Chapter one: A Special Kind of Birthday

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The waning sun cast long shadows over Sweet Apple Acres. Outside, not a single pony could be found tending to the trees or animals. Instead, the Apple Family and friends were all gathered together around a birthday cake. Its candles provided the only source of light, dimly flickering over a chocolate sheet cake. Flamboyantly scrawled across the top in purple icing were three distinct words: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOTALOO!

This party was herfirst in the rustic house. She’d been living here for several months, but somehow it didn’t quite feel like home, as if she were still an outcast. Still, surrounded by friends and family, she couldn’t help but to feel an uneasy excitement and elation.

Only if Rainbow Dash would show up. She was dumb to think Dash would come to her sister’s birthday. Applejack tried to dismiss Dash’s absence as maybe “she forgot” or “something came up.” Heh, but nopony knew Dash like she did. Rainbow Dash would rather work than waste time on the pony's life she claimed to part of. The thought of Rainbow Dash just doing nothing at home while she’s at her birthday party made her heart hurt.

Scootaloo grimaced as Apple Bloom released another outburst of laughter. She wished Sweetie Belle would stop telling her that joke about the dress and mud so she at least get some peace and quiet. She didn’t know if the wax in her ears vanished or what, but her hearing seemed exceptionally sensitive to loud noises such as Apple Bloom’s laughter.

Dear Celestia, that pig-type laughter. This made her shuddered. She jumped when she heard a clicking noise as it grew near her. She sighed in relief as she saw it was just Applejack heading in the fridge for another soda. Scootaloo grimaced at the noise of Applejack rummaging through the cans and pots sitting in the fridge.

Her eyes screwed shut and groaned. This headache really was wearing her down - she felt like a thousand drums were pounding in her skull. She groaned and gritted her teeth. It hadn’t stopped since this morning. Nothing she tried seemed to make it go away; everything only seemed to make it worse. She rested her head on the counter and closed her eyes.

She wanted to tell Applejack the party was off as suddenly everything was loud. Maybe she was getting a massive headache or again, her ears being cleaned out. She snapped out of her thoughts when Applejack slammed the door and came out with an red plastic cup.

Scootaloo pretended to ignore the noise and focused on the Earth Pony in front of her. “What's in the cup?”

Applejack placed the cup down on the counter and turned towards her. "Some apple juice." Scootaloo looked down and huffed. Applejack raised an eyebrow as Scootaloo groaned and clutched her head. “Mind telling me why the birthday filly is in here and not out there?”

Scootaloo snapped out of her trance to cast a quick look towards Applejack. “Heh, just sitting here thinking.”

Applejack smirked. “Scootaloo, what’s up?”

“Huh?”

“I basically raised Apple Bloom, so I know when something on a pony’s mind.” Applejack frowned. “Are you still broken up about Rainbow Dash not coming to your party?”

She looked up as she shot Applejack a glare. “I’m not broken up about Rainbow Dash not showing up. Being broken up is for sappy ponies.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Alright fine, you seem mad about something. Would you like to share it with me?"

Scootaloo crossed her forelegs. "I’m not mad…it’s just… nothing.”

“Scootaloo…”

She uncrossed her forelegs as she stood up. “This doesn’t feel weird to you? That I’m living in your house? ”She turned to Applejack as she placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Ain’t weird to me at all,” Applejack with a warm smile.

Scootaloo sighed. "It is to me. I mean, I never pictured myself in this family. My friend's family."

"Well it's a good thing it did happen. I don't really get to spend time with Apple Bloom so it's good she finally has another sister to fill the hole," Applejack said with a smile.

They shared a smile before moving the party from the kitchen and into the hallways. Scootaloo scanned all the pictures that hung on the room, some of the family went on vacation and some were taken near the farm. None seemed to be taken with her in it.

She frowned. As they reached the near end of the hallway, she spotted a shelf, and sitting on top of it was a tall mare with a haystack near her coated in gold. She had never seen Applejack’s trophies out in the open. They walked into the living room where the cake was, sitting on a small brown table. All of them circled around it while she sat in the middle. She found Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sitting next to each other. Apple Bloom wore a smug grin. “What were you doing in there? Daydreaming?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Oh, ha ha, you should be a comedian Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom eyes lit up. “You think that's my special talent!”

She smiled and shook her head. “No,” she said, receiving a playful push from Apple Bloom.

“What you going to wish for, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I don’t know.” She arched an eyebrow when she noticed how Sweetie Belle was leaning over the table with a wide smile.

“You should know! You could wish for anything, and it’ll come true!” Sweetie Belle hopped in place. “Oh-oh! You should wish for flying or or a brand new scooter!”

“What’s wrong with my old one?”

Sweetie Belle coughed in her hoof. “Nothing.”

“Jeez, Sweetie Belle, you’re more excited than Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said with a chuckle, making Sweetie Belle blush in the process. “Go on, Scoots. Make a wish and one that’s yours!” She shot a glare at Sweetie Belle.

She closed her eyes and thought of the many joys of flight. Of course, among them was soaring in the skies with a certain missing pony. She couldn’t wait for that one. Wishes were supposed to come true. Maybe since her birthday was today she just might get some luck?

Lub-dub…

Lub-dub, lub-dub…

Scootaloo’s eyes glanced about, though all she saw were happy, expectant faces.

She tried to ignore the sound of her beating heart. It seemed to come faster and faster each passing second. She exhaled as the sudden heat that burned her forehead made her sweat. She wiped the sweat away and tried to calm her racing heart.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub! Lub-dub!

She lowered her hoof down to her chest. I don’t feel so good. She snapped out of her trance when something nudged her foreleg. She turned to Applejack, who had a smile on her face. “Let’s sing the birthday song to the birthday girl!”

Scootaloo stared at Applejack. The volume of her voice had somehow gotten louder than before. It was as if her hearing had been suddenly heightened. When Applejack spoke, it was like her voice blasted through one ear and echoed out of the other. She shook off the dizziness and huffed. Come on, Scootaloo. Just a little fever or cold you’re feeling no biggie. Just act like everything’s normal. She forced a smile as all eyes were planted on her.

“Happy birthday to you!"

She shook her head as their voices resonated throughout the room. The song rung in her ears, the lyrics coursing through her brain. Her smile began to waver as the noises grew louder and louder. She fought back to hold her smile as they continued to sing the song. Her head felt hot as her sweat burned her forehead, and wiped the sweat away before anypony could notice it. If she didn’t smile, then they would know something’s wrong and that would cancel her birthday party. She mustered in all her strength in the forced smile as they ended the song.

She didn't think she would enjoy a moment of silence this much. The Apple Family didn’t move a muscle, their lips sealed tight. It was safe let her guard down.

Scootaloo felt like she on a roller coaster, the walls even seemed to shift up and down. She had vertigo and an extremely painful headache. Just as she stumbled off to the kitchen sink, she tasted her vomit forming. Her hooves began to wobble as her vision became hazy. She turned to Apple Bloom who had became a yellow blur as her vision betrayed her. Despite this, she nodded her head to whatever Apple Bloom was talking about to her.

She couldn't understand, it just sounded like just loud yapping to her.

She pushed herself up on her hooves. Her legs wobbled as she started to move, but she managed to gain her balance as she walked into the kitchen. Each step she took, sounds of her hooves clopping echoed in her ears. A barking noise exploded in her ears as the door swung opened. Scootaloo shook her head as the headache began to weigh her down. She fell to her hindlegs. She gripped on the edges of the sink as the noises grew louder and her strength weakened. The back of her head slammed on the floor like a ton of bricks as she could muster no more strength.

She tried to lift herself from the ground, but the pain kept her muscles stuck on the cold floor. She groaned as Applejack called out to her. Lub-dub. Lub-dub, As she laid on the ground, her heartbeat seemed to come slower and slower each passing second at the same time her eyes drooped lower and lower.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

“Scootaloo!”

She took her final breath before she went to sleep.

She heaved herself up as it felt like a ton of weight just dropped on her chest, leaving her panting. She controlled her beating heart as she realized blankets covering almost all her lower body and a pillow behind her. Her first action to get off the bed and look around to find out where she was.

She recognized it as her and Apple Bloom’s bedroom by the bunk beds. Her Wonderbolt posters hung on the right side and an apple pattern hung on the left. She could see her action figures, autographs signed by members of the Wonderbolts, and a picture of Rainbow hugging her laid out on her bed. She raised an eyebrow and picked up the frame.

She lifted a hoof to her head as she did not feel like something was pounding inside her head. She removed her hoof from her head and felt her ears as well. She heard no sounds of heartbeat. She walked around in circles, feeling pretty balanced as she paced around, making herself stop.

Scootaloo chuckled. “No more headache?” She looked outside to see the farm hidden in shadows. The trees could hardly be seen through the fog in the dim moonlight. Her ear twitched as she heard something from behind and whipped around. “Ah!”

She calmed down as she looked again. A long rectangular mirror sat across from where she stood, the moonlight reflecting on its glass. “What the…?”

She hesitated as she stared at the tall mirror awaiting for her across the room. She gulped and walked towards it, her steps echoing throughout the room, her heartbeat pumping like drums in her ears. She stopped when she reached close enough to the door she could see her reflection.

It was a different version of her—one with fangs and slick, leathery wings. The other Scootaloo had bags under its eyes from a lack of sleep, and its mane was ruffled up a bit, as though Rainbow Dash had given her a long noogie.

For a moment, she and the copy shared a look. Both walked to each other, breaking the distance between until they stopped as they stood face to face. She felt like she was staring into the mirror of her soul. She saw all the pain within the other’s eyes as it stared into her eyes. She could understand the copy’s pain—loneliness, betrayal, and rejection all coursed through her mind.

Before she could say anything, a familiar light blinded her again. She saw in the mirror something approaching behind her. “Ah!” She fell on her rump and groaned as she rubbed her bottom. She looked up to see Luna walk up to her and stop as she saw the filly’s reflection. Her face had the same shocked look as she locked eyes with the copy staring at, remaining speechless. “Princess Luna, what are you doing here?”

Luna kept looking at Scootaloo’s reflection, her expression never seeming to waver. Her shock froze her in place close to Scootaloo. Scootaloo pieced together by the mirror, her reflection and Luna’s appearance she was still asleep. “Princess?”

Luna recovered from her shock as heard the filly stuttering as she said, “Is…is… .” Her breathing became shaky as she pointed at the mirror. “Is that me?”

To her surprise, Luna nodded. “Scootaloo, can I ask you a question?”

Scootaloo nodded, not turning her eyes away from the mirror.

“How much do you know of your lineage?”

She turned away as she stared at Luna. “My what?”

Luna sighed.“Your family history.”

“What does that have to do with—” Her eyes widened. “Come on, Princess Luna, usually I’m up for crazy ideas, but this is just too far. I mean what would you think that anyway? I’m a pegasus remember?”

Luna hummed. "This is strange to me then, for I have never seen a Pegasus with bat ears.”

Her mind froze. She gave Luna a blank expression. “Bat wha…?”

Luna walked over to the filly and pointed at her ears. “Look at the mirror and tell me what you see.”

She hesitated, but did as Luna told and looked at the mirror. The other her was gone and was replaced with her regular pegasus self. She almost turned around until she saw what Luna was talking about. Her ears looked like they been stretched a little farther as her ears had tufts sticking out at the end.

Just like her other self.

“Ah!” Scootaloo grabbed her ears and pulled them down to her head. “What the heck happened to my ears! Why do they look like that?”

“I have my suspicions. Your past is clearly a mystery and you told me yourself you were uncertain of both of your parents’ race. You could have inherited one of their genes and something must have triggered them.” Luna pointed at the mirror. “That.”

“You’re saying I’m like.” Her muzzle started to quiver as she continued.“I-I’m like my….my…” Luna’s eyes turning away and her silence told the answer she already knew. Scootaloo shook her head. “No, no this can’t be true. This is all a dream, none of this is real which means at any minute I’m going to wake up.” She closed her eyes and held her breath.

Luna looked up as she frowned. “While that may often be true, dreams are also capable of presenting the truth in many forms.”

Her eyes shot opened as she exhaled.“I don’t wanna talk about them. I don’t want to know about my stupid parents anymore!”

Luna walked closer to the pegasus and reached out a hoof as she approached for the filly. “Scootaloo—”

She stepped back as Luna walked closer. “I forgot about them like they forgot about me. I’m supposed to move on!” She looked up, tears building up she glared at Luna, her breathing quickening as she asked in a whisper, “N-n-now you telling me I gotta think about them again?”

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo. You shouldn’t be going through this… I-I failed you. I should pay more attention to the children.” Luna lifted the filly’s chin with a hoof as she stared down at the filly with a tear stained face. “Which is why I shall see to it that I pay more attention to you, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo stopped herself and exhaled as she controlled her breathing. “I’m nothing worth paying attention to. I’m just an orphan nopony wants.”

Both embraced in a quick hug before it was broken. “No, you are not!” Luna frowned. “You are still you, Scootaloo. Never forget that. Indeed this is shocking and I will see to it that I solve this crisis.” She sighed as she continued. “However, this does not change the fact you are still that cheerful filly everyone cares about.”

“Yes, it does!”

“No, it does not!”

“And how do you know, huh!” Scootaloo shouted. “I probably going to be like my parents!”

“But you are not them!” Luna’s anger vanished as she sighed. “You have shown me that you are more than them. You are something special.”

She sniffled. “Yeah right.”

“No, my words are true,” Luna said as wiped Scootaloo’s tears away with a hoof. “You are special.”

“I just thought I was done with them ya know? Move on… hopefully with the Apple family.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Guess that’s what I get for getting my hopes to high.”

“The past has its way of sneaking up on you,” Luna said, her voice dropping low as she continued. “In many forms.” Luna looked up as she held a stern look. “The changes have already begun deep within you. You must learn to accept yourself. If you do not, then those around you will also see you as something abhorrent.” Scootaloo stood speechless. “I’m not going to lie, Scootaloo, there are some ponies who hate what they do not understand and many who are afraid of it.”

Scootaloo ears drooped to her head. “Yeah, I guessed that part.”

“I need you to remember,” Luna said “You are a loveable filly who is full of life and is determined to achieve success. You are not a monster. Do you understand me? You will be loved still.”

“But what about my parents?” Scootaloo asked. “How am I going to get them off my mind?”

“Truth be told, you may not be able to get them off your mind for a long time.” As Luna said this, Scootaloo dropped her attention to the floor. “But, you can try to with the Apple family. Your family.”

The words made Scootaloo's ears twitch, filling her with hope. She didn’t feel the need to talk as Luna’s comforting hooves wrapped around her ease all the worries—the pain her parents brought—away. With her head pressed against Luna’s chest, she could feel her heart beating a slow remedy.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub

Her eyes drooped lower and lower as the sound made her sleepy. She closed her eyes and snuggled up in Luna’s coat. During the moment of relaxation, there was a faint beep in the distance.

The sound continued to break Scootaloo’s comforting moment, increasing its volume each second. She broke the embrace and looked around. “What is tha—ugh!” She clutched her ears as the beeping reached its full impact.

She clenched her teeth as the thunderous beep made her fall to her hindlegs. “Princess Luna!” It sounded like Luna was shouting her name, but the noise drowned her voice out. A strange sensation coursed through her body when as she saw a blue aura she assumed was Luna’s surround her vision. The magic streamed through her brain and pushed her down to the ground. Time slowed down as her body slowly crashed on the ground. When her face hit the cold floor, the sound faded away.

Beep.

Chapter two: Never Better

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The safe haven stood tall, bearing a red cross for all to see. The sun’s light created a beautiful wave of colors as it shone on the windows. Inside, every nurse and doctor ran from door to door, pushing stretchers with patients atop them.

A heavy silence carried in Room 124, punctuated by the heart monitor beeping each second. Scootaloo’s eyes cracked open, but all she could see were blobs of color as she searched the room. However, she couldn't budge her head an inch. Her worries eased as she recognized the familiar heart monitor beeping next to her bedside.

Scootaloo’s ears perked up as a clatter of hooves came closer to the door. Two voices resonated in the corridor, but from where she lay, she could hear them clearly as if she were out there conversing with them. One was Applejack’s, and the other was a rougher tone belonging to a stallion she didn't recognize.

“Is she going be okay, doc?”

“I’ve got some good and bad news,” said the Doctor.

“Good news,” Applejack said. “Give me the good news first.”

“Well the good news is she’s close to waking up from her coma and should make a full recovery.”

“Oh thank Celestia.” There was a pause. “And the bad news?”

He sighed. “I think it’s best you see for yourself.”

Scootaloo heard the clacking of their hooves approaching the door. The knob twitched back and forth. Just then, the door creaked open as faint whispers reached her ears. Applejack was thanking the doctor, who said he'd be back to check in before closing the door.

“Oh, Scootaloo,” she heard the young cowgirl whisper.

Applejack walked to her bed. When she sat down, Scootaloo noticed a card in Applejack's hoof. Maybe Applejack didn’t notice Scootaloo's eyes were halfway open as she mumbled, “Fangs… leathered wings… what is this?” She felt pressure in her hoof as something gripped on it. A sigh echoed within the room as the heart monitor beeped. She wanted to let Applejack know she was awake, but her lips refused even the slightest motion.

“Is this some bad result of one of your crusades? Scootaloo, what happened to you?” Applejack sighed. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m not leaving you by yourself. I'll always be here for you.”

Scootaloo had a ghostly smile on her face. She wanted to reach out to her, touch her, whatever it took to let her know she appreciated her company. Scootaloo screamed, but nopony heard her as it was inside her head.

Her vision blurred as she couldn’t fight back the sleepiness. Applejack’s smile was the last thing she saw before she passed out.

Scootaloo covered her ears as she woke up. She heard a clicking sound followed by a clopping noise crashing like claps from an angry thunderstorm. It grew closer each passing second. A strange substance passed over her eyes, clouding her vision with a purple aura. Soon, the noises faded to a more tolerable volume. The light blinded her as the door opened. She shielded her eyes with a hoof and tried to identify the shadow standing before her. “Ugh, can you close the door?”

The fuzzy blob stepped forward and into focus. Twilight stood at the door away, her smile still seen through the light. “Twilight?”

Twilight walked in and over to the chair where she sat down. “Oh thank goodness, you're awake. How are you feeling?”

Raising a hoof, she blocked the incoming sunlight. “I hate the sun.”

After drawing the blinds, Twilight took a seat and tried her best to smile. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo lowered her forelegs and placed a hoof on her head as her skull throbbed with pain as if something was clawing deep at the brain cells beneath. “No.”

Twilight blushed. “My fault. There might be some side effects to the spell.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “You used a spell on me?”

Applejack yawned and stretched her hooves out from the chair. Her eyes fluttered a bit as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. “Scootaloo?” Scootaloo smiled. She didn’t have time to respond as Applejack dove in and pulled Scootaloo into a bone-crushing hug. “I knew you were strong!”

“Yeah, that's nice,” she whimpered, “but...I can’t breathe.”

“Oops.” Applejack released Scootaloo from the hug and chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that.”

The door burst open again as two nurses and a doctor came inside. The nurses checked Scootaloo’s IV bag, one gripping on her foreleg and the other feeling her head.

Scootaloo groaned. She felt crowded amongst those surrounding and treating her. The doctor trotted up to her, levitating a clipboard. “How are we doing today?”

“A little drowsy,” Scootaloo muttered.

"Hmmm, can you follow my hoof?” Doctor Stables asked as he waved it around. He smiled upon noticing Scootaloo’s eyes following his movement. “Well, it seems the morphine is wearing off.”

“Is that a good thing, Doc?”

He nodded, smiling. “Indeed it is. Nurse, can you check Scootaloo’s temperature?”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at the odd request, but opened her mouth anyway.

The nurse walked closer, a long stick held in her hoof. “Say ‘aah.’”

Scootaloo opened her mouth. The nurse almost put the stick in her mouth, but paused as she looked in Scootaloo’s mouth. She recoiled. “Oh my.” Hesitantly, she leaned forward and continued examining the inside of Scootaloo’s mouth before she told her it was okay to close it. “This is new,” she said.

Scootaloo closed her mouth. “What?”

She turned towards the doctor. “Can I see you for a moment, Doctor?”

He arched an eyebrow, but nodded. “Sure. We’ll be back soon to make sure everything is going well,” he said to Applejack and Twilight before leaving the room with the nurse.

Scootaloo waited until the mare was gone. She turned to Twilight and asked, “What’s her deal?” Twilight levitated a mirror in front of her and Scootaloo saw what had spooked the mare. A sharp fang protruded from where her normal tooth used to be. She had seen that face plenty of times in her dreams, yet the shock of being robbed of her Pegasus traits still stung.

“You okay, Scootaloo?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’ve got one fang and my normal Pegasus teeth!” A disturbing smile crept on Scootaloo’s face as sweat trickled down her head.

Applejack looked at the filly. “Scootaloo?” When she received no response from Scootaloo, she turned to Twilight. “Uh, Twi, I think something is wrong with Scootaloo.”

Twilight nodded. “Agreed.”

“What are you guys talking about? I’m not freaking out!” Scootaloo let out a nervous chuckle. It sounded like it was forced out to mask the sweat forming in her head. Her eyes opened wide as she looked between the two.

Applejack moved back a little. “I’m getting kind of scared.”

Twilight forced out a smile and walked slowly towards the mare, holding out a hoof as if she were an owner trying to calm their angry dog. “Scootaloo, please calm down.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “You’re so funny, Twilight!”

Applejack leaned over and whispered in Twilight’s ears, “I’m hoping she won’t see her wings,” Applejack turned to Scootaloo. She froze. face hoofing, she realized her mistake. “She heard me, didn’t she?”

Scootaloo looked over her shoulder. Although she couldn’t see what was wrong, she sensed something out of order with her wings. She extended one of her wings, and she squinted her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she gasped. Her wings looked leathery, but still were the same color as before. It was something out of a horror story.

Scootaloo’s scream pierced Applejack and Twilight’s unprepared ears.

Twilight shielded her ears with her hooves. “Scootaloo, calm down!”

Scootaloo ignored Twilight’s plea and kept screaming as she looked at her featherless wings.

“Scootaloo, please stop—” Twilight was interrupted when the doctor came bursting in.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as he looked around.

Twilight grunted. “Everything is fine. Thank you, Doctor!”

He looked at Twilight, hooves clung to her ears, then at the shrieking Scootaloo. “Doesn’t look like it to me!”

Twilight groaned. “Scootaloo, can you please stop?”

Scootaloo ceased screaming when her own cough interrupted her. She started coughing a lot until one of the nurses brought a glass of water, which she eagerly downed.
Once she was finished, Twilight tried again. “Breathe, Scootaloo.” She inhaled, then exhaled, repeating the process until Scootaloo mimicked her. “You okay?”

Scootaloo performed the technique one time before she gave a nod. Applejack shifted in her spot and sighed as she looked at Scootaloo. “Are you sure?” Scootaloo nodded, but froze for a moment before shaking her head. “Oh, Scootaloo.” She leaned over to Scootaloo and hugged her.

Scootaloo blushed as Applejack’s forelegs squeezed her around her waist. She looked around the room before turning her attention back to Applejack. When Applejack broke the embrace, she tried to hide the blush as she cleared her throat. “S-so uh w-wh—” She stopped herself for a breather before continuing. “Where’re the others? I imagined waking up to a welcome party.”

“The others are back at the farm. Can't maintain itself, ya know?”

Scootaloo wanted to protest, but she decided against it. “Yeah, I guess.”

Both sighed and a silence settled in.

“Do… do you miss your feathers?”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo looked for a moment before she looked back up with a smile. “Least I don’t have to worry about preening anymore.”

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah.” Scootaloo tensed up and turned around when Applejack’s hoof landed on her shoulder. “I’m here if you need anything.”

Scootaloo smirked, even though she knew it was forced. “T-t-thanks.” She waited for Applejack to offer to leave, but the pursing of her muzzle told her differently. She forced a yawn and stretched her hooves out in the air, smacking her lips. “Boy am I tired!”

Applejack eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t mean to keep you up.”

“It’s fine.”

“No you need all the rest you can get.” Applejack smiled and rose from the chair she sat on. “Are you going to be alright?” Scootaloo gave her a nod, and she walked off.

