"You're gonna fly today squirt. I can feel it in my wingtips." The rainbow maned pegasus looked down at her young compatriot with an encouraging smile. "Last week was about the rhythm and today we'll put it to the test."
The small orange pegasus grinned back at her idol. "You know it! Today's my day. I can feel it too!" Scootaloo slowed slightly while looking at the trees looming over them. "But why are we practicing in Ghastly Gorge? Not that it isn't awesome, cuz it is. But how about the field by town, or Sweet Apple Acres?"
"Ghastly Gorge is dangerous, definitely. But the thermals that come out of the gorge are perfect for flying. It's easily one of the best places around for practicing. Once you get into the air, we can work on an exercise program for you. I don't want you collapsing after a couple hours of sustained flight." Rainbow Dash led the pair through the last of the trees. The barren landscape of wind-scarred rocks a sudden change from the greenery of the Everfree Forest. "Just stay far away from the edge for now. Even here you can feel the winds rising up." Indeed, the mare was hard pressed to keep herself from floating up on the strong breeze. "You remember your pattern?"
Scootaloo bounced excitedly. "Yep! Wings held at an angle. Down, back, up, forward." Putting action to words got the smaller pegasus to hover briefly on the warm thermals.
"Hehe. Alright Scoots. Let's see what you got!"
Rainbow Dash watched where the sun sat on the horizon, waiting for the last push to get it down and allow the moon to rise for the night.
Looking back to her small student revealed a different pegasus from the morning. Now more brown with dust than orange. Small scrapes across the foreleg gave evidence to a hard day of practice. "Alright kid. It's getting late. We should head back before it gets dark."
The tired filly looked to her mentor before noticing the sinking sun with shock at the lateness of the day. "What? But it was just noon a minute ago..."
"More like six hours ago. It's alright Scoots. We've got plenty of time, another day." The older pegasus began to collect their canteens and leftover trash from the earlier lunch as the younger dusted herself off from her most recent interaction with the ground.
"But I was there! I know it. Just a bit more, please? I almost had it on the last one."
Rainbow smiled at her devoted pupil. Scootaloo had definitely gotten the hang of a low hover. Able to hold it for almost twenty seconds before needing to land. The problem was, any shift in direction while hovering brought her to the ground quickly. "I know squirt. You need some rest though. Tomorrow we'll start your exercises in wing strengthening and see if we can't get you to pick a direction besides down." She mussed the younger's purple mane, causing a cloud of dust to fall out and to the ground. "In the meantime, let's get you back to town. You need a bath, and to preen your wings after today's workout."
Scootaloo gave one beseeching look before dropping her head and joining her teacher for the walk back. Where did I go wrong. I was THERE! I know it. Maybe if I hold my wings straight from the hover, and tilt to the side instead of flapping.... The pegasus' introspection was cut off suddenly as she walked into Rainbow Dash's flank. Looking up to ask why, she was silenced by a blue wing at her muzzle.
"Back up Scoots." Rainbow whispered urgently. "Something's wrong." Blue ears twitched as she backed up and surveyed the forest entrance trying to decide what was different. "It's quiet. Too quiet." The insects and small creatures that had watched the performance all day had silenced suddenly. And not at the two's approach.
Before she could grab the younger pegasus in her hooves, a large dark object came out of the woods and crashed where they had just stood. The two leapt apart as the object lifted back into the sky, revealing that it was attached to the creature coming out of the woods before them. Two pincers, each as long as the pegasus herself proceeded the creature. Dark brown chitinous armor plates covered a body too large to move as silently as it had. Eight legs on the sides and the tail arcing back to a striking position told Rainbow all she needed to know about it.
"Scorpio." The pegasus' eyes widened as she watched one of the legendary star beasts stalk towards them. While smaller than the Ursa Minor that had visited ponyville some time ago. It was still an impressive creature in its own right. Her mind whirled as she took in its appearance and tried to formulate an escape. The only weakness she could note immediately was its eyes. Where the smaller variety could have two to five pairs of eyes, this Scorpio had but one pair. And judging by the old scars across its carapace, the left eye functioned little, if at all.
