In Which Scootaloo Learns Something
The clubhouse (which now doubled as a headquarters) at Sweet Apple Acres, was always the meeting place for Cutie Mark Crusaders, both official and honorary members. But business had been rather slow the past few weeks, largely due to the fact that work was still being done to set up the official Cutie Mark Camp.
However, today was quite different. Two of the three founding members, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, along with Diamond Tiara (the most frequently appearing honorary member), had all gathered under the premise that there was going to be a Crusaders meeting. But that had left them rather baffled.
"You didn't call for a Crusaders meeting today, did you, Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking across to the farm filly.
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Of course I didn't, and I know you didn't either, Sweetie Belle. We ain't got a lot of time for Crusaders stuff if we want the camp to be ready in time."
"Well, normally I'd say that whoever called this meeting is wasting our time. But it's not like I had anything better to do," Diamond Tiara remarked, gazing out the window. "Father's busy running the store, and Mother is off on another one of her spa trips, surprised she has something to do with her free time besides boss other ponies around. Even so, I can't wait all day. If I'm not home by sundown, Mother is sure to notice, and I don't need to give her anymore of a reason to hate you girls than she already does."
"Ya sure you talked to your dad about all of that?" Apple Bloom inquired of the pink coated filly. "Sounds to me like your mom wouldn't be doin' half the things she does if more ponies were aware of what she does when she thinks nopony's around."
Diamond just rolled her eyes. "I don't know what Father thinks is going on, or if he's just trying desperately to pretend it's all working out. I still can't believe he tried to buy Mother flowers for Mares Day, at this point I'd say any gift at all is more than she deserves, unless it's a one ticket to somewhere far, far away."
Just as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wondered if it might be possible to pool their collective bits saved up through the years and achieve such a result, the clubhouse swung wide open and made everypony in the room jump! They were certain that had the door swung any further, it would've flown right off its hinges.
The pony responsible for the disturbance quickly revealed herself as debatably the most energetic member of the group, Scootaloo. And her eyes were all aglow, for they seemed to be larger than they normally were! Not bothering to wait for any of her friends to address her by name, Scootaloo excitedly trotted up to them, some kind of flyer tucked under her right wing. "Good, you're all here!" Scootaloo exclaimed! "What I'm about to show you is gonna knock your socks off!"
"But we don't wear socks, in fact none of us really wear clothes. That is, unless you count those snazzy capes." Sweetie Belle replied to Scootaloo.
Scootaloo groaned at her friend's thick headedness. "It was just an expression, I thought for sure you'd know that!" Then she removed the flyer she'd been holding and unfolded it, showing it off for all to see! "Tada!" She proudly proclaimed, expecting her friends to instantly realize the reasons beyond her increased enthusiasm and subsequent reason for calling this sudden meeting.
But all three ponies who eyed the poster could see nothing that was worthy of recognition. The poster itself was a fairly uninspired picture of various ponies wearing helmets and knee pads of different colors, which read: Fillies and Gentlecolts, foals of all ages, the Fourth Annual Ponyville Roller Derby is just around the corner! There is still room for three contestants who wish to enter! Hurry young daredevils, the spots are filling up fast! Enter for your chance to win a trophy,
and a cash prize of 1,000 bits!
Sweetie Belle, having known Scootaloo for longer than any other pony currently in the clubhouse, guessed at what the source of her friend's excitement was. "You're going to enter the Ponyville Roller Derby?" She assumed.
Scootaloo eagerly nodded, glad to see that at least one pony in the room understood her reasons for showing off the flyer. "Yeah, I've been longing to enter since the first one was held. But this time I think I'm finally skilled enough to enter and win! I've been practicing nonstop every day after school, turns out all that time zipping around on my scooter's given me a good sense of control and balance!" She replied in broad detail. "Roller skating's not that different from scootering, it just takes some getting used to is all!"
"You actually think you can win?" Apple Bloom asked, looking at her orange coated friend somewhat skeptically. "No offense, Scootaloo, but since I ain't see ya move on anythin' besides your scooter or your hooves, forgive me if I think you're maybe exaggeratin' a bit. You been hangin' around Rainbow Dash for too long, she's really rubbed off on you."
"Hey, if you doubt my skills, you're more than welcome to come and watch me in the derby next weekend!" Scootaloo protested. She hated it whenever anyone questioned her abilities, especially ones she took great pride in. "Of course, I was thinking of sharing the prize money with you girls, but if you don't think I have a chance at winning..."
Sweetie quickly moved to silence any protests Apple Bloom might have. "Don't be silly, Scootaloo, we'll all be there to cheer you on and watch you win! With that kind of money, we could probably buy a year's worth of milkshakes from Sugarcube Corner."
"Or buy my mother a ticket for a cruise liner, a one-way trip of course," Tiara suggested. The filly's cornflower blue eyes then took notice of some fine print written down at the bottom of the flyer, which Scootaloo didn't seem to notice. She quickly corrected the oversight, drawing attention to it as she added. "But it says here, Scootaloo, that all participants need the permission of either their 'parents, legal guardian, or trusted authority figure' to enter."
