Through The Eyes of Innocenceby IcudeadnowChaptersChapter 1: The Ones We Love...Chapter 2: It Started With A Whisper...Chapter 3: Everlasting Love...Chapter 4: Something Not Quite Right...Chapter 5: The Truth...Chapter 1: The Ones We Love...Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action? -Arthur Miller * * * * * The wind whistled, rustling her purple mane, and tickled behind her ears. It beckoned with its lonely song of need... desire. She knew how it felt. To be cast out among the unwanted. She had experienced this many times but... she felt almost happy. She felt like her hardships in the past were forgotten. These past few years with her two best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have been the highlight of her young life. The hurt and sadness that were her sorrowful memories had been reduced to a dull thud in her subconcious. She looked up and smiled, letting the afternoon sun wash across her face. A butterfly perched upon her nose and she opened her eyes, slowly. The two exchanged a blank stare with one another. How can something so small cause such unexplainable emotions inside of her? they were good emotions but they were unexpected to say the least. She felt curious and happy at the same time. As soon as it had made itself known, it spread its wings and flew free of the connection they shared. How could something so small mean something so big...? "Scootaloo, you coming or what?" Sweetie belle asked, an annoyed tone of voice evident. Scootaloo looked back down from this strange sight and down to her two friends who were looking at her rather strangely. Scootaloo smiled again and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm coming" Scootaloo said. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a look and a raising of an eyebrow that said they knew something was up. "Scoots... what in tarnation is up with ya? Ya been more distracted than bear eyein' fish in a river" Applebloom asked, concern showing in her eyes. Oh, if only they knew how lucky they had it. How lucky she has been these past few years.... "Yeah, I'm good. Can you stop worrying about me and can we just go already?" Scootaloo asked, feigning annoyance when she actually enjoyed talking with them every chance she got. It reminded her that this wasn't some hopeful dream that would later prove to be some sort of cruel joke by life. But, thankfully and fortunately, it proves to be fixed upon reality. The three friends walked along the winding road, familiar sights surrounding them. "So, I think Rumble likes you Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle said with a mischevious and teasing tone of voice. Her head was turned away from the orange filly's gaze but she thought she could see the outline a wicked grin. Scootaloo blushed but still glared at her unicorn friend. "No he does not!" Scootaloo shot back at her firend who giggled. she looked to Applebloom who just rolled her eyes and acted like this wasn't happening. "Yes he does. He even asked me to tell you that he wanted to take you to the dance." Sweetie Belle said with a slight blush and a giggle. Scootaloo's glare softened and turned to happiness, which she tried to hide to her friends but to no avail. Applebloom raised an eyebrow and giggled softly. "He did? Well... huh..." Scootaloo said, at a loss for words. She had always thought Rumble was such a nice colt. He even walked her home after she learned that her mother had finally lost the battle with cancer. Her mother had always been such a strong-hearted mare. She knew when Scootaloo was sad... when she needed guidance. But that one day at school was what tore her apart from the inside... but Rumble was there. * * * * * "Can anypony tell me about why we celebrate the summer sun celebration? Anypony at all?" Ms. Cheerilee asked the colts and fillies situated at their desks. A few hooves were raised into the air, most reluctantly, but one eagerly shot up. "Yes, Twist? Can you tell the class why?" Ms. Cheerilee asked enthusiastically. Twist began but was cut off when a police pony ran through the door. "Is Scootaloo here?" The police pony asked. The class was stunned at what had just happened. Most of all Ms. Cheerilee. "Has she done something wrong?" The teacher asked, worry evident in her voice. The police pony hesitated and looked to the ground. He obviously was uncomfortable with whatever he had to say. "No... it's... about her mother." The police pony said, his gaze as serious as it gets. "What about my mom?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a fear unlike any she had ever felt before. The police pony looked at her with pity-filled and apologetic eyes. "Come over here so nopony can hear us... trust me... they don't need to know right now..." The police pony said. There was something in his voice and in his eyes that told her that this was going to be bad. She got up out of her desk and walked over to the stallion. She reluctantly got out of the listening distance of her childhood friends and walked to the doorway with the police pony. "Scootaloo... I don't know how to tell you this but... your mother... she... died just this afternoon. I am so sorry..." The police pony said with a look of apolegetic sorrow that ripped through her soul. Her mind reeled with a million thoughts and feelings. This could not be happening... couldn't... she just saw her this morning. She spent the night listening to her breathing in her sleep. They had exchanged jokes and she had said something that had her thinking all day. Her mother had told her that no matter how hard and grim things seem in life... never stop reaching for the stars. "What...?" Scootaloo whispered, her voice cracking up as she felt the tears break free of their prison. For so long she had kept these feelings at bay but they all came out in a flood. "Scootaloo..." The police pony began. Scootaloo did not want to hear any more of this... there was no way this was happening.... "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Scootaloo screamed as the tears ran freely down her cheek. She ran off down the road, leaving the police pony and the gathered crowd of her classmates at the door. "Scootaloo! Where are ya going?!" Applebloom yelled after her. She did not stop but just kept on running, hoping she could escape this all too real nightmare. She wanted to wake up... to all be some kind of sick nightmare. She ran to a alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. She let the tears fall freely as she let all her pent up emotions out. Her mother dead? Did dad know about this? She had already been there for about an hour, which was long enough for school to be out by now. If only her friends knew what kind of pain she was experiencing right now. She slowly loooked up to see a small butterfly perched upon the edge of the dumpster, making eye contact with her. It flew up to her and landed upon her nose. By then she had stopped crying and was enthralled with this strange occurance. They held the gaze for five long seconds before flying off into the air, free of the bonds of life's constant torment. "Scootaloo? Is that you?" A deeper voice than a filly but lighter than any stallion she had ever known called to her. She peeked over the side and saw Rumble standing at the entrance of the alleyway, looking at her in concern. When she did not say anything but broke down crying again, that was when he went up to her and held her in his hooves. Usually, she would reject this kind of affection but she so dearly needed somepony to hold her till' the hurt melted away. He made soft cooing sounds as they rocked back and forth. She cried into his shoulder and told him everything. About her mother, about the bond that they had shared... everything. "Shhh... it's alright. It's going to be alright." Rumble whispered softly while tightening his hold on her. She wanted to stay like this. To be loved like her mother had loved her. Maybe it would fill the gap? No... such foolish thinking only made things worse. Eventually they broke their hold on one another and awkwardly exchanged smiles and uncomfortable conversations. "So... you want me to walk you home? I would be more than happy to do that." Rumble offered while putting a hoof under chin and looking into her eyes. She didn't know why, but she felt like the world couldn't hurt her while she was with him. "No... I can't ask you to do that." Scootaloo said, almost on instinct. But more on the fact that she already felt like a helpless filly and not a strong mare, which she so desperately wanted to portray to those around her. "No, I insist! Here..." Rumble said and took her hoof in his. they both started to walk out of the alleyway together, not saying a single word the entire time. She looked at him and felt like her mother was right there beside him. She lay her head on his shoulder and got a suprised gasp in return. He relaxed after a bit and continued his curious observing of his surroundings. "You know... my mom died of cancer too." Rumble said, breaking the silence they had created. She looked up at him in suprise at this. "She did? How did... how did you handle this?" Scootaloo asked, which resulted in a stare into her eyes that made her shiver with a strange excitmement. "I... saw you everyday and... you remind me of her." Rumble said after a bit of hesitation. He had a warm smile on his face that literally melted her heart on the spot. I remind him of his mom? How? "I do? But how?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a crimson blush upon her soft cheeks. He only laughed and pulled her closer to him. "Because you're the most strong-willed filly I have ever met. You are kind, you don't take any lip from anypony. And you're so pretty, I could just look at your face all day and be happy the rest of my life." Rumble said, which made Scootaloo blush furiously and giggle. He put a hoof under chin and made her look at him, but gently and somehow not forcefully. "I mean it..." Rumble said with a hint of some other kind of emotion in his voice. She didn't know what to call it but it shone through his eyes the most. She simply smiled and rested her head upon his shoulder again. they finally made it to the front door of her father's house and they broke their connection with one another. "So... see you at school tomorrow?" Scootaloo asked. He smilled, reached in, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She blushed a deep crimson and looked away, not knowing what to say next or even how to react to what just happened. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world..." Rumble said in a small whisper that only they could have heard had somepony been listening to them. They parted ways and she went inside the house. She put her back against the door and couldn't help but smile even though her mother had died this morning. She walked to the living room to find her father with a bottle of whiskey and staring at the newspaper with dried tears on his eyes. "Oh... Scootaloo. You heard didn't you? What happened to mom?" Her father asked with a tone of emotional pain. She simply smiled sadly and looked off out the window, spotting a small butterfly perched outside the closed window. The sunlight beat down on the small creature that seemed strinkingly familiar to the one she had seen in the alleyway. "Yeah I heard." Scootaloo said with a dreamy smile fixated upon her soft lips. He looked at her like she had done something wrong and stuttered. "T-then why in the wide world of Equestria are you smiling for?" Her father asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "Because I know that she won't suffer anymore. She is finally in a better place away from the harm that this world has done to her." She said straight from the heart. The look of anger melted away from his eyes and was replaced with a father's pride. "You remind me so much of her, you know that? I'm sure wherever she is right now, she is smilin' at you." Her father said. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks dad..." Scootaloo said, somehow happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing? Maybe it was what needed to be done for her to finally be happy. But she knew what her mother would say right now... There is no better place that would make me any happier than I am with you. The world was full of hate and sadness but it was also filled with something else... something wonderful.... * * * * * "So, what do ya say to that Scoots?" Applebloom asked with a grin. Scootaloo just smiled and looked off to the side with a blush. "When is the dance?" Scootaloo asked with a dreamy look on her face. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged knowing smiles and giggled again like a couple of school fillies. Scootaloo glared at them and huffed. "Not sayin' I was going to go with him just... I need to know... for... reasons" Scootaloo tried to improvise, hoping she could take some of the heat off of her. "Oh come now. Ever since... that one day after school about 5 years ago when... Rumble comforted you and walked you home you have had a crush on him. You literally fell head over hoof in love with him if I was to guess." Sweetie belle said, cutting the bullshit that was eminating from Scootaloo's last comment. She guessed that lying to her friends was not the way to go so she decided that the truth was better. "I guess you're right... I think I do love him! What of it?" Scootaloo admitted but tried to mask her embarressment with some Scootaloo pride. Applebloom and Sweetie looked at her in shock. Scootaloo guessed that they weren't expecting her to give up so easily and admit that. "So... you want to go to the dance with him?" Sweetie Belle asked with a smile on her face although her eyes said that she already knew the answer. "Yeah. I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." Scootaloo said with another dreamy smile on her face. They looked at her like she was some stranger that had intruded upon her lives, which made the orange filly uncomfortable. "Ok... who are you and what have you done with Scootaloo?" Applebloom jokingly asked with wide eyes. Sweetie belle didn't say anything but just blushed and continued their walk. Scootaloo and the farm filly followed after her after about 5 seconds of of eye contact. "So... Sweetie Belle. Who are you taking to the dance?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked at the darm filly with a dreamy look on her face. "That nice colt, Shady Daze." Sweetie Belle said proudly. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes and giggled, which got a sharp glare from the white unicorn. "So, Applebloom. Now that you know who me and Scootaloo are are goin with... who are you going with?" Sweetie Belle asked, taking her glare away from the orange filly. Applebloom looked down and frowned, seemingly hesitant in her response. "Ah don't have a date..." Applebloom said. Sweetie Belle gasped and gawked at her apple-loving friend. "Well, that just won't do! We have to get you a date pronto!" Sweetie Belle said rather loudly, adopting her squeaky voice that was possitively annoying but still managed to be cute. Kind of a weird thing to think her friend as... cute.... "It really isn't that big of a deal... ya don't need to worry yerself' with me. Ah'll be fine." Applebloom said. But Sweetie Belle would not have any of it. "A pretty filly like you? Nonsense. I will make it my personal duty to get you a date for the dance!" Sweetie Belle vowed. Applebloom blushed and shook her head, while rolling her eyes. Scootaloo knew exactly how the farm filly was feeling right about now. "Well... ya know that one colt? Chip Mint?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie's smile widened and she stiffled a giggle. Wow... that unicorn and her colts. Exactly like Rarity.... "Say no more, I get it." Sweetie said with a big, knowing smile on her face. The three fillies stayed quiet the entire time, walking along the path. They eventually reached the entrance to Ponyville and veered off down an alleyway. This was an extremely creepy part of town and should never be taken lightly. There have even been kidnappings around here as well, which was worrying. Everything was probably going to be okay.... They walked halfway down the alleyway before they were stopped by three stallions who had surrounded them on all sides. The three fillies knew exactly what this meant. They were either going to be mugged or raped. "Now... we don' want no trouble..." Applebloom said slowly, a slight tone of fear eveident. The biggest thug laughed at them and glared down at them with malicious intent. "We jus' wanna' play... don't we boys?" One of the thugs behind them said jokingly. The other two thugs laughed and the two closest to each other bumped hooves and started to walk slowly towards the two fillies with grins from ear to ear. Scootaloo had never before felt fear of this magnitude. She literally felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She had moved her gaze to the two in front of her for a second but that was enough time for the one behind her to grab her. Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs in fright. This only served to make the thugs laugh even more than they already were. the other two thugs had grabbed a hold of Applebloom and Sweetie and she thought that they were on the verge of tears. "LET THEM GO!" A sudden voice rung out through the dark alley. The lowlife scum let go of their prey and took a defensive stance. Scootaloo and the her friends scattered to the side of the alley and huddled together, hoping that whoever had shown up would save the day. "You don't scare us! Wherever you are..." The skinny thug said with a sneer. He also had fear in his eyes, which provided Scootaloo with some consolation. "Ah think ya should start runnin'... mah kick will be sure to leave a mark..." A familiar country voice warned from behind the thugs who turned around quickly. Standing there was a orange mare with the nastiest glare that you could ever see on anypony. "Applejack? Oh thank Celestia..." Applebloom mummered a prayer of thanks to the half-deity that ruled the land, even though she wouldn't have heard it. The thugs backed off in fear from the one pony that would most likely be thrown into a rage if they touched her sister. "A-Applejack... heh... we were just... makin' sure these here filles were safe. Yeah... s-safe..." Stuttered the biggest thug, who, in reality, wasn't that big but was still intimidating. The two other thugs had already ran off and the big thug had just noticed that they had abandoned him. "Heh... I'll just go..." He said. And with that he ran off, stumbling more than Derpy after leaving the bar. Applejack just continued to glare. She looked to the fillies with a stern expression, who had by then started shuffling their hooves in silence. "Just what are ya fillies doin' in the most dangerous part of town? Somethin' bad coulda' happened!" Applejack scolded the three fillies who didn't know what to say. Sweetie looked like she was on the verge of tears and Applebloom looked scared half to death, even more so than when they were ambushed by those thugs. "Well... we just wanted to take a shortcut. We didn't think something like this would have happened." Scootaloo said, stepping up when the other two didn't. Scootaloo then asked, "By the way... what are you doing around here anyway?" Applejack's eyes widened and she looked around nervously. "Uhhh... this is about you three! Don't turn this around to me." Applejack avoided the question like the cutie pox and then asked, "Besides... where were ya three headin'?" Why had Applejack avoided her question? Scootaloo would have to look into that later. Before Scootaloo could reply, Applebloom said, "We were just goin' to the boutique. To get dresses for the dance..." Applejack's stern gaze softened and melted away. "Oh... ah see. Well uhm... ah'll escort ya girls so nothin' like this happens again." Applejack said with what seemed to be indifference although Scootaloo could see the pride beaming from her eyes. The three fillies and Applejack made their way to the dress store, talking about their day and about the upcoming dance. Applejack seemed fidgety and nervous, which meant that she had been doing something under the radar before she had spotted those thugs after them. Maybe Scootaloo was just grasping at smoke here. Applejack was the most honest pony in Ponyville, maybe even in all of Equestria. After all they didn't call her the Element of Honesty for nothing. She didn't exactly lie when Scootaloo had asked her what she was doing, she just avoided answering. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo!? Equestria to Scootaloo!" Sweetie said, with an annoyed tone of voice. She had apparently been trying to get Scootaloo's attention for some time now. "Oh... what?" Scootaloo said, snapping out of her deep contemplative thoughts. She probably should just let it go. After all, letting herself worry like this wasn't exactly healthy. Especially just two days away from her birthday. "Ummm... I was asking if you wanted to come over to my house for a sleepover." Sweetie asked, looking at Scootaloo with an expression of confusion and slight concern. "Sure! I should probably ask my dad though." Scootaloo replied, acting as if nothing was bothering her. Sweetie's look of concern faded away and was replaced with her usual radiant smile that most adult ponies found adorable. Scootaloo had to admit... she pulled the adorable look off without even trying. About thirteen minutes of walking, which Scootaloo was getting quite tired of by now, they finally reached the Boutique. "Well there ya are. Just... try not to get into any more trouble. I can't save ya all the time so ya need to take the long way around and avoid that part of town. It's jus' too dangerous for small fillies ta' be roamin' around." Applejack said with a warning tone in her voice. "We will! Thanks for walkin' with us sis'. Oh and see ya later!" Applebloom said her goodbyes. Scootaloo and Sweetie wordlessly waved goodbye after the country mare. She disappeared around a corner of a building and the fillies proceeded to make their way to the entrance of the boutique. They walked in and were greeted by the sounds of a sewing machines and a unicorn frantically talking to herself. "Have to get this order done... and this one.. AND that one... oh sweet Celestia..." Rarity mumbled to herself, oblivious of the three fillies giving her a strange look of worry and confusion. "Ummm... Rarity?" Sweetie bravely ventured with a semi-question. Rarity stopped what she was doing and looked at the three fillies with suprise. "Oh hey girls! I'm assuming you want dresses for the dance. I already had them made for you this morning." Rarity said with her usual big smile and went on to say, "Go look in the closet. I put them in there. I'm sorry I can't talk anymore right now. A lot of orders to fill" Rarity went back to work, dismissing the existance of everything around her, including the three fillies who made their way to the closest closet. They peeked in and saw three dresses that were the most beautiful things they had ever seen. There were nametags on each of them to indicate which dress belonged to which filly. Sweetie's dress was pink and represented her personality perfectly. There were linings of purple here and there, which complimented the pretty pink color. Apple Bloom's dress was a bright, sparkly red, which was sort of like the the color of an apple. There was also a green, sparkly bow on the side. She instantly plopped it on her head, having removed the original bow. She looked at It also represented the orange filly's personality almost perfectly. Scootaloo's dress was a bright purple, a pair of purple dress shoes off to the side. It reminded Scootaloo of a dress her mother had once worn, although that one was for a high school reunion and was a lighter purple than this. Purple had always been the filly's favorite color. Sweetie Belle squealed in delight and jumped up and down on the spot and said, "This is amazing! I love it Rarity! I love it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" And ran over to give Rarity a hug, who graciously accepted with a smile and eyes that beamed with pride. Scootaloo didn't usually like dresses but she had to admit... this one was pretty awesome. If only mom could have seen her right now... if only. She put the dress on and liked the way it looked on her. Scootaloo looked in her saddlebag, rummaging around and stopped when she spotted something. She pulled the object that had peaked her interest and gasped, holding back her tears. There in her hooves was the necklace that Scootaloo's mother had lost two years before her death. How did it show up in her saddlebag? So many questions were racing through the orange filly's mind and she couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. A tear of immense joy but mixed with a sadness that she would never be able to get rid of slid down her cheek and harmlessly fell to the ground. This necklace brought back the memory of what her mother had said to her.... "Family is what defines us Scootaloo... for the ones we love are the ones that bring us happiness." Her mother had said so long ago... Scootaloo felt her tears break free of their prisons and she wept with a mix of joy and sadness. She missed her... for every moment that she was away from her, it felt like an eternity of solitude. "Scootaloo? Are you done in there?" Sweetie called from behind the curtain, obviously not hearing the orange filly cry for if she did she did not acknowledge. Scootaloo brought back her composure slowly and looked up from the necklace. "Yeah... comin'..." Scootaloo said quietely yet coherently, trying not to show the hurt that had clouded her mind. With that, she stuffed the necklace in a smaller pocket of the saddlebag and continued her day, unware of the butterfly perched upon a manequin. For the ones we love... anything is possible. Author's Note I worked very hard on this and I hope that you liked it. This was a side story that I have been working on in my spare time. I wanted to go really in-depth on how Scootaloo would react and what her emotions would actually be if she had to go through something like this while having the weight of her past bearing down upon her shoulders. Stay awesome fellow bronies! -brohoof- Chapter 2: It Started With A Whisper...Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream. -Khalil Gibran- * * * * * Shortly after leaving the boutique the three fillies started to make their way to their clubhouse. They were the only ones in their class that had not yet acquired their cutie marks, which was starting to get quite annoying. The wind seemed to be picking up and there were fewer ponies on the streets than before the three went into the boutique. "That's strange... there should be lots of ponies out..." Scootaloo said, more to herself than to her other two companions. "Yeah... it's like they just up and disappeared." Sweetie said, confusion evident in her voice. "Ah'm sure it's nothin'..." Applebloom assured her two friends. Why should they trouble themselves over something so simple as not many ponies out in the middle of the afternoon? "Well... maybe it has something to do with that." Scootaloo said and pointed at a large group of ominous-looking clouds. It looked like a storm was brewing. Sweetie and Applebloom looked to where Scootaloo was pointing and formed 'o' shapes with their mouths. They shrugged it off and decided to continue onwards to their clubhouse. Wherever they looked, the streets were all but deserted save for a few ponies. And most of those few ponies were scrambling to get inside. Something was most definitely going on. Scootaloo happened to look up and spot a strange color spectrum anomaly apporaching them at alarming speeds. "What is tha-" Scootaloo begin but was cut off when this anomaly ran landed right in front of them. The orange filly couldn't help but grin with glee. There standing before the filliles was her idol and mentor, Rainbow Dash. "How's it hangin' with my favorite fillies?" Rainbow Dash half teased and half asked the three fillies. Sweetie Belle blushed profusely but it wasn't that much of a suprise. She blushed at everything, which was a telltale sign of her becoming even more like her dirt-fearing sister, Rarity. "Nothin' much..." Scootaloo said, trying to act cool. She went on to ask, "What's with all of the ponies getting inside? Is it because of those storm clouds?" "Yep, that'd be the reason. And I think you three should go inside too... it's pretty dangerous out right now, even for me, the greatest flyer in Equestria." Rainbow Dash warned the three fillies while boasting. Just then, Scootaloo had the best idea ever. She said with excitement, "Hey Rainbow Dash... can i stay over at your place?" Scootaloo wore the most adorable eyes and the biggest smile she could muster but Rainbow Dash just laughed nervously. "Uhhh... I don't think that's a good idea..." Rainbow Dash said, uncomfortability showing in every facial expression and body posture. Scootaloo was a little angry and pretty confused as to why her idol had turned her down. "W-why not...?