The Seven Tribes

by Scootaloo-009

Arc 6: Home

The Seven Tribes

by Scootaloo-009, a.k.a. Mechsrule1

My Little Pony and related names, images, and scenarios are property of Hasbro Inc.

Arc 6: Exposed

Chapter 18

Note: Parts of this chapter take place the previous night.

"Rainbow Dash, please! I want to talk!" Twilight called up to the blue pegasus busy clearing the clouds. The weather pony turned and glared. "Look, what I did was wrong. I really overreacted and-"

"Yeah. You did," Rainbow Dash said. Then she turned and flew away.

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"It feels so good to be home," Scootaloo said to herself, sitting in her usual seat in class. She tried to ignore all the faces staring at her. She tried.

"Class, we actually have to learn today. Stop staring at Scootaloo and pay attention," Ms. Sunweed commanded. Reluctantly the class turned to the front of the room, but the pegasus filly would catch them sneaking glances at her.

"So much hate," Scootaloo growled to herself, mostly.

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"So... I'm sorry, I've never entertained a griffon, let alone a clan leader before. I'm not sure how to properly address you," Princess Celestia said. She was in her private meeting room, meant for one on one chats with foreign dignitaries. Across the large table taking up most of the room sat a rather composed looking griffon, equaling her in height. On the table sat two teacups and a teapot, gently smoking.

"Clance is fine," Clance said simply. “I’m sure you get enough formal talk in your everyday business.”

"That is for sure. Do you like tea?" Celestia asked, levitating the teapot into the air.

"I've developed a taste for it over the years," Clance replied. She poured them both a cup, and levitated hers to herself.

"So, you are Rainbow Dash's father."

"I call myself that, yes," Clance answered. “Though I only started after she started calling me dad. I was rather surprised when that happened. Thought it was just a slip of the beak, but she kept doing it.”

"Do you know what happened to her real parents?" Princess Celestia asked.

"From what she has told me, they died in a freak storm," Clance answered. The two quietly sipped their tea for a few minutes, not sure of what to say.

"It's strange having you here. I've spent so much of my life looking down to meet ponies' eyes," Celestia commented.

“I know that feeling.”

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"Rarity? Are you busy?" Twilight asked, entering the boutique.

"I'm not too busy," the white unicorn replied, sticking a few pins into a dress she was working on. "What do you need?"

"I.. I just need somepony to talk to," Twilight admitted.

"So you came to me?" Rarity asked, not taking her eyes off her work.

"No one else will even acknowledge me anymore," Twilight sobbed.

"Well I should think so after the way you acted." That didn't help the violet unicorn feel better, and she just sobbed more. "If you want my advice, you should apologize. I don't know how much it will help, but it's worth a shot."

"I tried, but Rainbow Dash flew away before I could finish," Twilight said, trying to dry her face with a hoof. "She barely let me begin."

"Then you're not doing it right. Don't just talk, do something to show you're sorry," Rarity suggested.

"I'll try to think of something. Thanks for still talking to me," Twilight said, turning to leave.

"I can't just ignore a pony in need. And I am probably the only one who sort of agrees with you."

"If you agree then why-"

"I agree eating, " Rarity cringed, "meat is rather crude and barbaric. I wouldn't turn on my friend like you did, but I would definitely have told them how I felt about it."

"Thanks, Rarity.”

“Twilight, you took away one of the two things she really cares about. Understand if you had also somehow managed to take away her wings as well, I would not let you in my store. I was on your side even when you decided to quit as her lawyer, but you took it too far.”

“So I’ve heard,” Twilight grumbled.

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Jollity watched his long but joke filled life pass before his eyes. It did little to distract him from the transformation taking place across his body. His limbs were stiffening and he could no longer feel his tail. He hadn't seen which alicorn had hit him with the petrification spell, and it didn't matter now. As he turned to stone, he relived the battle in his mind.

It only took them a minute to start falling apart. Empathy had been the first; she got hit with a petrification spell, just like him. Sincerity dove to catch her before she hit the ground, but was sliced in two by a terra pony on the ground. Empathy shattered on impact.

