Shattered Dreams

Scootaloo forced open her weary eyes as her singing alarm pierced the silence of the early morning. Grumbling the young pegasus rolled over and pressed the power button to shut off the device. Scootaloo glanced out the window to see a scarlet sunrise lifting from beyond the rooftops of Ponyville. Groaning, she let her head fall back into her pillow, the warmth wrapped around her and she let her mind wander briefly. It doesn’t matter if I miss school once does it? I’ve got more important things to do right now. My parents won’t even notice, or care. Scootaloo sighed and reached under her bed, after rummaging around with her hoof she found the cord for her alarm and with a swift tug it was pulled from the socket. (Don’t do this it isn’t safe) After another moment of hesitation she got comfortable under her blankets and closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall into a deep restoring doze.

Scootaloo let a howl of delight rip from her throat as wind whipped through her flying mane. The fresh scent of cool air filled her with happiness and she let herself be indulged in the freedom. Beside her, Rainbowdash winked an approving eye and sped ahead of her, but with a small bit of extra effort, Scootaloo easily caught up to the rainbow pegasus.

“Rainbowdash, check this out!”

Scootaloo thrust herself forward and did a small loop. She didn’t know where she learned it, but it felt great, and the adrenaline was incredible! But the best thing, was Rainbowdash’s smile and applaud. Quickly she did a few more and finished off her show with a small downward spiral. The last move seemed to spark a light in Rainbowdash’s eyes.

“Hey kid! Watch this move!” Rainbowdash yowled through the blurring sound of the wind. Instantly Scootaloo’s idol zipped upwards and spiraled in through a cloud. For a second Scootaloo lost sight of Rainbowdash, but then something magnificent happened. The cloud the mare had disappeared into burst into a rippling wave of rainbow fluff and an explosion of colour shot right through the center. Raking winds slammed into Scootaloo as they bounced from the spiraling display.

Scootaloo buzzed her wings in a state of panic and fought to keep herself steady as the wind smashed against her, pushing her backwards. Rainbowdash was gone and she didn’t see anything but bright lights and frenzies of colour. Pain flashed at her sides and when she looked over she let her mouth fall open in horror. Scootaloo’s wings were falling apart right before her eyes! Feathers were ripped off by the force of the violent wind, and the bones snapped and bent as she tried to keep herself steady. But the thing that sickened her the most was when her bones pierced through the flesh. Letting out a terrified scream, Scootaloo fell to the ground, and just before she hit the ground, everything went white.

Scootaloo screeched in fear as she pushed herself up from under her covers. Bright sunshine filtered into her room. Slowly she let her gaze pan her room and took a second to gather herself. Gulping, Scootaloo reached a hoof across her side and tentatively patted her wing. It was still there, healthy and fit like always. Scootaloo listened for any sounds in the hallways of the house that might indicate her parents were present. It was silent, but that didn’t worry Scootaloo, she knew her parents had probably went out partying the night before. They could either be recovering at a friends house or still asleep. Either way, Scootaloo didn’t want to take her chances. It didn’t matter if they didn’t care, they would still get mad about it and she didn’t want to get in trouble again.

Leaping out of bed, Scootaloo grabbed her safety tube and stuck it tightly around her wings. Scootaloo pushed open her bedroom door and walked through the creaky wooden galls towards the kitchen. The clock read 10:00am. Hurriedly, Scootaloo dragged a chair up to the counter and scrabbled up onto it’s surface. After finding her center of balance she lifted onto her back hooves and drew open the cabinet doors.

Dust carpeted the wood and there were dozens of packages of instant coffee and  baking ingredients. Stretching farther on the chair, Scootaloo grabbed a box of cereal from the back of the storage and held it firmly in her teeth. Hopping down from the chair, Scootaloo poured the cereal into a small bowl and quickly devoured it without milk. Licking her lips with content she adjusted the tube around her waist and rushed out the door.

