Scootaloo: Princess for a Day

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Prologue

“You’re kidding, right?" Discord shrieked in bewilderment at both Celestia and Luna. "You are seriously going to let some random foal become a ruler for a day?”

When Discord was invited to serve as an advisor to the crown his instincts told him to fly as fast as he could in the other direction. However , a talk with Fluttershy convinced him that he could use his years of experience and his “unique” point of view for the betterment of Equestria. Besides, he just couldn’t say no to her. Although when he accepted the offer he never would have imagined just how many terrible ideas the princesses had, it was as if they wanted him to take over Equestria again.

“Just think of all the chaos even one of those little things could do,” he said as a light bulb appeared above his head. He casually flicked it off with a snap of his fingers.“Actually, that sounds like a great idea," he continued, "Do what you want, toodles!” With a snap of his fingers and a puff of smoke he was gone.

Both princesses stared at the now vacant space for a moment. Luna recovered her voice first, “As much as I loathe it to agree with Discord, I am forced to concede that he may have a point, Tia. You seriously mean to have a foal rule the entirety of Equestria for a whole day?”

“I do,” Celestia replied, with a straight face.

“What if the Griffons or Minotaurs decide to launch an attack?”

“Yes Luna, if the Griffons or Minotaurs decide to end hundreds of years of prosperous peace for all our races, I am so beholden to the rules of a contest for children that I will insist our forces to be led into battle by a child. Do you think we should ensure that the winner has a working knowledge of counter siege tactics?”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Tia. You lack the nuance to do it well. Why are you so insistent on this?”

Celestia let out an exasperated sigh. “Every year we invite the colts and fillies of Equestria to visit us. They tour the gardens, see the stained glass windows and then have a party with pizza and ice cream. It makes our lives seem like a fairy tale. It’d be nice if even just one child could learn that the life of princess is not all fun and games.”

“Is my esteemed sister, the ever wise and eternally benevolent princess of the sun, actually complaining? Does thy gilded crown rest uneasy on your head, Tia?" Luna remarked with a smirk.

Celestia playfully glared back at her sister, their friendly bickering had become a means by which they expressed their affection. There were few ponies they could playfully chide with, without causing an incident, and so both sisters relished the chance to let their guard down. “Sarcasm doesn’t become you either, dear sister.”

“I am not the one who is proposing we upset the carefully balanced power structure we fought so long and hard to achieve.”

“We will still retain our titles and powers, accordingly we can veto any measure the new prince or princesses orders that might threaten our precious balance. Does that set your mind at ease?”

Luna cracked another wry grin, “What if the new princess and I vote to remove you from the throne?”

Celestia rested her chin on a hoof and pretended to ponder the idea, “I had not considered that. Of course now that I am aware of your potential treachery, perhaps I should forge my own plan to depose you.”

“Do so, and I will start a rebellion and declare war on the new diarchy.”

“We do not even know who the new co-ruler will be and we are already scheming against each other.” Celestia smiled. “Let us agree to keep our alliance for now, for the good of Equestria, of course.”

“Of course, Tia. While I still have my reservations about allowing a child to actually be a ruler even, if only for a day, the kingdom does not run itself, or so you often remind me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe it is my turn to preside over court this evening. That is one duty I would be happy to delegate to our new co-ruler.”

“Rule well, sister,” Celestia said as Luna bowed in jest and headed out the door.

Author's Note

Here's something I had lying around, so I decided to post some of it to see the reaction. Most authors love feedback.

Chapter 1

“Okay my little ponies, please settle down," Cheerilee said trying to calm her pupils, "I have a very exciting announcement. The princesses have decided to let one lucky student be a prince or a princess for a whole day.”

The classroom of Ponyville Schoolhouse lit up with a buzz of excited chatter. Cheerilee stomped her hoof and spoke above the din. “All you have to do is write an essay about why you want to be a prince or a princess and I’ll pick the best ones to send to Canterlot. This is an extra credit assignment, so I won’t let you work on it in class of course, but if you would like me to look over your letter I’d be happy to help any of you after school. You have until Friday to hoof in your finished letters."

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m not going to tell you why I should be princess, instead I’m going to tell you why I already am a princess. I have my own tiara and I’m very good at telling other ponies what to do. Daddy always say’s I’m his little princess and I think all of Equestria should agree with him. See you soon.

Princess Diamond Tiara

Diamond Tiara read over her letter with a sense of pride. She was already good at ordering ponies around, so being named an official princess was the next logical step. When she won, her first act would be to throw all the blank flanks in jail, then maybe she’d get some lunch or something before spending the rest of the day ordering the castle's staff to polish her jewelry. For dinner maybe she’d host a grand banquet with Silver Spoon, and make the rest of her classmates be servants. She had the power to do that if she was officially a princess, right? If not, giving herself that power would be the second thing she would do. It would have moved ahead of her “imprison all blank flanks” initiative but a good princess thought of Equestria first.

[/hr]

“You’re not writing a letter AB?”

While Diamond Tiara dreamed of imposing her will on Equestria, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had decided to postpone that afternoon crusade in favor of working on their own letters. They weren’t allowed to enter as a group but Cheerilee didn’t say they couldn’t help each other.

“Nah, I can’t really think of why Ah should be a princess. Ah’m just a simple earth pony and ah think I like it that way. What about you, Sweetie Belle?”

“Well if I were princess I could get box seats to a show in Manehattan and maybe I could give more funding to the arts so there could be more plays. What about you Scoots?”

“Oh you know, Wonderbolts tickets, ride my scooter in the castle, that kind of thing.” Scootaloo finished her explanation with a nervous sounding chuckle.

“Ah don’t think Princess Celestia is gonna make you a princess so you can ride your scooter indoors,” Apple Bloom said.

“Won’t know unless I ask right?”

Both ponies shrugged, unable to disagree and turned back to their own activities. With Sweetie Belle back to being absorbed in her own letter and Apple Bloom having turned her attention to throwing darts, Scootaloo looked down at her real letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

My name is Scootaloo and I’m a pegasus from Ponyville. I can’t fly yet because my wings haven’t grown in properly, but one day I’m going to be as awesome as Rainbow Dash.

She had met the Princesses did she really need to introduce herself? On the other hoof it seemed presumptuous to think that they princesses would remember her, better play it safe and leave the introduction.

I live with my mom, Dizzy Twister. She’s almost always too busy with work to hang out with me, but that’s okay because I have two great friends to hang out with. I don’t know much about my dad. He died a long time ago and I never got to meet him. Mom doesn’t like to talk about him.

I want to be a princess for only one reason, I’d like to be loved and admired by everypony, even if it is only for a short time. I want to show my mom a picture of me surrounded by lots of ponies and being loved. I think if she sees how important it is to me then maybe she’ll stop caring about work so much and spend more time with me. I know she works really hard to put food on the table and keep us in our house, but I would be okay with living in a smaller place and eating radish soup for dinner every now and then if it meant I got to spend some more time with her.

I know it’s a lot to ask, but I never got a chance to meet my dad and it makes me sad that I never get to see my mom either. I just want us to be able to spend more time together, and this is the only way I can think of to get her attention. I know there are a lot of other fillies and colts who probably have better reasons for wanting to be a prince or princess but that’s mine. Please Princesses, I don’t know what else to do.

Respectfully,
Scootaloo

The crusaders finished their afternoon together and each went their separate ways to return home for dinner. Scootaloo arrived at her door and tentatively stepped inside. As usual her house was empty and she momentarily felt the sharp sting of sadness at the fact that her mother wasn’t home. The sharp pain she initially felt quickly dulled to a familiar ache and she went on about her evening.

In a moment of weakness she briefly imagined what it would be like to have a mother who wasn’t working all the time. She would tell her about the essay she wrote to try and be princess for a day, (of course it would have been a different essay), and her mother would listen intently and smile, maybe telling Scoots a little about her own day at work. They’d make a nice dinner together and then after dinner Scootaloo liked to imagine she would curl up in her mother’s embrace while her mother gently preened her tiny wings, and then Scootaloo would fall asleep feeling safe and loved in her mother’s forelegs. But her mother was always busy and she was just a filly who couldn’t do anything about that. So instead she made a daisy sandwich, preened her own wings rather haphazardly and, after doing her homework and watching a little TV, she was about to go get ready for bed. But a pang of loneliness ate at her. She wanted to see her mom, and so even though she knew she shouldn’t, she went to sleep on the couch, hoping that her mom would wake her up when she walked in.

Sure enough Scootaloo bolted awake as her mom turned the lights on, unaware that Scootaloo was sleeping on the couch. “Hi mom,” she said, rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the sudden influx of light. A clock on the wall read 11:30, way past her bedtime.

“Scootaloo, sweetie, we’ve talked about this. I need to work a double shift for a while and that means I need to be able to trust you to go to bed on time, in your own room.”

“I know Mom, but we haven’t seen each other in a few days. I missed you.”

Dizzy expression softened. “I miss you too sweetie. But it’s only for a few more months, then I can go back to my usual hours.”

“Oh so I’ll get to see you for five minutes in the morning sometimes,” Scootaloo groused.

Dizzy let out an exasperated sigh. “Scootaloo, we’ve talked about this too. I make more money if I work the late shift. If we keep saving, maybe I can pay down the mortgage enough to think about working a regular shift but until then I need your help, we’re a team.”

Scootaloo was about to argue but one look at the harried face of her mom told her that would be a cruel thing to do. “Okay mom I’m sorry,” she said softly. Scootaloo reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around her mother’s neck, enjoying a rare hug.

Dizzy returned the hug with another sigh. “Thank you dear. But now it’s time for bed okay?”

“Okay mom,” Scootaloo said before trudging upstairs and tucking herself in, feeling very much alone.

Chapter 2

While the most of the other students had opted to turn their letters in at various points during the week Scootaloo had decided to wait until after school on friday to hand hers in. She knew her plan was a long shot, and the first obstacle she would have to overcome was to convince Cheerilee to send her letter, without reading it. If Cheerilee did read her letter, her kindhearted teacher would offer to help, or at least try to make up for the lack of attention she received at home and Scootaloo didn’t want that. School and her friends were her only refuge from her home life, and the last thing she wanted was to be reminded how lonely she felt throughout the day.

They would mean well and do their best to keep it quiet, but ultimately every “How ya doin Scoots?” and “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?” would be colored with pity and Scootaloo didn’t need anyponies pity.

She considered trying to sneak the letter into the accepted pile but because Cheerilee only had one pile on her desk that seemed unlikely. She thought about just mailing the letter to Canterlot herself, but she couldn’t be sure the princesses would see it that way, it was far more likely it would get lost in an ever growing pile of fan mail. So without any better ideas and time growing short Scootaloo tentatively approached her teacher’s desk when school had let out on Friday, hoping to prevail upon Cheerilee’s well known sympathies.

