I awoke to a light drumming on my ceiling. Great, another day of this weather, I thought, immediately regretting it. If I was in the weather team, I’d never let this happen, but… I felt a stinging pain in my chest, instinctively fluttering my useless wings. Life wasn’t fair.
A flick of a switch later, my small cottage was illuminated by electrical lamps. The unpainted wooden walls were bare, save for a single picture of my younger, orange and cheery self, posing next to Rainbow Dash. The only pieces of furniture were a simple desk and a table. I couldn’t even afford a chair right now, much less make one myself. Of course, I could’ve just asked Apple Bloom to make one for me, but that just felt wrong. I was no beggar.
There was no point in lying on the bed, so I rose up, walking to the table. I took out a dried loaf of bread from the desk, and sat on the floor, proceeding to eat. The taste of the bread was just as dry as my life – nothing ever happened. I watched the old picture for a while, trying to keep my hopes up, but eventually the cold realities caught up to me. Eating became hard. Breathing now felt like a challenge. Only when my vision started to blur from sudden moisture in my eyes did I shake myself out of self-pity. Come on, Scootaloo. You can do better than this.
With great reluctance, I finished my tasteless breakfast. Another dull day of selling carrots at the market square was ahead of me. I felt the draw of the bed, but resisted – I had already been absent so much that next time Carrot Top would probably fire me. I shuddered at the thought and stepped out of the house.
My garden was almost nonexistent. I’d tried to keep the few flowers in good shape, but had failed spectacularly. Now all that remained was a patch of black soil next to the wall of my cottage, no doubt soon conquered by weeds. I sighed at the miserable sight, and began walking my usual path to work. My house was on the edge of the Everfree, and thus, almost a mile from Ponyville. A large, unclaimed field of tall grass painted the landscape between the town and me. The buildings of Ponyville could be seen in the distance. Stalks of grass flailed around in the wind, creating what looked like waves on the field.
It didn’t take long for me to get soaking-wet in the rain. By the looks of it, the weather wasn’t going to get any better – the sky was just a mattress of dark grey. My pace slowed to a crawl, but as time passed, the buildings ahead started to grow. If the whole week is going to be like this, I might as well resign... no, no I couldn’t. I have to get by on my own now. The cutie mark will appear eventually. Eventually. After that, I can do what I wish.
Before I even realized, the homely buildings of Ponyville were right in front of my nose. The town wasn’t exactly bustling with activity; this early in the morning, and in this weather, only few ponies paced around. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, just like usual. I made my way through the empty streets, just like the morning before… and hundreds of mornings before that. Every now and then, I glanced hopefully at the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of a ripple in the cloud cover, but saw none. The only thing that could really have cheered me up right now was the beautiful blue of the sky. If I was lucky, I could even catch a glimpse of Rainbow Dash.
The rain kept pouring on me as I set up Carrot Top’s worn stand at the edge of the market. For a moment, I considered staying in the rain since I was soaking-wet already, but I eventually put the tarp-roof in place. Nopony would even consider stopping by if I looked like I didn’t care anymore. As soon as I was set up, the orange farmspony, Carrot, arrived with a fresh batch of her namesake products, pulling them in a large cart.
“Alrighty then, Scootaloo.” Carrot yawned. “If you somehow manage to sell all of these today, I’ll pay you extra. What a weather.”
I put on my best social smile, despite already feeling bored out of my mind. “Sure. I’ll try. See you later, Carrot.” If I do manage to sell all of these, I could try my luck at the lottery, as well.
With a friendly nod, Carrot was already trotting away, leaving me alone at the stand. Others were setting up, too: the Apple family’s stand was up like always, along with a couple of other vegetable vendors. None of the salesponies looked very enthusiastic. In a day like this, even a few customers would be a wonder. The muddy ground in the middle of the marketplace portrayed my feelings quite precisely.
Soon, the passage of time became hazy. Hours crawled past at the same pace as customers appeared in front of my stand. I was lost in my thoughts – left wondering what flying would feel like. Despite always having to endure a pain deep in my chest when thinking about it, I couldn’t restrain myself. My mind wandered somewhere far up, where the misty clouds scratched the Stratosphere – where brave weather control teams kept the clouds at bay, and where the incredible Rainbow Dash set her speed records. For a long time, I was on the verge of falling asleep. Nevertheless, I felt like the carrot stand was somewhere far, far away.
“Scootaloo!” exclaimed an enthusiastic and familiar voice, crashing me back into the cold reality. In front of me stood a pretty white unicorn mare, her pink and violet mane ever-so-fluffy despite the rain. Seeing her cutie mark – a golden bell – made me feel uneasy, but I didn’t show it to Sweetie. She cocked her head and gave me a smile.
I cleared my throat. “Well, Sweetie? Wanna buy some carrots?”
“Pfft, you know that I don’t like them,” replied Sweetie cheerfully. “I just happened to pass by when returning from the library, and thought that you’d like some company. It seems… a bit lonely out here.” Sweetie pointed at the other stands, which were just as inactive as mine.
She must be up to something. “Yeah, it tends to be. Especially when it’s raining. But why did you stop by? Do you want to –“
“Look, Scootaloo, I just want to cheer you up.” I could see worry deep behind Sweetie’s emerald eyes. “Well, we do. Apple Bloom and I thought that we could gather in the old clubhouse in an hour – just like in the old days. We could even crusade to find your cutie mark!”
“Apple Bloom’s here? In Ponyville?” I asked, confused. Apple Bloom had been living in Hoofington for the past year, working in some government project as an engineer. It had been a while since I’d last seen her. She had been very busy with her new job and didn’t have time to pay many visits.
Sweetie’s look was blank. “Scootaloo! I told you yesterday! She’s only visiting for a day. Did you listen to me at all?”
I didn’t really remember my conversation with Sweetie from the day before. We had probably met, but I had been sailing high above the clouds, just like a moment ago. “Uhm… No, not really, Sweetie. And as you see, I’m busy selling carrots right now.”
