Scootaloo stood at the edge of the cloud and took a deep breath. A brisk breeze blew her mane into her eyes, but she paid it no mind. She concentrated her thoughts on the ground below, how far away it was and what a long fall it would be if she failed. The thrill of the danger almost felt real.

She crouched down, her wings held out in the position she had practiced many times before. The wind ruffled her feathers lightly, just enough to give a taste of the chill in the air. Every sense was heightened by the thrills coursing through her veins.

She gave her wings one flap for practice, then leapt off the cloud.

Scootaloo laughed with delight as she flew across the sky for the first time. Everything about it felt natural. It was a part of her. She didn't have to focus on flapping her wings, it just happened. It was like running but ten times better. She decided that she would never touch the ground again.

The chilly air seemed to stab at her like tiny daggers, but Scootaloo didn't want to come any new world was so real!

It wasn't the first time she had had that dream. In fact, she dreamed it almost every night. It was the same every time. Before too long, Rainbow Dash would show up to tell her that she was impressed with her moves and would ask her if she wanted to hang out. Every time, Scootaloo joyously agreed, and then she woke up.

But something was different this time.

Perhaps the first thing was the bright pink cloud that Scootaloo almost ran into. She never messed up, and there were never pink clouds. Somewhere in her subconscious she shrugged it off, deciding to continue the dream.

A rainbow streak started dashing around the sky behind her before long, and Rainbow Dash caught up right on schedule. "Hey kid!" She waved at Scootaloo. "You've got some pretty sweet moves."

Scootaloo's wings fluttered a little faster as her smile widened. "Really? Thanks!"

"Well they're totally awesome!" said Rainbow Dash. "Hey, wanna-" She flickered, like a television set that can't find a channel.

"Is this thing on?" asked Rainbow Dash. Only, her voice was entirely different. "Hello? Testing 1, 2, 3?" She turned to Scootaloo. "Hang out some time?" Her voice had returned to its usual sound. She looked at Scootaloo expectantly, waiting for her to agree. She didn't act like anything had happened.

Then she flickered again. "I'm starting to think this isn't worth the effort I'm putting into this," she groaned. Her voice had changed back again. "I mean, a dramatic presentation is fun and all, but this is getting ridiculous! Oh wait, the voice is working, it's just the body that won't work right." Her wings flapped erratically and her eyes began to roam lazily.

Scootaloo backed away in horror. Her dream was turning into a nightmare! A giant pawgrabbed her from behind and her wings locked in terror.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "Put me down!"

"Oh, I don't really think that's such a good idea." The voice that had come from Rainbow Dash drawled. "It's a long way to fall. Not that you'd actually hurt yourself. You would just wake up before hitting the ground. But what's the fun in waking up?"

Scootaloo kicked at the paw. "If it means getting away from you I'm ready to wake up."

The creature turned her around to face him. Scootaloo wasn't entirely surprised to find that it was Discord. He presented her with an impressive pout. "You want to leave me?" He sniffled a little. "I just wanted to talk a little. It gets so lonely being a cold, stone statue." He pulled out a tube labeled Crocodile Tears from somewhere and dropped a little in his eyes.

"Oh yeah? And what did you want to talk about?" Scootaloo demanded, unswayed by his pathetic gaze.

The draconequus perked up a bit. "I'm so glad you want to talk too! You have no idea what it's like to be so alone."

Scootaloo avoided eye contact with the grotesque beast holding her captive. "So what do you want to say?"

Discord grinned. "Why the one thing that would catch your eye of course. She's right over there." He pointed at Rainbow Dash, who was flying in wobbly circles around clouds.

"Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo couldn't help but smile at the thought of her idol. "She's so awesome! Someday, I want to be just like her."

Discord twirled his finger and made Rainbow Dash spin. "I suppose she'll teach you how? Only learn from the best and all."

"Stop that!" Scootaloo tried to swat his claw, but couldn't reach. "Of course she will. I'll impress her and she won't have any choice."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Discord yawned, making Rainbow Dash do the same.

Scootaloo hesitated. "I don't know yet." She confessed. "But I can dream, right?"

A light bulb appeared over Discord's head. "Oh, well you can yes. Anypony can dream, not even I can stop that. But dreams are so... Oh, how shall I say this?"

"What?" Scootaloo asked. "Incredible?"

Discord thought for another moment. "Unrealistic." He pulled up a cloud. "Sit down, they're very plush." He gently set Scootaloo on the cloud.

"What do you mean, unrealistic?" Scootaloo asked sadly. "It felt real to me."