Scootaloo settled in her blankets and laid her head back on the soft, fluffy pillow. She lifted her head as she looked up at the turning blades of the ceiling fan and hearing the wheels of a wheel chair squeaking in her ears. Scootaloo looked outside to see it was now nighttime. She didn't know how much time had passed thanks to the medicine they gave her. Scootaloo sighed and continued to watch the ceiling fan as it rotated.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

A chilling shiver coursed through every follicle of Scootaloo’s coat. It wasn’t caused by the excitement alone; she was actually feeling the wind blowing on her coat. The speed of her flight made the air more resistant to her movements, but she kept flying with all her strength. She wanted to grin, to shout her joy to the world, but opening her mouth would cause the wind to abruptly fill her lungs, and make her lose control. Instead, she simply smiled.

Screeeeeech

Scootaloo bolted her head upright as the deafening sound woke her up. The sound was close to a griffon dragging its talon down a dry chalkboard. She tried to block the sound out with her hooves, but to no avail. She still heard the sound. She groaned and looked around for something to help her.

The curtains on the windows, blocking out the moon’s light couldn’t help. The wires hooked on the machine was a no-go either. Her eyes widened when she turned around and saw the pillow her head rested on. She grabbed it and put it above her head, hoping it would block out the noise.

Thankfully it worked as the sound continued to decrease until it vanished. She removed the pillow and exhaled. She looked around to find only the machines beeping, a flashing bright light now and then as a guard passed by the room with a flashlight.

She couldn’t escape her thoughts through the slow and mellow beeping. Questions swarmed around her head, just floating around with no answers. The fear of the unknown scared her the most; she didn’t know what she was. She was basically a walking mystery!

Scootaloo was even more scared as the hearing could bring in more unwanted problems. Like she couldn’t be around a crowd of ponies, she would be forced to eavesdrop in their conversations, private ones, personal ones! Scootaloo sighed and shifted her head in a more comfortable position.

She calmed down when she looked over and saw Applejack asleep in the chair. She was thankful to have her by her side. She closed her eyes and let out an exhale.

“Ah!” Scootaloo bolted her head from her pillow as she woke up, sweating. When she heard the rooster perform its usual morning call, a wave of relief washed over her. Scootaloo rubbed her hooves down her face and grunted as she sat upright. Her mane was messy and bags lay under her eyes. But those were the least of her problems.

Scootaloo shook her head, yawned a bit, and rose up from her back in time for Applejack and Twilight to come walking through the door, pink platters hovered in a purple aura. "Looks like somepony didn’t sleep too well,” Applejack said.

“I figured you might not like the hospital food, so we got something from Sugarcube corner instead.” Twilight levitated Scootaloo a platter and a fork.

“Yeah, its good!” Applejack shouted with a mouthful.

“Applejack, remember your-barp!” Twilight closed her mouth and blinked, a blush forming around her cheeks. “Excuse me.”

Applejack gulped down the pancakes and burped loudly. "Are you sure you got enough sleep, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo opened her eyes when the fresh-baked pancake was placed on the plate in front of her. She breathed in the fresh smell of batter cooking in the kitchen. Taking in all the scent of maple syrup and cake batter, Scootaloo picked up a pancake with a fork and stuffed it inside her mouth.

She replied with a shrug.

Twilight seemed to accept the response and resumed talking, “So, uh, how you feeling?”

Scootaloo replied with another shrug, chewing her pancakes.

Twilight shifted in her chair. “I was hoping we could run some tests after we're done with breakfast.”

A noise startled both ponies. Turning around, a stallion in a lab coat froze near the door at the time he noticed all eyes were locked in them. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Dr. Stables walked into the room and smiled at the family huddled up in such a small room. “Glad to see you’re awake, Scootaloo. How are ya feeling?” Her answer was interrupted by a yawn, but Dr. Stables seemed happy with the response when he chuckled. “Well, telling by the pancakes, I’d say you’re doing fine.”

A couple pages were flipped from the clipboard in his left hoof, his eyes darting back and forth. It didn’t help as a “clunking” sound rolled from his tongue. He looked around and huffed. “Is the parent here?”

“Here,” Applejack said, raising her hoof in the air.

Scootaloo couldn’t help but blush at that.

“Ah. Well can I speak with you outside?”

“Right… sorry.” Applejack swooped in for a hug, squeezing Scootaloo tightly. As a result, the sound of a whimper and a tapping against a shoulder rapidity could be heard. “Right!” She broke the the embrace, blushing. “Sorry, I got carried away.”

The light from the hallway cut off since the door had closed, Scootaloo resumed eating her pancakes. Scootaloo would cast glances at Twilight as she chewed on her breakfast. Scootaloo guess she overdid it as Twilight caught her and stopped eating. “What, you wanna ask me something, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo shook her head.

“It’s okay, Scootaloo.” Twilight levitated the platter down on the small table and turned to Scootaloo. “Go ahead.”

Scootaloo held the platter in her hooves, staring at the soaked pancakes laying on the purple platter. It was now or never. She let out an exhale. “Twilight, do you think…” she trailed off as she mumbled the last words.

“What did you say?”

“I said, do you think you can use that spell you did earlier to make me have normal hearing again?” Twilight shook her head to Scootaloo’s displeasure. “Oh.” Her ears drooped to her side.

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo. I wouldn’t know if it would solve this or make it worse. For all I know, the spell could leave an everlasting effect on you!” Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry, but this one is only temporarily.”

“So I’m doomed to suffer through noises?” Scootaloo asked with a hint of sadness in her tone.

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Twilight reached over and pulled Scootaloo closer. “Don’t think of this as a burden, Scootaloo, ‘cause it’s not. You can do so many things with this.”

“Like what? Listen better?” Scootaloo asked with a sarcastic tone.

Twilight shook her head and giggled. “Sort of. You can be an open listener, if not, a better one. Just open your mind to the possibilities, Scootaloo, before thinking of the bad. Okay?”

Scootaloo looked at Twilight, who had a reassuring smile on her face. “Okay,” she said, a smile appearing on hers.

“Alright now, I think you would agree we would both like to return to eating these pancakes before they get soaked in syrup.” Twilight levitated her platter back into her hooves and dug in.

Scootaloo chuckled. “Yeah.” Her smile vanished as she saw the state her pancake was in, a soggy and dampened mess. She sighed and closed the lid.

The sound of multiple hooves storming through the hallway on the marble floor sounded like a stampede. Scootaloo roamed around the hall, head darting from each side at the doors she passed. Applejack and Twilight walked behind at a safe distance. Every turn she made, all eyes were planted on her.

The single fang, the slitted pupils, and featherless wings were indeed eye catching. It also brought some nasty comments from some of the maids. ‘Oh Celestia, it’s a batpony! Are the rumors true? Does it suck blood or worse!’ Scootaloo couldn’t help frown at their imagination. Who came up with these rumors anyway? Town folks? Canterlot snobs?

Or was it the royal guards? Whoever it was, Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to punch them right in the nose. “You’re just going to do some tests, right?” Scootaloo asked as Twilight walked up.

“Yep, and we’ll be done.”

Applejack chuckled. “I could hold your hoof if you’re scared.”

“I am not scared!” Scootaloo shouted as her muzzle scrunched up.

"Alright, I'll meet you two right here, I just have to sign you out." Twilight waved them goodbye and walked up to the counter where a mare in glasses stood behind. Scootaloo saw that Twilight was going to be a while as she scanning the clipboard like a eagle. Scootaloo groaned.

"I'm so bored!"

Applejack chuckled. “Where’s almost done. Just hold on, sugarcube.”

“But I’m dying of boredom here!” Scootaloo hung her head down. She lifted her head to the door as a familiar sound she heard whispered in the window. “Rainbow Dash?” She ran to the door and placed her face on the glass window as she looked at the activity.

“Scootaloo, don’t go outside! Your eyes might be—” Twilight’s voice trailed off as Scootaloo searched for Rainbow Dash. It probably wasn’t anything serious, something about something being sensitive due to a long period of isolation.

Scootaloo was positive it was nothing to be worried about.

Some ponies passed by the hospital. Some pulled carriages or for the weaker ones, carts filled with either food or clothing. A mare passed by pushing a stroller which Scootaloo could have sworn was empty. It was clearly a sunny day as she felt the heat even when she wasn’t outside. The sun’s light was bright as well.

She searched for a rainbow trail in the skies in hopes she would see a blue pegasus zooming around, performing loops. All she saw was a flock of birds or Pegasi hovering by. “Where are you, Rainbow Dash?” she asked as she looked. She turned behind her to see Twilight and Applejack still looking over what was written on the clipboard. Applejack would sometimes grab a pen and sign her name.

While Twilight just looked over the information on the other board, Scootaloo whipped back to the front as the familiar sound returned, but loudly this time. “Rainbow Dash!” She couldn’t wait to stand by and watch her leave, she needed answers.

She pushed the door opened. When the door opened for them, Scootaloo shuddered as she felt the breeze hit her face. She looked around, but saw no signs of her sister. “Rainbow Dash!” When she looked up to see she was in the sky, the sun’s light pierced her eyes, causing them to burn. Her hooves quickly found themselves on her eyes. She saw only darkness and heard nothing but Applejack’s voice.

“Scootaloo, what were you thinking!”

“My eyes burn!” Scootaloo shouted.

“Oh gosh, just keep your eyes closed!” Twilight warned. Scootaloo kept her eyes closed and waited. She wanted to open her eyes when she had heard Twilight mumbling something as she paced.

The pacing stopped. Scootaloo felt Twilight’s magic again. Scootaloo opened her eyes and found herself standing in the middle of the library. However, nopony was anywhere to be found, much to Scootaloo’s relief. She closed her eyes as the pain stung the longer she kept them opened. Scootaloo followed Twilight’s hoofsteps until it stopped and the sound of water coming on filled her ears.

“Lean your face over!” Applejack shouted.

Scootaloo leaned forward. The pain vanished when Twilight ran cool water over her eyes.

“Twilight, she didn't even stand out there for long, how can one look at the sun do that to her?”

“I told her to stay indoors while we're in the lobby!” Twilight shouted. “A bat pony’s eyes are sensitive to sunlight. It depends on the age in Scootaloo’s case, her sight might be comparable to a foal’s!”

“Yer sure?”

“I have no idea! Being isolated in the dark for a couple weeks must have added to the sensitivity!” Twilight said. “I’ll have to do more research on the subject later!”

When Scootaloo opened her eyes again, the pain came back with force. “It hurts!” Scootaloo dried off her face with a towel and opened her eyes again, only to close them once more when the pain still was there. “It still hurts, it hurts!”

“Okay, aah, Twilight what I do?”

“Let’s just get her to the couch where she can rest,” Twilight said.

Scootaloo breathed heavily. “Applejack? Applejack, where are you?” She felt sticky as her sweat trailed down to her face, her hooves shook each step she took. She wobbled around, circling her hooves in the air as she searched for something to grab. “Applejack!”

“I’m here, hon,” Applejack said as Scootaloo felt something grasp her foreleg. “Just hold onto me,” she heard Applejack say.

She grasped something to hold onto and prayed to Celestia it was Applejack’s hoof. Her body jerked forward when she felt Applejack starting to move. The sound of her hooves clacking against the floor echoing in her ears. It sounded slow and forced, like they were in the middle of a stand off.

She heard heavy breathing as she walked. She couldn’t tell if it was Applejack’s or hers. She inhaled and exhaled to calm herself down.

“You okay?”

“Y-y-yeah.” Scootaloo said.

“Alright, we’re almost close to the couch.”

Scootaloo felt Applejack stop as her hind leg hit against something soft. Their walking came to an end when her back pressed against the soft fabric as Applejack gently laid her down.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t go getting up now. Wouldn’t want you to fall.” Applejack sighed. Scootaloo tensed up when something hard landed on her hoof. "Don’t worry, I’m here."

Scootaloo smiled. “Thanks, Applejack.” Her head whipped around when she heard the door slam. She winched as the impact screamed in her ears, hooves clicking on the wood followed after. It stopped when she heard the fabric squeak as weight was pressed against it.

“You okay?” Twilight asked.

Scootaloo shook her head. “I can’t see anything. I can’t go outside during the day anymore?” Scootaloo asked as she turned to right side where she assumed Twilight was at.

“All I can say is whenever you want to go outside during the day, wear some sunglasses or else you might do some serious damage to your eyes,” Twilight said.

“How do you know so much about them? Thestrals, I mean.”

“Plenty of studying!” Twilight beamed happily.

Scootaloo groaned. “Ugh, this stinks! How much longer?”

“Well, I would say somewhere around a couple of hours. It’s hard to be sure,” Twilight said.

“What can I do until then?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight hummed. “Ooh, you can explore using your hearing without sight!” She heard Twilight giggles echoing in her ears. “Just a minute, I need to record this!”

The sounds of hooves thundering on the floor screamed in her ears. “Twilight, wait!” It was too late as she heard the door slam. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”

Applejack sighed. “Yep.”

Scootaloo sighed and leaned her back into the soft fabric. The fabric had lost its comfort under her rump and made it hard to sit still without shifting to find that comfortable spot. Every time she moved, an ear-piercing squeal would scream in her ears, making her still.

The clock's slow, endless ticking didn't help either. The hand sent a loud thud into her ears every time it moved down. Scootaloo wished she could block out the noise, but she could only rely on sound to make out her surroundings

It was funny: before, she was afraid of what problems her enhanced hearing would heed. Now she was relying on it more than ever.

Applejack thumping her hooves against the wooden floor, the slow breaths she took. Scootaloo couldn’t shake the feeling Applejack wanted to talk about what had happened, but she wasn’t going to have her apologize for a mistake over and over again.

It stopped when a sigh came in. “Scootaloo, can we talk?”

“Uh, what do you—” Her ear twitched when a new noise came. “Hold on.”

“What?”

“Sssh!”

“But—”

Scootaloo placed her hoof on her lips. “Sssh!” She knew Applejack gave up after she heard some grumbling.

A fly buzzing in the distance stole her attention. Scootaloo looked around the room in search of it. She heard its wings flapping. She could see the waves it sent as it flew around as if her ears were a radar. Unable to explain it, she was left confused and even scared of what this meant. Should this be considered a power, curse, infection?

Her thoughts were broken as she saw the fly moving along the wall, its buzzing echoing in her ears. She slowly raised her hoof in the air, and swat. She heard the sound of her hoof slamming down on the small body, its exoskeleton squishing under the weight of her hoof. The sound bounced throughout the library.

The buzzing had stopped, the flapping went deaf to her ears, and her radar shut down. For a brief moment, she felt like everything went silent.

She jumped when she heard, “interesting” coming from her right side. She exhaled and placed a hoof on her beating heart. “Dear Celestia, are you trying to give me a heart attack!”

Twilight giggled. “Sorry. It’s just you killed a fly without the use of sight!”

Scootaloo recoiled in disgust. “Eww, I killed a fly!”

“No don’t—” She heard Twilight shout, but it was too late as her hoof rubbed against the soft fabric "—rub it on the couch." Twilight groaned while Applejack chuckled.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

She heard no response, only the sound of the clock ticking. “I think so.”

Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes. Everything looked a little blurry, but she could make out the red splotches were the couches. She squinted harder as the purple blur hovering above the red patches was Twilight. She rubbed her eyes and opened her eyes even wider than before. She saw Twilight looking at her with a notebook hovering in her magic.

Twilight blushed as she held a guilty look on her face.

“I can see!” Scootaloo shouted and jumped off the couch. She swooped in and pulled Twilight into a hug, squeezing her tightly. “I can see!” She snuggled her face into Twilight’s coat and laughed. Her smile vanished when she realized what she had hugged – Twilight – which was an uncool thing to do, and broke the embrace. She rubbed her neck and cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s okay. How was the experience?”

“I now know what it feels like to be blind.” Scootaloo rubbed her eyes. “It’s tough!”

“But you used your instincts and relied on your hearing to help you.” Twilight smiled. “See what I told you? It can help you too.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess.”

“Hey Scoot—” was all Scootaloo heard from Applejack before she jumped at the sound of her voice.

She turned around to see Applejack. “Why is everypony jumping on me like that!”

Twilight shifted in her chair. “Scootaloo, I hope you don’t mind, but I would like to run some tests on you.”

Scootaloo sighed. “I guess.”

“You’re doing the right thing.” Twilight smiled and lifted herself from the couch. “I’ll go start the machine,” she said, as she walked off into the kitchen. There was a moment of silence, Scootaloo and Applejack stared off at the kitchen in hopes the alicorn would quickly return, but that hope dwindled as time passed by.

When Applejack took her first step after the long pause they suffered through, Twilight’s voice rung in Scootaloo’s ears as she shouted, “It’s ready!”

Applejack sighed. “Finally.” She turned to Scootaloo and patted her on the shoulder. “Better get going,” she said with a smile before walking off into the kitchen. She saw Applejack open a brown door. As she walked in, the sound of her walking down the stairs could be heard.

“Scootaloo, don’t be scared. I promise everything will be okay!”

Scootaloo gulped and got off the couch, walking into the kitchen. The door approached her, Scootaloo almost felt her heart stop. She stood at the top of the basement stairs as she watched Twilight walk farther into the darkness. She turned around to face the doorway where the kitchen light lingered. She inhaled, then walked down the steps until her hoof touched the cold floor. She never thought a basement could be filled with so many machines and lab equipment. It left her mouth hanging and her eyes wandering. All these bizarre machines were hidden away underneath the library as if Twilight didn’t want anypony seeing or touching them.

Twilight levitated thick black wires and strapped them onto Scootaloo’s chest. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”

Scootaloo winced as she heard Twilight flip the switch on and the machine’s gears whirred. She stood still as Twilight sat down and stared at her. Before long, a loud beeping screamed in Scootaloo’s ears. She winched at the sound and grabbed the wires on her head, preparing to rip them off until Twilight shouted for her to stop.

“It’s okay, Scootaloo, it’s meant to do that.” Just like Twilight predicted, a long white sheet of paper came from the machine and rolled onto the floor. “Alright, it’s going to happen again.”

The machine spat out a tongue of papers, rolling onto the floor. She picked it up and scanned the red lines. Twilight trotted to Scootaloo and examined her ear. Twilight left her side and paced around, eyes glue to the paper. The sound of her constant clopping gave Scootaloo a headache.

The basement looked like everypony’s would. It had a grayish cement tone to it like the color of a sidewalk. Light shined through only two windows, hitting spots on the floor, which was a dark brown color. Scootaloo broke out of her observing as Twilight stopped pacing.

“Well Thestrals have very sensitive hearing. They can localize even minute sounds in three-dimensional space.”

Twilight looked outside and noticed the sun setting above the town. She turned to Scootaloo, and used her magic to take off the wires. “Sorry. I guess I got too carried away with my studies,” she said and giggled.

Scootaloo’s hooves rose to her ears. “So we’re done?”

“I just have to place the spell on you again to ease your hearing down.” Twilight closed her eyes as her horn sparked a purple radiance. Scootaloo felt fuzzy as the purple area swallowed her whole head in its mist before it died down. Her eyes became glassy for a moment as the magic took effect. Scootaloo shook her head to ease the dizziness. “You okay?”

“Never better!” Scootaloo smiled before her face hit the ground.

The first thing Scootaloo woke up to was Twilight’s face staring above at her; her mouth was moving. The more she became aware of her surroundings, the more Twilight’s words became clearer. “Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo gasped as she bolted up from the cold ground. She looked around to find the same machines still in the same spot and the same dim light brightening the room. She grasped her head as a throbbing pain coursed through her brains. “Ugh, what happened?”

Twilight frowned. “I think I overdid the spell. Are you okay?” she asked as she placed a hoof on top of Scootaloo’s forehead. “You feeling a fever? Headache?”

Scootaloo groaned as she lifted herself from the ground, with Twilight pulling her up. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Scootaloo fought the aching pain in the back of her neck and managed to smile. “Never better.”

Twilight sighed. “There has to be a better and safer solution to this.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight, I can handle the spell!”

Twilight shook her head, much to Scootaloo’s displeasure. “This spell might scramble your senses, or worse, your brain cells, and I’m not taking that chance.”

“So what, then?”

Twilight rubbed her head. She rubbed a hoof over her face and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“So you’re saying there’s no way out of this?” Scootaloo asked, her ears retreating to her head.

“I—” Twilight paused as she heard the stairs creaking.

This made Scootaloo turn around and see somepony walking the down the steps. A orange leg, then a whole body until, finally, Applejack’s face appeared as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “Applejack?”

“Howdy, Scootaloo!” Applejack turned to Twilight. “Howdy, Twilight!”

Twilight smiled. “Hey, Applejack.”

“What were you all talking about? Something about a different solution?”

“The spell—”

“A different solution to my mane style!” Scootaloo said, earning a glance look from Twilight. Twilight sighed and nodded.

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell ya. While you two were doing science things, I would treat y’all to an Apple family dinner!”

Scootaloo frowned at her stomach as it growled. “I am hungry. What did you make?”

Applejack chuckled and winked at Scootaloo. “You’ll have to come up for that,” Applejack said, before running up the stairs. Scootaloo stared at Twilight with a confused look. Both shrugged and Scootaloo walked up the stairs, but stopped halfway when she noticed Twilight wasn’t behind her. “You coming?”

“I’ll join you two soon,” Twilight said, eyes still on the paper.

Scootaloo walked up the stairs and opened the basement door. She walked in on Applejack holding a platter in her mouth as she carried a freshly baked apple fritter. She gently lowered her head as she placed it on a plate. Scootaloo saw two plates with apple fritters on them. Scootaloo grumbled, “Who woulda guessed” while walking over to the table and taking a seat where a plate was already prepared for her.

Her fork stabbed into an apple pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed with delight. She stopped, wondering if she was the one making wet squishy noises with her teeth. Then, she got her answer when she spotted Applejack also eating a slice with her mouth wide open. The apple parts crushed under the might of her teeth, creating a quashing sound again and again.

Applejack stopped when she noticed Scootaloo staring at her. “What?” she said with a mouthful of pie.

Scootaloo chuckled at Applejack's puffy cheeks. “It's nothing.” She shook her head and continued eating.

They licked their plates cleaned before looking up and smiling at each other as they saw the crumbs still on their face. Finishing the food on the plate and placing the dirty dishes in the sink, Scootaloo trotted out of the kitchen. She stopped in the living room as a picture hanging on the wall caught her attention. Twilight and the other Elements huddled up in the picture, all smiling.

Scootaloo’s ears perked up when the door knocked.

“Can you get the door, Applejack!” Twilight called from the basement.

She turned around to see Applejack already approaching the door. “Let me get it, Applejack!”

Applejack stopped. “Yer sure?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yep!” She ran to the door and grabbed the knob. She twitched it and almost creaked open a space…

“I hope Twilight had some stuff on arts and crafts!”

“Of course she will. This is a library!”

She was greeted with two voices she recognized. Scootaloo’s heart skipped a beat for two different reasons: fear and happiness at hearing her friends’ voices again. She stood still with her face inches away from the door; her hooves shook violently as they knocked again.

“Do you think anypony’s home?”

“I don’t know, let me try one more time,” Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo’s eyes widened when her hoof knocked against the wood, sending out a sound throughout the almost vacant place.

Things couldn’t get any worse.

“Scootaloo, ya going to get the door or what?” Applejack called out from the kitchen.

Scootaloo closed her eyes. She prayed for Apple Bloom to stop knocking on the door or Applejack could hear her from the other side. Her heart pounded against her chest as she heard Apple Bloom suggesting to look through the windows or yell out their name, but luckily Sweetie Belle stopped her with the fear of looking crazy.

Scootaloo opened her eyes when everything went silent. No more knocking, no more Applejack asking if she answered the door or who was it, nothing. She let out a sigh of relief and pushed her face away from the door. “Guess there was nopony at the door,” she said as she approached Applejack, who was cleaning the dishes.

She gave Scootaloo a small smile and looked up at the clock. “Alright, I’mma go finish with the dishes, how about you go read a book or something?”

Scootaloo stuck her tongue out. “Ew, no thanks!”

Applejack shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She walked off into the kitchen where the sound of the sink coming on could be heard.

Scootaloo sighed and looked at the tower of books before her. “I hope she has some comic books for me to read.” Scootaloo grabbed a book from the shelf and lay on the couch. The book rested in her hooves as she quickly flipped through the pages.