“Busy selling carrots?” asked Sweetie, suspicion apparent in her voice. “It doesn’t exactly look like that.”
“Yeah, I am.” Why are you avoiding your friends? Stop it, Scootaloo. Don’t be stupid.
Sweetie lifted her hoof and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on!” she squealed. “You haven’t talked to AB in ages! I expect to see you in an hour, Scootaloo.”
“Bah. We’ll see.” I blankly stared at Sweetie, who looked puzzled.
“I hope so.” Sweetie glanced behind her. “But I’ve got to get going now. I have some arrangements to make. Bye, Scootaloo!”
I was left dumbfounded. As Sweetie walked away and vanished behind a corner, a number of feelings surfaced. Had I really been so preoccupied with daydreaming that I hadn’t noticed Sweetie telling me about Apple Bloom’s visit? Was I neglecting my friends? I chewed the cud, only to come to the simple conclusion: yes, I had been neglecting both of them. Sweetie must be worried for me. I must show her that I’m still the old Scootaloo.
There was no chance in Tartarus that I would miss a reunion with my friends, but something about the whole situation still nagged me. The thought of going on another ‘crusade’ made me twitch uneasily behind the stand. Apple Bloom and Sweetie had gotten their cutie marks over a year ago, and thus, their efforts to help me find mine felt one-sided. I would’ve loved to give something back to them, but I had nothing. Neither singing nor engineering was my piece of cake. On top of that, both of my friends were adamant about showing me all kinds of activities that weren’t awesome at all. After all, nothing could really have beaten the awesomeness and coolness that was flying.
One would think that an hour was a long time, but I wasn’t a filly anymore. It seemed like day by day just rolled by without anything important happening – I was imprisoned by an everlasting, boring routine. A routine that gave me loads of time to just… think. And for the most part, thinking was painful. My dreams of flying, and the occasional overflight of Rainbow Dash, were the only things that kept my sanity intact during days like this.
Out of the blue, the Town Hall’s clock beat twelve times. Almost an hour had passed. Sighing, I packed the stand up for the day; it wasn’t like any business would be lost if I took the rest of the day off. If Carrot Top fired me for this, she would surely have had an awful day. When I had sheltered the stand and the remaining carrots under the tarp, I put up a ‘closed’ sign and wandered off towards a place I knew the route better to than anywhere else.
It didn’t take long for the buildings of Ponyville to be left behind. As I trod on the ever-so-familiar path barely outside the Everfree, the rain finally stopped. Though my cottage was in the opposite direction from where I was heading, I felt warm. Nowadays, the tall spruces and the heavy undergrowth were almost like reminders of home. The soil under me was soft and comfortable, unlike the cold and mostly hardened streets of Ponyville. Perhaps this wasn’t a bad idea at all.
I soon reached the tree our clubhouse was still standing on. Most of the paint had flaked off, and the building had slightly tilted to one side. Even then, I found myself smiling; this was probably what the clubhouse would have looked like if Sweetie or I had tried to “renovate” it without Apple Bloom back in the old times. A flickering light shone out of the window, and I could hear Sweetie’s distinct voice from inside.
Just to give myself kicks, I flapped my wings as hard as I could, slowly but surely lifting off the ground. My head was sailing among the clouds. The sensation of air brushing my mane was almost like alcohol, for it was the sensation of ultimate freedom from the bounds of gravity. For the short while it took to rise to the clubhouse’s level, I was almost in ecstasy.
Sweat dripped off my forehead as I softly landed in front of the door. My wings twitched – any more exhaustion, and they’d cramp. No matter what the cost, every time I managed to take off was totally worth it. But as I heard my name being called inside the house, my smile died. I pressed my head against the door. My stomach twisted in protest; eavesdropping on my friends wasn’t right, and I knew it very well, yet could do nothing to stop myself.
“I don’t know, Sweetie,” said the low voice of Apple Bloom. “She seemed normal when I was here the last time. If she hasn’t given up hope, she’ll be fine.”
“But Apple Bloom!” Sweetie’s voice sounded nervous. “Scootaloo isn’t okay right now. For the past few weeks, she’s been… off, you know? I told her yesterday about your visit, but today, she didn’t even remember having talked to me!”
“That’s mighty strange, I admit. If she’s really down, I suppose that a crusade would cheer her up. At least I hope so.”
I heard Sweetie sighing. “This will be tough, Apple Bloom. What will we even do? Cutie Mark Crusaders dungeon dwellers? Toilet cleaners? We have already gone through almost everything. And Scootaloo still insists on flying being her special talent.”
“She does?” Apple Bloom sounded worried.
“Yes. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she’s just so adamant about it!”
I had started shivering. How can they say things like that? Am I not allowed to have a dream? My hooves were shaking, and my stomach twisted again. Silently, I climbed down the rope ladder to gather myself. When I landed, droplets began falling on my head. It was raining again, and this time, the clouds wouldn’t be giving any mercy. The downpour was intense – I couldn’t even see past a dozen yards, as the rain cloaked the world in a grey veil. My mane fell in front of my eyes, but I didn’t care to move it. I just stood there, taking the full force of the storm. Have you given up already?
No. I had not given up. I bit my lip, and climbed the ladder back up – ascending even such a small distance by flight was out of the question with wings this wet. The previous extortion wouldn’t have helped, either. This time, I wanted to announce my presence, making an effort to stomp the planks next to the door loudly. I waited for some time, wondering whether my hoofsteps could be heard from behind the roar of the rain.
Just as I was about to knock, the door opened. Sweetie was standing in front of me, her face unreadable. Behind her, sitting next to the aged table, Apple Bloom waved to me and smiled. Something in her look, perhaps her eyes, told me that she was feeling sad on some level. Sad for me.
“Hi there, Scootaloo!” declared Sweetie, proceeding to hug me tightly. I was surprised by her welcome, and almost fell on my haunches. Nevertheless, Sweetie’s coat felt comfortingly warm. “Come in, come in! Apple Bloom’s waiting for you. Oh, and we should dry you up, too. You’re awfully wet.”
