The Price of Home
It was summer. That was the main thing. Sunlight beat down on Ponyville mercilessly. Temperatures ranged in the middle eighties, with the hottest hours of the day still to come. A light breeze did its level best to take the edge off the heat, but to no avail. Birds chirped in the trees, and squirrels and rabbits muttered their discontent with the weather. Ponies staggered along the street, sweating and dehydrating, as they moved through their daily routines. Lines stretched backwards for quite a distance at every ice-cream parlor, ice vendor, and popsicle stand in town. Even a ramshackle lemonade stand built from a cardboard box received undue attention under the glaring sun. The three fillies running the stand operated in a blur of movement and confusion.
Scootaloo rubbed the sweat from her brow as Applebloom handed her yet another order. “I can only juice lemons so fast here!” she complained, grinding a lemon into pulp against the juicer. “Besides, I’m running out of ice! Sweetie Belle is taking too long!”
The white unicorn looked away from the giant block of ice she was chipping at. “Me?!” Sweetie Belle cried indignantly. “I have to wait for the orders, or the ice melts! And this pick Applebloom gave me is a piece of junk!” She began hacking angrily at the ice block in the cooler.
“Junk?” demanded the red-headed filly. “That’s mah sister’s best ice pick! You just ain't usin' it right! ‘Sides, I didn’t even want this job in the first place. Scootaloo called the lemons ‘fore I could get to ‘em!”
The argument quickly devolved into a fight. Customers stopped receiving service. The unattended ice continued melting in the open cooler. A chorus of angry shouts began to erupt from the line.
“Where’s my lemonade? I ordered it five minutes ago!”
“I need three drinks half an hour ago. Chop chop!
“I knew we should’ve lined up at that ice bar.”
A brown mare with green hair pushed to the front, brandishing her cup. “Hey! You three!” she shouted. The fillies stopped their scuffle to look at her. “You call this lemonade? I’d rather drink dirt in a cup!” She dumped the remainder of her cup out on the ground. She turned to the crowd. “Hey everypony! I heard they’re serving frozen yogurt on Cherry Street!”
With a roar and the pounding of dozens of hooves, the line of ponies evaporated in a race to reach the new vendor. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom were left coughing in a cloud of dust. In the ruckus, the cooler tipped over and spilled water onto the ground. The lemons scattered in every direction, and they never discovered where the cups disappeared to.
Scootaloo examined the measly pile of bits they’d managed to make before the commotion. “I don’t think the Cutie Mark Crusaders Lemonade Stand was such a great idea, girls,” she sighed.
“Aww,” moaned Applebloom. “Why do all of our plans go sour?” Nopony laughed.
They slumped together, miserable in the heat. “It’s hopeless!” whined Sweetie Belle. “We’ll never get our cutie marks at this rate!”
Scootaloo couldn’t help but agree with her. At least school’s out for a few months, she consoled herself. We’ll have plenty of time to try anything we can think of. She rubbed the sweat out of her eyes. If the heat doesn’t kill us, that is. “Cutie marks or no cutie marks, we’ve gotta get out of this sun,” she said out loud. “Any ideas?”
The other two thought about it for a moment. Sweetie Belle spoke up first. “Rarity’s boutique might be cooler,” she suggested. “She hates the summer heat.”
It was enough for Scootaloo. From under their now-useless lemonade stand box, she pulled her scooter and the red wagon hooked on behind it. As per their usual, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle entered the wagon and waited for takeoff. Someday, maybe they’ll pull me for a change, she thought somewhat bitterly.
* * * *
Carousel Boutique was definitely cooler than outdoors. Thanks to some spell Twilight had shown Rarity, the inside was a comfortable sixty-eight degrees. The white unicorn was completely unaffected by the oppressive heat. Unfortunately, the Crusaders’ pleas for mercy were equally ineffective. Three steps into the door, and the fashion designer stopped them dead.
“Oh no no no no no!” she told them. “I’m sorry girls, but I’m afraid I have too much to do to let you run amuck in here.” Scootaloo joined the others in begging and groveling. “I can let you stay a few minutes,” she relented, “but after that you’ll simply have to leave. I suppose I can find something for you to drink as well.”
Ten minutes and a glass of cold water later, they left the boutique. They’d cooled off just enough to feel the full force of the sun when they re-entered the heat. After some frantic scrambling and discomfort with the hot metal of the scooter and wagon, they reached the shade of the library. With the door locked and Twilight Sparkle absent, they were left out under the branches to plan their next move.
“How are we supposed to get our cutie marks in this heat?” Sweetie Belle groaned. “It’s like an oven out here!”
“Maybe if we go to Sweet Apple Acres, all those trees will be really shady,” Scootaloo offered.
Applebloom shook her head fervently. “All the trees in the orchard are spaced out too much,” she explained. “’Sides, Applejack ain’t gonna want us around while she’s tendin’ the fields. She’s gotta check which places ain’t getting’ enough water and need help.”
The three fillies sighed in disappointment. “What about your place, Scootaloo?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Is it cool at your house?”
Scootaloo gave a nervous twitch. “Uhh…no. No, it’s like a furnace at my place,” she answered quickly. “Maybe we could try the lake.”
“Come to think of it,” pondered Applebloom, “I don’t think we’ve ever been to yer place, Scootaloo. Or met yer family.”
“Hey, yeah!” piped up Sweetie Belle. “We always go to Rarity’s, or Sweet Apple Acres, or sometimes Fluttershy’s cottage. I don’t think I even know where you live.”
Panic began to grip Scootaloo under her friends’ scrutiny. “I…uh…” she floundered, looking for a way out.
She was saved by loud shouting. “What do you think you’re doing with that cumulus, Raindrop?” it yelled from above. “It goes over there, above the post office! And what about you, Thunder Lane? Why are you just sitting there when you could be doing something useful?”
The noise was enough to distract the other two, and Scootaloo exhaled in relief. The Crusaders collectively peeked out from under the library’s foliage and up at the sky. Rainbow Dash hovered in the middle of a group of pegasi arranging clouds in various positions. She held a clipboard in her hooves and barked orders in every direction. It was one of the rare moments Scootaloo actually saw her actively performing her duties as captain of the weather ponies. The young pegasus watched enviously as the crew flew back and forth over Ponyville.
Someday, she told herself, looking at her own set of small wings. If Scootaloo had a single wish, it wouldn’t be getting her cutie mark. More than anything, she wanted to fly. Fly as fast and high as Rainbow Dash, right alongside her idol if possible. Well, that was almost true. There was one thing she wanted more…
“Alright! Lunch break everypony!” the rainbow-maned captain announced. “Be back here in an hour!” Needing no further encouragement, the weather team scattered. Rainbow Dash herself drifted down to the ground in front of the library. Picking a shady spot, she reclined against the trunk of the building.
Scootaloo, never one to pass up talking to her idol, ran over to the mare with her friends in tow. “Rainbow Dash!” she called as she approached.
The mare looked over at them when she heard her name. “Hey Crusaders. What’s up?” she asked lazily. “Got your cutie marks yet?” They shook their heads sadly. “Well, keep tryin’. You’ll get there eventually.” Her eyes began to scan the sky.
“Any ideas for radical new things to try?” Scootaloo asked hopefully.
“Or at least a way to keep cool in this heat?” added Sweetie Belle.
Rainbow Dash gave it a moment’s thought. “Have you tried flying trapeze yet?” she suggested. “Or sword-swallowing? That’d be awesome!” She grinned at her own idea.
“No offense, Rainbow Dash,” Applebloom interjected, “but I don’t think those ideas are quite what we’re lookin’ for.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “At least not when it’s so hot out,” the filly added nervously.
Disappointed at the turn in conversation, Scootaloo wracked her brains for an excuse to keep talking to Rainbow Dash. “Oh! Maybe you can give us a flight demonstration!” exclaimed the young pegasus eagerly.
The cyan mare shook her head. “Can’t today, kid. There’s way too much to do,” she explained apologetically. “Half the weather team didn’t even show up today, and we’ve got our hooves full trying to keep clouds in the sky. This is probably the only break I’ll get all day.”
“Then I guess we’d better make it count,” called a voice off to the side. Four heads turned to see a grey pegasus land a few yards away and trot over. On his back was a bag that obviously carried some sort of food item. Scootaloo felt the usual loathing build up inside of her as he approached.
“It’s about time you showed up, Zephyr!” Rainbow Dash groused irritably. “I was wondering if I’d even get lunch today.” He smiled good-naturedly. The athlete stood up from her spot against the tree and snatched the bag from him.
“Yours is the one on top,” he said as she reached inside. In seconds she withdrew an item Scootaloo knew to be a grilled cheese and cucumber sandwich, Rainbow Dash’s favorite. Zephyr looked over at the Crusaders. “Hey girls,” he greeted them cheerfully.
“Hi Zephyr!” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said together.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Hi,” she muttered. Zephyr seemed not to notice her distaste for him. Or the fact that she was trying to murder him with her glare. “We were just talking with Rainbow Dash.”
The mare in question had made her sandwich disappear with speed worthy of Pinkie Pie. “Alright, let’s go,” she told Zephyr. Following the statement, Rainbow Dash gave a loud belch that shook the tree limbs above them. “I wanna get in a good flight before we get back to the grind,” she continued. Zephyr, stunned from receiving the full effect of the blast, nodded dumbly.
Scootaloo gritted her teeth as the two of them flew off. Jerk, she thought after the stallion. “Ugh! I was totally gonna ask her today!” she grumped loudly. “How the hay am I supposed to get flying lessons when Zephyr always swoops in and ruins it?” True, it had only happened once or twice, but what did that matter?
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom each put hooves on her shoulder. It was no secret how much it irked her that she couldn’t fly. “Cheer up, Scootaloo,” the white unicorn encouraged her. “I’m sure you’ll be flying in no time!”
“Ah still can’t believe those two’re dating,” Applebloom said. “And it’s so weird. One minute, they’re fightin’ and arguin’, and the next they’re jokin’ and laughin’ with each other.”
For the last month or so, Rainbow Dash’s relationship with Zephyr had been the topic on everypony’s lips. Gossip abounded, centering on skepticism that the rough-and-tumble tomboy of a mare could be tamed by any stallion (or at least, any sane stallion). The storm with which the grey pegasus had nearly destroyed Ponyville was practically a non-event by comparison.
Scootaloo didn’t hate him personally. He was actually pretty cool, second only to Rainbow Dash in awesome flying. Even his weird venty-whatever-it-was powers were pretty neat. But every time he showed up, Zephyr became the center of her idol’s attention. The orange filly may as well not even exist if he was present. And with all the cool things she wanted to learn from Rainbow Dash, being ignored stung even more.
“How long do ya think she’ll stay like that?” Applebloom’s voice asked behind her.
“I think she’s coming out of it,” answered Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo blinked rapidly, realizing she’d spaced out in the direction Rainbow Dash had left. Spinning, she saw her two friends’ stares become masks of innocence. She snorted. “Come on girls. Let’s try cooling off at the lake,” she ordered. Without waiting for an answer, she began walking over to the scooter and wagon. In seconds, the Crusaders were once again on the move.
* * * *
“I don’t think Scootaloo likes me,” Zephyr said after they took off. After the way she’d been glaring at him it seemed like understatement, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
“Well, you can’t please everypony,” Rainbow Dash replied. It was clear from her tone she wasn’t really interested.
He sighed. “I guess not. Especially after what I did,” he agreed.
His companion made an exasperated noise. “Will you give it a rest already?” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Nopony blames you for that stupid storm! In fact, I’d be happy to talk to somepony about that for a change!”
Zephyr winced. Like Rainbow Dash, he’d been assailed with questions about their relationship. Everypony and their grandmother seemed to find it some great mystery that the two of them were dating. “I still feel bad about it, though,” he muttered. Louder, he said “It’s my fault we’re so short on clouds. When I made that thing, I used up half of Ponyville’s seasonal allotment!”
“Yeah, and thanks to you we’ve also managed to replace quite a bit of it,” she retorted. For no reason at all, she executed a quick barrel roll. Rainbow Dash claimed it helped her relax, but Zephyr was pretty sure she was showing off for anypony watching. “Your weird ventus powers are the reason Ponyville is an oven and not a bonfire,” the mare continued. “The clouds you've been putting together are just as good as the ones from Cloudsdale. It’s a good thing you volunteered to help out. Unpaid, I might add.” She shot him a glare.
Zephyr let out another sigh. “I told you, it’s not right to be paid for cleaning up your own mess!” he huffed indignantly. A scowl crossed his face. “Though I do seem to have put myself out of business. I haven’t gotten an odd job all week. I just wish I could find some steady work!” He couldn’t keep the frustration from his voice.
Rainbow Dash’s expression softened. She bumped him in the side, almost knocking him off balance. “Don’t worry so much,” she told him. “I hate it when you get so serious while I’m trying to relax.” After a moment of silent flight involving several loop-the-loops and dives, she spoke again. “Did you hear about the Everfree Forest getting more active? Sounds like something was moving around near the edge.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” he replied. “I doubt it’ll come anywhere near Ponyville.”
Another pause. Then: “Scoots did seem kinda upset, earlier.”
Zephyr face-hoofed, wondering how they’d come full circle like this. “Any guesses why?” he asked evenly.
“Might have something to do with not being airborne like me,” Rainbow answered. “I think she wants lessons or something.”
Zephyr was all set to roll his eyes and say ‘It’s all about you’ or something close when the words sunk in. “She can’t fly?” he asked, astonished. Rainbow Dash nodded. “Why not? Isn’t there anypony around here to teach her? Couldn’t you do it?”
The cyan pegasus just shrugged. “She’s never actually asked. As for nopony teaching her, she’ll probably get sent to Cloudsdale flight camp soon. It’s what most ponies around here do,” she explained casually.
“Cloudsdale? But that’s so far away!”
“Yeah, but there isn’t anywhere else to go,” she shot back. “Cloudsdale’s about the only place you can get quality instruction. It’s either flight camp or learning on your own.”
Zephyr screeched to a stop in mid-air. “Hold on, say that again!” he exclaimed in a sudden burst of inspiration.
Rainbow Dash halted her flight a few yards past him. “Well, you either train under a professional at flight camp or you muddle through and—”
“Not that,” he told her, shaking his head. “The other thing.”
“Cloudsdale’s the only place you can get instruction—?” she repeated, not sure what he was looking for.
“That’s it!” he cried. “Every young pegasus has to go to flight camp to learn to fly! They don’t have a choice!” He pointed a hoof. “But what if they did?” Zephyr closed the gap between them and grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulders. “What if there was a flight instructor right here in Ponyville?”
Rainbow Dash just stared blankly at him for a moment. Eventually, though, Zephyr saw the light bulb switch on in her maroon eyes. “Of course! You could totally teach foals to fly!” she blurted, catching on. “And instead of going all the way to Cloudsdale, they could just stay here with their folks!” Her voice began to reflect his own enthusiasm.
“I’ve even got experience,” he reminded her. “I taught those four pegasi at Longsaddle everything they know about flying! All I’d need is a teaching license!” He kissed her quickly on the cheek and began rocketing off in a different direction.
“Where do ya think you’re going?” she demanded, yelling after him.
“The mayor’s office!” he shouted back. “I’m gonna apply for that license right now!”
“You better be back to work when lunch hour ends!” Zephyr heard her threaten. Grinning, he increased his speed. Flight training, he thought. Why did it take me this long to figure that one out?
* * * *
As the sun sank into the horizon, relative cool finally washed over Ponyville. A tender breeze moved through previously stagnant air. Crickets entered into their nightly chorus and thousands of fireflies blinked in the dusk.
Scootaloo wheeled slowly on her scooter through the streets of Ponyville. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had already headed home, leaving her alone in the empty lanes. All around her, shops lay closed and empty for the night, working hours over. The silent, lonely journey would have been creepy and maddening if she hadn’t made it so many times.
As always, her wandering brought her to the large gingerbread house/bakery everypony in town loved. Sugarcube Corner looked lively and welcoming even in the dark. The orange filly cruised around to the back, by the dumpster the Cakes used. Waiting for her in front of the back door was a brown paper bag with a note.
Heya Scoots! it read. Sorry I can’t give these to you in person, but I’m super-duper busy helping out with the twins! Pound Cake helped me pound the dough for you though, and Carrot Cake licked the spoon to make sure it was tasty! I wanted to lick the spoon because the raw dough is super yummy, but I didn’t want Carrot to feel left out! Anyway, enjoy! Your best friend: Pinkie :)
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. Pinkie’s nice and all, she thought, but would it kill her to be less… She couldn’t even think of the right word. Then the aroma from the bag reached her nose. Chocolate chip! she identified gleefully. Her mouth began to salivate a little and a low roar erupted from her empty stomach. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t eat the cookies yet. Not here.
The young Crusader loaded the bag onto her scooter and began speeding down the alleys of Ponyville. After a few turns, she ended up on one of the main avenues of the small town and continued on her way.
