-Broken Scooters-
Written By
LightFeather/Eviljbrian
Please note that My Little Pony and characters within this story are © Hasbro and Lauren Faust.
Also note that this most definitely takes place after the Canterlot Wedding. If you haven't watched through Season 2, you may know know some of the characters within the story.
Another note, please read my other chapters as well. :)

Part 5 - Applebloom's Gift

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were at school for the day. They smiled, looking at their friends that sat nearby them at the craft table in the back. Applebloom was drawing several pictures of some scooters, as well as writing ideas down for the trio's pageant. As she was doing that, both she and Sweetie Belle were talking to their friends.
Silver Spoon smiled at the two girls. "Scootaloo's awake? That's great news!"

Sweetie Belle smiled and nodded. Secretly, she hopes that Diamond Tiara's ok, but at the same time, learning a lesson about how to treat others.

Twist looked up. "So have you guys decided what your going to do for the pageant?"

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at the kind words. But like her friend Sweetie Belle, she was hoping that Diamond Tiara was doing ok, and at the same time, she was thinking about both the scooter she was going to try to build later that day, as well as the idea for the pageant. Cherrilee stepped inside to begin class. Applebloom raised her hoof after everyone went to thier desk.

Cherrilee smiled at the news as Diamond Tiara sulked her way into the classroom. "Take your seat Diamond Tiara. And Applebloom just told us Scootaloo's awake, so I think we should take a small field trip at the end of the day to visit her and to take the things everyone made for her."

The class cheered at the idea. Not for the sake of getting out of class early for the day, that was just icing on the cupcake. The class was happy that they could visit the hospital and see their injured friend. "Now class. There WILL be a few rules we'll have to follow when we get there. First of all, it's a hospital. There's going to be sick or hurt ponies there trying to get well, so you MUST be quiet. You'll have to stay with me while we're all there, so no wandering off. And there's not too much room in the rooms there, so everyone will get to spend a few minutes with Scootaloo, but only one at a time.

With that class commenced. As they were learning their lessons for the day, it seemed as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. Several unbearably long hours later, at least in the eyes of the children, Cherrilee stood.
"Ok class. It's time to go. Gather your things and we'll be on our way."

Everyone smiled, packing thier things into thier bags for the walk to the hospital. It was a fairly long walk from the school, but the children didn't seem to mind. Some even started to play games with each other as they walked. Soon enough they arrived at the hospital. They kept quiet as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom led the class to where Scootaloo was. "Ok children, now remember. Only a few at a time."

They all nodded as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle waited outside Scootaloo's room. Only two went in at a tie, starting with Snips and Snails. It was about this time that Applejack showed up, smiling to the teacher and class.

"Why good afternoon Miss Cherrilee. Ah see ya brought the class to visit Scootaloo."

Cherrilee smiled. "Hello Applejack. Yes, I thought that they would want to see thier friend since she's awake."

"Miss Cherrilee? Applejack? If it's ok with ya, can ah go home and work on my gift for Scootaloo?"

Cherrilee smiled at Applebloom. "Well, I don't have a problem with it, but that would be up to your sister."

Applejack nodded. "Well Ah don't have a problem with it. Seems like Cherrilee and the class are gonna be here fer a while at least."

Applebloom smiled and hugged her sister before trotting off quickly, she made her way back to the farm and her clubhouse, setting out the wood and supplies, as well as the tools she would need. After looking at the broken, and now dismantled scooter, as well as the drawing she made and the magazine she got from Half-Pipe, she set to work. She began to smooth and shape the wood using a plane tool.

After the hard work of using that to shape and smooth the wood she went to work sanding it, again using a sanding tool. She leaned down to blow the sawdust off the wood and continued. Finally, she was satisfied with the overall shape. Afterwards, she turned the scooter's base upside-down and took a few measurements, marking several spots with a pencil.
Once the measurements were made, she drilled holes in the spots that were marked. Applebloom turned the scooter's body onto its side and fed screws into teach of the holes through the top. It was on these screws that she mounted the rear wheel truck, and onto that, a pair of wheels. She repeated the process for the front wheels, making sure the screws and nuts were tightened as much as she could. And now came the harder part.

Applebloom measured and drew a line going diagonal across the upwards slant of the front of the board, and then did it again to draw an x. It was here that was the center. She used a different tool for this hole, as it had to be bigger for the handle, and so she chose a one inch boring tool to add the proper hole. Once she had done so, she sanded the interior of the hole.

She picked up a piece of pipe that Ten-Penny sold her, and put one large bolt on the end, screwing it down untill it wouldn't go any further. She placed the threaded section of the pipe into the hole, and added another bolt to the underside to secure it into place. The scooter was taking shape, just a few more parts to add. She pulled the scooter and sat it onto the floor, rolling it back and forth, testing the wheels.

