The Cutie Family

by Elkia Deerling

Chapter five: foal play day

Gently, as if she were rocking in a comfortable hammock, Scootaloo floated to the land of dreams. Emotions started to fill her up, as her mind separated from her body. In the land of dreams, a body is usually only vaguely apparent; this dream was no exception. Scootaloo saw herself flying. Flying! She soared through the soft pink skies, until a particularly fluffy and comfortable-looking cloud came into view. Just for fun, Scootaloo made one big circle, and then swooped down to land on the pink cloud; it was comfortable. Scootaloo didn’t really care where she was, or why she was there; she was just there. A feeling of inner piece glowed inside of her, like a summer breeze, refreshing and warming at the same time. This must be the most comfortable dream Scootaloo had ever had. She had the feeling that she could sleep peacefully through the night right here. Was it possible to sleep in a dream?

But no. Scootaloo didn’t want to sleep. No matter how beautiful and nice the cloud, the air, or her emotions felt, Scootaloo felt that it wasn’t right to sleep. The feeling of exploration filled her up. The desire to see what’s more. Of course, the place where she was now could be good, but perhaps, a few clouds farther, there would be even more clouds, or even more peace in her heart. That’s why Scootaloo flapped her wings, which were as big as Princess Celestia’s, and took to the sky once more.

“Whoa! What a thrust!”

Her wings were powerful. Scootaloo felt powerful. Nothing could stop her in this dream.

Gradually, the sky began to change color. Scootaloo flapped her wings, and flew right through a rainbow. The colors of that beautiful weather phenomenon stuck in her mane and spread to her tail as well. The sky changed from pink to blue, and, as Scootaloo flew through it with a smile on her face, the colors wrapped around her body and infused with her muzzle, her wings, her legs. She was Rainbow Dash. “Awesome!”

“This is how good things can get,” Scootaloo said, and she knew she was right. She had been a fan of Rainbow Dash for such a long time, going as far as founding a Rainbow Dash Fan Club. Now, she was Rainbow Dash. She was her big hero. Scootaloo closed her eyes, and felt the awesomeness stream through her veins and race through her entire body from wingtip to wingtip. The wind started to pick up, streaming past her face and making her mane and tail wave in the air. Scootaloo felt as if she could handle the whole land of Equestria by herself. Maybe I can do a Sonic Rainboom!

Scootaloo sped up. If she could pull off a Sonic Rainboom, she would prove that she was worthy of being Rainbow Dash. She flew faster, faster, faster. Despite the space of infinity, Scootaloo did have the impression of flying forward, because the surrounding space changed color. The faster Scootaloo zipped through the space of her dreams, the faster the color became dark. First it was light blue, then blue, then dark blue. Darker and darker the color became, but Scootaloo had little eye for that; she was too focused on the legendary maneuver. Only when everything around her was completely black, did she speed down. She flew slower now, until she came to a complete standstill. Everything had changed.

Blackness was all around her. It wasn’t darkness, however, because Scootaloo could still see her own hooves, as if she were a light shining in the gloom. Suddenly, a hard gust made her topple backwards. However, it wasn’t the force of the gust that made her lose her balance, but the dread that rode it. A feeling of fear exploded in her body. Scootaloo shivered from head to hoof, and found that she was no longer able to fly. It was as if the air was contaminated; flying was so difficult. Scootaloo hovered down unsteadily, until she landed on a cloud. Only it was not a cloud, but a sheet of cold, merciless metal.

“W-w-what’s going on?” Scootaloo said with a trembling voice. The fear had grown inside of her; she knew something was wrong. She knew something evil was in front of her.

Close.

So close.

She could almost touch the air, but she didn’t want to. It was vile, and carried a terrible voice. At first it was just a low growling. Then, it grew more clear with every cold breath Scootaloo took, until she could hear words, angry words.

“Scootaloo! Scootaloo, listen to me!”

Scootaloo couldn’t do anything but listen. She wanted to cover her ears, but found herself unable to. The voice was so awful to listen to.

“You’re a joke, Scootaloo. You can do nothing! You can’t even fly. You’re a disgrace to everypony. I almost regret… regret… No, I do regret…”

The voice couldn’t finish its message, but Scootaloo knew enough. She knew what it was going to say, as if she’d heard it all before. Scootaloo didn’t want to listen anymore. Fly away, fly away, were the first thoughts that came to mind, so she jumped off the cloud, and plummeted down the skies.

