Scootaloo's POV
I awoke to, as usual, being slapped on the rump by Jet, who I was forced to call Dad.
"Get up, you worthless Filly," he shouted at me. "You've got school today, so get moving!" As the black Pegasus Stallion walked off, not making a sound on the cloud floor, I sat up bumping my head on the ceiling of the cupboard Jet and Midnight stuffed me in each night, leaving a mark shaped just like my head on the ceiling, along with all the other hoof prints and head prints. I dragged myself out the cupboard and forced myself to saunter down the wispy, cloud stairs. Jet and Midnight were impatiently waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, their coal black bodies looking extremely out of place in the white, cloud house, tapping their hooves on the ground, sending bits of cloud flying around them.
'At least I get to see Apple Bloom and Sweetiebelle,' I thought to myself trying to keep a positive attitude, as I flew down to the quaint town of Ponyville. As I trotted down the street towards the town's local school I felt many heads turn to look at me in disgust. 'Great I'm late for school AGAIN!' I groaned to myself sarcastically.
After I reached the school I had to listen to a long winded speech, from Miss Cheerilee, about the importance of showing up on time to school and respecting the school's policy and many other things, in front of everpony in the class. If she knew what was going on in my life she would take it all back immediately. Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon, the school bullies who hated me and my friends because we're 'blank flanks', poked their tongues out at me and waggled their front hooves by their sides, obviously trying to impersonate me. I glared at them before sitting at my desk which was, fortunately, next to Apple Bloom's and Sweetiebelle's desks, whilst Miss Cheerilee resumed the lesson she had been teaching before I arrived at school.
"...And that is how Equestria was founded," Miss Cheerilee finished her lesson on Equestria history. "Now you may go and play outside. Scootaloo I need a word." I sighed and prepared myself for the second lecture of the day.
"Scootaloo, I understand things must be hard at home, but that doesn't mean you can neglect your school work. If this carries on, I will have to speak to the Mayor!" scolded Miss Cheerilee sternly. "You may now go and play with your friends." Miss Cheerilee rested her head in her hooves, sadly motioning for me to go outside and play with Apple Bloom and Sweetiebelle. As soon as I opened the door I saw the jeering faces of Diamond Tiara and her sidekick Silverspoon.
"Oh look at little Scootaloo, all sad that she got told off AGAIN! Mummy's not going to be happy, is she Scoot?" Diamond Tiara teased me.
"Don't call me 'Scoot'. And my Mom is not going to care, she won't even know!" I mimicked her voice, I even used her exasperating expression. Diamond Tiara glared at me, by now everypony in the school was involved.
"Leave Scootaloo alone it's not her fault her home life is difficult. None of us know how miserable her life is, not even me and Sweetiebelle," came Apple bloom's all too familiar voice, as she and Sweetiebelle squeezed through the thick crowd of fillies and colts to stand by my side, with a defiant look on their faces. With new found courage I stood up as tall as I could and glared at Diamond Tiara, who just started snickering at me.
"Look, everpony... the chicken's.... trying to tell.... me off," she sneered in between fits of giggles, causing everypony else to burst into giggles, except my pals Sweetiebelle and Apple Bloom. I just glared at everypony and then ran. I ran as fast as I could away from school.
When I'd ran as far as I could, I sat down for a rest hoping against hope that nopony would be able to see me. But, just as I had expected, Twilight rounded the corner with Spike who accidently trod on my hoof. I yelped in pain and jumped into the air.
"Scootaloo?" Twilight asked in disbelief. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be at school!" Twilight followed me as I cantered off, clearly when she caught me I would get another full blown lecture about the importance of school, which I did not want to hear, as when you get a lecture from Twilight you get a good telling off with it.
Yet again I found myself running, as my life often goes, not sure where to go but quite certain it wasn't to Twilight or school. SWEET APPLE ACRES, I'll go there, at least I know Apple Jack will understand. I trotted off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres hoping, as I often did, that Apple Jack would understand me.
I stood underneath the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, where a sign hung that read:
SWEET APPLE ACRES
'well here goes nothing,' I thought to myself as I trotted into the Apple Orchard, hoping that either Apple Jack or Big Macintosh were working at the time. The huge apple trees seemed to loom over me, as I walked nervously up the path towards the giant, red barn. Suddenly one of the trees started shaking, making me jump out of my skin.
"Pull yourself together Scoot it's only Apple Jack... Or Big Mac!" I told myself, shaking my head back and forth. "Rainbow Dash would just laugh at you if she saw you now. God, I must stop talking to myself!"
"Well, howdy Scoot. Aren't I as pleased as punch to see ya," Apple Jack exclaimed, patting my back. "But aren't ya s'pposed to be at school I bet their missin' ya." Apple Jack finished with a curious look in my direction, her favorite hat slightly slipping to the side of her head.
"Sorry if I interrupted your Apple bucking, but I ran away from school because..."
"Why did you run away Scoot, Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon bothering ya again?" Apple Jack sighed shaking her head. "I don't get it Scootaloo, I told you to ignore those girls and stop telling me tell your parents."
