'I should've said something...ANYTHING instead of just being all...awkward like that. Ugh...Though...from what I saw, she seemed to be doing...a little better. Flutters and I should talk to her soon...maybe later this week? I dunno...I'll need to talk to Fluttershy about it first and see where to go from there.' Scoots shook away her thoughts as she rejoined the conversation.

“...really think they'll have those kinds of flavours?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yea! Rarity took me to an ice cream shop place once here in Canterlot and they had TONS of flavours!” Scootaloo let a small smile onto her face as she listened to her friends, her hooves idly playing with the ribbon wrapped around her foreleg.

'Can't believe I keep forgetting about this thing. It was such a sweet gift and I'm going to ruin it if I keep forgetting about it.' Scoots scolded mentally. It was then that she realized that her friends had gone silent and were staring at her. “What're you two looking at?”

“Well...” Sweetie Belle started, her mind struggling to find a delicate way to address her friend.

“We wanna know if yer okay.” Apple Bloom finished bluntly.

“Huh? Yea I'm okay. Why would you-”

“Cuz ya saw Rainbow Dash.” The earth mare said.

“Oh that...well...if anything, it was just a little awkward is all. Other than that, I'm fine.” The pegasus's friends looked at each other, apparently unconvinced. “Come on! Why would I lie to you two about this?” The two looked down in thought for a moment before Sweetie looked back up, a smile on her face.

“You're right. Sorry about that Scoots but we just care for you is all.”

“Yea! What kinda friends would we be if we didn't stick by ya?”

Scootaloo chuckled and said, “Pretty lousy ones I'd assume.” The trio shared a laugh and the rest of the train ride went smoothly. About an hour or so later, the train pulled into Canterlot. The three mares rushed out of the large method of transportation, laughing as steam washed over them. When it cleared, the Crusaders immediately began to look around for an ice cream shop.

“Maybe we should ask directions?” The unicorn asked.

“Nah, we can find one on our own.” Apple Bloom said, her eyes squinting as she scanned the surrounding area.

“But we'll get ice cream so much faster if we just-”

“Ah told ya, we can find one on our own.” Scootaloo couldn't help but snicker and roll her eyes as her two friends bickered.

“Excuse me, Miss. Do you know where we can find an ice cream parlour around here?” Scoots asked a nearby mare as her friends continued to go back and forth.

“Oh of course I can! Go down the street and hang a left at the red building and go about...half way down before you turn right and there should be a place called “Frozen's Emporium”.”

“Thank you so much.” The elder mare nodded and continued on her way. “Girls.” The orange pony said, trying to get the attention of her friends. “Girls.” Scootaloo tapped her hooves, quickly becoming annoyed. “Girls!” They continued on, ignoring her. So, Scootaloo inhaled and shouted, “GIRLS!” That seemed to do the trick as they both jumped in fright, giving Scootaloo the attention she sought after (as well as the attention outside the station). The young pegasus chuckled in embarrassment before shuffling onwards, dragging the other two Crusaders behind her. It wasn't until they turned the corner that she let them go.

“What gives?” Apple Bloom asked, dusting herself off.

“I found a place to go, but you were both ignoring me.” Scoots answered, shrugging off the look she was getting from the Apple.

“Ya asked for directions, didn't'cha?”

The orange pony rolled her eyes and said with a smile, “Yea, and now we can get ice cream.” Apple Bloom mumbled something about being independent, but Scootaloo nor Sweetie Belle paid heed to her words as they walked, the pegasus leading the way. When they walked into the shop, they were greeted by cool air and an energetic mare.

“Hiya girls!” Sweetie Belle smiled and spoke first.

“Hi Lyra! What're you doing here?” The mint unicorn said nothing, instead lifting a waffle bowl up with her magic and using a spoon to take a bite of the ice cream that lay within.

“Same thing you are I'd guess.” When the younger ponies had gotten their ice cream, they took a seat with Lyra. “So what brings you girls to Canterlot? Ice cream?”

“Mhmm!” Sweetie nodded happily, taking a bite of her vanilla ice cream that sat within the confines of a waffle bowl.

“I owed them a day together since I've been working so hard, so I promised we'd come up here and get some ice cream and spend time together.” Scoots explained, licking her the chocolate ice cream that was perched precariously on a cone.

