Census Maximus Ultimatum

by niegel22

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Slice of Life, Dark, Sad
Length: 8105

Twilight Sparkle, now a princess of Equestria, finds that one pony in particular was refusing to attend the event held every three years, the Census. She is determined to find out why.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom love their lives. They play, they run around, they have fun, they stand up to Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara and continue their famed search for their Cutie Marks. But when Twilight Sparkle starts asking a few questions about some of the ponies, one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders becomes nervous, and her emotions are out-of-sorts. Her two friends try to comfort her, but nothing they can do will help her. Twilight Sparkle is scared for this little pony, and her concern is beginning to scare HER. But what happens when the truth is revealed?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-10 00:50:29 UTC

%i%

1

Chapter 1

“AAAAHHHH!”

The pony screamed in pain. Her contractions had begun, the moments she had dreaded and eagerly awaited since she had found out she was pregnant once more.  Her husband sat at her side, holding her hoof between his,  while three nurses rushed about the hospital room. One came toward the mare with a hypodermic needle. “Ma'am,” she began. “Please try to hold still. This will lessen the pain a small amount.” The stallion gripped his wife as she released a held breath and tried to relax. The nurse inserted the needle into the crook of her elbow, pressed down the syringe, and then pulled it out. She wiped the area with a sanitizing pad, and drew back to check the mare's heart rate on the monitors.

Another spasm shook the mare, and she cried out again. The pain was not as severe, but it still hurt. Several minutes passed before it happened again.

One of the nurses checked a computer screen. “It is nearly ready. Ma'am, please try to relax for a moment. Sir, if you would exit the room, we will tell you when it is over.”

Hours later, the nurse exited the room. She looked at the stallion, who had spent the time pacing back and forth, back and forth, across the waiting room. “It is time,” she said. “Come in.” Something was off about her voice, something that seemed grave and despairing. The stallion took a deep breath and followed the nurse into the birthing room. Inside, one nurse was holding a small bundle, and another was gathering several rags that were soaked in blood.

“Dear,” the mare on the bed called to her husband. “Come to me.” the stallion sat, speechless, as the mare weakly held reached out her hand.

“Why?” he asked her.

“They can't do anything for me. This is where it ends. Take care of her.”

the stallion began to breathe faster, frantic. He jumped up, grabbed the nurse who wasn't holding anything, and held her close to him. “Do something! She can't die!”

The nurse began to shed tears. “I'm sorry...” she choked out the words. “We can't do anything.”

The stallion released her, and took his wife's hoof between his. “I...I can't live without you...” he whispered.

“I know. But I will always be here. Watch our child, watcher her grow up.”

“What shall I say to our firstborn?”

The mare drooped her head. “Tell her we have a miscarriage. She must not know.”

“But...but that's wrong! We have to tell her!”

“No....don't....take my baby to....” the mare coughed, and blood sprayed from her throat onto the blankets. “...take her

to...my sister...in...Cloudsdale...” the mare dropped her head against the head of the pillows, her breathing shallow.

“No! Don't die on me! NO!” he jumped again, yelling at the nurses. “Do something!” he shouted. The second nurse shook her head, tears spilling over her face, and she held out the bundle in her arms. The stallion took the child, his arms shaking. The vibrations caused the blankets to shift, and they tipped over his arms, revealing a tiny pegasus filly. Little wings fluffed out, as the baby turned in her sleep.

“Dear...” the stallion said to the baby. “I will let nothing happen to you. For your mother...” he clutched the filly close to his chest, and dropped to the floor, letting his tears spill onto the floor. His dead wife lay on the bed, the nurses stood silently.

Night fell over Canterlot.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Scootalooooo!” Sweetie Belle called out. “Come on out! I give up!”

Scootaloo popped down out of the top of a tree and landed in front of Sweetie Belle, fluttering her wings with joy that she had defeated her friend. Hide and Seek was one of the more popular games between the three of them. Apple Bloom walked in circles around them. Sweetie had been the seeker, and had found Apple Bloom in a bush behind Twilight's library.

“Beat you!” Scootaloo said haughtily.

“That ain't fair!” Apple Bloom complained.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle put in. “You're more aerody-whatsit than the rest of us!”

Scootaloo smiled. “It's just me, that's all. You guys hide now, I'll count!” She put her face against the tree, bumping her forehead against the bark. She winced, blinked a couple of times, and then settled down to count. She heard Sweetie and Apple Bloom giggle and dash away in two different directions.

As she counted, she kept her ears pricked for any sound coming from the other fillies. When she finished, “Ready or not, here I come!” she pranced in the direction she had thought she heard one of her friends go. She saw clear hoofprints in the grass and dirt, and followed them eagerly. Scootaloo splayed out her wings, steadying her and making her hoofsteps lighter than normal, so she would make as little noise as possible. As she followed the prints, her heart beat faster, her breaths were quicker. She wanted to surprise her friend.

There was a bush at the end of the trail of hoofprints. Scootaloo crept up on it, wiggeld her haunches, and pounced.

On the other side of the bush, there was nothing. No yellow or white ponies. Just more hoofprints. “Okay...” Scootaloo said to herself. “This will be a tricky one, then!”

