S2 E16: Read It and Weep (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
It was a perfectly nice, normal day in Ponyville. The kind of day where there didn't seem to be anything of particular importance going on.
Perhaps as a result of that, Apple Bloom happened to find her good friend (and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader) Sweetie Belle on a hill top just outside of Ponyville proper. "Hey, Sweetie Belle." The farm filly greeted her fellow filly.
"Oh, hi Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle greeted in reply before her sap green eyes went back to what had previously been occupying their attention.
Apple Bloom couldn't quite see what was drawing Sweetie's attention. She could see a figure in the distance that looked awfully familiar, but for the life of her she couldn't make out who it was. So she reluctantly questioned. "Whatcha' watchin'?"
Sweetie happily replied. "Scootaloo. She said she had this amazing new trick that she just had to show off, and it involves her scooter."
From a ways away, Scootaloo waved an orange colored hoof to both of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. She had made sure to strap on her signature blue helmet with white stripes across the top. Then, with a buzz of her tiny wings she was off, zipping down an empty dirt road at a crazy fast speed!
Apple Bloom quickly became a little bit concerned at what she was seeing. "You sure this is a good idea? She's goin' awfully fast." She nervously commented to Sweetie Belle.
The unicorn didn't share her friend's concern, she just smiled while remarking. "This is nothing unusual, Scootaloo goes fast all the time. Just look at her, she's absolutely dazzling!" And then she explained. "I learned that word from Rarity."
"Ooh, I like that word. That's a good word." The little earth pony agreed as she forgot all about her earlier worry. 'Dazzling' most certainly seemed to suit Scootaloo at the moment.
Everything seemed to be proceeding as planned as Scootaloo swerved her scooter around and doubled back down the same road she'd just zipped across. Her tiny wings were buzzing furiously, kicking up huge clouds of dust in her wake! It would soon be time for her to attempt her newest trick. "If I jump off my scooter at just the right moment, maybe I'll be able to fly, or at least hover above the ground." She thought to herself. After all, if she wanted to be like Rainbow Dash the tomboyish filly knew she would have to take risks.
But that was when the trouble began! Right as the pegasus filly prepared to let go of the handle bars of her scooter so she could make her jump, her scooter started to wobble and swerve most erratically! A look of horror flashed in the filly's eyes as she realized that she had lost control, and she was going too fast to stop safely!
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw the disaster as it unfolded before their very eyes. "Uh-oh!" They both said at once. And before they could say more there came a loud and sickening crash sound! The whole thing lasted just seconds, but to the horror stricken fillies it seemed much longer.
Scootaloo lay next to her scooter, which itself looked like it was going to be in need of serious repair due to how badly damaged it appeared to be. And Scootaloo herself, though she had her eyes opened and didn't look to be hurt on the outside, was wincing in pain as she lay on her side. "So much for dazzling." Was all she could bring herself to say.
"We'd better get you to a doctor right away!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed with horror! "You don't look so good, Scootaloo."
The tomboyish pegasus quickly stood up. "Nonsense, I'm fine. It'll take more than a crash like that to stop me." She insisted only to then groan and wince as she collapsed to the ground from her pain.
Apple Bloom had seen and heard enough! "We're takin' you to a doctor whether you want to or not, Scootaloo. Whatever you did back there, I don't think you're gonna just recover from it." And after she and Sweetie Belle had surrounded Scootaloo and helped her up, they took off on hoof for Ponyville General Hospital.
All Scootaloo knew at the current moment was that her newest trick had failed. It was going to be a while before she would even be able to think of attempting it again. But what she couldn't have known is that something else was going to quickly push any thoughts of scootering or flying to the back of her mind. Something she never would've imagined even considering was going to take priority.
When Scootaloo opened her eyes sometime later (she didn't remember closing them for more than a second), she could make out the outlines of both of her friends as well as Rainbow Dash and a very concerned amber coated pegasus mare with a loosely curly pink mane, and a tail that was just as curly that was pink with pale raspberry highlights. She knew at once that said pony was her mom: Dizzy Twister (whose moderate rose eyes clearly reflected a look of great worry).
"Is she gonna be okay, Doctor Stable?" Apple Bloom nervously asked the unicorn stallion standing beside the bed. He had a light amber coat, eyes a shade bordering on dark blue but not quite dark blue, a dark grayish-brown mane and tail and a cutie mark depicting a monitor like the one that could be heard beeping in the background.
Doctor Stable was currently holding up some x-ray scans with the grayish cyan glow from his horn. He didn't say anything right away.
"I'm so worried about her," Sweetie Belle commented before adding. "Uh, is her face going to stay that way?"
Rainbow Dash then demanded. "Come on, doc. Tell us! Scootaloo's going to be fine, right?"
Doctor Stable finally spoke as he adjusted his black glasses and put away the x-ray scans. "Yes, she should be," And to Scootaloo he then said. "You're very lucky to have good friends who rushed you over here in a hurry. Their quick thinking meant we were able to intervene before things got out of control."
Dizzy Twister breathed a sigh of relief before declaring. "Scootaloo, do you have any idea how fast you were going on that scooter of yours?! You could've been seriously hurt, or worse."
