A Journey Across Equestria

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
Chapter 2: "I Can Relate."
Chapter 3: The Fear Factor
Chapter 4: Not As Planned
Chapter 5: Aquatic City

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

"Yeah, I'm leaving." Scootaloo said, poking the ground with her hoof.

"For good?" Applebloom asked, her eyes wide with worry.

"For good." Scootaloo echoed in response.

"But you can't your home is here! Your friends are here!" Sweetie Belle threw her hooves around Scootaloo's neck. "Don't leave! We won't be the same without you!"

"Yeah! There are no Cutiemark Crusaders if we're missin' one crusader!" Applebloom agreed. "And why do ya even wanna leave? So many ponies love ya! What's Rainbow Dash gonna do without ya?"

"Well, me leaving won't be that much of an impact on any pony." Scootaloo paused when she saw her friends sad faces. Her heart sank, splitting into two. "Well, not that many ponies will be affected." She corrected herself.

"But why are you leaving?" Applebloom repeated.

There was a long moment of silence. Scootaloo bit her lower lip. "Because... Because..." Scootaloo managed to force a few words out before stopping again. "Because I don't fit in here. I'm bullied for not being able to fly and for being a blank flank." She admitted.

"But I can barely lift a mouse!" Sweetie Belle said, trying to relate to Scootaloo.

"You're just saying that. You can lift ten tons if you put your mind to it. But no matter how hard I try, I can't get my hooves off the ground with my wings!" Scootaloo flapped her wings to make her point, but she didn't get an inch up in the air. "These things are useless! They can't even serve their purpose!" She wanted to tell them so badly that she was really trying to see if she could find her mother, the one that had abandoned her when she was young, and maybe ask why she couldn't keep her. Was Scootaloo too ugly? Or did her mother know she'd be a failure?

"But Scoots, ya know ya'll use yer wings for somethin' in yer own special way!" Applebloom assured her friend.

"Yeah! Like your scooter! You can get some serious speed on that thing!" Sweetie Belle motioned to the scooter laying beside them, which was attached to the little red wagon.

"Well, thanks guys. But there's no changing my mind. I'm leaving, I'll find a place where I can fit in." Scootaloo got up and started walking towards her scooter. And find my mom. She added silently

"Wait! But Scootaloo, you don't have to be like every pony else. It's fine to stand out!" Sweetie Belle stated.

"Mhm!" Applebloom nodded. "And also, can we go for one more ride on yer scooter before ya leave? Ya know, for old time sake!"

Scootaloo sighed, mounting her scooter. "Sure. Just for the memories." Her friends jumped to their hooves and leaped into the wagon.

Together, they rode through Ponyville, probably for the last time. They caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash over head, zipping from cloud to cloud. Suddenly, Scootaloo's throat was dry. How was she going to break the news to her? Sure, Rainbow Dash was a great sister figure, but she'd never understand. She'd try to talk her out of it like her friends had, but then she'd get all of Ponyville involved. And she'd never be able to leave, even though she could stay with her best friends forever. She wanted to find her mother and wouldn't change her mind.

They stopped at Sugarcube Corner. "Hi, guys!" Pinkie chirped. The three said nothing, just pointed at something on the menu and waited. "Aw, why the long faces??" Pinkie sniffed the air. "Ohh, I know. Scootaloo's leaving forever and ever and you're all super sad because she'll never come back?"

"How did you...?" Sweetie began as their ice creams were served.

"Pinkie sense! Plus, I could smell it in the air! And these are extra special ice creams! I call them Forever Together because it's a ton of flavors mashed together!" Pinkie replied, bouncing off.

They looked down at the ice creams, it was an assortment of thousands of flavors in one glass. They didn't order it, but apparently Pinkie knew what they wanted before the wanted it. Sweetie Belle pulled hers towards her and ate a spoonful. "Delicious!"

Applebloom ate a bit too. "This is the best! And it might be somethin' you can only get in Ponyville!" She nudged Scootaloo.

Scootaloo shoved the ice cream into her mouth. It was an explosion of taste. She could have sworn that she saw an burst of light and Applebloom's words echoed in her head. Only in Ponyville... They said. She quickly gobbled up the rest and started for the door. But her mother wasn't in Ponyville. "I'm going to pack. I'll see you guys l-..." She cut herself off before she said later. There would probably be no later with her best friends.

"So this is goodbye...?" Sweetie Belle standing up and walking towards Scootaloo.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah... I guess."

"We'll really miss ya, Scoots." Applebloom followed Sweetie Belle.

Without warning, they threw their hooves around Scootaloo. "We'll never forget you..." They said in unison. They seemed to be prepared to cry. Scootaloo was on the verge of tears herself.

