“It’s me...” Apple Bloom said, with a sad look on her face. She was a little messy and had a tear on her cheek, “Seeing you today...” she looked up again. “I miss you, we never really see each other anymore.” She softly bit her bottom lip.
“We-well,” Scootaloo’s voice trailed of in a moment of weakness, “c-come in..” Scootaloo said, stepping out of the way. “I was just drafting up some blueprints.” She put on a half smile, hoping that she wouldn’t fall apart in front of Apple Bloom. “Nothing too big.”
“What happened here..?” Bloom asked, looking at the large mess on the floor.
“Zap died...” Scootaloo said with a long drawn-out sigh, looking at the large amount of glass and water on the floor. She felt bad for doing it, but she couldn’t help it. Nothing had gone her way. Nothing ever went her way. It’d been that way all of her life; she felt broken in that sense.
“That old fish you won at that carnival, years ago?” Apple Bloom said in shock. “It was still alive? How long has it been?” She had a wild look on her face, still not able to believe that a simple carnival fish could be alive after that long.
“Four years...” Scoots said, her eyes a little glassy. “I need to pick up the mess... I just didn’t have a good day.” She began to sweep up the glass, shoveling the fish onto a piece of paper unceremoniously.
“I’ll mop for you, okay?” Bloom said quietly. Scootaloo shook her head in reply. “What were you drafting?” She then asked, intrigued by Scootaloo’s work. She had somewhat of a similar trade, and wanted to share some stories.
“Plans.” Scootaloo muttered lowly, dropping the glass into a bin. She picked up the paper and placed it on the table, then continued to mop up the floor. She stopped again to ask,“So, what have you been up to? Besides work and all,” before returning to wipe up the water.
“Well, not much, honestly. I’m always tied up. Do you mind if I hang out? Its been way too long.” Bloom looked around the dimly lit house, “And you should turn lights on, too dark.”
“Yeah, stay a while. It’ll be nice having company.” Scootaloo yawned a bit and walked into her workshop motioning for her friend to follow. Apple Bloom walked in behind her while eyeing the blueprints on Scoot’s workbench.
“What’s that?” Bloom asked, raising her brow slightly.
“Well, it’s... hard to explain.” Scootaloo said, with a determined look in her eye, as she continued. “You know I can’t fly with my wings,” A soft tone spoken “But I ran into inspiration today.”
“Define ‘inspiration’,” Apple Bloom requested. Her intrigue shifted from the actual art to the mechanics her friend planned on crafting.
“Well, I feel I should show you instead.” Scoots stated. “But first, I have to do something with Zap.” She looked at the table, then to Bloom. “Any ideas?”
“It’s a fish, I’m not really sure.” Bloom carried on “If it were me, I’d just flush it. However, I know he meant a lot to you, so we should give him some form of ceremony.”
“Yeah, but what? I would feel weird just flushing him like that,” pondered Scootaloo. “I feel we should have a silent burial. It seems only right. He was a dear friend.” She knew she was being a bit melodramatic, but she still could not help it at the loss of her long-time pet.
“Why not send him on his way in the creek?” Apple Bloom considered excitedly. “I think it would be nice to send him back where he came from. It’d be very fitting for a fish.”
Scootaloo’s heart was warmed a little, excited in a way to once again share a moment with her dear old friend.
The two walked down the dim lamp-lit streets of Ponyville. The click-clack underneath their hooves creating the only sound in the silent night. The cool, crisp fall air whispered slightly as it blew by. As the pair reached the creek on the edge of Ponyville, the wind picked up. The fall leaves drifted carelessly by. Scootaloo sat on the edge of the small river, silent. Apple Bloom stood close and kissed the other mare’s forehead. Scootaloo had tears in her eyes. Not just because of the fish. To be honest, she normally wouldn’t have gotten so worked up, but the events of the past week had dragged her down. She’d never really expressed it before and the melodrama of the current situation gave her a reason.
Scootaloo emptied the fish into the water, then crumpling the paper it was in. Apple Bloom planted herself next to Scootaloo, also silent.
“Two more days,” Scootaloo said aloud. She didn't mean to say it, it was just so quiet.
