Closer Than You Think

by Nitrox

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Cheerilee, Slice of Life, Sad
Length: 7191

In her search for flight, Scootaloo finds that some things are better left a mystery

Learning how to fly, Scootaloo can't help but sense something is missing from her life, a real family. Will she discover the home she always longed for, or will she learn that some secrets should be kept locked away?

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
If you read this story on my FanFiction or Deviant Art page, please read again! I have made a dramatic number of improvements that greatly add to the depth and visual impact of the story. All comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing what you all think of my first foray into storytelling. Enjoy!

Published 2012-02-14 04:14:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-14 04:14:02 UTC

Chapter 1

Closer Than You Think

Written By: Nitrox Brony

Story and Proofing By: Kreature

Additional Proofing By: Ava Nova & Pascoite

Artwork By: Birdco

Chapter 1

Mixed emotions filled the air behind the cloud curtain of the Cloudasium. Joy for seeing family members after several months, sadness for leaving new found friends, excitement for seeing old friends. But in the case of one orange and purple filly, nervousness was the only thing she could feel. Pushing her head through the stage’s barrier, Scootaloo took in the sights of the packed stadium. Inside the skybound arena, there existed a living rainbow of excited pegasi, all eagerly awaiting the impending ceremony. Scanning the structure, her eyes fell upon one set of ponies on the second level on the left side. She recognized them from when her friend and bunk-mate, Sunbeam, arrived on the first day. Sunbeam’s father had a sanguine coat and coal black mane with a factory whistle as a cutie mark. Her mother stood next to him proudly, her grey coat appearing muted compared to the way her silver and periwinkle mane seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. The mare’s flank was adorned with a cutie mark of what appeared to be an ornate necklace. Looking to the other side, the filly spotted more familiar faces. A stallion with an emerald coat and greying mane sat with an excited colt that was perched precariously on the cloud. Scootaloo recognized them from a photo one of her camp mates had shown her.

Scootaloo quickly came to the realization that these were all relatives of camp mates she soon had the honor of representing. The thought brought out a small ‘eep’ from the filly as she retracted her head from the curtain. “What was I thinking?” The orange filly thought with an apprehensive gulp. “I’ve really bitten off more than I can chew with this one.” Pushing her head through the cloud once more, Scootaloo searched the crowd for something familiar, anything to help settle her anxiety. As she looked on, the filly was only able to pick out few details among the crowd. A golden mane, a pair of azure wings, a glimpse of a purple coat. However, before she could examine any of these further, they blended back into the sea of ponies before her. To Scootaloo, the Cloudiseum felt akin to the gaping maw of some terrifying beast, ready to swallow her whole.

So lost in her own thoughts, Scootaloo was obvious to the scarlet pegasus trotting up to the anxious filly’s side, her friend’s amber mane flowing over her left shoulder. “Hey Scootaloo.” The crimson filly blurted out, positioning herself mere inches from her friend’s ear. Scootaloo jumped back with a yelp, landing unceremoniously on her back.

“Jeez, Sunbeam.” The orange filly said in a slight frustration. “You shouldn’t sneak up on ponies like that. You scared me half to death!”

“Looks like somepony’s nerves are getting the better of her.” Sunbeam said with a chuckle as Scootaloo picked herself off the floor. “Why so nervous?” She asked with a smile, steering her friend away from the source of her anxiety.

As much as Scootaloo wanted to assure her friend that she was more than ready to show off her new found skills, she simply didn't have the heart to lie to Sunbeam. Rather, the orange filly ducked her head, not wanting to meet her friend's eyes. “Was it that obvious?” The orange filly asked her friend, attempting to keep her voice low enough so that nopony else could hear her.

Sunbeam stopped to look at Scootaloo for a moment, cocking an eyebrow at her. Scootaloo met her gaze, though she quickly averted her eyes and faced forward once more, her cheeks burning. Noticing the filly’s discomfort, Sunbeam couldn’t help but let out another laugh, which only served to increase Scootaloo’s embarrassment. “It’s not funny!” Scootaloo cried out, her voice filled with doubt and frustration, her eyes now locked onto Sunbeam’s. “What if I mess up? Everypony will see and laugh at me!” Seeing the cause of her friend’s distress, she leveled a bright and confidant gaze at Scootaloo. The ruby-hued mare suppressed her mirth enough to speak, though it still colored her voice.