"Sorry, Mom," Scootaloo apologized as she shrank down in the bed and tried to make herself disappear. "I didn't think I'd lose control over my own scooter. It all happened so fast."
Doctor Stable simply chimed in in agreement. "It's a good thing you were wearing your helmet. It absorbed the brunt of the impact for you. Without it, the outcome could've been a lot worse," But then he added. "Even so, I'm afraid you won't be doing much scootering or anything similar for at least a couple of days."
At that the tomboyish filly's eyes went wide and she nearly shot up from her hospital bed! "What?!"
Doctor Stable just went on. "It all depends on your recovery, really. But you're going to need to give your body a chance to rest and recover from the injuries, your wings especially. I'm ordering nothing but bed rest for you for a few days."
Scootaloo protested. "A few days?! Do you have any idea how long that is?! Might as well be a few months, or a few years!"
Dizzy Twister just chuckled at her daughter's behavior. "Come now, Scootaloo. It will go by faster than you think. And there's plenty for you to do in the meantime, like catch up on your homework. Just because you've been injured doesn't mean you get to skip out on learning."
"And take it from a pony who's been in here more times than she should," Rainbow Dash chimed in, licking her lips. "The food here is really good!"
Sweetie Belle quickly pointed out. "Besides, it looks like you've got a roommate." And she gestured a hoof to a pony all wrapped up in bandages and casts, laying on a bed across the room from Scootaloo with only a curtain to separate them.
Apple Bloom soon declared. "Sweetie Belle and I will come and visit you every day if we can. And you don't have to worry, we ain't gonna be doin' any crusadin' until you're back to a hundred percent. You can be sure of that."
But it was clear to everypony in the room that Scootaloo was anything but convinced by their attempts at reassuring her. Fortunately, Dizzy soon got an idea as she noticed a passing by cart and made her way over to it. She returned shortly with a book whose pages were held together in a green colored cover. "Maybe something like this will help you pass the time." She suggested to her daughter with a smile.
Scootaloo slowly sat up, looking at the aforementioned book and its cover. It depicted a light gold pegasus mare who looked strangely similar to Rainbow Dash. Except this mare had moderate rose eyes and a black and varying shades of grey colored mane and tail. She also wore a pith helmet, a green and white adventurer's jacket and had a cutie mark depicting a compass rose. The pegasus mare was holding some kind of glowing blue object in one of her hooves while swinging on a vine, narrowly avoiding a bunch of crocodiles in the water below.
The book's title read as follows: Daring Do and The Quest for The Sapphire Statue.
Dizzy quickly pointed out. "It's the first book in the series. It even has its own award named after it. How cool is that?"
The tomboyish filly just frowned, pushing the book away. "Mom, you know I don't like to read. I only read stuff if I absolutely have to. I'm not an egghead like Twilight is."
In response, the entire hospital room filled with laughter as Sweetie Belle pointed out. "You don't have to be an egghead to enjoy reading, Scootaloo. I mean, I read books a lot and my head isn't shaped like an egg."
"Even I like to settle down with a good book every once in a while," Rainbow Dash told Scootaloo. "And the Daring Do series is one of my all time favorites! Twilight introduced me to it and I'm glad she did, now I wonder how I ever went my life without knowing about the books."
"Just promise me you'll give the book a chance when you have the time," Dizzy Twister instructed to her daughter. "I'm sure you'll get to like it if you give it a chance."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Besides, who doesn't like to read a bang-up tale from time to time? Nopony, that's who!"
Just then, a pink coated earth pony nurse came into the room as she declared. "Alright now, ponies. That's enough. Scootaloo needs to rest. Doctor's orders."
Even Dizzy obeyed even though she was quick to reassure her daughter. "You're in good hooves, Scootaloo. And I'll stay in the waiting room overnight just in case you need me. Just try to relax and take your mind off your troubles."
Rainbow Dash then added. "And I have a feeling you're going to like Daring Do, Scootaloo. She's a lot like me, so that means she's a lot like you: Adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable."
Soon afterward, the door to the room slammed shut and just like that Scootaloo was left alone.
Minutes ticked by slowly for Scootaloo after that. Aside from a quick visit from one of the other nurses (this one was also an earth pony, but she had a light yellow coat) to deliver a tray of food, the little pegasus had no company besides her own thoughts. And that left her with the problem of finding a good way to pass the time. Something to do other than just sit there and listen to the sounds of the clock ticking, and the sounds of various machines beeping.
The filly tried everything to alleviate her boredom. She flicked a small lamp that sat on a desk by her bed on and off several times. She ate her "lunch" which consisted of jello, carrots, a green mushy substance and some grape juice, struggling a bit when the cup got stuck to her muzzle. She tried bouncing a red ball that had been left nearby, tossing it to a wall and having it bounce back to her as many times as she could. Then she tried again just to beat her "record" of seven bounces. She even tried making small talk with her "roommate".
"It's funny, no?" Scootaloo inquired of the bandaged pony when she'd finished telling a joke she'd heard the other day, only to receive no reply. "Yeah, it probably would be better if I remembered how it went exactly."
