The space heater proved to be an imperfect solution. It buzzed loudly after half an hour of use and was too hot to sleep directly in front of. Scootaloo let it run until the cellar was reasonably warm, then turned it off when she wanted to sleep. She still woke up colder then she would have liked, but her night was infinitely more bearable.
A bigger problem was the burns on her left front hoof. Yesterday they’d been ugly and red, but only a little achy; now they were throbbing, swollen, white with pus, and surrounded by deep crimson. She gingerly touched one and searing pain shot up her foreleg.
First aid kits were a luxury, but visiting the hospital was not an option. Scootaloo tied a bandana around her hoof and grunted as she pulled it tight. If the infection didn’t heal on its own, it would at least stay manageable until she could figure out a better solution. With a little balancing she found she could still ride her scooter reasonably well, as long as she avoided any sharp turns.
Sometimes she would meet Applebloom on the way to school and sometimes she wouldn’t. Today, their paths crossed. “Heya Scoots,” Apple Bloom said with a wave. “Applejack said you came by the other day. Sorry I couldn’t come out to play.”
“It’s OK.”
“What happened to your hoof?”
It was a perfectly innocent question, and Scootaloo hated it. She hated it because it meant lying to her friend. She hated it because it reminded her that she didn’t injure herself like other fillies her age. She hated it because if Apple Bloom hurt herself she had a family who would tend to her. “Scooter accident.”
“Figures. You alright?”
“Yeah, its no big deal.” Another lie.
“Well c’mon, we don’t wanna be late.”
Scootaloo was able to make it through the school day and her nightly foraging but the extra effort left her exhausted. On top of everything else, she had to return Sturdy Craft’s soldering iron, and the same lie about her burns wouldn’t work on him. He was kind enough to give her some zinc cream, at least. Still, by the end of the day, she was tired enough that instead of waiting for her new space heater to finish its job, she just turned it on the lowest setting and collapsed on her cardboard bed.
Twilight adjusted her telescope and marked her notebook. “Thanks for staying up with me, Owlowiscious.” She giggled. “Well I guess you’re up anyway, but I really appreciate you keeping me company while I chart these constellations.”
“Hoo.”
“And you’re a great conversationalist too!” Twilight giggled again.
Owlowiscious flapped his wings wildly and jerked his head away from the sky and toward Ponyville. “Hoo!”
Turning her head Twilight heard the flashing sirens of Ponyville’s fire brigade. There wasn’t any smoke, as far as she could see, and no orange glow indicating a fire. Nevertheless, she decided to see if she could be of any help.
Strictly speaking, Twilight didn’t have any authority over Ponyville’s municipal services. She could, if she wanted, petition Mayor Mare to issue an executive order. Failing that, she could create an independent advisory board which would be granted provisional authority in accordance with their charter, pending an approval by the judicial council. But even then she had no actual clearance to be on site at an active fire scene.
But in practice Twilight was a princess and so as soon as she arrived at Quills and Sofas the fire captain galloped over and snapped a sharp salute. If he was confused why a sovereign felt the need to check on what was apparently a routine call he didn’t show it. “Princess Twilight,” he said with a bow. “Thank you for coming, but it appears this is a milk run.”
Twilight awkwardly acknowledged the bow, still not completely comfortable with the trappings of power. “What happened here?”
“No big deal really. Carbon monoxide alarm in the basement went off. Normally not our problem unless we get a call, but it’s the middle of the night in the business district so we’ve got to come check it out.”
“Is anypony hurt?”
“No. Basement’s empty, come look,” the captain said, leading Twilight down the stairs.
At first glance it looked like any other basement she might expect to see, crammed with clutter and bric-a-brac. But there was a pillow and a crumpled up pile of blankets tucked off to the side, and out of the corner of her eye, Twilight spotted the same hat and scarf she’d given Scootaloo. “Did you see anypony on your way here?”
“Well, we weren’t really looking, but no. Streets are usually quiet this late anyway.”
Before Twilight could ask another question, Davenport came rushing down the stairs. “What’s going on here?”
“Looks like your heater malfunctioned, sir. Set off the carbon monoxide alarm,” the captain answered.
“What heater? I haven’t been down here in months.”
“This isn’t yours?” The captain held up the space heater that had inadvertently summoned them all.
“No, and I don't know what the rest of this stuff is doing in my basement either.”
While Davenport and Captain Sunspot settled the particulars, Twilight excused herself to look around. She picked up an the orange feather from near the makeshift bed and examined it.
