It was a lovely Tuesday. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Magenta was alone in the empty backyard playground singing. Testing her voice for this evening's festivities. Ever since last week, Magenta had been preparing a gift for Bright Snow. Today was her ninth birthday. Magenta could tell it was going to be a tough one. This morning after Bright had gotten up, she walked straight to the bathroom and got ready. Then left without saying a word. Magenta didn't let her leave without their daily "Huggle and Nuzzle" first though. One thing was for certain.
Bright Snow and Sadness do not mix.
Up to that point, Magenta had finally put her new writing skills to good use. As well as her healed body. After everyone had their breakfast and left for school, Magenta grabbed her notebook for her songs—she was going to need another one soon—and sat down at the kitchen table to write another. It didn't take her long, she already had the inspiration. It was just hard to find the right words. But after three hours, she finally had it. A song for Bright Snow.
She already had two materialistic presents. A radio and a good stack of coloring books. One was going to be used a lot more than the other, that was for sure. Once the song was finished, she stepped outside and practiced her vocal range. Which was really high, but not really low. It had accidentally attracted the attention of the matrons, Director Diamonds, and Ms. Goldhoof who had just arrived. She didn't know they were actually standing in the doorway until she saw them out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh jeez!" She yelled, literally jumping to her hooves with a bright blush on her cheeks. She wasn't really used to anypony watching her while she sang her songs.
Goldhoof chuckled and made a move to appease her. "That was really good, sweetie," she congratulated happily. "Don't be afraid to sing in front of anypony. You're really good." The matrons muttered their agreements.
"Umm...okay," Magenta responded. "But...t-turn around or something. I don't like to...sing in front of everypony right now." The adults sighed and went back inside. But Goldhoof stuck around. She needed to talk to Magenta about her self-image, but didn't want to scare her off. But before she could, Magenta started singing again. She must've thought she was once more alone. There was just something about Magenta's voice that just made ponies stop and listen to her songs. No matter how they sounded.
Goldhoof wondered how many she actually had now since getting out the hospital months ago. And if she actually wanted to be a singer when she gets older. She'd ask when she grew up or reached that point. It would be more important at that time. Right now, she let it be a hobby.
After school, Bright Snow was taken back home by chariot with Bluebell, Yellow Diamond, and Lightning Dust. They all wished her a happy ninth birthday and asked if she made a wish yet. She said didn't actually want anything for her birthday. Including a party. Sort of a let down to Bluebell's spirit, and fire for that mean blue pegasus filly whose name they have yet to learn that made fun of her and Magenta. If she even had a name.
Bright had a feeling Magenta was planning something. What is it? That's the mystery. Bright Snow wanted to know. Soon, they arrived at the orphanage. Its walls scaring Lightning Dust so bad she was shivering beside her. The gates were already opened so they rode on through and stopped at the doors in the loop. The matrons supervising them jumped out first and prepared a pair of steps by the door so they could walk down safely. Then opened the doors for the chair so they could.
Bright was the fifth one down followed by her friends. Then began to make her way up the ones for the orphanage before some loud music with some bass playing paused everyone in their steps. They all looked towards the bushes on the side that a filly with a black hoodie, black pants, and a radio strapped to her side walked out of. Everyone just stopped and stared at her with the same question. What was she doing? The front door of the orphanage opened to let out the rest of the Matrons, the Director, and Goldhoof. Who made her way to Bright with a camera around her neck.
"So...what—"
"Just watch and listen," Goldhoof interrupted. She placed a wing around her when Magenta began to sing loud and proud.
"Please, won't you wait? Won't you stay?
At least until the sun goes down.
When you're gone, I lose faith,
I lose everything I have found.
Heart strings, violins
That's what I hear when you're by my side
Yeah, that's what I hear when you're by my side." Magenta smoothly slid over and grabbed Bright's hooves. Then began to twirl around with her, smiling in her eyes. Bright couldn't help but smile either.