Enraged, Duty had charged the alicornian king, but was struck down by several dozen blasts of magic. Jollity hadn't seen if anything had even been left.

He had been next. He focused more on deflecting shots away from Might. His magic could only be used for joking around, so he left the combat to Might. Unfortunately, he'd been blindsided, and now it was over for him as well.

Above him, he could see Might, holding his own against the waves of alicorns. Helpless, Jollity watched a powerful bolt of magic tear through Might's shield and through the draconequus. He hadn't seen what happened to Charity.

Far below the street called him. Just like Empathy. If he could still move his eyes, he would have closed them. As luck would have it, his mind went blank before he hit.

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"Howdy, Rainbow!" Applejack greeted from her apple stand.

"Morning, Applejack, or is it afternoon? Anyway, how's the harvest?" Rainbow Dash asked, landing right in front of the stand.

"Great, like always," Applejack replied. Rainbow Dash placed some coins on the table and Applejack hoofed over the appropriate amount of apples. "Say, Ah wanted tah ask. How long are we gonna stay mad at Twilight?"

"I'm mad at her, you guys don't have to do anything," Rainbow Dash replied, putting the apples away.

"We're gonna stick with yah on this. Well me, Pinkie, and Fluttershy."

"I'll start talking to her again when she apologizes," Rainbow Dash said definitively.

"She came by earlier sayin' yah wouldn't let her," Applejack pointed out. "Like Ah said, Ah ain't talkin' tah her till you do, but Ah can't stop her from talkin' tah me."

"She tried to apologize to me. That's not what I want. She has nothing to make up to me," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Ah get it! Yah want her to say she's sorry tah Scoots! Don't yah?"

Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Well, Ah hope she can figure it out bahfore Scoot's is an old mare," Applejack joked.

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"There's so little I know about griffons," Celestia said finally.

"That is more than understandable. We know so little about ourselves," Clance answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean we don't know. Everything we are today is made up. A lie. There is no way for us to ever recover what we were before Discord. Every being from that time is long dead. Even you were born after we were thought extinct. All our records and what we were then, is lost forever."

"I'm sure you could find something if you just looked hard enough," Princess Celestia said trying to sound encouraging.

"Yes, I'm sure we would. But we don't want to. We're too afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"Of what we might find. The thought eventually crosses the mind of every griffon. What if... What if we did go extinct. What if Discord didn't enslave us, but created us in the image of a long dead species."

Princess Celestia remained silent for a while, pondering this idea.

"Would it really change much?" She asked.

"I suppose not, but it's just not a comforting thought. That's why we don't want to know. We're happier not knowing."

"I can see what that would be preferable. However I don’t think that is the case.”

Clance looked genuinely interested. “Oh?”

“If you were something Discord created, I don’t think you would have been able to rebel against you like you did.”

"We sensed it when he came back," Clance said abruptly.

"What did you do?"

"I did what every other able bodied griffon did: we took to the skies and made for Canterlot to fight him. Kill him if we could, or die if we couldn't. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t do this to protect pony kind, but to save ourselves. He’d kill us for our betrayal. A griffon wouldn’t give in to such a fate; we’d fight to the last griffon standing to stop him.

“It was a glorious sight. Thousands of griffons united, like so few times before, for one purpose. We are not one people. We are many groups that simply get along. But we do come together when our joint survival depends on it. The last time we had all come together was for civil war. I will always remember it."

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The orange pegasus filly sat alone on the schoolyard, munching on some jerky. Class had been almost as bad as the other school. Everypony gawked at her, and to make it worse, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom weren't there.

"Scootaloo!" called a voice. Slowly she looked up, and saw a familiar white unicorn walking across the schoolyard towards her. Behind her was Apple Bloom; she was bandaged back up, but walking fine.

"Ah'm sorry we're late," Apple Bloom said when they stopped right next to the pegasus. "The crowd kinda roughed me and Applejack up last night, and Ah needed tah get fixed back up. The doctors let me out early, but if mah bites get opened back up Ah gotta go back.”