“Here’s my letter to the Princesses Mrs. Cheerilee. Umm I know you said you’d pick the best ones to send, but I was kinda hoping that you could pass mine along without reading it.”

Cheerilee looked at Scootaloo quizzically. Her students knew better than to ask her to break the rules, but this was done in such an obvious way that Cheerilee doubted there was ill intent behind it. Surely a student wishing to game the system would come up with some sort of ploy, and this was an utterly guileless request. “Scootaloo, I can only send a few letters to the Princesses and it wouldn’t be fair to the other students if I chose yours without reading it. Can I ask why you don’t want me to read it?”

“It’s kinda personal, I wrote some things I don’t want anypony else to know,” Scootaloo said, her unease plainly evident.

Her instincts that this was not a student seeking to cheat her way to a prize confirmed Cheerilee decided to investigate further. “Oh I see. I’m not a princess, but if you’re having problems maybe I can help you?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “It’s okay Mrs. Cheerilee I understand, you have to be fair.” Scootaloo slowly took her letter in her teeth and began to trudge out of the classroom, her faint hopes dashed. As she watched the orange filly walk away Cheerilee was overcome with compassion. Her empathy for children was one of the reasons she became a teacher, and every instinct in her body was telling her that Scootaloo was seriously hurting.

She was doing fairly well in school, she wasn’t sullen or withdrawn and she didn’t come to class with bruises so Cheerilee doubted she was being abused. Besides she had met Dizzy, there was simply no way she was capable of hurting her daughter. Building trust is about small steps.

“Scootaloo wait,” she called out before the filly had a chance to open the door.

“Yeah?” Scootaloo looked back and dared to hope that Cheerilee might help her after all.

“I promise I won’t read your letter. If you’d like me to send it to the princesses I’ll do it, because I trust that you’re being honest with me. And I hope that if you ever did need anything you would trust me enough to let me try and help you.”

Scootaloo smiled a wide smile as hope was allowed to flourish in her mind once again. “I will Miss Cheerilee, thank you!”

Luna walked into the castle library expecting to find her sister and a small stack of letters. Her ears drooped when she found her sister sitting next to a small pile of them instead. “Looks like this will take longer than I thought dear sister.” In response Celestia levitated about half of the pile over to her sister, leaving the rest for herself.

They each read their stack of letters patiently and carefully but were overall not impressed with the reasons the school children of Equestria had for wanting to join their exclusive club. Even with the teachers weeding out roughly three fourths of the responses, most of the letters were not at all compelling.

The most common refrain was that a student wanted to be a member of the ruling family so that they could “help other ponies”, never mind that most of them failed to mention just how they would use their newfound power to “help” anyone. There were a few who did specify how they would help but failed to consider the long term implications of their actions. One colt noted that his Dad was always grumbling about taxes, so his plan was to get rid of them all together. Quite a few children wanted to ban homework or school, and one filly had a plan to give everyone free ice cream and candy.

Soon three piles began to form, one for the letters that Luna wanted Celestia to read, one for the letters that Celestia thought Luna should consider, and one for the outright rejections; the reject pile being considerably larger than the other two. Luna tended to favor the letters where the student admitted that at least some of the desire to be crowned was borne of a selfish motivation, while Celestia tended to favor the letters where students professed a willingness to learn more about what being a princess was really like. Neither Diarch was impressed by any of the letters attempting to flatter them with phrases like “I want to be a princess so I can be just like you.”

However, when Luna got to Scootaloo’s she felt a profound sense of sadness emanating from the piece of parchment, hers was certainly unique amongst the reading so far. She levitated the plea over to Celestia, “What do you think of this one Tia.”

Celestia read it carefully, her face betraying no emotion aside from a small pursing of her lips. “A touching letter, but I’m not sure this was meant to help a daughter connect with her mother.”

“Tia, a little filly is clearly hurting and is desperate enough to seek our help. That is reason enough to consider making her a princess, unless you’ve found a letter with a reason that is not ‘I wish to do whatever I want all day’.”

“Luna, unfortunate as it is, many fillies and colts wish to spend more time with their parents. We cannot make them all royalty. Furthermore I am skeptical that making Scootaloo a princess would help her in the manner she seeks.”

“Ignore that then. You know as well as I do that she is a kind hearted little filly, and she is desperately seeking some small measure of affection. Even if we can’t give her what she really wants we can give her that.”

While Celestia didn’t entirely agree that playing surrogate mother was the best course of action, she couldn’t deny that they had yet to find a letter with a more worthy reason. “Set it aside, and if we don’t find a better reason I shall reconsider.”

Chapter 3

A long evening of reading essays later and the two Princesses had whittled their choices down to the final two, Scootaloo and a colt from Fillydelphia who wished to expiereince the thrill of shepherding a bill through the legislative process. However, what had began as friendly bickering had turned into politely concealed hostility. “Why must you be so stubborn Tia?” Luna sighed, completely exasperated by her sister’s refusal to give in on an insignificant issue.

“I am not the one who is insisting that we take it upon ourselves to fix every broken family in the kingdom!”

“There is only one broken family in all of Equestria?! Then I submit we should absolutely do that. All I am proposing is that we use your desire to show how miserable you are with the burdens of the crown to actually help a sad filly.”

“I am not miserable. I would just rather the opportunity go to a child who would cherish the experience rather than the ends she can achieve!” Celestia fired back.

Luna took a deep breath, not wanting to continue the same argument they had been having for the past hour. “Tia, there is a sad and lonely filly, who only wishes that somepony would notice her. Can you allow for the possibility that I know precisely how she feels,and that I might wish to help her before she does something she'll regret?”

“You would invoke Nightmare Moon to sway my opinion? Scootaloo poses no threat to Equestria,” Celestia said rather crossly.

“There is no worse feeling than being alone Tia.” Luna replied softly.

Celestia looked at her sister carefully. Hidden behind her eyes was a profound sense of pain. Ever since they were reunited, Luna had hidden a part of herself that she let out only when she thought Celestia wasn't looking. Celestia couldn't be sure whether it was guilt from letting Nightmare Moon control her, the pain of being isolated for a thousand years, or sympathy for what she put her sister through, but the pain was unmistakably there. “Lest you forget, I too know that pain. For a thousand years I was separated from my little sister.”

“Then grant me this boon Tia. I promise to let you show Scootaloo how awful being a princess is,” Luna said, with the faintest hint of a smile.

Relieved at being able to resume their friendly bickering Celestia capitulated and grinned wryly back, “It is only awful because I have to share it with someone as willful as you,” Celestia said, playfully sticking out her tongue.

“Imagine how I feel; I share it with you.”

“I’m glad your're back, little sister.”

“I’m glad to be back, big sister.”

***
After a typical weekend crusading and getting into garden variety mischief Scootaloo woke up early Monday morning. She went to the kitchen, as usual her mother had already left for work, and so just like most mornings at the Scootaloo household she made herself a bowl of cold cereal and orange juice for breakfast, all the while wondering what it would be like to have her Mom cook her pancakes, or waffles, or even just be there to tell her to have a good day at school. Once she finished eating she rode her scooter to meet her friends at the tree they liked to convene at so they could walk to school together.

“Do ya think Celestia read your letters over tha weekend?” Apple Bloom asked, opening their conversation, once they had all united.

“We don’t even know which letters Cheerilee sent,” Sweetie Belle replied, causing Scootaloo to shut her mouth, just in case she stumbled into a situation where she would be forced to lie to her friends.

“Eh, as long as Diamond Tiara doesn’t win,” Apple Bloom said.

Sweetie giggled. “Can you imagine what that would be like?” Sweetie stuck her nose in the air and stood on her tip-hoofs. “Shine my tiara, and when you’re finished banish all the blank flanks from Equestira for not having their cutie marks,” Sweetie said in a high pitched whine.

Apple Bloom laughed but Scootaloo could only manage a small chuckle. Their conversation had gotten her thinking about the contest again. She didn’t really think she had any chance of winning but she also couldn’t think of any other idea to make her mom notice her. Sweetie’s voice snapped her out of her malaise.

“What’s wrong Scootaloo? I don’t think Celestia would let Diamond would banish us, besides she probably won’t win.”

“Yeah I know, it’s nothing, I’m fine,” she responded quickly, trying to cover up her previous worry.

“C’mon Scoots, we’re a trio. What’s botherin ya?” Apple Bloom prodded.

“It’s nothing, really. C’mon we’re gonna be late for school.” Before Apple Bloom or Sweetie could protest, Scootaloo fluttered her wings and sped off down the road, leaving her two friends hurrying to catch up.

School proceeded like a typical Monday. There was math and reading and a recess where Snails got tangled in the swings. However during arts and crafts time the normal routine was interrupted by an unfamiliar visitor.

A tan stallion with a short blue mane knocked on the open door and stood in the doorway. “Is this Mrs. Cheerilee’s classroom?”

“I’m Cheerilee, may I help you?” Cheerilee asked brightly. Some students noticed the guest, but most were too involved with their art projects or their own conversations to notice.

“I come bearing a message from Princess Celesita,” the stallion said.

“How exciting. Everypony quiet down,” Cheerliee said, stomping her hoof in her "quiet down rhythm", three distinct stomps.

Recognizing the signal, the classroom quickly settled and soon all the students were eagerly waiting to hear the message . With the eyes of the room upon him the stallion unfurled a scroll and cleared his throat with a cough. “Be it known that today, the twenty fourth day of Ignatus in the year one thousand and two C.E, Princess Celestia Sol Invictius, the Dawn Bringer, Bane of Nightmare Moon, Princess of the Sun and Diarch of Equestria has declared that Scootaloo, will be crowned a Princess of Equestria on the twenty sixth day of Ignatus in the year one thousand and two C.E. So it is said, so it shall be.”

The room went silent save for one shocked voice. “Blank flank!” Diamond blurted out.

“That’s Princess blank flank to you,” Sweetie shot back, before glancing sheepishly at Scootaloo. “Or Princess Scootaloo, that would work too.”

Diamond Tiara confidently strolled up to the front of the class. “Are you sure there hasn’t been a mistake? Maybe you meant to say Diamond Tiara?” she asked pleasantly, sure that whoever this pony was they just had a very selective reading problem.

The messenger looked down at the royal decree. “No, it says Scootaloo.”

“I won?” Scootaloo squeaked out, before a round of applause and congratulations overtook the room.

The stallion, whose name was Regal Herald, not that anyone asked, walked over to Scootaloo’s desk. “You won. A parent will need to sign this permission slip. Tomorrow at seven p.m a chariot will take you from here to Canterlot. The rest of your itinerary will be presented to you when you arrive. You may, of course, bring a parent with you.”

