Scootaloo stretched out as she entered her Manehattan apartment. It had been a quiet day at the precinct, she had mostly had to deal with paperwork once, and things had been quiet in Manehattan for once.
"Thanks for watching Cloudy," she said as she gave the bits to the foalsitter. "Was she on her best behavior?"
"She was fine," the foalsitter said with a smile. "Are you going to need me to watch her tomorrow?"
"No, I've got her tomorrow," Scootaloo said.
"Okay, just let me know," she said and headed back out.
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile a little as she trotted into the living room area. A Pegasus filly with a blue coat and a purple mane was reading a book. She smiles when she see's Scootaloo come in.
"Mommy!" She said as she ran over and hugged Scootaloo.
"Hey Cloudy," Scootaloo says, ruffling her daughter's mane. "How was school today?"
"It was okay," she said, her ears drooping a little bit, Scootaloo looked at her.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, looking at her daughter worriedly.
"Its just, some ponies at school have been teasing me because I don't have a cutie mark again..." she says sadly.
Scootaloo sighed and put a wing around her daughter, even after all these years there were still ponies that acted like this. She wished that Sky Walker was still with them, but he had died in a case, leaving them alone.
"Hey Cloudy, don't worry about it, I know exactly how you feel," Scootaloo says as the younger Pegasus looks up at her.
"You do?" She asks.
"Yeah, I do, you're going to get your cutie mark when you're ready, don't let mean ponies get to you about it," she says. "Besides, they have no idea what they're talking about, you're a great kid no matter what."
"You really think so?" Cloudy asked.
"I know so," Scootaloo replied and nuzzled her daughter gently. "Come on, lets get ready for dinner tonight."
"Okay!" Cloudy says and gallops off to her room.
Scootaloo can't help but smile, she had come to the city to join the police force and help Ponies, but she hadn't really expected to have a daughter. She had set out to being the best mother she could be and balanced it with her job in the Manehattan Police Department.
She smiles, thinking about tonight, it was the anniversary of when she and her friends had gotten their Cutie Marks so they had gotten a reservation at a restaurant in Manehattan. She was really looking forward to seeing her friends again so Cloudy could meet them.
She smiled and headed for her room to start getting ready for dinner.
00000
When they reached the restaurant they were directed to a table against the window where Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were seated with two fillies a little younger than Cloudy.
"Hey Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle said with a smile as she sat down across from her. "And you must be Cloudy, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy have told us all about you."
"Yep, that's me," Cloudy replied happily.
"Howdy, Ah'm Golden Delicious," one of the fillies, a yellowish gold colored Earth pony with a red mane says, waving a hoof. "Nice ta meet yah finally."
"And I'm Pearl," the other filly, a white colored Unicorn with a styled pink mane says with a smile. "Its nice to meet you Cloudy."
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile as she watches the three fillies talk before turning back to her friends. "I'm glad you two could make it, it feels like its been forever since we got together."
"Yeah, its been awhile," Apple Bloom says. "Ah'm just glad we're able ta get together again."
"Yeah, its hard to believe that its been 17 years," Sweetie Belle said. "How are things going in Manehattan?"
"Pretty well, I'm a Detective now," Scootaloo replied, she had been promoted just a few months ago. "It would be nice to be able to visit Ponyville more."
"Ah'll bet yer moms would be happy ta see ya'll more often," Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah, it would be nice to see them more," Scootaloo replied, she had been been adopted when she was 10 by Rainbow Dash and a few years later she had married Fluttershy. Having two moms had required some getting used to sure, but she loved them both deeply. "What about the two of you, how are things going with you?"
"Well, I just finished a tour," Sweetie Belle says, her singing career had really picked up lately. "Right now I just want to spend some time with Pearl back in Ponyville before having to worry about that again."
"Ah'm helpin' around Ponyville, mostly on tha farm but Ah'm helpin' with tha expansion," Apple Bloom says. "Ponies have been movin' into town so we've been needin' ta build more houses and stuff."
"We've certainly come a long way from when we were fillies," Sweetie Belle said. "And so have the Crusaders for that matter. How many ponies have we helped by now?"
