Fly with me, Scootalooby TheFluttershyeffectChaptersThe NewsRarityTwilight SparkleThe PromiseThe AccidentThe FuneralEpilougeApplejackFluttershyPinkie PieThe NewsWarning: This story takes place about five years in the future from the time the show is aired. It is supposed to be a sad story, fair warning. Cutie Marks: http://www.roblox.com/My/Sets.aspx?id=1035844 Scootaloo was in tears. Her adoptive parents, Cherry Cola and Soda Pop, were tearing up as well. "What do you mean?!" Scootaloo sobbed. "Isn't there anything you can do?!" "I am quite sorry" Her doctor said, with a rather grim look on his face, "But you are the victim of a genetic defect. Your wings simply don't contain enough muscle fiber or tissue for you to be able to fly. I'm sorry" "But you're a doctor!! You cure people every day! Can't you-" "As I said before, this is something that simply cannot be cured. Your only bet is a wing transplant. I can put you on a waiting list, but the list is rather long and the procedure is quite expensive." Soda Pop looked the doctor in the eye. "Scootaloo is our daughter, and we love her. We don't care about money! Anything, anything at all, we'll pay it!" The doctor looked down. "It's, um.. nine hundred thousand dollars." Soda Pop and Cherry Cola looked at each other tearfully, then both looked at Scootaloo. It was a look that said "If we could afford it..". Scootaloo got the message and once again, burst into tears. She stormed out of the room. "Th.. thank you for your.. for your help, doctor." Soda Pop said between sobs, then he and Cherry Cola headed out to the car, where Scootaloo was waiting in the back seat. "Honey.." Cherry Cola looked back at Scootaloo. "It's not so bad.. I mean.. you're still good at scootering. I mean, you're so close to breaking the land speed record on a scooter, and you're only fourteen! And.." "Mom, I know" Scootaloo retorted. She looked at her Cutie Mark sadly, a grim reminder that she'd never be a great flyer like her hero, Rainbow Dash. She was silent for the rest of the way home, doing her best to hold in her tears. She hated her cutie mark. She hated her broken wings. She hated her stupid defective genes. She hated herself. When they got home, she immediatly stormed off to her room, crying. Her parents went to their bedroom, presumably to cry as well. Scootaloo slammed her door. Then she bucked her door mirror, shattering it. Then she threw a hairbrush at her vanity mirror, shattering that too. She checked the drawer on her vanity and found a small hand mirror. She slammed it against her doorknob, shattering that mirror as well. She didn't want to see herself at all. She was ugly, in her eyes. Ugly and defective. She could never be happy, not if she'd never get to realize her dream of flying with Rainbow Dash. She sat on the floor after that, and sobbed. She picked up a glass shard off the floor. Her hoof bled slightly, but she ignored it. She glared hatefully into the small image of herself in the mirror she now held. "This is your fault! I hate you!" She threw it across the room and sobbed some more. She lay their crying for around ten minutes. She then crawled over to her closet, where she kept things from her childhood, things she called "Pieces of Memories" She got out a box labeled "Cutie MARK Crusaders". She smiled a bit at her handwriting, then opened the box. In it were a few pictures of her old friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, her old Cutie Mark Crusaders cape, and her old yearbook. She knew their signatures were in there somewhere. There was also a CD she had made. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had made it for her before she left Ponyville, about four years ago. She put it in her DVD player and hit play. Before her eyes she watched countless failed attempts at getting their cutie marks, and had to smile a bit. They had been fortunate enough to get all three of their Cutie Marks on film, first Sweetie Belle's, then herself, then finally Apple Bloom. She smiled at how excited they looked in the video tape. Her parents came in to talk to her at that moment, only to find her sobbing into the cape she'd had since she was a filly. They looked at each other, than at Scootaloo. "Sweetie.. your mirrors.." She buried her face under her cape, not ready to be yelled at. "It's okay sweetie. Normally we'd yell at you, but at a time like this.. you're actually taking it well, compared to how many kids would react." She buried her head deeper in the cape. She knew they meant well, but she wasn't ready to talk to anybody. "What if we let you see Rainbow Dash?" She pulled her head out and looked at the Rainbow Dash poster above her bed. Rainbow Dash was in the Wonderbolts, and Scootaloo's role model. She had actually socialized with her back in Ponyville quite a bit, but the Wonderbolts hardly ever did shows in Fillydelphia. She did watch every show on TV, though. "You'd fly me all the way out to Ponyville just so I can see Rainbow Dash fly?" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Well.. we would.. but wouldn't you rather move there?" They looked at her, expecting a smile. And they got one. "Really? We're really moving back to Ponyville? Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!!!" She instantly forgot about her wings and about being sad. "Well, your father's job has a branch in Ponyville, and they were willing to let him transfer. We saw online that our old house was vacant, and we were gonna buy it. We just had to be 100% sure you were okay with it, first." Scootaloo was so excited. She emailed her old friends almost daily, and video chatted regularly. But she hadn't seen them in person in almost four years. From what she heard, though, Ponyville wasn't doing as good as when she left. Rarity and Applejack, along with their friends, were apparently.. well, they wouldn't say what was wrong because most of it was hard for them to talk about. She hoped it wasn't so bad that they couldn't hang out together. RarityThey arrived in front of Carousel Boutique, which looked freshly painted. Sweetie Belle unlocked the door with a key that had been hidden under the freshly-cleaned Welcome mat. Rarity greeted them. "Be careful! Did you wipe your hooves on the mat? Good. Now give me the mat, I need to wash it." Sweetie Belle picked up the mat and carried it to her sister, who treated it like it was toxic waste. She ran down to the basement, where she was presumably going to wash it. Scootaloo looked