A Lealdade Dela...

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

The sound of ticking clocks was what met Scootaloo's ears over the sound of peaceful silence. Fragile, delicate silence. She didn't want to move. To open her eyes. She was too relaxed, she didn't want to break this moment. So she didn't. She stayed there and waited for something to happen.

She waited in the peaceful bliss of the unknown world she didn't see. She was somewhere cool, yet warm, and was sitting on something soft. The sound of ticking clocks began to fade, seeming to sound from far away, before disappearing altogether.

Silence. But she could still feel her soft seat beneath her flank and the right temperature of the air.

Her ears perked as she heard a noise coming from in front of her.

Sobs.

She heard sobbing. They were her sobs, and yet she wasn't the one crying. She opened her eyes. There she was, right in front of herself. She was crying quietly. They were somewhere in the woods. She could now hear the water from the river rushing from behind her. But she heard something else.

Clip. Clop.

Clip. Clop.

Clip. Clop.

The sound of echoing hoof steps met her ears. But she couldn't move. She couldn't turn around. Confusion turned into fear as the steps became closer and closer until they were right behind her. The hoof steps seemed to walk right through her but stopped in front of her, coming into clear view. Her eyes widened as she stared at the mare now in front of her.

She knew that rainbow mane. She knew those amazing cyan wings.

Rainbow Dash.

Was all she could think in shock and disbelief. She wanted to run up and hug the mare. To call out her name. But she still couldn't move, nor speak. She could only watch the display in front of her.

She watched as Dash sat in front of her younger weeping self. A soft smile on the pegasus's face. She opened her mouth, and using her raspy voice she began to speak. Her voice was muffled to Scootaloo, who was watching this with recognition present in her facial features.

She knew this moment. It was the moment when Rainbow took her under her wing and made herself a big sister to Scootaloo. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Rainbow wrap a wing around her younger self as she pulled her close. Her mouth opened and spoke, but Scootaloo didn't need to hear to know what was happening. She knew what the pegasus said and remembered it from heart and soul.

"So...you're looking for somepony to take you under their wing? Yeah... I might be up for something like that."

"Really?"

"As long as you don't go jumping into any more rivers in the middle of the night."

"Hehe! It's a deal!"

Scootaloo stayed quiet, tears the color of regret and shame streamed down and stuck to her cheeks.

...

That's right.

That's what I said

...

Ugly liquid the color of black continued to fall and make small drips on the naturally covered floor. When it landed in the grassy ground, blue flowers began to bloom, ripping through the ground, and eventually extending its glorious petals for all to see.

Drip...
Drip...
Drip...

Sadness overwhelmed her as she watched herself and her idol embrace each other, seemingly oblivious to her presence.

If only I could keep the promise you made me.

Suddenly, Rainbow stopped hugging and smiling, but Scootaloo's younger counterpart continued to hug as if nothing happened. As if nothing had changed. A small trickle of blood dripped down Rainbow's face, dripping onto the grassy floor below, making a tiny red puddle. Scootaloo watched as her idol slowly moved her gaze towards her. The fillies eyes widened in concern and uneasiness as she stared at the mare. Her expression was blank, devoid of any emotion, and her eyes seemed to lack any life in them at all. The small but damageable scratch on Rainbow's left cheek continued to bleed as she continued to stare at the guest of reality.

Rainbow's eyes suddenly sparkled with life in less than a second, as she made an expression of concern and confusion.

Then, she slowly smiled softly, and somewhat tenderly at Scootaloo as she spoke towards her. Her lips moved as she said something. Her smile became bigger and more unnerving as her eyes curled down in mischief. Tiny trails of blood emerged from the mare's eyes and trickled down Dash's face as the filly only stared in worry and terror. Trails from her left eye increased the blood from her already damaged cheek, making the bleeding more intense. More blood dripped from her chest, and as she shifted, it didn't rise, the young mare could see a number emprinted on Dash's chest; the number 2.

"What's wrong, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo's eyes widened in shock as more tears brimmed at her eyes. The mare's sudden voice was at her normal pitch and had the same rasp, but it was slightly off-putting. It sounded hypnotic, almost inviting, and it echoed in the filly's head like the echo in a cave, but slightly more intense, the way the mare said it was slow, seeming to taunt her. It repeated in her senses, almost causing a headache. She tightly closed her eyes and covered her ears when she felt an odd sensation of something pulling around her. Her eyes opened once more to see what was happening and only widened in shock. Rainbow, the blue flowers, and her past self faded along with her surroundings, and soon her only surroundings were darkness all around her.

Scootaloo didn't even realize she could move again as she ran after the illusion, reaching a hoof out in front of her to grasp the figure of Dash. But it was as if the ground was beginning to warp and become unstable. It crumbled and shattered behind and beneath her, she didn't need to look, she felt and heard it. It only made her run faster, trying to reach for the embrace that was once bloodied up in front of her. Her thoughts whirled as the mare disappeared and was sucked out of her sight.

"N-no! Wait! Don't leave me alone again! Rainbow Dash, please...wait for me. Come back!"

It happened before she knew it. She continued to call out, the mare didn't respond. But the darkness was cold and empty did was it crumbled beneath her as it swallowed her whole in response.

"Rainbow!"

