“Sounds good to me” Scootaloo answered, getting off the bed, stretching as she did so. “Hey Twilight?”

Twilight turned around to face Scootaloo, ready to answer her question. “Yes, Scootaloo?”

“Why is it the doc couldn’t get the needle through the first couple of times but when I was out he managed it first try?” Scootaloo asked, grinning as she heard Sweetie squeak something about not liking needles

“That is actually a very good question, and I guess we will get our answers once the tests come back.” Twilight had to admit that question that plagued her mind also. “I told Bright Wing to bring the sample and the results to me once the test were done,” she added.

“Ok, shall we?” said Dash, growing slightly impatient. At this Twilight could only roll her eyes.

~ 0 ~

The walk back to the Library was relatively calm and short, they opened the door to see Spike putting the rest of Twilights study-books back into their correct shelves from a while ago.

“Spike, I’ll need your help in the basement, we need to run some tests on Scootaloo here.” Twilight then proceeded on filling Spike in on the situation, and was invited to join them to Scootaloo’s home when they were done. The rest of the group opted to wait upstairs while Dash, Scootaloo, Spike, and Twilight went down to the basement. In their it seemed that Twilight had built a makeshift laboratory filled with all sorts of strange looking equipment.

“Okay, Scootaloo I’ll need you to sit in that chair over there so I can get e decent reading on your magic levels so I can determine what you might be capable of, then I’ll ask Spike to get the relevant books on the topics while we figure out how you could do magic without a horn.”

“Seems simple enough, for a bunch of science'y stuff anyway,” Scootaloo confirmed, then wandered over to the high-tech looking chair and sat down, Twilight came over, put a funny-looking hat on her head, and attached the wires to the machine next to the chair.

“Now Scootaloo just remember to stay perfectly still while were doing this, I want to make sure we get a perfect reading,” at this Scootaloo nodded. With that the machine and 'hat' started to come to life and twilight rushed over to come sort of computer to look at the screen.

“So kid,” Dashes finally spoke up once Twilight was occupied with the screen.

“What’s up Dash, more questions?” Scootaloo asked feeling that Dash was still curious about her past.

“Actually yeah, since you told us about how you got here. I’ve been wondering who was that mare that got you out of the orphanage and here to Ponyville…? I mean she shows up out of nowhere, takes you away from an orphanage, teaches you to live off the land, and leads you all the way to here, buys you a house then takes off?” Dash briefly summarized Scootaloo's story.

“Well one or two of those things ain’t exactly correct, but for the most part, yeah, that’s the jist of it, and I don’t really know who she is or why she did it, but I'm glad she did, but I know I’ll see her again soon enough.” Scootaloo explained.

“How so?” Dash inquired.

“Well she did say she'd stop by occasionally to check up and see how I was doing.” Scootaloo clarified. Dash could only nod at this seeing no reason to poke a hole in the filly' logic.

~ Some Time Later ~

Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had gone from talking about Scootaloo's life in Ponyville compared to Las Pegasus, to Dash's life; Scootaloo was enjoying a tale about a prank Dash pulled a teacher she hated in Flight school, when Twilight spoke up. “Okay I think I have all the test data I need.” At this Scootaloo could only sigh in relief, all her joints were starting to get stiff from sitting still.

“Thank Celestia. I thought I was gonna be sitting there forever.” Scootaloo Groaned.

“Right with ya there, squirt!” Dash added getting up and stretching her wings out.

“I swear If I hadn’t known you two I’d swear you were actually sisters,” Twilight quipped. The other two could only laugh.

“So what's the verdict Twi?” Dash asked, feeling just as excited as Scootaloo was.

“Well it would seem that any unicorn ancestors Scootaloo had must have been quite powerful by unicorn status she has rather high magic levels. However, the fact she is a Pegasus limits her options on what she could be capable of performing. I’ll need to run more test on the readings I have but from what I can tell, she could be capable of some elemental magic and short-range teleportation. However, that will wear her out quite a bit, and shield spells, but that would be all I'm afraid.” Twilight explained before continuing.

