Scootaloo’s Mother
Fanfic by Englishwitch

Chapter 5

Scootaloo sat on the window seat, looking out at the city of Manehatten. If there were any justice, or if life were like the movies she’d seen at the Ponyville Picture House, then it should be raining. It should be pouring down with such fury ponies would think Cloudsdale had declared war and was trying to scrub Equestria clean. Life wasn’t a movie though. The weather didn’t match the mood of the main character. In fact the night sky was quiet clear, giving Scootaloo a view of Luna’s night sky and the great white moon.

A light knock came from the door. Scoots didn’t take her eyes away from the view. Applejack’s voice spoke after a few seconds of silence. “Scootaloo, dinner’s ready.”

“I’m not hungry.” She called back with no strength or enthusiasm in her voice. She would swear she heard Applejack sigh from the other side of the door.

“Okay Sugarcube. We’ll put some aside if y’all feel hungry later, okay?”

Scootaloo bit her lip for a second, she’d had the urge to yell at Applejack to not bother and to just leave her alone. “Thank you.” Was all she finally said. Applejack was doing her best and it wasn’t her fault this had been a wasted journey. Scootaloo couldn’t bring herself to be angry at somepony who didn’t deserve it.

...***...

Applejack paced away from the bedroom and came back into the kitchen area and the crowded dinner table. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Babs were looking at her expectantly. Their faces fell as Applejack shook her head. “She says she ain’t hungry. She’d like to be left alone.”

The three crusaders went “awwww” as one. Applejack almost found it cute.

“I don’t think we should leave her alone.” Apple Bloom said. “Cutie Mark Crusader’s stick together.” She made to leave the table but one glance from her sister made her stop.

“It’s nice y’all are so concerned ‘bout your friend,” She smiled admirably. “but this ain’t like a failed attempt to get a cutie mark, or comfort each other after after that bully filly has been pickin’ on you.”

“Diamond Tiara.” Sweetie Belle said.

Applejack nodded. “Scootaloo has had a big disappointment today. Now I ain’t sayin’ she won’t want her friends aroun’ her eventually but for now she wants to be alone with her thoughts.”

Sweetie Belle glanced in the direction of the bedroom, wondering how long it would be before Scootaloo would like them around her.

Apple Dumpling looked around the table, to her daughters and her husband. She couldn’t begin to imagine how she would feel in Scootaloo’s position. She had her family around her, both immediate and extended. She knew her parents, her aunt’s her cousins, she knew what it was to be an Apple and what that meant to her. The poor filly had her family; her two mothers in Ponyville, but it wasn’t a complete family, at least as far as Scootaloo was concerned. Apple Dumpling looked at her eldest, Pink Lady, the daughter who had travelled so far and experienced so much. Red had raised her and had been there for all the important events in her life. She turned to look at Babs and tried to imagine what it would be like to have never raised her little filly, had never been there for the first steps, first words, first day of school. It was too painful a thought to imagine. She couldn’t think what kind of mare Scootaloo’s biological mother was, or what could have occurred to make her want to part with her foal.

Babs wolfed down a few more bites of her food then pushed her plate away. “I gotta be excuzed.” She stated. She didn’t even wait for permission from either of her parents before she rushed away from the table.

“Now hold up Babs” Red Hickory called after her. He was interrupted by Apple Dumpling.

“Where do youz think you’re goin’ young lady?”

Babs didn’t respond at first. She rushed toward the front door and grabbed her Cutie Mark Crusader cape from a low hook on the wall. “Crusader bis’ness Ma.” With a well rehearsed flick of her head the cape was draped around her shoulders. With a quick and complex move with her hooves she knotted it around her neck. “Don’t worry about it. I’m jus’ sendin’ a message. I’ll be right back.”

“You want us to come with ya Babs?” Applebloom piped up.

Babs was tempted but shook her head. “It’s okay cuz. I’m just goin’ to the roof. I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for any other delays she ran back down the hall and out the door..

Applebloom looked to Apple Dumpling. “The roof? Why’s she goin’ to the roof?”