confused. "Her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder spiked a few years ago, after the started losing contact with her friends." Sweetie Belle explained. "She washes her doorknobs now, and insists no one walk outside of a clear set path." Now that she said that, Scootaloo noticed what appeared to be a path leading from room to room, outlined in white tape. "Come on, let's go.. I doubt she really wants us here, anyway." Scootaloo suddenly got a horrified realiation. "Did Rainbow Dash fall apart?!" The thought was too much for her to bear. "No, no, Rainbow Dash is the only one who didn't.. except that she spends all her time either flying or sleeping." Sweetie Belle told her. Scootaloo could live with that. "So where are we going next?" "Er.. how about Twilight?" Scootaloo was sure she hadn't seen the worst of it, based on their expressions. Twilight SparkleThey arrived at Twilight's house, which now had what appeared to be metal bars on the windows. The door looked like solid wood, and had ten different locks on it, along with one of those rectangle holes that has a sliding door, for looking outside. Using the knocker, Scootaloo reluctantly knocked on the door. The little rectangele opened, and all three ponies were greeted by a pair of baggy, bloodshot eyes. "Oh, hi girls!' Twilight said in a slightly demented voice. "What would you like with me this evening?" "Well.. Scootaloo was in town.. and wanted to see you.." Sweetie Belle stammered. 'I hand't noticed! I'll let you right in!" With that, the rectangle closed, the three ponies heard several clicks as each lock was undone, and a few seconds later the door opened. "Come on in!" Twilight smiled awkwardly at them. Scootaloo could now see Twilight's hair was a mess, as was her house. There were food wrappers and soft drink cans littering the area near a large chair, where a pile of thirtysomething books lay beside. There were what appeared to be boards in front of the windows, and hardly any light was getting in. The only real light was a small lamp right next to the chair. "Would you girls like some coffee?" Twilight's eye twitched. "Er.. no.. no thank you, ma'am." Apple Bloom managed to get out, clearly intimidated. But how she was feeling was nothing compared to Scootaloo, who had no idea Twilight was like this. She seemed to have not talked to a soul in months. Spike walked in at that moment, only his eyes were wide, glossy, and unblinking. In a completely emotionless voice he announced "Twilight, your meatloaf is ready. I will bring it to you." He then exited back into the kitchen, not even acknowledging the girls. A few seconds later he reemerged with the meatloaf. He handed it to Twilight, then went in the corner and closed his eyes. He appeared to be sleeping, except he was standing up. That was the first time Scootaloo noticed what appeared to be stitches going from above his right eye to just behind his right ear. If it could be called an ear. Scootaloo didn't know a lot about dragons. "Well, uh.. we better get going." Scootaloo commented. "Come on, guys." "Thank you for your visit, girls!" Twilight said in a creepy, slightly cheerful way. As soon as they left, and Twilight's door was locked, Scootaloo asked "Now what was that?!" Sweeite Belle, again, offered an explanation. "Well, after what happened with Rarity, Spike jumped off the library. Broke his skull. Twilight used a spell to bring him back to life.. but too much of his brain was damaged. She chose to keep him.. well, you saw how he was.. but still considered him dead. That basically destroyed her, and now she never talks to anypony." "Wow.. I never realized how much could happen in a few years.." Scootaloo shed a few tears at how unhappy everypony seemed to be. "Er.. it gets worse" Sweetie Belle said unhappily. She was clearly just as upset about this as Scootaloo, just more used to it. "Wait until you get to Fluttershy's" The PromiseTurns out all she had to do was go home, where Rainbow Dash was waiting for her. She looked slightly different, her mane was maybe a bit longer. "Hey, kid, haven't seen ya in a while! I mean, except those shows I did in Fillydelphia. I saw you there. Front row every time, kid!" "You saw me?!" Scootaloo said, with all the excitment you'd expect of someone meeting their idol.. even if they'd met a lot already in the past. "'Course I did. I don't wink at ponies when I do shows in Ponyville, do I?" Scootaloo was so happy that Rainbow had been winking at her.. but then was overcome with a sudden wave of sadness. "Hey, cheer up kid.. what's the matter?" "Well.. the doctors told me I'll never fly. Some genetic thingy.." "Come on, kid.. you can't beleive everything doctors say. Sure, they're right most of the time, but when I was born the doctors said I wasn't gonna live past two years." "Really?" Scootaloo looked up with interest "Oh, yeah" Rainbow Dash continued to explain. "Trust me.. you're gonna go far, kid. Heard you almost broke the land speed record on a scooter! I'm way impressed!" Rainbow said genuinley. "Really?!?!" Scootaloo shouted this with everything her small lungs could manage. Rainbow Dash laughed a bit. "Really! And.. kid.. listen. You're gonna fly with me some day. Promise." "How.. how do you know? How are we gonna fly together?" "I.. I don't know how. But you will. I gotta get goin', kid.. I expect to see you at my show tomorrow?" Scootaloo nodded enthusiasticaly, then Rainbow sped off. Scootaloo could hardly sleep that night, she was so excited. The Accident**Six months later** Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were in front row seats to watch the Wonderbolts, which they had free passes to at every show. At this point, the other three fliers simple made a circle for Rainbow Dash to fly through. She was going to perform a Sonic Rainboom, something she rarely did because of its difficulty level. The crowd was going insane. Rainbow smiled. She couldn't hear the fans screaming, she was far too high up, but she just knew they were going crazy over what she was about to do. She flew in a small circle to warm up, then sped down as fast as she could, leaving a rainbow behind her. She was travelling at breakneck speeds, nearly the speed of sound. Just a little more.. then she'd stop a few feet from the ground, speed upwards, and listen as the crowd awed over the Sonic Rainboom it would form. About a hundred more yards.. "WHOOO! GO RAINBOW DASH!" Scootaloo yelled loudly from the stands. She was more excited than anypony else at the stadium. Just over a hundred feet.. "WHOO! YOU CAN DO IT!!" Just a little more... "RAINBOW DASH! GO RAINBOW DASH! GO-!" CRASH! Rainbow didn't turn up fast enough, and struck the ground at just under 340 miles per second. The crowd was terrified, but none so much as Scootaloo, who ran out to see if Rainbow Dash was okay. When Scootaloo got there, she nearly threw up. Rainbow was laying on her back, with her back itself bent at a wrong angle. Her back legs were both broken beyond repair, and her front left leg was only holding on by a few bits of flesh. Her eyes and ears were bleeding, and many of her teeth were missing. Those that weren't, were cracked. Several of her ribs stuck out from her chest. "Rain.. Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo began to cry, this sadness far worse than when she got the news about her wings. Worse than any sadness she had ever felt. "S..S.." Rainbow appeared to be trying to talk, but her mouth was full of blood. "Rainbow? Rainbow is that you? Are you okay?!" Rainbow spit out a large amount of blood, more than Scootaloo had seen in her life. "Sc.. Scoots? Is that.. Scoots.. listen.." "I'm listening Rainbow Dash!" "I know it.. looks like I.. well.. y.. you can see how it looks" Rainbow looked down on her body with one eye, the other appearing to be unable to move. "But.. I'm still gon.. gonna make good on that promise. You WILL fly with me, Scoots, you got that?" Scootaloo cried and nodded her head. "I beleive you, Rainbow Dash, I beleive you!!!" "You.. you're gonna go places.. kid.." With that, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, formed what appeared to be a sad smile, and died. Scootaloo burst into tears and hugged the dead body, hugged it like it wasn't a dead body at all, but the sister Rainbow Dash had come to be in Scootaloo's mind. She did that until an ambulance came and took Rainbow Dash's corpse away. After that, Scootaloo cried for hours. She cried so long she ran out of tears, but she just kept crying. "I.. love you.. Rainbow.. Dash.." The Funeral**Three Days Later** Everyone looked gloomily at the tombstone which read "Rainbow Dash - 20% Cooler in Ten Seconds Flat", and also had her cutie mark engraved on it. She was a hell of a racer, but it was becoming apparant she was more than that. All of her old friends showed up, and seemed to have remenants of their older selves. Even Pinkie, who was escorted by two guards, had her hair curly again and was finally putting makeup on those scars. Fluttershy didn't look as hateful, Twilight had done her hair and was acting semi-normal, Applejack didn't appear to be drunk or even hung over, and Rarity was willing to stand on the grass to attend her old friend's funeral. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were crying, but Scootaloo was bawling, right next to the casket which contained what was left of her role model, Rainbow Dash. The remaining three Wonderbolts were there as well, and they laid her Wonderbolts uniform on top of her casket, to be buried with her. As they lowered the casket, Scootaloo cried even louder. Then, as they filled up the hole, she finally realized.. Rainbow Dash is never coming back. She quietly whispered "Rainbow.. I was supposed to fly with you.." **Two Hours Later** The reading of the will was almost over. Rainbow didn't have many friends, and was an orphan herself, but everyone did get something. The remaining five of her old friends each got a bit of money and a few bits of furniture and similar things. The Wonderbolts each got some money, along with a sum of two thousand dollars to go towards advertising the Wonderbolts. They each also got something to remember her by. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were too young to reveive money, so they instead received a note, which they could use to withdrawl 1,500 dollars from the bank once they turned 18. And Scootaloo got the same amount, along with a torn peice of her first Wonderbolts uniform. She hugged it tightly to her chest. "And finally" Said the man who was reading her will, "I would like all of my organs to be donated to science.. except my wings" Scootaloo looked up. "My wings are to go to Scootaloo, who not only idolized me but treated me like a big sister. I am also leaving nine hundred thousand dollars from my savings account, to pay for the operation. Thank you, Scootaloo, for being such a great little sister" Everyone looked at Scootaloo, whose face appeared a mixture of happiness, sadness, and some unreadable emotions. Her eyes teared up. She looked up and said, out loud, "I love you, Rainbow Dash..." **Three Months Later** "Well, Scootaloo, you've finally healed. You can test out your wings for the first time now!" Her doctor told her as he removed her final bandages. Scootaloo tried to mimick the look of determination Rainbow Dash always had when she was preparing to fly, then took off. Her speeds were nowhere near that of Rainbow Dash's, as it takes more than good wings to acomplish that, but she was flying. Cherry Cola and Soda Pop both cried tears of pride as they watched their daughter fly for the first time. As she turned back she could almost hear Rainbow's voice, in the back of her mind.. "Told you you'd get to fly with me, Scootaloo" THE END Epilouge**One Year Later** Scootaloo: Is a great flyer, holding several world records in flying. However, the speed record still belongs to Rainbow Dash. One month after learning to use her wings, she broke the land speed record on a scooter. Cherry Cola and Soda Pop: Are now doing rather well for themselves. Soda Pop invented a new brand of Grape soda which proved to be extremely popular. As such, he got a raise. He an Cherry Cola still love Scootaloo very much, and are extremely proud of what she has become. Apple Bloom: Has continued selling apples. She's quite good at it, and is happy doing what she does. She still hangs out with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle: Is one of the best singers in Equestria. She was recently discovered and now has a recording contract. However, she hasn't forgotten who her friends are. Applejack: Has quit drinking entirely. She is now back to being the best athlete in Ponyville. Rarity: Is now on a strong OCD medication and is slowly returning to her former self. She no longer washes her doorknobs weekly, and has pulled the tape off her floor. Twilight Sparkle: Has gotten over Spike's death. Reluctantly she has started socializing again, along with letting Spike finally move on to the afterlife. She is now assisted by a pony named Golden Drop, but she will never forget Spike. Fluttershy: Has taken down the fence around her yard, and sold her shotgun. She is back to taking care of animals, and is currently waiting for plastic surgery to help hide her scar, which as it turns out was an accident. She had tripped and cut her face on a piece of metal laying in her yard, which she has since cleaned up. Pinkie Pie: Has recently been released from Luna Institute fully cured. She is curling her hair again, and with a little help from makeup artist Rarity, her scars are completely invisible unless you know they're there. She is back to partying. Rainbow Dash: Lives on in her friends hearts. Her death has brought together several broken friendships, something all five involved will be thankful for for the rest of their lives. They all visit her grave regularly. ApplejackShe started packing, and within two and a half weeks, they were in their old home. