Scootaloo sighed for what must have been the twentieth time that hour. She was lying on her back in the clubhouse which she and her friends would use for their meetings for crusading and the Rainbow Dash Fan Club, but today she was on her own.

“It sure is boring around here… I wonder what the girls are up to?”

Despite it being the weekend, her two friends were busy. Sweetie Belle had gone to Manehatten for the day along with her sister for a family get together and Apple Bloom - as per the norm - had her chores to do on the farm with her two siblings.

Scootaloo sighed again as she rolled over onto her front and glared at the wall. She tried to think of something to do, but nothing seemed to take her fancy. She had already read all of the Daring Do novels and had already built a pillow fort - twice. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, a bored expression on her face.

“I guess I could go home… but mum would probably complain about me getting under her hooves during her cleaning-” She tapped her chin and frowned. “-and dad’s at work…”

She pouted and sat up on her rump with a loud yawn, stretching her legs as she smacked her lips.

“Well, I can’t just sit around here all day. What would Rainbow Dash do?”

Scootaloo thought for a moment before a grin appeared on her face, and she leapt up to her hooves with renewed determination.

“She’d get off her sorry flank and go find something to do! Something awesome!”

With a big grin, Scootaloo raced out of the clubhouse and hopped onto her scooter. She raced towards the town, ready to find an activity to do.

“And now I’m bored again…” Scootaloo grumbled.

She’d only been in the town for ten minutes and she’d already grown tired of looking for something to do. Scootaloo sighed to herself as she leaned back on the bench and slowly slid halfway down, a scowl etched onto her face. She figured that she must be this bored because she was on her own with no one else to enjoy the time with, namely her friends.

“This is so frustrating!” she groaned.

“What’s wrong, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo looked up to see Fluttershy standing in front of her and looking a little concerned. On her back was Angel Bunny who wasn’t exactly happy that his owner had stopped on their way home.

“Oh… hey, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo mumbled, “I’m fine. It’s just that I’m so bored!”

Fluttershy smiled at the filly in understanding.

“Well, if you’d like, I need to take care of my animals today. Would you like to help?”

Scootaloo considered Fluttershy’s offer. On one hoof it was something to do and she could get her cutie mark! But on the other hoof, she felt like she was betraying her friends if she did get a cutie mark. Her internal debate, however, was interrupted by Fluttershy scrunching her eyebrows in concern.

“Um.. Scootaloo?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, sure! I’ll help,” Scootaloo grinned.

“Oh, wonderful!” Fluttershy beamed. “Thank you so much!”

Scootaloo jumped off the bench and pushed her scooter alongside Fluttershy. Following the road out of the town square and out of Ponyville itself, they headed towards Fluttershy’s cottage.

I’m sure the girls won’t be too upset if I got one…

As soon as they arrived at the cottage, the majority of Fluttershy’s animals came over to greet her. The mare giggled as they fussed around her and Angel tried to bat them away.

“Hello everyone! Sorry I took so long. I brought a friend to help me today.” She smiled and looked at Scootaloo. “Everyone, this is Scootaloo. Say hello.”

Scootaloo giggled as the animals fussed over her. A hawk perched itself gently on her head, and a butterfly landed on her muzzle. She smiled in delight and focused on it, her eyes going cross-eyed.

“Hey guys!” she shouted. “It’s nice to meet you all too!”

“Okay, come along now,” Fluttershy cooed before shooing them away gently with a flap of her wings. “You can play later.”

The animals surrounding Scootaloo all pouted in disappointment, but they quickly dispersed and returned to their previous activities.

“So, shall we get started?” Fluttershy asked, turning back to face the filly.

Scootaloo nodded, oblivious to the stares she was getting from within one of the pens.

Scootaloo was having more fun than she expected. Even for a daring pegasus like herself, she found a soothing calm in helping Fluttershy care for the animals, although she would downplay some parts of it later to Rainbow Dash for fear of looking uncool.

