Chapter 21 – Passing the Torch

Following up with that abrupt intrusion, Scootaloo gets herself up from the floor while softly groaning to herself, but once she opens her eyes, her petrified gaze locks on with Rainbow Dash and Spitfire as their startled eyes are just as wide as hers. In the midst of them freezing in place, Rainbow suffers a mental meltdown as she didn’t anticipate Scoots walking in Spitfire’s room so suddenly, let alone listening to their conversation. But as she anxiously tries to gather her thoughts, the blue Pegasus notices something even more upsetting just by looking on how watery Scootaloo’s eyes are.

Eventually, the little filly is the first to break out of their simultaneous daze as she hastily wipes her eyes and apologizes frantically, “O-oh! Sorry! I forgot to ask on what kind of pie you wanted, and… well…!”

Despite telling the truth initially, Scootaloo couldn’t help but look down in shame as she is indeed caught by the two older mares for her unintentional eavesdropping. After blinking speechlessly for a couple more times, Rainbow inhales a soft, deep breath to compose herself before she turns to her commander and asks for her permission.

“Hey Spitfire? Mind if we use the room for just a minute?”

With an understanding smile, the yellow mare nods to her comrade’s request, “Sure. I’ll see you two at the lounge.”

After walking past the other two Pegasi, Spitfire gently opens the door and quietly closes behind her. Once it is just the two of them, a brief moment of silence passes by before Rainbow faintly clears her throat before she questions her little sister in a very tender voice.

“Scootaloo? How much did you hear from us?”

From Rainbow’s soft inquiry, Scootaloo shakes tremendously as she stammers in fear, “I-I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop like that!”

With a soft shake of her head, Rainbow gently readdresses herself, “I’m not mad at you, Scoots. I swear. Just… please tell me.”

Of course, Scootaloo is too afraid to respond, not because of Rainbow Dash herself, but because she didn’t want to confirm what she just heard behind the closed door. The mere thought over the foretelling death of her idol is too much for her to accept as she hesitates even further before she utters her response in a very quiet voice.

“It’s not true, is it?”

Almost as shook up as her favorite filly, Rainbow Dash becomes quite hesitant to answer such a simple yet difficult question. So, Scootaloo asks once again, “Y-y-you’re not really going to die, are you?”

After swallowing a heavy gulp, the nervous Rainbow attempts to explain herself, “Scoots, try to understand--!”

“NO! I DON’T WANT TO BELIEVE IT!” Scootaloo snaps out loud as she breaks down in tears like a ruptured dam. “You’re the most unstoppable pony out there! How can you simply die on us when you’re supposed to be there with our friends, with our family, with me?! There's just so much you can teach me over the years to come, and all of the cool stuff we’ll get to do together, and how I will make you proud of me someday, and… and…!”

As the tiny Pegasus loses focus on what else she wants to say as well as her voice, Rainbow silently stares at poor Scootaloo while feeling absolutely terrible from hearing her little sister expressing such disheartening thoughts. With the older mare still thunderstruck from all of this, the constantly weeping filly rushes toward her and pretty much tackles her with a hug.

While clinging to Rainbow’s chest so desperately, Scootaloo then whimpers very quietly, “Please… don’t leave me, sis.”

Dash’s heart is on the verge of breaking apart from such heartache after hearing Scoots’ soft, desperate plea while her blue fur coat is soaked in the filly’s never-ending tears. It is what she feared when she had that nightmare about her funeral days ago where she observed her friends’ grief-stricken reactions, including Scootaloo’s. She remembers how utterly helpless she felt from not being able to comfort the one pony who always looked up to her. But right now, she can at least make amends by carefully wrapping her big, blue wings around the small, wailing pony and gently stroking her purple mane with a fore hoof.

A moment later, Scootaloo’s crying has subsided to a softer magnitude, and Rainbow continues her delicate brushing while responding in a tenderhearted voice, “Oh, Scootaloo. I don’t want to leave you either. I’m so sorry for all of this. Believe me, I never want to hurt you like this. It’s just that… life is like… a roller coaster.”

Scootaloo pauses from her lamenting as she look up with moist, mystifying eyes. “A… roller coaster?”

