"Yeah! That's how it's done!" Scootaloo cried out from the stands as Rainbow Dash expertly kicked another goal for the Canterlot High School Soccer Team.
"She's just so cool!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle frantically waving her navy and gold CHS pendant in the air. "It's just like watching a pro play. She never second guesses herself."
"There is only one thing a-missing," said Apple Bloom to the two other Freshmen girls sharing the stands with her that spring afternoon. Quickly she pulled up Scootaloo's sweatshirt hood while putting her in a playful head lock,"CHS's most under rated Freshman forward of course!"
With Apple Bloom's arm locked under her chin, Scootaloo's cheeks quickly flashed red. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, letting her thick magenta bang fall forward over her face. "How many times," she said as calmly and cooly as she could manage while still being deprived from air by Apple Bloom's playful choke hold, "must I remind you there is no way I would take the field for CHS. I could never play like Rainbow can." She paused while the crowd on the hot metallic stands erupted in cheering as Rainbow Dash sunk the soccer ball skillfully and artistically into the opponents goal.
Sweetie Belle playfully poked her in the side with the end of her pendant, "Come on Scoots!" she cooed, her smile covering her whole face, "I saw every one of your games when we were in junior high. You really were the all-star of the team and..."
Scootaloo cut in before she could finish, "If you saw every one of my games then you should understand my hesitation" she replied firmly casting a gloomy glance down at her left leg propped against the bleacher in front of them. "Plus," Scootaloo added while beginning to stand up with her navy plastic CHS cheer cone in hand, "Now I can be CHS's biggest Rainbow Dash fan!" Scootaloo cracked a perceptibly fake smile and drew the cheer cone to her lips. The rest of the crowd began to stand with her as she lead them in a spirited rendition of the CHS Rally Song.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle Remained seated, and while the crowd was wrapped up in school spirit they took a private moment to exchange pained sideways glances.
It was the summer before their first year at CHS that the "accident" happened. It was a simple pick up game between some of Canterlot Junior High's most promising athletes. Despite the oppressive heat, the little pick up game on the Junior High's Sports and Rec field drew quite the crowd. Rumor had spread that the winning teams forward would go on to captain CHS's Junior Varsity Team along side none other than CHS's most dynamic and well rounded athlete - Rainbow Dash. No small honor for any sport crazed fan of CHS's impressive Division 1 athletics teams.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat front and center on the scorching hot metal bleachers. After all today was the day their best friend, Scootaloo, would earn her rightful place next to Rainbow Dash. Squinting their eyes against the harsh sun they watched her take the field. With the black and white ball securely tucked under her arm, Scootaloo confidently strode onto the pitch. Her cleats sunk ever so slightly into the lush turf.
It's game time,Scootaloo thought confidently.
After 30 minutes of intense pay on the field, and a tied score, Scootaloo brought her hands up to signal a time out. "Alright, enough of this," she barked to the players on the field. She walked to the center of the pitch, her long magenta bang falling forward and obscuring her eyes. "The next point decides it all," she paused to flick her long bang back. "I'm done playing around."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle fought to keep their jaws from hitting the ground. they always knew their best friend was intense - especially on the field, but this was a whole new Scootaloo. As Scootaloo dropped the ball onto the center of the pitch, Sweetie Belle let out a small yelp in anticipation. She quickly wrapped her hands around Apple Bloom's arm and buried her face in her friends sweet smelling pink locks. "There there Sweet Belle." Apple Bloom sighed. "No need a-fretting. This is Scootaloo after all," she let her voice trail off as she funneled all of her energy into tracking their friend across the field.
This proved to be no easy feat, as Scootaloo's relentless speed had turned her into a bolt of magenta lightening. She weaved expertly in and out of her opponent's futile block attempts. Mere meters from the goal, Scootaloo slowed down raising her leg high behind her for a powerful final goal. There was a loud crack, and the pitch fell silent. No one moved in the bleachers. Even the trees held their lush branches still. Scootaloo's body hit the turf heavy and numb.
"Oh my stars..." Apple Bloom gasped. Sweetie Belle still had her head buried in Apple Bloom's shoulder, and tears marched down her cheeks in the absence of cheering. "There there child," Apple Bloom sighed running a hand through Sweetie Belle's soft curly locks. "Someone has already gone to get Nurse Redheart." Sweetie Belle's ran what Apple Bloom said through her head again. Did she really hear her correctly? Why Nurse Redheart? What happened out there? She tried to raise her head - but she was too scared. She shut her eyes and hoped it would block out the piercing screams filling the audio void.
All Scootaloo knew was there was no amount of force that could open up her eyes and something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Her ears pounded with the sound of her own blood while her lungs relaxed and slowly began refilling with oxygen. She sped through a physical checklist. Mentally she reached out to each one of her appendages. She developed this process herself after countless falls off of her scooter trying to master a simple sliding speed check. When she reached her left leg on the checklist she realized she had a problem. The panic set in and her breathing grew shallow and erratic. A sharp flash of white light blazed through her subconscious. The high noon sun reflecting off of a cleat. This is no good, Scootaloo thought as her body fell limp to the sound of Nurse Redheart's voice and the touch of unfamiliar hands moving her to a waiting stretcher.
