[Classic] The Scootaloo Diaries

Rainbow Dash trotted down the road to Silver Spoon's house. It was getting late in the evening now and whether or not she'd be able to find her friend there wasn't certain. What she knew for sure was that Scootaloo had a lot of explaining to do, and was going to end up getting a beating if she didn't change her attitude.

Rainbow stood back and looked up at the large house in front of her. It was one of the larger houses in town, and obviously the home of Silver Spoon and her highly renowned father. The house even boasted a plaque displaying the family crest.

She knocked on the front door and was quickly answered by a large blue-gray stallion with a white slicked-back mane and a pipe in his mouth. "Mmmmyes, can I help you?"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm looking for Scootaloo. She's a small orange pony with a pink mane - maybe it's purple? Or red... Yeah I don't know, I can't remember. Anyway, she's orange and way too old to still not have a cutie mark. Ring a bell?"

"A bell has indeed been rung, however the one you seek is not here. She isn't welcome after six in the afternoon and unless my eyes deceive me, it's nearly seven," he said, glancing over his shoulder to a huge grandfather clock.

"Right. Well, has she been here at all today?" Rainbow asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"You don't really expect me to keep tabs on all of Silver Spoon's friends running in and out all day, do you? I really can't say. Now if you have no further business here, please excuse me. I have matters to attend to." His voice dropped into a tone of sheer disdain as he inched the door closed in Rainbow's face.

What a total... Rainbow was flustered as she trotted away with a growl and a hint of red resting on her nose. Where could that little squirt be? she wondered as she continued aimlessly trotting down the city streets.

"Scootaloo! Scoot-Scootaloo!" she shouted, hoping to catch her attention.

Maybe she went back to Cheerilee's, Rainbow thought.

So she began to make her way back towards the other end of town. Tired of trotting, she took flight and made the trip in under a minute.  She tapped on the door and waited for an answer.

Cheerilee opened the door with a bright smile that quickly dropped into a worried frown. "Oh, it's you Rainbow Dash. I didn't expect to see you again today."

"I can't find Scootaloo. Did she come back here yet?" Rainbow asked, ignoring Cheerilee's attitude.

"No... no she didn't." Cheerilee walked in and took a seat, leaving the front door open.

Rainbow let herself in and shut the door. She took a seat next to Cheerilee and sighed. "Any ideas?"

Cheerilee snorted. "Nope, she just disappears from time to time. I guessed she was with Silver Spoon. I can't imagine where else she'd be. Are you sure they aren't out together?"

"Yeah I'm sure. Well... I'm pretty sure. I guess I didn't ask if Silver Spoon was home, but it kinda seemed obvious that she was," Rainbow said.

"Did Silver Dollar tell you that Scootaloo wasn't there?" Rainbow nodded and Cheerilee sighed. "You know, it seems more than likely to me that Silver Spoon told her dad to tell anyone looking for Scootaloo that she wasn't there. Fly up to Silver Spoon's window and peek inside, then you'll know for sure."

Rainbow groaned. "Seriously? That's kinda creepy ya know..."

"You can always wait until she comes back home. She'll show up eventually, she always does." Cheerilee looked down with a crooked smile.

Rainbow lowered her eyebrows and placed her hoof on the sulking mare's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll get all of this worked out. Scootaloo really does love you, she just doesn't realize what she's doing." Rainbow hoped that was true.

She stood up and headed back out. "I'll be back in while."

She flew down the street and made her way back to Silver Spoon's house. There was a light coming from a window on the second floor, so she decided to start there. Silently fluttering just outside the window, she peeked in. Sure enough, Scootaloo was there with Silver Spoon. The two were rolling around in bed, wrestling or something. Rainbow tapped on the window and both ponies looked over simultaneously. Rainbow put on a smile and waved. "Psst, open the window."

Scootaloo blushed and shrugged while Silver Spoon scowled. The little orange mare made her way to the window and let her friend in. Rainbow gently and quietly fluttered to the floor. "Scoot, I need to talk to you about your dia- uh..." Rainbow glanced down at Silver Spoon, not sure how much she should say in front of her.

The gray coated mare lowered her eyebrows. "You need to talk to her about her what?"

Rainbow nervously glanced over to Scootaloo. "I uh, I needed to talk to her about her, um..." Rainbow struggled to make something up off the top of her head. "Her diary, uh... yeah, her diarrhea... Come on Scoot, you need to get checked out immediately." Rainbow grabbed her wing and pulled her out the window.

"The hay Rainbow?! Seriously!" Scootaloo shouted while Silver Spoon yelled out of the window.

"Bye Scootsy, I'll miss you. Good luck with your... problem." She giggled and closed the window.

Scootaloo smacked herself in the face and trotted next to Rainbow towards the sunset. "So what the hay are you doing? What do you want?"

