A Do-Over

by Pip232

11: Reaching the Top of the Roller Coaster

The nurse opened a door and held it for Luna. “This viewing room will let you see what’s going on, your Highness.”

“Thank you, that will be all. Dismissed.” Luna didn’t even look behind her as the nurse left, hearing the door shut. The air in the room felt thick and stale, making her have to breathe harder as she walked up to the viewing window and put a hoof on it. She felt her stomach clench at the sight below, threatening to make her lose its contents. “Oh Scootaloo…” From her vantage point, she saw perfectly what was happening below.

Scootaloo was lying on an operating table with medical ponies crowded around her. She had numerous IV lines in her forelegs feeding her blood and other fluids, and her back legs had been put in casts. A tube had been fed into her mouth to breathe for her, while much of her mane and chest had been shaved for electrodes to be attached to monitor her vital signs. She winced at the absence of one of the poor foal’s wings, just as Nurse Redheart had said.

Luna saw her physician below being given all sorts of medical instruments which he held in his magic. The sight of them made Luna’s skin crawl and constrict.

She felt her stomach further tighten. Between the two it felt like her body was closing in on her, and the heavy air made it all the worse as breathing became even harder.

She put her head to the glass and groaned, wishing there was something she could do. She felt useless, and a tightness forming in her chest on top of everything else only served to make things worse. She finally knew what all of these together meant. They meant that she, Princess of the Night, and co-ruler of Equestria, was terrified.

There is something you can do, and you know it. Nightmare Moon’s voice was in her head again, and Luna looked frantically around the dark room, but she didn’t see anything. Her body felt like it was crushing in on her now.

Luna wildly looked around, trying in vain to find the source of the noise. She sucked in a deep breath to raise her voice. “Leave me alone! You’re nothing but a stress-induced hallucination!” She shouted at the dark. Suddenly it was as if now the voice was whispering in her ear, close enough to tickle the fur on it.

You know I’m right, you are her only hope. After all, even if she survives this, whether you change her or not, she’ll need somepony to be there for her as she adjusts to her new stance in life. But will it involve leather wings or a wheelchair? That’s up to you.

Those words struck a deep chord in Luna, and she struggled with this new thought compounding her already frayed emotions. As soon as she dared look through the observation window again she wished she hadn’t. The heart monitor was displaying a singular straight line, and the surgeon was now performing chest compressions on Scootaloo. Her entire body froze up at the sight below. Scootaloo was dying, and her body defied all her attempts to move. She was only briefly aware of her body protesting the lack of oxygen.

There is something you can do.

Dr. Palliate injected something into her foreleg and his horn flashed. As those words bounced around inside Luna’s mind the heart monitor stopped displaying a flatline, once again showing a pulse. She let out a harsh exhale as the invisible force holding her still was released. She tried to breathe but the air in the room still felt stale and heavy. On an impulse Luna went to the door and threw it open, panting as she filled her lungs with the wonderfully fresh air the hallway had.

Luna became very aware of her heart thundering against her chest, her pulse ringing in her ears. A muffled voice said something, and a few seconds later it repeated itself. When she felt a hoof on her shoulder the world snapped back into focus and the voice became crystal clear. “Your Highness, are you okay?”

That question caught her off guard by another nurse, but she gave herself no time to recover. She couldn’t stop seeing Scootaloo flatlining on that operating table. What if it happened again? What if her physician couldn’t get her going again? She couldn’t wait. “Never mind that. You are to bring me Scootaloo’s medical information this instant.” Luna’s voice was as unwavering as steel, and her gaze could freeze fire in its place.

The nurse nodded and the only words she could speak were, “At once, your Highness.” She began walking down the hall and turning a corner.

---

Within the princess’s mind, Nightmare Moon smirked, impressed with how her other half had handled that situation. Ruthless, concise, and made her point in no uncertain terms. Perhaps there was hope for Luna after all.

She would’ve handled that the same way. If she had flatlined once then there was every chance it could happen again, and the sooner the spell was cast the better. If Scootaloo died before Nightmare Moon got to her, then she would’ve pulled strings and expended the small shards of power she had for nothing.

However, Nightmare Moon wasn’t too worried. It would be preferable to have Scootaloo as a host, it would be convenient to escape from Luna today, but it wasn’t essential for her. If Scootaloo perished it would be unfortunate, but she would simply wait for the next opportunity to inevitably present itself. Again, now it was just a matter of waiting until she needed to tug another string.

---

“There it is, Sweetie Belle, the train station! We made it!”

“After all your whining on the way here, I knew you would say that.” Sweetie Belle and Rarity had followed the tracks back to Ponyville, deciding they couldn’t afford to wait. It was still hot and humid, causing both their coats to become matted with sweat and Rarity’s mane now looking like a frazzled mess. Sweetie’s looked disorganized as well, but not nearly as awful as her sister’s.