“Great observation, Miss Sherclop,” I responded with a dull voice. “Now, could you please let me go, Sweetie?” She’s just trying to make you feel better. Don’t be a jerk.
Sweetie unwrapped her hooves from around me. I walked past her, the warmth of her coat still lingering on mine. As I entered the old clubhouse, my mouth fell agape. The walls had been freshly painted, and a poster of the younger versions of the three of us, wearing the cool red capes, had been hung on the far wall. An oil lamp was sitting in the middle of the table, casting a smooth light inside the house.
“Wow…” I uttered, taken by the new décor. “Apple Bloom, did you do this?”
“Nah, Scoots. You can thank Sweetie for that.” Apple Bloom smirked. “I just advised her through mail. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. Oh, and great to see you again!” Apple Bloom rose up and approached me, but instead of embracing me like Sweetie, settled for a hoofbump. She looked like she was genuinely happy to see me. Why would I even doubt that?
With the greeting done, we all sat down around the table. The previous chat between Sweetie and Apple Bloom was already burying itself into the deeper reaches of my mind, and I found myself enjoying conversation with two of my best friends. Apple Bloom had a lot to tell about Hoofington, but refused to answer most of Sweetie’s or my questions about her job. She told us that what she did was more-or-less classified, which wasn’t a big surprise, considering that she was working for the government. To Sweetie’s wild speculations Apple Bloom responded with laughter – no, she wasn’t developing teleportation devices or space lifts. Eventually, our conversation turned to other matters.
“So, Sweetie told me that she’s been planning a crusade,” said Apple Bloom, keeping her eye on the unicorn. “What do you have in mind?”
“Umm…” responded Sweetie, tapping her chin. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’d say that Scootaloo should decide. After all, she’s the one who’s still missing her mark.” I felt a sting in my chest at Sweetie’s notion.
“My special talent must be flying,” I stated, getting worried looks from my friends. Yeah, right. My talent damn well is flying. “I’m no cleaner, nor a cave explorer. I suggest that we go to the Ghastly Gorge, and stand on the edge of the ravine, letting the wind swirl our manes around.”
Apple Bloom traded a glance with Sweetie and put a hoof on my shoulder. “Look, Scoots, I know it’s hard for you to accept, but… but…”
“But what?” I blurted.
“You can’t fly.” Apple Bloom locked her eyes with mine. “Sure, we can go to the Gorge. But Scoots – please don’t do anything dangerous. We just want you to have fun. There’s a lot of things we can try out there, sugarcube. If we get lucky, perhaps your cutie mark will appear.”
“I know damn well I can’t fly, AB. You don’t need to remind me of that.” I flapped my wings, rising a foot in the air. “But flying’s the best thing in the world. Oh, and the most awesome, too. I don’t admire Rainbow Dash for her colors.”
Apple Bloom frowned. “Scoots, how can your talent be flying, if you can’t even do it? Enlighten me, sugarcube.”
“It just is!” I exclaimed, rising to the ceiling.
“It just is? That’s it? I know full well that you can do better, Scoots. There’s no shame in admitting your deficiencies.”
It felt like my chest was burning. “My… my… deficiencies?”
“You don’t need to –“
“Girls! Stop!” Interrupted Sweetie with a shaky voice. She seemed very tense. “Let it go. You’re seeing each other for the first time in months, and you’re at each other’s throats already? You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
There was a moment of awkward silence as I descended from the ceiling, already panting. A heat rose up my cheeks. Apple Bloom evaded my gaze, turning her head away. She was blushing too – our behaviour had been ridiculous. What were you thinking? Get a grip, Scootaloo. You can’t treat your friends like that. Apple Bloom’s just thinking about your well-being.
“I’m mighty sorry,” Apple Bloom broke the ice, hanging her head low. “I didn’t mean no harm. Please forgive my harsh words.”
I tried my best to smile, but the effort was futile. “I’m sorry too, Apple Bloom. And I accept your apology. What are we going to do now?”
“Well, you suggested that we’d go crusading to the Ghastly Gorge,” said Sweetie. “I don’t see any reason not to. All we need is a ride. You might be an athlete of sorts, Scootaloo, but I’m not. If we have to walk for a few hours just to get there...”
“Oh, right…” I had completely forgotten about the part of actually getting there. Ghastly Gorge wasn’t exactly close by; when walking by hoof, the distance was quite long. Expect if… “We could take a shortcut through the Everfree. That way, we’d have to walk for less than a mile. Not to even mention all the awesome creatures and hazards we could encounter!”
“Forgive me for saying this, Scoots, but that sounds just crazy to me,” said Apple Bloom. “Do you still have that cart of yours left? Back in the day, you could get it to quite the speeds by just flapping your wings.”
Even though years had passed, I remembered still having the cart. It had been idly sitting behind my cottage for a long time – a relic of the past that held too much nostalgic value to be thrown away. “Yes, I still have it. I have no idea whether it can still be used, though. It’s been a long time since I last towed it.”
Apple Bloom smiled. “Pfft. If it’s in need of some repairs, I’ll fix it up real quick. Now, if you don’t mind, we should get going. Lead the way, Scoots!”
We climbed back to the ground. The rain had paused again, leaving behind a smell of wet grass. To our relief, the path hadn’t completely turned into mud, despite the heavy downpour. A grey curtain in the distance, some way between the clubhouse and Sweet Apple Acres, told us that the storm wasn’t over yet. It had just passed over us in a short time. This might turn out to be a great day, after all.
Nature looked like the rain had breathed new life into it – the green of leaves was radiant, and the color of flowers was more vibrant than normally. Water dropped down the occasional spruce next to the path, making Sweetie jump every time. I didn’t care about getting wet anymore, as I had already gotten my share today. If I was to get soaked for the third time, then so be it. Apple Bloom and Sweetie happily chatted behind me, but I joined their conversation only every now and then. I knew that I should’ve enjoyed their company, but I was still feeling blue about the talk they had had in the clubhouse – not to even mention the short-lived fight with Apple Bloom. Deficiency.
