Scootaloo sat on the small chair in her study. On the desk in front of her was her invitation to Twilight's coronation, while on the floor to her right lay the dress she had chosen to wear for the occasion. A brush floated in Scootaloo's magic, angrily pulling at the tangles in her mane.
Tomorrow she was to meet with the fake griffon king, and instead of preparing for it, she had a coronation to attend, one that overshadowed her own.
She consoled herself with the likelihood that she would be spending some time with her friends, something she would probably not have been able to do otherwise, as she removed another knot with her brush.
Scootaloo heard a light knock at the door to her suite.
She got up and left her study, closing the door behind her. She faced the outer door, and opened it with her magic.
"Do you mind if I come in," said Twilight Sparkle, her wings drooping slightly at her sides.
"Uh, sure," said Scootaloo.
"I just came to apologize," said Twilight. "I had no idea what you were going through."
"You don't need to.." started Scootaloo.
"Oh but I do," said Twilight. "Here I am, about to get a huge ceremony, simply for fixing a mistake of my own making, and there you are, about to do something of actual worth. Frankly I would have preferred that they just let me be myself in my library. I don't know what to think, what to do, then while considering how ill-prepared I am for this, my thoughts come right back around to you. I should have been there more, and not treated it akin to a research project.
"I mean I got wings for 'making new magic.' Why isn't Dash an alicorn? She made the impossible possible years ago, and was the lynchpin to...everything." She collected herself and bowed her head. "I would like to be a better friend, if you'll still have me."
"Twilight," said Scootaloo. "You were just being yourself. I have no doubt you were doing what you thought was best for us." Twilight was about to interrupt again, but Scootaloo stared her down while shushing her. "You never asked to act as Celestia's babysitter, and while you didn't go out of your way to actively befriend us, you were there and willing to give of yourself. It wasn't like we had a lot in common to build on.
"So you have nothing in my eyes to apologize for, and if you want to have me as a friend, I am completely willing to reciprocate."
Twilight closed the distance between them, and they shared a somewhat awkward hug.
"Thank you," said Twilight, as she left the suite.
Scootaloo watched as Twilight clopped down the hallway into the castle, thinking to herself that today might not be so bad after all.
Scootaloo ran her comb a few more times through her mane, then with it fixed to her satisfaction, she donned her dress. She glanced at the clock, then pulled a book on griffon culture from her desk.
She read a few chapters, then looked again at the clock. She put down the book on griffon culture, and exited her suite, then deftly traversed several corridors, coming to a stop at a marble door.
It was carved in a solar motif, and flanked by a pair of guards. They bowed and opened the door, then Scootaloo walked onto a balcony.
The balcony looked out over a huge crowd of ponies to either side of the runway which led at the far end to a dais where stood the three princesses. To her left was Apple Bloom and to her right Sweetie Belle.
A peal of horns heralded the arrival of the new princess. Twilight walked confidently down the runway.
"Well, it looks like the era of small ceremonies for new alicorns is over," said Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle giggled. "My coronation will be held in a week by Luna up in Cloudsdale. She figured that after this display, we might as well hold it in public, right after I get to perform a wind harp recital."
"I could have had Luna officiate my ceremony rather than Celestia?" asked Scootaloo.
"Yep," replied Sweetie Belle. "Seems any princess can perform the rite."
Scootaloo sighed and looked at Apple Bloom, "I guess that means you'll also be having a big enough ceremony to put your reunions to shame."
"Oh, I'm in no hurry to be crowned a princess," said Apple Bloom. "It would only complicate things. Besides, I'm happy where I am. Why add a ton of responsibilities when I don't need to?"
"B-but your duty?" said Scootaloo.
"My only real duty is to myself, my family and my friends," said Apple Bloom. "The crown can wait."
Scootaloo grumbled a bit, then went back to observing the ceremony, only to see Twilight walking out the other side of the hall. She returned a short time later to be embraced by her friends. The assembled ponies then filed out in an orderly fashion.
"That..actually wasn't any longer than mine," said Scootaloo.
"Why would it be?" asked Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo thought back on what she was taught in history class about Celestia and Luna's coronations. "Why would it be, indeed. So, how is Ponyville?"
