Chapter Three: An Unfamiliar Place
“When I explain it was my mirror that brought this on, your parents will be ticked at me,” Twilight said, pacing the room back and forth.
Scootaloo walked forward, bringing her attention back onto her. “Uh, wasn’t it my mirror that did it? Well, I mean it wasn’t mine where I’m from, but I still did it. Why wouldn’t sh- she get mad at me?”
“I… I suppose. Let’s just all get this settled. The sooner we get it out of the way, the sooner I can find you a way back home.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were soon sent back home, with Twilight escorting them, once they were home it was time to escort Scootaloo. Now two Scootaloo’s. One was perched on her scooter, while the other Scootaloo was seated in the back of the wagon. Scootaloo looked around nervously, lost deep in her own thoughts.
Will they be different? This is so weird!
They passed Carousel Boutique and into the center of town. A familiar feeling crept into the Scootaloo’s mind as they passed by house after house.
“It’s right here!” The other Scootaloo called back to Twilight, who was busy running after them.
The two stopped in front of a rather large cottage that looked to be a mixture of Fluttershy’s place and Rainbow Dash’s cloud mansion. It was a wooden constructed building on the bottom, but the roof was made from pure clouds. It was a bizarre sight, but one that the residents of Ponyville had grown used to.
Scootaloo got out of the wagon, just as Twilight had caught up with them.
“Finally,” Twilight paused to huff in some air, “we’re here.”
Scootaloo surveyed the place while shaking her head. This is different.
“Hey, Mom! I’m home!” The other Scootaloo called out through the door. The effect was immediate. The door swung open, revealing a rather thin, yet stocky pegasus mare. She too had an orange coat and a similar colored mane and tail to Scootaloo. On each side of her flank was a picture of a few rainbow colored droplets right below a cloud. “Sweetie! I…” She trailed off and looked to Twilight, Princess Twilight, then her eyes shot back to her daughter.
“What did you do?” she said flatly.
That’s not different… The filly thought, again with a small sense of bitterness but swallowed it. For a few moments, she could sense reality essentially tearing apart at their seams, her senses unable to comprehend the impossible sight before her. Her breathing increased steadily until Twilight’s voice brought her back to reality.
Twilight chuckled. “Well, technically she didn’t do anything. Or much. We have a sort of situation and I was wondering if we could all come in and chat?”
The mare was about to lead them inside when she finally noticed the other Scootaloo standing off to the side. Her eyes whizzed back to Twilight in alarm, and Twilight raised her hoof placatingly. “Please don’t panic! There was an accident and… can we just come inside and talk?”
The mare hesitated for a long while, before her eyes relaxed and she nodded. “Okay, but I want an explanation from all of you! That includes you, Scoots.”
The other Scootaloo nodded and ran inside, quickly followed by Twilight. “I must say, you’re taking this a lot more calmly than I would have anticipated.”
Scootaloo hesitated for a long while as a sense of foreboding washed over her. Again, her mind seemed to reject the mare as reality, leaving her feeling sick to her stomach. She was looking at a literal ghost brought back to life and it sickened her.
This can’t be real.
The mare chuckled. “Of all the things my daughter has told me that’s happened with her and you and your friends, I’m sure a few of them had to be truthful.”
“Mom!” The other Scootaloo scowled, blushing slightly.
“Oh relax, I’m just teasing. I’ve seen Twilight lift a giant monster over your head with just magic. Compared to that, this almost seems sane!” she said with a chuckle. She was about to shut the door when she noticed the other one hadn’t moved. “Well c’mon, I won't bite. Uh, your name is Scootaloo, right?”
She nodded and quickly ran inside, breaking her thoughts. “Yeah…”
The door was shut and the few were ushered onto couches that were all crafted from clouds. “Good thing we’ve all got pegasus in us,” she joked.
“Heh, yeah. Um, I don’t know too much about how she came to be,” Twilight said, indicating to Scootaloo. “I just know it has to do with a mirror that I’ve been studying. But I’m afraid we don’t know much about it.”
“A mirror? She popped out of a mirror?” she said in a disbelieving voice.
“I fell into one, I was messing with it and it started glowing. I touched it and fell through onto her,” Scootaloo said while pointing to the first Scootaloo.
The mare sighed. “Maybe you better start from the beginning-- oh! Where are my manners? My name is Pale Cloud.”