Fortunately, we arrived to my humble home before the rain started again. A glance back told me that Apple Bloom wasn’t exactly fond of my cottage; she bit her lip, probably because of the crude and unpainted exterior. Sweetie didn’t seem to mind, though she had been here lots of times already. I escorted them both behind the house, where a dilapidated shed stood. The cart, equally worn, was leaning against it. My scooter was still attached to it.
“If you don’t mind, Scoots…” said Apple Bloom, entering the shed. She grabbed all sorts of tools and a few planks from inside. “This won’t take long. Ten minutes, at most.”
As Apple Bloom got to work, I was left staring at her cutie mark: a hammer crossed with a screwdriver. The mark portrayed her talents perfectly. She’d been the first of us to get her cutie mark; I remembered it like yesterday. She had been fixing Moondancer’s door, destroyed by a wretched storm. When she came back to me and Sweetie at the clubhouse, she’d had a wicked smile plastered on her face. I could still recollect how amazed I had felt at the time, even though her talent had been obvious for a long time. For some reason, all of us had been incredibly oblivious as foals. Thinks the mare who still lacks her mark.
“Should we go inside to wait for Apple Bloom to finish?” asked Sweetie innocently. “It’s pretty cold out here, Scootaloo.”
I shrugged. “Why not. It’s not much warmer in the inside, though.”
We went inside, creaking the planks under the door. My cottage wasn’t in a very good shape, either, but it was still a decent place to live in. I would have trouble getting all the wood to keep the stove burning in winter, but that would be another day’s problem. When we had stepped in, Sweetie closed the door, looking at me sternly.
“Has something happened, Scootaloo?” asked Sweetie with a nervous voice. In her eyes I could see only a deep caring for me. “You can always talk to me. I’ve gone through all kinds of stuff myself. If you need a shoulder to lean on, a friend to talk to, I can be that pony. I was that pony. Scootaloo, I’m really, really worried about you.”
For some reason, my chest was still aching. I struggled to find the right words. I turned my head away, then back at Sweetie. “Alright… It’s been… really hard for some time. I’m an adult mare already, Sweetie. Yet, I don’t have a cutie mark. I know what my special talent is, even though I’m aware it’s also impossible! Waking up every morning to chase a dream that I can never reach feels horrible. And every time I see your – or Apple Bloom’s, for that matter – cutie mark, I…” I felt something hot rolling down my cheeks. “I... I feel jealous. I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t restrain my thoughts.”
Sweetie fluttered her eyes, apparently fighting back tears. “Look, Scootaloo – I know it’s tough to be the last one,” she assured with a soft voice. “But Apple Bloom and I are here to support you. And while your head is in the clouds, remember that dreaming is always important. Even if the dream can… can…” Sweetie’s voice failed.
“Never come true,” I continued, my vision already blurred by tears. “I think we should go back out. Apple Bloom’s surely finished with the cart. Let’s go and have some fun, just like in the old times.”
As I was reaching for the door, Sweetie held my hoof in place. Then, she fiercely embraced me. I felt fuzzy inside; it was great to have a friend like Sweetie Belle. She swiped the tears off my face with her hoof, giggling. “Oh, Scootaloo, there’s no reason to show Apple Bloom that we’ve been crying. We’re such silly mares.”
“Yup,” I replied, letting out a short laugh. “One moment, we’re crying over my blank flank. The next one and we’re laughing. Friendship is weird.”
Sweetie let go of me, and we stepped outside, making our way to the back of the cottage. Apple Bloom was still hammering a piece of plank to the side of the cart, but it appeared that her work was mostly done. I could only wonder what she felt like when doing what she could do best: putting her talent to use. Despite the chilly weather, she was sweating profusely. Apple Bloom soon backed away from the cart, examining her work. She nodded and turned around.
“Alrighty. The cart’s in working condition, gals,” told Apple Bloom. “Some fixes were needed, but nothing I couldn’t handle. You ready to drive this, Scoots?”
I smirked. “If you’re ready for a ride!” Flapping my wings to drive vehicles at high speeds was almost like flying, though still not quite the same.
Apple Bloom smiled. “That’s my Scootaloo! Jump in, Sweetie!”
Sweetie obeyed. The cart was quite spacious; there were crude seats for four ponies, along with seatbelts that would hopefully still work. Apple Bloom joined Sweetie in the back and nodded to me. “As ready as we’ll ever be, Scoots!”
I took the helm of the scooter, taking a moment to adjust my position. Though I hadn’t done this in a long time, it all came instinctively. I flapped my wings gently, quickly getting a feel of the cart. Then, I picked up speed, pushing air back with a tremendous force, jerking the cart violently from its place, heading towards the road. Shouting was audible from behind me, but I just grinned, ignoring the muffled voices.
Soon we were going forward with a steady, fast pace. It didn’t take me long to get used to driving the cart; it was more a matter of remembering than anything. I’d done this so many times as a foal that how it was done had been deeply ingrained in me. The world around was mostly a blur now, shapes of larger trees coming into view and vanishing behind me a blink of an eye later. Air blasted my face, swirling my mane around. My heart was racing. If I could have, I probably would’ve giggled – so exciting was the experience. I felt free.
The drive wasn’t going to be very long with the speed I was maintaining. When we were only about a mile from the Gorge, I picked up my pace to see just how fast I could go. I flapped my wings viciously, with all my remaining strength. It felt like someone was pointing a torch at my wing muscles, but I didn’t care. Sweat dripped from my forehead, only to be thrown away by the wind. Faint noises emanated from somewhere behind me. Every bump on the road caused us to jump high in the air – and for those little moments, I truly was flying. Takeoff was mere seconds away; every moment I was waiting for the scooter, along with the cart, to lift off and sail through the sky –
Again, I heard noises from behind me. It’s your friends. Slow down, idiot. I glanced back and saw Sweetie flailing her hooves wildly, clearly wanting me to stop. When I turned my head back at the direction of our travel, my heart was about to stop. We were at the Gorge. It was there, right in front of us. I reversed the direction of my flapping, causing a horrible sting of pain in my sides. My vision blurred from tears as I struggled to brake. Even though I’d been pushing myself to gain the speed, I managed to find reserves of energy from somewhere deep inside me. The cart finally screeched to a halt a dozen yards from the edge of the ravine. My head spun, and I collapsed onto the ground.
