//------------------------------// // The End // Story: Three Gems and a Scooter // by RaylanKrios //------------------------------// One look at the massive tome detailing the history of the two sisters was all Scootaloo needed to decide that asking Rarity a few simple questions was the more preferable option for completing her assignment.  It had been two weeks since Cheerilee had given out the assignment and, at first, Scootaloo’s procrastination was just the garden variety scootering-is-more-fun-than-homework kind. But one way or the other, family appreciation day was approaching and Scootaloo was expected to say something about somepony. “Hey Rarity,” Scootaloo asked, setting her notebook on the kitchen counter as Rarity peeled carrots for dinner. “Yes, dear?” “Can I ask you some questions?” Before Rarity could respond, Scootaloo spoke again. “It's for school,” she quickly clarified, less Rarity thought that this was anything else.   “Of course dear, ask away,” Rarity called over her shoulder. Scootaloo looked down at her list of prepared inquiries she planned to use to flesh out her report.  “What's your favorite color?” Rarity stopped peeling and brought a hoof to her chin. “Well that is a complicated question. My favorite color depends entirely on the context.” Rarity was about launch into an explanation of lighting and complimentary colors when she noticed Scootaloo roll her eyes. “Aubergine, my favorite color is aubergine.” Rarity may have said “my favorite color is table” for all Scootaloo understood. Orange was a color, so were blue and red. Some colors had more descriptive names like pearl or aquamarine, but Scootaloo didn't know what an aubergine was, much less what spectrum of light it reflected. “What’s that?” Rarity levitated a spool of ribbon from a nearby spool in the parlor room. “This is aubergine. I find that it highlights most other colors as well as being bold enough to stand on its own without being garish.”   Scootaloo squinted at the ribbon in front of her. Try as she might to be open to the possibility that there was something Rarity saw that she didn't, she couldn't make herself see anything other than the obvious. “Can't I just say purple?” Rarity recoiled in shock if not indignation. “Most certainly not. How would you feel if I called your scooter a tricycle?” “That's silly, my scooter isn’t a tricycle,” Scootaloo shot back. “And aubergine isn’t purple,” Rarity responded with a barely discernable hmph tacked on for emphasis. Rarity’s favorite color is aubergine, Scootaloo wrote in her notebook. “What's your favorite food?” “Well again,” Rarity stopped herself before Scootaloo could change her mind about reading the massive tome about the two princesses.  “Just say ice cream. Chocolate if you must be specific.” There were a few more questions encompassing other things Rarity liked,  (Fluttershy, singing and roses being among them) and then Scootaloo left confident enough to write her report. But it wasn't until after dinner Scootaloo pulled out her chair and sat at her desk. My Family A week later Scootaloo sat in her assigned seat with two reports. The first one she had written quickly, it was pretty boilerplate. Rarity likes fashion and ice cream. One neat thing about her is that she is an Element of Harmony. We like to make barley soup together etc etc. Scootaloo knew she could read that and get a passing grade. She might get a note about trying a little harder next time, but she would pass and everypony would forget her report as soon as the next presenter started. Her second report was different. It didn’t mention barley soup or the Element of Generosity.  She knew Cheerilee would love it, but she wasn’t entirely sure how the audience would react and that’s who it was meant for.   There were a lot of fillies and colts in the audience, most of whom she knew, some of whom went to other schools or were homeschooled. What if one of them was like her, desperately searching for some kind of family? And what about all the adults watching? Maybe they were considering adopting; surely they should hear how much it might mean to a child to finally find a home. Didn’t she have some sort of responsibility to share her experience so others could learn from it? Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. “Next up we have Scootaloo. Let’s all give her a round of applause.” Hesitating for one last second, she grabbed the second one between her teeth and walked up to the lectern. The paper shook slightly as she placed it down on the slanted surface. My Family My Family is Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Rarity is my mom. I don’t know who my birth mom is, but Rarity cooks me dinner every night and tucks me in when I ask her to. She walks me home from my dance lessons and she makes sure that I do my homework. She likes chocolate ice cream. Sometimes ponies ask me who my “real mom” is and if I ever wonder what’s she’s like. I don’t like those questions. Rarity takes care of me, that makes her my real mom. Sweetie Belle is my sister. We’re not really related either. I guess we could be since I don’t know who my birth parents are; but I’m pretty sure they’re not Sweetie’s parents. Sweetie is Rarity’s birth sister if that counts for anything.  Anyway even though she’s not my birth sister she is always there for me when I need her, and we do lots of fun stuff together. That makes her my sister even if we do have different parents. The words on the page began to blur and Scootaloo wiped her eyes. I know my family isn’t like a lot of other families and that we haven’t been a family for very long, but for a long time I didn’t have any family. I tried to convince myself that I was just fine without one, but I wasn’t. I was sad all the time because I thought no one loved me. But then I found this one. Our life isn’t perfect; sometimes we fight and yell at each other. But I’m pretty sure that even when we do fight  they love me, and I…I don’t know what I would do without them. Because that’s what family is, ponies who love you no matter what. So on this Family Appreciation Day I just want to say that I’m glad  I finally have a family to appreciate. Scootaloo ended her report and dared to look up from the lectern. As soon as she saw the sea of ponies staring back at her she realized she had made a horrible mistake and now was standing in front of a room full of ponies who knew how weak she was. The room began to shrink and her heart started pounding. One thought pushed any others down, she had to leave, immediately. Not even bothering to pick up her report she sprinted as fast as she could toward the stage wings, intent on slipping out the back door and hurrying down the road all the way to the Everfree Forest.   