Wings of Steel

by SparkBrony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Scootaloo, Rumble, Sweetie Belle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Princess Luna, Apple Bloom
Length: 5304

A seventeen-year-old Scootaloo goes to visit an old friend.

A seventeen-year-old Scootaloo goes to visit an old friend.

Cover image by Unnop64.

Published 2015-07-10 18:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-10 18:50:01 UTC

Wings of Steel

Wings of Steel

By SparkBrony

Proofread/Preread by birdyluv0, PoisonClaw, and Dusk and Moonblast

Scootaloo felt free.

Not that freedom was an unusual feeling for her. Whenever she leapt from the ground and took to the sky, all boundaries, all limits, just seemed to melt away. She was no longer a pony of the ground; she was a pegasus of the clouds. An undeniable euphoria would flood her mind, and she’d simply close her eyes and feel the wind whip through her mane, its blustering gales swarming into her face so much she could hardly breathe. The thrill of being hundreds of feet off the ground, of looking down on Equestria from a viewpoint only wings could take her to, would light up every nerve of her being. She tipped and rolled and spun in midair, freestyling through the puffy white clouds. It was something the orange pegasus never thought she’d experience.

Practicing her routine yet again – just one more time, she told herself – Scootaloo prepared to top it off. And here she goes for the big finish! she thought in the back of her mind, simulating an overly excited announcer and an enormous crowd in the stadium cheering her on. Grinning determinately, she dramatically changed her flight path and nose-dived towards the earth at full speed, the green turf of the stadium rocketing up at her. She envisioned the imaginary ponies in the audience, staring at her in awe – what is she doing? – Is she crazy?! – She’s going to kill herself! At the very last second, Scootaloo pulled up, her belly brushing against the turf. It was a completely successful U-Dive – almost. As she narrowly avoided becoming a Wonderbolt-pancake against the ground, her left wing wasn’t so lucky – it clinked hard against the earth, snapping it out of place with a sickening crack. Consequently, as she pulled up, Scootaloo spun out-of-control into a vendor’s cart sitting on the edge of the turf.

Slightly dazed, the pegasus shook herself to stop the stadium from spinning. Disentangling her body from the smashed cart, she proceeded to stand up and check herself over, making sure her ever-so-expensive Wonderbolt uniform hadn’t been damaged. She gave a sigh of relief when she found no injuries, just as Rainbow Dash flapped over to her from across the field.

“Whoa, kiddo! You all right?” Rainbow looked genuinely concerned after Scootaloo’s epic fail.

The orange pegasus rolled her eyes. “I keep telling you to stop calling me that. I’m seventeen, Dash. Not a filly anymore.” When Rainbow’s silent smirk told her that the nickname would probably never fade, Scootaloo gruffly continued. “It’s these darn prosthetic wings.” She snapped the damaged one back into place, feeling nothing at all. “They’re so freaking heavy that they throw me off balance sometimes!"

Rainbow eyed her as the flustered pegasus flailed her wing about. “They don’t look that heavy.”

“It’s the material. You know how I get these things replaced with new ones often because after a few months of Wonderbolt-level flying, they end up wearing out. Recently the doctors decided to switch to a more resilient material, but it seems to mess up my flying.”

“So… why not switch back?” Rainbow asked. “Obviously, these ones are a problem, kiddo.”

“Funds,” Scootaloo said simply. “I can’t afford to be paying every year for new wings.” She sighed in regret, gently trailing her hoof across the turf absentmindedly. “Sometimes I wish I could just fly… you know, naturally.

Ever since Scootaloo had been diagnosed in fourth grade with a wing disability that had rendered her permanently unable to fly, the little pegasus had been heartbroken. Sailing through the sky with her hero had always been her dream – that maybe one day she could become as awesome as that rainbow-maned mare. Almost every day she watched Dash zip through the sky from a comfortable place on the ground, wondering what it was like up there. She could vividly remember the days immediately following the crushing news – she had slunk to her room, curled up on her bed, and done nothing for nearly a week. She didn’t cry though, not once during the whole ordeal. Scootaloo never cried – she’d vowed not to so long ago.