Scootaloo shot up in her bed gasping sharply. Cold sweat stuck to the orange fur of her shaking form. Moonlight shined through the narrow space that remained uncovered by the limp curtains of the window. The air in the room was still and quiet and tense. The only noise was the startled filly's quick breathing and the occasional hooting of owls outside. She swallowed dryly as she began to notice she was awake. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she began to realize that it was just a dream.

A strange one.

She looked around in her room for something to distract her from the chilling illusion she just experienced, but found only dark shapes and shadowed objects covered by the darkness of the night. She sighed and shifted around to be comfortable in her soft bed. She paused.

There was something small and round on her lap. Moving her gaze she found a sleek object on top of her bedsheets. The pony reached out and recoiled to the touch. It felt extremely cold as if it were a big block of pure ice. She picked it up again and examined it carefully. However, it was too dark to make anything out of the object other than it is round, small, and extremely uncomfortable to the touch. She moved out of her bed and moved towards her window, where the moonlight peaked through. Her hooves clopped against the wooden floors as she did.

She moved the curtains aside and held up the object. Her eyes widened as she did. It was an antique black pocket watch decorated with white stems and roses on the back. She turned it over, the hands were moving in a ticking motion, the numbers printed on the watch, and the notches present on the top of the watch. She noticed the time and it showed, the small and big hand present on the printed number; it was two in the morning.

She then remembered the dark tunnel and the wide cavern she received the watch from. Realization turned to confusion as she realized she didn't wake up in the cavern, but in her bed and room. But then she also remembered falling down a long unusual tunnel with pure white clocks floating in rows around her.

"This doesn't make sense...how did I...", She trailed off as she lost words to say. Silence met her answer nonetheless. The hooting of the owls outside continued to call. Scootaloo yawned. She was tired.

Tired of her constant misunderstanding of previous events and nobody explaining to her what had happened. She was also exhausted at waking up in fear and uncertainty, only for those feelings to be overwhelmed by grief and nostalgia. She sighed and climbed back into her bed. She knew she was going to get nothing out of her complaints, but she couldn't help but feel greedy about the person she wanted back. Sure she had her friends, but she always felt Rainbow was a bit more to her.

The mare encouraged her, she comforted her when she was scared, she took her under her wing and stuck by her side. She sighed and choked back a sob. She didn't want to think about that. But she didn't want to think about the watch. It was just too...weird to think that her surroundings somehow changed after she found the odd object. So she didn't think about that either.

Instead, she thought about the night she was in. She thought about the shining of the pale moon watching her. She thought about the stillness of the forest. And as she heard them, she thought about the owls of the night, their egg yolk-colored eyes glowing as they watched everything that went on during the still early hours.

The orange filly snuggled even more in her bed as she began to drift off into a dreamless unconsciousness.

Scootaloo rode her scooter to the schoolhouse, being too tired and avoiding her friends to move any faster. She wasn't going fast but going at a steady pace. She had been avoiding Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle since Dash's death. She had gone out with them from time to time, and they tried to cheer her up. It had worked a little, and on some occasions, Scootaloo had smiled softly at their antics and would chuckle a bit at their jokes or fun. But no matter how many times they told her they were there for her and that Rainbow was right there by her side, the filly felt more alone than ever, even when they were right next to her in concern.

Scootaloo didn't want them to feel or know that their efforts are in vain, so, with enough practice in a mirror, she faked her smiles, making them bright and cheery as they normally were. She perfected her laugh during hours of the night when all the other daytime creatures were asleep. She lied and told them, told everyone who had tried to cheer her up, that she felt better, that she was alright now.

The only thing that wasn't a lie was when she thanked them for their efforts when she missed the older pegasus pony. Those were true.

Her ears twitched as they picked up on sound. The sound of colts and fillies chattering away without a care in the world. She was almost to the schoolhouse. She sighed softly picked up her head, smiled, got off her scooter, removed her helmet, and trotted over, too fast against her preference. Her purple eyes scanned the scenery until they landed on a purple and pink mane with a snow-white horn sticking out on its forehead and a red mane with a big pink bow. The two ponies were talking about topics Scootaloo couldn't hear, but she would soon, as they noticed and happily trotted over in her direction.

She forced back a sigh and tried to not strain her smile. To make it a relaxed and natural as possible. Her heartbeat quickened out of anxiety, but she forced her shaky breaths to be silent. Sweetie Belle was the first to speak.

"Hey Scootaloo, you're finally here. We were getting worried you weren't going to make it.", the unicorn filly smiled a small, relieved smile. Scootaloo forced out a small chuckle.

"Hehe, yeah, I just woke up a little later than usual that's all.", Scootaloo smiled, "So, what's up?"

"Nothin' much, me an' Sweetie Belle were just talkin' about how we helped Thorny Glow get her Cutie Mark."

The three fillies glanced over, a pale green unicorn stood in the middle of a crowd flashing her Cutie Mark to all who wished to see it. The crowd of foals stared in awe as they admired the tattoo on her flank. Two of the Crusaders watched with a smile, but the third one watched first with a dry smile, then confusion. A sense of deja vu overwhelmed the pony as she continued to watch. She felt this had already happened before.

No...Of course, I feel this way, we've helped ponies before to get their Cutie Mark., Scootaloo tried to reason with herself. But as she continued to stare at the stitch-themed rose-bulb mark she began to realize that it had indeed happened before. She remembered the pony bursting in their clubhouse saying that she needed their help getting her mark, as "she had tried everything". She recalled all the various activities they had tried, from scuba diving to magic usage. But eventually, they had found her talent when she showed her talent for sewing designs, specifically flowers.

