//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins // Story: A Journey Across Equestria // by Vixie //------------------------------// "Yeah, I'm leaving." Scootaloo said, poking the ground with her hoof. "For good?" Applebloom asked, her eyes wide with worry. "For good." Scootaloo echoed in response. "But you can't your home is here! Your friends are here!" Sweetie Belle threw her hooves around Scootaloo's neck. "Don't leave! We won't be the same without you!" "Yeah! There are no Cutiemark Crusaders if we're missin' one crusader!" Applebloom agreed. "And why do ya even wanna leave? So many ponies love ya! What's Rainbow Dash gonna do without ya?" "Well, me leaving won't be that much of an impact on any pony." Scootaloo paused when she saw her friends sad faces. Her heart sank, splitting into two. "Well, not that many ponies will be affected." She corrected herself. "But why are you leaving?" Applebloom repeated. There was a long moment of silence. Scootaloo bit her lower lip. "Because... Because..." Scootaloo managed to force a few words out before stopping again. "Because I don't fit in here. I'm bullied for not being able to fly and for being a blank flank." She admitted. "But I can barely lift a mouse!" Sweetie Belle said, trying to relate to Scootaloo. "You're just saying that. You can lift ten tons if you put your mind to it. But no matter how hard I try, I can't get my hooves off the ground with my wings!" Scootaloo flapped her wings to make her point, but she didn't get an inch up in the air. "These things are useless! They can't even serve their purpose!" She wanted to tell them so badly that she was really trying to see if she could find her mother, the one that had abandoned her when she was young, and maybe ask why she couldn't keep her. Was Scootaloo too ugly? Or did her mother know she'd be a failure? "But Scoots, ya know ya'll use yer wings for somethin' in yer own special way!" Applebloom assured her friend. "Yeah! Like your scooter! You can get some serious speed on that thing!" Sweetie Belle motioned to the scooter laying beside them, which was attached to the little red wagon. "Well, thanks guys. But there's no changing my mind. I'm leaving, I'll find a place where I can fit in." Scootaloo got up and started walking towards her scooter. And find my mom. She added silently "Wait! But Scootaloo, you don't have to be like every pony else. It's fine to stand out!" Sweetie Belle stated. "Mhm!" Applebloom nodded. "And also, can we go for one more ride on yer scooter before ya leave? Ya know, for old time sake!" Scootaloo sighed, mounting her scooter. "Sure. Just for the memories." Her friends jumped to their hooves and leaped into the wagon. Together, they rode through Ponyville, probably for the last time. They caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash over head, zipping from cloud to cloud. Suddenly, Scootaloo's throat was dry. How was she going to break the news to her? Sure, Rainbow Dash was a great sister figure, but she'd never understand. She'd try to talk her out of it like her friends had, but then she'd get all of Ponyville involved. And she'd never be able to leave, even though she could stay with her best friends forever. She wanted to find her mother and wouldn't change her mind. They stopped at Sugarcube Corner. "Hi, guys!" Pinkie chirped. The three said nothing, just pointed at something on the menu and waited. "Aw, why the long faces??" Pinkie sniffed the air. "Ohh, I know. Scootaloo's leaving forever and ever and you're all super sad because she'll never come back?" "How did you...?" Sweetie began as their ice creams were served. "Pinkie sense! Plus, I could smell it in the air! And these are extra special ice creams! I call them Forever Together because it's a ton of flavors mashed together!" Pinkie replied, bouncing off. They looked down at the ice creams, it was an assortment of thousands of flavors in one glass. They didn't order it, but apparently Pinkie knew what they wanted before the wanted it. Sweetie Belle pulled hers towards her and ate a spoonful. "Delicious!" Applebloom ate a bit too. "This is the best! And it might be somethin' you can only get in Ponyville!" She nudged Scootaloo. Scootaloo shoved the ice cream into her mouth. It was an explosion of taste. She could have sworn that she saw an burst of light and Applebloom's words echoed in her head. Only in Ponyville... They said. She quickly gobbled up the rest and started for the door. But her mother wasn't in Ponyville. "I'm going to pack. I'll see you guys l-..." She cut herself off before she said later. There would probably be no later with her best friends. "So this is goodbye...?" Sweetie Belle standing up and walking towards Scootaloo. Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah... I guess." "We'll really miss ya, Scoots." Applebloom followed Sweetie Belle. Without warning, they threw their hooves around Scootaloo. "We'll never forget you..." They said in unison. They seemed to be prepared to cry. Scootaloo was on the verge of tears herself. "I'll never forget you guys. I'll never forget Ponyville." Scootaloo closed her eyes, remembering all of the times she had spent with her friends. The day they found each other and had become the Cutiemark Crusaders. They were inseparable after that. But today, that would all end. Do I really want to leave? Scootaloo asked herself. Yes. I'll be back, Ponyville is my home. I swear to Celestia, I will be back to meet my friends again. I just want to find her... Scootaloo answered her own question. Scootaloo packed her backpack. She had decided to put a framed picture of her, the Cutiemark Crusaders and the Mane 6. It would be a nice memory. She had also inserted a few bits, some food, a map and a quill and some paper, in case she could write some letters and mail them back to Ponyville. It could be like Twilight's letters to Princess Celestia. Scootaloo fastened her helmet and threw her bag into the wagon. She jumped onto her scooter, flapping her wings and pushing off. Ponyville passed by in a blur as the moonlight lit the way. She was headed towards the Everfree forest. She stopped and checked her map. She could go around. That seemed like a better idea, even if it could take her a little longer. She was planning on heading to Las Pegasus, where she might probably make new life for herself and where she assumed her mother was. Twilight had said she seemed like she was originally from there, and she had assumed Twilight was never wrong. She hoped her friends wouldn't snitch on her, even though they didn't know the real reason she was leaving, or some ponies might be sent out to look for her and bring her back to Ponyville. She didn't only want to start over. She wanted to travel Equestria to find her mother. It had been a dream of hers, other than her one to become just like Rainbow Dash. The thrill of going all the way to Las Pegasus by scooter was overwhelming, it would truly be an adventure. But she'd also find a piece of herself. The piece her mother took with her when she had left her on the orphanage door. Scootaloo turned right. The map had shown that soon, she'd come across a small bridge over a river. From there she would go forward before taking the first turn to the right. Then she would just have to continue on until she had reached Las Pegasus. She had earlier thought of going to Manehattan before deciding that it would be too far and Las Pegasus was her best bet to find her mother. If she got there and she hadn't found a trace of her mother, she could always leave and go to another place. Scootaloo picked up speed, she wanted to get at least half way there before dawn, even though it seemed near impossible. You can defy physics. She told herself as she continued down the dirt path.