Welcome to the Rainbow Factory

Scootaloo was looking out from the window, trying not to think of graduation. Outside, night had already settled, and Ponyville was quiet, but inside Rainbow's house was all noise and chaos. Scootaloo looked up towards the sky. She could make out the constellations, but immediately turned away. The stars made her think of Orion.

She turned back towards the party, and stood for a long moment, dejected. Derpy Hooves appeared from the crowd, and offered her some bottled cider. She took hope from that. Orion wasn't the first to fail, but that didn't mean his life was over. Derpy and Fluttershy were proof of that. Somewhere, in Equestria, he was probably starting a new life in exile. With time, maybe he could redeem himself in the eyes of Cloudsdale, and Scootaloo could see him again; or perhaps she'll bump into him, and the two could look back at everything and laugh. Scootaloo felt her spirits returning, and returned to the party.

Rainbow Dash was by the cider table. She had been there, on the day of Scootaloo's flight test. Not for a moment had she left Scootaloo's side. Upon first sight of her, Rainbow scooped Scootaloo up from the crowd of ponies, hugging her tightly in mid-air. She took Scootaloo out for dinner, and helped Pinkie organize the graduation party. Not once did she conceal her excitement. So Scootaloo stayed quiet.

She didn't want to ruin her friends happiness.

She stood beside Applejack for a moment, to nervous to speak, to nervous to stand with Rainbow Dash. The window was open, and Scootaloo could see the stars. She turned to look at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash looked over. For a moment she did not seem to recognize Scootaloo. Finally she blinked. "What are you doing way over there?" she asked playfully.

"Oh, um, just enjoying this cider," said Scootaloo.

Rainbow seemed unnaturally happy. Her multi-colored mane was dull and sloppy; and Scootaloo could make out the dark blemishes around Rainbows eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept for days.

Part of her was frightened, but Scootaloo knew that Rainbow cared for her; and she realized that, for all her anxiety, she hadn't considered how the test had affected Rainbow. The instant Scootaloo was capable of flight, Rainbow began training her, spending hours on end to make sure she had what it took to graduate.

"C'mon now," said Applejack. "There's no need for modesty. You should be proud of yourself."

"I guess," said Scootaloo meekly.

"You guess!!" shouted Rainbow Dash.

"It's just," stammered Scootaloo. She glanced towards the windows. The stars twinkled in the night sky. "I can't stop thinking about everypony that didn't pass.

Something cold moved in Rainbow's eyes. "Well stop thinking about them," she said. "They had their chance and they blew it."

Applejack looked incredulously at Rainbow, stunned by her outburst. "Ain' that a bit harsh Rainbow," she said.

"No way," said Rainbow Dash, defiant. "Those ponies were flying through hoops, while Scootaloo was still grounded. She worked hard to pass her flight test."

Scootaloo felt a wing around her shoulder. It was Twilight's. She looked at Scootaloo tenderly, before speaking up.

"I have to agree with Rainbow," she said. "You worked so hard to get where you are. You shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed just because you passed."

"See," said Rainbow smugly. "Twilight agrees with me."

"That don' mean you should be so blunt about it," said Applejack.

"Coming from Miss Manehatten."

Applejack glared irritably at Rainbow.

"I get what Rainbow's trying to say," said Scootaloo. "And she's right. It took a lot of work to catch up, and Rainbow Dash was with me every step of the way. I don't think I could've passed if not for her."

Rainbow smiled, ruffling Scootaloo's mane with her hoof. "Don't sell yourself short kid. You were all kinds of awesome out there."

Pinkie and Rarity were sniffling in the background, watching the drama unfolding before them. It was more than they could bear, the memory of watching Rainbow working night and day with Scootaloo, all leading up this commiserating moment. Pinkie brushed away her tears, before hoping towards Scootaloo and presenting her with a cake.

Scootaloo stared at the burning candle, its bright flame dancing radiantly above the cake. In that moment Scootaloo understood that she was no longer some flightless pony, but a true pegasus, something she thought was only possible in her dreams. She looked up towards Rainbow Dash, standing right behind her. She looked back, offering a smile.

