Chapter 6
Chapter 6
“So don't be afraid to let them show.
Your true colors, true colors, are beautiful
Like a rainbow.”
--Cyndi Lauper, “True Colors”
Outside a small, cozy cottage located right in the center of Ponyville stood four ponies, three young mares and a filly. The cottage was the very picture of friendliness, with well-tended rose bushes along the exterior and a bright, cheery welcome mat set out before the front door. But to the filly, the house might as well have been the gloomiest, creepiest dungeon in all of Equestria.
“I don’t know about this,” began Scootaloo, frowning darkly.
Rainbow Dash gave the filly a rough pat on the head. “Well, it’s a good thing nopony asked you, then, isn’t it?”
“But they’re just so weird!”
“Hey, now! That ain’t polite.” Applejack shot a disapproving glare in Scootaloo’s general direction, the kind of look only an older sister could bestow. “Besides, they’re a perfectly nice couple.”
“Actually, kid’s got a point,” Dash muttered, squinting at the cottage door and rubbing her chin thoughtfully with a forehoof. “The way that unicorn is always sittin’ on park benches? Total freaky town, AJ. I mean, how does she even bend her legs like that?”
Applejack harrumphed. “Rainbow Dash! You ain’t helpin’ here!”
It was at this point in the conversation that Pinkie Pie took a step forward and placed a hoof on the pegasus filly’s shoulder. Leaning down so that her mouth was right next to Scootaloo’s ear, she whispered, “Don’t listen to those two silly billies. Lyra and Bon Bon are both super awesome ponies, and you’re gonna like them lots.”
Scootaloo swallowed nervously. “Do you … do you Pinkie promise? That they’ll really like--uh, I mean, that I’ll like them.”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Pinkie gave the young pegasus’ shoulder a quick squeeze before finally letting go. “And don’t worry, Loo-Loo. They’re gonna love you just as much as we do!”
Scootaloo smiled a bit despite herself. “Still hate that name. Just so you know.”
Pinkie just grinned back at her and, reaching out with a hoof, rapped sharply on the cottage door. Almost instanty, muffled, excited-sounding voices could be heard from inside the house, and a loud crash quickly followed. The three adults outside all traded puzzled looks among one another, while Scootaloo stood ramrod still. A few moments passed, and then the door flew open.
A turquoise unicorn and a cream-colored earth pony appeared in the doorway. A broad grin nearly split the unicorn’s face in two, while the earth pony’s smile was much smaller and seemed a bit uncertain.
“Howdy, Mrs. and Mrs. Heartstrings,” Applejack began in a friendly tone, touching a hoof to the brim of her hat in greeting.
The unicorn snorted, her eyes twinkling. “Mrs. Heartstrings? Oh goddess, no, Mrs. Heartstrings is my mother. Just call me Lyra, please.” She tilted her head and indicated the earth pony beside her. “And this amazing, beautiful lady right here is Bon Bon.”
The earth pony rolled her eyes, but a blush stole its way across her cheeks nonetheless. “Do yourselves a favor, and don’t listen to a word she says. I sure don’t.” Tentatively she looked down at Scootaloo and added, in a soft voice, “And you must be little Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo just stared. Only after Applejack gave her a none-too-subtle nudge did she remember herself and manage to stammer out, “Oh, uh, yeah. Scootaloo. That’s me.”
“Well, it’s good to meet ya, Scootaloo!” Still beaming, Lyra gave the filly a wink. “I gotta admit, I didn’t think the agency would be sending us a pegasus. But never fear, I have everything all planned out!”
Immediately Bon Bon frowned. “What do you mean, you have everything--”
“Hang gliders! That’s how we’re gonna teach you how to fly and stuff. Or maybe kite string. Or bungee cords. I haven’t quite decided yet.”
Scootaloo couldn’t stop the delighted grin from overtaking her face. It was right about then--as Bon Bon began protesting Lyra’s plans and Rainbow Dash stepped in with an offer to help with flying lessons, as Pinkie began babbling animatedly about her Pinkie flyer and Applejack tried in vain to shush the over-enthusiastic pink mare--that Scootaloo decided that maybe all of this would turn out okay. Maybe, just maybe, all of this could even end up being pretty cool.