“Still for a Pegasus as young as she is it is definitely nothing to laugh at. But once I get the blood sample back I'm going to test it against all known pony races to see if I can get any matches and find out what pony races exactly she is a combination of.” Twilight finished explaining. “But for now why don’t we see where you live, okay Scootaloo?”

“Sure, I could use some sun anyway.” Scootaloo answered, they then walked up the stairs to get the others. Once she opened the door she asked the others. “Shall we head over to my place?” At this the crusaders cheered, as Scootaloo lead everybody out the door.

The walk was fairly calm, even with Pinkie constantly asking if they were there yet. On the way they ran into doctor Bright Wing and he handed the blood sample to Twilight. They continued walking but they had reached the edge of the Everfree Forest, “Okay guys, stay quiet I know you guys can handle yourselves but I don’t want to disturb the neighbors if I can help it.”

“Wait, you live in the Everfree?” Dash asked.

“It ain’t that bad, well, if you know how to take care of yourself.” Scootaloo reasoned.

Scootaloo lead the others down her usual path that lead them not too far in and also right to the entrance of her 'home' parting the vines to reveal her hot spring she heard some gasps from behind her as they all entered the spring.

“Feel free to look around, but don’t look in that chest over by the hammock, some of you won’t like what I have to keep in it.” At that, Rainbow and Twilight gave her a strange look but went to investigate the rest of her little sanctuary. Once they were all done she felt they would have questions and of course some of them would be easy to guess but she called them all over anyway telling them to ask away.

The first of the group was of course Dash, “Say kid, I find it cool how you live here and all but, don't you ever get attacked by Timberwolves?”

“Well yeah, but that’s why that mare who brought me here taught me how to deal with them, and also taught me how to use this,” with that she pulled a small knife from her tail (she always felt she would need to carry some form of defense considering she couldn’t fly yet.) “I have quite a few others in that chest over there as well of some fishing nets and stuff. Speaking of, Apple Bloom? Thanks for helping me fix those nets a while back.” At this Apple Bloom could only smile her question answered, though not directly.

Scootaloo spent the best part of an hour answering questions that had to do with what it was like to live in the Everfree, though most were straightforward answers some she had to admit she did not know the answers too, until Apple Bloom asked her a question she really didn’t expect.

“Hey Scoots? Ya told us you know how tah take care of a timberwolf encounter, but how long have ya been putting the beasts down?” Apple Bloom asked sending curiosity throughout the group of ponies.

At this Scootaloo actually had to think “Well it’s just a rough guess but I've been dealing with them since I was five, around?” At that the group was shocked, here she was, a currently flightless eight year old filly living in the Everfree and taking on Timberwolves just to survive.

“Kid you realize that know we know your secret you could come live with one of us right?” Dash asked.

“I know, and it’s a kind offer and all, but I think I’ll have to decline, like I said I'm comfortable here, I know how to take care of myself, and how else is that mare gonna find me hu?” Scootaloo felt she had to clarify.

“Okay kid, you have a good point, but what happens if a timberwolf catches you in your sleep?” Dash asked, making the others gasp.

“They have tried, and they have failed. Why just this morning before I came to get you one tries to get me and I dealt with it.” Scootaloo stated.

“No way, I didn’t see a scratch on you.” Dash remarked.

“Point proven?” Scootaloo asked sarcastically.

“Yeah,” Dash answered knowing the filly had won.

“Good, oh and on that note, hey Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked looking to her friend.

“Yeah Scoots?” Apple Bloom answered.

“Think you could help me fit a door sometime? I can get a bit drafty in here, besides it being a hot-spring.” With that, the whole group started laughing.

~ 0 ~

Meanwhile on a small hill overlooking Ponyville, a cloaked mare stared off into the distance towards the Everfree.

“Well my little sunset, it seems you’re nearly ready.” With that, she turned revealing the bottom part of her violet/purple tail.

Author's Note

Well guys I hope you enjoy this chapter. Edits are back! thanks again to L_Wolf