"I’m sorry," Scootaloo said, staring at her food.

“About what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“You got hurt because of me,” Scootaloo said.

“Ah shucks, it’s nothing. Ah just wasn’t bein’ careful is all.”

“Yeah, they didn’t mean to hurt her, it was bound to happen,” Sweetie Belle said.

"What's wrong, Scoots? Somepony step in yer cornflakes?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Have you both been in a hole the past week? Everypony knows everything about me," Scootaloo said, crying a bit. "That I'm an orphan, that I eat meat. Everything. And just look at how they act."

Scootaloo waved a hoof towards the other foals. They were all keeping far away from her and avoided looking in her direction. At her movement several flinched.

"Just cause yah eat more then hay? That's silly. Is that meat yah got there?" Apple Bloom asked pointing to the strips of jerky.

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied. Apple Bloom grabbed one with magic and pulled it from the pegasus's hooves. She broke the strip in half with her hoof and tossed one piece to Sweetie Belle.

"I like the way you think," Sweetie Belle said, grabbing it.

"Hey! Look at this!" Apple Bloom shouted so the whole schoolyard heard. All the foals stopped playing around and look in their direction. "Ya'll think Scootaloo is weird fer eatin' meat?"

"Well we're all weird then!" Sweetie Belle shouted. With that the two bit down and awkwardly chewed at the jerky. Apple Bloom half gave up, and took it out of her mouth. Most of the other foals stared, one even fainted.

"Ya'll are a bunch a cowards!" Apple Bloom shouted. She turned around to Scootaloo. "How do you eat this stuff? It's so hard!" she moaned, trying to tear it apart.

"What are you doing?" Scootaloo said, crying.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together no matter what," Sweetie Belle said. "Seriously though, you eat this? It's really salty."

"Ah think it tastes pretty good," Apple Bloom said, chewing on a piece she’d finally managed to tear off.”

"You guys, what will your families think?" Scootaloo said, sniffing a bit.

"Yer our friend. Yah have tah work harder to change that."

"Thanks," Scootaloo said, smiling weakly.

"So they just let you off the hook?" Sweetie Belle asked, sitting down.

"No, I have to go to therapy. It's nothing I can't handle," Scootaloo replied.

"Scootaloo, it'll be okay," Sweetie Belle said, nudging her friend. "They'll either come around or forget all about it."

"What, them? I'm bummed because I missed my cloudboarding tournament," Scootaloo replied. "I really wanted to compete."

"You'll have another chance."

"I'm not sure if I will. My scooter is toast," Scootaloo replied.

"What happened?" Apple Bloom asked.

"My parents broke my hardcloud one," Scootaloo replied, "I still have my old one, but what good is it? It can't float on clouds."

"Ain't there a way to use magic fer that?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know how to do it. Do you, Sweetie Belle?"

"No," she replied.

"The only pony in town who would know is Twilight, and I'm not going to her for help.”

"Ah don't blame yah."

"Yeah. She's a jerk!"

“Besides, I'm too big for it now."

"So are we goin' crusading today?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I can't. I'm grounded for getting into a fight,” Scootaloo said dully.

"Yah get in fights all the time," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"Yeah, but I accidentally broke her leg," Scootaloo explained. "Earth pony strength."

“Huh,” Sweetie Belle said.

“You should be careful,” Scootaloo said. “You might end up hurting somepony too.”

“Yeah, Ah remember Applejack tellin’ me tah be careful with where Ah kick, especially somepony who aint an earth pony,” Apple Bloom said.

Several yards away, a purple baby dragon heard every word.

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Spike came home to find Twilight reading book after book. Deciding to leave her to it, he went about putting away the ones she had finished.

"Oh no," Twilight moaned.

"What is it?" Spike asked, putting down the book he was carrying.

"It says when a griffon wants to make amends with another, they bring a kill. If the griffon accepts the apology, they'll eat the kill," Twilight read.

"What are you doing?" Spike asked.

