//------------------------------// // Breaking the Barrier // Story: I'll Fly Higher // by Sky Blue Angel //------------------------------// Breaking the Barrier - Chapter 2 I'll Fly Higher Sky Blue Angel Scootaloo weakly flapped her wings as she walked down the quiet streets of Ponyville. The bustling town had been quiet for the better part of the day. Why, Scootaloo did not know. Maybe they were avoiding something? But what was there to avoid? Scootaloo felt a drop of water hit her snout. She shook her head, trying to get the droplet of water off of her face. Scootaloo gave up trying to shake it off and slid her hoof down the bridge of her nose. Scootaloo looked up, glaring at the darkening sky. Dang, another rainy day... Scootaloo sighed, and trotted into an alley. The alley was tight, with a garbage bin toppled over on one side. Scootaloo turned around to make sure that nopony was following her. Scootaloo squeezed under the open bin, her wings fluttering weakly. The trash bin moved a bit, but the little filly managed to squeeze through. The small compartment behind the bin made Scootaloo smile. In one corner, a small cardboard box was laid on its side, one of the flaps hanging over the box. Scootaloo pushed the flap away and dropped her schoolbag inside of the box. Sighing, Scootaloo pulled out a small notebook from deeper inside of the box. She flipped open the book, and began to draw with the shortened pencil in her mouth. The drawing was a simple doodle of a pegasus. Scootaloo imagined the wind tussled hair, the cool brown eyes, and the powerful wings. Scootaloo dropped the pencil and closed the notebook. She walked over to the upturned box on the other side of the small "room". The stained bricks of the building had a few marks next to it. "Just a few more days, and I'll be able to get myself a job..." Scootaloo managed to smile. She looked around the tight place. The cardboard tables, the blanket on the floor. Fifteen, homeless, and untalented. But that gave her hope. Scootaloo brushed her mane and tail with the broken comb. The orange pegasus smiled into the shard of glass that she hung up on the brick wall. Her teeth flashed a pearly white. Despite that shine, she grabbed an old brush and scraped off any dirt. Not that she ate anything for breakfast. She was tucked in by the school lunch. It wasn't that bad, considering that's the only thing you ate. Scootaloo stretched her wings. After a few days off from the Gym, her wings felt powerful and ready to fly. Despite this, Scootaloo shook her head and told herself no. She didn't want to ruin her beautiful day. The day she could get a job! The day she might finally begin to be seen as an adult. The day of her graduation. Scootaloo trotted over to the schoolhouse, ready to begin. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were wearing their usual fancy getup. Glimmering dresses and veils, topped with tiaras and high heels. Scootaloo rolled her eyes. The small scarf she was wearing was enough. It was slightly tattered and lightly stained, but it was more than she ever wore. It made her feel special, despite the fact that everypony else already had bright and visible cutie marks. Apple Bloom's was a bright red apple next to a blooming flower. Sweetie Belle's was a musical note inside of a pink heart. Scootaloo's was... Well... She didn't really have one. "Hey, look guys! It's the blank flank!" Diamond Tiara walked up to the purple-maned pegasus and sneered. "You don't deserve a cutie mark! You're not talented enough to even graduate! Ha!" Diamond Tiara spat at Scootaloo. "You've got a lot of spunk for someone so stupid," Scootaloo spat right back at the pink earth pony. Diamond Tiara laughed. "Spunk? Speak for yourself, you dirty little bitch," Scootaloo winced at Diamond Tiara's words. "That's right, you stinking slut!" Diamond Tiara pulled her dress up her flank to make it look bigger. Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, who both had impressive outfits. Apple Bloom was looking at the ground, hoof tracing circles in the dirt. Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo with tears in her eyes. "Guys..." Scootaloo looked at her friends, but Diamond Tiara interrupted her. "See? They don't even want to talk to you!" Diamond Tiara laughed cruelly. "You're just a homeless, flightless pegasus!" Diamond Tiara put a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Go die!" She pushed the orange pegasus into a puddle of mud. Scootaloo took a few moments to realize what just happened. Here she was, covered with dirt, watching as her friends left her. Diamond Tiara just told her to die, and her friends did nothing to protect her. "Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo reached a hoof out to her yellow friend. "Ah'm sorry," Apple Bloom turned away, her red bow flapping in the slight breeze. "M'ah mother told me to 'ta hang 'round ponies like you," Scootaloo looked from her red-maned friend to the alabaster unicorn. "S-Sweetie Belle?" Tears in her eyes, Scootaloo looked up. "I'm really sorry, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle sniffed, and wiped away a tear. "But Diamond Tiara's right. As is Apple Bloom," She smiled weakly to Scootaloo. "I'm really sorry," Scootaloo watched as her world was crushed, her friends gone, and her dreams crushed. Scootaloo ripped off her scarf, throwing it out towards the schoolhouse, where Cherilee was starting to announce names. "They want me dead? They'll have me dead!" Scootaloo galloped away from the school, her eyes streaming tears. Scootaloo turned towards the alley where she kept her home. She squeezed under the trash bin, and crashed into the brick wall. She curled up, her tiny wings bent at awkward angles. Scootaloo let the tears flow, the salty drops of water staining her ragged blanket. She sniffed loudly not caring who found her there, not caring whether she was going to die. She didn't want to be alive anymore. Not that she even had a family! Her parents were dead. They ere either dead or they had abandoned her. Just like everyone else had. "So... You're saying my daughter didn't show up at graduation?" "No, she did not. The whole thing happened before," "You know what? You wanna know what?" "No, miss, I do not." "You fucking bitch, some people put you down. Some people kick you around. But believe me when I tell you they'll be the ones to rule this town."