The rain hadn't stopped.
Scootaloo shouted angrily and headed back into her kitchen for breakfast. So much for her morning fly with Rainbow Dash. When would this rain end? It hadn't lessened at all. In fact, it got worse. The pegasus sat down at her table and looked at her breakfast. It was a simple muffin that she had gotten at the bakery. Scootaloo had been buying food lately instead of making it. She wasn't all that great at cooking to be truthful. She sighed and pushed the muffin away.
Scootaloo wasn't hungry. She was upset about not being able to fly. She loved soaring in the clear sky in the morning. The warm sun on her feathers, the wind in her mane, it was the most wonderful feeling ever. There was a knock at her door and Scootaloo looked to the clock. It was the time when the newspaper was delivered. She got up and walked over to her front door. Scootaloo had to admit, whoever delivered the paper was quite dedicated.
No pony should be walking around in this storm. Yet that newspony continued to deliever the paper every morning right on time. Scootaloo opened the door and picked up the paper in her teeth, then closed the door with her back hooves. She wondered what would be in the paper today. The pegasus sat back down and opened the paper up on her table. Scootaloo's eyes could not miss the headline that stood out at the top of the soaked newspaper.
Mysterious Rain Storm overwhelms Ponyville!
A mysterious storm has taken over the skies of Ponyville. The weather team has confirmed that they did not cause this strange storm and there were no plans from the weather factory. Princess Celestia sent out the Canterlot Sky Patrol to clear the clouds. The pegasi were unable to clear the sky of these strange rain clouds. Our Princess has delcared that this storm must be cursed somehow so that no pony can clear it except for whoever made it. Princess Celestia has advised to stay indoors and out of the rain.
Scootaloo's jaw dropped. A cursed storm? Was that even possible? Could a unicorn have made it? She shook her head at the thought. No pony could make a spell that powerful that Princess Celestia couldn't beat. Well, there was one unicorn who had the power, but there was no way that she'd do something like this! The orange filly sat in the silence of her house staring at the newspaper. She was unable to read much more of the article since the ink had ran thanks to the rain.
Scootaloo suddenly made up her mind. She had to somehow help. The pegasus went around her house and began to pack items into her sidepacks. There was a chance she'd be rejected, but what else could she do? Once she had everything packed, the pegasus left her house and ran out into the rain. She would need help to get to Canterlot, and she knew the exact pony to help her. Scootaloo beat her wings against the wind to keep herself going, but didn't fly. The winds were too strong for her to handle.
Her hooves took her straight to the Library in the middle of Ponyville. Scootaloo had no idea what she'd find, but that didn't matter now. The pegasus came skidding to a halt outside of Twilight's front door. She lifted her front hoof and knocked on the door. Now she had to wait for some pony to opened up the door. The door opened before her and she found herself not looking at Twilight or Spike. Standing in front of her was Applebloom. The earth pony just continued to stare at her and Scootaloo stared back.
"Er..is Twilight home?" Scootaloo asked breaking the silence.
"Yeah, Twilight home. Hey, Scootaloo? Why'd ya suddenly leave last night?" She stepped aside and let the pegasus come inside. "I don't know, I guess I just wanted to be home." She lied. Scootaloo didn't bother shaking off and she didn't really care that she was leaving water everywhere. Applebloom gave her a smile and walked past her.
"Sweetie Bell and I ended up staying the night here. The storm got so bad after you left, Scootaloo! We were afraid you got caught in it!" Scootaloo laughed and followed the earth pony.
"You're forgetting who you're talking to, Applebloom. I can take care of myself in some silly little rainstorm! Besides, I found Rainbow Dash." The two of them headed up the stairs towards the bedroom. When they entered, Scootaloo saw Twilight and Sweetie Bell playing some board game and Spike still asleep in his basket. Twilight looked up from the game and smiled when she saw the two ponies.
"Oh hello, Scootaloo. Did you make it home safe?" The purple unicorn stood up and walked over while Sweetie Bell thought over her next move. Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash helped me out. Twilight, did you read the paper this morning?"
"Yes I did. I can't believe this storm is cursed. I've never known of a problem that Celestia or I couldn't defeat." The unicorn's face turned from cheerful to concerned and worried. No doubt she was also quite afraid of this thunderstom and its origins.
"I need your help getting to Canterlot." Twilight stared at her and the room went silent. "Why do you want to go to Canterlot?" Twilight asked. Scootaloo opened her wings and fluffed her damp feathers out. "Because I want to join the Canterlot Sky Patrol and help end this storm! I can't go flying around until the storm is gone!"
"You do realize you need to be able to fly in order to join the Canterlot Sky Patrol, right?" The purple unicorn asked. Twilight turned and walked over towards her bookshelf. Her horned glowed and different books came to her.
"I-I can fly just as well as the next pony! The wind is just really strong out there!" Scootaloo shouted angrily. Applebloom rested a hoof on her shoulder and Twilight Sparkle just laughed while she looked over the different books. "I know that, Scootaloo. What I'm saying is that you need to be able to fly during the storm."
Twilight walked over with a book and let it rest in front of Scootaloo's face. The pegasus looked at the cover and rolled her eyes. "Twilight, I don't need a book on how to fly. I'm a pegasus, I think I got it down!" Using her magic, the unicorn opened Scootaloo's side bag and slipped the book inside.