Rainbow lost her smile, took a deep breath and prepared to be serious, despite her urge to continue teasing her friend. "Scootaloo, we really need to talk about a few things. I don't know what's gotten into you, but this isn't the mare I care about. I never imagined you living like this."

Scootaloo blushed and looked down. "I know..."

"That's it? You know? If you know what you're doing is wrong then why are you still doing it - have you been with Silver Spoon all year?" Rainbow stared straight ahead, unable to stop the shame from worming its way into her heart.

"You didn't finish the diary yet? Well, yeah, I've been with her. We never broke up because I couldn't make myself leave her." Scootaloo continued looking at the road beneath her hooves as she trotted.

"If you can't leave her, maybe it's because you love her. Why don't you leave Cheerilee instead?" Rainbow attempted to push Scootaloo into evaluating her relationships.

"I can't do that either! I love her and she needs me. I need her too, I just... can't. It's not that easy Dash - if it was then I wouldn't need your help." Scootaloo pointed out.

"Right... Okay, let me make this easy for you Scootaloo. What you're doing right now is wrong. Sure, it's fun for you, and yes, those two need you, but you need to make a choice right here and right now. No thinking about it: just choose." Rainbow put her hoof down and looked at Scootaloo.

The little orange mare gulped. "But... what if I make the wrong choice? What if I choose Silver Spoon and then Cheerilee gets hurt? I think she'd take it way too hard."

"Is that the only reason you want to be with her? Because you don't want her getting hurt?" Rainbow asked harshly.

"NO! I love her, I just... What I just said was completely hypothetical. I'm just trying to get you to see why this is so hard for me." Scootaloo began to tear up, her emotional distress starting to unravel her composure.

Rainbow put a hoof on Scootaloo's mane. "I know it's hard, but that doesn't matter. Life is hard. Now make a choice or I'll choose for you."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "You can't... you... what?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter who you choose now, but you can't have both. If you choose the wrong one and then realize you'd rather be with the other, then you can try to work that out at that point. Step one: come clean to both of them. Tell them both the truth and see who still wants to be with you, if either do."

Scootaloo's stomach was churning. What Rainbow was telling her to do dug deep into her heart and mind. "I don't think I can do that..."

"I'm not giving you a choice Scootaloo. You wanted my help and this is it. I'm sorry to have to be so harsh on you, but you got yourself into this and you are the only one who can get yourself out. I'm just here to push you in the right direction." Rainbow pushed Scootaloo back towards Silver Spoon's house.

"Are you sure this is what I have to do?" Scootaloo looked more uncertain than ever.

"Do it Scootaloo. You have to set this right. I know you want to. Tell Silver Spoon the truth and maybe she'll make your decision for you. I bet you two could have been perfect together, but you might have bucked that up with your stupid choices. I don't know her, but maybe she'll forgive you. Who knows?" Rainbow thoughtfully looked up to the stars as they slowly appeared in the darkening sky.

"I guess you're right... I knew I could count on you to set me straight Dash... Thanks, I think." Scootaloo slowly headed back towards Silver Spoon's house and prepared herself for what she knew she had to do.

Her mind began to turn on her, prompting her to back out and run away. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly for her right now. She didn't want to see it end.

"Ya know Dash, what if this isn't as bad as it seems? What if they're both okay with this?" Scootaloo's naïvety began to shine.

"You don't want that, Scootaloo. That isn't love. You'll never really be happy until you stop tearing your own heart in half. Plus, Cheerilee is miserable right now, you know that. I talked to her, and she's really struggling to pull herself through this. She's clearly lonely, and you're to blame. Nopony deserves to be strung along or walked over like a doormat while you run around with your other little marefriend. I'm really ashamed of you for this, but I still love you, and that's why I want to help. You have to let me help. Just stop with these stupid little fantasies and ideas of yours, and get it done. The sooner the better. And no matter what happens Scoot, I'll be here to help you through it." Dash let out a deep breath and stared into Scootaloo's watery eyes.

"Okay, Dash. If... if you say so..." Scootaloo gulped again, and slowly stepped towards her destination once more.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and took flight. She snatched Scootaloo off the ground and flew her to Silver Spoon's window. She tapped on it and the little gray mare opened it up. "Back already? Yay."

Rainbow let Scootaloo climb inside before twisting to stare at the filly as she slowly backed away into the darkness. Scootaloo groaned. "Silver, I have to tell you something. You're probably not gonna like it, but I can't keep this from you any longer."

Dash stayed a few meters away from the window, out of sight, but close enough that she could still hear everything that was happening. She hated violating her privacy, but she wanted to make sure Scootaloo actually went through with this.

"What is it Scootsy? You can tell me anything, you know that." Silver Spoon smiled and placed her cheek on a hoof as she lay in bed.