Scootaloo thrust herself forward on her scooter, the rolling wheels bumping beneath her. There weren’t many fillies out at the time, most likely because they were in school, but Scootaloo had more important things to do. She had to find Rainbowdash and learn how to fly before she lost her wings trying herself. Then another thought crossed her mind and she pulled her scooter to an abrupt stop.

“Rainbowdash destroyed my wings in that dream . . . Is that what is going to happen in real life? Is it her fault . . .” Shaking her head, Scootaloo thrust the thought away and pressed onwards. That was impossible, Rainbowdash was the only one that would help her avoid loosing her wings!

Scootaloo was still thinking about the dilemma when a sudden jerk threw her from her thoughts and face first into the ground. Groaning she shook her head and rubbed her temples in confusion. After a moment she noticed a shadow in front of her. It was only a silhouette with the bright sun gleaming behind it, but it held out a hoof and she gladly accepted it. Escaping the glare of the sun, Scootaloo identified her savior, Featherweight.

“Hey Scootaloo!” He smiled cheerfully. “It looks like we had another tumble hmm?”

Embarrassed as ever, Scootaloo nodded quickly and picked up her scooter in a hurrying mess. “S-Sorry about that Featherweight, I’ve been distracted lately.”

“Is that why you didn’t come to school today?” The pegasus countered. Hsi voice was stern, but it was also concerned, which made Scootaloo realize thankfully that he wasn’t that disappointed in her.

“Yeah, Kinda . . .” She said with a nervous smile and a quick laugh. “What are you doing out?”

Featherweight smiled as well. “It’s lunchtime.” I’m on my way to do some more help at Sugarcube Corner.

“Sugarcube Corner?” Scootaloo parroted in confusion. “Is there a problem there?”

Featherweigh simply shook his head and held up a hoof as if picturing the scene in his head. “I’m helping out at the counter to earn some extra bits. I usually go during lunch. I’m saving up for a photography studio of my own. I’ve found a real passion for it you know?”

“I understand, sorry about running over you . . . again.” Scootaloo sighed and leapt onto her Scooter. She was about to take off when Featherweight chuckled.

“Just make sure to wear a helmet next time okay, and try not to run me over again.”

“Deal!” Scootaloo agreed cheerily before grinning widely and rushing off down the streets towards Rainbowdash’s cloud house. She tried to take as many routes as she could that were usually close to empty. She didn’t want to run into any ponies that would force her to go to class, not today.

The sky was clear, and Scootaloo smiled as she looked up to see close to no clouds in the sky. That meant Rainbowdash was done work that day and should be at home. But she also knew that Rainbowdash could easily be out with Twilight saving Equestria from some unknown evil again. Excitement and worry pushed her forward and soon she was shooting down the streets and allies of Ponyville.

Scootaloo pulled her scooter to a stop when she arrived at Rainbowdash’s cloud house. Eagerly she  jumped off and stared up. It wasn’t that far, if she really tried to could get to the cloud and if she had to, pull herself up. Taking in a breath, Scootaloo began to flap her wings. She could feel the air being cradles beneath her feathers with each upstroke. And with each downstroke, the lifting force doubled. It didn’t take long for her to get off the ground, but the hard part was staying in the air after getting off the grass and dirt Concentrating as hard as she could, Scootaloo pushed herself upwards with her body, her wings, and her strong will.

The cloud was nearly in reach, and Scootaloo threw out her hooves and clung to it when her wings decided to give out. Behind her her back hooves dangled from the cloud and the small pegasus let out a small yelp as she began to slip. Frustration and fear pulsed through her, and with a growl she dug into the cloud and heaved herself up one hoof at a time. Slowly she rolled onto her back and panted, wiping the perspiration from her face and calming her nerves. She couldn’t let Rainbow dee her like this, it would be a nightmare!

The door to the aqua pegasus’s house flung open and Rainbow leapt out, swinging her head to and fro, then she saw Scootaloo on the ground and erupted into one of her laughing fits.

“I thought there was a burglar or something! But it was only you Scootaloo! What the hay are you doing!” The whole time Rainbowdash was flailing her hooves in the air like a maniac.

