//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Of The Last Millennium // by BlndDog //------------------------------// Chapter 3 Scootaloo woke up to a bright morning. A rooster was crowing in the street, and she could hear a wagon creaking along the road towards the market. A light haze had settled on the town, and each deep breath carried the faint scents of fertile earth, sweet compost and even a suggestion of baked goods from Sugarcube Corner. She laid still for a while, enjoying the feeling of the straw bed on her aching back. Oh, it wasn’t aching now, but she knew that as soon as she moved, all the little things that she hadn’t noticed last night would have their turn. Her wings were limp, and the act of pulling a foreleg out from under the covers reminded her exactly where the vine harness had been when she was still shoulder-deep in cold mud. The sound of popping joints inches beneath her made Scootaloo’s mane stand on end. The soft groan that followed came just in time for her to stuff her newly-liberated hoof in her mouth and kill the scream in her throat. However, it did little to ease her mind. She waited for him to speak first. When he didn’t, it took all her energy to roll over and scoot to the edge of the bed. The tip of a cream-and-black wing was just visible jutting over the edge of the bed frame. The pinion was half stripped. Scootaloo lowered one orange hoof and flicked the wing, hoping to get his attention. With a few rustles and thumps on the bottom of the bed the feather disappeared. Rain blew a long throaty sigh through his nostrils. Now there’s a good idea. She extended all four legs as far as she could, until her knees popped and her shoulders felt like they were in the right place again. Then she readjusted her sheets and turned away from the window. Her left ear wouldn’t stop twitching. Her heart skipped a beat at every sound that drifted through the open window, and she couldn’t help but shoulder check the rest of the room every five minutes. Griffins. Griffins ATTACKING an orphanage. Griffins attacking the ORPHANAGE, in CANTERLOT. And nobody seems to know about it except Rain. Letting out a low moan of frustration, Scootaloo threw aside the covers and got onto the floor. Going to the window, she looked to the big clock on the house across the street. 6:10. There were five ponies in front of her house; Big Macintosh plodded along at a steady pace, lugging the largest of three compost carts. The other two stallions were grey earth ponies of a similar burly build, and reminded her a little too much of the royal guards from the previous night. Their mumbled conversation was indistinct as they turned the corner and headed towards the edge of town. Golden Harvest was humming a tune as she trotted towards the market with an empty saddle bag. It was still early in the season for her crops; her bright orange vegetable stand would not be seen in the market square for another month at least, and she didn’t need to pedal her famous preserves. Scootaloo pulled her head beneath the level of the windowsill when she saw the last figure. He looked to be an earth pony a bit shorter than Big Macintosh, but most of his body was hidden in a blue-and-black cloak. His hood was up, perhaps to ward off the dust, but his dark grey muzzle confirmed everything Scootaloo had dreaded. The cloaked pony turned the opposite direction from the farmers. Scootaloo waited at her window for ten minutes, scanning every passer-by until, sure enough, the figure appeared again, passing without an upward glance and heading in the same direction as before. The drawer that Rain had removed last night was still lying on the floor. Scootaloo grabbed an orange crayon from the closet and ripped out two blank pages from the back of the journal. Her neck was still aching, and the crayon made her usual chicken-scratch writing even worse, but the message was legible enough: Rain My dad works from 8:00 to 4:00. Bathroom is the second door to the left. Stay in here, stay quiet, keep the window closed. Weird ponies in dark cloaks outside, one of them is circling this block. Your sister, Stlo Folding the page into a triangle and then rolling it into a tube, Scootaloo placed it in Rain’s forelegs, which were closed tightly around the teddy bear (it looked even uglier by the light of the morning). His ungroomed wings were loosely-folded, and the comforter was completely underneath him, providing some padding from the dusty floor. Rain really hadn’t changed all that much. His wings were still disproportionately large; as big as Rainbow Dash’s despite him being about half her height. His sandy mane was long enough to look dishevelled in the morning, and the tip of his tail was a muddy mess. On his flank… Scootaloo felt a pang of jealousy. The image was of a long white candle, nearly indistinguishable on his pale coat. The flame had two orange tongues, with a circular grey aura and a trail of wispy smoke flowing in a gentle current. The candle stood on a plain gold dish, rendered as a gossamer arc. I guess you don’t need the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She patted Rain gently on the nose, this only succeeding in making him bury his face in the feather-stuffed pillow. Confident that her work here was finished for the time, Scootaloo wrote the second note. Dad I’m heading out early this morning. Leave dishes in the sink; I’ll be home before 3:00. I’m not coming back