The cricket’s symphony of the night gave way to silence in the pre-dawn of Equestria. Cicadas and their excessive, noisy chatter ceased long ago. Grass Blades and Tree leaves reflected small amounts of light from the stars in the sky.
“….” A voice groaned.
In Scootaloo’s room, a clock on top of her dresser danced around from the ferocity of the hammer’s swings, sounding a boisterous alert as it pounded both bells in rapid succession. The circular clock continued its obnoxious emanations, until the voice overshadowed the clock’s ruckus. The filly lumbered toward the dresser and landed a hard, swift hoof on top of the clock. Her eyes lids crept. The right eye opened and focused on the clock’s dial while the left one closed. “What time ya got it set – you have it set for five in the mornin’? Applejack and ah don’t even wake up that early for chores. Rooster doesn’t start crowin’ till six—“
In the distance, a rooster crowed. Apple Bloom stretched her hooves, and she lumbered back to her sleeping bag. Her ears were met with a grumbled, yawned response of “it’s slow” from Scootaloo. While Apple Bloom stretched once more, affixing her signature ribbon into her mane, Sweetie Belle opened her left eye, looked up, and then rubbed it. She squinted. A few rays of obscured light came into the room from the rising sun. Sweetie Belle rose up. Her eyes widened. With a quick hoof, she quieted her voice.
“Hey, what ya do that for?” Apple Bloom said after being jabbed in the side by Sweetie Belle’s hoof, “So the clock is slow.”
Sweetie Belle’s hoof removed from her mouth, her heart-rate semi-calmed, she turned Apple Bloom’s head. Like a cat that stalked its prey, Apple Bloom eyed the object then crept towards it. Closer and closer she neared. Her eyes fixated. The filly’s now raised right front hoof touched the object. It grazed the side before retracting.
“Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom said in unison, a quivered tone to their voices. They repeated once more in the same slow tone, “Scootaloo.”
The object lowered. Brilliant, calm light from the sun illuminated the small bedroom. Scootaloo grumbled. She opened her eyes, and her gaze traced Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom’s hooves. A nervous twitch came to Scootaloo’s eyes. Several items lay on the floor after she leapt off the bed, the Cutie Mark Crusader’s startled by the alarm clock springing to life.
With a moment used to silence the infernal sound of the clock once and for all, several taken to calm themselves, the two fillies let their friend up after they tackled her.
“Wh… wha… what happened?” Sweetie Belle struggled to form the words. Her eyes sparkled in awe at the sight in front of her. With the sunlight piercing through the window, she said, “They’re… they’re beautiful. They look like Princess Celestia’s.”
Scootaloo stood up, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched their friend spread her wings; their size and shape took on a majestic appearance, akin to the large regal wings of Equestria’s ruler.
Apple Bloom shook her head then pointed a firm at her friend. She said in a hushed, stifled tone, “Scootaloo, you told me ya didn’t use that ointment!”
The pegasus filly’s left hoof glided across each feather, every pinion. Before she could examine them further, a prompt jab came to her side. Scootaloo rolled her eyes then retorted in a similar hushed voice to Apple Bloom, “Ok, ok, I lied. You happy I admitted the truth? The stuff came. Mom insisted I put it on. What was I going to do? Tell her the truth about Diamond Tiara’s prank?” Scootaloo’s eyes began to water, “I bet I could rocket towards the moon. With these wings — finally, finally I can fly.”
Apple Bloom planted a firm hoof onto her forehead before she shook her head. Sweetie Belle continued to stare as Scootaloo plucked a feather then flinched. The small tear on her cheek wiped away with a quick hoof, a “thank Celestia it’s not a dream” muttered under a heavy breath, the pegasus filly smiled; she gave a hearty grin, wider than any pony receiving the best present they could receive on their birthday. Scootaloo’s left wing twitched, and the feather grew back in an instant just as Sweetie Belle extended her hooves for a deep hug. Once more, Scootaloo said, “Finally, finally I can fly.”
“Come on Apple Bloom. This is great. There’s—“Sweetie Belle said.
“Ah don’t want to burst Scootaloo’s bubble. She deserves to be happy, but ah’m worried. Poison Joke – the concentrated stuff included — doesn’t bring benefits. That ‘stupid weed,’ as some ponies call it, doesn’t do nice things. It plays jokes.” Apple Bloom said. She poked, prodded, and examined Scootaloo’s wings then tapped her chin, “Ah just don’t get it. You are movin’ them, right?”
