Little Pony Story 2: The Search for Scootaloo

by Lets Do This

Saving Scootaloo

They all returned to the pile of mailers, even though Rainbow and Applejack swore they'd searched it thoroughly.

"She'd probably have been in a padded mailer," Applejack said. "Big plastic envelope, white-and-blue, bumps on it like bubble-wrap."

"But there's nothing like that here," Rainbow grumbled. "We looked."

Tempest gazed around the stack of boxes and envelopes, looking puzzled. "There's something missing here."

"Yeah." Grubber scratched his head. Then his eyes went wide, and he pointed towards an open space near the edge of the table. "Hey, boss, wasn't there a pile of mail over there? I think I saw one of those mailer things sticking out of the bottom of it."

"But that was the junk-mail pile," Tempest said, alarmed. "And the junk mail ends up..."

"... chucked in the trash can," Grubber breathed, paws to his mouth.

Tempest didn't speak, didn't even hesitate. She just turned right around and galloped off, heading back towards the castle playset.

"Tempest!" Twilight and the others set off after her, but there was no way they could keep up. Even running at top speed, they had barely gotten as far as the castle drawbridge when they saw Tempest charge out onto the balcony above.

And she didn't stop... she kept right on going. She launched herself into the air, diving straight down into the trash can, a forehoof held out stiffly, like a battering ram.

Hurrying to the table edge, the ponies stared over at the trash can. For a moment there was tense silence. And then...

There was a furious screeching and banging from inside the can. Large, heavy dents appeared in its metal sides. And then a shower of black plastic toy parts fountained out of the top, raining down and clattering onto the floor.

There was another silence... this one much longer, and sounding uncomfortably permanent.

Twilight and the other ponies belatedly hurried up to the balcony, and nervously approached the edge. Twilight leaned over it, peering down into the shadows.

"Tempest?" she called down, hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

From below, there came a loud groan. "Ow..." Tempest called up. "Landed on my head. Had to fight that thing with a raging headache." She sighed, and then pointed with a forehoof. "I found the mailer, it's down here. And it's not too buried. I think I can tug it loose myself... but we'll need something to haul it out of here. Grubber! Go fetch that roll of twine!"

"I'm on it, boss!" He hurried off.

"I'll lend a hoof," Applejack said, going with him. "I'm good with rope..."

With Applejack and Pinkie and Tempest working together, they were finally able to haul up the mailer from the trash can. Then Tempest simply grabbed the edge of the mailer with her teeth, and tore it clean off, in a single, long pull.

Inside, they found Scootaloo. The brown filly was curled up asleep, but quickly woke up when they called to her. She trotted out, blinking, and looking up in pleased surprise at the familiar ponies surrounding her. And then she spotted Rainbow. And launched herself at the cyan pegasus, hugging her tightly.

Rainbow returned the hug, awkwardly pleased. "So..." she said, "I guess you'd like me to... take you under my wing? Be like your big sister and stuff?"

"Are you kidding, Rainbow!" Scootaloo shouted. "It's what I've always wanted!" She hugged Rainbow for a few moments more, then peered around. "Hey, where are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle! We got us some serious Crusading to do, to get our cutie marks!" She dove into the envelope again, then came out dragging a small plastic scooter and helmet. "Got all my gear with me. I'm ready for action! No assembly required! Batteries included!" She revved her small wings, making a gnat-like buzzing sound.

Everyone laughed at that. And Twilight came over to put a comforting hoof on Scootaloo's back. "Everyone's waiting for you, back at home." She glanced around at the others. "Which... we seriously need to start finding a way back to ourselves!"

They all made their way back to the mail stack, to the box they'd all been shipped in. "So," Rainbow said, "the plan is like this. We've got Bonnie's return address here, so we just change the labels on the box, throw on the extra postage Derpy packed, put it over on that end of the table with the other packages being shipped out, climb in and tape it shut from the inside, and then wait to be sent home. Easy-peasy-cider-squeezy!"

Tempest regarded the box. "Will there be enough room in there for all of us? What about them?"

She motioned towards the small group of Storm Guards, timidly approaching from across the tabletop.

"Woah," Applejack said. "We hadn't planned on bringin' back an army, did we?"

Twilight looked at them. "We shouldn't abandon them. I mean, if they will follow your orders, Tempest?"

"Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem." Tempest glared at the guards. "Do you, gentlemen?"

The guards peered at each other, uncertainly. Then as one, they came to attention and saluted.

"Well, that's a relief!" Fluttershy said. "Oh! Twilight, what about... you know...?"

"Your zombie alter-ego?" Rainbow suggested, mischievously.

Twilight looked down at her Princess form, then up at the other ponies. "I don't need it any more. This is who I am now. I'm the Princess of Friendship!"

"Wayall..." Applejack said, "Ya might wanna bring it along, just in case. Just so Bonnie don't fret about the Book Pony goin' missing. You know how she gets about her favorite toys!"

"Maybe so." Twilight nodded. "Tempest, would you mind giving us a hoof?"

With the help of Tempest and her soldiers, they quickly retrieved Twilight's unicorn self from the storage tub. And then returned, to stare at the shipping box, which was looking smaller by the minute. "Maybe we should hunt around," Rarity suggested, "see if we can locate a larger box that would accommodate everyone."

"The only boxes around here like that," Grubber said, "are the UPS boxes the filmmaker gets bulk materials in." He shook his head. "And that would take even longer. He only goes to the UPS store like once a week... and the last trip was yesterday, I think."

"Ooooh!" Scootaloo danced excitedly. "I wish we could get home faster! I wish we could be there like... yesterday!"

"Heh!" Applejack laughed. "You know what they say about new toys gettin' their first wish..."

And then they all heard it, a peculiar wheezing, groaning sound. Before their eyes, a familiar tall blue box with a light on top faded into view, gradually becoming solid. It landed with a loud, booming thud on the table top. And from inside, they could just hear an astonished voice -- it was Princess Celestia:

"Luna... how do you do that?"

The doors of the box swung open, and Doctor Whooves and Derpy poked their heads out, looking around at them all. "Ah, there you all are!" The Doctor called. "No time to explain. Climb aboard, everypony! Chop, chop! We need you all back in Bonnie's room yesterday!"

"Ponies of Equestria!" Celestia intoned formally. "And toys of Bonnie's room! I present to you, our fifth Princess: Twilight Sparkle... the Princess of Friendship!"

Princess Twilight bowed her head sheepishly as the assembled ponies and other toys gave three cheers, and then applauded at length. Then she looked up at Princess Celestia.

"I'm sorry we ran off like that, Princess," she whispered. "But we needed to get after Scootaloo... and then we found Tempest... and the Storm King, and --"

Celestia put up a hoof. "What have I always told you, Twilight? No one ever tells a Princess of Equestria her business!"

"But I wasn't a Princess, well, before..."

"Weren't you paying attention? Didn't I say that you have always been a Princess in my eyes?" Celestia smiled reassuringly, and winked.

Twilight sighed in relief, then gazed around at her applauding friends.

Then she noticed that one of them was missing...

Twilight found Commander Tempest standing on the deck of the toy airship which Mason had loaned to Bonnie, when she'd shown him her new favorite toy at their latest playdate. Tempest was accompanied by Grubber, and there were a few of her soldiers as well, all standing silently on the deck awaiting her orders.

"She calls me the Storm Pony," Tempest whispered, a faraway look in her eyes. "And she says that I sail you all away on my airship, to faraway lands for adventures..." Her eyes suddenly brimmed. "Princess... there are just no words..."

"There don't have to be," Twilight said. "But you're welcome, all the same."

They stood together, companionably, staring out through the open window across the room, at the warm orange light of the sunset on the distant dream-like clouds.

"You know..." Twilight said, with a smile, "we wouldn't want to disappoint such a sweet little girl, now would we?"

"No," Tempest said, returning the smile. "That we wouldn't."

"Right! I'll go get the others."

"One more thing, Twilight."

"Yes?"

"About my horn..." Twilight looked up at it, then nodded. "You were right. I don't need it. I am the pony I'm supposed to be."

"And so am I... I suppose." Twilight glanced down at herself, at her new Princess form. "So... why does it still feel so weird?"

"We'll just have to find out, won't we?" Tempest said. "Together."

She held up an armored hoof, which Twilight willingly bumped.

"Together!" Twilight said.

She stared out the window again, at all the adventures that lay ahead.

"To friendship..." she whispered, "... and beyond..."