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash looked down, closed her eyes and sighed. She looked up with something else in her eyes. Was it anger? "Because I said so okay? Now stop asking." Rainbow Dash said rather meanly. Scootaloo couldn't help but feel hurt by what the blue pegasus had said to her. They had always been so close... why was she giving her that glare and saying mean things. 'I just asked... no need to get upset." Scootaloo said, trying to hide the anger that was reaching the boiling point. Her other two friends were exchanging looks of uncertainty and uncomfortability. "Upset? Who said I'm upset!? I just would like you to stop talking about this but here you go. Talking about it." Rainbow Dash said with anger now completely obvious. Scootaloo was taken aback by the unexpected venom in her metaphorical big sister's voice. "Fine. I didn't want to learn how to fly with you anyways!" Scootaloo yelled, no longer able to keep it at bay. "It's been years! A pegasus of your age should have learned how to fly by now! You should just accept that fact that you'll never learn! Can't you see I don't want you?!" Rainbow Dash yelled at her, causing the other two crusaders to gasp and glare at the blue pegasus. Scootaloo felt the tears at her eyes as she took in what her mentor had just said to her. Rainbow Dash then whispered, "Just go away..." It all started with a whisper. That one whisper that changed your perspective on life forever. "Y-you... don't want m-me?" Scootaloo said in a depressed and broken whisper. Rainbow Dashes's face softened and guilt showed on her face. Scootaloo then whsipered rather weakly as the tears ran freely down her cheeks, "I hate you..." "Scootaloo... I didn't mean it...I-" Rainbow Dash began but was broken off when Scootaloo jumped up and ran away, crying. Scootaloo didn't hold anything back as she remembered how this situation was strikingly familiar to the one with her older brother... or was her older brother.... * * * * * Scootaloo's older brother, Cloud Runner was putting on a tuxedo and admiring himself in the mirror. Scootaloo was about five year old at the time and was about as naive as any other little filly her age. "Hey big brother! I had a question." Scootaloo said, making sure here eyes were big and pleading. Her brother looked at her like he had just tasted something revolting and horrid. "What is it THIS time?" Cloud Runner sighed and turned his attention to her. Scootaloo shuffled her hooves, not sure how to ask this. "Ummm... since you're going to the prom... can I go?" Scootaloo asked with excited and hopeful eyes. Cloud Runner jst scoffed and shook his head, suprising the orange filly. "No. I don't want my friends to see me around a foal like you." Cloud Runner said with venom in his voice. Scootaloo's eyes were widened and she was suprised. Normally her brother was nice but he was being so mean right now.... "But...-" Scootaloo began but was cut off by her older brother. "Can't you see i don't want you here?! They never should have picked you up from that orphanage!" Cloud Runner yelled and went on to say, in what Scootaloo presumed was a whisper, "Just go away..." Scootaloo was shocked. She didn't know how to respond at what her brother had just said, "O-orphanage?" Cloud Runner's face softened as he just realized what he had said. They had kept this secret from Scootaloo and were going to tell her when she was older but... the heat of the moment. "Scootaloo I...-" Cloud Runner began but was cut off by the orange filly. "NO! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU! " Scootaloo yelled at her so-called brother, who was trying to calm his sister down. Scootaloo then whispered weakly, "I hate you..." Scootaloo ran off, crying, out the door and around the the backyard where she hid herself in the bushes so she could be alone. She heard the door close and her brother's carriage take off and go to the prom. She didn't care... she just wanted to be alone... -THIRTY MINUTES LATER- Scootaloo was still in the bushes, crying her eyes out but was stopped when she hear the familiar angelic voice of her mother. "Pumpkin... What's wrong...?" Her mother asked, motherly love showing in everything that she was and did. Scootaloo then realized in that brief moment of looking in her adoptive mother's eyes that it didn't matter if this was her biological mother. It mattered where the heart lay. Where the love was. That was where your home was. In your heart. "Nothing..." Scootaloo whispered, still sad that her brother had said those mean things to her. "It isn't nothing. But... we'll talk about that later. Because something came up... about Cloud Runner." Her mother said with a weak voice and eyes brimming with tears Scootaloo had not noticed at first because of her distraught state of mind. "What is it?" Scootaloo asked with the most innocent-looking eyes that just melted her mother's heart. Her mother, who was called Serene Winds looked off to the side and sighed, letting a tear drop onto the freshly mown grass. "Your brother... there was an accident. Your brother passed away." Serene Winds whispered sadly as she let the tears run out. "What...?" Scootaloo whispered more to the cruelty of life than to her mother. Serene Winds quickly wrapped Scootaloo up in a tight embrace and they cried together. She had just seen her brother and now he's... dead...? Apparently, a bridge that Cloud Runner and his friends were crossing had collapsed and they were trapped inside and drowned. They had no chance. All Scootaloo could think about was the last words she had said to her brother before running off... I hate you. She didn't mean it. But a whisper was all that was needed to bring her world crumbling down around her. For once, she truly knew what it felt to be alone. She would know this feeling even better two years later when her mother died of cancer. It always started with a whisper... always. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed guys! Sorry, if it is a bit short but I swear... I have never experienced writer's block this severe. Oh well, it'll go away eventually. Stay awesome bronies and as always... *brohoof* Chapter 3: Everlasting Love...The little orange filly burst into her father's home, crying. She had forgot to close the door and the rain was getting everything wet. Her father sprung up from his armchair and closed the door. He said something to her but she didn't hear. She just wanted to be alone. She bounded down the hallway, got into her room, and slammed the door. She jumped onto the bed and buried her head into her pillow, soaking it in her tears that were coming in like a flash flood. She heard her father come up the stairs and stop outside her door. "Scoots... what's wrong...?" Dawnfire, her father, asked. He knocked on the door and asked, "Can I come in...?" Scootaloo didn't answer. She couldn't even think straight right now. All she could think about was what Rainbow Dash had said to her. She heard Dawnfire enter the room and slowly approach her bed. She felt the bed dip under his weight as he sat on the bed. He brushed a lock of mane away from her eyes when she finally looked at him. He was pretty muscular, about as muscular as Big Macintosh. he had a long, jagged scar tha ran across the length of his cheek. He had a black mane and red coat. He had kind, caring eyes beneath his tough posterior. He was the very embodiment of a good father. Scootaloo reached and and embraced her father, which she had not done in a very long time. He returned the hug and cooed to her, trying to comfort her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Dawnfire said, understanding shone through his eyes. Scootaloo nodded and went back to hugging him. "Dad...?" Scootaloo asked hesitantly, "Can you s-sing the lullaby mom used to sing to me...?" He hesitated for a few seconds. She then felt the humming inside of his chest as he began. Sweet darling, lay your head down as I sing you my everlasting love. Through the clouds we bound, dreaming the dream of mystery. Mountains crumble with every syllable. I sing you my heart and my soul. I sing you my love. My everlasting love... Dawnfire's voice cracked up as he sang the song that Serene Winds, Scootaloo's mother, had always sung to her before she went to bed. It had been so long and yet he still remembered the song and its entirety. She looked up and saw that he was tearing up as he sang the song. She could tell that he was trying to hold them in but it was to no avail. But he still kept singing, never missing a beat. Soon, she could feel the exhaustion kick in as the words soothed her. She laid her head down on his shoulder, and drifted off to a deep slumber. * * * * * * Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes to find that she was in a field of some sorts. She looked around and found that this field had no end. The grass was tall and it tickled her, causing the little filly to giggle softly. There were millions of butterflys all around her, seemingly dancing. They flew around like they had some type of deep purpose that the little filly could only guess at. This had to be some type of dream. It just felt... real... it felt right. Most of the butterflys flew around one spot. Behind the butterflys was some type of bright light. It shone not only across the filly's face and the field, but it shone through her somehow. It touched her in a way so deep that it reached to the very core of her. Some would call it a soul. She slowly walked towards the light, mesmerized by its beauty. The colors in this world seemed... brighter. Happier. Without warning, the butterflys flew off at the same time, providing her with the view of the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The light dimmed down slowly and behind it was... no. That's... impossible. There, behind the light, was her mother. Her mane more radiant than she had ever remembered. Her coat shone with a brilliance, brighter than Celestia herself. "But... how...?" Scootaloo asked, her voice weak as she tried to comprehend what lay before her. Serene Winds, her mother, slowly walked towards the shocked Scootaloo. A warm smile was splayed across the face of the angelic form of her mother. "I come to you, my dear Scootaloo, in this dream. I am real and so is this dream. I felt that you needed guidance." Serene Winds said, her voice echoing across the fields. The sound of her voice was like a river of the sweetest honey to Scootaloo's ears. "But... why?" Scootaloo asked. This was all she could say because she was too shocked and awed to say anything else. Serene Winds laughed softly. She reached towards Scootaloo and brushed a hoof across the little filly's face. Scootaloo couldn't take it anymore. She threw herself to her mother and they fel down in a deep embrace. Scootaloo cried, her tears that of utter joy. "Scootaloo... you have to listen because I don't have much time" Serene Winds said, as she hugged the orange filly back. Scootaloo nodded and listened intently, wishing to hear more of her mother's voice. The feelings coursing through Scoots were so powerful that she felt like she was about to explode. "You and Rainbow Dash share a connection, similar to the one that me and you shared. You have to forgive her. She feels horrible for what she said and is tearing herself apart over it." Her mother said. Scootaloo looked up into the eyes of Serene Winds and found a peace that she thought was impossible to achieve. It resonated througout her body and provided her with a happiness not born of the real world. It was from... somewhere else. "But... she was really mean." Scootaloo whimpered, not wanting to forgive Rainbow Dash so easily but still wanting to obey her mother. "You are the bravest filly I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I still remember you when you were a foal. Eyes full of curiousity and wonder. You still have that look now. That's what sets you apart from the others Scootaloo. You see the world in a way that only a select few can. And I love that about you. But you really need to forgive Rainbow Dash. She never meant to hurt you. Go to her. Your destinies have been entwined." Serene Winds said, her voice drifitng off. Scootaloo's mother got up and looked down at the awed filly. "Always remember that I love you. This is the last time that we can see each other. I have something for you. To assure you that this was real." Serene Winds said, as she pulled out a picture of Scootaloo and her mother. It was the one when they went to Manehatten and took a picture of themselves on the tallest skyscraper. In it, they were smiling. Dawnfire, Scootaloo, and Serene Winds were all standing there, happiness and joy shone through their eyes. But this picture had been burned along with all the rest of the pictures. Scootaloo watched as Serene Winds put the picture in with a bunch of other pictures in her mother's favorite album. That album had been burned in the house fire so long ago. Serene Winds gave the album to the little filly, who looked at it with a child's wonder. "I love you... with all my heart and soul. In this album, I give you my everlasting love." Serene winds said. Scootaloo looked up to find that her mother was nowhere to be seen. * * * * * * Scootaloo jerked awake and sat up, gasping for breath as she took in her surroundings. She was inside of her room, beside her father. He was asleep as well, snoring softly to himself. She looked down and gasped at what she saw. There, before her mortal eyes, was the album and the letter that her mother had given to her before she died the next morning. Scootaloo opened the letter with shaky hooves and began to softly read to herself, careful not to awaken her father. To My dearest Scootaloo. You have grown up so fast in the short time that I had to spend with you. Times may seem grim at the moment but always remember that, even after I'm gone, I will always look out for you and protect you. I watched you grow up from the small foal to the brave filly you are today. It just saddens me that I won't be able to see you get married or have kids. But always remember that, even in the darkest of times, I will be there to sing you our song. You may not be able to hear it but I hope you can feel it. By the time you read this letter, I will have passed on to greener pastures. Although, it would never be a true paradise without you or your father in it. In this letter, I express you my love. My everlasting love. Yours truly, Serene Winds Scootaloo smiled, a tear trickling down her cheek. How this had come into her posession she would never know. But she couldn't be any happier. She looked up from the letter and said, "Looks like I'm going to go see Rainbow Dash" Scootaloo wasn't looking forward to talking to the blue pegasus but if they shared a bond as strong as the one her mother had described, then she was determined to get their relationship back up to the way it was before. With that, Scootaloo got up and headed downstairs and out into the morning sunshine. Apparently they had slept all through the night. Even now, she could still remember the dream in its entirety. Most importantly, she remembered her mother. Scootaloo tucked the letter and album into her saddle bag and set off to find Rainbow Dash. Chapter 4: Something Not Quite Right...Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principle of evil. -Albert Camus It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. -Robert H. Schuller * * * * * The orange filly had some trouble finding the rainbow mare, suprisingly. But whenever she was about to confront her idol, something held her back. Because each time she did, the question of why this was so important kept coming up. Why in the world is Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash getting along so important? She watched as the boastful mare showed off to a group of colts and fillies, demonstrating her flying abilities. "Come on, Scoots... just go up to her and make up. Why is it so hard. it's as if there's something more my mother didn't tell me." The orange filly berated herself for not moving in sooner. There was this deep down feeling that she should do something before confronting Rainbow Dash. But what is she supposed to do? What's missing in this puzzle? After about fifteen minutes of what usually would be exciting entertainment, she left and took a walk. To where she did not know. It was as if there was some unseen force commanding her movements. She wasn't being forced by any means. And she wasn't really being guided by unseen forces. Probably not. But she just had this feeling that something was not quite right. There was happiness occuring all around her, but it had not infected her with its so-called contagiousness. She just couldn't find any room to enjoy herself at all. Of course that was to be expected after you see your mother in a dream and she all but says that she will never see you again. And she has a problem that she's quite sure will not be able to fix itself. After about eighteen minutes of excruciatingly slow, mind-numbing, and boring walking, her strange spur of the moment walk took her to the Ponyville hospital. She stood in front of the entrance, not knowing what to do with what had been given to her. The weight of her mother's album comforted her as she took her steps into the huge building full of hurt and despair. She never really liked hospitals. She always thought of blood, which gave her the heebey jeebies. Inside, the feel of air conditioning against her sweating body was pretty awesome. She had almost forgotten about the ridiculous heat outside. She looked around her and was suprised to see only two ponies in the waiting room. Both of whom her elderly. She looked to the counter, which had a young mare behind it. She was not paying any attention at all. She was reading a magazine entitled Celebrity Neighs Weekly. Scootaloo looked beyond the conter and foud a door that said Records. Without thinking, the young filly trotted quitely across the carpeted floor, through the employee's only door, and snuck by the mare at the counter and to the records room. She tried to open it, but found that it was locked. She quietly cursed to herself as she looked around for keys. She eventually found them, but she didn't exactly like the location the were in. They were literally hung up on the wall, next to the mare at the counter. The now nervous filly crept up to the oblivious mare. She looked up at the keys, which were way too high up for her to reach. She looked around to see a small stool next to the other wall. She then snuck around, silently lugged the light stool back to the first wall, put it against said wall, got on it, and snatched the keys. She whipped her head around as soon as she got off of the stool, expecting to have been caught. It was apparently not to be so as the oblivious mare was still oblivious. She then snuck back the the Records door, unlocked it, and crept inside. She didn't know what she was looking for, but yet she did. She was basically playing on a hunch who's identity was unknown. She went to the patient file cabinet and looked for her mother's name. After some time of searching, she soon found what she was looking for. She then began reading. Patient: Winds, Serene Date of Birth: November 5th, 966 Children: Two known females and one male. Scootaloo paused at what she was reading. it said that her mother had given birth to two females, not one. Who the buck is the other one? She kept reading. Patient history: Patient is married to Dawnfire, a stallion known throughout the community of Ponyville. She gave birth to two female ponies. One she named Rainbow Dash, who she gave up for adoption. The foster parents kept her name because they said that it fit her quite well. Then years later, she named the other one, Scootaloo. The second child she birthed was named, Cloud Runner who was killed in a carriage accident. Scootaloo stared at the line of text that stated the impossible, one she named Rainbow Dash, who she gave up for adoption. She just kept staring in stunned silence. She couldn't even form the thoughts necessary to comprehend what lay before her young eyes. Without thinking of the consequences, she ran out with the files, swinging the door open and making it slam against the wall, suprisng the mare behind the counter. "Hey, where did you come from?! You can't be in here!" The mare yelled at the fleeing Scootaloo. She didn't care anymore, because she couldn't be any more happier and shocked than she was now. She ran out of the hospital and was greeted by the intense heat of the afternoon. She ran into an alleyway and reread the files. they still said that she was Rainbow Dash's sister. What was going on here? There was only one pony who could provide any explanation. And that pony was her father. Author's Note i didn't know what time sytem to use in terms of year, so I just used the one i'm used to. And I'm sorry for the long wait, guys! Hope you enjoyed! Oh and... Stay awesome fellow bronies and, as always... *Brohoof* Chapter 5: The Truth...“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” -Albert Einstein- “Tears are words that need to be written.” -Paulo Coehlo- * * * * * The orange filly's eyes watered up as she ran as fast as her hooves could take her. She had bumped into numerous ponies and, in turn, got the evil eye. She didn't care anymore. She knew her father didn't go to work for another hour or two, but she still felt rushed. Like the truth couldn't wait. Finally getting too tired to run in this intense heat, Scootaloo started walking again. The wind coming from the east helped, but it still was quite miserable. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to find out what 'laid behind curtain number one'. She kept on moving despite these new and sudden hesitations. She had to know. Within five minutes, Scootaloo's house came into view. With renewed determination, the orange filly sprinted once more to the house. She crashed into the side of the house as she tried to stop, sliding in the dirt. Hitting her head, the orange filly cried out in suprise and pain. "OW! My head!" Scootaloo yelled at the top of her lungs. In her excitement, she had been going way too fast to immediately stop. Within a matter of seconds, a large stallion had inhabited her vison as she lay on the ground. "Are you okay, Scootaloo?!" Said the stallion, who she identified as Dawnfire, her father. Scootaloo slowly got up with the help of her father and sniffled as her brain comprehended the immense pain in her head. They went inside the house and he put her onto the couch, and then started examining her head. "I really hope we don't have to take you to the hospital..." Dawnfire mumbled. Scootaloo's eyes widened with fear and she vigorously shook her head, which she came to regret as she winced in pain. "No. No hospitals, please." She said with pleading eyes. He didn't say anything in response but merely nodded. Her father was about to leave for some rubbing alcohol and a bandage, but she stopped him with a hoof on his arm. "Dad, we need to talk...." Scootaloo said as she pulled out the hospital documents and set them on the edge of the brown couch. He looked down and the title alone made his eyes go wide with fear. "Where did y-you get this...?" Dawnfire shakingly asked, his eys wide. There was obviously something bigger going on and his eyes showed it most of all. "I snuck into the hospital. But that's not the reason I'm here." Scootaloo said seriously as she stared her parent down. It wasn't accusing but a look that said, you better tell me now. He sat back down on the couch with a defeated sigh, "There's things you need to know, Scootaloo. Things that makes even your mother not look like the saint she is. And me included. We've been lying, Scootaloo." "Go on." She simply said. Something in his eyes frightened her more than anything had ever frightened her before. With obvious hesitance, he said, "As you see here, we gave Rainbow Dash up for adoption. But I know that's not all of why you brought this here. You are my child, Scoots. At an early age... w-we gave you up as well. A couple of years later, we took you back. But not Rainbow...." Scootaloo's eyes widened in shock as she comprehended those words. Her mother and father had given her up to adoption? Why hadn't they taken Rainbow back, then? "We felt so bad about the first child that... we just simply couldn't live our lives knowing we did it a second time." He said sadly, "There's more though... soemthing I did that tears me up more than even your mother's death did." Her eyes shifted from the floor back to his eyes. He was an absolute mess. "Your mother had written a second letter to you. And a third to Rainbow Dash. The second one, she wrote, telling you the truth." Dawnfire almost mumbled, hopelessly trying to provide eye contact with her shocked daughter. "Well... what happened to my letter?" Scootaloo asked, afraid of the answer to come. He got up and walked to the corner of the room. He popped open the dusty chest with a key from behind the antique plates and tea cups glass cabinet. He withdrew one yellowed letter. Where was her's? "As you can see, there's only one. It's for Rainbow...." He said as he sat back on the couch hesitantly. "Where's mine?" She asked, terrified of the new look in his eyes. He didn't answer, but simply looked at the old fireplace set against the wall. Wthin a few seconds, her eyes were filled with realization. he burned it. "W-why..?" She asked, her composure finally taken down and replaced with depression and betrayal. It took a minuute, but he finally answered. "I burned it because I didn't want you knowing the... truth. I just couldn't bring myself to burn this, so... I hid away from the world. From you, Scootaloo. I'm so sorry... I was wrong." He said miserably. She didn't care if he felt bad. This was... monstrous. "H-how dare... y-you. I..." She stuttered, "HATE you..." It was now his turn to be shocked, as his face clearly showed it. There was something else as well. It was as if something broke in his eyes, Something he had been holding onto. It was gone and now he was obivously broken completely. Doing the only thing she could think of... and certainly something she was used to... she ran. Despite his protests and his hurried apologies. She was out the door in seconds, feeling hurt and betrayed. She felt worse than the day the police pony told her mom died. She ran into a familiar alley way, huddled up behind a dumpster and cried more than she had in her life, * * * * * She had been sitting in the same spot, having lost track of time and all understanding of the world around her. She heard somepony come into the secluded area, but she didn't care. It was probably her father, anyway.... "Scootaloo?" That voice sounded familiar. She looked up to see Rumble standing beside her with a worried expression. Wordlessly, he sat down and held her, which she accepted without protest. "Do you want to talk about it?" Rumble asked, sypmpathy in his voice. Scootaloo shook her head and continued to silently cry into his shoulder. "N-no..." Scootaloo managed to say, looking up with blurred eyes as the tears trickled down her cheek. Rumble nodded and held her even closer, his hot breath upon the back of her neck. "Okay... just let it out. I'm here for you...." Rumble whispered, sliding a hof through her mane in a comforting manner. She cried even harder, realeasing all the pent up depression she had been bottling up for years. Everything that she'd ever known was a lie. What was the point anymore? They sat there in that dark, filthy alley way, him whispering to her every once in awhile and her just crying. Eventually, she had the guts to confront him about her feelings. Not the ones that were recently brought to the surface, but the ones she had known about for quite some time now, "Thank you, Rumble... thank you for this." "Hey, any t-" He was about to say but was cut off by Scootaloo kissing him on the cheek, "W-wow... I... wow..." "Sh... be quiet, please." She whispered. he nodded and they kept on holding each other, not caring about anything around them. Everything was just noise now. What truly mattered was here and now. And she would fight to keep it. Even if it meant going to Tarturus and back. Author's Note I am so damned pleased and proud of this story that mere words simply cannot do it justice. Thank you all for the support with me as I write this story... as we look through the eyes of innocence. Stay awesome fellow bronies and, as always... *Brohoof followed by a hug*
