Have you ever wondered as to why exactly the Everfree Forest is so wild? Have you ever questioned where the Tree of Harmony actually came from? Well, nopony knows for sure, but after tumbling down an ancient shaft in the forest, Scootaloo does!
Have you ever wondered as to why exactly the Everfree Forest is so, well, wild? Why the weather seems to run itself, completely separate from the rest of the Equestrian Weather Pattern? And what's up with all the crazy animals, or, shall we say monsters? Why do they seem to be crawling out of the pores of the ancient forest, when no other place in Equestria seems to have the same problem.
You want to know a secret? It's not random.
Oh, and how about the Elements of Harmony! A set of mystical artifacts that have the power to freeze the aspect of chaos into stone, or send an evil alicorn to the moon. Sure, sure they came from the Tree of Harmony, but where did the tree come from?! What, you think the mystical forces of Equestria just decided to manifest themselves one day, on a whim? Please. Nature is never so forthcoming.
No. They were built. Or, in the case of the Tree of Harmony, grown. And there are many more examples of these mindbogglingly powerful feats scattered throughout Equestrian history: the generators that keep Cloudsdale afloat, the security system of Canterlot (which no thief has ever penetrated), and even the creation of the monstrously powerful Discord.
So that just leaves the question: who built them?
This is the single greatest mystery that has plagued academics for decades, even centuries. The answer to which has attracted ponies from all walks of life; from adventurers seeking fame and glory, to scholars seeking enlightenment and knowledge, and even to princesses seeking closure and solace.
To many, they are adventures waiting to be had.
To some, they are problems needing to be solved.
To a few, they are ciphers, demanding payment.
But to one very, very special filly, it is a destiny.
This is her story. This is the story of those mysteries, the answers that they hold, and the myriad of even more questions that they bring along with them. This is a story about acceptance, about adventure, and about perseverance. And, utlimately, it's about me getting to finally tell the bucking story.
The train rattled along the tracks at a brisk pace, the steam from its engine wafting above and behind it as it cut across the land, occasionally disappearing into a tunnel as it passed through a mountain. The smoke from the smokestack puffed out like dragon breath, occasionally wafting into an open window some careless pony had left open. It had been traveling for miles and miles, all the way from Stalliongrad, down through Fillydelphia, around the Canterlotian Mountains, and finally making its way towards the end of the line.
By the time the train rolled up to its last stop, the sun had just finished setting, and the moon was now peeking out from the east. The stars began to glimmer as the train’s engineer slammed on the brakes, bringing the powerful locomotive to a halt at its last stop: a small, sleepy little village named Ponyville.
“Alright, end of the line!” one of the conductors shouted, letting off a few blasts from his whistle to rouse those who had fallen asleep. Grumblings rose from the seats as several ponies were jolted awake, but the conductor paid no heed. “Everyone off!” he cried, before letting loose another shrill blast of the whistle.
Slowly, the exhausted travelers stumbled their way off the train and onto the platform. Some, like a certain wall-eyed pegasus, were returning home from their trips and knew exactly where to go. Others, like a rather confused and nervous looking cellist, hesitated on the platform, looking back and forth as if wondering which way to turn.
As the patrons shuffled off, several cleaning ponies came aboard, burlap sacks and cleaning supplies clutched in their mouths and magical fields, with a determined but resigned look in their eyes. With industrious precision they began to clean the train: sweeping up discarded items of trash, scrubbing out the stains left behind by the on-board meals, and tossing any left-behind luggage into a small cart in the middle of the aisle, where it would soon be sorted and hopefully returned to their rightful owners.
Outside the hustle and bustle of the interior of the train, a single white pegasus stallion strolled along the platform. However, a passive observer could be forgiven in thinking that he was an earth pony, as his movers uniform almost completely covered up his tiny little wings, which, even though being roughly the size of one of his eyeballs, somehow still allowed him to fly!
It gave him the curious appearance of some strange overgrown insect. However, Bulk Biceps never seemed to mind.
