It did not take Scootaloo too long to return to her home in Cloudsdale, with her new found aerial prowess and instincts giving her the chance to enjoy the view and power that only yesterday seemed to be reserved only for one Rainbow Dash.
“Oh, that’s right!” Scootaloo snapped mentally, as she recalled the details of the spell that they had stolen from Twilight not so long ago.
A big cheesy smile was one her face, as the foal inside of the mare’s body began to dive to her house, only to see a small cyan dot right next her front door.
It was a ball of uncombed rainbow hair, fit with petite wings that were flapping ever so enthusiastical, seemingly always on the brink of getting out of sync, making the little foal take a nose dive in to the dirt below.
“Scoots! Over here!” she shouted out of the top of her lungs, somehow still having slight raspiness in her voice.
“Dashie!” Scootaloo yelled in kind, as the two mares hugged as soon as Scootaloo landed on the front yard.
Their tender moment was cut short by a unapologetic intentional cough right behind the new mare. As Scootaloo turned, she saw a stallion. He was well dressed, with suit, tie and the rest. His expression was so lifeless that it gave her a right cold shiver like seldom before.
“Good day, Miss Scootaloo. I am here to inform you that your trial over the custody of Miss Rainbow Dash will conducted in three days from now in the Court of Cloudsdale at 18:00. Your attendance is mandatory, unless you wish to forfeit your chance and give Miss Haut Monde the rights to be her caretaker.” he said in cold monotone voice as he gave her a fancy letter that had the crest of the town of Cloudsdale stamped as a seal.
Scoots tried to open the letter right there and now, but the ever energetic Dash, pulled her by the wing.
“You have to win big sis, I don’t want auntie to take me away from you! After daddy and mommy left, you the only pony I have left!” she pleaded with small tears in her eyes.
“Left... Oh no!” Scoots realized. She and Dash have switched, but since they are not really related, that means the fate of their parents have also changed, and that could only mean one thing. They were the ones that went into the storm that night, and not her parents. She began to hug the little tyke stronger then before, realizing that this cyan filly has to live trough what she had been trying to cope with for as long as she can remember.
“Look Jeeves, it is out little heir, along with some hoodlum.”
“I believe her name is Scootaloo Milady.”
What followed was a very distinct noise of a hoof to the back of a pony’s head, followed by a cough.
Scoots looked up, only to be greeted by an older couple of ponies, one obviously in pain, but somehow keeping a professional demeanor. He looked like one of those butlers in Twilight’s mystery novels, fit with the comb-over and everything. The mare next to him was a lot interesting to behold. Her fur seemed to be green, almost like a pistachio core after you just opened it and are eager to eat. She wore some sort of silky red garment, making her brown bonnet stuck out even more. Her face was that of disgust as she looked towards Scootaloo, almost as she was trying to drown her in acid right there and now. But as soon as Dashie looked over as well, a forced smile came on her face.
“Ah there you are Dashie. You made old Jeeves and me quite worried, running off like that with no warning. You know I told you to stay away from... her.”
”No auntie, leave me alone! I don’t want to go to the scary mansion!” the filly yelled back at her.
“But Dashie dear, it is your mansion, there is now need to be afraid of it. And after Thursday, I will be there to help you fill it!” the old mare said with a sly smile
“Leave her alone, she does not want to be with you, don’t you see it?” Scootaloo pleaded as she stood in front of Dash.
“I suggest you move away from there Miss Scootaloo, or I would be forced to accuse of child kidnapping, and I think Mister Jeeves will make a good witness. Wonder how that fact would go over the Judge...” Haut Monde said with menace on her mind.
With a growl, Scootaloo moved back, knowing whatever she was going to do about this situation, she would need the guidance of Twilight first.
Jeeves grabbed the little mare quickly, making sure she could not escape, but still not hurting their golden duck.
“No, sis stop them!” Dash pleaded to her hero, only for her to look back helplessly.
”I will find Twilight and get you back, I promise!” she shouted as the three ponies went into the posh part of town, leaving her alone, lost and looking for context, and more importantly, a way out. Then she remembered that Twilight and Apple Bloom had gone over to the Apple Family Acers. It seemed to her that the solution to this subject was there, and she soared to the farm with impressive speed.
It was a easy gallop for the two mares to the farm, with the new strength for Apple Bloom, and with Twilight in peak form, and the whole “save the world” campaigns she was involved in on a weekly basis.
But when they got there, they were in for a surprise. Instead of the usual barn and cozy house, a large factory was in it’s place. In front of the entrance, fit with burly security stallions, was a over-sized picture of none other that Apple Bloom herself, holding a large keg of cider, and text under her that read: “AppleBloom Cider - From the Heart of the Land”.
After a long pause, the two mares just looked at each other, and went to the gate.
”Oh snap, here comes the Boss, stay sharp!” one of the security ponies whispered, as the gate opened.
”Good day Boss!” they said in unison, showing military level of discipline.
”Good day, eh men. Hmm, at ease?” Apple Bloom replied, remembering some of the Shining Armor’s phrases. Twilight was busy having a laughing fit behind her.
“Let’s go inside general, before they notice anything weird.” Twilight whispered to her young friend, and the two mares rushed inside.
