A Lealdade Dela...

The fog was thick and grey, and Scootaloo couldn't see anything in front of her. She lifted her hoof in front of her face, she could only see a blurry shadow. It was cold like she was buried under a thick, large pile of snow. She looked around her odd surroundings, only finding fog and silence. She squinted, but that did not help her problem, she still couldn't see through the smoke. She opened her mouth, but no voice came out.

She couldn't speak.

She couldn't hear anything, not even her hoof steps as she moved forward. She quickly walked, hoping to soon be out of this uncomfortable environment. But as she continued to move forward, she found that her surroundings were now growing and shaping into a new one, as threatening trees began to surround her, their branches seeming to reach for the foal. As she continued to walk, she saw other shapes beginning to form within the trees much quicker now.

Then, she heard a sound, a rhythmic one.

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock

They were clocks. Grandfather clocks and they are as tall as buildings, looming over the only living creature. They made the pony feel helpless and threatened. It made her feel inferior. Their ticking and tocking seemed to mock her, to laugh and giggle at this helpless foal who had lost her way. She began to move in a quick trot, almost to the point of running. She again tried to use her voice to see if someone was there, but her voice was still gone.

Another sound met her ears, as other movements happened around her. It was a low croaking call of a bird.

She looked around her and saw that ravens were landing and perching on branches, their beady little eyes staring right at her. More and more birds of the same kind perched on the clocks and trees, making the trees appear to have black moving feathers all over them, and the clocks, they sat on the hands of it in such an angle that the mechanics looked as if they were frowning at the pony. Glaring at her through and through.

Craw!

She jumped as a yell of the many birds around her called from behind her. She spun around and found a depressing sight right behind her. It was perched on the seat of a rather large wooden chair, which wasn't there before. The bluebird stared directly at her, its body still from the loss of life, some unseen force was balancing the corpse. She stared back with wide, now tear-filled eyes, wondering what was happening. Nothing happened for a few moments, but then her eyes began to sting. Like some pony had poked them directly with their hooves.

She rubbed her eyes with her hooves and moved to look back at the bird. But to her surprise, the deceased bird and everything but the chair was gone, including the tall clocks and trees. She looked around her and found only a plain white space around her: no forest, building-sized clocks, and sky or fog. Looking back at the chair, she found the raven was no longer on the chair, but a big detailed mirror was in its place.

Her purple eyes went wide in horror and intrigue as she began to take in her reflection. Something was coming out of her eyes. It spread more and more, and Scootaloo saw, it was ribbons. As they exploded outwards there were streamers of different ribbons that formed the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and lastly, purple ribbons. They streamed down her cheeks and spread as they unrealistically melted and dripped, making the sight somewhat of a waterfall, all the way down to the floor below her. It pooled into a colorful sticky looking mess. Yet they still felt silky, dry, and non-liquid, confusing the young filly. Her pupils were much bigger and were just a bit too big now. They were the color of red roses, looking like deep pools with tiny specs swimming in them, oddly.

But what unsettled Scootaloo was the shape, they weren't circles anymore, they were squiggly lines now. Lines that almost seemed to take the form of a number; 3

She stared at the image the glass object showed her in curiosity and fascination with the beauty of the ribbons and with the uncomfortable feelings of the expanded pupils. It reminded her of Rainbow's mane and tail. Her now expanded and colored eyes reminded her of Rainbow's own. She felt scared, in awe, and in deep nostalgia all at the same time. Tears continued to fall as the image of the decaying body flashed in her mind. The tears streamed down her face in grief.

But she soon found that was a big mistake, as the colors and ribbons began to turn a deep decaying black. Holes and rips were now occurring in the ribbons, and her eyes hurt more than ever. No ribbons were coming out of her eyes anymore, but rich black feathers. One by one, but at a speeding process, feathers somehow formed in her eyes and floated gently to the ground. So lightly and delicately, yet so painfully.

They were the same feathers as the birds she had seen.

They were raven's feathers. They were falling into piles in front of the filly's now shaking hooves.

Her eyes? They now had eyes the same color and as black as dark coal, just as lifeless. But the number was still there, like a permanent mark or wound she was bound to carry for the rest of her life. What fuel does to fire, how it makes the hungry fire grow, it did the exact thing to her starving fear. Making it overtake her body, and making her shake with terror.

Her mouth opened as she let out a scream.

A silent scream that had no voice at all.

Gasps rang within Scootaloo's room, as the occupant was startled awake from her dreams once again. Her hooves went underneath her eyes, making sure nothing was coming out of them. She only felt her skin. She sighed in relief and looked around. She was in her room once more, it had worked. She looked down to find the pocket watch on her lap. She picked it up and looked it over. It was cold as ice once more and was not glowing anymore.

Seeing no damage to it, she slid out of her bed and walked over to the shelf, where she placed it. She then proceeded to wander around the moonlit room. She knew she needed to warn her, to tell her about the future. She could prevent this.

