Finding Love in Dark Places

Chapters

Alone
Everfree
Love
Life

Alone

Author's Note

Rewrote first half of the chapter on March 2nd, 2015. Second half received major edits, and is scheduled to be rewritten soon. No story elements will be changed.

Alone

The whole class sat in total silence, waiting eagerly for the school bell to ring, signifying the start of summer vacation, and the end of yet another year of school in Ponyville.

Scootaloo’s little wings buzzed happily in anticipation of the coming summer months. She had already made several plans with her fellow Crusaders, in hopes of finally finding their special talents. She herself really wanted to give white water rafting a try, and she couldn’t help but to wonder just how awesome a cutie mark in rafting would look upon her flank. She kept picturing a rainbow coloured raft, or perhaps it would be water splashing against sharp rainbow rocks. Honestly, she didn’t really care, so long as there was a rainbow involved, and the mark itself looked awesome.

Everypony was looking up at the clock on the wall, waiting for the final seconds to tick away.
Scootaloo could almost feel the raw electricity buzzing in the air, and she couldn’t wait to break out of this sweaty classroom, and into the freedom that summer provided.

When there were only five seconds left of the school year, everypony verbally and loudly counted the seconds away.

“Five”
“Four”
“Three”
“Two”
“ONE!”
The bell rung, followed by a stampede of eager little ponies, happy to start their first official day of summer freedom.

And like always, Scootaloo stood at the very front of the race to the outside world, alongside Apple Bloom. They both cheered various chants as they stormed through the doorway. Once they were firmly on the outside, they both collided into each other to partake in a yearly tradition; a makeshift wrestling match. The winner got to choose the first official Crusading activity of the summer, and every time, it was Scootaloo that came out on top.

Today was no exception, and she managed to quickly pin the yellow filly down to the soft ground below, almost in record time. However, before she could properly bask in her glory of being the second best pegasus in existence, she felt sad for a reason unknown to her. Her fight or flight instincts were starting to kick in, and she soon began to worry about something.

She felt tears well up in her eyes, only to fall down upon a confused Apple Bloom that was still pinned under the pegasus.

"You alright, Scoot?" asked Apple Bloom. She could tell that something was wrong with her friend, though she didn’t quite know what.

"Huh? Oh, yea, I'm fine. Just have a bad feeling for some reason. I'm sure it's nothing." replied Scootaloo. “Oh, and I’m totally not crying, okay? Just got some dirt in my eye.”

"Dirt.” Apple Bloom said flatly, not believing her orange friend for a minute. “Well, if ya say so, Scoot. Ya know ahm always here ta talk, right?”

“Well, duh! You’re my friend, Apple Bloom. More than that, you’re a Crusader. I know I can count on you for anything, so long as it doesn’t involve wrestling. You kinda suck at that.” Scootaloo said with a smirk.

“Ah suck, huh?” Apple Bloom then kicked the pegasus off of her in one quick movement, forcing her friend to weaken her stance, allowing Apple Bloom to retake control.

With Apple Bloom now on top, she looked down at the surprised pegasus below her with a smirk. “Maybe I just let ya win, ever thought of that?”

“Oh? And here I thought you liked being on the bottom.” Scootaloo smirked, only for Apple Bloom to apply more pressure to one of her wing joints, pushing at just the right spot to hurt, yet also feel surprisingly good. “Th-that’s not f-fair!”

“All’s fair in love and war.” Spoke Sweetie Belle, who had been watching from a short distance away. She purposely emphasised love, and as she predicted, Scootaloo responded with a gah before they all started to laugh together.

“Here’s your stuff, since you guys forgot it back at school again.” Sweetie motioned towards two saddlebags, one of which was orange and blue, the other yellow and red. She herself had a white and pink saddlebag.

Both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom thanked Sweetie Belle for remembering their bags, and nuzzled up against her in a friendly show of gratitude.

Several minutes had passed, and Scootaloo found herself unable to keep up with the conversation. Her thoughts had invaded her, and a new form of worry was evident on her face. She was so deep in thought, she didn’t notice the stares of both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, nor did she hear her name when they both began to call to her.

“Scootaloo!” Said Sweetie in a high pitched yell. “Are you alright? Do you need to see a doctor?”

Scootaloo looked blankly at Sweetie Belle for a moment, before recognition kicked in.
“I’m fine. Just, something doesn’t feel right.” Scootaloo said with a frown. “Like, there’s something missing, and I just can’t figure out what.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged looks of concern, before a smile appeared on Apple Bloom’s face. As if reading Apple Blooms thoughts, Sweetie too began to smile. They both nodded, and turned their gaze to Scootaloo.

“Ah think ah know-” Apple Bloom began.
“How to cheer you up-” Sweetie Belle finished the sentence, and looked at Apple Bloom to ensure that she got the timing of the upcoming chant correctly.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ICE CREAM CHEER UP YAY!” They both cheered loudly and in unison. The loud noise caused Scootaloo to jump, and her wings to extend in surprise.

“What the hay, girls! Freaking warn me next time! And, what do you mean?” Asked Scootaloo, who was trying to will her heart to return to a normal pace. “Seriously, I’m fine. I don’t need to be cheered up.”

“Just humour us, Scootaloo. Besides, who in their right mind could turn down ice cream?” Sweetie reasoned.

“Ugh, fine. But I’m not doing this because I’m upset or anything. I just like ice cream.”

“Good enough for me!” Sweetie said in a sing-song voice. “Let’s go!”

While making their way to Sugar Cube Corner, the three fillies were interrupted by a blue streak of awesomeness landing directly in front of them.

Scootaloo instantly perked up at the new arrival, and for a moment both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were saddened by the idea that Scootaloo no longer needed ice cream to cheer her up, which of course also meant that they too wouldn’t receive the frozen goodness. But Scootaloo’s excitement dwindled as soon as she caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash’s tear-stained face.

“Hey squirt, what’s up?” Asked Rainbow Dash in an attempt to make this conversation as normal as possible, even though she knew that the news she held would change Scootaloo’s life forever.

“Hey Rainbow Dash! We were just heading to Sugar Cube Corner for some ice cream.” Replied Scootaloo. “What are you doing here?”

“Scootaloo, do you mind if we talk? You know, someplace private?”

“Uh, yeah I guess. Lead the way.”

Rainbow Dash led Scootaloo towards a small park where they wouldn’t be bothered. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom tagged along. They walked on either side of Scootaloo, in what they hoped would be a reassuring gesture that they were there for their friend, no matter what happened.

Upon arriving in the park, Rainbow Dash scanned the area for any other ponies that could eavesdrop on their upcoming conversation. When she was satisfied that they were truly alone, she spoke in a hushed tone.