"More than Ah can count," Apple Bloom says with a chuckle. "And Pearl and Goldie are with tha Ponyville branch with Diamond and Silver's adopted son."
"I still can't believe those two hooked up," Sweetie Belle said with a chuckle as they remembered going to the wedding. "But they've really been doing a great job and Topaz is a nice foal."
"I'll definitely have to meet him," Scootaloo said, looking over at the three fillies thoughtfully for a moment. "Cloudy would probably love to be in the CMC, but there hasn't been much of a Manehattan branch since Babs moved to Fillydelphia."
"Well, this is as good a time as any to breathe some life into it," Sweetie Belle said with a smile.
"You're right," Scootaloo says, looking at her daughter for a long moment. "It hasn't been going too well for her in school."
"Well, Ah say we should bring her in," Apple Bloom says with a chuckle. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, tha next Generation."
"That sounds like a bad sequel," Sweetie Belle said with a chuckle. "But I agree with you."
"Yeah," Scootaloo said with a nod while the three fillies laugh at a joke Pearl told. "We, really should do this every year."
"Agreed," Sweetie Belle says and Apple Bloom nodded in agreement as the food arrived. "Have you ever thought about moving back to Ponyville?"
"Sometimes, Manehattan is nice and all but I admit that I am a bit homesick," Scootaloo admits. "Maybe after awhile, I've been doing a lot of work with the police here, and Cloudy liked it back when we visited on Mother's day."
"Its yer choice, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said. "Ah'll make sure tha two of yah have a nice house if yah do."
"Well, I'll let you know," Scootaloo said as the six ponies started to eat. "I'd like to come home again someday."
Cloudy looked over at her curiously. "Are we moving to Ponyville, mommy?"
"Maybe Cloudy, but not for awhile," Scootaloo said as she ruffled her daughter's mane. "Would you like that?"
She looked at the other two fillies for a moment and nodded. "That would be cool!"
Scootaloo smiled as they went back to eating, it was definitely something to think about, especially if it meant Cloudy got to spend more time with her new friends.
Even after so many years had passed, things hadn't changed too much. Scootaloo was just glad that her daughter had a chance to make friends.
"They're great kids," Scootaloo said as a smile crossed her face, there was something they'd have to do once they got back to the apartment.
00000
After dinner they all went to Scootaloo and Cloudy's apartment in the city. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle weren't going back to Ponyville until late the next day, so they decided to spend the night.
The three fillies were playing in Cloudy's room when the door opened and Scootaloo poked her head inside.
"Girls, can you come out to the living room?" She asked.
"Okay mommy," Cloudy said, though she was curious about what was going on, the three fillies came out of the room and into the living room where their moms were waiting.
"Is everything okay?" Pearl asked, looking at her mom curiously.
"Yeah, what's goin' on?" Golden asked.
"Well, we were thinkin' that we needed ta do somethin' special fer Cloudy," Apple Bloom said with a smile.
"Cloudy, your mom told us about what was going on at school," Sweetie Belle said, Cloudy's ears lowered sadly. "We understand, the same thing happened to us when we were fillies, but something helped us get through it."
"Friends?" Cloudy asked as she perked up a little bit with a smile.
"That's right, the Cutie Mark Crusaders aren't just about figuring out cutie marks," Scootaloo said with a smile. "Its about forming bonds with friends and helping ponies. And while you're at the moment going to be the only Crusader here in Manehattan..."
She picked up a dark red cape with the symbol of the Cutie Mark Crusaders on it.
"Is that a Crusader cape?" Cloudy asked.
"We all have one," Pearl said with a smile as she realized what this meant.
"That's right Cloudy," Scootaloo said as she secured the cape around her daughter's neck. "This one was mine, but I'm passing it down to you, welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Cloudy."
Cloudy squealed with happiness as she flapped her wings, taking off and flying around the room before hugging her mother tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome Cloudy," Scootaloo said as she hugged back.
"I love you mommy," Cloudy said and finally let go before running off with her new friends.
Scootaloo smiled and stood back with her two best friends in all of Equestria. Even though things had been a little rocky for her, that was never going to change.
Even after so many years, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were going to keep going strong, through the next generation.