Sunlight filters through the curtains into Fluttershy's house, where the Cutie Mark Crusaders are having a sleepover. Scootaloo opens one eye to find the bedroom filled with light. She bursts out of bed, throwing the covers off of Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.
"Come on, everypony! Wake up! It's time to do some crusading!" shouts Scootaloo into the ears of her fellow CMC members. Sweetie Belle groans, grabbing her pillow with her hooves and pressing it into her ears. Applebloom unsuccessfully attempts to stifle a yawn. "Oh come on. How can you all want to sleep? Today is the day we get our cutie marks!" exclaims Scootaloo excitedly.
The word "cutie mark" seems to stir life into the other two crusaders. Sweetie Belle jumps up and rushes downstairs, followed closely behind by Applebloom and Scootaloo. She skids into the parlor, crashing into an animal cage and disturbing a few birds. Meanwhile, in Fluttershy's room, Fluttershy winces at the sound of the crash. Well, I guess they are up. Time to go make breakfast. Fluttershy quickly combs out her mane and walks down the stairs, her delicate hooves hardly making a sound.
"Goodmorning, girls!" she says softly as she reassures the birds that they are quite alright, and rights the cage.
"Fluttershy! Fluttershy! We're gonna get our cutie marks today!" exclaims Applebloom, jumping up and down.
"Well, before you go get your cutie marks, how about some breakfast?" replies Fluttershy, placing a salad in front of each crusader.
"Ew! Salad!" shouts Sweetie Belle, while Scootaloo and Applebloom gobble up their food. Fluttershy looks at Sweetie Belle and says, "Sweetie Belle, if you don't eat your salad, you'll be hungry the rest of the day. Come on, eat up. It's good, and the animals like it too." Sweetie Belle sniffs, but eventually replies, "Fine." She eats her salad less enthusiastically than the others.
"Thanks for lettin' us spend the night, Fluttershy," says Applebloom. Fluttershy smiles.
"You are very much welcome. Now, don't you want to get out and do some crusading?" replies Fluttershy.
"Yeah, come on everypony! Last one out of the house is a rotten carrot!" exclaims Scootaloo before bolting out the door. Applebloom quickly follows behind her, leaving Sweetie Belle still sitting in the chair.
"Oh, come on!" grumbles Sweetie Belle as she runs out of the house to catch up to her fellow crusaders.
As they gallop together towards Ponyville, Scootaloo stumbles a little bit and winces, earning a worried look from her friends.
"Oh, it's nothing; just a little morning hoof pain, that's all," Scootaloo tries to explain. But the pain continues to blossom in her hoof, causing her to wince again.
"Are ya sure you're alright, Scootaloo? It seems like it is a little more painful than a mornin' hoof pain," says Applebloom.
"No, really, it's fine," says Scootaloo, not wanting to admit that it hurts. As the crusaders continue to walk, Scootaloo attempts to hide her pain until a sharp pain in her back causes her to yelp.
"Scootaloo, are you sure you're fine?" asks Sweetie Belle.
"I said I'm fine. I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," replies Scootaloo. Her wings begin to ache as they head towards town, and pain blossoms in her head. "You know, uh, can I just maybe lay down for a minute or too?" asks Scootaloo. She trots over to the grass and flops down onto the ground, panting.
"Scootaloo, somethin's not right. Look at ya; you're panting!" says Applebloom, "The castle is right over there. I'm gonna go get Twilight."
"No, really, there's no need for that. It's just been a long walk," says Scootaloo, trying to come up with an excuse for her pain. Sweetie Belle gives her a quizzical look.
"Scootaloo, we walk that distance all the time. It's not a long walk," says Sweetie Belle. Suddenly, a sharp bolt of pain flashes through Scootaloo's wings. She cries out, no longer able to hold it in. She whimpers as the pain subsides, only to be followed by another flash of pain and another scream.
"That's it. I'm gettin' Twilight," calls out Applebloom as she gallops off towards the castle.
A third flash of pain causes Scootaloo to cry out again. The pain in her head grows, sending blinding flashes of pain throughout her head.
"MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!" screams Scootaloo, her pain intensifying. A shadow approaches the pair of crusaders as Twilight Sparkle flies in, leaving Applebloom running back to the field. Scootaloo is crying now, no longer able to hold back her tears. Twilight leans in, stroking Scootaloo's head with her hoof and attempting to calm her down.
"Scootaloo, where does it hurt? You have to tell me where it hurts," says Twilight, a concerned look on her face.
"EVERYWHERE! It hurts everywhere!" shouts Scootaloo, tremors rippling through her body. Twilight looks at Sweetie Belle.
"She was just fine this morning; we were planning to do some crusading!" says Sweetie Belle in response to Twilight's look.
"I'm going to take her down to the Ponyville hospital. Can you too go back to Fluttershy's house? I'll tell Applejack and Rarity to come pick you up in a little bit," says Twilight.
"But I can walk home maself!" says Applebloom, not wanting to be treated like a little filly. Twilight sighs.
"Please just head back to Fluttershy's house. Please," she replies, not wanting to deal with Applebloom at the moment.
Scootaloo cries out again, and a red haze sets itself over her vision.
"Twilight, I'm scared," whispers Scootaloo. Her vision gets darker and darker until everything goes black for the little filly.