Through the Whitetail Woods, a buzzing sound echoed, overpowering the more natural sounds of nature. The buzz came from a pair of wings belonging to one orange-coated pegasus filly. The young girl flapped her small wings rapidly to propel herself along as she raced through the trees. Normally the young filly would bear a confident and cocky grin on her face as she went, but today her face was unnaturally serious.
“Sorry Scootaloo, ah already got some plans with mah sis. She’s showin’ me how ta bake the apple pies so ah can help out more! See ya round!”
The orange filly began to grit her teeth in anger as she beat her wings harder, increasing her speed to reckless levels. Despite her attempts to stop it, her mind continued to wander.
“Sorry, but I’m helping Rarity at Carousel Boutique! I mean, she’s not letting me do much, but I’m getting to help her out with some of her outfits! I’ll let you know if there’s anything that I think we can get a cutie mark from!”
Scootaloo’s frustration was beginning to peak as she approached a high root, a simple jump for her. As she approached she hunched over, ready to hop. Pulling herself and her scooter above the root proved an easy task, but as she was coming back down to the ground her mind flashed back once more.
“Sorry Scoots, but I got training to do today. Gotta practice for the next race coming up, so no flying lessons today. Sorry, kid.”
The thought was enough of a distraction to interfere with the filly’s landing, causing her to bob and weave after touching ground. Within moments the scooter turned sharply and the small pony was sent tumbling end over end. For several yards the filly went, scraping and bruising her body, her head protected from more serious injuries by her helmet. After finally coming to a stop, the orange filly began to cry, not making any effort to move from her current position as she did. Her cries slowly grew to wails of agony, and anypony that heard her would’ve come rushing to help. Unfortunately, the fact that there was nopony coming, far too far from anypony that could help, only emphasized the burning question that was the source of the pain in her heart.
She finally rolled over onto her front before slamming her forelegs onto the ground and shouting to the sky.
“WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE ALONE!?”
Within half an hour Scootaloo was once again back on her way home, her wails havening died down to mere sniffles. Her scooter’s back wheel was loose and she didn’t want to risk falling down again so she opted to walk her vehicle the rest of the way back. The sun was starting to set, signifying it was late afternoon, but the young filly was still too lost in her own thoughts.
It’s not fair. Apple Bloom has Applejack, Sweetie Belle has Rarity, why am I an only foal? Even if they don’t get along all the time at least they have each other. Dad’s always so busy, and mom… dad never talks about her. I don’t really remember her and dad just says “she’s gone,” like I’m too young to get it.
Soon her thoughts began turning to a certain rainbow-maned pegasus, beginning to tear up again.
Who was I kidding? I’ll just be fan to Rainbow Dash and nothing more. I was stupid to think she could see me as a sister. Of course she’d be too busy being awesome to hang out with a loser like me.
As she continued to trot along a blue and black figure in the distance caught her eye. She looked closer and saw a blue earth pony stallion, dressed in a black suit and hat with sunglasses and an old brown guitar case strapped to his back trotting down the path towards her. Something about the stallion unnerved her and that feeling only grew as they continued towards each other.
Scootaloo quickly wiped her eyes, putting on her most intimidating expression as she continued, not wanting to look weak and vulnerable. Her muscles tensed as sher prepared to gallop away if need be. Then, while they were still about twenty yards from each other, the stallion stopped and unstrapped his guitar case, resting it against a tree before opening it. Hey pulled out a worn guitar that looked like it had seen better days. He stood on his hind legs and leaned against a tree, tuning his guitar for a few moments before playing. By the time he had, Scootaloo had nearly trotted past him, her fear of him dropping as it seemed he wanted nothing to do with her.
“Well, maybe not that last part,” the stallion chuckled, his gravely voice somehow soothing to the young filly.
“D-Did… did you play that song… for me?” Scootaloo asked barely above a whisper, still too shocked to move.
“Now, what makes ya think that, little filly?” he asked knowingly, giving her a warm smile.
“Do… Can you be that somepony for me?” she asked hopefully.
