The Way We Were

by BurningMockingJay

Rating: teen
Tags: Suicide / Self Harm, Scootaloo, Slice of Life, Death, Narcotics, Sweetie Belle, Sad, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other
Length: 7249

Apple Bloom saved Scootaloo and brought her to the hospital after a suicide attempt. Now it's time that they find out the truth.

After saving Scootaloo's life from a suicide attempt, Apple Bloom brought her to the hospital to get her fixed up. Now in the care of the doctors, both herself and Sweetie Belle search for answers as to why their young pegasus friend was driven to almost cutting her life short.

Where did she get the drugs and pills from? Where are her parents, and did they have anything to do with this? No matter what, the truth will be revealed.

===========================

Written/Edited by FireRain

Coverart Credit: https://inkwel-mlp.deviantart.com/art/Scootaloo-misses-the-sunsrise-404726310

Published 2018-04-05 04:10:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-04-05 04:10:07 UTC

We Are A Trio: Work As A Team

The second day of Scootaloo's hospitalisation was proven to be working fantastically as her vital signs, as indicated by a heart monitor screen's rhythmic beeping, were all back to normal, and the only thing left was for Scootaloo to wake up from her coma. Shortly after her arrival from the previous day, the hospital had notified Scootaloo's parents and they came over as fast as they could to be with their daughter.

Scootaloo's mother was much like a duplicate of her daughter, sharing the exact same shade of purple hair and orange coat, yet her eyes were a brilliant shade of sparkling blue and her cutie mark was a pink heart on a fluffy white cloud with a golden halo above it. Scootaloo's father, however, was bearing a white coat and a dark orange mane with blue eyes of a similar colour to his wife's. His cutie mark was a golden trophy with a pair of outstretched wings on either side. Currently, he stood beside his daughter with a glum, mixed expression that made it hard to tell if he was angry or upset. Probably both, given the circumstances. Scootaloo's mother turned to face Sweetie Belle.

''Thanks for telling us about our daughter, Sweetie,'' She said with a glum expression as she sat beside her bed-ridden daughter with tears in her eyes. ''We wished we could have gotten here sooner to be there for her, but we were delayed by the train.'' She then looked back towards the sleeping form of Scootaloo, gently massaging her mane with her hoof.

''It's Apple Bloom you should be thanking, Mrs Scootaloo. She's the one who saved her life.'' Sweetie said, motioning towards the country mare who was standing with her on the opposite side of the bed to her friend's parents. ''If it weren't for her, Scootaloo wouldn't be here.''

''Is that true? You really saved our daughter's life, Apple Bloom?'' Scootaloo's father asked, his brow raised as he looked over to the red-maned mare. For a moment, Apple Bloom looked sheepish and she gave a nod. Upon hearing this, he came around to her side of the bed and he pulled her into a hug to show his gratitude for her deed. ''Thank you, Apple Bloom,'' He said as Apple Bloom was taken slightly aback by the gesture. ''Thank you. I owe you for what you've done. My little girl's lucky to have such good friends in her life.''

''Aw, well shucks, y'all don't owe me nothin','' Apple Bloom said as she lightly pressed her hoof against his chest to release him from her. ''Ah was just in the right place at the right time. The only thing Ah wish Ah knew was what in the hay she was thinkin'.'' Apple Bloom felt her eyes sting as she recollected her memories of the stormy night when she saved her fellow Crusader and the close call that nearly took her life. ''Ah don't understand the why of it, nevermind the how or where she got those supplies.'' Scootaloo's mother's ear twitched.

''Wait, supplies? What supplies?'' She asked, feeling the beginning of a pit starting to form in her stomach. Sweetie and Apple Bloom looked at each other, as if trying to figure out how they should word their explanation. Eventually, after a brief moment or two, Apple Bloom offered her explanation, seeing as she was the one that found her friend in the first place.

''Well, Ah...'' She began, shifting uncomfortably as she felt her spine begin to shiver with the memory of what she saw that night. ''Well, when Ah broke down the door an' found Scoots layin' there, Ah found a bottle and a small box fulla stuff that...'' She paused for a moment, glancing quietly towards the form of the sleeping pegasus. ''T-That Ah have no clue where she got it from,'' She said, beginning to tear up.

''It's alright, Apple Bloom,'' Sweetie said as she placed a comforting and reassuring hoof to her shoulder. ''Take your time.'' Regaining her composure and finding encouragement from the support of her unicorn friend, the farm mare drew in a shaky breath and continued with her explanation.

