It was a bright, cheerful day in Ponyville. The birds were singing, the fillies were outside playing, and it was the first day of spring. Ever since Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's most gifted student arrived in Ponyville to study the magic of friendship, winter had always been wrapped up on time. But this isn't a story just about her.
Although the whole of Ponyville was in a good mood, there was one filly in particular that seemed to be unaffected by the sunny afternoon. Scootaloo laid on her back, motionless staring at the ceiling of the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. She heard a knock on the door.
"Scootaloo? Are y' in there?" Scootaloo recognized the country accent to be none other than her friend Apple Bloom. "It's open." Scootaloo sighed. Apple Bloom stepped in accompanied by her other friend, Sweetie Belle.
"Me an' Sweetie have been lookin' all over for y', Scoots! We think we found a new way to get our cutie mar-" Apple Bloom realized that Scootaloo wasn't showing her general enthusiasm for whenever they performed incredible antics in search of what yield their special talent. "What's the matter? You seem a little down." Sweetie Belle questioned after popping out from behind Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo started with a deep sigh, "It's just that Rainbow Dash has always been the best at everything. she was first to get her cutie mark and is one of, if not, the best flier in all of Equestria! And look at me, I don't have my mark and I can't even fly! How am I ever going to follow in her footsteps if I can't anything like her!" Scootaloo was now on the verge of crying, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Her two friends couldn't bear to see Scootaloo like this. All of a sudden Sweetie devised a brilliant plan. Hey I know! How about we go see Pinkie Pie and see if she has any advice, after all, she is the friendliest pony in town" Sweetie Belle could hardly contain the excitement in her voice.
"Yeah Ah' think that's a great idea! That oughta take yer' mind off this whole situation." Apple Bloom added.
"Yeah, I guess we could." Scootaloo's tone brightened a little. "And how about we go crusading afterwards?" Scootaloo asked.
"Ah' don't see why not, what do you think Sweetie?" Apple Bloom answered.
"I think it sounds awesome! That's the Scootaloo we know!" Sweetie barely realized that she was shouting through all of her joy, a giant smile plastered on her face. Scootaloo couldn't help but grin.
"Then it's settled. I mean what could go wrong, I doubt Rainbow Dash would even be there." Scootaloo was now beaming with her old confidence as the three fillies hopped out of their tree house and began making their way to Sugarcube Corner.
Scootaloo was half right about nothing going wrong. They didn't see Rainbow Dash. Who they did see was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Oh great, here we go Scootaloo thought. Diamond Tiara locked eyes with Scootaloo and cracked a small, yet sinister-looking grin.
"Well well, if it isn't the blank flank crew on another quest for failure." Tiara mocked.
Scootaloo could almost taste the venom from Diamond Tiara's voice. She wasn't going to let some spoiled brat and her groupie treat her and her friends like this, seeing that she has enough stress for the day, she replied, "You know what? I'm giving you one warning for you to leave me and my friends alone or I think my hoof can find a nice cozy spot on the front of your skull, got it?"
"I can't believe you'd say something like that! I'm wasting my time with 'folks' like you. Come on Silver Spoon, we're done here." Diamond Tiara began walking away hastily, Silver Spoon closely following her.
Scootaloo let out a deep sigh for the umpteenth time. "Are y'all right? You seemed different when we normally talk to her." Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah, I guess i just realized how important it is to stand up for my friends. It feels almost as if I'm changed. I guess I'm a new mare now... A one warning kind of mare."Scootaloo replied. "Well whatever. Race you guys to Sugarcube Corner? Last one there is a rotten chicken!"
Just as they were about to speed off, a familiar voice of a mare called from behind the fillies.
"Hey, wait up!" Twilight Sparkle called.
"Oh hey, Twilight," Apple Bloom greeted. "How're y' doin?"
"Fine, but I heard that conversation you girls had with Diamond Tiara. Are you alright? I know how they can be."
"I think I'm fine, but that isn't the problem." Scootaloo answered. She explained to Twilight her wings issue, and how she'd never be like her idol if couldn't fly.
Twilight sat and thought for a moment. A grin slowly began to cross her face.
"I think I may have a solution to your problems. Do you mind going back to the library with me?"
"Can we go to Sugarcube Corner first? That is why we came over here in the first place." said Scootaloo. The two other fillies both silently agreed with a meek smile and nod.
"Oh alright. I might as well go, I've got some important matter to discuss with Pinkie."
And once again, the ponies were off to the pastry shop.
"Whatd'y mean that another kingdom just appeared?" Pinkie Pie was in the middle of making a batch of cupcakes.
"Princess Celestia told me that everypony can see a ginormous civilization from Canterlot. They aren't sure how it appeared, but apparently it's been there since they woke up. She wants us and the girls to go meet the ponies there, assuming that they're even ponies." Twilight explained. "You don't mind coming, do you?"
"Af coursh not sirry! I'm sure we'd arr be wirring to come!" Twilight could barely make out Pinkie's muffled voice as she held a pan of freshly baked cupcakes in her mouth.
"Thanks, Pinkie, but I'm still worried that this race may not be friendly. The Princess said that when the crystal heart was set back into place, it set off a magical pulse that revealed another civilization. It's possible that the inhabitants could be older than Equestria itself. We have to be careful when we go there. For all we know, their technology and magic could be far more advanced." Twilight said in her darkest, most serious voice, expecting the same reaction from her pink friend.
"Ok!" Pinkie chimed with her usual, cheerful voice.
"Um, alrighty then?" Twilight said, slightly confused. "I'll tell the others and I'll get back to you later. Sound good?"
"Sounds good!" Pinkie answered. Twilight began walking out when she noticed a white horn poking out from under a flower bag.
The three fillies hiding under a few bags of flowers couldn't just believe what they just heard. Some other city, kingdom, THING just showed up right next to Equestria. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged nervous glances.
"We can't just let them go to some place that just began existing!" Sweetie hissed. "Well I think it sounds like an adventure!" Scootaloo replied. "Besides, they went to the Crystal Kingdom not too long ago an totally smashed that Sombra guy's face in!"
"I think Scoot's right. Maybe if we tag along we could come in handy. An' I do want to see these folks for my self--
"Shh! Someone's coming!" Sweetie whispered. The fillies attempted to enter "stealth mode" and resume hiding under the sacks of flour, oblivious to the fact of Sweetie's horn poking out from a crack in between to bags.
A magical field surrounded the Crusaders of Cutie Marks and levitated them out from their well-disguised fort of stealth. The three stared at Twilight Sparkle with poorly hid grins on their faces. They could see that she wasn't in the best of moods.
"Alright. How much did you girls hear?" Twilight asked with a sigh.
"All of it?" Sweetie replied squeamishly.
"Fine, but will you promise that you'll keep this a secret? I've been working on a mind erase spell lately and I might want somepony to test it out on!" There was a gleam in Twilight's eyes and the fillies could tell that she meant it.
"Yeah, a Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie Pie jumped out from behind the purple unicorn.
"We promise." They said in unison.
"Good. Now Scootaloo, I think I have just the right experiment that will help you fly." Twilight said.
"Sweet! How're we gonna do this?" Scootaloo couldn't believe that after all the work she'd put into flying, she was going to be granted that ability with lifting a hoof.
"Come with me back to the library, ok?"
"Sure!" Scootaloo could barely hide the squeaking of her excited voice. The orange Pegasus began to follow Twilight Sparkle after she talked to her friends. "We'll meet tomorrow, right?"
"Yup!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both answered.
And as Scootaloo followed Princess Celestia's prized student home, she never would have imagined how much trouble her new ability would put her into.