“Oh, come on, Scoot. Last time I saw you this worked up was before your first competition here. Do you remember what happened?” Scootaloo gave a half-hearted chuckle at Sunbeam’s attempt to brighten her spirits. Before the orange filly could respond, her friend spoke up again. “You blew it right out of the sky! You’ve been working on this move for weeks now, and I’ve watched you do it at least a hundred times! Every pony’s going to love it and they’re all going to be cheering you on. So relax and just have fun with it.” Scootaloo perked up a bit at her friend’s encouragement. While the butterflies in her stomach refused to abate, it was reassuring to know that Sunbeam would have her back.

“Thanks, Sunbeam. I appreciate the support. I’ve just never performed for this many ponies before.” The scarlet pegasus flashed her a grin before putting her forehoof around Scootaloo’s shoulders, pulling her in for a one-legged hug.

“Anytime, Scoot, that’s what friends are for. And if you screw up too bad, I’ll get up there and dance for everypony. That should keep them distracted.” The pair of fillies looked at each other for a few moments before they both burst out laughing. A few nearby pegasi cast the pair of fillies some odd looks, though the girls took no notice. In time, they managed to calm down a bit, though they continued to giggle at the memory of Sunbeam’s ‘dancing’. Just then, a cyan-colored mare swooped down on the duo landing a couple feet away, looking just a little impatient.

“What’re you doing down here, Scootaloo? Everypony’s almost ready, C’mon!” Without waiting for her response, Rainbow Dash took off towards the top of the stage in a prismatic blur. A small jolt of panic ran through the orange filly as reality set in once more.

“Well, looks like this is it. Wish me luck.” Scootaloo said anxiously. The dark red filly smiled and gave her friend a light jab in the shoulder with her forehoof.

“Break a leg, Scoot; I’ll see ya after the ceremony.” With a slight nod, Scootaloo flared her wings and shot up towards the ceiling, where her idol and mentor awaited her. As the orange filly flew away, Sunbeam trotted over to the rest of the fillies and colts who were all talking excitedly amongst themselves. Close to the top of the stage, a couple of clouds lingered in the air so that Scootaloo could rest until her time came. It was there that Rainbow Dash was waiting for her.

The cyan mare was pacing back and forth on the patch of cloud with her wings flared up behind her in excitement. As she turned and her violet eyes fell on Scootaloo, the pegasus' face brightened visibly and she stopped pacing as she waited for her pupil to land. The moment the filly alighted on the soft patch of cloud, Rainbow Dash walked over so they were only a couple feet apart.

“How are you feeling kid? Ready to give these ponies a show they’ll never forget?” She said with a fierce grin.

Scootaloo gulped past the knot in her throat as the butterflies in her stomach beat their wings ever more insistently. “I’m really nervous; I’ve done this trick over and over, but never on this scale before…What if I can’t do it?” She swallowed again, the thought of failing in front of so many ponies felt like a lead weight in her gut. Scootaloo looked up into Rainbow Dash’s eyes, hoping to find the strength to see her through the day. The cyan mare smiled down at the filly, lowering her head next to Scootaloo’s, as if she were about to share something private.

“Let me fill you in on a little secret, kid. Everypony crashes. Everypony!” Raising her voice, Dash stood at her full height once more, positively brimming with her ever present charisma. “And anypony that says differently is lying to you. The only thing that matters is whether you get back up and try again when you do. You’ve already proved to everypony here that you’ve got what it takes to be the best; this is your chance to show yourself what you can do. Whatever happens, as long as you try your best, you’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about.” Allowing Rainbow Dash’s words to resonate in her mind, Scootaloo felt an odd wave of calm wash over her. She recalled all of those she had bested in her time here; all the races she had won, the praise she had received from her instructors, and even her friendships with the less skilled fliers. Everything she had experienced here had made her a better pony. She knew she would never forget the friends she had made, nor everything she had accomplished. With a smile, she thanked Rainbow Dash for calming her down. The cyan mare waved off the filly’s gratitude with a gesture of her wing before continuing. “Don’t worry about it. We all get stage fright sometimes…” The elder mare averted her eyes for a moment as she felt heat rising to her cheeks. Lost in her own musings for a moment, Rainbow Dash gave her head a small shake before smiling down at Scootaloo once again. While she did not act any less encouraging towards her young protégé, the athletic pegasus’ voice was a bit more subdued.

“Umm, anyway. Like I was saying...break a leg out there kid, and have fun,” Rainbow Dash said with a small laugh as she walked to the edge of the small cloud, spreading out her wings in preparation for take-off. At the last moment, she turned her head to look back at Scootaloo one last time with a curious glint in her eye. “By the way, what exactly are you planning on doing?”

