"You have failed again."
"You're useless."
"A flightless bird."
"What pegasus can't fly?"
"Failure."
"Useless."
"Flightless."
"Worthless."
"I-I'm sorry I've failed you!" Scootaloo cried out, tears flowing out of her eyes. "But I have my friends, th-they'll stop you!"
"They'll abandon you too, Scootaloo... Just like every other has..." sneered a voice in the middle of the dark shadows that surrounded Scootaloo.
"N-no they won't!" Scootaloo cried out, whirling around to try and pinpoint the source of the voice. As she turned, she saw the figure of Apple Bloom in between all of the darkness. She ran over to the farm filly and latched herself onto her leg, "Apple Bloom, help me! Stay with me, th-they're coming for me!" She begged, looking up at her in tears.
"Why would Ah' stay with a failure of a chicken like you?..." Apple Bloom said with a disgusted look on her face. Shaking Scootaloo off, she turned into another shadow.
"N-no! Apple Bloom, why? I thought we were friends!" Scootaloo said, the feeling of betrayal beginning to show in her mind. When no reply came, Scootaloo saw Sweetie Belle and called out as she ran over to her, "Sweetie, thank Celestia you're here! A-apple Bloom left me... You're still my friend, right? We've been friends for so long..."
"We were friends until I found out just how useless and annoying you are." Sweetie Belle replied as she faded into another shadow.
"S-sweetie, why?! Please don't go! I-I'll be less annoying, I'll stop being useless! Please stay with me..." Scootaloo begged, but to no avail. She looked around and saw a very familiar cyan coat and rainbow mane. She ran over to her as fast as her legs could carry her.
"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo shouted as bravely as she could to the cyan mare. She stood right next to Rainbow Dash,"Oh, Rainbow Dash, I need your help! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle don't want to be my friends anymore... They say I'm useless. I know it's true, but I just don't know what to do..."
"Why are you asking me then, chicken?" Rainbow Dash said coldly. She pushed Scootaloo away from her, ignoring the distressed look on the filly's face. "I mean, you are useless, and a failure. I can see why they did that. Leave me alone; you're starting to get on my nerves. Plus, someone as cool as me can't hang out with a chicken as uncool as you."
"Rainbow, you can't really mean it!" Scootaloo said, starting to tear up. She blinked hard; she couldn't let her hero see her cry.
Rainbow Dash then flew away and melted into the many dark shadows of the land around Scootaloo.
The process repeated many more times until everything was dark. There was only one pony left, Dinky Hooves.
"Dinky! W-will you leave me too? Please don't!" Scootaloo cried at Dinky's hooves. She begged, "I won't be useless, I'll learn to fly! I won't be as annoying, just, please... Don't leave me..."
"Scootaloo, you can't change. You'll always be this failure. Goodbye, my ex-chicken." Dinky said with a cold glare as she left Scootaloo, leaving the pegasus filly all alone.
"A useless, failure, chicken..." voices around Scootaloo chanted.
"P-please, n-no!" Scootaloo cried out as she lay in a ball, sobbing in her misery. The shadows began to surround Scootaloo, pulling her into them. There was only eternal darkness everywhere.
Just as she as about to give into the darkness, it all blasted away. With tears blinding her slightly, Scootaloo saw a live pony. By then, she didn't care who it was, she ran over to them and latched onto their leg with as much force she could muster.
"P-please d-don't leave me t-too! P-please stay!" Scootaloo said, crying with loneliness as she wrapped her whole body around the leg. She opened her eyes which she realized were closed and saw that the leg was a beautiful dark blue. She looked up, trying to figure out whose leg she was latched onto.
"You didn't expect us, did you, young Scootaloo?" a gentle voice calmly asked. Scootaloo recognized the face and voice as Princess Luna. Her beautiful, starry mane flowing in the breeze, Luna said, "Do not cry, you are not alone, my dear filly."
"P-princess Luna? Wait... Does this mean I was dreaming?" Scootaloo sniffled in shock. Her eyes widened, but she kept her grip on the princess's leg.
"Yes, and you still are. You have nothing to fear, for this is all a dream. These weren't really your friends, but rather fragments of your imagination. We saw you were having doubts about what would happen next. And trust us, you'll never be alone again after this." the princess of the night said, trying to comfort the filly. She wrapped her other foreleg against the teary eyed Scootaloo and said, "We have someone we want you to talk too, Scootaloo. Climb upon our back, and we will take you there."
Scootaloo reluctantly let go of the princess's leg and climbed onto her soft back. She wrapped her forelegs around Luna's silky neck and held on tightly. As Luna began flying, Scootaloo dug her head into the princess's beautiful mane, taking comfort from Luna. As they flew, she asked, "S-so none of this w-was real? It wasn't... Them?..."
"No, Scootaloo. They aren't coming back; they can't hurt you." Luna said as she flapped her large wings and soared through the dream land. "Now, tell us. Are your fears really your friends leaving you? Or is it something else?"