Applebloom nodded as she was satisfied by the outcome. She took a T-connector and screwed it onto the top of the pipe, then took two shorter pieces of pipe and screwed them onto either end of the connector for the handle. She tightened all the connections and smiled. Applebloom picked up her saddlebag and tossed the handle grips into it before walking outside with the scooter.
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Diamond Tiara sighed as she slowly entered the room with Scootaloo. She wanted to talk to her alone, for this at least. It wasn't easy for her to be here, she didn't even want to come, but she had something to say so she might as well say it. Rainbow Dash was absorbed into her book, so Tiara made her way to sit next to Scootaloo.
"Hello.... bla..... I mean.... Scootaloo."

Scootaloo sat up a small bit as she looked towards the other filly next to her. "Hello Diamond Tiara. Here to make fun of me because I'm hurt?"

Diamond Tiara turned her head away. For some reason, those words hurt. "No. Listen, Scootaloo... I'm sorry you’re hurt and all... and.... I'm sorry for how I act towards you and your friends."

"I mean... I'm sorry I'm so mean all the time.... I.... I can't help it. I think it all comes from when I was younger.

"I... I guess I'm jealous of you and your friends. Look at you. You’re trying all kinds of different things to get your cutie marks. You've already done more things than the entire class combined. Me? Look at my cutie mark. I had it for a while now."
Scootaloo thought back and nodded.

Diamond Tiara looked up. "Well. I got it after I won a beauty pageant over in Manehattan. They're kinda like Rarity's fashion shows.... but a lot more big-time. It's not just fashion but how you act. I'm not sure what I did, but I got it after I won that show and wore my Tiara for the first time. Other fillies that were in those contests were mean too, so.... I was just as mean right back to them. Needless to say, I didn't make many friends because of it."

Scootaloo nodded and reached her good hoof out to Diamond Tiara. "Well... we'll be your friends. I'll tell the girls and I'm sure they'll give you a chance, but you have to be nicer. That's why everypony doesn't like you. If you were nicer, more ponies would like you. And when we go on our next cutie crusade, we'll bring you along. I gotta warn ya though; it can be messy at times."

Diamond Tiara looked down at Scootaloo's hoof before taking it into hers, shaking it with a smile and nodding. "Ok. Deal. I'll.... give it a try."

Applebloom looked around warily as she walked along the path through the Everfree Forest. It wasn't the first time she's gone to see Zecora, and she'll visit her more. Not many ponies usually will, but she considers the tribal zebra a good friend. Zecora had some plants growing along the small pathway that led to her hut that would keep the timberwolves away, but that didn't stop them from watching from afar, and to Applebloom, that was close enough. Soon though, she walked into Zecora's hut with the scooter.

Zecora looked up from her cauldron with a smile. "Applebloom, it's great to see you. But where are your friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?"

Applebloom smiled at Zecora, setting the scooter to the side for now. "Hello Zecora! Scootaloo crashed her scooter against a tree and she's hurt in the hospital. She just woke up yesterday after being asleep for a few days. Miss Cherrilee thinks she had a concussion. And she broke her foreleg too"

Zecora looked at her in surprise. "Such an injury cannot be treated lightly. But the doctors will fix her up rightly. I would ask what brings you to my humble abode, but that scooter that you brought is what I behold."

Applebloom nodded and brought the scooter over to Zecora. "Yea. Ah built it fer Scootaloo. Ah thought that you might have a mixture that ya can put on the wood to make it stronger."

Zecora walked over to inspect the scooter, running her hoof along the wood of the base. "It is quite an odd thing you ask, but I think I have something just right for this task. This wood is already strong from what I can feel, but I have a mixture that will make it strong as steel."

Zecora walked around her hut, gathering the necessary ingredients, sprinkling them into her cauldron one at a time. Once the ingredients were in, she took a rope and threw it over one of the beams to her roof before tying one end to the scooter. She then used it to lift the scooter up, and then into the cauldron where the potion was bubbling gently.
"For a while the scooter should soak in the mix. And something for Scootaloo I can fix."

Zecora got a mortar and pestle, adding a few herbs and berries, mixing them. "This mix is to ease any pain in her head, while she rests in her soft bed. To heal concussion it takes time, but afterwards she will feel just fine. Take this and have her drink every drop, then the pain in her head should stop."

Applebloom nodded, watching Zecora put the mix into a gourd of water and corking it before shaking it to mix. Zecora set it aside and began a new mixture. "A broken bone takes time to mend, so this remedy, with you I will send. A broken bone takes great time to heal, but this potion cuts the time by a great deal."

Applebloom scratched her head as she watched Zecora work. "You mean to say, that this potion gets rid of her headache and that one fixes her leg in a few weeks instead of a few months?"