As the last light of sunset began to fade, Scootaloo caught movement from the corner of her eye. Another couple of seconds and an indistinct figure of grey landed on the street in front of her. Had her friends been attached by the wagon to the back of her scooter, collision would have been unavoidable. As it was, the orange filly came to a grinding halt almost nose to nose with the grey pony. Large blue eyes stared down at her.
“Evening, Scootaloo!” Zephyr greeted her with a smile. “Out late I see.”
Scootaloo groaned unhappily. Jeez! Not this clown! she thought with irritation. “What’s it to you?” was her defiant reply.
“Nothing really.” He seemed completely oblivious to her hostility. “It’s just convenient, honestly. I wanted to ask you something.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Would you like to learn how to fly?”
Scootaloo stared at him like he’d just sprouted antennae. Flight lessons?! Sure, she wished she could fly. But she wanted to learn from Rainbow Dash, not her idol’s weirdo of a boyfriend! Besides, why would he even ask in the first place? “Yeah,” she spat. “Rainbow Dash is gonna teach me someday.”
At last, comprehension of the fact she disliked him flickered in his eyes. Not that it bothered him much. “That’s great. When did you ask her?” he probed without malice. When Scootaloo offered him no reply, he continued. “Well, until then, how about you let me get you started? You’d really be doing me a favor.”
That piqued the Crusader’s curiosity a bit. “How would I be doing you a favor by learning to fly?” she inquired.
“I’m trying to get a flight school started here in Ponyville,” the grey pegasus explained. “But to do that, I need Madame Mayor to issue me a teaching license. She told me she’d do it if I successfully taught a trial student. I’d like it to be you.”
She wanted to say no, to say she didn’t want anything to do with him. But…“Why me?” Scootaloo asked, stalling for time. “Why not somepony else?”
Zephyr brought his head down and level with her own. “Because you want it the most,” he answered. “I need a student who can give me their best every day. One who won’t back down or give up. And according to Rainbow Dash,” he added, “you’re the most determined and persistent young pegasus I could hope for.”
The air went out of Scootaloo like she’d been sucker-punched. “Rainbow Dash…really said that about me?” she breathed. The stallion nodded slowly. She bit her lip out of indecision. “But I…” She floundered a few seconds, trying to find a reason to say no. Inspiration finally struck. “I can’t afford lessons!” she blurted out. “Yeah, my family is low on cash. And I don’t know if they’d like it if I took lessons from you. They’re really…particular!”
She found herself on the receiving end of one those looks grown-ups gave you when they thought you were lying. “Scootaloo,” he said in a low voice. “The lessons are free, if you want them. I know you don’t like me much, but I’m not asking you to. What I am asking is this. What’s more important: avoiding me, or flying as fast and high as you want whenever you want?”
The words almost came out of her mouth right there. Scootaloo had to bite her tongue not to say yes on the spot. “I’ll…think about it,” she choked out. With a jerk and a kick, she set her scooter into motion and shot past him. “I’ll tell you tomorrow!” she shouted back at him.
* * * *
With Zephyr and his frustrating offer ten minutes and nearly two miles behind her, Scootaloo at last felt herself breathe easy. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” she called. There was no answer, so she went on in. Shedding her scooter and helmet, she carried the bag of cookies into the main living area.
As she did every night, the orange filly lit the candles set up in the room. As the chamber lit up, she looked all around. On the floor lay several of her toys and a few other small objects. Everything, including refuse from previous meals, was completely undisturbed. With the sun gone, a chill settled into the air.
“Me and the Crusaders tried to sell lemonade today!” Scootaloo shouted. “It didn’t pan out too well. After that we were stuck trying to get out of the heat.” No response came. Unfazed, she walked further inside. In the corner stood a wooden table set for three. Scootaloo climbed into a seat that faced the other two and set the bag of cookies on the table. Humming to herself, she began dumping cookies out onto the three plates.
“You’ll never guess what happened on my way home though,” she said to the two sitting across from her. “It was that jerk Zephyr. He offered me free flying lessons to help start his own flight school.” Compulsively, she checked to make sure the portions were even and they’d all gotten the same number of cookies. “I was gonna say no, but then he told me Rainbow Dash personally recommended me.” She went quiet for a moment. “You wouldn’t mind if I said yes, would you? ‘Cause I really, really wanna fly!” she pleaded.
The orange filly looked across the table. The picture—in which an orange pegasus with short, red hair held a green earth pony mare with a flowing blue mane—just sat silently. As always, her parents’ faces smiled back at her from a green, meadow-like place she didn’t remember. The picture was crooked in its frame, as she’d been unable to hold the camera straight when she took it.
“Really? You don’t mind?” she asked the picture. She heard no argument. Scootaloo reached over and hugged the image of her parents. As she did so, she looked all around. The cave’s smooth stone walls made the candlelight seem eerie and depressing. The handful of possessions she owned were scattered strategically across the hard ground. In the deepest corner of the cave, her pillow and blanket lay unkempt behind a large stone.
If she closed her eyes, squeezed them as tight as she could, Scootaloo could almost pretend it was a house. This piece was her room, that one was her parents’. It almost worked. But she knew that when she went to bed, the illusion would end. Whether it was the hard stone she slept on, the frigid draft, or the ever-present, soul-crushing silence, it was impossible to believe she slept in anything but a damp cave well outside of Ponyville.
Her stomach rumbled loudly, demanding the food it knew was there. Yielding to hunger, she released the hug and picked up her first cookie. “Eat up, you two!” Scootaloo told the adults in the photo. “You don’t want to be hungry again in a few hours.” After her admonishment, she took large bite from her cookie.
As chocolate chip, flour, and a dozen other ingredients played off her tongue, unbidden memories rose to the surface. The young pegasus remembered sitting in the kitchen, begging her mother for raw cookie dough as she baked batch after batch. At last, her mother would sigh and offer her the spoon to lick clean. Her father would walk in, with a mock-serious expression on his face, and demand to know who dared to lick the spoon before him. Terrified, Scootaloo had hidden it behind her back and feigned ignorance, only to be discovered and ruthlessly tickled to death.
The orange filly swallowed the mouthful and the memory ended. Rather than continue, she stared wistfully at the cookie’s remainder. At least until her stomach roared at her again. I think I’m getting better, she thought hopefully. She was right. She almost took her second bite before the tears began to fall.
* * * *
One hour into Zephyr’s training regimen and Scootaloo already regretted her choice. Three hours in, and she regretted her birth. By the day’s end, she didn’t have enough energy to regret anything. But from the beginning, she actively questioned her teacher’s sanity.
“You want me to what?” she asked again.
“Run laps around Ponyville, flapping your wings,” Zephyr repeated patiently. “And you have to keep your hooves on the ground.”
“But I thought you were teaching me how to fly!”
“I am. Now, show me how you flap your wings.”
Biting back her irritation, the Crusader reluctantly complied. Her wings began to buzz quickly, like an insect’s. Her instructor shook his head. “Stop,” he ordered. “Not like that. Stretch your wings out as much as you can. Then move them up and down in long, smooth flaps.” The grey pegasus stretched his own wings and demonstrated. “Like this. Try it.”
Scootaloo did as instructed. After the first few flaps, she began to feel strain from muscles she didn’t know she had. “This feels weird,” she complained.
“It will for a while,” Zephyr informed her. “You’ll get used to it though. Alright. Let’s get moving. Start trotting.” Without waiting for her to comply, the stallion set off at an easy pace around the town’s borders. Muttering things no filly should ever say, Scootaloo ran to catch up. With her wings flapping at her sides, however, she nearly overbalanced after just five steps. This time, she didn’t even have the courtesy to mutter. “That’s breath you could be saving for later!” he shouted back at her.
After a few moments, she caught up to him and trotted alongside him. His longer stride meant she was required to work harder to keep pace with him. While she ran, she noticed ponies staring at them as they passed. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara pointed and snickered when they glimpsed her. “I feel so stupid!” she growled.
Zephyr looked over and smiled. “At least we look stupid together, right?” he chuckled.
By the end of the first lap around Ponyville, a good mile and a half by the route they took, Scootaloo’s lungs were on fire. Her wings screamed at her—especially the joints and sockets—to cease her flapping immediately. Thankfully Zephyr had her walk the second lap, but she still was required to flap her wings. If this is what flying is like, maybe I don’t want to learn how, she thought miserably when she learned they would be running two more laps.
When they finished with the laps, it was lunch time. The flight trainee greedily gulped down the peanut-butter and jelly sandwich her teacher offered and washed it down with a small lake’s worth of water. “That…wasn’t…so…hard,” she gasped between mouthfuls. Zephyr’s answering smile seemed innocent enough, but she would come to recognize it as a grin of evil.
After a break while lunch settled, he made her do push-ups. But not just normal push-ups; oh no, that would’ve been too easy. Every time she went down, Scootaloo folded her wings into place. But when she came back up, the orange filly snapped them open again. Her legs, already worn out from running, quickly grew to sympathize with her wings.
After push-ups, things only got worse. Sit-ups, running in place, suicide sprints, and a wide variety of painful stretches carried them into the afternoon. At about four o’clock, Zephyr at last allowed the filly to stop. Lungs heaving and every muscle in her body exhausted to the last, she flopped down where she stood. “Thank…Celestia…that’s…over,” she sputtered through her gasping.
The heat of the day had been beating down on her for the past hour. If she hadn’t drank water at every opportunity, she might have passed out from dehydration. As it was, she’d managed to sweat out most of what she consumed. Rather than take some sort of action to recover, she decided to just lie on the ground and enjoy not moving for a while.
That dream was ruined, however, when Zephyr grabbed her by the tail and hoisted her back to her hooves. “What gives?” she demanded, breath partially regained. “You said I was done!”
“You are,” he assured her. “But it’s dangerous to just stop moving like that. You’ve got to walk it off, or you’ll hurt yourself.” He tilted his head to the side, indicating the direction he wanted her to go. “We’re taking a walk to the lake.” With a sigh, Scootaloo reluctantly began to put one hoof in front of the other.
Despite her suspicions, it turned out to be a normal walk. Her wings, not required to flap, hung limply at her sides. Her instructor chatted about her progress and how proud he was of her effort, yada yada. She didn’t really pay attention; she just made sure she nodded in the right places. Whatever you say, crazy, she remarked silently. Keep up like this, and you’ll never get that stupid license.
When they reached the lake, it was crowded with ponies young and old trying to escape the heat. Zephyr practically pushed her into the water before diving in himself. As the cool, clear water washed over her, Scootaloo felt most of her aches and pains dissipate. For a while she just floated on the surface, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness and relief. But it was not long before the pony she least wanted to see appeared, ready to burst her bubble.
“Go away,” Scootaloo told him. “I’m trying to relax!”
“I know. Just one more thing before I take off,” Zephyr promised. “You should swim around some too. Flap your wings, go through the motions. Not fast or anything; just a few times nice and slow to loosen yourself up.” He flapped his wings a few times and lifted up out of the water. “Get some sleep, and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.” With that, he flew off and left her floating by herself.
The young pegasus waited a good fifteen minutes or so before allowing herself to take his advice. Experimentally, she flapped her wings a few times in the water. Pockets of tension she hadn’t felt before began easing themselves loose. Jolts of pain shot through her as the knots and kinks unclenched, but they left in their place a soothing numbness that permeated her whole body.
For another half hour, Scootaloo kicked and splashed around the lake. After that she emerged from the water, shook herself dry, and retrieved her scooter for the long trek home.
* * * *
Zephyr had a hard time keeping the amusement off his face when he gave his student the vest. Navy blue and twenty-odd pounds heavy, it fit snugly around the filly’s torso. “Gah! This thing weighs a ton!” she complained.
The would-be teacher rolled his eyes. He wore one as well, though the weight was closer to fifty pounds for his size. “I warned you that today was going to be tougher,” he chided gently. “Probably the hardest part of the whole program.” Not that it gets any easier for a few days, he added to himself. “If you can make it today, the rest should be no problem.” Scootaloo grumbled something that informed Zephyr he should have soap handy from this point forward. “Okay. Same drill as yesterday. Laps first.”
They set off at a reasonable pace (or at least, reasonable for him; his pupil struggled to keep up even at a trot). Years of training and a pre-acquired physical fitness level made the extra weight only a minor handicap. His student, lacking both and doubtless acutely aware of the previous day’s exertions, clearly did not enjoy the same success.
Zephyr had his misgivings about literally putting too much on the filly’s shoulders, but Scootaloo doggedly kept pace with him. Her face was screwed up in concentration as she ran, and her wingbeats had gained a steady rhythm. As long as he made sure to slow down every so often and let her cool off, the older pegasus was confident she could endure the training.
After six laps, they stopped for lunch at a table in the park. Once again, Zephyr had made sure to pack an extra sandwich for Scootaloo. Look at her go, he marveled as the filly tore into her lunch. I wonder if she’s getting enough to eat. In his contemplation, he missed something. His student stared at him as though expecting an answer.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” he asked. “I was out of it for a moment.”
Rolling her eyes, the orange filly repeated herself. “Is this how you’re gonna teach everypony who signs up?” If so, it was clear she disapproved.
He shook his head. “Not quite. I’m kind of giving you a deluxe course,” he admitted.
“Why?”
Zephyr rubbed the back of his head as he decided how to answer. “For one thing, it’ll help convince Madame Mayor I’m up to snuff. For another, it’s better for you. It might hurt now, but in the long run it’ll pay off.” He smirked. “Mostly, though, it’s because I really want to see you blazing through the sky the way it should be done.”
“Oh yeah? And what way is that?” she demanded. Rather than angry, she seemed genuinely curious.
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” he whispered. “What Rainbow Dash does—and me too, I suppose—isn’t flying.” She gave him a skeptical look. “Any two-bit pegasus can fly. Birds fly. What we do is defy gravity. We push ourselves to the brink, for no reason except that we can. We do it, again and again, because everything tells us we shouldn’t be able to. Between Sonic Rainbooms, Thunder Claps, and a thousand other death-defying acts of stupidity, we shatter what other ponies call ‘possible’. Forget reason. Forget limits. Those are just words. The only limits on what you can do are in here.” He tapped his skull a few times. “And in here.” This time he thumped his chest above his heart. “All it takes is hard work and a strong will, and you could be as fast as Rainbow Dash if you wanted.”
Scootaloo finished her sandwich as she digested the motivational speech he hadn’t meant to give. It caught the older pegasus off-guard when a determined grin stretched across her face. His student leapt from the table and began running in place. “Then I’m not gonna stop until I’m fast enough to leave you in the dust!” she shouted defiantly. “What’s the next exercise?”
* * * *
Five days later, an exhausted Scootaloo wondered if she’d been tricked or simply inflicted this misery on herself. In addition to the laps, stretches, and all the other junk she had to endure, her teacher had decided to add new torments as well. And for every one of them, she wore that despicable weighted vest.
One exercise required her to walk a tightrope a foot above the ground, using her wings for balance. Another required her to leap as far as she could aided by a single flap of her wings, over and over again. Wing-ups were added to the list right after the push-ups she was required to perform. It seemed Zephyr held an endless supply of ways to torture her body.
The orange filly slowly made her way to Carousel Boutique. It was Thursday, so that was her best guess at the location of her fellow Crusaders. Her scooter rolled along at a pace much slower than usual; partly from fatigue and partly so she could think.
It sure was nice of Zephyr to let me go early today, she thought as she scooted along. Maybe he wanted to spend time with Rainbow Dash. Whatever the reason, Scootaloo was grateful for the reprieve. Despite her bravado a few days ago, the training was beginning to wear on the young pegasus. Her living quarters made any of the much-needed sleep she got uncomfortable and shallow. Likewise, it was getting hard to keep enough food in her stomach to sustain the intense daily workouts demanded of her.
Scootaloo pulled herself from her musings to see she’d arrived. Carousel Boutique towered in front of her, and from within came a ruckus with the distinctive brand of Cutie Mark Crusader shouting. With a grin, the filly dismounted her scooter and approached the door. It was a good thing she moved slowly; otherwise she might have gotten hurt when the door slammed open.
Out flew her fellow Crusaders, shock evident on their expressions, to crash on either side of her. Rarity appeared at the doorway, eyes full of murder. “If the two of you can’t do something as simple as clean the foyer without causing a disaster, you will have to play your games somewhere else!” she yelled. “And if I ever find out which one of you threw out my silk edgings, THEY’LL NEVER FIND YOUR BODY!” The fashion designer slammed the door hard enough to make the whole building shake.
“What’s her problem?” Scootaloo wondered aloud.
“Scootaloo!” cried the two on the ground. Before she could react, the orange filly was tackled by both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.
“We was wonderin’ when you’d get a break!” Applebloom told her. “Crusadin’ ain’t been as much fun without you.”
“She’s right!” agreed Sweetie Belle. “We ran out of ideas days ago! And what we did come up with was just boring stuff!”
Scootaloo pushed her friends off and rose to her hooves. This is what I’ve been missing, she thought with a grin. “That’s good, ‘cause I was just thinking,” she said. “What if we try being Cutie Mark Crusader Treasure Hunters?”
* * * *
“So how’s the training going?” Rainbow Dash asked casually.