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle knew she was coming, because it was all Scootaloo had talked about in her emails for the past two and a half weeks, and greeted her excidedly. The first day was all unpacking. The second day, though, Scootaloo was free to hang out with her friends all day. They were at a reasturaunt which hadn't been there the last time Scootaloo was in ponyville, one called Ponyville Burgers, which basically sold the same things as any fast food reasturaunt but which looked a bit healthier. "So you guys have been telling me everyone's.. not doing okay. What did you mean?" They each looked at each other with a semi-sad expression. Applebloom then said "How 'bout we can show ya when we're one eatin', Scootaloo." Scootaloo agreed. After they finished their meals (They each got a hot dog, though Apple Bloom got two, and split an order of onion rings) they headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. It looked slightly different than Scootaloo remembered it, but nothing major. The barn could have been remodeled, maybe. And maybe the trees were spaced a bit farther apart. Nothing major. That was when an askew Applejack stumbled out of the house, carrying a bottle of what Scootaloo assumed to be not good. "I.. I thought I told you ponies you don't need to be.. to be playin' here. Oh HEY Scootaloo, when did you get here? I ain't seen you in.. uh.. ugh.. I need to go sit down.. but nice catchin' up with ya, Sugarcube!" With that, she stumbled over to the house and sat down on the dirt in front of it, and appeared to either pass out or fall asleep. "She's been like that ever since Granny Smith died" Apple Bloom looked over sadly. "Big Mac and me are doin' most of the work.. the only time she ever sobers up even a little is during Applebuck season." "My Celestia, I'm so sorry.. I had no idea" Scootaloo remembered how much fun Applejack had used to be, and a single teardrop fell from her cheek. "Come on.. we're gonna take you to see Rarity now." They hurridly left the farm. FluttershyWithin a few minutes they were there, as Ponyville was rather small and Fluttershy's cottage was just outside it. Only now it had a tall, barbed-wire fence with "NO TRESPASSING" signs all over it. There were metal bits and what appeared to be bear traps all over her yard. She was sitting on the porch, with Angel Bunny in her lap and what appeared to be a double-barrel shotgun beside her chair. Her mane was a slightly darker pink, and was much shorter than Scootaloo remembered it. She seemed to have an angry look on her face, and had a deep red scar down the side of her face. They didn't bother to attract her attention. Scootaloo looked to Sweetie Belle for an explination, but it was Apple Bloom that answered this time. "Er.. well ya see.. after her friends all kinda.. left.. she never wanted to trust nopony never again. No animals 'neither. 'Cept Angel Bunny. So she set all this up.. I hear her scar's from a knife, when somepony trespassed on her lawn, he cut her when she pulled a gun. Hear she shot him too. But that could be just a rumor.." The look in Apple Bloom's eyes showed it probably wasn't a rumor. Scootaloo shed a few tears yet again. Fluttershy looked completely miserable. Nopony should have to live like that.. "Let me guess... Pinkie Pie is dead?" "Er.. no.." Apple Bloom said solemly. "She's uh.. she's in a mental insti.. instuh.." "Institution." Sweetie Belle finished for her. "She burned down a reasturaunt. Thankfully nopony got hurt.. would you like to see her?" Scootaloo decided that no matter what Pinkie had done, she was still Pinkie Pie, and she did want to see her. So she reluctantly nodded her head. Pinkie PieAfter signing in and informing the guard who they wanted to see, they were led into a room with something that probably used to be Pinkie Pie. But she wore her mane straight, and had burn marks on her back and sides.. not to mention the cuts. She had deep cut scars all over her front legs, X's over her Cutie Marks, several deep cuts on her neck, Joker-like scars on her face, and what appeared to be stab wounds in her chest, about six. Scootaloo was terrifed. "Hey.. Scootaloo!" Pinkie said this in her normally cheerful voice, but there appeared to be hesitation. "Don't worry.. I'm not gonna hurt you. That's why I'm in here.. to keep Pinkamena from hurting you." "Pinkamena?" Scootaloo was clearly confused. "Pinkamena. She's me, but she's not me. But she can tell me to do things. And punish me if I don't listen. She stabbed me when I got caught burning down the reasturaunt." She looked down at her stab wounds. "That's why my mane is straight. She won't let me curl it. She doesn't like it when I think for myself. She can't hurt me in here though. But I still need to keep my hair straight. Or maybe she can find a way." She then got wide-eyed, and started softly singing under her breath. "Come on everypony.. smile smile smile.. fill my heart up with sunshine.. sunshine.." At this point all three were convinced Pinkie was in her own world and was no longer aware of them. "Turns out she had a severe personality disorder, that was set off when her friends left. She'd never lost a friend before.." "That's so sad.." Scootaloo's eyes were starting to tear up again. She'd never cried more in her life than she had the past few weeks. After a while, they left. Scootaloo desperatly wanted to see Rainbow Dash, and to forget everything she had just seen. She had cared a lot for these ponies, and they were all in terrible shape. She felt so bad for all of them..
