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"Come on, it's not that far."
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>Scootaloo moves to the lip of the ravine and looks down
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>she swallows nervously
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>it looks like a drop of ten, maybe twelve feet
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>soft mud and a little creek at the bottom
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>the fall wouldn't kill her, but it might hurt
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"You can do it. I believe in you, squirt!"
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>she turns her head and looks over her shoulder
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>Rainbow Dash is standing there beaming at her
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>she feels a knot form in the pit of her stomach
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>she peers down into the ravine again
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"I don't know, it's pretty far...and it looks like there's rocks at the bottom..."
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>she hears a heavy sigh from behind her, and the knot in her stomach tightens
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"If you don't think you're up to it, squirt, that's fine it's just..."
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>Scoot wheels around
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>Rainbow Dash looks genuinely disappointed in her
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>even worse, she looks like she's trying to hide it
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"N-no!"
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>Scoot puffs out her little chest and tries to sound confident
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"I can do it! It's just...well..."
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>involuntarily she glances over her shoulder at the ravine again
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>Dash sighs, more heavily this time
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>the knot in Scootaloo's stomach tightens
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>she can feel the faint beginnings of tears forming in her eyes
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>why does she have to be such a wuss?
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"Look, squirt, it's cool. You don't have to make the jump if you're scared. I won't tell anypony."
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>Scootaloo bristles at the word 'scared'
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"I'm not scared!"
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"I mean, I set up the ramp and everything, and I brought the camera like you asked..."
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>Dash continues as if she hadn't heard her
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"But whatever, if you don't want to do it, that's cool. But I've got a Wonderbolts practice I need to get to, so if you're not gonna jump..."
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>she trails off, shrugs, and begins to walk away
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"Wait!"
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>Scoot cries out, trotting anxiously towards her
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>Dash turns around with a surprised expression, as if she'd forgotten she was still there
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"L-let's do the jump!"
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>Dash looks doubtfully up at the sky
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>there is still plenty of daylight left, but the sun is well into the western portion of the sky
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>the shadows of nearby trees are starting to get long
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>she returns her attention to Scootaloo, staring up at her anxiously
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"Come on! We've got plenty of time! I'll just do the jump real quick, and then you can go to your practice!"
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>Rainbow Dash glances doubtfully at the shoddy-looking ramp the two of them hastily constructed that afternoon
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"Well, if you think you're up to it..."
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>she shrugs
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"Yeah, I can do it! No problem!"
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>Scoot puffs out her chest again, brimming with confidence
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>her fear is momentarily forgotten
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>she scrambles quickly up to the top of the ramp where her little scooter is waiting
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>she swallows
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>the structure wobbles a little underneath her
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>she's not even that high up, but somehow the ravine seems even deeper and wider than it did from the edge
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>the ramp sways a little in the breeze, and she jolts, trying to steady herself
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"Come on, squirt! You jumping or not?"
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>she hears the voice of her idol calling impatiently from the ground
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>the look on her face drives a spur into Scoot's flank
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>swallowing, she straps her little helmet on
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"You can do this..." she mutters to herself
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>she takes a deep breath
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>her tiny, stunted wings begin to flutter
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>she holds the scooter in place for a second, building up power
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>then, she kicks off
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>for a moment, everything is forgotten
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>her fear, her idol watching her, her home life...
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>it's all gone
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>there's nothing but the rush of adrenaline
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>the crisp, late afternoon wind in her mane
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>that thrilling sensation of leaving her stomach behind as she drops
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>the scooter rolls down the ramp
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>she doesn't even notice it swaying anymore
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>nothing can scare her
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>she's invincible
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>she's the wind
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>these are the moments when she feels truly alive
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>the edge of the ramp whooshes by, and suddenly there is nothing underneath her
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>she careens upward in a graceful arc
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>the land begins to spread out below her
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>dimly she's aware of the camera flashing somewhere off in the distance
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>her heart swells with pride
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>she's doing it!
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>the chasm of the ravine yawns underneath her, but she scoffs at it
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>she's going to make it across
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>she's--
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>suddenly, she notices that her momentum has slowed
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>she looks down and realizes with a panic that she is barely even halfway across
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>she flaps her wings as hard as she possibly can, trying desperately to move herself forward
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>it's no use, it's like she's frozen in place
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>and then, suddenly, she can feel herself begin to drop...
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>BOOF
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>Scoot shakes her head in a daze
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>she has no recollection of what just happened
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>one minute she was in the air, and the next...
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>she struggles to her hooves
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>she can feel mud caked all over her coat and in the parts of her mane not covered by the helmet
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>her scooter is jutting out of the mud a few feet away
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"Haha! Wow, you really biffed it!"
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>she hears laughter, and looks angrily up at the source
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>Dash is standing at the lip of the ravine, laughing
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>when she sees the expression on Scoot's face, she puts a hoof over her mouth and stifles it, but the damage is done
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"Sorry. Here, you want some help?"