He reached out and gently rubbed the orange pegasus’ head. “Now young’un, I’d be more than happy to. But I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“What? Why not?”
“First off,” he began, placing his guitar back in it’s case, “I’m not the kind of pony who stays in one place too long. And second,” he paused to close his case and sling the guitar back onto his back, “I can’t take a job that’s already filled.”
Scootaloo hung her head. “What are you talking about? I don’t have anypony who I can tell my problems to,” she said sadly.
“You sure ‘bout that, young’un?”
“SCOOTS!”
The filly shot up and turned to the sky, facing the source of the familiar voice.
“Rainbow Dash?”
“SCOOTS! WHERE ARE YOU!? SCOOTALOO!”
Up in the sky the pegaus could see the multicolored streaks from her idol zigzagging across the sky.
“RAINBOW DASH!” she called back, waving her forelegs back and forth to get her attention.
The mare saw the young filly and smiled in relief. She raced back towards Ponyville, confusing the orange filly, before racing back moments later, landing before tackling the foal with a hug.
“Oh Scootaloo, thank Celestia you’re ok!”
“W-What do you mean?” she asked, a bit surprised at the affection she was receiving.
“What do you mean ‘what do I mean?’” the older mare asked letter her go and giving her a stern gaze. “Nopony knew where you were! We’ve been worried sick!”
“We?”
“SCOOTALOO!”
“THERE YA ARE!”
Looking back down the path the she could see four more ponies galloping towards them, two unicorns and two earth ponies.
“G-Girls?” Scootaloo asked, surprised.
“I’m so glad we found you!” Sweetie Belle squaked as she ran up and hugged her friend, eliciting a slight groan of pain from her.
“Land sakes, girl, what happened to ya?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at the cuts and bruises on her friend.
“Huh? Oh, I fell of my scooter. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious,” she assured them.
“Says you. That looks like a nasty fall ya took,” Applejack stated.
“Indeed. Serious or not we should take you to the doctors, just to be safe,” Rarity added.
“Y-Yeah, I guess. What were you all freaking out for, though? I’ve gone off in the Whitetail Woods plenty of times.”
“Because you weren’t at the plaza when we were supposed to meet up, duh!” Rainbow Dash stated.
“’Plaza?’ What are you talking about?”
“You and I were going to meet up there to hang out.”
“Wh-What? But you said you didn’t have time for me today.”
“I said I didn’t have time to give you a flying lesson today, I didn’t say we couldn’t hang out! You even said you were ok with it!”
“I-I did? S-Sorry, I must’ve been out of it.”
Rainbow Dash facehoofed and groaned. After a moment, she lowered her foreleg and smiled. “Well, at least it wasn’t too serious. C’mon, let’s get you checked out.”
“Yeah, ok,” Scootaloo smiled back, but then a realization hit her. “Oh, thanks mist-“
The orange filly turned to look, but the traveling musician was gone.
“Wh-Where’d he go?”
“Where’d who go?” Apple Bloom asked.
“The stallion that was here.”
“What stallion, darling?” Rarity asked, confused.
“The one that was right here, the one I was talking to.”
“Ah didn’t see nopony. Did you?” Applejack asked the others.
“Nope,” Sweetie Belle answered.
“Rainbow Dash, you must’ve seen him. I was talking to right before you saw me.”
“Uh… you sure you’re feeling alright, kid?” the cyan pegasus asked, concerned for the younger filly.
“He was right there!” the filly shouted in frustration. “He was blue and had a guitar and had sunglasses and-!”
“Now hold on there, darling,” Rarity interrupted. “Blue, sunglasses, and a guitar? Did he have a black suit and hat too?”
“Uh, yeah, that’s right.”
“What was his cutie mark?”
“Um… I didn’t really get a good look at it, but I think it was orange.”
“My word. It seems there’s something to those rumors after all.”
“What rumors?” asked Applejack.
“Well, I know you girls aren’t up on the gossip around Equestria as much as I am, but maybe you’ve heard this one,” the white coated unicorn began clearing her throat before she continued. “A few months ago I had a chat with Octavia about a concert she and Vinyl Scratch went to in Canterlot.”
