Princesses, Preening, and Performing Pegasi
Written by: Mayhem Darkshadow
Edited by: psychohooves and Avatar of Shadow
Chapter 10: Princesses, Preening, and Performing Pegasi
Twilight was up about an hour earlier than she needed to be. Scootaloo was still fast asleep and curled up next to Twilight. Not wanting to wake her little angel, Twilight levitated some of her old books off of her shelf and over to the bed. Oh why, here are some of my old adventure novels.
Not able to resist, Twilight opened the old, worn book and started reading it. She had forgotten how much of a thrill this novel was. Twilight continued to read until Scootaloo began to stir. There was a little bit of grumbling, some yawning, a bit of stretching, and finally Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked up at her mother.
"M-Morning Mommy," she yawned. Twilight ruffled Scootaloo's mane and kissed her on the cheek.
"Morning, muffin. Did you sleep well?" Twilight asked. Scootaloo nodded her head and then buried it in Twilight's chest. Twilight eyeballed the little filly. What is she up to? Twilight thought. Scootaloo took in a deep breath and then blew a filly sized raspberry into her mother's belly. Twilight quickly burst into hysterical laughter.
"Oh, honey… honey, stop, I'm ticklish," Twilight giggled. Scootaloo continued her onslaught until Twilight managed to get the upper hand. Pinning Scootaloo to the bed, Twilight blew her own round of raspberries on Scootaloo's soft underbelly. Scootaloo cackled like a witch.
"Bah, please stop, Mom, please, I'm going to pee myself if you don't," Scootaloo howled. Twilight ceased her attack and then proceeded to kiss every inch of Scootaloo’s belly. The filly didn't seem to like this.
"Mom, stop, it's embarrassing," Scootaloo whined. Twilight stopped what she was doing and looked down at her victim.
"Nopony is here to see this, sweetheart. I suppose I could just go back to blowing raspberries," Twilight whispered with a devious smile. Scootaloo’s eyes, playfully, went wide in horror. Twilight smiled and gave Scootaloo a nuzzle. Scootaloo nuzzled back and wrapped her hooves around Twilight's neck. Twilight picked her up and hugged her back.
"All right, muffin, let's get downstairs I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa are wondering where we are," Twilight said to the filly. Twilight set Scootaloo down and the two of them raced downstairs. Velvet and Night Light were down in the kitchen. Velvet was drinking a cup of tea and scratching down some notes on a notepad. Night Light was sipping on a cup of coffee and reading the paper.
"Looks like my girls are finally awake," Velvet said when she noticed Twilight and Scootaloo walking into the room. Scootaloo trotted over to her Grandmother and hopped up onto her lap.
"Whatcha up to, Grandma?" she asked curiously. Velvet ruffled Scootaloo's mane and put her pen down.
"Just writing some notes down for my next book. Now, though, I'm going to give you a bath," Velvet explained. Scootaloo let out a little eep as Velvet picked her up.
"Ah, Grandpa, save me from Grandma's wrath," Scootaloo called as she tried not to laugh.
"Sorry, munchkin," he called from behind the newspaper, "but if Grandma wants to bathe you then there isn't anything I can do."
Scootaloo turned to her mother with pleading eyes. Twilight playfully shrugged and Scootaloo hung her head. "I succumb to your wishes, oh mighty Grandmother," she mumbled. That was soon followed by a fit of giggles. Velvet placed Scootaloo down and led the way to the bathroom. Twilight sat down with her father and decided to take a glance at her mother’s notes. That only lasted for about a second because the doorbell rang. Twilight got up from her seat and went to the door. It was her brother and Cadence, who was bouncing up and down.
"Where is my beautiful little niece?" she asked excitedly.
"My mother is giving her a bath as we speak," Twilight told her. Cadence let out a squeal and shot off to the bathroom. Shining Armor shook his head and followed Twilight to the kitchen. Night Light had gotten up from the table and was working on getting breakfast started. Twilight and Shining Armor joined him.
"I swear, Cadence loves Scootaloo more than me," Shining Armor sighed. Twilight giggled and Night Light let out a chuckle.
"Yeah, Mom was a bit obsessed with bath time," Twilight mentioned.
"Well, your mother always loved giving you two baths when you were kids. I think she relishes the idea that she can now do it with her grandchild," Night Light explained. This made a lot of sense to Twilight and Shining Armor. The two of them reminisced about those fun times. Velvet always made each bath special. Twilight was sure Scootaloo was probably enjoying herself. Smiling, she turned back to helping out with breakfast. All three ponies worked through the silence but that was soon interrupted by Cadence.
"Hey Twilight, could you come here for a moment, please?"
Twilight turned around and found Cadence standing in the doorway. Twilight put down her potato peeler and walked over, confused as to why she was needed.
"Is there a problem, Cadence?" Twilight asked curiously. Cadence said nothing but walked towards the stairs.
"No, no, not really a problem per se. It’s just as your mother and I were giving her a bath, I noticed Scootaloo's wings were a bit unkempt. I asked her about it, and well, she told us she does them herself. Do you not know how to preen?" Cadence asked. Twilight went deathly quiet. Cadence stood there staring at her sister in-law.
