Scootaloo groaned as she rose from her place on her parent’s bed, giving her limbs a stretch as she awoke. When the filly was fully awake, she noticed both Lightning and Quicksilver were absent from the bed. Quirking a brow in confusion, Scootaloo looked out the window to gage the time.
Huh, looks like it’s morning. We slept like twenty hours or something.
Figuring that her parents had gone downstairs, Scootaloo hopped off the bed and made her way to the lower level of the house. As she came to the bottom of the stairs, Scootaloo heard Lightning and Quicksilver talking.
“For the last time, Silver, stop worrying about it.”
Scootaloo stopped just short of the kitchen entrance to listen in on what sounded like a serious debate.
Quicksilver sighed. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. I know we’re all just going with the flow here, but can the three of us be a real family? Think about it, Lightning. If Scootaloo has us for parents then others will treat her differently.”
Lightning groaned in frustration. “No they won’t. Sure it’ll be strange, but from what I’ve seen, the ponies are really accepting once they get used to something.”
Quicksilver gave a bitter laugh. “Right, so it’ll be all smiles and rainbows for us then?”
Lightning scoffed. “Now you’re just being cynical. I know that things will be a bit... rough at the start, but soon everything’ll be fine.”
Scootaloo heard nothing but silence from the kitchen for a few moments until there was a weary sigh.
“How are you so optimistic? With all that’s happened, after everything we’ve done, no matter what justification we give, how can you just...”
This time Lightning sighed heavily. “Because I want to change. I know what I, what we all did. It doesn’t matter if Chrysalis was controlling us or if we just never thought to live another way. We can’t change the past. All that matters is what we do now. Just trust me, ok?”
Scootaloo sat on the floor outside the kitchen. What she just heard caused her to start thinking about what was happening and how it would affect her in the long run. Would she be treated differently because she had changelings for parents? How would she be treated?
And then one thought she had made her eyes widen with worry. Would her friends not like her anymore? She’d been keeping the fact that she was an orphan from them for two years now. Would this change things?
Scootaloo shook her head to clear her thoughts. She sighed and stood up. Whatever happens, I’m not gonna solve anything by worrying about it. With that thought, the filly walked into the kitchen.
“Morinin’ mom, mornin’ dad.”
The two adults at the table turned to Scootaloo. Lightning looked surprised for a second before a small smile settled on her face.
“Morning, Scoots. You hungry?”
Scootaloo nodded. “I could go for some breakfast.”
Lightning nodded. “Ok, I’ll get to making something.”
As Lightning went over to the fridge to check what they had stocked, Scootaloo hopped up onto a chair at the kitchen table. All the while, Quicksilver gave the filly a scrutinizing look.
The filly raised a brow. “What?”
Quicksilver smirked. “You heard us didn’t you.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Wha.. How’d you know?”
Quicksilver’s smirk grew. “Little ticks in the way you move. I was pretty good at figuring out who were great targets for replacing.”
Scootaloo tilted her head. “What about mom? She didn’t say anything.”
Quicksilver chuckled. “She’s too nice to say anything. Even in the swarm she never worried about much. If it didn’t cause problems she didn’t bring it up.”
Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed. “It sounded like this was a big deal though.”
Quicksilver loosed a small sigh. “Not really. It was more or less just me worrying about every little detail of our situation.”
There was a laugh from Lightning as she sat a plate of sandwiches on the table.
“She’s always worried about something. Even when she was a commander, Silver was always trying to see every angle of a mission.”
Lightning picked up a sandwich and bit into it. “Ya know, It’s good to see you two getting along.”
The mentioned two looked at eachother and Quicksilver spoke, “Why wouldn’t we?”
Lightning chuckled. “It’s just nice is all.”
Scootaloo took a sandwich and turned to lightning. “With all the stuff that happens in Ponyville, you get used to new things easily.”
Lightning nodded, remembering what her friends had told her about Ponyville.
“Anyway, Scoots, you should get ready for school. Silver can walk you there while I head to work.”
Lightning ate another sandwich and headed for the door. Before opening the door, she turned to Quicksilver. “After you take Scootaloo to school you should look for a job, ok.”
Getting a nod from Quicksilver, Lightning exited her home and flew toward her weather squads airspace.
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Scootaloo waved to Quicksilver as the faux unicorn left her outside the schoolground. The filly turned towards the schoolhouse but before she got even to steps She heard familiar voices call out to her.
“Scootaloo! Where in tarnation ya been? Applejack told me you got kidnapped!”
“Yeah, and you weren’t at school the other day when Rarity came home so I was worried.”
Scootaloo turned to her friends. “Oh hey, girls.”
Scootaloo wanted to tell her friends everything. Right then and there but she knew that school wasn’t the best place for that.
“Look I’ll explain everything later. Right now I...”
At that moment fate decided to kick sand in Scootaloos face. Said sand came in the form of two fillies. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“Look at that Silver Spoon. The blank flank pegasus with no family.”
Scootaloos head whipped to the side as she heard this. Her eyes wide in disbelief. How do they know!? And why them of all ponies, Celestia why!?
“Well she does have that monster of a mom but that’s all she is. A monster.”
Scootaloo stood, frozen, unable to react. Thankfully her friends weren’t. Apple Bloom came to her friend’s side and glared at the two bullies.
