Grey.
Grey walls. Grey ceilings. Grey floorboards. Grey beds. Grey sheets.
Grey.
Everypony who she ever asked about it said everything was coloured that way because they needed a neutral colour, and black seemed too dark, too evil for a young filly. So grey it was.
She looked around the small room, barely larger than her schoolhouse. She saw the many beds, the beds that nopony slept in, save for her, and only three others. All the beds were made perfectly, not a wrinkle to be seen, not a pillow out of place, not a joy to be had.
Gently hopping off from her low-standing bed, she landed with a quiet thud on the wooden floorboards. She trotted through the room, past the empty beds, past the few occupied beds, and past her memories.
She saw a slightly smaller bed, near the wall with the only window.
“Alright now, Scootaloo. This is your new room, and over here is your new bed.”
“W-Why do I have to stay here? Why can’t I just go home?”
“Oh, Scootaloo. I’m sorry, but you just can’t. Not anymore.”
“B-But m-my parents, and my house…”
“Scootaloo, you can’t go back and live there. You know why.”
“I c-can’t?”
“No, you cannot. Although you may go back later to get more of your things, but remember, only to bring what can fit inside the trunk.”
“Oh. O-Okay.”
“Just remember though, Scootaloo. If you want, you’ll get to move back into the house when you’re an adult.”
“So someday I might get to go back home, and stay there?”
“Yes, Scootaloo. Someday.”
Walking past the bed, she continued onward several more steps, until she saw another vacant bed, this one slightly bigger than the last.
“Wow, so you’ve lived here for two whole years? That- that’s amazing! How did you do it, High Hopes?”
“Well Scootaloo, it’s pretty easy, but being stuck with all these tubes, all the time? It gets old, I tell you.”
“Hey, why don’t you just go to the hospital and get yourself fixed up? I heard they can make almost anypony better!”
“That’s just it, Scootaloo. They can make almostanypony better. But what I’m sick with, well, it just can’t be fixed.”
“Well how come you don’t just go to Canterlot, and see Princess Celestia? I mean, she raises the sun, so she could probably fix you right up!”
“Oh, trust me, Scootaloo. There are others out there who are far, far more deserving to get better than me. Let’s just say that I have enough hope that I’ll probably get better eventually, even if it can’t be cured. Someday.”
Eyes pinching together, and moisture glistening on the corners, Scootaloo continued. She found herself passing by the only window, which looked out into the grassy hills. The schoolyard could even be seen off in the distance.
“Wow, I can’t wait to get to go to school one day! It’ll be so much fun, and I’ll get to be with all kinds of different ponies, and we’ll all be the bestest of friends!
“You know, I remember going to school for a bit. It wasn’t very fun, though.”
“Oh, stop it High Hopes! You know it was fun.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough what it’s like there. And besides, you don’t even know when you’ll start school.”
“Yes I do! I’m gonna start soon enough, you’ll see! And then I’ll have the bestest of times, and I’ll come back here, and I can tell you all about it!”
“Okay, Scoots. I’m sure you’ll get to go to school eventually. Just remember, don’t have too much fun. School’s for learning, not having as great of a time as you possibly can. Although it is recommended that you try.”
“So, do you think you’ll ever go back to school?”
“I sure hope so, Scoots. Someday.”
Tearing herself away from the window, Scootaloo continued on, until she got to the door. Right before she left, she looked back into the room, and spotted a small stuffed dog on the top of her trunk. A beagle.
“So tell me, how did your first day in the market go?”
“It was really, really fun! I wasn’t allowed to spend too much money, so I could only get myself an ice-cream from SugarCube Corner.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Say, what’s that behind you?”
“Er, well, they said we could have twenty bits to spend on whatever we wanted, and the ice-cream was only 6, so I kinda… bought you something.”
“You did? Oh, Scoots, you shouldn’t have! Well, what is it?”
“Look, it’s a little beagle. Like the kind you said you used to have!”
“W-wow, Scoots. I-I don’t kn-know w-what to say. I mean, n-no one’s ever thought of m-me like you do before. Th-thank you.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, High Hopes!”
“Look, I-I’ll pay you back, Scoots. And no, I don’t care what you say. I’m going to pay you back, okay? Someday I will.”
