Scootaloo

Scootaloo is a major supporting character in Friendship is Magic and one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Flying skills
Numerous pieces of fan labor revolve around the fact that, as of the end of season two, Scootaloo has not shown the ability to fly. This is sometimes explained as a birth defect, but more often Scootaloo is simply a late bloomer in this regard. In the story A Filly's Wings, she is magically turned into an Earth pony, convinced that she was never supposed to be a Pegasus, before realizing that her wings are useful after all.

The song I'll Fly Higher by MandoPony and AcousticBrony has Scootaloo declare that she will eventually be not just a great flyer, but a great pony, despite the many people trying to put her down. Scootaloo's Wings by Jackle App addresses Scootaloo directly, with a similar message.

A one-page comic called To the sky by an artist going only by "---", published on April 26, 2011, has Scootaloo accept that she will never fly as well as (it is implied) Rainbow Dash. So she finds her own way to soar across the skies. Wearing a space helmet and a jetpack, she takes off, soaring towards the stars. Scootaloo with a jetpack and/or as an astronaut is a minor recurring image motif.

Scootabuse
No parents or other relatives are seen or even mentioned in either season, leading many fans to assume that Scootaloo is an orphan or doesn't want to talk about her family for other reasons. From early 2011 to about the start of season 2, stories and story scenarios implying or stating outright that Scootaloo came from an abusive household became so common the term "Scootabuse" was coined to describe them.

Its definition quickly expanded to be used for any story or comic in which Scootaloo is hurt physically or emotionally for whatever reason. This includes stories like Rainbow Factory, in which Scootaloo is sentenced to death by a fascist Cloudsdale society and faces off against an insane Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash is a fairly common perpetrator of violence against Scootaloo generally in these types of stories, though she also occasionally appears comforting Scootalo or rescuing the filly from these circumstances.

Heartwarming narratives featuring Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo are sometimes called "Scootalove" in pushback to the other term. They don't necessarily involve a dark past; for instance, the slice-of-life story Sisterhooves Slighted simply casts Rainbow Dash in the role of a big sister to Scootaloo on a day when the other Cutie Mark Crusaders are busy with their real sisters.

Jokingly, Rainbow Dash's dismissive attitude towards her biggest fan is occasionally refered to as "Scootabuse" as well.

"Scootabuse" stories have become less prevalent since the start of season two, but some still get published every once in a while.

Chicken
The most prevalent meme involving Scootaloo is that she is a chicken, or at least considered to be a chicken by others. It originated in the episode Stare Master, where Apple Bloom first accuses Scootaloo of being "chicken" when the Pegasus claims not to want to reveal how chickens are called. She is called a "dodo" in The Return of Harmony Part 1, another flightless bird, but that has not gotten as much traction as the chicken meme.

The meme is expressed in a variety of ways. The most common ones are simple images or comics linking Scootaloo and chickens in some way. . In conversations between fans on message boards, blogs or r/mylittlepony, "Scootaloo" and "chicken" are often used synonymously. The short story Scootaloo's Parents is a parody of this meme.

McDonald's of Germany held a contest in early 2012, titled "Mein Burger 2012", asking customers to create and name their own sandwich. One of the sandwiches that made the finals is called "Scootaloo", a chicken sandwich, named by its creator after the character from the series. The sandwich received significantly more votes than any other in the competition.

Gallery

 * Scootaloo image gallery

Fan fiction examples


Fan art examples