“I won?” Scootaloo squeaked again.

Regal laughed. “You won. Congratulations Scootaloo, I look forward to working for you.”

In light of the good news, Cheerliee canceled the history lesson she had planned for the rest of the afternoon so that the rest of the class could share in Scootaloo’s good fortune by enjoying a relaxing hour of games and cupcakes. Most of the class spent their free hour crowding around Scootaloo’s desk, offering suggestions for what she should do with her newfound power. Diamond Tiara spent the hour in the corner playing a very angry game of checkers with Silver Spoon.

Scootaloo excitedly burst through the doors of her house, before the realization that there was no one home hit her. “I get to be a princess!” she said out loud to the empty living room. There was no reply. She tried to push her loneliness down and focus on the good news. She cleaned the kitchen, did her homework and fell asleep on the couch waiting for her mom to come home.

Dizzy came home late and unlike yesterday when she was sympathetic toward her daughter, this time she was just annoyed. “Scootaloo we talked about this yesterday. I need you to go to bed in your own room.”

Scootaloo rubbed her eyes, disorientedly looking around, before she remembered why she was sleeping on the couch in the first place. “But Mom, I won! I’m going to be a princess!”

Dizzy blinked her eyes, unsure if Scootaloo said what she thought she heard. “I’m sorry, what?”

“There was a contest at school and I won and now I get to go to Canterlot and be a princess for a day and they say I can take a parent. So can you come with me?” Scootaloo pleaded excitedly.

“I’m not sure I can take the time off work. When is it?”

“We would go to Catnerlot tomorrow night and then I get to be princess the day after tomorrow.” Scootaloo said proudly.

Dizzy shook her head. “I’m sorry sweetie, I can’t just leave for Canterlot so quickly.” Seeing the disappointment on her daughter's face she tried to recover as best she could. “But I’m very proud of you and want to hear all about it when you get back.”

“Yeah okay.” Scootaloo sighed; this was far from the first time her mother couldn't make it to something important. “You need to sign this,” she said, grabbing her permission slip and nudging it toward her mother.

“There you go sweetie,” Dizzy said as she quickly scribbled her name at the bottom. “I really am very proud of you,” she offered, hoping to cheer her daughter up at least a little bit, after disappointing her yet again.

“I know mom.” Permission slip in hoof, Scootaloo trudged upstairs and tried to get excited about tomorrow.

Author's Note

So this chapter is a bit of an experiment. I like having editors, I am not so good at grammar/punctuation that I couldn't use a second set of eyes. And also stuff like syntax and details are good to get a second opinion on. The downside of editors is that they add time between when I finish and when I release chapters. Most of the time it is well worth the wait, for me and for you all.

But...this fic isn't a complicated one, and since I started writing fiction I've gotten better at the mechanics of writing, in part because I've edited other peoples work. I couldn't reach my editors for this chapter, so I've decided to try posting without them. We'll see how this goes, if it goes well then maybe I can finish this story without any further input from anyone else.

Also thanks for liking/commenting/faving. I really didn't expect the response to be so positive.

Chapter 4

The next day was filled with nervous energy for Scootaloo. Save for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, all anypony at school wanted to talk about was what Scootaloo was going to do when she was a princess, (“I don’t see what the big deal is anyway”, said Diamond) only she didn’t have any answers for them. She didn’t quite believe that Celestia would let her do anything she wanted and she didn’t want to tell her classmates what she really wrote in her letter. So she continued her lies about riding her scooter around the castle and maybe getting some flight pointers from one of the pegasus guards. In her defense, they weren’t complete fabrications, she would like to do both of those things.

Truth be told, she hadn’t really thought about how exactly being a princess would help her connect with her mom. It just seemed like the only thing she hadn’t tried.

She made it through the school day, an emergency crusading session where the only topic was the possibility of earning a princess cutie mark, and went home to pack. Scootaloo wasn’t sure what exactly she would need for being a princess. In theory, they would have anything she could need at the castle. She settled on a small bag with some Daring Do coloring books for the chariot ride, a jacket in case it was cold, and a journal because Cheerilee suggested she bring one so she could write down the details of her visit. After much deliberation she decided to leave her scooter at home, figuring that Celestia wouldn’t let her ride it indoors anyway. Dusk came and she found herself waiting with Cheerilee for her chariot at the school house.

“Are you excited about your big day tomorrow,” her teacher asked with a cheerfulness befitting her name.

“You bet! Thanks again for sending my letter Ms. Cheerilee,” she replied, making conversation as much as anything else.

“You’re very welcome. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Scootaloo wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. Lucky for her, before she had a chance to awkwardly respond a golden winged chariot, pulled by two pegasi stallions larger than Big Mac; landed in front of the schoolhouse. Regal Herald hopped down, in a most dignified manner, and ran to the side opening the door. “Your chariot awaits, your highness,” he said in a booming baritone tone, similar to the one he used yesterday.

“Have fun Scootaloo, we’ll miss you.”’ Cheerilee called out in a friendly wave as Scootaloo began running toward the carriage.

“I’ll only be gone for a day,” Scootaloo called back, hopping into the carriage.

The carriages used to transport royalty were lined with a purple fabric that was plushier than anything Scootaloo had ever felt. If she hadn’t been so excited she would have blissfully slept through her whole ride. Her excitement and some coloring carried her attention through the hour long flight and before she knew it, they had landed at famed the Canterlot Castle.

Regal opened the door and announced her arrival. Instead of being greeted by a few staff members, as she expected, Scootaloo opened the door to see the entirety of the castle staff as well as the advisors to the crown, minus Discord, standing on either side of a red carpet, the two reigning Princesses waiting at the end. Not knowing what else to do she took a step forward and a round of thunderous applause shook the earth. She jumped back, startled by the sudden onslaught, but as soon as she registered that the cheers were for her a smile began to grow. She tentatively waved to the crowd which only encouraged further cheering. Soon, there was nothing tentative about any of her gestures as she waved and smiled at an entire sea of ponies all hanging on her every movement.

The wave of adoration was intoxicating. Scootaloo kept waiting for the cacophony to ebb but it maintained its fervent pitch all throughout her too brief journey to the end of the carpet, where it slowly dissipated as she stopped in front of the Princesses.

“Your majesties, I present Princess in waiting Scootaloo,” Regal said once the ambient noise had quieted enough for his voice to be heard.

Celestia nodded once and Regal, and once at Scootaloo. “Thank you sir Herald, Princess Scootaloo allow me the honor of being the first to welcome you to Canterlot Castle.”

Luna lowered her head ever so slightly in the traditional gesture of respect used between royalty. The ritual dated back to the pre-unification days when each tribe had their own ruler. It was meant to convey reverence without subservience. “It is nice to see you again, Scootaloo.”

“Are you going to make me an alicorn?” she asked looking at the two alicorns in front of her. Her eyes lit up as she imagined that being an alicorn would also allow her to fly.

Celestia let out a polite and dignified laugh, if there was such a thing. “Ascending a pony to an alicorn is a rare honor. While I am delighted to invite you into the royal family it is only for one day.”

Scootaloo tried her best not to appear disappointed. “Oh, what I am doing here?”

“Until you are crowned tomorrow morning you shall be our guest here at the castle.” Celestia spread her wings wide, as if the splendor of her surroundings needed further showcasing.

“Tomorrow morning will be your coronation, and then you shall spend the day ruling Equestria, performing the duties of a princess.”

“Neat!”

“Indeed and this is where I must take my leave. Luna will give you a tour and show you to your chambers, and I shall see you for breakfast in the morning. Sleep well Scootaloo,” Celestia said, performing her own small bow and promptly exiting down one of the many hallways branching off the main room.

The crowd began to disperse and Scootaloo was left alone with Luna. “I apologize dear filly, my sister has always had a penchant for ceremony and theatrics. I trust your trip was comfortable?”

“Uh huh, it was awesome,! Those carriages are sooo soft! And the crowd of ponies, I mean I know they were only cheering because you told them too, but it was still nice.”

“You overestimate my influence, they were cheering for you, and though they were assembled by my sister, their enthusiasm was genuine.”

Scootaloo wasn’t sure if Luna was just being nice, or if what she said was true, but either way it didn’t diminish the warm glow she felt in her chest, left over from the booming applause she received merely because she waved.

Luna gave Scootaloo a quick tour of the castle, starting with the throne room, proceeding to the gardens, taking a tour through the kitchen, and several of the dining rooms and finally ending at an entire hallway of bedrooms.

“And here is where you will be sleeping, it is our fondest wish that you make yourself comfortable, if you require anything there is a bell located next to your nightstand that will summon the butler on duty.”

“Neat! I don’t think I need anything right now though.”

“Very well, should you change your mind, know that the castle is at your service.”

“Thanks Princess Luna.”

“You are most certainly welcome. And it is not necessary to address me as Princess, amongst royalty titles are considered superfluous.”

Scootaloo figured that Luna must be using one of those old-timey words that ponies used before she was banished. “Super-what?”

“It means that you may simply call me Luna.”

“Okay, thank you Luna.”

Luna left Scootaloo alone in the vast cavern that was to be her temporary lodgings. She barely had time to process that the luxury around her was in fact real, when she heard a faint tapping at her chamber door. Opening it she saw a cream colored unicorn with a light green mane staring back at her, Scootaloo just looked at her puzzled.

“Your highness,” the mare said bowing. "My name is Vanilla Sky; I will be your concierge for the duration of your reign.” She giggled at the thought of serving a filly princess for the entirety of her one day reign.

Scootaloo title her head at this strange mare, bewildered by both her vocabulary and whatever she possibly found funny. “Conci-what?”

“Your assistant; as a princess, you have lots of meeting and official duties to attend to. It’s my job to keep track of them all and get you to your appointments on time. I’ll also handle any small errands you need throughout the day,” she replied with a practiced smile.

“But I thought Princesses could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to?”

Vanilla scrunched her face, pondering how to answer that question. “I suppose they could, but if the Princesses spent all day just having fun, many of the ponies in Canterlot would start to wonder why there were princesses to begin with; soon that discontent would spread to Equestria and ponies would demand new Princesses or even no diarchy altogether.”

The nuances on the conditions that could lead to revolution were lost on Scootaloo but what Vanilla was saying made sense. “Oh. So what do I have to do tomorrow?”

“Well, the first thing we need to do is pick out a dress for your coronation.”

Scootaloo groaned, she wasn’t even a princess yet and she was already having to do things she didn’t like. “Ugh really? I’m not really a dress wearing kind of filly.”

Vanilla giggled again, “I bet we can find something you’ll like. You want to look nice for your coronation right?”