She followed the hoofprints until she was closer to Ponyville than she had thought they had gone. But she heard a snicker.

A little laugh. A giggle. Settling into the grass, she moved silently toward one of the buildings on the outer edge of Ponyville.

A small fence ringed around the building, with a short gate in one side, several feet to her left.

Utilizing the magic in her body, Scootaloo fluffed out her wings, and jumped over the fence, and almost landed on top of Sweetie Belle. The white filly gave a sharp squeak as Scootaloo forced her to the ground. “You're gonna get my mane all dirty!” She complained, whilst overcome with giggles.

“Well, now I just gotta find Apple Bloom! I know she's here somewhere...” Scootaloo jumped over the fence again, while Sweetie Belle took the classic way through the gate. She followed Scootaloo as she searched for signs of Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo found another set of hoofprints leading away from the starting point. She followed those, thinking for sure that her friend was at the end of the trail. Above her, high in the sky, a rainbow streak shot across the sky. Scootaloo looked up and smiled. Her adoptive older sister was so awesome. Turning her focus back to their game, she ran along the trail of hoofprints.

After a short distance, the trail circled back on itself, and then turned around again. It then moved in a straight line toward a cluster of bushes near Fluttershy's home. After a moment, Scootaloo crouched in front of the bushes, then leaped over them, landing flat on the grass behind them. Apple Bloom was not there. Scootaloo made a guess and moved down to the small creek in front of the house, and looked back and forth up and down the water.

Nothing.

Scootaloo crossed the water, and looked through the bushes on the opposite bank.

As she finished inspecting some tall shrubs, something wrapped around her left hind leg and pulled. Scootaloo shrieked as she was pulled back into the water, and Apple Bloom shouted, “Surprise!”

She and Sweetie Belle fell into a fit of giggles, and Scootaloo shook the water from her coat and laughed with them.

Rainbow Dash watched the three fillies laughing, and she muffled a giggle as she saw her little buddy soaking wet on the bank. Smiling, she got back to her weather business, kicking the clouds out of existence. The rain was scheduled for the next day, and was to continue for approximately seventy-two hours. As she finished one area of the sky, she dropped down loser to the ground to take a breather.

Twilight Sparkle walked out of her library and fluffed out her wings. Rainbow Dash saw her, and jumped down to the ground in front of her. “Hey Twilight,” she said coolly.

“Oh, hey Rainbow Dash. I was just going to visit Applejack, want to come along?”

“Yeah, sure! I could use a break.”

They walked to the outskirts of Ponyville in silence, enjoying the peace of the town and the quiet of the residence.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle trotted down the country lane toward Applejack's barn. The birds above were calling out to one another, and the sky was stretching across a plane of azure blue. The rows of apple trees began to reach out  on either side of the path, hundreds of the fruit-bearing plants, one after another after another.

The two ponies walked side by side, moving steadily closer to the buildings at the center of the massive farm.

A shout, and then a rough cracking noise reached their ears. Rainbow Dash smiled. Applejack was already working away on the apples, gathering them before winter set in. She and Twilight turned from the path down between two rows of apple trees, following the sound of the working mare. It was excessively loud, first the thud-thud-thud of her hooves against the earth, then the hoarse yell, and then the harsh crack of Applejack's hooves connecting with the tree, shaking he apples to the ground, where the orange mare gathered them into baskets.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight found her finishing with one tree and moving on to the next. She stopped as she saw them.

“Well how ya'll doin', sugarcubes?”

“Just fine, Applejack.” Twilight said. “Started your work, for the end of the season, I see?”

“Sure have, Twilight, Ah gotta get this done. If Ah don't, we will lose some money and have to raise our prices. We make some good business here in Ponyville, but we're trying to make some tradin' agreements with the folks in Canterlot and Appleloosa, and then Manehattan.”

“Sounds like work, work, and more work.” Rainbow put in. She flopped down on the grass, folding her cyan wings against her body.

“Well, Rainbow, ya'll can do what ya want, but Ah chose my work, Ah got mah Cutie Mark workin' this here farm, and here's where Ah'll stay, if ya don' mind me doin' so.” Applejack turned around and swiftly bucked a tree, the harsh, thunderous crack echoing through the trees. Apples dropped to the grass.

Twilight used her magic to levitate the apples into the various baskets on the ground, and then released the magic.

Applejack cut to the chase. “So, Twilight, what can Ah do ya fer?”

“I'd like to talk to you, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity about something.”

Rainbow Dash looked up. “What?”

“Well, Twilight, can ya wait maybe half an hour or somewhat, and Ah can meet ya'll somewheres in town, how's that sound?”

“Perfect, Applejack, thanks! Rainbow Dash, let's go. We need to find Rarity.”

“Whatever you say, Twilight, but we're flying.”

“Oh no.”

“Come on! You're part Pegasi now! You gotta practice!” Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, easily gaining height with her ease of assurance in the air, her home territory.