Apple Dumpling sighed lightly. She knew the Crusaders were important to Babs, the filly had certainly been happier since she’d started the club. She just wished it didn’t interrupt important things like meals. “Babs built herself a small collection of bird houses on da roof.” Dumpling explained. “I didn’t think nuthin would come of it, what birds want ta sleep on a roof in da city? They gots nests and bird houses in the parks. But it worked, some birds started livin there and she got them to be her friends. In return for special treats the birds’ll fly messages to her crusader friends for her.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stared in amazement and admiration. Getting local birds to be messengers was amazing. Earth ponies had their own magic, a connection to nature which Unicorns and Pegusi would never know, with the exception of Fluttershy of course. An earth pony had a connection not only to plants and trees but to animals. With a gentle patience a pony might be able to get them to do little things. Apple Bloom had seen Big Mac persuade rats not to eat their corn supply in the winter stores. Applejack didn’t have as much patience for critters. The last time some beavers had made a dam by the farm Fluttershy had been needed as an impartial negotiator. Apple Bloom’s own, brief, attempt at getting along with animals had resulted in almost being scratched by Rarity’s cat, frightening chickens and almost being turned to stone by a Cockatrice. She was a farm pony, used to the critters and the outdoors. Babs was a city pony and, frankly, she had done something astounding. She must have a real special talent if she managed to make that deal with the birds.

In no time at all Babs returned, first to the apartment and then to the table. She still wore her Crusader cape. “All done. Ma, my friends might be comin’ ovar later, kay?”

Apple Dumpling nodded. “You care to enlighten us as to why they’ll be visitin so late?”

Babs just shook her head. “Crusader bis’ness Ma.”

Apple Dumpling put on a look of mock annoyance. The smile gave it away that she wasn’t sincere in her irritation.

...***...

A light knock came at the door, rousing Scootaloo out of the doze she’d been drifting into. Who was trying to check on her now? Couldn’t everypony see she wanted to be alone.

Before she could tell them to go away the door opened. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Babs came in, followed by two young ponies Scootaloo didn’t know.
First came a white unicorn colt, with a purple mane and tale, both were full of puffy curls that reminded Scoots of Pinkie Pie’s manestyle. Like most city ponies he wore some casual clothing, a light blue jacket. Behind him was a pegasus filly with a pink coat and sky blue hair. Unlike the unicorn she wasn’t wearing any clothing. But both of them were wearing the familiar red Crusader capes.

Babs smiled proudly and stood by the newcomers. “Scoots lemme introduce youz to the Manehatten Cutie Mark Crusaders.” She looked to the ponies, then turned back to Scootaloo. “Well, two o’dem. We gots two more members but Shady couldn’t make it and Dancer is visitin’ fam’ly in Fillydelphia.”

“And trying to get a Fillydelphia branch of the Crusaders started up.” The unicorn colt said. His voice was gentle and soft, his accent the refined cadence of the cultured Manheattenite. “He promised, didn’t he Babs?”

Babs smiled. “Yeah he did.” She glanced at Applebloom, “I was gonna tell youz guys all about it if he got it goin’.” Then she turned back to Scootaloo. “Anyways, Scoots, this is Nightshade.” She indicated the unicorn with her hoof, “and this is Firefly.” She pointed to the pink Pegasus.

The Pegasus rushed over to Scootaloo. Scoots noticed she climbed, rather than flew, up to the window seat. “Pleased ta meatcha Scootaloo.” She held out a hoof and Scootaloo bumped it automatically. Scootaloo couldn’t quite place her accent. It certainly wasn’t Manehatten. If anything she sounded a little like Rainbow Dash. “There ain’t a lot of Pegasus ponies around Manehatten. Great to see another one. And one of the founders of the Crusaders. AWESOME!” She bumped Scootaloo’s hoof again. “It’s all Unicorns and earth ponies around here. I was so bored, until I met Babs, after my parents moved here from Cloudsdale to run the weather team here.” She sat down, shuffling closer to Scootaloo. “Only pegasus ponies around here are all kids of the weather teams. They think they’re better than me, just because they got their cutie marks or can fly.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked up. “You can’t fly?”