At the very least, it shouldn’t be boring.
====================================================================
She was not going to cry.
No way, no how, not gonna happen. She was Pinkamena Diane Pie, conqueror of Nightmare Moon, defeater of Discord, inventor of the party cannon, and composer of more songs than any other pony in Ponyville--and she absolutely was not going to cry.
She made this decision as she walked away from Lyra and Bon Bon’s home at a surprisingly lethargic pace, with Rainbow Dash and Applejack flanking her on either side. Given that Dash and Applejack were two of the toughest, roughest ponies she knew, she redoubled her efforts to not give in to the tears that stung in her eyes or that choking feeling that tickled in her throat.
A tiny sniffle escaped the pink earth pony, nonetheless. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes so hard that Pinkie was a bit worried the pegasus might actually sprain a facial muscle.
“She’s just living with Lyra and Bon Bon,” said Dash, with a dismissive snort. “She’s gonna be right down the street from Sugar Cube Corner. It’s not like she’s been banished to the moon or something.”
“I know that.” And she did know. She really, truly did. “But it won’t be the same.”
Applejack chuckled. “Nothin’ stays the same, sugar cube. Spring turns to summer, summer turns to fall. It’s just how the world works.”
“I just … I wish … if only I could have … “
Pinkie felt Applejack and Rainbow both lean against her, one on each side, their strength supporting her. A rush of gratitude overtook her, and Pinkie Pie allowed herself to close her eyes and just bask in the warmth and love of her two friends.
“Ya did the right thing, Pinkie.” Applejack’s voice was sympathetic and kind. “Besides, ain’t no way you coulda supported a filly on what you make from the bakery.”
Dash enthusiastically chimed in, too. “Yeah, totally! And Lyra and Bon Bon are both pretty cool ponies, so we know Scoots is in good hooves.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that. Lyra and Bon Bon are the bestest. It’s just …”
Applejack leaned over and gave her a nuzzle. In a quiet voice, the farm pony said, “Ain’t no point in dwellin’ on what mighta been. Me and you, we both know that pretty well by now, I reckon. Gotta focus on what ya still do have and not on what ya lost.”
Pinkie nodded sadly. Applejack was right. Applejack was pretty much always right, really, which was kind of comforting and kind of annoying, both at once. But just because Applejack was right, it didn’t mean what she was suggesting was necessarily easy.
Pinkie’s thoughts were interrupted by a groan that originated from Rainbow Dash.
“Ugh, you two are seriously bumming me out here,” Dash groused, throwing in another eye roll for good measure. But even as she complained, a small smile played on her lips. “Enough of this! Let’s go to Sugar Cube Corner and see if the Cakes have made anything with those little rainbow sprinkles on ‘em.”
“Rainbow sprinkles?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.
“Heck, yeah!” Dash sighed dreamily. “Love those rainbow sprinkles ...”
As the three ponies began heading for the bakery, Pinkie felt herself cheering up a bit. She loved rainbow sprinkles almost as much as Dash did, after all, and she was spending the afternoon with two of the most awesome friends a pony ever had. Plus, they’d finally found a home for Scootaloo, a home right here in Ponyville, a home with nice ponies who’d look after her and love her and feed her. Pinkie Pie would have to be a very silly filly indeed to feel down in the dumps considering all the reasons she had to be happy.
Because, really, everything was turning out pretty okay.
=====================================================================
A few weeks later, Scootaloo found herself standing outside the door to Sugar Cube Corner, awkwardly shuffling her hooves. The bakery shop had been closed for an entire twenty minutes, and yet she’d remained firmly rooted to the spot. The simple task of raising a hoof and knocking seemed utterly beyond her capabilities.
A soft huff came from her left. “Will ya just go on and knock already?” Applebloom urged, sounding annoyed and giving the pegasus a hard shove with her shoulder.
Scootaloo didn’t budge. “What if she doesn’t wanna see me?”