“Scootaloo, I have some bad news. You, uh, may wanna sit down for this, or something.”

“Sit down for this or something?” Rainbow thought. “What the hay. This is news that will change her life forever, and I freaking start it out like that? Buck, I gotta word this right.”

Scootaloo sat down, as requested. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat awkwardly at her side, and remained silent.

“Scootaloo, please don’t hate me for being the one to tell you this, and remember that I’ll always fly by your side, no matter what.” Rainbow paused to wipe some tears away from her eyes with the backside of her hoof. “Your parents were in an accident, and they d-didn’t m-make i-it.” Rainbow could no longer hold back her tears, and began to sob loudly. “I’m so s-sorry, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo just sat there, frozen in shock. Her tiny wings were fully extended, but soon began to droop as the gravity of the situation became clear in Scootaloo’s mind. Her parents were dead.

Neither Apple Bloom nor Sweetie Belle knew what to say to their obviously hurt friend, and so they both stayed by her side in a type of reassuring silence. Neither one of them knew for certain if their presence was of much help to their dear Scootaloo, but without any other options, they chose to believe that it was.

However, Scootaloo has yet to shed a single tear. She simply couldn't, not even if she wanted to. Her mind had almost completely shut down, with nothing but happy memories of her parents flowing through it. Of course, those once happy memories were now sad to Scootaloo, knowing that they were just that; memories.

Scootaloo couldn’t take anymore of this. Everything around her had become a blur of sights and sounds, and nothing seemed to register in her mind. She became a broken shell of a once mighty pegasus. She became an orphan, and was being forced to forever live within a world of cruelty and pain.

Without even realizing her own actions, and before anypony could stop her, Scootaloo was off and running. She had no destination in mind, other than not here.

She was now alone. An orphan. How could she survive in a world as an orphan? How could she truly live a life of happiness, when the only ponies to ever love her were both dead and gone?

She couldn't. She just couldn't live without them. That’s why she ran.

She didn’t want to be alive, if it meant she was alone.

Everfree

Running. That was all that she currently knew how to do. She couldn't turn back, not even if she wanted to. Everything behind her was dead. Her parents were dead. She had no where to run to, but she didn't care. She just had to run. She had to escape.

Her young chest was heaving heavily with every sharp inhale, but she didn't stop. Even when her heart began to beat a painful tune, she kept running. Everything was a haze of sights and sounds, and she could faintly feel rain hitting against her orange coat, dampening her body with visual dread. Most of her lower body had been covered in mud, with every step splashing more mud into her coat and mane. She felt physically broken, which was a good thing in Scootaloo’s mind. She wanted to look and feel like a broken foal, for that is what she now was. Broken.

Her running came to an abrupt end when one of her front hooves collided with a fallen tree branch, thrusting her forward through the air towards a shallow swamp. This is when Scootaloo realized just where her legs had taken her. She was within the Everfree Forest, surrounded by shadows, and flying toward an unknown body of muck. She felt pain all over, but the strongest source of pain came from her inner self. She felt sad, and angry, and afraid. But most of all, she felt alone.

In what seemed to take an eternity, Scootaloo’s body finally collided face first into the unknown swamp. Instantly, her nose was assaulted by unpleasant smells, and she quickly found herself gasping for air.

She had to fight the urge to pass out; the toxic fumes eating at her senses like a... thing... that eats at... senses?

Scootaloo found herself unable to properly formulate her thoughts, almost as if a large cumulus cloud had invaded her young mind, sticking her thoughts together like cotton candy. All she currently knew was that her life was in danger, and that if she didn't do something quickly, she wouldn't live through this chapter of her life.

She would die well before the author could finish writing her story. A part of her even believed that her life had become nothing more than a character from a story book. This unusual ideology gave the young filly hope, as she knew that all great stories eventually have a happy ending.

Of course, this isn't a story, and even if it were, the author is likely a cynical God of mischief and chaos. Scootaloo must remain Strong, or else she will drown in the Hay Ocean.

"What am I thinking?" Thought a confused Scootaloo. "This swamp... It's doing something to me! Gah, I hate this icky stuff"

Looking around for something to hold onto, she managed to find a large vine floating atop of the mucky surface. She reached for it, but stopped. Every movement she made forced the swamp to suck her down into its depth.

But she couldn’t give up, as she knew that there was no pony around to rescue her innocent form. She had to learn how to fend for herself. She had to learn how to survive without the help of others. Not like she even had others anymore. She was alone.

With one strong and final lunge of her body, she managed to reach out to the vine. She held onto it with dear life, knowing that if she were to let go, the swamp would suck her down, and eat her alive. First, the oxygen held within her lungs would escape through her mouth, allowing for the swampy liquid to slowly seep down and into her throat. The taste would be awful, but it ultimately wouldn’t matter. She would soon find herself gasping for air, inhaling nothing but more vile liquid. Before long, her brain would shut down, given the lack of oxygen. No pony would ever find her corpse, nor would they ever think to look at the bottom of this very swamp.

A part of her wanted to simply let go of the vine, and allow herself to sink. She already determined that she was destined to die, but she didn’t want to die like this. She would be responsible for her own demise, she knew that.

Tugging on the vine, Scootaloo began to use it to pull herself to shore. Unfortunately, this proved to be a rather difficult task, and she found herself unusually tired by the time she had actually made her way to solid ground.

“Phew, that was harder th-ack!” Said Scootaloo, a large clump of swamp having fallen out of her mane, and into her open mouth as she spoke.

After a few minutes of coughing, and a few minutes more of her attempting to get the vile taste of swamp out of her mouth, she found herself once again moving through the forest, albeit at a slower pace than before.

The forest had grown dark, and eerily silent. She could faintly make out laughter coming from behind her, which was more than enough encouragement to move forward at a quicker pace.

She trotted at the same speed of her pounding heart, and took in sharp gasps of air as her body worked overtime to find a way out of the cursed Everfree.

The trees seemed to blur around her, almost as if they were reaching out to her, trying to grasp what little she had of a body, and tear her into pieces.

She saw a clearing up ahead, and began to run faster toward the only source of light she could see. She half expected to find a path leading to Ponyville, but was instead greeted by a small wooden hut. The hut itself wasn’t all too interesting, though it did appear to be inhabited, if the smoke coming from the chimney was to be considered a sign of life.

Looking around, and standing just at the edge of the clearing, she noticed that she was still deep within the Everfree Forest, with darkness and sorrow surrounding her on all sides. The hut itself was situated within a bright clearing, almost as if the forest was incapable of swallowing this little patch of light.

Bravely, Scootaloo walked up to what she presumed was the front door, and knocked on it three times. She was hoping to find some form of salvation deep within the hut, but when nopony arrived to answer, she decided to barge right in, and explore the hut with her own two eyes.

