• Published 8th Apr 2015
  • 2,363 Views, 92 Comments

The Search for Scootaloo - defender2222



When Scootaloo disappears Twilight and Spike are forced to find her... and hear everyone's insane ideas of where the filly went.

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Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon

“What did the Princess say?” Spike asked moments after Twilight had teleported into the Castle of Friendship (they were still working on the name; Pinkie had suggested “Princess Twilight’s Big Honkin’ Castle”… the purple mare was 50/50 on that). She hadn’t been able to use the door because Spike had barricaded it, along with the windows, escape hatches, and murder holes (why a magical crystal castle built via the power of rainbow energy and the Tree of Harmony had murder holes was a question best left to the ages). Luckily they’d had plenty of wood around to board up any entrance points (something had to happen to all the tables Twilight smashed) so Spike wasn’t lacking in supplies. He dropped his hammer and hurried over to her, practically clinging to her as he asked, “Is she going to save us? Let us bum around her castle? Send in a squad of big burly stallions to protect us?”

Twilight sighed, putting her crown on the hat rack (she still didn’t get why Rarity thought that was being disrespectful; a hat rack worked perfectly for holding her crowns and hats with fuzzy earflaps). “Not exactly.”

“What do you mean, not exactly?” Spike exclaimed in utter terror, eyes wide with panic. Outside he could hear the faint murmurs of ‘Find Scootaloo’ (or possibly ‘Bind Tootaroo’, he couldn’t be sure). “Is she coming here with an army to save us? Did she already find Scootaloo? Are the End of Days upon us and the Four Ponies of the Apocolapse riding forth in the sky? Please tell me something other than ‘Celestia isn’t helping us, we’re on our own’!”

“I’m sorry, Spike.” Twilight said wearily. “Celestia said she wouldn’t help us.”

“I JUST TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY THAT!” He tugged on his tail. “For once I wish the situation wasn’t about ‘zombies’.”

“Calm your scales, Spike. We’re on our own.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, going over to her favorite couch (she’d bought it once she realized that a blue stone throne was horribly uncomfortable) and laid down on it (she also made a mental note to thank Rarity for suggesting that type of sofa… well, once Rarity was done chanting ‘Find Scootaloo’).

“Maybe you did it wrong!” Spike said frantically. “Yeah… maybe you screwed up so only you are screwed and Princess Celestia still loves me and-“

“I did not do something wrong!” Twilight complained. “I went to her Court and filed a formal request…”

~30 Minutes Earlier…~

“And… and you’re sure we are safe here?” the white-tail deer ambassador asked, looking around the throne room as if he expected an assassin to suddenly pop out and strike him. “I think I saw something move in that empty corner where there isn’t anything…”

Princess Celestia forced herself to keep a calm smile on her face (it was the same smile she wore whenever one of her subjects did something really stupid and she was trying hard not to scream). In the same tones she’d used when Cadence was a baby she said, “I assure you, Ambassador Fleethoof, everything is perfectly safe. I have all my guards stationed around the castle… which I have also emptied so we are the only two inside. I’ve removed all the tapestries and rugs so no one can hide under them and made sure that every non-needed door is sealed and shut, so that the only ways in or out are through routes I have selected. The moment we are done I will personally ride with you in a sky chariot back to your embassy. Every precaution has been taken.”

The ambassador looked around one last time before allowing himself to calm down a touch. Celestia let out a sigh of relief; she’d been working for 3 months to get this meeting set up. The ambassador of Deermark was well known for being skittish and scared; he always was seeing threats where there were none. Normally she would have just let the poor buck be… but Equestria was in need of a renewed trade compact with Deermark and the only way that would happen, thanks to the foreign country’s rather twisted and confusing constitution, was to work with the nervous ambassador (of course, considering her own country’s laws stated that if a pony suddenly gained both wings and a horn they were automatically royalty, she didn’t have a leg to stand on).

“Now then, let us-“

“DANGER, DANGER!” Twilight screamed, bursting into the throneroom, eyes wide with panic. “WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!”

“URK!”

THUD!

“What was that?” Twilight asked, looking up at her mentor.