The conductor looked up as he approached, greeting him with a cheery smile. “Bulk! You’re right on time!” he called out. Bulk Biceps nodded, his chest puffed out in pride. Swift and punctual: that was the only way he would allow himself to live!
The conductor paused to pull out his reading monocle, before procuring a checklist (seemingly from thin air) and examining it closely. “We have a large shipment all the way from Fillydelphia to unload,” he said, adjusting his monocle as his eyes scanned up and down the page. “Some pony by the name of ‘Rarity’ ordered 200 rhinestones and 10 cases of silk and fabrics. Celestia knows what she’ll make with that. Let’s see, what else… there’s some mail here. Oh, and that new wagon Sweet Apple Acres ordered is here too!”
The conductor put the checklist away and looked up at Bulk. “Think you can handle all of that?” he asked.
Bulk Biceps smirked, before flexing his forelegs, causing his biceps to swell to sizes exceeding the width of the conductor’s head. “YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!” he yelled, his red eyes almost popping out of his face for a moment.
The conductor winced, before taking a step back and rubbing his ringing ears. “Alright,” he said, giving the stallion one last considering look. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
And with that, the conductor walked off, his head now occupied by thoughts of the nice comfortable hotel bed awaiting him in town. Bulk Biceps watched him go, a satisfied smile on his face, before he turned back to the cargo cart with a determined expression on his face.
Time to do what he did best.
Stepping into the cart, he grabbed the nearest box to him and hoisted it above his head, his muscles flexing impressively underneath his wiry white fur. Without even breaking a sweat, he carried the heavy crate back out onto the platform, where he set it down carefully and gently in a way that no other ordinary pony would have been able to do.
Without pause, Bulk turned around and stepped back into the cart, a satisfied smile on his face and a happy tune on his lips as he got down to work. He loved the feeling of a heavy weight in his hooves: after all, it was his special talent. It gave him immense pleasure to lift things that no one else could and, in his own humble opinion, he imagined that with every weight he lifted he was actually taking it off of some other unfortunate pony’s shoulders.
And that filled his heart with pride!
In a matter of minutes, eight of the ten crates belonging to Rarity were stacked up neatly on the platform, ready for transport to Carousel Boutique. The stallion took a moment to rest, using his hoof to wipe a few beads of sweat off of his brow. He noticed with passing interest that the cleaning ponies were just finishing up, and watched as they started to leave the train and make their way back to their homes.
After a few minutes of rest, he stood up and turned around, ready to get back to work. Stepping back into the cargo cart, his eyes zeroed in on the massive pile of crates containing the Apple’s new wagon. Stepping over, he reached his hooves around the nearest crate, and with a mighty heave he lifted it onto his back and began to carry it out of the cart.
He stopped in his tracks as a *CRUNCH* from beneath his hoof echoed through the compartment. Looking down, Bulk blinked in surprise as he spied a piece of broken wood. His eyes narrowed, and with care he set his crate down before bending over to inspect it.
The wood had obviously been part of a crate, but judging by the charred and blackened, it had been blasted apart by some sort of spell. Taking a moment to look around, Bulk saw that the rest of the pieces were scattered across the cart, along with its contents: more of Rarity’s fabrics, now tattered and ruined strips of cloth that were almost indistinguishable from the dirty floor.
Bulk scratched his head with his hoof, rapidly growing confused. Why would somepony blow up a crate with magic? That didn't seem to be the proper way to unload cargo.
Now, it must be noted that Bulk Biceps was not the smartest pony in Ponyville, but even he knew when something was amiss. Standing up, he strode over to the door of the carriage and nudged it open, noting the scorch marks upon the heavy iron surface.
Clearly, there had been some sort of scuffle.
But what…?
He froze when he heard a shuffling noise from behind him. Spinning around, he glanced from side to side, his senses now all on high alert. His ears had never lied to him, and he was certain they weren’t now.
Something was in here with him.
Taking slow steps, Bulk made his way into the middle of the train cart, his ears flicking back and forth in all direction in search of the noise. He froze when he reached the center, his entire body taught as his muscles flexed.