"I'm afraid of failing them... Not being worthy of being their friends. Letting them see that I'm not the brave filly I am on the outside." Scootaloo murmured softly.
"Your friends don't think that. The pony you are about to see will show you how your friends truly feel." Luna explained.
"But who's the pony that you want me to see, Princess?" Scootaloo asked with curiosity. Luna didn't answer and instead started to fly downwards.
Scootaloo recognized that they were now in Ponyville. When Luna landed, Scootaloo hopped down from her back. "Thanks for the ride, Princess. But I don't see any ponies here."
"Scoots, over here!" a high pitched voice called out from behind her. The pegasus filly turned around and found Dinky standing there.
"Dinky? What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked in surprise.
"Princess Luna told me that you were scared and that you needed me to tell you how I feel about you." the unicorn said with a hint of worry in her voice. She started to walk over to Scootaloo as she said, "She told me what you're going through.
“You should've told me how you felt, Scootaloo. I would've been there for you; you didn't have to face this alone..."
"I'm sorry, Dinky. I- I just thought you would think I was weak if I told you how I really feel... I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore if you found out how uncool I am," Scootaloo said in a whisper, blinking hard so nopony would see her crying. She cast her eyes downwards in shame, ready for Dinky to abandon her.
"Scootaloo!" Dinky said sharply. She took another step forward towards the trembling filly. With dejection clear in her voice, she said, "I would never see you like that. You're the bravest filly I know! We're best friends, and best friends are there for each other. They never leave you, and they're always there for you when you need them. And I plan on doing just that."
"Y-you mean we're still f-friends?" Scootaloo sniffled nervously.
"Of course, Scoots. And we will be forever. I will never, ever leave you." Dinky said with honestly that could match Applejack's.
Dinky lay her horn against Scootaloo's head. A brilliant white magic surrounded the two as they began to levitate. Luna softly smiled as she watched the two fillies.
The two fillies levitated a bit higher, their manes swaying in the breeze. As they floated higher, the aura of magic around them exploded into a mass of bright light. A few moments later, Scootaloo and Dinky found themselves falling. They screamed and grabbed each other's hooves.
Upon seeing the fillies falling, Luna made a huge leap, spreading her wings open to fly in. In a split second, she caught the fillies on her back. She grunted at the weight pushing her down before she gracefully lowered the fillies safely down to the ground.
"Wh-what happened to us?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes bright in wonder.
"You two have just witnessed the true powers of the most powerful magic there is in Equestria," Luna said, wrapping her large wings around the two. "The magic of friendship. Scootaloo, your friendship with Dinky is great, strong and powerful. Together, nothing can stop you."
"R-really? Scootaloo asked, her eyes widening in amazement.
"Yeah, Scootaloo," Dinky said as she gave the pegasus a hug. "I love you as much, or more, than any BFFF could. You're truly the best filly friend I could ever have."
Returning the hug with nigh unending happiness, Scootaloo asked curiously, "What does the last 'f' stand for, Dinks?"
"Forever," Dinky said in a soothing whisper. "Best filly friends forever."
"Th-thank you, Dinks... You don't know how much this means to me." Scootaloo felt something wet trickle down her cheeks, and realized she was crying.
"Dear Scootaloo, it is time for you to wake," Luna said with a smile, stepping away from the fillies. "Do you have any doubts about your friends now? Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash and all of your other friends feel the same way Dinky does. They all love you; they're your friends and would never stop being that."
"I guess my friends do care a lot more than I thought... But do I have to go now? I mean I want to stay..." Scootaloo said with a sad frown, not wanting to leave the comforting dream.
"Scootaloo, what will happen next will be worth it. You'll be back with Dinky soon enough." Luna lay a wing over Scootaloo, bringing the filly closer. "Dinky and I will be watching you in spirit, through this dream. You won't be alone after this, my dear filly."
"Yeah, I'll be there for you, Scoots. I'll be watching over you; we will be there together." Dinky said as she gave Scootaloo a big hug when Luna stepped away, her horn surrounded by a white aura.
"Alright, thanks, Dinky. And thanks, Princess, for showing me that everypony really cares. Let's see where life takes me next," Scootaloo said with a smile as everything around her began to fade as Luna's magic surrounded her. She waved a hoof at the two blurry ponies in front of her, before hearing her name being called in the distance.
"Scootaloo, wake up." Dr. Whooves said to the sleeping filly on his back.
"Scootaloo? We're here, wake up, muffin." Derpy called out gently in her cute voice as she lightly shook the orange filly.
Scootaloo's eyes fluttered open. She rubbed then and saw Derpy and the Doctor when she opened them again. With a yawn, she asked, "Hm? Where am I?"
"Ah, Scootaloo. You've woken up; we need to go inside now." Dr. Whooves gave a warm smile, looking at the filly on his back.