for lunch. Love Scootaloo Donning her maroon cape and retrieving the bits off the floor, Scootaloo tiptoed down the stairs before dashing out the front door, only stopping in the kitchen to drop off her message. The air at ground level was a bit dusty, but it was a reasonable trade-off for a week of sunny weather. Scootaloo stayed to the right of the wheel ruts in the hard-packed dirt, wishing that her own wheels didn’t squeak so loudly. Any minute now she expected the cloaked stallion to appear, though she glanced around each time to see only familiar eyes be they tired or excited or troubled or contented. Traffic increased as she neared the market square. Most vendors were still setting up their stands, though a few greasy breakfast places were open for business. She nearly succumbed to the smell of cinnamon beavertails, but the sight of a blue news stand reminded her of the task at hand. Doctor Whooves was arranging the morning’s papers at 2955C. The tall blue stall was made of salvaged wood from a river barge, and the story went that its tarnished brass sign used to be the ID plaque. The former clockmaker had moved into town at about the same time as Scootaloo, and that was grounds enough for them to become friends in the ensuing years. “Good morning, Doctor,” Scootaloo called, pulling up in front of the news stand. “Good morning to you too, Scootaloo,” He replied without skipping a beat. He had a sort of half-smile on his face as he turned around, wiping the ink stain off his chin. “Isn’t it a bit early?” “It’s such a nice day, I thought I could take a ride around town before it gets busy.” Scootaloo took a soggy paper from the top of the pile, her hooves turning grey from the not-yet-dry ink. The pages smelled terrible. With a scrunched nose she scanned through the whole thing quickly under the increasingly-concerned gaze of the brown stallion behind the counter. Having found no mention of the Canterlot orphanage, she refolded the paper to the best of her ability and placed it back on top of the pile. “Is there something you’re looking for?” Doctor Whooves asked as he deliberately picked up the mess of pages and hid it under the display. “I’m looking for news on the Canterlot orphanage,” Scootaloo said. “I heard that something terrible happened there, and I want to know if it’s true.” “Well, I’m sure it’s not true,” the newsvendor frowned. “I get papers from all over Equestria, and quite a few telegrams too. Canterlot is as peaceful as always, the princesses are well and accounted for, and I believe the Starswirls the Bearded traveling exhibition should be returning to the Canterlot Museum next week. Nothing out of the ordinary at all… now speaking of out of the ordinary…” Scootaloo followed his gaze to a trio of cloaked figures entering the market. Only the one in the middle wore the black and blue cloak she had seen earlier, but the red- and green- hooded stallions flanking him were evidently of the same type. Their hoods were down now, and though their golden eyes were normal-looking there was no hiding those tufted ears. “Lunar Guards,” the Doctor mused as the bat ponies got in line at a beavertail stand. “In broad daylight; out of uniform; in Ponyville, of all places.” “What do you think they’re doing here?” Scootaloo asked, turning her back to the scene. “Vacationing?” He suggested, sounding rather unconvinced himself. “Don’t seem like the type for sunshine and swims in the lake, though. I don’t know.” They were talking with the construction workers seated around the food cart now. Occasionally somepony would shake their head, but they were too far away to be heard. “They’re looking for a missing colt.” Scootaloo’s head snapped back to face the newsvendor, who was leaning over his stand and squinting intently as the scene. “Palamino… Eight years old… pegasus… Canker… Scratch that last one…” Scootaloo opened her mouth, but the stallion raised a hoof to silence her. “Well, that’s interesting,” he said, finally turning his attention back to the filly. “Looks like something is happening in Canterlot after all. They’re looking for a missing pegasus colt. Not exactly useful to you, unless you’ve seen anypony unusual in the last few days.” “No one at all,” Scootaloo said, doing her best to seem casual. Fortunately Doctor Whooves was still infatuated with the three bat ponies across the street, perhaps trying to lip read some more of their conversations. She took the opportunity to slip behind the news stand and exit the street through the narrow track between the houses and the backs of vendors’ stalls. # The bat ponies were everywhere. She had no doubt now that every dark grey Royal Guard that she passed on the street was a bat pony in disguise. Some made more of an effort to be discreet, however; Scootaloo nearly bumped into a moustached stallion in a flowery yellow shirt and dark glasses, and two others were completely undressed and attending a tour of town hall. She spent twenty minutes helping Roseluck move buckets of water and set up her stand, all the while keeping count of the number of unfamiliar grey ponies on the street. She walked away from it all with two more bits in her pocket and a bright red lily in her mouth that almost offset the unpleasant sour taste of her growing edginess. By then Sugarcube Corner was open, and Scootaloo went inside to save the booth just under the staircase. At least there didn’t seem to be any bat ponies in the bakery. Even