Finding Scootalooby KittieshyChaptersChapter 1: The NewsChapter 2: How could this be?Chapter 3: A False HopeChapter 4: Harsh TruthChapter 5: Face Your FearsChapter 1: The NewsIt was a pleasant spring day in Ponyville. The sun shined, the birds chirped. Everything seemed to be perfect, especially for Scootaloo. Today she was going to get her first flying lesson from her idol, Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo woke up with a huge smile on her face, "Today's the day!" she thought to herself, "I'm gonna learn to fly, just like Rainbow Dash". And with those words, she got up and headed for Rainbow Dash's. On the way she ran into her friend, Sweetie Belle. "Hiya, Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle said. "Hey, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo responded. "Where are you going?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously. "Off to see Rainbow Dash for my very first flying lesson" Scootaloo answered enthusiastically. Scootaloo was so excited she couldn't contain her smile. "Well, I better let you go. I wouldn't want you to be late!" Sweetie Belle said. "Ok, I'll see ya around!" Scootaloo replied. And with that, Scootaloo went off, almost sprinting to the field where she and Rainbow Dash would have their lessons. When she got there, she saw the blue pegasus waiting patiently for her to arrive. Rainbow Dash spotted her. "Hey, kid" she said. "Hi, Rainbow Dash" Scootaloo squealed. Rainbow smiled, "Are you ready for your flying lesson with THE awesomest flyer in all of Equestria?" "You bet I am!" Scootaloo said nearly jumping up and down. "Well then, let's get started. First off, you need to strech your wings out like this" Rainbow Dash opened her left wing and streched it out to it's fullest extent. Then did the same with her right wing. Scootaloo did the same, streching her small left wing out, then her right until they both could not strech anymore. "Good." Rainbow said. "Now for the basics. We're going to try hovering, OK?" Scootaloo nodded her head. "Mmhmm." "Ok, here we go." The blue pegasus spread her wings out and flapped them slightly. She slowly began to rise into the air. She then lowered her self back to the ground. "Now you try" she told Scootaloo. "OK!" Scootaloo flapped her little wings, trying to imitate Rainbow. But she stayed on the ground. She flapped her wings faster and faster but nothing. She kept flapping and flapping until she got a cramp in her left wing. "Ow!" she mummbled to herself. Rainbow watched with concern as the little orange pegasus struggled to lift herself off the ground. About twenty minutes of watching this, Rainbo decided to try another idea. "How about we try something different." Rainbow said. "Alright." Scootaloo said hopefully. "Ok, I'm going to lift you up into the air and I want you to flap your wings, alright?" "Got it!" Scootaloo. With that, Rainbow lifted Scootaloo into the air, grabbing her shoulders. Scootaloo started flapping her wings. They rose higher, and high until they were about five feet in the air. "OK, keep flapping Scootaloo" Rainbow said. Scootaloo continued to flap her wings, "Can you go higher?" she asked. Rainbow smiled, "Are you sure?" "You bet I am!" Rainbow flew up a little higher until they were about ten feet above ground. "Keep on flapping!" she told Scootaloo. Scootaloo flapped her little wings as fast as they could. "Ow!" she said under her breath when she got another wing cramp, in her right wing this time. She was now flapping only her left wing. "You alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You bet!" Scootaloo said, now flapping both her wings. "Ok, just make sure you flap both of your wings!" Rainbow chuckled. Scootaloo smiled and continued to flap her wings. Suddenly, she felt a wave of confidence in her, "Hey Rainbow Dash, do you think you could let go of me?" Scootaloo asked loudly because the wind was very loud. "Are you sure, kid?" Rainbow asked back. "You bet I am!" she said excitedly. "Now we're talking, kid!" Rainbow replied. "On the count of three." "One" Scootaloo flapped her little wings as fast as they could go. "Two" Scootaloo looked to the ground, and gulped. She felt a wave of excitement mixed with fear in her stomach. "THREE" Scootaloo felt Rainbow slowly let go of her. She was in the air gliding, it felt amazing. She heard Rainbow Dash yell something, but couldn't understand it over the wind. She suddenly felt a jerk in one of her wings. She felt herself begin to fall, she started to panic. She flapped her wings faster and faster, until a sharp pain struck both her wings. She winced in pain as she fell to the ground. She heard a scream before she blacked out. "Scootaloo?" "Scootaloo?" "Scoota- Oh, hey you're awake." Scootaloo opened her eyes, and looked around. She was laying in a bed, a stallion in a white coat smiled and looked over her. "What happened? What's going on?" she asked grogily. "You fell while trying to fly, you fainted on the way down. Luckily some kind young mare was able to save you before you hit the ground." "Huh? Am I in the hospital?" she asked confused. "Yes, sweetie. You are." "Where's Rainbow Dash? How long have I been out? I need to get back to our lesso-" she went to sit up but the doctor pushed her back. "Rainbow Dash has been here since we brought you in two days ago. We told to go home and get some rest, because you're in safe hands." Scootaloo looked concerned. "I was out for two days? Rainbow stayed with me? When can we leave, I need to get back to our flying lesson!" The doctor looked at her, "You were in an out of conciousness. We gave you some medicine to help keep you call and rested while we ran some tests." "Tests?! What kind of tests?! When can I get out and practive my flying with Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo said impatiently "I see you're starting to wake up. Just take it easy and rest for a while, while I go talk to one of the nurses." Scootaloo watched as the doctor walked out the door and started to talk to one of the nurses. She handed him a folder. He flipped through carefully and got a look of sorrow on his face. This made Scootaloo concerned. "Could be about me?" she thought. She anxiously looked around the room. A couple of balloons and card were there. She twisted around to find that both her wings were bandaged up... What was going on? Suddenly the doctor entered the room and took a seat on a stool. Anxiously, Scootaloo had to ask the question again, "When can I get back out there and practice my flying with Rainbow Dash?" The doctor got a concerned sorrow-filled look on his face that made Scootaloo confused. "What's going on?" she asked panickedly. The doctor sighed, "There's no easy way to tell you this, but by the tests, it looks like you'll never be able to fly." Chapter 2: How could this be?"You will never be able to fly." It took a while for those words to sink in, but when they did, Scootaloo held back her tears... That's what Rainbow Dash would do. But, Rainbow Dash would never be faced with a challenge like this. Would she? "Are you OK, sweetie?" the doctor asked the little orange pegasus. But, Scootaloo heard none of this. She sat there in disbelief. "How could this be? This can't be true!" she thought herself. She wanted an answer. "H-How could this b-be?" she mumbled as best as she could. "Well, you've got this condtion called Flybrous Dyspegasia. A condition that effects the growth and strength of your wing bones." "F-Fly whaa?!" she squeaked. "Flybrous Dyspegasia, a condition the effects strictly pegasi." "H-How