Chapter 21: The Washouts
On a sunny day, Scootaloo called in a meeting of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club and was banging on the podium firmly.
"Order, order, everypony! I hereby call to order this meeting of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club!" Scootaloo called, getting everypony's attention.
The members mutter in excitement, and as usual, Rainbow appeared and was eavesdropping on the club.
"First order of business! Let's-celebrate-the-one-and-only-Rainbow-Dash-yay-she's-amazing-now-if-there's-nothing-else-that-concludes-this-meeting-of-the-Rainbow-Dash-Fan-Club-thank-you-all-for-coming-any-questions?!" Scootaloo said uncharacteristically and too quickly.
This shocked and confused the Rainbow Dash Fans and even herself. They didn't expect her to talk like that.
"Huh?" Rainbow asked, confused as well.
All of a sudden, Scootaloo pushes the entire group outside.
"Meeting adjourned!" Scootaloo said happily and she closed the door.
This left them speechless yet confused and disappointed by her odd behavior. Nevertheless, they have to leave and return to their daily life.
With them gone, Scootaloo, looking very excited, removed her Rainbow Dash's Wig at once. She then removed all of Rainbow Dash Fan Club's items and merchandise such as posters, leaflets, flyers, cardboards, balloons and triangle banners. All of them are now replaced by new ones that involve a more greenish-blackish colored theme with mysterious masked Pegasus wearing black and green jumpsuit with motorcyclist's helmet with green wings, burning flames and lightning shapes symbols.
Scootaloo sighes happily and bangs the desk with her hoof.
"I'd like to call to order the first ever meeting of the newest and most exciting club – of which I am the president, founding, and only member – the Washouts Fan Club!" Scootaloo announced happily with a flap of her wings.
Scootaloo turns to the posters while unknowingly behind her, Rainbow Dash gasped with a horror look on her face.
*Main theme*
Scootaloo continued admiring the posters, and then a door was heard opening. She turns and finds Rainbow leaning on the door with her front hooves crossed.
"Oh, hey, Scootaloo. I was just in the neighbor-! Oh! What's that?" Rainbow asked, pretending not to notice anything until she spotted the poster. This prompted her sister figure to bring it down at once. She approached and questioned, "Did I interrupt your fan club meeting?"
"Hey! What are you doin' here?" Scootaloo greeted innocently and nervously.
"I could ask you the same question!" Rainbow firmly said.
"Oh, uh, y'know... mmm... s-stuff." Scootaloo nervously said and hides the posters behind her. "Uh, definitely not starting a new fan club or anything."
"Ha!" Rainbow shouted sternly, catching her. "It's no use pretending! I heard everything when I was outside eavesdropping, like I do for every meeting!"
"You eavesdrop on every meeting? That's weird." Scootaloo said with a puzzled look.
"Well, sure it sounds weird when you say it out loud. And I probably shouldn't because eavesdropping is wrong, but still." Rainbow admitted, "Why are you starting a new fan club?"
"I just think maybe it's time for me to explore other fan clubs." Scootaloo explained.
Rainbow was surprised by Scootaloo's answer. Her adopted sister reluctantly passed her poster to her. She took it, unrolling to see the full poster. She hummed while looking at the design and read its title 'The Washout'.
"What is a 'The Washouts'?" Rainbow asked.
"Only the newest, and greatest, and only stunt troupe in Equestria!" Scootaloo answered happily with a squeal noise.
"Stunt troupe?" Rainbow questioned.
"How can I explain it? Like the Wonderbolts, just twenty bajillion percent cooler!" Scootaloo answered with a squeal of excitement.
"'Twenty bajillion'?!" Rainbow said in disbelief.
"They do all sorts of extreme stunts that focus on daredevilry and sheer guts rather than boring old flight and formation junk." Scootaloo said as if she suddenly doesn't like the Wonderbolts anymore.
"'Boring old flight and formation junk'?!" Rainbow said in disbelief even more.
"Are you just repeating everything I say?" Scootaloo asked in an annoyed tone as she turned to Rainbow.
"Only because my brain feels like it's strapped to one of those rockets about to explode." Rainbow answered as she leaned against a ladder.
"So you do get it!" Scootaloo said with a smile as she went up to her, and looked at a poster. "Aren't they awesome?!"
Rainbow was now concerned as if Scootaloo was no longer looking up to her.
"We don't even know who they are yet. I mean, Chase won't even like it if you'd join something dangerous like this." Rainbow said while looking at the poster. "Don't you even have the posters of him and his family as the Elite Ninja?"
That got Scootaloo's attention.
"Oh yeah. I keep some of the merchandise over there." Scootaloo said as she motioned Rainbow to the side with posters and action figures of Chase, Jade, Sunray, Trini, and Antonio fighting off the Quinkan and in fighting poses. "The Elite Ninja have always saved the world from the Quinkan everytime Zhao has struck, but since that Quinkan leader isn't here anymore, Chase doesn't mind if I joined an awesome club in order to try something new. He has his ways and I have my way of doing my own things."
In turns of not impressing her, Rainbow was still worried than ever.
(Scene changes)
Later, Rainbow was with the others and telling them about Scootaloo's new interest.
"So she's just planning to move on from you, Rainbow?" Jade asked with a surprised look.
"Just like that?" Sunray asked as well, just as surprised as his family was.
"Are you sure that what she said was true, Dashie?" Sokka asked too.
"Yes! Can you believe she actually said that?!" Rainbow asked.
"Pfft, well, yeah! Eavesdropping on every meeting is kinda weird," Pinkie Pie replied, oblivious to the situation.
"That's not what Rainbow meant, Pinkie." Chase said with a dry and unamused look.
"You've been eating way too many cupcakes." Sokka added as Pinkie gave them an annoyed look.
"They're right. I mean, she basically said that the Wonderbolts aren't cool! And... And it kinda sounded like she didn't think I was cool either," Rainbow complained, then feigned her jealousy, "But, peh, we all know that's crazy! I mean, I'm definitely not worried about her looking up to somepony else. Heh. Nope. Not! At! All!"
But the worriedness can clearly be seen as she had an unstable smile and her eyes were the size of pinholes. Chase, Jade, and Sunray were a little disturbed by that.
"Don't you think you might be overreacting a bit, Rainbow?" Chase asked with a concerned look. "It's probably something that most ponies want to learn a new thing or two for excitement."
"Easy for you to say, Chase." Rainbow remarked annoyingly.
"I just hope Scootaloo doesn't lose sight of who her best role model is," Nyx said with a concerned look.
"The last thing we want is for her to not go over her head." Sokka said in agreement with the alicorn filly.
"Well, I'd understand if you were. It'd be like if Apple Bloom started lovin' bananas more than apples," Applejack said before laughing and hushed her tone as she whispered to her friends, "Y'all tell me if that ever happens, ya hear?"
"I thought you wanted her to try something new like berries, honey." Clay said with a confused look as Applejack flinched nervously while looking at her husband with a meek smile.
"But what could the Washouts possibly have that I don't?!" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Maybe because of your reckless behavior that you might need to work on." Sunray guessed with a teasing smirk.
"Not the point, Sunray!" Rainbow snapped irritatingly.
"Why don't you find out?" Pinkie suggested as she jumped up and gave Rainbow a flyer.
"They're doing a show in Ponyville this weekend?!" Rainbow asked.
"Wow! They do look pretty amazing... uh, -ly unamazing," Twilight said, looking at the flyer, then laughed nervously, "Trying so hard to look amazing is what I mean."
"Nice save, Twilight!" Pinkie remarked as she leaned in and winked squeal.
"Knock it off, Pinkie!" Chase said sternly, making Pinkie flinch as she smiled nervously at the alicorn stallion. He takes the flyer while using his magic to look at it closely. "Whoever they are, maybe we should check it out in the next few days."
