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                  Soaring Without Flight                   
                   -by Crystalchameleon-                   
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                  Soaring Without Flight                   
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Soaring Without Flight
“I can’t believe that they got their cutie marks before us! What did we ever do wrong?” Diamond Tiara asked Silver Spoon dramatically from the other side of the classroom. I looked down at my cutie mark. It was a purple lightning bolt with a few orange streaks, matching my pinkish-purple and orange color scheme perfectly. It was everything I’d ever imagined it would be.
“Don’t worry Diamond Tiara! We’ll just have to try everything until we get ours,” Silver Spoon comforted. Try everything? They must have been really desperate. Everypony knew you couldn’t force a cutie mark. You just had to let them come in their own time. After all, that was the approach me and my friends had taken, and it had worked out just fine for us.
“Scootaloo? Are you with us?” Cheerilee asked me. Darn! I totally zoned out. I had no idea what Ms. Cheerilee had been talking about. That was pretty unusual for me. I normally had a longer attention span than most ponies realized. It was probably because I was dazed with the events of the previous day.
“Oh, uh yeah. I mean, yes Ms. Cheerilee,” I said. I then realized that my best friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, had gotten out of their seats, and were currently up at the front of the class next to Ms. Cheerilee. Ms. Cheerilee sighed.
“I asked you and your friends to come up here and share with the class how you got your cutie marks.” She turned her attention to the rest of the class. “I think it would be an educational elaboration to what I’ve already taught you about cutie marks.” Yeah, I definitely hadn’t heard her say any of that the first time.
“Oh, right! I heard that!” I lied unconvincingly. I then proceeded to walk up and stand in line with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
“So! What’s your story? How did you three get your cutie marks?” Ms. Cheerilee asked.
“Well, as much as me and Apple Bloom would love to take the credit, the truth is, it’s all thanks to Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Absolutely! We never would’ve gotten our cutie marks without you, Scoot!” Apple Bloom agreed. I blushed. That was so sweet of them. Quite frankly, I never thought I would be able to do something that… Legendary. Then again, I wasn’t really sure if my actions deserved that status.
“Thank you guys!” I said.
“Yeah, yeah. You got your cutie marks and they’re great. We getit,” Diamond Tiara called from the back of the class.
“Yeah, just tell us what happened and get it over with!” Silver Spoon added.
“While I certainly disapprove of your classmates' tones,” Cheerilee took a moment to glare at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “-I am also quite interested to hear Scootaloo’s story.”
Everypony in the room turned to stare at me expectantly. Oh no. I couldn’t do this! How would I explain it? I didn’t want to lie, but I definitely couldn’t tell everypony the truth! I started to sweat nervously.
“Uhhhhh,” I stalled. “Sweetie Belle! Why don’t you go first?” Sweetie Belle looked surprised and a little confused, but she complied.
“Okay!” she said.
“I was in a secluded park just outside of Ponyville to enjoy all the flowers and such. Then, the most amazing thing happened! I was just minding my own business, and then there was a sonic rainboom! It started in the center of Ponyville, and traveled directly above me before it disappeared into the distance.
“I was so inspired by the beautiful shades of magenta and burnt orange soaring across the sky, that I started to sing. Dozens of ponies from Ponyville who were trying to find the other end of the rainboom ran into me in the park singing, and when they heard me, they stopped to listen. When I finished my song and heard the unexpected applause from ponies watching, I remember thinking that it was the greatest moment of my life, and then I felt a little dizzy for a moment, and when I looked down, I had my cutie mark!”
Sweetie Belle’s mint green music note cutie mark seemed to glow in response to it’s own story. The whole class gave a round of applause. Well, the whole class except Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“What does that have to do with her?” Diamond Tiara asked, pointing at me with her hoof. I was really, really hoping that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t say anything.
“Scootaloo was the one who did the rainboom!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed happily. Greeeaaat. Now I had to say something about it. I was hoping I could somehow avoid that particular part of my story. Then again, I doubted that was possible anyway.
Whispering broke out among everypony in the classroom.
“What?! One day I’m the most popular pony in school, and the next they get their cutie marks and she does a sonic rainboom?! How is that even possible? I thought she couldn’t even fly!” Diamond Tiara whispered very loudly to Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon’s face looked thoughtful.
“Hey! How did you do a sonic rainboom? I thought you couldn’t even fly,” Silver Spoon yelled at me.
“Way to be a copy-cat, Silver Spoon,” Diamond Tiara muttered venomously.
“Do you want me to call your parents, young ladies?” Ms. Cheerilee asked threateningly. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon quickly widened their eyes and shook their heads back and forth.
“No Ms. Cheerilee!” they said in unison.
“Then please be courteous to your classmates.”
