"[I]I[/I] heard she sleeps in a cardboard box." Silver Spoon smirked.

"I've been over to her house before," Sweetie Belle said, "that's not true!"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom added. "Back off!"

Diamond Tiara clucked her tongue. "It could always be the [i]orphanage[/i]."

"That's a good point," Truffle Shuffle said, wincing as everyone looked at him. "I-I'm only saying I've never met her parents."

"Maybe it [i]ith[/i] her houthe and thee liveth there all by herthelf!"

"Aw, Twist, not you too!" Apple Bloom frowned.

"I heard her parents were dead," said Archer, entering their circle.

Truffle cleared his throat. "It could be only one of her parents is dead, and the other works extra jobs to support them."

Diamond Tiara flipped her mane. "Like, who works [i]two[/i] jobs?"

"Yeah." Silver Spoon snickered. "I bet her parents refuse to be seen with her because she can't fly." She and Diamond cackled.

"That ain't nice!" Apple Bloom stamped her hoof. "Why y'all talkin' about Scoots behind her back?"

"We don't mean any harm, honetht," Twist said, grinning sheepishly.

"What if Princess Celestia were her mother?" Truffle said, humming. "Her flightlessness could be due to inbreeding among the nobility."

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stared, agape.

"Eww!" Silver Spoon said. "Why would you even [i]think[/i] about something like that?"

After a pause, Archer asked, "What if they live in Cloudsdale and sent her here since she can't fly?"

"What if they're really thick and Thcoot hathta take care of 'em?"

"What if she never [i]had[/i] parents?" Sweetie Belle cheered, hopping in place. "What if she's really a changeling?"

"Or a space alien?" Archer said, grinning.

"E-[i]nough[/i]!"

Apple Bloom held her head low, snorting and panting as she glared at them. "Sweetie, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Sweetie Belle's face fell. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"And the rest o' y'all should know better!" Apple Bloom ground her teeth. "Gossipin' somepony's personal business when they ain't around ain't right!"

"Ugh," Diamond said, flipping her mane again, "what's the big deal? We're just wondering about your dumb friend."

"Perhaps we should consider asking her ourselves," Truffle said, pointing behind them.

Instantly, all seven foals surrounded Scootaloo, pelting her with questions.

"Cardboard box?"

"Celestia?"

"Orphanage?"

"Thpathe alien?"

"What the...?" Scootaloo backed up against the swingset. "What are you talking about?"

"We ain't never met your parents!" Apple Bloom rushed over, planting her forehooves on Scootaloo's shoulders. "What happened, Scoot? You can tell me, honest!"

Sweetie Belle shot her an irritated look, adding, "We're just concerned. We want to make sure you're being cared for."

Scootaloo's face darkened. "Oh, I see. I know those rumors everypony says about me!" She move Apple Bloom's embrace, adopting a mocking tone. "'Scoot can't fly 'cuz she's a chicken! She's got no parents, blah-de-blah-de-blah!' You should be ashamed of yourselves for believing that garbage."

Everyone except Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon lowered their heads.

"So which is it, [i]chicken[/i]?" Diamond said, leering.

Scootaloo glowered. "I live in a big house! And not an orphanage either." She kicked her scooter under herself, wings buzzing. "And I've got all the parents I could ever want!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged concerned looks as Scootaloo zipped out of the playground.

[hr]

The tears cleared before Scootaloo made it home. It wasn't like she hadn't been hearing that crap her entire life. But coming from her best friends, it was harder to take.

"Welcome home, honey!" cried a yellow-and-blue unicorn mare from the front door. Scootaloo smiled, placing her scooter in its front yard spot before wiping her hooves.

"How was school, champ?" asked an orange-and-purple pegasus stallion.

"It was great!" She unbuckled her helmet, placing it on the hatrack.

A yellow-and-blue unicorn's head poked around the kitchen doorframe, smiling. "Welcome home! Dinner's in the oven."

"Thanks, mom!" Scootaloo called.

Another yellow-and-blue unicorn took her backpack. Another orange-and-purple pegasus hugged her. A unicorn mare dusted bookshelves, and another fed the fish. An orange-and-purple pegasus zipped downstairs, a yellow-and-blue unicorn shouting after him.

"No flying in the house!"

"Don't mind her, sport," he said to Scootaloo. "Hoofball before dinner?"

"Maybe tomorrow, dad," she said, taking a spot in the living room. He tousled her mane, leaving by the front door.

Scootaloo sat back, watching her household move. Everywhere, a blue-and-yellow unicorn mare and an orange-and-purple pegasus stallion moved together, cleaning, playing, laughing. Something welled in her throat, her face contorting before tears slid out. She sniffed, but more came.

"I've got... a-all the parents... I could ever w-want..."