> False Truths
>  by bestponydash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Fifteen Years Ago, I Found Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     My name is Scootaloo. For the first few years of my life I was told I was an orphan. However, fifteen years ago, on my fifth birday, my foster mother came to me and gave me a bundle of letters with no return address. They were simply labelled "To my Daughter." That's when my story began.

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and the temperature was high, and I was eagar to rush out the door so I could find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. We had been planning our greatest crusade yet, hurdle racers! I made my way out of my room and down the hallway of the "Smiling Foals Orphanage;" the walls were plastered with pictures of young fillies and colts, some of whom were long gone. I kept walking until I came across my own picture; I was standing next to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity. The orphanage was in the background and the sky was clear as can be; we three crusaders were covered in flour from one of our baking crusades. The three older ponies were behind us with concerned, and amused, expressions on there faces. But we three still couldn't help but smile to our hearts content. 

I can still remember that old picture even today, and I could never forget what happened next.

I was staring at the photos when I heard Ms. Hanes, my foster mother, coming this way. I turned and she calmly walked around the corner and down this green hall. She was a middle-aged mare with a yellow coat, brown eyes, and a blue mane curled to perfection. She wore a colorful pink and blue vest with the orphanage's name on it. As she made her way to me she began to stare; I remember her face being very sincere and serious. At first I ran to her and gave her a bright smile, "Morning, Ms. Hanes!" She smiled back but I could tell by her face that something was on her mind. "What's wrong?"

"Scootaloo, can I see you in my room for a sec?" I thought something terrible had happened because her tone seemed so concerned, so I followed her to her room on the far end of the hall. The room was painted green like all the others; there was a king sized bed on the back wall with a homemade quilt covering it. To the side was a large dresser with a mirror on top; and on the floor, in the center of the room, was a circular rug colored like a rainbow. 

Ms. Hanes walked to the side of her bed and placed her hoof on the quilt, "Please sit down." I did as I was told and sat next to her. She then went to her dresser and opened the bottom drawer, "I didn't forget about your birthday today," she told me. After I heard that, my smile sprung back onto my face and anticipation burned in my eyes; a birthday present! That's what she was thinking of! What was it: a new scooter, roller blades, or something less athletic. I was so excited!

I could barely hold still as she started to turn back around. But to my surprise and confusion, it was the letters. "Here you go," she placed them in front of me. 

I glanced at the letters for a partial second, "What's these?" I asked, utterly disappointed. 

Ms. Hanes sat down next to me, "Scootaloo, you remember the day I told you that your parents were gone?" I stared at her for a second; why would she bring that up? She looked and pointed to the letters, "Well, I may not have told you the whole truth."

Those words hit my ears like a sharp blade. My eyes widened and I could barely help my jaw from dropping. I looked down, still not truely believing what I was just told. Then I saw the label and was forced to believe those words. "To my daughter," I read aloud, my voice just over a whisper. When I looked back up to Ms. Hanes I was confused, angry, and yet happy. 

"The day you arrived at our door step," she explained, "there was a note that told us to wait until you were ready to give you the letters. At first I had no idea what it was talking about; there were no letters to be seen. But on your first birthday, and every year after, a letter came with that same label. I knew they had to be for you." I listened to her, not blinking. When she was finished I took a closer look at the letters. I stayed like that for several minutes, I didn't know what to feel.

After some time, Ms. Hanes started to speak again, "I figured you were ready this year." 

I continued to look at my letters until I noticed something. "There's only four; today is my fifth birthday. Where's the last one?" 

Ms. Hanes was surprised that THAT was what I chose to say after what she just told me, but nevertheless she answered, "Well I haven't gotten the mail yet." 

I simply knodded, "Can I..." 

"Of course," she interrupted. Ms. Hanes stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Once she left I quickly unrolled each letter and found the oldest. I didn't know what to expect: an explanation, an apology, or something else entirely. I was angry and confused. I had parents, that is all that went through my head. Until I started to read.

"Dear Scootaloo,
First off, I would like to say that i'm sorry; sorry you won't get to grow up with a normal mother and father. I know you may be angry and you have every right to be, but please believe me when I say that we did not give you up because we didn't love you. Your mother and I both love you more than anything in the world and it crushes us that we have to let you go, but I know that you'll grow up to be an amazing mare that would make any parent proud. By the time you read this, you'll be much older and may have given up on the idea of having real parents, but know that we still care about you and want to be in your thoughts. I may never see you again but I will send a letter every year to show you that I will never forget about you, my daughter.      Happy birthday.
-Your father"

When I finished reading the first thing that came into my head was "That's it!" No explanation as to why they had to give me up. Were they just scared that they Wouldn't be good parents, was the letter a lie! I have to know! I quickly pick up the second, then the third, and the forth. I kept reading and reading but he never mentioned his reasoning or even his real name for that matter. 

By the time I finished I threw the letters down and sat on the bed in frustration. I stayed that way for several minutes, mumbling. But after a while I realized that as hard as I tried to stay angry, I couldn't, I just felt sad. I felt a tear run down my cheek and my throat felt like it was blocked. I tried my hardest not to cry because I didn't want Ms. Hanes to hear.

I held in my tears and after a few minutes I calmed down. I looked down to the letters. They all ended the same way: "Happy birthday." Something about that spoke to me.

I cleared my mind and decided to make an unbiased assessment. So I wiped my eyes and read every letter again. This time I read slower and paid closer attention to every detail. My father never explained exactly what happened, but In every letter I could feel his sadness and regret. And by the end of number four I was sure of one thing: my parents love me.

A smile broke out on my face.

I carefully rolled the letters back up and stepped off the bed. I held them tight at my side and opened the door. On the other side was Ms. Hanes. I looked at her and gave a small smile, "My parents are alive and..." I felt the tears build up behind my eyelid, "they love me." She reached a hoof towards me and I ran to her. I hugged her tight and whispered "Thank you" in her ear. 

After that she looked at me, "Why don't you go tell you friends and when you get back there should be another letter waiting for you."

My friends, I completely forgot! What was I going to say to them? I ran to my room and put the letters in my bag. I felt my body fill with excitement. I ran out the door and down the street; every pony smiled and said happy birthday. The birds sang and the clouds were few. I ran and ran until I reached Carousel Boutique. I knocked on the door to find that it was unlocked. I slowly walked inside, "Sweetie Belle?" 