But that was months ago...they can't be fawning over that cutie mark because...,Scootaloo paused in her thoughts as she continued to watch the supposed event that already happened in her memory,

because we already helped another one...

She remembered there had been another foal, a coat the color of purple and a mane the color of violet. Then another one, and another, and a bunch of others as well. Foal after foal. Colt after filly. Scootaloo realized she had indeed helped many more horses earn a sign of their destiny. This was weird, to say the least for the filly, as the world around her seemed to become muffled by her corresponding thoughts until they all mushed and squashed together into one question.

How is this happening, why is all of this repeating, or seeming to at least?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a yellow hoof waving in front of her face, and the voice of Apple Bloom getting her attention.

"Hello? Scootaloo? You in there?", the filly's western accent was present in her concerned voice. The distracted filly shot her head up from her unconscious gaze on the ground. She glanced around, the rest of her peers were entering the bright red schoolhouse.

"Huh? What?" Scootaloo inquired the earth pony, both gave a worried glance before one of them began speaking once more.

"You didn't hear want we said?", the unicorn questioned, "That we're going to"

"Alright my little ponies! Now that you all are mostly awake, it's time for your lessons!", Cheerilee's voice called from in the doorway of the small schoolhouse, causing a wave of groans and murmurs of disagreement from many foals as they begrudgingly trotted inside for their learning. The purple earth pony quietly rolled her eyes in amused annoyance and smiled and greeted the foals that came in.

"We're goin' inside now.", Apple Bloom sighed, then she turned back to the pegasus, "Ya seem off, you okay?" The speaker's eyes furrowed in concern, Sweetie Belle following, wonder evident in their eyes. Scootaloo nodded and made an empty smile once more.

"Yeah, I'm just...I'm just tired. That's all." She made her smile a bit bigger to go with her assuring. The fillies looked at each other in disbelief, then turned to the odd acting filly and gave a skeptical look, but relented to Scootaloo's silent pleas to believe her and made their way to the schoolhouse. Scootaloo sighed quietly in relief, and trotted after her friends, staring at the ground.

They took their seats, and Cheerilee began the lesson. But Scootaloo trailed off in her thoughts rather than listen to the mare. Not that she did anyway. She felt conflicted, believing this to just be deja vu, and not be the past. She thought back to the watch, which she left at home on her nightstand. It was still cold as ice when she left it, but she remembered that it was hot as a lump of coal when she had pressed a simple button on it. She recalled it glowing a bright blue.

Then the long wide hole she fell that clocks of all kind surrounded.

It also felt odd how her friends took to seeing her, considering she had become a sort of a recluse since her sister's passing. They had tried to get her to go out again, a task they often succeeded in, but she had stayed in her room, or somewhere away from others. Now she had finally walked out into the open of the outside, and they're acting as if she never did. Even the air around her seemed wrongfully cheery and naive.

Somepony had died, and everyone was acting as if it never happened. She was a recluse when Rainbow died, and everyone now was making it seem as if she was still outgoing and carefree. She wasn't, she was some time ago, but in the present she was depressed. Not to mention, a cutie mark can't just disappear or wash off, right? It was imprinted on the chosen pony's flank until it was hidden along with their body six feet below when their body just stopped functioning.

Scootaloo grasped the side of her head and leaned a bit forward, but slacked and moved back in her seat in exasperation.

This isn't right...what's going on?

"Scootaloo?"

The said filly's head shot up as her realization had become clear. She looked around her surroundings and found her other classmates walking away from the schoolhouse through the doorway.

Well, except for her two friends looking at her in worry in the doorway. They lingered until a voice ushered them outside.

"It's okay, I just want to talk to her about something. You two can wait by the door if that will make you feel more comfortable."

Her friends hesitated, they looked at each other, then back at the subject of their worry, then, after a few seconds of unsure air, they made their way outside. But not so far, so when she looked outside, she saw them just at the bottom of the steps.

It didn't take long before Scootaloo concluded what just happened. School had ended and she was still at her seat. She turned her head towards the speaker. The purple school pony stared back at the younger pony with concern. The pegasus now was shocked at how fast school was, normally it took forever for a few mediocre hours sitting in her wooden seat. They both stared in silence, Cheerilee's stare being one of worry, while Scootaloo's was one of confusion and surprise. Silence for a minute, until the filly finally found her voice and finally spoke.

"What? Is school over already?"

The mare nodded concern never leaving her gaze and voice.

"Yes, Scootaloo are you alright? You were more zoned out than usual today, and you look a bit tired."

Scootaloo understood why she asked the question, normally she would run out of the class as soon as it ended, but she wished she didn't have to answer. She always hated getting asked that question, mainly because she had to make up her answer. To make it happy and believable to her happy, feel-better guise. They would nod and smile in relief, but their eyes showed doubt and disbelief. It took a while for them to believe her, and when they finally did she only felt worse for creating a believable lie.

"Scootaloo?"

The mare's voice interrupted her mind once again. Purple eyes met green, and Scootaloo made a smile and a small nod. She made exaggerated body movements she normally would, like flapping her wings as she would sometimes in her past euphoric states she would have. She made the very things that showed her happiness in the past, only making her feel more empty.

