Scootaloo's Shadow. Book 1: Return

Maxin' the Nap card.

It was a cart I had seen once before.

I walked towards the door, opening it, then walking in.

"Thank you, and thank you again!"

I moved closer towards the back room, where the voice originated.

"Oh, of course, yes, one 'thank-you' is enough.  Oh goddess, stand up, please,"

I pushed open the door that led into the back room.

"Oh Twilight Sparkle, Trixie thanks you as much as she can.  All Trixie wanted to know was if Trixie could go about performing an 'I'm-sorry-about-the-show-four-years-ago' show..."

"Uh, yes, of course.  Um, no offense but why didn't you do this four years ago?  No offense of course,"

"Uh, Trixie hit a rough patch after leaving Ponyville, it took Trixie a while to get back on her hooves,"  Trixie's glance stole over towards me,  "Yes, and Trixie wanted to make this apology her first priority, an--  You!"  Twilight Sparkle turned to look at me.

Oh hi there,  "Me?"

"What are you doing here?  Are you stalking me?  I-uh- Trixie is flattered, of course, but.  Wait.  Are you trying to, you know, off of them?"  Trixie had a worried look on her face.

"No.  I already told you, I don't drink--"

"Shush, you don't want her to hear about your situation,"  She motioned at Twilight with her eyes, as if Twilight couldn't hear us...

Silly Trixie

"Uh, yeah, I'm still here..."  Yeah Trixie!

"Look, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie is about to tell you something, something to protect your own well-being.  It may come as a sho-"

"Yeah, that bridge has already been crossed..."  Twilight smiled at Trixie.  Trixie, however, was bewildered.

"Wha, why?"

"Don't worry, Trixie, now, on with your business, I'm going with Sweetiebell and 'Bloom,"

About a year into my little 'vacation', Trixie made her way into Manehatten, and after the populace heard about Trixie's 'mishap' in Ponyville, they wanted nothing to do with the azure mare.  Their response was a little extreme: as in, they destroyed her stage.  She sought refuge in the Kabal, after losing everything.  After getting through that thick ego, she made for a good friend.

I pushed past the oaken door outside, and began to walk towards the Sugarcube Corner.

After pushing through Ponyville Proper (It was crowded), I found my query, near the park, the two 'love-birds' sat on a bench.  I trotted up to them.

"So, how was lunch?"

"It was lunch," Really?  Are you sure?  That doesn't sound right...

"Cool.  Do you remember Trixie?"

"Trixie, Trixie?  Doesn't ring a bell, sorry,"

"Four years ago, showmare, Ursa Minor raging through town,"

"Oh yeah, her?  Why?"

"She's doing her show sometime later this week, she didn't say when though..."

"Oh Celestia, Ah don't want another rampagin' monster goin' through town again,"

"Oh quite your belly-aching, it was Snips and Snails who woke it up anyway,"

"Ah suppose,"

"Yeah, we're actually good friends,"

"You, an' Snips an' Snails?"

"What?  No, Trixie and I,"

"Oh, when'd this happen,"

"Manehatten,"

"Oh,"

"Never mind that, another friend is coming to Ponyville, he'll be here tomorrow,"

"Oh, really?  Cool, what time?"

"I guess when the train gets here, I don't know when though..."  No, really?

After we finished our little conversation, we parted ways, those two going somewhere to do Celestia knows what, while I decided to go to my happy-place.

No the one in the Everfree, silly.

I flapped my wings, and took to the sky.  Trixie must have left the Twilight's tree-house at some point, as her cart had been magically transformed into a makeshift mobile stage.  Trixie was setting up something pertaining to her performance.

"Whacha' doing Azure?"

"Don't call me that, call me Trixie,"

"Fine, why were you speaking in third person to Twilight, but when I entered you dropped it?"

"Uh, it's my professional quirk?  I don't know, it's part of the showmareship, I guess, why do you ask?"

"Just a question.  Oh, why did you get all 'scared' when I walked in the room?  You weren't really scared, were you?"

"I don't know, but we haven't seen each other in a month, so you stalking me did cross my mind,"

"Don't flatter yourself.  I'm going to a spot in the Everfree forest to waste the day, you wanna come?"

"Part of me wants to say 'But the Everfree forest is filled with terrible creatures, whom will hop at the chance to eat two defenseless ponies', but the other part of me is more scared of you than them,"

"Thanks Azure, you coming or not?"

"No, I've got things to do, thanks for the offer,"  She sneered at the nick-name.  I revel in ponies misery of mundane things.

I turned around, and unfurled my wings, the left one first, then right.  I flapped them once or twice, then I took off.  I quickly made my way towards the Everfree, stopping just outside of the treeline. I landed, and began to make my way on hoof.  The dense forest made any hope of walking in a straight line fruitless.  Although it would have taken me no less than a single minute to reach my destination in the air, I did enjoy a walk through the trees.

