Imagine this. A teenage filly has near on nothing in this world. And one particular filly has but one thing – herself. She has no friends, no father, mother, sister or brother, nothing but a memory of the one pony that cared. She won't join the mobs, the government is too corrupt to care, and so this pegasus is not loved by or thought of by any.
“My name is Scootaloo. I am an orange pegasus pony with a purple mane and a purple tail. I was, as far as I know, orphaned at birth. I know nothing else about myself.
“I live in Canterlot City, the largest of such in Equestria. The streets are filled with mobsters – drug dealers, whorses, the worst kinds of pony imaginable. The skies are permanently dark, Celestia's sun nor Luna's moon gracing Equestria any longer. The roads are littered with decomposing bodies. I myself have trouble coming to terms with the state our world is in. The government has been corrupted, and the mobs have bent all of Equestria to their every whim.
“Many times have I considered committing suicide, but no good would come of it. I suppose I must take the advice of the one pony that cared. 'Learn to fly,' she said, 'spread your wings and open yourself up to the world!' I just wish I knew how.”
An orange pegasus made her way from cloud to cloud, flapping her wings between, trying to break out of her everlasting glide. Her tutor watched as she did so, shouting lines of encouragement from her perch high above.
“Go on, Scootaloo, you can do it!”
“If you give up, you won't ever fly!”
“Keep trying, you'll get it!”
And one day, she did.
“These last few weeks, the ones since she was gone, have been the hardest weeks of my life. Seven times has the local mob recruiter approached me, and seven times have I turned down the job. Only now do I realise just how much I relied on her. She would always cheer me up when I was down, and help me out if I had a problem. She gave me home, she fed me, kept me safe. But now I'm on my own, nopony to care for or love me.
“Some might suggest getting a job as a... a whorse – But that's not love, or care, it's just abusing yourself for money. My money consists of what she left me: 400 bits. I sometimes wonder how she got the money – I'm sure that she attained it somewhat legally. Then again, Prime Minister Luna Nocturne is cooperative with her sister Celestia Solari, the nation-wide mob boss. Who knows what's legal these days? I certainly don't.
“It would be nice to know what happened to her. She left a note, the day she disappeared. It read:
Dear Scootaloo,
By the time you read this, I will be gone. I left during the night, and I won't return to Canterlot ever again. I hid 400 bits inside my pillowcase. Take it and leave the house before the mob get there. Always remember that I love you, and that my thoughts are with you at all times.
The signature was smudged with a single tear.
“If you were to ask me ten days ago if I wanted to kill myself, I would've said 'Yes', and cut my own throat on the spot. If you were to ask me now, I would say 'No' and cut yours. Canterlot was once the safest place in Equestria, the sun rising everyday, ponies from all over Equestria visiting the capital. All seemed perfect – until the mobs rose to power.
“Equestria was under a triarchy – Princesses Twilight Sparkle, Celestia Solari and Luna Nocturne ruled together, each a different section of the night sky. Some say that, when Celestia and Luna went rogue, they locked Princess Twilight in the bowels of Canterlot Castle, keeping her in a sealed room with nothing but magically replenishing food and water. Some even say that she's still there, waiting for someone to break her out. I don't intend to.”
“Twilight, how dost thou fare?” a midnight-blue alicorn queried.
“I'm fine, Luna, I'm fine. I just have a few things to attend to,” a lavender alicorn replied.
“Tell me, Twilight, how does it feel to have control of... of the stars?” Luna Nocturne asked.
“Look, Luna, we've had this conversation countless times before. I'm sorry that you can't control the night sky anymore, but that isn't my fault,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Well, I'm afraid that has to change,” the first stated.
“Wh-what?” the second questioned, bemused.
“Celestia, spring the trap!” the first yelled angrily, horn glowing.
“This is madness! This is against the laws of-” the second began, cut off by a magic seal.
“I used to have friends, once upon a time. It was many years ago now, back in my days at Ponyville Elementary School. Their names were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and we were collectively the Cutie Mark Crusaders. To this day I still have not obtained mine – I fear I shall remain a blank-flank forevermore. Apple Bloom was an orphan, just like me, but she had a sister, and a brother, and countless other family members. Sweetie Belle had a sister, a mother, and a father, three cousins, fourteen second cousins... I, however, had nothing but myself and... and her. That mare, the one who took care of me for all the years after Sweet Apple Acres burnt down and Carousel Boutique went out of business.
