Happy Failure

“This is so lame…”

Scootaloo sighed for the like twelfth time that afternoon as Fluttershy happily hummed a childish tone. They were in the garden of Fluttershy´s cottage, sitting on the picnic table having a “tea party”. Right in front of her, Angel Bunny was sitting on the table wearing a formal suit and a smug smile.

“What are you laughing at, uh?”

In response, the bunny grabbed a top hat and placed it on her head. Fluttershy giggled and served the tea.

Scootaloo looked at her Cutie Mark and sighed again. When things did become like this? She had acquired her Cutie Mark just a few weeks ago. She was going around town on her scooter when she found Angel Bunny trapped under a tree branch. Worried, she approached him, calm down the frightened animal, set him free and patched his wound. Grateful, the Bunny had done something really unusual for him. He hugged Scootaloo and after she finished hugging back, she felt the need to look at her flank and, what do you know? There it was, her Cutie Mark! A…bunny face.

Yep, that was her Cutie Mark. A ridiculous and girly draw of a bunny face. Of course she was mocked by the entire school, not just Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, even her friends and her teacher were holding back tears of laughter. But that wasn't the worst thing. A little bit of embarrassment she could handle but having her idol, the one pony she looked up the most, laugh right on her face; that was unbearable. Rainbow Dash didn’t even TRY to hold back, she just pointed and laughed.

Scootaloo was devastated but then something weird happened. Fluttershy insisted for Scootaloo to come to her house and learn how to take care of animals, that was her “life call” she insisted. Scootaloo didn’t want to do that but at the same time, she wanted to know what her Cutie Mark meant so she went along and started to visit Fluttershy´s house every day.

Every. Single. Day.

“Fluttershy, I'm so bored!”

“Oh my, well what do you want to do? You want us to comb our manes? Or you want me to explain again about the different types of animals stools?”

“Please no! Not that again!” Exasperated, Scootaloo stretched her eyelids. “I don't want to spend another afternoon surrounded by fleas and drool!”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“I want to learn how to fly! I want to soar through the sky like Rainbow Dash!”

“Oh well, I'm sorry Scootaloo but I'm not that good of a flyer…”

“But you spend all day with flying animals! Can't any of them teach me some basic tricks?” Scootaloo was clearly desperate.

“Well, Mr. Falcon knew some good movements but he doesn't live here anymore. He has a family and a nest on the peak of a mountain…”

“Well, let´s go visit him!”

“Y-you mean going to the mountain?”

“Yes! Let´s go, teacher!”

The kid knew how to bribe the pegasus. Being call “teacher” put some much pride inside Fluttershy´s heart she would have agreed to almost anything.

The next day they were climbing the base of the mountain.

“Come on Fluttershy!We're almost there!”

“Coming…” It was a twenty minutes ride but it took them almost and hour to get there because Fluttershy was terrified of looking down or looking up or just open her eyes for that matter. Scootaloo had to stop and helped her up like fifteen times.

They finally reached the nest where Mr. Falcon introduced her family to the ponies. He then tried to teach Scootaloo how to glide but she kept falling every time, needing the bird to rescue her. After half an hour Scootaloo just quit, completely devastated. Fluttershy opened her flask and served some tea.

“Agh, why can't I fly?”

“Don´t feel so sad Scootaloo. Like I said, I'm not such a good flyer but you don’t need to be to take care of animals.”

“But I don't want to take care of animals! I want to be a stunt pony like Rainbow Dash and join the Wonderbolts!”

“But your Cutie Mark says different, sweetie.”

“It's a dumb Cutie Mark and I don't want it! I never liked animals to begin with!”

“B-but you helped Angel!”

“I was just being nice! That´s my special talent, being nice?”

Fluttershy had no answer, she just babbled something.

Frustrated, Scootaloo turned her back. “You don´t understand.”

Feeling defeated, Fluttershy left with Mr. Falcon and his wife to gather some food for the chicks, leaving Scootaloo to guard the nest.

“You guys have it easy; you already know who you´re supposed to be. Me? I have no idea…”

Behind her back, a pair of glowing yellow eyes were watching. Scootaloo heard the roar in time and grabbed the chicks before the cougar could get them. When the cat jumped again Scootaloo flapped her wings furiously, managing to put them all away from danger. The feral cat tried once more but failed and fell down, avoiding certain death by grabbing a rock. Scootaloo put the chicks back into the nest and look down at the terrified feline.

“Okay okay, I´ll help you! Hold on!” she grabbed the beast by the tail and moved it to a safe spot. Then she scolded it. “Listen, I know you are a carnivore and have to eat and all that but attacking a nest of defenseless babies’ it´s wrong, you get me mister?”

The cat nodded.

“Good. Now, I don’t want to see you ever again threatening this family, you understand that?”

The cat nodded again.

“Now, go!”

Scootaloo watched the cougar jump away and when she turned around she was asphyxiated by Fluttershy hug.

“Oh Scootaloo, I´m so proud of you!”

“You agh! Saw me?”

“Yes and I’m so glad to see you live up to your Cutie Mark!”

“What?”

“You were kind to that animal, even after it attacked you. Your Cutie Mark shows how much you care and love for them, that’s your special talent!”

Scootaloo looked at the smiling Fluttershy, then back at her Cutie Mark. She wasn’t so sure but what she did it did feel right. Maybe she was wrong; expecting a huge signal like a Sonic Rainboom to tell her what was her mission in life. Maybe her signal was something as simple as the hug of a grateful friend.

Once they descended the mountain, Fluttershy suggested something.

“Scootaloo, I´m a good friend of the town veterinary. Would you like to learn from her instead?”

Scootaloo gave a good luck at her teacher smiling face.

“No Fluttershy, what I really want to learn…”

Fluttershy opened her eyes, confused.

“…is to make a tea as delicious as yours, teacher.”