A Whole New World

I'm actually curious as to how this chapter will be recieved. Let me know in the comments.

23rd Autumn's Dawn

"Well, here we are. Sweet Apple Acres."

Sarah followed me onto the farm, looking at the huge expanse of trees before us. After showing her the sights of Ponyville, we had agreed that the Bannered Mare would be suitable accomodation for her. I lent her some money to get her through the first week, and she would have enough to pay for herself when she started working at the farm.

I was still resting my weight on the stick as I walked, and was wearing a pair of shorts so I could change the bandage if I needed to. I escorted her to the barn, where Applejack was waiting for us. She gave a friendly wave as we approached, which we both returned.

"So, ya ready to start work?" She asked.

Sarah shrugged, "I guess so. Dutch said my strength would come in handy here."

"Really? Exactly how strong are ya?"

Sarah looked around for a moment, before her eyes laid on a cart practically overflowing with apples. She walked over and lifted it over her head as easily as if it was a piece of cardboard. Even I was surprised; I had never seen her lift something that heavy yet. For an extra wow factor, she took one hand away and balanced it like a high-class waiter, "And that's only slightly heavy," she said.

Applejack was speechless, "...Well ok then. Ah guess there's stuff ya can do. Ah'm sure Big Mac has some heavy liftin' you could lend a hoof with. After a while, Ah'll see if yer up to buckin' apples."

"Thanks AJ," Sarah said.

Just before she left to help the red stallion, I tapped her on the shoulder, "Hey, word of warning. When she offers you to buck apples, don't kick too hard."

"I'm sure I can take care of myself."

I laughed, "It's not you I'm worried about. I managed to kick branches loose when I bucked my first tree, so I can't begin to imagine what you would do to it."

She held up her hands, "Fair enough, I'll be careful."

I left her at the farm and began to wander around Ponyville, putting my headphones in my ears and putting my Ipod on shuffle. With my busted leg, all I could do was kill time until 3:30.

When the clock in the town centre finally reached half past three, I started to make my way to the outskirts of Ponyville. My mind wandered what Rainbow Dash needed to see me about regarding Scootaloo. Her serious expression couldn't have been a good thing, and I began to wonder if there was something wrong with Scootaloo. My paranoia started to kick in, and it bugged me until the field came into view. I could see a scooter resting against one of the trees as walked through the cover.

In the distance, I could see the silhouette of a pegasus in the sky, which I knew would be Rainbow Dash. Walking through the trees, I could see the orange fur of Scootaloo below her. She was watching Rainbow fly, and would flap her wings to try and reach her, the cyan pony giving her motivation as she ascended.

But every time Scootaloo reached fifteen, maybe twenty metres, she would stop and glide back to the ground, looking absolutely exhausted. As I entered the clearing, Rainbow landed next to her and put a hoof over Scootaloo's shoulder, whispering something to her. Scootaloo simply hung her head low, and I quickened my pace to reach them.

As soon as I reached them, Scootaloo galloped over to me and wrapped her hooves around me as I knelt down, bursting into tears, "It's not fair. I tried so hard."

"Scootaloo, what's wrong?" I asked, putting my walking stick to one side and resting my weight on my good leg.

Rainbow slowly walked over to us, her face saddened by the sight in front of her, "The day before you got back, I took Scootaloo for a checkup. A simple physical that all pegasi need to do before they can do any sort of extended flying. When she came back out, the doctor gave me this."

She reached into a saddlebag next to her and pulled out a wad of papers, handing them to me. They were hospital files, with Scootaloo's name and picture inside. As Scootaloo continued to cry into my shirt, I put the file on the ground and read the report, reaching the most recent entry.

After a physical examination on the 21st day of Autumn's Dawn, the pegasus known as Scootaloo has tested positive for AWDD. This doctor's recommendation is that Scootaloo refrains from any extended use of wings, as this can result in illnesses or injury from fatigue.

I looked back up at Rainbow Dash, "What's AWDD?"

"Acute Wing Deficieny Disorder." Rainbow Dash explained, "It's a rare disability that affects pegasi at birth. The muscles in their wings never fully develop, and they can't fly properly. At Scootaloo's age, pegasi should be able to fly well, almost as good as an adult, but she can't reach that."

