Not All Is Set In Stone

by Tails_155

Scootaloo's Memories - The Courage Charge

Scootaloo, after a half an hour of flying, lands on top of one of the spiring clouds. She scans around for anything that looked special enough to be a 'temple'. She catches glimpse of a building with a hole knocked into the side of it. She struggles with all her effort to take to the air, but can't build the strength, she tries to set her feet back on the spire but misses, hurdling downward, screaming. She impacts the clouds. "Oof!" I guess it could've been worse, but I wish I could fly more, just... so tired...

She wanders the streets of the abandoned sky town. The towers have all filled with rainwater, turning a gloomy gray. From most places, the sun doesn't even reach the ground. Shadows from taller clouds crowd the street. Scootaloo slumps down a bit, trembling slightly with every step. Can these things even be up here? What do I have to be afraid of?

She wanders past cloudhouse after damaged cloudhouse. A chill runs down Scootaloo's spine as she limps down the streets. Still super creepy. I've never been inside a stormcloud. Almost on cue, a bolt of lightning arcs above her head. She darts down the street as fast as her legs can carry her. She reaches a clearing where the clouds aren't so gloomy, where sun peeks over the edges of the clouds.

She allows her heart rate to return to normal as the atmosphere seems more inviting. Her rest is short lived, however, as she turns her head, hearing something in the distance.

"H-hello?" She calls out. "Hello? I hear you." She shouts, turning toward a wall.

She shrugs Must be fooling myself. Calm down, Scootaloo, nobody's there. She sighs, then turns to look over her shoulder. Several pony-looking figures begin to shine against the clouds. Scootaloo recoils at first, expecting to be hit by something. Then, she comes to realize what it is shining on the wall.

"M-mama?" She turns to a cloud that looks like it has Rosy Fields against the wall. She runs up only to find it is just an illusion. She watches her mother and father against the wall as they slowly turn sickly, then fade into nothing.

"M-mama! Papa! Come back!" She paws at the wall. Their images are quickly replaced when an image of her aunt comes into view. "Aunt-Auntie Raincloud!" She talks at the wall, now sitting.

She watches as the image before her ages. "No! Stop! Stop it! Come back! It's me! I-I love you... I miss you." She shrinks down, her voice now very tiny, her head droops. The image disappears, then is replaced with gray cloud, nothing more.

Cheerilee comes into view, the little filly's eyes cloud up with tears as she witnesses her teacher, struck by a beam and crystallizing. "No." Scootaloo can barely squeak out the word.

Once again the walls fade to gray.

Finally Lucky Buck and Rainbow Dash appear, and are both struck. "No... no... come back... I... I miss you so much..." Scootaloo curls up into a ball.

After rocking in place and calming herself down enough to sit up, she turns her head up and sees Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie...Sweetie Belle? No. No!" She stares at the figure as Sweetie Belle slumps down. "Sweetie Belle! What's wrong?" Who am I kidding? Her heart begins to fill with a rage and determination. She hops to her hooves. She looks toward a pair of crystalline figures on the tops of the clouds. A rage sparks inside her. She darts after the crystalline creatures, who fly off.

She soars after them, but glances to the side, catching sight of a gazebo, seemingly pristine in a land of broken and abandoned structures. She grits her teeth and lets the creatures get away. She hooks a left and goes full speed, toward the temple she saw. She fives for the ground, landing on her hooves, staring at the gazebo. She catches sight of a dozen gemstone creatures with claws and wings, who monsters dive out of the gazebo toward her, knocking clouds up into the air. Scootaloo charges her way through, evading claws and hooves of all colors as they smash into the clouds around her.

She kicks one of the creatures in the chest as it swipes at her, bouncing off and diving through its arms. Another jumps at her, she jumps over it and hops off its back, gaining altitude. She dives toward the steps and smashes through a storm cloud blocking her way to the gazebo.

The gazebo holds a cold darkness. The only light that seems to come inside the walls is one narrow cone of light. She slowly heads toward the only area lit inside, a small altar lit by an oculus in the roof. She reaches the foot of it and several of the creatures roar. An aquamarine pegasus flies at her and she screams. She hops onto the altar, and a seafoam beam flies into the sky, surrounding her. Her hair gets blown around by the wind, and the sapphire feather in her mane glows. The creatures stop in their tracks and run off, chittering and growling into the distance. A shockwave flies outward, sending the closest creatures tumbling and rolling.

Th-that... that wasn't Rainbow Dash was it? That wasn't M-Mom... right? No... No it couldn't have been. She reassures herself. Sitting on the altar, collecting herself, building up her strength once more. The room falls dark again, only lit now by the shine bouncing off her barrette. The bizarrely dark gazebo now a soothing blue, she feels strangely rejuvenated by the sight. Scootaloo stands on her feet. "I can do this. I can! I'm coming guys!" She shouts.