The NewsWarning: This story takes place about five years in the future from the time the show is aired. It is supposed to be a sad story, fair warning. Cutie Marks: http://www.roblox.com/My/Sets.aspx?id=1035844 Scootaloo was in tears. Her adoptive parents, Cherry Cola and Soda Pop, were tearing up as well. "What do you mean?!" Scootaloo sobbed. "Isn't there anything you can do?!" "I am quite sorry" Her doctor said, with a rather grim look on his face, "But you are the victim of a genetic defect. Your wings simply don't contain enough muscle fiber or tissue for you to be able to fly. I'm sorry" "But you're a doctor!! You cure people every day! Can't you-" "As I said before, this is something that simply cannot be cured. Your only bet is a wing transplant. I can put you on a waiting list, but the list is rather long and the procedure is quite expensive." Soda Pop looked the doctor in the eye. "Scootaloo is our daughter, and we love her. We don't care about money! Anything, anything at all, we'll pay it!" The doctor looked down. "It's, um.. nine hundred thousand dollars." Soda Pop and Cherry Cola looked at each other tearfully, then both looked at Scootaloo. It was a look that said "If we could afford it..". Scootaloo got the message and once again, burst into tears. She stormed out of the room. "Th.. thank you for your.. for your help, doctor." Soda Pop said between sobs, then he and Cherry Cola headed out to the car, where Scootaloo was waiting in the back seat. "Honey.." Cherry Cola looked back at Scootaloo. "It's not so bad.. I mean.. you're still good at scootering. I mean, you're so close to breaking the land speed record on a scooter, and you're only fourteen! And.." "Mom, I know" Scootaloo retorted. She looked at her Cutie Mark sadly, a grim reminder that she'd never be a great flyer like her hero, Rainbow Dash. She was silent for the rest of the way home, doing her best to hold in her tears. She hated her cutie mark. She hated her broken wings. She hated her stupid defective genes. She hated herself. When they got home, she immediatly stormed off to her room, crying. Her parents went to their bedroom, presumably to cry as well. Scootaloo slammed her door. Then she bucked her door mirror, shattering it. Then she threw a hairbrush at her vanity mirror, shattering that too. She checked the drawer on her vanity and found a small hand mirror. She slammed it against her doorknob, shattering that mirror as well. She didn't want to see herself at all. She was ugly, in her eyes. Ugly and defective. She could never be happy, not if she'd never get to realize her dream of flying with Rainbow Dash. She sat on the floor after that, and sobbed. She picked up a glass shard off the floor. Her hoof bled slightly, but she ignored it. She glared hatefully into the small image of herself in the mirror she now held. "This is your fault! I hate you!" She threw it across the room and sobbed some more. She lay their crying for around ten minutes. She then crawled over to her closet, where she kept things from her childhood, things she called "Pieces of Memories" She got out a box labeled "Cutie MARK Crusaders". She smiled a bit at her handwriting, then opened the box. In it were a few pictures of her old friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, her old Cutie Mark Crusaders cape, and her old yearbook. She knew their signatures were in there somewhere. There was also a CD she had made. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had made it for her before she left Ponyville, about four years ago. She put it in her DVD player and hit play. Before her eyes she watched countless failed attempts at getting their cutie marks, and had to smile a bit. They had been fortunate enough to get all three of their Cutie Marks on film, first Sweetie Belle's, then herself, then finally Apple Bloom. She smiled at how excited they looked in the video tape. Her parents came in to talk to her at that moment, only to find her sobbing into the cape she'd had since she was a filly. They looked at each other, than at Scootaloo. "Sweetie.. your mirrors.." She buried her face under her cape, not ready to be yelled at. "It's okay sweetie. Normally we'd yell at you, but at a time like this.. you're actually taking it well, compared to how many kids would react." She buried her head deeper in the cape. She knew they meant well, but she wasn't ready to talk to anybody. "What if we let you see Rainbow Dash?" She pulled her head out and looked at the Rainbow Dash poster above her bed. Rainbow Dash was in the Wonderbolts, and Scootaloo's role model. She had actually socialized with her back in Ponyville quite a bit, but the Wonderbolts hardly ever did shows in Fillydelphia. She did watch every show on TV, though. "You'd fly me all the way out to Ponyville just so I can see Rainbow Dash fly?" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Well.. we would.. but wouldn't you rather move there?" They looked at her, expecting a smile. And they got one. "Really? We're really moving back to Ponyville? Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!!!" She instantly forgot about her wings and about being sad. "Well, your father's job has a branch in Ponyville, and they were willing to let him transfer. We saw online that our old house was vacant, and we were gonna buy it. We just had to be 100% sure you were okay with it, first." Scootaloo was so excited. She emailed her old friends almost daily, and video chatted regularly. But she hadn't seen them in person in almost four years. From what she heard, though, Ponyville wasn't doing as good as when she left. Rarity and Applejack, along with their friends, were apparently.. well, they wouldn't say what was wrong because most of it was hard for them to talk about. She hoped it wasn't so bad that they couldn't hang out together.
RarityThey arrived in front of Carousel Boutique, which looked freshly painted. Sweetie Belle unlocked the door with a key that had been hidden under the freshly-cleaned Welcome mat. Rarity greeted them. "Be careful! Did you wipe your hooves on the mat? Good. Now give me the mat, I need to wash it." Sweetie Belle picked up the mat and carried it to her sister, who treated it like it was toxic waste. She ran down to the basement, where she was presumably going to wash it. Scootaloo looked confused. "Her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder spiked a few years ago, after the started losing contact with her friends." Sweetie Belle explained. "She washes her doorknobs now, and insists no one walk outside of a clear set path." Now that she said that, Scootaloo noticed what appeared to be a path leading from room to room, outlined in white tape. "Come on, let's go.. I doubt she really wants us here, anyway." Scootaloo suddenly got a horrified realiation. "Did Rainbow Dash fall apart?!" The thought was too much for her to bear. "No, no, Rainbow Dash is the only one who didn't.. except that she spends all her time either flying or sleeping." Sweetie Belle told her. Scootaloo could live with that. "So where are we going next?" "Er.. how about Twilight?" Scootaloo was sure she hadn't seen the worst of it, based on their expressions.
