Twilight, after having entertained the Cutie Mark Crusaders with another session of magical tutoring, cleaned up the tools that were used and made her way up to her room.

"Spike, would you get dinner ready for us please?" she called out. A nonchalant 'Yeah' was her reply. She smiled at the dragon who was in another room and made her way inside. To call it a room would have been an understatement. Magic truly was astounding. And Twilight kept finding that the magic of Friendship had no bounds, much like her chambers, which at the time was the size of a small cave. She'd learned that the rooms in the castle were bigger on the inside, and actually changed sizes to suit the users' needs. When Twilight first discovered her room, it was as large as her old room, but since she began moving things in, she found the room expanding, despite there being no physical changes to the exterior of the castle.

As she closed the door behind her, she made sure to lock it. Once she felt safe enough, she went over to her bed and pulled out from under the mattress, a small brown book with a leather strap tied around it. It was about the size of your average journal and was very well maintained. But the separation of the pages could be seen, even when pressed together as they were. This indicated that the book was well used and had been written on. The covering of the book was brown leather, much like the ones archaeologists and explorers used. At a first glance, anypony seeing this book would believe it to be a book containing Twilight's Case studies. But contained within was something far more precious to her, and ultimately damning.

The lavender alicorn went over to her mahogany desk and sat down, placing the book dead centre before her. As she unbound the book, she opened the cover, revealing the title page.

The Diary of Twilight Sparkle

Twilight then turned to about a third of the way into the book and revealed another title page.

Study Notes

She then turned another third of the book's contents and found the third and final title page.

The Secrets Within Me

The book held three separate purposes, divided into three sections. Twilight sighed and pondered which part of the journal to write today's exploits in. She'd made no strides in experimentation lately, so the second one was out of the question. But the others were another story. She ultimately decided to save the best for last and returned to the front of the book, skimming through a few dozen pages until she found the next blank page.

Dear Diary,

Today came with a nice surprise. Sweetie Belle has been making excellent strides in her magical studies. She's expressed her concern for being magically impotent. A concern I immediately dismissed. Negativity would only serve to hinder her progress further. Generally, it's up to the family to train the fillies in the ways of magic, but it appears that between the parents' tourism hobby and Rarity's business, she never received such training, meaning she's had a late start. The same may be said for Scootaloo, though her situation is slightly more understandable, though ultimately irrelevant in this case.

As it stands, the task has fallen to me to do what their families are either too busy to or incapable of doing. That being said, Applebloom has no real need to be present, however, I've found that her emotional support helps to further the others' progress. As far as I know, Applebloom is just like any other Earth Pony filly. She doesn't lack for strength and is a major help in the apple farming industry.

The only thing she lacks is a cutie mark, a trait they all seem to share. It's obvious to any pony with a brain cell what their cutie marks will represent, but as a rule, it's up to them to discover it for themselves. When they do, I just know they'll set a new standard for extraordinary.

Applebloom has shown an affinity for construction. Coincidentally, a useful trait in the farming business as certain farms have been known to be damaged during particularly heavy storms. I must remember to suggest to the Apple family if they might guide Applebloom towards carpentry and repairs.

Sweetie Belle has a rather high voice, but then again, that's something that could prove crucial in her eventual singing career. When I think about Sweetie Belle singing, my mind gets drawn to Vanessa Ammareossi. Her voice betrays it's limits as she can sing high enough it would rattle ear drums. Again, i should urge Rarity to guide Sweetie towards a singing career.

Finally, there's Scootaloo. The subject of many ponies' pity. But pity won't help her to fly. I have total faith in her untapped potential and in Rainbow's ability to teach her. If she can teach me to fly, then Scootaloo should be no problem. Her cutie mark could go two ways. A cutie mark doesn't represent what you're good at, but what you love doing. Scootaloo loves the idea of flying but the one thing she loves equally so is her scooter. I've noticed the way she rides it. Some ponies might miss it, but I see a beauty to her movements that rival Rainbow Dash's, which leads me to conclude that she is as talented on a scooter as Rainbow is in the air. I'd advise Rainbow to spare some time to observe Scootaloo's skills on a scooter. Perhaps she'd come to the same conclusion I did. Whether or not she'll be able to fly, her cutie mark may not have anything to do with it. I believe with all my heart that Scootaloo could become the next Pony Hawk.

Not exactly the purposes they had in mind, I believe their only disappointment would be that they would not discover their cutie marks together. Though I doubt that would change anything between them.

Returning to my original point-

"Twilight, Dinner's ready!" she heard Spike call out from below. Twilight stopped writing her diary entry and put her quill down.

