Chapter 4: Fluttershy
Scootaloo’s New Family
By Alaborn
Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.
Chapter 4: Fluttershy
“I take it you’re thinking Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle said to Scootaloo.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said.
“When do you want to go there?”
“Maybe tomorrow, after breakfast. I still need to apologize to Rarity.”
“Good idea,” Twilight Sparkle said. “While you talk to Rarity, and get your belongings back, I will talk to Fluttershy, and warn her.”
“Do you think she’ll say no?” Scootaloo said.
“Not at all. I think, among all of us, Fluttershy is the one who has most thought about being a mother. I know she’ll care for you, Scootaloo.”
“I hope so,” she muttered.
After giving her several hours to cool down, Scootaloo returned to see Rarity at Carousel Boutique. Just as Sweetie Belle had said, there was no sign of Rarity’s breakdown. The boutique was clean and orderly, there was no sign of empty ice cream cartons, and Rarity was busy at work, ribbons and gems being sewn onto a new dress.
“Oh, good afternoon, Scootaloo. Have your come for your personal effects?” Rarity said.
“Yes, but first, I wanted to say sorry. I shouldn’t have been dancing around your boutique without you there.”
“Well, fillies will be fillies,” Rarity said. “I admit, things looked dark. But once I started looking at the mess as a whole, I saw bold and daring combinations that will no doubt blaze a new trail across the catwalks of Manehattan and Prance.”
“Okay then. I’ll get my stuff.”
“Scootaloo, dear,” Rarity said. “While we were at the spa, I did talk to Fluttershy about our experiences together. And I could tell she very much wished to care for you. I assume you’ll be speaking to her next?”
“Yeah.”
“I wish you the best of luck in finding your own happiness, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo returned to the castle, and found Twilight Sparkle in the kitchen. A rather meager dinner of cucumber and daisy sandwiches waited for her.
“Sorry, Spike’s out,” Twilight Sparkle said by way of explanation.
“I don’t get it. Haven’t you read cookbooks?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yes, but it’s one thing to read a recipe, and another entirely to practice it,” she explained. “Sometimes, a recipe that looks good on paper turns horrific when you make it. Like quesadillas,” she said with a shudder.
“I like quesadillas.”
“Let’s not bring up bad memories,” Twilight Sparkle said. “So how are you feeling, Scootaloo?”
“Disappointed. I thought this was going to be easy,” Scootaloo said. “I mean, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity are all great ponies, and I liked something in each of my stays, but there was something that... well, I really didn’t like.”
“And you hope Fluttershy will be different?”
“I know she’ll be different! She’s such a kind mare. She even stayed kind when we didn’t listen to her at that sleepover and kind of went into the Everfree Forest,” Scootaloo said. “Nothing will go wrong!”
The next morning started at an hour much more suited to Scootaloo’s wishes. Twilight Sparkle was no morning pony, and the activity in the castle acknowledged that. Only Spike got up early, and so by the time Scootaloo and Twilight Sparkle rose, the dragon had breakfast ready, a stack of golden brown pancakes.
“These are great, Spike!” Scootaloo said.
“Thanks. Everypony likes my pancakes. I just don’t recommend them as a pillow.”
“That was one time!” Twilight Sparkle protested.
“Right. Then there was the time with the omelet, the time with the cereal, and need I remind you of the oatmeal incident?” Spike turned to Scootaloo. “Never believe Twilight when she says she has just a little more to read.”
“It’s nothing a little catnap and some strong tea won’t fix,” Twilight Sparkle said. “And while I’m sure you’re enjoying telling these embarrassing stories, we do need to see Fluttershy.”
“Maybe some other time,” Spike said, giving Scootaloo a quick wink.
After breakfast, Scootaloo and Twilight Sparkle made the trip to Fluttershy’s cottage. The narrow dirt path was one Scootaloo hadn’t often ridden over, so she kept her scooter at a more reasonable speed. Twilight Sparkle flew quietly overhead.