Finally, only about five years ago, Dash had finally decided she wouldn’t continue to deprive Scoots of the joy of flying. She’d taken the filly under her wing (literally and figuratively) on one cold, dark night, and had since been almost like a mother to her. Once she’d mustered up more than enough bits, she had decided to pay for the creation of functional wings for the filly. However, she kept the whole thing mostly secret, except from a select few, so as not to make Scootaloo feel as if she was a ‘special needs’ filly.

Meanwhile, Dash smiled warmly at Scoots and softly touched a cyan wing to one of hers. “Hey, kiddo, how many times do I have to tell you – you’re awesome just the way you are.”

Normally, that coming from a pony like Rainbow Dash would’ve cheered her up right away, but this time, the line just seemed to fall flat. Despite the persisting glumness in the back of her mind, Scootaloo returned the smile halfheartedly to hide her feelings from Dash. Stay strong, she told herself. Can’t have myself looking like a scared foal in front of Rainbow!

“Well, Scoots, I think that’s enough practice for one day,” said Dash, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the now horribly disfigured vendor’s cart at the edge of the turf. “You should probably get cleaned up and head on home. Didn’t you say you had a meeting with somepony tonight or something?”

Scootaloo’s heart skipped a beat. The meeting! She had almost forgotten. This was probably due to the fact that she had tried to forget about it – she’d hoped maybe that would give her a good excuse not to go. The dread of what she would have to do dropped like a lead weight in her stomach. “Oh... yeah… um, thanks for reminding me, Dash.” She averted her gaze awkwardly from Rainbow’s cerise eyes, and, mumbling a brusque goodbye, turned around and began to trudge toward the locker rooms across the turf. She heard a “Seeya, kiddo!” and felt a blast of wind as Dash took off into the sky behind her, leaving a multicolored trail in her wake.

Scootaloo slipped through the door to the locker room, still deep in thought. As soon as she entered, the contrasting smells of dirty uniforms and scented shower soaps filled her nostrils. The familiar smell brought memories of long days of training during her early months as a Wonderbolt. This stadium had become something of a second home to her over the past year, and coming to this room every day after practice had etched it into her mind.

As the pegasus shrugged off her uniform and trotted toward the showers, prepared to drown out her sorrows in whatever hot water was left, a familiar stallion stepped out from behind a row of dull orange lockers. When he saw her, his face lit up. “Hey Scoots!”

Scootaloo stopped and smiled back wearily at her coltfriend. “Hey, Rumble.”

The white pegasus flapped excitedly over to her. “Hey, great practice today. That dive thing you did was awesome!” He grinned, his lavender eyes beaming into hers. “Totally gonna WOW the crowds on Saturday. I can’t wait!”

“Yeah…” Scootaloo’s face fell and she trailed off, a worried look in her eyes.

“Um, Scoots?” Rumble raised an eyebrow and frowned. “You okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah, yeah…” The orange pegasus bit her lip. “Everything’s great, Rumble.” She forced a smile.

Her coltfriend’s dashing grin returned to his face. “Just checking,” he said with a smile as he stepped forward and planted a kiss on her cheek. However, instead of pulling away after a moment, he leaned over and brushed his lips flirtatiously against her neck.

“Rumble!” Scootaloo blushed fiercely, taking a step back. “Not here!”

“Why not?’ Rumble laughed, not phased a bit by his partner’s averseness. “There’s nopony here!”

“It’s unprofessional,” Scoots hissed, her face redder than one of Apple Bloom’s apples. She wasn’t at all denying that she liked it, but she had bigger things on her mind right now.

“Well then, I sincerely apologize for being oh-so-unprofessional,” Rumble teased. “I’ll try to restrain myself next time.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and punched him playfully in the shoulder. Rumble imitated exaggerated pain, clinging to the spot where she had hit him, but he couldn’t keep his façade up for long. His sheepish grin returned a few seconds later.