“Yeah, why not?” Rainbow replies with that usual, laidback smirk of hers. “Sure, it’s got its ups and downs, and there are some moments can be quite scary for others, but past all of that, you feel an overwhelming surge of happiness and excitement as you enjoy the ride all the way through. That’s what makes life so thrilling, Scootaloo. And I tell you, I’ve been having the best ride ever!”

From listening to her big sister’s offhand philosophy, Scootaloo’s eyes cease her tears thankfully before she replies in an uncertain tone, “I guess I can see that. But what am I going to do when you’re gone, Rainbow?”

“That’s up to you, Scootaloo. But you know what? I’ve already got that taken care of!” she states proudly with a clever grin. “Somepony who would be perfect to take my place someday!”

Curious by Rainbow’s optimism, Scootaloo asks, “Really? Who?”

“You, of course!” she answers with a well-meant chuckle.

“M-m-me?”

“Uh, yeah!” she answers with a sharp smirk as if it’s that obvious to Scootaloo. “I mean, who else have I taken under my wing and shown them all of my awesome and secret moves?”

“Well, there’s Ford, remember?”

From forgetting that tidbit of information, Rainbow chuckles heartily at her own mistake before she praises Scoots for catching that for her. “Okay, you got me there! But you’re my first protégé, so you still get top billing! So yeah, someday my ride will come to an end eventually. Maybe in a few months. Maybe in a hundred years. Who knows? But in my place, your ride in life will become the biggest attraction the world will ever see!” she envisions with big, starry eyes as she emphasizes her bold declaration with a wave of her foreleg.

Scootaloo brightens with a smile as well from Rainbow’s high expectation, but it quickly diminishes when she voices her dismay over something that will be missing in her future, “I still wish you will be there to watch me though.”

Understanding the filly’s plight, Rainbow displays the ever-so comforting smile as she pulls Scootaloo in for a closer embrace while saying to her, “Listen, whether it’s this life or the afterlife, I will always watch over you, Scootaloo. Always.”

Feeling so secure in Rainbow’s wings and forelegs, Scootaloo feels more at ease as she retightens her hugging. After another moment to themselves, Rainbow looks at her favorite filly and asks with a teasing smile.

“Hey, who’s the toughest filly in town?”

But instead of responding, the unamused Scootaloo puffs her cheeks and groans lightly to herself while turning her frowny face away from the smirking mare.

“Come on~!” Rainbow goads lightheartedly. “Who’s the toughest filly in town?”

“I am?”

“Don’t know. Are you the toughest filly in town?”

“I am.” she speaks up a little louder in a childish whine.

“That’s better.” Rainbow chuckles as she ruffles the filly’s mane like always.

Smiling a bit more from the older sister’s usual playfulness, she then admits halfheartedly, “I don’t feel so tough right now.”

“Hey, there’s no shame in that.” She comforts Scoots with a carefree smile. “Strong mares can cry too sometimes. Just not as much as the rest of the ponyfolk. But hey, let’s keep that to ourselves, alright?” she says with a wink before the filly agrees with a soft nod.

Once things have settled down for now, Rainbow is the first to stand up as she adds, “Ok, let’s take a break from all of this schmaltziness and get something to eat, hmm? My foals are getting pretty demanding as they are right now!” And she demonstrates her points with a soft pat against her pregnant belly.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Scootaloo states in sudden shock. “I was about to tell you on what kind of pies they have for today!”

“Yeah? Well, don’t keep me in suspense, squirt! What’s the lineup?”

“Well, along with coconut pie, key lime pie, and sweet potato pie, they have something I’m sure that you’ll really love: Zap Apple Pie!”

As excited as the younger Pegasus, Rainbow smirks with hungry anticipation, “No kidding? Well we better get going! With Soarin around, they’re might not be enough pie left for everypony else!”

After a very nice lunch at the Wonderbolts’ lounge, they continue what’s left of their tour for the rest of the afternoon, and they finish it off with a special preview of a spectacular aerobatic routine that Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot have in store for one of their upcoming events. Basically, it is a reenactment on how the Wonderbolts came to be as their dynamic performance creates magical lightning bolts right before the astonished eyes of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.

At the end of the tour, the five Pegasi stand in front of the exit that leads to the plateau’s lift where Scootaloo offers her tremendous appreciation to the Wonderbolt trio, “Thank you so much for all that you have done for me today!”

