Finding your Wings

Scootaloo poured through the small section of Twilight's library that covered dragon magic, specifically the sections on diseases of the wings. She found one that caused one's wings to fall off, one that weakened the membranes and led to tattering, and one that only happened to young dragons, stunting their wing growth and making them incapable of flying. She certainly knew the feeling. But there was nothing on a disease that would cause a pony to be capable of taking the wings from a dragon.

"Ugh! I'm never going to find the answer here!" She slammed the book shut and tossed it onto the small pile she'd built up. She curled up and hugged her knees. "Am I just destined to be a bad pony? I was a bad flier, and now I'm a bad friend!"

"At least you can recognize your own behaviour," came Spike's response as he rounded the bend. "That's the first step to recovery. And for what it's worth, trying to find a way to fix it is not the mark of a bad friend. I think you're a good friend."

"Spike!" Scootaloo bolted forward and hugged him. "You're back!"

"It's kind of a surprise to find you in the library," chuckled Spike. "Here, let me help you." Spike picked up the pile of books and started putting them away. "So, who was it you wronged that makes you think you're a bad friend?"

Scootaloo glanced up. "Twilight didn't tell you?"

"Nah, she just said you were in here and that you needed to talk to me. She didn't say why."

"Well..." Scootaloo swallowed. "It was you."

Spike looked at her for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "You could have just opted not to say. There's not really a need to make something up."

"Spike, I'm serious!"

Spike lowered his head. "You're right, I'm sorry. But also, it's not a big deal. I don't feel wronged, so it's all good."

"It's not, though!" said Scootaloo. "Even if you do feel no scorn for what I did, I still feel bad about what I've done."

"I don't even know what you did," assured Spike. "It can't be that bad if I haven't noticed. What'd you even do that made you feel so bad?"

Scootaloo took a step back. "Just know that, before I show you, I didn't mean it, and I was trying to find a way to fix it."

"I'm sure I'll forgive you," sighed Spike. "Please, just tell me. I'll try not to be mad."

Scootaloo dropped her cape to the floor and extended her wings.

After a moment, Spike shook his head. "So, what was it you did?"

"I stole your wings!" cried Scootaloo. "I was so fed up with being a flightless cripple that I accidentally stole your wings! These clearly aren't mine!"

Spike held up his claws. "Calm down. We're in a library. Even though it's a private library, we still shouldn't shout." He took a deep breath. "Those are your wings, Scootaloo. They're growing out of your back. They can't be mine; I don't have any wings."

"Pegasi like me don't have wings like this, Spike. These are dragon wings."

"Or bat wings," suggested Spike. "There are bat ponies here in Equestria. It's not so uncommon. In fact, a lot of the genetics articles I've listened to Twilight read suggest that bat ponies and pegasi share a common ancestor. Maybe this is telling you that you shouldn't try to be something you're not, and good things will come?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Bat pony wings don't have scales, Spike. They're dragon wings, I'm sure of it."

Having put away all of the books on dragon diseases, Spike pulled one down from a collection of dragon myths. "This is something Twilight used to read to me back when she was teaching me how. It's supposed to be fiction, but there's a story in here you might find interesting."

He carried the book over to a small nook and popped it open, skimming the table of contents, then opening it further to page forty-seven.

"The Dragon and the Princess?" read Scootaloo.

"I can summarize it, if you like, but if you'd rather read through the details yourself, just let me know."

"Just the summary," sighed Scootaloo. "I just want to know what I need to do to fix this."

"Well, again, there's not really anything to "fix." Even if those were my wings, I'd let you keep them. You've always wanted to fly, and I can just stick with Twilight or take a chariot."

"Even so, stealing is wrong, and I don't like it, even if it was an accident."

Spike nodded. "Okay. Well, basically, there was this earth pony princess a long time ago who longed to soar with the pegasi. She was really sad all the time. Then one day, her knights shot down a dragon. He begged for her forgiveness, and she spared him his execution, on the condition that he take her flying when he recovered. He swore he would, and she ordered him some medicines. As he recovered, they talked, and they soon became friends. When he was almost cured, he asked her if she still wanted to fly. She said yes, he asked if she would be willing to favour him with a kiss, and she said she would, but only after they took to the skies. The day comes, and he takes her up high into the air, higher even than the pegasi were brave enough to go. She was freezing, and he asked her once more for the kiss, and when their lips met, his warmth and kindness enveloped her, and she turned into a dragon, as well, and they lived happily ever after."

"We kissed!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "Could that be it?"

Spike closed the book and shook his head. "It's just a story, Scootaloo. And a fictional story, at that. The whole book is fiction; just a collection of dragon folklore and legends that are all made up. Fairy tales."

"But there's common ground," insisted Scootaloo. "What happened to her is happening to me." She took a deep breath. "I think I know how to fix this." She grabbed Spike by the shoulders and pushed her lips to his, digging her tongue into his mouth.