//------------------------------//
// A New Mission for an Orphaned Filly 
// Story: A Family of Her Own 
// by HyperBlossom7 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight arrived at the Sugar Cube Corner and walked inside. She looked around for her friend Pinkie Pie when the party pony suddenly barreled into her. Twilight let out a shout of surprise as they were both sent tumbling to the ground. She heard Pinkie giggle happily and couldn't help but smile a bit. 

"Pinkie, hey!" Twilight greeted her as the pink pony rolled off of her and helped her up to her hooves. 

"Were you surprised, Twilight? Because I was surprised when you came in, and I thought I would surprise you back by tackle hugging you!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

Twilight giggled and gave a nod, "Yes, you did surprise me Pinkie. I wanted to talk to you about something though, it's a serious matter. I was also hoping the other girls would be here too though.." Twilight looked around and frowned in disappointment. 

"Oh, they're actually on the way right now. My Pinkie Sense told me something really big was going to happen so I went ahead and invited them over!" Pinkie said with a big smile. "Well Applejack and Rarity are, I couldn't find Dashie or Fluttershy. I have a feeling they're off doing something together though, they've been spending a lot of time together lately." 

"I see," said Twilight when the bell suddenly chimed as two ponies entered the shop. It was Applejack and Rarity. Pinkie Pie grinned and bounced over to them. "Good you're here! Twilight's here too, she wants to talk about something. I don't know what it is but my Pinkie Sense tells me it's big! Ooh I'm so excited just thinking about it!" 

"Hey girls, come on let's sit down," Twilight said when Pinkie was done talking. 

Rarity and Applejack came and sat down at the table with Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Then Pinkie Pie suddenly gasped loudly and rushed off into the kitchen without warning. The three remaining ponies looked at each other in confusion when Pinkie ran back into the room. She had a plate of cupcakes. Everypony laughed together as Pinkie Pie gave each of them a cupcake. 

"I feel like this should be a party, even though we're not celebrating anything. Wait are we celebrating something, Twilight?" Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight questioningly. 

"No Pinkie, actually it's about Scootaloo. She came by today after school and asked if she could use the Library. I said yes, but the reason she gave me made me worried." 

"Ah thought somethin' was bothering her!" Applejack said. "She and Applebloom came by Sweet Apple Acres together and Applebloom told me something was on her mind. What was it, Twilight?"

"She said she wanted to do some research into Ponyville's History to see if she could find her roots. I have a feeling she feels left out from having big sisters like her friends do," Twilight explained.

Rarity thought for a moment and said, "Sweetie Belle did say Scootaloo looked a little down at school today. That must be why." 

"But what does she think she'll find in the Library?" Applejack asked. 

"Can't she talk to her own parents?" Pinkie Pie asked. 

Rarity shook her head. "Pinkie Pie, don't you know? Scootaloo was raised at an orphanage."

Applejack nodded and added, "Rarity and I actually know she doesn't have a place to stay. We just pretend we don't so we don't make her feel bad." 

"We try to make her feel as welcome into our families as possible," Rarity finished. 

"Hmm," this new information was giving Twilight more of an idea. "I have an idea. Now listen closely..."


~   ~   ~


Applebloom had gathered the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders at the clubhouse. Scootaloo was the last to arrive, and her back was thick with books. She was relieved to finally be able to set her bag down. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged worried glances and looked at Scootaloo. 

"Scootaloo, what's all this for?" Applebloom asked. 

"Our quest for our Cutie Marks will have to be put on hold guys. I need your help," Scootaloo said as she took out her books. "I want to find out who my real parents are. And I think we can do this by reading into the history of Ponyville!" 

"So that's what's been bothering you," Sweetie Belle said. "Of course we'll help! This is more important than Cutie Marks!" 

"I agree," said Applebloom. "Let's get reading!" 

The Cutie Mark Crusaders started reading through the books. A couple hours passed and none of them seemed to be getting anywhere. Applebloom finally let out a groan of frustration and pushed her book away. 

"This is hopeless!" she groaned. "I think we need to get out into the field!" 

"That might be better," Sweetie Belle said. "All this book is talking about is the history of Sweet Apple Acres." 

"Oh I know! We could go to Cloudsdale!" Scootaloo suggested.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at her. "That won't work," said Applebloom. "Only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds, and we would need a powerful spell to help us do that." 

"Oh yeah.." Scootaloo frowned, looking down again. 

"Hey, we can still go around Ponyville! How about we visit the Orphanage?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "Maybe the answers will be there!" 

"That's a great Idea!" Scootaloo smiled again. "Come on!" 

The young filly hurried out of the clubhouse. Her friends followed her and they left Sweet Apple Acres. The trio went through Ponyville and headed towards the Orphanage. The Orphanage was actually near Ponyville, about a few more buildings down the road from there.

Scootaloo's heart started beating faster. Would she really find the answers she wanted here? And would she like them? What if they turned out to be awful, what would she do then? Scootaloo started to sweat nervously, because she was afraid. Her friends picked up on this and they both walked closer to her. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both smiled encouragingly at Scootaloo, and she felt better. No matter what happened, she would still have her friends to have her back. 

They reached the Orphanage and its doors. Scootaloo took a deep breath. She hadn't been here in about two years, and honestly, she was nervous. Would the ponies that cared for her still be there, and even more, would they remember her? 