“Anyway, I should probably wash up and head out,” Scoots explained. “I’ve got… uh… somewhere to be.”

“Yeah, me too. Thunderlane wants me to help him with something-or-other this evening.” Rumble stepped forward and kissed Scootaloo gently on the nose. Despite her current predicament, her stomach still erupted into butterflies at his touch. Her heart skipped a few beats as well. After several moments of simply standing there, basking in each other’s warmth, Rumble spoke suddenly. “Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you.” He stepped back and jogged over to his still-open locker, removing a sky-blue saddlebag, emblazoned with an image of a winged bolt of lightning, the Wonderbolts’ universal logo. He flipped it open and dug through it, looking for something in its depths. Scootaloo watched curiously, wondering what the object he had in mind was. Could it be something romantic, like a rose, that could cheer her up from her current slump?

However, after several moments of looking, Rumble frowned and set the saddlebag down in its former place in the locker. “You know what? I think I must have left it with Belle.”

“Belle? Well, what is it you wanted to give me?”

“It’s… sort of a surprise,” Rumble explained. “Sorry. I wanted to be there when you got it, but it doesn’t look like that’s gonna work out.”

“I guess I can pick it up from Belle later today,” Scootaloo said skeptically, wondering what the ‘gift’ could possibly be.

“Great! Believe me, you’ll want to see it as soon as possible.” He winked at her. “So, anyway, see you tonight?”

“Afraid not,” Scootaloo answered, giving him one more quick hug. “My… meeting could take a while. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure, no problem. I can wait.” He smiled knowingly at her. “See you later, Scoots!”

“Bye, Rumble…” Scootaloo watched as he exited the locker room and took off into the sky above the stadium. In the absence of his presence, she felt the dread slowly return to the pit of her stomach. Stupid meeting. Maybe I’m just getting worked up over nothing…

After taking a quick shower and hastily toweling off her mane, Scootaloo trotted over to her locker, which was right next to Rumble’s. In fact, the close proximity of their lockers was what helped them to get to know each other better in the few months before they started dating. Scootaloo smiled to herself as she remembered countless shy conversations with Rumble after practice and going home every day, sailing through the sky with a flutter of butterflies in her stomach, wondering if he liked her. Things had been a lot simpler in those days, when all Scootaloo had to worry about was improving her flying skills and impressing Rumble…

It was several minutes before Scoots realized she had been standing idly in the locker room for a while now, staring at the puffy white clouds above through the grimy skylight in the ceiling, lost in her thoughts and memories. Embarrassed with herself for getting distracted so easily, she hurriedly opened her locker and snatched out her saddlebag, swinging it over her shoulder. Unfortunately for the orange mare, the bag hadn’t been buckled shut, so its contents went sailing into the row of lockers behind her and all over the floor with a resounding crash.

Scootaloo sighed in exasperation, dropping the bag quietly to the floor. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold metal door of her locker. Her heart was pounding, and her hooves were shaking. She stayed there for a few moments, gritting her teeth to try and calm her rapid breathing. This is just… not my day. She took several slow, deep breaths, settling herself down. The crashing pound of her heart in her ears eventually faded, and she sighed loudly in relief, composing herself. When she was finally content that she had contained her worriedness, she turned around and began gathering her things up off the floor, hoping to Celestia nothing valuable had been damaged or broken.

As Scootaloo gradually piled the objects back into her bag, she came across an old photograph. It had been taken quite some time ago, in the stands of the majestic Wonderbolts stadium in Canterlot; it featured herself, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom sporting the team’s colors and themed accessories. They were beaming at the camera, or whoever was taking the picture, like sugar-high fillies on the last day of school. The orange pegasus smiled absentmindedly, remembering the wealth of great times she’d shared with her two best friends, before the world had become complicated and intimidating.