"Um, Twilight," Cadence said with a slightly scared tone. Twilight didn't hear her, though. All she could think about was an event that happened a few months ago. Her mind could only think about how she held her crying daughter in her hooves while she tried to get her wing to stop bleeding.
"Equestria to Twilight; come in, Twilight," Cadence called. Twilight snapped back into reality and shook her head.
"I… I tried once but… I just… I hurt Scootaloo. In fact, I made her bleed. I felt so bad that I never tried again. Scootaloo told me it was an accident, but I just couldn't bring myself to help her preen. I don't want to hurt her, Cadence," Twilight choked. Cadence listened intently and then spoke calmly.
"It's okay, Twilight. Sometimes bleeding happens with inexperienced preening. I know the first time I let your brother preen me, he made me bleed. It just takes practice and care," Cadence explained in a soothing tone.
"Cadence, she cried so hard it made me start bawling," Twilight replied quietly.
"Well, it hurts like Tartarus. It doesn't matter how tough you are, I bet you even your friend Rainbow Dash would cry if someone pulled one of her feathers out the wrong way. It's one of the most painful things ever, trust me," Cadence said. Twilight opened her mouth to speak but then shut it because she didn't have anything else to add. Silently, the two of them walked into the master bathroom. They found Velvet blow drying Scootaloo's soaked mane and tail.
"Just about done," Velvet mentioned as Cadence and Twilight sat down next to her and Scootaloo.
"Did Grandma get you all nice and squeaky clean, muffin?" Twilight asked Scootaloo as she rubbed the filly’s cheek playfully. Scootaloo nodded and then stretched her wings out so they could be dried. This allowed Twilight to get a good look at her daughter’s wings. They weren't terrible, but clearly they weren't good, either.
"All right then," Velvet said as she turned off her hair dryer and put it away, "I'll leave you three to your business. I'm sure your brother and father need help with breakfast anyway."
Velvet left the bathroom and then Cadence moved into position behind Scootaloo. "All right let's get those wings preened, Scootaloo," Cadence told her niece. She then turned and addressed Twilight.
"I'm going to do one wing, Twilight, so watch closely. I want you to do the other one. The best way to learn preening is practice."
Twilight gulped and moved closer so she could see what Cadence was doing. "Now, you can either do it with your teeth, or you can buy a special preening brush for an astronomical amount of bits. Personally, I prefer teeth; it just works so much better. Then all you need to do is slowly and gently work your way from the tip to the base," Cadence explained. Twilight nodded her head and then watched as Cadence slowly worked her way across Scootaloo's wings, straightening and smoothing out the feathers as she went along. Scootaloo closed her eyes and enjoyed the wonderful sensation. It didn't take Cadence too long for her to finish. The difference was very noticeable.
"All right, Twilight, your turn," Cadence said happily. Twilight swallowed hard and then traded places with Cadence. She sat there for a second and contemplated trying to get out of this, but figured Cadence would make sure she did it one way or another. Swallowing once more, Twilight bent her head down and cautiously started fixing the feathers.
"Oh, Mom, that feels so much better than last time," Scootaloo said quietly. This comment gave Twilight a bit more confidence and she started to pick up the pace. It was all lost, though, when she came across a broken feather. As soon as she saw it, Twilight's heart began to beat fast and her mind went back to that eventful day.
"Okay, looks like you found a broken feather," Cadence said when she noticed Twilight had stopped. "I'm going to teach you the best method for plucking. Go ahead and grab the feather right around the middle."
Twilight stayed frozen for a moment but did what she was told. Scootaloo was also a bit nervous. She still remembered how painful it was when her mother had last tried to pluck a feather.
"All right, now I want you to rotate the feather clockwise five times and then quickly pull it straight towards you. Don't move your head up or down even slightly."
Twilight nervously rotated the feather around and, when it was finally time to pluck it, closed her eyes and jerked the feather towards her.
"Good job, Twilight; you did it perfectly."
Twilight opened her eyes and looked at what she had accomplished. Scootaloo wasn’t bleeding or crying her eyes out; she was just sitting there smiling at her mother. Twilight smiled back before spitting the feather out and finishing up the preening.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," she said as she finished the last bit of wing.
"Like I said, it just takes practice," Cadence replied. As soon as Twilight finished, Scootaloo stretched her wings a bit and then folded them up against her body.
"I didn't even feel the feather come out. Even when Rainbow Dash does it, I can still feel something," she said as they walked out of the bathroom.
"Auntie Celestia taught me that. It's her technique that she's developed over the centuries. If you ever want to experience pure bliss, you let Auntie Celestia preen you. When I was little I used to ask her all the time to do it," Cadence said as they walked down the stairs. Twilight and Scootaloo snickered and Cadence shot them a playful dirty look. Twilight now felt a lot more confident about preening. She was still terrified that she was going to hurt her little filly, but figured as a mother it was something she needed to be a part of. Plus it was another thing she and Scootaloo could bond with, and losing a bonding activity was the last thing Twilight wanted to do.
**********
Breakfast was rather uneventful. They ate scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and toast with jam. Once breakfast was done, Velvet and Night Light cleaned up, and Twilight, Scootaloo, Cadence, and Shining Armor went out into the den. It was there that Twilight dropped the surprise of the day.