“Eeyup.” Was all Apple Bloom said before returning to her strawberry milkshake. Lyra laughed and ate more of her own ice cream. As they all talked and joked around, Scootaloo couldn't help but notice something.

“....You two get together often?” The pegasus asked, looking at Sweetie and Lyra.

They both grinned and simultaneously said, “Yup!” The other two Crusaders waited for an explanation that would close their hanging jaws.

“We get together at least once a week and just hang out at that little cafe near the market. You know the one: serves nothing but milkshakes and hay fries?” Scoots and Apple Bloom both nodded before the earth pony spoke.

“So when did y'all start hangin' out?” Scootaloo was curious as well. Never had the young unicorn mention spending time with Lyra.

“Ever since I found out we're related.” Sweetie Belle said with a grin. If either Scootaloo or Apple Bloom had been eating, they would've spit out whatever had been in their mouths from shock. The two unicorns laughed at the dumbstruck faces the other Crusaders had made.

“R-related?!” Scootaloo finally managed to say.

“Mhmm! I'm actually Rarity's sister. Though sadly, it's not a well known fact. I think she's embarrassed by me.” Lyra said with a snicker. After the shock had worn off, the four continued on as normal. “So, what do you girls plan on doing after this?” The Crusaders looked at each other and collectively shrugged.

“No idea. I mean, I'm leaving at around three, but I dunno about these two.” Scootaloo said.

“Ooh, where ya goin'?”

“She gets to go to Cloudsdale to see the Wonderbolts!” Sweetie Belle shouted, throwing her hooves up into the air.

“Heh, very nice. You goin' with anypony?” This time, it was Apple Bloom who stopped Scoots from speaking.

“With her marefriend Fluttershy.” As the earth pony spoke, her tone went all sing song-y, making Scootaloo blush.

“Aww! That's so sweet!” Lyra gushed, reaching over the table and hugging the pegasus. Scootaloo laughed and pushed the older mare away from her, fixing her mane in a mock dignified way. After another half an hour, the group decided to leave, bringing Lyra along with them. So, the group walked through the pristine city on the mountain, talking and commenting on things that caught their interest. Eventually however, the small group walked by a clock as it was chiming thrice, signaling that it was three o' clock.

“Ooh! I gotta get back to the train station! I'll catch you girls later!” And with that Scootaloo dashed off, leaving a trio of laughing mares in her wake at her near forgetfulness. Thankfully, Scootaloo managed to make it back to the station in about ten minutes, panting heavily. “Hope...I didn't miss her...” Scoots said between breaths. She looked around for any sign of her loved one, but saw hide nor hair of the gracefully pegasus. So, Scootaloo moved off to the side so she wouldn't get caught up in the traffic of ponies going to and from the station.

However, it wasn't a minute later that she felt something strange on her back. Scootaloo tried to turn, but found that something was keeping her head forward. “Wha-” She began to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of somepony inhaling deeply. Scootaloo shivered as she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

“Ahh...” A male voice sighed contently whenever he had finished sniffing her.

“Let go ya creep!” Scootaloo struggled, but to no avail.

“This smell...it belongs to that little angel of a mare ya got with ya, don't it?”

“Huh? What're you talking about? Lemme go!” Scootaloo tried to spin and face her captor, but he kept her still.

“Stop strugglin' or I'll break yer leg.”His voice was harsh and gruff, like he had something in the back of his throat that just wouldn't go away. The threat worked almost immediately as Scootaloo stiffened. “That's better.” She heard the sound of liquid sloshing in a container of some sort before the sound of him guzzling it down. “Ahh...now then...where was I?” He asked rhetorically.

Scootaloo felt the urge to make some kind of sarcastic quip, but refrained. 'He's probably drunk...I can smell the hard cider on his breath whenever he opens his mouth...so he would probably make good on his threat to break my leg...' Scootaloo thought, her eyes scanning the crowd and wondering how none of them could notice that she was in trouble.

“Ahh yes. I wanted to commend you on your home. A right pretty place it was.”

“You're the one who broke in, aren't you?!” Scoots hissed through her teeth.

“Aye, that I am. Bet you wanna know WHY, don't'cha?” Her silence prompted him to continue. “I was hopin' I could catch that timid little beauty of yours alone and have a little....chat with her.”

