An Orphan's Curiosity

by Vertigo-01

Rating: everyone
Tags: Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3538

One night at the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo talk about parents.

Most Friday nights, the Cutie Mark Crusaders convene together at their clubhouse to spend the night together. Sometimes, they have friends over to tend to things like Scootaloo's Rainbow Dash Fan Club. Other nights, it's just the three of them, spending the better part of the evenings planning new ways to discover their destinies.

But on very rare occasions, one filly or another can't make it out for the night. And tonight was one of those nights.

__________
Takes place between S3:E6 and S4:E17.
Cover art credit: GloomyMark Goombot Cosmalumi
Spiritual successor: An Orphan's Lament

Published 2015-07-28 06:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-28 06:50:02 UTC

Cutie Mark Crusader Late-Night Confessions, Yay!

Apple Bloom squinted at the line of numbers scribbled in front of her. The amber evening light shone through a nearby window onto a sheet of arithmetic which, for better or worse, she was about to finish. Sticking her tongue out with the effort, she wrote a single number down at the end of a long equation. With a nod and a grin, the filly tucked away her papers into her saddlebag lying next to the desk, just as a wave of thunder rumbled from outside.

As she stood up to look out the window, somepony flung the door open with a crash. Startled, she spun around to see Scootaloo, drenched from head to hoof, standing in the doorway. She was about to comment on her appearance, until she noticed someone missing.

“Hey Scoots, where's Sweetie Belle? I thought she was riding with ya from Sugarcube Corner.”

“Yeah, well,” Scootaloo grumbled, propping her scooter on the inside wall, “turns out her parents got back early from their trip, so they wanted to spend some time with her before they take off again… next week.”

Apple Bloom blinked. “Gosh, those folks sure like to travel, huh?”

“Guess so.” Scootaloo unbuckled her soaked sleeping bag and tossed it off to a corner of the clubhouse before walking back onto the balcony. While she shook herself dry, Apple Bloom peered outside from the doorway. Sure enough, just visible beyond the orchard, she could make out the outline of a downpour slowly heading their way.

“Land's sakes,” Apple Bloom drawled, “was Rainbow Dash tryin' to win some sorta weather competition? That's the biggest wall of rain I ever seen!”

“Beats me.” Wringing out a portion of her tail, Scootaloo said, “Either way, it's headed here fast, so we better stay in.”

“Right.” Apple Bloom trotted back inside to a podium and pulled out a towel from one of the shelves, throwing it over her shoulders as she walked back.

Scootaloo stepped inside and closed the door, then grabbed the towel from Apple Bloom and sat down to dry her coat. “Looks like it's just the two of us tonight. You wanna call off the meeting, or…?”

“Nah, it's alright,” Apple Bloom said, wandering back over to the window. “We'll just fill in Sweetie Belle when we see her next week.”

“Yeah, that's if we come up with any good ideas on our own.” Tossing the now-damp towel next to her sleeping bag, Scootaloo plopped down beside the window and leaned back against the wall. “It's never the same without her, at least when it comes to making plans to get our cutie marks.”

“Mmm.” Watching the wall of rain inch its way toward them, Apple Bloom said, “She tends to keep us from doing crazy stunts like, y'know… zip-lining and stuff.” She glanced down at her friend with a cheeky grin.

Scootaloo merely frowned in return. “Hey, it was an idea – you can't blame me for trying.”

“I know, I know.” Apple Bloom giggled. “I'm just teasin' ya, Scoots.” Scootaloo struggled a moment to maintain her frown, but failed by breaking into a giggle of her own.

Apple Bloom continued to peer out the window until the storm eventually reached the clubhouse, pouring down on the wooden roof with incredible force. Once the storm settled in, the two began to brainstorm new ideas for getting their cutie marks. One would sit in the 'think-of-great-ideas' spot beneath the lantern, while the other would jot down notes at the desk. Every so often, they would swap places, trying to come up with ideas for the next week. While they did come up with a few things – most notably roof insulating – they realized they were getting nowhere fast.

Eventually, Scootaloo groaned and plunged her face into the stack of notes lying in front of her. “Uungh, we 'ant ou dis wi'out weedie hell!”

Apple Bloom glanced over with an arched eyebrow from her spot beneath the dim lamp. “Say that again?”

Scootaloo shoved the notes aside and glared at her. “I said, we can't do this without Sweetie Belle. Especially not during this storm!” She grimaced at the deafening noise of the rain beating down on the roof. “This is like trying to think with rocks in your head!”

Sighing, Apple Bloom nodded. “Well, guess we'll just have to wait 'til next week.”

“Looks like it.” Leaning against the wall, Scootaloo grunted and crossed her forelegs behind her head. “Well, what do you want to do then?”