As she helped Fluttershy out with the squirrels, Scootaloo felt a prickling on the back of her neck. It was as if something was watching her. Looking behind her at the chicken pen, she realized that the chickens were all staring at her. Their eerie calmness made her feel a little uneasy.

The last time she had seen the chickens was when she and the Crusaders had stayed at Fluttershy’s for the night. But even then, they hadn’t been staring at her like this. Even as Scootaloo stared back, the chickens did not look away once.

“Uhm… Fluttershy?” she asked, glancing up nervously at the mare..

“Yes, Scootaloo?” the mare replied.

“Why are your chickens staring at me?”

Fluttershy looked round to see what she was talking about and raised an eyebrow curiously.

“I’m… not sure. Maybe they’re just waiting to be fed,” she suggested.

“I guess so… still, it’s kinda creepy,” Scootaloo shivered.

“Never mind them. Shall we finish up here, then see to the chickens?” Fluttershy asked sweetly.

“Okay,” Scootaloo smiled.

As Scootaloo and Fluttershy headed away to a different part of the garden, the chickens in the pen started to shuffle restlessly as they watched the pair leave. They squawked eagerly and clucked to one another in excitement.

“Did you see her?!” one of the hens clucked.

“I did! I did! She has returned to us!” another replied.

“Oh, praise be to her!”

“She will lead us to the promised lands!”

After tending to the other animals, Fluttershy and Scootaloo walked back over to the chicken pen with a bucket of feed. Once again, Scootaloo saw that the chickens were staring at her, watching her every move. Frowning uneasily, she walked a little closer to Fluttershy.

“Oh, shoot!” Fluttershy gasped, “I forgot to get the basket for the eggs from my house. Scootaloo, could you please start feeding them? I won’t be long, I promise.”

“O-okay,” Scootaloo replied.

Fluttershy smiled and trotted back to her cottage. The filly watched her disappear into the house before turning back to face the chickens.

“So… you guys hungry?” she asked, scooping out a handful of seed from the bucket they had carried into the pen.

“Hark! The almighty one has brought us nourishment!” a hen clucked.

“Praise her!” one squawked.

“Praise to the goddess!” another clucked flapping its wings.

To Scootaloo, all she heard was the fervent clucking of hens eager to be fed, and she relaxed a little as their unwavering attention for her appeared to have been averted. Tossing out a hooful of seed, she smiled as the chickens happily gobbled up the food.

“Oh my goodness! It tastes so much better than the seed the yellow one brings!”

“The taste is divine!”

“Truly, she is holy!”

Soon, the chickens had devoured the seed and had begun to fuss around Scootaloo. She took this as a sign that the chickens were still hungry and giggled. Scooping out another hooful of seed, she tossed it to them.

“She delivers seconds when the yellow one does not? TRULY, SHE IS THE GODDESS!”

“Praise to her for the bounty of food!”

The chickens made loud squawks as they swiftly devoured the second helping faster than the first. Within seconds, all of the seed was gone, and the chickens took to eagerly thanking their goddess. Scootaloo yelped as she was assaulted by a flock of chickens.

“H-hey! Easy there!” Scootaloo protested, trying to shake off her assailants.

“Embrace her!”

“We love you, almighty one!”

“Get off me!”

Scootaloo started to run, pushing the chickens aside and knocking down the bucket of seed. The chickens squawked in surprise before chasing after Scootaloo.

“Wait, come back! We wish to worship you!”

Scootaloo could hear the flapping of wings and crazed clucking from behind her, but she didn’t dare stop. She sped around the side of the chicken coop, planning to make a u-turn for the gate that led into the pen. However, she screeched to a halt as two of the chickens cut her off.

“FLUTTERSHY, HELP!” she cried.

“We love you, oh great creator of chickens!” a hen clucked as it jumped at Scootaloo.

She covered her head as the other chickens soon followed suit, easily overpowering the small filly.

