The warm, freshly risen sun crested gently over the hillside as a flitter of bird's wings sounded above the clubhouse roof. Scootaloo rested in the glow by the window having spent the night in Apple Bloom's newly restored tree harbored chateau. As the light hit her eyelids she slowly woke, taking care to open her eyes gently.
'A new day dawns but the shame is still there. I thought if I slept on it, it would go away,' she mused silently to herself. 'If only I could go back and try again...!'
She slowly rose to her hooves. She stretched, forelegs first then back, in great arches the way a lazy cat might. She made her way to the window. The scene outside was as lovely as it always was on such sunny days in Sweet Apple Acres. The birds that flew past before were making their way towards Ponyville as a breeze blew through the trees. An aromatic love-letter made its way to Scootaloo from Sugar Cube Corner. She breathed in deeply and let out a short sigh of longing.
'If I can smell what the Cake's are up to this far from town, they must be baking like crazy! I wonder what the occasion could be? We just had the Summer Sun Celebration, and I haven't heard of anyth-'
“Scootaloo, what're ya doin' here?”
Scootaloo turned around with a start. “Apple Bloom! Wh- what are you doing here?”
“I asked ya first! Didn't ya go home last night? I'm sure your family miss ya!”
“Yeeaaahh I don't think there's much chance of that, considering how awfully I did in my competition.”
“Well it doesn't matter right now anyways, it's almost time fer school! I just came in here ta grab my saddlebags and head out. C'mon!”
“School? No way, nu-uh, I'm not going today. Everypony will just mock me, make jokes about me, and tell me what a loser I am!” She dropped onto her haunches and stifled back the flood of tears she felt coming on.
“Oh Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom rushed to her friend's side and wrapped a consolatory foreleg around the orange filly's back. “Now ah know it's going to be hard but if you don't go to school today it'll only make things worse! Ponies'll wonder where you are and know why you stayed home today. Ah'll be by yer side the whole time and we can meet Sweetie Belle on the way.”
Scootaloo raised her head to meet her friends eyes. She knew what Apple Bloom said was true.
'I know I'm better than that! Let's get it together, Scoots, come on!'
She sniffed gently and wiped the sadness from her eyes. “You're right, Apple Bloom. There's no point in sitting here and feeling sorry for myself. Let's go, I know it's going to be a great day!”
The two walked down the ramp that lead to the clubhouse with Apple Bloom leading and Scootaloo not far behind. Bloom beamed with pride having helped her friend conquer her fears. Scootaloo put on a brave front, grinning only when Apple Bloom looked back at her. Deep in her heart the ache from her weekend held fast and the long walk only let her muse on what it took to even get that far.
The two ponies made found their way onto the road that lead to the school. As they did, Scootaloo thought back to three months ago when she first discovered there was an extreme sports competition, much less one that had seen fit to come to Equestria...