A Flight to Rememberby BronyxyChapters1 The Coolest Wonderbolt2 The Eastern Orchards3 In Her Element4 Rescue and Recovery5 Reward and Recognition1 The Coolest WonderboltThe sky was that kind of grey best described as ‘moody’. It had covered the sun with a thick duvet of cloud, and although it looked sufficiently brooding as to dump a giant waterfall onto the unsuspecting inhabitants below, it had become prisoner to its own apathy and had just decided to sulk instead. No wind stirred the disinterested trees as they stood or squatted in the manner that their shape dictated, waiting for something to happen, but equally reconciled not to get upset if it didn’t. Even the birds seemed to be content to conserve their energy, and went about their business with a lethargy borne of the ambience around them, barely summoning the enthusiasm to utter anything beyond the occasional obligatory cheep. Suddenly a bright flash in the distance notified everypony and everything that a change was coming, and coming fast. The flash propagated into a rainbow hued disc, the shockwave instantly smashing the nearest clouds into their component atoms and banishing them from the sky. An observer looking down on the sight would have seen the shockwave radiating outwards in a circle below, collectively bending every individual plant stem across fields of crops simultaneously away from the overpressure, as it swept across the unsuspecting landscape. A colourful trail arced heavenwards, describing the perimeter of a large diameter circle. The celebrated Wonderbolt continued to pile on the power right up until apogee, when she finally relaxed to let the momentum carry her on inverted, over the top of the loop. She did not expend any time marvelling at the unparalleled view of the curve of the planet below, or its thin blue atmosphere as it somehow clung on. Such sights had taken her breath away for the first few years, but by now it had become as routine as waiting in line to be served in a shop. Continuing her loop back down, the Wonderbolt cast a cursory glance around the sky, just on the off chance that her wingpony had been able to pull off a sonic rainboom of his own this time. Even though she provided him constant encouragement, deep down she knew it was beyond him, as it had been beyond every other pony except for herself and one other, the legendary Rainbow Dash. Today, the sky was hers, and hers alone. Sure enough, hers was the only trail across the sky, confirming that her wingpony had either not succeeded or possibly not even tried, and so set about looking around for the tell-tale colouration of his blue and yellow flight suit. She performed a grid search outwards from an approximate point where she expected him to be, and quickly enough sighted a pegasus wearing the distinctive colour scheme, standing out from the landscape beneath. Having secured a visual on her wingpony, she lined herself up on a tail chase intercept vector and lowered her hooves just enough to increase her drag and slow her down so she could drop effortlessly out of her Mach cone, gliding down to fall into formation alongside him with the last of her momentum. “I really thought you were going to stay with me that time …” she said cheerfully. “Not a chance” replied the black tailed wingpony with a good-natured shrug, “We both know you’re the star of the show, Scoots. You’re the one all the fans pay to come and see.” “Come on Rumble” she consoled him with a comforting smile, “I chose the best wingpony - a bit more practice is all it will take, and soon we’ll be doing rainbooms together …” “Scootaloo …” a voice intruded from outside of her comfortable alternative reality. The rich colours of the dream faded into monochrome as she watched, reluctant to leave the fantasy of being Equestria’s greatest flier behind. “Scootaloo …” came the voice again, this time with a gentle rocking from a forehoof on her shoulder, “Come on now.” She groaned unenthusiastically as the last mists of her dream evaporated and she became, once more, the earthbound pegasus she had been all her life. “Five more minutes …” she groaned, desperate to hang on to her favourite dream. “C’mon now y’all” came a familiar voice through the begrudging haze, “Breakfast’s on the table.” Scootaloo’s nose twitched as she registered the sweet smell of flapjacks wafting up from downstairs and tempting her senses. As her waking thoughts waved farewell to those from her dreams, she began to remember where she was; on a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres, so needed to be on her best behaviour. “OK” she replied, summoning the most switched on smile she could find, “I’m coming.” “Right, I’ll leave you to get up” replied the smallest Apple cheerfully, “Don’t take too long now!” The enticing smell of breakfast reminded Scootaloo just how hungry she was, and placed herself in front of a mirror where she quickly ran a forehoof over her mane, grateful that she did not have a case of bedhead to contend with. Content, she trotted downstairs to where Granny Smith, Big Mac and Apple Bloom waited, an enormous plate of apple fritter flapjacks piled high on the table before them. “Well, there you are young ‘un!” greeted Granny Smith as all heads turned towards their guest, “Hope you’ve got an appetite on yuh. C’mon, take this seat here, Applejack won’t mind none.” “We sure do appreciate you coming over to help out after the storm” said Apple Bloom. “Eeyup!” agreed Big Mac. “Specially what with Applejack being out of town an’ all” agreed Granny Smith, giving Scootaloo a friendly wink as she placed a plate in front of her and forked two fresh fritters off the top of the pile onto it. “Well, whaddya like?” asked Apple Bloom leaning over the table with a beaming smile, “Caramel syrup or praline?” “Give the poor filly some space now, y’hear?” Granny Smith chided gently. “Thank you” said Scootaloo somewhat overwhelmed by the intensity of the welcome she was receiving, “I’ll try one of each please.” “Sure” agreed Apple Bloom, poised to pour out either depending on her friend’s response, “Which one first?” “Come on, back it up a little” prompted Granny Smith, fixing her granddaughter with a beady stare, ”She’s big enough to do it by herself.” “Oh sorry” Apple Bloom offered, “I’m just so excited!” “Me too” agreed Scootaloo, pouring out some caramel syrup and tucking into the first of the fritters on her plate. 2 The Eastern OrchardsFollowing a very filling and happy breakfast, they said their goodbyes to Big Mac who set off to assess the damage wreaked by the storm on the orchards to the west. Apple Bloom loaded up some saddle bags with supplies, while her pegasus friend checked over her scooter ready for the day ahead. They would have liked to have had Sweetie Belle with them too, but she was out of town with her parents for a few days and had missed everything to do with the storm. “Now just what in the hay are you going to do with that?” asked the farm filly. Scootaloo looked at her like it was perfectly obvious, but Apple Bloom looked her straight in the eye and then directed her gaze to the tufts of grass, the exposed tree roots and the random rabbit holes that littered the ground, before looking back to her friend with one eyebrow raised. “You … er … might want to think that through a bit more” she offered tactfully. “Oh …” replied Scootaloo, looking suddenly crestfallen. “You can leave it here if you like” Apple Bloom offered, “It’ll be quite safe till we get back.” “You sure?” asked Scootaloo, doubtfully. “Unless Granny Smith takes it out for a spin that is” her friend teased. “She wouldn’t …” gasped Scootaloo. “No, of course she wouldn’t. Come on, it’s the best idea; you’ve got more chance of damaging it or losing it if you take it with you, and …” she stressed, “… Yuh can’t use it anyhow, ‘cos there’s no roads where we’re going.” The pegasus reluctantly saw the logic, and took it back up into Apple Bloom’s room where they had enjoyed their sleepover the night before. She put it down carefully beside her bed and caressed it gently before finally heading for the door and closing it carefully behind her, making sure it was securely shut, and double checking