//------------------------------// // Arrival // Story: Queen Scootaloo // by thedarktome //------------------------------// Twilight woke up the next morning at the alarm that was Spike's belch, notifying her that Luna responded back...or even Celestia. Although she didn't want to admit it, she still loved her mentor. Even if she did kill all those thestrals....or whoever forced her. She got out of bed and made her way over to Spike's basket that was situated next to her bed. She really should get him a bed. A real one that did not sit on the floor. Something far better than a basket. It looked far better for her as a princess to have her assistant actually sleep in a bed rather than the floor. Always is. She picked up the scroll and looked at it, reading the message Luna sent aloud. "Dear Princess Twilight. While it pains me to do this, I fear we have no choice as well. More so than on that letter you sent two days ago. The guards that were sent to the tomb of the thestrals have uncovered vital information as to what Celestia's, or whoever took her over, reason for killing the thestrals, which is why it took me awhile to respond back. They were searching for something. "During the time of searching, the thestrals were just there. So they were slaughtered because she believed they were hiding it from her. The item is called 'The Orb of Zebrica'. We believe she is still actively looking for it. The orb is powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands. We have no idea who is precisely after it. But whoever it is, they are still looking for it. Where it was held before, it was taken and hidden away. We must find it before they do. "The only clue we have is a riddle or a prophecy. Probably both. "'The Orb of Zebrica is not here, For it will bring to ponies fear. But it still exists In another world's forest. Through the gateway you must roam it will be found in the betrayed one's home. Home to the human child who has flown twenty miles, Away from the deceivers and non-believers. Her heart will be hardened, her life has fallen, Stop her before she heeds to her calling.' "Whatever we are dealing with here, it's with the humans. We believe they have already left to go after the person. There was a bit of very recently used dark magic in the tomb. "We must get to wherever these humans are and get to them fast. "Your Fellow Royal, Princess Luna." Spike was sitting there with his eyes wide open. "We need to find someone who can do dark magic! Like, right now!" He said. "If only we knew some pony or something that could.........." Spike got a nonchalant look on his face as it dawned on him. "What?" Twilight asked, walking in front of him. "What is it?" "AWwwww, COME ON! We already have someone who can do chaos magic, which is a form of dark magic!" "Who?!" "Discord!" Twilight looked at him frozen. How in Equestria could she forget Discord?! The only......Dranconequus that actually causes damage just to do it! Twilight lit her horn, teleporting the both of them out of bed and in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Discord visits Fluttershy all the time. She'd know how to get a hold of him since the elements were out of service. The princess walked forward and knocked frantically on her door, spooking the timid Pegasus who was sitting down in her living room. She laid down her book and stood up, making her way towards the front door and to the frantic knocking of an 'insane pony'. "Who is it?" She asked quietly. "Twilight! Open up Fluttershy, it's important!" Fluttershy quickly unlocked the door and let in the unbalanced dragon, dizzy from Twilight's transportation, and Twilight herself. "Fluttershy, we need you to call Discord! We figured out a way to get to Rainbow! Er...Anemone!" "Um....okay. Discord!" They waited a moment before the creature in question appeared in a flash in Fluttershy's living room with a bathrobe on. "Fluttershy! I was in the middle of a chocolate shower!" He cried, getting the chocolate of his back with an owl that was perched next to his head. "Warm me the next time you—" "No time Draconequus!" Twilight yelled, getting his attention as she ran over to him. "We need your help! Right now!" Discord groaned before setting the owl back on its perch. "Why is it that the only time you ask for me it's to help you? Why don't you ever do what Fluttershy does? 