Not Alone.

The Apple family woke up at dawn to do some work on the farm,as it was a Saturday, the family worked at a relaxed pace, by 8am all of the apple trees had been tended to and Applebloom had helped Granny Smith prepare an apple pie for breakfast.

Scootaloo awoke to the sweet smell of the cooking pastry, she shuffled along the landing and crawled down the stairs, limping towards the kitchen. She poked her head around the door and took in the family scene in front of her.

Apple Jack was happily chatting with Big Mac, who nodded along to the words she was saying. Applebloom was peering into the oven watching the apple pie inside cook and Granny smith was sitting in her rocking chair smiling lovingly at her grandchildren.

At this point, Big Mac noticed Scootaloo standing at the doorway and nodded towards her, Apple Jack looked to Scootaloo and beamed brightly. Scootaloo grinned back, walking into the kitchen and sitting on the chair Apple Jack gestured to.

Applebloom quickly turned to her friend and waved her hooves and smiled, then went back to staring at the pie.

“It's ready!”

She screeched a few seconds later making Scootaloo jump.

Granny smith slowly got out of her rocking chair, took the pie from the oven and carefully placed it on the table.

Scootaloo's mouth watered and she licked her lips. Granny Smith smiled at the filly, she cut a large slice of pie and placed it on a plate, she then passed it to Scootaloo. Just as she was about to warn the foal that it would still be very hot, Scootaloo shoved her face into the pie. Tears ran from the  young fillies eyes as she chomped the scolding hot treat placed in front of her. Even though it was burning her she carried on eating, as if the food would be taken away if she stopped.

Not long after she had been given the slice of pie, Scootaloo had finished. The Apple family stared at Scootaloo who was smiling happily at them. She saw the shock on their faces and suddenly looked ashamed. She hung her head and sniffed back tears.

“I'm sorry”

She whispered.

“I'm just so.....hungry...I.....”

Her voice faded and she looked down at her hooves.

“Now that’s all right Scootaloo!”

Applebloom put her arm around her friends shoulders.

“Granny an' I made that pie especially for you! An' I'm glad ya like it!”

The yellow pony beamed.

Scootaloo weakly smiled back and giggled a little. This was a great family.

Once the pie was finished. Big Mac set off to the orchards to tend to the apple trees some more. Granny Smith returned to her rocking chair and began to knit what looked like another blanket. Scootaloo, Applebloom and Apple Jack remained at the table.

“Right Scootaloo...” Apple Jack said confidently “We better clean you up now.”

Scootaloo's ears dropped and she looked worried, she began to shake and scanned the room, as if for an escape route.

“Don't worry Scoots. We won' hurt ya. An' Applebloom will be with ya....An' after you're all cleaned up, we can go see every pony.”

Scootaloo looked less worried after hearing this, and Applebloom smiled encouragingly at her friend who began slowly, and reluctantly following Apple Jack towards the bathroom.

Applebloom ran a bath and Scootaloo sat nervously at the side of the tub watching the water fill.

“You....wont hold me under the water.....will you?”

Scootaloo shivered. Apple Jack flinched when she heard the filly say this. She scooped up Scootaloo in her hooves and held her tight, and promised the Apple family would never do anything to hurt her.

While the bath was running, Scootaloo carefully took off her scarf and her goggles that hung around her neck, Applebloom folded the scarf and placed it on the floor close to the door leading out of the bathroom and put the flying goggles on top.

Apple Jack helped Scootaloo out of her makeshift bandages, wincing as she got a look at some of Scootaloo's injuries. She told Applebloom to go and get Fluttershy, Applebloom trotted out of the bathroom, happy to have an important job to do.

Once she had gone, Scootaloo whispered her thanks to Apple Jack, She didn't want her friend to see her like this.

Once the bath had ran, Apple Jack gently lifted Scootaloo and put her in the bath. Scootaloo splashed around a little, but winced in pain because of her injuries. Scootaloo's front left hoof looked alarmingly out of place and her wings looked in an terrible state.

After a few minutes of being in the tub, the water was filthy. Apple Jack lifted Scootaloo out of the tub and wrapped her in a big fluffy towel. She drained the water and filled the tub again. She lifted Scootaloo back into the bath that was now full of clean water and bubbles.

She used a flannel and gently scrubbed Scootaloo's fir and mane, being especially careful of Scootaloo's hoof.

Scootaloo didn't look at Apple Jack, she was embarrassed but Apple Jack didn't mind, she had a baby sister after all. When she went to scrub The little filly's wings though Scootaloo backed away. Staring at Apple jack with wide eyes.

“..Please...” she whimpered. “....can a pegasis do that..”

She whispered.

Apple Jack chuckled and stepped back, letting Scootaloo she wouldn't do anything.

“Sure thing sugar cube. Fluttershy will be here any time soon.”

Scootaloo splashed in the water, playing with Applebloom's bath toys and then poured different smelling bubble baths into the tub. Apple Jack chatted to Scootaloo, who happily chatted back. You would think she was just a normal filly.

Soon Applebloom arrived back, with Fluttershy. Fluttershy rushed in and jumped into the tub, hugging Scootaloo and splashing water and bubbles all over the room.

“Fluttershy?!...” Scootaloo giggled at the pony's antics .

“Oh... Scootaloo.” Fluttershy stuttered, “I'm just so happy to see you....I um...”

Fluttershy took a look at the filly: she was skin and bones and had multiple injuries, Fluttershy began to tear up just looking at her.

Applebloom and Apple Jack walked out of the bathroom. Before they left Apple Jack whispered some things to Fluttershy, who nodded and smiled at Scootaloo, A motherly smile that Fluttershy had, that made Scootaloo calm and at ease.

“Maybe this is why the animals all like her?”

Scootaloo wondered as Fluttershy gently put her hoof to Scootaloo's wing.

“...This may hurt a little...” Fluttershy told Scootaloo.

And then she began to preen Scootaloo's tattered feathers. Scootaloo winced in pain but once flutershy was done, she grinned. She flapped her little orange wings with pride and beamed up at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy had bandages and medical supplies in her saddlebag. Scootaloo was clean now and Fluttershy set her hoof in a cast and rapped bandages around the little filly where they were needed. When she was done, she wrapped Scootaloo back in the big fluffy towel and went to get Apple Jack and Applebloom.

“Well i'll be!”

Exclaimed Apple Jack when she saw the orange filly.

“You look mighty fine Scootaloo!”

Whispered Applebloom.

Scootaloo looked in the mirror and smiled at her own reflection. It had been a long day. Helping Scootaloo get cleaned up and having her injuries attended to had taken longer than they thought. It was 4pm.

Apple Jack made some carrot soup, Applebloom and Scootaloo happily ate it and Fluttershy joined them. It was a delicious meal.

After they had eaten, Fluttershy smiled and waved goodbye and headed back home to tend to her animal friends.

Granny Smith presented Scootaloo with a new blanket of red wool patterned with an apple pie and stitched versions of herself and the Apple family. Scootaloo nearly cried with happiness.

Big Mac complimented Scootaloo on her mane and signed her leg cast, which had Applebloom's drawings all over it as well as a small signature from Fluttershy, of three butterfly's.

“Tomorrow! I'm goin' to ask every pony to sign it!”

She happily told them, and by 7pm, every pony in the house had fallen asleep.