The others nodded in reply as they continued on while Rainbow was still feeling more concerned. But by looking at the poster, Chase noticed something small on the corner. It was a pair of sharp jaws that something about it looked familiar to him.
(Scene changes)
The next few days came and went in a blur, and Scootaloo couldn't wait. She quickly noticed most of the seats were filled by other eager ponies, as well as the School of Friendship students.
"Awww. I knew we shoulda lined up last night," Scootaloo groaned complainingly.
"Have a little patience, Scootaloo." Chase said with a gentle yet firm look. "It's not the end of the world."
"Besides, I'm sure there's gonna be some seats left." Jade added as she looked around for any signs of empty seats.
It was then that Applejack pointed out some empty seats for her and the others. They went over while Pinkie went over to Rainbow and Scootaloo.
"I'm sorry for making us late. Who would've guessed Xtreme Chocolate Airshow Cupcakes would take an x-tremely long time to bake?" Pinkie apologized as she brought out a tray of cupcakes with flaming colored icing and then ate one of them.
"Yeah, and the cotton candy here with the orange flame makes it a perfect color." Antonio added as he held some cotton candy that had an orange flame color and took a bit of it.
Rainbow grabbed Scootaloo and flew up to their seats. But Rainbow was still upset.
"Can you guys believe this? Look at this place! It's a total Wonderbolts ripoff!" Rainbow said crossly.
"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked, "The show hasn't even started yet."
"Yeah, but look at what we're sitting on!" Rainbow tapped her seat on the bleachers to emphasize her point, "Hello!? The Wonderbolts have bleachers, too! We practically invented sitting on bleachers!"
"Rainbow, all entertainment venues that are outdoors have bleachers," Chase said. "You can't expect to fill in seating without actual seats for the guests attending whatever event is going on."
That caused Rainbow to glare at Chase with a growl.
"Yeah, but you and Spitfire always run the show when she needs you from time to time." Rainbow said jealousy and pointed to the snacks everyone had bought from the concession stands. "And popcorn and cotton candy!? Seriously!? What a ripoff!"
Everypony groaned at the ridiculous amount of jealousy Rainbow had.
"Any event can have refreshments available for attendees, Rainbow," Jade pointed out.
"Yeah, Dashie. You're starting to sound like a big baby who's jealous." Sunray added with a glare.
"I am not!" Rainbow snapped in reply with her hooves crossed.
Just then, loud rock music played through the loudspeakers, signaling the start of the show.
"Well, don't look now, but it sounds like the show is starting!" Trini said.
"Huh? Yeeeeeeeaaaahhh!" Scootaloo yelled excitedly.
"This is the time! This is the place! This is the team!" An announcer shouted as green fog began pouring in from the sides as the announcer spoke over the loudspeakers, veiling the wide stage in front of the stands. As it began to dissipate, they saw the stars of the stunt show center stage in front of the cannons and torch. There were only three members of the Washouts: one was shorter than the other two, a stallion and two mares by their respective builds, all dressed in their signature green and black flight suits and helmets protecting their bodies, leaving only their wings and tails on display. From what they can see of their exposed appendages, the small stallion had reddish orange wings and a bright orange tail, the taller mare of the two had purple wings with a white and light blue streaked tail that curled like a cloud at the end, and the other mare had green wings with and orange and yellow streaked tail. "This is...the Washouts!"
The trio struck a pose as the cannons fired loudly, launching confetti on the crowd, and the pillar erupted and shot out a plume of yellow fire like a volcano.
"Mmmm! Quality confetti cannon work," Pinkie said as she actually tasted the colorful bits of paper that sprinkled on them, which Chase, Jade, and Sunray found disgusting.
"Okay, that could not be less appetizing." Jade said with a disturbed look she shared with her brothers.
Rainbow just sighed.
Ignoring Pinkie's randomness, the Washouts flew off and soared over the crowd, giving the lucky rows a high hoof as they passed. One of the mares flew over the group's bleachers and gave Scootaloo a high hoof, making her squeal and even more hyped up for the main event.
"Oh, yeah!" Scootaloo shouted excitedly, but Rainbow wasn't impressed and watched with boredom as the Washouts gathered together at a pony-sized slingshot.
"Say it with me now," the announcer said. "The Washout's official motto-
"Leap before you look!" the crowd said as they cheered.
"'Leap before you look?' That's not a good motto to follow," Chase said with a confused look.
"Yeah, that just doesn't seem right." Sokka said in agreement.
"Woo-hoo!" Scootaloo cheered.
"Lame," Rainbow remarked.
On the field, the short stallion pegasus seated himself in the catapult while the other two Washouts pulled it back to launch him.
"Remember, ponies. While they are amazingly awesome, the Washouts are highly trained professionals with protective fire-proof flight suits! Do NOT try this at home!" The announcer advised, relieving Chase and the others somewhat as they at least gave a fair warning for everyone not to mimic the same dangerous stunts themselves.
The two mares finally let go, launching the stallion across the stage. As he freefell to the ground, the green-winged mare flew ahead, passing a bit of metal ramp with spikes jutting out, which seemed to be where the short stallion was about to land from his trajectory. The mare held up a trampoline, which he landed on and bounced off toward a seesaw, where the other mare with purple wings was standing at the ready. He launched her and sent her soaring, then activated a lever that electrocuted a set of flight wings, catching most of the crowd off guard. The mare weaved through the rings flawlessly without touching any part of the conductive metal sparking with dangerous electrical currents.
As she flew over the crowd, she picked up a torch, then flew straight into the burning pyre of the center pillar, lighting her torch while coming out unscathed. Rainbow's jaw dropped as she finally paid attention to the stunts, completely forgetting about her ire toward the team and began hanging on the edge of her seat.
They watched the purple-winged pegasus fly over to a cannon, where the green-winged pegasus mare was sitting inside, planning to launch herself at high speeds. The fuse was lit, the mare giving the crowd a salute before ducking inside, the cannon firing a second later. Sent in the air, she dove back down and began picking up speed, angling herself as she began to enter the deadly obstacle course.
The first obstacle were several spinning poles with sharp spikes jutting out, which she weaved through flawlessly.
"Whoa," Rainbow uttered as the stunt flyer headed toward the swinging pendulums of sharp blades. Rainbow was biting her hooves, unable to look away as the mare flew straight through, barely weaving from her path as each swinging blade barely missed her. Then came the spiked crushers as they slammed open and closed like the jaws of a fanged beast. Rainbow quickly grabbed Scootaloo, startling her from enjoying the show as she held her in fear for the pegasus. "She's not gonna make it!"
The first Washout mare began flying through the crushers, making it through the first, then the second, but the third one smashed down on her right at the end, feathers flying off from the impact. The crowd gasped as some of the squeamish crowd looked away, but the scare faded when the mare flew out unscathed, showing everyone she was fine, or barely grazed. The audience roared in applause at the display.
"That... was... insane! Woo-hoo!" Rainbow cheered.
"I told you!" Scootaloo said with a smirk.
"I mean...It was pretty cool," Rainbow replied, clearing her throat, "Who are these guys?"
Chase looked at them and noticed that the leader was staring at him, but her face was not seen. It wasn't the leader that got suspicious of, but it was the orange color on her tail that caught his eyes.
"That color looks familiar." Chase said with a look of suspicion.
(Scene changes)
After the show, the crowd dispersed while some lingered behind to get autographs from the Washouts.
Rainbow and Scootaloo stayed behind, the pegasus filly desperately wanting to get an autograph, but was too nervous to go up to them.
"I can't just go up and talk to them," Scootaloo said.
"You can if you're with me," Rainbow replied, "After all, one of the reasons there's a Rainbow Dash fan club is because I'm fearless. Observe."
After the autographs, the purple and orange Pegasus went by the tent. Rainbow and Scootaloo approached them.
