Dear diary,
I messed up today, big time. I tried to do a routine for the Equestria Games, and I couldn’t do it. I can’t fly. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are gonna lose because of me.
I’m gonna tell them I can’t do it. I can’t be on their team. I’m the weak link. They deserve better than me.
I hope they win without me.
The next day at school went by in a cramped, painful blur. Scootaloo nearly fell asleep during Pipsqueak’s show and tell. Thankfully, so did most of the class, including Cheerilee, who then made it official policy not to bring automatic sheep counters to school.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were busy spending the day either gossiping or planning new cutie mark solutions, and they didn’t need her for that, so no one noticed her nodding off during those conversations.
Soon enough (debatably, in her mind), school was out, and everypony filed out in a mostly orderly fashion. Scootaloo dreaded the ride to Rumble’s. They didn’t have any homework today, but she did promise to check up on him every day to make sure he didn’t fall behind.
She clenched her eyes shut as she put her helmet on. She revved up her wings and bit down on the pain. She didn’t need to rush as hard today, but she still needed to get there before his parents came home, if only to spare him the embarrassment.
She took a moment to take a deep breath once she got there, and rubbed at a sore spot near her ribs. Her muscles ached, and begged for relief.
I really overdid it yesterday. Or the day before that.
Or the day before that.
Well, every day since my parents moved, I guess.
Still, she had to load herself in the slingshot. Her hind legs felt almost as weak as her wings. Slowly, with a groan, she pulled back, tried to aim high enough, and landed on the cloudy doorstep with a ‘thud.’
She knocked on the door.
A Unicorn opened up. A copper brown Unicorn, to be precise, one who’d been in class with her not more than a few minutes ago.
How did he get here so fast? And why’s he even here?
“G’day again, Scootaloo,” Brass greeted. “What are you doin’ up here?”
She coughed, careful to avert her snout. “I’m… I’m supposed to come by to make sure Rumble’s okay.”
He looked surprised at that. “I thought Miss Cheerilee said I could take care of it?”
Did she?
“Come on in, Scootaloo,” a voice droned. It sounded artificial, robotic.
And on closer inspection, it was coming from Rumble.
She went in, ears perked and on guard. “What is going on here?”
“Well, I told you I was gettin’ rid of stuff, right? I told Pinkie Pie about all the old equipment I brought from Down Unda, and she thought maybe this’d help.”
Rumble was typing on what looked like a magical mirror, before holding it up.
“It’s a voice generator,” the thing explained. “It sounds fake enough so it doesn’t mess up the recovery. Now I don’t need to keep track of my notes to talk to ponies.”
Brass rolled his eyes. “Technically it’s a recording device with a text interface, but I tweaked the enchantment to make it go both ways, it’s pretty easy.”
“Oh.” Scootaloo felt a pang in her chest. Her wings still burned and quivered. “That’s great. Good thinking, Brass.”
“Aw, it’s no biggie. I’ll leave you two to it, then, if you’re sure you wanna do your check-up. But I thought it was gonna be my job, won’t it? I mean, out of everypony in class, I live closest now.”
She nodded. “Umm, yeah, that’s right. If you don’t mind taking over, that’s fine.”
“I mean, it’s only natural. You moved away, and you look kinda tired, if you don’t mind me saying so. You should be careful, otherwise you might end up hurting yourself.” He gestured to her twitching wings.
Her body tensed. Hurting myself? Did he read my diary? Did he read about the rocket?
“What do you mean, hurt myself?”
“Oh, ain’t my place to say, but sometimes ponies get overworked and then they just, um, wash out, I guess you could call it. Me and my uncle get ponies like that in our workshop all the time. Back in old Oz, I mean, I don’t think Ponyville’s gonna be that different.”
She took a close look at the mirror in Rumble’s hooves. “You said ‘our’ workshop, huh? So, does that mean you made that mirror? From scratch?”
He smiled brightly at her. “Reckon! Oh, umm, I mean, yeah, I did. We make all kinds of magical doodads to help ponies out, mostly automatic stuff to help with anything that might tire a pony out, but sometimes a couple of recovery tools like that. Shore up a weak link and all that.”
And he read about the Equestria Games.
I’ve got to get it back from him. But how? I can’t just accuse him, not with Rumble there, not when he’s being nice.
Why is he being nice, anyway?
“You’re sure you can handle coming here every day after school?” she asked.
“I’ve got my own transport, of course, it’s all good. I was sure Miss Cheerilee mentioned it. But anyway, I gotta go. I need to get home and pack up my next little gift. Is she apples?” he asked Rumble.
“She’s apples and spice, all’s nice,” Rumble replied after some frantic typing. “Thanks again.”
“No worries.”
Scootaloo blinked, and he was out the door. She couldn’t even think to ask how he got up there, or how he was walking on clouds. Brass Tack didn’t have anything on him besides his school bag.
