Howling winds. Streaks of light here and there. Rain seeping through the cracks. Trees whipping round. Leaves and fruits flying around.

It was storm night.

Ponyville weather pegasi set up a storm to refresh the land. And this storm was doozie.

Among the apple orchard, in Sweet Apple Acres, was a small house on a tree.

That small house on a tree was the Cutiemark Crusaders' clubhouse.

A place where all their wacky and oblivious ideas are born. Their wacky ideas to get their cutiemarks.

But the clubhouse holds a small secret.

A secret only one pony knows.

Scootaloo.

Cutiemark Crusader, scooter pro, cupcake eater.

But also, small, alone filly.

Small, alone, orphan filly.

Scootaloo curled up on the floor of the clubhouse. Trying to get as warm as possible.

She has no home. No one to call family. No one to love her. No one. Nothing.

She regularly stays in the clubhouse, but sometimes, she sleeps behind bins at Sugarcube Corner.

Scootaloo tried to forget the fact that she was homeless. And that she was hungry. And cold.

She buried her head into her hooves and silently cried to herself.

"Come on Sweetie Belle!"

"I'm coming Applebloom! I just wonder where Scootaloo is."

The two fillies approached the front door of the clubhouse.

"Wow! This place really needs a clean up." Sweetie Belle stared at the fallen trees and various apples on the floor.

"Ah know. Applejack and Big Mac ave got their work cut out today." Applebloom giggled as she opened the door.

The girls both laughed but stopped as they looked inside.

"Omigosh! Scootaloo!" Applebloom gasped.

"Are you okay Scootaloo?" Sweetie trotted over to the orange filly.

Scootaloo was covered in dirt. Her hair was tangled and a small cut was marked on her cheek. Also, her face was damp from the many tears she cried last night.

"Scoots?"

"I'm-I'm fine!" She croaked.

"But Scootaloo, you're all dirty." Sweetie rubbed at the muddy filly.

"I'm fine! So back off!" Scootaloo snapped.

The others stepped back at the sudden outburst of anger from their friend.

"We're sorry Scootaloo."

Scootaloo sniffed. "No, I'm sorry."

"Tha's okay. But why are yah here?"

"Promise not to tell anyone."

"We promise." The two fillies did the actions of a Pinkie promise.

"I have no where to live."

"What?!"

"What about your family?" Sweetie asked.

Scootaloo quickly burst in to tears.
"I didn't know!" She sobbed.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle sat next Scootaloo.

"I'm an orphan. My farther is dead and I never knew my mother." The pegasus cried as her friends hugged her.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I thought if I told you, you will tell your sisters. Then they will take me back to the orphanage. I don't want to go back. They bullied me. So I ran away."

"Did they tell yah anything about yah parents?"

"No. Just that my dad was a pathetic scoundrel and that my mum is a whore."

"Did the orphanage say that your mum is dead as well?"

"No."

"Well then."

"Well, what Applebloom?" Scootaloo sniffed.

"Yah mum must still be alive. Let's look for her!"

"How?" Sweetie rubbed her chin.

"Erm...."

"I know! Town Hall!" The unicorn filly jumped up.

"Town Hall?"

"Yes! Rarity told me that everypony in Ponyville has a file in there."

"So we could find my name and then-"

"Find your mother!" Applebloom cheered. Sweetie Belle followed.

Sweetie stopped jumping around.

"What is it Sweetie Belle?"

"Well...um...only that..."

"What?!"

"Only the mayor can access the files."

The others sulked.

"What about-what about Cutiemark Crusaders file stealers?" Scootaloo said as she rub her cheeks dry.

"Really?!"

"No! Stealing is bad." Sweetie waved her fore-legs in front of her.

"But-but-." Scootaloo's eyes began to well up.

"We could try."

Scootaloo ran over to her friends and hugged them. Hard.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Er, Scoots? Ah can't breathe."

Scootaloo released her friends from the hug.
"Oops. Sorry."