“I guess,” Scootaloo shrugged, looking decidedly nonplussed. Her expression did change ever so slightly when Vanilla clapped her hooves together and the largest rack of dresses Scootaloo had ever seen was wheeled into her room. Unlike the simple flower dresses she was used to choosing between on the rare occasions she went shopping with her mother, these were all elegant gowns, with sequins and jewels in every color imaginable. Not even in Rarity’s private collection at the Carousel Boutique had she seen such splendor.

“Hmmm, how about this one?” Vanilla asked holding out a ruffled pink dress with flowers sewn into the fabric.

“Nah too frilly,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head.

“Okay, what about this one?” Vanilla asked again, this time holding out an unadorned yellow dress made of silk so shiny so smooth that it practically shimmered.

“I don’t really like to wear yellow,” Scootaloo answered with a dismissive hoof wave. Noticing the beginnings of a slightly frustrated expression on her assistant’s mouth, Scootaloo pointed to a purple dress about three quarters of the way down the rack. “What about that one?”

Vanilla held it out so she could get a better view of Scootaloo’s choice and smiled. “An excellent choice, would you like to try it on?”

Scootaloo nodded and began to put the dress on; it was a shimmering purple gown, fastened around her neck with a lightning bolt shaped clasp. The lines of the back piece made the gown appear longer than in really was and the matching sash provided a contrast that tied the whole piece together. She liked that the front of the dress was uncovered; allowing her wings room to move and that the clasp on the front looked like something Rainbow Dash would wear.

While Scootaloo marveled at herself in the mirror Vanilla selected an appropriate pair of matching shoes. She passed them over to Scootaloo who put them on without complaint and when she was done she simply stared at herself in the mirror, turning ever so slightly so she could judge how she looked from different angles.

“What do you think?” she asked. Having not worn a lot of dresses in her life she was unsure if the dress she picked out looked as good as she thought it did.

“I think you look like a princess,” Vanilla replied. “But the important thing is what you think. Do you like the dress?”

“Very much,” Scootaloo said with a smile. Having seen how she looked, the idea of wearing a dress for the day was beginning to appeal to her, if nothing else maybe it was something that her mom would notice in the pictures.

“Well I have good news, you get to keep it!” Vanilla said punctuating her remark with an excited squeal.

“I do?! Really?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes widening slightly.

“ I’ll have the seamstress finish altering it to your size, you’ll wear it tomorrow and then you can take it home with you; A gift for your service to Equestria.”

“Oh wow. Thank you!”

“Well it’s not me you should be thanking, but you’re very welcome. Now let’s talk about your crown,” Vanilla said, making some notes on her omnipresent clipboard.

Scootaloo couldn’t believe her luck. “I get to keep the crown too!”

Vanilla shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. But you do get to pick out what gemstone you would like as your royal stone. Celestia has an amethyst in her crown, and Luna has a sapphire. What kind of stone do you think you would like?”

“How’d they pick theirs?”

“An excellent question Scootaloo, you are going to make for a very wise princess. Amethyst traditionally represent power, I think Celestia chose it to remind both herself and others how powerful the throne is. Sapphires represent healing. I think Luna chose her to remind herself that she still has some healing to do from being on the moon all those years. Of course it could also be that they just like the colors,” Vanilla giggled at the last part.

Scootaloo still wasn’t sure why Vanilla found everything funny, and her answer didn’t really help her narrow her choices. “Oh. So what should I pick?”

“Well what do you want ponies to know about you?”

“That I’m awesome!” Scootaloo said confidently.

Vanilla giggled again as Scootaloo found it increasingly more bizarre that a pony so connected to royalty could be so giggly. “Hmm, a moonstone is said to represent both luck and power, and the white would go very nicely with your dress.”

“Moonstone then,” Scootaloo said, pleased that her first two decisions as princess were easy. If being a princess meant just picking out what you wanted to wear she was going to be great at it.

“I shall inform the royal lapidary. Now, there is one more decision you need to make.”

Scootaloo groaned. “Ugh, can’t I just have you do it for me?”

“This one is easy. What would you like for breakfast? The kitchen likes to be sure that it has the royal breakfast ready to prepare first thing in the morning.”

“Oh, where’s the menu?” Scootaloo had been to restaurants, and so she assumed there must be a menu that the princesses ordered from.

“We have anything you could possibly want.” Vanilla replied.

“So if I wanted ice cream for breakfast?”

Vanilla thought for a moment. “You could have ice cream for breakfast. But as your concierge I feel that I should warn you that a lot of ponies are going to be paying attention to what you do and you’ll want to make a good impression. Might I suggest something a little more traditional?”

Scootaloo had never really been concerned with what other ponies thought about her, but she figured that maybe she should listen to the strange, giggly mare who was her assistant, if nothing else she knew a lot more about being a princess then Scootaloo did.

“Okay. Can I have some waffles, with strawberries? And one scoop of vanilla ice cream,” she added.

“So it is said, so it shall be,” Vanilla giggled as Scootaloo continued to wonder what she was saying that this mare found so hilarious.

Vanilla checked off another few boxes and smiled, having no other items of note she bowed politely and left Scootaloo to her own devices. Alone again, Scootaloo unpacked and looked around. The room was physically huge, a massive bed with satin sheets and down pillows inviting her to sleep as long as she wanted. An ornate bathroom just off the corner with soft towels and five different kinds of soap and shampoo waiting. Her chambers were so much bigger and luxurious than her room at home, but she couldn’t help but feel a familiar loneliness.

Author's Note

Made the featured tab, thanks everybody. Also I finally picked up a downvote, it had to happen sometime, it was a fun ride while it lasted.

Chapter 5

“Do not mistake my meaning Tia, as I am glad that you have acquiesced to my request in selecting Scootaloo, but do you not think that a public coronation is overdoing it?” Luna asked her sister as they prepared for tomorrow's festivities.

It was late in the evening in Canterlot, and the castle staff was hurriedly rushing to furnish the castle grounds for tomorrow’s big day under the watchful eyes of Celestia and the less watchful eyes of Luna.

Celestia regarded her sister curiously, “Coronations are such wonderful events, and we hold them so infrequently,” she said, gesturing with a hoof to signal two pegasi that the banners needed to be raised higher.

“If I recall, at our coronation you seized the crown from the high septum and placed it on your head yourself.”

Celestia waved her hoof dismissively. “A symbolic gesture, times were different. There were those who doubted that I possessed the will to rule, and with that act I laid to rest any notion that I regarded anypony as above me.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Or perhaps it was just another illustration of your love for needless theatrics.”

“Scootaloo is going to be a princess, she needs a coronation,” Celestia replied flatly, ending any further discussion of the matter.

Scootaloo was woken up by a gentle knock. The clock on her nightstand told her it was seven in the morning. Ugh Princesses don’t get to sleep in? she thought as she rubbed her eyes and stumbled toward the door. She opened the large door to her chambers to find the dress she had selected last night hanging freshly pressed from a small valet, as well as platter of waffles on a warming plate, a bowl of fresh strawberries and a small carton of vanilla ice cream waiting patiently in an ice bucket. A note placed next to the waffles read:

Princess Scootaloo your coronation is at nine in the throne room; please let me know if you need anything before then.
-Vanilla Sky

Scootaloo enjoyed her waffles with ice cream and then took a long shower, being sure to carefully wash her mane and tail as well as scrub the dirt out from under her hooves. At 8:50 she walked toward the throne room to find Celestia and Luna waiting for her.

Both princesses smiled as she approached. “Good morning Scootaloo. Luna has prevailed upon me to keep the ceremony brief. I shall walk in first, then Luna. You will follow and kneel in front of the throne. I will then crown you and you shall be officially a princess.” Celestia said.

“Just like that?” Scootaloo asked, more than a little skeptical that such a brief ceremony could result in what was technically a massive power shift.

“Just like that,” Luna said with a reassuring smile. “Though I still maintain the whole affair could be conducted without this needless ritual.”

“Tradition is important, dear sister,” Celestia replied, again ending any further discussion of the matter.

The usually impressive throne room of Canterlot Castle had been transformed into a monument to opulent elegance. Grand stained glass windows softly diffused a rainbow colored hue of light as it flooded into the space. The room itself was open, high arched ceilings and convex walls gave the illusion that the throne room was bigger than its already considerable square footage. Celebratory banners, decorated with images of the sun and the moon hung in the air suspended only by magic. At the far end of the room, directly facing the entrance two thrones sat on an elevated platform. Between the two thrones sat a small crown, identical to the ones worn by Luna and Celestia only with a shimmering moonstone lovingly placed in the center.

The assembled staff and noble ponies all stood in front of the platform, eagerly awaiting the festivities with a quiet buzz of excited chatter.

Princess Celestia walked in first and sat on her throne, a literal gilded chair with a sun carved into the headpiece; upholstered with the softest of silk. Luna followed and took her seat next to her sister on her own gilded chair with a moon carved into the headpiece. The crowd quieted and watched with rapt attention as Scootaloo walked in front of the two princesses and knelt on one knee, her wings buzzing the only betrayal of her nervousness.

Celestia waved to the crowd and then turned to face Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, in sight of these ponies, my sister and yourself, I Princess Celestia, the Dawn Bringer, hereby crown you a princess, in the name of the sun and moon. So it is said, so it shall be.”

Princess Celestia flared her horn and levitated the small crown, placing it gently on top of Scootaloo’s head.

“Rise Scootaloo! Princess of Equestria,” she announced triumphantly, making her voice heard over the roar of the crowd.

“All hail Princess Scootaloo, long may she reign,” Regal called out in the royal voice. “For today anyway,” he added, much to the delight of the assembled ponies.

The castle grounds trembled from the noise as the applause and hoof stomping reached its climax. Had this been a traditional coronation, with the new princess being ascended into an alicorn, Scootaloo would have taken this moment to fly into the sky and light up the sky with her horn in a gesture of her newfound status. But as it was Celestia wrapped her magic around Scootaloo and lifted her high in the air, while Luna reluctantly provided the accompanying fireworks. Scootaloo waved from her lofty perch, to more cheers, and was gently set back on the ground.

The royal photographer took Scootaloo’s official portrait in front of the hanging banners, then a picture of the three Princesses together by the throne and then one of Scootaloo with the adoring crowd providing the backdrop.

“So I’m really a princess now?” Scootaloo asked once the room had emptied to allow for a moments peace before the day was set to begin in earnest.

“Indeed you are,” Celestia said as she gestured to the throne room, her wings spreading open as though she was introducing Scootaloo to her new kingdom.

Lunas groaned and glanced at her sister, who responded with a smirk. “You’re really going to make me do this Tia?”