'Did Apple Jack just speak properly. WOW!' I thought to myself staring in wonder at Apple Jack.
"Earth to Scootaloo," Apple Jack sighed, waving one of her front hooves in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I thought I just asked ya a question. Why don't ya talk to Rainbow Dash about your problems?"
"Because she doesn't understand, I talk to you because I thought you would understand the best, but it seems like you don't. I'm going, bye!" I huffed, angrily stomping one of my front hooves on the ground in exasperation. I turned to leave Apple Jack in peace, but was stopped by a set of strong teeth chomp down on my tail and pull me back to Apple Jack.
"I'm sorry if I don't understand Scoot, maybe if ya talked to Apple Bloom or Sweetiebelle about it they might understand, being your age and all," Apple Jack suggested, letting go of my tail and walking me to the exit of Sweet Apple Acres. "I really think ya should get back to school, ya don't want to be in even bigger trouble than ya already are. I'll see ya around I've gotta get to Sugar Cube Corner right now, the princess is here and me being one of Twilight's friends I'm invited to a special party in her honor." Apple Jack cantered out of Sweet Apple Acres and turned in the direction of Ponyville's town center.
'I'm not going back to school, I think I will hang around Sugar Cube Corner see if any of the guards there remember me, though I doubt they will it has been a long time,' I thought to myself wistfully, staring in the direction Apple Jack had cantered off in, before trotting off in the same direction.
After about 10 minutes of trotting I finally reached Sugar Cube Corner, where as I suspected there was about 5 guards stationed by the entrance of the sweet shop. As soon as the guards saw me they started whispering amongst their selves, pointing to me and staring at me in surprise.
When I had endured 2 minutes of this, one of the guards walked inside, while the others stood by the door looking around as if nervous of something. I watched the guards even closer, but now I was hiding behind a bale of hay, as they stood on a nervous watch of the party.
"What? Scootaloo's supposed to be at school!" I heard shouted from inside Sugar Cube Corner, probably Twilight but I couldn't be sure that it was her.
5 minutes later, the guard that had entered the party came out, with a very confused looking Princess Celestia.
"Where is this 'Scootaloo'? I would very much like to meet her," Celestia asked, looking around, though she was looking a bit too high to see me. "But I don't know what you ponies are on about, I've never known a Scootaloo before." Celestia looked up in confusion, as if trying to remember something from her long ago past, something that she didn't want to remember...
Scootaloo's POV
I stood looking at Princess Celestia, probably the most royal princess of all, with two guards standing expectantly next to her wondering when she would say something else. It was an awkward moment- but a strange moment at the same time- it felt like I was looking at someone from my distant pass, someone I'd lost and forgotten. I shook the thought off, how could I know Princess Celestia, I've never seen her before.
"Well Princess, do you remember Scootaloo?" One of the guards asked, stomping his hoof on the ground in frustration.
"Of course I don't, we have important matters to attend to now, I can't be doing with silly little fillies like 'Scootaloo', come on." Celestia stomped off towards her carriage ready to leave Ponyville. I cantered away from Sugar Cube Corner, not wanting to return to school or my so called home, just to have some time to myself with my thoughts.
Sobbing to myself, I wandered down one of the many secret alleyways in Ponyville, no idea where I was going and not caring where I would turn up. Running through my head were images of Celestia and the surprised looks on the guards faces when they saw me outside. I let out a huge sob and some fresh new tears poured down my face. When I looked up my vision was corrupted by a pink blob, that was probably Pinkie Pie.
"Awww, now I've got to cheer up yet another sad filly," Pinkie complained. "Come to Sugar Cube Corner, Scoot, I've got yummy cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie draped a hoof over my shoulder and steered me back the way I came. I shrugged her hoof off my shoulder and turned around shoving her out of my way.
"I understand you just want to cheer me up, but I want to be ALONE!" I yelled at the pink party pony, sadness evident in my eyes.
"Apple Bloom told me that you crusaders had a meeting tonight in your clubhouse," she said smoothly, looking at me to see how I would react.
"Oh, darn it. I completely forgot. Sorry, got to dash," I yelled over my shoulder as I galloped of in the direction of the clubhouse.
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"Scootaloo dumped us, face it Apple Bloom, she's gone to hang out with cooler kids," I heard Sweetie Belle sob, as I entered the clearing where our clubhouse was based. Panting I clambered up the stairs and into the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse that was based right in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres. As I entered the clubhouse I felt a faint tingle on my flank but thought nothing of it.
"I haven't dumped you guys, just a minor issue at Sugar Cube Corner, nothing for you to worry about," I panted as I laid down next to Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom took a quick glance at my flank and screamed.
"What is it Apple Bloom?" Sweetie yelled, she then looked at my flank and joined in screaming with Apple Bloom.
"Scoot, Ah didn't know ya was a traitor, ya went crusading without us. AND YA EARNED YA CUTIE MARK, NO FAIR!" Apple Bloom wailed, pointing at my supposedly bare flank. Instead of orange fur on my flank, there was a teardrop cutie mark! I rushed out of the clubhouse, with no regret of leaving as I was no longer a crusader and the other two were probably going to kick me out any way.