''Ah'm not too sure how ta say this, but Scootaloo had somehow gotten a hold of c-cyanide pills and a bunch of other drug-related equipment.'' Apple Bloom finished slowly, and both of Scootaloo's parents gasped in utter shock of what they had just heard. It was hard to tell what they might be thinking and what thoughts were rolling through their minds at this new information that was brought to light.

Their little daughter, a young and talented mare, driven to suicide, and they were completely oblivious to the fact that she was suffering and in need of help, even after her efforts of trying to get their attention. As a matter of fact, there was something in the back of Apple Bloom's mind that made her question the motifs of the two pegasi in front of her and Sweetie Belle. That letter that she found tucked underneath Scootaloo's saddlebags and what was written on it along with droplets from her tears. Was there something missing from the picture here?

''That's not all that Ah found,'' Apple Bloom said, her voice low and grim as she pulled the piece of paper from the top of a nearby bedside desk and displayed it to Scootaloo's parents. ''Ah found this next to her bag. It seems that somethin' had been clawin' at her for quite some time before the other night,'' She said, giving the letter to Scootaloo's father, who took it in his hooves and read it with his wife, both of their eyes going wide in shock.

Scootaloo's mother began to tear up and she started to sob as she held onto her husband, who wrapped his hoof around her back in an attempt to comfort her as he began to gently rub it to calm her down. He, himself, looked like he was on the brink of collapsing into his own emotions, but behind his eyes, it was clear that he was trying to fight them away to remain strong at this harsh time. Right now, his wife and daughter needed him, and he needed them.

''Oh, dear,'' Scootaloo's mother said, hugging her husband as she looked towards the form of her daughter, tucked beneath the thin and disgustingly light green-blue bedsheet that was tucked almost up to her neck. ''Why would she do something like this?'' She asked as a tear rolled down her cheek.

''It's alright, dear,'' Her husband said in a hushed voice, resting his chin atop her cushy purple mane that was cut and styled exactly like Scootaloo's own. ''It's alright.'' He said, and she buried her head into his shoulder as she continued to cry.

''Apple Bloom?'' Sweetie whispered into her friend's ear as the other two ponies in the room were occupied with their little moment of grief. ''Do you think that the reason Scootaloo did what she did had something to do with...them?'' She asked cautiously, isolating her voice as best as she could to prevent them from hearing her. At this, Apple Bloom became thoughtful and she glanced a few times between Sweetie and the pair of sorrowful parents.

''Ah'm not sure, Sweetie. Ah don't know what to do. Ah'm not even sure where Scoots mighta gotten that box. Ah mean, where in Equestria would she get such a thing?'' She asked, her voice also at a very toned-down whisper. ''Better yet, who in their right mind woulda sold it ta her? There's gotta be more ta this, an' Ah wanna know who's responsible. For Celestia's sake, whoever sold her the pills is going to be faced with a charge of assisted suicide or somethin' of the like, an' Ah hope they get what's comin' to 'em!'' Apple Bloom said, her voice gradually becoming louder as she ranted in her episode of anger. Unfortunately, it appeared that she had spoken just a little bit too loud, as now both of Scootaloo's parents were staring at her with wide eyes, standing stock still. Both Sweetie's and Apple Bloom's cheeks became flushed and they burned a rosy red. Apple Bloom gave an embarrassed, soft chuckle.

''Ah, um...oops,'' She muttered.

''You...you think that we had something to do with this?'' Scootaloo's mother asked, shocked, and her husband looked equally as mortified at the accusation.

''I-I don't even how to begin to tell you how awful that is, girls! Do you honestly think that me and my wife,'' He pointed towards his spouse and then pulled her into a one-hoofed hug. ''Would have anything to do with this?'' He used his free hoof to point to his unconscious daughter, laying motionless in bed. ''We wouldn't ever do anything to hurt our daughter, and the fact that you would assume such a thing is beyond words!'' He finished, giving a disapproving scowl to the two young mares in front of him.

''I, no! No, that's not what Apple Bloom meant!'' Sweetie defended her friend. ''She doesn't know what happened or who's really to blame. She's only upset over what happened, and can you blame her?'' She said, looking towards her friend with a smile, which she returned. ''Besides,'' Sweetie said as she turned back to Scootaloo's parents with narrowed eyes, her voice taking on a serious tone. ''Why does the letter mention that you were both hardly ever around when Scootaloo needed you? She made it sound like you basically never existed!'' Sweetie questioned, taking both older ponies largely aback.

