//------------------------------// // 8 Wing and a Prayer // Story: Scootaloo's Life // by AnnonyMouse //------------------------------// Author: Annonymouse MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro. This is a free fan-fiction, not to be sold or traded for any money, goods or services. ... A/N: No comments on spelling or grammar please. See my profile for details. ... This is a continuation of Scootaloo's Life. Something I did in my off time. ... Scootaloo's Life (Mini Story) 08 Wing and a Prayer ... “Her name is Prism Shine.” Scootaloo beamed proudly at her two best friends. Apple Bloom was a little more than just giddy. She was excited for Scootaloo, who was now a big sister herself... “What's it like having a little sister?” “Silly.” Sweetie Belle giggled. “She's an aunt, not a big sister.” “Sure don't look like no little bug to me.” Apple Bloom retorted “Aunt, not Ant. Like your Aunty Golden Delicious.” Scootaloo then giggled. “Oh, well, that's cool too.” Sweetie Belle looked up into the sky. The cloud house was still high in the sky. “Is it safe? I mean, being so high up. What if she falls?” Scootaloo glanced up. “Do you honestly think her mom and dad wold let her even hit the ground? They're planning on teaching her to fly before she's even one year old.” “Impossible.” Apple Bloom snorted. “No Pegasus can fly that young. Heck, how old were you when you started flying? Ten?” “Yea, so?” Scootaloo shrugged. “I may have been a later flier, but I'm one of the best fliers out there.” Sweetie Belle hugged Scootaloo. “Third only to your big sister and 'big' brother.” “Best long distance flier.” Scootaloo corrected. “I'm not the greatest when it comes to stunts, what with my wings being so big. Still, I can do some pretty neat one that even they can't do.” Apple Bloom poked a wingtip. “Yea, why is that? Yer wings were so tiny before, then ya started to learn how to fly an' they grew a bit. Then all ah a sudden they just started growin like crazy.” “Maybe it's because she has a coltfriend.” Sweetie Belle teased cutely. “Moon Star and I are just friends.” Scootaloo huffed a little, blushing at the same time. “I wish everypony would stop calling him my coltfriend...” (I mean, I really, REALLY like him and all that, but I don't even know if he's even want to be with a filly like me. He's immortal and will live forever. I'm not. I wouldn't be surprised if one day he just stops coming to Equestria all together.) “Bit for your thoughts?” Apple Bloom had noticed a change in her friend's expression. “Oh, it's nothing.” Scoots forced smile. “I'm going to go take a little flight.” She spread her wing and with a mighty flap, she took off. “Somethin' is bothering our friend.” Apple Bloom frowned. “I agree.” Sweetie Belle agreed. “I wonder what it is.” ... Scootaloo landed on a cloud a few miles from Ponyville and looked toward the horizon. She stretched one of her wings and looked at it. “They're... too big. I've noticed how some of the ponyfolk look at me strangely lately.” Scootaloo frowned. “I mean, they're beautiful, Sis always says so...” She frowned. “Maybe it's just me... but, I sometimes feel like a freak...” She folded her wing and frowned. “Maybe... Maybe I'm not meant to stay in Ponyville...” She spread her wings and took too the sky, circling around and heading for home. ... Scootaloo awoke the next morning, early, just before sunrise. She quietly slipped form the cloud house and stood outside. She looked out over Ponyville for a moment before taking wing. As Scootaloo approached the market square, she could see ponies setting up their stands. “Breakfast sounds good.” She landed and walked toward Applejack and her apple cart. “Good morning Applejack.” “Morning' Sugercube.” Applejack offered a bright smile. She then noticed the lack of a happy face. “Somethin' on yer mind?” “Oh, just a little hungry is all.” Scoots partially lied. “Oh, well then, what can Ah offer ya?” Scootaloo looked over all the delicious apples. “I'll take a couple of your honey crisp.” She tossed a couple bits on the cart and received her apples. “Thanks Applejack.” She munched down one of the sweet, crunchy and juicy apples right away. “Anythin' else?” Scoots shook her head. “I dunno...” She stretched a wing. “I'm smaller than Rainbow Dash, but my wings... they're unnatural. I've never heard of anypony ever having wings so big.” “Don't sweat th' small stuff Scoots.” Applejack placed a hoof on the young mare's shoulder. “Ya'll got a wonderful gift. Ain't no other pony that can fly like ya. You always beat RD to Cloudsdale, and that ain't no small feat.” “Well, that's cool and all, but why are my wings so big? They're twice the size of a normal Pegasus Pony's wings. I get odd looks wherever I go.” “Ah've never noticed anypony lookin' at ya strange like.” Applejack never lied. Scoots shook her head. “But I have. All the other Pegasus just, I dunno, besides Big Sis, Big