"Well, you never know. Maybe you'll need it when you get to Canterlot?" Twilight gave a smile and used her magic to bring a train ticket to them. "What's that?" Scootaloo asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Twilight smiled and brought it closer to the pegasus.
"One train ticket to Canterlot." The pegasus just stared at her. Sweetie Bell got up from where she was sitting and trotted over to them. "Twilight? I think I speak for every pony here when I ask, why do you have a ticket to Canterlot?"
"Yeah, it's like yer tryin' to get rida Scootaloo!" Applebloom added. Twilight Sparkle backed up in surprise and waved one of her front hooves in the air. "Oh no, no! You see, I was going to visit the Princess but ever since this rain started, I haven't been able to leave the house! Spike sent a letter to her telling her that I'd have to see her later. I don't want this ticket to go to waste since it costed me fifteen bits."
The purple unicorn let the ticket fly into Scootaloo's bag. The flap of the bag closed and latched itself closed. Twilight's horn stopped glowing once she stopped her magic. Scootaloo blinked in surprise. What Twilight was doing was so nice. Why would any pony be nice to her? Through out her young life, she had always been a bit of a prankster. Being a part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and pranking ponies wasn't that good of a mix. The three of them had gotten themselves into loads of trouble.
Trouble was something that Scootaloo found herself in constantly. Because of all the trouble she got into during her childhood, she found that not many ponies were nice to her or even treated her like an adult. Yet here stood Twilight Sparkle offering her a ticket to Canterlot. For once, some pony was treating her like an adult, like the real mare she was. Scootaloo found herself at a loss for words.
"T-Thank you, Twilight! Thank you so much!" Applebloom headbutted her side and started moving her towards the door. "Hey! Why are you kicking me out?" Scootaloo asked, dragging her hooves so she couldn't be pushed as easily. Sweetie Bell joined the earth pony and also started pushing the pegasus out the door.
"Because!" Sweetie Bell said as she pushed. "You aren't getting any closer to being a weather pony if you keep standing here, now are you?" Scootaloo laughed and hopped away from them. Her friends were still encouraging her, even if they were seperated by the wall known as a cutie mark.
"Alright! I'll head on out to Canterlot and join the weather team! Just you wait, this storm will be gone thanks to good ole Scootaloo!" The pegasus puffed out her chest and flapped her wings proudly. The three ponies cheered and wished her well. Scootaloo turned and galloped down the stairs into the main Library. She could still hear them behind her. She couldn't help but wonder how Rainbow Dash would react to this news. If the storm hadn't been as bad as it was, the orange filly would have headed to Rainbow Dash's house.
Scootaloo head out into the rainy morning with questions and all kinds of thoughts buzzing around her head. One of them was about Rainbow Dash. Where was the mare staying during this storm? Wouldn't her cloud house be affected by the harsh winds and the rain? Knowing Rainbow Dash, she was probably staying with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres. Then again, Applebloom hadn't said anything about the rainbow colored pegasus being there.
The rain had calmed down to a mere down pour and Scootaloo was greatful for it. She noticed that the wind was pretty calm and she wondered if she'd be able to fly to the train station. It would take five minutes to reach the station on hoof, but it would only take about two or three if she flew there. Scootaloo unfurled her wings and flapped while she picked up speed. Soon, her hooves were being lifted off the ground. She laughed and flew around. She didn't need some book to know how to fly!
Scootaloo turned herself towards the train station and pumped her wings. Off she flew through the down pour and towards her waiting train. Now that she was actually moving at a fast speed, she found the raindrops hitting harder. They stung her back and her feathers. This was why she never liked flying in the rain. After three minutes, the station came into sight. The train was sitting there waiting and a smile spread onto the pegasus's lips. However, there at the doors was one of the workers. His hooves were reaching for the open sign.
She gasped and increased her speed. If she didn't make it before he moved the sign to closed, she would never get to Canterlot! The weather was far too bad to fly there, and who knew when the train would open again? Scootaloo found a long determind cry leaving her throat as she soared over Ponyville and towards the train station. It was close now. She was going to make it! That was if she slowed down. Scootaloo tried to stop herself but couldn't slow down in time.
The orange pegasus ran straight into the door. The worker shouted in surprised and dropped the sign. She sat there pressed against the glass for a minute, then began to slide off and onto the floor. "What the hay are you doing!?" He shouted at her.
Scootaloo reached into her bag and pulled out the ticket and held it up. "I have.... one ticket to Canterlot." He sighed and opened up the door for her. "Fine then. You'll be the last run this train has." Scootaloo got to her hooves and walked inside.
"Why are you closing the train?" She asked as she followed the earth pony. "The rain is washing away the tracks. It's getting too dangerous to run the train. Right now we can make one more run and then we're required to shut it down. Princess Luna's orders." The pegasus stopped walking.
"Princess...Luna?" She asked. The worker nodded. "She's been giving out orders lately in Celestia's place. Who knows why. Now come on, the train's leaving!" Scootaloo shook her head and climbed onto the train. However, she couldn't stop thinking about what he had said. Why would Princess Luna be giving out orders instead of Princess Celestia? Celestia was the one who ruled Equestria after all. Scootaloo took her seat and sighed with a smile.
There was no need to think about that now. She was on a mission and had to stay focused. She would end this rain storm somehow even if it killed her.