The Last Crusades

I awoke with the foals pilled around me, all still snoozing. All of the older ponies were up already, because they had work... "And they didn't wake me up!!" I cried, zooming downstairs and grabbing a piece of toast of the counter.

"I was just coming up to get you darling, but--" Sugar saw I was late, and that I knew I was late. As usual, she just gave me a one hoofed hug and tossed me my backpack.

Then I was getting my scooter out (it was harder without Featherweight), and on my way to the red schoolhouse.

"Late again, Scootaloo?" Cherilee remarked as I tried to sneak into the classroom without being noticed.

"Yes ma'am, I'm sorry." I bowed my head and took out my books.

"Well, try to be on time tomorrow, you disrupt the lesson when you enter the room after 8."

"Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle waved at me, then resumed taking notes. Blast, the quiz was coming up and I missed announcements! I'd have to copy what they wrote down.

Suddenly I heard a whisper behind me. "Late again? Gosh Scootapoo, when will you ever learn?" It was the class bully, Diamond Tiara.

I forced myself to keep my eyes ahead, and counted to ten. I'd been practicing with Sugar. 'Keep your temper,' she always said.

"Hey Scootapoo, pass this ta Diamond Tiara!" It was SilverSpoon and her ugly glasses.

"No, I'm not falling for that again." I said out of the corner of my mouth.

She laughed. "I'm serious! It's important!"

"No!"

"Just do it!"

I grabbed the piece of paper in my mouth, and spat it at the annoying pony behind me. She squealed when the spit hit her as hard as the paper did.

Cherilee's droning stopped and her voice was stern as she asked, "What was that, Diamond Tiara?"

"Scootap- I mean Scootaloo spat a note at me!"

I turned around in my seat giving her my dirtiest glare. "Silver Spoon told me to pass it to you, and I did."

Cherilee looked at the ceiling in annoyance. "No passing notes. How many times do I have to tell you? Now, no more disturbances, there's recess in 30 minutes. Then you can be wild."

Glumly, I listened to a small blue colt reciting a poem, then a white filly with glasses show us how to make apple pie for show and tell. After that was singing time, and only Sweetie Belle excelled at that.

Finally it was recess, and we all rushed outside to eat lunch. I went to get my scooter- but it was gone!

I heard a laugh behind me and scowled. "What did you do with it Diamond?"

Another laugh. "Nothing. And by the way, did you happen to see the note?"

I was surprised. "No, I didn't. I was to busy trying to spit it at your face."

"It was blank!" It was Silver Spoon who was laughing now. "Remind you of anypony?"

Then I laughed. "Yeah, it does. It reminds me of you two." when they looked confused, I carried on, turning to face them. "Your heads are about as empty of brain cells as that paper was of words. Now tell me where my scooter is!"

Silver Spoon grumbled but Diamond Tiara proudly waved into the tree above me. Ah. She knew I couldn't fly.

They both walked away chuckling, leaving me wishing there was some way to get my scooter back.

Thank Celestia for Rainbowdash. I know I bother her, but she heard me calling and got it down for me.

"Just be careful, squirt." she had said, then flown off just as the recess bell rang.

I wasn't in the mood to face everypony again, and Sweetie Belle was a star student, I could copy whatever homework I missed off of her. I jumped on my scooter and zoomed away, towards the place where I practice flying. It wasn't easy to get to, but it was quiet and private. Of course it was private- no one dared to venture into the Everfree Forest besides me, and occasionally Rainbowdash and her friends.

I skidded to a stop, standing before a wall of thorns. I pushed my scooter in first, then followed, keeping my wings pressed against my side. The last thing I wanted was to get stickers in them.

The hedge opened up a little bit, and I let some air out of my chest, then squirmed the rest of the way out. Brushing leaves off me, I put my scooter to the side, and raised both wings. "Well, here goes nothing," I muttered.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the forest, I saw rainbow beams of light shooting off in every direction. Now that they were disturbed, whatever monsters where in the forest awoke. The roars echoed and I backed up quickly, then struggled to get out from under the hedge.

More roars, some close, some far. I had never been in the forest when some huge explosion had woken up every creature that could kill me.

My scooter! I turned around, scratching my coat and getting thorns lodged in my hair, but I didn't pay attention. I burst out of the hedge and grabbed my scooter. Whipping around, eyes wide with fear, I threw my mode of transportation over the hedge, and began to make my way through the bottom again. Once on the other side, I felt safe, but I couldn't find my scooter. I thought the throw had been powerful enough to make it go all the way over, but just then I spotted it.

It was stuck on the top, and I heard beasts just settling down behind the prickles.

I bit my lip, but I really needed that scooter, and so I climbed a tree near it, and began to walk along one of the limbs towards it.

"Strong hedge," I whispered. "I can barely lift that scooter, it's heavier than I am..." My eyes sparkled with an idea. "Maybe... maybe it can hold me!"

I put one hoof down, testing the brambles. Then two, then three. Finally I let go of the branch, and tumbled into the hedge, falling through briars and thorns that ripped open my side and legs.

I fell with a thunk to the ground on the other side, gasping, eyes burning. Why did it always have to be me?

Needless to say, the hedge didn't hold me up.

I tried to get up, but I couldn't, I was scared. Something moved in the now silent forest. I'm sure I had made a racket with that fall. I saw shadows in the trees, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead even though the sun shown the time was only about noon.

"H-hello?" I whimpered. I could've cursed myself- why did I do that? Now they'll surely come and get me.

The huge shadow moved again, and I cowered against the hedge, to frightened to move.

"P-please d-don't hurt m-me." I whispered, my eyes darting to and fro.

Two eyes blinked open, two red, angry eyes, and I screamed, then leaped into the air, dodging trees and more bushes. I didn't think about the fact that I was heading deeper into enemy territory.

'Well, this got intense really fast,' I thought absentmindedly as I ran like a demon. I could hear something's feet pounding into the ground behind me, or was that just my heart?

Two clawed hands grabbed me off the ground, and I decided, it wasn't my heart.

If only I could fly! If only I could spread my wings and soar! If only... If only I was as cool as Rainbowdash.