Chapter 1: The Ones We Love...Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action? -Arthur Miller * * * * * The wind whistled, rustling her purple mane, and tickled behind her ears. It beckoned with its lonely song of need... desire. She knew how it felt. To be cast out among the unwanted. She had experienced this many times but... she felt almost happy. She felt like her hardships in the past were forgotten. These past few years with her two best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have been the highlight of her young life. The hurt and sadness that were her sorrowful memories had been reduced to a dull thud in her subconcious. She looked up and smiled, letting the afternoon sun wash across her face. A butterfly perched upon her nose and she opened her eyes, slowly. The two exchanged a blank stare with one another. How can something so small cause such unexplainable emotions inside of her? they were good emotions but they were unexpected to say the least. She felt curious and happy at the same time. As soon as it had made itself known, it spread its wings and flew free of the connection they shared. How could something so small mean something so big...? "Scootaloo, you coming or what?" Sweetie belle asked, an annoyed tone of voice evident. Scootaloo looked back down from this strange sight and down to her two friends who were looking at her rather strangely. Scootaloo smiled again and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm coming" Scootaloo said. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a look and a raising of an eyebrow that said they knew something was up. "Scoots... what in tarnation is up with ya? Ya been more distracted than bear eyein' fish in a river" Applebloom asked, concern showing in her eyes. Oh, if only they knew how lucky they had it. How lucky she has been these past few years.... "Yeah, I'm good. Can you stop worrying about me and can we just go already?" Scootaloo asked, feigning annoyance when she actually enjoyed talking with them every chance she got. It reminded her that this wasn't some hopeful dream that would later prove to be some sort of cruel joke by life. But, thankfully and fortunately, it proves to be fixed upon reality. The three friends walked along the winding road, familiar sights surrounding them. "So, I think Rumble likes you Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle said with a mischevious and teasing tone of voice. Her head was turned away from the orange filly's gaze but she thought she could see the outline a wicked grin. Scootaloo blushed but still glared at her unicorn friend. "No he does not!" Scootaloo shot back at her firend who giggled. she looked to Applebloom who just rolled her eyes and acted like this wasn't happening. "Yes he does. He even asked me to tell you that he wanted to take you to the dance." Sweetie Belle said with a slight blush and a giggle. Scootaloo's glare softened and turned to happiness, which she tried to hide to her friends but to no avail. Applebloom raised an eyebrow and giggled softly. "He did? Well... huh..." Scootaloo said, at a loss for words. She had always thought Rumble was such a nice colt. He even walked her home after she learned that her mother had finally lost the battle with cancer. Her mother had always been such a strong-hearted mare. She knew when Scootaloo was sad... when she needed guidance. But that one day at school was what tore her apart from the inside... but Rumble was there. * * * * * "Can anypony tell me about why we celebrate the summer sun celebration? Anypony at all?" Ms. Cheerilee asked the colts and fillies situated at their desks. A few hooves were raised into the air, most reluctantly, but one eagerly shot up. "Yes, Twist? Can you tell the class why?" Ms. Cheerilee asked enthusiastically. Twist began but was cut off when a police pony ran through the door. "Is Scootaloo here?" The police pony asked. The class was stunned at what had just happened. Most of all Ms. Cheerilee. "Has she done something wrong?" The teacher asked, worry evident in her voice. The police pony hesitated and looked to the ground. He obviously was uncomfortable with whatever he had to say. "No... it's... about her mother." The police pony said, his gaze as serious as it gets. "What about my mom?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a fear unlike any she had ever felt before. The police pony looked at her with pity-filled and apologetic eyes. "Come over here so nopony can hear us... trust me... they don't need to know right now..." The police pony said. There was something in his voice and in his eyes that told her that this was going to be bad. She got up out of her desk and walked over to the stallion. She reluctantly got out of the listening distance of her childhood friends and walked to the doorway with the police pony. "Scootaloo... I don't know how to tell you this but... your mother... she... died just this afternoon. I am so sorry..." The police pony said with a look of apolegetic sorrow that ripped through her soul. Her mind reeled with a million thoughts and feelings. This could not be happening... couldn't... she just saw her this morning. She spent the night listening to her breathing in her sleep. They had exchanged jokes and she had said something that had her thinking all day. Her mother had told her that no matter how hard and grim things seem in life... never stop reaching for the stars. "What...?" Scootaloo whispered, her voice cracking up as she felt the tears break free of their prison. For so long she had kept these feelings at bay but they all came out in a flood. "Scootaloo..." The police pony began. Scootaloo did not want to hear any more of this... there was no way this was happening.... "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Scootaloo screamed as the tears ran freely down her cheek. She ran off down the road, leaving the police pony and the gathered crowd of her classmates at the door. "Scootaloo! Where are ya going?!" Applebloom yelled after her. She did not stop but just kept on running, hoping she could escape this all too real nightmare. She wanted to wake up... to all be some kind of sick nightmare. She ran to a alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. She let the tears fall freely as she let all her pent up emotions out. Her mother dead? Did dad know about this? She had already been there for about an hour, which was long enough for school to be out by now. If only her friends knew what kind of pain she was experiencing right now. She slowly loooked up to see a small butterfly perched upon the edge of the dumpster, making eye contact with her. It flew up to her and landed upon her nose. By then she had stopped crying and was enthralled with this strange occurance. They held the gaze for five long seconds before flying off into the air, free of the bonds of life's constant torment. "Scootaloo? Is that you?" A deeper voice than a filly but lighter than any stallion she had ever known called to her. She peeked over the side and saw Rumble standing at the entrance of the alleyway, looking at her in concern. When she did not say anything but broke down crying again, that was when he went up to her and held her in his hooves. Usually, she would reject this kind of affection but she so dearly needed somepony to hold her till' the hurt melted away. He made soft cooing sounds as they rocked back and forth. She cried into his shoulder and told him everything. About her mother, about the bond that they had shared... everything. "Shhh... it's alright. It's going to be alright." Rumble whispered softly while tightening his hold on her. She wanted to stay like this. To be loved like her mother had loved her. Maybe it would fill the gap? No... such foolish thinking only made things worse. Eventually they broke their hold on one another and awkwardly exchanged smiles and uncomfortable conversations. "So... you want me to walk you home? I would be more than happy to do that." Rumble offered while putting a hoof under chin and looking into her eyes. She didn't know why, but she felt like the world couldn't hurt her while she was with him. "No... I can't ask you to do that." Scootaloo said, almost on instinct. But more on the fact that she already felt like a helpless filly and not a strong mare, which she so desperately wanted to portray to those around her. "No, I insist! Here..." Rumble said and took her hoof in his. they both started to walk out of the alleyway together, not saying a single word the entire time. She looked at him and felt like her mother was right there beside him. She lay her head on his shoulder and got a suprised gasp in return. He relaxed after a bit and continued his curious observing of his surroundings. "You know... my mom died of cancer too." Rumble said, breaking the silence they had created. She looked up at him in suprise at this. "She did? How did... how did you handle this?" Scootaloo asked, which resulted in a stare into her eyes that made her shiver with a strange excitmement. "I... saw you everyday and... you remind me of her." Rumble said after a bit of hesitation. He had a warm smile on his face that literally melted her heart on the spot. I remind him of his mom? How? "I do? But how?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a crimson blush upon her soft cheeks. He only laughed and pulled her closer to him. "Because you're the most strong-willed filly I have ever met. You are kind, you don't take any lip from anypony. And you're so pretty, I could just look at your face all day and be happy the rest of my life." Rumble said, which made Scootaloo blush furiously and giggle. He put a hoof under chin and made her look at him, but gently and somehow not forcefully. "I mean it..." Rumble said with a hint of some other kind of emotion in his voice. She didn't know what to call it but it shone through his eyes the most. She simply smiled and rested her head upon his shoulder again. they finally made it to the front door of her father's house and they broke their connection with one another. "So... see you at school tomorrow?" Scootaloo asked. He smilled, reached in, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She blushed a deep crimson and looked away, not knowing what to say next or even how to react to what just happened. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world..." Rumble said in a small whisper that only they could have heard had somepony been listening to them. They parted ways and she went inside the house. She put her back against the door and couldn't help but smile even though her mother had died this morning. She walked to the living room to find her father with a bottle of whiskey and staring at the newspaper with dried tears on his eyes. "Oh... Scootaloo. You heard didn't you? What happened to mom?" Her father asked with a tone of emotional pain. She simply smiled sadly and looked off out the window, spotting a small butterfly perched outside the closed window. The sunlight beat down on the small creature that seemed strinkingly familiar to the one she had seen in the alleyway. "Yeah I heard." Scootaloo said with a dreamy smile fixated upon her soft lips. He looked at her like she had done something wrong and stuttered. "T-then why in the wide world of Equestria are you smiling for?" Her father asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "Because I know that she won't suffer anymore. She is finally in a better place away from the harm that this world has done to her." She said straight from the heart. The look of anger melted away from his eyes and was replaced with a father's pride. "You remind me so much of her, you know that? I'm sure wherever she is right now, she is smilin' at you." Her father said. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks dad..." Scootaloo said, somehow happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing? Maybe it was what needed to be done for her to finally be happy. But she knew what her mother would say right now... There is no better place that would make me any happier than I am with you. The world was full of hate and sadness but it was also filled with something else... something wonderful.... * * * * * "So, what do ya say to that Scoots?" Applebloom asked with a grin. Scootaloo just smiled and looked off to the side with a blush. "When is the dance?" Scootaloo asked with a dreamy look on her face. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged knowing smiles and giggled again like a couple of school fillies. Scootaloo glared at them and huffed. "Not sayin' I was going to go with him just... I need to know... for... reasons" Scootaloo tried to improvise, hoping she could take some of the heat off of her. "Oh come now. Ever since... that one day after school about 5 years ago when... Rumble comforted you and walked you home you have had a crush on him. You literally fell head over hoof in love with him if I was to guess." Sweetie belle said, cutting the bullshit that was eminating from Scootaloo's last comment. She guessed that lying to her friends was not the way to go so she decided that the truth was better. "I guess you're right... I think I do love him! What of it?" Scootaloo admitted but tried to mask her embarressment with some Scootaloo pride. Applebloom and Sweetie looked at her in shock. Scootaloo guessed that they weren't expecting her to give up so easily and admit that. "So... you want to go to the dance with him?" Sweetie Belle asked with a smile on her face although her eyes said that she already knew the answer. "Yeah. I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." Scootaloo said with another dreamy smile on her face. They looked at her like she was some stranger that had intruded upon her lives, which made the orange filly uncomfortable. "Ok... who are you and what have you done with Scootaloo?" Applebloom jokingly asked with wide eyes. Sweetie belle didn't say anything but just blushed and continued their walk. Scootaloo and the farm filly followed after her after about 5 seconds of of eye contact. "So... Sweetie Belle. Who are you taking to the dance?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked at the darm filly with a dreamy look on her face. "That nice colt, Shady Daze." Sweetie Belle said proudly. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes and giggled, which got a sharp glare from the white unicorn. "So, Applebloom. Now that you know who me and Scootaloo are are goin with... who are you going with?" Sweetie Belle asked, taking her glare away from the orange filly. Applebloom looked down and frowned, seemingly hesitant in her response. "Ah don't have a date..." Applebloom said. Sweetie Belle gasped and gawked at her apple-loving friend. "Well, that just won't do! We have to get you a date pronto!" Sweetie Belle said rather loudly, adopting her squeaky voice that was possitively annoying but still managed to be cute. Kind of a weird thing to think her friend as... cute.... "It really isn't that big of a deal... ya don't need to worry yerself' with me. Ah'll be fine." Applebloom said. But Sweetie Belle would not have any of it. "A pretty filly like you? Nonsense. I will make it my personal duty to get you a date for the dance!" Sweetie Belle vowed. Applebloom blushed and shook her head, while rolling her eyes. Scootaloo knew exactly how the farm filly was feeling right about now. "Well... ya know that one colt? Chip Mint?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie's smile widened and she stiffled a giggle. Wow... that unicorn and her colts. Exactly like Rarity.... "Say no more, I get it." Sweetie said with a big, knowing smile on her face. The three fillies stayed quiet the entire time, walking along the path. They eventually reached the entrance to Ponyville and veered off down an alleyway. This was an extremely creepy part of town and should never be taken lightly. There have even been kidnappings around here as well, which was worrying. Everything was probably going to be okay.... They walked halfway down the alleyway before they were stopped by three stallions who had surrounded them on all sides. The three fillies knew exactly what this meant. They were either going to be mugged or raped. "Now... we don' want no trouble..." Applebloom said slowly, a slight tone of fear eveident. The biggest thug laughed at them and glared down at them with malicious intent. "We jus' wanna' play... don't we boys?" One of the thugs behind them said jokingly. The other two thugs laughed and the two closest to each other bumped hooves and started to walk slowly towards the two fillies with grins from ear to ear. Scootaloo had never before felt fear of this magnitude. She literally felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She had moved her gaze to the two in front of her for a second but that was enough time for the one behind her to grab her. Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs in fright. This only served to make the thugs laugh even more than they already were. the other two thugs had grabbed a hold of Applebloom and Sweetie and she thought that they were on the verge of tears. "LET THEM GO!" A sudden voice rung out through the dark alley. The lowlife scum let go of their prey and took a defensive stance. Scootaloo and the her friends scattered to the side of the alley and huddled together, hoping that whoever had shown up would save the day. "You don't scare us! Wherever you are..." The skinny thug said with a sneer. He also had fear in his eyes, which provided Scootaloo with some consolation. "Ah think ya should start runnin'... mah kick will be sure to leave a mark..." A familiar country voice warned from behind the thugs who turned around quickly. Standing there was a orange mare with the nastiest glare that you could ever see on anypony. "Applejack? Oh thank Celestia..." Applebloom mummered a prayer of thanks to the half-deity that ruled the land, even though she wouldn't have heard it. The thugs backed off in fear from the one pony that would most likely be thrown into a rage if they touched her sister. "A-Applejack... heh... we were just... makin' sure these here filles were safe. Yeah... s-safe..." Stuttered the biggest thug, who, in reality, wasn't that big but was still intimidating. The two other thugs had already ran off and the big thug had just noticed that they had abandoned him. "Heh... I'll just go..." He said. And with that he ran off, stumbling more than Derpy after leaving the bar. Applejack just continued to glare. She looked to the fillies with a stern expression, who had by then started shuffling their hooves in silence. "Just what are ya fillies doin' in the most dangerous part of town? Somethin' bad coulda' happened!" Applejack scolded the three fillies who didn't know what to say. Sweetie looked like she was on the verge of tears and Applebloom looked scared half to death, even more so than when they were ambushed by those thugs. "Well... we just wanted to take a shortcut. We didn't think something like this would have happened." Scootaloo said, stepping up when the other two didn't. Scootaloo then asked, "By the way... what are you doing around here anyway?" Applejack's eyes widened and she looked around nervously. "Uhhh... this is about you three! Don't turn this around to me." Applejack avoided the question like the cutie pox and then asked, "Besides... where were ya three headin'?" Why had Applejack avoided her question? Scootaloo would have to look into that later. Before Scootaloo could reply, Applebloom said, "We were just goin' to the boutique. To get dresses for the dance..." Applejack's stern gaze softened and melted away. "Oh... ah see. Well uhm... ah'll escort ya girls so nothin' like this happens again." Applejack said with what seemed to be indifference although Scootaloo could see the pride beaming from her eyes. The three fillies and Applejack made their way to the dress store, talking about their day and about the upcoming dance. Applejack seemed fidgety and nervous, which meant that she had been doing something under the radar before she had spotted those thugs after them. Maybe Scootaloo was just grasping at smoke here. Applejack was the most honest pony in Ponyville, maybe even in all of Equestria. After all they didn't call her the Element of Honesty for nothing. She didn't exactly lie when Scootaloo had asked her what she was doing, she just avoided answering. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo!? Equestria to Scootaloo!" Sweetie said, with an annoyed tone of voice. She had apparently been trying to get Scootaloo's attention for some time now. "Oh... what?" Scootaloo said, snapping out of her deep contemplative thoughts. She probably should just let it go. After all, letting herself worry like this wasn't exactly healthy. Especially just two days away from her birthday. "Ummm... I was asking if you wanted to come over to my house for a sleepover." Sweetie asked, looking at Scootaloo with an expression of confusion and slight concern. "Sure! I should probably ask my dad though." Scootaloo replied, acting as if nothing was bothering her. Sweetie's look of concern faded away and was replaced with her usual radiant smile that most adult ponies found adorable. Scootaloo had to admit... she pulled the adorable look off without even trying. About thirteen minutes of walking, which Scootaloo was getting quite tired of by now, they finally reached the Boutique. "Well there ya are. Just... try not to get into any more trouble. I can't save ya all the time so ya need to take the long way around and avoid that part of town. It's jus' too dangerous for small fillies ta' be roamin' around." Applejack said with a warning tone in her voice. "We will! Thanks for walkin' with us sis'. Oh and see ya later!" Applebloom said her goodbyes. Scootaloo and Sweetie wordlessly waved goodbye after the country mare. She disappeared around a corner of a building and the fillies proceeded to make their way to the entrance of the boutique. They walked in and were greeted by the sounds of a sewing machines and a unicorn frantically talking to herself. "Have to get this order done... and this one.. AND that one... oh sweet Celestia..." Rarity mumbled to herself, oblivious of the three fillies giving her a strange look of worry and confusion. "Ummm... Rarity?" Sweetie bravely ventured with a semi-question. Rarity stopped what she was doing and looked at the three fillies with suprise. "Oh hey girls! I'm assuming you want dresses for the dance. I already had them made for you this morning." Rarity said with her usual big smile and went on to say, "Go look in the closet. I put them in there. I'm sorry I can't talk anymore right now. A lot of orders to fill" Rarity went back to work, dismissing the existance of everything around her, including the three fillies who made their way to the closest closet. They peeked in and saw three dresses that were the most beautiful things they had ever seen. There were nametags on each of them to indicate which dress belonged to which filly. Sweetie's dress was pink and represented her personality perfectly. There were linings of purple here and there, which complimented the pretty pink color. Apple Bloom's dress was a bright, sparkly red, which was sort of like the the color of an apple. There was also a green, sparkly bow on the side. She instantly plopped it on her head, having removed the original bow. She looked at It also represented the orange filly's personality almost perfectly. Scootaloo's dress was a bright purple, a pair of purple dress shoes off to the side. It reminded Scootaloo of a dress her mother had once worn, although that one was for a high school reunion and was a lighter purple than this. Purple had always been the filly's favorite color. Sweetie Belle squealed in delight and jumped up and down on the spot and said, "This is amazing! I love it Rarity! I love it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" And ran over to give Rarity a hug, who graciously accepted with a smile and eyes that beamed with pride. Scootaloo didn't usually like dresses but she had to admit... this one was pretty awesome. If only mom could have seen her right now... if only. She put the dress on and liked the way it looked on her. Scootaloo looked in her saddlebag, rummaging around and stopped when she spotted something. She pulled the object that had peaked her interest and gasped, holding back her tears. There in her hooves was the necklace that Scootaloo's mother had lost two years before her death. How did it show up in her saddlebag? So many questions were racing through the orange filly's mind and she couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. A tear of immense joy but mixed with a sadness that she would never be able to get rid of slid down her cheek and harmlessly fell to the ground. This necklace brought back the memory of what her mother had said to her.... "Family is what defines us Scootaloo... for the ones we love are the ones that bring us happiness." Her mother had said so long ago... Scootaloo felt her tears break free of their prisons and she wept with a mix of joy and sadness. She missed her... for every moment that she was away from her, it felt like an eternity of solitude. "Scootaloo? Are you done in there?" Sweetie called from behind the curtain, obviously not hearing the orange filly cry for if she did she did not acknowledge. Scootaloo brought back her composure slowly and looked up from the necklace. "Yeah... comin'..." Scootaloo said quietely yet coherently, trying not to show the hurt that had clouded her mind. With that, she stuffed the necklace in a smaller pocket of the saddlebag and continued her day, unware of the butterfly perched upon a manequin. For the ones we love... anything is possible. Author's Note I worked very hard on this and I hope that you liked it. This was a side story that I have been working on in my spare time. I wanted to go really in-depth on how Scootaloo would react and what her emotions would actually be if she had to go through something like this while having the weight of her past bearing down upon her shoulders. Stay awesome fellow bronies! -brohoof-
Chapter 2: It Started With A Whisper...Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream. -Khalil Gibran- * * * * * Shortly after leaving the boutique the three fillies started to make their way to their clubhouse. They were the only ones in their class that had not yet acquired their cutie marks, which was starting to get quite annoying. The wind seemed to be picking up and there were fewer ponies on the streets than before the three went into the boutique. "That's strange... there should be lots of ponies out..." Scootaloo said, more to herself than to her other two companions. "Yeah... it's like they just up and disappeared." Sweetie said, confusion evident in her voice. "Ah'm sure it's nothin'..." Applebloom assured her two friends. Why should they trouble themselves over something so simple as not many ponies out in the middle of the afternoon? "Well... maybe it has something to do with that." Scootaloo said and pointed at a large group of ominous-looking clouds. It looked like a storm was brewing. Sweetie and Applebloom looked to where Scootaloo was pointing and formed 'o' shapes with their mouths. They shrugged it off and decided to continue onwards to their clubhouse. Wherever they looked, the streets were all but deserted save for a few ponies. And most of those few ponies were scrambling to get inside. Something was most definitely going on. Scootaloo happened to look up and spot a strange color spectrum anomaly apporaching them at alarming speeds. "What is tha-" Scootaloo begin but was cut off when this anomaly ran landed right in front of them. The orange filly couldn't help but grin with glee. There standing before the filliles was her idol and mentor, Rainbow Dash. "How's it hangin' with my favorite fillies?" Rainbow Dash half teased and half asked the three fillies. Sweetie Belle blushed profusely but it wasn't that much of a suprise. She blushed at everything, which was a telltale sign of her becoming even more like her dirt-fearing sister, Rarity. "Nothin' much..." Scootaloo said, trying to act cool. She went on to ask, "What's with all of the ponies getting inside? Is it because of those storm clouds?" "Yep, that'd be the reason. And I think you three should go inside too... it's pretty dangerous out right now, even for me, the greatest flyer in Equestria." Rainbow Dash warned the three fillies while boasting. Just then, Scootaloo had the best idea ever. She said with excitement, "Hey Rainbow Dash... can i stay over at your place?" Scootaloo wore the most adorable eyes and the biggest smile she could muster but Rainbow Dash just laughed nervously. "Uhhh... I don't think that's a good idea..." Rainbow Dash said, uncomfortability showing in every facial expression and body posture. Scootaloo was a little angry and pretty confused as to why her idol had turned her down. "W-why not...?