That's what she now aimed to do. Now she knows this isn't a dream, nor is it a new universe. It was the same one, one that she just turned back the timeline to prevent an ill future. She didn't like it the first time, nor the second, and she went deeply against desiring another one. She hated the thought of the sight of someone she cared immensely for bleeding out in her very eyes. Not only that, but she hated the traveling bit, falling through an unknown portal created by an odd ornate pocket watch she knew nothing much about.

Falling through something similar to a rabbit hole, being long and blood rushing, and very confusing and complicated. Falling past all of those clocks with the now annoying ticking and tocking of the tellers of time. Whenever she would go through the wide abyss she would be met with the oddest, and most haunting nightmares she had ever experienced in her couple of pony years of life.

Dreams with memories that had a twist, dreams full of clocks, deep forests, and a forest full of crows and feathers. She hated them and wanted them gone.

But this wasn't about her. She was now just worried about her sister.

She climbed back into her bed, closed her eyes, and forced herself into a dark unconsciousness, this time ignoring the owls that asked the same question repeatedly throughout the night.

Scootaloo's eyes stared at the clock impatiently. It was only five minutes until school was over. She ignored Cherrilee's lesson. That wasn't important. She was going to go out of the schoolhouse as soon as it ended and would find Rainbow Dash. She knew what she was going to do, and it was far bigger than education. The clock ticked down.

5 more minutes...

She was going to warn her about the danger, to try and prevent it. She didn't focus on anything else, only her mission. Nothing else mattered until it was fully prevented.

Four...Three...

The fretful filly felt her eyes begin to strain from staring at something intensely for so long. Time was going by so slow.

Two...

The orange pegasus began to shake with impatience, as one minute was left. She positioned herself in a way where she would leave quickly. She had no time to converse with her friends. No time to answer questions.

Bing! Bong!

As soon as the bell rang, she jumped out of her seat and ran to the door. She almost tripped falling down the stairs, grabbed her scooter and helmet, and rode past the courtyard and away from the school, not focusing on anything that was in front of her. Her head shot up as she scanned the skies and searched for the undead pony. There was nothing but blue sky and puffy white clouds. No rainbows yet.

"Where are you Rainbow?", Scootaloo wondered aloud, and she didn't know whether her heart was beating out of anxiety or whether it was from running. Maybe both. Her neglection to look ahead and not up caused her scooter to trip on a rock in the path. She shouted out in surprise as she was launched forward abruptly, landing with her left cheek sliding against the harsh pathway.

"Ugh...Ow...", Scootaloo groaned as she picked herself up from the ground. She rubbed her cheek and winced. It wasn't bleeding, but it still stung. She looked up.

She wasn't there.

She continued to have her eyes on the blue space above her, looking for Rainbow. She wasn't anywhere in the sky, not in this area. She continued to ride, ignoring her surroundings around her. The sky was her vision, and finding the mare was her mission, she couldn't waste any more time. Voices and conversations filled her ears, but she ignored them all. All that met her eyes though, were clouds and other pegasi.

No Rainbow Dash yet. She wasn't anywhere in the marketplace. A thought suddenly came to her head, maybe she isn't there during this time. Maybe Rainbow would still be asleep on a cloud near her home. She quickly exited the marketplace and headed in the direction of her house.

Her heart raced as she remembered what she was about to do. She was about to tell the older pegasus about her fate. To tell her she was bout to die. It was unbelievable, but Scootaloo shrugged this off. The mare had to believe her, she just had to. Scootaloo didn't look further in her future actions, wasn't done yet. She skidded to a stop and looked above her to a cloud, where she thought Dash would be. Scootaloo swallowed dryly, and she called out to the pegasus on the cloud.

"Rainbow Dash!" She kept her gaze on the mass of water drops and ice crystals. No response. There was no tail hanging over the side of the cloud either. Rainbow wasn't on the cloud, the filly came too early. She paced impatiently under the designated spot of the kaleidoscopic mare. She didn't know what to do, Rainbow wasn't here and Scootaloo had no idea where she would be. She didn't want to wait for the mare to come for her nap, every second of not telling her was wasting time.

Her head shot up as she began to move towards the marketplace. Scootaloo didn't know where Dash was, but maybe the mare's friends did. She looked around the place filled with busy ponies. She continued to trot but looked around for the other Elements. They weren't there yet. She looked up in the sky for any hope that the mare would just randomly appear, to no avail. She then remembered something, Applejack maybe had an idea where Rainbow was, she was the one to find her before, right?

She changed direction and sped off towards the farm. She maneuvered and went around other ponies, ignoring the cries of protest and anger to the young filly with the rampaging scooter. She felt familiar doing this sort of thing, she had done it all the time before the dark day. She felt a twinge of her old self in her veins as she performed.

She began to look for ramps to go on to go into the air and cover some land. It could help her get there faster, it had gotten to places quicker before. Her eyes scanned around her current location to find the boost into the air. Her eyes rested on a set of planks placed on the side of a barrel, a house was being currently built, and the process had created the perfect ramp. She moved towards the air projector and clutched the handlebars preparing to be launched.

