//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: A Broken Bond // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// A Broken Bond Chapter 1 An MLP:FiM Fanfic by Rated PonyStar Edited by Midnight Shadow Disclaimer: I do now own MLP: FIM. That belongs to Hasbro and Hub. *** “You girls ready!” “I’m ready as ever!” “Let’s do this!” “Okay...three…two…one…WATER BALLOON FIGHT!” Scootaloo shouted as she and her best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, headed to their own self-made cardboard fortresses. “Is that the best ya’ll can do?” Apple Bloom shouted as she preceded take cover until she heard Scootaloo shout that she was out of water balloons. Upon hearing this, Apple Bloom peered over her cardboard fortress for a quick shot, but was met with a water balloon to the face from a laughing Scootaloo. “Hey! No fair! Ya’ll said ya was out!” Apple Bloom shouted, dripping wet. “All’s fair in love and war!” Scootaloo answered just as a water balloon missed her mane by inches. Retreating to cover, she immediately fired back at Sweetie Belle who dodged the throw. The two continued to fire at one another until Scootaloo managed to shoot two at the same time, confusing Sweetie Belle on which way to dodge. The two balloons managed to hit her at the same time and Scootaloo cheered in triumph. “Yes! Two for two by Scootaloo! Oh yeah!” As she continued to cheer, both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with a smirk before aiming a balloon each at Scootaloo. “I’m the queen of the hill! The star of the skies! I’m-“ SPLASH! SPLASH! “…soaking wet.” Scootaloo finished, as her friends laughed at the sight of her. “All’s fair in love and war.” Apple Bloom stated. “Yeah, yeah. So did we get them?!” Scootaloo quickly asked as she and the others checked their flanks. “Blank!? Darn it!” “Still no cutie mark…” “I’ve got nothing.” The three sighed in disappointment upon seeing they hadn’t gotten a “Water Balloon Fighting” cutie mark. Apple Bloom stomped her hooves in frustration, “We didn’t get’em again! Not one cutie mark! Ah was sure we was going to get’em this time!” “We’ve tried fly fishing, raft making, pumpkin throwing, pig rounding, ice cream selling, and more,” Sweetie Belle said with a dejected look. “Anypony got any other ideas?” An expectant silence hung above them; neither of them could come up with something. “Guess that’s it for today, girls. We’ll have to try again tomorrow after school.” Scootaloo said as she shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, ah got’s to dry up before ah get home though. Applejack won’t like it if ah come home all wet.” “Same here. Rarity will get really angry if I get damp the carpeting.” Scootaloo smirked as she told her friends, “No sweat! I’ve got it covered!” Rushing over to a nearby tree, she found her scooter and helmet right where she left it. After putting on her helmet, Scootaloo got on her scooter and began to beat her tiny wings to pick up speed, sending her and the scooter forward. The other two watched as Scootaloo started spinning around in circles with the two of them in the center. Flapping her wings harder, she concentrated on her turning, making sure she didn’t get too close to hit her friends, as she began to develop a small sized tornado. Although it wasn’t strong, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shut their eyes as they felt the wind blow off the water like a dryer. After a few more turns, Scootaloo soon put on the breaks and slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Opening their eyes, the two were amazed to find out they were completely dry. “Wow, Scootaloo! That was amazing! I thought ya weren’t old enough to make weather yet.” Apple Bloom shouted. “I can’t, but with my scooter I’m able to make enough wind to make a mini tornado only without the super-fast force. I learned it from Rainbow Dash when she was practicing her moves last week and I’ve been trying to nail something like it with my scooter.” she answered. “You mean Rainbow Dash taught you her some of her moves?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Well….no…more like I just happen to have seen them while I was watching her from behind some bushes…” Scootaloo blushed as she rubbed her hoof behind her head, “Anyway, I’ve wanted to try that trick and there you go! Dry as a desert.” “Ah’ll say! Ah’m all drier then Granny Smith’s dried apple pie.” Apple Bloom examined her coat and found it wet free, “Ya really are talented with that scooter of yours. Ah’m surprised ya don’t have a cutie mark for it already.” “Heh, thanks.” Scootaloo said with a blush. An idea then came to Apple Bloom, “Hey! Maybe ah can try out the scooter! It looks like fun and maybe ah’ll get mah cutie mark if ah try it!” Scootaloo was surprised by Apple Bloom idea, “T-try my scooter? Are you sure?” “Why not? Ah always see ya do them fancy tricks of yours all the time and ah’ve always wanted to try a few. It always looks