Broken Promises
The moon was chillingly beautiful. Everypony had locked their homes for the night and had fallen asleep to the soft hoots of Owlowishous coming from the library’s window. The night was so peaceful, so perfect, but in the shadows, a single spirit walked alone.
The clip-clop of her hooves on the pavement were almost silent as she dragged a black bag behind her. She was proud of herself for her find. The Trash was only just thrown out a few minutes ago by Mr. Cake and the food inside smelled great. The Schoolfilly turned into a small alleyway and filed through the contents of the garbage bag and she gave a small smile as she pulled out a whole trays-worth of slightly burned cupcakes. This would be the first time she ate in a whole week. the orange filly had only just started to eat when an outdoor light was switched on and Scootaloo froze; the contents of the garbage spilling out of her mouth. A young dragon walked out of Carousel Boutique and dumped a trash bag on the asphalt. Rarity obviously tricked him into doing her dirty work again. Spike put the bag down and stared out into the darkness, Scootaloo wanted to run but she couldn’t move her legs as she was trembling too much. She tried to hide herself from the dragon’s keen eyesight but her bright orange coat stood out like a penguin in the desert.
“ What? Hey! Aren’t you Sweetie’s friend or something? What’re you doin’ out here? Shouldn’t you be at home?”
Scootaloo Pushed her prized garbage bag behind her hind legs and gave spike one of her grade A smiles. “Yeah, I uh… ya know, came to see Sweetie.”
Spike crossed his arms and sighed. “you do know what the time is? She went to bed hours ago. So should you! And me too…” Spike yawned deeply and rubbed his eyes. “Why would your parents even let you out at night? You should go home…”
Scootaloo didn’t want to say ‘I live here you dummy’ instead, she just nodded and ran off with the trash in her mouth.
Spike waddled down the dark street and stopped when he reached the library. Owlowishous flew down from his perch and greeted the dragon.
“Hey Owly, it’s me, Spike, can you unlock the door please?”
Owlowishous cocked his head to the side and gave what seemed to be a cheeky smile. “whoo?”
“Me, Spike.”
“Whoooo?”
“Me! Spike! You know! The one that lives here. I als—oohhh.” Spike gave Owlowishous a friendly punch as he flew through the window to pop the latch on the wooden door. The young dragon pushed it open and gave a slight grin as he walked up to Twilight. Poor girl. She had fallen asleep at the books again. Spike rubbed his hands together gleefully and picked up a pen. Now it was time to have some fun. The purple-scaled lizard was giggling like a girl so loudly that Twilight stirred and blinked sleepily.
“Spike?” she mumbled. “What In Celestia are you doing up so late… and what are you doing with that?” Spike looked at the pen and gave an awkward smile as he threw it into a bookshelf, knocking down a small hard-covered book titled ‘how to successfully pull pranks’ “what am I doing with what?” he answered hastily.
Twilight Sparkle gave spike a stern look and paced around, her hooves clacking on the wood in an annoying tone. “Really Spike, where were you?!” Spike plonked himself down on the steps and took a deep breath before beginning.
“Well, first I went to Sugarcube corner to meet up with Pinkie for cupcakes, that was at 7:30 In the morning, after breakfast and th—“
“Spike, I already know your life story, I mean in the last few hours.”
“Oh, I was at…” spike blushed a little. “… Rarity’s, helping her and Sweetie with their spring cleaning. Then after I talked to Scootaloo outside the boutique, I left. I dunno why she was out so late. Oh well.” Spike yawned and shrugged. “she ran off with something in her mouth… not… sure what…… it…….. was……….”
Twilight pulled a blanket over Spike, who was snoring buzzily. The teenage unicorn trotted over to Owlowishous and plucked out one of his quite large tail feathers. She dipped the tender quill in ink and began writing in her weekly planner. It read, ‘Tuesday 21st – talk with Scootaloo’
Meanwhile, Scootaloo had decided on a more safer place to stay for the night. She huddled in the corner of her accommodation and looked out the window with sadness in her eyes. A single tear slid down her cheek as she rubbed against a muddy patch of hair on her flank. she hadn’t washed for a good 3 days at least. She stared at the stars and a comet cascaded down from the dark sky. ‘make a wish’ She thought.
“I wish… that I… had a home… for just one night…” she whispered. She knew she shouldn’t worry about that, or she would cry again, and she really hated that. No. now it was time for her to sleep, Everypony knew that’s what the darkness meant and she had no energy to fight it.