It was now midday in Ponyville.

An ordinary day.

Pegasi were clearing up the last of the clouds, shop owners were cleaning the outside of their shop, and others were helping put up the market stalls.

Twilight Sparkle and Rarity were in the tree library, putting books back on the shelves. Fluttershy was helping Applejack with her stall. And Pinkie Pie was baking delicious goods, at Sugarcube Corner, with the help of Rainbow Dash.

As stated earlier, it was an ordinary day.

For everypony else, of course.

"Okay. Sweetie Belle, yah distract Mayor Mare."

Sweetie saluted.

"Scootaloo. Yah gonna run in and find yah file."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Ah will keep watch. Okay girls."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Good. Cutiemark Crusaders go!"

A teal earth pony with grey hair walked into Town Hall.

"Mayor Mare! Mayor Mare!"

"Huh? Sweetie Belle?"

"Mayor Mare!"

"What's wrong?" Mayor Mare asked frantically, thinking that another Ursa Minor was coming to Ponyville.

"I've just been robbed!" That was the first thing that came into mind.

"What?!"

"I was walking...to the clubhouse, with my saddle bags."

"Then?"

"Then these two big meanie weanie pegasus ponies grabbed it. It had my favourite doll, crayons and my pocket money in it!" Sweetie burst into tears.

"Oh dear! It's okay, Sweetie Belle." Mayor stroked the young filly's head.

"And now I can't buy that new...umm...music book!"

"Shh, we will find those ponies. But first your sister must know about this. Where is she?"

"At Twilight's."

The both of them walked to the library further down in town.

Sweetie waved her hoof.

"Right! Sweetie has got rid of Mayor Mare." Scootaloo said.

"Good. Ah will stay here. Go on Scoots." Applebloom stood at the door of town hall as Scootaloo ran in.

"Hmmm. Where do they keep them?" Scootaloo carefully trotted past the empty rooms.

She glanced at a cabinet.

"Ah ha!"

She ran over to the cabinet, and opened the bottom drawer

"M...N...O...P...Q...R..S!"

She rummaged through the files.

"Sweet Dreams, Sweetie Belle...Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo grabbed the folder.

"Omigosh! I'm finally going to find out who's my mum!" She started to cry. Tears of joy.

She was just about to open it, when...

"Scoots! Mayor Mare is comin!"

Scootaloo put the folder in her mouth and dashed towards the exit.

"Finally! Come on! She is jast there!"

Applebloom jumped into the trailer and Scootaloo climbed onto her scooter.

"Finally! The day is the day...I find out who I belong to."

"That's fantastic Scootaloo. I just wish...that you two...waited for...me!" Sweetie Belle flopped onto the clubhouse floor.

"Yeah, we're sorry." Applebloom grinned.

"Okay. Time to find out the truth." Scootaloo placed the folder on the floor.

Applebloom lay a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Are yah sure yah want ta do this?"

"Yes." Scootaloo opened the folder.

"At last! Tha's all tha trees done and tha orchard cleared up." Applejack said as she walked towards the clubhouse. "I wonder what those darn fillies are up ta."

"AAHHH!"

"What tha hay?" Applejack ran up to the clubhouse. "Girls!"

She opened the door.

"Girls! Are yah okay?"

Applejack looked round to see Scootaloo crying and the others comforting her.

"What's wrong?"

Sweetie Belle handed the folder to Applejack.

"Wha's this?"

"Just read it."

Applejack took the folder. She opened it.

"Scootaloo Fushia Dashery."

"And the rest."

"Father: Fog London Heights. Mother...oh my Celestia!"

"I know! Why didn't she tell me? After all this time!" Scootaloo cried into her hooves.

"Don't worry Scootaloo. We will walk up ta her and demand ta know tha truth."

"Okay."

"I want ta know why she had kept it a secret for so long."

Sitting around a table at Sugarcube Corner was, Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow.