*scritch-thump*
Bulk whirled around from the direction of the noise, his eyes trained upon a pile of crates in the rear of the car where the noise had come from. Taking slow and even steps, the stallion approached gingerly, eyeing the crates warily in case some nightmare beast should leap out and maul him.
He paused before them, his ears again ramrod straight and listening intently. The seconds ticked by, and nothing leaped out to attack him. No shadow leaked from under the crate, nothing shook them from within.
Just nothing.
Then, after almost a full twenty seconds of silence, Bulk Biceps heard it: a tiny whimper, coming from behind the crates!
Moving gingerly, the stallion creeped to the side and knelt down, his eyes narrowing upon a tiny bundle stashed behind the crates. It was from this that the whimpering was emanating from. After a moment’s hesitation (in which time the bundle whimpered again) Bulk tentatively reached out with his hooves and grabbed ahold of it firmly.
He almost let out a (very masculine) shriek when it wiggled, but managed to keep his calm and pull it towards himself.
Cradling it in his hooves, Bulk slowly stood up, curiosity stirring within him. His red eyes narrowed as he stared down at the bundle. Slowly, the moonlight fell upon the bundle, finally revealing its contents to the pegasus.
Bulk's eyes widened in shock.
Resting in his hooves, sleeping peacefully, was a tiny foal. From looks of it, it couldn't be more than a few months old, and from the twitching appendages tickling his hooves, it was most likely a pegasus like him. Light orange fur covered the entirety of its little body, and he could see a small tuft of amethyst mane poking out from atop of its head.
Delicate lashes rested at the tip of its eyelids, indicating that the foal was a filly. Bulk noted with concern, however, that the fur beneath her eyes was matted down and raw, clear signs of copious amounts of tears being shed.
He frowned. The poor thing must have cried itself into exhaustion.
Bulk flinched as the filly stirred, her tiny body curling slightly into the warmth his body was providing. Slowly, the filly’s eyelids rose, revealing a pair of gorgeous amethyst colored eyes, which glistened in the moonlight like twin gems. The foal blinked rapidly for a moment, before fixing her confused gaze upon the larger pegasus. She stared up at him, her eyes filled with wonder as she traced the outline of his alien features. Bulk stared back, unsure as to what he was supposed to do.
Eventually, the filly let out a happy squeak, her mouth lifting itself into a gleeful smile, before she leaned forward and buried her head into his immense chest, purring softly at the warmth his powerful body provided.
Bulk could only stare down at her in shock. There was a filly cuddling him. There was a filly.Cuddling.Him!
What did he do? What could he do?
All thoughts of unloading the crates fled from his mind as he carefully (oh so carefully) stood up, making sure to keep the filly pressed tightly into his chest. Stepping over to the entrance of the cart, he looked out at the empty platform, a look of bewildered confusion written across his face.
A quick glance from left to right was all it took to confirm that, yes indeed, he was all by his lonesome. Not a pony in sight, not even the night guard (although, the latter’s absence wasn’t altogether surprising; Comfy Feathers was prone to excessive napping).
The stallion let out a startled gasp as the filly squirmed around in his hooves, the slippery foal almost managing to wriggle out of his grasp completely. Gently, Bulk Biceps shifted her in his hooves, positioning her just like he had seen Applejack do with her baby sister.
There. That seemed to calm her down. The filly burbled happily as she curled into his hold, the warmth from his chest enveloping her in a familiar manner. Bulk gulped, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. Seriously: what should he do.
There wasn’t really a lost and found for these kinds of things. After all, the filly had been abandoned in the cargo hold. Clearly whoever stashed her there didn’t want her to be found.
Thoughts of taking her in briefly flashed through his mind, before he immediately dispelled them with an irritated snort. Not a chance.
For one, he was barely getting enough money as it is. Despite being the only work-pony in town (excepting Big Macintosh, but he didn’t really count because he rarely ever left Sweet Apple Acres) he never had what you could call a steady income. Ponyville was a tiny hamlet at the base of a mountain: not much in the way of expansion or construction. Mostly just repairs and the occasional remodeling.