Firefly bit her lip and started to shuffle a little away from Scoots. “Well....no okay! My wings aren’t strong enough yet. We all grow at different speeds, my wings’ll work one day and I keep practising and-”

“It’s okay.” Scootaloo interrupted. “My wings aren’t all that strong, so I can’t fly yet either.”

Firefly stared in shock and surprise. Then, after a few seconds, a smile grew on her face. She almost looked like she could hug Scootaloo. Scoots was glad she didn’t. She wasn’t touchy-feely at the best of times when it came to her friends, let alone a newly met stranger.

Scootaloo looked at her fellow crusaders. “What are you doing here?”

“We’z gonna help you get the info youz need to find your mom.” Babs said proudly. “Soon as we figure out what we’z gonna do.” She smiled sheepishly.

...***...

Babs came out into the living room where Apple Dumpling, Red Hickory, Pink Lady and Applejack were beginning to get into a game a cards.
“Mom,” Babs caught their attention. “I’m gonna walk Night Shade and Firefly home okay?”

Applejack looked up from her cards. “Is Scootaloo okay Sugarcube?”

Babs shrugged. “Still sad but I think we’z made her feel a little better. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are gonna stay with her the rest of the night. She, well, she don’t wanna be disturbed by nopony else. Just be with her friends ya’know what I’m sayin’?”

Applejack nodded and smiled. Her little sister really was a pony in a million. Always there for her friends whenever they needed them.

Babs started edging back toward the door. “Well, I’m gonna jus walk Nightshade and Firefly home. I’ll be back in a little while.” She turned and hurried away. A few seconds later they heard the door closing.

“She’s up to somethin’.” Applejack said casually.

“Yup.” Hickory agreed.

“I’ll bet the the others are involved.” Applejack added.

“Wouldn’t be surprised if they were.” Apple Dumpling muttered with a nod. She tossed a couple of bits into the growing pot in the middle.

“Should someone go keep an eye on them?” Applejack looked over her cards for a few seconds before matching the bid. “Make sure they don’t get inta trouble?” Manehatten wasn’t like Ponyville, where there would always be a caring neighbour to lend a hoof if trouble were needed.

Apple Dumpling nodded. “Them crusaders always help each other if trouble starts. Normally there’s a cop around ta help if they get in a jam. Then again, Babs don’t usually take to sneakin’. If she’s sneakin’ she might not get seen if she gets in trouble.”

Pink Lady looked between her relatives and finally voiced the question on her mind. “Well, shouldn’t somepony be following them?”

Applejack smiled and nodded. “Soon. We gotta let them think they got away with it. Good for their....” what were the words Twilight had used? “self ee’steam. We can give ‘em another minute head start.”

Pink stared with incredulity. “But we don’t even know where they’re going.”

Applejack, Apple Dumpling and Red Hickory all chuckled. “Actually sugarcube,” Applejack smiled. “It don’t take a genius to know where they’re goin’.”

...***...

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie stood by while Babs, Nightshade and Firefly did their best to hail a cab. When a group of six little ponies try and hail a cab they are, unsurprisingly, ignored but all taxi drivers.

“C’mon ya dumb mook!” Babs screamed at another cab as it trotted by. “Paying customers right here!”

Sweetie Belle leaned toward Nightshade. “What’s a Mook?”

The other white unicorn just shrugged. “I have no idea. As much as I ask Babs just can’t explain it clearly.”

Firefly finally grunted in frustration. “That’s it. Nightshade, front and centre. CMC acrobats.”

Nightshade sighed. “Firefly, I don’t really-” Her glare cut him off. With another lengthy sigh Nightshade moved to stand behind Firefly, who lowered herself down onto her her knees, she spread her wings wide and flat as Nightshade climbed up, resting his fore-hooves on her shoulders and shakily positioning his back-hooves on her flanks. He trembled and shook as Firefly rose up off her knees and onto her hooves. They were shaky and looked ready to collapse any second.