Fluttershy stepped out of the cottage when she heard Scootaloo and gasped at what she saw. She quickly flew over to the scene and glared at the chickens.

“ENOUGH!” Fluttershy bellowed.

The chickens immediately stopped and turned around, freezing up as they looked back into the eyes of Fluttershy.

“Now I know you girls are excited, but this is no way to treat our guest!”

“But we were—” a hen clucked.

“No buts, missy!” Fluttershy interrupted. “Now get into your coop this instant!”

“But it’s—”

“Now.”

The chickens clucked miserably as they slowly made their way into the coop, avoiding eye contact with Fluttershy. Once all of the chickens were inside, the mare closed the door and turned her attention to Scootaloo.

“I’m so sorry, Scootaloo,” she started, helping the filly get back up. “I didn’t think they’d get that excited,”

“It’s… fine,” Scootaloo replied. “I think I want to go back home though… if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” Fluttershy nodded. “I understand. Do you want me to walk you home?”

“No thanks, I can manage. Thanks for letting me help.”

“That’s okay, I’m sorry you didn’t get your cutie mark.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. It’s like Rainbow Dash says: ‘Tomorrow is a brand new day and anything can happen’,” Scootaloo grinned.

“Didn’t Twilight say that?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know… maybe,” Scootaloo shrugged. “Anyway, I’ll see you later, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy waved goodbye to Scootaloo as she hopped on her scooter and sped off back towards the town.

When Scootaloo had gotten back to town, she had spent the remainder of the day just scooting around the town and trying to fill up the time until Apple Bloom was done with her chores. When she was done, the two of them had played together until it was time for both of them to go to their respective homes for the night.

After Scootaloo’s mother had tucked her into bed and said goodnight, the filly found herself struggling to sleep. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling.

“Man, today was weird,” Scootaloo muttered to herself. “Oh well… Sweetie Belle will be back tomorrow. I need to try and get some sleep for a days crusading,” she mumbled, letting out a loud yawn.

She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift away as she fell into a deep slumber.

“So we’re all agreed on the plan?”

“Yes.”

“We must liberate her!”

“Very good, we will rescue the goddess tonight! Sister Elizabeak, will you do the honors?”

“Of course.”

Elizabeak walked over to the door of the chicken coop and picked up a playing card from the floor that was concealed by some straw. Carefully, she slotted it into the gap between the coop and the door before she hoiked the latch on the outside off, opening the door.

Quietly, the chickens exited the coop. Each one wore a headband and had black paint smeared under their eyes. They looked up at the cottage to see if Fluttershy was awake or not, but all the lights were off and the building was silent.

With a hushed cluck, the chickens began to quickly follow their leader out of the pen and down the pathway towards Ponyville.

“Come on, Scoots, you can do it!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“You can do it, kiddo,” Scootaloo’s father said.

“We believe in you,” her mother added.

I can do this… I can do this...

Scootaloo gulped as she ran towards the edge of the cliff, her wings tensed and her teeth gritted in determination. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leapt off the cliff.

She expected to feel the rushing wind under her as she plummeted, but she didn’t. Opening her eyes, she inhaled sharply as she saw she was gliding parallel to the ground.

“I’m… flying?” Scootaloo gasped. “I’M FLYING!”

“You did it, Scootaloo!” Rainbow cheered, soaring upwards and tackling the filly into a tight hug.

Scootaloo felt tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as she cuddled her idol. She could hear her parents cheering from below, and she beamed proudly.

“Now we can cluckity cluck cluck!” Rainbow squawked.

“Yeah! That would be—” Scootaloo replied before cutting herself off and looking questionably at Rainbow. “Wait, what did you say?”

“I said, cluckity cluck cluck. You need your cluck bawk bawks checked out, kiddo,” Rainbow chuckled.

Scootaloo merely blinked as she stared at the pegasus in utter confusion. She looked down to her parents and called out to them.

“Mum, Dad?”

“Bawk bawk?” her mother replied.