more fortunately, Pinkie Pie was busy with the morning rush and did not question her too much about her newfound interest in the old newspapers scattered around the diner. The big table was soon covered with these newspapers as if Scootaloo was going to start painting. She sipped her hot chocolate intermittently, and the bowl of hot cereal remained untouched, the spoonful of brown sugar on top melting into a caramel blotch at the centre of the paste which went from steaming hot to lukewarm before the filly even noticed its presence. She was reading through a column from five days ago about the history of Royal Guard armoury when two shapes entered her peripheral vision. “Whacha’ doin’, Scootaloo?” “Hi girls,” Scootaloo greeted, forcing herself to look up. “I was just reading up on some things.” “You? Reading?” Apple Bloom smirked, hopping onto the bench beside her. Sweetie Belle climbed onto the opposite bench, grimacing as she fell clumsily against the seat back. Any sign of jesting left their faces upon seeing Scootaloo’s grim expression. “What happened, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked, scrunching yesterday’s paper as she leaned in closer. “Did your dad get really upset?” “Not exactly,” Scootaloo replied, scanning the room quickly before leaning in and lowering her voice. “Girls, remember how I told you that I stayed in an orphanage for a few months back when my dad was in the army?” “Scootaloo, are you having bad dreams again?” Apple Bloom put a hoof on her shoulder. “No, listen,” the pegasus filly said, shrugging off the gesture. “I shared a room with this colt…” “Oooh,” Sweetie Belle cooed, vigorously blinking in her best impression of her sister. Seeing Scootaloo’s fiery glare, she stopped and lowered her gaze. “Sorry.” “I shared a room with a colt,” she continued. “He was another officer’s son, and he was supposed to be there for a short term stay as well. We were real close, and it turned out we lived pretty close to each other in Cloudsdale too. Anyways, my dad picked me up from the orphanage when he got back, and a few days later we moved to Ponyville. I don’t know what happened to him after that.” “So you’re lookin’ for your friend, is that it?” “Not quite,” Scootaloo said. “He found me.” “Come again?” “Ooooh! Twilight! It’s so great to see you! Who’s your friend there? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony like you before!” All three turned in unison to see Pinkie Pie hovering above the lineup at the till. Scootaloo giggled at the three ponies pressed against the wall with eyes bugging out of their heads, while the regular customers simply continued their conversations overtop the baker’s shrill voice. Twilight had one foreleg raised in surprise, and standing beside her… Scootaloo slowly withdrew to a sitting position and looked down at the wrinkled newspaper in front of her. To her dismay Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom didn’t take the hint, and instead leaned exaggeratedly out of the booth in order to get a better look at the dark-cloaked mare. One shadow fell over the edge of the table, followed by another. A third bounced in and out of her field of view in a regular rhythm. “Pinkie pie! The muffins!” “Ooooh! Sorry, Mrs. Cake! I’ll be back in a bit, Twilight!” “Pinkie Pie,” the purple alicorn said through gritted teeth. The bouncing stopped. “Gari here has some important work to do. We’ll talk later, okay?” “Okie dokie!” In Scootaloo’s mind she could see the bright pink baker flailing her legs frantically and skidding on the spot for a brief moment before disappearing with a puff of dust. “Sorry,” Twilight said in a lower voice. Her head turned towards the table, and she did her very best to sound casual when she next spoke. “Hey girls, how are you today?” “We’re all fine and dandy, Twilight,” Apple Bloom replied enthusiastically. “Just a little sore from yesterday. So who are you, miss, if you don’t mind me asking?” “My name is Gari.” And she was telling the truth. Her voice was like a mountain creek, soothing and inoffensive but without any hint of shyness or uncertainty. Even Scootaloo felt a little more at ease. She looked up to meet her dark green eyes. Pinkie Pie was not exaggerating in her assessment; most ponies have never seen anything quite like Gari. She stood as tall as Twilight, but with a build more akin to a farm pony than a princess. Her neck and face were mostly a light shade of brown, but her muzzle was conspicuously pale. Two triangular streaks of chocolate on either side of her nose gave the impression of a moustache, something which she often used to humorous effect when she read to her children. Her ears were dark brown, and an astute observer would notice that the four hooves visible under the hem of her dark cloak were brown too. “That’s a really nice cloak,” Sweetie Belle commented. “Thank you,” the unicorn smiled at her before turning her attention back to the orange pegasus across the table. “Scootaloo, how have you been?” “You know her?” Apple Bloom asked to Scootaloo’s annoyance. “She runs the Canterlot Orphanage,” Scootaloo explained quickly before turning her attention back to the oddly-coloured unicorn. “What do you want, Gari?” “Scootaloo!” Twilight gasped. “It’s okay, Twilight,” Gari cut her off. “Scootaloo, is Morning Rain alright?” “Why do you think I would know?” Scootaloo said, trying not to sound too offended yet knowing that she had lost