The ride along with its passenger flew in the air, the wind being pushed against the form. Scootaloo closed her eyes, let go of her scooter, and allowed her body to soar, savoring this moment. Soaring through the air makes her feel light, making her above and superior to all her problems and depressions. She had always enjoyed this because this moment right now was one of the reasons she wanted to fly. To glide through the air, to land on clouds, and to perform amazing and jaw-dropping stunts all on her own, stunts that would even catch Rainbow Dash, the greatest flier in all of Equestria, off guard.

Her eyes opened just as she approached the ground, and she regained a grip on her mode of transport. Her scooter landed with a clunk as the impact shook the rider slightly. Ponies behind her watched in amazement. She continued to speed away, not taking any notice of the audience. She could see Sweet Apple Acres beyond a forest of apple trees. Her wings buzzed faster to the scene. She was almost there. She would ask Applejack where Rainbow was. If the mare was currently busy then she would go to the spot and wait for her to be done to tell her. That was a sooner way.

She now sped through the forest of red fruit growth following the paved path. Her head rose as she noticed something in the rapidly approaching distance. In front of her was the clubhouse where she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders planned their meetings, entering the clubhouse were the other crusaders, and the blank flanked filly Scootaloo couldn't help for the third time. They stopped and watched as Scootaloo steered towards them, braking just in front of the ramp. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle approached the scooter riding filly, the unicorn opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the anxious pony.

"Hey, Applebloom! Hey, Sweetie Belle! No time to talk, have you seen Applejack anywhere?"

The other fillies looked over to each other in question and then turned back to the pegasus with a confused and concerned expression present on both of their faces.

"Um...yeah, she's out in the orchids." the farm pony pointed in the direction of a field of apple trees, some were shaking due to some impact, most likely hooves kicking at it. "Why do ya need ta see her?", Applebloom questioned, looking at the filly with curiosity. The orange pony sighed and turned towards the direction, her mouth opened as she spoke.

"I just need to talk to her.", her wings fluttered like the wings on a hummingbird, preparing for take-off after the filly removed her right hind leg on the ground.

"What do ya need to ta-"

As soon as her hind leg was removed from the earth, she sped off like a bullet towards the section of trees. As she left she only heard the beginning of the Appleblooms question. Her tail flowed behind her as she headed over to the area where the mare she needed to talk to, not even thinking about how she rudely left her friends in the middle of a conversation. She was only focused on finding the mare to warn her, she could talk to her friends later after she saved Rainbow. She very quickly neared the trees and in the distance was the blond mane and cowboy hat she needed to see.

"Applejack!", the filly called out to the mare, who in turn turned to the approaching source of the voice, who was speeding towards her at lightning speed. The cow mare's expression changed slightly to uneasiness as Scootaloo drew near in high speed, almost seeming to crash into the other pony. Luckily the filly stopped her scooter just in front of the nervous earth pony. Applejack relieved the foal didn't crash into her, smiled, and greeted the younger creature.

"Howdy Scootaloo! What brings you 'round here? Ya lookin' for mah sister and Sweetie Belle, Ah think Ah saw they're over at the clubhouse if ya-"

"Applejack, have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?!", Scootaloo's breathes were tense. The farm pony was surprised for a moment but quickly thought that Scootaloo was just excited for the upcoming show later that day. Rainbow Dash had asked Applejack and the others, but they all had things to do that day, unlike the free pegasus. So, wanting somepony to witness her and her team's hard training for the show, she invited the crusaders, who accepted in ecstatic joy and excitement. She smiled and responded to the impatient pegasus.

"Well, Ah reckon she an' the other Wonderboltz are practicin' one more time before the big show ya'll are going to.", Scootaloo became more hopeful, she could warn her, she nodded quickly, she prepared to speed off once more when she saw her friends running towards her, along with the other filly. The two recognizable fillies were calling her name, they probably went after her when she sped off like that. Scootaloo smiled as they neared when they did, their hooves clip clipping on the dirt pavement. It took them a while to catch their breath, but when they finally did, Applebloom began to interrogate.

"Scootaloo...What's the big idea runnin' off like that?"

"Oh, uh...sorry about that guys, I just needed to ask Applejack something.", Sweetie Belle looked at her curiously.

"Ask her what?", before Scootaloo could respond, Applejack answered herself.

"Scootaloo was just wondering where Rainbow Dash was, Ah told her she was preparing for the big show you three are goin' to go to later. Ya must be pretty excited to see Dash perform huh?"

"Yep, I was just excited for the show, can't wait to see the awesome tricks and other stuff!", her smile never left her face, she had an idea. She was now going to use the idea three times, but it was the fastest way. The balloon Twilight owned would take hours to blow up.

"Hey, I need a favor from you guys.", The unicorn and earth pony turned to each other in confusion before turning back to the pegasus.

"What favor?"