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>she lifts into the air, but Scoot waves an angry hoof
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"I can do it..." she mutters
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"Let me get your scooter at least..."
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>as Scootaloo struggles to pull herself up the slippery bank of the ravine, Rainbow Dash glides effortlessly down and retrieves the scooter
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>Dash sets it down on the grass beside her as she stands at the edge, panting with exertion
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"Did you...get a picture..." Scoot huffs out
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>Dash snickers
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>she tries to stifle it, but Scoot notices
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>it hurts worse than her bruises
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"Yeah, I got a picture but...uh...you probably don't want to see it..."
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>Scoot glowers at the ground and says nothing
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"Well, anyway squirt, this was fun, but I need to get to my practice..."
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"I'm going again."
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>without waiting for a response from Dash, she grabs her scooter and clambers back to the top of the ramp
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>this time she doesn't hesitate
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>with a huff, she flutters her wings as fast as she can, and kicks off
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>the ramp whooshes by, but she feels none of the exhilaration of before
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>her entire being is focused on traveling as fast as possible
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>with a rush she careens out past the edge of the ramp
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>the ground recedes underneath her
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>she arcs out over the ravine
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>yes!
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>she's further than she was the last time
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>she's actually going to make it...
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>BOOF
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>SPLAT
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>she pulls herself up out of the mud, spitting
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>some of it got into her eyes that time
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>she wipes it angrily away with a foreleg
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>tears are running down the side of her face
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>it's just the dirt making her eyes water
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>she clambers up the side of the ravine
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>Dash has already retrieved her scooter
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>she's smiling sadly at her
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>somehow that hurts even more than when she was laughing
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"Squirt, listen..."
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>Scoot turns her head angrily away, shutting her eyes and trying to hide her tears
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>without a word, she grabs the scooter and stomps angrily up the ramp again
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>WHOOSH
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>BOOF
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>SPLAT
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>she's back in the mud
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>she clambers up the side of the ravine
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>she's limping a little now
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>her left wing feels tender
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>tears are streaming from her eyes now, she can't stop them
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>she hopes her face is dirty enough that Dash doesn't notice
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>Dash wordlessly retrieves the scooter and sets it down
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>the pity in her eyes feels like a physical punch in the gut
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>she grabs the scooter and runs up the ramp again, her tears flying behind her
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>WHOOSH
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>BOOF
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>SPLAT
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>WHOOSH
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>BOOF
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>SPLAT
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>WHOOSH
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>BOOF
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>SPLAT
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>CRACK
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>Scootaloo spits out mud
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>she has no idea how many times she's been here
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>she stopped counting
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>bitterly she realizes that she lands in nearly the same place every time
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>no matter what she does, she never makes it any further across the ravine
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>her wings ache
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>her rear left leg hurts for some reason
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>she ignores it
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>she can push through the pain
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>no matter how many times it takes, she's going to get this...
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"Uh, squirt?"
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>she rolls over
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>Rainbow Dash is standing at the edge of the ravine
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>Scootaloo can't read her expression
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>shadows have grown noticeably longer
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>the late afternoon sun blares out behind Dash, making her a silhouette
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>she looks so cool, standing there
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>Scootaloo sniffles and wipes her tears away
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"Listen, I'm really sorry..."
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>Dash begins again
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"I'm really late, and if I miss another practice they're going to bench me at the show this weekend..."
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>with a single, powerful flap of her wings, she takes to the air
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>Scootaloo watches wordlessly as she clears the ravine in the space of half a second
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>she glides easily to the ground on the other side
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>she turns around and looks sadly down at Scoot lying in the mud
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"You want me to help you out of there first?"
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>Scoot angrily waves a hoof and looks away
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>tears are streaming down her face
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>she's glad it's getting too dark for her to see them
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"It's okay, just go." she manages, hoping Dash doesn't notice the tremor in her voice
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>Dash gives one last pitying look that crushes the last of Scoot's resolve
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>she turns to go
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"We can practice this some more tomorrow if you want, I promise!" she calls out as she lifts herself into the air
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>she bolts away in a blue flash
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>Scoot watches until she disappears over the horizon
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>she lies there for awhile
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>the shadows elongate, the light fades
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>the bottom of the ravine is dark and cool, the sky overhead is transitioning slowly from red to purple
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>the first of the evening crickets makes a tentative chirp
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>Scoot lies there, feeling nothing
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>finally, she musters her resolve and clambers to her hooves
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"AAAAAAAAAH!"
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>her scream echoes across the empty landscape
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>immediately she drops into the mud again with a soft plop
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>she stares in horror at the shape of her rear leg
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"R-RAINBOW!" she cries out
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"SOMEPONY!"
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"ANYPONY!!"
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>silence
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>Scootaloo sniffs
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>a second cricket begins to chirp
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>then a third
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"I think I broke my leg..."
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>no answer but the evening song of the crickets
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~Fin~
by glimglam12
by glimglam12
by glimglam12
by glimglam12
by glimglam12