And even when he did have jobs, they didn’t pay nearly as much as he’d like for them to.
And secondly: Tender Breeze, his fiancé, was already pregnant. There was no room for another hungry mouth. Not with a foal of his own on the way.
He let out a heavy sigh as he turned his gaze back to the filly, his breath ruffling her silky purple mane. No, he couldn’t take her in, but he couldn’t just leave her at the train station! And it's not like he could simply dump her off on somepony’s doorstep either.
Unless….
He frowned, his eyes darting towards the direction of the town square. He glanced down at the filly in his arms one last time before letting out a sigh of resignation.
Yes. That would have to be it.
With slow but sure steps, Bulk Biceps walked away from the platform, heading back into town. His hoofsteps echoed off the sides of the buildings, the streets silent an empty. After all, there were few who would dare to venture outside at this hour. Ponyville was rather superstitious like that.
And so he strode through the town, the little filly clasped tightly in his arm, with no one but the mare in the moon to keep the two of them company. The stars shown down from on high, their soft and soothing twinkling helping to keep the filly asleep. Soon, Bulk was passing through the administrative section of Ponyville, his path taking him by the Town Hall, and the decorative statue of Faust, the stone alicorn’s eyes seeming to follow him as he walked by.
Slowly but surely, however, the stallion neared his destination: a tall wooden structure with thatched roof and a bright blue door illuminated by the porch lamp.
The steps were bathed in the soft candlelight, allowing the pegasus to ascend without too much difficulty. Stopping at the doorstep, Bulk leaned down and gently deposited his precious bundle onto the welcome mat. The little filly stirred in her sleep, her ears twitching in displeasure as the soothing warmth of the stallion’s bulk left her.
Bulk stared down at her, a curious pounding sensation coursing through his body and originating from his heart. Gently, he reached out a hoof and caressed the foal, tracing the side of her fuzzy little cheek, and causing her to giggle slightly in her sleep.
‘It’s strange,’ he thought. ‘How quickly I can become attached…’
Bulk tore his eyes away from the sleeping filly, his vision blurring slightly as a small layer of moisture clung to the surface of his cornea. He’d better do it now, or he wouldn’t have the strength left to do it at all!
Raising his hoof again, he stamped on the door three times, his powerful hoof-falls sending echoes throughout the building. The sound caused the filly to stir, and her eyelids slowly lifted to once again reveal amethyst colored orbs.
Bulk whirled around and began to walk away, his throat clenching up as he heard the filly’s first hesitant sobs. When he was ten feet away, he heard her let out a wail.
He froze, his hooves locking up involuntarily as his heart pounded against his chest. A flicker of a notion passed through his head: he didn’t have to do this. All he would have to do is turn around…
NO!
He stamped his hoof on the ground, his eyelids slamming shut as tears began to fall down his face.
‘I can’t. And you know why you can’t. So stop it, and just go home!’
He glanced over his shoulder one more time, his red eyes alighting on the small bundle, before they were distracted by a light appearing in the upstairs window.
He turned back around. “Just go home….”
The door opened slowly to reveal a wizened old mare carrying a lantern. She blinked her eyes owlishly, squinting out into the darkened street in search for whoever knocked on the door. Her ears flicked forward, however, when they caught the sound of quiet sobbing. Turning her attention downwards, her brown eyes widened as they landed on the form of a small sobbing filly.
“Oh my goodness!” she gasped, bending down to scoop the tiny foal into her arms. The filly let out another sob, burying her face into the old mare’s fur as the elder looked back and forth curiously. “Now where did you come from dearie?” she asked quietly after spying nothing.
Glancing down, she smiled as her eyes meta pair of beautiful amethyst orbs. “Now, now, don’t you worry about a thing little filly,” she said, turning around to step back into the building. “We’ll get you cleaned up soon enough!”
The door swung shut behind her, bringing an end to this night’s affairs.
Outside the porch, all was calm. All was quiet.