twice more before going back downstairs again. “There you are!” greeted Apple Bloom, “Ready?” Scootaloo’s worries about leaving her scooter behind faded quickly in the warmth of her friend’s enthusiasm, and she happily fell into step beside her as they set off towards the direction of the sun, which was still only just beginning to drag itself up into the sky. “So, what exactly are we doing today?” asked Scootaloo. “We’re doing a reconnaissance mission” replied Apple Bloom, “We cover as much ground as we can, then report back what needs doing, so my Big Sis and Big Mac know where to start putting things right.” “That was quite a storm, wasn’t it?” “Yep, sure was” agreed Apple Bloom, “And we can expect to see quite a few trees down, so it’ll be right nice to have you along.” They progressed onwards in a roughly easterly direction, telling jokes and sharing funny stories as well as attempting merciless parodies of their classmates. They stopped every now and then for Apple Bloom to take a notebook out of her saddle bag, and sketch out a rough map indicating the extent of the damage and the approximate area within which it had occurred. After a couple of hours walking, Scootaloo’s legs were getting tired and she was starting to fade noticeably by comparison with the hardy farm filly. When they arrived on the peak of a bluff, Apple Bloom took off her saddle bags and broke out a generous mid-morning snack for the pair of them, which they enjoyed together, looking over the valley ahead of them. Their delight in each other’s company never faded for an instant, and even when they had to pause in their stories while they were eating, they still sat in companionable silence, listening to the wind toying with the trees all around them. “Yuh hear that?” asked Apple Bloom, tilting her head to one side to listen out slightly better. “Hear what?” asked Scootaloo, chomping delightedly on their snacks. “Hush now, would yuh?” Apple Bloom requested, abruptly raising a forehoof for silence. Scootaloo stopped chewing and guiltily swallowed the remains of a particularly tasty cereal bar, stopping stock still to listen out in the direction indicated by her friend. “Over there” hissed Apple Bloom, pointing her forehoof out across the valley, “… I think.” Scootaloo stood up quietly for a better view, trying to focus her senses, when suddenly her ears twitched and she turned her head fractionally. “Yuh heard it too?” her friend asked. “I … I think I may have heard something kinda out that way” said Scootaloo uncertainly. It had been right on the edge of her hearing; the sort of sound that made her wonder if it had been for real or just imagined, yet something about it concerned her, “Did it sound to you like somepony was in trouble?” “Yes, yes it did!” Apple Bloom asserted, quickly tossing everything into her saddle bags, “C’mon y’all, let’s go check it out!” The two friends galloped off in the direction where they thought the sound had come from. Although they were both actively thinking about what, or indeed who, could have made the sounds, they ran without speaking, both saving all of their concentration for navigating safely over the dangerously protruding roots and random holes that littered the ground under their hooves. Apple Bloom, the fitter and faster of the two, drew to a halt and raised her forehoof for quiet while she listened with renewed attentiveness to try and get a better fix on its source. By her reckoning they should be very close to where she thought the sound had originally come from. Scootaloo joined her a few seconds later and fought to keep her breathing as quiet as possible, but it was still loud enough to mask the gentle sounds Apple Bloom was looking for, and earned her a hard stare that wordlessly required her to try and keep her panting a little more under control. “Hello!” she called, ears twitching for any response, “Anypony here? Anypony in trouble?” A muffled groan crawled from a stand of fallen trees not far away; it had been unmistakeable and loud enough for the two friends to hear, so they headed over quickly, not just to offer help, but also to solve the mystery of who was making the sounds and why. Drawing closer, Apple Bloom saw some patches of lilac, looking out of place among the carnage of freshly damaged and uprooted apple trees. “Phew – eee!” she whistled quietly, “What’s that all mixed up in that mass of branches?” Scootaloo too stared at the scene of arboreal devastation, which was far worse than any other storm damage they had seen so far that day, and rushed over to join her friend in trying to make sense of the patches of pastel colouration visible through the foliage. “It’s a pony!” gasped Apple Bloom as she started to pull at some of the branches that had clearly imprisoned the pony underneath. The movement caused a desperate female voice to cry out in pain and so she stopped immediately. “Hello?” said Apple Bloom tentatively, “Sorry ‘bout that.” It was quickly obvious that the pony was trapped and that the weight of the trees pinning her was way too heavy for the two fillies to move safely by themselves. “Are you alright?” added Scootaloo, earning a look from her friend that seemed to say, “Well that was a silly question …” “Who are you Ma’am?” asked Apple Bloom, “What can we do to help?” The pony coughed and then choked a little, the sound turning into sobs of relief, “I’m Clear Skies … weather team … caught by the storm … had to direct it … away … from … Ponyville …” “It’s OK now” said Apple Bloom in her most reassuring voice, realising that the pony was clearly seriously injured, “Save your energy; we’ll get help soon as we can. Don’t worry yourself none – help’s on its way.” “But we’re miles away from Sweet Apple Acres” Scootaloo fretted, “We’ll never get help here in time!” “Not if we run” agreed Apple Bloom. “If only Rainbow Dash was here” bemoaned Scootaloo, “She’d get help in a jiffy.” “Rainbow Dash is pretty awesome” reasoned Apple Bloom, “And you’re her protégée, right? She wouldn’t be spending time training you to be the best pegasus you can be if she didn’t think you could make it, right?” “Maybe, but I still can’t fly!” she snapped back, tears of impotent rage stinging her eyes. “Perhaps you’ve never really had the need to do so until now. Look, you’ve got wings, I haven’t. Only one of us has got any chance of getting help for Clear Skies, and it isn’t me.” Scootaloo just stared sadly at the dirt in front of her hooves. “C’mon now” said her friend, gently lifting her muzzle so they could look each other in the eye, “I know you can do it; not for me, not for Rainbow Dash, but to save this brave pony who’s only in this mess ‘cos she was trying to save those of us who live in Ponyville, and if you remember, that includes you and me. Please … just try.” Scootaloo looked at the injured weather pony, then at Apple Bloom who was giving her the most reassuring smile, then at a path running down a slight incline and out to the sky beyond. “C’mon Scoots” she confirmed, “I know you can do it.” 3 In Her ElementThe pegasus filly fluttered her wings into a buzz as fast as a changeling, and was just about conquering her self-doubt when a loud groan from Clear Skies broke through into her consciousness. There was no doubt now; she had to do her best, and her best had to be good enough to get help. Focusing on the path through the trees, she ran her eyes over the ground, then let them drift with confidence up into the azure sky beyond, for the first time in her life, actually truly believing that she could do it. She increased the speed of her wings faster and first cantered, then galloped down the path, tapping into a new reserve of energy from her newly discovered self-belief, and felt the weight on her legs lift just a little. She was doing it! This wasn’t a dream, this was really happening, and the sudden realisation that she may be able after all these years, finally to master the air gave her another boost and she lifted her eyes upwards to make sure she would clear the trees. The instant she believed she was clear of any obstructions, she closed her eyes in concentration, opening them only a few seconds later to see that she was