regardless. “He ran away from the orphanage two days ago,” Gari explained. The concern in her eyes made it all the more difficult for the filly to keep up her already flimsy charade. “I know he got on a train heading this way, and I know that he was looking for you. Please tell me if you’ve seen him.” “Hey!” By the time Twilight regained her balance Scootaloo was already at the front door, her wings buzzing furiously. She didn’t have a plan beyond getting out of the bakery, but her mind was made up regarding at least one matter. Rain trusted her enough to travel all the way to Ponyville. If it took you two days, I owe you at least that much. She was suddenly pulled backwards. Her scooter shot out from beneath her and continued on for a few metres before falling over. Her wings buzzed against something hard and metallic, and she broke a few feathers as she struggled with all her might to get free form the huge limbs restraining her. “Whoa, why the hurry?” The guard sounded utterly friendly, which only made it worse. Scootaloo sighed and fell limp as she was carried back into the bakery full of staring eyes. “Sorry for the commotion, everypony,” Twilight said slowly, looking around the room with a forced smile. Her face was beet-red, and she did not seem to notice that her wings were raised in an awkward, half-extended position that forced Gari to duck ungracefully under them. “Fine,” Scootaloo huffed after one last valiant kick. “Let’s just get out of here.” “What’s going on, Twilight?” Pinkie Pie chirped, springing out of the kitchen. “It’s nothing,” The alicorn said. “We’ll be on our way.” The guard turned around, carrying Scootaloo outside again where two more armoured stallions were waiting. One had shouldered the wooden scooter, and the other… no, there were three. Four. With every step a new pony appeared until Gari emerged from the bakery and explained the situation. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle bound up to the guard carrying Scootaloo, craning their necks to look at their friend. Had it not been for his Royal Guard armor and Twilight’s apparent approval, the stallion wouldn’t have made it two steps before Apple Bloom tried to buck his leg out from under him. “I can walk, you know?” Scootaloo said. The side of his shoe was digging into her ribs, and his grip was like a vise. “Put her down, April Creek,” Gari said. It sounded more like a suggestion than an order, but Scootaloo was gently lowered to the ground. She shot forwards as soon as her hooves touched down, but all traction disappeared after five steps. She was running on the spot with a pale yellow tint to her vision. Even her wings could not propel her forwards. “Scootaloo, please,” Twilight said, walking up beside her. “There’s been a misunderstanding. Morning Rain was really upset when he left Canterlot, and we’re concerned about him.” “We?” Scootaloo repeated, eyeing the alicorn. “You’ve never even seen him, have you?” “I’m worried,” Gari corrected, releasing the filly as she flanked her left side. “Rain told you a lot, didn’t he?” “Was he lying then?” The filly demanded, being careful now not to walk too fast. Gari’s cloak cut off view of everything to her left; Scootaloo couldn’t check that her friends were still with her or verify the number of guards that were present. “I know that he’s not,” the unicorn admitted. She was taking a long route around town to avoid the market square. “That doesn’t mean he’s doing the right thing. What is his plan, anyways?” “I couldn’t say,” Scootaloo lied. “Fair enough.” Looking to the purple alicorn on her other side, Scootaloo failed to make eye contact. Twilight wore a nervous smile, and sweat flowed down her long neck as she deflected each curious pedestrian. She wondered why the princess was so worked up. Twilight had a history of overreacting to small things, but was making a scene at Sugarcube Corner really all it took to set her off? “I’ll stay outside,” Gari said, breaking the silence. “Scootaloo, please tell Rain that I’m looking for him. Let him know that I’m not mad at him.” Scootaloo shifted her focus past Twilight and recognized the intersection at the end of her street. Gari stepped aside, and the guard returned her scooter. She proceeded at a sluggish pace, flapping her wings just enough to keep going forwards, until Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom caught up to her. “What’s going on?” The white unicorn asked. “Why does Gari think that you would know anything about this ‘Morning Rain’?” “He was the colt I roomed with back at the orphanage,” Scootaloo snapped. Sweetie Belle could be so dull sometimes. Then again, the dots that needed connecting were rather distant and disjoint. “That doesn’t explain why he’s looking for you,” Apple Bloom said. “He’s looking for me because I’m his big sister.” “But you’re not his sister!” Scootaloo stopped dead in her track and glared down at Sweetie Belle, who backed away one step. “I’m his sister,” she said, carefully articulating each word. “In the same sense that Rainbow Dash is my sister. It means that I promised to help him, to guide him and to be there when he needs me. Now he’s come all the way from Canterlot, so you can bet that he needs me.” “Do you think Gari’s been mistreating ‘im?” Apple Bloom suggested, checking over her shoulder for good measure. “Absolutely not,” Scootaloo snapped. “Gari’s the nicest, most patient pony I know. I can’t tell you girls anything