You're Not Chicken, Are You?
Snap Shutter and Westerly Winds are not Scootaloo's biological parents.
The pair she gets her DNA from are none other than heroine Daring Do and the misunderstood Dr. Caballeron. Daring Do’s real name is Artifact Keeper Yearling; she is the runaway daughter of abusive addicts and the estranged sister of Ditzy Doo. Caballeron is the only child of a poor, though warm elderly couple, who didn’t make it to see their son’s twenties. Daring Do and Caballeron spent many years chasing one another’s tails, with Ahuizotl spinning to protect his homeland’s lost artifacts. One night, though, the two were stranded together inside a riddled pyramid. One thing led to another, bitter words were spoken, a compliment here and there. And then something most unexpected happened, and A.K. Yearling came out as pregnant not long after.
Scootaloo formed from a loveless, non-serious affair. Daring Do never wanted children, she viewed them as shiny and, well, problems. Whenever there was a foal in danger, Daring Do had to sacrifice her mission to protect the idiot child. She saw them as nuisances, and attributed them to mainy of her losses. She couldn’t have a baby getting in the way of her business, and fully intended to leave the kid on Caballeron’s doorstep. The thing is, living as Ahuizotl’s right-hoof henchpony doesn’t exactly equal being up on celebrity gossip. Dr. Caballeron had no knowledge that a mare would be having his child. Had he been, perhaps he wouldn’t have advised Ahuizotl to move their position to the other side of the country. When A.K. arrived at their camping spot, all she found was dust where the father of her child had been.
A.K. Yearling tried the whole mother thing, for about a week. She brought her newborn on missions, and on one particular occasion Scootaloo was shot down from Daring Do’s back. Scoots landed on her wings, breaking every small bone inside them and leaving the foal permanently disabled. With a roll of her eyes, and surely not with overwhelming guilt suffocating her, Artifact Keeper decided to give her baby to the foster system. That’s where Scootaloo remained, for a time.
Meanwhile, Dr. Westerly just kept putting pregnancy off for after this expedition, after this research paper, after this experiment. She sacrificed all her precious plans of motherhood for the sake of the job-- the work was more important than her own selfish wants, you see. She was a martyr, you understand. At least, this is what she tells herself. In reality, she was a rather selfish mare. She put terrible emphasis on her and her husband's work, believing them to be heros and even somewhat saviors. She desperately feared that work being interrupted, and clung to an even deeper fear of being a parent. Eventually, her wish was granted. Westerly had gotten to the age where she could not bear a foal of her own.
Snap Shutter was heartbroken by this discovery. He truly wanted a child, someone to leave their legacy to. A foal that would look up to him, entertain him. Really, all he seemed to want was a pet in turn of an actual filly or colt with their own immature interests, pesky needs and tricky emotions. His mood began to affect their work. Westerly quickly decided that this needed to be corrected; the work could not suffer. Her husband wanted a child? Well, boy or girl? What color? Pegasus, unicorn or Earth? How old? Loud? Quiet? I hear these just heaps of them ready to be given away, easy as that.
So Westerly took Snap Shutter to the nearest orphanage; an out-dated, small and ruckety place. Why, they were probably saving this baby from a lifetime here, in this nowhere town, brimming with ponies who had nothing to their forgotten names. This foal would be raised in their image. A legacy that would bring fortune to their good name. Someone who would make them look good. And thus, they chose the only disabled child. Ponies around them would refer to them as such saints for choosing a pegasus that can’t fly. What brave parents! How lucky is that kid, huh? They’ll be a real rival once they get some schooling, y’know! Quickly, the two were assigned as the kid's foster parents. It was all so fast, they were practically giving children away. But Scootaloo got a home out of it, so what's the harm? Well, Westerly Winds and Snap Shutter weren't the most present of parents. Westerly viewed Scootaloo as more of an object than a pony, someone that existed solely for her husband's casual entertainment. Sure, she liked the kid okay, maybe had a growing soft spot for 'em, but that didn't change things. Scootaloo was a means to an end. Snap Shutter, on the other hoof, loved being there for Scootaloo when they were a happy go-lucky kid, but became awkward and uncomfortable when they cried or threw a tantrum. Mostly, he just locked Scootaloo alone until the kid calmed down. Or until they got back from a trip. Or until he remembered his foster foal was in there.
