Merry Celestmas, Scootaloo
Scootaloo rolled over in her cold bed. She opened her eyes to glance around once more in the past hour. The other foals of the orphanage lay asleep in their beds. The tiny orange pegasus glanced out the window, trying to find something peaceful that could allow her the cushion of sleep. A light snow fell over all of Ponyville. The tops of houses looked like gingerbread houses sprinkled in powdered sugar. A thin blanket coated the silent streets. Scootaloo loved snow. How it was so pretty and fun, yet complicated and interesting. Much like her idol, Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo allowed her eyes to wander from the peaceful scene taking place outside. She glanced at a calendar. A large red circle had been placed around the 25th. Hearth's Warming Day. Several small slashes were tallied behind the 5th. A memory shot into Scoot’s brain. The 20th. The day her parents died in the house fire. A single tear slid down her orange fur. With that thought she fell asleep.
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December 6th
“Okay children! Due to the snow, our lesson plan has been changed!” Cheerilee’s breath collected in small puffs in the falling snow as she finished her sentence. Scootaloo smiled a little. She was glad that they weren’t doing math, she was horrible at math.
“Today we will be learning how the pegasi make snow!” Cheerilee said. Scootaloo jumped along with her friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Learning how snow is made meant a field trip to the weather factory! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle made absent chatter on the way to the factory and Scootaloo replied generic answers, only paying a small portion of her attention on their conversation.
“Maybe we could get our cutie marks by helping Ms. Pinkie, she said she could use some help breaking down some kind of wall…” Sweetie Belle said, but Scootaloo didn’t reply, she was too lost in thought to pay enough attention to form a response.
“This here children, is Snow Flake Design!” Cheerilee announced waving one hoof in front of her to get the attention of her students. Being around Ms. Pinkie would help; her partying always helps me when I’m sad. Far off in Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie back right leg twitched violently for a second. Someone was thinking about her.
December 7th
Celestia’s sun hung in the sky relatively low. Even though there was a rouge cloud or two the sun streaked cold and the snow fell in a light flurry. An orange pegasus approached the door to Sugarcube Corner and tapped lightly on the door. Pinkie flung the door open with her usual ecstatic energy that never seemed to leave her.
“Hai Scootaloo! What are you are up to around Sugarcube Corner?” Pinkie said with her usual cheery tone. Just the sound of Pinkie’s voice raised Scootaloo’s spirits.
“Well I thought maybe I could hel-“ Scootaloo was cut short by Pinkie’s ecstatic response “Of course you can help me bake!” Scoots really didn't want to bake she wanted to party, but took the offer anyways. Scootaloo smiled as the warmth of the bakery greeted her. As Pinkie skipped merrily behind the sweets display case Scootaloo shook off the thin layer of snow that had gathered on her coat. Scootaloo trotted slowly to the kitchen and was greeted by bright pink and blue from the kitchen. The linoleum tiles were a fluorescent pink and the walls a pale, yet bright, blue. Scootaloo immediately loved it. Pinkie spun around to look at Scootaloo.
“So, what do yah want to bake?” Pinkie asked Scoots. Scootaloo stood there with a dumb look on her face. She put in a thought about baking things before. The first thing that came to her mind was her favorite pastry. “Sugar cookies with orange frosting and sprinkles!” Scootaloo said with enthusiasm. Scootaloo expected Pinkie to turn done her request but she just simply replied, “Okie dokie lokie!” Scootaloo was so ecstatic that she practically matched Pinkie in energy and joy. She hadn’t felt this good since, the accident. Usual the thought of the fire depressed Scootaloo but for some reason when she was around Pinkie, that sadness seemed to melt away. The cookies turned out wonderfully with orange and purple sprinkles, Pinkie wrapped many of them up and gave them to Scoots as a present for being an awesome helper, though she hadn't done much. She invited Scootaloo to come back again tomorrow.
Scootaloo came into the door of the orphanage later than usual but the care taker disregarded it when Scootaloo handed her a sugar cookie. Scootaloo walked into her and the other orphan’s rooms to see that large red socks decorated the walls. A great idea popped into Scootaloo’s head. She slid the cookies underneath her bed and smiled. They are gonna love it! Unlike the past weeks Scootaloo slept more sound then she had in a long time.
