~For every day of sunshine, a day of rain will come. Inevitable. Unavoidable. Arm thyself for these days as they draw nigh, for both old...and young alike.~

-An excerpt from the Book of Fillysophical Studies, by: Dr. Rhindquarters-

===D.W.===

Books flew off the shelves like birds taking flight as three small blurs spun 'round in the madness and cacophony they created. From somewhere beneath a pile of heavy tomes and assorted literature, the sounds of a muffled voice could be heard crying out against the travesty being dealt to the library. With each new book checked, double checked and discarded, the pile grew ever larger and the complaints more muted. The tips of a clawed hand flecked in violet scales could barely be seen as it attempted to gain a handhold in the pile; extrication of its owner being its primary goal.

As one distinct cyclone of multicolored madness, the storm of energy gradually blew itself out to reveal the quaking, moaning and overall sore and defeated figures of three fillies. One swung suspended by her stomach, hanging through the rungs of a shelf-ladder. Another lie atop a relatively smaller mountain of knowledge. The third merely collapsed, propping her head atop the reading table in the center of the main room, her muzzle buried unenthusiastically in the spine of an overturned book.

Scootaloo sighed for what must've been the two-hundred thousandth time that day. Closing the musty old book, she roughly tossed it aside much to Spike's dismay, and continued to pull book after book off the shelves of the library's walls.

"There's gotta be an answer here somewhere as to how we can get our Cutie Marks! Keep looking Crusaders! If it's not here, we'll just have to tear apart every bookcase in Ponyville until we find one!", She shouted to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"But ah thought we already tried gettin' our Librarian Cutie Marks, Scootaloo?", Apple Bloom called out from across the library atop the stack of books.

Scootaloo shrugged it off and kept going, pulling book after book off the shelf before her. It seemed like forever had passed since Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera, yet the three of them were still no closer to finding their special talents. She'd put up with that fiasco well enough as they continued to suffer a series of setbacks that had her wondering that perhaps their special talent lie buried somewhere in the world's largest puddle of tree sap; finally finishing up by wasting an entire day by not only having to listen to all of the older ponies tell their cutie mark stories...but being able to at last hear how a real cutie mark was earned.

Rainbow Dash had been the one to regale the girls with that story, and it was every bit as awe-inspiring as the pegasus that told it with such dramatic flair that she would've given Rarity a run for her bits if the fashonista had been able to get a word in edgewise.

'I'm gonna be that cool one day...' Scootaloo's mind was already picturing it. Flying through the air with her idol, waiting for Dash to hit the Sonic Rainboom, just so Scootaloo could come from behind with her newest patented trick...the Scootaboom!

"Yeah..." She thought aloud dreamily.

"Girls?" The voice from beneath the largest pile of books was growing steadily louder as its owner battled against the climb.

"Just wait for me Rainbow Dash..."

"Hey Girls...?"

"I still don't see anything Apple Bloom! Where else could it be?"

"Check that stack over there, Sweetie! It's lookin' mighty suspicious!"

"GIRLS!!!" Spike snapped, as loud as he could, managing to shout over the noise they were making. The little purple dragon dug his way out of a mountain of texts and scrolls, heaving exhaustively as he finally extricated himself from the mess.

Scootaloo shook herself out of it, looking over at Spike.

"Look, I know you're trying to find your special talents. That's cool and all. But if Twilight comes home and finds this place a mess, she's gonna kill me," He put a hand to his forehead. "So if you don't mind...I gotta clean this up before she turns me into a handbag."

Sweetie Belle looked over at Apple Bloom and shrugged. Scootaloo just sighed...AGAIN...

"This is making my head hurt anyway. Why don't we go get something from Sugarcube Corner? Rarity gave me a couple of bits so we could have some fun today." Sweetie Belle chimed in.

"Okay!" Apple Bloom shouted, making a beeline for the exit. "Cutie Mark Crusaders...Ta' Sugarcube Corner!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!!!" Scootaloo hopped in front of the door. "We can't stop now! At this rate...we'll be Blank Flanks forever!" She pouted a bit, eyes downcast with a hint of irritation behind them. "We can't keep getting distracted."