Scootaloo tossed the book aside. “Ugh!” She flopped down her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. Her eyes shot opened when a familiar sound returned. “Oh, Celestia no.”

This time Applejack didn’t wait for Scootaloo as she stopped scrubbing the dishes and walked towards the door. Her hooves sounding like thunder as she walked, her eyes focused on the door as if it were a prize. Scootaloo jumped and ran in front of the moving mare. “Uh, Applejack I don’t think there’s anypony there!”

“What’yer talking about? I hear somepony knocking clear as day.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Can’t your super-hearing pick it up?”

She clutched her head as the noise assaulted her ears. She gritted her teeth, grinding them so hard she created a scraping sound from them. Just a couple more hours of suffering. “Yeah, but I guess it’s acting up.” She forced a smile.

Applejack saw the forced smile and kept on walking. “Acting up?”

“Yep, going haywire!”

Scootaloo eyes widened as Applejack grabbed the knob of the door, the gears clicking as it unlocked. She swung the door opened and a bright light blinded her, making her recoil. She held her hoof up at her eyes and tried to make out who stood at the door, but she could see was a shadow figure.

“Oh, howdy Derpy, here for another mail delivery?”

Scootaloo breathed in relief and flopped to the floor. Her friends had left, but for some reason that made her heart hurt. She frowned, but tried to block it away as she grabbed the comic book and flopped back down on the couch, flipping a page.

Scootaloo laid her head back on the soft and fluffy pillow, looking up at the turning blades of the ceiling fan. Reclining on Twilight’s couch felt weird. Twilight decided to fall asleep downstairs in her basement, with her head laid out on the control panels, drooling on the keyboard. Scootaloo threw herself left and right, but she couldn’t seem to fall asleep. She groaned as she spun her head towards the window to her right and saw the cause of the racket: a branch from the oak tree swayed near the window, tapping against it.

Scootaloo leaned towards the couch’s table and grabbed the comic book she had before. She opened and saw the page, pausing at when the hero was about to defeat the villain. “Pass,” she said, throwing the comic book aside. Scootaloo slightly tilted her head to a more comfortable position.

However, she did not fall asleep. She tried every sleeping position for comfort, but all of them ended up with her groaning in frustration.

Since sleep was off of her to-do list, she groaned and threw the blankets aside the bed. She jumped off the couch and landed on the floor. Scootaloo managed to walk out the door without being detected and sat down under the moon’s light. Looking around, she saw nopony in sight. Aside from the chirping of a nearby cricket, Scootaloo was alone.

She buried her face in her forelegs and waited for the soothing that the night provided to put her to sleep. Her eyes shot open when a sound popped into her ears. She looked around, but nopony was there. “Whoever’s out there, I ain’t afraid!” Her heart skipped a beat after the bushes rattled, and a black cat jumped out. It climbed up the steps Scootaloo sat on and meowed again. “Wow, nice getting the drop on me.”

No words were spoken. It continued staring at her with its wide eyes. Its two, black slit pupils sat under the yellow radiance its eyes provided in the night. It reminded Scootaloo of how her eyes now were. “Hey, we got the same eyes—I think.”

Without warning, the black cat pounced onto Scootaloo’s lap. It walked in circles before nesting on her.

Scootaloo’s hooves became tired as she held them in the air. She wanted to make sure she didn’t harm or anger the cat by patting its back. However, her worries vanished as the cat purred, Scootaloo chuckling as it tickled her hind legs. She ran a hoof through the smooth and thick black hairs on the cat’s back. “All your friends are asleep, too, huh?” she asked with a chuckle.

The cat looked at Scootaloo for a moment before it turned away.

Scootaloo’s eyes gazed up at the moon. “You feel kinda funny sitting on my lap.” She smiled at the thought. “How's your life going?” The cat kept silent. "Mine stinks." Scootaloo frowned. "No, it doesn't suck. It's just… weird. I don't know." She shrugged. "I mean, how would you feel if you found out you’re really a dog or your parents were?"

The cat looked up and blinked.

"Scared, right?" Scootaloo chuckled nervously. "I mean I'm not scared! Just confused!" She nodded. "Yeah I'm kinda confused—okay more than confused." She paused for a second and sighed. "Just sometimes I—feel like my lack of determination to research my body makes me feel like a dummy." She looked down to find the cat had looked away when she was talking. She sigh and ran a hoof through the cat's fur. “I’m talking to a cat. I need to sleep.” It snuggled more into her forelegs as it continued to purr. She smiled. “I’m glad somepony is enjoying themselves.”

She regretted not bringing something warm to wear as a cool breeze brushed past her.

Scootaloo froze when she felt the cat shudder from the cold. She looked in time to see the cat running from between her forelegs. “Wait!” she shouted as she ran after the fleeing cat. It was fast, so of course Scootaloo was no way near catching it. Her ears twitched when she heard another meow followed by a couple more, pushing her to a stop.

However, that was the least of her problems as she stood before the cat, snuggling up to its kittens. The little ones did their best to huddle up to their mother, some falling on their stomachs and some clutching for their life to be with their mother while the black cat just laid there.

Scootaloo smiled at the sight. “Looks like you’re busy, so I’ll get going.” As she turned around, her smile fell from her face. She hung her head low and walked until she saw the library once again.

She pushed the door open and walked inside the dark library, shutting the only source of light as the door closed. She closed her eyes and slid down to the floor. She stared at the wall of books before her, standing tall. The books became blurry as tears welled up in her eyes.

“S-Scootaloo?” Applejack stuttered as she woke up from her slumber, rubbing her eyes.

Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, tears brushing against her hoof. “Yeah, it’s me.” Applejack made it all way down the stairs as she sat down near Scootaloo. She shuddered when she felt Applejack's foreleg drape over her shoulder. "What’s got you up?"

She brought Scootaloo closer to her and looked up through the window, watching the moon up in the sky. “Feeling a little homesick.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah.” She turned towards her, a smile tugging at her skin. “Me too."

Applejack smiled back. Sighing, she returned her attention back to the moon up in the skies. "Mind explaining to me what you were doing outside?"

Scootaloo body tensed up. Crap. Applejack greeted her with a glare when Scootaloo turned around. Scootaloo feigned a smile. “Fresh air?” Applejack saw through her lie, which made her only frown harder.

“Scootaloo, why do you keep pushing yourself away from your family?”

“I’m not!” Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “What gave you the idea I was pushing you away?”

Applejack frowned. “Well for one thing, you won’t share your feelings with me.”

Scootaloo blew a raspberry as she waved a hoof. “Because I’m not for the mushy stuff remember? Plus it’s weird,” she said, shuddering.

“It’s not.” Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You’re part of this family. You don’t have to act tough anymore.”

Scootaloo’s smile wiped off her face. “I’m not acting tough,” she said, shrugging Applejack's hoof off her shoulder. “I’m fine, okay?”

“Scootaloo, I can tell when you’re lying. Element of Honesty, remember?” Applejack said.

“You say it like you really can tell when somepony’s lying!” Scootaloo scoffed. “When sometimes you’re lying yourself!”

“I never lie, Scootaloo!” Applejack shouted. “Lying gets you nowhere and—”

“And what? Telling the truth is better?”

Applejack felt her heart racing against her chest as she faced the filly before her. When she got a better look at the filly, she saw the hurt in her eyes she tried to hide. “You don’t have to lie anymore, Scootaloo. It won’t hurt you.”

“Alright, I’m not okay!” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You happy now? I do it because I don’t want to be a bigger burden than I already am with this stupid transformation!” Scootaloo shouted, then flopped on the floor as she sniffled into her hooves.

Applejack frowned at the sight of the crying filly and pulled her in close. Scootaloo seemed to calm down as she didn’t fight anymore, she just sniffled into her coat. When it died down, Applejack pulled away and looked at Scootaloo, tears trailing down her face. “You’re not a burden to me or this family.”

Scootaloo sniffled and wiped her tears away. “Yeah right.”

“No, I mean it. Scootaloo, you’re still that happy and loyal friend you were back then. And hey, don’t worry about this whole transformation thing.” Applejack pulled away and smiled. “What matters, is that you’re still you.”

Scootaloo sniffed again and looked up.“You think so?”

“I know so.”

Scootaloo smiled. “Thanks, Applejack.”

“No problem, hon.” Applejack yawned and stood up as she stretched her muscles. She tensed up when she heard a bone crack. “Should probably get some rest, big day tomorrow.”

Scootaloo rose up from the floor and stretched as her bones felt sore. “Yeah, I think all that running got me tired.”

“Midnight run, huh?” Applejack asked with a smirk, earning a blush from Scootaloo.

“Sort of.”

They both walked walked to the couch and sat down on it. Applejack grabbed some of the blankets and placed some on her, covering half her body. She gave most of the blankets to Scootaloo, whose face and body were covered by the soft blue fabric.

“Scootaloo, you okay on sleeping over that side of the couch, or do you want me to move closer?” Applejack asked with a chuckle.

Scootaloo blushed. “I-I’m not f-f-five, Applejack!”

Applejack chuckled. “Just teasing you.” She shifted farther into the blankets and exhaled as she closed her eyes. “You excited about tomorrow?”

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow. “Why should I be excited?”

Applejack yawned. “‘Cause we're going home tomorrow!” Scootaloo's pupils shrunk to tiny plates as the words echoed in her head. Her worries resurfaced as she thought of millions of ways of how they would react to seeing her.

Scootaloo snapped out of her trance when Applejack said, “Good night.”

Scootaloo yawned and shifted farther into the blankets. She exhaled to calm herself down and closed her eyes. “Good night.” Scootaloo rolled over in the blankets and and shifted into the couch for a comfort. She shut her eyes tight and awaited her dreams.

However, the pain in her eyelids made her open her eyes. Scootaloo groaned and flopped to the other side, where she was facing the window. She stared at the floor where the moon’s light reflected on it. Her heart jumped around in her chest as something clapped loudly in her ears.

She looked back up at the window, pouring with rain. She watched as the tiny drops of water plummeted onto the ground, moistening the dirt until it turned to mud. As the room brightened up with flashes of light, Scootaloo caught her reflection--dark purple eyes shining within the darkness before it faded away as the light vanished.

Chapter three: To Judge A Book By Its Message

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Scootaloo tossed and turned on the couch. Her eyes tightly shut as the blankets shook violently under her. Sweat damped the fur on her head. Her hooves gripped the blankets tightly and her head tossed back and forth.

The soft tapping of hooves sounded as thunder in the sky, echoing in her ears. Her eyes snapped open as she heard a the sky erupting, her body jerking upright. She rubbed her eyes sound and saw Applejack with guilty look on her face as she was caught red hoofed with a glass of milk and a cookie. “You had a bad dream?” Unable to speak a word with a dried throat, a simple nod would have to do.

Applejack walked over to the couch and sat down. “Milk?” she asked as she turned and held the glass in front of her.

Scootaloo nodded again and Applejack gave her the glass, which she placed upon her lips without second thought and drank. Applejack watched in awe as the liquid washed down in her throat in a flash. She pushed it away as she exhaled to catch her breath. “Thanks, Applejack.” She noticed Applejack staring at her with wide eyes. “What?”

“Just never saw nopony drank a glass of milk so fast…” Applejack looked up as she tapped her chin. “Never mind, Pinkie Pie did that once.” She chuckled at the memory of Pinkie Pie downing a whole carton of milk in seconds. She stopped laughing however as she caught Scootaloo staring at something. “Scootaloo, what are you looking at?”

Scootaloo must have not heard her as she continued to stare in her direction. Applejack looked down at her plate then back at Scootaloo, the sound of a lock unlocking opened her eyes to realize she wanted the cookie. She sighed and hoofed Scootaloo the brown circle-shaped sugar who thanked her with a nod. “Wanna talk about it?”

Scootaloo stopped chewing the cookie and gulped.

Applejack frowned as Scootaloo faced the floor as she hung her head low. She continued to look at the filly staring down at the floor, cowed by the angry glare from the farmer pony. She continued to do this until Scootaloo looked up at her. “It’s fine if you don’t wanna tell me.”

Scootaloo looked down and mumbled a couple of words that Applejack only caught half of.

“Pardon?”

Applejack sighed and decided to lean back in a comfortable position, waiting until Scootaloo was ready to respond. Her head slightly tilted to side as she felt a pain in her neck. The sound of the rain hitting the ground brought her a calm sensation, washing away her problems. Applejack would have fallen asleep right then if it were not for the boom of thunder clashing outside. “I’m up!” she shouted with her eyes shooting open. She turned to see Scootaloo with her eyes tightly shut and a look of grimace plastering her face. “You okay? Should I get Twilight?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m fin—” The thunder erupted again, she shielded her ears with her hooves and closed her eyes. She lowered her hooves again as the sound faded away. “I just hate thunder.”

Applejack saw the way the filly shook in the chair when the thunder erupted in the skies once more, flashing the room with light for but a moment before they sat in the dark again. “Are you afraid of thunderstorms, Scoots?” Applejack noticed Scootaloo tense up, urging her to continue. “It’s okay, when I was yer age I used to be afraid of storms.”

Scootaloo looked at her. “Y-y-you were?”

“Was the thunderstorm part of your nightmare?”

Scootaloo hesitated, but nodded.

Applejack chuckled much to Scootaloo’s surprise. “I would always run in Ma’s and Pa’s room when something scared me. You know what happened?”

Scootaloo shrugged.

Applejack smirked.“I caught them cuddling.”

Scootaloo snickered. “Oh man,” she said, wiping a tear away. “You ran into them cuddling! What did they make you do?”

Applejack smiled as she remembered bucking apples the whole morning. “They made me buck a couple apple trees since I loved doing chores they hoped I would forget about it.”

“Did it work?”

Applejack blushed. “Nah, that image still stuck in my noggin to this day.”

Scootaloo laughed. “Oh ho man, this is too rich!”

Applejack smiled. “Yeah, they would always let me sleep in with them no matter the circumstance. They said….” Her voice cracked as tears formed in her eyes. “We always have time for our little girl.”

“Do you… miss ‘em?” asked Scootaloo as she noticed Applejack’s smile dropping.

Applejack wiped away her tear with a foreleg. “Everyday.”

An uncomfortable silence reigned over them. They would occasionally cast glances at each other, flash a smile, then turn the other way to avoid the awkwardness the room seemed to exude.

Applejack sighed, but forced a smile. “We should head to bed. Got a long day ahead of us.”

Scootaloo leaned her head back and let out a groan. “Can I stay up a little longer?”

Applejack groaned. “Well other ponies have to sleep, remember.”

“I’ll be quiet I promise.” Scootaloo placed both her hooves together as if she was praying and fell to her hind legs, scooting next to Applejack. “Please, please let me stay up!”

Applejack sighed. “Scootaloo—”

“Please!” Scootaloo's eyes grew larger as she looked at Applejack. Applejack cringed as Scootaloo gave her those big, adorable catlike eyes, making her heart increase speed.

“Fine!” She said, prompting Scootaloo to jump up and do a happy dance. “But you have to be quiet!” She stopped as the filly continued to dance.“That means stop dancing!”

Scootaloo stopped shuffling her hooves on the floor as she turned to Applejack with a nervous smile. “Right, sorry.”

“Don’t go bothering Twilight either, ya hear?”

Scootaloo smiled, tipping an imaginary hat at Applejack. “Sure thing, partner.” She watched as Applejack closed her eyes and let out a sigh at the time she pulled the blankets over her. She waited until she was really sure that Applejack was asleep. A light snore revealed her answer. “Yes!”

She froze as Applejack mumbled something, but turned around. She sighed in relief and walked over to the door. She hated how, when trying to be sneaky, the smallest movement sounded loud. She cringed as her hooves stomped against the floor, echoing through the library.

She smiled as she made it to the door, her hoof seconds away from grabbing the gold. All the muscle in her body froze as a southern voice reached her. She turned around to see Applejack, eyes opened, staring at her with a frown. “Uh, no running off again.”

Scootaloo groaned as she let her hooves hung low. “What can I do?”

“How about a book or something?”

Scootaloo gasped. “Applejack, cool rule, number one states: books are for eggheads, not cool ponies.”

Applejack continued to stare. “Yeah and where did this rule came from?”

Scootaloo blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. “A book.” She scrunched up her muzzle as Applejack smirked. “Hey I didn’t say what type of book it has to be!”

“Whatever you say sugarcube,” Applejack said, closing her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

“Whatever I say is true because….I said it?” Scootaloo stopped. “Ugh, whatever!” Scootaloo mumbled as she walked over to the tower of books, its height almost touching the ceiling. She could not even begin to imagine how Twilight read all these books, one by one without a break. It just seemed insane to her. Just like Pinkie Pie, Twilight did things a normal pony like herself would question. “Alright, let’s see whatcha got.”

She ran a hoof across the books as she walked, muttering each title as she passed by. “Boring, boring, children’s book, boring, too scary…” She stopped and chuckled. “I mean, too boring. Bo—“ She stopped as my hoof stopped at one practical book. “Hello, what’s this?”

“Fear of the Unknown?” Scootaloo said as she pulled out the book and flipped to its cover. The cover art had a Thestral’s fangs on front of it. “Cool.”Scootaloo placed the book down as she flopped her rump to the floor, cracking the book open with a hoof. “Fear of the Unknown.” She snickered at how she pronounced it, like a dramatic actor. “Fear of the—” she paused for a drama effect. “Unknown!”

“Scootaloo, what are ya doing now?”

“Nothing just… talking to myself.” Scootaloo mumbled to herself and finally turned the page away from the first. The minute her sight hit the words on the page alongside a picture of a Thestral just standing, her eyes drooped down in a bored fashion and her mouth hung as she tried to read, but could not as boredom took over. “Ugh, where are the interesting parts!”

She kept turning the pages quickly, skipping some images she could have sworn shown a Thestral hissing, but she couldn’t tell, passing many words until she heard a tearing sound stopped her. “Crap.” She looked at the page that had a little tear it. “Twilight’s going to kill me for this!” She panicked, her eyes darted back and forth, her heart beating against her chest. She walked over to Applejack and nudged her. “Hey, Applejack, you know where the tape is?”

Applejack grumbled something, but pointed over to a small desk near the door. She walked over and pulled the drawer opened. She fished through until she pulled out a circle shaped grey tape. She smiled and walked over to the book laid on the floor, the ripped page opened for all to see. She stretched out a long length before ripping it off with her teeth.

She placed it on the rest of the page, making it almost look good as new. “There. She wouldn’t notice… I hope.” She almost closed the book if it were not for a certain sentence in the book that caught her eye. She opened it back up and ran a hoof through the page, mumbling the words as she searched for the part. “Here,” she said, tapping a particular spot. “Have you ever wondered the danger when angering a Thestral? Huh?” She jerked her back in puzzlement, but shook off the confusion and read on.

She read on and on about how the stallion went on about the danger of riling the anger of a bat pony. Many paragraphs had scenarios that could happen when threatening a Thestral, and some of those scenarios could happen with her! Scootaloo’s heartbeat increased as her eyes ate every word, sucking in any information her mind took in. Her breathing quickened as she flipped the page after page, pictures of the Thestrals fang haunted her.

Images of the Thestral battling with a pegasi, its mouth opened wide for its opponent to see its sharp fangs. Everything seemed to become silent as she reached the last page. The last part of the book, the conclusion haunted her, the image. She saw her, fangs tainted in blood, standing over a limpless Applejack. “Ah!” She closed the door and pushed it away.

Scootaloo sat still, staring at the book. What will happen when her anger causes her to harm some pony she cared about or even her enemies! She had to a weapon in her mouth capable of harming another living thing just with one quick bite. Her eyes fluttered lower before they shot wide open again when she realized she was falling asleep.
However, it did not stop them from closing a second time again and this time, she kept them closed.

She did not even notice Applejack had walked over until she felt something hit her shoulder. “Huh?”

“You okay, hon?” Scootaloo looked at the book then at Applejack who had blood seeping from the two holes on her neck. Scootaloo blinked and rubbed her eyes, the holes were gone and was replaced with a worried looked. “Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo blinked then shook her head. “Yeah uh...I’m fine. Yeah just read too much I guess,” she said with a chuckle.

Applejack smiled. “What happened to books not being cool?”

Scootaloo eyes widened as she trapped herself. “Oh uh, I meant that because this book is this!” She lifted in the air and showed the cover to Applejack. “See? Fear of the Unknown!”

“Oh?” Applejack crossed her forelegs. “What’s it about?”

“Oh it’s about...” Scootaloo looked at Applejack smirking the entire time. She opened the book and mumbled words as she quickly read. “Yeah it’s about some bad—”

“Language.”

“I was going to say stallion.” Scootaloo closed the book. “Anyway, he hunts down creatures and beats them up!”

Applejack arched an eyebrow. Scootaloo gulped and focused more on the cover of the book as she tried to avoid Applejack’s stare. “Alright,” she said finally. “Well I’ma be outta yer hair. Go back to reading that… er… book.”

“Actually I think Imma head to bed now.” Scootaloo lifted herself from the ground and walked over to the couch. She laid down on her spot and pulled some blankets over her body with Applejack doing the same. She sighed as she laid there with her eyes opened. This made the sound of the rain hitting the ground relaxing. “Applejack?”

“Hmmm?”

“Do you think….” Scootaloo bit her lip before she continued. “Do you think everything's okay between us?”

"Of course I do," Applejack said. “What make you say that?”

Scootaloo shrugged, but then remembered Applejack wouldn’t be able to see it and said, “Just asking.” She felt her heart beating as Applejack did not respond. She gripped on the blankets as the thought of Applejack catching onto what she was trying to say scared her.

Applejack yawned as she said, “Try not to think about okay, sugarcube?”

Scootaloo sighed in relief. “I will….thanks Applejack.” She couldn’t wait for Applejack to respond as she continued. “Good night.”

“Good night, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and sighed, but as her eyes were closed, images of the Thestral’s fangs piercing a pony’s skin flashed in her mouth, the look of horror on the victim screaming as the sharp teeth dug into her skin. Her eyes shot opened as the images kept flashing. Scootaloo grumbled and flipped to the other side the blankets along. She resisted the urge to scream when Applejack bit down on the blankets and pulled them from her body.

She shivered as the cool, ambient air in the room brushed against her fur. “Huh?” She lifted her body enough to see almost all the blankets on Applejack. “Applejack!”

Applejack smiled all snuggled up in the blankets, but her smile vanished as Scootaloo yanked the blankets from her body. She groaned and lifted her head to see them on Scootaloo. She bit down on the blankets and jerked her head back as she yanked the blankets from her body. She laid her head down and smiled, letting out a sigh. Her eyes shot opened when she heard Scootaloo shout, “That’s it!”

Applejack looked up in time for the wind knocked out of her as Scootaloo tackled her and pinned her down on the floor. Applejack gripped Scootaloo by the forelegs and with her strength pinned her down while she was distracted. Scootaloo tried to kick Applejack off, but she managed to dodge her attacks. “Get off of me!”

Applejack grunted as Scootaloo managed to kick her in the stomach. “Hey watch it, you could knock a tooth out kicking like that!”

Scootaloo struggled to push Applejack off, but to no avail. Her Earth Pony strength outmatched her own. That made her angry, no, pissed off. She hated the feeling of being defeated, the fact she had lose told she was not going to survive out in the world for long. In the world, there are two type of species: ones that are on the top of the food chain and food.

Scootaloo opened her mouth wide as the orange foreleg pinned her down.

Just like a bat, Scootaloo was a predator.

She shut her mouth down on Applejack’s foreleg, punching two holes in her skin. The warm taste of blood touched her tongue. When she released her mouth from Applejack’s foreleg, her teeth tainted crimson. She huffed and puffed as she lifted herself from the ground, her eyes filled with red.

However, her moment of rage vanished as she saw Applejack grabbing her wounded foreleg, staring at her with wide eyes. Twilight had rushed to Applejack’s side, hugging her and joining the farmer in staring at the batpony before in disbelief, shocked by her actions. Scootaloo looked down at her hooves, shaking violently.

Scootaloo looked. Then blinked.

“You okay, Scootaloo?” Applejack asked as she lifted her head from the pillow.

Scootaloo blinked again and rubbed her eyes to see if they were working right. She removed her hooves and could not believe what she was seeing. Applejack, sitting like a normal pony, looked at her with a smirk on her face. Not that scared look on her face or blood trailing from her foreleg. Nothing.

