"What the-" Rainbow Dash's curse was cut short as she flopped ungracefully, and a little painfully, onto the ground. The cyan pegasus groaned, shifting a little, and sat up slightly. She rubbed her back, stretching her wings. She gingerly flicked them, making sure they were in working order. Then, she turned to whatever-or whoever-that had ran into her. All she saw was a purple tail and two orange hooves, that were kicking, attempting to escape, stuck in a tree.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, dusting herself off and going over to the filly in the tree. "So, what were you doing this time, squirt?" She knocked on the side of the trunk. All she heard was a muffled response. Dash sighed, positioning herself behind Scootaloo. She grabbed her back hooves, and tugged, sending the filly flying into her mother. Scootaloo coughed a few times and shook her head like a dog.

"Thanks!" Scootaloo said cheerily, getting ready to shoot off again. Rainbow quickly stopped her by stepping on her tail.

"Haaang on a minute Scoots." The filly looked up at her. "What were you doing this time?"

"Well, I was trying this new trick called the Shooting Blaze! I thought of it during class yesterday, and-"

"The Shooting Blaze?" Rainbow groaned, rubbing her temples. This was the third time she had gotten trampled by the filly. Last week she had narrowly avoided Scootaloo when she was practicing some trick called Roarin' Waters. And Discord had been blasted into somepony's house. The pony inside, Berry Punch, had not been pleased, going off saying "this is why I drink!" and cursing up a storm. Each of the adults had been hit quite a few times, and they were frankly sick of it.

"Seriously? Last week it was Roarin' Waters, before that was Slam Dunk; the list goes on and on. What's up with you kid?" Dash have the filly an annoyed glare. Scootaloo scraped the ground with her hoof. "So?"

"What? Nothing's wrong. I'm just trying out a few new moves, that's all. I want to have as many tricks as you!" Scootaloo buzzed her wings a little, hopping up.

"Look, Scootaloo, I think we need to talk. Why don't we sit down for a little bit?" Rainbow plopped onto her haunches under the tree and patted the ground beside her. Scootaloo reluctantly sat down next to her mom, who then put her wing around her.

". . . am I in trouble?"

"No, no." Dash shook her head nonchalantly. "Nope. But, we need to talk."

"Okay."

Rainbow got comfortable, but maintained the grip with her wing on the filly. "We all know how awesome I am, and I get why anypony would want to be like me." She paused, glancing down at Scootaloo. "But that doesn't mean they should go and get themselves killed. Okay, I admit it; I crash a lot. But I'm a full grown mare. Albeit, I had my fair share of crashes back in flight school." Dash pretended one hoof was her and the other was an obstacle, making herself crash into the other. Then she made an explosion sound with her mouth, as if she had blown up. Scootaloo watched this and giggled a little, before she looked back at Dash, who had stopped laughing and was looking down at the filly seriously. Scootaloo lowered her ears. "Look, what I'm trying to say, kid, is that you shouldn't be doing those kinds of stunts. I mean, I'm all for it, and I'm not trying to offend you, but you don't have that much stamina yet. I want you to be out there, trying different things, but I don't want you to get hurt. Heck, when I ended up in the hospital after I crashed really badly, I was soooo bored. I'll admit that it hurt. Nopony's made of steel. Well, except for statues, I guess, but most are made of stone. . . ." Rainbow shook her head to get back on thought. "Anyways, I want you to be more careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. Got that?" She looked down at Scootaloo, who nodded.

"Yeah, I get it Rainbow Dash. I guess I did get a little carried away, didn't I?" She let out a nervous laugh, and Dash smiled, letting the filly go.

"So, we cool?" She held out her wing. Scootaloo smiled, balling her wing and they wing fisted.

"Yeah, we cool."

---

Scootaloo flapped her wings, getting ready for the move. Suddenly, the talk she had with Rainbow Dash only two days ago flashed in her mind. "Big deal. I just won't tell her. I'm far enough away from the house; she'll never hear me." Scootaloo brushed off the memory, and zoomed down, leaving an orange and purple slashed trail. The filly shot though several clouds, did a flip, and with the water vapor on her tail, she started making a tornado. This move, called Slash Splash, which she had just thought of when she was hanging with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. She had immediately left, saying she had to help Rainbow Dash with something, and went to try it out. Knowing that she would probably be in trouble if she was caught, Scootaloo made sure to go to the outskirts of Ponyville.

The move was a simple one; at least to Scootaloo. She had seen Rainbow get water vapor, so she assumed that she too could get it, if she went fast enough. Fortunately, gathering water vapor didn't require going that fast. And all pegasi could make tornados, as one of their abilities to make weather. Scootaloo thought of it as foal-proof.

Scootaloo swirled around, and around, and around, and around, until the tornado began to form. It took much more energy than she thought, but if that's what it took, then so be it. The orange and purple tornado surged over that grass, shredding everything in its path. Scootaloo felt her eyes watering and knew she should stop it soon. But what the filly didn't know was how fast she was going, and what kind of tornado she was actually making.

There were two kinds:

The easy going, self propelled tornado-these tornados will do whatever the pegasus wants it too, and will disappear when the flier wants it to. These are usually not harmful, if handled correctly. If not, they can turn wild, and become a storm tornado. The self propelled tornados have to be in between a certain speed, anymore and they turn nasty. Skilled pegasi can control a fast self propelled tornado.

The storm tornado-these are wild. They go everywhere, uprooting plants and trees. They often have the tendency to fling their pegasus out of them and destroy everything. They pull the clouds out of the sky if left for long enough and create a huge storm. These storms are very hard to handle and often times pegasi cannot stop them. If a pegasus gets trapped in the tornado while it is making a storm, it is possible the pegasus could get struck by lightning. They could even get killed, depending on the severity of the tornado.

And a storm tornado was just what Scootaloo had made.

The filly got gotten so much momentum, that she surpassed the speed for a self propelled tornado. Scootaloo started rocking back and forth, getting blown by the high speed winds. Immediately the knew her mistake. All those hours studying with Rainbow Dash about flight patterns, mechanics, and weather had paid off, in the form of knowing she was probably going to get hurt, just as her mother had predicted. Scootaloo was blown up and down, left to right, getting beaten by the high winds. She flapped her wings, trying to get back in control. She struggled, in vain, for a few minutes before the crackling sound caught her attention.

The storm was forming.

Scootaloo called for help, but her pleas were lost in the wind, ripped out of her mouth. And since she had been outside of Ponyville, there was a slim chance of getting help. The air charged with electricity and clouds formed over the top of the tornado. Scootaloo tried to get out of the top, but was stopped as a bolt of lightning shot down, touching where she had just been a few moments ago.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Scootaloo relaxed a little. At least tumbling around in the winds had some advantage. Being so fast, the lightning couldn't get her quick enough. But unfortunately Scootaloo didn't know just how fast lightning could go.