“Yea,” Scootaloo said with a nod. She smirked. One flap of her wings produced a gust of wind that knocked away Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom’s sleeping bags, their owners flung against the closet doors. “Are you ok?”
Scootaloo’s ears perked up. She darted towards her closet and snuck inside.
“Looks like you three got an early start.” A voice said. After a knock came to the bedroom door, with a slight chuckle, Mrs. Zip entered. She rolled her eyes at the mess. “Where is Scootaloo?”
“Bathroom–” Apple Bloom said
“Outside,” Sweetie Belle interjected.
Mrs. Zip raised an eyebrow, “I. See… Well, when she returns, tell her Rainbow Dash is—“
Rainbow Dash bolted into the bedroom, after she opened the window. In a jovial, firm voice she said, “Yo squirt, you up? Time to get those muscles warmed up. Scootaloo?”
“Outside—“Apple Bloom said
“Bathroom,” Sweetie Belle interjected.
Mrs. Zip and Rainbow Dash glanced at each other. Their attention turned back to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash hovered a few inches above the room’s floor. She shrugged and said before bolting out the opened window, “Scootaloo knows the place. It’s a few wing beats away from your club house.”
Mrs. Zip said “Breakfast is ready” to the two fillies in front of her before she closed the bedroom door behind her. Her hoof steps faded.
“What am I going to do?” Scootaloo said. The closet door creaked open and she peaked out, “There’s no way Rainbow Dash will believe these things just grew over night. Wait, what if Rainbow Dash refuses to train me? What if she takes one look at my wings and thinks I’m not taking our training seriously. Even worse, Rainbow Dash will laugh at me. No. Way, way worse. What if she refuses to train me? I’ll be a laughing stock with huge wings and no talent to fly….”
“Thinkin with your head for once,” Apple Bloom said. She stuck her tongue out then retracted it. Her hoof patted Scootaloo’s back, “Ah don’t think she would disown ya. Rainbow Dash ain’t like that. Anyways, we can’t keep this a secret Scootaloo. Not anymore at least. Zecora is working on the antidote. That stuff from the doc combined with poison joke though… ah just, ah’m not sure.”
Apple Bloom, a “why bother” given, planted a firm hoof onto her forehead as Scootaloo rummaged through the closet. The pegasus filly’s hooves reached for several boxes, pulling then pushing them aside. Her eyes lit up. She reached into a box and draped a black cloak over her body.
“Waddya think?” Scootaloo said. The dark piece of cloth covered her majestic, regal-like wings.
Sweetie Belle tapped her hoof against her chin. She smiled at her friend, and then darted down stairs a few hoof steps behind Scootaloo. Apple Bloom sighed before she followed close behind.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders arrived down stairs to see a buffet of snacks. Curtains, near the front of the house close to the front door, were open, and gentle sunlight illuminated the ornate wooden table’s trove of food. Mrs. Zip brought out a final, small plate of muffins and placed it onto the table with a gentle wing. Her eyes glanced over towards her daughter, “Nightmare Night already? Don’t wear that to your flight sessions with Rainbow Dash.”
“It’s ok mom. It umm… helps my wings stay relaxed. Yea, it’s meant to put less strain on them. I’m going to run up there to save the energy for my wings.” Scootaloo said. A stern eye garnered, a gulp later, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Scootaloo leaned in towards her friends, “Phew, that was close.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle finished their breakfast. A thanks given, the Cutie Mark Crusaders headed outside. Scootaloo hopped onto her scooter but stopped, “Heh, guess I didn’t lie back there. We’ll have to run. I don’t know what will happen if I try to move my scooter with these wings.”
*** *** ***
The morning air remained cool while silence continued to greet the early day. It remained absent of the cricket’s calm symphony or the cicada’s brash noisy chirps. The day’s calm, silent natured found itself replaced by hooves that pounded against a dirt road. Near the club house, the Cutie Mark Crusader’s hoof steps preceded their approach. Scootaloo’s Nightmare Night cloak remained tucked against her sides.
Near the clearing, Rainbow Dash glanced over. She floated down to the three fillies, nibbling on an apple taken from a nearby tree. “Took you long enough, squirt. Why ya run up here?” she received a quick grin, “Well, doesn’t matter. It’s better in the long run. You’ll save your wing strength. Ok, you know the drill. Simple hoof stretches first.”
