(Flutterdash) The Whole Story

Tuesday came and Scootaloo got up at the crack of dawn with her alarm buzzing excitedly. She jumped out of bed and hit the clock. It was 6:10. Only four hours until her next training session with Rainbow Dash.

Being very quiet, so she wouldn't wake anyone up, she sneaked outside and started stretching. Her wings were growing and getting stronger, but were still sore from last time's strain in training.

She did wing-ups, side-stretches, feather-fluffs, and a few aerial sprints. Then she started on practicing her takeoffs. Those were hard, and of all the things Rainbow had her working on, they were the hardest. She would run, jump and start flapping like crazy. And then she would fall on her face. In the clouds it was different: she could fall a little bit and have some time in the air to coast and get control to start flying. But here on the ground she could only run a little bit then clutch desperately at a foot of air before hitting the ground again.

Rainbow assured her that as her wings grew takeoffs would become much easier, as the ground is a great, solid thing to pelt with air. But for now her wings were small enough, and she was unskilled enough, that she couldn’t manage it.

Soon she was tired and aching from taking so many falls. She was about to start walking to their training point, near the edge of the park, when she spotted a big pink bow bobbing up the road toward her.

“Hey Apple Bloom,” she said, trotting to meet her.

“Howdy, Scootaloo. You headin' off to Rainbow Dash soon?”

“Yeah, I was just about to go. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I'm goin' to find Sweetie Belle, we're gonna plan while you practice.”

“Sounds good. I'll come around the tree-house later, once we're done.”

“See ya' later, Scootaloo.”

“See you Apple Bloom.”

When she got there, Rainbow was already warming up, doing a few straight strokes in the air above. There weren't many ponies at the park that day, which Scootaloo preferred. It was a good place to practice, the warming, gently rising air held just right for new fliers, but there had been, more than once, an incident with her crashing into innocent bystanders. Nopony had been too badly hurt, though.

Scootaloo ran out and called up into the white-dotted azure, “Rainbow Dash, I'm here!”

Rainbow came down with a flourish, “Hey kid, you ready to get workin'?”

“Totally!”

“Great, you all stretched already?”

Scootaloo nodded eagerly.

“Well okay then, think you can take off?”

Scootaloo looked down, “I don't think so.”

“Give it a try, come on.”

Scootaloo nodded, and squinted off to one direction in concentration. She shuffled into the proper stance, outed her wings, ran a few steps, jumped, flapped with big, powerful strokes like Rainbow taught her and—THUDSHFF. Right in the dirt.

She picked her head up, defeated, and muttered. “Not yet.”

Rainbow sighed, and knelt down. “Alright, climb on.”

Scootaloo couldn't help but smile. She clambered onto Rainbow's back and hugged her neck. They took off into the sky, and Scootaloo watched the ground drop away. She tried to imagine she was doing it herself, alone, this time.

They flew up, and were about to alight on a cloud when Scootaloo saw something, “Hey look, it's Fluttershy! What's she doing up here?”

Rainbow glanced around and saw Fluttershy gently gliding to them. She smiled, “Let's go find out.”

Rainbow flew over and meet Fluttershy on a small cloud. Without even thinking about it, she said “Hey cutie,” and kissed her on the lips. “What’re you up to?”

Fluttershy looked a little surprised by the kiss, but not nearly as surprised as Scootaloo, who had pulled herself up on top of Rainbow’s head and watched the whole thing. Rainbow realized what she had just done the moment after she had done it.

“Rainbow, you're dating Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said.

“Uhh... uh-hu.”

“How come you never told me?” In Scootaloo's mind, this meant a whole new thing to add to her secret Rainbow Dash fanfiction, which up to this point had almost completely left out romance.

“Slipped my mind, I guess,” Rainbow said, relief painted all over her and Fluttershy's faces. “So Fluttershy, whatcha doin' up here?”

“Oh, I um, I just came to watch you and Scootaloo practice. Oh, if that's okay.”