"I just wanted to be like you, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo sobbed.

"I know squirt, I know." Rainbow said quietly, resting a hoof on her shoulder, before looking at me again, "I'll give you some time alone."

She took off and left the field, leaving me alone with Scootaloo. We stayed quiet for several minutes, embracing each other as her crying slowly calmed and became soft hiccups. When the only sound coming from her was quivering breathing, I said, "I'm so sorry Scoots."

She let go and sniffled, looking at the ground, "The doctor said I was lucky. Most ponies who get it aren't able to fly at all. But still, I'll never be like Rainbow Dash. That's all I wanted. And now that I can't, I don't know what to do," I pulled her closer, and she rested her head against my side, "First my dad dies, then I find out I'll never be able to fly. Maybe I should just run away and never come back."

I paused with shock from her last sentence, but put an arm around her anyway. I hadn't seen her this sad since I had told her about her father, and I didn't blame her.

"Scootaloo, look at me," she slowly raised her head, looking at me with massive purple eyes, "You can't give up Scootaloo, to do that would allow whatever gave you this disorder to win, and you can't let that happen. And running away won't solve your problems at all, only make them worse. You still have friends here in Ponyville who love you for who you are. Nothing can change that. No matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, we'll always be here for you. Never forget that.

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I don't know what I'd do if I woke up tomorrow without my wings. But one thing that makes Rainbow Dash unique, is that she never gives up, no matter what gets thrown at her or the problems she faces. By keeping your chin up and ignoring the bad things in life, you can still be just like her."

"But... what about when I'm grown up?" Scootaloo asked, breaking the gaze and staring at the floor again, "What's a pegasus without her wings?"

I didn't reply. I couldn't. To see her like this broke my heart and sealed my throat. I could only pull her closer, and comfort her in silence. I hated it, and I felt this urge to do something. If only there was something I could do to help her. Something to cheer her up and show her that not everything is lost. That there's still hope.

Changing the subject, I said, "What about Applebloom and Sweetie Belle? Any new ideas on how to get your cutie marks?"

She shook her head, "I haven't been able to think of anything since the checkup. I can't think. I just... want to be free, like all pegasi should be. That's all I've got on my mind right now, to be free."

Then, as if fate decided to show some sympathy, an idea formed in my head. It was small, only a spark, but I grasped it with both hands. Being free.

"Scootaloo, I understand if you don't want to answer, but how well can you actually fly?"

She sniffed, "Gliding and turning are ok. I can get a few metres off the ground, but anything longer than a few seconds of sustained flight and I risk injury. It's more like a big jump than actual flying."

"And judging by how well you handle that scooter, you must have a knack for speed and acrobatics."

"Yeah... I guess so."

The idea began to grow, and I hoped that it would work, "I think I might know something that can help. Something that involves speed and acrobatics without the use of wings."

She looked up at me, "What?"

"I'll show you," I said, standing up, "But to do that, we need to go to the library. We're going to need Twilight's help for it. And before you ask, yes, it is awesome."

She got up and followed me out of the field, getting on her scooter and slowly pushing along the ground with a hoof. She remained silent, and her head was low, but I could see the hope forming in her eyes. I allowed myself a smile. I had an opportunity to give this filly another chance, to help her find something else to strive for, something that she could achieve. I wasn't going to waste it.

Five minutes later, me and Scootaloo arrived at the library. I knocked on the door, and Twilight opened it, a sigh escaping her lips as she saw me.

"I've told you before Dutch, this is a public library. You don't have to knock."

"Force of habit, it is your home too, after all."

She giggled, "Then it's a habit you're going to have to drop. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"I need to ask a favour," I leaned in close and whispered to her about Scootaloo's condition. As I spoke, her face became more sympathetic.

"That's terrible," she said, "What do you need from me?"

"Do you still know that spell that allows for lucid dreaming?"

"Of course. I use it from time to time whenever I'm having a rough night. You want to use it with Scootaloo, don't you?"

"Yes, with your permission. I had something in mind to cheer her up."

"I'd be happy to help," she said, smiling, "Follow me."

She opened the door to the basement and trotted down the stairs. The room was unusually large for a basement, and there were several pieces of scientific equipment scattered around the room. The roof was quite high, and the ceiling probably became the earth outside.