“Oh, it’s not fair! Why does your mane look so nice compared to mine?” Rarity asked, putting a foreleg across her forehead.

“Because I don’t need to put as much work into mine,” Sweetie said with a cheeky grin. “now come on, the hospital isn’t too far now.”

“Darling, something just occurred to me, perhaps we should let Scootaloo’s parents know what’s happened if they don’t already know. Do you know where she lives?”

Sweetie Belle stopped suddenly. “Uh, well-” the more she thought about it the more confused she became. Scootaloo had never once hosted a Crusaders sleepover, she never brought anyone to family appreciation day, and her parents never showed up to pick her up from a sleepover, she just left of her own accord.

“What is it, Sweetie?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

“I don’t know where she lives, I don’t even know who her parents are.”

“What? Surely you’ve seen her with, somepony.” Rarity’s words came out slower as a possible explanation entered her mind but she shoved it away. “Never mind that. When we get to the hospital we’ll ask Pinkie Pie. She knows everything about everypony.”

---

As soon as they stepped into the hospital, Applejack greeted them. “About time you two got here, and what happened to you? You both look like you were just in a tornado.” As soon as she said that Twilight elbowed her in the ribs.

“I know, I’ll fix it later. Right now we have much more pressing concerns. How is the poor dear doing?” Rarity asked.

“She’s in bad shape. Nurse Redheart said she’s probably not going to make it, and even if she does she’ll never walk again! And she lost one of her wings!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a look of complete despair on her face.

Rarity tried to form a response but nothing came to her. With everything from Rainbow’s eyes being red and puffy to the morose expressions on everypony’s faces, she was drawing a blank.

Sweetie Belle had a look of shock and horror on her face, but Rarity had an idea to change her focus. “Sweetie Belle, wasn’t there something we wanted to ask Pinkie Pie? I forgot.” Rarity put a hoof to her chin feigning ignorance.

“Oh! Hey Pinkie, do you know where Scootaloo’s parents live, or who they are?”

Pinkie put a hoof to her chin and made a ‘hmmm’ sound. Everypony present could swear they heard static followed by a no signal tone. After a few seconds, she shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“What? No way! You know everything about everypony in Ponyville, why not that?!” Rainbow demanded.

“Well, why don’t you know either? Isn’t she supposed to be your little sister?” Pinkie asked.

"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, has she ever brought anypony to Family Appreciation Day at school?" Twilight asked, trying not to jump to an obvious assumption.

“No, Ah asked once and she said they were busy working.” After that, an uncomfortable silence fell on everypony present.

Fluttershy’s soft voice broke the silence, but even her gentle tone was unwelcome thanks to the message it carried. “Her parents weren’t working, were they?”

“Now hold on, we don’t know anything for certain yet.” Twilight reasoned, but she found it harder and harder to deny. “Spike, please send a letter to Mayor Mare asking her to look for any records on Scootaloo or her parents.”

As he took out a quill and parchment and began to write, Applejack sighed. “Really Twi, really? Not one of us knows who they are or if they’re even alive, not even Pinkie, and she knows everything there is to know about these kinds of things. None of us like the thought of her being an orphan, but it's getting harder and harder not to think about.”

“How did none of us ever notice before now?” Rainbow Dash asked with a stunned expression. She had trouble processing this, that the orange filly she affectionately referred to as her little sister, could be orphaned. “How did I not notice…?” She quietly asked herself. “Why were you hiding it, Scootaloo?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hugged each other close, the former choking on a sob. “Ah wish Ah’d never suggested you two help us. If Ah hadn’t none of this woulda happened.” After she said this she felt her friend hug her tighter.

“So what happened, anyway? Rarity said she got hurt, but she didn’t say what hurt her.” She let go of Apple Bloom and sat down far away enough to respect her personal space.

“We were going uphill, then it’d just be a nice little trot to the market, but Big Mac’s wagon hitch came undone and it started coming at us. Scootaloo shoved me out of the way, but then it just, wham-” she clapped her front hooves together for emphasis. “It hit her dead on and we got her here as fast as we could.”

A letter appeared in front of Twilight. She opened it and cleared her throat to read it aloud. “Dear Princess Twilight, after thoroughly searching the Ponyville record hall, we couldn't find anything about Scootaloo.” As soon as she read that Twilight gave an exasperated groan and threw the letter in the trash.

“See what Ah mean? Scootaloo ain’t got no records cause there’s nothing to record.”

Twilight wasn’t going to dignify that with a response. “Spike, take another letter, this time to the records clerk in Canterlot.” As soon as he had a fresh parchment and quill out, Twilight began.

“Dear records clerk, you are to immediately search for any documents or records about a pegasus named Scootaloo and send them to me as soon as you find them. This is to be considered your highest priority. Sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” As soon as Spike finished writing, he rolled the parchment and sent it off with a short breath of green fire.