Bro, Fluttershy, and Moon Star, no other Pegasus even talks to me. They look at me strange.” “Hmm, honestly, Ah guess Ah never paid attention to anypony givin' others strange looks.” Applejack nuzzled Scootaloo. “But as far as Ah'm concerned, ya'll got some beautiful wings.” She then blinked. “An' yer gifted, able to use magic.” “Oh, yea, I guess.” Scootaloo paused. “Wait, maybe my wings are so big because I can use magic... Maybe if I stopped using magic, they'll shrink and become normal sized.” “Ah dun think ya'll should quit. That's a wonderful gift ya got there. Ain't no other Pegasus, or even Earth Pony that can use magic. Ah bet ya'll gonna one day grow into yer wings.” Scootaloo shook her head. “I don't think so. I haven't grown any for a while now. I'm smaller than Apple Bloom and even Sweetie Belle.” She folded the wing. “Apple Bloom told me she wishes she was as cute as ya'll are.” “I'm just cute?” Scootaloo felt her self esteem drop a little more. “But... I just don't understand. I have huge wings, I'm 'only' cute... I sometimes feel so out of place. I almost feel like I've stopped growing.” That thought hit her hard. “Stopped... growing? No, that's impossible. I can't have stopped growing. I'm too young to have stopped...” (Maybe I've been visiting Nimbus too often... Maybe all that powerful magic that Moon Star's been using on me has effected me somehow...) “Ya never know, but Ah bet ya'll gonna grow into a right beautiful mare. Just give it time.” Scootaloo looked into Applejack's bright green eyes. “Do you think so?” Self esteem up a little? “Have Ah ever lied to ya?” “No, never.” She smiled a little. “Thanks Applejack.” She chomped down the second apple. “I should get to my morning flight.” She smiled, spread her wings, and took to the sky. Applejack watched her fly off, then glanced at a couple Pegasus who were staring after the orange Pegasus. One pointed toward Scootaloo and whispered to the other, who snickered. (What the hay was that about?) She stepped away from her cart and approached the pair. “Hey. What's ya'll talking 'bout?” “Huh?” One Pegasus turned. He was a light green with orange mane. “Nothing you'd understand.” “Try me.” She gave the pair a cross look. The other Pegasus, a mare, rolled her eyes. “Come on. You've seen those big wings. It isn't right.” She was a dark pink with a lighter pink mane. “What ain't right 'bout havin' those big beautiful wings?” The pair of Pegasai looked at each other for a moment before the stallion spoke again. “They're freaky.” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “What do ya care for? She's blessed to be able to fly, an it's her special talent.” “All Pegasai are able to fly.” The mare snorted. “What's so special about having that as a special talent?” “Cause I know she the only Pegasus what can fly all the way to Cloudsdale without takin' a single break. She's graceful, an' I gotta say, Ah do love watching her when she's just flyin' up around Ponyville.” The stallion rolled his eyes. “So? Her 'special' talent is flying. That's not that great a talent for a Pegasus. It's something natural for us.” He started to turn away. “Yes, now if her talent was speed or controlling the weather, then sure, that's fine. So what if she can fly all the way from here to Cloudsdale. We could do that if we really wanted too.” Applejack sighed. “Ya'll just don't understand. Whatever.” She turned and headed back to her cart. There was no point in starting an argument. The pair of Pegasai trotted off, snickering something about clumsy ground pounders. Applejack's ears twitched, and she was tempted to buck some sense into that pair, but kept her cool. ... Scootaloo lay on a cloud, watching her 'big brother' Spectrum flying around, little Prism Shine strapped to his back safely between his wings as he flew around, careful not to do any stunts. She smiled softly as she heard her baby niece giggling happily. “Hey Squirt.” Rainbow Dash suddenly poked her head through the cloud, right in front of a startled looking Scootaloo. “Don't do that Sis.” Scoots laughed as she recovered. Dash rose from the cloud and settled next to the large winged Pegasus. “So, how was your last visit with Moon Star?” “Oh, it was amazing. He gave me these magical leg bands that let me fly higher than ever before. He said I'm still not strong enough to see his home, which is a million miles away from the world tree.” She giggled. “Stars are amazing. Magical silver lights that twinkle and dance...” She then frowned. “Of course, I didn't get to see them up close. They're so far away that not even Moon Star can fly to them in a hundred years.” “Really?” Dash whistled. “That far away? Hard to imagine.” Scootaloo nodded and looked away. “Sis?” “Yea Scoots?” “I... I'm thinking of leaving Ponyville.” Dash froze. “What? Where did this come from? Where will you go?” “I don't know yet.” “A... another world?” “Goodness, no.” Scootaloo laughed weakly. “I... I