What Path to Choose

“What a wonderful Day.” Said Scootaloo as she sat beneath a large oak tree near white tail woods

Her two best friends in the world were sitting under the tree with her all enjoying the shade of the large tree, keeping them cool in the hot summer day. They had enough of crusading for the day and a rest was well deserved. Scoot couldn’t have asked for a better day.

She looked over at her mare friend who was laying down next to her eyes closed, her mane flowing softly in the small breeze. She smiled as she heard Sweetie Belle softly humming to herself. She looked away then over to her other side where Applebloom was also laying here eyes closed listening to Sweetie’s melody.

It was something Sweetie had been doing more and more as she dated Scoot. She was slowly over coming her fear of singing in front of other pony’s, something that Scoot was happy about. She knew deep down that it was Sweetie’s Special Talent but she knew she couldn’t say anything. Sweetie would have to figure it out on her own just like Applebloom and herself would have too.

She was happy Applebloom stayed with them too. After the night they had all stayed at Rarity’s house Applebloom kind of dropped off the face of the earth. They didn’t see hide nor tail of the filly until almost two weeks later. Scoot found out that she was jealous of them. That was until she talked to Applejack about it and she made Applebloom realize she would find someone that made her happy in time and she should be happy for her two friends.

So the three of them were back to their old selves; going out, and trying to find their special talent. As for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo their relationship was not as easy as she had thought it would be at first. Belle and her were fine but when they ran into some of the school kids they would get teased now and then for being marefriends. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were relentless when they would see them. That was until Lyra had told them off and threatened to shove her Lyre up into a dark place where it would be lost forever on each of the little fillies.

So for the last week Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just avoided them when they saw them coming. They knew it wouldn’t last long but for now it was nice for a bit of peace and quiet. Scoot had also been enjoying her time at home. It was nice to have her brother back and even better when she found out Dash and him had started dating. It was not what she had expected to come home to the next morning. But she was happy for them. She had always loved Dash like an older sister, and having her brother dating her life time idol was just awesome.

“Hey um’ Scoot tell me, what is it like for you two dating. I mean a mare and mare that is.” Said Applebloom pulling Scoot out of her thoughts

“It’s like any other relationship I guess. We hug, kiss, do things that most couples do why do you ask?” asked Scoot

Sweetie Belle looked up at this looking over to her friend “Yeah we tell you everything we do. Does it bother you?”

“No…what I guess I’m ask’n is how does it feel, and who do ya’ know you like a mare.” She asked blushing some

“You just feel a connection with that mare like you would for a stallion AB. It’s not like there is a different way to feel about a mare.” Said Scoot

“Do you like somepony and you’re not sure how to feel about her?” asked Sweetie Belle smiling a little

“Well I don’t rightly know.”

“Oh spill who is it Applebloom, is it someone from our class, and is it twist? Oh maybe it’s an older pony…oh that would be so dirty.” Said Scootaloo flapping her wings

“Scoot you have a strange mind you know that.” Said Sweetie

“You’ve met my brother and you know what Dash is like, would you expect any different from me?”

“A little I would think.” She said giggling

“Anyway spill it AB who is it.”

“I can’t tell ya.” Said Applebloom looking away

“Oh come on we’re your best friends.” Said Scoot

“I…just can’t tell ya’.” She said blushing more

Scoot looked up at the sky and was about to say something when she noticed where the sun was. It was almost three in the afternoon. “Oh great I’m late. Applebloom I’ll get you to spill the beans later. I have to run ok I’ll see you two later.” She got up and kissed Sweetie Belle then winked at Applebloom before flying off

“I still love watching her fly away it’s just amazing isn’t it?” Said Sweetie Belle

“Yeah it is…soon you’ll be using magic like your sister and it will be just as amazing.” Said Applebloom

“And you’ll be strong like Applejack I’m sure too soon enough. But anyway why won’t you tell us who you like?” asked Sweetie

Applebloom let out a sigh then said “Promise you’ll just keep this between us ok. I’m not sure how I feel yet and also it’s a bit complicated. I don’t want Scoot to know she’ll run with it.”

“Cross my heart, hope to Fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Said Sweetie Belle using the forever binding Pinkie Pie Promise

Applebloom blushed more then said quietly “Well you know how I was taking extra lessons last year from Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yeah what about it? You got better grades in school because of your lessons with her.”

“Well after awhile I started staying later and later saying I just wanted to learn more from her but well after a fashion…I realized that I just liked being around Twilight. I think have a crush on her.”

Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped at this then she smiled and said “No way, you have a crush on an older mare? Wow Twilight has to be like twenty years older than us.”