"I need you both to help me get to Cloudsdale, I can't pull the sling myself.", Scootaloo's voice was now firm, and her face was serious. It wasn't normal for the normally cheery and spunky foal. It was only natural for the other two crusaders to become concerned and uneasy.

"Why do ya need to go to Cloudsdale?"

"I want to watch them practice, I want to see what they have planned.", Scootaloo was thankful she was quick to have an excuse.

"Okay...but why do you need to use the slingshot again? Isn't there less intense and harmful ways to get up there?", Sweetie Belle asked wondering what was going on.

"I-", Scootaloo looked away, "It's just faster, I don't want to miss it.", It went silent for a moment before Applejack spoke up.

"Well, faster or not, Ah don't think launching yourself from a slingshot a thousand feet in the air is such a good idea."

Scootaloo scowled.

"The balloon takes forever to fill up, by the time I get there it's going to be over. I can't wait, not this time.", confusion spread across the other ignorant pony's faces. Scootaloo spoke once more.

"I want to see her fly, want to tell her good luck that's all. I'm excited, that's why I can't wait. The slingshot is just a faster way.", nobody was relieved, but Applejack proposed a different idea.

"Hmm...maybe there's another, safer way."

Then what...? I fly all the way there? Newsflash I can't, that's why I need the slingshot., she thought bitterly before Applejack made a different, maybe quicker idea.

"Maybe Fluttershy or Twi could fly ya up there.", Scootaloo sighed, getting on her scooter. It was a pretty good idea, and it was worth a try asking the pegasus or alicorn to take her up there. But it would be useless if they didn't have free time.

"Okay, I'll ask them.", her wings buzzed, but her leg was soon held firmly on the ground as Applebloom began to speak to her once more.

"Hey, Scootaloo, you're actin' off. You doin' alright?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired. You guys have fun helping a fellow foal out.", she pointed to the very quiet pony who seemed to hardly talk. Just as that, she sped off, leaving her confused, concerned fellow pony's in the dust. She headed for Fluttershy since she was closer, she didn't feel like going all the way through town just to get a ride from a probably busy pony, who was a princess so most likely. Fluttershy seemed more willing to help her out anyway.

"Thanks for the lift Fluttershy.", Scootaloo dismounted from the yellow pegasus pony. Fluttershy did have some free time, and Scootaloo had managed to convince her to give her a ride up to Cloudsdale. While the ride wasn't quick like Scootaloo hoped, it felt a bit nice and almost peaceful. Her ride gave her a nod and a quiet acknowledgment.

"Oh...It was my pleasure. I'm sure Rainbow's excited for the show too...I mean she was really happy and said she couldn't wait for you to see all of their tricks. I'm just glad she found somepony to invite to her show, I just wish I could go too but I...", Scootaloo took no notice of Fluttershy's ramble and scanned the sky for the blue mare amongst the group of talented pegasi that gave the illusion of a bird flock. They were finishing up practicing for the show with all kinds of amazing tricks, and Scootaloo was captivated.

When they flew down to the odd field-covered clouds that she remembered her mission. She moved her eyes until they stopped on a familiar rainbow-maned pegasus. She immediately rushed over to the mare, crying out her name. Tears brimmed and almost spilled, but she held them back. She couldn't cry, she had to be brave. She had to be strong.

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!", The called pony turned to Scootaloo with a surprised look on her face.

"Scootaloo? What are y-Woah!", Rainbow was caught off as her young fan clung onto her tightly. The filly was shaking, maybe it was out of fear or from feeling her insides go cold out of dread, it wasn't clear. Her heart pounded out of nervousness about what she was about to say. She swallowed her anxiety deep down her throat but didn't make it go away. It didn't make it fade, but she had to try to speak.

"Rainbow Dash! I-I..." The dreadful image of the dead body flashed through her mind, making her voice die and become weak. "Y-you...Yo-you're going t-to...", her voice came out in stammers, and the tears began to form once more. She had tried, and all that came out of her efforts was a blubbering mess. Rainbow's gaze wasn't helping either, and her concerned voice only made it worse.

"Are...are you okay Scootaloo?", Scootaloo's heart pounded hard. It felt as if it were going to make her ribs burst and crumble, she was scared and awful and anxious that's for sure. It was hilarious. She had constantly told herself she had to warn and tell Rainbow, but she never thought about how she would do it. Just that she had to. Now here she was, bare and wordless, going to tell a wonderful pony awful news and she didn't even know how to do this damn task.

"Scootaloo?", Scootaloo moved her head up to meet concerned rose-colored eyes that belonged to her idol. The very pony who believed her and encouraged her. How was she supposed to do this? Her body knew she was horrible for doing this, seeing how it shut itself down when she attempted to. Her thoughts whirled for a second about what would happen and what she couldn't bring herself to do. Eventually, it came to one simple thought:

I need to do it. It'll happen again if I don't.

