~~Back in Ponyville, The Next Day~~

Scootaloo mumbled as light from the sun crept onto her face. “Five more minutes...” The orange pony mumbled, trying her best to escape the tyranny of the light.

“Scootaloo...you need to get up.” Scoots smiled when she felt the familiar feeling of lips upon her forehead and opened her eyes to see Fluttershy smiling down at her.

“What time is it?” The sleepy pegasus asked, rubbing her eyes and stretching her wings.

“It's seven o' clock. Come down when you're ready. I've got breakfast cooking.” With that, the yellow pegasus kissed Scootaloo once again and headed downstairs.

“I'm so lucky...” Scoots said as she slowly crawled out of bed with a grin on her lips. She quickly remade Fluttershy's bed and headed downstairs, licking her lips as the aroma of breakfast gently wafted into her nose. “Lemme guess....waffles with...raspberry syrup?” Scootaloo asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Close. Raspberry waffles with strawberry syrup.” Fluttershy replied with a chuckle. Scootaloo rolled her eyes playfully and took her seat and awaited her food. The couple made small talk as they waited and ate, laughing and having a good time.

When Scootaloo finished her second plate, she washed it and said, “Alright then. I'll stop by after I get off work alright?”

“Sounds good honey.” Scoots smiled and only blushed a little at the term of endearment as she walked into the living room to relieve the couch of her saddlebag. “Have a good day Scootaloo.” Fluttershy leaned down and planted her lips upon Scootaloo's. Every time they kissed, Scootaloo absolutely melted into Fluttershy's soft lips and it always left her wanting more.

“I will. Love ya.” The orange pony said as she opened the door.

“Love you too.” Scoots stepped out of the cottage and headed for school. When she arrived, she took her seat and went through the day as usual: listen to the lecture, go over homework, listen to Mr. Oak gripe about her staring out the window, hang out with her friends, then leave. Ever since she had gotten with Fluttershy, Scoots had just wanted to be with her all the time, no matter what. However, she still knew that while it'd be nice to be with Fluttershy all day every day, she still had responsibilities.

“Now remember, this paper is due first thing on Monday. Now have fun and enjoy your weekend.” The older stallion said, dismissing the ponies from class. Scootaloo smiled and grabbed her saddlebag from the floor and walked out with her friends.

“So what're ya'll doin' today?” Apple Bloom asked, her mouth full as she tried to stuff something into her saddlebag.

“I've gotta help Rarity with some dresses today...” Sweetie said, dread lacing her voice.

“And I've got work.”

Apple Bloom sighed and said, “Well shoot. I was gonna see if we could all hang out and have y'all help get me outta doin' chores.” The three mares laughed and Sweetie and Scoots jokingly berated Apple Bloom for wanting to get out of doing work. When they came to their usual intersection, they all split and took the paths that lead to their destinations. However, Scootaloo quickly became annoyed as she walked the path to the flower shop.

It seemed like every other pony would stop her and ask how she was or if she was hurt. While it annoyed her to have to answer the same questions over and over, it also confused the young pegasus. It wasn't until she actually got to the flower shop that it made sense. “Scoots!” The addressed pony looked open and was surprised to see Roseluck in mid-air, diving for her.

“Roseluck!?” Scootaloo jumped out of the way, allowing Rose to land where she had been seconds before.

“Why didn't you tell us what that jerk Rainbow did to you?” Quicker than Scootaloo could move, Roseluck had pulled her into a rib-crushing hug, rocking her back and forth and shouting this and that.

“R-Roseluck...I need...air...” A blue aura enveloped them both and pulled them apart.

“Sorry about her. She's been a little...hysterical since she found out what had really happened.” Scoots looked past Rose and saw Colgate walking towards them. The blue unicorn pulled Scootaloo into a soft embrace and asked, “How are you?”

“I'm doing pretty good all things considered.”

Colgate finally released Roseluck from her magical grasp and the cream coloured pony quickly said, “Oh Scoots, why didn't you tell us that she was so awful to you? I mean, when I found out, I flipped out on her! I would've really showed her a piece of my mind but Colgate here wouldn't let me...” Roseluck grumbled.

“Honey, go sit in your office for a moment. I want to talk with Scootaloo alone.” Colgate said softly. Roseluck was about to object, but Colgate cut her off. “I'll tell you later.” With a defeated sigh, the florist nodded and headed for her office, shutting the door behind her.

