"...and that should do it," Doctor Stable nodded as he began putting his medical tools away.
"Finally!" Scootaloo sighed wearily, "I hate having to sit still for so long, and peeing into a cup? That was gross, embarrassing, and a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be."
"I offered to help you out with that," reminded Sunny as she and Tackle sat on the chairs by the door.
"Uh, no! I've had just about all the embarrassment I can handle," Scootaloo shook her head.
She'd just had her heartbeat and reflexes examined, did some simple exercises and answered some questions, did a quick eye test, which she aced, but the peeing into the cup was humiliating. At least she didn't have to have blood drawn.
"Oh what's to be embarrassed about, little speedster?" Tackle blurted, "It's not something we haven't seen before from your diaper years."
"DA-AD!!" Scootaloo shrieked while turning red.
Chuckling, Doctor Stable said, "Well, Scootaloo, your check-up shows you're healthy as a horse, so why don't you go wait outside, maybe ask Nurse Redheart for a snack. I just wanna wrap things up with your folks here."
"Okay!" Scootaloo turned to her parents and gave them a hug and a kiss each, "I'll ask Nurse Redheart if you guys want anything, if you like?"
"Oh no, sweetie, we're good," Sunny assured.
"Yeah, go ahead, we'll be right behind ya," Tackle gently nudged their filly out, and once the door was closed they turned to the doctor and saw the neutral look on his face... but the look in his eyes was different.
"Well, like I said, your daughter is perfectly healthy," Doctor Stable nodded before taking a deep breath, "but... I'm afraid there's something else."
"Doctor Stable, please..." Sunny feared she already knew, "please tell me there's signs of improvement, signs that-that something will change!"
"I'm sorry, but there have been no improvements in her wings since her last check-up," Doctor Stable shook his head sadly, "and she's well past the age where she would be considered a late-bloomer."
"Doc, there has to be something, anything!" Tackle hoped vainly.
"There isn't. I'm sorry, Tackle, Sunny," sighed Doctor Stable as he woefully forced himself to say it, "but Scootaloo will never fly.
"The best she'll ever do is hover briefly in the air, maybe glide, but true flight is beyond the capabilities of her physique."
The tears flowed before Sunny realized they'd been shed as she felt her heart break. Tackle had never seen his wife so shattered as he took her into his embrace, despite knowing he could not hide her from this ugly truth - Their baby girl, bold of spirit, unafraid of any challenge, would never know the true freedom that was the right of all pegasi. The joy that came from soaring on her own wings. The wonder of gazing down upon the world and seeing how small everything was yet fit together to form a grander design.
Struggling to focus her emotions, Sunny gazed up at her husband and saw his own heartache. He wasn't a pegasus, but he knew how hard this was going to hit their little speedster.
"...How do we tell her?"
"By reminding her that no matter what, she is our daughter," Tackle whispered even as he shed tears of his own, "and that she will find that special something that makes her truly shine."
Wiping her tears, knowing she would have to steel herself for what they were about to do, Sunny took a shuddery deep breath as she uttered, "Y-you're right... Let's go find her."
They turned to the door and opened it... only to find Scootaloo on the other side. The filly stood there, a stunned blank look on her face, her eyes gazing downwards but not really looking at anything. It took only a moment or two for her parents to realize.
Scootaloo had heard every word through the door.
Scootaloo was despondent. Having overheard what the doctor had said to her parents, she'd been almost unresponsive to their efforts to make her feel better or to just talk. All she said was that she wanted to go home. When they got home, Sunny offered to make Scootaloo her favorite dinner, but Scootaloo had responded monotonously that she wasn't hungry, that she just wanted to go to her room.
Thinking perhaps their filly needed some time to herself, Sunny and Tackle let her go. For the rest of the day, they didn't hear so much as a whisper from their daughter's room. It wasn't until they'd almost gone to bed that they felt something was wrong and went to check on her, only to hear her crying through her door and rush in to do their best to comfort her.
She just cried into their embrace, didn't say a thing, just... let it out.
The next morning at breakfast, Tackle offered to show Scootaloo the venue for his new store but Scootaloo, obviously still in the dumps, had politely declined and said she was going to tinker with her scooter or something. So after they had both taken care of some errands that morning, Tackle and Sunny had brunch at the local café where the big stallion sighed, "I don't know what to do, hon."