The orange filly simply gave her mentor a grin of her own before answering coyly, “You’ll just have to wait and see for yourself.” Rainbow Dash simply laughed at the younger mare’s response before throwing herself off of the cloud. She landed amongst the other staff members, settling into her appointed position for the impending ceremony. As Scootaloo watched the other ponies scurrying about beneath her, she could feel that familiar knot beginning to build in her stomach. She knew that dwelling on it would only make matters worse. So instead, she turned her thoughts to all the events that led up to this moment, both the good and the bad. All the memories she knew that she would have for the rest of her life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scootaloo let out a frustrated groan as she lifted her face from the dirt. Before the filly could pick herself up, she heard her friends hoofsteps quickly crossing the wooden balcony above her. Glancing over her shoulder, the orange pegasus saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gazing at her from the clubhouse.

“You alright, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom called down to her friend, a slightly worried frown on her face.

The pegasus raised herself from the earth, brushing the grime from her coat as she checked herself for injuries. Her muscles were sore and her body ached from the repeated failed attempts at flight. Finding nothing severely damaged, Scootaloo turned to her friends and gave them a half-hearted smile. “Yea, I’m good.” Taking a step towards their clubhouse, the filly gave a pained hiss as she felt fire lancing up her left foreleg. Casting her eyes towards the offending joint, Scootaloo attempted to put her weight on it once more. Sure enough, as soon as her hoof bore the weight of her small body, the pain shot through her ankle yet again. “Sprained, great,” Scootaloo thought bitterly as she limped back up the ramp to her friends. “On second thought, maybe we should call it a day.” She said with a wince before seating herself on the balcony.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance before seating themselves in front of Scootaloo. In an attempt to keep her friend’s spirits up, the little earth pony spoke up first. “You did really good that time, Scootaloo.” She said with a smile, a supportive hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “Why, ah’d say that was twice as long as your last try!”

Looking down at her injured hoof, Scootaloo let out a derisive snort. “Great, a whole ten seconds. As if that’s going to impress anypony.” Using her good hoof, the disheartened pegasus rubbed the sore spot of her ankle. In truth however, it was her pride that hurt the most. She had been working for weeks to break away from the iron grip of gravity, but to no avail. Even with the aid and encouragement from her friends, her wings simply refused to support her for more than a hoofful of seconds. With a sigh of resignation, Scootaloo turned her eyes from her injured hoof to the blue skies above. A few clouds drifted by lazily, pushed along by the gentle spring winds, completely oblivious to the emotional strife taking place beneath them. “Let’s face it girls, I’m never gonna get this without another pegasus to help me.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle piped up. “Maybe you’re just not doing it right.” She offered with an upbeat grin that did nothing to help with Scootaloo’s mood.

Scootaloo shifted her gaze from the tranquil skies above to her unicorn friend. The pegasus’ eyes narrowed, her patience already running short from the lack of progress she was making. “Oh really, Sweetie Belle?” The orange filly’s voice dripping with sarcasm, “What was your first clue?”

Not wanting to see her friends argue, Apple Bloom quickly piped up before the unicorn could respond. “What ah think she meant was, that maybe there’s somethin’ you should be doin’ that you’re not. It’s just like when we were gettin’ ready for the talent show. Remember how Sweetie Belle didn’t know to use the dress form an’ put five legs on the costumes? We just gotta figure out what you’re missin’, and you’ll be flyin’ before ya know it!”

“Yea, what she said!” Sweetie Belle said brightly as she gave her pegasus friend a beaming smile.

Scootaloo released a small sigh and hung her head as she let go of her misguided frustration towards Sweetie Belle. The filly knew that her friends were only trying to help. They had always been there for her when she needed them, just as she would always be there for them. The sky, however, was one place her fellow crusaders would never be able to follow. “If I’m going to truly achieve flight, I’ll need a fellow pegasus in the air with me.” Scootaloo thought ”Somepony fast. Somepony I can trust. Somepony who could teach me all kinds of awesome tricks. Somepony like...”

“Rainbow Dash!” The purple-maned pegasus cried out with a sudden exuberance, her previously melancholy mood all but forgotten. As excited as she was, Scootaloo’s wings shot out behind her and began fluttering, lifting her to her hooves. “Nopony knows more about flying than Rainbow Dash! If I could get her to teach me, it’d be a dream come true!”