As Scootaloo got older, it became clear that they weren’t a "he." Yes, Scoots loved to climb trees, wrestle in the dirt, eat bugs and throw spitballs at pretty fillies, but as soon as Scootaloo identified her own emotions, she explained that actually, this boy thing ain't working out. Nah. Sorry, Mom and Dad, but I'm a chick. What'd you got to say about that? They didn't really care about her being transgender (much like their feelings towards her own thoughts and emotions!). Snap was happy that he had a foal he could go to daddy-daughter dances with, Westerly was pleased that she now had an excuse to buy him--”er, her”--makeup and dresses that when inevitably thrown out, West could wear herself because no it can’t be returned! (yes it can) and well things shouldn't go to waste! I mean, Scoots was still the same pony with the same interests, so it didn't change much of their dynamic. They mostly used Scootaloo's swift transition to show themselves as the most accepting, loving parents in the galaxy. Oh wow, look at our transgender daughter who defies gender norms! Isn't our Scootie just the most inspirational filly you've ever met? Aren't we angels for accepting her? Aren't we just heroes?
They very easily and quickly slapped a million labels on Scootaloo, just so they could use her and her forced identities as a pawn to get a leg up in Ponyville. Once Westerly even read her diary, found out Scootaloo had a crush on a girl classmate, and sold copies to the whole school, outing her own child without her consent or knowledge as wlw.
This isn't merely the worst her parents treated her. For one, she was their showpony. For two, they only liked her when they could get something out of playing with her. For three, they were incredibly neglectful of her for weeks, sometimes months at a time, while they went off on their research trips; Scootaloo's main source of food was the school cafeteria, school supplies would have to be stolen, Celestia forbid if she needed any new clothes. Hell, she still had all her baby toys and a baby's room, because her parents never upgraded it as she grew up. For four, they couldn't cope when she was feeling down or otherwise upset, so they just locked her up everytime, or simply ignored her, or told her to grow up. She wasn't even a teenager yet, but she needed to "stop acting like a child."
This cycle continued. Again and again and again. Their showfilly developed claustrophobia. She couldn't form emotional attachments. She thought the only way for people to love her was when she could be an escapist fantasy to them. But it didn't matter to Mom and Dad. Scoots was fine, honest. Just a bit sad. That could be corrected, couldn't it? Just a few more hours in her room. Another day, or five. No dinner for the month. And then she'd behave. It's worked this far, right? Right?
Scootaloo didn't quite understand that she wasn't supposed to be caged when she wasn't a ball of sunshine. It wasn't right that she didn't get to eat on the weekends. It is not normal for parents to leave you alone for days. None of this was okay. On some level, she knew it wasn't safe to talk about it. She somewhat knew that her parents weren't martyrs. But Scootaloo also recognized that talking about how her parents treated her... could land them in a very bad situation. They could be taken from her. She could be stolen from them. She really, really didn't want that. Mom and Dad didn't always treat her nice, but she loved them! And they loved her, too! ... Sometimes. If she was nice.
If she was lucky.
Then Sweetie Belle moved to Ponyville. As the only blank-flanks in their grade, naturally they gravitated towards each other. They would have floated to Apple Bloom and Twist's friend group, too, but their pre-established friendship led the two to be wary of entering their good graces. So, they flocked together as the only kids who didn't have any friends. The only ones who had both no talent, and nopony. Sigh.
Then Peppermint Twistaloo earned her cutie mark. And Apple Bloom was alone. Friendless. Talentless. Bullied by Diamond Tiara and her minions for something she did not control nor determine. For not being important. Scootaloo wouldn't stand for this and neither would Sweetie Belle! Everyone had worth, no matter what their parents shaped their thoughts to be. No one is insignificant; every creature changes everything. Maybe they were just late bloomers. Maybe their time hadn't come yet. Perhaps not knowing their talent didn't mean they didn't have any talent at all. Cutie marks don't define who anyone is! And... and together they'd make their marks on the world, whether it was with their cutie marks or not! And so, a secret society was born. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. In a short span, Scootaloo had managed herself not one, but two life-long best friends.
And... friends tell each other secrets, right?....
When she told Sweetie Belle, she expected a more, uh, reactive response. It sort of hurt that Sweetie simply brushed this off. Sweetie Belle said that well, wasn't that normal? It had to be, you're just sensitive, Scootaloo. All our parents love us. Sure, they might forget we exist sometimes, but that... that didn't mean they're bad. Yeah, Cookie Crumbles and Magnum Cream's eyes turned red and they brought Sweetie to loud clubs and they sometimes forgot her there.... yeah, it was a real treat that Rarity didn't like getting her eyes red. But their parents were good people. They had to be. You just need to be quiet, Scootaloo, and you'd get a sister who would take care of you. At least, until your parents come back. Any day now. They're coming back, y'know. You, uh... you just gotta wait. Even if they don't come when they said they would. Even if they haven't answered any of your letters. Mommy and Daddy are coming back.