Celestia grit her teeth. “That was the sound of the ambassador of Deermark having a panic-induced heart attack.”

Fleethoof’s leg twitched as his tongue lulled out of his mouth.

“…oh, that doesn’t sound good.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Once we got the doctors in there and they managed to get the ambassador’s heart working again Princess Celestia told me that I needed to handle this on our own. I didn’t press the issue… I think she’s having some issues with her jaw because she kept it really clenched.”

“…did she directly mention me or just say your name?”

“Don’t even think of trying to bail on me, Spike, or I’ll mention that to everyone that Scootaloo might be hiding in your secret gemstone collection.”

Spike’s eyes went to pinpricks at that. “Now that’s just not fair!”

“Princesses don’t have to be fair. It says so right in this manual!”

Spike stared at the book Twilight had held up. “’I am an Alicorn Princess (and so can You!)’…. By Iron Will?”

“He’s actually a really good writer,” Twilight said, tucking the book back on the shelf. “Now then, we need to get started tracking down Scootaloo. I suggest we start at her house-“

And that’s when the door was bucked right off its hinges.

“They’ve broken through our defenses!” Spike screamed, grabbing a plunger. “To arms, to arms!”

“Madam, are you sure you wish to enter?” a large stallion in a suit asked. He was going bald and he was a bit too flabby, but one could tell that in his youth he had been a powerful stallion and still held a bit of that ancient strength. “They are awfully loud.”

“They are, Carington, but we must. The rabble of this town are up in arms over that blank flank disappearing and it is up to us to set it right.” A small light pink filly entered the room, a gray filly with glasses only a few steps behind. “Princess Twilight Sparkle… and pet… I am Diamond Tiara. This is my associate Silver Spoon. We are here to ask you to end this foolishness concerning Scootaloo.”

“…I think I’d rather go back to the zombie mob,” Spike said.

“Princess Twilight, if you’d be so kind to summon your servants so we can have tea-“

“I don’t have servants,” Twilight said, raising a single eyebrow. “I’ve never felt the need.”

It was clear that Diamond Tiara wanted to comment on that but knew better than to say one of her usual snotty little insults. While her daddy’s money allowed her to get away with that when it came to most ponies in the town, one did not stay rich if they insulting immortal alicorn royalty.

“That’s ok, we’ll have our own servants take care of everything,” Silver Spoon said with a smile. “Carington?”

“Of course, Lady Spoon.” The butler let out a whistle and an entire team of hoofmen rushed in, carrying a fine oak table, linens, polished cutlery, a porcelain tea set, and serving trays covered with decadent cakes and pastries. Twilight let out a squawk of protest as one of the hoofmen grabbed her and plopped her down on a cushioned chair, pushing it towards the table. The other hoofmen did the same for Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, though Spike (who kept muttering about racists) had to clamor up onto a chair by himself. Tea was poured and Diamond Tiara accepted a few tea cakes one of the servants offered her, flashing an ‘I’m better than you and my daddy pays your checks so keep up the good work and I’ll keep you around’ smile.

“Aren’t they just wonderful? Daddy got this one potty trained just last week.” Diamond Tiara grinned at a hoofman who waited until her back was turned before rolling his eyes. “Now then, it has come to my attention that rather than do your princessly duties-“

“She normally does her doodies in the morning after breakfast,” Spike said with a smirk.

“-you are focusing on that little blank flank Scootaloo.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “That ‘blank flank’ is a friend of mine. We are close.”

“Yeah!” Spike said. “Scootaloo totally caused alternate dimensional Twilights to suddenly appear. They nearly destroyed Equestria!”

Twilight stared at her Assistant before turning to Carington. “How much do one of you gentlecolts cost, on a weekly basis?”

“Hey!”

Twilight chuckled before turning her attention back to the little rich fillies. “So, you must have a reason for me to not go looking for Scootaloo.” Diamond opened her mouth but Twilight cut her off. “And not ‘because she’s a blank flank’.”

Silver and Diamond shared a look before putting their heads together, whispering.