just don't know what to do. I mean, I'm learning so much about healing, and about flying. If I didn't need to eat or drink or sleep, I bet I could fly forever.” “I don't doubt that.” Dash chuckled. “But... do you really want to leave Ponyville?” “I don't know. Before, when I couldn't fly, before I found out you were my sister and found dad and all that... I was an unwanted orphan. I thought so many times about leaving, just running away. Finding Dad and you were the greatest things to ever happen to me. Then I learned to fly, and added that to my list, and then... I met Moon Star. He's shown me so many wonders.” She closed her eyes and rested her head. Dash sat next to her sister. “Scoots?” “Hmm?” “Whatever you want to do, I'm right behind you the whole way.” “Really?” She glanced up, only her eyes moving. “So... any suggestions where I could go?” “Hmm...” Dash pondered. “There are so many undiscovered secrets in the whole world beyond Equestria. Heck, only a few ponies have ever traveled into the Griffon Kingdom.” “And none returned... At least the history books about great explorers said they never returned.” “So? Maybe they found something so awesome on the other side that they never wanted to come back.” Scootaloo nodded ever so slightly. “Mhmm.” Her eyes starting to close. “Or they were eaten.” Dash put on a 'scary' voice. Scoots nodded again, her eyes closed completely. “Mhmm...” Soft snores escaped her lips. Dash blinked. “Hey Scoots?” Nudge nudge. Scoots shifted slightly but did not wake. Dash watched her sister, a little concerned. (She's never just fallen asleep before... Not during the day. That's my thing, taking naps. Something must really be bothering her.) She willed herself to sink through the cloud and dove toward Ponyville. ... Applejack was having a good day. She had sold out before noon, her new honey crisp apples were very popular. It had taken years till the trees her parents had planted were finally ready to harvest, but it had paid off nicely. As she was packing up her cart, her money box full, she heard the flapping of wings behind her. Turning, she smiled. “Hey RD. What'cha up too?” “Oh, not much really... Scootaloo is acting strange today.” “Why ya'll say that?” (Could she know how Scootaloo's feeling about her wings?) “I dunno. We were talking, and she just went and took a nap.” “Scootaloo? Napping? That don't sound right.” She then sighed. “Ah overheard a couple Pegasus Ponies bad mouthin' behind Scootaloo's back, bout her wings and whatnot.” “What? Which ones? I'll go and teach them...” “RD, hold yerself a sec will ya?” AJ grabbed Dash's tail with her teeth, keeping her from flying off. “What? Somepony badmouthed my baby sister.” “An' Ah think ya'll shouldn't worry 'bout it.” Dash eyes her friend. “But...” “Ah just think they're jealous ah yer sister's wings is all. She's probably just, Ah dunno, feelin' sad cause she don't have any Pegasus Pony friends.” Dash lowered her head and scuffled the ground with a hoof. “She's my little sister... I'm worried about her. She... She told me she's thinking of leaving Ponyville.” Applejack didn't look surprised at all. “She's a strong flier, one ah th' strongest Ah've ever met, like yerself. An' she's really good with herbs an' brews an' magic potions. Ah bet she'll does good no matter where she goes.” Dash knew her friend was right. “I'm just worried for her...” “Ya'll said that already. How 'bout ya try trustin' her. She's smart an' beautiful. She'll do right well in th' world.” AJ patted Dash's shoulder. “Why don't ya just go and be with her, even if she's nappin' away. She might appreciate ya bein' there when she wakes.” Dash nodded. “Yea, you're right. I'll catch you later AJ.” She flew off, back toward the cloud her sister was napping on. ... Scootaloo had waited for her sister to leave, pretending to have nodded off. A minute later, she took to the sky, making sure Spectrum wasn't looking. (Travel beyond Equestria? Maybe I can do that. Who knows what I'll discover.) She smiled and headed home to grab her pack for her journey. (Beyond Equestria...) She smiled at that idea. ... “Dear Celestia. I love my family and my friends. I love both you and Luna. I love Moon Star as well. But I feel I really have to stretch my wings. This will be my last letter to you, as I am leaving Equestria. Please, tell Moon Star I am sorry, I won't be able to see him anymore. I have to find my place in this world, and learn to understand myself. Maybe one day I will return. With wholehearted love. Scootaloo.” Celestia frowned. “Oh Scootaloo... I can only wish you the best, and pray that you return to us someday. I know Prince Moon Star loves you as well, even though you've never told each other.” She wiped away a tear. “You will be missed greatly.” ... The End of Scootaloo's life. A new fiction called Beyond Equestria will follow Scootaloo as she discovers the world 'Beyond Equestria', and all about herself.