“Scootaloo?” Applejack asked for a second time as she noticed the filly’s frozen state. Scootaloo didn’t respond as she kept looking at her. Applejack threw her blankets side and scooted over to where the filly sat, nudging her on the foreleg. “Scootaloo, you alright?” Fear took over Applejack as she grabbed the filly’s head and made her turn so they could make eye contact. “Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo made no effort to blink, only stared.

Applejack shook Scootaloo again, but with a little more forced put into it. “Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo blinked a couple times before she turned to see Applejack who sighed in relief. “Applejack?”

“Yes, I’m here, Scootaloo.” Applejack offered a smile. “I’m here.”

She did not say a word as Applejack hugged her, both sitting up on the couch. They didn’t say anything as the sound of the thunder spoke for them. It did not take long for her to actually drift off to sleep after long hours of looking at nothing.

Scootaloo’s eyes shot opened after her body had bolted from the couch as it felt like lighting shocked her nerves. Never before had she thought the sight of bookshelves would bring her such a relief. Her smile disappeared as the noise continued. She groaned and used the pillow to cover head to block out the noise, but the noise proved better and she still could hear the ringing. “Shut up!” She removed the pillow from her head and looked up to the clock ringing inside Applejack’s hoof.

“It’s just the alarm clock,” said Applejack just as she turned it off.

Scootaloo grumbled in response as she clutched her head.

“How ya feeling?” Applejack asked.

Scootaloo whimpered. “Like something just screamed in my ears.”

“You scared me last night what got you all worked up like that?”

Images of her fangs piercing through Applejack’s foreleg came to mind. “I told you… it was the thunderstorm.”

Applejack looked unconvinced. “Really?”

Scootaloo looked away as Applejack’s stare pressed on her. Luckily her stomach growled. “I could go for some pancakes.”

Applejack sighed. “Well we’re going to have it at home, so get ready!” Applejack said as she walked off. Scootaloo sighed in relief. “We’re not done talking about this though!”
Scootaloo closed her eyes and flopped back down on the pillow after the door closed. She lifted her head from her comfort and dragged her body to the floor. Her eyes shot opened when a sensation rose from the lower parts of her body.

“I have to go to the bathroom!” She ran all the way up the stairs and saw the half-lit hallway. She gulped and took her first step out the room. It felt like any minute Applejack or Twilight would jump out with a bunch of questions about her condition. Honestly, she was starting to think this transformation had caused her to gain attention from them unlike before she was…

Scootaloo shook the thoughts out of her head as she faced the bathroom door. She knocked a couple times, but she pushed it opened when nopony answered. Scootaloo walked to the sink and turned the water on, running it on her hooves. She turned it off once her hooves were cleaned and stopped as she looked up her reflection bearing two sharp teeth hung from where her normal teeth used to been.

They looked like they could pierce through somepony’s skin, somepony she cared about’s skin. She was afraid to even bite her lip when she get nervous because it might make her bleed. She frowned and growled at the mirror like a bear, two long sharp fangs finally out. She spent some minutes growling at her reflection until she finally stopped. A thought had popped in her mind as she stared at her fangs. “I can’t hurt anypony…I won’t hurt anypony.” She opened her mouth and dug her hooves in her mouth, grasping the two fangs. She closed her eyes and exhaled before she tugged on them. An tense pain shot through her gums as a result made her eyes open wide. “Ow!”

“Scootaloo, you okay in there?” Applejack called from the other side.

“Yeah just washing my hooves.” Scootaloo pushed the bathroom door open and walked downstairs where Applejack and Twilight stood at the door.

“Are you sure she should walk out like this? What if somepony sees her and tries to—”Applejack stopped and turned around with a smile. Scootaloo wanted to say she knew she was faking it, but decided to keep her mouth shut. “Are you ready to go?”

“What you two talking about?” Scootaloo asked as she walked down the steps.

“Nothing, sounded like you were having fun in there.” Applejack smirked.

Even though Scootaloo hated to admit it, every time she eavesdropped on Applejack’s conversations she always would change the subject or say it’s nothing. Wasn’t she the one always saying they should share everything together? Why does she get to lie and hide secrets behind her back. If Applejack can lie, then she can too.
Scootaloo broke out of her thoughts as Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder, flashing her smile. She forced a smile to hide her anger.

“You two be safe out there,” Twilight said and pulled Applejack into a hug.

While they were hugging it out, Scootaloo looked out the window. The outside during the time, was vacant. Nopony around to enjoy this beautiful sunny day, birds chirped a song as they bask under the warm skies and even a pony outside. Scootaloo turned to back Applejack and Twilight who broke the embrace, smiling at each other. “Visit if her hearing causes problems.” Twilight smiled. “My door is always open.” Scootaloo was about to open her mouth until Twilight beat her to the punch. “You be safe out there too, Scootaloo.”

“I will.”

Twilight crouched down to the filly’s level and looked her straight into those catlike eyes. “Remember never push those who care about you away. Remember this is a shock to them that doesn’t mean they will disown you, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Okay.” She jerked in surprise as Twilight pulled her into a hug. Her cheeks became red, as she stood there with Twilight’s hooves wrapped around her for minutes. Finally, Twilight pulled away and stepped back. “Thanks, Twilight.”

“It was my pleasure.” Twilight smiled and levitated the door opened. As Scootaloo was about to walk out, a magical force pulled her back inside. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it as a pair of shades hovered onto her eyes. “Forgot about these.”

Scootaloo groaned and walked outside, catching up to Applejack. She looked behind her and saw the door close. For the first time since she went to the library, she kind of did not want to leave. She inhaled then exhaled. She spent a couple minutes staring at the ground as she breathed. She could already picture the confused look on Apple Bloom’s face when she sees her. She kept her eyes down on the ground the entire time she walked home. She could feel their eyes staring down at her eyes as she walked. She could hear their lips yapping on about their day, the whispered questions of how or why she was looking like that. She winced as she heard a squeaky noise, probably from a mother pushing a baby stroller around. She grind her teeth as all the sounds of the bustling town attacked her at once.

The noises faded away as something smashed into her. “Oof!” She heard a surprised “Eep!” as she bumped into the object. Scootaloo rubbed her head as she recovered from the collision. “Ugh, sorry about—” She paused as the mare showed her face; strands of pink hair blocked half her eyes. Scootaloo’s eyes widening matched the mare on the ground as as they made eye contact. Her heart froze for a minute as she recognized those blue eyes and pink mane anywhere.

She didn’t know if it was because the wind or the realization that made her shiver. Scootaloo finally blinked out of her froze state and spoke, “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy cowered under the figure’s shadow, two purple eyes glowing within the in the shadow. She never thought she would see the familiar sight again, she was cured. Twilight performed the spell and everything was well in the air, this couldn’t be her former self. She was still in control. “Fluttershy?”

The voice brought her back to reality, the shadowy face replaced with a child, looking at her with concern in her eyes. “S-S-Scootaloo?”

Chapter four: Homecoming

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Lub-dub…

Lub-dub, lub-dub…

Scootaloo glanced about, though all she saw were happy, expectant faces. Laughing and chatting away, their conversations echoed within her ears.

She tried to ignore the sound of her heart beating. It seemed to come faster and faster each passing second. She exhaled as a sudden heat that burned her forehead made her sweat. She wiped the sweat away and tried to calm her racing heart. Wait. Was it her heart? She looked toward the sun, its searing light beaming down on her as she stood still. Standing in the middle of the market, throngs swarmed around her. Although she heard one heartbeat as it reached faster and faster.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub! Lub-dub!

“S-S-Scootaloo?”

It stopped.

Wait. The beating had stopped. What? How? Was it hers? All the ponies around made it difficult to figure out due to them having beating hearts hidden underneath their fur. Maybe Fluttershy would know something since she was looking up at her with horror written all over her face.She was on the ground; hooves shielding her face, cowering as if she were an ugly creature. “Fluttershy?”

No. No, this was not supposed to happen. Scootaloo and Applejack were supposed to walk to the breakfast place around the corner and have something to eat and laugh. It was not supposed to be this. Scootaloo standing here in the middle of the market on a busy day with Fluttershy before her.

Everything was out of control again. Fluttershy had come out of nowhere and screwed up the world she had created where only she and Applejack had a place in. Nopony else to judge the way she looked. All because of Fluttershy, Scootaloo already felt the walls closing in on her. The sounds growing louder and louder each passing second. All the oxygen vanished. She couldn’t breathe. No, deep breaths. Inhale. One, two, three. Exhale.

She repeated the technique a couple times until she felt her heart was calm. When she opened her eyes, the problem was still sitting right there.

“Scootaloo?” a voice said from behind her. It was not just a stranger’s voice echoing in her ear, no. This voice had a southern accent to it that she knew well. This voice was Applejack’s.

Scootaloo turned around in time too for Applejack to sweep her up in a crushing bear hug, her lungs squeezing from the earth pony’s strength. “I almost lost you in that crowd.”

“Hnnng!” Scoots replied.

Applejack broke the hug when she saw what it was doing to the poor filly. She got the strangest look from the passersby. She hoped they did not think she was trying to kill Scootaloo.

Scootaloo looked up at Applejack, concern was written all over the earth pony’s face. “I’m okay, Applejack.” She inhaled and exhaled just to be sure her lungs were working properly.

“You sure?” Applejack asked. “I didn’t squeeze too hard, did I?”

“Jeez, Applejack. You’re making it seem like Pegasi—” Scootaloo closed her mouth before the rest of the thought could slip out from her mouth. Her eyes fell to ground to avoid looking Applejack in the eyes. She almost slipped, she thought she was through this.

She thought spending time with Applejack and Twilight had helped her move on from her previous life as a Pegasus. Even though she had to realize that was a dream, she could not just erase those happy and disappointing moments she had as a Pegasus, especially the disappointing moments.Scootaloo already pictured Applejack having a shocked look on her face when she almost said it. She bet she thought she had forgotten about her life and adapted to the bat senses, but she had not. If she said she did, then she was an even worse liar than Fluttershy. Speaking of Fluttershy, was she still too shocked to move?

Scootaloo turned around to where she last saw her and gasped.

Fluttershy was still there, but this time she was not looking up at her with shock filling her eyes or her muzzle trembling as she spoke. Her eyes and her mouth were closed, her head rested on the dirt. Scootaloo’s heart jumped in her chest as a cruel thought popped in her head. She looked at Fluttershy’s stomach. A sudden relief washed over Scootaloo when she saw her chest slowly rising and falling every time she took a breath of air. The fangs might have scared Fluttershy when she got too close to Scootaloo. Knowing Fluttershy, she might have assumed the worst.

Nevertheless, that could not be the case; she said her name in a shocked tone that was understandable. Fluttershy was shocked to see Scootaloo as this and not a Pegasus. The realization was too shocking. She might have shut down from the pressure and she dropped like a ton of bricks. Scootaloo frowned, realizing Fluttershy thought she would hurt her. She never would, no matter what. One thing she knew that she and Rainbow shared was loyalty to their friends, the oath to never abandon them no matter what.

“Scootaloo?”

Maybe she was thinking about this too much. As a matter of fact, she’d been doing that a lot lately. Applejack was right. She was letting her doubts that her friends would turn on her get the better of her. Her friends wouldn’t abandon her when she needed them the most, that would be ridiculous.

“Scootaloo?”

...wouldn’t it?

“Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Applejack had placed Fluttershy onto her back while she was in her own little world. Applejack’s facial expression had not changed. Even more, the concern grew as she saw the frown on Scootaloo’s face and her ears drooped down to her skull. She did not need Twilight’s smarts or Rainbow’s loyalty to know Scootaloo was upset about this encounter. “You alright?”

Scootaloo’s eyes darted around like a lost puppy. She was so lost in thought she almost forgot Applejack was standing right in front of her, waiting for an answer. She looked at her and managed a smile without showing too much of her fangs. “Y-yeah.”

“Are you sure?” Applejack asked. Scootaloo hoped Applejack would be in a hurry since Fluttershy was on her back. Applejack continued to amaze her with her Earth Pony strength. she didn’t look like she was having any trouble carrying Fluttershy. “Scootaloo?”

Tink!

Scootaloo grabbed her head and grunted in pain. Her ears felt like they were being pounded on as metal somewhere in the distance clanked. Her attention turned to see a royal guard as he walked past her, his armor the source of the sound. She mustered in all the oxygen then let it out in one big exhale. She removed her hooves from her ears once she was sure the echoing had stopped. “I’m sure.”

“But… but…” Applejack tried to say, but Scootaloo silenced her with a hoof.

“Not another word, ya hear?” Scootaloo smirked. Applejack groaned in response and nodded. Scootaloo removed her hoof and watched as Applejack heaved Fluttershy a little more onto her back with ease. “That doesn’t hurt?”

. “Not when you’re an Earth Pony.” Applejack reached around her back and grabbed her saddlebag, unlocking and opening it. She fished around in the small brown bag. Different sounds overcrowded Scootaloo’s ears. She heard ticking in the bag of some bits that clinked together when she pushed them aside. However, she heard somepony. Not talking or shouting, but stiffening as if they were waking up. She turned to Fluttershy to see she was right, stirring in her sleep.

Fluttershy wasn’t just randomly moving, it was the stirring associated with a nightmare. Her head darted left and right, and her teeth clenched together, cringing from whatever dream plagued her. Thanks to her heightened hearing, some of Fluttershy’s mumbles became clear.

No bat. Spell, cured me.

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow. Spell, what is she— “Found it!”

“Gah!” Applejack’s shout sent off an alarm in Scootaloo’s body and made her hover in the air for a moment. She and gravity realized this, therefore her body fell onto the ground like a ton of bricks, landing on her head.

“Heh, sorry about that.” Applejack grabbed Scootaloo and lifted her up to her hooves like she was an empty bag. “You alright?”

Scootaloo rubbed her head and groaned. “Thanks for the headache, Applejack.” She stopped rubbing her sore head when Applejack held a worn out key in front of her. “You’re giving me a key as an apology?”

Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. “No, it’s the key to the house.”

Wait, farmhouses needed keys? She grabbed the key and held it in her hooves. It looked like it belonged to the house or farm house. There was no number engraved on the forehead, unlike the keys she’d ever held. Shaking her head, she grabbed it and looked up Applejack. “You’re not coming with me?”

“Gotta get Fluttershy back to her cottage. Maybe stick around there for a while, just to be sure she’s back to her old self.”

Wait, that meant she’d be alone there with a certain yellow Earth Pony. “B-but what if Apple Bloom is there?”

Applejack sighed. “Scootaloo, you can’t expect to avoid her forever. Some way or another, you’re gonna see each other, especially since y’all live under the same roof.”

Scootaloo avoided Applejack’s gaze. She knew if she looked into her eyes, she would feel pressured. She turned to the ground, but Applejack wasn't having it. Lifting her chin up with a hoof, Scootaloo’s catlike eyes that glowed within the dark shades locked with those emerald eyes. Every time she looked Applejack straight in the eye, she couldn’t keep up her act. She couldn’t lie, and even when she did, Applejack would detect it somehow. She didn’t know it was the power of the elements at hoof or if Applejack could just see when somepony’s lying like a normal and honest pony would.

With a sigh, Scootaloo nodded. “Fine. I mean, I gotta stop being mopey and start being like a Wonderbolt—fearless!”

Applejack smiled, giving a Scootaloo a slap on the back which got a yelp out of the filly. “That’s the spirit!”

Scootaloo’s grin wavered as Fluttershy repeated the line she mumbled earlier. “Is… Fluttershy alright?”

“Sure. Just need some rest and tea. We’ve done this a couple times when she’s spooked. Ain’t nothin.”

Scootaloo frowned. “Uh, she passed out because of me, remember? So it is something.”

The Earth Pony took a step back at the change of the filly’s tone. Applejack chuckled nervously, rubbing her neck and looking away to avoid Scootaloo’s glare. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Scootaloo crossed her foreleg and raised an eyebrow. “What did you mean by it, then?”

Applejack’s eyes darted back and forth as she looked for an escape. She jumped in surprise when Scootaloo loudly cleared her throat to remind her she was still there. Sighing in defeat, Applejack said, “This is Fluttershy, ya should know she can be spooked by anything.”

Her frown disappeared. “Yeah you’re right.” She sighed. “I still feel responsible for making her pass out. I should come to make sure she’s alright.”

“You’re heart is in the right place, but…”Applejack sighed. “Just for now, let Fluttershy recover before seeing you.”

Scootaloo groaned. “Come on, Applejack! I need to do this or else I’ll feel guilty for it!”

“You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Yes I did!”

“No, you—”

“I almost scared one of my friends to death!” Scootaloo’s ears flattened away. Her eyes started to tear up as her muzzle trembled. “I can’t just walk away like it didn’t happen. What if more ponies I care about react this way too? W-w-what if I have to move away because they're so scared of me!”

“Scootaloo, don’t be—”

“I’m not!” Scootaloo shouted, earning glances her way. “Twilight acted like I was some science project, you keep having secret conversations with Twilight, and Fluttershy passed out from seeing me!” She stomped her hoof on the ground, ignoring the tears wetting her face. “Why do ponies have to lie about how they feel about me like I’m some dumb kid!”

Applejack didn’t replied as she pulled into a hug like she was going away for a long time, making sure to apply pressure to it. She grabbed the filly’s head and kept it planted on her shoulder as she felt the tears wet her coat, but she didn’t care.

All she cared about was comforting the filly in distress. To shield her away from all the bad in the world, all the pain brought to Scootaloo, to protect her like a mother would. Applejack pulled away and looked down at the filly, tears trailed from under the shades on her eyes. “Scootaloo, don’t ever think like that,” she said, wiping a tear away. “You’re friends and especially your family love you no matter who you turn out to be. Understand?”

“But what if ponies said about bat ponies are true?” Scootaloo said, wiping away her tears.

“What if we are monsters?”

“Ponies just like to spread gossip around because they’re either bored or want attention. You’re nothing like what they said.” She smiled. “You’re an Apple.”

Scootaloo scoffed. “Yeah right.”

“No, I’m serious. The fact that you feel guilty about something that wasn’t in your control and trying to fix it proves you’re a good pony like an Apple,” Applejack said with a wink.

She looked up with a smile. “Really?”

Applejack nodded. “I’m being completely honest with ya, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo surprised her with a swift motion as she tackled her into a hug. It took only a couple seconds for Applejack to return the embrace and nuzzled up to Scootaloo, letting out a pleased sigh. It felt like nothing could break them apart, not even the crowd of ponies that surrounded them.

However Fluttershy groaning caught their attention and Applejack broke off the embrace. Scootaloo chuckled. “You should go.”

“Yer sure?” Applejack frowned. “I mean it’ll take a little talk to get Fluttershy comfortable with ya.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, you go be a friend while I do the same with Apple Bloom.”

Applejack smiled. “Good thinking.”

“I picked it up from somepony I know.” Scootaloo winked.

Applejack reached over and gave Scootaloo a peck on the head before she said, “be safe,” as she vanished into the market, with Fluttershy dangling along.

Scootaloo stood still, staring blindly where the southern pony had disappeared into the crowd. Either because she didn’t want to get lost within the crowd or the words Applejack’s kiss stunned her to the core, all her muscles seized up. She should be stunned. Her friend, hero to the town, the pony she never thought she would really spend time with, just kissed her like a real mom!

In fact, she imagined asking a complete stranger who seemingly adopted her out of the kindness of her heart. Everyday she wished when a random stranger who had walked through the front door of the orphanage to look at her, point and say, “I want this one!”

She never imagined that pony would be Applejack.

This was happening all too fast. Maybe it slipped out because she was in a hurry or she just said it to move her mind away from whatever Fluttershy was mumbling about. Either way, Scootaloo’s mind spiraled out of control with questions.

Scootaloo felt lost, not in the crowd of ponies that surrounded her, but how Applejack really felt about her. Her mind struggled when she thought about how she felt about the pony who adopted her. She certainly didn’t fully trust Applejack with how she acted every time Scootaloo caught Applejack talking to Twilight about something.

No, she told herself she wouldn’t think about it too much and she was sticking to it. Shaking her head to avoid falling further into those thoughts, Scootaloo swam through the crowd. Of course ponies stopped what they were doing to get a look at Scootaloo as she passed by them. Some looked with awe maybe because bat ponies weren’t typical around here, and some familiar faces looked on with mouths agape.

She felt like she was crawling through a swarm of floating eyes, her heart pounding from the stares. One, two, three, exhale. One, two… two, guh it wasn’t working! Her hooves still shook with every step she took, her eyes darted left and right, sometimes catching somepony glancing at her before turning away when they caught her eye. The mumbles became a regular tone and their faces that they tried to hide within the crowd revealed.

“Is that Scootaloo?” or “Wasn’t she a Pegasus before? Poor thing!” was all she heard them say, the repeated question filling her ears like a broken record.

A smile spread across her face when she saw light piercing through the crowd of ponies. She crawled her way through the ponies, ignoring the glances and mumbles, the light becoming brighter as she drew closer. She gasped for air after she reached the end of the swarm of ponies where the familiar view of the orchard waited for her. Scootaloo turned behind her and saw ponies still roamed in numbers, but none of them seemed to be heading Scootaloo’s way. Turning back, her eyes shrunk as she saw how far that made the trees look like tiny toothpicks. To make matters even worse, she had to walk there. “Ugh!”

Just a couple more trees down, Scootaloo told herself when she entered into the orchard. She was already out of breath just getting here, and now she still had to walk down the hill to the house. She wiped the sweat from her head and adjusted the shades on her eyes in a feeble attempt to mute the blazing sun.

A low temperature tainted the air, especially in the atmosphere of Sweet Apple Acres during the fall. A gentle wind rustled the leaves from the trees, producing a soothing song to the ear. This was a sound she could relax to, something to ease her mind. Her eyes shot open as something smacked against her face and pushed her back. The tree’s leaves rattled as a quick breeze flew past them. As she stood in place, sounds all around came to her. And this time, much to her surprise, it didn't hurt. It fact, the noise the breeze made as it brushed by reminded her of a whistle, one that didn't hurt or wasn't loud.

One of those calming ones.

And the trees rattling brought a calming relaxation to her ears. If she wasn’t close to the door right now, she would have fallen asleep right then and there. It was like all the worries she had before just left as the wind carried it away from her. She saw the house painted a dark pink, built in a boxy fashion because being shaped like a apple would be too obvious. The door, however, had an apple painted near the door knob, green among the brown wooden paint.

This was it. The moment she dreaded. The moment she would know if Apple Bloom still cared for her, even with the transformation. She couldn't stop thinking of the outcomes, most of them ending with Apple Bloom fainting or hitting her over the head with a frying pan, but another thought crossed her mind. What if Apple Bloom already saw her bat features while she was comatose? Luna did say that she would be out while the transformation processed, erasing all the Pegasi genes and replacing them with her bat ones. Somepony must have saw signs that she was changing!

But what if Apple Bloom wasn’t there to notice the changes? What if Applejack, or Twilight for that matter, hid her from the outside like some secret project and prevented her friends from seeing her. What lie did they make up to cover it up?

Scootaloo’s grasp of the knob tightened the more she thought about how they could lie to her like that. How many of their precious moments a lie just to keep her from the truth? What if what Fluttershy was mumbling about connected to all of these? No, that would be ridiculous. Shaking her head, she looked down at her hoof grasping the knob, but didn’t dare to twitch it in order to open.

She was stuck, her body frozen in place again. No, this couldn’t happen, she just gained her confidence back after the transformation had taken it from her. All the scenarios where she and Apple Bloom hugged after their little reunion faded into ones where Apple Bloom looked away, rejecting her and telling her to leave. The worst part about the scenario was that she feared it was going to happen, but this was her friend—the pony she spent seven months living with. Apple Bloom wouldn’t just abandon her when she needed her the most. Scootaloo could feel her confidence coming back as she turned the knob a couple times, hearing the latch sliding open.

With a deep inhale and exhale, Scootaloo opened her eyes and pushed the door open. When the door hit the wall, it sent out a echo through the wall. No hooves storming down the steps were made, no scent of a pancake floated within the air, and no old mare came spurting out her weird talk. She had missed how the scent would hit a pony’s face when entering, the aura of apples replacing the fresh air. Scootaloo sucked in air and exhaled.