Twilight smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Your daughter is very special, quite adept at learning--”
“And getting into trouble.”
Both fillies huffed, but Scootaloo stopped herself and looked away. That was weird… she thought.
The mare’s chuckled before Pale cleared her throat. “Right. Start at the beginning, girls.”
Both fillies recounted what they knew, Scootaloo doing her best to recount all the lies she had told to everypony. Pale understood their story, eventually, but wasn’t happy about it. Twilight finished for them. “And so you see, we need a place for, er, Scootaloo to stay while I try and find her a way home. Will you take care of her while I try and fix this?”
The mom grunted but nodded. “I suppose. She is my daughter, well, sort of.” Scootaloo looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, then quickly looked away; her bitterness was obvious. “Uh, I don’t mean anything by it, Sweetie. Plus if what Twilight says is true, then you have your own mom and dad out there, somewhere.”
The filly winced but said nothing. Biting her tongue quite literally wasn’t nearly as painful as hearing that come from her own mother’s voice. Again, the sickening feeling crept in as the world around her seemed to turn a touch shade darker. Without thinking she began to rub her back into the cloud cushion left and right, trying to make the irritations to go away.
“However, I’ll care for you like you were my own; I promise,” she finished with a smile. The other Scoots smiled at her mom and bumped her elbow into Scootaloo who gave a shy yet fake smile and a nod in return.
“Thanks…” She said quietly, then trailed off. Say it, she thought, but didn’t move a muscle.
“Sure. So, is there anything else? I kind of wanted to get dinner started. You’re welcome to say if you’d like?” she said, gesturing to Twilight.
“I better not. Spike gets pretty peeved if I’m not home by dark, but thank you.” She then leaned down to Scootaloo and spoke quietly. “You sure you’ll be okay? You’ve been awfully quiet since the Crusaders left.”
She quickly nodded. “Yeah, just getting used to this, uh, house! It’s different.”
“Oh! I guess I hadn’t thought of that! Is anything else different?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Yeah, you’re not a princess, uh, where I’m from. And that tree library is still there.” Sort of…
Twilight nodded, suddenly looking sad. “I… see.”
Scootaloo looked to Twilight and recognized something in her now somber appearance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to remind you…” she said apologetically.
She probably used to live there or something. Good going, Scoots’.
Twilight shook herself and smiled as brightly as possible. “It’s alright. Any information at all can help me, uh, find where you live. It will help narrow down a search. Well, possibly.” She then stood up and dusted herself off. “Well, I’ll let you get used to her. If you need anything, just come see me, okay?”
Scootaloo hesitated, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. So, she nodded meekly. Twilight started to canter away and heard the three walk away into the kitchen. She cast a nervous glance back at the filly then quickly darted off. She had work to do.
Pale marched up and down the couch around the two fillies. “Alright, since you both look and sound alike, we’ll need some way to tell you two apart. Scootaloo, do you have anything you can think of? Maybe the cape from your little club?”
The Crusader Scootaloo groaned. “I’ve told her a million times, it’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Pale patiently nodded. “Well, I’ll be right back, hang on.”
With the two alone, Pale leaned into Scootaloo, speaking rather softly. “Are you sure you’re alright? You look a bit pale, which is saying something for our coat colors,” she said, chuckling a bit.
Scootaloo blanched but quickly corrected herself.
“Oh, yeah. I guess I’m just tired. I’ll be good by tomorrow. Heh, I hope Mom isn’t too upset,” she said quietly.
The ever foreboding feelings continued to ebb into her consciousness. Even saying such a little white lie was enough to unnerve her. Despite Scootaloo’s best efforts, she really couldn’t help but grimace and slump into her seat.
She nodded and started to back away to the kitchen. “If she’s anything like me or she is me, then, yes, she’ll be pretty upset,” she stated flatly.
I wouldn’t count on it.
“By the way, you can hang your saddlebag over there,” she said while pointing to a coat rack near the door. “You haven’t taken the thing off since you got here, silly!”
Scootaloo glanced at her Phoenix bag and slowly nodded. While she didn’t want anypony to know what was inside, she knew to raise suspicions was the last thing she should do so she quickly hung it up rather carefully then came back.
“Found it!” The other Scootaloo had come back with a blue-tinted scarf, similar in style and fashion to her club’s capes. “Sweetie Belle made it for us, it was supposed to match our capes. But I never wear it. Here, try it on!”
