Scootaloo scowled as the third pair of lovers passed by her in the courtyard of Ponyville. The town was celebrating its annual hearts and hooves holiday yet again. Houses, shops, and local artworks were practically being strangled by the amount of streamers and party decorations that now littered the small square.
 
Around the young Pegasus, stallions were wooing mares with flowers, dancing, or chocloates, and in some cases, it was vice versa. Mare’s would roll their hips, whistle to the males, and giggle in small herds. Other ponies were dancing in the courtyard, holding hooves, nuzzling and evening sneaking a kiss here and there.
 
Scootaloo groaned and turned away from the mushy show of affection, her heart feeling all the more heavy.
 
As the day had dragged on, her two friends, Sweetie belle and apple bloom, had been whisked away by their sisters to partake in personal family parties, leaving Scootaloo all by her self.
 
Again.
 
It was the same scenario every year, they’d have fun, enjoy the holiday with family and get a few cards of love, and scootaloo would disappear into the background, barely acknowledged by those around her.
 
She hated it more than anything.
 
As her eyes followed the road that lead out of town and into the everfree forest, she began to ponder what Chrysalis might be up to. Did changelings celebrate pony holidays? Did Chrysalis know what it was at all? she hoped not. Wandering down off the road and onto a side path Scootaloo soon found herself standing meters away from a wooden door that had been Jerri-rigged into place over a small cave opening.
 
The home of Chrysalis, former changeling queen, and now ostracized citizen of ponyville.
 
As Scoots entered she called out,
 
“Chyrssy? It’s me Scootaloo…you here?”
 
She waited a few moments, listening, her ears swiveling too and fro for the gently clop of hooves or buzzing of the changeling’s wings, but nothing came to her. Sighing, Scoots closed the door behind her and wandered farther forward into the entry way, it was darker than normal, so she assumed Chryssy was either out exploring or was asleep.
 
“SURPRISE!” Scootaloo Screamed, her wings shot open, and she back pedaled quickly as the lanterns flared to life around her. Standing not two meters away was chyrsalis, holding a large red heart in her hooves. The heart had the words “happy hearts and hooves day Scootaloo!” inscribed across its surface. Glitter dotted it’s sides here and there.
 
Scootaloo fell onto her rump, several emotions danced across her face as she looked around. The table was covered in a mixture of glue, glitter and paper snippets. a few boxes of chocolate were also unwrapped and opened nearby, and Chysalis was practically covered in crafts materials. her mane shined from the glitter, her nose and legs had splotches of glue on them, and her withers were covered in remains of paper.
 
Unable to form words, Scootaloo simply sat there, staring at the room with a mixture of shock and confusion for several heart pounding moments. Chysalis smiled and walked forward, setting the paper heart at Scootaloo’s feet.
 
“It took me several hours to get the right words down, I never usually have that problem. Speaking comes quite easy to us queens so I thought it’d be just as simple to write how I felt, but I must say, crafts are harder to do when…you…Scootaloo?” The orange mare blinked and looked up,
 
“I…what?” Chysalis had gone from smiling to a look of worry,
 
“Are you okay Scootaloo?” Scoots took a second to register the question, but stood quickly and nodded,
 
“yeah, totally…” Chrysalis’s frown deepened,
 
“Your crying.”
 
Scootaloo blinked, and realized that tears were in fact streaming down her face. Hitting her like a train, her emotions barreled past her defensive walls and crashed into the forefront of her mind. Crumbling to the floor Scootaloo sniffled, coughed, and then wailed, burying her face in her fore hooves.
 
Chysalis was completely thrown off by the wave of slurred emotions that battered her, unsure of what to do, she simply stood there, a look of apprehension and confusion slowly appearing on her features.
 
“Scootaloo…I…whats wrong girl?” Stepping forward Chyrsalis lowered herself down next to the mare and immediately felt the pegasus dive against her barrel, sobbing.
 
“I..I hate this..this stupid holiday!” She sniffed, trying to push the emotions back but her mental walls were gone.
 
“I hate it…its always ‘love this’ or ‘love that’, b-but no one even l-loves me!” Scoots failed to see the look of hurt that jumped onto Chrysalis’s face, and the way her teeth clenched for a moment.
 
“Scootaloo, that’s not true….hey, come here.” Nudging the mare from her side she wrapped her arms around the smaller female and sighed gently, Scoots merely slumped into her shoulders, unable to stop the river of tears.
 
“You know that I love you, Scoots. You’ve been there for me when I had no one…I guess its time I return the favor huh?” Scootaloo shrugged,
 
“Sure, go ahead and try…its not like you can bring my parents back anyway…”
 
Chysalis raised her brow at the words,
 
“Your parents? what do they have to do with hearts and hooves day?” Scootaloo didn’t comment for several seconds, her nose gently rubbing into Chysalis’ shoulder for comfort, rock hard chitin wasn’t very good for giving it though.
 
“Th-the others… the other kids…they have parents who love them on heart n’ hooves day…me? i’ve got no on–” a hoof stopped her sentence as Chyrsalis pushed her gently back into her side, letting the mare’s head rest on her withers,
 
“You’ve got me Scootaloo, and…if you want, I could…well…I could be your mother…”
 
Scootaloo blinked, her eyes slowly raised until they out-sized most dinner plates. Snapping her head back she barely whispered,
 
“Y-you…you’d be my…m-mother?” With a small smirk, and a flourish of fire, Chrysalis transformed herself into an alicorn that Scootaloo had never seen before. Red and purple hair flowed down her neck and over her face, her large feathered wings easily dwarfed the mare and a horn as red as blood itself lanced out from her forehead. An odd color cobination to be sure, but beautiful all the same. Before she could speak Chysalis stretched out her wing and unceremoniously flopped it over the mare.
 
Scootaloo had never, ever, felt so embarrassed by the action before. Deep down however, she’d wanted it to happen, needed it to happen. Pegaus mothers used their wings like this for their foals. And Scootaloo, for once in her life…
 
Felt loved.
 
As she began to gently nuzzle and nip into the wing, her drowsiness taking over, she barely heard her “mother’s” voice,
 
“Happy hearts n Hooves day, my Scootaloo.”
 
 
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Happy valentines day everyone ^^