His school bag. Is that where he’s got it stashed, maybe?
“So what’s up, Scootaloo?” Rumble asked with his new robotic voice.
I can’t chase after him. I’d pass out if I tried, probably.
She went to sit next to him at the table. “Not much.”
“You don’t look so good.”
She chuckled. “I’m not feeling so good, either. Kinda tired. But you don’t have to worry about that. How’s the homework?”
“Coming along fine. How was school?”
“Kinda boring today, to be honest.”
“Brass Tack seems nice.”
She clenched her jaw. “Yeah. I’m sure he’s making lots of friends.”
“But you don’t like him.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Did he do anything wrong?”
“No,” she blurted out.
No. What am I thinking? He’s just a random colt, why would he bother reading my diary? I must have lost it somewhere instead.
I can’t prove he took it. I have be absolutely sure I didn’t leave someplace else.
“But you just don’t like him.”
“It’s not that,” she replied. “I think I’m just really tired. And I don’t think he minds, anyway. He probably is making lots of friends in Ponyville right now.”
“Do you want to take a nap? My mom and dad won’t mind if you crash on the couch for a little bit.”
No, but you’d never hear the end of it.
“No. I should head off, too. Maybe I’ll check out a book on that artifact stuff, see if I can catch up. It’s been a while.”
“You could always try Fluttershy. I heard she started tinkering with that stuff after she got Tank his helicopter thingie. She’s looking for a few new things to put in her sanctuary, too.”
Fluttershy.
Of course.
Fluttershy came by a week before I got that letter from my parents. She had to pack up and leave in a hurry because of that injured phoenix. I had my diary out on the table, maybe she packed it in the rush?
“That’s not a bad idea, Rumble, thanks.”
Another tapping on the screen, another smile. “No worries.”
“Ow…” Scootaloo groaned as she reached Fluttershy’s cottage.
Maybe I can ask for some tiger balm. That worked last time.
She winced and rubbed a throbbing spot under her right wing, before parking her scooter and doffing her helmet. The cottage smelled nice, at least, welcoming, and most of all: private. She could be honest with Fluttershy about her diary. She could have a good talk with her, Pegasus to Pegasus, and trust that Rainbow Dash would never hear of it.
She could get some things off her chest with nopony else around.
“Crikey, Miss Fluttershy, that sounds like a right dog’s dinner!”
No. No way.
Sitting at the table, drinking tea right across from Fluttershy, sat Brass Tack.
“Oh, g’day again, Scootaloo.”
She gulped. “Hi, Brass Tack. You’ve, uh, you’ve met Fluttershy?”
“Brass Tack came by with a little donation for me and the sanctuary. We were just talking about all the important magic we have now thanks to wildlife research.” She tilted her head. “Wasn’t that what your parents did?”
Scootaloo stepped closer. Her head pounded. A little black splotch appeared in her vision, but it cleared up as quickly as it popped in. “Yup, they travel all over the world for that.”
And leave me all alone for it. Because that’s more important than I am, I guess.
“I should go,” Brass Tack said. “Thanks for the tea, Miss. I’ll tell my uncle to come by sometime once he’s done installing everything back home.”
“That would be lovely,” Fluttershy replied. “And thank you again for the gift.”
“No worries.”
And just like that, he was out the door again.
Scootaloo plopped her rump down with a sigh, right on his seat.
Did he teleport? Can they do that at that age? No way, Twilight couldn’t do it until she came to Ponyville, Rarity still can’t do it.
“And what can I do for you, Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked. “Did you find another bird’s nest I should check?”
“No, nothing like that. I just, umm, do you remember last time you were over at my place? And you left in kind of a hurry?”
“I am very sorry about that, it was an emergency, I had to-”
“It’s not that,” she interrupted. “When you packed up everything, was there a notebook there? Maybe you grabbed it by mistake?”
“A notebook?” Fluttershy asked.
“Golden cover, got a little lock on it? Probably still has the key on it and everything?” She shuddered, only now realising she’d lost the key to the thing, too.
Way to go, Skippy.
“You mean like a diary?”
Scootaloo let her head hang. “Yes.”
“You can’t find your diary, and you thought maybe I had it?”
Scootaloo nodded.
Fluttershy looked up. “No, I don’t think I have it. I clean out my bags every now and then, I would have noticed a book with a lock on it. And even if I didn’t, Angel Bunny would. But I’ll keep an eye out, and I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks.”
“Was that the only thing you came here for?”
“Yes,” she lied.
“I still have some tiger balm, if you need any. The next shipment won’t be for another week or two, I don’t mind sharing.”
Brass Tack is faster than me. He can speed around town, no problem.
He knows I’m the weak link.
I can’t let him beat me.
I can’t let him replace me like this.
“I’m fine. Thanks anyway, Fluttershy.” She turned to leave, until she saw an odd weapon of sorts lying in the kitchen. “What’s that?”