Twilight was capable of infusing her spells with shocking amounts of energy, but what truly made her a skilled magician was her understanding, bolstered by years of study, of exactly how different spells worked. Presently she was thinking of a repair spell, though healing magic followed similar rules. As long as the break was recent, pieces that once belonged to a single whole could be put back together. At the core of the spell was the principle that the pieces wanted to fit together, that they had a relationship with the other pieces. When she cast a spell she had a relationship with all the pieces as well. So a repair spell was simply a matter of helping the pieces do what they wanted. Like Princess Celestia always said, “friendship is magic.”
Twilight reached out to the orange feather and felt it hum. It wanted to be part of a wing again. Most unicorns would have been incapable of linking a single feather to a wing more that a few feet away, but Twilight wasn’t most unicorns. She set her jaw and began pumping energy into the spell. Go. The feather shot off and Twilight galloped after it.
Scootaloo woke up to a blaring siren and a splitting headache. She didn’t know what the alarm was for, and ultimately didn’t care. It was clearly coming from inside the building, and that meant ponies would be coming soon. She grabbed her scooter, her saddlebag, and her jar-slash-piggy bank and scooted away as fast as she possibly could.
She found herself at the caves outside of town—a place she’d slept before she found her cellar. She forgot how dank they could get. Alone in the dark she slumped against the cave wall, all her hard work erased. The space heater, her scavenged materials, the roof over her head, even Sturdy’s ointment were all gone now. Frustration bubbled over and she started pounding the ground with her one good hoof. Why. Can’t. Anything! Ever! Be! Fair! She wasn't asking for much, just a little piece of mind. Everypony else got some assurance that things would be OK from day to day, why not her? She slammed both hooves into the ground, trying to ignore the fresh jolt of pain. Harsh reality asserted itself. Back to square one.
Scootaloo didn’t even feel the feather slide back among its fellows; she did however notice that all of a sudden she wasn’t alone.
“Hello Scootaloo.”
Why. Is. This. Story. So. Good!
But in all seriousness, I get very excited now when I see a new chapter show up in my feed. Thanks for the great story so far.
Tell the editors they do an awesome job. Also poor Scotoloo, she needs to get the leg check.
She is lucky to wake up at all CM emissions can be dangerous, especially when they come from a hazardly repaired heater that wasn't working quite well to begin with. My only reccomendation would be to expand a little the last paragraphs regarding Scoot's escape from the basement and arrival to the caves, its not necessary but it would still frame better Twilight's surprising arrival.
no you dont get to cliffhanger me like that come on
YAY!!! Twilight finally has put it together!
On a more technical note, your writing has clearly improved since Three Gems... Dunno how to describe it, but the style just seems more varied. Three Gems always had a laconic/melancholic tone to it, but this seems a little more visceral, which is good :D
Well the jig is up Scootaloo. I wonder how she will handle her secret getting out?
Many Yes
Don't know what to put here, so have an M4A1 76 (W)
cdn-live.warthunder.com/uploads/73/0a/b1/2e7ed3966bc6d10684000d20b062acbe29/shot%202017.03.10%2017.03.56.jpg
That cliffhanger!!
8070911 uh yeah that's probably my editor smoothing out my prose
Yes! The confrontation looms!
I'm happy with the pace of the story so far, so we can have the confrontation so soon.
And here's the slip up that I was waiting for. Now Scootaloo must come clean with Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Really good, i loved the part about the dank caves.
"She forgot how dank they could get."
8070954 Editors are great aren't they XD
8071009 yep, I don't know how people write without them
Check and mate, Scootaloo. Now, it's time for some long due explanations. And to find a family.
'She wasn't asking for much, just a little piece of mind" Do you mean peace of mind? Anyhoo, as always good work, will continue to follow.
This will definitely be interesting.
"Your so busted! You left my hat and scarf behind!"
8070901 We tried. And yes, Scootaloo is lucky that Davenport's alarm has a hair trigger and a caterwauling siren, isn't she?
8071153 You're absolutely right and I feel bad for not catching it.
Loving this story more with every chapter.
Good to hear you found some editors, it definitely shows. Cliffhangers are one of the greatest forms of
being a dickprose.I've said before, it's not too different from other scootadopt stories on this sight. But you do it very well, especially for someone who enjoys scootadopt. I've only ever read one Twilight scootadopt before, so it's a welcome change. Keep up the good work, and I'm looking foward to more.