looking down on the tops of the trees. Letting out a whoop of delight, she continued her alarmingly unsteady first flight, completely oblivious to the cheering from Apple Bloom, back down on the ground. Scootaloo relished the long sought after delight of finally being able to share the realm of air with all other pegasi of her own age, and for the first time in her life, no longer felt like a freak. Eager to share her delight, she looked back towards Apple Bloom and noticed her pointing feverishly to the west, away from the sun’s position. Suddenly Scootaloo realised what she meant – they had set out that morning towards the rising sun, and so she would find her way back to Ponyville if she just kept the sun behind her. Scootaloo drew her mission into sharp focus and set course as her friend directed, eager to put her new found talent to good use and get help to Clear Skies as soon as she could. She hadn’t flown too far when a voice off to one side caught her by surprise. “Hey, kid” came a male voice. The shock caused her to completely lose her concentration, and when she looked sideways to see who had spoken, she stopped focusing on flying and started tumbling towards the ground with a scream. The eggshell blue pegasus dove down after her immediately, catching her quickly and gently carrying her to a small clearing below. “You OK?” he asked, clearly concerned. “Yes Sir” she replied, “Thank you!” “Thank Celestia! Sorry to startle you like that” he replied softly, “Name’s Open Skies. I don’t often have that effect on other ponies.” “No, it’s OK, really. It’s just … well, that was my first flight” she said proudly. “No kidding?” he replied with a broad smile, “So why did you choose to do it out here?” “There’s this weather pony, and she’s hurt …” “Clear Skies?” he asked, focusing intently on her. “Yes, yes, that’s her …” “Show me where she is” he stated, “We’ve had search parties up ever since the storm passed over.” “I … I don’t know if I can manage to fly by myself again …” she apologised. “No worries, kid” he said, “Hop on my back and show me where she is, would you?” “Yes Sir!” cheered Scootaloo, climbing up on Open Skies as he had directed, and shortly they were back in the air again. “OK, which way?” he asked. “Towards the sun” she replied confidently, and crouched forward, looking for any distinguishing features in the landscape. In a few minutes they saw a particularly large, devastated area on the ground and Scootaloo directed Open Skies down to check it out. Quickly, a yellow filly with a large pink bow ran out waving her forelegs frantically to attract their attention. He checked for a safe place to land amongst all the piles of debris, that up until the storm had been organised rows of apple trees, and found his thought process interrupted when Scootaloo pointed out the path between the trees that she herself had used to take off. He nodded his approval and aimed for where the path entered the debris field, backwinging as he neared the ground to ensure a gentle touchdown. “That was quick!” Apple Bloom greeted as the other two made their way over towards her. “Clear Skies – where is she please?” asked the pegasus stallion. “Over there” she pointed, “Glad you could get here so soon.” “Me too” he replied, “Couldn’t have done it without your friend though. You know, she’s a pretty impressive flier” “You could tell Rainbow Dash that” Apple Bloom suggested. “You know Rainbow Dash?” he asked, clearly impressed. “Sure” replied Scootaloo, “She’s my big sister.” “Really?” he gasped, “I didn’t know she had a little sister.” “Well, honorary big sister to be more exact.” By now, Open Skies could see the lilac tones of his fellow weather pony and was rapidly assessing what needed to be done to free her, along with what possible injuries she could be suffering. “Clear Skies!” he called, “Hey it’s Open Skies! What shape are you in?” “Hey, over here” she replied weakly, trying to wave a forehoof, but failing, “I think I have broken ribs, a broken wing and a broken leg … oh, and by the way, I’ve got a tree on top of me that is kinda stopping me getting up to give you a hug right now …” He took in the scene and baulked at the size of the tree, realising quickly that it was not only heavy, but if he didn’t lift it cleanly, would come down on his colleague and probably cause her further injuries. “OK” he told her, “Here’s the deal; it’s going to take more than me to get this off you. Can you wait for me to go rustle up the team?” “Sure, why not” she quipped, trying to laugh, but degenerating into a painful cough, “My diary’s kinda gotten freed up a bit lately, so I think I can fit you in.” “Right, I’m going to leave you in the capable hooves of these two great young fillies and I’ll be back soon as I can” he said, “Don’t go anywhere.” Once Open Skies had made his apologies and taken off, Apple Bloom turned to her friend, “So Scoots, how was flying?” A broad smile in response told her everything she wanted to know. 4 Rescue and RecoveryNo more than a quarter hour later the sky became filled with a dozen or more pegasi, one of whom dropped down to land close by to the fillies. “Hey squirt” greeted Rainbow Dash, giving Scootaloo a playful noogie, “Heard you did your first flight without me. You couldn’t have chosen a more important time to do it too – well done!” The starstruck filly was so overwhelmed, she was barely able to say anything, but reached out and gave her idol a big hug. “Hey, easy now, I’m on duty” said Rainbow Dash, before adding, “You may like to meet Spitfire and Soarin. They happened to be in the area and offered their help along with all the weather ponies. They’d like to meet you, but don’t believe all the stories they tell you about me!” Introductions made, Rainbow Dash took stock of the casualty situation and marshalled the pegasi into teams, each one lifting up one fallen tree at a time, like in a game of pick-up-sticks, where one has to be taken away before the next can be moved safely. As the trees were being manoeuvred carefully off their trapped colleague, another pegasus flew in carrying a yellow coated nurse from Ponyville Hospital and put her down with her bag safely away from where the heavy lifting was taking place. With each tree moved, Clear Skies let out a groan or a cry as the load on her changed, until finally she was uncovered, and her broken wing could be plainly seen lying at a grossly unnatural angle. Nurse Snowheart clambered carefully over the obstacles to get to her patient and set about running through the checks necessary to deliver her diagnosis. Ponies looking on saw her pulling a wide variety of tools from her seemingly limitless black bag, followed by occasional nods and shakes of her head as she progressed through as full a range of tests as she could perform in the field. Finally, she leaned over and emptied a hypodermic into Clear Skies’ foreleg and climbed back down to talk to Rainbow Dash. “I’ve done what I can, and she’s stable, but we’ll have to get her medevacked as soon as possible.” “Sure” replied Rainbow, “What d’ya need?” “Somepony has got to fly back to Ponyville Hospital and pick up a stretcher along with a pegasus harness.” “I’m on it” she replied, immediately kicking off the ground and launching into the sky, leaving nothing behind but her trademark polychromatic trail. Nurse Snowheart allowed Open Skies to go and hold Clear Skies’ hoof whilst they waited, but discouraged any other ponies from visiting as it could crowd her. Time hung heavily on the group as they discussed the storm and how lucky it had been that the fillies had found their colleague, the off-duty Wonderbolts singling out Scootaloo especially for having raised the alarm, especially as it had been only her first flight. Apple Bloom watched as her friend became centre of attention, and was pleased for her to have finally overcome her physical and mental barriers that had held her back for so long. She knew things probably wouldn’t be the same moving forward; she remembered how Rainbow Dash had become obsessed with her own self-image after having rescued an earth pony filly from a well, and hoped Scootaloo didn’t react in the same way. Rainbow Dash