The Filly, the Queen and the Cave in the Forest
The Filly, the Queen and the Cave in the Forest
The little filly looked all around her.
Thousands of the exact same eyes were upon her. Buzzing could be heard echoing around the cave that was within the dark forest.
Looking up the filly saw Her, the one pony who knows what its like to feel the way she does....
But maybe we're getting a bit ahead. So lets go back to see how this all started....
Scootaloo looked up as her hero flew away back home, making tears come to her eyes.
It had been like that for as long as she could remember. Rainbow Dash would give her the best day she ever had, each one better than the rest.
Playing with her, laughing with her, pranking other ponies with her, teaching her to fly.
But then at the end of the day she would leave her only saying
"See ya tomorrow Squirt," and fly away leaving the little orange grounded filly heart broken, without knowing how she felt.
Not wanting to be laughed at by anypony who saw her crying Scootaloo quickly whipped out her scooter put on her helmet, and zoomed off to the Everfree Forest to that cave she found to let her emotions go until she calmed down a bit.
A few minutes later, Scootaloo was outside the cave, looked around to see if anyone was there, and slowly went in, wiping her hoof against her eyes, to be alone. The problem was there were already ponies there.
Strange black bug looking holes in hooves and fanged ponies. Scootaloo could only stare frozen in fear as she remembered the Changelings from the Canterlot Wedding.
Throwing her helmet aside she quickly got into the fighting stance Rainbow Dash had taught her and changed her face from one of sadness to one of anger trying to scare off the parasites.
"Now my dear theres no need for that" a buzzing voice said from the back of the cave, hoof steps coming closer as the Changelings parted letting their Queen get to this filly.
"What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked strongly trying to keep her eyes on Chrysalis but every so often switching to the drones.
"We're here to help you my dear," Chrysalis said smiling.
"I don't want any help you can give me."
"Oh but we understand how..."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" Scootaloo yelled tears in her eyes again stomping her hooves.
"NO!" Chrysalis said holding her hoof up to hold back the drones. "We know what it's like to be cast out. To not be loved. To long for... A family."
At this Scootaloo stopped and listened to what the Queen had to say.
"We have spent over a thousand years in the shadows, thinking 'No one else knows what this feels like'." Chrysalis said looking around at the Changelings getting nods of agreement. "But now we can see we were wrong. We don't have to be alone Scootaloo, we can be together, we can be loved."
"So you can be stronger and take over my home again?" Scootaloo said quietly while thinking it over.
"After that blast those two ponies made," Chrysalis said remembering the pain she got from it wincing a bit. "I'm afraid we're too weak to do anything at the moment except wait until we get our strength back. We don't even have enough strength to change ourselves. So we're stuck here in this cave, in this forest, we can not even go looking for food."
'Wow...' Scootaloo thought slowly going over to get her helmet back keeping her eyes on Chrysalis. 'They have it worse than me. At least I can show my face in Ponyville, and have at lest one meal a day, and friends... Even though they leave me to cry myself to sleep every night in the clubhouse.
Feeling the mix of emotions coming off of the little filly Chrysalis just said.
"Well, it's your decision, Scootaloo. Just promise us something please?" she asked getting the filly's attention. "Don't tell any pony we're here."
"I... I..." Scootaloo said looking around at all the Changelings all of them suddenly looking tired and thinner then they did last time she saw them. "I promise." she said putting her helmet back on and heading back to Ponyville.
The next day Scootaloo was thinking about her encounter with Chrysalis from the day before, so much she wasn't paying that much attention to what Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle were suggesting to do for their next crusade.
"HEY SCOOTALOO!"
"Huh what?" Scootaloo said turning back to her friends.
"You alright Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked "You seem a bit off today..."
"I'm... Fine Apple Bloom." Scootaloo said carefully "Just thinking about something."
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked happy that the subject had changed to something more exciting.
"Um... You remember those bug things from the Canterlot Wedding?" Scootaloo asked being careful on what she said getting nods. "What... if... they only attacked because they wanted to be apart of the Equestrian family, and loved and all that junk?"
