Twilight gave Scootaloo a nervous look. While the rest of the class had gone off to do their project in the Library Scootaloo just sat, flipping through pages of a old history book, completely uninterested. Twilight did understand that some students just didn’t like doing schoolwork, but Scootaloo had never been one to just give up. The alicorn princess pondered her attachment to the small filly, the concern Twilight felt for her was strange, almost as if they had some kind of connection. I see why Rainbow Dash likes her so much Twilight thought, she is a very likable pony. Twilight dismissed her earlier thoughts, but her concern for Scootaloo stayed.
Twilight walked up beside Scootaloo and sat down, ‘Hey Scootaloo, is something wrong?” she asked.
Scootaloo looked as guilty as a captured thief, “Ummm, no! What makes you think that?!” she unconvincingly lied.
“Well, for starters you’ve been reading the same book for the last thirty minutes.” Twilight said, smirking as Scootaloo got even more nervous.
“It’s uh… very interesting!” Scootaloo countered, giving an innocent smile.
“You’ve been flipping through the same chapter the entire time.” The alicorn deadpanned.
Scootaloo’s nervous smile slowly faded from her face, “Well, uh um I was uh…”
Twilight gave the filly a warm smile, “Listen, you don’t have to try and cover it up, I’m only trying to help.”
Scootaloo sighed in resignation. “You know how Mrs. Cheerilee told us we have to do a project on our family’s history?”
“Your class came here because of that.” Twilight reminded her.
“Well, you see I’m having some trouble with my project…” Scootaloo said, obviously leaving something out.
The Princess laughed, “Is that it? Scootaloo you had me worried there! What kind of trouble is it, don’t know who to chose?”
“No…” Scootaloo said quietly.
“Can’t find a certain book?”
“No…”
“Having trouble with writing the report?”
“No, well a bit, but it’s not the problem…”
“Well then what is it?” Twilight asked, “Whatever it is, I’m sure I can help.”
“It’s a problem with my family itself, not the project.” Scootaloo admitted, feeling a bit better getting that off her chest.
Twilight on the other hoof felt worse for laughing earlier. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn't realize.” She said softly.
“It’s okay.”
Twilight shook her head, “Is something happening between your parents?” she asked, this time is a more hushed tone.
Scootaloo took a deep breath, “The problem is that… that… I don’t have any parents, or family.”
Twilight's eyes widened, “You’re an orphan?!”
Scootaloo shoved a hoof into Twilight's mouth, “Shh! I don’t want anypony else to know!” She then looked around, when she saw that none of her classmates were stirring she gave a sigh of relief.
Twilight face went red, “Sorry about that, but why can’t you tell anypony?”
Scootaloo looked down at her hooves, “Well, the Administrator said that my mom abandoned me there.” She started to cry a little.
Realization struck Twilight’s heart like a knife. It wasn’t very common for parents to abandon their foal in Equestria, but it still happens now and then. “I’m so sorry Scootaloo.” She said, draping a wing over the young filly.
Scootaloo shook her head, “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault Twilight.”
Twilight hung her head. I wish there was something I could do she thought to herself. Wait, maybe there is something.
“Hey Scootaloo, I think there is something I can do.” She said.
“What?” Scootaloo replied, curious about what Twilight had to offer.
“Well, remember when we found out that Pinkie was a member of the Apple family?”
Scootaloo gave a little smile, “Of course, Apple Bloom was talking about it for weeks.”
“I also found a spell that can show a pony’s parents.” Twilight explained.
Scootaloo's face brightened, “Really?! Could you cast it on me?”
“Sure, but not right now.” Twilight said, “Come to the library tomorrow and I’ll do it.”
“Thanks Twilight!” Scootaloo said, embracing the librarian.
Twilight smiled, it always felt nice to give help to other ponies in need.
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Scootaloo rode her scooter down the path she always took to see Rainbow Dash. The filly knew she had to tell her idol the truth, as much as it pained her to do so. With a heavy heart she parked her scooter and walked up to Rainbow, who was sitting on a hill waiting for her.
“Hey Rainbow.” Scootaloo greeted, surprising the older pegasus.
“Hey Scoots! Didn’t see you there.” Rainbow said, “Ready to start training?”
Scootaloo paused, she was meaning to tell Rainbow her secret now, but she seemed extremely eager to start. I’ll tell her after Scootaloo thought, dismissing her worries.
“You bet! I’ve been working on my take off!” She said, excited to start, “It looks awesome!”
Rainbow chuckled, “I’ll be the judge of that, show me.”
With that Scootaloo gave a running start and flapping her wings she took off into the air, then she fell back down to the ground. Scootaloo gave out a groan, disappointed in her own failure.
Rainbow noticed the distraught on the filly’s face and gave her a sympathetic look, “Don’t worry, everypony crashes at your age. The only way to remedy that is to try again.”
Scootaloo pulled herself up from the ground and ran back to try again, determination in her eyes. Rainbow was right, no matter how many times she fell she would get up and try again.