could this b-be?" "Well, sweetie" the doctor said. "You were born with it. It's deformed your wings. Have you ever noticed that your wings are smaller than other young pegasi?" Scootaloo slowly nodded. "And, have you always wondered why you've struggled with flying while newborns are flying with ease?" Scootaloo nodded once more. This time she tried to reply, "H-How will this effect m-my flying?" The doctor gave a sad smile, "The Flybrous Dyspegasia has weakened your wings to a point beyond help... There's no way you'll be able to fly. I'm very sorry." Once more, those words hit Scootaloo right in the gut. She was in a complete shock. "I will let you have a minute" the doctor said as he walked out the door. Scootaloo sat in her bed, in complete shock, staring at the wall for a while. The she began to cry. "How could this happen?" she thought to herself. "Why me?!? She sobbed into her pillow quitely, because she didn't want anyone to hear her. What was going to happen to her cutiemark? She always dreamed of her cutiemark being just like Rainbow Dash's- something aerial related. Rainbow Dash?! What was Rainbow going to think of her now that she can't fly? She'll probably think of her as some pathetic little weakling. Scootaloo sobbed some more. She wanted to scream. "How the HELL could this happen?!" she thought once more. She cried and cried until she heard a knock on the door. She quickly wipped the tears from her eyes. "Excuse, young filly, you have some visitors. Would you like them to come in?" a nurse asked. Visitors? Who would want to visit her? She nodded. The door opened and in came her two best friends, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom with their big sisters, Rarity and Applejack. "Scootaloo!" the two young fillies exclaimed happily. "You're ok." Scootaloo gulped and nodded. "Hi guys" "What happened?" Sweetie Belle said. "Yeah, Scootaloo how'd ya end up in the hospital." Applebloom added. "Now ya'll", Applejack said, "Why don't ya give her some space." Scootaloo didn't know what to say. She was too scared to tell her friends, she couldn't tell them. They would treat her differently. So she thought of a cover story. "You know, I flew into a cloud that caught me off guard, nothing big." "Nothin' big?! I heard ya were out fer two whole days! That ain't nothing big." Applebloom said. "Y-You kn-know I-I..." Scootaloo said holding back all her tears. "I-I-" "Well ya'll I think Scootaloo needs sometime to rest. Why don't we come visit her tomorrow." Applejack said. "Yes, I think that's a great idea." Rarity said, "She looks like she can use some rest... Look at her bloodshot eyes." Applejack gave Rarity a nudge signaling her to quit talking. "Oh alright." Sweetie Belle said. "We'll see you tomorrow, Scootaloo" They said giving her a hug. "Take care now." Applejack told Scootaloo. Scootaloo smiled weakly and waited for them to leave the room. Once the door was completely closed, she felt the tears flood out of her eyes. "I just lied to my best friends!" she thought. "I don't know what to do?!" Scootaloo cried and cried, until she fell to sleep. Chapter 3: A False Hope"Scootaloo, are you ready to go home?" Scootaloo heard a nurse ask. "By home you mean the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse" Scootaloo thought to herself. You see, Scootaloo didn't have a family of her own, so she secretly slept in their clubhouse at night. "Scootaloo, did you hear me?" the nurse asked again. Scootaloo nodded, "Yes ma'am." "Good, now just wait for your parents to come pick you up." Scootaloo gulped. "My parents?!" she thought to herself, trying to come up with a lie. She smiled slightly when she had thought of one. "My parents are at work today, so would you mind if I walk myself home?" Scootaloo asked innocently. The nurse looked concerned, "Well, I don't know. You've been out for sometime and I don't want you having an accident on the way home." "Oh no, ma'am, I feel much stronger today". Scootaloo lied The nurse examined her. "Are you sure?" Scootaloo nodded, "Mmhmm." "Very well then, I will go get your medicine from the doctor. You wait in here" the nurse said as she left the room. Scootaloo smiled, for she had a plan. She already knew she would not be needing any of her pain medicine. She had a way to make this all go away. A way for her to be normal again, and the answer was.... Twilight Sparkle. Suddenly the nurse came in and interupted her thoughts, "Here you go Ms. Scootaloo" she said handing the little orange pegasus a small white bottle. "Take one pill a day as needed" Scootaloo smiled, "Thanks" she said. The nurse smiled pleasantly, "Well, you're free to go. Remember, take it easy. And if you experience any pain or discomfort, have one of your parents bring you in." Scootaloo smiled and nearly leaped out of bed, she wasted no time. She immediantly ran out the door headed for Twilight. "I know Twilight can fix me" Scootaloo thought to herself, "She can use her magic to make my wings normal, then I'll be able to fly just like Rainbow Dash!" The little orange pegasus was full of excitment that it took her no time to get to Twilight's library. She walked up and knocked on the door. When it opened, a pink pony walked out. "Thanks for the recipe book, Twilight" "No problem, Pinkie Pie. Just remember to bring it back... It's my only copy." Twilight was about to close the door when she noticed the little orange pegasus. "Why hello, Scootaloo. What can I do for you?" Twilight invited her in. Scootaloo sat down on the couch and told the purple unicorn the whole story. "So you think it could work?" Scootaloo said hopefully. Twilight looked concerned, "I don't know...." "Oh please, Twilight! You have to try! I want to be normal again!" Scootaloo said frantically. "Normal? Sweetie, what's wrong with you now? Sure you can't fly but that makes you special... Unique." Twilight replied. "But Twilight! I'm a pegasus! I'm supposed to fly. And if I can't fly then- then I can never be like Rainbow Dash! A-And my Rainbow and my friends will think I'm weir-" Scootaloo suddenly bursted into tears, "P-Please Twilight..." Twilight stared in concern at the sobbing little filly. Twilight thought hard, knowing nothing she'd do would work. But, she hated seeing anypony like this, let alone Scootaloo. She got up and grabbed a book titled. A Medical Guide for Unicorns. She opened it and looked up disibilties, found the section and read: "Though magic can cure so many things, disibilities that a pony is born with is one that magic has no power over. The pony must learn his or her differences and take the appropriate procautions." Twilight looked over at the sobbing Scootaloo and gulped. "Looks like this is something even I can't fix." Chapter 4: Harsh Truth"I'm sorry, sweetie" Twilight said putting her hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder, "But there just isn't anything I can do. What you have is one thing magic can't help." Scootaloo held back her tears. "What are you saying? That I can never be n-normal?!" Twilight stared at the sad filly, wishing she knew what to say. Scootaloo took a deep breath, "I-It's n-not fai-r" she started to cry softly into her hooves. Twilight put one of her fore arms around Scootaloo, "It'll be OK, sweetie. Trust me" Twilight knew her words weren't doing anything to help, Scootaloo kept crying. "I-I don't know what, I-I'm gonna do. M-My life's sc-screw up enou-" There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Twilight shouted, and in walked Twilight's good friend, Fluttershy. "O-Oh... I-I'm so sorry to