"I'll never forget you guys. I'll never forget Ponyville." Scootaloo closed her eyes, remembering all of the times she had spent with her friends. The day they found each other and had become the Cutiemark Crusaders. They were inseparable after that. But today, that would all end. Do I really want to leave? Scootaloo asked herself. Yes. I'll be back, Ponyville is my home. I swear to Celestia, I will be back to meet my friends again. I just want to find her... Scootaloo answered her own question.

Scootaloo packed her backpack. She had decided to put a framed picture of her, the Cutiemark Crusaders and the Mane 6. It would be a nice memory. She had also inserted a few bits, some food, a map and a quill and some paper, in case she could write some letters and mail them back to Ponyville. It could be like Twilight's letters to Princess Celestia. Scootaloo fastened her helmet and threw her bag into the wagon. She jumped onto her scooter, flapping her wings and pushing off. Ponyville passed by in a blur as the moonlight lit the way.

She was headed towards the Everfree forest. She stopped and checked her map. She could go around. That seemed like a better idea, even if it could take her a little longer. She was planning on heading to Las Pegasus, where she might probably make new life for herself and where she assumed her mother was. Twilight had said she seemed like she was originally from there, and she had assumed Twilight was never wrong. She hoped her friends wouldn't snitch on her, even though they didn't know the real reason she was leaving, or some ponies might be sent out to look for her and bring her back to Ponyville. She didn't only want to start over. She wanted to travel Equestria to find her mother. It had been a dream of hers, other than her one to become just like Rainbow Dash. The thrill of going all the way to Las Pegasus by scooter was overwhelming, it would truly be an adventure. But she'd also find a piece of herself. The piece her mother took with her when she had left her on the orphanage door.

Scootaloo turned right. The map had shown that soon, she'd come across a small bridge over a river. From there she would go forward before taking the first turn to the right. Then she would just have to continue on until she had reached Las Pegasus. She had earlier thought of going to Manehattan before deciding that it would be too far and Las Pegasus was her best bet to find her mother. If she got there and she hadn't found a trace of her mother, she could always leave and go to another place. Scootaloo picked up speed, she wanted to get at least half way there before dawn, even though it seemed near impossible. You can defy physics. She told herself as she continued down the dirt path.

Chapter 2: "I Can Relate."

Scootaloo was rolling along, humming to herself as she pressed on. She shivered. It was about to rain. "Oh no..." Scootaloo murmured. She didn't bother to bring a jacket and scolded herself for forgetting the Wonderbolt jacket Rainbow Dash had given her after a show. Why didn't she bring such an important item with her? Maybe it was because the memories of Rainbow Dash would force her to turn around to run into her welcoming hooves. She couldn't go back. Not without finding her mother.

What type of shelter would she find when the only town nearby was miles away? Maybe on the bridge, there would be some rocks underneath to that she could curl up and relax, sheltered from the rain. But maybe the rocks would be cold, and some water might occasionally splash on her if she did go with the idea to stay there for a bit. Or she could go into the shade of the trees on the side of the road. Even if she didn't want to go near the Everfree forest, it wouldn't be so bad to stay there until the storm had passed. After all, she'd heard that the creepy things only come out at midnight. The sun was about to rise and the rain couldn't last that long. Scootaloo felt raindrops on her head. She turned and was somewhat shaded by the trees. She entered as far as she dared, then stopped.

Scootaloo saw a wagon, is had a red roof and cream colored walls. It was a bit familiar. Was it the home of a show pony? Maybe it was a pegasus? No, it was a magic pony. She did tricks with her horn, so it couldn't be an earth pony or a pegasus.

"Don't you dare touch my house, you roots!" A blue unicorn screeched, slapping at vines with a whip she had made with her magic. She was in a clearing, it was illuminated by fairy lights. It was completely shielded from the rain. "Back! Back!" The unicorn blasted some of the earthly tentacles with her horn. "I may have been beaten by Twilight Sparkle, but that doesn't mean you can bully me!" She cried, slicing all of the vines into tiny pieces. The ones still intact crawled back into the darkness. Beaten by Twilight Sparkle? Now Scootaloo remembered. It was that mare who used to perform in Ponyville. Trixie Lulamoon. But why was she in the Everfree forest?

"Um... Hello." Scootaloo walked into he clearing, her scooter in tow behind her.

"Eep!" Trixie squeaked in surprise, but regained her composure. "Sorry, I'm not used to visitors, nor do I want any. That Twilight Sparkle beat down messed me up a bit." She muttered the last sentence more to herself than to Scootaloo.

"You're Trixie Lulamoon. Why are you out here?" Scootaloo asked.

"You know my name? I mean... Of course you do, I'm the great an powerful Trixie! And I'm out here because I wanted to get away from it all. Let's say I've been emotionally scarred." Trixie replied, waving her hoof around.

