Chapter 10 - Picking up Pieces

Scootaloo galloped her way home through the towns center. She looked around the earth pony village in shock to see the school paper on every doorstep of every house in the town.

'got to get home fast' Scootaloo said to herself as she kept galloping through the town.

Scootaloo past the town hall just as the clock struck making the small pegasus jump from her mind back to reality. She glanced back at the towns clock to see she just had an hour before school, but she didn't care.

After another few minutes of intensive running, Scootaloo was finally on the outskirts of town as she came up to the fluffy white cloud house in the sky.

'please please don't be too late' Scootaloo thought as she flapped her wings so she could hover up to the step of the cloud home though it took a long time and a lot of strength before the small pegasus finally made it onto the front step of the home.

Taking huge breaths of much needed air Scootaloo managed to stand up on all fours before hesitantly pushing the door of the cloud house open.

                                                          -A Few Moments Before-

Spitfire was completely shocked at what she was reading, could her own daughter have really written this she thought.

Picking the newspaper up she solemnly headed back inside to where Dash was still eating breakfast, the cyan mare looked up at Spitfire as she walked back into the kitchen.

Dash raised an eyebrow "I thought you were off to work?" she asked confused.

Spitfire showed no expression still shocked at the article she had just read and instead just threw the paper on the table for the rainbow maned mare to read. Dash's eyes widened as she first read the title before scanning the page beneath it. Dash turned a sad look when she finished reading and looked back over to Spitfire who by now was sitting at the chair opposite her just looking straight down at the table below.

Dash tried to get her head around what Scootaloo meant, she never seemed to be unhappy when Spitfire and Dash were together, she wasn't upset when Dash and Spitfire would race together or eating next to each other, it just all seemed a bit too hazy for Dash.

The cyan mare looked back over at Spitfire who was still in her thoughts. She leaned over and nuzzled her cheek softly to get her attention, Spitfire rose slowly and turned to face Dash.

Dash sighed, "Spit it just doesn't sound like her" she said with sadness in her tone.

Spitfire nodded in agreement, "but why would she write that?" Spitfire questioned still shaking her head in denial.

Dash sighed as she thought harder about the events of the past week, she only knew of two ponies that had any information on Spitfire and Dash's relationship.

It was then that Dash realized who the 'friend' in the article was and she had been with Scootaloo the whole night.

"Rarity" Dash moaned as she facehoofed in annoyance before speaking again, "come on Spit we need to go and find Rarity and Scootaloo" she said in determined tone looking over at Spitfire as she got up off the chair and held out a forehoof.

Spitfire looked up and nodded in agreement as she took hold of Dash's hoof and got up of the chair before the two walked down the hallway to the cloud homes entrance.

Scootaloo walked into the house, she saw no signs of anypony in there. She sighed knowing her hopes of getting there in time were probably over. It was then that Scootaloo pondered on whether or not Spitfire or Dash had actually got the newspaper, her hopes raised further when she looked back at the entrance and found no signs of the school paper on the doorstep.

Scootaloo pulled a determined face and set to looking round the house for any evidence of her family, she checked the living room first as she scanned the couches and other accessories for any signs of life or newspaper.

Scootaloo's hopes raised further when she realized there was no sign of the newspaper in the living area of the house, but then Scootaloo's heart sunk when she remembered the kitchen. Slowly but surely the small pegasus trotted into the kitchen, she scanned the worktops before her head turned to the dining room table.

Scootaloo hopped up onto the chair and searched the table, it didn't take her long to find the newspaper sat next to one of the far chairs of the table. Her heart shattered and her hopes were lost as she slowly walked along the table towards the item and inspected the page. It was outlined in big bold letters of the paper she had just read back at Rarity's house and not to mention the article that went with it.

Scootaloo felt tears well up in her eyes again as she looked down to see the faint dried up tear marks of another pegasus.

The little filly's legs started to shake and she opted to sit on her flanks as her eyes kept fixed on the page that was a threat to the family she loved. It was at that moment that Scootaloo felt the long accumulated tears etch their way down her small cheeks and onto the table below.

Scootaloo felt like she could sit there for ever in her thoughts, but it was the sound of a distant bell from the town that aroused the filly, she turned her head to the clock in the kitchen and realized she was now going to be late for school, she didn't care though.

Scootaloo just turned her head back to the table solemnly as she stared down at the paper again as long lost thoughts and ideas from many months ago came back to her as silence overtook her world.