Oh. So... Sweetie Belle's parents weren't nice to her, either. I guess she's lucky that she has a big sister that can take her in. Scootaloo wished she had family like that. An awesome sister, an Element of Harmony like Rarity Belle! That would be so cool. Sisters are nice, right? Rarity feeds you? Wow, three meals a day, Sweets? You're practically a princess!
Since things went so well with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo figured that Apple Bloom wouldn't care, either. Maybe they could swap stories about their home lives, too. So Scootaloo told her, and... well. This caused a chain reaction. Apple Bloom wasn't having Scootaloo's brainwashed "they love me!" bullshit. The filly was confused. You don't hurt people you love, so why would Snap Shutter, Westerly Winds, Cookie Crumbles and Magnum Cream hurt Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? She tried to reason this to Scoots, but she got mad and told Bloom that she didn't know what she was saying. Promise you'll never tell a soul, promise! If... if you don't keep it, I-I won't be your friend anymore! Apple Bloom was terrified of being alone again. But she was actually selfless, and if it took breaking her vow of secrecy to insure her friend's safety, then she had to tell.
Apple Bloom told Applejack, Applejack told Twilight Sparkle, and Twilight told Princess Celestia.
Word caught from pony to pony, creature to creature. The hero scientists abused their preteen daughter. Scootaloo was starved, caged, forgotten. Immediately, Scootaloo was extracted from her house by Child Protective Services. The house was found to be dirty and neglected. It seems they treated their daughter no more different than her childhood home. Scootaloo was shipped off to her nearest living family member, someone she didn't even realize existed. An aunt. A nice, older aunt, with a kind wife, two young adult twins and a young schoolfilly, about Scootaloo's age. Who would have guessed Twist and Scoots were cousins?
Scootaloo's fears had become true. Her parents weren't allowed to see her. Their doctorates were revoked. Gossip filled every corner of Equestria, with newspaper slandering the parents Scootaloo loved. It came to light that she didn't even share DNA with her mom and dad. The local orphanage was gutted for its poor background checks, and all the remaining children were sent to newer, shiny foster homes. Scootaloo's next few months were hell for her. She screamed at the top of her lungs that it wasn't West or Snap's fault, that-- that she was the problem. But they never listened, for they only looked at her with pity.
Scootaloo started to act out. She bullied her fellow students. Cussed at Missus Cheerilee. Pulled Twist’s hair, wrote naive threats to Apple Bloom, drew porn on school property. Stole random supplies, despite not needing it. She fell in with a more delinquent crowd, like Rumble and Button Mash. Took from Lofty and Holiday’s money stash to buy soda, chips, candy to impress the boys. Eventually, they bought something much more dangerous than off-brand coca cola.
Scootaloo bought weed off an older drifter. Rumble said he’d tried it before and promised it would be a good time. Nothing could go wrong, he said. You’re not a chicken, are you, girlie? Fair to say, newly juvenile balls of resentment are easily peer pressured. It had the opposite effect on her than on her two coltfriends. While Rumble and Button Mash were barrels of laughter, fear gripped every inch of Scootaloo. Paranoia seeped into her skin. Freaking out, she ran away from her new friends and screamed for her aunts. Holiday heard Scootaloo’s panicked cries and instantly picked her up a ways from the house, calming the girl as much as she could. She grabs Scootaloo in her arms when suddenly, she starts hyperventilating. Scootaloo is frozen in fear. As Holiday steps into Scoot’s bedroom, the filly springs back to life. She kicks and screams and bites at Holiday, begging forgiveness from her. I promise I won’t do it again, please don’t lock me in! Please, I’m sorry! I didn’t-- it wasn’t my fault! I’m sorry, please, please let me eat, I--I didn’t mean to--
Scootaloo crumbles. With violent shivers, the foal sobs into her aunt’s shoulder. Suddenly, she seems so much smaller than the angry brute Holiday had been housing. Holiday gently set Scootaloo on the bed, silently helped her out of her day clothes, gave her warm and clean pajama pants, and tucked her baby girl into bed. Scootaloo was mesmerized by this simple, simple act. Westerly had never done this. She never had clothes that were made for keeping her warm. She didn’t… really have clothes. Or a soft bed that fit her. Or fluffy blankets. Or a goodnight kiss from someone who loves her, in a safe home where she could smell cookies wafting from the kitchen and laughter from her sisters’ rooms.