"Me too! Well, I wanted to get away from it all as well! I'm Scootaloo! I'm going to Las Pegasus!" Scootaloo exclaimed, relieved to find that she wasn't the only one who wasn't happy with themselves. She wanted to tell Trixie why she was going to Las Pegasus, but stopped herself before she said it.

"I'm going to Manehattan. Maybe I can be a street magician or something." Trixie sighed. "But who am I kidding, even a foal could out do me!"

"I saw you fight off those vines, and that was awesome!" Scootaloo said, maybe she was exaggerating, but Trixie's magic wasn't half bad. "I mean, I can't even fly and all the other fillies can. I haven't even gotten my cutiemark yet."

Trixie smiled. It did feel nice to have somepony to relate to, after being ignored for so long. "Well, you'll get it soon. And I'm sure it'll be amazing."

This was unexpected. Scootaloo had always thought that Trixie was nothing but a self-centered mare with an ego the size of Equestria. "Thanks. I'm sure that you'll be a big hit in Manehattan." She returned the compliment.

"T-Thank you." Trixie had never been complimented by other ponies before. It was a first for her to say thank you when she wasn't being applauded by a crowd of ponies. But this felt like millions of crowds of ponies were cheering her name and clapping as if she'd just done the impossible. "You seem cold, do you want a blanket and some hot cocoa?" Trixie asked, slightly embarrassed at her sudden act of kindness. It was Fluttershy's job to be nice on the behalf of all the evil ponies, not hers.

"Sure!" Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to warm up with some hot cocoa. She followed Trixie into the wagon.

"Sorry it's a bit cramped, it was only made for one pony." Trixie apologized.

"Don't worry. It's actually very spacious." Scootaloo didn't actually think it was that small. Maybe it was just because of her size.

Trixie wrapped a blanket around Scootaloo's shoulders and levitated some hot cocoa to her. "So... you're out here all alone?" Trixie asked, sipping from her own cup of hot cocoa.

Scootaloo nodded.
"Wait, you were allowed to go to Las Pegasus on your own?" Trixie had to fight the urge to spit out her hot cocoa in shock.

"Well, I wasn't necessarily allowed to go. I sort of just got up and left. I just didn't want to be held back, you know?" Scootaloo paused and wiped some of the hot cocoa that had dribbled down her coat.

"Won't ponies be worried about you?" Trixie was genuinely concerned. A little filly travelling on her own? No, that was unacceptable.

"I don't think so. I'm just one little filly. They won't even notice I'm gone. And please don't take me back! I'll be bullied again and I'll never get to explore Equestria!" Scootaloo pleaded. Or find my mom.

Trixie bit her lower lip. On one hoof, this filly needed to be safe at home with ponies who cared about her. On the other hoof, Scootaloo wanted to have the freedom to follow her dreams, whichever ones she had. "My lips are sealed." Trixie finally replied, sighing. "But I'm going to accompany you for a bit of your trip before we go our separate ways, you know, to make sure you're safe."

"Fine by me!" Scootaloo said, finishing her cocoa. Whew. Nopony's going to tell on me. Wait a minute. Pinkie Pie! I forgot all about Pinkie Pie! She's going to tell everypony! Darn you, Pinkie! Scootaloo thought, momentarily gritting her teeth. Hold on, she doesn't know where I'm going. Her Pinkie sense isn't good enough to track a filly! She reassured herself, taking a deep breath.

"Let's go!" Trixie announced, stuffing Scootaloo's scooter and small red wagon in the back. She used her magic so that her own wagon was firmly attached to her. She opened an entrance in the trees with her horn and trotted back onto the path. Scootaloo peered out the window, it seemed to have stopped raining. She dozed off, the occasional bumps waking her up momentarily before she fell asleep again.

Scootaloo woke up at the sound of rushing water. She looked out of the window they were crossing a wooden bridge. She whipped out her map and saw that they were getting close. Scootaloo estimated that she'd need only one more day of travelling to make it to Las Pegasus. She had gotten halfway there in a day. She had defied physics, but sadly couldn't defy it enough to make her fly. It was getting lighter. Scootaloo thought she'd seen a rainbow-colored shooting star. It reminded her of Rainbow Dash. You were just seeing things, shooting stars aren't rainbow-colored and stars aren't even there in the daytime! She told herself.

The multi-colored star seemed to be heading towards Ponyville. "Sorry, Rainbow Dash. But I can't go back..." Scootaloo muttered.

"What was that?" Trixie seemed to hear Scootaloo.

