The little dreamer.
Curryfeather sighed as she saw the chaos in the living room and the kitchen. Of course, her foal didn't do anything wrong, but it was a really mess here. She picked up the broken jam jars and swept together the remaining shards with a cloud. Then she waved the cloud into the kitchen and closed her eyes. Everything in the kitchen were wet. She sighed again and wiped over the lockers and the table.
Scootaloo had left mums bed and ran in a tölt into her own room. There she lifted the saddlebacks with her mouth and clung it over a cloud to let it dry. Her hooves pushed the soppy ruins from her posters together and littered them in the hole under the rain cloud in the bathroom. After that she tried to bring her bed back to shape, but it was difficult. Anywhere floated the rag and it lasted awhile to catch every piece and carried it back to the bed. Her blanket was missing, probably felt into an air hole and her pillow was just a small cloud, too much rain. She grabbed the cloud with her mouth and went into the kitchen. There she threw the cloud on the table and started to speak.
“Mum, I need a new pillow. It has lost many and...”
Her view wandered over the wet surface of the kitchen, over the ruined jars and over the scorched places. She felt silent and drooped. She was biting her lip again and whispered right now.
“I don't mean to.”
Curryfeather turned and cuddled gentle over her head with a wing. She smiled and spoke soft.
“I surely know, Wing. Scootaloo.”
She corrected herself hastily and went nearer.
“This happens sometimes. Don't be worry.”
She nuzzled her with her head and cocked her head then.
“We're cleaning up together and all will be fine soon.”
Her voice tried to encourage the filly. But in the same time, Scootaloo heard a bit concern in her voice. Anyway she nodded slowly and yawned cautious. She shook herself and stroke over her eyes with the hooves.
“I don't mean to.”
She repeated again and breathed out very deeply.
“Please forgive me.”
She mumbled this words, closed her eyes and leaned outspend against her mother. Curryfeather had been expecting this, after the burst out of so many magic, her foal would be tired and had to sleep. She cuddled over her head again, carried her in her wings to the bed. She sighed as she saw the bitty shape and shook her head. Of course, Wing, uhm Scootaloo wasn't so experienced in cloud forming like herself, but she had tried it at least. She laid the foal onto her back and raised both for hooves. First she stroked the frayed clouds straight, took many humidity with her and shook it up. Her right wing grabbed a part of the nearest wall and took it to the bed. Curryfeather formed a soft warm pillow from it. She blew a little piece of her own magic in and packed it in the middle of the pillow. Slowly she laid down the finished pillow and both wings carried new clouds from the walls to the bed. She thinned them out, filled them with motherly love and warmth, too. Then she laid them down as the new blanket. Her right wing raised her foal from her back and she kissed softly her brow. She laid her gently into the bed, waved the cloud blanket right and looked in her murmuring face for a moment.
“Everything will be alright, Wing. Uhm Scootaloo.”
She left the room and took the saddlebacks with her.
“Scootaloo? Scootaloo where are you?”
This voice entered her dream and chased her again, this time through an empty Cloudsdale.
“Here. I am here.”
She shouted out towards her own searching voice and tried to catch up with herself. But this wasn't fair. Her other self was able to fly and escaped her.
“Wingdaloo, please wait for me!”
But she didn't want and vanished behind the full moon. Scootaloo looked up to him and spotted a movement on him. A small figure lifted up from the surface and she froze.
“Who are you?”
The dark shadow on the moon flew hesitantly nearer. Scootaloo recognised in the pale silver moonlight her dark coat and the light blue mane. And her Cutiemark, a crescent moon showed who she was.
“Nightmare Moon!”
Scootaloo turned over and ran away. The pony was taller last time, but the filly felt the fear arise in her and she ran faster. She heard a loud voice and awoke.
“Wait, child.”
Scootaloo turned over and jumped out of the bed. She sweated and closed her eyes. She sucked in hesitantly some air and coughed sharply. Her hooves stroke over the nostril and took a slime twine with them.
“Mum.”
Appalled how raspy her voice sounded she paused and stumbled out of her room. She listened and snuffled her nostril.
Curryfeather stood in the kitchen and wagged the smother over the pot to herself and sniffed. Today she wouldn't go to work. She would rather plan with her foal their relocation. Scootaloo entered the kitchen and sneezed. Curryfeather turned and smiled initially. As she saw her sick pale filly, she frowned and stepped slowly nearer.