"Hey!" Rainbow greeted the mare and stallion, who both stared at her in silence. With their helmets off, their fur and manes matched their wings and tail colors, though the mare's curled mane was short and she had a scar on her left eye and the short stallion's mane was swept back. "...Uhh, so, as a fellow aerobatic professional, I really enjoyed your show." Rainbow chuckled a little as she prepared herself to get some impressed looks from the rival stunt team. "Actually, you might recognize me since I'm a-" Rainbow leaned over to Scootaloo, the latter dumbfounded to be in such close proximity to the Washouts. "-pause for dramatic effect-" Scootaloo just stared on with wide eyes, "-a Wonderbolt."
The mare and stallion of the Washouts began laughing.
"Join the club," the mare said, her accent sounding like she was born in the land down under.
Scootaloo squealed in excitement, hearing they were former Wonderbolts at one point, though Rainbow was still unsure about them,
"O... kay..." Rainbow said uneasily.
"No, I mean, literally. Join the club. We're called 'The Washouts' because we all used to be Wonderbolts like you," she replied as she pointed to Rainbow Dash, chuckling some more. "Until we 'washed out'."
"No way!" Rainbow said, surprised.
The mare grunted as she stretched out her left hind leg, wrapping a bandage around as she seemed to have sprained or injured it during her routine.
"Yep. Name's Rolling Thunder. I got booted out of the Wonderbolt Academy because of 'flagrant disregard for hazardous weather'," Rolling Thunder said, introducing herself and explaining her story. Rolling Thunder blew a raspberry at the disregard for her own personal safety during training, "If doing barrel rolls through nine hundred million volts of electricity in a raging thunderstorm is wrong, then I don't wanna be right."
"Cool!" Rainbow exclaimed in awe.
"Ha. This 'ere's Short Fuse," Rolling Thunder said, introducing the trio to the pint-size stallion.
"Ah, nice to meet you," Short Fuse greeted.
"What's your story?" Rainbow asked.
Immediately, Short Fuse's calm grin quickly exploded into anger as he hovered over Rainbow Dash.
"ANGER ISSUES! GET OFF MY BACK!" Short Fuse shouted, causing Rainbow to squat down in surprise.
"Uhhh... Okay," Rainbow replied nervously and asked, "So, who's the leader?"
"Only the most reckless ex-Wonderbolt of all time," Rolling Thunder said.
Behind them, their leader came swooping down for a landing, kicking up dust as she hit the dirt. The mare began to take off her helmet, but when she revealed her face, Rainbow's eyes widened in shock. The leader, and the WORST ex-Wonderbolt who got kicked out and founded the Washouts was Lightning Dust.
"Lightning Dust," Rainbow growled.
"Rainbow Dash," Lightning growled back.
As the two mares were about to butt heads, Scootaloo lifted up her hoof.
"Scootaloo," she spoke up, introducing herself sheepishly as she got Lightning's attention, "I'm Scootaloo. Hi."
"Lightning Dust. I should've known somepony like you would be the brains behind a crazy idea like the Washouts!" Rainbow said to Lightning, "Or I should say, 'lack of brains'!"
That caused Lightning Dust to glare at her rival with a snarl.
"You two really know each other?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, "Oh, my gosh! This is so cool!"
"Oh. That's, uh, less cool," Scootaloo replied as she grimaced, recalling her book report for school almost a year ago.
The tension was immediately shattered when Lightning suddenly grinned and was ecstatic, baffling Rainbow Dash.
"And it was the best thing that ever happened to me!" Lightning Dust said happily and excitedly, surprising Rainbow. She remarked while putting her hoof over her former wingpony's shoulder, "Great to see you, wingpony! I heard you're a full-fledged Bolt now and got yourself a coltfriend."
Removing her hoof off from shoulder, Rainbow was still angry as Lightning Dust moved over to Short Fuse who was giving Rolling Thunder a back massage.
"Yeah," Rainbow admitted, still confused. "But, I'm still-"
"Mad at me?" Lightning asked, "Hey, was it wrong of me to endanger the lives of your friends especially Chase's marefriend? Yeah. But now, I only endanger these knuckleheads."
She pointed to Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse, with the mare somehow on a massage table and the midget stallion giving her a back massage. The duo laughed, though Short Fuse looked like he was ready to pop his top.
"Don't call me "Knucklehead"!" Short Fuse muttered with an insane smile while stomping his hooves a bit more aggressively on Rolling Thunder's back.
"Yeah, well for your last info, Chase has already become the alicorn Master of Jiu Jitsu, the leader of the Elite Ninja, and Princess Twilight Sparkle's husband." Rainbow remarked with a bitter look, surprising the three washouts before they smirked at each other.
Scootaloo went up to Lightning Dust to get her autograph.
"Well, I wasn't expecting the alicorn stallion to be married, being the leader of his own Elite Ninja, and having to save the world from the Quinkan. But c'mon, you know you miss me," Lightning said, then turned to Scootaloo as she gave her an autograph, "Me and her, we blew everypony out of the sky."
"Really?" Scootaloo asked.
"Actually, yeah, really! All that wind was totally dangerous, but we had fun, right? Two fastest times on the Dizzitron!" Lightning Dust answered.
"If I remember correctly, I had you beat by half a second," Rainbow said.
"Only because when I went, I cranked up the dizziness factor," Lightning Dust replied and the two shared a laugh. "I even learned this new move my boss showed me. Check this out. It's an old martial arts move he taught me."
Setting up a target and grabbing a rock, Lightning dust tossed the pebble into the air before she spins a bit and whacks the rock by using her tail with a quick reflex. The rock hits the target in the middle, shocking Rainbow and Scootaloo in the process.
"Whoa! Cool! Can I learn that?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.
"Maybe later." Rainbow said as she turns to Lightning Dust. "Well, I'm glad it all worked out. Your show was pretty dynamite."
Lightning Dust went over to Scootaloo and leaned down to the ecstatic filly.
"Wanna know the secret? We basically ignore everything the Wonderbolts ever taught us about safety," she said.
"Well, we do have safety rules for a reason," Rainbow replied, pulling Scootaloo close with her own wing.
"Don't listen to her, kid. All their "rules" were just ways of keeping their little club exclusive so they could feel good about themselves," Lightning Dust said.
"It's not about making anypony feel bad. It's about finding the best flyers. The best of the best," Rainbow replied.
"I started the Washouts because I believe anypony can be the best of the best," Lightning Dust retorted, "You know, Rolling Thunder is gonna be out for a while."
"Ah. During the finale, I caught the old hind leg in the Crushinator Jaws of Smashalot. Patent pending," Rolling Thunder added, lifting up the leg she had bandaged earlier. "And our boss was wondering if another player would join us."
"There's a spot on the team if you wanna join up," Lightning Dust offered.
Scootaloo gasped and tapped her hooves excitedly.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm already a Wonderbolt," Rainbow replied.
"Ooh! I'll do it!" Scootaloo offered, "Can I do it!?"
"Uh, lemme think. No!" Rainbow replied.
"I wasn't asking you!" Scootaloo retorted, pushing Rainbow's hoof away.
"Awww, you're cute. But technically, you haven't washed out of the Bolts, which is kinda our thing," Lightning Dust said.
"And also, no!" Rainbow interjected.
"Oh, what if I joined and dropped out super quick?!" Scootaloo said.
Rainbow snatched Scootaloo, having had enough.
"That's it! You're coming with me!" she said.
"Where are we going?" Scootaloo asked irritatingly.
"To hear what the actual Wonderbolts think about you joining just to drop out for the Washouts!" Rainbow replied.
"Say hi to Spitfire for me!" Lightning Dust called out as Rainbow took to the air.
Once the two were out of sight, Lightning Dust glared at them as Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse shared the same look as well.
"You're sure you saw Prince Chase Young just a minute ago with his family?" Short Fuse asked Lightning Dust as she turned to her two partners.
