Now What?
“The secret to a good hayburger is to make a little dent in the patty so it doesn’t get too thick in the middle,” Spike said, demonstrating with a single clawed finger.
Scootaloo looked down at her unwieldy hoof and picked up a spoon with her mouth, using the narrow end to mimic Spike’s technique. “Like this?” she said, the words decidedly muffled. .
Spiked nodded his approval. “Awesome, Scoots, we’ll make a chef out of you yet.”
“Yeah? Maybe I should take Olive up on those cooking lessons she’s always offering.” Scootaloo chuckled.
“You know Olive?” Spike asked taking the tray of burgers over to the griddle. “She let me stage for a few weeks while I was studying Itallenighen food.”
“Sometimes I wash dishes for her, we must have missed each other,” Scootaloo replied. Spike already knew she was an orphan, adding one more sad detail from her life didn’t seem to matter.
“Cool,” Spike said with a nonchalant shrug. “Well if you do decide to take her up on it you should know that she definitely doesn’t like putting carrots in her marinara sauce.
Before Scootaloo could ask why that was important Twilight walked in. “That smells great,” she said over the sizzle. She felt Scootaloo’s eyes on her but resolved to do her best to act like everything was perfectly normal. “Since you two are making dinner, it’s only fair that I set the table.” Scootaloo didn’t react, but Spike let out a brief. “Sweet,” before turning his attention toward which of the patties needed to be flipped. Twilight levitated three place settings from the cabinet and quickly sauntered off to the dining room, dishware trailing behind her in a purple cloud.
“C’mon Scoots, I’ll teach you the secret to making hay fries.” Spike called out before Scootaloo could guess further about Twilight’s motivations.
Dinner was uneventful, but Scootaloo did seem to enjoy Spikes cooking which then led to the pair arguing about how much food filli-second needed to eat to keep her energy up. Truthfully there were a million questions Twilight wanted to ask, but the conversation was so light and airy, that it felt wrong to break it up.
But dinner ended, Spike and Scootaloo retreated to their respective rooms and Twilight was forced to confront the fact she wasn’t any closer to resolving Scootaloo’s living situation then she had been at the beginning of the day. Not only that but Scootaloo deserved a complete and honest accounting. Her resolve not to follow the trope of catering to prospective adopting ponies, she decided to approach the problem from the opposite side, letting Scootaloo pick her family. It was almost certainly more difficulty, but maybe if the ponies being adopted had more of a choice they’d feel a sense of investment in their new home.
Twilight went upstairs to find Scootaloo in the middle of the room, her scooter turned over on it’s side as she fiddled with the axles in charge of keeping her wheels aligned.
“That looks interesting, what are you doing?”
Scootaloo glanced up, but only momentarily. “I’m rebalancing my wheels, he was pulling to the left a bit today.”
“He?”
“Well yeah, his name is Scooter and that’s a colts name.”
Twilight smiled, hoping that Scootaloo’s banter meant that she had achieved at least a small measure of trust. “I suppose I can’t argue with that. It’s pretty cool that you can fix your own scooter.”
Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s not like I can afford new parts, kinda had to learn how.”
Twilight waited for Scootaloo to elaborate, hoping to find an avenue to broach the topic of finding Scootaloo a home, but Scootaloo just turned her attention back to her scooter’s left wheel. Unable to think of another approach Twilight fell back to What would I want if I was in her shoes? She’d want ponies to be honest. “I guess I should tell you how my day went.”
Scootaloo looked up from the spinning wheel with the same look that Twilight first saw in the basement. It wasn’t exactly fear, it looked like Scootaloo was rapidly cycling through all the possible permutations of what was coming next and preparing a response for each one, an expression Twilight recognized from the mirror. “Nothing’s changed for the moment,” Twilight said. Scootaloo let out a small breath and unclenched her shoulders, but still studied Twilight with rapt attention. “Well for starters I found out how you were able to stay in Ponyville for so long.”
“Because I was careful,” Scootaloo said her eyes narrowing.
“And lucky,” Twilight gently corrected her. “And now I’m in charge of finding you a permanent home, I’d like it to be one that you approve of. What kind of place would you live?” It wasn’t a fair question, Twilight knew that. But it would hopefully lead to something Twilight could focus on tomorrow.
“I want to stay in Ponyville and umm,” Scootaloo’s voice trailed off. “I still don’t want Rainbow to know about any of this.”
“I remember. I don’t see any reason we have to tell her anything you don’t want to. Anything else?”
Scootaloo was silent for a few moments, turning her gaze to the ceiling. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it, not seriously anyway. I guess it’d be nice not to have to worry about it being cold in the winter”
Twilight fought back an urge to hug the filly in front of her. To want a a home was one thing, but to just assume that one was out of reach so that basic shelter was the only requirement was a whole other level of heart wrenching. “Well don’t worry Scootaloo, if nothing else I can promise that. But it would be helpful if I knew where to start looking.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, have you ever thought about having a brother or sister?”
“Kinda.”
It wasn’t a helpful answer but Twilight pressed onwards. “ Are there any ponies, other than Rainbow Dash, who you admire?”
“Not really, the rest of the Wonderbolts I guess.” Scootaloo said, now fiddling with the wrench in her right hoof.
“Well what do you think you might like to do when you grow up? Maybe I can find a pony who already works in that field.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say okay! I don’t know what I want. I didn’t...I didn’t hate my life before you found me. I mean sure it was a lot of hard work and it got cold sometimes, but it was mine. And I didn’t have to answer to anypony. And I didn’t have to worry what anypony thought. And sure it’d be nice to have a family, but I don’t. And I don’t think just putting me in somepony’s house and saying ‘this is your new family’, is going to make it true!” Scootaloo found herself breathing hard at the end of her diatribe.