“Scootaloo are you alright?”
She laid down her hoof on her forehead and sighed.
“Have you catch a cold? Poor dear. You should go back to bed right now.”
She guided the foal gently back to her room. Scootaloo opened her mouth and tried to say something, but Curryfeather laid a wing on her face.
“Don't worry, you will feel better, soon.
I will be here for you.”
The filly shook her head and cawed.
“No Mum. I am just...”
The older mare shook her head, too and laid her down in the bed. She waved the cloud over her again and smiled.
“Don't worry, I won't disturb you often. I promise.”
Scootaloo coughed and tried to sit up, but her mother hold her back with a hoof.
“Scootaloo please. I want to be here, if you need something.”
The foal sighed and nodded finally. She laid down the head on the warm pillow and closed her eyes. The sleep overtook her fast and she dreamed
She joined in a dream like she never dreamed before. She appeared in front of a giant mirror and saw herself in it. At her side stood a pony, she just knew from a picture and from the stories from her mum. Wind Dancer laid her reflection a hoof onto the flank and both spread their wings.
“Come on Wingdaloo. We have to go.”
His voice sounded so gentle and friendly out of the mirror, but his eyes. They were just full of rejection.
“You won't be like this failure! Ever!”
Scootaloo drooped as she heard the last word and closed her eyes firmly.
“Child. Why are you weeping?”
She startled and saw the giant image of Nightmare Moon in the mirror. She jumped beside and bowled over a small black filly and fell through a dark curtain into eternal darkness. Scootaloo clutched herself on the dark filly as they fell and pressed her eyes in her mane. Even there she felt the darkness and freed her eyes quickly. But nothing changed, the darkness was impenetrable. Only the Cutie Mark of the filly spread a little bit of silver light. The small body trembled and the wings flapped.
“Hold on, Child!”
Scootaloo nodded, as the voice sounded so gently in her ears. The little filly was stronger than she looked like and carried both through the darkness and to the moon. Its warm, silver light shone over them and Scootaloo could feel the soft wind under her little wings. It was like the trip on Sunny Rays back, but much calmer and Scootaloo laughed excited.
“Child, this isn't funny. I don't know, why I am here with you.
Who are you actually?”
The voice sounded quite familiar for Scootaloo and she turned the face through the little black filly.
“Nightmare...”
She yelled out the first part of her name, but the filly laid down a hoof on her mouth. The pegasusfilly struggled and tried to break free from her. The black filly let her go and oversaw her fall.
“I am Luna!”
She exclaimed.
Scootaloo woke up and wished at the same moment, that she was back to sleep. Her head hurt so badly and she coughed stressed.
“Mum.”
She floundered and she squeezed her eyes shut. A cold hoof laid onto her forehead and a wing caressed over her flank.
“Don't worry, Scootaloo. I'm here for you.”
A cold bowl was hold against her lips and she realised just now, how thirsty she was. She swigged and coughed again.
“You will be okay, poor dear.”
She heard, before she slept away. She didn't understand, but she was so tired.
“Child, you're back again?”
She sat besides the black filly in the school from Ponyville. The other forms were empty and on the board was a limn picture of Nightmare Moon.
“I don't want to be here, Child. I'm scared.”
The black filly lowered her shoulders and ducked her head. Her horn glowed shortly and the environment of the dream changed. The town hall from Ponyville appeared and both fillies clustered together under the balcony, as the voice of Nightmare Moon sounded over them.
“Oh, my beloved subjects...”
Scootaloo pressed both hooves over her ears, but the voice sounded clearly in them.
“It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces...”
The little filly snuggled herself closer to Scootaloo and tried to suppress a shiver. The pegasusfilly felt tears on the point, who the head of her little companion laid.
“I...I didn't mean to.”
Her voice quivered in Scootaloo's ears and the dream darkened. The silence was burdensome, just a gentle sobbing urged onto her ears. The black filly disappeared from her flank and she was alone in the darkness. She stood on something, whereupon she couldn't clearly identify, she spotted nothing on her hooves and even as she leaned forwards she didn't see anything. Slowly she walked on.
“Where am I? Who are you, Luna?”
