out was that this game was for foals much younger than Scootaloo, designed to get them acclimated to flying.
Scootaloo gulped, trotted to the edge of the cloud and looked down. Dash reached out her hoof and pulled her chin up.
"First rule. No looking down."
Scootaloo nodded.
"I'm right here. I'll catch you. Promise. I'd never let a friend hang or my little sister fall."
Scootaloo gulped, backed up a few paces and lept. The air rushed around her as she spread her wings. The wind whistled through her feathers and for a second the air carried her. She gasped as she soared, free for once from earthly bonds. Then her wings gave out and she started to fall. Just as she did she found herself safe in Dash's forelegs.
"Told ya I'd catch ya." Dash said with a cocky grin. She set Scootaloo back down on a cloud. Scootaloo bounced up and down.
"That was amazing! I flew! I mean, not really and it was just the air carrying me, but still I kind of flew!"
"Sure did." Dash said, giving her a playful noogie. "Wanna do it again?"
"Yes!"
Dash inched a bit further away this time. Scootaloo gave a flap of her wings in exhilaration and shot forward. The wind surged around her, flowed through her mane and feathers. Dash reached for her.
"Catch me if you can!" Scootaloo giggled, angling her wings and soaring upward. Dash went up with her and for a few seconds they flew perpendicular to each other. Scootaloo flew so close to her that her fur brushed against Dash's own. The further she went upwards the more her wings fought against gravity. A shot of pain shot through her primaries and she dropped like a rock. Dash caught her and they flew back to the clouds.
"What happened?" Scootaloo asked.
Dash laid a hoof on her back and began to massage her wings. "Looks like you got a crick. Your wings just aren't used to those kinds of angles. You'll get there, though."
"I wanna do it again."
"How do your wings feel?"
Scootaloo rustled them. "They feel better."
"Alright, but try not to go up. Just fly straight."
Dash flew away, leaving Scootaloo on the cloud. Scootaloo pawed at the cloud, angled her body and then her wings. She soared off the cloud and flapped her wings, using the air to propel herself forward. With a flap of her wings Dash flew backwards forcing Scootaloo to have to fly forward.
"Try to catch me this time, Scoots!" Dash said.
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. A rush of warm air lifted her up and she discovered that she no longer had to flap to fly. The warm air buoyed her up and forwards.
"There called thermals." Dash said by way of explanation while floating in air and allowing the wind to wrap around her. "And they are awesome!"
Scootaloo had never felt this free in all of her years. The warm currents of air lifted her up and tickled her feathers. She only had to give light flaps to stay up. As she half-flew and half-glided she realized there was a problem with thermals. A rush of air knocked her off balance and sent her sprawling. She cried out as strong gusts of wind began to knock her little body around. Dash flew forward and caught her, shielded her from the winds with the strength of her arms.
"What's going on?"
Dash lightly cursed. "It's a wild storm! Want to see something awesome!?"
Still holding Scootaloo close to her she rushed into action, whirling and kicking away the storm clouds that had appeared. Soon, the sky was clear again. Scootaloo watched her mentor in awe. Stray gusts of wind still blew, but Scootaloo felt safe in the elder pegasus's arms. She nestled into her while Dash descended to the ground.
Dash went through her stretching routine, Scootaloo following along. "I think that's enough practice for today."
Scootaloo pouted. "C'mon, maybe just a little more?"
Dash shook her head. "No can do, Kiddo. I need to go report this to the Weather Office."
"Can I come with you?"
"Um. it's gonna be really boring." She grumbled. "Aw, horseapples. I need to go do paperwork. I wonder if I can get Blossomforth to do it for me?"
Scootaloo gave a little hop. "Yeah! You can get Blossomforth to do it! Just like I pay Applebloom to do my homework for me! Then you can get back to teaching me more!"
"You pay Applebloom to do your homework for you?"
"Oops. Don't tell her I told you that. Please?"
"Heh. As long as you don't tell anypony I get Blossomforth to do my paperwork."
They hoofbumped, sealing the deal.
"I really wanna do some more flying today." Scootaloo said, not willing to let this issue go.
"Okay. Hop on my back."
Scootaloo clambered on and soon Dash was off to the Weather Factory. More angry storm clouds had formed. Mindful of her passenger Dash didn't buck them or do anything that would risk knocking the pegasus filly off of her. Scootaloo quickly got bored and hopped off Dash's back. Dash gave a tolerant chuckle and reached out a hoof to put under the spirited young pegasus. Scootaloo, lifted up by Dash's hoof, flew alongside her till they reached the weather factory. The large building, made of sculpted cloud with rainbow falls pouring down the sides, rose up on a cloud bank. Dash and Scootaloo touched down and Dash went to find her manager. Stepping inside the building, she located the manager who was a brown pegasus mare with a stallion-like cut who was chewing bubble gum and lounging near a sign.
"Is that your filly?" She asked trotting up to them.
"She's my discarpere."
Scootaloo blinked at the unfamiliar term. The manager nodded.
"Don't usually see you here on your off day."
"Yeah, I have a wild storm to report."
The manager went to a basket and picked up several forms. She handed it to Dash who sat down at a bench, sighed, then sat down and began to fill it out.
"Ma'am, is Blossomforth on duty today?"
"I don't think so. And we're onto you. Do you think we can't tell your and her's hoofwriting apart?"
Dash sighed again and returned to filling out the forms. Scootaloo sat and waited patiently. She wondered how long filling out forms could possibly take. She waited and waited. Ten minutes had gone by and Dash was still at the desk.
"Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah?"
"What's a discar-discarpa-"
"Student."
"Oh."
"Well, it's kind of stronger than that. It's hard to explain."
Scootaloo could already feel boredom creeping up on her. She tapped her hoof, restless.
"Told ya you'd get bored."
"Yeah."
Her wings were practically twitching. She had never felt such a rush as when she was soaring through the air. She wanted to feel it again. The twitching in her wings and the longing to feel it once more were almost overpowering. She knew it would be a very bad idea to fly without Dash's supervision, but she wanted to fly. While Dash was distracted she snuck away from the office and into the open air. A few older pegasii glanced her way, but none of them paid her much mind. She fluttered her wings as she neared the edge of the cloud. With a running start she lept from the cloud and began to flap her wings. As before, she soared through the air. But this time something was different. Her wings felt weaker. She'd flown too much, too far and there was nopony to catch her this time. Her wings locked up and she screamed as she fell. The ground inched up towards her and she could do nothing, having gone completely into free fall. Suddenly, a strong pair of hooves wrapped around her and she recognized the musky scent of a stallion.
"I got you, kid." An unfamiliar male voice said. That's when the world turned black.
... When she woke up she was in a hospital. The harsh glare of hospital lights burned her eyes and she closed them.
"You're awake!" An excited, familiar voice proclaimed. Scootaloo sat up. Dash was at her bedside along with a grey pegasus she recalled was Rumble's brother, Thunderlane. She hopped off the bed and was suddenly wrapped in Dash's warm, feathery embrace. Scootaloo nestled into it and hugged Dash back. Her mentor held onto her as if she might disappear if she let go. Scootaloo realized she had never been held so tightly in her entire life. Oh, she had been hugged before, by her mother, her friends, various adults, even her dad at times. But never so warmly, so lovingly. She knew she was about to get a scolding, or at least deserved one for this latest stunt, but she felt so loved she couldn't bring herself to care.
"Scootaloo, don't ever do that again." Dash whispered in her ear. "Promise me if you want to fly it'll be under my supervision until you're ready to do it on your own."
"I promise."
Dash sounded almost afraid. "It was stupid of me." She didn't let go, but did loosen the embrace. "I should have been paying attention. I'm such a fuc-I'm such an idiot."
"No, you're not." Scootaloo said, nuzzling her. "I'm the idiot."
"No, you're not."
"Maybe you're both idiots?" Thunderlane offered with a chuckle.
"Um, Mister, thank you for catching me, but what happened? Did I hit the ground?"
Thunderlane shook his head. "It seems you got so scared you passed out. The nurse says you should be fine."
"Where's my mom and dad?"
"They'll be here. It's only been ten minutes since we got you here." Dash explained. "Thunderlane had to get me. I was so scared. The hospital said they'd contact your parents." Dash said, releasing Scootaloo from the wing-hug.
A few minutes passed before Oak rushed in. Scootaloo received a brief hug and a stern scolding, then got asked several times if she was certain she was alright. Scootaloo assured her mom she was fine. Then Oak left with her after bidding both Dash and Thunderlane goodbye.
Scootaloo left the hospital holding her mother's hoof. She wouldn't admit that part of her wanted it to be Dash's hoof.
So, You're Introducing Your Pegasus Filly to Your Family.
Scootaloo knew something was wrong the minute she walked into her front yard. For one thing, her mom wasn't outside. Scootaloo and her mom shared a love for the outdoors. Usually when Scootaloo got home her mom was out in the garden or drinking lemonade on the porch. Scootaloo stepped into the house. Her mom and dad were sitting at the table, both wearing serious expressions. Scootaloo went through a mental catalog of anything she may have gotten in trouble for.
Her mother beckoned her into the kitchen which smelled like chocolate chip cookies. On the table was a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. Her mom wasn't the cookies-and-milk type. She sat down and picked up one of the cookies. It was warm to the touch. Scootaloo hadn't known her mom knew how to bake cookies.
Her father took out his silver flask which he kept in his saddle bag, then put it back when his wife glared at him. Scootaloo chomped on the cookies, still eyeing her parents suspiciously. The last time they were this nice to her it was because her favorite grandfather had died. She swallowed the last cookie and sipped the milk.
Finally breaking down, her father took a swig from his flask. Scootaloo glared at it.
"For Celestia's sake, Striker, put that damned thing down!" Oak grabbed it from his hoof. "You usually have the decency to stay sober till evening!"
Scootaloo cleared her throat. "So, what's going on?"
"Scootaloo..." Oak began. "Your father and I are getting divorced."
Scootaloo thought she heard a crash and realized she had dropped the glass of milk. The milk spread out on the floor. Oak fetched a towel and wiped it up.
"W-what?" Scootaloo choked out. Tears stung at her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. Oak sat back down at the table. "Is, is it something I did? I, I can be better."
"This isn't about you." Oak leaned back in the chair. "It's been coming for a long time. Your father and I fight all the time."
"Really, kid, you should have seen this coming. I move out this week." Striker drummed his hoof on the table and reached for the flask. Oak struck his hoof.
"You fight about me!" Scootaloo shouted, swinging her arm out. "What do I do? Is it because I don't do my chores or because I mouth off too much or because I'm r-reckless?" Scootaloo struggled to recall the word adults called her anytime she did something that got her hurt. "I can change all that!"
"Don't make this about you!" Striker shouted back and grabbed the flask. "You're as selfish as your God damned mother!" He took a liberal swig from it.
"Don't use that kind of language in my house!" Oak stood and tried to grab the flask again.
Striker pushed her away and took another swig. "Well, I'm not going to be in your house anymore, bitch! You and your God damned kid are on your damned own!"
"What the hell did I ever see in you!" Oak shoved him.
"STOP IT!" Scootaloo slammed both of her front hooves on the linoleum floor. "Stop it, stop it, stop it! You're supposed to be the adults and...and help me with my homework and read me bedtime stories and...hug me when I'm sad and other mushy stuff not constantly fight!"
"It's your mother's fault." Striker said, jabbing a hoof at her.
"Really? It's really my fault? It's not your fault for being a drunken asshole?"
"Better a drunken asshole than a whore."
Scootaloo watched as her parents traded insults. Next they would start throwing things or shoving each other. She felt pain grip her chest. The tears in her eyes got harder and harder to hold in. She closed her eyes straining to hold back the stream threatening to break through. Finally, without a word, she rushed from the kitchen.