Zephyr sensed a disturbance. Maybe it was some weird side-effect of being a ventus. Maybe it was years of training and instinct. Maybe it was the very unhappy expression Rainbow Dash was wearing when she asked. Whatever the reason, the grey pegasus felt it would be in his best interests to proceed carefully. “Great,” he answered. “Scootaloo is making excellent progress. In a few more days, I’ll be putting her in the air.”
“Don’t you think that’s pushing things?” Again, he heard something strange in her voice. “Shouldn’t you give the kid a few days off?”
“I can’t. Not yet, at least.” That earned him a disapproving glare.
“Why not?”
“I’ve been doing my best to get her conditioned for serious flying. If I stop in the middle, the last few days will have been wasted.” Zephyr turned his gaze up to the sky. “Besides,” he added, “I gave her today off, didn’t I?”
Rainbow Dash snorted and followed his gaze. The two of them lay on a cloud fairly low in the air, trying to pick out funny shapes higher in the sky. Until the mare had spoken up, it had been rather peaceful. “So you can’t take another break like this until she’s flying?” she asked neutrally.
The synapses finally began firing in Zephyr’s brain. I’ve been completely ignoring her! came the stunning realization. He thought as fast as he could for a way to avert disaster. “Yes,” he replied slowly, “but…if you wanted, you could show up to help out with the training.” He dared a glance at his companion. “I’m sure it would mean the world to Scootaloo if you did.” His only ace played, Zephyr watched for a reaction and prayed it would work.
The cyan pegasus considered the offer for a moment. “I think I will,” she remarked. The grey stallion released the breath he’d been holding, relieved. “It’ll do Scoots good to have a pro watching!” She nudged him in the side playfully. “Besides, if you’re planning on putting another legend in the sky, I definitely want in!”
Legend? he thought incredulously. “I don’t know about a legend,” Zephyr admitted, “but I swear that kid’s going to be the best flier her age. I’m too good and she’s too tough for anything less.” He paused for a second before continuing. “Though I sometimes wonder if she’s getting enough to eat. Kid’s a scarecrow, and she always tears through her lunch like she’s starving.”
“Nah, kids are always hungry,” Rainbow Dash assured him. “Heck, I know I ate like Pinkie Pie when I was little. Especially whenever I practiced flying.” It sounded reasonable, but Zephyr still had his doubts. “Besides, too much food before training like yours is just asking for it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he agreed. With a smirk, he nudged Rainbow Dash back. “I’m getting kinda bored here. Wanna kick things up a bit?”
The rainbow-maned mare returned his smirk with her usual cockiness. “Do you even have to ask?” Without the need for any further discussion the two shot off in the same direction, racing yet again.
* * * *
“Eighty-six! Eighty-seven!” Rainbow Dash’s voice shouted in Scootaloo’s ear. “Keep it up!”
The flight student struggled to keep going. Wing-ups were painful in the best of circumstances. With the weighted vest around her shoulders, they were miserable. Add her idol standing on her back and the ordeal seemed like something out of a nightmare.
Scootaloo forced those thoughts away and tried to focus on something, anything, other than the burning in her wings. Her gaze trained itself on her instructor, smirking from directly in front of her. Zephyr wore his own weighted vest as usual, and kept his wing-ups in time with hers. Pinkie Pie of all ponies bounced up and down on his back, having volunteered to help out today. Her trainer seemed to have some kind of weird quirk about doing everything he told her to do right beside her. At first the Crusader had thought it was to show off and embarrass her. Eventually though, it dawned on her that he might have been encouraging her. Whatever the reason, she was glad for the company.
“Ninety-one! Ninety-two!” Rainbow Dash counted. “Don’t wimp out on me!”
Scootaloo’s excitement from four days ago—when the mare had shown up to help with the training—hadn’t lasted long. As it turned out, her hero was far more demanding than her teacher. For one thing, Zephyr hadn’t felt the need to shout like a drill sergeant all the time. Maybe I should take back some of the stuff I thought about him, the orange filly thought blearily.
“Ninety-eight! Ninety-nine! One hundred!” the cyan taskmistress cried. Scootaloo collapsed to the ground after completing the final wing-up. Rainbow Dash hovered in the air rather than come down on top of her. “That’s it for today, kid. Take a load off.”
“Yay,” she cheered weakly in response. In front of her, Pinkie hopped off Zephyr and bounced over. Her instructor stood up and stretched his wings with a loud popping noise. Scootaloo allowed Pinkie Pie to help slip off the vest while panted for breath.
Her stomach grumbled for food; the sandwich from lunch long since consumed during the training. “Ooh! Sounds like it’s time to eat!” the pink mare bubbled at the sound. From Celestia knows where, Pinkie Pie produced a box full of cupcakes adorned with green frosting and sprinkles. “Good thing I brought enough for everypony, or somepony might have been left out and that would have made them really sad which would’ve made me really sad because nopony should end up not getting cupcakes when other ponies are getting cupcakes and—“
“Thanks, Pinkie Pie!” Zephyr interrupted loudly. “It sure was nice of you to help out.”
“Yash!” agreed Rainbow Dash, already inhaling one of the pastries. “Deesh are ohshum!” She grabbed another one from the box.
Rather than waste breath she didn’t have on thank-yous, Scootaloo took a cupcake for herself and did her best to make it vanish. Hunger sated for the moment, she took stock of her numerous aches and pains. Her lungs still labored for breath, but did not burn with pain as they had in previous days. Her legs were tired from the laps and exercises, but much less stiff and sore than yesterday. Even her wings, fresh from their exertions, did not trouble her a great deal. If she had to, the filly thought she could’ve kept training another half-hour or so.
As Zephyr had done a minute ago Scootaloo extended her wings and stretched, trying to work out the kinks. Something popped, and a rush of relief washed over her. However, as she folded her wings against her torso the world seemed to spin. The flight student felt herself lose balance only to have her stumbling arrested by a pink hoof.
“Whoa there, Scootaloo!” giggled Pinkie Pie. “If you don’t take it easy for a bit you’ll be all dizzy and tipsy!” The party mare set her back on her hooves.
Her teacher took notice of the incident. “Are you okay to get yourself home?” Zephyr asked with concern. “I can take you there if you’re too tired.”
Scootaloo shook her head fervently. “Oh no, I don’t need any help!” she was quick to assure them. “I’ll be fine. Really.”
Rainbow Dash halted her assault on a third cupcake to look over. “It wouldn’t be any trouble,” she added. “Heck, you could even stay the night if you need to.” The rainbow-maned athlete gave a shrug and resumed the destruction of her snack.
The offer caught the filly off-guard. Spend the night? At Rainbow Dash’s house?! She did not instantly agree, but it was a narrow thing. And Zephyr’s too I guess. That took some of the wind from her sails, but temptation was still strong. Just one night…what could it hurt?
Prudence intruded upon her thoughts. Staying the night could lead to questions she couldn’t answer without giving herself away. And the bitter fact was that even one night out of her cave might invite some creature to take up residence in her absence. Especially with rumors of creatures lurking at the edge of the Everfree Forest. As much as she loathed the place, it was the only home she had. By a narrow margin, she refused. “Nah,” she said. “I can make it home.”
Zephyr did not appear satisfied. “I don’t know,” he mused aloud. “I really think somepony should go with you just in case.” The Crusader fought down a surge of panic. The grey pegasus had that look he got when he wouldn’t budge, and she couldn’t think of a way to avoid it.
Pinkie Pie came to her rescue. “I’ll go!” she volunteered gleefully. “I have a delivery for Scoots’ place anyway, so now I can give it to them myself!” The pink mare placed herself sideways between student and teacher, allowing the wink she gave the filly to go unnoticed.
Before the stallion could object, Rainbow Dash bumped him in the side. “Aww come on Zephyr!” she scolded him. “Pinkie can take care of it! Besides, Applejack wanted her south fields watered a little extra today.”
At her idol’s insistence, Zephyr relented. “Alright,” he conceded. “Just make sure you get a good night’s rest.” He nodded at Rainbow Dash and the two of them took off. In seconds, an argument broke out and their flight became some kind of high-speed contest.
Maybe they are right for each other, Scootaloo mused. At least he can keep up with her, I guess. She turned to face the party mare. “Thanks Pinkie Pie. For a second, I thought I was done for.”
Her savior’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “No problem Scoots!” Pinkie told her. “I’d never let a friend’s secret get out if I could stop it.” The mare’s grin faded, and concern took its place. “You sure you won’t think about it some more? I’m sure the Cakes would let you stay at Sugarcube Corner with me.”
Scootaloo sighed. Despite her best efforts, Pinkie Pie had found out she was an orphan months ago. Rather than turn her in, the mare actually helped her find the cave she currently lived in. In fact, the pink pony’s regular gifts of baked goods were the only consistent meals she usually got. “No thanks, Pinkie,” the filly answered. As much as she trusted the mare, there was no way she’d expose herself to that much insanity on a regular basis. “Besides, I like my cave. It’s…quiet.”
Her lie didn’t remotely fool the older pony, whose face only grew sadder. Wordlessly, Pinkie grabbed the box of cupcakes—still half-full—and offered it to Scootaloo. “It’s okay to talk about it, Scoots,” she said quietly. “I can’t help if you won’t let me. I was really, really sad when Grannie Pie passed away, but my friends helped me feel better.”
The Crusader felt herself choking up. Turning away, she collected her scooter and hitched the box to it. “You are helping me Pinkie,” the filly replied. She tried to sound cheerful, but it came out bitter. Without looking back, Scootaloo kicked her scooter into motion and sped away as fast as she could.
Moments later, with Ponyville left behind her, she allowed her mind to drift around the day’s events. Instead of the exercises Rainbow Dash had demanded of her, the offer to spend the night pushed itself to the front of her thoughts. “Heck, you could even stay the night if you needed to,” her idol’s voice echoed in her mind.
Scootaloo jumped a large rock in the road and veered to the left. The maneuver carried the Crusader into a narrow path through thick woods (thankfully not the Everfree) that led straight to her cave. Are you still on about that? she asked herself. What good would that do anyway? Before she could continue scolding herself, Pinkie Pie’s offer of a home at Sugarcube corner came to mind. Forget it already!
At length, the orange filly arrived at the entrance to her cave. Absently removing her helmet and grabbing the box of cupcakes, she continued to try and shake thoughts of sleeping somewhere else. But the more she looked around, the harder it was to dismiss her meager furnishings. What I wouldn’t give to sleep in a real bed again, she thought wistfully. To wake up to a warm breakfast, invite Applebloom and Sweetie Belle over, and not have to hide. Already, the oppressive silence of the cave began to irk her. But mostly, just to have somepony—anypony at all—to be there when I woke up.
This last cut Scootaloo to the quick. More than anything, she was sick of being alone. Sick of silence. Sick of not hearing the voice of somepony she cared about first thing in the morning. And she was definitely sick of not being able to tell her friends anything. One word in the wrong ear and she’d be taken away from Ponyville and put in a foster home. Again.
Scootaloo winced at that thought. Shortly after her parents died, she’d run away from the first home they’d put her in. From then on, she wandered randomly around the countryside. Often she’d stolen from vendors and farmers to keep from starving. Had she not met Sweetie Belle over two years ago, the young pegasus probably wouldn’t have stayed in Ponyville.
The Crusader thought back to that day, smiling at the memory. Hearing a strange voice, she found the unicorn moping in a corner by herself, singing a sad song. Apparently she’d been turned down by a schoolyard crush beforehand. Scootaloo had long since forgotten the words, but the tune stuck with her. She’d even made lyrics (painstakingly) to match her own sadness.
After the talent show fiasco last year, the young pegasus didn’t sing much anymore. But sometimes, when she was alone and the mood struck her, she’d sing how she felt and not worry about her rough voice. The first notes were quiet, but soon the cave echoed with song.
I know that I should hide it,
Just keep calm and force a smile.
But it just keeps getting harder
And every step feels like a mile
When all you’ve got is memories
With no way to shut them out
And I can’t remember what it’s all about.
I wish I wasn’t lonely,
And I miss my mom and dad.
I need someone to tell me it’s not so bad.
It’s not like I’m not trying
To accept it and move on.
But I still can’t quite believe it,
That all of it is gone.
Why should I get up each day
When all I feel is down?
And why can’t I tell someone why I frown?
I wish I wasn’t lonely,
And I hate having to hide.
I’m here but I feel like the one that’s died.
The filly felt herself choking up a little. Pausing for a deep breath, she began the last verse.
You know the worst of all
Is not having you here.
I just feel lost because
The course is never clear.
I don’t know what I’ll do
Or how I will get by,
But I promise you with all my heart,
I won’t let myself get torn apart,
I’ll see you both, when I reach the sky.
Yes I promise to spread my wings and fly.
I wish that you could see me,
And that I were strong as stone.
And I wish I had a home to call my own.
As the last snatches of music left her, wetness filled Scootaloo’s eyes. She wiped the unshed tears away and despondently began to eat a cupcake. It wasn’t long before the silence once again descended upon the cold stone chamber.
* * * *
“Take it off,” Zephyr commanded. His student blinked at him for a moment, not understanding. “That. The jacket,” he clarified. He even pointed emphatically at it. At last, the light bulb flickered on and Scootaloo unzipped the weighted jacket. “Over there. We’re done with it for a while.”
She did as he asked and tossed the jacket away. Free of her handicap, she waited for further instructions with obvious excitement. She totally knows, Zephyr thought to himself. Oh well. Best not keep her waiting.
“Today,” he began melodramatically, “is perhaps. The most. Important. Day. Of. Your—“
“Get on with it already!” Rainbow Dash yelled at him from the vantage point of her cloud. “Jeez, it’s not like we don’t already know!”
The grey pegasus rolled his eyes. “Fine. Have it your way,” he sniffed. “You’re flying today,” he said bluntly. “Non-negotiable.”
Upon hearing the words, his student’s expression grew ecstatic. “Really?!” she asked. “No kidding?! Seriously?! If you’re pulling my leg—“
“I’m not,” he assured her. A grin stretched across his own face. She’s gonna love this next part. “Also,” he continued, “today isn’t about technique. It’s all about getting you airborne. I want you to try flying on instinct for today. I’ll help if you ask me to, but otherwise it’s all you.”
The filly’s jaw dropped. “Cool!” she shouted after a moment of stunned silence. “But wait; what if I crash?”
Rainbow Dash got to the answer first. “Then you pick yourself up and try again!” she shouted down at them. “And next time, you do better!”
“Am I allowed to teach my own class or not?” Zephyr called to her. “No more interruptions from the peanut gallery!” The cyan mare gave a loud Hmph! and stopped talking. Her expression might have been penitent in the proper light, though it was a mystery what kind of light that would be. Scootaloo giggled at the exchange, drawing the grey pegasus’s attention once more. “Alright. Let’s just do a few warm-up stretches before we get started.”
His student performed the required stretches impatiently, eager to start flying. To her evident surprise, however, she overbalanced several times. She’s not used to moving without the vest, he guessed. That might actually make things easier. Within five minutes, the would-be teacher was satisfied she wouldn’t pull anything during liftoff.
“Okay, final checklist. First, flap your wings,” he ordered. The orange filly complied, moving her wings in long, smooth strokes. They were strong enough after the two weeks of training that her hooves began to come off the ground. “Good. Now extend and refold.” The orange wings spread as wide as they could before folding back against his student’s sides. “Final check: who’s the best flyer in Equestria?”
“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo answered without hesitating.
Zephyr winced, practically feeling Rainbow Dash’s smug grin on his back. “Blow to the pride aside, that’s the wrong answer,” he said. Coughing noises came from above, but he ignored them. “No matter what, the answer should be you.” He tapped the filly on the head. “You’re not flying because of Rainbow Dash; you’re flying because of your own perseverance and strength. So whatever happens, believe in your heart that you are the best flyer; even if your body doesn’t know it yet.”
His student just tilted her head and stared at him. “Wow,” she said. “That was really sappy.”
The grey stallion face-hoofed as hard as he could. “Just get into leaping position,” he sighed. At his command, Scootaloo spread her hooves out and crouched. She’d been doing this from day one, springing as high and far as she could with a single flap. Even with the weighted jacket, Zephyr had seen her leap over park benches and tables. “Now whenever you’re ready, use your leap to take off. No flap limit.”
The young pegasus barely let him finish the instructions before jumping with all her might. Unencumbered by weighted gear, she sailed surprisingly far through the air. That is, Scootaloo was surprised. In a panic, the filly flailed her wings and legs disjointedly until she crashed back into the ground twenty feet away.
Zephyr ran over to make sure she was alright. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” she promised, picking herself up. “I just…jumped a bit harder than I expected.”
“Remember to flap correctly this time,” he reminded gently.
Nodding her assent, Scootaloo squared herself into the correct stance once again. This time, her flaps were smooth and crisp. Five, ten, fifteen feet into the air she rose before drifting back down. Her landing was much more graceful the second time, involving only a few stumbling steps when she touched down.
She’s so close, Zephyr agonized. If only there was more of a breeze today—the thought trailed off as common sense kicked in. I love being a moron. Really. Out loud, he said “One more try. I know you’ll get it this time Scootaloo!” A glance told him Rainbow Dash was watching eagerly. She could tell, just like he could, that this was the moment of truth.
