Chapter 5
"It was about three years ago. It hap- It started with..." Scootaloo bit her lip, unsure of how to begin. "My dad was a really proud pegasus. At his best... before the accident and all the drinking, he was a really gung-ho flyer. Was trying to join the Wonderbolts and everything. I guess... I guess that's why I liked you so fast, Rainbow Dash. You remind me of him when we were all happy."
Rainbow Dash felt like somebody plunged a freezing knife into her chest at those words.
"At one point he even got an invite to the academy. It told him he was going to leave in a week." Scootaloo continued. "He was so happy for that time. He was always smiling, took me out for ice cream every day, and sometimes I would wake up and go downstairs and see him and my mom just dancing in the middle of the living room."
Scootaloo sniffed, fighting back hot tears.
"But then there was an accident at his work. I wasn't told all the details, but from what I heard... it sounds like he was working with some heavy machinery, and somehow one of his wings got caught. It shattered the bone, and ripped up all the muscles and..." Scootaloo took a deep shuddering breath. "I remember a doctor saying that even if he could recover, his wing was too damaged to be able to join the Wonderbolts. He couldn't fly fast anymore. He could barely fly at all."
Rainbow Dash subconsciously pulled her wings in tighter to her sides. She knew she could never recover if she was told that herself. That was basically like getting locked up for a pegasus.
"After that he started drinking heavily. He still tried staying happy, even sat me down and told me 'Little Scootaloo, I want you to do what I couldn't. I want you to go out there and join the Wonderbolts, and I want to see your face plastered across Cloudsdale.'"
"Around three years ago he told me I was around the age where pegasi usually do their first flight test with their parents. So he picked me up, put me on a cloud way high in the air, and kicked me off."
Twilight's eyes widened in horror. She stole a questioning glance at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash just nodded mutely. This was a tradition among pegasi.
"But I couldn't..." Scootaloo gasped, the tears flowing freely. "I fell and I tried my best, but I ended up hitting the ground. I broke my left front leg, and my mom came out and picked me up, and ran to the hospital. And my dad just stayed there on that cloud staring at me. He looked so dissapointed."
Scootaloo curled into a ball, hiding her face behind her forelegs.
"After I came out of the hospital he refused to talk to me for a week. He wouldn't even look at me. And all he ever had was that same disappointed look. I spent that whole week c-crying myself to sleep because I hated it. I hated what had happened and I knew I was to blame. T-then he... H-he came in my r-room and..."
Scootaloo started sobbing, the memory too painful. Surprisingly both herself and Twilight, Rainbow Dash walked over and pulled the filly into a tight embrace. Gently shushing and whispering encouragement while running a hoof through her mane. The two mares sat there for a few minutes as Scootaloo released the pent up emotions she had been suppressing for the last few years. Eventually the sobs quieted, and with a sniff, Scootaloo wiped her face and pulled away.
"He stumbled into my room smelling really strongly of alcohol, and he picked me up and threw me at the wall. Then he told me that I wasn't a pegasus, because they can fly, and that I was nothing but a disappointment to him and my mom. And then he... he stomped on my wing, and held me down as he started hitting me... And he didn't stop. He just kept hitting and hitting and..."
Scootaloo pulled one of Rainbow's front legs closer to her, hiding her face behind it.
"He eventually fell asleep. So I got up, and I limped out of the house. I didn't know where to go... And I didn't really have a lot of friends... And I thought if any adult pony would find me they'd make me go home, so I ran. My house is kinda near the Everfree Forest, so I went there, and I found a tree I could climb, and I climbed to the top and spent the night there.
"The next day I was too scared to come down. I though if I left the tree for more than a couple minutes that he'd find me... and hurt me again. But I was starving. So I waited until what I thought was midnight, and I snuck into my house trying to find some food. I managed to make a sandwich, but as I put it on a plate and was ready to take it out to the tree, I tripped and dropped it. The plate broke and he woke up and caught me. And he grabbed me and beat me again. By the time he was done I didn't have the energy to run away so I just fell asleep on the floor."
Scootaloo gripped Rainbow's foreleg tighter and buried her head into Rainbow's coat.