'Hello, Discord. It's great to see you again. How are you? Did you destroy a town lately? Oh that sounds just wonderful.' Hey. Here's an idea. Why don't you try that sometime? You might enjoy it." Twilight just stared at him nonchalantly before shrugging. "Meh. I'll think about it. Look, Rainbow Dash has been exiled to Earth and we need to get there fast. Somepony is going after them to take something very important that could mean the end of Equestria, Earth, and you!" "So somebody banished the two last notorious thestrals that Celestia didn't even know about? And you need to get them back?" Twilight wasn't even surprised he knew. "Not only that. But what the thestrals were slaughtered over is on Earth. And we need to get there immediately! Is there any way you can create a portal there?" "Of course, I go there all the time. But I'll only let you go if you agree to let me watch. This is going to be so good." "Yeah, yeah, sure. Just get us there." Discord rolled his eyes and rolled his hand around while Twilight teleported to grab everyone else. After a few minutes, they were all in Fluttershy's living room. "Do it!" They yelled. "Okay, okay!" He snapped his fingers making a light blue portal appear in front of the fireplace. "This better be towards Earth, Draconequus," Luna scolded. Celestia was just looking at the portal strangely. She walked forward and put her hoof in, not expecting the next thing. She yelped as she was pulled inside. Luna darted forward and grabbed her rear hoof, trying to hold on before everyone else did the same thing. Eventually they were all pulled into the portal. Discord looked around the empty room, making sure no one else was looking before grabbing the owl and jumping in after them. Rainbow Dash was literally crying her eyes out on Twilight's couch. Her surrogate sister was gone. The one she called family away from family, sister forever, her inspiration...was gone. And she's the one who caused it. They were all situated in Twilight's house again, telling the police what they knew. "Five foot six, fifteen years old, any relation to anyone?" One of the detectives asked. "I'm her friend. Even though I don't deserve that title." They all looked toward's Rainbow's tear streaked face, definitely wallowing in a guilt that she was feeling. The detective wrote that down as well, just in case something called for it. "Wow, she looks bad," Amaryllis whispered. The thestrals were looking in through some bushes next to Twilight's patio. "I'll say. I would be feeling the exact same way if any of this happened to you. You weren't.....taken advantage of...were you?" Anemone asked carefully. Afraid of the answer. Amaryllis shut her eyes giving Anemone giving her sister her answer. The oldest sister almost screamed but put her hands over her mouth to contain her anger. Why the hell was this happening?! "Okay....okay, that's not important right now. We'll deal with that later. Right now, we need to focus on Scootaloo." They refocused their hearing back on the detectives in the house, although Amaryllis was worlds away in her own mind. Suddenly, both thestrals felt a jolt of magic in the air, coming from the north. In a place that was very familiar to them. "Did you feel that?!" Amaryllis yelled a little too loud. The detectives outside looked towards the patio before going back to the work. "It came from the school! Come on!" They flew out of the bushes and launched into the air, leaving the others inside wondering what in the world that was. *** "Ugghhhh.....Sister get off of me," Luna groaned. "I am way over here, Luna," Celestia called, lying on one of the rocks from the remains of the statue. Twilight was laying on top of her teacher's back while the others were in their own pile. Discord, in human form, was sitting on the steps of the school already, grinning at their predicament. He was dressed in all black. Black jeans, black shirt, and black boots. With a black baseball hat to match. "You ponies sure know how to make a great entrance," he commented, chomping on some sunflower seeds. "I mean really. Who in the world could—" "TWILIGHT!" They all looked up to see two objects flying towards them at full speed. "GET AWAY FROM THAT MONSTER!" "Uh oh," Rarity said, standing up. Since this was their first time actually bipedalisms, they all, except Twilight had a little trouble getting them to move. "We totally—whoa—we totally forgot about Celestia and the Thestrals' feud." "Yeah, that's not good," Applejack agreed. Amaryllis swooped in and grabbed Twilight from off of Celestia while Rainbow landed on Celestia, ready to pummel her. "Do you realize what the hay you've done?!!" "NO! I don't!" Celestia retorted. "What in Equestria is going on?!" "Oooo, a fight," Discord said, grabbing the Thestral's attention. "I'm gonna need more popcorn." "Who's that? They sound familiar," Amaryllis asked, pointing towards the person covered in black. "That's Discord!" Pinkie said, somehow eating her own bag of popcorn. "He got us here. Now fight already!" "Oh yeah." Anemone grabbed Celestia's shirt and hoisted her up to her face. "Do you realize what the hay you've put my sister through?! Everything is going upside down now because of you!" "I don't know what you're talking about!!" EVERYPONY