Chapter 7
By the time I woke up, the sun had set.
I stretched out and brought up a forehoof to wipe the sleep from my eyes, freezing when I felt something on my face.
I reached over to my nightstand to click on the lamp, and stared at the mirror on the other side of my room. There was a bandage on my face, and another bandage wrapped around my foreleg.
Somepony must have patched me up after I fell asleep.
And just with my luck, it was probably Applejack.
I felt my upper lip curl as I considered tearing off the bandage, just to spite her. I mean, she wanted to cripple me, but now she wanted to play nurse?
After a moment of pawing at the bandage, I decided against it. There was doing things out of hatred, and then there was just being dumb.
But hey, I was already useless, why not be dumb too? What's that joke Applejack always used to make around Twilight? There's happiness in ignorance?
And again, it came back to Applejack. I couldn't go anywhere without something being tied to her.
I let out a scream of rage and threw my pillow at the mirror.
Nothing broke, there was no big dramatic crash, and I didn't magically feel any better.
I was not going to accept being some useless pony my entire life, being watched over until I pass.
No, I had to prove myself some way.
I ran down the ramp next to my bed, down the ramp covering the stairs, and out the door.
Breathing heavily, partially from running, partially from anger, I whipped my head around, looking for… something. Anything.
My gaze settled on the dark outline of a nearby apple tree.
I let out a mighty cry and charged at it, determined to knock an apple loose. Or at least shake some leaves off. To do something.
Right before hitting the tree, I threw all my weight down and to the left, successful crouching and sending the wheelchair flying into the tree.
My body jolted, and I almost fell onto my side. No apples fell. No leaves shook. The tree didn't respond.
No, I wasn't gonna take that.
I ran a good distance away, and charged again. And again. And again. Until minutes later I was lying with my face in the dirt, fighting another breakdown.
"Useless..." I muttered to myself. "Useless, useless, useless."
"Well, there you are," a familiar voice called out from above me.
My head snapped up to locate the voice of the sound, and I saw two violet orbs peering down on me from a branch above me.
"I was thinking I was gonna have to wait here alllll night," the voice chuckled, rolling its eyes.
But that voice… what was she doing on the farm at this hour?
"Scootaloo?" I ventured. "What are y'all doing here this late?"
There was a soft noise as Scootaloo's hooves hit the dirt beside me. She cleared her throat and sat down right next to me.
"I was waiting for you. And then I fell asleep in the tree."
"But… why?" I blinked. "And how did y'all know I would be here?"
"Because I know you, Applebloom. And it's exactly what I'd do in your situation."
“Okay…” I poked at the ground uncertainty. “So uh, I’m here. What were you waiting for? And ain’t you gonna be in trouble with your aunts for sneaking out?”
“Eh, my aunts aren’t watching me tonight. I’m staying with Sweetie Belle and Rarity tonight. We were gonna invite you also to spend the night, but you kinda… ran off first. And I’m here to talk some sense into you.”
“Some sense?” I laughed harshly. “About what? About runnin’ when Diamond Tiara did that to me? About bein’ mad at Applejack?” I felt my voice starting to raise. “About the fact that I’m a stupid cripple now?!”
Scootaloo shoved her hoof in my mouth.
“About that. That’s ridiculous. You’re not stupid or a cripple. You’re gonna still be a great pony.”
I knocked her hoof away. “I don’t have my cutie mark. I can barely do anything by myself. And y’all remember what happened with Sweetie earlier. How can y’all say that? Besides, what would you know?”
“I don’t know, Applebloom, what would the flightless pegasus know about being a cripple?” Scootaloo retorted sarcastically.
That shut me up.
We were both silent for a moment.
“Do you remember what happened when Diamond Tiara made fun of me for not being able to fly?” Scootaloo asked softly.
“Um, yeah,” I responded timidly, “we weren’t very nice to you, and you stayed behin’ on the trip. Rainbow talked some sense into us, and we kicked plot in the trials.”
“And…” Scootaloo drew the word out. “Do you remember how I spent two straight days trying to fly, and just flopped every time?”
I just nodded.
“Applebloom, do you think I’m some stupid cripple?”
“‘Course not!” I replied loudly. “Y’all are a great pony, and I’m proud to call you my friend, why, even without being able to fly you can do jus’ about anything y’all… set your… mind... to...”
I couldn’t see her in the dark, but I knew Scootaloo arched an eyebrow and smiled. I could feel the smirk radiating off of her.
“Oh,” I replied awkwardly, “I see what you’re tryin' to do here.”
“Exactly. But, I'm not dumb, and I know I can't fix anything with words. But I promise to do everything I can to help you find your happiness, okay? Us cripples gotta watch each other's back."
My face was suddenly very wet.
“Y-yeah. Thanks.”
“Oh, and on the topic of Diamond Tiara…” Scootaloo giggled. “Let’s just say I left you a present at school tomorrow. Sweetie Belle will show you it.”
“Wait, why would Sweetie Belle show me your present? And you didn’t have to get me nothin’!”
I saw Scootaloo wink at me as she stood up. “I really did. And I think you’re going to enjoy it. But I need to get going before Rarity starts a search party for me, and you need to get some rest. Unless you wanna wake somepony in your family up and ask if you can come with me.”
I briefly considered that.
