The Journalist
Lightning sighed as she served Scootaloo her breakfast. “No Scoots, you can’t skip school to come with me.”
Scootaloo’s wide eyes and pleading smile deflated and she pouted. “How come? Going to Manehattan sounds more fun than school.”
Lightning rolled her eyes. “Listen kiddo, I’m not going there for fun. It’s a business trip. And I’m going to be running around a lot.” Lightning smirked. “Besides, if you came with me, you’d miss out on the flying lessons I asked Dash to give you.”
Scootaloo’s pout evaporated and her face lit up. “What, really? You got me flying lessons with Rainbow Dash!?”
Lightning nodded. “Yeah. Since I’m gonna be gone for a few days she agreed to give you your weekly lesson. You’ve been doing great in our sessions and who better to teach you some new stuff then the fastest pegasus in Equestria?”
Scootaloo launched out of her seat and latched onto Lightning’s neck, hugging her tightly. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best mom!"
Lightning chuckled and returned the hug. “No problem kiddo. Now eat up so you can get to school.”
Scootaloo released Lightning and took her seat again. As she ate, Lightning left the kitchen and went up to her and Quicksilver’s room. Finding her partner going over some notes Twilight had given her, Lightning cleared her throat to get Quicksilver’s attention.
Quicksilver looked up from the notes and smiled. “Getting ready to head out?”
Lightning nodded. “Yeah. I told Scoots about the lessons with Dash I arranged, so that should distract her while I’m gone.”
Quicksilver sighed and looked back to the notes. “If Twilight wasn’t giving me all this extra work I’d go with you. But she just had to make a breakthrough in that crystal project of hers.”
Lightning chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Scootaloo needs at least one of us here. We can’t just have Fluttershy watch her all the time. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Quicksilver nodded then arched a brow. “Anything you want me to do while you’re gone?”
Lightning thought for a moment before nodding. “When you have time try and look for more clues about Scootaloo’s birth mother. If this trip’s a bust we’ll need something else to go on."
“Sure thing. Now you’d better get going. After you walk Scoots to school you should fly to Manehatten if you want to get there and Trotterdale all in three days.”
Lightning kissed Quicksilver before getting her saddlebags and heading back downstairs. “See you in a few days.”
========================================================
After dropping off Scootaloo, Lightning leapt into the air and began flying towards Manehatten. As she flew, Lightning was getting her timeline organized in her head. Ok, it’s eight o’clock now, so if I fly at top speed I’ll get to Manehatten at about ten or ten thirty. Hopefully I can find Velvet quickly and get to Trotterdale if she turns out to not be the one I need.
With her timeframe mostly in mind Lightning flapped her wings harder and sped to Manehatten as fast as she could.
=========================================================
Lightning touched down in the middle of one of Manehattan’s parks and trotted to a nearby bench to catch her breath. As she sat, Lightning brought a map out of her saddlebag and looked it over. After doing a bit more digging, Lighting had discovered that Velvet Dream worked at the Equestrian Bugle, one of the largest news distributors in the nation, second only to Equestria Daily. Scanning the map, she found the building’s address.
Putting the map away Lightning stood and approached a pony that was jogging on the path next to the bench.
“Excuse me, can you give me directions to the Equestian Bugle from here?”
The pony, an earth pony stallion, nodded. “Yeah, no prob. What ya wanna do is go down dis path till ya get to da street. Den ya go down 55th street, when ya get to da corner of 21st an’ Main, yer there.”
Lightning smiled and nodded. “Thanks.”
Turning down the path that the stallion had pointed out, Lightning made her way there. Taking the turns down the streets, Lighting quickly came to stand in front of a large triangular building with a large sign on the roof. Going through the door and into the lobby area Lighting searched the directory for which floor the editor was on.
Finding the information she needed, Lighting entered the elevator in the lobby and pressed the floor she needed. After a short ride, the doors opened into a bustling room full of ponies at typewriters, going through file cabinets, and arranging photos on corkboards. Seeing an office on the other side of the chaotic room, Lightning fluttered her wings and sailed over the other ponies' heads.
