The Last Crusades

"So, you haven't seen Scootaloo," I said, wracking my brain of where the orange pegasus would be.

"No, ah thot you knew!" Applebloom sighed.

"No, I don't. Why would I ask you where she was if I knew where she was??"

"Ah, quit yer sqealin', yer as bad as a pig." Applebloom sniffed. "We gotta find her Sweetie Belle! Featherweight said he last saw her git on her scooter and zoom off! Where would she go?"

One look and I knew we both knew- her flying spot! "Why didn't we think of it before?" I cursed as we ran over to the thorny hedge.

"Hey, wut's that up thar?" Applebloom slid to a halt, pointing with her hoof to something that was sticking out of the hedge.

"It's definitely not a thorn," I stared at it, then realization dawned. "It's her scooter! It's Scootaloo's scooter!"

"Yer right! Let's go get it!"

Applebloom squirmed through the hedge and I climbed the tree, noticing something odd about the way it was stuck. "Hey, Applebloom, you notice anything weird?"

"Yes," her voice shook, and suddenly I was worried.

"What is it??" I asked, climbing out over to the hole in the brambles.

"A.. a blood covered orange feather."

"What?!" I almost fell off. "Oh my gosh.. Okay wait, I'm pushing the scooter down and then I'll be right there."

It was easy to shove the wooden scooter down, I only needed one hoof, and once I had climbed back down the tree and gone through the hedge, there was a pale Applebloom staring at some feathers and drops of blood.

"Maybe she just pricked herself on the hedge while getting through?" I swallowed and desperately hoped I was right.

We called for her for what seemed like forever. "Scootaloo!! Scoot, Scootaloo!!" But there never was an answer, except once a huge shadow moved behind the trees. Sighing, we decided that she had gone back home, and that she would be at school tomorrow covered in band-aids because she had gotten thorns stuck in her coat.

But we knew something had happened. Because when we went to see if Scootaloo had gone back to the orphanage during the time we were searching, she wasn't there. We tracked down Rainbowdash and asked her too. No one knew where she went.

"I last saw her when I got her scooter out of a tree," the blue pegasus apologized. "I thought she went home after that. I'll keep an eye out for her."

Heads bowed and feet shuffling, we said our goodbye's as the sun went down, then headed home.

No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't think up a way to excuse Scootaloo from school the next morning.  I said we could pretend she was sick, but Applebloom reminded me that Scootaloo herself had used that lie a few days ago so she could go swimming.  That had been my last idea, and now we walked down the dirt road to the little red schoolhouse, dismayed.

"Hey Sweetie Belle! Hi Applebloom, what're you two up too?" said a tired voice from behind us.

"Nothin' Scootaloo, just tryin' ta think up ways to git yah outta trouble." Applebloom mumbled.

I blinked, then gasped, turning around and pouncing on the orange pegasus.  "Scootaloo! What the- how did you- we thought you were--"

She laughed and blocked my mouth with her hoof, and it was then that I realized she was covered in stained bandages and looked as though she hadn't slept all night.

"What happened ta yah?!" Applebloom voiced my question just as the bell rang ahead of us.

Scootaloo looked at the red building ahead and sighed wearily.  "I'll tell you guys later.  Let's just get school over with."

"So you see, class.  The weather ponies bring the rain, the earth ponies bring the crops, and the unicorns..." Cheerilee drawled on, entertaining only the nerd in the back of the classroom.  Even I thought it was drop dead boring to hear how Equestria's seasons worked.   I guess I was too excited to hear Scootaloo's story.   Finally the recess bell donged, and we were let out for thirty minutes.

"Hey Scootapoo," I heard a prissy voice titter.  "Why are you dressed up? Nightmare Night isn't until October you ninny."

More laughter, and Applebloom and I raced out the door and around the school.  There was Diamond Tiara and her faithful partner Silver Spoon, and there was poor Scootaloo, half asleep and obviously in pain.  Her bandages did remind me of a mummy-mare, but we hadn't meant any harm when we had said it that morning.  These two fillies did.

"I know that," Scootaloo mumbled.  I had never seen her bow down to bullies like that before, and I was shocked.  Scootaloo, letting bullies get the best of her??

"You leave her alone!" I screamed, running to my friend's aid with Applebloom right behind me.  We both glared at the snotty bullies, and they looked back with equal aggravation.

"Oh look, it's the mummy-mare's friends." Silver Spoon grinned.  "Watch out Diamond Tiara, they might want revenge."

Diamond Tiara laughed cruelly.  "There's no need for that, we were just leaving."

Applebloom and I glared at the two fillies until they went back inside.

"Thanks guys." Scootaloo said shakily. "I guess I'm just not feeling myself yet."

"What happened?" I asked, rounding on her. "You acted all...well, not like you."

Applebloom shook her head, her red mane wiping her neck. "Yeah, ya didn't even stan' up ta them!"

"I don't know.  I'm just..sleepy."  The orange pegasus yawned, then blinked, her eyes opening excitedly.  "I forgot, I was going to tell you two about what happened yesterday!"

Applebloom and I leaned forward, eager to hear the story.

"I was in my flying spot and a bunch of crazy stuff happened- there was this monster, and it was huge, it tried to eat me! It chased me way deep in the forest, and.." As Scootaloo wove a crazy story that was only half believeable, I heard the bell ring.  She ignored it, and so did we.   Well, up until Featherweight came out to get us.

"I'll finish later," Scootaloo hissed into my ear, and then we were inside already and facing the prospect of having to spend the entire afternoon not knowing how Scootaloo escaped until tonight.