“Scootaloo!” called a distressed voice from somewhere close.
“You alright?” asked another. Somepony’s hooves nudged me. I opened my eyes and frowned. Apple Bloom was standing over me, slightly trembling. Her mane was a total mess.
“I think so,” I answered, my head still spinning. A pulsating pain was tormenting my sides – I had probably sprained them. And such is the price of being reckless. Not a single time did you consider what your friends would think about racing for no reason. “And… I’m sorry. That was incredibly stupid. I guess I was… blinded by speed.” I frowned, rubbing the back of my head.
Apple Bloom cringed. “Phew. Just don’t do that again when we return, okay?”
“I swear I won’t,” I promised, trying to sound as honest as possible. Good. Now you can perhaps think of your friends rather than yourself.
Sweetie joined us, shaking from head to hoof. A pang of guilt hit me as I rose up. Though Sweetie didn’t say anything to me, it was clear that she’d been very afraid during the ride – back in the day, when I used to race around like that more often, she had once started crying after a fast and dangerous trip to Sweet Apple Acres. Since then, I’d settled for much safer speeds. Something had made me slip back to my old habits again, and I wasn’t sure what.
We talked about our soon-to-be crusade, but came to the conclusion that there wasn’t really much of anything to do. I had chosen Ghastly Gorge because I liked the place – in reality, I had no ideas about crusading whatsoever. With nothing else to do, we decided to take a walk; there were some amazing views here. That way, our trip wouldn’t go completely to waste.
As soon as we found a path, a light drizzle started. The clouds weren’t going to give us any mercy today. The path we trod was at first quite a distance from the ravine, snaking in the middle of a scarce patch of birch and spruce. It was no Everfree, or even Whitetail, but I felt myself at home between the trees. Apple Bloom and Sweetie didn’t share my sentiment in the same way, never having lived so close to a forest, but were still enjoying themselves. The nature around us looked and smelled fresh. While rain was sometimes a nuisance, it always breathed new life into the flora.
But in waiting – beyond the small forest – was something spectacular. The ravine, almost a hundred feet wide with majestic walls descending twice that length, was right in front of us as we left the woods behind. Huge rock formations were plastered across the gorge’s walls, making it look like a giant had been trying to paint something. Down below roared a river, brown from all the stuff that rainwater had washed down there.
“Now that’s what I call a view,” commented Apple Bloom. “Haven’t seen anything like this in quite some time.”
“Me neither,” I said. The crude beauty of Ghastly Gorge was something I hadn’t really expected. It had been a long time since I’d last visited this place. The dark stone of the walls contrasted sharply with the forest that grew on the other side, which in turn was much brighter than the monotonous sky.
Sweetie’s mouth hung open. “Whoah! Scootaloo, how did you find this place?”
“I’ve never trod that path before. We arrived here by chance. Isn’t it great how life sometimes just leads you to places like this?” I closed my eyes, breathing in mist that both the rain and the river had thrown into the air.
“Speaking of which… how is it that life still hasn’t led you to your cutie mark, Scoots?” asked Apple Bloom with a cautious voice, pawing the ground nervously. “You went so fast with that cart… I could’ve sworn that you’d have gotten your mark right there and then.”
I gave the earth pony a sad smile. “That’s because speed is not my special talent, Apple Bloom. I’m not an oblivious foal anymore.”
“Then what is, pray tell?” inquired Apple Bloom.
“Duh. Flying. I’ve known that for ages.”
Apple Bloom opened her mouth to say something, but when Sweetie took a stern look at her, she shut it. My chest was burning from inside; I knew what she was about to say. But you can’t fly, Scoots! Why is it so hard for you to get over it? We can’t always get what we want. Not all dreams can come true.
“You know, Scootaloo – “ started Sweetie, gazing at the sky “ – your dream, a dream of flying – I can understand. The sky is amazingly beautiful. And I can imagine the feeling of absolute freedom when coasting over Equestria. The fact that I’m just a unicorn doesn’t matter. Who wouldn’t want to sail through an empty sky when the morning sun is just casting its first rays?”
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Now that was mighty poetic, sugarcube.”
“The sky is a pretty poetic sight,” I stated, once again seeing the endless mass of blue with my mind’s eye. It was a shame that the day had been so cloudy. “No wonder that so many tales and fables of it have been written. Just think of Rainbow Dash – in a century, ponies will be singing songs about her heroic deeds and courageous flying. The fastest pegasus in all of Equestria…”
Apple Bloom shrugged, her eyes telling that she didn’t share my feelings. “Shucks, Scoots, I have to admit I’ve never really understood why the sky’s so important for you. That’s probably because I’m an earth pony, though.”
With no wish to get into another argument, I offered no counter. Of course Apple Bloom could never understand; probably not even Sweetie, not in the same way as I did. Every time I propelled a scooter with my wings or lifted myself a few feet into the air, I could catch a small glimpse of what flying really was. Even such humble attempts at emulating the real thing were so amazing, so mind-bogglingly awesome, that I felt like I was a mere fish living in a tiny stream, only dreaming of the vast oceans. No matter how much I was persuaded to give my dream up, I would never be able to do it – nor even want to.
We soon broke into conversation about more mundane things. Despite the secretive nature of her job, Apple Bloom was eager to tell Sweetie and me whatever she could. Apparently, fixing machines meant just as much to her as flying to me, and in the same way she couldn’t understand my passion, I couldn’t comprehend hers. Machines were just… machines, after all. I found nothing special in them.