Of course they will, it hasn't been that long. Only a couple years... Scootaloo told herself. I can do this. Besides, I got Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to help me out.

Scootaloo walked into the Orphanage, her friends right behind her. They were in a room that served as both a lobby and a play area. The play area was kept to one side of the room. There were a few fillies there, laughing and playing with little toys. One of the Caretakers was standing by and keeping an eye on the young ones. Scootaloo recognized her as Miss Angie, who had only been a volunteer when Scootaloo was still at the Orphanage. Now she seemed to have a permanent job there, and Scootaloo was happy to see a familiar face. 

"Miss Angie!" Scootaloo called to the older Pony. 

Miss Angie looked over at her and Scootaloo noticed how much older she had gotten. Her long golden pelt was still well kept, and her deep blue mane was much longer than the last time Scootaloo had seen her. Miss Angie smiled, recognizing the young filly as well. 

"Scootaloo, it's been a while!" she said as she walked over to her. "How are you? Oh, are these your friends?" Miss Angie looked curiously at Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. 

"Yes Miss Angie, this is Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. We're actually now a group known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders! As you can see we don't have them yet, so we're working together to find our Cutie Marks," Scootaloo explained after she introduced her friends.

"Oh how cute!" Miss Angie smiled at them. "So does that mean you're here to get your Cutie marks in Foal raising?" 

Scootaloo giggled and said, "No, but we'll save that idea for later. Right now we're here for something a little more personal." 

Miss Angie nodded and said, "Well what can I help you with?" 

"I want to know who my parents are," Scootaloo said. "I was hoping you or somepony else would know something about who brought me here." 

"Oh," Miss Angie frowned. "I started Volunteering here a little bit after you arrived, sorry. But I think I do know somepony who might be able to tell you what you want to know."

Scootaloo's eyes widened in hope, "Really? Who?" 

"You might not remember her, but she was the cook in charge when you were still here. Her name is Miss Sugar Drop. I'll take you to the kitchen to see her," said Miss Angie. 

"Thank you!" Scootaloo breathed. "Come on guys," she said to her friends. 

Miss Angie smiled and led them through another doorway and to the orphanage's kitchen. When they went inside, the three young fillies could smell delicious aromas filling the air. Scootaloo's mouth began to water and she swallowed, looking around for someone who might be Miss Sugar Drop. Then she saw a blue mare with a curly yellow mane. Her cutie mark was a wooden spoon with a drop of chocolate on the tip. 

The sound of hoofsteps made Miss Sugar Drop turn towards the four Ponies. "Oh Miss Angie, what brings you here?" she asked before she saw Scootaloo. "Now hold on just a moment, is that Scootaloo?" 

Scootaloo blushed in embarrassment when Miss Sugar Drop came over to her and patted her on the head. "Why, I haven't seen you since you were this small!" Miss Sugar Drop raised her hoof about an inch above the ground to demonstrate. "You've grown a lot, how are you Scootaloo?" 

"I'm all right Miss Sugar Drop. I'm actually here because I was hoping you could tell me something about who brought me here," Scootaloo told the older pony. 

"Ah, well that's a bit of a sad tale," Miss Sugar Drop said, her smile fading. "Are you sure you want to know, Scootaloo?" 

"Positive," Scootaloo said with conviction.

"All right, well come on over and sit down here," Miss Sugar Drop led the ponies to a little table in the corner of the kitchen. 

The ponies sat around the table and Miss Sugar Drop started to speak,

"You came in the middle of the night, Scootaloo. I was cleaning up after having a bit of a snack one night when I heard somepony crying outside. I went to the door and opened up. There you were, all tiny and wrapped up in a basket. It was raining outside, and I think you were crying because it was cold out. There was a little note attached to your blanket, and it was starting to get a little wet from the rain. 

Well there was no way I was leaving you out there in the rain, so I went ahead and brought you inside. I took you to the fire place here and picked you up, cuddling you close. You calmed down and fell asleep right there. I set you back down in your basket momentarily so I could look at the note. I still have it here if you want to read it yourself, I've been holding on to it all these years." 

Miss Sugar Drop took out a piece of paper from a pocket in her apron. She set it down on the table and pushed it towards Scootaloo with a hoof. Scootaloo took the paper and looked at it. She looked to her two friends for support, and they gave her encouraging smiles. Scootaloo slowly unfolded the paper and read it to herself. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle leaned in to read the note as well. The note read: 


We are two ponies down out of our luck. My husband has taken terribly ill, and I fear I have already caught the disease as well. We want our daughter to be healthy and safe, and we cannot care for her when we can hardly care for ourselves. We beg of you, please take our little filly into your hooves. We pray to Celestia that she will have a happy life.
With Love, Windy and Blue Breeze.


When Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at their friend, tears were rolling down her cheeks. Scootaloo tried hold back the tears but she failed miserably. She wasn't abandoned, but the letter gave her a gut feeling that her parents were gone forever. She knew who her parents were, but she would never be able to see them. 

"I had no idea.." she whispered. The little filly looked at Miss Sugar Drop, and said in a trembling voice, "T-thank you." 

Then Scootaloo turned and ran. She was angry her parents were gone, and she hated the horrible circumstances of her parents' situation. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said a quick goodbye to the two older ponies and ran after their friend, who would need their comfort.