“Yes I am,” Celestia replied with thinly concealed mirth in her voice. “There are three princesses now which means that we need to ensure an orderly distribution of power.

Luna groaned again, “I Luna Invictus, Princess of the Night, the Dusk Bringer and Guardian of Dreams, do hereby grant my proxy to Princess Celestia with the instruction that she use it to further the interest of the ponies of Equestria and that it be returned to me at dusk tonight.” Her forced monologue finished she rolled her eyes. “Did I get that right dear sister?”

“Yes you did, I hereby accept your proxy. So it is said, so it shall be.”

“Umm what just happened?” Scootaloo asked, unsure of the implications of what she had just witnessed.

“My sister’s penchant for ostentatious rituals has reared its ugly head yet again,” Luna replied, ignoring a playful scowl from her sister. “Since I am temporarily divested from the powers of a princess I believe I shall use this newfound freedom to enjoy some much needed relaxation. Rule well sister, and you too Scootaloo,” Luna said before a powerful flap of her wings carried her out the window.

Scootaloo looked up at Celestia, hoping to receive further clarification. “Ignore her, she has no respect for ceremony. Luna has vested me with her vote should we disagree, that is all that was. It is important that we be able to rule without all three of us present.”

“All three of us? So I really am a Princess?” Scootaloo replied with increasingly wide eyes.

“You are,” replied Celestia with a smile.

“And all these ponies have to do what I say?” Scootaloo said calling attention to the consignment of royal guards stationed in the throne room.

“They do,” Celestia responded a little more warily, wings now folded at her side.

“Hey you there!” Scootaloo shouted as she pointed to a guard standing to the side of the throne, against the far wall. “Stand on two legs.”

Only guards who achieved “elite” rankings served in the castle, and a guard did not earn “elite” ranking by considering his orders. So despite the ridiculousness of the order as well as the fact that it came from a princess crowned all of ten minutes ago, the guard posted on the eastward facing wall immediately did as he was told, lifting both of his right legs up and balancing on his left.

Scootaloo giggled at her newfound power, “Now jump up and down,” she squealed, clapping her hooves together. The guard did as he was bid, and she was about to order him to sing “I’m a little teapot” until felt a wing land on her shoulder.

“Scootaloo, a princess should always treat those who serve her with respect, Silver Shield is a good and loyal guard stallion. Tell me what purpose does making him jump up and down serve?” Celestia's tone was not harsh, but it was firm.

“I’m sorry Princess Celestia,” Scootaloo replied, thoroughly chastised. “You can stop now,” she said, directing her attention back to the guard.

Celestia responded with a small shake of her head. “Do not apologize to me, I was not the one whom you wronged.”

Scootaloo scrunched her face for a moment and hopped down off the platform. She approached the guard, who had quietly returned to his post. “I’m sorry I made you jump up and down, I’m kinda new at the whole princess thing,” she said apologetically.

“I understand your highness,” came the stoic reply.

“Are you mad at me?”

“I serve at the pleasure of the crown your highness,” the guard answered, still not betraying any emotion.

Scootaloo wasn’t sure what that meant, but the persistent pit in her stomach informed her she had embarrassed a guard who was just doing his job. She wondered if her mom ever felt embarrassed at her job, which caused her to wonder more about the stallion standing in front of her. “Do you have a family?” she asked, hoping to connect in some small way with the emotionless slab in front of her.

“Yes your highness, I have a wife and two fillies,” Silver Shield answered, his demeanor unchanged.

“They’re lucky to have a dad like you.”

For the first time the guard’s stoic exterior began to crack and Silver Shield shifted his posture ever so slightly. “Thank you your highness. That is very kind of you to say.”

“You should take them somewhere fun, on me, to make up for embarrassing you just now.” Scootaloo looked over her shoulder. “Do princesses get paid? Can I do that?”

Celestia nodded. “The castle maintains a discretionary fund, as princess you have every right to direct its use. So it is said, so shall it be. Silver Shield stop by the treasury after your shift and the treasurer will provide you with a stipend that you may take your family somewhere fun with the apologies of the crown.”

“Thank you your highness that is most generous of you. I shall be sure to tell my daughters of the benevolence of Princess Scootaloo when I take them to the water park this weekend.”

Scootaloo smiled and returned to the throne. “Wow being a Princess is cool, I made a mistake and I got to fix it just like that,” she said beaming with pride.

“Tis true, you have the power to correct not only your wrongs but the wrongs of others. But remember Scootaloo it was your own power that led you to make the error in the first place. You would do well to remember that in court.”

“You’re really going to let me decide things at court?”

“The proper term is ‘preside’, and yes. You are a Princess, presiding over court is one of your royal duties. However, I still accompany you, should you require any advice.”

Celestia waved to the captain who opened the grand throne room doors, letting in a small crowd of ponies, eager to have their disputes resolved.

“Today’s court shall be presided over by Princess Scootaloo. Princess Celestia will serve in an advisory role, be aware that the same rules of decorum still apply,” Regal announced to the assembled crowd, some of whom looked quite perplexed at the sight of a filly sitting on Celestia’s throne while Celestia herself sat on a cushion off to the right. A few ponies grumbled and turned around to leave, evidently not wanting to plead their case to the new Princess.

“Hey that’s not fair, why should they leave just because I’m in charge? They don’t even know me.” Scootaloo asked indignantly, turning to Celestia.

“That is true,” Celestia replied solemnly.

“Make them come back!”

“Scootaloo, you could order them to stay, but do you think that will make a favorable impression?”

“No,” Scootaloo admitted reluctantly. “But they judged me without even knowing me”

“Ponies do that sometimes. I have had ponies leave when I’ve taken over Luna’s court and she has had the same. It is a sad fact of being a princess that many ponies will judge you without proper context.”

“How do you deal with it?” Scootaloo wondered.

“I try to be fair and hope that word of my actions will reach them and cause them to reconsider.”

Hearing that even Celestia was not immune to petty slights helped Scootaloo handle her own anger. “I can do that,” she said taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“Excellent,” Celestia turned to the captain. “The Princess is ready to hear her first respondents,” she announced with a straight face that betrayed her enjoyment at being able to observe court in an advisory role.

One blue earth pony and one orange earth pony stepped forward; from their outward appearance it was unclear what their reasons for visiting court could be. “Your highness,” the blue stallion started hesitantly. “My name is Trotter, I have a lemon tree in my backyard and he keeps stealing my lemons,” he said gesturing to the orange stallion next to him. “I want him to pay for all the lemons he’s taken.”

“My name is Auburn your majesty,” the orange stallion said, bowing slightly. “The lemon tree’s branches hang over my side of the fence.” He turned to Trotter. “Those lemons are on my property it’s not stealing!”

“The tree is on my side of the fence!” Trotter shot back.

Feeling authoritative from her new seat on an actual throne and a crown on her head Scootaloo raised her hoof to signal both ponies to be quiet. “Do you usually sell your lemons?” she asked Trotter.

“No, but I could if I wanted to,” the blue stallion replied.

“See he’s just trying to extort me.” Auburn said, an accusingly smug tone coloring his voice.

“Okay I think I get it, do either of you have anything else to say?” Scootaloo interjected before the dispute devolved into name calling.

Both ponies shook their head and Scootaloo turned to Celestia. “What should I do?”

Celestia flared her horn and quickly cast a cone of silence so that she could speak to Scootaloo without being overheard. “What do you think you should do?”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“No. This is an excellent first case for you. The respondents are normal ponies having an honest disagreement, and the dispute is small enough that no matter which way you rule you will not threaten the stability of Equestria.”

Scootaloo’s eyes went wide. “I could bring down the kingdom?”

“Theoretically, you are vested with the full power of the crown. Rest assured though that I would stop you before you did so. Remember I hold Luna’s proxy while she is away, but you have the authority of a Princess and this dispute is in your hooves.”

Scootaloo thought about the case she had just heard, she didn’t know much about property rights but she did understand disagreements. She fought with Diamond Tiara frequently and Cheerilee often had to play peacemaker. Cheerilee always listened to both ponies and then usually decided on a solution that neither pony liked, but both could live with, even when Diamond Tiara was being a total jerk.

She thought about what the ponies had told her, not that their dispute was all that complicated, and nodded at Princess Celestia who promptly dissipated the cone. “I’ve made my decision.” Scootaloo announced. ‘Trotter, you can’t make Auburn pay for the lemons he already took because you weren’t going to sell them and you don’t have any proof that he took them. But Auburn, you are not allowed to take anymore lemons from off of the tree, the trunk of the tree is on Trotter’s property and that means that all the lemons on the branches are his. However if a lemon falls off the tree and lands on your side of the fence then it is yours. Also you guys are neighbors; maybe you could share the lemons anyway.”

“So it said, so it shall be!” called out Regal as the castle scribe wrote down the decision in the castle records, should anypony need to cite the decision as a precedent.

Both ponies nodded, mumbled some form of a thank you, though it was hard to hear and sulked off.

“How’d I do?” Scootaloo asked turning back to Princess Celestia, a little disappointed that the ponies didn’t thank her more effusively.

“A very fair ruling,” Celestia mused.

Scootaloo pumped her hoof in the air. “Sweet, I got it right!”

But before Scootaloo could bask in the glow of her accomplishment Celestia interrupted her self-congratulations. “One could argue that just because the lemons are no longer attached to the tree that does not mean that they no longer belong to Trotter. Your property doesn’t become someone else when you leave it at their house does it? Of course one could also argue since Equestrian property laws traditionally declare property to consist of both the land and the space above that land, that the lemons on the branches belong to Auburn whether or not they touch the ground.”

Scootaloo’s face fell. “I was wrong?”

“Not at all, I am trying to show you that there are many ways to think about things. As a Princess it is rare that you are presented with a situation containing an obvious right answer.”

The morning continued, as did the procession of ponies wishing to see the Princess. There were two more property disputes, three cases of ponies arguing about who should pay for damages that occurred during storms, one situation where a mare was complaining that a neighbor’s new baby was keeping her up at night, (go get some earplugs for goodness sake! said Scootaloo), one pony wanted to invite Celestia to spend more time in the northern part of her kingdom and another pony just wanted to be able to say she met the Princess. Around lunch time Celestia noticed an increasingly fidgeting Scootaloo doing her best to stay calm and took pity on her.

“Thank you for coming everypony, court is adjourned for the day. If you wish you may make an appointment for a future date, or simply take your dispute to an appellate judge,” Celestia announced in such a commanding tone of voice that any protest was preemptively quashed.

“Wow, you do that every day?” Scootaloo asked as the two Princesses were walking back to the dining hall.

“No, some days are actually trying.” Celestia said, laughing. “I do not hold court every day, but I do try to make myself available to anypony who wishes an audience.”

