Chapter 20: School
Hello, everyone!
So sorry for the long wait on this update! I kept going back and forth between making this next part its own chapter, or breaking it apart into a two-parter. I finally decided on two parts to help out with the pacing, so here's the first!
I also wanted to let you all know before the chapter started that there are one or two instances where very childish ideas involving disabilities come up. You'll know them when you see them. I just wanted to put this quick disclaimer here that they are put there intentionally because these next couple chapters involve the foals of MLP, who will, of course, have childish ideas. They are not necessarily a reflection of how I view disabilities, they are simply the thoughts of the characters on the whole in regards to processing disabilities and how others outside of themselves experience the world.
I also wanted to give a shoutout to QueerTrixie for this amazing artwork. Go show them some love!
The next chapter should be up a lot sooner than this one, as it's already mostly written. After that, there will be a more anthological chapter that may be a bit longer than average to cover some scenes that just don't warrant a chapter all on their own. Hope to see you all soon! Love you guys!
Scootaloo swallowed her nerves as Rainbow lighted on the ground, their descent ending with a light bump, the mare clenching her jaw around a lump in her own throat as she stared at the schoolhouse in front of them, the bell having rung five minutes ago.
The past six months had been spent in careful planning and hard work for the sisters as they prepared to integrate Scootaloo into the public schoolhouse, a decision that had taken almost the entirety of the first month to make, with Scootaloo finally taking a leap of courage and Rainbow Dash promising things could go back to the way they were if it proved unsuccessful.
Cheerilee, for her part, had been very helpful in the matter, allowing Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash to come by after hours to map the schoolhouse over and over; and working with Rainbow Dash to let the mare know where Scootaloo needed to be so she wouldn’t immediately fall behind the other students.
That following summer, Scootaloo studied harder than she ever had before, her best friends helping her out both academically and verbally as her spoken skills steadily improved.
Excited at the prospect of the little filly going to school with the rest of the foals, Twilight set her own sights on a project to help accommodate Scootaloo, multiple weeks of research and trial and error yielding the final result of enchanted parchment that could turn tapped EHS into Braille notes, of which Scootaloo’s saddlebags were now packed to near bursting, alongside her Braille textbooks.
One of the final confirmations came from Gentle Word herself, having approved Scootaloo for integration after two sessions went by with Scootaloo able to hold full spoken conversations with only the occasional pause for EHS pronunciation work.
With a preparatory test from Cheerilee confirming Scootaloo had learned all she needed, Scootaloo finally earned full approval to begin school with the other Ponyville foals, right on time for the summer holiday to end and for Scootaloo to begin the first day of school alongside her new classmates.
The final week had been spent with Rainbow Dash grumbling to herself about her newfound egghead behavior, list after list piling up on the kitchen counter as she checked a hundred times to make sure Scootaloo had everything she needed, from lunches to parchment to saddlebags, checking over and over again with Applejack and Rarity that she wasn’t forgetting anything, going so far as to claim, “I had no idea schools ask for so much! I hardly brought anything to class growing up.”
With a rare smirk, Fluttershy had quipped, “That’s because you always studied with my notes.”
A sheepish smile and apology had followed, with Fluttershy waving her off with a polite chuckle. “No, no. I helped you with studying, you helped me with flying. There’s no need to apologize, really.”
Rainbow Dash continuously found herself chuckling at the memories, unable to fight the irony of learning more from teaching Scootaloo herself than actually being present in the classroom during her foalhood.
As she stepped up to the schoolhouse, she couldn't help but feel a twinge in her heart, already missing those days in the Cloudominium where she would do nothing but be with Scootaloo as she helped her through a lengthy Equestrian history essay.
And yet, the pride she felt was undeniable as she helped Scootaloo down off her back, making sure her saddlebags were secure and tucking a stray strand of mane behind her ear, the filly’s purple locks beginning to droop down to her withers.
“You ready?” She asked, blinking back her bittersweet tears.
Scootaloo smiled nervously, nodding. “Yeah…I think so. I’m a little nervous.”
Rainbow chuckled. “Don’t worry, squirt, that’s normal. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are already in there, and you know they’ll help you out with anything you need. And when you get home, we can talk all about it. I know you said you want to at least get through the week before you decide if you wanna keep it up, but if you decide even after today that you don’t wanna do this anymore, we’ll go right back to homeschool, okay?”