I took a few more steps in when I was jumped by a huge "SURPRISE!" 

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Twilight, Rainbow dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy all flew from their hiding spots with hats on their heads and smiles on thier faces. They all laughed at my startled expression and walked forward to greet me. Every pony wished me happy birthday and gave a present; Pinkie broke out her party cannon and sang around the room. Then they all looked to me to say something.

Every inch of my being wanted to tell them that I finally knew about my parents. But for some reason I didn't. To this very day I still have no idea what kept me from telling my friends then and there, but I just couldn't. Instead I thanked every pony and acted like nothing was different. The day went on and I did my share of crusading, which was an inevitable failure. 

When the sun went down and my friends had to leave I knew that a new letter was waiting for me back at the orphanage. I felt nervous and anxious: maybe this is the year he would finally tell me what happened. I now knew my father loves me, but I still had to know. 

I opened the door and walked up the stairs to Ms.Hanes's room. The light peaked under the door so I knew she was still up. I knocked and waited, my nerves jumping all around. Finally the door opened and she came out. "Well?" I impatiently asked. Ms. Hanes pulled out a sealed piece of paper from her vest pocket and gave it to me. I quickly grabbed it and examined the label: "To my Daughter," just like the rest, except for one thing. As I unrolled it, I noticed something different. On the back of this letter was an address.

I couldn't believe it, what could this mean? Did he want me to write back? I quickly thanked Ms. Hanes and rushed to my room, locking the door behind me. I hopped onto my bed and began reading.

"Dear Scootaloo, 
I don't believe it's been five years since I last saw you. I know that you've probably been through a lot in your life already, but I am going to ask you to do something that is far bigger than anything you've done so far. I figured now would be about the time you received my letters so this time I included a return address. Please wait until your old enough to take care of yourself and then come find me. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I miss my daughter.   Happy birthday.
-Your father"

Come find me, that's what he said, come find me. Finally he was ready to explain himself, finally I was going to meet my parents. 

That was fifteen years ago; that's how my story began. I had decided right then, on my bed, to do as my father asked. After that day no more letters came but it was okay, I didn't need any more letters; I was going to wait and then I was going to get my answers in person. 

The years passed but I stll had that goal in my mind and on my fifteenth birday, ten years later, I knew it was time.
> Five Years Ago, I Left
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Year after year passed me by and all the while my friends had no idea that I planed to leave on my own the moment I could. In truth, I felt guilty; I felt as though my intended actions would make me seem selfish. And the fact that I kept them in the dark for so long made it even worse. But how was I supposed to go about telling them? For a long time I hid behind the falsehood that I could never answer that question. I put off telling them until it was too late. 

The day of my fifteenth birthday was when I decided I had to leave. That fact always seemed ironic to me. 

The sun shined in through the window of my bedroom in Rainbow Dash's cloud house. During the passed ten years it was Rainbow who decided to adopt me; she was also the one who helped me get my cutie mark after so many failed attempts. I found it funny that it was her who finally helped me succeed as she was one of the very first ponies to try. We had many grand adventures together and I truly loved her as a mother and a friend.

That morning, like all mornings before, she set the table for my breakfast and headed out to produce today's weather. I got out of bed and went to the kitchen to enjoy the large bowl of cereal she laid out when I noticed a note pinned under the bowl. I curiously freed the note and read aloud, "Scoot, be back in a few. Today's supposed to be rainy, but I can change that if I hurry. Afterall, can't have it rain on a day like today."

I smiled and chuckled before putting the note back on the table and sitting down to enjoy breakfast. As I ate I constantly looked out the various windows in the cloud kitchen. One window showed clear skies while some the others were grey and mucky. When I had finished, I made my way out the front door; I could see Rainbow Dash zooming around, trying her hardest to move every last rain cloud before the other weather ponies could stop her. Ten years had taken thier toll on her speed, but she was still the fastest flyer in Equestria; in my eyes anyway. I watched for several minutes and couldn't help laughing. 

I descended to the street while Rainbow was still "occupied" and went on a stroll through town. I walked through the market district and stopped in front of a familiar rusted apple waggon. I looked at the wide assortment of red, green, and yellow fruit; my mouth began to water. But as I looked around I noticed something, or rather some pony, missing. Apple Bloom usually sells around here but she was no where in sight. "Apple Bloom?" 

"Scootaloo?" a voice bellowed from a distance. 

I looked around to find the source of the voice. I saw the earthly stands plastured on the side of every road, carrying cherries, carrots, pears, lettuce, corn, oats, and Celestia knows what else. I also saw the smiling venders behind these stands, who looked as though they would try anything to make a sale. The only thing a didn't see was the pony calling my name.

"Scootaloo, over here." 

This time I recognized the voice, it was Apple Bloom. But why wasn't she at her stand? I followed the voice around a few corners and into an ally way, but no one was there. I looked around at the trash discarded all around me, the smell was almost too much to bare. It was dark as well, the buildings blocked out all light and gave the whole place an ominous and creepy feel. Suddenly I heard hoof steps behind me, getting closer. I began to sweat as fear filled my body and halted my legs. Hesitantly I turned and- "SURPRISE!"

"AAAAAHHHHH," I jumped back and closed my eyes. But then I heard the mischievous giggles of two familiar young mares. I opened my eyes, "APPLE BLOOM! SWEETIE BELLE! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" 

My friends laughed it up while my heart was still trying to slow down. By the time they stopped to wipe there eyes I had calmed down. I looked back on the whole incident and tried to be a little angry at them for scaring me half to death, but I found myself grinning and even started to giggle. "You guys are jerks," I playfully said as I walked closer. 

When I got near, my two friends turned their heads and looked at on another with big smiles on their faces. With chuckles still in my voice, I asked, "What is it?"

They turned back to me, "We got you a present," Sweetie Belle explained.

"Oh you didn't have to do tha-" 

I stopped talking as soon as I saw what they got me. Apple Bloom held a piece of paper in her hoof. I looked closer and found that it was an application for the weather ponies. I had been trying to get a job as a weather pony for the passed couple of years but there were never any openings! The thought of flying along side Rainbow Dash as an equal was one of my life dreams!