Scootaloo heard she was getting close to the cottage before she saw it. The singing of birds and chittering of critters grew in volume, as if they were overjoyed to be near the shy animal caretaker. Soon, the familiar cottage appeared, home to Fluttershy and countless animals. The pegasus was out, filling the numerous bird feeders hanging from the nearby trees.
Fluttershy smiled as she saw them approach, and flew down to meet them. “Good morning, Twilight, Scootaloo,” she said.
“Hi, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said. “I was wondering, would you be my new mother?”
“Are you sure? You won’t mind sharing a home with my animal friends? They can get noisy.”
“I remember staying here during that Crusaders sleepover,” Scootaloo said. “It wasn’t bad. The only animals that misbehaved that night were, well, us.”
“That’s okay. I know you three meant well,” Fluttershy said. “But as your mother, when I tell you not to go into the Everfree Forest, you listen, okay?”
“Okay, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said.
“That’s right, Scootaloo. Fluttershy is now your mother, and you will treat her as such,” Twilight Sparkle said. “You know the rules. Good luck, you two.”
“Come in, Scootaloo. I can’t wait to show you to your new room.”
Scootaloo balanced her belongings on her back and followed Fluttershy into the cottage. The cottage looked much like it did during that sleepover several years prior. It was charmingly rustic, and about as clean as one could hope, given the many animals that lived there. Even the odor was minimal; the earthy smell of the forest was just as prevalent.
“I think you remember this room, Scootaloo” Fluttershy said.
Sure enough, it was the same room where the Cutie Mark Crusaders attempted to get their cutie marks in performing a rocking version of a lullaby. It didn’t work, of course.
“It looks nice. Um, I’m not taking away Discord’s room, am I?” Scootaloo asked.
“No, Discord has his own home, in a place where... it’s best not to think about it,” Fluttershy said.
“Okay, I don’t want to make him mad.”
“Oh, you won’t,” Fluttershy said. “In fact, Discord speaks highly of you and your little Crusader friends.”
“I don’t know whether I should feel happy or insulted,” Scootaloo said.
“In any case, you won’t be seeing Discord,” Fluttershy said. “He said he was going to stay home with a big tub of popcorn and ‘watch the show’, whatever that means.”
Scootaloo nodded. She had been thinking of many potential parents ever since Twilight Sparkle gave her the chance to find a new family, but one pony not on the list was Discord. She was glad she would get the chance to enjoy a quiet home life with Fluttershy.
“I’m glad you came, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said. “I could really use a hoof around my home. I spend so much time feeding and caring for my animal friends, I don’t have time to give them all the attention they deserve.”
“I’ll try, but I’ll never be able to understand animals like you,” Scootaloo said.
“There’s one language that all animals understand. Just bring food, and they’ll come to you.”
“So where do I start?”
“Come with me,” Fluttershy said.
Scootaloo followed Fluttershy to the kitchen, where the mare opened a door to a pantry. It was actually bigger than she expected, and was filled with both pony food and animal feed. Fluttershy reached in and pulled out a burlap sack and a wicker basket.
“You can help me by feeding the chickens. You throw the corn onto the ground to encourage them to leave the coop, and then you can go in and collect the eggs.”
Scootaloo bristled at hearing chicken, having heard the word used too often by certain fillies. But Fluttershy showed nothing but kindness in her words. “Okay,” Scootaloo said.
“I’m sure Elizabeak will be happy to see you again.”
“She’s still around?”
“Oh, yes. She’s old, and doesn’t lay many eggs, but I’ll always care for her.”
Scootaloo took the chicken feed and basket to the chicken coop. Only a few chickens were out, scratching and scrabbling in the dirt. Seeing Scootaloo approach, they squawked and clucked. More chickens poked their heads out of the coop.
She opened the sack and took some corn in her hoof. The sound of the dry kernels hitting the ground attracted the attention of the rest of the flock, and suddenly dozens of birds surrounded her. At first, she thought the fowl were going to peck at her. But they only brushed against her, a movement that almost felt affectionate.