"But when you're gone the music goes,
I lose my rhythm, lose my soul.
So hear me out before you say the night is over,
I want you to know that we gotta, gotta carry on,
So don't let this be our final song." She let Bright go and spin on her own. Then grabbed her free hoof to stop her.
"So don't let this be our final song,
So hear me out before you say the night is over.
I want you to know that we gotta, gotta carry on,
So don't let this be our final song." She froze in a pose standing on her rear hooves with one hoof free and Bright in the other, breathing hard and smiling happily. Bright had tears in her eyes as she eyed Magenta up and down, including her get up.
"You...sung in public," she whispered. "For me?"
"Yes I did," Magenta answered. She let her hoof go and the two dropped back down on all fours. "I'm not afraid to sing in public. As long as my family's watching too and cheering me on."
Bright kept that smile on her face when she rushed in and pulled Magenta into a tight hug, burying her head in Magenta's chest.
"Thank you so much," Bright whispered.
Magenta tightened it and buried her head in her hair. "You're welcome, sis. Your parents may not be here, but you do have your big sister with you. Okay?" Bright pulled back and grinned up at her.
"Yes!"
"Ready for some cake and gifts?" Bright nodded again. "Well let's go!" She turned around and began to head up the stairs before Goldhoof swooped her up into a hug. Magenta didn't even realize she was off the ground.
"Good job, Magenta!!" She cheered. "Oh, that was so beautiful!!"
"Ms. Goldhoof!" Magenta whined as she kicked her tiny hooves, fighting against the hug. "Let me go! Please?"
"Oh, alright. Go and play." She let Magenta out of her grip to continue up the stairs with the rest of the foals. "Not too much sugar!"
After Magenta's performance—which gave her the satisfaction of witnessing that bully groan and walk away, as well as many pats on the head for the more than amazing performance—she led Bright Snow into the kitchen so she could open her presents. Bright would never admit it, but Magenta's song cheered her up. If she meant that much to Magenta that she braved her fear of public display with her crazy-good voice, then it meant that she was truly family. And she proved that. Especially when she gave Bright those amazing coloring books. And the radio?!
December
The cold bristled the coat of Sweetie Belle as she made her way through Ponyville with Applebloom, pulling a wagon full of Hearth's Warming ornaments through the snow drifting to the ground. Hearth's Warming was here. Which meant plays, singing, stories, gift giving. And silence.
Seven to nine months since Scootaloo's been gone. At first declared deceased. But they have been delivered with hope after a doctor at a hospital said "that a filly with her description was recently discharged". Scootaloo was still alive. Where she was had yet to be discovered. Along with her. They knew for a fact that Scootaloo would never be the same once they did find her. If she was in the hospital, it had to be bad. Her wings were detached from her body. And there was blood. It will be forever sketched in Applebloom's mind. Eating at her guilt that she was secretly punishing herself for.
They regretted laughing at her that day. The last thing from Scootaloo they ever heard was her scream in the filters. Hopefully in the future they'd be able to hear her laugh.
The two fillies turned a right down a connected road in Ponyville, ignoring a group of ponies that waved at them from the side. Sweetie Belle's usually bouncy mane was down like Applebloom's thanks to the snowfall. Bless Rarity's heart if it were still pumping once she sees it. Emo hair was more Applebloom's thing. It was a wonder Applebloom herself wasn't wearing a black choker by this point, or even a black jacket. But she did move on to bracelets.
There was an orange beaded one on her right hoof and a solid black on her left. Applejack had no idea what they symbolized. But it must've been deep because Sweetie Belle was wearing them now too. Not to mention, Applebloom would get "all dark" when asked about it and Applejack had no idea what she would be talking about.
After minutes of trudging through the snow, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom arrived at their destination. The bottom of the hill near Sweet Apple Acres. Now they had to climb it.