else. He’ll be upset enough that I can’t hide him for even one day.” “Do you want us to go inside?” Sweetie Belle said, lowering her voice as they approached the front door. The lattice on the second-floor window was closed. Scootaloo opened her mouth to refuse, but her mind was already playing through scenarios. How mad would he be? Twilight mentioned that Rain left Canterlot in a bad mood, and it was a serious enough matter for Gari to enlist the Lunar Guards. Rain also had no trouble sneaking into her room and subduing her, and in their time together at the orphanage he had started at least as many fights as Scootaloo did. He probably got more sleep than I did, and he can fly. Maybe having a bit of backup wasn’t such a bad idea. “Stay downstairs,” Scootaloo instructed before opening the door and ushering in the two other fillies. She took off her cloak and draped it across the handlebars of the scooter. She was about to walk right past the kitchen when an idea struck her. The breakfast dishes were soaking in the sink; as always, her father had used one plate, one bowl and one unassuming white mug, leaving her three plates, two bowls and two tea-stained cups with which to work. She placed the rusty half-head of lettuce from last night’s dinner onto a plate. In the cupboard beside the sink she found the jar of rolled oats. She sprinkled a generous portion on top of the greens, and then reached deep into the same cupboard for cranberries. This jar was dusty from disuse, and its contents were caked together, but after some vigorous shaking she managed to dislodge a few berries to pour out. “I give up,” whispered Apple Bloom as Scootaloo got on all four and carefully transferred the finished product onto her back. “What are you doing?” “It’s breakfast,” She explained sheepishly. “Maybe he’ll feel better if he’s not hungry.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom followed her to the base of the stairs, and Scootaloo ascended alone, spilling an oat or two on the way up. The hallway upstairs was dark; the half-open door to her father’s room admitted just enough light to distinguish the outlines of the other doors. Something small and grey scurried between her legs and down the stairs, and soon she heard the sound of rapid chewing coming from somewhere below. Her unpainted wood door opened with the familiar wood-on-wood squeak that it picked up every spring and maintained until the dry heat of midsummer. The closed lattice gave everything in the room a rosy glow, and the morning mist had brought out the faintest scents from the thatching overhead. Scootaloo was pleased to see that her furniture had been restored to the appropriate arrangement. Rain was sprawled on her bed with Pebbles the Bear supporting his chin. His wings beat slowly to generate a breeze. A circle of dust and straw had formed around the bed, and a bit of straw was lazily dancing across the floor to join the narrow grey line. His eyes were half-lidded, staring longingly at the ribbons of cloudless sky between the strips of painted wood. His mane was even messier than before, and his ears hung limp on top of his head, both of them falling to the right. Upon seeing his sister he raised his head and folded his wings. The circle jumped one last time and was still. “Here,” Scootaloo said, placing the plate on the markedly cleaner floor inside the circle. “Rain…” “She found you,” he said without even looking up from the food. “I heard you coming down the street.” “I’m sorry, Rain,” Scootaloo sighed, sitting down across from the colt. “I didn’t want to tell Gari anything…” “That part’s my fault,” Rain said, looking up from what little remained of the cabbage. There was a flake of oat stuck to his chin, which he scooped up with his tongue before continuing. “I should have told you about the bat ponies last night. Actually, given what they already knew I’m surprised Gari wasn’t staring me in the face when I got up this morning. Good call with the note, by the way.” “Rain,” Scootaloo said, putting her hoof on top of his. “Gari’s waiting outside. Should I let her in? Do you want to see her?” “I guess,” Rain sighed. “Maybe this isn’t a bad thing, though. Scootaloo, promise me this, okay? I’m going to ask her some things, and I want her to answer me here, and I want you to hear what she has to say. After that, what I need may be more than anything you can provide.” “Wait a second,” Scootaloo said. “Are you still going to…” Rain ran one hoof across his pursed lips and nodded at the window. “That’s a yes, then,” Scootaloo whispered. He nodded. “From now on until we go our separate ways, I want you to know everything that I know. No secrets, just like before, okay sis?” Scootaloo nodded. What have I gotten myself into? “Let’s go,” she said, standing up and motioning for the colt to follow. The two went downstairs to find Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exactly where they had stopped. “Girls,” Scootaloo announced as Rain stepped tentatively onto the first floor. “This is my brother, Morning Rain. Rain, this is Sweetie Belle, and that’s Apple Bloom.” “Nice to meet you,” Sweetie Belle chimed with a toothy smile. The colt returned the gesture, and all four went into the small living room. The curtains were drawn as they always were, so that no one commented on the faded and sagging upholstery on the couch or the many patches where the paint had chipped off the walls. Finding the wooden