If those words at all troubled the tomboyish filly, she sure didn't show it. Her smile did seem to falter a bit, but she seemed to quickly recover by waving a hoof across her face and remarking. "Don't worry, Diamond, I'm sure I can my parents to say yes. I've got a secret weapon up my sleeves. And even if they say no I've still got my amazing big sister, Rainbow Dash! I know for a fact that she'll let me! That prize money is as good as ours, I just hope you'll all be there next weekend to watch as I leave the competition in the dust!" And as if she was aware of the ever narrowing window of opportunity for entry, the filly dashed back out of the clubhouse in an orange colored blur, disappearing just as quickly as she had entered!
Scootaloo made a straight beeline for her house, it was a good thing she knew the route home by heart. And as luck would have it, her mom, Dizzy Twister was out and about in the front yard, her unmistakeable amber coat and curly pink mane and pink with pale raspberry highlights colored tail stood out amidst the clear blue sky.
Scootaloo quickly grinded her scooter to a halt, taking care to turn in a way that would avoid showering her mother with dust (and putting Scootaloo on the receiving end of a long lecture). Once she'd done so, she removed her blue with white lines helmet, and rushed up to her mother, hugging her tightly. "Hi, Mom!" She greeted with a smile, looking up into her female parent's beautiful rose colored eyes.
Dizzy returned the hug affectionately, even though she was surprised to see her daughter home so early in the day. Scootaloo tended to be a very independent filly who spent more time outside the confines of her home than inside, when allowed to anyway. Ruffling her daughter's purplish-pink mane and tail with a hoof, she smiled as she greeted back. "Hello, Scootaloo. I trust everything's okay? You haven't gotten into any kind of mischief, have you?"
Scootaloo shook her head frantically. "No, I've been a good filly, Crusaders honor," And then she took the flyer she'd shown to her friends out of her saddle bag, presenting it to her mom for examination. "Can I enter the Ponyville Roller Derby, please?! I've been training really hard for it, I'm sure I can win first place!" The filly all but pleaded, promptly unleashing her signature weapon of persuasion, the scrunched up pout complete with the most pleading pair of puppy dog eyes. Few ponies were immune to such a face.
Alas, Dizzy was one of those ponies, for her daughter had used this trick on her many times. She firmly (if reluctantly judging by the slight quiver in her lips) shook her head and replied to her daughter. "I'm sorry, Scootaloo. But the Ponyville Roller Derby is very dangerous."
"Anymore dangerous than all the tricks I do regularly on my scooter, or bungee jumping?" Scootaloo remarked, hoping to catch her mother in a contradiction.
Dizzy was quick to correct. "Perhaps not, but you make your father and I worry about you enough as it is. Besides, what are you even planning to do with the prize money, assuming you win?"
"That's simple, my friends and I are gonna use it to buy Diamond's mother a one way ticket on a luxury cruise liner!" Scootaloo boasted. "At least we'll be sending her off in style."
Dizzy wasn't sure whether to laugh at her daughter's relative innocence, or frown at the fact that her daughter wanted to send somepony away (even if said pony didn't exactly have a good reputation around town). At last, she managed to bring herself to say. "Well, that's... not entirely a selfish use of the money, but I doubt any cruise line in Equestria sells one way tickets, let alone to fillies. Whatever Diamond's problems with her mother are, I'm sure there are better options of resolving them."
"But you'll still say yes, right?" Scootaloo asked, hopefully. "Maybe I can give you the money and you can buy the ticket?"
"The answer is 'no', Scootaloo," Dizzy said firmly. "Regardless of what your reasons for entering the derby are, you've got enough on your plate as it is. The time spent at the derby could be spent working on your homework, and your grades are starting to slip a little."
"So? I'll just be sure to study extra hard before the derby!" Scootaloo pleaded ever harder. "Please, Mom, just this once?! I promise I won't ask for anything from you ever again, not even for my birthday!"
Dizzy just lightly brushed her daughter aside with an outstretched wing, her tone of voice and her body language not changing one iota. "I'm sorry, but 'no' means 'no' my little pony. But maybe we could spend next weekend roller skating in the park together, would you like that?"
"It won't be the same!" Scootaloo complained, kicking the dirt with a hoof. "I'll bet Dad'll say yes!"
"Well, you can ask him if you want, he just got home a little while ago," Dizzy suggested. "But I have a feeling he'll have the same answer."
Scootaloo's dad, Quick Shot, was sprawled out on the princess sized bed on the second floor of the house. "This whole pre-season business is becoming a major pain in my rump." He groaned, as he was busy looking over the latest pieces of information about the Cloudsdale Windigos that had been sent to him. Just the sort of responsibilities the manager of the team was expected to carry out, even when he was away from the rink.
Sighing, Quick Shot set the letters and doctors notes aside, just as he heard the familiar faint creaking sound of the bedroom door. Spinning around, his dark grayish-purple eyes locked onto the orange coat and grayish-purple eyes of his daughter, who seemed to be rather excited for some reason. "Hey kiddo," He greeted in his usual laid back tone. "Everything okay in your world?"
"Well, that all depends." Scootaloo answered with a huff.
