Disclaimer: Welcome dear reader for reading my first fic ever! Grammar errors will be expected but hopefully not too bad for it to disturb the reading. Thank you for the read of Life Choice! Let's get to the story this is a fanfiction in which I own no rights (other than the OCs), all rights (OCs not included) are owned by Lauran Faust of Hasbro.
Flightless Feathers
It was a calm day in Ponyville not much more than the ponies smashing their hooves into the ground as it was coming close to most fillies second favorite (first favorite being Hearths Warming Eve), Nightmare Night!
It's been just a year since Princess Luna's last scare at Nightmare Night. The same year of which was a young colt's first Nightmare Night. This year Princess Luna promised it would be better than last year.
First in Canterlot is a party of which Ponyville's very own Main Six as well as and she will regret this: the main branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As the train to Canterlot grew closer to the wondrous city filled with uptight jerks came in clear view a smirk widened on Scootaloo's happy face. 'I'll be able to tell Princess Luna all about her advice!' Scootaloo smiled as the thought came to mind.
Rainbow right above the gleeful filly began slowly letting herself lower. Scootaloo's smile widened as she looked above herself to see Rainbow Dash smirking along with a low giggle. As soon as Scootaloo lowered her head she felt Rainbow ruffle her slightly more kempt magenta mane. "Whoa Kid. You seem excited, any reason why?" Rainbow titled her head to the left.
Not until a few moments did Scootaloo respond. "Oh, uh... no, there's no reason. I-I-I've never been to C-C-Canterlot," Scootaloo stuttered she wasn't entirely honest to Rainbow.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Are ya kiddin' Kid? We took you to Canterlot last Hearths Warming Eve. You know, that day you got your tongue stuck, and we had to get a few royal guards to get you out. It's kinda unforgettable." Rainbow softly giggled as she saw Scootaloo shutter at the mere mention of that day.
Scootaloo blushed faintly. "Oh, right, that day. This time's different!" she said after a long pause.
Rainbow cocked her head. "Really, how so?" sure it's Nightmare Night - no snow in sight - but she's still oddly happy.
Scootaloo rubbed her magenta mane lightly. "It just is." She smiled sheepishly. "I have new friends here." That was a lie.
Rainbow ruffled her mane again. "Good for you Kid. Now, what are their names? And more importantly: are any of them colts?" Rainbow chuckled mildly.
It took a moment for the question to sink in. Scootaloo shook her head. Rainbow giggled. "I didn’t know you didn't have new friends," Rainbow whispered softly into the filly's ear.
Scootaloo looked at the still flying mare. "How do you do that?" Scootaloo asked awe-struck by the mare and her stance still able to fly even on a train.
"Do what?" Rainbow asked innocently as an eyebrow rose to the air.
"That, flying on a train how do you stay balanced!" exclaimed Scootaloo flailing her hooves in the air.
Rainbow giggled. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."
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Meanwhile Rarity sat with Sweetie Belle. "I just don't know why we can't-" Sweetie began only being cut off by Rarity.
"You are far too young to do such a thing Sweetie Belle," Rarity hastily said in the most clam voice as she could.
"But-" Sweetie again was cut off.
"When you're older Sweetie." Rarity turned her attention to the window showing the beautiful night sky. Celestia gratefully lowered the moon two hours early just for her little sister Luna.
Rarity saw her sister pout. "Fine, well, I do look forward to see the very first Canterlot Nightmare Night Festival!" Sweetie's voice cracked making Rarity wince.
"Why yes Sweetie, we all look forward to it. Now, be a good filly and fetch me a bottle of water, would you?" Rarity more or less demanded as she pointed her hoof to the door.
Sweetie happily walked through the door to fetch the best sister in Equestria a bottle of water.
When Sweetie returned she saw her elder sister smile at the wonderful sight of a full moon. Sweetie leapt onto Rarity's back a sharp pain ran down her head as her sister rose to fast, causing her to hit her head on the pip above them.
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Apple Bloom sat with her sister. "No Apple Bloom, ya know what I told ya, when ya'll are older," Applejack hissed at her younger sister.
"But Sweetie asked about it to her sister," Apple Bloom whimpered lightly.
Applejack sighed. "When ya'll are older. And only when ya'll are older got it?" Applejack heard her younger sister huff.
"Fine. So, the first Canterlot Nightmare Night Festival I look forward to it," Apple Bloom seemed to forget her anger.
