Scootaloo woke with a start, cold sweat drenching her body. 'J-just a dream...that's all it was...Just...a dream.' she thought to herself as she tried to stop shivering. The mare wiped away the sweat and just sat there in the bed, trying to calm herself down. She gazed out the window and saw a small sliver of Luna's moon, but whether it was rising or falling, Scootaloo had no way of knowing. "I need to get up." Scoots mumbled as she rolled off the bed. She was a little shaky on her hooves at first, but she managed to keep her balance and quietly head downstairs.

The first thing the orange pony saw was Fluttershy asleep on her couch. Scootaloo couldn't help but smile at the peaceful pegasus that was still sleeping. Once she was on the ground floor, Scoots turned and stopped at the back door, a light shiver rushing over her body. “You can do this...” Scootaloo took a deep breath and willed herself forward. She was surprised that it had worked as easily as it did as she walked out the back door as quietly as she could. She made it about six steps outside before a quiet bark made her stop.

The orange pegasus turned and saw Star sitting there, her tail wagging slowly. "Well c'mon then." Another bark and the fox quickly stepped in line with Scootaloo. The pair walked in silence for about a half hour before a voice called out to them.

"Pleasant night, isn't it?" Scootaloo turned and saw the Princess of the Night walking up to her.

“Yea. Just as lovely as always Prin-I mean, Luna.” The alicorn chuckled and once she had caught up, she matched pace with Scoots and Star.

“May I ask who your little friend is?” Luna asked, watching the fox scamper about.

“That's Star. I saved her from a pack of Timberwolves when she was little and she's been stuck to me ever since. She stays out here with Fluttershy though because I can't afford to keep her at my house.”

“I see. She is quite adorable. May I ask why she is named Star?” Scootaloo smiled as the memory came rushing back to her.

“Well, I spent all day thinking up a name for her and finally, when evening rolled around, I looked up and saw the first star of the night, so that's what I named her.” Scoots couldn't see it, but Luna was smiling and resisting the small tear that wanted to roll forth from her eye.

'Named after a star that I brought out...' The ponies walked and talked while the fox just bounded around in the grass surrounding the path they walked. Eventually, Scootaloo could no longer suppress the yawns that kept trying to fight their way out of her mouth. “We should get you back so that you may rest.” The younger pony nodded and followed the lunar pony back to Fluttershy's cottage. However, just before Scoots could walk in and bid farewell to the princess, she was stopped. “I didn't want to say anything or ask...but what happened to your wings?”

Scootaloo looked at the ground, but whether it was in shame or anger, Luna couldn't tell. “Training accident.” The dark royal pony simply continued to look at Scootaloo. “I...I fell and my wings were over-worked and strained so I couldn't use them...”

“Surely Rainbow Dash would've saved you, correct? I mean, she wouldn't just-”

“I don't really know...Fluttershy ended up saving me...I guess Dash thought that I had just gave up or something...I don't really know all the details after I passed out.” Scootaloo looked back up and saw anger cross Luna's face.

“That...that...ugh! I'll make sure she never sleeps another peaceful night as long as-”

“Luna please...while I appreciate the concern, You don't need to do that. I'm sure Fluttershy took care of it. Besides, I don't mean to offend or anything, but why does this bother you so much?” Luna sighed, fluffing her wings in agitation as she explained herself.

“You are a special pony, Scootaloo. You are one of the few who truly appreciate my night and as such, I feel...compelled to keep you safe and protect you all. Plus, I like to spend time with you. You are...fun to talk to.” Scootaloo couldn't help the small blush rush to her face.

“And I'm thankful for everything you've done. But it's okay. Rainbow Dash surely realizes what she's done and I'm sure she regrets everything about it.”

“Well...As you wish dear Scootaloo. However, I want to be very clear about something." The alicorn stopped, causing the orange mare to come to a halt as well. "If she ever tries anything as foalish as what she did to you again...I will curse her to be plagued for the rest of her life with nightmares spawned from the darkest corner of her mind and I will make her think twice about even closing her eyes to sleep. She will pay, of that I assure you..” Scootaloo nodded, slightly afraid at the conviction behind the regal pony's words. Scoots wanted to say something, but found that fear had a grip on her voice. So, she just walked silently until they could see Fluttershy's home. “Well, here we are. Have a pleasant rest Scootaloo.” With that, Luna turned and flew off.