STOP!! Luna yelled. They all looked towards the princess of the night who currently had a bewildered look on her face. "Celestia...you're not under the spell." Realization dawned on the princess' face. "I'm not. It must be a flaw. Go to a different dimension and it doesn't work." "What the hay are you talking about?!" Anemone yelled, bringing her back to reality. Luna rolled her eyes before using her magic to peel the anger-driven thestral off her sister and towards the others. "Celestia has been spelled," Twilight explained. "Everything she did to your kind was completely out of her control. It looks like it doesn't work here though. Whoever that pony was probably didn't know that." Luna helped her sister up before going into her mind. Perhaps she could get a clear visual as to who that pony was. Celestia's eyes flashed white while Luna poked around. She ran to that same door and opened it, revealing the same dark chamber before Celestia's eyes cracked open revealing the pony in the cloak. But this time....they were visible. It was a mare alicorn. Yellow coat, that gradually turned red going down. Her mane was a blood red, her eyes were black slits while her horn shimmered with her magic. But instead of the yellow aura like it was before, it was black. She had a sinister smile on her face before she lunged at her, forcing Luna to jump back. She let go of Celestia's mind and backed away, allowing her sister to get recuperated. "Celestia. Do you know of an alicorn with a yellow and red coat? Blood red mane?" She asked her. Celestia put her hand to her chin, not even registering that she didn't have hooves anymore. But everyone else did. They were clearly freaking out on the other side. Moving their hands around, biting the fingers, looking at everything else like their faces. "Yes. There was a pony by the name of Zolan Flair," Celestia answered. "Did she have any relationship with the thestrals?" "She helped conduct peace talks with them. The talk didn't go as well as I'd hoped it would, but we still managed to come to an agreement. The Thestrals and the ponies were having a problem with land. The badlands were apart of Equestria, but the thestrals have been living on it for some time. She and I went to settle the dispute, but she was more after the magic the thestrals had control over than peace. That was one hundred years before your return. We had the peace talks with my friend, the ruler of the thestrals, named Bright Zinnia. When I didn't agree to go after the power, she held nothing but hatred in her heart. After which I broke off the relationship. Are you telling me she went in my mind?" "Yes. But....her magic was different. Before when I went in your mind, her aura was yellow. But this time when I saw her, it was black. She was using dark magic." "She was able to go inside my head with dark magic," Celestia muttered. "It takes years to learn that." "What ya' talkin' 'bout, Sunbutt?" Discord said, standing right beside the two. "I can easily go in your head with a snap of my fingers. It's as easy as—" "TWILIGHT!!" They all looked behind them to see Sunset Shimmer and the others running over, worry written all over their faces. "We thought you found her," Rarity said as she stopped in front of her before taking a look at....herself? "Why, hello, darling! Must I say, you look fantastic in all that purple!" Ponyville Rarity looked down at her clothes to see all the purple she was wearing. It was a purple dress, purple shoes, purple knee high socks, and a light purple dress. "Why thank you! And you look just fabulous in the white and purple." "Oh no. Two Raritys," Anemone and Rainbow said at the same time. The thestral looked over to her counterpart, who was still worried. "How you doin'?" She asked. "I'm not going to get any better until she's found." "Who are you talking about?" Princess Twilight asked. "You guys keep saying she, her, and sister. What's going on?" "Well....while we were stuck here, we found out some very important things about the Scootaloos," Sci-Twi said, adjusting her glasses. "Both of them were living outdoors and had it really rough for years on end. The Scootaloo here was living on her own ever since she was five while Amaryllis has been living outside since......" "Three." "Age three." Those who didn't know gasped and looked towards the girl who was hiding behind her sister. "So we checked into Scootaloo, since everyone here does the same thing, just in a different form, and found out about her situation. It was so much worse." "Both of them were..........taken advantage of," the oldest thestral said. They all wore expressions of horror while Amaryllis hid more behind her sister. "But Scootaloo on this side was not only raped. She was drugged, as well as abused. We don't know by who. We just know she was." "I took