The ten minute walk was serene, and quiet, other than the constant twittering of birds and the swoosh of the wind through the leaves.  Animals are very perceptive, even more so than the most ponies, birds, that under normal circumstances would stay high in the tree, would fly away, in fear of me.  Any normal pony would have seen much wildlife during a stroll through the Everfree (If any was so daring), but not I, no, not the undead pony, most creature were scared of me.  I wouldn't even think of visiting Fluttershy's home.

It wasn't long until I heard the babble of the stream, I reached the edge of my clearing, left exactly as it was the last time I visited.  The afternoon sun was making its way down its path towards nightfall.  The sunny rock that overlooked the clearing would have been a perfect place for anypony whom could nap, just because they wanted too.  I lied down on that very rock, smiling at the sun.  The gentle breeze played with my mane, like an innocent filly.  My eyes grew heavier.

Too bad I can't take-

Naps.

My eyes opened.  I groaned as I pulled myself up.  I blinked once, and noticed that the day had departed.  I looked up; Luna's pride was high in the dark sky.

"Sooner or later I'm going to be teaching Rainbow Dash how to nap properly,"  I groaned again, the rock hadn't been the most comfortable place in Equestria.  I let my wings hang low while I woke myself up properly with cold water.  The liquid splashed over my muzzle.  My head felt like somepony took that rock and smashed it on my head, with every pulse of my heart came a little bloom of pain.

Maybe it was just the rock...

After the pain some-what subsided I began to flap my wings lazily.  I yawned while the wind blew past my wings and muzzle.  Being a vampire, I was cold all the time, but tonight, tonight was different, if I was gonna spend my night outside again, I was going to need my hoodie.  Twilight's tree house came into view quickly.  I circled twice, descending to the ground.  I touched the ground running, and I came to a stop about fifteen feet from where I landed.

The oak door stared at me angrily, just daring me to open it.  My hoodie was somewhere in the kitchen, so if I was quiet enough I could slip in and out without waking Twilight.  The door squeaked, of course, stopping a conversation that I had no idea about.  All seven mares looked at me.

All seven of them.

"Is that?  Is, Scootaloo?"  Three voices rang out in a chorus.

"Crap,"  Look on the bright side, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash no longer need to keep the secret.

"And that's where I was for four years,"  After explaining the story for the umpteenth time (Okay, maybe third), the other three mares nodded, seemingly wanting more information.

"Ah'm sorry sugar cube, but that's a little hard to believe,"  Do they need proof?

"Yes, I agree with Applejack, the story seems a little, the word for it, far-fetched,"  Okay posh-pony, I got proof!

"We were SO worried about you!"  D'aaaw so adorable, I mean, Proof Time!

I moved to open my maw, yet again, but Rainbow Dash was quicker,

"You gonna show them your teeth?"  Okay Misses Cheeky Grin, what would you do?  Oh right, I am talking to myself,

"Hushy you,"  I opened my mouth this time, with no interruptio-

"Wacha talkin' 'bout RD?"

"Just watch my teeth!"  I glared daggers, and with a huff, I opened my mouth.  With my muzzle opened wide, my canines grew to a dagger shape.  Yadda Yadda,  "There, vampire teeth, I win, now I'm going outside, where's my hoodie at?"

"In the kitchen, where you left it,"  Helpful Twilight is helpful.

"Is that what our life is like now?  Vampire walks in, we question her, and we go about our day?"  That was all I heard of that.  I sat down outside the library, huddled next to the wall in my hoodie.  I probably looked like a homeless pony, but I didn't care.  About ten minutes after I walked outside, the door opened again.  The seventh mare stepped outside and sat beside me,

"What was their conversation about, Trixie?"

"It appears the rainbow headed one watched me head over to Twilight's this early evening, and told every other of their mutual friends that I planned to 'Murder Twilight for what she did to me.'  They got here about thirty minutes before you did.  So we all had a heated discussion about me not actually trying to murder Twilight, and why each and every one of them did not want me here,"

"Fun,"

"Quite.  Where'd you go for about so long?"

"I was chillin' in the Everfree forest,"  I felt a shiver run along my back,  "Are you not cold?"

"What?  No, I think it is a pleasant night, are you?"

"A bit.  Gah, being undead can suck at times,"

"I would imagine, so do I need to be worried about you flipping out and biting my neck?"

"Very funny.  No, I did wake up with a headache, but not blood-lusting headache,"  Trixie yawned,  "Sleepy?"

"A bi-i-it.  Where do you sleep?"

"Well, vampires don't really need sleep, but, I have kinda maxed my nap quota,"

"Nice,"

The night passed quickly, and soon Celestia's domain began to show in the east.  At some point in the night Trixie had gone to bed, after falling asleep on my arm.  Applejack still seemed to harbor doubts about me, of course me flashing my teeth and hissing didn't help matters.  Later today a train was supposed to arrive with my teacher, and friend.  Trixie was also supposed to preform her show tonight.

It's a packed day.