like you’re havin’ so much fun it makes me want’a try it.” To Apple Bloom surprise, Scootaloo just shook her head, “Sorry, Apple Bloom. But I’m the only one who gets to use my scooter.” “Huh? But why?” “Well…I’ve never let anypony else on before…and besides you might hurt yourself. Trying to use a scooter is harder than it looks.” Scootaloo said, trying to discourage Apple Bloom. However, this only made Apple Bloom more determined to try it. “Then teach me! Ya can teach me all there is to know and then ah can ride it.” Scootaloo groaned, “Look! I have my reasons for being the only one to ride it so just drop it okay?” “What reasons are they? It just sounds like ya being selfish.” Apple Bloom said as she glared at Scootaloo. “I’m not being selfish! I just don’t want to share it!” Scootaloo yelled. “But that’s what being selfish means.” Sweetie Belle pointed out much to Scootaloo’s irritation. “Look, I’ve got to go home. Mom’s got dinner cooking, so I’ll see you ponies tomorrow.” Scootaloo said and rushed off on her scooter before her friends could say anything. Apple Bloom huffed and asked, “What was all that about?! Ah just wanted to try out her scooter, is that so wrong?” “Maybe she has a good reason for not letting you ride it?” Sweetie Bell suggested. “Then why won’t she just say it? Ah can’t think of any reason why we can’t be trying it out.” Apple Bloom said, angry that Scootaloo’s actions, “All she’s doing is just bein’ selfish and I don’t like it.” “Well, there’s nothing you can do about it now. Maybe she’ll change her mind tomorrow at school?” Apple Bloom sighed, “Ah guess…but this ain’t over! Ah’m going to ride that scooter one way or another!” *** As she rolled her way through Ponyville, Scootaloo thought back to the argument she’d had with Apple Bloom. A part of her felt guilty for not letting Apple Bloom ride it, but this scooter was more than just a regular scooter. It was her connection to a happier time in the past, back when everything seemed normal. Even though it had been three years since…that day...whenever she rode the scooter she only felt the good times back then. If anypony else used it, would it even feel the same? Would she lose that connection she had with her scooter? It might seem selfish, but because of that link nopony could ride this scooter but her. She wouldn’t even let Rainbow Dash try it if she asked. That was how valuable it was to her. Arriving home, she opened the door and announced her arrival. “Mom? Where are you?” Scootaloo asked, rolling her scooter into the living room. “I’m in the kitchen making dinner. How does fried carrot salad taste, tonight?” a voice called out from the kitchen at the other end. Scootaloo licked her lips, “Sounds great! I’ll head inside in a minute.” Dragging her scooter up the staircase she made her way into her room. It was filled with posters of famous flyers along with pictures she took of Rainbow Dash whenever she went to watch her idol. Some magazines and comics lay on the floor and her bed was shaped like a cloud only it was made wood and painted like one instead of a real one like most pegasus’s preferred. Hanging her helmet on a coat rack, Scootaloo then leaned her scooter near her dresser where a small photograph showing her family stood. It showed a much younger Scootaloo, on her scooter, and beside her were her parents. A light orange coated male pegasus with a red mane whose cutie mark was a storm cloud with white wings stood on the left. On the right was a brown coated female earth pony with a fuchsia mane whose cutie mark was a fork and chef’s knife crossed over. Scootaloo looked at the picture with a smile, but her eyes showed a hint of sadness as well. “Scootaloo?” her mother asked as she entered the room, “Dinner’s ready. Are you coming?” “Yeah, I’m going.” her daughter replied as she made haste for her meal. Scootaloo’s mother smiled as her daughter ran out, but that smile was replaced with a frown upon looking at the photo and the scooter, “Oh, Storm Ride…” she whispered before heading down to join her daughter for dinner. *** The next day, both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell were waiting for Scootaloo to arrive at school. Already the other fillies and colts were heading into their class rooms, but the two of them decided to wait. Sweetie Belle just wanted to wait for her friend. Apple Bloom wanted to try and convince Scootaloo to let her ride the scooter again. She was more determined this time to do so then yesterday and she was going to ride it no matter what. “Where is she? She’d better be here.” Apple Bloom looked around for signs of the pegasus. “Don’t you think your taking this a little too seriously? It’s just a scooter.” Sweetie Belle asked. “Ah know it’s just a scooter, but come on! Don’t tell ya’ll never want to ride something like that before!” Apple Bloom said, as she imagined herself saying through Ponyville on it, “Why ah’d bet it’s easy! Scootaloo makes it look