Of course, breaking into a hut located in the middle of the Everfree Forest may not have been the brightest of her ideas, but it was one that she would see through till the very end. She wasn’t a filly that backed down once she had her mind set on a goal or objective.

Yet, the hut proved to be a difficult thing to gain entry to, as the front door was locked. This didn’t stop Scootaloo, who was now looking all around the hut for any open windows to gain entry. To her amazement, there was a backdoor that seemed to be entirely open and unlocked.
“Heh, that makes it easy” She said to herself right before walking in through the open door.

Once inside, she began to look around,. The first thing she noticed was how small this hut was. It consisted of only three noticeable rooms, excluding what she presumed was a closet, and the living room. The first room, which was directly on her left and not very far from the back door, seemed to be some type of kitchen. In the centre of the room sat a small wooden table, with no visible chairs to speak of. The walls were a yellowish shade of white, and the floor was a simple black and white checkered pattern. There was, of course, a small stove sitting in the corner, a fridge and icebox to the right of the stove, and the other typical things you’d normally find within a modern Ponyville kitchen.

Ignoring the kitchen, she continued on to the next door, which was almost directly across from the kitchen, or to the right after you’ve entered in through the back door.

This new room was a type of bathroom. There was a large tub sitting in the centre of the room, and a small stove to heat the water near the right wall. There was also a fairly simplistic sink.

Moving on further through the hut, Scootaloo found herself within a medium-sized room, which she assumed was the living room for the inhabitants. Two of the four walls consisted of boring bookshelves, housing nothing but dusty tomes. The third wall, which was located to her right, was fairly simplistic. Its only major characteristic was a small wooden door, leading to what Scootaloo thought was a bedroom. However, it was the fourth and final wall that truly caught her attention. This wall seemed to be home to hundreds of alcoholic beverages, some of which Scootaloo recognized, though most may as well have been alien to her eyes.

Looking closely, she read the label of one such bottle. “Sweet Apple Acres: Hard Apple Cider”

Scootaloo picked up and opened the bottle. She scrunched her face, debating internally if she should really consume this. She knew that alcohol was what some adult ponies drank after tragedies, seemingly to dull the pain. Right now, this was exactly what Scootaloo wanted to do. She wanted to dull herself, so she could no longer feel the pain of losing her parents. Further yet, she wanted to drink until she simply couldn’t feel anything.

Taking a sniff of the contents inside of the bottle, and after the smell of apples determined that it was indeed what it said on the label, she took two very large mouthfuls of the beverage, and downed them with an audible gulp.

“Whoa, that’s really good” She said while staring directly at the bottle in amazement. Never in her life had she tasted something quite like this, and she rather enjoyed the flavour. It was sweet, and had an unusual feeling when going down her throat. It didn’t burn, exactly; rather, it just felt nice. It also tasted very similar to Sweet Apple Acres Apple Cider, yet also different enough to provide an oddly unique flavour. She supposed that was the alcohol, though it didn’t really matter. All she knew was that she wanted more.

Without hesitation, she began to drink the whole bottle, which was the equivalent to two litres. She’s always been able to drink an abnormally large amount of liquid without feeling sick. This talent also applied to food, allowing her to either eat or drink far more than a typical pony of not only her size, but any size. So, she found it rather easy to down the whole two litres in a few simple gulps.

However, she wanted more. The kick that adult ponies said they got when consuming alcohol had yet to kick in. Thankfully, there consisted dozens of Hard Cider bottles, all of which seemed to be two or more litres. Her eyes visibly lit up once she realized just how many bottles she had at her disposal.

And so, with no hesitation whatsoever, Scootaloo jumped right into the closest bottle, and downed the whole thing without taking her lips away from the rim. While she was now beginning to feel slightly odd, perhaps even dizzy, she didn’t really care. She needed more.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles, four. Once she reached her seventh bottle, she found herself completely unable to stand up. Not as if she truly wanted to, as she had finally found the one and only place in Equestria where she felt like she truly belonged. Except, she also felt like she was somehow already dead, the numbness of her overly drunk mind playing a toll on her young and inexperienced soul.

Within her drunken state, she thought about her parents, and how she would never see them again. She thought about the time when her father had given her a scooter that he purchased as a gift for defending a random filly in school. That had been her first scooter, and is the one that she still rides today.

...the scooter she left in the middle of Ponyville. The scooter she neglected.

Tears. She felt them burn down her eyes and onto the floor where she lay. These were the first tears since she received the news. This was the first time she had actually cried.

She was afraid, but no longer alone.

Behind her stood a young colt. He had a golden yellow mane, and chocolate-brown coat. He was a pegasus, and appeared to be no older than Scootaloo herself.

He was also quite confused as to why an orange and purple filly was lying drunk on his living room floor, sobbing loudly, with several empty Hard Cider bottles by her side.

“What the hay are you doing in my home?!” Yelled the colt, who startled Scootaloo onto her hooves, only to fall over again with a groan.

“Ugh, did you really have to yell?” Scootaloo asked with irritation. She was trying to rub a dull throbbing sensation out of her head, though all she really ended up doing was rubbing more mud and swamp into her already dirty mane. When she removed her hoof for inspection, she noticed that it was slightly damp. That’s when she remembered that she was just crying her eyes out, and that somepony had witnessed it. This caused her to blush lightly, though she was already formulating several excuses in her head as to why it looked like she was crying, just in case the point was pressed.

The young colt didn’t look too impressed, especially since this invader has thus-far failed to answer his question. However, he couldn’t help but to notice the rather horrible state that this new filly was in. She looked like she was just beat up by a rampaging bullmonkey, and didn’t smell all that well, either. In fact, the smell was the worst part. Sure, she looked like complete and utter shit, but she smelled like literal shit, mixed in with skunk urine, and pig vomit.

"You're making me repeat myself, and I hate repeating myself. What the hay are you doing in my home?" Asked the colt. "Also, why the buck do you smell like a sewer?"

Scootaloo sniffed herself, and frowned a moment later. While she hadn't realized it until now, she truly did stink. Not as bad as when she and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were trying to get their cutie marks in manure spreading, which somehow led to a tree sap explosion, coating everypony within ten yards in both sap and manure. Though, it was definitely worse than the time when they all tried to get a cutie mark in skunk taming, which for some reason, also involved tree sap. No matter how you look at it though, she smelled. A lot.

"I, uh, kinda fell into a swamp." Answered Scootaloo with a sheepish smile.

"Take a bath." The colt said simply, pointing a hoof toward the empty bathroom. "There's soap and towels in there. Just hurry up before the whole place smells like you. You can tell me why you broke into my house once you're clean."