"Depends on what?" Quick Shot asked, his ears picking up. All of a sudden he felt like he was being put on the spot.
Scootaloo responded by pulling out the same flyer (now somewhat crumpled) she'd already shown off twice in the span of a day, and presenting it to her father. "On whether or not you'll let me enter the Ponyville Roller Derby next weekend, I just know I'm gonna win first place!"
Quick Shot sighed, and his tone of voice indicated exhaustion as well as regret. "Kid, I really hate to have to say this to you, but my answer is a definite 'no'."
"Aw, come on! First Mom and now you, you're being totally unfair!" Scootaloo complained virulently. "What's next?! Are you gonna say 'It's too dangerous' as well?!"
Quick Shot nodded. "Take it from a pony who's been an athlete for longer than you've been alive, Scootaloo, any sport comes with a risk. Well, apart from ping-pong, but that’s not really a sport in the traditional sense. Roller Derbying has come a long way from its early years, but it's still among the riskier sports out there, particularly because a lot of colts and fillies your age are doing it and getting themselves hurt. And some of their injuries are pretty bad."
"How bad could they be? The derby requires you to wear a helmet and knee pads, and of course I'm not gonna be stupid enough to go without them." Scootaloo countered.
"Well, do you remember that big accident that motivated me to give up being a permanent hockey player and instead be a coach?" Quick Shot asked his daughter, who nodded very slowly (she had been quite young when it had happened, and the experience wasn't one she liked remembering). "I've seen and heard about a lot of injuries in roller derbying to a similar degree. I already worry enough as it is about you bungee jumping, even though I agreed with your mother to let you try it. But what if you enter the derby and something happens to you? How much worry and guilt do you think you'll cause your mom and I?"
"So that's it? That's really your reason for not letting me enter?" Scootaloo pouted, hoping to utilize her pleading face to bend her dad to her will a little. "I didn't even mention the fact that when I win the prize money, I'm gonna use it to help my friends buy a luxury cruise liner ticket for Diamond's mom, one way of course. We're sending her off in style, which Diamond would say is more than her mother deserves."
Quick Shot, like his wife before him, couldn't help but laugh at that comment, and it took him a moment to regain his composure and wipe a lone tear of mirth from his right eye. "That's quite the imagination you have there, my little future Wonderbolt. But even assuming you did win and escaped serious harm, no cruise liner in Equestria would sell a ticket for as low as 1,000 bits. You'd need at least 3,000 bits if not more," Then putting a hoof to his chin, the stallion proposed. "But if you'd like, we could go roller skating in the park together next weekend. It's been a long time since we had some 'Father/Daughter Quality Time'."
But Scootaloo just sighed in defeat, turned around, and trotted out of her parents' bedroom. "Well, thanks for your support, I guess. I really didn't want to have to do this, but I've got no other choice." And she made her way back downstairs and outside to her parked scooter, hoping that the pony she was now going to look for, wouldn't be too hard to find.
And indeed, Rainbow Dash wasn't. As luck would have it, the cyan coated pegasus (and part-time Wonderbolt) was in one of her lazy moods, and was having one of her infamous "power naps" near a small lake. Complete with sunglasses, and a mirror to reflect the sunlight to just the right angle.
But when Rainbow yawned, stretched out her muscles, and opened her eyes, she saw that she was staring right into the face of her number one fan and honorary little sister. Setting her tanning mirror aside and pushing her sunglasses up, the speedster inquired of the filly. "What's up, squirt? Something the matter?"
"Yeah, there totally is," Scootaloo complained with no subtlety. "I need your help with something, and I need it now!" To emphasize her point, she removed the now partially ripped flyer for the derby and presented it to Rainbow Dash.
"Oh hey, the Ponyville Roller Derby," Rainbow commented, examining the poster. "You gonna enter, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo nodded, certain that she and her honorary big sister were on the same page. "Yeah, and I'm totally gonna win first place and the 1,000 bit prize!"
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, kid," Rainbow lightly cautioned with a laugh. "I know you're an awesome filly, but they don't let just anypony with a pair of roller skates enter these things. You gotta bring your A-game if you want to even have a chance, because the competition definitely will! Also, don't forget to play it safe, I don't want my little sister landing herself in the hospital because she didn't wear the necessary safety gear."
Scootaloo groaned and rolled her eyes. "You sound way too much like my parents, I'll bet even your parents weren't so overprotective."
Rainbow only laughed. "Relax, squirt, I'm just teasing you a little. I'm sure you know the rules, and I'm sure that you've got a pretty good shot to win it, but it never hurts to be prepared," It was then that she caught notice of something written in smaller lettering towards the bottom of the flyer. Examining it carefully (using her mirror as something of a magnifying glass), her enthusiasm started to wane. "Wait a second, your parents are okay with you entering, right, Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo shook her head. "I tried to get their approval, but they both said no. You're the only pony left whose signature I knew would work."
"Then that changes everything!" Rainbow quickly answered, setting the poster down. "No way am I signing off on something your parents don't want you doing! I'm not getting myself into trouble with your folks, Scootaloo. I'm totally sorry."
