The wheel was stuck.
"C'mon..." she kicked at it, eyes narrowing as she visually picked away at what could be jamming her wheel. She rotated the handle, giving it a few smooth twists to dislodge the debris that was defiantly crumbling away from the wheel.
The sky was a washed out gray and ponyville wasn't quiet enough to be suspicious, but it felt like it nearly could be. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't light either, and the moisture of the earth and the grass was enough to make one stay inside and certainly enough to give scooters trouble. The trees would sometimes make ocean sounds amongst the distant calling of birds and the wind stole Scootaloo's words off of her breath and to nowhere. A storm was coming.
"Maybe there's a rock in there? The mud is gone, I don't see any grass." She confirmed to herself, lowering to inspect even closer. Her hoof slid smoothly along the grass from under her in a crescendo of action, a slow slip giving way to a limb flying and the wet earth to receive her.
"Ugh..." A groan escaped her as she took a moment in the mud. Her head felt nicely suspended by her helmet, which felt oddly like a pillow on the inside as the rest of her laid out in the mess. She shortly resumed her investigation. From her odd position, she poked at the wheel, turning it and looking within to find that the axle itself had been bent somehow severely and the wheel would not turn around it.
"Great..."
She gave herself pause after sitting up to pull her torso from the sticky mud. She could hear the birds, but not see any of them. Wherever they were they were far away. Perhaps somewhere where some light shone through. From her puddle though she could see nothing but a giant gray blanket overhead. If she looked closely she could faintly see the shape of the clouds that formed the quilt; slight creases that gave away their square form and the fact that they were manufactured. Scootaloo wondered what Rainbow Dash was up to for a brief moment. After a few more moments in the mud she decided to give up the scooter and make her way for home.
A slight pain in her hoof and wing from her fall spoke quietly to her as she went, giving her limbs a kick and and a shake to discard any of the restless mud, the rest of it caking and drying. Turning onto Mane Street, she found that the stores were closed, carts tarped, all ready for the worst. As she considered this to herself she felt the gentle yet ominous drops upon her. Her wing stung. They already ached some from a day of scooter propulsion. Turning her head and giving her wing a stretch she noticed a gash along her wing and the water irritated it as she continued her walk. The rain hadn't started too much yet.
"It'd be nice to fly. It's not even raining too bad, yet." She said aloud, quietly. As if in defiance the rain began to fall faster and thicker, surpressing both the idea and the possibility of flying even if she were able to.
No birds to hear anymore and not much to look at. Actually, it was becoming hard to see. The rain was thick in her vision and loud in her ears, the aches and burdens of her day making her feel heavier. Wherever she looked she saw tarps tossing, the shutters on windows smacking loudly against the sills and glass they rest upon. The small animals that lived in the city could be seen hiding in various places, coming together for warmth and security. She watched them and the rest of the storm around her with a quiet fortitude knowing that she wanted to be home as well.
The sound of thunder banged in the distance as she turned into her alley. There was a slight smell as she made her way. It had become familiar at this point. Her aching wing and hoof cried for relief as she spotted her box, ready to be someplace dry and restful. Her home was soaking, however, water folding the top in and pouring down onto the little buds and sprouts that resiliantly found home alongside hers.
"Scoots? Is that you?" A voice called over the sound of the storm. Scootaloo stood a little taller.
"Yeah, I'm coming in!" Scootaloo called. It was stating the obvious, but to call it out against the thunder felt good in some way. She entered her home, breathing deep and steady with the sense of focus that brought her back to this place.
"Get in here. Where's your scooter?" Nopony asked.
"My wheel is stuck..." Scootaloo meant to explain more, but the energy did not find her.
"Mm. 'Mine' feels stuck too. Days like these make me just want to go somewhere else." Nopony said dryly in jest, smiling. A sense of reverence began to come over her though as she noticed the mud and fatigue that covered Scootaloo.
Scootaloo closed her eyes as she removed her helmet. Even though it had rained hard enough that the inside was soaked the soft feeling of it sliding off was a brief pleasure. With a deep sigh she shifted and laid herself down in weariness.
"Yeah...somewhere else." Scootaloo said echoing Nopony. "Some place where..." she paused. Her small wings ached with fatigue. "...I can get around. Where my scooter would work. Maybe Manehatten, for the pavement."
In a deeper respect Nopony smiled genuinely, eyes closing as pride warmed her. "It seems you got home just fine without it, though."
"I suppose I did..." Scootaloo confirmed, thinking of her scooter and her worn body.
"That's what I like about you. Some people don't have a home. Some people don't like the home they have. And some...some just want to get home. Wherever that is." Nopony commented, adjusting to look out at the storm.
The sound of the rain falling around filled out the quiet nicely before Scootaloo spoke up. "So which one are you?" She asked.
"...I just like to be home." Nopony said plainly. The rain continued on, although it began to settle to something less violent and something more steady. The sound of it hitting the box was lulling. A faint sound of birds quietly chirping to each other could be heard where they gathered for shelter in the alley.
"...And that's what I like about you. You're always home." Scootaloo breathed another deep breath, being coaxed deeper towards rest and sleep.
"Mmm. Welcome back."