"The next day he saw me heading for the door and he asked me where I was going. It was a Wednesday so I told him I was going to school. He was so drunk he didn't realize it was around noon and I missed the beginning of the school day. I thought of running away and trying to live on my own, but I was too scared. So I waited for school to get out. I knew Sweetie Belle was easy to lie to, so I ran into her on her way back and told her I fell down a hill trying to fly. She led me back to Rarity's house, and while Rarity put some makeup on me to make me look less hurt, she made us some food. I don't know why she didn't question why I missed those days. Maybe she just... saw how I looked and figured it would be better not to ask.
"Rarity ended up bringing me home, and my dad didn't hit me that night. Things were kinda normal from then on. He didn't hit me much, only when he had a bad day at work, or drank too much. And sometimes he would hit mom instead. For me, I always just lied and said the bruises were from trying and failing a new trick on my scooter. A lot of adults and Miss Cheerliee kinda seemed suspicious for a while, but eventually they believed it. B-but then... About a w-week and a half ago..."
Scootaloo shook her head, refusing to speak.
"Scoots, what could he have done that was so much worse?" Rainbow gently pried, running her hoof through the filly's mane again.
Scootaloo just shook her head again. "I-I can't say..."
"Scootaloo, please." Rainbow begged. "We have to know everything so we can keep them away from you."
"H-he came in and... He hit harder. There was blood... and he kept stomping on my 'useless' wings... and when he was done if I tried to move them, I'd just get this paralyzing pain... So I eventually made my way outside, got on my scooter, and avoiding the main roads, made it to the clubhouse. I'd stay there overnight, and pretend to be scootering in from another direction when I went in to school. Eventually Applebloom noticed I wasn't using my wings on my scooter, and touched them and saw me wince, and brought me to the hospital. The doc said they were so badly damaged, the growth was almost certainly stunted... I just got out of the cast two days ago."
There was a very pregnant silence as the two mares stared at each other, horrible realization dawning on them.
"He... Did he..." Twilight stuttered, lost for words.
"I'm gonna kill him." Rainbow spat. "I'm gonna skin him, chop him up into tiny pieces, and throw him into Tartarus to burn."
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If Scootaloo's dad really beat her to the point where she was bleeding, how did she manage to recover without leaving a trail or patching up her wounds? I'm assuming he killed his wife or did something to keep her from leaving with Scootaloo, but I find it odd that this somehow never caught the attention of the local authorities.
10202848
The way I pictured it was more bruises. Y'know, blunt force trauma and all. He didn't use any sharp implements, just his hoof. Unless you're referring to that bit at the end, in which case, yes, there was blood dripping out in the room, but when she made it out of the house most of the blood had dried to her fur.
I'll go over the first aid portion in the next chapter, but no, he didn't kill his wife.
On a side note, does Ponyville even have police? I don't think I've ever seen them in the show, save the royal guard. Usually the Main 6 take care of shit. I mean, you didn't see any authorities fighting the bugbear.
10202865 But it feels like somepony would've seen or heard something and reported to a channel of authority. There is at least the mayor, who could at least request an investigation.
10202867
I suppose I could have been clearer on this.
The bruises were hiding behind the disguise of scooter crashes. I'll add a little more detail and try and make that clearer.
The blood? Well that was just the one time. And she left under the cover of moonlight so she didn't actually get caught.
Now the injuries are definitely gonna be noted, and there is a legal shitstorm about to hit her parents, but Scootaloo has been trying to hide this stuff for so long that ponies aren't surprised to find her dinged up randomly. Especially after all the times they've seen her daredevil around town in the scooter.
I'm gonna kill her dad too. Poor Scoot
10202959
Poor girl deserves the world and got dealt a shitty hand. But things will look up for her.
10203030
Good to hear.
I'm in the mood for Dead Beat, flame broiled.
Hmmm... Rainbow and I are on the same page... The Mighty and Mejestic Ebonyknight approves of her murderous intent
I know you said you're unhappy but if that's the case then how you did should be kind of apparent to you. Not to be rude, but slowing things down helps a ton. Subtle writing.
If you don't like that it's all exposition, rewrite it as a flashback that only starts with Scoots opening the tale?
Well, in that case, she would have been a late bloomer, hadn't it been for that. Though I wonder, what about her mother?
That bucking stallion of scootaloo's father, oh I have very bad words for him
Remind me not to get her angry.