...
Scootaloo ran, without purpose or direction. She ran down the street, letting the wind race through her mane and tail. She ran past the houses of her friends, not wanting to see them. She didn't want to see Apple Bloom with her big sister and big brother and grandmother and Gods-knew-how-many cousins. She didn't want the latest details on whatever Sweetie Belle and Rarity were up to. If she met Diamond Tiara on the way, she'd buck her right in the face just for the sake of bucking something. Diamond Tiara and her perfect family and her stupid, perfect life.
She ran for the pure joy of running, not even looking at where she was going. She nearly bowled over Pip and didn't stop to apologize or make sure the colt was okay. She sidestepped Rumble who had to hop into the air to avoid getting trampled. Suddenly, her momentum was halted by a blue mass of fur and feathers. She snorted and bucked wildly, but she found that two strong forelegs were secured around her.
"Take it easy, Squirt." Dash said, holding her.
"Let me go!" Scootaloo continued trying to get out of Dash's grip.
The elder pegasus sat her down. "Wanna tell me where the fire is?"
Scootaloo took off again, only to feel teeth on her tail yank her back. "Hey!"
Dash spat out Scootaloo's tail. "I saw you nearly run over two colts. Something's wrong and I don't leave my friends-or my little sister-hanging."
Scootaloo scuffed the ground as if preparing to charge.
Dash narrowed her eyes. "You might want to rethink that, Squirt. Now, tell me what's wrong."
She wiped at her eyes. "It's nothing. Can I stay with you tonight?"
"Parents fighting again?"
"Yeah. They won't care if I stay over. I don't even know if they know I'm gone."
"Okay." Dash patted her back. "While we're at it want to get in a little practice?"
"Can we do that game like we did last time?"
"Sure."
...
Scootaloo giggled as she buzzed her wings in the big blue sky. Dash reached for her and she darted away. She had managed to get slightly higher. Dash went to grab her again. On a whim, Scootaloo did a flip. Her wings cricked up and she fell down on a well-placed cloud. She hopped up and prepared to leap again.
"Hold it." Dash landed beside her. "Let's take a look at those wings."
"They feel fine. I just got a little cramp." Scootaloo flared her wings.
Dash held up her wings and began to massage them, caressing the tender muscles. Whatever had been bothering the younger pegasus had been forgotten in the excitement of their game. Dash wondered if she could teach her air tag. Then again, she probably wasn't ready for that. On the other hoof, she had progressed rather far in her training.
The tension had left her wings and Dash released them. "Why don't we try something new? This time, you catch me."
Scootaloo gaped. "Do you...do you think I can?"
Dash dived off the cloud, letting the wind catch her wings and floated in midair. "Let's find out."
Scootaloo buzzed her wings, then slowed them down so she was flapping like Dash had taught her. Dash darted farther away and Scootaloo lept from the cloud. There was that old, familiar feeling of weightlessness. It almost made her dizzy. She hung in midair, flapping her wings to chase after Dash. The blue expanse stretched out before her and her mentor's coat nearly blended into it. Only her vibrant rainbow mane made her stand out. Down below was the rolling, green expanse of fruitful hills and peaceful meadows that made up her fair country. It was beautiful, but she tried not to look down.
Looking down only reminded her of how high up she was. A cool wind brushed her feathers.
Dash flapped her wings. "I'm waiting, Scoots!"
Scootaloo angled her wings as she surged forward. It took effort to angle her wings. Dash made it look so easy as she effortlessly swam through the air dodging each time Scootaloo reached for her.
Dash laughed and soared a few inches away. "C'mon Squirt! That the best you got?"
Scootaloo nearly toppled from a gust of wind, but recovered her balance. For safety's sake, Dash had placed several clouds around that Scootaloo could safely land on. She wasn't intending on using them. With a burst of energy she darted forward and grabbed onto Dash's hoof.
Dash flared her wings. "My turn!"
Scootaloo dodged the blue hoof that grabbed at her, letting a stray wind carry her away. She gained control and dodged Dash again. A jolt of pain went through her feathers and she winced. Beads of sweat had already broken out on her forehead as her body strained with the continued effort of holding her up in the air. She attempted to go in for a graceful landing, but ended up tumbling into the cloud with her face buried in the clouds and her rump sticking out.
Dash bit her lip to keep from laughing, but a few giggles came out anyway as she landed beside her and pulled her out of the cloud.
"That was good time."
Scootaloo laid down beside Dash and took a few, panting breaths. "How long was I in the air?"
Dash did some math in her head. "I'd say about two minutes. It looks like you can fly as long as you have something to jump off of." She paused. "But don't go jumping off anything without me around."
Scootaloo gave a salute. "Yes ma'am!"
"Ugh. Don't call me ma'am. Makes me sound old."
"But you are old...er."
"Not that old." Dash gave her a playful shoulder bump and received one in turn.
"Yes ma'am." Scootaloo responded with a cheeky grin that was so cute Dash couldn't help but laugh.
"So, what you need to do is focus on getting your wings strong."
"More wing-ups?"
"Exactly. You have been practicing every day, right?"
"Right. Every morning."
"Good." She motioned for Scootaloo to get on her back and then flew down towards the ground. Scootaloo clambered off her once they were back on land. They had been training for about an hour and had already gone through the strength training. Even Dash's wings felt tired. She stretched them out and noted that she needed to preen them. Then, she took a glance at Scootaloo's wings which could also stand a good preening.
She sat down beneath a maple tree. "When did you preen last?"
Scootaloo plopped down beside her. "Last week."
"You need to do it again." Dash took a wing in her mouth and began to brush her feathers. Scootaloo followed suit, brushing through her right wing. Soon, a pile of blue and orange feathers had begun to accumulate. Scootaloo flapped her wings. A few weeks ago Dash had taught her how to move her wings so that she could get them to her mouth. Still, part of her missed the feeling of Dash preening her.
"Dash?"
She spat out a feather. "Yeah, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo buried her muzzle in her wing. "It's nothing."
Dash had a flashback to her foal hood and the one thing she liked her parents to do for her when she'd been upset. It had been so embarrassing to ask for though. She picked up the filly in her lap and began to gently run her muzzle through her wing. Scootaloo smiled and leaned into her. Dash continued to brush her wing, pulling out stray or broken feathers. "You just got to ask, Squirt."
Scootaloo nickered in contentment at the sensation of Dash's muzzle going through her wing. "Thanks for doing this."
"Anytime. Hay, ya wanna meet two Wonderbolts?"
"Yes!" Scootaloo squeaked, then blushed. "Oh my gosh, are there going to be Wonderbolts in town?"
Dash laid Scootaloo down. "Sure are. I know these two."
Scootaloo hopped up and down. "Which ones? Where are they?"
"They'll be over for supper."
Scootaloo squeed. "Spitfire? Soarin?"
"Rainbow Blaze and Wildfire."
Scootaloo thought for a few seconds. "I don't think I've heard of those two."
Dash chuckled. "They haven't been in the team for a while. Wildfire got a new job about twenty years ago as my mom."
Scootaloo's mouth worked up and down. "You...you're the daughter of Wonderbolts?"
"Yep. My awesome had to come from somewhere."
"How freaking awesome was your fillyhood?"
"Pretty darned awesome. They left the team because they didn't want to go on tour with a kid. Still, they personally trained me. A lot of the stuff I'm showing you, they taught me."
Scootaloo bounced up and down. "Do you think they'll sign an autograph for me?"
Dash shrugged. "I don't see why not. They love kids." She stretched. "Anyway, I'm nearly late for my weekly book club with Twilight. How about I pick you up later? Are you going home?"
Scootaloo fiercely shook her head. "No, I'm not going home tonight."
Dash lowered herself so she was at Scootaloo's eye level, meaning she had to crouch in the grass. "Scoots, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
Scootaloo bit her lip. "I don't want to talk about it. I think I'll visit Sweetie Belle so you can find me there."
Dash nodded and ruffled Scootaloo's mane. "Okay. I'll pick you up at around eight."
Scootaloo scampered off and Dash took to the air, heading towards Twilight's library.
...
Dash settled down in the warm, red cushion Twilight had brought out for this meeting of the Daring Do book club. Technically, they were the only two members, but they weren't looking to expand. Dash liked having something to share with the lovable egghead. Twilight pranced over to her purple cushion, which was beside Dash's own, and plopped down. In her magical glow she held the latest Daring Do book, "Daring Do and the Cauldron of Tirek."
"So, did you like this one as much as I did?" Twilight asked, practically bouncing as she held the book.
"I didn't finish it yet, but oh my Celestia it is freaking awesome!" Dash said, picking up her version. "The new villain is really scary. I thought Daring was done for before she found that open crevice and was able to slide through."
"I don't think any villain has been as scary as the Living Shadow. I hope he doesn't team up with Ahuizotl." Twilight cocked her head. "Actually, I'd like to read that."
"That would be cool." Dash paused. She wanted to think about the book, but she couldn't get Scootaloo's face out of her mind. "Say, Twi, how much do you know about kids?"
Twilight's horn glowed and she summoned a few books on foal psychology. "The library has several books about foals."
"That's not what I meant." Dash tapped a hoof on the floor. "Like, have you ever taken care of a foal?"
Twilight put the books back. "No, I took care of a baby dragon, though. Well, my mom and dad helped too."
"Okay, let's say Spike was keeping a secret and you could tell it was bothering him. Like really bothering him, but he just wouldn't open up to you."
Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. "Dash, is this about Scootaloo?"
"Yeah." Dash admitted. "I saw her today. She was real upset, running through town, nearly crying. She wants to stay at my place. I know somethings up, but she won't tell me."
Twilight shook her head. "Spike's not Scootaloo, but I understand where you're coming from. Spike can be very emotional, but he hides it. So, instead of just saying he's jealous of a new assistant he'll try to frame him for a crime he didn't commit."
Dash chuckled. "He did that?"
Twilight shook her head and smiled. "Yep. Sometimes if I know something's bothering him I'll just take him into my lap and let him open up. And if that doesn't work I tickle him silly till he talks. That's what my bbbff used to do."
"I could do that to Scootaloo."
"Scootaloo is a very prideful filly." Twilight pointed out. "You may want to just give her time. And if that doesn't work, you can go the tickling route."
Dash chuckled. "I'd do that if I wasn't afraid she'd buck me in the face."
They went back to talking about the book series. Twilight made some tea, or health supplement as Dash insisted she call it, and they spent the rest of the evening reading and talking over two cups of chamomile. As the sun began to set, Dash decided she'd better go pick up Scootaloo and left.
...
Dash hadn't gotten within three feet of Rarity's boutique before Scootaloo bolted out the doors and over to Dash. Rarity followed her and gestured for Dash to come over.
"What's up, Rares? She didn't cause too much of a mess did she?"
"Oh no, she was lovely." Rarity awkwardly shuffled a hoof. "She spent most of her time in Sweetie Belle's room. I've never seen her so subdued. Is she alright?"
Dash looked over at Scootaloo. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
"Good luck, Darling."
Dash said goodbye to her and then walked back over to Scootaloo who hopped on her back when she crouched down. Making sure her little passenger was secured she took off into the air, rising into the darkening sky. The sun had already set, Luna's silver moon casting its light over the town and surrounding meadows. Scootaloo clutched at Dash's neck. Occasionally, she let go, letting the wind lift her up and whistle through her feathers.
Dash rolled her eyes and smiled. "Better keep tight, Squirt. We're almost home."
She had meant her own home, but a broad smile spread across Scootaloo's face at the thought of Dash's home becoming her own home. The cloud mansion rose up, sculpted from the very clouds themselves. Rivers of rainbows fell beside the pillars. The lights were on. Dash landed and walked inside. The smell of roasting hay was emanating from the kitchen. Scootaloo scampered ahead. A large stallion who looked like an older, male version of Dash walked into the room.
