“Scootaloo, stop fidgeting around. Your mother and I raised a proper young pegasus, not some rambunctious earth pony!”
The younger pegasus sighed as she sat up straight in the chariot. She didn’t know why her father had made her accompany him on this stupid business trip. She didn’t know why she had to dress in clothing that she couldn’t fly in, forcing them to take a chariot; it was degrading, having to be flown around like one of the grounded. And she didn’t know why they had to deal with a filthy earth pony town like Ponyville, anyway. What did pegasi need from those limited by such two-dimensional thinking?
Scootaloo was honestly surprised when their destination came into view before she could smell it. It was a tiny village, composed of straw and tile and brick, the limits of those materials found on the ground. Nothing like the amazing towers and vistas of Cloudsdale, where the cloudscapers were only limited by their imagination when forming the cloudcrete.
In the skies above the squat little town, Scootaloo could see pegasi clearing the sky of clouds… including a glimpse of a sky-blue mare with a prismatic mane and tail. The filly gasped in recognition. That was the winner of the Best Young Flyers Competition, Rainbow Dash! Scootaloo had seen her performance from her family’s box seat, watching in awe as Dash had made myth into reality… and all to save some unicorn who dared to think her magic could compete with a real set of wings.
And here she was, the fastest young pegasus in the world, clearing the skies of some earth pony town. Scootaloo shook her head; clearly she needed to fine a better role-model.
The chariot finally landed, both Scootaloo and her father coughing at the unfamiliar sensation of breathing in dust. “Ahh, finally,” her father commented as he finished coughing. “Come now, Scootaloo.” He stepped off of the chariot, grumbling a bit beneath his breath. “The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can leave.”
Scootaloo gave the dirt road a wary eye, but a glare from her father got her moving, the younger pegasus gingerly stepping down off of the chariot. It was such a disgusting feeling, little bits of dirt and rock and who know what else sticking to her hoof. Trying to ignore the dirt, she followed after her father, taking in the sights of Ponyville… such as they were.
They had just reached the market when another pegasus suddenly appeared out of nowhere, landing directly in front of her father. The old stallion seemed to be unfazed by this, however, and quickly exchanged words with the unfamiliar pony, his tone low enough that Scootaloo couldn’t make out the words. The tone, however, she had heard a thousand times before: her father was angry.
Her father abruptly turned to face her. “Scootaloo, I’m afraid I must go deal with an issue before we get on with our business here. Stay here, and keep in plain site.” He looked around for a moment, and then frowned. “If you get into trouble, take your dress off, fly up, and find a fellow pegasus, understood?”
“Yessir,” Scootaloo replied in a humble tone she reserved only for talking to her parents. She stood and watched as her father followed after the strange pegasus, the two disappearing down an alley.
Great. Now what was she supposed to do?
“Apples! Get yer apples right here!” a young voice cried out over the din of the market, and Scootaloo curiously tracked the sound to an earth pony filly standing at a nearby stall. The filly was about the same age as Scootaloo, with a light yellow coat and an unruly red mane barely held in place by a bow. “Apples, nature’s finest treat!”
It took a moment for Scootaloo to place just why the filly’s barks were catching her attention so much: she hadn’t had a chance to get any breakfast this morning. Sure, the apples that filly was hocking might be inferior earth pony fare, but right about now, the pegasus’ high metabolism was screaming for food, and so Scootaloo found herself approaching the stall practically against her will.
“Well, howdy, there!” the earth filly said as she saw Scootaloo approach. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around these parts before.”
“I-I’ll have one of the red ones,” Scootaloo mumbled, trying her hardest not to get caught up in a conversation with the filly.
“Okay, but which red ones did you mean?” the redhead responded with an honest laugh. “We’ve got Red Delicious, Winesap, Big McIntosh, Gala… Oh, I’m sorry, I’m being just plum rude, aren’t I? My name’s Apple Bloom. What’s yer name?”
“Um… Scootaloo,” she replied hesitantly.
Walking around the counter with a big red apple in one hoof, Apple Bloom’s grin widened. “Well, it’s nice to meet ya, Scootaloo. Sorry about that; I kinda forget sometimes that most ponies don’t know their apples like we Apples do. Here, try this Red Delicious; it’s a classic!”
The earth filly held out the apple, her eyes urging Scootaloo to take it, and the pegasus reached out to grab it. But as the apple changed hooves, Apple Bloom’s coat brushed against Scootaloo’s, and she suddenly recoiled as though a sky serpent had bitten her, letting the apple fall to the ground.
“What?! What was that-” But Scootaloo didn’t hear the rest of Apple Bloom’s protest, as she turned and ran from the apple stall as fast as her useless legs could take her, thinking all the while of how she had almost just defiled herself.