“Yes Ms. Cheerilee,” they responded drearily. Cheerilee turned back to me, an excited glimmer in her eyes that came from her love of knowledge and learning.
“So Scootaloo, how did you manage to do a Sonic Rainboom? If I remember correctly, there’s only been one other pegasus in recent history able to pull it off, and she was already a competitive flier,” Cheerilee said curiously. Oh no. Did they suspect me? What would I tell them? I hadn’t even told my best friends what happened! Did I really have to tell the entire class? If I hadn’t been obviously hiding something before, I almost certainly was now. My breathing was really really fast, and my hooves and face were really really sweaty.
“Umm. Uh…” I started, panicking as I tried to figure out what to say. “As much as I’d just love to share my awesome story, I can tell that all of you want to hear Apple Bloom’s story first!” I said. Everypony stared at me confusedly.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure-” Apple Bloom started.
“Tell your story!” I whisper yelled at her, cutting off whatever incriminating thing she’d been about to say.
“Alrighty,” she said a bit suspiciously. However, once she started speaking, her suspicion drained away as she remembered her cutie mark story.
“I was out in the orchard bucking an apple tree, when I felt a breeze blow past me, and saw purple and orange bolt across the sky. It looked sorta like a rainbow, but it didn’t have enough colors, so I had no idea what it was. I chased after it, tryin’ to follow it all the way to the end of it’s arc, but before I made it that far, I got lost in the orchards, and stumbled into a part of Sweet Apple Acres that I’d never seen before. It was an open clearing with a single tree in the middle of it. But it wasn’t just any regular ol’ apple tree. It was an apple pear tree.
“Seein’ it made me feel whole somehow. Like I found a part of myself I didn’ know I was missin’. The tree had apples and pears growin’ alongside each other, and when I looked closer at the branches, I saw a single fruit that had a color similar to a pear, but a shape similar to an apple. I could barely believe it! It was an apple-pear! I took a big bite, and it was the most delicious thing I’d ever eaten. Even better than my Granny’s zap-apple jam! I remember thinkin’ that I wanted to grow more of ‘em. Then, before I knew it, I had a strange tingly feelin’ on my flank, and I got my cutie mark!”
She pointed at her flank proudly with her hoof. Her cutie-mark was a pear-colored fruit shaped like an apple. An apple-pear. Everypony applauded. I did too, but a few beats late. I knew they were inevitably going to ask me next.
“Wow! That’s fascinating, Apple Bloom! I can’t imagine how that tree was created! And did you say that you could feel the breeze from Scootalloo’s rainboom? Her speed must’ve been higher than well… Everything. That is truly impeccable! I have to say, I’m getting more excited by the minute to hear Scootaloo’s side of the story,” Cheerilee said. She looked at me expectantly. Actually, everypony looked at me expectantly. Again. I laughed nervously. I opened my mouth to say who-knows-what, but Ms. Cheerilee stopped me.
“Actually, come to think of it, this could be a great exercise for all of you! Class, why don’t you each come up with your own theory on what happened! When everypony is finished, Scootaloo can tell her story. I’ll grade you all later based on how accurate your guess was.” Now she wanted to get the whole class involved? Why in Equestria would she do that?
“Um, are you sure that’s entirely necessary Ms. Cheerilee? I wouldn’t say it was that cool,” I said.
“Oh, don’t be modest! A pegasus doing a sonic rainboom on her first time flying is unheard of! I’m sure there will be many more ponies wanting to hear your story once word gets out,” Ms. Cheerilee said. I gulped.
“M-more ponies asking ab-bout it?” I asked, stuttering.
“Oh certainly! Now go ahead and get going everypony! Write down your best guess in your notebooks, and make sure to hurry! We wouldn’t want to keep Scootaloo waiting.”
The class started writing in their notebooks, but I barely even noticed. I had a knot starting to form in my stomach as everypony wrote. Every time somepony looked up at me with amazement or disbelief, the knot seemed to grow larger and more tangled. By the time the class was finished writing their theories, I was fearful of vomiting on all of them.
“Alright Scootaloo! It looks like everypony’s done! So what’s your story?” Ms. Cheerilee asked. Before I had the chance to say anything, - though I doubt I would’ve been able to speak - Diamond Tiara looked at me menacingly and spoke.
“I bet I know exactly how she did it. She probably just faked it to get more attention. Everypony knows that fillies that get their cutie marks early on are attention seekers. I’m so glad I haven’t gotten mine yet. Who would want to be associated with ponies like that?” Diamond Tiara said smugly. Silver Spoon and quite a few other blank flanks laughed loudly.
“Oh my gosh, that’s so true,” Silver Spoon responded through the ongoing laughter.
