Growing Up...the Hard Way

Chapter 1: Heading Out

  Scootaloo tapped her hooves nervously while she waited for the mail, "They said it would come today..." she mumbled, looking at the sky eagerly. Rainbow had helped her apply for the Junior Wonderbolt's Academy, since she had been an ace in the Wonderbolt's Academy, she was able to pull a few strings for Scootaloo, who was one year too young for J.W.A. Scootaloo was sweating puddles in her anxiety, suddenly Ditzy Do crashed from the sky, holding a letter in her mouth for Scootaloo. "Took you long enough..." she chuckled, helping Ditzy to her hooves.

  "I got you a letter!" Ditzy grinned cheesily, handing Scootaloo the high quality parchment, sealed with wax imprinted with the mark of the Wonderbolts.

  "Thanks Ditzy." Scootaloo almost hugged the clumsy mare, but she feared she might fall off the house if she made a wrong move.."Oh..Oh...OH!" Too late, "You ok Ditzy?" Scootaloo called over the edge of her house.

"I'm ok!" Ditzy's faint voice called back.

  "Did you do it?" Rainbow was suddenly beside her, peering curiously at the letter.

  "Give me a chance to open it." Scootaloo laughed, pulling the wax seal off the paper and pulling the letter out hastily, she scanned it carefully for an agonizing thirty seconds. "YES!!" Scootaloo cried out in joy as she leapt into the air, spinning in circles excitedly.

  "You did it!" Rainbow flew up to her and hugged her tightly, "I'm so proud of you Scoots.."

  "Thank you so much Rainbow, you don't know how much this means to me." Scootaloo smiled, returning the hug whole-heartedly.

  "Oh I do, I was young once too ya'know." Rainbow chuckled, releasing the orange filly from her grasp, "Should I fly you there?" she asked, landing on the house.

  "No thanks..I want them to see just how good I am, its nothing personal, just a matter of pride." Scootaloo landed beside her, picking up her saddlebags and swinging them over her back. Rainbow nodded, her eyes turning glossy as she looked at her adoptive sister, "What's wrong?"

  "Oh nothing, I just realized you're all grown up." Rainbow sniffled, wiping a solitary tear from her eye with a small chuckle, "Don't mind me, I'm just being emotional, you better go before I change my mind and keep you here forever." she turned away from Scootaloo, her shoulders visibly heaving with a sob.

  Scootaloo approached her and nuzzled her side, "Hey...I'll be back in a few weeks for Hearts and Hooves Day. I won't be gone forever."

  "I know it's just..." Rainbow hiccuped on a sob, turning to pull the unsuspecting filly into a hug, "..I'm just going to miss you so much!"

  "I'll miss you too..keep an eye on Tank, and don't let Pinkie throw any wild parties without me." Scootaloo managed to free herself from the constricting grip Rainbow had on her, taking to the sky.

  She heard Rainbow call as she flew away, "I love you Scoots! Be careful!" Scootaloo did a loop in the sky as response.

  Finally on her way, she ascended above the clouds, where the winds were strongest, letting the air do all her work for her. All she had to do was keep her wings open and she would be carried to her destination. I'll have to write letters to Rainbow, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle... Scootaloo kept herself from thinking about her secret, it would only make her sad, and that would leave no good first impression on the first day.

  She couldn't help but reminisce about her lover though, feeling that familiar warmth and wetness return to her nethers as particular details entered her mind. "No! Stop it!" Scootaloo scolded herself, Being sad on the first day is bad, being aroused is worse! They are going to think you're nothing but a horny little filly with dreams that are too big for her wings, grow up and act like a mare! A sudden wind caught her off guard, with a gasp, she tumbled into a barrel roll and halted her flight, looking for the source of her disturbance.

  "Very good, most young fliers can't recover from a tumble." a voice sounded from behind, Scootaloo turned, her jaw dropping. "And sometimes even full grown pegasi can't."

  "Spitfire?!" she couldn't believe her eyes, the legendary Wonderbolt and coach hovered expertly behind her, wearing her full performance outfit.

  "You must be Rainbow Dash's prodigé." Spitfire motioned for Scootaloo to follow her, and Scootaloo obliged willingly. "Rainbow says you couldn't fly until very recently.." Spitfire said, giving her a sideways glance, and Scootaloo shrunk under her gaze, "..but, she also says you are a fast learner, and a strong flier, so we have decided to give you a chance to become a Wonderbolt. You're going to go far kid."

  Scootaloo perked her ears at that, "Really?"

  "I think so, I was a lot like you, the only reason I got into this school was because my grandfather pulled some strings, he was a Captain once." Spitfire smiled, a rare genuine smile with not a hint of smugness.

  "Wow..." Scootaloo felt her grin grow wider, Spitfire's words were very reassuring, and she felt uplifted by her presence, knowing that she believed in her was all she needed. Now she was absolutely sure she was going to ace this school, Rainbow had said it was no picnic, but it was easier than her old school, no literature or science to flying, simply knowing your own body, knowing how to fly swiftly and efficiently, and knowing to respect your superiors.

  "We're here, follow me." Spitfire folded her wings and dove, Scootaloo gasped and copied her move, going into a controlled fall and heading towards the landing strip. Spitfire looked sideways at the determined orange filly, her purple hair flat against her skull as she followed. "Wings out!" Spitfire called suddenly, testing the filly's reaction time, Scootaloo immediately opened her wings, slowing the descent, and skidding on her hooves to a stop on the landing strip.

  Spitfire slid to a stop behind her, "Great job, I can see Rainbow worked hard, you are a good flier Scootaloo."

  Scootaloo blushed, "Well thank y.."

  "But good fliers need to be great fliers to be Wonderbolts, I am sure by the end of this school year we'll see if you've got the guts, strength, and agility to be a true Wonderbolt." Spitfire trotted towards the giant looming school building, where many other young pegasi filed in.

Just like Rainbow Dash said, she can raise your hopes and crush them in seconds... Scootaloo sighed as she followed the yellow pegasus, her dreams were finally starting to come true.