''I, well, we...'' Scootaloo's mother began, stumbling over her words as she struggled to find her voice to explain herself. ''Well, we travel quite a lot on account of business, and that means that we are never home as much as we'd like,'' She offered, and her husband nodded his head in confirmation to his wife's words.

''Yes, see, we both work on the same job, and it's been more demanding than usual recently. If we're lucky, we only get to see our little daughter at least once every month or so, but now we're looking at an even larger space of time,'' He said, plopping his ears back on his head in sadness, his wife doing the same. ''Believe me, there's nothing more that me and my wife want than to be able to have a break for once to at least be there for Scootaloo. I suppose this really is partially our fault in the first place.'' He said with a sniffle, realisation setting in as he knew all too well that he wasn't completely out of sight of the blame for his daughter's current condition.

It could have been worse - Apple Bloom could have still found Scootaloo that night, but it could have never turned out so well. She might not have been able to knock down the door in time before the cyanide pills had a chance to dissolve in her friend's stomach acid, effectively killing her without a way to revive her. She and Sweetie would have lost her forever, and her parents would have lost their one and only daughter, and they likely wouldn't find out about it until a long while after she had died. The reality of it was scary, to say the least.

Thankfully, she was still kicking and on the road to recovery, with thanks to Apple Bloom's quick thinking and effective method of getting Scootaloo to spit up the almost-dissolved capsules of neurotoxin. However, at the light of this information of the reason to the constant absence of her friend's parents', Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle couldn't help but have sympathy towards them. They supposed that it wasn't all entirely their fault, yet some things still didn't make sense.

''Hey, now,'' Apple Bloom said soothingly as she came towards the couple. ''It ain't entirely your fault. Ah suppose everyony is jus' as shocked as each other, an' it's gettin' ta all of us. Besides, there's still the question of who gave Scoots the box fulla drugs, and Ah wanna know who did it.'' Apple Bloom said. Beside the hospital bed that her friend was resting on, there was a chair by the nightstand for visitors, and placed next to said chair were Scootaloo's blue saddlebags. Approaching the bag, Apple Bloom undid one of the clasps and pulled out the small wooden box that contained the drugs that almost took Scootaloo's life. Sweetie Belle took it from Apple Bloom and grasped it in her magical aura, holding it in a dim and shimmering green glow. Still held in her magical aura, Sweetie moved the box around near her eye and inspected it closely.

The wooden box wasn't anything special, but it was only small in size and the lid was secured with a simple latch with no lock. If she had to guess, she'd say the box was made from oak wood, and it appeared to be old, as given away by the worn look of the wood. There were no evident markings around the sides of the box that could give any clues or pointers as to where it might have come from or who might have sold it to Scootaloo, but when Sweetie Belle turned the box upside-down, she found that there was an engraving on the bottom of the box.

It was slightly faded by time, but it was still able to be made out to her eyes, as well as the other ponies in the room. It was an oval-ish engraving that made the borders of a logo depicting of a side view of a stallion wearing a Stetson hat with a piece of straw sticking out of his lips. In curved lettering around the top of the head of the stallion were words that spelled out 'Weatherton's Wares and Goods'.

''Weatherton's?'' Scootaloo's father said, eyeing the engraving for a moment, as if piecing together something in his mind. ''I've heard the name somewhere before, but I'm not quite sure if it even still exists.'' When he looked towards his wife, she gave a shrug. Looking towards Sweetie and Apple Bloom, he saw that Apple Bloom had a curious look in her eye.

''Wait, Weatherton's Wares?'' She said, something clicking in her mind. ''Oh! Ah think Ah know that brand! Weatherton's used to be here in Ponyville, but when Barnyard Bargains rolled up and took over, Filthy Rich bought them out and took their stock!'' She said, gasping along with everypony else in the room at the realisation. ''Scootaloo got this box from Filthy Rich, or at least, somepony else who had gotten their hooves on this box who then sold it on to her!''

''Are you saying that,'' Sweetie began, shifting uncontrollably. ''Scootaloo bought this box from some kind of...drug dealer?'' She said, her voice quiet, as to not arouse any ears outside of the hospital room of ponies and nurses who might be strolling by. Apple Bloom gave an uncomfortable and concerned 'Mmm-hmm'. ''That's terrible! But who, especially in Ponyville, would have sold her such a thing?'' Sweetie said, shocked and mortified.