"Rainbow Dash won't listen to me, and Rarity suggested I do something to make this right, so I looked up griffon customs."

"Oh. So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to make this right," Twilight said, pulling several more books off the shelves and pushing aside the ones she had been looking at.

"Come on! It's hard enough keeping up with your normal messes!" Spike complained, grabbing the discarded books.

"Sorry, Spike, but I need to find the right kind of spell."

"You know how to kill with magic," Spike pointed out.

"I can't do that, Spike! It's wrong!" Twilight said, sounding a bit unhinged.

"Twilight, calm down! You're losing it again!" Spike shouted.

"But if I just happened to leave a dormant spell lying around," Twilight continued muttering to herself, ignoring him, "a kill spell, activated when a creature walks by it, and it trips, that's not murder! Right? Right! Right? Right."

"Twilight...." Spike said patting her on the back.

"Ah ha! Magic traps! Perfect!" Twilight said, finding the book she was looking for.

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"I don't envy you," Clance said to the Princess. She gave him a curious look. "Not one bit. I find it hard enough to care for just my clan. I don't think I could handle an entire nation. Being a Princess must feel like a curse sometimes."

"It does wear on me, but I have Luna to help bear the burden," Celestia replied. "So how did you become clan leader?" she asked.

"It was during the last civil war. As we call it, The Civil War That Defined Murder. I was just one of many warriors, doing my duty. Then one day a messenger came to my platoon and informed me that Toupa, the matriarch before me had been killed in battle, and I was the new patriarch."

"Just like that? What did you do?"

"Went right back into battle. Killing other beings is wrong and we had to make it that way for all griffons. Even to this day my clan, along with the Alsara clan are on the front lines, stopping those that would break this rule. Wouldn't you agree it is only right to sacrifice yourself for the good of all beings?"

"Maybe, but I have a lot more riding on my life," Celestia replied.

"Yes, I'd suppose so," Clance said chuckling. "But I'll be damned if I'm not going to do whatever it takes to secure a lasting peace for griffons."

"Is that why you adopted Rainbow Dash?"

"Hardly. She's one impressive pony."

"I have to agree with you on that."

"When Gilda, my older daughter... well they’re about the same age. Anyway, when Gilda brought her home with her, I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid of how our different way of life would affect her. I can see my fears were unwarranted.”

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Deep in the dark forest, a lone unicorn waited impatiently. All around, placed about a yard apart, was a network of magic traps, set to unleash horrible dark magics upon any creature unlucky enough to step on one. It had been almost an hour, and mercifully still no wildlife had passed. She had to stay, lest some unfortunate pony happen by. At least she could warn them and stop them from getting too close.

Maybe they could smell the unicorn, or sense the doom. In a way the unicorn was glad they hadn't come near. The unicorn was really dreading what would result if one did happen to stumble near. The unicorn was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear a creature approaching until the magical discharge alerted her.

Carefully she turned and saw a fox lying on the forest floor like it was asleep, twigs and leaves noticeably disturbed by the spells activation. Focusing, the unicorn undid the remaining spells, then walked over to the broken body. Now came the hard part.

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"Hey, Scoots. How was school?" Rainbow Dash greeted as the small filly entered the cloud home. She just glared at the older pegasus. "That bad?"

"I'd say you have no idea, but I doubt that. It was pretty sucky until Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle showed up."

"They weren't there in the morning?"

"Some of Apple Bloom’s bites got opened up last night." Scootaloo answered.

"And they call us the savage ones. Weather patrol was pretty lame too. Good thing it's all pegasi though. They're at least used to griffon habits."

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, slumping down in a chair.

"Hey, cheer up. We're going to Shattered Beak either tomorrow or the day after. You can probably get a new scooter there," Rainbow Dash said.

"I thought I was grounded," Scootaloo grumbled.

"You are, but what's the point in saying you're grounded if I'm gone all day. If you're with me, I can make sure you're being punished."

*Knock Knock*

"Hmm. I bet I know who that is," Rainbow Dash said putting on her best, disinterested face.