Scootaloo took her stance again. The grey stallion extended his senses to the air around him and called upon his ventus abilities. With a small amount of effort, wind began to blow from behind his student just as she took her leap.
Zephyr held his breath. The filly gained altitude with every flap, quickly reaching fifteen feet once again. When fifteen became twenty, her climb halted for several seconds. Come on, kid! he silently prayed. Just a little more! It was clear she was struggling against something as hard as she could.
After what seemed an eternity, something gave. Scootaloo’s wings began to pump faster without losing their rhythm. The strain fled her face. The air rippled with some kind of release of tension. His student gave a loud whooping cry and pulled to a stop in midair. “I can’t believe it! I’m finally flying!” she yelled at them.
“Way to go kid!” cheered Rainbow Dash from her cloud. “I knew you had it in ya!”
Zephyr couldn’t help feeling a bit of pride seeing Scootaloo in the air. Even though he planned to make money teaching young pegasi to fly, he thought it might be worth it to teach for free if he got to be part of this moment every time. His smile was almost as big as his student’s as he watched her fly circles just because she could.
* * * *
There weren’t any words for it. What it felt like to fly was beyond description. Air rushed past Scootaloo’s face as she pressed forward as fast as she could. Her wings and heart seemed to beat in time with each other, and every breath she took further exhilarated her. The grin she wore threatened to stretch past her ears as she began to climb.
It had happened so quickly. At first, some invisible pressure had tried to force her back to the ground. No matter how much she’d struggled, it wouldn’t go away. But then…What happened? she wondered. Some hidden instinct asserted itself and something small changed itself in the way she flapped. Gravity loosened its grip and the barrier disappeared. Whatever it was, the young pegasus felt at home in the air. Up here, there’s nothing holding me down.
“Mind if we join you?” a voice called, pulling her back to reality. Zephyr and Rainbow Dash had taken flight when she wasn’t looking and now flew on either side of her. “Or is this a private flight?” Her teacher wore his own smile as he asked.
“Of course not!” Scootaloo replied. “This is awesome!”
“Hah, you think this is awesome?” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Let’s see what you can really do!”
Needing no further encouragement, the orange filly began pumping her wings as hard as she could. Her speed began to increase rapidly; below, houses whisked by in a blur. On a whim, she flew straight up into the sky with the adults in tow. At about three-hundred feet the air became slightly thinner. Her ascent halted and the effort to keep herself aloft became more taxing. Rather than fight for more altitude, Scootaloo angled herself downward in a steep dive.
If flying felt good, this felt exceptional. The air blowing in her face was the biggest rush she’d ever experienced. In less than a couple seconds, the ground seemed incredibly close, however. The inexperienced flyer desperately tried to pull up, instinct once again guiding her movements. Come on! You can do this! she screamed at herself. You’re the best flyer in Equestria! This last was merely one of the few thoughts she’d hung on to before the head rush had kicked in. The ground was less than a second away. Her wings couldn’t move themselves fast enough. Scootaloo closed her eyes and braced for impact.
The air seemed to thicken around her, slowing her fall. But the ground was too close for her to stop completely. Her twenty-story fall became more like two stories. Thankfully, the air also pushed her forwards so she skidded along the ground instead of suffering a straight drop. The orange filly dragged along the grass a good twenty feet before stopping.
When she did stop, it was just in time to feel fire shoot up her right foreleg. Opening her eyes, she looked at the limb to see a smear of dirt and blood around her knee. Two thumps shook the ground beside her.
“Scootaloo! Are you okay?” Zephyr demanded, coming into view. Worry reflected clearly on his features as he examined her injury. “Where are you hurt? Anywhere else?” He began running his hoof over her legs and wings, probably checking for broken bones.
“I’m fine,” she told him. In truth, she was. Better than fine. She’d just flown for the first time in her life. I’ve gotta do that again! she thought. Minus the crashing part hopefully. “I think I just skinned my knee.” Somehow. What caught me?
Rainbow Dash appeared with the first-aid kit she’d seen in previous lessons. Her teacher always kept it handy in case of emergency, and it appeared his first reaction had been to have it brought. The older mare set it down next to him and pulled the lid open. “Sweet wipeout kid,” she said afterwards. “Definitely good for a first flight.”
Scootaloo flushed with pride at the compliment until a jolt of pain shot up her leg. “Yeowch! What was that?” she demanded angrily. Turning, she saw her teacher dabbing the injury on her leg with a cloth.
“Hydrogen Peroxide,” he answered calmly. “Helps clean the cut and prevent infection. Also stings like lemon juice.” A few more painful dabs and he put the cloth away. From a roll in the kit, he tore off a large strip of bandaging and began wrapping it expertly around her knee. “There. Good as new,” he announced when it was done.
Scootaloo shook the bandaged leg experimentally. It twinged a bit, but otherwise moved normally. She stood up, and shocked her teacher by wrapping him in a full-bodied hug. “Sorry I’ve been kind of a jerk to you,” she said. “Thanks for teaching me to fly.”
She released the hug and saw a smile on the grey stallion’s face. “You’re welcome, Scoots.”
Rainbow Dash came over and jabbed her in the side. “So kid,” she began. “Are ya ready for round two?”
Scootaloo’s answer was a broad grin.
* * * *
The following couple of weeks passed quickly for Scootaloo. Now that she could fly, the sessions with Zephyr became fun and diverting instead of laborious and exhausting. With each lesson the filly picked up more tips and tricks to maintain control of her flight. A slight tip of the wings here, a short glide there, and soon she could sustain flight for nearly an hour. The conditioning from previous weeks had made her much stronger than she’d realized, and she progressed quickly.
The lessons themselves slackened, reducing in length and frequency. The young pegasus now only spent three or four hours a day with her instructor with weekends completely free. As such, she set about doing the other thing she loved: Crusading with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. The three of them continued their campaign of reckless and dangerous cutie mark schemes with a host of new opportunities opened up involving a working pair of wings.
Flight wasn’t the only thing Scootaloo learned. A few days after her first attempt, Rainbow Dash let slip that Zephyr’s ventus abilities helped stop her fall. Whatever remnants of hatred she still had towards the stallion vanished, and he became almost as impressive as her idol in no time at all. Barriers between them gone, the easygoing sessions filled with jokes and laughter. The first time she landed on a cloud and couldn’t stay balanced nearly caused them both to choke with mirth.
The more she thought about it, the more the filly realized how dumb her hatred had been. Especially whenever Rainbow Dash showed up. Her teacher’s face practically lit up with joy whenever he saw her; an expression mirrored on the cyan mare. Scootaloo got in the habit of watching their arguments just to try and figure out the hidden dynamic between them. The only conclusion she could draw was that somehow they enjoyed butting heads.
At any rate, it was a good time in her life. Even if she went home every night to sleep on the cold, hard rock, her days were too full and exciting for sadness. As it always does, summer sped its way past too quickly. With only a few more weeks until school started up again, Scootaloo wished these days could just go on forever.
* * * *
Student in tow, Zephyr exited Madame Mayor’s office and headed outside. As soon as the two of them reached a polite distance, the older pegasus let out a loud, whooping cheer. Unconcerned with who was watching and giving him strange looks he shot into the air and flew a quick victory lap around a nearby building. “We did it!” he cried in jubilation.
Scootaloo patiently waited for him to calm down. In short order, Zephyr returned to the ground next to her. “Tell us all how you really feel,” she snickered at him. “It’s just a piece of paper.”
Zephyr refused to let his spirit be in any way reduced. “It might just be paper,” he told her, “but it means I can teach young pegasi how to fly in Ponyville. I’ve finally got steady work I enjoy!” He lowered himself to the filly’s eye level. “Thank you Scootaloo. I mean it. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
She waved away his thanks like it was nothing. “So…does this mean you’re done teaching me?” she asked him. A note of sadness hid in the question.
The older pegasus shook his head. “Of course not. I won’t be asking you to come every day anymore, but you can stop by any time for a quick lesson,” he explained gently. “But from here on you’re free to set your own hours, try your own stunts, and fly as little or as often as you want. To quote a smarter pony than me, ‘I can only give you your wings; I can’t make you use them.’”
This seemed to perk the Crusader up a bit. “Okay then. Thanks again for the awesome lessons. They were a blast!” She paused for a second. “At least after the first couple weeks were over.”
Zephyr chuckled a little. “Nothing I can do about that,” he apologized. “So, what do your parents think?”
An unexpected look—that of a startled rabbit—briefly crossed his student’s face. “Oh. They, uh…thought you did a really good job,” she answered. “They’re really impressed with all you’ve taught me.”
I must have imagined it, he rationalized. “Well that’s good. When can I meet them?” Scootaloo gulped audibly. With his ventus-heightened senses, Zephyr noticed a few strange things. Her breathing had increased in pace, moving the air more than usual. Moisture began to collect around her and careful examination revealed a bead of sweat on her forehead.
“I…uh…I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” the orange filly stammered. “They really don’t like visitors. I…uh…can’t even get them to let my friends stay over.”
Something was definitely strange. Even if she wasn’t outright lying to him, the grey pegasus could tell she was hiding something. Maybe I should press a little. “I wouldn’t stay for long. Besides, I want to congratulate them for raising such a promising filly.”
It happened too quickly for him. At least, he hadn’t expected anything rash just yet and didn’t have time to register what was happening. His student spun and bucked him in the face before taking flight to escape him. Pain exploded outward from the impact. Small though she was, Scootaloo packed a significant punch. One of her hooves caught him directly in the eye, momentarily blinding him while she fled.
“Now that was uncalled for,” he growled as his vision returned. His good eye saw clearly which direction the younger pegasus flew, and he launched himself after her at full speed.
With her lead, it was a challenge to keep Scootaloo in sight. Zephyr would no sooner follow her around a corner than her tail would disappear into an alley. He persisted, however, and gained by a few feet with every turn. She can’t keep this up long. She’s going full-speed through difficult terrain. Soon she’ll trip herself up trying to turn a corner.
Despite his anger, he was fairly impressed. The filly’s choice of the streets and alleys of Ponyville was either very smart or very lucky. The short stretches between turns prevented the older pony from accelerating as he chased her. Narrow streets made sharp turns more difficult for him because of his larger size. And if he didn’t maintain his best speed, even at dangerously sharp turns, he would lose sight of her immediately.
As usual, fate intervened. Unpredictable, random, pink fate. Zephyr rounded a corner only to crash into none other than Pinkie Pie. The two of them rolled along the ground for several yards, eventually ending in a heap in the middle of the street. “Hiya Zephyr!” the party mare greeted dizzily from on top of him. “Whatcha doin’?”
By the time his vision stopped spinning, Scootaloo was gone. With a sigh, he shook Pinkie Pie off and tried to puzzle through his student’s reaction. Why was she getting so nervous? he wondered. Something to do with her parents? All I wanted was to meet with them. Why would…
An idea occurred to him then, but he wanted proof before he acted on it. He needed information before he started thinking like that. And conveniently, the pony who knew more about everypony in town than anypony else was right there next to him. “Hey Pinkie Pie,” Zephyr began. “What do you know about Scootaloo’s parents?”
* * * *
It was several hours before Scootaloo emerged from her hiding spot. A cluster of the library’s uppermost branches shook as the filly peeked outward. No sign of him, she noticed. Might as well make a break for it. Moving quietly, as the library’s occupants weren’t aware she’d loitered in the tree all day, she left the safety of the branches and flew low to the ground. Senses alert and eyes peeled for her pursuer, the young pegasus began making her way to the edge of town.
Within seconds, she’d regretted kicking Zephyr in the face. Over the last few weeks she’d grown to like him quite a bit, and now he probably hated her. But the idiot just wouldn’t take no for an answer! He was just so determined to meet her parents.
For her part, Scootaloo would’ve loved to introduce him. Not to mention Rainbow Dash, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, Ms. Cheerilee, and a dozen others. Heck, she’d even like to just talk about her parents with somepony (who wasn’t pink and crazy). But that’ll only bring trouble, a voice reminded. Trouble and pain. They won’t understand. They can’t.
By now, she’d reached Ponyville’s outer edge. The Crusader abandoned all pretense of stealth and took off towards her cave. She poured on the speed until her lungs burned, desperate to get there quickly. After a few short minutes, it came into view. With a relieved sigh, she touched down in front of the cave and trotted inside.
Already, the gears in her head were turning. A plan began to form itself as her breathing normalized. I’ll hide out in here a couple days, she thought. Then, when he’s had time to cool down, I’ll find Zephyr and apologize to him. That gives me plenty of time to think of a good excuse for bucking him like that. If I do it right, maybe I can even get him to stop bugging me about my parents.
“So you do live here,” remarked a voice behind her. “I was beginning to have doubts.”
The orange filly froze, petrified with fear. She knew that voice. And she couldn’t tell what scared her more: the fact its owner had found her or that he was here of all places. Either way, her reaction was the same. “Ponyfeathers,” she whispered, caught. Resigned to her fate, Scootaloo turned to face Zephyr as bravely as she could.
“I suppose I can understand why you bucked me like that,” the grey stallion continued. He moved from his position near the entrance and closer to her. As he drew near, she saw his right eye was blackened and swollen shut. “But I do want to know one thing.” He waved a hoof around the cave. “Just how long have you been living like this?”
“What’s it to you?” she spat defiantly. “It’s not your business how I live!”
An incredibly sad look appeared on the older pegasus’s face. “How long have they been gone, Scootaloo?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper.
The question felt like a blow to the gut. Against her will, tears began to form in the filly’s eyes. “Almost three years,” she said tersely, turning her head so he wouldn’t see her cry. “And I’ve been alone for most of them.”
She expected pity, and was not disappointed. It practically covered Zephyr’s face. But underneath, it seemed like there was something else too. “Three years,” he repeated quietly. “How did it happen?”
This time, she refused to answer. Instead, she moved to the entrance and sat down. Trying to run would be pointless; the grey stallion would catch her in seconds outside of Ponyville’s clustered buildings. To her annoyance, the pest moved beside her and took his own seat.
“You probably haven’t told anypony what happened yet, have you?” he asked. She said nothing, so he continued. “It hurts, being alone. Even if you have friends, you can’t let them know what happened. You can’t tell them how you live. If you do, you get scooped up and placed in foster care until you’re adopted. Not that adoption is any better.”
“Shut up,” she growled. “You don’t know what it’s like! Nopony does!”
“Don’t I?” Zephyr shot back with an edge of anger. “Every day, there’s some part of you that expects them to just show up and tell you everything’s alright. Every night, you cry yourself to sleep because they didn’t come. You can’t allow yourself to grieve because that means admitting they’re gone for good. And every time you think about them, you wonder why you deserved to lose them. What you did or didn’t do that kept you from keeping them. Why they didn’t stay if they really loved you.”
His accusations made her blood run cold. “H-how could y-you possibly know any of that?” she demanded around sniffles. This time it was his turn to keep silent. “How did you even find me?”
“Pinkie Pie. No, she didn’t tell me anything,” he added when she scowled. “I couldn’t get her to say anything except how often you came by to pick up food. After that, I guessed the direction you always went home in and searched until I got lucky.” He gave her a questioning look. “You really traveled two miles every morning after sleeping on rocks just for flight training?”
Scootaloo nodded sullenly. “Yeah, and two miles back after a day of torture,” she mentioned tartly. “I was gonna try and make a cloud bed once I could fly, but...” She glared at him as she trailed off. “So what now? You gonna turn me in, or just sit here and ask dumb questions?”
The older pony just shrugged. “I’m in no hurry. I’ll even give you a chance to run if you want. You can take off right now and I’ll give you a head start,” he offered. “Ten seconds sound fair?” The filly snorted in disgust. “But whatever happens, I’m not turning you in.”
She almost believed him. But then the cynicism of her years spent alone kicked in. “Yeah. Right. Sure,” she said sarcastically. “You’ve just got the best of intentions. You’re here to help me. And after a nice heart-to-heart chat you’re gonna waltz on outta here and leave me alone.”
“Mostly correct,” he admitted. “Only thing is that you’ll be waltzing out with me. I’m not letting you spend another night in this cave.”
“I thought you weren’t turning me in,” she grumped coldly.
“I’m not. You’re coming with me.”
That certainly caught her attention. “What…whaddaya mean…with you?” the orange pegasus asked nervously. In her growing fear, she noticed how much bigger Zephyr was than her. Also called to mind were his superior speed and those weird weather powers he had. “Are you foal-napping me?” She couldn’t quite keep the panic out of her voice.
That gave him pause, and he turned to think about it. Scootaloo began edging out of reach. “Technically…yes,” he agreed. “I guess I am. I’m taking you, probably against your will, to the house I share with Rainbow Dash. At least for a few days.”
“You can’t keep my there. I’ll tell somepony—“
“Tell them what?” he asked. “Even if you don’t let on that you’re an orphan with no home, any investigation will quickly turn that up. Then, it’ll be my word against yours about whether my actions are forgivable. Either way, you still end up in foster care. And both of us want to avoid that. Like it or not, kid, you’re stuck. Your only two choices are coming with me or being discovered by somepony less flexible.”