Rumble did say that Belle had something for me, Scootaloo thought. Maybe that will cheer me up. Gently placing the photograph and the other remaining objects back into her bag, she buckled it, slung it over her shoulder, and slammed her locker door shut. She proceeded to peer over at the locker room clock, emblazoned with Wonderbolt colors and insignia, along with a few cheesy words of encouragement. No doubt they’ll still be at Sugarcube Corner at this hour, the lone pegasus figured. Belle’s performance there only ended fifteen minutes ago. She did a double take on the clock and grimaced. The trip was going to have to be a quick one, as her meeting was set to occur in just under an hour. With no time to waste, she exited the locker room and took off from the turf into the evening sky.

Sugarcube Corner was a hard building to miss, especially from the air. It stood out like a piece of brightly colored candy against the dull earthen streets of Ponyville, which in a way, it actually was. One could always find a bustle of activity there at any time of day - from performances such as Sweetie Belle’s, to ponies simply picking up treats or meals from the two docile Cakes and a wildly energetic Pinkie Pie - and today was no exception. When Scootaloo swooped down and alighted gracefully on the ground just outside the bustling sweet shop, a flood of happily chattering townsfolk were spilling out, delectable desserts clutched tightly in their hooves. She slipped through the oncoming current of customers, and as soon as she stepped inside, the signature smells of palatable baked goods and fresh fruit greeted her nostrils. It was the kind of homely, sweet, mouthwatering scent that could put most ponies at ease immediately, but Scootaloo’s discomfort still refused to fade. It was equally as crowded inside the café as well, but even through the multitude of ponies, the orange pegasus quickly spotted her two oldest friends in the far corner. They were chatting excitedly over two chocolate shakes, sipping from them every few minutes. A third one situated in front of an empty chair beckoned to her from across the room.

Scootaloo made her way across the lively café toward them, in the process nearly crashing into a rogue gray pegasus with mismatched eyes who stumbled across her path. She slid into the third chair at her friends’ table and greeted them with a weak smile. “Hey guys.”

“Scootaloo!” Belle exclaimed, finally noticing her friend. “So glad you could make it!”

“Hiya, Scoots! How was your afternoon with the Wonderbolts?” Apple Bloom chimed in.

“It was fine,” the pegasus said flatly. “You know, just ran through my routine again for Saturday’s show.”

“Aw yeah, I can’t wait to see it!” exclaimed Apple Bloom. “I bet it’s amazin’ – I mean, you’ve been practicin’ it for weeks after all!”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo grimaced and bit her lip. “I sure have.” She just couldn’t bring herself to tell them what was on her mind. Instead she turned to Belle and hastily changed the subject. “Sorry I missed your performance, Belle – I really wanted to come, but, you know, Wonderbolt duties.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it! You can always make it to the next one!” Sweetie assured her, although Scootaloo doubted it. “It was amazing though – I mean, just look at all these ponies! I never thought this many would show up to hear me sing!” She trailed off into squeals of delight.

“I reckon this is the best turnout you’ve had so far, eh Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom beamed, looking as proud of Sweetie now as she had been of Scootaloo when the pegasus was accepted into the Wonderbolts.

“Oh, for sure!” The unicorn took another excited sip from her shake. “It’s just incredible how much word has been spread so quickly about my singing career!” Her eyes glazed over as she gazed into the far-off distance of a bright future. “Maybe one day I’ll be up there with the Ponytones!” After a few moments of imagining herself as Equestria’s next big star, she shook herself from her reverie with a singsong chuckle. “Well, a mare can dream, anyway!”

“Hey, Scoots – everything alright?” Scootaloo noticed that Apple Bloom was watching her absentmindedly twirl the candyfloss-pink straw around in her milkshake, creating a chocolate whirlpool, and looking at the treat like it was a glass full of cough medicine. On a normal group trip to Sugarcube Corner, Scootaloo’s shake would most likely be well within her belly by now.

