//------------------------------// // 33. The Green Mile // Story: Scootaloo the Fugitive // by Kaidan //------------------------------// Scootaloo woke up feeling drowsy, and looked around. She saw a couple other ponies in the small room with her, sleeping on small mats. It didn’t take long before a dog walked in and herded them towards the gem mine. With a yawn, Scootaloo filed out after them. I wonder what was up with Sledge? I remember him giving me medicine, and I was supposed to get tortured again, but instead I woke up here. Why? Did he drug me to protect me? Scootaloo felt the leather belt from the harness digging into her wings as she was fastened to the cart. She looked around, noticing every pony there staring at her to see what she would do. Scootaloo felt like resisting, but between the sore muscles and straps that had been put on too tight, she didn’t have the energy. She trotted forward slowly, feeling like her cuts from the whip were going to tear back open under the strain. A few sighs echoed off the walls as other ponies got back to work. Scootaloo looked up, and saw Boss in the corner with Spot, pointing and laughing at her. He slapped Spot on the back and he joined in on the laughter. Scootaloo wasn’t stupid, but his mockery was too much. She’d spent long enough being abused and neglected; she stopped and sat down in her harness. Boss stopped laughing, and picked up his whip. Before he could walk over, Scootaloo heard several other dogs shouting out. Looking around, all the ponies had sat down in the cave, and all eyes were on her again. Boss had made it over to her by now. “What are you doing, Pony? Do you want more punishment?” He cracked the whip in the air. “It’s time somepony stood up to you, for all the ponies here too weak to fight.” Scootaloo stood up and drew a line in the dirt floor. “It’s time we draw the line, mutt, this far, no further!” A chorus of cheers erupted from the other ponies, who were emboldened to see a small orange filly that refused to back down. “Stop it!” Boss shouted. “I’ll whip you all if you don’t.” “Then who will pull your carts? Wh—” Boss grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up, causing the cart to tilt backwards. “I’ve had about enough of you.” He unfastened the harness while holding her in the air. Scootaloo struggled, managing to bite him on the arm as soon as the straps were undone. She sprinted over to the nearest pony, fluttering her wings a few times to see if they were still injured. “Don’t waste your time, save yourself and come back!” the pony shouted. She looked at the brown earth pony who was waving her away, towards a nearby tunnel. Scootaloo turned and ran, hearing the whip crack and hit the ground where she had just been. Several dogs were converging on her position now. She had the training from the obstacle course to aid her, and she began to weave through the dogs. As she ran down the first tunnel she came to, she realized that every cave and tunnel looked identical. There was no way to gauge her sense of direction, or even know which way led to escape. Scootaloo rounded a corner and saw a large black object on a collision course. She flinched, and felt the full force of a leg catch her under the chin. She sprawled across the floor when she landed, and looked up at who had hit her. The room was spinning, and Spot stepped over her. “Still think there are four gems, pony?” he asked. Scootaloo looked up at the wall, and to her horror could only see three gems. She collapsed and closed her eyes. Half aware of her surroundings after the blow, she felt herself being carried. They were tying something around her, likely the harness, and it pinned her wings to her side. Scootaloo groaned and decided it was time to pull the stupid cart. Then she felt her forelegs pulled behind her back and tied together. She opened her eyes to see what was going on. Scootaloo was on the platform with Boss’ fancy throne made of gems and wood. Boss, Spot, and even Sledge were there along with a dozen other dogs, and all the ponies. They were still attached to their carts, but had been allowed to stay and watch. “Fine.” Scootaloo spat at Boss. “I’ll pull your stupid cart!” Boss laughed, and Scootaloo had to wait a minute for him to stop. “No, Boss is tired of Pony. Boss will find a new Pony.” “What?” Scootaloo gasped when Spot picked her up and set her on top of a crate, then put a rope around her neck. He pulled it taut, and she looked up seeing it draped over a support beam that was holding the roof up. “Well?” Boss asked. “Are you going to beg, Pony? Maybe I will chain you up in the latrine and let you keep it clean if you grovel.” Scootaloo was balancing on her hind legs, with a rope tight around her neck, and her forelegs and wings tied up. Aside from Spot chuckling in enjoyment, the room was silently watching to see her reaction. Taking a deep breathe, she felt peace wash over her. It was the sort of serenity that can only be found when a pony has truly found their calling. This was hers. Scootaloo was the pony that couldn’t be broken, the one who inspired others by always rising again. No matter how many times she had been knocked down, abused, and discarded, she always got back up. “What’s so funny, Pony?” Boss asked. Scootaloo felt the wide grin on her face, and turned to face him. “There