---------------------------------------------------------Two Hours Later----------------------------------------------
Scootaloo lay on the ground, panting like a dog in summer. Her orange coat was covered in sweat and her wings felt like rocks.
“Had enough?” Rainbow asked, hovering directly above Scootaloo.
“Yeah.” Scootaloo said, breathing heavily.
Rainbow smiled, “Well I think you deserve a break, you’ve been working your tail off.”
“Thanks.” Scootaloo replied,sitting herself up.
Rainbow flew down and sat beside the smaller pegasus, draping a wing over her. They sat there for a few minutes when Scootaloo broke the silence, “I haven’t been completely honest with you, Rainbow.” She said.
Rainbow pulled her hug back in surprise, “What do you mean?”
“Well you see the reason I never introduced you to my parents is…”
Rainbow’s mind was racing as fast as a sonic rainboom. She remembered when she had asked to meet Scootaloo’s parents, the filly had dodged the question until Rainbow forgot about it. The memory came flooding back when Scootaloo mentioned it though. Rainbow put the pieces together in her mind she assumed why the filly hadn’t introduced her. “Wait, are your parents abusing you?” She asked, almost certain that it was the case.
“What?! No!” Scootaloo said, almost as surprised as Dash was.
Rainbow gave a sigh of relief, “Well then what is it?”
“I don’t have any parents.” The young pegasus admitted.
Rainbow’s thought process came screeching to a halt, “You’re an orphan?!”
Scootaloo laughed a bit, “That’s exactly what Twilight did when she found out.”
“Hey! Why’d you tell Twi before me?!” Dash asked, feeling a pang of betrayal.
Scootaloo just shrugged, “She wormed it out of me.”
“Heh, Twi can be kinda nosey sometimes.” Rainbow chuckled.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, “but she told me she had a spell that could tell me who my parents are!”
Rainbow grinned, “That’s great squirt!”
“She told me to tell you so you could be there, but I would’ve done that anyways.” Scootaloo said, hugging Rainbow.
“Well what are we waiting for?” Rainbow said, getting up, “Let’s go!”
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Rainbow Dash walked with Scootaloo to Twilight’s Library. “You know I’m still upset that you didn’t tell me you were an orphan.” She said.
Scootaloo looked slightly guilty, “Yeah, I’m sorry about that it’s just…”
Rainbow Dash raised a hoof, cutting her off. “Listen, it doesn’t matter why you did it, I’m sure you had a good reason. What matters now is finding out who your parents are.”
“Yeah, but what do I do after that?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow shrugged, “Who knows? Maybe we already know them, I mean why else would they put you in the Ponyville orphanage?”
Scootaloo paused, considering that. “Yeah I guess.”
“That’s the spirit kid.” Rainbow said with a smile, “Now let’s get to the library. We don’t want to leave Twilight of all ponies waiting.”
Scootaloo shuddered, remembering what happened last time they’d shown up to the Princess’s house late. “Alright, race you there?”
Rainbow laughed, “Sure! Don’t worry I’ll g-” Suddenly she was cut off by a gust of wind. Rainbow looked beside her, Scootaloo wasn’t there. She then looked in front of her, and saw a blue and orange dot on the horizon.
“Hey no fair!” She shouted, giving chase to the filly on a scooter.
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The Library was silent as Scootaloo, Rainbow and Spike watched Twilight mixing a potion. Unlike most spells, which could be cast with the wave of a horn, this spell required many steps of preparation before it could be used.
Rainbow impatiently tapped her hoof on the floor, “C’mon Twi, is it nearly finished?”
Twilight looked up from her brewing, “Just about…” Suddenly a poof of blue smoke came out of the vial, “now.” Twilight finished.
“So you can cast it now?” Spike asked.
“No, I just need one small ingredient.” Twilight explained. Then her horn lit up and Scootaloo felt a sharp pain on her head as Twilight lifted one of Scootaloo’s hairs over to the vial.
“OW!” She complained, wincing and putting a hoof on the spot the hair was pulled from.
“A DNA sample from Scootaloo.” Twilight said, not noticing the glare the orange filly was giving her.
Twilight dropped the hair into the vial and a popping sound was heard, “Alright, here goes nothing.” Twilight said. She grabbed the bottle and violently lifted it, throwing the contents into the air. When the potion was in the air, however, it dissipated into mist and hung in two separate spheres side by side. Then Twilight’s horn lit up like purple fire and two pink beams shot towards each sphere. Once the rays hit two faces appeared.
Everypony stood still in shock at who they saw.
Rainbow broke the silence, “Wait! Is that Spitfire?!”
Then Scootaloo popped up, “Then who is the other pony?”
Twilight knew the answer, but she was too mad to care. “Spike take a letter!” She shouted.
“Sure thing Twilight!” The dragon said, rushing off to get parchment and a quill.
“Brother, you and I are going to have a talk.” Twilight muttered under her breath.