Happy to see Scootaloo’s spirits up once more, her friends jumped behind her idea with gusto. “That’s a great idea Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle said, her voice squeaking in her excitement. “I bet Rainbow would know all kinds of things about flying. Maybe she could even show you how to do the Sonic Rainboom!”

If it was even possible, Scootaloo’s grin grew even wider at the prospect of her being able to pull off something so legendary. “Oh wow, that would be so cool!” The pegasus squealed as she let her imagination run away with her.

Just Rainbow Dash and her, zipping between the clouds, appearing as nothing more than a blur to anypony who may be watching from the ground. As the duo continued to gain speed, the cyan mare began to climb and called over her shoulder to her student. “C’mon, kid, Let’s see what you got!” With a few powerful flaps of her wings, Rainbow Dash disappeared behind a layer of clouds that they had not approached before. Not willing to disappoint, Scootaloo used every ounce of her strength to push herself higher than she had ever gone. As she punched through the thin wisps of cloud, she saw that Dash was continuing her climb. Finding her second wind, the filly pushed onward, her magenta mane streaming back behind her wildly. After what seemed to be an eternity, Rainbow Dash slowed to a halt and hovered there above her. With a final few strained strokes of her wings, Scootaloo reached her teacher and dared to look down. Her lifelong home of Ponyville was little more than a dot among the rolling hills of Equestria. Casting her eyes out across the countryside, she beheld Canterlot for the first time from the air. While it didn’t appear much larger than Ponyville from her place in the sky, the sunlight reflected off the castle’s many windows, causing it to glisten and sparkle like some magnificent gemstone.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy this moment; she was at the top of the world with Rainbow Dash by her side. The air was thin here, but it didn’t bother her as she filled her lungs with the crisp, pure air. The sun warmed her back and wings as the chill of the highest reaches of the sky caused her to shiver. It was perfect. The moment was short lived however, as she felt a hoof poke her side, forcing Scootaloo to open her eyes. Rainbow Dash was wearing a devilish grin and gestured towards the ground with a tilt of her head. “Let’s go, Scoot; time to see how fast you really are!” Without warning, her idol zipped downward in a prismatic streak. Scootaloo took off after Rainbow Dash, the air whipping past her face so fast it caused her eyes to sting and water. She would not be deterred. Putting on another burst of speed, the filly tried her hardest to catch up to her mentor. While not able to close the gap between the two, Scootaloo managed to match Dash’s pace. As the two continued their headlong plummet towards the ground below, the filly saw the air in front of her coming to a point, angling itself around her. She felt the pressure beginning to build around her as the mach cone focused itself ever tighter against her body. “I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna make a Sonic Rainboom!” Scootaloo thought with a massive grin as the building pressure threatened to crush her before suddenly…

“Hold on a second,” Apple Bloom piped up, promptly ripping Scootaloo out of her daydream at the pinnacle of its excellence. “Have y’all even seen Rainbow Dash around recently? Ah usually hav’ta listen to Applejack goin’ on about her sleepin’ in our trees, but she ain’t said a word about it in almost a week.” As much as Scootaloo wished to chastise her friend for interrupting her fantasy, this development forced her to think back to the last time she had seen Dash. Sweetie Belle had a similar expression on her face as she racked her brain as well.

The pegasus was the first to respond, as she had a nearly eidetic memory where Rainbow Dash was concerned. “Last time I saw her was almost two weeks ago now that I think about it. I was watching her practicing some new move, but she wouldn’t tell me what it was; said she was saving it for something special.” After giving it some thought, Scootaloo realized that there had also been fewer incidents of property damage around Ponyville recently. What if Rainbow Dash really was missing?

“Hmm, that’s weird. I can’t remember seeing her this week either. Maybe she’s just sick or something?“ Sweetie Belle offered, though the look on her face showed that she knew as much about Rainbow’s location as her friends.

With a groan, Scootaloo threw her hooves into the air and wheeled around to lean against the balcony’s railing. “Uggh! How am I going to ask Rainbow Dash to teach me to fly when we don’t even know where she is!” She asked to nopony in particular as she watched the sun slowly trek towards the horizon. The clouds appeared to almost be on fire as they caught the sun’s waning light and flooded Equestria with the dazzling spectacle. “It’ll be dark soon,” Scootaloo thought as she rested her head on her hooves. “Cheerilee won’t mind if I’m out late though. It’s only Saturday after all and…Wait, Saturday? Wasn’t there someth…” All at once, Scootaloo knew exactly where she needed to look for Rainbow Dash. How she planned on asking her idol to be her mentor, well that was an entirely different matter.

