The sky was quite beautiful today, Scootaloo noted. An endless expanse of blue, peppered with tufts of white mist, looking as if they were of the purest cotton. The sheer vastness and depth of the sky, both daunting and impressive. The realm of her fellow pegasi, and of the other creatures gifted with flight. So clear, so crisp, and so very, very blue; it was a visual ocean that she almost lost herself in.
The sky was always beautiful, really.
Scootaloo gazed with a forlorn expression at the distant clouds. Some days, they were gray and heavy with promises of rain. Others, a more foreboding blackness of an incoming storm. And then there were the days, like today, where clouds were as white as the purest snow— as white as her friend Sweetie Belle's coat, even. She chuckled at the thought of a Sweetie-shaped cloud, her mind wandering again.
She thought of what the clouds felt like. How soft, plush, yet sturdy they felt. Rainbow Dash had taken her up on flights where she could actually reach them. The first time they did was something she would not have soon forgotten, either. She felt it all. The clouds, the wind, and the freedom.
Sweet, sweet freedom...
With a sigh, the filly stretched out her small wings somewhat gingerly, idly buzzing them. She knew that her time to fly would soon come. She knew all of that glorious freedom would soon be in her reach again. When she finally learned how to fly, such freedom would become second nature. It could be hers whenever she wanted—something completely within her control. She knew she had to wait, and she knew it was coming. She did not know when, but she knew that it was.
That didn't mean it didn't still hurt, however. It still bothered the filly to see her pegasi classmates learn to fly better than she was. Featherweight and Rumble both could already fly quite well, for their age. To see that she was now the only pegasi that she knew who could not fly, on top of the fact that she yet lacked her cutie mark as well, it still bothered her.
But she never showed it, of course. The filly preferred to keep her feelings hidden away. Besides, she had already accepted and come to terms with her condition. With all that she had been taught, for every pep-talk and supportive lecture she's ever had, from both royalty and her own idol, she knew that she should have easily remained at peace with herself.
So why was it so hard to ignore, then?
Scootaloo's eyes continued to scan the sky above her, lost in thought. Up in the clouds above her, she noticed a few pegasi high above—weather ponies, she assumed. Most of the pegasi around Ponyville seemed to be involved with that, save for Fluttershy and a few others. She almost had to wonder. Would she join their ranks, as well? Serving the town, and helping to manage the weather?
…Well, Rainbow Dash did it, so…
The pegasus shook her head, her face making a face of evident distaste. She adored Rainbow Dash, and she really did admire the work she put in for the weather service (the delivery of water to Cloudsdale in particular stood out), but the work seemed… methodical. Restricting. For whatever reason, she didn't feel like that sort of occupation fit her very well. No, she wanted to be free to act of her own code and volition, and use her own methods. Not have to be told "do this" or "kick that" on a daily basis.
Just as Scootaloo was thinking again, she saw a bright rainbow-colored trail streak across the sky in a flash. Her heart leaped and a broad grin suddenly formed on her face, knowing instantly who it belonged to— none other than Rainbow Dash herself. Her smile widened as she witnessed the prismatic mare soar over to the group of weather pegasi. She could not quite hear what they were talking about, but from the sounds of it, she was encouraging them to get their flanks in gear and hurry up with the day's work. They each nodded in response and carried on, leaving Rainbow to fly off again, just as quickly. The filly had to bite back the urge to call out her name, instead opting to simply watch her fly away, presumably to another area of town to yell at some more weatherponies.
Such speed! Such awesomeness! Such skill! She admired her more than anypony else. Heck, she looked up to her more than she did Equestria's own ruler. But who could blame her? It was Rainbow Dash she was talking about. She was brash, sure, but her speed, loyalty, and sheer awesomeness were unquestioned, and unmatched.
In fact, as cliché as it sounded, she wanted to be just like her when she grew up.
She giggled as she indulged in the thought, imagining herself as a grown mare, flying as fast and as free as Rainbow Dash did. Being as popular as her. Having as many friends and admirers as her. Her little filly imagination ran wild with the scenarios, varying from taking on a full-sized dragon, to saving ponies from distress, and even to performing a Sonic Rainboom of her own. It was enough to make her go giddy with excitement.
Lying back on the grass and gazing up at the clouds, she relished in the fantasies her mind produced. The realm of the sky above her promised so much to the filly. Above all else she dreamed of, it promised freedom. Her life in the sky was something she knew she was looking forward to.
Until then, she would only need to remain grounded for just a while longer. Grounded, trapped, held back — tied down with invisible strings that would soon be cut. Every month, she knew she was getting stronger. Her quote-unquote “flights” were gradually becoming sustained. Some patience and practice was all she needed. She would soon be free of her earthly bonds.
It was then that her thoughts were interrupted by something.
“Hey, Scootaloo!”
Her concentration broken, the orange filly jolted up from her spot on the ground, turning to face the source of the familiar voice. To her surprise, she found that it was none other than her friend Apple Bloom, approaching her position on the knoll. Sweetie Belle was flanking her, and both were wearing a giddy little grin on their faces.
“Oh, uh, hi girls,” she said, forcing a smile of her own. “What's up? Something I miss?”
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, we were just looking for you! Apple Bloom and I just got this new idea! I know we'll get our cutie marks from it this time!”
Scootaloo's ears perked up at the mention of the words, 'cutie mark'. She was perfectly aware of how far-fetched their plans were becoming lately, and yet...