"Same old same old," said Sweetie Belle. "Ponyville always continues on."
"And how is that new town of yours coming along?" asked Scootaloo.
"Amazingly well actually," said Apple Bloom. "I thought I was only going to be able to make three houses per week, but I rapidly reached one per day. Then Raindrops decided to sign on and things really started to move."
"The same Raindrops who was competing with me for clouds when we first became alicorns?" asked Scootaloo.
"Mhmm, seems she got pretty shaken up when she tried out for the Wonderbolts reserves and decided to examine what she was doing with her life," said Apple Bloom. "She is actually quite good at cloud shaping."
"So how many have you sold out of how many built so far?" asked Scootaloo.
"We passed fifty yesterday," said Apple Bloom. "Haven't sold any yet though. Filthy Rich seems to think they would sell better if we had everything in place before putting them on the market. Something about planned communities, waiting ponies wanting things more, and being able to see the community as a whole before buying in. He does have a list of interested ponies though."
Sweetie Belle coughed. "As much as I would love to hear all about Rainbowville, Rarity and I have some plans that I should be getting to."
"Sure, Sweetie Belle," said Scootaloo. "Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon — like old times only not so long ago."
"Til then," said Sweetie Belle as she trotted out the door.
"She always gets that way when I start to talk shop," said Apple Bloom, "but she does have a point. I'm probably keeping my sister waiting as well."
"Nice seeing you," said Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom closed in for a quick hug. "I really am looking forward to you returning to Ponyville. Sweetie Belle and I just don't mesh as well without you."
"I miss Ponyville too," said Scootaloo, sighing.
-----
Scootaloo donned her dress and hid the Idol in its enchanted hidden pocket.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and turned. Rarity had certainly outdone herself with the outfit. No pony would be able to tell that a large golden statue was hidden beneath it, and it made her look genuinely regal while still being aerodynamic enough to not get in her way should she decide to fly.
She opened the door to find Gloaming Fan and Ruffled Bearing waiting on either side of the entrance.
They fell into line behind her as she left her suite, and walked through several hallways to their staging area for the diplomatic conference. Celestia, in the guise of a unicorn, was waiting for them.
"Would you like some tea, Princess Scootaloo, or would you prefer some coffee?" asked Celestia with a giggle.
"You are enjoying this far too much," replied Scootaloo.
"Oh, lighten up," said Celestia. "Your highness," she added with a deep curtsey.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, then paused a second. "Some tea might actually be good about now, something calming, a nice herbal blend to take one's mind off the stress of the day that comes from one's cheeky subordinates."
"I know just the stuff," said Celestia as her horn glowed.
A porceline teacup appeared in front of Scootaloo, then a stream of tea fell into the cup seemingly out of midair. "That is what I drink after that kind of day."
Scootaloo grabbed the cup in her magic and tasted the tea. "Not bad, and the presentation was surprising."
"Precise teleportation control," said Celestia. "Do something often enough, and it becomes routine."
"And when everything becomes routine?" asked Scootaloo.
"You drink tea," said Celestia.
Scootaloo drained the rest of the cup and Celestia ported it back to whence it came.
The group started to move forward, snaking its way through the castle's passages.
They left the castle into a large courtyard. Trumpets announced their arrival. King Piercing Crest and his entourage was visible at the far end of the courtyard. A marble table was ahead and to her right, while a large buffet was ahead and to her left. Servants and guards were scattered throughout.
Scootaloo closed the distance to King Piercing Crest with her own entourage following behind her.
Scootaloo extended a hoof to the griffon king. "Reynold Piercing Crest, it is good to finally meet you," said Scootaloo.
King Piercing Crest met Scootaloo's gaze, then extended a claw which was met by Scootaloo's hoof. "And I you; may we further the bonds of friendship between our two nations."
They made their way over to the buffet table. Piercing Crest grabbed a skewer of assorted meat products with his claw. Scootaloo levitated a similar skewer with her magic. Piercing Crest watched as Scootaloo tore the meat off it, and swallowed, then did the same with his.
"May our nations soar free, hunt well, and prosper," said Scootaloo.