“It's alright with me.” She looked up to Scootaloo, “How 'bout you kid? Mind if Fluttershy watches?”

“Um... I guess not.” Scootaloo still couldn't believe her idol had a girlfriend. And Fluttershy, of all ponies. It was such a bizarre thought to her. The Dash was in a relationship? With a shy pony? What?

They practiced, Fluttershy sitting a few clouds off and occasionally cheering. For almost three hours they did strengthening exercises and sprints, dives and turns; hovering and quick-stopping. Scootaloo was improving, and Rainbow could tell. Now if only she could get her to master takeoffs.

After the practice, all three flew off. Scootaloo screwed up her moxie and jumped from a cloud, determined to make it to the clubhouse flying.

Rainbow shouted as she left, “Good luck, kid!”

She was going to need it. The Cutie Mark Crusader's club house was well over two miles away from the park where she was. It was easy to walk, and easy to fly for normal pegasi, but her flying there was going to be hard.

There was a buzzing noise outside. “What's that?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking out the window.

“Ehhbth, uh. Almost... there....”

“It's Scootaloo!”

Apple Bloom shot up and they both crowed around the window. Scootaloo looked exhausted, but she was in the air, and coming toward them.

“You're doing it, you're doing it!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“I... am.” Scootaloo panted. She slowly crossed the windowsill and collapsed on the ground in a heap. She let her wings flop out limply. “I did it. I... did it guys!” She smiled.

“That was amazing, Scootaloo! Did you come all the way from the park?” Apple bloom asked.

“Sure... did.” Scootaloo sat up, and looked at their excited faces, everypony beaming at each other. “I got all the way here without touching the ground once!”

“We should celebrate!” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“I have a few bits. We could go down to Sugar Cube Corner.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed, “But can we walk there? I don't think I can move my wings to scooter right now.”

On the walk to Sugar Cube Corner Scootaloo told them about flying over everypony and seeing a few look up at her encouragingly. Like an adventure, she narrated when she got caught in a wind but was saved by an updraft, when a squirrel had jumped onto her head to catch a ride, and when Derpy Hooves had saved her from touching the ground by flying under her and lifting her up a few feet.

“And then,” She was saying as they crossed the threshold into candied air, “She swooped under me and was all 'You can do it, Scoots,' and pushed me high enough so I didn't even scrape the hill. Then she flew away and was all, 'Good luck!'”

“That sounds amazing, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle said, “I wish I could fly.”

They ordered some milkshakes, then chose a table and sat down. Apple Bloom began to recount the plans made for that day when suddenly Scootaloo remembered something.

“Hey girls!” She said, “Did you know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are dating?”

“What?”

“They are?”

“Oh are they really?” Said a passing Mrs. Cake, who looked at them expectantly.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, “They are! Fluttershy came to watch me practice, and when she did Dash kissed her! When I asked why she hadn't told me, she said it just slipped her mind.”

“Well,” Mrs. Cake said, “Isn't that something nice? I had no idea they were—” She looked at the girls. Then she laughed, “Well I guess you learn something new everyday, don'tcha?”

She trotted away, and Apple Bloom was the first to speak, “Can you do that? I thought it was supposed to be a mare and a stallion that dated, not a mare an' a mare.”

“My sister said something about that once,” Sweeite said, “I think she called it lesbian, but that’s all I know.”

“I don't think I've heard of it before.”

“Oh well,” Scootaloo said, looking up from her milkshake. “I think they make a good couple.”

“Yeah, I bet they're cute together.” Apple Bloom said.

“Oh, oh!” Sweetie said, “I bet Fluttershy's the small spoon and Rainbow's the big one!”

“What?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom said together.

“It was another thing my big sis said once, ponies spoon in relationships.”

“That’s not, like, that adult thing is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“What? No, this is something nice. I just don’t remember what it means.”

“Golly,” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, “Your sister is weird.”