"Thanks for helping me Dashie!" Pinkie said as she hugged her friend.

"Hey, no problem-o! I'm always here for my friends."

"Where's Applejack?" Rarity looked out the window.

"Ah am right ere." Applejack trotted in.

"AJ, what's up?" Rainbow waved at the cowpony.

Applejack said nothing.

"Applejack?"

The amber pony threw the folder. It landed on the table. In front of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow read the name on the front. She placed her hoof on the folder and closed her eyes. Her head drooped.

"So it is true!"

Rainbow was silent and still. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but were not visible as her hair covered her face.

"Rainbow, how could yah not tell us? We're yah friends, right?"

The others grew more confused.

Twilight's horn lit up, and so did the folder. She levitated it over and opened it. She, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity scanned the paper inside.
"Rainbow Dash?"

"Surprised huh?! So am ah! I want ta know everything about this!" Applejack slammed her hoof on the table.

"There's nothing to be said." Rainbow muttered.

"Nothing ta be said? Nothing ta be said?! Rainbow! Yal a bloody mother ta Scootaloo, and yah say nothing ta be said!" Applejack yelled.

"Just shut it AJ! It's none of your business! So I don't know why you are going through this!" Rainbow shouted back.

"Ah didn't find it. Scootaloo did. She told me tha she wanted ta find her real mum. She wanted ta know why she was dumped in a orphange!"

"I had no other choice." Rainbow started to cry. "I had no other choice."

"What do yah mean?! Tha filly is homeless, alone, no pony ta care for her! Yah nothing Rainbow! Pathetic! Selfish!"

"Selfish? Selfish?! You are calling protecting your daughter's life selfish?! I had to leave her!"

"No didn't! Yah coulda kept her. Cherished her. Ah guess tha Wonderbolts are more important."

Rainbow broke off into more tears.

Applejack was just about to insult her when she realised what she had just done.

"I had to. If I didn't she would have been killed...by him. I didn't. I didn't want to. But I had to. I wanted to keep her, but it was either keep her and risk her life. Or hide her." Rainbow cried into her hooves.

"Rainbow...ah am sorry...it's just-."

"That's enough Applejack. You've done enough harm to her already." Twilight walked over to the crying pegasus mare.

Fluttershy stroked Rainbow's hair.
"It's okay. There's no need to cry."

"This is all my fault. I-I-I-I ruined her life as well as mine."

"No dear. Scootaloo, dear, has a great life." Rarity said.

"Wha about yah go an see her." Applejack walked towards Rainbow.

"I should?"

The others nodded.

"I should. But I can't." She cried. "Now she knows, she'll hate me. Applejack was right. I am pathetic!"

"No yah not, Sugarcube." Applejack sat next to Rainbow. "Ah know tha things ah said were harsh. It's just tha ah was mad tha yah kept it a secret for so long."

"I'm sorry."

"No, ah am sorry. Any who, if yah don't see her now, it will be too late."

"I can't."

"Listen, ah will come with yah. It will help ta have somepony ta help. After all, ah am your friend." Applejack smiled.

Rainbow weakly smiled back. "Thank you Applejack." She hugged her friend.

The others hugged them too.

"Don't worry Rainbow. Everything will be okay." Fluttershy hushed.

"But Rainbow, dear, I don't understand. How could you keep a secret this big from us?" Rarity asked.

"Back in Cloudsdale, after the death of my family, I had a very special somepony. Fog Heights. Very kind. And he supported through the difficult times. Then after awhile, his family disowned him."

"What?! Why?"

"My family and his family were sworn enemies. After an argument years and years back, they hated each other."

"Oh dear."