Afterall, it was Rainbow who stuck with me and finally helped me learn to fly. She trained me for weeks at a time and watched as my wings grew bigger and stronger. The first time I flew on my own, I zoomed around and broke into tears of joy. I had finally become a REAL pegasus; not to mention that that was also how I got my cutie mark.

Now I had the chance to fly with Rainbow every day. I looked at my friends, astonished, "How the hell did you get that? They haven't had any openings for as long as I can remember."

"We called in a few favors," Sweetie smirked.

Applebloom jumped up, "And ah got ya an in'erview tomorrow afternoon."

I couldn't believe it! "Really?!"

"Yes'er."

My entire body filled with excitement, I thought I was about to burst. My glee made its way to my cheeks and I stretched a smile so big it started to hurt, but I didn't care. All I thought was- no wait, I couldn't think; I was too happy. I ran to my friends and embraced them, "Thanks you guys, this is the best birthday present ever." we hugged for a good minute before breaking off.

Excitement and adrenaline still cruised through my viens when I thought of how Rainbow would react. "I gotta go tell Rainbow Dash that she'll soon have a new cloud kicker by her side." I smiled and said goodbye to my friends before taking off and flying back home. 

When I arrived I busted through the door and frantically searched the whole house, "Rainbow? Rainbow Dash, you here?" there was no response. "Must still be clearing the skies," I said to myself. So I shrugged, kept my application tight under my wing, and headed up stairs to my room.

What happened next is why I remember this day so clearly, and why I did what I did.

I entered my room and put my new application down on top of my dresser. The room was cloud colored like the rest of the house. There were two windows on opposite walls and a large bed with one of Rainbow's hand-me-down blankets. The wooden dresser was on the wall next to the door, and besides that was my old scooter (beaten and starting to fall apart). I was about to head back out and wait for Rainbow to get back when I turned and caught a glimpse of....them. My eyes turned to my closet on the far wall. On the ground, in an open box, were my father's letters.

I stared at the letters for quite some time. This moring had been so exciting that I had completely forgotten about them and about the promise I had made to myself and my father. "Wait until you're old enough to take care of yourself," my mind echoed, "then come find me."  I slowly walked to my closet and picked them up; I glanced around, skimming each one. once again I felt the confusion, sadness, and love that was held on these pages. I felt the urgency of having to find anwsers rush over me just as it did all those years ago. "I'm old enough to take care of myself," my mind told me. That may have been true, but....I looked back to my dresser where the application lay and my ears dropped.

But my train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Rainbow Dash coming home. "Hey squirt, you home?" I began to panic as I heard her getting closer to my room. Rainbow still didn't know about the letters and I couldn't let her see! 

"Scootaloo?" She was right outside my door!

I quickly squished the letters back into the box and threw the box into my closet. A knock came on the door. "Uh...yeah. Just a sec," I nervously said. Then I turned to my dresser. I don't know what caused me to do this but I quickly ran, grabbed the application, and stuffed it in one of the drawers. After that was done I took a deep breath and put on my best -not in the middle of a huge life decision- face.

I hesitantly opened the door and saw Rainbow smiling and anxious. "What's up?"

"Follow me; I gotta show you something." 

I saw the excitement in her eyes and the bounce in her step, "Sure." After I agreed she zoomed to the front door; I had to race just to keep up.

When I got there Rainbow had one hoof ready on the door nob, "Check this out." She then opened the door and I gave witness to one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever laid my eyes on. I slowly walked to the door step with my mouth wide open. Every rain cloud was gone from sight and the early morning sun was still emerging, moving a line of golden rays across Ponyville. Birds flew by overhead, singing, their feathers glowing bright. The mountains to the north moved into sight with a faint fog and a blue aura around them. The town itself was vibrant with life; I watched the towns ponies walk around to various shops and the lttle fillies and colts running and laughing. Twilight's castle reflected the entire scene back on itself so you could both watch it and live it. And the green hills surrounding our town were like waves of emeralds.

It was moments like this that forced me to forget all about that promise and those letters, but how could I. 

I stood in awe for a few minutes with Rainbow next to me. "Happy birthday Squirt."

I smiled and jumped to hug her; we were locked together. But then...I shed a tear; not because of Rainbow's awesome gift, but because even after I had seen what she did for me I was still deciding if now was the time to leave. How could I be so selfish at a time like this! I quickly wiped my face as the hug ended. 

I was about to speak when Rainbow Dash spread her wings, "Well, we better make the most of our time. The other weather ponies aren't the brighest, but they'll catch on eventually. Come on." She flew forward, waving me on. I eagerly followed her.

Soon we were flying around side by side; it was one the best feelings I could ever hope to experience, and yet some unknown part of my mind forced me to ask, "Rainbow, how long have you been a weather pony?"

She looked at me and smiled; she knew that I had been trying to become one for some time. "Oh, most of my life actually. And probably for the rest of my life...you know after I have my wonderbolts adventures." That's what I was afraid she'd say. I loved the thought of doing this, working and flying with her, forever but...I...couldn't. Looking back on this day, I suppose that that was the moment I decided to leave. 

For the rest of the day I flew with Rainbow and laughed with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I tried to make the best out of every single second. But the day drew to a close when Rainbow's prediction came true and the other weather ponies moved the rain clouds back into position. Rainbow and I had returned home by the time the rain started to pour. She made my birthday dinner and by nine o'clock we were sitting down to watch a movie.

The room was dark and a large bowl of popcorn sat between the two of us. The screen lit up everything around us and sent our shadows dancing on the walls. About half way through the flick I could see Rainbow's eyes start to struggle to stay open. It wasn't long after that when got up from the cloud couch. "I'm gonna hit the sack. Hope you had a good birthday Scoot."

"I did, thanks," I waved and watched her disappear behind her bedroom door. 

Now my mind knew, it was now or never. I got up from the couch and headed for my room. I quickly grabbed my travel bag and filled it with a scarf, boots, and the letters. Then I went to the kitchen and took as much food as I could carry and stuffed it all in my bag. I creeped to the front door, put my hoof on the door nob, and.........

