"Hey dad." Scootaloo walked into the kitchen where Quibble was making her a picnic lunch.
"You sound excited." He finished chopping carrots into slices, all exactly two centimeters thick, and slid them off of the cutting board and into the little container. "What are you three crusading for today?" he asked as he put the sealed container in the brown paper bag.
"Actually the four of us are going to the park to relax, but don't be surprised if I come home with an awesome scooter cutie mark!"
"Four of you?" Quibble looked up from putting the cutting board in the sink. "Who else is going with you?"
"Oh it's just going to be the three of us and Rumble," Scootaloo answered as she fidgeted with her front hooves. "I thought that I could really get good feed back on my tricks from him. Since he's into that kind of stuff." She looked up. "I mean not that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle don't give me feed back it's just. They're not into it you know."
"Nice but not really helpful." He handed his daughter the brown paper bag.
"Yeah, pretty much." She gave her dad a hug good bye.
"Love you honey, you four have fun."
"Will do dad and love you too," She answered as she grabbed her scooter by the door. She raced off toward the pond which was just on the outskirts of the little hamlet. Her wings buzzing behind her, helping her pick up speed, until the wind wiped her mane. For now this was the closest she could get to flying. She wasn't content with it no matter how much she loved her scooter, but for now it would have to do.
Her friends two of her friends were already waiting for her by the pond, Rumble and Sweetie Belle. "Hey Scootaloo."
"Hey guys," she called back. She skid to a halt by her two friends. "So where's Apple Bloom?"
"I think she's helping her brother bring some of the crop into the market," Rumble answered. "Hopefully it won't take her to long to get here."
"Yeah, Big Macintosh is pretty quick about getting their stall up." Scootaloo took the cold water bottle that Rumble offered her and started taking the cap off. "I'm just surprised to see the you two are here already."
"Rumble just needed to talk to me about some stuff." Sweetie Belle looked at him expectantly, Scootaloo did like wise as she drank the water.
"Talk about what?" she asked after a pause.
"Nothing!" Rumble answered. "Just, just stuff. You know." Sweetie Belle an exasperated sigh, and rolling her eyes nudged Scootaloo.
"Oh, okay." She took another pull of the bottle. Sweetie Belle face hoofed.
"Hey ya'll hope ya weren't waiting to long." Apple Bloom appeared on the other side of the park.
"Nope I just got here."
"Rumble and I were just talking about 'stuff'," Sweetie Belle answered.
"And?" she asked with a grin.
"And, nothing." Apple Bloom deflated with a sigh to the colt's answer.
"Alright guys I hope you're ready for a show," Scootaloo said fastening her helmet on nice and snug. "Because I finally have trick worthy of being a finale."
"Okay."
"Sure," her friends answered with a nod and a shrug. Rumble just watched her; she held his undivided attention. The two locked eyes for a moment causing her to go red and push her scooter away, to begin the show.
She started off with a simple wheelie. She followed that up with jump and 360 spin of the deck. She continued for another ten minutes each trick she did more advanced and difficult than the last. Until she felt her audience was finally ready to see her coup de grace. She smirked as she passed her three friends and pushed herself up the small grassy hill. She took a deep breath and kicked off. She waited until she was half way down the hill before kicking her scooter and herself off of the ground. She flew her wings beating like crazy as she flipped the scooter. Once she had flipped 180 degrees she did a 720 spin of the deck. It worked perfectly, until she hit the ground, and found that she had over done her flip. Her top wheel hit the ground causing her to flip over. Time slowed down for her friends who watched in horror, as she slammed into the ground and rolled until a solid and unyielding tree caught her. She lay there limp and unconscious one of her wings bent in a way that shouldn't have been possible.
"Apple Bloom, quick run to the hospital!" Rumble yelled panic, fear, and worry drenched his voice. "Sweetie Belle, make sure she's okay I'm going to go get her dad!" With that the grey pegasus half galloped half flew back to town. Apple Bloom went off in another direction, going as fast as her legs could carry her, and dreading for the first time in her life that she wouldn't be fast enough.
***
Quibble poured himself a cup of ice tea. He took his beverage of choice over to the living room, to drink as he sat down and read three new books from three of Equestria's newest authors. Then he would sit down and write a review and critique for each them. It wasn't a bad job in the slightest. Especially since it meant he always got the newest books from his favorite authors at least four months in advance.
"What do we have to day?" He sighed as he looked over the three books that he was tasked with this week. One of them was a sequel to one of Equestria's greatest post apocalyptic novels, though it was written by a different author. The second one was a cute romantic comedy about evolving a beige earth pony filly and a bat pony colt spending a nightmare night eve sleep over together to tell ghost stories though the bat pony was afraid of ghosts and monsters. The third one on his coffee table was a story about a gorgony and her life.
He picked up the middle book, and took a sip from his tea. He was half way through when suddenly somepony tackled his door. "Somebody had better be dead." He put the book down on the arm of his chair. There was a continuous stream of loud thuds coming from the front door. Quibble regretted his comment as soon as he saw Rumble.
The gray pegasus was leaning against the house trying desperately to catch his breath. His mane was matted with sweat, and his eyes were red from tears that were still being shed. "Scootaloo...Crash...Park..."
The second he heard where she was she he bolted. eyes blurred, and heart sinking. He ran to the park as fast as he could; abandoning his house its door still wide open, and the colt who had brought him the news. His sides hurt almost as much as his eyes, and the quick thudding in his chest was the only proof his heart hadn't stopped, when he saw the two nurses put his little filly on the gurney.
***
Scootaloo woke up on a hospital bed. It took her only a second to orientate herself to her surroundings. She tried to move only to notice the dull pain in her left wing and the throbbing headache. Her dad was on her the instant he saw she was conscious. Holding her as close to him as possible. She took a deep breath. He smelled like mom, everything smelled like mom.
No! That wasn't right, mom didn't smell like this she smelled like...smelled like. Her mind drew a blank, and told her that this was what her mom smelled like. "Dad," she said.
"Yes?"
"Dad." She started to sob. "I-I can't remember what mom smelled like," she confessed.
"What?"
"I forgot what mom smelled like," she cried. "I'm trying to remember it, but all that I can remember is the hospital!"
"It's okay Scootaloo."
"No it's not!" She sobbed on her father's chest. "I don't, I-I don't want to forget mommy!" She wrapped both forelegs around her dad. "I don't want to forget her, but I c-an-can't." She lost all control fearing that to say it a third time would make it permanent.
Quibble held his daughter as close to him as he could as she cried her heart dry. "You're okay sweetie, you're okay." He stroked her back carefully being sure not to touch her broken wing.
"I don't want to forget. I never want to forget." She sobbed. "I love mommy and you." She squeezed him tighter. "I never want to forget, either of you."
He held her until he felt her grip start to loosen. Then he pulled back, and lifted her head, so he could look her in the eyes. "Honeysuckle. Your mom always wore honeysuckle perfume." Scootaloo wiped hep eyes. "Now your friends have been waiting to see you and are worried sick. You should let them know that you're okay."
Author's Note
The three stories that Quibble had on his table are, in order: Project Horizons by Sombra, Bat Ponies Aren't Scary by NephoxVenom, go and read them if you haven't and give them some love. That last one Cruel Mercy was mine just stroking my ego a bit. You don't have to read that one.