"Um, hi there little one." Rainbow Blaze said then looked up quizzically at Dash.
Dash affected a serious expression. "Dad, remember that trip I took to Las Pegasus about seven years ago? I met an orange pegasus stallion there...one thing led to another..."
Blaze raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Uh-huh."
"I'd like you to meet my d...iscarpere, Scootaloo."
Blaze burst out laughing. "I see you haven't lost your pranking edge. You told me about her. She here for a sleepover?"
Scootaloo attached herself to the ex-Wonderbolt's foreleg. "Dash told me you were a Wonderbolt and you're the daddy of the greatest Pegasus ever and can I have your autograph? Oh and Mrs. Dash's mom autograph cause Dash said she was a Wonderbolt too?"
"Of course, let me get one of our old posters." He ruffled Scootaloo's mane and flew up the stairs, his impressive wingspan making a light breeze.
He came back down with a poster of the Wonderbolts team he and his wife served on and signed it. "It's been a long time since I signed an autograph for anypony. Hey, Honey we have a fan!"
A second pink Pegasus with a curly blue mane trotted out from the kitchen. "A fan? I didn't think anypony still remembered us." She smiled at Scootaloo. "Oh, hello. Are you the fan?"
Scootaloo galloped up to her. "Will you sign this?"
"Sure." Blaze handed her a pen and signed it. "You must be our daughter's discarpere."
"Uh-huh! She said I could sleep over tonight!" She hugged Wildfire's leg.
"Well, supper's ready. You hungry?"
Scootaloo nodded. "I haven't had anything since the training session me and Dash had."
Dash sniffed the air. "Hay casserole? Yum. So, how was the around-the-world vacation?" She asked before giving hugs to both her parents. They hugged her back, walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
Blaze dug into a hay casserole. "It was incredible. We got to see Neighpon."
"The cherry blossom trees were in bloom. It was beautiful. Of course your father nearly got into a fight with the head of the bath house." Wildfire said, swallowing a piece of casserole.
"I still say he overcharged us." Blaze muttered.
Wildfire waved his fork. "Oh, he did not you silly stallion."
Scootaloo looked from the stallion to the mare as they traded playful insults.
"Silly stallion? Who spent half our money on Hello Kitty merchandise?" Blaze shouted back.
"Yeah, you spent it on that samurai sword."
"Please stop fighting!" Scootaloo shouted, earning the attention of the adults at the table. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the playfully bickering couple.
Dash reached out a hoof and stroked her mane. "Scoots, they're not fighting, not for real anyway. They always do this."
"R-really?"
Blaze gave Dash a questioning look. "Everything alright, there?"
"She'll be fine. So, you bought a samurai sword?" Dash asked, stroking Scootaloo's mane again before withdrawing her hoof.
"Oh, yeah. I'll show it to you."
Scootaloo went back to happily chomping on the casserole. "Wow, this is really good." She paused. "So you two fight, but it's not for real."
"Well, we do have real fights, but we've found it makes our marriage stronger if we keep everything out in the open." Blaze explained, grasping his wife's hoof. "You have fights with your friends don't you?"
"I do sometimes. Like when Sweetie Belle is being too sappy."
Wildfire returned her husband's grip. "But that doesn't mean you stop being friends, right?"
"Well, no."
"Do your parents fi..." Wildfire trailed off when she caught Dash's panicked expression. She searched for something that would change the subject. "So, Dash told us you were having trouble with bullies because you're a blank flank?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah and because I can't fly that well. Dash is helping me with the flying."
Wildfire leaned back in her chair. "I remember when Dash was little she got bullied. Every day she'd run straight home from school. I'd hold her and she'd just cry."
Dash blushed. "Mom..."
"It's true."
"Yeah, I know. Then Dad taught me to just keep my cool and walk away." Dash added.
Blaze put up his hooves. "Then that didn't work so I taught her a right hook."
"That worked. I'll have to teach you that if the bullying gets too bad." Dash said, taking a sip of water.
Scootaloo had a mental image of putting her hoof in Diamond Tiara's face. It was a satisfying image. "So, what was Dash like as a foal?"
"Fast. We could barely catch her half the time. Dash, can I tell her the roof story? I don't want to embarrass you." Blaze said, gesturing to Dash.
"Go ahead, tell it. It was kind of awesome."
Blaze began with a note of pride in his voice. "You know, pegasii can fly automatically as foals then have to relearn it as they grow older. Most foals, not our Dashie. It happened when she was three. She was in the living room. We turned our backs for a second and-whoosh-straight out the window."
"I flew onto the roof. Then, I realized I couldn't fly down."
"We heard her crying." Blaze said, gesturing to her.
"I cried a lot when I was little." Dash admitted.
"Well, I flew up and got her. She latched onto me and wouldn't let go even when we were back on the ground. I had to hug her for about five minutes before she calmed down."
"I also really liked hugs when I was little." Dash added, hiding her blush with a wing.
Wildfire continued the story. "That's when we realized we didn't have an ordinary filly. But seriously we practically had to put a leash on her."
Dash shrugged. "You can't keep this much awesome down."
"It was when we sent her off to flight school we realized what a prodigy she was. We knew she was going to be an amazing flyer and make us proud." Wildfire's fork clanged against the plate.
"The best flyer." Dash added.
"Yes, Sweetie even if you can't beat your dad in a race." Wildfire pointed a fork at her.
Dash shrugged again. "Ah, I'll do it one of these days."
Blaze's sudden competitive grin was reminiscent of his daughter. "That a challenge, kiddo?"
"Sure is."
Wildfire raised her fork in the air. "I'll beat the both of you next time."
"Anytime, anywhere." Blaze held out his hoof for a hoofbump from Dash and Wildfire.
"How about tomorrow?" Dash suggested, waving her hoof in her dad's face. "Off of Poseidon's Peak. You in?"
"You know it, little filly." Blaze said, playfully giving her shoulder a shove which she returned before both started laughing.
"Can I watch?" Scootaloo piped up. "That would be so awesome!"
"Ah, sure you can." Dash said.
Wildfire yawned. Throughout the course of the conversation, the casseroles had vanished. "I'm getting tired. Dash, can we talk in private for a second?"
Dash nodded and followed her into the living room. "What's up?"
Wildfire sat down on the couch and Dash sat down beside her. "I know when something's going on with a foal. What's up with Scootaloo? That wasn't a normal reaction."
Dash settled into the cushions. "Her parents fight a lot. That's why she's over here."
Wildfire frowned. "Poor kid. You're doing a good thing, taking care of her and teaching her."
"I just wish I knew what to do. Today, she was nearly in tears, but she won't tell me why."
Wildfire yawned again. "Reminds me of a little filly I used to know. What you do is wait a while-then bug them till they tell you."
Dash agreed with the plan. They went back into the kitchen. Wildfire had made some donuts for dessert. After dessert, Dash found herself getting sleepy. One thing about being a weather pony was that it required you to get up early. Still, since Scootaloo was over she decided to watch some TV with her after her parents went off to bed. She'd never admit it, but her and Scootaloo shared the same taste in cartoons (not that she'd watched cartoons in a while before Scootaloo had started having sleepovers at her house.)
The younger pegasus stretched out on her belly. Dash had a wing wrapped around her like a blanket. On TV, there was a marathon of The Young Titans. Dash always teared up when Terra betrayed Beast Boy. Once again, something she'd never admit. Scootaloo's eyes were growing heavy and soon they had closed. Dash scooped her up and carried her off to her room.
...
The next morning they were gathered around the table again eating pancakes.
"So, Scootaloo," Dash speared a piece of pancake with her fork. "Do you want me to fly you home before I go to work or did you have plans with the Crusaders today?"
"I'm not going home."
"What?"
"I'm not going home." Scootaloo smiled brightly. "I've decided I want to live here!"
Dash had a slice of pancakes on her fork, halfway raised to her mouth. Blaze was taking a sip of orange juice. He coughed and struggled to swallow it. Wildfire opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again as if struggling to find the words she wanted to say. Then she looked to Dash. Scootaloo was beaming as if she'd stumbled upon the solution to all the problems in her life. Dash reflected that, from her perspective, she had. Both of Dash's parents glanced at Dash as if to say, she's YOUR apprentice.
Dash chewed on her pancake and washed it down with a glass of orange juice. "That's a big step, Scoots. I mean, I stayed with my mentor for a time, but I was fifteen. And so did Twi and she was...nine I think. She already had her cutie mark. That's...that's the normal age for an apprentice to move in with their mentor if they choose to. When they get their cutie mark."
Scootaloo shook her head, causing her mane to fly everywhere. "But I don't WANT to wait that long! Who knows when I'll get my cutie mark and I want to move in now. I don't want to live with at my place anymore."
"Whoa. That explains why you were crying." Dash realized.
"And my mom, I don't even think she cares about me."
Wildfire reached over to put a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Oh, Sweetie. I'm sure your mom cares about you."
"No, she doesn't!" Scootaloo snapped, standing up.
Dash recognized the signs of a Scootaloo-style tantrum immediately. She reached over and placed a hoof on Scootaloo's other shoulder. "Breathe, Squirt."
Scootaloo obeyed her mentor, falling into the breathing pattern Dash had taught her when giving her a crash course in meditation. In through her nostrils, out through her mouth. She focused on her breathing, trying to clear her mind.
The feeling of her mentor's hoof helped to calm her. She acknowledged her anger, then let it go. The anger felt like claws digging into her heart. After a few seconds of focused breathing the claws began to loosen. Finally, they let go altogether.
"Okay. Okay, I'm good." She sat back down in her chair. Dash removed her hoof.
Scootaloo listlessly stirred her pancakes. "Can I stay here?"
Dash sighed and looked away from Scootaloo's piercing, magenta eyes which had taken on a teary, pleading look. "Staying for a weekend is one thing. But forever? I mean, I think that's foalnapping. I don't think I can." The words felt like ashes in her mouth. She bit her lip and hesitated. She wanted to say yes. She wanted so badly to say yes, just wait for me to set you up a room. We can get all your stuff and you can move in today.
Want me to be your big sister? Or even your mom? Alright, we can do that. I'll be your new mommy. I'll preen your wings and train you and braid your mane and get Rarity to make you some frilly dresses for your cutecenera and your first date...and your wedding. I'll watch you grow and cheer for you when you finally learn to fly because the truth is I've gotten attached to you. Very attached to you.
Wait for me to call the priestess, we'll get you inducted into the clan. Make everything official. Welcome to the Rainbow Clan. Rainbow Scootaloo. Sounds good doesn't it? Because I've already accepted you as my daug...
She stopped the train of thought right there. She couldn't remember how she had managed to get so freaking attached to this little barely-able-to-keep-herself-in-the-air-filly. Emotions warred in her heart as Scootaloo set those beautiful, pleading eyes on her.
There was so much to consider and the truth was she wasn't nearly as impulsive as she had been long ago. Two years before, she'd have already been setting up a room for Scootaloo. Being an element bearer had changed her. Becoming a Wonderbolts Cadet had changed her, matured her. Taking Scootaloo on as her apprentice had been the last step in a maturing process.
There were so many things to think about. Could she afford to take care of a filly? Of course she could, she lived in a mansion and her parents were...well, not loaded, but certainly upper middle class. She made a decent salary as a weather pegasus in addition to her ancestral wealth.
Scootaloo was right. Her parents didn't care about her. Would they notice that she was gone?
And then there was the Wonderbolts. If she took in Scootaloo, would she still have the chance to join the Wonderbolts while caring for her? Would she have to give it up?