''Ah don't know, Sweetie. Ah don't know.'' Apple Bloom said, looking momentarily towards the form of Scootaloo, her eyes scanning from the bandage wrapped securely around her head to her face. Her lip gave a small twitch as she slept and her chest was rising and falling slowly with each equally as slow breath. ''Ah wish Ah knew. Moreover, Ah wish Ah knew sooner,'' She said helplessly. Sweetie placed her hoof to her shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile.

''It's alright, Apple Bloom. Nopony knew. Nopony's to blame, but for whoever may have given her the drugs will eventually be found out, sooner or later,'' Sweetie said comfortingly, a suppressed anger burning behind her own eyes for the one responsible for the close call with her friend's life. ''I just wish we knew where to start looking for a suspect. Anypony in town could have sold them to her, or they might have been imported from someplace else. Is there anything left inside the box, Apple Bloom?'' Sweetie asked, levitating the box to her friend, who took it in her own hooves before opening the lid to inspect the contents.

Inside were the leftovers from the incident. An empty bottle, a half-full bottle of the same cyanide pills that Scootaloo took, and a needle kit with a half-empty bottle of water and a looped piece of string, presumably used for typing around one's hoof when using a needle to inject substances directly into the bloodstream. Just seeing what was inside the box made Apple Bloom's innards churn.

''Apple Bloom?''

''Nothin' much,'' She responded after a short pause. ''The same as when Ah found her.'' She reached in and took the orange bottle containing the cyanide pills and looked it over. It was your typical clinical bottle of drugs, yet the drugs on the inside of the container were something that you could never obtain through a regular chemist or doctor. However, there was still a label on the bottle, one that still had specific details on it. Bringing it closer to her face, Apple Bloom read from the label -

Patient Name: Scarlet, Mayflower

Date of Prescription: March, 11th

Expiration of Medication: /

Contact: Dr. Brown

From reading the label, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's parents caught on to the uneasy expression on Apple Bloom's face, as evidenced by their worried frowns and gazes. Sweetie could sense her friend's muscles tense beneath her skin from where she was standing and she spoke up.

''Apple Bloom? Is something wrong?'' Sweetie asked.

She didn't respond. Instead, she kept her gaze focused upon the bottle and she began to visibly shiver.

''Apple Bloom?'' Scootaloo's mother asked.

Still, Apple Bloom didn't respond, nor move.

''Apple Bloom?'' Scootaloo's father asked, growing worried at the silence coming from the young mare in front of him.

Oh, no, no, no, Apple Bloom thought. Dr Brown? Scarlet Mayflower? Scootaloo had been using an alias as a way to get some illegal drugs to end her own life? That name, it sounds so familiar.

''AB!'' Sweetie said, her voice a little louder as she gently shoved her friend's side, snapping her out of her trance. Apple Bloom gave a shudder as she came back to reality, sick to her stomach, and her pained expression brought a great suspense that hung in the air. Clearly, everypony was eager to hear what she had to say, and it looked like she was in disbelief. ''Apple Bloom, what's wrong?'' Sweetie asked, ushering her friend to say what was on her mind. Apple Bloom swallowed a lump of ice that had formed in the back of her throat.

''Dr Brown, the name on the label,'' Apple Bloom said, pointing to it on the bottle. ''He's a doctor at this hospital, the same one that fixed up Granny's bum leg jus' shy of a year ago,'' She explained. ''He gave this stuff to Scoots under the impression of a false name!'' She said, and once again, everypony in the room gasped.

''Oh, Apple Bloom, w-we need to show this to the authorities right away! They need to get him before it's too late!'' Sweetie said, only to be shushed by her farm friend.

''Sweetie, no, we can't,'' Sweetie was about to protest, but she was silenced by her friend. ''We can't because if we make it too obvious that we're dealin' with a criminal in the buildin', it's gonna cause a stirr. We need to be discreet as possible if'n we're gonna get any answers.'' Apple Bloom said before looking towards Scootaloo's parents. ''Mr and Mrs Scootaloo, Ah need ya'll to both fly as fast as you can to the police and get them to come down here as fast as possible.'' At that, Scootaloo's parents nodded and they didn't say a word as they both left the hospital casually, as to not arouse any suspicious eyes their way before they left the premises.

Finally, Sweetie Belle turned to face Apple Bloom. ''AB, are you sure this will work? I mean, what if they don't believe us? What if this just ends up going nowhere?'' She asked, concern and worry plastered clear as day upon her face. Catching on, Apple Bloom wrapped her hoof around the back of her neck and hugged her closely.

