A Blooming of the Petals

by Ponyzilla

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, Slice of Life
Length: 6089

Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara are two hot-blooded ponies who often quarrel. In other words, they couldn't have been less right for one another. So then, why does every pony seem to think that they are in love with each other?!

Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara are two hot-blooded ponies who often quarrel. In other words, they couldn't have been less right for one another. So then, why does every pony seem to think that they are in love with each other?! At first, they both detest the idea of being gossiped about as a couple, but after they finally stop fighting long enough to try to get to know each other, new feelings begin to bloom within the two of them.

Published 2013-01-25 22:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-25 22:10:01 UTC

Their Everyday Lives (Scootaloo)

A Blooming of the Petals: Chapter One - Their Everyday Lives (Scootaloo)

Ah, man, even up to this day, I still can't believe my special talent is 'scootering', as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle call it. Well, I guess if you really think about it, it really wasn't much of a surprise; I was just oblivious to it all, getting my head all caught up in doing extreme activities with my best friends. I suppose we were all trying to have fun back then, so we never focused on what we were actually good at.

Well, that's all in the past now. I'm glad that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I are all still best friends. We made it all the way to high school. Ponyville All-Mares Academy. It had only opened up recently-- only a year ago, really. The three of us thought we wouldn't make it, due to the limited space that was available, but much to our surprise, we all got in... however, what surprised us even more was that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were also accepted as well.

Speaking of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they no longer ridiculed us about not having our cutie marks-- well, I guess that's obvious, but even up to this day, they still continue to go out of their way to mock us in any way possible. In fact, there was even a point in time where I regretted applying to this school just because of them, but I eventually thought it through. Ponyville All-Mares Academy had hired the best teachers all the way from Canterlot. I sure wasn't going to let some childhood bullies stop me from getting a great education.

It was after school hours. Celestia's bright orange sun was getting ready to set so the moon could shine. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I were trotting down the hallways, minding our own businesses. Unfortunately, after we obtained our cutie marks, we stopped going on extreme adventures together. Now all that we did was talk about... well, whatever we could think of.

"And then, Rarity got mad at me with the thing and the thing!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Sweetie Belle; she was the smallest of us three, despite being the oldest, which was surprising. She disapproved of any arguing, though no one knew why. Sweetie Belle was an amazing singer, and of course, that was her special talent. She bared a microphone as a cutie mark. Strangely enough, after she got her cutie mark, she hasn't sung very much.

"Oh, ah know what ya mean! Applejack hates it when ah try ta redecorate her room!" Apple Bloom responded. There was no doubt that Apple Bloom was a great leader... though I often like to think that I'm the leader of our group. Apple Bloom is a lot like me; headstrong, determined and outgoing. We used to quarrel a lot about trivial things, much to Sweetie Belle's dismay, but I think we're both more mature now. "Some sisters..." Apple Bloom mumbled as she rolled her eyes. Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. When their conversation ended, they both whipped their heads towards me. I glanced at both of them. Surely, they weren't going to ask me to come up with a conversation starter... right?

"So, Scoots," said Apple Bloom. She had a somewhat cunning smile on her face. The three of us stopped in the middle of the hallway. Apple Bloom proceeded to put an arm on my back and casually leaned against me. Oh no, here it comes. "Y'got anythin' ya wanna share with us?"

"Nope," I replied rather swiftly, which most likely set off alarm bells in Apple Bloom's head. She probably saw this as an opportunity to pry for more information. Honestly though, I didn't have anything on my mind. However, before she could say anything, Sweetie Belle jumped up and let out her signature squeak. Apple Bloom and I turned our attentions towards her. Suddenly, my eyes widened.

"You two!" I growled at two certain mares that were cackling away at their silly little prank. Of course it had to be Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. I really didn't get why they were so insistent about picking on us specifically-- or why they picked on ponies in the first place.

"Ooh, what are you planning to do, Scootaloser? Run around with your crazy and worthless contraption that you call a 'scooter'?" Diamond Tiara teased relentlessly. Oh, she did not... I clenched my hoof into a fist and gritted my teeth. Great. First, they make fun of us for not having cutie marks, and now they're shooting indirect insults at our special talents. It's almost as if these two were the embodiments of pessimism.

