[Classic] The Scootaloo Diaries

Scootaloo woke up late in the evening, a kink in her neck, and her wings feeling worse than sore. She flopped out of bed and stretched herself out, spotting a small saddlebag in the corner of the room as she did. It was empty, so she tucked it under her wing and placed her train ticket inside. Wiping her tired eyes, she made her way outside and considered all she'd have to do in preparation to leave town. First, she needed to talk to Silver Spoon.

Taking a moment to steel her mind, Scootaloo leaned over the edge of the cloud. She counted to three and jumped over the edge, forcing herself to flutter safely to the road. Once again, she gained too much momentum and stumbled across the road, although this time she at least managed not to topple over. After regaining her balance, she headed down the dimly-lit night road toward Silver Spoon's house. Upon arriving, she began quietly calling up towards her lover's bedroom window. "Silver! Open up!"

Scootaloo took a few steps back and looked up. The window was shut, with curtains drawn. It was dark, but she could just make out the image of an arrow drawn on notebook paper stuck behind the glass, pointing diagonally down. Scootaloo looked where it pointed and trotted around behind a bush. There was an envelope tucked within. Scootaloo quickly grabbed it and moved under the nearest street light so she could read what was inside.

Scootaloo, I knew you'd try to come see me. I'm so sorry about my dad, you know how he gets. He locked up the doors, so I can't open them, and I know he's about to lock my window too. So I'm just gonna write this quickly and toss it out before he comes in here.

I guess Rainbow Dash told him some bad things about us. I don't understand why she hates me so much. All I wanted was for us to be happy together. I wish I knew why she wanted to break us apart, I'd have tried to reason with her. This hurts so bad Scootaloo... I really wish you were here with me right now.

My dad said he's gonna send me to stupid Neighstrum Academy with Diamond Tiara. He says I need to stay with my own kind and away from the "filthy trash" in Ponyville. I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll run away and I'll definitely see you again soon. I love you Scootaloo, please wait for me. I'll be in your hooves again as soon as I can.

Love and Kisses ~ SS

Scootaloo pressed the letter up against her chest and let her tears dot the gravel beneath her hooves. "This isn't fair!" she shouted as she stomped on the ground.

Sniffling, she headed towards the train station. It was still the middle of the night, but now she had nowhere else to go. There was no way to get a hold of Silver, and Rainbow would be able to find her anywhere else. She decided she'd just wait there, since her train was scheduled to leave just before noon. It was a fourteen-hour train ride to her destination, without any stops. The express ticket cost extra, but hay, they weren't her bits anyway. Scootaloo curled up on the bench inside the station and held onto her aching stomach.

Thoughts of Cheerilee filled her mind. She wanted to say goodbye, to tell her that she'd miss her, and to thank her for everything she'd done. Scootaloo felt that it was wrong to be thinking of Cheerilee as she waited to leave town. A thought occurred to her: everypony would wonder where she had gone. Scootaloo leaned over and decided it would be best to leave a message. She didn't want anypony trying to stop her from leaving. Hmm... I guess I should sneak in and grab some stuff from Cheerilee's before I go... I'll also probably want a-

Scootaloo's thoughts were cut off by the sound of tapping outside the station door. Rainbow Dash stood there, lightly silhouetted by the street lights behind her. "Heya kiddo. Can I come in?" Rainbow spoke through the glass door.

"Uh, sure..." Scootaloo looked down and placed her front hooves between her legs.

"So, how ya feelin'?" Dash took a seat next to her little friend.

Scootaloo looked up with tears in her eyes, staying silent.

Rainbow placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Come on Scoot, it's not as bad as you think. Now, before you start yelling at me, just listen for a minute. I know you're practically grown up now, and you can make all your own choices. But, just take a step back and look at the big picture, the entire picture. I brought you this. You asked me for answers - well, they're all in here." Dash took the diary out from beneath her wing.

"I marked a couple of entries I really think you should reread. By the way, what are you doing here anyway?" Rainbow asked as she hoofed the diary down to her friend.

"I'm just, you know... hiding out. I don't really have anywhere else to go." Scootaloo looked back down and sighed.

Rainbow smiled softly and pulled Scootaloo into a hug. "Really? You know as long as I'm around, you'll have a place to stay. I got you covered. Come on back to the library with me. Twi won't mind."

Scootaloo nodded and stood up. "Which entries did you mark?"

"Just wait til we get to the library. I'll get you a lamp and you can read them then. It'll give you something to sleep on. I really want you to think this over carefully, Scoot. It's not just your well-being that's at stake here." Rainbow looked down sternly, her expression betraying the sense of responsibility she felt as she walked Scootaloo down the road.

"What about Silver Spoon? She's... she's not gonna be able to leave the house... I'm never gonna see her again. I never even got to say goodbye, or tell her how much I love her. She needs me - what about her well-being?" Scootaloo cried.

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the filly. "You'll get your chance to say goodbye - I'll make sure you do, okay? And she'll be fine. Where's her dad taking her anyway?"

"Some boarding school in Manehatten." Scootaloo sobbed as she spoke.