“Apple Bloom died in that fire. Applejack, Element of Honesty and Apple Bloom's sister, grieved for months. Her friends, the other Elements of Harmony, were as a result quickly overpowered by the alicorn sisters when they tried to revolt – if one falls, so shall the others.
“We, as in Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I, did everything together. We spent every day together, thinking up new ways to gain our cutie marks. We continued being friends even as we moved out of Ponyville Elementary and into the Hoofington High School for Fillies. It was there that I first discovered that Sweetie Belle was a fillyfooler. That could've ended badly... We even caused the Discord Crisis simply by arguing over who was correct about what his statue represented. Ha, good times.
“Sweetie Belle was forced to move on to Saddle Arabia with her sister, Rarity, after the Element of Generosity lost all her business due to a derogatory newspaper column. Despite promising to stay in contact, we quickly lost each other. I don't know if she's even still alive – But I'm scared to find out.
“Babs Seed, the CMC's Manehatten representative, also went to HHS. We realised by then that she had obtained her cutie mark – a bunch of apple seeds. It was obvious, then, that she couldn't be a Cutie Mark Crusader any longer. And so, we had her renounce her oath, and went our separate ways.
“If I leave Canterlot, the mobs will find me. If I stay, the mobs will find me. They want me because of her. She was far too popular, being the one leading the Starlight Revolution to depose the alicorn sisters and reinstate Princess Twilight. When she disappeared, I was assumed to be the new rebel leader, a gross miscalculation. Thankfully, my local mob have no idea who, or where I am. For now.”
She ran.
She flew.
She fell.
Her saviour arrived.
“Oh my Celestia, what is this? A freak show or something? Don't go hurting yourself, and I won't have to see your face again!” she guffawed.
Scootaloo began to cry.
“Nopony knows why Princess Mi Amore di Cadenza has not claimed her birthright. 'She is only three hours out of the Crystal Empire by wings, so why is it she cannot help us?' Or so we used to think. The Starlight Rebels and I now believe that she has been brought under the alicorn sisters' spell, meaning that Princess Twilight Sparkle is our last hope.
“I would aid the rebellion, seeing as I remember Twilight from my junior years, but I know I would be but a hindrance. It is my call as to whether I betray all she ever did for me, and I choose the cowards way out.
“I sail by gyropod – a enchanted glass sphere – down Celestial Falls tomorrow, spending but 50 of my remaining bits on the travel. I was able to... 'convince' the operator to give me a 100 bit discount. I just hope nopony was watching when we performed the exchange. He also tells me that I will be travelling with a 'Shutterfly', a 'Jackleapp', and a 'Pinkamena', who hopefully are the Elements of Kindness, Honesty and Laughter in disguise. See you out there?”
Scootaloo arrived at the dank gyropod station fifteen minutes early, ducking out of sight when she saw another mare 'convincing' the engineer.
“Mmm... I can get you- Ahhh... a ticket on the next gyropod out, if you- Mmpf... finish me off now,” the operator groaned. The disgusted filly backed out of the building. I'll come back later, she thought.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, she noticed a pink mare with a flat mane arrive at the station, followed by an earth pony wearing a Stetson, and then a cloaked pegasus with a long pink mane. Excitedly, she approached the gyropod station, hoping that the two adults she had seen had finished whatever it was they were up to.
“Hello? Applejack? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy?” she spoke into the gloom.
“Scootaloo? Is that you?”
“Scoots? Howdy, y'all!”
“Um, hello, uh, Scootaloo...”
“Guys, it is you!”
“All aboard for the 6:30 gyropod to the bottom of Celestial Falls!” the engineer called out wearily.
When they were onboard the gyropod, the four began to catch up.
“So, Scoots, how y'all been?” Applejack asked.
“Me? Great, up until she died,” Scootaloo replied bluntly, now sure that her only friend was dead.
“Huh, me much the same. That day Sweet Apple Acres burned down...”