"Why can't ya just leave us alone?" Apple Bloom asked with a groan. The two bullies exchanged glaces before they began to snicker obnoxiously.

"You gals are just soooo easy to pick on," Silver Spoon replied in that annoyingly high pitched voice of hers. I could feel my eyes twitching.

"We're not easy to pick on! You're just getting out of your way to make fun of us!" I fought back.

"You think you can scare us by simply raising your volume? Ha! Keep in mind that this is an all-mares academy. We don't accept unrefined fillies, you know," Diamond Tiara replied smugly. Thanks for the golden opportunity, DT.

"Exactly, so why did they let you two in?" I responded while sticking my tongue out at them. Real mature, right? They both scowled at me.

"If you must know, we got in because our grades were spectacular, we're actually ladylike, and unlike you, we didn't cheat the system," said Silver Spoon, who seemed like she was beginning to struggle with thinking of clever comebacks to throw at us.

"Girls, can't we stop fighting for just a minute? Even a second?!" Sweetie Belle cried. Oh man, I felt bad. Really, Sweetie Belle's dislike-- or rather, hatred for fighting affects her a lot, especially since I'm the type of pony who gets involved in fights on a daily basis. I heaved a sigh.

"Whatever, let's just go," I suggested to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They gave me an astonished look, but now wasn't the time to analyze that. I walked past Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were grinning like idiots-- most likely because they thought they won the fight. Ah, well, I guess it couldn't hurt that much for them to get the taste of victory in their mouths. I mean, as if it weren't evident enough, I only left in order to soothe Sweetie Belle. After we got far away enough from the two bullies, I heard Apple Bloom let out a snort.

"Always gotta play the hero role, don't ya, Scoots?" she asked playfully.

"Geez, why do you have to go there? I just didn't want to see one of my best friends depressed," I responded... before bursting out into a fit of giggles.

"Thanks, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said as she smiled at me. I grinned back at her.

"But man, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon-- they really won't leave us alone, huh?" I said whilst heaving out a sigh. Apple Bloom groaned.

"Yeah, ah know right?! Ah say we compile a list of things to say to them next time they come 'round!" she suggested. Sweetie Belle was quick to shake her head in objection to the idea.

"Sorry, Apple Bloom, I'm with Sweetie Belle on this one," I chuckled. "I mean, it wouldn't really make us any better than them, you know." Apple Bloom looked like she was deep in thought. It took her a few minutes before she returned to reality.

"... Ah guess yer right, but ah really don't wanna hear them throwin' petty little insults at us again..." she mumbled. I shrugged. Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind.

"Hey, we should come up with some ideas to fix our problem!" I suggested. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances before passing me an unsure look.

"I dunno, Scootaloo..." Sweetie Belle started.

"Applejack's really busy..." said Apple Bloom.

"Yeah, Rarity's pretty busy too..."

"Ah reckon ah better go and help mah sister out today."

"And Rarity doesn't want me out too late," Sweetie Belle finished sheepishly. She was acting fidgety, along with Apple Bloom. I arched an eyebrow suspiciously, but just brushed their strange behavior off. There was really no reason for them to be lying.

"Oh, alright," I responded solemnly. I tried my best to hide my disappointment. I didn't want to be possessive or needy, so I let them go. Even though we had most of our classes together, we've really began to spend less and less time together, and to be honest, that saddened me. Nonetheless, I convinced myself that I can't simply take things for granted. Not since... No, never mind. I can't remind myself of that.

After Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said their goodbyes and took off, I was left at the school alone. I didn't feel like leaving just yet. I never felt like going home-- actually, I can barely call it a 'home'. There was never anybody there. My dad left my mom, my younger brother and I all alone only a few years ago. He took off without a word, which surprised us all. That left my mother in a bout of depression. Just recently, she began going out every single day, and wouldn't return until very late at night, which was why I despised returning to my house after school. It's not like it matters anyway, no one would care even if I returned at midnight-- actually, no one would care if I ran away.