A grin answered her. “Okay, Rainbow.” The little filly reached up to her guardian for a hug, one Rainbow Dash more than happily obliged her with, holding her foal tightly, part of her never wanting to let go. Pride and pain, joy and sorrow danced in her chest as she finally let Scootaloo go, checking her over one more time before she pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Knock ‘em dead, Scootaloo,” Rainbow breathed. “I know you’re gonna be great.” She nuzzled her sweetly. “Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise, either. Every bit of you is just as awesome as the next. Anypony who can’t see that–”
“Is blinder than me,” Scootaloo finished with a grin, sending both pegasi into a small fit of laughter.
The joke had started as Rainbow began pep talking Scootaloo through her nerves at the new opportunity, the filly worried about what ponies would think of her, lamenting her fears of the other students leaving her behind.
“The ponies who try to do that aren’t worth your time anyway, Scoots,” Rainbow had said. “Besides, anypony who can’t see how awesome you are is…uh…” The mare had trailed off, the obvious final word of her encouragement falling flat on its face with Scootaloo’s own physical impairment.
Scootaloo had given a cheeky grin as she realized what Rainbow was about to say, her own humor picking up as she had finished for her, “Blinder than me?”
The final bits of giggles tapered off from the two in front of the schoolhouse, Rainbow putting a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Now remember: you can make jokes about yourself all you want. But if somepony else makes a joke that hurts you, it’s okay to say so. Chances are, they aren’t trying to be mean, they’re just trying to copy your sense of humor and then went a little too far.”
Scootaloo nodded once again, the two of them having gone over such a few times already, Rainbow Dash using the same opportunity to help Scootaloo establish where the line was.
Cloudy eyes tilted up in Rainbow’s direction, smiling. “And if they are trying to be mean, tell Miss Cheerilee,” Scootaloo recited.
Rainbow grinned proudly, mussing the wispy mane. “That’s right.” She pulled her charge in for one more nuzzle. “I’m so proud of you, squirt. Never forget that. Every bit of you is as awesome as the next. So own it!”
“Okay,” Scootaloo giggled. “I’ll tell you everything after school.”
“Okay.” Rainbow Dash pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Knock ‘em dead! I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Scootaloo felt Rainbow Dash leave, hearing and feeling her wings stir the air around her. Taking in a deep breath, she turned herself around, bumping the steps with her hoof before stepping up them and entering the schoolhouse.
Cheerilee’s ear flicked as the door opened, and she pulled on a warm smile. “Alright class, before we begin our lesson for today, I’d like to introduce a new student.” She turned to the doorway, mildly surprised to find Scootaloo already standing there, head down nervously. She tapped the floor beside her with her hoof, and Scootaloo perked up slightly, moving to the spot she was signaled.
Scootaloo’s heart pulsed in her ears. She could hear the students murmuring, no doubt a bit confused by the odd gesture from their teacher. She stood where the tap had come from, and felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder, Miss Cheerilee subtly nudging her to face the voices of the class a bit better.
“Why don’t you introduce yourself, dear?” Miss Cheerilee encouraged.
She took in another deep breath, let it out slowly, and lifted her head.
“Hello,” Scootaloo greeted, a nervous smile twitching her lips. “My name is Scootaloo. I’m eight years old…and this is my first time at a public school.”
She was met with silence. She forced a chuckle. “I’ve uh…kinda been homeschooled my whole life, so…this is all new to me–but I’m really excited to meet you all and, uh…”
Silence met her again. She chewed her lip, remembering Rainbow’s words.
Every bit of you is as awesome as the next. So own it!
She took in another breath, straightened, and gave a wry grin, speaking her favorite idiom. “I wanna address the elephant in the room.” She lifted a hoof and pointed it at her ears. “I, uh…I know you can all see these, and I wanted to explain what they are.
“A few months ago, I couldn’t hear a thing. I had a surgery that put an implant in my inner ear, and now this device lets me hear. I have two of them because I was deaf in both ears.” She gave a little chuckle. “I’m kinda new to the whole hearing thing, so…if I look confused, or if I ask you to say something again…that’s why. I’m still learning word association and processing. At least, that’s what my speech therapist says.”