her to the hospital," Rainbow choked out, definitely having a hard time getting the words out. "We actually found her going through the trash for food where she ate something covered in old grease. She got food poisoning from it, so we took her there where I saw the scars, cuts, bruises, and I learned she was taken advantage of. The people wanted to put her in a home and get the police involved but she didn't want to go. She wanted to come home with me instead. I told her it wasn't my decision to make and that I had no say so in the matter. After that, all of Tartarus broke loose. "She tried to hit me and the doctor. While I was speaking to her, it was like everything that she held onto was taken away from her. I was the only thing she had left and I abandoned her too. She escaped the hospital and hitchhiked with somebody she probably doesn't even know. By now she's probably left the city or even the county. And we have no idea where she is." "She's hurt, she's depressed, and she's angry," Applejack said. "She has no money and nowhere to go. She's just runnin'." "That's not good at all," Ponyville Applejack stated. "And you have no idea where she went? How about you, Amaryllis? You and her are technically the same." "The only place I would've gone is the woods. She fled the whole city." They all sighed until something clicked in Princess Twilight's mind. "Wait a second......Luna, the prophecy." The Princess of the Night looked at Twilight trying to figure out what she meant until it clicked. "Through the gateway you must roam," the two princesses repeated. "It will be found in the betrayed one's home. Home to the human child who has flown twenty miles, away from the deceivers and non-believers. Her heart will be hardened, her life has fallen, stop her before she heeds to her calling." The others looked at them trying to see what they were getting at. "I launched an investigation into the slaughtered thestrals and discovered a clue," Luna explained. "There was something in there about a human child, betrayal, and has fled twenty miles away from home. We think that child is Scootaloo." "And she's gone twenty miles," Sci-Twi finished. "There's a clue, that's where Scootaloo is!" "But what city, or town is twenty miles away?" Rainbow asked. She pulled out her phone and started searching, confusing the Equestrian natives. "Uhhh.....why is she looking at a block?" Ponyville Pinkie asked, eating another bag of popcorn. "It's not a block, it's a smartphone," Sci-Twi stated matter-of-factly, clearing her throat to prepare a lecture. "Oh no," Rainbow groaned. "Twilight, if you do that, no more kissy faces." Twilight froze with her mouth open before she groaned and got her begrudged look on. "Kissy face?" EQG Applejack asked, confused like the others. "Nothing, let's just...let's just search for this place," Rainbow said, shutting down the conversation before it even began. She pulled up the maps before looking around the area. "There's a city, approximately twenty miles south of here. Trottingham." "That's where I went then," Amaryllis said, finally stepping out from behind Rainbow Dash. "It sounds like something I would do. Trottingham is a city, a really big city. You can easily hide in there." "Then that's definitely where she went." Sunset pulled out her phone and called the detectives, relaying the information to them. "That's not enough," Rainbow said once she hung up. "She's already on edge, she needs a friend over there. We all need to get there." "I know, I know," the princess of friendship said, rubbing her head. "But how? We can't all just take a car." "What's a car?" Ponyville Rarity asked. "I could get you there with a snap of my fingers. Easy as this owl." They all looked down to see Discord grinning up at them from the ground, poking the owl with a stick who was trying to kick it away with it's claws. "Uhhh.....who are you?" Applejack asked. "Discord," the Equestrians groaned. "He actually helped us get here," Princess Twilight added. "And I gave him permission to tag along. He's the God of Chaos." "What?" Sunset asked. "Aww, come on, Sunny. Did you lose your ear or something?" Discord asked, holding up a familiar yellow ear in his left hand. Sunset looked at it before feeling the right side of her head to find her ear missing. "Hey, put that back!" She yelled. Discord groaned and rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers, placing the ear back on her head. "You humans are no fun either. But I can get you to Trottingham, easily. Are you sure your parents would approve though?" "Just do it, Discord!" The princesses yelled. "Fine, fine. All this hostility." The human draconequus snapped his fingers, making everyone there vanish in a flash of light. Headed on the way to see Scootaloo. The drive to Trottingham was not pleasant