She tossed it to her double and she wrapped it around her neck. “Uh, does it look fine?”
The other Scootaloo scoffed and waved her hoof. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Hmm, what should we call you anyway?” Scootaloo said out loud.
“What? I’m Scootaloo…” she protested irritably.
“Yeah? So am I! I don’t know about you, but I’d get tired of saying ‘what?’ each time my name is called and it’s not for you,” she stated smugly.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Fine, I guess. You want me to name myself?”
Pale Cloud had come back in, balancing two glasses of water on her back. “Here you two go. How about Double Scoots?” she offered while offering them each a glass of water.
The double looked at her funny and shrugged. “Why that?”
“Cause you’re her double, it makes sense to me. Or maybe DS for short? C’mon, nicknames are cool,” she said in a tone that moms often used to try and trick their child into something.
Both fillies glanced at each other and blinked before announcing in unison, “Nah!”
Pale scoffed and looked away while Scootaloo wondered to herself about different names. All she’d been for the last several years of her life was a soldier. Sure, she wasn’t always the best at what she did, but it was all she could think of.
Wait, I think I know…
“What about Phoenix?” Scootaloo suggested.
The other Scoots shrugged at the name, but Pale’s eyes brightened considerably. “I think that sounds lovely, Phoenix,” she said with a wink.
Phoenix nodded with a slight smile. “Uh, cool. Now what?”
The mare sat on the couch between them and sighed. “Now, we wait for your father to get home. He’ll have had dinner by now and I ate something. You both want mac and cheese?”
“Sure!” Phoenix said, immediately. Hesitantly she reached out just to touch her, so she could feel Pale’s coat on her hoof.
She feels real…
Scootaloo, however, was less enthusiastic. “I guess. Don’t we have any more of those hayburgers?” she said, her mouth practically watering.
“We don’t, it’s noodles and cheese or nothing,” she said, again in that flat tone.
“Fine.”
Phoenix glanced over at Scoots’ at her as if she had grown a second head, but figured it wasn’t worth making a fuss about.
“Great, easy dinner for mom.” She stood up and walked out, leaving them alone again.
Scootaloo’s somber attitude left her almost immediately. She hopped off the couch and motioned for her double to follow. “C’mon to m- err, our room,” she corrected. “It’s not every day I get to play with myself!”
Phoenix followed her upstairs, chuckling along with her. “Uh, good point, I guess.”
“Hmm… let’s draw!”
The newly dubbed Phoenix watched Scootaloo break out crayons, markers, pencils, and sketch paper. Without warning, Scootaloo dove in and began hastily drawing out something, not even bothering to invite Phoenix to play. It wasn’t needed, she simply assumed that Phoenix did things like coloring all the time.
Hesitantly, Phoenix got down on the floor with her counterpart and took a blank sheet of paper. A very old and vague memory of doing this before surfaced, but it felt very alien to her. LIke she was suddenly visiting an old friend. Eventually, she did get a bit into the spirit of things, opting to draw over thinking about all of her problems. They doodled, sketched, giggled, and played some. Phoenix hadn’t remembered the last time she had done any fun activities. Like a switch, the dark feelings from earlier had simply lifted.
Scootaloo held up a hastily scrawled-out picture of Rainbow Dash. She had it in front of her face and began to talk quickly, and she couldn’t help but squirm with excitement as she spoke. “I’m Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in Equestria! You’re no match for me, Shadowbolt!” she roared, nearly tossing the picture into Phoenix’s face. Then she reared back with it sheepishly.
Phoenix held up a different drawing, although it looked quite similar to Scootaloo’s. It depicted Rainbow Dash, only instead of the happy smirk and bright colors, she had on a scowl and was wearing a dark outfit. “Uh F- Fool! I am the awesomer and more amazing Shadow Dash! I am an elite member of the Shadow Bolts and you don’t stand a chance against me, weakling!” Phoenix shrieked in terror and mimicking the actual Shadow Bolts. She felt silly for downgrading a serious threat, one she had encountered first-hoof no less to a mere plaything, but she didn’t care. Fun was fun.