"Yeah, I'm just really excited school is over, I mean not that school is bad it can just be boring sometimes. Not that you're a bad teacher it's just the subjects are...", she trailed off and made a gesture towards the pony in front of her. The confusion that was present on the mare's face slowly turned into one of understanding yet still had traces of concern present on its features. Scootaloo sighed and quickly but diligently trotted over to the door. She was in the doorway when Cheerilee called out to her again.

"Scootaloo", The called out filly turned towards the pony summoning her attention, "Don't forget to sleep tonight, okay? I wouldn't want it to be a problem in class." Scootaloo nodded, keeping up her happy façade. Ignoring Cheerilee's uneasy smile, Scootaloo made her tired body trot out the door in an energized fashion, her hooves clopping on the wooden steps until becoming more silent on the dirt ground that spread out from the stair into a wide path.

She let out a sigh of relief. But the feeling was quickly shattered when her friends called her name and trotted over to her. She internally groaned and made a grin once more. She mentally prepared herself to deceive her best friends of her well-being. The white unicorn spoke.

"Hey, Scootaloo. What did Cheerilee talk to you about?"

"Oh", the orange filly relaxed a tiny bit, "She just told me to pay attention is all."

They both looked at each other then back at the filly in question. Scootaloo grabbed her scooter and her helmet and turned to leave, but they called out for her once again.

"Scootaloo, where ya goin'?"

Apple Bloom.

"Home. We don't have anything planned today, right?"

"Oh right! We were going to tell you, except you were zoned out and then school started, but this morning, while you weren't here yet, we promised to help Lotus Diamond get her cutie mark.", the white unicorn stated. Scootaloo let out a silent sigh in her head. She then slowly trotted over to her friends and made a hollow chuckle.

"I guess I forgot we had plans. I was planning on heading home early to catch up with some things."

"What kind of things?", the earth pony's voice drawled out. Scootaloo didn't want to tell them something that will sound odd or even suspicious. Her mind fumbled around finding a convincing lie. Finding none, she answered with the only one that would stop this conversation.

"You know...stuff. But let's help her first." She smiled a determined grin, meaningless as it was.

"You sure you're okay?", Sweetie Belle asked this time. The pegasus once again nodded and brushed the question off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now let's help a filly in need, we aren't the Cutie Mark Crusaders for nothing after all.", she spoke enthusiastically.

The other two fillies looked at each other than, hesitantly, smiled and nodded, and gained genuine enthusiasm from Scootaloo's fake one. She wished she could just tell them the truth, that she was still in grief from Rainbow's death. That she could never really sleep just right, either being nightmares or insomnia. That her body was heavy all the time, and she found all of their crusading, and all of their activities not enjoyable as they used to be. She felt it was a chore, running around and helping others find their destiny when sometimes she wished she could end hers.

But her friends had given her so much, and they showed relief and joy when she feigned happiness herself. Watching them in front chattering about helping another, and speaking in the hopeful emotion, Scootaloo only felt more pathetic in her guilt in deceiving them.

The filly realized soon that she should have hidden, or run as soon as she left the schoolhouse because they wanted to hang out at sugar cube corner after their task. She was backed up in a corner, and now she was being dragged to a place she didn't even want to go to. Her friends chatted and laughed in pure joy, but Scootaloo's wasn't genuine. She wanted to leave, wanted to figure out why all of this was so familiar.

She looked at her friends, who were happily talking to each other about their recent achievement in helping out another pony. Her thoughts mixed and smashed into each other, thoughts of curiosity, and thoughts of wonder. She was curious and wondered if her friends realized this as well. They seemed to act normally, jolly and carefree, but Scootaloo wondered and hoped this was just a façade to keep things happy.

I haven't seen Rainbow Dash, so it couldn't have happened. But I need to make sure. If it did...that would be weird. But if I didn't, why did I have to help Lotus Diamond, and she had no Cutie Mark either. Her flank was blank...

"Hey...Scootalooo...", a voice drawled out her name more than necessary to get her attention. She looked back at her friends.

Her friends must've eventually noticed she was silent because now they were looking at her with worry. Lost pink eyes met two pairs of concerned reddish-orange and green ones. It wasn't long after a second of silence before the unicorn spoke once more.

"You know Cheerilee's right, you have been zoned out more lately, what's going on with you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. It's just...I was just wondering...", she hesitated before clearing her throat and speaking once more, "Didn't we already help Lotus get her mark?" Her friends narrowed their eyes in confusion and worry.

"Yeah, we just did it a while ago.", The southern filly answered, only her response made the filly more confused than ever.

"No, I mean, like, a couple of months ago."

"Um...no." Was their answer. This was too weird.

"You sure you're okay?"

She chuckled forcefully and made a weak smile, nodding.

"Yep! I'm fine. Well, it's getting kinda late, I should head home, gotta finish that stuff I mentioned earlier.", She got out of her seat and made her way to the door to avoid the strange conversation she just had, "So, uh, see ya."

Before they could say anything back, Scootaloo was already out the door, on her scooter, and moving outside away from Sugar Cube Corner with a hurried pace. Apple Bloom ran to the door and called out for her friend.

"Don't forget about the show this afternoon!" Then, the two fillies who just got ditched looked at each other in confusion, then back to the fading silhouette of their departing friend. The Sun was still high up and wasn't going to start lowering for another few hours, leaving them more confused than ever.