“Why do you have a speech therapist?” came a voice from somewhere to Scootaloo’s left. “You sound just fine.”
Scootaloo felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “Thank you! That’s…actually a really nice compliment. Since I couldn’t hear others, I couldn’t hear myself, either. So I never learned how to talk until recently.”
She heard the creaking of wood.
“Yes, Twist?” Miss Cheerilee called.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
Scootaloo blinked, the question taking her off guard. The voice that had asked had come from a little distance right in front of her. She felt Miss Cheerilee stiffen, and she got the sense the question should be considered rude. But…there was something in the voice that had asked the question. Whoever had asked–Twist–didn’t seem like they were trying to be rude.
So, Scootaloo smiled, and answered before Miss Cheerilee could chastise the foal.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen my eyes before.” Her brow creased, realizing she had never asked. “Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? What do my eyes look like?”
“Uh…” Apple Bloom answered, right in front of her, but a little closer than the last voice. “Kinda…foggy? Cloudy, I guess?”
At the mention of a cloud, Scootaloo couldn’t help but imagine a pony with clouds coming out of their eye holes, and giggled.
Sweetie Belle picked up, from Scootaloo’s right. “Your eyes move around a lot when you talk, even more when you think.”
“Oooohhh,” Scootaloo nodded in understanding. “So…your eyes don’t do that?”
Apple Bloom chuckled. “No.”
“Gotcha.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, grinning. “Is this better?”
She was met with silence again, even from her two friends. Miss Cheerilee stiffened again, and Scootaloo felt an odd embarrassment as she realized she must have asked something rude without realizing it.
Miss Cheerilee lightly cleared her throat. “You can do whatever you want with your eyes, Scootaloo.”
Yep, she’d definitely asked something rude. Trying to play it off the best she could, she chuckled, “It’s okay either way. Doesn’t make any difference to me.”
Miss Cheerilee chuckled, seeming to understand. “Whichever you prefer.”
Scootaloo nodded, opening her eyes again.
“So you can’t see?” another curious voice asked from the right.
“Yes,” Scootaloo nodded. “I’ve been completely blind ever since I was born.”
“So, you just…don’t know what anypony looks like?”
Scootaloo hummed in thought. “Not exactly…It’s a bit hard to explain.” She perked up at an idea. “Twist, was it?”
“Uh…yes?” came the voice from right in front of her again.
Scootaloo chuckled awkwardly. “So, this is gonna sound a little weird, but…can I touch your face?”
She was met with silence as Twist hesitated. “Um…sure, I guess?” Wood creaked again, hooves stepping across the floor as Twist came to the front of the classroom, standing in front of Scootaloo.
Scootaloo moved a bit. “Can you look at them?”
Twist hummed a bit, but did what she asked. Scootaloo’s face fell a bit in thought, and her hoof slid across the floor until she was met with Twist’s hoof. She lightly followed the foreleg up to Twist’s shoulder, feeling the filly tense nervously. Giving what she hoped was a comforting smile, she reached Twist’s jaw, and lightly ran her hoof around Twist's face, stating her observations as she went.
“Narrow face, curvy nose, glasses…really curly mane…a couple inches taller than me.” She stepped back, smiling at the class.
“I’ve gone my whole life without seeing, and I rely on my sense of touch to figure out what things and other ponies look like.” She nodded to Twist. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Twist replied. “That’s pretty cool.”
Scootaloo beamed as Twist went back to her seat.
“Yes, Dinky?” Miss Cheerilee called, Scootaloo perking up at the next potential question.
“So, can you read and write?” asked a voice somewhere on the left.
“Uh…not in the same way you do,” Scootaloo explained. “Like I said before, I rely on my sense of touch a lot, and I read the same way. I mostly use Braille to read, but I have a special type of paper that’ll let me write using a language I had to learn before I could hear.”
“What language?” yet another voice, further away on the right, asked.
“It’s called Equestrian Hoof-Speak,” Scootaloo answered. “Basically, you tap using different positions of your hoof to represent different letters. It’s a direct translation from normal Equestrian to make it easier on those of us that have to communicate like that.”
“Can you show us?” asked the voice belonging to the pony who asked about her reading abilities.
“Um…I don’t know, it kinda takes a while to learn.”
