“A procedure?” Scootaloo asked as her ears pricked up and her eyes widened in excitement, “what is it?! When can we do it?! Can we do it today?!”

Dr. Hoovsy smiled at the young one as she wriggled her rump in anticipation. She just didn’t have the heart to tell her that the procedure she was referring to could not be done for months, and only if they found the right pony. It was a million to one shot that it would work, even if all the circumstances fell into place perfectly. But all the same, she was a doctor and she needed to be truthful. It was the only way that Scootaloo would ever trust her. She just needed to find a way to let the young pony down slowly, gently, and with all the love and care in the world.

“Well…you see, Scootaloo, sometimes things don’t really work out the way we want them to.”

“What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked as her ears drooped, “can’t we do it today?”

“I’m worried that we won’t be able to do it at all,” the doctor said kindly, but honestly, “the surgery is a rather intense experience for everypony involved. It’s called ‘Flight Transfer,’ and for it to work, somepony has to…donate their wings.”

Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash looked at each other in shock. Somepony would give up their chance at the adrenaline rush of flight just so somepony else could experience it? It seemed like such a huge sacrifice, but it also seemed like a beautiful gift that only a true friend would bestow upon another. The idea both frightened and intrigued the mother and her adopted daughter, and they took a few moments to think about it. The decision was not an easy one, simply due to everything involved in making it happen. That, and a simple nod of the head would mean removing the joy of flight from one of their fellow Pegasi.

“I…I just don’t know,” Rainbow finally said, “as much as I want my Scoot to be able to fly…I just…can’t fathom taking it away from somepony else.”

“I can’t, either,” Scootaloo said frankly, “I mean, flying is what a Pegasus is born to do…or at least…most of them.”

She looked at the table as memories of both her birth mother and her adopted mother flying high overhead raced through her mind. In the farthest recesses of her mind, she was able to conjure up images of when she was a very small foal, and her mother was showing her how wings worked. She would flap them up and down, and the young Scootaloo would clap her hooves in enjoyment. From the day she could understand what flying was, she had always had an unquenchable thirst for it. She would see the other Pegasi foals at school floating above the ground and dream of the day when she might be able to do the same. But, when her wings wouldn’t grow, she began to be bullied violently, which is why her parents sent her to live in Ponyville.

Now, she had the chance to retract her entire life and start over. She had the opportunity to become something more than what she was. She could feel the wind in her wings, tickling her feathers as she zoomed through the sky. She saw herself winning many competitions in Cloudsdale, entering the Wonderbolt Academy, and then marching down the aisle on graduation day while her adopted mother watched with tears in her eyes. She saw the pride on Rainbow Dash’s face as she accepted her Wonderbolt pin, and finally joined the ranks of the greatest flyers in all Equestria. She was certain that all of that would happen if Rainbow would only agree to the operation.

She gave her new mother the most pleading look she’d ever given. “Please, Mom?” She asked, “you know how badly I want this…how badly I want to fly.”

“I know, Scoot, and that’s why I’m taking every possible eventuality into consideration,” Rainbow said bluntly, before turning back to Hoovsy. “How much would this cost?”

The doctor looked down, not wanting to answer. She knew of the extensive amount of bits that a surgery so complex required. She thought of the twelve-hour operation, and the sheer amount of medical personnel needed to work on one pony. She had never done one, as she was not licensed to do so, but she had been on the team for one. Once again, the chances of success passed through her mind. The pony she helped with ended up being unable to use her new wings. The search process had been much too fast, and the wings were ever so slightly incompatible with her flanks. The margin between soaring through the air and trotting along the ground had been a few feathers.

“Look,” she finally said, “I’m gonna be honest with you two. The chances of this procedure actually enabling flight are about a billion to one. It costs 100,000 bits to perform, and the reward may not be worth the financial and emotional risk. While I cannot operate on Scootaloo in such a manner, the one pony that I did help with could not fly, even after the procedure. She ended up…tumbling over the side of a mountain…”

Rainbow’s mouth nearly hit the floor as she imagined Scootaloo suffering the same terrible fate. She saw the filly’s small orange body falling through the air, out of control, her new wings completely useless. She saw her smack into the ground, breaking every single bone, and quite possibly dying from the impact. She saw her entire motherhood completely destroyed by that one single event, and she could barely take it. She felt tears come to her eyes as she stood and instinctively cradled the young pony.

“She’s not gonna go through the same thing,” Dash said firmly, “I’m afraid…we can’t do this.”

“But…this could be my last chance!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she gave Dash a look that melted at the Cyan pony’s heart. “Please! I’m begging you! Let’s just try it!”

“But, Scoot, I don’t have 100,000 bits to spare! Nopony I know does! I mean…really! It’s just out of the question! Plus, it might not work!”

“I don’t care!” Scootaloo cried, “at least I’d know that we exhausted all our resources! Please, Mom…please…”