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash looked down, closed her eyes and sighed. She looked up with something else in her eyes. Was it anger? "Because I said so okay? Now stop asking." Rainbow Dash said rather meanly. Scootaloo couldn't help but feel hurt by what the blue pegasus had said to her. They had always been so close... why was she giving her that glare and saying mean things. 'I just asked... no need to get upset." Scootaloo said, trying to hide the anger that was reaching the boiling point. Her other two friends were exchanging looks of uncertainty and uncomfortability. "Upset? Who said I'm upset!? I just would like you to stop talking about this but here you go. Talking about it." Rainbow Dash said with anger now completely obvious. Scootaloo was taken aback by the unexpected venom in her metaphorical big sister's voice. "Fine. I didn't want to learn how to fly with you anyways!" Scootaloo yelled, no longer able to keep it at bay. "It's been years! A pegasus of your age should have learned how to fly by now! You should just accept that fact that you'll never learn! Can't you see I don't want you?!" Rainbow Dash yelled at her, causing the other two crusaders to gasp and glare at the blue pegasus. Scootaloo felt the tears at her eyes as she took in what her mentor had just said to her. Rainbow Dash then whispered, "Just go away..." It all started with a whisper. That one whisper that changed your perspective on life forever. "Y-you... don't want m-me?" Scootaloo said in a depressed and broken whisper. Rainbow Dashes's face softened and guilt showed on her face. Scootaloo then whsipered rather weakly as the tears ran freely down her cheeks, "I hate you..." "Scootaloo... I didn't mean it...I-" Rainbow Dash began but was broken off when Scootaloo jumped up and ran away, crying. Scootaloo didn't hold anything back as she remembered how this situation was strikingly familiar to the one with her older brother... or was her older brother.... * * * * * Scootaloo's older brother, Cloud Runner was putting on a tuxedo and admiring himself in the mirror. Scootaloo was about five year old at the time and was about as naive as any other little filly her age. "Hey big brother! I had a question." Scootaloo said, making sure here eyes were big and pleading. Her brother looked at her like he had just tasted something revolting and horrid. "What is it THIS time?" Cloud Runner sighed and turned his attention to her. Scootaloo shuffled her hooves, not sure how to ask this. "Ummm... since you're going to the prom... can I go?" Scootaloo asked with excited and hopeful eyes. Cloud Runner jst scoffed and shook his head, suprising the orange filly. "No. I don't want my friends to see me around a foal like you." Cloud Runner said with venom in his voice. Scootaloo's eyes were widened and she was suprised. Normally her brother was nice but he was being so mean right now.... "But...-" Scootaloo began but was cut off by her older brother. "Can't you see i don't want you here?! They never should have picked you up from that orphanage!" Cloud Runner yelled and went on to say, in what Scootaloo presumed was a whisper, "Just go away..." Scootaloo was shocked. She didn't know how to respond at what her brother had just said, "O-orphanage?" Cloud Runner's face softened as he just realized what he had said. They had kept this secret from Scootaloo and were going to tell her when she was older but... the heat of the moment. "Scootaloo I...-" Cloud Runner began but was cut off by the orange filly. "NO! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU! " Scootaloo yelled at her so-called brother, who was trying to calm his sister down. Scootaloo then whispered weakly, "I hate you..." Scootaloo ran off, crying, out the door and around the the backyard where she hid herself in the bushes so she could be alone. She heard the door close and her brother's carriage take off and go to the prom. She didn't care... she just wanted to be alone... -THIRTY MINUTES LATER- Scootaloo was still in the bushes, crying her eyes out but was stopped when she hear the familiar angelic voice of her mother. "Pumpkin... What's wrong...?" Her mother asked, motherly love showing in everything that she was and did. Scootaloo then realized in that brief moment of looking in her adoptive mother's eyes that it didn't matter if this was her biological mother. It mattered where the heart lay. Where the love was. That was where your home was. In your heart. "Nothing..." Scootaloo whispered, still sad that her brother had said those mean things to her. "It isn't nothing. But... we'll talk about that later. Because something came up... about Cloud Runner." Her mother said with a weak voice and eyes brimming with tears Scootaloo had not noticed at first because of her distraught state of mind. "What is it?" Scootaloo asked with the most innocent-looking eyes that just melted her mother's heart. Her mother, who was called Serene Winds looked off to the side and sighed, letting a tear drop onto the freshly mown grass. "Your brother... there was an accident. Your brother passed away." Serene Winds whispered sadly as she let the tears run out. "What...?" Scootaloo whispered more to the cruelty of life than to her mother. Serene Winds quickly wrapped Scootaloo up in a tight embrace and they cried together. She had just seen her brother and now he's... dead...? Apparently, a bridge that Cloud Runner and his friends were crossing had collapsed and they were trapped inside and drowned. They had no chance. All Scootaloo could think about was the last words she had said to her brother before running off... I hate you. She didn't mean it. But a whisper was all that was needed to bring her world crumbling down around her. For once, she truly knew what it felt to be alone. She would know this feeling even better two years later when her mother died of cancer. It always started with a whisper... always. Author's Note I hope you enjoyed guys! Sorry, if it is a bit short but I swear... I have never experienced writer's block this severe. Oh well, it'll go away eventually. Stay awesome bronies and as always... *brohoof*
Chapter 3: Everlasting Love...The little orange filly burst into her father's home, crying. She had forgot to close the door and the rain was getting everything wet. Her father sprung up from his armchair and closed the door. He said something to her but she didn't hear. She just wanted to be alone. She bounded down the hallway, got into her room, and slammed the door. She jumped onto the bed and buried her head into her pillow, soaking it in her tears that were coming in like a flash flood. She heard her father come up the stairs and stop outside her door. "Scoots... what's wrong...?" Dawnfire, her father, asked. He knocked on the door and asked, "Can I come in...?" Scootaloo didn't answer. She couldn't even think straight right now. All she could think about was what Rainbow Dash had said to her. She heard Dawnfire enter the room and slowly approach her bed. She felt the bed dip under his weight as he sat on the bed. He brushed a lock of mane away from her eyes when she finally looked at him. He was pretty muscular, about as muscular as Big Macintosh. he had a long, jagged scar tha ran across the length of his cheek. He had a black mane and red coat. He had kind, caring eyes beneath his tough posterior. He was the very embodiment of a good father. Scootaloo reached and and embraced her father, which she had not done in a very long time. He returned the hug and cooed to her, trying to comfort her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Dawnfire said, understanding shone through his eyes. Scootaloo nodded and went back to hugging him. "Dad...?" Scootaloo asked hesitantly, "Can you s-sing the lullaby mom used to sing to me...?" He hesitated for a few seconds. She then felt the humming inside of his chest as he began. Sweet darling, lay your head down as I sing you my everlasting love. Through the clouds we bound, dreaming the dream of mystery. Mountains crumble with every syllable. I sing you my heart and my soul. I sing you my love. My everlasting love... Dawnfire's voice cracked up as he sang the song that Serene Winds, Scootaloo's mother, had always sung to her before she went to bed. It had been so long and yet he still remembered the song and its entirety. She looked up and saw that he was tearing up as he sang the song. She could tell that he was trying to hold them in but it was to no avail. But he still kept singing, never missing a beat. Soon, she could feel the exhaustion kick in as the words soothed her. She laid her head down on his shoulder, and drifted off to a deep slumber. * * * * * * Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes to find that she was in a field of some sorts. She looked around and found that this field had no end. The grass was tall and it tickled her, causing the little filly to giggle softly. There were millions of butterflys all around her, seemingly dancing. They flew around like they had some type of deep purpose that the little filly could only guess at. This had to be some type of dream. It just felt... real... it felt right. Most of the butterflys flew around one spot. Behind the butterflys was some type of bright light. It shone not only across the filly's face and the field, but it shone through her somehow. It touched her in a way so deep that it reached to the very core of her. Some would call it a soul. She slowly walked towards the light, mesmerized by its beauty. The colors in this world seemed... brighter. Happier. Without warning, the butterflys flew off at the same time, providing her with the view of the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The light dimmed down slowly and behind it was... no. That's... impossible. There, behind the light, was her mother. Her mane more radiant than she had ever remembered. Her coat shone with a brilliance, brighter than Celestia herself. "But... how...?" Scootaloo asked, her voice weak as she tried to comprehend what lay before her. Serene Winds, her mother, slowly walked towards the shocked Scootaloo. A warm smile was splayed across the face of the angelic form of her mother. "I come to you, my dear Scootaloo, in this dream. I am real and so is this dream. I felt that you needed guidance." Serene Winds said, her voice echoing across the fields. The sound of her voice was like a river of the sweetest honey to Scootaloo's ears. "But... why?" Scootaloo asked. This was all she could say because she was too shocked and awed to say anything else. Serene Winds laughed softly. She reached towards Scootaloo and brushed a hoof across the little filly's face. Scootaloo couldn't take it anymore. She threw herself to her mother and they fel down in a deep embrace. Scootaloo cried, her tears that of utter joy. "Scootaloo... you have to listen because I don't have much time" Serene Winds said, as she hugged the orange filly back. Scootaloo nodded and listened intently, wishing to hear more of her mother's voice. The feelings coursing through Scoots were so powerful that she felt like she was about to explode. "You and Rainbow Dash share a connection, similar to the one that me and you shared. You have to forgive her. She feels horrible for what she said and is tearing herself apart over it." Her mother said. Scootaloo looked up into the eyes of Serene Winds and found a peace that she thought was impossible to achieve. It resonated througout her body and provided her with a happiness not born of the real world. It was from... somewhere else. "But... she was really mean." Scootaloo whimpered, not wanting to forgive Rainbow Dash so easily but still wanting to obey her mother. "You are the bravest filly I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I still remember you when you were a foal. Eyes full of curiousity and wonder. You still have that look now. That's what sets you apart from the others Scootaloo. You see the world in a way that only a select few can. And I love that about you. But you really need to forgive Rainbow Dash. She never meant to hurt you. Go to her. Your destinies have been entwined." Serene Winds said, her voice drifitng off. Scootaloo's mother got up and looked down at the awed filly. "Always remember that I love you. This is the last time that we can see each other. I have something for you. To assure you that this was real." Serene Winds said, as she pulled out a picture of Scootaloo and her mother. It was the one when they went to Manehatten and took a picture of themselves on the tallest skyscraper. In it, they were smiling. Dawnfire, Scootaloo, and Serene Winds were all standing there, happiness and joy shone through their eyes. But this picture had been burned along with all the rest of the pictures. Scootaloo watched as Serene Winds put the picture in with a bunch of other pictures in her mother's favorite album. That album had been burned in the house fire so long ago. Serene Winds gave the album to the little filly, who looked at it with a child's wonder. "I love you... with all my heart and soul. In this album, I give you my everlasting love." Serene winds said. Scootaloo looked up to find that her mother was nowhere to be seen. * * * * * * Scootaloo jerked awake and sat up, gasping for breath as she took in her surroundings. She was inside of her room, beside her father. He was asleep as well, snoring softly to himself. She looked down and gasped at what she saw. There, before her mortal eyes, was the album and the letter that her mother had given to her before she died the next morning. Scootaloo opened the letter with shaky hooves and began to softly read to herself, careful not to awaken her father. To My dearest Scootaloo. You have grown up so fast in the short time that I had to spend with you. Times may seem grim at the moment but always remember that, even after I'm gone, I will always look out for you and protect you. I watched you grow up from the small foal to the brave filly you are today. It just saddens me that I won't be able to see you get married or have kids. But always remember that, even in the darkest of times, I will be there to sing you our song. You may not be able to hear it but I hope you can feel it. By the time you read this letter, I will have passed on to greener pastures. Although, it would never be a true paradise without you or your father in it. In this letter, I express you my love. My everlasting love. Yours truly, Serene Winds Scootaloo smiled, a tear trickling down her cheek. How this had come into her posession she would never know. But she couldn't be any happier. She looked up from the letter and said, "Looks like I'm going to go see Rainbow Dash" Scootaloo wasn't looking forward to talking to the blue pegasus but if they shared a bond as strong as the one her mother had described, then she was determined to get their relationship back up to the way it was before. With that, Scootaloo got up and headed downstairs and out into the morning sunshine. Apparently they had slept all through the night. Even now, she could still remember the dream in its entirety. Most importantly, she remembered her mother. Scootaloo tucked the letter and album into her saddle bag and set off to find Rainbow Dash.