A light chorus of affirmatives rose up from the class, nearly a dozen voices asking to be shown Equestrian Hoof-Speak. Scootaloo’s excitement at the genuine curiosity of her new classmates easily trumped her initial jolt of fright at the overwhelming response.
“Okay, um…” she looked up in Cheerilee’s general direction for help.
“Why don’t you start by spelling out your name?” Cheerilee offered, genuinely curious herself.
“Okay!” Scootaloo beamed. “Um…can you help me with that?”
“Absolutely,” Cheerilee answered as the students’ voices died down to an excited chittering. “What do you need?”
“Um…it’d be easier if I could do this with ink on regular paper instead of my enchanted paper–that’s mostly for me to be able to read later. Do you have an inkwell? Or paint?”
The next hour was spent with Scootaloo’s new classmates coming up and allowing her to feel their faces. In exchange, she showed them what their name looked like in EHS, electing to save any name-signs for later, considering she most likely wouldn’t need them in the classroom.
One familiar filly in particular came up and shyly reintroduced herself.
“I was at the EHS lesson when you first came to Ponyville,” Dinky explained.
“Oh…Oh, yeah, I remember you!” Scootaloo grinned as she dredged up memories from over a year ago. “Your mom’s a pegasus, right?”
“Yeah! Her name’s Ditzy.”
Scootaloo grinned at the familiar filly. “I thought it was cool that your mom’s a pegasus and you’re a unicorn because me and my mo—uh…” Scootaloo stopped herself, feeling her cheeks heat up. She smiled to try and cover up her slip-up, ignoring the pang of homesickness everytime she thought too hard about Foggy. “I…know somepony who’s got the opposite.”
Dinky giggled, mentally brushing off whatever Scootaloo was about to say. “That’s so cool! Yeah, it’s so funny how that happens sometimes. Mom says I get it from my dad, though, so I guess it makes sense.”
The little pegasus nodded. “Yeah. I actually don’t know who my birth parents are. But…it doesn’t really matter to me.” She shrugged, grinning. “It doesn’t really matter to me who they are. Not to sound rude, but…they didn’t exactly have a hoof in raising me, you know? So…I don’t really care.”
Dinky blinked at the simple response to the very similar question she had been asking herself, the little unicorn having been secretly wishing she knew her father. But…by Scootaloo’s logic…he wouldn’t be much of a pony to know if he wasn’t here helping out her mom. She smiled softly to herself, and nodded. “Yeah…yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”
As introductions continued, questions began coming left and right.
“What city are you from?”
“How come you were born like this?”
“So how do those weird ear things work exactly?”
“How do you get around by yourself?”
Scootaloo smiled at this one. “I was taught how to get around spaces by my shadow when I was really little, and I practiced almost every day.”
“Your…shadow?”
Purple locks bobbed as she nodded. “I think the, um… the better term is caretaker? But she liked being called a shadow. I don’t know why, I’m pretty sure it confused a lot of ponies.”
“So…how do you see—or, uh…”
Scootaloo’s ears strained as she tried to hear the differences between the voices, deciding to leave such an ability to the experience she was sure to gain later. “It’s okay, you can use ‘see’. Sometimes, that’s the only word you can use. See?” She giggled as her point was made, tension-releasing chuckles joining her own laughter. “And to answer your question: I know where I’m going based on the object I’m touching and where I know it is in the room. I came here during the summer to map the schoolhouse.” She leaned back to bump her wings against Cheerliee’s desk to demonstrate. “So that’s Miss Cheerliee’s desk, so I know I’m five paces away from a wall right to my right with a window at ear level. There’s three desks in a line going left to right in front of me, and two more rows behind them.”
“So, what, you have echolocation like a bat or something?”
Scootaloo’s ear flicked at the odd tone in the voice that asked the question, its timbre…edgier, reminding Scootaloo of the way the point of a knife would poke at her frog, swearing she could feel a strange unease in the quieting of the voices around her.
“Um…no?” she tilted her head in confusion at the odd question. “I use my hooves, and because I’ve had to use my hooves since I was little, I have a very high spatial awareness.” Another grin found her face as she perked up, remembering: “Twilight said it means I’m good at thinking in three dimensions. Which is ironic, since I can’t even see in one dimension.”