Twilight Sparkle cursed under her breath. “Fine, fine.” she complied. She jumped into the air, and then dropped back to the ground, falling on her front hooves. Irritated, she stretched out her wings, and tried again, without falling, but still struggling to keep her balance and flap her wings hard enough and often enough without returning to the force of gravity.

After a few vain attempts, Twilight managed to maintain a height of ten feet above the ground, they bid Applejack farewell. She and Rainbow Dash flew as fast as Twilight could manage without falling again. Rainbow Dash grew increasingly pushy about it, always nagging her to go faster, flap harder, work harder, use her muscles, and all that pegasus nonsense. Twilight still preferred to read about flying rather than practicing it.

After several minutes of verbal annoyance from Rainbow Dash, she and Twilight managed to get  far enough and close enough to Ponyville that they dropped to the ground and walked the rest of the way. Her mood had become annoyed and strained, about to snap if anything else irritated her.

Which could be a lot of things.

They walked along the dirt paths between the buildings until they reached Rarity's boutique. Typical Rainbow Dash burst through the door without knocking and barreled into Rarity, who was levitating various lengths of different colored cloths across the room. With a loud “Oof!” Rarity hit the ground, Rainbow Dash on top of her, and a moment later, all the material hit the carpet. Twilight walked in like a princess should, head high, wings partially folded back, neat steps, until the tripped on the bottom of the door frame and ruined the entire thing.

After the awkward moment of the three ponies getting to their feet, and Rarity shrieking at Rainbow Dash, and Twilight standing, trying to maintain her dignity, and all three talking at once and nobody listening to anyone else.

Twilight sat, irritated, until Rainbow Dash had begun shouting at Rarity over something, and Rarity was shouting back at how expensive her material was, and she could stand it no longer.

“EVERYPONY SHUTUP!” she yelled over them.

The two arguing ponies stopped, quite suddenly, and looked at her. Then Rainbow Dash started giggling, and Rarity did a sort of professional laugh, until all three ponies sat laughing at one another or with one another. After a few seconds they all stopped. Twilight closed the door and moved closer to them. “Well, girls, it seems we have had our fun. Time for business. But we have to wait for-”

The door jingled, and the orange mare walked in. “Hey ya'll, Ah figured ya'll would be here!”

Twilight smiled. She waved the Applejack over to join them. “Now, girls, I have a rather important question involving the diplomatic concerns-”

“Speak English, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight Sparkle glared at her. “Involving the diplomatic concerns about the population of Ponyville and whether or not performing certain actions would affect the economy.”

Rarity caught on. “Such as?”

“As you may or may not know, as a Princess, I am required to perform a Census every other year to make sure that Canterlot can monitor our needs.”

“Twilight, you know I don't speak politics. What's a Census?”

“Sugarcube, it means she counts all the ponies who live here. Try an' pay attention.” Applejack watched Twilight attentively.

“I want to know if you three think that we should count the older fillies as well. They will all be  adult mares within a couple of years, and I wondered about counting them. Rarity, as Sweetie Belle's guardian, and your parents are not living here, you are responsible for the filly. Applejack, Granny Smith will represent your family, but I want your opinion on Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash, because Scootaloo's relatives are not here, you will stand as her guardian, because she sees you as an older sister. I wish for the three of you to seek out the three fillies, ad ask them what they think, and then come back to me. The number of ponies counted can determine the taxes, the growth rate, and more political stuff that you don't need to know about and probably don't care to hear.”

Rainbow Dash said, “Well, I'll go find Scootaloo. I'd bet that all three of them are together, at their games. See ya!” She flapped her wings, and zoomed out the door.

Rarity spoke next. “I can just wait for Sweetie Belle to come home. She'll be here within a few hours, I'm certain.”

“Same here,” Applejack said.

Twilight nodded. She started to leave. “I've got some reading to do. I'll see you girls later!” She opened the door and left, closing it behind her. She took a deep breath, inhaling the morning air.

Applejack appeared next to her. “Ah don't know about all that political stuff, or why what's what, but if you think it's best for us ponies, then Ah'm all fer it.” The orange mare trotted off back toward her farm. Twilight Sparkle watched her go, then turned back to her library, planning on spending the rest of the day enjoying silence in her library, with her books.

%i%

4

Chapter 4

Scootaloo jumped from the rock onto the grass, and dropped onto her stomach next to Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle lay on her back, watching the clouds roll by lazily. “So,” Apple Bloom said, “what should we do next for our Cutie Mark Crusadin'?

Scootaloo rolled onto her back, then rolled again onto her stomach. “We should try science!”

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo upside down. “But that would take some bits to get the materials!”

“We could just ask Twilight for them.”

“An' she woul' jus' think we were gonna explode somethin'!” Apple Bloom put in.

“But wouldn't that be fun?” Scootaloo giggled. “Blowing stuff up?”

“What would we blow up?” Sweetie Belle said in her high pitched voice.

Apple Bloom giggled. “Heehee....Zecora's house!”

At this comment the three fillies burst into a fit of giggles that lasted several minutes.

“That would be so funny!” Scootaloo yelled into the sky.