In the blink of an eye, the bolt flashed down. Scootaloo felt an agonizing pain in her back, and suddenly she was flung out of the tornado faster than the wind. Her head connected with the ground, and Scootaloo felt no more.

---

"Uh, I can't believe Scootaloo just bailed on us like that!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, kicking a little bit of dirt up in the air.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty rude. We should find Rainbow Dash and ask her what was oh so important that Scootaloo just had to go there now."

"You know what, we should! Just to see if she actually had to go do something." Their plan decided, the two fillies headed to where they knew Equestria's fastest flier would be.

Napping.

"Hey RD!" Apple Bloom shouted up at the pegasus, who was laying comfortably in a plush white cloud. Rainbow rolled over groggily, and took the tufts of cloud that she had used as earplugs when an exceptionally annoying foal had come along. She looked down, and waved at the two fillies.

"Sup guys! Where's Scootaloo?" Dash asked, leaning over the edge of the cloud. She sounded like she was high. Her eyes were drooped, giving her a lazy appearance, and she had a relaxed smile on her face.

Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow. "She said she went with you, because she had to help you."

"What? Nah, I've been here since I finished weather duty and Discord bailed on our date. Said he had somewhere to be, but I'm not sure. . ." She tapped her chin suspiciously. Her druggy smile returned a moment later.

"But if Scootaloo went with Discord, why would she lie to us about it?" Sweetie looked doubtful.

Dash shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe they have a secret or-" Rainbow shot up in her cloud, falling off of it. She landed with a thud and scrambled up. Her slow voice and relaxed attitude was gone as she yelled- "WAIT, SCOOTALOO IS GONE?!"

---

"Oh, dear, what is it you wanted to show me, Angel Bunny?" Fluttershy asked quietly, letting the white fluffy rabbit lead her away. He tugged on her mane and pointed at the direction of the EverFree Forest. "But whatever could you want to show me in there?" The pegasus shivered and her eyes dilated. Angel thumped his foot on the ground and tugged harder. Reluctantly, Fluttershy let herself be led to the edge of the forest by her pet. Storm clouds littered the sky around the edge, looking as if they were about to release their loads. As soon as she saw what Angel wanted her to see, she gulped, feeling her knees start shaking.

In front of her was a long skid mark, which was usually caused by pegasi who crashed. And it was usually Rainbow Dash.

The grass was scorched down the center, and an itsy bit of purple and orange mixed fire was burning. Trees were bent back slightly, and the trail was smaller than what she would've expected. It was then that Fluttershy realized this was not Rainbow Dash who had crashed.

The pegasus opened her wings, using them to propel herself faster, and ran down the burning trail. Fluttershy skidded to a halt and looked down.

There, in the middle of dirt and burnt grass, was Scootaloo.

---

The clock ticked on. It was starting to get on Rainbow Dash's nerves, which were already frazzled. Her ear twitched irritably. Fluttershy had come running, tears streaming down her face, crying something about Scootaloo and the hospital. It had clicked in Dash's mind, and then she had raced off to the hospital.

Now she sat in the waiting room, staring at the wall. Fluttershy was there, with Discord, who had shown up as he saw Rainbow Dash speeding down the street. Rainbow had barely even talked, and when she had it was to the doctors, demanding to see Scootaloo. They had refused and Dash had tried to force her way past them. It took seven security to get the growling pegasus off the doctor who had said no. Now Rainbow Dash was sitting in the waiting room, with a few guards standing in the doorways.

"Fluttershy, what happened?" Discord asked, looking at the yellow pegasus cowering beside him. Fluttershy had a tissue in her hooves, and was pressed firmly against the spirit's side for comfort, as they weren't allowed next to Rainbow Dash after attacking the doctor. They said this type of behavior was very common, especially in family members, and the grieving pony should be left alone, in case they strike out in anger.

Fluttershy sniffled. "I-I don't know. All I know is that Angel found her and took me to her. It was terrible. ." She let out a whimper and pressed her face into Discord's side harder. He patted her head.

"It'll be okay. Scootaloo is a strong kid. She'll be fine."

They were silent from then on. Rainbow Dash sat there in emotional agony, thoughts about Scootaloo dying racing trough her brain. The pegasus closed her eyes, trying to block out the disturbing images. What if the filly would never be able to fly again? What if she was disabled or had brain damage or-

"Miss Rainbow Dash?"

Dash's head shot up. The doctor, the one she had attacked only hours before, had just called her name. The pegasus shot up to him, nearly running into him. He gave her a look and backed up a few paces.

"Well, it seems that Scootaloo will be alright. If you want to come see her, you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Rainbow sped past him, leaving the doctor coughing in a cloud of rainbow colored dust.

Rainbow shot into the room and went right up to Scootaloo's hospital bed. The filly had bandages wrapped around her body, especially her back and wings, and even more on her head. Her mane stuck up like Twilight's did when it got burned there were so many bandages on her head. Rainbow sat down in the chair next to the bed, wrapping her tail around herself, and put a wing on Scootaloo's hoof.

Dash watched the filly for a few minutes, and then looked away, trying to keep the terrifying thoughts out of her mind. Something moving interrupted her intent stare on the suddenly fascinating dull green curtains.

"Scootaloo?" Rainbow asked. She leaned closer to the shifting orange filly. Scootaloo opened her eyes and glanced around the room, looking puzzled.

"W-what?" Scootaloo chocked out, trying to sit up.

"Scootaloo, calm down. You're in the hospital. You had a nasty crash." Dash pushed the filly back down into the bed.

"Don't touch me!" Scootaloo smacked the blue hooves away.

Rainbow recoiled, looking in shock at the filly. "Scootaloo! What's wrong? Did that hurt you?"

"Look, I don't know who this 'Scootaloo' is, but I'm surely not her. And who are you? I don't know you."

Dash's ears dropped. "W-what?! No, Scoots, it's me-Rainbow Dash. Your mom." She tried to put a hoof on the filly.

"No! Stop touching me! I'm not Scootaloo! And I don't know who Rainbow Dash is, and I don't know why I'm here, and-"

"Is she awake?" Discord asked, teleporting into the room. Scootaloo and Rainbow looked over at him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Scootaloo let out an earsplitting shriek and pressed herself farther back into the pillows, holding the boring green blankets close to her chest.

"Well, that was an absolutely touching way to be greeted," the spirit said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He floated up to the bed next to Dash. "What happened?" He looked at Rainbow.

"I think she has amnesia. She doesn't seem to remember who I am, or who she is," Rainbow told him. He snorted.

"I guess that explains the screaming for her life thing. But that doesn't make me feel great as a first impression."