“Twi, why are you being so stubborn about this?” Applejack demanded.

"Look, Canterlot has records on every pony in Equestria. In a few minutes, we'll have our answer on Scootaloo's parents."

Fluttershy stepped forward and tapped Twilight’s side to get her attention. “But, um, what about the other questions? Like where has she been staying?”

“Ah have an idea about that.” After being quiet for so long Big Mac finally decided to weigh in. “Ah’d bet mah right foreleg she’s been living in the Crusaders’ clubhouse. It’s got insulated walls and windows, a watertight seal, what more could she want?”

“Why is it built like an actual house?” Rarity asked curiously. “I know the Crusaders fixed it up but I had no idea they went so far.”

“Heh, any job worth doing is worth doing right.” Apple Bloom told her with a prideful grin.

Before anyone could comment further Spike groaned, making a retching noise before he gave a loud belch, and in a burst of green fire a manila envelope with the word ‘Scootaloo’ written across it appeared.

“Well, that was fast.” Twilight wasted no time taking the envelope over to a waiting room table. She levitated the magazines off the table before dumping out the contents. There were certificates, documents, and newspaper clippings. Everypony crowded around the table, wanting to see what there was to see. “We wanted answers so badly, well now we’re about to get them.” She picked up a piece of information and began to read it aloud.

Name: Scootaloo
Race: Pegasus
Place of birth: Canterlot
Status: Missing and presumed dead

“What?! Let me see that!” Rainbow Dash yanked the paper out of Twilight’s hooves. “Scootaloo was in Canterlot not all that long ago, she was one of the flower girls at the royal wedding, and they didn’t connect the dots on that?!” Her voice rose steadily at the clerical error.

“Well don’t keep us in suspense, who are the poor dear’s parents?” Rarity had a tone in her voice that held both excitement and trepidation as she held Sweetie Belle close to her side.

Rainbow Dash looked down further. “Her parents’ names are Rain Breaker and Flower Blossom. It doesn’t say anything about where they are or if they’re-” Suddenly she was handed a newspaper article by Fluttershy, the yellow pony tapping the headline.

“Read this, it’s a news article on what happened to them, and her.” Rainbow took it and gulped as she saw the headline. Fire Ravages Canterlot Home.

“Well, let’s get this over with.” She could feel everyone focusing on her as she started to read aloud. “Today a fire ravaged a home in Canterlot leaving nothing but ashes and smoldering debris in its wake. Two ponies, Rain Breaker and Flower Blossom died as a result. Their daughter, Scootaloo, has been taken to the hospital with severe injuries.”

Rainbow Dash silently read more to herself and gulped hard. Scootaloo was only two years old when it happened. She felt a warmth prick at her eyes to think a filly she saw on such a common basis had once been in such dire straits.

She wiped her eyes and shook her head, trying to focus.

“So, if she survives, what do we do next?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow Dash turned around with a resolute look on her face, wiping her eyes dry. “When Scootaloo recovers, I’ll adopt her, simple as that.”

“Actually, it ain’t. Ah can’t even count the number of problems with that idea.” Applejack had a flat, blunt tone to her words. “She’s lost a wing so she’ll never be able to fly up to your house. Plus, what happens if she falls off? She wouldn’t even be able to glide to slow herself.”

“Oh really? Then what would you suggest?” Rainbow demanded, pressing her snout up against Applejack’s.

Applejack pushed Rainbow back. “You can’t adopt her because of what Ah just said, mah family can’t because we don’t have any spare room for her, Pinkie can’t since the bedrooms are upstairs and there’s no way a ramp could be put there. Rarity already has a little sister to look after and a business to run, and Twilight has princess duties and that could make Scootaloo a target for whatever baddies we face. The only pony here who could adopt her is Fluttershy, and even then that’s iffy. But we can worry about that if she recovers.”

“When she recovers, stop saying if!” Rainbow Dash demanded.

---

“What do you mean there’s no medical file on Scootaloo?!” Luna demanded, a menacing look on her face.

“I’m sorry Princess, but Scootaloo has never been to the hospital for any reason. She’s never had any injuries or illnesses serious enough to need to come here before now.” The nurse explained, cowering under Luna’s glare. “I’m truly sorry! But, but I have news that you will want to hear.” She hesitantly offered.

“What?!” Luna demanded, further invading her personal space.

“I checked in on Scootaloo. She’s out of surgery and being moved to intensive care as we speak.”

“That’s the news you should have lead with, now take me to her at once!”

Author's Note:

As the chapter title states, we are about start going down the ramp of the roller coaster, and next chapter we will have a surprise guest!

Comments

[tsaukpaetra]

Stable enough to get out of the OR at least.