My hoof began to tremble; how could I, how could I just leave? My friends, Rainbow Dash, Ponyville: they had all been so good to me and I was about to walk out on it all. I couldn't. I took my hoof away from the door and threw my bag on the ground, "Damn it!" I went back into the kitchen and sat at the table, weighing the options. 

I stayed like that for a good hour, but in the end I just couldn't leave. I sighed and got up to collect my bag, but when I looked, the bag was open and I could see the letters in the pocket. 

"Come find me...I miss my daughter."

No. I can't stay here, I have to go, I have to. I filled my being with determination, if only for a moment, and put my bag back on. I opened the door and saw the thousands of raindrops falling; I could smell the rich moisture in the air. The moon shined bright above, allowing me to see enough to navigate town. I stood at the open door and my ears dropped once again. I slowly turned my head and stared at Rainbow's bedroom door, "I'm sorry.....goodbye."

I felt my eyes begin to fill with tears but I walked out the door before they could fall. 

I stepped onto the street and lifted my head to feel the rain wet my mane and face. Then I made my way to the Ponyville post office. When I got there the lights were still on and through the window I could see a middle-aged stallion sitting behind a counter. I entered and approached him, "Excuse me."

"Huh what?" He was grey with a green mane and glasses (and half asleep), "Yes?"

"I need to know where this address is," I showed him the letter's cover.

Unfortunately he barely gave it a glance, "Look little lady, it's late and i'm tired. Can't this wait 'till morning?"

I was soaking wet and emotionally at ends so you could guess that I became very irritated, "No this can't wait 'TILL MORNING. I need to get to this address."

The stallion sighed, "Alright." He took a closer look, "It's nowhere that I know of but I gotta buddy that lives up in Cloudsdale who might know where to look."

"Thanks," I snatched the letter from his hooves and walked back outside. I looked to the west and could just make out the floating city. The falling streams of rainbows were a dead giveaway. So I spread my wings to take off when suddenly-

"Scootaloo?"

I froze where I stood; I could recognize that voice anywhere. My eyes widened as I slowly turned around and there she was, with her sky blue coat and rainbow-colored mane both dripping wet. "Scootaloo what are you doing out here?"

"I...I uh." My body shaked and my mind went blank. Then it got even worse.

I could see Rainbow's eyes turn to the letter in my hoof, "What's that."

I didn't know what to say or do so I simply said, "I have to leave."

"What're you talking about? Where are you going, it's pouring."

"I..." I felt my eyes water and my throat was stuck; my entire body burned. After a while I lowered my head, tears fell from my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I just have to go."

"But-"

I flew away as fast as I could with tears trailing behind. I took one last look back and saw Rainbow Dash standing in the middle of the street, soaking wet. "Scootaloo!" I could hear her call, but I turned back to the direction of Cloudsdale and didn't stop.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I kept whispering to myself as I flew on.
> Cloudsdale: Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The farther I flew the worse the weather got. The clouds became darker, lightning cracked all around me and the thunder that followed burst from all sides; I was forced to cover my ears. But it was nothing compared to what was happening in my mind. With every wing flap I took, I could see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow, every pony. They were betrayed, abandoned, by me. But I had no choice: no matter how good my Ponyville life was I needed to know what happened, why, and what my life would have been like had things been different. 

Still....I hope they can forgive me.

After an hour of dodging, swooping, and rolling to avoid the weather, I began to see Cloudsdale more clearly. Unfortunately as my destination got nearer my strength began to disappear. When I finally exited the storm I felt cold, tired, and miserable; but I had to find my father's address no matter what. I let out a sigh of relief when I heard the thunder start to quiet down behind me. Gliding through clear skies allowed me to focus on my objective for the rest of the way. Another twenty minutes or so passed before I finally reached the front gates. When I landed I quickly shook the rain off my coat an mane but I was still freezing and tired; I had to find some place warm to sleep.

I walked onward through the large city. I had only been in Cloudsdale a few times and never had the chance to really experience city life. Everything was...different; it seemed like the whole place was divided into different classes. I looked in one direction and could see giant skyscrapers, business buildings, and the weather manufacturing factory; all of which reached high above the horizon. But to the opposite direction, there were no such sights: the buildings were small, dirty, and in decay. It was hard to imagine the illustrious Cloudsdale as having a bad part of town, Rainbow always spoke so highly about the place, but then again she was very young.

I continued until I reached an intersection. I looked all around at the glimmering lights in windows all over, and at the faces of the few ponies who were still out at this hour; they looked tired and roughed up after a hard day's work. As you could guess, I was about to turn in the direction of the nice part of town when I heard a commotion break out. I don't know why, maybe Rainbow's adventurous spirit rubbed off on me, but I found myself walking towards the sound, which inevitably came from the slums. 

This part of town was a scary place, however it did succeed in distracting me from Ponyville and my friends; in fact I was so focused on not being robbed or murdered that my mind went blank. Then I heard the struggle once more, just around the corner of the rancid condemned house in front of me. I creeped along the sidewalk and peaked my head out when I reached the turn. There was a bar, I could see through the windows; several tables were turned over and broken glass was everywhere. I flinched in disgust, but suddenly two stallions came busting through the door. One of them (the one being carried) had his head down and was dripping blood. The other one appeared to be completely unharmed. 

I watched as the defeated stallion was thrown onto the street like a piece of trash. The whole seen was hard to watch, I felt sorry for the poor fellow and I couldn't let him (or any pony for that matter) be treated that way. I spread my wings and flew over. The stallion still able to walk stood his ground and looked upon the other with hate in his eyes. I quickly landed and confronted him, "Hey leave him alone!"

He turned his attention to me and i'm embarrassed to say that I was scared, he was twice my size and had a huge scar on his left foreleg. "Just get out'a here. This ain't your business."

My gut told me to do what he said, but I couldn't and let him hurt some pony who can't even defend himself. "No! Leave him alone, he's had enough."

"This asshole wrecked my bar! Look at the place!"

"He's obviously drunk. If you didn't want this to happen you should of just cut him off."

"Ah," he waved me away with his hoof, "You're just some stupid kid, what the hell do you know about it?"

