//------------------------------// // A Present // Story: Scootaloo's Mistake // by DiabolicalMonocle //------------------------------// Author’s Note: Well, this chapter would've arrived sooner, but I decided to take the time to read a couple of stories, so sorry about that. Coal Buck also helped me with a part of this, so cheers, buddy, I was stuck on that detail. I’ve also decided to make each chapter longer. Enjoy, and peace out. There were no dreams that night. No visions of Rainbow Dash and no flying. Scootaloo didn’t know why. As soon as her head hit the pillow last night, she just woke up. Now here she was, lying in her bland hospital bed as the sun crept through the blinds. Scootaloo didn’t care much – at least she could leave this hospital quicker. It was too boring just lying in bed all the time. The small filly jumped out of the bed, and took off the hospital gown. Today was the day she was going to leave. As if to confirm this, Doctor Brown walked into the room. “Ah, Scootaloo, glad to see you’re up n’ at em.” The brown colt gave a small smile. “Now, you’ll have to be careful for a couple more weeks, until you’re fully healed. Your wings are still pretty badly damaged, so just try not to go jumping off any cliffs any time soon, you hear?” Scootaloo gave a gasp of surprise - the doctor’s words had shocked her. Did he acknowledge what he had just said? Doctor Brown suddenly looked worried, surprised at the young filly’s expression. The colt finally realised what was wrong and His face matched that of Scootaloo’s as he walked closer, finally placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Listen, Scootaloo, I didn’t mean it like that. Please forgive me.” Though unintentional, the doctor had made Scootaloo feel a whole lot worse. The orange filly resisted the urge to cry. She had just been brutally reminded of what had happened in the past. The only thing stopping her from doing so was the image of her and Rainbow Dash, sailing into the grey canvas of her mind. Defying gravity. Flying free across the sky, devoid of any emotion or responsibility. It was just the best feeling ever. “It’s fine, doc.” Scootaloo murmured. Doctor Brown gave a nod, and dropped his hoof. “So,” Scootaloo began. “Can I leave now?” The brown unicorn gave another quick nod, obviously still shocked at what he had previously said. “Yes. I’ll go talk to the receptionist, and then I’ll lead you to the exit. Okay?” Scootaloo quietly said yes, and the doctor left the room. After what had seemed like a lifetime, Doctor Brown returned. He indicated over to the door, and the two ponies left the hospital room. The smart doctor led Scootaloo through the empty corridor, and before long, they were standing underneath the green-lit exit sign. As the doctor and filly walked closer to the door, it automatically opened, and a gust of cold wind entered the room. For the first time in days, Scootaloo breathed in fresh air and gave a contented sigh. The orange Pegasus stepped out of the doorway, and looked back at Doctor Brown. He just stood there, watching her with a sympathetic frown. “Scootaloo, I’m really sorry for saying what I did back there. I didn’t even think about it before saying it.” Scootaloo was about to interject and tell the poor doctor that it was fine, but he continued on. “I know this must be a difficult time for you, especially at such a young age, but I will always be there for you. If you ever need to pop in and talk to me, feel free. I might not be able to give you any good advice, but I’ll be there to listen to you. You got that?” The small filly gave a small nod. She was touched at how much this doctor felt for her. Not only had he cared for her as a patient, but also as a friend. Scootaloo didn’t deserve anypony’s pity – she was a monster. A cold-blooded killer. Nopony will ever forgive her, let alone- Doctor Brown interrupted her thoughts. “Good. Hey, why don’t you go to Sugar Cube Corner? I heard Pinkie Pie went and made a little surprise for you.” A surprise? What kind of surprise? It better not be another random story. That last one didn’t even make sense. How in Equestria did Pinkie Pie defeat Nightmare Moon - the most scary and evil pony in the world? “What kind of surprise, Doc?” Scootaloo asked inquisitively, getting back to the point. Doctor Brown chuckled, before answering. “Please, Scootaloo - call me Charlie. Even if I knew what sort of surprise it was, I wouldn’t tell you! Go down there and find out for yourself. Take care now!” And with that, Charlie the unicorn returned to his work, helping and saving the lives of others. Scootaloo had to admit, Charlie had a certain charm. He understood her deepest feelings, and even allowed her to visit and console with him in the future. He was a very kind colt. Almost as kind as Rainb- No. It hurt her just thinking about her former mentor - Scootaloo just had to let it go. Trying to put all of her guilt to the back of mind, the filly began to walk in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner. ************************ As she made her way through town, Scootaloo felt like the entire population was watching her. Every pair of eyes bearing down on her. Glaring at her. Despising her for what she’d done. The pegasus gulped nervously before picking up the pace. In reality, nopony held any kind of contempt for her – all they felt was sorrow. It was sad losing one of the most charismatic ponies in Ponyville, but it was even sadder to watch Scootaloo suffer for it. The small filly couldn’t take it anymore, as her imagination got the best of her. She galloped away from the scene, trying not to return the looks of everypony. Eventually, Scootaloo reached her destination. The tall, silly-looking building loomed over her. Everything, it seemed, loomed over her that day.The filly opened the door and walked into the shop. The sweet smell of confectionary lingered in the air. Scootaloo never could resist the smell of cakes, and Sugar Cube Corner was the best cake shop in all of Equestria. “Hello? Anybody home?” Scootaloo called out nervously. Instantly, a pink blur appeared