To say Scootaloo left the cave feeling conflicted would be an understatement. You can’t seriously be thinking of helping Discord. Discord had returned her wings prior to disappearing to wherever it was Discord disappeared to, lest anypony get suspicious so Scootaloo was slowly flying back to town. I don’t have a choice, it’s either help him or go back to being a flightless pegasus! I just need to play along until I can come up with a plan.
So you’re going to play along until you think of a way to fool a centuries old god who’s been tricking ponies since before Celestia’s rule?
Scootaloo groaned out loud at her inner monologue. Why does this have to be so complicated? Figuring that she should at least try to figure out where the elements were just in case her plan to play along got that far she headed over to Sugarcube Corner to talk to the first of the six Element Bearers.
“Hi Pinkie,” Scootaloo said in what she hoped was a cheery-I’m certainly-not-here-to-try-and-steal-your-element voice as she entered the bakery.
“Hiya Scootaloo. Wow! Twilight said you got new wings. Are they as fun as you thought they’d be? We should have a party to celebrate. I’ve never thrown a somepony got new wings party,” Pinkie said as she happily bounced up and down.
Scootaloo was surprised by the effervescent pink pony’s enthusiasm, “You’re not going to tell me I need to give them back because Discord is trying to trick me?”
“Well no. I mean that’s up to you, but if wings make you happy then I think you should keep them. It’s important to be happy,” the pink pony replied in a surprisingly lucid manner.
“Hey Pinkie, if your Element makes you happy, and it can make other ponies happy how come you don’t keep it with you?” Scootaloo asked. Nice, real smooth.
“My element is super duper important; I’d just feel awful if anything happened to it. So I keep it in the hidingest of all hiding places where nopony could ever find it, and if they could find it they’d never be able to get to it because it’s super hard to reach and even if they could reach it it’s in a super special puzzle box that’s super hard to open unless you have my Pinkie Sense,” Pinkie replied with her usual cheerful disposition.
“Oh.”
Pinkie’s ever present smile disappeared for a fraction of a second. While the party loving pony was sometimes dismissed as being dense or spastic, nopony could deny that she was incredibly attuned to the moods of her friends, (most of the time), and that was before one considered her supernatural sense(s). “Hey Scootaloo, are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine, I’m, umm, just kinda hungry. Do you think I could have a cupcake?”
“Ooh I love cupcakes, we have vanilla and chocolate and double chocolate and triple chocolate and strawberry and –”
“Chocolate’s fine.”
“Okie-dokie. Here it’s on the house” Pinkie offered in the hope that a cupcake would fix whatever was clearly bothering the orange filly.
“Thanks Pinkie. I’ve got to go find Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, catch ya later.” Scootaloo said, hurrying out the door before Pinkie started to realize the real purpose of her visit.
“Okie dokie lokie. Bye, Scootaloo!” Pinkie called out as she happily waved goodbye to the small filly flying away.
Well I guess stealing the Element of Laughter is out of the question. Maybe I’ll have more luck with Fluttershy.
Really? Fluttershy? You want to keep your wings so badly that you’d take advantage of a pony as nice and trusting as Fluttershy?
If I don’t Discord will take my wings away. I’m sure if Fluttershy knew how much they meant to me she’d offer to help.
Then why don’t you just ask her if you can have her Element?
Because she’d tell Twilight, Twilight would tell Celestia, Celestia would confront Discord and then Discord would take my wings away.
You’re really bad at rationalizing, did you know that?
Shut up.
Before Scootaloo could continue her internal debate about whether Fluttershy’s inherent kindness precluded her as a target, Fluttershy’s cottage, complete with its usual assortment of animals, came into view. Ponyville’s resident animal caretaker and stare master was busy feeding and tending to the usual collection of critters that kept showing up on her doorstep at all hours.
"Hi Scootaloo, are you enjoying the wings? It's nice to see Discord's starting to use his powers for good," Fluttershy said as she saw the orange pegasus approaching.
“Hi Fluttershy, the wings are great. I just thought since I can fly now I’d see if you needed any help taking care of the birds.”
“Oh that’s very nice of you Scootaloo! Sure, I’d love some help. You can refill the bird feeders.”