The main door opened automatic, and the inside of the factory revealed itself, with big machines, and ponies placing cider into bottles with breakneck pace. Each pony greeted them with a mixture of nervousness and eagerness that was hard to replicate. Those ponies were genuinely afraid of Apple Bloom, and Twilight could notice it from a mile away. They managed to get to the main office unscathed, with none of the workers noticing that their Boss sweating buckets. But as soon as the door of her office opened, a magenta colored unicorn fit with a big checklist jumped onto the unsuspecting Apple Bloom.
“Thank Luna you are here Boss! The Saddle Arabia market just took a tumble, and we need to act fast! Do we stick with the stocks or do we bail out?! Also, the Manehatten branch just reported the lawsuit because some idiot fell on our floor. Do we pay him out front like that last buffoon or do we go and counter-sue?” the young mare said quickly, almost fumbling over her own words, only stopped by her lung capacity.
“I think we will asses the situation in a few minutes, Miss...” Twilight interrupted the situation, as Apple Bloom was being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that was being flung at her face.
“The name is Status Report, and I don’t see your ID Miss...” the mare said with sass oozing from her voice.
“Twilight Sparkle, at your service.” the librarian replied quickly, not giving an inch to Status Report.
“Only if Boss agrees. Otherwise I will have to call security.”
“It’s fine Status, give us a few minutes please.” Apple Bloom manged to utter, regaining some of her composure.
“... Of course Boss.” Status said, leaving them alone, albeit somewhat taken aback.
And after a few more long breaths, the two mares looked at each other. ”So, it seems you are a economic wunderkind. Who knew?” Twilight said, as she pointed to a copy of a economic magazine that was framed in the office, with Apple Bloom smiling and a big red sign saying: “The New Face of Money”.
“The oddest part is that I know what wunderkind means. And that I could have answered Status’s questions right there and right now if I was not so shocked.”
“Well the spell did give you all the tools to be who you are in this version of Equestria, even the loosing of the accent. You saw how Scootaloo had flown, not to mention the body on Sweetie...”, Twilight explained, only to end up red-faced about her last comment, even though it was a fact that Apple Bloom agreed on reluctantly with a small nod.
“Ahem, but the memories are a different story though.” the librarian finished her thought and giving more insight to her now fellow young adult.
”Yeah, I sound more Manehatten that a farm mare, don’t I?” Apple Bloom said with a smidgen of melancholy in her voice.
“I wonder where your sister is though, we need to find her and fix this mess.” Twilight wondered, placing her hoof in front of her mouth.
“... I think she is in jail in Manehatten for repeated public indecency.”
At that moment Twilight’s mind crashed, only to reload some ten seconds later.
“Say what?”
Apple Bloom pointed to a newspaper in front of her, as the big tabloid sign read: “AppleJacked on cider again! The younger sister of super successful Apple Bloom in jail again! Will she be bailed again?”
The young mare in the picture looked like a slightly younger Applejack, but her hair was flash pink, she seemed to be wasted, and behind bars.
“We need to get to Manehatten.” They said in unison.
And as they were to open the door, a familiar pegasus crashed trough the office window that was overlooking the vast orchard.
“Guys I need your help! I am going to a trial to keep Dash away from a evil relative, and I don’t know a zilch about the pegasi legal system!” Scootaloo said as fast as she could, not really caring for the fact that she almost scared the life out of the two other mares.
“We have to get my somewhat younger sister out of jail!” Apple Bloom replied, as if she was trying to one-up the plea coming from her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, leaving Twilight to grab her head in disbelief and ponder what else might go wrong.
“Boss, it’s Sweetie Belle on the phone, she says both she and Vinyl are in the hospital. She begs you to come to see her!” Status barged in, similar to Scootaloo moments ago, albeit trough a more traditional way on entering her office.
“I guess that counts something else.“ Twilight muttered inwardly as she teleported the four mares to the hospital front door.
The door was half opened, so that any potential emergency pegasi could just push it inside. A purple dragon was standing there, only to jump up to the just teleported mares.
”Come quick gals, Sweetie Belle need your help. Vinyl is at the operation table, and she is about to lose her head from worrying!” Spike said, pulling her closest friend into the waiting quaters.
The mares found Sweetie Belle there, crying in fear of what might happen to her marefriend. She was scared, but also confused. She never loved somepony before, and now her love interest is having a critical operation? She needed guidance, comfort, something! A white filly was sitting next to her, leaning on her, a chocolate bar in her mouth.
“Miss Twilight, thank Celestia you are here!” Rarity yelled and jumped to greet her.
“Rarity... How nice to see you, my dear.” Twilight responded, albeit a bit taken aback. She knew what had happened to her friends, but seeing a filly Rarity was still jarring.
“Want some chocolate?” she said, the childish innocence not lost on the town librarian.
“Generous as ever old friend.” Twilight murmured,smiled and ruffed up the little tyke’s mane, much to Rarity’s discomfort.
“They hurt her, those fiends hurt my... My lover!” Sweetie Belle yelled in rage and tears.
While the two CMC’s were processing that sentence, Twilight came closer to the singer and looked into her eyes with conviction.
”Whoever did this, we will find them and bring them to justice, I promise you!”
And as Sweetie Belle tried to explain what had happened in the studio, the nurse came out of the operation room. She seemed tired, but stern, a large red cross on her flank dominating an otherwise white coat of fur.
“Is she alright?” Sweetie Belle pleaded.
“Yes, mam. She has two broken ribs and several swellings, but she will be alright. She wishes to talk to you. Alone.” the nurse said in a warm voice, not hiding her own joy over the outcome of the operation.
Sweetie Belle ran inside, leaving her friends to ponder as to what to do next.