What did he just call me? At that moment I became enraged, I didn't care how big he was. "I know you better get back inside before I give you an even bigger scar accross your face!" The stallion looked into my eyes and saw that I was serious. He huffed and made his way back inside. I will admit that now I realize that burst of anger wasn't entirely because of what he was saying; I was still hurting. But nonetheless it worked, I won; I couldn't believe it!

Once he closed the doors behind him I let a huge sigh of relief at the fact that I was still alive. Then I turned to the poor sap on the ground. He was yellow with a rough red mane; his snout was bleeding, his cheek was bruised, and his purple eyes were bloodshot. But above all, I noticed the look on his face; it was a deep look that said he didn't care. What happened to him I wondered, why was he so....droopy. "Hey, you alright?"

He attempted to stand up. He was half way there when his legs began to wobble, so I quickly put his hoof around my shoulder and helped him up. "Thanks," he whispered. 

I began walking him to the good side of town; for some reason I felt responsible for him and wanted him to have a place to sleep. "What happened?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath but said nothing; I could tell that he didn't want to talk about it so I didn't ask again. We walked in silence until we reached a humble hotel.

I ordered a large room with two beds so I could keep an eye on this stranger; if he was wiling to start bar fights because of his sorrow, he might have been willing to take other extreme measures to end his pain. We entered the room and I helped him to the bathroom so he could clean himself up. Once he was in there I tried to listen for any dangerous sounds (glass breaking for example) but there was nothing but running water.

After some time he came back out, looking more sober. He took a quick glance around: the room was decently sized with two queen sized beds, a small kitchen, tv, and a large window with tacky curtains. I had lit up the room with the two small lamps next to the beds. I had no idea what he was thinking, but by the look on his face I think he was feeling a little better. He turned to me and nodded, "Thanks but why are you doing all this?"

To be honest I didn't really know; at first I felt sorry for him but now- I guess I just didn't want to be alone and this guy didn't seem to be the kill you in your sleep type. In fact he was kinda scrawny for a stalion twice my age; at least that was my guess. "You're acting like you didn't want my help."

"It's not that, it's just," he paused.

"Look, you can stand there in disbelief that a random pony would have the decency to help a bleeding stranger, or you can sit down and tell me why you were getting beat up in the first place." He smiled for the first time and chuckled. "What?" I asked.

"You remind me of my wife when we were young."

I won't lie, that was a little creepy, "Uh....okay."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound weird. It's just...." He walked over to one of the beds and sat down.

I could tell something was very wrong and my curiosity got the better of me as I followed him and sat down on the adjacent bed. "Where is your wife?" He didn't answer me, instead he just lowered his head and shut his eyes. There was no need to ask again, it was obvious. I tried to cheer him up by talking about something else. "So what's your name?"

To my surprise he actually answered me and tried his best to seem as though nothing was wrong, "Most ponies call me Sunny."

"Sunny? What's it short for?"

I could here a hint of hesitation in his voice, "Uh..Sunbeam Speeder."

I now realize that it was inappropriate, but after I heard that I couldn't help but laugh for a good two minutes. I tried to hold it in but oh well. He didn't seem to mind, in fact I thought he was about to join me. "Sunny it is then," I eventually said, "I'm Scootaloo."

He smiled and stared at me for about a minute, "Scootaloo huh?"

"Yeah." His tone was strange. "So?"

"I thought you looked familiar." 

My heart began to pound hard against my chest because I knew I had never seen this stallion ever before, and yet he knew me. What did that mean, who was he, what did know! "You know me?"

"I was there when you were born, and I was good friends with your parents."

My mind exploded, I couldn't think let alone speak. What were the odds that the stranger I chose to help would just so happen to be the very pony who could help me the most! It wasn't possible, and yet it was, it happened. I would finally get some answers. My mission was about to get a lot shorter.
> Cloudsdale: Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     I sat on the bed in silence, waiting for him to say something, anything. But he just stared at me for the next minute or so. I became extremely impatient, "Well go on! Talk! Who were they, why did they leave me in Ponyville, where are they?" I asked question after question, getting louder and angrier all the while. "What happened?! WHAT WAS SO WRONG THAT THEY HAD TO LEAVE THEIR ONLY DAUGHTER?!" Before I knew what was happening I found myself screaming and seconds from tears. Sunny quickly rose from his bed and sat down next to me. He put his foreleg around my shoulders while I lowered my head and tried to calm down.

I was out of breath and exhausted. Eventually I looked up at Sunny and quieted my voice, "Tell me."

He looked at me and I saw sadness on his face, that was not a good sign. "Alright," he began, "Twenty years ago, your mother and father got married. He had a very fulfilling job manufacturing and perfecting snowflakes at the weather factory and she was a successful real estate agent. Your mother was so determined to make sales that if a client wouldn't listen to reason or bargain, she would scare them into buying." At this point he looked up as if in nostalgia and chuckled.

"She was always getting into trouble with her bosses; nothing serious of course. Your father was a more by the books kind of pony. He did his work quietly and followed the rules. But don't let that fool you, if he had to, he would kill for his friends and family. These two opposites were perfect for each other." He stopped and took his hoof off my shoulder. 

I stared at him and didn't speak. 

"A few years passed," he continued, "and then everything changed."

I was at the edge of my seat, "What happened?"

He sighed and took a deep breath, "One day your mother said she wasn't feeling well, so your father took her to the doctor."

"And?" I held my breath for I feared the worst.

"After a few tests...it turned out she had cancer."

NO! NO! That can't be right! She can't be....

"But it wasn't all bad news. Turns out she was also pregnant." He looked at me and tried to smile, but he knew I would not return it. I couldn't smile even if I wanted to; in fact I could hardly breathe. "When they got that news, believe me, they asked every question they could think of." 

He turned his head again and looked down. "The doctors said you had next to no chance of living and being born," he paused for a second. Suddenly his head shot back up and he stood up and looked me in the eyes, "But you were a fighter, just like your mom. Everyone doubted you along the way but you never gave up."

I realized he was talking in passed tense when he spoke of my mom. I knew what that meant; my worst nightmare was true. "Did she die?" I don't know why I asked, I knew the answer was yes.