returned wearing a harness that attached to a stretcher by four straps, providing a stable platform underneath any pegasus who was a strong enough flyer to carry the extra weight. As soon as she had landed, Nurse Snowheart unclipped the stretcher and went to pick up Clear Skies with other members of the weather team in support. With the focus now on picking up the casualty, Scootaloo ran over to her hero so she could relive the magical moment when she first realised she had been flying. Rainbow Dash was clearly delighted with her achievement, but still kept a look out for the return of the stretcher, as she knew at that point, the casualty would be her primary responsibility. Even from where they were, Scootaloo’s gushing exuberance was dampened by hearing the occasional screams and loud groans with every move made to get the injured pegasus onto the stretcher, as her injuries all let her know their displeasure. Soon, the rescue party of ponies was bringing the patient back to Rainbow Dash, who gently nudged Scootaloo away so nothing would interfere with getting their casualty to hospital. The stretcher bearers placed Clear Skies down as carefully as possible, and Rainbow Dash moved closer so the straps on her harness could be reattached. “OK, stand back” she warned, pulling goggles down over her eyes and then lifting slowly into a hover, before repositioning herself directly over the stretcher. Next, she rose a little higher to take up the slack on the straps, then lifted her precious cargo off the ground and continued going upwards to clear the trees before heading off accompanied by the weather ponies. “Hey kids” said Spitfire, “How’d you two like to tag along?” “Oh, yes please!” Scootaloo cheered, although her earthbound friend was a little more reserved. Apple Bloom slipped her saddle bags on before looking towards the stunt flyers and asking, “Er … can you carry me and my bags?” “Sure” replied Soarin, crouching down to let Apple Bloom climb up, “No problem. Just be sure to hold on tight, OK?” “Um … I haven’t flown before …” she offered apologetically. “Don’t worry, I’ll be extra careful” Soarin reassured her with an easy smile. “Come on kid” said Spitfire, looking at Scootaloo and crouching down too, “Your lift awaits.” They lifted off, leaving the devastation behind them, Scootaloo ecstatic to be given a lift by the leader of the Wonderbolts herself, while Apple Bloom was a little more reticent, being an earth pony and significantly out of her comfort zone. They quickly caught up to the rest of the party, but kept a respectful distance so as not to get in the way of their important mission. Spitfire turned her head back to ask Scootaloo whether she wanted to try some aerobatics, and upon hearing a squeal of excitement began a series of gentle weaves and turns. Apple Bloom blanched at Spitfire’s antics and leaned forward to speak rather hesitantly into Soarin’s ear, “Errm, we er … don’t have to do that, do we?” “Course not” he replied reassuringly, “I’ll just keep us straight and level, if that’s OK?” “Yes please” confirmed his passenger, daring not to say that she thought she would be sick if they tried anything more adventurous. 5 Reward and RecognitionLater that evening, conversation was alive around the Apple’s kitchen table as the two fillies repeated their stories of the day to Big Mac and Granny Smith. The stories had been repeated many times over, but the adults were just happy to hear and feel so much happiness in the heart of the family. After having dropped off Clear Skies in Ponyville Hospital, the exhausted weather ponies who had been searching for their colleague ever since the storm, said their heartfelt thank yous before going home to catch up on their much needed sleep. Spitfire shared a mischievous smile with Scootaloo, before the two Wonderbolts too, had to go their own way. The two friends had gone round to Carousel Boutique to see if Sweetie Belle was back, but Rarity told them she was still with her parents, however they told her the story anyway. After this, they went round to tell Fluttershy, then Twilight, and then rounded it off with tasty treats at Sugarcube Corner where they told Pinkie Pie all about their day too. With the day now beginning to ebb away, they stopped off at the hospital to ask about Clear Skies, and were told that she would be making a recovery, although the medical staff were cautious about saying how complete that recovery would be. Specifically, they avoided making any comment about whether she would be able to fly again, but were instead very keen to focus on telling the fillies that if they hadn’t been so prompt in rescuing her, she would probably have died from her injuries. Finally, they returned happily to Sweet Apple Acres to gather around the kitchen table and relive all the excitement over again. Suddenly, their story telling was interrupted in mid-flow by a knock on the front door. “I’ll get it” said Granny Smith, struggling to her hooves and tottering towards her door. When she opened it, she was only partly surprised to see Rainbow Dash at the front of a crowd of happy ponies. “It’s for you kids” she called back, without even bothering to ask. She knew full well that such deeds as they had done were not going to go unrewarded. The fillies jumped down from the table and trotted curiously over to the door. “Hey Rainbow Dash!” cried Scootaloo excitedly. “Hey yourself” she replied with a broad smile, “Some friends wanted to come round and say thank you for what you two did today.” As there was clearly insufficient room to get all the ponies into the kitchen, Big Mac gave Apple Bloom a gentle nudge with his muzzle, and they all moved outside, only then noticing that Rainbow Dash was in her flight suit and secondly, that tables piled high with food had appeared in the courtyard. “As the only member of the Ponyville weather team who also happens to be a Wonderbolt" Rainbow began, with no attempt at modesty, "It falls to me to thank you both for your good work today. Firstly, Clear Skies’ parents are very grateful to you for having found their daughter and they have laid on this feast for you. They look forward to meeting you, and send their apologies for not being here in person, but, as I’m sure you’ll understand, they’re not wanting to leave the hospital right now." The fillies looked around the cheering sea of faces before them as they took in the applause; there were townsfolk, school friends and a whole lot of pegasi they had never met before. As Apple Bloom's was taking in the fact that the Element Bearers had also turned out, she saw a sight that made her squee with excitement, for ambling towards her was an orange pony with a Stetson hat, beaming happily, and alongside her was Sweetie Belle. She grabbed Scootaloo's foreleg and gave it a few quick enthusiastic tugs, directing her friend to see the two latest arrivals. “Oh yeah” Rainbow added casually, as Sweetie Belle broke ranks and ran to be with her Crusader friends, “… Nearly forgot to mention, we brought a couple a special guests back for the occasion too ...” “Next” Rainbow continued, I have two certificates from the weather team, entitling each of you to weather of your choice once a month in the Ponyville area …” “Also …” Rainbow resumed, once the applause had died down, I have two further certificates here commemorating your first flights …” She extended a framed certificate signed by all the Wonderbolts to Apple Bloom, along with a rare silver wingpony badge and added, “I think I can safely say this is the first time a Wonderbolts badge has ever been awarded to an earth pony for their first flight! Thanks for everything you did.” Then she gave Scootaloo her signed certificate along with a highly sought after gold lead pony badge saying, “You’ve earned this, kid. I’m so proud of you!” At this, the applause ratcheted up a notch and reached a deafening crescendo. “Finally” she concluded, once she could be heard, “You have front row tickets to the next Wonderbolts show.” “When’s that?” asked Scootaloo, almost breathless with excitement. “Right now” replied Rainbow simply, as she and the other Wonderbolts leapt into the air at her cue to perform an exclusive one-of-a-kind performance for their very special guests.