“She a year younger than my sister so she’s only 7 years older than me so its not that odd.” Said Applebloom getting huffy

“Wow I thought she was older because of how smart she was and how much she has read.” Said Sweetie Belle “Well I think it’s a cool thing that you like Twilight she is an awesome pony.”

“And too old for me.”

“Oh lets worry about that later…I think for now we need to have a mare on mare talk and see what we can figure out about your so called Crush.” Said Sweetie Belle smiling at her friend

Back in town Scootaloo landed near Derpy’s house panting slightly her wings hurting. She still wasn’t used to flying even after a month. Her brother said it would take some time for her wing muscles to get used to it. She smiled and made her way toward the house. She had just made it in time to pick up Dinky. She had promised Derpy that she would come over and take her out to play in town today while Derpy was working.

She walked up to the door and knocked sitting down and waiting for Derpy to answer the door. Finally after a couple of minutes Dr. Whooves opened up. She was a little shocked to see him there; she thought he was out of town. But she smiled and said “Hi Dr. Whooves I’m here to pick up Dinky, Derpy wanted me to take her out to play in town today.”

“Well Derpy had to leave earlier for work and I got back last night so she is having me watch her today. You can come back tomorrow if Derpy says it’s ok. Thanks for stopping by I’ll tell Dinky you said hi.” Said Whooves moving to shut the door

“But I don’t understand, she told me to come over today and didn’t tell me her plans had changed. I was looking forward to seeing Dinky; I gave up an afternoon with my friend and my marefriend for this.” Said Scootaloo giving him her puppy dog stair something that always worked

“Well to bad, I also will be talking to Derpy about Dinky hanging out with someone like you.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked getting upset now

“I don’t need Dinky getting her head messed around with and have her starting thinking she likes mares too. She is young and looks up to you Scoot and you’re setting a filthy example for her. Maybe if you rethink your way of life that you chose, and then you can see her again I’m sure.” Said Whooves starting to close the door again

“Hey now that isn’t fair of you…I want to talk to Derpy myself…Dr. Whooves don’t…” but she was too late he shut to door in her face

She swore and kicked the ground in frustration. She turned to walk home and see if Dash or Drako were home yet, but when she heard a small sob come from the upstairs window she stopped and listened “But why can’t I play with her?” came Dinky’s cute voice

Wincing Scootaloo flapped her wings and went up next to the window making sure to stay out of sight of it as she listened. Next she heard Dr. Whooves saying in a harsh tone “She’s a bad filly Dinky. I have told you this over and over. You can’t see Scootaloo or her brother anymore. If you do you’ll end up like them and that would make your mommy really sad.”

“But they are mommy’s friends why can’t I see them if they are mommy’s friends?” said the Foal in a chocking sob

“Well they won’t be for long once she sees things my way. Now you are staying in your room for the rest of the day as punishment for running off on me yesterday.” He said then Scoot heard a door slamming and then Dinky crying harder

She waited a moment then flew in front of the window and tapped on it then whispered “Hey Dinky let me in and be quiet about it ok kid.”

A smile came to the little fillies face as she saw her friend. Then she walked over and slowly opened the door letting Scoot fly in and land on her bed so as not to make any noise. Then she walked over to the bed and looked up at Scoot and smiled “Why did you fly up to my window Scoot?”

“I heard you crying and Whooves yelling so I thought I would check it out. You ok kid?” Whispered Scoot

Dinky looked away then said “I’m fine just sad is all. I am being punished for being a bad filly. I ran off to play with Drako yesterday and had a lot of fun but then Whooves and Drako got into a fight and he said it was my fault for being bad.”

“Didn’t your mother Step in?”

“Mommy isn’t allowed too. Whooves says mommy doesn’t know the proper way to raise a young filly and he needs to show her what is right.” Said Dinky starting to tear up

“Shhhh don’t cry your old pall Scoot’s here for you like always. But still I don’t like the sound of all of this.” Said Scoot pulling her friend up onto the bed and hugging the little filly

“He said you are a bad filly, why would he say that?”

“Because he doesn’t understand me and the way I live my life.” Then Scoot looked down and saw something on the little filly’s face. She put a hoof under her chin and pulled it up some so she could see her face better. There under the tears and short fur was a small black eye. It was hard to make out but she could tell it was there. She felt her blood boil as she said in a calm tone “Dinky what happened to your eye?”

Dinky looked away and said quickly “Nothing I was clumsy and fell down the steps yesterday. I hit my eye on one of the stairs.”