"I guess not. We should tell the doctor." Dash rose into the air with a flap of her wings, and disappeared into the hallway, leaving Discord alone with Scootaloo, who was still cowering under the blankets.

"You're not gonna eat me, are you?" Scootaloo whimpered, only her eyes and above visible as the blanket was pulled up past her nose.

"Yes, I'm totally going to eat you alive," Discord snorted, rolling his eyes. Scootaloo shrieked and picked up the nearest thing- a lamp. She hurled it at Discord, who quickly jerked his head away before it could hit him. It shattered on the other side of the room. "Hey, I was just kidding. I don't eat ponies-" he stopped- "not anymore, anyways." This caused a whimper and another thing to be thrown at the spirit, this time her pillow. It hit him squarely in the face, making him sigh in defeat. He turned away, trying to look as un-scary as possible, hoping Rainbow Dash would be back in there soon.

As he looked at the door, she and a doctor entered the room. "Well, finally," Discord said.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "It's been what- a whole three minutes?"

"Well, you don't wanna know what I had to deal with those three minutes." He jerked a claw back at Scootaloo.

"So, amnesia huh? It wouldn't be unlikely, as your little friend- Fluttershy, I believe her name is- said she probably hit the ground very hard," the doctor said, pulling some x-rays up onto the screen. They all saw an x-ray of Scootaloo's head, which had a very long crack in it. "She had a major concussion, as you can guess from the x-rays." He pointed a hoof at the second one, which was of her torso. He circled around the middle of her back, "and the lightning struck here, causing temporary paralysis. She would've hit the ground, and could've done nothing to stop it. She's a very lucky filly to have survived such a strike. If she had been hit only a little harder she could've been permanently paralyzed."

Rainbow looked grim. "Will she ever get her memory back?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure. Could be days, weeks, months- years, even. Nopony could tell for sure. It depends on how severe the accident was. It was pretty bad, so I'm guessing you could be waiting months."

"Uh, thanks doc." She looked over at Scootaloo, who seemed angry. "When can we take her home?"

"We'll be keeping her here for a few more days, to make sure all is well. But for now, visiting hours are over." He opened the door for them as they got the message and started heading out.

"Bye Scoots! I'll see you tomorrow!" Dash called back to the filly, who just crossed her arms and glared at the bed. The door closed and soon she was alone.

Scootaloo continued glaring at the bed. Then, she let her eyebrows up. "Great, now I'm alone. . . speaking of 'I', who am I? That pegasus said I was Scootaloo, but I don't even know her. Who did she say she was again. .?" Scootaloo fell into silence, thinking. "Ah. . . Rainbow Dash." Cool name, but pretty much in reference to her appearance. Did that mean she was fast? As Scootaloo thought about it, she decided she liked things that were fast. And cool. Did this somehow come into play with this 'Rainbow Dash'? "And what were they talking about when they said I have 'amnesia'? What is that? What is an x-ray? Was that my body on those things? I'm so confused! " Scootaloo slammed her hooves on the bed. Then, suddenly self conscious, she brought the blanket up to her chest. "If she comes back, I hope she doesn't bring that monster with her." Scootaloo shivered.

---

"I'm sorry about Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy told us all about what happened," Twilight said, patting her friend on the back.

Dash sighed. "Thanks Twilight. It's fine, really. She's lucky to have survived at all. Amnesia is probably the best thing that could come outta this," she replied.

"Just sayin', we'll be there every step of the way," Applejack said.

"Yes, we'll help Scootaloo get her memory back, just you see darling," Rarity added, stepping up right beside the pegasus. "And I'm sure Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle will be very helpful, too."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that, what if Scootaloo's memory never comes back?" Rainbow asked, looking at her friends in doubt. "She'll never be the same."

"From what we heard, the doctor said it would only be a few months. Hopefully, Scootaloo's memory will be back by then," Twilight said. Rainbow grunted, not believing it would all turn out all right.

"So, what does Discord think of this whole mess?" Rarity asked.

"He's not very happy. Scootaloo thinks he's a monster that will eat her or something. He told me what happened when I left the room," Dash replied. She sat down and laid her head on the plush rug that covered the floor of the library.

"Well, Ah wouldn't blame her, Ah guess. We were all pretty shocked when we saw him the first time, too," Applejack said thoughtfully.

"I don't think he really appreciated it very much." Rainbow rolled over onto her back lazily, mane falling back against the floor. Rarity sat down next to her and played with the colorful strands to relax the pegasus.

"Oh, Rainbow dear, I know how hard this can be. One time, a cousin of mine got amnesia, and it took two weeks for her to recover. Though, her injuries weren't as severe as Scootaloo's. . ." Rarity trailed off and focused more on twirling a silkier piece of bright yellow hair. "But feeling down and not trying to help Scootaloo remember won't solve anything. It'll be a challenge, but I'm sure we can do it if all of us work together. Friendship solves anything, because friendship is magic. She needs friendship more than anything right now." Rarity had now moved on the preening the soft blue feathers on Dash's wings.

"Yeah. . . yeah! Thanks Rares. I don't know what I would do without you girls here to help me." Rainbow smiled, holding out her arms in a hugging gesture. As she was still laying on her back, the other ponies awkwardly attempted a group hug. It was enough. "So, when do visiting hours start?"

Twilight laughed. "Sorry to say Dashie, but it's like three in the morning. I'm not even sure how Fluttershy managed to get us all awake and to the library, though I do live here. Speaking of her, where is Fluttershy?" She looked around, one hoof to her chin.

"Yeah, I'm still not certain why I came here at two in the morning, but oh well. Worth it, even if I miss out on a little bit of beauty sleep," Rarity agreed.

"Boy, Ah was shocked as ever when Fluttershy showed up at the door, draggin' me to the library. Ah was pretty much asleep on mah hooves," AJ laughed. They all shared a quick round of giggles before getting on track again.

"But I'm serious. Where is that pony?" Twilight asked again, raising a hoof in question.

"Beats me. I just assumed she was hiding somewhere, as usual. Like when she gets scared of her shadow, she hides in a bush or something," Rainbow said, shrugging. The other ponies looked at her. "Hey, I don't know what she hides in all the time. But this one time she was in a tree. ." She pondered on the thought.

Twilight jumped up. "I got it! She must be in a tree!"

"Um, Twi, that's a mighty good guess and all, but even if she was, we would never know what tree she was in," Applejack pointed out, flicking her tail.

The unicorn seemed to reconsider. "Hmm. . ."

Dash stood up, breaking Rarity's grip from her feathers, which the white unicorn objected to with a "hey!" and brushed some dust from her shoulders. "I know what Fluttertree looks like. Leave it to me," she told them confidently.

"Alright, go get her then." Twilight jerked her head towards the door with an expectant look on her face. Rainbow flew outside, and returned a moment later with the yellow pegasus. "Was she in a tree?"