Am I really that selfish? Dash wondered to herself.
Scootaloo rose, misinterpreting Dash's silence. "Fine. I guess nopony wants me." She spat out.
Dash rose. "Scootaloo, wait-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Scootaloo shouted, kicking over her chair. "I don't want to hear all the lame excuses! Just say it! You don't want me!"
"That's not true!"
"Yes it is! Just say you don't want me!" Tears filled her eyes. "No one wants me! No one cares about me!"
"Scootaloo..." Dash reached out. Scootaloo swatted her hand away. The tears escaped her eyes, trickling down her face. Dash felt her heart breaking. "Scootaloo, you just surprised me, that's all. This is kind of a big deal."
Scootaloo wiped at her eyes. "I promise I'll be good, okay? I won't be reckless and I'll help out around here and I'll do my homework and-"
Dash walked to her and knelt down so she was at her level. "It's not that. There's so many things I need to think about first." Scootaloo struggled to hold in her tears. Turning, she ran from the room. Dash stood there for a few moments before taking off after her.
"Scootaloo! Hey, wait!"
Scootaloo wouldn't listen. She continued to dart through the cloud house, sidestepping the sofa as she headed towards the front door. Dash chased after her. Scootaloo was struggling not to cry, struggling to hold in the flood of tears she could feel building up behind her eyes. She slammed open the front door and kept running.
Dash chased after her. Scootaloo skidded on the cloud, but kept running. Dash kept running after her. Scootaloo had forgotten she was on a cloud house. The tears blurred her vision as she kept up her single-minded chase to escape. Just escape, anywhere. Suddenly, she tripped over the edge. The scream she'd been holding in was let loose as she toppled into the blue expanse.
Down below her was a vast, green expanse of rolling meadows and valleys. The ground was coming up towards her and it was all she could do to spread her wings to slow her fall. She helplessly flapped her wings, holding herself up like she had so many times in practice. The wind whistled through her feathers and tossed her purple mane.
Two strong, blue forelegs wrapped around her. She began to struggle in the embrace as she was carried through the air. The more she struggled, the tighter Dash held onto her. She thrashed, striking her head against Dash's chest. Dash stroked her mane. She attempted to buck her in the chest. Dash just continued to hold onto her.
To her surprise, she was not being carried back to the cloud house. Instead Dash had begun to descend down onto the ground. Scootaloo continued her struggle to break from her mentor's grip. She flailed all four of her forelegs, trying to land a blow anywhere on her mentor.
Dash continued holding onto her."I'm not going to let you go, Squirt. No matter what, I ain't gonna let you go."
"I want you to let me go! Please, let me go!"
"No way, not a chance."
They were coming closer to the ground. Below them was an expanse of rolling grassland dotted with a few ancient oak trees. Dash slowed her descent and they landed beneath one such oak tree. The leafy green branches of the tree stretched out above them casting a shadow. The sunlight slanted through the branches. Dash stood on a gnarled root and placed Scootaloo down.
Scootaloo turned and ran. Dash watched her go. The filly ran to another tree, then collapsed. Her shoulders shook as sobs coursed through her body. Dash walked over, sat down and placed a wing over her..
Scootaloo wiped her eyes. "You must th-think I'm lame."
Dash drew her close to her side."Why would I think that?"
"B-because I'm crying l-like a little foal."
"Squirt, you're only seven. It's alright to cry." She leaned close, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I cry sometimes. Even now."
Scootaloo wiped her eyes and held back a sob. "You're just saying that t-to make me feel better."
"Nope, it's true. I told you about Discord didn't I?" She wiped away Scootaloo's tears. "He messed up my head pretty good. Got inside it. Made me do things I'd never do, say and feel things I'd never otherwise feel or say." She shuddered at the memory. "After we blasted him with the Elements, I skipped Pinkie's victory party. I went home, went to my bedroom, closed the door, closed the blinds and cried my eyes out."
Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes, Squirt. Really. Twilight had to send Fluttershy to come and practically drag me to the castle to receive our official recognition. So, go ahead. Cry if you need to."
Scootaloo buried her face in Dash's side and began to weep. Dash curled her wing around her. She could feel the filly shaking beneath her feathers. After a few minutes, Scootaloo quieted down to a few hiccups. Dash didn't remove her wing, keeping it wrapped around her. A warm breeze blew through the meadow.
Scootaloo nestled close to Dash. "Dash, can I stay with you? Please?"
Dash sighed. "What about your mom? What if she doesn't want you to?"
"She won't care. Trust me."
Dash stood. "I still think we should go see her."
Scootaloo pouted. "Fine. Let's go."
Dash leaned down. "Hop on. This will go much quicker if we just fly there."
Scootaloo clambered onto Dash's back and wrapped her forelegs around her neck. Dash flew into the air and headed back towards town. As they flew, the grasslands receded behind them and the wooden, thatched-roof homes and businesses of Ponyville came into view.
It was early and a weekend. A few ponies were walking the streets. The market was particularly crowded. The sweet scent of Applejack's fritters wafted up into the air as did the freshly baking pastries of Sugarcube Corner. Dash made a mental note to swing back and visit Pinkie.
They flew past the market and towards Scootaloo's home. Dash landed in the yard and Scootaloo clambered off her back.The first thing Dash heard was the shatter of glass against wood. Her ears folded back and she glanced down at Scootaloo who seemed unfazed. Suddenly, the window shattered as a beer bottle sailed through it.
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "That's new."
Dash marched over to the front door and raised it to knock on the door. From inside, she could hear upraised shouts. Before she could knock, the door was flung open and Dash took to the air to avoid being struck by it. A large, brawny stallion stumbled out, pulling a suitcase.
Oak ran out and grabbed onto the suitcase. "It's mine! Give it back!"
Dash stood between the two quarreling adults. "So, what's going on?"
Scootaloo stood away and shot a worried look at Dash.
"It's mine." Striker hissed, tugging the suitcase. He pulled it away from the weaker mare who stumbled. He then galloped away. Oak was going to chase him, but Dash put a hoof to her chest. "We got to talk."
Oak shoved at her. "He just took my grocery money!"
Dash sighed then flew after Striker. Striker turned around in a fighting stance. "What the hell did she tell you?"
Dash hovered in the air. "That you took her grocery money. You know I'm sort of bff's with a princess so maybe you'd like to give that back."
"I earned this money!" Striker shot back. "Ask her about her hidden bank accounts!"
Dash facehoofed. "I don't have time to deal with this! It's about your daughter!"
He looked over at Scootaloo. "She ain't my kid."
Dash raised an eyebrow. "She sure thinks she's your kid. She's not my kid either, but she needs somepony in her life. She wants to live with me. I can kind of see why."
"You'll have to talk to Oak about that." Striker said. Seeing that the pegasus wasn't backing down he sighed and took the suitcase off his back and took out a bag of bits. He handed it to Dash who took it. "Tell her to never contact me again. I'll send her money if she promises to let me move on."
Dash looked back at Oak. Scootaloo was standing at the edge of her yard. Oak was on the porch watching the scene. Dash soared back over and handed her the bits. "He says not to contact him again. Like you'd want to, eh mare?"
Oak gave her a flat look. Dash realized that her attempt at mare-to-mare camaraderie had failed. Oak went inside, placing the bag on the counter. Dash stood on the porch, not sure if she should go in uninvited. Scootaloo scampered up on the porch.
Oak looked from one to the other. "What did you want to talk about?"
Scootaloo hesitated. Once she was actually in front of her mother she had lost her nerve. It had seemed so clear last night when she had stumbled upon the idea. She steeled herself, avoiding looking in Oak's eyes. "I've decided..." She swallowed a lump in her throat.
"Spit it out, kid."
"I've decided I want to live with Rainbow Dash!" Sootaloo blurted out, stomping a hoof.
Oak nodded. "I see." She looked at Dash. "Why don't we speak in private, Rainbow?"
Dash followed her into the house. Oak closed the door. The house looked like it'd been ransacked.
Oak straightened up a fallen stand. "Thanks for getting the bits back by the way." She picked up a photograph. "Her favorite food is fried zoysia sandwiches. She's never had a bedtime-"
"Daisy." Dash interrupted. "Her favorite food is roasted daisy sandwiches. She told me so."
Oak went into the kitchen and grabbed a broom and dustpan. Then she walked back into the living room. Dash chose to remain in the air, afraid of stepping onto some broken glass from the smashed beer bottle. Her hooves were very sensitive.
Oak began to sweep up. "Hmm. I don't know her as well as I thought I did. Well good luck."
Dash raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Seriously? Are you serious right now?"
"She said she wants to live with you. I assume you like her."
Dash spread her forelegs. "What the buck is wrong with you?!" She darted in front of Oak's face. "You're just giving up? Look, you're her mother. Say the word, I tell her no you can't live with me."
Oak stopped sweeping. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't get in my face." Her tone had a bite of steel to it.
Dash got closer, butting her muzzle hard against hers, an insult among all equines.
Oak backed away, her ears folded back in anger. "I need a break, okay? I'm planning on visiting a relative in Manehattan. Once I'm back, I might come back for her." She held a hoof to her head. "She just...reminds me of all my mistakes."
Dash gritted her teeth together. "How dare you call Scootaloo a mistake!"
"Are you retarded? I didn't say that." She went back to sweeping. "Never want another beer bottle in my house, I swear to Epona. You know, there was one thing that drunken ass was right about. Scootaloo isn't his." The broom trembled in her hooves. "I met him in a bar."
Dash wondered why she was telling this to her. She didn't particularly want to hear it.
"It was after a fight with him. With Striker. Scootaloo's father was a pegasus. He had gorgeous, orange wings. A bit underdeveloped now that I think about it. He was a member of the Thunder clan. We made love again and again and again. We were in love. Striker found out and threatened to leave me if I didn't break off the affair." She gripped the broom. "I needed his income. I'd have been in a poorhouse without it and Thunder Clash was as poor as a temple mouse. Do you...do you think I'm a bad mare?" She turned to Dash with a pleading expression that Dash had seen on Scootaloo's face.
Dash floated down to the ground. "We all make mistakes."
"Yeah, I made a doozy of one. I can't deal with all this right now. So, yeah she can stay with you."
Dash sensed that the conversation was over. She nodded and left the room, flying back to the porch.
Scootaloo was standing near the door. "What'd she say?"
Dash placed a wing on the filly's withers. "Looks like it's going to be just you and me for a while. How about we go get some training in?"
Scootaloo smiled and nuzzled against her as they trotted away from her house.
Dash laid wide awake in her bed. Silvery light shone through the window, illuminating her room. Beside her, a little pegasus filly's stomach rose and fell. Dash extended a wing and wrapped it around her. Scootaloo nuzzled up to her, but did not wake up. Dash had been trying to sleep for three hours. Each time she closed her eyes and tried to force sleep to come to her, dark, chaotic thoughts swirled around in her mind. After leaving Scootaloo's home they had practiced for several hours. Dash had drilled her on everything that she had been taught. They had done crunches, wing-ups and push-ups till both had been drenched in sweat.
Scootaloo had jumped from cloud to cloud, under Dash's watchful eye. Slowly, but surely, her wings were growing stronger. They had played the game Scootaloo had so grown to enjoy. Scootaloo would jump from her cloud and attempt to dodge and escape Dash's clutches. Dash had decided to give her a little incentive to not get caught and tickled her each time she was able to catch her. Scootaloo had managed to zoom out of her clutches more times than not, an accomplishment that Dash had been truly proud of.
The only problem was that Scootaloo still wasn't able to fly without jumping off from something. Even then, she could only stay in the air for a few minutes. Dash had timed it. Scootaloo could easily stay in the air for up to ten minutes before her wings gave out. That feat made her sweat and her wings tire out.