Scootaloo was confused. She wasn't quite sure as to why this pony was willing to help her, especially since she broke into his place, drank some of his booze, and then started crying like a little foal. Not to mention the fact that she looked like a mess, and smelled horrible.

She quickly thought back to the last time that she had taken a bath, only to realize that she hadn't bathed since the accident. Knowing this, a part of her was against the idea of ever bathing again. She would forever associate bathing with the life that she no longer had. With the love that no longer existed.

She knew that no amount of soap could ever rid her of her internal grime. Like her parents, all Scootaloo wanted to do was sleep the eternal slumber. To be alone in the dark. To die.

Yet, she couldn't deny that she stunk. She needed a bath. Even though no amount of soap could ever completely clean her, she at the very least wanted to get the smell of swamp out of her mane.

And so, Scootaloo stood up.

And then fell right back down, seemingly too drunk to stand on her own accord.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Asked the colt with a smirk. "I mean, who the hay drinks that much hard cider? You're lucky you're not dead!"

"More like unlucky" Thought Scootaloo, though she knew that the colt was right. No pony should be able to drink that much alcohol. Especially not a stupid little orphan like her. The very thought of officially being an orphan saddened her, but it also angered her. She hated the world. She hated Celestia. She hated her parents for leaving her behind.

Holding back a new wave of tears, Scootaloo forced herself to stand up. It took her a couple of minutes to find her balance, but before long, she was wobbling her way to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, by the time she made it through the doorway, she was no longer able to walk on her own. Everything was spinning around her. She fell onto her side, her head smacking against the tiled floor with a loud thud.

The last thing she saw before her vision faded was the colt standing in the doorway, his wings fully extended, and a shocked expression on his face. Then darkness took over, his form blurred into a silhouette, and nothing.

When Scootaloo awoke, she found herself tucked neatly in an unfamiliar bed. She also seemed to be clean, and could feel an unusual warmth from deep inside her.

She also noticed that her headache was completely gone, and that the world was no longer in a constant state of spinning.

Looking to her left, Scootaloo saw the young colt sitting on a small wooden chair. He seemed to be reading a book; his eyes cycling between the pages and Scootaloo’s sleeping form.

Upon realizing that his unwanted guest was finally waking up, the colt put the book down onto a small nightstand, got out of his chair, and proceeded to move closer to the bed.

"How you feeling?" Asked the colt.

"Fine, I guess." Replied Scootaloo in a voice that was only slightly louder than a whisper. Her throat felt dry, making it hard for her to talk.

"That's good. I gave you some medicine that should help with your hangover. At least, it does when I drink too much. Oh, and don't worry about taking a bath. I already did that for you."

"Thanks for— wait, did you just say you gave me a bath?" Asked Scootaloo, perplexed. Why would this complete stranger—a colt no less—go through the hassle of giving her a bath? Surely she just misheard him, as there's no way he would do that. Especially not to an unconscious filly.

“Uh, yeah. What of it?”

Scootaloo stared at the colt with as much hate and anger as she could possibly muster in her current state.

“What of it? Are you bucking serious? You can’t just go ahead and bathe every random filly that happens to stumble into your hut thingy smelling like a skunk!” Yelled Scootaloo, though by the time she had finished that sentence, she found it rather difficult to remain angry at the colt. She did end up stumbling into his home smelling like total crap. She also drank some of his booze, and cried on his floor. If anything, she should be grateful. This stupid little colt had protected her, bathed her, and possibly even saved her from some level of alcohol poisoning with whatever the hay kind of medicine he had given her.

And yet, she still felt disturbed that this complete stranger had bathed her. She knew what that entailed, and she also knew that the colt likely enjoyed every moment of it. She knew that, in order to properly clean herself, she had to preen her wings. That alone was a very intimate act, given just how sensitive they are.
Then there’s also her tail, coat and mane. Sure, the mane is nothing overly special, nor is the coat; but the tail? That is an erogenous zone for most ponies. When pulled, it’s like your entire body just shuts itself down. You just lose control, and can’t do anything to break free. For some, it’s the fear of being trapped forever that gets them off. For others, it’s the thought of having somepony else in total and complete control of your body. Pulling on a tail also sends a massive shock wave of pleasure throughout the body. This wave of pleasure only lasts a second, but it’s powerful enough to completely overwhelm the brain. Or at least, that’s what Scootaloo was told when she had her own tail accidentally tugged.

And even with all of those possible pleasure points, which the colt had to of touched in order to clean her, she was more worried by what was in between her legs.

As an awesome little filly, Scootaloo often found herself kicking up rocks, dirt and other debris into her lower regions. That’s just a side effect of being small, and riding a scooter around at high speeds. Occasionally, stuff gets trapped up there. It can’t be helped. At first, she absolutely hated having to clean her inner areas more thoroughly than the other fillies her age, but she eventually accepted it as just a part of being awesome.

Yet, she also knew that her lower area had to have been cleaned, as it was another part of her overly dirty body.
The realization that she had been touched, whether it was intimately or not, caused a blush to form on Scootaloo’s face.

As if reading Scootaloo’s mind, the colt spoke up in a reassuring voice.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything funny to you. Just couldn’t stand the smell anymore, and didn’t want to wait for you to wake up. So, I put you in the tub, washed you as best I could, and dried you off.”

The calmness and sincerity of the colts voice proved to be highly effective against Scootaloo’s angry mind. She knew that the colt was only trying to help, and the very thought of his kindness sent roves of shivers down Scootaloo’s spine; each shiver scratching a different nerve within her growing body.

“I’m sorry for, you know, breaking into your place and all.” Said Scootaloo, who was now looking at the colt with renewed interest, and a sheepish smile.

“I’m sure you had your reasons. Speaking of, why did you come here again? You never did tell me, with the whole being drunk thing kinda getting in the way.”

Scootaloo was no longer smiling, and instead looked up at the colt with sadness. At this moment, she just wanted to leave. She didn’t want to answer that question, or to even acknowledge that the question existed.

"It's complicated." Scootaloo began. "Besides, it's none of your business anyway." She wasn't able to make eye contact, and could feel fresh tears forming at the corner of her eyes, just waiting to be set free by a burst of emotion.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to upset you. Though, you gotta at least tell me your name. I mean, that’s fair, right?” He paused for a moment, waiting for her to respond. When she didn’t, he decided to tell her a bit about himself first, to hopefully ease the situation.

“Right, well, my name is Cocoa Fire. I kinda live here alone. I mean, I used to live with my father, but he died a year ago in a Manticore attack just beyond the circle field, so it’s all me now.” Cocoa said with a saddened smile. “I’ve been living alone since then.”