“Oh! Yeah, everything’s fine.” The orange mare stopped making dizzying circles with her straw and pushed the glass away from her. “I’m just not very hungry… pre-show jitters, I guess.”

Sweetie let out a satisfied sigh as she gulped down the last of her shake. “Mind if I finish yours?” she asked, gesturing to the one sitting idly in front of Scootaloo. “Sorry, I hope you don’t mind. I’m more of an addict to these than Berry Punch!” She laughed, the sound ringing like sweet sleigh bells.

“Knock yourself out,” replied Scootaloo, pushing the drink toward her friend.

“Oh gosh, I hope I don’t! Who knows what Pinkie puts in these things!” This time both Belle and Apple Bloom erupted into giggles, and Scootaloo managed to crack a smile.

“Anyway,” Sweetie continued, after downing half of the pegasus’s shake in one swig. “I think I may have just the thing to cheer you up, Scootaloo!” She reached into the glittery bag slung around the back of her chair, which was obviously a victim of Rarity’s overzealous fashion sense and tendency to bedazzle anything within a hoof’s reach. Scootaloo still had no clue as to what this mystery gift actually was – a dessert from Sugarcube Corner? The latest Daring Do novel? New rainbow chrome wheels for the scooter she was detailing? – but as Sweetie Belle produced it from the depths of her bag, the pegasus was surprised to see that it was just a simple envelope, with her name shining in fancy hoofwriting on the front.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the signature curls of the ‘L’ and ‘S’. There was no way anypony who had spent as much time with Twilight Sparkle as she had could mistake that penmanship. The note was undoubtedly from Princess Celestia herself.

Like a foal on Hearth’s Warming morning, Scootaloo excitedly tore open the little white envelope to reveal a brief message printed on a card inside. As she eagerly began to read the rather official-looking message on it, her jaw dropped open and hung there for several moments. She reread the note two, three times just to make sure she hadn’t drastically mistaken the words on the page, but even after she double checked she still couldn’t believe it. She sat there dumbfounded, reading the words aloud to hear them echo through her head.

“I… I’ve been invited to perform… for the Princesses and the Griffinstone ambassadors in Canterlot!” Scootaloo blurted out. Just saying that sent a slew of various emotions running through her.

“Sweet jumpin’ parasprites!” Apple Bloom exclaimed loudly, drawing the eyes of several nearby ponies. “I’ll be, Scoots! That’s nothin’ short of amazin’!”

“Congratulations, Scootaloo!” Belle leaned across the table and pulled the pegasus into a tight embrace, nearly knocking over what was left of the drinks in the process. “I’m so proud of you! I always knew you’d grow up to become a great flier, and look at you now – one of the top Wonderbolts!” Just as Scootaloo was about to run out of air in Sweetie’s crushing grip, the mare thankfully released her. “I remember when you first started flying,” she reminisced, unknowingly plunging Scootaloo into a river of nostalgia of simpler days. “Seeing you having the time of your life in the sky was like a dream come true!”

“Ya know you can stop her if she’s gettin’ too sappy,” Apple Bloom joked.

“Hey, sentimentality’s my thing – it’s what I do best,” Belle shot back playfully. Another flurry of giggles took hold of the orange mare’s friends.

“When is this grand performance, anyway?” Apple Bloom inquired, adjusting the large bow atop her crimson mane.

Scootaloo checked the note. “Weekend after next.” But if I go through with my plan, I’ll be long gone by then…

“Well, I’ll have to work double time to buck all the trees in the orchard by then, but if it’s to see your skills in action, it’ll be no problem!” The farmpony beamed happily.

Belle appeared deep in thought for several moments. “I think I can switch a few gigs around to open up that weekend. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

Scootaloo glanced out the window, where a sliver of orange light from a sinking sun met her eyes. With nightfall would come the meeting she had been dreading all day. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, a feeling in stark contrast to the moods of the two overjoyed and excited mares across from her.

