What a Foal Always Needs

After Scootaloo drops off the colt at her house and helps heal his wounds and wash his face, she races over to Sweet Apple Acres just in time to see Sweetie belle and Applebloom.

"Scootaloo!  Where were you?  I thought you were going to meet us on the way over!"

"I was, but then I heard rustling in a bush and it turned out to be a colt making all the rustle in the bush.  He looked injured so I took him to my house and took care of him because I was afraid of the side effects of any other choice of what to do with him."

"Wai-what!  Y'found a COLT?!?  In the Everfree Forest?!?"

"I did!"

"What's his name?!?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"I think it's something like Power Glow."

"Power Glow.  Interestin' name."

"He didn't seem that vocal though.  Maybe because he's probably years younger than Pip."

"That actually would make a lot of sense." Sweetie Belle looks at Applebloom.

"Hey, is Applejack in the kitchen?"

"Yeah.  Why?" Applebloom asks.

"I wanted to see if we could have him enroll into our school."

"Well, that sounds like an amazing idea!"  Sweetie Belle jumps as her horn sparks.  "Just go ask Applejack."

"Okay, will do."  Scootaloo gets into the barn in the living room.  "Hello?"

"Oh, hey Scootaloo!  Fancy meetin' y'all here.  Just put the pie in the oven.  So, what d'ya need?"

"I'm just wondering what it would take to enroll somepony into Ponyville Elementary."

"That is a good curiosity there.  All that needs to happen is that the pony who's watchin' over the filly or colt just have their signature on a paper that agrees about somethin' or other.  That paper goes to the representatives of the school who sends the letter back letting them know whether or not they're enrolled.  Why?"

"A colt I found is going to be staying with me for a while."

"Well, it's a might fine that y'took in this colt."

"Thanks."

"No problem, little filly."

At home, Scootaloo comes to her parents, Scooter Tricks and Launch Pad.

"Mom.  Dad.  I have something to ask."

"Shoot it, girl," Scooter Tricks responds.

"Did you happen to notice a young pegasus in the house?"

"Which one?  The one we see now or the one with the band aids on?" Launch Pad asks.

"The one with the band aids."

"Yeah, we've noticed.  But why do you ask?"  Scooter Tricks walks up to Scootaloo.

"I wanted to see if we could enroll him into Ponyville Elementary."

"Sure we could do that.  Almost as if we're in the past."  Launch Pad winks at Scootaloo.

"Thanks."

Scootaloo runs upstairs and arrives in the room she left the colt in.  "Hi.  I'm back, just like I said."  The colt runs over to Scootaloo, head butting her afterwards.  "Mom and Dad are about to enroll you in Ponyville Elementary.  I hope you'll like it there.  It's the friendliest place in Ponyville thanks to what caused my cutie mark."  It is just at the moment when the colt takes notice of the shield containing a wing and a thunderbolt.  "Good thing that tonight's not a school night.  Now that Fall is starting, it won't be that hard for you to catch up compared to the Winter or Spring."  The colt doesn't pay attention to Scootaloo, too focused on her cutie mark.  But neither did Scootaloo with the colt looking at her cutie mark.

Suddenly, taking a moment of silence, she notices the colt is not in front of her anymore.  "Huh?  Power?"

"Wha- huh?"  Power shakes his head and rubs the side of it with his left hoof, no longer looking at Scootaloo's shield mark.

Scootaloo just laughs it off.  "Were you looking at my cutie mark?"  Power is unsure whether or not he was.

Scootaloo giggles again.  "It's alright.  I have a cutie mark of the Cutie Mark Crusaders."  Power is confused now.  "It's a long story.  I'll explain later."

Scootaloo invited Power to sleep with her that night, which Power accepted for some reason, even though Scootaloo was expecting a no.  However, Scootaloo never did ask about Power's past.

The next morning is the perfect opportunity to ask.  At breakfast, Scootaloo and Power meet at the table.  What is set out on the table is a dish of pancakes and hay links each.

"So, good news, Scootaloo.  The colt's been accepted," Launch Pad announces.