"You know the formalities of diplomacy well," said Piercing Crest. "It honors me."
"Anyone with a few hours to spare reading a book could manage that," said Scootaloo.
"But not with poise and grace," said Piercing Crest.
"Well, I have always considered myself a people pony," said Scootaloo, "but thanks for the compliment all the same."
Piercing Crest grabbed and devoured another skewer.
"Of course if we just wanted to exchange pleasantries and have a good meal, we could have gotten a table at 'The Impatient Griffon' in Cloudsdale," said Scootaloo.
Piercing Crest threw the empty skewer over his shoulder and said, "True, I am here for more than the view and the cuisine." He snapped his claw and one of the other griffons pulled a scroll from his pack and passed it to Scootaloo.
Scootaloo took the scroll in her magic, and glossed over what was written there. "This reads more like a financial statement than a diplomatic agreement. In short you want to sell the Clog Eye and Gani Wild gold mines, renounce all claims on Prance, and sell several other properties, for a large payment in bits. What possible reason do you have for looking for so much cash?"
"Well, I hate to admit it, but we aren't exactly the best miners," said Piercing Crest, "and I would much rather deal with Equestria than with diamond dogs. We have also been having a good deal of trouble of late with the bugbears from the north, and those troops need to be paid."
"Well if it was military aid you wanted, then why didn't you ask?" said Scootaloo. "I'm sure we could allocate some resources to help with your northern border."
"Thank you for the generous offer," said Piercing Crest, "but we pretty much have it under control at the moment. We try to handle such things ourselves in general and it is more an issue of our having gotten ourselves overextended a bit, so to say."
"It is also a concern of Equestria's though," continued Scootaloo. "If they are pushing their borders, we could be in for another incursion into our territory. We don't want to see another incident like what happened 500 years ago in Manehattan."
"You have nothing to worry about," said Piercing Crest. "The problem is over but the debt remains, hence the agreement."
"Did they reach Griffonstone itself?" asked Scootaloo.
Piercing Crest sighed. "Yes, and we actually had to rebuild part of Griffonstone. That is part of why it was so costly."
"You know," said Scootaloo. "I was just in Griffonstone a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't see any signs of rebuilding. If anything it looked like a bugbear attack would only improve the place."
"You don't say," said Piercing Crest, his entourage's formation tightening up a bit as he took a couple of steps backwards.
"I also found out that certain popular thoughts about the condition of things in the Griffon Empire were a bit in error, most importantly that you haven't had a king since a certain magical artifact was lost," said Scootaloo, as she removed the Idol of Borias from her dress and levitated it above her head.
The sun's rays reflected off the idol bathing Scootaloo in a halo effect.
The griffons immediately fell into full body bows.
"Prin-Queen Scootaloo," said the imposter. "I humbly beg mercy for letting my greed get the better of me."
"Long live the merciful Queen Scootaloo," said one of the griffons in the entourage.
Scootaloo paced in front of the prostrate griffons.
"Depart my presence," said Scootaloo. "and tell Griffonstone I am on my way."
The griffons stood up, and launched themselves into the air. Flying at a blistering pace, they soon vanished into the distance.
"Well done Scootaloo," said Celestia as she dropped her illusion.
Scootaloo sighed, playfully rotating the Idol of Boreas in her magic. "Such a strange cultural anomaly that they ascribe rulership to the possession of a hunk of gold."
"Well, in the distant past, the most powerful griffon ruled by force. The artifact you are holding actually does a good job of keeping their baser selves in check, converting their greed to pride. I trust you have noticed its effects having carried it for a while."
"Now that you mention it," said Scootaloo, "but how do you know so much about it?"
"Who do you think commissioned the making of that idol in the first place?" asked Celestia.
Celestia chuckled then teleported away.
Scootaloo teleported back to her room, and took out her saddlebags. She gently folded the dress and placed it inside, then donned the saddlebags, and headed off for the short flight to Ponyville.
Apple Bloom's cloud town was visible even before Ponyville itself. She breathed a sigh of relief that it was even bigger than advertised.
She circled the town, landing in front of a partially completed building that Apple Bloom and Raindrops were working on.