"But... but...." Scootaloo stammered. There was no way this was how it ended, all her hopes and dreams were 'dashed' for lack of a better term. And all because none of the adults whose signatures were considered valid were willing to give their permission. She had hoped for a chance to impress them all with her masterful roller skating skills, and being able to use the prize money to help Diamond be rid of her overbearing mother certainly sweetened the pot. It wasn't like she was being selfish and short sighted, she'd been biding her time since the first year the derby was held, waiting until she felt the time was right even though she had wanted badly to enter the previous three years.
"Look, there'll be other roller derbies, kid," Rainbow responded, trying to lift Scootaloo's spirits. "Maybe we can start having roller skating lessons together after school, and once we can show your parents how good you are, we can get them to say 'yes' next time around. Besides, I'm sure it won't be long before you start getting the hang of those wings, and then you'll wonder why you ever worried about a silly roller derby when you can fly wherever you want!"
But Scootaloo just sighed, and trotted back to her scooter with a sad look on her face, clearly struggling to hold back tears. "That's not gonna be for ages, if not longer. This was my big chance to shine on my own." She muttered to herself, as she rode off.
The entire scooter ride back to her house, Scootaloo kept wondering what she was going to do and more importantly what she was going to tell her friends (especially Diamond Tiara, who no doubt had pinned her hopes on the notion of riding herself of the source of all her troubles, and without having to do it herself). Sure, they'd probably offer her some words of reassurance. But at the same time they'd probably not be able to resist a few jabs at her rash assumption earlier this day.
It was just wasn't fair! The filly had been training so hard for the derby, and now all that training, all those Crusader meetings and Twilight Time sessions she'd skipped or taken a rain check on to hone her roller skating skills, all of that was for nothing. But maybe...
And so it was that, even though part of her was fully aware of how wrong it would be, Scootaloo began to scheme up a way to get one of her parents' signatures and thus enter the derby after all. "I won't make this a habit, it'll only be this one time." She thought to herself, in order to try and lift the burden on her conscience.
By the time Scootaloo made her way back home and had parked her scooter, the tomboyish filly had already settled on a plan to get the signature of her mom, and use it to enter the derby while there was hopefully still room for entrants.
Dizzy had now gone inside the house, and was currently in the kitchen, working on dinner. She was stirring a big pot on the stove, when she felt a slight tug at her back right hoof. Carefully setting her wooden spoon aside, Dizzy turned to face her daughter. "Scootaloo, if this is about the Ponyville Roller Derby, my answer is still no." She said firmly, not budging an inch.
"I know, I know," Scootaloo answered with a long groan. "That's not why I bothered you now. There's something else I forgot to mention earlier, it completely slipped my mind." The filly innocently insisted with a smile, as if she were trying not to look guilty.
Dizzy eyed her daughter skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the statement. The timing seemed all too convenient. "Are you absolutely sure about that?" She questioned quite thoroughly.
Scootaloo's expression didn't seem to crack, as she nodded her head and presented a slip of paper. "Miss. Cheerilee's going to be take our class on a field trip to Southern Equestria to see the new Sonambula statue, this is the permission slip for that trip. I meant to mention it earlier, but the derby was all I could think about. Will you please sign it? Rainbow Dash says that Southern Equestria is beautiful!"
Normally, Dizzy would've signed the slip as soon it was given to her, culture was obviously very important to a filly’s upbringing. But given the argument she'd had with her daughter earlier, the mare wasn't willing to take a chance on the possibility she might be fooled. She examined the parchment very carefully, checking for any signs of forgery. There were none to be found, it did indeed seem to be a permission slip. So, without hesitation, Dizzy retrieved a quill and ink well, and signed right on the dotted line. "Make sure you turn that in as soon as possible," She advised to Scootaloo. "I hope you and your classmates enjoy Southern Equestria, I've never been there myself but I have heard a lot about it, especially from those addictive Daring Do stories you're so fond of."
"Thanks, Mom!" Scootaloo cheered in delight, her tiny wings buzzing in excitement! Then she zipped up to her room without another word. Once the door was shut tight, Scootaloo breathed a small sigh of relief, even as she felt her heart start to race. Was she really about to do this? What if she got caught? Or what if the derby officials saw through her ruse?
The orange coated filly shook her head, this was not the time for hesitation (even if her conscience would argue that it was). This was the ONLY way she was going to enter the derby, her parents and her big sister had reluctantly left her with no other option, and she was not about to let her friends mock her for making a vow she couldn't live up to. "I wish I didn't have to do this, but I just don't see any other way. I am going to enter that derby!" Scootaloo thought to herself, as she carefully set the permission slip down on her desk. She felt guilty for tricking her mother the way she just had. That was indeed a permission slip for a field trip to Southern Equestria, but Cheerilee had just hoofed out said slip in class yesterday. And the deadline to turn the slip in wasn't for another two and a half weeks (the trip itself wasn't until the end of the month). But it had served another purpose, now Scootaloo had a ready source of access for her mother's signature, which made what she was about to do easier from a technical standpoint. She was going to copy her mom's signature on the permission slip, and use it as written consent for the derby!