"Nothing..." She quickly replied, feeling a bit homesick. But this was something she had to do. So she could get a fresh new start, and maybe training to help her fly. Maybe training from her mother. Her real[/i mother. ]Then she'd come home to Rainbow Dash a master flyer fit to join the Wonderbolts. Goodnight, Rainbow Dash. Goodnight, Ponyville. Scootaloo slept, curled up in the blanket, gently snoring.

Chapter 3: The Fear Factor

Sunlight shined down into Scootaloo's face through a gap in the curtains. She groaned. "Rise and shine!" Trixie sang out. Scootaloo's eyes flew open. She had dreamed she was back home, in Ponyville. She was watching Rainbow Dash soared over ahead, her fellow crusaders sitting on either side of her as she whooped and cheered along with a crowd of ponies. She felt homesick. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.
"What's wrong? We're getting closer to Las Pegasus. I thought you said you wanted to explore Equestria?" Trixie stopped, turning to give Scootaloo a concerned look.

Well, Scootaloo wasn't necessarily traveling Equestria. Though this could be a start if she decided she wanted to. Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. She did want to explore Equestria, but at what cost? She had left Rainbow Dash and probably all of Ponyville worried sick about her. Maybe this was a better time than any to inform them that she was okay. "I do. I'm okay, really." She told Trixie as she turned and reached into her bag.
The wagon started to move forward again, telling Scootaloo that Trixie was satisfied with her answer. She pulled out her quill and paper, she kept the feather in her mouth when she realized something. She had forgotten the ink at home. How could she have been so stupid?

Trixie looked out the corner of her eye to see the frustrated filly. "Ink?" She had conjured up a packet of ink with her magic.

"Thanks!" Scootaloo said, relieved, taking the ink. "But I'm curious. If you can make things appear out of thin air, then why don't you just teleport to Manehattan?" She asked.

"I guess it's because my magic isn't strong enough. Or it's just for the thrill of the journey." Trixie kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead.

"Isn't that a bit scary? You even had to stop in the Everfree forest. The Everfree forest!"

"Think about it like this. Everypony has this thing called a fear factor. It's like a big thermometer, but it monitors how scared you can get. Somepony's fear factors go through the roof, somepony's are smaller." Trixie explained.

Scootaloo thought of Rainbow Dash. "So you mean some ponies are just born with smaller fear factors than others?"

"No. They make their fear factors smaller by overcoming their fears. For example, I was scared of having to spend my time in the Everfree forest. But I decorated it with bright lights and the next thing I knew, I was fighting off monsters like it was nothing."

"So you mean that if you just put something that lights up around, it makes you less afraid?"

"No. We usually used those back where I came from. That's why I put up those lights, because they reminded me of my roots. My origin. My home. That made me stronger. Strong enough to conquer even my greatest fears."

Scootaloo had now thought of her view on the world in a different light. Trixie was had just planted great words of wisdom into her head. Maybe even Rainbow Dash, one of the best mares Scootaloo knew, used to have loads of fears, like Scootaloo. She must've done something that had brought back memories. Scootaloo dipped her quill in the ink, pausing before she wrote on the paper. Who would she send this to? Rainbow Dash? The Cutiemark Crusaders? Scootaloo racked her brain for a bit before a tiny bell dinged in her head. She decided she could know tell them the real reason she was leaving.

Dear Ponyville,

I'm on a journey to find where I really belong, to my my mother, whose not from Ponyville (according to Ponyville's favorite bookworm). It hasn't been as hard as I first thought. I met Trixie, you know, that show pony who came by a while ago? Yeah, that one. She told me about this thing called a Fear Factor. It's like a thermometer, but it measures your fear instead of your body heat. She said that some are big and some are tinsy tiny, like Rainbow Dash's. Trixie had used her own story to further explain Fear Factors to me. She had explained that while stopping in the Everfree on her way to Manehattan, she was scared at first. But she hung some lights up that had urged her to overcome her fears. Then she wasn't afraid at all! Strange, right? Anyways, she's helping me get to my destination before she has to go on another road to get to Manehattan. I'm sort of excited and scared at the same time. Wish me luck!

From Scootaloo.

She looked over her writing, messy but readable. It wasn't all easy when you didn't have a horn or claws to help you write. She hoped she didn't add too many hints about her location, after all, she didn't want somepony on her trail. "You writing a letter?" Trixie asked with a spark of curiosity visible in her eyes.

"Mhm. I'm going to send it when I get to a post office in Las Pegasus." Scootaloo replied, nodding.

"Why do that when you have a unicorn that can teleport stuff for you?"

Scootaloo hadn't thought about that.

"Here, allow me. I'll make tons of copies of these and make 'em fall from the sky like snow in winter!" Trixie announced, igniting her horn. The letter was surrounded by a light blue aura. Trixie groaned. "I... I don't think I can.." Her horn fizzed, sending out sparks. When it subsided, Trixie sighed. "I think my horn is a bit over worked. Sorry."