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Twilight knocked on the cloud door. A minute later, a blue pegasus opened it and stared blankly at her.

"Rainbow Dash, I am truly sorry for what I did and I hope you will accept this as proof of how sorry I am," Twilight said. She closed her eyes as she levitated the fox carcass from behind her to her front. The pegasus looked at it, bored.

"I don't accept it," Rainbow Dash said dully.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry! What more can I do?" Twilight begged.

"You just don't get it, Twilight. No amount of apologizing to me is going to make me forgive you." Rainbow Dash said. She then closed the door in the unicorn's face.

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"Spike. I don't know what to do!" Twilight cried into her hooves. Her draconian brother handed her another tissue. "I'm a murderer now and it didn't help at all!"

"You're not a murderer Twilight. What did she say?" Spike asked. The unicorn had been so distraught when she arrived home, her words had been incomprehensible. He didn't ask about the dead fox she had dragged behind her with her magic.

"She said she wouldn't ever forgive me, no matter what I did to apologize to her," Twilight wailed. Her pillow was soaking wet, but she didn't care enough to dry it with a spell.

"Is that exactly what she said?" Spike asked, trying to help.

"Close enough," Twilight said, sniffing.

"Ohhhhhhhh. I get it," Spike said, finally realizing what the problem was.

"You do? Tell me!" Twilight exclaimed, grabbing Spike by the arms.

"No, I won't." Spike said, pushing her off.

"Please, Spike, I want my friends back!" Twilight cried.

"I get what Rainbow Dash meant, and you won't learn your lesson if I just tell you. You'll just have to figure it out on your own," Spike said.

"Tell me!" Twilight demanded.

"NO," Spike growled.

"Please, Spike..."

"I'll tell you this. You're going about it all wrong. It's not that you haven't done enough, you just haven't done the right thing yet," Spike said.

"That doesn't help me at all!" Twilight protested.

"That's all I'm going to say," Spike said defiantly.

"Even if I bribed you, with say, a diamond?" Twilight asked seductively.

"A... diamond...." Spike said, licking his lips. He slapped himself. "No. That's all you're getting out of me. I've said too much as it is."

"Fine," Twilight grumbled. She sat down and began to think things through.

I haven't apologized the right way. I ki- brought that dead fox to Rainbow Dash, but that didn't work. Should I have brought something else? No that makes no sense. She would have said something like it was too small. She has to be waiting for me to do something. But what? There has to be a clue in what she said. Something that made Spike get it.

No matter what I do to apologize Rainbow Dash won't forgive me. No, that's not what she said. Spike even asked to be sure. There has to be something in the way she said what she said that gave it away. But what? No matter what I do to her she won't forgive me...!

"I got it!" Twilight exclaimed, startling the poor dragon and waking the phoenix chick, Peewee. "She won't forgive me because I'm apologizing to the wrong pony! She wants me to apologize to Scootaloo! But what do I do?"

"There, I think I can help," Spike said. "I know exactly what you can do."

"Does it involve more murder?" Twilight asked nervously.

"Just some magic," Spike said. "First, you need the right spells."

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Once again, the purple unicorn knocked on the cloud door, and once again a bored looking pegasus opened it.

"What now?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

"Um, can I talk with Scootaloo?" Twilight asked.

"If she wants to talk with you," Rainbow Dash replied. She closed the door, gently this time. After a few minutes the door opened again but an orange pegasus was standing there.

"What do you want?" Scootaloo asked, trying to mimic her mother's demeanor.

"Look, I’m really sorry for putting you through all that. The way I acted was wrong. I shouldn’t have even thought about taking you away from Rainbow Dash.”

Scootaloo stared blankly.

“And, as a way to help fix the bridge between us I burned, I have this,” Twilight said. From behind her, she produced a familiar blue scooter, levitating it with her magic. Gently, she placed it on the ground between them.

“Is that...” Scootaloo said in surprise.

“I heard how your parents broke your other one, so I kind of borrowed your other one from the clubhouse and cast some magic on it,” Twilight explained. “It’s bigger than it used to be, and it’ll float on clouds now.”

