Chapter XVIII
On the Wings of Pegasi
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Scootaloo woke up to a deceptively beautiful morning. She glowered at her surroundings as she brushed off the loose foliage she had taken refuge under the previous night, allowing the sun's rays to fall on her face. Shielding her eyes, she clambered from the roots of the tree she had slept beneath. Once she shook herself off, she squinted through a gap in the trees. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Cloudsdale swam into focus, far in the distance.
Scootaloo stretched her wings and gulped. Numerous cuts and scrapes throbbed dully as she plodded toward the forest's edge. Trying to expel the grim reminder of yesterday's failures from her mind, she stared determinedly at the pegasus city. I can't let Princess Luna and the others down. No way! she thought. I made a promise to Rainbow Dash, and I'm gonna keep it! I'll get to Cloudsdale if it's the last thing I do.
She had attempted to fly an innumerable number of times in the past – both with and without Rainbow's guidance – but her tiny wings had never lifted her above the treetops. Her inability to fly had consumed her daily. She had always been in awe of Rainbow's incredible flying abilities, and wanted to follow in her hoofsteps, and one day become every bit as legendary.
A frustrated kick from her forehoof sent a pebble flying. “How am I ever gonna do this?”
Scootaloo took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She immediately felt herself being yanked by an invisible force. Indistinguishable colours and shapes whizzed past her at dizzying speeds. Just as she began to feel the need to retch, she came to an abrupt halt. No... no! Not again!
Before her stood a familiar wooden door, Twilight, Greyhoof, and herself. She cried out, but nopony seemed to hear her. Not again! No, don't open it... please! Too late – she saw Greyhoof's horn crackling light blue. She screamed and leapt in front of it, but the magic passed through her and disintegrated the door handle. It swung open. She knew what was coming, but she inexplicably could not bring herself to shield her eyes.
A piercing scream escaped her throat as the image of Rainbow's mangled corpse laying on the cellar table branded itself into her retina. Scootaloo writhed on the floor as Greyhoof turned to her and transformed into a gigantic black stallion with a mane of flames. Sinister laughter filled her ears, and everything around her dissolved into an inferno, with the exceptions of Rainbow's corpse and the aberration of King Cosmo.
The conflagration closed around her like a fist. Cosmo regarded her through molten eyes and continued to laugh. Scootaloo tried to clamp her eyes shut, but her lids went rigid, forcing her to behold the grotesque vision.
“Stop it! STOP IT!”
Scootaloo tried to lash out at Cosmo, but her limbs would not obey. Cosmo lowered his head until it was inches from hers. He stopped laughing.
“You presume to challenge me?” He bared his teeth at her. “What could an insignificant foal hope to accomplish against somepony like me? I am a god!”
When he finished speaking, Cosmo swung his horn at Scootaloo's neck. The moment it made contact, white-hot pain shot through her body and her eyes snapped open. She lay face-down in the middle of the meadow she had reached before the vision took her. Her coat was covered in sweat, and tears streamed freely down her face as she stared at the ground in front of her.
She gritted her teeth and rose to her hooves. “No!” Her voice rang through the field, reaching nopony's ears but her own. “I won't let everypony down! I won't let Rainbow Dash down!”
Her words cleansed her pain as she uttered them. Every time I close my eyes... every time! This is gonna keep happening until he's dead... isn't it? She shivered as she felt on her hooves the sensation she had felt when she had touched Rainbow's cold, lifeless body that day. The chill left as quickly as it had come, replaced by a mounting flame, fueled by a desire of revenge.
Scootaloo looked skyward. “I promised I'd get the pony who killed you, Rainbow Dash. I don't care how powerful he is. As long as I live, I'll try my hardest to keep my promise!”
She flared her wings and crouched, preparing to take flight. Thinking back to her many flying lessons with Rainbow, she tried to use those memories to push the thoughts of Cosmo from her mind. She leapt and simultaneously flapped her wings for all she was worth. With her wings buzzing, she beamed as she surpassed the trees and continued her ascension. I'm actually doing it!