''Don't worry, Sweetie,'' She said comfortingly. ''Scootaloo is our friend, an' Ah'm gonna do what Ah can to make things right again. Right now, we can only wait and hope for the best. If my hunch is correct, Sweetie, that doctor has got some serious explainin' to do as to why he would do such a thing, especially in plain sight.''

*** *** ***

Meanwhile, in the office of Dr Brown, he sat half-slumped in his chair as he was filing through some important documents and personal information of some of his patients. His lips were tugged into a frown and a pair of black spectacles rested snugly on the tip of his muzzle. He wasn't much of a pony to care much about paperwork, but somepony around the hospital had to do it. By some dumb luck and misfortune, it ended up being Dr Brown.

His office wasn't much, but it was something that he'd consider cosy enough to not complain about. Much like the rest of the hospital's interior, the room had dull white walls that were barren apart from one or two pictures hanging from them to make them more lively. Sadly, the lifeless interior of the hospital seemed to deny it to spruce the place up, resulting in it being somewhat more depressing. To make it even more dull and uninviting, the carpet was a sickly shade of green that looked like it had caught a disease.

The only other things in the room were a large, professional desk, of which Dr Brown was seated behind, a small cabinet to the far left from the desk, placed near the entrance, and on the other side was a desk with a small potted plant placed on it. However, the flower seemed to have succumbed to the depressing room and it had become wilted, hanging limply over the side of the pot it was planted in and threatening to break from its stem. Whatever colour it might have been before was replaced by an ugly brown.

Dr Brown glanced from his paperwork momentarily to look at a framed picture on his desk, the only thing decorating it apart from a small stationary storage holder that currently housed a few pens, of various colours, and a couple pencils. Behind the glass in the frame was a picture of a beautiful mare, although it was hard to tell what colour her mane and coat were due to the aged tone of the paper it was printed onto. He spent a moment or two staring at the face of the mare and he gave a soft smile before he went back to reading through his documents, scribbling and jotting the occasional line down where it was required before he placed it into a neat pile with multiple others to his left. He spent his time doing this for almost a few minutes when----

Knock-knock

Two knocks sounded on the other side of his office door, and when his ears caught the noise, he picked his spectacles from his muzzle and folded them into a pocket on the breast of his white hospital coat before calling for them to come in. When the pony on the other side had heard his voice, the door opened and in stepped Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's parents.

''Dr Brown?'' Scootaloo's father asked, coming closer to the doctor's desk. ''We need to talk,'' He said, his tone clearly not in the mood for a polite conversation as it was tinted with a hint of anger. ''Now.'' He finished, and the doctor was unfazed by the tone of voice he was using. It was something every pony who has ever trained to be a doctor had learned, as a form of keeping things civil and professional. Dr Brown lightly placed his hooves together on his desk and leaned forward before addressing the stallion.

''I'm sorry, but if there's a complaint that you're trying to hand in, I'm afraid that you'll need to book an appointment forty-eight hours ahead of time,'' He said politely. ''Otherwise, I can't take an audience with anypony as a form of our hospital policy.''

''I'm afraid that I wasn't asking,'' Scootaloo's father said as he came closer to the desk, his wife directly behind him as she held the same angered gleam in her eyes as she also stared at the doctor seated behind his desk. ''This is urgent, and we need to talk,'' He said, placing a bottle on the table in front of Dr Brown. ''Right now.''

Looking down at the newly placed item in front of him, Dr Brown saw that it was a medicine bottle. It was the same medicine bottle that Scootaloo had used to attempt her suicide only a couple of days ago. Inside and filling almost half of the orange-tinted bottle were the remaining cyanide pills. Dr Brown eyed it closely before gently turning the bottle around to face the label on the side before he read the name.

''I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to discuss private matters about my patients to strangers,'' Dr Brown said professionally, placing the bottle aside, agitating the stallion in front of him further as he found himself with his muzzle pressed against the doctor's before saying with heated, angry breath.

''I'm your 'patient's' father, you idiot! Your 'patient's' name is Scootaloo, and she's laid up in bed because of you, so I feel like you owe me and my wife an explanation as to why you thought it was a good idea to nearly murder my daughter!'' He seethed, pushing himself tightly against the doctor's snout, only being held back by the magical aura of Sweetie's magic that was restraining him around his waistline like a lasso.

