link1able - So do I, but as usual, I'm not givin' away any spoilers ;) Do you have a story I.D. for Anthropology, because I looked for it but couldn't find it.

KillerWow - Wow... Especially knowing that you also read The Monster of Canterlot, written by the author who got me interested in writing fanfics to begin with... just wow. I like AJ too, but I don't see her get romanced very often. Unfortunately I can't include all my favorites, otherwise half of Ponyville would be in the herd.

Zelfra1234 - Oh you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that... maybe Luna ;)

HYBRID BATTLESHIP INFINITY210 - You're lucky, I saw something similar happen at my junior high, and the one who pulled the chair out got expelled for "performing a potentially dangerous act against a fellow student", while the one who chased him got suspended for five days for disrupting classes and swearing. It was funny at the time though.

A/N - Well, the stitches come out today and the doctor will be doing some tests to hopefully find out how extensive the nerve and possibly tendon damage is. Depending on how things go, I may need to slow down to every other week for updates as I essentially relearn to use my left (dominant) hand. It got torn up in a machine at work last week, and while there were luckily no broken bones, there is nerve and possibly tendon damage on top of the fact I almost lost a finger. This has unfortunately slowed my writing speed down significantly. I will be looking for a way to avoid this, but if I don't post an update next week, I'll at least update my profile to let everyone know what's going on. As always, don't forget to follow/favorite, review and most importantly, enjoy!

Once the train had departed Ponyville, Scootaloo began scooting slowly closer to me. I was all but certain there was something on her mind besides spending time with me, but after thinking about it for a bit, I decided that she would tell me in her own time and didn't bring it up. "So Scoots, you and the others try any new ways to get your cutie marks lately?"

"Tons! We tried being chefs, firefighters, salesponies, and we tried hang gliding!" The fiery little Pegasus listed off enthusiastically. "Applebloom heard about that thing you did with the wall and suggested we try bein' engineers like you, but we weren't sure how to do that." She started strong, but finished a little dejectedly.

It gave me a warm feeling that these little fillies wanted to be like me, especially Scootaloo; I couldn't explain why, but for some reason I felt closer to her than I did the other two, and I had a feeling she felt the same way. "It takes a long time to be an engineer Scoots, hay, I've been learning it for ten years and I still don't know everything." Her face fell. "Don't worry though, if you want, I can show you some of the basics and see if it'd be something you'd like."

"Yeah! That sounds awesome Blake!" She exclaimed, that bright little smile of hers quickly returning.

We lapsed back into a comfortable silence, the two of us just enjoying the ride, with Scootaloo edging closer and closer until eventually, she was right up against me. I looked down to her to see her smiling brightly up at me. I wrapped an arm around her and just held her gently against me. Eventually, I began hearing light snoring sounds coming from the little orange filly. I looked down again to see that she had curled up into a little ball like a cat somehow without me noticing. I shifted my hand and began softly petting her sleeping form, causing her to snuggle a little tighter against me.

This is how the rest of the trip to Canterlot was spent; I let Scootaloo sleep, seeing as she had likely woken up earlier than she was used to in order to come with me. As we approached the Canterlot train station, I began gently rocking Scoots awake. "Hmm? Wazzat?" She asked in a sleepy haze.

"We're here Scoots, time to wake up." I told her quietly. She began stretching and let out a wide yawn, both actions making her look very cat-like. "Have a good nap?" I asked her with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't realize how tired I was." She told me as she rubbed an eye with the back of her little hoof and let out another yawn.

"So Scoots, have you ever been to Canterlot before?"

She nodded. "Yup. Only once though, back when Princess Cadence married Twilight's brother."

"I didn't know Twilight had a brother. I wonder why she never told me…"

Scootaloo shrugged. "I dunno, all I know is that they run the Crystal Empire up in the North together."

Before we could converse further, the train lurched gently to a halt, indicating we had arrived. "Well, looks like this is our stop. I wonder if anypony will be here to greet us."

