"Hurry up, Scoots!" Rainbow Dash called to the grumpy filly.
The two were heading over to the doctor's office, where Scootaloo had her annual check-up. Rainbow Dash was taking her there because Scootaloo, as an orphan, had no parental figure to take responsibility for her. The walk there had now taken thirty minutes, and the appointment was well overdue; Scootaloo had been dragging her hooves the whole way, and it was driving Rainbow Dash buggy.
"I hate the doctor's office," Scootaloo said, trudging slowly behind the prismatic mare. "They prick you with needles and do that thing with the popsicle stick and they do this and that. And they look at your privates!"
Rainbow Dash snickered.
"I mean, what pony would have a job like that?!" the little filly raged. "Why would you want a job where you have to look at somepony's privates all day?!"
"I can think of a few reasons," Rainbow Dash said with a huge smile.
Scootaloo did not bother to pursue the topic and just let her head slump as she walked.
"C'mon," Rainbow Dash said. "It's not that bad. I still go every year!"
"But you're a grown-up!" Scootaloo complained. "You can stand waiting around and being bored!"
"Kid, I've the attention span of a six month old foal with ADHD. I nearly die when I wait in lines."
Scootaloo thought about that for a moment.
"Why don't we just go?" Rainbow Dash asked her, flying back to her. "It's better to get it over with than to wait."
She patted Scootaloo on the back and landed beside her, starting to walk with her. Scootaloo only sighed and turned away.
"What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What are you scared of?"
"It's just-" the orange filly began. "This year is the year they determine if I'll be strong enough to fly. And, I'm scared. Everypony else can fly but me, and I- I can tell that I won't be able to!"
"Oh, come on," Rainbow Dash said. "Look at Snowflake. He has small wings but he can still fly."
"You know it's not about how big your wings are, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo yelled. "It's about the rest of you! It's about if you'll be strong enough to use the wings to support yourself or not!"
"I'm trying to make you feel better," Rainbow Dash replied. "Look, Scoots, if Snowflake can fly, you can too."
Scootaloo slowly smiled, and she turned to her idol.
"You're right," she said. "Now let's go and hear about how awesome a flier I'll be when I grow up!"
Rainbow Dash chuckled and followed her as she darted forward. She chased after the filly and they were quickly at the doctor's office.
Scootaloo opened the doors and walked in, closely guarded by Rainbow Dash.
"I can watch myself!" the filly said playfully.
They laughed as Rainbow took them up to the front desk, where a mare with a white coat waited. Scootaloo was shorter than it, however, so she could not see anything.
"Hello!" the mare said, turning to them. "How can I help you?"
"We're here for my check-up," Scootaloo said from beneath the desk.
The mare leaned over and saw her standing there. She laughed as she pulled out a clipboard and a pen.
"You go fill that out over there," she said, pointing with a hoof at a line of benches in a separate room. "Come hand it back to me when you're finished."
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo went over to the front bench and sat down. There was a small table in front of them, which had pens and a few magazines on them. Rainbow Dash grabbed a pen and started to write the basic information that she already knew about Scootaloo.
"Uh, Scoots," she said, looking really nervous. She handed the clipboard to Scootaloo. "I don't know this one, and it's kinda personal, so can you fill it out?"
Scootaloo complied and read the question. She turned to Rainbow Dash.
"What if we haven't had one yet?" she asked.
"Oh," Rainbow Dash said, taking the clipboard back. "I'll just put N/A."
"What does N/A mean?" Scootaloo asked.
"I don't know. Something to do with not doing something I guess."
Scootaloo became bored as Rainbow Dash continued scouring the papers, and she picked up one of the magazines from the table.
Wonderbolts Monthly
She quickly opened it up and was greeted by a picture of the famous flying group. She read a few articles and completely lost track of time until Rainbow Dash tapped on her shoulder.
"Scoots, the doctor needs you," she said.
Scootaloo blinked and put the articles down. She stood and looked across the room, where a door stood open and the doctor awaited. She went over and followed him into the depths of the institution, making sure to see his nametag.
Dr. Plumage
They went to small room off of the main hallway, where she was instructed to sit down. Upon taking her seat, the doctor left the room, leaving her to swing her legs absentmindedly off of the seat. A few minutes later the doctor returned.
He went up to her and looked in her eyes. The door opened again, and a unicorn walked in. The two stood in the same places for a moment; Dr. Plumage continued to stare her in the eyes, and the unicorn only cast some spell.
"Thank you," the doctor said to the unicorn, who left.
The doctor stood straight as he pulled out a wooden stick. Scootaloo opened her mouth, and the doctor placed it on her tongue. As this happened, Scootaloo nearly gagged on it.
He removed the stick and left the room again. Scootaloo sat bored until he returned.
And here comes the part where he tells me to-
"Lie down," the doctor said.