Spinning around from her spot against the railing, the pegasus now had a determined look about her as she dashed towards the clubhouse’s ramp. “Come on, Crusaders! I know where we need to go!” She called confidently as she reached the ground, not waiting for their response before she began tying Apple Bloom’s wagon to her scooter.

Sharing a bewildered look, her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders followed Scootaloo down the ramp and waited patiently for her to finish rigging the scooter. Unsure of just what their friend was thinking, the fillies were caught off guard as the pegasus turned from her self-appointed task and tossed them their helmets. While Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle struggled for a few moments to work the clasps, Scootaloo had plenty of practice and was ready to go within moments. Patience dwindling, the athletic filly tapped her hoof as she waited on her friends. Her voice betrayed just a hint of annoyance at her friend’s apparent lack of motivation. “Let’s go, girls, we’re already late!”

“Late for what, Scoot?” Sweetie Belle asked, her tone holding just an iota of exasperation. “You haven’t even said where we’re going yet.” Finally managing to secure her helmet, the unicorn hopped into the wagon, followed closely by Apple Bloom.

As soon as all three crusaders were aboard, Scootaloo fired up her wings and took off down the well traveled path away from their clubhouse. Not bothering to slow down, the pegasus turned her head over her shoulder and shouted back an answer to Sweetie Belle. “Did you forget what day it is?”

“No, Scootaloo, I didn’t. It’s Saturday, but what does that have to do with...” Cutting herself off, Sweetie Belle suddenly had the same realization that her pegasus friend had come to mere moments ago. At her own absent-mindedness, the filly brought a hoof up to the side of her head before turning to Apple Bloom. “Of course! Pinkie Pie’s having her Pre-Summer Sun Celebration Practice Party tonight!”

“Oh mah gosh,” Apple Bloom gasped, “How did we forget that was tonight? Let’s go, Scoot, we’re missing all the fun!”

“On it!” Scootaloo lowered her shoulders and gave an extra burst of speed from her wings, sending the trio blazing down the path that led away from Sweet Apple Acres. As they sped along the road into town, Scootaloo could hear her friends chatting away behind her, though her mind was focused on the task that lay before her; convincing Rainbow Dash to be her teacher.

The cyan mare had always been friendly towards her. She had even been there to see Scootaloo and her friends perform at their talent show. Would she really be willing to take the time away from her own friends and practice to teach the filly how to stop falling on her face? Scootaloo knew there was only one way to find out, though she dreaded the possibility that Rainbow Dash would simply be too busy to help her.

“C’mon Scoot, you can do this!” She thought as she looked out at the countryside, the evening sun casting a scarlet shadow across the hills and trees. There were just a couple weeks left until school let out for the summer, and another week after that until the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony in town was looking forward to the coming months of warm weather and clear skies. Many of the fillies at school had talked of going to various summer camps or vacations with their families. Apple Bloom would be helping her family around the farm, and Sweetie Belle was going on vacation with Rarity to Beverly Hooves. Scootaloo, however, had none of these to look forward to. Cheerilee was in charge of summer school this year, and simply didn’t have the bits to send Scootaloo to a camp. As the filly saw things, she would be stuck in Ponyville all summer with little to do unless she found a way to get her wings.

With her head stuck in the clouds, Scootaloo barely managed to swerve around the town’s wall-eyed mail-mare, only to send them careening towards the wall of Sugar Cube Corner. The filly gave a small yelp as she turned the scooter and flapped her wings as fast as she could in reverse, sending the whole vehicle drifting sideways. Behind her, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gave a small scream as they held onto each other, watching as the wall grew to fill their vision. With inches to spare, the trio came to a halt and breathed a collective sigh of relief. Climbing out of the wagon, Apple Bloom walked over and hit Scootaloo in the shoulder, glaring daggers at her friend.

“Ow! What was that for Apple Bloom?” The pegasus asked as she rubbed her shoulder.

“Ah told you not ta do that anymore! We coulda crashed!” Apple Bloom shouted, gesturing to the wall with both hooves.

“I knew what I was doing!” Scootaloo said defensively, turning her head away from the earth filly only to come face to face with a familiar grey-coated mare. “Oh, hey, Derpy. Sorry about that”

The wall-eyed mare simply smiled at her, though her eyes made it seem more like she was looking at all of them at once. “No problem, Scootaloo. Are you three alright; need any help?”