"Yup." Lightning Dust replied back. "The sooner those five Elite Ninja losers find out about our alliance with the Quinkan, Chase is sure to make a move on us."
"Big deal. He's obviously smarter and stronger everyday he faces the soldiers. How are you gonna make sure that he won't get away again?" Rolling Thunder asked with her wings crossed.
"Easy, Rolling Thunder." Lightning Dust answered with a sly smirk. "I'll give him a reason to stay."
(Scene changes)
Rainbow brought Scootaloo to Wonderbolt Academy. Most of the Wonderbolts were flying and practicing some of the formation. Rainbow looked excited and happy about it, though Scootaloo yawns unimpressively.
"Ever seen two simultaneous inverse displacement rolls before?" Rainbow asked confidently.
"Would've been a lot cooler if you had the Crushinator Jaws of Smashalot, patent pending." Scootaloo scoffed while reading the magazine of the Washouts.
"W-What?!" Rainbow asked in disbelief. She turned and looked at Spitfire, "See? This is what I was telling you about. If Chase wasn't busy with helping the recruits at the dojo, he would agree with me."
"I got this," Spitfire said confidently. Just as she removed the magazine, Scootaloo turned and faced her. She showed strict and fierce looks, "You know what happens when something goes wrong with the Crushinator Jaws of Smashalot?"
"Patent pending?" Rainbow asked in confusion.
"You end up in a full body wing-and-hoof cast drinkin' through a straw!" Spitfire shouted at Scootaloo, who got scared by it.
"But with enough practice-!" Scootaloo tried to explain nervously.
"Practice?!" Spitfire interrupted before she went into rage mode to shout, "Well, la-dee-doodle-dah! Lemme give you a different scenario. You're probably saying to yourself, "I'm young. I'm strong. I'm gonna go out there and stunt some tricks with my new friend Lightning Dust!" Well, I'm here to tell ya that if ya play that game, you're gonna find out it's pretty hard to "stunt tricks" in a FULL BODY WING-AND-HOOF CAST DRINKIN' THROUGH A STRAW!"
Her scream has indeed scared Scootaloo. Rainbow noticed it.
"I think she gets the poi-!" Rainbow said, but was interrupted.
"I'M NOT FINISHED!" Spitfire fiercely silences Rainbow. She turned to Scootaloo, "Listen, I get it, kid. I used to be like you, tellin' myself, 'I'm gonna touch the sky!'"
"I don't-!" Scootaloo tried to disagree, but Spitfire interrupted again as she grabbed and held Scootaloo.
"Well, whoop-dee-DOODLE-DOO! You think you got it made in the shade? Well, things are gonna be pretty shady indeed when you can't go out in the sun, 'cause you're in a FULL BODY WING-AND-HOOF CAST DRINKIN' THROUGH A STRAW! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" Spitfire shouted fiercely.
Due to Spitfire's fierce shaking, Scootaloo groaned and moaned shakily in agreement. She dropped her, allowing Rainbow to dash and got her in time.
"Excellent." Spitfire said happily and pridefully while giving Scootaloo a hat. "Easy peasy. Hope she learn her lessons. No wonder Chase does this all the time. He makes it look so easy. Have a hat."
(Scene changes)
Rainbow and Scootaloo were on their way to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The young orange-colored Pegasus was upset by Spitfire's lecture. They just landed on the ground, allowing her sister figure to climb down.
"Sorry that was a little... intense." Rainbow apologized, "I just wanna make sure you don't get hurt. That way, you can follow in my hoofsteps. Heh. Everypony's dream, right?"
"More like 'follow your wingflaps'." Scootaloo remarked dryly. "If Chase was here, he would scold you big time for this."
"Same difference, but Chase isn't here." Rainbow stated amusingly as she climbed up the stairs to the clubhouse.
Scootaloo glared at Rainbow bitterly.
"Thanks, super-talented flyer, for clearing up what I should do." Scootaloo thanked sarcastically, but Rainbow was oblivious to that remark.
"Clearing things up is one of my specialties. Now, come on. Let's go rip up all your Washout posters into tiny pieces and throw 'em off a cliff." Rainbow said and as she entered the clubhouse, Scootaloo looks down with a sad look.
Inside the clubhouse; Rainbow removed all the posters, magazines, props, stickers and so on that is related to Washouts. She then threw all of them into large trash bin.
"I just thought of a great way to raise awareness for your original fan club. You know, the one about me?" Rainbow asked cockily while cleaning some mess. She continued, "How about a silent auction where every item is just a picture of yours truly?" She laughed a bit, "Nah! I'm just kidding."
Just as she finished cleared out all the Washouts stuff, Rainbow sighed calmly.
"That makes me seem too egotistical, doesn't it? Oh, oh! Maybe if they're framed, it's like, 'Wow, she's so humble!' What do ya think, Scootaloo?" Rainbow asked, but there was silence.
Rainbow then finally noticed and realized that Scootaloo is nowhere to be found.
"Scootaloo?" Rainbow called as she looked outside, but there was no sign of Scootaloo.
"Uh, Scootaloo?" Rainbow called and flew around.
This made her worried and scared as she immediately left the clubhouse. She headed straight to the Ponyville Town, frantically searching for her.
Then suddenly she bumped into someone.
"My fault, my fault!" Rainbow rubbed her head. "Sorry, I-Twilight? Nyx?"
Twilight groans as she rubbed her head and Nyx got up as she shook her head.
"Sorry. Nyx and I were just... um..." Twilight uneasily rolled a few Washout posters.
"Please tell me you got that stuff so you could rip it up and throw it off a cliff." Rainbow begged.
"They were doing an autograph session before practice." Twilight uneasily said before she smiled happily with Nyx. "But it was enough to have some mother and daughter time together."
"Seriously?!" Rainbow said annoyingly as she groaned. "You haven't seen Scoot, have you?"
"Actually..." Twilight nervously smiled.
"It's funny that you mentioned her…" Nyx said with a nervous smile as well.
(Scene changes)
Rainbow quickly flew in the sky as Twilight and Nyx followed.
"I can't believe Scootaloo ditched me to watch them practice!" Rainbow said greatly upset. "Why can't she see how dangerous they are?!"
"That's kind of the whole draw. It's exciting," Twilight said.
"But it's like the harder I try to convince Scoot they're dangerous, the more she likes them!" Rainbow replied.
"You can't control her actions. Only yours. Teach her what's safe and what isn't, like a good role model. Then hope she makes the right decisions," Twilight said.
"But what if she chooses them over me? She's gonna get hurt!" Rainbow asked. "I wish Chase was here to give her a lecture."
"Well, he said he has other things to do at the Wonderbolts to help train the new recruits there." Twilight replied back. "Besides, my husband is an understanding pony when it comes for fillies to try something new in a time like this."
"If only that were true." Rainbow said, miserably.
"I think I know somepony else who might get hurt if that happens," Twilight said.
"Um, maybe you're right. But this isn't about me. I'm just worried about Scoot," Rainbow replied.
"I don't like the idea of her doing something this dangerous either. But seeing the flyer of those jaws makes me wonder where we've seen them recently." Nyx said while looking at the flyer curiously at the gaping sharp teeth.
"Like what, sweetie?" Twilight asked her daughter curiously.
"I don't know, Mommy." Nyx replied back while looking at the flyer.
(Scene changes)
Lightning Dust was busy working on a new stunt diagram for the show while Rolling Thunder practiced her flight patterns, despite being injured, and Short Fuse was about to eat a sandwich.
"Wow. You're working really hard on this new stunt," Short Fuse complimented. But when he took a bite of his sandwich, his temper flared as he spat out his bite, "WHAT KIND OF SORRY EXCUSE FOR A TOMATO SANDWICH IS THIS!?"