She closed her book and redid the strap around it. "Coming, Spike!" she called back. It had been a long day, and the alicorn was starving. In a rush to get to her dinner, she was careless with how she returned her book. Having only placed it part way under the mattress, it fell from under and landed on the ground between her bedside table and the leg of her bed.

...THE NEXT DAY...

The day was dragging on forever as the history class was about as boring as they got. The only time it had been interesting was when Scootaloo, along with her friends found out Applebloom's family were the founders of Ponyville. What truly made their day was the immediate cessation of Diamond Tiara's insults.

Alas, today was nothing like that day. Scootaloo struggled to stay awake as Miss Cheerilee regaled the class about the history of Equestria. Scootaloo would have much rather been training to fly with Rainbow Dash, or even learning some useless facts from princess Twilight. At least her brand of boring wasn't sleep inducing. At least Twilight offered snacks and drinks to those she planned on teaching. Scootaloo used to think Miss Cheerilee was the best teacher in Equestria. While, yes, she was certainly kind, understanding and tried to suit each student's individual needs, Twilight had a way with words. Scootaloo noticed it early on when she and her friends began going to Twilight's little study sessions. The way Twilight spoke of the history of Equestria and the facts surrounding it, was the exact same way Rainbow Dash would describe what she remembered of the Daring Do novels. There was an excitement to it that Miss Cheerilee lacked.

"And now we come to princess Twilight." Miss Cheerilee said, getting Scootaloo's attention at last.

" A unicorn until recently, Twilight Sparkle has managed to save not only Equestria, but the world as a whole from beings such as Nightmare Moon, Discord and even Changelings. Not to mention her efforts in the Crystal Empire. An enemy that was ultimately defeated by her charge; our resident dragon, Spike. It speaks to princess Twilight that she is not one to seek glory, but instead share it with her friends. I don't know about the rest of you, but that spells a true princess of Equestria to me."

Scootaloo took pride in the fact that her idol, Rainbow Dash played a part in those accomplishments. She couldn't have picked a better pony to idolise.

"Miss Cheerilee, what about the Tirek incident?" Silver Spoon asked.

"A good point. Why don't we ask the Cutie Mark Crusaders? I'm to understand that they've been spending time with our local princess. Surely, you can inform the class, girls?" Miss Cheerilee offered. Scootaloo was about to answer when she realised something. She only knew how Tirek was defeated, but she'd never learned how Twilight managed to fight Tirek alone. For one alicorn with the power of four, to fight against a creature with the combined magical potential of Equestria in its entirety, it would have been an immense battle. But Scootaloo didn't know how it played out. She'd asked Rainbow Dash about it once, but all she said was that it was the worst time of Twilight's life. Scootaloo hadn't pushed for an elaboration, but now that it was out there, she wanted to know.

"In the end, the magic of friendship overpowered even Tirek. The Elements of Harmony were reborn and erected the crystal palace that is now our princess' home." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said together. Scootaloo remained silent until one question in particular was asked.

"What about her battle with Tirek, before the Elements of Harmony were used?" Diamond Tiara asked.

Scootaloo would be the one to answer this one. She could tell from the looks on her friends' faces that they were told the same thing. "It was the worst time of her life." she said. There was an eerie silence in the classroom afterward. Nopony dared speak, even to ask for clarification, which they wouldn't be able to give.

After school, Scootaloo found herself wondering just how much she truly knew about Twilight. She knew nothing beyond her time in Ponyville. She knew that she was princess Celestia's student, but why did she choose to stay in Ponyville? Surely she had friends back in Canterlot that she missed.

As she thought about Twilight, she found herself at the doorstep of the crystal palace. Acting on instinct, she knocked on the large doors. It was a few seconds before somepony answered. Scootaloo was greeted to the face of the purple dragon whom was mentioned as the saviour of the Crystal Empire.

"Hey, Scootaloo. What's up? Did you forget something yesterday?" he asked.

Scootaloo paused for a moment, registering the question. Why was she here? She shook her head clear of all thought and decided to let her mouth run free. "Hey, Spike. No, nothing like that. I was wondering if I could talk to Twilight, is she in?" she asked. Spike smiled at her and opened the door further for her to come in.

"Of course... Come on guys, it's a filly! What's she gonna do, smack Twilight to death?" Scootaloo wondered what he was talking about until she followed his gaze. Her eyes met a spear pointed directly at her. A Royal guard in what was once symbolic of princess Celestia's Guard Captain's Uniform (Now princess Twilight's regular Guard attire) was assessing her as a threat. Scootaloo hadn't even noticed the guard, let alone the spear.

