//------------------------------//
// Cutie Marks and Broken Hearts 
// Story: The Life of a Broken Pegasus 
// by TimeLord_Whooves 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash came running from the hospital room as fast as she could.  What she had just seen was too unbearable for her, she didn’t want to have to deal with this pain.  Applejack, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle looked at her curiously as she ran past, then back to the hallway she had come from.  Fluttershy, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle came out with weird looks on their faces, Fluttershy’s the saddest and the two fillies were a mix of sadness and pure confusion.
“What happened?” Twilight asked, “Why did Rainbow Dash run through looking like she was going to burst out crying?”
“W-well…”  Fluttershy started in her usual quiet voice and noticing the looks everypony was giving her quickly said, “Scootaloo’s fine… for now.”
“What in Equestria do you mean ‘for now’?” Applejack asked loudly.
“She got her cutie mark!” Sweetie Belle piped up, not sure if she was supposed to be happy about it.
“And why is that a bad thing?” Twilight asked.
“Because it’s a weather cutie mark.” Fluttershy said oddly forcefully.
Everypony gasped and looked down the hall again.  “How does Scootaloo feel about this?” Rarity asked quickly.
“Well… we don’t really know, we didn’t really get a chance to talk to her about it.” Apple Bloom said.
They all looked at each other, each of them could tell that the others were worrying about the same thing, how would Scootaloo be able to handle the fact that she wouldn’t be able to do what she was meant to do.
Rainbow Dash was running through Ponyville as fast as her hooves could take her.  She ran right out of town and into an empty field.  She looked up at the sky and cried, she didn’t know what to do.  How was she going to handle Scootaloo knowing that she’ll never be able to do what she’s meant to do.
Twilight went out looking for Rainbow, she looked all through Ponyville but couldn’t find her.  On her way over to Sweet Apple Acres she saw a light blue mound in the middle of the field about halfway between the orchard and Ponyville.  She walked up to the crumpled pony crying in the grass and said, “Rainbow, are you alright?”
“Of course I’m not alright!” Rainbow yelled, “How can I be alright?  Scootaloo can’t fly anymore but she got a weather cutie mark, how can a Pegasus who can’t fly manipulate weather?”
“I-“
“They can’t Twilight, simple as that.”
“She may not be able to manipulate the weather, so what she’s still your sister, you can’t just abandon her!” Twilight shouted.
“Nopony said I was.  I just came out here to think, I don’t know what to do.” Rainbow said now looking at her hooves, more tears fell from her face.
“How do you think she feels?  Add watching you run away, right now she needs reassurance, she needs you, you’re the only pony she’s got right now.” Twilight said quietly.  “You don’t need to know exactly what to do, but right now you need to be there for her, you need to be there for your sister.”

Rainbow Dash woke up with a start.  She had been dreaming about that day again, it still seemed so vivid, like it had only just happened.
Rainbow got up from her bed, walked over to the window and opened it.  The bright summer sun shone through, lighting up her room.  She looked around it and thought to herself, ‘It’s been over a year since then, why am I still having this dream?’
Rainbow walked down the hall to Scootaloo’s room and knocked.  “Hey, sis, are you up?” Rainbow Dash said through the door before walking off to the kitchen to get breakfast ready and calling down the hall, “It’s almost time for school!”
“I’m up, I’m just getting my things ready.” Scootaloo called back, she looked over at her old saddlebag, it had been a while since it had fit her.  She had grown a lot recently, so much so that now she was the biggest in her class, only by a few inches.  This year would be the last of primary school and next year she would go off to high school, maybe, she still hadn’t decided.
Scootaloo looked over at the clock to see that it was already eight o’clock, she had to hurry up so she could eat something before school.  She quickly put her homework and some new paper into her saddlebag and ran out into the kitchen for a quick breakfast.  Rainbow was there waiting with breakfast.
“Thanks sis,” said Scootaloo as she quickly gulped down the meal, “You always save me by making breakfast, I remember back when I had to wake you up.”
Rainbow Dash laughed at that, “Yeah those were the days, I was so used to just lazing around.  Life was so simple back then.”
“It’s amazing how much changes in just a couple of years.” Scootaloo said.
“You’d better hurry up or you’ll be late to school.  Do you need me to take you?” Rainbow asked with a smile.
“Sis, I haven’t needed you to walk me to school for a long time now, but thanks.  I love you sis.” Scootaloo said as she walked out of the door.
All the ponies in Ponyville were already out and about, going around doing their thing, several of them calling out greetings to Scootaloo as she passed.  She had become notorious after her and Rainbow had moved into their earthbound home so Rainbow didn’t have to carry her sister to and from the ground to get home.  Everypony knew her as the very unfortunate Pegasus for her life seemed to be one tragedy after another.
Scootaloo made it to school with no problems except having run into Pinkie Pie, although it wasn’t really a problem as she had given Scootaloo a cupcake afterwards.  Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked up to her said good morning.
“Hey, how have you two been?” Scootaloo asked.