“But why? Some of those arguments were sooo petty. Don’t they realize that you have better things to be doing?”

“That might be how it looks to you, but to them those disputes are important. Part of being a princess is caring about your subjects. And one way to demonstrate that I care is to listen to their problems, or at least have you do it for me,” Celestia said, stifling another laugh.

“Am I gonna have to do more?”

“No, you did very well Scootaloo but I wouldn’t want your first day of ruling to be too boring. How about we get some lunch and then we can do whatever you want.”

Scootaloo lit up, “Can I ride my scooter in the castle?”

Celestia let out a most un-princess like giggle. “I don’t see why not, but perhaps you should stay away from the great hall. There are many other hallways in the castle that do not have priceless works of stained glass in them that I believe would be more suitable for ‘scooter-ing’.”

“Deal!”

Back in the dining hall, Celestia ordered a daisy sandwich, an apple and a glass of milk for her lunch.

“You can order anything you want, why would you get a daisy sandwich?” Scootaloo asked, bewildered.

Celestia studied the filly in front of her, trying to discern the meaning of the question. “I like daisy sandwiches.” She smiled sagely as the crux of Scootaloo’s question occurred to her. “If I ordered orange scented roses for lunch every day I think I would quite miss the pleasures of the humble daisy. And so often I am at functions whose chefs try to impress me with exotic flavor combinations. It is rare that I get to enjoy a simple lunch with good company and I think a daisy sandwich with an apple and a glass of milk is the perfect meal for such an occasion.”

Scootaloo hadn’t really considered that daisy sandwiches could be a delicacy before, she just assumed that Celestia ate roses and orchids for every meal. She ordered her own lunch, Hay fingers and fries, and in short order the two princesses were happily enjoying a quiet lunch, free of the burdens of the crown.

“Hey Princes-I mean Celestia?” Scootaloo asked between hay fries.

“Yes Scootaloo?”

“Can I declare Diamond Tiara a plot head? Like officially and stuff?”

Celestia almost spit out her bite of sandwich, managing to stifle a laugh, turning it into a titter. “That would be unwise Scootaloo,” she managed to say with a straight face after swallowing the aforementioned bite of daisy.

“But she is a plot head! Besides she deserves it!”

“Why do you wish to tarnish this Diamond Tiara?” Celestia asked, stifling another laugh at her unintentional joke.

Scootaloo looked intently at the ground. “She’s always making fun of me, calling me blank flank and stuff.”

“Blank flank? Oh because you have not yet received your cutie mark. That is most curious; I was unaware that there had ever been born a pony that already had a cutie mark.”

Scootaloo titled her head in confusion until she realized what Celestia was implying. “Huh? Oh, no, she got hers a year ago.”

“Then she was a ‘blank flank’ at one time too.” Celestia rested a hoof on her chin, taking a very thoughtful bite of apple. “Ah so she is under the impression that you’re not having a cutie mark is a choice?” Celestia asked attempting to unravel the riddle that Scootaloo had presented her.

Scootaloo squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, despite its plush upholstery. “I don’t think so. She just keeps saying I’ll never get one, because I’m not good at anything,” she mumbled weakly.

“Scootaloo every pony who has ever lived has received a cutie mark. I refuse to believe that the capable young mare I’ve observed today is utterly talentless.” Celestia looked around furtively and spoke her next words in a whisper. “If bestowing a title of ‘plot head’ was not more trouble than it is worth, I assure you that there would be many ‘plot heads’ roaming these halls.”

Scootaloo looked up and smiled at the princess, the idea that even princesses were annoyed making her feel better about having a nemesis. Crisis averted the two princesses happily finished their lunch.

Author's Note

Readers of my work will know that occasionally I use this space to recommend stories. So this chapter's recommendation is Scootaloo and the Cabinet of Seers and before you complain that I've recommended it before, It's really good and it only has 40 likes, which is outrageous. So if you like Scootaloo stories and can deal with the fact that it moves a little slowly in some respects go give it a read.

Most authors love feedback, thanks for reading.

Chapter 6

Lunch proceeded as normally as a humble lunch between a filly and the most powerful alicorn in Equestria could, until it reached its near ending.

“Would you like to talk about your mother Scootaloo?” Celestia asked after Scootaloo had eaten her remaining hay fingers.

Scootaloo swallowed the last bite of her food and glanced around uneasily. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful Princess. I know that my mom works very hard and I know she loves me; I just wish I got to see her more often.”

“What does she do?” Celestia asked gently.

“She works at the weather factory in Cloudsdale, but we live in Ponyville because I can’t fly yet. So she has to fly forty five minutes to and from work every day and she works a lot of double shifts and late night shifts so I don’t get to see her very often and I just want to see her more and…” Scootaloo sniffled loudly as she realized that she was fighting back tears.

Celestia draped a wing around Scootaloo, hugging the orange filly. She didn’t say anything, opting to gently rock the filly back and forth until she felt the tears subsiding.

For all the actual magic that Celestia could wield, the power of touch was in some ways the most potent, and it had nothing to do with her being an alicorn. For Scootaloo it simply felt nice to be held by another pony. It didn’t matter that she was being embraced by the most powerful mare in all of Equestria; the only thing she was focusing on was that there was another pony who, at least for the time being, was there for her. It was a sensation she didn’t realize how much she was missing until she burrowed into Celestia’s coat.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I started crying,” Scootaloo said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she broke away.

“Why are you sorry? I was unaware that crying was an offense.” Celestia replied.

“You’re a princess, you have better things to do then listen to me complain.”

“Scootaloo, if I have the time to listen to two neighbors fight over lemons on a tree, I believe that I have the time to listen to a filly who just wants her to see more of her mother. You are a princess, it is important that we princesses support each other.”

“It is?”

“It is. I always make it a point to carve out some time for Luna, should she need it and she extends the same courtesy to me.”

“Oh.”

“If you were sitting in court and somepony told you what you just told me, how would you rule?”

Scootaloo pondered the question, looking at the ceiling as though it might hold some answers. Unfortunately it remained a blank slate of marble. “I..I don’t know. Could I make the weather factory pay her more so she could work a normal shift?”

“You could, though that might anger the other workers on her shift, and workers in other weather factories, and other ponies who would wonder why a weather factory employee gets paid more so she can spend time with her daughter while they toil on their own shifts.”

“What if I ordered that everypony everywhere should make more money?”

“That is a complicated question; trust me when I say that such a seemingly benign thing would create a lot of problems.” Celestia said, not wanting to get into an economics lecture.

Scootaloo thought some more, but was unable to come up with any other solutions that wouldn’t make other ponies mad. A part of her thought that it didn’t matter what other ponies thought, as long as she got to see her mother more often, but if the morning had taught her anything it was that Princesses should strive for some standard of fairness. “Well then what should I do?” she asked, looking up at Celestia.

“I do not know,” Celestia admitted. “For now you should enjoy your day as a princess, and I promise, princess to princess, that I will do what I can to help.”

Scootaloo heard those words from Princess Celestia and for the first time in a long while, she felt something that she might dangerously call hope.

Author's Note

Hi.

Yes this is a short chapter, and if you read my other works you'll notice It's been a little longer than usual since I updated anything. Real life has gotten a bit busy, and will probably be that way through Christmas, but after that things should calm down a bit and I should be able to write a little more.

So thanks in advance for your patience.

Chapter 7

“That was a delightful meal, I shall have to stop by the kitchen later to offer my appreciation. Now I believe you said something about wanting to ride your scooter in the halls?” Celestia asked, handing her plate to one of the waitstaff.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo shouted excitedly. “Aww I left my scooter at home,” Scootaloo said, as her expression fell at having remembered her decision not to bring her scooter.

“This is a problem we can easily remedy. Ponyville is perhaps a bit far to travel to fetch your scooter. However, you could send Vanilla to get you a new scooter or you could go to the toy store to pick out one for yourself. We do have the F.A.O Schwartz flagship store here in Canterlot,” Celestia said, laying out the two most obvious solutions to Scootaloo’s problem.

“A new scooter? But wouldn’t that mean using my powers for my own benefit instead of Equestria’s?” Scootaloo wondered aloud. “It’s not really fair that Equestria pays for a new scooter just because I decided not to bring my old one.”

“Perhaps Luna was right,” Celestia muttered under her breath. “It is commendable that you weigh the well being of the citizens of Equestria against your own desires. However, being a Princess means that, on occasion, you can indulge your own selfish whims. My sister has been trying to teach me that lesson. If it will set your mind at ease I shall purchase the scooter myself. Consider it a gift from me to my new friend.”

Scootaloo brightened up both at the thought of a new toy and the idea she could use the smooth marble floors of the castle as the world’s most exclusive skate park. “Can Princesses go outside? Won’t there be a crowd?” she wondered, wanting to select the scooter herself, rather than risk Vanilla picking out the wrong one.

“Perhaps elsewhere, but in Canterlot my presence is not so novel as to cause a commotion. Come Scootaloo, F.A.O Schwartz awaits,” Celestia said lowering her neck so that Scootaloo might climb aboard.

Not considering that some might find the idea of a princess serving as a glorified cab undignified, Scootaloo happily scampered atop the most powerful mare in all of Equestria and the pair happily flew to the toy store.

Princess Celestia was right, though there were some murmurs as they walked through the aisles and the occasional well wisher, their presence in public was not so intrusive as to be disruptive and they were left in relative peace. The most annoying disruptions being from the staff’s constant queries of “Is there anything else we can do for you?”

In aisle eight, Scootaloo stared with wide eyes at the impressive, and vast, selection of scooters available. At the general store in Ponyville there had been only two models to choose from, and one of them had been designed for yearlings rather than fillies. But here there were scooters with accessories and features she had only read about. There was one with the wheels positioned on the interior of the board and encased in a plexiglass cover, presumably to cut down on wind resistance. Another had wheels that rotated on both axes for all 360 degrees, allowing for greater maneuverability and a third had handlebars that looked to be constructed from some sort of flexible polymer that allowed them to bend in any way imaginable while still retaining enough rigidity to function as stabilizers for the rider.

Scootaloo chose a bright red scooter with the fully rotating wheels, and then looked back towards the wall. “I was thinking, could we maybe buy a bunch of scooters and give them to a school or something,” she said as she reflected on how much she enjoyed her own scooter.

“A most noble idea Scootaloo. I believe there is an afterschool program here in Canterlot that would very much appreciate the donation.”

Scootaloo selected a few of the more basic scooters, since not everypony could handle the advanced models like she could, and the two princesses went to check out.

The smooth marble floors of the south wing made for an almost frictionless scooter course, and Scootaloo happily skidded around the spacious wing on her new scooter. Celestia used her magic to create cushions, preventing a few of the more serious crashes. Furthermore the fully rotating wheels allowed her to maneuver in ways she simply couldn’t do on her old scooter. By the time she had finished riding she had already invented three new tricks to practice.