“’Vinyl Scratch’?” Sweetie Belle asked, the other two fillies giving the same confused expression.
“You know, the unicorn DJ?”
“Oh, you mean her marefriend, DJ p0n-3! I just know her by her stage name,” Scootaloo explained.
“Oh, so that little detail is known even by the young ones now. Well, anyway,” Rarity continued. “Apparently there was this one unicorn, blue coated and blue maned with an orange musical note cutie mark, dressed in a black and white suit and tie, fedora, and sunglasses with a guitar case who played this one song that was heart wrenchingly sad yet beautiful, or so I’ve been told. But what was curious was that it seemed he was playing it just for our resident cellist. Before she could even properly thank the gentlecolt, he left and disappeared into the night. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but over the months I’ve began to her similar stories from clients from all over Equestria, tales of blue stallion playing songs that seemed to be meant for one particular listener, whether he play them inside of music clubs or even at the side of the road. And before anypony can even get so much as a thank you in, he disappears without a trace, as if he was never there to begin with. Honestly I thought it was a bunch of nonsense until now.”
“But you said Octavia met a unicorn, I saw an earth pony,” Scootaloo explained.
“And that’s the other mysterious part of this tale, apparently nopony can agree on what kind of pony he is. He’s a pegasus in one account, a unicorn in another, and an earth pony at other times. Nopony has an explanation, but aside from the changes in type he appears exactly the same. Its given rise to some rather interesting theories about the fellow. Some say he’s a ghost, just trying to make other feels happy from the great beyond. Other say he’s some kind of predatory creature who plays to steal your soul.”
Scootaloo thought back to the brief talk she had with the mysterious stallion, remembering the gentle pat on her head.
“No way. There’s no way a pony that nice could be stealing souls,” she said confidently, getting some curious looks from those around her.
“Hold on a minute, this little story’s startin’ to sound a mite familiar,” Applejack stated, placing a hoof to her chin. “Apple Bloom, wasn’t there a rhyme you learned from the other foals at school?”
“Oh yeah, Ah remember that now!” the yellow filly answered, her face brightening. “How did it go? Um… Oh yeah! If you’re feeling down, just listen for the sound. A stallion of blue might play a song for you. Ah think that’s how it went.”
“Well I’ll be. Looks like this mystery stallion’s getting’ pretty famous to even have a rhyme for him all the way out here in Ponyville, and it looks like you had a genuine run in with ‘im, Scootaloo.”
“Wait a minute. 'If you’re feeling down?' Is something wrong, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked in concern.
Scootaloo was about to deny this but stopped when she remembered the words the stallion sang, looking to the group of friends that had come to find her, that worried about her. She smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, there was. But I’m better now.”
“Well, this has been a fun little adventure, but I think its time we head back so you can get those cuts looked at, Scoots,” Rainbow said, wrapping her foreleg around the younger pegasus.
“I for one am just glad its nothing to serious. Now let’s all head home, it’s almost time for supper,” Rarity quipped. The group nodded in agreement and trotted along, including Rainbow Dash who decided to stay close to her favorite filly.
“Hey kid,” the cyan pegasus began after trotting some distance. “Don’t know what’s wrong, but you know you can always come to me, right?”
Scootaloo held her breath for a moment before thinking back to the words the mysterious blue stallion said.
“I can’t take a job that’s already been filled.”
“Yeah, I do… sis,” she replied with a warm smile.
“’Sis’?” Rainbow asked, somewhat confused. Scootaloo mentally berated herself for saying such and thing and was about to apologize when a smile appeared on the mare’s face. “Yeah, I guess I’m cool with that.”
The young filly beamed at her response. She thought back to the stallion again, thinking back to how he had to show her something she should’ve realized all along.
That’s a lot, mister-
Scootaloo’s thoughts cut off when she realized something. “Hey Rarity,” she called.
“Yes dear, what is it?”
“Did that stallion have a name?”
“Well, nopony actually knows, but they have given him an alias that I must admit is rather fitting for the fellow.”
“What is it?”
Rarity smirked. “They call him the Blues Traveler.”