“What would be funny?” a voice called down from above. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all looked up. Rainbow Dash jumped down from a cloud and sailed down, hitting the ground beside them. She folded her wings quickly and with expertise, and looked down at Scootaloo. “What were you laughing at?”

Sweetie Belle giggled. Apple Bloom smirked. And Scootaloo burst out laughing again.

Rainbow Dash sat down. She smiled, waiting for them to be done. Scootaloo looked at her, still laughing, and said, “We...we were talking about...AHAHAHAHA! Blowing up Zecora's hut in the forest!” She giggled, and hit the ground with her hoof, laughing uncontrollably.

Rainbow Dash held in her laughter, as funny as the thought was. She could picture it, the three fillies running away giggling, while Zecora's house shot up in flames. Smoke covering the trees...

Eventually the girls stopped laughing. It was silent for a moment, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all staring at the clouds. “So what did ya'll want, Dash?” Apple Bloom said.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to Scootaloo. Wanna come with, Scoots?”

“Sure, Rainbow Dash!” The orange filly stood up and followed Rainbow as the pegasus began walking away. She bounced alongside her adoptive sister. Her purple tail swung around as her hooves  hit the ground at a constant beat. “So what did you wanna say, Dash?”

“Just wait a minute kid. I wanna take you to a favorite spot of mine above Ponyville! Here, hold on.” She crouched down and allowed Scootaloo to clamber onto her back. “Just watch the wings, okay? Don't want to start falling midair.”

When Scootaloo was comfortable, and not likely of intervening on her wing motion, Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. It was a bit odd carrying the weight, but Scootaloo was not particularly heavy. It helped that she had a Pegasi body type. Had she been carrying Apple Bloom, or another Earth Pony, it would have been more difficult. The Pegasus race had the lightest body, having to compensate for the necessity of being able to lift their own weight in flight. When she had spent a few days at the Wonderbolt Academy, she had often wondered how Snowflake had been able to fly with his wings, and she never discovered an answer.

But that was beside the point. She had something to ask Scootaloo. But it was not what she was supposed to ask.

Whatever the heck Twilight was wondering with all the stupid economics and political and all that boring egg-head stuff, Rainbow figured she had a better question.

Rainbow flew up into the sky, making sure that Scootaloo did not slip and fall, but the little filly had a firm grip, her hooves wrapped around Dash's sides, the tips digging into her ribs.

Her wings began to slow as they reached their destination. A small cloud, that Rainbow Dash had never let fade, sat just above a cleft in a rock that shot above Ponyville, partially broken off from the mountain that she, Twilight, and her friends had removed a dragon from in order to save the Equestrian sky. It was also her favorite spot to bring the Daring Do books that Twilight let her borrow. It was a peaceful place.

The cloud sat a few feet above the rocks, and the cloud is where she set Scootaloo, while she herself settled on the rocks. It was nowhere nearly as comfortable as the clouds, but for what she was about to do, it was a sacrifice she had to afford to make.

Applejack didn't care so much about the political stuff, or any of that, so she decided not to ask Apple Bloom, simply implore Granny Smith for advice on the matter, and then decide for herself. Apple Bloom was young enough and didn't need to know about politics yet. She returned home, and resumed her work beating the hell out of trees for the apples they contained.

Rarity used her magic to piece some cloth together with various colors, testing out what she thought would be a nice touch to an outfit she wanted to wear. Mister Filthy Rich had cordially invited her to a strictly adult party the next weekend. He had also asked that Silver Spoon stay with Sweetie Belle, as they could “Keep each other company in our absence,” as he had put it. (What he didn't know was that Sweetie Belle absolutely loathed the other filly, but Rarity had obliged anyway. She also hadn't told Sweetie Belle about the event yet.)

After considering Twilight's request, she had decided not to tell Sweetie Belle about the politics involving the census, and simply add her as a part of her family when the population was counted. Sweetie Belle was a sentient life form, but she would likely make a rash or foolish decision on the matter, despite the fact that both options, include or not include the fillies, would likely produce the same result, it didn't matter what Sweetie Belle chose.

Rainbow Dash waited for Scootaloo to get comfortable on the cloud. When she had, Rainbow watched her intently, trying to read her emotions. All she could figure out was the curious, but excited expression.

But this couldn't be right.

She was about to invade on her privacy. On her personal life. On her own mind. As much as Scootaloo trusted the rainbow pegasus, Rainbow knew that she would not answer her easily.

“Scootaloo.” she began.

“Yeah, Dash?” She looked intently upon her sisterly figure.

“Who are your parents?”

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Scootaloo stared at Rainbow Dash. “Huh?”

“Who are your parents?” Dash looked stoically upon the filly.

Scootaloo stared downward.

Silence.

“Scootaloo?”

Nothing. No noise. No words. Only the wind.

“Hey, kid...”

“I don't know.”

“What?”

“I don't know who my parents are.” the orange filly looked up and gazed straight into Dash's eyes. “I have never known. All I know is growing up in Cloudsdale. I had an aunt who took care of me. But she died. Now, I live on my own.”

“But....nobody takes care of you?”

“No.”

“Well...” Rainbow Dash sat quizzically staring at Scootaloo. “How do you support yourself? Where do you live?”