Scootaloo extracted herself from the flock and climbed the ramp into the chicken coop. There was only one bird still inside, a plump hen. “Elizabeak, I presume?”
The old hen responded with a low squawk.
“Don’t mind me. I’m not a cockatrice. I’m just here for the eggs.”
Scootaloo gathered the eggs she could see, but she suspected Elizabeak was protecting some more. “Can you move?” she said.
The old hen didn’t react.
Scootaloo threw down some corn. “You want some lunch?” Elizabeak still didn’t move, but she was watching Scootaloo. “Okay, fine. Have some more.” She poured out corn, forming a little pile. Finally, Elizabeak moved.
Scootaloo quickly swiped the last eggs into her basket. “Victory!” she exclaimed.
Throughout the day, Scootaloo helped Fluttershy care for her animals. Many were skittish around her, but once Fluttershy spoke to them, they warmed up to her.
She also learned more about how Fluttershy lived. Like everypony, Scootaloo thought of her as the local animal caretaker. But she did a lot more. Fluttershy tended to her own garden, and several fruit trees surrounded her cottage. Several ponies visited her that day, none there to find a pet. One earth pony stallion traded a line of freshly caught fish for Fluttershy’s eggs; these fish soon found their way into the stomachs of her carnivorous animal friends. Other ponies came by with gifts of old food, stale bread and rotten vegetables that nopony would buy, but animals would gladly eat. All in all, it was like a smaller version of the Apples’ farm.
The sun was setting as Scootaloo finished her last chore, setting out some of the old food for the animals who stirred at twilight. She headed inside. Fluttershy was in the kitchen. A pot of soup simmered on the stove, but she wasn’t paying attention to it. Instead, she was setting out one last meal, for one particular animal friend.
“Now, Angel bunny, I think two cherry tomatoes are enough. You wouldn’t want to get a stomachache, would you?”
Scootaloo looked closely at the rabbit’s dish. Several kinds of lettuce and baby carrots were artfully arranged in the dish, with two cherry tomatoes on top. Fluttershy had a small bowl with more cherry tomatoes in her mouth.
Angel stamped the ground with his paw and pointed to his dish.
“Okay, Angel. One more.” Fluttershy placed another cherry tomato in his dish. The rabbit smiled and chowed down.
“I don’t get it. Why do you let Angel be so greedy?” Scootaloo asked.
“Well, I love all my animal friends, but Angel has been my friend for so long. I just can’t stand to see him hurt, or angry, or upset. He’s special to me.”
“I still think he’s being greedy.”
“Could you please set the table, Scootaloo? I think our soup is ready.”
Dinner with Fluttershy was a quiet affair. The only sounds came from visiting animals, who rubbed against their legs affectionately. Fluttershy welcomed them and gave out bits of bread.
“Scootaloo, I’d like to thank you for being so helpful today,” Fluttershy said. “With your help, I was able to spend more time just speaking with my animal friends.”
“You’re welcome, Fluttershy. I enjoyed helping out.”
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”
“Yeah! We’re going crusading tomorrow morning!” Scootaloo said.
“That sounds nice. Now, I think a certain little filly needs a bath.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Scootaloo said. She did feel a bit dirty.
Fluttershy’s bathroom was a bit rustic. The freestanding tub looked old-fashioned. But it was clean, and the water was hot. Scootaloo had to scrub her wings to get out bits of grain and animal fur, and she felt a lot better once she finished.
When Scootaloo returned to the living room, she found Fluttershy sitting on the couch, reading and humming softly. She patted the couch with a hoof. “Would you like to read with me?”
“Okay.”
Scootaloo looked at the books Fluttershy had on a small bookshelf. Most concerned animals and plants, and looked rather advanced. She chose one that was titled An Illustrated Guide to Plants and Flowers.
“I like that one,” Fluttershy said. “Since I grew up in Cloudsdale, I had so much to learn about all the wonderful life to be found on the ground.”