at all. Scootaloo regretted every second of it. But she was here now. That was all that mattered. "Here's your stop, slut," her driver said. Scootaloo opened the door and got out the truck with a blood gushing gash on her cheek and a black eye. During the "payment", she refused to do some things he told her to do during the drive. He purposely drove slow, slower than the speed limit to get his own pleasure to last longer. When she refused to do it, he grabbed a knife and cut her cheek and hit her multiple times to "convince" her. There was a big gash in her face now that would indubitably be another scar, as well as a black eye. The tires screeched as the truck drove off, forcing the door slam shut while she kneeled down and threw up. That man was disgusting. Hopefully she wouldn't have to do that again, but she had to get out of that city. She couldn't stand being around the place where the last person she trusted had betrayed her. Practically pushed her to the ground. The last person she found as hope did as well. So she gave up. Now that she thought about it, she might as well become what that man had called her. A slut. A no good child that was thrown away into the bushes, treated like trash, and ate out of it for the last ten years. That's what she was. Nothing else. Only a slut. After emptying her guts out onto the ground she looked up to face her new destination. Trottingham. It was a big city. Skyscrapers here, restaurants there. It was like the New York of... Whatever the hay state she was in. Scootaloo slowly rose to her feet and wiped her mouth to get that gross man stuff off. Then started making her way to the city. Her clothes were tattered, her feet were bare, and she had a gash on her cheek. A large one that hurt and was burning a lot. Not to mention pouring out blood running down into her shirt. She would undoubtedly be asked about that if someone finds her. Hopefully no one will. If they do, she'll... She didn't even want to think about it. Although there were plenty of places and ways to do it, she couldn't yet. No matter how enticing it seemed. But it was more than likely going to happen soon. Because she couldn't keep going on like this. She walked up to the entrance of the city, with a sign on the side of the road that read, "Welcome To Trottingham!" Obviously used to bring joy to those coming in. Once walking past, she looked back on the other side of the road where another sign was displaying fancy text. "Thanks For Visiting! We Hope To See You Again!" "Yeah, right," she muttered. She cried out suddenly when she stepped on something sharp. She looked down her right foot. A large gash from a very sharp piece of littered glass now decorated her sole. Now her foot was bleeding quickly. "Great," she grumbled. She ignored the pain and continued limping into the city. The tall buildings provided shadows from the spring-turning-summer heat. This place was obviously made for business. Banks, technology, startups, CEOs, S-VIPs, Founders, etcetera. Not for people like her. Which made it easier for her to hide. You don't look for an ant in a hive of honeybees. That was just stupid and a waste of time. She walked past a storefront, obviously luxurious. Only for the rich and famous. One could tell by the leather pocketbooks and jackets in the display window. If she wanted to, she would have thrown a brick straight through the glass. Just to make her feel better. But she didn't even have the strength to do it. She was numb. Emotionally numb and there was nothing anybody could do to get her out of it. Nothing at all. She was depressed. Sad. Done. After walking a few minutes she started to see other people. And sure enough, they were giving her looks. Of course you'd give the scarred, battered, and raped girl a closer look. You'd treat her like the animal you think she is. The slut that even she calls herself. What else would you do besides call the police? They probably would scold her, give her a hard time for running away. But it's not technically running away if you had nothing to run away from. She walked into a park area, where multiple people were hanging out at. Not a lot, just a little. Maybe the average student here and there from a rich high school or college she only wished she could attend. Having absolutely no official school attendance, she didn't actually know what it felt like to be in school and not worry about getting in trouble. Only run around it. Scootaloo sighed and took a seat on the ground. Her back leaned against a brick wall behind her. Hopefully, nobody would stop to ask her what was up with her. What's with all the marks. Speaking of which, she had to clean that gash. It was so big, she didn't know if it was going to scar over or not. Having no health insurance, and figured going to the hospital could cause