Chapter 1 - A Wish For Wings That Work
"Don't worry, you'll still be awesome, Scoots, even if you are never able to fly," Vinyl told her, for what must have been the dozenth time since her recent doctor's visit. Scootaloo wasn't buying any of it.
Gee thanks, Auntie Vinyl, but I'm hardly ready to give up on flying yet. And you don't have wings, so you'd hardly understand.
"I don't want to be 'awesome'. I want to be able to fly," she said firmly. "I want to go soaring above the trees, through the clouds. I'm a pegasus. Pegasuses fly."
Scootaloo looked down gloomily before continuing. "Without flight, I'm just a earth pony with stubby little wings."
"Yeah, I hear ya, Scoots," Vinyl Scratch stopped glancing through her record collection, and looked up at her niece behind purple-tinted glasses. "You remember what the doctor told us, though? There's an eighty percent chance you won't be able to fly. Eighty! You have to be realistic."
"Maybe I'll get wing extensions," Scootaloo said in desperation. "If Fluttershy can have tail extensions, can't I get wing extensions?"
Vinyl shook her head. "I don't think it works that way, Scoots."
"What about that one big muscly pegasus I saw the other day?" Scootaloo jumped down from the couch. "His wings are even smaller then mine, and he can fly."
"Well, the doctor said it was your wings plus your magical core." Vinyl pushed up her glasses. "I'd assume he has a whole lotta magic that makes up for his tiny wings."
"That makes sense." Scootaloo thought for a moment. "Why don't I go over to the library and find out how to make my magic core bigger, than?"
"I don't think-" Vinyl said, but Scootaloo was already on her way out the door. Magical powerups, here I come!
Vinyl stared at the door in front of her for a moment, shrugged, and started her newest album playing, volume cranked up as high as her speakers would go.
"You want to know what?" Twilight asked disbelievingly.
Twilight was actually being surprisingly nice about Scootaloo barging in, aside from pointing out a 'Quiet, Ponies Are Reading' sign when she entered. Living in a library, she must be used to ponies bothering her all the time, anyways.
"I'd like to know how to boost my magic." Scootaloo repeated. "You're Princess Celestia's personal student, and supposed to be one of the most powerful unicorns around. You've got to have read something on it."
Wasn't that what Twilight did all day anyways, read about magical stuff?
"Well, yes," Twilight said, looking puzzled, "but why would you even be interested?"
"Yeah, you're a pegasus," Spike commented. "It's not like you have any magic, anyways."
Spike had been hovering around ever since Scootaloo had come in, probably waiting to see if Twilight needed anything. At least he didn't seem to hold anything against her after the 'Cutie Mark Crusader Librarian' incident.
"Now, Spike, that's not quite true," Twilight lectured. "While unicorns have the most visible manifestations of magic through their horns, earth ponies use magic to enhance their strength, and pegasi rely on it to fly..."
"Oh," She stopped, suddenly seeming to come to a realization, "is that what this is all about?"
"Kinda." Scootaloo hung her head. "My wings aren't likely to grow any further, and with the amount of magic I have available, I won't be able to fly if they don't. I need bigger wings or more magic, and magic seemed the more likely way to go."
Twilight seemed contemplative. "Have you seen a doctor about this?"
Why else would I know all of that? Not that Doctor Stable was any use.
"Yeah," Scootaloo shuffled around nervously. "He's the one that told me why I wasn't likely to fly. He didn't tell me anything I could do to try and fix it, though."
"That doesn't sound too helpful," Twilight muttered. She started levitating books towards her desk and scanning the titles. "The trouble is that while I know a few exercises for building up your magical strength, they are all intended for use by a unicorn, and assume that you have a horn."
"Oh," Scootaloo said, crestfallen. "So there's nothing you can do?"
"I didn't say that," Twilight sighed. "I've got a large selection of books here. There has to be something on the subject."
Well, at least Twilight seemed interested in helping. More than Rainbow Dash ever had. She must have asked a million times about flying lessons, and she was always too busy. She was still awesome and all, but, well, not that helpful. Saving panicked ponies from imminent peril aside.
"I think I remember seeing advertisements for products to increase your wing size by a few inches in the back of some comic books once." Spike volunteered, as Twilight flipped through a hefty-looking book's table of contents.
"Oh, Spike." Twilight shook her head. "Those products are all fake."
"Are you sure?" Scootaloo said hopefully. "That sounds like just what I need!"
"I asked Rainbow about it once," Twilight said. "At best, nothing will happen. At worst, you'll end up sick to your stomach, or even get a tapeworm."
"Wait, where did you even see that?" Scootaloo asked. "I didn't know you liked comic books!"
What type of comics would she even like? Were there egghead comics, with bold scholars who saved the day with an obscure use of Boyle's Third Law, or something? What even was Boyle's Third Law?
"Well, maybe not normally, but when it's a comic book adaptation of the first Daring Do book, I couldn't quite resist," Twilight said defensively. "Besides, graphic novels are a valid form of literature, and can have just as complex themes, and be just as thought provoking as a regular novel."
Spike picked up a nearby comic and thumbed through it. "Pow Biff Bam. 'I'll get you, Daring Do, if it's the last thing I do! Bwa ha ha ha!'. Very literary, I see."
Twilight groaned. "Well, maybe not those particular ones. The Sandmare series, though..."
"Sure, Twi." Spike chuckled. "Whatever you say."
"Um," Scootaloo interjected. "magic enhancing exercises for pegasi?"
"Right." Twilight floated books towards her, one by one, looked at the title, then shook her head. Finally, she looked up. "You know, it's going to take a while to find anything on this. Maybe we should go ahead and check what your current magical level is before looking to bring it up."
"You'll want to do that tingly scanning spell the doctor used, then?" Scootaloo shuddered, then resigned herself. "I suppose."
If it'll help get me flying, anyways.
"What?" Twilight thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, that wouldn't be nearly accurate enough. We need precise measurements for this. Fortunately, I've got just the equipment we need. Come on."
Twilight walked over to the entrance to the library's basement, and waved Scootaloo over. She hesitated for a moment.
I've heard stories about ponies getting lured into another ponies basement, and all sorts of horrible things happening to them. Should I really go with her?
Scootaloo shook her head. This was Twilight. What was the worst that could happen?