“I told you that you couldn’t even fly! Don’t even pretend!”

The voice was right. To her horror, Scootaloo discovered that her wings were tiny, not able to carry her at all. The black air swept through her mane as she fell. Down, down, down, until she smacked against another iron cloud.

“That’s what you deserve! What did you expect? You weren’t born for greatness but for failure, and failure will follow you for the rest of your life.”

Scootaloo scrambled up, rubbing a terrible bruise on her head with her hoof. Her hoof was orange again. Scootaloo was no longer Rainbow Dash, but had transformed back to herself.

“That’s right, Scootaloo. You can’t even pretend you’re somepony ‘cool’ or ‘awesome.’ Those words don’t belong in your dictionary.”

The insults slammed into Scootaloo’s mind. She wanted to run away. Turning around, Scootaloo saw a concrete road, as cold and grey as the cloud, leading to nowhere. She galloped for all she was worth, but the voice followed her. The presence was always right behind her.

“You cannot run from me! You will never get rid of me! I will always be there, waiting for you in the darkest corners of your mind! You will never be safe anywhere. You will never be cozy or relaxed, for I will always look over your shoulder. Never let your guard down, because you are vulnerable. You will never lose me, but you will always lose!”

Scootaloo’s gallop became slower and slower, her strides shorter and shorter, her legs tinier and tinier. She was a filly again, on the run from someone or something. She knew very well who or what it was. With a clarity uncommon in dreams, or even nightmares, Scootaloo realized.

Her beautiful dream was ruined. Scootaloo felt cold tears trickle down onto the concrete. Sadness and fear slowed her down, until her legs stopped moving. All the feeling streamed with the tears out of Scootaloo’s body. There was nothing more she could do. She was done for. The happy dream would never return.

* *

“Wakey wakey, Scootaloo! It’s time for a beautiful new day.”

Sweetie Belle’s cheerful, almost musical voice flowed through Scootaloo’s ears. It was the most beautiful alarm clock she could imagine. But it did nothing against the words of the nightmare, which still echoed vaguely in her head.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom staggered back from the cot, as Scootaloo veered up suddenly. She breathed in and out, again and again, as if she’d just run a marathon. With fearful eyes she stared around the room, at herself, and finally, her gaze came to rest at her friends. Scootaloo wanted to tell them something. Her mouth formed to make words, but they didn’t come. Her mind tried to construct sentences, but they didn’t come. The dream retreated back to Scootaloo’s subconscious as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her confused and puzzled. The room helped her to calm down a little, and when she saw what she was dressed in, she entered the here and now again.

Sweetie Belle approached Scootaloo’s cot and met her eyes, which still displayed some of the fears she had felt. “Are you okay, little Scootaloo? Did you have a nasty, nasty dream?”

The way Sweetie Belle spoke to her was as a mother would speak to her daughter, but Scootaloo didn’t care about that at all right now. She looked her friend in the eyes. Green, soft, understanding eyes. Scootaloo said nothing, but nodded slowly.

“Aww, you poor little thing.” Sweetie Belle lowered the railing of the cot, and helped Scootaloo climb out of it. “Well, you’re awake now, and nothing will happen to you here.”

“Of course there will,” Apple Bloom said from across the room. “Let’s get her here and change her!”

More humiliation; that was not at all what Scootaloo needed. Reality slapped her in the face and showed her what she had agreed to do with her friends: foal playing. Suddenly, her voice came back to her. “No! I don’t need to be changed.” Her voice quavered just as in her dream. “I didn’t use my diaper or anything. It’s not necessary.”

“Of course it is,” Sweetie Belle said. “Every foal needs a change after a nap. Now let’s go.”

Once again Sweetie’s voice was calm and comforting, even though the words weren’t calm and comforting at all. Nevertheless, Scootaloo found herself cooperating—what else could she do? Slowly, she walked hoof in hoof with Sweetie Belle to the changing table.

“Alright, there we go,” Apple Bloom said, and, together with Sweetie Belle, they lifted Scootaloo onto the table. With a fresh diaper at the ready, Sweetie Belle trotted to the end, but Apple Bloom was in the way. “No, wait! I wanna do it now,” she said, taking over the diaper from Sweetie Belle.

“Eh… are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, last time I did an excellent job, right?”