“No where. I don't live in any particular place.” A tear rolled down her cheek, touched the cloud she rested on, and continued falling. Down. Down. All the way to the dirt, hundreds of feet below.

Rainbow Dash did some fast thinking. “Remember when we went on that camping trip?”

Scootaloo nodded.

“Remember how you said you wanted somepony to take you under their wing?”

“...yeah.”

“And you know how I honestly didn't do too much, other than support you and just compliment you through the days, but rarely helped you?”

“Uh....yeah...” Dash felt a tight clenching feeling in her chest. This was extremely difficult for her to admit.

“That's gonna change. I'm gonna care for you. You can live with me. I'll bring you home to my house in Cloudsdale. I'll help

you fly. I'll make sure you get to school. You'll be my little sister, for real.”

“But, I'm not your sister. Don't you have to sign a bunch of papers and government stuff?”

“Whatever, I'll talk to Twilight about that later. For now, let's go home. You can tell your friends later.”

“But I want to find your family, Scootaloo.” Dash thought to herself.

Scootaloo smiled, her eyes shining. “Dash, you're the best sister ever!”

Rainbow Dash smiled as the filly climbed onto her back, in the same position as before.

“I'm going to help you, kid. I'm going to find your family.”

Twilight Sparkle stretched her wings out on the ground. The grass was cool underneath those that touched it, and the sky was beginning to deepen with the red hue that marked sunset. Red surrounded the sun, and then thinned into a deep orange, that lightened as it spread across the sky. A few clouds rolled lazily off the mountain that supported Canterlot, escapees of the work of the Pegasi.

She loved the sunset. It reminded her of her old home in Canterlot. One side of the house had been one large window that overlooked the city, and every evening it cast a beautiful array of colors onto the floor and the walls.

Twilight let all the thoughts of being a princess slip from her mind. All the diplomatic stuff, government policies, taxation, the census, all of it. She used magic to pull a book from her saddlebags, and she opened it up to where she had her bookmark.

Reading was her getaway. She loved to read. But who didn't know that? Books were an essential piece of her existence. Without books... it would be as if she didn't have a soul. It would hurt, not being able to read for pleasure.

Equestria could wait.

Right now, her world was in the pages of the volume that sat on the grass in front of her.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Princess Luna spread her wings and leaped from the tower, high above Canterlot. She narrowed her wingspan and angled downward, gathering speed as gravity took hold of her. About a hundred feet above the ground she snapped her wings fully open, wind filled the space, and she leveled out, flying in a straight line, level above the ground. She flew over the cliff face that edged Canterlot, and dropped downward again. Equestria spread out in front of her, for hundreds of miles in every direction.

A few miles out, in Cloudsdale, lying in a bed made of condensed cumulonimbus cloud, Scootaloo turned back and forth underneath the fluffy blue blankets that covered her. She couldn't get used to it, despite it being one of the most comfortable things she had ever laid on. Her eyes refused to submit to the peace of sleep. It wasn't because she was over-excited, quite the opposite in fact. So much change. It made her feel odd. Rainbow Dash had brought her home, shown her around the house, even though Scootaloo had been there before, and then Rainbow had given her the extra bedroom.

Silence.

Silence in the bedroom.

“Nyyyaaahhh!” Scootaloo mumbled to herself. She hated silence. Silence was one of her worst fears, the fear that nothing was there, that empty feeling. Even during school tests, she sometimes got antsy and she shivered in terror of the silence. But then she would concentrate on the consistent tapping of pencils against the pages, and she would play back a rhythm in her mind.

Tap.

Tap. Tap.

Tap.

But here, there was nothing. Not even white noise. It was just dark silence.

Scootaloo reached up and swiped her hoof across her forehead. It came away sticky with sweat. It was by no means excessively hot, and yet, she felt as though she were on fire. The filly sighed, and threw off the blankets, the blue material settling on the floor. She wiped away the sweat from her forehead, and crawled out of the bed. Her hooves hit the floor without a sound. Most flooring in Cloudsdale was made of compressed and hardened perspiration. Scootaloo didn't know the whole process, but when houses were built in the city in the clouds, they typically were produced using pieces from the various factories. Special kinds of glass, the flooring, specific kinds of wall material. All of that had to fit in regulation with

Pegasus magic. Everything needed  to be able to remain in the air.

Scootaloo blinked, the darkness and the silence threatening to take here away into her nightmares. She left the room, and walked down the short hall, stopping in front of the other bedroom. Rainbow Dash lay spread eagle across the bedding, her mane a mess over the blankets and her tail hanging down over the edge.

Scootaloo walked silently past the snoring pegasus.  The rest of the house consisted of a large open room, with a few cloud sofas, a a shelf made of light glass, upon which rested a single set of eight books: The Daring Do series. Scootaloo walked by this and headed straight for the door.

The door was made of reinforced fiberglass, and edged with a sort of plastic. Also the standard for Cloudsdale homes. Scootaloo pushed the lock, opened the door, and stepped outside, leaving the door open. She didn't want to get locked out.