“It was our pleasure, Scootaloo.” Spitfire welcomes with a nod and a warm smile. “I truly hope we’ve made a worthwhile experience for you.”

“Oh yeah! Definitely! The most fun I have in a while!” the happy filly confirms as she bounces up and down.

“Good.” Soarin says as he brings something else in mind. “Because we’re planning for our first ‘Junior Wonderbolts Summer Camp’ that season, and we really hope to see you there this year.”

From this invitation, the wide-eyed Scootaloo gets even giddier than ever as she asks in surprise, “Really? I get to be just like a Wonderbolt?”

“Of course you can.” Spitfire confirms before she quickly adds to that proposition. “With your parents’ permission, of course.”

Once Spitfire stated that, Scootaloo lets out a subtle pout before Rainbow reassures her with an amusing grin, “Don’t worry, Scoots. I’m sure that won’t be difficult to obtain once we get back home.”

Despite that minor requirement, the filly shifts back into a sunny disposition, and she goes up to the three for a big hug while expresses her gratitude once more, “Well, thanks again for everything! You guys really are the best of the best! Just only second best to my big sister, of course.” she ends with a meaningful smirk.

In the midst of their group hug, the older Pegasi giggle over the filly’s amusing claim before Soarin responds with a laidback smile, “I guess second place is good enough for me.”

“Hey, that’s quitter talk, Soarin!” his wife retorts playfully. “We’re just going to have to really impress her the next time we see her again!”

“Ooh! Please do come back soon!” Fleetfoot insists cooingly. But as they finished their hug, Fleetfoot suddenly gets all wide-eyed as she quickly gets her multicolored friend’s attention, “Oh, Dash! Before I forget! Since you’re on your way back to Ponyville, would you mind… delivering this for me?” And as she develops a growing blush on her light arctic blue face, Fleetfoot reaches for something from the inside pocket of her jacket and pulls out an envelope.

Once she receives Fleetfoot’s letter, Rainbow replies casually, “Uh, okay sure. Who’s it for--?”

But then, she stops herself as she has a pretty good idea on who this letter is for. With that in mind, Dash breaks into a very wide, devious smile as she says to Fleetfoot with sly, narrowed eyes, “Ooooooh, I know who this is for! It’s for your little ‘Rosebud’, isn’t it?”

As expected, the flustered Fleetfoot blushes like mad from Rainbow’s witty assumption, and she replies in a stammering, firm tone, “Th-that’s none of your business, Dash!”

“It is my business if I need to know who I’m delivering this for!” she counters with a proud, crafty smirk as she delicately waves the letter in front of the aggravated Fleetfoot. “Oh wait, don’t tell me! You’ve come up with something really sappy to sweep her off her hooves, didn’t you? What did you write for her? A love poem perhaps? Or maybe it’s some fancy invitation for a romantic get-together, hmm?”

While Rainbow makes silly, kissy faces as she takes wild guesses within the contents of the letter, Fleetfoot glares at the aggravating pony with piercing, fuchsia eyes and snarling teeth while Spitfire and Soarin try to hold back their snickering. In the middle of it all, Scootaloo puzzles who they are referring to until she recalls somepony back in her hometown.

So just to make sure on her assumption, she taps on her sister’s leg and asks, “Hang on, Rainbow. Is that the mare Roseluck keeps talking about?”

From the mention of that name, Fleetfoot foregoes on whatever she is angry about and redirects her attention to the filly by grasping her by the shoulders and shaking her tremendously while asking in a high-pitched, demanding voice, “She has?! Quick, Scootaloo! You have to tell me what she thinks of me right now! It’s imperative!”

Fearful on her comrade’s obsession taking it out on the little filly, Rainbow Dash firmly interjects, “Hey hey! Easy on my sister there, Fleetfoot.”

Realizing on how carried away she was, Fleetfoot ceases her shaking and sets Scootaloo down gently while apologizing in a meek, caring voice, “S-sorry, Scootaloo. Are you okay? I didn’t shake you too hard, did I?”

While her mane is a bit wilder from all of that shaking, Scoots simply laughs it off with a cheerful smile, “No, I’m okay. It was kind of fun actually.”

Unable to contain herself from Scootaloo’s adorableness, Fleetfoot pulls her in for one last hug as she whispers sweetly, “Oh, Scootaloo. You’re too good for Rainbow.”