"She is now dead, yes," he put his hoof on my shoulder again. Why did this have to happen to me; what did I do to deserve it? I felt horrible, so sad and so angry; I will never get to...to talk to my mom, to tell her about my day, tell her I love her.

"But she lived long enough to hold you and give you a name." His words managed to get through to me a little. I knew what he was trying to do, but it didn't make me feel any better. Then a thought rushed into my head.

"Well why didn't my father raise me; he could of done it." I need answers; if my father raised me, he could have told me about my mother. But he didn't, and he even tried to hide the fact that my mother's dead by making it sound as though she was still alive in the letters.

Sunny's face became very long, I could tell there was something else. "Your father gave you up for adoption because...because your mother asked him to." What?! Why would she do that? Why would she ruin what little time she had with me? It made no sense! 

"But....but?"

"By the time you had been born your mother had begun to...show her sickness. Her entire appearance was changing. When she held you in the hospital, she knew that you would have to grow up never knowing what she really looked like. You would have had to slowly watch her die every day, helpless to stop it. No. No she couldn't bare that. Instead she told your father to send you away with the hopes that you would one day get to enjoy a true family, not plagued with tragedy. That's why they left you in Ponyville."

So there it was, I found what I was looking for....Damn it. I didn't know what to think or do. Part of me loves what they did because they were protecting me; but part of me also wanted to scream in anger because it was selfish that they didn't even give me a chance. Maybe I wouldn't have cared about the cancer, maybe I wouldn't have cared what my mother looked like. I sure wouldn't care right now.

And why didn't my father just say no, or talk my mother out of it? He could have done that. He could have done something! I started to get angry, furious. I had been cheated, cheated out of my real life. "Is my father still alive?"

Sunny was shocked at my response, I looked at him with very serious eyes. I needed to tell my father how I feel, I needed to yell, I needed to scream! "You father..." he took a few steps back. He acted strange. "Your father as I knew him died along with your mother."

Your father as I knew him? What did that mean? "He's alive isn't he."

Sunny paused and looked to the ground, "Yes."

"Where is he?"

He took a deep breath, "He's-"

Sunny was cut off by a loud bang coming from the door. BANG! BANG! Again and again. "Mr. Speeder, we know your in there. Open the door please."

The voice outside was strong and forceful. I looked at Sunny and could not believe the horrible timing of this outburst. THIS COULDN'T HAVE WAITED TWO MORE SECONDS! But both Sunny and I knew we had to answer. So Sunny opened the door to find a large stallion in a police uniform.

"Sunbeam Speeder?"

"Yes?" Sunny gulped.

"Your under arrest for attempted murder. Please come with me."
> Cloudsdale: Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     What? What did he just say? Attempted murder?! That can't be true; Sunny wouldn't try to kill any pony, even with his recent tragedy. Sunny's face became wide and sweaty, "What the hell are you talking about?"

The police officer grew angry and hostile, "Whatch your language when your talking to an authority figure!" he commanded. "Your under arrest, come with me or i'll be forced to add resisting arrest to your charges."

Now Sunny started to get angry, "Charges?! Charges against who? I've never tried to kill any pony!" Both Sunny and the officer huffed and puffed.

Finally the officer gestured to the door, "Charges against this stallion." Slowly, he emerged from the hallway and declared himself in the door way. His face was smug and his stance was crooked. 

He walked inside and pointed to Sunny, "That's him, that's the bastard that wrecked my bar and tried to kill me!"

"You recognize this stallion?" the officer asked.

"Well yeah. But I didn't try to kill him." Sunny gave the stallion with the large scar a very hateful glare. I was still in a daze about the whole situation. I couldn't believe this was happening! Sunny can't go to jail, not now. Hell, not ever. 

The officer continued to question him, "Do you admit to having a struggle with this stallion inside of his bar earlier tonight?"

Sunny began to sweat more, I could see the nervousness surround him. "Well...yes, but...I-"

"Your gonna have to come along."

The scarred stallion quckly rose his torn hoof towards me, "Her too, she was helping him!"

What?! NO, I didn't do anything, "What are you talking about?" Suddenly both hostiles began to approach me. What should I do? I'm innocent, I can't go to jail. My ears dropped and my throat gulped. They got closer and closer until- 

BANG! Sunny suddenly ramed the bar owner, ultimately pushing the officer down too. My mind went blank, I still wasn't sure what just happened. I stood with a gasp on my face until Sunny ran to my side. "Quickly! Get out of here! Head to 2647 gradual road, you'll find your father." He then rushed to the windows on the far end of the room. "There's probably another officer downstairs so you'll have to use this." He busted the window into pieces, revealing a hole out of the sill big enough for me to get through.

Unfortunately the two other stallions suddenly were back on all fours and sprinted our way. The officer went for Sunny and the bar owner for me. I was terrified and had no idea what to do, but my Rainbow Dash instincts kicked in. I sucked in my gut, yelled a war cry, and ran to give him a hoof to the face. The hit was solid and stern, he was sent tumbling down.

"You little..." he said, rubbing his jaw. I was doing it, I was winning. I prepared to hit him again as he got up, but Sunny suddenly pushed the officer and ran and knocked my adversary back on his flank.

"What are you waiting for?! GO! RUN!" But I couldn't, how could I just leave the fight? No, I must stay.

"I won't leave you." He was very dissatisfied with my answer, but I knew it was the right thing. But Sunny quickly ran towards me and pushed clean out of the window.

What was he doing?! He can't beat them both! I need to help. I caught myself in midair and steadied my flying. I was about to zoom back in and help when I saw Sunny against the windowsill, being beaten. My eyes widened and my stomach felt sick. I quickly flew to his aid, but when I got to him he pushed my hoof away and shoved me back. "Hurry!....Please."

I looked into his eyes and he did the same; I can't bare to think why but I did as I was told and flew to safety a few blocks away. Behind me I could here one of the stallions yell, "After her! Get her!" But I was already too far gone.

I flew into an alleyway and hid behind a nearby dumpster. CRAP, CRAP, CRAP! Everything is so messed up; what am I going to do. I sat on the cold cloud ground and burried my face in my hooves. I was still going through all of the details Sunny had revealed to me. My mother is gone, my father gave me up and is now supposedly a completely different pony, and now the only pony that helped me is in jail. THINK! Sunny gave an address; what were the numbers again? 2467? No. 2674? Aaaahhh, it all happened soo fast. 