“Why's she acting so upset? I mean, I understand that we're friends and she's concerned but this is a little ridiculous. I've put the whole thing past me anyways and-”

“It's because Rosey sees you kind of like a daughter, you know? She just wants to keep you safe, and she cares for you quite a bit. She has watched you grow since you were still just a filly. When she found out, she was absolutely devastated. The flower shop was actually closed for a day and a half because she was so upset at the thought of you dying.” Scootaloo was silent as she processed what she was being told. “She was also a little upset that you didn't tell her straight away, but thankfully, I was able to calm her down. I figured you had your own reasons for keeping quiet, right?”

Scootaloo nodded, hesitating a moment before speaking. “Is that why everypony has been stopping me and asking if I'm alright?” Colgate nodded.

“I'm afraid the news of what happened to you has spread all over town.”

Scootaloo groaned and asked, “How? The only ponies who knew about it were me, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash...”

“I'm not sure how it started, but we heard it from Pokey Pierce. Other than that...”

Scoots sighed and said, “I'll go talk with Fluttershy about it.”

The pair stood in silence for a moment before Colgate asked, “Are you really okay with everything? This whole thing can't have been easy for you...”

The orange pegasus looked down at the ground and said, “I'd be lying if I said everything was okay....but I know that with Fluttershy by my side, everything is better than what it could be.” Colgate smiled and pulled the younger pony into a light hug.

“I'm glad to hear it, and I'm glad you two are together. I hope you bring happiness to each other for as long as you can.” Scoots smiled and thanked the dentist. “Now, I'm sure Roseluck wants to play a game of twenty questions with you. C'mon.” Scoots rolled her eyes with a smile and followed Colgate into Roseluck's office.

~~~~

When Fluttershy made it to Golden Oaks Library, she was more than a little upset. 'I should've known Rarity would say something....' The yellow mare sighed inside and knocked on the door.

“Hey Fluttershy. What's up?” Spike asked as he opened the door.

“Nothing much. I was wondering if Twilight was here?”

“Sorry, but she's in Canterlot right now visiting her friend Octavia.” Fluttershy nodded, a smile on her lips forming as she quickly formed the connection.

“I see. Well, when you see her, can you tell her I'd like to talk to her?”

“Of course!” The young dragon said happily.

“Thanks Spike. See ya later.” He waved the pegasus off and went back inside, mumbling happily about a gem cake. While her mood had been elevated slightly, it didn't last long as the next few ponies she walked by came up to her, asking about Scootaloo. 'That's it. I need to go talk to Rarity.' Fluttershy said with a frown. She excused herself from the mares babbling at her and headed straight for Carousel Boutique. She knocked on the door louder than she normally would have and waited.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is- oh hello darling! Please come in!” Rarity said, not even noticing the scowl on Fluttershy's face.

“Rarity, we need to talk.”

“Of course darling. What do you-” Rarity stopped mid-sentence when she turned to look at the pegasus. “W-what's wrong dear?”

“You know exactly what's wrong Rarity. How could you do such a thing after I specifically told you NOT to tell anypony?” Rarity looked around, searching for someway to justify her actions (other than just being a gossiper).

“Well...I couldn't just let Rainbow get away with something like that, so this was my way of helping you and little Scootaloo get back at her.”

“We don't WANT to get back at her Rarity! We know that she regrets what she's done and had planned to just leave her be for now. Now the whole town probably hates her! Do you realize what you've done?” Rarity was silent, guilt eating away at her soul. “You've not just turned the town against Rainbow Dash...but you've also lost my trust...” Rarity gasped aloud, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“P-please Fluttershy...don't say that. I was only trying to-”

“I know...but you still betrayed my trust...” With that, Fluttershy turned and walked out, leaving Rarity to collapse on the floor sobbing. While Fluttershy felt horrible on the inside for doing that to Rarity, she knew she had to speak her mind. She could hear Rarity crying her eyes out behind the door and it took all of Fluttershy's willpower not to turn around and apologize. 'Apologies can wait until later...she needs to learn that she can't go around spreading things like this...I just wish the lesson didn't have to be taught like this...' Fluttershy sniffled, wiping away a single tear and moved on, her movements easily reflecting her mood.

~~~~

“Whoa there Sugarcube...what's got you down in the dumps?” Fluttershy looked up and saw Applejack looking at her with concern. Fluttershy saw behind the earth pony that Celestia's sun was setting.