"Hey Bloom," she called out.
Apple Bloom emerged from the house and flew down to Scootaloo.
"Welcome to my project," said Apple Bloom. "Not too shabby if I say so myself."
"It's quite impressive," said Scootaloo. "I love how everything seems to flow together. It gives it a sense of motion."
"That was what I was going for," said Apple Bloom. "The Cloudsdale buildings were just too static, and I got to thinking about some of the contours and fountains in Dash's house, and how Ponyville itself seems to always be in motion, and the idea came to me."
"It does make for a unique impression," said Scootaloo.
"But enough about this," said Apple Bloom with a little twirl. "How did your conference go, and are you back to stay?"
"There were some..complications," said Scootaloo, "and I sort of might be bringing a few guests with me."
"Oh, I'm sure I could allocate a few houses for them," said Apple Bloom. "Filthy might not like that I let some go early, but he'll get a wide grin on his face at the prospect of having your entourage from Canterlot in the new town."
"It's a little more complicated than that," said Scootaloo. "On seeing the Idol of Boreas the griffons kind of reacted in a way..Oh ponyfeathers, they declared me their Queen."
"Congratulations..maybe?" asked Apple Bloom.
"That is sort of the way I see it as well," said Scootaloo. "Thing is I'm pretty sure Celestia saw this happening a mile away, and was planning for it. You saw Griffonstone. You simply can't let me end up having to live there."
"So you want to transplant Griffonstone," said Apple Bloom, slowly and enunciating each word, "and bring it here?"
"Essentially, yes," said Scootaloo. "I mean the whole planned town could be purchased with crown money, so at least that wouldn't be an issue."
"Well, it isn't entirely my decision," said Apple Bloom. "The founding documents list Rainbow Dash as the Mayor of the new town. I don't know what she will think of your idea. Does she even know Gilda is in Griffonstone?"
"But if she will go along with it?" asked Scootaloo.
"I..guess," said Apple Bloom.
"Thanks, you don't know what this means to me," said Scootaloo as she leapt into the air.
Scootaloo swiftly crossed the distance from the main body of the town to Rainbow's cloud house. She landed on her balcony, and rapped on the door.
"Coming" followed by a much lower "sheesh" was audible to Scootaloo.
The door opened revealing Rainbow Dash. She had a somewhat stern, but tired look on her face, and a few of her feathers weren't exactly in the right places. A faint smell of cooking eggs wafted from the interior.
On seeing Scootaloo, her mood lightened immediately. "Hey squirt," said Dash. "How's Canterlot treating you?"
"I'm okay," said Scootaloo. "Are you?"
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Ever wonder what happens if you take a few weeks off from training?" She spread her wings. "It'll be several moons before I'm back in shape. I'll make it back to form though." She refolded her wings.
As Scootaloo walked through Dash's house to the kitchen, she noticed that it was cleaner than she had ever seen it, but it felt off, a little less "awesome," less Dash.
Rainbow Dash deftly flipped the already cooked eggs onto a waiting plate, and slid it in front of Scootaloo, then cracked a couple more eggs, placing them on the stove.
"The truth of the matter is I wasn't quite myself the last couple of weeks," said Rainbow Dash. "It did leave me with a greater appreciation of what Fluttershy does, but I'm glad to be me."
"Why didn't you write?" asked Scootaloo. "I would have been able to help."
"I wasn't in a position to ask," said Rainbow Dash. "And frankly, I just want to put the last few weeks behind me." She reached over and mussed up Scootaloo's mane. "Thanks all the same though."
"Sure," said Scootaloo.
Scootaloo glided the eggs into her mouth with her magic, and ate them. "They're quite good."
"It's all in the spices," said Rainbow Dash, perking up a bit. "You have to put a little dash into the eggs or they come out lifeless."
"On the subject of extra spice in life," said Scootaloo. "I have a favor to ask, but I; it's a long story.
"Well, it all started when I flew over to Griffonstone to scout things out ahead of my meeting with their king. Something didn't seem right and I set out to find out why.
"When I got there, I found the city was a dilapidated hulk. I bore the illusion of a griffon and asked around. They said that their symbol of power was lost a half century ago, and they no longer have a king.