'Yeah right, and I'm a unicorn.' Scootaloo thought. “Stay away from Fluttershy or I swear I'll-”

“Fluttershy's her name huh? What a lovely and innocent name that is.” It was grating to hear this...thing to even utter her beloved's name and Scootaloo tensed when he did. “Can't imagine why she'd be with you though. Lousy little pegasus who can't even fly.” Scootaloo's wings flared as did her temper and began to struggle once more, fighting even harder to face him. “Ah ah ah, temper temper.” The captive mare felt pressure on her left hind leg as he pushed a hoof against it, making it turn a way it wasn't naturally supposed to turn. Scootaloo bit her lower lip as he continued with no sign of stopping.

'Oh Celestia...h-he's really gonna break my leg!' Panic flooded Scootaloo's system, fighting pain for dominance over which should be prioritized. Thankfully, the pressure stopped as she heard her name.

“Scootaloo?”

“Ahh...there's the little mare now...looks like you get off this time ya little brat.” Scoots felt herself get shoved forward as he released his grip on her. The young pony caught herself before she hit the ground and quickly spun as soon as she had corrected her stance. Sadly, there was no sign of anypony.

“Rats...” Scoots mumbled, idly rubbing her sore leg.

“Oh Scootaloo! There you are!” The young mare felt herself get swept up into the hooves of her lover and she couldn't help but hug back.

“H-hey Fluttershy.” The older pegasus quickly picked up on the strange tone in her younger counterpart's voice.

“Is something wrong?” Scootaloo contemplated telling her marefriend of what had just transpired, but decided against it.

'Don't need her worrying as well...' Scoots thought quickly. “Nah. I was just wondering when you'd get here is all.” Fluttershy regarded her young lover for a moment, and Scootaloo was afraid her lie had been seen through.

Fortunately, the yellow pegasus's features softened and she said, “Sorry. Angel Bunny wasn't exactly thrilled that I wouldn't be back in time for dinner.” Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the bunny's antics before she spoke again.

“So...exactly how are we getting to Cloudsdale?” Fluttershy giggled set Scootaloo down before setting her hooves down onto the cobblestone as well.

“I'm going to carry you, of course.” For the second time that day, Scootaloo's jaw dropped.

“I...but you...are...what?!” Fluttershy couldn't help the laughter that came at the expense of her younger counterpart.

“Don't worry. I've carried things that were much heavier than you, and for longer distances. While...Rainbow Dash was built for speed and dexterity, I'm built for strength and endurance.” Scootaloo could do nothing but nod. The yellow pony rolled her eyes playfully and reconnected Scootaloo's jaw with the rest of her head, allowing the younger pony to finally form a proper sentence.

“Would you really be able to carry me all the way to Cloudsdale?”

“Of course! It's actually not that far from here. It's about a thirty minute flight.” Scoots gave another nod before she voiced her second concern.

“So then are you carrying me?” Once again, Fluttershy giggled.

“In a sense. Hop on.” The blush that flared onto Scootaloo's face could be matched by no mare or stallion in coat or colour as the yellow mare crouched to let Scootaloo on her back.

“I....I dunno about thIS!” In the middle of her word, Fluttershy had swooped under her lover and taken to the sky. Scootaloo clutched onto her lover as tightly as she dared as the two soared through the sky, her voice dead in her throat.

After a few minutes, she felt a gently nudge followed by, “It's okay Sweetheart. I would never let you fall.” For some reason, these words brought even more unease into the young pony.

'This isn't like last time! She won't let you fall! She'd never let you fall! Where Rainbow Dash failed...Fluttershy will not.' Slowly but surely, Scootaloo opened her eyes to see the sky around her. All around her were clouds of all shapes and sizes, just freely floating as they went untouched by the pegasi of Equestria after their creation. As the wind whipped through her mane, Scootaloo felt an exuberant rush at the sensation of flying through the air.

A smile appeared on the orange pegasus's face, which slowly evolved into a grin that spread from one ear to the other. From that grin came a soft chuckle. That chuckle quickly changed into a giggle and from there became a laugh that was carried away on the wind to nowhere in particular. When her laughter had been contained, Scootaloo quivered happily, the joy she had reigned in struggling to find a way out. Finally, Scootaloo opened her mouth, and screamed in rapture. Fluttershy couldn't help but grin as she heard her lover shout her joy to the world.