1 The Coolest WonderboltThe sky was that kind of grey best described as ‘moody’. It had covered the sun with a thick duvet of cloud, and although it looked sufficiently brooding as to dump a giant waterfall onto the unsuspecting inhabitants below, it had become prisoner to its own apathy and had just decided to sulk instead. No wind stirred the disinterested trees as they stood or squatted in the manner that their shape dictated, waiting for something to happen, but equally reconciled not to get upset if it didn’t. Even the birds seemed to be content to conserve their energy, and went about their business with a lethargy borne of the ambience around them, barely summoning the enthusiasm to utter anything beyond the occasional obligatory cheep. Suddenly a bright flash in the distance notified everypony and everything that a change was coming, and coming fast. The flash propagated into a rainbow hued disc, the shockwave instantly smashing the nearest clouds into their component atoms and banishing them from the sky. An observer looking down on the sight would have seen the shockwave radiating outwards in a circle below, collectively bending every individual plant stem across fields of crops simultaneously away from the overpressure, as it swept across the unsuspecting landscape. A colourful trail arced heavenwards, describing the perimeter of a large diameter circle. The celebrated Wonderbolt continued to pile on the power right up until apogee, when she finally relaxed to let the momentum carry her on inverted, over the top of the loop. She did not expend any time marvelling at the unparalleled view of the curve of the planet below, or its thin blue atmosphere as it somehow clung on. Such sights had taken her breath away for the first few years, but by now it had become as routine as waiting in line to be served in a shop. Continuing her loop back down, the Wonderbolt cast a cursory glance around the sky, just on the off chance that her wingpony had been able to pull off a sonic rainboom of his own this time. Even though she provided him constant encouragement, deep down she knew it was beyond him, as it had been beyond every other pony except for herself and one other, the legendary Rainbow Dash. Today, the sky was hers, and hers alone. Sure enough, hers was the only trail across the sky, confirming that her wingpony had either not succeeded or possibly not even tried, and so set about looking around for the tell-tale colouration of his blue and yellow flight suit. She performed a grid search outwards from an approximate point where she expected him to be, and quickly enough sighted a pegasus wearing the distinctive colour scheme, standing out from the landscape beneath. Having secured a visual on her wingpony, she lined herself up on a tail chase intercept vector and lowered her hooves just enough to increase her drag and slow her down so she could drop effortlessly out of her Mach cone, gliding down to fall into formation alongside him with the last of her momentum. “I really thought you were going to stay with me that time …” she said cheerfully. “Not a chance” replied the black tailed wingpony with a good-natured shrug, “We both know you’re the star of the show, Scoots. You’re the one all the fans pay to come and see.” “Come on Rumble” she consoled him with a comforting smile, “I chose the best wingpony - a bit more practice is all it will take, and soon we’ll be doing rainbooms together …” “Scootaloo …” a voice intruded from outside of her comfortable alternative reality. The rich colours of the dream faded into monochrome as she watched, reluctant to leave the fantasy of being Equestria’s greatest flier behind. “Scootaloo …” came the voice again, this time with a gentle rocking from a forehoof on her shoulder, “Come on now.” She groaned unenthusiastically as the last mists of her dream evaporated and she became, once more, the earthbound pegasus she had been all her life. “Five more minutes …” she groaned, desperate to hang on to her favourite dream. “C’mon now y’all” came a familiar voice through the begrudging haze, “Breakfast’s on the table.” Scootaloo’s nose twitched as she registered the sweet smell of flapjacks wafting up from downstairs and tempting her senses. As her waking thoughts waved farewell to those from her dreams, she began to remember where she was; on a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres, so needed to be on her best behaviour. “OK” she replied, summoning the most switched on smile she could find, “I’m coming.” “Right, I’ll leave you to get up” replied the smallest Apple cheerfully, “Don’t take too long now!” The enticing smell of breakfast reminded Scootaloo just how hungry she was, and placed herself in front of a mirror where she quickly ran a forehoof over her mane, grateful that she did not have a case of bedhead to contend with. Content, she trotted downstairs to where Granny Smith, Big Mac and Apple Bloom waited, an enormous plate of apple fritter flapjacks piled high on the table before them. “Well, there you are young ‘un!” greeted Granny Smith as all heads turned towards their guest, “Hope you’ve got an appetite on yuh. C’mon, take this seat here, Applejack won’t mind none.” “We sure do appreciate you coming over to help out after the storm” said Apple Bloom. “Eeyup!” agreed Big Mac. “Specially what with Applejack being out of town an’ all” agreed Granny Smith, giving Scootaloo a friendly wink as she placed a plate in front of her and forked two fresh fritters off the top of the pile onto it. “Well, whaddya like?” asked Apple Bloom leaning over the table with a beaming smile, “Caramel syrup or praline?” “Give the poor filly some space now, y’hear?” Granny Smith chided gently. “Thank you” said Scootaloo somewhat overwhelmed by the intensity of the welcome she was receiving, “I’ll try one of each please.” “Sure” agreed Apple Bloom, poised to pour out either depending on her friend’s response, “Which one first?” “Come on, back it up a little” prompted Granny Smith, fixing her granddaughter with a beady stare, ”She’s big enough to do it by herself.” “Oh sorry” Apple Bloom offered, “I’m just so excited!” “Me too” agreed Scootaloo, pouring out some caramel syrup and tucking into the first of the fritters on her plate.
2 The Eastern OrchardsFollowing a very filling and happy breakfast, they said their goodbyes to Big Mac who set off to assess the damage wreaked by the storm on the orchards to the west. Apple Bloom loaded up some saddle bags with supplies, while her pegasus friend checked over her scooter ready for the day ahead. They would have liked to have had Sweetie Belle with them too, but she was out of town with her parents for a few days and had missed everything to do with the storm. “Now just what in the hay are you going to do with that?” asked the farm filly. Scootaloo looked at her like it was perfectly obvious, but Apple Bloom looked her straight in the eye and then directed her gaze to the tufts of grass, the exposed tree roots and the random rabbit holes that littered the ground, before looking back to her friend with one eyebrow raised. “You … er … might want to think that through a bit more” she offered tactfully. “Oh …” replied Scootaloo, looking suddenly crestfallen. “You can leave it here if you like” Apple Bloom offered, “It’ll be quite safe till we get back.” “You sure?” asked Scootaloo, doubtfully. “Unless Granny Smith takes it out for a spin that is” her friend teased. “She wouldn’t …” gasped Scootaloo. “No, of course she wouldn’t. Come on, it’s the best idea; you’ve got more chance of damaging it or losing it if you take it with you, and …” she stressed, “… Yuh can’t use it anyhow, ‘cos there’s no roads where we’re going.” The pegasus reluctantly saw the logic, and took it back up into Apple Bloom’s room where they had enjoyed their sleepover the night before. She put it down carefully beside her bed and caressed it gently before finally heading for the door and closing it carefully behind her, making sure it was securely shut, and double checking twice more before going back downstairs again. “There you are!” greeted