After Fleetfoot releases the smaller Pegasus, Rainbow Dash steps up to exchange her goodbyes as she hugs them one at a time. “Thanks a lot for arranging all of this for me, you guys. I couldn’t have pulled this off without you.”

“Of course, glad we can help.” Soarin nods to her.

“It’s been wonderful seeing the two of you.” Fleetfoot states with a smile.

And saving the best for last, Spitfire gives a great, big hug for Rainbow as she insists with a warm, gentle smile, “Take good care of yourself, Rainbow Dash.”

“I will. And thanks again for the pep talk, Spitfire.”

Once they all said their farewells, the two sisters head over to the Academy’s exclusive elevator as they wave goodbye to their Wonderbolt friends. As the large lift gradually takes the two guests down, Spitfire shudders spontaneously as she feels her heart getting heavy over the thoughts on Rainbow’s well-being. It felt so gripping for her that her amber eyes start to get all watery.

When Soarin notices that gradual change in his wife’s expression, he asks softly, “Are you okay, honey?”

Caught off-guard by her husband’s concern, Spitfire brushes it off by rubbing her eyes quickly as she reassures him, “I’m fine, Soarin. It’s just that… I’ll tell you guys about some other time.”

“Sigh… that Rainbow Dash is so lucky, you know?” Fleetfoot utters with a knowing grin.

“Yeah, with Scootaloo and her twins on the way, I’m a bit jealous myself.” Soarin admits with a subtle giggle.

From hearing her husband mentioning that, Spitfire remembers her deal with Rainbow Dash earlier and decides to finally put that plan into motion by sliding up close to Soarin and emphasizes with a very alluring smile, “You know, we could fix that ourselves.”

Following up on that hint, the wide-eyed Soarin starts quivers with anticipation as he responds nervously, “O-oh really?”

“Mm-hmm.” she purrs affectionately as the grinning captain lovingly nuzzles against her husband’s neck while carrying on with her act of seduction. “Tonight, I have a very special assignment for you, Soarin. And you’re the only pony capable of completing such a task for me.”

As Spitfire offers her tempting offer for the thrilled stallion, she slyly wraps her long tail around his and uses her right wing to impishly caress his backside. Feeling really tense in every part of his body, his wings rattle in excitement as he gapes excessively in an inarticulate manner, “Uhhhh…”

“That’s an order.” she adds in a firm yet sultry tone.

Amused by how Spitfire is handling her husband, Fleetfoot playfully nudges Soarin to break him out of his own stupor as she grins to him, “You heard the mare. Captain's orders. Hop to it, soldier.”

With his mind back on track, he gives off a quick yet earnest salute to his grinning wife as he says out loud, “Yes, ma’am!”

Without further delay, he mightily lifts up his mare and cradles the now-blushing Spitfire in his strong forelegs. And with his privileged passenger safely secured, the very enthusiastic stallion takes immediate flight and the couple dart straight to their home. After waving goodbye to the stimulated couple, Fleetfoot eventually notices on how alone she is right now and lets out a heavy sigh of mockingly self-pity for herself.

“Oh, I hope Roseluck gets my letter in time. With everypony else fooling around, I’m starting to feel left out from all of this.”

On their train ride back home in the midst of a calm, orange sunset, Rainbow reclines leisurely on her cushiony seat while Scootaloo sits next to her and looks through the window as she sees how small the plateau for the Wonderbolts Academy is getting with each passing minute.

Feeling mighty proud of herself with what they did today, Rainbow turns to Scoots and asks with a grin, “So, did I tell you that today was going to be way cooler than Sisterhooves Social or what?”

“Oh yeah! Way past cool!” she agrees wholeheartedly.

Satisfied on her answer, Rainbow lets out a soft giggle before responding, “Glad to hear that, Scoots.”

Then, it gets awfully quiet between the two of them as Scootaloo redirects her attention to the window to gaze at the passing scenery while Rainbow tries to get comfort in her sitting position. However, the silence begins to gnaw her as she recollects on the upsetting discussion they had earlier at Spitfire’s office. Rainbow can only hope that their distraught moment didn’t ruin their big trip overall.

Hesitant at first, she gentle calls out to the filly, “Hey uhh… are you going to be okay?”