“Squawk!” her father added.

“What the hay is going on?” Scootaloo demanded.

“Cluck cluck bawk bawk?” Rainbow asked, tilting her head and bobbing it backwards and forwards.

“Okay… getting a little creeped out,” Scootaloo chuckled nervously.

She broke free of Rainbow’s grasp and quickly flew to the ground. She backed away as her parents and her idol chased after her, bobbing their heads and acting like chickens.

“Guys, stop it please! This is not funny!” Scootaloo snapped.

They ignored her and continued to advance on her. The filly gasped as they suddenly exploded into hundreds upon hundreds of chickens. Each one eyed her with admiration as swared her.

“SWEET CELESTIA, NO!” Scootaloo cried as the tidal wave of feathers engulfed her.

Scootaloo gasped as she woke up with a start. She panted as she realised it was all a dream. Smiling in relief, she wiped her brow.

“Thank Celestia… that was—”

She cut herself off mid-sentence. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. For some reason she was outside her house, near her front door.

“What in the—”

A cluck caught her attention and she slowly looked down. Underneath her, Fluttershy’s chickens were carrying her on their backs. They looked up at her with blank expressions as an awkward silence hung in the air.

“Uhm… hello your almightiness?” one of them clucked.

Scootaloo screamed.

The following day was an odd one for Scootaloo. Her scream had awoken her parents who had rushed downstairs, just in time to see the chickens drop the filly and flee into the night, squawking loudly.

They went to Fluttershy’s in the morning to inform her of what had happened. The mare had apologised repeatedly, despite Scootaloo’s parents reassuring her that it was okay. Scootaloo had then met up with Apple Bloom and waited for Sweetie Belle at the train station, eager to catch up on much lost crusading.

“And then, I woke up and the chickens were underneath me!” Scootaloo said proudly.

“Thats really weird… ah wonder why they did that?” Apple Bloom said.

“Beats me,” Sweetie Belle added. “What did Fluttershy say?”

“She said it wasn’t like them to do that, and she honestly has no clue why they did it.”

“Weird…” Apple Bloom replied. “Guess there ain’t anythin’ we can do ‘bout it right now, so what ya say we go try our hoof at tree climbers?”

“Sure, sounds like a plan!” Sweetie Belle grinned.

The three fillies giggled and raced off towards the edge of the Everfree where the best trees for climbing were. As the girls ran towards the forest, Scootaloo took a moment to stop and look in the direction of the chicken coop. She shivered as the events of the previous day played through her head again, and she swore she saw the chickens watching her from within the door.

“Hey, Scoots. You alright?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Huh? Oh yeah, just a little nervous,” she replied.

“Of the chickens?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo nodded slowly.

”Ahh, dun worry ‘bout them! Ya’ll got us with ya anyway,” Apple Bloom reassured her, patting a hoof on Scootaloo’s back.

“Yeah! When one crusader is in trouble, we stick together!” Sweetie grinned.

Scootaloo smiled at her friends and nodded.

“Thanks guys, now lets go! We’re burning daylight here!”

They all giggled and rushed into the forest.

Inside the chicken coop, the chickens were holding an important meeting.

“Okay, so the plan to enter the prison where our goddess was being held without being detected was foiled. It’s not going to be easy now we’re back to square one, thanks to Elizabeak.”

“I already apologised…” she mumbled.

“Anyway, we need to think of—”

The chickens stopped when they heard the sounds of giggles nearby. Poking their heads out of the coop, they saw three fillies nearby going towards the forest.

“It’s her!”

Their eyes widened as they saw the goddess stop for a moment as she glanced over at their coop in concern and exchanged some words with the other two. As the three fillies walked away into the forest, the goddess’ eyes never left the coop.

“Girls, she has returned!” a chicken exclaimed.

“Huzzuh!” another squawked.

“But she is with the two that guard her,” another said, looking to the others. “You saw the way she looked at us. She needs help!”

“Then we must free her at once!” the leader declared.