A sudden gust snapped her out of her reverie.
“Whoa!”
Before she knew it, she had lost all control, and spun around wildly. Her wings stopped moving, but the breeze propelled her in a dizzying spiral until she crashed in the middle of a field with a loud thud. There she lay for what felt like hours, crushed under the weight of yet another failure. Why did I do this? Why did I make a promise to Princess Luna and everypony else that I couldn't keep? The image of Cosmo reappeared in her mind's eye, his visage bearing a triumphant smile.
“No!” Scootaloo wiped the blend of tears, blood, and dirt from her face. “I won't let you win!”
She sprung to her hooves and lunged toward her invisible foe, jabbing at thin air with her forehooves. Her attack and the uneven ground made her landing uneasy, and she tumbled head over hooves and fell flat on her stomach. Breathing heavily, she picked herself up and rubbed her bruised flank. When she looked up, a large rock in the distance drew her eye.
Mechanically plodding toward it, Scootaloo thought there was something oddly familiar about it. Upon reaching it, she sat down and scratched her head. After staring at the rock for nearly a full minute, she felt an inexplicable chill blossom in her stomach. It started as a puddle of ice water, but rapidly expanded into a wave whose breakers relentlessly crashed through her body. Rigidly, she shambled around the rock, knowing what she would find.
When she looked up at it, the words she knew by heart and had repeated to herself burned brightly in the morning sun. Staring at Twilight's inscription, she wept uncontrollably. She rocked back and forth as grief clawed at her heart. Wailing, she lunged forward and embraced the cold stone as if it was Rainbow herself, sobbing into it and whispering, “I'm sorry,” again and again.
She had no idea how much time had passed before she stopped crying. It felt like her eyes could not produce tears anymore. After struggling to her hooves, she looked down. She had unknowingly crushed a rough bouquet of tulips. Rainbow Dash really meant a lot to somepony else, too... She took a long sniff, finding their scent strangely invigourating. That's it!
Scootaloo's wings sprang out. “I promised you, Rainbow Dash. I won't let you down. I can't let you down!”
Closing her eyes, she began flapping her wings once again. She kept her eyes closed for a few minutes as she blocked out everything except the movements of her wings. As she struggled to gain altitude, she thought she felt a firm hoof on her chest. Her body tingled with a warmth she had not felt since her last flying lesson with Rainbow, and she soared upward. She could not help but laugh wildly. Opening her eyes, she let out an involuntary gasp. The clouds were only a few dozen feet above her.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” she said, wiping tears of joy from her face. “Thank you for everything.”
Before long, she found herself closing in on Cloudsdale, its pristine white columns and structures more amazing than she had imagined. She landed on what looked like the largest of the clouds that served as the city's foundations. Looking ahead, she gawked at the bustling streets before her. Hundreds of pegasi – both on the clouds and in the air – darted hither and thither around the great city.
As she trotted through the streets, the ramifications of the city's magnitude dawned on her. How in the hay am I gonna find the Wonderbolts like this? They could be anywhere! Nopony paid her any mind as her eyes shot from structure to structure, none standing out as candidates for where the Wonderbolts could be. Her newfound joy from reaching the city dissolved as quickly as it had come. She felt no closer to completing her mission than she had been in the morning.
Hopelessness sunk in as she tried to ask passersby where she could find the Wonderbolts. Everypony seemed so absorbed in their daily lives, they failed to hear her over the bustle of the crowded streets. She continued to mope until a blond-maned grey pegasus gently tucked a hoof under her chin and propped her head up.
“What's the matter?” said the mare, her googly eyes giving Scootaloo a quizzical look. “Are you lost?”
Scootaloo pouted. “I need to find the Wonderbolts.”
The strange mare shook her head and flew away at an ungainly trajectory. Scootaloo sank to the ground and began to sob. Why... why is this so hard?
“What's eating you?”
Scootaloo looked up. Blinking away tears, she saw a brown colt with a shaggy, darker brown mane. “Can you tell me where I can find the Wonderbolts?”