Apple Bloom, “Ready?” Scootaloo’s worries about leaving her scooter behind faded quickly in the warmth of her friend’s enthusiasm, and she happily fell into step beside her as they set off towards the direction of the sun, which was still only just beginning to drag itself up into the sky. “So, what exactly are we doing today?” asked Scootaloo. “We’re doing a reconnaissance mission” replied Apple Bloom, “We cover as much ground as we can, then report back what needs doing, so my Big Sis and Big Mac know where to start putting things right.” “That was quite a storm, wasn’t it?” “Yep, sure was” agreed Apple Bloom, “And we can expect to see quite a few trees down, so it’ll be right nice to have you along.” They progressed onwards in a roughly easterly direction, telling jokes and sharing funny stories as well as attempting merciless parodies of their classmates. They stopped every now and then for Apple Bloom to take a notebook out of her saddle bag, and sketch out a rough map indicating the extent of the damage and the approximate area within which it had occurred. After a couple of hours walking, Scootaloo’s legs were getting tired and she was starting to fade noticeably by comparison with the hardy farm filly. When they arrived on the peak of a bluff, Apple Bloom took off her saddle bags and broke out a generous mid-morning snack for the pair of them, which they enjoyed together, looking over the valley ahead of them. Their delight in each other’s company never faded for an instant, and even when they had to pause in their stories while they were eating, they still sat in companionable silence, listening to the wind toying with the trees all around them. “Yuh hear that?” asked Apple Bloom, tilting her head to one side to listen out slightly better. “Hear what?” asked Scootaloo, chomping delightedly on their snacks. “Hush now, would yuh?” Apple Bloom requested, abruptly raising a forehoof for silence. Scootaloo stopped chewing and guiltily swallowed the remains of a particularly tasty cereal bar, stopping stock still to listen out in the direction indicated by her friend. “Over there” hissed Apple Bloom, pointing her forehoof out across the valley, “… I think.” Scootaloo stood up quietly for a better view, trying to focus her senses, when suddenly her ears twitched and she turned her head fractionally. “Yuh heard it too?” her friend asked. “I … I think I may have heard something kinda out that way” said Scootaloo uncertainly. It had been right on the edge of her hearing; the sort of sound that made her wonder if it had been for real or just imagined, yet something about it concerned her, “Did it sound to you like somepony was in trouble?” “Yes, yes it did!” Apple Bloom asserted, quickly tossing everything into her saddle bags, “C’mon y’all, let’s go check it out!” The two friends galloped off in the direction where they thought the sound had come from. Although they were both actively thinking about what, or indeed who, could have made the sounds, they ran without speaking, both saving all of their concentration for navigating safely over the dangerously protruding roots and random holes that littered the ground under their hooves. Apple Bloom, the fitter and faster of the two, drew to a halt and raised her forehoof for quiet while she listened with renewed attentiveness to try and get a better fix on its source. By her reckoning they should be very close to where she thought the sound had originally come from. Scootaloo joined her a few seconds later and fought to keep her breathing as quiet as possible, but it was still loud enough to mask the gentle sounds Apple Bloom was looking for, and earned her a hard stare that wordlessly required her to try and keep her panting a little more under control. “Hello!” she called, ears twitching for any response, “Anypony here? Anypony in trouble?” A muffled groan crawled from a stand of fallen trees not far away; it had been unmistakeable and loud enough for the two friends to hear, so they headed over quickly, not just to offer help, but also to solve the mystery of who was making the sounds and why. Drawing closer, Apple Bloom saw some patches of lilac, looking out of place among the carnage of freshly damaged and uprooted apple trees. “Phew – eee!” she whistled quietly, “What’s that all mixed up in that mass of branches?” Scootaloo too stared at the scene of arboreal devastation, which was far worse than any other storm damage they had seen so far that day, and rushed over to join her friend in trying to make sense of the patches of pastel colouration visible through the foliage. “It’s a pony!” gasped Apple Bloom as she started to pull at some of the branches that had clearly imprisoned the pony underneath. The movement caused a desperate female voice to cry out in pain and so she stopped immediately. “Hello?” said Apple Bloom tentatively, “Sorry ‘bout that.” It was quickly obvious that the pony was trapped and that the weight of the trees pinning her was way too heavy for the two fillies to move safely by themselves. “Are you alright?” added Scootaloo, earning a look from her friend that seemed to say, “Well that was a silly question …” “Who are you Ma’am?” asked Apple Bloom, “What can we do to help?” The pony coughed and then choked a little, the sound turning into sobs of relief, “I’m Clear Skies … weather team … caught by the storm … had to direct it … away … from … Ponyville …” “It’s OK now” said Apple Bloom in her most reassuring voice, realising that the pony was clearly seriously injured, “Save your energy; we’ll get help soon as we can. Don’t worry yourself none – help’s on its way.” “But we’re miles away from Sweet Apple Acres” Scootaloo fretted, “We’ll never get help here in time!” “Not if we run” agreed Apple Bloom. “If only Rainbow Dash was here” bemoaned Scootaloo, “She’d get help in a jiffy.” “Rainbow Dash is pretty awesome” reasoned Apple Bloom, “And you’re her protégée, right? She wouldn’t be spending time training you to be the best pegasus you can be if she didn’t think you could make it, right?” “Maybe, but I still can’t fly!” she snapped back, tears of impotent rage stinging her eyes. “Perhaps you’ve never really had the need to do so until now. Look, you’ve got wings, I haven’t. Only one of us has got any chance of getting help for Clear Skies, and it isn’t me.” Scootaloo just stared sadly at the dirt in front of her hooves. “C’mon now” said her friend, gently lifting her muzzle so they could look each other in the eye, “I know you can do it; not for me, not for Rainbow Dash, but to save this brave pony who’s only in this mess ‘cos she was trying to save those of us who live in Ponyville, and if you remember, that includes you and me. Please … just try.” Scootaloo looked at the injured weather pony, then at Apple Bloom who was giving her the most reassuring smile, then at a path running down a slight incline and out to the sky beyond. “C’mon Scoots” she confirmed, “I know you can do it.”
3 In Her ElementThe pegasus filly fluttered her wings into a buzz as fast as a changeling, and was just about conquering her self-doubt when a loud groan from Clear Skies broke through into her consciousness. There was no doubt now; she had to do her best, and her best had to be good enough to get help. Focusing on the path through the trees, she ran her eyes over the ground, then let them drift with confidence up into the azure sky beyond, for the first time in her life, actually truly believing that she could do it. She increased the speed of her wings faster and first cantered, then galloped down the path, tapping into a new reserve of energy from her newly discovered self-belief, and felt the weight on her legs lift just a little. She was doing it! This wasn’t a dream, this was really happening, and the sudden realisation that she may be able after all these years, finally to master the air gave her another boost and she lifted her eyes upwards to make sure she would clear the trees. The instant she believed she was clear of any obstructions, she closed her eyes in concentration, opening them only a few seconds later to see that she was looking down on the tops of the trees. Letting out a whoop of delight, she