Twilight sat in her library sipping on tea. She wasn't harboring regrets yet. It was the second day, the day the restraints came off. She wasn't planning on killing anypony during her next visit to Canterlot this afternoon, just apply relatively minor injuries. She had planned it down to a tee. She had been able to pull memories from Princess Celestia without her noticing while she was being restrained. Only memories involving Scootaloo's custody case. One of those memories was the address of the Crestfall residence in Canterlot. The only memory Twilight needed to carry out her plan quickly and efficiently. She was going to tell her friends her plan as soon as she could be sure that all their restraints would be removed. She could have removed them herself, but she needed time to plan every detail of her plan, down to how she would do it if she was the only pony willing to take aggressive action. During this train of thought, she heard a knock at the library door. She opened it with her magic. And as soon as she saw the pony on the other side rage welled within her.

"Princess Celestia."

"Twilight Sparkle, I received troubling news recently as to your extra curricular study activities. If you're planning to act on these impulses that are fueled by rage alone, I will be forced to place you under arrest. I do not want to do this for any reason. Please Twilight, be rational. Don't let your emotions get in the way of clear judgement."

"Is that what you did with Scootaloo's case? Use 'clear judgement'?" Twilight did not hide her anger at her former teacher. Although Twilight could never fully hate the Princess, she certainly didn't like her at the moment.

"I followed the laws I established. But that is another recent turn of events that brought me here. Scootaloo is no longer with Mr. Crestfall. As far as he is concerned, she is to be sent to the Canterlot Youth Home. He brought her birth certificate and other necessary legal documents to hand her over to them, but not Scootaloo." Twilight's anger began to fade and confusion took it's place.

"What do you mean? Where could she have gone?"

"The only home she knows. I'm here to personally escort her to the Canterlot Youth Home where she is to be put up for adoption."

"That means anypony could take her in!" Twilight was no longer angry. Her mission accomplished (though not by her) she had no reason to be angry. Guilt quickly took it's place. "Princess, we have to get Spitfire and Rainbow Dash there first, before-"

"I'll speak to them regarding the issue of Scootaloo. Now as to your recent studies. What did you think you were going to accomplish with the spells you were researching?" Princess Celestia was concerned for Twilight. Never had she thought her student could allow so much rage in her heart that it would take control over her.

"I'm...I...I don't know what I was thinking. I just wanted to make her father pay for what he did to her."

"Everypony does, but violence is not the way to go about it. I want him to pay for his crimes to, but unfortunately all I can give him is a short jail sentence. A year tops. It breaks my heart as much as yours Twilight, but you know what kind of example it would set if I don't follow the laws I require of all of you."

"But you knew what was going on with her family. I sent you all those letters about it."

"Where your word is evidence enough for me personally it isn't evidence enough for the courts I've established. I have to hear the case just like any other judge."

"I...understand." Twilight felt awful for what she had almost done. She knew why the Princess ruled as she did. Although she still disagreed with her ruling, she knew that Celestia was the ruler for a reason. She was able to make the difficult decisions when most ponies couldn't. "How am I to be punished for my research?"

"You won't be. Twilight, you have learned everything I have to teach you and more. You are more powerful with magic than I likely ever will be. I will not continue to be your teacher." Twilight was shocked. Did she just...graduate? Or something along those lines?

"I...I don't...thank you Princess. Is it alright if I continue to send you letters anyway?"

"Twilight I will always be your friend. You may keep in touch as much as you please. Now, as much as I would like to stay, I have a family to officially unite. I look forward to hearing from you soon Twilight." With a powerful flap of her wings the Princess rose in the air. Her guards quickly followed suit. After they left Twilight walked over to the book she had been reading.

"I guess now is as good a time as any to test what I've learned." She chuckled to herself. She knew that despite her anger she never would have been able to hurt anypony. She levitated the book and attempted to destroy it with the magic she had learned. Yet as powerful as Twilight's magic was, she no longer possessed the needed anger to perform any of the spells that the book had taught her. Luckily Spike still had a fire going from the night before. It pained Twilight to burn a book, but the knowledge contained within this particular book was not something that should exist in Equestria. She tossed it in and watched as it was engulfed in flames.

Scootaloo flexed her wings. The adrenaline rush that resulted from the fight with her father had allowed her to ignore the pain she felt in them after he threw her against the wall of his Canterlot home. Her wings had been opened when she hit, and given that the wall was made of wood and not clouds meant that there would be damage done to them. Rainbow and Spitfire were going to take her to Nurse Redheart after the restraints were released from their own wings. The fact that their wings were restrained was the only reason Scootaloo wasn't irritated when she found her adoptive parents making out on the floor when she walked in instead of finding them at least planning how to bring her home. She couldn't imagine being in their position right now. Not being able to fly or even flex their wings. They were essentially under house arrest. Scootaloo looked around her room. She spotted the guitar Rainbow had given her. 'Might as well give it a shot.' She thought to herself as she fitted the talons around her hooves. She picked it up and began to play. And it was as if she had been playing her whole life.

Spitfire was making lunch when she heard Scootaloo's first guitar solo. At first she didn't know what was going on. When she recognized the sound as a guitar her jaw dropped. She ran to Scootaloo's room to confirm her suspicions and was speechless when she saw Scootaloo playing as if she had been doing so her entire life.

"The doctor said you'd have all of Rainbow's knowledge regarding that instrument. He never said you'd be shredding as soon as you picked it up."

"It just feels...right. I think I'm in love." Scootaloo became lost in the music she was creating. Spitfire was expecting flames to begin shooting off the fretboard at any second. Scootaloo was amazing. Rainbow poked her head in.

