The hill had to have been the highest near Ponyville, that much Scootaloo was certain of. Whether or not anypony could survive a fall that high, that nopony was certain of.
Her hooves were taller now by several inches as was her body and the cutie mark it proudly showed on each side of her flank. Scootaloo was a teen almost as tall as Rainbow Dash was when the two of them had become sisters years ago and stood on the cliff-edge with her chest and head held high to the quiet blue sky. Her confident gaze to the birds above lasted for seconds but was ended by the cries of a voice as recognizable to herself as her own.
"Now I know ya said you're sure..." Applebloom gave a worried look to her and Sweetie Belle. The two had grown taller and more mature looking as well and stood yards behind their friend. " But are you suuuuuuuuuure?
"You two will never change," Scootaloo got into an athletic stance after walking backwards a few feet, "Not that I can't use a couple o' less crazy minds around to keep me alive... and besides, Spike's got the net all ready... isn't that right Spike?" she yelled.
Bouncing on a net spread hundreds of yards across from trees was Spike who gleefully yelled, "Yep, got ya all covered, Scoots" with a thumbs up as his rear dove to a few feet over the grass before being flung upwards again. He was several feet taller than the average pony now and was beginning to grow the claws and large jagged teeth characteristic of his species.
"See, nothing to worry about... besides, if this net is good enough for catchin' the Wonderbolts after their accidents then what can a pegasus like me do."
Sweetie Belle said, "Well, either way I told my sis' to make all the full-body castes she could... not sure if she'll want you to pay for those, though..."
"If I gotta pay either way then I got no choice but to do it," Scootaloo spread her wings which were now almost as wide as a normal pegasi's and almost pushed back her friends with the gust she created. The grass tickled her front-right hoof as she brought it backwards. Her eyes were focused on the sun above but in her mind all she could hear was the lesson her sister had taught her years ago.
It doesn't matter... if I can fly or not.
Her hooves launched her forwards as she kept those words ringing within her ears and before she could blink, her body was in the air, feet away from any land to latch onto. She flapped her wings with all the force she could muster and rose upwards. Another flap and she soared further higher. She squinched her ears from the wind for the first time in what truly felt like a lifetime, but as the sun grew bigger with every passing second so the did the pinching within her wings.
She dove downwards to give her muscles a break but the pain sharpened into a cramp and no matter how hard she tried to spread her wings to calm them, they shook on their own and dragged her downwards towards the ground. She screamed and flailed her hooves as she prepared for impact but trampoline-like rope was what struck her body and not any hard surface.
"See, nothing to worry 'bout," Spike said, still bouncing around like a kid.
"Yep... nothing at all..." Scootaloo sighed as she dug herself into the net whilst folding her wings.
"Hey, yer okay, right?" Applebloom screamed, as her and Sweetie Belle ran down the hill towards the scene.
"Ugh... yeah, yeah, I'm alright." Scootaloo's glare vanished within the second, though, and she stood back up with a confident smile, "Yep, nothing a quick warm-shower can't fix."
"Knowing you, a part of me doesn't believe you," Sweetie Belle said, giggling.
Apple Bloom laughed along, "Yup, the way it goes is never believe Scoots with injuries, Sweetie Belle with who she says she doesn't have a crush on-"
"Hey!"
"...and me... eh, I'll leave that a secret for now."
Scootaloo couldn't stop herself from joining in the laughter, "I'll keep that in mind, but seriously, it's nothing to worry about... at least I'll never be able to say I didn't try."
"Hey... what... do... I... lie... about?" Spike said, mid-jumps.
"Oh, I got dibs on this one," Sweetie Belle said, causing the group to burst into laughter after a pause. Scootaloo didn't join in but instead clenched her teeth as she spread her wings a few inches, but not from the pain.
...........................................................................................................................
"Aiight, see you, guys," Scootaloo said, running on one of the many dirt roads of Ponyville towards her house. Behind her, her friends waved goodbye and ran towards their own destinations.
Scootaloo's wings didn't pulsate once as she ran past the rows of busy markets and street corners and she zoomed in on her home's front door which was barely visible through the usual afternoon crowds. She kept her wings folded, though, as attempting to spread them even an inch would cause her to shriek with pain. It was a minute until her home came into full view, along with Rainbow Dash who leaned against the house in her professional Wonderbolts attire, glaring.