"Well, they disowned him. They said that he is no longer worthy to be in the family. After that, he didn't talk to me. Then I found out I was having Scootaloo. I was way too young, but the thought of having a little filly or colt running round filled my head. So I carried on. However, Heights started to get abusive. He would get drunk and sometimes, I found him doing drugs. After Scootaloo was born, his anger grew more and more. Then I noticed blood and bruises on Scootaloo. I tried leaving him but he just overpowered me. He taunted me too. I couldn't take it. When it was storm night I left the house. With Scootaloo in a basket. I flew over to Ponyville Orphanage. He would never think to look there. But when I got back I-I-I..." Rainbow stuttered.

"Dashie?"

"I-I killed him."

"What?!"

"Rainbow! I didn't know you could be capable of...murder." Twilight said.

"Nononono. Not murder. Self defense. When I got back he demanded to know where Scootaloo was. I didn't tell him. O started to pack my stuff. Little did I know, was that he came in the room with knife."

The others gasped.

"What happened next?" Rarity questioned.

"Well, let's just say, without Fluttershy, I would have been dead."

The others looked at Fluttershy.

"Well, I...umm...er." Fluttershy stuttered.

"You saved Rainbow. There's nothing to be scared of."

Rainbow smiled as she looked at Fluttershy.

"Come on Rainbow. Yah daughter needs ya."

Applejack and Rainbow trotted out of Sugarcube Corner.

Leaving two gobsmacked unicorn mares, a shy, yet smiling, pegasus and a...Pinkie Pie.

"Scootaloo, please don't cry." Sweetie Belle pleaded.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Who is it?" Applebloom asked.

"It's me. Yah sister."

Applebloom opened the door.

"An a certain somepony."

Scootaloo looked up to see Applejack and an ashamed Rainbow Dash.

"Go away!" The young filly yelled.

"Sweetie Belle, Applebloom. Please go outside."

The other Crusaders exited the clubhouse.

"Scootaloo." Rainbow said.

"I said go away."

"Now tha ain't tha way ya talk ta ya mother."

"She's not my mum! My mum is dead! Dead!"

Rainbow's ears flattened.
"Please Scootaloo."

"No! Don't you dare say my name! You don't have a right! You are not my mum!"

"Please listen to me."

"I don't see why I should!"

"Please, Sc-c-c." Rainbow began to cry. "Please. I'll give up my wings just for you to hear me out."

Scootaloo looked up at the crying mare.
"Why? Why did you give me away?"

"Because I love you. If I didn't you probably wouldn't even be here."

"What?"

"Your father hated me, and you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"I don't believe you."

"The night I left you at the orphanage, he-he-he tried to kill me."

"!"

"Look, he stabbed me just under my wing." She lifted her wing to reveal a small scar across her ribs.

"But, if you are my mother, how come I don't look like you?"

"You've got your fathers coat and hair, but you've got my eyes, confidence, speed, agility and most of all...my loyalty."

"So, it's true. I'm-I'm-."

"Scootaloo Fushia Dashery. Daughter of Rainbow Miriam Dashery."

Scootaloo got up and ran to Rainbow.
"I'm sorry I yelled. I'm sorry!"

"No Scootaloo. I am sorry."

Scootaloo hugged at Rainbow's leg.

Rainbow smiled and began to cry. Cry tears of joy.

Applejack trotted out of the clubhouse and into the orchard.

"Is she okay?"

"Wha happened? Ah heard yellin."

"They're fine. But, leave them alone for a bit." Applejack continued walking through the orchard.

"Mum! Mum! Can I have some money?" Scootaloo begged.

"What happened to the three bits I gave you yesterday?" Rainbow asked.

"I brought scooter repairs. Please can I have some more? Please."

"Oh alright. But this is the last time, okay."

Scootaloo nodded.

"I don't have a glamorous job. And I'm not married to a Wonderbolt." Rainbow giggled.

"What happened about you being a Wonderbolt, mum?"

"That is just a dream. The only dream I want to be in is this one."

Scootaloo smiled as she took the bits on the table.

"Thank you mum. Love you!" She ran off to her friends at Sugarcube corner.

Rainbow carried on walking in the town market, smiling to herself.