A House In The Forest
The Secret Life of... Scootaloo
“See you all Monday morning!” said Cheerilee, as her students jumped from their desks and filed out the door.
“Have a good weekend Miss Cheerilee!” wished Scootaloo as she passed by her teacher.
“And you have a good weekend too, Scootaloo,” she replied. If she noticed the strained smile upon the filly’s face, she didn’t say anything.
Scootaloo emerged from the schoolhouse to find a beautiful Friday afternoon, with plenty of daylight left for play or crusading. Hopping onto her beloved scooter, she raced off after her friends, easily catching up with them. “Off to the clubhouse?”
Sweetie Belle replied, “Yeah. We have to prepare for our next client.”
“Who’s that?” asked an eager Scootaloo.
“Silver Spoon,” answered Apple Bloom.
“Silver Spoon, really?”
“She says she needs help reconnecting with her cutie mark.”
Reflecting for a moment, Scootaloo remarked, “Well, we did help Diamond Tiara.”
“Silver Spoon is coming by tomorrow,” added Sweetie Belle.
“Tomorrow?” reiterated Scootaloo, somehow hoping she had misheard.
“At one o’clock.”
Scootaloo’s face fell. “Oh.”
Noticing the sudden change with her friend, Apple Bloom asked with concern in her voice, “Somethin’ a matter Scoots?”
“No. I mean, I won’t be able to come,” said the crestfallen filly.
“It’s okay,” reassured Sweetie Belle. “I’m sure the two of us can handle the case.”
“Yeah,” muttered Scootaloo. “I gotta go.” She turned the other direction and sped off towards home before her friends could respond.
“Ah wonder what’s goin’ on?” remarked Apple Bloom.
“She always seems to have something every month. But she never wants to talk about it. I think it’s kind of personal,” replied Sweetie Belle.
“Ah wish there was somethin’ we could do ta help.”
“Until she wants to talk about it, I think we should respect her privacy.”
~~~
It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Ponyville. The weather pegasi had made it an extra gorgeous day, with a gentle cool breeze complementing Celestia’s warm shining sun. The various restaurants and café’s served breakfast, with the scent of pancakes, Prench toast, waffles, and fried eggs wafting out the doors and into the streets. Elsewhere, the ovens of the bakery had been busy for hours, filling the air with the smell of fresh bread. In the market, ponies greeted friends, conducted business or passed the latest town gossip. And everywhere foals ran about, playing games and enjoying the late summer day.
Not Scootaloo. Scootaloo had passed through town earlier, when only a few ponies were awake. Now she sat on a train, passively staring at the landscape out the window. If she were going someplace new, then she would have been excited to watch the scenery. But she had travelled this route many times before, and everything was the same. The same hills. The same rivers. The same farms. The same trees. Even the same cows. Nothing new, nothing of interest. And so Scootaloo sat, waiting for the familiar train ride to end.
Scootaloo had a row all to herself. In fact, there were only two other passengers on the coach. One, sitting towards the front, was a large pegasus. He sat quietly, patiently, waiting for his stop. The other, a large earth pony, occupied a seat at the rear of the car, his dark black sunglasses hiding his eyes. Scootaloo returned to the window to watch the world pass by....
The train decelerated, the world outside slowing down. A loud screech and sudden jerk alerted everyone that the train was braking and pulling into the train station. Scootaloo sighed as she picked up her saddlebags and waited to disembark. The engine blew a shrill whistle and, finally, the conductor opened the door to reveal the old, decrepit station. Scootaloo walked to the end of the desolate platform and climbed down the rickety stairs to the ground. She began walking towards the forest that loomed behind the station. Glancing back, the two other ponies had also departed the train and were headed in the same direction. Scootaloo turned once more towards the path in front of her and disappeared into the forest....
The dark forest lay deathly quiet. Every now and again a branch snapped or a bird squawked, and always shadows lurked among the trees. Most ponies would have returned to the station to take the next train away from this forsaken place. But Scootaloo pressed on. When she was younger, she was scared of the forest and hated coming here, cowering behind her father at the slightest sound until his loving embrace gave her the confidence to continue on. But she was older now and the forest did not frighten her as it once had. That’s not to say she didn’t feel uneasy, but having passed through here many times she was no longer intimidated by her surroundings.