The room was dimly light, casting reflections on the frames of various photos of the Apple family. Brown polkadots were painted on the walls, and Scootaloo was surrounded by photos of her new family and their trips together. She picked a particular one with her and Apple Bloom standing beneath trees out in the orchard. She ran a hoof on the picture and remembered how that tree was the first one she bucked. She chuckled when she remembered the amount of pain in her hind legs after that. She replaced it and looked up to see the banner still hung on the ceiling, the writing clear and big: Happy Birthday, Scootaloo!

“Let’s sing the birthday song to the birthday girl!”

Scootaloo had a moment of deja vu as their voices resonated throughout the room. The song ringing in her ears, the lyrics coursing through her brain. She recalled the hot sensation beaming down on her head. She remembered that the last voice she heard before her whole life changed was Applejack’s. Her ears twitched, hearing the floor creak. Her body froze as she heard the steps grow closer each passing second, sounding like hammers slamming into wood. Her heart pounded against her chest as the sound continued to echo within her ears. This was it—the moment she feared.

The moment she wished didn’t have to happen.

However, it was also the moment she prepared for. She exhaled and mustered the courage she held onto and said, “H-hello?”

She heard hoofsteps as somepony trotted into the room. “Howdy, Scoot—” She turned around as a crash echoed throughout the room. She froze as she saw Apple Bloom standing in front of her, shattered pieces of a bowl scattered out near her hooves. She didn’t say anything as she kept staring at Scootaloo. She felt like her heart was ready to give out, the pressure weighing her down. She wanted to walk over to Apple Bloom and hug her, to assure her she was still the old Scootaloo, but she couldn’t. The look of shock and fear written all over the Earth Pony’s face held Scootaloo frozen in place.

Creak.

She turned around to see something black connecting to her face, knocking her down to the floor, her face slamming against the hardwood. The pain in her head, it felt like something just had cracked it open, and all the thoughts and memories she had continued in her brain came spilling out, wetting her muzzle. She couldn’t make out who her attacker was as her vision became blurry from the attack. All she could make her was a blur standing in front of her. However, even though the pain stinging in the back of her head clouded her thoughts, she couldn’t help but feel her doubts were true.

Chapter five: A Twist To The Gut

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The orange bat pony groaned at the top of her voice as she woke up to an intense throbbing in her head. She blinked a couple times, her eyes adjusting to the room’s brightness. In a futile effort to shield her eyes from the offending brightness, she lifted a foreleg toward the light. She felt safe after seeing the Wonderbolts posters on the walls and her Spitfire action figure sitting on the desk beside her.

Those two items had helped her through some tough times.

Her attention shifted to the right side of the bed and her heart jumped as she saw Apple Bloom asleep in a chair next to her. Scootaloo sat motionless, staring at the pony she feared would reject the new her. The pony she would not blame for fearing her.

Even she was unsure of who she was now. The things that happened, the things she saw, these past few days changed her—and not just physically. She thought she was through with the past, finally moving onto something new, better, but her past decided to turn her into something ugly.

Her mind wandered elsewhere. The absence of a certain mare that invaded her dreams was really taking an effect on her. She missed Luna, for only she knew the struggle of having two identities. Waking up to find oneself a whole different pony.

Princess Luna was supposed to be keeping her from falling into a situation like this.

She wished Luna would come back, give her some advice or at least reassure her. However, every time Scootaloo closed her eyes and dreamed, Luna would not appear.

Apple Bloom yawned and fluttered her eyes open. Just like before, their eyes locked onto each other's, like before, they were too afraid to make a move. Scootaloo wanted to break the silence with a warm embrace, but all her muscles froze.

Scootaloo groaned.

“You okay?” Apple Bloom asked as she rushed to Scootaloo’s side, holding an icepack to the filly’s head.

“I feel sucky,” Scootaloo said, moaning in pain.

“Yeah, you took a nasty spill there.” Apple Bloom lifted to check how Scootaloo’s forehead looked before putting the ice pack back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Scootaloo groaned. “I don’t think ‘okay’ is the word I’m feeling right now. More like horrible and painful. Ugh, what the heck happened?”

Scootaloo attempted to recall the whole thing, but it was broken into bits and pieces. She remembered how shocked Apple Bloom’s face looked as she stared at her and the silence that came with it. Then the stinging pain came. Then nothing.

Did she fall?

Her paranoia meter skyrocketed.

Many things could have happened yet she was robbed of truth and left with a stinging pain. Scootaloo felt trapped.

Was her anxiety making her paranoid?

Scootaloo closed her eyes and released all the stress through a sigh and opened her eyes, looking up to see Apple Bloom’s hoof on hers.

Apple Bloom flung herself into Scootaloo’s open forelegs and buried her face into an aura of apples.

Scootaloo attempted to shut her eyes to stop the tears from flowing, but it was too late as the floodgates had opened. Scootaloo tried to stop it, but a sob escaped her mouth. She found herself hugging Apple Bloom back, crying into her shoulder.

It felt good to to cry in the arms of somepony Scootaloo cared about, as if all the strange tension that had been weighing on her since she had woken up flew out of her. All the tension and worries vanished, as if nothing mattered but them. Eventually her tears died down, she wiped her wet cheeks and smiled.

Sadly, the hug ended.

Both shared a chuckle, then things became quiet.

Apple Bloom smiled. “Your wings look really different. What happened with your feathers?” She moved a hoof towards Scootaloo, but stopped. “Can I?” Scootaloo nodded. She shivered at Apple Bloom’s touch as she ran a hoof through her skinned wings. Apple Bloom pulled back and stared at it breathlessly. “Wow.”

“They…” Scootaloo sighed. “They fell off I don’t know when. I just woke up to them like this.”

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, patting Scootaloo on the shoulder.

Scootaloo shook her head and smiled, but deep down she knew she was just forcing it. “It’s just feathers. I’ll get over it.”

She was lying to herself. She wanted to feel like she had no attachment to her feathers, but they were part of her.

“Are they permanent? Like, they won’t change back?”

Scootaloo paused for a second.“Nah, I don’t think it is.”

“Do they hurt?”

"No."

“Are ya sure?”

“Apple Bloom, I don’t wanna talk about my wings anymore. Can we talk about something else?”

“Oh… well alright then…”Apple Bloom tapped her chin as she hummed. “Oh! So how was it? Waking up to this.”

Scootaloo tapped her chin as she remembered the day her whole life changed. “Like waking up to a nightmare. It totally sucked waking up alone.” she stopped and winced. Apple Bloom’s ears flattened to her head and she looked away. “I didn’t mean it like that, Bloom.”

“It’s fine.” Apple Bloom offered a smile. “So what happened?”

“Well....”

Apple Bloom leaned forward.

Scootaloo told Apple Bloom everything from waking up in the hospital to leaving the library. She made sure to not leave out any details and Apple Bloom hung onto every word. By the time Scootaloo was finished, Apple Bloom’s mouth was agape.

“Wait, you were blind!” Apple Bloom shouted, shock rendering her eyes.

“I know right!” Scootaloo chuckled. “Man, I was scared off my flank, but thank Celestia, my vision came back.” She stopped smiling as she noticed Apple Bloom looking rather sad. “You okay?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “I still should have been there when you needed a friend the most.” Her head drooped low. “I should have been there when you were in the hospital.”

Scootaloo rubbed her neck. “Don’t sweat it, Apple Bloom. It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” Apple Bloom asked as if she didn’t hear it correctly. “You were blind and told you were a bat pony! I’m pretty sure that’s not nothing!”

Scootaloo leaned more into her pillow and sighed. When Apple Bloom looked up and their eyes met, she offered a smile.

Apple Bloom seemed lost as she stared into Scootaloo’s eyes.

There was silence. Only the sound of the birds chirping and the wind rattling the trees was heard.

Apple Bloom swallowed the lump in her throat. “Scootaloo?”

“Y-yeah?”

Apple Bloom smiled and tapped Scootaloo on the shoulder as she shouted, “You’re it, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo didn’t have time to react and respond as Apple Bloom already zoomed out the room, her laughter echoing in the halls. “Really?” With the roll of her eyes, Scootaloo hopped off the bed. Her legs wobbled when her hooves landed on the floor. She must’ve still been woozy after that knockout. After a few steps, her balance returned, and she found herself walking toward the desk. There, she grabbed her black shades, sliding them on.

When she kept walking, the sound kept increasing. She reached the breaking point at a brown door where the sounds could be compared to somepony banging on drums. At first, it started out slowt, but then it became like blowing wind, picking up its pace. As a result, concern grew into Scootaloo’s face.

She followed the heartbeats to a brown door and opened it to reveal a bed. The room seemed old-fashioned. The floor looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for days and ready to give out, and the wallpaper looked like it had the same green color scheme for decades.

A smirk spread across her face as she noticed a figure covered in blankets. The heartbeat confirmed it was Apple Bloom hiding in the blankets. She walked to the bed and grabbed the blankets before yanking it off. “Oh, haha!” She stopped dead on her trace as it wasn’t Apple Bloom in the bed, but a sleeping Granny Smith. She had one of those sleeping things she saw Rarity use when she sleeps.

Granny Smith stirred awake, coughing and looking around. “Who’s there? Is that you Apple Bloom?”

Scootaloo walked back slowly out the room and closed the door quietly. She sighed in relief and returned to her hunt. She hated to admit it, but she always hated being the hunter, but now it felt great. Exciting, pumping her heart up with adrenaline and determination.

Hehehehe.

Scootaloo’s ears perked up at the sound of a filly’s giggle. As if her ears were her eyes, the sound of the giggles bounced back to her.

Arching an eyebrow, Scootaloo waited for the sound. She was surrounded by darkness that gloomed down halls. The wind wailed between the window, creating a strange sound.

Hehehe.

There it was again. Scootaloo followed the giggles and found herself inside Applejack’s room. Scootaloo’s ear flicked, and she turned toward a door. Scootaloo grabbed on the knob and pulled the door open to see Apple Bloom. “Found you!”

Apple Bloom groaned and walked out the closet. “Darn it!”

Scootaloo threw her head back and performed a evil mock laugh. “You should have never underestimated my powers!”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “I should have known you were going to use your ears, ya cheater.”

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow. “Uh, hello, that’s how the games played.”

“Yeah, but it’s easier when you have super hearing!”

Both bumped noses and growled at each other before they burst out laughing and clung onto each other using their forelegs.

Scootaloo’s stomach grumbled ruining the tender moment the two had built.

Scootaloo blushed. “I kinda missed breakfast with, uh, well all this.”

Apple Bloom smirked. “Let’s get something to eat?”

“You know it!”

Apple Bloom noticed Scootaloo’s glasses and started snickering. “What on earth are you wearing sunglasses for?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “It’s for my eyes. I know it sucks, but Twilight said I’m sensitive to sunlight.”

“Guess the term blind as a bat really sticks to you, Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“Oh, ha ha, very funny.” Scootaloo nudged Apple Bloom. “Apple Brain.”

Apple Bloom pushed back . “I try my best.” A smirk spread across her face. “Chicken head.”

Scootaloo walked into the hallway where a faint heartbeat pumped in her ear.

When she kept walking, the heartbeat sound came back soud. “Hey when I was looking for you, I heard Granny Smith’s heartbeat and it was—”

“You can hear somepony’s heartbeat that far away!” Apple Bloom shouted.

Scootaloo face hoofed. “I told you this when I was telling about what happened while I was away, remember?”

“Oh.”Apple Bloom giggled. “It’s just awesome having a friend that can do stuff like you do.”

"Pff, the things I do?"Scootaloo asked with a chuckle. “Trust me, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.”

“Really? Scootaloo, you got a gift!” Apple Bloom said, smiling. “You can help find lost puppies, maybe even ponies with your hearing and you can find treasures with your eyesight…” She giggled. “Well if it’s in the dark.”

“Apple Bloom, it’s nothing. In fact, it’s a pain in my flank,” Scootaloo said. “Sometimes it wakes me up, I butt into conversations, weird conversations I don’t want to hear and it’s just gives me a headache!” She scoffed. “Not a gift, more like a curse if you ask me.”

“Jeez Scoots, when did you become such a bummer?” Apple Bloom nudged Scootaloo with a smirk. “Stop thinking of the negative!”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it and kept on walking to the stairs.

Playing a hero? Putting her new found abilities to use to do good? She had enough to deal with right now. Such as the floating fragments of what happened flitting around her brain, just begging to be solved. However, like a half-finished puzzle piece, she was left with a partial picture of what had happened.

If she wanted to move her attention away from that, she had to occupy her mind. She looked around, but found nothing noteworthy. Only pictures and reminders of what had happened before she joined the Apple family. Oh and apple wallpapers, go figure. “So what’s on the breakfast menu?” she smirked. “Apples? Apple pie? Apple juice? Something with apples?”

“Oh, I was thinking we just buck some apples from the tree, ya know? Get it when it’s fresh.”

Scootaloo licked her fangs at the sound of that. Suddenly, she craved for an apple fresh of the tree. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Great!” Apple Bloom said, walking towards the door.

Scootaloo laughed at Apple Bloom’s lusting for hard labor just for a piece of fruit. She was not the working type of pony, more of a laidback and chill kind of pony. Well, these past few days she’d been anything but. She had turned into a paranoid, skittish filly who always feared the worst. It wasn't her fault for being this way; it was the orphanage. That place taught her to always expect the worst out of situations, which made it easier when they didn’t choose to adopt her.

As she passed the pictures in the hallway, she stopped and turned around. Not because of the pictures, but because of the a certain spot on the floor. She kept staring at it as if it were a brand new scooter. Was she admiring how polished the wood looked? It was as if somepony cleaned it up.

“You comin, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo turned Apple Bloom, concern was written all over the Earth Pony’s face, but that wasn’t the real shocker. No, the real shocker was what she saw in Apple Bloom’s eyes that left her mouth agape. Staring into Apple Bloom’s yellow eyes sent her down another memory trip and as a result, Apple Bloom stood in a different spot, but this time she had a shock look as if she saw a ghost.

Or somepony she cared about looking like a bat.

After that, there was the stinging pain in the back of her head. Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom then the spot she was standing on. However her mind still was floating with pieces of the memory, but she was close to finishing it. She just needed something, a push.

Scootaloo shook her head and tried to think of only happy thoughts.

Scootaloo listened as a thumping noise pulled her attention. She looked everywhere from top to bottom, but the sound would fade away. However, when her eyes turned to Apple Bloom, the thump increased. Apple Bloom’s heartbeat was rapid, filling Scootaloo’s ears with a turbid rhythm.

“Woah, your heart is beating really fast!” Scootaloo said, her eyes widening. “You okay?”

“Yeah I just probably need some fresh air.” Apple Bloom smiled and grabbed Scootaloo. “Let’s go!” She said, running towards the door, but was pulled back as Scootaloo stood in place.

“You need to sit down or something?” Scootaloo asked with concern written over her face.

“Geez, I said I was alright!” shouted Apple Bloom. She clamped her hooves against her mouth.

Scootaloo took a step back and looked at her friend with an arched eyebrow. “Oookay?”

Apple Bloom nodded her head. Scootaloo winced at the smile plastered on Apple Bloom’s face. “You know what? I’m in the mood for something in the fridge!”

“But…” Scootaloo stopped once she realized Apple Bloom was out of earshot. She heard a lot of movement such as metal clattering everywhere and Apple Bloom mumbling something. Worrying about her friend’s health, Scootaloo wandered into the kitchen where she found Apple Bloom searching for something. “Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom spun around and froze with a pan held in her hoof.

Seeing Apple Bloom with the pan, sent Scootaloo into another trip of memory lane. As she was losing consciousness, a the sound of metal hitting the floor was the last thing she heard.

And a pan dropping next to her was the last thing she saw.

Scootaloo groaned and held her head. “Ugh, my head.”

“You okay?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, I keep seeing things. getting stupid these reminders. Like a pan dropping, your shocked face, then nothing.” She shook her head. “What the heck is going on?”

“You slipped and banged your head on a pan!” Apple Bloom blurted out. Scootaloo stood and arched an eyebrow, urging Apple Bloom to continue on. “Weren’t looking where you were going.”

Scootaloo frowned. She listened again to Apple Bloom’s heart beat pumping faster than before. As if her hearing cleared her vision, she saw little drops of sweat trickle down Apple Bloom’s forehead. How she took short breaths to calm herself down.

She was hiding something.

“Apple Bloom, you’ve been acting weird ever since we got to the door. Then again when I brought up the things I saw.” Scootaloo stepped closer, making Apple Bloom back up to the wall. She stopped when she noticed this. “Come on, Apple Bloom. You know I won’t hurt you. Plus even if I wanted to, I couldn’t because you were always stronger than me.”

Apple Bloom chuckled. “Yeah a lot of hoof wrestles prove that.” She stopped chuckling as she saw the glare Scootaloo was giving her. Apple Bloom sucked in her breath and sighed. “There’s no point in lying to ya anymore.” She looked up at Scootaloo. “You didn’t hit your head….I lied.”

“Yeah I figured that didn’t happen.”

Apple Bloom sighed. “When you came inside….” she looked down and muttered, but Scootaloo heard it as if she said it out loud. “You were hit upside the head by somepony holding a pan.”

No. No, Apple Bloom didn’t just say that. That would mean….her doubts were true. She wasn’t imagining all this. Scootaloo’s heart started pumping with rage laced with fear, fear of not knowing what was going to happen next. Neither one of them could stop staring at each as the silence mocked them.

Scootaloo was fighting hard not to show her pain, her heart hurt from Apple Bloom’s betrayal. Never before she thought she and Apple Bloom would fall apart.

The walls were closing in.

The pressuring building.

Her heart was pounding. And then a ringing sound erupted in her ear.

Her muzzle trembled as she said with a shaky voice, “Was it you?”

Apple Bloom face quickly averted pure confusion, then anger after the full realization hit her. “No, I would never do that! Just, please let me explain! She didn’t mean to do it!”

“She? You gotta be kidding me!” Scootaloo shouted, her eyes flaring.

“Just… just calm down and let’s talk,” Apple Bloom said, slowly walking towards the filly.

“Calm down? Calm down!” Scootaloo stomped her hoof down and growled. “This is me acting calm!”

“I lied because I was afraid of what you might do!” Apple Bloom shouted, silencing Scootaloo.

All the muscles in Scootaloo's body froze. All the anger had become cold and left her breathless. Her face lost all its color and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She wanted to puke as the words tasted vile. She looked down, unable to stare into Apple Bloom’s eyes. How could she after the things she said?

Her hooves began to shake. Apple Bloom tried to walk closer, but Scootaloo heard the floor creak under her weight and looked up to see her step back when Scootaloo showed her fangs through a growl. “S-Scootaloo, I’m sorry.”

Tears began to built in her eyes, but she blinked them away before Apple Bloom could notice as she didn’t want Apple Bloom to see weakness. “Back off!"

Without hesitation, Scootaloo sprinted out the door. She heard the door slam shut behind her and the sound of hooves hitting the dirt. She tried to ignore the sound, but it was too loud and too personal to push away.

She could picture Apple Bloom chasing after her, trying so desperately to stop her from the truth. Or maybe she was trying to stop her from doing something dumb, something she feared would happen if threatened. This burning rage kept her heart and hooves racing, pushing those thoughts away.

“Scootaloo, stop!”

Scootaloo shook her head and kept her eyes focused on ahead.

Her head was thrown back as Apple Bloom tackled her into the ground. It felt like her head was about to crack as the pain was increasing. Her thoughts scrambled and clouded with only pain. Apple Bloom flipped her on her back and pinned her down with her hooves. Scootaloo groaned as she wiggled around, struggling to break free of Apple Bloom’s hold. This wasn’t much of a surprise, Apple Bloom always was stronger than her.

“Get off me!”

Apple Bloom grunted as Scootaloo kicked and thrashed. “Listen. To. Me!”

No matter how much Scootaloo thrashed back and forth, Apple Bloom always bested her when it came to strength. She didn’t want to kick Apple Bloom, because that meant she would hurt her. So she kept trying to worm her way out in hopes Apple Bloom would tire before her.

Scootaloo grunted. “Why should I listen to you! Why should I believe you a word you say! You lied to me about me slipping and hitting my head!”

“I did it to protect you!”

“Argh, shut up!”

“Stop!” said a strange voice.

When Apple Bloom turned around to look, Scootaloo used the distraction and pushed Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom landed on the ground on her head and groaned in pain. Scootaloo picked herself up and looked over where Apple Bloom who was rubbing her head as she got up. Scootaloo flipped over to see an Earth Pony standing in between them. Scootaloo noticed her legs tremble as she stood, how her eyes switched from Apple Bloom to her. “Please stop fighting.”

Scootaloo watched as Apple Bloom walked toward the filly, but she stopped when the Earth Pony held her hoof. Apple Bloom opened her mouth to protest, but she cut her off as she walked off and met Scootaloo where she stood.

Scootaloo looked at the Apple Bloom then back at the filly, putting the obvious piece together. An unknown friend of Apple Bloom’s; it made sense! Her friend would see Scootaloo as a threat because of her predatory nature and would protect Apple Bloom at any cost! Even if it meant, hurting somepony Apple Bloom cared about.

Funny what friendship could make ponies do. Such as Apple Bloom, taking the fall for her. Where was she when Scootaloo needed comfort, for somepony to take the fall for her when she was in trouble?

Apple Bloom planned to take the blame for her. This selfish, hating filly who probably did it out of hatred. The fact that the filly probably was using Apple Bloom made Scootaloo pumped with anger. The filly walked up to the Scootaloo, slowly approaching her as her shaking legs slowed her down.

She stopped when she was close enough to look her right in the eye. The pony had an odd look with red glasses taking up most of her face, but her nose struck out the most.

Scootaloo wondered if the filly saw her nostrils flaring.

“Scootaloo, list—”

Scootaloo interrupted her with a punch right in the nose.

Apple Bloom witnessed her friend fall to the ground, her glasses flying off her face. It left her gasping for air before she ran towards her friend as she fell to the ground, clutching her nose. “Twist!”

Chapter six: Personal Demons

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Scootaloo’s hoof smashed with Twist’s nose, all the strength, all the anger she placed into her punch sent the Earth Pony dropping on the ground. She felt like she had hit a hundred pound block of meat and bone. Even though it was one quick sucker punch, her hoof stung. She still wasn’t satisfied. Twist almost killed her and she’s the one Apple Bloom protected—lied for—a simple punch wasn’t enough.

“Twist!” Apple Bloom shouted as she ran past her and straight to her friend.

Scootaloo heard Apple Bloom ask if Twist was all right as she checked on her, to which Twist responded with a nod even though her bloody nose told differently.

Twist had blood smeared over her muzzle, looking like somepony threw a tomato at her face. Her heartbeats could compare to drums pounding at a rapid pace. It drowned out the other noises in the orchard. Twist’s heartbeats revealed the lightest moments that no normal eye could see.

Her body shook her teary eyes. Some even escaped and fell to the ground as if rain drops. Moreover, each dropped sounding like almost somepony pounding on wood.

Scootaloo saw in an instant how Apple Bloom’s expression went from confusion to a mixture of emotions. Scootaloo saw past Apple Bloom’s glare, her eyes dilated with mixed emotions, disbelief and fear.

Fear of what Scootaloo might do next.

Apple Bloom had the nerve to look at her as if she was the monster. She might have gone to the extreme with punching Twist, and probably breaking her nose, but it could not compare to the stinging pain, the empty chill, when she slipped into unconsciousness.

Twist had done worse than a simple punch to the nose. The pain that pounded inside her head was the evidence to that. Twist didn’t hold back. Neither did she.

Scootaloo felt her muscles tighten as Apple Bloom marched over. She could see her nostrils flaring.

“Leave her alone, you bully!” She shouted. If the force of her shout wasn’t enough, Scootaloo turned around in time to see Apple Bloom pull her hooves back.

Scootaloo landed on her rump from Apple Bloom’s intense strength as she shoved her to the ground. She looked, eyes glowing with shock as Apple Bloom glared down on her.

Silence fell.

Her ears twitched at the sound of the bird’s chirp, creating a hamory song with other birds. She had forgotten they were around; she was too busy confronting her thoughts.

