Well, after the joy of getting my cutie mark numbed, even if only a little, it turns out that I came in first place...is it really surprising? Yeah, anyway, so with my blue ribbon proudly around my neck I trotted over to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who looked like their heads were about to explode.

"Thanks for the popcorn, it really helped my act go out with a BANG!" I snicker. Diamond Tiara gives a snort and turns her nose up to the sun.

"You might have a blue ribbon but you still are a blank flank." she snaps, I give a laugh and turn so that she can see my flank.

"Not anymore," I say cheerfully, turning around sharply I get hear my tail whipping Diamond in the snout, "Have a great day." Trotting back to Rainbow Dash and Soarin, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I smile, nothing could bring down my mood. Rainbow Dash looks a little angry, but Soarin is just looking nervously behind me. I look at the curiously. "What's the matter?"

"You might want to look behind you." says Soarin, Rainbow Dash gives a snort of hatred and turns her head away. Looking behind me, I see the familiar dark, navy blue mane with a light icy blue streak running through it. Remember how I said that nothing could bring down my mood? Well I stand corrected. Standing be hind me is the one and only Rumble. He stands there and looks at me, his eyes are wide and pleading like he is trying to send a message. I just stand there, shocked, kind of like when he told me he wouldn't be here.

"Maybe you should go talk to him..." mumbles Rainbow Dash, I give a growl and stomp out of the arena.

---

Spreading my wings, I shoot up to a large, puffy cloud and start pacing on it. My wings twitch with anger, I take deep breath...trying to get rid of the anger that plagued my mind. The soft beating of wings comes behind me and the cloud shifts as a heavy weight lands on it.

"You are going to pace a hole in the cloud if you continue like that." comes Rumble's soft voice. I turn my icy eyes on him and I can see him flinch.

"Look who decided to show their face after bluntly saying that they wouldn't come." I hiss, Rumble looks at his hooves guiltily.

"I am sorry Scoots...its just I had to work and then get you something." he says, some of my anger goes away and is replaced with curiosity.

"Why would you buy something for me?" I ask, he sighs and pulls out a necklace from his saddlebag. It had a Wonderbolts emblem in the middle with three tiny butterflies on each side. I give a gasp, it had to be worth like thirty bits!

"I bought the butterfly beads from a stand in the arena, Soarin gave me the emblem. I thought that I would continue the Cutie Mark Crusader tradition of giving a memento." he mumble through the strings, I stare at him and then at the necklace.

"You didn't have to do that." I whisper, he shrugs and puts his seashell necklace in his hooves.

"Consider it me returning some kindness." he says, I trot up to him and give him a hug. Push back from him, I slap him in the face. "Ow, way to ruin the moment!" he complains.

"That was for not coming to the show like we talked about," I say, coming closer I give him a peck on the cheek, "that is for being sweet." He groans and puts the necklace on my neck. Holding the emblem in my hooves, I flip it over and I see that a word was carved into the back, 'Freedom'. "Oh! I forgot to ask, I have to head to Canterlot after this to help some pony out and she said that I could bring a friend. Do you want to come?" I ask, his eyes widen.

"Am I forgiven?" he asks, I pull my hoof up to my chin and pretend to stroke an imaginary beard.

"You are 80% forgiven." I say, he shrugs and opens his wings about to take flight.

"Works for me." he says. I push him a little and fly off of the cloud. When I land on the ground, I can see Pound flying over to me.

"That was amazing! The popcorn stunt was so awesome. Some of the popcorn even reach my stand!" he says, I chuckle and mess up his mane with my hoof.

"Thank for the enthusiasm Pound." I say, he smiles and gives me a hug. I look over at Rumble and see that his eyes are steely and full of hate. "You can let go of me now." I choke out. Pound releases his embrace and nods at Rumble.

"I am going to go pack up, are you going to Sugarcube Corner after this?" Pound looks at me with big eyes but I shake my head.

