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

~Fin~