He threw his snack in a random direction, which wound up heading straight towards Rainbow
"Sorry, Dash. Autograph session's over," Lightning Dust said to Rainbow, Twilight, and Nyx. "Unless you wanna buy Short Fuse's limited edition half-eaten tomato sandwich."
"I'M NOT SIGNING THAT ABOMINATION!" the midget stallion shouted.
"You haven't seen Scootaloo, have you?" Rainbow asked.
"Ohhhh, isn't she that pony who used to respect you?" Lightning said mockingly.
Rainbow growled, about ready to deck this mare, but Twilight pulled her back with her magic.
"I'd appreciate you helping me find her so I could apologize for trying to make her quit liking you," Rainbow said and remembered something. "And about that move you just did a while back, what exactly is that jiu jitsu move called?"
"Oh, that move?" Lightning Dust asked with a smirk while pointing at an orange and lack dojo. "We call it the Dragon's Tail Whip. Our boss taught it to us a while back."
"Who exactly is your boss anyway?" Nyx asked curiously as Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, and Rolling Thunder cringed a bit before they smirked.
"Actually, Princess Nyx. You're on a need to know basics, and guess what? You don't need to know." Lightning Dust replied back teasingly as the three Washouts chuckled together, causing Nyx to glare at them angrily.
"And as for your question, Rainbow. Oh, I'm pretty sure she still likes us," Lightning chuckled.
Hearing one of the tent flaps open, Rainbow looked at the tent, gasping in shock. Scootaloo was wearing a green and black flight suit and had a helmet in one of her hooves as she gave a pose.
"Lightning Dust, I know we go way back, but I can't let her do this!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"I don't need you standing up for me!" Scootaloo argued.
"Obviously, you do!" Rainbow argued back, "Because you can't see how dangerous this is! Do you not remember what Spitfire said!?"
"Ugh. Lemme guess," Lightning Dust intervened, pulling out a pair of sunglasses matching Spitfire's and put them on, "'You'll be in a full body wing-and-hoof cast drinkin' through a straw!'"
"That doesn't even sound like Spitfire," Rainbow remarked.
Rainbow Dash didn't appreciate the ex-Wonderbolt making fun of her boss and Scootaloo laughing with her, but she ignored Lightning Dust and grabbed Scootaloo's hoof.
"That's it! We're leaving!" she said.
Scootaloo pulled her hoof back, startling Rainbow.
"Just because I look up to you doesn't mean I have to be you!" she exclaimed angrily, "But based on your definition of what makes somepony great, I have bad news! I'll never be the best of the best or a Wonderbolt! Because I! Can't! Fly! Is that what you wanted to hear?" As the filly looked away, upset that she was still unfortunately grounded and unable to lift off the ground with her wings, Rainbow grimaced and backed away slightly. Nyx and Rainbow knew Scootaloo had a problem flying, old enough to start practicing a couple years ago, but could barely hover a few feet off the ground. Despite the depressing admission, Scootaloo fought back against what was hopefully not a permanent handicap as a pegasus and was back to being excited, "But not being able to fly doesn't mean I can't do something awesome! Like strapping my scooter to a multi-stage liquid-fueled rocket and jumping twenty-two wagons lined up in front of a roaring crowd! And I'll be able to perform the Dragon's Tail Whip!"
She performs the Dragon's Tail Whip sending a pebble at a target.
"That was awfully specific," Twilight remarked.
"That's 'cause it's what she'll be doing in the show tonight. Half off for princesses!" Lightning Dust said, then whispered to Twilight, "Bring your friends and your husband if he's available!"
"Oh no!" Nyx said, grabbing the ticket angrily and glared at Scootaloo. "Daddy would never approve this! You know what, Scootaloo?! You're an even bigger idiot than you look!"
"Oh am I?!" Scootaloo demanded angrily.
"Yes!" Nyx said angrily. "And being awesome doesn't mean you go looking for trouble!"
"Nyx, please calm down," Twilight said to her daughter and then looked at Scootaloo with a concerned look, "Scootaloo, are you sure that's what you really wanna do?"
"Absolutely," Scootaloo replied and then turned to Rainbow, glaring. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me!"
"You're right. You're your own foal, and you have to make your own decisions," Rainbow said, reluctantly.
"Good! Because I already have!" Scootaloo replies and joins back with her new role models.
The four Washouts head out to prepare for the next show as Rainbow sadly sighs and leaves.
"Where are you going, Rainbow?" Nyx asked with concern.
"I'm going back to the Wonderbolts Academy for your father's advice." Rainbow replied back sadly and angrily before she flys away.
Unknown to any of them, hiding inside the dojo, a figure looks out the window to see Rainbow flying off as the Washouts went to a bigger tent. It was none other than Kai as he smirked evilly.
"Lightning Dust has the runt send the Wonderbolt away, the trap is set." Kai said as Tai Lung leans against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Just as we planned, Kai. It was pure genius of Lightning Dust's plan to lure one of those Cutie Mark Crusaders into our training ground in this spot." Tai Lung said, dishing out his claws from his right paw hand.
"We should go and make sure she won't get any foolish ideas of what's going to happen to her." Kai said as he left the room with Tai Lung following beside him.
(Scene changes)
At the Wonderbolts Academy, Rainbow flies into the dojo where she saw some recruits perfecting their katas.
Chase was watching from the side lines with Spitfire, Soarin, Misty, Fleetfoot, and High Winds beside him.
"Hey, guys." Rainbow said to her friends miserably as they turned to her.
"Hey, Rainbow. What's wrong?" Chase asked as he noticed Rainbow's sad look.
"Scootaloo is what happened." Rainbow answered as Chase and the other Wonderbolts didn't need to realize what she was feeling.
"She didn't listen to you?" Soarin asked his marefriend as he gave her a side hug as she leaned onto his shoulder.
"Not that she doesn't care about me." Rainbow answered with a tear falling down.
Chase sighed as he looked at Rainbow with a sympathetic look.
"Listen, Rainbow. You can't force her to be like you. Sometimes, we need to do something new, but just because she may not be able to be like you doesn't really mean she'll move on from you." Chase said with a smile as Rainbow turned to him. "Trust me. She'll come around to realize how dangerous the Washouts are."
"I hope you're right." Rainbow said miserably before she spotted a target on the other side. "I'm gonna go practice on that target over there if you guys need me."
"Have fun, Dash." Spitfire replied back as Rainbow went over to the target.
Once Rainbow puts the target in place, she grabs a small piece of wood and tosses it into the air.
But when Chase noticed this, his eyes widened in shock as he saw Rainbow spinning a bit and whipping her tail at the piece of wood, sending it at the target.
Then lightning struck the scene as Chase has a vision of when the Dragonquins first invaded Equestria as one of them whips its giant tail at him, Jade, Sunray, and Grazer as they fall to a building.
The flashback ended as Chase stared in shock of what he saw from the move Rainbow pulled.
"Wait! Stop!" Chase shouted, stopping the recruits as they, the other Wonderbolts, and Rainbow turned to him as he landed in front of the blue pegasus mare with a stern glare. "Rainbow, where did you learn that?!"
"Uh, Scootaloo learned it from Lightning Dust. Why?" Rainbow asked Chase curiously as Spitfire, Soarin, Misty, Fleetfoot, and High Winds joined them while looking at the alicorn stallion curiously.
"The mare who taught her that technique is no friend." Chase said with a grave tone and grim expression. "It comes from the Dragonquin."
"The Dragonquin?!" Soarin asked in surprise as Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Rainbow, Misty, and High Winds widened their eyes in shock of what they heard as they all turned to each other.
"You mean Lightning Dust is one of Zhao's students?" Rainbow asked Chase with a shocked look.
"She has to be." Chase answered with his eyes furrowed.
"So Lightning Dust is just pretending to be Scootaloo's role model to get to you, Chase." Rainbow speculated. She sighed in relief with a smile. "Oh, what a relief. Everything made sense again."