But all Scootaloo could ultimately do was groan in frustration as she forced herself to gaze up at the clock. It hadn't been more than a few minutes since she'd been left alone. Already, she was bored out of her mind. "This is the worst!" The tomboyish pegasus filly thought to herself.
It seemed there was only one thing to do, something the filly had been desperate to avoid at all costs. After her grayish purple eyes quickly scanned all around the room to make sure no one was watching her, she reluctantly picked up the book that had been left on the desk next to her bed. She just skimmed over the stuff about the author and where the book had been published, those details never interested her.
Taking a deep breath and sighing, Scootaloo flipped to the first page of the first chapter and started to read aloud to herself in the most unenthusiastic tone possible. "'As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky above. But alas, her crash landing in the jungle had injured her left wing and she was now grounded for a few days. To her it might as well be a few months or even a few years! Flying was everything to her.'," The filly paused in her reading as she looked to her own injured wings. "Believe me, I know what that feels like."
Finding herself intrigued and able to relate to this adventurer, Scootaloo started reading some more. As she did so her mind began to slowly immerse itself into the world that Daring Do occupied. In fact, she was starting to imagine herself as Daring Do, undertaking that adventure. And all the while she just kept reading. "'The mosquitoes buzzed loudly overhead. Macaws cried out from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover up the sound of the predators following her every step. She could hear them behind her and all around her, waiting for the chance to strike!'"
It was a result of this immersion that caused the tomboyish filly to actually hear what was being described. It was as if she was witnessing the event herself and the narration was just something in the background. So she read on, Daring Do seeming to all but leap off the page as she fled from the numerous big wild cats that surely wanted to eat her!
Daring Do couldn't fly but there were other ways to avoid being caught, such as grabbing hold of a vine and swinging on it fiercely. Only once she had escaped harm could the adventurer relax, turning around to find herself looking up at the very temple she'd been seeking out for so long (sixty days and nights to be exact)! "Finally!" She thought to herself while cracking a smile! "Now the real fun begins!"
Scootaloo ceased briefly in her reading as a realization began to dawn on her. "I... I can't believe it. I like this. I actually like this. I love this story! I, I... I love reading!" But then a look of horror crossed her face! "Oh no! That means..." She gulped and swallowed hard. "I'm an egghead!" And she immediately began to imagine the taunts, jeers and other rude remarks that were sure to come her way if anypony found out about her new interest. She just knew Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would insist on calling her "Egghead" over and over again, and there was a good chance Rainbow Dash would want nothing to do with an "Egghead" filly.
But there was nothing else the filly could do to pass the time. The alternative was to just lay in bed, bored out of her mind. So it was that she picked up the book again, though not without keeping her ears perked up in case somepony would be coming by to visit her. "As long as nopony finds out I like reading, I'll be okay," She thought to herself. "Good thing it doesn't seem to be a really long book. I could probably finish it in an hour or two if I really wanted to." And then she resumed reading.
Continuing to read on, Scootaloo again imagined herself as the brave adventurer Daring Do, now entering into the dimly lit passageways of the temple's interior. As expected, it was infested with snakes, spiders, beetles and all sorts of other creepy creatures.
And what would any ancient temple be without its booby traps? Daring had barely taken her first steps into the temple when the traps activated! They included a pit of snakes, fire that shot up from below without warning, swinging pendulums with razor sharp blades, and arrows shooting out from holes! They didn't stop until Daring had made it safely through the corridor she was in.
But just as the adventurer was sure she could rest, one of her hooves stepped onto a tile. And with an audible clunk it sank down, setting off another trap. "Ugh, not again." She groaned in annoyance. She then hurriedly rushed to the door at the other end that threatened to slam shut with its rapid descent, trapping her! The mare had but seconds to spare as she slid under the door, pulling her hat across right before the door closed behind her.
It was all worth it though, because after taking a moment to get her bearings, Daring Do's moderate rose eyes beheld a most beautiful sight! There stood a gleaming artifact of solid blue resting atop a pedestal with light shining down on it from a lone hole. There it was! The Sapphire Statue she'd been seeking! The legends were true!
Suddenly, Scootaloo was snapped out of her immersive reading when she heard a knock on the door to her hospital room! Thinking quickly, she slammed the book shut without even a thought of marking her progress for later. And then she stuffed the book under her bed sheets, figuring it was the last place anypony would think to look. And she was just in time as she heard the door swing open.
Into the room trotted Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the latter of whom was carrying a box of some sort in her hooves. Neither of them suspected a thing. "Hi, Scootaloo." They both greeted.
"Oh, hey girls," The tomboyish filly greeted her fellow Crusaders. "Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."
Apple Bloom just replied. "What are you talkin' about? It's been a couple of hours. We got you here just before lunch, and it's already the afternoon. We already went ahead and told Miss. Cheerilee you wouldn't be in class tomorrow, or the next day."
Sweetie Belle added. "She said she was sorry to hear about your accident, and while she is going to send all your homework to you she's also hoping to maybe stop by to see you herself," Then she plopped the box down onto the bed. "She let us borrow this copy of your favorite board game. You know the one."
Apple Bloom grinned. "Since we know how much you like to win, we figured we'd let you make the first move," She proceeded to open up the box. Inside were two small stands and five pieces for each stand. "So go ahead, get all set up and we'll do the same."