Applejack smiled happily. "Good, I do too," Applejack smirked smiling at her sister.
With not a moment's pass AJ gripped Apple Bloom into a mother-like embrace Apple Bloom did the same.
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Not too long after the five who took a train got off with a welcoming smile on the crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle's face. She trotted over to her friends with Spike to her side.
"Howdy Twi," Applejack shook hooves with Twilight and her number one assistant.
"Hi," Rainbow flew off of the train.
"Hia!" Pinkie bounced to the side of Twilight the Princess of Magic.
"Salutations Princess," Rarity put on a joking smile as she kissed Princess Twilight Sparkle's hoof.
Slowly Fluttershy walked off the train. "Um... hi," Fluttershy saw how many ponies stared at her.
Twilight put on a happy grin as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Hi gals. How's the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing?" Twilight smiled sheepishly at the three fillies.
All three cocked their heads back. "Are ya alright Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked pondering the look on Twilight Sparkle's face.
"Yeah, we've never seen you like this since that day that you missed a friendship letter." Scootaloo added falling forward looking for her favorite Princess.
Twilight knew what Scootaloo was looking for. "She'll be waiting for you in her bed chambers Scootaloo," her sheepish smile scared them a little.
"Is there somethin' ya need Twi?" Apple Bloom asked turning to the white unicorn filly.
"Yeah. Is there something you need?" Sweetie Belle chimed in right on queue. Her voice of course squeaked a bit.
Twilight shook her head. "Oh, since you ask. I'd like you to just wind down on the crusading. We're still finding candy shards from last time you were here. I don't want that to happen again," Twilight hoped they'd understand. Sadly, they well, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom didn't take it well.
Apple Bloom's jaw was agape. "Stop tryin' to earn our marks!?" Apple Bloom couldn't think of a worse punishment than that.
"Please Apple Bloom. You must understand," the Princess was pleading by now.
Apple Bloom sighed and gave Twilight a nod. "Fine, just stop pleadin' ponies are staring," she blushed as she looked left and right of her.
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Not too long after the CMC unpacked Scootaloo ran off to Luna's quarters. Next to Rainbow Dash, she's the best pony in Equestria. Before Scootaloo even knocked the door creaked open reviling a beautiful Princess Luna her mane blowing in the breeze.
Scootaloo saw a royal guard next to her. This puzzled Scootaloo, his wings. Matter of fact they were bat like. "Uh... Princess," she inched forward suddenly pinned to the ground by the royal guard.
"Dark Cluster, no, she's Scootaloo!" Luna roared in her Canterlot voice.
Dark Cluster lifted himself off of the pinned Scootaloo. 'Luna told this pony about me?' Scootaloo felt happy Luna was there.
Dark Cluster rubbed his dark orange neck. His dark, dark orange bat wings folded as the excitement ended.
Scootaloo took a moment before she accepted the hoof Eon Cluster was offering.
Luna smiled at Scootaloo warmly. "Scootaloo, this is Eon Cluster. He's, some-pony special to you," Luna was just vague enough to confuse the filly.
"Who? I've never met him before. This is the first I've heard of him," Scootaloo looked at Eon Cluster with eyes of confusion.
Luna face-hoofed ever so lightly. "Scootaloo, Dark Cluster is you... father," Luna glanced at Eon who smiled at the young filly.
Scootaloo didn't know what to say. "Y-Y-You, a Bat-Pony?" Scootaloo made sure her wings weren't in anyway bat related. Dark Cluster snickered as he watched his daughter twirl around trying to get a good view of her feathered wings.
"You are as much of a Pegasus as Spitfire the Wonderbolt leader. Your father has gone through a ritual," Scootaloo cocked her head back. There's a ritual?
"What ritual?" she finally asked as she regained her sense to speak.
Dark Cluster wasn't surprised Scootaloo doesn't know of this ritual, for a matter of fact he learned of this ritual when he was twice her age.
Dark Cluster smiled. "A way for a Pegasus, and only a Pegasus to be able to turn into a Bat-Pony. This ritual takes many years, much patents, and copious amounts of determination, then, and only then will you become a Bat-Pony." Dark Cluster knew about Scootaloo's incapability to fly.
Dark Cluster smirked as he nuzzled Scootaloo's neck in a fatherly way. He stopped and whispered in Scootaloo's ear. "Scootaloo, I know a way you can fly," Dark whispered in her ear causing Scootaloo to perk up.