“Mind if Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom watch?” Scootaloo’s said, her gaze fixated on the ground while Rainbow Dash came towards her.
“You do know Nightmare Night is still a ways off, right.” Rainbow Dash said. She tossed an apple core to the ground, darted towards a tree, grabbed another apple, and then tossed a few bits were tossed towards Apple Bloom. “Here’s for the apples. I don’t want AJ getting miffed at me like last time. Ok squirt, I like your attention to the fundamentals, but it’s time to fly.”
“I umm, I’ll stretch my hooves a bit more.” Scootaloo said, avoiding eye contact with her idol as she continued to stretch her hooves.
“We need to practice – what have you got under there anyways? Ooo, is it one of those weird devices? That rocket was a blast. I’ll never forget you having that thing strapped to your back. How you flew down that dirt road. It was so awesome. First time I nearly did a Sonic Rainboom along the ground.” Rainbow Dash said, ending with a stifled snicker. She hovered in the air, a few inches off the ground, and examined Scootaloo. Her right hoof grazed the dark black cloak. Scootaloo’s wing twitched, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie darted in front before it lifted up. “Hey, I want to see. Come on.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came in closer to their friend. A “hmphh” given, Rainbow Dash rocketed into the air. From a top her fluffy perch, a cloud that sat calmly above the clearing, the tigress eyed her prey. Rainbow Dash focused her gaze and flapped her wings. She rocketed downward. As the view of the ground widened, the mare made a slight adjustment to her wings and sped along the ground, a few inches from crashing. Her hoof latched onto the dark black cloak.
Out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo watched her idol zoom by. Its strings undone in a smooth and fluid motion, the Nightmare Night cloak soon lay on the ground behind the fillies’ back hooves.
“Ok squirt, time to – Sweet Celestia!” Rainbow Dash said. Her mouth sat open, her eyes being met with two large wings that shielded Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash’s gentle hoof penetrated the secure cover and patted the filly on the head. She watched the wings move and found herself greeted by a pair of teary, innocent eyes staring back at her. Rainbow Dash plopped down near the three and said, “Let’s hear it.”
At the story's end, Rainbow Dash ran her right hoof across Scootaloo’s wings. It glided over the top then bottom portions before forcing the wings to fold up and extend in a gentle, fluid motion. Rainbow Dash walked around Scootaloo several times. “Ok, you best work on your stances. I’ll head to Zecora’s. See if she has the antidote. There’s no way you can fly right now.”
The color drained from the filly’s face, Scootaloo’s mouth agape. Her lower lip quivered as Rainbow Dash floated into the air. She swatted the air with a light hoof and regained her composure, “Good one. Good joke. ‘I can’t fly.’ Ok, I’m ready for those lessons. These babies need a test run.”
Rainbow Dash pointed at the ground and said, “No squirt, stay put.”
“What? You think my wings aren’t up to snuff? Watch this!” She said, her wings producing a gust of wind that knocked several apples off of the trees while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom held onto the ground. “See, I have more than enough power to fly. Here, how about I—“
“No,” Rainbow Dash said, her hoof pointed firm at the ground below her. “I know you want to fly. It’s one of your dreams. I get that. I don’t like to admit this, but we have to take things slow. I’ll go to Zecora’s—“
“You’re just jealous!” Scootaloo shouted. She backed away. Her idol dropped to the ground. After a quick “what” from the mare, Scootaloo stepped towards her with hooves planted into the ground. “You, you heard me! With these babies, I can fly. I know it. You’re jealous. You’re afraid I could fly faster than you.”
Rainbow Dash’s firm gaze met with Scootaloo’s furious stare. Their manes flowed in the wind that came from Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom extended a hoof across Sweetie Belle’s chest before the unicorn could proceed forward. An apple rolled in between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth but closed it after a slow, heavy sigh.
“I know you want to fly squirt, but don’t you dare.” Rainbow Dash said to herself in a quiet voice before she took off towards the Everfree Forest.
After the mare left Scootaloo’s sight, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle left to their stupor, the filly grabbed her Nightmare Night cloak. She tucked her wings under it, nudged passed Apple Bloom, and galloped down the dirt road, away from the clearing at full speed.
“What do we do?” Sweetie Belle said.
Apple Bloom turned to her friend and sighed, "I don't know."