Just as we were about to head back, I noticed something in the corner of my eye: light. I quickly turned my head to see a large ripple in the cloud cover. A spot of blue was visible, a pillar of light shining down from it to illuminate a part of the ravine’s walls. Immediately, my mind jumped to the vast heights above the clouds – a steppe of wind currents, rogue thunderheads and fearless pegasi. The hole in the clouds was so overwhelmingly beautiful that my heart was about to jump out from my chest. I could sail right through that hole and enter the sky. What is there to stop me?
I unfurled my still-aching wings and stepped closer to the edge. The sky was calling me; I could hear my name being echoed somewhere far away. I couldn’t turn my stare from the sky. Do it. This is your chance. Fly.
My forehooves weren’t on the ground anymore. My mind had become fuzzy. I’d finally do it.
But something was holding me back.
“Scootaloo!” shouted a distressed voice from behind me. I opened my eyes only to lock up from fear: I was hanging over the depths of the gorge. Far below, the water of the river reflected the beams of light that still shone through the hole.
The sight lasted only for a short time, as I was pulled back, my legs straining under the force of two desperate ponies. With a painful thud against the rocks, I landed a safe distance from the edge. Sweetie and Apple Bloom looked horrified, sweating and panting from the exertion. What… what did I just do?
“What the hay was that, Scoots?” asked Apple Bloom, her eyes wide open.
The sky called me. “I have no idea.” I shook my head, barely standing up. Had my friends not been with me, I’d most likely have fallen to my death. A shiver went down my spine.
Not many words were exchanged as we made our way back to the cart; all of us, even me, had been deeply shocked by my actions. I could offer no answers to the questions of Sweetie and Apple Bloom. Had I tried to take off out of desperation? A daydream that went too far? The awkward silence between us lasted for the whole way back to Ponyville, which was, thankfully, uneventful, apart from my strong feeling of guilt. I had done something extremely stupid.
And when I finally arrived back to the marketplace, an angry orange mare was there, waiting for me.
--
Rain roared like there was no tomorrow, keeping the three of us tightly packed under the roof of the train station. I could feel every breath of my friends on my skin; I wasn’t able to make up my mind on whether that was good or not. My hooves were getting wet from the streams and large puddles the continuous downpour had caused.
“Apple Bloom…” I said with a low voice, looking at the earth pony. “You really don’t have to do this. I can find another job here. I’m sure of that.”
“Pfft,” snorted Apple Bloom and stomped the puddle under us, splashing water everywhere. “I know I don’t have to do this, but I will. You’re my friend, Scoots, and nothing’s gonna change that. Stop talking silly. I know you’ll come to like Hoofington.”
“But Sweetie will be left here all alone and –“
Sweetie shook her head and let out a laughter. “Scootaloo, I’m going to move away from here sooner or later. There’s no need to worry. Go on – start a new life in Hoofington. If everything goes right, I’ll get a contract with a Canterlotian record company sooner or later. Then, you’d really be left alone in here.”
“I –“
“The sky’s just as blue in Hoofington,” told Apple Bloom, giving me a sly smile. “Trust me, Scoots; you’re going to have a good time there. If you want a job, the locals are in need of ponies to sell their products at the marketplace. Even the pay’s probably much better than what Carrot gave you.”
“Just let me finish what I’m saying!” I flared my wings, accidentally hitting both of my friends. I snickered, feeling a heat rise onto my cheeks. Yeah. Talk about flying… “Um… sorry, gals.”
Sweetie giggled, putting a hoof on her face. “Oh, my. You were about to say something?”
“Ugh… yeah.” I retracted my wings. A dramatic effect? Quite. “I’ve lived in Ponyville for over ten years. How will I get to know other ponies? Make new friends? What if everything fails, and I end up in the streets?”
Apple Bloom sighed. “Scoots, I swear by Celestia’s name that you’ll never end up in the streets. You can stay in my place for as long as you want. When you’re making enough bits to rent your own apartment, then by all means, do it. But no matter what happens, I’ll always be there to help you. That’s what friends are for.”
“Um…Thanks,” I muttered out. I wasn’t sure whether I deserved any of Apple Bloom’s generosity, but I would be a total fool if I decided to not take what I was given. A fresh start was just what I needed.
We spent a few minutes silently waiting for the train to arrive. It felt good to be huddled so close to my friends, despite all that had happened, or rather, all I’d done yesterday. I had expected them to shout at me, scorn me for my failures and recommend visiting a psychiatrist, but they’d done none of that. In fact, even Apple Bloom seemed to now understand me a bit better – or, at least, it appeared to be that way. I might have just scared her into accepting my somewhat crazy dream of flying.
The train appeared from behind the curtain of rain, whistling loudly. It was very easy to decipher that this was no commuter train: for one, there weren’t even ponies pulling it. I didn’t know much about trains, but this clearly was one fitted with a powered magical matrix to keep it running. My mouth went agape as the train slowed down, revealing its silvery sides, shining in the dark weather.
“That train there was made in Hoofington,” revealed Apple Bloom with a proud voice. “That’s what progress looks like.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. We’d better hurry now, eh?”
Apple Bloom and I walked towards the train, but were promptly stopped by Sweetie. “Don’t you even think of getting away without a group hug!” she exclaimed, wrapping her hooves around us and squeezing. Breath escaped my lungs as I returned the embrace, warmness radiating from my two friends. They were right there. There for me.
“Aww!” Sweetie released us, grinning. “I guess we won’t be seeing for a while, now. I’ll promise to send you two letters. Take care of each other!”
“Sure will,” Apple Bloom replied, smiling.
“Yup. Bye, Sweetie! You’re a great friend!” I exclaimed.
Sweetie blushed intensely and giggled once more. “As are you. Goodbye!”