Yet to the surprise of both fillies, Scootaloo seemed to just hastily toss her pieces down onto her stand. "Okay, ready?" She asked and then without waiting for a reply she randomly blurted out. "Uh, storm ten. Is that a miss?"
The two fillies looked down at their stand and the farm filly blinked in surprise when she answered. "Er, yes it is. You okay? You don't usually rush to make a call like that. You always tend to take a while before you make your move."
"I'm just... trying something different is all," Scootaloo nervously replied as though she was trying to hide something. "A-anyway, it's your turn, girls. Go ahead."
If either Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle suspected anything, they didn't show it outwardly as Sweetie just called. "O...kay, um... cloud nine?"
"I thought we agreed on cloud three, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom responded.
Sweetie blinked and blushed. "Oh yeah, my mistake. Cloud nine just popped into my head for some reason. I meant to say cloud three."
Scootaloo quickly replied. "Oh, good call, girls. You..." She gazed down at her stand and then looked back up as she answered. "Rained on my cumulus. Go again, that's the rules."
"Right," Apple Bloom skeptically responded. Then she declared. "Sky five?"
Scootaloo seemed to over dramatically declare! "You found my seagull, good call," And hastily she encouraged. "Go again."
Sweetie made the next move as she said to Scootaloo. "Uh, cloud two?" She was certain that would be a miss since nopony ever put two pieces back to back, especially not Scootaloo who was a sort of unofficial "champion" of the game.
But Scootaloo just answered. "You zapped my weather pony!" And in short succession with the next two "turns" taken by her friends she declared. "You stung my bumblebee," And also. "You got my thunderbolt. Oh, and that was my last cloud too. Looks like I lose and you girls win. Good game!" She then rushed to close her stand and put the pieces back in the box they had come from along with said stand.
Sweetie Belle couldn't help but comment. "But you only got to make one move, Scootaloo. That wasn't much of a game."
The tomboyish filly shrugged her hooves in apparent unconcern. "Oh well. You win some and you lose some, right?"
The farm filly practically glared at Scootaloo while she remarked. "Not with you. You're practically a champion at this game. And you always hate to lose."
"So, maybe I'm trying to work on that. Or maybe I just think losing once in a while makes the win feel more special. Ever think of that?" Scootaloo pointed out. "Besides, you heard what the doctor said, I'm to take it easy for a few days. That means plenty of bed rest," She let out a yawn, hoping to convince her friends of her point. "Thanks for coming to see me. It was nice and all, but don't let me keep you from having fun."
Apple Bloom wasn't convinced. "Just an apple pickin' minute here, Scootaloo. A few hours ago you were complainin' about havin' nothin' to do. Now suddenly you just wanna nap all day instead of playin' a board game with your best friends? That ain't you."
The little pegasus only protested. "Do? Who said anything about Daring Do? I didn't."
"Well, neither did we," Sweetie commented with a blink. "Scootaloo, what's gotten into you? You're not acting like yourself. Is something wrong?"
"No! Nothing's wrong! I'm just tired is all, that crash must've taken more out of me than we thought." Scootaloo insisted as she yawned again.
Apple Bloom just glared again at her pegasus friend. "Scootaloo, come on. Do you take us for fools? There's somethin' you ain't tellin' us. Stop actin' up and tell us."
Scootaloo shook her head. "There's nothing to tell, Apple Bloom. You're making too big a deal out of this. Now go on, you and Sweetie Belle enjoy the rest of the day without me. And if you're really worried you can come back tomorrow after school."
"But Scootaloo-" Sweetie Belle tried to protest.
"-But nothing!" The tomboyish filly interrupted. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to take a nap." And she closed her eyes, pretending to snore quite loudly.
Reluctantly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle decided that it was no use trying to get answers out of their pegasus friend. So they left the hospital room with their suspicions swirling around in their heads. But neither of them knew what to do to get their friend to open up. They would try again tomorrow, hopefully.
A part of Scootaloo felt bad for shooing her best friends away in such a rude fashion. But that part was quickly ignored in favor of the part of her that wanted to get back to reading about Daring Do and finding out what happened to her. Did she succeed in retrieving the Sapphire Statue?
The filly knew there was only one way to find out. And so she retrieved the book from underneath her bed sheets, checking to make sure the coast was clear. Once certain of this fact, she skimmed through the pages to find out where she'd left off. It took her a moment to find her spot before she started reading aloud. "Daring Do stood at the entrance to the temple's center. At last, she was face to face with the legendary Sapphire Statue in all its glory." And just like before, she quickly began to imagine herself actually witnessing the events that were being described in the book.
It looked so easy to Daring Do. All she had to do was cross the floor and go up to the pedestal to retrieve the statue. But experience had taught the adventurer that things were never as easy as they seemed. The Sapphire Statue had to be heavily guarded, and there was no way those booby traps in the previous corridor were all that this temple had to offer.
To confirm her suspicions, Daring delicately planted a hoof on one of the tiles in front of her and then retracted it as she heard the tile clink as it slid down. It was a good thing she did that too, since several arrows shot out from the walls without warning! It was clear now that if she tried to carelessly cross this tiled floor, she was going to be skewered by who knew how many arrows? She would have to be smart and figure out a way to avoid this latest booby trap.