The colt chuckled. “The Wonderbolts? Don't make me laugh! What would a wimpy little filly like you want to talk to the Wonderbolts about? How you dropped out of Foal Flying School?”
She got up and advanced on him. “No!” Her face flushed. “Just tell me where they are!”
A menacing look spread across the colt's face. “I'll tell you... if you can fly around Cloudsdale in two minutes!”
“You're on!”
Scootaloo flared her wings. When she tried to flap them, they screamed with pain in protest. Oh no... flying here took a lot more out of me than I thought! Her eyes narrowed. I can't let a little thing like that stop me, not now! I have to do this, for Rainbow Dash! Her wings gave a few feeble beats, lifting her ten feet in the air, before they gave out and she landed face-down in the cloud.
The colt nearly fell over from laughing. “That was the most terrible flying I've ever seen!” he wheezed. “You'll never get to talk to the Wonderbolts! Never!”
The colt sped off. Picking herself up, Scootaloo looked after him. He's right... how am I ever gonna make it? She looked to the heavens as what little remained of her resolve evaporated. Her mouth fell open. A score of pegasi wearing blue and orange uniforms zoomed overhead. Unable to believe it, Scootaloo sprang to her hooves and galloped after them. They headed toward an elabourate two-story structure placed on a dozen pillars at the city's edge.
Wait a second... she thought as she continued her breakneck pace, they're not the Wonderbolts... The Wonderbolts have yellow and blue, not orange... And Rainbow Dash always told me there are six of them, not that many. Who are they? Do they know where the Wonderbolts are?
Her breathing came laboured by the time she reached her destination. The building had only a single stepladder as a non-flying entrance. Exhaling loudly, she clambered up. When her head poked through the hole in the floor, her heart leapt into her throat. Standing before her were not only the unknown pegasi, but the Wonderbolts.
“So, do we have an understanding?” said one of the pegasi, a proud-looking stallion with a long, bright blue mane similar in colour to part of his uniform. His eyes were obscured by a pair of flight goggles.
Spitfire nodded. “Yes, Captain Comet. The Wonderbolts and Cloudsdale have always been loyal to Canterlot. We will be at the assembly shortly.”
“Good,” said the Captain, motioning with a forehoof. “Comets, move out!”
“Sir, yes sir!” barked the Comets.
Captain Comet and his soldiers took off and soared through the open-topped structure. Scootaloo thought she could see them disperse to various points of the city after they cleared the roof. After taking a deep breath, she jumped the last few rungs and landed before the Wonderbolts, who exchanged quizzical glances.
“Hey, kid,” said Soarin, approaching her with a smile. “You here for an autograph?”
Scootaloo shook her head. “I'm here to warn everypony in Cloudsdale. You have no idea what I've been through to get here! You've gotta listen to me!”
Spitfire rested a hoof on her shoulder. “What's eatin' you?”
“All of Equestria's in danger!” said Scootaloo breathlessly. “Canterlot's been taken over by somepony. Somepony bad. His name is King –”
“Cosmo?” said Spitfire, arching an eyebrow at her. “News sure does travel fast. But you misunderstand, kid. Captain Comet his filled us in on what's been happening. Princess Celestia was not the rightful ruler. He has also told us about Luna's rebellion. Our loyalty is to the King.”
Scootaloo's mouth fell open. “What? You – you can't be serious! Cosmo is evil! All the things he's done...”
“What makes you say that?” said Soarin, rubbing his muzzle.
“Do – do you remember Rainbow Dash?” said Scootaloo in an unnerving monotone. She stared deeply into Spitfire's eyes.
“That pegasus who saved our lives and did a sonic rainboom?” said Spitfire, beaming. “How could we forget? She finished top of her class in her first year at the Academy, too. Good kid.”
Scootaloo involuntarily looked away. “She's dead.”
The Wonderbolts collectively gasped.
“Come again?” said Spitfire.
“She was killed by King Cosmo,” said Scootaloo, her voice hollow.
Spitfire recoiled and clutched her heart. “No! That can't be right!”