“How long have I been walking...” Fluttershy asked, fatigue finally catching up to her, making her sit down on the ground.

“Ah don't rightly know, but you look plum tuckered out. What happened to ya?” Fluttershy quickly told the farmer what had happened between her and Rarity, making Applejack frown. “Darn it Rarity...” Applejack sighed while Fluttershy looked down at the ground silently. “Well...ah can tell ya that Rainbow's doin'...somewhat alright. She's out with me on the farm.”

Fluttershy nodded and after a moment's hesitation asked, “Are you...okay?” Applejack just nodded, her emerald eyes staring off into the opposite horizon, the sun behind her slowly disappearing.

“Ah think so. Ah've wanted to get back together with her but....ah dunno....just never knew how to say it.” The pegasus nodded, knowing that even the Element of Honesty got a little tied up inside when it came to speaking her honest, personal feelings. “However...it feels like ah'm takin' advantage of'er...” Fluttershy nodded again, but spoke this time.

“We both know you're not that kind of pony. You just want her to feel safe and secure in this... hostile environment. There's nothing wrong with that Applejack.”

The orange mare smiled and said, “Thanks Sugarcube. Now if ya don't mind, ah gotta be headin' back. Dash is waitin' on me.” Fluttershy gasped aloud.

“Waiting? Oh no! Scootaloo!” Fluttershy turned suddenly and took off, running back down the path as quickly as she could so she could get on the path that would take her home. When she arrived, she burst through the door, earning a slight scream of surprise. On the couch, Scootaloo was sitting slightly slouched, her face clearly showing that she had just woke up (that and the small sliver of drool hanging from her lip).

“Fluttershy?” Scoots asked groggily, wiping away the saliva before it could drip on her.

“I'm SO sorry Scootaloo....I went for a walk to clear my head and I guess I got kinda lost in my thoughts...”

“'Salright. I was able to get all my homework down...I think?” While the half awake mare sifted through the papers scattered out in front of her, Fluttershy closed the door behind her and walked over to Scootaloo and pulled her into a hug. “Much better than homework...” The orange pegasus mumbled against Fluttershy, hugging her back with a content smile.

“C'mon, I'll make it up to you by making you dinner.” At the mention of food, Scootaloo's stomach growled rather loudly, making them both laugh. As they waited for the pasta to boil, they spoke about their day, with Scootaloo complaining about the town's sudden care for her.

“I was hoping you could shed a little light on that.” Scoots said. Fluttershy nodded and after a few moments explained what had happened between her and Rarity after explaining their trip to the spa. “I see....so it was Rarity's fault?”

“Please don't be angry at her...I already yelled at her for it...” Scootaloo could practically feel the pain that radiated off of Fluttershy as she got lost in memory. Scoots reached a hoof over and placed it on top of Fluttershy's. The simple act was enough to bring Fluttershy back from her thoughts and smile. “Thank you Scootaloo.”

“No problem.” The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Fluttershy got up to check the pasta. “You know...I've been thinking...”

“Mhmm...” Fluttershy mumbled as she added various ingredients to the pasta.

“I think we should go find Rainbow...and talk to her about what happened. It felt pretty good for me to talk to you about it...maybe she'd like to talk to us about it?”

“Maybe...but not now. She's over at Sweet Apple Acres right now with Applejack trying to figure out for herself what she needs or wants. All I know is that only Applejack is going to be able to help her and if we come in too early...it might end badly.” The orange pegasus nodded in understanding.

“Alright then...but we will need to talk to her eventually.”

“I know hun...I know.” The two sat in an odd silence for a moment, the only sound being that of the food as it was being cooked. Thankfully, Scootaloo began to talk again, telling of her day at school. Fluttershy listened intently, but her mind was elsewhere. 'When WOULD the best time to visit Rainbow be? If it's too soon, it may not fix anything...but if we wait too long, she won't wanna talk about it...' As the yellow pegasus thought, she continued to stir the contents of the pot before her and managed to serve it without much incident. Eventually, Fluttershy pushed her thoughts away and focused on the love of her life.

“I think tomorrow I'll go back home...I feel like a burden, and plus...I don't want to have bought it for nothing.” Fluttershy chuckled, taking a small sip of the pasta's broth.