''Yeah, an' we're her best friends!'' Apple Bloom joined in. ''Because of you, Ah found Scoots on the floor near my farm! She almost died, so why in the hay were you prescribing her cyanide pills, doctor?'' She inquired, stepping forward towards the desk with narrowed, serious eyes, her face plastered with hate.

''Well, you see,'' The doctor said as he pushed himself out of his seat and stood on all four of his hooves before he came towards Apple Bloom. ''The thing about that is...'' And then the doctor made a bolt for it, heading out of the door before and out of sight, yet he was sadly unable to get far as two officers entered the room, holding the struggling doctor in their hooves before they cuffed him and restrained him from any attempts to escape.

Apple Bloom turned to face them before she asked, ''Did ya'll hear all of that, officer?'' The officer, a grey-coated and black-maned stallion wearing a stereotypical police hat and matching blue uniform nodded.

''Sure did, Apple Bloom. Good work,'' He said before turning to the thrashing doctor in his grasp, only to be swiftly smacked on the snout by his rear hoof. Fortunately, it didn't faze him too much, and he quickly recovered from the force of the blow. ''Just for that, you'll be placed under a longer sentence,'' The officer told him. ''Don't you worry, Mr and Mrs Scootaloo, he'll be going to jail for quite a long time, and he won't be able to hurt anypony anymore. Of course, he'll be trialled and treated accordingly, but I wouldn't bet on him getting released, especially with those pills as evidence.''

The second officer, a white-coated and teal-maned stallion, took the cyanide pills from the desk and placed them in a plastic zip-lock bag for evidence before he left the room with the other officer, the restrained and cuffed Dr Brown with them as they shoved him out of the building in front of multiple staff members and patients, some of them whispering amongst themselves and others gasping, saying stuff like ''Is that Dr Brown?'' and ''Oh, no! What's he done? Why are they taking him away?''.

Meanwhile, all other ponies present in the room gave each other a round of glances and Sweetie remembered that she still had Scootaloo's father in her magical grasp, releasing him upon noticing. Now alone in the office of Dr Brown, the four ponies' faces all held signs of relief at the fact that they had helped catch a criminal that was hiding in plain sight. How none of the hospital staff knew about the 'appointments' he had with some patients was unknown to them, but when the court session rolls around, hopefully, the truth will come out and Dr Brown will serve the time he deserves to carry out for his misdeeds to Ponyville.

Not only for the near-death of Scootaloo, but for the possible and countless other ponies he had offered his 'services' to. Why did he do it? Why did he remain secretive under the entire staff of the hospital and the ponies of the town? How was he not figured out sooner? Any and all questions were currently burning in the minds of the ponies in the room, and, currently, those same questions were burning and niggling at the minds of all the ponies and patients that had witnessed the arrest take place. Only time will tell what the true intentions and reasons were for the misdeeds of Dr Brown, and those answers were going to be held with bated breath when the time comes to pass on his judgement.

*** *** ***

''You're looking a lot better, sweetheart,'' Scootaloo's father said as he sat beside his daughter, still in her hospital bed. It has been two days since she had woken up from her drug-induced coma, but despite what her body had been put through, the young mare wasn't the worse for ware. True, she may still have felt slightly light-headed from the experience she had been forced to go through, but there wasn't anything else holding her back on her recovery. ''How do you feel?'' Her father asked, lightly stroking the back of her mane.

''I don't feel too bad, I guess,'' Scootaloo said, her voice weak yet firm as she spoke. ''My chest still aches a little, but it's not too bad.'' She said, smiling softly as her father gently hugged her. Beside her bed on the opposite side to her father were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Sweetie stood beside a chair on which Apple Bloom was sat on. As for Scootaloo's mother, she had left the room for a short while to go and use the restroom.

''We're glad you're doing better, Scoots,'' Sweetie Belle said. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.

''Yeah, y'all are lookin' miles better than when Ah brought ya in here,'' Apple Bloom said, her eyes somewhat holding a sad expression. ''What were ya thinkin', Scoots? Ya know jus' as well as everypony else that we'd help ya if y'all up an' asked us.'' At that, Scootaloo's ears plopped on the back of her head and she momentarily turned away from her friends.

It was true that Scootaloo knew better. She knew that she had people to talk to, ponies that cared about her and would listen to her if she asked them. Ponies that were so close to her, like Sweetie and Apple Bloom, that they could be considered sisters. A part of her felt rotten inside that she didn't think to ask them before she did what she did. That could very well have been the last time she'd see her friends or anypony she cared about, including her own parents.