"Can't. Have to head to Canterlot and try out a stunt course at Wonderbolts HQ." I say, Pound mumbles something about me being busy all the time and trots off. Rumble comes up next to me with his jaw set in a stern line. "Somepony is jealous." I sing, he looks at me shocked but shakes his head.

"No, he is just to enthusiastic for my liking." says Rumble, I give an unimpressed snort and start walking over to RD and Soarin who were standing by the door the the arena. "You never said that we were going to Wonberbolt HQ."

"Just think of it as an adventure." I say, Rumble clears his throat and puts his hoof to his chest.

"We sail to seas of Equestria maties." he said in a pirate voice. I shoulder him and laugh. Trotting up to RD I see that she is eyeing Rumble with suspicion.

"Hello Rainbow Dash, sorry I was late for the show." he says in a straight tone. RD looks at him through squinted eyes but eventually shrugs.

"You ponies ready to fly to Canterlot?" she asks, I nod my head but Rumble just stares with wide eyes.

"We're flying?" he asks in a squeaky tone. I laugh and put my wing over his back as a sign of comfort.

"Don't worry, it is only like a twenty minute fly. The great thing is is that we are sleeping at Wonderbolts HQ for five whole days!" I say, Rumble looks excited.

"Now I get to see my brother a little more." he says, I laugh and begin to hover over the small group.

"Then lets go!" I say.

---

My wings flap making a soft beating sound in the silent sky above Equestria. Rumble flies next to me, every once in a while giving me a glance.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" I ask, he looks startled but smiles.

"It s just cool how now you can fly. I guess I am in the habit of looking over at you to make sure you don't fall." he says with a shrug. I smile and do and twist in the air.

"I liked our little flying sessions." I say, he smiles and spreads his wings so that the wind is keeping him aloft.

"My favorite one was when you did you're first stunt without your scooter." he says, I laugh at the memory.

It was a warm Equestrian day by the lake. I was hovering while Rumble was showing how to angle your wings without falling.

"It is really simple, just move you wing joint a little till the wings are at an angle. It helps you do sharp corners." he yells as he does a backflip. I copy his movements and make a perfect turn around the tree. "See! You're a natural." comments Rumble. I smile and look at the sky, a few wispy clouds are around the bright blue background. Instantly my head plans out a course in my head and I shoot into the sky. I zoom down the first cloud and angle my wings (just like Rumble taught me) and zigzag between the clouds. Looking behind me, I see that my movements had created a cloud butterfly.

"That was fun!" I shriek, Rumble laughs and flies over to me.

"Like I said, you're a natural."

My mind returns to the skies and Rumble just smiles at me. I roll my eyes and start playing around in the passing clouds.

"You look like a filly." says Rumble, I give a snort and put my head in to a cloud. Raising my head, I stroke my cloud beard.

"Yes...yes. Pip, pip, cheerio." I say in a fake Canterlot voice. Rumble starts laughing and makes a cloud mustache.

"Scootaloo! Rumble! Stop making cloud facial hair and get those wings flapping!" yells Soarin, I look at Rumble and roll my eyes.

"Sure thing, Coach!" I yell back with sarcasm. We return to flying...recounting the things we did as fillies and colts.

---

I bolt through the Wonderbolt HQ doors and run through the numerous hallways. Seriously, if I hadn't been raised in these halls I would be lost...they need signs. Opening the stunt room doors, I hear Rumble panting beside me. Fleetfoot is standing in front of the course, and a course it was! Fire hoops, spiked cylinders, and tight spaces lined the walls of the stunt room. I bounce up and down, squealing. Fleetfoot looks over at me and her eyes widen when she sees Rumble.

"Thought you said you weren't bringing a friend." she says with a laugh. I shrug and walk over to Rumble.

"Fleetfoot this is Rumble, Rumble this is Fleetfoot." I say, Rumble gives Fleetfoot a respectful nod and Fleetfoot smile.

"So, you ready for this new course?" she asks, I give a snort and proudly show off my flank.