“goodnight mum, goodnight dad, I love you” she whispered as she curled into a ball. But the answer was the same every night. Silence, exept for the occasional creaks of her residence. They would have frightened most, but this was her clubhouse, and unknown to her two best friends, she often stayed here during the long nights of spring. After what seemed to be hours, the filly finally fell asleep underneath the appletrees that dotted the fields, underneath the chilly night sky.
With new dawn brang new adventure and the gentle rays of sun flickered on the timber floor of the clubhouse. Muffled voices could be heard as two young fillys made their way up the clubhouse steps. “Say Sweetie, what was Scoots doin’ at yer place last night?”
“I dunno.” Sweetie Belle smiled and nudged Applebloom. “look, she must’ve been waiting for us since early this morning.” The two fillys stood around the snoring ball and sighed.
“Awwww” sweetie exclaimed. “she’s so cute when she’s sleeping… but so dirty! What was she doing last night?”
Applebloom poked her friend in the cheek and the gently snoring Pegasus woke up. “Huh? Oh hey girls.” She mumbled. Scootaloo gave a confused look as Sweetie Belle began dusting her down with her tail. “what the hay are you doing?” she yawned sleepily.
“oh, my apologies Scootaloo. You’re just a little muddy.”
Scootaloo stood up and headed for the door. “where are yah goin’ Scoots? I thought yah were waitin’ for us!” Applebloom stood beside Sweetie with a confused look. Scootaloo shrugged and kept walking towards the door. “look, I’ll see ya later k?” she said quietly when she left.
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with concern in their eyes. Applebloom caught sight of a blue wooden scooter in the corner of the clubhouse where Scootaloo was sleeping and she walked over to it. There was a squelch and the crème pony slipped.
“Are you alright Appleblo—“ sweetie paused as she saw a black garbage bag in the corner of the clubhouse and Applebloom on her back after slipping on a banana peel. “ewww! Why is this all in here?” she said in disgust. Applebloom just simply shook her head. “why would she bring this in here? And it’s been split open! EWWWW!!!”
“don’t worry, Ah’m sure she’s got ah good reason.”
Scootaloo walked down the street staring at her hooves. She was so tired, and hungry. Her stomach growled and she sat down defiantly. She had to eat something, anything. The old food she ate the night before had only made her throw up outside the boutique and make her hungrier. She stopped before Sugarcube corner and she quietly hoped pinkie was there. She was always willing to hand out free cupcakes. The pegasi filly walked in, the door dingling behind her. She was instantly greeted with the beautiful smell of pies, meringues and cakes. Her mouth watered at the smell and she looked up, and to her disappointment, it wasn’t pinkie at the desk, it was mrs cake. There would be no free treats today.
She snuck over to the desk and hid beneath the counter. She was much too hungry to deny the beautiful tastes of freshly baked products. She simply had to try.
“umm… mrs cake?”
“yes, Scootaloo? Is there anything I can do for you?”
“y-yes… could I please have some samples…?”
“im sorry darling, I cant give you any more, that’s four times this week. you will have to pay.”
Scootaloo cringed and hung her head low. She knew this wasn’t right, but she had to do this In order to survive. She galloped up to a cabnet and grabbed a bag of doughnuts in her mouth. She looked at mrs cake with sorrowful eyes and then she ran out before mrs cake could leave her post. Rarity, who was sitting at a table, had her mouth hanging open. There was an awkward silence in the bakery, until Rarity spoke up. “Why in Celestia would the young Scootaloo be motivated to steal?”
Mrs Cake shook her head sadly and didn’t respond. She had realised that the filly had never actually paid for anything in ponyville for a few years. The two ponies looked out at the filly in the distance, stuffing her face full of the sugary treats. Neither ponies tried to stop her, as they noticed how skinny the filly had looked.
Twilight Sparkle had packed up her books early that morning before she went to see her good friend and school teacher, Cherilee. Surely she would know what was up with Scootaloo. “im sorry,” she had said. “Scootaloo has not turned up for school for a few months now.” Twilight wanted to find out what was up with the filly, not only for personal reasons, but because she was only generally concerned for the pegasi.
“Sup Twi. Whatcha doin’?”
Twilight looked up and spotted a cyan Pegasus sitting atop a cloud. “Hey Rainbow Dash. Have you seen Scootaloo?”
Rainbow shrugged and flew down from the fluffy white cloud. “How should I know where she is?”
Twilight looked at her friend and raised an eyebrow. “well, she does seem to be everywhere you are.”