“The day my apple farm went up in flames... The day I lost my job, and my lil' sis. Apple Bloom meant everythin' to me. I remember it like it were yesterday...
“Some arsonist had lit the barn on fire while she was sleepin'. Everything was burning, the barn, the orchard, the brewery, even the outhouse! She had no idea until it were too late... I wish I had thoughta' her when I hoofed it outta there. Big McIntosh made it fine, but Apple Bloom... she died in that fire. She meant the world to me, and I still feel guilty for saving myself and not her. As soon as I found out, I galloped myself up here to Canterlot to tell Twi, but at just the wrong time – I showed as the triarchy dissolved.”
“Okay. What's your story, Pinkie?” the orange pegasus queried.
“Weeeellll... I came to Canterlot 'cause I thought Twilight was in danger, and I was right, but then I realised I couldn't stop it because to stop the alicorn sisters you need the Elements of Harmony, and Twilight was incapicitated and that means we wouldn't have had the Element of Magic and we need the Element of Magic in order to make the other Elements work, of course!” Pinkie Pie said, all in one breath.
“Slower?”
“Ok, well, I got these weird spasms behind my ears, in my nose and my left hind leg. Now, the ears mean it's a friend, the nose means that pony is in danger, and the left hind leg means that all the other twitches are TRIPLED in meaning, and THAT means that the pony is my bestest bestest bestest friend, which can only mean Twilight, and that she's in lots of danger!
“So, of course, I came up here to Canterlot to try and stop this danger, but, of course, you can't stop Luna and Celestia without the Elements of Harmony. I had no idea where Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, or Pinkie Pie was! And Twilight controls the Element of Magic, and without it the others don't work!”
“Uh, Pinkie Pie? If you don't mind me saying, um, of course you knew where Pinkie Pie was, because you are Pinkie Pie, but, ah, your way is fine too,” Fluttershy interjected.
“Alright, Pinkie, that's enough. Flutters, what about you? Why are you here?”
“Well, uh, I came because Angel Bunny needed some medical assistance that I can't perform...”
“Angel had come down with some sort of fever I didn't know about, so I came to Canterlot right as the Princess announced the new government. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. They wouldn't let me out of the city because I was an Element of Harmony, and Celestia told the guards only to stop us rather than capture us. I've been here for 3 years now, and when this engineer fellow said he was going to run us down the falls, I took the offer. It cost all my bits, but it will hopefully be worth it!”
“Alright, 'Shy, it's well and good knowin' how us lot've been, but what about Scoots? How ya been, sugarcube?” Applejack interrupted
“Me...? You really wanna know?” the pegasus said.
“Alright.”
“I've been here since Rarity went out of business and Sweetie Belle moved out of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash took me up here. She's been looking after me ever since, and she even led the rebellion against the Solari-Nocturne government. When she left Canterlot, I felt like a huge lead weight had been dropped on my wings. When I heard about the gyropods a week ago, and I knew I had to take the offer, even though they're illegal. But I have to get out of Canterlot, simply because the mobs believe me to be the new Starlight Leader. I've got 50 bits left, and that's only because I managed to, uh, charm a 100 bit discount from the operator.”
“Any more questions?”
All three Elements shook their heads, shock in their eyes.
“Good.”
“See ya, Sweetie Belle... Stay in contact, o-ok?” an orange filly sobbed.
At the same time, a cyan mare was doing exactly the same thing.
“See ya, Rarity... Stay in contact, ok?”
“Of course I will,” they both replied, “how could I not stay in contact with my best friend?”
“I'm your best friend?” the former duo asked, elated.
“Of course, and you will always be so!”
“Goodbye, Scootaloo! See you soon!”
“Goodbye, Rainbow Dash. Do visit Saddle Arabia when you can.”
Both pegasi waved after their friend. Rainbow Dash trotted over to her young protégée, draping a wing over her back. With tears in her eyes, Scootaloo looked ahead to her retreating friend and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader, sure that she would never see her again. It had been but three weeks since the orange pegasus had lost her best friend Apple Bloom to arson, and now she had lost another to the press. As she wept, the wing across her body curled and wiped her eyes.