"Stunts are my specialty." I say, Flletfoot looks surprised and gives a laugh.

"How did you earn that baby?" she asks, I look up at the sky and let out a sigh.

"Stunts, stunts, and exploding popcorn." I say, Fleetfoot shakes her head and points at the start of the course.

"I will just have to ask RD later." she says. Flying up to the beginning, I see that Rumble is looking at the course with worried eyes. He flies up to e and lightly pushes his wing over my shoulders.

"Are you sure you can do...that?" he asks anxiously. I look back over the course and plan my route through. First, dive throw the rings of fire and do a sharp turn up through them again so the jaws of doom don't snap me out of the air. Next, do a 90 degree turn to the left and missile through the line of cloud hoops and weave around the six spike cylinders. Finally, shoot up and dive through the thunder cloud stars and land on the soft pad underneath. Looking back at Rumble I begin to smile.

"Little o' me? You want to make a bet?" I ask, he looks around nervously before nodding his head slowly, "okay then, we run the course. Fleetfoot times us, whoever gets the fastest time has to ask the other pony for a favor. No ifs, ands, or buts, the other pony has to do that favor...now matter what." I say, Rumble begins to smile and his wings rustle with anticipation.

"Anything at all?" he asks, I nod and he gives a laugh. "Okay then, lets do this." I give a laugh and crouch down in a ready position.

---

I crash down on the pad underneath the course and stretch my wings out, trying to work out the tense muscles in my back. Looking over at Fleetfoot, I see her smiling from ear to ear.

"Whoa Scoots! 29 seconds! That is five second faster than the last course." she exclaims, rubbing the muscles behind my wing joint I give a sigh.

"The last course had a stray lightning bolt that hit me." I mumble, Fleet waves that away and writes down my time. I look over at Rumble and see that he is putting on a pair of flying goggles that he always carries with him. "Hey Rumble!" I yell, he looks over at me with his ears raised. "The cylinders move every five seconds!" I scream back, he nods and jets off of the platform.

He twists and turns with so much accuracy that I felt my jaw working in place. As he comes to the cylinders, we tries to weave between them but between the last one and the cloud wall his wing hits the cloud wall, I wince. That was an instant five seconds to his time. He flies the rest of the course and lands softly next to me. Taking off his goggles he gives me that goofy grin and looks at Fleetfoot.

"That was good, for a rookie. Your original time was 30 seconds, but you cut the corner between the last cylinder and the wall so your official time is 35 seconds. Like I said, good for a rookie." she looks at Rumble with concerned eyes, he just shrugs and sits down. I walk behind him and begin to massage his back muscles.

"What are you doing?" he asks in a relaxed voice, I roll my eyes and knead a little harder.

"Fleet's courses are hard work on the wings and back...after my first course I didn't massage my muscles then couldn't move the next day. So...consider it me returning the lessons on flying." I mumble, I can hear him sigh and begin to relax.

"So what it the favor that I am going to be doing?" he asks, I give a laugh and look at Fleet. She is putting my time into the computer, something about ranging the average to figure out if the next course should be used in the show. I don't really pay attention.

"Um...remember how I said we would be staying for five days? Since I was practically raised here I get my own room but all of the other rooms are taken by other ponies. My favor...or order I guess...is that you sleep in the bottom bunk in my bunk bed. Unless you want to sleep on the floor." I say, Rumble whips around.

"You...me...same bedroom!" he says, I laugh and sit down.

"Oh come on. It is just like when we were fillies! What...you think that I will make a move on you. Puuleeeaaase." I sigh. "But seriously. It isn't like we will be messing around or doing something were aren't suppose to. Heck! When we get to the room most nights we will just crash."

"Sometimes I really hate you, you know that right?" he says, I look at him with big innocent eyes.

"No...you luuuuve me." I say sarcastically, he jumps out and tackles me to the ground. We roll around, laughing all the way.

Damn Winter songs getting stuck in my head!