The Clouds Are Crying

by marmalado

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Drama, Equestria Girls, Scootaloo
Length: 1010

Scootaloo wants to free herself from her binds. Deep inside, though, she knows she can't.

On the brink of a rainstorm, Scootaloo ponders her situation and how she can be free, just like the clouds.

An entry into the third Thousand Words Contest, in the Drama category.

Published 2024-06-22 18:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-06-22 18:10:00 UTC

The Tears and the Pain Never Seem to End

If one asked Scootaloo, sitting sucked. She once heard in history class that the human body wasn't designed for being sedentary, because humans were hunters who chased down prey and had the stamina to do so. Though she had been active before, the lesson had broadened her view, especially when it came to doing all kinds of crazy sports. Her dream changed on the daily, but the most prominent was being a personal trainer.

The sky was darkening, which matched her dour mood. Other people passed her by who were much happier. One man was arguing with someone. Scootaloo didn't care who. All she cared about was getting out of this stupid predicament.

She tried to stand, only to be pulled back down. Her pain tolerance was high enough, but something just kept bringing her back to a sitting position. Even using something like metal handbars didn't help. For a moment, she considered calling someone over to help her, but decided against it. She could stand up. For as long as she can remember, she'd always been able to stand up.

But deep inside her heart, she realized she couldn't now.

One careless stunt. One broken back. Wailing sirens. Friends worriedly asking if she was going to be all right. A rather uncomfortable bed. Pain. Walls of a really ugly blue-green color. Doctors and nurses.

A drop fell, and then another, and then more. Only a light drizzle, one she would have barely noticed if she were running or skating or playing field hockey. But she could feel it now. It felt oppressing, like a large dumbbell on her shoulders. It made her lean forward and bow her head down as she stared at the ground.

Oh crap. They're not gonna think I'm dead or something, are they? She lifted her body back up and leaned back instead, letting the rain fall on her face.

Thinking of Rainbow Dash hurt. The big sister Scootaloo had always wanted to have always supported her. They even had a running joke where, whenever it was raining, Rainbow would say, "The clouds are peeing." And it would make her crack up, every time.

Reaching into her pocket for her phone turned up nothing. Her phone was back in her room. So all she could do was sit here, people-watch, and maybe stare at the flowers and bushes.

It was so boring. She wished someone would come to visit.

But in the time she had stayed here so far, no one came.

She felt a thicker liquid run down her cheeks. Probably the rain. Nothing to worry about. Some splashed in her eyes, though, and she furiously rubbed them, because who wants pee in their eyes? That was so gross.

A laugh bubbled out. Anger and grief rolled like a wave into one emotion. Maybe she could text Rainbow. Ask her why she hadn't come. Demand that she do so immediately. But...her big sis was a world-saver. She couldn't just drop everything to come and see her, because that would be too unrealistic.

Apple Bloom? Ugh, she's got the farm to take care of.

Sweetie Belle? Crap, no, she's got Chorus Club after school!

Her hand curled into a tight fist. She raised it, and let it slam on the armrest. All three of her potential visitors hadn't come to see her, and while there were good justifications as to why, it didn't make their lack of presence hurt any less. In fact, thinking of them only made it hurt more, and so she threw away the idea of shooting them a text when she got to her phone.

Head moving slightly downwards, she spotted a girl about her age moving past her. Not one she recognized, but certainly in the same predicament. The only difference was that she had someone to help her out, while Scootaloo had rejected help the moment she was wheeled inside. Hearing the results of all sorts of tests didn't exactly help her mood, either. Neither did the doctors asking her where her parents were.

They're on some stupid expedition in some stupid country far away from here. Duh. Like they would drop work to come and see me? When they've barely come to visit me to begin with? Her leg kicked out as an instinctive reaction, with the aim of kicking the ground. All it did was make her look stupid.

...This is stupid. I wanna go back home. I wanna get back to doing all the awesome stuff I used to do.

She looked at the sky again. The rain was getting more intense, and she wondered if it was going to grow heavier.

But no matter how heavy the rain got, the clouds would still cry.

It was a perfect representation of her feelings and emotions at this point in her life. She was sad. Upset. "Leaking salty eye water", as Rainbow called it once. She wanted to be as free as the clouds, moving wherever they wanted to in the sky. Maybe it was because they couldn't move that they were crying. She wished she could be just like Rainbow. Magically sprout a pair of wings and fly up there. It would, at the least, get her out of her current situation.

"Scootaloo?" called a nurse from afar. "Let's get out of this rain, okay?"

Scootaloo complied, if only because her wheels would again grow rusty from the water. When she got close to the entrance, she turned around, looking back up at the sky. The rain was coming down even harder now, enough to classify it as a heavy rain but not close enough to a torrential downpour.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to get up again, but was pulled back down. Then she tried over and over again, each attempt more desperate than the last.

On the last attempt, a scream rang through the air, and the tears of a broken, wheelchair-bound girl began to blend in with the relentless tears of the clouds.