"So are we doing anything today?" Scootaloo asked as she sat down with Twilight on the couch. Twilight decided she would best surprise the filly by jumping into it out of the blue.
"Well, we're going to have lunch," Twilight explained calmly, "Oh, and then we're going to see the Wonderbolts Holiday Show."
Scootaloo had to do a double take when she heard those words. "We're going to see a Wonderbolts show!" she squealed in delight. Twilight gave her a nod and Scootaloo just about lost it.
"I'm assuming you told her about today's surprise," Velvet said as she walked into the room carrying a tray of coffee. She passed them all out and even gave a mug to Scootaloo.
"Don't worry, it’s hot cider," she explained when she saw Twilight open her mouth. The family sat down and engaged in small talk. Really it was more questions about Scootaloo, which she answered perfectly. One question did come around about Twilight, which she really had rather hoped wouldn't.
"So, Twinkle, any suitors that your mother and I need to be concerned about?" Night Light asked with a rather evil grin. Twilight, not wanting to give her family any leverage against her, weaved a wonderful lie.
"Nope, not at all," she shot back, "Scootaloo is my life right now."
Twilight felt this was going to keep her family at bay. That was until Scootaloo decided to open her mouth. "What are you talking about, Mom, don't they know about Thunderlane?" The family jumped on this.
"Who's Thunderlane, Twilight?" Velvet asked curiously.
"Yeah, Twilight," Shining Armor added, "who is he?"
"Thanks for this, sweetheart," Twilight shot at her daughter. Scootaloo just gave her mother an innocent smile and sipped her cider slowly.
"You ought to just tell us, Twinkle. We'll find out one way or another," Night Light said. Twilight rubbed her hooves together nervously but knew her father was right.
"Um… he's my boyfriend," Twilight said quietly. There was general murmuring.
"When did this happen?" Shining Armor asked rather calmly.
"About a month ago," Twilight told him. The rest of the family looked at each other and smiled.
"Well then, when do we get to meet this stud, Twilight?" Cadence asked curiously. Twilight thought about this, but she really didn't have an answer. Instead, Velvet answered this question for her.
"I'm sure we'll get to meet him next time we're in Ponyville, which will be soon, probably."
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. At least she would have some time to forewarn Thunderlane of the soon-to-come situation. However, the family spent the next half an hour asking Twilight, as well as Scootaloo, all about Thunderlane. Twilight, rather reluctantly, answered all of them. Her saving grace was when they had to leave and get to the restaurant. She managed to get everypony’s focus on the Wonderbolts show. Scootaloo was ecstatic. She had always dreamed of going to a Wonderbolts show, but of course that had only been a dream. Now that it was a reality, she couldn't contain herself.
"I'm just so excited! I love the Wonderbolts," she stated as she bounced up and down in her chair. Twilight had to admit she was excited as well. She hadn't been to a Wonderbolts show since she herself was a filly. It was going to be a fun day. They took their time eating lunch, since the show wasn't until two. Even when they did finish, they still made it to the stadium a half an hour early. The rest of the family decided to head to their seats; they had a VIP box reserved. This was not something Scootaloo was in favor of, though; she couldn't wait that long. Cadence decided to solve this problem.
"Scootaloo, do you want your auntie to take you to the gift shop?" she asked the impatient filly. Scootaloo's eyes lit up in excitement and she nodded her head. Cadence turned to Twilight to make sure that was okay.
"Go ahead. I know how impatient she gets when she sits for too long," Twilight said. Cadence smiled, and she and Scootaloo left the box and made their way to the gift shop. It was a lot bigger than Scootaloo had imagined. They had everything Wonderbolts there: T-shirts, sweaters, jackets, scarves, toys, and many other items. Scootaloo, however, was most interested in the Wonderbolt plushies. Cadence noticed this and decided to treat her niece.
"You want a plush, Scootzy?" Cadence asked.
"I would love one, but I don't think Mom would let me spend any of my allowance money. She always makes me put it away," Scootaloo said with a sigh.
"Oh, don't worry about that, it's my treat," Cadence replied with a smile. Scootaloo's eyes lit up in excitement.
"You don't have to do that, Auntie Cadence," Scootaloo said despite how much she wanted it. Cadence patted her niece on the head.
"Don't worry about it, Scootaloo. Now, which plush do you want?" Scootaloo looked at her options. There was a plush for each of the main flyers: Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot. It was an impossible choice for the small filly.
"Ahh, I can't choose. I… hmm… I guess I'd like a Spitfire plush." Cadence levitated one of the dolls off the counter and went with Scootaloo up to the register. Cadence paid, despite how much the cashier insisted they take the plush for free, and then they left the store. As they walked back, Cadence and Scootaloo talked. Scootaloo then asked a question that Cadence was a bit uncomfortable answering.
"So Aunt Cadence, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you and Uncle Shining have any foals?"
"Oh… well," Cadence started, "your uncle and I are trying, but it just hasn't happened yet. We hope that it will happen soon, though."
Scootaloo looked up at her aunt and smiled. "Well, I hope you have a baby soon. I bet you'd be a great mother. Mom always talks about how much of an awesome foalsitter you were."
