Finding Forgiveness
''Scoots? Can you hear me?'' A voice said, muffled slightly to the pegasus's ears.
She couldn't see very well through a bandage or two that was wrapped partly across her right eye and over her ear and her other eye was too tired to even find the strength to open. All that Scootaloo knew was that she was laid up in a bed someplace and her body hurt like nothing she has ever felt before.
Pain shot through her when she tried to move her weak and frail limbs and every breath felt so haggard that it felt like her throat was cut all over, making her wince with each breath that she exhaled. Other than the pain in her throat, she could also taste her own blood, causing the taste to get stronger the more she breathed.
Slowly moving her eye to the left of her bedside, she could see the tearful gaze of her friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Her left hoof was holding Scootaloo's own and despite all the pain she could feel, it felt pleasant to be able to feel somepony else's touch.
In her bed, she could see bandages when she looked down at herself that were wrapped around her figure tightly to try to securely hold her still shattered and twisted bones that were set by the doctors to try and ease her pain when she was brought in. It was nothing less than excruciating for the young filly but she didn't have the strength to scream.
The only thoughts lingering in Scootaloo's mind was how sorry she was for how she got here. She could remember being sent flying through the air after she and Apple Bloom had an argument that set off the pegasus's typical aggressive fuse about how annoyed she was about not finding their cutie marks after all they've tried and been through together.
Now she had crossed the line and she knew that she probably wouldn't make it out of here.
She felt a tingle in her eye that burned for a bit before a warm tear slid down the side of her face, partly from her pain and partly from how upset she was about what she did.
''A-Ap...Apple...B-Bloo...'' She tried to say but it came out as a soft, shaky gasp that only made her cough harshly, causing some of the blood in her throat to sputter up from the back of her mouth and over her teeth and lips.
Apple Bloom tenderly wiped away the blood with a tissue, a forced calm expression on her face followed by a weak smile on her lips as a small tear rolled down her face.
''Easy, Scoots, easy. Try not ta move. It's alright. We're here.'' She tried to sound as comforting as she could but only cried a little upon knowing that everything wasn't actually alright. It wasn't fine or dandy. It was the opposite.
It was her own fault for everything that happened.
From behind Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle tried to repress her own tears as she gently pulled her into a hug, resting her chin on her shoulder.
''S-S-Swee-Sweetie...'' Scootaloo managed as she saw her friend's glistening green eyes stare back into her purple ones. Sweetie Belle smiled to her, letting out a small sniffle.
Releasing Apple Bloom she came beside her bed and gently and carefully laid a hoof onto her chest whilst she used the other to lovingly caress Scootaloo's ragged, purple mane.
''Oh, Scootaloo...'' She choked back a sob at seeing her friend in her current state. Sweetie never did like seeing any of her friends or anypony she cared about hurt or upset. ''...can you hear me?'' She asked gently, to which Scoots managed to nod the tiniest of nods in acknowledgement. ''Why did you have to be s-so st-stupid? W-Wh-Why couldn't you just be n-not so stu-stubborn for once?'' She cried, letting her tears fall free as she rested her head on top of Scootaloo's own, her chin buried into the top of her mane.
From beneath the bandage that covered part of her eye, Scootaloo let a tear of her own slide free. She too hated seeing her friends upset. What hurt even worse was the fact that it was her who made them feel upset.
As Sweetie's tears fell like small raindrops down her eyes and partially onto Scootaloo's face, she groaned as she managed, ''I'm sorry, guys.'' from her throat, loud enough that the two could hear her.
She closed her eye and found some comfort from having her friends so close to her as she saw what brought her here play through her mind.
*** *** ***
''Scootaloo, listen to me! Don't do this!'' Apple Bloom cried, a mix of an angry and worrysome tone to her voice.
However, the young and stubborn orange pegasus daredevil with the purple mane simply ignored her, carrying on with her trot towards the edge of the hill. On her head sat her signature purple and white striped helmet, strapped securely beneath her chin. In her hooves was her scooter that she pushed up along with her.
''Scootaloo! For Celestia's sake, stop! You're gonna get yourself hurt!'' Sweetie Belle shouted to her from beside Apple Bloom, a heavily worried expression on her face. This time, their friend turned around with an annoyed and determined look on her face and in her eyes.
