This is part three of the Dawn Shield  part one can be found here

and part two here. You might want to read these to better understand the events leading to this.

Rainbow Dash had just finished working with the weather team and was heading back to town. Being the newest member she had all the worst assignments like clearing the skies over the road out of Ponyville. It could be worse though, at least she gets to fly.

She could never understand pegasi that work on the ground. Fluttershy she could understand, she just loves animals. Others though, like the stallion that ran the library, were just wasting their wings.

Rainbow Dash moved to Ponyville from Cloudsdale just last year after dropping out of flight school. She didn't need it anyways. She was already the best flier in Equestria. What else could they teach her.

She always let her mind wander like this on her way home. It took about an hour from the end of her route, and it got boring. Today, though, things were different. As she flew she noticed an orange speck on the road.

“What the hay is that? It's too small to be a pony.” she said to herself.

Curiosity got the better of the young mare, so she decided to investigate. As she approached the figure she realized it WAS a pony. It was a little pegasus filly. She couldn't have been older then five or six. She was orange with a long flowing purple mane.

Dash landed beside the child and tried nudging her awake, “Hey, kid, you alright?” stupid question, of course she's not, “I'll get you some help.”

Rainbow Dash picked up the little filly and flew back to town. She was trying to decide what to do. The hospital won't be finished for another few months, and the clinic is closed on Sunday.

“Fluttershy's it is.”

Dash's old friend was the only pony she knew that knew anything about treating injuries. Sure it was for animals but how different could it be.

She landed at her door and knocked hard, “Fluttershy! Are you there? I need help.”

The door flung open, but not by the expected yellow pegasus. Instead it was that prissy white unicorn friend of her's.

“How rude. Banging on somepony's door like that.” she said.

“Well excuse me. I kind of have an emergency.” Dash indicated the unconscious filly in her hooves.

“Oh! Oh my, Fluttershy!” said the unicorn.

Rainbow Dash tried remembering her name. It was something like Rareness or something.

As RD brought the filly inside she noticed another filly beside Rareness. They looked alike so it's probably her sister or something. She was about the same age as the orange filly.

Rainbow Dash laid the filly on the couch so Fluttershy could take a look at her. Fluttershy immediately got to work.

“Big sis, who's she?” asked the little unicorn.

“I don't know. I’ve never seen her before.” replied Rareness.

“I really like her mane.” said the filly.

“What happened Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy.

The prismatic pegasus explained, “I was on my way home from work and she was just passed out on the road. I didn't see anypony else around, so I figured she ran away or something.”

Fluttershy had a tear forming in her eye, “Oh, the poor dear. You don't think she's all alone do you?”

The thought never crossed Dash's mind. Orphans weren't unheard of but it was a rare thing in Equestria. What few there are are usually adopted by family right away.

“I hope not.” said Dash.

“I'll go to town hall and ask if there has been any missing ponies reported.” said Rareness.

“OK.” said Fluttershy as the unicorn left, “Hurry back... um, if you can.”

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

“Flu...y I.. nk she's... up.”

ouch, my head hurts the little filly thought to herself.

She became aware of the world again. Her eyes burned in the light when she tried opening them.

“M...mommy?” she said.

“Shh, it's OK, kid. You're safe.” said a voice.

She finally opened her eyes to see a pair of kinda-almost red eyes. They looked worried.

“How ya feelin', squirt?” asked the mare.

The mare backed up a bit giving her a clear look at the stranger. The filly was drawn to her mane, It looks like she has a rainbow on her head.

“Hey kid. Are you alright?” she said.

“I have a name, rainbow head.” said the filly.

“Well what is it?” asked the mare.

“It's... um” the filly scrunched up her face in thought, my name? she thought, w, what IS my name.

She got very scared and was breathing heavily. Why couldn't she remember her name. Her head started hurting worse, and she wrapped her hooves around her head and cried from the pain.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down. What's the matter?” the mare asked.

The filly spoke through tears, “I, I, I don't know! I don't know my name! What's wrong with me? Why don't I know my name?”

“Fluttershy! We need you inhere quick.” the mare said before moving to put her fore hooves around the poor filly, “It's OK. You're going to be OK.”

“W, Who are y, you?” asked the filly.

“My name's Rainbow Dash.” said the mare.

“How did I get here?” was her next question.

“I found you on the road on my way back. Do you know how you got there?” Dash asked. The filly shook her head.

A yellow mare entered the room and asked, “Is everything alright?

“This is Fluttershy. She's a vary nice pony.” ash said, “She can't remember her name OR how she ended up on the road. I’m worried about her.”

“Oh my. That's not good at all.” said Fluttershy, “Is there anything you do remember, sweetie?”

The orange filly shook her head, “No. Am I going to die?”

Fluttershy was about to pull the filly into a hug, but to her surprise Rainbow Dash beat her to it.

“Of course not, squirt. I’ll make sure you're going to be fine.” said the rainbow maned pegasus, “After all I AM the most awesome pony in Equestria.”

The filly looked up at her rescuer and smiled, I like her. She's cool.