"Really?!?  Has he?!?"  Scooter Tricks nods at Scootaloo.  "See, told you they'd get you enrolled, Power.  Thanks again for doing that, Mom and Dad."

Launch Pad nods.  "No problem, Scoots."

Power just looks down on to the ground.  "Power, are you okay?" Scootaloo asks.

"Mhm."

"It's okay if you're not.  It'll feel a lot better to say that if you truly feel that way, anyway."

Power hugs Scootaloo misty eyed, who responds with a hug back.

"Hey, if you feel uncomfortable, just come to me.  I'm the one who found you."

Wiping the tears away, Launch Pad looks at her daughter.  It's as if she's in the past, with Scootaloo taking a role as a caregiver.  Of course it made sense that her cutie mark is a shield with a wing and a bolt in it.

"Are you alright, hon?"

"Oh, Scooter Tricks.  Yeah, I'm fine.  I'm just proud of little Scootaloo.  That's it."

Scooter Tricks and Launch Pad give hugs of their own to each other.

Over the course of the weekend, Power gets used to Ponyville.  Lucky for Scootaloo, in Power's eyes, she's usually home alone.  He even got to meet the other two members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.  He also noticed that the other two had the same shield for a cutie mark as Scootaloo.

Now, it's Monday, the first day of Ponyville Elementary for Power.  Over there is twenty five to thirty five school kids on the yard.

"Power Glow, welcome to Ponyville Elementary.  There may or may not be somepony who lives with the son of a former Wonderbolt."

Power gasps in glee of hearing the Wonderbolts.  One of the ponies in the yard has some relation to that aerial acrobatic team.  Suddenly, the frantic Applebloom and Sweetie Belle come in.

"Scootaloo!  Have y'seen Tail Flight?!?  Ah can't find her!!!"

"Wait a minute.  Has it already been a month?"

Sweetie Belle thinks for a little bit until it clicked.  "Oh, yeah.  It has.  We don't have to worry about her.  I understand if she wants to stay home."

"Actually, me too.  I wonder if Power lost somepony important to him."

As Scootaloo's curiosity comes out loud, Power looks to the ground again.

"Oh, I take that as a yes, then."  Scootaloo ends up wrapped in the fore hooves of Power.

"Well, that seems too similar to Tail Flight's story for it to be Power's."  Sweetie Belle becomes skeptical of Scootaloo's hypothesis.

"But it still makes-"

"Applebloom!  Sweetie Belle!  Ssh!"  Scootaloo rubs Power's back in an attempt to calm him down.  "Say, why don't we get on the playground before we get inside.  Cheerilee doesn't need any depression now, would she?"  Power likes the idea of winding down with Scootaloo in the playground, so he lets go and looks for a place to play.

"Hello class.  Hope you all had a lovely final summer weekend.  And there's no better way of kicking off our autumn with the introduction of a new student.  Everypony, meet Power Glow."  The students give a round of applause for the young colt.  It was a good thing that Cheerilee was told just to introduce the student.  It seems as if everything that reminds him of his past seems to pull him down in the dumps, even the mention of Canterlot or Detrot.

Up until lunch, Power just sits there listening in very carefully.  Taking as many notes as he can out of a couple sheets of paper he took from the printer in the basement.  Finally, when lunch arrives, Power feels like a new colt, like there is Hakuna Matata surrounding him.  To the average rascal in comparison student, they'd probably feel very sorry for Power if note taking of all things cheers him up.  But they pay no mind to it.

Lunch break arrives when a storm is brewing, so the class heads to the basement for lunch.  Over there, it gets pretty crowded with the press equipment present.  So much so, that a few fillies and colts choose to eat at their desks, including the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Power.

"Hey, Power.  We were just wonderin'.  Would y'like to visit Tail Flight after school today?"

"Sure."

"We'll take you there right after the 'belle' rings," Scootaloo says, to which Power starts to chuckle.

"Not cool," Sweetie Belle responds.

"R'lax, Sweetie Belle.  It's all in good fun."  Applebloom elbows Sweetie Belle, who barely notices.  "We want Power to be happy here, right?"

"I guess you're right."  Sweetie Belle flicks her hoof away from her cheek.

"Of course Ah am."