“I haven’t seen her for aaaaggggeeesss. I mean, it’s not like we’re related or anything.” Rainbow said un-reassuringly.
Twilight frowned and continued walking. It was as if the cyan Pegasus, usually so sure, was trying to convince herself that. ‘where could she be?’ she thought. She heard a soft muffled noise and she poked her head around a cart. There she was and… Applejack?
“What were yah thinkin’ takin’ mah apples?!” Applejack yelled.
“I-i-i-im sor—“
“Nah-uh. Ah ain’t listnin’ to yer excuses! Now why did yah do it?!!”
“Applejack!” twilight yelled. “what is going on?! Why would you just yell at her? Look, she’s in tears! What’s gotten into you?!” Applejack huffed angrily and stared at Twilight. “She Stole apples from mah cart!” Twilight looked at Scootaloo, who had an apple underneath her hoof. “I am sure she had a good reason.” Twilight tried.
“I beg to differ.”
The three ponys looked at Rarity, who had come to investigate the noise. “I saw it with my own eyes. And not only did she steal from Applejack, she stole from Sugarcube Corner too.” Twilight looked at the filly with concern. Not only was she skinny, but she was extremely dirty. “Scootaloo” She whispered, “take these apples for now, and I want to see you go to school on time today. Deal?” Scootaloo looked at Twilight. She couldn’t go to school. She couldn’t pay for all her school fees. But twilight had given her food. She had to go to school, to repay the favour. She nodded and ran off leaving one concerned pony and two rather grumpy ones behind her.
“now why did yah let her get away with stealin’?”
“because, I believe she has a quite large problem, I think she may have troubles at ho--“ but before she could finish, Applejack and Rarity were already gone.
Scootaloo ran into the clubhouse puffing heavily. “Sweetie and Applebloom must’ve already left” she said quietly to herself, finding their bag hooks empty. She picked her old schoolbag off the floor. It was covered in holes, for she had had the same one since she was a six year old. She was now nine. She had no idea why she had so much trouble taking care of herself, she was old enough, after all. She put a few crayons inside her bag and the apple in her lunchbox. That would be the most food she had ever taken to school before. With a smile on her face she trotted out of the clubhouse with her bag slung over her flank in a coltish fashion. She was on her way to school for the first time in months. She just hoped ms. Cherilee wouldn’t ask her too many questions.
A few minutes later the door to the school house squeaked open and the grubby filly stared at Cherilee with an apologetic look. Cherilee gave Scootaloo a stern look as she motioned for her to sit at the back of the class.
“Scootaloo. Since you have not attended school for a long time, we decided to give your desk to our new student. You will have to wait for a replacement.” She said in a neutral tone. Scootaloo nodded and took her place at the back of the class, secretly wishing that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would stop looking at her and whispering.
“Now, class, today we will be learning about………. Family!”
Scootaloo hung her head lower and lower with every sentence Cherilee said.
“Now, Diamond, What does your father do?”
“He runs a successful business and is extremely rich!”
“uh-huh. Of course. Now Scootaloo, what do your parents do?”
Scootaloo stayed silent for a few moments before tears silently slid down her face. “M-my parents……” she whispered to herself. She was practically a young teen. She had to act her age and not cry. She stood up from her desk and looked at the teacher. “Excuse me. I have to go… to the uhh… toilet.” She whispered, and then she left. She sat outside the classroom crying softly. The whole class was silent. They were all quietly listening to the muffled sobs of the pegasi.
“Class dismissed.” Cherilee said angrily. “now, Scootaloo… what has gotten into you? You don’t seem… well… the same.” Scootaloo sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her hoof. “I-I won’t tell y-you the w-whole story…” she whispered. Scootaloo looked up at the loving eyes of Cherilee and sighed quietly to herself. “Look… I-I… I’m an orphan…I c-came from C-Cloudsdale… apparently… I don’t have… f-f-family… or a h-h-home…” Scootaloo could feel new tears brewing. As they silently slid down her face, she stood up and galloped outside. “Oh Scootaloo… I’m Sorry…” Cherilee whispered.
Scootaloo sat under a slide and closed her eyes, deep in thought. As tears quietly fell from her face she looked at her flank and managed a small smile. The dirt patch looked a little like a heart. She then remembered her friends, she had brushed them off so harshly the other morning they probably didn’t want to talk to her, but they had a meeting on that afternoon and she was going to go and apologise.
“Oh, what is that smell?”
Scootaloo turned and tried to conceal her anger. “Just leave me alone…” she whispered.