“Where do you two get off talkin’ to her like that? Scram!”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon glanced at each other before Diamond rose a brow.
“You gonna make us stop?”
Apple Bloom grinned. “Nope. I’ma let Sweetie Belle use her magic on ya.”
At this Sweetie smiled widely. “I can make lemons explode.”
The antagonising fillies brows shot up as they looked to Sweetie Belle. They tried to see if she was bluffing, but all the unicorn did was smile innocently. They decided not to risk it.
Diamond Tiara huffed. “Whatever. You losers are no fun anyway. Come on, Silver Spoon.”
As Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked away Scootaloo came to her senses.
“Thanks guys. But can Sweetie Belle really make lemons explode?”
Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened and she blushed. “Well it only happened once and Apple Bloom never lets me forget it.”
Scootaloo rose a brow at Apple Bloom who shook her head. “Ya don’t wanna know, Scootaloo. Trust me.”
The pegasus nodded. “Well anyway thanks for helpin’ me out.”
Sweetie Belle grinned but it faltered. “What did they mean anyway?”
Scootaloo sighed. “I’ll tell you after school. Ok?”
Sweetie Belle nodded but Apple Bloom squinted at her.
Scootaloo shook her head. “I promise I’ll tell you everything. Just....not now.”
Apple Bloom stared at Scootaloo a bit longer before shrugging. “I’ll hold ya to it then.”
With that the three friends headed into the schoolhouse.
============================================
Time seemed to crawl at a snails pace for Scootaloo. With her promise to tell her friends everything looming over her like a dark cloud, Scootaloo could barely focus on Cheerilee’s lesson. Luckily Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn’t bother her anymore, and at least Scootaloo could be grateful for that.
As school ended, Scootaloo sighed heavily. She gathered her things and walked outside to see her friends waiting for her. Saying nothing, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle followed Scootaloo as the pegasus led them to their clubhouse.
The walk to their secluded headquarters was quiet. It seemed that even without knowing what was going to be told, the unicorn and earth pony fillies knew the weight this held for their friend.
Once inside the clubhouse, Apple Bloom spoke up.
“Ok, Scootaloo, what’s the deal? Yer actin’ like what you’re gonna tell us is the end of the world.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m just nervous, ok.”
Sweetie Belle tilted her head in confusion. “About talking to us? But we’re your friends, you can tell us anything.”
Scootaloos head lowered and she couldn’t meet her friends eyes. “I’ve kept this from you ever since we met and I just...”
Apple Bloom came to Scootaloo’s side and threw a foreleg over her friend’s shoulder.
“Look, Scoot, whatever ya got ta tell us it’ll be ok. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders after all.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together!”
Scootaloo smiled a bit and lifted her head to look at her friends. Seeing the smiles each of them wore eased Scootaloo’s nerves.
“Well, ok then, here’s the whole story.”
“For as long as I can remember I’ve never had a family. My earliest memory was standing in a line of other foals while grown ups looked at us. I’ve lived most of my life in an orphanage.”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stayed quiet, simply letting their friend tell her story. They wanted to interrupt and ask questions but didn’t know where to start.
“When I got old enough to go to school I hid who I was from everypony. The caretakers didn’t really get involved with any of us so it was easy to pretend I was like everyone else. Then after that whole thing at the wedding, I met Lightning.”
Scootaloo sighed heavily at this point. Time to let the cat out of the bag.
“Lightning is a changeling and she offered to be my mom in exchange for me loving her. After that attack on Ponyvllle she had to save me from the changeling hive and I got another parent, also a changeling. And that’s it.”
Scootaloo looked to her friends to gage their reaction. Sweetie Belle had her mouth hanging open while Apple Bloom stared wide eyed.
Scootaloo gulped. “So... Any questions?”
Apple Bloom was the first to come out of her stunned silence.
“So lemme get this straight. You were an orphan and then Lightnin’ offered to be yer mom, and then the changelings attacked, you got kidnapped, Lightnin’ saved ya and to top it all off you got another parent who’s also a changeling?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Pretty much.”
Apple Bloom was silent for a minute before shrugging. “Eh, good ‘nough fer me.”
Sweetie Belle turned to the apple filly. “You followed all that?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Sure. An’ far as I see it, Lightnin’s been a good mom. I guess her bein’ a changeling is kinda weird, but she seems ok to me.”
Sweetie Belle. shrugged. “I’m not really sure about everything but what the hay. Scootaloo seems ok with, it so I’m good.”
Scootaloo stared slack jawed at her friends, who chuckled.
“Come on, Scoot, did ya really think me ‘n Sweetie Belle would be worried about this.”
Scootaloo tilted her head. “Well I just expected.... I don’t know, more of a reaction.”
The unicorn and earth fillies chuckled as they pulled their friend into a group hug.
Sweetie Belle spoke first. “We’re best friends, Scootaloo. We’ll always be there for you.”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Yep. No matter what, yer stuck with us.”
Scootaloo smiled and hugged her friends. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.”
The three stayed that way for a while, just hugging and giving support to a friend who had been nervous about losing them. Scootaloo know that there’d be other ponies who wouldn’t understand her family. But as long as she had her friends with her, she knew she’d be ok.