"Don't worry. We can't do everything. I can mail it when I get to Las Pegasus, or the nearest town." Scootaloo assured Trixie, stuffing her paper, quill and ink packet into the bag.

"Speaking of Las Pegasus, you have to go it alone now." Trixie struggled as she levitated Scootaloo's scooter out onto the path in front of her. "I'm going that way." She pointed to her left.

"But isn't that Ghastly Gorge?! Every pony who has been on that thing disappeared!" Scootaloo jumped out of the wagon.

"Remember the fear factor, I'll be fine. You just go on the path to Las Pegasus. And stay on the path! I might come visit you there sometime to make sure you're okay. Just make sure to send some letters to Manehattan, too."

"Okay." Scootaloo nodded, hugging Trixie. "Thank you."

"Uhh... You're welcome." Trixie smiled, patting Scootaloo on the head. "Oh and here." She gave Scootaloo a necklace. "To remember me by. It used to be mine, but I think my fear factor is under control. Bye, Scootaloo."

"Bye Trixie. I'll never forget you." Scootaloo watched as Trixie turned and crossed the bridge. "Wait!" She called out. Trixie poked her head out of the mist that surrounded the gorge. "Your blanket."

"You can keep it. You need it more than I do."

"Okay, then. Thank you!" Scootaloo waved goodbye as Trixie once again disappeared into the cloud of fog.

She was worried. Not even Rainbow Dash could be able to fly over that gorge without being the slightest bit afraid, but how had Trixie simply walked over with no fear at all? "The fear factor..." Scootaloo murmured to herself, putting the blanket into the wagon under her bag. She wondered, would fear factor keep Trixie safe, or did it just allow her to walk to her death, pulling along a heavy wagon.
She put on her helmet, pushing off, her wings flapping gently as she tried to avoid jerking off path and falling into Ghastly Gorge.

Scootaloo squinted to see that in the distance, there was nothing more than a rocky path. Few trees had managed to survive, but still they didn't look so well. Maybe some pony hadn't seen this except for her. This place was obviously not in good shape. "Sweet Celestia..." Scootaloo noticed that all of the flowers were wilting, pointing to the dry grass. Even if it was still morning, the area gave off an eerie glow. It seemed like the dead trees were shaped like claws, tilting in her direction. She flapped slightly faster, eager to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

Chapter 4: Not As Planned

Scootaloo zoomed along, desperate to get somewhere safer as quickly as she could. She had no idea why, but she felt unsafe, like she was being watched. There was a rushing river right under her and she had a feeling something bad was going to happen involving the large body of water below her. The path was getting narrower and narrower. She should have guessed that it was on the side of a mountain. Las Pegasus was probably mostly traveled to by chariot, so nopony knew of this trail. Scootaloo nervously glanced around. The creepy trees weren't lining the road any more, but that didn't put her at ease.

"Whoa!" Scootaloo's scooter went over a big rock, causing her to tilt. She tried to keep going, hoping that she could upright herself, but she was wrong. She was falling, frantically flapping her wings in hopes of miraculously learning to fly. She screamed as she fell to her possible doom. Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash! Scootaloo thought, thinking she might be saved. But she wouldn't be. All Trixie said about the fear factor was fake.

Scootaloo could've sworn she had seen Rainbow Dash ripping through the skies, a trail of color following her. "Scootaloo?! Scootaloo?! Where are you, squirt?!" She called. Scootaloo figured her friends ratted her out, telling Rainbow Dash that she had left. Rainbow Dash was obviously worried sick. A cloud of guilt hovered over Scootaloo. She hit the water, making a loud splash. Rainbow Dash must've been too far to hear it, because the last thing Scootaloo saw was her flying away, probably back to Ponyville.

Scootaloo held her breath, shutting her eyes. She felt for her belongings, grabbing onto her bag. She scrambled around for her scooter with no luck. She was running out of air, she had to swim to the surface. Scootaloo didn't have much experience swimming, she never thought she'd need to. And Rainbow Dash even told her all she'd need to be was loyal and a great flyer, not a good swimmer. She had to put the little knowledge she knew of the water sport to use. She kicked off from the ground, starting to flap her small wings. She managed to break through the water. She gasped for air. It seemed to be starting to rain. She should've checked the weather forecast before leaving, that was for sure. She pushed her hair out of her eyes. She visually searched the river for her water, but didn't see her scooter. "Well, there goes my mode of transport..." She groaned. She figured she'd have to pay for a train with the little bits she had. That would've been a better idea in the first place, but Scootaloo figured that a filly all on her own wouldn't be allowed on without an adult. She would have to probably sneak onto one.