In front of the house in the clouds, a large porch stretched for maybe ten feet in each direction, and a series of cloud steps led to the road on the left side. But on the other edges of the porch, there was a short guardrail, made of condensed cloud, and over that was a view of the sky, open to the air. The moon shone bright, and Ponyville rested quietly below, only a few lights on in the middle of the night. Despite the fact that Scootaloo was terrified of silence, she enjoyed the night. Night was her day, so to speak. The moon comforted her, ever since that camping trip, when Princess Luna visited her in her dreams, and spoke to her about her fear of failure in front of Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo sat in front of the rail, her legs spread at an angle to each side and her front hooves resting between them. She shook her head to get her messy hair out  of her face, and she gazed at the bright moon, which seemed to be looking down with care at Equestria. The stars accompanying the moon added light to the darkness. Because Cloudsdale was four thousand feet in the air, it received more light from the moon and stars than Ponyville, but the downside was that it tended to be brutally hot in summer and chilling in winter.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and dropped down to the deck, her chin resting on the edge of the porch.

It was quiet.

Too quiet. Scootaloo let out a loud breath, trying to make a bit of noise so that she wasn't as scared of herself as she really was.

Suddenly a quiet hum broke the silence. A whoosh of air, repeatedly beating against the wind.

Wings. Someone was flying, and relatively close to Scootaloo.

The beat continued, and the humming got louder.

Scootaloo looked around. Fear wasn't an issue. She wasn't scared. It was obviously a pegasus. But very, very few pegasus ponies spent time at night flying instead of sleeping.

But there was one.

The beating was loud now. The Pegasus in question was now directly above Scootaloo. She looked up. The covering over the porch blocked her view. But that wouldn't matter.

A blue Pegasus dropped to the level of the deck, and lifted herself over the railing and settled onto the deck. Scootaloo stood up, too quickly, and she hit her head on the underside of the rail. “Ow!” She squeaked as she backed up and sat down again, looking at the midnight blue Princess Luna as she folded her large wings and settled on the ground.

Scootaloo rubbed her head, then bowed down until her chin nearly touched her hooves. “Princess Luna! What are you doing here?”

Luna smiled and looked down on the orange filly. “I sensed your despair and fear. What makes you have such feelings?”

“Well, it's...it's Rainbow Dash, Princess!” Scootaloo looked down.

“Are you once again afraid of failure in her eyes?”

“Well, no, not like that...It's....complicated...yeah.”

“Then speak, and we may perhaps solve your dilemma.”

“Well, earlier today, Rainbow Dash asked me who my family was, and I don't know who they are! And now she invited me to live with her, but there's something weird about it! I don't know what it is! She's suddenly really really fond of me, and she says she'll take care of me, but there was something just weird about it. And-”

Luna raised a hoof and Scootaloo stopped. “Does this affect your life?”

“Well, yeah!”

“And how does it do so?”

Scootaloo stopped with her mouth open. “Uh...well...it's...”

“You should not worry about that which is not a problem. When you can find a proper answer, come out here once again, deep in the night, and we shall discuss it. Until then, try to find peace in your new living situation. We shall speak again soon, dear Scootaloo.” The Princess of the Night lifted her wings, and jumped over the railing, and dropped down out of

Scootaloo's sight.

The filly stood and placed her front hooves on the cloud rail, and looked down.

Nothing.

Disappointed, turned away, pushed open the door to the house, and closed it again, shifting the lock. She walked back down toward her room, stopping again at Rainbow Dash's room. She was still in the same position, her breathing loud. Scootaloo went to her room and climbed back into bed.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the clock. It was past midnight. “I should really get to bed...” she said to herself. Spike was already out cold, snoring in his bed. “But I have reading to do.” she opened her book again. She was reading about economics in the other civilizations around Equestria. She was only a few pages in, but she had already learned a great deal. She was excited because the next chapter was concerning the Census and how it was gone about being done. As she was reading, her eyes began to droop. She forced them open.

“The Census is to be performed at a rate of one to three years, consistently. The monarch, or leader, of said civilization must maintain information and always be up-to-date on the population. The fillies and colts of said civilization are not to have their own opinion. They are too young and not yet mature enough to be part of the civilization, and so they must simply be counted as a part of the family. Should a pony not attend the Census for two of the events consistently, they should be no longer marked as a part of the town or civilization.”

Twilight looked up. She moved the book, and dropped her face onto the blankets on her bed. She cursed to herself. “Damn, I should have read this before I talked to them...”

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Apple Bloom blinked open her eyes. The sun was bright in her face, the window straight in front of her. She blinked, once, twice, and then she removed the blankets enshrouding her. As she threw off the coverings, the slid her legs out and over the bedside. She leaned forward, and dropped down to the floor. Her forelegs slipped sideways and she fell. Her chin hit the floor, and then the rest of her body. “Great, jus' great! A nahce, wonderful way tah start off the mornin'!” she grumbled to herself. Picking herself up, and rubbing her jaw, she exited her room and headed down the stairs. Her sister was in the kitchen, having at a bit of apple pie. Granny Smith was already taking her first of several naps during the day. Big Mac was outside already, kicking apple trees.