After a few seconds Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle burst out laughing making the orange Pegasus annoyed slightly.
"Why would you be thinking about that?" Apple Bloom asked recovering first.
"It's just a thought." Scootaloo said getting up picking up her helmet and heading for the door.
"Hey where you going Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked "We didn't mean to make you upset."
"Just for a scoot around town for a bit," Scootaloo said putting a saddle bag and some bits on her back. "See you later."
And with that Scootaloo set off from the apple farm and went straight to Sugarcube Corner.
***
That evening right after Celestia set the sun and Luna brought out the moon, Scootaloo attached the CMC wagon to her scooter and piled it up with all the chocolate and food she could find that day and after tying it down, carefully made her way into the Everfree Forest after taping a torch to her helmet.
Outside the cave Scootaloo took off her helmet, unhooked the wagon and slowly went in holding her breath for the worst.
Suddenly buzzing could be heard and glowing green eyes were all on her and the wagon full of food.
"Welcome back Scootaloo," Chrysalis said coming to the front to welcome their guest.
"Hi..." Scootaloo said looking around. "Er... I went into town today and got some food for you..." She said slightly embarrassed and backing away a bit.
"There... There's daisy sandwiches, hay fries, apple fritters - but they may be cold now, er... cupcakes, muffins, plain apples and chocolate."
At that everyone in the cave started buzzing with excitement and tried to get to the wagon only to be stopped by Chrysalis's glare.
"So thoughtful of you Scootaloo," Chrysalis said looking down at the filly. "May I ask if you've changed your mind?" she asked.
"Not... Not yet." Scootaloo said looking and backing away a bit.
"Oh well," Chrysalis said "We will leave your wagon outside the cave for you to collect tomorrow dear. And thanks again."
"You're welcome." Scootaloo said smiling a little, and left.
***
Scootaloo had just come out of the Forest's treeline when a voice called out to her.
"Hey Scoots what are you doing up in the forest so late?"
Looking up Scootaloo saw it was Rainbow Dash coming down to say hello.
"Well... What are you doing up so late Rainbow?" she asked quickly trying to think up an excuse for her question.
"I was having a midnight flight." Rainbow said "The skies are less crowded at night and the airs cooler."
"Well I couldn't sleep so I went for a scoot instead." Scootaloo said hoping this would work.
"In the forest?" Rainbow raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"The... Forest is more challenging than the town," Scootaloo said continuing the hoax "And I like a challenge." She said grinning puffing out her chest.
"Well... alright," Rainbow said a bit unsure.
"I got to get back home," Scootaloo said jumping back on her scooter "Bye Rainbow!" she said waving as she made for town not wanting Rainbow to find out she lives in the tree house.
Early the next morning, Scootaloo went back to the cave and saw, as promised the CMC wagon leaning against the entrance all the food gone.
Smiling that she did a good thing, Scootaloo hooked it up and zoomed back to Ponyville looking around for Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle.
After a few hours of not finding them in town, she decided to try Sweet Apple Acres.
When she got there she was surprised that there were pairs of mares and filly's everywhere. Then she remembered it was that stupid Sisterhoods Social today. And just seeing all those pairs of sisters made her annoyed.
She was just about to go when someone called out to her.
"There you are Squirt."
Turning around, Scootaloo saw Rainbow Dash coming up to her a mug of cider in her hoof.
"Hi Rainbow..." she replied trying to seem fine.
"So who you going to root for? Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle?" Rainbow asked pointing to the 'Start' line for the obstacle course.
"Who says I rooting for anyone?" Scootaloo said turning away and heading for the gate again.
"Whoa, sorry Squirt," Rainbow said laughing while Rarity was fussing over the mud pool. "But there's no need to be like that."
"Why?" Scootaloo asked a too bit loud getting others attention. "I think it's obvious that they want to rub it in my face that I have NO ONE!" she said panting before kicking off the wagon and zipping off for the forest again leaving a now quiet farm and a confused Rainbow who after a bit threw down her cider and set off after the filly.