continued her alarmingly unsteady first flight, completely oblivious to the cheering from Apple Bloom, back down on the ground. Scootaloo relished the long sought after delight of finally being able to share the realm of air with all other pegasi of her own age, and for the first time in her life, no longer felt like a freak. Eager to share her delight, she looked back towards Apple Bloom and noticed her pointing feverishly to the west, away from the sun’s position. Suddenly Scootaloo realised what she meant – they had set out that morning towards the rising sun, and so she would find her way back to Ponyville if she just kept the sun behind her. Scootaloo drew her mission into sharp focus and set course as her friend directed, eager to put her new found talent to good use and get help to Clear Skies as soon as she could. She hadn’t flown too far when a voice off to one side caught her by surprise. “Hey, kid” came a male voice. The shock caused her to completely lose her concentration, and when she looked sideways to see who had spoken, she stopped focusing on flying and started tumbling towards the ground with a scream. The eggshell blue pegasus dove down after her immediately, catching her quickly and gently carrying her to a small clearing below. “You OK?” he asked, clearly concerned. “Yes Sir” she replied, “Thank you!” “Thank Celestia! Sorry to startle you like that” he replied softly, “Name’s Open Skies. I don’t often have that effect on other ponies.” “No, it’s OK, really. It’s just … well, that was my first flight” she said proudly. “No kidding?” he replied with a broad smile, “So why did you choose to do it out here?” “There’s this weather pony, and she’s hurt …” “Clear Skies?” he asked, focusing intently on her. “Yes, yes, that’s her …” “Show me where she is” he stated, “We’ve had search parties up ever since the storm passed over.” “I … I don’t know if I can manage to fly by myself again …” she apologised. “No worries, kid” he said, “Hop on my back and show me where she is, would you?” “Yes Sir!” cheered Scootaloo, climbing up on Open Skies as he had directed, and shortly they were back in the air again. “OK, which way?” he asked. “Towards the sun” she replied confidently, and crouched forward, looking for any distinguishing features in the landscape. In a few minutes they saw a particularly large, devastated area on the ground and Scootaloo directed Open Skies down to check it out. Quickly, a yellow filly with a large pink bow ran out waving her forelegs frantically to attract their attention. He checked for a safe place to land amongst all the piles of debris, that up until the storm had been organised rows of apple trees, and found his thought process interrupted when Scootaloo pointed out the path between the trees that she herself had used to take off. He nodded his approval and aimed for where the path entered the debris field, backwinging as he neared the ground to ensure a gentle touchdown. “That was quick!” Apple Bloom greeted as the other two made their way over towards her. “Clear Skies – where is she please?” asked the pegasus stallion. “Over there” she pointed, “Glad you could get here so soon.” “Me too” he replied, “Couldn’t have done it without your friend though. You know, she’s a pretty impressive flier” “You could tell Rainbow Dash that” Apple Bloom suggested. “You know Rainbow Dash?” he asked, clearly impressed. “Sure” replied Scootaloo, “She’s my big sister.” “Really?” he gasped, “I didn’t know she had a little sister.” “Well, honorary big sister to be more exact.” By now, Open Skies could see the lilac tones of his fellow weather pony and was rapidly assessing what needed to be done to free her, along with what possible injuries she could be suffering. “Clear Skies!” he called, “Hey it’s Open Skies! What shape are you in?” “Hey, over here” she replied weakly, trying to wave a forehoof, but failing, “I think I have broken ribs, a broken wing and a broken leg … oh, and by the way, I’ve got a tree on top of me that is kinda stopping me getting up to give you a hug right now …” He took in the scene and baulked at the size of the tree, realising quickly that it was not only heavy, but if he didn’t lift it cleanly, would come down on his colleague and probably cause her further injuries. “OK” he told her, “Here’s the deal; it’s going to take more than me to get this off you. Can you wait for me to go rustle up the team?” “Sure, why not” she quipped, trying to laugh, but degenerating into a painful cough, “My diary’s kinda gotten freed up a bit lately, so I think I can fit you in.” “Right, I’m going to leave you in the capable hooves of these two great young fillies and I’ll be back soon as I can” he said, “Don’t go anywhere.” Once Open Skies had made his apologies and taken off, Apple Bloom turned to her friend, “So Scoots, how was flying?” A broad smile in response told her everything she wanted to know.
4 Rescue and RecoveryNo more than a quarter hour later the sky became filled with a dozen or more pegasi, one of whom dropped down to land close by to the fillies. “Hey squirt” greeted Rainbow Dash, giving Scootaloo a playful noogie, “Heard you did your first flight without me. You couldn’t have chosen a more important time to do it too – well done!” The starstruck filly was so overwhelmed, she was barely able to say anything, but reached out and gave her idol a big hug. “Hey, easy now, I’m on duty” said Rainbow Dash, before adding, “You may like to meet Spitfire and Soarin. They happened to be in the area and offered their help along with all the weather ponies. They’d like to meet you, but don’t believe all the stories they tell you about me!” Introductions made, Rainbow Dash took stock of the casualty situation and marshalled the pegasi into teams, each one lifting up one fallen tree at a time, like in a game of pick-up-sticks, where one has to be taken away before the next can be moved safely. As the trees were being manoeuvred carefully off their trapped colleague, another pegasus flew in carrying a yellow coated nurse from Ponyville Hospital and put her down with her bag safely away from where the heavy lifting was taking place. With each tree moved, Clear Skies let out a groan or a cry as the load on her changed, until finally she was uncovered, and her broken wing could be plainly seen lying at a grossly unnatural angle. Nurse Snowheart clambered carefully over the obstacles to get to her patient and set about running through the checks necessary to deliver her diagnosis. Ponies looking on saw her pulling a wide variety of tools from her seemingly limitless black bag, followed by occasional nods and shakes of her head as she progressed through as full a range of tests as she could perform in the field. Finally, she leaned over and emptied a hypodermic into Clear Skies’ foreleg and climbed back down to talk to Rainbow Dash. “I’ve done what I can, and she’s stable, but we’ll have to get her medevacked as soon as possible.” “Sure” replied Rainbow, “What d’ya need?” “Somepony has got to fly back to Ponyville Hospital and pick up a stretcher along with a pegasus harness.” “I’m on it” she replied, immediately kicking off the ground and launching into the sky, leaving nothing behind but her trademark polychromatic trail. Nurse Snowheart allowed Open Skies to go and hold Clear Skies’ hoof whilst they waited, but discouraged any other ponies from visiting as it could crowd her. Time hung heavily on the group as they discussed the storm and how lucky it had been that the fillies had found their colleague, the off-duty Wonderbolts singling out Scootaloo especially for having raised the alarm, especially as it had been only her first flight. Apple Bloom watched as her friend became centre of attention, and was pleased for her to have finally overcome her physical and mental barriers that had held her back for so long. She knew things probably wouldn’t be the same moving forward; she remembered how Rainbow Dash had become obsessed with her own self-image after having rescued an earth pony filly from a well, and hoped Scootaloo didn’t react in the same way. Rainbow Dash returned wearing a harness that attached to a stretcher by four