"So, you're an orphan?" Asked Scootaloo in a small voice. She tried desperately to hold back her tears, but ultimately failed as she soon felt her cheeks grow ever wet.

"Yeah, I suppose I am."
Scootaloo looked at Cocoa Fire with renewed interest and understanding. He was just like her, even if she didn’t care to admit to herself that she too was an orphan.

“I’m Scootaloo, and uh…” She looked up at the colt with teary eyes, debating internally if she should tell him about her parents, or lack thereof. “I guess I’m an orphan too.”

Scootaloo felt like a weight had been lifted from her, which in turn caused the dam to break, forcing out waves upon waves of freshly made tears. She couldn’t explain it, but these tears weren’t of sorrow or despair, but rather, they felt somehow lighter. These were tears of acceptance.

Cocoa Fire didn’t know what to say to the pegasus that was now crying heavily in his bed, so he did the first thing that came to his mind; he hugged her. No, he embraced her, and allowed her to cry into his protective shoulder. He knew exactly how she felt, and assumed correctly that she had only recently lost her parents.

Scootaloo was at first surprised, but didn’t bother questioning why he suddenly chose to hug her. Instead, it proved to be very reassuring, and Scootaloo’s tears went into overdrive by the simple act of feeling the loving embrace of somepony around her. She didn’t want for this moment to end, and thankfully for her, it didn’t. She just kept crying into his shoulder, until eventually, she drifted off to a peaceful sleep with her new friend by her side.

Scootaloo was gently awoken by the morning light seeping in through the open window. By her side lay a sleeping pegasus colt, a happy smile splayed upon his tender face. Scootaloo couldn’t help but to smile as well, as thanks to this colt, she no longer felt an internal sadness. She actually felt… love?

“You big dummy” Scootaloo thought happily to herself, as she looked over his resting body. “I invaded his house, drank his booze, cried in his living room, and his bedroom, managed to pass out by drinking too much, had him give me a bath, and yet, he still somehow doesn’t hate me. He actually seems to like me. Heh, a colt likes me. That’s kinda awesome.”

Cocoa began to stir in his sleep, and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was an orange coat, which he instinctively snuggled up against, basking in its warmth.

“Heh, good morning to you too, Cocoa” Said Scootaloo. Cocoa responded with a simple “mmph”, and when Scootaloo realized that he wasn’t actually fully awake just yet, her smile grew.
She couldn’t believe that she was in the same bed as a colt, and that this colt was subconsciously snuggling up against her chest. She didn’t know why, but she somehow just knew that she was in love with this chocolate coloured doofus. She also knew that he loved her back. That this love had managed to fill the coldness of her heart with warmth and kindness.

She felt like there were a dozen butterflies caged within her chest, each flapping their little wings rapidly in hopes of escaping. She could also feel an unusual pressure between her legs, which was growing in strength, and pulsating to an unheard beat. Though, unlike the butterflies, this one seemed to be real.

Looking down between her legs in hopes of investigating the unusual pressure, Scootaloo had to do a double take. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

She looked at Cocoa, then back to the thing, and then at Cocoa, all the while holding back a massive fit of giggles that would have surely woken up the pegasus sleeping beside her. A smirk quickly formed upon her face, as her playful side made an appearance for the first time since entering the Everfree, and finding this hut.

The object between her legs, which was very much a real thing, and was now glistening slightly under the morning sun, was none other than Cocoa Fire’s fully erect member.

Author's Note

I've opted to split this chapter into two, so this story will now have four chapters instead of three.
The new 'Chapter 3' will consist entirely of clop. The reason I wanted to split them was, quite simply, it'd take me FOREVER to write the clop scene, and I kept going back and editing it, deleting things, adding things. All in all, clop ain't my speciality. However, I'm devoted to this story, so you can rest easy knowing that there will be at least two thousand glorious words of pure sexy fun times in the upcoming chapter. Though, it may take me several weeks and/or months to finish it up. I only have 500 words of clop so far, and it's pretty darn laughable.
In fact, here's a paragraph that probably won't make the cut.

Every time she moved her leg in just the right way, she felt a spark of pleasure pass through her body. It was like a cumulonimbus had formed a pulse storm within her, only to turn into a moderate cumulus eagerly awaiting its next stimulation. It was intense enough for classification, but no where near the levels of a proper supercell.

Anyway, please remember to leave a comment. I'm always open to constructive criticism and feedback. Also, like this story up! I live for the green!

Oh, and one more thing. The first chapter has received a major rewrite, and will be given another shortly. If you've already read the original chapter, don't worry; the story is the same. I just added a bit more detail, so it seems less rushed.

Love

So, that’s morning wood, eh? I thought that was like, a myth or something. Scootaloo thought with a devious grin, I wonder what would happen if I just move my legs a bit?

Despite her playful curiosity, her heart was pounding in her small, furry chest. It's not like she'd ever really seen one up close before, much less had one poking out between her hind legs. She checked on Cocoa one more time to make sure he was still out of it before she craned her head down to get a closer look at his colthood.

It sure looks funny... she thought with another giggle. Colts have to walk around with this all day long tucked up in there? Sheesh, what a pain… Scootaloo was suddenly glad for her nice, compact filly parts.

It was mostly pink, but had brown mottled patches on the length of the shaft that she could see poking out of her orange fur. The tip of it was kinda flat and a bit bigger, with a funny ring around the bottom making a ridge there. She could see the little slit opening at the top and that was where she figured he must pee from. Unable to stop herself, she let her front hoof drift down to press against the spongy, pink end to test its feel. It was really warm.

She shifted her back legs slightly, feeling the warm tube of flesh slide along her fur with a funny feeling that gave the fluttery butterflies in her stomach a big jump. She realized it wasn't just her stomach that felt that way now, it was also that place under her tail... his shaft was rubbing right against it.

A low groan came from Cocoa's muzzle and he buried his head into her back just above her wings. It sounded like he was enjoying it, and with another giggle, she shuffled her thighs together again.

"W.. what are you..." Cocoa muttered and then jerked away from her with a start; his cock dragging quickly along the two lips between her hind legs, causing a rush of pleasure to course through her little body.

"What the hell?!" he said, wide awake now. "Why are you..." he looked down and saw his hard cock poking out of his sheath in full view of the filly and shut his mouth with a snap, trying to cover it with a blanket in a feeble attempt at modesty.

"S-sorry..." she gave him a wounded look. "But it was kinda invading my personal space, ya know!"

They stared at each other in the golden light of the morning that streamed in through the window. Cocoa's brown chest heaving with embarrassment and Scootaloo's with excitement. She felt like she was on the verge of something, but didn't quite know what. She did however know what she wanted to do... she wanted to see what it felt like to kiss him.

