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All three of the CMC’s were in a parachute, flying up to cloudsdale. They stopped when they below the cloud where the house of the Dashes resided.
“Scootaloo… yer sure ‘bout this?” The two friends eyed her with worry.
Scootaloo just grinned, feeling more confident than any time in her life. “Definitely. You two remember when I took a slingshot up here with my scooter? So who’s to say this won’t work?” And with that, she heaved up a ramp, balancing it so it faced the wall of the house across from the Dashes.
Scootaloo placed her scooter on the foot of the ramp, clenching the handle barsout of nerve. But a driving force constantly resided in her mind… I can do this… I can do this.
The beating of her wings pushed the scooter up the ramp. Wheels spinning in the air, Scootaloo bumped against the wall of a house for more agility. It also directed her towards the top of the hot-air balloon which, with its’ hot air, would keep her in the air…
“WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! I did it; I AM DOING IT!
“Rainbow Dash? Yoohoo, Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow Dash came out of her house sleepy-eyed. Ugh… what is it-” Her eyes popped wide open. “Scoot?!”
Scootaloo was flying on her scooter. Her wings were beating fast, frantically to keep her in the air, the hot air balloon thankfully below the house, giver Scootaloo the appearance… of flying. “C-can you believe it!?! I can fly! ON MY SCOOTER!”
Rainbow Dash grinned proudly. “That’s my girl! You’re finally getting it!”
I need to get it. She’s proud of me… maybe now I can fly with only my scooter…
’So now, I’m gonna perform a sonic rainboom!”
“Woah, woah!” Eyes wide with concern, Rainbow Dash flew over to Scootaloo, as though trying to coax her down. “That’s such a big move, scootaloo,” Her eyes narrowed. “I told you that we are different ponies, and since you can’t, well, really fly-”
“I know, I know! That’s why I’ll do it… ON MY SCOOTER!” Scootaloo grinned. “My scooter will help me fly, don’t you see?!” With that, Scootaloo “flew” off the hot air that was keeping her up and onto a cloud. Everything around her seemed to block out, as it was only Scootaloo and her scooter.
Scootaloo stood on the cloud, trying not to look down. Her wings began to beat, once again, driving her scooter off the cloud… but it was very, very slow.
Scootaloo knew, a second too late, the mistake she was making.
But when she screamed for Rainbow Dash, there was no pony in sight.
The feeling of falling free-fall from the sky was indescribable.
Despite this horrible feeling, Scootaloo couldn’t help but hate herself, in the process, for being unable to fly.
Scootaloo landed in the playground of her school. All the ponies were outside, and saw her fall into a tree.
Scootaloo brushed herself off and, in another vain attempt, tried to take off from her tree. But, to no avail.
From her place on the ground, wings still beating desperately, a defeated pegasus heard the clapping of hooves. She looked up… it was her two old enemies.
“Look who it is? The wingless dodo. Silvey and I know that you tried to fly, and failed!”
Scootaloo jumped up. “First of all… I thought you two had promised to stop picking on me! Second…” Scootaloo’s eyes grew small. “Does everypony know?”
Silver Spoon guffawed as both ponies ignored the first question. She held up a newspaper with the front headline:
Young Pegasus with Inability to Fly gets Extremely Hurt
May be the First Pegasus Who can’t Fly.
Below the heading and subheading was a picture of Scootaloo falling from the sky; presumably, this picture was taken by another pegasus who would rather laugh at how ridiculous Scootaloo looked then help her. Could it have been Rainbow Dash herself, having lost faith in the pegasus she had promised to take under her wing?
By now, the whole playground was laughing. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were nowhere in sight. Like many times in Scootaloo’s life, there was nopony around to offer the comfort she needed. Like many times in her life, Scootaloo was alone.
Scootaloo squeezed her eyes tight against the tears that threatened to pour. She needed to get somewhere safe, away from every pony making fun of her
In an effort to feel secure, Scootaloo hid behind a tree. But there were ponies there as well, laughing at her. Even the animals seemed to be laughing, and there was no Fluttershy in sight to scold them.
Before she knew it, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were there, once again, laughing, taunting, and teasing.
With nowhere else to look, Scootaloo glanced longingly at the heavens beyond the leaves, beyond the trees. Clouds where only she could be, where things could be safe.
But without a parachute, or anything, she had no way of getting up there.
But she had to try. Scootaloo jumped up, beating her wings frantically, with exceeding effort, only for her body to go half a foot off the ground… and slowly come back down.
She tried again. Up, down. Up, down. Beatbeatbeatbeatbeatbeatbeeeaaattttttttttttt
Beat. Beat. Beat.