The filly didn't look back as she speed off, not wanting to see the confusion, or even hurt, in their eyes. Her wings flapped rapidly as her scooter carried her like the wind. She rode past the calm crowds of walking ponies, and through the heavy, peaceful air around her. In her eyes all of this was wrong. They should be mourning and dragging their sad bodies around, the air should be tense and moist with sadness.

She lifted her head to look around her, she saw mares of the Elements of Harmony not mourning and having tears in their eyes. But instead looking to the right, she found Twilight and Fluttershy were happily conversing with each other about some unknown topic while purchasing some items, but to Scootaloo, the former should be sobbing onto the latter's shoulder. She moved her head to the right. It wasn't before long she found Rarity handing bits to a haughty-looking stallion who was selling some fabric, and soon found Pinkie Pie cheering people up, but with much more enthusiasm and joy.

All of this was wrong, so wrong in her mind. She kept riding, now looking forward, out of the little marketplace, out of the heart of the town, and onto the path that took her home, which was near the end of the little village. She began to be lost in her thoughts as reality around ceased to matter. She wanted to get home, to wake up, and for all of this to be a dream.

But at the same time, she didn't want it to be. Around her, everyone looked so happy, so carefree, as if death never occurred in the town. But she felt alone, and her selfishness was taking up more than her hopeful one. The pocket watch was on her shelf, where she left it. She needed to look closer to it.

She was halfway there when something caught her eye. It was something long and somewhat bushy dangling off of a cloud. It was a tail, but all Scootaloo could process was the tail. She skidded to a stop and looked back, again processing the wild tail's color.

A r-rainbow tail? No, It couldn't...It's just a trick of the light, right?

She closed and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. But it was still there, in plain view. She slowly trotted over to the cloud that held the supposed pony. Her eyes twinkled with light and hope, and her heart thudded quickly out of excitement and anticipation. As she came closer she realized, it indeed was a tail. She trotted slowly in disbelief until she was directly under the cloud. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out for a while. But she found her voice somehow.

"Rainbow Dash?", Her voice was clear, but questioning if this illusion was a part of this reality she found herself somehow transported in. A voice could faintly be heard, yawning. Then, the tail moved. It was now atop the cloud, not dangling on the side. The filly's heart threatened to break her ribs as it only beat faster in suspense.

A mare's face.

A cyan one peaked over the edge of the cloud.

Rose-colored eyes peered down at her in curiosity.

Tears built up in the lower pony's purple eyes, the pony above came down in front of her, her great blue wings extended for all those to see.

It's impossible...she's here.

"Hey, Scootaloo, what's up?"

Her crackly voice was all it took for Scootaloo to confirm. Without warning, the smaller pegasus embraced the bigger one, taking the mare in surprise and confusion. She let her tears fall as she began to whisper and speak. The mare's voice rang through her ears, but she didn't stop talking.

"Uh...Scootaloo?..."

"You're alive! You're okay! You're right here! Right here...with me...I missed you so much.", Scootaloo whispered, but just enough for the mare to hear. If the mare wasn't confused, she certainly was now. Scootaloo felt her tense even more, and soon she felt a hoof push her back. Her eyes that were now leaking tears stared back into the confused and now concerned ones of her idol.

"Scootaloo, what are you talking about? Of course, I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?"

The one questioned didn't answer, instead, she continued to stare into the eyes of the pony that once was buried 6 feet below her hooves. Her thoughts raced her head, but this time in confusion that mashed and mixed together with pure joy, creating an odd mess in her mind. Her idol waited for an answer, but Scootaloo didn't know how to answer, nor did she want to. All she wanted was to feel the embrace once more, to confirm again that she was here. To confirm that it wasn't a cruel trick of her mind, waiting to disappear when she believed in it.

"Hello?", a cyan hoof waved in front of her face as she found herself staring back into her supposed illusion, who now had a look of genuine concern on her face, "Scootaloo you in there?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah! I was just, I'm so happy to see you, that's all."

The mare's face then turned to one of many mixed emotions, mainly laced with large bits of confusion. Her raspy voice was navigated by her mouth as she spoke once more.

"We saw each other yesterday.", She paused, and Scootaloo saw pride overwhelming her once complicated emotions, "Though, you know, why wouldn't my number one fan be excited to see the most awesome flier in all of Equestria?"

Scootaloo beamed and said nothing.

"But seriously, what was that about?", concern once more.

Scootaloo looked back in confusion.

"About the whole 'your alive' stuff.", the mare clarified, unfortunately.

The filly's smile turns into a frown she opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat. So in this dream, she wasn't dead. Even if it was only a dream, Scootaloo didn't want to tell the mare she had perished. It just didn't feel right. It felt cruel, to tell somepony who loved life, who loved to fly that she had seen them die, had been in a situation where they had been forced to stop flying. Permanently.

"Oh...uh nothing. It was just a bad dream.", She quickly added, "But I faced it head-on! Because what's one silly nightmare? It wasn't even that scary anyway."

"You sure? You sounded pretty shaken up?...and, you look like you're crying.", She furrowed her eyebrows as she leaned in to get a better view. Scootaloo quickly wiped her fading tears and smiled genuine happiness at the pony in front of her. Her tears of joy were held back.

"Nope, I'm fine! Just a little shaken up, but I'm fine!"