“She’s Pinkie Pie!” Over to the right, Sweetie Belle laughed. “She always wants to see everypony!”
That was undeniably true. But for some reason, Scootaloo didn’t seem to find it very reassuring. A small sigh escaped her.
“Oh, fer Celestia’s sake!” Applebloom took a step forward and, before Scootaloo could do anything to stop her, knocked loudly on the bakery door. “There. Now, was that so hard?”
Scootaloo glared at her earth pony friend, harder than she’d ever glared before in her entire life. Applebloom just grinned.
Meanwhile, from inside the shop rang out a familiar, perky voice: “Coming! Be there in three shakes of a dragon’s tail!”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged highly satisfied looks with one another, while Scootaloo kept right on glaring. Then, Sweetie Belle leaned over and wrapped her legs around the irate pegasus, giving a gentle squeeze. “It’s gonna be fine, Scootaloo,” the unicorn murmured encouragingly, before letting go.
And with that, the two wingless members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders dashed off, just in time for the door to Sugar Cube Corner to swing wide open.
Pinkie Pie looked around for a moment before she seemed to finally catch sight of the pegasus filly standing a few feet away. The older pony’s eyes went wide in surprise, and Scootaloo felt her heart begin to sink. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea, after all.
“I can still come over, right?” Scootaloo blurted out, her tone apprehensive. “Even though I’m staying with Bon Bon and Lyra now?”
Pinkie smiled one of her huge, trademark smiles, but the smile looked a bit wobbly at the edges. “You’d better still come over, missy! Or else Gummy will be very, very upset with you!” She glanced away as she added, almost as an afterthought, “He misses you a lot, you know.”
Staring down at her hooves, Scootaloo whispered, “I miss Gummy, too.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence--and then Scootaloo felt a foreleg grab around her neck and begin dragging her inside the bakery. She didn’t bother to resist as, well she knew, resistance was futile. Once upstairs, Pinkie Pie deposited her onto a chair in the apartment.
Pinkie suddenly cocked her head at the young filly. “Say, do you wanna help me plan my next party?”
“A party?” Scootaloo perked up a bit. In all the time she’d been spending with Pinkie over the last several months, for some reason she’d never been asked to help plan a party. “Is it gonna be a ‘just because’ party, or is it gonna be a party that’s for somepony?”
Please say it’s for Rainbow Dash, she added silently. Her heart soared with hope. Please say Rainbow Dash, please say Rainbow Dash, please say Rainbow Dash ...
“It’s for Applejack! Next week is her birthday.” Pinkie’s eyes grew very thoughtful, almost serious. “I’m gonna need a lot of help, because this has gotta be the biggest and bestest party I’ve ever thrown, Loo-Loo. Biggest and bestest, both.”
“How come?”
Pinkie laughed, a great big laugh from the belly, and the laugh echoed happily throughout the entire room. “Well, duh. Because I promised!”
THE END.
---
Author’s Notes: Yet again, I must give due credit to the Beloved Spouse. While I knew that I wanted somepony other than Pinkie to be the one to adopt Scootaloo, I couldn’t decide who. It was my spouse who suggested Lyra and Bon Bon.
As always, thank you for reading.
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YES
*Spoilers*
Wow, this is one of those fics that hits the top-end of quality on Fimfiction, and I must say; this is better then then ending I had come up with. Specifically the fact that Scootaloo ends up with Lyra and Bon-Bon, Pinkie is kinda sad, Scootaloo still wanting to hang out, and the promise from the beginning being brought up again. Top-notch stuff, if you haven't you might want to submit this to EQD.
I am so sad that this is over. I was expecting for the Cakes to take Scootaloo in, making her and Scootaloo adoptive sisters. But this works too.
That was lovely.
Keep on doin' this writing thing; you do it well.
170674 PREACH IT IN THY CANTERLOT WAY, SISTER!
Truly a worthy ending to this story, It bought a tear to my eye. thank you.
The best endings are happy endings don't you agree?
-Fin
Yay! Happy ending!