Whatever unease she sensed was suddenly gone as the joke left her lips, sending a wave of laughter through her new classmates.
The same voice made an odd huffy sound, making something in Scootaloo’s ears ache as it began again.
“And what about those wings? Guess you can’t fly if you can’t see where you’re going.”
The dying laughter around Scootaloo ended abruptly, and she tilted her head, feeling an uncomfortable stirring in her chest.
“Um…” she began, “well, um…I can’t fly, anyway, even if I wanted to, because my magic didn’t, um…” her hoof tapped the ground, though her sudden fluster made her forget what she was trying to say “do right.”
A snort preceded that same voice again, beginning to make Scootaloo’s heart pound. “So, a blank-flank and a flightless pegasus? You really are a freak, aren’t you?”
The clamor of gasps around Scootaloo couldn’t drown out the sudden drop of her heart.
“Diamond Tiara!” Miss Cheerilee snapped, making Scootaloo jump at her volume. “That is quite enough. And that’s after-school detention for you.”
Scootaloo felt Apple Bloom’s hoof trace her name-sign, and grasped her friend’s hoof, her breath catching on the lump in her throat.
“What?” Diamond Tiara objected. “Why? Aren’t I allowed to speak my mind?”
Miss Cheerilee let out a deep sigh. “Apple Bloom, please show Scootloo her desk. Everypony else, please take your seats. Diamond Tiara, outside. Now.”
Scootaloo was tugged up as her hoofsteps joined a great shuffling, each pair of steps moving to where Scootaloo knew the desks were. Apple Bloom’s muttering voice and guiding touch brought Scootaloo to the far left and back a row as the door closed, their teacher’s hoofsteps disappearing. “Miss Cheerilee put ya behind Diamond Tiara–that’s the filly that…said that. I think she’s hopin’ that’ll keep Diamond’s attention on th’ lessons.”
The little pegasus could hardly concentrate on that, her saddlebags slipping to the floor as her mind whispered and galloped, circling around a moment that felt like a year ago now. Scootaloo tugged Apple Bloom toward her. “Was…was that…the foal that stopped us…when you taught me Jenga? The one that you said isn’t worth knowing?”
Her friend didn’t answer until a moment had passed. “Yeah…she, uh…she called you that same thing that day, too.”
Scootaloo’s hoof tightened, her cheeks beginning to burn. “What does that word mean? I’ve…’freaked out’ before, but…what does it mean, the way she put it?”
Again, Apple Bloom hesitated. “It…it means…She thinks you’re weird, that you don’t belong…She thinks that, since you’re different, that that’s a bad thing. But it ain’t true, alright?”
The blind filly nodded quickly, wanting the pleading tone to leave her friend’s voice as soon as possible. “I know! There’s no reason to listen to what a mean pony says, anyway.”
Unbeknownst to Scootaloo, a classroom full of foals blinked in surprise at the simple resolve of their new classmate, having shared awkward glances with Apple Bloom before she reluctantly shared what the horrid insult meant. Now, little minds turned amidst furtive looks, the entire class both relieved and taken aback by how easily such words slid off her back.
Was it really such a bad thing to be unable to hear…if it made you impervious to harsh words?
Apple Bloom looked up from making sure Scootaloo was in her seat and could reach her bag to see Miss Cheerilee stepping back into the classroom, Diamond Tiara on her heels. The prissy pink foal tossed her mane, relishing the unseen smirk she threw at her new classmate as she took her seat.
“Alright, class,” Miss Cheerilee began, “today, we’ll begin with our history lesson.”
Scootaloo’s ears perked, the filly momentarily distracted by the shuffling sounds of paper and pencil, her overwhelmed ears making her forget to take out her own supplies until Miss Cheerilee began speaking, a tiny giggle in front of her bouncing off of Miss Cheerilee’s voice as she scrambled for her paper, smoothing it out before beginning her hoof taps and running her other hoof over the Braille appearing at the top of the page to make sure the enchantment was working properly.
Sweetie Belle looked up from her lunch and asked, “So, where did you learn that thing about not listening to mean ponies?”
Scootaloo swallowed her sandwich bite. “Oh! Uh…it was from…I learned it from Foggy.”
“Who’s that?” one of her new classmates asked.