“Awesome.” As Scootaloo flew around the trees, checking and refilling various types of bird feeders, she kept hoping an opening to ask Fluttershy about her element would present itself; but the yellow pegasus was much more interested in talking about the different types of bird seeds that the different birds of Ponyville ate. After ten minutes about the differences between soft shelled poppy seeds and hard shelled poppy seeds Scootaloo became exasperated.
"Neat. So, uh, Fluttershy, do you think I could see your Element of Harmony? I've never seen one before, and, umm, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have already and I was kinda wondering if maybe I could see yours? I promise to be really careful." Y’know, before I hand it over to Discord to destroy it forever?
“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but I keep my element in the cockatrice cave, so I know that it’s safe and sound. I wouldn't want to bother him unless it’s a real emergency.”
“Aren’t you scared of the cockatrice?” Scootaloo remembered the fear in Fluttershy’s voice as she had first warned them about the half dragon/half chicken creature that lived in the Everfree Forest.
“Oh I was, but ever since I used the stare on him he’s been very well behaved. I know that he feels just awful about turning Elizabeth and Twilight to stone, so letting him guard my element helps him feel better and it helps me feel better because this way I don’t have to worry about it,” the yellow pegasus replied cheerfully.
“That’s… really nice of you, I guess. Well, anyway if you don’t need any more help I think I’m going to go find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.”
“Okay ,and thanks again for refilling the bird feeders for me! It was a big help.”
“Sure Fluttershy, catch ya later.”
0 for 2, how’s this plan of yours looking now?
Quiet you, there are still four elements left; maybe Twilight’s will be easier to get to.
Of course, because it’s not like Twilight ever thinks anything through like Pinkie does.
I said be quiet.
Scootaloo knocked on the door of the library where this whole misadventure had started.
“Hi Twilight, I just wanted to say thank you for not stopping Discord the other day. I know you don’t trust him but well I really like the wings.”
“Sure Scootaloo, I know you like the wings but be careful you don’t want to depend on Discord to solve your problems.”
“I know Twilight, I’ll be careful,” Scootaloo looked up and on top of a bookcase and saw Twilights purple star shaped Element of Harmony just sitting there without any puzzle boxes or cockatrices around it. Finally a lucky break.
Twilight caught Scootaloo staring at her element and laughed. “Oh that’s just an illusion, I keep it around as practice for my illusion spells. Also it’s a good decoy just in case Discord ever tries to steal my Element again. The real one is surrounded by wards which are actually pretty interesting. You see I built a feedback loop into them so that the harder someone pushes against them the harder the wards push back. That’s pretty basic stuff, the neat thing is I routed the kinetic energy of the pushback into an elemental matrix so that whoever is trying to get past them gets hit with ice and fire at the same time which was hard to do because those spells are polar opposites so to compensate for the frequency dissonance I had to localize a dampening field around each apex. I was thinking of adding another heat sink and elemental pathway so I could add dragon fire as a fail safe but the last time I asked Spike to help me make dragon fire I ended up singeing my main and Rarity had to book an emergency spa session so anyways for now I don’t have any dragon fire in my wards but I still think they work pretty well.”
“Oh cool, that’s a really good illusion. Anyways I just wanted to say thanks. I’m going to go fly some more bye.”
“Ok Scootaloo have fun,” came the alicorns reply as Scootaloo again scurried off to try her luck elsewhere.
Feel like giving up yet?
No, maybe Apple Bloom can help me get Applejack's Element.
You’re going to ask Apple Bloom to lie to her sister? When does this end?
When I get to keep my wings that’s when! Now stop criticizing me and help me figure out what to do next!”
Soon Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Scootaloo didn't see Applejack anywhere but her good friend and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader happened to be out front watering the ubiquitous apple trees that surrounded the property. Before Scootaloo could think of a way to approach Apple Bloom about her sister's Element of Harmony, Applebloom noticed her coming down the walkway and waved.
“Hey ya Scoots. Tired of flying yet?”
“Ha never. Hey is Applejack around? I wanted to see if we could borrow her Element for a treasure hunt?”
“What ya wanna do that for? I think she keeps it buried under an apple tree but only she knows which one, she says it’s safer that way.”