Scootaloo joined Fluttershy on the couch. Her book proved to be a difficult read, and wasn’t giving her any inspiration for tomorrow’s crusade. Fluttershy moved closer and draped a wing over her.
“What’s Cloudsdale like?” Scootaloo asked.
“It’s a beautiful city. Even though my cutie mark called me to the surface, I still think about it today.”
Fluttershy shared her memories of Cloudsdale with Scootaloo. The filly listened with rapt attention. She had asked the same question of Rainbow Dash in the past, of course, and her idol’s response was markedly different, focused on things she had done. Fluttershy instead spoke of places, of ponies, of the beauty and splendor of Cloudsdale. Scootaloo’s book lay forgotten as she listened to her new mother open up to her.
“Scootaloo? Can I ask you something? If you don’t mind, of course.”
“What is it, Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said.
“Well, I’ve always dreamed of caring for a filly of my own. And I know you’re old enough to take care of yourself, so I understand if you say no, but I was wondering....”
“Yes?”
“Could I brush your mane and preen your wings?”
Scootaloo smiled. “For you, Fluttershy? Of course.”
Fluttershy squealed softly.
Fluttershy leaned back, and Scootaloo sat on her lap. She was too big for this to be truly comfortable, but Fluttershy’s foreleg wrapped around her, stopping her from slipping. When Fluttershy pulled the brush through Scootaloo’s mane, the filly closed her eyes and sighed, enjoying the comforting feeling. And when she felt Fluttershy’s mouth on her wing, gently tugging the feathers into place, a vision filled her mind.
Scootaloo remembered a time when she was much younger, sitting on her mother’s lap as she preened her, feeling the warmth and affection of that simple gesture. She recalled a time, around her sixth birthday, when sitting like that grew more difficult. Her mother, belly swelling with her soon-to-arrive second brother, soon had no lap left. And then Striker was born, and suddenly Mom was too tired to give Scootaloo this kind of close attention.
“Mmm. I could stay like this forever,” Scootaloo said.
“I’d be very happy if you’d stay, too, my precious daughter,” Fluttershy said.
Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy and smiled. Then her gaze was drawn to the end of the couch. Angel stood there, forelegs crossed, staring at Scootaloo with a frown. Then Angel raised a paw, pointed it to his eyes, and then pointed it to Scootaloo.
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said.
“Yes, dear?”
“Did you see...” she started, but Angel had hopped away. “Never mind.”
Before Scootaloo settled down for the night, she checked her room carefully. There was no sign of Angel. She got under the covers and closed her eyes, but didn’t go to sleep. She listened carefully; all was still.
The sound of birds singing in the early morning roused Scootaloo from her slumber. She looked around, seeing nothing amiss. While she was still certain Angel Bunny didn’t like her, he didn’t seem to do anything about it.
Fluttershy was already up and about, feeding the animals in the house. A pot of oatmeal cooked on the stove. “Good morning Scootaloo,” she said.
“Morning, Fluttershy.”
“I have one very important chore before you go off to see your friends. We need to sweep the floor.”
“Okay,” she replied.
“We have to do this every day, Scootaloo. With so many animal friends, we have to clean up the fur and feathers they drop. And also... well, I tell them to go outside, but they don’t know better.”
Scootaloo shrugged and grabbed a broom. The meaning of Fluttershy’s last sentence became clear when she spotted a neat pile of brown pellets. She didn’t care what animal had dropped them; she only wanted to sweep them out of the house.
Fluttershy opened the windows of her cottage, and then took her own broom in her mouth. Together, they swept clean the wooden floor. The light summer breeze brought in fresh air, with the scent of the forest beyond. And when they were done, the cottage looked neat and clean.
Breakfast followed. Scootaloo ate quickly, eager to join her friends. Fluttershy ate slower, but left her bowl behind to see Scootaloo off.
“Have a good day, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, waving.
Scootaloo donned her helmet and hopped on her scooter. “Bye, Fluttershy!” she called. She buzzed her wings and took off, only to tumble off her scooter.