Despite the older mare not phrasing that clearly, Scootaloo understands what Rainbow Dash was implying as she turns to her concerning sister with an ambiguous look on her face. Once she sits down on her seat properly, Scoots takes a moment to contemplate on her mixed feelings before she answers with honest uncertainty.

“…I think so. Are you?”

Like her protégé, Rainbow thinks over her response before she replies with a bold, reassuring grin, “Don’t you worry about me, Scootaloo. Whether I make it or not, I’m as tough as they come.”

Then, she realizes on one last thing she wanted to do for Scootaloo as she states it while reaching inside her saddlebag, “Oh here. I wanna give you this. Something of a memento from me.”

After finding what she is looking for, Dash pulls out a shiny, gold badge that depicts a profile headshot of a Pegasus with a fully expanded wing upfront and a large, flowing mane. The overall shape is kind of like a lightning bolt similar to the Wonderbolts’ symbol, except the outline is much smoother. From receiving her gift, Scootaloo eyes it with wondrous delight as her fore hooves get a good feel of the badge’s smooth, carved surface.

“Cool! Is this something from the Wonderbolts?” Scootaloo asks with amazement.

“Yep. It’s the Lead Pony Badge I earned for myself at when I was a cadet at the Wonderbolts Academy.” Dash explains cheerfully. “And someday, you’ll get your very own badge just like this one.”

Suddenly, Scootaloo stops examining the badge’s details as she aimlessly looks down with her smile diminishing. Then, she glances at her idol and asks cautiously, “Hey, Rainbow? Will you… be disappointed if I don’t want to be Wonderbolt?”

A bit surprised by how her biggest fan doesn’t want to follow in her hoofsteps, Rainbow breaks into a honest, comforting smile and eases the filly’s worries, “Not at all, Scoots.” This makes the younger pony smiling once more, even if it’s just a little one, and Rainbow then asks with keen interest, “So what is it that you want to be someday?”

Scootaloo ponders on that thought-provoking question for a bit before answering, “Hmm… I’m not too sure myself. Hopefully it will be something where I can put my scooter to good use, but for the most part, I want to be a hero, just like you, Rainbow Dash.”

Never getting enough on how much Scoots really looks up to her, Rainbow displays a big smile as she pulls her in closely with a wing while assuring her, “Scootaloo, whatever you decide, I know you’re going to turn out just as awesome as me.”

As Scootaloo relaxes in the embrace of Rainbow’s wing, the latter warmly recollects on their times together and asks with a reminiscing smile, “Hey, do you remember that day where we went camping at the Winsome Falls with AJ, Rarity and your Crusader friends?”

From that reminder, Scootaloo brightens with a big smile, “How could I forget? It’s where you became my big sister!”

“Well, I don’t think I ever told you this before, but I’m an only child from where I come.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. So when you ask me to take you under my wing, I was somewhat shocked to hear that from you considering I never had a sibling before. Yet… at the same, I was quite thrilled on the idea. I mean, we’ve got a lot in common already when you think about it. We’re both tough, hardcore mares. We’re two of the coolest ponies in Ponyville. And we’re both known for our slick moves and radical stunts. You really are the toughest, coolest little filly I could ever ask for; the perfect sister I always wanted! You asked yourself if I will be proud of you someday. Well, you should already know that I’m already proud of you! No, scratch that, I have always been proud of you!”

Scootaloo is a speechless from hearing such earnest words from Rainbow Dash. They were so overwhelming to grasp that the little, orange filly could barely hold back her tears. So in order to prevent Rainbow Dash from seeing her acting so emotional once again, Scoots shoves her face into Dash’s chest as soft tears leaked out of her eyes. With a sympathetic smile, Rainbow wraps Scootaloo up in a gentle wing while the filly finishes what's left of her soft crying.

But as the two mares feel more at ease within their sisterly embrace, Rainbow endures a sudden kick from her exposed stomach and exclaims out loud, “Ooh!”

Alarmed by Dash’s shrieking, Scoots asks in a panicky tone, “What’s wrong, Rainbow?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really.” Rainbow reassures with a hearty chuckle. “It’s just my foals’ way on wanting to meet their new aunt.” Then, she pulls Scoots in closer until her face is touching her pregnant belly and insists with a grin, “Go on, say ‘hi’ to them.”