A knock at the door preceded two white unicorns.

“There have been no missing ponies reports filed.” she said, “Oh, you're awake. Pleasure to meet you, I’m Rarity and this is my little sister Sweetie Bell. What's your name, darling?”

“Um, I don't know.” replied the filly.

“You don't have a name?” asked Sweetie Bell, “That's weird.”

“Sweetie Bell!” Rarity scolded her sister, “Do not be rude. Now apologize to the poor dear.”

“I'm sorry.” Sweetie said.

“It's OK.” the filly accepted the apology, “Do you want to be friends?”

“Yeah. I don't have any here. I live in Fillydelphia with mom and dad, so I’m not here much.”

Rarity interrupted, “That's sweet, but somepony needs to take her to city hall to file a report.”

“I'll take her.” said Rainbow Dash, “You three can get back to whatever you were doing. Come on squirt. See ya Fluttershy, see ya Rareness.”

“Ahem, my name is Rarity, not Rareness.” said the posh pony.

“What ever.” Rainbow brushed her off, “Come on.”

Rainbow took off and started flying towards town hall.

“Hey, wait!” said the filly.

Dash turned around to see the filly jumping and flapping her wings only to fall again.

“Quit playin' around and fly up here.” Dash said.

“I'm trying.” said the filly.

“Huh, you must have damaged a primary or something.” she said landing next to the filly, “Guess we're walking.”

The walk back took WAY too long in Rainbow Dash's eyes, and that was just to the edge of town.

“This is taking forever.” Dash said and suddenly got an idea, “Wait here kid.”

The cyan speedster took off leaving the child behind. Quickly arriving and the shop she needed. She bought the thing she needed and went strait back to the kid.

“Here, use this to keep up.” Dash said holding out something the filly had never seen before.

It was a board with wheels and a stick that came up before splitting to either side. She looked at it confused.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It's a scooter. It an earth pony and unicorn toy.” Dash set it down and pick the filly up to put her on it, “Now you hold the handle bars and push off the ground with a hoof.”

The filly gave an experimental kick with disappointing results. Then she had an idea. She started flapping her wings as fast as she could.

Rainbow Dash was impressed she had never seen anypony move their wings that fast before. It was so fast not only were the kids wings a blur but they made a buzzing sound.

In a flash the scooter took off like a bat out of Tartarus. Dash watched for the inevitable crash, but it never came. The filly maneuvered the toy as if she had been doing it her whole life.

Dash motioned the little girl to follow her and the two arrived at town hall in less than a minute.

“Hey, kid, I think I know what to call you until we find out your real name.” Dash said when the filly pulled up, “What do you think about Scootaloo?”

The filly beamed at her new name, even if it was only temporary.

“Alright, Scootaloo it is.” Dash said as they went into town hall.

Now Dash was never very good with paper work but she kinda cared for that filly. Eventually they finished filling out the 'found foal' forms and left town hall. Fluttershy said she could tack her for a couple of days. After that Rarity, and, providing whatever was wrong with Scootaloo's wings was fixed, Rainbow Dash after that.

The cyan mare took Scootaloo to Fluttershy's. She had planned on returning the scooter for a refund, but after seeing how much fun the kid was having with it she couldn't bring herself to take it.

After being tucked into bed the filly asked, “Will you come see me tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure. Right after work. Maybe you can play with Rareness's sister until then.” Dash said.

“That would be nice. You're so cool Ms. Dash. I wanna grow up just like you.” Scootaloo said.

“Just call me Rainbow Dash, or Rainbow, or Dash. I don't need the whole 'Ms.' thing, OK.”  Dash said.

Scootaloo twiddled her hooves before asking, “Um, Rainbow Dash... if we don't find my parents... would... um... you be my mommy?”

Dash was taken back by that. Her a mother? She was only 18, and nowhere near ready to take care of a filly. Dash just smiled.

“Don't worry, Scootaloo, we'll find your parents in no time. Heck you'll probably be back with them by the end of the week.”

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

11 years later

The restricted section of the Royal Archives are where the most sensitive and dangerous tomes of magic and lore could be found. Very few ponies know of it's existence and fewer still have stepped hoof in it.

On this night though the silence there in was disturbed by the gargled sounds of the guards choking on their own blood from the gaping wound on their necks.

The thick iron door, now undefended, was cut from the wall it was attached to.

The shadowy figure of a warped and  twisted canine browsed through the books and scrolls, searching for something. The stone set into the black steel claw shimmered in the light as it glided over useless volumes.

“Ahh, here you are.” said a dark malevolent voice.

The unclawed paw traced the ancient writing on the cover. It was not written in Standard (Equestrian as it's known in this world), but an ancient language that only four beings could comprehend. One was the goddess of the sun, one the goddess of the night, another the chief of the Zeblu, and the last was the creature now prowling the archives. There use to be a fifth an ancient dragorin, but that was before he begged for a merciful death.

“This will serve me well.” the creature laughed, “Worry not. I will kill you, father.”

The image on the cover depicted a black skull surrounded by five other symbols. The writing read in the ancient language...

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