Scootaloo put on her backpack, folding her wings. She looked up at the sky. Storm clouds were blocking the sun. Maybe this was a sign, that it wouldn't be as easy as it had been getting to where she was now. She wouldn't just be able to get a free ride from somepony else. She sighed, turning onto her back and closing her eyes. She remembered the days with her fellow crusaders, Rainbow Dash, and everypony living in Ponyville in general. She even missed Diamond Tiara, even if she was a bully. Scootaloo felt like she was about to sink, but didn't. She bobbed in the water, gently being carried by the current.

Scootaloo frantically waved her arms, emerging from the water. She must've fallen asleep somehow and sunk a few seconds ago. She quickly swam to the other side, spotting a cave. She could camp out there for a bit, before she was ready to resume her journey. But of course, she'd need to find a way to resume the journey without her scooter, which would prove a difficult task. There was barely anything or anypony for miles. It would take her weeks to get to Las Pegasus, months maybe. She climbed into the cave, spitting and coughing out water. "Hello??" Even if it seemed like there was nopony else in there, Scootaloo just wanted to make sure. She didn't want to get into any trouble.

"Hello!!" A melodious voice sang out. It wasn't Scootaloo's voice echoing. There was somepony there with her. Scootaloo cautiously stepped forward, noticing that there was some water in the cave as well. It was up to her knees, inches away from her stomach. Some water from the river must've ended up here.

"Whose there??" Scootaloo asked, trudging forward.

"Whose there?" The other voice repeated, asking her own question.

"I asked first!" Scootaloo picked up the pace, she was getting curious.

"Well, okay! I'm Aqua. Now, who're you?"

Aqua. This pony's cutiemark must have been something related to water. "I'm Scootaloo. Wait, what are you doing in here?"

"I live here. Well, I live around these parts." Aqua replied.

"Oh, so you're just hanging out here?"

"Guess so."

Scootaloo walked through a tunnel, finding the owner of the voice. A mermare. It was a mermare. "A mermare?? I... I... You aren't real... You're just old pony tales."

"I am real, silly!" It was filly with a light blue coat with striking blue eyes. She had a straight blue mane dripping with water.

"You have my scooter." Scootaloo saw that Aqua had her scooter.

"Is that what it's called? I came here ten minutes ago and found this thing. It's very interesting." Aqua used her tail to push Scootaloo's scooter over to the other side of the small pool.

Scootaloo pulled it out of the water, setting it to the side. "So, you live around these parts?" She asked.

Aqua nodded.

"Well, how far am I from Las Pegasus?" Scootaloo figured that Aqua might know the answer, even though she lived underwater.

Aqua swam to the left side of the pool, pulling a lever and revealing a map of Equestria. "Well, you went down this river..." Aqua said, tracing her hoof across the map. "And you went down to this side." Scootaloo had seemed to have gone the wrong way down a fork in the road somewhere down the line, because when Aqua gave her the answer, she wasn't happy. "You've actually went the wrong direction here. But if it makes you feel any better, it would've taken you a day to get to Las Pegasus even if you did go the right way, maybe even two."

"Ughh!" Scootaloo sat own at the edge of the pool. "I'm cold, tired and hungry!" She hadn't had anything to eat since Ponyville, that wasn't counting the hot cocoa she had at Trixie's though.

"Well, you can come to my house. We have tons of food there and some space for you to sleep!" Aqua suggested, getting a bit excited.

"But I have to get to Las Pegasus soon." Scootaloo protested.

"I can get you there faster than you can get there on scooter."

"Okay..." Scootaloo was fine with anything as long as she could get to her destination.

"Yay! Follow me!" Aqua dove into the pool, motioning for Scootaloo to follow her.

"But I'm not a mermare. I can't breath underwater." Scootaloo hesitated.

"Just dive in! Trust me. Would I let you drown?" Aqua said.

Scootaloo barely even knew this filly, so Aqua's question didn't really make sense. Maybe you might. Scootaloo mentally answered, but jumped in anyways.

Chapter 5: Aquatic City

Aqua blew a bubble, which encased Scootaloo. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and making the bubble tighter and tighter. Scootaloo started to squirm. "Don't resist." Aqua ordered, opening one eye.

Scootaloo did her best, but felt as if she was suffocating. Stop! She mentally screamed. You're going to kill me! She tried to kick her way out, but her legs seemed stuck together.

"Done!" Aqua announced, the bubble disappearing.

Scootaloo was turning red. She struggled to pull herself to the surface.

"You can breath now." Aqua told her. "I turned you into a mermare."

"What?!" Scootaloo shrieked, immediately turning back to Aqua.

"It's the only way to travel around here." Aqua explained. "If you weren't a mermare you'd probably drown."

Scootaloo looked down at her magenta tail. "How long does it last?"