Called it.
The filly followed instructions- only to get the process over with- and the doctor began to examine her... privates.
Scootaloo shuddered as he did this, wondering why this was a part of the check-up.
"Alright," he said, standing. "Time to go check your wings."
The orange filly gulped as he said those words. This was the time where she would finally figure out if she was meant to fly, or to be grounded for life.
The room they went to now was a much larger one, mostly because it contained a small machine, which hissed and whirred. Scootaloo already knew what it did: compare your wings to your body.
She waited until she was ushered in by a few nurses standing watch and waited inside as lights flickered and gears spun. The door to the outside world opened, and she stepped out fearfully, scared of what the results would tell her.
"So..." she said cautiously.
A nurse spun around and looked her in the eyes.
"Where's your guardian?" she asked.
"Uh, she's out in the waiting area," Scootaloo replied. "Why?"
The nurse motioned to another nurse, who left the room, returning a few minutes later with Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Scoots," she said. "You know why they called me in here?"
Scootaloo shook her head and watched as they handed Rainbow Dash a piece of paper. She scanned the words on it for a moment, and then froze. The paper fluttered down from her hooves, spiraling to the ground.
"What?" Scootaloo asked.
A small tear ran down Rainbow Dash's face as she turned to Scootaloo.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"W- what?" Scootaloo said, a hint of sad desperation in her voice. She knew exactly what was coming.
"I'm so sorry."
Rainbow Dash came forward and hugged the filly, tears falling down her face.
"T- tell me," Scootaloo said, her voice cracking.
"Y- you... you won't be able to fly."
Scootaloo's heart stopped. It was what she had been expecting to hear, but hearing them come out of Rainbow Dash's mouth mortified her. She did not even try to hold back tears, and just cried openly on the daredevil's shoulder.
While they did this, a nurse picked up the paper Rainbow Dash had dropped and came over.
"Would you like to see this?" she asked.
Scootaloo grabbed it and pulled away from Rainbow Dash's embrace. She only bothered to read the conclusion and not the statistics.
The wings of Scootaloo are unfit for flying purposes and will never allow the pegasus to achieve altitude. Scootaloo will only be able to hover.
Scootaloo ripped the paper in half and threw it on the ground.
"Why?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "Why me?! Why the one pegasus who wanted to fly the most?! Why the one who wanted to be a good flier; to be like Rainbow Dash?!"
She curled up on the ground and sobbed as the few ponies in the room tried to comfort her.
"It'll be okay," one of the nurses said.
"No it won't!"
Scootaloo looked up as she heard her idol speak up.
"She had dreams about flying!" the pegasus yelled. "All she ever wanted to do was fly, and you're telling her 'it's okay?!' It is not okay! It will never be okay! She will never accomplish the one goal she has been striving to complete since she met me! I am her role model, and I wanted her to fly! I was always wishing for the day when we could be awesome together! She is one pony that I don't have to be arrogant, or prideful, or have a damn hero complex around!"
Rainbow Dash collapsed next to Scootaloo and hugged her around her neck.
"She's the one pony that I care for the most. She's like my sister. Hell, even like a daughter."
Scootaloo stared Rainbow Dash in the eyes as she said this, and she nearly smiled.
"Rainbow Dash, do you really-" she began.
"Yes," the mare responded, tightening her hug. "Yes, I mean all of the things I just said."
Scootaloo returned the hug, tears still forming in her eyes.
"Will you still love me even if I can't fly?" she asked.
"I will always love you," Rainbow Dash said, releasing Scootaloo. "You're the best little filly I've ever met."
Scootaloo felt a smile come across her lips, her tears drying up.
"Now, let's leave this place," Rainbow Dash said, grabbing her hoof gently. "I don't want to be around these stupid ponies anymore."
The doctors and nurses stared in shock as the two left, incredibly insulted.
~
"Are you ready?' Rainbow Dash asked.
"You bet!" Scootaloo replied from where she was situated on Dash's back between her wings.
It had been four months since Scootaloo had received the bad news, and she had already gotten past it. Hearing Rainbow Dash say just how much she cared for her was all she could ever want or need, and suddenly the lack of flight did not feel so bad.
Scootaloo now flew with Rainbow Dash daily, carried around by the pegasus, enjoying the feeling that the artificial flight brought to her.
"Here goes!"
The prismatic mare took off, leaving the ground in a instant, glad to be free of its oppression. Scootaloo laughed happily as they soared, a grin fit to burst on her face.
Suddenly, life had some purpose. Suddenly, she had the ability to fly.
And suddenly, the fact that she could not fly was not so bad anymore.
Author's Note
Tell me what you thought in the comments! Remember, honesty is awesome (and because Applejack tells you not to lie)!
I really won't care if you tell me what's wrong. Just don't hate.
Nexosaur