“Wow...she's scary.” The young mare said as she waved. Star gave a small bark in acknowledgment before heading inside to rest with Scootaloo following behind her.

~~~~

As Scootaloo woke up, she felt rather lethargic, more so than she wanted to. “Feel...so...sluggish...ugh...” With what seemed like a colossal amount of effort, Scoots managed to roll out of bed and onto the floor. However, the young pony found it was difficult just to lift her hooves to move. “Why am I feeling so heavy?”

She asked herself this as she trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen where a busy Fluttershy was feeding various animals whilst making breakfast. “Good morning, Scootaloo.” The yellow pegasus said without turning to watch the younger pony slowly enter the room, plop down on a chair, and rest her head on the table.

“I feel like my head is gonna just break through the table it's so heavy.” Scoots mumbled.

“Huh? Heavy?” Fluttershy finished pouring something into a skillet before turning her attention to her ward.

“Mhmm. I feel sluggish and just...bleh right now. Not sick but just...slow.” Fluttershy nodded.

“I'm guessing that it's just your reaction to your wings being cooped up in those bandages and recovering.” The older mare speculated. Scootaloo said nothing, instead opting to just be still.

“So...what's for breakfast?” The orange pegasus asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Just omelets and pancakes. Is that alright?”

“Of course. I don't think anypony could complain about your cooking. I mean, it's so amazing and delicious. Speaking of which, how did you learn how to cook like that?”

Fluttershy smiled and said, “My dad actually taught me. My mother was a terrible cook so we always relied on Daddy to cook something.” It was obvious that Fluttershy, while not meaning to, was flaunting her father.

Scoots couldn't help but chuckle and say, “Ahh, gotcha.” When the meal had finished cooking, Scootaloo managed to sit up and eat the food, noticing that she was slowly losing the lethargy that had been keeping her down. “I feel much better now. Thanks, Fluttershy.”

The yellow pony blushed at the praise and said, “It's no problem.” Scootaloo handed her plate over to Fluttershy's awaiting hoof and thanked the older pony once again before getting out of the chair. Fluttershy waved the apology away and continued with her schedule. Scoots, on the other hand headed into the living room and sprawled out on the rug from before.

“What to do...what to do...” The young mare mumbled to herself as she tried to figure out a way to express herself to Fluttershy. 'This almost seems...wrong. I mean...I'm moving on from Dash a little...quicker than normal. Don't ponies who have their dreams crushed like that usually a bit more depressed for a longer time period? I mean...Dash nearly let me die, ignored and waved away all my affection for her as well as any attempts to really bond with her...But still, it seems a little abnormal that I'm moving on so soon. Maybe I did it because I'm unable to truly feel love...Is it going to be like that if I get with Fluttershy and we end up breaking up? Will I just move right along after that or...'

Scoots sighed and just continued to think. Meanwhile, Fluttershy had finished her chores in the kitchen and was about to move outside to take care of some animals. She, of course, snuck a peek at the orange pegasus before doing so. 'I hope she's doing okay...' Fluttershy thought as she closed the door behind her. As the yellow pony fed her animals and tended to their needs, a thought kept popping up in Fluttershy's mind, despite the numerous times she had tried to push it away. 'Scootaloo isn't going to get with Rainbow after all...does that mean I can...No! It's much too soon for me to even consider asking Scootaloo how she feels, or confessing myself to her. I mean, she just had her life dream crushed for Celestia's sake! I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer.' Fluttershy told herself, but it still made her anxious.

'What happens if they happen to make up? What will happen then? Will Scootaloo move on with Dash and leave me behind? Oh...' The timid mare could feel sorrow begin to build up in her chest, so she tried to shake it away and lose herself within her tasks. However, Fluttershy's train of thought was interrupted by a soft series of pokes. “Huh? Oh, is there something you needed Scootaloo?” The younger pony opened her mouth to speak, but slowly closed it and instead directed her gaze at the ground where she had already begun to dig a small rut. “Scootaloo, are you-”

“Would you like to go on a picnic with me?”The orange pony blurted out suddenly without looking up.

“A picnic? I dunno...are you sure you're up for it? I don't want you to strain yourself too hard.”

Scootaloo shook her head and said, “I'll be fine, but thanks for the concern. Anyways, this'll be good exercise for me. Plus, I have school tomorrow, so I figured I'd do something that I'll enjoy and will be less tiring before my Spring Break ends, ya know?” Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

“Alright. Allow me to finish up and I'll get started on the food and then-”

“Oh...well, I already fixed up some stuff. All we gotta do is grab a blanket and we'll be good to go.” Fluttershy was surprised, but just smiled. “My, you must really want to go on this picnic.” Scoots said nothing, but instead bobbed her head up and down, ignoring the strands of her mane tickling her face and headed back inside to make last minute preparations.

