Snow was falling heavily and it crunched lightly as a couple drove their old farm truck down their now frozen dirt road. The news anchor was reporting the weather and the temperature was well below freezing and the wind chill put the temperature in the single digits. "Dear, stop the car and look by the front door." The older stallion squinting now gasped.
"Get the door unlocked and I'll grab the woman!" The old farmer scooped up the small woman in his tanned arms and noticed that she was a small rabbit. Once inside the couple began to warm the woman up and instantly when they sae the infant in her arms the wife offered to help warm the child.
"Please, focus on the child, save her life. I'm not gonna make it." The stallion became aware of of the blouse being a darker shade of crimson in a few areas.
"Ma'am, you're bleeding."
"Got shot a few hours ago by another farmer. Here's my child's birth certificate, I named her Scamper. She'll probably ask about me one day and when that happens give her the truth. Her birth father got into a bad crowd and things went south. Furthermore, her left leg is shorter than the right leg; this means that she'll limp and most likely be bullied for it."
"We'll raise her for you and also make sure that she becomes the young woman you'd be proud of." The wife told her husband that medics were coming and the woman looked awful. The stallion had counted six shots in the woman's side.
Both earth ponies wondered how this mother survived for the minimum of at least three hours excluding from the time when she got shot. The medics arrived at the house, sadly, by that time the mother had passed away. However, the mother had written down and produced a voice recorder and recorded her last will and testiment declaring that these carrot farmers will be her daughter's guardians.
The farmers, the stallion was named Equalibrium because his parents had been lawyers and hoped that he would follow in their steps. However, he chose farming and so his parents helped get started on his dream. The mare was named wasn't very balanced in her personality she was a bit chaotic so her parents jokingly named her Spasm or Spaz...thr name stuck and she lived up to the name fully. She was easily distracted while doing chores or any other task - Equalibrium seemed to be her anchor to keep her focused.
8 years later
Scamper stood by the mailbox waiting for the school bus, she could see her father out in an empty field, her mother stood by her side. "Mother, I know we're carrot farmers, but why is dad wanting to expand and try beets?"
"Since some vegetables have different growth seasons and times to be planted and harvested he figures we might be able to increase our profits." Scamper nodded and for one her age she understood what her mother was saying. Scamper looked at her equine parents and knew she was adopted by observation. She didn't care about who her birth parents were, all she cared about was that they made sure that she was safe. Spasm and Equalibrium knew that Scamper must have figured it out and might be asking soon.
"Mom, I know that I'm adopted because I can tell I'm different, but can ask to hear what's on that voice recorder that you wear around your neck?" Spasm nooddd, and she wished that Equalibrium was there to help her but she explained what it was. "So my mother gave her last will and testiment to you both? So she must have felt like you'd be perfect to raise me....can I listen to it sometime?"
"Of course Scamp you can listen to it." Spasm felt like Scamper understood and she hoped that being adopted doesn't become a bullying point during her school years. Conviently, the mail box was by one of the plots housing carrots and Scamoer grabbed one before the just arrived school bus.
Scamper took a seat and the final stop was an apple farm. Scamper looked at the girl climbing on, Scamper saw a red hair and a pink bow bobbing towards her. "Oh hi! I'm Applebloom, what's your name?"
"My name is Scamper, but my folks sometimes call me Scamp. I live at the carrot farm about ten miles roughly that direction." Scamper explained as she pointed toward the South-East. Applebloom was soon joined by her best friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle was already at the school waiting. Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon joined the conversation.
"Hi, I'm Diamond Tiara and the girl beside me with the glasses ais Silverspoon. You're gonna be either with us or maybe a year or two behind depending on how your grades were for you placement test. Sorry to ask, but can I feel your ears?"
"Um....sure, I guess you can." Diamond Tiara gently felt Scam's left ear and she squeezed, it was soft like velvet. Once at the school the group broke up to go to their lockers. The group of five watched as Scamp limped to her locker at an amazing speed. " Guys, I hope she'll survive this school. I know the majority of us would lay everything on the line for her....but then there's those two dudes Remington and Beretta who target people like her."
Scamp found her locker and it was at a level she could easily reach. "Hey Remington! look at this tiny little bunny Wabbit! She's the one I told you was limping in the hallways." Scamp felt her shoulder being grabbed and she was spun a one hundred eighty degree pivot point and was looking into the eyes of a young unicorn. "Okay bunny Wabbit, lunch money, now."