The remainder of the party was the happiest Scootaloo felt in her entire life. Everything was noise and confusion. Music was blaring, ponies were shouting, cider was being procured and passed out with uncontained mirth. It was well passed midnight before everypony said their goodbyes, and made their way home.

Only Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo remained, too tired to consider cleanup. Pinkie had offered to help, but Rainbow wanted some shut-eye, and insisted they take care of it later. Scootaloo collapsed on Rainbow's bed, too exhausted to realize she was still in Rainbow's house. Rainbow Dash watched the young pegasus futilely fighting sleep, and chuckled.

"How's about you stay with me tonight." she said. "It's pretty late, and you look like you're about to keel over."

"It really was some party," said Scootaloo wearily.

"You deserved it squirt," said Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo glanced behind her, and saw the stars from the window. She remembered Orion walking to the west gate, lifting a wing to help some filly walk. Scootaloo started crying there, tears welling up and blurring her vision. It wasn't right. It shouldn't have happened. Orion should have passed his test, cheering her on from the east gate, not consoling some filly with a busted wing. Orion should have been at the party with her, drinking cider, and dancing like a buffoon.

Rainbow rushed over to Scootaloo the moment she heard her sobbing. "Wh-What's going on? Why are you crying?"

"It's not fair," sobbed Scootaloo.

"What's not?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Orion shouldn't have failed. He was a much better flyer than me."

"Orion?"

"He was a colt at flight school. He helped me. Took care of me when everypony else started bullying me. Even with everything you taught me, I still wasn't as good as him. But now..."

"He's a failure," said Rainbow. Her eyes found her. They were full of poison. "He couldn't cut it in the end, so now..."

Scootaloo was frightened. Rainbow's cerise eyes were cold and steady. It was like a law of nature, something that could not be questioned, altered, or implored; and the little filly could not help but feel that she was being crushed under them.

"But he never took the test," she said frantically.

"Huh," Rainbow said, puzzled.

"This pony, Aurora, her wing snapped during the test, so Orion went to help her. He could've done his maneuvers and flew to her there, but instead he went straight for her."

"That pony flunked the test, just for some filly in distress!!!"

"She was hurt."

"That's what medics are for," interrupted Rainbow. "You think that Aurora's the first pony to flunk due to a broken wing. She shouldn't have even been there in the first place."

"But..." Scootaloo lowered her eyes. Rainbow was cradling one of her hooves. She lifted Scootaloo's head, looking back at her. Her eyes no longer appeared cold, but there was still something off, something Scootaloo couldn't describe. So she focused on the look of sympathy Rainbow had offered her, and with enough focus, Scootaloo was able to overlook the cold glaze in her eyes.

"I'm sorry kid. I shouldn't have snapped like that. But sometimes bad things happen, and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad; but that Orion guy made a choice, and gave up everything just to play hero. And that filly, Aurora, if she had a bad wing, she should have told somepony. She could've gotten a waiver; waited till her wing got better before taking the test."

"But..."

"There's no excuse for failure Scootaloo. They were given every opportunity and they squandered it. Do you understand?"

Scootaloo paused, she was still looking at Rainbow. She was right. It wasn't her fault that Orion failed, or that Aurora's wing broke mid-flight. It still hurt to think about it, but there was nothing she could do. She nodded slowly, but Rainbow's eyes demanded more than meek acceptance. She steeled herself, reminding herself that Rainbow was her friend, trying to help her.

"Yes," she said flatly. "I do."

Rainbow eyed Scootaloo, searching for some sign of wavering. When she found none, she smiled brightly, again ruffling her mane with her hoof.

"I know it stinks, but if you give it a while, everything will get better. I mean look at Fluttershy. She never took the test, heck she never even finished flight school; but she's doing alright, and we're all best friends."

"I know; and I know I shouldn't be so upset that Orion failed. Other ponies might think he's a failure, but he'll always be my friend."

"Now that's the Scootaloo I know," cheered Rainbow Dash. "So, if you're done being all sappy and mopey, I have something that should make you feel better."