Scootaloo hopped down from the seat and walked beside me, the knee-high filly had a smile on her face. We exited the train amongst a small group of other ponies that I didn't recognize. When I looked up from ducking below the short door of the train car, I beheld a sight that made me chuckle; Princess Luna was standing there with big, white sign that had my name sloppily written on it, a huge smile on her face.

We walked up to the merry prankster. "Hey Scoots, who's this 'Blake Marshall' guy this crazy mare's waiting for?" I asked, deciding to mess with Luna somewhat.

She giggled, catching onto the game. "I dunno, seems like an awfully weird name for a pony, maybe that's why this weird mare likes him."

Luna's happy smile dissolved into an obviously fake pout. "I am not weird!" She said, stamping a hoof in mock frustration. "I happen to be eccentric." She corrected as she turned her head to the side and closing her eyes while placing a hoof to her chest.

I chuckled. "Whatever you say weirdo. Any idea where we might find Princess Luna?"

She stuck her bottom lip out and folded her ears back rather cutely. "You are being a big meanie!" She said in an even more outlandishly pouty voice as she stomped a hoof.

I knelt down and hugged her. "I'm sorry Luna, you're right, that was mean of me." I told her sincerely. "All better?"

She returned my affection. "Hmm… it is a start, but I already have other plans for you to make it up to me later." I need an adult? "Now, you have both had a long trip and I am sure you wish to 'settle in'. Once that is done, you shall meet with the ponies whom you shall be consulting with for the duration of your stay for introductions, and then you shall be free to do whatever you wish for the remainder of the day."

Luna led us through the main gates of the palace and past its guards, then through the labrynthian hallways and to what seemed to be the same guest room I had stayed in before. When we entered the room, I noticed that it did in fact seem to be the same room, save for one addition; a smaller bed placed next to the first, seemingly just the right size for a filly or colt.

"Luna, did you know Scootaloo would be coming with us?" I asked as I turned to her.

She smiled sheepishly. "I may have implied that it would do her well to do so during a dream. However, why she wished to accompany you is for her to tell. Speaking of which, I shall leave you two to settle and discuss things in private. Farewell Blake and young Scootaloo, I shall see you both soon." And with that, she walked through the door, leaving us alone.

"So Scoots, what did she mean by all that?"

She grinned sheepishly. "I have no idea, I… Aww, who am I kidding? I can't lie to you Blake. The truth is, coming here was my decision, but Luna helped me make it."

I quirked an eyebrow quizzically. "So then, your parents don't know that you're here?" I stated more than asked.

"N-no, they don't…" She said, sounding ore upset about it than I expected her to.

"Well, we should ask Celestia to relay a message to them through Twilight so they know you're alright."

"I don't think that's gonna work…" She said just as sadly as before.

"Why not, are they out of town or something? I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard for Twi-"

"I DON'T HAVE ANY PARENTS, OK?!" She yelled, cutting me off.

My eyes shot open in shock, but before she could say anything else, I snatched her up in a tight hug. "Scoots… I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean to force you to tell me that."

She wrapped her little forelegs around my neck and hugged me back. "It's ok Blake, I meant to tell you eventually… I've lived in the Ponyville orphanage for most of my life. I don't even know who my parents are; all I can remember is a pair of colored blobs from when I was a foal." She began to sob quietly into my shoulder, and I squeezed her just a little tighter. Once she calmed down a bit, she began to speak again. "I've been around Applebloom and Sweetie Belle's families enough that I kind of think of them like a family, and Rainbow Dash has lately been like the big sister I never had. And then when you came here and saved me from those Timberwolves and even played with me, I felt something different… I can't really describe it, it's kinda like how I feel about the others, but stronger."

She sniffled a bit and pulled back to look me in the eye. "I didn't lie to you when I said I wanted to spend time with you, I just… I don't know…"

"You wanted to know what it's like to have a dad…"

She hopped down from my lap and headed towards the door. "I know, it was stupid to hope for something like that. I'll go back to Ponyville if you want." She sounded thoroughly defeated.

