Okay, Fluttershy just left, I have to get out of here! I can’t just wait and see what happens, what if she takes me back to Trottingham? I know I Pinkie Promised her that I would stay, but I can’t, I can’t risk it.

I looked over at Angel, only to find that he was eyeing me, probably to see what I would do, I couldn’t let him see me leave, I had to find a way to sneak out.

“I need to go upstairs, I think I left my....scooter up there.” That was the stupidest lie I ever told, but Angel seemed to buy it, he passed it off with a simple nod.

I walked up the stairs carefully, i tried to look normal, but I think Angel knew what i was up to, he followed me up there.

I had no choice, I rushed over to the window, I looked down, they were locked with a key, no luck. Behind me, I heard a jingle of keys, I turned and Angel had a keyring in his paw.

“Can I have the keys?” I asked, “Please?”

He shook his head and hopped down the stairs, taking the keys with him.

Fluttershy said nothing bad would happen, what if she thought the orphanage was good? Ms. Gluck hated all of the fillies and colts that passed through the orphanage. She especially hated me because I tried to be happy, the same reason she hated Star.

I closed the bedroom door, I wouldn’t go back to the orphanage....no matter what....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy approached the train station, she needed to buy a couple of tickets.

“Two tickets to Trottingham please.” Fluttershy said as she reached the window.

“That’ll be 40 bits.” the stallion behind the counter said.

Fluttershy pulled out a small bag of bits from her saddlebags, she counted out 40 bits and handed them to the cashier.

“Here’s two tickets, next train leaves in an hour.” he said, handing her the two tickets.

“Thank you.” she said quietly, and then she turned away.

‘I hope Scootaloo is still home...; Fluttershy thought to herself as she neared the outskirts of Ponyville.

She walked around the edge of Ponyville, making sure that Scootaloo wasn’t running away, then she started towards her cottage. She reached it quickly and unlocked the front door.

“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked happily as she entered.

There was no response, just a shuffle coming from upstairs.

“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy questioned as she walked up the stairs.

Again a shuffle, but this one sounded like blankets ruffling.

Fluttershy poked the door, it was unlocked, she pushed it open the entire way to reveal Scootaloo curled up in blankets, crying.

“Scootaloo!” Fluttershy whispered loudly.

“Why did you even care for me, everypony just wants to send me back anyway!” Scootaloo yelled, covering herself back up.

“Scootaloo, I love you, and I’m doing what’s best, just trust me.” Fluttershy pleaded.

“You know what, fine! Just take me back then.” Scootaloo said, she didn’t want to be in a town where nopony wanted her.

“The train leaves in twenty minutes, we need to hurry if we’re going to make it.” Fluttershy said calmly, and then she picked Scootaloo up out of the bed.

“Fine!” Scootaloo said angrily.

“Angel, I’ll be back in a day or so, take care of the house while momma’s gone! Fluttershy said, and then closed the door.

The two walked, Scootaloo half heartedly, to the train station, scootaloo looked around and took one last look at Ponyville.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked around, taking one last look at Ponyville, I just knew it would be my last sights outside of the orphanage, I didn’t want to go back, I had nothing there, nohopes, no dreams, no Star.

I’d be tormented by Miss Gluck to no end, she’d bring up Star every day, and my life would just be horrible.

“Scootaloo, trust me, everything will be fine.” Fluttershy said as we reached the train station.

“Okay.” I didn’t feel like talking, i had no reason to.

“Look, there’s the train.” Fluttershy said sadly, which didn’t help my mood.

The train pulled into the station, spraying water as it first entered. It slowed to a stop right in front of us, I could see some ponies about to get off, and some starting, just like us, to shuffle towards the doors to enter.

We entered the train without incident, we sat in the very ack.

“I hope Angel can watch the cottage while I’m gone.” Fluttershy said worriedly.

“He’ll do fine.” I said, trying to cheer the both of us up.

“You know I’m doing this because it’s best.” Fluttershy said, looking into my eyes.

“Yeah, I guess.” I said sadly, I thought she loved me like a daughter, just like I thought of her as a mother.

We remained silent for the rest of the seven hour train ride to Trottingham, from the time of afternoon until evening, from Ponyville’s outskirts to the same of Trottingham, from one side of Equestria to another.

I must’ve dozed off sometime during the train ride because the last thing i remember after leaving Ponyville was the Baltimare, which was only an hour or two from Ponyville by train, and now I can see trottingham getting closer.

“Scootaloo, please don’t run, please stay with me.” Fluttershy said, giving me a hug afterwards.

I couldn’t lie to Fluttershy, “I will.”

The train pulled into the station and it stopped, we looked around, there were different trains here, big and metal, almost like tubes.

We departed the trains and walked over to the information desk.

“What was your orphanage’s name?”

“Umm, I think it’s the only one in Trottingham.” I said, not recalling the name.

“Okay.” Fluttershy said as she reached the desk.

“How may I help you?” the stallion behind the desk asked her.

“Can you tell me where the orphanage is?” Fluttershy asked, hoping that Scootaloo was right.

“Take the A3 train to 6th and Summit.” he said.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled.

“No problem ma’am, NEXT!” he called out.

“A3 to 6th and Summit.” Fluttershy said to me as we walked off.

“Alright, we need that train!” I said, and I pointed to a tube train that had A3 emblazoned on the side.

We rushed aboard, there were a few ponies on the train, but only one other that was as young as me, he stood at the opposite end of the train car. He had a dark blue coat, black mane, and he was wearing clothes, his wings were so, so big for his age, they even had multiple colors!