"Huh"

"It's your first assignment," said Rainbow. "Now that you've passed flight school, you can do some work over at Cloudsdale. They're usually quick to put new grads to work, so I pulled some strings and got you a sweet job."

Scootaloo's despondence was replaced with curiosity. With everything that had happened, she had forgotten about her duties in Cloudsdale. Weather work was serious business, and the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation was in constant demand for new ponies to man the facilities. Fresh grads were usually assigned low-end work, such as mixing spectra, or working the snow-line, to get them used to corporate life. But not everypony had a friend like Rainbow Dash, and all her gloom and fatigue quickly dissipated when she received the letter from Rainbow.

The young pegasus quickly torn open the envelope, and looked over the paper. It didn't bear the logo of the snow line, or the cloud busters. In fact, Scootaloo could not recount ever seeing a symbol such as this.

[][][][]

G2 Scootaloo

Flight 264

General Firefly Training School, Cloudsdale XXXXX-XXXX

Dear Scootaloo,

Welcome to the 1st Rainbow Section of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. We are the second largest section in Cloudsdale, with approximately 60 trained pegasi calling us "home." Our job is to employ the highest quality technology, maintenance, and inspections, to optimize the production of rainbows. The "Rainbow Factory" achieves this by providing high quality Spectra, a key component in the production of rainbows that not only provide it its color, but also its magic.

The 1st Rainbow Section maintains its own secondary facilities, providing food, shelter, and recreation to all employees. It's a great place to live and we enjoy a great relationship between Cloudsdale and all of Equestria. Once you're settled, I urge you to get out and see what the area has to offer and to get involved in local activities.

I know that moving is a stressful process and I encourage you to take advantage of the many agencies that are available to help. Please contact your sponsor G5 Rainbow Dash concerning anything we can do to assist you with your move.

[][][][][]

Scootaloo didn't move. Part of her wanted to scream, but she reminded herself that she wasn't a little filly anymore. Rainbow Dash was her sponsor, and that meant they would be working together. Her hooves fidgeted uncontrollably. It didn't matter anymore what kind of job she got, or what the "Rainbow Factory" was. If Rainbow Dash worked there, then it must be awesome.

"Just so you know," said Rainbow smugly, "this ain't some boring grunt work you'll be doing. You won't be mixing spectra."

"Wait, but don't you work in Ponyville?" asked Scootaloo nervously.

"That's just a side-job I do. I'm actually a factory manager over at Cloudsdale."

"I can't believe this is happening."

"I figured you'd be happy about it."

Scootaloo calmed herself, setting the paper on her lap.

"If Orion could see this," she said.

"I'm sure he'd be happy for you," said Rainbow.

A shimmer of light caught Rainbow eye. She looked from the window to see that Celestia had begun raising the sun. Rainbow groaned with irritation.

"It's already morning," said Rainbow grumpily. "Guess we won't be cleaning up later today. How's about we hit the sack."

"Yeah," said Scootaloo between a yawn.

The pair laid on the bed, each finding their own means of getting comfortable. Rainbow watched Scootaloo, wrapping the parts of the large quilt around her small body.

"It's not too awkward for you to be sleeping with your boss, is it?"

Scootaloo blushed in response. "Very funny," she said sarcastically, turning her back against Rainbow.

"Seriously though," said Rainbow tenderly. "Are you feeling better?"

Scootaloo turned around to look at Rainbow Dash. Whatever fear she had felt earlier had faded, and she could only see that tender smile, brightened by the morning sun. She smiled sweetly.

"As long as you're here, I don't think I could ever be completely sad."

Rainbow wrapped a wing around Scootaloo, drawing the surprised filly closer to her.

"Goodnight squirt."

"Goodnight Rainbow Dash."

As Scootaloo's mind began to drift towards sleep, she thought of Orion. She smiled inwardly, imagining Orion someplace warm and homely.

I hope your happy, she thought, wherever you are. I hope you're making lots of friends, and making something of yourself. Maybe I'll get to see you again, and I can take you to see where rainbow's are made."