At first, this confused Apple Bloom. She sat there for a good thirty seconds, silently trying to figure out what she meant. She gave up and asked, “T-two days ‘till what?” She spoke in a low murmur, scared of the answer she would receive.
Scootaloo looked up at her with watery eyes for a few seconds, then back down to the flowing stream of water. Tears fell with the movement of her head. She hoofed the paper over to Apple Bloom without a word.
Apple Bloom opened it. Her lips parted slightly and she looked back up to Scootaloo whose eyes were closed, a steady stream of tears slowly dancing down her face. Here eyes wandered back down to the paper still in disbelief. “Why...?” She questioned, not having finished her sentence. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Scootaloo moved her eyes away from Bloom as she spoke. “I was scared you’d just abandon me.” She let out a long sigh.
“Why would I?” Apple Bloom said. She was in shock that Scootaloo would even think that. “Why would I abandon you when you need me the most?” Apple Bloom opened her mouth to speak again, but only a small noise escaped her throat. She decided it was best not to say anything. Instead she continued with a hug, wrapping her forelegs around the other stroking her mane. “It’ll be fine, sugar cube, just hold out.”
“Why can’t I at least have them?” Scootaloo said looking up at Bloom, like a child to a parent.
Apple Bloom’s expression got even more sorrowful. “I don’t know... I really don’t.” She continued to hold her friend tightly in the hopes of comforting her.
Scootaloo broke down crying, pushing herself into Bloom. She sobbed, a pool of tears forming on Apple Blooms lap. “Why is this happening to me?”
Bloom sat, softly stroking the other’s head, “It’ll be okay.” she said, but Scootaloo’s crying only got worse. She sat with her until she was nearly done, until the sobbing turned into irregular, sharp breathing, and sniffles. “It’s fine, honey,” Apple Bloom reassured.
Soon the tears soon stopped. The young female’s eyes were red from crying. She had finally broke, but at least she felt better. It was around midnight now and Bloom knew it was time to head in. They’d been sitting there for a few hours in the cold, “We need to get inside, Scootaloo,” Bloom stated, “we’ll get sick...”
Scootaloo nodded somberly and stood up, her head low. She slightly leaned on Apple Bloom on their slow walk to her house.
Upon entering, Scootaloo laid down on her couch, still silent. Her face was expressionless. Apple Bloom followed close behind closing the door and flipped on a light. She sat on a chair opposite the couch. The warm, blue felt underneath her cold flank felt good, but she hardly noticed it through her worry.
“So...” Apple Bloom said, dragging out the syllable. Scootaloo perked her ears to let Bloom know she was listening. “Why do you have to get them...amputated?”
“Amputation”, thought Scootaloo. It scared her. It was a scary thought to lose your wings. Admitting it made it feel...worse. Something a Pegasus should never have to live through. But, for her better interest and well-being, she must.
She snuggled into her couch, reluctant to talk at first, then turning her head. She paused for a moment before sitting up and saying, “I’m getting blood clots because of problems with my avian marrow.” She looked down, her eyes watering again. “It can cause... bad complications.” She put a slight emphasis on complications, Bloom knew what she meant signified by a grim lowering of her head.
“Well, honey, you need to get your mind off of it. Thinking about it will only make it worse,” said Apple Bloom with a concerned pitch, her voice tailing off a bit as she finished. Scoot weakly nodded and rose to her hooves. Apple Bloom smiled as she did this, a sign of improvement in her eyes. “How about I stay the night, and we can stay up while you draw up your plans and talk, okay?” Bloom let out, in an attempt to cheer Scoot up.
“That sounds... nice...” Scootaloo said, as she forced a smile; small as it may have been, a smile none the less. Time with her friend WAS what she needed, and she got that. Scoots walked back to the workshop, motioning the opposite to follow. Apple Bloom stood and walked in behind her.
“Here it is.” Scootaloo said, pointing out the blueprint on her desk to Bloom.
“Is... is that a rocket pack?” Apple Bloom asked, aghast.
Scootaloo was suddenly embarrassed, though she couldn’t quite figure out why. Maybe it was because ponies weren’t supposed to go into space.
“Pretty nifty, huh?” Scootaloo’s mood rose slightly just being around Apple Bloom. She picked up her drafting bar with her mouth and made tweaks and adjustments to the numbers scribbled on the page.