The others just turned to her with concerned looks as Rainbow felt silent for a moment.
"Scootaloo's in trouble!" Rainbow said in concern for her sister figure.
(Scene changes)
Inside the huge dojo house, Scootaloo was looking at her mirror, reflecting and showing her new Washout's Uniform. She looked excited and happy for not only just jumpsuit, but also her first performance to do her own stunt.
"Aw man! This is it! My first debut! I can't wait for it!" Scootaloo said happily.
"Oh yeah? Well, what's it gonna take for you to be serious, Scootaloo?" A familiar voice spoke sternly. Scootaloo looked back and found Nyx entering the tent.
"And end with a worry line between my eyes and you, Nyx? Just like my former hero? Nonono, I do not want a Rainbow chasm." Scootaloo said, arrogantly.
"C-Chasm?!" Nyx asked in shock.
"You know, valley? Gorge? Crevasse?" Scootaloo answered while admiring herself.
"The only reason she has a chasm is that she has to be worried about you 24/7!" Nyx answered angrily as Scootaloo frowned. "You just don't get it. You're basically pushing Rainbow Dash away! And for what?! Joining the Washouts?!"
"Hey, don't give me that tone too, Nyx! She's being too pushy to me! Besides, I even saved you a spot on the team." Scootaloo said with a smug smile.
"What do you mean?" Nyx asked curiously.
"I mean, I'm asking you to join the club too. Just think of it. An alicorn, part of the Washouts. You and me, part of the greatest aerial stunts team in Equestria!" Scootaloo said excitedly.
"Well, I don't know. There's something fishy going on here." Nyx said with suspicion of Lightning Dust's behavior.
"Listen to your friend, Nyx." Lightning Dust said as she, Rolling Thunder, and Short Fuse entered the tent. But from the look on their faces, it was pretty clear they weren't being friendly. "It might make you gain more attention."
Nyx just glared at them suspiciously.
"It's just something that doesn't seem right." Nyx said with a concerned look, but Scootaloo was completely oblivious to their tone.
"Come on, Nyx!" Scootaloo said, dragging Nyx by the hoof to the three Washouts as the alicorn filly let go of her hoof. "We're gonna be famous world-wide around Equestria!"
Scootaloo smiled excitedly, but Nyx wasn't feeling the same still. Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, and Rolling Thunder smirked slyly.
"Well, thank you, Scootaloo. You've been… most helpful." Lightning Dust said, pressing a button on the ground.
Suddenly, a large cage trapped Scootaloo and Nyx, causing the fillies to yelp in surprise. Scootaloo tumbled into Nyx, who fell on her back, but she pushed her friend away angrily.
"Get off of me, you idiot!" Nyx shouted angrily as they stood up and the Washouts laughed out loud.
"I love it when a plan comes together!" Lightning Dust said, punching her left hoof into the palm of her right hoof with a wicked smile.
Scootaloo, now completely confused and concerned, gazed at her surprisingly.
"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked, not understanding what was going on.
"What do you think she means, genius?!" Nyx snapped, gaining Scootaloo's attention. "She's not gonna help us be in the show, she's gonna kill us!"
"You catch on quick, Princess." Rolling Thunder said, pointing at Nyx with a smirk.
"But you know, we can't really take all the credit. Our boss helped us." Lightning Dust said smugly as she expertly does some tricks with a pair of butterfly knifes.
"Who's your boss anyway?" Nyx asked with an angry look.
"That would be me." A familiar voice said, making Nyx and Scootaloo gasp in shock.
Stepping out of the shadows was none other than Kai and Tai Lung as they stood beside Lightning Dust with evil smirks. Coming out as well were the Quinkan soldiers, snarling at the two fillies.
"Kai? Tai Lung?" Scootaloo asked in fear and shock. "What?"
Tai Lung opens the cage and snatches Scootaloo, who yelps in surprise, as he closes the door. He ties the pegasus filly up.
"So it was you all along, Kai!" Nyx said angrily. "Why are you doing this?"
"To get your father to come here, Nyx." Kai answered smugly.
"He's right. After your dad took out Master Zhao, we've decided to make that alicorn stallion pay miserably." Lightning Dust said angrily as Scootaloo was even more shocked. "About joining our team, it was all a setup. This place isn't really a stunt park, it's a Quinkan training ground to have others follow Emperor Zhao's path."
"B-but I didn't realize that-" Scootaloo said very scared of the Quinkan.
"Well, too late for that. You really should've listened to Rainbow Dash from the start before joining us, Scootaloo." Lightning Dust said with a smirk.
Scootaloo looked back at Nyx, who glared at her.
"I told you so." Nyx said disdainfully as Scootaloo turned her attention back to Lightning Dust as she had her wings crossed in front of her chest.
"I thought we were friends. All of those moves you showed me were awesome." Scootaloo said while tearing up.
"I did like you from the start, kid. But you actually thought somepony like me could be friends with a weak little pegasus like you?" Lightning Dust asked with a smirk before she ended it with a glare while enjoying Scootaloo heartbroken. "Pathetic."
"I say we get rid of them." Tai Lung said, unleashing his claws from his right left paw as the two fillies were shocked by it.
"Nothing would make us happier." Kai said with a smirk as Scootaloo gulped nervously. "But we need them. All part of the trap."
Lightning Dust carries Scootaloo away as the pegasus filly turned her attention back to Nyx, who looks away. Knowing that she felt stupid for this, Scootaloo looks away ashamedly.
I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash Scootaloo said only in her thoughts.
(Scene changes)
Outside, it was quiet when Sunray and Antonio jumped on a tree limb before they leap onto the roof of the huge dojo. Chase appears as he slides onto the glass of the skylight and joins his two family members while sharing smirks with each other as they bumped hoofs with each other. Jade and Trini appeared, sliding on the skylight glass as they joined the boys.
Apparently, Chase sent out an emergency message to his family about Scootaloo's trouble and they were glad they came.
Jade had been chewing gum on the way. She took it out of her mouth and placed it onto the tip of the pencil of a geometric compass. Jade uses the sharp end of the compass to cut a hole in the glass of the skylight before reaching in to unlock and open the window.
In the center of the room, Nyx was still in her cage with five Protoquin soldiers standing guard. Jade managed to get the window opened as the five ponies lowered themselves down with their eyes white with determination as they had their horns lit and their aura hands replaced their front hooves.
The sound of a sword being unsheathed draws the attention of the Protoquin soldiers who are standing guard. Chase, Jade, Sunray, Trini, and Antonio fought their way through them until all was clear and gathered in front of Nyx, outside her cage.
"Daddy!" Nyx said happily and tearfully, seeing her father. "You came!"
"Well, I couldn't leave my baby girl behind, could I?" Chase replied back as he managed to unlock the cage door with his lockpicks, setting Nyx free as she hugs her father while he returned the favor lovingly for his daughter.
"Come on, we gotta get out of here." Sunray said urgently as the six ponies jumped outside.
(Scene changes)
The Washouts' second show was about to begin. The same crowd came back for some more exciting stunts as they eagerly awaited what else the group could do. It was a surprise to hear there was a last minute addition to the team, and that new addition happened to be Scootaloo.
"Sorry for making us late again. Who would've guessed Scootaloo's super-difficult stunt special cupcakes would've been super-difficult to bake?" Pinkie said, then ate one of the cupcakes.
"Hoo-wee! Looks like all of Ponyville is here. Except for Rainbow Dash," Applejack pointed out. Twilight just sighed.
"And here to introduce the most dangerous stunt we've ever performed, it's you fearless captain, L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-Lightning Dust!" The audience cheered as Lightning Dust flew to the center of the field and took off her helmet.
"In just a moment, the newest member of the Washouts will be rocket-sledding down the hill, up that ramp, and over all twenty-two wagons to land on the other side in one piece!" Lightning Dust announced with a small laugh, "If she's lucky. Put your hooves together for Half-Pint Dynamite!"