There was a loud belch, and a quick burst of green flame as Spike coughed up a letter, catching everypony's attention. He snatched the parchment from the air with a stifled grin of embarrassment at its method of arrival and unrolled it quickly to read, stopping on a few choice parts.

"Exams done...B+...back in a few hours?! Oh No!" He wailed, running around in circles. "WhatamIgonnado,WhatamIgonnado,WhatamIgonnado,WhatamIgonnado..."

Scootaloo let loose a little 'pfft' as she turned towards the door.

"On second thought...that's not such a bad idea Sweetie Belle. Let's roll before Twilight gets back and sees what we did to the library."

She pushed open the lower door to the building, only to feel teeth clamp down on her tail. Turning around, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom AND Spike were holding her in place.

"Oh no you don't. You three made this mess...you gotta help me clean it up!" Spike insisted.

"Yeah, we can't leave Spike ta fix this by himself. We did kinda wreck the place. Applejack'd be right sore with me iffen she found out ah ran off on Spike after something like this." Apple Bloom added.

"I told Twilight I would make sure nothing happened to this place like...a million times, and you're not gonna get away that easily Scootaloo. If you do...Twilight will know who wrecked the library." The little purple dragon adamantly crossed his arms after letting go of her tail.

"Augh! Fine. Let's get this over with so we can get back to earning our Cutie Marks." Scootaloo resigned, irritation dead set as she sauntered back into the library.

===D.W.===

"I know who you are...and I know what you're up too. I swear to you, I won't let this happen. It's already gone unchecked twice through some other magical means...and by my wings it won't happen again without my knowledge!"

A dark silhouetted figure stood before a mirror in a dimly lit, must filled room. All about were strewn various artifacts of questionable nature. A vial of white, sparkling liquid...a thick red tome bound in what appeared to be cured tree bark with an odd symbol on it. Bent pipes and broken planks of wood; some with nails and others without, lay scattered across the floor. Music boxes of all shapes and sizes in various states of completion dotted a workbench, tools for their repair lying haphazardly amidst the cluttered station.

"Ti gnippots on si ereht. Nrael ouy lliw nehw tub?" The strange language echoed hollowly from a rather ornate looking mirror, situated against one hastily painted sheetrock wall.

"I don't care!" The black Pegasus shouted back. "I will find a way, one way or another."

"Seramthgin eseht fo esuac eht era ouy taht gniwonk, uoy tsurt lliw ellivynop ni seinop rehto eht taht kniht yltsenoh uoy od? Od uoy lliw tahw neht?"

The pony ruffled his bandaged wings for a moment, eyes cast down in thought before he lay down and covered his head with his hooves.

"I don't know..." He shivered harshly, violet mane and tail lying disheveled against his thin frame.

"Eerf evil dna ti tpecca. Gnireffus dna niap esuac ot denitsed era uoy. Si kram eituc ruoy tahw wonk I."

The colt shook his head again.

"That's not me...it can't be. How can I enjoy something like that? I'm not a monster!" He cried back at the mirror, bolting up and pressing his muzzle against the mirror as if trying to go nose to nose with the figure within.

He stood there for a few moments as the light from the mirror faded and died, the nightmarish world from the otherside disappearing from view...taking with it that horrid mockery of a pony inside it. When he at last looked up again, he gazed without really seeing into the dying light of the fading image in the mirror. But he didn't need to see it to know exactly what was at work. He knew the consequences and the outcomes for all of it. It chilled him to no end to think of what new ravages this would bring.

"That can't be me..."

===D.W.===

Night had fallen by the time the fillies and Spike had cleaned up the library. Fortunately for them, Twilight hadn't arrived home in time to see them cleaning up the aftermath of their Cutie Mark Cyclone. With just enough time to still stop at Sugarcube Corner before it got too dark, the three fillies made their way hastily through the dying activity of the town's daily life..

"So, what do you think Mrs. Cakes has baked up today? I really hope its some of her Blueberry Pastries. Those are my Favorite!" Sweetie Belle cried, skipping merrily through the streets.