"So I descended into the depths of the Abysmal Abyss and successfully recovered the Idol of Boreas."
"Very awesome," said Dash. "Sounds like a Daring Do adventure, but for real."
"At the conference, I exposed their king for the fraud he was, and it seems the Idol gives me rulership. Now I certainly don't like the idea of living in Griffonstone, but luckily Apple Bloom has tons of cloud homes all built right here. She said you were to be mayor of the new town though, so..."
"Griffons can be kind of cool and all, but they can also be quite a headache when taken in large quantities. I don't know if Ponyville could handle what you are proposing. It would annoy Mayor Mare to no end though. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I think it's the only possible way forward," said Scootaloo. "Hopefully the presence of the Idol will keep them in line more than the griffons you have had experience with."
"Then the town is yours," said Rainbow Dash. "It's become far larger than I figured it would be, and I never really wanted to run it in the first place, anyway."
"Now that I'm back, maybe we can practice together sometimes?" asked Scootaloo. "I doubt you ever had a partner strong enough to really be useful in your training, and it would be an honor to help you get back into shape."
"I'd like that," said Rainbow Dash.
They bumped hooves.
Rainbow Dash finished her eggs.
Scootaloo flew back over to the construction site.
"Why didn't you tell me?" said Scootaloo.
"Tell you what?" asked Apple Bloom.
"You know what," said Scootaloo. "I spent most of my life in envy of working wings. You thought I wouldn't notice that Dash was out of shape?"
"Oh, that," said Apple Bloom. "Sweetie Belle, Twilight, and I came to the conclusion that it would only cause you grief if you knew."
"Rainbow seems to agree with you," said Scootaloo. "Still, we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We shouldn't be keeping things from each other."
"It wasn't like you told me you were going to take over an empire," said Apple Bloom.
"That was different," said Scootaloo. "I wasn't sure this was how things were going to go down, and anything happening to Rainbow Dash is personal."
"And this isn't," asked Apple Bloom, pointing at her town.
Scootaloo sighed. "I guess I could have relayed my suspicions yesterday at least, but I didn't want it coming back to Celestia."
"Ahhh," said Apple Bloom. "You still could have written."
"True," said Scootaloo. "This has been a busy couple of days, but I could have. I guess I was also afraid that you might have said 'No.'"
Apple Bloom slowly shook her head, then looked straight at Scootaloo. "So, are there any changes you think have to be made for the incoming griffons?"
"You are the architect," said Scootaloo. "I leave that in your capable hooves, and thanks."
The pair embraced, then Scootaloo took to the sky.
She ascended rapidly, feeling out the air currents as she went. It wasn't until her flight level was around Canterlot height that she found favorable winds, and set off in the direction of Griffonstone.
She went over her speech in her head as the terrain passed beneath her. She hoped she would be able to be convincing. Dealing with the griffons would require a certain forcefulness that she didn't exactly want to become too accustomed to, especially considering the influence of the Idol she was bearing. She thought back on the decisions she had made since acquiring the Idol, and concluded that she would have to watch that closely.
A large cloud came into view ahead of her, and she came in for a landing. She was fairly close to Griffonstone, and readied to cast the modified version of Rarity's gem finding spell. With a strong burst of magic from her horn, she located the false griffon king.
Their party was a bit further north of her position, but about as far from Griffonstone, and at a much lower altitude. She changed into her dress, then leapt off the cloud and closed in on them from above.
"I figured you'd be in Griffonstone by now," said Scootaloo.
Piercing Crest broke from the rest of his party and flew up beside Scootaloo. "My Queen, your presence so soon is unexpected."
"It only took me so long because I had some business to take care of in Ponyville," said Scootaloo. "You had over twice the time to cover the distance."
"Which begs the question of how you found us," asked Piercing Crest.
"I can easily find you wherever you are," said Scootaloo, who watched as Piercing Crest mistimed a wingbeat. "As to the unasked question of why, I would like to be announced before the sun sets."
"We will fly with all haste," replied Piercing Crest, then he descended back to his group.