“I see…hey you know what why don’t we go do our play date now. I think you should come see Rainbow Dash. It’s been forever since she has seen you.” Said Scoot holding down her anger.

“Ok but won’t I get in trouble if I leave?” asked Dinky

“I won’t tell if you won’t. I can fly us out the window. He thinks you’re going to go to sleep and he won’t check on you for a while. So come on it will be fun just be quiet ok.”

Dinky perked up at this and said “Ok this sounds fun. But as long as he doesn’t’ find out I left.”

“He won’t.” said Scoot picking up the little filly and with a quick flap of her wings she flew out the open window.

Even though I hurt a lot She carried Dinky all the way to her house flying into the window she always left open to her room. She set Dinky down then walked out her door and called down the hall “Dash, Drako you guys home yet?”

When there was no response she shrugged then walked over to her writing desk and started to write a note. When she finished she looked at Dinky and asked “Has Derpy fallen down the steps lately too?”

“Once or twice yeah.”

She sighed and hated what she had to do. But she couldn’t let this happen to two of her really close friends. She walked over and hugged Dinky quick then said “Dinky I have to do something quick ok, I am going to leave a note for Dash and Drako for when they get home. I want you to stay here and play in my room but don’t leave until one of them is home ok.”

“Ok Scoot but I thought you said we were going to play together?” said the little filly cutely

“We will I promise and I always keep my promises. But remember I promised you once that I would never let anything bad happen to you.”

“Yeah I remember that.”

“Well I have to keep that promise first ok. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She said then took off out of the window before the little filly could do anything to stop her.

Drako walked into the house laughing with Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. The three of them had been having a great day hanging out, and had just got back from one of Pinky’s parties. One thrown for a reason they didn’t know but cake was always a nice reason to stay. As they made their way into the room they heard a noise from upstairs.

“I bet Scoot’s up there with Sweetie Belle.” Giggled Rainbow

“Not something I needed implanted in my head thank you Dash.” Said Drako shaking his head

“What joke am I missing here?” asked Luna looking confused

“She’s talking about my sister being up in her room with her mare friend probably doing something dirty for all we know.” Said Drako shivering some “It’s hard to think of your sister doing anything Sexual at her age…but well who am I to talk I wasn’t much older than her.”

“You’re full of shit Drako you lost yours at 17 to Derpy.” Said Rainbow Laughing

“What…its only a three year difference and I was waiting till the right moment.” He said looking away “At least I wasn’t like you messing around since I was little.”

“I was the same age as Scoot so shut your mouth Drake.” She said then started to laugh again.

Drako joined in with her falling on the floor he was laughing so hard. Luna soon joined in, not knowing really what they were laughing about but found it hard to resist. All three of them kept this up until they heard the floor’s upstairs creek then the door to Scoot’s room open slowly. They all stopped their laughing and looked toward the stairs as a small voice carried down toward them.

“Scoot are you back now?”

Drako jumped to his hooves and said a bit louder “Who’s up there?”

Shaking some Dinky stuck her heard out from behind the corner and looked down at them all then said quietly “Hi Drako.”

Her ran up the stairs as quick as he could then stopped next to her “Sweetie what are you doing here all by yourself?”

“I was with Scoot but she took me here when…well when she came to my house.”

Dash walked up the steps too then said “Why did she bring you here then leave you alone?”

“I…I’m not allowed to tell you why she took me away but it was importuned. She had to go back out to make sure it was ok for me to leave.” Said Dinky holding back tears.

“Dinky you have to tell me where she went and what happened that made her take you here and then leave you.” Said Drako then as she looked down closing her eyes letting her tears flow he saw it. He could see the mark on her eye making it a little puffy

He poked Dash and pointed at her eye. Rainbow looked then gasped then said “Dinky it’s ok to tell us what happened you’ll be ok trust me. You know me Dinky I would never lie to you.”

She sniffed then said “But he told me not to tell anyone, and now Scoot saw it and now she seems mad. I just don’t want people to get hurt more.” She started to cry hard now

Drako felt a pit in his stomach as he said quietly “Did Dr. Whooves do this to you Dinky, and Please tell me where my sister is.”

Dinky slowly nodded then said in a squeaky voice “Scoot went too yell at him I think. She left a note for you in her room.”

Rainbow Gasped “When did she leave.”

“A long time ago.” And she fell to the floor crying harder

Drako and Dash ran into her room and found the note right away,

Hey Bro,

Sorry I couldn’t wait until you got home for this. Dinky needed to get out of that house. I know she got a black eye from Dr. Whooves. I know Derpy can’t be gone long so I am going back over there to talk to Whooves and Derpy. I can’t let something like this happen to a sweet filly like Dinky. I’ll be home for super and don’t’ worry I dought he’ll do anything to me. I’m your sister after all and no one messes with my big brother.