Cadence stopped walking, bent down, and gave Scootaloo a kiss on the cheek. "You are the sweetest little filly in the world. I hope mine and your uncle's foal is as nice and caring as you are."
Scootaloo blushed and hugged her aunt around the neck. Cadence picked her up and they walked up the steps to the VIP box. Twilight noticed Scootaloo carrying a bag and asked about it.
"What do you have there, sweetie?"
Scootaloo pulled the Spitfire plush out of the bag and gave it a squeeze. "Aunt Cadence bought me a plush!"
Twilight turned to Cadence and shook her head. "Cadence, you didn't have to do that. Let me pay you back for it," she told the alicorn. Cadence shook her head.
"No, Twilight, it was my treat. I'm not taking your money."
Twilight tried to argue but Cadence stood firm and refused to the take the bits Twilight pushed on her. Twilight eventually realized she wasn't going to win and gave up. Scootaloo loved the soft toy. She held it tight as they waited for the show to start.
"How much longer?" she asked impatiently. Twilight knew Scootaloo was getting impatient and was glad that her father said the show would be starting any minute. Scootaloo started to fidget but, much to a few ponies’ relief, three blurs shot out from under the stadium.
"And here they are, ladies and gentlecolts: the Wonderbolts!" the announcer shouted through the sound system. "Today for your entertainment we have Captain Spitfire along with Soarin and Fleetfoot."
Scootaloo was out of her seat and was jumping up and down, squealing with delight. It really was truly amazing to see the best fliers in Equestria pull off spectacular dives and tricks.
It's no wonder Rainbow Dash wants to be a Wonderbolt as bad as she does, Twilight thought to herself. She looked over at Scootaloo, who was on the railing looking at wonders before her. Twilight smiled and pulled her back to her seat.
"Don't want you to hurt yourself," she mentioned as Scootaloo looked up at her. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and went back to being engrossed in the performance. Twilight patted her on the head and also turned her attention back to the Wonderbolts. The show was spectacular. Twilight couldn't even believe some of the tricks the Wonderbolts were doing; they looked impossible. The show went on for a solid hour and a half before intermission came.
"And the waiting is back," Scootaloo sighed as the three pegasi exited the stadium.
"A good time to go get snacks," Shining Armor mentioned. "I don't know about anypony else, but I could use a drink."
A few other family members nodded. Night Light volunteered to go pick up the grub. "Scootaloo, do want to come with me?" he asked.
Scootaloo nodded and left the box with her grandfather. They had to walk clear across the stadium to get to the concessions. Apparently, every other pony had the same idea because the line was rather long. They joined it, and slowly, the line moved.
"Hey, Night Light!"
Night Light flipped around and saw one of his co-workers. He waved and the pony made a motion for him to come over. "Scootaloo, a pony I work with needs to talk to me. Can you hold our place in line and call for me when you get closer to the stand?"
Scootaloo nodded and Night Light jumped out of line. Scootaloo stood there and sighed. The line was moving painfully slow. Her patience soon paid off, because soon she was almost up to the counter. At least, she was until she was pushed out of line. She fell to the ground and looked up at her assailants, two pegasi colts.
"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted as she jumped back up. "That's my place."
"Well, it's our place now, loser," one of them said. Scootaloo got flustered and her wings began to buzz. The two colts looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"Look at the size of those wings. My baby brother had wings bigger than that," the other laughed. Scootaloo’s face went pink. The colts may have been bigger than her but she wasn't about to lose her place in line.
"Give me my spot back," Scootaloo grunted as she charged at them. Their eyebrows fell, and together they shoved Scootaloo back down. Scootaloo hit the ground hard and felt a sting on one of her legs. Looked at it, she realized she was bleeding. Scootaloo felt some tears build in her eyes, which brought on some teasing.
"Aw, look, she's crying," one colt said to the other with a laugh. Scootaloo sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Luckily, both the concession stand worker and Night Light came to her rescue.
"That's enough!" the two adults shouted. The stand worker grabbed the two colts while Night Light helped Scootaloo off the ground.
"I think I'll give security a call so they can take you back to your parents," the stand worker declared. She turned to Night Light, who was taking a look at the scrape on Scootaloo’s leg, and offered her apologies.
"I'm so sorry for not noticing sooner that these two were hurting your filly, sir. Consider your food to be on the house."
"Thank you, miss," Night Light said, "Do you happen to have a first aid kit?"
The mare nodded and levitated a box over to them. Night Light opened the kit and pulled out a alcohol wipe, some disinfectant spray, and a band aid.
"This is probably going to sting, Scootaloo," Night Light said softly as he moved the wipe towards her scrape. Scootaloo winced when it touched the open wound. Night Light cleaned the wound up and then sprayed it with the spray. That stung worse than the wipe. Finally there was the band-aid and then Night Light gave it a kiss.
"Better?" Night Light asked softly. Scootaloo nodded and hopped down from the bench. Night Light gave the first aid kit back to the stand worker and then ordered some food. As promised, it was free of charge, though Night Light did try to pay for it. Once they had everything, the two of them walked back to their seats. Just in time, too, because the two-minute warning call came over the loudspeaker.
"That took a while," Velvet said as they walked up the final steps.