Apple Bloom must have realized what she had done and opened her mouth to apologize, but Scootaloo could not hear it as Twist’s sniffles cut her off.

Scootaloo jumped up and sprung onto Apple Bloom, knocking the wind out of her as her weight slammed down on her stomach. She gripped Apple Bloom's chest and pulled her in close, so the Earth Pony could the fury in her eyes.

“You’re so stupid! I know you’re suppose to be good hearted and all, but sometimes you can be just stupid!” She shouted.“She hit me right in the freaking head! She could have killed me, Apple Bloom, and you’re taking her side!”

Apple Bloom coughed. “Scootaloo, please…”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to rant father, but a long scream piercing her ears stopped her.

Scootaloo turned her head as Twist started sobbing. “Please, stop it!” Tears stained her cheeks and mixed with dried blood smeared over her muzzle. She looked back at Apple Bloom, who was also building tears in her eyes.

At that moment, she knew all the trust Apple Bloom had in her, every last mote, vanished because of one dumb mistake made in the heat of the moment. She was now a stranger to Apple Bloom, a changeling in her friend’s image.

She looked at down at her injured hoof and gagged at the sight of the dried blood, her anger dissolved and melted into guilt.

Her mind couldn’t reconcile with the cruel truth. She had become the monster the book had portrayed. A bat, a predator, an aggressive creature that would tear its opponent with its fangs when threatened. Apple Bloom tried to protect Scootaloo from experiencing this haunting guilt.

Instead of seeing it through her perspective, Scootaloo turned her away and let her doubts control her actions, leading to her standing here with a bloody and injured hoof.

A sense of suffocation and panic gripped her, snapping her out of the trance that held her frozen. Scootaloo blinked and looked around as if she had just woken up.

As if her anger blinded her of the damage, not to Twist, but to Apple Bloom. No words had to be said to let Scootaloo knew she screwed up beyond the point of no return.

Scootaloo pushed herself off Apple Bloom and backed away from the two fillies. Apple Bloom looked up from the ground in confusion as well as Twist who looked on as Scootaloo backed away.

She did not hear a shout or even the slightest utterance regarding her as she broke off from the two. Just the sound of her rapid heartbeat as her emotions ran high and her legs forced her to move.

She continued running for what seemed like longer than it should have taken for her to get back to the market. She figured it was because she wanted to get away so fast.

A distinct old dead tree came up on the path that meant that she should be able to see a bunch of blue flowers. Forcing her legs to push harder she kept her sprint, anticipating the relief of driving away from here.

She rounded the bend in the path and came to an abrupt halt. Her breathing hitched in her throat making her screaming lungs just about burst.

She looked up at the trees, a little light shining through them. Thank goodness for the trees blocking almost all of the light. She hated wearing those glasses.

Scootaloo inhaled then exhaled until she realized she was actually sobbing. There was nopony around to act tough for, just the blue flowers that surrounded her.

She looked behind to check if Apple Bloom ran after her, she hoped she did, but was disappointed by just seeing the flowers.

The old Scootaloo was gone, nothing but a cruel memory of how good she had gotten along with friends. Orange feathers were gone and that friendly smile was replaced with something threatening. Something that would hurt its loved ones out of anger. Who was she to kid? Apple Bloom made up her mind when she chose to protect Twist over her. Various memories of the Apple family flashed in her head.

Scootaloo was surrounded by photos of her new family. Adopted by the family she never thought would take interest in her life and now she was throwing it away in pursuit of finding herself. Whoever that was.

Stupid, Twist! Scootaloo growled, pacing around like a filly throwing a tantrum, nose flaring, her face glowing red looking like it was ready to explode. Why does she get to be the victim when she’s the one who attacked me!

Her vision became blurry as tears kept building. This isn’t fair!

She huffed as her thoughts continued to attack her. Forget her! I don’t need her! She nodded as she agreed with her thoughts, but deep down, she was lying to herself.

Apple Bloom had crushed the hopes she’d held onto for the past few days. The same hope she thought was going to help her through this, but she had to stop living a fantasy world. This was reality where trust was a one-way street.

The same street Scootaloo and Apple Bloom stood, separated because one thought badly about the other—afraid of what she had become.

She groaned and gritted her teeth. Stupid, Apple Bloom! Why couldn’t you be on my side? She took a long, shuddering breath, her chin trembled as she did. She blinked rapidly to see past the rim of warm wetness threatening to overspill her eyes.

She started chewing on her lower lip and her eyes welled up with tears.

She shuddered as an sob escaped her mouth. I messed up, worse than any other time. She didn’t even notice the tears running down her cheeks until it became obvious she wasn’t huffing anymore. She lost the battle as she let out a long, squeaky squeal. I’m such a mess up!

She started breathing fast at the same time her heart pumped faster. She turned around as something nearly took off her head. She managed to duck down before it could and looked up to see it land on a tree branch that came out of nowhere.

It was a bat. Its eyes were slitted, similar to a cat, and they glowed a creepy purple light reminiscent of her own, which creeped her out more than she already was. The bat’s eyes glowed within the dark that surrounded it.

Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed as a growl escaped her mouth. “You…this is all your fault!”

The bat looked unmoved and kept staring.

Scootaloo! Scootaloo twitched at the faint sound, but it wasn’t enough to break her from her thoughts crowding her, filling her with doubt and fear.

“You had to turn me into a freak! A monster! And for what!” Scootaloo shouted and stomped her hoof down. She looked down and scooped up a pebble and chucked it at the bat. “You stupid freak!”

The pebble messed the bat only by a few inches. However, the bat revealed its fangs and at that moment, Scootaloo’s anger vanished into fear.

Scootaloo moved slowly to the side and kept her eyes on the bat at the same time. She felt her head tense still as the bat looked at her, craning its neck as if it was giving her a puzzled look.

She gulped and moved a little bit slower. “It’s alright, I’m….I’m just moving.” She turned her attention to the nearby bushes, her escape route only inches away.

Crack!

She stopped and looked down to see a twig. She looked up and muttered, “Son of—”

“EEEEEE!” it screeched as it’s body flicked off the tree limb and launched towards her for a second time.

“Ah!” Scootaloo jumped into a nearby bush on the side of the trail leading to the dark forest. She raised her head to see the light fading away, creating new shadows and dark patches around her. Surrounded by eyes filled with darkness that glimmered from the tree hollows. The wind wailed between distorted trunks, carrying the sickly stench of wood rot.

The hairs on her back went up as she heard the bat screech from an unknown location making her bolt in fear, and she felt herself breathing quicker as she ran as fast as she could.

As she ran, she tried to ignore the glowing eyes coming from within the shadows, creatures most likely awoken by the sound of her thundering hooves hitting the ground. She looked behind her and saw that nothing was chasing her. She took a few moments to scan the area carefully as she trotted, nerves on end.

Nothing but trees and dirt was all she saw, no bat flying overhead. How she wished she could just be in bed. She stopped and hid behind a tree, wheezing as her lungs burned. She closed her eyes and inhaled. One, two, three—it isn’t working!

She felt the trees and bushes closing in. The oxygen shutting down, leaving her unable to stop gasping for air. I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have done that!

Screech!

What am I talking about, it’s a bat! It was going to attack me anyway! She stopped and exhaled. You got this. You’ve handled worse than this. When you open your eyes, you’re going to make a break for it.

One.

She felt her hind legs buckle, ready to run.

Two.

She mustered all the strain she had and blew out the fear with an exhale.

Three!

Scootaloo’s eyes shot open and the first thing she saw was lt, wings flapping at a rapid speed. Its sharp teeth filled her vision as it made for her exposed face.

Nope!

She whipped behind her and started running backwards towards the gateway made out of bushes and leaves. She pushed past the bushes, some of the leaves smacking her face as she tore through mother nature. She looked behind, but green clouded her vision. She turned around in time to for her leg to get tingled onto something and pulled her back as her strength scattered in fits of agitation when she tumbled down the hill and her face slammed into a puddle of water.

The last thing she tasted was the taste of water before blacking out.

An instant she found herself panting in her own sweat on the couch she sat on. Scootaloo rubbed her hooves down her face and grunted as she sat upright. Her mane was messy and bags hung under her eyes. But that was the least of her problems.

She looked around, and to her comfort, she was home laying on the couch in the middle of the living room. Just to be sure, she checked the picture hung up on the wall and found Apple Bloom and Applejack in the picture. “I’m not in a dream.” She sighed in relief.

Scootaloo, listen to me! Scootaloo cringed at the sound ringing inside her head. It wasn’t a body dropping sound, but it’s faint, lingering effect annoyed her.

Scootaloo shook her head, yawned a bit and rose up. She was still in one piece. An aura of butter mixed with pancake dough tickled her nose and her stomach growled in response.

“Scootaloo, breakfast’s ready!”

Scootaloo smiled and leaned farther into the soft cushions. Everything was back to normal. Her smile faded as she thought more. Apple Bloom was probably still pissed off at her and she wouldn’t blame her.

She was in over her head, but deep down in the back of her mind, it seemed like it was the right response.

Yet the concept of right hasn’t been on her side lately. Nothing had been right; her transformation out in the blue, what happened while she was in a coma and the reappearance of her long-forgotten parents.

Well clues of them, at least.

She sighed. Nothing she could do about it now, nothing but enjoy the moment in this beautiful morning. She couldn’t shake off the happy feeling she felt right now.

Everything seemed right. Nature, waking up to Applejack announcing breakfast and the aura of pancakes was right. She knew that for sure, nothing was wrong with it.

For the first time since her transformation, everything didn’t seem like worrying about.

She had her family.

Let the world deal with the other problems.

Scootaloo smiled and ran a hoof through her mane, rising up from the couch. She smacked her lips and stretched a little before walking into the kitchen where the sizzling sound grew loud, but it didn’t seem to bother Applejack.

She never thought she would miss waking up to mornings like this. Simple, but it had a loving family brightening up the room. Rainbow Dash would probably have called it sappy, but right now that’s how she felt.

She felt sappy and she didn’t care.

“Good morning, sleepy head.”

Scootaloo pulled up a chair and flopped down. “Morning.”

What you see isn’t real!

She wiggled inside her head as a faint ringing sound bothered her. She felt her eyes were getting heavy as her eyelids drooped lower and lower. Guess even a nice morning couldn’t keep her fully awake.

Scootaloo opened her eyes when the fresh baked pancake was placed on the plate in front of her. She breathed in the fresh smell of pancakes cooking in the kitchen, taking in all the scents of maple syrup and cake batter.

Her folk stabbed in pancake and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed and moaned with delight. “Hmm, these are really good!”

Her praise gained Applejack’s attention as she turned around to face Scootaloo. Scootaloo’s blood turned cold when she looked at a face that wasn’t Applejack’s. It was a stranger, a mare who had the same color schemes like Applejack as if she was some cheap knockoff.

Scootaloo couldn’t see her face through the darkness that shadowed the top of her head. The only thing she saw was the mare’s shiny fangs, and she smiled at the sight. Another bat pony! If she’s in here that means...where’s Applejack!

“Thanks, Scootaloo!”

“Haha! She even eats like a predator!” Scootaloo turned her head to the deep voice. There sat at the end of the table, a pony, she couldn’t tell the gender as a newspaper shielded her from their identity, but telling from the deep voice and muscle in the pony’s forelegs, it was a male.

Scootaloo giggled. “You should have been there, dad!”

Mom….Dad? No...no, this isn’t my family.They can’t be real! This isn’t real!

Her mother chuckled. “Ooh, I’m so excited. Can I just tell her dear?”

Scootaloo looked between the two, shocked with a smile on her face. “Tell me, what!”

He glanced at her mother with a smirk on his face.

He surprised Scootaloo first with a box in his hooves. Scootaloo wondered what might be in the box: it could be anything, like a gold medal. Scootaloo was almost hyperventilating, but luckily Dad flipped the lid open. Nestled inside was a pair of Wonderbolts goggles.

Bringing them up to eye level, she discovered that they had a Wonderbolts Academy title engraved on the side. She rubbed the lettering with her other hoof. “Wow….this is weird, this is awesome!”

No, this isn’t happening, these ponies aren’t my parents! Where’s Applejack! Twilight, anypony! Scootaloo laughed as her father reached over and gave her a cookie, roughing up her mane. “Oh, stop it!”

Her dad just laughed at her misery. “What you going to do, predator?”

Scootaloo replied by snipping her dad in the foreleg. He recoiled in pain and pulled his hoof back. He stood still, looking at Scootaloo with a shocked expression before his smile plastered his face, fangs showing bright. He burst out laughing with Scootaloo joining along.

Scootaloo’s eyes widened as she watched on in horror.

“That’s how you show who’s boss.” He smirked. “Nopony bucks with a predator.” He nudged Scootaloo. “Ain’t that right, champ?” He asked, his wicked grin mixed with his fangs looked monstrous.

“Heck yeah!”

“Oh, Scootaloo can you tell me about what happened!” Her mother jumped up and down.

Scootaloo leaned back and shrugged. “So, this filly named Twist, right? Get this, she thought she could hit me in the head and get away with it.” She turned to her dad who was listening. “Big mistake.”

Her dad nodded. “Serious.”

“So I punched her face and she got her big body guard to protect her. Me and her got in a scuffle. The bodyguard, Apple Bloom, had me on the ground and it looked like I was finished.” She paused as she looked around her audience, all at their edge of their seats.

Even Scootaloo was on the edge of her seat.

“I bucking bit her in the foreleg and started beating her up!”

The parents looked at Scootaloo.

Then applauded.

They praised her as if she achieved something great, something good. Scootaloo rose up from her chair and bowed, drowning in the praise of her parents. She always wondered how Rainbow felt, now she did.

Any foal would kill to be in her hooves right now, no parent in Equestria gave its child this much praise. Scootaloo loved it, adored it, as if this was new to her.

No, this is wrong! This isn’t right! Scootaloo banged on the windows inside her head, trying to shatter the picture of a happy family. A family who loved their child and were proud of her, but this family had a twist to it, a dark, sadistic twist, that made her wanna hurl. “No!”

The family gathered together in form of a hug and laughed together. It felt like she was being laughed at, not at the sick joke they had told, she told.

The mother smiled and kissed her head. “I’m happy to know you can handle your own fights.” She turned to the stallion. “Just like ya father.”

Just like ya father.

Like ya father.

Just like the monster.

Just like Scootaloo.

“No, no no!” Scootaloo pounded her hooves against the window. She kept planting cracks in the glass only for it to repair itself and look good as new. She didn’t care though, she wanted to get out of this nightmare.

“I’m not like him! I’m not like them!” She shouted at the top of her lungs, her hoofs burning with pain. She sniffed and her poundings slowed down until she stopped. “I’m not…”

Scootaloo dropped to the ground and curled up in a ball. I’m just like him…

She felt a cold chillness surround her.

Slowly creeping at the back of her neck as her thoughts flooded her mind. I’m not like my parents! I’m not bad kid! I’m not a bad friend! She held onto herself as she sobbed on the ground, the sound of her tears hitting filled her ears.

“Scootaloo, fight it!”

“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, I’ve pushed them away. I pushed everyone who tried to help away.” As if the cold had a reaction, the degrees dropped lower as the words slipped from Scootaloo’s mouth.

“Scootaloo, you’re not a freak. You’re gifted. You’re kind, you’re the best filly I know and I’m certain you will win this battle!”

“I’m a monster.” As she said those words, a cloud burst from her mouth and vanished into the air, her body wasn’t prepared for the sudden chillness that surrounded her.

She shivered and, as her body was racked with the rheumy cough. Exhausted, she felt her legs almost crumble as the muscles, weakened with the bitter cold, gave way, leaving her in a drab and hopeless heap on the floor. She stayed where she laid too tired and worn out to fight it. Tears came flowing from her eyes even when she had her eyes closed shut.

“Hmmm, hush now, little filly.”

Scootaloo’s ears twitched at the sound, her eyes shot opened and she felt a warmth rising through her body as sweet voice went through her ears. Her shivering body came to a stop as the humming continued to comfort her.

The bad memories faded away as well as the emotions that ran high. All the doubt vanished as well as her fears. The family’s, her family’s, laughter died down until the only sound she heard was the humming. Something reached deep into her memories, pushing past the bad ones and watching the good ones.

Apple Bloom was walking with her, smiling and laughing.

She felt like she could listen to forever like she wouldn’t mind if she heard it every time she was down or simply took a walk out the loud market. It would block all the noises that brought her pain, only bringing her comfort.

Her mind was free of her doubting thoughts.

However, as she was enjoying it, the humming stopped when a hoof brushed against her mane. She looked up and gasped at the sight of a certain dream princess. Her comforting smile brought her warmth.

“L-L-Luna?” She flinched as Luna held out her hoof. She looked at her hoof, confused by the warming gesture. Her mind couldn’t comprehend the simple act of kindness.

Maybe because Luna acted like nothing was wrong. She didn’t abandon her again when she was going through this. She didn’t give her any tips or lessons on how to control her new found senses.

She was just the bomb that destroyed her life as she told her about her parents.

Scootaloo jumped up from the ground and bumped noses with Luna. “You think you just can show up at random times? Huh, you think you can just leave me hanging when I needed you the most!”

She expected a reaction out of Luna, but she simply stood there. A calming feeling and a warming vibe radiating from her expression.

However, Scootaloo was too blinded by rage to see it.

“Nothing to say, Luna!” she spat with venom. “You’re just going to stand there and let me shout at you! Do something, anything, are you even real!” No matter how much she shouted, poured her feelings out, Luna remained unfazed and unresponsive.

She just blinked and stared.

Scootaloo’s muzzle quivered. “You’re just like them. You leave when I need you the most. Leave me to handle things on my own when you know I got no clue what I’m doing! Leaving me to find out I’m actually a freak who can hear things really freaking loud to the point I get headaches from conversations ponies think nopony else couldn’t hear!”

Scootaloo tried to control her breathing heart, but it kept pounding. It filled her ears with a drumming sound, blocking out the relaxing sounds from the outdoors. “They didn’t leave me a note or anything! They just left me to figure it out on my own!”

“You came on what’s supposed to be my day just to drop the bomb on me! What is your mission, to make my life worse? Because you su—”

She was cut off as Luna pulled her into a hug. It didn’t take long before her tears to stain Luna’s coat as they broke free, her cries muffled.

There was a time she would call Sweetie Bell out for always bursting out in tears, but now she understood why it happened. Nopony, no matter how tough they are or claim to be, they would cry when solutions are out of control and they feel helpless to do anything about it.

When emotions are too much for a pony, crying was the best situation to release all that build up.

Maybe crying would clear her mind of emotion. Let her focus on the things that mattered. “I’m sorry for yelling at you! I didn’t mean it!”

“Sssh, it’s okay. I know.”

Scootaloo felt it all pour out. The anger, disappointment and the fear that turned her own thoughts against her and pushed away the ponies she cared about.

Maybe after this, she could fix things between her and Apple Bloom. At least it’d help her put them in the right direction. She just wished Apple Bloom could see it through her point of view, past the delusions that invaded her mind and see the picture Twist had painted for herself.

Maybe Apple Bloom could be on her side again. Only if she had the will to make things than maybe this bad feelings, memories could vanish and forgotten.

Maybe not.

She had only time to look at for the right answers.

“Where were you?” she asked, sniffling. “That night at the library, you didn’t come when I had that nightmare about Applejack.”

Luna sighed. “I am sorry I wasn’t there for you. I am here now and I will continue to be here whenever you need me.”

“What about before?” she frowned. “I needed you that time.”

“Believe it or night, sometimes a pony’s mind shuts itself from the world and any potential intruders, even such as myself.”

“I...I did that? How?”

“You were overwhelmed with fear and doubt. Your mind couldn’t handle anymore interference. If I came to protect you, your mind would defend itself against me.” Luna sighed. “Believe me I tried to help you, Scootaloo, but your fears are getting worse each day.”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped down. “Wow, I just keep messing things up, huh?”

Luna lifted her chin and wiped a tear from Scootaloo’s eye.“I know you are afraid of facing Apple Bloom after what you have done, Scootaloo, but eventually you will two cross paths and just know, she would forgive you no matter what. Just explain yourself to her and there is no doubt that she’ll forgive you.”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

“And why’s that?”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped to her head as she lowered her sightless gaze to the ground.

“She would never hate you, Scootaloo. You’re her friend no matter what happens.” Luna frowned as Scootaloo continued to stare at the ground. “Scootaloo, look at me.” Luna saw those glowing purple eyes as the bat pony looked up at her. “She will never stop caring for you.”

Scootaloo pushed Luna’s hoof away. “Pff, come on, Princess Luna. I almost punched her!” She stopped as her volume increased. “She’ll never forgive me.”

Luna cracked a smile. “Is that so?”

Scootaloo opened her mouth, but a loud cracking sound echoed in her ears as a dark shining hoof sent cracks running through the floor. Scootaloo stepped aside from the incoming crack that shot past her.

Light erupted through the cracks as the room around them crumbled into pieces.

She found herself standing in the Apple homestead, breathing in that apple aura that the Apple house had. She looked around the room she appeared in, she couldn’t place whose room it was.

Certainly wasn’t her’s, given the missing posters that would be on the wall and the Spitfire action figure sitting on the desk. The only thing she recognized was the almost king-size bed adorned with apple-patterned blankets.

Her attention turned behind her as the door slammed open and multiple hoofsteps could be heard in the background. She recognized the Earth Pony flopping on the bed as Apple Bloom.

Her heart skipped a beat as an orange Pegasus with a skater-styled purple mane came walking through the room. Scootaloo felt like her purple eyes gazed at her when she walked past her.

She had forgotten how innocent she looked back then. Her face didn’t had the intimidating look with the bat fangs sticking out her mouth looking like she was ready to pounce on everypony.

It was just a little filly.

The Pegasus sat down on the other rather plain looking bed. Both of them used their forelegs as a pillow and stared at the ceiling.

“Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked as she turned to the purple maned filly.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you… a chicken.”

The Pegasus looked at the ceiling until her she flipped her body sideways as she faced Apple Bloom. “Why are you saying? I should be sorry!”

“For what?”

The Pegasus groaned. “I pushed you for calling me a chicken!”

“Oh…”Apple Bloom shrugged. “It’s okay?”

The Pegasus gave Apple Bloom a deadpan look. “Really?”

She pulled the orange Pegasus in close and nuzzled her face. “Well yeah….friends fight all the time, right?”

The orange Pegasus seemed unamused by the answer and pushed off from the bed.“Ugh, I pushed you to the ground, Apple Bloom! Imagine if you did something worse than calling me a name. I would wanna fight you! And mess up our friendship? I don’t wanna lose you over—”

Apple Bloom cut the Pegasus off as she held a hoof to her mouth. “You ain’t going to mess anything up, trust me. You know why?” A smile appeared on her face as she punched Scootaloo on the shoulder. “Because everypony makes mistakes, right?”

The Pegasus looked at the floor. Scootaloo remembered how she felt after the words hit her. The hope she felt as Apple Bloom inspired her with the confidence that she would not screw up.

Because she had Apple Bloom by her side if she did.

The Pegasus cracked a smile. “I don’t think everyone makes more mistakes than you at sounding cheesy.”

Apple Bloom gigged and pushed her down on the bed. “Haha, very funny..”

Their laughter faded away as the memory vanished in a cloud of smoke. Scootaloo found herself standing in Luna’s presence again. “You see, she would stand by you no matter what, Scootaloo. Believe that.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” she said, rolling her eyes. “She’ll never forgive me for what I did to Twist even though that big-glasses dork attacked me first!”

Luna frowned. “Do you really mean that about Twist?”

“No.” She groaned and threw her hooves in the air. “I don’t know! She’s just in the way! She did all this! Not me! She attacked me and Apple Bloom acts like I’m the monster!”

“Is she thinking that way?” Lun asked with an arched eyebrow. “Or are you?”

Scootaloo flinched as the words hit her in head and got her thinking. Maybe Apple Bloom...she shook her head. “No, I saw how she looked at me. Remember what you told me when I first found out about this? That there are ponies who hate what they don’t understand?” She stomped her hoof down. “Well Twist is one of them! That’s why she attacked me!”

There are when Luna’s wing unfurled, but accepted the embrace as the princess draped a wing over her. “Scootaloo, take a deep breath.”

