In a dimly lit conference room sitting around a square table, three ponies try to work out how to solve a serious problem.
"Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" Asked a distraught, Grey hared mare.
"Nnnope. Ah'm sorry mayor, but the whole dang place is falling apart, we're gonna have to tear the whole joint down an' rebuild it from the ground up an for the safety of the kids... the sooner the better." Answered a buff, bright red stallion.
The mayor nodded, "If that's your assessment of the situation, Bigmac then so be it."
"But what about the kids?!" Nurse Redheart interjected. "The hospital can't take them all in! As much as I would love to care for all of them we're full to capacity as it is, but we can't just send them to sleep in the streets!"
"I know, I have an idea." The mayor began to explain, "We'll throw a big promotion and I'll offer huge tax write offs to anypony who adopts. I believe we can give every foal there a home! Does that sound like a plan?"
"Yep!"
"That sounds better, I hope you're right."
~~~~
*Knock knock knock*
"Pumpkin? Wake up baby." Filthy called from outside the door to his daughters room.
Diamond forced her eyes open but stayed in bed. "Ugh.... dad, its Saturday! Whats the rush all about?"
"I've got great news, Pumpkin! Your going to have a new brother or sister!"
The pink pony sprung out of bed and slung the door open. "W-WHAT!? How is that 'great' news!? A crying, stinking little foal? Yuck! Why?"
Her father chuckled warmly, "Its not exactly what you're thinking, sweetheart. We're adopting."
Diamond tilted her head in confusion, "But daddy, I dont want another sister-"
Filthy cut her off with a stern tone, "Now pumpkin, we've talked about this. You don't have a sister."
"No dad, shes real I promise you! I don't think i can handle-" The pink filly begged.
"Not another word. It's all in your head and maybe having a real sibling would take your mind off it. Besides I need all the good publicity I can get after last week's...incident with the oil..." he said as his voice began to trail off. "Ahem! Anyway you will be coming with me to pick out a new brother or sister, and that's final!"
"hmp, fine..." scoffed the spoiled pink pony.
"Now, Get yourself cleaned up. we want to give our new family member a good impression! Meet me downstairs when your ready." With that he gently closed the door and headed down stairs.
A deranged giggle sounds from behind diamond. "Oh too bad he still doesn't believe you, eh porky?"
"Stop calling me that!" She forced her eyes shut refusing to look at her darker colored counter part. "Not real not real not real." and just as quickly as she opened her eyes the unwelcome pony had vanished, for the moment.
After a few deep breaths she regained her composure and slipped into her personal bathroom proceeding to wash her face and comb her bed mane. The apparition of her counter part still teased her, forcing her face over diamonds in the mirror. These sort of attacks seemed to be coming more often, but no one would believe a spoiled brat like her.
A few moments later she and her father hopped into their chariot. Their chauffeur; a brown stallion who's name escaped her, harnessed himself to the fancy brass stirrups up front. "Were too, Fil- I mean Mr. Rich?"
"To the down town orphanage, my little pumpkin here is going to choose one lucky filly or colt to give them a new home!"
Diamond moaned, did she really have to go though with this? "Daddy, I don't WANT to have a brother or sister. Do I really have to?" The chubby, pink filly begged.
"yes ya do. Buck up! You'll have someone to play with when Silver Spoon isn't around and besides it might do you some good to have more interaction with other ponies your own age....Ah looks like we're here!"
The pampered pink pony visibly cringed at the site of to orphanage. It was so gross looking. "I don't actually have to go 'in' there, do I?" A stern glare from her father said yes.
Diamond felt like she would need a bath after just setting hoof in this dusty place. Her eyes scanned over the fillies and colts in the front rec hall. She mentally judged each one almost instantly. No, no, no, EW NO, no...
She took a hoof full cheese crackers from a snack table and started down a hallway. Surely one of these revolting foals would be... not SO revolting?
In a room at the end of the hall she happened upon a familiar face. "Well hello there, blank flank."
The little orange filly's eye's flared every time she called her that. "Ugh what are you doing here!?"
"Trust me, I would never grace you with my presence on my own accord." Diamond walked over to the bed and looked at it as though debating weather or not it was safe to sit on it, she didn't.
"I'm here to take one very lucky pony home with me. Daddy's dead set on adopting one of these..." She shutters, "filthy .... urchins."
"Hmp well good luck with that, everypony here would sooner jump of a bridge then go home with you." Scootaloo scoffed.
"hmm..." Her eyes fix onto the slightly smaller, orange filly. "Actually... I think I've chosen."