"So this is where you two slink off to?" Applebloom looked over her shoulder to Diamond Tiara. She was standing beside a snowman, wearing a heavy jacket with her signature Tiara with Silver Spoon. Two princesses in a cold winter. Although Applebloom wouldn't admit it, it was pretty cool having them around as friends now. They sometimes knew just what to say.
"It wasn't your fault," Silver Spoon stated. Now just weren't one of those times. The duo trotted up and took places on both sides of them. "She ran away—"
"Because of us," Applebloom interupted. She turned and began helping Sweetie drag the wagon up the hill. "How would you feel if Diamond Tiara committed suicide with the knowledge that you had a hoof in it? The whole town did too, but the start of it all was you?" Once at the top, Applebloom unhooked the wagon from around Sweetie Belle so she could move and grab the tree they were pulling along with her magic.
"I'd feel really...bad," Silver Spoon answered as she and Diamond Tiara grabbed the ornaments. Sweetie Belle kept the tree in the air while Applebloom grabbed a shovel and started digging a hole in the ground. "But she's not gone, you said it yourself. She's out there somewhere."
"It'd take a while to find her," Diamond added. "But we'll be happy to help you out. It's the least we could do." Sweetie belle lowered the tree into the freshly dug hole behind Scootaloo's "grave". Then began using her magic to grab the ornaments and arrange them on the tree.
Meanwhile, Applebloom turned to the snow covered plaque and wiped it off to read the writing. "If you really want to, I guess it's alright. Be aware though. It'd take a long time. Princess Twilight said that the police of Equestria don't really look into missing foal cases that much because it's really rare. Like two cases a year that don't really last that long. Like a week. This is just another one."
"That," Sweetie Belle chimed in quietly with her hoarse throat. "And Scootaloo is apparently going by a new name. Magenta or something. And has no memories." She placed the diamond at the very top of the tree and watched it glisten.
"And is possibly covering her body with clothes to hide her wounds," Applebloom added. "If she's out there nearby, or even next to us, she'll be hard to recognize."
"We'll take that chance," Silver Spoon boldly stated. The two got closer to the tree and admired Sweetie Belle's work. The lights danced along the tree thanks to the magic circulating through it. There were pictures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they first got their cutie marks strewn about it. A few of Scootaloo with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle making silly faces.
Just staring at them were bringing tears to Applebloom's eyes. She quickly wiped them away before anyone could see, hating herself for even letting tears get in sight.
"I swear on my life, Scootaloo," she whispered. "We're gonna find you. And tell you we're sorry and that we love you. At least for closure. We love you, Scoots." After that, the only sound was the cold wind that blew their manes around. Reminding them of their grave mistake.
Hearth's Warming was entirely different for Magenta. Since it was by water, Manehattan was naturally frigid this time of year, covered in a lot of snow and making it a little difficult for Goldhoof to walk through as she approached the orphanage with Maximum Gold. A little while back, she did it. She took him up on his attempts at a date night, just the two of them, and actually enjoyed it. Of course not without getting permission from her girls first.
asked Bright Snow and Magenta Streak about it at the orphanage one evening before saying yes. Magenta had absolutely no idea what she meant when saying "date", and "going out". Thus making the most cutest confused expression she could possibly have. Bright, however, knew exactly what it was and were making threats that had Magenta and Goldhoof laughing.
She had an excuse that Maximum was trying to take Ms. Goldhoof away from them. So "she had every right to tie him up to a chair and play a certain song on her radio until he loved it". Or stuff him full of cheese. Not to mention her puffed up cheeks, frowny face, tightly closed eyes and buzzing wings was the most cutest thing Goldhoof's ever seen in her life.
Goldhoof could already see it. Bright was going to be protective of her, and Magenta was super protective of Bright already. Singing her lullabies when she couldn't sleep was Magenta's thing. Today would be no different.
Once they were at the cold, frozen gates, Maximum asked, "So how are you going to do this?"