As the hours passed, the moon slowly began to dip down towards the horizon, while the first rays of the morning sun began to peek out. One of them cast light upon the front of the building, revealing a bright blue sign that read ‘Helping Hooves’ Home for Disadvantaged Foals’.
And that, my friends, is where our story officially begins!
It was a bright day in Ponyville, as they usually were. It was the height of the summer, and the weather team had gifted everypony with a lovely cloudless sky. The birds were singing happily in the sky, while the animals of the forest were hard at work stockpiling food for winter.
The ponies of Ponyville all bustled about busily, going about their day to day activities as per usual, all the while keeping a mindful gaze to the sky. Rainbow Dash was back to practicing her tricks, and while the rainbow maned pegasus was well known to be the greatest flyer in Equestria, she was equally prone to devastating crashes (at the expense of anypony she happened to land near).
Now, that’s not to say that everyone in town was happy, for down in the schoolhouse, it was quite the contrary.
“And that, my little ponies, is how the Caribou nation and Equestria established the peace treaty that we still celebrate today!” Cheerilee said happily, turning away from chalkboard to observe her students.
She frowned at the sight that met her.
Most of the foals had nodded off to sleep, Scootaloo in particular having managed to do so in a spectacular fashion, her front hooves almost grazing the floor as drool trailed down the corner of her mouth.
She shook her head in exasperation. Scootaloo, despite being her least enthusiastic pupil, was easily the smartest foal in the classroom. She was an absolute genius when it came to mathematics, particularly logic puzzles. Seriously, she’d seen the filly solve a rubik’s cube in just under thirty seconds, the colors seeming to fly over the little cube. However, Scootaloo seemed to suffer crippling incompetence in every other category, leading her to routinely attain only C and D averages.
That, combined with her general lack of respect for the sanctity of the classroom, led to her being one of the leading causes for Ms. Cheerilee’s headaches!
“WELL!” she snapped, rapping the board with her pointer. “I think that was a WONDERFUL LESSON, don’t you?” she asked.
Nearly half the class jumped in surprise as they awakened, Scootaloo managing to flip over backwards out of her chair while Sweetie Belle let out a high pitched (yet still in tune) musical shriek of alarm. Cheerilee smiled in satisfaction, before turning back to the front of the classroom and picking up a piece of chalk.
“Now, don’t forget students, your family history projects are due one week from today!” she said as she wrote, eliciting groans from her audience. She chuckled good naturedly before turning around, a kind smile on her face. “Now don’t worry, I’m sure you all will have a lot of fun with this!” She said as she turned about. “Exploring your past and discovering where you came from is an important part of any young pony’s life! In fact, learning about my family history is what helped me get my Cutie Mark!” she said, noting with satisfaction how three fillies in particular perked up at that.
She chuckled internally. “Now, that marks the end of our day. Be safe going home!”
The classroom immediately began to empty, the foals chatting happily with each other as they grabbed their saddlebags and headed to the door.
Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief as she stepped outside, her small wings splaying out to catch the warm summer sun.
She jumped as something bumped her from behind. “Come on Scootaloo, don’t block the door!” came a familiar voice from behind her. Scootaloo smiled as Sweetie Belle’s snow white fur came into view, her pink and purple mane immaculately curled just like normal. “Sorry,” Scootaloo said, moving over and heading down the steps. “Hey, Sweetie Belle, can I borrow your notes? I kind of nodded off near the beginning.”
Sweetie Belle did a double take, before facehooving in disappointment. “YOU TOO! I was gonna ask you for notes!” she said, her voice squeaking as she pronounced the *too*.
Scootaloo frowned. “Sweetie Belle, it’s me. Why would I have taken notes?” she asked.
Sweetie Belle paused for a moment, before a look of realization passed across her face. “Oh yeah….”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, before another voice caught her attention.
“Girls! Girls!” Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned at the sound of the joyful country-accented voice to see their third and final best friend run over to them. Apple Bloom’s bright orange eyes and lush red mane looked just as vibrant as they did every day, if not a little more than usual today for some reason.
Maybe a trick of the light?