Lightning Dust pointed to her two colleagues as they held up a round banner with their logo on it. Scootaloo, even though she was still heartbroken about her role models true identity and hadto keep it a secret, took her cue, jumping and tearing through it for a dynamic entrance, tucking and rolling as she stood up and waved to the crowd. She then hopped on Lightning Dust's back as the mare flew off, showing their new addition off to the audience before zipping up the hill. But when they were out of sight, Scootaloo glared at Lightning Dust angrily.
"I can't believe you would do this to me, Lightning Dust. I thought you were still cool, but now you're not." Scootaloo said angrily.
"Well, not that I'm complaining." Lightning Dust said, not having an effect on the glare.
When Scootaloo saw how big the rocket was on the scooter, her bravery went right out the window as she started to get cold hooves. There was more than just one huge rocket attached to a small cart behind the scooter; there four smaller rockets attached as well, two on the scooter and two stuck to the sides of the bigger rocket with duct tape, and there were more rockets sitting in the chests that Lightning planned to add on.
"Wow," Scootaloo uttered shakily. "That sure is..."
"Dangerous? Nah!" Lightning assured the filly, but doing a poor job of it as she let the filly off and walked up to the rocket. "Well, maybe a little."
"H-Has anypony tested it before?" Scootaloo asked.
"Where's the fun in that?" Lightning asked back.
Scootaloo gulped nervously as Lightning attached another small rocket to the big rocket.
"There's m-more?!" Scootaloo asked in a terrified tone.
"You're not thinking of backing out, are you?" Lightning questioned the filly.
"No!" Scootaloo reassured, but she couldn't stop herself from trembling. "I'm just thinking about drinking through straws."
"Are you the president of my fan club or not?" Lightning questioned some more.
"Of course! It's just-" Scootaloo was interrupted by a small poke in the chest as Lightning Dust hovered over the filly, making her feel small and powerless from her aggressive stance.
"You wouldn't want to get impeached for dishonoring my wishes, would you?" the mare asked, pressuring Scootaloo more and more.
"I...Is that a thing?" Scootaloo asked sheepishly.
Getting annoyed by the pegasus filly's hesitation, Lightning Dust grabbed Scootaloo and set her on the scooter, putting her helmet on for "safety".
"Light it up so we can get the Elite Ninja's attention!" Lightning Dust shouted, signaling her two teammates from down below.
"Okay. Now I am thinking about backing out," Scootaloo said.
"Too late!" Lightning Dust replied. She then slammed on the red button sitting on the scooter's handlebars, igniting all the rockets attached to it.
Scootaloo's eyes widened as she was zooming down the hill at high speed. She whimpered as she was headed for the ramp. One of the scooter's wheels caught on a rope as Scootaloo went up the ramp. The crowd gasped in shock as Scootaloo was being sent increasingly high just as the Elite Ninja and Nyx arrived at the scene.
"No!" Chase shouted in worry.
Lightning Dust looked on with a smile on her face until Rainbow Dash zoomed down the hill, leaving her shocked as she zipped over her head. It was then that Rainbow went up the ramp, then swooped in and snatched Scootaloo off the rocket-propelled scooter.
"I know I was supposed to let you make your own decisions, but that doesn't mean I can't swoop in and save you from time to time if it's a Quinkan threat," Rainbow said, as Scootaloo hugged her.
They touched down as Short Fuse was putting out the fire on the burning wagons.
"If I'd known you were gonna bail, then I would've done the trick myself!" Lightning Dust said as she flew down the hill.
That's when Nyx, Chase, Jade, Sunray, Trini, and Antonio arrived at the scene with angry looks.
"Alright, Lightning Dust! We've had enough of your-" Antonio said angrily, but was cut off.
"Do not say monkeying around." Sunray said annoyingly.
"I wasn't going to." Antonio argued sheepishly.
"Yes, you were!" Lightning Dust said with a smirk, seeing the Elite Ninja in front of her as she had her eyes on Chase.
"It's over, Lightning Dust! We know you were on the side of the Quinkan and one of Zhao's students!" Jade declared boldly and sternly.
"Finally figured it out, didn't you?" Lightning Dust asked mockingly as Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder joined her. "After all the trouble you caused us, we're gonna make sure that you won't be able to see the sunlight again."
"On the day you came to the Wonderbolts Academy, you weren't doing those tricks on purpose. Didn't you?" Chase said with a glare.
"Yeah. They were all attempts to get rid of you, Chase." Lightning Dust answered as her two partners glared at the five heroes. "And since you destroyed Zhao in the Netherworld, it's payback time."
"I wouldn't count on that. There's eight of us and only three of you." Trini said, outnumbering the three Washouts, who smirked however.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that, Trini." Lightning Dust said when a loud roar was heard as the Quinkan army appeared, surprising the group as well as the crowd.
"It's the Quinkan!" Bon Bon shouted in horror and fear as the crowd immediately ran from the area, leaving only the rest of the Mane Sixteen behind with the Young Nine.
Kai and Tai Lung appeared on the ramp.
"Finally. Now we have all our enemies together." Kai said sinisterly.
Chase and his family lit their horns as they stood on their hind legs before they dished out their weapons.
"Rainbow, get Nyx and Scootaloo to safety. We'll handle this." Chase said as Rainbow nodded before she, Scootaloo, and Nyx ran off someplace to find shelter.
"Take them down!" Kai shouted as the Quinkan charged at the five ponies.
Chase dodged a kick from a Protoquin soldier and punched it aside. He blocks the attack of another and used his Lightning Element on a few Pyroquin soldiers.
Antonio blocked a punch from the Electroquin he was fighting, then spun around to kick it in the head, but missed as it ducked. He then slid and tackled it right in the leg, knocking it down. He spin kicks a Pyroquin away, punches another to the ground before using his Earth Element power to send a tremor at another group of Protoquins away.
Jade and Trini worked together as they faced off against a group of Pyroquin. Jade dodges a palm strike from the first one, jumps over the soldier, landing a solid kick to the head as it got sent flying at a tree as Trini punches another aside before back kicking another away. The mares then used their Wind and Water Elements to create a tornado of water, striking the Quinkan soldiers as they were swept away.
Sunray dodges a few punches from a few Protoquin soldiers and spin kicks them aside. He blocks an incoming punch from Short Fuse and a kick from the short stallion. He then blocks a fierce punch and jumps over Short Fuse.
"Man, you have a lot of anger issues to work on. And that's a lot coming from me!" Sunray said with a smirk as Short Fuse snorted.
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S GOT ANGER ISSUES!" Short Fuse shouted as he charged at Sunray, who dodged out of the way and used his Fire Element as he sent a fireball at the Washout member, sending him in the air as he landed in the mountain.
Chase kicks the last two remaining Protoquin soldiers down as he comes face to face with Lightning Dust and they glared at each other.
"I've been waiting a long time to do this to you, Chase Young." Lightning Dust said sternly.
"Let's see what you got." Chase said, accepting the challenge as Lightning Dust charged at him.
Chase dodges a few phoenix punches and dragon kicks from Lightning Dust as the alicorn stallion knew Zhao had taught Lightning Dust well. Then Lightning Dust kicks him in the chest and punches him away. Sunray came to his brother's aid and kicks Lightning Dust back a bit before she glared at him as the two stallions got into fighting positions.
Meanwhile Jade, Trini, and Antonio were busy taking on Rolling Thunder as she proves them to be a little difficult. As Antonio attempted to break his stance in a show of balance and agility, the second Washout member not only evaded the attack but countered with kicks to the head all while standing on her wings.