Tracing the signature was easy enough, Scootaloo was glad the derby would accept just a signature (albeit on a separate, plain white sheet of paper with a few words expressing the consent of the one signing), and her mom's signature wasn't too hard to copy. But once the signature had been successfully duplicated, and the consent form rolled up neatly and tucked away in Scootaloo's saddle bag, the tricky part began: sneaking out of the house and down to the stadium that had been set up specifically to host the derby. Not to mention sneaking back before anypony could suspect a thing.
Scootaloo correctly assumed that her father wouldn't notice, as he was currently asleep after a hard day flying around. But just as she was placing her hoof on the front door, her mother called from the kitchen. "Scootaloo, where are you going? Dinner will be ready shortly."
Gulping, Scootaloo turned and answered back. "I'm just going to stop by Sweet Apple Acres really quick, I think I forgot something in the clubhouse earlier. I promise, I'll be back in a flash!"
Precious seconds ticked by uneasily for Scootaloo, before she heard her mother reply. "Okay, but I don't want to hear any complaints about your dinner being cold. And you're not raiding the fridge after I go to bed. I said I’d put a padlock on it if you did it again, remember?"
"Don't worry, you won't hear a peep out of me about dinner!" Scootaloo vowed. Then she placed her hoof back on the door knob and quickly turned it. The filly was glad she'd had the foresight to park her scooter right outside, and that the stadium wasn't too far from the destination she'd given to her mother. "I'll be there and back faster than that Flash Magnus pony Rainbow Dash told me, she said he was lightning quick!" Scootaloo thought confidently, as she gripped the handlebars of her scooter, and zoomed away as fast as she could! Hopefully there was still a spot left in the derby.
Fortunately for Scootaloo, luck was on her side. Two spots remained open when she presented the signature to the derby officials, and they subsequently wrote her onto the list of participants (of which there were eight, twice the usual number of ponies who participated in derbies. The money was obviously a big drawing factor ).
And neither did Scootaloo's parents suspect anything when she returned home a short time later. Everything seemed to be working out just fine for the filly. The days leading up to the derby passed very quickly, in part because Scootaloo had plenty of other things to occupy her attention. At last, the fateful day for which the filly had pinned all her hopes and dreams on, arrived.
Scootaloo made sure to wake up bright and early that day, but it was not until she left her house (after saying goodbye to her parents and promising them that she'd be back by sundown as she always did) that the excitement and anticipation really hit her! This was it! After today, her friends and classmates wouldn't be able to stop talking about her stunning victory in her first ever roller derby! And they'd all likely be jumping up and down with delight when she informed them that Spoiled Rich was on a long cruise to some faraway land, with no prospect of a return trip.
As for her parents, well... they'd probably be kind of peeved at first. But hopefully they'd change their tune in time as the realization that their daughter was a champion settled in.
"Hey, Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle cheerfully greeted, as she, Apple Bloom, and Diamond Tiara all appeared outside the stadium. Scootaloo herself was currently clad in the same colored helmet she wore when riding her scooter, but she'd also slipped on some matching blue knee and elbow pads. "So, this is it, huh? You really think you can win first place? No offense, but compared to some of the competition, I don't know if you're up to the challenge."
"Are you crazy, Sweetie Belle?!" Tiara spoke up. "Scootaloo's going to win for sure, none of these ponies seem like a real threat. Besides, she's got a real reason to win. Finally, Mother will no longer be a thorn in my side! Father might be a bit upset at first, but in time I'm sure he'll come to understand it's for the best. He might even get to keep some of his own money afterwards! Whatever he saw in my mom back then, it clearly isn't there today."
As the quartet of fillies made their way inside, and Scootaloo's friends made their way towards the stands, Apple Bloom innocently asked. "So, where are your folks? I thought for sure they'd already be here to cheer ya on, especially since you said your dad used to play sports."
The very mentioning of "parents" caused Scootaloo to unexpectedly tense up. She began to tellingly massage the back of her neck with a hoof, and adopt a sheepish (and rather weak looking) smile. "Uh... about that. Funny story actually..." She nervously chuckled and trailed off.
"Wait a minute, your parents do know you're participatin', right?" Apple Bloom asked as she locked eyes with her pegasus friend, pressing the weak reply Scootaloo had given.
"Apple Bloom, what are you suggesting?" Sweetie asked with great reluctance. "Wouldn't Scootaloo have needed one of her parents to give their permission in order to participate? Or are you trying to say that she got Rainbow Dash to do it instead?"
But it was Diamond who deduced the problem, for she herself had plenty of experience with this sort of thing. After all, she'd done it on more occasions than she cared to remember. "Your parents don't actually know you're here, do they?"
"How did you know?!" Scootaloo burst out! It took her but a minute to realize her mistake and she tried to correct. "I mean... no, you don't know anything! My parents are just... running behind, that's all!" None of her friends bought it for a second. Especially after her unscripted confession.
"What the hay, Scootaloo?!" Sweetie exclaimed, glaring at her friend. "Why would you do something like that?!"
"Yeah, aren't you ashamed?! You basically lied to your folks!" Apple Bloom added with a scowl. "I can't believe you'd be that desperate to enter!"