Dash ran a hoof through Scootaloo's mane. She had her up to gliding at least. What struck Dash as odd was how easily she had accepted staying with Dash. Sure, Dash knew Scootaloo liked her and that she wasn't very attached to her parents, but Dash hadn't realized that Scootaloo would want to live with her. The thought both complimented, thrilled and terrified her. She withdrew her wing and rolled over on her side, shifting her linen bed sheets. Scootaloo gave a little whine and burrowed under them. Dash closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep. Surely, it would come. She breathed in and out, trying to get into a steady rhythm and then decided that it was a waste of time. There was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight. She lifted up and brought her head down on the pillow.
It was fortunate Scootaloo was a heavy sleeper. The disturbance rippled the bed sheets, but didn't even seem to disturb Scootaloo. Dash made a mental note to start setting up Scootaloo's own room. Scootaloo had a key just in case Oak had already cleared out. They could go over there after Dash got off work, get Scootaloo's stuff and then set up the room.
Without meaning to, Dash found herself smiling at the thought of Scootaloo actually living with her. Of her laughter and enthusiasm filling her home. Watching her grow and learn. The pride in her heart she would feel-already felt-at each one of Scootaloo's accomplishments.
Then, as if to counteract the peaceful thought, another thought came to her. What if she screwed up? What if she was too strict with Scootaloo? What if she wasn't strict enough? What if Scootaloo ended up hating her for some reason?
She brought her head down on the pillow once more as she began to accept that sleep just would not come to her this night. She looked down at Scootaloo who was resting, happy and content. Normally if Dash couldn't sleep she would turn on her bedside lamp and read her Daring Do book. The only problem with that was that she didn't want to wake up Scootaloo.
She looked at her alarm clock which announced that it was two am in green numbers. Dash growled at it. Three hours. For three hours she had been trying to sleep. Scootaloo had fallen asleep against her shoulder while they were watching TV at around ten-thirty. Dash had stayed up a bit later to watch a race between Thunder Storm and Lightning Haze, who had been rivals for a decade now. Lightning Haze had won, but only just. Thunder Storm had nearly beaten him. Lightning's victory had really brought home that it was a complete myth that mares were faster than stallions.
Dash rolled onto her side. Maybe she could go and turn the TV back on. She could watch a little bit of it, just enough to unwind, and return to bed. That decided, Dash stood up from the bed and carefully walked around her night stand. She flapped her wings and hovered into the air, floating noiselessly out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Once she reached the living room she settled onto the couch and picked up the remote, which had been placed on a stand next to the couch. She flipped on the TV and searched through the channels. There was a rerun of "Golden Mares," a rerun of "Preternatural" (she paused to watch, not because she was interested, but because all the stallions on that show were all so hot), a rerun of "Stallionford and Son", a rerun of the race she had watched a few hours before and a rerun of "My Little Puppy."
Dash groaned and flipped it off. There was absolutely nothing on TV that she hadn't watched one-hundred times before. And she was still feeling restless. She stood off the couch and stretched. As she started to leave the room, she passed the family altar. Images of her ancestors decorated the small, brown table as did flowers and two unlit candles. A silver image of an alicorn holding a triton in his mouth was in the center. This was an image of Poseidon, the ancestor of the Pegasii and other tribes. He was the Lord of the Seas, the Earth Shaker, the Lord of Equines.
He was revered in some way by all Ponies, but held a special relationship with Pegasii. Dash strolled to the kitchen and picked up a silver chalice from the cabinet and a glass of wine from the refrigerator. She poured the wine into the chalice and walked back to the altar. There was a silver bowl in front of the statue of Poseidon.
Dash lifted up the chalice. "Io Poseidon! Thou art the Earth Shaker, the Lord of the Sea, Lord of Horses, and Father of My Race! A daughter of thy blood calleth to thee...." She trailed off and sighed, bringing a hoof up to her face while carefully making sure to hold on to the chalice. This prayer didn't sound right rolling off her uncultured lips. Her grandmother could pull it off, Fluttershy could pull it off. Yet, she couldn't.
She lowered the chalice. "Let me give it to you straight, Poseidon. I...I don't know what to do. There's this kid, Scootaloo. You know Scootaloo, right? She's a sweet kid. Can't fly too well, maybe you could help with that? Ugh. One prayer at a time. Scootaloo's parents aren't worth much. You probably already know all this." Dash sighed. "I'm rambling, sorry. I don't know what to do. I've been training her for months. I...I love her. But raising her? I don't know if I can do it." She wiped away tears coming to her eyes. The chalice remained safely in the grip of her other hoof. "I guess I'm getting performance anxiety. I always used to get that way before a race or something. All of a sudden its real. Too real. I don't know what to do. Just...just give me strength, okay? I can't screw this up. I just can't screw this up. She's too important to me. Give me strength, Father Poseidon."
She brought the chalice to her lips and sipped it. The wine burned her throat going down and filled her with a comfortable warmth. She then poured the rest of the wine into the offering bowl.She went back to the kitchen, washed the chalice out and returned it to its place in the cabinet.
She returned to the altar, lifted up the bowl and walked outside. The moonbeams shone down on the field of clouds, illuminating it in a silvery glow. The stars twinkled upon the ebony abyss of the night, spreading as far as Dash could see. Dash looked up at the infinite expanse of the stars, the heavens spread out before her.
It made her feel small. Small and weak. Beneath all her bravado, there were times when she felt very small. She lifted up the bowl. "Io Poseidon. Please accept this offering."
The red liquid glinted in the light of the moon and the stars as it spilled onto the ground. Dash felt the familiar sense of the Divine Presence wrapping around her, flowing through her as the God received her gift. She closed her eyes and rested in the Presence.
"Dash?"
Her meditations were interrupted by her father's voice. She turned around. Blaze was standing outside of the house, looking at her with an expression of concern. "I thought I heard somepony watching TV. I figured it was you. I was going to go back to sleep, but I had the strangest dream. It was Poseidon, if you can believe that." He eyed the bowl Dash was holding. "He told me you needed me. You were giving an offering?"
Dash nodded. A cool wind blew, lifted the strands of her mane. "I'm going to wash this out and put it back on the altar."
Blaze followed her as they walked into the living room. Dash went to the sink, turned on the faucet and methodically rinsed out the bowl. She dried it and walked back into the living room, laying the bowl back on the altar. Her father had sat down on the couch. She joined him.
He leaned back. "So, you're up late. I'm just going to assume you couldn't sleep."
"Good guess." Dash yawned, tiredness finally beginning to overtake her.
"It's about Scootaloo, isn't it?"
"Another good guess. You're on a roll."
He lightly swatted the back of her head, turning the smack into a noogie at the last possible second. "I want to help you."
She pushed away his offending hoof. "I'm worried about Scootaloo. I just..." She trailed off. "Damn it. I feel so stupid."
He wrapped a foreleg around her, but said nothing.
After a while, she continued. "What if I can't do this? Raising a filly. I've been training her sure, but all of a sudden she has nopony else in all the world but me. What if I fuck this up? What if I fuck her up? I don't want to do that."
"That's every parent's fear."
Dash looked up at him. "Did you ever worry about that?"
"Oh, yeah. Especially when you were a teenager."
Dash chuckled, recalling her youthful misdeeds and misadventures. "I was a character. Oh, Gods, Scoots is going to be a teenager in a couple of years."
"Have fun. I'm thinking you and your mother will be taking a nice, long vacation."
"I'll send her to you."
They both burst into giggles. Dash caught her breath. "No, but seriously. I don't want to make any mistakes with her. If I have to be...if I have to be her mom, I'm going to try to be the best mom I can be."
"That's all you can do."
"But being a parent...that's not just helping them with their homework and training them to fly. You have to be firm and make sure they do their homework and eat their veggies and wash behind their ears and...and...laying down the law even when its lame and..."
Blaze patted her shoulder. "And the pride you feel watching them grow, that swells in your heart each time they do something great. It's hard, but there's nothing like it. It's the most rewarding thing you can do. And I'm sure at this point you've laid down the law with her a couple of times, haven't you?"
Dash frowned. "I spanked her and put her in the corner once."
"What'd she do?"
"She threw a tantrum because she felt like she wasn't getting far enough in her training. Broke a vase right over Tank after bucking the table."
Blaze winced. "Ouch. I know how much you love that tortoise."
"I love her too. Do you think I handled that okay? I haven't spanked her since. Not even once."
"Has she thrown another tantrum since then?"
"Nope. I taught her some breathing exercises to control her temper. Hey, even I need to control my temper."
"That you do. And, yes, if the spanking discouraged her from throwing anymore tantrums you handled it the right way. As long as you didn't beat her silly or something."
Dash shook her head. "No, just a few swats to her rump."
Blaze leaned against the couch, yawning. "Your mom used to swat your rump every now and then. I think it worked for you."
Dash thought for a moment. "Well, Mama tried. It took several injuries before I learned to tone down the risk taking. Never flew fast in the house again though."
Blaze stretched. "Oh, yeah. She told me about that one. So, are you feeling better?"
Dash stood from the couch. "I think so. Thanks for the talk."
"Anytime, Kiddo."
They hugged and Dash returned to her room. Scootaloo was still in a deep state of sleep and had snuggled all the blankets to herself. Dash shivered. While you got used to the cold living this far up, this night had a particular chill to it. While trying not to wake up the little pegasus filly, Dash gently took hold of the sheets. Scootaloo stirred and grumbled, but then went back to sleep. Dash slid under the sheets and fell into a light sleep.
... "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Wake up, its morning!"
Dash opened one bleary eye, then another. Sure enough, orange rays of the sun were streaming through her window. A rambunctious, orange filly was jumping up and down on her blue and white sheets. The clock read six am. It was set to alarm in thirty minutes. She rolled over and frowned when she felt Scootaloo tug at her foreleg.
"I'm hungry!"
Dash muttered something uncomplimentary into her pillow, and then turned around. Scootaloo was staring at her with wide, enthusiastic, magenta eyes. She wasn't sure it was possible to say no to that little face. She laid her head on the pillow. "Cereal's in the fridge."
"But I want pancakes!" Scootaloo shook her.
Dash groaned. Easy for you. You got the right amount of sleep. "I can't make pancakes. Mom can, but my folks are retired. They don't get up till eight or nine. We got Lucky Charms, Rice Krispies, Cheerios-"
Scootaloo made a face. "I don't like Cheerios."
"Nopony does. I bought them for my health. Got to keep my heart healthy. Ugh. Sometimes being an awesome athlete sucks."
"I do like Rice Krispies though."
Scootaloo bounced off the bed. Dash returned to her dream of taking a nap on the world's most comfortable cloud. A few minutes later, Scootaloo bounded back into the room and bounced back on the bed. "I can't reach the cabinet."
Dash sighed, yawned and stretched. "Okay, squirt. I'll get you your rice krispies." She tossed off the blankets and stumbled off the bed. "Just let me go to the bathroom for a minute."
Once walking into the bathroom, she splashed her face with freezing water. She shivered as it struck her. It woke her right up. Scootaloo was practically about to bounce out the door. Dash wondered how she got that much energy this early in the morning as she followed Scootaloo. Scootaloo skipped down the stairs while Dash dragged her hooves. They stepped into the kitchen, Scootaloo still ahead of Dash.
Dash yawned and opened a cabinet, pulling out a big box of Rice Krispies. She sighed and picked up a box of Cheerios as well.
They're good for my heart. Got to keep the old ticker ticking. She reminded herself as she poured herself a bowl after pouring a bowl for Scootaloo. They sat down at the table together. The morning light played against the cloud walls.