"Huh?" I mumbled. I didn't even notice that teardrops were slowly trickling down my face. Ah, how glad I am that none of my friends are here. I couldn't bear to let them see me this weak. I wiped away my tears with my hooves, just in case anyone passed by. I walked around the school for a little while with a lot on my mind. Some would say that school was a living nightmare for them. The stress, the workload, the drama... I'd say school is my sanctuary, really.

"Hahhh," I sighed. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. "Diamond Tiara?" I stared forward, and sure enough, there she stood. The fuchsia mare that I didn't particularly like. She had a rather impatient look on her face as she tapped her hoof on the ground repeatedly. It didn't seem like she noticed me yet. Weirdly enough, Silver Spoon wasn't with her. Ugh, if there was one thing I didn't like about school, it was having to see Diamond Tiara every single minute of the day except during lunch break. She was in all of my classes, much to my dismay. I wanted to make my body move away from her, but my legs wouldn't listen. Instead...

"Oh no, don't you DARE!" I argued with myself under my breath. My legs were taking me towards Diamond Tiara.

"Oh? But I believe you have some unfinished business to take care of?" the other side of my mind teased.

"No, I don--"

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up again! Where's your little 'posse', hmm?" Diamond Tiara interrupted my train of thought. She trotted up towards me, shoving her face in mine. Huh. She didn't seem as threatening as usual. I guess that's just because Silver Spoon wasn't there to back her up. I couldn't help but smile at Diamond Tiara, who had a puzzled look on her face.

"And what's that supposed to mean? You don't have Silver Spoon with you either, you know," I giggled. Oops, probably shouldn't have done that. I really can't help it, though. She was trying so hard to intimidate me. Her face turned beet red. She probably wasn't expecting me to throw something back at her.

"Well, you know what? Unlike you, I don't need anypony else to fight my battles," she said as a matter-of-factly.

"Riiiight. Speaking of Silver Spoon, why isn't she here?" I asked as politely as possible. No point in starting a fight, right? Diamond Tiara didn't seem to think so.

"Why do you care?" she responded scornfully.

"Well, why do you care where Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are?"

"I don't."

"Right, so then, explain to me why you inquired on the whereabouts of my 'posse'."

"I--" Diamond Tiara stopped in her tracks. Bullseye. She scoffed. "You know what? I'm not in the mood for this. Leave me alone," she demanded. I was taken aback by surprise.

"Uh, what's wrong?" I tried to press her for more information. Ah, I need to stop being so intrusive. I still felt really bad about the whole, "Cheerilee & Big Mac", thing from years ago.

"It's none of your business!" she snapped at me. Well, that was to be expected. It was pretty stupid of me to ask an enemy about her personal affairs. Sadly, her response got me even more curious. I rolled my eyes at the diva.

"Does it have to do with--"

"I said, leave me alone! It's obvious that we detest each other, so why are you trying to butt into my private life? Don't try to be the good mare here. I'm not always at fault, you know! I don't get you or your stupid little friends! Especially that... Sweet Ball one! She gets so reactive over an argument. There's obviously something wrong with her. There's obviously something wrong with all of you! Being able to enjoy life without a single care in the world... Now stop pretending to be nice and just leave me alone!" Diamond Tiara was practically screaming, her voice was quivering. What she said really got to me. I didn't know whether to feel scared, pity or angry, but my mind seemed to think that 'anger' was the correct answer.

"Something wrong with US?!" I exclaimed. I could feel the volume of my voice raising. This time, I was the one who shoved my face into hers. She began to stumble backwards, but I kept pressing towards her. "YOU two are the ones who keep on doing whatever it takes to hurt us! I mean, I don't get it! Why us? Why would you pick on other ponies in the first place? Do you hate us so much that you're willing to make us feel like our lives are not worth living? You've hurt us so many times, and you still dare to think that there's something wrong with US?! Don't you understand what it feels like to be bullied? To be ridiculed, harassed at every corner, given a stupid nickname and to be put down every single day?! For someone who does all of that to us; you really are clueless, aren't you?!" I could feel myself panting. It didn't take long before I realized what I had said. My heart tightened when I saw Diamond Tiara's eyes well up with tears. She was obviously angry, but I could tell she felt guilty at the same time. I really didn't mean it to sound so... harsh... Diamond Tiara quickly turned around, and headed for the exit.