interupt y-you, I-I'll just come back later-" Twilight cut her off. "No, I could really use your kindness right now" Twilight said making her way over to Fluttershy. She gestured to the sobbing filly and whispered the whole story to Fluttershy. "O-Oh dear..." Fluttershy said with concern. "I'll see what I can do." Fluttershy made her way to the couch where a the crying Scootaloo was. "Sc-Scootaloo, are you o-ok?" Scootaloo heard the soft voice and looked up to find the gentle yellow pegasus looking at her with genuine concern. Scootaloo shook her head. "O-Oh my... W-What's going on?" Fluttershy asked. Scootaloo slowly sad up and managed to tell Fluttershy the whole story before bursting into tears. "It's ok, Scootaloo. I-I'm a v-very weak fl-flyer. B-But look at me n-now. I st-still managed to find my sp-special talent." Scootaloo wiped her eyes, "I know! But my dream was to be just like Rainbow Dash! She'll never like me now!" Scootaloo grunted with anger and sorrow. "Why does the world hate me?!" "Oh, no no no. The world doesn't hate you." Fluttershy reassured. "Yes it does! First my parents, now this! I just don't know what to do anymore!" Scootaloo began to cry once more. "Parents?" Twilight asked, joining the conversation. "What?" Scootaloo said. "Oh, it's nothing... Just forget I even said anything." "It's obviously not something, since it's gotten you all upset. What's going on?" A concerned Twilight asked. Scootaloo gulped. She couldn't tell them that she's been living in the clubhouse for months now. What would happen to her. She tried to think of a lie, but she couldn't. "Alright whe I was really little, my parents both got into a really bad accident and you know... d-died. I was sent to live in an orphanage in Fillydelphia. I hated it there, no one liked me. It was torture to watch all the other foals get adopted, while I just sat there. I got tired of it, so I ran away and ended up here in Ponyville." When Scootaloo finished her story, Twilight and Fluttershy sat there in disbelief. How could this little filly, who was only eleven, have gone through so much heartbreak and now the wing situation. "O-Oh my..." Fluttershy said. "Yeah, just please don't tell anyone. Please!" Scootaloo said. "But -" "Please!!" Scootaloo begged. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with concern. "Alright" Twilight said. "But what about your wings? What do you need to do for them?" "Nothing. No one else knows about them either. You can't tell anyone about this either! Especially Rainbow Dash!" Twilight sighed and nodded. Scootaloo looked out the window, evening time. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle would be in their houses by now., so she could go to the clubhouse. Frantically, Scootaloo made up an excuse for having to leave and ran out the door. She went down to the old abandoned alley and grabbed her scooter and helmet. She strapped on the helmet and made her way towards the clubhouse. When she got there, she took off her helmet and hid it in a shrub. She reached inside another shrub and pulled out a dirty old blanket. Scootaloo climbed up the ladder and layed herself down on the clubhouse floor. She covered herself up in the blanket and looked up at the ceiling. Alone with her thoughts. "What am I going to do?" she thought. "I can't avoid my friends like I can avoid Rainbow Dash. Can I?" She thought hard until one terrifying thought popped into her head.... School. Chapter 5: Face Your Fears"What am I going to do about school tomorrow?" Scootaloo thought to herself, "Everypony's going to ask questions... Maybe I can ditch." Scootaloo gulped, shaking with fear of what she faced tomorrow. "Relax" she told herself, "What you need to do is just sleep." With that, Scootaloo on her side. She laid on the cold wooden floor of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. Her mind still raced, but eventually she slowly drifted off to sleep. Scootaloo shivered as she felt a cold breeze. She blinked, something didn't feel right. Scootaloo looked around, tall trees and small shrubs surrounded her. She looked to the ground and found soft grass beneith her. "Where am I?" she asked herself. But she didn't know. Scootaloo sighed in relief, at least she was alone. Alone from all the questions, all the fears. Scootaloo sat down on the soft grass and looked at the big bright moon. For the first time since she found out about her wings she felt at piece. "I'm alone." she said with content. "You are not alone." a mysterious voice said. This made Scootaloo jump. "What was that? Who goes there?" Suddenly, as if magic, a blue figure appeared from the moon. The figure slowly made it's way down to the ground. Scootaloo stared in amazment as an elegant blue alicorn stood right in front of her. "Princess Luna" she cooed. " 'tis correct, young Scootaloo" the alicorn said. "Is this a dream?" "You are correct again." "W-What are you doing hear?" Scootaloo asked. "As Princess of The Night, it is my duty to visit your dreams and give you guidence as needed." the Princess explained. "Guidence?" "Yes, my subject. It appears you can use some guidence on a problem you are having." Princess Luna gestured towards Scootaloo's little wings. Instantly Scootaloo closed her wings as if she were hiding them. "Wha-What are you talking about." she said anxiously. "Young Scootaloo, you don't need to put on an act for me." the blue alicorn said sternly. Scootaloo sighed, knowing what she was talking about. "I-I'm sorry, Princess" "No need to apologize. Just tell me what's on your mind." Scootaloo sighed once more. "I found out I will never be able to fly a-and I always wanted to be like Rainbow Dash." she gulped, "Awesome and cool." "I see." Princess Luna replied. Scootaloo fought back tears. "I-I don't want anyone to know h-how weak I am. I don't want to disappoint anypony." She let a single tear fall from her eye, "... I don't want to disappoint myself". "Is that what you are afraid of?" the alicorn asked, "Disappointment." Scootaloo nodded. "I-I want everypony to see me like they see Rainbow Dash; rough, tough, and strong. Not some small, frail filly who can't fly." she let another tear fall from her eye. Princess Luna looked at the orange filly, " 'tis OK to cry, young Scootaloo." Scootaloo shook her head, "I'm not crying." The Princess gave Scootaloo a stern look. A few more tears trickled down the filly's cheek. "O-Ok, I am." Princess Luna smiled sympathetically, "Good. Now if your peers find out about your wings. What is the worst that could happen?" Scootaloo looked to the ground, "They'll treat me differently... They'll think less of me, like a weak little handicapped pony a-and..." she stopped. "And what?" Luna asked. "A-And I-I'll lose my reputation as the tough little filly... Like Rainbow Dash was." A few more tears fell down her cheeks. She sniffed. "How do you know that will happen?" the Princess asked, "Have they told you?" "Well no, bu-" Luna smiled, "Exactly. There is no guarantee about that. It is most likely just your imagination." "But it feels so real." Scootaloo said. "That is the thing about fears. They seem real, to trick you, and there is only one way to rid yourself of them." "What's that?" Scootaloo asked. "By facing them." "Facing them?" Scootaloo said with confusion. "Facing your fears." Scootaloo gulped. "I-I can't..." Luna looked at the filly. "Why is that?" she asked. "Because..." "Because why?" Scootaloo looked to the ground and let more tears fall from her eyes. "I-I-I'm scared..." Luna put her hoof on the orange pegasus' shoulder. " 'tis OK