Pouting with defeat, Scootaloo let a small sniffle give her tears away, and Rainbowdash’s amusement slowly transformed into a soft smile. Rainbowdash picked herself off the ground and wrapped a hoof around Scootaloo’s own, hoisting the defeated mare to her hooves. “You flew all the way up here didn’t you kid? You’re one tough pony!”

Scootaloo quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and stared into Rainbowdash’s magenta eyes with an astonished smile that curved all the way up her cheek. With a quick swallow she cleared her throat and nodded happily.

After a moment of silence, Rainbowdash grinned challengingly. “I’m guessing you didn’t do that for nothing?” She said, digging her hoof into the ground and flapping her wings swiftly. “So what did you come for, to see my awesome skills, and autograph maybe?”

“I . . .” Scootaloo gulped nervously. This was her idol, the pony she looked up to more than anything! If Rainbowdash agreed to help her it would be a dream come true, but that dream still haunted her like a ghost. Scootaloo tried to push it to the back of her mind, but it always slithered back, sneaking through the racks and appearing whenever it could. She was cursed, plagued.

“Well Squirt, Opalescence bite your tongue?” Rainbow asked with slight annoyance. She was getting impatient, and Scootaloo shook her head and frowned.

“I was hoping . . .” Again her voice disappeared. Frustration and terror bubbled and churned in her stomach and finally she chocked and shouted all at once so there was no stopping.

“I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TEACH ME HOW TO FLY!”

Shock filled Rainbowdash’s face, and Scootaloo bit her lower lip nervously. Would she decline?

Rainbowdash turned and walked back into her house, leaving Scootaloo sitting at the doorstep. The smaller pegasus watched with disbelief as the rainbow tail was swallowed by the darkness of the house.

Scootaloo turned sulkily ready to get home when a clamor rose from behind her. Her heart leapt and delight stretched across her face as Rainbowdash yowled with glee and shot through the door and looped around in the sky in a dance of adrenaline and pleasure.

“I hope you’re ready for a workout kid! I’m not going easy on you! I do have my own fitness to keep track of you know?” Rainbowdash crowed as she fluttered down in front of Scootaloo. She was still taller, but it was clear Scootaloo had grown. Scootaloo smile as she thought, wow! I’m almost as tall as Rainbowdash! And my wings are almost as long! I’ll be just like her in soon! But not soon enough . . .

“What kind of exercises are we going to do?” Scootaloo said.

Rainbow looked at her in confusion before giving the younger mare a devilish grin. “You’re beyond just exercising now Scootaloo! This won’t be like before! This time, you ARE going to fly with me. And this time, I won’t be holding you up!” With that said, Rainbowdash roughly churned her hoof against Scootaloo’s scuffled purple mane, but Scootaloo wasn’t paying attention to that. Her thoughts were high above the clouds, and her cheeks were burning hot. She said my name! She didn’t call me kid, or squirt, or you! She said my name!

“KID!”

Scootaloo snapped out of her thoughts and chuckled with an apologetic shrug as Rainbowdash waited impatiently at the edge of the cloud. Racing over, she looked up at the rainbow maned pegasus, standing as still as a statue until she was given a command to move.

Rainbowdash nodded curtly and pointed to the ground below them with a hoof. Scootaloo followed to the end of the blue hoof to the start of the earth. She was prepared to get up to the cloud, but she hadn’t really thought about getting down.

“I know you’ve been practicing your gliding.” Rainbowdash began with a booming voice. “This is the same thing, it’s only a little higher, and I’m right here to save you if you loose control.” Then she paused and smiled with a faux look of humility. “Just like I saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts from falling to their deaths.”

While fear was indeed rushing through Scootaloo’s mind, blood, and body, it didn’t stop her from jumping. Spreading her wings, Scootaloo launched herself from the cloud. With a small scream of horror and excitement, Scootaloo fell to the ground, the wind bashed against her feathers and for a moment she remembered the dream, the feeling of complete terror The bones protruding through her flesh, the blood that stuck to her fur, the twisted feathers and broken bones.

