1) The Butterfly: Free Falling
The young Pegasus pony and her two best friends galloped over to their tree house, it was the day after Princess Luna shared all of Ponyville's dreams to help fight the Tantibus, and Scootaloo was determined to fly again--this time in reality. She loved the feeling of the air beneath her wings, and that proud look Rainbow gave her after she swatted the Tantibus away. What if it happened in real life? Would Rainbow be ecstatic? There was only one way to know for sure.
"I just need to get to the top of our clubhouse," Scootaloo informed them, "then, I'll jump off, spread my wings, and fly!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stopped abruptly, concern washing over their faces. Scootaloo didn't seem to notice, for she ran up the ramp to the clubhouse, then proceeded to try to get up to the roof; placing her forehooves on the wall and staring up at the sky. Only then did she notice that her two friends wen't giving her a boost up. She looked over to her right, then to her left, and upon seeing her friends, removed herself from the wall and walked over to the shaky guard rail. "Don't you want to help me?" Scootaloo's voice squeaked as she asked that seemingly important question, the bright red helmet on her head falling off and crashing to the ground right beside Sweetie Belle, who flinched at the sudden falling object.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie looked at each other for a moment, exchanging a message only eyes could speak; Apple Bloom was the first to speak. "Are ya sure this is a good idea, Scoots? What if ya get hurt, or worse?" Scootaloo chuckled at Apple Bloom's question, dismissively waving a hoof as if Apple Bloom had told her that her helmet was green.
"What could possibly be worse than getting hurt?" She responded, causing Apple Bloom and Sweetie to exchange a worried look again. "Besides, I have Rainbow Dash bringing a cloud to be my landing pad in case this plan fails, but I'm almost positive it won't!" Her enthusiasm was blinding the possibilities of her ending her life by accident.
"Don't you want a mattress below the cloud?" Sweetie asked, "you know, in case the cloud doesn't catch you?" As she talked, her green aura lifted Scootaloo's fallen helmet and placed it back on Scootaloo's head.
Scootaloo tightened the strap this time before answering, slowly but steadily growing annoyed that her friends didn't trust her plan. "No, clouds hold pegasi, remember?" She showed the her wings, in case they forgot that she was one of the pegasi species. They din't need the reminder, though, her wings were the whole reason they were there in the first place.
"But--"
"Are ya gonna just stand there, or are ya gonna help me?" Scootaloo interrupted, "come on, Rainbow's gonna be here any minute! I want her here so she can see me fly for the first time!"
Again, her friends exchanged that worried, troubled look before both letting out a reluctant sigh and walking up the ramp to help the determined Scootaloo.
I've been watching them for quite some time; since they all meet at that little pony's cutesineria. I'm watching her friends help that flightless pegasus get on the roof. Whats her plan, to jump off? That'll never work! She'll kill herself!
I see a bright blue pegasus fly in and position a cloud right below the happy foal, the tiny pegasus is now on the roof, her friends are craning their necks to see how this will play out. Are they really going to let their friend do that? How absurd!
She jumps, flapping her tiny wings frantically. I need to do something to help her, I can't just let her fall--that cloud might hold her, yes, but not for very long. It's a very thin cloud, almost transparent from where I hang. I fire up my horn, not knowing which spell I'll use, but knowing that the little pegasus needs some good luck fast.
The pegasus is starting to fall. My horn lets out a burst of magic, making me dizzy and faint. I see the bright blue glowing butterfly before me. "Go." I whisper, "the orange pegasus needs help, she needs some luck. Go--aid her, until you feel she needs aiding no more."
The dizziness of the spell finally catches up to me, I fall to the forest floor in an unconscious heap.
"There you are, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered as she watched the bright cyan pony place a very thin cloud where she estimated Scootaloo would land. "Where have ya been?"
"I was out looking for a cloud puffy enough for you to land on-uh-if you do land." Rainbow answered, "it was hard, though. We marked this day as a cloudless day about a month ago, I tried to change it, but the other pegasi got upset with me." She put a hoof behind her head and placed an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, kiddo."
"It's fine, I have a good feeling that I'll finally be able to fly today!" She looked down at her friends that were craning their necks to watch. They still looked concerned. "With all the faith that my friends-and role model," she looked back at Rainbow Dash, who still had her apologetic smile on, though it looked more like a worried one now. Scootaloo shrugged it off and continued. "Put into me, I'm sure it'll finally give me the power to fly!" She beamed, proud of her tiny speech, then leaped of the clubhouse roof, in a superman position, her wings flapping frantically.
A flash of bright blue came from the apple trees surrounding them, making Scootaloo lose focus. Before she knew what was happening, the ground was getting closer, the cloud to far to reach. She was free falling, moments away from smashing into the cold, hard ground. Into cold, hard reality. The cloud of nostalgia that clouded her view before had vanished, and she only then realized she should have gone with the mattress.
She was going to get seriously injured.
She could die.
She screamed, possibly the last sound that would ever escape her mouth again.