Tears began rolling down Scootaloo’s cheeks in earnest. He’s right, she realized. There’s nothing I can do! Frustration twisted her insides as she searched for any kind of escape. “It’s…n-not…fair!” she yelled. Strangled half-sobs made her speech choppy and feeble. “W-why…can’t y-you…just…l-leave m-me…alone?!”
Genuine sadness and sympathy contorted her captor’s face. “Do you really need me to tell you that life isn’t fair, Scootaloo?” he asked quietly. “You seem to have that lesson down.” Zephyr stood up and retrieved a saddlebag from his earlier hiding spot. “Pack your things. Take as much time as you need to.” Too upset for words, the filly nodded submissively and took the bag.
It took most of an hour to gather her things and place them just so in the bag. Each toy, trinket, and memento was deposited with the same care reserved for delicate glass. The total of her possessions was not much—especially without the furniture, improvised or recycled—but by the end her bag was barely closable. The last object was the portrait of her parents, still smiling at her, before she slipped the lid over the button.
Packing done, Zephyr grabbed the bag and slung it over his shoulders with a promise to take great care of it. The filly took one last look around, knowing she’d miss the miserable place, before she and her captor took off for Rainbow Dash’s place.
Unnoticed, a blue wooden scooter and a striped purple helmet lay neglected in the cave’s deepest corner.
* * * *
Scootaloo said nothing as they flew. Zephyr must have decided not to break the silence, for he made no further inquiries about her or her parents. In fact, the older pegasus seemed completely wrapped up in his own thoughts. She briefly considered trying to escape while he was distracted, but doubted he was quite that occupied. Besides, he had the bag with all of her things in it and she’d rather break both her wings than leave it behind.
The sun rested half an inch above the horizon, filling the western sky with a blaze of color. In another hour, it would probably be dark. At least I’m not sleeping on rock tonight, she thought darkly. Then, a brighter thought occurred to her. I get to stay at Rainbow Dash’s house! It was almost enough to offset being forced to go there. Until she stopped to think about if her idol was involved in her foal-napping. With doubts and fears multiplying, they arrived at their destination.
Scootaloo had never seen Rainbow Dash’s house up close before. The place was huge; easily big enough to house a dozen pegasi comfortably. While she stood gaping at the architectural features of the building, Zephyr walked up and opened the door. Stepping inside, he waved her in and closed the door behind her as she entered.
After the awe-inspiring view of the outside, the interior of the house seemed disappointingly normal. The room they’d entered was the living area, and aside from a couch and a small table it was more or less empty. The stairway lay in the center of the room, and the right side narrowed into a hallway. To the left, an open door revealed an average-sized kitchen and pantry.
“Alright,” Zephyr said to call her attention. He gently laid the bag on the floor before continuing. “Time for some ground rules. Rule one: don’t tell anypony about your parents or why you’re here. Especially Rainbow Dash.” So she wasn’t a part of this, she realized with relief. “Rule two: don’t leave without letting myself or Rainbow Dash know first. Or at least, leave a note somewhere easy to find.”
Scootaloo blinked in surprise. “You’re not keeping me here? I can still go out and talk to other ponies?”
The grey stallion nodded. “The only thing I’m forcing you to do is eat and sleep here,” he replied earnestly. “I don’t want to deprive you of freedom; I just refuse to let you live like you were. Which brings me to the third and final rule: make yourself at home. Sleep in a bed. Show up for meals. Treat this like it’s your house. And don’t worry. I promise I won’t do anything to hurt you. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
Even the Pinkie promise didn’t allay her suspicion. No matter what he said or did, there was no escaping the fact he’d abducted her. Sure, he’d brought her into Rainbow Dash’s home (and his, she guessed) and told her to get comfortable. He wasn’t even imposing any real restrictions on her life. Parts of her said she should be grateful, both for having a place to stay and that she wasn’t being turned over to foster care right now. But none of that made her any happier. In a way, living alone and independent had been an accomplishment. Every day she wasn’t caught or driven to give up was a victory, a badge of honor. This unwanted interference made her feel weak and vulnerable; more so because there was nothing she could have done to stop it.
“Any questions?” Zephyr asked.
“Why?” demanded the Crusader. “Why do any of this? Why force me to live here? Why don’t you just rat me out?”
Whatever response he might have given was forestalled by the door to the house opening. Rainbow Dash strolled in and flopped down on the couch, oblivious to their presence. After the two minutes or so it took for her to get situated for optimum relaxation, she glanced over in their direction. “Hey Zephyr. Hey Scootaloo. What’s up?” She noticed the shiner on the stallion’s face. “What happened to you?”
For a moment, Scootaloo worried Zephyr would tell her the truth. “I had a bit of an accident earlier today,” he explained instead. “Never saw it coming.” He nodded at Scootaloo. “Is it okay if Scootaloo spends a few nights here? Her parents are out of town and she needs a place to stay.”
The mare on the couch just shrugged. “Sure. Kid’s practically family anyway. She can stay as long as she needs to.”
The filly bit her tongue through the whole exchange. However, when Rainbow Dash said the word family it took all of her self-control not to break down crying. Instead, she hit her idol with a flying hug. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” she said. Abduction or no abduction, a welcome like that—especially from Rainbow Dash—went a great distance towards dissolving her misgivings about being there.
Taken by surprise, the mare seemed uncertain how to respond. As a result, she merely allowed herself to be hugged and waited for her assailant to let go. “Whoa there, kid,” she said. “It’s no big deal. No need to get all sappy on us.”
Zephyr tapped the filly on the shoulder. “It’s been a long day. You should get some rest,” he advised. If there was any malice or ulterior motive to the suggestion, it was beyond her ability to detect. “You can have my room tonight. Tomorrow I’ll have a guest room set up for you.”
The offer surprised Scootaloo a little. “Where are you gonna sleep?”
“Probably the couch,” he answered. “That is, unless Rainbow Dash falls asleep on it.” He glanced her direction, and the reclining pegasus gave a loud, fake snore. With a snort, Zephyr grabbed the bag and began walking down the hall. “This way,” he called back to her.
Choking down some not-nice words—she was still angry at him—Scootaloo followed him to a door in the hallway. Inside was sparse room occupied by a small desk, a single wooden chair, a nightstand, and a full-sized bed clothed in thick, plush sheets. The bed made her tired just by looking at it.
“Think you’ll be able to get to sleep okay?” the grey pegasus asked seriously. “Do you need anything?”
As if to answer for her, the filly’s stomach rumbled noisily. “Something to eat I guess,” she told him, glaring. Why does he have to act so concerned all the time? she wondered bitterly. “Why’d you lie to Rainbow Dash?”
“I didn’t lie to her,” he replied. He kept his voice low to prevent sound from carrying.
“You said the black eye was an accident and that my parents were gone for a few days!” she insisted.
“What I said,” corrected Zephyr, “was that I had an accident, and that your parents were out of town, so you needed a place to stay for a few days.” He set the bag down by the door. “Both statements are technically true. Is it my fault if she draws the wrong conclusions?” Before continuing, he checked the hall to make sure Rainbow Dash still occupied the couch. “That’s the trick to fooling other ponies. Tell them the truth in a way that can be misinterpreted. Try that next time instead of lying.”
Scootaloo’s jaw hung slightly agape. He’s giving me lessons on how to avoid getting caught? “You are the weirdest foal-napper I’ve ever heard of!” she blurted.
For some reason, the older pony grinned at her. “Maybe. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say so out loud where somepony might hear you.” His eyes darted meaningfully towards the living room. “I’ll get you a few celery stalks to snack on. It’s too late for anything more substantial than that,” he said before walking out.
As soon as he left, Scootaloo opened the bag and removed the portrait of her parents. As always, the picture brought a tear to her eye. With painstaking care, she placed it on the nightstand next to the bed.
The bed itself drew her attention. The pillow was a lightly-used chunk of cloud spanning the width of the bed. In addition to the thick sheets on the mattress there was a thick woolen blanket lying in a heap at the foot of the mattress. Overcome by curiosity and desire, the orange filly gingerly climbed into the bed.
Almost instantaneously, Scootaloo sank into the soft fabric. The feel of down and fluff and whatever else went into real bedding overcame her in seconds. All of the day’s fatigue—amplified by hundreds of sleepless or uncomfortable nights—washed over her at once. She barely had time to pull the cover over herself before the sheer novelty of comfort knocked her unconscious.
* * * *
“…as hard to wake up as you are,” a voice said at the edge of her consciousness.
“I told you, I never get up before nine unless it’s important!” somepony responded.
The chatter was annoying, whatever it was. Rather than wake up and try and decipher it Scootaloo rolled over and tried to sink back into the void.
“You see that? She twitched!” the second voice announced. “At last: signs of life!”
It was getting harder to ignore them. Her grip on sleep was slipping. “Lemme sleep,” she mumbled in a slur. Wrapping the warm blanket tightly about herself, she squeezed her eyes shut. It worked until the blanket was yanked completely off of her. Scootaloo’s eyes shot open.
Zephyr and Rainbow Dash stood on either side of the bed grinning like fools. “I’d say good morning,” the grey pegasus teased, “but it’s a little late for that.”
The filly rubbed her eyes and looked for a clock. Finding one, she exclaimed “Two o’clock?! I just closed my eyes a couple seconds ago!” Her stomach growled thunderously, reminding her that she was starving. “Umm…I guess breakfast is out of the question?”
It was, but after some teasing from the two older ponies she was given a couple grilled cheese sandwiches from lunch. Ravenous as she was, they barely lasted twenty seconds. It wasn’t until they were gone that she remembered why she was here in the first place. The memory soured her stomach. With a quick word to Zephyr about going to look for her friends, Scootaloo left the house and flew the short distance to Ponyville.
As she flew, something bugged her. It grew worse with each passing second, like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Something just doesn’t feel right, she thought. It’s not the whole thing with Zephyr. I just feel…off. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she allowed herself to just enjoy the wind underneath her wings.
The journey to Ponyville was disappointingly short. Too soon, the thatched houses became thick and clumped-together. By coincidence, her fellow Crusaders walked along the first street she flew over. With a sigh, the orange pegasus drifted downward to reach her friends. Somewhere during her approach they caught sight of her, for they began waving and calling to her.
“Heya Scootaloo!” Applebloom hollered.
“Over here!” Sweetie Belle chimed in.
Remembering to reduce her speed first, the winged Crusader landed gently on the ground in front of them. “Hey girls. What’s up?” she greeted.
Applebloom rolled her eyes. “Nothin’! We ain’t seen you fer days!” she complained. “Ah see Zephyr got you flyin’ like he said.”
Mention of her least favorite pegasus brought a frown to her face before she registered the rest. It has been days! “Sorry Applebloom. I guess I kinda lost track of days while I was training. You didn’t get your cutie marks without me, did you?”
Sweetie Belle looked downcast. “No,” she sighed. “Though we did get ourselves thrown out of the library.” Her expression became a shy grin. “You should’ve seen Twilight when she found us though.”
“Yeah! That was crazy!” agreed the red-headed filly. “Remember what Applejack told us about Twilight’s mane catchin’ fire? It was even more amazin’ than we thought!”
“What? I missed the freak-out? Uh!” Scootaloo groaned. She’d really wanted to see that. The fact she missed something so cool because of that jerk Zephyr only made her hate him even more. Sulking slightly, she wondered what else she’d missed. Frustrated, the magenta-haired pegasus kicked at a loose stone in the street.
“What about you, Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked. “Ain’t you happy you can fly now?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she answered. “It is pretty awesome but…I don’t know.”
Sweetie Bell pressed her face close to her and inspected her closely. “I can’t put my hoof on it, but something’s different about you today. Is something wrong?” the young unicorn probed.
A lot of things, actually, Scootaloo replied mentally. She wouldn’t mention Zephyr’s ultimatum to them, out of pride as much as necessity. However, that strange feeling of something not right continued to pester her. Growing agitated, she told them about it.
After a long moment of putting heads together, they all gave up. “Maybe we’ll figure it out if we go Crusadin’,” suggested Applebloom. “Ah heard that the lake’s warm today. Maybe we could try bein’ Cutie Mark Crusader Synchronized Swimmers!”
With nopony offering any better ideas, the three of them started walking together towards the lake. I don’t know why, the orange Crusader pondered, but this feels…awkward. The strange itch continued to pester her.
“Hey! I just noticed something!” blurted Sweetie Belle. “We never really walk anywhere! Usually, Scootaloo takes us places with her scooter! I guess we’ll have to get used to this now that she can fly, right Applebloom.”
“Ah guess Ah never thought about that,” the earth pony said thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s why we got so tired Crusadin’ these last few days. What do you think, Scootaloo?”
Neither of her friends noticed she’d halted dead in her tracks. My scooter! her mind reeled. When was the last time I saw my scooter? She tried to think back but her thoughts were growing too scattered and frantic. Did I have it in the bag? Is it at the house? It took her longer than it should have to realize her friends were talking to her.
“…the matter, Scootaloo? Ya look like ya seen a ghost,” Applebloom was saying.
Scootaloo blinked a few times quickly. “I’ll be back,” she told them. “I gotta find my scooter real quick.” Without waiting for an answer, she took off towards Rainbow Dash’s house.
In minutes, it came into view. Sprinting the last yards through the air, she burst through the door with a loud Bang! Nopony must have been home because there was no response. Darting through the hall, she headed straight for Zephyr’s room. Her bag lay exactly where she’d left it the previous night.
Faster than blinking, the filly began tearing through her belongings. Where is it? It should be here! she silently screamed. But no matter how hard she willed it, the scooter did not appear anywhere in the bag. Possessions scattered across the floor, she flung the empty bag at the wall in anger. “Where is my scooter?!” she yelled.
Taking deep breaths to calm down, Scootaloo stopped to think. It’s not in my bag, she noted. That means I didn’t bring it here. If I didn’t bring it here… Her brain clicked. It’s still in the cave! she realized. Without further pause the filly barreled out the door and took off towards her former residence.
* * * *
Zephyr left the house just moments after Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash had a few clouds to clear up and wouldn’t be back for an hour or so. That left him with time to kill, something he seemed to have in abundance lately. A few more weeks, he promised himself. Just a few more weeks and I’ll start up classes.
In the meantime, he was going to give his powers over weather a bit of a workout. After more than a month of experimentation, the only thing he knew for sure was how little he actually knew. Rather than tackle projects that required large amounts of energy (like a full-blown storm) he set his sights on the finer points of his abilities. According to Twilight, the most difficult magic required less strength and more focus. With this in mind, Zephyr struggled to wrap his mind around every tiny variation of his skills rather than allowing himself to practice in depth with any single skill.
The obvious results were rain, wind, and lightning. Basic components of most any weather were practically second nature already. Less obvious were the plethora of different ways they could be employed. By forcing water to condense in the air around him, he realized he could make mist. Wind could be held in place and pressurized to provide a rudimentary (and as yet unstable) form of telekinesis. Static could be discharged in small bursts to create thunder noises or light small fires.
Out of curiosity, today he just wanted to be still. To extend his senses to the air around him and push outward as far as possible. How far could he reach? How much detail could he detect through the air? Did he hear, smell, touch, or taste the air to feel it? These were the questions he pondered as he flew towards Ponyville.
The grey pegasus took a meandering route towards the lake instead of heading to the town proper. There was a spot exactly forty-six feet off the ground that gave a breathtaking view of the town. Glancing around as the lake got closer, he caught sight of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle moving in the same direction. On an impulse, he flew down to say hi.
“Hey Crusaders,” he greeted them.
“Hi Zephyr!” they responded together. “You sure did a good job teachin’ Scootaloo to fly,” Applebloom added.
“Oh? Have you seen her?” he asked. “Or is she still trying to find you two?”
“Actually, you just missed her,” the unicorn answered first. “She took off in a hurry just a minute ago. She kind of seemed upset.”
“Upset?” Zephyr repeated. “Why’d she leave? Did she say anything?”
“She said somethin’ about findin’ her scooter and flew off,” Applebloom told him. “Probably just forgot it at home or somethin’.”
The stallion had never made claims of intelligence, or even significant common sense. But the wheels and gears in his head nonetheless turned swiftly as he considered the situation. Why would she need to get upset about the scooter? he asked himself. Is she worried it’s missing? Does that mean— In short order, he had his conclusion. The cave!
“Zephyr!” shouted a shrill voice in his ear.
He jumped and spun to see a worried pink face right next to him. “Pinkie Pie! Don’t do that!” he admonished. Then he caught the look in her eye. “What’s wrong?”
“My back’s tingly, my knee’s pinchy, and my legs are shivering!” she informed him seriously.
“What?” After speaking, he remembered her weird ‘Pinkie-sense’. “What does that mean?”
She grabbed him by the shoulders. “Something really, really bad and scary is going to happen outside of town unless somepony gets there super quick and does something!” She seemed to suffer a few small convulsions. “I can’t find Rainbow Dash so it’s really, really, really important that you go that way really fast and stop whatever it is from doing whatever it’s going to do!” She pointed in the direction of Scootaloo’s cave.