~~~~

'Why am I in such a twist about all this? I mean...I did kinda deserve that, but still! That was a little harsh...' A cyan pegasus thought to herself as she rolled on a cloud from her stomach to her back. She tenderly touched her face where she had been hit and winced. The pain was still fresh and if she weren't so distracted or upset, she might've taken it more seriously, but at this point, she honestly just didn't care. 'Maybe I should've just told her that I knew. Then none of that would've happened and then... what? Would I be happy? Could I be content with being with Scoots like that?'

After Dash had stopped crying when Fluttershy took Scootaloo away, she was at first somewhat glad. She now had time for herself again so that she could properly analyze what had happened. However, as the days went by, Rainbow found herself constantly thinking about how she wanted Scoots in her life romantically. 'I don't get it though...I never thought of her that way until recently.

But the thought that she'll move on from me and find love with somepony else...' A thought flashed through Rainbow's head: what if Scootaloo got with Fluttershy? 'She would be really thankful that Flutters saved her...they might even get to know each other better and...' The thought put Dash on edge. 'She's moving from me to Shy? Wow...' Emotion bubbled up within the cyan pegasus and it irritated her that she couldn't figure out what it was.

She was about to scream in frustration when she heard voices below her. “Wow Fluttershy! This part of the forest is so beautiful! I mean, all of White Tail Woods is pretty, but I don't think I've seen this part of it before.”

“Not many ponies actually walk through these woods unless it's for the Running of the Leaves. So it was only by chance that I found this area.” Rainbow Dash looked over the lip of the cloud and saw the yellow and orange pegasi walking together with smiles on their faces. Fluttershy had a picnic basket placed on her back while Scoots had a blanket on hers.

'What're they up to?' Dash followed them from above the clouds, walking along the surface and occasionally peeking down to make sure she was still on the right track. Finally, the pair came to a halt in a small clearing that was out from under the clouds, so Dash settled in at the edge of the closest cloud. However, while she could still see them, the distance made it hard to truly see them. So with a huff, Dash turned and took off for home to see if she could find something to help her. Meanwhile, on the ground, the two pegasi were setting up the blanket.

“Thanks for letting me take the wraps off my wings. It feels SO good to get them out of those.”

“You're welcome, but you'll need to re-wrap them tomorrow morning since you're going to be going home.”

Scootaloo nodded and said, “Do I have to wear them all day?” Fluttershy thought it over as she smoothed out some of the wrinkles in the blanket.

“I wouldn't think so, but leave them on at least until after school. It should only be a week and a half before you can leave them off. I'll speak with Aloe and Lotus tomorrow to be sure.” The young pegasus simply grinned. When they were both comfortable on the blanket, Fluttershy took out the sandwiches that Scootaloo had prepared and set them down on a plate. There were five sandwiches, each cut in half diagonally, and all of them were peanut butter and jelly.

As they dug into their food, they made casual talk. It was around this time that Dash had returned with a pair of binoculars. She quickly looked through them and frowned as she watched the pair below her enjoying each other's company. 'That could be me and Scootaloo...' Rainbow thought bitterly. She continued to watch them for awhile, biting her lip when something particularly amusing was said, causing Fluttershy and Scootaloo to laugh aloud. Finally, when they had both reached for another slice to have a whole sandwich, their hooves touched and they both immediately blushed. 'No way...she...she really does like Fluttershy...So then, what was I to her?'

Dash lowered the binoculars and narrowed her eyes in thought, looking away from the pair. 'Is this...am I...jealous?' As the information ran through Dash's head, she failed to see what had happened next.

“Oh, I'm s-sorry Scootaloo. Go ahead.” Fluttershy apologized and pushed the plate towards Scootaloo.

“N-no, it's alright. Go for it.” The pair simply sat there, neither pony going for another sandwich slice.

'Okay Fluttershy...no more stalling. I have to seize this opportunity like Twilight and Roseluck said! I know I said I'd wait...but she's just too cute!'

'Now's my chance...Here we go.' Both pegasi spoke at the same time.

“Scootaloo-”

“Fluttershy-” They both looked at each other in silence again before Scootaloo spoke. “Fluttershy...I uh...I have something I want to tell you.” The addressed pegasus's heart nearly skipped a beat as she jump to conclusions.

'What's she going to tell me? Is she going to say that she just wants to be friends? Is she going to confess something to me? Oh...' Scootaloo took a few deep breaths before she spoke again.

