Shuffle

Scootaloo ran through the far side of the apple orchard, away from her parents.

They had just gotten into a terrible argument about Scootaloo's crazy antics to get her cutie mark with her friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They felt that she was getting more and more desperate, doing more and more dangerous tasks in order to achieve the Cutie Mark Crusaders' eventual goal, and they weren't very far from the truth.

Earlier that day, the Crusaders tried to go into the Everfree Forest and catch a certain cockatrice in order to receive cutie marks in "creature catching", something they tried before, but weren't too successful at it. However, their increasing devotion to such a goal as their's lead them off their better judgement, and they resumed this extremely dangerous venture into those ruinous trees. Thankfully, they were stopped by the zebra Zecora before they could venture too far into the forest, and she returned each and every one of them back to their families in Ponyville, despite their protest.

Soon after, Scootaloo was receiving the tail end of one of her parents' blowups, trying to reason with them, hoping that they would understand that this was something she simply had to do, for it could've been the final obstacle, and her or her fellow Crusaders may have finally gain their cutie mark.

But of course, parents will be parents, which meant they refused to understand her reasoning, and though the orange filly would temporarily resent them for it, they were only trying to protect her, like any parent should.

The tiny pegasus, however, only thought that her parents were trying to prevent her getting her cutie mark; a ridiculous notion, but the little pony believed it momentarily. So, when her parents sent her to her room to "think about what she's done", the filly dropped down form her window and bulleted off through Ponyville, racing as far away from her home as possible. She reached the apple orchard of Sweet Apple Acres in a matter of minutes of running, and when she felt that no one would see her or find her, she leaned against an apple tree, trying to regain her breath and hold back the moistening tears in her eyes.

Scootaloo wondered of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were receiving the same treatment from their families. She also wondered if they would attempt the very same reaction she had just committed. Probably no, though, since she herself was the more daring of the trio.

"Stupid Mom and Dad..." Scootaloo mumbled. "Just tryin' to get my flippin' cutie mark, don't have to ground me for a week just for goin' in the Everfree Forest. It's not like I haven't sneaked in there before..."

A rustle in the shrubbery near by woke her from her angry stupor. She turned to see if someone had indeed found her, but her eyes met no other pony. The rustling continued, and she pin-pointed the source to a bush located a few yards behind the tree she was leaning on. Since there ween't any wild or dangerous animals in Sweet Apple Acres like there are in the Everfree Forest, she went to investigate.

The pegasus filly approached the shrub cautiously, but curiously. Upon coming face-to-leaf with it, she peered inside the tangle of branches to see whatever was hiding. After several seconds of scanning, her eyes fell upon a small object. It looked like a box, from what she could tell despite the interrupted light source. Reaching down as far as her short, orange hooves could reach, she snagged the box out of the bush and trotted back to the tree. Sitting down at the base, she went on to study the object in front of her.

It was an ordinary, cardboard box, nothing very enticing about it, other than mystery of its contents. She gave it a harsh shake, hearing several objects within jump in reply. Turning the box to one side, something fell out of the other side through a flap. Scootaloo glanced at these new objects, and she was enticed this time.

A white car, a thin, dark-orange cube, and a white cord now sat on the soft grass in front of the purple-maned filly. The side of the card facing up had words on it, and Scootaloo eagerly picked it up in her hooves and read it.

Plug the pole end of the white cord into the hole on your iPod Shuffle. Then insert the corresponding ear-buds into your ears to listen to the music. In order to play and pause the music, lightly press the center of the white ring. Press the "+" and "-" symbols to increase and decrease the volume, respectively. If you would like to skip a song, then gently press the double arrow symbol pointing to the right. But if you would like to replay a previous song, then simply press the pair of arrows pointing in the opposite direction.

Enjoy!

"Ih-pod? E-Eye-pod?" Scootaloo asked to the card.

It did not respond.