“Eeep!” Fluttershy squealed.
Scootaloo got up and brushed the dirt off her coat. “I’m okay,” she said. She looked at her scooter, finding the right front wheel had come off.
Fluttershy flew over and scooped up Scootaloo in her forelegs. “Are you okay? You could have been hurt!”
“Relax, I’ve had much worse falls.” That apparently wasn’t the right thing to say, as Fluttershy clutched her even tighter.
“I’ll keep you safe,” Fluttershy said.
“It’s only a loose wheel. Princess Twilight’s taught me all about how to fix my scooter. I just need to get the tools from my room. Could you please put me down?”
Fluttershy hugged Scootaloo for a moment before finally lowering her to the ground, ever so gently. As soon as Fluttershy loosened her hold on Scootaloo, the filly dashed off.
It took less than five minutes for Scootaloo to fix her scooter. After examining the nuts and bolts to make sure they were intact, it was a simple task to replace the wheel and tighten the nut. A final inspection of her scooter told her everything was working as it should.
“Bye, Fluttershy!” Scootaloo said. She tried to ride off, but felt a hoof pressing her scooter to the ground.
“Oh, no you don’t, not without the proper protection,” Fluttershy said.
“But I’m wearing a helmet!” Scootaloo protested.
“That little thing? Why, it barely covers your head! Let Mother keep you safe.” Fluttershy flew back to her cottage, and soon emerged carrying a ton of protective gear. A minute later, Scootaloo was wearing a hoofball helmet and a full set of pads.
“Now, you wear those anytime you’re on your scooter, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy cautioned. “And be sure to walk your scooter over the bridge. It’s dangerous.”
Scootaloo looked at the simple wooden bridge crossing the stream that ran by Fluttershy’s cottage. “Okay, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said unenthusiastically.
She slowly and carefully walked over the bridge, and only then got on her scooter. Scootaloo buzzed her wings and started riding. As she did, a glint of sunlight reflecting off something caught her attention. When she looked, she saw Angel, smirking and holding a wrench in his paw.
Scootaloo headed to Ponyville, idly wondering if griffons had any recipes for rabbit stew.
“What’s with the wacky getup?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Fluttershy insisted,” Scootaloo said with a sigh. “Now I’m wondering why she had filly-sized hoofball gear in her closet.”
“Bummer,” Sweetie Belle said.
“She saw me stumble, and she started acting all like Applejack did that one time,” Scootaloo said. “How did we fix that again?”
“I took the delivery of pies through that dangerous swamp and almost got eaten by a chimera,” Apple Bloom said.
“Oh.”
“Maybe you could do something dangerous in the Everfree Forest?” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“No, Fluttershy already told me I can’t go into the Everfree,” Scootaloo said. She started to take off her protective gear. “I think I just need to try talking to her.”
“Good luck with that,” Apple Bloom said.
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “But now for the important things. What are we going to do to find our cutie marks?”
Scootaloo sighed. “Whatever it is, let’s make it close by. I really don’t feel like riding anywhere dressed like this.”
For Scootaloo, crusading just wasn’t as fun as normal. The trio had so many great ideas involving machines and volatile chemicals that day, but Scootaloo had to suggest saving those for later, as she wanted Fluttershy to be calm when she returned home. And so, after another unsuccessful day of crusading, Scootaloo headed home.
Even wearing Fluttershy’s bulky protective gear, Scootaloo made good time on the dirt road heading out to the Everfree. She slowed down the closer she got to Fluttershy’s cottage. Her keen eyes spotted Fluttershy watching from the window.
Dutifully, Scootaloo stopped by the bridge and crossed it by hoof. Or, rather, that’s what she tried to do. One of the boards broke loose, and Scootaloo instead stumbled into the shallow stream.
In an instant, Fluttershy flew to her and lifted her out of the stream. “Oh, my poor, precious filly!” she said.
“I’m fine, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said.
“You could have drowned!”
“The water was barely over my fetlocks, Fluttershy! I could have walked out.”