“Because of Cosmo, she never lived her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt!” said Scootaloo, baring her teeth and flaring her wings. “That's all she ever wanted, you know. She always talked about you guys when she gave me flying lessons. But now – but now that can't ever happen. Cosmo used his powers to force her best friend to murder her! He – he can take control of other ponys' minds. Ever since, I've promised not to stop until he's dead!”
“Look, kid...” said Spitfire, lowering her head level to Scootaloo's. “Captain Comet will be addressing Cloudsdale shortly. Why don't you come with us? Once he's spoken to everypony, maybe you'll feel better. I don't know what's gotten into you, but maybe this will set you straight.”
Scootaloo's face burned. “He burned Ponyville! The entire town! All of it! Cosmo had it burned!”
“That was a freak wildfire,” said Soarin. “We asked Captain Comet what happened, and that's what he told us. It must've been magic, because nopony could respond and put it out in time.”
“How can you believe this stuff?” said Scootaloo. “You've all been brainwashed!”
“Everything's gonna be okay,” said Spitfire, grabbing Scootaloo's forelegs.
“You'll understand after the assembly,” said Soarin, grabbing her hind legs.
The Wonderbolts flew through Cloudsdale, paying Scootaloo's screams of protest no mind as they sped toward the city centre. A sizable crowd had gathered in front of a multi-storied building with a large balcony. As they neared it, she saw members of the Comets appearing at all sides of the crowd as well as above it.
“Now you'll see,” Scootaloo muttered defiantly when they touched down and released her.
Before long, Captain Comet emerged from the building and stood on the balcony. He looked down upon the crowd, his goggles glinting ominously in the sunlight.
“Greetings, subjects of Cloudsdale!” he began, his tone of steely command sending a involuntary shiver down Scootaloo's spine. “I am delighted to inform you of your recruitment into his majesty the King Cosmo's Royal Air Force of Canterlot, effective immediately. You are to report to Canterlot Castle upon the conclusion of this assembly to receive further orders. There, you will be instructed in the ways of the Comets.”
“Hey, who in the feather made you king of Equestria?” said a burly, dark grey stallion. “Actually, who died and made Cosmo the King of Equestria? Princess Celestia is our ruler!”
A wry grin spread across Captain Comet's face. “Oh, Celestia – of course! She was nothing more than a usurper. The justice of the King found her at long last. If somepony as mighty as Celestia has fallen at his hooves, nopony who harbours treason has any hope of escape!”
“Ha ha, yeah, as if,” said the stallion, unfurling his wings. “Get outta here! Nopony comes to Cloudsdale and tells us what to do!”
His expression unchanged, the Captain gave a quick motion with his right forehoof. Within seconds, a pair of the Comets grabbed the stallion by the legs and dragged him toward the Captain, who didn't so much as spare him a glance.
“Let it be known,” said Captain Comet, “that anypony who dares oppose the will of King Cosmo shall meet a fate similar to this one!”
He carelessly flicked his forehoof again. The Comets paused briefly before nodding at each other and releasing the stallion. Before he could react, they grabbed one of his wings each and brought themselves down upon them. Their victim shrieked as his bones gave a loud crack! When the two Comets withdrew, the crowd gasped as one. The wings stuck out and bent at weird angles.
Spitfire blinked in surprise. “They... they broke his...”
Captain Comet motioned with his hoof a third time. The two Comets grabbed the stunned prisoner and unceremoniously carried him to the edge of the cloud, and flung him off. He attempted to flap his now-useless wings as he plummeted down, but gained no altitude. The pegasi, shocked into inaction, stared as his screams of terror grew fainter. Rapidfire sprung into action, and darted after the falling pegasus as quickly as he could, only to find his path blocked by a half-dozen Comets.
“Stand down, Wonderbolt!” said Captain Comet from the balcony. “You are not to interfere with our disciplinary actions!”
Rapidfire gritted his teeth and slowly flew back to where his comrades and Scootaloo stood. “That – that monster!” he spat when he landed. “What gives him the right?”
