Scootaloo raced down the streets of Ponyville- she wasn't focused on where she was going, but she was subconsciously heading to Sugarcube Corner. The only thing on her mind was flying. I'm finally gonna fly! She swooned when she thought about the thrill of it, and even more so when she thought about Rainbow teaching her. The Greatest Young Flier would be her mentor in what she was best at. It was an amazing thought.
She skidded to a stop just short of the tables outside of her destination. Wait… What am I doing here…? Then she realized that she wouldn't be able to get to Rainbow's palace just yet, so she might as well just start looking for her here. She left her scooter leaning against a chair and went inside.
She dropped the book next to her and smiled at the male clerk as she came in. "Hey there, Mr. Cake. Is Rainbow here?" She was let down when she received a negative answer. "Well, is Pinkie working today?" Almost on cue, a pink filly came bouncing out of the back room with flour dotting her body in spots and what looked like frosting on one side of her nose.
"Heya there, Scootaloo! What can I do for you?" She giggled at her rhyme.
The two weren't particularly familiar, but they were close enough to talk in relative comfort. Besides, this was an emergency! "Do you know where Rainbow Dash is today? I'm looking for her because I wanna learn how to fly." She gestured to the book on the floor next to her, smiling proudly.
Pinkie frowned as she thought. "Well yesterday, I remember asking Applejack to come help me bake some cakes today and she was there. The two of them were throwing their shoes at a stick in the ground, but I don't know why. I thought it was a game, but then I asked myself, 'Pinkie, why would anyone throw their shoes at a stick? That would be a silly game!' Then I realized how much I love-love-LOVE silly games! Then I-" Mr. Cake cleared his throat, reminding her she was supposed to be answering a question. Scootaloo began dreading this conversation. "OH! Well Applejack said she couldn't come help because she was busy helping Big Mac with something today. Then I asked Rainbow if she wanted to help, but she said she would be helping some other Weather Team members for most of the day."
Now it was Scootaloo's turn to frown. Rainbow was even more inaccessible clearing the clouds than she was in her house; at least then she would be in one spot. Now, she could be anywhere in Ponyville, or even somewhere outside it. "Okay, thanks Pinkie." She picked up the book again and turned to head out.
"Hey Scoot! Do you wanna help me bake cakes? I'll let you taste the iciiing…" She batted her eyelashes a little and waggled her nose.
"Uhh, nah, not today Pinkie. I wanna learn to fly."
"Okie dokie lokie! Have fun!" She hopped back into the kitchen to resume baking and Scootaloo left the shop.
The orange filly stood on her scooter for a while, looking around in the sky and trying to figure out where the most clouds were. She saw a rather large outcropping of them, and headed north to wait hopefully under them for her idol. She watched the sky as she sped down the roads, so she didn't consciously notice she was nearing Fluttershy's cottage until she was practically at the front door.
She set her scooter down carefully, making sure she wasn't close enough to any small critters to disturb them. Then she walked up to the door and knocked a few times. The yellow pegasus came to the door, sporting a headdress of many vibrant birds, perched there happily. "Oh, hi Scootaloo," her soft smile was heartwarming. She blushed when she remembered her 'hat.'
Scoot's eyes got wide. "Whoa, that's so cool! How do you make them stay like that?" She shoved a hoof in the air and tried to get one of the birds to perch on her too, but predictably, they all flew off, scared. Fluttershy jumped a little too, due to the sudden protrusion into her personal space. "Oh…" Scootaloo looked down, "Sorry, Fluttershy…" She felt similar to when she and the other Crusaders had broken the soft-spoken pony's table.
"That's all right, Scootaloo. You just shook them up a little. They'll be fine. So what can I do for you?"
"Oh, right!" Scootaloo gave her the book, "I want Rainbow to teach me how to fly and Pinkie told me she was gonna be clearing the clouds, so I came here and I hope she'll be here soon so I can talk to her!" Fluttershy looked around at the clouds covering the sky in the nearby area while the filly beamed as happily as though she had found a treasure trove worthy of Spike's appetite.
Fluttershy took a looked at the dusty, old book. Gee, I wonder if Rainbow would be a good teacher… She can be a little reckless. What if Scootaloo got hurt? "Umm… Scootaloo, what if I taught you how to fly? Don't you think it would be, well… Safer?" She added an imploring smile to strengthen her cause.
Scoot scoffed, "Fluttershy, come on! Rainbow wouldn't let me get hurt. I'm gonna sit out here in your yard for her- do you mind?"
The motherly mare bit her lip as she thought. "Well, I guess not… But tell me if you change your mind. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Okay, thanks Fluttershy!" Scootaloo called as she grabbed her scooter and high-tailed it into the yard so she would have the best view possible of the surrounding skies. Fluttershy sighed and whispered to one of her birds, who then flew off to land in a tree and watch the little filly. She also opened a window so the bird could fly in and tell her should anything go awry. Then she went back to practicing her song with the birds that were still there.