"Nah, she was just cowering outside the library. Found her right away."

"So, what did you need me?" Fluttershy asked quietly, hunched over on the floor.

"We just wanted to know where you were. You brought them here at two in the morning and the disappeared right after. Why?" Twilight inquired.

"I didn't want to talk about it anymore, and Dashie was sad, so I thought you girls could cheer her up. I guess it wasn't the best idea at two in the morning, but still. She needed the support."

"Oh, well okay." Twilight yawned loudly, her ears drooping back against her head. "Uh, I'm beat. Can we talk about this in the morning instead? We can all go down and visit Scootaloo in the morning, alright? I need some sleep before then."

Applejack nodded in agreement, a yawn coming to her too. "Yup. Ah agree. See ya in the mornin', ya'll." With a nod in their direction, she walked out the door. Rarity was the next to stand up.

"I'll be off too. A mare like me needs her beauty sleep. Goodnight everypony," the white unicorn said, heading out the door, going the opposite way Applejack did.

"Come on then, Rainbow Dash. You look dead," Fluttershy said gently, taking hold the other pegasus's hoof and led her out the door.

"But I'm not *yawn* tirrrreedd. . ." Dash's eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep on the spot. Fluttershy sighed as Twilight watched them.

"She missed her evening nap. And Scootaloo is getting to her. Don't worry, I'll get her home safely." Fluttershy picked her friend up by her hooves and weakly hovered into the air. She still couldn't carry her very well. Twilight rolled her eyes, her horn glowing, and then Rainbow Dash was gone in a flash of magenta magic. "Huh?!"

"Don't worry, Flutters. I teleported her home. You'd never be able to carry her back all that way," Twilight said, then, seeing the look on the pegasus's face, quickly added, "no offense."

"Oh, okay. Well, have a good sleep. Bye." Fluttershy quickly flew off, eager to be home before the 'monsters' got her. Twilight walked upstairs, snuggling into bed.

"Who knew Rainbow Dash would be the first to have a family." Twilight gave a small snort of laughter at the thought.

---

Something landed with a soft 'fluff' next to him.

Discord leaped back, effectively making himself fall off the bed. He grunted, picking himself up, and looked at what it was.

Of course, it was Rainbow Dash.

"How in the world?" Discord pondered it for a moment. "Oh, right, Twilight. Huh." He clambered back onto the bed again and snuggled against her. How odd, he thought, that I went from evil Lord of Chaos and now I'm here cuddling with one of my former enemies. Fate is indeed strange. I never actually thought that anypony would see past my face and accept me for who I am. Discord wrapped his arms around her and lightly kissed her cheek. Dash blew a little air out of her nostrils and seemed to fall into a deeper, gentler sleep.

What an odd world.

---

"Are you sure I should come? Scootaloo didn't exactly think much of me except for the fact I would eat her. Maybe I should stay here," Discord said, watching as Rainbow Dash got ready to go. She turned around.

"She just needs to get to know you, past your exterior," Dash replied, taking a red crayon and drawing on a watch. "And look at the time!" She pretended to look surprised. "Time to get over it. Let's go."

"That was actually a pretty good line." Discord followed her out, where, to his surprise, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were waiting. They also had the other members of the CMC with them.

"So, you ready Rainbow Dash?" Twilight called up. The pegasus flew down and landed next to her.

"Ready. You?" Dash asked.

"Of course. Come on then." She led the way to the hospital, where Nurse Redheart led them to the filly's room. As Scootaloo saw the huge crowd of ponies come, she was struck by a sense of wonder. She'd never known that this pony was so popular. In fact, she hadn't seen so many ponies together. But only two were familiar. And unfortunately, one of them was the monster. But, then again, one was Rainbow Dash.

"Hiyah Scootaloo. I imagine that you're wondering who all these ponies are. Well, this is Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. And you know Discord," Rainbow announced, pointing to each of them in turn. Scootaloo glanced around at them. Those fillies looked her age. And something about that yellow mare named Fluttershy seemed familiar.

"Uh, hi. Why are you here?" Scootaloo asked, crossing her arms.

"To help you regain your memory, sugarcube," Applejack said, talking in a very country accent. Scootaloo liked her. She seemed caring.

"Yes. You knew us all before your accident, so we're here now to help you in your time of need, darling," Rarity added. She spoke in a polite, girly way. Scootaloo was going to be careful when around her.

"Do you feel anything different yet?" Sweetie Belle asked loudly, putting her hooves on the side of the bed and looking at Scootaloo.

"Um, no. . ." Scootaloo said carefully. Had this filly been her friend? What about the other one?

"Ah, that sucks. Do you remember the Cutie Mark Crusaders Theme Song? Or just the Crusaders?" Apple Bloom questioned, hopping onto the bed directly.

"What is that?"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other in dismay.

"Well, it's our group where we try to find our cutie marks! Except you already got yours." They put their flanks together, showing how they had nothing on them. Scootaloo didn't understand, until Apple Bloom lifted the blankets and pointed to her flank.

"Wow! I really got one? What does it do? What does it mean?" Scootaloo wasn't sure why she only had one. She looked at the other pony's flanks. They all had one. She liked Rainbow Dash's the most, because it was cool. And she had no idea what Twilight's meant at all. A star over a star surrounded by other stars. Confusing.

"Well, cutie marks tell us what your special talent is. Yours is racing, just like Rainbow Dash's."

"And I'm glad you followed in my hoof prints," Rainbow said, walking closer to the bed. She has the same talent as Rainbow Dash? "But I'm the fastest flyer in all of Equestria! Nopony can beat me in a race."

"So I can go fast too?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yup!"

"Is it true? That you're the fastest?"

"Of course!"

"Really?" Scootaloo looked at the other ponies. They all nodded and agreed. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah, I know I am." Rainbow struck a pose, flipping her mane.

"Come on now Rainbow, be modest. Don't start bragging again," Twilight said. Dash looked at her.

"I'm not bragging! I'm just being proud of my talents! What's the shame in that?"

"Maybe you should focus less on 'being proud of your talents,' and get him involved in this." She jerked her head towards Discord, who was sitting in a cotton candy cloud at the back of the room with his arms crossed.

"Right." Dash flew towards him and kicked him out of his cloud before he could react. She then pushed him up to the front of the room. Scootaloo leaned back, attempting to get as far away as she could. "Now, Scootaloo, Discord isn't evil. Anymore." The filly saw his annoyed face. She had a feeling he didn't like her very much. "And even though he looks odd-"

"Hey!" Discord objected. "I don't say-" Rainbow shoved her hoof in his mouth. He grumbled something and Dash smacked him in the back of his head.

"Anyways, he isn't going to eat you or anything. I don't think he is anyways."

Discord pulled the blue hoof from his mouth. "I might eat you after this whole thing is over."