“Cosmo,” said Scootaloo bitterly. “It's just like him to put somepony like that in charge! Don't let him do this!”
“Now,” said Captain Comet in a deceptively calm voice, “I expect every able-bodied pony to report for duty in Canterlot tomorrow! Additionally, you are to show unconditional and unquestioning cooperation as we secure this city in the name of King Cosmo. Long live the King!”
Upon finishing his ultimatum, Captain Comet made a swift about face and retired into the building. The Comets dispersed and flew to numerous strategic locations throughout Cloudsdale, covering the entire city in under a minute.
“We – we can't just let this happen!” said Soarin, driving a forehoof into the cloud beneath him.
“But we pledged our loyalty to the King!” said Fleetfoot, resting a hoof on Soarin's shoulder.
“Horseapples to the King!” roared Soarin. “I say we get anypony who can see sense and take the fight to the Comets!”
“Now you're talking!” said Scootaloo, bouncing up and down. “Once you get 'em outta here, we're gonna meet up behind Smokey Mountain where Princess Luna and the others are gathering!”
Spitfire nodded. “Kid, go find someplace safe. This'll be no place for a filly before long.”
Scootaloo paused for a few seconds to watch the Wonderbolts take to the skies and speak with everypony they could find. After taking a deep breath, she galloped toward the nearest building and leapt through its open window, and peered into the skies. A sizable group of pegasi congregated high above the city, and were soon met by a contingent of the Comets.
Straining her eyes, Scootaloo could barely make out what was happening. Heavily outnumbered, the Comets fell one by one, broken and lifeless, to the city far below. Her ears pricked. At first, she thought a thunderstorm had broken out. Upon further concentration, she found that it was not the weather, but a steadily rising roar that seemed to build from the entire city. It grew into a tumult as two groups of pegasi coalesced at opposite ends of Cloudsdale like opposing clouds of locusts.
Scootaloo waited with bated breath as she saw six blue-and-yellow figures zooming through one group, forging it into perfect combat formations as a smithy would form a lump of shapeless steel into a deadly blade. Shifting her glance to the right, she saw a pegasus who must have been Captain Comet doing the same to his forces.
Even from such a great distance, Scootaloo could tell the Comets would prove to excel in combat, although lesser in number. Her body tingled as she felt the tension mounting. She dared not blink. Within seconds, it broke; Captain Comet and his forces surged toward the larger formations of the Wonderbolts and the Cloudsdale pegasi.
The opposing formations of pegasi dissolved into one enormous cluster, which spread across a vast expanse of sky. Scootaloo gawked. What have I gotten myself into? Pegasi began falling as the battle took its toll. At first, only a few were claimed, but as the indescribable combat wore on, dozens of corpses – Comet and otherwise – dropped from the sky. Is this what war really is? I knew war was coming... but not like this.
The battle spread at an alarming rate. Scootaloo dove under a nearby table when a dead pegasus struck the house like a meteor, splintering the roof and crashing to the floor beside her. She took mild solace when she noticed the corpse wore a tattered blue and orange uniform. From her shelter, she saw the battle had begun to consume the city itself.
Dogfights between Comets and Cloudsdale pegasi whirled around the city in a maelstrom, damaging or destroying everything in their wake. Pillars cracked, buildings crumbled, and large clouds were torn asunder. Her heart panged when she realized that, regardless of outcome, Cloudsdale would bear the scars of this conflict for a long time to come.
Time was lost on Scootaloo. She had no idea how long she remained quaking under that table, but eventually, the combat was pushed back first from the city itself, then to the sky above, and finally to its borders. Flaring her wings, Scootaloo bolted from the house and into the streets, hoping for a closer look. Amidst the firestorm of combat, she saw that the Comets were quickly losing control of the air.
The Wonderbolts, appearing to her as blue and yellow streaks, surged through the battle with terrifying precision, felling foe after foe. Scootaloo's heart raced as she rushed back toward the city hall while the combat before her began to dissolve into a rout. By the time she reached her destination, the Comets broke into full retreat and did not regroup until they were a great distance from the city.