The mare looked concerned, and after staring at the once crying filly, she slowly smiled unsurely in relief, but with a hint of disbelief. For Scootaloo, a simple smile from the pegasus was a sight she had wanted to see for a couple of months. The smile faded slightly. The mare began to talk once more. Slowly and unsurely.

"Okay, but you know if you want to talk about it-"

"No! I mean no, thank you, but I'm all good now...It wasn't even that scary anyway. So, uh, what's up?", The mare looked skeptical and concerned. But Scootaloo kept her smile up, it was real, so it wouldn't falter. Rainbow then looked relieved, believing the filly this time. She began to talk about mostly herself, talking about something she and the Wonderbolts were going to do in their latest show.

But the filly trailed off in her thoughts once more, forgetting where she was once more. She was elated to see her idol, flesh and all, but she was confused about why everything seemed to repeat, perfectly. She had seen all of this before. Maybe, it wasn't a dream, maybe something allowed her a new chance.

But that was impossible. It wasn't a natural occurrence, even in this world of magic. Time travel was considered impossible, at least, in all universes it was made to be nothing more than science fiction.

She thought back to the pocket watch currently resting on her bookshelf. She, like most ponies, would in her situation, found the situation odd and unusual. How could a simple innocent pocket watch do the impossible, it just wasn't right in the filly's noggin. Nothing was so far.

She emerged once more in the present, where the mare was still rambling on about something she was excited about.

"...about it, you, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle still excited to watch the best fliers in all Equestria do the most awesomest tricks ever later?", the mare's tone was just as joyful and cheeky as her grin as she leaned into Scootaloo's face.

"Uh..yeah, absolutely!", was the orange pegasus's automatic response to her blue-coated hero. She realized she was zoned out and forced herself out of her spinning psyche.

"Awesome, I knew you would!", was the mare's response as she picked the filly up and ruffled Scootaloo's mane. Suddenly a voice broke through the air of joy.

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Huh?"

They both turned towards the voice to find Applejack, who had an annoyed and angered expression on her face. Scootaloo was placed on the ground as the once inexistent pony began to talk to the living pony.

"Hey Applejack."

"Don't you 'hey' me, you were supposed to be makin' rain over at Sweet Apple Acers a while ago!", Scootaloo quietly watched her idol make a guilty smile on her face.

"Oh, heh heh, I knew I forgot something...", Applejack glared daggers at the pegasus, "What? I was busy with something else."

"Ya forgot when you were busy havin' a nice nap huh? No surprise every time Ah find ya yer slackin' off and napin' or whatnot when ya could be given rain over at the farm!"

"Hey, those naps are reasons why I do my work quickly and efficiently." She retorted to the blondie, making exaggerated movements with her hooves. The farm pony merely stamped her hoof and continued to glare at the airborne mare.

"Well, why don't ya do your job quickly and efficiently over to trees and crops who need water!"

Dash rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance, "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." She turned to Scootaloo.

"See ya at the show Scootaloo.", she then blasted off in the direction of the farm, leaving nothing but a rainbow trail, an annoyed mare, and a baffled filly. A grumpy Applejack sighed, shaking her head, before trotting away towards the marketplace, mumbling under her breath, not even taking notice of the filly.

"I swear that mare sometimes..."

Scootaloo was left standing in a literal puddle of confusion, wonder, and euphoria. She was beyond being just happy at seeing and hearing her idol in her presence. She was in a trance made purely out of joy, and she felt she could travel to the moon and back. But she wondered how all of this was possible, how a pony can be dead months ago and suddenly appear the next day. It was most likely a dream. But what if it wasn't? Lastly, she was confused on how everything was repeating itself, or how her memories could be shaken and sloppily mixed into a messy slop. Maybe she was taunting herself, making her remember all the things and fun times she had with the rainbow speedball.

She slowly her gaze from the bright blue sky, and back to the way to her small two-storied house. Eventually making it, she was greeted by Aunt Holiday, a short and orange-coated earth pony, who was sitting at a table talking to Aunt Lofty. The skinny, pale-yellow pegasus was knitting a quilt of many patterns Scootaloo could not see.

"Don't worry, I'll behave.", Scootaloo's voice was heard faintly throughout the small two-storied house where she lived. Aunt Lofty and Aunt Holiday were going to meet up with some ponies who were interested in buying the pegasus's variety of quilts. They would be gone for the rest of the day and would be back very late in the night, and they had just revealed who the foal sitter was. It must've been a difficult task, Rainbow whizzes here and there, and if chased, the pursuer would never reach her.

But these two had once more. This wasn't the first time anyway, as before they fully bought the property, they lived in a different house one or two towns away, and they would often get many caretakers for her. But that had been almost a year ago, when her parents had finally come and seen her, but only to reveal that they're taking her away from Ponyville to live with them.

Everyone, the Crusaders, herself, the other fillies they had helped, and of course, Rainbow Dash had given a reason or more why she should stay. Her parents of course were sad she didn't want to live with them, but they respected her wishes. After that, the aunt couple revealed they had bought the house and were living there full time.