After pressing the buzzer, she turned to her boyfriend and answered, "Well Director Diamonds has the papers. We're gonna wrap them up and deliver them as presents. I can't wait to see the look on Bright's face. Magenta's will be priceless."
"Name and nature of the visit," a voice blared through the speaker.
Kind Goldhoof leaned in and answered, "Kind Goldhoof and Maximum Gold, here to pick up Magenta and Bright."
"Come right in!" The gates creaked and pushed open, allowing them access to the building. After stepping in, Maximum closed them back and proceeded with his girlfriend to this palace filled with lost foals running around exchanging gifts and playing with toys. A little chaotic for the matrons who were dancing around trying not to step on any of them. Kind and Maximum were about to have a similar problem when they stepped in.
A ball rolled right in front of Maximum who looked down at it. While looking around to find who the ball belonged to, he was then encased in a net that looked like it belonged in a soccer goal.
"Aha! Gotcha, nurse thief!" The two looked up at Bright who was boasting proudly as she hovered above them, floating in pride. Then dropped down to take on her angry pose, directed at Maximum who was chuckling at her.
"You just had to get all cute, huh?" Bright stopped and turned to Magenta who was smirking knowingly in front of the kitchen with a donut in her hoof, wearing a white sweat suit. She turned to Ms. Goldhoof and snitched, "She had a trap set for him. And Bluebell helped out with the ball."
"Magenta, you ruined it!" Bluebell yelled from the kitchen.
Goldhoof laughed then reached out to pick up Bright and pull her into a tight loving hug by her shoulder. "And how is one of my favorite fillies?"
"I'm great!" Bright cheered. Then turned to Maximum over Goldhoof's shoulder, still "trapped" in the net and snarled quietly, "I'm watching you. Watch your back." Then took on her angry face again.
Goldhoof heard her loud and clear so she set her back down and turned to Magenta for her turn. Magenta was a little big, but that didn't stop her from picking her up and cradling her.
"Stop intimidating Max," she ordered. Then asked, "How's my Magenta?"
"I'm awesome!" Magenta cheered. "Did you get us a gift?"
"Yeah, did ya', did ya'?" Bright repeated excitedly, doing a little dance on hot hooves.
After setting down Magenta, Goldhoof laughed and helped her boyfriend out of the net. The net was caught on his ears. "Yes, I did. But you'll have to wait a few minutes. Your gifts are here, but I have to go fetch them. So Maximum is going to keep you company while I get them. Okay?"
Bright gasped and yelled, "No way! Not happening!"
Magenta rolled her eyes and commented, "Bright, the guy's harmless. Besides. You got your big sister here with you to watch over ya'. Forget already, Squirt?" She reached over and ruffled her head of silver hair. "I'm not going to let anypony hurt you."
Bright grunted then turned and walked away with her head held high. They watched her stride into the room where the other foals were playing before Magenta snickered. "She doesn't like your boyfriend...or whatever you call him."
Goldhoof playfully rolled her eyes and said, "I noticed. Why don't you two go and cheer her up? I'm going to get your presents." She lifted a hoof and tapped Magenta's nose. Then made her way to Platinum Diamonds who was standing nearby.
Magenta's nose scrunched up before she sneezed and shook her head. Maximum Gold watched her go then focused on Magenta who was making her way to the play room. He quickly followed after her. It seemed like she was heading to Bright. Oh boy.
***
While Max was dealing with the two sisters, Director Diamonds was taking Kind Goldhoof back to her office. It was a lot more quiet up here. "Excited?" She asked.
"Nervous," Goldhoof answered. Director Diamonds opened the door and stepped towards the desk that had the adoption certifications displayed out on the top. "I...I don't know what will happen next after this. If they accept."
"Trust me. They will. Laminate, or envelope?" She placed a plastic covering on the desk then a vanilla envelope next to it.
Goldhoof hummed then pointed to the envelope. "It makes the anticipation that much better."