Determined to wipe the smirk off Rolling Thunder's face, Jade and Trini dashed forward their weapons at the ready, only to be met by the mare's butterfly knife. Trini and Rolling Thunder clashed each other's blades with one another until the Washout member gained the upperhoof by intercepting a spinning back kick at Trini, sending next to Antonio as Jade jumped in the center while holding her tessen fans in both her aura hands. Before she could attack, Rolling Thunder jumped over the unicorn mare, trapped Jade's head between her back hooves and threw her into Trini and Antonio.
"Okay, I hate that girl." Jade said with a nasty glare she sent to Rolling Thunder, who got into a fighting stance with a smirk on her face.
Rolling Thunder tried an attempt to catch Antonio, but this time he and the girls were ready. Antonio tripped Rolling Thunder and spin kicked her in the chest, sending the mare back a bit as Jade used her Tessen fans to whack them against her back hooves. Rolling Thunder squatted down a bit when Trini kicked her in the face. Rolling Thunder landed on her back.
On the other side of things Chase and Sunray's persistent attacks were keeping Lightning Dust on the defensive, but her acrobatics prevented them from making the finishing blow. Lightning Dust's luck didn't last though as she back-flipped away from Chase's swords she didn't notice Sunray circled behind her. In a move straight out of preschool, Surnay kneeled down behind their opponent once Chase provided the necessary push, it all fell like clockwork; Lightning Dust was tripped over by Sunray as it gave Chase the time he needed to land a powerful kick sending the ex-Wonderbolt flying on her front.
Lightning Dust immediately got up as Chase stood in front of her with his aura raised as he clenched them into fists.
"That's it, Chase." Lightning Dust declared angrily. "Now you're gonna wish you never messed with me."
"Bring it!" Chase dared sternly.
At an instant, Lightning Dust tried to punch Chase, but he dodged it and kicked Lightning Dust by the back. She recovered quickly and tried to attack Chase, but he dodged her incoming punch as he kicked sweeped her hind legs.
"WHOA!" Lightning Dust shouted in surprise as Chase spins around and whips his tail at the Washouts leader away at the ramp.
She immediately got up to see the Elite Ninja glaring at her as she glared back at them.
"You think you've won, Chase? This war is only the beginning now that we'll have you out of the way." Lightning Dust declared as Chase smirked.
"We'll see about that." Chase said before he shot a lightning bolt at Lightning Dust, sending her flying into the air.
"RIVALS FOR LIIIIIFE!" Lightning Dust shouted, then disappeared with a twinkle as Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse followed her.
Kai and Tai Lung glared at the five ponies angrily.
"This isn't over, Chase." Kai said as he tossed some smoke bombs to the ground, blinding the five ponies in the process.
Once the smoke was gone, the five noticed that Kai, Tai Lung, and the Quinkan were gone.
Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Nyx approached them with smiles.
"Way to go, Daddy!" Nyx said to her father as she hugged Chase, who hugged her back.
"Nice job back there, guys." Rainbow added with a smirk, but Scootaloo then became ashamed and guilty of the early argument as well as finding out about Lightning Dust's true identity.
"I'm sorry for joining the Washouts. Lightning Dust wasn't who I thought she was, especially after finding out that she was one of Zhao's students. She didn't care about me being scared or putting me in danger. She only wanted a good show, even if it meant I got hurt. That's not the kind of pony I wanna look up to." Scootaloo said sadly.
But Rainbow walked up to her with a guilty look.
"I'm the one who should be apologizing, for not acting like somepony who deserves a fan club. I've been lucky enough to have somepony who thinks I'm the coolest. But there's nothing cool about making you feel like you'll never be as awesome as me." Rainbow said as she gave her sister figure a soft nuggie.
Scootaloo smiled as she hugged Rainbow Dash before she turned to Nyx sadly.
"Nyx, I'm sorry for not listening to you. It was wrong of me to do something so stupid. You were right. Being awesome doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." Scootaloo said sadly.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I called you an idiot." Nyx said with a smile as Scootaloo smiled in reply. "I'm glad you learned a valuable lesson."
"I think we should cancel the Washouts Fan Club. Because I know a fan club that could use some new members." Rainbow said thoughtfully.
"The Rainbow Dash Fan Club!" Scootaloo guessed with a smile.
Rainbow shook her head as Twilight and the others joined her.
(Scene changes)
Later in the clubhouse, Rainbow bangs her hoof as she clears her throat.
"Welcome to the first ever meeting of the newest fan club for the awesomest, previously under-appreciated pony in Ponyville! With founding member and president Rainbow Dash presiding, it's the... Scootaloo Fan Club!" Rainbow announced happily.
The whole room was decorated with posters of Scootaloo as the fans cheered, and two of them are actually Rainbow's parents.
Outside at the window, Chase, Nyx, Scootaloo, and Twilight were eavesdropping.
Twilight, Chase, and Nyx were hovering as the alicorn mare helped Scootaloo to see.
"You know, Rainbow Dash was right." Scootaloo said. "Eavesdropping on your own fan club isn't weird at all."
Twilight rolled her eyes, and they watched as the club went on.
Chase then noticed the sad look on Scootaloo's face as she sighed as she was still thinking about Lightning Dust.
"You doing okay, Scootaloo?" Chase asked with a concerned look.
"This was all my fault. I should never have thought I could be friends with a pony who was on the other side of the Quinkan." Scootaloo said sadly.
"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself." Chase said gently.
"So it's not my fault?" Scootaloo asked with a hopeful smile.
"Of course it's your fault." Twilight and Nyx said sternly as Scootaloo sighed sadly.
Chase felt silent for a moment before he sighed.
"Listen, Scootaloo. Even though I'm disappointed in you for joining the Washouts, I'm glad you're safe. And you're still an awesome filly." Chase said as he patted Scootaloo on the head with a smile, but she still felt guilty over what happened.
"Lightning Dust didn't think so." Scootaloo remarked sadly.
"Well, she's a psychotic killing machine." Nyx said with a smirk. "You deserve way better friends than her."
Scootaloo thought about it for a moment before she smiled.
"You know what? You're right! Thanks, Nyx." Scootaloo said to Nyx, who smiled back.
"Anytime." Nyx said as her parents smiled proudly at their daughter for making piece with Scootaloo before they continued watching the club.
(Scene changes)
In the lair of Dark Mountain, Kai furiously punched the cave wall with an angry look on his face.
"We almost had him." Kai said angrily as Tai Lung, Celtic, Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, and Short Fuse stood beside him. "If we want all of the magic drained, then we need to have Chase removed permanently."
"We won't be able to do that with his friends by his side, Kai." Celtic said to Kai wisely. "Clearly, he is far more stronger with them protecting his name."
Kai sighed deeply before he turned to his acquaintances.
"Then how do you propose we do that, Celtic?" Kai asked firmly.
Celtic was about to answer when a voice cut him off.
"I believe I can help you with that." A voice said as the others turned to see Dark Chase coming in.
"Who are you?" Tai Lung demanded as he dished out his katana swords. "How did you get in here?"
"Settle down." Dark Chase said as he approached the group. "I've heard that you were unable to take down Chase and his family. Well, we've come to help make sure he gets banished."
"'We'" Kai repeated when the cloak figure stood beside Dark Chase.
"It's okay, Kai." The figure assured the yak sinisterly. "And I think you might be surprised to see me back again."
The figure removed her hood, causing Kai, Tai Lung, Celtic, and Lightning Dust to gasp in surprise by what they were seeing offscreen.
"What? No. It can't be." Kai said in shock as he glared at the figure. "You're back?"
The figure chuckled lowly as she moved out of the shadows and into the light to reveal herself to be none other than Wuya!
"Wuya?" Tai Lung asked in shock as he noticed that on her face she had a few scars on her cheek.
"In the flesh." Wuya said with a wicked laugh.
Author's note: Here's chapter 21, guys.
And yes, Wuya has made a perfect entry for the ending. She'll be back in just a few chapters away. Hope you like it.
Peace out!