Sootaloo took a step back. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, forget it! No way am I going home with you!"
Diamond giggled, "What choice do you have? No pony would want a loser like you!" She said poking her in the chest to punctuate the statement. "You could stay here until they tear this dump down tonight, then what? spend the rest of your life sleeping in the ally ways."
The orange filly's purple eyes locked to the floor. "....fine, but I want my own room."
"For once I agree with you blank flank, the less I have to share with you, the better! And one more thing!" She made a point to gesture toward the window, where a back ally street was visible. "You'll do what I say, or else! Is that clear?"
"Crystal." She growled.
"Good." She smirked, "OH DAAAADDY!"
A few moments later Filthy walked into the room. "Yes sweetums?"
Diamond warped her hoof around Scootaloo, hugging her close like a stuffed animal. "This is-" She hesitated for a moment, what was this losers real name? "S-Scootaloo! She's a good friend from school! I pick her! We're gonna be the bestest of sisters."
"Splendid! I knew you'd come around! Alright pumpkin, just wait here for a bit while daddy takes care of the paper work." He said before leaving down the hall.
In instant her father was out of ear shot, she pushed Scoots away. "Ew ew ew!" She cried, wiping her hoofs on Scootaloo's bed. "First thing YOU'RE doing when we get home is take a bath, yuck!"
She noticed the orange blank flank looking as if she'd just been sentenced to death and rolled her eyes. "Please, as if its really that bad. I'm taking you out of this dump and bringing you to my beautiful home. You could be a little more appreciative. Now stop sulking and pack your stuff! Like I said, the less I have to share with you, the better."
Soon the whole lot of them were headed back home, or in the case of Scootaloo, home for the first time. "Thank you for adopting me, Mr Rich."
"Don't thank me, little filly! Its your big sister you should thank!"
"heh impasses on 'big'." She retorted with a whisper, prompting Diamond to bash her in the side with her elbow. Stupid blank flank! She wasn't that big.
"Pardon?' Filthy asked having not herd the off hoof comment on his daughter's figure.
"Um never mind, uh hay I'm really glad to be given a family and all but um... I kinda enjoy my privacy too..." She explained blushing.
Filthy chuckled warmly, "No need to worry we have a couple spare rooms, in fact there happens to be one just across the hall from Diamond's room! Isn't that great? You'll be able to visit each other any time for sleep overs and playing!"
"Ha ha sounds great..." Scootaloo replied weakly.
"Ah, here we are filly! Scootaloo, was it? Your new home!"
Diamond Tiara immediately proceeded to lead Scootaloo to the bathroom. "This was, 'Sis'." She glanced over her shoulder to see that the silly blank flank was still standing in the front hall, jaw agape. It occurred to diamond that this must be the nicest place that dirty urchin ever set hoof in.
"i-its massive! A-and...." The small orange pegasus seemed to be at a loss for words, scanning over her new home.
"Yes, it is rather impressive, isn't it?" She said walking back to join her. "Far superior to any other home in Ponyville.. though it can get a bit lonely sometimes..."
The voice of her unseen doppelganger sounding from behind her just about made the prissy pony shriek. "Ha ha ha ha that's what I'm here for isn't it? I mean that's why you wished for me."
Diamond spun a full 180 shouting at her invisible taunter. "Shut up!" Much to Scootaloo's Bewilderment.
"Um, DT, who are you talking to?"
Diamond slowly turned back to Scootaloo. "None of your business, blanky! Now stop gawking and take a shower! Your soo... gah... gross."
Later that night after a bit of 'play' time, which mostly consisted of Diamond telling her new little sister what to do, supper time came. The three of them as well as their chauffeur, whats his name... sat around the dinner table. Diamond's father cleared his throat to say something but the chubby pink filly couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Her 'other' self was screaming too loudly in her head.
"No." She noticed Scootaloo look away from her father and glance at her.
"Do it!" The voice in her head commanded her.
"NO! NO NO NO!" She screamed banging her hooves into her head. "GO AWAY, SREWBALL!"
Her father stood up and looked down at her furiously. "Ms. Tiara! That is enough! 'Screwball' is not real!"
"ha ha ha ha, throw food at him, do it porky." The command took full control of diamond's hoof long enough to carry out the order.
Filthy ducked, narrowly avoiding a plate full of mash potatoes. "That is IT, Go to your room!"
"But daddy! I swear she's real, and it getting harder to control!" She begged, crying.
"No more of this nonsense!" He paused to exhail, "I'm sorry Scootaloo..." His voice faded off as She ran to her room.