December 8th
The heaps of snow that had piled up over the last few days had gotten school canceled for the day. Most of the others at the orphanage took this time to wander around Ponyville in search of entertainment, but Scootaloo had plans. She got away as soon as she woke to go to Sugarcube Corner. Despite the time Pinkie answered the door with the same untamed energy she always had. Pinkie and Scoots made there way happily back to the kitchen. Pinkie turned around and flopped down her belly, then propped her head up to gaze at Scootaloo.
“So, number one assistant, what cha’ya wanna make today?” Scootaloo jumped up and down excitedly clapping her hoofs together in joy.
“How about brownies?” Scootaloo said with great mirth. Pinkie replied, still lying on the floor, “Just brownies?” “Nope! Brownies with pink chocolate chips!” Scootaloo said with a small feeling of pride. “Ooooh fun!!” Pinkie replied jumping up from the floor. They began baking right away. Scootaloo loved the aroma that drifted from the kitchen after they had finished the brownies. Pinkie and Scootaloo sat at a table enjoying hot chocolate and the fresh brownies. Scootaloo was feeling good, but that damned memory of her parents kept her from being truly happy. Pinkie invited her to come back tomorrow if she wanted to.
December 9th
Harsh light invaded the windows of the orphanage. Scootaloo shielded her eyes from the light. Once her eyes had adjusted she looked out the bright window. A thick blanket of snow covered much of Ponyville. Celestia’s sun off the snow cast reflections over everything making them about 20% brighter. Scoots didn’t want to get up, she had too much fun yesterday, despite her slight depression, to go to boring old school. Scootaloo let her head hit her pillow again. She glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. It read 9:47. Scoots cursed her lovely dream of flying with Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts and began gathering her things into her saddlebags and rushed off to school.
The school held a small Celestmas concert. Scootaloo enjoyed it but couldn’t keep her mind off the time she was going to get to spend with Pinkie. Scootaloo stumbled like usual through her math class, it didn’t help that she was focusing more on her plans with Pinkie than how many apples would be left on the tree if Pony Joe bucked 7 off.
As the bell sounded through the tiny school, the orange mare let out an excited squeal looking forward to her visit to Sugarcube Corner. Scootaloo raced full speed to the pastry shop, taking every chance she had to drift, a new trick that Rainbow Dash had showed her a month ago that Scoots was still perfecting, on the corners caked with ice and snow. As she let go of the pole she used to drift tightly on the corner she slid into the door of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie opened the door to find Scootaloo sitting on the ground cross-eyed rubbing her head. Pinkie giggled and Scootaloo’s eye returned to their correct positions and she jumped up happily to greet Pinkie. But her chipper demeanor was ruined as she glanced down and noticed that Pinkie was toting saddlebags. Scootaloo’s disappointment seeped into her voice.
“Oh, I hadn’t realized you were leaving.” Scootaloo said, her eyes cast down at the snowy blue-white ground.
“Well I was actually going out to eat, silly filly!” Pinkie smiled as she finished her sentence, practically bouncing from her pent up energy. She obviously hadn’t had many customers today or some of her endless amounts of energy would have been noticeably missing. Scootaloo gave a half-hearted smile, “So I could wait here for you to come back?” Pinkie put a hoof to her chin and contemplated the question. “Nah,” Scootaloo was crushed but her spirits quickly rose by what followed this statement “How ‘bout you come with me?” Pinkie said with a grin. Scootaloo returned the smile and agreed to join Pinkie.
They sat reading off a menu that Scootaloo very much enjoyed. Bordering the edges of it were pictures of the Wonderbolts, which she had taken the liberty to add Rainbow Dash to. Though it looked crude she still enjoyed it. Pinkie glanced at Scootaloo, and Scoots was obviously happy. Pinkie was happy because Scootaloo was happy. She loved making her smile.
As they began to walk back to the bakery Pinkie stopped in her tracks and Scoots went silent in the middle of her sentence about how wonderful the toasted dandelion sandwich had been.
“Why don’t I walk you back to the orphanage? For a change.” Said smiling with one eyebrow raised. “Well okay, I mean, if you want.” Scootaloo said slightly unsure but all in all happy.
When they had arrived at the orphanage Pinkie’s head swiveled around on her neck, taking in her surroundings. Scootaloo gave Pinkie the “grand tour” of the orphanage, ending with her and the other orphans room. She pointed out her bed and the large red stalking hung over the fireplace. And with the conclusion of the tour Pinkie bade Scoots a goodbye and invited her to come over again if she so pleased.