"That I can agree on," Diamonds responded. She slid the plastic off the desk back into its drawer. Then grabbed another envelope for the certificates. Once they were both in the envelopes, she placed them into boxes so they could be wrapped up. Goldhoof did that bit, since she was experienced in wrapping up presents for the foals in the hospital.
Once they were all pretty and topped with a bow, Goldhoof looked up at the device dangling in front of her face. It was a large camera that Diamonds was offering with her hoof by the strap. "You can keep this," she whispered. "You might want to treasure this moment forever. A lot of ponies rarely do and just take pictures."
Goldhoof reached out and took it in her own. It was black, a little heavy, and bulky. But she was definitely gonna use it. After strapping it to her hoof, Goldhoof looked up and smiled at Director Diamonds. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now let's go."
After it was turned on and recording, Goldhoof and Platinum Diamonds walked out with the gifts underneath Goldhoof's wing. Magenta and Bright were completely oblivious, too busy putting beads in Maximum's wings. He didn't even know it, too busy staring at the dangling yoyo Lightning Dust had in front of his face, hypnotizing him. When Goldhoof and Diamonds walked down, they just stared. These girls were definitely something else. Goldhoof hummed then asked, "Uhhh, girls? What are you doing?"
Magenta and Bright turned towards Goldhoof and started to stumble on top of each other's words. But the message was clear: "We're making Mr. Gold pretty for you," Bright responded. "He's not your style.'"
Director Diamonds sighed and motioned for Lightning Dust to get away and stop messing with the visitor. "Well, we have your presents."
Bright and Magenta's faces grew into wide grins when they cheered and trotted up to her, looking them over for it. "Oh, oh! Where is it? Where is it? Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Bright flew up and buzzed around Goldhoof. Then stopped at her right wing. She pointed at the gifts and declared, "I see it, I see it!!"
"Me too!" Magenta pointed at the camera and quickly walked over and stared into the lense. Goldhoof watched her through the viewfinder as Magenta sniffed the glass and looked into it with one eye. "What is this, Ms. Goldhoof?"
"It's a video camera," she replied. Bright nudged Magenta over and looked at it herself. "It's recording you. Say hi, girls!"
"Hi, girls!" Magenta greeted. Bright was too focused in the gifts. "Can we open our presents now? Pleeeease?"
"Of course! Here you go!" She released them once Bright had a good grip and watched her float back over to Magenta. "Magenta's gift is the orange wrapping, and Bright is the white wrapping."
"Yay!" Bright dropped Magenta's gift in her hooves, then landed next to her, grinning happily. She turned to Magenta and said, "Okay! At the same time, yeah? One...two...three!" Magenta and bright used their teeth to rip open the wrapping while Goldhoof, Maximum, the Director, and their little friends gathered around.
Once out of his trance, Max walked over to Goldhoof and smiled at the fillies. He didn't know what happened a few minutes ago, but he didn't really dwell on it. Nor the reason some of the fillies were laughing at him. Goldhoof was trying her hardest not to. Those beads looked ridiculous on him. The pausing of the ripping had Goldhoof focusing more on the two sisters.
They finally ripped the paper off and were staring at the envelopes in confusion. A vanilla envelope as a present? "This is a trick," Magenta figured. She looked up and pointed at the camera. "That is the real gift, I betcha'! Can we play with it?"
Maximum hummed and motioned towards the envelopes. "Your gift is in the envelopes. Open them."
"Oooooohhhh!" The two fawned. Then looked down at the envelopes. After a few still seconds, Bright looked back up and asked, "How?" Maximum walked into the camera's view and sat down behind her. Then reached around her to show her how it's done. Magenta copied his technique while helping out her sister. And eventually unsealed it.
Once they both got it opened, they reached in and pulled out... paper? The two glanced at each other, then up to Goldhoof who was still holding the camera. Goldhoof motioned towards them and said, "Read it!"