The orange filly looked eagerly at his tender lips, and then up to his kind eyes, scanning them for approval to move forward. When no objection came, she proceeded to lean in so their muzzles could collide in an inexperienced show of loving embrace, which elicited a breathless whinny of pleasure from the orange filly. His tongue requested entry, to which Scoot gladly accepted the invitation. This action forced a shiver of delight to travel through her, and a spark of raw electrical current to rest sharply in between her lower legs. She's never once felt something so powerful, which only encouraged her to push forward.

The colt pulled away from her, looking at her with shocked eyes. "S-scootaloo?" he whispered.

"Shhh..." she said, cutting him off, "Please, can you just... just love me?" Scoot’s big, purple eyes suddenly filled with tears as she looked at him, "I... I need to feel..." her mind struggled with all of the emotions at war with each other and she found she couldn't finish.

The grief of her loss, the realization of how much she liked Cocoa, and now this new arousal that was causing her heart to pound. So much had happened in the last day, that she wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. All she knew was part of her was screaming to be loved by him... to fill the void created by her parents being gone.

Cocoa sat on his flank, his back against the wall at the head of the bed with wide eyes at her sudden advances. The kiss had brought his member out fully from his sheath and it stood up like a pink and brown exclamation point in the morning light, glistening with moisture near the tip. Scootaloo's hoof reached out slowly and she touch him again, this time along the smooth, warm skin of the shaft.

He sucked in a breath, his eyes half closing. "Scootaloo... I've never... I don't know what to do..." he admitted.

"I think I do..." she said, getting up and slowly straddling his waist, pushing his cock between them so that it poked her belly. She put her front hooves on his shoulders and the two young orphans panted with nervous excitement.

"Do you wanna kiss me?" she said, biting her bottom lip.

"Y-yeah..." Cocoa breathed.

She pressed her lips against his again, this time letting her mouth relax and she gave a squeak when she felt the hesitant touch of his tongue on her lips. A moment later, she let her own greet it and they explored the texture and taste of each other. She discovered she had to breath through her nose heavily to keep up with her pounding heart.

The sensation also had another effect on her, one that she realized with annoyance. Her stupid wings were getting stiff! She hated the stubby, useless things and wished she could hide them from him, but it was no use. When his hooves slid up her sides and brushed against her feathers, he pulled back with a little smile.

"Your wings..." he smirked. "I didn't know they got like that..."

"Shut up..." Scootaloo looked away from him, her cheeks burning red, "I hate em..."

"What?" the genuine surprise in his voice caught her off guard, "Why? I think they're awesome!"

Scootaloo looked back at the smiling brown colt with a miserable look, "They're dumb... they don't even work right and I get made fun of all the time..."

He didn't say anything, but instead ran his hooves along the large feathers that hung below the extended wings like an orange curtain. Scootaloo couldn't stifle a sudden moan at the amazing feeling it created, a feeling she never knew could be generated by those stupid things. Cocoa smiled when he heard her sound of pleasure.

"See... looks like they aren't dumb after all..."

"Sh- shut up..." she said again, unsure of what this new sensation meant.

"How about this?" Cocoa gently ran his hooves down the top of them this time and Scootaloo's back arched uncontrollably, her head thrown back and eyes closed with sudden ecstasy

"Holy... buck!" she cried, her voice echoing flatly in the small cabin's room. Her privates were flooding with wetness now, she could feel it wetting her fur and his lower legs that she sat on. Whatever this was... it was connected directly to that place where an empty, hollow feeling was growing like an itch that needed to be scratched badly.

She didn't care enough to be scared, or worry about if it would hurt. She knew where Cocoa's colthood needed to go and she wanted it there right now, to give her body over to him and receive the love she needed to feel so badly.

Her head snapped forward and Cocoa stopped when he saw the almost predatory look on her face. "Scoot?" he said quietly.

"I... I want you to love me, Cocoa... I need you..." the desperation coming through in her voice, "There... there's an empty place in my heart where it hurts... make it better, please?"

"H-how?"

The little orange pegasus didn't answer, instead she raised herself up and pushed the slick tube of flesh rising from his sheath down between her legs, looking between their bodies to aim it properly at the damp slit there.

"Wait.. Scootaloo... Are you sure you wanna- aaah!" he cried out as she sank her wet sex onto the head of his cock, surrounding it with an intense liquid heat that took his breath away.

Scootaloo groaned and held herself there for a moment, getting used to the sensation of being stretched open like that. Her breath came in ragged, panting gasps.

"I- it's not gonna fit..." Cocoa panted.

"Yeah huh!" she smiled up at him and then dropped her weight down on his shaft. There was a moment of resistance, a small, sharp pain, and then she felt his firm warmth slide into her body, filling her lower belly with a throbbing pleasure that made her cry out again.

"Cocoa!" she moaned..."I... I love you!"

The brown colt hugged her to him tightly, "I love you too..."

They stayed that way for a while, both of the young ponies absorbing the sensations they were experiencing for the first time. When Scootaloo pulled her head back and pressed her forehead against his, her hips rocked a little, causing both of them to catch their breaths.

"I- I think one of us is supposed to move?" Cocoa whispered.

"Oh, uh... right" she replied and slowly raised herself up on his member. She could feel the end of it sliding along her insides with a gooey feeling that sent shivers of delight up her spine, causing her wings to buzz a little. Cocoa smiled when he saw them move.

"Even your wings like it?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I - I guess so."

Scootaloo started a rhythm. It was a bit clumsy and several times she raised up too far, causing his colthood to slip out of her. It brought with it a flood of wetness and an erotic, musky smell that both the youngsters noticed. But it felt good... it felt better than good, Scootaloo thought. Once she figured out how far to come up each time, the two began to breathe heavily as the pleasure grew for each of them.

"C-cocoa... I can't... I can't do this much more... my legs hurt!" Scootaloo eventually admitted. The awkward position was sapping her strength now and the burning in her hind legs was becoming too much.

"Uh... do you wanna stop or something?" he asked reluctantly.

"N-no..." she said and slipped her body off his cock, hating the empty feeling it gave her when it left.

It reminded her of her parents being gone and she wanted it filled again as quickly as possible.
Scootaloo lay on her back, her little orange wings in a fan underneath as she spread her rear legs open. Part of her felt a little self conscious exposing her privates to a colt like this, but that seemed silly now. She was doing grown up things… and grown ups don’t get embarrassed like this.

Cocoa caught on quickly, his eyes drawn to the wet, red gash between her legs with an eager grin as he climbed on top of her. His penis was shiny now, coated in her juices and looked even bigger than before. Scootaloo watched with fascination as it bobbed and weaved with his movements to get situated.