"Come on. Think, Daring, think," The adventurer said to herself as she surveyed her surroundings. "There's got to be a pattern," And as she spoke she looked down at the tiles, taking notice of the fact that they displayed a variety of different animals. But what did they have in common? What was it that linked them all together? At last, realization struck the mare head on! "Of course, it's been right in front of me this whole time!" She declared. "All the animals shown are predators, except for the rats."
Carefully planting a hoof on the first rat tile she saw, Daring waited a nervous minute only for nothing to happen. "Aha!" She happily shouted! "My hunch was correct. No dungeon is a match for Daring Do!" And she leapt from tile to tile, making sure only to land on the ones that depicted a rat. In a matter of seconds she had cleared the floor and was able to approach the pedestal where the Sapphire Statue rested. She took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brows, adventuring was hard work.
Daring Do quickly moved to snatch up her prize. "Now to get you to a museum!" She thought as she prepared to store the ancient artifact in one of her jacket's many pockets.
But just as the pegasus turned to leave, trouble began! In her great haste to snatch up the treasure, she had forgotten all about the pedestal it rested upon. That was a mistake. Without the Sapphire Statue on it, a small stone in the center of the pedestal rose up all the way and fell off!
The whole temple began to rumble as the tiled floor parted to reveal a pool of boiling hot lava beneath it! And it soon began to rise with alarming speed! Needless to say, the idea of leaving the temple the same way she'd come in was now an impossibility for Daring Do.
Frantically, Daring jumped into the air as she desperately grabbed anything she could find to stay out of the lava! Her only escape was through the hole at the top of the temple that let light shine through it. And she would have to be fast unless she wanted to boil alive in that lava!
Faster and faster the lava rose, and as it did Daring's window of escape got smaller and smaller, even as she was drawing close to the top! Would she make it out in time?!
With one last desperate leap, Daring Do jumped up and reached out for the opening! She just barely managed to grasp it with her hooves, flapping her wings in a furious effort to pull herself up all the way. The lava was right on her tail!
To the surprise of the pegasus mare, she suddenly shot up like a cork as if some great pressure had just been released! She was blasted skyward, the Sapphire Statue slipping out of her hooves in the process!
All too soon, Daring crashed back to the ground with a thud. She was hurt, but thankfully still alive. And by a stroke of luck the Sapphire Statue had also not been harmed, though it was now unfortunately in the possession of a strange bipedal creature with dark blue fur surrounded by a lighter blue colored underbelly that also extended to its paws. Its eyes were black with only the faintest hint of yellow shining through them.
"Hello, blank flank... er I mean, Scootaloo." A voice suddenly called out from the blue, said voice snapping Scootaloo out of her reading trance.
Scootaloo just barely had time to stash the book back under the sheets of her bed before who should show up but Silver Spoon? And much to her surprise, the glasses wearing filly was accompanied by none other than Dizzy Twister.
"Mom, what's she doing here?!" Scootaloo gasped in horror, nearly breaking out into a cold sweat.
Dizzy Twister simply answered her daughter's question with. "I know you and Silver Spoon don't exactly get along, but she came here specifically to see you."
Silver Spoon nodded as she approached the bed. "Yeah. I'm not as nasty as Diamond Tiara, and even she isn't so cold as to make fun of you for an accident."
The tomboyish filly was anything but convinced. "Forgive me if I don't buy that." She responded.
Silver Spoon just sighed. "Hey, come on. I'm trying to be nice here. Everypony in school knows about what happened to you by now."
Scootaloo only turned her head. "And why do you care so much about me all of a sudden? Don't you have better things to do with your time?"
Silver snorted. "For your information, I'm trying to be nice. Picking on you over your lack of a cutie mark is getting a little old if I'm being honest. I mostly go along with it because it makes Diamond Tiara happy," In a more gentle tone of voice she added. "But I am sorry to hear what happened to you. Still, you're in good hooves here."
Dizzy Twister, meanwhile, just encouraged. "I figured you could use some company, Scootaloo. I heard about the way you acted when your friends came by earlier. The least you can do is not chase this guest away so quickly, especially when you said you were so bored."
The tomboyish filly tried desperately to hide her shame. "Look, Mom, it's nice of you to do this. And I'm grateful for the company even if it's Silver Spoon of all ponies. But..." Then she trailed off.
"But what, Scootaloo?" Dizzy questioned with concern. "Is there something bothering you? Maybe something you wanna talk about? I can send Silver Spoon away if you want it to be more private."
Before Scootaloo had a chance to answer, the same yellow coated earth pony nurse from much earlier in the day came in as she called. "Dinner time for Scootaloo."
The little pegasus groaned a bit when she saw what was being offered to her. It was much the same as it had been for lunch. "Can't I get something more tasty?" She asked the nurse.
The nurse just replied. "Maybe if you ask nicely and eat everything you're supposed to, I'll see about bringing something from the cafeteria later on for a snack."
Dizzy Twister proceeded to encourage. "Go ahead then, Scootaloo. Eat up."