“Listen,” the pegasus began. “I should probably head out. It’s been great talking to you two, but I have somewhere to be in a few minutes. You know… erm… Wonderbolt stuff.”

“Oh my, top secret Wonderbolt business!” Sweetie gasped, clapping her hoof to her mouth and feigning shock. “Well, don’t let us keep you. We can always catch up later!”

“Congrats again, Scoots!” Apple Bloom chimed. “We know you’ve been trying your darnedest in the Academy, and we want you to know that we’re mighty proud of you!”

“Thanks, guys.” Scootaloo forced a smile. Slinging her bag gracefully over her shoulder, she slid out of her chair and trotted toward the door, her friends calling goodbyes after her. Once outside in the cool evening air, she shot upwards into the darkening sky, battling the tears that were welling up in her eyes and blurring the dim stars.

By the time Scootaloo arrived at her destination, Celestia’s daylight had shone its last and withered behind the horizon, leaving the moon hanging embedded in the night sky, bathed in a sparkling shower of stars. The pegasus had travelled several blocks east of Sugarcube Corner to The Green Leaf Café, a rather new establishment, second only to the Corner in popularity among the townsfolk. This café specialized in entrees rather than desserts, but Scootaloo’s stomach was turning too fast for her to even think about eating. As she entered, she noticed the place was uncharacteristically empty, save for a few odd ponies scattered around the room, all eyeing one lone alicorn sitting at a table in the middle of the room, intently browsing a menu.

“Princess Luna.” Scootaloo gave a short, awkward half-bow to one of her oldest friends before slumping into the seat across from the dark blue mare.

“Scootaloo,” she began, chuckling as she set down the menu. “We have been close acquaintances for years. There’s no need for such formalities.”

“Right, uh… sorry.” The pegasus blushed and scratched her head, already feeling awkward. It had suddenly become uncomfortably hot in the café. “Listen, thanks for coming here on such short notice… I just really need somepony to talk to.”

“Of course! Celestia had palace-cleaning duty today so I have naught to do tonight regardless,” Luna explained. Then lowering her voice, she continued. “Little does she know, I tampered with the schedule, so the job is assigned to her all week!” The Princess giggled mischievously, utterly pleased with herself. In any other circumstances, Scootaloo would have laughed her head off as well, but instead she remained sullen, barely forcing a smile. Noticing the pegasus’s solemnity, Luna continued in a more serious voice. “I must admit I’m rather surprised you did not consult your friends if it proves such a serious matter to you.”

“It’s just… I couldn’t bring myself to tell them,” the orange mare choked out. “They’ve been my best friends for, like, ever… I mean, they’ve sacrificed so much for me… I don’t think I could bear to see the looks of disappointment on their faces…"

As if on the worst cue ever, at that moment a waiter trotted up to their table. “Welcome to the Green Leaf Café. What can I get for you lovely mares tonight?” he asked routinely, twirling his chestnut brown mustache with a free hoof. Upon looking up to address Luna directly, his eyes widened dramatically and he abruptly stopped his mustache twirling. “Princess!”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Can I not simply ‘catch a break’, as they say,” she muttered under her breath. “My good sir, I am simply here tonight to speak with a friend. However, if I could trouble you with a request for a mundane glass of water, I am rather parched.”

The stallion hastily scribbled something unintelligible on a notepad. “Of course, Princess, a glass of water! An absolutely exquisite choice, if I do say so myself, one of my personal favorites! I would have highly recommended it had you not ordered one!” Removing himself before he could embarrass himself any further, he scurried away, gesturing frantically to a fellow employee at the Princess.

“So sorry… I suppose once you become a princess, you also become a celebrity.” Luna remarked, turning her attention to the pegasus. “Now, please elaborate, what was it that you desired to confide in me about?”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth and finally blurted out the thought that had been eating away at her all day. “I… I… I’m quitting the Wonderbolts.”

Luna simply raised an eyebrow. "That seems rather drastic. Whatever the reason, I'm sure you must be overreacting."