"Wait, Diamond Tiara!" I called for her, but she didn't stop. I wanted to go after her, but I knew if I did, things would probably get worse. I bit my lower lip, and hit myself against the head with my hoof. That was REALLY stupid of me. Sure, somepony had to tell her off, but...

"I'm such an idiot," I mumbled solemnly. I kicked a hoof into the ground in an attempt to release the anger I was feeling towards myself. It took me a few minutes before I realized that at this point, there was really nothing I could do. I'd have to talk to her tomorrow. I have to be sure to apologize and explain things properly to her. I sighed, and then groaned. I guess now all I can do is... head back home and hit the hay for the day.

I took a glance at the desk behind me one more time. That's where Diamond Tiara usually sat. However, there was something missing today... Or rather, she was missing today. I glanced at the clock. Only a few minutes before lunch break started. To be frank, Diamond Tiara's absence really worried me-- which, of course, never happens. I chewed on my pencil in nervousness.

"What should I do? If she decided to skip today, it was probably caused by our argument yesterday. At this rate, I'll never be able to apologize to her..." I thought to myself.

"Maybe you should visit her?" suggested the other half of my mind.

"What? That sounds like a crazy idea! No way! I refuse!"

"Better than to keep this feeling of regret within me! I practically told her she was the bane of our existence! ... Well, she kind of is... but still! You and I both know we didn't mean it that way!"

"Yeah, I guess... But visiting her is a little too extreme, don't you think?"

"Not at all! It's a small price to pay. Besides, 'Extreme' is my middle name! Scootaloo Extreme--"

"Equestria to Scoots!" Apple Bloom shouted in my face. I jumped back a bit in my seat.

"Wh-huh?" I mumbled intelligently. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom snickered at me. It wasn't long before I joined them too.

"It's lunch time, you know," said Sweetie Belle. Looks like I got carried away by yet another train of thought.

"Scootaloo," said a voice. We turned our heads over to the source, and-- S-Silver Spoon?! Was she lost or something? ... No, that's impossible. We were still in the classroom. Silver Spoon was the last mare I'd expect to call me by my name. If anything, she and Diamond Tiara would only call me, "Scootaloser", which in reality, stopped bugging me ages ago.

"May I talk to you for a moment?" she asked sternly... Really, it was actually more of a command than a question. I gulped, and nodded. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I all exchanged glances before I got up and followed Silver Spoon outside of the classroom and into our school's garden. During our walk, she never once bothered to look behind her to see if I was still there. Well, that was to be expected, I suppose-- considering that we were still enemies. She probably didn't want to see my face or something silly like that.

The school's garden looked incredibly beautiful-- and that's coming from me. There were hedges cut into shapes of notable ponies like Naponeon, Mareie Curie and Abraham Lincolt. There were butterflies fluttering around, gazebos, wooden archways, benches, flowers, all sorts of stuff. Needless to say, our garden was huge.

After Silver Spoon lead us onto a gazebo, she stopped and heaved a sigh before turning around to look at me... Whoa! Her face was practically expressionless. It sent chills down my spine-- wait a minute... Oh geez, she's not going to talk to me about that, was she? I stood there patiently, waiting for Silver Spoon to tell me why she called me all the way out into the garden during her 'precious lunchtime', as she and Diamond Tiara called it.

"Scootaloo, I need to talk to you about Diamond Tiara," she stated bluntly. Ah, yeah, I saw that coming. However, if that was the case...

"Silver Spoon," I started. She glanced at me, waiting for me to continue. "Will this be one of those, 'super top-secret' conversations?" She pondered about it for a moment before nodding. I immediately turned around with my head now facing towards some bushes. "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, I know you're there." To be honest, I was making a wild guess. I didn't actually know if they were really there or not, but knowing those two, they were probably too curious to resist following us.

"Oof!" a voice squeaked from behind the hedges of grass. Aha, I thought so. Silver Spoon and I waited until the silhouettes of my friends disappeared before I gave her the go-ahead.