“Howdy, Apple Bloom! Ready for work?”

“Yep! What are we gonna do today?” Apple Bloom pulled an apple from the bowl on the table and took it down in a few bites.

“We'll be haulin' in yesterday's harvest and makin' apple stuff! Pies, fritters, whatever ya want!”

“You'd think Ah'd have mah Cutie Mark by now, I mean, all I do for work is stuff with apples. But seriously, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have their Cutie Marks, and Ah don't even know what the hay their talent is, other than bein' jerks all the time.”

“Don't you worry about that, Apple Bloom! You'll get yours soon enough!”

Apple Bloom opened the door and walked outside, muttering to herself.

When she reached the spot of ground where there were several carts piled high with apples, she tried pulling on one.

It didn't budge.

“Hhhnnnngggg!” She struggled against the force of mass and gravity before deciding that she could not move it and she had to wait for Big Macintosh or Applejack.

Before long they showed up. Applejack picked up one of the carts and rested the brace against her shoulders, and she started hauling it away. Apple Bloom jumped on top of the one Big Mac was pulling, and smiled as she bounced up and down as the ruts and ditches in the road affected the cart the stallion pulled.

A thought came to her mind. When Scootaloo had left the day before with Rainbow Dash, where had she gone? And why hadn't she come back? Soon  after, Sweetie belle had left, muttering something about Rarity, and so Apple Bloom had just gone home as well. No friends, no one to play with.

But Rainbow Dash had looked funny, and there was something in her eyes.

A jolt from the cart interrupted her train of thought. She held on as the forces of physics tried to throw her off the cart.

Within a few seconds, the cart stopped and Apple Bloom jumped off, and grabbed a large bucket from next to the barn. She set it next to the cart and began pulling apples from it and piling them into the metal container. When it was full, she carried it back to the house and set it down next to the door.

The process was repeated for the next pair of hours.

Bucket, after bucket, after bucket, eventually Apple Bloom forgot all about Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash's mysterious appearance and looks.

“No! No, no NO!” Rarity ran back and forth across the room, her frantic persona showing once more. Sweetie Belle sat there, annoyed. Her sister was so refined, that everything had to be perfect. This was OCD on a level she had not seen. Rarity was levitating so many random objects across the room to various locations, that Sweetie Belle had stopped caring. Her sister was apparently “working” on a large order from some Canterlot yahoo named Photo Finish, but “work” meant running in circles worrying about the most minute things in existence.

“Hey, Rarity-”

“Not NOW, Sweetie Belle! I'm trying to work!”

Sweetie Belle left the house.

She walked to Sugarcube Corner and used the few bits she had to buy a cupcake. It was chocolate, covered in white frosting and sprinkled with purple dots. It made her feel good, looking at it. She got one every once in a while. Usually when she was annoyed, or depressed, or irritated about something.

“Hey Sweetie Belle!” She looked over and saw Button Mash, having at another milkshake, sitting with his JoyBoy. She waved to him, and then went and sat by herself in a corner. The cupcake was divine, made, it seemed, by angels, and brought down for her to enjoy a taste of heaven.

The door opened, the bell jingling over it. Scootaloo walked in. Sweetie Belle called to her and waved, but the orange filly gave no response. Her head was down, and she walked straight to the counter and asked for the last thing Sweetie Belle expected her to say. Coffee.

Sweetie Belle left her cupcake and walked to her, sitting down. Scootaloo sighed.

“What's wrong, Scootaloo?”

No response.

“Well, okay, I'll be over there if you wanna talk...” Awkwardly, the white filly stood and returned to her place.

She watched her friend wait for the drink, whilst nibbling on her cupcake, her desire for the luscious flavor diminished.

Scootaloo was given the drink, and then she walked to the bar of condiments and poured a copious amount of sugar and cream into it. The orange pegasus brought the cup over to where Sweetie Belle was, and sat down.

“You know how I always dream of impressing Rainbow Dash?” She asked.

Sweetie Belle looked at her, puzzled. “Sure?”

“Well, she informally adopted me yesterday.”

“She did? Why?”

“I dunno, I guess she wanted me to be her little sister as much as I wanted her to be my older sister. But now that it's happened, somethin' feels all weird about it. Like, there is a piece missing.”

“I cannot even imagine what you are talking about.”

“I should ask Twilight.” She sipped her coffee, and almost gagged it all back out. “Still hot,” she muttered.

Sweetie Belle stuffed down the rest of her cupcake. “Well, when you do, come to the clubhouse, we're gonna try and get our Cutie Marks again today!”

Rainbow Dash flew in a straight line toward the Mayor's house. She had to start her search somewhere, and she might as well start here. Dropping onto the porch, she hit the door three times, loudly. Swift footsteps were heard, and then the door creaked open. “Oh, my dear Rainbow Dash! Whatever can I do for you? Do come in!” Rainbow Dash stepped inside, and

Mayor Mare closed the door.

“I....uh...”

“Rainbow Dash? What is it?”

She crossed her front legs. Embarrassed to be asking this sort of question, she blurted out, “I want to see the Ponyville birth records!”