"I know, dear, I don't either," Sunny felt so helpless. "I keep wondering... is there anything we could have done differently? Did we make a mistake somewhere along the line and now Scootaloo is paying for it?"
"No, Sunny, this is just one of those times when genetics gives you a kick in the balls," Tackle pushed away his dish, "All of a sudden I've lost my appetite."
"I just wish there was some way we could cheer Scootaloo up," Sunny replied.
"Maybe we can help."
The two parents turned and were surprised to see Scootaloo's friends, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, gazing up at them with looks of concern.
"Howdy, Tackle, Sunny, we ain't seen Scootaloo since yesterday an' we wer' gettin' kinda worried," said Apple Bloom, "Did somethin' go wrong at her check-up?"
Tackle and Sunny shared a sad look and sighed, knowing these colts and fillies were going to find out sooner or later.
"Kids..." Tackle hesitated but forced himself to bring it out, "Scootaloo's healthy, but... Well, the doctor examined her wings and... he told us that Scootaloo is never going to fly."
The Crusaders GASPED in horror, especially Rumble, who protested, "Now wait a second! Scootaloo has super-strong wings, she's always using them to make her go real fast on her scooter! I-I mean, sure, she hasn't gotten flying down yet, but-"
"Rumble, honey," Sunny shook her head, "it's not that her wings aren't strong, it's just... they haven't developed enough for her to be able to fly. She can hover a little, maybe glide, but flying like you or any other pegasus..."
"No, I don't believe that!" Rumble yelled angrily, as he hurried off.
"Rumble, where are you going?!" Sweetie Belle called after him.
"To talk to Rainbow Dash!" Rumble responded without looking back.
The parents and their daughter's friends all shared concerned looks, having a feeling this wasn't going to work out as Rumble hoped.
Sunny and Tackle entered Scootaloo's room, finding her fiddling with one of the wheels on her scooter. The little pegasus filly looked all cried out but her cheeks remained stained from her tears. They really hoped this would help bring her out of her funk, if only a little.
"Scootaloo, honey," Sunny forced a smile, "your friends are here, they wanted to hang out with you today!"
Scootaloo sighed and looked to see her parents step aside, showing her friends standing in the doorway, all looking concerned but forcing smiles of their own.
"Hi, guys..." she said wearily, "I guess Mom and Dad told you..."
"Aw, Scoots, don' feel too bad," Apple Bloom went in first, followed by Twinken, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash. "This ain't nothin' a lil' crusadin' t' find yer cutie-mark won' help!"
"And you're still a plenty awesome pony, Scootaloo," Button Mash added, "but if it means cheering you up, we just gotta find you the right power-up!"
"It doesn't matter if you can't fly, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle assured, "everypony has something they're good at and makes them special."
"We're your friends, and no matter what anypony says, you're perfect in your own way," Twinken declared as he then said, "Group hug!"
"Aw!" The Crusaders all came in to give Scootaloo a hug she was sorely needing... and the little orange filly couldn't help but crack a smile of appreciation and shed a grateful tear. Her parents smiled at each other and nuzzled, relieved to see their little speedster cheer up, even if it was just a little.
"Thanks, everypony, but ..." Scootaloo finally noticed something missing from this picture, "Where's Rumble?"
"Oh, he got a little upset when..." Twinken hesitated, "Anyway, he ran off, saying he was gonna talk to-"
*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*
"I'll get it," Tackle went to answer the door, and open opening it he saw, "Rainbow Dash? Rumble?"
"Hey there, Tackle," Rainbow Dash waved in a half-hearted way as she patted Rumble on the back, "Rumble here told me, well... How's the squirt?"
"She's feeling a little better," Tackle replied, "The Crusaders are helping to cheer her up."
"Well, would it be okay if I took Scootaloo out for a while?" offered Rainbow Dash, "Maybe get her some ice cream, or something?"
"I'm sure she'd like that, lemme ask her if she's up for it," Tackle invited Rainbow Dash and Rumble to wait inside while he went to his daughter's room.
"So, Rainbow? What're ya gonna do with Scootaloo?" whispered Rumble.
"I'm gonna prove that quack doctor wrong, is what I'm gonna do, Rumble," Rainbow Dash whispered back. "I mean, what does he know? He's a unicorn, right? I'll treat the squirt to some ice cream, get her excited, and by the time I'm done with Scootaloo she'll be good enough to graduate from the Wonderbolt Academy!"