to be scared." Scootaloo shook her head slowly. "But I'm not supposed to be scared." The Princess looked concerned, "And why is that?" "Because I-I'm tough..." "Don't you think you're being tough if you're facing your fears?" Luna asked. Scootaloo shook her head once more, "No." "Why?" "B-Because... T-That would be giving in." "Giving in? To what?" "My fears. To everypony." "To yourself?" Luna asked. "Especially myself..." Scootaloo added. "By facing your fears you are being brave you are saving yourself." "H-How?" the little filly asked. "By saving yourself from a lifetime of lies." Luna explained. "Maybe she's right" Scootaloo thought to herself. "Of course I am." the Princess said out loud. Scootaloo stared at the alicorn in disbelief. Luna just smiled. Suddenly things started to fade to white, and Luna began to fade away. "Princess?" Scootaloo exclaimed. "You know what must be done... Face your fears. Face them, Scootaloo!" Luna said as she faded out. Everything turned to white. Scootaloo opened her eyes quickly. She looked around frantically. "Princess?" she asked out loud. But she then realized it was just a dream, and she was in the clubhouse. She looked out the window. It was morning. Scootaloo sat on the floor for a while, deep in thought, thinking about today. She thought about the possibility of hiding out in the Everfree Forest, but then she remembered her dream. "Face your fears!" she remembered Luna saying. Scootaloo gulped. She knew what she had to do. It was time to face her fears. She climbed down from the clubhouse and stashed her blanket in the shrub. She carefully patted down her mane, making it smooth. Then she snapped her helmet on, grabbed her scooter and head towards school. When she arrived, Scootaloo saw her two best friends smiling when they saw her riding up on her scooter. "Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She and Applebloom ran over and gave Scootaloo a big hug. "How are ya?!" Applebloom asked. "Pretty good. What about you guys?" Scootaloo said with a smile. "Much better now that we know you're ok!" Sweetie Belle said. "Much better!" Applebloom agreed. "What happened to ya?" Scootaloo gulped remembering her dream. She was about to say it when suddenly she heard a familiar voice. "Come on, my little ponies! It's time for class." their teacher, Cheerilee said enthusiastically. Scootaloo sighed with relief, maybe she was safe for a while. Maybe she didn't have to face her fears after all. These thoughts went through her mind all day. She was anxious to just go ride her cares away on her scooter. Scootaloo was relieved when she finally heard Cheerilee say, "Alright, my little ponies. That paper is due first thing tomorrow! Have a great afternoon!" With those words, Scootaloo got up to meet her friends at the door. "So what kind of crusading should we do today girls?" "How about Cutie Mark Crusader architechs?" Applebloom exclaimed. "Yeah!" The two other crusaders agreed! "Oh look, it the Cutie Mark Crybabies!" a snooty voice shouted. The Crusaders turned around to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "What do you want!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Oh, Scootaloo! You're back." Silver Spoon said. "We heard about your accident!" Diamond Tiara said with a giggle. "H-How did you know?!" Scootaloo said flatly. "Oh, my daddy hears EVERYTHING!" Diamond Tiara boasted. "Oh yeah-" Sweetie Belle began to say before Applebloom stopped her. "She's not worth it." Applebloom whispered. "So Scootaloo, how are your wings?" Diamond Tiara snickered. Scootaloo felt her face turn red. How did she know about her wings? "What's a matter, Scootaloo? Oops. Was I not supposed to know?" Diamond Tiara gave a sarcastic giggle. "Knock it of, Diamond Tiara!" Applebloom exclaimed. "Yeah! Why do you have to be so mean!" Sweetie Belle said. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon snickered. "Oh, so you do know!" "Know what?" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo gulped. She tried to speak up, but the words got stuck in her throat. "Scootaloo can't fly" Silver Spoon said with a cruel giggle. "We know! But she's learning!" Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo felt a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't do anything. She was frozen with fear. "Oh no." Diamond Tiara said dramatically, "She's got a condition, meaning that she will never be able to fly... EVER!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glared at Diamond Tiara, then looked over at their frozen friend. "I-Is that true, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle said. At that moment, Scootaloo felt the tears build up in her eyes. Instantly she ran off towards the clubhouse, tears pouring out of her eyes as she ran. Back at the school yard, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom stood in shock as they watch their friend run off. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon can be mean. They can be cruel, but what they did was beyond cruel. No pony has ever seen Scootaloo cry until just then. "Who knew she could be such a cry baby!" Silver Spoon snickered. "She tries to act all tough, but when it comes down to it she's just as weak as anypony else." Applebloom felt the anger build up inside her. "Diamond Tiara! What ya just did was unacceptable! Why in the HAY do ya have to be so mean!" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at each other and snickered. Applebloom was about to say something else, until Sweetie Belle held her back. "Come on" she said, "Let's go find Scootaloo." Applebloom grunted and followed her friend. "Why, I always hated Diamond Tiara but this- This is just crosses the line!" Sweetie Belle nodded, "Mmhmm. Why would she do something like that?" "She Diamond Tiara, there's no explaination why she does anythin'!" Sweetie Belle sighed, "I just don't understand why Scootaloo wouldn't tell us something like that." "I don't know either..."Applebloom agreed. The two crusaders made their way to the clubhouse. "She must be in here!" Applebloom said. She and Sweetie Belle climbed up the ladder where inside the tree house, they found Scootaloo sobbing in the corner. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom quitely made their way over to their crying friend. They both gave her a gentle hug. "It's ok, Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo tried to stop crying but she couldn't, "W-What are you doing h-here?" "What are we doin' here? We're your best friends! Why wouldn't we be here comfortin' you?!" Scootaloo sniffed. "Why didn't you tell us about not being able to fly?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I-I-I was too embarrassed. I-I didn't want you guys to think differently of me." "Think differently of ya? Why would we ever do that?" "B-Because I'm a pegasus that can't fly! I'm not as tough as y-you guys think." Scootaloo sniffed and wiped her eyes. "That doesn't matter to us!" Sweetie Belle said giving her friend a big hug. "We love you for you." "Yeah! No matter what happens to us, we'll all ways be the best of friends!" Applebloom added. Scootaloo gave a weak smile. "I love you guys." "We love you too!" "Now, you have to promise us... No more secrets. Please!" Sweetie Belle begged. Scootaloo sighed, "I Pinkie promise." Sweetie Belle smiled, "Good." "And what Diamond Tiara said, don't listen to her. She was just speakin' a load of hooey!" Applebloom said. Scootaloo smiled. She was happy to have her friends that cared about her, and accepted her for who she was. But there was one pony whom she worried about finding out the most. And that pony was Rainbow Dash.
