Finding Scootaloo

"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.