Ok so that's how we got to where we started so lets continue...
All the Changelings were looking onto this strange little filly who brought them food and fed them with her emotions and who after three days kept coming back.
Once again Chrysalis stepped forward and looked down onto Scootaloo "What did they do Scootaloo?" she asked feeling the mix of anger and sadness coming off of the filly holding out her foreleg saying the filly could hug her.
Scootaloo ran straight up to Chrysalis and hugged her tears spilling out of her eyes.
"They... They rubbed it in my face that I'm... I'm all alone." Scootaloo said sniffing a bit. "You see, Apple Bloom has AJ and Mac, and... and Sweetie has Rarity. But I don't have anypony!"
"You can have us," Chrysalis said rubbing the filly's back gently "That option is still open."
Just as she was about to say yes the cave started buzzing and the two of them turned to the entrance to see...
"Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked rubbing her nose "What do you want?"
"Scoots what are you doing here with them?" Rainbow asked eyes only on Scootaloo.
"I'm being loved..." she answered "For the first time ever, I found ponies who know what it's like to be like me..."
Gasping at what she heard Rainbow turned to Chrysalis.
"What did you do to her Chrysalis?" she said getting in a fighting stance.
"I didn't do anything Element of Loyalty." Chrysalis said smiling showing her fangs "It was you and her friends that did it. Always leaving her, at the end of the day. Never showing any love what so ever. Not very 'Loyal' if you do that to such a sweet filly are you?"
"I. Am. Loyal..." Rainbow said getting more annoyed with each word.
"Then where were you when I cried myself to sleep every night?" Scootaloo began stepping forward. "Where were you to give me meals when I was on the streets digging though the restaurants dumpsters? Where were you to give me a home all those years? Huh? Where were you... When I lost my family?"
Rainbow Dash had no answers at all.
"I... I didn't know about any of that Scoots," she said trying to get closer to protests of the Changelings who blocked the way.
"Scootaloo, please," Rainbow said over the buzzing "Come back with me. We can get this straightened out. We can be a family together. You and Me." she said.
"Save it Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo said still glaring at the blue and rainbow mare. "That option was already given to me." she said turning back to Chrysalis. "And I'll take it." she said standing as tall as she could.
"NO!" Rainbow screamed as she started fighting the Changelings that piled upon her trying to stop Chrysalis getting to Scootaloo.
Slowly to mock Rainbow, Chrysalis lit her horn and tapped Scootaloo's head a green light wrapped it's way around the filly brightening up the cave in a sickly green glow.
Once it died down and everyone got their sight back, they saw a brand new Changeling Princess standing where Scootaloo was.
Her orange fur now black armor, her feathered wings now transparent bug like ones, holes in each of her hooves, and a horn now sticking out of her head. The only things that stayed the same were the filly's main, tail, and eyes even though there was now no love in them anymore.
"Scoots?" Rainbow asked quietly to herself still shocked that this just happened.
The new Changeling looked herself over then turned to her back to see a different pair of wings. Closing her eyes in concentration, Scootaloo began buzzing her wings and jumped. And didn't fall back down.
"I... I can fly?" she asked herself. "I CAN FLY!"
"Scoots If all you wanted was to fly..." Rainbow said still dog-piled under twenty Changelings.
"Didn't you pay ANY attention to what I said earlier?" Scootaloo asked whizzing straight up to Rainbow's face.
"Scoots. I only wasn't there because you didn't tell me about it." Rainbow said. "If you'd of said..."
But she was cut off as a slap of Royal Jelly was pasted over her mouth and her legs and wings were tied up and the Changeling closet to her neck bit her, making her begin to feel drowsy.
"I shouldn't of needed to say anything." Scootaloo said buzzing her new wings in anger. "Goodbye Rainbow Dash." she said as she turned her back on the mare she looked up to since she first met her, and sometimes thought of her as a sister... Only to be let down... And walked with Chrysalis deeper into the cave away from sunlight, leaving the others to do what they wanted with the mare.
Author's Note
Ok I might have the Categories wrong here... But even if I do, I hope you like it.