"Oh, uh, alright. Thanks so much for the ride, Dr. Whooves," Scootaloo said as she hopped from his back onto the ground. "It meant a lot to me."
"It was my pleasure," the doctor replied.
"Where are we going anyways?" Scootaloo asked with a tilt of her head. She decided not to tell Dinky's parents about the dream.
"You'll find out soon, muffin!" Derpy said with a large smile. "Come on, let's go in."
The three began to walk, and Scootaloo soon found herself in between the Doctor and Derpy. She trotted in between them until they came to a room numbered '225'. Dr. Whooves knocked three times on the door and waited. A mulberry colored mare opened the door.
"Hello again, Mrs. Sweet Berry. This is my wife, Derpy and this is the filly I was talking about, Scootaloo" Dr. Whooves said with a smile.
"Come on inside, Scootaloo," Derpy said as she and the doctor entered the room.
"Sign right here, Mrs. Hooves." Sweet Berry said as she levitated some papers over to the gray pegasus mare. Turning to the orange pegasus filly, she asked, "You're Scootaloo, yes?"
"Uh, y-yeah..." Scootaloo answered cautiously.
Sweet Berry pointed to a chair as she said, "Well, dear, you can sit on that chair over there while Mrs. and Dr. Whooves sign some papers."
"Alright, thanks," Scootaloo said. She hopped onto the chair, settling onto it comfortably, grabbing a random magazine off of the little table next to her,beginning to gaze through it.
An hour later, a very bored Scootaloo saw Sweet Berry stand up and walk over to her with a small stack of papers, Dr. Whooves and Derpy behind her.
"Do you want to tell her?" Sweet Berry asked Derpy.
Derpy nodded and asked Scootaloo, "Scootaloo, remember how you told me you were homeless?"
"Yeah, of course. I mean it's not something forgettable..." Scootaloo answered, confused by the question.
"Well, it'll take a few months to make it official, but we are adopting you!" Derpy said, a large, giddy smile on her face. "From now on, you're a part of our family."
Scootaloo's mouth gaped open as her jaw fell. "Th-this is true?" Scootaloo asked, her voice cracking, "I-it's not a j-joke, right?"
"This is all true, Scootaloo, it's no joke," Dr. Whooves said with a comforting smile as he moved next to his wife.
Tears of joy started to roll down Scootaloo's cheeks, as she ran over, jumping into the awaiting hooves of her new parents. She sobbed into the two ponies. "Th-thank you! Thank you so much!! It means so much f-for me to have a family! And such awesome ponies for parents too! And such an awesome sister too!"
Scootaloo paused for a few seconds. Then, with slight hesitation, she asked, "Can I call you guys Mom and Dad?..."
"We wouldn't have it any other way," Derpy said, wrapping a wing around the happy filly. "Also, you have another sister that you still have to meet. Sparkler wasn't able to make it for the holidays because of college, but I'm sure you'll love her when you meet her!"
"Wow! Two awesome parents and two awesome sisters? This is the best thing I could wish for!" Scootaloo cried out with a grin on her face. But after a moment of thought, she asked, "But why?"
"We were looking to adopt somepony for a few months. But we couldn't find the one that was just right for us." Dr. Whooves said as he hugged Scootaloo. "That was, until we saw you. We knew that you were the right one. Derpy and I decided to get you a present for Hearth's Warming. And now we welcome you to our family, Scootaloo."
"Thank you, Mom, thank you, Dad. Thank you so much! This is the best Hearth's Warming present any filly could ever get. I'll be the very best daughter I can!"
"And we will do our best to be the parents you've yearned for, for all of these years," Derpy said as she ended the hug. She kissed the filly on the forehead before saying, "Let's go home. In the morning, we can tell Dinky about her new sister!"
"Yeah, let's go. I'm exhausted from everything that happened on the best Hearth's Warming ever." Scootaloo said with a yawn. Inwardly, she remembered her dream. She remembered Dinky saying that she was going to watch her from the dream. With a smile, she tried to imagine the expression on Dinky's face.
"Farewell, congratulations on getting a new daughter, Dr. and Mrs. Hooves. Soon enough, it will be completly official. And congratulations on getting such amazing parents, Scootaloo." Sweet Berry said with a wink as she lead them to the exit of the building.
They all thanked Sweet Berry and wished her good night.
"Scootaloo, do you want to ride on my back?" Dr. Whooves asked his new daughter as they left the building.
"Yeah, thanks, Dad," Scootaloo answered as she climbed onto her father's back.
"This was the best gift I could ever get..." Scootaloo softly whispered as the tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. "This is the best Hearth's Warming ever!"
"This was the best gift I could ever get..." Dinky happily sobbed into Luna's chest, as the alicorn held her closely, letting the little unicorn cry out, "This is the best Hearth's Warming ever!"