"Diamond Tiara... she's not as bad as you think, you know," Silver Spoon said earnestly. This caught me by surprise. I thought she was going to snap at me for ticking her best friend off, or at least throw some insults at me. Almost instantly, I felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders, but there was still something that bugged me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She sighed and rolled her eyes at me.

"... You don't have to like her after what I'm about to tell you, but I feel like it's a lot better to let you know than to have to make you feel like your life isn't worth living," she replied. Geh, so she did hear about what I said to Diamond Tiara yesterday. I cringed upon hearing that line once again. It sounded much worse when somepony else said it... But I'm glad-- glad that Silver Spoon knew when to draw the line. She took a deep breath in, and exhaled.

"Thing is, Diamond Tiara hasn't exactly been... treated properly-- at home and at school. Seems like the same old sob story you'd hear everywhere else, right? But Diamond Tiara's story is different. Even since she was a little filly, she had been abused and exploited.. by both her step-mother and her peers. See, nopony knows this, but Diamond Tiara's pain tolerance is rather high, and she has a severe trust complex.

Her step-mother only used Diamond Tiara as a stepladder in order to get closer to her father and to rip his riches away from him. It was hard for her to watch her father get deceived by a wretched woman like her. One day, something happened, and it left her traumatized... it's not something I want to bring up, so I'm afraid I'll have to leave that bit out. Anyhow, when she was little, everypony wanted to be her friend... for the same reason as her step-mother. They wanted her money, and yet, she didn't know that. She trusted them, but nopony cared about how she felt. Her father got angry at her one night, and-- let's just say it didn't end well.

I was introduced to her later on, after her so-called 'friends' stopped using her. She was a shy little filly. She always seemed so... sad and lonely, so I took the initiative and befriended her. She and I both knew that I would not use her because I was just as wealthy as she was. We were together all the time-- through times when we wanted to laugh or even times when we wanted to cry.

Then, one day, a bully approached me on school grounds. He was mean, aggressive and uncouth. He'd tease me, laugh at me, and even physically attack me. Diamond Tiara witnessed all of this, and she stepped in. She was shy, but she was willing to help me. It took her all of her nerves and courage, but she fought back at the bully. Ever since that day, she began acting this way. It made her get a sense of superiority, I suppose.

That's not the end of her story, but unfortunately... that's something between me and her-- something I can't tell you. So... I know you might still hate her, but I figured it'd be best to..." She seemed like she didn't know what else to say. I put up a hoof to stop her from rambling on.

"It's fine, Silver Spoon," I said. My voice sounded rather dejected. "Even though it's not really your place to tell me this, thanks. I can kind of understand Diamond Tiara better now, I guess. I still have one question though, where is she right now?" That was a question that had lingered in the back of my mind for the past couple of hours. I needed to know. Silver Spoon looked worried and rather fidgety upon hearing what I had just said.

"Well, about that..." she started, "I don't actually know. We haven't talked since yesterday afternoon." Ah, so that's how it was. I smiled at Silver Spoon, much to her surprise. I thanked her one more time before heading back into the building. She had just given me a lot of information to digest, and I really needed some time alone. I wandered down the hallways, making sure to avoid my homeroom classroom so I wouldn't have to run into Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle.

I felt really bad about lashing out at Diamond Tiara yesterday. Ironically, I hadn't even considered her feelings. In addition, she had other problems to deal with too. I-- might've seemed like a bully in her eyes. I had never seen her so weak before. At that moment, I made up my mind. First thing after school, I'll go visit her. I figured that was the only way I could get this weight lifted off of my chest.

It didn't take me long to find Diamond Tiara's home. After all, they did own one of the biggest houses in Ponyville. Not only that, but our village was pretty small. It wasn't hard to find certain ponies around here. However, finding out where she lived was the least of my problems during the afternoon.

Right after lunch, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle pestered me for information on the conversation I had with Silver Spoon. I now know how other ponies feel when we used to pry secrets from them. After a while, they decided to give up, but looked rather worried about me. They even went as far as inspecting my body to see if there were any scratch marks. Talk about lack of personal space.