Chapter 1: The NewsIt was a pleasant spring day in Ponyville. The sun shined, the birds chirped. Everything seemed to be perfect, especially for Scootaloo. Today she was going to get her first flying lesson from her idol, Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo woke up with a huge smile on her face, "Today's the day!" she thought to herself, "I'm gonna learn to fly, just like Rainbow Dash". And with those words, she got up and headed for Rainbow Dash's. On the way she ran into her friend, Sweetie Belle. "Hiya, Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle said. "Hey, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo responded. "Where are you going?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously. "Off to see Rainbow Dash for my very first flying lesson" Scootaloo answered enthusiastically. Scootaloo was so excited she couldn't contain her smile. "Well, I better let you go. I wouldn't want you to be late!" Sweetie Belle said. "Ok, I'll see ya around!" Scootaloo replied. And with that, Scootaloo went off, almost sprinting to the field where she and Rainbow Dash would have their lessons. When she got there, she saw the blue pegasus waiting patiently for her to arrive. Rainbow Dash spotted her. "Hey, kid" she said. "Hi, Rainbow Dash" Scootaloo squealed. Rainbow smiled, "Are you ready for your flying lesson with THE awesomest flyer in all of Equestria?" "You bet I am!" Scootaloo said nearly jumping up and down. "Well then, let's get started. First off, you need to strech your wings out like this" Rainbow Dash opened her left wing and streched it out to it's fullest extent. Then did the same with her right wing. Scootaloo did the same, streching her small left wing out, then her right until they both could not strech anymore. "Good." Rainbow said. "Now for the basics. We're going to try hovering, OK?" Scootaloo nodded her head. "Mmhmm." "Ok, here we go." The blue pegasus spread her wings out and flapped them slightly. She slowly began to rise into the air. She then lowered her self back to the ground. "Now you try" she told Scootaloo. "OK!" Scootaloo flapped her little wings, trying to imitate Rainbow. But she stayed on the ground. She flapped her wings faster and faster but nothing. She kept flapping and flapping until she got a cramp in her left wing. "Ow!" she mummbled to herself. Rainbow watched with concern as the little orange pegasus struggled to lift herself off the ground. About twenty minutes of watching this, Rainbo decided to try another idea. "How about we try something different." Rainbow said. "Alright." Scootaloo said hopefully. "Ok, I'm going to lift you up into the air and I want you to flap your wings, alright?" "Got it!" Scootaloo. With that, Rainbow lifted Scootaloo into the air, grabbing her shoulders. Scootaloo started flapping her wings. They rose higher, and high until they were about five feet in the air. "OK, keep flapping Scootaloo" Rainbow said. Scootaloo continued to flap her wings, "Can you go higher?" she asked. Rainbow smiled, "Are you sure?" "You bet I am!" Rainbow flew up a little higher until they were about ten feet above ground. "Keep on flapping!" she told Scootaloo. Scootaloo flapped her little wings as fast as they could. "Ow!" she said under her breath when she got another wing cramp, in her right wing this time. She was now flapping only her left wing. "You alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You bet!" Scootaloo said, now flapping both her wings. "Ok, just make sure you flap both of your wings!" Rainbow chuckled. Scootaloo smiled and continued to flap her wings. Suddenly, she felt a wave of confidence in her, "Hey Rainbow Dash, do you think you could let go of me?" Scootaloo asked loudly because the wind was very loud. "Are you sure, kid?" Rainbow asked back. "You bet I am!" she said excitedly. "Now we're talking, kid!" Rainbow replied. "On the count of three." "One" Scootaloo flapped her little wings as fast as they could go. "Two" Scootaloo looked to the ground, and gulped. She felt a wave of excitement mixed with fear in her stomach. "THREE" Scootaloo felt Rainbow slowly let go of her. She was in the air gliding, it felt amazing. She heard Rainbow Dash yell something, but couldn't understand it over the wind. She suddenly felt a jerk in one of her wings. She felt herself begin to fall, she started to panic. She flapped her wings faster and faster, until a sharp pain struck both her wings. She winced in pain as she fell to the ground. She heard a scream before she blacked out. "Scootaloo?" "Scootaloo?" "Scoota- Oh, hey you're awake." Scootaloo opened her eyes, and looked around. She was laying in a bed, a stallion in a white coat smiled and looked over her. "What happened? What's going on?" she asked grogily. "You fell while trying to fly, you fainted on the way down. Luckily some kind young mare was able to save you before you hit the ground." "Huh? Am I in the hospital?" she asked confused. "Yes, sweetie. You are." "Where's Rainbow Dash? How long have I been out? I need to get back to our lesso-" she went to sit up but the doctor pushed her back. "Rainbow Dash has been here since we brought you in two days ago. We told to go home and get some rest, because you're in safe hands." Scootaloo looked concerned. "I was out for two days? Rainbow stayed with me? When can we leave, I need to get back to our flying lesson!" The doctor looked at her, "You were in an out of conciousness. We gave you some medicine to help keep you call and rested while we ran some tests." "Tests?! What kind of tests?! When can I get out and practive my flying with Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo said impatiently "I see you're starting to wake up. Just take it easy and rest for a while, while I go talk to one of the nurses." Scootaloo watched as the doctor walked out the door and started to talk to one of the nurses. She handed him a folder. He flipped through carefully and got a look of sorrow on his face. This made Scootaloo concerned. "Could be about me?" she thought. She anxiously looked around the room. A couple of balloons and card were there. She twisted around to find that both her wings were bandaged up... What was going on? Suddenly the doctor entered the room and took a seat on a stool. Anxiously, Scootaloo had to ask the question again, "When can I get back out there and practice my flying with Rainbow Dash?" The doctor got a concerned sorrow-filled look on his face that made Scootaloo confused. "What's going on?" she asked panickedly. The doctor sighed, "There's no easy way to tell you this, but by the tests, it looks like you'll never be able to fly."