“No, no, no! I’ve got to keep you safe,” Fluttershy said, holding Scootaloo closer.
Scootaloo was just able to grab hold of her scooter as Fluttershy dragged her inside.
Fluttershy ran around her home nervously, repeatedly muttering “Oh my.” Scootaloo watched her curiously.
“Um, I can take off this stuff, right?”
“Of course, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said warmly. She turned, frowning as she spotted something else. “Oh no, this won’t do at all,” she said.
Scootaloo took off her helmet and pads, grateful to finally feel the air dry her coat. She sniffed; wearing those pads meant she definitely needed a bath. She looked around. Fluttershy wasn’t there, but she heard some hammering from upstairs.
Another noise, something metallic, caught Scootaloo’s attention. It was close by. Looking around, she found it. Angel stood on an end table, hopping up and down on the metal blade of a saw. The bunny grinned evilly.
“Oh, you think you’re so clever?” Scootaloo said to him. “Well, I can use words, and once I talk to Fluttershy, she’ll calm down. I just know it.”
Scootaloo walked upstairs, looking for Fluttershy. She found her in her bedroom. Fluttershy had erected tall wooden railings around her bed, making it look like an oversized crib.
“There you are, Scootaloo!” Fluttershy said. She grabbed Scootaloo. “Up you go!”
“Fluttershy! What are you doing?”
“Just keeping my precious filly safe.” Fluttershy dropped Scootaloo onto the bed.
“I don’t need you to keep me safe, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said. “I’m not a little filly anymore.”
Fluttershy flew over the railing and embraced Scootaloo. “Your mother will always worry about you.”
“I’ve been shot from a cannon, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy gasped and recoiled.
“I crashed through the branches of a big oak tree while hang gliding,” Scootaloo continued. “I climbed a cliff without a harness. Slipped from a zip line, with no net to catch me. Swam to the bottom of a monster-infested lake. And every time I ride my scooter, I turn any angled surface into a ramp, and then I either try to beat my personal record of staying airborne, or try a new stunt.”
Fluttershy stared at Scootaloo, shocked. “No! I’m never letting you put yourself at risk again!” She reached out to hold Scootaloo, but the filly backed away.
“I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I like risks. I enjoy pushing myself. You’re asking me to stop being me. And I can’t live with a pony who’d do that to me.”
Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy. She couldn’t bear to see the sad expression on her face, and her eyes started to water. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. You’ll be a good mother some day, but I can’t be your filly.”
“Okay, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said quietly. “But... can I have one last hug, as mother and daughter?”
“Yeah.”
Fluttershy didn’t want to let go, but eventually she did. She helped Scootaloo pack her belongings and carry them downstairs.
Scootaloo spotted Angel lying on the couch. A smug look was on his face. Scootaloo shrugged; the rabbit had won. He’d be back to having all of Fluttershy’s attention.
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said.
“Yes?”
“I know that since I’ve been here, you haven’t given Angel as much attention as you normally do.”
“I know. I’ll make it up to him,” Fluttershy said.
“And I think he really needs the attention,” Scootaloo said. “In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen Angel playing with your tools. That’s very dangerous. He could hurt himself!”
Fluttershy gasped and flew over to Angel, clutching him in her forelegs. “Don’t worry, Angel. Mother will never let you come to harm. I’ll make sure your basket is nice and safe.
Angel stared at Fluttershy in shock, and then tried to squirm out of her grip. But Fluttershy wouldn’t let go.
Scootaloo smiled. There were some fates worse than rabbit stew.
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Oh wow... Scootaloo you wonderful, EVIL little filly...
6883638 Angel Bunny totally deserved it.
that 'Stella' bat pony im seeing more often? cause that be neet
How Scoot got her revenge on Angel was perfect.
Background pony and crossover? Hmm...so she doesn't go to Pinkie Pie next?
With it being 'everyones', I'm guessing Derpy, which includes Time Turner. Not the crossover we expect, so no Tardis...hmm...