“Spike?” Twilight said softly. “When you get older you will meet someone like Diamond Tiara. And while she may look really attractive and the money thing will be a turn-on, remember how Miss Tiara is acting. It is called ‘high maintenance’ and no pony or dragon is worth the pain a high maintenance fillyfriend is.”

“Got it,” Spike said. “Uh… Twilight… you don’t think Rarity is high maintenance, do you?”

“…”

“Twilight?”

“So, how about the Detrot Tigers? I know Shining would have you believe the Red Wings are more interesting-“

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon pulled away from each other and cleared their throats. “We have discussed it and determined we have a better reason for you not to find Scootaloo and why it is better that she remain lost.”

“And that is?” Twilight asked.

“Because you don’t know what she’s like!” Silver Spoon shouted. “She’s horrible and awful and we’re all better off with her gone!”

“That is rather harsh,” Twilight said with disapproval. “What makes you say that?”

“Just listen to what she did last week and you will understand why all of Ponyville is better off with her gone.” Diamond waved Carington over. “Please send in the storyteller.”

“Very good, milady.”

Spike frowned. “Storyteller?”

“You don’t think I’d tell this story myself, did you?” Diamond said in confusion. “I have stallions for that.”

The little drake whispered to Twilight, “I think she has a stallion to help her with her ‘duties’ too.”

A teal-colored stallion who was wearing a brown suit and a black top hat hurried into the room. “And so, called upon by his mistress to perform his duty, the stallion known as Plotdump the Narrator arrived, seeing this has his moment to prove his worth.”

“Oh no,” Spike said with a groan.

“What?”

“Uh… let’s just say I’ve had a run in with this stallion before.”

Diamond Tiara clanked her hooves together. “Plotdump, please tell the Princess and her little mail service provider-“

“Hey!”

“Well, that is kind of your job,” Twilight pointed out.

“-what happened last week!”

“And with those words Diamond Tiara unleashed the full power of Plotdump the Narrator, who began to tell his tale…”

~Two Weeks…~

“Well, I think we’ve hit every party dress store in Ponyville,” Silver Spoon stated as she and her best friend, Diamond Tiara, trotted out of the fashion boutique, their servants only a few steps behind carrying their packages. “But remind me again, why did we have to buy every single one?”

Diamond Tiara laughed. “Because, Silver, there are many poor fillies in the world that will never be able to afford dresses like these. By buying them we ensure they never have to see them and thus don’t have to deal with the guilt and pain that comes from the fact that they will never be allowed to own such fine garments.”

“Uh, couldn’t you donate them to the poor fillies?”

“But then they would become use to such fine things and be unable to enjoy all the trash that they own. Isn’t it better to ensure they never have a taste of the life they’ll never be able to truly have than to taunt them with something they can only experience once and never experience again? Doesn’t that make us heroes?”

“…no.”

“Oh, hello girls!” said a cream-colored colt with a perfectly coifed mane who walked over. He was wearing a white button up shirt and a red dickie around his neck. “How are you today?”

“We’re doing great, Gold Standard!”

“Wait, who is Gold Standard?”

“He’s our best friend!”

“Then… why haven’t we heard of him?”

“Because you a grown mare without fillies or colts of your own and thus have no reason to know about the going ons of students.”

“She has you there, Twilight.”

“Okay, maybe, but I still think it is weird that you have a friend no one has ever heard of.”

“What are you up to today, Gold?” Diamond asked.

“Well, I was coming to find you both… Diggy-Dog and I decided to take a walk through the park and pick up some food and thought you might want to join us.” Gold Standard motioned towards the large Great Dane that was standing next to him. “Isn’t that right, Diggy-Dog?”

“Dat’s dight Dold!” Diggy proclaimed.

“Wait… your friend has a talking dog?”

“What’s wrong with that? You have a pet that can talk too!”

“…did you just call Spike my pet?”

“Did she just call me a pet?!? Permission to kill?”

“Denied, Spike.”

The three friends walked towards Ponyville’s main park, happily chatting about all sorts of things that fillies and colts talk about.