“I just thought if we found it we could earn our cutie marks as treasure hunters or something.”
“Ah don’t think so, anyways we don’t have time for treasure hunts we have to work on our diorama for Miss Cherilee’s class or else Diamond Tiara is going to win and then she’ll become even more stuck up then she already is.”
Scootaloo groaned. “Ugh yeah, but can I maybe work on it with you later, I want to go flying one more time before it gets dark out.”
“Ok, me and Sweetie will meet you in the clubhouse later.”
“Cool. Later Applebloom.”
“Later Scoots.”
Ugh four Elements and they might as well be in Canterlot being guarded by Celestia as far as I’m concerned. Maybe Rarity and Rainbow Dash are more careless.
You think Rainbow Dash is ever going to want to fly with you if you take her Element and hand it over to Discord?
I won’t get to fly with anyone ever again if I don’t.
That’s a surprisingly good point. Anyways Rarity’s house is closer to sweet Apple Acres so let’s check there first.
Scootaloo began to get concerned that she thought of the voice in her head as a separate pony but it wasn't like she had anypony else she could bounce ideas off of.
Scootaloo opened the door slowly to the Carousel Boutique hoping to avoid triggering the bell that alerted the proprietor to potential clients. Unfortunately her plan failed and a familiar chime quickly filled the shop.
“I’ll be with you in just a second,” came the familiar voice of Ponyville's resident fashionista.
“Hi Rarity. Is Sweetie Belle home?”
“Hello darling, I’m afraid Sweetie Belle is out finding me some sapphires so I can finish an upcoming order, but I’ll tell her you stopped by.”
“Thanks, umm Rarity don’t you ever get worried that somepony might break in and try to steal all your gems since you have so many of them.”
“Thinking of becoming Cutie Mark Crusaders jewel thieves are we?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
“N-no I would never take any of your gems I was just wondering because of the diamond dogs,” Scootaloo stammered.
“Oh relax dear, I was only joking. Here let me show you something,” Rarity walked over behind one of her sewing stations and used her magic to gently lower one of the mirrors she had throughout her boutique; behind it was a formidable looking safe built into the wall.“That is Sentry-Lock 3000,” Rarity proudly said gesturing to the ominous looking safe. The dial of the safe appeared to feature a number pad as well as a hoofprint scanner. Scootaloo had no doubt that anything Rarity put in that safe was unlikely to see the light of day until she wanted it to. Rarity continued her mini lecture, “Fancy Pants uses one to keep his valuables safe and so after that dreadful incident with those ruffians, I had him order me one in exchange for designing his tuxedo for the grand galloping gala. It set me back quite a few hours but it was worth it. Now I don’t have to worry about anypony taking my gems or even worse trying to steal one of my designs." Rarity shuddered in horror at that last thought.
“Oh, cool.” Scootaloo mumbled as she tried to hide her disappointment at yet another stumbling block.
“Indeed. Say Scootaloo, now that you can fly, do you have a flight suit? I’ve always wanted to try my hoof at designing one and Rainbow Dash keeps insisting that it would just slow her down, but if you’d like I could try to design one for you.”
“Umm yeah that sounds great.”
“Splendid, I should have something by the end of the week, of course you’ll need to test it so I can make the necessary
modifications…ooh if this goes well I could design Ponyville's uniforms for the Equestria games!”
“Sure Rarity. Well I gotta jet. Tell Sweetie Belle I said hi,” Scootaloo said as she left another location disappointed.
Well just one left, but don’t worry I’m sure the Element of Loyalty will have no problem helping you doom the rest of Equestria to a lifetime of chaos.
Do you ever get tired of criticizing me?
Do you ever get tired of being wrong?
Scootaloo approached the field on the edge of town that Rainbow Dash was known to frequent as a practice ground. As she approached she saw a familiar prismatic blur soar through the air. She slowly flew up hoping that her idol would notice her. In the middle of a triple loop Rainbow noticed the orange pegasus and stopped her routine.
“Hi Rainbow. Listen I’m sorry I ran off the other day-”
“Don’t sweat it squirt. I still think that Discords trying to trick you but we’ve still got our elements in case he gets out of hoof. Besides he can’t make you do anything you don’t want to right?”
