Chapter One

I caught the last ring with my hoof, just in time to pull up and miss slamming into the ground. The crowd went wild in applause as I lifted my hoof into the air and landed on the platform. The Millennial Ring Toss had become one of the fan’s favorite acts in the last few years. It was a series of complicated dives, twists, and neck breaking turns that one pegasus would do to compliment the actions of another. Like a dance in the air, but with multiple partners trading off with each other using gold rings.

I looked up to the other Wonderbolts as they dived in the sky to bring in the final act of the show. I couldn't resist grinning as Spitfire landed next to me, followed closely by Soarin.

"Good job on your first show, Scootaloo. I knew you were Wonderbolt material right from the start," Spitfire told me. Soarin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, great job. You were the star in this show."

I smiled. "Thanks, guys. But I just… I wish she could be here with me."

Spitfire's smile faded. Rainbow Dash would have been part of my first show, if it weren't for the accident, and Spitfire knew how thinking about her made me feel.

"I know, Scoots. But you would have made her proud."

II sighed in response. The Captain’s words made me feel a little better, but it didn't mask the pain that I still felt.

Rainbow Dash had died a few years earlier, due to an accident during a Wonderbolt show. It was a real heart breaker for every pony. They loved her. It was her tricks, her attitude - it brought a certain flare to every show that just made it 20 percent cooler than before.

The crowd clapped and cheered as the last of the Wonderbolts hit the ground, waving to their fans. The announcer walked up to us and congratulated us, giving the mike to Spitfire.

"Thank you, Las Pegasus!  it’s been a pleasure to be here today!" said the veteran captain of the Wonderbolts. Her voice filled the arena, and as responded to by another thunderous roar of cheers and applause. She waited a moment for the crowd to die down a little bit more.

The crowd cheered and whistled.

“This show was something special for us,” she announced, her voice amplified. I couldn’t help but notice the small clip of emotion in her voice. “As many of you know, this was my last official show with the Wonderbolts as their Captain. Next year, I’ll be staffed as their instructor and advisor. But this is also a good day as we welcome the next generation of talented fliers into our ranks, Scootaloo!”

I freeze as a spotlight turns on me and the crowd goes wild. Spitfire walked up to me and proudly patted me on the back. It puts me in a state of awe as I consider that many ponies here were the ones who use to poke fun at me for struggling to fly. But my hard work, determination, and a lot of luck got me here. I stand up straighter and wave back to the crowd.

All of the Wonderbolts take of the center stage and give one last wave to their fans before turning around and disappearing into the depths of the arena. The others were talking and joking about the performance or about their life at home. I, on the other hand, am still in a daze about what had happened.

Seriously, me, a Wonderbolt? I still feel giddy about it even though my acceptance letter came to me a few months ago. It still feels like a dream.

One of the other Bolts bump into me and I look up out of my dreaming state. We made our ways back into the locker room and Captain Spitfire was just getting ready to give an announcement. I was amazed by her condition. Even though her doctor had forced her to drop out of competitive flying five years ago, she was still performing aerial stunts when many pegasi her age would be lucky to be flying at all.

“Alright, enough. QUIET!” she barked. The room fell a deathly silence as she looked out with a frown. She made sure to glare at us for a time before continuing. “You’d think I was some teacher for a bunch of screaming little fillies. This was a good show to wrap up the season, but not the best. We’ll be taking a break for a while and then we’ll get to practicing in a few days. Questions?”

Spitfire smiled proudly when not a single hoof went into the air. “Dismissed!”

The noise resumed as Spitfire and Soarin left for the rest of the Wonderbolts to undress. I stretched my wings out a little bit before wandering on over to the lockers. Mine was at the very end, typical for being the BNG on the team. Still I got pats and congratulations passed to me as I made my way down the sweaty gauntlet. At the end though was a white maned, light blue mare I was happy to see. Fleetfoot.

"So, how was your first time, Scoots?" Fleetfoot asked. Fleetfoot had become one of my best and closest friends here at the Wonderbolts. When I joined she had taken an instant liking to me. She later told me that she had also been a close friend of Rainbow Dash’s too. While she had no intention of replacing Rainbow Dash in my life, she did act a lot like an honorary sister to me.

"It was great! That last ariel dive, followed by the Moonshot Swirl was amazing!"

Fleetfoot chuckled as she turned her attention back to getting undressed. I popped open my locker and caught a quick glimps of myself. You wouldn’t have recognized me from the little filly you use to know me as. I’m bigger now, my wings had fully developed, finally. My mane was swept back, like Spitfire's. I was told it was a good look.

"So where are you going for the three days?" I asked Fleetfoot.

"Oh, well, I'm going back to Manehattan to visit my family. What about you?"

"I'm going back to Ponyville for a while. I have some good friends I need to see."

I smile at the thought of seeing Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. We use to get into so much trouble, and I just couldn’t wait to see what we could get into this time around. We had all finally gotten our cutie marks, and I caught the sight of mine as I worked my uniform off; a wheel with a pair of wings and a lightning bolt.