"2647! That's it! Yes, 2647...uh...shoot, um...something road." I thought for several minutes, stressing my brain. "drowry road, gary road, grad-GRADUAL ROAD! That's what he said. 2647 gradual road, okay." I looked around and ran out of the alley and all over town but couldn't find the street. "Come on, where is it?" then I stopped in my tracks.

It was what Sunny said, "Head to 2647 gradual road, you'll find your father." My father? The address my father gave me in the letter wasn't what Sunny said. Was the address on the letter a lie? Then another thought occurred to me: why would I even seek my father's help? Those words echoed in my brain. He cheated me out of my life and my mom; why would he help me now. Sunny said he was different, broken; broken ponies are no use to any one. Besides, Sunny has been more of a father to me than my real dad ever was. Sunny was upfront with me and didn't try to hide the facts just because they hurt. No. I can't seek my dad's help. 

The more I thought about it, the more I knew what I was gonna do. I was- no, I had to break Sunny out of prison myself.

I stopped looking for the address and started looking for the police station. I travelled passed corners and buildings until finally I found it. It was huge with big double doors and what looked to be bulletproof windows. I had never done anything like this ever before so I didn't really know where to start. So I started by walking in. Loking back, I suppose it does seem a bit stupid just to walk right into the lion's den, but I guess I didn't think of it that way before.

When I went through the doors I quickly looked at the front desk. The pony behind it was asleep! How could anypony fall asleep right after a new, fighting for dear life, prisoner was just brought in? I approached her. She was a slim mare, not that much older than me, with a black coat and gray mane. I tapped on the desk until she woke up, revealing her bright orange eyes. "Huh? Who's there?"

I rolled my eyes, "Hello!" I caught her attention. 

She shook her head and blinked slowly, "Yeah, i'm up. What is it?"

"How can you be asleep at a time like this?" I don't know what made me so fixated on the fact that she was asleep, maybe it was my nerves.

"Um, at a time like what?" she blankly asked.

"You just brought in a beaten bloody new prisoner!"

She turned her head, "What? No we didn't."

"Yes you did! His name is Sunbeam Speeder." I was about to burst over this filly's stupidity.

She leaned under her desk and pulled out some sort of ledger. "Um, we keep all prisoner information inside this book. I'm supposed to write it all down here," she pointed, "There's no Sunbeam Speeder here."

What? He's not here? That's impossible, it's been about half an hour since I left the hotel; they would've surely gotten here before me. Maybe i'm at the wrong station, "Is there another police station around here?"

"Um, no."

What the hell!! Where are they? I began to look around nervously. This is bad, I have to save him, he's innocent. Then suddenly the mare walked out from her desk and started towards me. The moment she moved, I noticed the top suspected ponies list that had been hidden behind her. My eyes widened, and my mouth gasped. On the poster was none other than the scarred bar owner.

The police mare approached me, "Do you um, need some help or something?"

My body was in shock. Why would a polce officer help a suspect? It all made perfect sense at that moment. The reason Sunny wasn't here and the reason I wasn't arrested as soon as I walked through the door was that the stallion that took Sunny and tried to take me wasn't a poice pony at all! I bet he was one of the bar owner's friends. Oh no, oh shit. What do I do now? Where am I supposed the look? 

But then I got an idea. I stopped panicking and turned to the extremely confused police mare beside me, "What do you know about that pony?" I pointed to the poster.

The mare looked, "Um, why do you want to know about him?"

"It's important!" I snapped.

She sighed, "Wait here." She slowly walked through a door on the left-hoof side. After a few minutes she emerged with a file tucked under her wing. She went back behind her desk and spread the file out. I didn't waste any time and rapidly searched and searched. Finally I found it! 

The suspect's name was Ferment fill. And it seems as though he owns two bars as well as an old warehouse building. THAT'S IT! That's where they took Sunny, it has to be. I quickly meorized the location and zoomed out the police station's doors. The police mare yelled "Hey, wait!" behind me but I couldn't care. 

It was time to save Sunny. [Gulp]
> False Truths
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Again, again, and again I repeated the warehouse's location in my head. Hold on Sunny, i'll get you out of there! I travelled deeper and deeper into the slums; passing condemned buildings, hookers, liquor stores, and gang houses. All the way I became more and more nervous. But I couldn't give in to fear, I had to press on. Eventually I flew far enough to see my destination on the horizon: the industrial district. 

Soon enough, the roads showed less and less houses and began to feature large storage centers, old rusted factories, and, most importantly, warehouses. I slowed my pace but not my mind. "Come on, come on! where are you?" I said to my self as I covered as much ground as possible. I zigzaged back and forth between the huge buildings. After ten minutes I became scared. After twenty minutes I had lost some hope. I slowed down until I came to a stop in the middle of the street. I was breathing heavily and my whole body felt sick and scared. 

I sat down in defeat and buried my face in my hooves, "What am I supposed to do? I've looked everywhere and still can't find it anywhere." My mother, my father, and now Sunny too; every pony tied to my family, gone from my life. 

But just as I was about to lose all hope I heard a loud noise from some place far off to my right. I quickly turned and stared at two adjacent factories, both brown with rust. Then the noise came again, "AAAAAHHHHHH!" It was the voice of a pony, a stallion! I knew it had to be Sunny. No pony else would be out here. I felt my nerves calm and my head felt much lighter. I was once again filled with hope and determination. Hang on, i'm coming.

Before I knew it, I was on all fours again and zoomed forward with my wings. I reached the two factories, the voice was getting clearer. What's more, I could hear two more voices along with Sunny's. It was too muffled to make out exactly where they were but I figured they can't be far. So I flew between the two factories to another street, and there it was, I knew it. The building was old and ready to fall apart. I cautiously crept across the street and stopped on the outside wall. I put my ear to the cold, rough, and damp metal. 

I could hear loud thumps, each followed by a grunt or scream. "Just kill'em already, Fill," said one of the thugs, probably the fake cop. I gasped and put my hoof to my mouth. Shit! I've gotta huury before it's too late! I took a deep breath and tried to focus. 