Landing in front of the office door Lighting knocked. After several seconds a gruff voice answered from the other side.
“Whoever it is, get in here!”
Lighting stepped back slightly at the volume that the pony on the other side of the door was able to muster, especially if she could hear him over the constant noise from the ponies behind her.
Composing herself, Lightning opened the door and stepped into the office. Closing the door behind her, Lighting found the occupant of the office, a tan-colored stallion with a brown mane that was beginning to go grey, looking over pieces of a newspaper.
Noticing her standing in front of his desk, the stallion turned to Lighting and held up what looked like different versions of a front page.
“Which one of these looks better to you?”
Lightning tilted her head. “The one on the left?”
The stallion looked at the one Lightning had picked and nodded. “Right.” He pushed a button on his desk. “Tracy! Run the front page about the governor's scandal tomorrow.”
Lighting arched a brow as the stallion went back to looking at the papers on his desk. “I picked the other one.”
The stallion glanced at Lighting. “Which is why I ran the opposite.” He turned to face Lightning fully. “Now since you didn’t leave after that I’ll assume you’re here for something else.”
Lightning nodded. “I was wondering if you could tell me where Velvet Dream is right now.”
The stallion arched a brow. “Velvet? Why do you need to-"
Before he could finish, another pony walked into the office. “Mr. Journal, I’ve got those pictures of Spidermare for you.”
Journal scowled. “Yousee Dee! You’re late, I wanted those pictures an hour ago!”
Yousee Dee quirked a brow. “But I didn’t start work till an hour ago. And the piece on Spidermare isn’t running till thursday.”
Journal rolled his eyes. “Whatever, what ya got for me?”
Yousee took a folder from her saddlebag and placed it on Journal’s desk.
Journal flipped through the pictures. “Crap. Crap, Mega crap.” He threw the file to a corner of his desk. “I’ll give you one hundred for the lot of them.”
Yousee shook her head. “Two hundred and I get to work that story about the changeling running for mayor.”
Journal sighed and nodded. “You’re a real extortionist, you know that?”
Yousee Dee smiled and left the office. Once she was gone, Journal turned back to Lightning. “You’re still here?”
Lighting gave him a flat look. “You never told me where Velvet Dream is.”
Journal nodded. “Right. She’s at the stadium today working a story about the first baseball team made of ponies and changelings.” He chuckled. “Didn’t know the bugs could even play the game.” He glanced back at Lightning. “No offense.”
Lightning sighed. “None taken. Anyway, thanks for telling me where she is.”
Journal waved her off and went back to the papers on his desk. “Yeah, yeah. Tracy! Where’s that story on the sanitation department!?”
Lighting left the office and entered the elevator again. “I would not want to work for that guy.”
As she exited the building Lightning got her map out again and looked for the Manehatten stadium. Finding the shortest path from here to the stadium Lightning put the map away and started on her way.
===========================================================
After making it to the stadium Lightning walked out onto the field where a baseball team was gathered and talking to Velvet Dream. Approaching the group, Lighting tapped Velvet’s shoulder.
Velvet dream turned and arched a brow. “Are you another member of the team?”
Lightning shook her head. “No. I just wanted to speak with you after you were done here.”
Still giving Lightning a questioning look, Velvet nodded and pointed to the dugout. “Wait over there and we’ll talk once I’m done.”
Nodding, Lightning trotted to the dugout and sat in front of it while Velvet continued interviewing the team.
After waiting the better part of an hour, Lightning was relieved to finally see Velvet dream put away her writing materials and turn in her direction.
Lightning stood as Velvet Dream came closer. “Did you want to talk here or somewhere else?”
Velvet Dream nodded to one of the doors leading out of the stadium. “Let’s head out of here and to a cafe I know around here. It’s about lunch time and I could go for a latte and a daisy sandwich.”
Lightning nodded and the two made their way out of the stadium and onto the crowded Manehatten streets.
