> Taking Flight > by Brony4Ever1992 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was originally written before "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" aired. It was a beautiful day in Ponyville as the pegasi had made sure the sky was clear and Celestia's sun shone brightly. Just outside Ponyville, an orange pegasus went by on her scooter. Scootaloo reached her destination: the same rocks the CMC had tried to climb shortly before their infamous talent show performance. Scootaloo took off dismounted her scooter, took off her helmet and began climbing the rocks. "Today is the day. I'll fly and be able to glide through the skies with Rainbow Dash." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo climbed the rocks and reached the top. "I'll take off. I won't fail this time." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo closed her eyes and old memories came into her mind. "Mommy, how much longer can until we can go home?" asked a foal Scoots. Scootaloo and her parents were waiting in a hospital room. "Very soon honey." answered her mother. Suddenly, the door creaked open and Dr. Horse walked in. "Please be straight with us." requested Scoot's father. Dr. Horse let out a deep and remorseful sigh. "Scootaloo's wings are underdeveloped most likely as the result of a birth defect. I'm sorry, but the odds are Scootaloo will never fly." explained the doctor. "I'm sorry." said Dr. Horse. Scootaloo's parents comforted their daughter. "I'll never fly." said Scootaloo heartbroken. Scootaloo shook her head look down off her rock perch. "Here goes nothing." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo jumped and flapped her wings are hard as possible. However, she only got a little distance before plummeting to the ground. "Ahh!" exclaimed Scootaloo. Scootalook curled up and grabbed her ribs which had landed hard on the ground. "I'm okay. I've got to fight through the pain." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo got onto her hooves when she heard a familiar, and obnoxious, laugh. "Look here. The gimp still cannot fly." said Diamond Tiara. "Who's ever heard of a pegasus that can't fly?" asked Silver Spoon. The two shared a laugh. "I don't care what you say." replied Scootaloo. "Oh, did we touch a nerve?" asked Diamond Tiara with fake sorrow. "Just leave." said Scootaloo. "I think we made the gimp angry." said Diamon Tiara. "Sounds like it." agreed Silver Spoon. "A pegasus that cannot fly is useless." spat Diamond Tiara. Scootaloo started thinking she would never fly with Rainbow Dash. "Just leave me alone." said Scootaloo hurting. Diamond Tiara sensed blood and attacked like a shark. "Awe, did I hurt the gimp's feelings?" asked Diamond Tiara. "Just leave!" snapped Scootaloo. "You're the most pathetic excuse for a pegasus ever!" declared Diamond Tiara. Scootaloo closed her eyes and turned her head. "I can't believe you're trying." said Diamond Tiara. "Good one." said Silver Spoon. "Just leave!" cried Diamond Tiara. "I hope you aren't trying to impress that roughian Rainbow Dash." scoffed Diamond Tiara. Scootaloo jumped up and got into Diamond Tiara's face. "Don't talk about Rainbow like that!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "She's just being nice to because you're crippled. Nobody would ever want to spend time with a worthless gimp like you." said Diamond Tiara Scootaloo fell onto her rear as her world came crashing down. "I think that was a little much." whispered Silver Spoon. "Nonsense. We cannot be helped if we speak the truth." said Diamond Tiara. The two ponies turned and walked off leaving Sootaloo alone. Scootaloo laid on the ground for a while before slowing making her way home. Scootaloo made her way through Ponyville and upon getting home threw herself onto her bed. Scootaloo stayed in bed all day and even feigned ill to get out of school the next day. Scootaloo's parents left for work and she barricaded herself in her room. Once school ended, Applebloom and Sweetie Bell arrived to see how their fellow crusader was. "I hope Scootaloo is feeling okay." said Sweetie Bell. "Diamond Tiara was being a bigger pain than usual. I hope she an' Silver Spoon didn't do anything to Scoots." added Applebloom. Applebloom knocked on Scootaloo's bedroom door and got no reply. "Scootaloo, it's Applebloom and Sweetie Belle." said Applebloom. "We just want to see if you're okay." added Sweetie Belle. "I'm not in the mood to talk." said Scootaloo. "We ain't goin' away." stated Applebloom. "Please Scootaloo." requested Sweetie Belle. The got no reply so Applebloom decided to take action and turn so her rear was facing the door. "Hold on." said Applebloom. Applebloom gave a fierce kick and bucked the door open. "Wow." said Sweetie Bell in awe. "Applejack will be proud when I tell her about this!" declared Applebloom. "Latter. Right now we have more important business." noted Sweetie Belle. The two fillies entered and founded Scootaloo curled up on her bed. "Are you okay?" asked Applebloom. "I'm fine." answered Scootaloo. "We missed you in school today." said Sweetie Belle. "I'm not feeling well." said Scootaloo "What's wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I...just feel terrible." answered Scootaloo. "Granny Smith has a bunch of ol' remedies we can use." proposed Applebloom. "That's fine." said Scootaloo. "Scoots, what's wrong?" asked Applebloom. "I'm useless." answered Scootaloo. "Don't say that." replied Sweetie Belle. "I'm a pegasus who can't fly." said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom stared at each other knowing immediately who was behind this. "What did Diamond Tiara say?" asked Applebloom. "I'm a pegasus who cannot fly and Rainbow Dash is only kind to me because I'm a gimp." answered Scootaloo. "You can't listen to those two. They've been pains in our flanks since we formed the Crusaders." replied Sweetie Belle. "It's just the same with you." stated Scootaloo sadly. "What do you mean?" asked Sweetie Belle. "You're only my friends because I'm a gimp." answered Scootaloo. "That's crazy talk." said Applebloom. "You're just pitying me! Well I don't want it!" declared Scootaloo. "Scootaloo..." began Sweetie Belle. "Just leave me alone!" cried