side door, Scootaloo drew a latch that was nearly rusted shut and pulled open the door with some difficulty. It popped out of the frame with a warbling bang, and Scootaloo wasn’t sure she would be able to close it again. “Mom?” Rain called tentatively. With her cloak on, Gari blocked the entire bottom half of the door as she stepped into the house. She had a genuine smile on her face, and looking back at Rain Scootaloo saw some of his anxiety fading away, though it was not gone. “You had me worried, Rain,” the mare said, picking up the colt with one hoof and pulling him into a hug. “Why did you run away?” Twilight came in after Gari, looking around the room with mild disgust. The bat ponies didn’t follow her, but Scootaloo could see their shadows in the alleyway. There were at least two guarding the door, and probably many more circling the block like the one from earlier. “I had to,” Rain said, looking Gari in the eyes. “You were hiding the truth from me; things that I should be allowed to know.” “I meant to tell you, Rain,” she sighed, sitting down on the dusty floor. “I’m sorry that you had to find out this way, and I understand that it seems pretty bad out of context, but I’ll explain to you everything when we get home.” “No,” Rain said firmly. “Tell me now, and tell Scootaloo too.” Gari turned her gaze towards Scootaloo, and though it carried no more malice than before she couldn’t help but retreat a half-step towards the hall. “This is a family matter, Scootaloo,” she said evenly. “Can you and your friends excuse us for a moment?” She wanted to do as she was told. Rain was the one who ran away from home; she wasn’t in any trouble at all. It was technically his fault that she had to be carried kicking and screaming into a packed diner like a fussy foal. But the memories of last night were still clear in her mind, and with it came the memory of a damp, lamp-lit cave about half a day’s hike from Winsome Falls. Funny how truth from the heart comes out under starlight, and those promises witnessed by a million glittering eyes could not be denied even under the sober light of high noon. “I’m his sister,” she said, planting her front hooves with a muffled click on the unfinished wood floor. “Rain came to me for a reason, and now I have a right to know.” “I was afraid of that,” Gari said, her eyes turning grim. “Princess Twilight, please close the door. Apple Bloom; Sweetie Belle; can you two wait outside?” “We’re Scootaloo’s friends,” the earth pony insisted, mimicking Scootaloo’s gesture. “If she’s having a problem, we’re here to help.” “No,” Scootaloo interrupted, turning to the other two. “You can’t be here. This is between me, Gari and Rain. There’s nothing you can do to help.” She felt bad for speaking to them this way, but Apple Bloom at least seemed to understand. “Come on, Sweetie Belle,” she sighed, making her way towards the open door. After ushering out the while unicorn, she turned back on the threshold and addressed Scootaloo. “We’ll be right outside if you need anything.” The door creaked and groaned, but could not be completely closed. Even encased in Twilight’s magical aura it twitched and shuddered like something alive, and at length the alicorn princess resorted to sitting against it to hold it shut. Catching Scootaloo’s eyes, she offered a familiar awkward grin. “Shouldn’t she be gone too?” Scootaloo asked. “Princess Twilight has special permission to know these things,” Gari explained. “Now, I think you need to get up to speed on a few things for this to make any sense.” The unicorn closed her eyes as her horn lit up. The cloak on her back was surrounded in a soft yellow glow. The folds of dark fabric flowed as if in a gentle breeze, and the garment lifted smoothly over her head before rolling into a neat bundle. Two cream wings extended in a graceful arc, rivaling Twilight’s in size. Her belly was the same pale colour as her muzzle, and it was clear now that the dark brown of her fetlocks extended halfway up both of her front legs. Setting the cloak down beside her, Gari opened her eyes and smiled mischievously down at the gaping filly. “You’re a princess now?” Scootaloo finally managed to say. “I never was,” Gari said. “The wings were a gift from my mother. I’ve had them for a little over a thousand years now.” Scootaloo couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. Gari folded her wings and looked at Twilight from the corner of her eye. “Right,” the purple alicorn said quickly, her ears perking up in surprise. “Scootaloo, Gari is one of the original Children of the Night, selected by Princess Luna shortly after the defeat of Discord to establish a new colony. While the records from that period are unclear, and most historians who study this period of Equestrian history believed that the colony was only an obscure myth…” “Summarize,” Gari suggested. Twilight’s jaws snapped shut, and her face was starting to turn red again. “Well,” Twilight tried again. “The Children of the Night were raised by Luna, and they were turned into alicorns shortly before she became Nightmare Moon…” “Thank you,” Gari interrupted again. She giggled, seeing the princess hiding behind her hooves. “You don’t have to be so nervous, Twilight. You’re the princess here.” Scootaloo listened to the conversation with one ear. In her mind she was recalling every incident where she had seen Gari. There were many during her seven month stay at the orphanage, but under