“Well...we've known each other for a good while now and in that time, you've taken care of me, you've helped me...however, in all that time, I was oblivious to how you felt because I was so focused on one thing that I couldn't see how badly I was hurting you. So...I was hoping that I'd be able to make it up to you by ask if you uh...wanted to maybe...go out with me?” As she neared the end of her sentence, Scootaloo's voice progressively got quieter until it was an almost inaudible whisper.

Thankfully, Fluttershy could hear her just fine since she was used to hearing words that quiet. A large grin formed on Fluttershy's face and to Scootaloo, the older pegasus looked blissfully lost within the thralls of pain medication like Apple Bloom had a few years ago when she had broken her leg. “Fluttershy?”

“Yes Scootaloo...I will go out with you.” Despite the blush on both faces, the pegasi smiled warmly at each other and continued eating in a content silence. Dash looked back down and seen that the mood had changed between the two of them. She peered through her binoculars and saw them both smiling happily with a faint blush on their faces.

'I...I don't believe it...I was replaced by Fluttershy...' Jealousy surged through the prismatic pony and she wanted to kick and scream but most of all...she wanted to just stop. She suddenly felt lethargic, tired, and worn out. After a minute, Rainbow slowly flapped her wings and flew in the opposite direction, unhappiness etched into her face. Down below, the orange and yellow ponies couldn't stop smiling at each other, nor could they fight down the blush they both wore.

Scootaloo wanted to say something, but at the same time was content with the silence. When they had finished, the pair packed up the basket and blanket and headed back slowly, enjoying the environment and each other's company. As they arrived back at Fluttershy's cottage, Celestia's sun was approaching the west horizon. “Thank you Fluttershy and um...T-thanks for accepting my offer and-”

“No, it was my pleasure. If anything, I should thank you.” Scoots chuckled and stared at the horizon for a moment before speaking.

“Would you...mind walking me home?” The orange pony said without taking her eyes away from the sunset

The older pegasus smiled warmly and said, “I'd be delighted.” So, after replacing the picnic items, the pair headed for Scootaloo's home. The couple made idle talk as they walked, not really paying much attention until they actually arrived. “Well...guess I should head home now...Are you going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked, looking in concern at her new lover.

“Yea...but I wouldn't mind you staying the night with me...”

Fluttershy could see the hesitance and slight fear in Scootaloo's eyes, so she said, “Honey, if you want me to stay, just say so.”

Scootaloo looked down at the ground and mumbled, “You... don't mind?”

The elder pegasus pulled the younger into a hug and said, “Of course not.” Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief against Fluttershy's chest and hugged her back.

“Thank you...” Scootaloo said into Fluttershy's coat. The yellow pegasus answered not with words but just by rubbing Scootaloo's back, being careful when her hooves neared Scootaloo's wings. The two sat there in the living room and remained there until Scootaloo fell asleep against Fluttershy.

'I can't imagine a more perfect ending for this night...' The older mare thought as she took Scootaloo up to her bed. After tucking her in, Fluttershy stared down lovingly at the orange mare before her. “Sleep tight my dear.” With that, Fluttershy leaned down and tenderly kissed Scootaloo's forehead before heading downstairs to sleep on the couch.

~~~~

The next morning when Scootaloo woke up, she sat up and looked at the clock. It read six-thirty. 'I'm...home? So then, was it all just a dream?' In a fit of fear, the mare rolled off the bed and rushed downstairs. She came to a sudden stop at the sight of her marefriend passed out on the couch, lightly scratching her nose. Relief flooded Scootaloo's body at the sight. 'That's a relief...I thought for a moment...'

Scootaloo shook the thought from her mind and carefully stretched her wings, hissing softly as pain lanced through them. 'Unfortunately that means that the damage to my wings also happened.' With a light sigh, the orange pony moved into the kitchen to begin making herself breakfast. As Scoots finished her cereal, she felt the sensation of a kiss being planted on her head, making her blush lightly. “Good morning Scootaloo.”

“G-good morning.” Fluttershy rummaged through a few cabinets before turning to Scootaloo and asking where the cereal was. Scootaloo couldn't help but giggle at the confused and slightly frustrated look on Fluttershy's face when she asked. “One cabinet over.” Fluttershy opened the next cabinet over and sure enough, there was the cereal.

The yellow pegasus chuckled in embarrassment and said, “I was close.” Scoots got up to wash her bowl while Fluttershy poured the milk and began eating. “When did you wake up? Are your wings feeling alright?”

“I woke up at six-thirty, and they're kinda sore but fine otherwise.” Fluttershy nodded and said, “That's good, but we'll still need to wrap them.” Scoots nodded in response, then headed back upstairs to take a quick shower. When she was finished and dry, Scoots headed back downstairs to see Fluttershy waiting with medical tape. With a sigh, the orange mare laid down in front of Fluttershy and bit her lip as the yellow pony began to wrap her wings. After the short respite (along with hundreds of apologies on Fluttershy's part), Scootaloo bid her new love farewell with a blush and a quick peck on the cheek before taking off for school.

Fluttershy beamed in happiness as she lifted a hoof to where Scoots had kissed her. After she came down from the euphoria, Fluttershy headed back inside and was in the middle of washing her bowl when she noticed that Scootaloo had forgotten her lunch. “Oh my. I better go take this to her.” So the pegasus took the lunchbox in her mouth and headed for the school.