While the young pegasus of incapable of flight on her own, Fluttershy was more than happy to at least give Scootaloo the feeling of flying through the air. She had remembered the first time she had truly flown. The yellow pegasus had felt the joy for at least two days after her flight, so she could only imagine how much bliss Scoots would feel, and how long she would feel it for. Fluttershy turned her head when she didn't hear the joyful screams and saw Scootaloo's eyes close as she slowly extended her wings. The orange mare's body nearly went numb as she became detached from the world around her, leaving only herself and the wind.

'This feeling...it's far better than I could ever imagine it would've been. I've been missing out on this for so long...and now I can truly see why so many older pegasi have pitied me...for I live a sad and empty life without the power of flight...' As she continued to think, Scootaloo felt a slight shift and remembered that she wasn't alone here in the sky. 'No...not sad and empty. I have something that those pegasi don't have...I have a pony I can trust with my life! I have a pony who will love me no matter what flaws I possess...I have a pony who makes up for my lack of flight tenfold. I have...Fluttershy.' As she thought of her lover's name, Scootaloo opened her eyes and immediately found herself looking into soft cyan eyes.

'I love you.' Scootaloo mouthed, to which Fluttershy gave a soft smile and said the words back to her. Scoots leaned down and hugged the mare carrying her and said, “Thank you so much Fluttershy...”

“Any time Scootaloo. Whenever you want to be up here in the sky, just tell me and I'll be more than happy to oblige.” The younger pony's heart soared at knowing she could share this with her lover any time she wanted. Instead of saying anything, Scootaloo carefully let go with her forehooves and turned Fluttershy's head to kiss her. Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat as her marefriend pulled her into a kiss. Little did Scootaloo know, but kissing while in flight was one of the most intimate things a pegasus could do for their significant other.

'I know she doesn't know...but that doesn't make it any less romantic.' The caretaker thought with a warm grin. Finally, the flight came to an end as they began to reach Cloudsdale.

“Wow....it's so...beautiful.” Scoots said, her eyes wide in fascination.

“I'm glad you like it.” The orange mare's head turned this way and that, trying to look at every little thing she could from her vantage point before they landed. Scootaloo immediately hopped off and began running around, looking at all the nearby buildings with awe. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at her young lover's behaviour and when Scoots heard her laughing, she blushed hotly and cleared her throat.

“I-I mean...it's pretty nice and stuff...” Fluttershy walked over and kissed Scootaloo's forehead and said,

“C'mon. I'll show you around for awhile since the show doesn't start for another hour and a half.” Scootaloo grinned and eagerly followed. As they walked, Fluttershy talked about the city itself and of the landmarks they passed while Scootaloo listened with endless interest and even commenting here and there about some aspect of the flying city that she had learned about in school. Eventually, they made it to the Cloudosseum.

“Holy Celestia that thing is HUGE!” Scoots said aloud, craning her neck to see the top from where she stood.

“Mhmm. Biggest structure in Cloudsdale to date. Now come on, let's find our seats inside.” If Scootaloo's body had been trembling in excitement before, it was absolutely shaking now as they walked up to the stallion in a small booth labeled “tickets”.

“Evenin' ladies. You here for the show?” Fluttershy nodded and fished the tickets out from between her wings and presented them. The stallion took them, a grin growing on his face. “You must be Fluttershy and Scootaloo, correct?” The two shared a shocked look before nodding. “Spitsy said you'd be comin'. Go ahead and head down that hallway over yonder and it'll lead right to your seats.”

“T-thank you.” The yellow mare mumbled, earning a laugh from the ticket-master. The two shook off the surprise and headed down a hallway and Fluttershy quickly noticed something. “That's odd...usually these corridors are packed tight with pegasi trying to get in and to their seats.”

“Huh...maybe nopony goes down this way much?” Scoots asked with a shrug. Fluttershy could do nothing but shrug back and continue walking. At some point, they ascended a staircase and when they got to the top, they finally made it out of the hall and they both gasped, but for different reasons. Scootaloo gasped because of the view that was presented to them. They were sitting where they could see the entire stadium perfectly and there were no other ponies in sight. Fluttershy gasped because she knew exactly where they were.