==========================================================
After arriving at the cafe and getting her order, Velvet dream and Lightning sat at a table in the back of the cafe.
Velvet dream took a sip of her latte and gestured a hoof at Lightning. “So what’s a changeling want with little old me?”
Lightning rummaged through her saddlebag and brought out the sheet of paper with Velvet’s information on it. “You lived in Ponyville about twelve years ago, right?”
Velvet nodded and bit into her sandwich. “Yeah, so?”
“I was wondering if you might have dropped a filly off at the orphanage there.”
Velvet dream quirked a brow. “No. I’ve never had kids and I was only in Ponyville to cover a story about one of the veterans of the royal guard. But why do you wanna know if I dropped a filly off at the orphanage?”
Lightning sighed. “My daughter, Scootaloo, has a wing illness that is hard to treat. But if I can find her birth mother and get her information, it’ll help the doctors narrow down what could be wrong.”
Velvet dream nodded and gave Lightning a sympathetic look. “Sorry I couldn’t help you.”
Lightning smiled and waved off the apology. “No problem. Just means I’ve gotta keep looking.”
Velvet chuckled. “You’re really dedicated to that kid of yours.”
Lightning smirked and left her seat, making for the door. “You better believe it. Thanks for your time. Later.”
Velvet waved as Lightning left. “Happy hunting.”
Exiting the cafe, Lightning sighed and leapt into the air. As she gained altitude and plotted a course for Trotterdale she looked at the position of the sun. I should be able to make it to the fort before nightfall, but I’ll have to bunk there tonight. She shook her head and chuckled. Fort Trotterdale here I come.
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Well, that was... fast... A forting she will go... Aforting she will go. High ho the derio, a forting she shall go...
BOOK FORTING, THAT IS! 8D
fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/255/7/3/book_fort_twilight_by_dreatos-d49p4jw.png
2914914 Things'll pick up in a bit.
2914926 O... kay? I wasn't complaining about... anything, really. I was just being random...
2914914
Sorry, Twilight, but as anybody who ever watched the Super Scary Saturday Movie on TBS will attest to, Grandpa Munster can get you anywhere.
2914914 That picture all I have to say about it is... My shields can't repel cuteness of that magnitude.
I would link a pic of Admiral Ackbar here if I had one. But sadly I don't. :( *
2914914
images-graphics-pics.com/signs/parody/windows/bluescreen/default.aspx?text=Heart%2Eexe+has+become+a+fine+red+mist%2E%0D%0A%0D%0Aplease+insert+a+strawberry+poptart+or&color=white&fontsize=12&move2=&move=&font=fixedsys&allow=446494&pic=bluescreen
2914972 Oh......
To quote Derpy, "My bad."
2914914 Seeing that image made me laugh.
2915435 I think you should see a Techno Doctor for your heart.
Good chapter but one thing I'm starting to struggle with is keeping track of when Lightning is in disguise or not.
2916449 Unless specified she's in her changeling form. When she needs to use another form I'll write it in. Now that changelings are more or less accepted into Equestrian society they don't really have to disguise themselves.
2916999 Ah, I supose I took it for granted that she stays in pony form around Scootaloo...
THIS PLEASES ME!!!
2916084 Did somepony say Techno Doctor. Dr. Whooves at your service. *looks at heart.exe* hmm i think i found a problem <<2 HOURS LATER>> THERE I DID IT. I MADE IT FAIL MORE
2918206 *Sweeps up Heart.exe dust*
[(background) What the hell is dat red shit?!]
Hmm?
*continues cleaning up dust*
2919727
Uh, there are a number of changeling groups (most of which are on my user page if you're interested) and there's a changeling character tag in the story browsing options if that's what you’re asking...? 
2952556 One of my better chapters I think. I always love writing for Chrysalis.
Spider-Man #1?
2953639 You got it.
2956895
Thought so
than*
Generally speaking, numbered streets are all parallel to each other. At least to my knowledge. So you probably couldn't walk down 55th St and run into 21st. Nit picking, I know. But hey.
3943422
theRedBrony would be excellent at cinema sins