Her bright pink bow bounced as she ran towards them, an earnest smile etched across her face. She skidded to a stop before them, a small cloud of dust kicking up in her wake. “Did y’all hear what Miss Cheerilee said?” she asked, her ecstatic grin spreading to both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s faces as she spoke. Apple Bloom just kind of had that effect on (most) ponies.
“Sure did!” Scootaloo said, before all three reared back onto their hind legs and kicked their feet in the air. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FAMILY HISTORY CUTIE MARKS!” they yelled in unison, their faces alight with delight before Scootaloo’s fell flat.
“Oh, wait…” she said, dropping back down and kicking the dirt sullenly, a cloud of gloom suddenly seeming to appear above her.
Sweetie Belle tilted her head questioningly. “What’s wrong Scootal- oooohhh…” she said as realization kicked in.
Stepping forward, Apple Bloom reached out and placed a reassuring hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it! Ah’m sure we can think of something,” she said, a helpful smile on her face.
“Yeah! Apple Bloom doesn’t have any parents either!” Sweetie Belle interjected, before a glare from Apple Bloom made her realize what she’d just said. “Sorry,” she mumbled, taking a step back and kicking the dirt surreptitiously.
Scootaloo let out a sigh and brushed Apple Bloom’s hoof off her shoulder. “It’s not the same Sweetie Belle,” she said, turning to face her two best friends in the world. “Apple Bloom’s got her sister, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Babs Seed, and a huge family of Apples.”
She glanced back down at the ground, kicking a blade of grass dejectedly. “But me? I’ve got nothing…” she said quietly.
“That ain’t true!” Apple Bloom said, stomping her hoof resolutely. “Ye’ve got Miss Hooves right? She’s gotta be chock full of stories! And ain’t Rainbow Dash yer honorary sister! She’s gotta be the coolest pony in town, next to mah sister!”
“And mine!” Sweetie Belle piped up, only to be promptly ignored by the other two.
“Look Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head. “Just because you ain’t related by blood don’t mean they ain’t still family,” she said, drawing a small smile from Scootaloo.
The orange pegasus sighed. “I guess you’re-”
“WELL, WELL, WELL! If it isn’t our least favorite trio of BLANK FLANKS!” a sharp, but still hauntingly familiar voice called out.
Cringing, the CMC turned to see their least favorite pair of tormentors coming towards them: Diamond Tiara and her lackey Silver Spoon. Diamond Tiara’s mane was just as elegantly styled as always, and the bright diamond encrusted tiara that sat upon her head completed her appearance of regal elegance.
Too bad it was all spoiled by that look of superior smugness plastered across her face.
Scootaloo let out a snort of annoyance. “What do you two want?” she growled.
Diamond Tiara smirked again, before floofing her mane up in that annoyingly superior way she always did. “Oh, nothing much. Just coming by to make sure that you three don’t think you could steal our prize!” she said.
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. “What prize?” she asked.
Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both cackled cruelly. “I guess we can add being blind to your list of many faults,” Diamond Tiara jeered. “Miss Cheerilee wrote it up on the board!” Silver Spoon said. “It was right in front of your muzzles, how could you miss it?” she asked.
“Miss what, exactly?” Apple Bloom interjected, becoming slightly annoyed by the pair’s mocking.
Diamond Tiara stepped forward haughtily, a hoof placed on her chest. “‘The student that can best demonstrate the greatest understanding of their family’s history and their impact on the community will be awarded three free tickets to the upcoming Sapphire Shores concert!’ That’s what! And I intend on winning!” she stated, bringing her hoof down as if declaring a royal decree.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “As if. Who wants to know about some dumb contracts that your Daddy signed? And…what does your mom even do again?” she asked.
Diamond Tiara’s eyes widened. “WHAT! I’ll have you know that this town wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for my family’s generous contributions to the economy!” she practically snarled.
Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. “But I thought it was the Apple’s that put Ponyville on the map,” she said, her voice sounding very confused.
“It was,” Apple Bloom said, glaring at Diamond Tiara angrily. “As mah Granny Smith already explained to y’all.”