'Is she even ALLOWED to let us sit here?!' The yellow pegasus thought in a light panic. It must've showed on her face, because Scootaloo commented on it.

“You okay Flutters?”

“Y-yeah...just a little surprised is all.”

“Oh? Why's that?” Scoots asked, taking one of the two seats in front of them. “Wow...this VIP section is pretty nice...” She said to herself.

“That's just it, though. This isn't the VIP section. That's over there.” Scootaloo followed Fluttershy's hoof and saw she was pointing to a small boxed off area across from them.

“Then...what's this we're sitting in?” Scoots asked, slowly getting off the seat.

“T-this is the Princess's Box.” The orange mare resisted having her jaw drop yet again, instead holding her jaw closed with a hoof. After a moment, she spoke.

“Can...can we even sit up here? Maybe that stallion made a mistake?”

“Oh, it's no mistake.” Came a voice from behind. Both mares jumped and spun in mid-air to face the voice.

“S-Spitfire! Don't scare me like that!” Fluttershy said, her hoof over her heart while Scootaloo was struck speechless. The Wonderbolt chuckled and pulled Fluttershy into a hug.

“So I take it this is Scootaloo? Nice ta meet'cha Scootaloo.” Spitfire held out her hoof to the younger mare, who took it and shook it a little harder than she had planned.

“I-it's a p-pleasure to meet you!”

“Careful Spitfire. I found out recently that's she's quite the fan.”

Once again, the captain laughed and said, “Is that so? Well, always nice to meet a fan.” Scoots just nodded, not trusting her mouth.

'I can't believe it! I'm actually talking to Spitfire!' The youngest of the three shook her head and said, “So uh...h-how do you know Fluttershy?” Spitfire and Fluttershy looked at each other and smiled before Spitfire turned back and said,

“We go way back. I was always keepin' an eye out for her when she was in school and flight camp. Though after she met up with Dash, I just wasn't needed as much.”

Scoots nodded and then asked, “So then...you two are foalhood friends?”

“Oh yea! We were as close as close could be, weren't we 'Shy?” Spitfire asked, throwing a hoof around the pink-maned mare and pulling her into a half hug.

“Mhmm! If it wasn't for Spitfire, I don't know WHERE I'd be right now.”

“Aww shucks 'Shy, you're giving me WAY too much credit here.” The trio laughed and continued on with small talk until another Wonderbolt came by.

“Hey Spitfire, we're goin' on soon.” He glanced at the other two pegasi and smiled. “Good evening Fluttershy.”

“Good evening Lighting.” Spitfire rolled her eyes with a smile and walked over to Scootaloo, pulling her aside so she wouldn't be heard. “I'm happy for you both, and I'm especially happy that you decided to be with her. You mean a lot to her you know.”

Scoots nodded and said, “I can imagine.” Spitfire looked back over her shoulder and saw that Fluttershy was still engaged in conversation.

“So that's why I want you to be careful with her, okay? She's not weak or helpless...but she's still a little on the...fragile side from time to time. I'd hate for her to get hurt...She means a lot to me, ya know?” Scootaloo said nothing at first, opting to instead nod.

'Wow...they must've been really good friends back then...or maybe even...' The young orange mare kicked the thought from her mind and said, “Don't worry. I love her too much to let anything happen to her, and I swear on Celestia's sun and Luna's moon that I will never hurt her.” This time, it was Spitfire who nodded before speaking.

“Good. Now then, I've got a show to put on.” She left Scoots with a wink, dragging Lightning Streak out with her.

“You know Lightning Streak too?” The young mare asked, taking a seat in the smaller and darker chair.

“Mhmm. He's dating my father so I've known him for quite awhile.” Fluttershy replied, taking a hesitant seat in the bigger and brighter chair. The two talked for a moment before a loud, booming voice silenced them.

“Fillies and gentlecolts! Put your hooves together for the greatest flying team in all of Equestria...THE WONDERBOLTS!” Cheers erupted from everywhere as the pegasi in uniform flew out from a small opening near the bottom of the Cloudosseum. Ponies all over the place screamed the name of their favourite Wonderbolt while others held signs or pictures. Even Scootaloo couldn't help but cheer Spitfire's name. Fluttershy giggled and hugged the younger mare.

