//------------------------------// // A Nightmare On Scoot Street // Story: The Truth About Scootaloo // by NintendoGal55 //------------------------------// The sky above was dark, a deep shade of red with ominous clouds looming about. All around her, the land was barren and dark, with ricketed trees containing no leaves, only bare branches. Scootaloo stood alone within it all, shivering and trembling with fear. A cold wind blew past the frightened filly, moaning through the trees and chilling her to the bone. An owl hooted in the distance, the sound echoing in the silence, and adding to the terrifying atmosphere. "...H-Hello...?" Scootaloo called out, her voice shaky. "I-Is anyone out there...? Hello?" Another icy blast of wind blew past, making her shudder. The way it moaned through the skeletal branches, it sounded like a chilling voice, answering her... Carefully treading the ground, looking all about at the barren trees of the forest, Scootaloo gulped. Overhead, she could hear the loud flapping of bat wings. In the distance, a strange kind of howling noise was heard, with some thinner, volatile trees waving in the wind. "What was that?!" In the distance sat two silhouetted figures, indistinguishable, but somehow vaguely familiar... Lightning crackled in the sky, followed by an enormous thunderclap, as more and more dark clouds began to gather in the red sky. "H-Hey! Hello?! Hey! I need your help!" Scootaloo called out, approaching the figures. Neither figure responded, their backs facing the filly. The howl of a Timber Wolf echoed faintly in the distance, unnerving her all the more. Figuring they hadn't heard her, considering how small her voice felt, Scootaloo kept going. She still couldn't quite see them, but there was no mistake that they were ponies, mares or colts, she couldn't tell. Either way, hopefully they could help her. "Hey! Excuse me?! I'm lost here and I don't know what's going on! Can you help me?!" "...You don't know..." One voice hissed coldly. "...What's goin' on?" The other voice disdainfully finished. "What...? No...I don't know what's going on! Do you know?" Scootaloo stopped in her tracks, eyeing the two ponies. They were draped in shadows, impossible for her to make out. Even if she could recognize the voices, they sounded distorted and echoed. "...You're a liar, Scootaloo. A stuck-up, selfish liar." The first voice accused with malice. "An' you ain't no friend a' ours, neither." The second voice spat, hatefully. "...What? No...no I'm not!" Scootaloo cried, approaching the ponies again. Only now, she could see that they were fillies. And their voices were somewhat familiar...but their silhouettes, they were beginning to take familiar forms. Another crackle of lightning tearing through the sky illuminated the forms, if only for a moment. Sitting before her, glaring with hatred in their eyes, were Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "How dare you not tell us about your 'famous' parents!" Sweetie Belle snarled, her eyes blazing with anger. "Are we not good enough for you, O High and Mighty Scootaloser?!" Tears pooling in her eyes, the orange filly shook her head wildly. "N-No! No! Of course you're good enough for me! I just... I wasn't ready to tell you guys who my parents were! You're plenty good for me!" "Yeah, right!" The light-gray filly snapped, snout-to-snout with the orange filly. "You just thought we weren't deserving to know you have world-famous Wonderbolt parents!" "If that's how ya feel 'bout us, then ya don't deserve ta be a Cutie Mark Crusader, no more!" Barked the yellow filly, grabbing Scootaloo's CMC cloak and tearing it in two. "Yer hereby expelled an' banned fer life!" Shocked, all Scootaloo could do was sit there, torn apart. Much like her cape. "No...no...I'm sorry, you guys! I'm sorry!" "It's too late for 'sorry', Scootaloser!" Sweetie Belle then slapped her across the snout with her hoof. "As of right now, you're not our friend, anymore! Good riddance!" "Humph!" Apple Bloom turned her snout up in the air, as both fillies stalked off, making sure to slap her with their tails as they left her alone. "But...But I..." It was too late. They were already gone before she even realized it. Scootaloo felt as if her body had gone numb, and her heart sank to her stomach. Her friends hated her, abandoned her...and for what? Her lies? Up ahead was another pair of silhouetted figures, these two larger than that of her now ex-friends. Another icy blast of wind whipped past her, causing her wings to stiffen at her sides, as though held with super-glue. Scared as she was, Scootaloo wasn't about to back away from an opportunity. Hopefully, they could help her, right? She managed to stand, shakily, and made a run for it. She had to catch up to these other ponies! Like before, the other two ponies seemed to sense her approach. "Oh look, Rainbow Dash...here comes that little