The Gift for the Pegasus: A CMC Mission

by G4PONYTales

Chapter 11 - Spells and Mishaps

Author's Note:

Now for the juicy stuff; here we go!

“Okay Scootaloo, get ready for some flying!” Sweetie Belle’s horn glowed bright. “And here, we… go! Hrrrggg… Hrrrggg…”

Scootaloo suddenly felt bloated, like she had eaten too much ice cream at Sugarcube Corner. She then looked down to see herself literally blowing up like a balloon… and like a balloon, she was beginning to float.

Scootaloo looked down from three feet in the air. She rose to four feet, five feet…

“Uh, Sweetie Belle? I need help-”

In a flash, the young unicorn squeezed her eyes shut and lit up her horn. The spell was immediately reversed and Scootaloo, who didn’t bother even trying to stay in the air, fell to the ground.

“Okay, well, that spell blew you up.” Sweetie Belle giggled to herself as she telekinetically flipped the page of her spell book; she was unusually giddy at the idea of using magic, something she had never really done a lot of. “So, let’s try this spell!”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and smiled, preparing for a surprise. Sure enough, she started to fly into the air - except - her wings weren’t moving at all.

Scootaloo opened her eyes to find herself in a telekinetic bubble. She looked down at Sweetie Belle to realize that this was a spell that didn’t require her constant concentration - Scootaloo could actually fly.

Scootaloo took a deep breath, and beat her wings. Like her scooter, the telekinetic bubble responded to the pressure from the wing movement. It moved Scootaloo in all directions, depending on the direction of its’ propellers.

Bubbling with excitement, Scootaloo flew a few feet into the air before glancing down at Sweetie Belle ecstatically. “Sweetie, look! I did it, I did it! I-” all of a sudden, the bubble touched a tree branch - and popped.

Scootaloo scrunched up her face and beat her wings erratically, before falling from ten feet in the air with a shriek.

Sweetie Belle telekinetically dabbed Scootaloo’s wounds with some antiseptic. They had tried several levitation spells already - all of which hadn't worked for various reasons. Telekinetic-flying bubbles couldn’t be douched by outer objects because that would break the forcefield that sealed out the gravity. Immaterial levitation-bubbles couldn’t be popped, but were sensitive to the wind above the trees - that was when Scootaloo had experienced her biggest fall.

Even after that, Scootaloo had insisted that Sweetie Belle try levitating her manually, just to give her the feel of flying. But Sweetie Belle’s horn gave out after fifteen minutes, despite all efforts to keep Scootaloo in the air. That was when she herself started to look discouraged at not being powerful enough to at least fly Scootaloo to Cloudsdale without risks of oosing her telekinetic hold.

Like Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle had tried this spell again and again, hoping she would get stronger, but to no avail.

There was some silence between the two discouraged ponies for many moments. Scootaloo tried to mask the intense sulking and depression that threatened to broil inside her. She did not, however the effort it took, want to make Sweetie Belle feel like a failure.

So instead, despite her dwindling confidence, Scootaloo spoke up: “Do you think… we could still try a growth spell?”

Sweetie Belle read the spell several times in the book, then wiped some sweat off her forehead that came from a combination of nerve, and the effort of so much magic in one day.

Scootaloo began to look concerned: “Sweetie… are you sure about this?” Despite having little to no knowledge of magic herself; if there was one thing the pegasus knew, it was that nopony in general could produce quality work under stress and fatigue. So, despite the anticipation to fly bubbling in her stomach, Scootaloo spoke: “Maybe we should try another day.”

But Scootaloo’s voice faltered as the words left her mouth. She didn’t want to wait. She wanted to fly today, or she’d be nervous the entire night and tomorrow.

Also, when would they find a time tomorrow to do magic once Applebloom and the others were back from their meeting, and standing guard to make sure no “cheating” was involved in the mission? That would create conflict, which was something Scootaloo did not want to happen. It was something that, due to the nature of their destiny to help ponies including each other, could not happen. Therefore, the magic would have to happen today, or another day when the others were not in the know.

To Scootaloo’s relief, Sweetie Belle smiled. “No, no. We’ll definitely do it today. But I should probably take a five minute break first.”

The “five minute break” lasted at least half an hour.

Scootaloo spent all that time pacing, constantly thinking the time would come to try the spell.