The two shared one more glance, then did as requested. The room was bathed in silence as everyone waited patiently for them to finish. Platinum and Goldhoof shared a look then focused on the two. Magenta was the first to finish. Her lessons in English were pretty good it seemed. Lowering her document, she put it to her chest and walked to a nearby matron. Then lifted it up and asked, "What does..." She turned it around and read, "Adopted mean?"
"It means you have a mommy and daddy who will love you just the way you are, very very much." Magenta looked it over once more then turned to Bright behind her. Nurse Goldhoof moved it from Magenta to Bright as well, looking at her. She was frozen to say the least, staring with a confused expression over the top of the sheet.
"Bright~?" She looked up to Goldhoof with a look of sadness. "Are you okay?" She didn't answer. She knew exactly what it meant. Adopted. Nurse Goldhoof had adopted them. Her and Magenta. Bright lowered the paper back onto the package and casually walked towards Goldhoof's hoof. Then wrapped her little hooves around it, buried her face in her fur, then began crying.
"Oh no! Bright's crying!" Magenta quickly walked over and looked up at Goldhoof. She had a worried expression that would be forever sketched in all of their minds. Especially their new mother's. "What's wrong? Why is she crying? Bright, what happened?"
"It's okay," Goldhoof appeased before Magenta could go haywire. Her eyes were starting to go all small. "Bright is just happy because she has a new mommy. Max, take the camera, please." Maximum reached over and grabbed it to continue recording so Goldhoof could pick up Bright, holding her like the little foal she was.
Bright wrapped her hooves around her and buried her face in her neck. Then began bawling like she's never cried before. "WHAT?!" Magenta yelled. "No, me and Bright are a team! She's not leaving unless I'm going with her!"
"Sweetie, you are going with her." Magenta cocked her head to the side then picked up the paper again, reading it. "You're now officially her sister. And you too have a new mom."
Magenta read it for a few seconds while Bright continued crying. After a minute, she looked up at Goldhoof. Then back at the paper to Goldhoof once more. Her face scrunched up a little before she closed her eyes and huffed out a few tears. "Awww, come here," Goldhoof whispered. Magenta raised her hooves so Goldhoof could scoop her up and hold her to her chest. Magenta started crying just as loud as Bright, soaking Goldhoof's orange coat.
The Matrons and some of the foals fawned and started stomping in applaud. Except that light blue pegasus filly with her sidekick in the back. She just huffed and walked away with her head held high, followed by her sidekick. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Magenta. Happy Hearth's Warming, Bright," Goldhoof whispered.
Magenta responded through her tears. "H-Happy Hearth's W-Warming, mom!" Then continued crying into her new mother's coat. "You hear that Bright? W-We got a mommy! A family!"
From her ear, Goldhoof heard Bright mutter a high pitch but low "Yay".
The cold wind shifted around the snow blanketing the wooden balcony of the Castle of Friendship, creating tiny snowballs that shifted and bumped in the cyan hooves on them. Rainbow Dash paid them no mind. Too busy gazing out at the snow covered town of Ponyville, not to mention Canterlot—it's impossible to miss that—thinking about what could have been. And the path ahead. Scootaloo was gone. Apparently not dead, but still missing. She was out there somewhere, only Faust knows where.
"We'll be searching for her," a weak filly voice said from behind her. She slowly turned her gaze around to see Sweetie Belle, emo-Applebloom, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, a Griffin and Applebloom's cousin, who both arrived later on that day.
Sweetie strode forward through the snow and took Rainbow's hoof in hers. "Scoot's out there. We know it. It will take a while, but we know we'll find her."
Rainbow sighed and looked back out to the city. "I'll help too," she whispered. "Don't expect much."
"Just do what you can," Sweetie responded. "We'll do everything else. One more Crusade, to have more."
After that, it was all quiet, save for the whistle of the cold wind. They had a feeling Scootaloo was out there. Just needed to find her. And that they would do.