"W-well, what was I supposed to do?!" Scootaloo protested! "I really wanted to participate and win that prize money for you girls! I didn't want to have to keep my parents in the dark about this, but they left me no choice! And the same holds true for Rainbow Dash, she wouldn't sign because she didn't want to get into trouble with my parents! I had no other choice!"
The shock among friends didn't fade, but reluctantly Tiara spoke up and commented. "There's nothing we can do to change this now, even if we tell the officials they're probably not gonna believe us. You just better hope you win first place now, Scootaloo. And you'd best hope your parents don't find out. I know if I lied to my parents, I'd be in serious trouble."
Scootaloo didn't bother to respond as her friends took their seats in the first row of the stands, and she made her way to the start line (after slipping on her roller skates first, of course). But deep down, she was starting to have regrets about all of this. "I thought this is what I wanted more than anything. So why am I suddenly hoping I'll be found out and disqualified?" The filly thought to herself, as she tried to clear her mind of distractions. "I should want to win first place! After everything I've done, that should be my only priority! So why can't I focus on it?!" It took everything the tomboyish filly had to shift her thoughts to the derby, something she'd never envisioned having trouble doing.
But her friends were right to be concerned. What would she do if her parents did find out?
"Racers: On your marks, get set, GO!" The loudspeaker blared out, snapping Scootaloo out of her mental contemplation! Those concerns regrettably had to take a back seat to the derby, and outpacing the competition.
What Scootaloo couldn't have known (and ironically her friends would've had they not come to cheer her on), was that although her parents were unaware of her secret, that was going to work against the filly. Still of the belief that their daughter was hanging out with her friends, Dizzy and Quick decided that today was the perfect day for a surprise visit to the clubhouse that now doubled as a "business" for the group known simply as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, honey?" Quick asked his wife, as they approached the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, the clubhouse firmly in view. "We don't usually intrude when our daughter is spending time here."
Dizzy just smiled, as she replied to her husband. "I don't think she'll mind this little visit, she's mentioned that business has been rather slow lately. Besides, I figured it was the least we could do to cheer her up. I know she's still torn up at the fact that she can't participate in the derby today."
"Maybe next weekend we could have our own family derby just between the three of us?" Quick suggested, as the two pegasi carefully made their way up the clubhouse steps. "I can't remember the last time we all did something together as a family, aside from Scootaloo's cute-ceañera of course."
"All the more reason why I'm sure she'll appreciate our showing up here," Dizzy commented, as they approached the door. "If she's busy with a client, we can always come back later or wait until she comes home."
But when Dizzy tried the door, she was surprised to find that it swung wide open with little effort. Suspecting nothing, the two adults walked into the admittedly small clubhouse, only to find that there was nopony there.
"Odd, the place is deserted, and there doesn't seem to be any indication as to where they might have gone," Quick noticed, as his eyes examined every inch of the clubhouse. "Do you suppose they're currently with one of their clients?"
"I have a feeling we would've seen them somewhere in town if that was the case," Dizzy replied, a hint of concern creeping into her voice. "Perhaps they all went to do separate things, and Scootaloo decided to go hang out with Rainbow Dash?"
"At the least she might have seen them somewhere," Quick concluded. "But on a day like today she could be anywhere, even at Wonderbolts Academy, and you know they don't just allow civilians on academy grounds without prior approval."
However, as the two pegasi left the clubhouse and were making their towards town, they were surprised to cross paths with none other than Rainbow Dash. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Twister," She innocently greeted, as though nothing was wrong. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"It is, but we were hoping you might have seen Scootaloo," Dizzy explained to the cyan coated speedster. "She wasn't at the clubhouse with any of her friends."
"Wait, I thought she was with you guys? Because I've been looking all over town for the little squirt, and I haven't found her." Rainbow answered, curiously.
Quick shook his head. "We thought she'd be with you."
"Well she's not," Rainbow replied to Quick, concern seemed to be overtaking even her, often considered among the most laid back ponies in Equestria. "Maybe she's at one of those 'Twilight Time' sessions or something?"
"She usually tells us if that's the case, and Twilight's never scheduled them on a weekend before," Dizzy protested with a shake of her head. "But then, if she's not at the clubhouse-"
"And she's not at home-" Quick added.
"-Or with you guys, or me-" Rainbow chimed in.
"-Then she must be-" Dizzy began, before she suddenly gasped and put her hooves to her face! "-You don't actually think she's-"
"-Only one way to find out if your hunch is correct!" Quick concluded! "Come on, we've got to get to the stadium!"
Scootaloo was doing her best to stay focused on the derby, so far she was doing a pretty good job. It was the last lap, the finish line was in sight! And the competition was trailing behind by a considerable distance. "I'm going to win! I'm going to win!" Scootaloo thought, opting to give herself a mental pep talk to keep herself from slowing down, even though her body was all but begging for her to ease off the pace.
"Go, Scootaloo, go!" Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara all cheered at once, as they watched their friend zip past on the track. She was coming into the final stretch, at this point she seemed all but certain of victory.
"Come on, Scootaloo! You're almost there! I believe in you!" Sweetie shouted in encouragement.