Scootaloo paused, blinking in surprise. “Wow, good villain voice.” She then struck a pose, pointing at Phoenix while discarding the paper. “But you will never stop the Element of Loyalty! Strike me with all your shadow powers, I can take them!” She then charged forward, her head hanging low, ready to strike. Phoenix raised her head and flared her wings out, discarding her picture as well. The filly’s head shoved into Phoenix and began to shove her playfully backward. Phoenix smirked and shoved her body forward, ready to strike up another villainy one-liner. However, Scootaloo was shoved so far backward that her body tumbled over and soon she was flat on her back. “Ow!” Scootaloo wailed and clenched her teeth in pain. “Ow, ow, ow.”
The playing stopped and Phoenix looked on in concern. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
Scootaloo turned over to her side then nodded. “Yeah, maybe not shove me so hard? Okay?”
Phoenix nodded, but both ears perked up upon hearing a mare’s voice. “Are you two playing alright? I heard some loud banging!”
Scootaloo called down before her counterpart could even blink. “Yep! We’re fine, mom!”
“Good, dinner’s ready. Come on down!” she yelled back and Phoenix shot out of the room and ran downstairs.
As she jumped down the stairs, Scootaloo caught sight of the muscle rippling underneath of Phoenix's fur. She looked down to her own and saw, while they weren’t exactly underdeveloped, they could sure use some building up. She shook her head of those thoughts then marched downstairs for dinner.
“I bet more muscle would just weigh me down,” she muttered, trying to console herself.
Scootaloo soon joined Phoenix who remained silent with a calm smile on her face. One of the fillies laid her head on the table and moaned. “Is it ready yet?” she said impatiently while looking up to her mother. She was leaning on the counter and using her mouth to stir a wooden spoon inside of a cooking pot.
The mare leaned back and snapped at her daughter. “No laying on the table, Scoots. And yes, it is.”
Scootaloo groaned again and sat back up. The sight of two bowls of cheesy noodles flipped her mood back into high spirits. She dug in without even saying a word.
Phoenix saw the bowl then smiled. “Thanks, mo- uh, I mean… I...”
Stupid! She’s not your mom! Phoenix clenched her teeth and bit her tongue ever slightly. She would do anything to stay close to her, even if she knew, deep down, she wasn’t her mother.
“I suppose you can just call me ‘mom’ as well. Makes things easier on ya. And you’re welcome. Now dig in before Scoots devours it all,” she joked.
“Ve-ry f’nny,” Scootaloo replied, her face stuffed with noodles.
“Uh, right.” While she ate, Phoenix couldn’t help but feel quite distant from the other two ponies. It wasn’t so much that the mare in front of her said to just use ‘mom’; it was how casual she had done it. Something about it bothered her deep down, so she remained quiet and ate. Part way through her dish, her emotions began to get the better of her. The bitterness of the whole thing mixed with the amazing flavors from such a rare delicacy had her at her breaking point. She bit her tongue and was quick to wipe any tears away before anypony noticed. Itchy wings returned and each time she rubbed them, she could swear she was ruining her bandage.
“I should probably walk you both to school tomorrow. I’ll have to explain this… situation to your teacher,” Pale muttered, mostly to herself.
To school…? Uh… Phoenix thought, her mind slowly shutting down from the stress of it all. She hadn’t gone to school in ages!
Scootaloo took on a sly smile. “Or… you could just send one of us.”
Her mom looked at her as if she had grown a second head. “Come again?”
Scootaloo nodded over to her counterpart. “It might freak out Miss Cheerilee if two of me shows up, don’t ya think?” she said and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
Her mom chuckled. “Cute, but no. You both will be going, I’ll just explain things. You’re not missing school, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo scowled and crossed her forelegs. “Rats.”
Phoenix looked at her bewildered; her bothersome thoughts now a million miles away. “You were gonna use me to get out of school?! That’s low.”
When dinner was finished the two fillies were ushered upstairs. “Go get ready for bed, if you’re lucky your father will be home before you’re sleeping. Phoenix, there should be a spare unused toothbrush in her bathroom. I doubt you had one on ya when you… fell through.”
Phoenix nodded and quickly found it. Wanting to spite Scootaloo just a little bit, she locked herself in the bathroom first, but not before sticking her tongue out and slamming the door.
“I said I was sorry!” Scootaloo called out then pouted. “Stupid school…” she muttered to herself.
It didn’t take the two long to clean up and brush their manes and tails. They re-entered Scootaloo’s room and found Pale laying out a sleeping bag along with a pillow. “I hope you don’t mind, we don’t have any spare beds. You could also sleep on the sofa downstairs, it might be comfier than the wood.”
