I can't

by msbrittany123

First published

Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash have a little "talk" in the crusader's clubhouse.

Rainbow decides to have a little chat with Scootaloo about her parents. What Rainbow doesn't realize is the consequence of her rushed actions.

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“Hey Squirt” Rainbow said landing beside the filly, who was walking with the two other crusaders and their sisters.

“Hey Rainbow” The young filly smiled as Rainbow wrapped her cyan wing around her side protectively.

“Hey Dash.” Applejack said, “Skipping your nap today?” She questioned continuing to trot beside the youngest of the Apples.

“Just wanted to see if Scoots here wanted to go for a little fly.” Rainbow said with a smile looking down at the little filly under her wing.

“Of course” She shouted with glee. “Meet you two there?” She asked the other crusaders, receiving a nod from the fillies. Scootaloo handed her scooter to Applejack, “Could you carry this for me please?” she asked, the older mare smiling and nodding warmly.

“Okay here we go squirt.” Rainbow said crouching for the filly to climb onto her back. The orange Pegasus climbed eagerly onto the mare’s back. She wrapped her hooves lightly around Rainbow’s neck, careful not to squeeze too tightly. Rainbow hopped into the air, hovering a few feet above the ground. “I’ll see you girls later.” She said to her two friends. Applejack and Rarity looked up and smiled at the cyan Pegasus.

“Come over later for some fritters if you want RD.” Applejack suggested.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything AJ.” Rainbow smiled back. “See ya.” She said before speeding up towards the club house. She didn’t make any detours just sped right through the Orchard to the small clubhouse, landing on the porch of the clubhouse, lowering her body so the filly could climb off. The filly climbed off and trotted in front of her idol, giving her a hug.

“Thanks Dash.” She smiled, releasing her grip on the cyan coat. “I’ll see you then? Or are you staying here for a while?” She questioned, looking down at her hooves, wanting to spend more time with the mare.

“Yeah I’ll stay for a while squirt.” She said, looking at the filly that smiled wider and raised her head to look at the mare. Then the filly frowned seeing that there wasn’t a warm smile on the mare face, more like a scowl. Rainbow looked away from the filly and trotted further into the club house, she sat down and turned to the filly, who slowly trotted into the club house. She stood a few feet away from the mare looking at her idol. Her head raced and heart pounded in her ears. “We need to talk. Sit down.”

“O-Okay” She murmured, thoughts buzzing around her head. She faked a smile and looked at her idol. “What do you want to talk about Dash?” taking a seat next to the mare on the carpet the crusaders usually used for their brainstorming sessions. They both sat in silence for a moment, Scootaloo grew more and more panicked as time passed. “Dash?”

“Why didn’t you tell me, or anyone about your parents?” Rainbow said bluntly looking at the filly with kind yet demanding eyes. They filly sat in shock her eyes starting to water.

“What are you talking about? I told who ever needed to know.” She said as if she had practiced that answer over and over again before. “There was no reason to tell you, you didn't know them and the funeral was long past before I even met you.”

“You should have told me, because I care about you. Did you know that Cloudsdale mailed me, thanking me for taking you in?” Rainbow looked the filly in the eyes that looked away. “I went to Cloudsdale today, asked around. Apparently you didn’t show up to the funeral at all. You didn’t tell anyone where you were until a week ago. When you told them I took you in.” The filly stared at the corner of the clubhouse not answering to anything Rainbow was saying. “Scootaloo.” Rainbow said sympathetically as a tear rolled down Scootaloo’s face.

“I didn’t want to, if I went to their funeral it meant that they were really dead. I know it was stupid, I said my goodbyes though. I visit them, I know they are gone they are never coming back. I can’t go back to Cloudsdale though. It hurts to see their favourite stores and restaurants; I can’t leave my friends behind either. Plus they will always compare me to my mom if I stay. They’ll ask why I can’t fly like her.” Scootaloo rambling, tears rolling down her face. “I can’t fly her, I never will be able to fly like her.”

“You don’t know that Squirt, you just aren’t used to your wings yet. Sweetie Bell can’t use her magic yet either, but with time and practice you will be able to fly just as fast as anypony.” Rainbow reassured, placing a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

“No I won’t” Scootaloo said, standing up. She began to trot to the exit and looked back at Rainbow Dash. “Please just trust me on this one. I will never be able to fly like my mother.” She stared at the cyan Pegasus who had a determined look in her eyes.

“Of course you will, if you want to. All you have to do is practice, I’ll even help you.” Rainbow said proudly smiling at the filly. “We can make your mom proud.”

“No I can’t, I will never make her proud and she died in vain trying to save a useless Pegasus like me. Now please can we not talk about this.” Scootaloo begged.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily, I’m not done.” Rainbow said. “Just to show you that with practice you can fly just as fast as any other Pegasus I’ll show you something.” Rainbow extended her wings then lifted off the ground and grabbed the filly in her hooves. She left the club house and rised farther and farther into the air. “I should have let you learn when we were camping but I wanted you to see that I care about you. This is what my teacher did to get the younger Pegasus to learn to fly. You see it’s just like a mother bird. You’ll never learn without that first push. Which in this case is more like a drop.”

“No Rainbow, don’t please. You don’t understand. I can’t fly.” She pleaded, the other Pegasus just ignored her, continuing to rise in the air, and then stopping.

“Of course you can’t fly. Not yet at least, you’re always going to doubt your abilities until you learn, once you first fly it’ll be much easier.” Rainbow said, "I know it's scary but please trust me."

"No! Don't!" Scootaloo yelled as she felt the mare grip loosen. "I mean it I can- AHHHHHHH" Her sentence was interupted by the mare releasing the filly.

"I'm sorry Scoots! This is how it has to be." She yelled after the filly, starting to descend slowly after the filly. "Three, two, one." She counted in her head, knowing by now the filly would have started to fly, her natural instincts kicking in. She smiled to herself and continued to descend. Until the continued screaming of the young filly, broke through her thoughts.

The filly was falling, faster and faster. She squeezed her eyes shut, still screaming knowing that any second she would hit the ground. Tears from the strong winds stained her orange coat, her purple mane whipped in the heavy winds. She kept her eyes closed, picturing her mom and dad whom she would be joining soon.

"Squirt!" Rainbow yelled as she began to speed up, making her body fall as fast as it could. The wind whipped by her face, cause tears to form in her eyes. The air around her resisted her increasing speed, every inch of her body told her to slow down. She ignored her instincts and raced towards the filly. She slowly closed the gap on her falling friend, using all her energy she used her wings to give her one more burst of speed grabbing onto the filly, hugging her tight and extending her wings to slow their fall. "I'm sorry"


"Applejack? Where's Rainbow taking Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked her sister when she noticedRainbow flying higher and higher into the air. Applejack turned her head to see what her sister was talking about, squinting her eyes trying to get a better look.

"Ah don't know." Applejack replied, "Ah guess we'll see." She stopped as she answered watching attentively at the small flying figure. Suddenly the larger pegasus released the filly, who began to fall. "What in the hay?" She shouted, racing towards where the filly was falling towards, Applebloom Rarity and Sweetie Bell close behind.

The four ponies raced hearts beating, watching as the pegasus mare raced after the filly. They broke through the acres just in time to see the two Pegasi to hit the ground.