Clash

by sweetiebotzombie

Broken Wings and Stunts and Things

Speed. Fast. Legs pumping, heart thudding. Screw the helmet, no time to stop.

Scootaloo crested the hilltop,landed with a thud, and kept pushing. Behind her was a roiling, boiling, growling mess of Zees.

She'd taken to calling them Zees on her own. It sounded edgy and cool, like she was. However edgy and cool the name was, though, the beasts themselves were entirely lame. Scootaloo propelled her scooter faster, aiming for the next hill. As she went over it, she turned around, tugged the gun from her belt, and fired a few wild rounds into the hoard behind her. A few heads exploded, but most of the bullets missed by far. Nonetheless, Scootaloo let out a rowdy yawp as she landed. That was a stunt she was sure Rainbow Dash would approve of. Speaking of Rainbow Dash...

Scootaloo glanced skyward. On a normal day Rainbow would be zipping about, testing the limits of whatever the latest in personal flying technology was. Her recent addiction (before the shit hit the fan, Scootaloo thought, and giggled at how awesome it was to be able to swear like that) had been Winqs, designed to flap like bird wings and reach beyond the speed of sound. From her place on the ground, Scootaloo would always feel a pang of mixed jealousy and admiration at the sight.

This was not a normal day, however. The skies were empty of any form of life. Scootaloo grinned anyways, seeing her idol and part-time big sister zooming by in her imagination. It was easier to pretend she was there. Easier than accepting that she was... that she had...

A growling before her stirred Scootaloo from the depths of her mind. She drew her gun and took aim at the huge, lumbering Zee before her. Both his kneecaps gave out under her sharp shooting, and, by angling herself and pushing hard off the ground, Scootaloo coasted over him, bringing the back wheel down onto his skull and grinding it into the dust. She grinned bitterly and pushed off again, leaving the other Zees to trip over his prone form. Scootaloo sped on, not looking back. Her goal was ahead- the entrance of the Everfree Forest. If she could get in there, she'd be safe for awhile. Applebloom had mentioned that she had a friend there who-

Scootaloo nearly fell off her scooter at the sudden, horrible twisting in her stomach.

Applebloom!

How could she have forgotten?! Not that it was her fault. The outbreak, her daring escape, the sudden attack of the Zees... how could anyone remember anything in that environment? She needn't beat herself up about it. And why not turn around and go help her? That was easy. Sweet Apple Acres was all the way across town, and there were hundreds of Zees in the way, and she was so close to her goal. Besides, if Applebloom was still alive, she would be able to take care of herself. She had Applejack and Big Mac to defend her.

But wasn't that Big Mac you just shot down in the street? whispered her subconcious. Scootaloo shook her head. There was still Applejack. they were a tough family. They would live.

Rainbow Dash was tough too.

Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut, momentarily forgetting the danger.

Is tough! She is tough! Still is! She's right there! Right up there!

But the sky was empty as ever. Scootaloo grounded to a halt before the trees and fell to the ground. Her head was full of sobbing pleas, a click, a bang, a recoil.

You gotta do it, kid. I don't wanna be that. It... wouldn't be awesome.

Tough people can't do that. She was tough!

And there was that deadly past tense. Scootaloo held her head in her hands and leaned against the nearest tree, then, chest heaving, began to sob.