She swallowed thickly, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Rainbow Dash, you have to listen to me! I know this might be hard to believe but months from now you're going to be gone, and I'm not going to be able to stop it, but if you listen maybe we can tell Princess Celestia and maybe she can help us or at least tell us how to prevent it and...", she gasped from talking without breathing in between her speech, she didn't try to speak again, she knew her voice was now weak. She ran out of fuel, out of confidence. She just hoped Dash would take her saying seriously. She waited for what seemed like years to her.

"I'm g-going to...what...huh?", those words were what Scootaloo was met with, and it made her collapse completely. She didn't know what else to do, what to say. She had tried, and she failed. This was on her for not planning, for just acting without a full way to tell somepony of this incredible ordeal. The more she thought about what she said, the more she began to realize, she wouldn't believe herself either. Time travel was a very powerful ability, an ability that only very few and powerful unicorns could make a spell to do. An object being able to do so was never known.

"Everything handled Dash?", the voice of Spitfire caught the mare's attention. Rainbow only nodded, she was confused and uneasy, her voice was blocked with shock at the outburst. The orange-maned mare nodded before she and the other teammates flew away to have a break, leaving the other three pegasi alone to talk on the landing platform.

"S-Scootaloo, what are you talking about?", the disbelief in her voice only made Scootaloo sink further in her doubt, but the small shock present only made her dwell in her guilt. She then narrowed her eyes in determination. She came this far to tell her, she couldn't back out now. She swallowed for the third time and spoke once more, quietly.

"In two months from now...you're going to...be gone.", the air went quiet, and everything around the two ponies seemed to freeze. Scootaloo could feel her heart vibrating in her chest. The younger mare could now only hear the faint echoes of the beating organ in her ears.

"Oh, my...is everything alright?", the gentle voice of Fluttershy broke the silence but had no effect on the uncomfortable feeling in the air. Scootaloo didn't make an effort to respond, her voice was now dysfunctional at that point. It was silent before her idol spoke, not seeming to take any notice of the new speaker.

"Scootaloo, what do you mean I'm going to be gone, I'm right here aren't I?", disbelief again. This time, Scootaloo could only close her eyes and shake her head with a sorrowful expression. Her voice had done what it was supposed to do, it had no purpose to work anymore. Hooves approached her, and the filly moved her head up to look at her confused sister. Her mouth opened and her words were only hesitant. At last, she turned her head once more and whispered the only words her body would allow out of her.

"It's true...I saw it. You left me and the others. I was so lonely Rainbow...", tears were now forming again, threatening to leak, but Scootaloo lost all strength to fight them back. They pattered on the black runway and her body shook as she quietly sobbed. It was quiet and under the gaze of her hero, crying in front of her, Scootaloo felt an inch tall. She felt weak, felt so fragile, and she couldn't seem to think straight. Whimpers escaped her lips despite her pathetic effort to keep quiet.

"Look Scootaloo," the filly felt the warmth and pressure of a hoof on her shoulder, "I don't know where you heard all of this from. But I'm not going to just disappear. I'm right here, I'm not going to leave you or the others, I haven't done it before." Scootaloo moved away from the hoof that tried to comfort her. She wished that statement were true, but she knew that it would happen again if she didn't at least try to stop it. Didn't at least try to make Dash listen to her.

"N-no...it's true. I saw it. I know.", She did know. Because how could she forget something so important, when she experienced it and saw it with her own eyes. Fluttershy spoke this time.

"Saw what Scootaloo?", her soft and gentle voice filled with hesitance made Scootaloo only feel weaker. Scootaloo's words were shortened into only mumbles and murmurs of 'I'm not lying' and 'I saw it. The two adult ponies didn't understand at all, and that fact left them both unsettled. Rainbow started down at her temporary little sister. She was shaking now, and the rainbow-maned mare was worried.

"Scoot...", Rainbow took her wing and pulled Scootaloo close, but the filly only squirmed her way out of it. She didn't dislike the feeling of her sister's warm wing being used to embrace her, she just couldn't do it. She didn't want to hear her nickname either, no, this was important. Heart pounding with real dread, she took a deep breath and finally screamed out what she needed to say:

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! I WATCHED IT HAPPEN!", at last, she collapsed fully on the ground in a ball of sobs and sorrow. She did it. She said it, all she could do now was hope Dash believed her. All she was met with, amongst her sobs, was bitter silence. The first sign of disbelief. Her heart now pounded with anticipation, as she waited for her now warned idol to respond.

She had to wait a while before it finally came.

...

"Scootaloo...are you okay"

...that's what she heard. Scootaloo moved her eyes up to her big sister. It was only then that she realized all that came out of her mouth were gags, pathetic attempts to speak. It was only in her head, she never said it out loud. Her heart stopped for a moment and Scootaloo felt her insides go ice cold. She looked up at her older sister who was looking at her with concern and looked a little weirded out by her behavior. Rightfully so, she would be weirded out if a pony came up to her and started crying and made sounds that sounded like they were being choked.

Oh, Celestia...she needed to shut her mouth.