Like she did when waiting for flying lessons to start, Scootaloo also wondered about what the outcome would be.

She anticipated the results, wondering whether the spell would work and if it did, wondering what it would be like to have big, strong, glamourous wings…

She wondered what the wings would look like - alicorn wings? That would be nice to have. Of course, wings like Rainbow Dash’s would be just fine… but would they grow at all?

Of course this spell will work, Scootaloo told herself in an effort to be positive. Magic Always works! Nevertheless, her mind wandering progressively, Scootaloo wondered, and she wondered...

Scootaloo glanced anxiously at Sweetie Belle, who seemed to be taking her sweet time resting and eating ice cream sundae. Before their gazes could meet Scootaloo snapped hers’ away. No, Scoot. Do not rush the magical process. If she doesn’t rest, then it won’t work. It has to work.

While focusing her gaze on the scenery around the trees, Scootaloo caught sight of some butterflies passing by. She felt a lump in her throat, then glanced at her wings. She flapped them up and down uselessly, wondering if not even magic could make them grow……

“Scootaloo, I’m ready!”

The sound of Sweetie Belle’s voice brought Scootaloo out of her daydreams, daydreams which had been full of excitement and worry. Scootaloo glanced at the sun, which was getting to be lower in the sky. Then she closed her eyes, sighed deeply and, after sending a silent prayer to the alicorns, hopped over to Sweetie Belle, ready to play Russian Roulette with the remainder of the plan.

The last thing Scootaloo could focus on was Sweetie Belle levitating the book, reading silently, lowering it, breathing deeply. Scootaloo focused on every move the unicorn made, before she began to stare in concentration, her horn beginning to glow…

Scootaloo rose. She rose higher… but her hooves still felt the ground. Yet she could still look down at her unicorn friend, because she had grown fifteen feet tall.

Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped as she screamed: “Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo walked around a bit on her elongated legs. Despite her wings still not working, it was still quite fun being able to see the treetops without the barriers of a hot-air balloon.

This felt like a dream. Scootaloo stomped around a bit. She bended and unbended her legs. She jumped, to push herself higher into the air.

But before she knew it, a concerned Sweetie Belle had reversed the spell and Scootaloo was back to her usual height.

“What was that for?! I loved being so tall!”

Scootaloo spoke words of agitation only because she was surprised, and excited, about what had just happened. Her expression wasn’t even cross; if anything, it was ecstatic.

Nevertheless, Sweetie Belle shook her head and raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t being realistic, Scoot. How would you be able to walk around fifteen feet tall? If anything, you should be grateful that I was able to reverse the spell so easily.

Reality immediately set in, and Scootaloo grew more serious. “Sorry. But did my wings grow?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “But hey, don’t get discouraged! Let’s try a different spell, shall we?”

On the second try, Scootaloo grew five feet wide. Looking down at herself, the butterflies in her stomach recurred. This was so weird…

Too nervous to check them herself, Scootaloo braced her wings away from her body. “Well, what about my wings? Did they grow too?”

Sweetie Belle giggled a little despite herself, before putting a grave expression on her face. “Scootaloo, I can’t even see your wings. There must be a spell that focuses primarily on specific body parts.”

Due to the embarrassment of being so wide, Scootaloo didn’t resist as Sweetie Belle - after a minute of studying the reversal spell - shrank her back. The unicorn then glanced at her wings, which were exactly the same. A seed of disappointment began to grow beneath the nerve and painful anticipation that clogged her stomach. While waiting for the next spell, an anxious Scootaloo performed some wing exercises that Rainbow Dash had taught her.

I mean, thought Scootaloo, those lessons couldn’t have been for nothing. Maybe these would help the spell work?

“Okay, Scootaloo. Please be ready for this, and do as I say. You got that?”

Scootaloo nodded, and breathed deeply.

“Okay. This is a slightly more advanced spell. As I perform it, I’ll need you to help me by imagining yourself with big wings. Just… hold the thought in your head. Picture yourself with big, strong, beautiful wings!” Sweetie Belle beamed encouragingly, helping Scootaloo to feel more relaxed. Since the two had known each other since they were very young, they almost always knew how to react towards each other, and what to say.