Zephyr’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. Without bothering to respond or say goodbye to the Crusaders he blasted off at full speed in the proper direction, muttering a string of expletives and curses that threatened to ignite the air around him. There’s no time for a Thunder Clap…I might miss the cave by miles, he reasoned.
Flying at Mach speeds, his greatest challenge was searching for Scootaloo. He was forced to alternate between scanning the sky and watching the woods below for even a single spot of orange. By the time the cave was in sight, he still had not found her.
Wait, he thought looking at the cave entrance. Is that her? A chunk of rock somewhat lighter than the surrounding mineral appeared to be moving towards the cave. Slowing down for a landing, he was able to confirm his suspicions.
Scootaloo walked carefully near the cave entrance, almost like she was trying to be stealthy. Zephyr flew closer as silently as he could in an effort to determine the source of her caution. It did not take long. From thirty yards away, it was clear that something huge occupied the cave.
The creature paced within, seeking a comfortable position. As it moved he could see many of its lion-like features. Massive paws, a brown-yellow coat, and a black and orange-striped mane adorned the beast. More fearsome were the oversized scorpion-stinger and leathery bat-wings. As if aware of his presence, the manticore growled loudly and bared razor-sharp teeth in a snarl.
At the mouth of the cave, the orange filly cowered at the noise. Instead of retreating, however, she began to edge around the corner and inside the beast’s den. What in Celestia’s name does she think she’s doing?! he wondered frantically. As fast as he dared, Zephyr flew closer to the cave’s opening.
When he landed at the same corner Scootaloo had crouched by, his young charge had already gone inside. By peeking around the corner he was able to watch her creep towards the back of the cave. Forget about the scooter! he silently begged. Get out before that thing notices you! On cue, the manticore lifted its nose and sniffed the air. Scootaloo was too busy moving and looking for her scooter to see it turn and glare at her.
Either hungry or just angry, the hulking monster drew itself up and roared with deafening strength. Zephyr thought he could feel the ground shake from the sheer force of the noise. Scootaloo at last turned her attention to the creature and froze in place. He could see her eyes widen with fear as it approached with slow, ponderous steps.
Move it Scootaloo! he thought at her desperately. Don’t freeze up! Get out now! The manticore stopped a few feet away from the filly and raised an oversized paw.
The older pegasus didn’t wait any longer. With a yell designed to draw the thing’s attention, Zephyr launched himself into the cave. It had no time to react as the stallion slammed into its side at high speed. The beast was knocked off-balance, but it was far more solid than he anticipated. With surprising speed, the swipe it had prepared for Scootaloo became a backhanded blow against him.
The paw connected with jarring impact and sent him flying backward into the wall. His left shoulder erupted with agony, and a loud popping noise told him it was dislocated. Everything went black for a few seconds as he struggled to remain conscious. “Scootaloo!” he managed to rasp through the pain. “Get out! Now!”
His vision returned in time to see his former student backed into a corner by the manticore. Despite his assault, it still seemed more interested in her. Ponyfeathers! he swore to himself. Fighting waves of torment, he struggled to stand. I guess I’m giving it everything. With a deep breath, he began to pull static energy from the air around him.
By now, the manticore was certain of its victory. It licked its chops hungrily as it stared down at the orange filly and raised its head high. Jaws agape, its face descended towards Scootaloo for a single massive bite. Scootaloo screamed as loudly as she could, certain she was done for.
Fueled by anger and desperation, Zephyr’s lightning bolt struck like a hammer blow on the beast’s face. The force of the impact knocked its head to the side, where momentum carried its bite straight into the stone floor beside the filly.
The older pegasus wasted no time. While the beast reeled in pain from the lightning and the resulting collision with the floor, he flew over and grabbed Scootaloo by her tail with his teeth. The instant he had her in his grip he changed direction and dragged her outside the cave, eliciting a surprised cry from the younger pony. Zephyr didn’t stop until they were fifty yards into the woods and hidden from the cave.
Safely out of danger, he released the filly’s tail. “What in Equestria were you doing?!” he demanded angrily. “Did you not see the giant flesh-eating monster just inside?! That was completely reckless and foolhardy!”
Under his onslaught, Scootaloo shrank. “I had to get my scooter,” she protested weakly. “I thought I could get past it.”
“Your scooter? Your scooter?!” His voice grew louder and angrier. “Is a scooter worth getting killed for? No! I can’t believe you’d risk your life for something so stupid! I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t shown up!” She quailed further as he spoke. His dislocated shoulder throbbed painfully, forcing him to take a breath. As he exhaled, he was able to calm down a little. “I didn’t take you out of that cave to be mean Scootaloo; I did it because I care about you too much to let anything happen to you. Why would you almost get yourself injured—or worse—for a stupid scooter?”
Tears filled the filly’s eyes and she looked away. “It’s the last thing they gave me,” she choked. “For my birthday. Right before they…” She couldn’t finish.
In the face of her shame and sorrow, his anger melted away. In its place came empathy and pity. Zephyr wrapped his good foreleg around her in a loose hug, and she began crying in earnest. For a long moment they stayed that way, until an angry roar erupted from the cave.
The older pegasus turned towards the noise, and his anger began to reemerge. “Scootaloo,” he said softly. The filly ceased her sobbing and looked up at him. “I want you to go wait at the house for a while. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He released her and began moving back towards the cave.
“W-why?” she sniffled. “W-what are y-you gonna do?”
Zephyr turned his head to look back at her with a grim expression. “I’m getting your scooter.”
After a second of stunned surprise, Scootaloo nodded and took off in the direction of home. The stallion turned his attention back to the cave. As he moved, static began to mass itself around him. More and more of it he pulled, until the air around him crackled and sizzled with energy. Left leg drooping limply as he flew, he came in sight of the now-enraged creature. “Alright ugly,” he growled. “Now I’m really ticked off!”
* * * *
The battle was epic. Legendary. Neither side gave a single inch to the enemy. On and on the conflict raged, pushing both combatants to the edge of their endurance. Then Scootaloo blinked.
“Shoot!” she yelled at the tortoise. “Why can’t I beat you?” Tank just stared at her dumbly. “Well, you won’t win this time. Go again…now!”
For the first few minutes after she made it back, the filly had paced the floor nervously while she waited for Zephyr. That got boring quickly. Since then, she’d been engaging Rainbow Dash’s pet tortoise in staring contests to pass the time. She couldn’t be sure he actually understood what they were doing, but at least it was something to do. Even the dubious challenge of staring down Tank couldn’t completely distract her from worry, though.
Downstairs, she heard the door open. Worry turning to relief, Scootaloo barreled down into the living room and collided headfirst into Rainbow Dash. The two pegasi landed in a tangle near the foot of the stairs. “Ow,” groaned the mare. “Were you in my room?”
Scootaloo extricated herself from her idol and gave an abashed look. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I was playing around with Tank.”
“Oh. Okay then.” Rainbow Dash seemed to take it in stride. “You haven’t seen Zephyr around, have you? We were gonna get your room ready right about now.” She didn’t wait for an answer; she just got up and began combing the house. “I kinda expected him to be waiting for me. He usually tries to be early.”
Scootaloo gulped quietly and tried to think of what to say. Should I tell her what he’s doing? she asked herself. If I do, she’ll ask why. Then she’ll want to know what he was doing there to begin with. And then she’ll be angry about what I’ll tell her! But if I don’t say anything…
“Wait a second,” the older pony said, stopping. “Weren’t you off with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle? What’re you doing back here?” The filly didn’t answer. Rainbow Dash came over, suspicion evident. “You guys never call it a day this early. What’s up? Did something happen?”
She decided to stall for time. “Zephyr was gonna tell you about it when he got back,” Scootaloo blurted. It’s probably true, she told herself. “I’m not supposed to say anything yet.”
It almost worked. The mare started nodding her head in understanding, but stopped as something flickered in her mind. “Wait, so you did see him!” she accused. “Where’d he go then? And what’s so important you can’t just tell me?” Irritation worked its way into her tone. “Well I’m not waiting to find out. Spill it, kid!” she commanded.
The Crusader’s jaws opened and closed as she searched for a way out. What do I say? she panicked. How do I get out of this?
She was saved from answering by the door slamming open. Both pegasi turned their gazes to the opening, unsure of what to expect. Whatever it was they might have expected, it wouldn’t have been a scooter rolling inside with no driver and a helmet perched on the handle. With a gasp, Scootaloo realized it was her scooter and helmet. But both were in bad repair. The helmet was dented and scratched up, but the scooter was a wreck. Two wheels were missing, the main board had a large crack in it, and the handlebar rod was bent at an angle.
“What the—“ Rainbow Dash started to say until she looked out the door. “Oh my gosh!”
In staggered Zephyr, barely able to keep himself upright. His front left hoof dragged along the floor as he walked. A nasty gash above his right eye bled across his face, as well as numerous other small cuts and bruises. One of his wings was held slightly askew, and his breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. He only made it a few feet inside the house before collapsing. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo both rushed to his side. The older mare got there first. “Zephyr!” she cried. “Are you okay? What the hay happened to you?” Scootaloo felt moisture in her eyes, and gave Zephyr a tiny nuzzle in the mane.
He gave a few painful coughs and opened an eye to look at Scootaloo. “Hey…Scoots,” he rasped. “Got…your scooter…for you.” The eye closed again as he passed out.
Rainbow Dash gave her an accusing glare. “What. Happened.” Her voice was a furious snarl. “Now.”
“It’s all my fault!” she sobbed. “If it weren’t for me it wouldn’t have happened!” She gave Rainbow Dash the short version (leaving out the part about being an orphan), and with each sentence her idol’s glare got colder. When she finished, the rainbow-maned pegasus said nothing. Why isn’t she yelling at me? wondered Scootaloo. Why isn’t she getting angry?
“Help me get him up,” Rainbow Dash ordered, at last breaking the silence. The filly numbly complied. With their combined efforts, they carefully situated the unconscious stallion on the athlete’s back. “I’m taking him to the hospital. I don’t know how long it’ll be before we get back. There’s food in the pantry.” Her voice was completely neutral, and her statements surprisingly well thought out. As carefully as she could, the mare carried him outside. Before taking off, she looked back at Scootaloo. “Don’t go anywhere, kid. This isn’t even close to being over.” With that, she and her passenger took to the air, leaving Scootaloo cold and alone.
* * * *
Scootaloo sat in the living area with the picture of her parents and the tortured remnants of her scooter. With a little work the helmet might be salvaged, but it was apparent the scooter itself was beyond hope. Even though it was a twisted, destroyed corpse of the vehicle it once was, she couldn’t make herself let it go. However, that was not her only sorrow.
Why? she asked herself over and over. Why would that jerk risk his life like that just for my scooter? His words from earlier echoed themselves in her mind. “I didn’t take you out of that cave to be mean Scootaloo; I did it because I care about you too much to let anything happen to you.” It made no sense. Why does he care so much? All of her anger towards him for abducting her transformed into guilt and confusion.
The filly looked over to the smiling faces of her parents. Maybe I did need help, she finally admitted to herself. Her self-control was ebbing away; she could already feel tears rising to the surface just looking at the picture. I wish you could tell me what to do. I just want to hear your voices again. Once again, she turned back to the ruined scooter. I remember when I got this thing. All that time ago… The memory dragged itself from the depths of her mind, until every sense was consumed by reminiscence.
It was her birthday, and she’d finally reached a sufficient age to feel appropriate excitement for the occasion. Their family didn’t have much, but that never stopped them from making every major event as grand and uplifting as possible. Her mother placed a homemade cake with five candles on the table. “Happy Birthday Scootaloo!” she cried. “Quick, blow out all the candles and make a wish!”
Face screwed up in concentration, she huffed and puffed as hard as she could and snuffed out all the candles in one go. “I did it!” the she cried triumphantly.
“That’s right,” her father said as he appeared in the door. “And because you did such a good job, you win a prize!”
She gasped. “Really? I do?” Her parents chuckled at her serious surprise.
“Yep,” her father continued. “But I bet you probably want to eat your cake first. You don’t want to come through here for some little old prize.” He spread his wings to cover most of the doorway.
“No! I wanna see it!” she whined. Leaping up from the table, she darted underneath his widespread legs. There in the living room, right in the center of the floor, was a large red box. She flung herself at it with a joyful giggle; in seconds the box lay in shambles. With reverence, she beheld its contents. “What is it?” she asked, overawed.
Her father leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “It’s called a scooter,” he explained. “You ride them around anywhere you want to go, and it can even do tricks. This is a magic scooter I made just for you. It can take you all over the world if you believe in it.” So taken was she with the simple wooden scooter that she never noticed her father winking at her mother.
“Can I ride it? Please?” she begged? “Just one quick ride and I’ll come back for cake. I promise!”
“Not yet you can’t,” her mother said from behind. “Not without this.” She squirmed as something was placed on her head and strapped under her chin. She looked up to see a purple helmet with white stripes. “The magic won’t work if you don’t wear this helmet,” her mother warned.
Her father took her outside and showed her how to ride the scooter. After a few false starts, he tied himself to the shaft and began running down the street. Squealing with delight, she closed her eyes and imagined herself flying through the sky. After a few minutes and with no way to stop, the two crashed in the middle of the street.
Her knee was skinned, and she began to cry. Her father picked her up and hugged her, told her everything would be fine. “It’s just a small scrape,” he told her. “That proves it. Any other pony would be hurt much worse. You’re just too amazing on that scooter to hurt yourself.” She sniffed and looked at him, tears fading. “And silly me, I probably messed you up while you were doing so well.”
Her face became a smile, and she squeezed him in a hug of her own. “I love you dad! It’s the coolest present ever!” Laughing and joking, they returned home for cake.
A knock at the door shook her free of the memory. Scootaloo rushed over and flung it open. Rainbow Dash and Zephyr walked in, the latter with a pronounced limp on his left side. The grey pegasus looked half mummified; bandages were wound tightly about his wings, ribs, and the side of his face with the gash. Only his puckered black eye was visible; the other was covered by the bandage. Oddly enough, his mouth was set in a smile as he moved next to her.
Rainbow Dash—not quite smiling but no longer appearing homicidal—closed the door and squared up with Scootaloo. Her gaze seemed less accusing and more considering, as if she were deciding what to do or say.
“I had to tell her,” Zephyr whispered in her ear. “Everything. I’m sorry.” He caught sight of the mangled scooter and winced. “Sorry about the scooter too.”
“Thanks for getting it for me,” she replied sincerely. “It means a lot.”
Rainbow Dash broke her silence. “Okay kid, here’s what’s gonna happen,” she began. “First: you’re gonna apologize for making Zephyr get himself hurt for you.” The filly recoiled in shame, but nodded agreement. “Second: you’re gonna set up your new room and move your things.” Closing her eyes, the fearful pegasus waited for the axe to fall. “And third: you’re gonna get comfortable living around here, ‘cause I’ll be flightless before I let you go roaming the streets with no place to live anymore. You’re staying with us. Any questions?”
Scootaloo’s jaw hit the floor. That’s it? Then the second part. I’m staying?! “But…I… why would—?“ A hoof went in front of her mouth.
“Just shake your head,” Zephyr whispered. “I worked hard to cool her down, so you better not blow it with dumb questions.” He removed the hoof, and she did as he said.
“Good,” the mare stated. “Now that that’s over with, I’m gonna get some shut-eye. Dragging dufus here to the hospital and back wasn’t easy. I’ll let him tell ya what happened.” She began drifting up the stairs. “Oh, and by the way. Next time you’re trying to stun or slow down somepony so they can’t chase you, aim for the gut instead of the face. Trust me.” She vanished into her room.
The magenta-haired filly turned her open-mouthed shock to Zephyr. “You try that gut-shot on me and I can’t be held responsible for what I do in response,” he warned half-teasingly. “What’s the matter? Did you think she’d kick you out?”
At last, she found her voice. “Uh, yeah! I almost got you killed! And I’ve been lying to her this whole time! When you left, she looked ready to murder me!” she almost yelled at him. “And what about you? I’m the reason you’re in those bandages. Why are you still trying to help me?”
The older pony just waited patiently through her outburst. When she finished, he asked “Do you want to keep getting hysterical, or do you want to hear what happened?”
The simple question, calmly delivered, lowered her out of her high-strung state. She took a deep breath and slowly relaxed. “What happened,” she answered quietly.
Zephyr nodded and began explaining. “After you left, I attacked the manticore. It didn’t like getting hit with lightning, so it came after me. That thing was fast, too. Apparently it could fly.” He grinned at her. “Who knew that winged beasts could fly, right?” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, it nearly took my head off with one of its paws. Luckily, it only nicked me right here.” he tapped the bandage on his forehead. “So, I grabbed your scooter and helmet and tried to get away, but that thing was persistent. It chased after me for a few miles.”
“Why didn’t you just give it the slip?” Scootaloo asked.