problems, she might as well see what nature has in plan for it. And had her. Scootaloo barely got any sleep from the night's venturing. So she closed her eyes and let her high speed heart slow down. Riding twenty miles away from Canterlot was taxing. The sexual activity in the truck wore her out too, considering that jerk of a driver. She let a few tears release from her eyes as she thought about what she did. And why she had to do it. All because her last hope hadn't taken her in. The doctors were going to put her in a home, a place where she would have nothing. No freedom, no hope, and absolutely no say so on what went on in her life. The second the papers were signed and she was handed over to the state, that would be it. Her life would be erased. At least in Canterlot, she had the trash. "Is she alright?" "I don't know, I'm way over here." "Well go talk to her." Scootaloo let her mind relax before she registered what was going on in the world around her. Somebody was talking about her, that's for sure. They can say what she wants, she was dead anyway. "Hey, kid." She slowly opened her eyes and glanced up into the eyes of some business guy in a suit. Definitely rich or something. "Are you okay?" Scootaloo didn't answer. Only stared at him, her nearly gray lifeless eyes burning holes into his soul. It was plainly obvious she was not okay. "I'll take that as a no. You need to go to the hospital, would you like a ride?" Scootaloo slowly shook her head. She didn't need no bucking hospital. She didn't need anything. She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't these people understand that? Just leave her alone to die in peace for once? "Well can we at least give you some food? You look really hungry." Scootaloo looked past the man and towards the woman on the sidewalk she just came off of. She was on the phone, but Scootaloo could read her lips. She was giving a description. Always the damn police. No one could leave her alone. "Just... Leave me alone," she whispered, too down to even say anything. "I'm fine." "Kid, you are not fine. You have a big gash on your face, along with cuts, bruises, and marks all over you. "You are the definition of 'not good'. You need some help." Scootaloo grimaced from the cut on her cheek as she slowly stood up, looking around. She couldn't do this anymore. Eventually, she found a building. A very tall one across the street. Should be easy to get to. She walked around the man and towards it, ignoring his pleas for her to stop as she made her way over. His wife, girlfriend, coworker, whoever was probably telling the police about this too. Yeah, definitely couldn't take that anymore. She looked both ways before she made her way over to the building on the other side of the street. It had to be at least forty or fifty floors up. Perfect. She walked through the doors and towards the elevator. There was some more people in there staring at her, definitely judging her for her appearance. But it wouldn't matter because it would all be over in a few minutes. As soon as this bucking elevator arrived. Eventually, the doors opened at the same time her cheek popped. Some blood started pouring down her face as she walked in, pressed the very last number, fifty two, and closed the doors. One the way up she looked at a reflection of her face from the walls. It was a mess just like that guy said. There were cuts all over her body, as well as the gash and blood dripping to the elevator floor. After thirty more seconds, the elevator's doors opened on a business floor. There was a secretary at a desk in front of her. Of course it wouldn't be the exact roof of the building, you'd have to take the stairs to get up to that point. Which were conveniently right next to the elevator. The secretary gave her a smile before dropping that for a confused look as she walked towards the stairwell to push the door open. "Ma'am, that area is a—" The fire alarm went off, making everyone in the building become distracted as the stairwell opened up. Scootaloo ignored them as she made her way up the steps going to the rooftop. "Ma'am!" The secretary groaned as she got away from behind her desk and followed after her casually. Scootaloo ignored her protests as she pushed the roof access door outwards, revealing the roof itself with pebbles, rocks, and stones layering it. The wind brushed past her face and stung her cheek while she walked over to the ledge, looking down at the same time the secretary came up the stairs. "Ma'am, you aren't allowed on...." Scootaloo stood on the ledge, looking down at the ground below. "Oh my god, kid don't do it!" "Leave me alone!" Scootaloo responded back. "No one is going to stop me, so just leave me alone!" The secretary pulled out her phone and called the police. This girl was going to commit suicide.