“So, how did you get your cutie mark?” Bloom asked Scootaloo. “I wasn’t around that day when you got it.” Saying it aloud made her feel bad. She realized that Scoot was there for her every step of the way. Scootaloo was the only one who got it alone. This did not sit well with Apple Bloom and it made her feel sick to her stomach.
“Well, shortly after my 13th birthday, I still wanted to fly, you know?” She tucked the graphite in the corner of her mouth as she spoke. “So I drew up some plans for a flying machine, she looked up to the ceiling where it was posted, they were prosthetic wings she never actually built. “Yeah, then I realized I wanted to fly like Rainbow Dash. That’s when it appeared.”
Apple Bloom looked at her. “Oh, I see now. Well, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” She sulked a bit as Scoot continued to draft her intricate plans. They made small talk for a few hours while Scootaloo finished the shell design of the jet battery. She made sure that the shell had enough room for any parts, while staying structurally sound, and even to avoid breaking.
“Well, I think I better hit the hay, Scootaloo,” Bloom said with a yawn. “Where do I sleep?” Her eyes were drooping, she had stayed up much later than she was used to.
“Well, you can have the bed; I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight.” Scoots replied. She laid the graphite down and turned to face Bloom.
“Alright, well, have fun, and get to sleep soon.” Scootaloo nodded and swiveled back to her blueprints. Apple Bloom turned around to head upstairs.
As morning came, Bloom slowly got out of bed, still not all the way there. She staggered to her hooves, shaking out her curls. She stumbled her way down the stairs, into the workshop, where she found a passed out Scootaloo.
Scootaloo was resting her head on one of her hooves, her mouth just slightly open, her face covered by her short mane. Bloom wiped her eyes out to get a better visual and proceeded to pick up the other female and move her to the couch. She went upstairs to fetch a blanket, returning to find that Scootaloo was already awake. She was pulling out a yawn and rubbing her eyes, sitting up on the couch. “Good morning Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said in a tired voice. “Did you move me here? I don’t remember falling asleep in on the couch.”
“Yeah, I did. So do you want breakfast, it looks like you had a long night.” Bloom said as she sat on the couch and draped the blanket over Scoots shoulders.
“Yeah, that sounds...” The next few words were slurred too much to be audible. Scootaloo’s eyes drooped, her head hung low, still very fatigued from her long night.
“I’ll get started on that right away, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom said, standing up again. Scootaloo nodded, barely able to lift her head.
Apple Bloom cantered cheerily to the kitchen to cook up some breakfast. She scoured the cupboards and cabinets to find the necessary ingredients; she pulled out some sugar, flour, hay, bran, raisins and two apples. Turning on the oven to preheat, she diced the apples into tiny bits and mixed the raisins in. Thinking for a second, she fetched some milk and some yeast. Measuring out the ingredients in precise amounts, she mixed them into a sweet smelling batter. Tossing the bulk of the fruit mix into the bowl, she got out a muffin tin and filled four of the shells. Sprinkling some hay on top, she deemed them ready and set them in the oven to bake.
She paused again, pondering how to make breakfast more filling. She diced all of the hay some and crushed it into powder, adding it to a blender, dumping in the remainder of the fruit mix. She also added some wheat grass, bananas, and plain yogurt.. She turned on the blender and mixed it into a thick milkshake for them. Soon after, the oven pinged. Apple Bloom pulled out the perfectly browned muffins and removed them, putting two on a plate. She sat the plates at the two person table along the kitchen wall, filling a glass with the shake setting it by the plate. She cleaned up her cooking mess, setting the wet utensils out to dry.
Apple Bloom walked back into the den to find Scootaloo slumped over passed out again. She poked the pegasus, who immediately awoke. “It’s ready.” Apple Bloom said in a cheery voice, hoping to make the awakening more bearable.
Scootaloo let out a dazed, “Okay,” then stood slowly, rocking back and forth ever so slightly. She made her plodding way to the kitchen, the wonderful fruit smells wafting about in a dance. They woke her up slightly, made noticeable by more opened eyes and a lick of the lips. They sat down at the table. She took a bite of one of her muffins and chewed it slowly. “Thank you, this is really good.” She said, she hadn’t swallowed yet, she was too tired for good manners.