Apple Bloom and I entered the train. I was struck with awe by the new and polished interior. Metallic lamps hung from the ceiling, and the benches were covered with red leather, looking slick and new. Never before had I seen something like this. Had Apple Bloom really traveled by a train like this many times already? Hoofington is the hub of Equestrian technology. It’s no wonder that this train is fitted with the latest inventions and design.
We took our places in a frontal wagon, sitting in a small cabin. From the large window, we could see the station. As we departed, both we and Sweetie waved our hooves for as long as we could see each other. I was now on my way to a new period in my life – hopefully one that’d finally lead me to my cutie mark.
“So, what’s it like?” I asked, keeping my eyes at the world beyond the window. Right now, the train was rolling in the middle of huge fields, stretching almost all the way to the horizon. “Hoofington, I mean.”
“Well, I already told you what it’s like for the most part. Modern buildings, some skyscrapers, lots of industrial and research facilities – progress,” answered Apple Bloom, sounding confident of what she said was true. “Nothing like Ponyville, I must admit. It was a bit of a shock when I first saw the city, coming from a rural apple farm.”
As we talked about Hoofington and its surroundings, my uneasiness slowly faded away. Even though this was a big change for me, I’d have support from Apple Bloom. I was happy at how she didn’t press the issue of what had happened yesterday. The subject crossed my mind every now and then, but thankfully, I managed to abstain from pondering it too much. But deep in my mind, the doubts and fears still lingered. Am I mad? Is my obsession of the sky really that bad, or was I just entranced by the sudden ripple in the cover of clouds?
The train ride took a few hours. Time flowed forward fast, the train seemingly stopping very often to unload some ponies at smaller towns. Before I even realized, it was slowing down for the last time, a magically enchanted voice announcing that we had arrived to Hoofington. My heart was pumping from excitement; I was ready to step forward in my life.
There was no reason to linger around at the monumental train station, so Apple Bloom escorted me straight away through the busy streets of the city. Ponies were everywhere, going about their daily businesses, be it shopping, delivering mail, or returning home after a stressful day of office work. Three-story buildings with gleaming, metallic exteriors lined the wide streets. My mouth hung open for a long time, until Apple Bloom politely remarked that I made us look stupid.
It took some time for us to navigate through the masses and the streets, but eventually, we arrived at Apple Bloom’s place – a small flat in the fourth story of an old, concrete apartment building. Not as shiny or new as most of the city, but it certainly served its purpose. I followed my friend up the dusty stairs, carefully examining the walls. Strangely, they were littered with numerous paintings. Most of them looked amateurish and sloppy, but some shone out from the rest – in particular, one that portrayed an asphalt-paved road stretching to meet the horizon on a sunny field. Apple Bloom quickly explained me that all of the paintings were the work of the residents of the building, eager to make it a more colorful place.
Apple Bloom’s apartment itself looked much cleaner than the stairway or the exterior of the building. It didn’t have much furnishing, but the walls had been painted orange. Several pictures of the large Apple family hung on them, clearly taken at the time of their reunions. I smiled as I thought of my own family, living far away in Appleloosa. At least they were having a good life there, not that I would’ve wanted to share it with them. I had been in some serious arguments with my parents and had no wish to meet them for a while.
With little to talk about and the sun already setting, we decided to go to bed. While Apple Bloom slept in her bed, I took the sofa for myself, glad that it was soft and comfy. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep.
--
BOOM!
My eyes flinched open, and my ears rang. The entire building rumbled for a moment. Light was pouring in from the living room window, casting big shadows on the floor. What the hay was that noise?
Apple Bloom emerged from the bedroom, yawning. She let out a laugh as she saw the look on my face. “Oh, Scoots… sorry for not remembering to tell you about that. Some tests that are done in this part of the city can get… a bit noisy.”
“What was that?” I asked, rising up from the sofa.
“An experiment. Military-related. Can’t tell you more, unfortunately, since I’m kinda working on that project.” Apple Bloom grabbed a bag from the floor, then threw in a lunch box from the fridge. “I’ll get to work now. Scoots – the market is a pretty big place. You should find your way there easily by following the signposts. Ain’t exactly a complicated path from here.”
“Why can’t you tell me?” I continued to press on, my curiosity awoken. “I’m your friend. You can trust me, Apple Bloom.”
“Look, I didn’t invent our policy,” Apple Bloom answered, irritation creeping into her voice. “I can’t tell you, and that’s it. You don’t have to worry about what I’m doing. There’s a full day of searching for a job ahead of you.”
I shook my head, sighing. “Whatever. See you in the evening.” Or perhaps earlier.
“Yup. Bye!” Apple Bloom headed out of the door, leaving me standing in the middle of the living room. I should’ve, of course, gone to the market, but something about my friend’s behaviour had struck me as odd. Had she been… nervous? Angry? Did it have something to do with her job? I simply needed to know, and decided not to loiter around any longer – sure, I wouldn’t get hired by anypony today, but I needed to know.
Despite feeling a sting of guilt in my chest, I went through the door, trotting with a fast pace to catch up with Apple Bloom. Luckily, she hadn’t gotten far, and I was able to shadow her right from the front of the building. The weather outside was better than yesterday – some clouds were sailing through the sky, but the sun could be seen. Unaware of my presence, Apple Bloom continued to walk. I soon found myself in an unfamiliar part of the city: much less ponies were outside in these parts, and I had to take great care in order to not reveal myself to Apple Bloom. Buildings here were large and mostly undecorated, the majority being huge factory halls with the occasional residential building. Eventually, Apple Bloom entered one of the factories near the edge of the city.
The factory was incredibly big – about a hundred yards wide and twenty tall. Its exterior was unpainted concrete, with the occasional window jutting out of the wall. I saw two brown earth ponies patrolling around an outer perimeter. The perimeter wasn’t very wide, but a fence of chain link surrounded it. How will I get past that?
I couldn’t think of anything other than flying over the fence when the guards weren’t looking, then sneaking for the door. A simple plan, yes, but it might work. I had no idea whether there would be a security check inside, but with outer security like this, I doubted it. But the thing I really needed was luck. Without it, I would get a caught, perhaps even arrested. With no knowledge of Equestrian laws, I had no idea what sort of punishment that might give me. Hopefully, I wouldn’t find out.