"I have another marefriend... I've been seeing her for about a year now, since about the same time we got together." Scootaloo sat down and took a deep breath.

Silver Spoon's smile went away. She leaned up and nervously looked her partner over. "Why are you telling me this? Did that Rainbow Dash put you up to it?"

"Yes and no. I've been really depressed lately, and it's because of this double life I've been living. Rainbow told me to tell you the truth, so here I am." Scootaloo felt as if she were trying to swallow broken glass as she made her confession.

Silver Spoon placed a hoof over her mouth and didn't attempt to hold her tears in. "You're breaking... you're breaking..." Uncontrollable sobbing interrupted Silver's words.

Scootaloo placed her hooves on her eyes. She couldn't imagine the pain her lover must be feeling, but she knew she didn't deserve an ounce of it. "I tried to tell you that I was seeing Cheerilee before, but I..." She didn't know how to complete that sentence.

She stood up to leave, feeling beat and devastated. Silver Spoon reached out and grabbed her shoulder with a hoof. "Wait..."

Scootaloo looked back with tears in her eyes. "What is it?"

"Is this really it? You're leaving me for our... our teacher?" Silver Spoon coughed and began to cry harder at the thought.

"I'm not leaving you for her - I should never have let myself fall for you when I was already taken. I'm sorry that I let this happen, I just couldn't bring myself to end it sooner. I loved it so much. I thought that when Diamond came back last summer you two would get back together, and we'd end it then, but then I didn't want that anymore. I fell in love with you. I have to end it though - I don't have a choice. Us being together isn't right." Scootaloo looked down and watched her tears dot the carpet beneath her hooves.

"Isn't right? Isn't right?! You being with our teacher isn't right! That's what's wrong - you're supposed to be with me! You can't do this to me! You said you loved me! Why would you lie to me about that?!" Silver Spoon's emotions took control of her actions as she threw a fit on the bed and cried.

"I didn't lie about that: I do love you Silver, I just loved Cheerilee first and she needs me. I can't keep sneaking off to be with you behind her back. I tried to tell her that I was going to see you, but it didn't work out the way I thought it would." Every bit of Scootaloo's body was urging her to run away, but her legs wouldn't move.

"Please don't go Scootaloo! We can talk about this... We can work this out... Please, it can't end like this! Not here... Not now." Scootaloo turned around and was met by the teary eyes of a mare she loved.

Her heart cracked as she once again lost sight of her intentions. "Okay..."

Silver Spoon suddenly smiled through her emotional agony. "Okay? Really?! You'll... you'll stay with me then?" She allowed a small bit of laughter to break through her crying.

Scootaloo didn't smile; she stood still, staring at her partner with a frown. She nodded and trotted over to the open window. "Yes, I'll stay with you. I... I love you Silver Spoon. I'm sorry I tried to break up with you. I couldn't live without you in my life... I don't know what I was thinking. But I need to go talk to Cheerilee now, okay?"

Silver Spoon began wiping her still-flowing tears. "It's okay, Scootsy. Just... please never do that again. And we'll talk about this, right? You'll leave Cheerilee? If you need a place to stay I can make my dad let you stay here."

"You're not mad at me for... for what I did?" Scootaloo asked, confused by her lover's reactions.

"Yes, I'm very mad at you. But that doesn't mean I want to break up with you. I can't. I just... Remember when I said I'd never let anything come between us? I meant it, and I want to work through this with you." Silver spoke calmly, holding back her tears.

"I'm so sorry Silver - I never meant to hurt you. I just got carried away with everything. I need to make this right. I don't know... I feel like you deserve better than me: I've been so horrible to you behind your back and you've always been so faithful and wonderful to me. It's just not right. I need to figure this out." Scootaloo jumped out the window and fluttered to the ground.

She quickly trotted off before Silver could come downstairs and chase her, but instead Silver called out the window, "I love you Scootsy!"

Scootaloo stopped for a moment and quietly returned the words of affection. Rainbow landed by her side the moment they were out of sight.

"That didn't go like I thought it would," Rainbow stated as she trotted next to her heartbroken friend.

"You were listening?" Scootaloo looked up at her idol with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I thought you were gonna break it off. What happened? We had a plan," Rainbow reminded her.

"I couldn't."

"You couldn't? Come on Scoot, I already explained it to you - you can't keep this up. You can only have one marefriend at a time, and I don't care if they're okay with it. I'm not okay with it, and you shouldn't be either. Mare up and take care of your screw-ups." Rainbow took a harsh tone and stood in front of her little friend.

"Mare up, that's what you have to say..." Scootaloo scoffed and slowly walked around Rainbow.

The easily-angered mare huffed through nose. "You wanted my help Scootaloo? Well, here it is - if you don't want it now then that's your problem!"