Giving each other a quick glance, the fillies gave a nervous laugh before Scootaloo responded. “Hehe, no thanks, Derpy. We’re fine.” Just as the elder pegasus took to the air, a question popped into the purple-maned filly’s head. “On second thought, do you know if Rainbow Dash is in there?” Scootaloo asked with a gestured towards the sweet shop.

Derpy turned around in mid-air to face the fillies again, tapping her hoof on her chin as she thought on the question. “Hmm, well she was there when I left, but that was, like, ten minutes ago. Can you believe Pinkie didn’t think to make any muffins?”

There was the distinct sound of suppressed laughter from over Scootaloo’s shoulder, though the pegasus fought to keep her face as straight as possible as she responded. “Y-yea, it’s a real shocker.”

“I know, right? I had to run home so I could get her my Morning Glory Muffins recipe. I mean, how can you celebrate the best morning of the year without muffins?” Derpy asked in a voice that belied complete seriousness, only adding to the fillies’ mirth. Everypony in town knew that, to Derpy, muffins were serious business. The fillies had been present a couple months back when an argument had sparked between Pinkie Pie and their wall-eyed friend. The party pony had tried to convince the mail-mare of the merits of cupcakes over muffins, and vice versa. It had led to a bake-off between the two, to which the Crusaders were the judges. After many baked goods and no clear winner, it was clear to all present that it was simply better to let Derpy have her muffins.

“B-beats me Derpy. You sh-should really get that to her so she can make them next time.” Scootaloo was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain her façade of agreement. Especially with a pair of giggling fillies right behind her.

If the wall-eyed mare noticed this, she gave no indication. With a suddenly shocked expression, Derpy began flying backwards towards Sugar Cube Corner’s entrance while waving to the three fillies. “Oh my gosh, Scootaloo, you’re right! I should totally get this to her right away! You girls have fun.”

The three exchanged a glance, though before any of them could say a word about what had just transpired, a loud crash came from within the sweet shop. “Oops, my bad.” Came the apologetic voice of Derpy, followed by the groans of many a pony who had witnessed the pegasus’ entrance. Unable to suppress it any longer, the crusaders burst into a raucous fit of laughter. As their laughter began to die down, Scootaloo was the first to recover her ability to speak even as her friends were still clutching their sides.

“C-c’mon crusaders, let’s go see if we can find Rainbow Dash.” After helping her friends to their feet, the three trotted up the stairs and into the brightly lit sweet shop. With a glance over her shoulder, Scootaloo could see that the sun had already begun to brush the horizon. A look of worry passed over the pegasus’ face as she turned her head back to the party. She had turned just in time to crash right into the one mare she had been looking for, sending her to the floor. As Dash had been waving goodbye to her friends, she failed to see the orange speed bump in time to adjust course. In a matter of seconds, the two were a tangled mess of fur, legs and wings that was blocking the sweet shop’s entrance.

Rainbow Dash was the first to recover her senses and was back on her feet in seconds. She gave a quick glance down at the bundle of fur and feathers at her feet. “Hey there, squirt. You should really watch where you’re going, somepony could get hurt. You alright?” Dash asked, her hoof extended to help the filly back to her feet.

As the words sank in, Scootaloo instantly recognized the voice’s owner and leap to her feet, her wings fluttering behind her in her excitement. “I’m great Rainbow Dash! I’m sooo glad I ran into you!” A beaming smile had found its way to the filly’s face as she looked up at her idol. “I actually had something I wanted to ask you.” Taking this as their cue, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked past the pegasi and into the party, allowing the two to converse in private.

Smiling down at her enthusiastic fan, Rainbow already had a feeling what was coming next. After all, Ponyville was a small town, and ponies loved to talk. “Sure kid, I was just heading home, but we can chat on the way.” Leading the way, the prismatic pegasus walked out the door, followed closely by Scootaloo. “So what’s up?”

Pacing herself so that she was walking right next to Dash, the filly took a breath to settle her nerves. Rather than trying to stick to the script she had come up with just minutes before, Scootaloo decided to wing it. “I’ve been going around for weeks now, doing everything I could think of to teach myself to fly. But nothing is working. I’ve been dragged, dropped, tossed, whipped and catapulted. But I always just end up on my flank or my back, and usually with a few new bruises. I’m sick of falling and I want to fly, but I don’t have anypony who can teach me and I was wondering,” she paused mid-sentence, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Would you teach me to fly Rainbow Dash?” She finished with an ear to ear grin, her magenta eyes glistening with expectation as she awaited the cyan pony’s response. In her excitement, Scootaloo had been speaking faster than she had intended. As such it took the elder mare a moment for her brain to catch up with what her ears were hearing. When she was able to register what was being said, Rainbow Dash smiled.