Chapter 4: Something Not Quite Right...Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principle of evil. -Albert Camus It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. -Robert H. Schuller * * * * * The orange filly had some trouble finding the rainbow mare, suprisingly. But whenever she was about to confront her idol, something held her back. Because each time she did, the question of why this was so important kept coming up. Why in the world is Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash getting along so important? She watched as the boastful mare showed off to a group of colts and fillies, demonstrating her flying abilities. "Come on, Scoots... just go up to her and make up. Why is it so hard. it's as if there's something more my mother didn't tell me." The orange filly berated herself for not moving in sooner. There was this deep down feeling that she should do something before confronting Rainbow Dash. But what is she supposed to do? What's missing in this puzzle? After about fifteen minutes of what usually would be exciting entertainment, she left and took a walk. To where she did not know. It was as if there was some unseen force commanding her movements. She wasn't being forced by any means. And she wasn't really being guided by unseen forces. Probably not. But she just had this feeling that something was not quite right. There was happiness occuring all around her, but it had not infected her with its so-called contagiousness. She just couldn't find any room to enjoy herself at all. Of course that was to be expected after you see your mother in a dream and she all but says that she will never see you again. And she has a problem that she's quite sure will not be able to fix itself. After about eighteen minutes of excruciatingly slow, mind-numbing, and boring walking, her strange spur of the moment walk took her to the Ponyville hospital. She stood in front of the entrance, not knowing what to do with what had been given to her. The weight of her mother's album comforted her as she took her steps into the huge building full of hurt and despair. She never really liked hospitals. She always thought of blood, which gave her the heebey jeebies. Inside, the feel of air conditioning against her sweating body was pretty awesome. She had almost forgotten about the ridiculous heat outside. She looked around her and was suprised to see only two ponies in the waiting room. Both of whom her elderly. She looked to the counter, which had a young mare behind it. She was not paying any attention at all. She was reading a magazine entitled Celebrity Neighs Weekly. Scootaloo looked beyond the conter and foud a door that said Records. Without thinking, the young filly trotted quitely across the carpeted floor, through the employee's only door, and snuck by the mare at the counter and to the records room. She tried to open it, but found that it was locked. She quietly cursed to herself as she looked around for keys. She eventually found them, but she didn't exactly like the location the were in. They were literally hung up on the wall, next to the mare at the counter. The now nervous filly crept up to the oblivious mare. She looked up at the keys, which were way too high up for her to reach. She looked around to see a small stool next to the other wall. She then snuck around, silently lugged the light stool back to the first wall, put it against said wall, got on it, and snatched the keys. She whipped her head around as soon as she got off of the stool, expecting to have been caught. It was apparently not to be so as the oblivious mare was still oblivious. She then snuck back the the Records door, unlocked it, and crept inside. She didn't know what she was looking for, but yet she did. She was basically playing on a hunch who's identity was unknown. She went to the patient file cabinet and looked for her mother's name. After some time of searching, she soon found what she was looking for. She then began reading. Patient: Winds, Serene Date of Birth: November 5th, 966 Children: Two known females and one male. Scootaloo paused at what she was reading. it said that her mother had given birth to two females, not one. Who the buck is the other one? She kept reading. Patient history: Patient is married to Dawnfire, a stallion known throughout the community of Ponyville. She gave birth to two female ponies. One she named Rainbow Dash, who she gave up for adoption. The foster parents kept her name because they said that it fit her quite well. Then years later, she named the other one, Scootaloo. The second child she birthed was named, Cloud Runner who was killed in a carriage accident. Scootaloo stared at the line of text that stated the impossible, one she named Rainbow Dash, who she gave up for adoption. She just kept staring in stunned silence. She couldn't even form the thoughts necessary to comprehend what lay before her young eyes. Without thinking of the consequences, she ran out with the files, swinging the door open and making it slam against the wall, suprisng the mare behind the counter. "Hey, where did you come from?! You can't be in here!" The mare yelled at the fleeing Scootaloo. She didn't care anymore, because she couldn't be any more happier and shocked than she was now. She ran out of the hospital and was greeted by the intense heat of the afternoon. She ran into an alleyway and reread the files. they still said that she was Rainbow Dash's sister. What was going on here? There was only one pony who could provide any explanation. And that pony was her father. Author's Note i didn't know what time sytem to use in terms of year, so I just used the one i'm used to. And I'm sorry for the long wait, guys! Hope you enjoyed! Oh and... Stay awesome fellow bronies and, as always... *Brohoof*
Chapter 5: The Truth...“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” -Albert Einstein- “Tears are words that need to be written.” -Paulo Coehlo- * * * * * The orange filly's eyes watered up as she ran as fast as her hooves could take her. She had bumped into numerous ponies and, in turn, got the evil eye. She didn't care anymore. She knew her father didn't go to work for another hour or two, but she still felt rushed. Like the truth couldn't wait. Finally getting too tired to run in this intense heat, Scootaloo started walking again. The wind coming from the east helped, but it still was quite miserable. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to find out what 'laid behind curtain number one'. She kept on moving despite these new and sudden hesitations. She had to know. Within five minutes, Scootaloo's house came into view. With renewed determination, the orange filly sprinted once more to the house. She crashed into the side of the house as she tried to stop, sliding in the dirt. Hitting her head, the orange filly cried out in suprise and pain. "OW! My head!" Scootaloo yelled at the top of her lungs. In her excitement, she had been going way too fast to immediately stop. Within a matter of seconds, a large stallion had inhabited her vison as she lay on the ground. "Are you okay, Scootaloo?!" Said the stallion, who she identified as Dawnfire, her father. Scootaloo slowly got up with the help of her father and sniffled as her brain comprehended the immense pain in her head. They went inside the house and he put her onto the couch, and then started examining her head. "I really hope we don't have to take you to the hospital..." Dawnfire mumbled. Scootaloo's eyes widened with fear and she vigorously shook her head, which she came to regret as she winced in pain. "No. No hospitals, please." She said with pleading eyes. He didn't say anything in response but merely nodded. Her father was about to leave for some rubbing alcohol and a bandage, but she stopped him with a hoof on his arm. "Dad, we need to talk...." Scootaloo said as she pulled out the hospital documents and set them on the edge of the brown couch. He looked down and the title alone made his eyes go wide with fear. "Where did y-you get this...?" Dawnfire shakingly asked, his eys wide. There was obviously something bigger going on and his eyes showed it most of all. "I snuck into the hospital. But that's not the reason I'm here." Scootaloo said seriously as she stared her parent down. It wasn't accusing but a look that said, you better tell me now. He sat back down on the couch with a defeated sigh, "There's things you need to know, Scootaloo. Things that makes even your mother not look like the saint she is. And me included. We've been lying, Scootaloo." "Go on." She simply said. Something in his eyes frightened her more than anything had ever frightened her before. With obvious hesitance, he said, "As you see here, we gave Rainbow Dash up for adoption. But I know that's not all of why you brought this here. You are my child, Scoots. At an early age... w-we gave you up as well. A couple of years later, we took you back. But not Rainbow...." Scootaloo's eyes widened in shock as she comprehended those words. Her mother and father had given her up to adoption? Why hadn't they taken Rainbow back, then? "We felt so bad about the first child that... we just simply couldn't live our lives knowing we did it a second time." He said sadly, "There's more though... soemthing I did that tears me up more than even your mother's death did." Her eyes shifted from the floor back to his eyes. He was an absolute mess. "Your mother had written a second letter to you. And a third to Rainbow Dash. The second one, she wrote, telling you the truth." Dawnfire almost mumbled, hopelessly trying to provide eye contact with her shocked daughter. "Well... what happened to my letter?" Scootaloo asked, afraid of the answer to come. He got up and walked to the corner of the room. He popped open the dusty chest with a key from behind the antique plates and tea cups glass cabinet. He withdrew one yellowed letter. Where was her's? "As you can see, there's only one. It's for Rainbow...." He said as he sat back on the couch hesitantly. "Where's mine?" She asked, terrified of the new look in his eyes. He didn't answer, but simply looked at the old fireplace set against the wall. Wthin a few seconds, her eyes were filled with realization. he burned it. "W-why..?" She asked, her composure finally taken down and replaced with depression and betrayal. It took a minuute, but he finally answered. "I burned it because I didn't want you knowing the... truth. I just couldn't bring myself to burn this, so... I hid away from the world. From you, Scootaloo. I'm so sorry... I was wrong." He said miserably. She didn't care if he felt bad. This was... monstrous. "H-how dare... y-you. I..." She stuttered, "HATE you..." It was now his turn to be shocked, as his face clearly showed it. There was something else as well. It was as if something broke in his eyes, Something he had been holding onto. It was gone and now he was obivously broken completely. Doing the only thing she could think of... and certainly something she was used to... she ran. Despite his protests and his hurried apologies. She was out the door in seconds, feeling hurt and betrayed. She felt worse than the day the police pony told her mom died. She ran into a familiar alley way, huddled up behind a dumpster and cried more than she had in her life, * * * * * She had been sitting in the same spot, having lost track of time and all understanding of the world around her. She heard somepony come into the secluded area, but she didn't care. It was probably her father, anyway.... "Scootaloo?" That voice sounded familiar. She looked up to see Rumble standing beside her with a worried expression. Wordlessly, he sat down and held her, which she accepted without protest. "Do you want to talk about it?" Rumble asked, sypmpathy in his voice. Scootaloo shook her head and continued to silently cry into his shoulder. "N-no..." Scootaloo managed to say, looking up with blurred eyes as the tears trickled down her cheek. Rumble nodded and held her even closer, his hot breath upon the back of her neck. "Okay... just let it out. I'm here for you...." Rumble whispered, sliding a hof through her mane in a comforting manner. She cried even harder, realeasing all the pent up depression she had been bottling up for years. Everything that she'd ever known was a lie. What was the point anymore? They sat there in that dark, filthy alley way, him whispering to her every once in awhile and her just crying. Eventually, she had the guts to confront him about her feelings. Not the ones that were recently brought to the surface, but the ones she had known about for quite some time now, "Thank you, Rumble... thank you for this." "Hey, any t-" He was about to say but was cut off by Scootaloo kissing him on the cheek, "W-wow... I... wow..." "Sh... be quiet, please." She whispered. he nodded and they kept on holding each other, not caring about anything around them. Everything was just noise now. What truly mattered was here and now. And she would fight to keep it. Even if it meant going to Tarturus and back. Author's Note I am so damned pleased and proud of this story that mere words simply cannot do it justice. Thank you all for the support with me as I write this story... as we look through the eyes of innocence. Stay awesome fellow bronies and, as always... *Brohoof followed by a hug*
