Writing is Magic

          The Ponyville market was bustling as always with ponies doing their shopping and talking with each other. Fluttershy and I were there as well. Rarity had a big project on the table, and so she asked me to give her ‘creative space.’ When I made it to the middle of town, I ran into the shy Pegasus, and offered to help her with the shopping she was doing for her animals. We were just about to step over to the tomato stand when we heard the sound of rushing air coming toward us. We turned to see two clouds of dust coming into town. When it died down, we could see the creators, two Pegasi: Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.

          “Geez Rainbow,” I said, coughing, “you really gotta watch where you kick up dust.”

          “No time for that, Art,” the resident daredevil excused, “You have to see this.”

          Scootaloo turned on her scooter to show her flank, which was no longer blank. It now sported a tire wheel encased in red and orange flame, as if it was going very fast. Scootaloo has finally earned her Cutie Mark.

          “Oh,” Fluttershy commented, “when did this happen?”

          “Just now,” Scootaloo answered, “once I saw it, we came to town as fast as we could.”

          “How exactly did it happen,” I asked, “it must be some story.”

          “It is. Well you know that Rainbow has been trying to help me with my flying. And she came up with this awesome idea.”

          “I told her to ride her scooter as fast as she could off the side of Ghastly Gorge,” Rainbow explained, “I figured if she could build up enough speed, the wings would take over in the air and she would fly.”

          “You told her to do what,” I exclaimed.

          “Oh come on, I was right there. If she had fallen, I would have caught her.”

          “Anyway,” Scootaloo continued, “so I rode my scooter as fast as I could toward the cliffs, with Rainbow flying right next to me to egg me on. But when I shot off the cliff, something went wrong. I leaned too far back on the jump, you know, trying to get more air. I ended up flipping upside down.”

          “And you didn’t step in,” I scolded Rainbow.

          “She was still climbing; I was waiting for her to fall out of the sky.”

          “Well I was upside down,” the little Pegasus started again, “the only thing I could do was continue the back-flip until I was right-side up. When I completed that one, I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to fly from this, so I decided to see if I could clear Ghastly Gorge on this jump. As I started down, I did a second back-flip, and then landed clear on the other cliff.”

          Fluttershy and I stood there with our mouths wide open in disbelief.

          “And then the Cutie Mark appeared,” Fluttershy asked.

          “Yep,” Rainbow answered, “the kid’s a born daredevil, just like me, but on the ground instead of in the air.”

          “Scootaloo,” I said, “though I congratulate you on this achievement, could I ask to see this stunt myself. Do you think you could do it again?”

          “That’s an awesome idea! We’ll bring everypony to see it.”

          …

          All of Ponyville stood on the far side of Ghastly Gorge, Scootaloo’s target landing area. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were on the other side, psyching themselves up.

          “I’m really worried about this,” Sweetie Belle said to me, “what if she doesn’t make it twice?”

          “If she falls, Twilight will use her magic to catch her,” I answered, “but I have confidence. Cutie Marks aren’t earned for nothing.”

          “Art’s right,” Apple Bloom perked up, “if Scootaloo’s confident, we have to be confident.”

          “They’re starting the run-up,” Twilight announced, looking through binoculars.

          Everypony looked to the opposite side, trying to catch a glimpse of the two Pegasi. After a short time, we saw two blurs, one blue, one orange. I had never seen Scootaloo go so fast on her scooter before. I guess it was part of Rainbow’s training. When they were close to the edge, Rainbow broke off into the air, leaving a rainbow streak behind her. A second later, Scootaloo hit a lip of the cliff which acted as a ramp.

          We all stood there with baited breath. Scootaloo completed the first back-flip with no problem. She floated in the air for a moment before starting the second. She was now on the descent and falling a bit faster than I thought she would. The Pegasus pulled back on the handlebars and began the second flip. This one wasn’t as clean, and I could hear some gasps from the ponies behind me. She completed the second flip very close to the near cliff, which she hit with the middle of her scooter, with the back wheel off the side. Fortunately, her momentum bounced her forward onto solid ground.

          For a second, there was no sound. Everypony was taking in what they had just witnessed. Then, all at once, everypony exploded in thunderous cheering and hoof stomping. As soon as Scootaloo dismounted her scooter, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed over to hug and congratulate their friend. Rainbow flew down and proceeded to pick up all three of them in her arms.

          “Hey Rainbow,” I shouted over the noise, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you enjoyed this more than any Sonic Rainboom.”

          “Maybe I did,” Rainbow countered.