How would they have reacted, have Apple Bloom never found her upon taking the cyanide pills and they were told she died? How would they deal with carrying around the burden that their only daughter, a young mare with a bright future, had committed suicide? It would simply be a disgrace to the family name, and she knew it.

''I'm...I'm sorry,'' Scootaloo said quietly, feeling tears beginning to burn her eyes. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she turned her head to face Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle directly with glassy purple eyes. ''I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, and I...'' She sniffled. ''...I should have known better!'' She gave a held-back sob as she wiped her eyes. Her father held her as she cried and he rested his chin atop her head as he wrapped a hoof around her back.

Apple Bloom leaned over in her seat and joined in with the embrace, herself feeling teary-eyed. Soon after she joined in, Sweetie Belle came forward and offered her own hoof to her friend. They hugged for some considerable time, and by the time they had broken from the embrace, Scootaloo's mother had returned, a bottle of water being held in her mouth as she entered the room. She came forward and gave it to Scootaloo, undoing the top before doing so. Scootaloo thanked her mother and took a sip, feeling an instant wave of relief as the cold beverage washed down her throat.

''I don't know why I did what I did,'' Scootaloo said, her voice rejuvenated and almost back to its former strength. ''I guess I was just so tired of feeling like the world's punching bag every single day, so in the end, I tried to find a way out for good,'' Scootaloo explained, looking down. Even from her position, she could sense both of her friends gasping in shock. Even her parents looked horrified at what they were hearing from their daughter. ''When we were at school, do you remember when we learned about medicine?'' She looked towards Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They both nodded. ''Well, I kinda took it upon myself to read about medicines and drugs during the lesson when Cheerilee was teaching, and, well, I...'' She trailed off for a moment, and Sweetie placed her hoof to Scootaloo's shoulder, figuring out the rest of her story.

''You found the section on toxins and harmful substances, didn't you, Scoots?'' Sweetie asked and Scootaloo nodded. ''Oh, Scoots, why would you do such a thing? You could have easily died that night! Why didn't you tell one of us? You know both me and Apple Bloom would be there for you!'' Sweetie Belle looked hurt, as did Apple Bloom. ''Do...Do we really not mean that much to you?'' She asked quietly, looking as if she was on the brink of crying.

Scootaloo stared at her friend for a moment, holding back a burning sensation behind her eyes, a feeling that she knew all too well was the beginning of fresh tears welling up. She didn't think twice before she pulled the white unicorn in for a hug, holding her close and she buried her cheek into her own. ''Of course you do, Sweetie. We've been friends since forever, and you know that I wouldn't think differently of either you or Apple Bloom, no matter what,'' Scootaloo said before pulling away and looking Sweetie directly in her glossy green eyes. ''I love you, Sweetie. You too, AB.'' She told them, and Apple Bloom came closer to her, giving her a brief hug.

''We love ya too, Scoots,'' She said. ''An' Ah'm sorry we didn't notice sooner. If'n we did, then ya wouldn't be like this right now,'' She said, her face holding traces of both guilt and relief. ''But y'all are alright now, an' that's all that matters.'' She smiled, and then Scootaloo also smiled. With all that has been said and done in the past few days, some relief and closure did all ponies a world of good in knowing that everything could return to normal.

Of course, after the entire ordeal, Scootaloo was never the same mare after what had happened, yet she grew stronger from it and learned from her mistakes. As long as she had friends to keep her in line, then she was, without a doubt, going to be just fine. It was fantastic news for her, knowing that she could breathe anew in her second chance of life. For once, the young mare was feeling relieved and stress-free (with the exception of school work) and she was actually able to smile with genuine sincerity, something she hasn't been able to manage for quite some time.

In the week following her discharge from the hospital, there was a lengthy court session regarding the fate of Dr Brown to pay for his actions. With the evidence of the cyanide pills and the story of his 'appointments' with other ponies, including Scootaloo, he was trialled as being guilty before being given a life sentence for his misdeeds. Of course, Scootaloo's friends and her parents were asked to attend the court session with her to give their side of the story, and it went smoothly, given the circumstances. When the whole town found out about Scootaloo's depression and the harsh reality she had been forced to suffer through, there was a mix of sympathy and shock from the Ponyvillians that attended the court session.

Naturally, when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon attended the session with their parents, they were less than respectful, constantly whispering and cackling to themselves during the trial. It goes without saying that they got into deep and serious trouble when Miss Cheerliee happened to overhear them murmuring amongst themselves. To that, Scootaloo and her friends shared a laugh at knowing they got their comeuppance, just as much as Dr Brown did.