Rainbow shoved him, making him fall down. "Come on, take a joke!" Dash landed on him and proceeded to continue speaking to Scootaloo. "Why do I even bother?"

"Reasons." The pegasus looked at Scootaloo again. "So, how are you feeling?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "A little overwhelmed, I guess. This is a lot to take in. I didn't even know my own name before yesterday. It's all kinda confusing," she admitted.

"I understand. But just understand that we'll always be able to answer your questions."

"Are you my real mom?" Scootaloo asked from nowhere.

Rainbow stopped. "Um. . . no. . ."

"Then where are my real parents?"

"I-I don't know. You were an orphan. I only adopted you a few months ago."

"Oh."

"You okay?" Rainbow laid a hoof on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It really doesn't affect me, seeing as I never met them, or remember them. Don't worry."

"Okay, if you say so."

"Yeah, I am." She paused. "Do I have wings too?"

"Look and find out, why don't you?" Dash teased. Scootaloo looked at her back, and let out a yell of surprise.

"Whoa! I can't even feel them! Are you supposed to?" Scootaloo wiggled them, poked at them, and stroked one of the only soft orange feathers that were sticking out of the bandages.

"Yeah, you are. But since your accident, I'm guessing the doctors have numbed them, so you can't feel the pain as bad."

"Can I fly?"

"Of course! You learned to fly and got your cutie mark on the same day. It was truly awesome. I helped you, obviously. You were racing me when you got it."

Scootaloo smiled. "Am I a good flyer? Did I almost beat you?"

"Well, no. But you are a good flyer though."

"Oh, well that's still pretty cool. How did I get in the accident?"

"You were doing a move, which I told you not to do, and-"

"How would I get hurt doing a move?"

"It involved a tornado."

"Oh."

"And you got struck by lightning."

"Ah."

"And it flung you out."

". . ."

"You could've died."

"Rainbow Dash, that's enough!" Twilight yelled.

"Yes, I agree. It is a little mean being that blunt," Rarity said.

"Sorry," Dash apologized. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Ya definitely weren't," Applejack snorted.

"You don't want to startle her. Being startled can be very startling," Fluttershy agreed.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Geez," Rainbow grumbled.

---

"Okay, Scootaloo comes back from the hospital today!" Rainbow Dash announced, flying up into the air happily.

"Yay!" Fluttershy cheered.

"Are you going to go alone?" Twilight asked. Dash nodded.

"I think she'd feel better with just me. She still feels a little awkward around everypony else," the pegasus told her. "Besides, you guys are getting the party ready, right?"

Applejack rubbed the back of her head. "Well, we were, but we're having a few complications. . ." Her bright green eyes trailed back to where Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were trying to help decorate, throwing confetti all over where Rarity was trying to clean. After getting shooed off once more, Sweetie Belle lit her horn and stole Discord's fang out of his mouth. She had just learned how to use magic and for the past few days had been picking up everything, including other ponies. Her magic was fairly strong and she could even pick up Discord. But right now the two fillies were busy playing keep away with his tooth. Applejack considered it disturbing.

"Girls! Give him his tooth back noOOOWW!" Rarity's words turned into a scream as Sweetie Belle picked her sister up and shook her like a rag. "SwEEtie BeLLE gEt ME dowN RIGht NoW!"

"And give me my tooth back! Don't make me use my magic!" Discord shouted, his paws starting to glow with golden magic. Seeing this, Sweetie Belle only more determined to be an annoyance. She picked Discord up and held him upside down. He looked surprised. Sweetie then began shaking him too, but much faster, so he looked like a blur. "HHHEeeeeyYYY!" Apple Bloom cheered her on, jumping up and down in delight. Having had enough, Discord's magic reached out and wrapped itself around Sweetie's horn, stopping the magical flow from it. Rarity fell from the air and Rainbow Dash caught her, setting her down on the ground. The unicorn stumbled around dizzily, falling into Twilight's hooves. Discord quickly started flying, catching himself right before his face hit the floor, and repositioned himself upright. His magic let Sweetie Belle's horn go, instead picking both of the fillies up and setting them down outside, the door closing firmly after them.

"Finally. Sweetie Belle usin' magic is one of the most chaotic things ever. Followin' Discord, in fact," AJ muttered.

"I almost agree, Applejack," Discord growled, dusting himself off.

"Okay then. I'm gonna go get Scootaloo now. Seeyah in a few," Rainbow Dash said, shooting out an open window and into the sky.

---

"Just sign here and she's all yours," the doctor told Rainbow Dash. The pegasus sloppily signed her name on the bottom line and the scroll disappeared in a flash.

"Thanks," Dash said as the doctor trotted away into another room. She had a feeling he didn't like her after what happened when Scootaloo had first arrived. But she had other matters to attend to. "Scootaloo! Come on, we're leaving." She walked into the filly's room.

"Huh? I'm leaving? Where are we going?" Scootaloo asked, looking in confusion at Rainbow. It had been almost a week since the accident and her injuries were healing well. But her amnesia seemed to be getting no closer to being over.

"Well, we're going to the library."

"Why are we going to the library? I thought you said you lived on a cloud."

"Oh, well, um, I'm just. . . stopping by the library! Yeah, that's it. Need to pick up the newest book of Daring Do. It'll only take a few minutes, at tops." Dash hoped the filly would forget about the lie once they reached the library.

"Oh, okay? I'll get ready then." Scootaloo clambered out of the hospital bed and stretched before they started out the door. A nurse rolled a wheelchair up and Scootaloo reluctantly sat down in it to be wheeled out the door. As soon as they got outside, she hopped out and fluttered her wings slightly. "Am I going to be able to fly? I still have bandages all over." It was true; Scootaloo still had them covering her back and most of her small wings, plus they were wrapped around her head.

"I think it might be a few days. But no worry, I can get you up to the house. I've flown with you plenty of times before you learned how to. Now, let's hurry on to the library." Dash pushed the filly ahead of her and they set a quick pace there. As they walked, Scootaloo gaped in awe at everything around her. Apparently she should've recognized it, but to her it was totally new. The only part she had seen of Ponyville was the back roads that led to other small towns outside of the hospital window. And that wasn't very interesting. It was so much better out of the hospital, where she was surrounded by ponies of all kinds.

"It's so big! Do you know all of the ponies here?" Scootaloo asked.

"No. I know most, but all of them know me, as I'm the Element of Loyalty and the fastest flyer in Equestria. Everypony knows me, and that ain't a lie," Rainbow responded proudly, looking down at the filly. She turned her attention back to the road, only to run face first into a light pole. The pegasus fell over backwards, and she heard a few giggles from ponies around her and a couple gasps, one being from Scootaloo. Her daughter stood over her, looking down at her face. Everything looked doubled, and it took a few moments for her vision to clear up. Head pounding, she sat up and groaned.