Now it was about two weeks after Scootaloo's 'expedition'. She was deeply confused still and often had to remember certain things to go to them. Like when Rainbow invited her to a Wonder Bolt concert a week before her odd journey, she forgot until she remembered the ticket on a little table in her room, right next to a flowerpot thirty minutes since she and Dash had their conversation. She had to rush the other two to Twilight to get a cloud walking spell. Then they had to use a slingshot for all three of them like they do when they have to hurry anywhere in Cloudsdale, as she saw that as the quickest way to get there before the show started in five minutes. Even though her friends suggested a better, less painful way, even telling them they should've taken a less painful way, like taking the hot air balloon or asking Twilight to teleport them to their intended destination, which Twilight offered both but Scootaloo was too panicked about being tardy that she didn't even notice the gesture.

She brought herself back in the present once more, as her two leaving caretakers began to leave, two sets of different colored suitcases were in the two mares' possession. A two being lifted by a folded wing, and the other one, a wood red, riding on the pegasus's back. They were full of differently decorated quilts of many colors and stitches.

She followed them outside, right as a rainbow streak contrasted against the deepening blue sky, and Scootaloo found herself watching it carefully. This had indeed happened before, and it had been one of the best times of the young pony's life, aside from all the other times she had hung out with her brash mentor. But this had now felt strange to the now annoyed foal. She wasn't annoyed about spending time with her idol. She craved it before.

But she was annoyed by repeating and being confused about things that have happened, but not yet. Whenever she spoke up about it, nopony knew what she was talking about, and it seemed like everyone thought she was insane.

But...she's here as if she has been alive this whole time and not...that yet

She continued to stare at her rainbow-maned caretaker for the rest of the afternoon. She was conversing and bragging about how good she was going to take care of the younger mare behind her, at least Scootaloo assumed she was. She flew above the ground with great blue wings in pride and a sort of excitement, her hooves moving exaggeratedly. Scootaloo wondered if she was just imagining it, yet it was impossible to explain how she knew what was going to happen.

"So Scootaloo, you ready for an awesome night?", a raspy voice in front of her and two hoofs on her shoulder brought out of her thoughts. She looked forward and saw Rainbows face close to hers, her eyes glistening with excitement.

"Huh? Oh, um of course!"

The mare in front of her grinned and made her way inside the house leaving Scootaloo to stare back at the lowering Sun alone.

Luna...Celestia...how is all of this possible?, she wondered quietly, staring back at the Princess of the Night's creation, Is my wish granted?

"Uh...Scoot? You coming in or...?", the impatient pony from inside called. Scootaloo whirled her head around, meeting the confused pony's gaze.

"Oh...Oh, right! Yeah, just wondering something..", The older pegasus made her way out of the house, her wings making quiet thumping noises she did.

"Wondering what?"

"Um...haven't you been noticing that everything in the past is happening again?... Er, I mean, that the past is repeating itself or something? Like everything that's already happened is repeating itself?"

She moved her head to look at RD's face and got only met with confusion. Scootaloo sighed. She wasn't making sense and being confused herself, she knew she wasn't going to anytime soon. Before the mare could share her thoughts, Scootaloo turned and trotted quickly to the house.

"Never mind...Now come on, wouldn't wanna waste time I could be spending with the coolest pony in Equestria!", she grinned as she made her way outside, not glancing back for the mare's reaction. Instead, she wanted to spend time with the pony she idolized, now that she had another chance. She wished and prayed this time wasn't like last time, where she wouldn't have to look at the sight of pure heartbreak. Where the mare following her wouldn't be bloody and beaten and broken. And dead.

Scootaloo sat on the many log seats that surrounded the lit campfire. She sat lost in her thoughts, ignoring the chattering around her from the other ponies. Rarity was telling a story, she knew that much, but she didn't feel like listening. This has happened before, and Scootaloo enjoyed every moment of it. She still was, but now there was an odd feeling that accompanied it. She looked to her right.

At the mare who shouldn't be there, but the mare Scootaloo had once wished she could be in the presence of once again. The filly reached out a hoof towards the pegasus, wanting to see if she was an illusion, despite the obvious facts that she wasn't. She was cautious even if she had been there for a while.

A hoof lightly poked Rainbow's foreleg, moving her attention to the owner of the hoof. The orange pony jumped a bit and moved back just an inch in surprise. She stared at her older sister relieved she didn't fade away. It was a silly thought, considering she had enough proof this wasn't a dream and that Rainbow wasn't an illusion. But Scootaloo was still scared it might be, this wasn't the first she had of the bearer of loyalty being alive when she wasn't in reality. She was skeptical.

"What is it Scootaloo?"

Dash's crackly voice met her ears as all eyes fell on her. She sighed in relief and joy. Rainbow was real, this Rainbow wasn't dead. But now she was even more confused than ever. Curious eyes were still on her, and she realized she needed to speak.

"Oh...um, nothing, just bumped into you.", she turned to Rarity, "That was a really good story, Rarity." She couldn't tell if it was good or not, she was ignoring the unicorn. Rarity smiled and nodded, glad that the others had enjoyed her tale. The others began to compliment Rarity as well. It was Rainbow's turn, and the blue pony floated off the ground as her wings lifted her in excitement. Scootaloo listened intently to her idol's favorite tale, the one about another pony who had the same loyalty as she did.

The woods surrounded them as the story was spoken. And as she listened Scootaloo only thought one thing.