"Where have you been?" Dash jumped up and hovered over her pupil, "Eh, not like it matters, though... not like they're gonna start the race without me."
"Hehe, got a point there," Scootaloo returned her sister's trademark confident gaze, "And I was out with friends... kinda lost track o' time after a while."
"Oh, no worries, I can always relate to that."
"No need to brag," Scootaloo said, laughing, "So, any good competition you're expecting this time?"
"Just a bunch of Griffins way in over their heads... gotta thank Gilda for making racing as big as it is in the Griffon Kingdom... but about you... you, uh... okay?"
Scootaloo's fake smile rose on its own, "Yeeeeeah.... I mean, I don't get why I wouldn't be."
"Yeah, cut the hay... I know a wing injury when I see one, and I know the signs a pegasi is hiding one even better."
Scootaloo sighed, "I was flying off the hills outside o' town... or well, tryin' to fly."
Her sister's face grew stern.
"Don't worry, I'm not mad or anything about it... I just had to know... You know... if my recent growth spurt was enough."
No response from Dash.
"Seriously, Dash... I'm not beat up over it."
"Hmph," Dash's glare died down, "Not like I could ever be the one to blame a pony for trying... There's a reason I chose you as my sis' after all."
Scootaloo smiled but jerked her body backwards in fear the instant her sister raised her voice.
"But still... I want you to remember something now that you're old enough to get something like this... Ugh, can't believe I just pulled a Twilight and said that... Look, I'm the fastest flyer in Equestria and I make that known 'cuz it's part of what defines me... but I'll never be the best in even Ponyville at helping other ponies get their cutie marks... hay, I might not ever be good."
Scootaloo raised her head.
"What I'm trying to say is, don't let what you can't do define you... You can do things no other pony can, take pride in that, whether you can stay in the air for a few seconds or a few hours... Now..." Dash looked around, "Quickly, gimme a hug while nopony is looking."
Scootaloo giggled and latched onto her sister in a tight embrace that lasted for seconds and resulted in dozens of ponies catching a glimpse.
"We gotta work on your stealth skills next time... Aiight then, see ya in a couple o' days, squirt." Dash brohoofed her sister before flying away into the clouds and out of view. Scootaloo nodded and entered her home where the sight of her empty bed began its seduction.
"And now for my twice daily nap." She ran and jumped onto her sheets and stretched out every sore muscle and joint in her body. Sleepiness hit her within seconds and she found her eyes closing without giving her a say in the matter. And I used to think Dash was a nap-junkie back in the day.
Banging from her front door began as her eyes sealed and she jumped out of bed with a growl fit for a lion. "Ugh, and this is when my fighting lessons from Dash come in handy." She stormed to door as the banging continued, "Comin', comin'!" and opened the door to find an orange earth-pony mare around Dash's age standing with a smirk cockier than any even Dash had ever produced. "Sorry, but whatever it is, I'm not in the mood for buying."
"Heh, you assume money is the only thing a salespony would want," the mare said, in a voice that so generic that Scootaloo began to wonder if she had heard it before. The visitor's pulp-colored mane and tail were also as generic as could be, so much so that it was like seeing an orange version of the countless ponies at the shops in the background. There was no cutie mark to be seen on either side. "You're the pegasus that just fell, right... trying to fly over the hills?"
"Yeah..."
The mare extended her hoof, "The name's Orange Picker, just call me OP for short," and continued to stare at Scootaloo with her green eyes and a smirk that only seemed to grow the longer you stared back. "So you're Scootaloo... heard a lot 'bout you... not just anypony becomes the chosen sister of the fastest pony on earth."
"Calm down, haha, Dash can't be that fast... I mean, the nearby kingdoms-"
"Nah, I'd say on earth really isn't an exaggeration... I'm curious, though..."
"About...?"
"About... and feel free to punch me in the face in you want afterwards... but seeing a flyer like Dash nearly everyday and not being to fly yourself... I mean-"
"Say that one more time, I dare you!" Scootaloo yelled, causing stares from the crowds outside, "I might not be able to fly but I can kick your flank six ways to Tartarus if you say another word like that... Now get out before I don't feel like napping anymore."
"Okay, okay..." OP laughed, "I know I don't come across as the friendliest pony..."