December 13th
Scootaloo sat with an indifferent face staring at the blackboard absently as Ms. Cheerilee rambled on about these things called “humans”. Scoots had been reviewing the past days she had spent with Pinkie. Each memory brought a smile to her face until she was sitting there staring at the blackboard like a bumbling idiot. A loud buzz sounded over the intercom in the classroom. The loud noise dragged Scootaloo out of her day dreaming.
“Can you please send Scootaloo to the office, she is being dismissed early.” Cheerilee ushered Scootaloo out of class. Scoots wandered down the hallway to the office, dumbstruck. Who would get me out of school early? As she turned the corner the shock of pink she saw through the window immediately got rid of her “unique” ideas and replaced them with excitement and joy. As Pinkie and Scoots wandered into the snow, Scootaloo opened her mouth to ask Pinkie why she had got her out early when Pinkie seemingly read her mind and said.
“I heard it was someone’s birthday.” Pinkie said with a smile, still looking forward. Scootaloo had completed forgotten about her own birthday. She rarely celebrated it because the orphanage didn’t have money for parties and often time made her sad due to it’s proximity to her parents death.
Scootaloo and Pinkie walked into a dark bakery, and as the door swung closed with a twinkling from the bell, the lights of the bakery jumped alive as Mr. and Ms. Cake exploded from out of their hiding places arms extended yelling
“SURPRISE!” A large smile spread across Scootaloo’s face at the scene in front of her unfolded. Mrs. Cake grabbed a large knife and pushed it into a large cake that bared Scootaloo’s name and put it on a placed a slice from it onto a bright orange plate.
As the remnants of the cake were hauled away and stored in a freezer Pinkie and Scootaloo discussed the icing recipe.
“Well I just took ¾ orange dye and about a cup and a half of powdered sugar and began mixing together with a few special ingredients.” Scootaloo looked at her with a look of total confusion and began to blush. The measurements Pinkie had just described were like a completely different language to Scoots.
“I-I’m not so good at math and measuring and that stuff.” Scootaloo said, studying the floor, still blushing. “Well I can help with that!” Pinkie told Scoots to come over after school and she would tutor her.
December 14th
By the time Pinkie and Scootaloo were half way through a cupcake recipe, Scootaloo thought she had learned more in that hour then the 4 months she’s been in that school. It must have been the way that Scoots was rewarded with treats instead of grades that helped her understand, or maybe she was a hoofs-on learner, what ever the case may be Ms. Cheerilee arranged that Scootaloo was to go to Sugarcube Corner for math class. This meant not only after school, but during school she could go and see Pinkie the thought of this over joyed both Scootaloo and Pinkie.
December 20th
Almost a week had past since Scoots began tutoring with Pinkie and there had been significant improvement on Scootaloo’s report card. When she received it and saw not As and then an F but straight As. She ran through the streets showing it off to everyone she knew. Scootaloo rushed inside the orphanage and taped the report card above her bed and smiled. She couldn’t wait to tell Pinkie how well she did. Scootaloo raced through Ponyville like a madmare and entered the pink earth pony’s bakery with a clatter. Said pink pony popped her head around the doorframe of the kitchen to see Scootaloo, she invited her into the kitchen. Scootaloo blurted out what she had rehearsed the entire run to the pastry shop and Pinkie sat back and nodded. “Now time for the ultimate test!” Pinkie said clapping her hooves together, a slightly twisted smile crossed Pinkie’s face. Pinkie reached back and pulled out a cookbook and handed it to Scootaloo. “Pick one, and make it.” Several pages were missing, Scootaloo realized from going through this book so many times that those pages were the easy recipes.
“Toasted dandelions wrapped in brittle seaweed topped with chocolate dipped cocoa beans?” Pinkie was gone in a flash and then returned back to her original spot, the needed ingredients for the recipe still spinning on a near by table. Scootaloo immediately began to make the complicated recipes, totally disregarding the fact that Pinkie had seaweed and cocoa beans just lying around.
Pinkie and Scootaloo sat at the table were they had enjoyed hot chocolate and brownies so many weeks ago, this time eating Scootaloo’s dish. As they ate and Pinkie commented on how well Scootaloo’s math had improved and how good the dish was Scootaloo was trying to conceal how she was feeling. She thought of how she had sat there weeks ago, and remembered about her parents. The thought of her parents yet again saddened her despite Pinkie complementing her and praising her. Pinkie had become a tune with reading Scootaloo’s face over the time she had spent with her. “Scoots. Is something wrong?” Scootaloo contemplated her options. She could pass it off and just say she was fine, or tell Pinkie what was really hurting her. She decided that she had spent enough time with Pinkie to know and trust her with how her parents died. Scootaloo let out a large sigh and began to tell the story of how her parents died this day, 5 years ago.
