ENDING ONE

~They say that truth is in the eye of the beholder. While I've stated earlier my personal opinions on this matter, I cannot help but find some flaw with that logic. What is true for somepony may never be the truth for another.

It is a mind-numbing conundrum, when one stops to take time out and think about it.

-An excerpt from the Book of Fillysophical Studies, by: Dr. Rhindquarters

===D.W.===

There was an almost imperceptible light cracking through a pair of shutters. The glancing beam traced across the aging floor that despite its wear still looked near new. The marks of various animal tracks had been grooved into it, a sign of all those whom had come and gone in its time.

Now, only one set of hooves graced its ancient beams as the silent yellow Pegasus watched over a tiny bundle that lie tucked safely into her bedsheets.

Scootaloo knew Fluttershy was there. There was no way to not know, given the sounds of various tasks being performed all around her, accompanied by squeaks of surprise whenever something startled the motherly figure. She didn't pay her any mind however. It was just too much of a relief to finally be back in the company of anypony that wasn't a psychotic monster out to maim and kill her. The little pony lie snuggled comfortably amidst the cotton and down feather comforter and the lacy sheet underneath, just glad to be home.

Every now and then, Fluttershy would come over and check on Scoot's temperature. Apparently, she'd been running a nasty fever for a bit, and had a rather large black and blue on her forehead. Nothing to visit Ponyville General about. Outside of that though, everypony had seen fit to leave the little filly to Fluttershy's care. If anypony could help somepony recover from minor injuries and scrapes, it was the yellow mare.

When at last she had seen fit, Fluttershy left Scootaloo out of bed for something to eat. She dogged Scoot's steps all the way through the house to her kitchen where she personally made the little pony a bowl of broth, just in case she'd come down with an unseen of yet cold too. Scootaloo sat at the table and drank her broth in absolute quiet, speaking only a grateful 'thank you' when she'd finished.

As she got up to go back to bed, Scootaloo caught Fluttershy watching her intently. The look in her eyes just begged to know what had happened, as she was sure everypony else wanted to know too. But she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. They'd all probably think she was crazy anyway. When she'd woken up the first time and asked as to the whereabouts of Dream Catcher, Twilight had merely passed him off as being a pony in a book that couldn't have existed anymore. Even after Scoot's persistent nagging, Twilight wouldn't mention anything else about him.

They probably already thought she was losing her mind.

But then again, after that awful place and the return of her memories so suddenly...she almost thought she was too.

The day passed quickly as it tends to do when one sleeps it away, and by the next morning, Scoot's fever was completely gone, the only remaining indication of her run-in with the odd Pegasus being a tiny little bruise on her forehead.

"Well...you seem to be okay. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Fluttershy's soft tones drifted through the air like music to Scoot's ears after the nightmare as the Pegasus checked her over one last time.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks Fluttershy." Scoot smiled.

"Oh, no thanks necessary Scootaloo. I'm just glad to see you're better." She returned the smile.

"Well...I guess I'd better get going. Gotta meet up with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle."

Fluttershy's eyes popped wide open at that.

"Hey now...you be careful. No extra crusading for you until that bruise is gone. I won't have you getting yourself hurt again, you understand? I mean...well...yes." She nodded as sternly as possible, which was both cute and comical, given her nature.

"I got it. Don't worry." Scoot chuckled, heading out the door of the mare's cottage. "Bye Fluttershy! And thanks again!"

Scootaloo found her scooter parked outside the front door. While still in one piece, the paint had chipped and the handlebars were slightly bent from the wreck, but otherwise it was still good to go. She grabbed her helmet, which had been slung over one of the hoof-grips, and popped it on, strapping it down. With a good kick, she pumped her wings and went speeding off towards Ponyville.

As the first few streets came in sight, Scoot sighed in relief, thankful to be home again. The buildings went whizzing by in a blur as she turned up this street, down the next, blew through town square...over the east bridge and came to a screeching halt outside of Rarity's Boutique. Inside, she could hear both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom already, Rarity begging for some peace and quiet to do her work while the two fillies pursued whatever fun they could find.