With a soft laugh, the cyan mare ruffled Scootaloo’s purple mane with her hoof as she answered the expectant filly. “I’d love to teach ya to fly kid, but I just don’t have the time. I’m gonna be insanely busy this week, and I’m gonna be gone for a few months this summer. Sorry.” As Scootaloo heard her idol’s denial, her features took on a much more somber expression. Casting her eyes downward, the filly’s previously beaming smile was swept away by a sad frown of resignation. There was no other pony she wanted to be trained by. No pony else was as cool as Rainbow Dash. Nopony else she knew understood what flying could really be like Dash did. Scootaloo knew she would never be as good as she could be if anypony besides Rainbow Dash taught her. However, before she could respond or react further, the disheartened filly felt a hoof underneath her chin forcing her to look back up into her idol’s vibrant violet eyes. “Aww, don’t be so bummed kid. I tell ya what; you get yourself in the air before I go, and I’ll show you a thing or two. In the meantime, why not ask Cheerilee? I’m sure she has an idea on where to get started”

Despite the previous thrill from Dash’s offer, Scootaloo was so thrown off by the mention of Cheerilee that her back legs dropped her right on her flank. From her place on the ground, the filly could only stare up at Rainbow Dash with a questioning expression on her face, attempting to process what she had just heard. The cyan mare in front of her simply laughed at the reaction before spreading open her wings in preparation to take flight. “Sorry pipsqueak. I’d love to stay and chat some more, but I gotta be up early tomorrow.” A flash of annoyance crossed Dash’s face at the mention of an early morning. However, the look was gone moments later as she smiled down at the filly once more. “Keep practicing and I’m sure you’ll get it in no time.” With a quick wink and a sly grin, Dash gave a few strokes of her powerful wings and soon disappeared into the evening dusk.

The last few rays of sunlight were quickly receding as the sun sat halfway below the horizon. “Now what am I gonna do?” Scootaloo asked herself quietly as she watched Dash disappear into the twilight in a mixture of disappointment and confusion. The filly sat there in the quiet street for close to a minute, her mind lost amid her dreams and musings. She was brought back to reality as a shiver wormed its way up her spine, alerting her to the coming chill of the evening. With one final glance in the direction that Rainbow Dash had disappeared, Scootaloo picked herself up and headed back towards Sugar Cube Corner to catch up with her friends and enjoy what was left of the party. As she trotted back, Dash’s cryptic suggestion refused to relinquish its hold on her thoughts, as if the answer was always dancing just out of her reach.

Entering the building, Scootaloo quickly spotted her friends at a nearby table and joined them. Apple Bloom was practically bouncing with excitement as the pegasus approached. “What’d she say? What’d she say? Is she gonna show ya how t’ fly?”

The orange filly was silent for a few moments as she went over the conversation in her head over and over, still trying to make sense of it all. In the end, her voice was just as confused as her thoughts. Her eyes locked on the cupcake in front of her, though her gaze was unfocused and distant. “She said that she was leaving for the summer, and to ask Cheerilee for help.”

Both of the fillies gave Scootaloo a questioning look and responded with a perfectly synchronized ‘Huh?’, to which Apple Bloom was the first to follow up, “Well that’s just silly. What in the hay would she know about flyin’?” Scootaloo simply shook her head in response, still lost in her own thoughts.

Sweetie Belle looked to be just as confused as Apple Bloom. She propped her head up on the table with her hoof as she too contemplated the cyan pegasus’ odd suggestion. “No kidding. That would be like asking Pinkie Pie to teach me about magic.” Casting a curious glance between themselves, the three fillies turned their attention to the rest of the party in an attempt to spot the pink party pony. Quickly picking her out by the dessert table, the crusaders watched as she stared intently at an impressively presented three-tiered cake. Knowing Pinkie Pie, it looked to Scootaloo as if she were trying to determine the best way to swallow the whole cake in one bite. The idea caused them all to burst into fits of laughter.

As they managed to calm down a bit, another question came to Sweetie Belle’s mind, her laughter still evident in her voice. “So…So did Dash say anything else?”