Renowned confidence filled Scootaloo, like a balloon with helium rising toward the sun, not caring if it would pop. For once, Scootaloo felt confident enough to focus only on the present moment, and remember what was awesome.

The spell didn’t affect Scootaloo’s wings, rather, it affected Scootaloo’s eyes.

Her eyes grew huge. They stretched beyond her head (Sweetie Belle didn’t want to think about what the expanding eyeballs looked like from behind). As for Scootaloo, her field of vision had expanded so that she could see the sky and the ground at the same time. It was awesome.

But it wasn’t what she wanted.

Sweetie Belle noticed her own expression reflected in Scootaloo’s giant eyes, and could tell from looking at herself that she, who had been so confident from the very beginning, was beginning to feel defeated at the constant sign of failure.

Nevertheless, she tried again.

The two ponies finally sat side by side against the dwindling daylight. Despite the clearness of the sky, and the freshness of the forest air, a dense fog of self pity and defeat was beginning to dawn on the two CMCs.

Sweetie Belle had tried, and tried. She tried the spells again, and again, and again. Eventually, she grew tired. Also, despite her deep wanting to help Scootaloo, her expectations, like Rainbow Dash’s, began to die off.

The spells, no matter how hard the unicorn had tried, would not work the way she wanted them to.

Every time Sweetie Belle performed the spell, or any spell similar to it, something different happened Scootaloo’s head got big. Her mouth got big. Everything but her wings got big.

But Scootaloo herself was not ready to quit.

So while Sweetie Belle sat rubbing her tired horn, Scootaloo looked at her with pleading, shining eyes. She, despite her own disgust, was in danger of crying.

The young pegasus’s voice gave away the desperation that clogged her throat: Sweetie Belle. One more time………... please?

Sweetie Belle herself almost grew close to tears. When she stopped rubbing her horn and looked Scootaloo’s way, she saw her own reflection in those big, pleading eyes. Despite the spell having worn off, Scootaloo’s eyes were so huge, Sweetie Belle could see everything.

Her own expression looked sad, just like her friend. Sad, sympathetic, but honest.

She spoke: “Scootaloo… honestly, I don’t know what else to do. I thought this would work but… I don’t think this is the answer.”

“No…” Scootaloo practically choked out the word. Never before had such crushing emotion threatened her so severely, so suddenly. And Sweetie Belle could see the emotion in those wide, bright eyes. As though it were contagious, her own eyes threatened to tear up.

Sweetie Belle could only close her eyes against the tears of sympathy, and shake her head in sorrow. Her horn hurt so, so much from all the strain. “I’m sorry. But… maybe we’ll be able to figure something else out.” She forced a smile, and patted Scootaloo on the back. “Don’t worry so much. Please.”

But now, worrying was all Scootaloo could do. It was as though the fact that magic didn’t work was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If magic couldn’t even make Scootaloo fly, then maybe, nothing could.

The two defeated ponies went their separate ways, unsure of what was to happen in the near future…

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked Applebloom to the train heading back to Ponyville.

A few years earlier, it would have been considered unthinkable to be walking side by side with two of the snobbiest fillies in Equestria. If Applebloom could travel back in time and tell her old self what she was currently doing, the jaw of her younger, blank-flanked self would have dropped.

But now, things were different. The three of them were friends, Applebloom finally had her cutie mark, and she had also been the one - along with her friends - to reform the two ponies. So, easy to say, the past was definitely past.

“Honestly, Diamond, I am, like, so impressed with your planning.”

Diamond Tiara grinned widely, showing all her teeth. “So am I. This is so going to work.” She then glanced at Applebloom. “Isn’t that right, Applebloom?”

The yellow earth pony smiled encouragingly, despite being slightly intimidated by Diamond Tiara’s pompous wording; even though she was nice, she could still be a little narcissistic.

Nevertheless, Applebloom agreed. “Sure, I’m so glad to have yer help, Diamond. And you know somethin’, I feel confident that this will really work.”

However, despite the feedback she gave, something else began to tap Applebloom’s mind, something she had been thinking from the very beginning but hadn’t had the courage to tell a persistent, over-confidant Diamond Tiara: Had it been right for the three of them to go ahead with their planning and brainstorming without involving Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?

Comments

[Gyro Pony]

It's not just Rarity who is made of marshmallow.
expanding and deflating Scoota-mallow was interesting.