As she opened the door, all sound died out so quickly she thought for half a second that she'd somehow wound up back in the other Ponyville again.

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom came bounding over, hugging her friend tightly. Sweetie Belle wasn't far behind and together, all three of them fell to the ground in a giggling fit of madness.

"Girls, please! I've got a deadline to make, and this...ruckus isn't helping me think any." Rarity moaned from behind her sewing machine as she examined a set of stitches she'd just finished...until she'd taken notice to the arrival. "Oh! Goodness me, how are you feeling little Scootaloo?"

"Much better, Rarity. Thanks!" She returned, digging herself out of the tangle of legs and hooves.

"I heard you had a pretty bad accident on your scooter. Dangerous little contraption, isn't it? It's a good thing Mrs. Cakes sent Pinkie Pie on those last minute errands or you could've been laying there all night." The white unicorn removed her glasses, setting them down on her worktable as she came over, putting a gentle hoof on Scoot's shoulder.

"Pinkie Pie was the one that found me?"

"Why yes. She saw you racing through the streets and wanted to ask you for your help carrying some things back to the Corner."

Figures. Nopony else but Rainbow Dash could've kept up with her. Except Pinkie Pie.

"Just where were you going at that time of night anyway? Home, I hope."

Scootaloo went to reply...only to catch a glimpse of a pillar of smoke reflected in one of Rarity's mirrors...a pair of gleaming blue and gold eyes watching her intently through the blackened haze.

No.

Scoot shook her head.

She wasn't going to lie. She had been on her way home in fact. The only flaw was...it wasn't her home anymore, not that she had remembered anyway.

"Yeah. We were all at Twilight's and I was on my way home. Gonna deck whoever put that rock there."

She kept her eyes low, faking embarrasment, only to look up to the mirror. The shadow pony had vanished...and whichever version of the crazy-eyed Pegasus it had been had gone too.

'I'll tell them all someday.' She thought.

"So, whuduya wanna try today, Scootaloo? Maybe...Cutie Mark Crusaders Fireponies!" Apple Bloom shouted with glee.

"Oh heavens no! Far too dangerous for fillies such as yourselves." Rarity remarked, returning to her work table.

Scootaloo laughed.

"Sorry guys. Fluttershy said no crusading until the bruise on my head was gone."

"Awww..." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom groaned in unison.

"What...do you really wanna risk...the Stare?"

Both jumped back at the mention of Fluttershy's unnervingly powerful glare. The glare that had turned a hardened brute of a dragon into a whining bag of scales. The stare so powerful it had driven off a Cockatrice, a monster so vile that its own gaze turned ponies to stone.

"Nuh-uh. I ain't gonna make her mad ever again." Apple Bloom squeaked.

"Me either." Sweetie Belle heartily agreed, her head nodding rapidly.

"Just be careful...you could do it and not know..." Scoot smirked, crouching down, crawling towards her friends. "She's so timid and shy...it'd be too late to run once she got mad cuz you'd never see it comin...and then...RAH!" Scoot pounced on them, the two fillies letting out shrill shrieks before they all tumbled together again into a laughing fit.

Rarity looked up from her sewing and sighed, a smile slowly creeping onto her face as she watched the three of them together.

"Such good friends you all are. I'm glad that Sweetie Belle met you two."

"We're glad to have met Sweetie Belle too!" Apple Bloom's face split wide with a grin.

Scoot nodded in agreement.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders! Friends Forever!" Sweetie Bell cried out, throwing a hoof in the air.

As Scoot looked between her two friends, she remembered what she'd said back in the nightmare world, talking to the evil Dream Catcher. The words echoed in her mind with clarity...and never before had she felt so sure of their truth as she did now. This was her family, right here.

She pulled Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom close in a large hug with a happy sigh.

"Friends forever." She agreed, winking to Apple Bloom.