Silver Spoon added. "I'll bet you must be starving. I know I would be if I were in your situation."
Scootaloo looked down at her food, soon getting an idea as she began to eat rather messily and nosily.
Silver Spoon was quickly appalled by her fellow filly's lack of table manners. "Sheesh!" She remarked while rolling her eyes. "You know what? I think I've seen more than enough for one day. Guess I'll come back some other time when you're not acting like a pig." And she quickly left the room in disgust.
Dizzy immediately cast the kind of glare only a mother could give as she locked eyes with her daughter. "Now what was that all about, Scootaloo? I know I didn't raise you in a barn. Heck, Apple Bloom and her family grew up on a farm and yet they have better table manners than you did just now."
Scootaloo stopped scarfing down her food and swallowed hard as she tried her best not to look guilty. "Sorry, Mom," She apologized in what sounded like a sincere tone of voice. "I don't know what came over me back there. I guess I was more hungry than I realized. So hungry that even that... stuff they gave me looked good. You know how it is, right?"
The pegasus mare could only shake her head. "You're definitely not acting like yourself, Scootaloo. First you chase away your best friends and now you drove away Silver Spoon for no good reason. What has gotten into you?"
"Nothing, Mom!" Scootaloo protested. "Look, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier and I'm sorry about how I acted in front of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I just..." She let out an unhappy sigh. "Really don't want ponies seeing me like this is all. The fewer ponies that have to see me being... well... 'not awesome' the better."
Dizzy eyed her daughter with a skeptical look. Then it was her turn to sigh. "Scootaloo, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
The tomboyish filly nodded her head. "Yes, Mom, I know. But there's nothing to talk about. Honest."
After a long minute or so of uncomfortable silence, Dizzy Twister just responded with another shake of her head. "Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know," Then she added. "It's starting to get late. You should start thinking about going to bed. The doctor did say you need plenty of rest, after all."
"I know that too, Mom," Scootaloo replied. "Don't worry, I'll go to bed before long."
Dizzy simply replied. "Well, I need to be at home. No doubt your father is going to be worried sick by now even though I left him a note. But I'll be back here first thing in the morning." Then she too departed the room her daughter was staying in.
As soon as the older pegasus had left, the younger one breathed a much needed sigh of relief. "That was too close," She thought to herself. "I can't keep up the act for much longer. Fortunately, I just need to get through the end of this book and then I can put it all behind me. I'll have to find other ways to keep my new interest under wraps after I get out of the hospital."
But that was something to worry about on some other day. For the time being, Scootaloo was intent to catch up on her reading. In particular, she wanted to know just who that mysterious creature was that had seized the Sapphire Statue from Daring Do.
Picking the book back up after retrieving it from its hiding spot, Scootaloo settled in and read aloud once more. "'You thought you could evade me and capture that relic for yourself, didn't you? Well, you are sadly mistaken, Miss. Do.' The vicious Ahuizotl taunted. Daring Do had heard rumors about him and his army of jungle cats, and now she was finding out that the rumors were all too real."
Much like before, Scootaloo envisioned the whole scenario playing out before her very eyes. She could practically hear the wicked Ahuizotl taunting his new prisoner. "Now you shall meet your doom!" He declared! "You will suffer the same fate as so many who have come before you. The Sapphire Statue shall never be yours!" Then he blew on a whistle, summoning several wild cats to surround Daring Do.
It wasn't long before Daring was captured, tied up and held down on a table by ropes in another temple. "You're not going to get away with this, Ahuizotl!" She roared in defiance! "If I don't return from this place, other ponies will come looking for me."
"And they will be lucky to make it even half as far as you did," Ahuizotl taunted. "I've been the end of many an adventurer who thought they could outsmart me. It seems you were no different," Then he pulled on a lever and laughed as sand began to fill the room. "Farewell, Daring Do. For the brief time we knew each other, it was an honor to oppose you."
Daring Do gasped in horror as she quickly realized what the sand actually was! "Quicksand!" And she struggled to break free of the ropes as the quicksand continued to pour in, threatening to overwhelm and envelope her completely!
Suddenly, the familiar voice of Doctor Stable called out. "Scootaloo?"
The tomboyish filly quickly poked her head up from beneath the sheets, making sure to keep the book hidden as she did so. "Oh, uh, good evening to you, doc."
"You mean morning," Doctor Stable corrected. "Were you up all night?"
Scootaloo giggled. "What? No, no, no. Of course not. Not me." Come to think of it, she could faintly recall shutting her eyes for a few seconds every now and then. Had she fallen asleep without realizing it? It didn't seem like she'd made that much progress in the book compared to her previous two reading sessions.
Doctor Stable simply adjusted his glasses as Dizzy Twister happened to be in the room with him. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I've talked with the nurses and they all agree: You can check out of the hospital today."
Scootaloo's eyes widened! "What?! Really?! Like later today?"
"Actually, right now," Doctor Stable answered as he gave a whistle, and the two nurses from yesterday brought out a wheelchair. "Congratulations."
The tomboyish filly let out a gasp! She hadn't been expecting this at all! "But... but... but I don't really feel better! My wing still hurts!" She protested even as she was gently lifted out of the bed and into the wheelchair.