Also, this chapter had 1337 words. LEET!
I'm liking this
Wasn't it an electric heater? Which cannot produce carbon monoxide.
8071375 ouch, kinda a backhanded compliment there buddy
8071495 it produces carbon monoxide because
I needed a plot devicemagic8070901 yeah i thought about expanding that more, but Scootaloo running through the streets of Ponyville just didn't feel that interesting.
I love how you worked scootaloos being an orphan and being found out. Quite refreshing.
Uh... Isn't the things that you can burn on hooves kinda supposed to be inside the hoof? I'm pretty sure that hoof external shell consist of a thick layer of keratin. Or she burn hoof frog?
8071895
Given that ponies are able to manipulate objects it seems reasonable to assume some kind of fleshyhoofthey are magic burns8071936
I was always assumed that they use some sort of tactile telekinesis for this...Okay.This fic continues to be great, and I look forward to more.
I could see a frog burn, or one to just near the hoof.
8071948 Do remember we're seeing things from Scootaloo's perspective there, and no matter how worldly her self-image is, she's not a farrier and neither knows nor cares about the finer points of equine anatomy.
Not those finer points!
Anyway, were it Twilight speaking, she might not use "hoof" carelessly to mean "everything below the knee." But it's not.
8071966
Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing anything. I was suggesting how what was written made sense.
I'm glad for the quick updates, some put up stories and get interesting, -.- then stop writing. Hope to see more soon, by the way, I hope this one goes beyond her just being taken in. Not asking for a whole life novel, just day to day life with her being a 'daughter of a princess' so kinda royalty . You know if this will be canon new Diamond Tiara or bully Diamond Tiara? Just curious.
8072175 I'm not sure, i haven't even committed to DT being in this story so we'll have to see.
She's lucky she could move about infections sap the body's energy more then anything
Omg, poor 'Loo. I'm glad she got out of that extremely dangerous situation she accidentally created. Still, the little dear is going to be so upset that Twilight learned the truth. It wouldn't surprise me if she resists Twilight's efforts to help, at least at first. I bet it'll be adorable watching her warm up to Twi.
I don't really write Scootadopt (I'm more partial to writing stories about OC's because I feel like it gives me more freedom to take a story any direction at any time without worrying about the personality/mentality of a character someone else made), but I do have quite a soft spot for the filly. I find her to be far more adorable than I would say to her face if I could meet her, lol. Anyways, the point of that was that I am excited to see how Twi handles the problem of 'Loo being homeless, as well as how Scootaloo adapts to living with somepony, under a roof, with regular meals, etc.
another excellent chapter! Oh my goodness, i cant wait for the next chapter...darn cliffhangers!
Everyone in this story is subject to different situations and interactions that would obviously not take place in the show, but the way you write it seems so true to their characters!
Ready for drama~
I must say that this is turning out to be a pretty interesting story thus far. I like how you took your time establishing the background before introducing Twilight. One question, though. We see Scootaloo's room in Flight to the Finish. So, is this AU? Or did she escape from a foster home/orphanage? Or will that be explained later on?
Dreadnought
This is easily one of my favourite orphan-scootaloo stories I've read, and it's because of the pragmatism that Scootaloo follows. Very few authors go into the situation and requirements that come from homelessness, often just using it as a plot device, and I love how you've gone far more in-depth. Being homeless means kids need to grow up far faster than you would otherwise, and seeing that in Scootaloo is a serious breath of fresh air. I'm interested in how Twilight's going to deal with Scootaloo's situation now that she's properly aware of it - I imagine her quirks are going to throw a wrench in somehow.
8072795 its not really an AU,those require major changes. If you really need to reconcile this with the show, Flight to the finish still happended they just caught up with Scootaloo at the park
Oooooooh snap this gonna be good
8072965
Okay. Well, I've really enjoyed the story thus far. Keep up the good work!
Dreadnought
Electric space heaters don't put out carbon monoxide. They work via electrical resistance, which heats wires and ceramic plates. Only things that burn fuel put out CO.
Got that murder vibe from the last line.
Please don't disappoint
8075644 ha! now all i can think of is Twilight realizing that this is the perfect oppurtinity to murder Scootaloo.... this story just got dark
8073441 again....magic
Ah, Mr. Cliffhanger. My arch nemesis. We meet again under the most unusual of circumstances
Jokes aside, I love this story so far. Keep up the great work!