"Sorry, we had to deal with a bit of an incident," Night Light said as he took his seat. Twilight was about to ask but then noticed the band-aid on her daughter’s leg.
"What happened?" she asked with an alarmed tone.
"Some colts decided to push Scootaloo out of line," Night Light told her.
"And you were where, Dad?" Twilight shot back.
"A few feet away, talking to a pony I work with. I realize I should have just stayed with her, though."
"It's okay, Grandpa," Scootaloo said, "I should have stood my ground."
"They were twice as big as you, Scootaloo," Night Light replied. Twilight rubbed Scootaloo's knee. Though she was concerned, Scootaloo seemed to be okay and her father obviously felt bad.
"It’s fine, Daddy, just maybe pay attention to your Granddaughter next time."
Night Light was going to open his mouth to speak but the show was starting again. Any thoughts about the events at the concession stand were immediately wiped away as the amazement renewed.
**********
"That was… it was just… totally awesome!"
The rest of the family smiled at Scootaloo as they walked along the streets back towards home. They had just gotten out of the Wonderbolts show and Scootaloo couldn’t stop talking about it.
"All those dives and all those tricks and the pure coolness of it all! I… words can't…"
"Calm down, muffin," Twilight said with a pained expression, "I know you’re excited, but you’re gonna wear us all out."
Everypony else seemed to silently agree with the statement. Scootaloo’s blabbing ceased, but her amazement at what she just saw continued to grow. Twilight wasn't quite sure how she was going to take the news of the other event planned for the evening.
"Well, I guess we'll see you all in a few hours for dinner," Shining Armor said as he and Cadence broke off from the group.
"Dinner?" Scootaloo questioned. "Why would you need to leave us before dinner?"
"We're going someplace special tonight, Scootaloo," Twilight explained. "I'll tell you about it when we get back to Grandma and Grandpa's."
Scootaloo eyeballed her mother in the hope that maybe she would learn something, but Twilight's lips were sealed. They all said goodbye to Shining and Cadence and then made their way home. Upon arriving, Velvet and Night Light departed to their bedroom and Spike went to the kitchen for a snack. Twilight took Scootaloo upstairs to their room.
"So what's up, Mom?" Scootaloo asked as they walked into the room. "Why is everypony being so secretive with me?"
"Well, we didn't want you to worry about tonight," Twilight told her.
"Worried?" Scootaloo responded. "About what?"
Twilight didn't say a word but rather levitated two dresses out of the closet and placed them on the bed. One of them was her own, and the other was one she had Rarity make for Scootaloo. "There is a reason I had Rarity make you this dress, honey. Tonight you are going to meet two very special and very important ponies. Both of them have wanted to meet you ever since I told them about you."
"Are they friends of yours or something?" Scootaloo asked.
"You could say that," Twilight replied, "One is a friend, but the other is more of a mother in a way. She's been watching over me since I was your age."
Scootaloo thought about this. She pulled up every little bit of information she knew about her Mom and tried to put everything Twilight was saying into context. It didn't take long for two and two to come together, as well as for butterflies to appear in the filly’s stomach. One look of uneasiness was all Twilight needed to figure out that Scootaloo had come up with an answer.
"They both really want to meet you, sweetheart. When I was gone from you those few days, all I talked about with Princess Celestia in our little bit of free time was you. Princess Luna also knows about you since she and I write letters to each other regularly. They both are very excited to finally meet the little filly that has made me so happy."
Scootaloo could feel the butterflies build to the point where she was slightly nauseous. "But what if they don't like me? What if they don't think I'm as special as you made me out to be?"
Twilight got low on the floor so she was muzzle to muzzle with the filly. "You thought the same thing about the rest of your family when we first arrived, and look how much they love you. Don't worry yourself about something so trivial, sweetie. I guarantee you that they will both like you."
Scootaloo looked into Twilight eyes. They were very reassuring. "Promise?"
Twilight gave Scootaloo a kiss on the forehead. "I promise, sweetheart. Now let's hurry up and get ready; we don't want to be late."
**********
Velvet, Night Light, Shining Armor, and Cadence all sat downstairs in the living room. They were still waiting for Twilight and Scootaloo to come downstairs. "Twilight, you two need to hurry up or we're going to be late," Velvet called.
"Sorry, I'm trying to do something about the frizz that is my daughter's mane and tail," Twilight called back. This comment was followed by some notable grunting and whining. The four ponies eyeballed each other and waited to see if everything was okay. It was, and within a few minutes Twilight and Scootaloo walked downstairs. Twilight was wearing an old dress from the Grand Galloping Gala, modified slightly by Rarity to be somewhat more casual. Scootaloo was sporting a new dress and the sight of her made Cadence and Velvet melt. Scootaloo's mane was brushed smooth, as was her tail. Her dress was a two-toned blue and, when taking into account that her coat was orange and her mane and tail were magenta, she looked like a walking sunset.
"What's wrong with Grandma and Auntie Cadence?" Scootaloo asked her mother quietly.
"I think they like your new dress," Twilight explained to her. Scootaloo jostled her feet and body around. The dress, despite the fact that it was silk, felt uncomfortable.
"Well at least someone does," she said with a note of distaste in her voice. She tried not to complain too much, though, because she knew the fancy new clothes and the mane and tail primping were all necessary.