Scootaloo inhaled then exhaled.

“Feel better?”

Scootaloo looked down. “No...Princess Luna. I’m afraid. I don’t know what to do. I’m scared if I do nothing then my friendship with Apple Bloom will be over.”

“It’s normal to be afraid, Scootaloo, everypony experiences fear in their life, but you know what the good thing about fear is? It can be confronted, conquered and defeated. It can even reveal some parts of yourself you never know you had. It builds up your confidence.”

The princess of the night smiled. “You did that once. I’ve got the evidence to prove it.”

Luna lifted her hoof in the air and slammed it down on the ground, the sheer force echoing in Scootaloo’s ears.The filly raised her head to see the light in the room fading away, creating new shadows and dark patches around her.

Her head cocked to the side where she heard a river as the water plummeted down into the abyss. Birds could be heard chirping in the distance, enjoying the warmth under the sun that now shined bright in the cloudless sky.

Scootaloo looked down, after her hooves felt like they were being tickled, and saw blades of grass all around her and Luna. She spun around to a tree that stood near her. An owl gazed at her with its big, yellow eyes. Scootaloo flinched as it hooted loudly before spreading its wings and taking off into the skies. The scent of pine cones tainted the air. She knew that fresh scent the place provided. She remembered the warm the sun brought her as she walked a dirt trail.

Then it clicked.

This was not just a random forest she created; this was Winsome falls. Which meant, she was remembering, picturing it within her mind. The question was why she was remembering this exact moment?

“Scootaloo, do you remember this?” Luna asked as she pointed at the flowing river.

Scootaloo followed where Luna pointed which was near the edge of the cliff. She stared at nothing, only the water. She felt her eyes straining as she squinted to see what Luna was talking about.

Her eyes widened as she remembered. She saw younger self looking away as tears filled up her eyes, her mane damped and her helmet on the floor. Her head shot up when only she heard a voice echoing in her mind.

Luna’s voice.

She looked at Luna with impatience radiating from her frown. “What’s the point of all this?”

“There is no point,” Luna said as she turned to her. “Just a reminder. Scootaloo, you can deny it all you want, but I have more memories, fond memories, between you two to always prove how wrong you are when you say she isn’t going to forgive you. Just give her that chance and explain yourself.”

Scootaloo opened her mouth, but shut it as a she couldn't help but keep thinking about the tingling feeling of pain that she had in her head. It felt like someone was jabbing it with a stick, over and over again.

She could almost feel her own heartbeat, drumming so loud that her ears couldn't even hear it.

It’s time to face your fears, Scootaloo! It repeated again like a theme. It kept repeating, however her mind changed some of the words around. It’s time to face, Apple Bloom!

“I hope you make the right choice, Scootaloo.” Luna said, walking to the bat pony and pulling her into a hug. “I believe in you.”

Scootaloo blushed. “Y-yeah, thanks.”

Luna broke the embrace and trotted down the dirt road, a smile plastered on her face as she observed the place even as the baby blue skies of Winsome Falls began fading from existence. She seemed unfazed by it.

Sometimes Scootaloo wished she had Luna’s calming and collective thought, but that would just be boring now. She watched Luna walk away, a feeling of worry chilled her to the bone. She felt all her doubting thoughts coming back.

Scootaloo broke off into a sprint and followed the dirt road. Every time it seemed like she was getting close to the Luna, it would appear like she had been pushed back a couple feet away. “Wait, Princess Luna!” she shouted through breaths.”I can’t do this with you!”

Scootaloo felt a huge impact slamming into her before everything went black.

Scootaloo’s eyes shot open. Her face itched and felt moist like lying in grass after a light rain. She picked herself up, and as she did so, a little rivulet of saliva fell from her mouth. Ew.

She looked around and saw trees standing tall, a shade of light shining through the cracks, letting her know she was back in reality. No, I need to talk to Princess Luna! Alright no biggie, calm down. All I have to do is close my eyes and she'll appear.

Scootaloo closed her eyes tightly and waited. She heard no warming voice in her ear, no sound of hooves approaching her just the sound of the wildlife. She opened her eyes and groaned.

What am I going to say to her? Sorry, I punched your friend, won’t happen again. She tapped her chin then shook her head. Apple Bloom, you gotta—she shook her head. Apple Bloom, if you were in my hooves... She groaned in frustration. Ugh, this is hard! What would Rainbow Dash do?

She frowned. Pff, probably ditch her friend without saying nothing. She rubbed her chin. What would an honest pony like Applejack do? Her eyes shot opened as a gasp left her mouth. Tell the truth! Yeah, I could tell her why I did what I did and we can be friends again! A smile left her hopes at a high level and her determination skyrocketing.

She could do this.

The Applejack way.

However, the feeling in the back of her mind left her wondering. What if...the truth makes her hate me even more? Her ears drooped down and her smile gone. I can’t do anything right, can I?

She looked down to see down at the puddle in front of her. She saw her own reflection in the flowing with the water, but something felt off about it and a feeling in the back of her head told her not to. She squinted and moved her face closer for a better view.

Her head shot up when she heard a twig breaking in the distance. She picked herself up and walked away from the puddle.She broke off and ran. She pushed the bushes away and ignored the numerous eyes following her every movement.

She ran through the blue flowers, seeing the large spot her body had printed on. She kept running even though her lungs were squeezed out of oxygen.

Scootaloo got a clean glimpse of the sunlight as she ran through the mouth the forest. She stopped when the forest had ran out of bushes, trees, and predators’ eyes to stalk her. She shielded her eyes as the sun blinded her. She held her head down and watched her hooves as she walked blindly.

She never thought she would be happy to see the barn. She inhaled and exhaled. You can do this. With her head held high, she began her walk up the hill. You can fix this.

She felt like her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. It pounded rapidly against her chest, bringing pain to her chest. You can do this. You. Can. Do. This. You can do this! A huge smile exploded her face as she walked. “You can do this!” she shouted out to the world.

A flock of birds flew in the skies and disappeared within the clouds, disturbed by Scootaloo’s cry.

She missed this feeling of determination. She had forgotten how it felt to be so focused on completing a task and not giving up. All she needed was a push, a pony she could vent all her frustrations on.

Luna was just that.

Her smile wavered a little as her mind went back to what she almost saw in the puddle. It looked like her face had changed, but a reflection in the water always does that.

She shook her head and held onto her hope. Nothing was going to stand in her way, she was going to fix this.

She had nothing to worry about.

Her heart picked up its speed as as she saw the apple painted near the door knob, green among the brown wooden paint. Scootaloo’s grasp of the knob tightened the more she thought about it. Shaking her head, she looked down at her hoof grasping the knob, but didn’t dare to turn it..

She pushed herself away from the door.“”Ugh!” She walked away from the door and flopped down on the stairs, sighing as she did. “I can’t do it...I…” her ears drooped lower. “I’m a big sappy coward.” She buried her face in her forelegs and closed her eyes.

Her mind couldn’t help but wonder back to this how thing started. How everypony in the room felt helpless as they had no idea what was happening to the orphan that recently moved into a happy home, an honest and kind-hearted home.

Then, everything changed. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn’t see each other as much as when she was awake, but it felt like she was in a coma for more than two weeks. Scootaloo frowned. Was Twilight lying to her? Had it really been two weeks or more?

Applejack had been keeping something from her. She always acted strange when she would eavesdrop in her conversations with Twilight, but what struck her out the most was Fluttershy muttering something about bats and something else.

Her mind was too focused on Apple Bloom to remember.

She sighed. Who am I kidding. Without Princess Luna around I’m too afraid I’ll mess up this stupid attempt of an apology. I should just go back to Applejack...or maybe just run away.

It’s normal to be afraid,Scootaloo. Scootaloo’s head shot up from her forelegs as Luna’s voice appeared. Scootaloo, everypony experiences fear in their life, but you know what’s the good thing about fear? It can be confronted, conquered and defeated. It can even reveal some parts of yourself you never know you had. It builds up your confidence.

As the words ran through, Scootaloo felt her heart pumped with adrenaline, her eyes feeling wide awake and the thoughts that held her back vanished. She jumped up from the stairs with a smirk on her face. “I can do this!” She marched to the door and gripped on the knob. With a deep inhale and exhale, Scootaloo opened her eyes and pushed the door open. The door creaked loudly as the door slowly hit the door.

This all felt too familiar. Standing here alone, heart pounding, eyes wide open. The only difference was she only knew what was waiting for on the other side.

An angry farm pony.

She took a step inside and closed door the behind her.

Chapter seven: Down The Rabbit Hole

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOOTALOO! Never before would she think she would vomit at the those words. That day wasn’t happy at all. It wasn’t anything but happy. She wondered if her birthday wasn’t thrown out. She would be surprised if hadn’t already or at least got themselves a piece.

“Hello?”Scootaloo listened for any sudden movement, but she heard nothing. Weird, everypony was here just a moment ago. Jeez, how long was I out? It was painful to recount what happened earlier. She wanted to push all that behind her and move on.

Scootaloo took a step on the stairs, a crack emitting from the wood. She listened again for any moments. She was met with silence again. She thought she would love the headache-free zone, but it was kinda lonesome in the quiet air. The muggy afternoon air only added to the heavy stillness enveloping her.

She sighed and trotted up the stairs.

Scootaloo reached the top of the stairs and stood in the middle of the hallway. She expected to hear Granny Smith snoring, sighing from Big Mac or Winona’s collar dangling around she wandered. It was odd walking though this place when it’s normally filled with activity.

She wanted to enjoy the no-headache area, but she couldn’t with Apple Bloom's absence.

She trotted to Apple Bloom’s door and ran a hoof over the Wonderbolt stickers she had plastered over the little, tiny apples on the door.

Apple Bloom had always complained about that.

The nostalgic memories, the knowledge that Apple Bloom would have been there for her even when she was acting like a total nut only increased the guilt weighing on Scootaloo’s heart. The image of Apple Bloom’s frightened face had her on the brink of tears.

Apple Bloom coughed. “Scootaloo, please…”

That mistake haunted her. If it weren’t for Luna pulling her from the rabbit hole she was plummeting down through, she would have reached the end. She held onto the hope she would fix her friendship before it too late. With a deep inhale, Scootaloo knocked on the door.

Not a single creak from the other side. “Apple Bloom?” Not even the slightest of movement that came from the other side. She face hoofed. She’d forgotten Apple Bloom would avoid her by acting like she’s not there.

She almost punched her for pony’s sake. Her hoof shook like a leaf as she prepared to knock again.

What am I doing? Apple Bloom would probably be scared out of her fur if she sees me. As the thought crossed her mind, her hoof had retreated back to the ground. Get real here, Scootaloo. You messed up. She frowned at the thoughts.

She shook it off and faced the door. She held her breath and channeled into a series of knocks. Again she waited. Again, no answer came from behind her door.

“Ugh, Apple Bloom, are we really—” She stopped mid-sentence. “Just, can you open the door?” She threw her head in the air as she groaned.

She raised her hoof in the air to knock again. She turned her head when Winona stood at the stairs, growling at her. She wasn’t barking happily and pouncing her onto Scootaloo for another lick session. No, she was growling at her like she would usually do to squirrels who tried to steal some apples.

Scootaloo slowly reached for the door at the same time she looked at the dog. “H-h-hey girl, it’s me…” she gulped. “Scootaloo, remember?” Her heart skipped when Winona snarled, baring her teeth.

Oh no. Winona barked and ran towards Scootaloo. “Ah!” Scootaloo twisted the knob, but the door wouldn’t budge. Her attention darted between the door and Winona. Oh crap! Oh crap! OH CRAP!

Time slowed down when Winona sprung into the air. The bat pony looked down at her hoof on the doorknob as she twisted it.

Time resumed when she pushed the door open and slammed it right into the face of the unexpecting Winona. A loud whimper came from behind the door followed by a scratching sound. “Jeez, Winona, what’s gotten into you?”

Her fears were confirmed as she looked around: no Apple Bloom in sight. “Apple Bloom?” she walked to the closet and swung the door opened as she looked inside, finding nothing but a heap of clothes.

She pulled her head back and sighed. “She left.” She hung her head low as she dragged herself to the bed and flopped her back on it. She buried her face in her hooves before dragging them down her face.

She stared at the bottom of Apple Bloom’s bed, tracing her hoof over the apple sheets. She always remembered waking up them. Apple Bloom would always pull her out of bed and literally drag her down to breakfast because she loved to point out, “Breakfast cannot start unless the whole family is here!”

It felt awkward every time Apple Bloom reminded her she was a part of the Apple family.

She flipped to her side and saw her Spitfire action figure on the desk near her bed. She reached over and picked it up as she stared at it in her hoof. “So how would you fix things with your teammates?”

The action figure remained silent.

She placed the figure on the desk. “Where the heck is she!” She threw her hooves up. “She could be with that do—” She stopped herself. “Twist. ” She rubbed her chin.. “Or maybe, she’s in the market...selling apples? I guess that’s as good a place as any to start.” She got off the bed and trotted over to the door, but froze when the scrapping grew louder.

She turned around and spotted a window across from her. “At least I’m not going to get yelled at for going out the window this time.” She darted towards it and swung it open. Instead of wind cooling her face, sunlight struck her eyes, making her fall on her back. “Ugh!”

She picked herself up and dusted herself off. “Stupid sensitive eyes!”

Scootaloo stomped towards the closet and tore the doors opened as she dove into the heap of clothes. After a ton of clothes flying into the air, Scootaloo pulled out a black hoodie.

The bat pony wasted no time and tried it on. It took a bit of trying to get her leathery wings to fit through the holes in the back, but she managed to make it fit. She examined herself. The hoodie looked kinda small, covering half of her waist, but it didn’t matter. She placed the hood on, making sure it blocked her eyes. The only purple radiance could be seen from behind the hood and her chin. She returned to the window and lifted her head out the window.

No sunlight exposure.

“Yes!” Scootaloo moved herself out the window. When her hooves hit the roof, she lost balance and fell on her stomach. She lifted her head. The edge was a few inches away.

Scootaloo picked herself up from the roof and looked down. Her entire body shook as she stepped to the edge. Her hooves landed safely on the ground as she jumped down.

The orange bat pony made a beeline towards the barn. Scootaloo remembered when Apple Bloom first brought her here, she would always store her scooter in the barn because Applejack always told her to.

Scootaloo couldn’t wait to grip her hooves on those handles like old times. The doors opened to a heap of hay greeting her. There it was. Her blue, rust looking scooter with a wooden handle and wheels. It wasn’t anything special, but it helped her always escape from trouble.

And places she didn’t want to be.

Scootaloo traced her hoof along the handle as she circled around it. Hey, did ya miss me? She placed her hind legs on the scooter and flared out her wings. The bat pony looked at her flared, skinned wings and froze.

“What happened with your feathers?”

“They…” Scootaloo sighed. “They fell off I don’t know when. I just woke up to them like this.”

“I’m sorry, Scootaloo.”

“It’s just feathers. I’ll get over it.”

The scooter began to blur as tears was building up. Scootaloo blinked them away and in a moment of rage pushed the scooter to the ground. She flopped down on the hay and hung her head low.

She always thought one day she would fly, prove her worth to the pegasi race. She had been a disgrace to them and herself. She dreamed of flying as a pegasus. Now, that dream was taken from her by a sudden transformation.

The worst of it was she was going to relive the pain of not proving her worth with the Bat ponies.Her head shot up when something scrapped in her ears. “Applejack!” Her smile dropped when Big Mac stood at the door instead of Applejack.

“Eenope,” He said as bent his head over as he pushed the hay over.

“I’m not being lazy or anything!” She shouted with forced a smile. She noticed how wet her forehead was from the sweat. “I was just taking a break from..uh...” She saw the hay and scooped up some. “Fixing up the hay for the cows!”

“Eyyup.”

“Yep, they don’t like they’re hay not handed!”

Big Mac looked at her and her smile dropped. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Big Mac shook his head.“Nope.”

“Ugh!” Scootaloo pushed herself from the dirt. “I can’t do it, Big Mac! I tried, but it’s too hard!”

Big Mac arched an eyebrow.

Scootaloo turned her head to avoid his gaze. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t do the things I used to do now that I’m a…” Her body shivered, about to say the word that sent chills down her spine. "—Thestral.”

A shadow fell over her as Big mac stepped in front of her. He stared at her with his relaxed expression, not moving a single muscle in his body except for his eyes. Scootaloo snapped her head to her shoulder when he placed a hoof on them.

Their eyes met when Scootaloo looked up. Unlike the others, he had no reaction towards seeing new eyes. He stared at them and nodded before he walked back to the hay.

Scootaloo watched as Big Mac’s head pushed the hay with stress. It was strange, usually he would toss them on spot, but he did not. Her eyes widened when she noticed bandages wrapped nicely around his lifting foreleg.

She looked at her wings then at his foreleg.

Since his injury ruined his routine, he changed it. Scootaloo looked back at her scooter then her skinned wings. “My gosh!” She ran to the scooter and picked it off the floor. “Thanks Big Mac!” She shouted as she dragged the scooter outside.

She placed her hooves on the scooter, gripping onto the rubbery material like she usually did, donned her helmet, narrowed her eyes, and finally, flared out her wings. However, instead of a fast pace buzzing push, her wings lifted themselves into the air. You got this. She inhaled and held her breath as the wind tickled her wings. She opened her eyes and slowly exhaled as her wings flapped with force. The scooter moved her a little away from the door. She gasped and did it again, the scooter pushing farther and farther until she found herself speeding down the hill.

The shiver Scootaloo felt was more real. It wasn’t caused by the excitement alone; she was actually feeling the wind blowing on her coat. The speed of her flight made the air more resistant to her movements, but she kept flying with all her strength. She wanted to grin, to shout her joy to the world, but opening her mouth would cause the wind to abruptly fill her lungs, and make her lose control. Instead, she simply smiled. She held it in, but her giddy feeling was building up in her chest. She had to let it all out. She closed her eyes and screamed, “Woohoo!”

A devilish grin appeared on her face when a hill came into view. Her wings continued to flap, building up her momentum. The wind still came strong, but she pushed through it. Her heart pumping like crazy from the excitement burning in her veins.

Maybe she was holding it in because of all the crap she went through this past few days or weeks. She couldn’t tell how long she had been in a coma. All she knew was she was back and maybe, just maybe better than before.

The hill sent Scootaloo into midair before she landed back on the ground. Rainbow Dash told her that it may appear like five seconds to a pony watching, but for the flyer in midair, time seems to slow down.

That happened to Scootaloo. The millions of trees scattered around, the birds flying into the skies and the cutie mark clubhouse and even Big Mac as he carried baskets of apples to the house. She saw it all under five seconds.

She missed riding the scooter.

She missed her daredevil lifestyle.

She missed this feeling and sometimes nostalgic moments aren’t that bad.

Scootaloo slowed her pacing down as she entered the food court. The place was packed with ponies, there was little to no space for scootering so she had to walk.

She rode off into an alleyway behind a cart of oranges and stopped when she was at a good distance. She got off her scooter and leaned it against the wall as she breathed in then out. She took off her helmet and looked at her reflection.

If anypony happened to pass by an alleyway across from the market, they would see a purple radiance shining through the darkness. She sighed and placed her helmet on the handle, letting it hang before she walked out the alleyway and joined in the crowd of ponies. Her hood covered most of her face, casting a shadow over her eyes. The only part that could be seen was her fangs.

She wondered if she might bump into another bat pony along the way. She hoped she would, but the chances of that happening were slim to none. Her time as a Pegasus proved that. Everytime she went scootering, a bat pony was never around or even mentioned.

She never felt so out of place. So out of order. The anxiety was kicking in.

She found herself trying to catch the breath she had before as more and more ponies kept coming into the crowd, merging their conversations all into her head. Despite the conversations coming through fast, a conversation between two stallions ahead of stood out the most.

Mostly because it was about her friend, her princess.

“Ugh, what is up with Princess Twilight lately?”

“What you mean?”

“She’s been trapped in that castle for over two days now!”

“Woah, really?”

“Yeah, I think last time I saw her when that orange and yellow pony left.”

“Oof!” Scootaloo rubbed her head as she recovered from the collision. “Watch where you’re go—” her words failed her as Sweetie Belle stood before her. She looked different. Her mane wasn’t as curly as before. She couldn’t describe it, but somehow, it was different.

“Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo pulled on her hood and kept her head down as she walked away. She got out as fast as she could before Sweetie Belle could see her.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “Scootaloo, please!” Scootaloo kept pushing through the ponies, trying to get as far away from her as she could. “Scootaloo, come back!” Her body ache for her to turn away and hug her friend, but her doubts kept her moving forward.

The image of Sweetie’s reaction when she finds out about what happened kept her from doing something she would regret.

Her head kept turning back to see if Sweetie Belle was following her. Sadly, no curly mane stood out from the crowd. She didn’t hear her shout her name anymore, probably because it was drowned the voices that surrounded her. She slowed her pace down and continued her walk. Her heart was pounding from the adrenaline pumping into her veins.

Sweetie Belle almost saw her. She hasn’t seen her since her birthday to now pop out of nowhere. Her timing couldn’t had been any worse. Sweetie Belle would had ask questions about how how it felt waking up to this, and most importantly, why hadn't she and Apple Bloom come to see her.

Scootaloo wanted to avoid the answering that. Sweetie Belle would have done her best to fix the problem that wasn’t her’s to begin with. Scootaloo wanted to fix this herself. To mend what’s broken.

Time with Applejack was really affecting her.

She could really use a cold drink with all this heat bearing down on her. Thankfully, Sugarcube Corner was just across the street with the open sign hung on the door for all to see. She pushed through the crowd before she made it to the other side.

She pushed the open the door, making her way inside Sugarcube Corner. Despite the bad luck that had been raining on her, the colorful bakery always made her forget. The place was like one would see out of a fairytale.

It was just so...happy.

Her mouth watered in anticipation as the aroma of strawberries and chocolate baked sweets wafted through the air.

After a milkshake, back to the mission. She walked to the counter and waited. She smacked her lips when at thought of a strawberry swirl scoop.

Scootaloo’s ears flicked as something clanked into her ears. She looked around for the noise, but the place was mostly empty. She groaned and looked behind her to see a family huddled up, enjoying a bowl of ice cream at the table. She would have returned to her seat if it wasn’t for the birthday filly with her hat on and that birthday smile.

She wanted to puke because of the memory of the day her life changed. Instead of entering into casual puberty, she entered into a transformative kind. Literally. Her innocent look had been altered into something frightening.

When she thought it couldn’t get worse, everypony broke out into song. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Berry. Happy birthday to you!” The song ended as Mrs.Cake placed the cake in the middle of the group. She remembered her audience awaiting as she blew out the candle. The wish that never came true even though she kept it to herself.

The filly breathed in, closed her eyes shut and then blew the fire until had vanished. Everypony cheerfully stomped their hooves and filled the place with laughter. Seeing the family all joyful sent Scootaloo back to the dream or nightmare she had about her parents.

They were monsters, but some odd reason Scootaloo pictured them a happy couple. Her mom was like the typical motherly housewife while the dad was tough and the bread winner. It was strange because she never met them, yet that’s how she saw them.

Did she had a life with them before they decided to dump her at the orphanage? How could she not remember such a life with her parents? Was it so traumatizing her brain shut out those memories?

Scootaloo screwed her eyes shut and grimaced. All these questions were giving her a headache. Her thoughts were a tangled in her mind like a ball of string; all around her brain it wrapped, back and forth.

She towards the window and gazed at the busy ponies passing by. How she wished she could just be in bed, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to just get up and trot home. She turned back around to see the family leaving, finally she could breathe.

She was alone again.

Her ears twitched when the tiny bell on the door ringed.“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.”

Scootaloo eyes widened as a tongue tied voice echoed in her ears. She turned around and gasped. She never seen Apple Bloom so down, how her head was swinging along as she followed Twist to a table.

Her heart rate increased when Apple Bloom brushed up against her. She swore Apple Bloom saw her when she turned around, but Scootaloo’s head shot down before she could see her face. She looked up when they sat down in the table across from her.

She remembered that table. She remembered burnt cookies and cupcakes being on that table. Scootaloo chuckled at the memory of Apple Bloom warning her not to eat it. The thing she remembered most was all they had formed their little team, Apple Bloom dubbing them, “The Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

Now Twist was sitting there with her.

