Tell me the Truth

by Amira Illusion

Rating: everyone
Tags: Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Sweetie Belle, Sad
Length: 2505

It's the day! Finally she has her cutie mark! But then... Why is she so upset? When she looks out into the dark she realises something, something that will crush her. She screams her pain to the night and somepony finds her... Will she be enough?

It's the day! Finally she has her cutie mark! But then... Why is she so upset? When she looks out into the dark she realises something, something that will crush her. She screams her pain to the night and somepony finds her... Will she be enough to ease her worries? Why is Scootaloo so cut off? Why does she sit there for hours after the sun has set to just look into the dark? Why tell her secrets to a stranger instead of her 'sister'?

Because a stranger won't lie...

Published 2016-06-24 01:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-24 01:20:01 UTC

What do you see when you look at me?

The nights breeze rushed through her mane, the air filled with the scent of nature. Scootaloo sighed as she stared out into the sky. She had been supposed to go back before Princess Luna raised the moon but she couldn't resist, she loved the night. Many ponies would be scared of the dark, scared of the unknown hidden around the corner. All they saw was the black of the night and not it's true beauty. The intertwining colours of the sky as the diamonds in the sky fl. Her parnckered, designed by the princess of the night herself (and Discord but don't mention that around Princess Luna.)

Tonight was not going to be as pleasant as she hoped. She had gotten her cutie mark hadn't she? Then why wasn't she smiling? Why wasn't she home and instead looked for the company of darkness. The answer was simple. At this time, at this place, at this very moment darkness was the only kind company she could get. Her friends didn't know, her 'sister' hadn't heard and only her caretaker would be able to say the words in the first place.

She was weak. She was worthless. She wasn't needed by anyone. She didn't need anyone except her closest friends. Her only memories of needing someone was when she was young. She might act as if she wanted family but the truth was that friends were all she needed.

Her parents? Not even the oldest memories held them. She had been born and abandoned. Then there were her sisters, her identical sisters. And even then all that remained in her subconscious was disjointed voices and broken memories. And their cutie marks, their amazing cutie marks. All she knew about them was that one was a singer and the other a dancer.

When she had been younger she had tried both. The reason why she wanted to sing so badly at the school talent contest. She was a terrible singer and would always sing a sour note.

She had thought that she was at least a decent dancer, having been able to guide Apple Bloom. She had thought she would get a cutie mark in that but apparently not! Instead she got stuck with this! What did this even mean? That she was fast?! But she thought her talent was helping others with their talents when she couldn't even properly help herself! Even then when she did manage to help someone like Diamond Tiara she needed the other three! That didn't... She...

It hit her. It hit her hard. She might have her talent. She might hold a symbol on her flank. However she would always need them to be significant, to be important. It wasn't as if she disliked her friends quite the opposite it's just...

Ever since her sisters had disappeared as if from one memory to the next, she had learned that being self reliant was the best for you. Sure she asked Rainbow to teach her, her idol helping her and she got called her little buddy but to be honest? If Rainbow really loved Scoots as much as she claimed she would have had a family long ago.

She shouted into the dark. Into the now steadily growing cold air. She wasn't phased the temperature at all, she had survived worse by herself at a much younger age. To her surprise there was a reply to her cry of anguish and anger. A voice that until today would have her freeze and expect attack. A voice that would have her hide all her feelings further than Tartuarus. The voice of Diamond Tiara.

"Scootaloo? Are you okay? I mean, what are you even doing here?" Scootaloo rolled her eyes and dropped her guard that had built up on instinct. She tapped the ground beside her as she lay against the cool grass under the tall chestnut tree. Diamond looked at her, confused. Surely now came the reply she was to beautiful to lay around in the dirty ground. To her surprise that was not the case as her newest friend shrugged and lay down in the green grass. "So? What are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same thing." Diamond laughed and Scootaloo tilted her head in confusion.

"This place is my garden and I was going for a walk." Scootaloo was alarmed at the news, she had come here so often and never once thought it was private property. "Oh, don't worry about getting in trouble! It's mine but you are my friend so I don't really mind..."

"Thanks." There was a pause. " What if I told you I came here before today?"