new scrutiny she realized that she had never before seen Gari without her cloak. “Okay,” she stammered at last. “Okay, I guess that makes sense. Now what does this have to do with griffins?” “Why were you drinking with the Griffins?” Rain snapped, flaring his massive wings and taking an offensive stance in front of Gari. “Because griffins don’t negotiate without drinking,” Gari explained patiently. “Why were you negotiating with griffins?” He pressed on. “They killed Swift Fog and Shining Dawn…” “They also got Arcing Craft and Windy Shores, but you don’t seem to care as much about them.” Her tone remained unaggressive. Rain hung his head with his jaws locked shut. “Rain, I understand how difficult this is for you, and I know that you think I don’t care. I do care, Rain, and I remember every child who’s ever lived under my roof. Why do you think I know Scootaloo’s address even though I could have forgotten all about her as soon as her dad carried her off to Cloudsdale?” A dark spot was growing on the floor beneath the colt’s downcast face. “You knew that we moved to Ponyville?” Scootaloo said as she moved to her brother’s side and placed a hoof on his ribs. “Your father was young, and he was returning from a tour of duty with an injury,” Gari explained. “Even good ponies will go through tough times, and he had changed a lot in those seven months; I didn’t want anything to happen to you. In hindsight I can say that it was excessive in your case, but other children haven’t been so lucky. I hope you understand.” “Okay,” Scootaloo said, her words coming out more belligerent than she intended. Her mind was still playing catch up, and already the seeds of a new terror were taking root. “I guess you have your reasons. But you’re telling me that griffins attacked the orphanage, Rain saw it happen, and a few days later you were drinking with them.” “I was negotiating with them, as I’ve just told you.” “I agree with Rain, then,” Scootaloo said slowly. The colt turned and regarded her with one glistening eye, silently begging her to keep talking. “I don’t see why you had to negotiate at all. Why didn’t you hand them over to Princess Celestia, or punish them yourself?” “Scootaloo…” Twilight said softly. “Princess Celestia knows nothing about this incident,” Gari interrupted. “This is more complicated than you think, Scootaloo. These griffins were trying to get my attention. Given the state of my office on the night before Rain ran away, I take it that he read my unfinished letter to my brother Wind Whisper. It was a mistake on my part to compare them to Nightmare Moon, and I would never question the loyalty of the Lunar Guards, but sylvanocians, or bat ponies as you know them, do possess an unusual form of magic that’s difficult to describe in other terms.” “You’re lying,” Rain croaked between sobs. “Sylvanocians haven’t done anything like that since the Children of the Night were first called! This is more than a common sylvanocian, Gari! Why can’t you admit it? Griffins are coming from across the sea to attack you, they have something on their side that’s as powerful as an alicorn, and it. Is. Evil!” “These griffins did come from their homeland,” Gari said, taking half a step closer to the colt. He averted his gaze so the alicorn couldn’t see him squeezing the tears out of his eyes. “I know what you saw, because they came to me just as you described. I know that the sylvanocians haven’t been as powerful since Nightmare Moon’s banishment; if I didn’t know, how would you know? Rain, I intend to find out who’s behind this and to bring them to justice, and we will have answers soon enough. I’ve been investigating the attack, and maybe I haven’t been telling you as much as you deserve to know, but after you’ve lived with me for four years, and knowing the times I’ve lived through, don’t you think that I know what’s best for everyone?” “You had a week, Gari!” Rain spat. “You just dragged all the Lunar Guards from Canterlot to track me down! If you’d sent them to find those griffins instead, we wouldn’t be here in the first place! You weren’t investigating, you were covering for a bunch of griffins! I get that the Children of the Night are used to being all-powerful pushovers, but come on! They’ve killed your children! If you won’t give us justice, I’ll go find it myself!” It was a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of thing, and had he not nodded in her direction Scootaloo would have ended the day in the hospital instead of where she actually went. The force of his wings snapping open threw her against the wall. With one great whoosh Rain disappeared from the room. A cloud of sawdust and bits of straw cascaded through the railings of the stairs. “Open the door,” Gari snapped, turning to Twilight who was still staring blankly at the spot where Rain had just been standing. Outside the guards yelled. Letting out a small growl, Gari lowered her head. Scootaloo saw the pale yellow aura surround her body before she disappeared. Gari’s teleportation spell was completely unlike Twilights. Scootaloo had the wind knocked out of her a second time as the shockwave ruffled her hair and ravaged her eardrums before continuing through the whole building, still strong enough to rattle the plates when it reached the kitchen. Fortunately it also knocked Twilight back to her senses, and the alicorn leapt clear of the door and threw it open. Scootaloo stumbled for the front door, ignoring