“Scootaloo control yourself! Scootaloo!” A voice called from the distance, but Scootaloo didn’t pay attention, she was lost in her fear. The ghost was in front of her, she could see it. Everything else was black, except that faint glittering outline of her crippled, older clone.

“You can’t avoid it!” The ghost spat out with a voice that echoed in Scootaloo’s head.

“I can, and I will!” Scootaloo screamed back through sound of crashing wind. The endless voice of blackness rushed past her, but even though she could feel the sharp currents slashing across her, the walls of darkness seemed unmoving.

“YOU CAN’T CHANGE DESTINY! YOU CAN ONLY ACCEPT IT! With a strange twisted hiss the ghost launched itself at Scootaloo, soaring as if it didn’t need wings to fly. Scootaloo cried out in shock as the monster latched onto her wings. She tried desperately to shake it off, but it’s grip was deep and strong.

The demon’s grasp tightened momentarily before snapping back, bringing a sickening crunch with it as one of her wing bones followed. Tears dribbled from Scootaloo’s eyes as a hoarse cry was ripped form her flaming throat. “Stop!” The pegasus pleaded desperately.

Beyond the pain, Scootaloo heard another voice.

“Scootaloo! I’m coming Scootaloo!” It said.

With a sudden gasp, Scootaloo was thrown upwards. The ghost was torn away from her and the black walls were shredded by specks of light that grew larger and larger, until she was back in Ponyville, falling to her death.

The ground was racing up beneath her getting closer with each second. Scootaloo swallowed a horrified scream and closed her eyes. She tensed her muscles and waited for the worse, but it never came.

“Got you!” Rainbowdash said with thrill edging her voice.

Disappointment and humiliation weighed heavy in Scootaloo’s stomach as Rainbowdash and her landed on the ground. I must be the worse pegasus ever! I can’t even fly without going insane and loosing it! Grief spiraled into a seething bubble of frustration and with a grunt of rage Scootaloo slammed her hoof against the ground. “Stupid zombie pony!”

“Zombie pony?” Rainbowdash repeated in confusion. She was about to make a smart remark, but then she saw the tears crawling down Scootaloo’s cheeks. With a small sigh she sat next to the small pegasus and looked her in the eyes. “Scootaloo, I’ll help you beat this zombie pony! I Pinkie Promise!” She said.

Scootaloo looked up and threw the tears off her face. That was the second time Rainbowdash had seen her cry. It wouldn’t happen again. With a fierce nod Scootaloo hopped to her hooves. Quickly, the orange pegasus rubbed the wing that had been broken before, but it was fine. She didn’t know what had happened. For an illusion, that hurt. Shaking her her head, Scootaloo put on a brave face. It doesn’t matter though! I won’t let that stupid excuse for a pony ruin my life! It’s up to me to fix this and that is what I’m going to do!

“One thing before I start helping though.” Rainbowdash murmured thoughtfully.

Uh Oh!

“Why aren’t you in school?”

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes defensively and looked the other way. Rainbowdash shrugged in return before continuing. “If there is something going on at school you should tell somepony about it. I’m sure they can help. Heck, I’ll help if I can.”

“Thanks.” Scootaloo whispered in return. “But there isn’t anything going on at school that’s out of the ordinary or that I can’t handle. It’s something else. But, I can’t tell you.” She hoped that rainbowdash didn’t think she was skipping. She would never skip, it was only something bad ponies did, and she respected Cheerily. A hoof to the shoulder nudged her out of her thoughts and when Scootaloo lifted her head she was greeted with sparkling magenta eyes.

“Come on Scootaloo. Let’s get back to training.”

Scootaloo smiled and nodded, she liked that idea. Working with Rainbowdash was the only way she could perfect her flying, and Scootaloo was fully prepared t sweat and bleed if it meant changing the destiny that the monster haunting prophesied.