Twilight SparkleThey arrived at Twilight's house, which now had what appeared to be metal bars on the windows. The door looked like solid wood, and had ten different locks on it, along with one of those rectangle holes that has a sliding door, for looking outside. Using the knocker, Scootaloo reluctantly knocked on the door. The little rectangele opened, and all three ponies were greeted by a pair of baggy, bloodshot eyes. "Oh, hi girls!' Twilight said in a slightly demented voice. "What would you like with me this evening?" "Well.. Scootaloo was in town.. and wanted to see you.." Sweetie Belle stammered. 'I hand't noticed! I'll let you right in!" With that, the rectangle closed, the three ponies heard several clicks as each lock was undone, and a few seconds later the door opened. "Come on in!" Twilight smiled awkwardly at them. Scootaloo could now see Twilight's hair was a mess, as was her house. There were food wrappers and soft drink cans littering the area near a large chair, where a pile of thirtysomething books lay beside. There were what appeared to be boards in front of the windows, and hardly any light was getting in. The only real light was a small lamp right next to the chair. "Would you girls like some coffee?" Twilight's eye twitched. "Er.. no.. no thank you, ma'am." Apple Bloom managed to get out, clearly intimidated. But how she was feeling was nothing compared to Scootaloo, who had no idea Twilight was like this. She seemed to have not talked to a soul in months. Spike walked in at that moment, only his eyes were wide, glossy, and unblinking. In a completely emotionless voice he announced "Twilight, your meatloaf is ready. I will bring it to you." He then exited back into the kitchen, not even acknowledging the girls. A few seconds later he reemerged with the meatloaf. He handed it to Twilight, then went in the corner and closed his eyes. He appeared to be sleeping, except he was standing up. That was the first time Scootaloo noticed what appeared to be stitches going from above his right eye to just behind his right ear. If it could be called an ear. Scootaloo didn't know a lot about dragons. "Well, uh.. we better get going." Scootaloo commented. "Come on, guys." "Thank you for your visit, girls!" Twilight said in a creepy, slightly cheerful way. As soon as they left, and Twilight's door was locked, Scootaloo asked "Now what was that?!" Sweeite Belle, again, offered an explanation. "Well, after what happened with Rarity, Spike jumped off the library. Broke his skull. Twilight used a spell to bring him back to life.. but too much of his brain was damaged. She chose to keep him.. well, you saw how he was.. but still considered him dead. That basically destroyed her, and now she never talks to anypony." "Wow.. I never realized how much could happen in a few years.." Scootaloo shed a few tears at how unhappy everypony seemed to be. "Er.. it gets worse" Sweetie Belle said unhappily. She was clearly just as upset about this as Scootaloo, just more used to it. "Wait until you get to Fluttershy's"
The PromiseTurns out all she had to do was go home, where Rainbow Dash was waiting for her. She looked slightly different, her mane was maybe a bit longer. "Hey, kid, haven't seen ya in a while! I mean, except those shows I did in Fillydelphia. I saw you there. Front row every time, kid!" "You saw me?!" Scootaloo said, with all the excitment you'd expect of someone meeting their idol.. even if they'd met a lot already in the past. "'Course I did. I don't wink at ponies when I do shows in Ponyville, do I?" Scootaloo was so happy that Rainbow had been winking at her.. but then was overcome with a sudden wave of sadness. "Hey, cheer up kid.. what's the matter?" "Well.. the doctors told me I'll never fly. Some genetic thingy.." "Come on, kid.. you can't beleive everything doctors say. Sure, they're right most of the time, but when I was born the doctors said I wasn't gonna live past two years." "Really?" Scootaloo looked up with interest "Oh, yeah" Rainbow Dash continued to explain. "Trust me.. you're gonna go far, kid. Heard you almost broke the land speed record on a scooter! I'm way impressed!" Rainbow said genuinley. "Really?!?!" Scootaloo shouted this with everything her small lungs could manage. Rainbow Dash laughed a bit. "Really! And.. kid.. listen. You're gonna fly with me some day. Promise." "How.. how do you know? How are we gonna fly together?" "I.. I don't know how. But you will. I gotta get goin', kid.. I expect to see you at my show tomorrow?" Scootaloo nodded enthusiasticaly, then Rainbow sped off. Scootaloo could hardly sleep that night, she was so excited.