Chapter 2: How could this be?"You will never be able to fly." It took a while for those words to sink in, but when they did, Scootaloo held back her tears... That's what Rainbow Dash would do. But, Rainbow Dash would never be faced with a challenge like this. Would she? "Are you OK, sweetie?" the doctor asked the little orange pegasus. But, Scootaloo heard none of this. She sat there in disbelief. "How could this be? This can't be true!" she thought herself. She wanted an answer. "H-How could this b-be?" she mumbled as best as she could. "Well, you've got this condtion called Flybrous Dyspegasia. A condition that effects the growth and strength of your wing bones." "F-Fly whaa?!" she squeaked. "Flybrous Dyspegasia, a condition the effects strictly pegasi." "H-How could this b-be?" "Well, sweetie" the doctor said. "You were born with it. It's deformed your wings. Have you ever noticed that your wings are smaller than other young pegasi?" Scootaloo slowly nodded. "And, have you always wondered why you've struggled with flying while newborns are flying with ease?" Scootaloo nodded once more. This time she tried to reply, "H-How will this effect m-my flying?" The doctor gave a sad smile, "The Flybrous Dyspegasia has weakened your wings to a point beyond help... There's no way you'll be able to fly. I'm very sorry." Once more, those words hit Scootaloo right in the gut. She was in a complete shock. "I will let you have a minute" the doctor said as he walked out the door. Scootaloo sat in her bed, in complete shock, staring at the wall for a while. The she began to cry. "How could this happen?" she thought to herself. "Why me?!? She sobbed into her pillow quitely, because she didn't want anyone to hear her. What was going to happen to her cutiemark? She always dreamed of her cutiemark being just like Rainbow Dash's- something aerial related. Rainbow Dash?! What was Rainbow going to think of her now that she can't fly? She'll probably think of her as some pathetic little weakling. Scootaloo sobbed some more. She wanted to scream. "How the HELL could this happen?!" she thought once more. She cried and cried until she heard a knock on the door. She quickly wipped the tears from her eyes. "Excuse, young filly, you have some visitors. Would you like them to come in?" a nurse asked. Visitors? Who would want to visit her? She nodded. The door opened and in came her two best friends, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom with their big sisters, Rarity and Applejack. "Scootaloo!" the two young fillies exclaimed happily. "You're ok." Scootaloo gulped and nodded. "Hi guys" "What happened?" Sweetie Belle said. "Yeah, Scootaloo how'd ya end up in the hospital." Applebloom added. "Now ya'll", Applejack said, "Why don't ya give her some space." Scootaloo didn't know what to say. She was too scared to tell her friends, she couldn't tell them. They would treat her differently. So she thought of a cover story. "You know, I flew into a cloud that caught me off guard, nothing big." "Nothin' big?! I heard ya were out fer two whole days! That ain't nothing big." Applebloom said. "Y-You kn-know I-I..." Scootaloo said holding back all her tears. "I-I-" "Well ya'll I think Scootaloo needs sometime to rest. Why don't we come visit her tomorrow." Applejack said. "Yes, I think that's a great idea." Rarity said, "She looks like she can use some rest... Look at her bloodshot eyes." Applejack gave Rarity a nudge signaling her to quit talking. "Oh alright." Sweetie Belle said. "We'll see you tomorrow, Scootaloo" They said giving her a hug. "Take care now." Applejack told Scootaloo. Scootaloo smiled weakly and waited for them to leave the room. Once the door was completely closed, she felt the tears flood out of her eyes. "I just lied to my best friends!" she thought. "I don't know what to do?!" Scootaloo cried and cried, until she fell to sleep.
Chapter 3: A False Hope"Scootaloo, are you ready to go home?" Scootaloo heard a nurse ask. "By home you mean the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse" Scootaloo thought to herself. You see, Scootaloo didn't have a family of her own, so she secretly slept in their clubhouse at night. "Scootaloo, did you hear me?" the nurse asked again. Scootaloo nodded, "Yes ma'am." "Good, now just wait for your parents to come pick you up." Scootaloo gulped. "My parents?!" she thought to herself, trying to come up with a lie. She smiled slightly when she had thought of one. "My parents are at work today, so would you mind if I walk myself home?" Scootaloo asked innocently. The nurse looked concerned, "Well, I don't know. You've been out for sometime and I don't want you having an accident on the way home." "Oh no, ma'am, I feel much stronger today". Scootaloo lied The nurse examined her. "Are you sure?" Scootaloo nodded, "Mmhmm." "Very well then, I will go get your medicine from the doctor. You wait in here" the nurse said as she left the room. Scootaloo smiled, for she had a plan. She already knew she would not be needing any of her pain medicine. She had a way to make this all go away. A way for her to be normal again, and the answer was.... Twilight Sparkle. Suddenly the nurse came in and interupted her thoughts, "Here you go Ms. Scootaloo" she said handing the little orange pegasus a small white bottle. "Take one pill a day as needed" Scootaloo smiled, "Thanks" she said. The nurse smiled pleasantly, "Well, you're free to go. Remember, take it easy. And if you experience any pain or discomfort, have one of your parents bring you in." Scootaloo smiled and nearly leaped out of bed, she wasted no time. She immediantly ran out the door headed for Twilight. "I know Twilight can fix me" Scootaloo thought to herself, "She can use her magic to make my wings normal, then I'll be able to fly just like Rainbow Dash!" The little orange pegasus was full of excitment that it took her no time to get to Twilight's library. She walked up and knocked on the door. When it opened, a pink pony walked out. "Thanks for the recipe book, Twilight" "No problem, Pinkie Pie. Just remember to bring it back... It's my only copy." Twilight was about to close the door when she noticed the little orange pegasus. "Why hello, Scootaloo. What can I do for you?" Twilight invited her in. Scootaloo sat down on the couch and told the purple unicorn the whole story. "So you think it could work?" Scootaloo said hopefully. Twilight looked concerned, "I don't know...." "Oh please, Twilight! You have to try! I want to be normal again!" Scootaloo said frantically. "Normal? Sweetie, what's wrong with you now? Sure you can't fly but that makes you special... Unique." Twilight replied. "But Twilight! I'm a pegasus! I'm supposed to fly. And if I can't fly then- then I can never be like Rainbow Dash! A-And my Rainbow and my friends will think I'm weir-" Scootaloo suddenly bursted into tears, "P-Please Twilight..." Twilight stared in concern at the sobbing little filly. Twilight thought hard, knowing nothing she'd do would work. But, she hated seeing anypony like this, let alone Scootaloo. She got up and grabbed a book titled. A Medical Guide for Unicorns. She opened it and looked up disibilties, found the section and read: "Though magic can cure so many things, disibilities that a pony is born with is one that magic has no power over. The pony must learn his or her differences and take the appropriate procautions." Twilight looked over at the sobbing Scootaloo and gulped. "Looks like this is something even I can't fix."