“I know I can fly! I just need a small push to get started! Can you help me one I start hovering?” Scootaloo said eagerly.

“Sure thing kid!” Rainbow agreed quickly.

Scootaloo flashed her a nod, then she began to beat her wings in a steady rhythm. She quickly felt the wind and instantly began to rise into the air. It was definitely much easier this time now that she knew se could do it. After all, she had flown all the way up to Rainbowdash’s cloud home. Joy pulsed through her as she felt the wind begin to pick up. It signaled that she was getting higher still, and when she received the promised push from Rainbowdash, she was flying.

“Scootaloo! You did it, you’re flying! Alright!” Rainbowdash howled!

“I know! It feels awesomerific!” Scootaloo shouted. The wind beneath her wings felt cool and firm beneath her feathers, and she felt as light as a blade of grass as she floated carelessly through the air. “Thanks so much rainbowdash! I can’t believe I’m really flying!” In her head she secretly added, with you.

Rainbowdash’s mane twirled gracefully behind her as she swam through the air with ease. A smile spread across her cheek and she offered Scootaloo a friendly nod. “Oh come on Scoot!” She said. “I barely did anything, you’re the one that got into the air, and you’re the one that is flying!” She stopped talking momentarily, then her eyes lit up and she clapped her hooves together. “I’ve got it! Let’s go on an adventure! We can fly over the Everfree Forest!”

Scootaloo was about to protest, but caught herself. She couldn’t let Rainbowdash think she was a scaredy pony! Thinking quickly she grinned widely and let out a small chuckle. “Oh . . . Yeah! That would be sooooo fun and totally not scary at all!”

Rainbowdash blasted off in a  trail of colours, leaving Scootaloo to race after her. Though she worked her wings as fast as she could and pushed herself harder, it wasn’t like her dream. She couldn’t fly as fast as Rainbowdash no matter how hard she tried. Unfortunately, she didn’t know if she was sad that this wasn’t like her dream.

As Scootaloo flew in Dash’s trail, a small wind caught her off guard. She wobbled in the air for a minute before regaining her balance and carrying on. The current had been so out of place compared to the other rivers of wind. With a shrug the filly tossed the thought away like old paper. Whatever, it’s not like the sky is falling or anything.

Below the two pegasi, the Everfree Forest rolled by. Rainbowdash and Scootaloo had been flying for an hour now, and Scootaloo’s wings weren’t used to flying for long periods of time, or flying yet for  that matter. She was about to call out to Rainbowdash to ask if they could land when a rocking wind shot by. Even Rainbowdash was thrown off track this time. Scootaloo yelped as the wind flipped her over. Lightning pierced the gray sky and the pegasus shielded her face as rain began to shoot down from the clouds. Everything had turned dark.

“Scootaloo, hang on! It’s a flash storm!”

Rainbowdash’s voice was barely audible through the thundering storm. Scootaloo fluttered desperately in the air as she tried to roll over again so her hooves weren’t above her. Another flash of lightning went off. Scootaloo screamed as it struck trough the sky to the ground only a few meters from where she was scrabbling to get herself together. A moment of relief made Scootaloo relax, but then she was sent flying.

An explosion burst from where the lightning struck the ground. Rippling winds smashed against Scootaloo’s body and a dull ache filled her head as booming thunder and winds smacked her ears without mercy.

The world twisted and turned as Scootaloo tumbled from the sky in a sickening whirl. Above her she could see Rainbowdash reaching out for her with a hoof. Grinding her teeth with terror, Scootaloo tried to answer the stronger pegasus’s action, but the wind only pushed her hoof back, forcing her into a tense ball. After another second, Rainbowdash was forced away from her by another sudden wind, and Scootaloo braced herself for a crash landing.

Tree branches slashed against her body and she flipped over and over again as they through her body around playfully. Before Scootaloo had even hit the ground she was unconscious. She felt no pain when her small body smashed against the hard forest floor. Only a small buzzing hummed in her head, and soon, even that faded as well.