“It's alright, Scoots, it's alright. Listen, I managed to get tickets to the Wonderbolts Show in Canterlot. I was gonna go with Fluttershy, but you can come if you like,” the wing's owner stated. Scootaloo looked up at her idol with glee in her eyes.
“Really? I can go to Canterlot with you?” she asked.
“Of course you can! You're like the sister I never had, Scoots. Remember that, ok?”
“I'll... I'll always remember that, Rainbow Dash... Thankyou...” Scootaloo replied, smiling.
The stage was set. The pegasi seating area, coincidentally made of clouds, had been crafted, set, and prepared. This floating embassy happened to be above the earth-and-unicorn pony seating, and the pegasi had the best view in-house.
This, of course, was the point.
The Wonderbolts! Scootaloo thought happily. The fastest fliers in all Equestria! … Apart from Rainbow Dash, of course, she added. The introductions of the troupe had been carried out, and, again, the stage was set. What for, however, nopony was expecting.
“Hello, everypony, and welcome to the Canterlot Wonderbolts Flying Show!” a firey-maned pegasus mare spoke into an enchanted megaphone. Her voice seemed to radiate from her muzzle, permeating every crevice, every nook, and every cranny. The crowd cheered, enthralled by Spitfire von Redwings, the lead Wonderbolt. “Before we begin out show, we are pleased to welcome the combined musical talent of Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch – DJ-0CT-3!!!”
As the aforementioned mares took centre stage, Scootaloo noticed something off about Spitfire's wingpony, Soaring Feathers. Perhaps the way Soarin' shifted his eyes to a random point in the crowd, almost imperceptibly nodded, and immediately drew his attention back to the proceedings. Or maybe the way that his face, clear as crystal to the filly's young eyes, sharply contorted into a look of disdain, mixed with worry and fear when meeting her eyes. Or, quite possibly, the fact that directly after Scootaloo detected all of these things, a sharp pain between her wings knocked her unconscious.
“Scootaloo? Scoots?! Speak to me, sis, say something!” Rainbow Dash called out.
And then, time stopped.
“She'll come to within the week. Get yourself to a safe place, away from the castle. I only ask that you stay in Canterlot, and keep your head down,” a voice echoed, seemingly from all directions at once.
“Who are you? What have you done to everypony?” the mare replied, frightened.
“Who I am is unimportant. And in answer to your question, I have temporarily elevated you from the time-space continuum. In other words, you are outside of time, and therefore cannot affect anything around you. For example, if you were to, oh, I don't know, change Spitfire's trajectory slightly?”
As Rainbow Dash began to do so, she asked, “What would happen? Something awesome?”
“No. The answer is,” the voice started as Rainbow answered her own question, “that you can't. As I just said, you are outside of space-time. You have simply, from the universe's point of view, just stopped existing. Thankfully, the universe doesn't care.”
“Now then, I shall move you and your self-proclaimed sister to a safe place. Before you ask, yes I can do that. Off you trot!”
“-ootaloo, wake up!”
Ugh, my head...
“Rainbow, stop shouting. My head feels like I just ate all the confectionary in Sugarcube Corner, and I really do not need that right now. 'Kay?” Scootaloo groaned.
“Oh, thank Starlight you're alright! You've been out for four days, and when I saw you coming to, I had to make sure you were... Oh, buck it,” Dash said, fiercely seizing her and pulling the filly into a bone-crushing hug.
“Rain... bow... crush... ing... can't... breathe...”
At this, the cyan mare released her sister and began rapidly filling her in on the events of the previous four days. She described how, immediately after Scootaloo had been knocked out, Soarin' had sucker-punched Spitfire out of the sky; How the crowd had gone completely ballistic at this; And most importantly, the dissolution of the celestial triarchy. She explained that she was now the head of the Starlight Rebellion, making the filly recall Rainbow's remark when she had awoken. When asked, Dash simply smirked and said that it sounded cooler than Twilight – 'no offence to Her Royal Highness'.
“So, what you're basically saying is that Celestia and Luna are actually evil bitches, our damned local librarian is our last hope, and you're the orchestrator of the resistance.”
“Yep.”
“For buck's sake, Rainbow. For buck's sake.”