“Yes, but now I wanna try it.” Apple Bloom was resolute. “We have to kick it up a notch and try everything there is to try. So both of us have to try everything. Yesterday it was your turn, and now I it is mine.”

Sweetie Belle stepped aside. “Alright. But if you need any help—“

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Apple Bloom said, and stood in position.

Scootaloo had nothing to say about it, so Apple Bloom got to work. She proved to be much worse at changing diapers than Sweetie Belle, however. Her hooves were rough, her motions clunky and awkward. Apple Bloom was used to hauling buckets of apples, bucking trees, building fences, and doing countless other hard and challenging chores. She wasn’t at all suitable for doing something that required precision, softness, and slow, delicate movements.

“Come on, Scootaloo, lie still,” she said, as she tried to put on the new diaper on the poor filly.

“It’s not Scootaloo’s fault,” Sweetie Belle said, rolling her eyes. “You’re putting it on the wrong way around.”

Apple Bloom let out an awkward chuckle. “Hehe, oops.”

It took her almost a quarter of an hour to change the diaper, but then she finally got it done. Once again, Scootaloo felt the soft fabric brush against her hide, and once again she felt all the awkwardness of the past days return to her.

“There. Done. Are you a happy filly now?” Apple Bloom said, stepping back and admiring her work. She said the exact same words Octavia had said, although she didn’t realize it.

Scootaloo just nodded. She turned around and looked out the window. A bright, glaring sun greeted her, and that instant, the fears she had experienced during the night seemed far away; chased away by the smiling sun.

“Well, it seems she was right,” Apple Bloom said, throwing away Scootaloo’s old diaper. “It was still dry.” But Sweetie Belle wasn’t paying attention to Apple Bloom. Extending a hoof, she helped Scootaloo off the changing table, and sat her down on the ground. “So, what’s next?”

“We can go for a walk,” Apple Bloom answered. “Some fresh air is always good for a foal, and seeing the outside world is good as well. I bet Pinkie Pie has a stroller for the baby Cakes. I just hope it will fit…”

“But you’re not gonna walk on an empty stomach, are you?” a high, squeaky voice said from behind them.

“Huh?”

“Oops, should have opened the door first.” And after those words, the door opened, revealing Pinkie Pie in the doorway. She was carrying a tray with some sandwiches and drinks and even a bottle of milk.

“Hey! Were you eavesdropping on us?” Apple Bloom said with a frown.

“Not only eavesdropping, but also spying,” Pinkie proudly admitted. “Although I should have been more careful, otherwise you would have found out.”

“Eh… Pinkie, we already found out,” Apple Bloom said.

But Pinkie Pie didn’t hear it, for she was much too busy balancing the plate on her hoof. She walked towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and put the plate down before their noses. “There you go. Oh my, you woke up so late; the store is almost open. I thought about making some breakfast for you all, and here it is. I even managed to make something for Scootaloo. I hope Pound Cake doesn’t mind that I borrowed his bottle…”

And to her horror, Scootaloo noticed the bottle of milk right in the middle of the tray.

“Wow, thanks, Pinkie,” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s really kind of you.”

Pinkie nodded. “Don’t mention it. I think your little foal play is so sweet. I would love to look after your little Scootaloo for a while. That way I can practice a bit when Mr. and Mrs. Cake return with the babies.” Pinkie paused for a few seconds, then looked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in the eye. “Oh, I’m just gonna say it. Can I feed Scootaloo? Please, please, please, please, please, please!”

“Well…” Apple Bloom was about to object, because she still reckoned that she and the rest of her friends should try as many baby stuff as possible. But Sweetie Belle gave her a poke. “Of course you can do that, Pinkie,” she said. “It’s the least we can offer you in return for all your help.”

Apple Bloom saw that Sweetie Belle was right, and said nothing more.

“Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Pinkie said, jumping up and down in joy. Before Scootaloo knew what hit her, she was lying in Pinkie’s hooves, with a bottle of milk in her mouth. Gently rocking her in her hooves, Pinkie begun a cheerful little song.