"Not long enough to stay here and chit-chat. Follow me!" Aqua swam downwards towards a small tunnel in the side of her small pool.

"Okay let's..!" Scootaloo remembered her scooter. "I can't leave you behind, I might never come back..." She said to the object. She folded it and pushed it into her backpack, not managing to fully zip it. "There! I'm ready. Wait for me, Aqua!" She shouted, pushing off with her tail and swimming to the tunnel. It was strange using a tail instead of her hooves. She couldn't properly stand up. She occasionally jerked from one side to another, quickly regaining her balance as she swam.

Aqua looked back at her. "Try to keep up, I'm a fast swimmer!" She yelled over her shoulder.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this..." Scootaloo said to herself, gaining speed. Soon she was right on Aqua's tail. "Fast swimmer, huh?"

"Beginners luck!" Aqua shouted. "Can't wait to see how you handle this!"

Aqua reminded Scootaloo of Rainbow Dash. The way she reacted to a near loss was just like her. Before Scootaloo could dwell on the thought more, Aqua led her through a shipwreck. "Woah!" Scootaloo spiraled through the holes with much difficulty.

Aqua paused at the end. "You're better than I thought." She complimented Scootaloo. "I think you need a real challenge then!" With that, she sped off, bubbles surrounding her.

"What the..?" In fear of being left behind, Scootaloo quickly swam after Aqua. "Wait! I can't keep up!" Aqua zoomed over a giant rock while Scootaloo didn't have the ability to pull herself upwards that fast. Before she could turn the other way, she had hit the rock.

"Wait..." A dazed Scootaloo groaned, trying to reach out. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

Scootaloo was in Ponyville again. "I'm back!" She exclaimed. She rushed to Golden Oaks library, where she assumed Twilight would be. "I'm back!" She shouted, then noticed the Mane 6 standing in a circle. "Wait, I'm back..." All the time she spent trying to get to Las Pegasus to see her mother was wasted.

"What's wrong?" Scootaloo asked, walking towards them. "Did something happen?" She had expected Rainbow Dash to run to her. Scootaloo didn't see any of the rainbow streaks in Rainbow Dash's mane or tail.

"Scootaloo, you're back!" Twilight said, emerging out of the small crowd. "Where were you? Ponyville was worried sick!"

"Yes! Rainbow Dash wouldn't stop looking for you," Rarity added. "Every day she'd fly around looking for you."

"Speaking of Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo started. "Where is she?"

Every one fell silent. Fluttershy was the first to speak. "Um... Well, she was on one of her searches when she flew too close to the territory of hostile dragons..." She explained, stuttering slightly. "T-They..." Her eyes became teary. "They killed her!" She sobbed.

Everypony began to cry.

"N-No... She couldn't have...Died." Scootaloo murmured, fighting back tears. "It's my fault, isn't it?"

"It isn't your fault, Scootaloo..." Twilight put a hoof on the filly's shoulder.

"Just because I was selfish enough to run away, Rainbow Dash is dead... I didn't have to find my mother... I could've stayed until I was old enough to travel on my own or maybe take the train." Scootaloo wailed, crying. She had only realised how stupid she was to have left then instead of earlier.

"Well it's true you should've told us ya left, but we understand ya wanted to start fresh, maybe find someone or something." Applejack forced a smile.

"We aren't mad at you, you're just being hard on yourself," Fluttershy sniffed.

"Mhm. You can't blame yourself for everything, darling. Just learn from your mistakes." Rarity added.

"Yeah! And look on the bright side, you're here now!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"We all love you no matter what." Twilight said, hugging Scootaloo. It seemed she had forgotten about Rainbow Dash's tragic death.

Scootaloo closed her eyes, Twilight's words echoing in her head. No matter what... Her voice repeated continuously. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in Golden Oaks library anymore. She was in a cave.

"Huh? Look, she's awake!" A colt pointed at Scootaloo.

"She is?" A filly almost identical to the colt stared at her.

"W-What? Where am I?!" Scootaloo asked, sitting up.

"I'm Finn, and this is my twin sister Oceana." The colt introduced.

"Where am I?!" Scootaloo repeated.

"You're in our hideout." Oceana answered.

"You aren't answering my question!!" Scootaloo shouted, becoming slightly irritated.

"We're in our cave which is located on the outskirts of Aquatic City." Finn explained.

"Now explain who you are, where you're from and why we found you unconscious." Oceana demanded.

"My name is Scootaloo and I'm from a place called Ponyville. I was on my way to Las Pegasus when-!" Scootaloo was cut off by Finn.

"Wait, Ponyville? Las Pegasus? Those places don't exist." He interrupted. "There's only the five cities here."

"I think you got hit in the head really hard and went on some crazy adventure in your head." Oceana added.