As they all picked themselves up off the floor, Scootaloo started heading for the door. Her mind was tumbling with all the things she'd experienced during her stay in the Other Ponyville. Everything from the monsters, as scary and grotesque as they had been, to the memories she'd been suppressing all along. Even down to the things she'd seen that still puzzled her. But she knew that while the pieces all fit together, it was going to take time to make sense of some of them. One day, with the help of her friends, she'd understand it all.

Her decision to tell them later settled itself in her mind. She'd do it some day. Right now though, she was happy.

"Scootaloo, where are ya goin?" Apple Bloom called out.

"You wanna come here for a second Apple? Got something I wanna tell ya."

Apple Bloom shot a confused look to Sweetie Belle, but nodded and got up. She moved over to Scootaloo and together they both walked outside.

"I'm not quite sure how to say this Apple...but..." Scoot thought carefully on her words as she tried to remember the details of the scene she'd witnessed.

"Yeah? What ya wanna say?"

"Well...see...while I was knocked out, I think I saw something. Not quite sure what it was...but it made me think of you." She rubbed the back of her neck, a little embarrassed.

"Aww...you had a dream about me?"

"Sorta. Anyway, what I wanted to say was this."

Scootaloo put her arm around her friend and hugged her tight, not sure if she was giving away too much as she spoke.

"I'm sorry if I keep running off to chase Rainbow Dash. You know she's my idol. She's everything I want to be. So if I've hurt your feelings at any time because of that...I just wanted to apologize. See...I get the feeling that somepony out there wanted us to be friends. Somepony was listening all along Apple. And that's why I'm here. So if I ever do anything stupid like that, please don't be mad at me, okay?"

Apple Bloom's eyes grew wide at that, and Scootaloo figured that she must've been a bit too obvious. But she had to say it. She really had to or it was going to eat at her until she did.

"No..." Apple Bloom replied, "...I know she's important to ya Scoot. An ah'm sorry if Applejack said anythin. Ah asked her not to, but ah guess she did anyway. Thanks though. It means a lot ta hear ya say that." Apple Bloom hugged her back just as hard.

"Well...even if I'm always running off after Rainbow Dash...just remember. I'll always come back for ya." She patted Apple Bloom's shoulder before the two left go of each other.

===D.W.===

Sweetie Belle watched the scene unfold from the door, a smile on her little face. She hopped down, not really expecting Scootaloo to apologize to her too. But just the fact that she'd done it for Apple Bloom was enough.

"What's going on out there, little sister?" Rarity asked, pushing her glasses back up on her nose.

Sweetie Belle shrugged.

"Something that needed to, I guess." She replied, a warm feeling settling inside as she made her way towards Rarity. She watched her sister work expertly on the machine before her, stitch after perfect stitch being sewn into the luxuriant fabric.

"Watching to learn again, are we? You think your talent might be sewing?" Rarity chuckled.

"You think I'll ever find my special talent, big sister?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity stopped for a moment, patting her head gently.

"With the help of your friends, anything is possible. Least of all finding your special talent. You'll find it in due time, don't you worry yourself about that. Now, it's getting late in the afternoon. How about we go get some lunch, hmm?"

"Do you have the time? You've got a lot of work to do on this order, don't you?"

"It's quite all right. Family before business. Now come on." Rarity smiled, urging her towards the door. "Perhaps we'll go see Pinkie Pie for something sweet, hmm?"

"Sure!" Sweetie Belle practically leapt out of her skin at that notion. She began to run circles around Rarity before her older sister could calm her down enough to get her out of the door.

...

However, not all was right with the happy little scene...as a pair of blue and gold eyes watched on silently from a vast abyss, floating amidst a violent vortex in one of the modelling mirrors...

Author's Note

Ending: Good - CANON ENDING
Ending Achievement: 1/4

Requirements:
Complete Story Mode on any difficulty on first play through.

Unlocks: (On Consecutive Play Through)
Scooter - Found in Nightmare Ponyville at site of crash
Alternate Costume - Scootaloo Express (Carriagehop) [Found in the Closet of Scootaloo's House after obtaining the Rollerskates Item]