“It's fine. I'll just come visit you every day. Since hardly any animals visit anymore, I think I have a little free reign over what I do.” Scoots beamed and got up to wash her plate. However, as she walked past Fluttershy, the yellow mare shot her hoof out and pulled the younger pony close to her, grabbing the plate and setting next to her and saying, “Have I told you how much I love you Scootaloo?”

“Yea...but I could stand to hear it again.” The younger mare said, blowing a few strands of her hair out of her face.

“I love you more than Celestia's sun loves the earth it helps nourish. I love you more than fish love the water they live in. I love you more than an astronomer loves her telescope. I love you more than anything in the world Scootaloo. And don't you let anypony tell you otherwise.”

“Is this the part where I think up a bunch of romantic analogies to compare my love for you too or can I just skip to the part where I show you by giving you a kiss?” Scoots asked with a sly smile.

Fluttershy giggled and said, “You decide.” With that, Scootaloo leaned forward and pressed her lips to Fluttershy's. The yellow pegasus couldn't help but smile against the lips that were on hers, reminding her that she was actually with the pony she loved and that it wasn't just a dream. After a minute or so, Scootaloo pulled away, her blush dark and her smile wide.

“I love you Fluttershy.” The addressed pegasus wore a smile just as wide as her younger counterparts.

“I love you too Scootaloo.” Fluttershy let go of Scootaloo and returned to her own food whilst the orange pony washed her plate. It wasn't long before Fluttershy had finished her own food and began to wash her plate, plus what she had used to cook. Of course, Scootaloo insisted on helping and it wasn't long before a bubble fight occurred. Fluttershy reveled in the fact that she could share in a moment like this and enjoy every minute of it instead of looking around fearfully, hoping she hadn't offended somepony or making sure she wasn't being loud enough to bother anypony.

After dodging a soapy blob, Fluttershy smirked and gathered some of the bubbly substance on her hoof and tackled Scootaloo to the floor. “I hope you are prepared to feel my wrath.” Flutters said with a slightly menacing tone. It took all of Scootaloo's willpower not to laugh.

“Oh no! Please, not that!”

“Taste defeat and perish!” Then, Fluttershy slowly lowered her soapy hoof onto Scoots nose and said happily, “Boop!” Scootaloo was speechless, the action catching her completely off guard. She knew that whatever Fluttershy had planned to do would be silly or romantic, but still, this had caught her by surprise. Scoots was brought back to reality when she realized that Fluttershy was no longer on top of her but rather on the floor, laughing. “Y-you should've seen the look on your face!”

Scootaloo rushed over to the window to gaze at her reflection and was soon on the ground, laughing with her lover. Finally, the two cleaned up the bubbly mess and finished the dishes before heading upstairs to Fluttershy's room. The couple climbed into the bed together and gave each other a tender kiss before closing their eyes and falling asleep in one another's embrace.

~~~~

The next morning when Scootaloo woke up, she was surprised to see that she was up before Fluttershy. 'Huh...Am I still dreaming? No WAY am I up before Shy.' Carefully removing herself from Fluttershy's grip and crawling off the bed, Scoots quietly made her way downstairs. 'Hmm...I should do something nice for her before I leave...' Scootaloo looked up at the clock and saw she had at least an hour before she had to leave for school. After pacing back and forth for a moment, the proverbial light bulb clicked on in Scootaloo's mind and she headed into the kitchen.

~~~~

“Fluttershy...” The yellow pegasus mumbled a little, but did nothing else. “Fluttershy...” A light poke was felt on Fluttershy's side and she tried to swipe at it, but it persisted, no matter how many times she pushed it away. Finally, Fluttershy opened her eyes and smiled. Scootaloo was standing beside her with a plate of breakfast on a small fold-out table next to the bed. “Good morning.”

“Good morning sweetheart.” Fluttershy leaned forward and Scoots met her halfway, the two sharing a soft kiss.

“I made you breakfast.” Scootaloo said, gesturing towards the food beside her.

“And it looks wonderful. Thank you Scootaloo.” Flutters sat up and turned, allowing her hind legs to hang off the side of the bed while she ate.

“Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you later today, alright?” Fluttershy nodded, not wanting to talk with her mouth full. “Love ya.”

“Love you too.” The yellow pegasus mumbled through the small pieces of food in her mouth. Scootaloo snickered and gave Fluttershy a hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading out.

~~After School~~

“What do ya mean you gotta work today?” Apple Bloom asked while Sweetie Belle stared with large, unhappy eyes.