“I guess not. Hey Rainbow, where is your element? I mean if Discord comes back how do you know he won’t take it?”
“The Wonderbolts owed me a favor after I saved them and all so I asked if I could keep my Element in their training facility. It’s a lot safer there than in my house.”
“Oh, cool.”
“Yep, so how bout a flying lesson? If you’re going to keep those wings you need to know how to use them.”
“Wow! Sure that’d be great.” Scootaloo said, grateful for the temporary distraction.
Scootaloo spent the rest of the afternoon flying with Rainbow Dash and while she had a great time the nagging voice in her head refused to go away. Admit it you're glad the elements are so thoroughly protected. Now you can go back to Discord and tell him you can’t help secure in the knowledge that you did everything you could to try and keep your wings.
Scootaloo flew back to the cave dejected but at least feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders; she couldn't steal the Elements and therefore she couldn't doom the rest of Equestria to a thousand years of chaos. It was true that she would probably never fly again; but did she really want to be the kind of pony who put her own needs ahead of literally everpony else? She closed her eyes trying to commit to memory the feeling of the wind beneath her wings, the way her feathers tickled telling her to shift directions ever so slightly to compensate for turbulence, and the thrill she got from that initial burst of speed as she flapped her wings. She figured it was probably going to be the last time she got to experience those particular sensations.
“Hey Discord! Get your plot out here!” The frustration and anger in Scootaloo’s voice grew as she entered the familiar cavern. “Deals off you lying sack of puck!” I can’t get to the Elements so you might as well take my wings because I’m all out of ideas!”
The east facing cave wall morphed into a multi-colored draconequus with mismatched wings and a solitary fang protruding from his mouth. “Well that’s disappointing my little pegasus. If I can’t have the Elements then I guess you can’t have any wings.”
“Take them! It’s not going to change the fact that I can’t give you what you want,” Scootaloo snarled.
“Come now, don’t be so pessimistic. Surely between my powers and your-well not being me- we can find a solution. Why don’t you tell me what you know and I’ll see if I can help you out.”
“Ha! Do you think I’m stupid? I tell you what I know and you decide to get the Elements yourself. Nice try.”
Discord stared at the orange pegasus who was surprisingly insolent despite being hopelessly outclassed and out-leveraged, he chuckled softly. “I like you, I think in another life we could have been great friends. Tell you what; because you amuse me I will alter the terms of our deal. One Element. That’s all I want. Your precious friends will still have a fighting chance to stop me, you get to keep your wings and everpony will be none the wiser that you tried to help me. After all can you imagine what your friends will say when they find out you didn't say no the second I told you my plan?” Suddenly a disappointed looking Rainbow Dash appeared in place of Discord.
“I thought you were cool squirt. I’d never hang out with anypony who would help Discord,” not Rainbow Dash sneered.
“I just can’t believe it, to think I was going to design a flight suit for you” an appalled looking Rarity said next to a crestfallen Sweetie Belle shaking her head.
“Ah knew that filly was trouble, c’mon AB I don’t want ya hanging around her nomore,” an angry looking Applejack said with an equally angry looking Apple Bloom by her side, both glaring at Scootaloo.
“Ah don’t know why we ever thought she could be a Cutie Mark Crusader anyway,” angry Apple Bloom declared.
The familiar looking ponies broke into pieces and Discord reformed in their place “Face it kid, you’re in this too deep now.”
“B-but if you tell you’ll get in trouble too.” Scootaloo said, vainly hoping this threat would be enough to dissuade Discord from revealing her shameful secret.
“Oh my, the Lord of Chaos tried to steal the Elements of Harmony. How scandalous!” Discord said with mock concern dripping from his voice. “Ponies expect this sort of thing from me, they’ll be mad for a few months and then they’ll get over it. Or maybe they won't. The nice thing about being immortal is that you have a long time to make ponies forget about grudges. But you, they’d never forgive you,” Discord emphasized never in such a way that left no doubt that nopony would ever be Scootaloo’s friend again. “Your only way out is to finish what you started. I already altered our deal once; I’m not altering it further. One element. Two days. Here.”
Discord disappeared and left Scootaloo alone in the cave. The tiny orange pegasus pulled her legs close to her chest and began to sob.