She moved her mouth like a rusty steel machine, with slow halting movements before it finally closed with a clack of her teeth. Now she only stared at her older sister and nodded. Now she stared at the ground in silence. The silence of a failure. She had failed. Hard. Her ears blocked out what her idol began to tell her. She didn't deserve anything that came out of Rainbow's mouth. No praise or even concern. Some part of her mind flashed.

You failed...Pathetically.

She did, and it was pathetic. But she couldn't help it. It was awful news nopony would want to give to anypony. Especially since this person was someone who enjoyed life more than anything. She had good reason to, she had loving parents who supported her at everything no matter what, she had wonderful friends, had her dream job; she had everything. But in the next moment, she would have nothing.

Scootaloo felt herself being wrapped by a soothing comfort that was simply the blue mares wing and being pressed against warm fur in a hug of reassurance. She was anything but that. Under the fur she was up against she could feel her idol's relaxed breathing, expanding her chest, and being brought back down. But being moved against Dash's chest, she could feel the strong and quick heartbeat. A feeling she wouldn't feel any longer if she didn't try again.

And again. And again. Again...

Before she could, however, she was removed from the embrace. She looked up at her older sister, who was smiling comfortingly.

"See? Everything's fine squirt."

Scootaloo did not smile back. She didn't notice when she and her surrogate sister bid Fluttershy a 'see ya' when she had to go back down to her daily tasks. She was not happy when they headed back to the academy for Dash to change out of her suit. She did not feel reassured when Dash gave her a ride back down to Ponyville and decided to spend time with her. She did not react when the conversation between AppleJack and Rainbow was repeated.

All of it just repeated. So will her death because she failed. And as she laid on her bed, in her house under the night sky, her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed in determination. She had to try again, no matter what would happen.

Scootaloo paced impatiently in her room for her foal sitter to show up. This was another chance. Another chance to warn her without blubbering. Before she just went without practicing, but now she was ready. She prepared by speaking into a mirror, imagining her reflection as Dash. Even then it was hard, but when she got used to saying it, it became easier. So easy that it was as if it was a normal conversation.

It wasn't, Scootaloo knew that. But she prepared, and all that practice couldn't go to waste.

"Scootaloo!", the sound of her Aunt Lofty calling her brought her attention. She wasted no time rushing down the stairs, her hooves and weight causing the floorboards to creak and groan. When she reached the bottom floor she was met with the familiar sight of her two Aunts getting ready to leave, a suitcase on the sand-colored pegasus's back. She smiled at her Aunts.

"Are you two ready to go already?", they both nodded and smiled back at the filly. Aunt Holiday then began to speak.

"Now remember, since we won't be back until late, Rainbow Dash will stay with you tonight until we get back. You'll be asleep before then, but can you behave until then?", Scootaloo nodded.

"Yeah, I'll behave."

"And if you want something to snack on, heh heh, I left you some cookies.", Aunt Lofty winked towards Scootaloo with a smile. Holiday chuckled before interjecting with her rule.

"But... wait a while before you do, you've already eaten dinner, you don't need to stuff yourself even more.", Scootaloo smiled, then agreed to her relative's rule.

"Don't worry I wasn't planning on it actually.", she didn't feel like having cookies for what she needed to do. Cookies made her feel a bit nauseous. The three ponies then moved outside, as they did before. Scootaloo thought about that even more and thought it was almost funny. This already happened to her, yet her aunts thought this was the original, haven't had in a while chat. It just barely lightened her mood.

Just barely.

Her eyes scanned the sky once more for the Rainbow mare. They eventually found and followed the rainbow streak as it landed beside her aunts. They then engaged in the same chat as before, but Scootaloo wouldn't wait. She moved in between her aunts and her idol.

"Yeah yeah, I think she knows all the rules and whatever. Now come on Rainbow Dash!", She grabbed the blue pony's foreleg and began to drag her to the house.

"Now hold on Scootaloo, we need to make sure she knows all the rules and-"

"Don't worry, I remember the rules!", Rainbow boasted, "You two just go and do your stuff that you need to do, I got this." Scootaloo felt a sense of thankfulness towards Dash as she said those words. The Holiday looked at Lofty and back at Rainbow, who smiled with ease.

"Okay, if you're sure.", she was nudged by Lofty.

"Aw, it'll be fine Holiday, she's done this before remember? Now come on, if we leave now we'll be able to catch the train up to Canterlot. It's not every day you get a seller up there.", she chuckled before she and her lover made their way toward the train station, stopping for a second to wave back to Scootaloo, who quickly waved back before dragging Rainbow into the house.

"Woah Scoot, I know you're excited but jeez, don't pull my leg off!", Scootaloo took no notice of this and, muttering a quick and unmeaning 'sorry', continued to drag the mare inside. Once inside the filly closed the door behind her and turned towards the mare, who was now hovering, her great wings lifting her in excitement.

"Alright Scootaloo, are you ready for an awesome night because I have a lot of ideas on what we can do. Though which one should we do first.", a blue hoof tapped her chin to think. But Scootaloo couldn't waste any more time.