“I’ve been doing good, Applejack’s been making me work extra hard with her in the orchard.” Apple Bloom said and she moved to show them her flank, “But it paid off, see?”
On her flank there was a small, red apple with a green speck on it.
“I’ve been helping Rarity with her dress making, she finally lets me use the sewing machine!” Sweetie Belle said and she showed her flank as well.  Hers sported a needle with thread, the thread outlining a heart shape and quarter musical note in the center.
As they were talking, Dinky walked up behind Scootaloo.  “HI!” She said happily.
Scootaloo jumped so high, she cleared Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.  She turned to face Dinky from behind the two laughing ponies, “Dinky, don’t sneak up on me!”
Dinky looked down and said, “I’m sorry, I was just so happy to see everypony after the long break.”
“I’m not mad at you, I just don’t like getting snuck up on.” Scootaloo said calmly.
Scootaloo looked back at her wings sadly, they were still mangled but she always had bandages on to hide them.  Dinky saw her sad look and gave her a quick hug.
“It’s time for class everypony!” Miss Cheerilee called.
***
Rainbow Dash was walking through the street, she had no work today so she was looking for something to occupy herself for the day.  As she passed by Sugar Cube Corner, she heard somepony say, “Even after all this time the poor thing still can’t fly.  You would think that she would have healed by now.”  It was Carrot Top, she was walking out of the bakery with Rose Luck.
Rainbow Dash stopped and hid around the corner, listening.
“I just can’t believe that she let her do something so dangerous, making a lightning cloud and during winter wrap up.” Rose Luck said.
She knew it, they were talking about Scootaloo, she couldn’t believe ponies were still talking about that.
“Well considering how her lifestyle was before, it’s not really that much of a surprise.  Rainbow’s always been reckless, I’m more surprised that anypony let her take care of the little filly in the first place.” said Carrot Top with concern.
Rainbow couldn’t take anymore, she jumped out and shouted, “Yes I used to be reckless, yes I could have kept a more watchful eye on Scootaloo, we were just having fun, I didn’t notice what she was doing until it was too late!  I may not have been fit to take care of anypony before but I’ve been much better since then!”
The two ponies backed away looking scared at the sudden burst of shouting.  Rainbow’s shouting caused everypony within earshot to turn and look at her.  She stood there staring madly at the two ponies who had been insulting her.  ‘they don’t know what it’s like to let family get hurt so badly when you’re supposed to be taking care of them, they don’t know how it feels to almost lose family.’ she thought to herself.
Carrot Top and Rose Luck just sat there whimpering, they weren’t sure what Rainbow was going to do to them.  Rainbow Dash looked at them for a second and turned away, she started running, no place set in her mind.
The two frightened ponies looked at each other, they knew that they shouldn’t have said what they did.  Rainbow Dash wasn’t careless she just didn’t know the responsibility back then.
Rainbow Dash slowed down, she saw the library in front of her and decided to have a talk with Twilight.  She walked through the door and saw Twilight sitting there, reading one of her books.
“Princess Twilight.” Rainbow said, holding back a laugh.
“How many times have I told you to drop the ‘princess’?” Twilight said annoyed.
“You know I’m never going to stop, ‘Princess’,” Rainbow said, emphasizing the word, “It’s just so funny.”
Twilight sighed, “So what do you want then?”
“Just to talk.”
Rainbow Dash told her about what happened before she came to the library.  “I mean, I just can’t believe ponies are still talking about that.” she finished.
“There are always going to be ponies talking about something that you don’t want to hear or you don’t like, you just can’t let them get to you.  What really matters is that you know the truth about what happened.” Twilight said turning back to her book.
“I suppose you’re right, thanks.” Rainbow turned to walk out of the library.  “Twilight… never mind.”
Rainbow Dash was gone before Twilight could say anything else, what did Rainbow want to say, she wondered.
***
“Hey Scootaloo!” called a pony from across the school yard.  “How are you?”
Scootaloo turned to see Cloudwhisp trotting toward her.  “I’m fine.” She said unsure of what was going on, last time she checked he had been very mean to her.  “What do you want?”
“Well, I was wondering what’s up with that bandage?  Trying to start a new fashion trend?”  Cloudwhisp laughed.
He was still saying that, for the last year that's all he would say to her when they met, Scootaloo tried to ignore him but his laughing kept getting to her.  Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw her staring angrily at Cloudwhisp and quickly grabbed her attention.
“Scootaloo, what’s the matter?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“He keeps making fun of me.” Scootaloo said on the verge of tears, “Even though, I’ve never done anything to him, even though everypony knows what I’ve been through, why does he still make fun of me?”
Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom with concern.  They both gave her a big hug and Apple Bloom said, “So one pony makes fun of you, so what?”
“You’ve overcome the loss of your parents, the loss of your wings, what’s one pony compared to that?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I don’t know, he just gets to me.” Scootaloo replied, tears running down her face.
Cloudwhisp had started to show off for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.  Scootaloo glared at him angrily, she would show him.