like walking and ah’d bet if ah put my effort into it, ah can be just as good as her! Plus it looks fun!” “I don’t know…I kind of like just keeping my hooves on the ground.” Sweetie Belle replied, “Besides she seems determined not to let anypony ride it.” “Well, it would only be for a short time. It’s not like ah’m gonna brake it or anything.” Before Sweetie Belle could answer, they heard a loud shout and looked down the road to see Scootaloo heading towards them at full speed. Making a sharp turn, she then steered herself towards the jungle gym where she wheeled and waved through the metal bars without a problem before making her way to the merry go round. Grabbing one of the handle bars with her tail, she started spinning faster and faster before letting go and heading towards the slide. Grinning, Scootaloo performed a quick Ollie, rode up the slide, and into the sky where she flipped around on her scooter a few times before falling down. She landed back on the ground where she rolled over to her flabbergasted friends, halting in front of them. “Hey, am I late?” she asked. Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s eyes and mouths were wide open, “Wwwwooooooowwwww…” “Yeah, I know.” Scootaloo said as she got off her scooter. Apple Bloom then jumped up with excitement, “That was amazing! Ya’ll was all over the place with that scooter! It was so cool! Ah can’t wait to do something like that!” “Yup, soon you will…wait what?” asked Scootaloo, looking confused, “When did you get a scooter?” “Ah didn’t, but ah figured ah’d asked you if I could ride it. At least for five minutes.” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo groaned, “I’d thought I told you that nopony is allowed on the scooter but me. You’re still asking even though I already said the answer?” Apple Bloom huffed, “Oh, come on! Ya’ll can’t just let nopony try it out just because you say so!” “I can because it’s my scooter!” “Just because it’s yours doesn’t mean ya’ll can’t share with your friends!” The two continued to bicker in each other’s faces as Sweetie Belle tried to calm the situation. “Um…girls?” “What!?” they both asked, taking her by surprise. Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her head and said, “Well…can’t we discuss this after school? We’re going to miss the first bell if we don’t hurry.” The other two looked at each other with a glare before agreeing and made their way inside. But Apple Bloom wasn’t going to give up just like that. She had a plan to get on that scooter and prove to Scootaloo she could ride it. She just had to wait. *** Hours passed and school dragged on. It was now the final period and Cheerliee was giving out the final steps in the math equation when Apple Bloom quickly looked at the clock on the wall. There was only ten minutes till school ended. Seeing the time was perfect, Apple Bloom quickly raised her hoof. “Yes, Apple Bloom?” Her teacher asked. “May ah go to the little fillies’ room, please?” Apple Bloom lied, hoping her teacher would buy it. “Are you sure you can’t hold it?” Cheerliee asked, but Apple Bloom quickly shook her head. Looking at the clock, she decided it was alright and allowed Apple Bloom to go. “Thanks Ms. Cheerliee!” Apple Bloom said as she hurried out towards the hall. However, she wasn’t going to the bathroom and instead headed to where Scootaloo’s locker was. Hoping that the combo was Scootaloo’s birthday, she worked on the lock and heard a satisfying click. Apple Bloom hesitated a bit, knowing that she was downright stealing from one of her friends, but it would only be for a few minutes and she would bring it back without anypony noticing. Opening the locker door, she saw the scooter and the helmet and immediately took both before rushing out to the front door. Once she was outside, Apple Bloom put on the helmet and got on the scooter while trying to stay balanced. “Woah, this is weird.” she commented as she tried to keep her balance. Once that was done, she focused on the path ahead of her and gulped with nervous anticipation. She reassured herself it was only going to be for five minutes and she just wanted to feel how it was like just once. Then she would return it and nopony would know of what she did. Taking a deep breath she put both her front hooves on the handle bars and pushed off. Apple Bloom kicked the ground a few more times and started gaining momentum that allowed her to feel the wind in her face. She smiled and felt her adrenaline pumping as she continued to go faster and faster… …and she wasn’t stopping. Realizing that she was going too fast down the road, Apple Bloom’s lack of experience started to affect her balance and she started wobbling down the path with no sense of direction. She tried to find a way to stop, but she was too afraid to think straight. She soon curved off of the road and onto the grass where the scooter started to head downwards towards a steep hill where some rocks lay below. Taking a