Diamond Tiara let out a snort. “Oh, pf’shah! As if a few farmers were enough to actually start up this town,” she scoffed. “My great-granddaddy practically built the town hall! And the hospital! And they even grew the library!”
“My parents own a silver mine,” Silver Spoon said quietly, rubbing her forelegs together meekly. No one noticed, however, as Diamond Tiara bowled ahead. “Seriously, you wouldn’t even have your farm if it weren’t for my family! Who do you think sold you the wood?”
Apple Bloom’s nostrils flared, incensed by the pink filly’s words. “Now see here Diamond Tiara, Ah won’t have ya bad mouthin’ mah family! You can ride that high horse all day if ya want, but don’t forget that it’s thanks to me and mah family that Ponyville even exists, and that we provide almost half the produce for the town!”
“Yeah! Make sure you get your facts straight before you go shooting your mouth off!” Sweetie Belle cried.
Diamond Tiara huffed angrily. “Look! You Blank Flanks just don’t get it! My parents are the richest ponies in town, while yours-”
She pointed towards Sweetie Belle. “Dumped you here with your sister.”
She pointed to Apple Bloom. “Vanished into thin air.”
And finally she pointed to Scootaloo. “And you… Celestia knows where you came from! You probably crawled out of a hole in the ground! Or maybe just got dumped here because they were sick of you!”
The rich filly stuck her nose in the air. “All that matters is that none of you have even a chance at beating us! So don’t even try! Let’s go Silver Spoon!” she roared, before spinning around and trotting off, her lackey trailing along a few feet behind her while sticking her tongue out at the CMC.
Once they were out earshot, Apple Bloom stamped her hoof on the ground. “The nerve o’ that filly! Why I ‘oughta….”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Apple Bloom.” Sweetie Belle said, placing a restraining hoof on her earth pony friend’s shoulder. “She’s not worth it. Besides, you know she’s just jealous because her family’s not nearly as cool as yours!”
Apple Bloom closed her eyes, before taking in a deep breath through her nose and out through her mouth. “You’re right, Sweetie Belle. Thanks,” she said, before turning to face her two best friends. “Don’t worry about it girls. Ah’m sure we’re still gonna get those Cutie Marks!” she chirped.
“And the Sapphire Shores tickets!” Sweetie Belle added.
“Right!” Apple Bloom said, before turning around and lifting her hoof. “Now, let’s get back to the clubhouse! Right?”
“RIGHT!” “right…”
Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom paused, before turning to look at Scootaloo. The pegasus was sitting down and staring at the grass beneath her hooves, the gloomy raincloud once again hanging over her head. Her ears were flat to her head, and her tail was wrapped around her forehooves as if it were a security blanket.
She looked like she was about to cry.
“Uh… Scootaloo? Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked, taking a step towards her friend.
Scootaloo glanced up, before sniffing and wiping her nose. “Yeah, yeah I’m alright. You guys go ahead, I… I have some things I forgot to do.” She said, slowly getting to her hooves and walking away.
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof to go after her, before a tug on her shoulder had her halting. “Ah think it’s best we let her be for now, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said. “She looks like she has a lot on her mind, and Granny Smith always said that ya should never ‘interrupt a pony when their thinking real hard about somethin’.”
Sweetie Belle looked over her shoulder at Apple Bloom, before glancing back at her retreating friend. “Alright, if you say so,” she said, before turning and following after the yellow filly, both of their enthusiasm drained.
Scootaloo strode down the main street of Ponyville, the sights and sounds of the lively place playing across here senses. Glancing up, she watched as her classmate, a fellow blank flank named Ruby Pinch, raced past her, an excited grin on her face. Scootaloo watched as she ran up and embraced her older sister, an earth pony named Berry Punch, who ran the local brewery and was well known for being the town drunk.
The older pony smiled as she bent down to nuzzle her little sister, a broad smile spreading across her muzzle.
The pegasus filly looked away sadly, casting her gaze back to the dirt road beneath her feet.