"I don't believe it, Scootaloo's actually gonna win this thing!" Apple Bloom exclaimed with astoundment. "Guess I shouldn't have been so quick to doubt her."
Diamond was all but leaping for joy! "At last, the bane of my existence will finally cease to be a problem! Mother better start packing her bags now! I’ll even help her! Goodbye and good riddance!"
But just then, a trio of very familiar pegasi approached the fillies, and they didn't look happy at all. Their faces were mixes of disapproval, concern, and disbelief. "Whoa! The kid actually did it!" Rainbow remarked, her mouth dropping open in shock. "I should be impressed, she seems to be really tearing up the track."
Dizzy shook her head, as she wondered aloud. "Why would Scootaloo do such a thing? Why would she go behind our backs like this, just to take part in a derby? I know it meant a lot to her, but I thought I raised her to be better than this."
"Do you fillies have any idea as to how Scootaloo was able to enter this derby without our permission?" Quick inquired quite seriously. "Did she tell you anything? Anything at all?"
Beads of sweat working their way down the fillies faces, they all collectively gulped together, and one by one they shook their heads in protest. Apple Bloom reluctantly answered. "All she said was that none of you would give her permission, but she didn't tell us how she got in. And we only just found out about it when we came here to cheer her on. Honest."
"Is Scootaloo gonna be in trouble?" Sweetie nervously asked the grown-ups.
"Oh yes, more trouble than she might imagine," Dizzy said sternly. "But we'll try our best not to be too harsh on her. I just hope none of you fillies get any ideas from this. This is a very bad thing to do."
"Kid, what the hay were you thinking?" Rainbow thought out loud. "You're in so much doo-doo."
While all of this was going on, Scootaloo was rounding the final turn on the track! The finish line was right there! Fifteen feet, ten feet, five feet, the distance grew shorter and shorter, but the competition was slowly catching up! Scootaloo shut her eyes, and surged ahead with every ounce of strength she had, she'd come much too far to lose it all at the last minute!
"And the winner is: Scootaloo! Congratulations!" The loudspeaker blared, as Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes! She'd done it! But a look behind her revealed just how close it was, the second place finisher was just a few inches away, another second and the filly might have overtaken Scootaloo (or even pulled ahead).
"ALRIGHT!" Scootaloo loudly exclaimed, wishing more than anything she could fly. Alas she'd have to settle for buzzing her wings and leaping briefly into the air. Still, better than nothing she supposed. And in her mind she was thinking. "In your face, Apple Bloom! Bet you're wondering why you ever doubted me in the first place!"
But just then, Scootaloo overheard a familiar trio of voices calling out in an angry tone. "Scootaloo!" Her celebratory mood quickly faded, replaced by one of concern. No, it couldn't be!
But it was, all at once the filly's eyes fell upon the familiar forms of her parents, and her honorary big sister, all of whom were looking at her with disapproving glances and/or hooves folded across the chest. Following close behind were her friends, who looked unhappy and quite worried. Scootaloo gulped, just how had this happened? It wasn't sundown yet, was it?
Quick Shot was the first of the adults to speak up, and he did not hold back on the thunderous tone of voice as he scolded with a shake of his front left hoof. "Scootaloo, what you did today was very reckless and irresponsible! Do you have any idea how much you made your mother and I worry when we couldn't find you at the clubhouse or with Rainbow Dash?! Why in the wide world of Equestria would you lie to us like this?! When we said no, we meant it!"
"I'm sorry, Dad, really I am!" Scootaloo apologized. "But you and Mom wouldn't let me enter, and neither would Rainbow Dash! And all because you thought it was too dangerous! But look at me, I'm still in one piece, aren't I? And didn't I show independence?"
Dizzy Twister spoke next, opting for a gentler but still strict tone. "Indeed you did, my little pony. But what if you'd gotten hurt? Or what if something else had happened to you and your father and I weren't aware of it? I know it must be hard for you to understand, especially given all the other things we let you do. But you put yourself in danger enough as it is with your love of extreme sports, there's only so much we're willing to tolerate. And there are better ways of showing your independence then going behind our backs like this. Now that you've lied to us, how do you think we feel?"
"I... don't know," Scootaloo answered. "I didn't mean to make any of you worry, it was only going to be this one time. I just wanted to have something to be proud of, something that I did on my own. And I thought entering and winning this derby would be my chance to shine. I've been wanting to enter since the first one was held, but I waited until this one since it was only now that I felt confident enough about my skills. I'm sorry I lied to you."
"Well your folks aren't the only ones you lied to, kid," Rainbow added, landing next to Scootaloo. "I'm not sure how it is you were able to trick the derby officials, but I don't think they'll be pleased to know that whatever signature you submitted isn't valid. That's as bad as putting your name as somepony else's paper, then passing it off as your own. And you wouldn't do that, would you?"
Scootaloo shook her head so fast her neck was nearly in knots. "Of course not, I'm not a cheater! But haven't you ever disobeyed orders before?"