pest, again." Unfortunately, like before, they didn't seem like they'd be much friendlier. "Figured as much." Said the other voice, sounding annoyed and bitter. "...W-What...? Pest...?" Scootaloo shrank back, feeling scared all over again. "What shall we do about it, hmm?" The first voice asked, uncaring and mean. "What do you care?" The second voice snapped. "Quit asking me stupid things!" In the darkness, a pair of angered, blazing cerise eyes pierced through the shadows right at her. "And you! Get out of here, you dumb little pest!" "B-But...Rainbow Dash..." Scootaloo whimpered, trembling. "I...I'm not...I...you..." "What's the matter, are you deaf?" The normally kind, warm, sweet voice was cold, cruel, and hateful. "Get lost, you pest!" Cyan eyes stabbed her like ice daggers, no longer bearing the warmth and love they once held. "F-Fluttershy...? Why...Why...what did I do?" Scootaloo whimpered. "You know what you did!" Rainbow Dash growled, coming into the light. "You're nothing but an annoying pest! And you LIED to us!! How could you lie?! To ME?! I don't even know who you are anymore!! So, scram! I don't even know why I called you my sister!" "How dare you..." Fluttershy snarled, also coming into the light. "How dare you deceive me! And after all I've done for you?! I don't want to see your face anymore! Get out of here! Just...go away! Never show yourself to me, again! And stay out of my cottage!" "That goes double for me! And YOU!" Now Rainbow Dash turned on Fluttershy. "I never want to see you again, either! I'm out of here!" Before either of them could speak, she flew off at lightning speed. "....R-Rainbow...Dash..." Scootaloo whimpered, falling to the ground, numb all over. "Well, FINE!!!" Fluttershy yelled after her. "I never liked you anyway, Rainbow Crash!!!" She, too, then took off into the sky, whipping Scootaloo in the face with her tail as she did so. Scootaloo began to weep, curling up into a fetal position. She felt so lost, so alone, so scared... Everything in her life was disappearing, out of hatred of her...because of her lies. "M-Mom... Dad...." She whimpered. Cruel laughter filled her ears then, and the sneering face of Diamond Tiara appeared before her. "See?! What did I tell you, Scootaloser?! All of your so-called 'friends' abandoned you, and so did your two lame 'sisters'! You're nothing but a pathetic excuse for a pegasus! Not even the Wonderbolts would want anything to do with you!" As she said this, two familiar figures rocketed past in the red night sky, leaving smoke trails in their wake. Recognizing them, Scootaloo darted up, trying to catch up to them. "Mom! Dad! Mom! Dad! Dad! Mooooom!! Mom!!! Wait!! Wait, stop! Please! Stop!!" But her cries fell on deaf ears, as they Wonderbolts continued to fly away, farther and faster, and out of her reach. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to see it. Her stomach churned as her small legs ran as quick as they could. Her little wings flapped maniacally, despite that it did no good. Tears flew from her eyes, refusing to let up as she tried to fight them back. "MOM! DAD! MOM!" It was no use. The Wonderbolts continued to fly away, until they were eventually out of sight, leaving Scootaloo all alone. "Hope you enjoy the rest of your lonely life!" Diamond Tiara cackled, trotting away. "Blaaaaank flaaaaank!!!!!" "Noooooooooooo!!!!" Scootaloo held her hooves over her ears, trying hard to block out the sounds. "Stoooooooop!! Nooooooooo!!!!" All at once, the filly sat up in bed, yelling and screaming from her bout of Night Terrors. The door suddenly burst open, and Spitfire charged into the room, having been awakened by the filly's terrified screams and cries. "Scootaloo?! Sweetie, wake up! You're having a nightmare!" "M-Mom!!" Scootaloo cried, wide-eyed and shaking, looking all around her. "Mom!!!" The fear was still within her, as if she were still dreaming, trying to make sure she was back in the real world. Soarin' came in as well, his blue nightcap nearly flying off his head as he rushed into the room. "Scootaloo, you all right?" "Shh, shh, shh, shhh..." Spitfire came over to the bed, sitting down and gently drawing the crying filly into a comforting hug, wrapping both her forelegs and her wings around her daughter's trembling form. Crying softly, Scootaloo clung to her mother, basking in the comforting warmth. She then felt her father joining the hug, even opening his wings over the two. The terrifying visions of her Night Terrors continued to try to poke at her mind, to which she snapped her eyes open, refusing to close them. Anytime she did, all she would see were everypony she loved abandoned her. "M-Mom, dad...it was so scary..." "Hey, it's okay, kiddo...you just had a bad dream. You're gonna be all right." Soarin' assured her, kissing her hair. "You're okay now, baby...it was just a nightmare, it wasn't real. Whatever it was, it's over, now." Spitfire murmured, rubbing her back to soothe her. "D-Don't leave me..." Scootaloo whimpered, sniffling. "Hey, hey, don't worry. Of course we're not going to leave you, kiddo." Soarin' assured, nuzzling her. "We're right here, and we're always gonna be back even when we're gone." "I-I know...my dream...it was just...I was all alone...everypony hated me..." "Now, why would everypony hate you, sweetheart?" Spitfire nuzzled her gently. "What happened in your nightmare?" "....My friends....Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy....they hated me...because I liked...about you guys....they all hated me...left me..." The orange filly whimpered, nuzzling her parents. "Oh, Scootaloo..." The golden mare nuzzled her again, kissing her tearstained cheeks. "Are you worried about Family Appreciation Day?" "You can tell us, kiddo." Soarin' said softly, taking a tissue and wiping his daughter's cheeks. "A little.... I guess I'm a little scared...a-after school, I also have to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy...and t-tell them about it, too..." Scootaloo whimpered. "And you're scared of how Rainbow Dash may react, aren't you?" Spitfire gently stroked and smoothed her daughter's small wings as she continued massaging her back. "...Yes..." The filly confessed, nodding. "Oh, honey, don't even worry about that. Rainbow Dash is the most loyal pony I've ever trained at the Wonderbolt Academy. I think it's safe to say she won't think any different of you because of this,” said Spitfire, nuzzling Scootaloo. "I hope so..." Scootaloo sniffled. Soarin' ruffled her mane, smiling in assurance. "Your mom's right, Scoots. Rainbow Dash wouldn't just turn you aside over this!" "...Still... I was afraid to tell her...I didn't want her to know the most, since I know how much she looks up to you guys..." "Why don't you want her to know, Scootaloo? Didn't you tell us in a letter that Rainbow Dash agreed to be your big sister?" Spitfire smiled gently at the filly, pulling back so she could look her in the eye. "Because I wanted her to like me for me! And not because I'm the daughter of two Wonderbolts!!" She burst, sniffling. "Sweetie, even if you had told her that we're your parents, do you really think that's the only reason she'd agree to do anything for you?" The golden mare asked softly. "She'd be ashamed of me!" "Aw kiddo, now that's not true." "Yes it is! She'd wonder why I couldn't fly if I'm Spitfire and Soarin's daughter!!" Chuckling softly, Spitfire smiled in assurance as she rubbed Scootaloo's back, "No she wouldn't. Scoot, every pegasus develops at a different rate. Some sooner than others, and some later. Believe it or not, your dad and I were both late bloomers when we were learning to fly." Wiping her eyes, Scootaloo looked to both her parents in surprise. Soarin' chuckled, smiling brightly as he nuzzled her. "It's true, kiddo! Kids at Flight School used to tease the hay out of me because I couldn't fly like the rest of my class!" Spitfire smiled, nuzzling her as well. "That's right! I didn't learn to fly until the day I got my cutie mark!" She nodded to the flaming phoenix that she bore on her flank. "Wow...really?" Scootaloo felt less upset and scared now as intrigue overcame her emotions. "Yep! When I was able to fly, that was when I got this baby!" He indicated to his own cutie mark. "You see, sweetheart? Eventually, you'll learn to use those wings, and when you do, I'm sure that's when your cutie mark will appear, too." She nuzzled her sweetly and wrapped her in another comforting hug. "I doubt that...but I will learn to fly!" Scootaloo hugged her mother back. "You never know, kiddo." Soarin' winked, ruffling her mane. "Well, we'll head back to bed, so you can sleep now. Will you be okay, Scoot? Do you need anything?" Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah...a glass of water... I'll be fine." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "We'll get that for you." Spitfire nodded, looking to her husband, who was closer to the bedside table. Seeing his wife's hint, he made a grab for the tissue box sitting there, bringing it over. Taking a tissue from it, he held it to Scootaloo's nose. "Here you go, take care of those sniffles." Grumbling, Scootaloo complied and blew her nose. "Atta girl." She smiled and rose up off the bed. "I'll go get you some water, okay?" Tossing the tissue away. Scootaloo nodded and settled back against her pillows. "Okay, mom." Soarin' meanwhile fixed the covers over her, and opened the window to let in some air. "That better?" "Yeah, thanks dad...." Scootaloo smiled. "I'll be right back, sweetie." Spitfire smiled over her withers and left the room, leaving her husband and daughter alone for the moment. Going over to his daughter, he kissed her forehead and ruffled her mane again. "You hang in there, okay, kiddo? Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see." The filly giggled and snuggled into her pillows. "Okay, dad...I guess you're right..." "Atta girl!" He chuckled, nuzzling her. "Enough nuzzles, Dad! I get plenty from Fluttershy..." She pouted cutely, crossing her forelegs. Soarin' laughed, shaking his head. "She's a sweetie, isn't she?" Scootaloo continued to pout. "She sure gives a lot of nuzzles...especially to me and Rainbow Dash..." "Sounds to me like she just loves you so much!" He said, poking her snout playfully. She stuck her tongue out in response. "Yeah, well I think it's possible to be loved TOO much." "What's that about being loved too much?" Spitfire giggled, returning with a glass of ice water. "Here you go, Scoots~" "Oh, she's just talking about how much she loves Fluttershy's sweet little nuzzles!" Soarin' winked to his wife. Scootaloo happily took the glass, drinking some of it down. Afterward, she pouted some more, holding the glass between her hooves. "Was not, Dad!" "Oh, now isn't that nice!" Spitfire winked at her husband, tucking the blankets around her daughter. "Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll make sure Fluttershy knows that you want extra nuzzles from now on!" "No no no nooooo! She already loves me too much! I get so many nuzzles from her every time I see her!" "Haha, you know you love it, kiddo!" "Noooooo!" "Come on, we're just teasing with you, honey. Now, are you ready to go back to sleep?" Scootaloo nodded, drinking down more water. "Yeah, I'll be fine, Mom." "All right, Scoots." Soarin gently patted her head. "Holler if you need us!" "You know where we are, Scootaloo." Spitfire kissed her snout. "Sleep well, sweetie." The orange filly pouted, wiping off the spot her mother had kissed her. "Mooom..." The golden mare smiled teasingly. "What, too grown-up for a goodnight kiss, now?" "...No," Scootaloo shook her head. Soarin' chuckled, kissing his daughter's cheek. "G'night, kiddo! See you in the morning." "Sweet dreams, Scoots~" Spitfire said softly, making her way to the door. Scootaloo yawned, settling under the covers. "Night mom, dad..." The two Wonderbolts exited her room, closing the door behind them. Once they came back to their own bedroom, Spitfire looked to Soarin' with a slight frown. "Do you think she'll be all right, Soar?" "Can't say for sure, Spitty," he said honestly, shaking his head. "But I think she'll be fine." "I sure hope so..." She murmured, shaking her head. "She's really afraid of what her friends and Rainbow Dash will think once they find out. But she shouldn't worry about it. If they're really her true friends, then I know they're not going to care." Soarin' nodded, nuzzling his wife sweetly. "I think so. And if I know Rainbow Dash, she's just gonna be amazed, but I bet you she really cares about Scoots." Spitfire nodded, nuzzling her husband lovingly. "Rainbow Dash is truly a loyal pony, I meant what I said. She'll do anything for her friends, and especially for those she cares the most about. I told you about what happened at the Academy, didn't I? The tornado incident?" Grinning, Soarin' chuckled, "Who could forget? That sounds epic!" "I didn't see it unfold for myself, of course. But Rainbow Dash recounted the entire thing to me after it occurred. It was apparently the idea of her Leadpony, Lightning Dust, to create a tornado to beat out their fellow cadets. Well, Lightning Dust is now her Wingpony, but that's beside the point." Soarin' took this in, nodding slowly as he listened. "I remember, and you said she still went out there to help her friends, despite the risks of the competition! That's pretty awesome of her." Spitfire nodded, smirking slightly. "That shows you just how loyal she is. I think she really has the potential to be a Wonderbolt herself, someday." Chuckling, he lay back in bed, crossing his forelegs behind his head. "Couldn't agree with you more, Spitty! So I definitely know that she won't treat Scoots any different! I think it's safe to say the same for Fluttershy, too!" Turning onto her side, she chuckled and nodded her agreement, propping her head on her forehoof. "Absolutely. Same goes for her little friends at school. She'll be just fine, Soar. I know it." "She'll definitely be fine, Spitty." He grinned, rolling onto his side too. "Well...shall we get some sleep? We've got big plans for our little Scoots tomorrow, don't we~" She leaned over to nuzzle her snout against his. Soarin' nuzzled his snout against hers, grinning. "You bet we do, hon~" He rolled over, turning off the lamp on his bedside table. "Mmm~" Spitfire pulled herself closer, snuggling up against Soarin'. "G'night, Soar~" "G'night, Spitty~" Soarin' cuddled his wife close, kissing her forehead. Spitfire snuggled her head under her husband's, breathing a content sigh as she closed her eyes. Closing his eyes as well, he too let out a content exhale of breath. Soon enough, sleep claimed both Wonderbolts, with the day soon to come.