“I... how did you even know?” Scootaloo said, confused. She delicately stepped onto the wooden scooter. True to Twilight’s word, it was bigger to match her larger size, and sat on the clouds like the hardcloud one had.

“Do you think you can ever forgive me for putting you through all that?” Twilight asked.

"Look, this is cool and all. I mean it actually worked out okay, I'm free of prison forever, sure I have to put up with my parents once a month, but I got two sisters out of this," Scootaloo said, holding the scooter. "I'll completely forgive you, but on one condition."

"Just one?"

Scootaloo leaned in and whispered, "I'm working on a present for Rainbow Dash, but I need to learn enchantments. If you promise to help me, we'll be okay."

"Of course I'll help!" Twilight agreed. "I've always wanted to teach a pony magic!"

"Just keep it a secret."

"I won't tell."

“I’ll go tell Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said. She went inside with the scooter. A minute later, Rainbow Dash came out, her expression somewhat softened from before.

"Rainbow Dash, I’m really sorry for how I acted. I-”

"I’m sorry too," Rainbow Dash replied. "It was kinda my fault. I should have told you girls a long time ago. Maybe we could have avoided this whole fiasco if I hadn’t been keeping so many secrets from you."

"Maybe. Are we okay?” Twilight asked nervously.

“No. But I think I’m willing to start forgiving you.”

“Oh.”

“Twilight, I just want you to know I never made Scootaloo do anything. Everything was something she insisted on doing. I would never dream of letting her eat meat or hunt unless she knew exactly what she was getting into. That’s more than I got.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Gilda didn’t think to mention I was eating meat until I’d eaten my first lump of pork,” Rainbow Dash said snidely. “I told Scoots exactly what it was and where it came from, and she wanted it anyway.”

“You’re her idol, she’d do anything to be like you.”

“True, true,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “I am pretty awesome. Who wouldn’t want to be like me?”

“That just...” Twilight stopped and took a deep breath. “Rainbow, I promise not to flip out at you for your... habits if you promise to not keep bringing it up. Please? It really grosses me out.”

“I’ve kept it quiet this long,” Rainbow Dash said, smirking.

“I hope we can just move on.”

"Look, I'm glad Scoots forgave you, but I haven't completely," Rainbow Dash said.

"Let me guess, you need a favor."

"How did you know?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight just shrugged.

"Anyway, Scoots's birthday is coming up in a couple months, and I have a slight idea on what I want to get her, but I need your magic know how."

"Of course I'll help!"

"Just keep it a secret."

"I won't tell,” Twilight replied. “What do you need to know?”

“I’m not sure if you will want to answer it. I’ll just get a book on it instead,” Rainbow Dash said, trying to back out of the deal.

“But you said you needed my expertise.”

“I could just look it up,” Rainbow Dash replied.

“Oh, just ask what you want to ask!” Twilight demanded.

“Well, it’s just...” Rainbow Dash said awkwardly. “It has to do with us hunting...”

“Oh,” Twilight said, understanding the nervousness. “Just ask but... spare me the details...”

“Well, Scoots knows this spell. Or maybe it’s two, I dunno. Anyway, it started when she learned how to make magic teeth.”

“Magic teeth?”

“Yeah, so they were sharp enough for meat. It’s hard to eat it with just these,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing to her open mouth. “Her teeth get this blue glow and they cut through it.”

“Like blades?”

“I guess. Then, she figured out how to actually make the same magic effect around other things. I know you don’t want to hear the details, but she basically makes the blade thing around other things to hunt.”

“I’ve heard of that kind of spell, it makes a sharp edge of magic around a given object,” Twilight replied. “So what’s your question?”

“See, I had this idea. Right now it works okay, but she uses her own feathers, but that only works when she’s molting, and I have a set of claws. Basically a bunch of knives strapped to my leg. I tried letting her use mine, and just make the magic go through it, to see if just plain metal works, but she can’t keep it up for very long, but the teeth thing she can, so is it the material?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, right away. “Because it’s not part of her body, it takes more magic to maintain. There is a type of metal alloy that conducts magic very well. If you had some strips, she could channel the spell through them and make the blades from that. The alloy wouldn’t have that problem.”