Scootaloo fished into her bag and withdrew a newspaper, tossing it onto the table. The headline glared up at the two ponies seated around it, shouting its information to the heavens.

WONDERBOLT SUPERSTAR PROVEN TO HAVE ARTIFICIAL WINGS

SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW MUCH ADVANTAGE SHE HAS

“This is tomorrow’s headliner,” Scootaloo spat.

The Princess’s eyes widened. “How in Equestria did they discover about your wings?”

“Doesn’t matter now. I wouldn’t have known either, but Featherweight gave me this before I went in for training this morning, that’s why I called you.”

“There must be some way we can prevent this from circling,” Luna said, scowling at the paper before her. Scootaloo’s face smiled back from the cover picture, completely oblivious of the acidic headline perched above her magenta mane.

“It’s too late now. Tomorrow morning we’ll wake up, and half the town will know… about these.” She spread her steel wings and tapped the cold metal with a hoof.

Luna scanned the article, grimacing as she took in the vitriolic words regarding the Wonderbolt seated across from her. When she finally looked up, her face was twisted into a scowl. “This is outrageous! They paint you as some kind of cheater, as if you had an upper hoof over the other Wonderbolt recruits! How dare they!”

“You know I didn’t cheat. I know I didn’t. My closest friends – Rainbow, Rumble, Belle, Apple Bloom – they all know I didn’t. But who will believe the word of the accused? There’s no proof that my artificial wings didn’t give in an advantage in the tryouts, or that Rainbow Dash, as captain of the Wonderbolts, wasn’t biased in favor of me when picking who would join the team. The townsponies will get skeptical and suspicious – it’ll start out small at first, I’m sure, but eventually this whole thing will blow up in my face, and there’s nothing anypony can do about it.” She sighed heavily, the weight of the subject crushing down on her shoulders. “I should have never become a Wonderbolt.”

“Now, do not say that, Scootaloo,” Luna scolded sternly. “You have blossomed in their ranks for almost a year now; not only as an athlete, but also as a young mare. Besides, how else would you have become so close to Rumble or your other fellow Wonderbolts? They represent everything you love, Scootaloo, and you cannot simply throw that all away over one silly newspaper article.”

“Don’t you get it?” Scootaloo angrily hissed back, slamming her hoof on the table and drawing the eyes of several of the ponies still in the café. “This article holds everything I never wanted to be made public! I probably should have known I couldn’t keep it a secret forever, but I was young and ambitious, overconfident and stupid. There are hundreds of ponies who want my position and they will use this story to ruin me! The Wonderbolts as a whole will be made a laughing stock for letting a pony with ‘enhancements’ join over those flying with natural wingpower! They don’t want this kind of controversy on their heads, and to be honest, I don’t blame them... besides, it would only be a matter of time before they kick me out anyway.” Her frame drooped and she hung her head, staring once again at the headline on the table before her, the bolded letters blurring as long-buried tears filled her lavender eyes and clouded her vision. Just the thought of letting down her closest friends and giving up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform in Canterlot made her want to sink into the ground and never return. But she simply had no choice.

“Scootaloo, you are not thinking clearly.” Luna said in a quiet voice, looking at the orange mare as if she had seen all the light and spirit exit her eyes in a mere second. “You are angry and hurt and making decisions in the heat of the moment.”

“Then tell me what I’m supposed to do,” the pegasus whispered. “Tell me. I don’t know what to do, Luna. I’m trapped and nopony can save me.” She could do nothing as the dams burst and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, for the first time in many years, infecting her mouth with their salty taste, dripping off her chin and staining the picture of her smiling face on the paper below, the mass of them carrying enough water in their tiny droplets to rust her powerful wings of steel.

Author's Note

If you enjoyed, or didn't, please consider leaving a comment telling me why - I love hearing from the readers!

**Due to popular demand, I will most likely be writing a second part to this fic, so I am changing the status to "incomplete"**