Hmm… she did always want a sister. Now she had three.
In a quiet voice, Holiday told her to sleep it off, softly ruffling Scootaloo’s mane. Maybe… maybe her aunts weren’t so bad. They were nice. Really nice. In the real way.
With this, Scootaloo’s inner fire blew out. Holiday and Lofty that they still needed to watch out for Scootaloo's behavior and decided that Scootaloo still needed more support. They applied her to a Big Sister program. This is how she met Rainbow Dash, who was tasked with being her mentor and an outside support system. Scootaloo was over the moon that her hero was now her friend! With time, Scootaloo started talking to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom again. She became kinder to her new fosters. And, finally, after a long while, Scootaloo figured that it was for the best. She doesn't regret telling. It helped her get to a new home, with three new sisters and two cool moms who would never lock her up, even if she was being snippy or felt a little down in the dumps. She befriended an actual hero, Rainbow Dash, and became like sisters. She adventured with her best friends in hopes of earning their cutie marks. Finally, after many nights and days spent trying, they made their mark on the world, and their special talent revealed itself. Best friends forever, huh? Scootaloo could work with that. Their bullies reformed themselves with some effort. They helped even adult ponies find their self-worth. A tricky thing for CMC, self-worth. But they were getting along okay. They helped ponies and it helped their own spirits in turn. Life was good, Scootaloo thought. Three meals a day, a bath whenever she wants it, new clothes ripe for the taking from her sister's closets, trips to the store for school supplies that she could actually pay for. Parents who loved her and sisters who snarked with her. Friends who would risk their friendship to make sure Scootaloo was okay. Lessons from Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. Sometimes, they even helped the Elements of Harmony to defeat a great evil. Everything was perfect.
Until they came back. Snap Shutter and Westerly Winds barged back into Ponyville, trying to get back custody of Scootaloo and re-convince her that she belonged with them. The town of Ponyville and the CMC's otherwise allies wasn't having this and stood up for their girl. After this, restraining orders were taken out against both of them, and Scootaloo was officially adopted by Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty.
With everything Scootaloo had done, she began to realize that there was so much good inside everybody, but some were too bitter or too in-their-own-head to act on it. Scootaloo wanted to help those people. She'd heard about Princess Twilight's new proposal for a travel job she named "Harmony Scouts." These scouts would receive two years of military training, and then be assigned to explore potential locations where there were suspected creatures in need to learn Kindness, Magic and Loyalty to form Order, along with Honesty, Laughter and Generosity to create Chaos. Together, Order and Chaos would sow Harmony. Scootaloo developed an interest in this reformation initiative; she was always more pro-active, and she was glad that Twilight wasn't waiting for trouble to knock on Equestria's door anymore.
She learned everything she could about the ins and outs of the program before she had a sit-down with her moms, explaining that this is what she wanted to do with her life. Lofty and Holiday were terrified of their baby getting hurt. After all, Scootaloo was a transgender, disabled lesbian; not every culture on planet Terra accepted that. How would this program protect her from discrimination when she would be facing ignorant creatures everyday? What would happen if Scootaloo had to get away, but hooves weren’t an option? What if she was forced into flying and just plummeted to the ground? Oh. Oh, no! That... that couldn't happen to her. Celestia, they couldn’t let that happen to her!
Scootaloo informed them that her disability didn't automatically mean she couldn't do things like any other pony. Yeah, her wings were tiny and malformed, but she could fly. For small periods of time, with lots of effort. Not too much strain. I mean, what were they worried about? She was going into the military, for Celestia's sake! Scootaloo would have thought they'd be proud of her.
It took some time, but eventually Lofty and Holiday gave Scootaloo their blessing, after many, many talks with both her and Twilight. If this was still what she wanted when she was 18, then... then she should go.
Flash-forward to teen years. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had grown out of their preteens. Sweetie Belle's parents had never come for her and Rarity had adopted her as a legal responsibility. Sweets wrote all her emotions down with rhymes and reasons, and had turned them into music. She was becoming a pop star. Apple Bloom was sprouting into a jack-of-trades farm frau and had finally developed the body of an Apple. Scootaloo was doing alright in school, but all she really had her sights on was the Harmony Scout job. Just a couple more years, right? Then she'd be off, savin' the world, spreading the Princess of Friendship's wisdom. Just a few more years.