After climbing multiple flights of stairs, I finally reached the front door of her house. It looked so luxurious on the outside. I put a hoof up, getting ready to knock on the door, but I paused midway. I was nervous. I didn't know what I was going to say to Diamond Tiara when I saw her. I stood on the front porch for a few minutes. If anypony saw me right now, they'd probably think I was crazy or something.

Oh come on, it's now or never, I thought to myself. I gulped, took a deep breath in and exhaled before gently tapping on the front door. I flinched as the front door opened, which revealed Filthy Rich, Diamond Tiara's father. He stared right at me and flashed me a kind and gentle smile, which sent chills down my spine. I viewed Filthy Rich in a different light ever since Silver Spoon told me about Diamond Tiara's past.

"May I help you?" he asked politely. I stood there, paralyzed for a moment. "Hello?" I shook my head around and snapped back into reality.

"Oh, yes, hi, Mr. Rich. I'm Scootaloo, and I'm one of Diamond Tiara's fri-- classmates," I responded. I can't believe I almost called my archnemesis my 'friend'. "Well, she wasn't here today, and I'm just here to... you know, visit."

"But of course. Thank you for coming to visit her. Please, come in and I'll let a maid take you to her room." he replied sincerely. Gah, I really can't picture somepony as innocent as him to be somewhat abusive. I nodded, and stepped inside of the house-- or rather, mansion, and sure enough, a maid pony led me up the stairs and took me to right outside of Diamond Tiara's room. The maid knocked on the door.

"Miss Tiara, you have a visitor," she said.

"MNUHUHHHHHHHH," came a groan from the other side of the door. Whoa, she didn't sound too good.

"She says, 'come in'," the maid translated. I chuckled nervously as the maid opened the door... Huh? Diamond Tiara was nowhere to be seen. I took a step into the room... but it didn't take long before I tripped over something-- or rather, somepony.

"Watch where you're going, doorknob!" I heard a nasally voice scream at me.

"Huh?" I mumbled. I looked over to who I just tripped over, and sure enough, Diamond Tiara was there-- lying on the ground, curled up in a blanket like a piece of sushi.

"Diamond Tiara, are you oka--"

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice quivering. I could see that she was trembling, just a little bit, though.

"I-I just wanted to apologize," I responded hesitantly. The tension in the room began to grow. Suddenly, she rolled over and was now looking directly at me. I leapt back in surprise. Her face was completely red. She looked absolutely miserable! "Diamond Tiara... are you sick?"

"What does it look like, moron?" she snapped at me.

"Oh, so THAT'S why you weren't at school today."

"Well, DUH! What, did you want me to go to school and die from overexertion? I didn't think you hated me THAT much--" she paused. "Or do you?" I was taken aback by this. The answer to this should've been obvious.

"I don't hate you, Diamond Tiara," I replied, choosing my words carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was to start another fight between us.

"Yeah, right," she said with a scoff. "I don't get how you could ever not hate someone who makes your life a living he--"

"You don't, though! Listen, Diamond Tiara. My nerves got the best of me yesterday, okay? I-I don't actually hate you. Sure, you can be a bit unreasonable, crude, mean and prissy sometimes, but... I've never really considered your side of the story before."

"Tch, you're not the first pony who's never cared about my feelings before," she muttered. Albeit she was quiet, I still heard every word she said. Truth be told, it crushed me to hear that she was being treated so terribly by other ponies, but I didn't know what to say in this situation. For the time being, I pretended that I didn't hear what she had said.

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness because of my stupidity, but I just wanted you to know that I really am sorry. To make it up to you... let me tell you a story," I said with a smile. She gave me a weird look. She probably didn't want me to tell her a story, but... it just wouldn't be fair if I knew about her circumstances and she didn't know about mine.

"So, you see, there was a young filly. She was rather hyped up about everything. However, at the same time, she had some troubles going on in a place she can barely call a home. Her father had left her, her younger sibling and her mother when she was still young. Her mother was suddenly diagnosed with depression. She'd always leave during the day and she wouldn't come back until late at night. The filly and her younger sibling were left alone.