The orange filly held her front hooves out and embraced him as his weight pressed down, the hard, wet shaft of his penis poking impatiently between her legs, searching for the right spot.

"Lower..." she whispered, "A bit more... there... AAHH!" she suddenly cried out as a hard shove of Cocoa's hips sent his entire length quickly into her small body again. A feeling that reminded her of a thundercloud brooding on the horizon overwhelmed her and her belly began to tighten up.

Cocoa was suddenly like a wild colt, bucking his hips quick and hard, driving his cock inside with forceful thrusts and grunting loudly while he held himself up with his front hooves. The young colt rutted her like an animal, instinct taking over now that he was in charge. Scootaloo loved every second of it. Loved his scent, his warmth, his attention and the full feeling his cock gave her that took away the pain of loss she felt from the death of her parents.

When that thundercloud feeling grew, she felt a little scared. Something was coming but she didn't know what to expect. Her body was tingling all over and her muscles were tensing up even though she tried to make them relax. Cocoa's grunts were getting louder too.

"S- some..thing is h-happening!" Scootaloo cried between each thrust of his penis that pushed the wind out of her lungs.

"Y- yeah!" Cocoa moaned, "It feels like I'm gonna turn inside out!" he said and then collapsed on her, his back hips still thrusting forward and she was blinded by his yellow mane.

But she didn't need her eyes for what happened next.

The thundercloud broke with a lightening storm in her body. Arcs of electricity shot out from the place where she was connected to him and caused every muscle in her body to contract, clutching Cocoa to her tightly. A wave of love washed over her for him, so powerful it was scary.

"NNnnnNNNG!" was all she could say just before the explosion happened. Every fiber in her body suddenly convulsed and she began to twitch rhythmically in incredible pleasure while lightening flashed in her head. The muscles surrounding that place where Cocoa was inside her clamped down, causing the colt to gasp.

"Wha..." that was as far as he got before she felt him tense up and his voice was choked off in a grunt.

Through the waves of pleasure spiking her body, Scootaloo could feel a sudden warm wetness splash against the passage where his cock was, increasing her own sensation of pleasure. The penis inside her twitched and throbbed against the soft walls with each new feeling of liquid heat that came from him. She knew this was something special for Cocoa and clutched tightly onto him with all four legs while they each rode their shared orgasm.

Long moments passed and their small bodies slowly calmed down. Their breathing slowed and then Scootaloo felt the sad sensation of Cocoa's member leaving her, making the empty space between her legs feel hollow once again. But this time it wasn't as bad... she knew he'd left a part of him in there that would be with her forever somehow.

They lay together in the morning light, wet and messy from both sweat and their own recently discovered fluids that soaked the bed under her tail until she heard his light snore. She closed her own eyes, smiling at him with an intense love. She knew she wasn't going to be alone now... She'd found somepony who cared for her even though she'd thought nopony ever would.

Moments later, she joined him in slumber.

Author's Note

Huge thanks to saltybedspackle for writing this chapter. So, if you find any errors, don't blame me! :twilightsheepish:

Life

Scootaloo woke up to find herself alone within the small bed she had been sleeping in. She looked around the room for any signs of Cocoa, but he wasn’t there. She did however notice the sound of clinking glasses and hooves trotting along wooden floorboards.

Scootaloo got up and walked into the kitchen, where she found Cocoa hard at work on a breakfast that would have put the royal chefs to shame. There was everything that Scootaloo could ever imagine. Pancakes, eggs, toast, hay bacon, fruit and even chocolate milk. Scootaloo was amazed, and her stomach growled loudly. She was hungry, and she was going to eat this colts food.

"Good morning" Cocoa said with a smile. "I hope you're hungry, because I seem to have made too much food."

Scootaloo didn't respond, as she was already busy eating. She ate and ate and ate. She didn't know why, but she couldn't help herself. Maybe it was the events that had transpired over the last few days, or maybe it was the act that she had performed with Cocoa, or maybe she was just really hungry. Whatever the reason, Scootaloo ate a lot. She didn't even realize that she was eating a lot, until Cocoa Fire sat down beside her. By that point, she had nearly eaten half of what the colt had prepared.

"Wow, you were really hungry." Cocoa stated in amazement. Scootaloo could only smile, her mouth too full of delicious pancakes for her to speak.

Eventually, her hunger subsided, leaving the two ponies in a state of semi-consciousness. Neither could speak, nor did they want to. They just wanted to relax. They were both rather content.

Scootaloo moved over to lie on her back, allowing her wings to stretch out. She then turned to Cocoa with a smile.

"Wanna rub my wings?" She asked, causing Cocoa to blush slightly.

"Y-you sure?" He stuttered nervously.

"Yeah, of course I'm sure. I mean, after last night, how could I not be?"

Cocoa blushed a deeper shade of crimson, but nodded his head in acceptance.

"Just be careful, ok? They're still really sensitive."

"Don't worry Scootaloo, I will be."

With that said, Cocoa placed his hooves on her wing joints, and began to rub them slowly.

"Mm, that feels nice." Scootaloo said, a look of contentment plastered upon her face. "Just like that."

She then rolled over, so that she was no longer on her back, but on her side, with her head resting on Cocoa's chest. He continued to rub her wings, causing her to moan softly, and her eyes to close in a state of absolute bliss. This continued on for the better part of an hour, until Cocoa's hooves were aching, and his back was sore from sitting in an uncomfortable position. Yet, he wasn't about to complain.

"Ok, I'm done." Scootaloo said, once she noticed Cocoa's pain. "You can stop now."

"Are you sure?" Cocoa asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm sure. We should probably get up soon though, cause we have a lot to do today. I mean, I need to go home and make sure Rainbow Dash isn't too worried. I did kinda leave her without saying anything."

"I'm sure she won't be worried. I think she'd understand, given the circumstances." Cocoa said.

“Nah, she’s the loyal type. I’m sure she’s been looking for me all night.”

"Oh, right. So, what do you wanna do?"

"Well, I should probably go and tell her I'm okay. I mean, I can't really just go back to her like nothing happened. I feel really bad about the whole situation. I don't want her thinking that I hate her or anything."

"Okay, well I'll come with you." Cocoa said.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Scootaloo said with a frown. "This is something I have to do alone. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You sure you'll be alright?" Cocoa asked, a little worried that he may not see the filly again.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Scootaloo said, getting up from her comfortable position on the floor. She then gave Cocoa a quick hug, which caused him to smile. "Thanks, for everything."

With that said, she left the cabin, and began her long walk back home. It took her longer than she expected, and it was well past noon by the time she got there. She was trotting through Ponyville, and eventually found Rainbow Dash... lying on the ground... crying her eyes out, with Apple Bloom standing over her, also crying.