I know it’s a lot Scootaloo. And you’re right, you can’t expect to instantly feel at home, no matter where you end up.” Twilight paused for a minute, considering how best to proceed. She reasoned that Scootaloo was still likely to be discombobulated, and so pressuring her further was only going to make her more upset. “You don’t have to say yes to anything. I just want you to know that I won’t do anything you don’t want. Okay?”
Scootaloo nodded and Twilight was forced to wonder if she just made a promise she couldn’t keep.
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If she's been doing well living on her own so far, maybe Twilight should think about going the exact other direction and making her an emancipated minor. Now she might be a bit young for that, but it could be a case where Twilight is her guardian until she's old enough for it to go through. Until then Scoot can live at the palace and do odd jobs with Spike to pay for room and board while also working in town if she wants to. It will give her a place that is safe and warm on her own terms, but also giving her someone to fallback on if something comes up that she needs adult help with. It's not perfect, and it would be hard to come up with a good reason why she's living there to tell other ponies, but it might be the best solution for her.
EDIT: As an aside, the idea of Twilight using part of the castle as a boarding house (or even a hostel) might be a good one. It would keep the place from feeling empty, let her meet and befriend ponies she wouldn't otherwise and be an excuse to get a proper staff.
8927216
That could work, however it would require Scootaloo to let other ponies know about her living situation and I don't think she wants that to happen. I do wonder just what will convince Scootaloo to let those around her who do care about her in on her current situation.
8927225
Well, I don't think it would have to be public knowledge, but Twilight's friends would have to know, RD included, but if the choice comes down to that or being forced into a family she doesn't want to be a part of, she might be willing to eventually take it. Ironically enough, if she would just tell RD she would probably find herself adopted by her parents and end up actually her sister.
8927216
The problem is that 'Emancipated Minors' usually are not teenagers or Pre-teenagers, sure, exist a couple of situations sure, but it's not as easy as 'The Simpsons' put it. And the ones in charge usually don't mind that the kid or teenager want.
Or so I think.
8927355
Well for the US minimum age ranges from 14-16 depending on the state (can't speak to the rest of the world). I always assumed the CMC were around 12 or so, so it could take a couple more years until she's old enough with Twilight acting as her guardian until then. Not a replacement mother or family, just a guardian and let Scoot decided what that means outside of what the law requires.
I'm glad to see more of the story, and I hope you can continue it for a while. :)
Look who’s back. Back again. Scoots is back. Tell your friends.
8927359
I think the age depend of the author, some put her at 8, others at 10, others at 12... So we can't be sure, and we need to think also that Equestria in something is like the modern world yet in others is like the feudal system
Oh an update! Good chapter too!
Interesting take on how Scootaloo didn't really care who she ended up with, or that she really ended up with anyone. Kinda counter to the much more common fics where she dreams of living with Dash or desperately wishes for a family of her own.
On a minor note, why wouldn't Twilight know that Scootaloo can fix her own scooter? Twilight's the one who taught her how to do that during Twilight Time.
I really can’t see this going anywhere except for Scoots staying with Twilight. How this happens would naturally become the focus of the story, and I’m quite interested to see it happen. Of course, there are bushels of little story threads for this slice of life peace: the revelation of Scoots stituation to her friends, the thing with Sturdy, and the ever dreaded tragic miscommunication moment with Twilight.
8927242
I'm half expecting Twilight's parents to move to Ponyville so they can adopt Scoots.
After all, they don't have any more children left at home, but they do have one here.
Also, they have an extremely strong claim to her; it wouldn't be an adoption so much as it would be asserting that they ARE Scoots parents, and she has been a missing child.
8928631
I'll put a pin in that here, I don't like writing Twi's parents so I won't be doing that.
Finally I can read another chapter.
And, well it develops slowly but surely.
The slow pace is really good and I think the interaction between Spike and Scootaloo is very natural after all.
I have only one question:
Why did neither Apple Bloom nor Sweetie Belle know about her homelessness?
Honestly, I think it's past that point. Things can't continue as they are. Ponies will eventually ask questions. Sooner or later, one of them is going to slip.
So glad to see a new chapter. Don't have time to read it tonight, but I'll read it tomorrow. Scout's Honor!
Dreadnought
Hmmm.... Should be interesting to see where thing go from here. Well, I can certainly think of someponies off limits... Chrysalis, Discord, Trixie, Pinkie Pie.
Dreadnought
Finally caught up to this! Gave me a ton of ideas for other stories... mainly Scoot-A-Orphan ones, a sub-genre that I hope never dies...
You have very concise writing, though I wish each chapter had a bit more to them.
8934158
I love me a good scoot adopt
Lies are usually frowned upon Twilight. Least you didn’t Pinkie Promise.
Just adopt her already Twilight.
woot, im late but i like how its going
I re-read your Rarity scootadopt and found this gem. I love your work and can’t wait to see where this goes, no matter how long it takes.
9021748
Glad you like it. I'll do my best to give it a proper conclusion hopefully soon.
Missing a quote at the start there.
I'm really enjoying this story.
Oh! My! Gawds! Why? I've seen some bad puns on Italy. But that? is just painful.
Sorry if that's a bit too harsh. But badly done puns are physically painful to me.
The closes I found to a good ponification that made a bit of sense. Was Bitaly (literally Italy but adding a B.) and Bitalian.
_______________
Needs beginning " marks.
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Poor Scoots. I really feel Twilight on this one.
Itallenighen
This made me unreasonably ANGERY