“You're so cute when you're excited.” The words burned a blush onto Scootaloo's face as she hugged Fluttershy back, not trusting her voice to respond. The two cheered and screamed happily as the show went on, unaware of the eyes that gazed upon them with hatred. As the show went on and Celestia's sun began to disappear from the sky, the cheers never died out. Finally, as the show began to wind down, the announcer spoke again, appearing as if from nowhere.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, let's give one last round of applause for the one...the only...WONDERBOLTS!” A deafening roar overtook the stadium as every pony got to their hooves and clopped them together. The Wonderbolts all lined up in the air, bowing and waving to their various fans.

'Wait...isn't Daddy supposed to-'

“Lightning Streak!” The whole stadium went silent as a lone pegasus flew out of the crowd towards the addressed Wonderbolt. Ponies were screaming for security to stop the pony, but the guards simply smiled, knowing who the male pegasus was. Lightning Streak met the yellow stallion half way, pulling him into an embrace.

“Warm Breeze? What're you-”

“Will you marry me?”The surprise on the Wonderbolt's face was something to be admired as he tried to stammer out some kind of reply. Everypony else was pretty much the same way, some obviously wanting to tell him to accept while others wanted to scream their objections. Finally, Fluttershy stood near the edge of the box and shouted,

“Say yes!” The two stallions smiled at the mare and looked back at each other.

“Of course I'll marry you Warm Breeze.” Then, Lightning Streak pulled his fiance close and tenderly kissed him. More than half the stadium fell back into a chorus of joyful cheering, and even the other Wonderbolts cheered for the new married couple. Eventually, ponies were ushered out of the Cloudsseum with the exception of Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Warm Breeze as they conversed with Spitfire and Lightning Streak. However, around nine, Scootaloo yawned.

“We should probably be getting back. Scootaloo has school tomorrow.”

“But I'm not tired!” The young mare exclaimed, getting to her hooves.

“She's right you know. School is pretty important.” Spitfire said, standing up and stretching.

“I know...” The older pegasi could see the slight downshift in the younger mare's mood, so Spitfire came near and pulled Scootaloo into a hug.

“Don't worry. Since it's nearly off-season, I'll probably be visiting Fluttershy more often.” At this, Scootaloo's eyes lit up.

“Really?!”

“Mhmm. Now, before you go...I want you to have this. Think of it as a souvenir from your first Wonderbolt's show.” The fiery pegasus unstrapped the goggles from her head and placed them upon the young orange pony's. Scootaloo couldn't form any semblance of a sentence as she sat there, feeling the goggles upon her head. Fluttershy giggled and kissed her lover's forehead.

“Thank you Spitfire, and congratulations Daddy.” The stallion simply smiled and snuggled his head into the crook of his husband's foreleg. “Come along Scootaloo.” Fluttershy gently nudged the young pony along, the orange mare frozen in place. When she finally snapped out of her stupor, the two were in mid-air, heading down to Ponyville.

“Wow...”

“I take it you enjoyed our date?” Fluttershy asked, flapping her wings every so often as she continued to glide downward.

“Enjoyed it? I LOVED it! I got to see a Wonderbolt's show, I got to MEET Spitfire, I was there for your father's proposal...It was an amazing date Fluttershy. Thank you.” Scootaloo leaned forward and kissed Fluttershy. The yellow mare giggled against Scootaloo's lips and in turn, Scootaloo couldn't help but giggle as well and soon, the two were laughing in the night sky. When they arrived back at Scootaloo's, Fluttershy immediately took her younger counterpart to her bedroom and crawled into bed.

“You're tired?” Scoots asked, yawning as she crawled under the blanket and into the waiting hooves of her lover.

“Mhmm. Aren't you? I don't know about you, but I've had a long day.” Scoots nodded and snuggled her face against Fluttershy's chest.

“Love ya, Fluttershy.”

“Love you too, Scootaloo. Sweet dreams.” The two shared a tender kiss and fell asleep, unaware of the presence that loomed outside the house, chuckling in a dark tone.

Author's Note

Now....now we're getting into it.