straps, providing a stable platform underneath any pegasus who was a strong enough flyer to carry the extra weight. As soon as she had landed, Nurse Snowheart unclipped the stretcher and went to pick up Clear Skies with other members of the weather team in support. With the focus now on picking up the casualty, Scootaloo ran over to her hero so she could relive the magical moment when she first realised she had been flying. Rainbow Dash was clearly delighted with her achievement, but still kept a look out for the return of the stretcher, as she knew at that point, the casualty would be her primary responsibility. Even from where they were, Scootaloo’s gushing exuberance was dampened by hearing the occasional screams and loud groans with every move made to get the injured pegasus onto the stretcher, as her injuries all let her know their displeasure. Soon, the rescue party of ponies was bringing the patient back to Rainbow Dash, who gently nudged Scootaloo away so nothing would interfere with getting their casualty to hospital. The stretcher bearers placed Clear Skies down as carefully as possible, and Rainbow Dash moved closer so the straps on her harness could be reattached. “OK, stand back” she warned, pulling goggles down over her eyes and then lifting slowly into a hover, before repositioning herself directly over the stretcher. Next, she rose a little higher to take up the slack on the straps, then lifted her precious cargo off the ground and continued going upwards to clear the trees before heading off accompanied by the weather ponies. “Hey kids” said Spitfire, “How’d you two like to tag along?” “Oh, yes please!” Scootaloo cheered, although her earthbound friend was a little more reserved. Apple Bloom slipped her saddle bags on before looking towards the stunt flyers and asking, “Er … can you carry me and my bags?” “Sure” replied Soarin, crouching down to let Apple Bloom climb up, “No problem. Just be sure to hold on tight, OK?” “Um … I haven’t flown before …” she offered apologetically. “Don’t worry, I’ll be extra careful” Soarin reassured her with an easy smile. “Come on kid” said Spitfire, looking at Scootaloo and crouching down too, “Your lift awaits.” They lifted off, leaving the devastation behind them, Scootaloo ecstatic to be given a lift by the leader of the Wonderbolts herself, while Apple Bloom was a little more reticent, being an earth pony and significantly out of her comfort zone. They quickly caught up to the rest of the party, but kept a respectful distance so as not to get in the way of their important mission. Spitfire turned her head back to ask Scootaloo whether she wanted to try some aerobatics, and upon hearing a squeal of excitement began a series of gentle weaves and turns. Apple Bloom blanched at Spitfire’s antics and leaned forward to speak rather hesitantly into Soarin’s ear, “Errm, we er … don’t have to do that, do we?” “Course not” he replied reassuringly, “I’ll just keep us straight and level, if that’s OK?” “Yes please” confirmed his passenger, daring not to say that she thought she would be sick if they tried anything more adventurous.
5 Reward and RecognitionLater that evening, conversation was alive around the Apple’s kitchen table as the two fillies repeated their stories of the day to Big Mac and Granny Smith. The stories had been repeated many times over, but the adults were just happy to hear and feel so much happiness in the heart of the family. After having dropped off Clear Skies in Ponyville Hospital, the exhausted weather ponies who had been searching for their colleague ever since the storm, said their heartfelt thank yous before going home to catch up on their much needed sleep. Spitfire shared a mischievous smile with Scootaloo, before the two Wonderbolts too, had to go their own way. The two friends had gone round to Carousel Boutique to see if Sweetie Belle was back, but Rarity told them she was still with her parents, however they told her the story anyway. After this, they went round to tell Fluttershy, then Twilight, and then rounded it off with tasty treats at Sugarcube Corner where they told Pinkie Pie all about their day too. With the day now beginning to ebb away, they stopped off at the hospital to ask about Clear Skies, and were told that she would be making a recovery, although the medical staff were cautious about saying how complete that recovery would be. Specifically, they avoided making any comment about whether she would be able to fly again, but were instead very keen to focus on telling the fillies that if they hadn’t been so prompt in rescuing her, she would probably have died from her injuries. Finally, they returned happily to Sweet Apple Acres to gather around the kitchen table and relive all the excitement over again. Suddenly, their story telling was interrupted in mid-flow by a knock on the front door. “I’ll get it” said Granny Smith, struggling to her hooves and tottering towards her door. When she opened it, she was only partly surprised to see Rainbow Dash at the front of a crowd of happy ponies. “It’s for you kids” she called back, without even bothering to ask. She knew full well that such deeds as they had done were not going to go unrewarded. The fillies jumped down from the table and trotted curiously over to the door. “Hey Rainbow Dash!” cried Scootaloo excitedly. “Hey yourself” she replied with a broad smile, “Some friends wanted to come round and say thank you for what you two did today.” As there was clearly insufficient room to get all the ponies into the kitchen, Big Mac gave Apple Bloom a gentle nudge with his muzzle, and they all moved outside, only then noticing that Rainbow Dash was in her flight suit and secondly, that tables piled high with food had appeared in the courtyard. “As the only member of the Ponyville weather team who also happens to be a Wonderbolt" Rainbow began, with no attempt at modesty, "It falls to me to thank you both for your good work today. Firstly, Clear Skies’ parents are very grateful to you for having found their daughter and they have laid on this feast for you. They look forward to meeting you, and send their apologies for not being here in person, but, as I’m sure you’ll understand, they’re not wanting to leave the hospital right now." The fillies looked around the cheering sea of faces before them as they took in the applause; there were townsfolk, school friends and a whole lot of pegasi they had never met before. As Apple Bloom's was taking in the fact that the Element Bearers had also turned out, she saw a sight that made her squee with excitement, for ambling towards her was an orange pony with a Stetson hat, beaming happily, and alongside her was Sweetie Belle. She grabbed Scootaloo's foreleg and gave it a few quick enthusiastic tugs, directing her friend to see the two latest arrivals. “Oh yeah” Rainbow added casually, as Sweetie Belle broke ranks and ran to be with her Crusader friends, “… Nearly forgot to mention, we brought a couple a special guests back for the occasion too ...” “Next” Rainbow continued, I have two certificates from the weather team, entitling each of you to weather of your choice once a month in the Ponyville area …” “Also …” Rainbow resumed, once the applause had died down, I have two further certificates here commemorating your first flights …” She extended a framed certificate signed by all the Wonderbolts to Apple Bloom, along with a rare silver wingpony badge and added, “I think I can safely say this is the first time a Wonderbolts badge has ever been awarded to an earth pony for their first flight! Thanks for everything you did.” Then she gave Scootaloo her signed certificate along with a highly sought after gold lead pony badge saying, “You’ve earned this, kid. I’m so proud of you!” At this, the applause ratcheted up a notch and reached a deafening crescendo. “Finally” she concluded, once she could be heard, “You have front row tickets to the next Wonderbolts show.” “When’s that?” asked Scootaloo, almost breathless with excitement. “Right now” replied Rainbow simply, as she and the other Wonderbolts leapt into the air at her cue to perform an exclusive one-of-a-kind performance for their very special guests.