Scootaloo took a big bite into her Rice Krispies. Dash took a less enthusiastic bite into her Cheerios. They weren't so bad, she decided, after swallowing them. She had to be at work by eight. Then, she had that race at around four after her six hour shift. Four was a good time. That would give her a chance to stretch and limber up.
Scootaloo munched on her Rice Krispies. "Say, Dash?"
Dash took a swig of milk. "Yeah Squirt?"
"So...I don't like reading much, but I was at the library for a school thing and I was looking at this cool book I found about flight moves."
"Uh-huh."
"And I saw this really cool move, the triple cork screw."
"Oh, that is a fun one," Dash mused.
Scootaloo once more turned those pleading eyes on Dash. "Could we try it?"
Dash nearly choked on her Cheerios. "No way, nuh-uh, absolutely not."
Scootaloo pouted. "Come on, I've been getting a lot better! Can't you teach me at least one trick?"
"You're not ready. Sorry, Squirt, that's just the way it is." She put down her milk. "Give it another month."
"How about just one cork-screw?"
Dash rolled her eyes. "Not ready. Not having this conversation."
"I can sort of fly now!"
Dash groaned. "Sort of. Sort of is the key word there. You can barely keep a straight line as a flight pattern." She winced. "Sorry, that was a little mean. But those tricks, they can be dangerous. I've watched a lot of young, cocky, pegasii get themselves hurt."
Scootaloo looked up at her with a pleading expression. "But you'd be there. You'd keep me safe!"
Dash opened her mouth, closed it. "You're putting a lot of trust in me, Squirt."
"I do trust you."
Dash stirred her cheerios. "Look, Squirt, a month from now I'm sure you'll be ready. We are dropping this conversation."
Scootaloo groaned. "Fine!" She angrily scooped up her Rice Krispies.
The rest of the meal went by in silence. Scootaloo sulked and Dash felt like sulking herself. Scootaloo just didn't understand how dangerous those tricks were, how it could injure or even kill a Pegasus who wasn't ready for it. She stood once she'd finished her breakfast and carried her bowl and glass to the sink, washing them.
Scootaloo was still stirring her Rice Krispies.
"I got to get to work. I'll carry you to school on the way there."
"Okay." Scootaloo mumbled. She put aside her own plate, hopping into the air to put the dishes in the sink. Dash would almost have said she was trying to make some sort of point. Once that was done, she clambered onto Dash's back. Dash sailed out the front door and into the early morning air. It was cool in a refreshing way.
They sailed past the clouds and over the town of Ponyville, which was just beginning to stir. A few ponies were already up and walking the streets. The market wasn't yet set up yet, but their were a few fillies and colts being walked to school by their parents or guardians. Dash spotted Applejack, walking towards the school house with Apple Bloom right beside her.
Apple Bloom excitedly waved over to Scootaloo. Dash landed and Scootaloo hopped off her back, going to greet her friend.
Applejack tipped her hat. "Howdy, RD."
"Hey, AJ. What's up?"
They started trotting on the trail that led to the old school house. "Oh, nothin' much. Just gonna be workin' on the west field. You still up for that javelin toss Saturday?"
"You know it." She playfully shoulder bumped the farmer.
Meanwhile, the two younger ponies had trotted on ahead. Apple Bloom had known Scootaloo for a long time now and always knew when something was up. She patted her back. "Everything alright with ya?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Fine. Just got in a little fight with Rainbow Dash, but its totally fine."
Sweetie Belle pranced up as they neared the school house. "You don't sound fine. Trust me, I know about fights with sisters. Spill."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah, Scoots. We can help."
"Okay. I want Dash to teach me some tricks, but she won't do it. Says I'm not ready."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Ah see. Ah remember when Ah was a littler filly, I wanted ta learn to apple buck. But Applejack said ah wasn't ready. So one day, Ah decided to do it anyway. Apples fell right on my head, nearly knocked me out cold. But after that, Applejack showed me a few things."
"Hey! That's a great idea!" Sweetie Belle piped up. By this point the light red, one room school house had come into view. Rarity was trying to convince Applejack to get her mane styled so the three adults paid no mind to the talking fillies. "You should try doing a trick and once you do it, you can show Dash that you really are ready!"
"Ah don't know, those apples hurt a whole lot-"
Scootaloo rubbed her chin. "That is a great idea! Thanks Apple Bloom!"
"Now you wait just one minute-"
It was too late. Scootaloo waved good bye to Dash and scampered inside the school. The remaining Crusaders waved goodbye to their own sisters (as well as exchanging nuzzles) before following Scootaloo.
... Scootaloo had a hard time focusing on her schoolwork that day. While Cheerilee droned on and on about their reading assignments and the life cycle of a caterpillar and something about differential equations all Scootaloo could think about was what trick she could do to impress Rainbow Dash. Thinking about impressing Rainbow Dash was something she hadn't done in a long time, but there had been a point in her young life where she'd done little else.
The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Scootaloo bounced out of her chair, borrowed Apple Bloom's notes and nearly ran out the door. She even hopped and flapped a little as she went outside. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had to run to catch up with her.
Apple Bloom tapped her shoulder. "So, you're really going to do it? You sure about this?"
Scootaloo gave a cheeky grin. "Oh yeah. I even know which trick I'm going to do!"
"Because some of those tricks look mighty dangerous, I've seen Dash doing some when she's over playin' around with my sister."
"Look, Apple Bloom, I got this."
"Yeah, Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle piped up. "She's been Dash's student for a long time now, right? As long as its something simple you should be okay!"
"Should be." Apple Bloom muttered. She patted Scootaloo's shoulder. "Good luck. Ah gotta help Applejack with the west field."
"I can watch you do the trick! It should be fun!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Great. Hop on. Bye Apple Bloom!"
Sweetie Belle hopped on Scootaloo's scooter and soon they were tearing off down the road. Scootaloo tore down the roads, zooming past the market stalls and using several obstacles as ramps to launch her scooter into the air. Sweetie Belle squeaked as she shouted and grasped onto Scootaloo.
"Sorry about that." Scootaloo took her scooter past a rock in the road and adjusted it back on course. They soon left the town far behind. "I'll slow down for you."
Sweetie Belle panted. "G-great!"
Soon, they had left the town far behind. Past Ponyville was a series of rolling meadows, an expanse of grasslands. Some ponies grazed there, but few ponies liked the taste of uncultivated grass so it was rare. No one cared for it or cut it. It had a well-worn hoof path that Scootaloo used to take her to the training field.
The training grounds had a single, spreading oak tree. Scootaloo pointed to it as Sweetie Belle dismounted the scooter. "That's what I'll use."
... Dash stretched and yawned again. She held the pencil in her hoof as she read the incident report. There had been a wild storm coming from the Everfree. They had dealt with it and then they had placed clouds for a light rain storm over Sweet Apple Acres and the carrot farm owned by Golden Harvest. Now, she just had to fill out this paperwork and she would be able to go home.
She whistled as she signed her name. Then she rose from the chair, left her office and handed the incident report to her boss who looked it over and dismissed her with a nod. Dash thought about taking a nap, then dismissed the idea. She needed to go over to the training ground. While it was a terrible idea to do an intense training session two days in a row, she could still get some stretching in as well as some light exercises.
She sailed away from the weather factory and into the blue sky, flying past some clouds. She soared over the roof tops of Ponyville, the humble, pointed, thatched roofs, the cake-like decorations that covered the bakery of Sugarcube Corner. The scents of baked goods nearly tempted her, but she had had a large lunch.
She flew over the fields of the Great Expanse. The grass whooshed as she flew by. Her ears picked up a fillyish squeal of delight. It sounded very familiar. It was Sweetie Belle, Dash had spent enough time around Rarity's kid sister to recognize it.
Crusaders are up to something... A wry grin spread across her face. Wonder if I should alert the Fire Department and the Royal Guard?
She flew closer, passing the Expanse and leaving it behind in a matter of seconds. She came up on the training ground. Scootaloo had managed to climb onto a low branch. Her scooter was parked at the side of the hoof path. Sweetie Belle was watching her. "Do it again!" She squeaked.
Dash raised an eyebrow wondering what it was Sweetie Belle wanted Scootaloo to do again. She hovered in midair, watching from afar. Scootaloo got into a rather clumsy position, lifting up her forehooves and angling her wings.
Dash's eyes widened.
Scootaloo arched her back as if stretching out her muscles. Dash recognized the stance instantly. Suddenly, Scootaloo leapt from the branch, shooting straight up into the air. Dash felt her heart leap and darted forward. She almost missed as Scootaloo twisted, doing an incredibly awkward corkscrew. She landed on her hooves. Dash landed in front of her and affixed her with a piercing glare.
Scootaloo looked up and noticed her. She gulped. Dash looked over at Sweetie Belle and smiled. "Sweetie Belle, why don't you go...somewhere and do something?"
"Oh, um, I just remembered I have a thing at a place!" She scampered away.
Scootaloo gulped again. "I, um, I-"
"Don't want to hear it, Squirt." Dash lifted a hoof. "The one smart thing you did was have a friend watch you. And for your information the only reason you didn't snap your neck is because of how slow you were going. And the reason having a friend present was smart is so she could have gotten a doctor when not if you hurt yourself."
She wasn't yelling. She was saying everything with an intense, eerie calm.
Scootaloo's ears folded back and she took a step back. Dash took a step closer. "And the only reason I'm not going to spank you or take away your scooter for a month is because..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Is because I owe you an apology."
Her ears perked up. "You owe me an apology?"
"I sure do, Squirt." She pat Scootaloo's shoulder. "Why don't we go sit down?"
Scootaloo followed her mentor. They sat down beneath the branches of the oak tree. Dash closed her eyes and breathed before laying down. Scootaloo lay down beside her. "You are ready, Scootaloo. You are. I saw that when you tried that trick just then. I've seen it for a while now. I haven't been ready to teach you."
"How come?"
"Because I once pressured a friend into something before she was ready and I've had to live with that guilt every day." She closed her eyes again. "It was back at flight school. I was tutoring Fluttershy. I pressured her into doing a trick that was above her level." Even as Dash said it, she heard the shout, the sickening crunch of bone snapping. "I thought she could do it. I wanted her to do it, to reach her potential. She crashed. Broke her leg. Ever since then, she's been scared of flying. Well, she already was. I made it worse. It's why I sometimes like to get her flying. To make up for what I did."
Scootaloo wiped away Dash's tears.
"But you're not Fluttershy. And you are ready." She flicked her tail, playfully swatting Scootaloo's rump and then rose. "So, let's get you doing those tricks."
Scootaloo grinned broadly and bounced up, saluting Dash. "Yes, ma'am!"
"By the way, I am going to punish you. We're not leaving this field until you do that trick right."
Scootaloo's enthusiasm dampened just a bit. As punishments went, it wasn't the worst though. "Hey, wait, don't we have to go back to my house and get my stuff?"
Dash brought her hoof to her face. "Ah, you're right. It can wait till tomorrow."
She drew Scootaloo into a hug which Scootaloo returned. "Hop on my back, I'll fly you to your house."
...
Scootaloo stood in the middle of her bedroom. Wonderbolts posters were all over the walls. A shelf held all of her dolls, including the Rainbow Dash doll Miss Rarity had made for her. While flying, Dash had made a slight detour and picked her up a travel bag from Dash's own closet. It was blue and decorated with lightning bolts.
Scootaloo picked up the dolls, putting them carefully in the bag along with the posters. Oak and Dash both stood in the hallway.
"So, you're really okay with all this?" Dash asked, nodding to Scootaloo.
Oak nodded. She pulled out a piece of paper from her saddle bag. "It'll just be till I get some things straight. You were right before, Miss Dash. I was neglecting her."