"You can do the spell down here," she said, "I won't be able to come with you since I have to tend to the library, but you should be ok on your own. Just imagine being in the world you want to experience, and when you want to wake up, just imagine that too."

"Is it that easy?" I asked.

"You're only using the mind to imagine when you're dreaming, so yes."

I sat down on the floor, resting my back against the wall and unfolding my wings to make it comfortable. Scootaloo sat down next to me and said, "What are we doing?"

"I'll explain when we get there." I gave her a smile, and she rolled her eyes.

I looked at Twilight, "Thanks for this Twilight. I owe you."

"You're welcome, now hold still," Twilight said, aiming her horn at me and Scootaloo. It began to glow, and I felt the orange pegasus collapse on me as my eyes closed. I forced myself to remember where I wanted to go, and the image formed in my head. I focused on that and nothing else as my light-headedness left me, and I opened my eyes.

It had worked. Me and Scootaloo were standing on a large white block, suspended in the air. As far as the eye could see were other blocks of different shapes and sizes. Some were simply floating by themselves, while others had come together to form what could only be described as buildings and pathways. Like the previous dream, there was no ground below us.

"Where are we?" Asked Scootalooas she stared over the edge.

"This is a dream, something I've created for us" I said, "Back in my world, we used technology to interact with virtual worlds for entertainment and education. This was one of them. I always remembered this place because of how unique it is, and how free you can be."

"So what do we do?" She asked.

I smiled at her, "Absolutely anything. We're in a dream, so you're condition won't affect you here. You can fly around to your heart's content," I jumped into the air and hovered above her, "Come on, nothing's stopping you. I want you to experience this."

Scootaloo looked back at her wings, before giving them a flap and slowly rising into the air. She floated over the block for several seconds to make sure she wouldn't tire out over thin air. Eventually, a small smile began to form on her face from realisation, before she burst out laughing and started flying around at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash take a second glance. I smiled as I watched her circle some blocks that had formed a tower. I had given her a chance to do something she would never experience in the real world. She started heading back to me at a frightening pace, before colliding with my torso and hugging me. She was loving every second of this...

"Thank you Dutch. Thank you so much."

...but that wasn't the only reason she was here.

"Come on Scoots, let's go back to solid ground. There's something I want to show you."

We landed on a small collection of blocks. Well... I did, Scootaloo was happy with hovering at eye level with me.

"I didn't just do this for you so that you could fly," I said, "No matter how much you do, you'll still be held back out there," I gestured into the air to show her what I meant.

"But... why can't I stay here?" She asked, her smile faltering.

"Because that would mean staying asleep, and you can't let your dream become your reality," I told her, "I also brought you here in the hopes that you could take something from it. Something that you could have in the real world."

"Is this what you were talking about earlier?" I nodded, and knelt down as she landed next to me.

"In my old world, humans developed a sport called 'Parkour'," Scootaloo cocked her head, "It involves speed and agility to get from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. For example, instead of walking around a fence to go somewhere, why not go over the fence?"

"I guess that makes sense."

I fished my Ipod out of my pocket and found a song to play while I showed her the art of freerunning. I selected a song, and placed the Ipod back in my pocket, smiling when I heard the song being amplified around us, exactly as before. Scootaloo gave a look of confusion as she heard the music, but smiled when she caught on to the catchy tune.

She began to look out across the blocks, and I figured I would give a demonstration of sorts about parkour, "You see that red block up there?" I pointed at a block about thirty metres away, slightly higher than us, "Say I wanted to get up there, but I couldn't fly straight over," I jumped off the block and motioned for Scootaloo to follow me, "Instead of flying, I could jump over to those blocks there, run up the ramp and leap across onto the block. Easy."

To prove my point, I jumped over with a flap of my wings, sprinting along the ten metre block, before running up the ramp and flapping my wings again to jump the five metre gap onto the platform. I had never done parkour before, but I suppose having wings might have given me a tiny advantage.

I turned to see Scootaloo standing where I had been, and called out, "You want to give it a shot?"

