Flightless: Scootaloo's story

Flightless: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Structural error

A white stallion with a light brown mane greeted them. "Good evening. Please take a seat," he said. The family quickly walked over to the front of the doctor's table and sat down onto the cushioned seats. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, leaning forward and putting his front hooves on the table. "I-it's out daughter, Scootaloo. She isn't able to f-fly. S-she tried to fly j-just now, but no matter how h-hard she tried, she couldn't even lift off the g-ground!" Willow stammered worriedly.

"Yes, and by right, Scootaloo is supposed to be able to fly at her age..." added Sky Scorch. The doctor looked at the family and started scribbling some notes onto his clipboard. "I see," he said. "I suggest we give Scootaloo here an X-Ray test." Willow and Sky nodded in approval before standing up and following the doctor into the X-Ray room.

"Mom....i'm scared...." Scootaloo cried. "Don't worry," Willow reassured her, "you will be perfectly fine." A nurse unicorn trotted into the room, using her magic to carry a big X-Ray device. She placed the machine in front of Scootaloo before exiting the room. The doctor connected a few cables and switched on the electricity before pushing the 'on' button.

Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut as the device scanned her whole body. "Done!" the Doctor said when the scanning was finished. "Please go outside and wait while I check the scan." Sky, Willow and Scootaloo walked out the room and waited anxiously for the results. Fifteen minutes or so later, the doctor came back out again. He had a grim look on his face. Sky leapt to his hooves. "What are the results?" he questioned loudly. "Sir, ma'am..... I'm terribly sorry, I have bad news."

Tears welled up in the couple's eyes as they heard the doctors explaination. "Scootaloo has a structural error in her wings. Her wings are not fully developed for her and are too small to carry her off the ground. I have no idea how the doctors at the hospital she was born in did not notice this...... I'm very sorry, but I doubt she will ever be able to fly."

Sky and Willow stared at the doctor in disbelief. Scootaloo's eyes were wide with shock and pain. "There has to be some mistake!" Willow Shimmer wailed, unable to contain her overwhelming sadness. Scootaloo slowly fell to the ground, the thoughts of not being able to fly whirling in her mind. Sky Scorch was the only one able to hide his feelings. With tears in his eyes, he said a soft 'thanks for letting us know', paid the clinic fifty bits and led his family out of the clinic. As they flew home, Willow Shimmer, who had not yet recovered from the shocking discovery, remembered a phrase said a long time ago.

'She's going to grow up to be an awesome flyer'

Well, they could just forget about that now. Their dreams had been shattered.

This was their most unforgettable trip to the clinic.