"No, it's true. I fell in the river and washed up in a cave and met Aqua, a merpony. We were going to her house and-!" Scootaloo was interrupted yet again.

"First, we practically live in a river, how is it possible that you fall into one?" Finn asked.

"Second, to actually fall into a river, you'd have to be a pony, but those things are mythical creatures." Oceana said.

"I'm a pony, not a merpony! You're mythical creatures!" Scootaloo shouted.

The twins broke out laughing. "You've definitely hit your head really hard!" They said in unison.

"I'm telling the truth, though!" Scootaloo frowned. "Ponies are real and I am one!"

"Prove it," Finn demanded.

"Yeah, prove it and then we'll believe you." Oceana grinned. "This should be good." She told her brother.

"Definitely." Finn agreed.

Angry, Scootaloo took her bag off. She began to rummage through it. She had brought absolutely nothing that could prove she wasn't a merpony. She emptied out her bag. A framed picture slowly sank to the ground. "This!" Scootaloo grabbed it and held it up. "It's a picture of me and my pony friends. We all have hooves, look!" She pointed to every pony's hooves.

"Let me see that!" Finn grabbed it. He and his sister inspected it closely before gasping.

"P-Ponies... Are... Real!" Oceana forced out, flabbergasted.

"I was just as surprised as you are when I found out merponies were real!" Scootaloo put her bag back on, taking the picture from Finn and putting it inside her bagr. "Now, do you know a filly named Aqua, by any chance?"

"Aqua? Of course we know her, she's our best friend!" Oceana said.

"Follow us!" Finn instructed Scootaloo as he and Oceana swam out of the cave.

"Hey, wait up!" Scootaloo sped after them, soon catching up. "Why do you merponies swim so fast?" She panted.

"Because we've been swimming since we were foals!" Finn explained.

"It's natural since we're born merponies. You, on the other hoof, have been turned into one, right?" Oceana asked as she dodged a rock.

"Yes, actually." Scootaloo barely missed a giant boulder. "Aqua turned me into one so I could breath underwater."

"Why're you here anyways? Not many ponies come to these parts." Finn said. "Actually, none at all." He corrected himself.

"Well, I'm on my way to Las Pegasus. I was going at a pretty fast pace considering I only had a scooter, but then I fell into a river and ended up meeting Aqua, she told me I was off course and that she could get me to Las Pegasus faster than on my scooter," Scootaloo explained. "Well, she was leading me to her house when I hit a rock and... Well, yeah."

"Um... What's a scooter?" Oceana asked.

"It's something to help you get places quicker than on hoof." Scootaloo explained.

"Oh, like a chariot?" Finn asked.

"You guys have chariots here, too?" Scootaloo lagged behind a bit, but managed to stay between Finn and Oceana.

"Of course! They're pulled by winged merponies, who go faster than most other merponies because of their wings." Oceana told Scootaloo.

"Really?" Scootaloo asked. "I didn't know that."

"You should be able to swim faster than us, you know." Finn said matter-of-factly. He and Oceana were the merpony equivalent to earth ponies.

"Well, the reason I'm going to Las Pegasus is because of my wings. They don't really work..." Scootaloo sighed. "I was bullied because of that and because I have no cutiemark. I'm going to receive training from someone very special."

"Cutiemarks? What are those?" Oceana asked.

"Well, they're like... Um... Symbols that appear on your flank when you find your special talent, I guess." Scootaloo replied. She never really thought about the definition of a cutiemark.

"If it makes you feel better, we have those too, but they're in the form of tail shapes and we call them our Callings." Oceana said. "Finn and I haven't found our Callings yet."

"Really? The you're like me!" Scootaloo smiled. "That means you know what it's like, right?"

"Well, we don't know what it's like for you, but me and Oceana try almost everything to find our Callings, but it never works." Finn spiraled through a shipwreck.

Scootaloo gasped. "That's just like me and my friends, we've tried a ton of stuff to get our cutiemarks!"

"Speaking of which, don't you miss your friends? I mean, don't they live in the place you're leaving?" Oceana asked.

"Well I do sort of miss them-" Scootaloo was cut off by Finn once again.

"We're here!" He pointed up ahead to a gigantic city with merponies rushing around.

"Woah... Way cool..." Scootaloo stopped to admire the illuminated buildings. Coral lined the short entrance way. Scootaloo was beginning to wish she had brought a camera with her to snap a photo of the amazing sight, but it would be ruined by the water.

"Aren't you coming?" Oceana asked.

"Sorry, it's just... This place is so beautiful!" Scootaloo said.

"Uh... Yeah. We've never really noticed, we were born and raised here so we never really cared." Finn pulled Scootaloo. "Come on, we have to go to Aqua's house! It's the big castle over there!"