The Mayor blinked, and gave her an odd look. “Whatever for? I can't just allow anyone to view them, it's an invasion of privacy...”

“Please! It's for a dear friend of mine!”

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“I want to see if there is a name. A certain pony, I want to know whether or not she was born in Ponyville or not.”

“And that pony is?”

“Scootaloo.”

The Mayor looked at Rainbow Dash with sudden understanding. “I knew there was a special bond between you two. How about I have a look, and send you a formal letter in a couple days?”

“Uh...I guess...”

“Fantastic, I will make sure to let you know.”

Rainbow Dash opened the door to leave. “Uh, thanks!” she shouted, and she took off and soared into the clouds.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rainbow Dash opened her mailbox, and yanked out the day's letters. Rifling through them, she ignored several letters involving business stuff and bills, and the last two were different from the rest. One was a formal letter from the Mayor, which was what she had been waiting for for about  three days, and the other was a hand-addressed envelope from...

Princess Luna?

Turning around and walking back in the house, she smiled at Scootaloo, who was sitting on the sofa reading the second book in the Daring Do series. Rainbow Dash had been overjoyed when she had discovered Scootaloo holding the first book and reading the back, an interested look on her face. Leaning over her and looking at the pages, she snickered as she remembered reading the part that her little sister was at.

Continuing to the table, she tossed the business mail across the tablecloth and set the two letters of current interest in front of her. Picking up the one from Mayor Mare, she slid the letter opener underneath the flap and slashed the paper open. Removing the pages, she began reading.

Rainbow Dash

Cloudsdale

Tuesday, April 10th

Dearest Rainbow Dash,

As I promised, I read through the records that you requested. However, unfortunately, I was unable to find that which you wanted. So, to answer your question, Scootaloo was not born in Ponyville. You will have to search elsewhere. I spoke to Princess Twilight Sparkle, and she asks that you see her, in private, on the 12th of April.

Best wishes in your search.

Signed,

Mayor Mare.

Rainbow Dash looked at the second page, which contained a short message and a list of possible locations of where the filly could have been born. There was Cloudsdale, Appleoosa, Manehattan, and Canterlot. Rainbow Dash thought about the Crystal Empire, but the likelihood of such an event was extremely slim.

Rainbow Dash stared at Appleoosa. It was the closest town to Ponyville, excepting Canterlot.

She would leave in the next couple days.

“Awww...” Rainbow Dash looked up at Scootaloo. She was sitting up higher now, a frown on her face as she gazed intently at the pages. “Rainbow, she died! Why would they make her die?”

“I don't know sis, I guess it's just part of the story.”

“Well that's not fair...” She went back to her book.

“WHAT?”

“I'm sorry Sweetie Belle, it's just how it needs to be!”

“I can't play with her! She's so MEAN!”

“Well, Mister Filthy Rich assures me that she's very nice!”

“Well that's what he always says! At school she's just a stuck-up brat!”

“Well, dear, you and her will just have to get along while I am at the party. And you may NOT do anything to hurt her. I've

seen your drawings of little robots and things, and I think you have quite an imagination. You will get along with her, or...I'll think of something. You will regret it.”

“Aw, but...fine...” Sweetie Belle walked out of the house. She couldn't pull any pranks on Silver Spoon without getting into trouble. The party was tomorrow night.

“This is stupid!” she said to herself. Why didn't she ever get an opinion?

Rainbow Dash looked at Scootaloo.

“Hey, Scoots?”

“Hmm?” The orange filly didn't look up.

“You think you'd be all right alone for a couple days?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Well...” How could she put this?  “I've got a friend in Appleoosa who wants to see me. I'd like to see her as well, so I think I'll go out there.” Lying to her new little sister was hard, but it had to be done.

“You can do that, I'll be fine here. When would you go?”

“In the next couple days, and I'd come back before too long, no more than a couple of nights.”

“Okay. It's a good thing there's no school this week. If you're gone, nobody can help me down from here.”

“Hey, you've been doing good with your flight exercises. You're getting better. And if you're worried about that, I can get Twilight to come and get you down for the day, and bring you home at night, or you could stay with Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle.”

“I'll ask around tomorrow. But I gotta finish this book, it's really good!”

Rainbow Dash smiled, and then picked up the second letter.

Princess Luna.

“Why is she writing to me?” Rainbow mumbled to herself. Cutting open the letter, she slipped the single page out.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

I doubt Scootaloo has told you this, but I spoke with her on the night you brought her home. She was rather distraught about something involving her relationship with you, though when I pressed for an answer, she was unable to come up with a reasonable answer.

I hope that the two of you have been maintaining a stable friendship. Sometimes sisters have strange arguments that don't make sense. I would most certainly know. Keep her comforted, be kind to her.

Formally signed,

Princess Luna of Canterlot, Equestria

The final signature was written in royal purple ink. Rainbow Dash looked at Scootaloo, wondering how she could have spoken with Princess Luna without her knowing.

Looking back at the first letter, she realized that although the letter had been sent yesterday, the 12th was tomorrow, and she had to figure out when to meet with Twilight. She would leave in two days. Hopefully nothing would go wrong on this trip.