“I just don’t understand why Mayor Mare expects daddy to pay more in taxes than the Apples. It’s not his fault they are stupid and poor.” Diamond paused, her lips pursed together. “Actually, it’s a little bit his fault, since he could pay them more-“

“Oh no! Oh no!” a crimson mare cried out, pacing back in forth in agitation. “What are we going to do? What are we going to do?”

“She likes to repeat herself a lot,” Silver said.

Gold Standard walked over to the distressed mare. “Excuse me… is something wrong?”

“Oh… oh, it’s just awful. The fair is completely ruined.”

“The fair?” Diamond asked. “What fair?”

The mare, suddenly realizing she had strangers in front of her, blushed. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? I’m Miss Plan-Well and I’ve been hired to set up Ponyville’s Spring Fair this year.”

“I didn’t know we were having a fair!” Silver said, excited.

“It’s been a few years but the Mayor thought it’d be a good time to bring it back.” Miss Plan-Well shook her head. “But now it looks like we are going to cancel. Oh, everyone is going to be so disappointed!”

“Doh do!” Diggy-Dog exclaimed.

Silver Spoon patted the mare on the foreleg. “It’s ok… what’s going on that is making you cancel?”

Miss Plan-Well looked utterly despondent. “Everything was going so well and we were so close to getting ready to open our doors… and then the Creepy Meanie Creature appeared!”

“The Creepy Meanie Creature?” the three youngsters and their dog exclaimed.

“Yes. A horrible thing that is terrorizing the fair and the workers! Booths were smashed, rides have been disabled, and all sorts of things have gone missing! Oh, I just don’t know what we’ll do now.”

Gold Standard looked at the fillies before clearing his throat. “Miss Plan-Well, my friends and I would like to help you solve this mystery!”

“You would? That would be wonderful! I’ve always said that the only ponies you can trust are rich ones!”

“And you’re right!” Diamond said proudly. “We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery!”

“That’s wonderful!” Miss Plan-Well said.

Can we help too?” a stallion called out. The group turned and gasped as 5 very tall stallions walked over to them, each one wearing a basketball jersey and shorts. Several of them were spinning balls on their tails or on the tops of their heads. “We were coming to be special presenters at this fair but now I think we should help these mystery solvers uncover what is going on!”

“I don’t believe it!” Silver Spoon cried out. “It’s the world famous Harlem Globewalkers!”

“Ok, stop for a moment.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Yes, Princess?” Plotdump said.

“Why are the Globewalkers in this story?” Twilight asked. “That makes no sense. I thought this was a story about Scootaloo.”

“It is a story explaining Scootaloo,” Diamond Tiara said, sipping her tea.

Silver Spoon nodded. “Yeah, and the Globewalkers are there to spice things up!”

“So your story… has special guest stars?” Spike asked.

“Yup!” Diamond and her entourage said at once.

“…ok, whatever.” Twilight said with a groan. “Just… just hurry it up, would you?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Okay, everyone, let’s look around and see if we can find some clues!” Diamond Tiara said.

“I don’t dow, dis dounds dangerous! Dooooooo!” Diggy said, shivering.

“Come on, Diggy, you have to help!” Gold Standard said.

“Yeah, talkin’ dog!” one of the Globewalkers proclaimed, doing a fancy ball juggling trick. “A team ain’t a team without every player!”

“Do duck dourself! I dot doing dit!”

“Diggy, we don’t tell people to duck themselves! It's strange and where would they find duckbills at this hour?” Gold Standard said sternly before pulling out a box. “Would you do it for a Shining Snack?”

“…do.”

“How about two Shining Snacks?”

“…dokay!” Diggy said, happily accepting the treats. “Det’s do dit!”

The large group began to investigate around one of the torn tents near the edge of the fair ground. It was just as Miss Plan-Well had said: crates were smashed, poles shattered, and parts of the tent were ripped and torn, allowing cool air to blow in. It looked like a riot had broken out but as Diamond Tiara stared at the damage she had the oddest feeling of deja vu.

“This is odd,” Gold Standard said. “From what a few of the eye witnesses said, Creepy Meanie Creature is a large shaggy creature like a really hairy pony. But look at these hoofprints in the dirt over here.”