The Accident**Six months later** Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were in front row seats to watch the Wonderbolts, which they had free passes to at every show. At this point, the other three fliers simple made a circle for Rainbow Dash to fly through. She was going to perform a Sonic Rainboom, something she rarely did because of its difficulty level. The crowd was going insane. Rainbow smiled. She couldn't hear the fans screaming, she was far too high up, but she just knew they were going crazy over what she was about to do. She flew in a small circle to warm up, then sped down as fast as she could, leaving a rainbow behind her. She was travelling at breakneck speeds, nearly the speed of sound. Just a little more.. then she'd stop a few feet from the ground, speed upwards, and listen as the crowd awed over the Sonic Rainboom it would form. About a hundred more yards.. "WHOOO! GO RAINBOW DASH!" Scootaloo yelled loudly from the stands. She was more excited than anypony else at the stadium. Just over a hundred feet.. "WHOO! YOU CAN DO IT!!" Just a little more... "RAINBOW DASH! GO RAINBOW DASH! GO-!" CRASH! Rainbow didn't turn up fast enough, and struck the ground at just under 340 miles per second. The crowd was terrified, but none so much as Scootaloo, who ran out to see if Rainbow Dash was okay. When Scootaloo got there, she nearly threw up. Rainbow was laying on her back, with her back itself bent at a wrong angle. Her back legs were both broken beyond repair, and her front left leg was only holding on by a few bits of flesh. Her eyes and ears were bleeding, and many of her teeth were missing. Those that weren't, were cracked. Several of her ribs stuck out from her chest. "Rain.. Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo began to cry, this sadness far worse than when she got the news about her wings. Worse than any sadness she had ever felt. "S..S.." Rainbow appeared to be trying to talk, but her mouth was full of blood. "Rainbow? Rainbow is that you? Are you okay?!" Rainbow spit out a large amount of blood, more than Scootaloo had seen in her life. "Sc.. Scoots? Is that.. Scoots.. listen.." "I'm listening Rainbow Dash!" "I know it.. looks like I.. well.. y.. you can see how it looks" Rainbow looked down on her body with one eye, the other appearing to be unable to move. "But.. I'm still gon.. gonna make good on that promise. You WILL fly with me, Scoots, you got that?" Scootaloo cried and nodded her head. "I beleive you, Rainbow Dash, I beleive you!!!" "You.. you're gonna go places.. kid.." With that, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, formed what appeared to be a sad smile, and died. Scootaloo burst into tears and hugged the dead body, hugged it like it wasn't a dead body at all, but the sister Rainbow Dash had come to be in Scootaloo's mind. She did that until an ambulance came and took Rainbow Dash's corpse away. After that, Scootaloo cried for hours. She cried so long she ran out of tears, but she just kept crying. "I.. love you.. Rainbow.. Dash.."
The Funeral**Three Days Later** Everyone looked gloomily at the tombstone which read "Rainbow Dash - 20% Cooler in Ten Seconds Flat", and also had her cutie mark engraved on it. She was a hell of a racer, but it was becoming apparant she was more than that. All of her old friends showed up, and seemed to have remenants of their older selves. Even Pinkie, who was escorted by two guards, had her hair curly again and was finally putting makeup on those scars. Fluttershy didn't look as hateful, Twilight had done her hair and was acting semi-normal, Applejack didn't appear to be drunk or even hung over, and Rarity was willing to stand on the grass to attend her old friend's funeral. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were crying, but Scootaloo was bawling, right next to the casket which contained what was left of her role model, Rainbow Dash. The remaining three Wonderbolts were there as well, and they laid her Wonderbolts uniform on top of her casket, to be buried with her. As they lowered the casket, Scootaloo cried even louder. Then, as they filled up the hole, she finally realized.. Rainbow Dash is never coming back. She quietly whispered "Rainbow.. I was supposed to fly with you.." **Two Hours Later** The reading of the will was almost over. Rainbow didn't have many friends, and was an orphan herself, but everyone did get something. The remaining five of her old friends each got a bit of money and a few bits of furniture and similar things. The Wonderbolts each got some money, along with a sum of two thousand dollars to go towards advertising the Wonderbolts. They each also got something to remember her by. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were too young to reveive money, so they instead received a note, which they could use to withdrawl 1,500 dollars from the bank once they turned 18. And Scootaloo got the same amount, along with a torn peice of her first Wonderbolts uniform. She hugged it tightly to her chest. "And finally" Said the man who was reading her will, "I would like all of my organs to be donated to science.. except my wings" Scootaloo looked up. "My wings are to go to Scootaloo, who not only idolized me but treated me like a big sister. I am also leaving nine hundred thousand dollars from my savings account, to pay for the operation. Thank you, Scootaloo, for being such a great little sister" Everyone looked at Scootaloo, whose face appeared a mixture of happiness, sadness, and some unreadable emotions. Her eyes teared up. She looked up and said, out loud, "I love you, Rainbow Dash..." **Three Months Later** "Well, Scootaloo, you've finally healed. You can test out your wings for the first time now!" Her doctor told her as he removed her final bandages. Scootaloo tried to mimick the look of determination Rainbow Dash always had when she was preparing to fly, then took off. Her speeds were nowhere near that of Rainbow Dash's, as it takes more than good wings to acomplish that, but she was flying. Cherry Cola and Soda Pop both cried tears of pride as they watched their daughter fly for the first time. As she turned back she could almost hear Rainbow's voice, in the back of her mind.. "Told you you'd get to fly with me, Scootaloo" THE END
Epilouge**One Year Later** Scootaloo: Is a great flyer, holding several world records in flying. However, the speed record still belongs to Rainbow Dash. One month after learning to use her wings, she broke the land speed record on a scooter. Cherry Cola and Soda Pop: Are now doing rather well for themselves. Soda Pop invented a new brand of Grape soda which proved to be extremely popular. As such, he got a raise. He an Cherry Cola still love Scootaloo very much, and are extremely proud of what she has become. Apple Bloom: Has continued selling apples. She's quite good at it, and is happy doing what she does. She still hangs out with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle: Is one of the best singers in Equestria. She was recently discovered and now has a recording contract. However, she hasn't forgotten who her friends are. Applejack: Has quit drinking entirely. She is now back to being the best athlete in Ponyville. Rarity: Is now on a strong OCD medication and is slowly returning to her former self. She no longer washes her doorknobs weekly, and has pulled the tape off her floor. Twilight Sparkle: Has gotten over Spike's death. Reluctantly she has started socializing again, along with letting Spike finally move on to the afterlife. She is now assisted by a pony named Golden Drop, but she will never forget Spike. Fluttershy: Has taken down the fence around her yard, and sold her shotgun. She is back to taking care of animals, and is currently waiting for plastic surgery to help hide her scar, which as it turns out was an accident. She had tripped and cut her face on a piece of metal laying in her yard, which she has since cleaned up. Pinkie Pie: Has recently been released from Luna Institute fully cured. She is curling her hair again, and with a little help from makeup artist Rarity, her scars are completely invisible unless you know they're there. She is back to partying. Rainbow Dash: Lives on in her friends hearts. Her death has brought together several broken friendships, something all five involved will be thankful for for the rest of their lives. They all visit her grave regularly.