“That was awesome,” Scootaloo gasped out between breaths as her aching muscles finally persuaded the rest of her to put the scooter aside for a little while.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself Scootaloo,” Celestia replied as Vanilla Sky walked into the cordoned off hall.

Vanilla gave a polite bow first toward Celestia and then toward Scootaloo. “Your highnesses. Princess Celestia you have a meeting of the small council in five minutes and Scootaloo you are scheduled for a nap.”

Scootaloo balked. “But I don’t need a nap. Naps are for foals. Why can’t I go to the small council meeting?”

“The small council meeting is best left for grown-ups,” Celestia replied, choosing to emphasize Scootaloo’s age rather than her lack of a security clearance as the reason she could not attend the most private government conclave in Canterlot.

“Luna has requested that you join her on her rule. Since she rules at night she thinks it would be best if you took a nap so that you aren’t too tired. But if you’d rather not I can pass along that message,” Vanilla added.

“I guess a nap isn’t that bad if it means I get to stay up late.”

“Excellent. Do you require a glass of warm milk? Perhaps another blanket?” Vanilla asked, doing her job of ensuring that Scootaloo wanted for nothing during her stay.

“I think I’m okay.”

“Well then it appears we must go our separate ways for now Scootaloo. I had a most enjoyable day with you,” Celestia said with a smile.

Scootaloo smiled back, and Celestia bowed before turning to exit.

Vanilla escorted Scootaloo back to her chambers. In short order Scootaloo laid her head down on her pillow and found herself drifting off to sleep. For the first time in a while the familiar ache of loneliness that accompanied her dreams was muted.

Author's Note

Self promotion time! (Hey this is my story after all.) If you like Scootaloo stories I'm working on another one called Three Gems and a Scooter, go give it a read if you are so inclined.

Chapter 8

Scootaloo was awoken from her nap by a soft knock on her door. The clock on her nightstand told her it was a little after seven o’clock. Rubbing her eyes as she opened the door she was surprised to find Luna patiently waiting for her instead of Vanilla on the other side.

“Good evening Scootaloo. I trust your nap was restful,” the Princess of the Night said accompanying her remarks with a slight bend at the waist in a measure of respect.

Scootaloo was too flustered to say anything other than “Umm, yeah.”

“Did you enjoy your day?”

This time Scootaloo was lucid enough to offer a more coherent response. “Yeah. Princess Ce- I mean Celestia is really nice. I was worried that she’d be all formal, but she’s actually kinda fun,” she said with a tiny flutter of her wings.

Luna smiled in agreement. “My sister is a kind hearted soul; it is one of her best virtues. But now the night has arrived and we are firmly in my domain. How would thou like to spend thine evening?” Luna asked unconsciously slipping into old Equestrian dialect.

Fortunately for Scootaloo, the context of the question made it clear what Luna was asking. “Can you teach me how to fly?”

Luna considered the request with a tilt of her head. “I can try, though I should warn you that I possess no special aptitude in that area.”

“So you can’t make me fly?” Scootaloo asked somewhat dejected. Mentally adding flight to the list of things that even a princess couldn’t control.

“I can lift you up with magic, but I cannot “make you fly,” Luna said, making air quotes around the last phrase. “ That is a skill you must learn on your own.”

Her plan rejected Scootaloo said the next idea that popped into her head. “Can we hang out with the Shadow Guard?”

“Who?”

“The Shadow Guard, ya know the super secret, ultra badass ponies, who go on secret missions and if you find out about them they have to kill you?” Scootaloo said, seemingly unaware that if what she said was true she was, in effect, signing her own death warrant. One of the hallmarks of being a crusader was that you didn’t think too much about consequences.

Fortunately for the ponies who believed that the world was a better place with Scootaloo in it, Luna quickly caught on to her request and it was not a fatal one. “I believe you are referring to the Night's Watch and have been misinformed about some of the details regarding that particular unit of the guards.”

“But Pipsqueak told me that they were called the Shadow Gaurd, and that they were the best of the best and that he was going to join them one day so that he could go on secret missions and stuff.”

“The Night's Watch is an ancient and honorable order, and though past companies have fought in wars, today they exist mainly to guard important institutions. We do have a regiment housed in the castle if you would like to meet them.”

“Do I need to wear my dress?” Scootaloo asked glancing back toward the dress she spent the day wearing that was hanging in her armoire.

“Not if you don’t want to. I heard you made enough public appearances this morning.”

“Sweet!” Scootaloo said with a pump of her foreleg.

Luna led Scootaloo out through the backyard, if such an expansive piece of immaculately cared for landscaping could be called a backyard, and to a small enclosed encampment.

Four pegasi flew around the airspace above the training grounds. Three of them circled one pony, refusing to allow him a chance to face all of his attackers at the same time. Eventually the pony in the middle grew tired of the dance and lunged at one of his opponents, knocking her off guard and breaking the formation. His back no longer exposed he turned to face the other two who had begun to charge at him. Scootaloo watched with wide eyed fascination as the three ponies engaged in a tangle of limbs and feathers that she could barely comprehend. Quickly two of the pegasi, the one and a member of the three began to plummet toward the ground; their limbs still a flurry of motion.

As Scootaloo watched, she was awestruck that what appeared to be a chaotic flailing of limbs was actually a tightly controlled action and response by the two ponies. She had seen the Wonderbolts fly, but their actions were always a tightly choreographed dance. This was wild and unrestrained, it was awesome! Right before they hit the ground both ponies spread their wings wide, the action causing them to stop their rapid descent and instead level out for a rough, though eminently survivable landing.

“If this had been a real fight, you’d be a plant food, private!” a voice yelled from somewhere in the crowd of ponies who had been watching the action.

“Three on one is hardly a fair fight, captain.” Luna called out as the pair of princess got closer.

The largest stallion Scootaloo had ever seen answered, with the same voice Scootaloo heard moments before, albeit not as loud. “If you find yourself in a fair fight you’ve done something wrong,” the captain replied. As they approached Scootaloo could see what she thought was a helmet was actually a yellow mane that contrasted sharply with his black coat. As was typical of many members of the guard his cutie mark was a shield, but unlike Shining Armors, this shield was round had a spike in the middle of it. The stallion turned to face the princess and bowed deeply. “Your Highness, your Highness,” he said, accompanying each remark with a smaller bow toward it’s intended recipient.

“Scootaloo, allow me to introduce Captain Tempest of the Night’s Watch.” Luna said with a wave of her hoof.

“Hi!” said Scootaloo, unsure of how a princess was supposed to act in this situation.

“So you are the new Princess?” the captain said raising an eyebrow and playing along with the façade like the rest of the castle staff. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”

“Umm, I’ve heard a lot about you and I guess I wanted to find out how much of it was true.”

“I see. What have you heard?” the captain replied with a wry grin.

“That to get into the Shadow-I mean the Night’s Watch you have to survive alone in the woods for a week, and that you guys are the best flyers in all of Equestria, even better than the Wonderbolts and that you train with Griffins and Minotaur’s so that you can fight Dragons!”

“We do have wilderness survival as part of training, though it’s not a pre-requisite. I like to think that any of my soldiers could fly with the Wonderbolts, though the Wonderbolts have their reputation for a reason. And yes we do a training exchange program with our neighbors, though nopony’s fought a dragon in actual combat in a few hundred years.”

“Can you teach me how to fly?”

Captain Tempest strained his neck upwards to get a better look at Scootaloo. “Haven’t gotten your wing growth spurt yet have ya?”

Scootaloo glanced back at her still smaller than average wings, “No,” she said with a small flutter of said wings.

“Flying isn’t all wings; if you really want to be an elite flyer it takes strong core and leg muscles, and also flexibility. If you want you can try your hoof at our obstacle course.”

“Wow, really?”

“A princess of Equestria is always welcome at the Night's Watch.”

The obstacle course was meant to stimulate a variety of combat situations without being overtly dangerous. And while Pegasi were allowed to use their wings to help with maneuverability, simply flying over the entire course was discouraged. Scootaloo eagerly took her place at the starting line, next to two other recruits.

“Remember the last soldier to cross marks everypony’s time, you’re a team, act like it!” Captain Tempest shouted as he held the whistle between his teeth. A shrill whistle pierced the air and the three ponies were off.

Scootaloo did well on the crawling parts and agility parts of the course. Her “teammates” however had to help her over some of the taller obstacles. She crossed the finish line out of breath, but with a wide smile on her face. She looked eagerly over to the captain to await her time but before he could say anything the two ponies she had been running with hoisted her up on their backs as the assembled crowd cheered.

“A shade over seven minutes. Not bad team. You can fly with us anyday Princess,” the captain said above the roar.

“That was fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she and Luna left the soldiers to continue their training. “Should I tell Pipsqueak that the Night’s Watch isn’t some super secret organization?”

“That is up to you. But perhaps there really is a Shadow Guard and I am merely keep their presence a secret,” Luna said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Are you?”

“No, but I am pleased that you enjoyed yourself. Come walk with me Scootaloo.”

Luna led Scootaloo into the Canterlot gardens, the same one she visited with her classmates.
“The gardens look different at night,” Scootaloo observed as she got a better sense of her surroundings. It was eerily quiet, but the low dim of the lamps, augmented by the fireflies gave the gardens and other worldly feel that they lacked in the daytime.

“They do. Most ponies only see them in the day time. I prefer them at night, it appears as though they are empty, but they are actually teeming with life.”

Luna levitated a small blue caterpillar that was crawling across one of the leaves of a flowered plant that Scootaloo didn’t know the name of. “This is a nocturapillar, as the name suggest they only come out at night.” Luna gently set the creature back down on the leaf so it could continue whatever it was doing. “They eat the tiny eggs that other bugs leave on the flowers. It is due to their efforts that the flowers don’t get eaten by larvae. They play an important role in keeping the gardens beautiful and yet most visitors don’t appreciate their efforts.”

“You’re talking about my mom aren’t you?” Scootaloo said listlessly.

“In a manner of speaking, I do not begrudge your wanting to spend more time with her, but I also know what is like to focus on what you do not have, to the exclusion of that which you do. Tell me Scootaloo, does your mom never show you any kindness?”

“No,” Scootaloo admitted. “The fridge always has food it, and she knows I like orange juice so she always makes sure we have a fresh carton. And when she is home she likes to play games with me. I just want her to be home a little bit more. That’s not too much to ask is it?”

“It is not.”

“I’m still a princess right? Can’t I do something about this?”

“I suspect my sister already warned you about the dangers of using your powers capriciously.”