Resolving to follow the instruction, mainly because she could use something to get her mind off her parents, Scootaloo lifted the now-connected "iPod" to her face, ear-buds placed snuggly in her furry ears, and pressed the white ring that encircled what must have been the front of this device.

The first sound to come out of it was a teamed-explosion of an electric guitar and drums, causing Scootaloo to cringe at the violent burst. They then went on to play interchangeably, going on like that for a little over twenty seconds, and Scootaloo quickly warmed up to the tune. Her head slowly nodded in time with the beat, and soon the first of the song's lyrics began.

"I'll be coming home just to be alone!

'Cause I know you're not there, and I know that you don't care!

I can hardly wait to leave this place!

No matter how hard I try, you're never satisfied!

This is not a home,

I think I'm better off alone!

You always disappear,

Even when you're here.

This is not my home,

I think I'm better off alone!

Home!

Home!

This house is not a~~

Home!

Home!

This house is not a ho~o~o~o~ome!"

Scootaloo could not only feel riveted by this song's aggressive nature, but she felt that the lyrics were speaking exactly what she was feeling. Of course, her parents weren't abusive in any way, but the filly did think they abused their authority as parents from time to time. The guitar and voice of this singer were so powerful, their combination moved Scootaloo to the point of physical exhaustion.

The entire song lasted four minutes and twenty seconds, and by the end of it, the young, orange pegasus felt emotionally exposed. She hoped that no one was around to see the swelling tears in the corners of her eyes. That's when the next song blasted off.

It had an even more aggressive guitar riff than the previous, and it was quite obvious that this was meant to be an angry song.

"If you feel so empty,

So used up, so let down;

If you feel so angry

So ripped off, so stepped on;

You're not the only one

Refusing to back down.

You're not the only one

So get up!

Let's start a riot, a riot!

Let's start a riot!

Let's start a riot, a riot!

Let's start a riot!"

Before the discovery of this astounding little iPod Shuffle Scootaloo held in her hoof, she did feel angry; this song only poured oil and tossed kindling into the fire within her. The tears in her eyes seemingly evaporated from the sheer rage this song was provoking her to experience, and she didn't want it to stop. It felt good to feel angry sometimes. As the song reached the last chorus, the pegasus in the orchard pounded the tree right next to her.

"LET'S START A RIOT, A RIOT!

LET'S START A RIO~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~OT!"

As the song faded, Scootaloo panted, her heart pounding with adrenaline, her anger finally out of her system. It felt good to be angry, sure, but Scootaloo made a mental not to not listen to that song too much. It bought out a darker side of her, something she didn't want exposed to everyone.

Relaxing at the base of the abused tree like nothing ever happened, the next song had its lyrics start immediately.

"Hijacked when you weren’t looking;

Behind your back people are talking,

Using words that cut you down to size.

You want to fight back,

It’s building inside you,

Holding you up,

Taking you hostage.

Yeah, it’s worth fighting for.

They’ll try to take your pride,

Try to take your soul;

They’ll try to take all the control.

They’ll look you in the eyes,

Fill you full of lies;

Believe me they’re gonna try.

So when you’re feeling crazy

And things fall apart,

Listen to your head,

Remember who you are.

You’re the one,

You’re the unbreakable~~

HEART!

You’re the one,

You’re the unbreakable~~

HEART!

You’re the one;

You’re the one."

Scootaloo felt cleansed as she lay in the shade of the large apple tree, the music calming her down. This song gave off a feeling of smooth, relaxing rhythm after that previous, more violent tirade of a song. The song ended after three-and-a-half minutes.

These three outlandish songs made Scootaloo feel emotionally exposed, though, in a good way. She was glad she found this alien technology; whoever left it in that bush, by accident or not, must've been crazy. Then, Scootaloo, with her cleared mind, began to understand her parents' upset reaction to her recklessness.

Feeling slightly guilty about running away from home, the orange filly tucked the iPod Shuffle into her wing, and made her way back home, ready to face the consequences like the grown up her parents wanted her to become.