Scootaloo let out a yelp when I wrapped my arms around her midsection as she reached the door. "The only place we're going right now is to see the princesses." I told the surprised little filly in my arms.

"W-why would we need to go see them?" She asked fearfully.

"Because…" I said as I made our way down the hall towards the throne room. "Who better to tell us what I need to do to adopt a certain loveable filly?"

I stopped in my tracks as she wiggled around in my grasp and threw her forelegs around my neck again. "Y-you r-really mean it?"

I smiled warmly even though I knew she couldn't see it and hugged her back. "Of course I do… You know that feeling you were talking about a bit ago?" She nodded silently into my shoulder. "Well, I felt it too, but I didn't say anything because I thought you had a family of your own. If I'd known sooner…" I trailed off, not feeling it necessary to finish.

I started walking again, the little orange filly and I still hugging as I did so. I thought it was strange that the tomboyish little filly would be comfortable showing affection like this in a relatively public place, but decided to just go with it.

Soon enough, we were standing before the doors to the throne room, a pair of Solar Guards standing to either side of the ornate entrance. Scootaloo decided to hop down out of my grasp and walk the rest of the way. When the guards noticed us approaching, they crossed the spears they were wielding in front of the door. "We're sorry sir, but the princess has requested that none disturb her at the moment, if you have an appointment, you'll need to reschedule it for a later time." The one to my left stated.

As we turned to leave, I heard the throne room doors open. "Your Majesty! There's nothing to worry about, we've informed these two that you're not to be disturbed."

We turned around to see Celestia standing in the doorway, shifting disapproving glares between her two guards. "I ordered that none save for this stallion may disturb me." She said with annoyance. "Your guest is welcome as well, of course." She said with her trademark motherly smile as she looked to us.

The guards hastily retracted their spears and took a step away from the door to allow us entrance, and probably to get a little further away from the goddess-like ruler who was now annoyed with them.

Scoots and I followed the white Alicorn into the throne room and remained until she had returned to her place atop her large, marble throne and the purple pillow that cushioned the seat. "So, to what do I owe the honor of this visit today Blake?"

"Well, we actually had a question for you if you don't mind answering it."

"Of course I wouldn't, please, ask away." She said, not losing her smile.

I looked down to Scootaloo, who flashed me a hopeful smile. "Well, we were wondering what I would need to do to adopt this adorable little filly next to me."

Her smile shifted to the more genuine one I've seen on occasion. "I see. It seems you never cease to better the lives of those around you. While there are adoption centers across Equestria, all adoption requests must go through the Family Care Representative here in Canterlot. You can find her office right here in the palace as a matter of fact; most forms are mailed to her office, but since you are here, you can set up an appointment and see her in pony."

"Thank you Princess. So, is there any particular reason you've got yourself locked in the throne room at the moment?"

Celestia sighed. "Just the burdens of rulership. I have been watching over my little ponies for thousands of years, and while Luna has been a great help in relieving the pressure of caring for an entire country, it still weighs heavily on me. It is nothing serious, I simply needed some tome to myself to relax. I will be fine soon enough."

I frowned, somewhat worried about the Solar Princess. "Well alright, if you're sure. If you'd like, we could come by during the week after I'm done dealing with these ponies I'm supposed to consult with and have a more casual visit with you."

"Thank you Blake, I would like that very much. For now though, you should get going, you don't have much time before you're supposed to meet the various council members. The Family Care Representative's office is down the hall to your right as you exit the throne room." She added as we turned to leave.

Scootaloo and I waved goodbye to the white Alicorn perched atop a purple pillow and made our way out of the throne room. We turned right and made our way down the hall. Fortunately, all the various doorways seemed to be clearly marked, and it didn't take us long to find a door marked "Iron Heart – Family Care Representative" Well that's not ominous at all…

I grabbed the door handle and opened the door as quietly s I could, to see a steel-grey mare with a short, silver-streaked charcoal mane sitting behind a desk filling out some sort of form. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked in a monotone without looking up.

"Uhh… no, we were actually stopping by to set one up."