"Well then, the carriage is waiting outside for us," Night Light told them all. The entire family departed out the front door and into the awaiting carriage sitting in the driveway. Scootaloo clung to her mother's side. The butterflies in her stomach were pretty bad.
Mom told me not to worry, Scootaloo thought to herself, but what if she's wrong?
One thing was for sure, she was about to find out.
**********
The carriage ride was rather quick, since the Sparkle household was not that far from Canterlot Castle. As the front gates opened and the carriage pulled onto the castle grounds, Scootaloo could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. With each foot, the pounding increased, and by the time they actually reached the front doors, it felt like somepony was playing the drums inside her chest.
"Calm down, princess," Twilight whispered into Scootaloo's ear as they exited the carriage. Scootaloo couldn’t figure out how she was going to be able to calm down, especially once she saw that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting for them at the front steps.
"Princess," Twilight squealed in utter delight. It had been a few months since their last face-to-face visit.
"Ah, there's my faithful student," Celestia said with a smile. The two of them met halfway and shared a nuzzle. Scootaloo watched her mother and couldn't understand how she could remain so calm in front of Equestrian royalty. The rest of the family didn't seem to have a problem with it, either. Scootaloo, however, felt as if she had ingested a butterfly garden.
"So where is your daughter, Twilight?" Princess Celestia asked. "I have been anxious to meet the little filly that has brought you so much joy."
Twilight looked around and saw that Scootaloo was standing behind Velvet. "Looks like she's hiding behind her Grandmother."
Scootaloo let out a small "Eep!" when she heard her name and slowly walked forward. She very shakily made her way over to the two princesses and bowed politely.
"There will be no need for any of that nonsense, my dear," Celestia said softly. The Solar Princess gracefully walked forward and looked over Scootaloo. Scootaloo looked up from the ground and saw the smile spread across Princess Celestia's face.
"There is no need to be shy, either, my dear," Princess Celestia said to her quietly. Scootaloo looked up and very nervously smiled.
"Well, Twilight, I do see what you were going on about in Fillydelphia. She is an adorable little filly," Princess Celestia told her student. Scootaloo's cheeks went pink and Celestia chuckled quietly.
"Well, I can't wait to get to know you better, Scootaloo, in these next few weeks," she said to the filly. Scootaloo came a bit more out of her shell and thanked Celestia. Next came Princess Luna. Before the night princess said anything, she and Twilight talked for a moment.
"Princess Luna, it's good to see you. We missed you at Ponyville's Nightmare Night Celebration. All the fillies and colts were asking why you weren't there," Twilight explained.
"We are sorry, Twilight," Luna said with a very unusual bland tone. "We were quite sick that entire week. We really wanted to come and entertain the children, though."
"Well, there’s always next year, Luna," Twilight replied with a smile. Luna nodded her head and then shifted slightly so she was looking at Scootaloo.
"I think I remember you from my first Nightmare Night, my dear," Luna said to Scootaloo. Scootaloo nodded her head.
"Well, why don't we make our way to the dining room. I believe the first course should be ready soon," Princess Celestia announced. The Solar Princess led the way to the smaller, more private dining hall. Not many ponies knew about the room, and in fact it was rarely used. The Princesses only used the room for special events such as dinners with close friends or family. They found the table in the room set with enough places for all of them. The plates and glasses were sparkling. Currently there were ponies bustling around setting out food.
"Looks like we arrived just in time," Princess Celestia said as they took their seats. As soon as they were seated, the head chef presented their meal.
"For your appetizer tonight, we have a creamy lemongrass soup with a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy."
The chef took a bow and then left them to their meal. From there, small talk ensued. As they talked, Princess Celestia asked Twilight a rather important question.
"So, Twilight my dear, I must ask. How did Scootaloo come into your life?"
"Oh, well, I had known Scootaloo from living in Ponyville. She and her two friends have caused some chaos around town. Anyway, Scootaloo and her friends are obsessed with getting their cutie marks and decided that hang gliding was a good idea. Long story short, Scootaloo got hurt and I was the first pony that her friend Sweetie Belle found. She was pretty beat up, and I took her to the hospital. Luckily, she wasn't that badly hurt. Anyway, I offered to take her home because I wanted to speak with her parents. She told me that I didn't need to do that and we went our separate ways. I decided to follow her, however, and before I knew it we were outside Ponyville. Turns out she had been living in Applejack's sister’s clubhouse for a while. I brought her home with me and kind of took her in from there. A few weeks after that, I filed for adoption."
"Could have probably gone for the abridged version, Mom," Scootaloo deadpanned as she rolled her eyes. Scootaloo's comment prompted another question from Luna.
"So when did Scootaloo start calling you Mom?" Luna asked curiously. "Was it right away or did some event bring it out?"
Both Twilight and Scootaloo froze in their places. Neither of them spoke, bringing about staring from everypony else.
"I… I guess it was an event," Twilight said quietly. Everypony was still staring.
"You guess?" Velvet asked. Twilight didn't really do or say anything. Scootaloo had closed her eyes. Twilight reached under the table and grabbed her daughters hoof in hers.
"Twilight, something is really bothering you and Scootaloo," Night Light said as he looked at the two of them.