Scootaloo felt her cheeks warm as she hesitated. “She was my shadow before Rainbow Dash adopted me.” A small moment of silence reigned, making her begin to think her processors had turned off.
“You named your shadow?”
Scootaloo blinked as a couple tiny giggles made her ear twitch, and she tilted her head. “Um…no? Why would I…? What…?”
Another voice piped up before Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom could begin to explain, the two exchanging a glance. “No, remember? That was the mare that took care of her.”
Scootaloo sat up straighter, her interest suddenly grabbed. “Wait, what else is a shadow?”
“We’ll tell you later,” Sweetie Belle assured her, their classmates exchanging glances as they realized the same thing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had, all wondering just how in Equestria the two of them were going to explain what a shadow was to a pony who had never seen one.
The rest of the day went by smoothly, Scootaloo gradually learning as the day went on that she could hear where her classmates' desks were. Even more interestingly, she could hear the patterns of pencils change with every subject. Right behind her, Snails’s pencil picked up pace during math, but was barely making any sound in Equestrian. The opposite was true with Snips, to the left of his best friend.
The only outward sign of Scootaloo’s observations was her rotating ears, picking up the subtleties of her classmates’ mannerisms during school. She smiled to herself at the continuous tapping that seemed to come from Apple Bloom, and the long strokes from Twist’s pencil that seemed to indicate the filly was doing more than writing notes on the lessons. Her curiosity piqued when she heard Diamond Tiara’s pencil pick up pace during science. She stayed quiet through it all, her own thoughts distracting her as she pondered all the things her ears could tell her that no pony would ever say.
“So, how was school, squirt?”
Over the whistling wind, Scootaloo answered, “It was good! I liked the lessons!”
“Oh, yeah? A little bit different, though, huh?”
“Yeah. A lot more noise, too.”
Rainbow lighted on her front doorstep, helping Scootaloo down. “So…everypony treat you right? No pony was mean, right?”
Scootaloo smiled, pointedly ignoring the memories of Diamond Tiara. “Yeah, everypony was great! I had a lot of fun!”
Rainbow smiled as she guided Scootaloo in. “Was lunch okay? Got your fill?”
“Yes, Rainbow.”
“Did you have enough paper? Twilight said she can make more any time.”
Scootaloo smiled to herself, Rainbow’s new pattern of doting parent taking over again. “Yes, Rainbow.”
Her guardian nodded, trying to think of anything else. “Got any homework? I can start on dinner if you want to go ahead with that.”
“Actually…Miss Cheerilee said she couldn’t put it in Braille, so…”
Rainbow grinned, a part of her relieved to have something to put her nervous energy into. “Yeah, sure! Let’s go ahead and get that knocked out, then just chillax for the rest of the day.”
Scootaloo grinned, wanting nothing more than to relax with her big sister the rest of the day. “Sure! But, uh…can I turn my ears off? I did a lot of hearing today…”
Her big sister’s gentle hoof brushed through her mane. “Of course you can, Scoots. Give ‘em here.”
Scootaloo obeyed, tugging off her transmitters and hoofing over her processors, the familiar, comforting silence easing tension she didn’t realize was built up in her muscles. After a moment, Rainbow properly putting away her devices, she feels familiar hooves scoop her up and a muzzle nuzzle her neck as she floats over to the coffee table, the familiarity putting both ponies at ease as they fall into their old pattern.
The week went by mostly uneventful, Scootaloo getting more and more comfortable with her surroundings and more and more familiar with her classroom. Once her new sense had had its fill of noises, her other senses began to kick in. Multiple times, she found herself rubbing her nose, a smell in front of her overpowering her with its flowery odor. The further away she was from Diamond Tiara, she found, the smaller the smell was.
Friday afternoon, the school bell having rung, Scootaloo pulled in fresh air through her nose as she felt her best friends press into her sides. The fresh scent of trees was cut off by a powerful wave of the sickly flowers she had been smelling all week from Diamond Tiara, though she heard said filly’s voice from her right.
A new voice, one that stuck uncomfortably to her ears, spoke. “Ugh, and what do we have here?”
Apple Bloom tensed against Scootaloo. “Good evenin’, Mrs. Rich.”