She looked up at us. "I'm sorry, Equestria has strict rules about inter-species adoptions, I can't help you." She said in the same monotone.

I felt an icy dagger stab me in the heart, a feeling that was magnified when I heard Scootaloo sniffle and sob next to me. "B-but, we were gonna be a f-family!"

I knelt down and hugged the sobbing filly, whispering reassurances to her as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck once again. I could feel the mare at the desk watching us. I picked Scootaloo up to leave and turned towards the door when I heard Iron Heart sigh. "I can't help you." She said in a different tone, causing me to pause; Scootaloo however, missed this subtle change as she began to cry harder. "I can't tell you to take the filly back to the orphanage she lives at." She looked around like someone might be watching from somewhere within the small, one room office. She then slipped me a small notepad and a pen and pointed to it. "I can't tell you to ask them to let you fill out special circumstances forms thirty six and forty two, and I definitely can't tell you to send them to this office with an addendum including Parental Competency form eight and Quality of Living form seventeen. I'm also not supposed to tell you that this process, while slow, has a high rate of successful inter-species adoptions." She whispered as she held a hoof to the side of her mouth.

Once I finished writing down all the information she'd given me, I felt a slight tug on my shirt sleeve. "Can we go now Blake? I… I don't wanna be here anymore…" Scootaloo whimpered, sounding absolutely heartbroken.

I picked up Scootaloo's weeping form and began walking out the door before turning to Iron Heart. "Thank you for your time miss, we'll be going now."

"Goodbye, I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. If it's any consolation, I think you'd make a great father." Iron Heart waved as we left.

Once we were back in the hall I looked down to Scootaloo. "Cheer up kiddo, everything's gonna be ok."

She looked back at me through puffy, red eyes. "How can you say that?! That mean mare said you can't adopt me!"

I showed her the paper I had written the information down on. "Because of this Scoots. That 'mean mare' gave me this information that'll help us get the adoption pushed through, even though it was information she wasn't supposed to give us.."

She looked hopeful for a moment before turning sad again. "B-but, what'll happen to me in the mean time?"

"Well, this form called 'Parental Competency' sounds like an observational form that the orphanage will fill out based on how well I can take care of you for a period of time."

Her eyes widened. "You mean…"

I smiled down at her, "Yup, you'll get to live with me while they're making their observations."

She squealed happily and lunged up to squeeze me around my neck in the tightest hug the fiery little filly's ever given me. The hug was so tight in fact that I was having trouble breathing. As much as my body was telling me that I needed air, I couldn't bring myself to make her stop and instead just hugged her back.

"It would seem I am intruding on a moment." We suddenly heard from behind us.

I turned and Scootaloo raised her head from my shoulder to see Luna standing in the hallway with a smile. "I thought I might find the two of you here. How fared your trip to the Family Care Representative?"

"It could have gone better; it could have gone worse, but it could have gone better."

"I see. It is time for you to meet with the councilponies, why do you not tell me about your visit on the way?"

As we walked, I told Luna about our visit with Iron Heart, and how she helped us despite it obviously being something she wasn't supposed to do. "I see… Well, I am glad to hear that she does not live up to her name. It is unfortunate, but my sister and I have very little influence when it comes to certain areas of ruling and governing our nation; it is true that we could take a more active role in such decisions, but that would not only place a heavier burden upon us than we already carry, but it would tip the balance of our government and potentially weaken it."

I was about to reply when we came to a door. "Ah, we are here." Luna stated as we walked up to the inconspicuous door. She opened the door with her magic and we stepped inside. There was a large table surrounded by a number of chairs in the center of a relatively undecorated rectangular room. Around half of these chairs were occupied by ponies, stallions and mares alike, and each seemed to be wearing some sort of gaudy get-up that made my eyes hurt.

"Greetings everypony, this is Blake Marshall, and he shall be consulting with you for the betterment of Equestria's construction methods and practices. I would ask that you listen to him, as he has already proven his knowledge to me via a competition in which he was challenged to build a stronger wall than our current methods could produce."