“Firefly, what does this ha-”

“You good for a flash of light?” She called up to him.

Nightshade looked down, worry growing with every passing second. “I guess so, why?”

Without warning Firefly stepped off the pavement and onto the road. Nightshade yelped, he made to jump off Firefly but the filly rose her wings straight up, holding him in place. “Any time now, cab is getting close!” She yelled up at him.

Nightshade saw the taxi coming right at them, the tired driver barely even noticed them. Nightshade screwed up his eyes and poured his magic into his horn. It sparked, then sparked again. He gritted his teeth and tried harder. A ball of bright white light flashed out of the tip of his horn. The cab pony yelled, startled and skidded to a halt. His hooves scraped along the road. Firefly screwed up her own eyes and leaned back.

She felt dust blow into her face. Slowly she eased on eye open. She was staring right up the nose of the cabbie. “Oh thank Celestia.” She whispered. She felt Nightshade buckle and saw his white form fall to the pavement out of the corner of her eye.

The cab pony glared down at her. “What the heck do ya think you doin’ ya crazy palooka?! Youz trying to get yourself killed?”

“Hey buddy.” A voice yelled behind him. The cabbie turned and gawked. Five ponies had jumped into his cab. The unicorn colt was still out cold, he was being supported by another unicorn and an orange pegasus. An earth pony filly with a pink mane was the one being so vocal.

There was a flash of pink as the pegasus jumped into the cab alongside her friends.

“Jus take us to the Galaxia home for foundling foals and maybe we don’t tell the cops you tried to run over my friends.” She grinned evilly.

“Youz crazy?” The cabbie yelled back. “No way that was my fault. They stepped into da road.”

Babs nodded. “Sure. But who are the cops gonna believe? And keep in mind, we’re da ones with da dimples and half of us can cry on demand.”

They glared at each other silently for a few minutes. Then, grumbling under his breath, the pony started pulling the cab.

...***...

The home looked intimidating in the dark of the night. There were a scattering of lanterns softly glowing in windows on the upper floors but every window on the lower floor was dark and gloomy looking.

The fillies and colt jumped out of the cab. Babs tossed a few bits to the driver, leaving only a small tip, which left him grumbling more as he trotted off.

Nightshade looked up at the building and gulped deeply. “So, now we’re here, what are we going to do?”

Babs poked around the road for a few seconds until she found a sizeable rock. She picked it up in her hoof and looked at Nightshade. “Youz knows what we’z gonna do. Youz jus’ don’t like it.”

Scootaloo cleared her throat in an obviously fake and loud way. “Honestly Babs, I don’t like it either.”

Babs looked at the rock balanced on her hoof and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I don’t like it either. We all agreed tho, it’s the best way to distract ‘em. I promise tho’ I’ll come back and help ‘em out, any job they want. Cutie Mark Crusader Volunteer.” She crossed her heart with her rock laden hoof. “Now, everypony in position.”

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed up the steps and stood by the large double doors, pressing themselves against the wall of the stoop, as deep into the shadows as they could manage. They wouldn’t be cutie mark crusader ninjas any time soon.

Firefly, Nightshade and Babs stood on the pavement and tried to gather their nerves for what they were about to do. Babs gripped the rock as tightly as she could, reared up on her back legs, pulled her fore-hoof back and threw the rock hard. It sailed up, up, up into the air in a fantastic arc.

SMASH

A window on the third floor collapsed inward. The tinkling noise of shattering glass echoed through the empty night.

Within seconds lights came on all along the top floor. Faces of fillies and colts appeared, looking down on the street. Then older faces of adult mares and stallions appeared at other windows.

Babs, Nightshade and Firefly played their parts perfectly, yelling generic insults and making lots of noise, grabbing all the attention.

The front doors burst open. Matron Foster ran out into the street. Unseen, Scoots, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran out of the shadows and into the building.

Babs Nightshade and Firefly ran off down the block, away from the furious Matron. The mare was screaming insults after them that would have made a sailor blush.

...***...