The pink pony cried into her pillow for several minutes before she noticed her new 'sister' standing in the threshold of her room. "Wh-What do YOU want, blank flank?!"
"I believe you." Scoots offered, smiling.
"LIAR! Only Silver Spoon cares about me, and since shes on vacation...." The pink pony shook her head and chucked a stuffed animal against the wall next to Scootaloo. "Just go away!"
"Hey calm down, tubby. I might actually be able to help you!"
"How can YOU help?"
"Well, Maybe I can't...but I'll try. Tell me, who is Screwball?"
Diamond took a deep breath, She couldn't believe it but she was about to divulge to this loser one of her darkest secrets. "I-Don't know, exactly. but remember when that ugly snake monster took over Ponyville about a year ago?"
"Discord?" Scoots asked.
Diamond Tiara sniffed and nodded, "Yeah, him. Well he showed up and started talking to me...he asked if I was lonely if I wanted a sister. I-told him yes but.. he put her... in me. Right before he was turned back to stone Screwball was forced inside me so its like... we share a body."
Screwball snickered in her minds ear, "Yeah! Luckily your fat flank is big enough for the both of us."
"SHUT UP!" She pushed Scootaloo away from her door before slamming it shut. "There! I know you don't believe me so get lost, blank flank! I'm going to bed."
It was a restless sleep for the pampered pink pony. She found herself locked in a cage watching her insane doppelganger live her life. She had this same nightmare every night, and it always caused her to oversleep.
She opened her eyes feeling groggy from her nightmare filled sleep. When her senses came too she found not only Scootaloo, whom looked like she got beat up by a tree, but Princess Twilight smiling at her with her father standing behind, a look of disapproval on his face. "This better not be a load of huey! That's what it sound like to me." He was saying.
Twilight turned and winked, "Not to worry, Fil- I mean Mr. Rich. This will take care of your daughter's um... condition once and for all!" The purple alicorn turned back to Diamond Tiara and held a vial of water out in front of her. "Now Diamond Tiara, If your telling the truth then drinking this should separate you two-"
Diamond forced her eyes shut as Screwball suddenly screamed from inside her. "NO, THEY'LL HURT ME! DON'T DRINK IT! THEY KNOW I'M ONLY A MONSTER!"
The pink pony cringed at the loudness of the frantic voice that only she could hear. "She says you're going to hurt her, She's really scared."
Filthy shook his head, "I can't believe your encouraging this nonsense, its all in her head!"
Twilight shot the rich pony a stern look. "No, Filthy. There's something here, I can feel it. The amount of magical energy in her body is way too high for an earth filly her age..." Turning her attention back to Diamond Tiara she added, "Don't worry, We wont hurt you Screw Ball." She assured as she pushed the vial forward.
Diamond took the vial of strange, slightly glowing water and chugged back wanting to get whatever this was over with. A burning sensation over took her body as Screwball was ripped out of it.
"Success!" Twilight chimed, clapping her hooves together.
Screwball laughed and jump up and down several times. "I'm free! I'm free! Yippee! ohhh just think of all the chaos I can spread with my own-" A harsh glare from Princess Twilight calmed her down. "Ok Maybe just a little chaos?" Twilight shook her head. "Some strife?"
Her father stood awestruck for several seconds. "Well I'll be...Pumpkin, I-I'm so sorry I didn't believe you!"
She blushed, "Its ok, dad. Really. I wouldn't have believed me either."
"Well this is nice and touchy feely but what about me?" Screwball asked peeling DT's cutimark off and putting it on her own head as if a real Tiara. "Do I get to stay here with 'big' sister?"
"Hay! What the- Give that back!" She tackled Screwball.
The reality bending doppelganger hopped out of a small crack in the floor behind her. "Oh fine, You're no fun." She complained as she was about to put the cutimark back on her flank.
"Wait!" Scootaloo shouted slinging her hoof to stop Screwball. Looking Diamond Tiara dead in the eyes she smiled and said in a commercial imitation of her former bully, "Blank Flank!~" Then proceeded to laugh, "ha ha ha ha ha, o-ok you can put it back now."
Answering Screwballs question, Twilight spoke up. "Actually you'll be coming with me, Screwball. We have to run a few tests and make sure the extraction process didn't do any damage."
And with that Screwball hugged her former body mate goodby and Twilight escorted the googly eyed purple pony back to her library.
"So Blan- um Scootaloo... How did you-" She stopped, unsure what to even ask.
The orange filly smiled, "Well its kind of a long story..."
Author's Note
Stay tuned for Scootaloo's side to this tale!