The prospect of sleeping on anything cloud-related certainly appealed to Phoenix, but she declined. She didn’t feel like being any ruder to Scootaloo. She climbed into the sleeping bag and smiled up to the mare.
“Alright then. Scoots, you climb into bed too,” she commanded sternly.
Scootaloo, however, stood her ground. “What about dad?”
The mare frowned and looked behind her to downstairs. “I’m not sure. It is getting late. Look, I promise I’ll send him in if he’s back within twenty minutes.”
Scootaloo looked at her in a disbelieving manner, but her mother shooed her to bed.
“C’mon, in bed. I can’t control when your father gets home. I’m sorry.”
“He’s almost never home, except on the weekends!” Scootaloo complained while snuggling into her covers.
Phoenix looked away and scowled. Better than dying in a losing army…
She smirked and rolled her eyes. “It’s how jobs work, squirt. Besides, you’re always out with your friends, so you never see him.” Scootaloo pouted and looked away, knowing she was correct. “Maybe you could spend some time with him on Saturday. Heh, maybe both of you can.” She gestured to Phoenix who blushed and nodded along with her.
Scootaloo sighed and yawned. “Just… love you, mom,” she said suddenly then stretched back into her bed.
“Love you too, sweetie.” She glanced down to Phoenix, who was looking up awkwardly. “And I know your mom loves you too, Phoenix. Right, try and get some rest, you two. Good night.” She then left the room with the door slightly ajar. A candle had been lit on Scootaloo’s nightstand which was quickly blown out.
While Scootaloo felt content to lay in her bed, Phoenix just felt too weirded out to do such things. She had no choice but to lay in her sleeping bag, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to stand up and scream. Anxiety, stress, nervousness all crept in on her. She was near familiar ponies but in a very unfamiliar situation. It was so freaky that she could swear Discord was just waiting to come and take the moment for himself with a cherry on top.
“Hey, you okay?” Scootaloo asked, glancing down at her.
“Yeah… just miss my mom is all,” she answered honestly. “I mean, this isn’t bad or anything; but it’s not…” she then mumbled something, but she stopped when she noticed that it was basically gibberish.
“Oh. Sorry. I’m sure Twilight can find you a way home soon,” Scootaloo replied, hoping to cheer her up.
Phoenix smiled up at her slightly and nodded. Great…
“Until then, we’ll stick together. Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together, even if this is freakier than Discord!” Her voice rose just a bit louder than it should have, but thankfully Pale hadn’t noticed.
“That’s what I was thinking!” Phoenix said with excitement. “I guess we just think the same?”
Scootaloo blinked and shrugged. “Do you think Diamond Tiara is a dumb brat? If so, then yes.”
Phoenix chuckled. “Uh, I don’t know a Diamond Tiara.”
“Seriously? Well, consider yourself lucky, buster.”
The door suddenly creaked open. “Scootaloo, you can go see him. He just got hom--”
The filly was out of bed and zoomed out of the room before she could even blink. “-e,” she finished.“Hmm, better not see him yet. He was really tired and I didn’t have time to explain him to you, Phoenix. But you can see him in the morning. I’m sure it will help you seem less lonely.”
The filly nodded, closing her eyes while clenching her teeth.
Stop this… tell them.
“You sure you’re alright? It’s okay to be scared, you know,” she said in a soothing tone, “nopony minds. We just want to help.”
“I’m fine, but thanks, m- Pale. I’ll just get some rest,” she replied in a tone that said ‘please just let me sleep’.
“Hmm, alright, just don’t hesitate to let me know if something’s bothering you. I don’t care where you’re from, you’re still my daughter.” She looked as if she wanted to lean down to kiss her on the cheek, but thought better of it. “Uh, yeah... Sweet dreams.” She then closed the door but left it slightly ajar.
Downstairs, Phoenix could hear Scootaloo happily speaking with her father. The two voices seemed to wake up the whole house; possibly the whole neighborhood. In her bed, Phoenix lay awake listening to it all in pure shock. She felt like the unluckiest filly in the universe, envious of the luckiest downstairs. At that moment she would give anything to be the other Scootaloo. That night, her thoughts turned dark and bitter as her body moved around in turmoil.
Can’t sleep like this anyway… she thought.