The wait wasn’t very long. The guards started shouting something at each other, looking like they could jump into each other’s throats at any moment. Keeping a keen eye on them, I ran next to the fence, flapping my wings furiously. I felt a surge of pain in my sides; the previous day was still taking its toll on me. But despite having to struggle against my body, I took off, then safely landed onto the other side of the fence. A quick glance at the guards told me that they were still engaged in a fierce argument. I smiled slyly and made my way to the door. This is almost too easy to be true.
I opened the unlocked door, amazed that my plan had actually worked. As I stepped in, the grey walls of a small reception room were there to greet me. For some reason, there was nopony at the reception desk. Too easy, perhaps, but I’ll take what’s given to me. A map of the building on the back wall was telling me that there were some smaller rooms, but most of the space was taken up by a huge hall. Going to the hall would’ve been crazy, as there were likely many ponies working there, so I decided to take the other way and head through another section of the building, eventually exiting from its other side.
With only two hallways, one going right and the other left, navigation wasn’t a problem. I took the left, walking carefully to leave some room to swiftly dash behind a crate or into a dark corner if I heard someone approaching. I couldn’t help but feel tense, doubt creeping into my mind. Why is this place so empty? What’s Apple Bloom doing here?
Eventually, I did encounter a couple of ponies, luckily hearing them conversing from behind a corner. I immediately hid behind a large storage crate, hoping that they wouldn’t glance at my direction when walking by. As the group of earth ponies walked past me, I held my breath, worrying about my racing heart. But of course, they couldn’t hear such a thing, and just strolled by. It was a shame that I’d been too nervous to focus on their conversation; that would’ve given me some insight on what was going on in here. I continued down the hallway, passing a few windows that lined the right-side wall. From them I could see a part of the large hall, and took some quick glances out of curiosity. I saw a lot of ponies working on some kind of large, sleek, and dark grey machine. They were apparently trying to move it somewhere. You don’t have time to just stand around. Get going.
A bit further, I came into another crossroads, remembering from the map that, this time, I’d have to take the right. As I continued, the hallway narrowed, all of the potential cover disappearing. This time, there would be no crates to hide behind if someone walked from the other direction. I could hear the beat of my heart in my ears.
After yet another corner, a door was only ten yards from me. The outside. And what have I learned? Nothing. I glanced back, but decided that returning the same way I’d come would be too dangerous. Even though I was already this far, the fear of getting caught was still plaguing my mind – I really didn’t have much of an idea what kind of punishment I’d get, and had to constantly restrain my thoughts from wandering to the moon and the dungeons beneath Canterlot.
Then, I saw somepony, freezing from surprise. I let out a sigh of relief as I realized I was seeing myself, reflected off of a shiny bronze plaque on the wall. A dozen names, none of which I recognized, were engraved on it. Wondering about the plaque, I made my way to the door. It had a lock, but seeing that the facility’s front door had been unlocked, I couldn’t think why this one would be, either. The door was made out of unpolished metal of some kind, most likely steel. With great care to remain as silent as possible, I pushed the door, opening it.
I stepped outside – thankfully, the place looked like some kind of outside storage area, with a tall sheet roof. Loads of crates, boxes and rusting machine parts were lying around. I swiftly made my through the crate maze, only to be greeted by an amazing sight.
A vast, open, paved field stretching almost to the horizon, opened in front of me. It was paved with asphalt – something that I hadn’t seen many times before. My mouth was agape for a long time as I took in what I was seeing. But before I had any time to think about what the long patch of asphalt was used for, a large door in the side of the factory slid open. Numerous ponies – one of them distinctly Apple Bloom – were rolling the machine I’d seen earlier outside. A white pegasus was sitting in a small enclosed space in its front, behind a reinforced sheet of glass. It looked like some kind of vehicle, with wheels and all attached to it. It had two… wings. Almost like an eagle in machine form.
Wait, an eagle?
The ponies walked away from the machine, now pointed at the horizon. When everypony had backed off, the machine started to emit a low roar, its sound vibrating my body. A stream of hot air was flowing from black holes on both of the wings. Slowly, the machine started moving forward, the noise rising to incredible levels. Despite feeling pain in my ears, I didn’t cover them. I had to hear. I had to see.
My heart was racing. I could feel sweat dripping from my forehead. The streams of air lit up – in their place were two intense flames. A wave of heat washed over me as the machine’s speed gradually increased. Before I could comprehend what was happening, it was already quite a distance down the patch.
Then, it left the ground behind.
I held my breath as the machine gained height and speed – just like a bird of prey, it soared towards the now-open skies. Golden beams of sunlight beautifully reflected off its metallic wings, as it blasted off. I could almost feel it – feel it flying.
Even though the machine was already pretty far away, I couldn’t take my stare off it. I watched, paralyzed by amazement, as it rose higher and higher in a straight line – just like sailing through a hole in the sky.
Soon, the machine was only a dark spot on the sky. I could but stand in place and watch.
Finally, I closed my eyes, shaking and shivering. That… that was awesome.
BOOM!
My eyes flinched open, and I felt like somepony had hit me with a sledgehammer. My entire body resonated with the horribly loud bang. I keeled onto the ground, but quickly rose up. It was only a matter of time before I would be seen. After hesitating for a moment, I returned to the door, my heart still pounding like no tomorrow.
And as I passed the plaque, I saw something strange in the corner of my eye. I turned my head, and my mouth fell agape.
Emblazoned on my flank were two metallic wings.
I was left standing there, in the middle of the hallway, for a long time. It was hard to comprehend what had just happened, but once again, I wasn’t going to refuse a gift given to me. If that – piloting a strange flying machine – was my special talent, then so be it. Smiling, I made my way back through the factory, this time not even worrying about getting caught.
Life sure is weird.