Scootaloo stopped and turned around with a fierce glare. "It's not as simple as 'break it off with one of them'! If it was, I wouldn't even need your help, because I tried that a year ago! Do you really expect me to tell her no when she's begging me not to break her heart?! I love the mare - I can't do that to her! I don't want to break up with her. Can't you understand that?"

"Yeah, I guess you really do love her, huh." Rainbow placed a hoof on her head. "But what about Cheerilee?"

"If I talk to Cheerilee it'll go down the same way. I just can't do it on my own." Scootaloo sighed. "I need to be alone tonight. Can I stay at your place?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll take you there, and I'll tell Cheerilee where you are and why, if that's alright with you. Then I'm gonna finish that diary so I know all there is to know." Rainbow sighed as well as she grabbed her friend.

Scootaloo didn't enjoy the flight nearly as much as she did the last time. She attempted to smile as the weightless sensation washed over her, but it didn't truly inspire her the way it once had.

Rainbow dropped her off at the front door on the cloud tops. The pair hugged. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright Scootaloo?"

"Sure thing, and tell Cheerilee whatever you have to. I don't mind." Scootaloo let out a deep breath.

Rainbow raised a hoof to scratch her head and Scootaloo instinctively flinched and recoiled with a quick breath. "Whoa there squirt, settle down! Are you aright?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry."

Rainbow lowered her eyebrows and stared at Scootaloo awkwardly for a minute. "You sure about that?" She looked closely at her face, tilting her chin up with a hoof.

Scootaloo smacked the hoof away. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'll see ya later. Goodnight Dash."

Rainbow nodded and flew off. Damn, Silver Spoon wasn't supposed to be this way... She should have wanted to break up after... ugh. She wiped her eyes and kept flying, disappointed by the turn of events.

In a few short minutes she reached Cheerilee's house. With a couple quick knocks, she attempted to let herself in, but the door was locked. "Cheerilee, it's me - Rainbow Dash!"

There was no answer. She knocked louder and waited for a while, but with no answer she decided to fly up to an upstairs window with a light shining through. Rainbow spotted Cheerilee laying face-down on the floor with a spilled bottle of Buck Daniels laying next to her. Her mane was dampened by the puddle of liquor beneath her.

She rolled her eyes and lifted the unlatched window open. Slipping in, she heard Cheerilee begin to groan. "You awake?" she asked softly.

"Mhm..." Cheerilee nodded, still facing the floor.

Rainbow trotted up to her and placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "It's alright Cheer. Here, let me help you." She lifted the inebriated mare up and let her lean on her shoulder.

The two clumsily walked over to the bed and Rainbow hoisted her onto it. "Get some sleep, and don't worry - I won't let Scootaloo see you like this. I won't tell her either. Just rest up, and trust me: you two are gonna be fine, and Silver Spoon will be out of the picture soon enough. I'm letting Scoot stay at my place tonight. She wanted to be alone for now. Which is probably lucky for you."

Cheerilee smiled and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Rainbow." Moments later she was fast asleep.

Rainbow rolled her eyes again, shaking her head. You're pathetic. You better not buck this up...

She took a deep breath and wiped the mane out of her face, then decided to head back to the library.

Scootaloo paced the room, her mind running faster than it ever had before. She was left with an impossible decision that would have devastating ramifications. Her small heart couldn't take the stress. She began to breathe deeply, and felt the urge to just run away from it all.

She closed her eyes and thought of her solution. A one-way ticket to Las Pegasus. It was her backup plan if Rainbow couldn't fix this. She'd borrowed money from Cheerilee without explaining its purpose, and purchased the ticket yesterday.

Rainbow flew quickly and made good time. The door was still open so she let herself in. Twilight was asleep with her face resting her desk. It was much later than Dash had realized. She tapped on Twilight's shoulder and guided her upstairs. "Where've you been Rainbow?" the sleepy mare asked.

"Helpin' Scoot out. She's worse off than I thought, and I have more reading to do tonight." Rainbow expected a negative reaction, but Twilight just nodded and gave her a kiss.

"Alright Dash... come to bed soon though. I love you." Twilight yawned and made her way to the bed.

Rainbow covered her up and gave her another kiss. "I love you too. By the way, how's that spell coming along?" She blushed and felt awkward.

Twilight simply nodded and and began quietly snoring. Rainbow smiled and kissed the tip of her horn before trotting downstairs to grab the diary. She took her seat on the couch and lit a couple lanterns, settling herself to begin reading. She flipped through entries describing Scootaloo's double life. All through the school year she'd spent nearly every day with Silver Spoon and every night with Cheerilee. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had each gotten their cutie marks and Scootaloo began to fall into a depression soon after that. Rainbow continued to skim, before landing on an interesting entry. This one was really short and clearly not written by Scootaloo, and there were several missing pages torn from the book before this entry.

Entry: Taking Charge