"Uh, do I call you ma'am?"
"You land this jump, you can call me whatever you want." Lightning landed on the dirt near the rocket as Scootaloo hopped off her back. "You ever done any stunts before?"
The younger filly turned enthusiastically to the Washouts captain as she immediately recalled the many things she and the other CMC's had done. "Oh, psh, of course!" She held up her hooves as she began listing things off. "Jumping over ponies, skydiving, zip lining..."
Lightning's head tilted, impressed with the kid's moxie. "Wow, seems like you're already the making of a stunt pony."
Scootaloo raised a hoof to her chin in thought. "Gee, I never really thought about it that much. Especially not since I got my cutie mark." It was true. Before her mark, the CMC's hung out and a lot of crazy things in an effort to find their calling. Now with her marked flank, she was more focused on helping other ponies, and holding her Rainbow Dash, and now Washouts, fan club. But she was always willing to try something new.
Lightning lifted a hoof as she smiled. "So whataya think now? Ready to give it a try? It's your call, kid."
Scootaloo looked at the ramp, then at the crowd of ponies below. Out of everything she'd done with the CMC's over the past few years, this would be just another thing she could mark off her list of things she'd done. She smirked as she looked up at the other pegasus, and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Below in the bleachers, Rainbow took her seat next to Twilight. "Did I miss anything?"
"Nope," Twilight answered, gesturing to the hill beyond. "They're up there prepping now. You're just in time for the main event." She heard her friend sigh and turned to see the head of the rainbow pegasus still hung low.
"Twi... Do you think... I was being over protective of Scootaloo?" She turned to the alicorn.
Twilight smiled. "No. I think you were just being a big sister." She pointed to a couple of their other friends. "Look at Applejack and Apple Bloom, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle. And me and Flurry Heart. We love them and we want them to be safe."
Rainbow shook her head softly. "I just feel like... like I was being controlling."
"What you did was natural when you care about somepony. But they're growing up."
Rainbow turned to her.
Twilight looked up at the sky as she thought. "Time moves forward constantly. It's always slipping between our hooves." She turned to her friend. "A few years ago you were only dreaming of being a Wonderbolt. Now here you are, the full fledged deal."
"Yeah." Rainbow thought back to all those times going to their shows, training, admiring them. Trying to hobnob with them during the Gala. Now she was a Wonderbolt, and was even a team leader.
"And a few years ago, I wasn't an alicorn." She extended a wing with a laugh. "Now look at me."
Rainbow couldn't help but laugh as well. "Yeah, that took a while to get used to."
"Tell me about it," Twilight muttered loud enough for Rainbow to hear. "I know you're worried, but that's natural. But it's also natural for them to grow up and make their own choices."
"Even if they're bad ones."
Rainbow turned to see Starlight taking a seat behind her. "Starlight? What're you doing here?"
"You didn't think I was gonna miss the show, didja?" She reached into a bag of popcorn and put a little bit of it in her mouth. "Not a chance!"
"Bad ones?"
Starlight took in a breath, recalling her own past as well as those she'd seen. "We all make choices. Some good, some bad. We can't help making bad ones. Sometimes it's on purpose, sometimes it's because of poor judgement." She leaned forward, placing a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Even though we make mistakes, we can learn from them." She leaned back. "Look at me. And look at how many others you guys have saved?" she added with a half smirk.
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as she looked toward the hill. Scootaloo had grown. She had matured. She had her cutie mark. She was helping other ponies find their own path. She had accepted that she wouldn't fly. Rainbow chuckled softly. She didn't realize just how much the kid had grown. "You guys are right..." She smiled softly. "I can't always be there to make the choices for her. I have to let her make some of her own."
"You can still be there to help guide her," Twilight said.
"But letting her make her own choices will help her to grow and discover herself," Starlight added.
"Yeah." Rainbow looked at the two with a smile. "Thanks guys."
Starlight and Twilight smiled as they exchanged glances, then looked back toward the hill.
Scootaloo took a deep breath as she gripped the handle bars.
"You ready, kid?" Lightning asked.
Scootaloo nodded. "Ready."
"One!"
Scootaloo took a deep breath as she focused.
"Two!"
All those years of stunts. Things she did on a whim. It was time to put it all to the test.
"Three!"
The rocket ignited. In a plume of black smoke the rocket raced down the ramp. The whole thing vibrated heavily, but Scootaloo didn't waver. Her gaze narrowed as she focused on the ramp ahead. The wagons were lit. She smirked. If she couldn't do this she'd hand up her scooter for good.
Lightning lifted off into the air. "You got this, kid!" she shouted. She smiled as she watched after the trail of black smoke. "Kid's got a fighting spirit, alright."