Wiping a tear from her eye, Scootaloo thought on the conversation and remembered the shining gem of hope that her brief chat with Rainbow Dash had contained. “Yea. She said that if I could get into the air on my own before she left, she would show me some moves.” A small smile came to her face as this idea planted itself firmly in her mind.

Her friends’ smiles grew as well, knowing that Scootaloo would need all the help she could get if she were to start flying by next week’s end. “Well if you need to learn how to fly, then maybe we could learn enough to teach you.” Sweetie Belle said with a voice that told you she was planning something. She gave Apple Bloom a look that the earth pony returned, as if they could read each other’s thoughts. “We could be…” The pair each suddenly threw a foreleg into the air as they continued on with their cheer.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, YAY!!!”

The three shared a laugh as they talked about what books the library might have on the subject of flight and who else Scootaloo might want to have as her teacher if she couldn’t succeed on her own. Even as the young pegasus enjoyed the evening’s festivities, she knew that the break was fast approaching, and soon she would have no help at all. It was now or never.

* * * * *

With the setting of Celestia's sun and the onset of Luna's majestic spring evening, the party began to dissipate. One by one, fillies and colts made their way out of Sugar Cube Corner and into the streets of Ponyville. With the shops closing for the evening, the groups of ponies steadily made their way to their respective homes. The three crusaders said their goodbyes as they trotted into the night. Scootaloo watched as Rarity escorted Sweetie Belle through the dimming town to Carousel Boutique. Moments later, the orange pegasus turned to see Apple Bloom being pulled along in her wagon by her big sister, making their way along the rapidly darkening path to Sweet Apple Acres.

Watching her friends disappear into the gathering twilight, Scootaloo felt a pang of loneliness strike her heart. As the filly turned to grab her scooter, she saw a familiar purple pony trotting up to the sweet shop. Scootaloo gave a sigh as she laid eyes on Cheerilee, the reminder of the filly’s lack of a real family only made more obvious by her caretaker’s presence. Working quickly, she managed to get her helmet on just as the teacher came to a stop beside her. “Hey there, Scootaloo. Enjoy the party?” Cheerilee asked in her usual chipper and friendly tone.

“Yea, I guess.” Scootaloo responded apathetically.

Taking notice of her adoptive daughter’s withdrawn attitude, Cheerilee gave a small frown. With a subtle side-step, the purple mare shifted so as to gently brush against Scootaloo’s side to comfort her. “What’s the matter Scootaloo?”

The filly quickly extricated herself from the earth pony’s presence and grabbed her scooter from its place against the wall. As she felt the mix of emotions swirling around inside her, Scootaloo stared at the dirt in front of her, not trusting herself to look the concerned mare in the eye. “N-Nothing. I just wanna be alone for a bit, alright. I’ll see you at home.” Without waiting for a response, the pegasus fired up her wings and sped off towards the edge of the Ponyville. Cheerilee called after the filly, though gave only a sigh as no answer came.

Scootaloo took no notice of the rumble her scooter gave as she passed over the bridge out of town, her mind far off and away from the prison of her flesh. Thoughts of her parents, her real parents, whomever they may be, whirled though her mind. Thoughts of Cheerilee and everything she had done for her over the years. Thoughts of her friends and how lucky they were to have real families to go home to. As much as Cheerilee cared for the little pegasus, in Scootaloo’s mind it would never be the same as knowing her mother and father. She had traveled this mental pathway many times before, though it never became any easier.

Before long, the melancholy pegasus reached a hill that resided close to Ponyville, allowing her to gaze down at the small town. Above her the night shone on, its stars sparkling away brightly, taking no notice of the saddened pony. Letting these depressing thoughts roam freely through her mind, the orange filly felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks. Scootaloo made no move to wipe them away or try to hide it; there was no pony else around, so she had no reason to try and hide her pain. As she looked to the heavens above, the purple-maned pegasus felt that if she stared long enough, perhaps she could simply fall into the sky, leaving the world behind. At that moment, a shooting star streaked overhead, brighter than any Scootaloo had seen before. The burning streak of light across the evening sky lifted the little filly’s mood somewhat and allowed her to indulge in a practice she had not done in some time. She wished. Scootaloo focused her eyes on that piercing point of light until it faded from sight, casting everything she had out towards that fallen star.

Where are you mom?

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and characters belongs to Hasbro, The Hub, and Lauren Faust

Original Characters belong to Nitrox Brony and Kreature