The audience burst into thunderous applause but Scootaloo could barely hear it over the thumping in her chest. Before she could reach the exit she heard a familiar voice. “Scootaloo.” Scootaloo turned to see Rarity waiting by the side entrance which didn't make sense seeing as how Rarity had been in the audience. Scootaloo sprinted towards the exit the very instant her speech had ended which meant the only way Rarity could be backstage now is if she left before the speech ended. Which she would only do if she knew Scootaloo well enough to predict her overwhelming need to flee. It was pure instinct that drove Scootaloo into the waiting forelegs of the pony she just spoke about. Instinct that told her within that embrace she was safe and loved and nothing else mattered. The roar subsided and a voice said something about taking a brief recess, but Scootaloo wasn’t sure, she was too busy clinging to Rarity for dear life. Out in the audience even Diamond Tiara clapped, though perhaps not as enthusiastically as her classmates. “I'm sure that wasn't easy for you,” Rarity said, looking down. Scootaloo shook her head. “I'm very proud of you, dear,” and Scootaloo felt a reassuring squeeze. “You’re pretty sure I love you?” The question was asked with a raised eyebrow and the beginnings of a smile. “Yeah, ” Scootaloo replied softly. “Well I’m pretty sure you love me too,” Rarity said with the beginning of a sly grin. “Thanks, Mom,” Scootaloo whispered. “You're most welcome, Pumpkin,” Rarity whispered back. “I think I'm still going to call you ‘Rarity,’” Scootaloo said louder. “I shall probably still call you ‘Scootaloo.’” “I'm okay with that.” “Splendid.” Out of the corner of her eye Rarity saw a white and yellow blur racing toward them. “I do believe we’re about to have company.” In the span of half a second Scootaloo found herself as the filling in a crusaders hug sandwich, Sweetie on her left and Apple Bloom on her right. She took a moment to awkwardly attempt to acknowledge the gesture, but then without warning Apple Bloom slugged her in the shoulder. “Hey, what was that for?” Scootaloo said, indigently rubbing her foreleg. “Cause you said you didn't think anyone loved ya. We love ya and you know it.” “You know what I meant.” Both ponies turned to Sweetie Belle, looking to her to cast the deciding vote. “Sorry, Apple Bloom, I’ve got to side with my niece on this one” “I'm not calling you Auntie Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo shouted, launching herself full throttle at Sweetie.  From there the discussion devolved into a general scrum as Rarity watched with a smile. Thanks to Autumn's wholehearted recommendation, as well as calling in a few favors, the last few months of Rarity’s fostering were waived in favor of granting immediate full custody. All that was left was the signing of the adoption papers. Theoretically Rarity, Scootaloo and Autumn could have just signed the papers at the Foal Services office, or the Boutique; but this was a celebratory event and happy occasions in Ponyville were pretty much legally mandated to be accompanied by Pinkie Pie sanctioned and planned parties. The Boutique was closed for the afternoon and decorated with as many balloons as could comfortably fill the space. A big banner hung above the doorway reading congratulations in gold letters. A buffet table with fruit and cake, decorated with flowers donated by Lily and Treble, housed refreshments. After the guest had arrived, with everyone watching, Rarity magically grabbed a pen and signed her name with a flourish, holding the paper aloft and presenting it to the world. The assembled crowd burst into applause. Music began to play and the crowd dispersed, some moving towards the refreshments, others hoping to get a chance to offer well wishes in person. Papers stowed in his saddlebag, Autumn began slowly moving toward the door, taking one last moment to take in the scene. He had heard his colleges describe these moments as bittersweet, but he never really understood that. For him there was nothing melancholy about closing a file, it was the best part of his job, in some ways the only redeeming part. It signaled that he had succeeded in making a child’s life better, what was bittersweet about that? He was about to open the door and quietly slip away when he felt a tug on his tail. “You’re leaving?” Scootaloo asked, looking up  with wide eyes. Autumn nodded, accompanying the gesture with a shrug. “I have the signed papers, everything’s one hundred percent offical now. There’s nothing left for me to do.” “I guess this means I’m not going to see you anymore.” There was a idiom around the office at Foal Services, sort of a dark humour that said once you closed a file you never wanted to see that child again. The unspoken truth being if you did it meant something had gone horribly wrong. Autumn didn’t share the joke with Scootaloo, but it did quickly run through his head. The harsh truth was that he didn’t want to see Scootaloo again, at least not in any official capacity. Their journey had been longer than most and it appeared to have a happy ending. Used to trauma though he was he didn’t dare imagine how hard it would be, for both of them, if he had to reopen Scootaloo’s file. But a glance at Rarity, who could only be described as beaming as she talked to her friends, reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said smiling to push down the fear. “My office is going to be right where you left it, and if you have another dance recital, I’ll be right there clapping for you.” Scootaloo didn’t look convinced, her eyebrows narrowing. He sighed, “Okay  you’re right, things will be different from now on. My job was always to find you a family, and I know it wasn’t as easy as you would have liked but we did it, and it looks to me like it’s a pretty great one.” Scootaloo took a long look at the assembled guest, her gaze lingering on Rarity and Sweetie Belle. “Yeah, they are pretty great.” She looked up at her case officer slash sort of friend. “I never said thank you,” she said with a regretful grimace. “You never have to, I was just doing my job.” Scootaloo shook her head. “No, I do. Family is ponies who care about you, I know that now. And I think maybe if you didn’t care about me, I wouldn’t have found such a great one, so maybe, in a way you were kind of my family.” Autumn brushed the comment away with a flick of his hoof before it could take root. “Nah, you’re pretty special, I never thought, even for one moment, that I wouldn’t be able to find you a great home.” It was a lie, but it was the kind of lie ponies told because the truth was unnecessary. “Thank you.” Now it was Autumns turn to shake his head. “Okay, that’s enough of that.  Why don’t you run along and enjoy your party?" And Scootaloo did.