“Hmm…” Apple Bloom ran a hoof across her chin and looked around the clubhouse. Walking over behind the podium, she caught sight of an old, dusty box tucked away on the bottom-most shelf. Her lips curled into a smirk. “Well, it has been awhile since we played Marenopoly.”

Scootaloo's ears drooped. “Oh, you've got to be kidding me…”

__________

Several hours later, just as the storm was drawing to an end, a loud squeal echoed from inside the clubhouse.

“Ugh, I never win at this game!” Scootaloo threw her rainbow-colored pegasus piece back into its box as Apple Bloom collected her many hotels with a triumphant grin.

“Aw, don't be too sore, Scoots! It's been awhile since you played anyway.”

“And what about you?” Trotting over to her sleeping bag with a frown, Scootaloo said, “That box was so dusty I could've sworn you hadn't touched it since you brought it up here.”

“Well…” Apple Bloom sheepishly grinned as she closed the box. “That might be true.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and huffed. “Whatever – I'm done, you win.”

Giggling at the sight of her frustrated friend, Apple Bloom slipped the box back inside the podium before walking over to the lamp. “You ready to turn in, Scoots?”

“Guess we better,” she said as she shook out her bedding, just in case the inside got wet from earlier. “Rainbow Dash is meeting me early tomorrow to work on some wing exercises, and I don't wanna be late.”

“Gotcha.” Apple Bloom blew out the lamp, then retrieved her own sleeping bag and unrolled it next to Scootaloo's. Slipping inside, she zipped up the side part way and rolled over to face her friend. “So, did Sweetie say why her folks came back early?”

“She didn't know anything 'til I did.” Spreading her blankets flat, Scootaloo said, “We were talking with Pinkie when they suddenly walked in – said Rarity told them where they could find us.”

“Huh. Oh well… I mean, I'm glad she gets to spend some time with her folks and all. Seems like they're always travelin' somewhere far off.”

“Yeah, it does.” Scootaloo tucked herself inside her soft bedding and flipped the opposite way, letting loose a yawn in the process. “Well, g'nite, AB.”

“Goodnight, Scoots.” After making a slight adjustment to her bow, Apple Bloom rolled over as well. She took a moment to gaze up at the window, where the moonlight had just begun to peek through a part in the clouds. With a yawn of her own, she closed her eyes and nuzzled into her pillow.

But only a few minutes passed before the filly began to stir. At first, she thought she was just uncomfortable, so she tried shifting around in her bag. When that didn't help, she rolled over to face away from the moonlight, figuring maybe it was too bright. Now, of course, it was too dark, so she rolled over once more. Still, the minutes passed, and Apple Bloom was no closer to falling asleep than before.

Although she was exhausted from a long day of school and chores on the farm, her mind still worked at full-speed. Once she realized this, she considered trying to focus her attention on one specific thing – a trick Applejack taught her a couple years back to help her sleep. Normally, she would imagine herself counting apples or something simple like that – which, admittedly, was the first suggestion her sister had ever given her.

But as she considered what to think on, one particular topic came to mind.

For a moment, Apple Bloom lay silent beneath the moonlight with her eyes closed, pondering the subject. The further she chased the various thoughts, the more she grew curious – and the more awake she became. Frustrated that this tactic was now backfiring, she decided talking might help wear her out, although she didn't want to bug Scootaloo. Plus, she wasn't sure what her friend would think about the subject anyway.

Nevertheless, she was curious, and she didn't see any other way of helping herself fall asleep.

After a moment, Apple Bloom rolled over again to face Scootaloo and grabbed onto the edge of her blanket. She cleared her throat hesitantly before whispering, “Scoots, you still awake?”

Scootaloo shifted beneath her blanket. “Mm… yeah.”

Apple Bloom bit her lip, unsure what to say next. Thinking quickly, she settled on a question. “So, uh… do your parents ever go off on trips like that?”

“Hm?” Scootaloo slowly blinked her eyes open and tilted her head back. “You mean like Sweetie's?”

“Yeah.”

“Not really. I mean, they went to visit my grandma once in the hospital for a night, but that's it.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Y'know, come to think of it, you don't talk a lot about your folks, do ya?”

“Mm-mm. Not a whole lot to talk about, I guess.”

“Yeah?” Apple Bloom fidgeted with the edge of her blanket. “But… do you still like them?”

Scootaloo's ears flicked back. Rolling over to face the filly, she said, “Well, yeah, I guess so. What makes you ask?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “I dunno. Guess I'm just not familiar with the whole 'parent' thing.”

Staring in the moonlight at the dark outline of her friend, Scootaloo shifted herself into an upright position, furrowing her brow. “You alright, AB?”

“Oh yeah,” Apple Bloom answered quickly, waving the question off with a hoof. “I'm not asking 'cause of anything bad. It's just… I've never known what it's like to have parents of my own.”

Scootaloo rubbed her chin. “I guess your brother and sister take care of you most, huh?”

