//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Feathers on Scales // by LavendarRegards //------------------------------// Scootaloo zoomed through town with a huge smile on her face. Her heart was a flutter with hope. Rainbow Dash, and her family had actually cheered her research project. It was a silly thing to be happy about, but it meant everything to Scootaloo -- and not just because it was a well needed ego boost. Home sweet home, Scootaloo thought bitterly as she pulled up to the porch of the Ponyville orphanage. It was a nice inviting two story house, with nearly five bedrooms. But, it didn’t have the same levels of love as a family… a family like Rainbow Dash had. That wasn’t to say that Mrs. Sweet Home didn’t care about Scootaloo. But, she didn’t love her… at least not in the same way as a parent. Instead, she tended to care about Scootaloo in the same way as Mrs. Cheerilee cared for her, or Pinkie Pie cared for the Pie twins. “Cinnamon Buns, no running in the house!” Mrs. Sweet Home sternly commanded a small five year old colt, who Scootaloo knew liked to run around a lot. Currently the orphanage had only five foals in it, and that was sure to change quickly. The reality of Ponyville was that it was small, and fairly well off. That meant that most foals didn’t stay at the orphanage long… unless they were Scootaloo.  “Now, I need you to get out of the kitchen. I have a lot to talk about with my guest,” Mrs. Sweet Home commanded sternly as she pushed Cinnamon Buns out of the kitchen. Scootaloo jumped out of the way as Cinnamon Buns galloped past her at full speed. The colt bore the largest smile Scootaloo had seen since Diamond Tiara visited the Orphanage with gifts. “I’m sorry, but I can’t handle her anymore,” Scootaloo heard Mrs. Sweet Home whisper to somepony. Scootaloo then found herself sitting on the other side of the kitchen wall. Scootaloo could feel her heart drop. She’d heard about this sort of thing happening. Scootaloo had been in the system since she was practically a newborn. That was practically a full ten years. By now, they were just ready to give up on her. Scootaloo gulped. In some ways she’d seen this coming for years. Quickly she struggled to suppress that nagging, and familiar feeling… The feeling that something was wrong with her. Nopony had ever taken interest in her. Whereas, Scootaloo had never seen a foal reach the age of seven without being adopted. But, she was already ten. “She’s just getting to be too much to handle,” Mrs. Sweet Home continued, undeterred and unaware of Scootaloo’s presence behind the wall. “I’ve been giving her all of the food supplements the doctor called for me to give her, and it’s only getting worse,” Mrs. Sweet Home explained with a frustrated sigh. Oh no, Scootaloo thought with a gasp.  She’s still mad about what happened to my bed, Scootaloo realised with a long swallow as she looked down at her forelegs forlornly. She didn’t know how it had happened. But, she’d gone to bed the night before, only to find her room scorched in the morning. Fortunately, Mrs. Sweet Home had “Cutie Mark Crusader-proofed” the room earlier that year, and so it hadn’t completely taken the house down with it. “We may have to move her to another orphanage,” Mrs. Sweet Home explained clinically to the, as of yet, unknown pony. Scootaloo couldn’t register what the other pony said in response through the pounding of her heart. Mrs. Sweet Home was giving up on her… just like every other pony eventually did.  “With all due respect: I know what you said. But, I cannot do that anymore. I’m not properly equipped to handle her needs,” Mrs. Sweet Home insisted to her mysterious guest in a softish whisper. Scootaloo could feel the tears well up, and then flood her eyes. She didn’t want to leave Ponyville. She didn’t want to lose her few friends, her hero slash sister, or the few ponies that actually cared about her. Scootaloo could no longer see anything in front of her, because of the flood of despair. Still... even before Scootaloo knew what she was doing, her legs were already galloping at full speed around the corner, and into the kitchen. “Please don’t send me away,” Scootaloo pleaded.  “I want to stay in Ponyville,” Scootaloo continued to beg pitifully. She found herself kneeling on the floor, and her hooves outstretched in a silent prayer. “How much did you hear, little one?” asked a melodious, and gentle new voice. Scootaloo opened her eyes in surprise to look at the mystery pony, only for her heart to drop at what she saw. Standing in front of her was the regal appearance of Equestria’s tallest, and most powerful princess. “P-princess Celestia?” Scootaloo stuttered as her jaw dropped, and all further conversation left her throat.  “P-please don’t let them take me away?” Scootaloo managed to plead through her dry throat, and empty mouth. “It’s ok little one, I wasn’t going to send you away from your home,” Celestia softly explained as she laid a comforting and downy wing on Scootaloo’s withers, and shot Mrs. Sweet Home a clearly displeased look.  “Quite the contrary, the most qualified pony to care for you lives right here in Ponyville,” Celestia explained warmly as she kneeled down to sit closer to Scootaloo’s level. “Most qualified pony?” Scootaloo asked glumly. She couldn’t help but feel like she was being shoved on some pony she didn’t know. Like, they just found somepony that would put up with her for a while. “You see, you’re a very special pony, Scootaloo,” Celestia continued as she gave Scootaloo a warm smile.  “And, you are getting older. And, part of getting older is going through some changes in your body,” Celestia explained cryptically. “Like puberty?” Scootaloo asked with a long gulp. She’d heard about this from Miss. Cheerilee. But, she thought she still had about three more years before she had to deal with that “fearful, but wonderful time.” “Heavens, no,” Celestia said with a slight blush.  “This is a special situation for you. And, one I suspected you would be going through for quite some time,” Celestia added. Scootaloo looked at her with a face full of confusion and skepticism. It was understandable… It was an alien concept to any pony that Celestia could have any specific interest in their life. And, that was mostly because she was so busy. But this case was special, and it called for special attention. “So, I need you to pack your things, Scootaloo. So that we can get you settled into your new home,” Celestia explained as she called her two guards over, so that they could help the small filly pack. --- Spike hastily waddled around as he frantically attempted to sweep the entire crystal castle from top to bottom in less than ten minutes. “We gotta hurry up. Princess Celestia said, she’s supposed to be here today!” Spike shouted in panic as he whizzed by Twilight Sparkle with a feather duster now sitting firmly in his hand. “Spike, she’s younger than you. I doubt she’s going to get worked up over a little dust,” Twilight chastised him as she watched him whiz by a third time, this time carrying a mop.  “Plus, we don’t know when she’s supposed to get here, it could be hours,” Twilight added as she watched Spike run himself ragged. “But Twilight, this is my sister,” Spike chastised the lavender alicorn as he took a second from his cleaning spree to stare at Twilight slack jawed.  “A sister, mind you, that nopony even knew I had,” Spike pointed out eagerly as he resumed his mopping.  “And, I want her to feel right at home as soon as she arrives,” Spike concluded as he ran around swabbing the floors. “But, she’s younger than you… And, a lot younger if I correctly understood what Princess Celestia’s letter was telling me,” Twilight countered as she flew just a few feet off of the ground in an attempt to keep up with Spike without tiring out her legs.  “According to the letter that the princess sent, she just started expressing fire recently. And, you were already a baby when you started expressing fire,” Twilight explained as she watched Spike’s pace only pick up, rather than slowing down. “Or, she could be a late bloomer,” Spike countered with a large grin, and excited eyes.  “After all, she’s never had a chance to be a dragon, since she was raised by ponies. And that means, I’ll get to teach her everything I know about being a dragon, and doing things the dragon way,” Spike added as he eagerly imagined himself teaching a little sister everything he knew, just like Twilight had taught him everything she knew. “Don’t get too excited, the only things you know about being a dragon you learned by experience, or from the Dragon Migration and the Dragon Lord competition,” Twilight warned. She didn’t want to break his heart, but she didn’t want him building his hopes up too high, either. “Still, she knows nothing. And, that means I have a lot to share,” Spike stated eagerly.  “And, why aren’t you more excited? We’ve never had a chance to know anything about my family, and now the princess just found a long lost sister that nopony even knew about. Do you know what this means?” Spike asked eagerly. “That you have a sister?” Twilight asked nervously through a forced smile as she watched Spike’s mood continue to grow ever more excited. “Not just that, the princess might know who my father, or mother is,” Spike added as he wrung his claws together with an excitement too big to contain.  “We might finally know who my family is, and why they abandoned my egg,.. Or my sister’s egg for that matter, I suppose,” Spike grimly explained as the melancholy thoughts managed to suppress his previous uncontainable excitement. “Not necessarily. I think Princess Celestia would have told us more information if she knew more,” Twilight explained as she rubbed her chin with a hoof.  “And, all she told me was that your sister was being cared for by ponies, and that she’d be staying here with us from now on. Nothing else. She didn’t even tell us who hatched her,” Twilight added as she watched Spike’s face grow more somber with each word. Twilight could feel her heart already ache to see Spike in such a rare slump.  “But, I could ask the princess next time I see her,” Twilight added as she reached out and gave Spike a gentle tap on the shoulder. “Would you?” Spike asked as his face slowly turned up with a new look of hopefulness.  “Because, maybe she’s learned more since she sent the letter,” Spike added hopefully. “I certainly could,” Twilight admitted as a faint knocking on the front door told her somepony was at the front door. “That’s her now!” Spike shouted as he frantically resumed the mopping that Twilight had interrupted.  “Twilight, please get the door!” Spike pleaded as he hurried to finish the cleaning quickly. “Spike, you answer the door. I’ll finish the mopping,” Twilight commanded with a roll of her eyes as she grabbed the mop out of Spike’s claws using her magic. “Right,” Spike agreed anxiously as he sprinted down the hall, and down the stairs. Spike was well out of breath by the time he reached the front door. Hastily Spike licked his hand, and ran it along the spikes along his head and back.  “Hello little sister,” Spike said as he casually pulled the door open. “Little sister?” asked a small feminine voice from behind the door. If Spike wasn’t so surprised by the familiarity of the voice, he might have heard the subtle sound of a poorly hidden hope buried in her voice. “Scootaloo?” Spike asked in wide eyed surprise. Quickly he watched her wilt at the surprise. Both her wings, and ears pinned to her body in an obvious sign of depression. “Spike, please show Scootaloo in,” calmly commanded the gentle voice of princess Celestia as she strode up to stand right next to Scootaloo.  “I want you to show Scootaloo around her new home, and help her feel at home. She will be staying with you and Twilight from now on. Don’t worry about her luggage, a couple of my guards will be moving them in for you shortly,” Celestia explained, earning a surprised look from Spike.  “In the meantime, I need to discuss a couple of matters with Twilight,” Celestia explained casually as she waited for Spike to lead Scootaloo into the castle. “What about my sister? Is she still coming today?” Spike asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Spike,” Celestia stated calmly, but assertively.  “She’ll be moved in soon. But for now, I want you to make Scootaloo feel at home -- while my guards help move her into your home,” Celestia firmly stated with a voice that was not harsh, but it was commanding. “Of course,” Spike submitted with a definite disappointment in his voice.  “Come on Scootaloo. Let me get you something to drink,” Spike said calmly as he turned around to give Scootaloo his most inviting smile. Scootaloo followed Spike as he walked into the castle with his usual trundle, and not the highly energetic movements he’d shown earlier. As Spike took a turn at the top of the stairs, princess Celestia walked up to Twilight’s throne room. “Twilight are you here?” Celestia asked gently as she took a quick look around the throne room. Much to her suspicion, she found Twilight sitting on her throne with her muzzled buried in a book about dragons. Celestia gently smiled when she noticed that Twilight had not yet noticed her voice. It reminded her of a few times when she had dropped in on Twilight unexpectedly. It seemed that Twilight could still lose track of time if she got herself wrapped up in a problem. “Twilight?” Celestia stated a bit louder. This time, the familiar voice managed to arrest Twilight’s attention away from her work. “Celestia?” Twilight said with a start as she looked up sheepishly at Princess Celestia.  “Is Spike’s sister here already?” Twilight asked curiously as her ears perked up in an obvious sign of her fascination with the problem. “That’s one of the things I wanted to discuss with you,” princess Celestia stated plainly as she trotted over to stand at Twilight’s crystal table.  “Another would be Spike’s parents,” Celestia added with a definite reservation in her voice. “You know who they were?” Twilight asked curiously, her smile growing as she began to show an obvious curiosity. “I do,” Celestia admitted.  “But before that, do you know about the story of Sedna, and Clip the thief?” Celestia inquired. Twilight lifted an eyebrow as she tried to figure out what a seemingly irrelevant myth had to do with Spike. Celestia’s face bore no help, however. “It’s a myth, about a genocidal unicorn wizard, and how he was ultimately slain by a petty thief at the cost of her own live,” Twilight answered as she allowed herself to stare up at the ceiling.  “It never made much sense to me, to be honest. Besides there being no reliable historical records. The whole story has several problems with it,” Twilight recalled as she considered all of the issues with the story. “One, how could any being, especially a pony, be so monstrous. Second, it seems unlikely that an untrained and unprepared filly could survive a direct magical blow from such a powerful wizard. Finally, the timetable of the story seems off… It takes nearly eleven months to resolve, and is broken up into two different confrontations between clip and Sedna. I just don’t think anypony as evil as Sedna could get away with wanton murder for that long,” Twilight finished as she allowed her eyes to return to looking at her ex-mentor. “It all just seemed allegorical to me. Even the tale highly suggests that Clip’s appearance wasn’t her true shape. And, Sedna’s curse on his own children made even less sense. After all, Sedna had been obsessed with starting a strong dynasty for himself, but then he cursed his children to be brutally murdered… It just never made sense outside of figurative imagery,” Twilight summarized as she looked to Celestia to see what information the princess would supply. “The story does predate Luna, and my time on the throne. So, some of the details may have changed over the course of a couple thousand years,” Celestia admitted as she gave Twilight a gentle smile.  “But, I can assure you that both characters in the story did exist… If not quite in the same shape,” Celestia added as she watched Twilight suppress a skeptical look. “So the story is true?” Twilight asked with a raise of her eyebrow. “As a matter of fact yes,” Celestia acknowledged, before she walked over to stand closer to Twilight Sparkle.  “Now for the second thing I wanted to discuss with you: did you know a dragon egg only hatches in response to certain magical stimuli, but will remain alive and intact for several Millennia as long as they are continually incubated by magic?” Celestia asked as she watched a look of surprise cross Twilight’s face.  Twilight’s mind was racing from all of the seemingly unimportant, and disconnected elements. Finally, she asked the first rational question that came to her mind, that she could figure out how to vocalize. “Who hatched Spike’s sister?” Twilight asked calmly. “You did,” Celestia admitted with no discernible expression crossing her face. “But, I only cast my magic on Spike’s egg,” Twilight countered with a definite confusion in her voice. “Yes, but your magic burst was powerful enough to touch everything in the building… even the other egg from Spike’s clutch that we had stored in the basement,” Celestia explained with a gentle smile, and a slight look of pride vaguely hiding on the fringes of her face. “Celestia, why didn’t you tell me? I would have taken care of Spike’s sister too,” Twilight admitted with a hint of betrayal, and hurt on her face. “You had enough to work to do, just caring for Spike,” Princess Celestia admitted somberly.  “And also, Spike’s sister needs special considerations -- which I decided you wouldn’t be able to provide for her,” Princess Celestia concluded as she gave Twilight Sparkle an apologetic look. “I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight admitted with a defeated sigh. “Celestia,” Twilight asked quietly. “You said you were bringing Spike’s sister here today. And yet, you brought Scootaloo instead. Are these things related?“ “Twilight, I think you already know the answer to that,” Celetia said calmly. Twilight sighed, and hung her head.  “Could you at least tell me who Scootaloo’s parents are?” Twilight entreated her beloved mentor. “Yes, but this needs to stay between us,” Princess Celestia explained with an air of utter finality.