ENDING THREE

~One emotion found as a constant between both the real world and the subconscious is Bliss. It is a state of mental elation, in which the brain perceives only the best and happiest outcomes. Such as it is, this feeling is one of the most confusing as it will often strike for sometimes seemingly no reason at all.

However, nopony can argue that while the most irrational of the feelings (in my professional opinion), it is also the one most sought after, and usually the hardest won, second only to satisfaction.

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

===D.W.===

Scootaloo awoke to shuttered windows with a washcloth draped over her forehead. It was pleasantly warm, despite the little light that streamed through the wooden slats. The floor itself seemed to be radiating just the right temperature up through the bed she found herself on. Even the comforter tucked in around her apparently knew just how much heat to keep in and leave out as it rose and fell with her light breathing.

Sitting up, the little filly gently brushed the cooling cloth away from her forehead, gradually becoming aware of her surroundings. The little sleeping bunny at the foot of the bed stirred too, sitting up and rubbing his eyes blearily. He took a single look over at her and then resituated himself in the blankets...before bolting up right, his eyes boring into her for half a second before bolting off out the door.

"Angel Bunny? What am I doing at Fluttershy's?"

Scoot pulled the covers back, hopping out of bed. She was pleasantly surprised to find that all the pain had subsided, her wing was fixed and not throbbing. It was almost as if the entire ordeal had never happened, aside from a slight bump on her head. She poked at it gingerly, feeling only the most minute twinge of a bruise biting back at her thankfully.

"Oh Angel, what is the matter?" Fluttershy asked the insistent bunny as he forcefully pushed her through the door. "Dear me, Scootaloo! Are you all right now?" The yellow Pegasus flew over to her, instantaneously fretting about every little detail from her scuffed hooves and bruised head to every tiny little feather out of place in her small wings.

"Yeah, I feel great." She replied. "Like a million bits!" Scoot smiled back warmly.

"Good. You gave us quite the little scare there. Don't you know that riding full speed through Ponyville on that scooter is going to get you really hurt one day?" Flutter sighed, a grin creeping on her motherly face.

"I'm sorry. I guess I should've paid more attention to where I was going." She sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of her head. Her mind shot back to her first run in with that crazy dream pony...and then to their face to face head on collision.

"So you're sure you're feeling all right?" Fluttershy's gaze came down, nearly stare-like, snapping her out of her momentary daze.

Scoot shook her head to clear it of Dream Catcher, laughing lightly.

"I'm fine Fluttershy. Don't worry about me. Thanks for helping me out though. How did you guys know where I was anyway?"

"Pinkie Pie saw you crash. She was following you after you left Twilight's. Apparently, she needed help for a party she's planning and wanted to ask if you would help her with some decorations. It's all done now though, so everything's fine."

"She did? Did she see anypony else?!" Scoot immediately stiffened.

"I...I don't think so. You were the only one there I think."

"She didn't say anything about a black pegasus? Two different colored eyes? Violet mane, broken wings?" Every question brought her closer to Fluttershy until they were nose to nose. The yellow mare began to back down under the questioning until she was backed into a corner with nowhere to go.

"No..." Fluttershy squeaked as loudly as she could.

Scootaloo sighed and turned around, knowing that she'd probably just sounded entirely crazy...

"So...Pinkie's throwing a party huh? What's the occasion?" Scoot's eyebrows raised, trying to draw attention away from her outburst.

"Well...Twilight passed her exams. And we all know Pinkie: Any reason to party is a good one." Fluttershy replied as she slowly got up again. It had worked.

"Yeah. Pinkie Pie is so random." She agreed.

Scoot moved towards the door. She made for the stairs, being accompanied by Fluttershy downstairs as the two entered into her spacious living room. Animals of all sizes lay here or there, still sleepy from the night that had just passed, some just rousing while others continued to doze away.

"Hey...did anyone grab my scooter by chance?" She asked quietly as she crept towards the door.

"Yes. It's outside waiting for you. Just do be a little more careful, all right?" Flutter nodded, patting her head softly so as not to irritate the bruise.

Scootaloo gave one last thank you before she left, finding her scooter parked outside with her helmet strapped to the one handle. Surprisingly, the little vehicle looked almost immaculate, aside from a tiny scratch in the paint. With a grin of satisfaction, she donned her helmet and hopped on, speeding off towards town.

As she rounded a corner, Scootaloo met a familiar sight and came skidding to a halt.

Before her, she stood opposite of the direction she'd been coming the night she crashed into that stupid pony. It took a moment in her mind to register the scene as what it was, but when it finally clicked she began to pour over the crash site with every bit of urgency she could muster.

There was the blasted rock. And the window that he'd been staring in.

There was the skidmark.

And over here...another from where she must've landed and rolled.

But no other hoofprints.

Everything else was there. Except any trace of Dream Catcher. It was as if the crazy-eyed pony had never been there at all. But she was sure of it. She knew. He HAD been there.

…

So why was there no trace of him?

It infuriated her. So much to the point that she stamped on the spot he'd been standing angrily, hard enough to leave a small rut in the ground. Rocks. And now potholes. Just like her life.