''Why do you care?'' She shouted back with a growl, taking her friends aback. ''We've all tried your ideas for a cutie mark and nothing happened, so now I'm doing it my way!'' She continued her trot up the hill and stopped when she got to the top, standing between a nearby tree and a wooden ramp down the slope.
Her two friends joined her, yet keeping some distance. The reason they were out here is because of a small fight the three had over a failed attempt to try and get their cutie marks and Scootaloo's aggressive attitude got the best of her and she called the two of them names, saying that their ideas were stupid and ridiculous.
She looked down the ramp with high determination that pumped adrenaline through her veins and she was about to put a hoof on her scooter before she was stopped once more by her friends.
''Please, stop! You've got nothin' to prove, Scoots!'' Apple Bloom pleaded as she tried to reason with her stubborn and feisty friend.
''Look, why don't you two just leave me alone, alright? If you don't wanna watch me nail it, fine, but don't try and stop me from doing what I know I have to do!'' She said before she placed her hoof on her scooter and let the wind blow through her mane that hung through her helmet before she lifted her over hoof and pushed herself down the steep, rickety ramp.
In mere seconds, the wind picked up to such a forceful level that all Scootaloo could hear was the constant howl of it slip past her ears as it became louder and louder the further down she went.
Adrenaline fueled her veins and her eyes watered from the intense gusts of wind that hit them. Beneath her hooves, she could feel the vibrations from the wheels of her scooter, feeling them shake slightly the faster she went. However, this didn't satisfy her requirements to get the rush she desired so deeply and she opened her wings.
She flapped them softly and gradually sped up her pace to generate more force to push her harder and she felt it - a pure surge of an adrenaline rush coursing through her, passing straight through every vein in her body and when she came to the bottom where the ramp was angled, she was launched into the air.
From the top of the ramp, her two friends watched in shock as they witnessed her act and they continued to stare, left speechless by what they were seeing.
Scootaloo was literally flying through the air, doing insane spins and flips as she was still attached to her scooter and she let out a victorious cheer that was short lived when she realized she was coming down too quickly.
A sudden wave of panic shot through her as she tried to right herself so she didn't crush herself upon impact with the cold, hard ground that was coming in at an alarming rate.
With all the forceful winds disabling her ability to control herself in free fall, she knew what was about to happen and she let out a scream just before she made contact with the ground that silenced her in an instant.
*** *** ***
''Doctor? How's the patient doing?'' A female voice was heard by Scootaloo's ears as she lay motionlessly in a bed. She couldn't see but all she could do was hear and the voices that she heard sounded highly sympathetic towards her.
''Not good, Redheart. She's pretty unstable and beat up pretty bad.'' The doctor replied to the nurse in a quiet tone. ''She's lost a lot of blood and I'm worried she won't make it through the night.''
''Have her parents been told? What about her friends?''
''Her parents...I don't know. As for her friends, one is waiting outside and the other went to go get their sisters.'' He sighed. ''I've never felt so helpless before...'' Scootaloo could feel a hoof touch her side. ''...for the first time, I don't know what to do.''
Scootaloo heard the nurse come closer to him. ''Hey, don't worry, doc. Being a doctor is never easy but we manage through it. I know it's heartbreaking to see a filly so hurt and so helpless and scared but we'll save her.'' She said reassuringly and Scoots could sense the smile on her face that reinforced her thoughts.
''I hope so, Redheart. I really do.'' Scootaloo felt him gently stroke her mane. ''I'm so sorry, little filly.''
*** *** ***
''Hey, kid. How're you holdin' up?''
''R-Rainbow Dash?'' Scootaloo's voice croaked as she cracked open her eye to stare at her idol who looked back with a gentle smile. Although she was smiling, Scootaloo could easily tell that she had been crying, judging from her fur matted down beneath her eyes and on her cheeks.
''What got into you, Scootaloo? Do you know how dangerous that was?'' She said in a firm but still comforting voice, holding back some tears. Scootaloo could only feel the guilt of what she's done over the pain.
''I-I'm sorry, R-Rain-bow D-Dash...I'm sorry.'' She mumbled, herself beginning to cry.