“Someday?”
“Someday.”
Darting through the room as silently as possible, Scootaloo picked up the beagle, and ran as fast and quiet as her hooves would let her. Pausing to listen for any others who could be up, Scootaloo strained her ears to listen for them. Hearing none, she galloped soundlessly through the corridors, until she found herself at the front entrance. Pushing the doors open, she was greeted by the cool night air.
“Wow, I haven’t been outside in forever!”
“You haven’t?”
“Nope, not for almost three years now.”
“Wow, that must be really, really bad. How can you even stand not going outside?”
“Oh, I get by. You know, my bed isthe closest to the window, so whenever I want, I can just look outside, and imagine myself out there.”
“Imagine yourself outside? But wouldn’t it be better to just have somepony take you outside?”
“Well, I would, but I don’t think that would be good. I never wanted to be a burden on anypony, so anything that makes taking care of me easier is something I’m going to do.”
“But don’t you ever get, like, bored? I don’t even know how you can stand just “imagining” yourself outside.”
“Scoots, don’t worry about that. I’m sure if you tried hard enough, you could probably imagine just as, if not better, than I can!”
“Okay, but I don’t think I’d ever be able to do something like that.”
“It’s alright, Scoots. You’ll figure it out. Someday.”
Trotting as silently as she could through the streets of Ponyville, Scootaloo kept an eye out just in case anypony came near her.
Eventually, she arrived at the outskirts of the town, near where the cemetery was. Taking one last glance behind herself to ensure nopony was following her, Scootaloo saw Sugarcube Corner.
“Well, here we are! Sugarcube Corner, the best place in the whole town to get as many sweets as you want!”
“Wait, I thought you only got money to spend once a month?”
“Yeah, but I almost always spend it on sweets here.”
“Almost always?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, remember a couple weeks ago when I bought you the stuffed beagle?”
“Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot about him. Oh, and, uhm, Scoots? I have something I need to tell you.”
“What is it, High Hopes?”
“The doctor came by again today, and after they did some more of those tests they always do, they said I’m starting to get worse again. In other words, after today I might not be allowed to leave again.”
“What?! No, they can’t do that! You just started coming outside again.”
“I know, Scoots. But I’ll have to stop if I want to get better.”
“Okay, but do you think you’ll ever get to come out again after this?’
“Maybe someday, Scoots. Someday.”
Walking through the gates of the small cemetery, Scootaloo continued on until she made it all the way to the very far back. Remembering the last time she had made this walk, she turned right, and kept going until she hit the mass of newer, fresher, and cleaner graves.
She slowly passed over the multitude of names, looking for one, one very important name. One of the only three names there she actually cared about, or knew for that matter.
“What do you mean, I can’t go inside?”
“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but High Hopes is having a little bit of a… difficulty at the moment. Until the issue is resolved, I’m afraid you are not allowed to go into the building.”
“But I’m her best friend! Why can’t you just let me in?”
“Scootaloo, while you may be her friend, standard protocol dictates that nopony other than doctors and staff are to be allowed within the building at this time. Until the issue with High Hopes is resolved, I am afraid that you will have to wait out here with me, and the others when they get here. In fact, while we wait here, could you tell me about school? You’re starting in a few weeks, right?”
“But Mrs. Grey Day, can I at least see her?”
“I’m sorry, Scootaloo. But you’ll have to wait until we are given the all-clear until you are allowed into the room again. Now, what is it you’re looking forward to the most about school?”
Sitting at the foot of the fresh grave, Scootaloo read the name over and over, again and again. Why? Why is it that everypony who is good, who is innocent, who is deserving of life, never given what they truly deserve?
Tears freely falling, Scootaloo placed the stuffed dog in front of the grave. Two days. Two days ago, her life had changed so drastically. Two days ago, the last thing she had held precious to her had been ripped from her, without so much as a warning.
And yet, she remembered all their conversations. She remembered all their laughter, she remembered all the games they played, she remembered all the sweets they shared. And as she sat there, remembering so much, she remembered the one last thing she had said to her, the thing she would always remember her for.
“Someday.” She whispered, and the word was carried in the breeze, and off into the cold, dark night.