"Sounds nice. I bet she'll do just fine there. No distractions, ya know?" Rainbow patted her friend on the head.

Scootaloo sighed and took Rainbow's words for what they were worth, despite the hurtful undertone she could have focused on instead. "When will you take me to see her?" Scootaloo asked.

"We'll figure it out soon, alright? Let's just get some rest tonight. I'm exhausted after searching for you all day and night." Rainbow yawned and pushed the library door open.

She grabbed a lantern and lit it up, setting it on a shelf above the couch she had claimed as her own. Scootaloo took a seat and opened the diary as Rainbow trotted upstairs. She began to read, instantly recalling the day she had recorded the entry.

Today was complete crap. Silver Spoon decided to get all whiny and stuff, but what the hay am I supposed to do? I already told Cheerilee I'd go with her on this little date thing she wants to do. I knew I had no choice, since this seems really important to her, and I can't just blow her off because Silver Spoon's being all clingy over nothing. It'd probably break Cheerilee's heart if I told her no. I can't do that, it's not fair to her. Silver will just have to deal.

I went to her house and figured I should set her straight. This morning I had told her that I'd think about not going, even though that wasn't true. I also told her that I'd be going with my mom. That's a laugh. Now that I think about it, she knows I haven't seen my mom in almost a year, and she knows that my mom would only rarely get an opportunity to spend time with me like that, if ever at all. The more I think about it, the more angry I'm getting at her.

Anyway, things got worse once I got there. It seemed the more she thought about it, the more angry she got too. I knocked on her door and she opened it, rolling her eyes and immediately trotting back up to her room.

"What gives Silver?" I asked, already sick of her attitude.

"What do you think Scoot? You wanna ditch me all weekend to go spend time with your crazy mom? We were supposed to spend the weekend together at Applebloom's, like you promised." That was true, but I hadn't counted on Cheerilee making plans for the same weekend.

"Plans change, Silver. We can do it later, okay?" I knew why she was so upset, but still, she was being really bad about this, I think.

"Change yours then. You know how much I've been looking forward to this. We've never been able to sleep together at night, and I..." Silver blushed. I was starting to feel terrible at that point.

"I know, I was looking forward to it too. But you know, we can always do it another weekend." I tried to be reasonable.

"No, Scootaloo! I wanna do it this weekend!" She started yelling at me, and I was quickly losing my patience.

"Well, too bad!" I yelled back, almost ready to fight.

"You can't do this to me Scootaloo!" She teared up, probably just overreacting.

Scootaloo shook her head. "You can't do this to me..."

She reread that line several times, recalling what had happened when she tried to break up with Silver a couple of nights ago. She also recalled Rainbow having heard their argument that night. Scootaloo chuckled. Is this it Rainbow? Your big sign? Silver's just an overreacting little kid, right?

"I'm not doing anything to you, Silver. You can't change my mind. Look, I'm going. Okay? That's all there is to it." I turned to head back outside. I had had enough of her for today.

"Fine... Be that way!" she yelled at me from her window as I trotted back home.

Before turning the page, Scootaloo cringed and felt her heart ache. Come on Rainbow, this was just one fight... You can't just... you can't base your entire life off of one fight.

As she turned the page, she saw a small note stuck between the pages. Scootaloo opened the note and started reading.

Look, I know you think that this was just a little fight and no big deal, and honestly, that's all it was. I'm just trying to show you that you're both still really emotional little mares, and this is what you do. You guys will fight and fight, again and again. The only difference is, Silver Spoon will leave you eventually. She's young like you, and she's gonna get curious, especially now that she knows you cheated on her already. She might seem fine now, she might say she doesn't care, but she will eventually.

She'll meet somepony else she likes, and if you guys get in another fight, she'll use it as an excuse to go to them for comfort. Okay, so I don't know that for sure. I'm just saying that it wouldn't surprise me at all, and you know it could and probably will happen. The point is, I don't want you throwing your life away for something as uncertain as Silver Spoon. You loved Cheerilee first - remember that, and stay faithful. That mare has been through hell for you, and even now, after you broke her heart again, she's trying her best to stay strong, and hoping with everything she's got that you'll come back to her. If that ain't love, then I don't know what is.

Rather than finish the entry, Scootaloo shut the book and lay down. Rainbow's letter had to mean something to her, she knew it did, but couldn't quite place its significance. She closed her eyes and saw Cheerilee, lying in bed alone, crying and brokenhearted. She started to wish she could be there to comfort her, but another image came to mind. Cheerilee in her room, sitting on the bed with a bottle in her hoof, angry, knocking things over and crying. Scootaloo cringed as the image washed over her, filling her mind and haunting her dreams as she drifted off to sleep.

As the sun crept over the windowsill, Rainbow's eyes shot open. She shook her mane out as she jumped out of bed and quickly trotted downstairs. Confirming her fears, Scootaloo was gone. Rainbow groaned and headed outside, wondering where Twilight could be. She stretched her wings for a moment, then took flight to search the usual areas for her little friend.