Love,

Loo

Drako grew angry and got to his hooves and started to go down the stairs. Rainbow put a hoof on his shoulder as he passed and said “Where are you going love.”

Drako looked over toward Dash anger in his eyes “I’m going to go kick the teeth out of Whooves, and if I find out he has been hitting Derpy too then…”

“Then what Drako Moon?” asked Luna giving Drako a stern look “You have to leave this up to the law. I’ll run to twilights and send a letter to my sister to send more royal guards to go over this and arrest him if he did do this. There is no need for violence.”

Drako kept walking down the stairs and as he passed the Alicorn he said “I’m sorry Princess Luna but my sister may be in trouble and a pony I care about may also be hurt. Try and stop me if you want or call the guard to find him if you want, but if I find him first…I’ll kill him myself.”

And with that he flew out the door. Dash felt a knife hit her in the heart a little when she heard him say what he did about Derpy, but she pushed it away and made sure to hold the little filly that was crying. She looked up at the princess and said softly trying to keep from crying “Princess Luna please stop him before he does something stupid. He always acts first and thinks second, but if someone says something, he’ll stop and think.”

“I’ll do what I can Rainbow Dash. You are my friend and so is Drako, he is also the best Personal Guard I have ever had. I won’t let anything bad happen to anyone, but I must hurry to Twilight’s place to send a letter to Tia. Stay with the little one for now and try and keep her calm.” Said Luna running off too

Dash let the tears finally fall as she said slowly “Be careful…both of you.”

Drako landed outside of Derpy’s door his anger filling ever inch of his body by now. He knocked as hard as he could, holding himself back from kicking down the thin wooden door. After a couple of knocks Derpy answered the door tears in her eyes a bruise on her lip and a black eye just like Dinky’s. She looked down as she saw him then started to cry.

She jump into his arms and started to cry saying “I’m so sorry Drako I really am. He was just so mad and I couldn’t stop him this time. I did my best I really did but I just couldn’t hold him back when she showed up.”

Drako felt the pain in his stomach again as he said “What happened Derpy.”

As if answering his question the sound of Scoot came from the other room “Big Bro?” his heart missed a beat as he heard how weak it sounded.

He ran in to the room Derpy not far behind and his eyes fell on his sister who was lying on the couch. Her face was bruised badly with a few small cuts along her cheek, her left wing was sitting at an odd angle, and she looked like hell, but as he walked toward her tears welling up in his eyes. She was still able to smile slightly at him and say “hi big bro.”

“Hi yourself Loo. You look like hell you know that.” He said trying to keep calm for her sake

“I couldn’t let him get away with hurting them. I was just trying to be brave like you.” She said weakly

The tears finally started to fall hard and he said in a chocked voice “How could you be so stupid. You should have come and gotten me I would have taken care of this. Now look at you. Scootaloo you’re the only family I have left…I…don’t know what I would have done if something would have happened to you.”

Derpy looked away as he said this then said “This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault at all Derp, don’t ever tell yourself that.” Said Drako not looking at her

“But it is, I let him do this to us and didn’t say a word. I was just hoping that he would go back to how he was before.” She said starting to cry

“How long has this been going on Derp?” he said anger filling him up

“A month now…ever since you got back and Dinky started to talk about you. But it wasn’t bad until the other day when you were out with Dinky. He just lost it after that and got worse.” She said sobbing harder now

He put a hoof on her shoulder, then took one look at his sister then back at Derpy then said gently “Where did he go Derp.”

“I…I don’t want you to hurt him too there has been enough…” she said but he cut her off

“Stop defending him. He needs to feel what it is like to be hit like this and to know why it’s not right. He hit you, a mare, which is nothing a Stallion should ever do, then he beat up my sister who is a filly and a mare, and he hurt your Daughter a helpless little mare. Stop defending this pony and let him get what is coming to him. I promised long ago that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt any of you and I meant it. Now I’m only going to ask this one more time Derpy and for the love of Celestia please think about what you’re going to say. Where The Hell is Dr. Whooves?!?!”

She took one long look into his bright green eyes then sobbed harder holding on to him. After a few moments passed she finally said “I’m so sorry…I really am. But your right I can’t let this go on anymore.”

“Just tell me where he is and I’ll make sure he never does this to you again.”

“What are you going to do Drako?” asked Scoot looking scared

“Just tell me Derp.” He said ignoring Scoot

She took one long sigh then said “He’s…”