But a special somepony would come along to disrupt those plans.
When Cherry Jubilee traveled to Ponyville for a "business" date with Applejack, she brought along her daughter, Gilded Lily. The secret bastard niece of Sir Fancy Pants. Cherry Jubilee was his long-lost, runaway big sister, who left because of a forced engagement to Duke Blueblood. She had met Gilded Lily before and even helped her find her cutie mark, and had comforted her when she cracked under her uncle's pressure of being an important figure in Equestrian high society.
Scootaloo had been crushing on her since they met. She was just so PRETTY. So much golden yellow and bright orange, with beautiful pink eyes, she looked like a sunset personified! And, oh, wow... they'd both grown up a lot since then.
While Cherry saw Applejack, Gilded Lily was supposed to spend the day with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Typical you-have-to-be-friends-with-them-because-I'm-friends-with-their-parents mom match-making. Sweetie Belle was busy with singing practice, Apple Bloom had chores to do out on the farm, so it was just Scootaloo and Gilded Lily. Alone. For the whole day.
Scootaloo showed Gilded Lily around Ponyville again, catching up and cracking jokes and nervously laughing and blushing flusteredly the entire time. They reached Scootaloo's house and decided, hey.... wanna break into my moms' liquor cabinet? Yeah, sure, Scoots was reformed from her more vandal days, but the kid was still mischievous, and had a bad habit of looking for fun in the wrong places. Gilded LIly was surprised at how easy it was to get their hooves on the booze. Let's just say this wasn't the first time Scootaloo had done it.
They slumped on the kitchen floor, passing a wine bottle back and forth and making fun of the elite pricks who went to wine tastings. "Oh, this one tastes like a goldfish drowned in 1982!" "How the fuck does a goldfish drown?" "Yes!" cue confused raspy lesbian cacklings
Eventually, they began to swap sad stories. Gilded Lily had been an accidental pregnancy. Her dad, a now-dead country performer named Buffalo Bull, had proposed to her mom when he found out. Cherry Jubilee got scared and ran away. She didn't find her father until it was too late. And, well, you already know Scootaloo's story.
Gilded went to hug her. A few moments of awkward silence of the girls embracing each other on a dirty kitchen floor, lights off with one grasping a wine bottle. Suddenly their faces were pulling closer, a slight every second, until...
A door unlocked. Fuck, the twins were home from work!
If Scootaloo’s special talent wasn’t speed in problem solving, they may have gotten caught red-hoofed. Scootaloo grabbed Gilded’s hand and escaped through the backdoor. They didn’t stop running until they reached Sweet Apple Acres. They collapsed in exhausted laughter inside the deserted family barn, away from the owner’s eyes. Alone again, the two finished what they had started on the kitchen floor.
Applejack and Cherry Jubilee found them the morning after. Applejack was not so subtle about announcing to Holiday and Lofty, plus everyone within earshot, that Scootaloo could no longer play the part of Virgin Mary. Lofty made it very clear that they did not approve of Scootaloo being sexually active at such a young age (16). This only fueled Scootaloo’s desire to see Gilded Lily again. The two kids were lovestruck and dumb. They made every excuse to hear about one another until Lily found out Scootaloo’s phone number. They got to texting and soon enough, Lily was just about Scootaloo’s best friend. They texted everyday for hours on end. Even when they weren’t talking, they were always thinking about the other. They kept going on secret dates, doting on each other like crazy. They could hardly keep their hooves off each other.
This went on until Scootaloo was almost eighteen. On her birthday, Starlight Glimmer saw them kiss. She ratted them out, and her moms retracted their blessing. They argued almost everyday. She had a really big fight with her mothers and sisters, words were spoken that she didn’t mean, and she slammed their front door behind her. After scribbling down a note and giving it to the ticket merchant, she hopped on the first train.
After all, the program didn’t require parental permission for legal adults.
When she arrived, she found a familiar face; Fizzlepop Berrytwist, better known as Tempest Shadow, the commander of the training facility. Tempest was their teacher. The first day was the worst of her life, and she counts that year as the most lonely she ever felt. She and Gilded exchanged letters, but her family never tried to contact her. She would cry into her pillow at night. The other recruits were hard on the disabled kid, isolating her because they thought she was too weak to be a soldier. Tempest was especially hard on her, like she had something to prove to Scootaloo. This went on and on, with the only thoughts that brought Scootaloo happiness being free to explore and the paycheck she needed to give a certain someone a very special ring.