"Before? Well, it's mine since yesterday so you know. Can't really blame you for not knowing if that's the case. I'm pretty new to it myself"

"Must be fun..." Scoots said before she could stop her thoughts.

"Fun? What's fun?" Diamond looked at her as if she had gone insane.

"Don't worry..."

"No. If something's bugging you I really want to know!"

"Really?" Diamond nodded. Scoots eyes travelled upwards and then she gasped. Something was missing." Wait! Where's you're tiara?!"

"That tacky thing? I stopped wearing it! If I'm going to make amends I need to stop thinking myself superior! My dad was so proud! And my mum! My mum..." The word mum and dad stung like a thousand bees. She could never use those words again... Ever. " Can I tell you something? The truth?"

"Sure! I Pinkie Promise I'll keep it a secret! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Scootaloo did the actions and made her companion laugh.

"Thanks. Well... Truth is... I'm scared. I'm scared of what will happen when I get home so I'm staying here for a while."

"Why are you scared? You have a home don't you? A place to call your own?"

"Yeah but that doesn't always mean I'm safe... Wait, you make it sound like you don't!"

"I don't have anything except the bloody orphanage, excuse my Prance."

"Really? I never knew! But... Why tell me? I'm sure you're friends don't know either! Why not tell some pony you trust first? Instead telling somepony like me..."

"Because somepony you trust will lie to keep you safe while somepony you barely know will always tell the truth."

" What would they lie about?" Scootaloo sighed, she had to tell somepony eventually.

"Tell me the truth. When you look at me, what do you see?"

Well... That's not the Truth... Is it?

Diamond looked at her confused. Where had this come from? It was all very sudden. All very unusual for the brave Pegasus who she had teased the past year. Scootaloo was looking out into the dark as if yearning it's company. The wind picked up all of a sudden and Diamond shuddered from the chill. Scootaloo didn't even bat an eye at the sudden change in temperature. Diamond let out a shaky breath.

"Well, I suppose I see a brave, immune Pegasus who might not be able to fly yet but can pull any scooter trick she wants. I also see somepony who would be able to teach me a thing or two about dance." Scootaloo looked at her, a small chuckle escaping her lips and releasing a visible breath. It was getting even colder. There was silence for a while. It took a moment or so before the meaning of her words sunk in.

"You've seen me dance?! How?!" Scootaloo shouted alarmed. It was Diamonds turn to laugh.

"When you tried to teach Apple Bloom and that one time in that clearing you use for flying. But... I see now that... Well... That's not the truth... Is it? You're much more than that. You are impossible. I mean look here, right now. Not even reacting to the cold in the slightest." She pointed all around her as the temperature dropped further still.

"I've had worse." Scootaloo muttered as she leaned back against the bark of the tree. The pony chestnut.

"I dread to think." Diamond gave out a shaky laugh as she shivered from the cold.

"Oh no. Don't worry."

"But I will worry and nothing you say will stop me so you might as well tell me what you promised." Scootaloo gave an amused smile, rolling her head towards Diamond.

"Fair enough. I might as well. Listen closely though, not repeating myself." Scootaloo cleared her throat and began her tale.

"About 7 years ago now. Yeah. That's my first memory. I was 3 I think and I had two sisters. One sung so beautifully even the birds stopped to listen to what she had to say. She was like Fluttershy in some ways. My second, her twin, was a dancer. Ballet dancer to be exact. That was they're way of making money I was told. My parents? Long gone and the only reason I know any of this? Because of what I would over hear from when I was older. All I have are disjointed voices, blurry faces and mixed up memories without the conversations that I would hear out on the streets of Canterlot."

"Canterlot? That's an hour or two away! How did you and your sisters get here? More importantly, where are they?!" She asked as she listened to the tale, the secret being poured from her new friends heart. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.

"When did I ever say my sisters came here?"

"What?! But that's impossible! Unless... No! You don't mean...?!" Scootaloo nodded sadly.