Phoenix eventually got out of bed and snuck downstairs so she could grab just one thing from her bag, a dream catcher.
As she laid it out, careful to make sure it was resting just above her pillow, she continued to lay awake in bed, staring up at Luna’s moon.
I could just tell them why I can’t go back.
Her eyes fluttered several times, screaming in pain, urging for her to rest. Phoenix carefully felt around her wings while idly scratching at them. She’d been careful to lay on her side to avoid further injuries, though she half suspected that the constant itching wasn’t doing them any favors. Her eyes fluttered several times while she drifted in and out of sleep.
I could tell them… but what if they don’t listen?
She didn’t know anypony of their world, just their names. And while her mom seemed kind and caring, just like she should be, she didn’t fully believe Princess Twilight had her best interest at heart.
She whimpered in her sleep, her thoughts drifting and mulling over her predicament.
I can’t tell them. I can’t. What if I do and they don’t want me as their daughter?
The thought hadn’t fully crossed her mind until just then, but it wasn’t like Pale hadn’t dropped a big hint about.
She is my daughter, well, sort of…
She felt shame for hearing it, but even more ashamed for still wanting her as her mother. After biting her tongue again just to stop from crying, she had another thought. It was barely there as she was finally at that moment when she could pass out, but it was still quite vivid in her mind.
They could still send me back...
When Phoenix woke up, her head was aching like crazy. She felt as if she had been awake for over twenty-four hours straight. Probably due to the fact that she barely slept all night. How could she? Every time she thought of Scootaloo’s parents it filled her with so many conflicting emotions that it would nearly put her in shock. The laughing of the father would haunt her for a long time to come. Groggily she stood up and began to stretch. She looked up and found her counterpart happily snoozing on her bed.
She considered waking her but figured she’d get up on her own time. When Phoenix reached the doorknob, she paused and sighed. Something about facing Scootaloo’s parents filled her with disgust. She wanted desperately to run downstairs and hug them both. Why shouldn’t she be allowed that privilege? They were her parents after all! Her trembling hooves and tearful eyes stopped her, though. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, and despite herself, she left the room.
It was still dark in the house, and she had to squint to find her way downstairs. She looked around and didn’t find that anypony had been awake yet.
Must be nice, she thought, and continued to examine things. Before she could even so much as look at the cloud couch, however, her stomach began to rumble like wild. Her eyes darted over to the open kitchen and she smiled. “Very nice.”
After pouring herself a bowl of cereal (purposely not adding milk) and grabbing some toast, she took a seat on a cloud chair and sighed pleasantly. For a while, all that could be heard was the pleasant sound of her chewing and the occasional swallow. Her mind felt blank, which gave her a chance to relax. She didn’t have to think about the problems that she was in or weird and confusing feelings regarding the other her’s parents. It was just bliss.
“You’re up early, Pumpkin,” an energetic stallion’s voice exclaimed.
The mirror Scootaloo’s head shot up in surprise and she gawked at the stallion. He had an aqua blue coat, of all things, with a bright red mane and tail. He giggled, which made the mirror pony gawk even more as his voice was very high pitched. The filly shook her head as he walked up to her.
“Though I can’t blame ya. Your mother told me about what you three were up to. Just think! There’s another of… you upstairs, right now! It’s crazy!”
Memories came flying at the mirror pony like a ton of bricks. He thinks I’m the other Scootaloo! I forgot the scarf!
“Uh, listen I--”
He walked over to the box of cereal and interrupted before she could get anything out. “I mean, you and that club of yours have certainly shaken things up in town, but this... this is insane! I love you, sweetie, but sometimes I think your mother is holding you back,” he said, confusing her. “It’s not like such young fillies to be causing so much trouble, but that means you three are thinking outside the box! Like I’ve always said: simplicity and routine may get you somewhere, but it won't lead you somewhere special. Risk, true risk, can!” he finished with a smile and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Phoenix shot back in such a fearful shock, her bowl of cereal nearly went everywhere. The stallion stared at her in shock as her own eyes widened in shock and she backed up a bit. “Yeah, heh. But I’m not your Scootaloo. I forgot to wear my scarf…” she said awkwardly.
He stood there frozen in mid-kiss, then straightened up and started to slowly back out of the room. His head popped back in for a moment. “This didn’t happen,” he said and left.
