Scootacide
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Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were walking through the forest to go visit their dear friend Scootaloo. She hadn't come to today's CMC meet, and they wanted to make sure everything was alright. "Do ya think she fergot?" Apple Bloom asked, her tone optimistic as usual. "I doubt it. Scoots isn't one to forget these sorts of things." Sweetie replied.
As they came into the little clearing that Scootaloo's home was located in, they paused. Although they knew that Scootaloo didn't have a real home like the rest of them, they never expected it to be like this: a small shack, barely big enough for a family of three, its walls dilapidated and broken in places and the windows all either broken or just not there.
As they stared for a moment, the noticed a small figure swaying back and forth inside on of the doors. "That must be her! Scootaloo?~" Apple Bloom called, grinning happily as she waved a hoof in greeting. Her happy shout got her no response for the figure though, and it only continued to sway back and forth.
"Here, let me try." Sweetie Belle said. Taking a step forward, she insistently knocked on the door. "Scootaloo, please let us i-" Her sentence was cut short as the door weakly creaked open, providing them access to Scootaloo's homestead. "O-oh.. Well, alright then.." she said, nervously peeking inside.
Apple Bloom, equally as nervous as Sweeite, trotted inside with a small smile, her optimism never failing as she said, "See? She left it open for us, let's just go in!" Before she even had time to protest, Sweetie was dragged into the old shack by her friend, leaving the door wide open behind them.
"Scootaloo?" Sweetie called once she had stood up again, both her and Apple Bloom scanning the room with their eyes to try and find their friend. When they didn't see her, the paced about the house in search. Eventually, a shriek came from one side of the house, causing Sweetie Belle to rush over and see what had happened from her own side.
"Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom, is everything alri-" But again, her sentence was stopped in its tracks as her eyes widened in utter shock. "Sc.. Scootaloo?!" she yelled in terror, her friends body hanging limp from a noose in the doorframe. Scootaloo was dead.
A tear fell down one of Apple Blooms cheeks as she stared, this being her first time ever having to face the death of a friend. Sweetie did the same, but she was brave enough now to step past her friends swaying form and into the room. Apple Bloom slowly followed suit, biting her lip as she did to keep from bursting into tears.
Inside, the room was empty aside from a dresser, picture frame and, "A note!" Sweetie exclaimed, noticing a piece of paper with Scootaloo's hoof writing on it rolled up beside a cracked picture frame that held a picture of Scootaloo inside it.
As Sweetie Belle bit down on her quivering bottom lip and looked away, Apple Bloom shakily picked up the note and began to look it over, tears continuing to stream like.. Well, like streams, from her eyes. “Sh-should we read it..?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at her friend who did nothing but shake her head yes.
"A-alright.." Apple Bloom stuttered, slowly beginning to look the note over.
Scootaloo's Note
To whoever finds me-
I'm sorry for doing this but I just can't stand life anymore. I'm unloved, uncared for, and most of all, I'm just plain sad. I never let people know because then they'd worry about me and try to 'fix my problems'. They only make things worse when they remind me of why I have these problems to begin with!
Rainbow Dash.. You were a wonderful pony while I knew you and I regret not saying goodbye to you before going through with this. I'll always remember the ways we used to fly in the fields together.. Well, you were the only one flying, I was just stuck on the ground the entire time. There's another reason why I can't take this anymore: I can't fly. I try so hard, my wings hurt from the amount of effort I put into it, but I can never fly.. I'm so useless.. At least this noose will let me be off the ground..
If they had just come back for me, this wouldn't be happening.. All I ever wanted was for my parents to come back.. For all I know, they could be dead by now, or worse, they could have just forgotten about me altogether..! Those uncaring jerks, I loved them so much.. I just wanted them back.. I just wanted to have a family again.. To be like everypony else.. Like Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.. They both have happy loving families, and what do I have..? Nothing. A shack in the woods.
The two of them couldn't of been better friends to me all these years though, and I can't thank them enough for the time they spent with me, but the constant sight if their sisters or their parents or whatever was slowly driving me into a more depressive state
. Now, it's just to much: the crusading, the jokes, the sleepovers.. They're all great fun, but I can't do them anymore, I can't keep pretending I'm happy. My time with all of my friends was great, but I can't keep living a lie.. My only way to escape this torture is through death.
I bid you all a fond farewell. Hopefully I'll see you all in the afterlife. Maybe I'll even find my parents up there..! I'm sorry everypony. So sorry. So sorr-
The remainder of the note was unreadable because of dried tear stains on the paper having broken the course of the writing. Apple dropped the letter in shock, her face wet from crying as Sweetie bawled in the corner from listening to this. Neither of them could believe that their happy little friend would go as far as to do something like this.
"I can't believe she's really gone.." Sweetie said softly in between sobs, slowly standing and staring at the wavering figure in the doorway with a mind filled with thoughts. Why hadn't she told them? Where would she get the idea to this..?
"Well.. W-we best be gettin' home.." Apple Bloom said, her voice small and weak as she slowly walked out the door and into the main room of the house. Her friend slowly followed suit, tears trailing in the floor behind them both. As they left the premises of the small old place, the two fillies headed back to Apple Blooms house to talk with Applejack. She was one of the kindest most understanding ponies they knew.
Three Days Later • Scootaloo's Funeral
A shockingly small amount of ponies had actually showed up to the awaited event. The few ponies who had known Scootaloo near and dear as well as a few others were the only ones who had arrived. In total, there were only about 12 ponies here, including the two that no pony really recognized who mostly just stood in the doorway.
Rainbow Dash sat solemnly in a corner of the seats, Applejack seated beside her as she attempted to provide comfort to her disdained friend. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were doing the same for each other on the opposite side of the room beside Big Mac, and Twilight sat between Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
Twilight looked around curiously for a short moment before looking back down. "You'd think that Fluttershy at the by least would have known that Scootaloo lived there.." she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the floor. Rarity said nothing, because she knew that if she started talking that she would most likely start crying. She didn't do well in these situations.
Then, a bell somewhere far in the distance rang, signaling that it was lights-out all around Poyville. With gloomy expressions and eyes filled with tears, they all began to leave through the main doors, past the to unknown pegasi standing in the doorframe. Applejack tried to tug a crying Rainbow Dash away from the scene, which even with her strength was a bit of a challenge.
Once the building was mostly empty, the two pegasi walked in fully and approached the casket. It was now clear that they were a couple, but it wasn't clear as to why they were here. "Come on, y'all.." Big Mac said faintly, nudging the two fillies towards the doorway. "Alright, big brother.." Apple Bloom said, her and Sweetie now walking towards the door.
As they left, they could hear a mare crying behind them accompanied by the caring hushes of a stallion. The orange mare spoke softly between sobs as Sweetie and Apple left the building, and as she spoke, they each heard, "If she had only waited a little longer for us.."
END