“Better not. Everypony in my family is a heavy sleeper, and I kinda need… some help with things in the mornin’. Things I’m embarrassed enough just asking my family about.”
“That’s fair.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Good night, Applebloom!”
I watched her take a couple steps away before calling out.
“Scootaloo, wait!”
Scotaloo turned around.
“What’s up, Applebloom?”
“Can uh… can you help me with one of the straps on my wheelchair? It’s out of reach for me.” I felt blood rush to my cheeks.
The blush just got fiercer as Scootaloo padded over to me, and undid the strap easily with one quick movement.
“...Do you need help with anything else?” Scootaloo asked after a moment.
I picked at the ground idly. Well I could probably get the wheelchair off from here, but…
“Applebloom.” Scootaloo’s voice adopted a serious tone. “I’m not gonna judge you for some issue out of your control. Really. It’s like you said that one time, we’re like family, right?”
I stared at the ground for a moment, before meeting Scootaloo’s steady gaze.
“I um… I just… Okay. Jus’... don’t mention this to nopony else. Ever. Please.”
Scootaloo just chuckled as she started leading me back to the house.
“Applebloom, you’re the only one making this weird.”
“...You say that now…” I muttered under my breath.
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NIce work! I can really understand the struggle, having to get used to this all. Though...
If Scoots can't fly, how did she get up here in the first place?
Great job Scoots, you're the best
10470390
Hey, just cause she can't fly, doesn't mean she can't climb.
10470394
Of course but for a pegasus, flying was just the first thing that came to mind for me
10470398
Alright
It's nice that Scootaloo gave Apple Bloom this pep talk. But what Apple Bloom is probably gonna need most to overcome her feeling of uselessness is time, time to get used to her condition.
a sweet chapter one of her friends describe what happened to her to Apple Bloom that's nice and she has a real good friend to
Can't argue with that logic.
Did scootaloo do something bad?
We do know that the real solution here is Discord, right? Like if he literally bent reality on a whim, why couldn't he fix her legs?
Oh wait never mind, keep the plot going...... sorry!
Great chapter though!
10470426
me neither
I like it when fanfics that take place earlier in canon mention things that were introduced later, such as this. It makes everything feel more connected.
10470438
Something’s telling me she got suspended for beating up DT.
10470517
Includes a gift bow. And tight wrapping.
Sweet... Good friend is good. Happiness levels rising.
It’s heartwarming but at the same time sad.
10468993
No no no, using a nail bat leaves bleeding wounds. Use a regular to smash up, then we drop into the well, and she has a good week to enjoy it before nature takes its course.
10470390
She jumped and leapt. She is a very determined filly.
10470393
10470421
Scoots wasn't hoping to cure her insecurity, just kinda pep her up so she can overcome the rest by herself.
10470426
Cripples unite!
10470512
I get that.
10470438
10470517
Guess we'll have to find out what happened next chapter
10470565
10470679
10470930
Heh, yep
10470930
Well, then she must be a very good jumper
Yeah scoots is a pal
10470957
She can also buzz her wings for extra height.
10470390
10471055
Of course. So technically, she can fly, if you say it that way
10471061
Eh, not quite.
10471068
As i said, techically
10471061
In my head, it's not so much flying as it is hovering or brief boosts to her speed. If Scoots were to say, fall from a cloud, she'd not be able to do much outside of just barely slowing herself down below lethal speeds, and the effort and subsequent crash would hurt a lot. Anywho, it's good that AB has friends to give her a boost or to belt her upside the head when she starts acting stupid.
My favorite lines from this chapter were
10471096
That's the first part of the chapter I wrote. I saw potential in those two relating and had to capitalize on it.
10471109
good choice
I've been waiting for this since the beginning.
10471128
10471137
Best filly to the rescue!
10470190
You and me both. I was hoping DT wouldn't be such a bitch but looks like she is in this. I really hope Applebloom will be able to use her back legs again someday.
10471343
Forgive me if I sounded overboard but after what Diamond Tiara said about Apple Blooms parents, that was an all time low.
Try throwing a few more pillows; maybe it will help if you do it often enough.
... Good point.
YES! SCOOTS IS BEST PONY!
Can't fix things with words she says... Bullshit! You knew exactly what to say at exactly the right time!
How you got into a tree did confuse me at first... but there are several possibilities, one if which is that RD flew you up. Also, I feel like she would keep trying and trying until something, anything worked.
Heh heh... did I hard call what Scoots did to DT? I hope I did. But, if its something else, I don't care. It'll be worth it. Even if it's just having DT face the consequences of her own actions for once...
Applejack though... she's trying so hard... all she wants to do is apologize... and the only way she knows how to is to do things for Applebloom behind the scenes...
Scoots is best pony, and I'm hopeful that Applebloom will figure out how to stop hating herself in her state... it may just be why she hates Applejack so much right now. One of these days though... I just feel like she'll cry into Applejack's torso, and feel that catharsis...
But, I don't know anything. It's not my story! We'll see what happens, but I'm definitely hopeful!
Onward!
I had my arm in a cast (was actually just a big, thick splint) for a couple months because of surgery, and I felt the somewhat the same way AB does... Useless. I did everything I could to do what I used to, but ended up failing every time... I can relate a bit. But Scoots, dang, you know how to pick a pony up! I feel like
was literally made for this story.