Silver light gloomed shortly, as she mentioned the name and Scootaloo saw the filly for moment on a dark throne. She was coiling up and trembled. Scootaloo stepped nearer hesitantly and reached out with one hoof.
“Luna. Are you alright?”
Again the Cutie Mark glistened as the name was mentioned, but this time further away. Scootaloo tried to walk nearer again and to touch her, but there was nothing to touch.
“Luna?”
The glint faded away. Again and again Scootaloo called her name, but the Cutie Mark veered away from her. Darkness and loneliness overwhelmed the little filly and as she opened her eyes again, she founded herself in front of the giant mirror.
“I won't see you ever again, Scootaloo!”
Her father's voice knocked her down finally and she sank on her back hooves. She pressed her for hooves against her head.
She woke up and hold her hooves like in the dream. She bit her lips, suppressed a sob and tried to control her pulsating head. A gentle wing stroke over her, but she noticed it just hardly. She felt back asleep and in her dream.
Warm sunshine tickled in her nostrils and she smelled the sweet odour of chamomile and elderflower, which were cowering everything.
“Being loved was all I wanted. I hadn't understood.”
Scootaloo heard an echo of a voice, who copied her own. She was looking around until she spotted herself hovering some distance in the air. The strong wings flapped and the gaze starred at her proud full.
“You're weak, Scootaloo. So weak. And a failure.”
This was her own voice, she sounded harsh out of her reflection and the sky darkened. Rain was starting to fall and a strong wind was ejecting every fragrance.
The cold fresh air, who was replacing it, let Scootaloo shiver.
“I'm not a failure, Wingdaloo. I am just not able to fly.”
An older voice interrupted her and she identified it easily. Her father.
“You can't fly. What kind of pegasus are you then?”
Scootaloo opened her mouth, but she hadn't an answer. The only one action, who came her in mind was running away. Flapping wings lashed rain and wind into her face and the harsh voices from her father and her old name Wingdaloo crackled after her.
“Run away you little failure. You Dodo.”
The rain was getting stronger and all around her fell in darkness once more. Squeezing her eyes shut she was running as fast as she could. On and on she ran and was soaked with sweat when suddenly she bumped into somepony. Silver light sparkled and lightened a half moon cutie mark. A voice sounded surprised in her ears.
“Child, what are you doing? Why are you following me?”
Scootaloo opened her mouth, but nothing else as a sob found a way out of her.
“Wait, you're really soggy.”
A wing brushed gently over her body, taking away the cold and wetness along. The little pegasusfilly closed her eyes and was mumbling a thanks.
“No child! Do not thank me! Rather, do tell me why you are following me!”
Lunas voice sounded almost peeved, but she was trying to smile.
“I...I don't know. I am sick and dreaming.”
She was looking to Luna and tried to control her voice, but with little success.
“I have dreamed about myself able to flight and from my father.
I don't know why, but both were telling me, that I am just a failure and then I bumped in you.”
Her voice sounded exhilarated and she was wiping away the tears with one hoof. The black filly circled Scootaloo and was beholding her interested. Finally the blue eyes were searching Scootaloos own.
“I believe this is the problem. You're no longer sure, who you really are, Child.
I wish I could help you, but I don't know how. Did you try to talk to your parents?”
Scootaloo drooped and inhaled with a sob.
“Father had leaved us, shortly after my birth and Mum.
She can not help. I am afraid , that she will become distressed, if I tell her.”
She didn't know why she has said this, but it was feeling right.
"Child, I believe your mother will be distressed if she doesn't know, what makes you miserable.”
Luna touched Scootaloo's cheek and took away a tear. She wiped further over her face and smiled hesitantly. The filly looked in her eyes and was seeing insecurity and even a little embarrassment. She bit her lips and was forcing the tears back. A trembling hoof warded Lunas own off and the filly inhaled deeply.
“Thanks Luna. I will tell her about my dreams and...”
The black filly lifted one hoof and interrupted her.
“Do not tell her about me. I don't believe, that I have been so much help for your Child.
Keep it as a secret and forget it.”
Scootaloo lifted her own hoof and tried to lay it on Luna's trembling one. But the black filly turned and ran away.
"I won't tell anypony, Luna!
But neither will I forget it.
I promise."
The dream faded away and darkness welcomed her in the waking world.