“Do I have to look at the icky dirt?” Diamond asked. “I’d like dirt if it weren’t so… dirty.”

“Why are you pausing?”

“So you can laugh.”

“Stories don’t have pauses for audience laughter.”

“This one does.”

“Jinkies!” Silver Spoon exclaimed. “They’re so small… and there are so many of them!”

“So what?” one of the Globewalkers asked. “Does that mean the Creepy is a bug monster or something?”

"We could splat it with our awesome basketball tricks!"

“I don’t think so,” Diamond called out. “Come over here!”

“Diamond, dhat did dou dind?” Diggy asked.

“It’s a bunch of crates full of prizes for the fair games. But look… when you compare what is here to the manifest... the only prizes that are missing are temporary tattoos!”

Silver rubbed her chin. “Little hoofprints, missing temporary tattoos, oddly familiar damage to the tent… jinkies! I think I solved the mystery!”

“And not a moment too soon!” Gold Standard exclaimed, pointing towards the tent’s entrance. “It’s the Creepy Meanie Creature!”

A strange luppy beast with a thick shaggy coat and glowing eyes walked towards them, letting out moans as it did so. The Globewalkers cried out and Diggy Dog whimpered by Diamond Tiara merely rushed forward, running around the Creature until it got dizzy.

“Gold, do it now!”

“On it!” Gold proclaimed, dropping a plot-convenient net on the monster. The Creepy Meanie Creature let out a moan of protest but the Globewalkers began to pelt it with basketballs till it was out cold. “Yeah, we did it!”

It only took a few minutes to get Miss Plan-Well. “My word, you caught the monster!”

“Yeah, but you see, Miss Plan-Well, this isn’t a monster!” Gold stated.

“It isn’t? But then… what is it?”

“Before we explain, let’s look at the clues,” Silver said. “The Creature looks big and tough but when we looked over the tent we found sets of little hoofprints… three sets in fact!”

“And then there were the prizes!” a Globewalker said. “The Creature only stole temporary tattoos… temporary tattoos it… or they… could use to fake having cutie marks!”

“Finally there is the name,” Diamond Tiara said. “The Creepy Meanie Creature’s initials are C.M.C., the same as…” she reached up and tore away the Creature’s head, revealing it to be a mask.

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”

Scootaloo pouted as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle crawled out of the costume. “We just wanted to ruin everypony’s fun because we are horrible and mean and we stole the temporary tattoos so we wouldn’t be blank flanks anymore. We would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling fillies and your dog!”

“Diggy Diggy Doooooooooogggg!”

~MC~MC~MC~

“…that’s it?” Twilight asked. “We shouldn’t look for Scootaloo because she stole some temporary tattoos?”

“Of course,” Diamond Tiara said with a grin.

“Twilight,” Spike said softly, “I know you don’t throw your royal weight around but… just this once?”

Twilight nodded. “Girls… GET OUT!”

“What?!?” Diamond and Silver exclaimed.

“Get out of my castle before your Princess banish you to… wherever I banish ponies!”

“Neigh Jersey would work,” Spike stated.

“Neigh Jersey!” Twilight declared.

Diamond huffed. “You can’t-“

Twilight lit up her horn. “Banishing in five… four… three-“

The sound of hooves filled the air as Diamond, Silver, and their entourage of servants fled.

“…Well, that worked out rather well,” Spike said.

“Find Scootaloo!” a pony cried out as she entered the now damaged door, a herd of other townsfolk following her.

Twilight and Spike stared at each other in horror. “Crap!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Scoota-loota-loo,Where are you
We got some work to do now
Scoota-loota-loo,Where are you
We need some help from you now

Come on, Scootaloo, they need you
to help end this fable
But if you don’t appear, then I fear
Twilight will smash a table!

You know we got a mystery to solve and Scootaloo,
Let’s end this arc
not on a lark!
And Scootaloo if you come through you're gonna have
yourself a Cutie Mark!
Outta the park!

Scoota-loota-loo,where are you
You're ready and you're willing
If we can't count on you Scootaloo
this fic will just be beginning!