"At least you're being honest." Dash took the offered piece of paper and unfurled it. It was a photograph of an orange pegasus stallion. Dash saw the resemblance immediately.
"This is her father." Oak whispered this into her ear. "When she's old enough, give her this photograph."
Dash slipped the photograph into her saddle bag. "I will."
"Thank you for taking care of her." Oak glanced at Scootaloo.
The filly was standing, looking around her room. Her bag was full of her dolls, her posters, a few photographs. "I think that's everything." She looked back to her mom and Scootaloo. Suddenly, she rushed forward and gave Oak a hug. Oak returned it. Then, Scootaloo left the room. She passed the living room. The ancestral altar sat in the back of the room. Unlike the heavily decorated altar of Dash's clan, this altar only had a single rose as an offering and was covered in a thick layer of dust.
Scootaloo paused and pulled out a wildflower from her saddle bag. She laid it on the altar, bowing her head. "Good bye, Grandma. Good bye, my ancestors."
Oak and Scootaloo watched. Sootaloo turned and took Dash's hoof. Together, they trotted away from the house. Scootaloo and Dash both waved good-bye to Oak who waved back to them before disappearing into her house.
Scootaloo paused. "There's one more thing I got to do." She scampered away, around the side of the house. Curious, Dash followed her. The backyard was dominated by a large and spreading maple tree. Its trunk was vast and thick and its branches, covered in vibrant green leaves, reached over the yard.
A collection of coins and flowers around it marked it as a sacred tree, probably honored for generations by Scootaloo's clan. Scootaloo approached it, knelt her head once and laid a flower at its trunk. "Thank you." She whispered. Then she turned to Dash. "When my parents would fight I used to come out here and pray that I would find a place away from all the fighting." Her expression turned from reverent to cheerful. "Now I have you. My prayers were answered so I thought I should say thanks."
Dash swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah, Squirt. You got me."
Scootaloo pranced over to her. As they walked away, Dash wrapped a wing over Scootaloo's shoulders.
... Poseidon's Peak was a very large, granite mountain that rose from the earth and seemed to pierce the heavens. A ring of mist and cloud eternally covered it and it cast a shadow over the valley below it. After setting up a guest bedroom for Scootaloo it was her and Dash's next destination.
As they flew over the clouds and towards the great mountain, Scootaloo held on to Dash.
"Say, Squirt, you're sure about all this right? Moving in with me?"
Scootaloo looked up from where she'd rested her head in Dash's mane. "Sure am!"
"Good." Dash veered towards the mountain. Blaze and Wildfire were already there. They greeted their daughter with cheeky grins. Scootaloo hopped off Dash's back and found a seat for herself on a rock. She was grinning widely, in anticipation of the race. The valley wasn't even visible from this height, just clouds for miles.
Dash hoof bumped her parents. "So, ready to lose?"
"I don't know, are you?" Blaze shot back.
"You both had better be." Wildfire shot back.
They paused, then started laughing.
"Okay, enough trash talk. Let's get started." Blaze pointed to a far off cloud. "Whoever gets to that cloud first wins."
"On the count of three. One, two, three!" Wildfire took off first, at first leaving the other two in the wake of her dust. Dash and Blaze took off behind her. Dash soon overtook both of them, letting her wings catch a thermal and soaring past. Blaze flapped his mighty wings and soared up next to her. Wildfire grit her teeth at being left behind.
She turned, twirling in midair and going into a corkscrew. Dash and Blaze were caught off guard and the gust of wind brought on by the flap of Wildfire's wing nearly sent Dash tumbling. Dash steadied herself and darted forward. Blaze darted forward after her and for a while both tried to pass the other while Wildfire steadily moved forwards.
With a hard flap of her wings, Dash passed Blaze and came up on Wildfire's left. "Just me and you huh, squirt?"
"I'm gonna win this!" Dash tried to soar past her, but Wildfire soared a few inches ahead every time Dash tried to pass her. While the two mares both tried to pass each other, Blaze took his time and paced himself. Suddenly, he rushed forward, spreading his magnificent wings to their full length and passed both of them.
Dash felt his feather's brush her face as he sped past her. "Hey! Oh, come on!"
Blaze laughed, exulting in the feel of the wind as it rushed through his mane. Dash and Wildfire shared a look and then zoomed past him. Blaze was thrown off balance, but quickly found his balance again. He rushed upwards, a signature move he'd had in the Wonderbolts. He rushed downwards and was once more in the lead.
Mother and daughter rivalry forgotten, Wildfire and Dash soared together, both turning into a corkscrew. The wind stirred up by the twists sent Blaze sprawling.
"Sorry, dear!" Wildfire giggled as she corkscrewed past him.
Blaze was nearly sent into a spin. It was fortunate that they were flying above nice, fluffy clouds.
Dash broke the corkscrew and used the momentum she'd gained to sail towards the finishing cloud.
Scootaloo watched from the peak of the mountain as Dash, Wildfire and Blaze, just recovered from the spin, flew together. Each pegasus tried to sail past the others, one gaining a few inches while the other fell behind. She found herself caught up in the race, intently watching every one of their moves.
She found herself wondering if she would ever be that great, if she would ever be able to fly well enough to challenge a Wonderbolt.
As the sun shone down on the clouds, turning them into a fiery field of gold, Scootaloo found herself caught up in a vision. She saw herself, an older version of herself, racing along side an older Rainbow Dash who was dressed in the blue uniform of a Wonderbolt. They raced forever towards the sun and beyond.
The vision passed. A cheer announced that Dash had hit the finish cloud, though only just barely. Scootaloo cheered for her.
Blaze landed on her other side and laid a hoof on her withers. "Next time."
"I'll look forward to it, Old Stallion."
Wildfire placed another hoof on her withers. She wiped away a layer of sweat. "Well, I have to say, you're a worthy opponent."
Dash panted. "To be completely honest? I had to give it everything I had just to keep up with you two."
Scootaloo jumped off the peak, using her wings to slow her descent. Dash, Blaze and Wildfire raced to meet her.
Dash tousled her mane. "You enjoy the race, Squirt?"
Scootaloo jumped up and down on the clouds. "It was awesome!" She kept jumping on the clouds, finding it fun and the clouds springy. She stopped and looked up at her mentor. "Say, Dash?"
"Yeah, Squirt?"
She smiled up at her mentor. "One of these days, I want to race you."
Dash smiled down at her and extended a hoof. "I'll look forward to it."
Rainbow Dash yawned as she walked out onto the training field. The grass was still covered in dew which gave a pleasurably cool sensation to her hooves. The sun had risen above the green and fruitful hills only a few hours before and shone in a sky dotted with puffy, white clouds. Dash had an afternoon shift, but this morning she had decided to get in a practice session with her student.
Despite being ostensibly "punished", the filly looked rather happy and enthusiastic. She had a cheerful expression and was prancing as she strove to keep up with her mentor. Dash looked down at her as Scootaloo bounced up in the air, fluttering her wings. Dash patted her head as she came down. "This isn't much of a punishment, huh Squirt?"
Scootaloo shook her head, sending her wild, purple mane flying. "I like training with you, Rainbow Dash!"
"Well, the reason I want you to train today-and we're not leaving until you get it right-is that I want to know you can get this right and do it safely when I'm not around cause I know you're going to do it when I'm not around."
Scootaloo lightly blushed and shuffled a hoof. Dash pointed a hoof at the tall oak. "Let's see you get up there."
Scootaloo looked up at the tall tree and its wide, leafy branches. Despite its gnarled roots and high branches Scootaloo had gotten up the tree twice yesterday and she knew she could do it again. She angled her wings sharply upwards and flapped them, ascending into the air. A light wind nearly blew her off course. She tumbled in air, but then grabbed onto the branch and scrambled up it.
Dash spread her wings and easily flew up next to the branch, hovering beside it. "You may have noticed yesterday that you were going down instead of going up. With a corkscrew pattern you have to go upward, or if you prefer, you can go straight. We can save that one for later."
She angled her wings and nodded in approval as Scootaloo imitated her position. "Now just watch me before you try it." She twisted and took off into the air. Her wings beat, stirring up a gust of wind that shook the branches of the oak. Scootaloo's jaw dropped as the rush of air whooshed over her, as she felt the power of her mentor's wings.
She wondered if she would ever stop being amazed by her mentor's moves. Dash twisted in the air as she reached the peak of her ascent and then glided back down, hovering by the branch. "That's how it's done, Squirt."
Scootaloo scuffed her front hoof. "What was I doing, yesterday?"
"You sort of had it. You were kind of doing it backwards, though. The key is to twist just after you jump. Try it."
Scootaloo closed her eyes and took a breath, closed her eyes and tried to remember how Dash had done it. Then she opened her eyes, snapped open her wings, angled them into the correct position and leapt into the air. She felt the air resist her, gravity trying to push her down. In the manner of her warrior ancestors, she felt a sudden longing to conquer it, to claim dominion over gravity itself. Before gravity could knock her down she twisted in midair. Going upward, she realized, was much harder than going downward.
Before she could complete the twist she faltered and lost control, spiraling wildly in the air. Dash rushed upward, catching her in a protective embrace before placing her back down on the tree branch. "Okay, Squirt. What do you think went wrong?"
Scootaloo rubbed her chin. "I'm not sure."
"Muscle control, Squirt. It's all about muscle control. And the only way you develop muscle control is to do it, practice over and over again. That Earth Pony blood of yours is a plus. You have some very strong wings and your other muscles are just as strong."
Scootaloo blinked. "I...I do?"
She patted Scootaloo's shoulder. "Yep. You just haven't been able to learn how to really use them until now. I've watched you on that scooter of yours. You're strong. You can do this. I know you can. It'll feel kind of weird at first because you're just not used to using your muscles like this. Enough gabbing, get in the air!"
Scootaloo snapped open her wings once more. She closed her eyes and sensed something that she never had before. It wasn't wind, but it was rushing by her, tickling her wings, stirring her feathers. "Rainbow Dash, I feel something."
Dash cocked her head. "What do you feel?"
"Um, it's like wind, but it's...not." Scootaloo opened her eyes.
Dash was grinning. "Your Pegasus magic is awakening." What Dash didn't say was that with access to Earth Pony strength and Pegasus weather magic, along with Dash's training, Scootaloo was going to be an arcane powerhouse when she came into her mark. Mixed-tribe foals were known for their magical gifts. It would be enough to rival Twilight herself. Dash hadn't been joking when she'd said she looked forward to racing Scootaloo.
"My Pegasus magic?"
"Yeah. Bout darned time too. Feel it. Let it flow through you. Let it guide you."
Scootaloo closed her eyes and felt the currents of air wrap around her. She spread her wings, unfamiliar energy tingling, spreading through her feathers. Before she leapt this time, she tried to figure out what she was doing wrong. She gave her wings a few experimental flaps, then she jumped from the branch and twisted in midair. Just as she felt herself about to fall she flared her wings and forced them to angle upwards.
As she did, she felt that web of energy all around her, flowing through her. This time, for a few seconds of triumph, she came out of the twist and tried to hover. Then vengeful gravity caught up to her and she plunged like a rock. None of her desperate attempts to slow her fall by flapping her wings helped. Before she could hit the ground, she found herself in Dash's forelegs. Instinctively, she wrapped her hooves around Dash's neck in an appreciative hug.
Dash placed her down on the branch. "Maybe I should put down a trampoline."
Scootaloo giggled.
"I wasn't joking. Although seeing you bounce up and down would be pretty cute. So, that was your best attempt. As you get better at flying, you'll feel more of a connection to your Pegasus magic. Flight isn't just physical. It's magical too, spiritual even. If you feel yourself about to fall, don't panic. Remember how I taught you to meditate at the cloud shrine?"
Scootaloo nodded.