"It’s just… something… something really bad happened," Twilight said, not looking at anypony. Nopony said anything; they were all waiting for Twilight to speak. Twilight didn't want to, but figured she had no choice since it was already out in the open.
"It was about a month after Scootaloo had begun living with me. A filly in Scootaloo's class named Diamond Tiara, who enjoys tormenting fillies and colts, decided to poke fun at Scootaloo. Well, their teacher caught her teasing Scootaloo and punished her for it. And apparently Diamond Tiara wasn't too happy about this so she decided to get revenge. She convinced Scootaloo to take her to see a zebra that lives nearby in the Everfree Forest. Once they were in far enough, Diamond… she… she bashed Scootaloo on the head with a rock and… left her for dead."
At this point both Shining Armor and Night Light were struck speechless, just starting at Twilight. Velvet had her hooves on her mouth. Cadence was blinking rapidly, and if you looked closely you could see a few tears in her eyes. Luna and Celestia were trying to remain composed but what Twilight had just said was disturbing to both of them. Twilight swallowed and did her best to continue.
"I was really distraught when Scootaloo never came home. Luckily, Scootaloo had a angel looking out for her. Silver Spoon, one of Diamond's friends who happened to be with her when she assaulted Scootaloo, came forward and told us where Scootaloo was. I went straight after her and I'm glad Silver Spoon came when she did because if she had done it a minute later I… I probably would've lost Scootaloo. When I finally found her, she had been cornered by a pack of timberwolves. They were about to pounce but I managed to stop them. Scootaloo came frantically running towards me and that was when she first called me Mom."
Twilight finished and then just sat there. Nopony said anything. What Twilight just described to them seemed to have put everypony into shock.
"I certainly hope this filly has paid for her crimes," Princess Celestia said quietly. Twilight nodded her head.
"As far as I'm aware, her father won't let her attend Ponyville School anymore. In fact nopony has seen Diamond Tiara in months," Twilight explained. The room got really quiet again. A few members in the room tried to get back to eating their soup. Both Velvet and Cadence had ceased eating and were just sitting there. Both the Princesses were still trying to think about what they had just been told.
"How bad were the after-effects?" Luna asked calmly.
"She had nightmares for weeks. She missed so much school because she couldn't get any sleep. Eventually it got so bad I had to put her on a sleeping potion. Luckily, it has passed, though I'm hoping bringing it back up doesn't cause anything to happen," Twilight replied. Twilight then bent down and whispered in her daughter’s ear, making sure she was okay. Scootaloo nodded and tried to go back to her soup. There was a lot of tension in the room, but fortunately it was broken quickly by the waiters coming out with the next course of food, and small talk resumed.
"So, Scootaloo, what the best thing you like about your mother?" Velvet asked the filly. Scootaloo swallowed the food in her mouth and thought about the question. It was something she never really contemplated before.
"Um… I don't think I can just pick one thing about Mom that I like the most. She so caring and loving. She's always there for me. She’s a really good cook. She reads me stories almost every night before bed. She helps me with my homework if I ever get lost. She tucks me in every night and sometime waits for me to fall asleep. I'm so glad she found me and adopted me. She loves me and I love her. She's the best mom in the world," Scootaloo finally said. Twilight, overcome by emotions, wrapped one of her hooves around Scootaloo and gave her a squeeze. There was a small sniff and everypony’s attention turned to Luna who, despite the fact she was smiling, currently was wiping a few tears from her eyes.
"We are sorry," she said calmly, "we just thought that was really touching."
Luna composed herself and they continued to eat the delicious meal before them. Soon the dishes from the second course were taken away and the main course was brought out to them. It was so much food that Scootaloo couldn't figure out how she was going to get through this course and then dessert. Still, it was one of the most delicious meals she had ever eaten.
"Now, of course I'm sure you all remember that you are invited to sit with my sister and I in the private balcony during the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. I do hope that this year’s group does as a good a job as you and your friends did, Twilight," Princess Celestia said to everypony.
"I'm actually a bit relieved that I don't have to do it this year. It was fun but way too stressful. I'm sure the Canterlot University Drama Department will do a good job though," Twilight added. The rest of the ponies around the table nodded. Canterlot University's Drama Department was well known throughout Equestria.
"Also, you are all of course welcomed to the annual winter ball afterwards. By the way, Twilight, did your friends receive their invitations?" Princess Celestia asked.
Twilight nodded her head. "Yes they all did. Applejack won’t be coming because she’ll be in Appleloosa for the holidays. Everypony else should be coming though."
"Is Sweetie Belle coming, Mom?" Scootaloo asked. Twilight nodded and Scootaloo let out a squeal of delight.
"Then of course Luna and I want all of you to come to Hearth's Warming dinner. I also invited all your friends, Twilight. It'll of course be very casual," Princess Celestia continued, "I'm sure you have all this marked down in your day planner though, Velvet."
"Of course, Princess," Velvet said with a smile, "How would my family survive without my day planner?"
Once this comment left Velvet's lips, Twilight and Shining Armor rolled their eyes and Cadence snorted in her drink cup. Velvet looked at the rest of them and raised an eyebrow. Princess Celestia chuckled. As the Princess sipped her wine, she let her mind wander. Social parties with Canterlot's finest were fun, but there was always something about private dinners with friends and family.
