Today.
"Come on Cloudy, please stop flying around!" Scootaloo said with a sigh as Cloudy flew past her. "Grandmas Rainbow and Fluttershy are going to be here any minute."
"Awww, come on mommy," Cloudy said as she stopped in mid-air. "I'm just really excited to see my Grandmas!"
Scootaloo couldn't help but smile, Cloudy reminded her a lot of herself when she was this age. She sighed as Cloudy wrapped her forelegs around her, giving her a smile.
"I love you, mommy," Cloudy said.
"I love you too, Cloudy," Scootaloo said with a smile as there was a knock at the door. She opened it to reveal Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"Hey Squirt, where's the little trouble maker?" Rainbow asked, then a blue blur flew into her as Cloudy hugged her rainbow maned grandmother. "There you are, hey Cloudy, are you getting faster every time I see you?"
"Yep, so watch out Grandma!" Cloudy said with a giggle, the little Pegasus Filly switched her attention to Fluttershy. "Hey Grandma Fluttershy, how's Angel and the other animals doing?"
"They're doing fine, thank you for asking," Fluttershy said softly.
"Okay Cloudy, be good for your grandmas," Scootaloo said as she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry for having to call you like this while you're on vacation..."
"Don't worry about it, we're always glad to see our favorite granddaughter," Rainbow said.
"Aww, I'm your only granddaughter," Cloudy said with a giggle.
"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, sorry, I'm having to cover the night shift for a friend tonight," Scootaloo said, she had been promoted to Detective a few months ago, but she was still getting used to it. "I promise, we'll all do something fun tomorrow."
"Yay!" Cloudy said.
"Okay Scootaloo, just stay safe," Fluttershy said.
"Hey, when have I ever done anything crazy?" Scootaloo asked, then thought better of it. "Don't answer that."
Rainbow and Fluttershy just laughed as Scootaloo headed out.
00000
It was a routine enough night, at least until they got a call from a club called the Ninth Circle. Apparently there had been a disturbance there, and she was being sent along with some other cops to interview the bartender and owner who witnessed it.
The club itself was empty, save for a piano in the middle of the room. The other officers were talking to witnesses. Scootaloo found herself strangely drawn to the piano, despite having never learned to play, her hooves running over the keys slowly, as if entranced.
"Hello Scootaloo," a familiar voice said, one that she hadn't heard in years, she turned to see her old roommate Windswept standing there. "Long time no see."
"I'm guessing you run the Ninth Circle then," Scootaloo said.
"I like to think its more on loan from an old friend," Windswept said as she approached Scootaloo. "I must say, when I found you, I was surprised that you would manifest yourself in such a... frail body."
"Hey, watch who you're calling frail!" Scootaloo snapped, her temper getting the better of her for a moment. "And what in Celestia's name do you mean by manifest?"
"26 years ago, the Queen of Tartarus left her post," Windswept said. "But she could only do so by being reborn in a new life with the memories of her past locked away. I guess she chose you."
"Wait, what? That's impossible, I'm not..." Scootaloo started to say when the Pegasus raised a hoof, showing a strange coin with markings she didn't recognize and threw it in the air, it landing perfectly on Scootaloo's head.
She let out a scream as images, memories, voices started pouring through her head. Images of ponies, of other creatures, of Alicorns, of torment, and a great throne overseeing a dimension of torment.
"You see now, don't you?" Windswept asked. "You see who you truly are."
Scootaloo just stood there speechless. "I... what am I? Who am I?"
00000
Miles away in Canterlot, Celestia's eyes snapped open from her sleep. She made her way to where Luna was holding her vigil, visibly shaken.
"What is it sister?" Luna asked.
"We have to go to Manehattan," Celestia said, getting a perplexed look from her sister. "Scootaloo knows... she knows everything."
Luna's eyes went wide at the shock of the implications of what her sister told her. If the time had come for Scootaloo to learn the truth, then that meant only one thing.
A great evil was coming to Equestria, and only the Queen of Tartarus could stand in its way.