Rainbow watched with widening eyes as the rocket neared the ramp. Worry filled her every fiber, but she pushed that aside. She wanted to cheer, to encourage the filly she'd come to accept as her little sister. "You can do it, Scoot! You can do it!"
Scootaloo saw the rainbow haired Pegasus flying above the crowd, smiling, and cheering. It boosted her confidence. Now she felt like she could do anything. Her grip tightened on the bars. "I won't let you down, Rainbow Dash."
The rocket hit the ramp, and in a second it was in the air. The crowd held their breath as the rocket cleared the wagons one by one. Finally it touched down on the end ramp safely, the fuel being spent as a chute deployed behind it to help stop the rocket as Scootaloo steered it back around. The rocket rolled to a stop, letting Scootaloo take a much needed deep breath.
"I did it... I actually did it!"
The sound of loud cheering and applause was picked up by her ears as she turned to see the crowd going wild. Fire personal were starting to put out the flames as she took off her helmet. She saw Rainbow. She flew out of the stands to the filly, who she congratulated with a hug.
"You did it, Scoots! Ya did it!"
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," the little filly said, heart swelling with pride. "When I saw you cheering, it really gave me a boost of confidence."
Rainbow ruffled Scoot's hair. "What, you didn't think I wouldn't cheer you on, didja?"
Just then, Lightning Dust landed next to the pair. "Congrats, kid! You did it!" She extended her hoof and Scootaloo bumped it.
"Thanks! I thought if I couldn't do it, I really needed to give up my scooter."
Rainbow laughed. "Well, looks like you'll be keeping it!"
"I'll say. You did great, Scootaloo. And look." Lightning gestured to the bleachers. "You've got fans now."
"And one big one," Rainbow added, gesturing to herself.
Scootaloo looked at the two mares with a beaming smile. "Thanks guys."
"Way to go, kid!"
Scootaloo turned to see Rolling Thunder waving at her near one of the Washouts Wagons.
"We're going for pizza. Wanna come?"
Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow, who smiled and ruffled her hair again. "Go on. You earned it, kiddo."
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash!" She sprinted toward the other Washouts, giving a wave to her "sister". "See ya later!"
"Later, Scoot."
"She's some kid," Lightning said, watching the filly before turning to the other pegasus.
"Yeah, she is." Rainbow turned to Lightning, and awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "Listen... I-"
Lightning held up a hoof, offering a smile as she cut the other off. "No need to say it."
"Well, I'm going to anyway." Rainbow took a breath before she continued. "I'm sorry about the whole Wonderbolts thing."
Lightning shrugged. "Hey, you were right."
Rainbow blinked, and rubbed one of her ears. "Uh, I was?"
"Yeah." Lightning sighed as she sat down. "I was out of control up there. You did what you were supposed to do - let somepony know about it. You were watching out for your friends and your team. I get it."
"And you're not mad?" Rainbow quirked her head.
Lightning lifted her head as she thought back. "I was at first. It hurt to get kicked out, but I think it was something I needed. I realized what I was and decided to start this group." She pulled herself up, gesturing to the other Washouts. "Now I understand how you felt. This is my team now. These are my friends." She turned to Rainbow. "I made a mistake. Now I've got the chance to do something and be somepony. And I'm happy. For the first time in a long time, I'm happy."
Rainbow smiled. "You know, if you said that to Spitfire, she maaay let you back into the academy," Rainbow grinned.
Lightning smirked. "Really?"
The rainbow pegasus shrugged. "Hey, I said maybe."
"And hear the whole 'full body wing-and-hoof cast drinkin' through a straw' bit again. Uhg! Pass." The two pegasi laughed together. "No. I found where I belong. And this is where I'm staying." She nodded.
"I'm happy to hear it. So... we cool?" Rainbow quirked a brow.
Lightning chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. We're cool." She held out her hoof and Rainbow bumped it. She then reached into a pocket on her suit and pulled out a few tickets. "Here. For our next show. Bring that captain of yours by sometime. She might enjoy it too." She lowered an eyelid. "And she could use a break before she pops an artery."
Rainbow couldn't help it as she laughed. "You got it."
Lightning started toward her team and friends but stopped, turning back to the other flyer. "Want some pizza?"
Rainbow shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks anyway."
Lightning nodded, giving a wave. "Later." With that she headed over to her team, where each of them high hoofed one another.
Rainbow watched them leave, and suddenly felt a hoof on her shoulder.
"Well?"
Rainbow turned to see Twilight and Starlight next to her. "You guys were right. She is old enough to make her own calls." She turned back to the Washouts, and saw Scootaloo see her and wave. Rainbow smiled. "I think Scoot's gonna be just fine."
THE END