"They disappeared like a thought. From one memory to the next. Ponies said they climbed the mountain over there. The one in between Canterlot and Ponyville, deep in the forest. Why? Nopony knows. All I know was that all I had left was their friend. She was the colour of cotton candy and had the most unusual eyes. I can't remember where she came from or why she was out int the streets but she was the last family I had. And then? She disappeared. I was 6. She said she had an idea and had to go see something. She never came back."

"That's terrible! How did you even survive after that?!"

"Somepony found me when I was freezing to death. I woke up in an orphanage. I lived there for the next two years and had parent after parent. Sooner or later they would find a problem with me and abandon me all over again. Then I learnt. I learnt I didn't need family because you'll lose family. I got up and left. I walked to the train station and used all my pocket money to buy a ticket and made my way here for a new start. And that's what I got, a new start."

"But then what about Rainbow? She seems like family."

"Her? Maybe but she's proved to me that if she cared enough she would have become my family long ago."

"But does she even know? About this?" Scootaloo looked at her with a deadpan expression on her face.

"What do you think? Am I the sort of pony who would tell their idol they don't have a home?"

"You have a roof above your head, doesn't that count as your home?"

"Home? Home is where the heart is. The heart is the family love that made the building the home. I need no family nor home."

"But don't you want to call somepony mum? Don't you need that? Don't you need that pony to lean on?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Scootaloo turned to her. To her surprise there were tears in her eyes.

"I don't know." Scootaloo whispered into the night. Diamond got up and took a step forward, ignoring the chill that had her shivering. She embraced the other pony and understood something important.

"Scoots? Ah ya there?" The two filles jumped apart as Apple Blooms voice filled the air.

"Tell her." Diamond whispered to the other filly.

"Tomorrow, I'll tell her tomorrow."

"Scoots! There you are! Miss Honey said you hadn't come home yet so ah came looking for you her to invite you to a sleepover and..." Apple Blooms gaze fell on Diamond." Oh hey Tiara! Didn't see ya there! Wanna come along?!"

"Thank you for the invite. I would cause I'm to worried to go home but then I realised something with the help of Scootaloo. She might not be the best pony and she might be scary sometimes but the truth is she's still my mum and I don't know when she'll be gone. You two have fun though okay?" She said before winking at Scootaloo and turning away, making her way to her house. She hoped she had helped Scootaloo even though she was her bully till this morning. She hoped that Scootaloo wouldn't do something stupid.

Friends are Family

Scootaloo looked out of the barn and sighed. The sun was slowly creeping up between the two hills. She smiled as the rays touched her face. A new day. 'Tomorrow'. Today. Yesterday. What did that mean? Who thought one day, lets make ponies? Who moved the sun before Celestia if she herself was not yet in power? What did those questions matter? When at the end of the day she was alone? Or was she?

"Hey Scootaloo. Up already?" She jumped as she heard Sweetie speak from behind her.

"Yeah, nice today huh?"

"I guess so..." Sweetie went quiet for a moment as the birds began to sing. "Scootaloo, I was wondering... do want to go climbing?" The question was random and out of place. She wasn't sure how to answer.

"Sure. But where would we climb?"

"What about there? It's like kinda medium and I bet you could pull some call stunts on your scooter!" Sweetie pointed into the distance and Scootaloo froze. It was THAT mountain. The one her sisters had supposdley climbed. What if they were still there? How had she not thought of that before?

"Sure! That's a great idea!"

"Wha? What's a great idea? Oh no! It's ain't one of Sweetie Belles plans is it?" Apple Bloom awoke from all the shouting. Her hair was messy and she had a scared expression on her face.

"Come on Bloom! Don't be a chicken!"

"You're a chicken." Scootaloo frowned.

"Great comeback Bloom, great comeback."

"What were you expectin'? It's 3am."

"Bloom, it's 6am plus you're a farmer who's sister gets up at like 4am normally."

"Fine! I give up! I'm doin' whatever you two are doing!"

"Great!" Sweetie squeaked."We can go now and then make it back by 10. We could leave a note and..."

"Woah, Sweetie. Now? Why now?"

"Come on! It'll be fun! Scoots go get your scooter and we're leaving!"

"And we'll be back before 10?"

"I'm sure of it!"

She left to get her scooter. They would come back before 10am.

Only...

They didn't...

They didn't come back that day at all.