at the doorway. The blur moved quicker than anything Scootaloo had ever seen. One second she was at the doorway, and the next, she was at Scootaloo’s side, embracing her with a hug. Pinkie Pie. “Oh, Scootaloo! We were all so worried about you! Are you okay now? I hope Doctor Brown took good care of you.” Scootaloo gave a sheepish grin. If anypony could cheer her up at times like these, it was Pinkie Pie. “I’m fine, Pinkie, I just gotta take it easy for a couple of days. So, I heard you have a surprise for me?” There was a rush of air, and the pink pony standing in front of her was now gone. The small filly looked around her, but Pinkie was nowhere to be found. In a matter of seconds, the pink blur had returned with a big grin on her face. In her hooves was a tray of fresh cupcakes, all individually made, completely different to the one next to it. A wide array of colours and decorations lit up Scootaloo's violet eyes. “Dig in!” Scootaloo didn’t hesitate. After eating bland hospital food for a couple of days now, these cupcakes tasted heavenly. After gobbling down at least four, the filly slowed down. She blushed a fierce crimson after realising Pinkie was laughing at her. Scootaloo joined in the bouts of laughter. “Oh, yeah! I have another surprise for you! Just close your eyes for a sec.” Scootaloo did as she was told, and she heard another rush of air. “Okay, hold out your hooves!” Again, Scootaloo followed Pinkie’s command. She felt something drop onto her hooves. Curious, the small filly felt around the object. It was definitely plastic – she could tell just by the feel of it. The object was almost impossible to guess – it just had so many random curves and edges. No longer keeping her promise, Scootaloo opened her eyes. In her hooves was a pair of goggles. Both sides contained the Wonderbolts insignia, a yellow lightning bolt joined by a set of wings. On the strap was a crude drawing of cloud, with a rainbow lightning bolt shooting out. Next to this was a messy signature. Scootaloo struggled to read it, but it said something like ‘Spitfire’. Wasn’t Spitfire the idol of her idol? Scootaloo gasped as her realisation hit her. The filly didn’t know what to think. No words could describe her emotions. These were Rainbow Dash’s goggles. Scootaloo didn’t know if it was sadness or just surprise that stopped her from talking. She tried to form words with her mouth, but nothing came out. Her eyes went wide, and a single tear rolled down her face. Pinkie Pie stood opposite to Scootaloo, her smile rapidly disappearing. “What’s wrong, Scoot? Don’t you like ‘em? Rainbow Dash gave them to me. She said if anything ever happened to her, I should give them to you, right away.” Pinkie Pie struggled to say that last bit. The pink pony started to frown. Her messy, pink mane fell down, forming into straight plait. Pinkie sat on the floor of the shop, and placed her head in her hooves. Several drops of clear liquid fell down her face as quiet sobs escaped from the mare, rapidly becoming louder and louder, until it was a full-on cry. Between sobs, Pinkie began to speak. “I...I...I miss her, Scoots! She was like...my best friend!” The rest of what the mare said wasn’t understandable. Scootaloo could hear the occasional word, but other than that, Pinkie was unintelligible. Scootaloo didn’t know what to do. Here she was, on the verge of tears herself and Pinkie Pie looked so unhappy. The small filly walked over to the shaking figure, and held her tightly in a hug. The mare returned the hug with such strength, Scootaloo almost suffocated. The pair just sat there on the floor of the shop, holding each other in a tight embrace. Both of them didn’t want to let go - it just seemed so wrong that Rainbow Dash wasn’t there. After a good couple of minutes, the ponies stood up. Pinkie Pie wiped her eyes, and reached for a cupcake. Scootaloo resisted the urge to cry, however much she wanted to. She had to remain strong, for Rainbow Dash. “Scootaloo...no matter what you may think, no-one blames you for Rainbow Dash’s death.” Pinkie began. “It was all just a silly accident and Dash wanted to save you, that’s all. Please don’t think that it’s your fault, or you won’t be able to move on with your life. If you ever feeling like talking to me, don’t hesitate.” Scootaloo gave a nod. That’s funny; Charlie said exactly the same thing. Why does everypony feel bad for her? Scootaloo doesn't deserve anypony's pity, let alone attention. After eating the last cupcake, Scootaloo thanked Pinkie Pie and said goodbye. With slight hesitance, Scootaloo picked up the goggles in her mouth and opened the door. The weather had taken a turn for the worst, and now, the day looked particularly gloomy. Scootaloo didn’t know why she’d picked up the goggles. Even to look at them hurt her beyond comprehension and reminded her of Dash. Why would Rainbow want Scootaloo to have them? Surely, the goggles must’ve been among Rainbow’s most prized possessions, so why give them to her? It just didn’t make any sense. Something in the wind changed, and rain came cascading down upon the small filly. The ponies around her ran for shelter, hiding under any source of protection. Scootaloo sighed. She was already soaked through and through from the downpour. What was the harm in a little more? Rain had always been calming to Scootaloo, ever since birth. There was just something so peaceful in it. Gentle lashes of liquid descending upon her body. Something about it just felt right. The small filly wandered through the streets of Ponyville, each step followed by a squelch. Scootaloo finally found her home and with a small creak, she opened the door. She staggered into her home, and placed the goggles down on the nearest table – she could look at them in more detail later. She closed the door, and began to shake. The rain, previously caught on her fur, flew out in a massive sprinkle of water. Feeling less damp, Scootaloo decided to lie on her bed. Obviously because of past events, she was unaware of how tired she was. The small filly gave a small sigh, before wondering if this day could get any worse.