Scootaloo ascended back to a more private flight level, and watched the party below as it accelerated to a fairly respectable speed.
She kept them just within sight and landed outside of town when they crossed into it.
She waited until just a few minutes before sunset, then trotted into Griffonstone.
The party had done its job, as in the town square there loitered a few dozen griffons, the bulk of the town.
All eyes were on her as she brought forth the idol, allowing the last rays of the setting sun to gleam across its surface. The reaction was swift, as every griffon fell into a deep bow.
She paused for effect, then said, "I can't believe how far the Griffon Empire has fallen. Don't you have any pride at all? Look around you."
Scootaloo waited for the griffons to actually look. "This place is an utter disaster. You have let it fall into decay. From this point forth I declare it a monument to the decline of griffonkind, and no longer the capitol of the Griffon Empire."
She looked over the prostrate griffons, who seemingly couldn't get any lower even if they tried. "May the Griffon Empire never again plumb the depths of avarice and sloth. Instead may it look to a brighter future, for not only am I your Queen, but also a Princess of Equestria. This makes you all equestrian citizens.
"All griffons who want can move to the new capitol which is being built in Equestria. Just fly towards Ponyville and you can't miss it. Cloud houses will be provided for each of you courtesy of the crown."
Scootaloo turned her back on the griffons and started walking away from the old capitol.
She heard hoofsteps behind her, and turned.
One of the griffons had followed her, while all of the others had headed back to their houses.
"I am really impressed with you," said the griffon.
"Um, thanks?" said Scootaloo.
"Are you really going to settle all of us to near Ponyville inside Equestria?" asked the griffon.
"That is the plan," said Scootaloo. "Since you consider me your Queen, I have the authority as a Princess of Equestria to accept you all as citizens, and much of the housing has already been built. It may upset the nearby mayor of Ponyville, but she simply doesn't have jurisdiction. Of course the old homeland also needs to be integrated into Equestria, but in time I see the two nations merging nicely."
"What are your views on changelings?"
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.
The griffon looked around, then shimmered with a green light, revealing his true form. "I am Kevin, of the Changeling Hive. I request, on behalf of my Queen Chrysalis, a normalization of relations with Equestria, and citizenship within its territories."
"What about the whole invasion of Canterlot?" asked Scootaloo.
"Mistakes were made," said Kevin.
"That is quite an understatement," replied Scootaloo.
"Large mistakes were made," repeated Kevin. "Look, you could be our first hope in millennia. We tried several times in the past to integrate with ponies. Every single time it was stopped by Celestia."
"Do you really want to bring your checkered past into this?" asked Scootaloo.
"What have checkers to do with our past?" asked Kevin.
Scootaloo paused to think of the city where the first mention of changelings was from her history lessons. "What of the foalnappings at Trottingham?"
"That was over two millennia ago," said Kevin, "and around the time of Discord, many nations did things they would later regret."
"Hollow Shades?" said Scootaloo.
"What about Hollow Shades?" said Kevin.
"When the changelings tried to take over the town," said Scootaloo.
"Never happened," said Kevin.
"Vanhoover?" said Scootaloo.
"Again, I request clarification as nothing of interest to us has ever happened in Vanhoover," said Kevin.
"Hmm," said Scootaloo. "I will also say there is no record of your alleged previous attempts to integrate with us."
"It seems pretty obvious that a lot of your history of our people is total propaganda," said Kevin. "But if you are truly interested in our history, we have a written chronicle. It can be provided, then you can contrast the versions and make your own conclusions."
"Sure, I'd be happy to give it a look," said Scootaloo.
"It will be in your room in Canterlot by the time you get back there," said Kevin.
"That you can do that isn't exactly helping your case," said Scootaloo.
"We would be amiss if we didn't keep tabs on ponies, even in these times," said Kevin.
"Also, I am not going back to Canterlot tonight," said Scootaloo. "I am going home."
"Your cloud house is just as easy a delivery location," said Kevin.
"Sure," said Scootaloo, sighing.
"You aren't compelled to take up our cause," said Kevin. "If you aren't interested, I can leave and we will never meet again."