Well done on this, thoroughly enjoyable story. Short, heart-warming with some nice emotion. Keep up the great work! :D
YES! this is wonderful! Donny you have a pass on 10 more pony funerals, use them wisely. You can also break that down into 100 limb injuries should the need arise. Now about that rarijack...
I must say, it would have been happier if the Cakes had adopted Scootaloo too, but I suppose that was the point, eh?
For a minute there I thought that Scoots and Pinkie were related, but then I realized the flashbacks were actually Pinkie! I loved that twist, btw, rather than the usual fanon of her running away from home.
well done indeed.
Such a great story!
Loved it! 
Oh god please make more! 
How... 
PINKIE! Stop appearing! 
... 
Oh screw it 
What a wonderful ending! You did a really good job of making the ending sweet but also sad and down-to-earth. Nothing's perfect - Scootaloo probably isn't exactly where she'd like to be, and Pinkie can't adopt her as she wanted - but, as Scootaloo says, things are turning out pretty okay.
I really, really love the way Pinkie's life has come about full circle by the end. She's paying Applejack's kindness back by throwing her the best birthday party ever, and has paid it forward as well by helping Scootaloo the way Applejack helped her. I always love stories which show some responsibility on Pinkie's part. This was a brilliant ending to a beautiful story.
Nicely done! Very good choice for an ending!
D'aaw, love the way Lyra and BonBon adopt her, that was a nice twist :)
Lyra and BonBon as parents is an awesome choice, good ending
But at the same time I would've liked more
BRAVO! Lyra and Bon-Bon as parents... Oh lordy. I can only imagine that.
I'm glad that Pinkie did not adopt Scootaloo, because if she had it kind of would have ruined the story by making me think 'Why didn't she just adopt her in the first place?' but since she didn't it makes the story more believable; the fact that Pinkie had been looking for someone that could adopt her made it work but I would have liked some hint at that earlier... well I guess this is a short story it doesn't really need foreshadowing.
I would have liked more scenes, to get a better insight into Scootaloo's life... maybe that's kind of cliché though, I don't know but I feel the story could have been more about Scootaloo as most of this is made up back-story for Pinkie and while those parts are good it felt like you should have focused more on Scootaloo to make her more of the main character for the story because the events of the present are more important than those of the past.
What I mean is: the back-story for Pinkie Pie was already resolved before your story even started, we know that she was adopted by the Cakes and that she grew up to be fine and happy an such; we didn't know what you would do with Scootaloo's character and overall it wasn't touched on very much, another thing was the idea that she hated Pinkie but that wasn't even explained.
Don't take that the wrong way though essentially what I'm saying is; I thought this was going to be a sad Scootaloo story but it turned out to be a fairly light-sad Pinkie Pie story and there's nothing wrong with it it's just not what I was expecting.
Ultimately a four star story, also you should avoid the word "arms".
Whoa, there is roughly a ton of reviews on this chapter, which is amazing and kind of overwhelming.
Thanks for reading and reviewing, y'all! Also, glad the Lyra and Bon Bon bit went over well with folks. There was a reason it wasn't the Cakes, too. Just seemed in my head that Pinkie wouldn't want to ... I dunno ... impose on them? It made sense in my head, I swears it.
170709
Thanks! Glad you liked it, and it's flattering that you think it's EqD worthy. I just might submit it.
171732
HA! All of those 100 limb injuries will involve breaking Rainbow Dash's wings. It's the "in" thing to do, as I understand it.
172180
I love full-circle endings, and I probably end up doing them a bit too much. Really glad you thought this was a solid ending.
And a happy-ish but not perfectly happy ending seemed fitting. Because if everyone got what they really, truly wanted, I imagine Pinkie and AJ would've chosen to have their parents not die--so the ideal ending was already out of the question.
173857
Thanks for the in-depth review! Always appreciate when people take so much time to leave comments like that. Bit about "arms" has been fixed, by the way--not sure how that made it through, I'm usually more aware than that. D'oh.
Probably right that it could've used more Scootaloo scenes. I think I was just reluctant to expand it much past the length it ended up, as it would've been a more substantial time commitment, but you're right that it would've been better to be able to see more of Scootaloo's life, pre and post Pinkie.
