Relationships in the Dream Realm can be complicated, and are often changing and evolving. However Scootaloo is discovering they can be just as complicated and evolving in the waking part of my Equestria dreamscape.
Scootaloo left a steady cloud of dust and small flying debris behind her as she tore down the macadamed road on her scooter. Fortunately for most ponies traveling on the same road the steady droning buzz of her wings normally alert them far enough in advance that they could get out of the way of the little, orange buzz bomb.
Dappled sunlight that made its way through the canopy of trees covering the road danced over the filly and her scooter as she leaned in and took the corner. Some ponies mocked the pegasus filly, either to her face or behind back, for not being able to fly. But few of them could keep up with her on her scooter. It was frustrating for the filly. Her wing muscles were as strong if not stronger than many grown pegasus stallions, but her utter lack of flight magic kept her grounded like any earth or unicorn pony.
Scootaloo’s parents. On those occasions when their jobs allowed them to be in town they had taken the filly to numerous doctors, clinics and expensive specialists, but the answer was always the same. Scootaloo suffered from some type of unidentified medical condition that blocked the flow of her flight magic to her wings. Leaving filly unable to fly.
However Scootaloo had technically found her own way to fly. Even if for only a short amount of time.
The filly was intimate with this and many of the other roads around Ponyville. She knew what was around the next bend. She leaned the scooter over as far as she dared and poured every ounce of muscle power she could into her wings.
Coming out of the curve the road dipped a little then rose slightly before dropping away rather quickly. With her fuchsia mane and tail flapping in the wind she roared up the road and launched herself in the air. Catching at least two ponies of height she went sailing through the air. As she did time seemed slow down as Scootaloo noticed several things in that instant.
She could see the multi-color roofs and distinctive shapes of the many building that defined the heart of Ponyville in the distance. Even further away in the morning mist were the blurred shapes of the towers that made up part of the Royal Palace in Canterlot.
She took in the lush, rolling green hills valley and farms and numerous orchards that carpeted the floor of it.
She saw the look of alarm in Sweetie Belle’s eyes as her scooter sailed just a few feet over the startled unicorn’s head. Apparently the filly had been daydreaming and hadn’t heard the approaching drone of the pegasus’s wings. The other thing Scootaloo observed was brown paper wrapped parcel that was bound with string that the Sweetie was carrying in her startled clenched teeth.
Instinctively Scootaloo converted as much of the thrust she’d developed into as much additional lift as her wings could generate. She would’ve done this whether Sweetie had been there or not, but the filly felt the panic need to put as much altitude between the bottom of her scooter and the top of her friend’s head. This cut her jump short by about 10ft but she didn’t care. The moment scooter’s wheels hit the road again she frantically threw wings open and started flapping furiously to use them as airbrakes. The instant the scooter had slowed down sufficiently the filly hopped off it and raced back to her friend.
Sweetie Belle was standing motionless right where she had been a few seconds ago. Her mouth open slowly and her teeth let go of the parcel she’d been carrying. It hit the ground with a dull thump.
“Sweetie! Sweetie! I’m sorry! Are you okay?! I didn’t hit you did I?!” Scootaloo frantically starting checking her friend for obvious injuries. Her friend kept looking forward for a few seconds before finally blinking several times and then swallowing.
“I’m fine. That was very exciting, and, and very scary.” The unicorn finally said.
Scootaloo was now nervously trotting in place. “Oh Sweetie! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you until it was too late! Please forgive me!”
Sweetie Belle shook her head as if knocking cobwebs from her mind. Finally she let out a long sigh. “It’s, okay Scoots. I’m alright. That was just a lot to take in all at once.”
“Um, what were you doing carrying that package in your mouth?” The pegasus didn’t care what her friend had said she was now pacing around her friend. Checking further for any injures. Her friend seemed to be unscathed from the encounter. Even her perfectly curled light pink and pale violet mane and tail was in perfect order. Unlike Scootaloo’s which despite her attempts was usually a shaggy mess.
Scootaloo came around and stood in front of her friend. Although she found it hard to look directly into her friend’s leaf green eyes. “So um, where were you taking the package?”
“Oh mom asked me to take it down to train station. It’s a package for a relative of ours in Fillydelphia. I tried levitating it all the way but….” She looked up at her horn. “My levitation is not strong enough to do it.”
The pegasus started pacing nervously in place again. “Oh well! Um! Uh, I could put that package on my scooter and follow you to the station; that way you don’t have to carry by the string all the way into town!”
Sweetie smiled. “Would you do that for me? That would be great! Thank you.”
Scootaloo didn’t know why, but hearing her friend say that made the filly’s heart skip a beat. “Oh, Uh, It’s nothing.”
The two foals had almost reached the outskirts of town. Scootaloo was barely flapping her wings so she could keep pace with Sweetie Belle’s waking stride. To one side of the road was a small meadow that was full of a multitude of different blooming wildflowers. Dancing amongst them were dozens of multi-color butterflies. Sweetie saw this and squealed with delight.
“Eh! Oh look Scoots! Aren’t they so pretty?” The filly then trotted toward them. As she did about dozen of the butterflies came fluttering over to the filly and started circling her. Sweetie Belle giggled at her newfound friends.
“Oh! Hello to you as well.” She said to the curious fliers. With the swarm still swirling around her the filly started dancing with them. Prancing and skipping she cavorted with the butterflies in the meadow. The summer sun made her pearl white coat gleam in the light. Her mane and tail flowing like water. Finally she reared up twirled in place surrounded by her constellation brilliantly colored, flying dance partners.
For just a second Sweetie’s brilliant green eyes met Scootaloo’s own bright amethyst violet orbs. In that instant the pegasus froze in place as she felt her heart instantly start racing and her cheeks suddenly grow warm. As she took in the spectacle she felt her wings involuntarily twitch and move.
Flap! Flap! Flap!