~~~~

When Scootaloo got to school, she found that she was a whole ten minutes early. “Wow...this feels weird.” She mumbled in amusement. So, she sat down and waited, letting her thoughts drift. At first, she was happy for the silence as it allowed her to sift through her thoughts undisturbed. However, her joy swiftly became unhappiness as reality began to slip into her thoughts. 'My wings are wrecked...I lost faith in Dash...I may have been emotionally scarred by the events and just....ugh....' A strange sort of pain took root in Scootaloo and it began to scare her.

“Well well well, lookie here.” Scootaloo didn't even need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to.

“Get lost Rumble. I'm not in the mood.” She heard him chuckle, making her mock gag.

“What happened Scootaloo? Did your chicken nature get to you and you flapped your little wings too hard? Or maybe they were ashamed to be attached to you and just quit working.” Laughter erupted from behind Scootaloo, so she turned and saw most of her class standing behind Rumble.

“I'm gonna say it one more time Rumble. I'm. Not. In. The. Mood.” Scoots said with a harsh voice.

“Aww, well that's too bad because I'm in the mood.”

The orange pegasus stood up and looked the grey pegasus straight in the eyes and said, “Listen, I've had a rough two weeks, so I don't wanna hear your crap right now. I'm pissed as it is and you aren't helping.” As she spoke, Scootaloo narrowed her eyes to drive the point home and it worked...on everypony except Rumble. Most ponies knew that to use such language meant that a pony was pretty serious.

However, Rumble just shook it off and said, “Cry me a river why don't'cha? This just confirms what I've been saying all these years: you're a failure as a pegasus and you'll never be able to fly. Heck, why not just get your wings removed? Or even better, why not clip'em like your loser mommy did?” Rumble laughed at his own little quip, but he failed to notice the sheer rage and hatred radiating off of Scootaloo. Everypony else saw it, however, and even backed up.

“Don't you DARE say that about my MOTHER!” Scootaloo leapt forward, all restraint lost and tackled Rumble to the ground and began to pummel him. His friends tried to help, but were quickly repelled by the vicious mare. Blood began to fly from Rumble's mouth and nose as Scootaloo kept up her relentless attack. The orange pony howled in rage as she continued to attack his face, not caring about the loud cracking sound that came when she hit his chin particularly hard.

Rumble tried to scream and cry aloud, but all that came out were bubbly gurgles and whimpers as blood continued to pour from his mouth. “Scootaloo...” A light tap on her shoulder told Scootaloo that more ponies wanted her to stop. So, she spun and with the momentum struck whomever tapped her. A cacophony of gasps made Scootaloo stop and turn back around to look at who she had hit. Her eyes widened and her tears were no longer of the angry variety.

“F-Fluttershy?” Scoots stepped off of Rumble, who was immediately scooped up and rushed towards the hospital.

“I...I didn't...” Fluttershy turned to look at the young pony and reached out for her, but in her panic, Scootaloo took a step back before running off. Ponies who watched her run by were shocked to see the bloody hoof-prints she left, but eventually those faded, as did the tears that fell from her eyes until there was nothing left but numbness. Finally, with her body exhausted, Scootaloo collapsed. She ignored the pain as she drew in large gulps of air before coughing them back out. 'What have I done...'

Author's Note

So after much delaying (resetting my computer stuff, redownloading my things on Steam, working, college stuffs, etc.) I have an update for you all. It's so nice to have a working computer again, you all have no idea (well...maybe you do, but anyways).

Editor's Note: Hey all, I'm Nightroad's new editor! Call me Legend, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I have! But yeah... I'm a bit of a ditz sometimes but it doesn't really affect my editing skills... Have fun!