This is a new chance! A new opportunity, it won't be like next time. Celestia must be giving me another chance by giving me the pocket watch...somehow

She had always felt elated and brimming with excitement when she was blessed with the presence of her idol. It was truly wonderful and inspiring every time the mare talked to her. She encouraged her, she cared for her, and she truly looked out for Scootaloo. She had always been in every big part of Scootaloo's life, all beginning from that camping trip, to a talent show, to a competition to celebrate Ponyville and many more cherishable events and moments.

The pocket watch she had found let her feel those things once more. Her hero was right beside her, happily telling all of them how her hero made a plan to distract the dragons that had kidnapped the other soldiers. Scootaloo could see how the two related, they both had an undying loyalty for those they cared for. It reflected Rainbow's loyalty to the other mane six, her family, the Wonderbolts, and Scootaloo. Sure there were times when her loyalty was tested by her pride or desires, but in the end, Dash always chose the right choice.

She always chose her loyalty for those she loved. Scootaloo loved that trait, it was one of the many reasons she admired the prismatic maned mare. Now as she sat near the radiating warmth of the campfire and sitting beside her idol, she felt an appreciation for the mare even more.

She smiled as Rainbow got to the ending. The ending where the hero survived, where he was rewarded for his bravery, for his loyalty for the now cheering soldiers he rescued. She still loved that ending, she still loved Rainbows story and deeply hoped that that would be the same with the storyteller. To be rewarded with many rewards. To survive from her acts of loyalty, and to smile and achieve her dreams and goals for the rest of her life.

She wished and prayed to the Princess of the Sun and the Princess of the Moon that this hope was true.

Scootaloo sat in grave silence in her room, atop her soft, comfy bed, dry tears stained her fur cheeks. She ran out of tears to shed. The hope was fake, and she only got met with more despair. She silently cursed the two Princesses. She sighed and laid back in her bed in utter depression and sadness. She couldn't blame them, she should blame herself for believing everything but that would repeat, she was very wrong. The day had come, and Rainbow Dash was dead once more.

This wasn't a different chance, it was the same one, and Scootaloo felt foolish for believing the opposite. The two months were repeating, and the events happened again. The finding of her, the funeral, the mourning. It had now only been a couple of hours since the funeral.

Her friends, like last time, had tried to cheer her up. But their efforts were futile, as she only got worse in her mentality. Not only was she more depressed than ever, but the only person she felt could cheer her up had now died twice in her eyes. The only thing she left behind was joyful, and savoring memories of happiness that only poisoned the filly's mind more. She wasted her time when she had a chance to stop it. She wished she had savored the second time she could experience genuine happiness once more.

The time at the concert, when Rainbow watched her that night, and when they went on their next annual sister camping trip once more. There were more times and more chances that she wasted being confused. She should've warned her, should have told her what was going to happen.

She now wished for her once more and craved another chance. If only the two princesses could give her another chance. If only she could somehow go back once more, and instead of wasting time, would warn Rainbow about the future. To prevent it.

Scootaloo's eyes widened.

"That's right, the pocket watch!"

She quickly sat up and walked over to the shelf where she left it. It was still there, and it seemed to beckon to her, promising another chance, another way. Her hooves grasped the mystic object, and she stared at it for some time.

It took me back once...can it take me back again...maybe, just maybe...

She fumbled with the watch, trying to figure out how to activate it again. Her hooves moved around, and she pushed the first button, which was one of two small notches on her left. A familiar feeling overwhelmed her once more, as the pocket watch seemed to grow lighter, as well as hotter. A purple glow this time, seeming to emulate the filly. She closed her eyes, as it consumed her once more.

She was falling again. She forgot about this.

And she was still scared.

She opened her eyes in a completely terrified expression as she stared at the wide white hole in front of her.

She realized she needed to warn Rainbow, to prevent this.

Somehow...

Because it would just happen again like it did last time.

Rainbow and other pegasi and weather ponies would try to stop it. And fail.

She and so many others will die to the cruelness of nature.

But she could only save one, but maybe she can at least try to save the others.

But that would take too long...

Was she even willing to have that patience?

After all, she has another chance now...many...

And now...this time...

She knows she can go back and try to change everything...

She can try to save the mare, she can attempt to free herself from the nightmares, and she can push effort into being able to spend the rest of her days in blissful happiness.

Happiness with her. To feel her happiness, to make her happy. To be able to cheer her on. No matter what, she silently made herself promise to protect the mare who truly looked out for her. The mare she idolized, not only for her ability but for who she was and was like.

She wanted to protect the joy the mare gave her.

She wanted to protect the loyalty the mare gave.

And she was going to protect her loyalty. For her friends, for the mare's friends, for herself, and for others who have yet to experience even more.

And happiness with her friends and family.

She truly wanted her to be okay.

But with this storm, this inconvenient event took someone special away from her.

It might never happen.

She can try to protect Rainbow, she can try to keep her friends safe, and maybe she will feel okay after she saves her.

She kept her uncertain gaze on the wide hole that soon engulfed her, ignoring the ticking of the watches, almost sounding as if they wanted her to look at them.

But she didn't and was too focused on her self-given quest, too lost in her thoughts to notice a small change.

Scootaloo was too focused on her thoughts to even notice anything else, like how the clocks looked a bit different, or maybe the chimes were a bit off.

She closed her eyes in a pained expression as the white light engulfed her whole, afraid it might hurt her upon an imaginary impact. She disappeared, dissolving into the magical space, leaving the now slightly dimmer white clocks alone once more in the odd portal.

The Timeline has been reset once more...