“Perfect! What’s it called? And where can I get it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s called mananite, but getting it’s the problem. It’s pretty rare and expensive.”

“Like, how expensive?”

“About three thousand bits for a block.”

“Three thousand bits!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “That’s like two months’ salary!”

“There are other options,” Twilight said, trying to think of another, cheaper solution.

“Could we find some?”

“It’s an alloy, you can’t find raw mananite because there is no raw form, and the components are also rare and heavily protected. All the raw component deposits in Equestria are under constant Royal guard.”

Rainbow Dash sat quietly for a minute. “Do you really think it’s the best option?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied.

“And nothing else will even come close to working as well?”

“Not really, no.

Rainbow Dash went quiet again, thinking deeply. “I bet I could get a lot for my Young Flyers crown. Maybe enough to cover this. Maybe the goggles Spitfire signed, if it’s not.”

“Those are your prized possessions.” Twilight asked, surprised. “You’d really sell them?”

“They’re just things, Twilight. Things that are collecting dust on my shelf. I’d rather she have some good memories.”

“Still, that’s kind of a lot to spend on a filly.”

“It’s going to be her first birthday,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I want it to be special, you know?”

“Her first with you?”

“No, her first ever. Orphanages don’t celebrate them, and I don’t think she ever had a party before in Ponyville. Anyway, it was just a thought. Maybe something else would be more practical.”

“You really care about her, don’t you?”

“Pinkie had to stop me from rounding up my whole clan and storming their house to get her back.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, horrified.

“No, but I felt like it.”

“I think I might know of a way we could get some,” Twilight said, smiling.

“Oh?”

“I remember my brother mentioning the Royal Guard has a large supply of it for weapons,” Twilight said. “Maybe you can work something out with them. I don’t think you’d need a lot of it.”

“He could help me out?”

“I’ll send him a letter,” Twilight replied. “Anything else I can do to help?”

“I need is an excuse to get her out of the house for a few days, so she doesn’t notice while I get it and make it.”

“Hmm... I have an idea, but it’ll cost a lot too,” Twilight said. “Magic camp.”

“Magic camp?”

“Yeah, in Canterlot, every so often they have a sort of camp for young unicorns. They teach them some basic spells to see if they have a gift for magic. It’s about a week long and coincides with school vacations. If you want, you could sign Scootaloo up for it, then take care of the gift while she’s away. There’s one next month.”

“Sounds cool, and perfect timing! I don’t know if I could afford it, but I’m sure I can find a way.”

Twilight smiled. “Actually, I have a solution for that too.”

“Oh?”

“There’s a scholarship for the camp. You need a recommendation from a court mage to get it, but it covers almost all of it.”

“And you’re just such a mage?”

“Yup!”

“So, you’ll give her a recommendation?”

“Of course.”

“Now to see if she’s up for it,” Rainbow Dash said, cupping her hooves around her muzzle. “HEY, SCOOTS!” she called. A minute later, Scootaloo came back outside. “Twilight says there’s a camp in Canterlot where you can go to learn magic and stuff.”

“Uh huh,” Scootaloo said.

“You’d learn a lot there,” Twilight said, “levitation, transformation, some illusion spells, maybe conjuration or even enchantments.”

Scootaloo’s ears twitched. Twilight mentally clapped her hooves. It worked like a charm. Both pony’s problems solved at once.

“And I can go?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’ll take care of it,” Rainbow Dash said.

“What about Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’ll have to talk with their sisters, but if they agree, they can go too,” Twilight replied. “I know Apple Bloom could certainly use it for the sake of my front door.”

“Awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.

“You’ll have a lot of fun. My mom is one of the teachers there!”

“Why don’t you go make sure the cake don’t burn while I work everything out with Twilight?”

“Okay,” Scootaloo said, scampering off into the house.