Scootaloo jumped up and down and waved her forehooves in the air. “They did it! They did it! They beat the Comets!”
Her face broke out into a wide smile when she saw all six of the Wonderbolts flying down to meet her. She lunged at Spitfire and hugged her tightly.
“I don't know how, kid, but you were right,” said Spitfire, ruffling Scootaloo's mane. “You'd better get someplace safe; something tells me this isn't over yet...”
“Spitfire!” said Soarin. “I think they're getting ready for another attack!”
“Let 'em come!” said Rapidfire, jabbing at the air with his forehooves. “What does Captain Comet think will happen? The Comets are no match for all of Cloudsdale!”
Releasing Scootaloo, Spitfire turned to face her comrades. “If he wants more of what we've got, we'll give it to him. Wonderbolts, move – wait, isn't it a little early for nighttime?”
Sure enough, darkness had begun to set in at a much greater rate than normal. Everypony collectively shuddered and began frantically checking the sky. Without warning, a deafening sound wave, akin to that of a sonic rainboom, crashed upon them like a tsunami. It lacked the brilliant rainbow; instead, ever-changing light pulsed ominously around an object hurtling toward the city.
At first, it looked like a small meteor, but as it drew closer, it stopped, creating an enormous shock wave of the same colours. Scootaloo's blood ran cold when her eyes adjusted to the alien light. A great grey alicorn was outlined against the setting sun. Although she had never beheld him in his true form, she immediately knew who it must be.
“King Cosmo...” she said, paralyzed with awe and fear.
“Rabble of Cloudsdale,” said Cosmo in a magically-booming voice so thunderous that it seemed to shake Cloudsdale to its foundations, and made Scootaloo clap her hooves to her ears. “I have graciously extended my hoof in friendship to you. But you have brazenly spurned my gesture of good will by openly resisting the Comets' annexation of this fair city! Now you shall be punished for your act of high treason against the Crown!”
“We've gotta get out of here!” said Scootaloo, scrabbling backward. “There's no way we can stop him!”
“Come with me!” said Rapidfire, picking up Scootaloo and tossing her on his back. “Hang on!”
The Wonderbolts scattered and the pegasi of Cloudsdale abandoned the city as the sky flared with the King's power. Groups of pegasi too close to Cosmo were incinerated in multicoloured flashes of light as Cosmo hurtled toward the city centre, the Comets in tow. Rapidfire banked away from the others toward the cover of the trees far below.
Another flash of light blinded them momentarily. When their vision cleared once more, Scootaloo nearly fell off Rapidfire. King Cosmo floated a few feet in front of them. His fiery orange gaze seared into her eyes with such intensity that it felt like it was burning a hole through her skull.
A malefic grin twisted Cosmo's face. “You are Scootaloo. Foolishly you have sworn a vendetta against me, and by doing so, sought your own demise. Brazenly you have disregarded powers beyond your understanding. You have no doubt fought hard against my control of the city.”
The King's horn surged with power, which surrounded both Scootaloo and Rapidfire. “Now there is no way out. No retreat. No escape. You have failed; supremacy of the skies is mine and mine alone! You see, at first, you were to share the fate of this one.”
Cosmo's eyes flashed as his magic burned Rapidfire alive, who had no means of escape. Cosmo tossed him aside like a dirty rag, allowing Rapidfire's corpse to drop to earth like a stone.
“But I have other plans for you,” said Cosmo, returning his baleful glare to Scootaloo. “No, death alone is not enough. I will break you utterly, and your destruction will immediately follow the quashing of this pathetic insurrection. Nopony will dare oppose me again!”
Scootaloo spat at Cosmo, but missed. “I'll kill you!”
Cosmo's magic drew her close, but prevented her from moving a muscle. He began flying toward Canterlot dragging Scootaloo beside him, casually obliterating any Cloudsdale pegasi in his path.
“You will grasp the full extent of your naivety soon enough,” he said. “Until then, you shall languish in the dungeons, where you will be reduced to nothing!”