“Them and Granny, yeah.” With a grunt, Apple Bloom shuffled to lean upright as well. “Honestly, I don't remember my folks at all. They were gone by the time I was able to remember anything.”

“Mmm…” Scootaloo frowned as her ears drooped. Letting her eyes drift to the moon that shone behind her friend, she whispered, “I'm really sorry, Apple Bloom.”

“Mm-mm,” the filly murmured, shaking her head. “Don't be. Like I said, I never really knew 'em, I've just heard stories about 'em.”

“Yeah, but… doesn't it make you sad?” Scootaloo looked back to her friend. “I know you're real close to your family and all, so that just… y'know…” She ran a hoof through the back of her mane with a shrug.

“Well, I guess so.” Resting her chin on her hooves, Apple Bloom said, “I mean, I wish I knew what it was like to have them around.”

Scootaloo nodded as she stretched herself back across her blanket. “Yeah, I think I remember what that feels like…”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “You do?”

“Mhmm.” Glancing around the clubhouse as if there could be somepony else listening in, she whispered, “I've never told you guys this before, mostly 'cause I don't ever think about it. But… when I was real little, I also lost my parents.”

Suddenly, Apple Bloom reared up in her sleeping bag, sending the zipper flying loudly down the side. “Wait, what? But I thought you have parents!”

Scootaloo nodded and sighed. “Yeah, adoptive parents. Not the same thing.”

“Oh.” Apple Bloom slowly sat down, causing the rest of her blanket to fall from her back. Ears folded back, she said, “So, wh-what happened? — I mean, to your first parents.”

“I dunno,” Scootaloo said with a small shrug. “I was adopted when I was still little, so I don't remember a whole lot.”

“Huh.” Apple Bloom hung her head in thought. “Well, have you ever asked them about it?”

“A couple times, but it's always been a different story. Besides, the ones I have now are fine.”

That snapped the filly's attention back. “Wait. So you don't care what happened?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I don't ever think about it, so it's not that big a deal to me.”

“But Scoots, c'mon,” Apple Bloom said, lifting her hooves in protest. “Aren't you at least curious to know what happened?”

“I mean… it's…” Slumping back into her sleeping bag, Scootaloo looked away to a corner of the clubhouse. “Like I said, it's not a big deal anymore. I really don't care what happened.”

“B-but…” Apple Bloom wanted to argue the point further, but she could tell she was on the verge of upsetting her friend. Resigning herself to defeat, she sighed and curled into her sleeping bag, pulling the covers back over her.

The two lay there together in silence for a minute, facing away from each other without so much as making a sound. Eventually, Scootaloo turned back toward her and muttered, “Sorry if, y'know, that was mean or anything.”

Apple Bloom rolled over as well, giving her a tiny smile. “No, it wasn't. I guess I'm just used to knowin' what happened to my folks, so when you said that… it kinda surprised me.”

“Mmm.” A few more seconds passed before Scootaloo mumbled, “I know they didn't die at least.”

Apple Bloom's ears flicked forward. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said with a slow nod. “All I know is they left.”

“Like, left as in…?”

“They left me alone.” Rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling, Scootaloo said, “I remember being left home a lot when I was real young – mostly because I remember being hungry all the time. I used to wonder where they'd go, why they always left me behind… why they didn't want me with them.” Breathing a shaky sigh, she wiped a foreleg across her eyes before continuing. “There was somepony from 'foal services' or something who came to the house a lot, and one day when I was home alone, they took me away.”

Apple Bloom lifted her head a little. “You mean they took you away from your folks?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Like I said, I was real young, so I don't know what exactly happened or why. That's just what I remember.”

“Gee, Scoots, that's…” Apple Bloom wrung the end of her covers with her hooves. “That's just awful.”

“Not really,” Scootaloo calmly said. “At least I didn't have to wonder when I would eat again.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Yeah? So, what happened next?”

Squinting in thought, Scootaloo said, “Well… a few months later, I had new parents.”

“How'd that happen?”

Scootaloo fiddled with her hooves under the blanket as she thought back to the memories. “I remember living somewhere with a lot of other foals who lost their parents. Older ponies would come and talk with some of them, then they'd disappear together. The same thing happened to me; my parents now came and talked with me one day, then decided to adopt me.”

“Huh. You remember what you talked about?”

“A little.” Scootaloo let a small smile break through. “What kind of toys I liked and what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow. “Just how young were you?”

“Pretty young,” Scootaloo said as she looked over. “Why?”

Apple Bloom smirked at the filly. “Sooo… were you into pretty pony princess dolls like all the other fillies?”

Without hesitation, Scootaloo grabbed her pillow and chucked it hard at her friend, causing Apple Bloom to roll across the floor in a fit of laughter. The two then burst out of their sleeping bags, laughing and squealing, as a short pillow fight ensued.