“A cake?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, I wanted to thank Pinkie for helping me,”

“But a cake? Do you even know how to bake one?”

“No, but Scoots does,” Rainbow Dash replied. “She spends a lot of time at Sugarcube Corner. She knows what goes in it, and I know how to cook things.”

“So do you forgive me?” Twilight asked when they were alone again.

“Of course, Twilight. We’re friends,” Rainbow Dash said, patting her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re willing to forgive me. I thought you never would after the last time I was here.”

"I was really surprised when you brought that dead fox. What was up with that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A book I read said that's how griffons apologize," Twilight explained. "Was it wrong?"

"Maybe not a thousand years ago," Rainbow Dash replied. "That is so old fashioned. And for future reference, griffons don't eat raw meat anyway. It's just gross and could make a pony sick. Not them, they’re pretty resistant to stuff like that, but I’m careful about it."

“Make a pony sick?” Twilight asked. “And you eat it anyway?”

“I always cook it first. That takes care of anything in it. The first time I taught her to hunt, I also taught her how to cook, and why you should. Don’t tell her this, but I’m really glad she wanted to go hunting. I was probably going to have to start doing it again myself.”

“Why?”

“Do you know how expensive a filly can be? Sure my job pays for food for me, but not for two ponies. It’s pretty expensive even with the great deals I get on meat. I know a lot of the guys over in Shattered Beak and they let it go for a fair price, but it’s still a lot. Hunting is free. Between that and her medical bills, I’m happy to be break even.”

“If you needed bits-”

“I was making ends meet, but just barely. I don’t need charity,” Rainbow Dash said sternly. “I don’t want it, and I don’t need it.”

“Still there are all sorts of tax breaks. You’re not even claiming her as a dependent!”

“Well I didn’t want anypony to figure out who she was,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Would it even change that much?”

Twilight crunched some numbers in the air. “Well, seeing as you’re an orphan yourself, that’s a credit-”

“Not. I’m part of the Qnak clan. I’m not legally an orphan. Trust me, I looked into that a long time ago.”

“Still, you have a dependent now, that’s a deduction, the dependent is a former ward of the state, another deduction, single parent-”

“Okay, so I could probably be saving a lot. I’ll fix it now that it doesn’t matter if anypony knows.”

“I’ll make sure to change your tax forms for this year.”

“My accountant, my lawyer, is there anything I don’t depend on you for?” Rainbow Dash joked.

“I’m also the executress for your will. Speaking of which, you need to get that remade, adopting Scootaloo nullified the old one.”

“Just another thing to do. Gotta find her a therapist to make the cops happy too.”

“When you have a day off, stop by the library and we’ll take care of it,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Thanks, Twi’.”

“No, thank you for forgiving me,” Twilight said.

“And then they totally started making out. Twilight grabbed-”

“Spike, stop embellishing my letters to the Princess!” Twilight demanded.

“How did you know?” Spiked asked.

“You were talking out loud,” Twilight said dully. “There was no ‘making out’.”

“How am I supposed to know that? I wasn’t there.”

Twilight slapped her face with a hoof. “Just remove that part and send the letter, please.”

“Awww... fine.”

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you like this story, you should check out some of my other works:

My tumblr, an alternate universe mixing MLP and Cyborg 009.

Forever a Changeling, my new story starring Rainbow Dash as a changeling.

Samurai Applejack, a drastically different kind of story. It’s rated mature for violence and some suggestive lines.

Night of the Werepony, what I consider to be my worst story, but it’s my most popular. It’s just one chapter long.

Comments

[Archmagejay]

LOL silly spike

[Wilhelm]

yay
I love reading these.
Enjoy, that's left over wedding love.

[Kittuar]

Sunburst, Pegasus, 12 but spell backfired and she isbnow 8. She knows common magic and transformation.

[Blueheartpegasus]

1196527

but normal pegasi can't cast spells... meaning that Sunburst would have gone through the same ordeal as Scootaloo, which would probably mess up the storyline.

just wanted to point that out, not trying to be rude or any thing.