5 years ago, December 20th
A 2 year old Scootaloo rolled over, asleep in her bed. It was near 2 A.M. A small crack sounded from downstairs in her former home. The crack a seemingly extinguished fire. From the fire flew a single ember that landed lightly on a rug. A small moment passed before the ember grew larger, soon encompassing the entire room in flames. Scootaloo’s parents were awoken by the smell of smoke. Her father rushed downstairs and was met with a wall of flames. The structural integrity of the house was decreasing quickly as loud snaps of wood sounded from the ceiling of the house. Minutes later a crowd and firefighters were outside near a window located in Scootaloo’s room. Scootaloo’s mother and father rushed to the room and snatched a panicked Scootaloo out of her bed. A very large crack resounded through the house as the roof began to collapse. Scootaloo’s mother threw Scootaloo out the window so that she could hit the safety net located just below. Just as Scootaloo had made it out of the window another loud snap made itself known followed by a loud crash. As Scootaloo rushed off the safety she rushed towards the house but she held back by several firefighters. Scootaloo had to watch as the firefighters made futile attempts at putting the house out. After a minute of continuous burning the building sounded out one large final snap as it all came falling down.
December 24th
Scootaloo had been visiting Pinkie for the past month, each day baking something different and fun. After Scootaloo had told Pinkie about what had happened all those years ago she felt as if she was changed. Something inside her shifted and she was no longer sad, but filled with unending joy. As Scootaloo skipped over to Sugarcube Corner she took in her surroundings. The light snow that had covered the already thick blanket that lay on the ground, the birds as they tweeted in the cold, fragments of the sun peeked out from behind clouds. It all seemed so much more beautiful and significant to her. As she approached Sugarcube Corner she looked inside to see a smiling Pinkie waving to her through the window. Scoots pulled the door open and said hello to Pinkie. “So, my oh-so-wonderful assistant, I have an idea for what we can make today!” Pinkie said jumping with the change in the routine. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Pinkie’s statement. “A Celestmas cake for everyone at the orphanage!” Scootaloo jumped with joy, “I love it already!!’
With all the ingredients spread out among the table in front of the two they began to work. Pinkie began mixing ingredients in a bowl larger than Scootaloo. Scootaloo took food coloring of many different varieties and began mixing them to test their color. Scootaloo had found the perfect combinations for the colors they wanted and began adding the color mixtures into the bowls of dough Pinkie had just made. At lightning speed they mixed and mixed the dough turning into hues of red and green, purple and yellow. As Scootaloo enjoyed herself with mixing the dough Pinkie grabbed the base of the cake and plopped it down in front of Scoots. They both began adding the parts they wanted to it. Scootaloo made a large green tree topped with an odd shaped yellow star, while Pinkie pushed little fondant dots onto the tree to represent bulbs. They were both enjoying them selves so much. Pinkie began putting Celestmas candy all over it and Scootaloo made tiny people to go with it. Scootaloo never knew why but she had always been fascinated by the mythological creatures, humans. The cake was finished and looked just wonderful. Pinkie and Scootaloo looked at each other. They were both caked in flour. They laughed like maniac at each other’s appearances. Just as Pinkie was calming down from laughing so hard Scootaloo rushed in for a hug. Scoots wrapped her arms around the party pony and just held on. Pinkie hugged her back. Scootaloo muttered into Pinkie’s mane, “I love you.” Pinkie smiled so hard it almost hurt.
December 25th
Scootaloo awoke in the orphanage before all the others. She looked outside and it was still dark. She peeked under her bed and pulled out the cookies she had saved for all of them. She snuck quietly and put one in each stocking. Her good deed made her feel wonderful. She returned back to her bed, content with her good deed.
Scootaloo awoke again, this time it was light out and many of the orphans were stirring, just waking up. The cake Pinkie and her made was sitting on a table near the stockings. Scootaloo glanced over at the stockings remembering her good deed when she noticed something funny about hers. A white thing was stick out of it. She approached it a realized the thing was actually a piece of paper. She pulled it out and looked at the blank side then realized that she was looking at the back. Across the top of the paper in very official script was “ADOPTION DOCUMENTAION” and below at the bottom of the page it said “By signing the following you accept guardianship of this foal” below that was large, loopy, pink hoof writing, it said “Pinkmena Diane Pie.”