"Nah...Applejack's pies are better." Apple Bloom called out from behind.

"You're just saying that because she's your sister." Scootaloo retorted, keeping an even pace at the back of the pack. She was too tired to pull them on her scooter, which trailed behind her on a tow-rope. She kept back a bit to avoid getting caught up in the ruckus her friends were causing as they walked, hoping to avoid further trouble.

'I guess a slice of pie would be good right about now.' She though absentmindedly. So lost in thought was she that Scoot didn't even have time to notice the door in to her left swinging open rapidly until it caught her full on in the muzzle.

"OW!" She cried, falling back against her scooter dazed.

"Oh! Oh dear, My apologies! Please, are you all right?"

Scootaloo rubbed her nose, looking up at the source of her immediate pain, only to be met with a pair of mismatched colored eyes. A blue eye and a gold eye stared down at her from a black void that seemed to be hovering just inches above her face. Panicked, Scootaloo back-pedaled away from those creepy eyes until her vision came into focus more.

A black pegasus with a deep violet mane stood before her, his wings bandaged up at his sides framed by a concerned look on his face.

"Hey...watch where you're swingin your door, Mister." She replied, standing shakily.

"I'm so very sorry, I didn't hear anyone out here. My deepest and most sincere apologies my young filly." He continued.

"Scootaloo! Are ya all right?" Apple Bloom came trotting back quickly, coming to stand beside her rather flat-nosed friend.

"Scoot! What happened?" Sweetie Belle was still opposite the pony, but her concern rang clear enough.

"I'm fine Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo called out. "Who are you anyway, Mr?"

The pegasus stepped back, almost right onto Sweetie Belle whom yelped and sidestepped the clumsy pony.

"Me? I'm...I'm nopony. Don't worry about me. I'm just glad you're all right." He said, those dual-toned eyes still unnerving Scoot. "If you're sure you're okay, I must be on my way. It's getting rather dark out you know. Still have a lot to do."

He turned quickly, waving a fare-well...and that's when Scootaloo saw it. She thought for a moment that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but sure enough...a double take proved her sight correct.

"Well, he was a strange pony." Sweetie Belle whispered as she walked over.

"Tell me about it. He's more clumsy than...what's 'er name? The Mail Mare?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Ditzy Doo?" Sweetie Belle rubbed her head in thought.

"No, I thought it was Derpy Hooves?" Scoot came back. Suddenly realizing that she was being caught up in the moment, she put up a hoof and waved away the initial confusion. "Anyway...point proven. Guess what I just saw?"

Both fillies looked at their friend, eyes wondering just what it was.

"That pony was just like us!" She cried.

"What do you mean? He was a pegasus like you Scootaloo...I'm a Unicorn and Apple Bloom is an Earth Pony. How can he be like all of us?" Sweetie's expression proved rather blank and confused.

"I mean...he was a Blank Flank! He doesn't have his Cutie Mark!" Scoot shouted.

"What?!" Both fillies cried in unison.

"What kinda adult pony doesn't have his Cutie Mark?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud.

"I dunno...I think we should ask the others about him. He seems kinda weird." Scoot replied.

"I thought he was nice enough. I mean he did apologize for hitting you with the door, Scoot."

Scootaloo shook her head.

"C'mon girls...let's book it to Sugarcube Corner. I've got some questions and we're gonna get some answers." She grinned ear to ear, popping her helmet on and hopping onto her scooter, feeling a sense of restored energy.

"Yeah! Cutie Mark Crusaders Blank Flank Investigators!" Apple Bloom shouted as the three of them tore off with renewed vigor.

Author's Note

What started out as a side project for the Silent Ponyville Universe has grown into so much thanks to this story. I am honestly in awe at the amount of material I was able to create for myself just by coming up with this story. Now, I have an original character who has a lifetime of experiences, a unique special talent, and a family history that dates back over 1,000 years.

I hope you truly enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed being part of the world that my character lives in. To you, my dear readers, I give you Soul Saga: Darkness Scoots.

~DreamWeaver~