Discord put on a pair of oversized glasses and shaped a cloud into a chair. "Of course it did. Dreams can feel real if you want something badly enough. But dreams are only an illusion. You see what you want to see. They show what you think you believe, but in truth you just can't bring yourself to accept that that belief is a lie."

Scootaloo bit down on her lower lip. "It's not a lie. I can show her, you'll see."

Discord shook his head sadly. "Oh, it's too late for that. Much, much too late. How old are you? Well, nevermind, that doesn't really matter. Anypony can tell that you're old enough to fly. All the pegasi your age are going to Summer Flight Camp. And yet the only time you've ever flown is here." He tapped her head. "In your dreams. You dream of flying because deep down inside, you know that you'll never leave the ground."

Scootaloo shook her head. "I've been doing really good with hovering. I can stay off the ground for almost half a minute now."

Discord sighed. "Tut, tut. You can hover a few inches for less than a minute. I'm sure that will blow Rainbow Dash's mind. Here, why don't we see how this scenario might play out?"

He shaped a cloud to look like Scootaloo. The cloud flapped it's tiny wings rapidly and rose a little ways. Thrilled, it trotted over to Rainbow Dash. It hopped about excitedly, and Rainbow Dash pretended to listen, pulled by invisible strings. She followed the Scootaloo cloud to the spot where it had flown just moments ago and watched as it hovered for her.

Then she laughed.

Scootaloo's jaw dropped as she watched the scene play out and her eyes stung.

"Bwahahaha!" Rainbow Dash rolled over laughing. "That's it? That's seriously it? I made a Sonic Rainboom when I was your age. Was that supposed to impress me?"

Discord laid his claw over Scootaloo's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't look away," he commanded. "You must face the truth somehow." Scootaloo shrugged his claw off.

"Why so sad? Did you expect me to teach you some tricks now that you can hop?" Rainbow Dash laughed again. "Haha! I'm glad I'm not your sister." Discord snapped his fingers and the scene disappeared.

Scootaloo's heart sank to her hooves. She had never dared imagine that Rainbow Dash would reject her so eagerly. A tear ran down her cheek, freezing in the cold atmosphere.

"She's been laughing at you behind your back all this time." Discord clucked. "Around the town you're called names. Chicken. Dodo. Penguin. And what do they all have in common? None of them can fly.

"Your friends weren't being affectionate calling you names like that. Those were hints they were dropping. They wish you were gone from the club, especially Sweetie Belle."

"But I was her friend." Scootaloo's voice trembled. "Even before we started the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I was her best friend."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Discord patted her on the shoulder. She didn't resist this time. "Knowing that everything you've done, hoped, dreamed, and lived for is a lie? It's bad." Scootaloo forced back a sob. Discord glanced left and right. "Come over here, I've got a secret for you."

"I can take it away." He whispered in her ear.

Scootaloo looked up and for the first time met his poisonous yellow eyes. "Really?" She asked hopefully.

Discord nodded solemnly. "Really. All you have to do is let me into your mind and I can make it stop hurting."

Scootaloo didn't bother thinking twice. "How do I let you in?"

Discord smiled. "You just did." He said, but his voice sounded inside her head. His mouth didn't move. "Sleep." He commanded.

Scootaloo's eyelids felt heavy and she felt movement within her soul.

"Hmm, what have we here?" said Discord. "You've quite a collection of delusions here. Broken dreams are in every drawer. They're new, aren't they? The truth hurts."

A light flickered behind him and he turned to get a better look. "Oh." His eyes widened and a sickening smile broke across his face. "Now I see. A candle sits here in the center of your mind. It says hope. So this is what's making you hurt so badly.

"Hope is a strange thing. It holds up so much for such a tiny thing. Without hope a pony can have no joy or confidence. It might seem little at times, and one emotion shouldn't make such a difference, yet it always burns in a hero's soul. It grows with good fortune, and starts to fade with bad times. But for the hero, it never goes out. The little candle might seem to go away, but it is there, burning his mind, driving him to do mad, wonderful things for a worthy cause. But there's something that the stories never tell you." He raised his paw over the candle to feel its feeble warmth.

"Hope puts up a fight, and it sets the hero's soul on fire. A blazing soul causes nothing but hurt and sorrow. The hero's story is never without pain. Some things are better put out." He pinched the end of the wick, extinguishing the sad little flame. Darkness filled the room and Discord departed, leaving a black cutie mark on Scootaloo's flank.

---

A/N: Late update, I know! I should be better once school starts up again and I have a more regular schedule. Apologies for the shortness of the chapter, I actually just wrote it in one sitting right now. I was in a bit of a philosophical mood and I've been saving Scootaloo's corruption for last. I think it turned out the best. Problem? I can't decide on a cutie mark. Suggestions are welcome!