"No, Kevin," said Scootaloo. "You have the right pony, assuming you want a fair hearing. I have little doubt that if such an accord is possible, Equestria would be far better off having you as our citizens rather than our enemies, but you have to understand that you guys haven't exactly made the best base to build trust upon.
"The other point is that while I do have the authority to welcome in an allied country that decides to come under our rule, your situation is a little more complicated. For one thing, we are currently at war. The other is Queen Chrysalis herself. I am figuring that you are essentially asking for a country within a country simply by your nature. This would need to come to a vote amongst all the princesses."
"My queen expected this," said Kevin, "and a fair hearing is exactly what we are looking for. If you can provide that, win or lose, you will have the appreciation of the changelings. A dragonfire signature address will be provided with the book so you can contact us."
Kevin shifted into a griffon and was soon lost among the griffons in Griffonstone.
Scootaloo sprang into the sky, and flew in the direction of Ponyville. Just after she crossed the Celestial Sea, she came in for a landing on the far shore. Her horn glowed fiercely as she cast the modified gem finder. It was faint due to the distance, but she could pick up Kevin, in a direction significantly to the south of Griffonstone. She changed into her saddlebags and continued her flight.
The moon was almost directly overhead when Scootaloo arrived at Ponyville. Over half of the buildings were dark, and the streets were mostly empty. The smell of the apple orchard was welcomed as Scootaloo approached the cloud house above her old tree house which served as her home. She flew in through a window, landing on the spongy surface of cloud. She yawned as she walked to her bedroom.
Sitting on her bed was a large book, its weight making it sag into the cloud mattress. The book's cover was green and it had a waxy texture. Opening the book revealed a page that was completely covered in neatly written, old equestrian script. Scootaloo frowned as she carefully turned page after page. Each chapter was bound separately and the script merely yielded to middle equestrian as she got further into it.
Scootaloo walked out of her bedroom and into a living area, laying the book down on a table. She set some paper next to it, and started writing.
"Twilight,
I have come into possession of a unique history book from an equally unique perspective. It is written in old equestrian. Do you have any time to look at it?
Scootaloo."
Scootaloo sent the letter off to Spike, and proceeded to lounge on a couch, waiting for a response.
She jerked awake to a popping noise that would have been loud enough to wake up all of Ponyville if it were centered nearer the town. She looked in the direction the sound came from to see Twilight's head crash through the wall of the cloud house.
Twilight muttered something about wings, then teleported into the room.
"Sorry about the wall," said Twilight, who was looking about the room.
"You didn't have to; I'm assuming you teleported directly from...Canterlot?" said Scootaloo.
"Oh yes, some pure research is exactly what this pony needs after the day I have had," said Twilight. Her eyes caught glimpse of the book, and she levitated it to herself, then lovingly rotated it in her magic.
"Do you know what you have here?" asked Twilight.
"I believe so," said Scootaloo.
"The binding," said Twilight, "this was made by changelings."
"Mhmm," said Scootaloo.
Twilight opened the book, then clopped her front hooves together and squeed. "This..This is over three thousand years old. How did you come by it?"
"From a changeling," said Scootaloo. "He was under the impression that our view of events is incorrect, and he gave it to me to show his side of the story. Unfortunately I was unable to read it, and translating it would take far too long."
Twilight frowned. "Scootaloo, I shouldn't have to tell you that changelings are dangerous creatures."
"He sought me out, not the reverse," said Scootaloo, "and it was with a proposal of friendship. Besides, I think revealing himself to me was such a dangerous enough issue for him, that I was willing to give him some benefit of the doubt."
"You know what they did to Cadance," said Twilight. "Were it not for the dragon mail sending, I'd be scanning you to see if you were one."
"Actually, Twilight, they are perfectly capable of doing dragon mail," said Scootaloo, "and if you are that worried, feel free to scan me. I guess the other question I have to ask now is if you are too prejudiced to come at this scientifically."
Twilight deflated. "You do know I should take this book right to Celestia."
"But you won't," said Scootaloo.
Twilight shook her head. "No, I won't. If they were being honest with you, this is a major opportunity, but their veracity is very much in question."
"Hence the book," said Scootaloo.
"Hence the book," repeated Twilight.