There was no way I could do this. I felt like I was going to throw up, scream, cry, and a bunch of other things that I did not want anypony to see. I had to stay tough, but I just couldn’t. I ran from the room, and then from the school, only vaguely hearing Ms. Cheerilee’s chastisements to Diamond Tiara.
After a minute of running, I ended up next to the seesaw in the playground. It was the place that I felt most comfortable within the school grounds. Most school days during recess, while all the other pegasi my age were practicing flying, I would get my scooter and ride it down the seesaw over and over until I felt like I was somewhere close to being as special as the other pegasi. The wind in my mane and the thrill of defying gravity that I feel when riding my scooter makes me feel like I’m flying. It was my own version of soaring through the air, but without actual flight.
As I sat down by the seesaw, I curled up into a tiny ball and cried. To my surprise, I didn’t actually vomit, but that was probably just because there was no time to retch in between my sobs. I was Scootaloo. I was one of the first in my class to get my cutie mark, and seemingly the toughest kid in my class, and that was because I never told anypony my secret. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust ponies to know. It was because I knew if I talked about it, I would cry, and I didn’t want to be that oversensitive little filly that cried all the time. I wanted ponies to think of me as strong and hard core, not vulnerable and weak. So, at times like this, I made sure that I was alone when I cried. It was better that way.
“Scoot? Where’d you go?” Apple Bloom called from the other side of the playground.
“Hello? Scootaloo?” yelled Sweetie Belle. Darn it! I should’ve guessed that my friends would come looking for me.
“Hi guys,” I said weakly through my tears, standing up to look at them. I supposed it was about time I told them. I hoped they’d help me keep it a secret from the rest of the class, but regardless, it was time that my best friends learned the truth.
My friends looked totally shocked.
“Scootaloo, are you… Crying?” Sweetie Belle asked with disbelief. Apple Bloom just stood there with her mouth hanging open incredulously. I sniffed loudly.
“No,” I said pitifully.
“Why are you so upset? You got us our cutie marks! Shouldn’t you be proud? Is this about Diamond Tiara?” asked Sweetie Belle. I sighed. I knew what I needed to do.
“No. I need to tell you guys something,” I said solemnly. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at each other worriedly.
“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Whatever it is, we’re here for you Scoot,” Applebloom added. I sighed.
“You know how everypony thinks I’m just a late-blooming pegasus, and that I’ll be able to fly eventually?” I asked.
“Yeah, of course!” Applebloom said.
“At least before today,” Sweetie Belle corrected. The knot in my stomach tightened yet again.
“Well, there’s more to it than that,” I said ominously.
“What do you mean?” Applebloom asked. Here went nothing.
“I’m not just a late-bloomer for flying. I was born with something called Miniature Pinion Syndrome. Basically, I was born with wings that are unusually small. Even if I built up their strength for years, they still wouldn’t be enough to support my weight. It means that…” I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to hold back my tears. My voice cracked as I continued. “I’ll never be able to fly.” The tears started to flow slowly down my face. Sweetie Belle looked horrified, and Applebloom gasped.
“But that can’t be true! It just can’t! If you really won’t ever be able to fly, then why are you always trying so hard to do it?” asked Applebloom.
“I’ve always tried to tell myself that just maybe if I tried hard enough, I’d be able to do it, even if it’s not medically possible. But I think deep down, I’ve always known that it’s impossible.”
“But what about the rainboom yesterday?” Sweetie Belle asked. I hesitated.
“Do you remember Cloudy Cushion and Swift Breeze from my old school in Cloudsdale?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Applebloom said.
“Uh huh,” said Sweetie Belle at the same time.
“Well, they were planning to go to Cloudy’s house and practice trying to do a sonic rainboom. I asked if I could go with them, and they said that they didn’t want me there because… “ I sighed. “They didn’t want to disappoint me when I couldn’t do it.”
Applebloom spit on the floor.
“How rude!” Sweetie Belle said angrily.
“No! No, it wasn’t like that. They weren’t trying to be rude at all. They were just being honest, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. In fact, I think it kind of made it worse,” I confessed.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I guess I was just too embarrassed. I didn’t want to talk about it,” I admitted.
“Hold the hay. I think I’m missin’ something. If you supposedly can’t fly, and Swift and Cloudy wouldn’t invite you to their rainboom practice, then how’d you pull it off?” Applebloom asked confusedly.
“Applebloom! She’s getting to that. Be patient,” Sweetie Belle said in a reprimanding tone. Applebloom groaned.
“Fine,” she said. I smiled a bit at my friends. My tears finally slowed to a stop, and I began to feel a bit more like myself again.