After half an hour, she came to the end of the path. Before her lay a tree, hollowed out much like Zecora’s house or the former Golden Oaks Library. But whereas other tree-dwellings were made to save on building materials or to suit aesthetic tastes, the rationale behind this residence had been camouflage. To overflying pegasi, it blended perfectly into the forest below, indistinguishable from the thousands of other trees surrounding it. And the dark forest itself discouraged ponies from wandering along the overgrown path to find this hidden home. Scootaloo didn’t know for sure, but she suspected only a handful of ponies knew of this place, and even fewer had ever dared to venture here.
Scootaloo approached the front door and, without knocking, opened it and stepped inside to the living room. Closing the door, she saw the two ponies from the train taking up sentry positions in the forest, each ensuring they had sightlines both to the house and to path. But a voice from behind caught her attention. “Scootaloo, is that you?”
“Yeah,” she replied simply.
The door to the kitchen opened and a large, white mare entered the living room. She dipped her head to avoid hitting her horn on the doorframe. Wearing a smile, she approached Scootaloo and embraced the filly with her large, white wing. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Yeah,” replied Scootaloo, somewhat detached.
Concerned at the lukewarm reception, Celestia offered, “I’m making tea. Would you like some?”
“Sure,” she said without much enthusiasm.
Still unsettled by the filly’s attitude, Celestia returned to the kitchen. Scootaloo laid her saddlebags down and took a seat on the couch. After a short time Celestia returned with two steaming cups of tea, levitating one over to Scootaloo while she sat down on the opposite chair. Scootaloo took a sip from her cup. Though she was not really a fan, the milk, sugar, and honey helped dilute the tea flavor enough to make it palatable. Celestia, pleased that the filly was enjoying the drink, took a satisfactory sip from her own cup. “So, how are your friends?” she opened.
“They’re good.”
“I know Rarity is busy with her new boutiques in Canterlot and Manehattan. How is Sweetie Belle handling her sister being away so much?”
“She’s kinda sad that they’re not seeing each other as much, but she’s happy for Rarity.”
“And how is Apple Bloom?”
“She’s fine. Just working on the farm with the rest of the family.”
An awkward silence followed. “What about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”
“What about them?”
“Have you helped anypony lately?”
Scootaloo’s passive face fell at the question. “The others are helping Silver Spoon reconnect with her mark.”
“Are you’re not participating?” asked Celestia, a restrained concern in her voice.
“They’re doing it this afternoon.”
“I – see.” A quiet unease settled over the room, with both taking sips of their tea to fill the tense silence. Finally, Celestia proposed, “If you will send me your schedule, we can arrange these weekends around your other commitments.”
“This was kind of last minute.”
“Oh.” Again another strained silence fell upon the living room. Celestia continued to sip her tea, while Scootaloo looked at hers and gently sloshed the liquid around in the cup. Deciding a direct approach best, Celestia ventured, “What’s bothering you Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo continued sloshing her tea around for a while, hesitating to provide an answer. Finally she said, “Family Appreciation Day is coming up.”
“I see,” replied Celestia.
“And everypony will be there with their parents. Every year I take Dad. Do you think... maybe... this year... you could come too?”
Celestia took a long sip of her tea, trying to formulate the best reply. Her usual answers seemed a bit impersonal, but the well-rehearsed responses were much safer than risking something off-the-cuff. “Scootaloo, we’ve been over this. As much as it pains me, your father and I believe it best for you if I keep my distance. You’ve been able to have a wonderful foalhood without my presence. The moment the truth comes out, you would no longer be 'Scootaloo of Ponyville' or 'Scootaloo the Cutie Mark Crusader', you would be 'Scootaloo: Princess Celestia’s daughter.' You would not be able to go anywhere without guards, and I suspect the Captain would want you to move into the castle for your protection. You would have many ponies trying to befriend you, making it hard to distinguish between true friends and those who are merely trying to curry your favor.” Seeing Scootaloo’s passive response, she added, “As much as I can do for you as princess, I believe discretion is the better part of valor. There is plenty of time ahead to learn the art of being a princess and how to rule Equestria. Now is the time to enjoy your foalhood.”