"Remember that. Try to get your mind in that state again and let your magic guide you."
Scootaloo saluted, got back into position, angled her wings, and spent a few seconds feeling and exploring the new sensation. It felt just like the wind, streaming and curling around her. She breathed in and out, calming her mind. The energy swirled around her, lifted up her wings. She allowed it to.
Then, she realized what she was doing wrong. She leapt upwards, jumping from the branch. Her wings carried her up into the sky. She could still feel the insistent tug of gravity. She ignored it. She felt a crick in her side, her abs starting to burn as she twisted in air. She turned fully in midair and fluttered her wings as she came to a complete stop. She kept fluttering her wings, trying not to trip.
"Go into a glide, Scoots!" Dash shouted from down below.
Scootaloo hovered, flapping her wings to stay up. "I, uh, I don't know how to glide!"
Dash slapped her face. "Damn it. I, uh, never showed you. I'm so sorry, Scoots." She flew up to her. Scootaloo was beginning to falter. A few beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her wings weren't burning, but they were beginning to tire from the amount of effort she had put into using them.
Dash took hold of her, guiding her and turning her upside down. "You have to learn how to move in the air." She put her hooves on top of Scootaloo's wings, flapping them. "Do you feel it?"
"I think so."
"Let's do it." Still holding onto Scootaloo's middle, Dash spread her wings and glided down onto the tree branch. She set Scootaloo down. "So, uh, it looks like we need you to do some gliding practice." She picked Scootaloo up, tucking her under her foreleg and jumped off the branch. They landed on the ground, Dash letting Scootaloo go. "Gliding is harder than you might think, which is why I didn't show it to you before. It was supposed to be next. Control is what you need for this so this'll be a good exercise. I'll show it to you."
Dash took off into a run and spread her wings. Without flapping them, she allowed the wind she'd kicked up to carry her and glided upward. She spun in the air and returned to earth. "Think you can do that, Scoots? Just gotta get used to feeling the wind in your wings."
Scootaloo imitated the elder pegasus and took into a fast gallop. She spread her wings and the wind kicked up in her wake sent her forward. She yelped as the wind sent her sprawling and then she hit the ground. Dash helped her up. "Yeah, you're gonna get real familiar with the ground and how the dirt around here tastes. Gotta learn how to crash before you can learn to fly."
"Seriously?"
"They used to call me Rainbow Crash."
Scootaloo gaped. "I don't believe you."
"Yeah, it's true. Anyway, do it again. Remember, the word for today is control."
Scootaloo took off into a gallop once more and, once she felt she'd gotten up enough speed, she spread her wings. The wind carried her straight. She had to flap a few times to direct her course before she once more crashed. This time, she didn't need Dash to help her get up. "I'm going too fast, aren't I?"
Dash patted her head, giving her a noogie. "Knew you'd figure it out. Try a trot, instead of a gallop."
Scootaloo began to run, breaking into a trot this time. She snapped open her wings and flew as the wind pushed her. This time she didn't need to flap her wings, mainly because of how slow she was going. She only glided about a foot before she stopped, her hooves connecting with the ground.
Dash nodded. "That was better, Scoots. Just a bit faster."
Scootaloo started trotting again, this time slightly faster. When she spread open her wings this time, she felt the wind pushing her wings, pushing her forward and off the ground. It was almost disorienting, very different from flight. She glided a few feet before she gave out again, her hooves landing back on the ground.
Dash patted her back. "And that was your best. Good job, I think you're getting the hang of it. Do it again."
Scootaloo panted. "Can we take a break?"
Dash took a bottle of water from her saddle bag and handed it to her. Scootaloo took off the cap and drank it greedily. "Remember what I said. We're not leaving this field till you get it right."
"Heh. You're serious."
"Very. Serious."
Scootaloo took another sip. "What if I get hungry?"
Dash took off her saddle bag. "I'm not cruel, Squirt. I packed us a lunch last night. You hungry?"
Scootaloo finished up the water bottle. "Not after all those pancakes I had." Dash took the empty water bottle and put it back in her bag. Scootaloo flapped her wings. "I'm gonna give it another try."
This time, Scootaloo broke into a much faster trot that bordered on a gallop. She spread her wings as she started picking up speed. She was getting used to the rush of the wind, the way the air buoyed up her wings. She lifted into the air and tilted her wings instinctively to catch the breeze. The breeze pushed her onward as she glided over the field. The grass danced and stirred as she soared over it.
For just a minute, it felt like she was flying. She lost her momentum and almost tumbled. At the last second she caught herself and came down to the ground. She got another pat on the back from Dash. "Way to go, Squirt."
Scootaloo beamed.
"Do it again." Dash ordered.
Scootaloo turned to look up at her. "Again?"
"Again. I want to see it done perfectly."
After that, Scootaloo lost count of how many times she did it. She galloped, trotted, even cantered to get up speed and then glided on the wind. Each time she did it, she got more used to it, felt her wings adjust to the push of the currents of air rushing against her feathers. After her last attempt, she nearly collapsed as she came down to the ground. Dash offered her a bottle of water and wiped away the trail of sweat about to run into her eyes. "That was perfect, Squirt."
Scootaloo gulped down the water, relishing the coolness of it against her throat. "Really?"
"Really. Perfect form, perfect speed. Took you an hour, but I knew you'd get it."
Scootaloo rested her head onto the grass and munched a bit. She rarely indulged in grazing, but this particular patch of grass was rather sweet.
Dash took a sandwich from her saddle bag. "Getting hungry?"
Scootaloo stood and took the sandwich. "Yeah." She bit into the sandwich and laid back down.
Dash laid down beside her and munched on a fried oat sandwich of her own. "After lunch, we'll get you working on the corkscrew again. By the way, this is only the single corkscrew. You wanna learn the triple corkscrew?"
Scootaloo swallowed a piece of her friend hay sandwich. "I think I'll stick to the single corkscrew for now."
Dash took a sip from her own water bottle. "Suit yourself."
After lunch, Scootaloo scrambled back up the branch. Dash hovered beside the branch to keep an eye on her. Scootaloo spread her wings and closed her eyes. She felt the strands of energy moving all around her. She hadn't felt them very strongly on the ground, but this close to the sky they were strong. They still felt like currents of air to her. But if it was Pegasus magic, feeling it stronger when she was in the air made sense.
Like the wind had on the ground, she could feel the strands of energy wanting to push up her wings. She let them. Then she leapt from the branch, rocketing straight into the air. The magic and the wind pushed her upward. As she ascended, she accelerated, gaining speed. Once she felt she was high enough she twisted.
That's when the danger set in. The wind nearly knocked her down, but she used it to her advantage as she directed herself downward. She flapped her wings and spread them, going into a glide. A sense of vertigo struck her. She had never flown downward before ,just jumped, but still she glided towards the ground while trying to ignore the momentary disorientation.
Dash flew up to meet her, catching her. Scootaloo shook her head as she was laid on the ground.
Dash laid a hoof on her shoulder. "You alright?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, I...I think so. I'm a little dizzy. That didn't happen yesterday."
"You weren't coming out of a full corkscrew and coming down that fast yesterday. You need to get used to that sensation. And that means more practice."
Scootaloo wiped away the beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. She saluted Dash and then flared her wings, jumping up on the branch. She closed her eyes, sensing the strands of magic, realizing that they connected her to the sky itself. Slowly it began to dawn on her how the magic was working.
She snapped open her wings and focused. Then she she shot into the air, feeling the magic twist and wrap around her. After getting to the midpoint of her ascent she twisted and then went downward into a glide. The wind whistled through her wings as she came closer to the ground.
She landed and her knees gave out. Dash wrapped a hoof under her, helping her back up. "That was better. How do you feel?"
Scootaloo wobbled. "I'm good."
"You know the drill."
Scootaloo repeated the maneuver, leaping off the branch and into the air. When she reached the midway point, she closed her eyes and sensed the magic coursing through her veins. Somehow, she felt it. The sky, the magic coursing through her, her wings, herself. It was all connected.
She twisted, corkscrewing and diving down, going into the glide. She kept her eyes closed as she picked up speed.
"Hey, Squirt! Open your eyes!"
Scootaloo's eyes shot open. She was only a few inches from the ground. She yelped and went into a roll.
Dash wrapped her up as she caught her. "Seriously, Squirt, why did you close your eyes? Do not close your eyes when flying."
Scootaloo shrunk back at the scolding. "I just..." She hesitated as she tried to explain. "When I closed my eyes I felt the magic. I felt it'd help me fly."
Dash gave her a brief hug which Scootaloo returned. "Yeah, Scoots, you will feel the magic if you close your eyes. But you have to keep your eyes open when you're flying. Try to feel it with your eyes open this time."
Scootaloo once more bounded up the tree. She kept her eyes open, but focused on the magic, the wind-like energy that swirled around her. She spread open her wings, the magic tickling and running through her feathers, then she soared off the branch. She corkscrewed in midair, turning and twisting, using her wings to maintain her balance. Once she completed the twist, she fell into a dive.
She resisted the urge to close her eyes as she landed on her hooves, instinctively bending her knees. She still swayed as she landed. Dash steadied her with a hoof on her back. Scootaloo leaned into her. "I think I got it this time."
"Let's see. Do it again."
Scootaloo flapped her tired and sore wings. Dash preened one of her errant feathers. "One more time, Squirt. Show me what you got."
Scootaloo repeated the technique, soaring off the branch and corkscrewing once more. As she corkscrewed, she felt her wings strain to keep her in the air. They did and she angled them as she went into a glide. This time her knees barely buckled as she landed. She stood there, panting.
Dash stroked her mane. "By Celestia, I think you've got it. Since this wasn't really a punishment I'm gonna take you by Sugarcube Corner and make you eat cookies and cake."
Scootaloo giggled. "No, anything but cookies and cake."
The two Pegasii burst into giggles. Scootaloo looked up at Dash. "Hey, Dash. How come you didn't tell me about Pegasus magic before?"
Dash shrugged. "I was busy trying to get you in the air."
Scootaloo looked back at her wings. They were sore, exhausted. Beneath her fur, she was nearly dripping with sweat. She felt good, though, that good kind of soreness she had learned to like. "Do you think I'll ever learn to really fly? Not just stay in the air for a few minutes?"
Dash laid in the cool grass. Scootaloo followed her lead, laying down beside her. "Squirt, no Pegasus ever really learns to fly. Even I, the greatest flyer in Equestria, am still learning. There are still techniques I haven't mastered. I'd bet that Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts are still learning too. And once you do learn, you have to constantly train to keep up your skills. The journey never really ends."
Scootaloo rested in the grass for a few moments, leaning against Dash and mulling over what her mentor had told her. "I'm gonna keep training till I get as good as you."
"Go for it, Squirt. And once you reach that point, keep going. Ever higher."
Scootaloo stood, stretching out her forelegs and tired muscles. "Ever higher."
Dash stood. "Let's go get those cookies."
Scootaloo followed. Dash placed a wing over her as they left the training field and headed towards town. The sun shone from its place in the sky over the magical land of Equestria. Two Pegasii, two sisters one elder, one younger, walked down the road. The younger leaned into the elder. They were sisters, though not by blood. Through sweat and tears, through all the things they had gone through, they had been bound as sisters now and forever.
The journey would not end here, nor even on that distant day when the younger surpassed her elder and took on an apprentice of her own. It would keep going, forever and ever. The legend of Rainbow Dash and her disciple, and Scootaloo and her as yet unknown disciple would be passed down from generation to generation.
That day would come when these moments would pass into legend, to be remembered forever, but for now Scootaloo and Rainbow sat down at a table in the sweet smelling bakery over a plate of chocolate chip cookies, Dash deciding she could skip her diet just this once.