“More than anything, the manticore needed to be returned to the Everfree Forest,” he answered. “It was too dangerous to leave at the edges of Ponyville. So I let it follow me until we were a safe distance from town. After that, I dove through some brambles that were more…painful than I’d expected. It followed me in and tangled itself up something awful. With it thrashing around so violently I got knocked into a tree. By then, I was able to give it enough lightning that it decided not to mess with me anymore.” He sighed and gave a shrug. “I’m not sure when your scooter broke. I think it might have stepped on it in the cave somewhere.”
The way he told it made it sound like a non-event. By the end she was almost bored. Rainbow Dash would have made it sound a lot cooler, she thought snobbishly. “You still didn’t say why you helped me with Rainbow Dash.” The filly fixed him with a look that said she refused to be deterred.
“Mostly, I just told her the truth,” he replied simply. “After that, she was angry at me for keeping it from her. She might not seem like it, but Rainbow Dash actually is a really caring pony. Besides,” he added, “after spending all that time training you, we’ve gotten kind of attached to you. You’re our friend, Scootaloo, and friends help each other out.”
Scootaloo blinked in surprise, at last feeling a smile cross her face. Making sure she wasn’t grabbing any wounded areas, she gave the grey pegasus a hug. “Sorry for making you have to come and rescue me,” she apologized. “And thanks for giving me a place to stay.”
Zephyr returned her smile. “Don’t sweat it,” he told her. “But if we don’t do something soon, I’m not sure you’ll be able to stay. Technically, we’re still required to turn you over to foster care or law enforcement or some other group.” At her worried expression, he patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Scoots. We’ll figure something out, either to keep you here or find somewhere better for you to stay. I might need to tell a few others about your situation though. Is that okay?”
After a moment of thought, the magenta-haired filly nodded. Then she remembered her broken scooter. With a forlorn gaze at the vehicle, she asked “Is there any way to fix it?”
Zephyr examined it. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said doubtfully. “For now, let’s get your room set up.” Scootaloo nodded and grabbed her picture and helmet before following the older pegasus.
* * * *
Life at Rainbow Dash’s house was fairly good for Scootaloo. That is to say, her life was better than it had been for three years. A warm bed, regular meals, and the presence of anypony—especially Rainbow Dash or Zephyr—almost gave her a sense of home. She’d be loath to leave when they finally found a new place for her.
Careful inquiring by Zephyr had turned up some results, mostly couples looking to adopt or families with room for one more. None of them were really bad or unpleasant, but the filly rejected each one in turn. The only explanation she could offer was that none of them ‘felt right.’
In the meantime, Scootaloo went about her normal life. It was easy to while away the hours with her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders in more dangerous and irresponsible activities. Or to practice flying with Rainbow Dash. Or any number of distracting things. But no matter how much fun she had or how well she slept, a peculiar gloominess hung about her. As she settled into the idea of living in a house she began to recall more and more fond memories with her parents. When they came, they felt warm and comforting. When they left, she felt cold and empty.
With each passing day, the enormous cloud house grew more suffocating. Scootaloo could hardly turn a corner without some reminder of a life she no longer lived. At the same time, it became harder and harder to imagine living anywhere else. Worst of all was how close she felt to Rainbow Dash. The rainbow-maned pegasus practically treated her like a kid sister, and went out of her way to spend time with the filly. She couldn’t help but worry that would change once she found a new place to call home.
Zephyr, on the other hoof, began to really get on her nerves. He seemed to alternate between wanting to look after her and trying to get rid of her as quickly as possible. The stallion made a concerted effort to keep her happy any way he could. He fixed her favorite meals, showed her how to manipulate clouds (manually of course), and even helped out with Cutie Mark Crusading. But every night he’d offer up more suggestions of places she could go and families she could live with. She could’ve lived with one or the other, but his pseudo-parent routine made it feel like the suggestions were attempts to abandon her as soon as possible. Never mind that he’d risked life and limb for her; now that she was safe and out of her cave, she probably wasn’t his problem anymore.
But try telling him that. Scootaloo grew ever more frustrated with his attempts to please her. Not only was it ignoring the fact she’d be gone soon, but it reminded her of how her father used to be. Never getting angry, never letting his smile waver. Doing everything he could to make her the slightest bit happier. She hated it. If he didn’t stop soon, things would have to reach a boiling point.
* * * *
The door to the house opened gently, and Scootaloo didn’t bother looking to see who it was. Rainbow Dash was already upstairs, and at this time of day it could be only one other pony. The magenta-haired filly continued her search unabated.
“Hey Scootaloo!” Zephyr called. “You busy? I’ve got something to talk to you about.”
She didn’t even bother glancing up. Peering under the couch, she saw only dust bunnies. Sighing, she moved to the kitchen. “Not now,” she answered shortly. “I’m busy.”
The older pegasus didn’t order her to come anyway. He didn’t raise his voice or get angry. What he did do was something far more infuriating. He sat in the middle of the floor and watched her, waiting patiently.
Scootaloo was able to ignore him for less than two minutes before his presence became distracting. Shortly after that it was aggravating. At last, she groaned loudly and walked over to him. “What do you wanna talk about?” she sighed grudgingly.
“You. What exactly do you want?” he asked.
“I want to get back to what I was doing.”
“I’m serious,” he insisted. “Do you want to go somewhere else? Do you want to stay here? What kind of place do you want to live in? Who do you want to live with? These are the questions you should be asking yourself, and I think you’ve been avoiding answering them.”
In truth, he was probably right. She’d tried to think about the future as little as possible, and wasn’t really sure just what she was hoping for. But she wasn’t going to discuss it with him either. “What does it matter anyway?” she shot back. “What I want is to find my scooter. I thought I left it in my room, but it’s not there.”
Zephyr blinked and shook his head. “It’s gone,” he told her.
“What!?”
“I did what I could for it, but the thing was busted beyond repair. Keeping it around wasn’t doing anything but making you miserable. I could see the pain on your face every time you looked at it. That’s why I—“
“YOU GOT RID OF MY SCOOTER!?” Scootaloo demanded furiously. She couldn’t believe it. It felt like she’d lost a close friend. For almost three years, that scooter had been with her through almost everything. While she roamed from town to town or lived in the cave, the scooter was the only constant she’d had. Even broken, at least it was still there when she looked for it. Now that it was gone… “HOW COULD YOU?” she screamed at him. Her voice became a sob. “How could you?”
He walked over and tried to put a hoof on her shoulder. “Scootaloo, just listen for—“
“No! You listen!” she spat, recoiling from his touch. “I’m sick of you! I’m sick of the way you’re always pushing your way into my life! And I’m sick of the way you pretend like you really care about me!”
Zephyr was taken aback by the outburst. “I do really care about you,” he protested, but she would hear none of it.
“Oh really?” she mocked bitterly. “Is that why you’re working so hard to get rid of me? Why you’re cramming home after home down my throat so that I’ll live somewhere else instead of here?”
His face grew hurt. “Yes,” he answered emphatically. “I’m trying so hard because I know you’re not happy here and I want to find some place you will be! To make up for forcing you to live here and breaking your scooter and anything else you might hate me for! I’m just trying to give you what I can, but I don’t know what you want!”
“I WANT MY PARENTS BACK!” she cried. The force of the yell startled the stallion. “I want my old house! I want my old room! I want to stop getting these painful memories! I want to walk in and see my dad fixing up the house and my mom baking cookies and both of them to ask me how my day was!” It was hard to breathe as she spoke. But she refused to stop until she was finished. “And more than anything,” the distraught filly continued, “I want you to stop pretending you’re my father! I want you to drop dead and never talk to me again! I wish you’d never come to Ponyville and that I was still sleeping in my cave where I could miss my parents in peace!” By the end, she was panting heavily.
Energy and anger spent, she waited for Zephyr to respond. Waited for him to yell at her, to threaten her, to explode in a fit of rage. The grey pegasus took a deep breath, surely building up for some kind of eruption.
Wordlessly, Zephyr got up and walked right past her. A second later, the door opened and shut without so much as a slam.
Scootaloo sat there, stunned, for a long moment. That’s it? she thought with disbelief. Her gaze turned to stare at the door. She wasn’t sure how she felt after what happened. Then what...what do I do now?
“Wow. I can’t believe he just sat there and took it,” drawled a voice from the stairwell. The rust-colored filly spun and found Rainbow Dash lounging halfway down. “I know I wouldn’t have.”
Scootaloo gulped loudly. Uh oh; I didn’t think about this, she panicked. “Umm…how much of that did you hear?” she asked nervously.
“The whole thing.” Surprisingly, the cyan mare wasn’t remotely angry. If anything, she seemed slightly amused. “It’s been a while since I saw Zephyr get that steamed about anything,” she remarked. “And the last time didn’t go nearly this well.”
Breathing a little easier, the younger pegasus cocked an eyebrow. “Steamed?” she repeated in confusion. “He didn’t even seem angry. Instead of saying anything, he just ran away from me!”
Rainbow Dash got up and glided down to the bottom of the stairs. “Kid, you got it all wrong,” she said. “He walked away to get a grip on his anger. If he’d stayed and unloaded just now, you’d be so afraid of him that he’d never forgive himself. Instead, he went out for a breather to cool off.”
“How could you tell he was angry?” Scootaloo questioned. “I mean, he seemed so… calm.”
Rainbow Dash scratched her head and thought about it. “You know how everything gets quiet right before a storm?” she asked. “It’s kind of like that. It doesn’t happen often, but you can just sort of feel it when it’s coming.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, don’t you think you were maybe just a little hard on him?”
The filly snorted. “I guess you would take his side,” she grumbled bitterly.
“Hey, I’m staying out of it,” argued the older pony. “All I’m saying is that maybe he didn’t deserve…all that. He’s kind of been there for you when you needed it.”
Scootaloo looked away. Grudgingly, she admitted to herself that her idol was right. Zephyr had been there for her. “That still doesn’t give him the right to throw away my scooter or act like a parent,” she grunted irritably.
Rainbow Dash started to say something, but hesitated instead. After a moment, she reached some sort of decision. “Listen Scoots,” she began, “I know you haven’t had it easy. And you’re right; he’s not your dad. But he does care about you, and he’s been sticking his neck out for you since you got here. He’s working his tail off trying to get you any home he can before somepony realizes you’re here and he gets arrested. Even with that in mind, he’s been tossing out half of the possible places you could go to make sure you’re happy.”
That revelation hit the filly like a ton of bricks. Sure, Zephyr had mentioned he might get in trouble if she were found out, but it never occurred to her he might be arrested. What’s more, he was filtering his offers of places to stay. Just then, she understood that if he’d really wanted to get rid of her he wouldn’t have asked if the homes were okay. He would’ve picked one and sent her away without so much as a by-your-leave.
With the stubborn pride only children can muster, she refused to back down. Rallying what remained of her anger she pressed a final offensive. “Why would he do anything for me?” she demanded desperately. “Why is he always looking out for me, even if I don’t want him to? Why is it so important to him that I’m happy? What. Is. His. Problem!?”
Rainbow Dash hesitated again before letting out a sigh. “You’re not the only one who had it rough, kid,” she replied in a low tone of voice. “Zephyr’s always had this thing about helping anypony who asked, but you’re different. He knows that you wouldn’t—and still won’t—ask for help. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need it.” The cyan mare looked at the door where he left. “He takes your troubles kinda personally. And like I said, he’s done his best for you. The least you could do is hear him out.”
That just confused Scootaloo even more. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. “What makes me so special?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Sorry kid. You wanna find out, you’re gonna have to ask him yourself.” She stretched and gave a small yawn. “Try the roof,” she suggested. “If he’s not there…the lake would probably be your best bet.” With that, she flew upstairs and left the filly to decide on her own what to do.
For her part, Scootaloo didn’t want to admit defeat. And she definitely didn’t want to talk to Zephyr. But doesn’t he deserve at least that much? a nagging voice in her mind asked her. He saved your life! Then he took you in almost unconditionally! She tried to shut the voice out. She tried to maintain her anger and her certainty.
She tried not to make a sound as she slipped out the door to find him. After everything he’d done, her outburst began to leave a sour taste in her mouth. Guilt wedged itself into the mix; at least enough to make her finish things. One chance, she told herself. I’ll give him one chance to explain. After that, I’m gone. She meant it too. If she didn’t like how this turned out, she’d pack her things and go instead of suffer any more unhappiness.
Zephyr was on the roof. He lay with his face to the sky and his eyes closed. When Scootaloo landed next to him, he didn’t stir. The only indication that he wasn’t dead or asleep was when he stretched a hoof and yawned.
“Hey,” the magenta-haired filly said. There was no response. “Rainbow Dash said I should come talk to you.” Still, he said nothing. “I guess…I should thank you for…well… everything I guess. Saving my life. Giving me a place to stay. All that stuff.” She felt ridiculous. He wasn’t even acknowledging her. Having had enough of being ignored, she turned to take off.
“You’re welcome.”
She almost lost her balance and fell off the roof. His voice was completely empty and calm. She didn’t feel any of the anger Rainbow Dash had described, but thinking back she could definitely sense a difference from when he walked away. “I wasn’t sure you were listening to me,” she admitted once she had her balance. She looked back over.
He remained in the same position, eyes still shut when he answered. “I’ve always been listening,” he told her. “You just haven’t been speaking until now. Whatever I said or did for you, I couldn’t get you to just open up.”
Scootaloo exhaled loudly and averted her gaze. “Well I guess I have now, right?”
“Not really. I still don’t have any idea what you’re thinking. I don’t know how to help you.”
Summoning her courage, the filly prepared herself for what came next. Come what may, she was going to get an answer this time. “Why do you want to help me so much in the first place? Why do I deserve some kind of special attention? Does it have something to do with whatever happened to you?”
For a long time, the grey pegasus remained silent. Scootaloo waited, determined to browbeat him into telling her if necessary. After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes. “That story has a price-tag, Scootaloo. If you want to hear it, you have to answer my questions truthfully. Otherwise, have a nice life. I’m betting you won’t stick around here.”
That surprised her. For as long as she’d known Zephyr, he’d never outright refused to tell her anything. Briefly, she weighed whatever questions he might ask against her burning desire to learn the older pegasus’s motives. It didn’t take long. “Fine. Go ahead and ask,” she agreed.
He nodded, still not looking at her. “Are you happy living here?” he asked. “Recent events excluded, are you happy living in this house with me and Rainbow Dash?”
If he hadn’t added that condition to the question, Scootaloo would’ve said no immediately. However, stopping to think about it, she wasn’t sure. Honestly, even with the memories of her parents surfacing all the time, she loved the house. Soft beds, spacious rooms, cooked meals. But what she enjoyed the most was having somepony—anypony—living there with her. She wouldn’t trade these last few days with Rainbow Dash for anything. “Yes,” she answered simply.
“Given the choice,” Zephyr continued, “would you leave or stay?”
This time the answer came much quicker. Despite her renewed dislike for him, she’d rather deal with him than crawl back to her cave or some other miserable dwelling. She would do it, if things went sour, but she hoped they wouldn’t. “Stay.”
The stallion nodded. “Final question,” he announced. “If I told you right now that your only two options were to live here with us or to get taken in by Cheerilee, which would you choose?” This time, he looked over at her to wait for her response. His eyes betrayed no anger, no sadness, not even curiosity. Whatever he was thinking, it was beyond her to figure it out.
The question itself startled her. Cheerilee? My teacher? Scootaloo thought incredulously. She gave it serious consideration. Cheerilee was perhaps the only pony she might be able to get comfortable with. In the past, she’d thought about living with Applebloom or Sweetie Belle, but both options had plenty of drawbacks. Applejack was great and all, but farm life didn’t really suit the orange filly. And she’d seen Sweetie Belle’s parents before; no way was she living with those ponies.
But Cheerilee was different. Even after the love poison incident earlier in the year, her teacher had shown her nothing but kindness and understanding. The pink-purple earth pony was one of the few adults in town she had any real respect for.
The trouble was that she respected Rainbow Dash—and Zephyr, to a point—just as much. As much as Scootaloo liked Cheerilee, she only had classroom experience with the mare. It was hard to measure what it would be like living with her all the time. “I don’t know,” she admitted at length. “I mean, I really like it here but…” She cut off midstream. “I guess I couldn’t tell you until I know why you brought me here.”
Zephyr’s gaze seemed to weigh and measure her. After most of a minute, it was his turn to sigh. “Remember when I found you in the cave and guessed what you felt?” he asked. She nodded, and he turned away. “It was because I felt all the same things when I lost my parents.”
The filly’s mouth opened and closed rapidly. “What?!” she finally managed.
Just as he had told Rainbow Dash when they’d met, he told Scootaloo his story of loss. As he spoke, small wisps of cloud took shape and moved. The story came to life, until it was like she was watching the event in person instead of just listening. With each new detail her heart ached in sympathy. By the time he finished, the filly was nearly in tears.
“You know something, Scoots?” Zephyr asked afterward. His voice shook a little, but he wore a small smile. “As dumb as it is, I envy you.” During the story, she’d moved almost right next to him. So she clearly saw the sincerity in his eyes at the outlandish statement. “I wish I could’ve been as strong as you have these past few years. But even more, I wish I knew if my parents were alive or dead. Even if they were dead, it would’ve been better. But I don’t know. To this day, I still wonder if they died or just gave up looking for me.” His eyes stared straight past her for a moment. “But as young as I was, it was even worse.”
