//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: No Need to be Hidden 
// by samwichcha7 
//------------------------------//

	The autumn breeze rustled the warm colored leaves on the trees. Fillies and colts were running around, their screams of laughter gone unheard by those who have a special somepony to enjoy lunch with. Friends laughed and talked in the grass of the park, families spread blankets for picnics, and birds sang in the warmth of Celestia's sun. Almost everypony was out enjoying the warm autumn afternoon. Everypony, except one young unicorn filly.
Insight Spark was sitting in the branches of a tree, hiding in the shadows. She tried to sleep, but unfortunately the laughter of the other foals did not go unheard by her. Insight's small peach-coated ears twitched at the sound of somepony's sobs. The filly peered through the leaves of the tree she was in attempt to locate the sound.
Down below, a small orange pegasus filly was crying. Insight Spark contemplated going down from the tree to comfort her, but shied away from the very thought. The pegasus leaned against the tree, causing the unicorn hidden in its branches to tense up. I can't be caught now! I've spent most of my life well hidden, never making contact with anypony, the peach filly thought. Insight looked back down through the branches. The pegasus had a violet mane and had a scooter leaning against the tree next to her. As the young unicorn was looking down, her hind legs slipped and she fell from the tree.
Insight's heart beat loudly with fear. She looked up at the orange filly, bearing a slightly sheepish smile. "You okay?" they both asked in unison. 
"I'm fine," the peach filly muttered as she got to her hooves. "Why are you crying?" Insight Spark was unsure if she should run away or try to comfort the orange pony. She decided on the latter, sitting down with a soft smile. 
"Nothing. I just... Nothing." The pegasus struggled to stop the tears and wiped the back of her hoof across her eyes. "Uh... Sorry you had to see me like that. Hey, my name's Scootaloo! What's your name?" 
The unicorn cringed and thought, if I tell this pony my name, Scootaloo might tell others about me. "Promise not to tell anypony about me?" The pegasus filly looked confused, but nodded nonetheless. "My name is Insight Spark," she said shakily, taking a deep breath.
"Nice to meet you, Insight Spark! Hey, you don't have a cutie mark either! Cool!" 
Insight looked up at Scootaloo as if she were insane. "How's that cool? It just means that I'm useless and unimportant," She mumbled, partially to herself. The pegasus just shook her head, grinning, and turned around. The unicorn gasped. She always thought that there was something wrong with her, that she's too old to be a "blank flank", but Scootaloo seemed to be to around the same age! I'm not so alone after all! The thought pulled the corners of her mouth up in a smile.
"Say, why don't I ever see you around?" This almost instantly wiped Insight's smile away. She didn't know what to say; one wrong word and she would be done for. She will no longer be hidden. Insight Spark shivered at the thought of what would happen if she was discovered. What if they take me? What if they leave me at an orphanage? What if they kill me? The last thought seemed very unlikely, and who were "they", exactly? Insight sometimes didn't understand herself.
"I'm... uh... I'm not f-from around here!" She stuttered. Scootaloo looked at the unicorn skeptically. "Okay... Well, I'll see ya, I guess." The orange pegasus picked up the scooter that was leaning against the tree. The filly waved at Insight Spark as she pushed off on her scooter. The peach unicorn waved back, watching her new friend fade away in the distance. Once Scootaloo was out of sight, Insight turned and climbed the tree again. She curled up on a sturdy branch and closed her eyes, smiling peacefully for the first time in a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Today's the day, Crusaders!" a yellow earth pony shouted. Scootaloo rolled her eyes; no matter how often Applebloom said that, it was highly unlikely for the small trio of fillies to get their cutie marks today, as usual. While her friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle discussed what adventures they'd have today, Scootaloo's mind wandered towards what happened earlier today. Maybe I should invite her to join us in our cutie mark crusading! I'll tell Applebloom and Sweetie- She shook her head, remembering how Insight Spark told her not to tell anypony. I wonder why Insight doesn't want anypony to know about her. Why does she seem so strange? The pegasus thought about the peach colored filly, with her messy gray-blue mane and tired, icy blue eyes. Nothing seemed wrong about her appearance, even if she did seem very skinny, as if she hadn't had much to eat in a while.
Scootaloo's thoughts were interrupted by a white hoof waving before her face. The orange pegasus blushed a soft pink and spoke quietly, "Sorry, I zoned out. What?" 
Her fellow crusaders stared at her before Applebloom spoke up, "I said, do ya have any ideas?" Sweetie Belle giggled a little, though Scootaloo didn't understand why. 
The orange filly shook her head and said a little too loudly, "Nope, no ideas here!" She did have an idea, a new member to join their group, but she couldn't say so. Her friends gave her incredulous glances and she just shrugged. 
"Well okay, let's just go try bowling again," Sweetie Belle suggested. Applebloom and Scootaloo shook their heads. "Hoof ball?" At this, the fillies nodded their heads vigorously, excited to play a sport in the great weather. "Well then, let's go!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran out of their tree house.
As the Cutie Mark Crusaders reached the park, Scootaloo began to search the area with her purple eyes, hopeful to find the peach unicorn she met this morning. She scanned the surrounding trees. Scootaloo thought she saw a glimpse of a gray-blue mane, but Applebloom snapped at her, "What's up with ya, Scoots? Y'all seem a bit zoned out today." The pegasus filly just shook her head. She looked back at the trees, but even if Insight Spark was there a second ago, she was now no where to be seen. Scootaloo sighed and continued on to play with her friends. Why can't I forget about her?