Scootaloo. Applebloom opened her mouth to protest, but Sweetie Belle placed her hoof on her shoulder. "Let's just go." suggested Sweetie Belle. "But, we can't leave her." said Applebloom. "Right now she'll just tone us out." noted Sweetie Bell. Applebloom let out a reluctant sigh. "Scoots, we're going to leave now. We'll see you later." said Applebloom. "Goodbye." replied Scootaloo flatly. "Let's go." whipered Sweetie Belle, "We need Rainbow Dash." The two fillies left and decided to find the Weather Manager of Ponyville. They looked around and could find no sign of Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie randomly appeared out of nowhere, which everypony is used to by now, and offered her assistance. Pinkie managed to once again defy the laws of physics and found Rainbow Dash napping on a cloud. Dash came down and landed in front of the two fillies. "What's up you two?" asked Dash, through a yawn. "It's Scootaloo. She's really depressed right now." answered Applebloom. "Two bullies at our school convinced she's worthless and we're only pitying her." added Sweetie Belle. "Is she at home?" asked Rainbow. "Yes." answered the fillies in unison. The three raced through Ponyville racing by everypony in the town. They reached Scootaloo's home with Rainbow Dash bursting through the door and flying upstairs with a rainbow streak behind her. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle struggled to keep up with the speed demon. Rainbow Dash burst through the bedroom door and found an empty room. "Scoots! Scoots!" cried Rainbow Dash. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle managed to reach the bedroom while both panting. "Where is she?" asked Rainbow Dash. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both took in deep breaths. "I don't know." answered Applebloom. "She was here when we left." added Sweetie Belle. "Why did you leave her?!" asked Rainbow. "We thought she would just tune us out." answered Sweetie Belle. Rainbow sighed and regained her composure. "Okay. I can understand that." said Rainbow. "We need to find Scootaloo fast." noted Applebloom. Rainbow Dash nodded her head in affirmation. "Where do you think she should go?" asked Rainbow Dash. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other. "I don't know." answered Sweetie Belle. "We could ask Zecora if she went into the Everfree Forest." proposed Applebloom. "Let's go." said Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo had left her home and hoped onto her scooter. She left Ponyville and headed to the nearby mountain where a dragon had once resided until Fluttershy convinced it to leave. She climbed up and reached the former's dragon cave which was now empty and barren. Scootaloo stood on the edge of the cliff and let out a sigh. "Mom. Dad. Applebloom. Sweetie Belle. Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo looked down at the ground fall below her. "It will be okay. Everyone will get over it." said Scootaloo. "Goodbye." said Scootaloo. Scootaloo accepted her fate and walked off the cliff. She closed her eyes falling to the ground and waited for the sweet release of death. However, she felt a jerking motion and opened her eyes to see a rainbow trail. Rainbow Dash flew back to the cliff where Scootallo had jumped and dropped her. "What the hell was that?!" asked Rainbow Dash. "There's no point in living anymore." answered Scootaloo. "Don't you ever say crap like that again!" cried Rainbow Dash. "You and the others only are about me because I'm a gimp." said Scootaloo sadly. Rainbow raised her hoof and slapped Scootaloo across the face. "That's bullshit and you know it!" exclaimed Rainbow. Scootaloo sat speechless as the other Crusaders arrived and embraced Scootaloo. "Scootaloo, we do care about you! You're our friend!" cried Applebloom. "We would never recover if you did something like that! Please don't kill yourself!" cried Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo began to cry as she saw her friend's care. "Do you believe us now?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Yes." answered Scootaloo The CMC embraced and sobbed for several minutes while Rainbow tried to maintain her reputation. The CMC stopped after they were all sobbed out. "Do you feel better?" asked Applebloom. "Yeah." answered Scootaloo, "I'm sorry." "You have nothing to feel sorry for." replied Sweetie Belle. "We have to pay Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon back." proposed Applebloom. "I don't think that's a good idea. Let's not sink to their level." said Sweetie Belle. "You saw what they did to Scoots!" snapped Applebloom. "That's true." admitted Sweetie Belle, "I'm in." "I've got a plan." said Rainbow Dash. The four returned to Ponyville with Rainbow Dash explaining to Sootaloo how Derpy had spotted her which lead them to her. The four looked around eventually finding Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon having cupcakes at Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow Dash raced off while the CMC waited. After ten minutes, the duo came out and found the Crusaders. "Well if it isn't the blank flanks." said Silver Spoon. "Including the gimp. It seems like her so-called friends." added Diamond Tiara. "That's so funny." said Scootaloo sarcastically. "You're really terrible for the stuff you said to Scootaloo!" snapped Applebloom. "It's not our fault she cannot fly." scoffed Diamond Tiara. "You said we only cared about her because she can't fly!" cried Sweetie Belle. "I don't see your point." huffed Diamond Tiara. "Those were terrible!" cried Applebloom. "You're both terrible!" added Sweetie Belle. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes at this. "I don't care about you sorry blank flanks and I'm not sorry about what I said." said Diamond Tiara. Scootaloo smirked at the two. "You better be careful." warned Scootaloo. "Why is that?" asked Diamond Tiara. "Payback might get you." answered Scootaloo. Suddenly, a shadow appeared over the two. They looked up to see a black storm cloud over head. "Heads up!" called Rainbow Dash. Rainbow bucked the cloud and it unleashed a downpour onto the two. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were drenched and ran off