ApplejackShe started packing, and within two and a half weeks, they were in their old home. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle knew she was coming, because it was all Scootaloo had talked about in her emails for the past two and a half weeks, and greeted her excidedly. The first day was all unpacking. The second day, though, Scootaloo was free to hang out with her friends all day. They were at a reasturaunt which hadn't been there the last time Scootaloo was in ponyville, one called Ponyville Burgers, which basically sold the same things as any fast food reasturaunt but which looked a bit healthier. "So you guys have been telling me everyone's.. not doing okay. What did you mean?" They each looked at each other with a semi-sad expression. Applebloom then said "How 'bout we can show ya when we're one eatin', Scootaloo." Scootaloo agreed. After they finished their meals (They each got a hot dog, though Apple Bloom got two, and split an order of onion rings) they headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. It looked slightly different than Scootaloo remembered it, but nothing major. The barn could have been remodeled, maybe. And maybe the trees were spaced a bit farther apart. Nothing major. That was when an askew Applejack stumbled out of the house, carrying a bottle of what Scootaloo assumed to be not good. "I.. I thought I told you ponies you don't need to be.. to be playin' here. Oh HEY Scootaloo, when did you get here? I ain't seen you in.. uh.. ugh.. I need to go sit down.. but nice catchin' up with ya, Sugarcube!" With that, she stumbled over to the house and sat down on the dirt in front of it, and appeared to either pass out or fall asleep. "She's been like that ever since Granny Smith died" Apple Bloom looked over sadly. "Big Mac and me are doin' most of the work.. the only time she ever sobers up even a little is during Applebuck season." "My Celestia, I'm so sorry.. I had no idea" Scootaloo remembered how much fun Applejack had used to be, and a single teardrop fell from her cheek. "Come on.. we're gonna take you to see Rarity now." They hurridly left the farm.
FluttershyWithin a few minutes they were there, as Ponyville was rather small and Fluttershy's cottage was just outside it. Only now it had a tall, barbed-wire fence with "NO TRESPASSING" signs all over it. There were metal bits and what appeared to be bear traps all over her yard. She was sitting on the porch, with Angel Bunny in her lap and what appeared to be a double-barrel shotgun beside her chair. Her mane was a slightly darker pink, and was much shorter than Scootaloo remembered it. She seemed to have an angry look on her face, and had a deep red scar down the side of her face. They didn't bother to attract her attention. Scootaloo looked to Sweetie Belle for an explination, but it was Apple Bloom that answered this time. "Er.. well ya see.. after her friends all kinda.. left.. she never wanted to trust nopony never again. No animals 'neither. 'Cept Angel Bunny. So she set all this up.. I hear her scar's from a knife, when somepony trespassed on her lawn, he cut her when she pulled a gun. Hear she shot him too. But that could be just a rumor.." The look in Apple Bloom's eyes showed it probably wasn't a rumor. Scootaloo shed a few tears yet again. Fluttershy looked completely miserable. Nopony should have to live like that.. "Let me guess... Pinkie Pie is dead?" "Er.. no.." Apple Bloom said solemly. "She's uh.. she's in a mental insti.. instuh.." "Institution." Sweetie Belle finished for her. "She burned down a reasturaunt. Thankfully nopony got hurt.. would you like to see her?" Scootaloo decided that no matter what Pinkie had done, she was still Pinkie Pie, and she did want to see her. So she reluctantly nodded her head.
Pinkie PieAfter signing in and informing the guard who they wanted to see, they were led into a room with something that probably used to be Pinkie Pie. But she wore her mane straight, and had burn marks on her back and sides.. not to mention the cuts. She had deep cut scars all over her front legs, X's over her Cutie Marks, several deep cuts on her neck, Joker-like scars on her face, and what appeared to be stab wounds in her chest, about six. Scootaloo was terrifed. "Hey.. Scootaloo!" Pinkie said this in her normally cheerful voice, but there appeared to be hesitation. "Don't worry.. I'm not gonna hurt you. That's why I'm in here.. to keep Pinkamena from hurting you." "Pinkamena?" Scootaloo was clearly confused. "Pinkamena. She's me, but she's not me. But she can tell me to do things. And punish me if I don't listen. She stabbed me when I got caught burning down the reasturaunt." She looked down at her stab wounds. "That's why my mane is straight. She won't let me curl it. She doesn't like it when I think for myself. She can't hurt me in here though. But I still need to keep my hair straight. Or maybe she can find a way." She then got wide-eyed, and started softly singing under her breath. "Come on everypony.. smile smile smile.. fill my heart up with sunshine.. sunshine.." At this point all three were convinced Pinkie was in her own world and was no longer aware of them. "Turns out she had a severe personality disorder, that was set off when her friends left. She'd never lost a friend before.." "That's so sad.." Scootaloo's eyes were starting to tear up again. She'd never cried more in her life than she had the past few weeks. After a while, they left. Scootaloo desperatly wanted to see Rainbow Dash, and to forget everything she had just seen. She had cared a lot for these ponies, and they were all in terrible shape. She felt so bad for all of them..