I disagree that there wasn't explanation for Scoots' conflicts with Pinkie (I'd say "hate" is too strong a word)--it was subtle, and some of it was implied, but I do believe it was there. Also strenuously disagree that the present is more important than the past, as the whole story's about how the past affects the present.
Yay! Brilliant as always - and Scootaloo gets a happy ending. This pleases me. I have to admit that I thought it'd end with Pinkie adopting Scootaloo, but that really wouldn't have made a lot of sense. This ending does, and manages to be bittersweet and heartwarming - Pinkie planning Applejack's party was a wonderful touch. Thank you, sir, for the amazing story.
Poor Gummy must be a wreck after waiting for weeks.
I read that on fanfiction.net.
Now I hope to see the party for Applejack if there will be a sequel.
Great chapter! At least Scoots has a home with Lyra and Bon Bon. Would be nice to find out what occurs next.
This is my all time favorite fic. Well done sir
177329
I'm honored! Thank you so much!
174693
Thank you! Bittersweet and heart-warming were my goals, so I'm glad that came through.
And Gummy was DEVASTATED. You don't even know.
The ending for me was disappointing.
It just felt... to practical and 'Already done before' for me to enjoy it.
I can't really feel for scoots and the rest of the ponies here because i find it hard to find any emotion
in whats going on.
But i digress, your writing was alright, minimal spelling and grammatical errors throughout.
Cheers
~iraqlobstah
That was a wonderful, heartwarming story. I've read quite a few fanfics about Pinkie, specifically (she's my favourite), but what I always love about your work more than most is the way you tend to capture a depth to her personality beyond just the bubbly, random party pony that she's often written-off as. I see her the same way, myself. Here's hoping for more fics to come.
As I read through the chapters, I figured it wouldn't end with Pinkie being the one to adopt Scoot (unless it had veered off into Rainbow Pie territory, and as a couple the financial considerations would then be moot; but that seemed an unlikely ending, heh). However much she may have wanted to, she's not quite ready for that kind of responsibility yet, although she's obviously already emotionally giving enough. She'd make a great mom in time, though.
184337
I'm sorry to hear that the ending disappointed you. At the very least, I like to create good beginnings and ending.
216608
Thanks for the review and the kind words! Pinkie's my favorite, too, and I think that might come through in my writing that features her. I feel like canon Pinkie has a lot of depth built into her, and I think it's fun to explore her different facets.
Funny you mentioned Rainbow Pie, as the initial idea for this story was going to be heavily Rainbow Pie. Scootaloo was going to be the one to approach Pinkie, as a way of getting access to her idol, and Pinkie and Dash would end up spending more time together and eventually fall in love as Pinkie schemed to get Dash more involved in Scoots' life. But I decided I wanted to focus the story on just Pinkie and Scootaloo, and things obviously went in a very different direction.
Especially after the "Baby Cakes" episode, I think Pinkie would make a great mom someday, too.
I realized just now that I never commented after the finish of this story, so here ya go (keep in mind I read this a while ago, so some parts might be incorrect).
First off, there were a few minor issues. The very very beginning, when it JUST started the whole "dual-story" sort of thing, I found it somewhat confusing, and at first, i thought it was present day, and it was Scootaloo. It wasn't until much later (and heavy confusion) that I found out it was dual-stories. If that was your intention, then ignore this point mostly, but I personally found it slightly awkward, mostly because it never gave ANY indication it was anything but present day until much later.
Second, while I enjoyed the ending, it left me feeling slightly hollow I guess. First, after Scoot goes to live with Lyra and Bon-Bon, it doesn't really show enough about how it ends with the others. It kinda aludes to her becoming close to Pinkie, but what about Dash? Kinda leaves it hanging. Second, I feel that using Lyra and Bon-Bon was completely out of left field. Not once in the entire story were they ever mentioned (if I remember correctly). I personally feel like MAYBE Applejack would've been better choice, going with the whole "Applejack helps Pinkie live with the Cakes, and Pinkie helps Scoot live with the Apples", but that's a big rewrite of the last three chapters, and merely my personal opinion.