Almost immediately afterward, the guard removed the spear from her personal space. Scootaloo heard the same thing from the other side, indicating that there was a second guard to her right. Scootaloo paid no attention to this and stepped inside past Spike who closed the door after her. He then moved in stride beside her.

"So what did you want to talk to Twilight about?" he asked. Scootaloo thought about the answer. Truthfully, she didn't know. What could she talk to Twilight about? The Weather? Too cliche. Her royal duties? Too dull, even for her. Surely, a visit from a friend should warrant something more interesting than weather or politics. But could she really call herself a friend to Twilight without knowing anything about her past? That was it!

"I wanted to get to know Twilight better. She's been so nice to us, letting us learn from her, I thought the least I could do was get to know about her past." she replied.

Before Spike could comment, a scream pierced the castle. "AHHH!!! WHERE THE HAY IS IT?!" Twilight screamed. Spike huffed at the interruption.

"That basically sums it up." he chuckled, earning the same from Scootaloo.

Twilight came gliding down the stairs, zooming over to the bookshelves in the room Scootaloo and Spike were standing in. She failed to notice Scootaloo in the slightest. "Spike! Did you find a brown book with a leather strip tied around it?" she asked, scanning the books like a thing possessed.

"No. You know I don't touch the books in your room. You go crazy like... well this." he commented. "Oh, by the way, Scootaloo's here." he said. Twilight gasped and turned around, slamming into the bookcase like she was trying to hide something.

"S-Scootaloo! What a surprise... what brings you here?" she asked.

Scootaloo approached Twilight with a smile. "I was hoping we could talk?" she asked as innocently as she could. Like Rainbow Dash, she hated being mushy in front of her friends, and she considered Spike a friend. She considered getting to know Twilight better as borderline mushy, so she wanted to get Twilight alone. Though she began to think that it was a bad time, because the princess began to get a rather manic look in her eyes.

"S-sure! Uh... Spike would you please get us some...thing?" she asked.

Spike sighed and made his way to the kitchen. "Well that narrows it down." he muttered. Scootaloo watched Twilight with a certain amount of interest in her behaviour. She hadn't seen her like this since that day she drove Ponyville insane over that doll.

"So... uh, wanna take this into the lounge?" Twilight offered, leading the way. Scootaloo followed close behind. She began to grow worried about Twilight.

"Did I catch you at a bad time or something?" she asked. "Because I can come back later." she offered. Twilight immediately shut the offer down and reassured Scootaloo that all was well.

"No, it's fine! Just stressing about my missing book. It's my diary, you see." she said. Scootaloo understood then why Twilight was acting the way she had. She'd probably go mad too if she found her diary missing. What if it's contents had gotten out for all the town to see? She'd be ruined. It made her wonder what secrets Twilight had that she didn't want getting out.

The two ponies reached the castle's main lounge and Twilight offered Scootaloo a seat by the fireplace, the princess taking the adjacent seat. A lovely fire was going at the time. It was like one of those lounges that the rich ponies had. All that was missing from Twilight was a silk robe and pipe.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked. Scootaloo wondered how to bring up the topic. Surely she couldn't just flat out ask about her past before.

"It occurred to me during class today that I know very little about you. Sure, I know that you're the princess of Friendship, the bearer of the Element of Magic, the most powerful Unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded, an accomplished scientist, geologist, philanthropist, etcetera. But what I don't know is who you really are.

"You see, we were learning about the history of Equestria, and we got onto the topic of you as a princess. Your achievements up to and after becoming an alicorn. But I realised that beyond what I'd mentioned and your victories over Equestria's enemies with your friends, I know nothing about you." Scootaloo began.

Twilight seemed to have relaxed and had adorned a more casual expression. She said nothing and waited for the filly to continue.

"Twilight... What I'm trying to say is... Can you tell me about you before you came to Ponyville? Your life in Canterlot, during and before you became princess Celestia's student?" she asked. Twilight smiled sweetly at Scootaloo.

"I'd be happy to tell you, Scootaloo. But I have to ask, why do you want to know? Is it some sort of school report that you have to do?" she asked. Scootaloo was quick to shoot down that theory.

"No! No... It's just that you're my friend, Twilight. I know my friends' lives like the back of my hoof, but that's because they've all lived in Ponyville alongside me. But you... you've only been in Ponyville for the better part of a year. That leaves your whole childhood and then some years to the imagination. Who were you before coming here? Why did you decide to stay here in Ponyville? I just want to know about you."

Twilight listened to Scootaloo state her desire with an ever calm and gentle expression. It was something she'd practiced since becoming a princess. After all, having been Celestia's student, it only made sense that she take a few traits from her mentor.