Drink, little Scootaloo, fill your belly up

The milk is so sweet; the bottle bigger than a cup

Drink, grow big and strong

To do the right thing, not the wrong

Have a little drink, Scootaloo

Drink, little Scootaloo, you’re gonna have some fun

Your cutie mark family is more than a pun

A lovely little family

They will help you feeling free

Have a little drink, Scootaloo

Drink, little Scootaloo, you know what to do

You love them; they love you, yes, they know it too

Have some fun, play your part

You will see, it’s a new start

Have a little drink, Scootaloo

Was it the warm milk, glowing inside her belly? Was it the sweet, good-hearted singing of Pinkie Pie? Was it the smiles her friends gave her as they watched her, being cradled in Pinkie’s hooves? Something stirred inside Scootaloo’s heart, but it was not the burning shame or embarrassment; it was something new. It felt as if Scootaloo were a bird, who had flown far and wide to gather enough food for its family. Then the bird returned, and knew it was home. Back in its own soft, warm nest with its wife and its children. Scootaloo felt protected. She didn’t feel like a weak little foal, but strong, ready to take on Equestria once she was grown up. Something changed inside Scootaloo, as if a railroad switch had been turned, and the train of her life ran on another track. Scootaloo closed her eyes, and gulped down the last drops of milk with pure satisfaction etched on her face.

“Alrighty-right,” Pinkie said, and put down the bottle. “That’s enough milk for you, Scootaloo. Now there is only one more thing to do.” Pinkie Pie draped Scootaloo over her shoulder, and, tapping her gently on the back, made her burp loudly.

To the sudden sound, both Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Pinkie Pie chuckled softly. Scootaloo burped way too loud for a little foal.

Twelve long bells were heard from beneath, as the clock struck. Pinkie Pie held Scootaloo before her, looking deep into her purple eyes. “Mommy’s gotta go to work, little Scoot,” she said. “But tonight I’ll have plenty of time to play, I promise.”

Scootaloo smiled and nodded. Then, after one final nuzzle, Pinkie Pie trotted off the stairs to the shop, already looking forward to the evening.

“Aw! That was so sweet!” Sweetie Belle bent over Scootaloo, who was still lying on the ground with a warm feeling in her belly.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom said. “Maybe Pinkie Pie should have a cutie mark for being a family. She’s so good at it.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “But don’t forget that Pinkie has some baby experience. She has taken care of babies before, and for us it’s the first time.”

“But now I wanna go for a walk,” Apple Bloom said. “Let’s eat and then ask for a stroller from Pinkie.”

So they did. Pinkie Pie had made hay sandwiches for them, with a cupcake for dessert. She had even managed to make Scootaloo’s food in character. For her there was a bowl of mashed vegetables and fruits, ready to eat. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom fed Scootaloo, taking turns. To Scootaloo’s surprise, the baby food didn’t even taste awful. It tasted sweet and it was full of flavor. For a moment, Scootaloo forgot that her friends were feeding her and focused instead on the flavors of the food.

When they were done, they went downstairs, taking Scootaloo by the hoof as if she still found it difficult to walk down stairs. Scootaloo was very reluctant, and didn’t want to come down at first. What if there were customers downstairs? Many ponies in Ponyville had often seen her race through town, doing some nice tricks on her scooter to make them go ‘ah.’ Scootaloo reckoned that somepony would certainly recognize her, even in the girly pink dress. “Can’t we just get the stroller upstairs and go in circles in the baby room? Or maybe we could pretend that we’re going for a walk.”

But that was out of the question. “No way,” Apple Bloom said. “We’re going for a real walk, with a real stroller, breathing real fresh air. Now come on down.”

Scootaloo went down at last, but didn’t enter the shop before she’d cast a glance around the corner. This time it was Scootaloo’s turn to be lucky; there was nopony inside.

Pinkie greeted them. “Hi there, cutie mark family,” she said with a smile. “Did you have a nice breakfast?”

As soon as the Crusaders were about to say something back, the bell rang, and a cream-colored mare with a pink and blue mane stepped inside. It was Bon Bon.

Scootaloo sprang into action. “Where’s the stroller Pinkie? Where?” she whispered, casting rapid glances over to Bon Bon and back.

“It’s in the back,” Pinkie said. Scootaloo had never been more grateful for a back door. She bolted towards the door, opened it, and sprang into the hallway. After greeting a surprised Bon Bon, her friends followed.

“Hi there, Bon Bon,” Pinkie Pie said. “Looking for some bon bon’s?”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “If I would get one Bit for every pony who made that joke, I would be Filthy Rich.” She reached the counter, and couldn’t resist taking a look over at the back door. “Hey Pinkie Pie, was that Scootaloo who jumped through that door just then?”