“Sorry Scootaloo, Silver Spoon and I are just trying to figure out what that horrible stench is. Oh wait, it’s just you.” Diamond Tiara mocked as she and Silver Spoon circled the filly.
“Go away. I’m gunna hang with my real friends” Scootaloo tried. Diamond looked almost hurt. “Oh, Scooty darling, are we not friends?” she said in a sarcastic tone. “No…” The orange filly muttered under her breath. “But don’t you know? You have no friends anymore, you know those blank flanks you used to hang out with? Yeah well, they don’t like you no more.” Scootaloo dragged her hoof through the dirt sadly. So she had upset them that morning. “You’re lying” she choked. “go see for yourself” Diamond scoffed.
Scootaloo stood up and trotted off quickly the groups eating spot. She waved to the girls but they turned their noses up at the filly and closed their eyes. Only a familiar purple dragon waved back.
“Spike?”
“Yeah! Hi Scootaloo!”
Scootaloo cocked her head to the side questiongly. “Why are you here?” she asked.
“Twilight sent me here, she said I could learn something new, she also said I wasn’t that much of a bright spark, whatever that meant.” He said before he took a bite out of a ruby and sapphire sandwhich. Scootaloo turned her gaze to the girls who were whispering amongst themselves. Scootaloo sat beside them quietly.
“So, hi Applebloom and Sweetie Belle!” the two fillys didn’t raise their gaze and attempted to ignore the filly. “Umm… so… are we going crusading today?” silence. “Please!” Scootaloo grew desperate. “If I have done anything wrong, please tell me!” Applebloom looked at Sweetie and she nodded sympathetically. “Ah’m sorry Scoots, we just can’t talk to yah here…” she looked around her catiously, in fear of being caught out. “Well, yah see… We can’t talk to yer no more.” Scootaloo looked up and stared at the cold eyes of her now ex-friend. What did she ever do wrong by them? “w-why?” she sniffed. Applebloom sighed. “We’re still yah friends, scoots, we just can’t talk to yah in public, yah see, our older sisters caught yer stealing twice and they thinks yer aint a good role model by us.” Scootaloo put her head in her hooves and began to cry softly. Sweetie Belle Put her hoof around her but quickly retreated it after being nudged by Applebloom. The two fillys got up and began to walk away. “Ah’m sorry…” Applebloom whispered.
Spike sat, transfixed on the situation with his meal half hanging out of his mouth. “Ouch.” He said quietly. “hey, Scootaloo, I’m still your friend.”
“Thanks Spike…”
“Twilight?”
“Hello there You two! Oh Scootaloo, are you alright? Here I’ll Sit here for awhile. I’m filling in for Ms. Cherilee while she’s out.”
Spike and Scootaloo exchanged glances but the question was almost audible in their faces. Where was she?
“Thankyou for doing this for me, Mayor Mare.”
A teal earth pony walked up to the school teacher and placed a parchment on the floor in front of her. “It’s quite alright Cherilee, but I don’t normally give out important files to just anypony.”
Cherilee waved her hoof at the mayor and picked up the papers. “Don’t worry your mayorness, it’s for a good reason, I promise you.” The pony nodded and then walked off, reading the files as she went. She paused at one page and her face went pale. She dropped the files and ran back to the schoolhouse and dismissed Twilight from her duties as she sat at her desk quietly, tapping the desk with her hoof.
Bbbrrrriiinnnnngggggg!!!! the bell rang for the end of the day and streams of young fillys and colts quickly cascaded out of the school gates. A familiar Pegasus mare poked her head through the door and trotted up to Cherilee. “Sup Cherry! Have you seen the pipsqueak? I promised her I’d give her flyin’ lessons today!” Cherilee Rubbed her hoof through her mane and sighed. “actually miss Dash…”
“Miss Dash?” Rainbow questioned.
“…You see… Scootaloo was in tears earlier saing she had no family or a home and…”
A little while later Rainbow was staring at Cherilee with an embarrassed expression. Her cheeks were a bright crimson and she ran her hoof through her mane worriedly.
“… and in conclusion, basically she had run away from the orphanage… but what concerns me most of all… is why you never told her the truth.”
Rainbow held her head in her hooves and shook her mane slowly. “I-i-i…. I didn’t want to upset her…”
“but I understand.” Cherilee said suddenly.
“What?!” the pegasi said in a high squeak. “Well…” Cherilee started, “Judging by your voice… you are only really becoming a young teen and whe—“
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rainbow said slamming her hoof down on the table, “My parents told me this when I was a filly and frankly… I don’t really want to hear it again.”