Third, Scoot outrunning Rainbow? REALLY? Sure, you kinda explained it by her going into the Everfree, but trust me, unless Rainbow decided to fly like Fluttershy, then she wouldn't have lost her, and probably would've caught her fairly quickly. Kinda on the same point, you say she ran into the Everfree, but then she's hidden in the school bell? Don't know about you, but how she did that seems fishy to me.
That said, if you are thinking, "Wow, these points are nit-picky/lame/failures", then you are mostly correct. The story was great, and the major issues that I found were really personal preference on how *I* would write it, but that's just us clashing in styles, and I admit its somewhat unfair. I love how Scoot takes FOREVER to warm up to Pinkie, eventually doing so in the end. I love the connection you made between the two. Hell, I love the originality of the pair (Always ScootDash or sometimes ScootShy). The characterization was great, I felt for the little fillies, and you showed a side of Pinkie that showed something deeper (admittedly unoriginal, but you did so SOOOO many leagues better than most others).
Overall, this story was amazing. I still feel that "Not Unless You Mean It" (Readers. Seriously. Read that story. Its damn near perfect. Its right here. DO IT!) blows this thing out of the water twice, but it still ranks as in my top stories I have read, and is some of the excellence that I have come to expect from you... for better or worse.
223480
Hiya! Thank you for such an in-depth review. I know it takes some time and effort to write those, so I always appreciate when people do so.
You're not the only one who was confused by the dual-story aspect, at least in the initial chapters. I'm sorry that created so much confusion. I never meant it to and, to be honest, I thought everyone would know who the little unnamed filly was once they hit the end of the very first section: "She dreamt of beautiful rainbows, spanning across the sky in seemingly endless arches, and of impromptu parties held in silos that smelt of rocks and wood and vanilla-frosted cake." I'd thought that was an obvious enough "Cutie Mark Chronicles" reference, but I guess it wasn't.
You're right in that Lyra and Bon-Bon weren't mentioned previously in the story, just that Applejack and Pinkie (and possibly others) were looking for a more permanent home for Scootaloo. I kinda figured none of the Mane Six had the combination of maturity, money, and stability that would be required for adopting a child, so that's why I went outside all of those options. And I didn't include Dash because I'd never intended the story to really feature her except in a few cameos--I'm sorry I created expectations that there would be more of a resolution with her than there was.
You're probably right that the whole Scoots outrunning Dash thing was flawed, but it made sense in my mind at the time. Dash's speed is all aerial--on the ground, she can be outrun, as has happened with Pinkie and with Applejack. So I figured in the Everfree Dash wouldn't be able to fly at her normal speeds, because of the forest canopy, and Scootaloo might be able to lose her since she IS pretty speedy on the ground. I do wish, though, that I'd put in a bit of explanation about what happened between Scootaloo going into the Everfree and Scootaloo hiding in the bell--I had it in my mind that Scoots snuck back into town while everyone was looking for her in the woods.
I don't think any of your comments are nit-picky, failures, etc., by the way, and I'm very glad you shared them with me. I'm also glad to hear that there were things you did enjoy in the story--and, of course, thanks so much for the shout-out you gave to "Not Unless You Mean It." That's very kind of you.
223539
I think the issue with the "dual-aspect" for me (if I remember) was when you wrote the line you just showed me, all I read was "She dreamt of beautiful rainbows, spanning across the sky in seemingly endless arches...", assumed it referred to Scoot and her obsession with Rainbow, and then decided to zone out of the next dozen or so words.
Hope to see more of you stuff ya fool.
I felt I should leave a review here. Just finished reading the story, and goodness knows my heart is feeling it. I loved and adored it, possibly because I love and adore the whole "Scootaloo is an orphan" thing, both as a legitimate canon possibility and what it would potentially bring to the show, and for all the opportunities it gives for hurt/comfort fanfiction. And well, Scoots is my favorite crusader too, so there's that.