"Scoots. You're on its blind side. Get to the outcropping there. I'll distract it and grab you from up top." She backed slowly to the side, the movement drawing the creature's singular gaze. Glancing to Scootaloo revealed her frozen in place. "Scoots. Listen to me and MOVE!" The yell broke the smaller pegasus out of her paralysis as she turned and scrambled for the rocky outcropping she had used for falling practice. Rainbow's yell had the added effect of causing the Scorpio to turn to her fully and striking again with its stinger while chittering angrily.
A flap back barely made it out of the stinger's path. "Celestia take it. You should not be that fast!" As she tried to get some height, a blur of movement came from the side as one of the pincers slammed into her flank, knocking her back to the ground. Rolling instinctively allowed her to dodge the crushing blow as the second pincer slammed into the ground where she had fell, leaving a large crater where her body would have been.
Back on four hooves, Rainbow attempted to spread her wings before pain nearly sent her to her knees. A glance to the twisted bone in her left wing told her that flying was not gonna be on the table again today. Being distracted by the pain caused her to miss the first pincer returning to clip her again on the side as she went spinning across the ground almost to the edge of the gorge. It was a very dazed flyer that stood back up on the edge to stare down the beast before her.
Watching as the tail began to rise up Rainbow almost missed the display behind the star beast. Equal amounts of terror and exhilaration fought for dominance as she watched an orange streak leave the safety of a rocky outcropping in the distance, arc through the air, and land at full speed on the Scorpio's head. A large rock in her hooves found its way to the Scorpio's good eye as Scootaloo swung with all her might at the creature. "DON'T HURT MY SISTER!"
The Scorpio screamed in pain as it frantically tried to dislodge its orange rider. Leaving the rock lodged in the creature's eye, Scootaloo attempted to jump off but was stalled as her hoof was caught in the plates of chitin at the back of the creatures head. Neither paid attention to the nearby edge of the cliff as the creature's fight caused its legs to slip over the edge. Overbalanced, the Scorpio continued to tip over and it began to plummet. For a moment, magenta eyes met light purple as the Scorpio's flailing pincer missed Rainbow by inches. A smile on the young pegasus' face was all Rainbow saw as Scootaloo fell, still attached to the creature's back.
"SCOOTALOO!" Rainbow Dash screamed, as she jumped off the ledge seconds later. She watched as the Scorpio seemed to fall even faster before slamming into the canyon floor with a loud thud. Rainbow barely managed to stay conscious through the pain to get her damaged wing open in time to stop from meeting the same fate as the former star beast. Even still, her landing was far more violent than many she had faced over the years. Training and experience caused her to roll into the fall, adding bruises and lacerations to her body but keeping the bones in her legs from shattering under the impact.
"SCOOTS! C'mon kid, where are you?!" The fading echo of the creature's fall and some dislodged rocks were all she could hear as she shuffled to the mangled Scorpio. A quick inspection of the creature terrified the pegasus as she saw the dusty orange limb still caught in the plates of chitin, but no other signs of its former owner.
Then, a cough, loud as a thunderclap in the quieting canyon. The cyan pegasus dashed in its direction with nearly her former speed to find the pony who had made it.
Near the rocky wall she found her protégé laying against a boulder. The formerly orange pegasus was brown from dust and dirt, where she wasn't red from the blood beginning to pool around her. Aside from the missing leg, she was more cuts and scrapes than fur and feathers. Even more worrisome was the sound of air leaking from somewhere it had no business escaping from in the small pegasus' still form.
"Heh... heh." A single eye opened. The dull purple iris catching Rainbow immediately. "Did... you... see? Two... hun... dred feet. First... flight." The small pegasus coughed weakly before giving her mentor the same smile she'd worn that morning.
The cyan mare walked up to her friend before sitting in the cooling pool around her. "Yeah." she stammered, "It was great, Scoots. If you didn't already have your mark..." Rainbow stifled a whimper before putting her hoof out to muss the small pegasus' mane. "That would definitely have been the feat to get one. You're awesome, sis."
Scootaloo's eye widened briefly. "Thanks... Dash. Told... you... today... was... my...." the pegasus trailed off as her eyelid closed again. Air leaking from her chest escaped once more and did not repeat.
Rainbow Dash looked at the small, unmoving form before her for a moment. Then, as carefully as possible, she lifted the small pegasus up and placed the cooling body in the usual spot between her currently sprained wings. "Let's head home, Scoots."