"Rainbow, please try ta' calm down." Apple Bloom said, trying to comfort her friend.

"I'm sorry Apple Bloom. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm a horrible friend."

"No, you're not. You're the best friend anypony could ever ask for."

"I'm a horrible friend! I can't even take care of myself! I'm nothing but a pathetic loser who doesn't deserve anypony's love! Element of loyalty? Bah, no bucking chance of that now!" Rainbow Dash said, breaking down into sobs again.

"Dashie..."

"Please, leave me alone. I just want to be alone..."

Scootaloo couldn't help but to feel guilty as she watched her friend break down. She knew that Rainbow Dash was a strong pony, but she also knew that she was still a pony. And everypony has their breaking point.

So, Scootaloo walked up to her friend and hugged her. She hugged her as tightly as she could, or at least, she wanted to. She truly did, but she couldn't quite get the courage to do anything. Her idol was on the ground, crying her eyes out, all because of her. Because she was selfish and ran away.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away like that. I was being stupid and immature, and I'm sorry." Scootaloo said.

"Please forgive me." Rainbow Dash replied. "I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

"It's okay. I forgive you."

Rainbow Dash didn’t react. She just kept crying. It was almost as if she didn’t even know she was there. Like she couldn’t see her…

"Dashie, please. It's not your fault. It's okay. I forgive you." Scootaloo said again, a bit louder this time. Still no response. She was starting to get worried.

She turned to Apple Bloom, who was standing nearby, and asked her what was wrong.

"Apple Bloom, what's wrong with her?"

Apple Bloom didn't reply. She just kept staring at Rainbow Dash, a look of sorrow on her face. It was as if she didn't hear her either...

Scootaloo was confused. She didn't understand what was going on. Why weren't they responding to her? Did they not believe her? Did they think she was lying?

"Please, I'm telling the truth! I'm not lying! I'm sorry I ran away like that, but I was scared and confused! I didn't know what else to do!"

Still no reply. Scootaloo was starting to panic now. She didn't know what was wrong, and she was starting to feel very alone. She began to cry.

"Please, I don't want to be alone! Please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

“They can’t hear you, Scoots.” Said Cocoa, suddenly standing beside her. She hadn’t even noticed his approach.

“W-what? Why can’t they hear me?” Asked Scootaloo. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she couldn’t stop shaking. She was terrified. “Why can’t they see me? Am I invisible or something?”

“No, Scoots. You’re not invisible.” Cocoa replied, a sad smile on his face. “You’re… well, you’re dead.”

“I… I’m what?” Scootaloo asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She must have heard him wrong. There's no way that she could be dead. She was still alive! She was still standing right here, in front of him.

“You’re dead, Scootaloo.” Cocoa replied, his voice soft and comforting. “We both are.”

“But… but I can’t be dead. I’m still here. I’m still alive!” Scootaloo exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t be dead!”

“I’m sorry, Scoots. But it’s true. We’re both dead.” Cocoa said, his eyes full of sadness. “Remember the swamp you fell into? You're still there. At least, your body is. You never made it out. You let go of the vine, Scootaloo.

She was silent. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to react. She was dead? Why? Why her? The swamp? But she made it out. She grabbed the vine, and pulled herself to safety... didn't she? She knew she did, but then again...

She didn't have time to ponder these questions. She was too busy crying. She couldn't believe it. She was dead. She was really, truly dead. And so was Cocoa. And her parents...

She was never going to be able to apologize to Rainbow Dash for running away like that. She was never going to be able to tell her how much she loved her. She was never going to be able to tell her parents how much she loved them, or how much she missed them. She was never going to be able to tell any of them how much they meant to her.

She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to grow up. She wanted to see the world. She wanted to fall in love, and have a family of her own. She wanted to do so many things. But now she was dead, and she couldn't do any of those things. She couldn't do anything. All she could do was cry, and cry, and cry…

“Come with me, Scoots.” Cocoa said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “There’s nothing more that we can do here.”

Scootaloo didn’t say anything. She just kept crying.

“Scootaloo, please. It’s time for us to go.”

Still no response. Scootaloo was inconsolable. She couldn't stop crying. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay here and cry forever. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to go anywhere. She just wanted to stay here, in this moment, and cry until the end of time.

“Scootaloo…” Cocoa said, his voice soft and gentle. “Please, listen to me. We need to go. There’s nothing left for us here. It’s time for us to move on.”

“No!” Scootaloo shouted, her voice muffled by her sobs. “I’m not leaving! I can't leave! I caused so much bucking pain. I hurt every pony I loved. I'm... I'm staying here."

“Scootaloo, we can’t stay here. We’re dead. We need to move on.”

"Buck that! Buck everything! All of this! You... wait, but we made love, didn't we? So nothing was real? I bucked a ghost?”

“Scootaloo… please… You have to trust me. I know this is hard, but we can’t stay here. We have to go.”

“No!” Scootaloo yelled, her voice rising in pitch. “I trusted you! I thought we were soulmates! You and I... I thought we would start a family. All of that was just one giant lie, huh?!"

"Oh Scootaloo... it wasn't a lie. None of it was. I do love you. We are soulmates. I know you know this just as well as I do. What we experienced together? It was real. It was true love, Scoots. I love you, so please… You have to come with me. I promise, everything will be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Scootaloo continued to cry, but her sobs began to quieten. She was still crying, but she was beginning to calm down.

“That’s it, Scootaloo.” Cocoa said, stroking her mane. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I’m here. I’m here for you. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Scootaloo slowly got to her hooves, wiping her eyes with her front legs. She looked up at Cocoa, who was smiling down at her. How could she be so stupid? Even if he was dead. Even if we were both dead. What happened was real. It felt real, and that's what matters. She loves him, and he loves her, even if their love can never be material. It's spiritual. It's true.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked.

Scootaloo hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.

“Okay, let’s go.” Cocoa said, leading her towards the door. “We need to find the others. They’re waiting for us.”

Scootaloo didn’t say anything. She just followed him, her head hung low. She was sad, but she was also scared. She was scared of what was going to happen next. She was scared of where she was going. She was scared of what she was going to see. She was scared of what was going to happen to her.

But she trusted Cocoa. She knew that he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. She knew that he would protect her. She knew that he loved her, and that he would do anything for her. And that was enough to keep her going. That was enough to make her feel safe.

She didn’t know where they were going, or what they were going to find when they got there. But she was willing to find out. She was willing to face whatever lay ahead, as long as she had Cocoa by her side.

I guess that's just life for ya, huh? So strong, so beautiful, so fragile, so weak. Life is everything. Cherish it, or you may regret the pony you've become, and the pony you will never be.

Author's Note

I miss you mom. I miss you dad.