“My pleasure,” Apple Bloom replied. She took a bite, sipping on the milkshake. The two finished their breakfast in silence. “Well, I have to go... Ill be here tomorrow, I’ll go to Canterlot with you for the surgery, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Scootaloo said, almost fully awake now. “See you tomorrow, and thank you for breakfast.” Apple Bloom took the plates and washed them off as well. “You didn't have to do that for me,” Scootaloo kindly stated, “but, thank you.”
“It’s really no problem at all, sugar cube,” Apple Bloom said in reply. She stretched out and headed towards the door, “Seeya tomorrow!” She took her leave with a goodbye from Scootaloo.
Scootaloo couldn’t eat for the rest of the day in preparation of the surgery, so she stayed indoors all day finishing a blueprint for an office building for Manehatten. It was to be a modern style office with glass paneling. She went to bed early to be well rested for the next day.
Scootaloo awoke to a knock at her door. She pulled herself out of bed, energized from the nice rest. She called out, “Hold on, I’m coming,” To let the other pony know she was on her way. She ran a brush over her mane and hustled to the door.
Upon opening it she found it to be Apple Bloom. “Come on in.” She said, stepping out of the way.
Bloom had a concerned look on her face, hoping her friend would be okay at the end of the day. “Are you ready to leave?”
Scoots put on a smile, glad that Apple Bloom would be by her side, “Yeah, whenever you are.”
“So how are we gunna get there?” Bloom questioned. She yawned a bit, as it was still early.
“Chariot, I need to be there within a few hours.” said Scootaloo, Apple Bloom nodded. Scootaloo’s smile had turned into a scared look, “I can’t eat today, so we can go now.” She said nervously. Today was the day she had waited a whole month for. Today was going to knock all worry away if the outcome was good. But it would also strip from her her birthright as a Pegasus.
“Where are we going to meet the chariot at?” Apple Bloom looked at a clock then to Scootaloo again.
“Near the front of town.” She too looked towards the clock, “We had better get going, it’ll be here in about 20 minutes.” With a nod from Apple Bloom, they exited the house. Together they began the trek to the hospital that would change Scootaloo forever.
They sat on the bridge in front of Ponyville, hanging their hooves over the edge. Scootaloo was flapping her wings softly, knowing this was the last chance she would get. The chariot pulled up. This was it. These were the final few hours of Scootaloo being a true Pegasus, at least in her eyes...
An hour after departing, they stood at the gate to the hospital. It was time. Scootaloo took a gulp and boldly walked into the surgery building. Her eyes were wet, the droplets pooling around the corner of her eyes.
The pair sat in the waiting room after signing in, still silent. The head surgeon popped out and called Scootaloo into the operating room. Before going Apple Bloom called out, “I’ll be waiting here when you’re done, I promise, good luck.” Scootaloo turned around, a single tear hitting the floor before she disappeared behind the door. After Scoot was out of sight Apple Bloom leaned into her hooves and began to weep for her dear friend.
An hour into the surgery, Apple Bloom became hungry. She hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning. She got up, looking at the door before making her way to the cafeteria. She bought a sandwich, quickly eating it, returning to her place.
Waking up so early, she quickly got tired just sitting, so she grabbed a pencil and paper, doodling for about an hour. She eventually got too tired to continue, she rested her eyes to nap.
Apple Bloom woke up to a nudge. He eyes opened slowly as she asked, “Scootaloo?” to see that it was a nurse pony with a smile. She was relieved to see the smile, it gave her confidence that the surgery went good.
“Well, the operation was successful and she’s in recovery. She’s still out, but if you want to see her, you can.” Apple Bloom’s mood rose dramatically. She was relieved to hear the Scootaloo was going to be okay. She stood up, following the nurse into the recovery room.
There she was, the beautiful orange pony with the short purple mane. She was sleeping on her side. Bandages barrel-wrapped over her chest and around her back. Her eyes were closed. She was breathing softly, the covers pulled up over her bottom half. She was hooked into different machines and IV drips. She looked innocent, and precious, so peaceful. It was over, she no longer had wings.
No more wings.