"You're a very special pony, Scootaloo. Had events not happened the way they had, it's highly likely that you and your friends would have become the bearers of the Elements of Harmony instead of me and the girls. And I can't help but wonder if you'd represent Kindness or Loyalty. Nevertheless, I'm glad that things happened the way they did, otherwise I'd never have gotten to know you." she said casually. Scootaloo blushed slightly under the praise. Very few had ever praised her, and even then they were praising her accomplishments. Twilight was the only pony to ever praise who Scootaloo was as a pony. It was more than idle curiosity. Now, she truly wanted to know Twilight.

"This is who I am, Scootaloo. I'm not a princess, I'm not an alicorn. Those are nothing but labels. What I am, Who I am is somepony who is grateful for the things she has in life. I have terrific friends who would do anything for me, and I them. I have a faithful dragon whom cares for my needs and whom I consider to be my younger brother. And then I have you and your friends, Sweetie belle and Applebloom. I've taken to thinking of Sweetie Belle my student in magic, but you, Scootaloo. I consider you my student in friendship and nothing would make me happier than to tell you about myself."

Scootaloo listened intently to every word Twilight said. She recognised the way she said it. It was the same way she taught her about general knowledge. the hint of excitement in every word spoken. Only this time, Twilight was talking about how important Scootaloo was to her. Her, the flightless pegasus was treasured by an Equestrian princess. It was almost enough for Scootaloo to start pining for mushiness... almost.

"Tell me everything." Scootaloo said.

It was approaching nightfall and Twilight had regaled Scootaloo with as much information as she thought Scootaloo could take. She tried to tell of the more interesting situations between her and princess Celestia, like one time when Twilight asked her about sex education, a lesson she'd been taught by her biology instructor. It was the only time Celestia's poker face had faltered. And the only time she'd ever stammered.

Scootaloo enjoyed hearing about Twilight's life. She understood why she chose to live in Ponyville. Being a shut in with next to no friends would have made it easier to choose friends over loneliness.

Scootaloo had even been bold enough to ask about the fight between herself and Tirek, explaining that Rainbow Dash and apparently everypony else had the same answer.

"It was the first time in my life I'd been given such a heavy burden to carry. The sum total of four alicorns' worth of magic at my disposal. It was frightening I'd been warned that that much power could corrupt one's heart, and it scared me. What if I didn't want to give that power up? What if I became the next threat to Equestria? Then, the fight itself was the first time I had to face such a threat alone, without the help of my friends. The girls say it was the worst time of my life because of those reasons. My fear of corruption and the loneliness of fighting without them by my side. I could have become the next Nightmare Moon."

That was what Twilight had said. It made sense to Scootaloo. Loneliness and power were what corrupted princess Luna, which meant even an alicorn wasn't infallible. She respected Twilight a lot more after learning she'd endured such a hardship. "But I'd bet the battle was epic, right?" she'd asked.

Twilight wasn't one to belittle things, and when she agreed that it was the most awesome battle in history, she reminded Scootaloo of Rainbow Dash at that moment.

The evening came to a close with a bit of unfortunate news. "Hey, uh. It's past curfew for the orphanage. The gates will have closed for the night." Spike interrupted, offering them both some hot chocolate.

"Aw, man! Now I gotta climb the fence. It'd be so much easier if I could fly." she muttered. Twilight chuckled and sipped her chocolate.

"Don't be silly, Scootaloo. You can stay here for the night. Spike will set up the spare room for you." she said. Scootaloo sighed in relief. She'd hoped Twilight would offer, but didn't want to put her out after asking about her past.

"Thank you Twilight. And thank you, Spike." she said, turning to the dragon glaring at the princess.

"You're welcome, Scoots. At least somepony appreciates what I have to do around here." he replied, walking off to prepare the spare room. Twilight chuckled lightly before setting her mug down.

"Don't be like that. I'll give you a hoof. Scootaloo, why don't you go and take a bath? I find that a bath during stormy nights is quite relaxing." she suggested. Scootaloo smiled, choosing to ignore the possible implication that she offended Twilight's nostrils.

"Thanks, Twilight." With that, Scootaloo hopped off her seat and made for the upstairs bathroom. It wasn't until Twilight had pointed it out that she realised that the weather outside was stormy at all. It was complete with lightning and thunder.

She found her way to the bathroom and noticed that the room was illuminated by glowing crystals. It set a rather romantic ambiance. She couldn't help but try to imagine Spike enjoying a romantic bath. The thought made her giggle. "Maybe with Rarity on the other end." she said to herself. She closed the door behind her and the crystals changed colour. It was a blueish hue with a hint of yellow, giving the room a general contentment feel. As scootaloo admired the changing crystals, she watched again as the colour changed to that of a pale blue, emitting a sense of wonder.