the pain in her right side where the wing had struck her. Just like old days. Stepping outside, she caught a glimpse of Rain before he veered off to east and was obscured from view by the clock tower. Black shapes filled the air as bat ponies took off from all over town, some doffing their cloaks in mid-flight and shielding their eyes with their forelegs. Scootaloo turned east at the first intersection, ducking underneath an oncoming carriage and nearly crashing into a dark purple mare. The street she had chosen was much too crowded, and Scootaloo could only glance skyward for a second at a time as she galloped after her brother. This would be easier if I could fly. Rain was heading due east, climbing steeply. The guards were getting closer; the fastest would catch up in a few more seconds. Scootaloo stretched her neck forwards, as if the extra half inch could afford her a better view of the situation. A scream brought her eyes back down to street level. Before her was a barrel full of apples. One of those big barrels the Apples used for cider. They were gala apples the size of softballs, half red and half green, first of the season. Two bits for six and three for a dozen, according to the sign. Scootaloo pulled her head up and reversed her wings, but the film of water on the road made her slip. She closed her eyes and clamped her teeth. The sudden stop made her feel sick. She didn’t know where the ground went, and she didn’t want to think about what her dad will say when applejack comes calling or what her face might look like after running into a filled oaken barrel at that speed. Slowly she opened her eyes. Twilight was looking at her through a purple haze. “What’s happenin’, Twilight?” Applejack was saying. “What’s with all these bat ponies? Why is that odd-looking alicorn running through town?” “I’ll explain later,” she said quickly. “Girls, go home. Scootaloo, thanks for your help. We’ll make sure Rain is safe.” Slowly she was turned around in midair and set down on the dirt road. Rain was just a speck now, surrounded by darker specks. Beneath him, obscured from view by the buildings… Rain folded his wings. Everyone in the street was watching now. Heads popped out of second storey windows, sometimes two or three at the same one. Twilight mumbled something under her breath and took off down the street, swerving through the stunned pedestrians. Quickly noting Rain’s position in her mind, Scootaloo turned around and retraced her steps as quickly as she had taken them. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Apple Bloom, and knew that Sweeite Belle was puffing along behind them as well. The earth pony filly was yelling something, but she couldn’t hear it over the blood pounding in her ears. Before you do anything, you really have to stop and think it through. But Rain’s really going to do it. What choice do I have? The front door was still open from her hasty departure. The two bat pony guards were sitting at the head of the alleyway with their helmets lying beside them. Scootaloo ignored them. Her scooter had fallen over. She tied her cloak around her waist like a thick belt. It might be useful, but for now she needed her wings. “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted into her face. Her friends were standing in the doorway, Sweetie Belle with an apologetic expression on her face. Though she righted her scooter and walked towards the door, neither of them made any motion to let her pass. “Scootaloo, are you listening to me?” Apple Bloom put a firm hoof on her shoulder, much to her annoyance. “You can’t just go after him like this…” Rain touched down five minutes ago. He won’t be staying in one place… “Scootaloo, Twilight told us to…” “Go home,” Scootaloo finished absentmindedly. “Twilight said go home.” He won’t go in a straight line; probably going a bit to the south to throw them off. But Gari will be expecting him to do that, unless she thinks that he thinks that she expects it… “You’re not leaving through here,” Apple Bloom said when Scootaloo tried to push past her yet again. … Enough bat ponies here to search the whole forest. But Rain doesn’t know what he’s doing. They might not find him for hours, and when it gets dark… With a practiced kick Scootaloo flipped the wooden scooter onto her back. Using her wings, she was at the top of the stairs before her friends realized what had happened. Her bedroom door was wide open, and the sound of a distant and growing commotion floated through the window on a gently breeze. With a running start, Scootaloo leapt through the window, her wings buzzing like a hummingbird’s to break her fall. She could hear her friends calling as the ground rushed up to meet her (with just a hint of sluggishness). It worked; they couldn’t follow her that way, and by the time they got downstairs she would be gone. The impact was jarring if not bone-breaking, and the wheels of the scooter creaked in protest. She jerked forwards, and was soon tearing down the street faster than anything except perhaps Rainbow Dash herself. The streets were starting to fill with ponies looking skyward, and Twilight and Gari where nowhere to be seen. She caught a few feet of air crossing the arched bridge near town hall. The last few houses barely registered in her peripheral vision. Scootaloo thought she heard her dad calling her name as she passed under the shadow of the first ancient gnarly tree of the Everfree Forest.