“Yup,” Pinkie said.

“And was she—“

“Yup,” Pinkie said again.

The stroller proved to be big enough for Scootaloo. It was a sturdy looking one, painted a cheerful purple—the combination of pink and blue, of course. It was designed to carry two foals, so there was more than enough space for one Scootaloo. They put her in the stroller and set out. “Don’t worry, little Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said. “We’ll keep to the back roads.”

The most dangerous part was the marketplace. There were quite a lot of ponies walking about, as the stalls and shops started to open. Scootaloo heard the sound of hooves trotting on the ground, and didn’t dare to look around. She grabbed the purple blanket in her mouth and tried to cover as much of herself as she could. Nopony was going to see her.

The sight of two fillies pushing a stroller wasn’t that strange at all. The passers-by looked at them and smiled. Of course they would just be two fillies playing mum. Of course there would be a lovely dressed doll inside the stroller, so that the fillies could pretend to care for it. Or perhaps they would be caring for somepony else’s foal, bearing the responsibility on their shoulders. Sometimes a pony tried to peek inside the stroller, trying to catch a glimpse of the baby. But they couldn’t see anything under the blankets. Suddenly, an old mare appeared and tried to start a conversation with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. She saw that they were playing, and didn’t stop talking about how she’d played mom so many times during her younger days. The Cutie Mark Crusaders didn’t really know what to do, so they let the mare talk. But then things got dicey.

“Now let’s have a peek at your lovely child,” the old mare said, undoubtedly planning to pinch its cheeks. She tried to lift the blanket. Scootaloo heard what she said; fear shot through her body. Scootaloo hold on to the blanket for all she was worth, playing tug-of-war with the old mare. Scootaloo clamped the blanket between her teeth, but the mare was determined to see the little child, and didn’t give up that easily.

“I’m really sorry, Madam, but we have to go,” Sweetie Belle said quite suddenly, and, not finding a politer way to end the conversation quickly, gave the stroller a big push and trotted away.

Scootaloo, not expecting the sudden force, started and let go of the blanket. It was lost. How was she going to hide now?

But maybe she wouldn’t even have to. The big dangers had passed. The Cutie Mark Crusaders entered some tranquil neighborhoods where nopony was around, but, just to be sure, they picked up the pace. Scootaloo too, knew that they were close, for she saw the thatched roofs of houses float by before her eyes. Then she looked towards Sweetie Belle, pushing the stroller. “Don’t worry, little Scootaloo,” Sweetie said, “we’re almost out of town.”

Indeed they were. The gardens around the houses became more frequent and bigger; trees became more common. The Cutie Mark Crusaders passed one more wooden gate, and then they were where they wanted to be: the outskirts of Ponyville.

The road became a bit rougher, as the pavement and the earth got replaced by rough dirt. The road snaked on ahead, rimming Ponyville, with a good twenty meters between it and the houses. Fields and hills and the occasional small patch of forest flanked it. Those were the only company the Crusaders had, for the road was deserted and empty.

But Scootaloo wanted to be absolutely certain. Grabbing the edges of the stroller, she sat up and looked around. The colors were vibrant around her. They were passing a patch of forested land, and it gleamed green and bright in the sunlight. A soft, gentle breeze was flowing, making the leaf crowns whisper amongst themselves. The green was topped by a clear blue sky, spotted with beautiful, puffy clouds. Scootaloo’s attention was immediately drawn to the sky, and her gaze went up. For a moment she forgot about the fact that she hadn’t checked every direction yet, focusing all her mind on the sky instead. Already she saw some Wonderbolts, some houses, some pegasi, and some scooters, all made of clouds, floating through the air.

“Don’t be afraid, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said, upon seeing her staring, “we’ll make sure to warn you when somepony is coming our way.”

Scootaloo nodded, and aimed her gaze at the sky once more. But then, a thick, white cloud, which had obscured the sun for just a minute, moved away. The glaring shine of the sun made Scootaloo blink, and she could feel beads of sweat drip off her forehead. Wow, it’s hot.

“Why don’t you lie down, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said. “There’s a little sunshade on the stroller, you know? Then you won’t be so hot.”