Once the skirmish was over some minutes later, the two flung themselves onto their backs in their sleeping bags, trying to catch their breath. After another round of giggles, Apple Bloom glanced over at Scootaloo. “So, what's it like, then?”

Scootaloo angled her head toward her, still fighting to keep from laughing. “Wh-what's what like?”

“Ya know, to have parents!”

“Oh! Uh…” Scootaloo scrunched her muzzle. “Well, I never really thought about it.”

“Yeah, um…” Apple Bloom buried herself a little beneath her covers. “Sorry if it's a silly question.”

“No, it's fine. Just gimme a sec.” Stretching her forelegs behind her head, Scootaloo took a moment to mull the question over. “…Well, when I think of parents, I think of rules and chores.”

“You mean, like, cleaning and stuff?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod, “stuff like that. They always make sure I take out the trash and clean my room before I hang with you guys. If I forget, they always fuss about it when I get back.” She paused for a second. “Then there's the rules, like 'no riding your scooter in the yard' and 'no staying up past ten at night.'“

Apple Bloom giggled. “Guess that last one doesn't count when you're out here with us, huh?”

“Heh, guess not.” Rolling onto her side to face her friend, she tucked a hoof under her head and said, “Then there's the part where they like to get you presents.”

“Really? For what?”

“Holidays, birthdays…” She smirked as she added, “Sometimes when I get a good grade on homework.”

“Hey!” Apple Bloom beamed. “That's the same thing Applejack does with me!”

“Really?”

“Mhmm! She got me this really neat set of bows one time when I brought home an 'A' on a math test.”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow as she eyed the pink bow on her friend's mane. “Uh, don't you wear that same bow every day?”

“'Course not, silly,” Apple Bloom said with a serious drawl. “I have a whole closet full of 'em!”

“Oh. Huh. That actually makes sense.”

Apple Bloom gave a big nod. “Anything else?”

“Hmm…” Tapping a hoof against her pillow, Scootaloo grimaced at a certain thought. “Well, I guess another thing parents do is… y'know…” She glanced away as she mumbled, “Love you and stuff.”

“Like hugs and kisses?”

Scootaloo fidgeted with her blanket as she continued to look away. “Well yeah, there's that gross stuff, but… like, when I was younger, my dad used to read me bedtime stories. Those were always fun.”

Apple Bloom nodded and smiled. “Uh-huh, Applejack used to do that, too.” Chuckling softly, she added, “She still tries to do that sometimes even now.”

“Eugh,” Scootaloo groaned as she made a face. “I think if my dad ever tried doing that, I'd probably puke.”

“Y'know… I could see that.” Apple Bloom smirked at the filly, which was promptly followed by another round of giggling from the two.

Afterward, Scootaloo said, “So, yeah. That's kinda what I think when I think about parents.”

“Mmm,” Apple Bloom hummed in reply. Stretching herself out in the sleeping bag, she briefly noticed the heaviness settling in her eyes. Blinking through the weight, she said, “Do you remember what your first parents were like?”

Scootaloo pursed her lips as she considered the question. “Kind of? Like, I remember my mom was a pegasus, and my dad was an earth pony. But even that's kinda fuzzy. I only know that 'cause I remember them telling me the different kinds of ponies out there.”

“And you don't remember nothing else about 'em?”

Clearing her throat, Scootaloo briefly glanced away, mumbling, “Nothing that great, no.”

“Oh.” Apple Bloom wasn't about to prod any further; she already felt guilty enough for having asked so many questions. Nevertheless, she said, “Well, I was just curious is all. Sorry again if bringing this up was weird or anything.”

“Nah, it's okay.” Smiling a little, Scootaloo said, “Too bad Sweetie isn't here. She's the only one who's still got her first parents.”

“Yeah, I s'pose,” Apple Bloom said with a shrug. “Although, I wonder what she'd have to say, what with them being gone all the time.”

“Who knows. Besides, Rarity's almost more like her mom, in a way.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. Least she's always getting on to her about something, seems like.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Yeah. But doesn't Applejack do that with you, too?”

“Sometimes. I know she ain't keen on me leaving my room a mess all the time.” Smirking, she said, “Granny'll fuss at me too if I make a mess in the kitchen. And Big Mac hates it when I move things around in the barn.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Sounds like how my parents are whenever I forget one of my chores.”

“Yeah…” Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “It kinda does, huh?”

“Mhmm.” Pulling her covers up to her chin, Scootaloo yawned once more and turned the other direction. “Well, I'm glad you have Applejack at least.” Smiling at the thought of a certain cerulean pegasus, she added, “It's pretty nice having a big sis around.”

“Yeah.” Apple Bloom smiled a little at the thought. “It really is.”

And with that, the two bade each other goodnight one last time, before drifting off to sleep.