“Yeah!” agreed Apple Bloom, nodding and grinning even wider. She indicated the wagon she had brought along with them, which had a small load of hoofheld mining equipment piled into it. “I got the ropes and pickaxes set up, and everything!”
“Ropes? Pickaxes?” The pegasus filly narrowed her eyes and raised a brow at her friend. “Please don't tell me we're going to try 'rock farming' again…”
At the mention of their last failed attempt, Sweetie gagged and shook her head again with a distasteful expression. “No, those were just a bunch of dumb rocks,” she grumbled. Her expression brightened suddenly. “But, this is different! We're looking for shiny rocks! Gems!”
“Yeah! We're goin' treasure huntin'!” interjected Apple Bloom, still wearing a broad smile. “If Rarity got her cutie mark by finding a buncha gems, then maybe we can, too!”
"Gems, huh?"
Scootaloo could not help but smile. Her friends— always the optimistic, in-the-moment souls they were. And really, was she any different? Day after day, they were there for her, much like how she was there for them. Day after day, they would try again and again, usually in vain. But it never seemed to ever deter her friends. They had dreams, too. Just as she did herself. Her own aspirations, high as the sky... What did her friends dream about? Similar things?
Just as they were about to leave, she decided to pose the question. "Hey, uh... girls?"
They both stopped, turning to look at her.
"Just throwing out a random question, but... what do you think is in store for us, down the road?" They opened their mouths, as if to interject with an obvious answer, but she quickly waved a hoof and clarified, "I don't mean our cutie marks, I mean... What sort of places will we end up, or get to, or whatever?"
Both Sweetie and Apple Bloom glanced at each other, slightly perplexed by their friend's inquiry. After a moment of silence, they each shrugged. "Wherever we end up, I guess," replied the earth pony filly, quite simply. "I'll probably end up workin' more on the farm with my sis, and brother; just carryin' on the Apple Family name, an' all. I don't really know what else I'd do, unless... well, ya know by now." She glanced back at her barren flank, frowning slightly.
Sweetie Belle spent a bit longer thinking about her answer, tapping a hoof on her cheek as she looked upwards. "Well... I guess I'd really like to try doing something on my own, someday," she finally said. "I love my sister, and I like trying to be helpful, but... I don't think I'd want to be stuck at home for the rest of my life. But I don't know what I'd do, since, I don't know what I'm best at..."
"Right..." Scootaloo sighed, and shrugged. It appeared her friends hadn't quite set their bar very high, nor did they seem to put too much thought into their future. They seemed... uncreative. Fairly average, and mundane; while she had dreams that bordered on outright fantasy. While her curiosity begged her to probe slightly deeper into their inner wishes, she ultimately decided to let it go.
Apple Bloom, however, had questions of her own. "Say, Scoot? What's gotten into ya, lately?" she asked, tilting her head with a narrowed gaze. "You're always thinking about this stuff, and asking all kinds of weird questions. Like you've got your head stuck in the clouds, or somethin'."
That's... one way of putting it, she thought to herself, and sighed. "Yeah, I know... Guess I just can't help but think about it all. I just like to imagine what it would be like, y'know? All the cool things I could do when I grow up, even though some of them probably'll never happen. Like, things that you could do with or without a cutie mark. Don't you have thoughts like that?"
The two fillies were silent for a moment. "Well... sometimes I like to think what it'd be like if I could fly, to tell the truth," Apple Bloom finally admitted. She chuckled and waved a hoof dismissively. "I know it'll never happen, but a filly can dream, and all..."
"I sometimes think about being famous," said Sweetie after a moment, her cheeks reddening as the others cast a curious glance at her. "Hehe, yeah... One time, I dreamed about being a singer. You know, like Sapphire Shores?"
"Ew," both of her friends said at the same time, making faces of distaste. Apple Bloom in particular, shaking her head to rid such thoughts out of her skull. "Her music is so tacky, though..."
"Hey, I like it..."
Scootaloo shook her head as well, still not understanding how Sweetie's taste in music even worked. "Never mind, then," she said, shrugging off the thought. "I was just wondering about stuff." She turned and walked back over to where she had left her prized scooter lying, almost hidden in the grass. Propping it upward, she looked back at her friends, smiling. "So... gem-hunting?"
The two looked at each other, then back at Scootaloo and nodded, wearing smiles of their own.
Maybe I really do overthink this stuff too much, Scootaloo thought a short while later, looking up at the sky again for a moment as she rode her trusty scooter, pulling the wagon with her friends hitching a ride. Perhaps, it was simply all a matter of perspective. From her place on the ground, her head tilted toward the sky. Thinking about their future. Hoping for the best of all possible worlds. Dreaming about the possibilities. Break free from real life for a while, and let her mind free to imagine things as she saw fit for a time.
And then, she would level her gaze back to earth, pulling her head back out of the clouds. She would be dragged back from the sky; back down to the ground of reality. But she would not be troubled. She would focus not on what had yet to even exist, but instead on what already existed, right in front of her. Standing with her friends, staring straight ahead and into the world and life itself beyond. Eager to see what comes next. Not worrying about the troubles, which they could easily overcome together. The future was taking its sweet time getting there; why not enjoy her precious youth while it lasted? There were still plenty of chances for them to earn their cutie marks, after all...
She smiled.
Yeah, that sounds pretty nice.