On her second year, someone else arrived. Another person from her past. As soon as Scootaloo saw him, she jumped into his arms and hugged him like her life depended on it. Spike happily returned it.
Immediately, the two became best friends. Closer than they ever were when they were kids. They leaned on each other, practiced fight moves, partnered up and cried on the other’s shoulder. He even made her a friendship bracelet that she still wears today. One day, they were bantering about their favorite comic series while Spike wrote to Twilight and his sister Cozy Glow. He noticed how quiet Scootaloo got, and slowly began encouraging her to contact her own family.
So, little by little, she started on a letter. She assured them she was okay, apologized for how she left things, rambled about how cool Tempest was and how much Spike had helped her. After a while of letting it sit, she finally sent it. There was no reply for a few months, but eventually she got a letter back. It took a while to fit into a rhythm again. Some topics were off limits. They didn’t talk about Lily.
Finally, the year was done. She graduated top of her class alongside Spike. Tempest was so proud, she cried. Twilight, of course, as Spike’s mother, came to see the ceremony. She brought along a few friends.
Holiday, Lofty, Shimmy Shake, Lighthoof and Twist drowned Scootaloo in hugs and face kisses. They cried out their apologies and couldn’t stop laughing. Then Gilded Lily appeared, pulled Scootaloo into a kiss and didn’t stop even as Scootaloo gave a wide grin and blushingly sputtered. She told Scootaloo how much she loved her and was proud of her. “I can’t wait to start our lives together any longer,” she said, as Scootaloo’s hoof twirled her long hair. This rocked something in Scootaloo, and she quickly pulled out a box and lowered to the ground. Everyone watched with baited breath as Scoots stammered, “M-Marry me, Lils?”
Everyone rejoiced. Scootaloo and her moms had a long heart-to-heart about everything that happened. Scootaloo made them promise to watch out for Lily when she was gone. They were witness to ScootaLily’s quick wedding in the Ponyville courtroom (neither wanted a big flashy wedding and they wanted to be wives as soon as possible). A few weeks later, a doctor’s visit revealed that Gilded was pregnant. They were going to have a kid!
Nowadays, Scootaloo is in and out of Ponyville. Altogether, she’s probably gone about half the time, there half the other, with these periods spread wildly throughout the year. When she’s home, though, she brings in extra money by being a freelance mechanic and extreme stuntist. Other than that, she focuses on doting on her wife and bonding with her son. Star Crossed.
That was before her biological mother messed up again.
Dr. Caballeron was on her doorstep holding a foal that looked like him. He revealed that he was her father, and that this was her little sister. He and A.K. Yearling had had another night of fun, and again, she didn’t tell him about the foal. Turns out, Yearling was trying to get pregnant, to replace the Scootaloo-shaped hole in her life. Caballeron had no idea of this, or that this wasn’t the first child he had sired with the author. He was disgusted to find out that the reason Yearling hadn’t contacted Scootaloo after all these years, was because she was trans. He couldn’t stand for this and left her, taking the kid with him. After they left, his daughter told him about all the times mommy was mean to her, about all the times she had snapped and screamed at her, the times mommy had banged on her door for so long that she hid in the closet the rest of the day. Thanks to all the friends he had in low places, he quickly caught wind that Artifact Keeper was ganging up with lawyers, ready to bring the child back into the abusive home she had only just escaped from. In an effort to keep Yearling away from the young filly, he had to hide her, to throw A.K. off the scent.
“I know this it a lot, Scoots, but she’s your sister! I can’t let your mother hurt her, please. She’ll be so unhappy with DeDe-- Uh, Daring. Please, please take her!”
“... Alright, Pops. What’s her name?”
“Buena Aspen, or Shaking Aspen Leaf. But she’ll have to go by something different while she lives here, or else Daring will get suspicious--”
“Is she okay?”
Scootaloo’s little sister was hugging her daddy harshly. Scootaloo recognized the breathing exercises the kid was doing.
“Oh, shit-- she’s having an anxiety attack. She has those sometimes. Shhh, baby, it’s okay, just breathe, alright? You’re doing so good, honey, you’re so beautiful. Keep going.”
Scootaloo felt a familiar pang in her chest, and forced a small smile. “Anxiety Attack. What do you think of that, Aspen?”
Gilded Lily and Scootaloo agreed to foster Anxiety Attack for the time being, patiently awaiting Caballeron’s return, as the months go on.