"Rainbow, I need to tell you something before we do anything.", Rainbow stopped and moved her attention to the filly. Scootaloo took a deep breath before continuing.

"I need you to listen closely to what I'm about to say because this is very important.", She had Rainbow's full attention thanks to the seriousness and lack of any joy in her voice, "In about one and a half months from now, something terrible is going to happen to you."

"What? What are you saying, what happens", pure confusion, but this time the filly held her ground, but she still couldn't keep the tears from brimming in her eyes.

"You-you're going to...", her eyes weakened.

No Scootaloo! You need to warn her...you know it'll happen again if you don't. You practiced in a mirror for this, don't let all practice that be for nothing. Deep breaths, and use your voice! She's here, you have her attention., Her eyes hardened as she gave herself this pep talk, and while the tears were still there, it didn't stop her from saying what she needed to say days ago.

"You're going to...die.", her voice quavered and tears streamed down her face as the ghastly image of the deformed and ripped parts of the mare's dead body flashed in her mind again, some wounds on the mare real, but some of the wounds were created by a twisted imagination she didn't think she had. She continued to talk though, now blubbering and whining.

"I-I don't know how it'll happen, but I know I saw it and I didn't want to believe it was real but it was. It wasn't fair that I lost you Rainbow, wasn't fair at all. I was so sad, but then I found something that took me back. Celestia must be giving me another chance to stop this, a miracle. I'm warning you Rainbow, warning you of the future. I don't want you to die, so I'm warning you! I'm warning you, and you have to believe me! I know I might sound crazy but it's true I saw it! I'm not lying...I really did see it...It was awful..." She now laid on the floor, awaiting Dash's response. A response she hoped would be belief, a careful cautious obeying.

What she got was anything but those things.

"Scoota...I'm what...you saw...huh?", Confusion. Disbelief. Fear...that's what she was met with. She looked up to see the mare's face. All she found was uneasiness, confusion, and most notably; a small sliver of fear. Scootaloo only nodded. There was a clip-clop as Rainbow's hooves landed on the wooden floor gently. Tears continued to stream down Scootaloo's face. There was an only tense silence between the two ponies.

Badum...Badum...

Badum...Badum...

Her heartbeat increased, and now it was all she heard. It echoed in her eardrums as its vibrations rang out throughout her body. She did it, she really did it. She felt like the scum of the earth. But this had to happen. If Celestia was giving her another chance, this, warning Rainbow, would be the only reason that seemed reasonable. Just seeing the mare isn't a reason for something the Princess wouldn't give out to anypony. Especially an average pony like Scootaloo.

But she had this chance, and she used the chance to warn. Even if the warning sounded unbelievable, especially since it was coming from a child. Rainbow believing her was all that mattered, if her recent try didn't work, then she wasted it. She was wasting her chance if Rainbow didn't believe her. But if it didn't work, and if it happened again, then she was a failure. A failure with pathetic attempts to convince an older pony of something impossible.

"Scootaloo....", the zoned-out pony felt a hoof on her shoulder, which was shaking her out of her thoughts accompanied with a voice. Dash was looking at her with worry and confusion. When the mare knew she had the filly's attention, she spoke once more.

"What are you talking about? W-what do you mean I'm going to...", Rainbow trailed off and moved her head away for a second. She closed her eyes, an act that appeared to be her regaining her posture. A lump moved down Rainbow's blue throat as she swallowed before continuing, asking the question Scootaloo dreaded to answer.

"What do you mean I'm going to die...?", Scootaloo tried to wipe the waterfall of tears staining her cheeks. Failing, she moved her head to look up at Rainbow and swallowed as well.

"I-I saw it and...and there was a storm, and you tried to get rid of it and...but you failed and I had to go to your funeral...I was so lonely, and I thought you were gone. But then I-I found a way back, and I can save you, but you have to listen to me! You have to believe me...I saw it Rainbow...I know what will happen to you if...if you don't listen to me", Keeping her gaze on her big sister, she saw Rainbow look even more confused now. A barely surfaced internal struggle of emotions and thoughts danced across her face. Scootaloo watched silently as Dash's eyes then suddenly widened with some kind of realization, and she gave her sister a small smile mixed with understanding and pity.

Before Scootaloo knew it, she was wrapped in a wing once more and pulled closer to Rainbow. Close to the mare's chest, to her beating heart. Dash's voice met her ears, and it was soft and understanding. Unfortunately, it was a wrong kind of understanding.

"I see, heh, that must have been a pretty bad dream all right...But it's okay, I'm right here. That dream is never going to happen, okay? If there ever was something like that, well, a little storm could never keep me down..."

"But Rainbow-It was real, it wasn't a dream! It was real, I know it was, that's why I'm trying to"

"I know, dreams can sometimes seem real. I know I had some nightmares that almost made me think that I lost everything or stuff like I couldn't fly anymore...But then I wake up, and it never actually happened."