Scootaloo, never looking up from her tea cup, sighed and said, “I understand mother.”
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Nice story wasn't expecting the ending need sequel lol
Yeah, sequel, must... have... sequel... can't... go... on... without... it.
Interest idea.
I mean a number of people make Scootaloo a descendent of Luna.
Ooh! Now this was a super big surprise! Celestia being scoots' real mom would certainly be a twist. It could also be a potential means to give Scoots her wings back once the right time comes for her to be acknowledged as the daughter of Celestia.
Definitely an amusing story that gets you to think deeper on all the great possibilities if things went a certain way or were just lying beneath the surface that we see on the show.
It's... a little dry. You have some great descriptions, but I don't really feel much in the way of emotional involvement. Especially at the end.
sequel needed and wanted badly
very good story though
Sequuuuuuuueeeeeeeeellllllllllllll pls
I guess one possibility for a sequel might be the "Sunny Skies" route. And it'd be an interesting opportunity to present possible solutions for the questions:
- presumably Ponyville residents have talked to or at least seen Scootaloo's dad at some point. Has he ever mentioned Scootaloo having a living mother at all, even to Cheerliee or any of the other students' parents? Do they know what he himself does for a living?
- is her dad a pegasus? In which case, has he ever turned up for things like Winter Wrap Up, or to assist the Ponyville weather team in emergencies, or the Cloudsdale tornado funnel, or does he officially live too far away? In which case, is Scootaloo official a Ponyville resident? And does she sleep/live in Ponyville most of the time? With whom? Foster parents? A fake (or real) aunt/uncle? (This doesn't sound like a "Scootaloo lives at the orphanage" story.)
- is Scootaloo's canon room (presumably in a house) in Ponyville the place she normally stays during the week?
- Lauren Faust has said Scootaloo's parents "have demanding jobs", which could actually fit into this fic... and that she has a babysitter she's good at avoiding. Any chance that these things might turn up or be referenced? I'd actually like to see a really good idea for the babysitter; somehow she's never been seen in any of the same scenes as Scootaloo in the show (as far as we know), and Scootaloo's been in a fair amount of danger on occasion and also done things like take trains to the Crystal Empire with the Crusaders with no adult in sight, yet the babysitter is somehow still employed. Rainbow Dash, for all her failings, has saved Scoots from potential severe injury more often than whoever's theoretically actually being paid to do it. And does Ponyville know that the babysitter (presumably a Ponyville resident) is supposed to be keeping an eye on Scootaloo? Do they consider him/her dangerously incompetent, or tragically brain-damaged, or is there some kind of perception magic going on?
- come to think of it, *is* the daughter of a Princess being kept tabs on at all? Even if she has alicorn-level monitoring spells on her 24/7, she's been involved in some fairly physically dangerous circumstances. And somehow I don't think occasional rescue-pony and champion nap-taker Dash is on the royal payroll as a bodyguard. Has Scootaloo just been given alicorn-level toughness and sort of allowed to wander around unsupervised? Including occasionally wandering into the Everfree?
Yes! Sequel!
8403571
Wow. That's a lot of things to think about. I'll admit, I have a rough sketch of how the story will flow over a dozen chapters, but not every detail outlined. But in the meantime, I've got plenty of other stories out there, and am working on Chapter 4 of Friendship is Magic: The Movie.
Dreadnought
Mirroring the other comments, i too want to see a sequel
I like how it turned out! I'm glad I could help you out with it. Aside from a typo or two and a grammar error that I saw, it looks really good!
I'm with the others, continue this. I've seen Celestia-Scootamom once, in a well written yet sadly cancelled fic, and I've wanted to see more.
There is a lot of potential here with a lot of questions that can be answered
8404104
Bro, spoilers...
Yeah, I want a sequel. Who's her dad?
sequel plz
I agree, a Sequel, or maybe even a series. It has the potential.
Amazing.You got a like.
Now I'm sad
This is an interesting concept, but it feels like just that - a concept. I would love to see the story you have in mind. There's a lot of potential in this, if it is treated properly. Looking forward to more!