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo dove under a table, huddling close together to be as small as possible. The whole house seemed to be awake now. They could hear Fillies and Colts running around up the stairs, probably trying to find out what was happening. Then came the heavy hoof steps of staff members, who were probably trying to get the young back into bed. Then came the noise of foals starting to cry.

“Awww,” Sweetie whined, “we woke the babies.”

Scootaloo risked looking around the empty hallway. They had hidden here in case staff ponies or some of the younger residents of the home came down the stairs and caught them. They were going to wait until the fuss died down and then make their move. “Nopony is coming. I’m gonna risk it.” She made to move but Applebloom grabbed her wing and pulled her back.

“Hold up.” She pointed a hoof to the door. Matron Foster was walking back inside. She closed the door with a heavy slam.

“ Disgraceful. Degenerates.” She yelled furiously, stomping through the hallway. She walked past the three Crusaders without a second glance. “Decadent. Depraved. Disgusting. Depraved.” She continued stomping up the stairs, calling out more furious words beginning with D.

Scootaloo came out of the hiding place. “What is she, a thesaurus?” Above them the noise of the excited ponies was beginning to die down. The adults were regaining control and were probably getting all the ponies back into bed. Scoots turned to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, “do you know where we’re going?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “When we was here earlier we saw that Miss Foster going this way,” she pointed a hoof down a hallway to the left. “when she came back she had that folder of yours.” She trotted off, Sweetie Belle and Scoots followed close behind.

The hallway was so dark they could barely see where they were going.

“Ow, you stood on my tail.”

“Sorry Sweetie.” Scootaloo said to the patch of darkness she thought her friend could be standing in.

THUD

Sweetie Belle squeaked, “What was that?”

“That was me.” Apple Bloom’s voice came out of the darkness. “I found a wall, with my head.”

“How come none of us thought about bringing a torch?” Scootaloo growled under her breath. “We need some light. I might be a mammal with wings but I’m not a bat.”

Even through the pitch darkness she felt her friends staring at her.

“What?” she muttered defensively. “sometimes I do pay attention in school.”

“Uh-huh.” Apple Bloom’s doubtful sigh came from a shadow. “Sweetie Belle, you think you can manage a little glowing spell?”

“I don’t know.” Sweetie admitted doubtfully. “You know whenever I try magic stuff tends to, well, explode.”

“C’mon and try Sweetie.” Scootaloo encouraged her. “Even Snails can light up his horn and he still gets lost walking between his house and school.”

Sweetie sighed. “Well....okay...I’ll try.” She screwed up her eyes and concentrated, trying to remember every little thing she’d heard Rarity or Twilight say about magic and hoping, praying, that something didn’t start burning this time.

There was a noise like the Ponyville express trying to start; a hiss like steam and the grinding of metal. Then came a spark, a flicker of light coming from Sweetie’s horn. It faded and sparked again. Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth and pushed herself harder. The horn flickered then shone with bright, solid, white light. When she opened her eyes, sweating and panting she smiled and found energy to jump around with excitement at seeing her horn glowing.

Now they could see each other and where they were going. Apple Bloom looked around, and saw they had actually passed the door they’d been looking for.
“C’mon.”

...***...

The basement was huge but cramped. It put Bonbon’s storage habits to shame. There were immensely long rows of filing tall filing cabinets. The three fillies stared in shock, wondering where in Equestria there were expected to even start.

Sweetie Belle had to sit down, concentrating on keeping her horn lit, added to worrying that any second she was going to set something on fire, was starting to drain her.
“Can we start with trying to find a light switch?”

“Way ahead of ya Sweetie.” Apple Bloom’s voice came from the doorway. She flicked the switch and they were almost blinded by the glare of the bulbs after so long in the dark and dim light.

They thought the place had been large before, bow they saw its full size.
Scootaloo gasped. “Buck. How are we supposed to find anything in this place. It must run under the whole building and probably half of next door.”