Slowly, Scootaloo rested her head on the soft, purple pillow. The shade was pulled up, and, much to Scootaloo’s satisfaction, she could still see the sky. Scootaloo had never been more comfortable watching the sky and the clouds, she admitted. The thought of somepony seeing her this way was pushed back to forgotten corners of her mind. Slowly, gradually, she felt the tension leaving her body. Without a care in Equestria, she resumed her sky-watching, letting her imagination free on the drifting clouds above.

There’s Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark…

There’s the Wonderbolts Academy…

There’s the CMC clubhouse…

“Aw! Isn’t she cute like that?” Apple Bloom said.

But those words didn’t make Scootaloo cringe this time. The endless, blue sky above, the refreshing summer breeze, the soothing warmth, and the comfortable little bed she was lying in evoked a sense of tranquility. From deep within her soul, this feeling of inner peace slowly bubbled up to the surface. Slowly, slowly. It manifested itself there, on the surface. It began to sprout a tree, and its branches reached every corner of Scootaloo’s body, delivering tranquility to all her limbs. Her head was last, and the peace placed all of her thoughts in the second place. Scootaloo felt safe. Never before had she experienced this strange, but pleasant feeling—or maybe she had, a long time ago? Scootaloo didn’t know.

She didn’t care if anyone saw her or not; the world was gone for a second. There was just Scootaloo. But that wasn’t really right at all. Scootaloo looked down, where she saw the smiles of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They weren’t laughing at her; they were happy to see her this way. They could see what Scootaloo felt, and shared her joy. The past few days had been so extremely strange, yet those days, and everything that had happened during them, all accumulated to this. Not Scootaloo in baby’s clothes in a stroller, but inner peace. This feeling, this strange, yet eerily recognizable feeling, that was what it was all about. Scootaloo realized that, and she smiled.

“Are you feeling good, little Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo nodded.

“Would you like me to sing a song for you?”

Once again, Scootaloo nodded. Somehow, that felt right.

Then, not taking her eyes off Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle began her song.

Scootaloo, Scootaloo

The sun is shining just for you

Rest in peace my little foal

You’ll get your cutie mark too

Scootaloo, we have such fun

You’re the foal and we’re the mum

This is by far the greatest day

As we go and do foal play

Don’t be mad, don’t be mad

Rest your little sleepy head

Though we know you hate it all

Stay a foal for just a tad

From all our missions big and small

This is the strangest of them all

That doesn’t matter, ‘cause we’ll get

Our cutie marks real quick, you bet

Have no fear, have no fear

‘Cause your family loves you dear

We are always by your side

And there’s nothing really weird

Our friendship’s never been so strong

It’s almost as if you belong

In the cutie family

As happy as you’ll ever be

The song was slow and soothing to the ears. Scootaloo felt herself blinking more than once, but forced herself to stay awake, curious for the next couplet. Sweetie Belle’s silky soft voice brought the words to Scootaloo’s ears, only amplifying the peaceful emotions that drifted through her head. The words were so well-chosen, it was as if Sweetie Belle had read her mind. The bliss lingered for a long time, and Scootaloo closed her eyes.

“Wow. Did you make that song yourself?” Apple Bloom asked, her voice shrunken to a whisper as she didn’t want to disturb Scootaloo’s moment of happiness.

“I did,” Sweetie Belle said. “I thought of it yesterday evening. I couldn’t sleep, and felt that I should write a song about all of this.” She nodded with her head towards Scootaloo. “It’s such a special moment, don’t you think? A special moment which deserves a special song.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks. Maybe I’ll make an instrumental version as well, when we are going to get music lessons from Octavia and Vinyl.”

The names Octavia and Vinyl Scratch conjured up that peculiar memory in Scootaloo’s mind. Once again she saw her DJ hero lie down on the changing table, with Octavia by her side. The image was still marked in her mind, but now, Scootaloo felt differently about it. Now she understood just what it was Octavia and Vinyl were doing. Now she understood what Vinyl was feeling. Now she understood the ultimate goal of foal playing. Once again, Scootaloo closed her eyes. She felt as if there was nothing in Equestria which could disturb her moment. Gradually, a sound came to Scootaloo’s ears; a sound she couldn’t quite place. Was it the last notes of Sweetie Belle’s song? Was it the rustle of the wind in the bushes and trees? Was it the sound of the stroller’s wheels on the dirt road? Or was it all in Scootaloo’s head? Whatever it was, it became louder. Soon, the rustle was a distant whooshing sound, coming closer and closer. The unthinkable happened, as a voice called from above—a voice Scootaloo knew all too well. Under any other circumstance, Scootaloo would have loved to hear it, to let it fill her up with pure ecstasy. Now, however, it filled her with nothing but horror.