Zecora smiled and nodded, pouring the mix into another gourd and sealing it and putting them into Applebloom's bag. "With those you should take great care, as there is not much there. The scooter about now should be done. Once you add the handles, it is ready for some fun."

Zecora and Applebloom both pulled on the rope, the scooter being pulled out of the cauldron. Using a hook, Zecora pulled the scooter so that it would set upon the floor to dry. The mix had also caused the wood to take on a slightly metallic blue color, and the handlebars to become silver. Once it was both dry and cool, Applebloom tested it once more, making sure everything worked. With a nod she smiled to Zecora and gave her a hug.

Zecora returned the hug before sending Applebloom on her way. "I care for you all, as you can tell. Now you go see Scootaloo, and tell I wish her well."

And with that, Applebloom made her way back through the forest and to the hospital, the scooter in her hooves. Sometime later, Applebloom was approaching the hospital just as Cherrilee and the class was leaving. They all stopped to see Applebloom and the scooter she built. Cherrilee looked at the scooter, then to Applebloom.

The rest of the class smiled and looked at the scooter, giving one compliment after another. Even Diamond Tiara gave a little bit of a smile. She had to admit, Applebloom did a great job on it. After a wave, she made her way to the hospital, taking the scooter to Scootaloo's room and peeking inside, seeing Sweetie Belle there too.

Scootaloo blinked and looked towards the door, along with Sweetie Belle and Rainbow Dash. "Ah know that it's not the same as yer other scooter, but ah saw how broke it was so... Ah built ya a new one."

Applebloom opened the door fully and walked in with the new scooter. Scootaloo looked at it and smiled, pulling Applebloom into a hug. "Thank you! It looks great, almost like mine. But I'll still keep it, even if it's broke. It still means a lot to me."

Applebloom smiled and nodded. "Oh! Zecora made these drinks fer ya. She said that one will help yer head, and that the other one will help yer leg heal faster."

Scootaloo nodded, taking one of the gourds and uncorking it, drinking it down before doing the same with the other. She put them back into Applebloom's bag and smiled. "That tasted kinda good. Better than that regular medicine anyway."
There was a knock on the door. Before they could answer, it opened. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna made their way into the room. Celstia smiled as she saw the three girls and Rainbow Dash. "Well hello my little ponies. I hope you’re feeling better Scootaloo."

Scootaloo smiled as she nodded, laying back in her bed. Rainbow Dash walked over to the princesses and bowed her head. "P-Princess Celstia! Princess Luna. What are you doing here?"

Celestia tilted Dash's head up before sitting nearby, her sister sitting next to her. "Well, I came to Ponyville to fix Twilight and Spike's problem. They're back in their own bodies, and they learned a great deal about each other. Then Twilight told me of three young fillies that want to do a story about us for the upcoming pageant."

Luna flattened her ears and sighed, nodding slowly. "Yes.... it was.... a darker time, not only for Equestria but especially so for us. And myself, even more so. I still regret the jealousy and hate that I had back then."

Celestia tilted Luna's head up. "It's ok dear sister. I forgive you. You were not yourself and were corrupted in a way. But I'm glad to have you back. But first, I see that Applebloom has finally gotten her cutie mark."

The three girls blinked before looking at Applebloom's flank. Sure enough, there was a cutie mark. It was a red apple with a white flower behind it, and crossing the front of the apple was a hammer and saw. Scootaloo smiled. "When did you get it Applebloom?"

Applebloom shrugged and tried to think. "Ah dunno. Had to have been sometime between when I built your new scooter and here. Ah built it, took it to Ten Penny to look at, then took it to Half-Pipe to look at. After that Ah went to Zecora's and then came here after showin' it to Miss Cherrilee and the other kids. All of them said nice things about it and that made me feels real good cause I like fixin' and buldin' things."

Sweetie Belle smiled. "That must be your talent. You fixed up our clubhouse when it was a disaster back when your sister gave it to us. You built that and I think you fixed a few other things."

The three girls smiled before Appleblom hugged the other two. "Don't ya worry none. Ah'll still do whatever it takes to help ya get yers too."

They smiled before they turned their attention to Celestia and Luna, who smiled back. Sweetie Belle explained to the princesses. "We wanna do a story of you for the pageant next month and we'd like to hear something about you two."
Luna nodded. "We are pleased and flattered young one. Very well, for we shall tell you a tale..."

Celestia held her hoof up to Luna. "Awwww, but Tia. We were going to tell them about our time spent on the moon for those thousand years."

Celestia only giggled at her sister. "Luna, my dear sister. Perhaps it will be best to speak of what happened before that." Luna thought and nodded in agreement.

The three girls nodded as they sat, and listened carefully to Princess Celestia. "This is a story of long ago. Before Nightmare Moon, and before the two of us found the Elements of Harmony. This.... was a time during Discord's reign..."

Broken Scooters

by LightFeather

Applebloom's Gift