Foalish dreams – mostly of flying and heroism – raced through Scootaloo's unconscious mind. She napped atop a hill near Ponyville. Several pegasi were busy clearing the clouds after a complete soaking the evening before.
“Dash... captain of the Wonderbolts...” Scootaloo stirred; eventually she woke. The sun had moved a lot since she had fallen asleep. How long was I asleep? she asked herself, stretching. Clouds remained in the sky, and so did the pegasi clearing them. Good, at least I still have time to get going; I wouldn't want to keep the fastest pony ever waiting on me.
Scootaloo looked around for a moment; her scooter had rolled down the hill. She meandered down and mounted the scooter. After a few preparatory flaps to warm up, she turned towards a road leading directly into Ponyville, and took off. The road was rough, but that just made the trip more exiting, even though it was going to be a short one.
Rainbow Dash had been busy with one thing or another usually – Scootaloo didn't know all the details – but she had cajoled Dash into spending at least some time with her. They had agreed on lunch – pizza – before Dash had to go help the other pegasi with the rain clouds. Scootaloo was glad her impromptu nap hadn't made her late, though, the large, apple-laden, slow moving wagon in her way wouldn't help.
Scootaloo slowed to a near crawl, or it felt like a crawl, and started to pass the wagon. Too bad I can't jump a wagon that big without a ramp... I think. I'll have to try that someday.
Scootaloo heard Applejack's voice as she neared the front end: “...and then you know they're nice and ripe.”
Then Twilight's: “But what if they don't?”
“You'd best leave them alone,” Applejack replied.
Scootaloo had no idea what they were talking about, and figured it probably wasn't anything worth knowing if it involved ripening. Twilight sounded interested, too, so it was definitely something boring.
“Howdy Scoots.” Applejack greeted the filly as she came into view.
“Hello Scootaloo.” Twilight was on Apple Jack's other side, carrying a covered basket with her magic.
“Hi A. J. Hi Twilight,” Scootaloo greeted. I'd better get going before Twilight volunteers any details about her basket.
It was almost too late already: “Did you know that—“
Scootaloo cut her off. “Sorry Twilight – gotta get going; don't want Dash waiting on me.” It was a true statement, but she did have a fair amount of time before Rainbow Dash would be waiting for her, instead of vice-versa.
“Take care Scoots.” Applejack chuckled to herself.
“Oh, okay.” Twilight sounded just a bit disappointed, but recovered from it quickly. “Watch out; I think Sweetie Belle is still trying catch Opalescence.
“Thanks for the warning,” Scootaloo replied as she started to pick up speed again, and recalled the beginning of the incident. Sweetie Belle had told her and Apple Bloom all about it the evening following...
Rarity was working on a dress for another “important customer”. While her big sister was dyeing the fabric that was required, Sweetie Belle had been trying to groom Opalescence, who had refused previously to allow Rarity to take care of some of her knotted up fur, and still was not happy about it. After Sweetie had tried, and failed, to tie her up, Opal had escaped, and ran into Rarity's room. In her haste, the cat ended up dumping multiple containers of dye on herself and Rarity. Rarity was infuriated to say the least.
Sweetie Belle had been charged with cleaning up the spilled dye while Rarity cleaned herself, and also with the task of finding and catching Opal, who had somehow escaped out a closed window. They were hoping Twilight could use a dye-removal spell or something, and maybe assist with the knotted hair. Sweetie Belle had gone through increasingly imaginative ways to catch the cat, though none had succeeded in doing anything other than disrupting life throughout Ponyville in various ways.
Scootaloo passed Sugarcube Corner; she wasn't too far away from her rendezvous now. Excited, she sped up; recently, Dash had been busy training and working with the weather team and stuff, so this was the first time in awhile Scootaloo had gotten to spend a decent amount of time with her favorite pegasus.
There was a long stretch of road between her and the next turn that needed to be made. I wonder how fast Dash has to go to make a Sonic Rainboom... Is it even possible to do that on the ground? Scootaloo made a mental note to herself to ask Rainbow Dash later. She started going faster yet, pushing hard against the air as it resisted her movement. The daring filly didn't see the small depression in the road directly in her path.
Scootaloo was drawn from her thoughts as she felt a tooth-jarring jolt, and her scooter handle was wrenched from her hold as the wheels reacted to the impact. Her scooter careened towards the side of the road with her still on it; ponies were agile enough to dodge out-of-control fillies, but trees weren't. Scootaloo felt a low hanging branch smack into her forehead, and her scooter continue on its journey for several meters without her. The filly landed on the ground, dazed.
Half an hour later Scootaloo was in a hospital room. She had been escorted by Lyra, who had been sitting on a park bench nearby. Red Heart was cleaning a cut the filly now had on her forehead where the branch struck. It stung, a lot.
“Perhaps you should slow down, or walk, Scootaloo. This is your third visit this month.”
Red Hearts words stung, but not as much as the cut. “That black eye had nothing to do with my scooter, and you know it,” Scootaloo shot back.
Red Heart understood, and didn't press the issue. she let out a smile as she applied a bandage. “You'll be fine, but you might want to stay off of your scooter for a day or two, and please do look where you go; we enjoy your visits, but it's better if they are voluntary.”
“Okay.” Scootaloo could survive a day without her scooter, she went about as long without using it anyway, occasionally. I hope I can still make it before Dash wonders where I am.
