Scootaloo Origins

It was over an hour before she found anything Scootaloo could use as a navigation tool. There was a clear path that cut across the forest, she thought she had heard tales of a festival that took place here which caused the beginning of autumn. The tales told of a day where ponies of all types would run the track and cause the leaves to fall, this was called The Running of the Leaves. This festival was as important as the celebration of winter wrap up as it brought about a new season.

It was mid-summer now so it should be empty apart from anypony who was out for a stroll. Scootaloo decided that the best option would be just to keep heading east until she found the track, once she found that she could just follow that, it was meant to go round in one great loop after all. It was hard to see as the forest was so dense that it was hardly possible to see the sky. Scootaloo stumbled through the undergrowth, just glad to finally be out of the city and going to someplace new. Maybe in Ponyville she would have a proper home, or perhaps friends. Friends. Scootaloo had never had any proper friends before, she wondered what it would be like to have ponies she could trust with anything, to have ponies to play and talk with. This optimism is what drove Scootaloo forward, she was determined to reach Ponyville and set up a good life if it was the last thing she ever did.

As Celestia began to lower the sun Scootaloo thought that it would be best if she was to find shelter for the night, it didn’t take long for her to find a small dug out area beneath a tree. It didn’t look like anything lived there so she assumed it was safe, besides the tree provided good shelter against any of the night’s cruel weather. As the last of the sun was disappearing beyond the horizon with the moon on the other side of the sky, Scootaloo had time to think. She thought about her home, her family. What would they think when they got the news of what happened, would they even get the news? As far as anypony knew, nopony had ever escaped Cloudsdale, she doubted the fact that the officials would tell the truth about her escape as that would bring shame to Cloudsdale which they were obviously against with the whole test. Even if she passed the last test she would have been put through flight school and then have to pass another later on in her life, this one would also consist of three parts but you would have to succeed in all three to pass.

Scootaloo worried if her parents were punished instead of her, what if they were carted off to where she would have been taken. It was clear enough that she would never have passed, her wings just wouldn’t develop, her parents knew this as well but would never admit it, they wanted to push her to be her best, just like all good parents. Scootaloo knew she would likely never see them again and so she silently said her final goodbyes into the night sky before she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Scootaloo awoke later that night, she couldn’t tell what time it was but it was definitely sometime between midnight and three in the morning. She suffered night terrors more often than not these days and they grew worse as the exam drew closer, she had hoped that they would grow weaker after the exam but this one had been worse than ever. Scootaloo could never remember what she dreamt about and she didn’t think she wanted to. All she could remember about it was that it was bad, anyway, she never got back to sleep after she was awoken.

It was still dark and would be a few hours till Celestia rose the sun again but Scootaloo decided that it would be best for her too move out now. She didn't have any food but she was starving, she didn't eat well as it is but now that she was moving constantly it would be even more of a problem. Scootaloo would have to reach Ponyville within next day or so unless she wanted to risk major starvation. She found the path later that morning, she wasn't that sure which way that would get her there quicker but as she had been heading east it would probably have been best to go the most eastward direction.

By the time it was midday the trees began to spread out more until Scootaloo walked out into an open field and in the distance, no more than three miles away, stood Ponyville. She couldn't believe that she had come so far in the last couple of days, only a few more miles and she could start over. Once she got something to eat.