"3...2...1...ACTION!" A young stallion called as he pointed a camera towards a white mare sitting down on a red couch.
"Welcome everypony to The Muffy and Muzzy Show!" said the mare, "With your host, Muzzy. Unfortunately Muffy cannot be here tonight because she has the flu" she said with a bright smile, "Tonight we will be interviewing Miss Scootalo, captain of the Wonderbolts!" Muzzy said as the crowd of ponies clapped. She then looked off to the side at the pegasus.
Scootalo stood to the side of the stage, behind a large curtain, shuffling her hooves as she got ready to go out, "You can do this Scootalo, its only a crowd of like, 100,000 ponies right?" she muttered to herself as she looked up to see Muzzy looking at her. Without a thought she walked out from behind the curtain and looked out into the crowd of clapping ponies. As she sat down next to Muzzy the clapping stopped and she looked at the mare.
"Its an honor to have you here, Scootalo" Muzzy said as she greeted the Pegasus.
"And its an honor to be here" Scootalo said as the crowd started to clap again.
Muzzy looked up at the crowd and then back at Scootalo, "Now, we have called you here for a very important question. Everypony wants to know your life story" she said with a flick of her ear, "Do you mind telling us?" she asked sympathetically.
Scootalo hesitated for a second but then nodded, "No I don't mind at all" she said as her heart slowed down a few beats, "It all really started when I was...abandoned."
Scootalo sat in her bed, waiting for her mother to say goodnight to her. Looking outside she sighed, "I wish mommy and daddy would stop fighting" she murmured to herself as her bedroom door swung open and she jumped up with a scream.
"Calm down, Scootalo, your going to make the neighbor's wake up!" her mother's voice came from the doorway as she giggled.
"Sorry mom, you just scared me!" Scootalo squeaked as her mother sat down next to her, "Hey mom can I ask you something?" she said as her mother looked into her eyes.
"Of course my dear" her mom said, "Is something wrong?" she asked with a bit of worry in her tone.
Scootalo's eyes filled up uncontrollably with tears, "Actually, mom, yes there is something wrong" her voice crackled, "Why do you and daddy keep fighting and...and why doesn't daddy come say goodnight to me anymore?" she said as her mother tucked her in.
Her mother stopped immediately, "Oh...Scootalo its just that your father and I haven't exactly been getting along lately. But I'm sure everything will be fine" she said as she quietly wiped a tear away from her eye and kissed Scootalo on her forehead, "Everything will be fine" she whispered as she turned out the light next to Scootalo and slowly walked out of her room, closing the door behind her without a sound.
Scootalo laid silently in her bed, looking up at the dark celling, her heart then started to race when she heard screaming.
"This is my damn house too, Nicole, you can't just kick me out!" she heard her dad's voice.
She then heard the sound of glass shatter, "I want you out!" her mom shouted.
Scootalo covered her ears with a pillow but she could still hear them yelling.
"Don't you get angry with me!" her dad yelled and then a Bang! followed by a long silence.
Scootalo felt paralyzed as she laid in bed, not being able to move. "Mom!" she thought she yelled but it just came out as a whisper. Her heart thumped in her chest as she stared up at the ceiling with tired eyes. "Mom said everything is going to be fine and I trust her" she said to herself as she fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Scootalo woke up to silence. "Mom?!" she called but there was no answer. She then rolled out of bed and cracked her door open ajar. When she still didn't hear or see anyone she stepped out into the hallway, silently walking down the long corridor she turned and made her way downstairs to see nothing but a broken vase that had been smashed against a wall. "Mom!" she yelled as she raced outside the front door and desperately looked around for her parents. "Mom! Dad!" she cried as thoughts swirled through her mind.
When Scootalo saw her neighbor watering her plants she ran over, "Mrs. Wingston! have you seen my parents?" she asked, out of breath as her neighbor shook her head.
"No but I did see your father leave the house last night with a lot of suitcases I might add" Mrs. Wingston said as she continued to water her plants.
Scootalo could feel her heart beating in her chest, "But...but you didn't see my mom? I can't find her" she said.
Mrs. Wingston turned to her, "No I did not see your mom, would you like to try to call her in my house?" she asked the filly.
Scootalo nodded, "Yes, please" she said with a bit of hope as she followed Mrs. Wingston into her house. Picking up the phone she dialed her mother's number at least five times until she gave up, "There's no answer" she said as she closed her eyes.
Mrs. Wingston settled her wing onto Scootalo's shoulder, "I'm sure we'll find her, if it makes you feel any better, we can go to the police station and see if we can get a search party for her" she said.