One day, the filly found that her younger sibling had ran away from home so he wouldn't have to see their mother suffer. Of course, I-- the filly tried to call for help, but to no avail. Her mother was in no state to help out either. This left them with only one option: to let the young colt go. This news crushed the young filly. From that day on, she despised returning to the place that bared so many bad memories. She also despised her mother, who made no attempt to search for her own son.

In addition... this young little filly was unable to use what made her a pegasus. She was unable to fly-- and this was caused by her mother as well. Under her wings, the little filly hid burn marks, scratches, bruises, and other wounds. That very night... I can still remember my mother saying these very words to me: 'If I can't live happily and have what I want, then why should you? You and your stupid little brother were the reasons why your father left us!'" The story ended there. I could no longer continue. I was hiccuping uncontrollably and trembling as well. Diamond Tiara looked at me like I was crazy, but there was something different in her eyes. She looked like she was being sincere... She probably didn't know what to say. Yikes, I shouldn't have put her into an awkward situation like this.

"Sorry for that, Diamond Tiara. I guess I should go now," I declared. She nodded speechlessly. Yep, as I thought. I piled way too much on somepony who I considered an archnemesis. I swiftly gathered whatever belongings I had with me, and dashed out of her room and house. When I felt I had ran enough, I slowed down, and attempted to regain my composure.

Oh geez, why did I even do that?! Not even Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle knew about my family troubles-- but now the LAST mare I thought I'd tell, knew about it. Surely, Diamond Tiara could easily use this newly obtained information against me... but that's only a possibility! I sighed. I needed to calm down. If Diamond Tiara spilled anything, I also have some information on her. Carrying that fact around in my head made me feel a lot better. With my head now clearer than before, I began to start thinking about what had happened only a few minutes earlier in Diamond Tiara's room.

Truth be told, it hurt every time I brought up the subject of my little brother, my wretched mother and my inability to fly. It's not like I can no longer use my wings to propel my scooter, though. The incident happened way before I obtained my first scooter. Nevertheless, it still hurt whenever I used my scooter. I'd always end up remembering the events of that night-- when my mother burned my wings with cigarettes, lashed her whip at me, and beat them up with her bare hooves.

I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I loved my mother. I really did hate her-- and it's not like one of those, "she won't buy me whatever I want!", kinds of situations. She never cared about me or my brother. Unlike other parents, she never really loved us. We were forced to either raise ourselves, or die alone... I suppose I shouldn't be thinking so negatively. At least I'm more prepared for the future... right? I heaved a rather loud sigh under my breath. Not knowing what else to do for the day, I decided to head back home and look forward to tomorrow.

The moment I walked through the door into homeroom, I was ambushed by a wave of classmates. They were all screaming and giggling, which caught me by surprise... No, wait, that shouldn't have been why I was surprised-- Just why were they crowding around me?!

It took me a while before I managed to trudge through the mob. Before I managed to catch my breath, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle surrounded me, giving me mischievous grins. I gave them a puzzled look.

"What?" I questioned them. The two exchanged glances before Apple Bloom pulled out a copy of our school newspaper from her saddlebag. I tilted my head in confusion, but everything cleared up the minute I was flashed with the picture of the front cover.

"You're famous now, Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle squeaked excitedly. I gaped at my friends, unsure of what I should say next.

"I--wha-- HUH?!" I screamed. Apple Bloom giggled.

"So, when did this happen?" she asked slyly.

"NEVER!" I fought defensively. "Nothing ha--"

"SCOOTALOSER, WHAT IS THIS?" Diamond Tiara hollered as she entered the room. As if it weren't obvious already, she was absolutely fumed. She stormed towards me, and shoved a copy of the newspaper in my face. I stumbled backwards in surprise.

"I swear, I had no part in thi--" Before I knew it, I was interrupted yet again.

"Ooh, look! The other half is here~" A couple of our classmates laughed at us. Diamond Tiara's cheeks were as red as a tomato.

"Congratulations," said a mare with a camera hanging around her neck. She had a twisted smile on her face. It took me no more than a second to realize that she was behind all of this. "So, when's the wedding?"