"Really! You can!" something came to Scootaloo's mind; her friends.
Dark nodded and nuzzled her again gently. "Of course. Just one thing," he paused. "You have to move out of Ponyville," Dark saw Scootaloo's smile vanish into thin air.
Moments later Scootaloo shook her head catching herself back to reality. "M-Move out of P-Ponyville?" Scootaloo hoped she heard him wrong; life can be cruel however.
"Yes. We must go to Bat Wing Forest in the home of the Bat-Ponies. Will you join us?" Dark Cluster hoped for a yes form the filly it would give him and her time to talk.
Scootaloo glanced to her hooves unsure what to choose: on one hoof is her friends, on the other hoof is her family and her dream of flight. Scootaloo tapped her muzzle thinking which is right. "Can I have a little time?" Scootaloo requested as simple as she could.
"Alright Scootaloo, you have until the end of Canterlot's Nightmare Night Festival. Is that enough time?" Dark Cluster's eyebrow rose to the air.
Scootaloo nodded in response.
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Scootaloo walked to the room which she was going to stay in. Scootaloo was unsure how to tell her best friends this news. She had a hard time keeping being homeless for many months and even a year from her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Scoots smiled widely at Apple Bloom who smiled right back. "What's up Scoots?" she saw Scootaloo's almost forced smile.
Scootaloo's forced smile faded into thin air. "N-Nothing, gals." Scootaloo assured by placing a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. After turning around she caught a glimpse of Dark Cluster peeking his head in on the conversation. "Hey I thought you weren't going to follow me all around!" Scootaloo hissed making Dark Cluster fall backwards for a brief second.
Dark snickered at her snapping at him. "Is that anyway to talk to me, young lady?" Dark approached the filly slapping his hoof away from her mane. Dark was in honesty shocked with that.
Apple Bloom walked up with Sweetie Belle. "Scoots, who's that?" she pointed to Dark Cluster with a hoof.
"Yeah who's that Scoots?" Sweetie chimed in. "Is he some-pony you know?"
Scootaloo looked to the floor for a moment. "Kinda," Scootaloo slowly looked to Dark Cluster smiling widely as he suddenly embraced her with his wings.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle soon realized with the hug she was getting who that was. "Oh, nice to meet ya Mr. Scoots. Mah name is Apple Bloom," she acted proper with less of an accent.
Dark Cluster extended his own hoof and shook Apple Bloom's hoof. "Hi there what's your name sweetie?" he glanced at Sweetie Belle a smile on his face.
Sweetie shook her head bringing her back to reality. "Sweetie Belle Mr. Scoots," Sweetie shook the hoof of Dark Cluster.
Dark smiled at Scootaloo. "I guess I should tell you. I am Dark Cluster, I'm Scootaloo's father," he said wrapping a sudden hoof around Scootaloo.
Sweetie nodded figuring he was. She looked to his wings. "Such strange wings Mr. Cluster." Sweetie was scared, yet, intrigued she's hardly ever seen a pony with bat wings.
Dark Cluster opened his wings to give her a full view of his awfully large bat wings. "I am a Bat-Pony, a race which has bat wings. Any Pegasus can become one with hard work. And, that's what I plan to do with Scootaloo," Scootaloo was about to object the declaration but she really wants to fly and this could be her last chance.
Scootaloo saw as both her friends' faces raised to give a large ear to ear smile. Scootaloo felt something she should add. "This means, I have to leave Ponyville for the rest of my foalhood." Scootaloo chimed in seeing her friends' faces fall.
With that the door burst open to reveal none other than Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow looked at Scootaloo. "You make your discussion yet Kid?" Scootaloo's head turned lightly. "Y-You know Rainbow Dash?" this kind of puzzled her.
Rainbow nodded. "Of course. Princess Luna told me. I say go for it, you can get at flying and be great, not as good as me, but great none the less," Scootaloo turned around to face the smiling six ponies behind the door.
Sweetie Belle approached her. "You can start a branch at where you'll be staying, we need new members!" Sweetie squeaked out as her voice cracked.
This somewhat comforted the filly. With that she turned back to Dark Cluster and nodded. "I will join you." Scootaloo nodded as she extended her wings. "I look forward to when I become a full grown mare gals. I'll see you later." Scootaloo did feel a little regret choosing to go, however, she was also giddy with excitement she will become a flyable Pegasus.