When I was about to say something to the colt, he and his family left the train. The buzzer/intercom sounded,

“Next stop, 6th and Summit.”

“Get ready Scootaloo.” Fluttershy said nervously.

The train moved through the tunnel we were in quickly, I looked out a window, but i only say darkness, and an occasional orange light to illuminate the tunnel.

The train slowed to a stop and we came into a very well lighted area full of ponies, the doors opened and we left the train. The two of us walked through the station, it took about five minutes to make it to the city streets, once we were there, we could see the orphanage...

It was exactly the same, the couch was still there too, the building we’d escaped through was there, the sign was just more worn, in fact, that seemed to be the only difference around the building.

We looked both ways and then crossed the street, the street itself was busy, but that building just seemed to have some gloom around it, I could feel my old sadness and memories coming back to me.

we entered the building, the doorbell sounded with a ‘ding’ as we entered, the old mare looked up from her paperwork, she smiled and looked at us,

“Hello Miss,” she slowly looked down at me, “Young filly.”

She spoke so kindly, she must’ve been hired after I left.

“Scootaloo, go sit over there, I’ll talk with her.” Fluttershy said, she pointed to a small waiting area.

i walked over to the area and that’s when i sw it, it was the window where Star and I escaped from, except now it was locked tight with a few padlocks.

I looked around, Fluttershy was still talking with the old mare, and I looked beside me, there was a door that said ‘Enter Orphanarium’, I knew what was in there, so many orphaned colts and fillies...i had to talk to them.

I opened the door silently, and crept in, the room I entered into was a common area, the group in there was my age, about ten or so of them, they were talking, drinking some juice, and sleeping.

They seemed to ignore the fact that I entered the room, so i passed them by, right up until I saw a colt sitting alone at a table...

.It was Star...

Star was alive.

Listen

“STAR!” I ran over and jumped on him, encasing him in a hug.

“Wha..?” he was caught off guard, by now the other ponies were watching us, even the two who were asleep had woken up and were now watching.

“I can’t believe you’re alive!” I said, crying into his coat.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“You...You don’t remember me?” I asked, there wasn’t a way he could’ve forgotten me.

“What is your name?” he said, looking into my eyes, “You seem familiar.” he put a hoof on my cheek.

“Scootaloo, it’s me, scootaloo, we escaped together...” I said, the room went dead.

Whispers of my name went around the room, each pony not breaking their gaze of the two of us.

I saw it in his eyes, it clicked, he remembered me, the years we spnt togehter, the time we spent on the train, the failed escape from the train...

“I thought...I thought you had died....” He breathed, I could see tears in his eyes.

“I thought you did, when you hit that rock.” I stopped dead in my tracks, he put a hoof on the table, only it wasn’t a hoof, it was eta, he’d lost a foreleg in the jump.

“I know I hit a rock, I’ve moved past it, I thought you’d died because when i woke up, you were gone, the police were surrounding me, I tried to run, but i couldn’t” he tilted his head to his prosthetic leg, “I got this about three days later, Miss Gluck was fired, and we got a nice old mare as a caretaker.” he smiled sadly.

“The one in there.?” I asked.

“Yeah, she’s real nice to us here, she was an orphan herself so she knows what it’s like for foals like us.” he shrugged.

“Why haven’t you been adopted?” I asked, how couldn’t he have been, he’s so amazing!

“Well, nopony really wants a three legged pony, so i’ve just been here since, what about you?”

“Well, I’m...back, a pony brought me here to stay, i thought I could trust her...” the door opened to reveal Fluttershy, who looked around the room.

“Scootaloo, c’mon, I need you for a second.”

“I'll be right back Star!” I said as I left the room.

She led me back to the front of the building, the older mare was smiling, “So you’re the one who let me work here?”

“Yeah...” I said sheepishly.

“It’s a shame we can’t spend more time together.” she said.

“What?” I’d be here until i was adopted or i reached 16, what did she mean?

“Scootaloo, sign here please.” Fluttershy said, pointing to a document on the countertop.

I started to read the paper,

EQUESTRIAN ADOPTION PAPER

by signing this document, you herey agree to adopt _________________ and wish to care for them until they are of such age to care for themselves....

After a page or so of text, I saw something that made me want to cry,

Signed

Fluttershy

“You,” I turned to Fluttershy, “You’re adopting me?”

She just smiled, I jumped and pulled her into a hug, this was the greatest day of my life, I’d finally have a family! I had to go tell Star, he’d love it, Star would......

...not be here with me.

(Stop music)

I signed the document and ran back to Star, with tears in my eyes, I started,

“Star, i’m so sorry, i...” he put a hoof on my mouth.

“Shh, Scootaloo, nothing bad will happen, I’ll always be here, if you ever need e,you know where to look.” he smiled a sincere smile, and then he did something I never expected.

He kissed me, it wasn’t a mere peck on the cheek, he caught me off guard and went in full, I felt myself relax as I returned the gift, I never wanted it to end, but I knew it had to, I couldn’t keep myself in this moment, i had to leave with my new family.

I broke the kiss and said something I hoped would come true,

“I’ll find you a family that loves you, i promise.”

He nodded and I left the room, I saw Fluttershy waiting by the door, I followed her out and waved to the older mare, she waved back, and I left the orphanage.

Today was the first day of my new life, I had a loving mother, an amazing group of friends, and with Star alive, a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.