Fortunately though, she thought, some of those rocks had been cleared, and a good portion of the potholes had been filled. That thought helped clear her head as she mounted her scooter again, zipping off toward Rarity's place. Swerving around corners, dodging the morning ponies as they attempted to brush off the sleep of the prior evening. Zigzagging left and right through town square, over the bridge towards the boutique.

She pulled to a stop, leaving her helmet there as she stepped up to the door and knocked.

A few seconds of silence passed and she was almost tempted to knock again when a rough crash exploded from inside the building. Scoot took a few steps back, unsure of the cause when Rarity stumbled out the door, a bowl of hot soup flying over her head...

Straight onto Scootaloo.

"Yeeeeeeowch! What's the big deal Rarity?!" Scoot jumped back, shaking herself of the scalding liquid.

"Oh my...I'm sorry Scootaloo! I was on my way to Sweetie Belle when you knocked...so I tried to turn around and fell down the stairs. Please, are you okay?"

Scoot huffed the last bit of soup out of her nose and nodded.

"Is Sweetie Belle okay?"

Rarity picked herself off, shaking free of the dust and soup herself.

"She's been asleep all day. The poor thing's had a right dreadful fever ever since last night. I heard you wound up in a tragic accident as well! And to top it all off, it also appears that Apple Bloom is sick too, if Applejack is to be believed. My goodness, it's just been a horrid night for all three of you, hasn't it?"

"Sweetie Belle AND Apple Bloom are sick?" Scoot's mind began to wander back to the previous evening. They'd both seemed all right when she left. "Can I see Sweetie Belle?"

"I'm sorry Scootaloo, but that is out of the question. I don't want you to be getting sick too, after what happened last night. Your parents would just die if they found out."

Scoot winced a bit, only letting the comment slide off of her after a few brief seconds.

Yes...her mother may have been angry. Her father...who knows. But as much as the truth hurt, it didn't matter anymore. Scootaloo took care of herself now. A fact she was rather proud of, now that her mind accepted it.

"As is, Mother is already upset with me over this incident. I was supposed to be watching her this weekend...and she ends up in bed with a high fever. It's a wonder her and father haven't come over to take her home yet. But that's quite enough of that." Rarity sighed, levitating the bowl off of the ground.

"Well...tell her I hope she gets better soon." Scoot nodded. "After they get better, I've got a whole new bunch of ideas for our Cutie Marks!" She thought back to the nightmarish creature of the otherworld...its marks boiling on its own hide. As sick and twisted as it had been...the creature did inspire, she thought with a sick sense of satisfaction at her ideas.

"I will be sure to do that. Now go on. Run along little one."

Scoot nodded, popping her helmet back on as she took off, leaving Rarity in the dust both figuratively and literally, if the exasperated cry of irritation the older pony left out was anything to go on.

Scootaloo made for the Crusader's treehouse, not stopping until she got there. She'd swing by and see how Apple Bloom was fairing later on. For now though...her mind was spinning with new ideas for the Crusaders to try out. Running up the stairs and flinging the door open, she quickly rolled up her bedroll and stashed it away under the loose floorboard...conveniently, Apple Bloom had missed a few nails here and there...and brought out the table, covering it with paper as she began her latest crusade ideas.

===D.W.===

Rarity managed to clean herself up rather quickly as she began her trek back upstairs with another bowl of soup. Quietly, she nudged the door open to see her sweet little sister lying in bed, a damp cloth covering her flushed white face. The poor little dear looked so tired, so hurt, that it almost brought tears to Rarity's eyes. As she crept up to the bed and set the bowl down on the bedside stand, she brushed a hoof gently over Sweetie Belle's face, watching her sleeping sibling with a pang of worry.

Sweetie Belle's face contorted amidst what Rarity could only assume to be a fevered nightmare. She tossed this way and that occasionally, murmuring something nonsensical every now and then about monsters. It was all Rarity could do to keep from rousing the little filly to tell her that it was just a dream. But no...Fluttershy had desperately insisted that Sweetie Belle be left to sleep it off when Rarity had asked her over.

And who knew better how to care for small creatures than Fluttershy?

With a sigh, the unicorn turned and left the room, hoping that the fever would blow over. She didn't want to have to explain to her parents why Sweetie Belle was in Ponyville General if it came to it.

As she walked away, Rarity almost did a double take, running back into the room.

She turned and looked to the right, noting the mirror.

No, it had to have been her imagination. Nopony could be in the mirror. That was just childish nonsense.

But as she left again, quietly closing the door behind her, she could swear that for an instant...there'd been somepony there.

Somepony with oddly colored eyes and a striking violet mane...

Author's Note

Ending: Good+
Ending Achievement: 3/4

Requirements:
Complete Story Mode on any difficulty on consecutive playthrough.
Attempt to talk to Sweetie Bell AND Apple Bloom in Alternate Ponyville
Have all 3 Crusader Capes in inventory upon completion of the story.

Unlocks: (On Consecutive Playthrough)
Alternate Costume - Shoetaloo (Obtainable in Dream Catcher's house in Regular Ponyville) [Scootaloo will pull out a shoe and begin to chew on it if left idle for too long]
Friendship Cannon - Obtainable in Sugar Cube Corner in Alternate Ponyville