"No, no you're not listening to me! You died...I-I watched it ha-apen you're not....you're going to d-d-di...", all that came out of Scootaloo's mouth were choked sobs as she collapsed in Rainbow's hooves, too weak to balance herself anymore. Her eyes went wide, she failed. Again. She tried to tell the mare she wanted to fly but she would never be able to fly again due to a horrible event that took her away. An event that destroyed Scootaloo with grief and depression.

As Rainbow continued to speak comfort and sympathy, Scootaloo drowned her out with her thoughts.

I failed again...I can't even speak anymore...All I can do is just cry...cry like a baby., there was no use trying to push it even more right now. Rainbow only thought that her warnings were her remembering of a nightmare, and Scootaloo couldn't even speak anymore. Not tonight, tomorrow was another chance, or maybe that sister camping trip a couple of weeks away. She would try again tomorrow or the day after that. She wouldn't give up until Rainbow believed her and stayed safe that day.

Despite her measurement, she continued to cry...and cry...until her eyes hurt and stung and she felt lightheaded. She couldn't even move her now-shaking jaw to make words. All she could do was cling to the soon-to-be deceased pony and cry until she was out of tears.

After the dream exchange, Scootaloo was so wrung out all she could do was sit and listen to her idol's stories about being in the Wonderbolts or her and her friends defeating an enemy. Eventually, she fell asleep, unconscious when Rainbow carefully took her up to her bed, but her ears barely twitched as her subconscious took note of the thumping noise the mare's wings made.

Thump Thump
Thump Thump
Thump Thump...

"Why didn't you listen Rainbow...? Why didn't you believe me...?"

Scootaloo's mutters didn't help the matter. Rainbow had gone out to remove the storm, Scootaloo knew this. She knew this because she and other ponies had been in a search party to look for the mare. It had been only two days after the day of the storm, and now Rainbow was gone once more. Scootaloo had tried to warn the brave mare of her fate for days. But when it had been dismissed as a bad dream, Scootaloo persisted this wasn't the case and continued to warn the mare.

Her perseverance only creeped her hero out, and Dash then went to avoid her altogether. Scootaloo in a way understood she would too avoid a pony who would tell her she would die every chance they got. However, this did not help her frustration with Rainbow's denial. The mare continued to dismiss this as something Scootaloo's subconscious made, that it wasn't the truth, and therefore a big deal. Now she was "missing" along with other pegasi and, surprisingly some unicorns and earth ponies.

But then they found her, and they regretted it. Sobs and screams were heard, and the gruesome sight had been made once more. Scootaloo did scream, but it was now not in horror anymore, it was in anguish of her failure. After that, she and the other fillies had been removed from the sight. Then, two days later a funeral for the mare was attended. Tears were shed, cries of grief had been heard. Even her own, with a now added feeling of guilt.

She should have tried harder but made a different approach to tell Rainbow without being seen as creepy or clingy. Now, in her bedroom under the shining full moon on the night after Rainbows funeral, she held the pocket watch in her hoof. She had something to help her with another chance. To go back once more, and to take a different approach to her warnings. Her other hoof moved and pressed down on the left notch.

Once again the pocket watch glowed a blinding purple light that consumed the small pony. No lively thing was left, the pocket watch had now vanished, but her body was still there. Her eyes were now dull as her body fell to the floor with a hard thud. The vessel didn't move, but it didn't have to. Its use in this timeline was now complete...

Scootaloo opened her eyes as she entered the up and down tunnel once more. Her eyes narrowed. She felt she wouldn't be scared anymore of this fall. But then, the clocks were there, chiming harshly, maybe even harsher than before. Ass her eyes trailed to look at the clocks she noticed a small change. The clocks were now duller and had some sort of ugly black substance dripping down from inside them, its gears were most likely soaked in the sticky tar that seemed as if it were from another world. It made Scootaloo feel uneasy. A shiver went down her spine.

As her eyes moved from the clocks in an attempt to shield herself from the awful sight, another detail was caught. The recently ink-black emptiness was now a rich red, the reddest red the filly had ever seen. To her, it almost looked like liquid, maybe cherry juice, liquid somehow avoiding her and the clocks as if it were being poured onto a see-through object like glass.

The now red "walls" were getting closer, and for a while, she was in a narrow space like before. As they did, Scootaloo smelt a foul, metal stench enter her nostrils. It made her gag and cover her snout. She closed her eyes as the walls got closer, praying it wouldn't crush her in its repulsiveness.

Then the strong and bitter odor soon faded and Scootaloo opened her eyes to see the "walls" were getting further and further until it was at its normal place at the beginning of the fall. She sighed in a small sense of relief before noticing the all too familiar hole of her exit in this portal. Only now it seemed to reach for her, yet no arms or hands reached out for her, it just seemed that way to her.

And it made Scootaloo feel small and helpless in its vast presence.

She didn't have a chance though when the wide pool took in her form once more.

And the Timeline was reset for the third time