"You okay Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little-" she grunted "-dizzy. All is good though. Come on, we're almost to the library. Let's keep going."

"Okay." Scootaloo and Dash continued on the library. As soon as it came into sight, Scootaloo felt a little intimidated. It was way bigger than most of the buildings in Ponyville. She had been told Twilight lived here, and from Twilight herself that almost all of the buildings in bigger towns like Canterlot and Manehatten were much larger than even her library. She had said the Canterlot Castle was the largest building ever made, and the Princess Celestia and Luna lived there. She had learned Celestia raised the sun, and Luna the moon. She had also learned a lot about Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, Sombra, and other historical events. Rainbow Dash had bragged about defeating some of them with the Elements of Harmony. She had laughed about when they turned Discord to stone, and said, "you should've seen the look on his face!" and had told Discord to replicate what his facial expression had been. He had said no, but in the end Rainbow threatened to hoof wrestle him and he reluctantly agreed. He had stood up, done exactly what he had done, and even added the gray coloring covering his body to add the effect. Scootaloo had thought it was funny, but then thought about what it would've been like for him, and decided it probably sucked.

"We're here!" Rainbow Dash announced, kicking the door open. The lights flicked on and a chorus of "surprise!" greeted them as the ponies jumped out of their hiding places. Scootaloo was really surprised. Startled, even.

"Were ya surprised?" Applejack asked, then blew her party horn.

"Yeah! I was practically startled!" Scootaloo exclaimed, buzzing her wings slightly. It still felt weird having them on her back.

"Oh no! Being startled can be very-" Fluttershy was cut off as Rainbow Dash put a hoof up to silence her.

"Startling, we know. Anyways, what do you think kid? We did it just for you!" Dash told her, gesturing to the purple and orange streamers, confetti, balloons, and other decorations around them. Even the desserts were the same color.

"It's great! I never thought anypony would throw me a surprise party! Especially since I just met you a few days ago," Scootaloo said.

"Oh hush now! We've know you for years! You just. . . don't remember it, that's all," Sweetie Belle muttered, standing beside her friend. Apple Bloom patted her on the back comfortingly.

"S'all right Sweetie Belle. Why don't we go get some punch?" Apple Bloom suggested, leading the practically crying unicorn away. Scootaloo frowned a little. Was it really that bad that she didn't remember them? Or their. . . memories together. . .Thinking about it made her head pound dully.

"So, you want to play a game? Pin the tail on the pony? Old west?" Rainbow paused. "Okay, well maybe not that. I really don't want rope burn again… but anything else'll do!"

Scootaloo smiled a little though her confusion. "Nah. I think I'd rather sit down and talk. I'm still kinda out of it."

"I understand." Rainbow turned to the others. "Come on ponies! And draconequus. . . and dragon. . . let's sit around and talk. Not the most interesting thing to do, but oh well." The eight ponies, dragon, and spirit arranged themselves in a circle, with Scootaloo sitting between Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"So, who wants to start?" Twilight asked. Sweetie Belle raised her hoof and waved it around frantically.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Me! Me! Me! Me!" the filly shouted.

"Okay girl, calm down."

"I have got a great story! It's about when Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Spike, and I were in the Chrystal Empire!"

"WHAT?!" the ponies exclaimed.

"Yeah! When you guys were busy with the Equestria Games thing. We had to get Angel back because he went on the train to find Fluttershy. We were everywhere! We couldn't go to the castle, though, because Spike said no. You guys never even looked under the seats!" Sweetie finished, laughing, while Apple Bloom and Spike looked mortified. Scootaloo laughed a little, wishing she could remember that. Her head pounding came back. Twilight looked down at Spike.

"You never said anything about that," the purple unicorn said.

"Um, well. . ." Spike mumbled, tapping his claws together.

"I hope it was fun for you!"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Anyways, who next?"

"Me, definitely! It's about when Scootaloo got her cutie mark!" Rainbow Dash announced. The others groaned. They had heard it about five times, as the pegasus bragged about it whenever the subject came up. But Scootaloo had never heard it. She perked her ears excitedly. "So, Scootaloo wanted me to teach her how to fly! I obliged and we went to practice. I flew with her a little, then let her go. She dropped like a stone!" Rainbow made the motions along with the story. Scootaloo gasped. How did she not remember this?! "And I shot after her! But then, suddenly, from the fog, she came soaring over me! She was flying! She almost ran into a cliff, but she didn't! We landed and we were so excited! She then challenged me to a race." Scootaloo bit her lip. She had heard some of this part. "So we took our marks and then we soared off. I went my quick speed, trying to go easy on her. Scootaloo came after me, attempting to catch up with me. I landed on the clouds, and she flew up right next to me. I congratulated her, but she thought she didn't do very good. But as I looked at her more closely, I saw the glimmering of a new cutie mark upon her flank! I hid my excitement and smugly pointed out the obvious. It was a great day." Dash finished her story with a contented smile on her face. Scootaloo's was one of pure awe. This was a story about her. And she didn't even know about it. The pounding in her head became stronger than ever. She twitched her ear, trying to rid herself of the annoyance. A new voice spoke up.

"I remember when Rainbow Dash came and told us she was adopting Scootaloo. I was so excited! She even agreed, since it was such a special occasion, that I could make them dresses! Oh, such beautiful dresses! I spent hours working on them just for that day," Rarity cooed, flipping her mane dramatically. Then, she shuddered. "It was such a wonderful night. Until. . . Pinkie Pie showed up. . . how I miss her so. But what she did was an awful, awful thing, but I still do miss her. She was our best friend. I only wish I could see her again." Rarity looked down sadly. Then, she perked up. "But we were all so happy for Dashie. The first one of us to have our own family. A very nice family, too, if I do say so myself." The fashionista now had tears running down her face, smearing her mascara. "Ooh, don't worry about me. I'm fine. . . these are happy tears." Scootaloo felt like she was going to cry too. Rainbow Dash cared that much about her, to adopt her from that orphanage she was apparently in. But the only thing ruining it was her pounding head. And just who was this Pinkie Pie? Was she bad?

"Ah remember when Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere on mah farm and tried to get me. She knocked me out before Ah could do anythin', but Rainbow Dash told me what happened. Ah think it was mighty brave'a her to save me," AJ said, giving the cyan pegasus a smile. Scootaloo was confused. Pinkie Pie seemed really bad.

"Hey Discord, why don't you tell them of the time you and Scootaloo were fighting and broke that picture frame? It'd make for a great story," Rainbow suggested, elbowing Discord in the ribs. He grunted, crossing his arms.

"No thanks. I'm good," he refused.

"Come on. . ."

"No."

"Just tell it Discord!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"Yeah! Don't be a wussy!" Spike laughed.