I kind of what to see Scootaloo decide that there's something to be said for being wealthy and gets adopted by the Rich family. Then she very quickly learns that no amount of money is worth having to live with Diamond Tiara.
Alternate ending: Scootaloo decides to stay so Diamond Tiara, in disgust, asks Twilight to find her a new family.
So, this is North done with ponies?
Keep telling yourself that, Scoots. For one thing, you didn't factor in Daddy Discord...
As an aside, while Fluttershy is super adorable and if I met her I'd cuddle her forever, I can't imagine living in her cottage. Just imagine the smell. Yikes.
I call BS on Fluttershy's cottage not having a serious animal stench problem, but maybe she has some kind of magic touch when it comes to keeping the smell down. Or burns a lot of vanilla. (That's not a criticism of the story, that's just me being nitpicky. Because I know how much stench ONE small animal can create.)
This, on the other hand, is C&C on the story: The CMC never attempted to get cutie marks for that. That was just Sweetie Belle getting carried away because she didn't want to go to sleep.
Oh, Discord.
Wouldn't be a Scootaloo fic without chickens getting involved somehow.
The timing of this is interesting, because for the past week I've been working on a story that explores Fluttershy's life beyond animal caretaker in more detail. (It's kind of like "Feeling Pinkie Keen" but with Pinkie Pie as Twilight and Fluttershy as Pinkie Pie.)
had done
D'aww.
D'uh-oh.
Yeah, telling an overprotective panic-prone worrywart THAT kind of stuff is a GREAT idea. Say goodbye to ever leaving the house!
Didn't we already do Applejack?
6883846 Remember when I said you know how this is going to end? There's that movie, plus every other story where two people who look similar decide to live the other's life.
However, given how bad that movie was, I hope I can write a more enjoyable story.
6884140
One of the benefits of living in the magical land of Equestria. Animals are smarter, and don't smell as bad.
I recognize that. Chalk it up to after-the-fact analysis. Even if they didn't say they were going for their cutie mark that night, when they later talk about things to do to get their cutie mark, "performing a rocking version of a lullaby" is something they've already tried, and failed.
Well, it's a good way to ensure the future breakup.
The way I see it, Fluttershy needs to start with an infant. She can worry and fuss all she wants, and then she has years for the foal to develop, including taking her own chances. All the while, Fluttershy can slowly grow used to the foal's growing independence.
6883829 You want to see Scootaloo and Filthy Rich? Here you go.
A future chapter will see Scootaloo quickly rejecting a bunch of matches with obvious bad fits, and Filthy Rich is definitely on that list. Although I do like the idea of him upgrading to a better daughter. (He also needs to upgrade to a better wife. Call her Ivanka or something.)
6884290
Heh! Okay, I'll buy that.
6884272 I'd have modeled more in the theme of the very first ORIGINAL "Parent Trap" if pure comedy is what you're after.
Or even before that, "The Prince and the Pauper" if you desired a more thoughtful and sociological analysis.
(Hollywood is out of original ideas... except when they think of one that's utterly abysmal and fails at internal logic in every conceivable manner.)
6884657 Applejack is disliked because of SOCIALISM brainwashing people into thinking that working hard is BAD and they should instead act like CHERNGELERNGS and suck the life out of those who have any!
6884971
It's like (movie name), but with PONIES!
The main plot of Parent Trap (reuniting divorced parents) doesn't work for the family I made for Scootaloo in Scootaloo's Family, but it could easily be redone with ponies. Scootaloo and Archer realize they look so similar! All they need is a potion from Zecora....
6885016 Speaking of movies, I'm worried that "Zootopia" is going to try to mash political correctness, bad puns, classic movie farces, and a cliché buddy comedy with a bizarre plot about predators going feral... despite the millions of years of additional evolution they've all undergone to achieve human-level intelligence... (watches newest trailer) .... gehhhhhhhh...