“I was really sad and hurt that they wouldn’t invite me, but after I thought about it a bit more, I got really angry about it. It was just so unfair! Why was it that I couldn’t live my dream because of something that I was born with, and have absolutely no control over! I was determined to prove to them, and everypony else, that I can do anything a flying pegasus can do. I took all sorts of wooden boards, tin cans, and anything else I could possibly think of, and I worked for hours to turn it into a huge rollercoaster of twists and turns designed to increase my potential energy and velocity until-”
“Wait! I know I said I’d be patient, but what in the hay are potential energy and velocomy?” Applebloom asked.
“Ha! I knew nopony else listened to Ms. Cheerilee’s Physics lectures! I’m the only one! Well, besides Scootaloo apparently,” Sweetie Belle said. Applebloom rolled her eyes. My cheeks flushed fiercely.
“What? I don’t listen to her lectures. I’m too cool to do that,” I said. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, and then back at me, and then we all burst into laughter. Since I was still recovering from crying, my denial was a bit too blunt.
“Okay okay. Now back to your story, Scootaloo. You built twists and turns to build up your velocity and potential energy, and then what? How did those help you?”
“Well, once I was finished with my contraption, I got out my scooter, pushed myself as hard as I possibly could, and after going through enough turns from my invention to make me dizzy, I gave myself a final push, and the next time I looked down, my scooter wasn’t on my contraption anymore. It was soaring through the sky. I felt myself and my scooter going faster and faster, until a thrill rushed through me, and I could feel the air pushing against me. Then, I felt it give in as it bent itself to my will. I could see all of Ponyville up there. It’s the most amazing experience I’ve ever had! Then, all too soon, I crashed onto a pile of hay just outside of Sweet Apple Acres. Once I got out of the hay, I felt all buzzy, and then I looked down and saw my cutie mark,” I finished.
Oh no! They were making the exact faces I’d been expecting them to make. Applebloom’s eyes twitched while Sweetie Belle looked close to fainting.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to mislead anypony! I just knew that doing a sonic rainboom without actually flying was super lame, and I wanted ponies to think I was special. Especially you guys because, well…” I really didn’t want to have to say this next part, but their shocked expressions were only growing as I spoke.
“You guys are my best friends, and I want you to be proud of me,” I said shyly. After a few beats of very uncomfortable silence in which my nausea returned, Sweetie Belle finally spoke.
“You… You did a sonic rainboom… On your scooter?!” Really, Sweetie Belle?
“I know, I know! I just said I knew it was lame!” I said irritatedly.
“That’s ain’t lame. That’s…” Applebloom paused to think of a word to describe it. I was expecting something along the lines of desperate, pathetic, weird, etc…
“Amazing!” Sweetie Belle completed for her. Now, I was very confused.
“Wait, what?” I asked with disbelief.
“Scootaloo, you did something that’s never been done before! You did something that even pegasi with the ability to fly can’t usually do, and you did it with only a scooter!” Sweetie Belle said.
“I mean, we always knew you were awesome, but that’s just crazy!” Applebloom added. I was shocked to say the least.
“You… You don’t think it’s desperate or embarrassing?” I asked for some much-needed confirmation. Applebloom made an outraged noise in her throat.
“You must have a couple of screws loose if you can’t see how special that is,” Applebloom said.
“You guys think I’m special?”
“Of course we think you’re special, Scootaloo! Why else would we be your friends?” Sweetie Belle said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Yeah! What’s not to like? You’re sweet, funny, passionate, and more than anything, you are way too cool to listen to Physics lectures,” Applebloom said. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle laughed, but I was too busy tearing up with joy like an idiot. I hugged them close.
“Thank you. That really means a lot to me. You guys are the best.”
“-and that’s how I got my cutie mark,” I finished for the second time that day. I wasn’t sure what the rest of the class would say about my story, but I had my two best friends beside me, so I knew I’d be okay. I also told the class about my condition. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughed at me, but it didn’t really bother me. I knew that my friends didn’t think that I was lesser because of it. Why should I care what ponies like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon thought anyway?
Since Sweetie Belle and Applebloom showed me their perspective of my cutie mark story, I started to see it from a new perspective too. My cutie mark and scooter weren’t reminders of the fact that I couldn’t fly. They were a reassurance that I didn’t need to fly to be just as accomplished as any other pegasi. They weren’t something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of. And from that moment on, I treated them as such.
Author's Note
Hi!
I know this story had some pretty goofy parts, but please keep in mind that the CMCs are very young, and it takes place from Scootaloo's perspective. I wanted to write this story because I've always suspected that there was a bigger reason that Scootaloo couldn't fly, and when I saw Nitro Indigo's secret themed role swap contest, (linked in the description) I thought that it would be a good opportunity to write it.
I hope you liked this story, and if you did, give it a thumbs up, and whether you liked it or not, feel free to comment below with your comments and/or critiques.