The laughing had stopped. Scootaloo opened her wet eyes, and looked around. It was the setting of a starry night, the sky bright with stars. And Scootaloo stood on a cloud, looking down at Ponyville.
Scootaloo should have been scared for being so up high, and unable to fly. But for some reason, she felt calm and secure among the stars. Maybe she could stay here forever, and then nopony would ever hurt her again.
Is that why I was having my nightmare? Because… I’m just scared of everypony?
Despite the words existing in Scootaloo’s head, she got a response: “You are just about there, my young pegasus.”
To Scootaloo’s astonishment, from the stars materialized Princess Luna.
Scootaloo stuttered with surprise. “P-Princess Luna! How could you hear me?”
“In dreams, Scootaloo, especially in cases such as yours, I can understand the way ponies are thinking. It is because your thoughts are so locked up in your mind that I have no choice but to look into your subconscious… only in dreams, though.
Scootaloo’s mind continued to swarm, and Luna continued: “Tell me what’s bothering you, Scootaloo. WHy you are having those nightmares. And I’ll see if I can help.”
Scootaloo looked down upon the village in shame. In the waking world, this would be difficult. Now, in the security of dreaming, Scootaloo could find thd the words:
“I’m scared of being unable to fly. I hate being unable to fly, and I feel ashamed.”
Luna nodded with interest. “Tell me about those ponies in your nightmare. Why were they taunting you?”
“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, my former enemies, once made fun of me for being unable to fly. And I haven’t forgotten it since.” It was due to the security and quiet of sleep that Scootaloo finally began to cry, tears flowing freely and silently onto the cloud that helped her stand among the heavens. Hardly any other signs of crying showed, for Scootaloo’s subconscious was now numb with emotion.
And Luna knew. “You are very, very emotional Scootaloo. You feel insecure, you let others get you down to the point where it hurts. And the pain only grows in you.”
What had started out as a peaceful dream was now the second part of an awful nightmare. Raw emotion clawed at Scootaloo, demanding to break free… but the numb wall inside her that had always held back her discomfort prevented her from doing so. Silent tears were the only way, but they weren’t enough.
The intensity of such emotion terrified Scootaloo.
Luna continued: “I hate to see you in so much pain, my young pegasus. I came here to tell you why you hurt. It is not because of the ponies such as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who bullied you. It is because of you alone. You want to achieve a goal, but only you are preventing yourself from doing it.”
Scootaloo could no longer speak, but think thoughts that reverberated through the stars: But I try flying all the time, and I can never get it.
The answer, Scootaloo, is beyond flying. That is a long step away.
Now, Scootaloo could speak: “S-s-s-so is it still possible f-f-for me to f-fly?”
Luna glanced at the sky, as though it displayed a giant clock. “I will show you the solution. And hopefully when you wake up, you will know.” The shadow-coloured alicorn telekinetically lifted Scootaloo onto her back. Her horn continued to glow as her large wings changed direction. “Do not worry about falling, my dear pegasus.”
The last part of the nightmare was hardly scary, because you cannot die in your dreams. Luna flew fast into Ponyville, with Scootaloo telekinetically attached to her back. As gravity sifted through her orange-red hair, Scootaloo felt secure.
Princess Luna flew over the ponyville school, producing a sickly reminder in Scootaloo’s stomach about where she’d have to go tomorrow.
The alicorn flew over the school, and before Scootaloo knew it, the two ponies were at the CMC clubhouse.
Scootaloo saw the stump where she had practiced flying that one day, and a feeling of dread washed over her.
“Do not feel upset, Scootaloo. Forget about the past, and move forward.” Princess Luna flew over to the clubhouse, over to the doorway. The clubhouse was dark with night, but somehow, Scootaloo could somehow sense the presence of safety; of friendship.
“Scootaloo, friendship is always key. No pony should take on everything alone. That’s what you’ve been trying to do, and your nightmare displays the outcome: You are broken inside, and desperate.”
Scootaloo immediately remembered an earlier part of her nightmare when her wings, were beating desperately - while she was falling, while she was being taunted and humiliated - to keep her in the air or escape from the ground.
Luna continued: “Scootaloo, it is in the destiny of you and your friends to help other ponies. It is also in your destiny to help yourselves thrive and succeed. And this inner mission for the Cutie Mark Crusaders starts here, at your clubhouse.” Luna looked down at Scootaloo. Confront your friends tomorrow, Scootaloo. You need to do this; I have faith in you.”
The realization sunk into Scootaloo, as an unrecognizable feeling of warmness began to wash over her………