As with "The Good Dinosaur", it seems the concept is not going to be properly thought out, the world is going to look like a complete joke, which will contrast horribly in tone with the plot and 'serious' scenes, and awkwardly transplant in a 'message' based in human society which ill-fits the circumstance as it would otherwise natural develop.
It's a world with hundreds of intelligent species with radically different physical requirements... to assume that such a society based on Earth animals retaining their individual habits while trying to live together in a modern society would EVER exist in even a mirage of stability proves how shallow the thinking was that went into this.
If they wish to use the 'natural enemies learn to work together' theme, then cut down the number of species! Having more than a handful INVITES conflict as the most plausible outcome, and even modestly intelligence children can figure this out. (Some have pointed out to me that lions and wolves have to eat meat, so what are they eating all the time in the movie? And I doubt this will be handled thoughtfully in the story.)
This would have worked as a zany comedy with a very simple story, OR as a carefully constructed social commentary in the themes of "Animal Farm" or "The Island of Doctor Moreau" wherein the animals feign 'humanity' but are either incapable of keeping their bestial instincts at bay, or discover as humans did that they have only traded an instinctive form of savagery for savagery carefully constructed and deliberate in vicious intent. This movie appears to try to meld at least 4 different and contradictory tones and themes, resulting in a hodgepodge of intrinsically antithetical genres that looks very sloppy indeed.
As I noted (only half-jokingly) to some furry fans, the only good thing that may come out of the movie is the fandom pr0n.
(Or, as Walt Disney himself put it, "Animation is serious business." At least if you want to do really well with it. Hayao Miazaki understood this, hence his spectacular array of films.)
6884272 The plot for North was pretty bad, but there were actually bits that I liked - most of the characters are fun and Bruce Willis is actually pretty enjoyable throughout. Sadly, Elijah Wood just isn't any good in that role. Normally I like him, but the writing for his character and the acting were so dull.
So, other than the plot and the main character, I like it. ;-)
You know, you'd think Scootaloo would've learned not to tempt fate by now.
I'm honestly a little disappointed that we won't get to see Discord try to be a parent... though I doubt he'd even want the role. Children are entertaining sources of chaos, but actually having to perform the upkeep on one? No, that wouldn't end well for any of the parties involved. Especially if Discord decided to make Scootaloo self-sufficient by filling her full of chaos magic.
"There. Snap your fingers and you can take care of your own needs."
"I don't have fingers."
"Give the mutations a few minutes to set in."
I really like how the town helps Fluttershy. It's nice to see Ponyville acting like the friendly community it is.
Angel probably did Scootaloo a favor. Fluttershy's overprotective streak was going to show itself sooner or later. Better that it do so before Scootaloo decided to stick with her.
Very definitely looking forward to the next chapter.
I really loved this chapter, but it also made me feel really sad at the end. I feel like all the other ponies that took Scootaloo in were kind of assuming it would be temporary, maybe because Twilight told them it was an elaborate Friendship Lesson kind of thing, as Princesses are wont to do. But not Fluttershy, it felt like she really wanted, from the bottom of her heart, for Scootaloo to stay with her as her daughter forever. Now I feel like this will probably end with Scootaloo going back to her original family, while Fluttershy remains a lonely childless spinster, forever sweeping up animal dung by herself in her cottage.
6884298 I've seen hilarious fics where Diamond Tiara adopts Scootaloo herself, so why not one where Filthy Rich replaces Spoiled with a much younger trophy wife, and Scootaloo gets a family that way? Only problem is I can't figure out how that would not be incredibly creepy.
6885054 Zootopia is just building on a long Disney tradition of teaching kids that hunting and predators in general are intrinsically bad, and herbivores are intrinsically better. I feel like ol' Walt is 80% to blame for the rise of PETA.
6888562 Fluttershy and Discord will get married and have lots of freaky mutant babies.
6888605 Here's hoping!
6888719 But Discord will be the mother.
6889114 "Um, Discord, why is there an empty potion vial labeled R63 on the counter?"
OH, COME ON!!!
7032944 Even a daredevil like Scootaloo has her limits.