They would have been here if their own lives hadn’t been so hectic, and not to mention the price of the tickets since this was the last show with Spitfire. But Applebloom had the farm and Sweetie was starting off her new career as a singer, starting with going to Equestrian Idol.

"Well, I'll see you in three days," Fleetfoot told me, breaking my line of thought.

"Huh, ohh, yeah. See ya later, Fleet.”

I stored my suit in the Wonderbolt closet, grabbed my saddlebags, and walked out of the stadium into the dry air.

The Stadium sat on a hill that overlooked Las Pegasus. We had arrived at the city a few days ago to help with preparations with the show, but also to celebrate Spitfire’s retirement with some enjoyment of the nightlife of her home town. Right now, the sun was just setting in the west and the lights were coming on. It looked like magic, like anything was possible and so… so...

Well, for first time in what felt like years, I felt peace.

I let myself relax for a few more minutes before getting up and trotting over to the train station. II was taking the train back home, but I had a few minutes to spare so I decided to stop quickly at a little gift shop and see if I could get my friends something. Nothing too fancy, just some coll stuff and maybe some fun things we could do during my break.

The bell rang as I opened the door to the little shop and stepped in. The shopkeeper looked up from his magazine, but didn’t pay much attention to me other than the simple acknowledgement. It wasn’t weird, yet. I’m still new to the public as a Wonderbolt, and that uniform covers enough up that its possible for a Bolt to slip into public without drawing a ton of attention.

Still, the way he keeps eyeing my flank is getting on my nerves.

I quickly find a couple of things I think they would like. A really cool snowglobe for Sweetie Belle and a… well, I really have no idea what it is. Some sort of Zap Apple pin, I think. It’s got a Zap Apple on the front of it, but there’s no pin in the back, just a couple of rings. But I think she’ll like it. Apple Bloom is the Zap Apple Queen ever since Granny Smith first taught her when we were little fillies.

I paid the shopkeeper and then trotted down the sidewalk to the train station. I would have flown, but hay, I just did a show, my wings are killing me and Spitfire hates for us to use our wings after such intense shows. She says they cramp up from fatigue when we push them too far and reduce our performance over the long run.

I was seriously thinking about using them, just this once, to beat the crowd to the train station. but I never got the chance.

“It… It can’t be,” I muttered as something caught my attention. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her, I swear I did. I’d recognize that multicolored mane from anywhere. My heart leaped into my throat as I pushed through the crowd. I’d almost given up when I saw it again from the corner of my eye.

“Dash?” I called out as I kept pushing. “Dash is th-”

“But hey, I told him no. This is a valuable piece, costing me 6,000 bits for this and he offered me 2,000. Said he’d only get 4,000 out of it.”

“Unicorns. Unbelieveable.” I had stumbled into a couple of Wonderbolt fans. I knew them because they were always at the games in the VIP sections. Diehard pegasi, both of them. One of them was pulling a cart with a life sized model of Rainbow Dash in the back. The one I thought had been her.

“Get yourself together Scoots,” I chided myself as I shook my head and trotted away. “Rainbow is… gone now. Nothing is going to change that. You just need to keep going like she’d want you to.”

At least that's what the therapist told me.

I pushed the thoughts out of my head and moved on, thinking of anything else but Rainbow Dash. But the more I fought it, the more the memories kept coming.

I’d be gone from home for hours just laying in a green field or sitting under a tree and watching her perform. Rainbow Dash was amazing, dedicated, and so awesomely talented. I would have given anything to be just like her when I grew up into a young mare. My wings were stunted back then, but Rainbow kept pushing me and wouldn’t let me give up on myself.

I wish she could see me now. I’d give anything to see her again.

I quickly blinked my eyes in an effort to clear away my tears before I get to my train platform. It wasn’t good to be thinking like this. I remember my therapist saying to just accept it and move on. If I wanted happiness, I had to do that. Peace came through acceptance. When we accepted that things are beyond our control or that tough things happen we…

Well, something. I usually tune her out by then.

Soon enough though I reached the station and fished out my ticket from my bags, able to distract myself and focus on the now. I pass my ticket off to the attendant to be stamped and take it back as soon as he was done with it. I wander and weave through the crowds until I get to the train to Ponyville. Once I’m on board I quickly find my place and fall asleep for the ride there…

~~~~~~

I cringe as I step out of the train in Ponyville. Celestia’s sun was out in full force today and I wish I had my sunglasses.

"Scootaloo!" I spun around at the sound of my name and caught sight of Applebloom. We’d really grown up and she was nearly as tall as her sister. She wore her own stenson and a red handkerchief tied around her neck.

"Applebloom!" I ran up to her and hugged her tight.

"How’d ya first show go?"

"It was amazing!" I responded happily.

I looked at my friend, noticing the bags under her eyes. Then I noticed the one thing missing.

"Hey Bloom, where's Sweetie Belle?"

Applebloom looked at me with pained eyes.

"I'm sorry, Scoots. I would've called, but I didn't want to worry you before your big show."

My heart sank. Had something happened to Sweetie Belle? I feared the worst.

"What's wrong?"

Applebloom gulped, and looked down. "Sweetie Belle's dead, Scootaloo."