Doctor Stable just smiled. "Your wing should be fine as long as you let it heal naturally. So no crazy stunts on your scooter or anything like that," And he turned to Dizzy Twister. "Let me know if her wing is still sore after a week. If that happens we'll need to do more x-rays to figure out if something else is the problem."
Dizzy Twister nodded and smiled back. "Thank you, Doctor Stable," And she then clapped her hooves. "Come on, Scootaloo. It's time for you to come home, my little pony."
And so it was that the matter was reluctantly settled even if poor Scootaloo wished it wasn't. Now she had no way to find out what happened to Daring Do or how the story ended. There were so many questions that lingered in her mind, questions that could only be answered with that book that was still tucked away beneath the bed sheets.
The tomboyish filly knew she couldn't go back to the hospital after being checked out, and no way was she about to admit to her newfound love of reading, not even to her own mother. There had to be another copy of the book somewhere, but where?
As mother and daughter made their way home, they happened to pass by the Golden Oak Library. And that's when a realization struck Scootaloo! "Of course!" She thought as the gears in her little mind began to turn. "Twilight's got to have a copy of the book! Rainbow Dash said it was Twilight who got her into the series," Then she thought of something else. "But there's no way I can just ask Twilight for it, then she'll find out I'm an egghead. And if she finds out she'll tell her friends, and then they'll tell their friends and..." She trailed off, unwilling to dwell upon the mental image conjured up.
That meant there was only one thing to do in the filly's mind. She would have to sneak into the library at night and retrieve a copy of the book. She'd then read it and return it before anypony was any the wiser.
That very night, with the light of Luna's moon shining down on the land beneath it, a certain pegasus filly was sneaking her way towards the Golden Oak Library. She wore nothing except for a black stealth suit, determined that nopony should see her. It had been a stroke of luck that she'd been able to escape her house without being caught.
Fortunately for the filly, luck continued to be on her side as she found the library's front door to be unlocked. She trotted right in, not even bothering to lock the door behind her. All she cared about at the moment was finding a copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue. She had a pretty good idea of where she'd left off.
But frantic searching turned up nothing as Scootaloo combed the library's ground floor, checking every bookshelf with what little light there was available to her by the moon.
At last, just as the little pegasus was about to give up, she noticed a ladder resting next to one of the bookshelves. She clambered up it as fast as she could, and to her great joy she found that up at the top shelf rested the very book she had been searching for! She pulled it out and descended the ladder, rushing to a nearby window where the moonlight was brighter so that she could more easily read the pages. And as she did so, her mind already started forming a picture as if she were there to see the events unfold herself.
Daring Do continued to struggle greatly against the ropes, seemingly in vain as snakes and spiders crawled all around (and even over) her and the quicksand just continued to pour in.
But all of a sudden a voice cried out! "Hey, what are you doing here?!" And before Scootaloo had a chance to react the voice shouted! "Twilight, wake up, we've got an intruder!"
Scootaloo quickly turned around to see a frantic looking Spike across the room from her! She tried to shush the little dragon. "Spike, it's just me," She whispered to him. "Scootaloo. I'm not here to steal anything, I just wanted to look at this book really quick. I was gonna put it back."
Alas, it was too late to stop the commotion. Soon, the lights in the library flickered on as Twilight came rushing downstairs to see what was the matter! To her great surprise the "intruder" was Scootaloo in a black stealth suit that did nothing to obscure her face (to say nothing of the visible cast on one of her wings). "Scootaloo?" She blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Reluctantly, the tomboyish filly sighed in defeat. "You caught me, Twilight. I'm an egghead." And she let the book she'd been holding fall from her clutches, removing the hood of her stealth suit to reveal her entire face along with her mane.
Twilight examined the book on the floor with her magic, a smile creeping onto her face as she couldn't help but giggle. "Wow! I knew the first Daring Do book was popular, but I had no idea it could drive a pony to petty theft."
"I wasn't even stealing it," Scootaloo insisted. "I was gonna put it back when I'd finished reading it."
Twilight only shook her head and sternly scolded the filly. "Scootaloo, taking something without permission is stealing regardless of what you intend to do with it. And you really shouldn't be sneaking into ponies' homes after dark. What would your mother say if she were here to see you like this?"
The little pegasus gulped and started to sweat. "You're not gonna tell her about this, are you?" And she was quick to apologize. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just had to know what happened to Daring Do," Then she lamented. "I was so afraid of being seen as an egghead if I admitted to liking reading. Guess I should've known I couldn't keep the truth hidden forever."
Spike, however, joined Twilight in giggling. "Scootaloo, you're not an egghead just because you like reading. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you like, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."
Twilight nodded. "Spike is quite right, Scootaloo. All you had to do was ask me, there was no need to cause a ruckus. And I think you owe your friends, Silver Spoon and even your own mother an apology. I heard about the way you acted in the hospital after your accident. You were pushing them all away because you wanted to keep your love of reading a secret, didn't you?"
"How did you know?" Scootaloo inquired. "Are you psychic or something?"