“For the goddess!” they all clucked.

The chickens let out a loud squawk and charged out of the coop.

The crusaders made their way past the first few trees as they inspected which tree would be the best for climbing. They were only in the outskirts of the forest, but none of them dared tread any deeper.

“Hey, guys. Do you hear that?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I feel that…” Scootaloo replied in a nervous whisper.

“Hear what?” Apple Bloom asked, “You’re not scaring me, Sweetie Belle.”

The earth pony turned around to scowl at her, but Sweetie Belle wasn’t looking at her.

Then she heard it. Swivelling her ears, she could hear a fast approaching mob. Apple Bloom turned around just in time to see several chickens burst through the bushes, fury in the eyes of each.

“WHAT IN TARNATION?” Apple Bloom cried.

“FOR THE GODDESS!” a chicken squawked loudly.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle screamed as the wave of feathers crashed into them and the chickens began to furiously flap at them in an attempt to liberate their goddess. Scootaloo was too stunned to do anything as she watched her friends get viciously buffeted by the tsunami of poultry.

“Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle gasped, “do something!”

Scootaloo swiftly recovered and gritted her teeth in anger.

“HEY! GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!” she cried.

Scootaloo charged at the chickens, trying to pull them off her friends. But it was to no avail as they refused to relent their attack. Scootaloo cried out in anger before turning around, rearing her legs up and bucking a chicken. A loud, pained squawk filled the area as the chicken went flying, colliding with a tree. A dazed cluck escaped its beak as it comically scraped down the tree to the ground.

Everyone went quiet, both chicken and pony, as they all stared at Scootaloo in surprise. Scootaloo herself just stared at the dazed chicken who she recognised as Elizabeak, unsure as to what had just really happened.

“I—” she began.

“THEY’VE CORRUPTED THE GODDESS AND FORCED HER TO ATTACK HER OWN KIND!” a chicken crowed.

“WE MUST CLEANSE HER!” another added.

“GET THE GODDESS, FOR ELIZABEAK’S SAKE!”

Scootaloo’s eyes went wide and her pupils shrank as the chickens leapt off her friends and slowly advanced on her.

“RUN, SCOOTALOO, RUN!” Sweetie Belle shouted.

Not waiting to give her a response, Scootaloo turned around almost immediately and ran away as fast as her hooves would let her. The leader of the chickens let out a loud squawk as the horde of chickens chased after her, leaving the two fillies behind.

“Should… we tell Fluttershy?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah think that’s a good idea,” Apple Bloom replied.

All was quiet in Ponyville, the townsfolk were going about their usual business as normal. That was until a gradually growing roar approached the town. The citizens could only watch in confusion as a small, terrified filly whizzed past them.

“GANGWAY!” she screamed.

As she raced by, the onlookers’ jaws dropped as a stampede of furious chickens rushed by, squawking wildly.

“And then they chased her back towards Ponyville!” Sweetie Belle cried.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped. “I’d better get to town as fast as I can. Come on, girls!”

The two nodded and followed her as she rushed out of the door and towards Ponyville.

Scootaloo panted as she hid behind the Carousel Boutique. Her chest was heaving and her fur dripped with sweat. Her eyes darted left to right for any sign of her pursuers.

“I think… I lost them…” she panted.

She felt something lightly brush her head. Looking up slowly, her heart sank as she was greeted by the eyes of a dozen chickens looking down at her. Scootaloo screamed and took off again, once more being chased by the chickens.

“COME BACK, GODDESS! WE ONLY WISH TO HEAL YOU!” the leader squawked.

“And yeah, she just ran through here screaming before a bunch of chickens chased after her.”

“Okay, thank you, Caramel.”

“Not a problem, Fluttershy. Never seen chickens act like that before.”

Caramel trotted away as Fluttershy continued to briskly walk into the town with the two fillies trudging behind her. She glanced down every side street, trying to find any sign of where Scootaloo or the chickens had gone, but couldn’t see them anywhere.