A cry of laughter had her looking back up just in time to see another classmate, a unicorn friend of hers named Dinky, embrace her mother, the local mail mare. Ditzy Doo, more commonly known as Derpy, smiled in elation as she nuzzled her daughter, before placing the filly on her back and flying off.
Scootaloo winced as a sharp pain spiked through her, as if someone had just jabbed her in the heart with a rusty dagger.
Continuing on at a quicker pace, Scootaloo soon found herself on the outskirts of Ponyville and crossing over a small bridge. Going over to the edge, she stood on her back hooves to peer over the side, observing her own reflection in the water. She blinked in surprise when she saw a family of ducks pass across her field of view, the little ducklings sticking close to their mother.
Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to hold back the tears that had been plaguing her ever since her encounter with Diamond Tiara.
And then, as ponies are wont to do, she found her inner thoughts translated into song. “Why oh why, am I all alone? I know I can fly, but instead I sink like a stone. So please, oh please, tell me where you have gone? So I can find another star to wish on!”
Scootaloo found her hooves moving of their own volition, carrying her across the bridge and into a wooded area. “I’ve gone on perilous journeys. Searched, both high and low…. And yet I never seem to find; what I’ve been searching foooooor…”
Her voice jumped up an octave she felt the wind blow across her fur, and upon opening her eyes found herself in a clearing filled with wild flowers, the wind sending them dancing about her in a beautiful mirage. “I know I’ve got friends! I know I am loved!”
Her smile vanished as the flowers blew away, revealing nothing but barren grass. “But for some reason, it’s just not enough.” She sang, kicking at the ground before moving on. “Am I not worthy? Am I not right? To have someone to show me the light? Wish I may, oh wish I might, to hear my mother say ‘Goodnight’!”
The sun was abruptly obscured by a passing cloud, throwing Scootaloo into darkness. “Why oh why am I all alone? I wanna fly, but instead I sink like a stone! So please just tell me, where you have gone! So I can find another star to wish on….”
Scootaloo paused as she came to another babbling brook, her eyes alighting upon several large rocks forming a line of stepping stones. She grinned. “A lot of ponies seem to have my back! I’ve got a sister, and hey, that’s not bad!” she sang as she began to hop across the stones.
“I’ve learned a lot all on my own,” she said as she wobbled on one of the loose rocks, before slipping off and falling into the rushing water. “Like how treat great big ugly stones!” she cried, before kicking the offending rock and promptly letting out a cry of pain.
Crawling out of the stream, she shook herself off like a dog, a few loose feathers falling away as she did so. “But still I wonder, what it’d be like! To finally come home and be met with delight! To have a Mom who’d hug me sweetly, to have a Dad who’d dress up neatly!”
She sat down for a moment and picked up a ponyish looking rock. “Say Scootaloo, don’t I look all nice in this business suit?” she mimed, dropping her voice to make it sound masculine. Giggling, she tapped the rock on the ‘nose’. “You sure do Dad!”
She frowned, before tossing the rock aside and getting up. Her head hung low, and her wings folded in tight to her body. “But I know that none of that’s for me. I know that my family’s just not meant to be. But still I wonder, still I pray: Could mommy and Daddy come and take me away?”
She looked up through the trees, where she could see Canterlot resting on the side of the mountain, surrounded by clouds. “Take to me a place that I could call home! Take me somewhere, where I’m not alone!”
She sighed, before sitting down and looking at her hooves. “Oh who am I kidding?” she asked to no one in particular. “Who would even want me anyway? Stupid blank flank!”
Slowly, she lay down onto her stomach, her eyes drawn to a beautiful daffodil just a few inches away from her snout. Tears finally began to leak out of her eyes as she watched it sway gently in the breeze. “Why oh why am I all alone? I know I can fly, but I still sink like a stone. And now my stars have all gone…. So please… just please… give me something… anything… to wish oooooonnnnn…”
And with that, she gave up, and buried her head in her hooves, sobs finally wracking her small body. Her bright purple tail curled around her, providing her head with a cushion to lay on. Slowly, after minutes of crying, her body just seemed to exhaust itself, and she fell into a peaceful, restful slumber.