"Hey! I am not-" Discord objected, but was cut off by Rainbow before he could finish his sentence.

"Do it! Do it! I dare ya!" the pegasus demanded. "Tell it! Tell it! Tell it!" The others joined in on the chant.

"Uh! Fine! If anything to get you to shut up!" Discord shouted, ending the chanting. As he told the story, Scootaloo was in misery. Her head hurt like no tomorrow. She was barely paying attention, but she could tell it was an embarrassing story by the way Discord blushed every once in a while, earning laughs from all around the circle.

The story telling continued for hours, ranging from when Scootaloo and the others were crusading to Rainbow Dash and Discord's first kiss. Finally, somepony spoke up.

"Hey, how about we play a little truth or dare?" Rarity suggested smugly. "Naughty truth or dare?" The others quickly agreed, with the exception of the fillies, who were a little grossed out. "Okay, I'll go first. Twilight, truth or dare?"

Twilight thought about it for a moment. "Truth."

"Okay, here it is: have you ever read an erotic novel?" The other ponies giggled.

"Um. . ." Twilight's cheeks turned bright red. "Yes." A chorus of 'oohs' and 'I knew it' echoed around the room. "Well, my turn. Discord, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he responded.

"Okay. I dare you to change into a female for one minute." All eyes went to the Lord of Chaos.

"What?!" Discord gaped.

"You have to do it: that's the rule."

". . you win this time." He stood up, and in a flash of gold, he changed himself into a girl. His beard was gone, and instead of a short, black mane, was now a tangle of white hair on his head, complete with eyelashes. Giggles went up from the group.

"Hey Discord, I didn't know you were a cross dresser!" Rainbow teased, falling onto her back with laughter.

"Oh shut up Dash!" he now she shouted. She clamped a paw over her mouth as the ponies stared in shock.

"Your-your voice! Bwahahahha!" Tears were now streaming from her cerise eyes.

"Alright, alright, it's been a minute! My turn!" Discord changed himself back and sat down once again. "Applejack, truth or dare?"

"Uh, dare," Applejack responded.

"I dare you to take your hair out of your ponytails." Applejack gasped, holding her ponytail in her hooves as everypony else 'oohed.' They all knew Applejack never took her hair out of her ponytails. Ever. "Come on, AJ." The earth pony gave out a squeak of discomfort, and undid the tie from her hair. Her long, blonde hair fell over her shoulders, and they all gasped, this time in awe. "Now your tail, AJ." Applejack swung her tail in front of her and undid that too.

"AJ, you're so beautiful with your hair down! You should do it more often!" Rarity cooed. Applejack mumbled something incoherent but didn't put her ponytails back in. Then she cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Okay, Fluttershy, truth or dare?" AJ asked.

"Who, me?" the shy pegasus asked.

"Yeah. Who else is named Fluttershy here?"

"Oh, right. Truth."

"Okay. Hmm. . ." Applejack tapped her head for something. "Are ya still a virgin?"

"Oh, I-I. . ." Fluttershy turned red.

"Don't worry sugarcube, nopony's gonna think any less of ya."

"Well. . . no."

"Who was it?" Rarity asked. They all looked at her. "Well, I know I'm not the only one who wants to know."

"It. . . it was. . . Thunder Lane."

"Ooh, he's cute! Good job Fluttershy!" Rarity clapped a little. "Do you stay in touch?"

"Kinda. . ."

"Well, you totally should!" She stopped, seeing the stares from her friends. She cleared her throat. "Your turn, my dear."

Fluttershy gulped. "Okay. . ." She took a breath. "Apple Bloom, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Apple Bloom said determinedly.

Knowing it couldn't be something terrible, which she was okay with, the pegasus picked something easy. "I dare you to dance like Twilight." Everypony started laughing.

"That's easy!" Apple Bloom jumped up and went into the center. She then started 'dancing,' kicking her legs out all over the place. Seeing it, Twilight turned a little red. "Done!" She sat back down. "Sweetie Belle, truth or dare?"

"I think dare," Sweetie replied.

"Okay, Ah dare you to sing the Cutie Mark Crusaders Theme Song!"

"Um, okay. . ." Sweetie Belle stood up and began singing in her beautiful voice. As soon as she was done, she looked at Scootaloo, who was still kinda out of it considering her headache. "Scootaloo, truth or dare?"

"Uh. . . Can I skip please? I really don't want to go. ." Scootaloo mumbled.

"Sure Scoots! Apple Bloom, pick somepony else," Rainbow Dash told the filly.

"Mmkay. . . Spike! Truth or dare?"

Spike answered immediately. "Dare!"

"Okay then. I dare you to light Discord's mane on fire!"

"WHAT?!" the two males in the room shouted at once.

"Do it!"

"Sorry dude." Spike looked at Discord, who was thinking of the time he got arrested. "Can you lower your head?" Discord grumbled something and leaned his head back reluctantly. He heard Spike take a breath and the next moment he felt the heat from it scorching his neck. The green fire made its way up his mane and the whole thing was on fire now. Luckily Discord was flame proof.

"Wow, you look awesome!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "A fire mane!"

"When can I put my mane out?" Discord asked angrily.

"When we're done playing truth or dare."

"Seriously?!" Discord held his paws out in front of him out of frustration.

"Yeah. Spike, go."

"Okay," Spike said. He looked at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, truth or dare?"

Rainbow snorted. "Dare, obviously."

"Okay, I dare you to kiss Discord. On the lips. No holding back."

"Excuse me?!"

"Why am I the target of the same dragon twice in a row?!" Discord groaned.

Spike shrugged. "I don't know. Come on, you guys." The rest of the group snickered.

"Whatever, we are dating," Rainbow Dash said. Discord looked down at her.

"But in front of everypony else?" Discord practically whimpered.

"It'll be quick, I promise."

"At least thirty seconds," Spike added in deviously.

"If you enjoy it too much, please excuse yourselves and head for the guest room bed," Twilight commanded in a captain's voice. The whole room burst out laughing, with the exception of a certain pair.

"Let's just get it over with," Rainbow whispered to Discord. He nodded reluctantly and they leaned in closer. Their lips locked, and a chorus of 'oohs' went up from the others for the five hundredth time that day.

"Tongue!" Rarity shouted, and they laughed yet again. As the adults enjoyed what they were seeing, maybe some a little too much, the fillies were slightly disturbed. And Scootaloo was barely conscious at this point. Everything moved in slow motion, and sounded like it were underwater. Her vision flickered. The pounding was all she could feel, not even the floor beneath her.

Meanwhile, thirty seconds was nearing and Rainbow had her hooves to Discord's face. Maybe she was enjoying this too much. Her wings were throbbing slightly, proving her thoughts correct. Maybe she had had a little too much to drink. One of the punch bowls had some alcohol in it, that's for sure.