"You sure that ain't your special talent," Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
"... But actions do speak louder than any word, and I'm sure your sister would agree with that."
No response.
"So why not start over and judge me on my actions... the words can be all yours."
"And in normal language that means..."
"It means that I want you to become a faster flyer than even me." OP's gaze focused on her client like a sniper scope.
Scootaloo glanced at both sides of OP's body, "Yep, I'm bein' pranked... Whoever you are, tell Dash or Pinkie to make sure their plans are a little more believable next time... and not during my nap breaks." She pulled the door backwards to close it but was stopped by an orange hoof in the way.
"Just gimme ten minutes, and I'll promise you'll be closer to flying than you ever have, alright."
...........................................................................................................................
It was five minutes until Scootaloo was back among the hills and fields that lay in between Ponyville and the Everfree.
"Welcome to my home," Orange Picker said, leading the way as the two walked.
"Uhh... nice home ya got here," Scootaloo forced as much genuineness as she could in her voice.
"No need to lie, I know it stinks... I've lived on the grass and dirt my entire life so I just prefer it now... crazy how ponies eventually learn to like the bad aspects of their lives." OP stopped in front of a series of connected bushes and stuck two of her hooves inside. A second later came out a piece of triangular folded gray-metal the size of an adult pony which the mare placed on the ground. She pressed the red button in the middle which unfolded the object into a pair of metal wings that spread feet wider than even Princess Celestia's.
Scootaloo's jaw dropped lower ever second by the second and was only saved from striking the ground when Orange Picker opened her mouth to say, "I'd go into what they're made of, but that's not important for now... Wanna see it action?"
The mare lifted the wings and slid into the restraints from the bottom so that all the weight was on her back. "And don't worry, they ain't heavy at all." Her eyes flinched like she was being injected in a hospital but only for a split-second.
She walked to on top of a hill where the wind was against her and stood like she was taking in the view of Ponyville ahead with all its birds and pegasi flying above the buildings whether for travel, fun or work. Scootaloo continued watching in silence as OP's eyes filled with a level of concentration she had only seen before in Rainbow Dash during races.
Orange Picker leaped off the opposite end of the hill and disappeared. A second of silence followed after-which she soared upwards like an eagle with her wings pointing outwards like arrow-points. Her elevation grew as her metallic wings cut through the air and into Scootaloo's starry-eyed stares.
She flapped her wings but instead of rising further, shot down until the air ricocheted and blew back the trees and grass. Another flap and she flew upwards into a full loop. At the bottom of the trick, Orange Picker straightened her hooves to slow down until a line of ripped grass followed the field where she stood.
"I still kinda suck, but not bad for a couple o' months, eh?" she detached the wings from herself and dumped them onto the ground, "And unlike you I didn't have a bit of experience flying... You know you can talk, right, haha."
"I..." Scootaloo's jaw was unable to close, "Do that again... Like, three more times!"
More laughs from OP.
"I need to show Dash this."
"Calm down there," Orange Picker said, "How about a test run for yourself... Gimme a couple o' hours and you'll be flying around in no time."
"Really?!" Scootaloo's gaga eyes were reminiscent of Rarity's, "I mean..." she shook her head to squash them, "I shouldn't... Flying is cool n' all, but whether I can do it or not isn't that big to me... I'm more than a pair of wings, ya know."
"Ya sure? 'Cuz it really'll just take thirty minutes to get you in the air without dropping."
"I am..." Scootaloo had to take a deep breath as she struggled to keep her eyes away from the wings, "I'm definitely gonna rep your invention, though... I'm going to Twilight first thing I get back to town. Ya got a cool thing here."
OP shrugged her shoulders as she pressed the button to refold the wings, "It's always your choice... if you never want to fly that badly."
"Watch it!"
Orange Picker laughed, "A lot of passion for a pegasus who's tryin' to sound like she doesn't care... How about this... Just do one test run... If you like it then I'll train you free of charge... If you don't, then no biggie; I'll leave you alone... Just think about it, compare how close flying is to you now versus just nine minutes and forty-five seconds ago."
Scootaloo dropped her gaze as thoughts of her older sister filled her mind. If I can or can't, it doesn't matter... If I can or can't...
If it doesn't matter either way...
Then might as well can.
And with that, Scootaloo gave a single but silent nod. The ten minutes were up.