Scootalo nodded happily and followed Mrs. Wingston out the front door and down to the police station.
Mrs. Wingston stopped Scootalo with her wing at the bottom of the steps to the station and looked down at her, "I think you should wait out here" she said as she put on a fake smile and started to walk up the steps.
Scootalo sighed as she watched the mare leave her alone, sitting down on one of the marble steps she watched as ponies passed her by. About an hour later Scootalo had grown tired and got up onto her hooves taking one last look at the police station before trotting down the sidewalk.
Scootalo pushed through what felt like 100 ponies as she made her way down to the corner of the block. While she was walking across the street she bumped into a stallion. Looking up, she noticed that the stallion had the same face as her father did. "Daddy?" she asked with wide eyes.
The stallion looked down at Scootalo, shocked, he jumped back then shook his head, gulping as he pushed pass her.
Scootalo's ears fell as she made her way across the street as a raindrop hit her muzzle. Looking up she noticed that there were dark gray clouds engulfing the sky and she could no longer see the sun. As the rain got heavier Scootalo quickened her pace but stopped when a stallion blocked her path.
"Where's your mother filly?" the stallion asked with a small grin on his face as he motion two other stallions over to him.
Scootalo hesitated for a moment, "I-I don't know..." she said as a shiver ran down her spine.
"Do you want us to help you find her?" one of the stallions asked as he pointed to a carriage, "You can get in and we can take you to our place and you can call her there" he said as his eye twitched.
Scootalo began to back up, "Um...no thank you, I already tried to call her" she said as a lump formed in her throat.
The three stallions backed her up into the corner of an alley, "Grab her!" one stallion called as he pushed Scootalo over and pinned her to the ground, "Tie her muzzle shut" he order.
The stallion nodded and grabbed Scootalo's muzzle but was bit in the process, "You little bastard!" he yowled as he shook his hoof.
The other stallion rolled his eyes, "Let me do it" he snickered as he took the rope from the other stallion and tied her muzzle shut.
Scootalo tried to call for help but as hard as she tried, the rope was tied tight.
"Do you want me to knock her out, Basta?" the stallion asked the pony holding Scootalo down.
Basta rolled his eyes, "Yes of course I do" he snapped.
The stallion nodded then held up a frying pan and whacked it against Scootalo's head vigorously until he was sure that she was fully knocked out and would be for a while.
"Nice work, I'll take her to the boss and then we can get our pay" Basta grumbled as he threw Scootalo into a bag and walked out of the alley with the bag on his back. Taking the bag off he threw it into a carriage and hooked it onto himself as he galloped off into the street.
"Here's a filly, just like the one you asked for" Scootalo heard Basta's voice as she awoke into darkness. Furiously kicking the bag she felt herself being throw across the room and onto the floor. Crawling slowly out of the bag she looked up to see Basta and another stallion looking down at her. Flinching as she slunk back into the bag and crawled up into a ball.
Basta picked part of the bag up and looked inside, "Now now little filly, you should get used to your new home" he said as he turned to the other stallion. "I will take my pay now" he said as the stallion handed him a small bag of bits. Walking out two large brown doors, he turned, waved to the stallion and Scootalo, then left.
The stallion looked down at Scootalo, "You don't have to be afraid, I don't bite" he said with a smile. "I'm Chord, what's your name?" he asked as he set his hoof onto her shoulder.
Scootalo jerked away, "I don't have to tell you!" she snapped as she made a run to the doors but was stopped by Chord who picked her up with his magic, "Help! Put me down!" she yelled as she struggled to break free.
Chord rolled his eyes, "I wanted you here, do you really think I'll let you go that easily?" her asked with a tone in his voice as he dropped Scootalo to the ground.
"Why do you want me here?!" Scootalo asked with worried eyes as she took a few steps back from the stallion.
Chord snickered, "Because when I steal things, I can use you as a distraction" he said as he sat in a chair. Looking at the clock he turned to Scootalo, "Bedtime!" he said as he picked her up and carried her upstairs and into a big room filled only with darkness and one bed. "Sweet dreams" he said as he threw her in and locked the doors behind her.
Scootalo whipped her head around to the door and banged on it for a while until she gave up and fell back, staring at the ceiling like at home except there was no yelling, not a sound. Getting up onto her hooves she walked around, looking for a way to escape the dark room but she saw no windows and the only door was locked. Then she heard a long groan from the closet and slowly moved towards the closet door and put her hoof on the knob, slowly turning it until it clicked and she pulled it open to a horrific sight.
