//------------------------------// // Friendship // Story: Scootaloo's Mistake // by DiabolicalMonocle //------------------------------// Scootaloo's Mistake Author's Note: Thank you guys for being patient with me – I had a bad case of writer's block , and I thought I was going to give up writing. Please check out my other work in progress: Birds of a Feather Flock Together. Cheers, and enjoy. For the third time, Scootaloo awoke to the sounds of the various medical machines. She could've sworn she saw her in the dreams. A vague image and sound, but it was probably just her imagination. Trying to move to a more comfortable position in the bed, Scootaloo yelped with pain. She had entirely forgot about her condition, and the pain was probably her cracked ribs. Doctor Brown walked into the room, aware of the noise Scootaloo had made. Seeing that the small filly was now comfortable, his worried look became one of sympathy. “Sorry for having to sedate you, but your heart rate went off the charts. It's not good to have a fast heart rate when you're recovering, so we had to. You've been asleep for about two days now.” Scootaloo found herself unable to respond, probably because the effects of the drug lingered. The voice of the doctor seemed far away. So, instead, she just shrugged to convey her feelings. “Scootaloo, the doctors and I have decided that the best thing for you now, is to see your friends. It'll help you relax in this place, and maybe seeing them will cheer you up. They've been waiting all day to see you anyway.” The orange filly shuddered. They wanted to see her? After she'd killed Rainbow Dash? She was a monster. It was just as well Scootaloo had no tears left, or she would've burst out crying. Killing a pony was unheard of in Equestria. Maybe she'd get banished . Maybe that was a good thing- The doctor interrupted her thoughts, “Well, I'll give you 10 minutes to prepare, and then I'll send them in, with your permission.” Doctor Brown waited for a response, so he could get on with his work. Scootaloo slowly nodded. If her friends were so keen to see her, they might as well. Content, the doctor walked away from the bed. At the doorway, he stopped, and turned around. “Scootaloo. I...know this must be very...hard for you, especially at such a....young age, but your friends will always be there to support you. They've waited patiently for about five hours now. I know it's far too soon, but Scootaloo, you've got to get on with your life. You can't just live in the past. Yes, your friend is now gone, but she hasn't gone forever. She'll remain in your heart and memories always.” And with that, Doctor Brown walked out of the room, and closed the door silently. Scootaloo had always thought that doctors were incapable of passion, but what Doctor Brown said just then, made her feel hopeful. She would never be able to forgive herself, or find solace in Dash's death, but she wasn't entirely gone. If Scootaloo had any tears left, she would be crying her eyes out. The ten minutes passed quickly, as the filly repeated the words in her mind. It made a lot of sense to her, what the doctor had said. If her friends really did wait for five hours, just to see her, they were obviously still her friends. There was a knock on the door, and two small fillies entered the room. One was a pale yellow earth pony, with a red ribbon to match her mane. The other was a pure white unicorn with a mixed purple and pink mane. Their worried expressions became apparent as they walked over to the bed. “Scootaloo, how you doin'?” Applebloom asked. It took Scootaloo a couple of minutes to respond. Her friends cared more about how she was, rather than the fact that she had killed Rainbow Dash. Suddenly, Scootaloo felt like crying all over again. “I'm not too bad...considering I managed to kill my idol.” Scootaloo tried hard not to cry, trying to look strong in front of her friends. It didn't work, as evidenced by the small tear rolling down her cheek. “Scootaloo, you can't think like that! You didn't kill her! Rainbow Dash chose to sacrifice herself, so you could live!” Sweetie Belle suddenly said in an outburst of emotions. She quickly restrained herself from saying more, in case she accidentally hurt her friend further. “But girls, it was my fault! I tried to fly, and Dash felt that she had to save me!” Scootaloo practically yelled at them for not understanding her pain. Of course she had killed Rainbow Dash. Who else would be responsible for her death? The two fillies stepped back, surprised at the sudden outbreak. Scootaloo felt more tears roll down her face. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom quickly got over their surprise, when they saw how upset Scootaloo was. They rushed in to comfort her by giving her a hug. Sadly, it didn't work. Scootaloo couldn't stem the flow of tears. Trying to think of what the doctor had said, Scootaloo wiped her tears away. Yes, your friend is now gone, but she hasn't gone forever. The words made sense, and seemed to calm her down. She'll remain in your heart and memories always. It worked, and Scootaloo gave a sad smile. “Thanks girls, I'll get over it eventually,” she lied. Of course she would never forgive herself - Rainbow Dash was like a big sister to her. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle released her, content that her friend was now less upset. Trying to change the discussion, Applebloom started talking about how she attempted to get her cutie mark. Guessing by the blankness on Applebloom's flank, Scootaloo already knew the attempt had failed. She zoned out, and stopped listening to her friends. They were the most best friends ever, but she had something on her mind. Something she couldn't quite place her hoof on. She laughed and nodded in the sufficient places, but other than that, she didn't input anything into the conversation. After about half an hour of small talk, or thinking in Scootaloo's case, Doctor Brown walked into the room. He had a smile on his face, realising that the young filly had perked up. He told Sweetie Belle and Applebloom that Scootaloo needed her rest, and politely asked them to leave. They both said their goodbyes and told her to stay strong. They left the room, and Doctor Brown stood by the doorway. “Scootaloo, you may not know this, but you'll be allowed to leave here in several days. Your ribs and wing are still injured, so you'll have to be easy on yourself for a couple of days.” Scootaloo nodded, and the doctor closed the door behind him. Back to thinking. She let herself drift off to sleep, so she could try and put her mind to rest. She entered her mind again, the dark canvas surrounding her. However, something felt different. As if someone had lit a candle, and had made the canvas lighter. Scootaloo decided to walk on for a bit, like she did last time, and sure enough, a breeze ruffled her feathers. Scootaloo looked behind her. A cyan Pegasus with stood over her. A multi-coloured mane covered her neck, and her beautiful rose tinted eyes stared directly at Scootaloo. Scootaloo couldn't believe it. She had been right. Rainbow Dash was in her mind.