“Hey, there, CMC’s, what are you doing?” Rainbow Dash called from above. “Are you taking care of the baby Cakes?”

Everypony’s head shot up, but at the last moment, Scootaloo realized that she should lay low. Rainbow Dash couldn’t yet see her. The feelings of peace and tranquility were shattered, chased out of her mind by fear. Where at first her head had been empty and calm, now it was filled with only one thought, Please go away, please go away, please go away. There was nothing she could do but wish.

But it was in vain. Before anypony could do anything, Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and looked who was lying inside the stroller. “Hello little Pumpkin and Pou— WHAT?!”

Instead of two cute foals, there was Scootaloo. Her frightened look met Rainbow Dash’s, and she was flabbergasted. The CMC’s got a déjà vu feeling, as Rainbow Dash showed the exact same reaction as they themselves had done when they saw Octavia and Vinyl Scratch foal playing.

Rainbow Dash stood rooted to the ground. Nopony moved. Was this Rainbow Dash’s pupil? Was this the scooter-stunting, awesome filly who Rainbow Dash found the coolest of all the fillies she knew? But what was she doing in the stroller? Why was she dressed up like a foal? Those were questions Rainbow Dash could have asked herself, and which she could have asked to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But instead, she laughed.

“HAHAHA! What?! That’s just… WHAT?!”

Rainbow Dash fell on her back, clutching her stomach as she let out another burst of laughter.

“I can’t believe it! Why are you… HAHAHA!” she did try to ask some questions, but soon gave up, as her chuckles kept interrupting her over and over again.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other; they had no idea what to do. Scootaloo felt her belly burning. It wasn’t a soft, gentle glow, as the one she’d felt when Pinkie had given her a bottle of milk. No, this was the savage fire of shame, burning in her body and devouring every drop of self-confidence and dignity Scootaloo possessed. It felt bad. Scootaloo wished she was a unicorn and could use a spell to make Rainbow Dash forget about what she saw. Fantasies, just fantasies.

The cold, hard reality was that Rainbow Dash had seen her like this, and was now rolling on the ground, her body cramped with laughter. Tears streamed down the corners of Dash’s eyes, as another burst of chuckles came in. She went on like that for a good ten minutes, until she finally calmed down. Standing up, she threw one more glance at the stroller, barely managing to hold back her laughter and collapse on the ground once again. Then she jumped into the air. “Wait ‘till I tell Twilight about this,” she said, more to herself than to the Crusaders. Her wings flapped, and Rainbow Dash flew away.

Silence.

The spell was broken. Scootaloo couldn’t even remember how she had felt just moments ago. She couldn’t remember her bliss and peace; it was all gone. She looked at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, who looked back at her. Nopony spoke. Suddenly, her bad dream came back to her, fueled by the negative emotions she now felt. With a surprising clarity she recalled every horrible minute she had endured that evening. There it was again, the voice.

You can’t even pretend you’re somepony ‘cool’ or ‘awesome.’ Those words don’t belong in your dictionary.

The voice was right. Scootaloo felt everything but cool and awesome, and she was sure that she would never be either of those things again. Rainbow Dash would remember her forever as Scootafoal, just as Scootaloo would remember the picture of DJ Foal-3 lying on the changing table.

You will never be safe anywhere. You will never be cozy or relaxed.

That was right too. She didn’t feel safe anymore; she felt vulnerable. Not even her friends could protect her from the humiliation which would undoubtedly spread like an ink stain through Twilight, through her friends, through the friends of her friends, and soon through all of Ponyville.

Never let your guard down, because you are vulnerable.

Her guard had been down. Despite her friends trying to keep anypony from discovering, somepony had discovered. She should never have agreed to this. The voice was right. The voice was so terribly right.

Scootaloo gazed at nothing. Slowly, a small tear dripped from the corners of her eyes. Then another one. There was no sobbing or wailing or screaming—just silent tears. Scootaloo looked down. “Let’s go home, Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Her voice was cracked and broken. “Please…”

Without another word, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned the stroller around. Playtime was over.