"Okay, time's up!" Twilight shouted, and the couple moved apart, a little bit of spit still connecting them as their faces moved away. Discord had a stupid smile on his face. The mares, plus Spike, were laughing their asses off.

"Ha! You enjoy that, Dashie?" Fluttershy asked, her eyelids drooped. Yup, that punch had alcohol. Fluttershy enjoyed punch, so it was no wonder she seemed the most intoxicated. She had probably gotten a few more glasses during other pony's turns. And now that Rainbow thought about it, Rarity and Twilight were definitely tipsy. That explained Rarity's weird thing with sex tonight. Applejack seemed okay, but you usually couldn't notice when she had been drinking, aside from talking slightly slurred on occasion.

"Okay, okay, Rarity. My turn. Truth or dare?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Rarity hiccupped. "Dare," she said firmly.

"Okay. I dare you to run outside, screaming that you've been raped. And make sure to look like it. And if anypony tries to help you, push them away and scream that you've seen them in your dreams."

Rarity smiled. "Easy peezy one too breezy." She stood up and walked out the door. Then she started screaming. "HELP! HELP! I'VE BEEN RAPED! HELLLLPP!" She ran around frantically. A pony ran up to her, and they could see that it was Derpy.

"Rarity?! What happened?! Are you okay?! Can I help-" Derpy was pushed into the dirt and Rarity ran away screaming:

"I'VE SEEN YOU IN MY DRRRREEEEEAAAAMMMMMSSSS!"

Then, just as calm as ever, she walked into the library, gently closing the door behind her. "Easy. I told you."

"Okay, that was good. And I'm exhausted. I think we'll head home. Right, Discord?" Rainbow Dash looked over at the spirit, who was only half awake. His mane was also still on fire. "Better take care of that. Twilight?"

The unicorn looked up. "Sure." She conjured up a bucket of water and poured it on Discord's head. He jumped, looking around, before leaning back up against the bookshelves.

"Scoots, you ready to go home?" Dash nudged the silent filly. No response. "Scoots?" She looked her in the face. Her eyes were open, but the pupils took up the entire space, no purple even showing. "Scootaloo?!" She shook the filly, then picked her up and set her on her hooves. Scootaloo collapsed. "SCOOTALOO!" Rainbow put her ear to the filly's chest. She didn't feel any heartbeat. Dash picked up her daughter and shot through the door, leaving shards of splintered wood scattered all over the library floor. The others looked at each other in half drunk confusion. The other fillies and Spike glanced at each other in worry.

Oh no.

---

Doctors scurried about, all heading to the room Scootaloo was in. If Rainbow Dash listened hard enough, she could just barely hear the shocking sound from the defibrillator as they attempted to revive the filly from death. When Dash had arrived at the hospital, Scootaloo's eyes were closed, and doctors immediately took her. And now Rainbow was waiting.

Again.

Hours passed.

Even more hours.

Morning.

A doctor approached the broken pegasus. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Yes?" Her voice cracked.

"Scootaloo is in a coma."

"W-what? For how long?" Dash's eyes dilated.

"We don't know for sure. But we got her back, but we wanted to make sure she would make it before we told you."

"Can I see her?"

"You may." He led her down the hall and into the hospital room. Scootaloo was once again, in bed. She wasn't moving. Tubes went up her nose and there was an IV in her arm. Her chest rose slightly with every breath. Rainbow held her own. Scootaloo was pale, her coat and mane blenched several colors.

"Oh, Scootaloo." Dash sat down next to the bed sadly. "You'll get through this. I know you will. Because I love you. I love you. Discord and I both love you. He may not say that, but I know. He's loved you from that day you said he seemed like your dad. We're not trying to replace you parents, but you've given us both a lot. Just remember I'll always be there for you."

Months. Months and months.

Scootaloo remained in a coma.

Rainbow Dash visited everyday.

Her friends were devastated. Scootaloo's friends were devastated. Rainbow Dash and Discord were devastated.

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight called into the dark room. The pegasus was laying limply on the cloud bed. Twilight walked up to her. She had been worried about her friend. They barely see her. "Dashie? It's me, Twilight. How you feeling?" Twilight sat down on the bed next to the pegasus.

"It's my fault." Rainbow Dash blinked once.

"Huh?

"It's my fault."

"No it's not."

"Yes."

"No. Why?"

"I wasn't there for her."

"Yes you were. Stop this silly talk."

"But-"

"No. Rainbow Dash. I didn't just come here for visiting. I came on an important matter." Twilight laid a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It's been almost a year. Almost a year of pain for Scootaloo."

"Yeah. So?" Dash glanced up at the unicorn.

"The girls and I have been talking."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. And we think it's time for you to move on."

"Move on?" Dash practically choked on the words.

"Yes. Scootaloo's has been in pain. That's obvious. And we think it's time to pull the plug."

Rainbow shot up. "PULL THE PLUG?! SHE'S MY DAUGHTER! I'LL NEVER DO THAT TO HER!"

Twilight shrank back. "Rainbow." The pegasus continued screaming at her. "Rainbow Dash." Still screaming. "Rainbow Dash." She finally stopped.

"What?"

"It's time."

"Time?"

"Yes."

Rainbow seemed to falter. Then, she fell onto Twilight, crying. "I miss her so much! I love her!"

Twilight stroked the pegasus's mane. "Ssshh, I know. We know. But if you really care about her, you'll let her be in peace. She's in so much pain. So much."

"Pain?"

"Yes, Dashie."

After what seemed like forever, she finally replied. "Okay."

---

"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to," the doctor told her as she stood by the bedside.

"Yes. I'm sure. Can you leave? For this? I want to be alone with her in her final moments," Rainbow Dash said.

The doctor nodded. "I understand how hard this is for you." He lowered his head and backed out of the room.

Dash looked at the filly. "Scootaloo. Scoots. I love you. Ever since I took you under my wing, I knew you were special. Just because you couldn't fly didn't mean anything. I would teach you. Always. And I'm letting you know I'm only doing this for you. Only for you. Because you're in so much pain. I know you are. Just because you're asleep doesn't mean I can't tell when you're in pain.. I could always tell. And I'm telling you now that everypony will miss you and they all love you too. Especially me and Discord. It's been hard, these last few months. I was keeping you around in pain for my own selfish reasons. But now it's time to say goodbye. So, goodbye my filly; my daughter; my light." Rainbow Dash leaned in and gave Scootaloo a farewell kiss on the cheek. Then, she reached for the plug that kept her on life support. She glanced one more time at the filly, and while keeping her eyes on her, grabbed the cord. Then, she stopped.

Scootaloo's eyes opened.

---

Dun dun duuuuuuuunnnnnn!

I might have to change rating if I keep this up! XD