Scootaloo wasn’t sure exactly what capriciously meant, but she guessed that it had something to do with doing whatever you wanted whenever you wanted to. “Yeah, she said that it’d be unfair to just order her boss to give her more time off.”

“My sister is quite wise, sometimes insufferably so.”

Scootaloo looked up, her eyes full of wonder and hope the way only a child can. “What should I do Luna?”

“I think you should enjoy your remaining time as a princess and worry about this tomorrow.”

Author's Note

Yeah I like Game of Thrones. The ponies running with Scootaloo are named Gren and Pip. :twilightsmile:

Thank you goes to TheGreatEater for editing this chapter on short notice.

Chapter 9

Scootaloo and Luna treated the rest of the night like a sleepover between two normal fillies. Figuring that Celestia had already given Scootaloo enough royal duties to make her aware of the burdens of the crown, Luna resolutely refused to do anything remotely official with the new princess. Instead she and Scootaloo used the palace movie theater to watch The Power Ponies movie and its sequel, and prevailed on the kitchen to keep them supplied with endless popcorn and snowcaps.

As the second movie’s credits began to roll Luna was about to suggest a third movie when she noticed that Scootaloo had fallen asleep, curled into a ball with her head resting on a pillow. Luna smiled at the innocent grin on Scootaloo’s face and gently used her magic to carry the little filly back to her room without disturbing her slumber. She tucked the little princess snuggly in to bed and allowed herself a moment to appreciate the sight before leaving the room.

Scootaloo woke up without having any clue how she got where she was. The last thing she remembered she was just resting her eyes for a second while watching a movie. But as she woke up and looked around the now slightly more familiar space she began to feel a sense of calm wash over her. For one thing she was done being a princess. Not that she would mind the chance to ride her scooter around the halls some more and order whatever she wanted from the kitchen, but Celestia was right, being a princess was hard. But, somewhat surprisingly, Scootaloo found that the thing she was looking forward to the most about going back to her old life was that she would get to tell her mom all about her day yesterday. The thought made her smile as she opened the door to find her dress, freshly cleaned and neatly pressed in a garment bag, her new scooter and a photo album. She eagerly opened the cherry red mahogany backed cover, inscribed The Chronicle of Princess Scootaloo, to find pictures spanning from when she stepped off the carriage, through her coronation, all the way up to when the Night’s Watch lifted her up on their shoulders. Inside the front cover was a small placard with a dedication that read:

Princess Scootaloo
You are not special because you are wearing a crown; the crown is special because you are wearing it.
Your Friends
Celestia and Luna

Scootaloo smiled at both the gift and the thought, and carefully packed everything away in her overnight bag. With her scooter strapped to her back and her dress on top of her bag she could still manage to carry everything without too much difficulty. She got to the throne room, expecting one last crowd to see her off but instead found the room inhabited by only Celestia and Luna standing next to their respective thrones.

Scootaloo set her stuff down and went to join the two alicorns. “No ceremony this time dear sister?” Luna asked as Scootaloo approached.

“Despite its inevitability this is still a solemn occasion,” Celestia replied.

“I could keep being a princess,” Scootaloo supplied hopefully.

Celestia smiled warmly. “My little Scootaloo, I would be overjoyed to welcome you into the royal family. But you have your own destiny to fulfill, and we have ours. However you should know that you are always welcome at the palace.”

“And that is not an empty platitude. Please do come back and visit,” Luna added.

“I will. And thank you for making me a princess and the dress and the gifts and being so nice to me and…I don’t know…making me feel important,” Scootaloo’s voice trailed off as she ran out of words to express her gratitude. She stared at the ground for a minute before stumbling forward to wrap her forelegs around Celestia in a clumsy hug. Celestia squeezed the little orange filly back before gently nudging her over to Luna so she could receive her own hug.

Having hugged both princess, and gotten her emotions better under control Scootaloo took a step back. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said as confidently as she could.

Celestia smiled warmly. “Any final declarations as a Princess you would like to get in?”

Scootaloo thought briefly about her idea to officially name Diamond Tiara a plot head. “No, I guess not. So what do I have to do?”

Celestia levitated a small note card over and held it in front of Scootaloo so she could read it. “Just say the words on the card.”

Scootaloo squinted as she read the words in her head before verbalizing them out loud. “I Scootaloo, do hereby renounce the title of Princess of Equestria along with all the powers and responsibilities contained herein. In doing so I transfer the power of the crown back to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” she said, stumbling over some of the longer words but her meaning remaining clear nevertheless.

“I, Princess Celestia Sol Invictus, do hereby accept,” Celestia said, followed by a glance over at her sister.

Luna rolled her eyes, “I Princess Luna do also accept,” she said quickly and without any trace of gravitas.

Celestia finished the ceremony with a quick, “So it is said so it shall be.”

Scootaloo looked around the throne room as though it had changed, even though the room remained exactly as it did thirty seconds ago. “So I guess that’s it. I’m not a princess anymore,” she wondered aloud.

“You are not. Tell me Scootaloo what is that like?” Celestia asked.

“Huh?”

“I cannot remember what it is like not to be a princess. Is it as freeing as I imagine it to be?”

Scootaloo considered the question. True she couldn’t order whatever she wanted from the kitchens or command guards to dance for her amusement. But she also didn’t have to worry about how her actions would be interpreted by anypony either. “I guess it is,” she said with a giggle. She had a new dress, some great stories to tell and it appeared that she made two new friends. The fact that her new friends were among the most powerful creatures in existence didn’t even matter.

Celestia and Luna escorted her out from the palace to the courtyard, where the same carriage that marked her arrival was waiting to return her home. Another round of goodbyes later and Scootaloo was sent on her way to Ponyville.

Scootaloo was quiet on the carriage ride home. She spent most of it thinking about what she had learned over the last day. About how it didn’t matter if Diamond Tiara made fun of her, and how she could get better at flying without actually being able to fly. She also thought about what Luna had said. She spent a lot of time being sad that her mom wasn’t around, but her mom wasn’t always gone, her fridge was always full and she never doubted that she was loved. It occurred to her that there were a lot of ponies who would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

Scootaloo walked through the door, expecting it to be empty, but instead found her mom waiting in the kitchen, unloading some groceries .“Hi baby,” she said with a wide smile.

“Mom!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she leapt into her mother’s waiting forelegs. As she hugged her mom, and was hugged in return, it struck her just how much she missed her mom yesterday. Yes, being a princess had been awesome, but without her mom there to share it it was missing something. “I missed you,” she said as she buried herself into her mother's chest.

“I missed you too. Did you have a good time?”

Scootaloo giggled at the question. It seemed so innocent considering the magnitude of her adventure. “I sure did. I wore a crown and I got a new dress and I got to decide things and I rode my scooter in the castle oh and Celestia and Luna gave me a photo album. Want to see it?”

Dizzy nodded and in short order the two ponies were comfortably snuggled up as Scootaloo regaled her mom with the tales of her brief reign. After that the two ponies decided to play some checkers. Scootaloo usually lost bust she was getting better and was sure that one of these days she would actually beat her mom in a fair game. For her part Dizzy just enjoyed something she could share with her daughter.

Midway through their third game there was a knock on the door. Dizzy answered it, only to be surprised at the cream colored mare on the other side.

“Mrs. Twister? I’m Vanilla Sky; I work for the Princess. Hello Scootaloo.” Vanilla waved as she noticed the orange filly had come to the door standing tentatively behind her mother.

“Vanilla?! Why are you at my house? Mom, this is Vanilla Sky. She was my assistant when I was a princess.”

“Indeed I was, of course now that you’re retired I work for Princess Celestia again. The reason I’m here is that Princess Celestia has declared your home a historical landmark.”

“What?!” Dizzy shrieked.

Vanilla tilted her head at the shrill outburst before regaining her composure. “Yes, it seems that as the childhood home of Princess Scootaloo, she feels that it is important to preserve this house for Equestrian history. Accordingly, she has exercised her right of eminent domain and purchased it from the bank.”

“Are you telling me I don’t own my home anymore?”

“I’m sorry, but yes. Here’s your check for the value of your house. I believe that covers what you’ve paid on your mortgage, the interest you’ve paid the bank and the amount the house has appreciated since you bought it.”

Dizzy looked at the check with wide eyes. The number more than covered market value plus interest, with this money she could easily afford to buy a new house without needing a mortgage. “But where are we supposed to live,” she wondered out loud. She didn’t mean to complain but the idea of moving so suddenly was a shock.

“Well, that’s the other reason I’m here. The Princess would like you to be the caretaker of this historical site. She would of course offer you a monthly stipend for your troubles. It’s not much, but you can bill any upkeep cost to the castle; just remember to keep your receipts.”

“So you want to buy my house from me, and then pay me to live in it while covering any future repairs?” Dizzy asked skeptically.

“Uh huh, of course, you can say no. You’ll have to protest the eminent domain ruling at court though; I can make an appointment if you’d like.”

“No, I think I’m okay with all this,” Dizzy said, not wanting to risk looking a gift horse in the mouth.

“Wonderful! Here’s my card. You can write to me with any questions but I think you’ll find being a caretaker is a pretty easy job,” Vanilla said with a smile. “Well that’s all I have. If you’ll excuse me, I need to meet with Princess Twilight while I'm in Ponyville, but thank you very much for understanding, and it was nice to see you again Scootaloo.”

“Bye Vanilla!” Scootaloo waved as Dizzy just stood in the doorway, still in shock.

Vanilla having left Dizzy turned to her daughter. “Did you have something to do with this dear? I mean it’s very generous but I’m not sure I feel right about taking so much money from the Princesses.”

“I have no idea what just happened,” Scootaloo answered honestly.

Later that night at the Castle in Canterlot.

“Will you now admit that Scootaloo was a worthy choice as the winner of your contest?” Luna chided her sister.

“I admit it.”

Luna allowed herself a smug grin. “So Tia, I was looking over the castles budget report and I noticed our discretionary fund is lighter than usual, it seems a portion has been earmarked for 'historical preservation.'"

“Indeed, it is important to remember our history, is it not?”

“I agree, but I was under the impression that all of the historical landmarks have been catalogued and cared for, did we miss one?”

“No, I just added another. If you’d like you could contest my decision, we could select an arbitrator and go through mediation, though that is such a trying process. Perhaps we should add a third princess to the castles residence; it would help us solve these petty disputes.”

“No, that’s quite okay,” Luna replied with a smile, before flying off to visit the dreams of other colts and fillies, in search of her next project.

Author's Note

It feels good to add this to the completed side of things. Like I said I never expected this to receive much of a reaction so thanks to everyone who read/liked/commented and favorited thus encouraging me to keep working on it.

Most authors love feedback, even on their completed works.