Scootaloo stepped backwards for a running start, before galloping forward and clearing the first jump with relative ease. After making her way up the ramp, she jumped across to reach me, but her back hoof slipped off the edge as she landed. Luckily, I grabbed her before she could fall.

"Not too shabby," I said, "How about I show you a few other things."

We flew over to a five metre wall and landed next to it. I used the power from my wings to climb the wall, before pushing off and grabbing a block floating above us. Pulling myself up, I looked down to see Scootaloo already ascending the wall. She pushed off nimbly and hooked her forelegs onto the edge, using her wings to climb up next to me. I was impressed by how quickly she was learning. It seemed the phrase 'watch and learn' could actually apply for both of us.

"I'm surprised at how well you can grip surfaces with just hooves." I said.

"They're more flexible than they look. I still can't get over that ponies in your world have hooves that are completely solid."

I dropped down to the block below us and did a roll over my shoulder to soften the fall, before looking back up at Scootaloo. It was about four metres, but she hopped off and did a similar roll to me like it was nothing.

"You're getting the hang of this quite quick Scootaloo," I said as she grinned, "You've certainly got a knack for freerunning. Maybe this is your special talent."

"I sure hope so!" she answered, "This is easy, and fun doesn't even begin to describe it. And you say I can do this anywhere?"

"Yep, only your imagination holds you back with parkour, and it gets better," I said, "How about you try out a course. See how well you can actually do."

Her eyes lit up, "Sure, where do we start?"

I took off, and she followed me to what would be our starting line. As we flew, Scootaloo couldn't stop giggling, occasionally pulling into a flip or a loop. I was patient, and let her enjoy herself. It wasn't like we were in a hurry. It was as if she didn't have AWDD at all, watching her perform tricks that she had seen Rainbow Dash do.

After five minutes of flying, we arrived at our destination. It was a large, flat platform, about 200 metres long, with bars and barriers lined along it. On the far end was a building, which had pillars lining the outside, and a curved wall on the opposite side. I closed my eyes and focused for a moment, opening them to see red beacons lining the course.

"In this virtual world, one of the more popular things to do was try and complete a set course as quickly as possible," I explained to Scootaloo, "That's what I have in mind for you. All you have to do is get to each of the red lights until you reach the finish line. You can take any route you want, just make sure you reach each beacon in order."

"Finally, a challenge," she said, giving me a cocky grin as she stood on the start line. I looked at my watch and began to ready the timer.

"Ok Scoots, on your marks,"

She crouched lower, readying herself for a chance to prove herself.

"Get set..."

"GO!"

Scootaloo practically launched herself off the start line and was immediately galloping along the platform, jumping over a small bar as if it were never there. She rolled under another one without breaking stride and ran towards an edge, jumping off without a second's hesitation.

She landed on the other side, but forced herself into a roll to maintain her balance and momentum, reaching the first beacon in what she thought was a good time. She could already see the second one up ahead, inside the building. To get there, she would have to clear a large gap between the platforms. Unfortunately, the path led down a level, then back up to reach the beacon, too slow for her liking. As she got closer to the gap, her mind raced. There must be a quicker way.

As fast as her brain would allow her, she looked for any alternative routes, as Dutch's voice told her that only her imagination was the limit. She saw a small ledge on the other side, and picked up her speed, if she could get onto that ledge, she could climb onto the roof of the building and drop down through a hole she could see, saving herself precious time.

She reached the edge, and gave a single, but powerful flap of her wings to propel her over the gap. She reached the other side, but only just, and grabbed the ledge with her forelegs, pulling herself up. She heard Dutch shouting from above her, "You're doing great Scoots, don't stop."

Allowing herself a sense of satisfaction, she jumped up the wall with her wings and climbed onto the roof, dropping through the hole and onto the beacon. It went out, and she continued running, heading along the building's second floor and round the corner. She saw the next beacon on a lone platform in the corner, and cleared the gap easily, before pushing herself off the wall and down a ramp.

After climbing onto another block, she had a quick moment to relax as she ran across flat ground. Up ahead, she could see the finish line below her, with Dutch waiting for her, beckoning her forward. But the gap she had to cross to reach him was larger than any of the ones she had jumped before. She steeled herself as it got closer, before taking a deep breath and throwing her body forward, her wings giving her the final boost she hoped would be enough.