“I mean I gotta work today. I missed two whole weeks while I was training so I gotta make up for it. Sorry girls, but I can't make it tonight.” The earth pony and unicorn lightly kicked the dirt by their hooves as they thought of not having the third Crusader at the slumber party. “I'll make it up to you both. On Sunday, we'll go to Canterlot and have ice cream. My treat.” The prospect of ice cream was enough to cheer up Scootaloo's friends.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Me too!” The young Apple said happily.

“Anyways, I'll see you girls later.” Scoots said, bidding the other two Crusaders farewell and heading for the flower shop. She made only one stop and that was at her house to leave a small note for Fluttershy. When she got to the flower shop, she was quickly put to work by Daisy. “Where's Roseluck?” The pegasus asked as she followed the older pony into the back.

“She's got family business up in Trottingham so she'll be gone for a few days or so.”

“And she left you in charge?” Scoots asked, a smile on her lips.

“Hey now, I'm a great store manager!” Daisy said, a pout on her lips. Scootaloo just chuckled and said,

“Uh huh. SURE you are. Just like how you managed the store that one day all by yourself.”

“Hey! There were a lot of ponies that day...” The two ponies laughed for a moment, going about their work. “But in all seriousness, she actually left her marefriend in charge. Have you met her?”

“Who Colgate? Yea. She's really nice and a pretty good cook.”

“Just pretty good? Your words sting Scootaloo.” Both pegasus and earth pony looked over and saw the blue unicorn standing there, her smile sparkling in the sun.

“G-good afternoon Ms. Palmolive!” Colgate's smile fell and she genuinely looked upset. “

Miss? But I'm barely older than you are!” Daisy's jaw dropped and she quickly tripped over herself trying to word an apology. However, the pink pony went silent when Colgate began to snicker.

“Wow... Rosey was right...you really are easy to mess with.” Scootaloo burst into laughter with Colgate following quickly after.

Daisy frowned and with a turn said, “Harrumph!” and walked deeper into the greenhouse.

“How ya doin' Scoots?”

“Pretty good. How about you?”

Colgate shrugged and said, “Not bad. Wish I could be there for my Rosey, but since she asked me to stay and look after the place, I'm here.”

“What's going on with her family? If you don't mind my asking that is.”

“Oh her brother Floral Print finally told their parents that he was with another stallion and they aren't taking it well. They threw the same kind of fit when she told them we were together.”

“Oh.” Was all Scoots could say.

“Don't worry though, while they may only tolerate me, they still love Roseluck. I just hope the same goes for her brother. He's such a nice guy.” Scoots nodded and proceeded to show Colgate around the greenhouse (even though Colgate had seen the greenhouse during a more...intimate encounter with her lover). After the “tour”, Scootaloo got to work while Colgate went to go tease Daisy some more.

~~~~

When Fluttershy had finished her chores around home, she headed for Ponyville. She knew it would be awhile before she could see Scootaloo (considering that it was only ten o'clock) but figured she might as well walk around and get some exercise and check on some of the little critters around town. However, by the time eleven rolled around, Fluttershy sat on a bench and her only thought was, 'I'm bored...'

The yellow pegasus had never really known the meaning of what bored was until fewer and fewer animals came to her cottage and like everypony else...loathed it immensely. The pegasus sighed and looked up into the sky, wondering what she could do to help pass the time. It wasn't until she saw a small cloud floating in the distance, seemingly right beside Canterlot that made her gasp. “I could go to Cloudsdale!”

With a quick flap of her wings, Fluttershy was off the ground and headed for the city in the sky.

Author's Note

So....Team Fortress is really....REALLY addictive x_x

Anyways, TF2 not withstanding, sorry it's taken so long for this chapter to get put up. I shouldn't have put it before you ladies and you gentlemens.

Oh, and just in case it pops in the comments later....No. No, Colgate isn't cheating on Rosey whilst she's away. I like Roseluck too much to have her go through that ;~;

Anyways...I think that's-oh! Title! You may all think it's a little confusing, so lemme help. It's currently Friday by the end of this chapter and that's my way of keeping track. You have no idea how many times I've had to scroll back through and figure out the current day in-story. XD Besides, it was a pretty casual Friday, no?

Editor's Note: Well, I don't really have all that much to say... So I suppose I'll do the cool thing and say that I have been enlightening Night in the way of the PC gaming Master Race... please direct any and all animosity for the lateness of the chapter toward your spiffy editor!