Twist looked around while Apple Bloom had her eyes on the table. “So what are you getting, Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom sighed. “I’m not hungry.”

“Smoothly then? Or maybe a milkshake!”

“No, thanks.”

She wanted give Apple Bloom a hug to show how sorry she was, but her doubts kept her pinned to the chair.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom said in unison.

“I didn’t mean to cause all this. I was just trying to protect you.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

“Huh?” Twist and Scootaloo said in unison.

“I should have just told Scootaloo what happened instead of lying to her.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine for getting spooked from that nightmare you told me about.”

“Yeah...the Apple orchard one.”

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah that other bat pony was scary and hissing…” she paused. “You don’t think Scootaloo’s like her?”

“Yeah...I uh mean no! Ugh!” Apple Bloom groaned. “Can we just forget about it!”

“Okay…” Twist sniffed. “I think my nose is broken.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty for breaking her nose.

“Hi!”

“Gah!” Scootaloo shouted as she jumped back and fell to the ground. She rubbed her head and looked up to see a pinkie muzzle and big blue eyes. She felt uncomfortable as Pinkie leaned very close to her face, giving her no space to breathe. She groaned and pushed the mare away as she got up. “Pinkie!”

Pinkie Pie pulled away as she giggled. “Sorry, I just thought I’d take your order since you were eavesdropping on your friends!”

“Huh?”

“Well you didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your friends! It’s just you heard their conversation with your super hearing because you’re a bat pony and everypony knows bats have very good hearing which you now have!”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, but her brain failed to think of a response to Pinkie’s randomness.

“So, what you wanna order!” Pinkie Pie shouted with a huge smile. “You know what I recommend? The super icecream supreme! I named it that because of the tons and tons of ice cream! Mrs. Cake wanted to call it something else, but I insited! Because who wouldn’t—”

“Pinkie!” The sight of Pinkie Pie’s smile dropping placed a ton of weight down her stomach. She was unfair to one friend, she couldn’t do that to another. “Yes okay, I’m eavesdropping, but only because I’m trying to find a way to be a friend to Apple Bloom and I don’t know how.”

Pinkie’s eyes beamed with stars. Literally. She jumped on the counter and screamed, “Pinkie Pie friendship solving is here to—”

Scootaloo yanked Pinkie down and placed a hoof over her mouth. “Sssh, are you trying to make them see me!” She looked behind to see Apple Bloom and Twist seemed to not have heard them as their attention were still at themselves.

Scootaloo removed her hoof and sat down.

“Sorry,” Pinkie whispered. “Pinkie Pie friendship solving is here to help.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Pinkie Pie, no offense, but you’re kinda—” she stopped herself when Pinkie Pie’s eyes and smile grew. “The best at what you do, heh.”

Pinkie bounced up and down. “Thanks!” She stopped when confusion washed over her. “Wait, why would I take an offense to that?”

Scootaloo blinked. “Uh.”

“First step to Pinkie’s friendship plan: Approach friend and give her a big super duper hug!”

“Wait? Do what nooooow!” Scootaloo screamed as Pinkie Pie dragged her along. Scootaloo’s tried to stop the earth pony with her hooves, but it only provided an ear piercing screech.

Apple Bloom and Twist turned to face Scootaloo as Pinkie Pie presented her in front of them. The bat pony could barely stand as Apple Bloom looked at her.

Pinkie Pie wiped her sweat. “Apple Bloom, your friend wants to give you a big hug!”

The only response from Scootaloo was her heavy breathing. Pinkie turned to Scootaloo and poked her on the shoulder. “Uh, Scootaloo?”

“Uh, Pinkie, do you think—”

“Oh silly me! She probably can’t see with that hood!” Pinkie Pie bounced behind Scootaloo and placed her hooves on her head. “Let me take that off for you!”

Scootaloo’s senses snapped back as the hood was being pulled. “Pinkie, no!”

“Tada!” Pinkie shouted as she took the hood off from Scootaloo. A collective gasp came from Apple Bloom’s table. All of them, mostly Apple Bloom, stared with horrid expressions. Their eyes had shrunk down and mouths were dropped.

Twist’s glasses fell to her muzzle. She could barely stand as her body shook. She probably was remembering the punch Scootaloo had given her early. Now she was afraid of her like a victim to a bully. However, Twist wasn’t the victim in this story.

Pinkie Pie cocked her head side way, blinking very slow.

She couldn’t tell if it was her heart beating in her ears or theirs.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub! Lub-dub!

“Everypony run!” Twist shouted as she bolted out the door.

“Oooh, we playing a game? Okay!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced outside.

Scootaloo turned back to find the seat Apple Bloom was in empty. She looked at the direction Apple Bloom was heading. Mr. Cake had a tower of dishes on his back, wobbling about as he walked towards the kitchen.

He panted and his heart pounded at an intense rate. Time slowed down as Apple Bloom ran towards the door while Mr. Cake walked, both unaware of each other’s presence. Mr Cake kept his head down while Apple Bloom’s kept looking over her shoulder.

Scootaloo knew where this was heading.

Time resumed as she shouted, “Apple Bloom, wait!"

It was too late for Apple Bloom. Scootaloo watched helpless as Apple Bloom turned around and crashed into Mr. Cake. Her eyes followed the dishes as they flew up the air and then when they came crashing down on poor filly. Apple Bloom had time to only gasp before her screams were muffled over the dishes smashing down on her.

Her eyes grew wider as she watched it happen.

Scootaloo screamed Apple Bloom’s name as she ran towards her.

Mr. Cake grunted as he stood up from the floor. He had only minor cuts on his foreleg, unlike Apple Bloom, who took the most damage. “I’m so so, sorry! I-I-I, she came out of nowhere!”

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Cake asked as she poked her head out from the kitchen.

“Stay in the kitchen, dear!”

“What are you shouting on…” Mrs. Cake placed a hoof on her mouth. “Oh my.”

“Get in the kitchen, dear!” Mr. Cake shouted as he walked in the kitchen. He placed a foreleg over Mrs.Cake and walked her into the kitchen. Their shouting could be heard from here.

“A-A-Apple Bloom?” She reached her hoof out to Apple Bloom. “I’m so so sorry, Apple Bloom!” She touched Apple Bloom’s face where a red thin line traced on on forehead. She pulled her hoof back as Apple Bloom whimpered. “S-s-sorry!”Scootaloo’s hooves shook at the sight of the blood on her hooves. She had a flashback of Applejack’s limbless body as she stood over her with blood stained fangs.

Now her friendly face was disfigured, shattered by a cut on the top of her forehead.

Her ears picked up on hooves stomping into the ground. She couldn’t count how many, but it sounded like a lot. When the sound stopped, Scootaloo turned around to see a crowd of faces staring at her with wide eyes.

She was froze in place as they did nothing but stare at her and crowd the doorway, blocking her potential exit. Scootaloo’s attention returned to Apple Bloom as her yellow foreleg clung onto the bat pony. “Apple Bloom, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I didn’t mean to—” her voice started cracking as her muzzle quivered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Somepony please help my friend!” Her face as she searched for any help, but all the ponies just looked at her with shock in their eyes. Her ears twitched like crazy as they mumbled.

“Did she do it?” or “Oh my Celestia that poor filly! That monster should be put away!”

“Do something!” Scootaloo shouted at the crowd, but none seemed to move from their spot. All they did was stare and judged.

As if her pleas were called, two stallions pushed through the crowd and rushed to Apple Bloom. “I need you to stand back!”

Scootaloo stepped away from the two stallion as they did their work. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I need you to stay back, little one.”

“But is she—”

“Little filly, listen. I know you’re worried about your friend, but I can assure you we’ll do our best, okay?” the stallion asked in a calm tone, Scootaloo couldn’t help nodding to.

She turned to the crowd. All their eyes were planted on her. She was the main attraction right now, watching her like a curious freak. It was just like Luna predicated. She could even hear her voice as she said, “You must learn to accept yourself. If you do not, then those around you will also see you as something abhorrent.”

All of them moved to the side as she walked outside. All of them looked on with mouths agape and a horrid expression as the bloody filly walked away from the crime scene.

Her crime scene.

A swarm of floating eyes surrounded her, followed her every step. Every turned she made, every corner she crossed, somepony glanced at her. “I knew she was trouble!” or “Oh my celestia, look at her face!” was all they said.

“I’m not going to lie, Scootaloo, there are some ponies who hate what they do not understand and many who are afraid of it.”

Scootaloo had a feeling Luna was right when those words were said. However, she wished the meaning didn’t become her reality.

Twilight read book after book and still had no origin or explanation for Scootaloo’s sudden transformation. She had read so much she built her own gallery out of books scattered around the floor. So many sheets of paper were also scattered around her a pony would mistake it as snow. She rubbed her eyes and sighed as she flipped yet another page.

The part of her mind that doesn’t allow magic to exist without condition kept her searching for answers. A Pegasus couldn’t just transform into another race out of the blue. This couldn’t had been puberty’s work and if it was, she never seen it changed a foal this way.

This was a new kind of puberty. One that would haunt her until she had answers for it. She closed the book and levitated onto her pile. This headache really was wearing her down—she felt like a thousand drums were being pounded on in her skull. She groaned and gritted her teeth. It hadn’t stopped since this morning. Nothing she tried seemed to make it go away, it only seemed to make things worse.

She didn’t have to do this. She acted like there wasn’t another option, but she didn’t want that to be the one she chose. She already told Scootaloo there was no clue for her condition, no alternative. She remembered how disappointed Scootaloo looked hearing that.

“So you’re saying there’s no way out of this?

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts when Spike placed a tray with tea and a plate of biscuits in front of her. She looked up at him and flashed him a smile.“Thank you, Spike.”

Spike noticed the books laying around Twilight. “So let me get this straight. Scootaloo, that little Pegasus who likes to break things with her friends, is now a bat pony!”

Twilight put a book down and levitated another one in front of her. “I know it sounds ludicrous, but—”

“Ludicrous?” Spike asked. “Twilight, maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. Scootaloo turned into a bat pony!”

“See?” She turned to him with a smile. “Ludicrous.”

Spike rolled his eyes in reply. He groaned when he tripped over a stack of papers.“Twilight, I think it’s time you get some sunshine.”

“I’m fine.”

“Uh...you kinda don’t look like you're fine.” He thought for a moment. “Actually, you look terrible.”

Twilight took her eyes off the page for a second and scowled at Spike before positioning the book in front of her face. She flipped another page before a gasp came from behind the book.

“Twilight?” Spike placed his claws on Twilight’s shoulder as he gave her a little shake, but the princess remained in trance. “Twilight, you’re acting weird again.”

Twilight stared off in space, mumbling to herself.

“Twilight!”

Spike jumped as a million of books coated in a purple aura came hovering above them. A ring made out of books circled around them like planets in an orbit. Twilight’s eyes kept switching from another book to another as she mumbled something.

Spike blew his breath and flicked Twilight’s horn, cutting her magic off. All the books dropped to the floor, making Twilight snap out of her trance. “Spike, what’d you do that for!”

He crossed his arms and arched his eyebrow.

Twilight blushed. “Right...but I just thought of something. I read some books and I think that spell I casted affected more than one pony. What if my spell did this to Scootaloo?”

“Huh?”

“My spell! The one that changed Fluttershy into Flutterbat, what if somehow the spell’s radiance reached Scootaloo and affected her. Maybe she was in the farm when I casted it!”

“Twilight’s that—”

“Princess Twilight!”

The doors burst open as a filly rushed towards her. She stopped in front of Twilight, covered in sweat and panting like a thirsty dog with its tongue out. Tears trailed from behind her big, red glasses and down to her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“Apple Bloom!”

“What happened?” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. “Where is she?”

She panted, holding a hoof up. Twilight rolled her eyes as the filly had trouble catching her breath.“Sugarcube Corner!”

“Twilight?” Twilight turned to Spike as he stepped forward. “Be careful.”

Twilight smiled. “Get this filly some water.”

He nodded.

“You’re the best!” Twilight slammed the doors opened with her magic and ran outside. Her wings flared open as she sprinted at full speed. She sprung into air as she took flight.

She looked down from above as she flew over the market. There was a crowd of ponies
scattered around Sugarcube corner, there was even an ambulance parked out front. She landed on the ground and ponies all came up to her face with their questions and voices of concerns.

A mare came up to Twilight as she shouted. “Princess, something terrible has happened!”
A stallion shoved the mare’s face away as she gotten into Twilight’s face.“One of those rotten Bat ponies attacked that poor little filly in there!”

She pushed her way through inside the bakery. Mr. Cake greeted her at the door, but he looked anything but cheerful. His friendly smile was replaced with a quivering muzzle and his well kept mane looked like he ran through a fan.

Twilight looked over his shoulder. Two stallions in blue uniforms that had a red cross on their shoulders lifted something up. Twilight walked over to see one the stallion quickly lifted Apple Bloom up, getting a whimper from the filly.

“Hey, be careful with her!”

“Sorry Princess,” the stallions said.

“Hang in there Apple Bloom,” Twilight said before the stallions hauled her off outside.
Twilight walked over to Mr.Cake who shook like a leaf, his hind legs wobbled around as he stood in place. Mrs. Cake stood close to him, holding him in her forelegs and nuzzling him for comfort. “Hello Mr. Cake and Mrs.Cake.”

“Hello, Princess,” Mrs. Cake said.

Mr. Cake murmured in response.

“Are you two alright?” Twilight asked.

“I’m fine, thank you Princess.”

He shook his head. “I...I did that to, Apple Bloom.”

“It’s not your fault, okay, honey?” Mrs.Cake placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Why don’t you explain to the Princess what happened?”

“Princess Twilight, I’m so so sorry! I...I was clumsy and Apple Bloom came straight at me! I should have looked where I was going.”

He looked Twilight in the eyes as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. He exhaled and continued, “All the dishes fell on her...it hurt her really, really bad.”

A slight heastion of her voice as she said,“I heard a bat pony attacked her. Was Scootaloo here?”

Mr. Cake shook his head and kept mumbling things.

“It’s okay, honey, calm down.” Mrs. Cake sighed. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I’m afraid he needs some time to calm down.”

Twilight sighed. “Thank you anyway. You’ve been a great help.”

She swung the the door open and walked outsides where the ponies still stood. “Do any of you know where a orange purple-maned filly went?” Her eyes searched the crowd for even the slightest movement, but all the ponies had their eyes darting and their heads turned when her gaze met theirs.

“You mean the bat pony!” she heard somepony shout in the background.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Do you know where she went?” All she heard were “No’s”, passing around. She couldn't help but chuckle at that. “It’s funny because a second ago you’re attention was on that ‘bat pony’. “ She glared at the ponies as if they were misbehaved foals. Twilight shook her head. “I thought we were passed this. I’m very disappointed in you all.”

All of them bowed their heads as she walked away.

She spread her wings and took flight. Twilight looked down from above as she flew over Ponyville. She turned both ways as flew across an intersection. She slowed down as she looked towards the left, seeing the dirt leading all the way towards the forest.

She groaned. “Ugh, where is she!”

“Princess Twilight?” Twilight looked down to see a mare. She wore a big hat Rarity usually wore on a sunny day. “Are you looking for that bat pony everypony talking about?”

“Wha...yes!” Twilight smiled. “Do you know which direction she was headed?”

She looked to the right, where the mare pointed. A train hollered in the distance. “Please be there.” She flapped her wings as hard as she could, speeding towards the train station. She spotted a couple of ponies near the train tracks and hovered down to land on the platform.

Twilight walked up the steps and dove into the crowd of ponies. She groaned when a pony bumped against her while she walked through. Looking around, she saw fillies standing next to their parents.

Twilight turned around as train came rushing into the station. All ponies shoved her as they rushed inside. She stood on the tip of her hooves as she looked over them and searched for Scootaloo. Where is she? Her head swished back and forth as she looked from both sides.

A stallion wearing a blue uniform and a cap walked up to her. “Princess Twilight,” he said, bowing. “Are you looking for somepony?”

“Do you know where a orange little filly with a purple mane is?” Twilight asked. The stallion shook his head. “Did any trains come before this one?”

He tapped his chin then nodded. “Yes I believe a train that come by not too long ago. As for the filly. I’m sorry, but I don’t know.”

Twilight held a hoof to her head. “She could be gone by now!” She groaned. “Thanks anyway.”

“You’re welcome, Princess.” He bowed before he took off.

Twilight looked up as a thunder clapped into the skies.The platform became soaked as rain came pouring down. Ponies ran back and forth, jumping into spots to shield themselves from getting wet.

Twilight found herself alone after the stallion had left. All the the ponies had left, she feared Scootaloo was in the crowd. For all she knew, Scootaloo could be anywhere, next to a stranger, or hiding inside a suitcase, or something. “Ugh!”

“T-Twilight?”

“Scootaloo?” Twilight spun behind to face a shadowy figure. The only part of the figure’s Twilight saw was the two purple eyes glowing. “Oh thank Celestia!” She started to walk towards the filly. “I was worried for a second you—”

“Don’t come near me!”Scootaloo shouted, pulling Twilight to a stop.“I’m not going back there….I don’t wanna go back there.”

“I’m worried about you; your friends are worried about you,” Twilight said, her lip quivering from the cold rain.

“They’re probably better off with me gone.”

“No they’re not. They’re all back at home waiting for you,” Twilight said. “Come back with me and let’s talk this out.”

Scootaloo stepped out the shadows, revealing her stained hoodie and her tired eyes. Twilight was more interested in the bloodstained hoofprints on her hoodie. “I don’t wanna go back! I’m leaving and leaving coming back!”

Twilight eyes widened at the sight of the blood.“Is that—” a loud whistle interrupted Twilight. A train came rolling into the platform. The rusty wheels screeched into air as the train came to a stop. A huff of smoke came shooting out the train as a stallion came out the door train.

“All board to Manehattan!”

Twilight watched as Scootaloo walked towards the train. “Scootaloo.” She tapped her chin then smiled. Her horn glowed as she closed her eyes. Twilight teleported close to Scootaloo and grabbed the filly in her magic before she could run. Scootaloo’s hind legs kicked as she struggled to break free, but it was no use as Twilight calmly walked to the bench.

She sat down and placed Scootaloo next to her. Scootaloo grunted. “Let go!”

“You’re not going anywhere, little filly!”

“No, let me go!”

The sweet sound of the train whistle came to her ears. The train started moving at a slow pace until it quickened its speed. The train disappeared in a heap of smoke, leaving only Twilight and Scootaloo at the station.

“Noooo!” Scootaloo shouted. In a swift turn, she snapped to Twilight. “Ugh, why’d you do that!” Scootaloo growled.

“Because I’m your friend! I can’t just let you run away!” Twilight shouted. “We’re going to sit here and talk this out!”

“I don’t wanna be here! I don’t want to!” Scootaloo sniffed as her eyes became moist. “Ugh, I hate you!”

The sound of the wind blowing mixed with the rain hitting the floor was soothing. It helped calm Twilight’s heart after the intense shouting match she had with Scootaloo.“I know what it’s like to wanna fix things. I’ve been there too when I hurt a friend. I had hurt her when I left Canterlot out of selfish reasons and I didn’t say good bye.” Twilight sighed. “She was heartbroken. She thought she had a friend, but I was the worse pony to be friends with at the time. So when I decided to visit her after my coronation to fix what I’ve broken, but she didn’t want to accept my friendship.”

Scootaloo sniffled.“Why are you telling me this?”

“I didn’t give her time to adjust to me suddenly coming back into her life. I tried to force my way back in without giving her time to heal.” Twilight turned to Scootaloo. “You’re not wrong for wanting to fix things with Apple Bloom, but sometimes you need to wait for them adjust. Apple Bloom is still adjusting to you coming back as something different. She was used to the old you, but the new one takes time to adjust to and you being near her is overwhelming her with mixed emotions.”

“So what? I leave her alone and that’s it?” Scootaloo asked, a tear slid down her cheek. “What if I did something bad to her? What if I made her afraid of me?”

Twilight frowned.“Then you make up for it. Scootaloo, it’s not the end of the world when you make one mistake. That’s why there’s always a second chance for you to make up for the first.”
“But...but what if she’s—”

“She’s not afraid of you, Scootaloo. She cares too much about you, like I do. Let me prove it to you.” Twilight moved her hooves towards Scootaloo’s hoodie, but stopped when Scootaloo scooted away. “Scootaloo, may I see your face?”

“That’s how Apple Bloom got hurt.” Scootaloo sniffed. “I don’t want to hurt you too.”

“You’re not going to.” Twilight offered a smile when Scootaloo faced her.

“You’re just saying that. I know you’re going to run away just like Apple Bloom did.” Scootaloo said, wiping away any potential tears from her eyes.

“You just gotta trust me, Scootaloo.” Twilight said. “Please, trust me when I say I’m here for you.”

Scootaloo sighed. “Okay.”

Twilight pulled the hoodie down. Scootaloo cringed as Twilight gasped. Scootaloo’s face strange resemblance that of a bat, her ears were taller than before and her eyes were bigger. Her nose was like a rat’s and her fangs were sharper than before.

Twilight hid her shock through a small smile. “See? I’m not afraid.”

A smile tugged at Scootaloo’s cheek. “R-really?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, but promise you’re not going to scream?”

“Why would I scream?” Scootaloo asked, eyes blinking.

“Just promise me, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Why would I scream any—” Scootaloo looked down where Twilight spotted and gasped. “Aaaaaaaah!”

“Scootaloo--”

“My face looks like a bucking bat!” She faced Twilight with pleading eyes. “I don’t wanna turn into a monster!”

“Scootaloo!” Twilight shouted. “You’re not turning into anything!”

“Uh huh! I’m turning into a bat!”

The filly looked a mess with snot running down her muzzle and her tears staining her cheeks.

“You walked in a pile of blue flowers right?”

Scootaloo wiped her tears away. “What?”

“Did you come across a pile of blue flowers?”

“I think so...I don’t know!” Scootaloo shouted as she threw her hooves up.

Twilight sighed. “You’re fine. The poison joke affected you.”

Scootaloo blinked. “Huh?”

“When you walked in the pile of blue flowers, their magic effected you and made your face look like that. It’s playing a cruel joke on your insecurities.”

“So….I’m not turning into a bat?”

Twilight shook her head. “You’re fine. After a hot bath with some remedies you should be back to normal.”

“How do you know that?” Scootaloo asked.

“From personal experience. I ran through the flowers and came out with a floppy horn that had spots on it.” Twilight giggled. “It kept whacking me in the head.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help herself and began to chuckle. “That is kind of funny,” she muttered and fell on her back on the bench with Twilight, as she no longer couldn’t hold her laughter in. They both laughed and cried. Twilight looked at Scootaloo, who couldn’t stop laughing. She hadn’t hear her laugh in a long time because the poor filly was too consumed with her own doubt she had forgotten to laugh it out. Pinkie Pie had taught her that. When in doubt, laugh it out.

Something like that.

Scootaloo exhaled as she contained her chuckles.

Twilight wanted to ask Scootaloo if she had been there on the night Flutterbat terrorized the gang, but she didn’t want to ruin Scootaloo’s moment of happiness. “Apple Bloom’s going to be okay.” Twilight said, making Scootaloo turn to her.“She’s a tough pony. I’m sure certain she’ll pull through this.”

Apple Bloom was sweating intensely as she ran. The hairs on her back went up as she heard the bat screech from an unknown location making her bolt in fear, and she felt her breathing quicken as she ran as fast as she could. Her eyes searched for a creature in the trees. She couldn’t let that thing get her. It already got Applejack. The creature hissed at her sister and snatched her sister from the ground.

Now it was after her. Her heart skipped a beat when a shadow loomed over her.

She fell down and landed on her face. She groaned and flipped over. She gasped when she saw the shadowed figure hovering over her. Glaring at her with it’s glowing blue eyes, it revealed its fangs as it licked its lips.

Her tongue stumbled and was silent as the bat pony’s sharp teeth filled her vision as it made for her exposed face.

Higher Senses

by Manes

Chapter one: A Special Kind of Birthday

Chapter two: Never Better

Chapter three: To Judge A Book By Its Message

Chapter four: Homecoming

Chapter five: A Twist To The Gut

Chapter six: Personal Demons

Chapter seven: Down The Rabbit Hole