Chapter 4: Harsh Truth"I'm sorry, sweetie" Twilight said putting her hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder, "But there just isn't anything I can do. What you have is one thing magic can't help." Scootaloo held back her tears. "What are you saying? That I can never be n-normal?!" Twilight stared at the sad filly, wishing she knew what to say. Scootaloo took a deep breath, "I-It's n-not fai-r" she started to cry softly into her hooves. Twilight put one of her fore arms around Scootaloo, "It'll be OK, sweetie. Trust me" Twilight knew her words weren't doing anything to help, Scootaloo kept crying. "I-I don't know what, I-I'm gonna do. M-My life's sc-screw up enou-" There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Twilight shouted, and in walked Twilight's good friend, Fluttershy. "O-Oh... I-I'm so sorry to interupt y-you, I-I'll just come back later-" Twilight cut her off. "No, I could really use your kindness right now" Twilight said making her way over to Fluttershy. She gestured to the sobbing filly and whispered the whole story to Fluttershy. "O-Oh dear..." Fluttershy said with concern. "I'll see what I can do." Fluttershy made her way to the couch where a the crying Scootaloo was. "Sc-Scootaloo, are you o-ok?" Scootaloo heard the soft voice and looked up to find the gentle yellow pegasus looking at her with genuine concern. Scootaloo shook her head. "O-Oh my... W-What's going on?" Fluttershy asked. Scootaloo slowly sad up and managed to tell Fluttershy the whole story before bursting into tears. "It's ok, Scootaloo. I-I'm a v-very weak fl-flyer. B-But look at me n-now. I st-still managed to find my sp-special talent." Scootaloo wiped her eyes, "I know! But my dream was to be just like Rainbow Dash! She'll never like me now!" Scootaloo grunted with anger and sorrow. "Why does the world hate me?!" "Oh, no no no. The world doesn't hate you." Fluttershy reassured. "Yes it does! First my parents, now this! I just don't know what to do anymore!" Scootaloo began to cry once more. "Parents?" Twilight asked, joining the conversation. "What?" Scootaloo said. "Oh, it's nothing... Just forget I even said anything." "It's obviously not something, since it's gotten you all upset. What's going on?" A concerned Twilight asked. Scootaloo gulped. She couldn't tell them that she's been living in the clubhouse for months now. What would happen to her. She tried to think of a lie, but she couldn't. "Alright whe I was really little, my parents both got into a really bad accident and you know... d-died. I was sent to live in an orphanage in Fillydelphia. I hated it there, no one liked me. It was torture to watch all the other foals get adopted, while I just sat there. I got tired of it, so I ran away and ended up here in Ponyville." When Scootaloo finished her story, Twilight and Fluttershy sat there in disbelief. How could this little filly, who was only eleven, have gone through so much heartbreak and now the wing situation. "O-Oh my..." Fluttershy said. "Yeah, just please don't tell anyone. Please!" Scootaloo said. "But -" "Please!!" Scootaloo begged. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with concern. "Alright" Twilight said. "But what about your wings? What do you need to do for them?" "Nothing. No one else knows about them either. You can't tell anyone about this either! Especially Rainbow Dash!" Twilight sighed and nodded. Scootaloo looked out the window, evening time. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle would be in their houses by now., so she could go to the clubhouse. Frantically, Scootaloo made up an excuse for having to leave and ran out the door. She went down to the old abandoned alley and grabbed her scooter and helmet. She strapped on the helmet and made her way towards the clubhouse. When she got there, she took off her helmet and hid it in a shrub. She reached inside another shrub and pulled out a dirty old blanket. Scootaloo climbed up the ladder and layed herself down on the clubhouse floor. She covered herself up in the blanket and looked up at the ceiling. Alone with her thoughts. "What am I going to do?" she thought. "I can't avoid my friends like I can avoid Rainbow Dash. Can I?" She thought hard until one terrifying thought popped into her head.... School.
Chapter 5: Face Your Fears"What am I going to do about school tomorrow?" Scootaloo thought to herself, "Everypony's going to ask questions... Maybe I can ditch." Scootaloo gulped, shaking with fear of what she faced tomorrow. "Relax" she told herself, "What you need to do is just sleep." With that, Scootaloo on her side. She laid on the cold wooden floor of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. Her mind still raced, but eventually she slowly drifted off to sleep. Scootaloo shivered as she felt a cold breeze. She blinked, something didn't feel right. Scootaloo looked around, tall trees and small shrubs surrounded her. She looked to the ground and found soft grass beneith her. "Where am I?" she asked herself. But she didn't know. Scootaloo sighed in relief, at least she was alone. Alone from all the questions, all the fears. Scootaloo sat down on the soft grass and looked at the big bright moon. For the first time since she found out about her wings she felt at piece. "I'm alone." she said with content. "You are not alone." a mysterious voice said. This made Scootaloo jump. "What was that? Who goes there?" Suddenly, as if magic, a blue figure appeared from the moon. The figure slowly made it's way down to the ground. Scootaloo stared in amazment as an elegant blue alicorn stood right in front of her. "Princess Luna" she cooed. " 'tis correct, young Scootaloo" the alicorn said. "Is this a dream?" "You are correct again." "W-What are you doing hear?" Scootaloo asked. "As Princess of The Night, it is my duty to visit your dreams and give you guidence as needed." the Princess explained. "Guidence?" "Yes, my subject. It appears you can use some guidence on a problem you are having." Princess Luna gestured towards Scootaloo's little wings. Instantly Scootaloo closed her wings as if she were hiding them. "Wha-What are you talking about." she said anxiously. "Young Scootaloo, you don't need to put on an act for me." the blue alicorn said sternly. Scootaloo sighed, knowing what she was talking about. "I-I'm sorry, Princess" "No need to apologize. Just tell me what's on your mind." Scootaloo sighed once more. "I found out I will never be able to fly a-and I always wanted to be like Rainbow Dash." she gulped, "Awesome and cool." "I see." Princess Luna replied. Scootaloo fought back tears. "I-I don't want anyone to know h-how weak I am. I don't want to disappoint anypony." She let a single tear fall from her eye, "... I don't want to disappoint myself". "Is that what you are afraid of?" the alicorn asked, "Disappointment." Scootaloo nodded. "I-I want everypony to see me like they see Rainbow Dash; rough, tough, and strong. Not some small, frail filly who can't fly." she let another tear fall from her eye. Princess Luna looked at the orange filly, " 'tis OK to cry, young Scootaloo." Scootaloo shook her head, "I'm not crying." The Princess gave Scootaloo a stern look. A few more tears trickled down the filly's cheek. "O-Ok, I am." Princess Luna smiled sympathetically, "Good. Now if your peers find out about your wings. What is the worst that could happen?" Scootaloo looked to the ground, "They'll treat me differently... They'll think less of me, like a weak little handicapped pony a-and..." she stopped. "And what?" Luna asked. "A-And I-I'll lose my reputation as the tough little filly... Like Rainbow Dash was." A few more tears fell down her cheeks. She sniffed. "How do you know that will happen?" the Princess asked, "Have they told you?" "Well no, bu-" Luna smiled, "Exactly. There is no guarantee about that. It is most likely just your imagination." "But it feels so real." Scootaloo said. "That is the thing about fears. They seem real, to trick you, and there is only one way to rid yourself of them." "What's that?" Scootaloo asked. "By facing them." "Facing them?" Scootaloo said with confusion. "Facing your fears." Scootaloo gulped. "I-I can't..." Luna looked at the filly. "Why is that?" she asked. "Because..." "Because why?" Scootaloo looked to the ground and let more tears fall from her eyes. "I-I-I'm scared..." Luna put her hoof on the orange pegasus' shoulder. " 'tis OK to be scared." Scootaloo shook her head slowly. "But I'm not supposed to be