The voice ‘hmph’ed. “To think we pay to keep this school open, and this is how we are repaid? Foals who can’t even walk by themselves are brought in and cramp up the same space as my daughter. Oh, the nerve!”
A pang sank Scootaloo’s heart as she realized the mare was talking about her, and her head followed as she felt her friends push her away, the mare calling out, “And do consider not coming back.”
Scootaloo shuffled alongside Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, her head hanging as she listened to the mare’s laughter die down.
“Don’t listen to her, Scoots,” Sweetie Belle assured, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “She’s always been rotten all the way to the core.”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom seconded. “That’s Diamond Tiara’s mom, an’ she’s even worse than ‘er daughter.
Scootaloo hesitated. “But she’s right, isn’t she?”
Her two friends paused, appalled she would think such a thing.
Tears filled Scootaloo’s eyes as she continued, “My whole life, I’ve had to rely on others. I can’t walk or do much by myself. I can’t even fly.” At the last sentence, her voice broke, and she didn’t try to stop her tears from falling.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance, hearts heavy as they tried to find the words to say. They rubbed their friend’s shoulders, and Sweetie Belle spoke up.
“So what?”
That made Scootaloo pause. “Huh?”
“So what if you have to rely on others a lot? My sister relies on others to help keep her boutique open, and Apple Bloom’s brother and sister rely on her to help out around the farm. Everypony needs help every once in a while, you just need it a bit more often.”
“Besides,” Apple Bloom picked up, “you’ve done so much on your own. You’ve worked so hard to understand the world around you. Yeah, you might’ve had help a couple times, but figuring it out was all you. And you’re still learning, and improving every day. Any pony that can do that is hardly helpless.”
“I know I couldn’t do it,” Sweetie Belle added with a chuckle.
“Me, neither,” Apple Bloom agreed.
The two shared a chuckle, Scootaloo giving them a small smile in return. Her eyes welled up again, this time for a much happier reason. She sniffed, wiping away a couple tears.
“Who needs sight when I’ve got friends like you?”
Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s hearts soared, and they pulled their best friend into a tight hug, which she gladly returned.
Gently closing the door, Rainbow Dash watching Scootaloo breathe until the door cut off her vision, she finally let herself breathe.
School had been going great, the foals had been treating her well, Miss Cheerilee was impressed with her progress, even the homework wasn’t that bad.
It had been a week of success after success after success.
Rainbow Dash pushed out the steam from her overworking heart as she trotted into the kitchen, right to where she left her documents. Her bottom lip found her teeth as she stared down at them, letting her mind run wild in a way she hadn’t in a year and a half.
She knew it wasn’t a good idea to get her hopes up now, but…she couldn’t help it.
With Scootaloo in school now, and gaining more independence day by day…was it so wrong to let herself begin to dream again?
Sad azure eyes flashed across her mind, and she shook her head to dispel whatever line of thinking was trying to intrude on her happiness.
With a flick of her hoof, she popped open the cap of the ink bottle, picked up the quill, and began to read the first document entitled:
Wonderbolt Academy Application
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I hated Diamond Tiara and Spoiled Rich in the show (at least until Diamond Tiara´s redemption, then it was just Spoiled) but I hate them so much more in this story, I hope they get their comeuppance sometime
11641513
I can't agree with you more
More good
Spoiled indeed! Also, Diamond Tiara needs a reality check, ideally one that results in a song...
Also, I can imagine Scootaloo encouraging Rainbow to become a Wonderbolt. She may not be able to see her fly, but she don't need sight to recognize when something makes Rainbow Dash happy.
Diamond Tiara is such a brat. And you'd think a grown mare would know how to be at least civil. Scootaloo talks so well now! I'm so glad she can go to school with her friends!
11641562
Bowling For Soup’s “Bitch” song might be oddly appropriate for Equestrian mores, too.
I'm still pissed that the show didn't give real closure to DT and Spoiled. For once, though, it wasn't the crew's fault. According to Jim Miller, they wrote three separate episodes continuing DT's story and all were vetoed by Hasbro.
The concept of echolocation, especially for one that has implants is something I never considered before.
11643035
Okay, but it still sounds weird. At least to me.
Oh this is great setup. There's two shoes ready to drop.
I still despise Spoiled Rich, not much hate for diamond Tiara now.