''Don't tell me, squirt, tell them.'' She moved aside and revealed her two friends who moved closer to her. Despite her pain that stopped her from moving so much, she managed to find the strength to lift herself in her bed on her own willpower and pull her friends into a hug. Although surprised, the two settled into the embrace as Scootaloo snuggled her cheeks into her friend's own.
''I-I'm so s-sorry, guys! I should've listened t-to you! I'm sorry! she wailed, holding them as close to her as she possibly could, despite the searing pain shooting through her hooves, causing her to internally wince.
Her friends didn't say anything for a while and only held onto her. After a while of hugging and endless crying, Scootaloo released them from the embrace and wiped her eyes.
''A-Apple Bloom, I-'' She began but was cut off by her filly friend.
''Shh, it's alright, Scoots, Ah know. And Ah'm sorry, too. If Ah didn't push ya'll too far, this wouldn't have happened.''
Scootaloo groaned and let herself fall back down onto her back, ignoring the pain that made her desperately want to scream out loud.
''S-Scoots?'' Apple Bloom asked softly and worriedly. ''Scootaloo?!'' She shook her friend gently but got no response. As the two began to panic, Rainbow Dash felt new tears flow as she too began to shake her sister, also getting no response from the suddenly quiet filly.
It was enough to make her charge out the door as fast as she could and find the nearest nurse.
Oddly, Scootaloo began to cough and hack and specks of blood began to spit out of her mouth. Not knowing what to do and frightened for the well being of their friend, the two began to cry hard, feeling absolutely helpless in not knowing what to do.
Scootaloo continued to cough as more blood began to drip from between her lips and down her chin and she began to wheeze. Feeling light-headed, she laid her head back and she went visibly pale.
*** *** ***
An excruciatingly painful zap passed through Scootaloo's body and she opened her mouth to scream as air was allowed into her lungs, followed by the familiar taste of iron that collected in her mouth and nose, causing her to gag.
Her ribs hurt and she could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She wanted to open her eyes to see what was happening and where she was but couldn't find the strength to do so.
All throughout her body, pain ravaged and she couldn't feel any part of her body at all. Not even the slightest bit could she move from her stationary position. It was almost as if every bone in her body was broken and twisted, making every single inch of her figure erupt with indescribable pain.
Although her hearing was still there, it was muffled and made it impossible for her to hear what was going on around her. She could hear voices that were talking in commanding and authoritative tones but in the background of that, she could pick out what sounded like crying.
She couldn't tell exactly who it was but something in the back of her mind told her that it was one of her friends but she couldn't be so sure about that.
A heavy surge of pain passed through her chest again as she felt her heartbeat begin to slow and she tightly clenched her teeth that was soon pulled back apart again before she could feel something thick and hollow and tasting like plastic through the metallic taste of blood be inserted down her throat, causing her to gag again.
A choke escaped her before she could feel herself begin to slip into unconsciousness.
*** *** ***
Scootaloo's mouth opened and a large breath of air was collected into her lungs and she winced when she felt it burn slightly, thankfully not as painful as it used to be.
Strangely, she felt more peaceful and relaxed than she was before and when she opened her eye, Apple Bloom was all that filled her vision. She sat there, holding her friend's hoof and behind her, Applejack sat on a chair with her hat pulled down her eyes as she slept.
''Scoots.'' Apple Bloom said, relief filling her voice. ''Thank Celestia. You had us all worried.''
''Apple...Apple Bloom, c-can you please listen to me?'' Scootaloo asked, partially wheezing and confusing her filly friend at first but she nodded, wondering what she wanted to say. ''Apple Bloom, I just want to say that I'm so sorry for what I did. I should've listened to you and not gotten mad at you. C-Can you ever forgive me?'' Scootaloo wiped her eye, sniffling softly.
Apple Bloom sniffled too. She placed her hooves around her friend and pulled her into a hug. ''Ah already have, Scoots. Ya'll are my friend and Ah couldn't stay mad at you.''
''Thanks, Apple Bloom.''
The two smiled as they held each other, glad that they could finally put this misery behind them and continue with their lives. And even though she nearly died, Scootaloo felt happy at being able to have another chance at life.
Maybe now, she'll see this as a lesson to keep her anger in check and to be able to control herself when the need arises.