"Buck kid, I never expected you to pick up that quickly." Scootaloo didn't hear her. She was lost. All that mattered to her was her music. She closed her eyes and let her ears decide how her talons would manipulate the fretboard. Rainbow and Spitfire stepped out of the room. Spitfire rested her head against her wife as they watched Scootaloo.

"You never told me you were that good when you played Rainbow."

"I don't remember being that good. I mean, I had ability, but what she's doing isn't just from what I learned. She's a natural that got 5 year's worth of lessons and practice crammed into her head. I never could think of awesome solos that easy." Spitfire kissed Rainbow.

"I have to go finish lunch. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"I'm sure I'll smell it before you tell me." Spitfire laughed and went off to finish cooking. Scootaloo played a bit slower, while still maintaining an upbeat and bright mood with her solo. A joyful tear came from Rainbow's eye. A bright flash appeared on Scootaloo's flank and a picture of a guitar with a burning fretboard appeared. Scootaloo didn't notice. All that mattered to her was the music flowing from her amplifier. As she finished the solo, she opened her eyes.

"Mom, I think I found out my special talent."

"So do I. Take a look." Rainbow pointed to Scootaloo's flank. Scootaloo looked down. Her eyes widened. Her scream was heard throughout the house. Spitfire ran to her room to see what was wrong and found Rainbow on the floor laughing and Scootaloo bouncing up and down like a filly who just got asked to prom. Tank slowly retreated back inside his shell.

"What's going-" Spitfire noticed the image on Scootaloo's flank and smiled. "I think some celebration is in order." This time Scootaloo heard her. "Lunch is almost ready. Come on, let's grab some food and we'll go to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate when Rainbow and I can fly again." Scootaloo's ears perked up. Sugarcube Corner was her favorite treat. She used to save whatever bits she could scrape together so she could enjoy a delicious pastry from the tiny bakery. As the young family sat around the table and enjoyed their lunch, the conversation drifted to how Scootaloo had gotten away from her dad. During the course of the last two days they were so happy that they were back together that it didn't matter to them just how it got that way. Scootaloo explained the night. Tears came to all three of them as she told them about her near-suicide. What came next ended up being a nice long storytelling session...

Two days ago...

Scootaloo untied the extension cord from the fan. It would come in handy for her coming encounter with her father. She knew she was going to take a beating in the coming altercation, but it was time she stood up to him. She walked to the door where she heard her father's loud snoring. She kicked open the door. Her parents jumped up in bed.

"SCOOTALOO! WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING?!" Jade was pissed.

"I'm not living with you anymore Jade. I'm sick of the way you treat mom and me. Living with Rainbow and Spitfire taught me that I'm more than your ragdoll. I'm not going to put up with it anymore." It felt right to Scootaloo to call her father by his name. She never did view him as a father figure anyway.

"You will not use those names in my household!" Jade was losing his temper. Not exactly a feat on Scootaloo's part but she needed him to have a clouded mind if she stood any chance of getting out of this intact.

"Rainbow. Dash."

"Scootaloo..."

"Spitfire. Dash." Jade got out of bed and quickly advanced towards his daughter. Scootaloo took flight. Jade stepped back. When had she learned to fly?" His confusion gave Scootaloo the opportunity she needed to fly quickly by him and plant a hoof in his muzzle. He spat a tooth on the ground and took flight. Scootaloo's mother had cowered in the corner of the room. Scootaloo unwrapped the extension cord from it's position around her right hoof and attacked Jade with it. Blood seeped from the wound dampened his deep green coat, giving a spot of black color over his right eye. He bolted towards Scootaloo and slammed her against a wall. Scootaloo wasn't strong enough to push him away, so he was able to land several powerful hits against her before she slipped away and wrapped the cord around his neck. He struggled against her and almost succeeded in wrestling her away before she landed on his back. Her effort had only granted her momentary control. He landed on the ground and bucked her off of his back. Scootaloo recovered in the air, but she lost her weapon.

"Buck!" She muttered to herself. That was her only advantage against him. Well, save one. Agility. She sped in the air around Jade. She succeeded only in pissing him off something fierce. Until she dove straight for his head. She landed a powerful strike against his lower jaw. A very audible crack was heard before he let out a loud scream. He turned to Scootaloo with fire in his eyes. He flew after her. He caught her and threw her to the floor. He put his hooves around her neck and lifted her off the floor.

"If I ever see you again...I WILL kill you. He threw her through the bedroom window. He had suspected her wings were broken from the hits against the wall and floor, but to his dismay she spread her wings and landed gracefully on the ground outside. She began picking pieces of glass out of her skin. Blood seeped from the many wounds on her body, but she didn't care. Her face bore an ear to ear grin. She stood up to her father. She got kicked out. She could go back with Rainbow and Spitfire without any trouble. She took flight and headed toward her home. Toward Ponyville.

"And that's how I got here." Scootaloo finished. Rainbow and Spitfire were speechless. How does one react to finding out their daughter is a hard flank? Before either of the mares could speak, the doorbell rang. Rainbow opened it. When she saw Princess Celestia outside, she took a defensive position.

"You're not taking her back." She said flatly. Celestia's horn glowed bright and enveloped Scootaloo. The bandages that had covered her body fell away, and her wounds sealed. Rainbow and Spitfire were stunned. Then the Princess' magic enveloped them and the restraints on their wings released.

"I believe a couple of mares have adoption papers to sign." The Princess said, a smile appearing on her face.