"Just because I do it doesn't mean you can do it, squirt. And I always hate the 'Do as I say, not as I do' arguement," Rainbow spoke up, gently resting a hoof around Scootaloo's neck. "Now you know what you've gotta do. You owe your parents, me, and the derby officials a big apology. And you've gotta try to right the wrong you did."
"But, that means I'll be disqualified, and I won't be able to buy that one way luxury cruise liner ticket for Diamond's mom!" Scootaloo tried to argue the case for the defense. "And I won the money fair and square!"
"Scootaloo, we already discussed it," Dizzy half laughed, half scolded. "There are no luxury cruise liner tickets for sale for just 1,000 bits. And they certainly wouldn't just sell a ticket for a one way trip to a filly like you, assuming they even sell one way tickets. Even if you didn't cheat during the competition, you still entered the race without permission. You wouldn't like it if one of the other contestants won and then it was revealed they entered illegally, would you?"
"I guess not." Scootaloo sighed.
"It's sweet that you want to help out your friend," Quick chimed in. "But there are better ways of going about it," Then with a wing he carefully nudged his daughter towards the approaching derby officials. "Now go on, I believe you have something you need to tell them before they award the prize money."
Scootaloo gulped, looking back to her dad. "So, if I 'fess up and tell them, you, Mom, and Rainbow Dash everything, does that mean I won't be in trouble?"
"Maybe not as severely, but you'll still have to be punished," Dizzy cautioned. "What you did was wrong, and you need time to understand that. But we can discuss that after you've cleared things up with the derby officials."
With a reluctant sigh, Scootaloo nodded her head. "Okay, I'll do it for you guys. But I won't like it."
And so, Scootaloo explained everything to all who needed to know. How she'd managed to duplicate her mom's signature, how she'd tricked her mother with the permission slip, and why she'd lied to everypony. The officials were quite understanding and even a little impressed with the filly’s ingenuity , but rules were rules and they weren't going to bend them. So Scootaloo was reluctantly disqualified, the victory and the prize money went to the filly that had nearly beaten her at the end.
"Cheer up, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle suggested afterwards. "There will always be other derbies to enter, when you're older. Maybe next time your parents will say yes."
"And don't worry about my mother," Diamond Tiara reluctantly insisted. "I'll find some other way to put up with her behavior, I guess. I’ve managed to tolerate her for this long, I suppose I can wait until I can move out."
"Guess it doesn't pay to tell lies and trick others, huh, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom ribbed a little, trying to explain ‘the moral of the story’.
"Alright you three, that's enough for now," Quick Shot told the Crusaders. "I'm sure Scootaloo regrets what she did, isn't that right, my little future Wonderbolt?"
Scootaloo nodded, but only said in reply. "Yeah, I do." And then she reluctantly followed her parents back home, as Rainbow Dash took charge of escorting her friends back to their respective homes.
Once home, Dizzy Twister quickly laid bare the terms of her daughter's punishment. "I know you probably think being stripped of your title and the prize money are punishment enough, Scootaloo. But you still need to face consequences for lying to your father and I," Clearing her throat, Dizzy added. "Therefore, you are grounded for the rest of the month. You'll still go to school and be allowed to go to those Twilight Time sessions, but other than that you're not to leave this house. That means, no Cutie Mark Crusaders business, no scootering or bungee jumping, no flying lessons with Rainbow Dash, and no parties of any sort regardless of invitation. Is that clear?"
"Yes," Scootaloo nodded, and then apologized. "I'm sorry I lied to you and Dad, and went behind your backs. I promise I'll never do it again."
"I trust that you will, Scootaloo," Quick advised. "Your mother and I care about you a lot, and we both want you to grow up to be a good pony, one that hopefully knows the difference between right and wrong."
"Okay, Dad." Scootaloo reluctantly sighed, as she made her way upstairs. It totally stunk that she was going to be grounded for so long, but such was the case for disobeying her parents in such a blatant manner.
But when Scootaloo was only halfway up the stairs that led to her bedroom (and her parents' bedroom for that matter), her mom was quick to add. "Tell you what, Scootaloo? If you behave during your grounding and don't put up a fuss, when it's all over, we'll start having weekend roller skating sessions in the park as a family, weather permitting of course."
"You really mean it?!" Scootaloo asked in disbelief, eyes all aglow!
Dizzy nodded. "Like I said, only if you behave during your grounding. So don't get any ideas about trying to sneak out."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it!" Scootaloo vowed quite firmly. Now there was something to make up for all the fun stuff she was sure to miss out on during her period of grounding. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about missing out on the camp," The filly thought to herself. "That's not until the start of next month."
Author's Note
I tried my best to make Scootaloo at least understandable in her motivations, even though she's obviously in the wrong.
I've talked a lot about the headcanon of Dizzy Twister as Scootaloo's mom, so I'm not going to repeat myself here. If you're curious as to why I use it, you can refer to my earlier works featuring Scootaloo. As for Quick Shot, he's listed as an earth pony stallion (he appears at the end of "Tanks for The Memories"), and you can refer to "The One Where Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo Have A Sleepover" if you want to know more details about that.
Roller derbying is inspired by the sport shown in Friends Forever #13.
Some adjustments were made to the ending, per the wishes of my editor.