"Are ya' crazy, I want this bastard to pay for what he did," said Ferment Fill. Well, at least there was still hope of a rescue. I just hope I can get Sunny outta there before he changes his mind. 

I took a deep breath, "Okay, here we go." i started to make my way along the outter wall, trying to find an entrance. All along the way I could hear Sunny being beaten, his grunts of pain got louder after each hit. It took everything I had just to retain my quiet breathing. After I turned the first corner and saw that glorious back door I rejoiced with both joy and fear. It was now or never.

I push open the rusted door ever so slightly. Unfortunately the thing to remember about rusty hinges is the slower they move, the more noise they make. A loud creek echoed through the warehouse, alerting the two goons inside and crushing my chance of any sort of surprise. Before I knew it, the two were racing towards the door. I had to act fast so I ran inside and hid behind some stacks of old 2x4s. I made it to cover just in time and the two thugs ran right passed me and out the door. Now was my chance!

I flew from my hiding place and raced to the door. I took hold of it and slammed it shut. Unfortunately the lock had been long busted, I see now that I really should've checked that before slamming the door. I began to lose my cool as the thugs returned and started banging on the other side of the door. It took every ounce of strength I had to hold those two at bay for as long as I did. I pushed and pushed but it just wasn't enough. "Come on! Come on! You got this," I kept saying to myself.

But despite my efforts, the door slowly, roughly, creaked open enough for Fill to sqeeze through. My heart pounded as he tumbled inside, but I couldn't let fear take over, now was still my chance. I took a deep breath and let go of the door. I rushed for Fill, who was still on the ground, and started throwing my hooves every which way. I kicked and slammed; I bit and headbutted until I was out of breath. I took a look at Fill, unconscious and bloody on the floor in front of me.

I did it! I couldn't believe it, I won. I had never felt so proud of myself in all my life. "Nobody messes with my friends," I triumphantly said. But then...

"Hey kid."

"Huh?" I said, slowly turning around.

"Forget about some pony?" It was the fake cop! Oh sh-

Everything went black, I guess he knocked me out but I don't really remember. When I came to, I was sitting up against a large metal beam in the middle of the room. I couldn't move. I took a look around: the warehouse was grey on the inside, boxes were everywhere, old broken machines were scattered all around, and the whole place stunk of mold and rot. Then I began to feel something on my chest; I looked down to find lengths of rope tied all around me, binding me to the beam. I tried to wiggle free, but it was no use. 

Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap! What now? But suddenly there was a noise behind me, a sort of groaning. "Scoot....S-Scootal..loo." 

I quickly turned my head as much as I could, "Sunny? Is that you?" I couldn't see him.

"W-why...did you...," his voice was weak.

My insides burned, my ears went down, and my chest hurt. "Just hang in there, I'll get us outta here. Stay with me." I waited for an answer.

"........."

"Sunny? SUNNY?!" I yelled. 

"........"

I lowered my head and closed my eyes. "You're okay. Sunny, you're okay. You're okay." Again and again I said it. I thought if I said it enough it would be true. A few minutes passed and there was still no answer. The tears started to fall from my face, my body shook. "You're....You're..." 

"I'm afraid he's dead," said a rough voice. My head shot up as those murderous bastards came into view. The two walked toward me. "And you're next," said Fill. 

At that point my sorrow turned to hate and fear. He got closer, my heart beat faster with every step he took until finally he was upon me. I looked up at him and did everything I could to hide my fear, but I must admit that I was only seconds away from crapping myself. Slowly he raised a hoof, "Take this you little-" BAAANNNGGGG.

Fill was interrupted by a huge noise behind him. "Hey! Get you hooves away from her!"

That voice.....I could recognize that voice anywhere. My eyes widened as I slowly peaked behind Fill....and there she was, with her sky blue coat and rainbow-colored mane.

"Who are-" he didn't have time to finish before Rainbow burst from the warehouse doorway and zoomed to the two thugs. Bang, Bang, Boom! She hit them with everything she had until down they went. My heart slowed and I took a deep breath; I was saved. 

Rainbow landed calmly over the unconscious thugs. "No pony messes with my family," she smirked. Then she turned and saw me. She ran to my side and freed me. She put a hoof on my shoulder, "You alright, Squirt?"

I was completely amazed, "H-How did you find me?"

Rainbow cracked a smile, "You left a big trail, Squirt."

My eyes watered and and quickly hugged Rainbow, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just..."

She put a hoof around me, "Hey, hey, hey, don't worry about it. I know why you left." 

What? What did she say? I ended the hug and faced her, "You do?"

"Yep, and I couldn't be more proud of you." She wiped my eyes."

"But, it was all for nothing. I got Sunny killed for nothing!" My body felt like it was on fire; regret and pain filled me up.

Rainbow glanced behind me, her ears dropped a bit. But then she turned back to me with a serious and determined face, "Listen to me; don't believe, not even for a second, that this is your fault, because it's not. You did everything you could, understand?"

I starred into her eyes, they were big and bright. Her words managed to reach me and soon my guilt was disappearing. "Thanks, but...." I soon remembered my purpose for coming to Cloudsdale. Everything I had hoped for, everything I had hoped to find, was gone. I lowered my head again.

"But what?"

"...I came here for nothing. My mom is dead, my dad is gone, and now Sunny."

Rainbow tried her best to comfort me, "Well at least you know about your parents now. That's something."

But it did little good. ".....My family is all gone."

She put a hoof to my chin and raised my head; my eyes were red and filled. "Apple Bloom, Sweatie Belle, me, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie. That's your family."

My mouth gasped open and my tears stopped. She was right, I can't believe I had been so stupid and selfish. I didn't need to leave Ponyville to find my family, I had already found them. 

I hugged Rainbow again, this time harder. I put my mouth up to her ear and whispered one word: "mom." She smiled and hugged me back.

And that was five years ago. That was how I found my family, my true family. After that me and Rainbow turned Ferment Fill and his partner over to the police. Then we gave Sunny a proper burial and headed home. I never told any pony else what really happened and I never did go to the address Sunny told me, but it was okay. From that day and everyday since I've felt a deep respect and love for my life in Ponyville. And I would never leave again.