Anyway, I have to say I agree with some of the previous reviewers that not having Pinkie adopt Scootaloo was a very wise move indeed. And, though Rainbow is of course the best pony ever, I'm even more relieved she was never even considered, as might have been somewhat natural, with the whole surrogate sister thing they've got going whenever Rainbow feels like it. Sorry, Dash, but you'd not make a particularly good sister.
My real reason for writing a review, apart from very much enjoying the story, was that I've been impressed twice now by your style of writing. I came across "Not unless you mean it" while looking for Pinkiedash shipping fics, and though it was an unfamiliar treat, a touch of somber grounding in the often candy coated dreamland of shipping, it was a good flavor to go with it all.
And having read this, I can still sense that sort of rough beauty of phrase, that grounding that keeps me coming back, and the attention to detail and skill required to craft intelligent, multi-layered works of fiction that really feel complete when they're complete. Thanks for the experience, and keep up the good work!
PS: You write a mean Pinkie, good sir or madam. Best characterization of her I've seen thus far in fanfiction, in my humble opinion. Please keep that up too!
Wonderful, wonderful story! Lots of emotion that you handle well. The filly runaway being Pinkie worked out wonderfully!
Got your own post on EQD. And might I say it was well deserved.
That was wonderful.
All of my D'aww.
This was a great story. It gifted me a lot of tears and a lot of smiles ... just the way I like them.
Great story.
So apparently roughly 2/140 people who read fanfiction on this site, either have bad aim or a broken mouse. Fascinating.
I have but one question. How did this not hit EQD earlier? Fantastic fic.
Lyra and Bon-Bon ending up as Scoots' adoptive parents? Yup, I can live with that, and so can she!
What is this liquid leaking out of my eyes in waterfalls?
All my love and thanks for writing this and sharing it with us all.
Realy, really good story! Keep it up
First off ... howdy, new reviewers! Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to leave your thoughts! I'm so pleased to hear that most of y'all have enjoyed this story.
254047
That's such a lovely compliment. Thank you. I'm so glad you've enjoyed my writing this much. (And I r a dewd.)
260898
Glad you thought it worked out!
260938
Aw, thanks. I'm honored they accepted the story.
261117
Don't feel like an idiot! Lots of readers didn't figure out who the filly was until the "reveal." Not just you. And it was, for the most part, purposefully vague (though it grew less and less vague over time).
262895
Thank you! I was worried the Pinkie/Scoots comparisons might seem forced, so it's good to hear you though they worked out well.
I too thought the flashback was scootaloo, I also had this thought that she might have been related to pinkie from the mention of the granny quote and thought this was going in an entirely different direction, and then it hit me when she was confronted by applejack i the alley.
I liked this story very much.
No tears were needed at anytime during the reading, you never left anyone without hope. We all need your kindness.
I have school in the morning, but I just had to read this, despite the fact I have to get up in 6 hours. It was amazing. When Lyra and Bon Bon adopted Scootaloo, I just had the biggest smile on my face. If anypony deserves a child, it's them. Props to you, good sir/ma'am.
I read this story in about an hour. It was an hour I had set aside to accomplish great things. But then I read the first chapter of this and I couldn't stop. Very well done. Neat and tidy. Oh, and I liked the ambiguous nature of the two stories at first. I thought it was Scootaloo at first too, but then it being Pinkie Pie was an interesting shift. Honestly I thought you'd done it on purpose. You should tell people that from now on. Great story.
264523
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
265024
That's a good question, whether Pinkie's forgiven herself for not stopping what happened to her family, and it's a question I've considered. I think the answer is, "Mostly." She was young when the accident occurred, and I had it in my mind that either (1) her Pinkie sense wasn't as strongly developed then or (2) Pinkie simply wasn't near enough to prevent what happened.
265359
Thank ye! And I hope you made it to school on time, heh.
269719
But you're right, I should totally be all, "No, no, no. It was all planned! For I am BRILLIANT!" *snort* Hee.
IT'S BECAUSE PINKIE IS SO VERY LOVABLE. *cough* Ahem. The ambiguity was kinda on purpose, kinda not. I'm glad you liked the story.
The like button now has a claim to husband abuse.