With her cheek pressed against Rainbow’s bulgy belly, Scootaloo says to them gingerly, “Umm… hello?” And to her surprise, she feels a couple of soft kicks stirring from within Rainbow, and Scoots announces cheerfully, “Hey, I think they’re responding to me!”

Rainbow giggles over Scoot’s joyous reaction and replies humorously, “Yeah, they can be just as restless as their mom, that’s for sure!”

As Scootaloo stays close to Rainbow’s stomach to feel any more of the twins’ kicking, she looks up at her role model’s beaming face and asks with high expectation, “Do you think I’ll be a great aunt someday, Rainbow?”

With an even wider grin, Rainbow Dash guarantees Scoots without a doubt, “The best aunt ever!”

After dropping the exhausted Scootaloo at her parents’ house as well as dropping off Fleetfoot’s letter to Roseluck’s residence, Rainbow makes her way to back home as it is now dusk by this point. Upon her arrival, she’s surprised to see that her husband hasn’t come to greet her right away, but she is welcomed to the luscious aroma of freshly made soup. In any case, she has a pretty good idea on where she may find him. With no need to hurry, Rainbow flies upstairs and peaks into the studio room where Ford Mustang, as expected, is preoccupied at the moment with his latest project.

“Hey, Mustang! I’m home!”

From Rainbow’s sweet greeting, the surprised stallion turns around and smiles upon Dash’s return. Setting his work aside, he flies toward his mare and responds with a pleasant kiss for her.

“Hey, welcome back, angel! How was your trip with Scootaloo today?”

“Awesome as always!” she declares boldly with an excited grin. “Ah, you should have seen Scoots in action at their obstacle course today! She was amazing out there! I tell you, Ford! That pony is destined for great things!”

“I’m sure that she is, Rainbow.” he smiles over Rainbow’s enthusiasm before he walks past her and asks if she wants to join him. “Hey, you didn’t get any dinner yet, did you? I’ve got some soup ready we can have for--!”

But then, he stops in place when he notices his wife not moving an inch from her spot as she aimlessly looks down at the floor. Cautiously, he walks back toward the mare’s side to see what’s the matter. But before he can question her, Ford’s face droops drastically as he gazes with immense dread at Rainbow’s sudden emotional breakdown. With all of her inner barriers crumbling at once, the blubbering mare sobs relentlessly as she fruitlessly shuts her eyes where multiple streams of tears pour out of there.

“Rainbow Dash… what’s wrong?” he asks mildly.

In between her sniffling, she expresses her deepest grief and regret regarding with her grim future, “It’s… it’s not fair! I’m never going to see Scootaloo all grown up, or the twins for that matter! I’m gonna miss out on all of the awesome things in their lives! I’m gonna miss out on everything!”

Ford is about to saying something, but nothing comes out of his gaping mouth. In fact, what could he say to her without building false hope? With nothing good in mind to say, all he can do for the moment is hug her tenderly and allow her to just let it all out. With time left unchecked, Ford holds on to his wife for as long as she needed as her spontaneous lamentation gradually dies down thanks to her husband’s strong, warm embrace.

Eventually, she feels much better as if a tremendous weight has been lifted off her back, and she faces her husband with an appreciative smile as she chuckles over her pitiful display earlier, “Sorry you had to see me like that, Ford. I guess I’ve been holding back the waterworks far longer than I should.”

“I can imagine.” he responds understandingly before he restates his previous offer. “So, would you like me to pour a bowl of soup for you?”

“Yeah, I would like that very much.”

After they enter the kitchen, Ford gets their soup ready as Rainbow sits down at the kitchen table. While waiting on their meals, she contemplates on what to do next. So far, she already shared her premonition with Spitfire and Scootaloo, so maybe it’s high time to let her best friends on this as well.

But she didn’t just want to simply tell them about her predicament. She wants to do something special for them; something to show them on how much she really appreciates their friendship. With that mind, she grabs a notepad and a pencil nearby and begins to jot down her thoughts.

IDEAS ON SPENDING TIME WITH EACH OF MY FRIENDS

1. Fluttershy

Author's Notes:

Despite envisioning on Spitfire and Soarin having a foal someday, I wasn't sure on when they would copulate. However, I was mostly inspired to hint at it in this chapter thanks to a comment by Sidetrack from a previous chapter that a lot people favored for.