**********
Following dinner they moved into the library for drinks and more chatting. As time wore on, Scootaloo eventually fell asleep in Twilight's lap. It was at that point the family decided it was time to head home.
"Tonight was really fun, Princess," Twilight said as she hugged her mentor good night.
"Yes, it was," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "I cannot wait to get to know your daughter more, Twilight. She is very sweet."
"Hehe, give her time, Princess and you'll get to see her more wild side," Twilight laughed.
"I look forward to it," Princess Celestia replied.
"As do I," Luna added as she swapped places with her sister and gave Twilight a hug as well. With good nights out of the way, the family headed home. As they walked along, Twilight couldn't help but reflect on how excellent the night had gone.
To think it’s only day two. We’re going to run out of things to do at this rate, Twilight thought to herself.
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this chapter is so cute and i am glad that you took your time on making this chapter great job
One thing I noticed
When a character thinks something to themselves as a line of inner dialogue, the convention is to italicize it so that it stands out from the rest of the text. Like so:
3738530
Oops I forgot to do that
3541640 3738476
Really? Here in Texas we use it pretty much like he did. The part I live in anyway.
3738565
I've heard it both ways but GreatEater is grammatically correct
3738565 ok
A had to many LOL's
Another great chapter in this fic. I had some laughs and there were plenty of heart warming Scootaloo and Twilight moments. Also it really is fun seeing Cadance as such a doting aunt to Scootaloo.
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Thanks
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Thanks
this chapter was adorable. i love it. if this is the quality i get for waiting a long time then take as long as you want.
fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/056/8/9/clapping_pony_icon___scootaloo_by_taritoons-d5w610a.gif
fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/363/1/e/clapping_pony_icon___twilight_sparkle_by_taritoons-d5pkpl8.gif
Yaaaaaaaaay~
I love this chapter and Luna cried, so emotional 
I love it
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Glad to hear
25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me6jelkuM61r5ue26o1_500.gif
still loving this amazingly crazy awesome story!
Twilight? A great cook?
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I'm sorry lol
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Thanks
Update! Yay!
This story is so adorable ^^ I especially love Cadance in this
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Everyone has to have a doting Aunt. I personally have two
wanting
_________________
Adorable chapter as always. I'm seriously glad that you are able to pull of the Straight Shipping with Twilight well. Most times I've read straight shipping it's been an utter hack job. Save for two fics. Well honestly only one that I can remember off the top of my head. Although I hope Scoots ends up shipped with Silver or Sweets. SweetieLoo FTW!
Two things though:
1) Did Sleepless in Ponyville happen in this Universe? and If so why didn't Luna remember Scootaloo from saving her from her nightmare?
and
2) The whole using dear thing. Repeatedly ... felt weird. I've only heard Mrs. Cake use that term, but seems so strange coming from the Princesses. Usually they just say a ponies name or "My Little Pony". I can see it used sparingly, maybe, on odd days. But so much in a dialogue threw me off a bit.
Although I can't wait to see a few chapters with Scoots and the Princesses getting into Shenanigans.
I'm glad those colts that pushed Scootaloo out of line got what was coming to them. To bad AJ wont be attending the party with the rest of her friends.
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Sleepless in Ponyville has not happened, this is set pre-season 3. Also yes I went a bit overboard and will dial it down next chapter.
totally adorable great chapter!
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Thanks
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Sweet. And Princesses + Scootaloo = Fluffy D'awww Attack! I can't wait to see the shenanigans they get up to.
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Oh there shall be shenanigans
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I eagerly await it
.
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Next chapter is kind of close to being done. It's gonna be a long one two probably close to 10,000 words probably
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That's a good sized chapter. Thank you for the heads up! *Dances in joy*
Great chapter but I got one question: Why is Cadance preening with her teeth ?
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Because that's how preening is normally written in fanfiction around here. Some people also talk about the brush so I did the same.
3741361 Yeah I know, just thought it would be easier for her using magic.
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Doing with your teeth is probably more precise
I like this story,I want to see what happens next.
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Hopefully it won't take as long this time
I love this u have the thumbs up from me
Good stuff dude. Very cute and a great read.
Hope to see more soon!
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I'm hoping it wont take as long this time. No promises though
3745706 Heh no worries! Life has this really bad habit of catching up and kicking you in the flank.
Twilight calling scoots muffin reppeatitly made me feel weird. Reason is I feel like its some thing derpy would say but uh good work
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I was running low on cutesy nicknames
3747482 hmm I see that's understandabo but here are two nicknames I like to call scoots sometimes scootawoo and scootsy I find thos cute any way that's all I got to say for now not much else to say lol
Great work on the chapter.
Run out of things to do?!
= 
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Not at all
But I like crazy Scootaloo!
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3753682
No like sweet scootaloo?
While it does make sense for any child to have a sweet side, for somepony like Scootaloo it should hold a point after a while. Maybe she is afraid to be herself around her family for fear of not being accepted? Its a minor point but being a "sweetie" and an "angel" does not mix well with her feelings that are against prissy things like her dress.
I am probably over thinking it though, I tend to do that
Its still a great story, you certainly write children better than I do. 3755344