“Oh, I wish I knew where they were,” she muttered quietly.

“Ah’m sure she’s fine,” Apple Bloom started, “Scootaloo is as tough as nails!”

“I know, girls. I’m just worried that she may get hurt or the chickens will—”

“HIDE ME!”

Fluttershy yelped as she was tackled by an orange blur. Scootaloo was shaking

and panting as she clung to the mare desperately.

“Scootaloo, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked in concern.

“I am now,” Scootaloo panted. “I think I—”

She stopped mid-sentence as her ears twitched. She snapped her head around, her eyes darting frantically from left to right.

“Scoots?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Girls,” Scootaloo whispered fearfully. “Girls, do you hear that?”

The group pricked their ears and glanced around nervously, their eyes skittering across every side street.

Suddenly, the group heard a low rumble approaching them. Scootaloo quivered in fear, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged alarmed glances. Fluttershy simply frowned as the commotion approached.

“Oh, merciful Celestia, is that the chickens? LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU ALREADY TRIED TO FOALNAP ME ONCE! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?” she cried out.

The chickens suddenly leapt out from behind a building and charged towards the group. The three fillies screamed and took cover behind Fluttershy. However, the chickens screeched to a halt as they spotted Fluttershy staring straight at them.

Staring.

The chickens quivered in horror as their eyes met Fluttershy’s and she gave them that deathly stare that should only be the punishment for the worst of crimes. Their clucks faded down to whimpers as the effects of The Stare took ahold of them.

“Now just what do you think you’re doing, girls?” she denounced them. “How dare you attack these fillies and chase Scootaloo all over the place!”

“But the goddess needed to be rescued!” the leader squawked loudly.

“What? Goddess?” Fluttershy blinked in confusion.

“The orange one is our deity! Why would you deny us of her?” another clucked.

“Scootaloo is your goddess?” Fluttershy’s brow furrowed slightly before bursting

into a fit of giggles. “Oh, you silly chickies. Now, stop this nonsense. It’s time to go home.”

“But—”

Fluttershy glared at the chickens who shivered in fear and slowly began to take a few step backs.

“That’s better,” Fluttershy smiled. “Now run along now and get back to my cottage. Don’t think we’re done with this, though!”

The chickens hung their heads dejectedly and began to walk back towards the cottage. Fluttershy turned to the fillies.

“All this over something so silly… I’m terribly sorry, girls.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Sweetie Belle smiled. “Wouldn’t be a normal day in Ponyville if something crazy didn’t happen.”

“Ya got that right,” Apple Bloom replied.

The two fillies and Fluttershy shared a merry laugh. Meanwhile Scootaloo stood rooted on the spot with her mouth agape. Desperately, she tried to process what had just happened.

As Celestia’s sun settled down, making room for Luna’s moon, Fluttershy had almost finished putting her animals to bed and was making sure the chickens all got inside.

“Now I hope you all have learned a valuable lesson today.”

The chickens clucked miserably as they marched into the coop.

“I should ask Twilight if you should write a friendship report to the Princess,” Fluttershy giggled to herself.

She was about to close the door when she realised something was amiss. Fluttershy peeked into the coop and searched the pen in concern.

“She’s not here… where could she be?”

“And they said you were their deity?” Scootaloo’s mother asked.

“Yeah… crazy right? I’m not even sure if all that actually happened,” Scootaloo replied.

“Well, either way it’s done and dusted. Try to get some sleep now, alright?

“Okay, mum. Love you.”

“Love you too, sweetie.”

Scootaloo yawned as her mother carefully closed the door. A warm smile crossed her face as she shut her eyes. Lying in bed was a relief after the day she had just had. She was about to let her mind wander and drift off into the wonderful world of dreams when a noise above her bed distracted her.

Opening her eyes, Scootaloo stared straight into the eyes of Elizabeak.

“Goddess?”

Scootaloo screamed again.