Time slowed down as she looked down to see the endless abyss below her. She knew she would be alright if she fell, but it still thrilled her to perform such a stunt. What would have been less than a second felt like minutes as she noticed how her purple mane fluttered in her face, and Dutch's smile as she slowly got closer to him. Finally, the finish line reached her, and she rolled into the fall, allowing herself to stop.

She felt amazing, like she had just pulled off a Sonic Rainboom, twice. She had never felt this kind of sensation before. Her heart was pounding, and every sense was sharpened. She could see the first beacon glimmering in the distance, hear the click as Dutch pressed the timer on his watch. This must be what Rainbow Dash felt like whenever she went flying.

One thing was for sure: She loved it.

As soon as Scootaloo landed next to me, I pressed the timer on my watch, and it stopped. I sat down next to her, and saw her eyes were wide, darting everwhere and taking in as much detail as they could. She must never have felt the effects of adrenaline before, I thought to myself. I saw a manic grin on her face, and I knew she enjoyed it.

"How did I do Dutch? Did I do good?" She asked, her voice almost too fast to understand.

I looked at my watch, "51 seconds, now that's fast! I honestly wasn't expecting you to climb onto the roof either. You certainly didn't hold back any punches there."

"Can we do it again?" I swear her pupils were dilating.

"I'm afraid not, at least not here. How about we wake up and go back into the real world. You can put yourself to the test out there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Scootaloo almost shouted, her adrenal glands still running, "Let's go!"

Fearing what would happen if I made her impatient, I closed my eyes and imagined myself back in the library. The light-headedness came around, and the walls of the library returned. Scootaloo was beaming as she stood up, and before I would say anything, she ran up the stairs and out of the basement.

"She must really like parkour," I said aloud. I stood up and pinched myself to make sure I wasn't still dreaming, before climbing up the stairs and following Scootaloo.

I left the basement to see Twilight sat in the middle of the library staring at the front door, which had been left open. Upon seeing me, she said, "Dutch, what did you do down there? Scootaloo just shot out the door saying something about 'perk-air'."

"Ok, I take it back; she really likes it," I said, "And it's pronouned parkour. Anyway, thank you for letting us use the spell. Now I've got to find an energetic young filly."

"Wait, where's your stick?" Twilight asked.

Pausing, I looked down to see that indeed I had left my stick in the basement. I rolled up the leg of my shorts and unwrapped the bandage. The wound was completely gone, leaving only the pale scar tissue on both sides of my leg.

"Well would you look at that," I said, bending my leg to test how well it had healed, "Must've gotten used to using it. But now I guess I won't have to look like an old man anymore. Thanks Twilight!"

I went back down to the basement to retrieve the stick, and promptly left the library to find Scootaloo. I walked five metres away from the door, before hearing a young voice call out.

"Hey Dutch, up here!"

I looked up to see Scootaloo perched on the edge of a balcony near the top of the library.

"How on earth did you get up there so fast?" I asked.

Scootaloo gave me a huge grin, "Oh, it was simple really. Just a bit of jumping, climbing, and my imagination."

She laughed, before jumping off the balcony, and swinging from the branches below, narrowly missing a beehive on the way down. From there she hopped on top of the porch, before gracefully landing next to me. I found that I had been holding my breath, and exhaled.

"This is amazing," she said as we walked through town, "I see things so differently now. Looking around here, what do you see Dutch?"

I did as she instructed, "Shops and houses. Why?"

"That's what I used to see," she said, "Now, I see pathways, opportunities, methods of going somewhere new every time. I could jump onto that cart of hay there and use it to climb on top of Sugarcube Corner. Then from there, I could slide down the bannister over there and be back here in no time. Just think of the possibilities!"

"I wish I could," I said, smiling, "You're acting very different Scoots. I think parkour might have affected your mind a bit."

She stopped walking and turned to face me, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

She jumped up and hugged my chest, "I didn't know what I would do this morning. But thanks to you, I'm seeing things in a whole new light. Despite everything that's happened, I've never felt happier.

"Thank you Dutch. I love you."

I silently gasped as she hung onto my torso, nuzzling me and listening to my heartbeat. Slowly, I leaned my head forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you too Scootaloo."