"And how, pray tell, did this 'competition' end?" A particularly snooty-sounding earth pony mare asked.

Rather than responding with words, Luna's horn sparked to life and a shimmering hemisphere appeared on the table. The hemisphere quickly filled with a familiar scene, depicting the construction site and the two walls placed side-by-side. It began replaying the scene in real-time, starting with the first swing of the wrecking ball and ending as the supports for my wall crumpled and it toppled to the ground, the wall itself still relatively intact. I looked around to see the various expressions of awe on their faces.

"So, how do we know he didn't use magic to enhance the wall?" One of the mares asked.

"Do you doubt my word?" Luna asked incredulously.

The mare looked side to side nervously. "I-I mean no disrespect Princess, it's just that… well, I believe I speak for everypony when I say we've never seen non-magical construction that can withstand that kind of abuse before."

Luna nodded. "I understand your concern, but that is exactly why Blake is here; it would seem that in comparison to his kind's knowledge of construction, what we possess is sorely lacking. My sister and I would like you to learn what you can from this stallion and improve where we are lacking for the betterment of all ponykind."

After that, the introductions were made, with most of the ponies giving me a holier-than-thou attitude, like they were only tolerating my presence because their Princesses required it, which was likely true. Fortunately, things moved along quickly; not so fortunately, this meeting told me that this would be a long week. As Luna and I turned to leave, I collected Scootaloo from the chair she had curled up and fallen asleep on. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the spunky filly, being basically ignored while I met with the irritatingly snooty ponies I would be working with for the next week.

"So Blake, what do you think of the council members?"

I groaned. "Honestly, they're gonna make this a looong week…"

She snickered. "Consider yourself lucky, you shall only be forced to put up with them for a week, my sister and I must deal with them on a daily basis. Now, on to your… compensation, shall we say, for your earlier meanness; I would like you to take me out to dinner." She looked at the still-sleeping filly in my arms. "Young Scootaloo is welcome to join us… if she can stay awake that is." She said with a giggle.

I chuckled. "Oh noes, taking my beautiful marefriend out on a romantic dinner date, how horrible!" I said playfully.

Luna blushed. "You are simply flattering me."

"Since when is the truth flattery?" I whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder slightly. "So, where am I taking the lovely Luna this evening?"

She stroked her chin in thought for a moment. "I believe I shall leave that up to you to decide."

I thought about where to take her as we made our way towards the palace's main gate. As we passed through the threshold and passed the Solar Guard ponies stoically watching for potential threats, I came up with an idea. "I know! Why don't we go to that Chateau de Excentricité place we went to the first time? The food there is always great, plus it's where we had our first official date."

Luna looked to the sleeping filly in my arms. "What about young Scootaloo? I doubt she would appreciate the… unique aromas that that particular restaurant produces."

"Seems I know something you don't." I said playfully.

"And what pray tell, would that be?" She asked with an obviously fake annoyed look.

"That this restaurant has a section that's been enchanted to block out those particular smells for patrons who want to eat here but don't want the fishy smell disturbing their meal."

"I see. It would seem that you did indeed know something I did not." She replied with a small smile. As she opened her mouth to say something else, a chorus of growls resonated from the three of us as the aromas wafting from the restaurant in question tickled our noses and awakened our palettes.

I felt Scootaloo shifting around in my arms as she began to wake up. "Mmnh. Where are we?" The sleepy little filly asked as she rubbed sleep from her eye.

We're at a restaurant Scoots, and from the sounds of it, we got here just in time." I told her with a chuckle.

"Wow! This place looks awesome! Are we really eating here?!" She asked excitedly.

"Sure are kiddo. This is the place Luna and I had our first date."

She seemed to be more preoccupied with sniffing the air than listening to me, however. "What's that smell? It smells… weird, but kinda good too. Is that from some kind of food they serve here?"

"Well, why don't we go in and you'll find out?" I replied playfully as I tousled her mane.

She responded by batting my hand away with a hoof. "Hey, cut it out!" She cried with a giggle.

I set her down and the three of us made our way to the podium so that we could be seated.