Yeah, this doesn't so much deserve a sequel as a chapter two, dude lol. Neat idea, but a very abrupt ending.
Good story, but the ending is like riding a dirt bike into a brick wall. Really needs another chapter.
8433166
There was a lot of interest, so I'm planning on writing a (much longer) sequel that will address many of the unanswered questions raised by this story. Right now I'm in the brainstorming/outlining phase. I don't know how much writing I'll get done, as I'm coming off laser eye surgery. In fact, my eyes are bothering so I have to go lay down right now.
Dreadnought
It's an interesting idea. Could have benefited from being a bit longer and... deeper, I guess. My main critique would be that the justification seems kinda weak. Celestia just doesn't strike me as the kind of pony who would willingly subject her kid to something like that, even with good intentions. Perhaps if the father really insisted for some reason, but even then I wonder what kind of guy would get away with telling Celestia how to raise their daughter.
It would almost make more sense if Scootaloo was the one who wanted to live like a normal kid and not be raised in the castle, have friends who don't just hang out with her because of her status and so on, with Celestia being the one hurting for them to spend more time together and worrying about missing Scootaloo's childhood.
8446270
Questions will be answered with the sequel.
Dreadnought
8446272
Oh boy!
This is a good story. Also, I love the concept for this piece. Celestia is Scootaloo's mother has always been one of my favorite concepts.
Definitely can't wait for the sequel.
8760569
I just finished the fourth chapter last night, though unfortunately that doesn't mean I'll post them right away. I'm setting each chapter aside for a little while, so I can go back and edit them with a fresh perspective. I'm shooting for March/April for the first couple of chapters that set up the story. In the meantime, I'll move on to the next few chapters that really delve into the history of Scootaloo and Celestia.
Dreadnought
dang just had a re read and this is STILL really good, hey can we get a progress check on the sequel, been waitin for a little while just wanna check in
9103726
The sequel? Well, it's in limbo at the moment. I wrote the first couple of chapters, but wasn't happy with it, so I scrapped them and am starting again. I've been spending some time clearing my mind by writing some other stories. You might have seen "Deathbed Confession" on the featured list a couple of times. I'm also writing one called "What Happens In Las Pegasus..." that's around half done. So in answer to your question, I haven't shelved it, just clearing my mind for a little bit. Plus I've been going through some extensive military training all this month, giving me little time to write. But I've cleared all of September, so I should be able to get a lot of writing done then. Thanks for the vector check.
Dreadnought
9109899
Alright take your time, max time before i come back 2 years plz post at least 1 chapter by then
9109964
I definitely plan on having the story published before the next two years.
Dreadnought
That was....AWESOME!
Is there gonna be a part two?
This is a interesting story. Shame that sequel idea seemed to not happen...
9973426
I wrote a draft, but wasn't happy with it. Since then, I've been sidetracked with other things. I hope to come back to it sometime. But before then, I'm going to publish some other stories
9974704
A suggestion perhaps. Have Celestia disguise as Scootaloo's cannon parent with her dad being the cannon one as well at some point
Not bad, but I think it could have been a bit longer where they come up with a good plan. Maybe Princess Celestia disgussing herself as a unicorn and explaining her absence with a job where she has little time and is always travelling around. Like an ambassador for example or a inspector of the Royal Guard.
Otherwise it's good an I think a sequeal would be nice.
Definitely left me wanting more.
9110211
So.... About that two year thing...
B R U H
10404014
Wow, I totally lost track. I did make a go of it back in 2018, but was unsatisfied with it. Since then, I've moved twice (overseas then back again), endured several months of training, a heavy crew schedule, and everything else that comes with being in the military. I still think of how a sequel would unfold, but for the immediate future I'm going to have trouble finding any time to write as I'm about to embark on yet more military training. I'll be sure to reach out to you when I have updates.
10405089
Ah ok makes more sense.
Ima still keep an eye out tho
SEQUEL PLS
10994552
Your comments on this and other stories put a smile on my face after a long, terrible day at work!
Definitely feels like there's a lot of potential for an expanded plot here. Very good story regardless.