may come a day when a pony more cruel than you breaks me, but that day is not today. No, you can torture a pony, or kill a pony, but you can never take a pony’s freedom.” “I am Scootaloo! Do your worst!” she shouted out to the Diamond Dogs. The ponies started cheering, and several began to fight their way out of their harnesses. The dogs scattered to stop the other ponies from getting loose, and Scootaloo felt the crate kicked out from underneath her. There was a painful tug at her neck as she felt the rope dig into her neck, choking her. She heard a crashing sound from the other side of the cave, and saw two diamond dogs fly out of a side tunnel with a loud crash. Rainbow Dash walked in and took off her flight goggles, and spit out her gum. “Who’s in charge here?” Several cowardly dogs pointed at Boss, who had already crossed halfway across the room with his whip in hand. Dash launched herself at him, easily dodging his whip. She bucked him in the chest, and he managed to turn and avoid most of the blow. He fell to a knee, and aimed another whip at Dash. A few of her primaries were hit by the whip and were cut in half, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from the next pass. She landed on him, knocking him to the ground, before launching at another dog who had picked up a club and run to the Boss’ aid. Scootaloo was flailing around, trying to get Dash’s attention. She was so busy beating the snot out of the dogs that she hadn’t seen her suffocating in the noose. Her vision was starting to fade out, and her lungs were burning. The burning spread, until it encompassed her flanks, and she thought she would pass out. The rope snapped, and Scootaloo fell to her side on the floor, gasping for breath. A large feathered form stepped in front of her, shielding her from the nearby Spot. He had a spear in his hand, and murder in his eyes. “What a lame-o,” Gilda said. She grabbed the spear when he thrust at her, and bit into his shoulder with her beak. The dog raked a claw along her side, which only enraged her more. She dug her talons into his upper arms, piercing deep into his muscle. She threw him back to the ground, and turned around to check on Scootaloo. “You okay, kid?” Scootaloo mouthed a reply but her throat was still sore. She nodded, as Gilda cut the ropes off her. By the time Scootaloo had gotten up, she saw the rest of the Elements of Harmony in the cave. They were scaring off the diamond dogs, and knocking some sense into the ones who wouldn’t lay down their improvised weapons. It was during the cacophony of noise from the fight that Scootaloo saw Boss slink down a side tunnel. “Gilda! That’s their boss, we need to get him!” she croaked. Gilda looked where she was pointing. “Sure thing.” She flew over towards him and Scootaloo ran over on hoof. Boss had slinked into a nearby room to hide, which is where they found him. “Please, Pony, I’m sorry.” Scootaloo walked over to him and shook her head. “How many ponies have you killed?” “Killed?” Boss laughed. “No, big misunderstanding I’ve never killed a pony!” He continued to chuckle as he crawled back away from them. “Do you even remember their names? Do you even remember my name?” “Don’t be silly, your name is Pony!” Boss answered. Gilda puffed out her feathers and stepped forward. “So, you like to prey on ponies?” Boss growled at the Griffin. “What if I do? Every Diamond Dog knows you ponies won’t hurt anyone.” “Well, I’m not a pony.” Gilda leaned forward towards him. “And you tried to kill one of my friends.” Boss gulped and looked back at Scootaloo. “Please, you won’t let her kill me? Ponies don’t kill! I’ll never kill anymore ponies, I promise!” Scootaloo shook her head. “You’re right, I could never kill you, no matter how evil you are.” She turned and started to walk out of the room. “But, I don’t have to save you either.” She walked out of the hallway and towards the central chamber as Boss began to scream. Sledge was backed into a corner, begging with an enraged Dash for mercy. “No, please! I was nice to Scootaloo, Sledge swears it!” Dash looked ready to knock him out, when Scootaloo jumped in front of him. “Stop! He’s right!” Scootaloo could see the tears in Dash’s eyes. She tackled her in a hug. “Oh thank Celestia! Don’t you ever scare me like that again! It took us days to get through this maze of tunnels.” “Hey, I’d never die on you, Dash.” Scootaloo nuzzled Dash and she seemed to recover from her near-breakdown. “I—alright. Let’s go find a way out of here and leave these rats with their precious gems,” Dash said. “Sledge can show you the way out,” he offered. “I don’t trust mutts, when Celestia finds out how many ponies you kidnapped there won’t be a hole deep enough to hide in,” Dash retorted. “Dash, it’s okay. He protected me, and helped keep the ponies healthy. We can trust him,” Scootaloo said. “Fine, but I’ve got my eye on you. If you’re a spy, I’ll know about it, buster!” Sledge and Scootaloo walked back towards the main cavern as Dash followed from behind, keeping an eye on the dog. She glanced over at Scootaloo and saw something on her flank. “Hey, Scoots, when’d you get that?” Dash asked. “Huh, what?” Scootaloo looked back at her flank, recalling how it had burned as she had been choking in the noose. She smiled from ear to ear and began jumping around. “My cutie mark! YES!”