Scootaloo realised then that the crystals changed colours depending on the tennant's mood. It made Scootaloo wonder whom had been here last to leave with a romantic feeling in their hearts?

She placed the train of thought to the side and concentrated on drawing her bath. As the hot water began to humidify the room, she began to feel just how unbathed she really was. It was true, she had a tendency to work out a lot. Between riding her scooter and trying to fly she'd worked up quite a sweat today alone. To think Twilight had put up with the smell of sweaty pegasus filly for five hours, made her both further admire and feel sorry for Twilight at the same time.

As the bath reached the preferred depth for Scootaloo, she turned off the taps and tested the waters. She could smell something in the water. She remembered Sweetie belle talking about how water with a nice smell would be enchanted to act as a soap and rinse, and how Rarity would gush about the spa having the same thing. It also meant that she'd have no need to physically wash her body, a task she didn't mind until it came to her wings. Like all Pegasi, her wings were sensitive, and she hated treading lightly around them, especially since they were so useless.

As she settled into the water, she let out a content sigh. The castle's magic knew no bounds. It knew just how she liked the water to be. Hot enough to draw goosebumps, but not so hot as to think you were sitting in a giant boiling kettle. Scootaloo leaned back into the tub, letting the curved part support her back as her legs just splayed out along the length of the tub. Were somepony to walk in it would be so embarrassing to be seen in such a situation, but Scootaloo felt so good, she didn't care. Really, it was only Spike she had to worry about, and he wasn't likely to barge in without knocking. He was a well mannered dragon. Scootaloo realised she could learn a thing or two from him. They all could.

Scootaloo, although knowing the enchantment in the water, didn't fully trust it and decided to assist the spell as best she could. She grabbed a loofa and began scrubbing various areas, leaving the wings alone. She trusted the water for that at least. Having given herself a thorough scrub down, she played like a submarine and went under the water, coming back up a few seconds later after shaking her head around a bit to make sure the water reached all the way to her skin.

When she came back up, she sighed again and just lay there for a while longer. The orphanage would really suck after tonight. Still, it'd be a stretch to ask Twilight to adopt her. Scootaloo let out a chuckle. She wasn't sad about being an orphan, she just wished there weren't so many of them. Communal bathrooms were not the highlight of the day.

Scootaloo began to wonder what it would be like to have Twilight as a mother. She imagined all sorts of things. Fancy food, pompous dresses, business meetings. Not exactly pros for such a lifestyle, but what would be worth it would be to call a place home, to go to that home and find somepony waiting there for me and me alone, to have my own room, my own bed and a loving parent who would kiss me goodnight. Scootaloo couldn't think of a better mother than Twilight. But it would just be a dream. She'd have to settle for Student of Friendship. That was good enough. Maybe she could ask to live in the castle like Twilight did with princess Celestia. Though Twilight had been an official student of Celestia's, while Twilight had only said that she and Sweetie Belle were like her students. It was a nice thought though.

Finally, Scootaloo had soaked in the bath enough and got out. She then noticed that the tub had no drain hole, yet somehow, the water was disappearing by itself. She smiled at the marvel before her, the room changing colour to resemble an ambiance of admiration. "Cheeky." she said to the room which changed in turn to give off a bashful feel. A bashful bathroom, that's...I don't even know what that is. Scootaloo thought to herself. She toweled herself off, giving herself some terrible spiky mane. She giggled at the sight in the mirror and patted it down with her hoof. It wasn't like before, but it'd do.

Leaving the bathroom feeling clean and fresh, she walked across the walkway. "Twilight?" she called out, receiving no answer. Surely, she's finished with the spare room by now? she thought to herself. She made her way to the rooms and stepped into the closest one. She found herself in a large room with books cluttering the place. Parchment and books and even quills cluttered the floor, walls and even the roof. Scootaloo dared not go into the en suite for fear of finding documents on indoor plumbing pinned to the walls. How you pin something to a wall made of crystal was beyond her. She wondered how Twilight could live like this? So unorganised, so messy. It was like her but with books and paper. As she scanned the room, she sat down on the bed. After doing so, she heard a slight thud coming from between the bedside and the table. She peered between them to find a book, leatherbound, brown with a leather string keeping it closed.

Twilight's Diary! she thought.

Author's Note

Ironically, there was a storm as I wrote this.

I wrote this because I noticed absolutely zero Scootalight ships whatsoever. And believe me, i looked for them.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy, and you girls... don't judge me!