“Now don’t worry.” Apple Bloom tried to reassure her. “It di’nt take Miss Foster long to find your folder, so it can’t be far. Wha-” She stopped and stared at Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo followed her gaze and they both watched, stunned, as their friend was now struggling to extinguish her glowing horn.

“Stupid horn.” She batted it with her hooves, closed her eyes and tried to focus, then tried to un-focus as focussing had started the whole thing in the first place. “Out.” She tried the same things again, with no luck. “Go out.”

Scootaloo sat in front of Sweetie and licked her front hooves, covering them in a liberal amount of saliva. Without saying a word she pressed her hooves onto Sweetie’s horn. With a hiss like fire being doused by water the glowing appendage went out.

Sweetie Belle crossed her eyes to stare up at her horn. “How’d you know to do that?”

Scootaloo just smirked and shook her head. “Mom, I mean Lyra, used to be my night light when I was small.” She sighed as the memory rose in her. “Smaller anyway. She used to fall asleep with her horn glowing and I’d put it out in the morning.” She shook her head and forced the smile away, it took a lot of effort.

Apple Bloom had listened, a smile on her own face, but she had also wandered up to the first filing cabinet and noticed something, “All these things have got number labels on their drawers.” She pointed to the label, at the very top drawer was the label:

AA01A1AAA – AB01A1AAA

“You remember the code that was on that adoption form?” Apple Bloom asked Scoots.

The pegasus filly nodded. How could she forget it? “LF03G4MLP”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Okay, well, I guess we gotta find the filing cabinets startin’ with L.”

...***...

A, B, C....

It took a long time to get from one letter to the other. After what felt like ten minutes of walking they were shocked to find themselves in the G’s. They took to jogging and then to running. Until, finally....

“L!” Apple Bloom cried triumphantly.

LA01A1AAA – LB01A1AAA

The search continued for the LF section of the warehouse like basement.

Scootaloo wished her life was a little bit more like the Daring Do books Rainbow Dash sometimes read to her. Sure they were full of whole passages of Daring wandering through corridors and searching for hidden treasures but they were more exciting than this. There would be traps, cult leaders, soldiers, monsters and all kinds of other things to make the journey more interesting.

“Here we are,” Apple Bloom’s voice snapped Scootaloo out of her thoughts. The yellow earth pony had found the right drawer and pulled it open. “Let’s see.” She flicked through the different folders, looking carefully at the codes. Then she suddenly stopped.

Scootaloo’s wings flared in the anticipation. She felt her heart speed up as Apple Bloom pulled out the file folder with the right code printed on it.

LF03G4MLP
Name: Scootaloo

Apple Bloom put the folder on the floor and made to open it. She hesitated then slid the file over to Scootaloo. “Here ya go.”

Scootaloo stared at the folder for some time before she dared reach for it. She felt like if she tried to touch it the whole thing would disappear in a puff of smoke and she’d wake up discovering this had all been a very strange dream.

Taking a deep breath she reached for the cardboard folder. Her hoof trembled as she eased it open. After all the waiting, all the set backs and all the trouble, there it was, right in front of her, her mother’s name.

And she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

A reassuring hoof touched her shoulder. “Scoots, there it is, Your momma’s name.”

Scootaloo eased one eye open and looked down at the page.

Author's Notes:

Okay, so I kind of bailed out on making up OC's for the Manehatten CMC's. I intended to but eventually had the idea to use a couple of G1 ponies. So sue me, I'm lazy.
Fans who know their G1 will know Nightshade wasn't a unicorn but an earth pony. He was a blank flank in the cartoon though, which might have part of the inspiration to use him and another G1 pony. Seems only the ponies of dream valley had cutie marks.
Once I decided to use Nightshade, a pony who's special talent is singing, Firefly just kind of slipped into place, as a Pegasus it made a nice balance to the group. Everything slipped into place from there; Firefly, a pegasus filly who isn't good at flying yet, Babs, an earth pony who's still discovering herself and trying to grow up, and Nightshade (now a unicorn) who is fancy and likes to sing.
Making the Manehatten Cutie Mark Crusaders an amusing parody of the Ponyville Cutie Mark Crusaders.