"Psychic? Me? I don't think so," The studious unicorn giggled. "I just happen to see a pattern, is all. Rainbow Dash was a lot like you when she first discovered her love of reading. In her case, she went so far as to sneak back into the hospital just to try and get some answers. Of course, she got caught not unlike you did just now."
Scootaloo gasped in surprise! "No way! Really?"
Twilight nodded once again. "Yes indeed, Scootaloo," Then she floated the book over to the filly. "Here, I'll let you borrow it since no one got hurt. But make sure you return it to me as soon as you're finished, and make sure you don't let that book get damaged. If you can do that, your little late night adventure will stay our little secret. And feel free to stop by here anytime if you wanna check out the rest of the series."
The filly gave something of a salute. "Will do, Twilight!"
The very next day, Scootaloo took advantage of the pleasant weather to sit outside underneath a tree and finish reading Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue. Now she didn't care who saw her reading. Maybe that made her an egghead and maybe that didn't. Right now, all she could think about was what Daring Do was going through.
As the quicksand continued to pour in, Daring Do was certain that her end was near! But she hadn't come all this way just to be done in like this! She was Daring Do, she never gave up no matter how bleak the situation might appear! If she could just find a way to trip that lever she'd seen Ahuizotl pull, she was confident she could stop the quicksand and escape. Then she'd be free to put a stop to whatever it is that Ahuizotl had planned with the Sapphire Statue in his possession.
Suddenly, the adventurer got herself an idea as she removed her pith helmet and threw it hard across the room with her teeth! Then she held her breath as she felt the table sink fully into the quicksand, the rest was up to fate.
Fortunately, the pith helmet reached its target. The lever gave an audible click as it was activated once again. The quicksand stopped pouring in just in the nick of time!
Daring surfaced, briefly gasping for air! Then she wiggled her way out of her restraints and retrieved her pith helmet. "Another day, another dungeon!" She declared to herself! "Hope you don't think you've seen the last of me, Ahuizotl. I'm coming for you!" And then she rushed out of the temple, ready to track down the evil doer.
A ways away from any temple, Ahuizotl sat on a stone throne and stroked one of his jungle cats as he remarked to himself. " With Daring Do out of the way, the world will suffer mightily at my hands. Soon, all will know and shudder at the name of Ahuizotl," Then he stood up and laughed, the Sapphire Statue still firmly in his possession. "I am victorious!"
But all of a sudden, Daring Do swooped in and swiped the very statue right out of Ahuizotl's paws! "I'll take that, thank you!" She declared.
Ahuizotl blinked and then gasped upon realizing the statue was no longer his! "What?! No! It can't be!" He exclaimed only to see his fears realized when he saw Daring Do swing to safety on a vine!
Daring couldn't resist a taunt at her newfound nemesis as she stuck out her tongue. "Better luck next time, Ahuizotl."
"There will be a next time, Daring Do!" Ahuizotl vowed! "You haven't seen the last of me! And next time, you won't be so lucky!"
Just like that, the story came to an end as Scootaloo read the words on the final pages: "And so it was that, with Ahuizotl defeated, and the Sapphire Statue secured, the world was safe and sound once again. All thanks to Daring Do. The Sapphire Statue would soon find a new permanent home in a prestigious archeological museum in Fillydelphia. But for Daring Do this was but the start of her many adventures in what she would later come to learn was called the Tenochtitlan Basin."
"Hey, squirt," The familiar voice of Rainbow Dash called as she happened to have been flying by overhead. A smile crept onto her face as she noticed what her favorite filly had in her possession. "Oh, finally got bit by the Daring Do bug, did you?"
Scootaloo just nodded as she closed up the book. "Yup. You were right all along, Rainbow Dash. Daring Do is a lot like me. And a lot like you now that I think about it. Are you sure you're not secretly related to her somehow?"
At that Rainbow Dash threw back her head and laughed. "Me? Related to Daring Do? I don't think so," After regaining her composure she added. "But it's nice to know I've got somepony besides Twilight I can discuss the series with. Once you're all caught up, that is."
The tomboyish filly was quick to reply. "That may be sooner than you think. After all, I'm not gonna be doing much scootering or crusading for the next few days."
Rainbow smiled. "Trust me, by the time you're done with them all you'll love the Daring Do series as much as I do. And they're still making new books even as we speak. The next one comes out in just a few months."
And it wouldn't be long before all would know of Scootaloo's interest in reading and the Daring Do series. Though not as much of a fan as Twilight or Rainbow Dash, she would still eagerly look forward to each new release. Yet even she would never suspect that the author of the popular books housed a deep secret.
But that's another story.
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Have you ever doing a what if of Equestria Girls?
10989211 Not yet.
Would you like to?
10989219 Maybe someday but not right now.
10989244
Fair enough.
Not much I can say other than, once again, very good job on the exchanges, characterizations and general wrap-up in all the right places. And, as you pointed out in the author's notes, it DOES make more sense to make this a Scootaloo focused episode.
VERY much looking forward to the future re-writes in this Volume (as well as probably the next Volume, which will almost certainly be the last one for the main series).
Have you considered doing the Friendship Is Forever clip shows for a what if?
10989573 No, and I probably never will. Those clip shows were a disgrace to FiM's legacy.