"I'm not giving it to you." Scamper said defiantly as she was slammed into her locker, her attackers forearm on her throat and a hand grabbed her ears and and pulled them straight up. Scamp felt her ears being slowly twisted and grinding into the vent on the locker next to hers. Still refusing to give her two bullies her lunch money, Remington walked up and slammed his fist into Scamp's stomach and she crumpled from the pain. Trying to stand Remington kicked her stomach five times and knelt beside her.
"You're lucky I'm hitting you instead of Beretta here, I know when to stop and he doesn't."
"I'm not giving you my money!" Scamp spat out, she was getting frustrated and she was in pain.
"Beretta, your turn." Scamp froze, she felt Beretta pick her and threw her into the locker and began to slap her.
"Stupid bitch! Just give us the money you owe us as toll." Scamper still refused and the pair began taking turns beating her. Scamper had her glasses torn off her face and tossed into her locker. Everything was blurry and she did her best to shield her face. Somewhere she heard a familiar voice.
"Guys leaver her alone!" Scamper saw Remington getting tackled by two people and Beretta still straddled her small frame. Beretta raised her to his face by the collar of blouse and sweater.
"I ought to just end you right now, you adopted piece of shit! You'll never amount to anything."
Scamper hissed back, "At least my parents taught me how to behave properly! Your dad must beat your mom at home if for you beating a girl smaller and weaker than you is your default." Scamper froze again, she realized she just said the dumbest thing you could ever say to a bully. Beretta stood up dragging Scamper with him. Beretta slammed Scamper to the floor and kicked her with more force than previous kicks.
"Look rabbit since your type multiply so easily, go suck a cock you damned slut." Scamper had no idea what Berretta was trying to say but she'd ask her folks when they get called in. Scamper felt a pair of arms wrap around her and by the smell of the perfume she knew that it was Silverspoon and Diamond Tiara. Her small, still bleeding nose smelled the scent of apple cinnamon, she figured Applebloom was directly behind her. Behind her and to the left she smelled a perfume that had a floral fragrance, must be Sweetie Belle. One scent she picked up wasn't girly at all, it smelled like vintage leather or antique books. Turning her head she saw Scootaloo.
"It's gonna be okay our dear little bunny." Diamond Tiara still remembering how soft Scamp's ears were commented.
"You're so tiny and huggable, and your ears are still the softest thing I've felt." Everyone agreed and Applebloom spoke for the group.
"Sorry we didn't get her sooner."
"Y'all don't worry about it, I'll be fine, just a sore for a while." Scamp's parents, Remington's parents and Berretta's folks all showed up and Spaz and Equalibrium were hugging their daughter worried about her health. Remington's parents were appalled and were already planning his doom. Berretta's parents disgusted.
"Berretta, I told you to never hit a girl!"
"That's rich coming from you! I learned this behavior from you! This girl was right!"
Scamper quietly asked her parents what Berretta had said meant."
Equalibrium was furious and told Berretta's parents, the latter were furious. Scamper was excused from classes to recover until she felt well enough to attend them. "I still will go to classes today! Sure I'm hurting all over, but I took the time to get dressed to be here so I'm not I'm not leaving." Spaz couldn't help but snicker, adopted or not, Scamper was just like her. Equalibrium agreed to let Scamper stay for the day in the pretense that if she felt worse at all that she'd be sent home to rest with no room to bargain. Diamond Tiara and Applebloom gave their word to protect their new friend. Remington and Beretta got a three month suspension and charges for aggrevated assault were pressed.
Lunch Session
Scamper and her new friends were eating when a young pegasus colt walked up. "Can I join you?" The group nodded and The pegasus was named Blitzwing due to his skill in short or prolonged bursts of speed. "May I be so bold to say that I get the feeling that Remington and Berretta under estimated you, they thought you'd be easy to push around; however, they didn't think you'd stand your ground considering....your adorable size and the limp you walk with."
Diamond Tiara replied, "We try not to talk about this morning, but you're right, Scamp here is rather gutsy but we love her." Scamp retorted in a voice that came out more adorable than defiant.
"What's there not to love?" Everyone laughed, and Blitzwing wanted to say something snarky but changed his mind. Scamper began to show off her ear movement skills and anyone close enough to see were impressed and loved it when she flopped her ears to one side.