After the court session had ended, Scootaloo, her parents and her friends all headed towards Sweet Apple Acres to have a small party of congratulations. Some of the town's ponies attented, too, offering their support to the young mare after finding out the truth. When some of the ponies came up to her, they gave their sympathies and even gave her a hug. One of these ponies was Miss Cheerilee, and instead of a stern face like Scootaloo expected her to give, Cheerilee had a warm and understanding smile on her face, much like a mother might show their child. Cheerilee simply gave Scootaloo a hug and told her that she was proud of her for overcoming her depression and putting a criminal away for good.

It was a lengthy party, but in the back of Scootaloo's mind, it seemed to go by in slow motion as she watched the other ponies in the room make friendly conversation with one another. In Apple Bloom's house, Scootaloo had found herself sat at the table in the kitchen, the only vacant and quiet room in the house, as she was sat in thought, thinking about what the future might hold for her and the other ponies in her life.

Around a minute or two passed before she heard another set of hooves enter the room and approach a chair beside her before pulling it out from beneath the table so that the other pony could seat themselves down upon it. Scootaloo didn't have to look up to know the pony was Apple Bloom. In the time that Scootaloo has known her for, she could easily recognise her hooves and differentiate them from any other pony. Her hooves were lightly-placed, yet they were firm and strong. Unlike her, Sweetie Belle's hooves were still lightly-placed, although they were not as firm, nor were they as loud as Apple Bloom's. Instead, they were quiet and gentle, much like a reflection of her personality.

''Are y'all feelin' alright, Scoots?'' Apple Bloom asked. ''Ya haven't said much since we arrived here,'' She said, Scootaloo looking up to meet her eyes. She could see herself within her pupils, and she could tell that she looked uncertain. ''Do y'all wanna talk about it?'' Her friend offered with a gentle smile. Scootaloo took in a deep breath and exhaled.

''Apple Bloom, I...yeah, I do want to say something,'' Scootaloo said, a little unsure at first. Apple Bloom didn't say anything, but she opted to wait for her friend to continue, giving her the impression that she was all ears and that she wanted to hear what she had to say. ''Apple Bloom, I never got the chance to ask you how you found me that night. In the middle of a massive storm, I mean.'' Apple Bloom raised a brow, her lips tugged into a small frown as she looked back at her friend.

''Well, after that outburst ya had in class, myself, Sweetie an' a few other friends went lookin' for ya to see if ya'll were alright,'' Apple Bloom said quietly, her tone soft. ''Ah figured y'all would be around the farm because Ah remember that's where y'all would go if you were upset. Ever since we were fillies, me an' Sweetie would always find ya up there when y'all were sad about somethin','' She said, giving a slightly amused chuckle. ''Even durin' the storm, Ah could hear ya screamin' like ya saw Big Mac gettin' outta the shower, so Ah followed it to the clubhouse. Thankfully, Ah got there in the nick of time, otherwise...'' Apple Bloom went quiet as her eyes tingled and the thought of Scootaloo's lifeless form came into being. ''...Ah thought you were a goner, Scoots! Ah thought we'd lost ya for good!'' She cried, and Scootaloo wasted no time in pulling her friend into a tight hug, rubbing her back as she did so.

''Apple Bloom, it's alright,'' Scootaloo said soothingly as she held her. ''It's alright. Thanks to you, I'm still around,'' She said, pulling away to look Apple Bloom in the eyes. ''Listen,'' She said, wiping away the tears that had formed on the farm mare's cheeks. ''Because of you, I'm not going anywhere, Apple Bloom. You saved my life, and I owe you big time for that,'' Scootaloo said before she leaned in and lightly pressed her lips to Apple Bloom's cheek in a light peck. ''You have no idea how grateful I am that you're one of my closest friends, Apple Bloom. I hope both you and Sweetie Belle know that. I love you so much.''

They stayed like that for minutes on end, enjoying each other's company. Even when they broke away, they spent a good portion of their time chatting away like best friends should. It was because of Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's friendship that Scootaloo found the courage and will to carry on with her recovery. Now that she was back on her hooves and ready to let the scars heal, she was going to do all that she can to be there for her friends like they were for her, and no matter what, she was going to return the favour. After all, they were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and no matter what the weather will bring or whatever the world throws at them, they will remain as one to support each other.

They were sisters, the best of friends, and most of all, they were a trio, and they work as a team.

They were inseparable.