Rumble grimaced ever so slightly, "Are you sure about-"
"Rainbow Dash!"
In rushed Scootaloo, followed by the other Crusaders, and her parents, as she gazed up at her idol a little hesitant, "I... guess Rumble told you, huh?"
"Yeah, I heard," Rainbow Dash nodded, "So it got me thinking, and Scoots? Why don't you and I spend the day together? We'll get some ice cream, hang out..."
"I think I'd like that," Scootaloo looked up hopefully to her folks, "Can I go? Please?"
"Sure, sweetie, just so long as you're home for dinner at six," Sunny nodded.
"No prob, Sunny. C'mon, squirt!" Rainbow Dash hurried off, not flying thankfully.
"Wait for me!" Scootaloo followed as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Twinken couldn't help but say, some of the Crusaders looking to him, "Like... Rainbow's gonna handle this in the wrong way."
"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine," Tackle said with a smile although he could honestly feel the doubt as well.
"Yes, I mean... Rainbow Dash is like the big sister Scootaloo never had," Sunny seconded though she and her husband couldn't help discreetly looking at each other from the corners of their eyes.
"Mmm!" Scootaloo sighed in satisfaction, having just finished a bowl of vanilla ice cream slathered with hot melted chocolate and strawberry sauce at the ice cream parlor of Lickety Split's parents.
"Thanks a lot, Rainbow Dash. That really did make me feel better."
"Glad to hear it, Scoots, `cuz now it's time to get serious!" Rainbow Dash stood up from her seat, suddenly putting on a pair of shades, a cap, and a whistle.
"Serious? About what?" Scootaloo suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Training, Scootaloo! Serious training," Rainbow Dash declared, "I don't care what that doctor said, I'm gonna make you a flyer even if it kills you!"
"...Uh-oh!" Scootaloo suddenly realized she might have been better off staying at home
Standing on clouds was akin to standing on a damp mattress, though some might have felt more like fabric giving way under too much weight. It depended on how thick the cloud in question was. Some clouds were so thick and condensed they could feel as solid as the earth beneath them.
It was always a fun experience for Scootaloo to stand on clouds, but this time she wasn't as interested as Rainbow Dash flew up in front of her, "Alrighty, Squirt! Today is the day you're gonna fly!"
Scootaloo hesitated but forced herself to speak, "Uh, Rainbow Dash? I appreciate this and everything, but-"
"No need to thank me, Scoots!" Rainbow Dash interrupted, "But let's get started. Now, the first thing we're gonna do is start you off easy. Even if you can't fly just yet, you can still glide."
"Glide?" Scootaloo had never even considered the idea of gliding.
"It's the next best thing to flying," Rainbow Dash then demonstrated, keeping her wings extended but not flapping them as she began to glide around, angling herself to turn one way or the other.
"See, the trick to gliding is ya just gotta let the air carry you. Keep your wings out, don't overthink it, and don't flap unless you really-really need to."
She landed on a cloud not far from the one Scootaloo was standing on, though it was further down. Maybe one stable lower. Gulping, Scootaloo stretched her wings as far as she could. She had doubts but deep down she felt the yearning to feel the wind in her wings, as well as the desire to prove herself to her idol. Taking a deep breath, she stepped to the edge of the cloud... and jumped!
To her surprise, Scootaloo found herself gliding, feeling the wind in every feather, and as she soared towards Rainbow Dash, she thought, Maybe I can do this! Maybe...!!
All of a sudden, there was a gust of wind that came from out of nowhere, ruining Scootaloo's balance, and in a panic she began to flap. Almost immediately, she started to fall and cry out in terror, only for Rainbow Dash to quickly zoom down and easily catch her, bringing her back up onto the cloud where they'd started.
Sighing woefully, Scootaloo said, "I was... I felt that wind and-"
"No worries! You were doing just fine," Rainbow Dash assured, "You just gotta keep your head when something like that happens."
Scootaloo nodded, understanding Rainbow's words, and for a moment she thought about how much she'd enjoyed it. It wasn't flying but it was the next best thing! And it felt... peaceful.
"Now, let's give hovering a try," Dash suggested, and the serene moment passed, Scootaloo suddenly thinking, Uh-oh!
"...Yeah!" Scootaloo forced a smile, hoping Rainbow didn't see her fear.