chance, she jumped off and rolled on the ground a bit before she came to a complete stop. She groaned in pain upon feeling the bruises on her body, but then remembered the scooter and looked to see it roll around before crashing into the rocks. Apple Bloom just stood there with her mouth open, horrified at what happened to Scootaloo’s scooter. She rushed down to see the damage. When she got there she found that it was not a pretty sight. *** The final bell rang which resulted with every filly and colt rushing out of the school to enjoy the weekend. Two, however, were waiting for the last member of their group to arrive. “Where is she? I know she drank a lot of apple juice during lunch, but to be in the bathroom for ten minutes?” asked Scootaloo. “You think she’s having stomach problems? Like that time we tried to make curry for a curry cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked as the two of them shivered at the memory. “Thanks for making me remember the most painful sick week I ever had.” a disgusted Scootaloo said, “Anyway, I’m going to go get my scooter. I’ll be back in a bit.” Scootaloo headed back inside, but just as she did Sweetie Belle looked behind her and saw a bruised Apple Bloom heading towards her. “Apple Bloom!? What are you doing out here? Why are you hurt and why….” Sweetie Bell stopped in mid-sentence as she stared at what Apple Bloom brought with her. “WHAT THE HAY!?” Scootaloo’s voice shouted out in the school. Rushing outside, the orange pegasus cried out, “Somepony took my scooter! Where could it…” Upon seeing Apple Bloom, she her eyes widen and her heart sink at the sight of what she saw. Her scooter was trashed. The handle bars were bent and looked like they were about to fall off. the steering stick was nearly crushed, and the board itself was almost broken to pieces. It took a moment for Scootaloo to react as she rushed over to her scooter and screamed, “WHAT HAPPENED TO IT!?” Apple Bloom, filled with regret, said, “Ah’m sorry! Ah…ah just wanted to try it for five minutes and ah went so fast…ah went off the road…it crashed into some of them rocks near the hill and…gosh…ah’m sorry Scootaloo! Ah really am!” Scootaloo looked downward, her face hidden from her friends, and said nothing. Sweetie Belle then said, “Well…maybe we can fix it?” “Yeah! It just needs some work on it. It will be good as new!” Apple Bloom said with a nervous chuckle just as the wheels came off. “…sorry? Fix it?” Scootaloo said, her voice growing with anger before she looked at Apple Bloom with rage and tears, “YOU THINK YOU CAN FIX SOMETHING LIKE THIS!!!” Apple Bloom nearly fell of her hooves upon Scootaloo’s outburst, “Scootaloo, ah said ah was…” “SORRY DOESN’T CUT IT! YOU BROKE INTO MY LOCKER, TOOK MY SCOOTER AND RODE IT EVEN THOUGH I TOLD YOU NOT TOO!” Scootaloo shouted as loud as she can, her face filled with wrath. If looks could kill, then Apple Bloom would have been six feet under right then and there. “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE! This was…this was….” To both their shock, Scootaloo started crying. Her tears falling like raindrops as painful memories filled her mind. The day he left, the day she and her mother were told what happened, the goodbyes, the sorrow and pain she still felt whenever she remembered him. Apple Bloom, who realized that her mistake was significantly greater than she imagined, tried to say something but couldn’t find the words. “….I hate you.” Her eyes widen, “Wha…what?” Scootaloo glared at Apple Bloom, “I hate you…I HATE YOU!! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!!!” Scootaloo then ran, leaving her scooter and the others behind. “Scootaloo! Wait, ah’m sorry! Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted as she started to cry tears of her own. Her shouts went unanswered as she saw Scootaloo run off in the direction of her home. “What have ah done…”Apple Bloom whispered. *** She ran all the way through Ponyville, the sight of her scooter broken into pieces made her want to run away from the sight, but it was burned into her mind. A few other ponies that saw her called her out and tried to get her to tell them what wrong, but she ignored them. Arriving at her home, she slammed the door open and rushed upstairs. “Scootaloo? What’s wrong?” her mother asked, rushing after her daughter. When she got into her room, she locked the door before jumping onto her bed and buried her head into her pillow. She cried harder than she ever had in a long time. Her mother started banged on the door, “Scootaloo!? What’s wrong!? Why are you crying!? Scootaloo!” “Go away! Leave me alone!” sobbed Scootaloo. Her mother was taken a bit back by the tone of her voice, but realized her daughter needed some time to herself before talking. As she walked away, Scootaloo took the picture of her family on the dresser and looked at it. A few of her tears dropped onto the male pegasus’s face. “…daddy.” she whispered before hugging it.