Scootaloo sniffled loudly. “Is that why you’ve been trying to take care of me?” she asked. “Because you were an orphan too?”
He nodded. “I know how hard it is to lose family,” he said. “But I also know how important it is to belong somewhere. And I couldn’t let you just wander without a family of your own.”
A few tears leaked out of the filly’s eyes. “But what do I do now?” she demanded pleadingly. “My family’s dead!” A few sobs broke free from her diaphragm.
Zephyr slowly lifted himself off his back and stood next to her. Nuzzling her mane a little, he draped a wing over her. “Family isn’t just blood, Scootaloo. Your friends, ponies you love, even ponies you would miss if they left are all family. Everypony in Longsaddle became my family, and like it or not, so have you.” She looked up at him with tear-filled shock. “And while I might not be your father, I’ll happily settle for being your uncle, brother, or even that weirdo cousin that gives you a place to sleep.” Scootaloo managed a choking laugh. “And even if you want to leave, you’ll always have a home here.”
“Don’t tell her that!” a voice called from somewhere below them. Scootaloo exchanged befuddled glances with Zephyr and joined him in peering over the edge. She had to leap back as a streak of blue shot up at them and landed on her other side. “How are we supposed to get her to stay if you say it’s okay if she leaves?” Rainbow Dash asked half-jokingly.
Joking or not, the words shook the filly a little. “You…w-want me to s-stay?” she stammered. Both adults nodded seriously. The tears she’d been fight back began to pour freely. They want me to stay, the phrase repeated itself in her mind. They want me to stay! Joy blossomed inside her as she felt something that had been gone for almost three years: a sense of belonging somewhere.
But as much as she yearned to just stay here with them, something still held her back. For a long time, she couldn’t tell what it was or why it was so strong. It wasn’t until she remembered Zephyr’s words about family that it came to her. This means I’ll have a family again, she realized. But…why does that make me so sad? It did, too. The thought of joining a family—any family—brought an ache right alongside the happiness. Conflicted, and not even sure why, she tried to communicate how she felt to the ponies next to her. After a few short, stuttering sentences, Zephyr shushed her and smiled.
“I felt the same thing before I let Doc take care of me,” he told her. “Some part of you worries that if you let yourself have a new family, you’re betraying your parents. That if you try to replace them, you have to give them up forever.”
His explanation clicked in Scootaloo’s brain. I don’t want to let them go, she decided. Not for anything. “Is…is it true?” she asked worriedly. “Do I have to give them up?”
“Of course not, kid!” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Nopony can make you give up your past. Besides, do you think your parents would rather see you moping and alone or happy with a new family?”
Sniffing loudly, the filly realized she was right. Her parents would never want to see her sad, especially not on their account. Even so… “I still miss them, though,” she said. “Every day.”
“And that’s only natural,” Zephyr assured her. “I still miss my parents. But the pain will go away with time if you let it.” He lifted his wing off of her and instead closed her in a hug. Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around both of them and squeezed tightly. “You’ve just got to let it go,” he continued. “And the easiest way is to talk. Tell somepony about them. The good, the bad, even the tiniest irrelevant details. Let it all just come out without worrying about what others might think.”
Caught in the warmth of their embrace, Scootaloo began crying in earnest. Neither of the older pegasi said anything while she sobbed, for which she was grateful. After several moments of wringing out her sadness, she was able to dry her tears and breathe. I’ve never told anyone what happened, she thought dully. She looked from face to face, seeing nothing but tenderness and concern. I want somepony to know.
Starting slowly, but with steadily increasing strength, she told them everything. Every memory she could summon flowed across her tongue without any form or reason. She told them how her mother would always bake cookies on Saturdays; how her father would fly around with her on his back. Story after story flooded out of her, and through it all Zephyr and Rainbow Dash just sat quietly. Her recitation carried them long into the night, by which point she felt drained and numb. And happy. Relieving herself of everything she’d carried with her for as long as she could remember brought a strange euphoria to the filly. She was dimly aware of being carried inside and tucked into her bed. Warm faces smiled at her as she succumbed to sleep. And for the very first time since her parents died, Scootaloo felt like she’d come home.
* * * *
It was official.
Zephyr and Rainbow Dash co-signed the adoption form giving them legal guardianship over Scootaloo. Her days of hiding and secrecy were finally over for good. She declined their offer to celebrate; instead she embarked on one last personal mission before they told their friends. Flying as fast as she could, she met Applebloom and Sweetie Belle at the cutie mark Crusaders’ headquarters, where they’d been told to wait for her.
Her friends’ eyes got big when she made her confession and even bigger when she told them Zephyr and Rainbow Dash had adopted her. After they finished gaping, they began asking all kinds of questions. By the time they were finished, Scootaloo had told them about the manticore incident, how she’d lived for the past few years, and even a bit about her parents. Serious business over, and promises made not to treat her any differently, the Crusaders resumed their usual activities: acquiring cutie marks by any means possible.
The news moved quickly through the town. Soon, everypony was talking about her adoption by the odd couple. Opinions differed on why they did it and how it would play out, but on the whole the community supported their actions. For a short while, ponies she didn’t know would approach her and offer their condolences or best wishes.
During this period, she received her greatest surprise yet. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara approached her in the street while she was walking with her friends. Rather than taunt or laugh as usual, both fillies apologized for remarks they’d made in the past about her house or family. Too stunned to think clearly, she accepted their apology. Thankfully, Diamond Tiara made it clear it was a one-time event and that tomorrow she’d just be a blank-flank again. With the world returned to a right-side-up position, the Crusaders ignored the anomaly and continued enjoying their last few days before the school year began.
* * * *
“Where are we going?” Scootaloo demanded. In front of her, Zephyr walked along silently through the streets of Ponyville. “Are you even listening to me?”
“It’s hard not to,” he chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there.”
Yeah right, the filly thought skeptically. Given the route they’d taken to wherever it was, she doubted they were really going anywhere. So far, they’d gone back and forth down several streets, circled around three blocks, and walked by that same bench at least four times. “Can’t we at least fly there?” she complained loudly.
A distant rumble of thunder reached her ears. She looked around, but the sky was completely clear today. “Okay,” Zephyr conceded. “Now we can fly.” Without explaining himself, the grey pegasus leapt into the air and shot directly towards wherever he was leading her. With a grumbled curse, Scootaloo chased after him as fast as she could. She had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that her guardian had insisted she follow him. Curiosity drove her to agree, but already she was beginning to regret the decision.
The chase led her to the library of all places. Zephyr touched down by the door and waited for her to land next to him. “The library?” she moaned as her wings folded up. “This is where you just had to take me?”
“Is that some kind of problem?” he asked innocently.
“Why couldn’t you have just told me that or brought me straight here instead of dragging me half-way around Ponyville?”
He shrugged. “It’s a nice day. It’s not like we were in a hurry.” He gestured at the door. “After you.”
Scootaloo sighed and walked up to the door. The knob turned and the door opened without so much as a squeak. Rolling her eyes, the filly strolled inside the tree-shaped building. It took her three steps before she realized how dark it was inside. I guess Twilight isn’t home, she noted. “Where’s the light switch in here?” she asked the stallion behind her.
“It’s to the left.”
Reaching along the wall, she found the switch and flipped it. “SURPRISE!” shouted several voices when the lights came on. The orange pegasus jumped at the noise and felt her jaw drop as she surveyed her surroundings. Floor and ceiling alike were littered with balloons of every color. Streamers hung along the wall. Overhead, a large banner of blue and gold proclaimed in big letters the words ‘Happy Birthday!’
The first pony she saw was (of course) Pinkie Pie. The party mare appeared right in front of her with her trademark ear-to-ear grin. “Happy Birthday Scootaloo!” she bubbled. “Welcome to your super-awesome-mega-ultra-cool surprise party! Were you surprised? ‘Cause we all worked really really hard and were super sneaky quiet so you wouldn’t know we were here and Rainbow Dash gave Zephyr the signal so he didn’t bring you here too early!”
In that rush of information, Scootaloo focused on the last part. Glaring balefully over her shoulder, she watched as the stallion walked in with a grin of his own. Then the rest of what she’d heard sank in and the wheels in her brain began turning.
While she thought, she looked around at everypony present. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all smiled at her from off to the left. To her right, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stood next to Applejack and Rarity respectively, practically overflowing with excitement. Spike hung out in the back of the room, next to a cake three times his size. “Well?” Zephyr whispered in her ear. “Still don’t think the library was a good idea?”
She ignored him and concentrated on the date. With a little quick math (and the realization that school started tomorrow) she realized it really was her birthday. How could I forget something like that? she wondered incredulously. More importantly…“How did you all know today was—“
“Pinkie Pie,” everypony answered together. The room erupted with laughter.
“Pinkie knows everypony’s birthday!” Applebloom explained, somewhat overawed.
“Yeah,” agreed Sweetie Belle. “even if you don’t tell her!”
Scootaloo didn’t hold it in any longer. With a whooping cry, she dove headfirst into the nearest clump of balloons. They scattered in every direction and she began giggling. “Well don’t just stand there! This is a party, right?” she said. Whatever held them all in place vanished, and the party began in earnest.
Music from Pinkie’s personal record player filled the room. Some of Scootaloo’s favorite rock n’ roll songs like “Kicking It Cloudsdale”, “Thunderstruck”, and “Supersonic” made their way into the mix. While it almost made ears bleed as she sang along, there was no question she could move to the groove. Even Pinkie Pie was hard pressed to jam as hard as the magenta-maned filly.
For games, Twilight had set up another (conveniently empty) room. First was Twist-It, in which as a matter of fairness Pinkie was required to work the spinner instead of playing. By the end of the first round, Twilight was splayed as far as her legs could reach, Applejack and Rarity were hopelessly tangled together, Zephyr tried to keep his balance with all his hooves stuck on the same spot, and Rainbow Dash had to reach underneath an outstretched Fluttershy to put her hoof on the correct circle. Scootaloo and her fellow Crusaders struggled to fit themselves in the same small cluster of spaces without tipping over. Spike, having refused to get involved, gave a loud sneeze that caused the entire group to collapse in a giggling heap.
Next came the piñata. Rainbow Dash worked the papier-mâché model of a storm cloud up and down while the orange filly lashed out at it from under her blindfold. When at last she landed a hit, the thing exploded and candy poured out from inside. Everypony cheered, while the Crusaders (and Pinkie Pie) launched themselves hungrily at the sugary treats.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a party without pin-the-tail-on-the-pony. Again blindfolded, Scootaloo stuck her tail right in the poster-pony’s ear. The only participant who did worse was Pinkie Pie, who somehow managed to pin her own tail against the wall with the game tail. Unsurprisingly, the pink mare laughed harder about it than anypony else.
After the games was cake time. Everypony gathered around and sang “Happy Birthday” while she stared at the eight flickering candles. “Make a wish and blow ‘em out!” Applejack told her. The others all nodded and murmured their agreement.
A wish? she asked herself. Do I even have a wish? Scootaloo looked around at the ponies smiling at her expectantly. All-in-all, this was the happiest she’d ever been since she came to Ponyville. I’ve got everything I need.
“Hey, can ya hurry it up?” Spike whispered. A little drool hung from his mouth as he eyed the cake. “I’m famished here!”
A tug of magic pulled the baby dragon away. “Spike!” Twilight admonished. “Don’t rush her!”
The sight made Scootaloo smile. I like things this way, she decided. Following that thought, it came to her. I wish my family will stay like this forever,, she wished. She took a deep breath and blew out all the candles in one try.
“What did you wish for?” Fluttershy asked timidly.
The orange filly opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a pink blur. “No, no, no!” Pinkie Pie blurted frantically. “You can never, ever, ever tell somepony what your birthday wish was or else it’ll never come true!”
“Oh come now Pinkie, you know that’s just superstition,” Rarity said dismissively.
They tried for a few more seconds, but the party mare was adamant. Realizing it was pointless, they began slicing the cake. Scootaloo devoured two large pieces and licked the chocolate frosting off her plate. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie consumed piece after piece, and would have fought for the last piece if Spike hadn’t grabbed it first. After the cake, Zephyr suggested they move on to gifts. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both seconded the motion, and Scootaloo found herself dragged to a mountainous pile of presents.
The filly tore through them with astounding speed. From Applejack, she received two packages of candied apples and her own hat and lasso. Rarity had applied her talents into making her a hack-a-sack, a stuffed Rainbow Dash doll (to the cyan pegasus’s chagrin), and a cape with starry patterns printed on the back. Fluttershy gave her a necklace with a small iron bell as well as a hug that somehow made her relaxed and happy at the same time. Pinkie Pie actually gave her the record they’d danced to earlier, as well as a couple others with songs she liked. Rainbow Dash contributed a Wonderbolts T-shirt with an awesome picture of the performers streaking through the sky. From the combined efforts of Spike, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo was given a huge poster filled with pictures—some drawn, some photographed—of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ numerous misadventures.
At last, there was only one gift left. It was a large, red box. In fact, by its size alone it reminded her of…“No way,” she whispered.
“Go on! Open it!” Zephyr encouraged her. “It’s from me and Twilight. I think you’re going to like it.”
It isn’t…they didn’t…did they? she wondered. The orange filly squeezed her eyes shut and tore open the box. After a few seconds, she opened one eye and peaked at the present.
As she feared, it was a scooter. The new metal shined brightly in the light, and blazing flames decorated the black baseboard. It was definitely cooler than her old one. But it wasn’t her scooter, the one she’d loved so much. Or is it? she thought suddenly. She inspected it closely. The back wheels didn’t look quite as smooth or polished as the two in front. Additionally, the handlebars were worn and scuffed. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed the helmet, her helmet, lying next to it with the dent buffed completely out. Too shocked to speak, she turned towards Twilight and Zephyr.
“Do you like it?” the purple unicorn asked brightly. “We couldn’t fix your old one, so we salvaged as much as we could and used it with the newer one!” She lifted the scooter up and brought it closer. “And this one is magically enchanted so that it’ll never break.”
“But…I thought…I thought you got rid of my old scooter!” she accused, turning to Zephyr.
The grey pegasus grinned at her. “I never said that,” he reminded. “You never let me finish what I was going to say, remember? I took it to Twilight so we could figure something out.” He pawed the ground nervously. “Is this…okay?” he asked cautiously.
In answer, she flung herself at him and crushed him as hard as she could with a full-body hug. “I love it!” she said into his mane while she squeezed. Zephyr hugged her back, and in seconds everypony piled themselves into the hug. “Thank you all so much!” she said from the center of the embrace. “I love you guys!”
Everypony returned her sentiment tenfold and she soaked in the happiness of the moment. I guess I can live with a family like this, she thought to herself as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
* * * *
Zephyr stirred from his sleep as he caught the sound of hoofsteps in the hallway. He only barely heard it, even with his heightened senses. Whoever it was seemed intent on moving quietly. For an instant, he thought it might be a burglar or worse and his defensive instincts kicked in. Before he rose from his bed, the steps stopped outside his door and the pony behind it took a deep breath.
At the noise, Zephyr relaxed. It was Scootaloo; after all the time he’d spent with her, he recognized the sound of her breathing almost as well as Rainbow Dash’s. What’s she doing up this late? he wondered groggily.
As if in response, a timid knock came from the door. Without waiting for a response, the filly pushed it open a crack and stuck her head inside. “Zephyr? Are you awake?” she whispered into the room. In the darkness it was hard to make out her expression, but he thought she might have been biting her lip.
“Yes,” he answered softly. The filly jumped in surprise when he spoke. “Did you need something?”
“No! I didn’t…I mean…” she stammered, clearly uncomfortable. “Never mind. I’ll go back to bed now.” She began to pull back out of the doorway.
“Trouble sleeping?” the tired stallion guessed.
Scootaloo ceased her retreat and seemed to look down in shame. “It’s nothing,” she insisted. “I just thought—“ She bit her lip again rather than continue. After a moment, she mustered her courage and came fully into the room. “Do you think…could I…”
At last, it clicked in Zephyr’s sleep-addled brain. “Do you need somepony to keep you company?” he asked carefully.
The filly hesitated at the question. Even in the dark, by now he could see clearly enough to watch the conflict play across her face. Zephyr decided not to interfere. This is an enormous step for her, he realized. One wrong move…
At last, she responded with a nod. The older pegasus said nothing further, but instead moved over to one side of the mattress. Scootaloo walked up to the other side and hopped up wordlessly. Instead of pulling the blankets about herself, she pressed as closely against Zephyr as she could, gripping him tightly. “Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest.
Stunned, he just lay there dumbfounded before eventually wrapping the filly in a gentle hug. Those two words weren’t just referring to that moment. They meant everything. All he’d done for her, with her, even in spite of her was addressed by those two short words. By the time he’d absorbed the gravity of the moment, he heard snoring coming from his young charge.
Zephyr felt himself smile. “Good night, Scoots,” he whispered. He shifted positions to better suit the filly’s comfort before pulling the blankets over them both and closing his own eyes.