“Oh, that’s what Brass Tack brought me. You might recognise it, actually: it’s a copy of a wasp stinger, except it’s changed to be a-”
“Poison extractor.” Scootaloo went to get a closer look. “My mom and dad carry these around all the time, for emergencies.”
“Mhmm. It’s really a fascinating story.” Fluttershy came up behind the filly. “Some wasps lay their eggs in hosts, but they need the host to be healthy. So a few magical species evolved to-”
“Get any other parasites out of whatever they’re stinging. Ponies figured out how to use that magic to work on poison, or venom.” Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. The runes along the side of the stinger looked familiar, at least. It was exactly like what she’d seen her parents carry, with one exception: this thing was the size of her forearm. “I’ve never seen one this big, though. Did he say he made it?”
Fluttershy nodded. “He said it got him out of a bad situation back home, but now he doesn’t want to think about it anymore. He asked Pinkie Pie, and she told him I might be able to use it. And I can, you know: these kinds of items usually aren’t made for large animals. It might save a life one day.”
Yeah, Scootaloo, so stop thinking bad things about Brass Tack already.
He’s not doing this on purpose, he’s not replacing you.
Even if he is sleeping in your room.
And even if he does sound like what you’re supposed to sound.
“Oh, that reminds me.” Fluttershy snapped the filly out of her revery. The mare flew up to fetch a bottle from a cabinet up high. “Are you going to pass by Rainbow Dash’s place today?”
Rainbow Dash. I did have a couple of sleepovers at her place around that time. I might have left it there.
A flash of white appeared in Scootaloo’s eyes, and then a needling sensation started to creep in at the base of her left wing. She bit through and put up a brave smile. “Yup. That was gonna be my next stop. Why?”
“I got Tank some more of his tummy ache medicine. Apparently he’s been sneaking off to eat pies again. Could you bring this to Rainbow Dash? She’ll know what to do.” Fluttershy gave it to Scootaloo.
She packed it in her bag and nodded. “Sure. No problem.”
Seeing the cloud home of resident Wonderbolt, unofficial big sister and coolest pony in Equestria, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo felt a lot better. The fact that Rainbow Dash had a trampoline instead of a slingshot to get up to her place made it all the more pleasant to visit.
Her wings didn’t hurt as much when she rang the doorbell.
“Oh, hey Scootaloo. Come in.” Rainbow Dash greeted her.
“Crikey, that’s three times in one day. I reckon we owe each other a tinny now, or somethin’.”
That pain in her wings came back with an ominous throb that resonated up into her skull.
Brass Tack was in Rainbow Dash’s home.
He was talking to her idol, to her big sister.
He is not gonna steal her from me, too!
Her cheeks puffed. Her ears fell back against her head. Her heart pounded with rage.
Then Tank butted into her, as the clumsy tortoise often did when she was around and he had his flight contraption on. He also usually had a protective set of goggles on.
The camera lens was new, though.
“What is that on Tank’s head?” Scootaloo asked.
“It’s a body cam,” Brass explained. “Everything he sees gets sent to this magic mirror right here.”
“That way I can finally figure out where he’s flying off to and stealing pies,” Rainbow Dash said.
Stop.
You have to stop, Scootaloo.
You’re gonna snap at him for no reason. Your diary is probably in here somewhere, it has to be.
“Wow. That’s… really nice, Brass.”
“I should head off,” Brass hopped off his seat and trotted to the door. “Feel free to come by the workshop if you want that propeller upgraded, Miss.”
“Will do!” Rainbow waved as he went out. “So, Scoots, what’s up?”
Scootaloo practically felt her whole body deflate. “Do you remember last time I slept over, and I was writing in this notebook?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
She winced in anticipation. “Do you think maybe I left it here by mistake?”
“I don’t think so, no, I’m pretty sure you packed it. But I can check.”
In five seconds flat, Rainbow Dash scoured every puffy cloud in the place. “No books around here except Daring Do, buckball, and tax codes. I don’t think any of those are yours.”
“No, they’re not.” She let her head hang.
“Are you okay, squirt? You look a little more… worn out than usual.”
“I’m just tired, that’s all. Here, Fluttershy said this would help with Tank’s tummy ache.” Scootaloo took out the bottle, hooves shivering with stress. “I should go home.”
I’ll probably find Brass Tack there, too.
While Rainbow Dash was busy reading the label, Scootaloo turned around, went outside, jumped down, and yelped hard when her burning wings didn’t break her fall quite as well as she’d have liked. Now her right shoulder hurt, too.
“You sure you’re okay?!” Rainbow called out from above.
“I’m fine!”
She grunted.
I have to get my diary back. It doesn’t matter if it’s his fault or not, he’s got it and he’s gonna give it to me.
I just need to think.
She revved her wings up, biting through the pain and cramps.
“Maybe a little ride around Ponyville will clear my head.”