scared." The Princess looked concerned, "And why is that?" "Because I-I'm tough..." "Don't you think you're being tough if you're facing your fears?" Luna asked. Scootaloo shook her head once more, "No." "Why?" "B-Because... T-That would be giving in." "Giving in? To what?" "My fears. To everypony." "To yourself?" Luna asked. "Especially myself..." Scootaloo added. "By facing your fears you are being brave you are saving yourself." "H-How?" the little filly asked. "By saving yourself from a lifetime of lies." Luna explained. "Maybe she's right" Scootaloo thought to herself. "Of course I am." the Princess said out loud. Scootaloo stared at the alicorn in disbelief. Luna just smiled. Suddenly things started to fade to white, and Luna began to fade away. "Princess?" Scootaloo exclaimed. "You know what must be done... Face your fears. Face them, Scootaloo!" Luna said as she faded out. Everything turned to white. Scootaloo opened her eyes quickly. She looked around frantically. "Princess?" she asked out loud. But she then realized it was just a dream, and she was in the clubhouse. She looked out the window. It was morning. Scootaloo sat on the floor for a while, deep in thought, thinking about today. She thought about the possibility of hiding out in the Everfree Forest, but then she remembered her dream. "Face your fears!" she remembered Luna saying. Scootaloo gulped. She knew what she had to do. It was time to face her fears. She climbed down from the clubhouse and stashed her blanket in the shrub. She carefully patted down her mane, making it smooth. Then she snapped her helmet on, grabbed her scooter and head towards school. When she arrived, Scootaloo saw her two best friends smiling when they saw her riding up on her scooter. "Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She and Applebloom ran over and gave Scootaloo a big hug. "How are ya?!" Applebloom asked. "Pretty good. What about you guys?" Scootaloo said with a smile. "Much better now that we know you're ok!" Sweetie Belle said. "Much better!" Applebloom agreed. "What happened to ya?" Scootaloo gulped remembering her dream. She was about to say it when suddenly she heard a familiar voice. "Come on, my little ponies! It's time for class." their teacher, Cheerilee said enthusiastically. Scootaloo sighed with relief, maybe she was safe for a while. Maybe she didn't have to face her fears after all. These thoughts went through her mind all day. She was anxious to just go ride her cares away on her scooter. Scootaloo was relieved when she finally heard Cheerilee say, "Alright, my little ponies. That paper is due first thing tomorrow! Have a great afternoon!" With those words, Scootaloo got up to meet her friends at the door. "So what kind of crusading should we do today girls?" "How about Cutie Mark Crusader architechs?" Applebloom exclaimed. "Yeah!" The two other crusaders agreed! "Oh look, it the Cutie Mark Crybabies!" a snooty voice shouted. The Crusaders turned around to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "What do you want!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Oh, Scootaloo! You're back." Silver Spoon said. "We heard about your accident!" Diamond Tiara said with a giggle. "H-How did you know?!" Scootaloo said flatly. "Oh, my daddy hears EVERYTHING!" Diamond Tiara boasted. "Oh yeah-" Sweetie Belle began to say before Applebloom stopped her. "She's not worth it." Applebloom whispered. "So Scootaloo, how are your wings?" Diamond Tiara snickered. Scootaloo felt her face turn red. How did she know about her wings? "What's a matter, Scootaloo? Oops. Was I not supposed to know?" Diamond Tiara gave a sarcastic giggle. "Knock it of, Diamond Tiara!" Applebloom exclaimed. "Yeah! Why do you have to be so mean!" Sweetie Belle said. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon snickered. "Oh, so you do know!" "Know what?" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo gulped. She tried to speak up, but the words got stuck in her throat. "Scootaloo can't fly" Silver Spoon said with a cruel giggle. "We know! But she's learning!" Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo felt a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't do anything. She was frozen with fear. "Oh no." Diamond Tiara said dramatically, "She's got a condition, meaning that she will never be able to fly... EVER!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glared at Diamond Tiara, then looked over at their frozen friend. "I-Is that true, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle said. At that moment, Scootaloo felt the tears build up in her eyes. Instantly she ran off towards the clubhouse, tears pouring out of her eyes as she ran. Back at the school yard, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom stood in shock as they watch their friend run off. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon can be mean. They can be cruel, but what they did was beyond cruel. No pony has ever seen Scootaloo cry until just then. "Who knew she could be such a cry baby!" Silver Spoon snickered. "She tries to act all tough, but when it comes down to it she's just as weak as anypony else." Applebloom felt the anger build up inside her. "Diamond Tiara! What ya just did was unacceptable! Why in the HAY do ya have to be so mean!" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at each other and snickered. Applebloom was about to say something else, until Sweetie Belle held her back. "Come on" she said, "Let's go find Scootaloo." Applebloom grunted and followed her friend. "Why, I always hated Diamond Tiara but this- This is just crosses the line!" Sweetie Belle nodded, "Mmhmm. Why would she do something like that?" "She Diamond Tiara, there's no explaination why she does anythin'!" Sweetie Belle sighed, "I just don't understand why Scootaloo wouldn't tell us something like that." "I don't know either..."Applebloom agreed. The two crusaders made their way to the clubhouse. "She must be in here!" Applebloom said. She and Sweetie Belle climbed up the ladder where inside the tree house, they found Scootaloo sobbing in the corner. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom quitely made their way over to their crying friend. They both gave her a gentle hug. "It's ok, Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo tried to stop crying but she couldn't, "W-What are you doing h-here?" "What are we doin' here? We're your best friends! Why wouldn't we be here comfortin' you?!" Scootaloo sniffed. "Why didn't you tell us about not being able to fly?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I-I-I was too embarrassed. I-I didn't want you guys to think differently of me." "Think differently of ya? Why would we ever do that?" "B-Because I'm a pegasus that can't fly! I'm not as tough as y-you guys think." Scootaloo sniffed and wiped her eyes. "That doesn't matter to us!" Sweetie Belle said giving her friend a big hug. "We love you for you." "Yeah! No matter what happens to us, we'll all ways be the best of friends!" Applebloom added. Scootaloo gave a weak smile. "I love you guys." "We love you too!" "Now, you have to promise us... No more secrets. Please!" Sweetie Belle begged. Scootaloo sighed, "I Pinkie promise." Sweetie Belle smiled, "Good." "And what Diamond Tiara said, don't listen to her. She was just speakin' a load of hooey!" Applebloom said. Scootaloo smiled. She was happy to have her friends that cared about her, and accepted her for who she was. But there was one pony whom she worried about finding out the most. And that pony was Rainbow Dash.