Phoenix’s head promptly smacked into her cereal bowl and she groaned. Several minutes later Scootaloo came downstairs, who was soon followed by her mother. Phoenix finished off her meal and stood up to put her bowl in the sink.
“Good morning, Phoenix. Since you don’t have any of your books from school, you can share with Scootaloo. Now, go and get ready. We need to get there before everypony else,” she stated firmly.
Scootaloo poured her cereal and began to angrily mutter about going to school so early. Phoenix went upstairs to comb out her mane and tail. She gave a quick sniff to her body and found no offending odors, but knew she would eventually need a bath. I guess it’s not all bad here, I’ll get a warm bath. Time seemed to slip through the cracks, and soon she was standing outside their home, with Scootaloo on the other side of her mother.
“Well, c’mon. We have some explaining to do. Hopefully, your teacher won't call the guard on us,” the mother quipped as they walked through town.
“Eh, I bet she’ll pass out or something,” Scootaloo quipped back.
“Or think it’s a prank,” Phoenix quipped as well.
Pale cleared her throat as they neared the school grounds. “Alright, enough joking. We’re going to walk in there calmly and explain the situation. Scoots, no funny business,” she demanded.
“Yeah, yeah…” she replied in a moaning tone, waving her forehoof.
They passed by the playground which was empty considering it was quite early in the morning. Pale was nervous that they had shown up almost too early, but the open doorway forced her to relax. Inside the tiny schoolhouse, they could hear a mare humming away. The place always seemed so neat and tidy with not a single ounce of chipped wood or speck of dirt. Pale smiled and entered, with Phoenix and Scootaloo following shortly behind.
Miss Cheerilee, a rather large earth pony with a stocky build, was seated at her desk. She didn’t look up but did mutter something. “The test should be… hmm…”
“Uh, Miss Cheerilee?” Pale said, gaining her attention.
The mare shot her head up and locked her eyes firmly on Pale. “Oh, yes. How can I help you?”
“Uh, we have something of an issue…” Her voice trailed off and gestured to the two Scootaloo's. Scootaloo waved while smiling and Phoenix reluctantly did the same.
Cheerilee stared in astonishment, before giving the mare a flat look. “Is this a prank?”
Pale chuckled nervously and shook her head. “No. It’s a long story, though.”
Cheerilee stood up and walked over to each Scootaloo. Her hoof reached out and traced itself along each of their backs. She examined her appendage and nodded.
“Oh dear, what happened to her wing, sweetie?”
Phoenix glanced to her bandage and shrugged. “That’s a long story, but I’m fine.”
Both mares glanced at one another not looking convinced, but Phoenix’s smile seemed to calm them down.
“If I had a bit for every foal who tried to paint themselves for a joke, I could probably buy a new house.” She chuckled and then her eyes landed on both Scootaloo's. “This is a new one, not a prank… So, you were saying something about a story?” She glanced up to Pale, who nodded.
“Yes, well…” And she started at the beginning.
Comments are always welcome. 
...Please? 
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How neat to meet Scoots' parents. Will Aunt Holiday and Lofty show up, too?
I like how you had Scoots' dad. It sounds like the kind of father I'd expect him to be. Plus it keeps in spirit of how he's always out. He's probably spending a lot of time at work to earn extra bits while advancing his career.
I wonder if 'Phoenix' will ever get some treatment for that wound? Will she ever be able to share what is truly happening in her world?
Lots of tense conflict within 'Phoenix'. I am definitely feeling how she may see the Scootaloo taking what she has for granted, too.
I'm really enjoying this story. So glad to see you back and writing. :)
9415877
"Will Aunt Holiday and Lofty show up, too?"
No.
"I wonder if 'Phoenix' will ever get some treatment for that wound? Will she ever be able to share what is truly happening in her world?"
It's coming... and I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully, it gets more traction.
9415937
You caught my attention.
9416049
Is that there supposed to be a masturbation reference?
By far i'm impressed that you manage to get this far without any dislikes, this proves that you are currently making fandom history!
Any way good story!
9416417
No you dirty brony, it means that she plays with her toys using her hooves
Give it a few years
9416417
It's meant to be a silly joke. We all know what it's a reference to, but considering the content of this story, I mean... I was gonna eventually say something like that.
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9416453
It either means I'm doing a good job, or I didn't write anything controversial enough.
9416889
You have no one to blame but yourself
9416886
Language, Twilight! There are children present!
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