With no luck, she made her way back to Cheerilee's house to check in on the mess of a mare. She tapped on the door and got no answer, although this time she found it unlocked as she attempted to let herself in. Rainbow quietly walked through the house. She covered her nose as she walked into a wall of stench. The house reeked of cheap liquor and vomit. There were three empty bottles of Everfree-Clear on the coffee table in front of the couch. Rainbow imagined drinking that was similar to drinking gasoline. As she trotted into the kitchen, she noticed a mess of broken glass piled up against the wall.

"Cheer? You in here?" Dash called out. No answer.

"Hello?! Cheerilee?!" she shouted through the silent home, before deciding to head upstairs.

As she slowly pushed the bedroom door open, she was struck by the shocking sight that met her. The bed was made and the rest of the room was clean. However, there was nopony to be found within. Dash scratched her head and backed out of the room. Where the hay is everypony? she wondered.

Rainbow Dash slowly trotted back outside, shutting the door behind herself. The sun was veiled by a thick layer of gray clouds as she made her way back down the street. She decided to head back to the train station, figuring it was as good a place as any to begin her search once again. It was a short flight to the station, and sure enough, Scootaloo was sitting on the same bench Dash had found her on last night. This time though, there were several more ponies crowding the station, each impatiently shifting their weight and checking the large clock hung on the wall behind them.

Rainbow walked through the glass doors and caught Scootaloo's attention. "Hey kid, what do you think you're doing here?" she asked with a worried expression.

Scootaloo jumped, quickly tucking her ticket beneath her wing. "Wha- what do you mean? What are you doing here?" she nervously replied.

"I'm looking for you! Come on, we need to go find Cheerilee." Rainbow urged her friend to follow her, pulling on her wing.

"Cheerilee's not home. She's probably out buying more alcohol," Scootaloo scoffed.

"She might be in trouble, come on." Rainbow attempted to forcefully drag Scootaloo out of the station.

Scootaloo pushed Rainbow away and stood strong. "No, Dash. I'm not going anywhere."

"What are you talking about? I don't have time for this Scoot," Dash retorted, the anger and pent-up frustration visible in her eyes.

"I'm leaving. I'm... I'm going to live with my uncle in Las Pegasus." Scootaloo looked away, biting her tongue.

"Wait, you were gonna leave? You... you weren't even gonna say goodbye?" Dash looked down with tears in her eyes, feeling betrayed.

"I left a note..." Scootaloo pointed out, shame filling her heart.

"A note... Why wouldn't you tell me to my face?!" Rainbow shouted, masking her pain with anger.

"Because I knew you'd act like this. I'm sorry Dash, I should have told you anyway." Scootaloo let out a deep breath, hoping to calm her friend down.

"I'm sorry too. For yelling, I mean. Seriously though, Scootaloo - this is crazy. Come on, I'll take you back to the library and we can talk about this. Please, Scoot?" Rainbow pleaded, hoping for the best.

Scootaloo let out a deep sigh. "Dash, I already got the ticket, and my train's leaving soon. I can't go back, alright? I've made my mind up. Silver's gone, and Cheerilee might as well be. Her mind is long gone, and the drinking is only pushing her farther away everyday. I don't want to hurt her anymore. I just get so angry when she drinks, and I can't control myself. When I went to her house today, I just wanted to... I wanted to kill her. I searched, and I scared myself. Look, Dash, this is it. Okay? I have to go, and I'll be fine."

Rainbow began to tear up as she heard a faint roar of thunder in the distance. "Scootaloo, I'll help you and Cheerilee work through your problems. You can't go - running away is not the answer. Don't make me beg you Scoot, because I will if I have to."

"I'm going, Dash. And don't beg, just treat me like a grown mare and let me make my own choices. I'm sorry I tried to make you fix my life for me, that was wrong. This was never your mess to clean up, so I'm making it right myself." Scootaloo hugged her idol one last time. "I love you Rainbow Dash. You really are my best friend, and I'm gonna miss you a lot."

"Scootaloo, you can't... I won't let you go..." Rainbow held onto her little friend tightly, attempting in vain to hold her tears back.

Scootaloo stepped back, pushing Rainbow's hoof away. "Dash, remember when you said that if I ever needed anything, just to let you know?"

Rainbow nodded, and Scootaloo took a deep breath. "Well, I need you to let me go."

Rainbow Dash took a few steps backwards, staring at the ground. Scootaloo closed her eyes and turned away, heading back towards the platform.

"All aboard!" the train conductor shouted as the group of ponies lined up outside the passenger cars.

Rainbow looked up to see Scootaloo boarding the train. The little orange mare looked back, her deep purple gaze meeting Rainbow's from afar. She looked down and walked through the train doors - out of sight, and out of her best friend's life. As the train began to roll away, Rainbow felt her heart cracking into pieces. There was another roar of thunder and rain began to pour down. She stared into gray-veiled distance as the train disappeared over a hilltop. The rainwater dripping down her face masked her tears as she finally stopped holding them back. Her heart was broken, her intentions shattered, and the one pony she had tried so desperately to help was on her way into an unknown world.

"Scootaloo, I'm so sorry. I let you down..."