“well, what I’m basically saying is that you should tell her as soon as you get the chance.”
“Rainbow D-Dash?”
The two mares turned to look at the tiny filly standing at the door… and judging by her expression, she had heard the whole conversation.
“Scootaloo….. I’m so sorry….” Rainbow tried
“I HATE YOU!” The filly screamed before running out the door. Cherilee looked at rainbow with a reassuring look before saying, “Good luck.”
“Huh? What in the hay is this?” Applebloom Said to Sweetie as she stopped before some papers in the middle of ponyville’s busiest street. The documents had a vary of hoofprints on it, as it had been there for awhile. “what is it, Applebloom?” Sweetie questioned. Applebloom quietly skimmed over the pages, muttering to herself, as Sweetie looked over her shoulder. “Uh-huh….. This is Scootaloo’s… yep… right…. Father…. Yep…. Uh-huh…. Mother… oh my Celestia!” Sweetie punched The crème filly in the arm for her language. “we’ve gotta go see mah sister!”
Rainbow Dash went over Cherilee’s words in her head as she flew unusually close to the ground with her head hanging low.
“Hey Dashie!”
The cyan Pegasus looked up and stared into the cheerful eyes of a bouncy pink mare. “Why do you look so Frowny wownie today?”
Rainbow looked at the dirt and sighed. “I’m all right, Pinkie, really.”
“Aww, c’mon Dashie! You can tell me whats making you sooooo not as boasty woasty as usual!”
“Nope” The Pegasus pony said bluntly.
“Okie dokie lokie! Ah well! You can at least come to Sugarcube corner with me for some cupcakes! And don’t say no, nopony can resist one of my cupcakes not even me! Funny story! Hey I should tell you on the way there! C’mon!”
Reluctantly, Rainbow accepted her friends helpfulness, but never really listned to what Pinkie was yabbering on about.
“… and I said, Oatmeal? Are you crazy?! And then…”
But the only words Rainbow could hear were that of Scootaloo, replaying over and over in her mind. ‘I hate you.’
“…And that’s how equestria was made! Oh, how did we get here sooo quick! In we go then!”
Rainbow dash quietly walked through the door and was surprised to find all five of her friends sitting there and even more surprised when fluttershy trotted up to her and wrapped her wing around her. “W-what is going on?” she said.
“Ah’ll tell yah what’s goin on!” Applejack yelled, with such a force she sent the mare scurrying backwards. “what do yah say tah this?!” she questioned throwing the papers towards the shaken mare. She read the first sentence before closing her eyes and pushing them away. “So it is true then! Well! What a Hot-shot yah turned out tah be then! I have a right to—“
“Whoa, applejack, I’ll handle this.” Twilight walked up to the Rainbow-maned mare and wiped her eyes with a tissue. “it’s understandable that you are upset, and it’s okay…”
“Nah! I’t ain’t okay! Why did yah keep this a secret from us Rainbow?!”
“…Applejack….. i-im…. S-s-sorry…”
“So it is true then?” fluttershy’s quiet voice was almost unheard in the room but Rainbow somehow heard her and took awhile to collect herself before answering, “…yeah…. I-im so s-sorry for not s-saying anything… even though there is nothing to be said…”
“Nothin’ tah be said?!”
“Applejack…” Twilight began.
“ah mean, seriously Rainbow! Yah are a bloody mother tah Scootaloo and yer say there is nothin’ tah be said?!”
Rainbow turned her back on her friends and began sobbing, quite loudly, despite efforts of Pinkie trying to cheer her up.
“APPLEJACK!!” Twilight yelled. “Look, I think you’ve done enough.”
“Ah’m sorry Twi… I just…”
“just don’t. Look, Rainbow… How? Why?”
“basically…” Rainbow sniffed, “I was just too young to understand… I had no idea I did anything wrong… I-I… it was just an experiment… I was curious like all fillys were… before I relised what I did… it was too late… too late….”
“then what?”
“M-my family disowned me and I thought the best thing to do was to… put Scootaloo in the orphanage… I knew I couldn’t take care of her… I mean… now I know, I’m seventeen… but back then… I was only eight…. The looks they gave me… I felt so horrible inside… so I put my name on the papers but I said she wasn’t mine… I didn’t want ponies to think ill of me… I thought she got adopted…. And h-had a family….” Rainbow closed her eyes and burst into fresh tears anew.
“Ah’m sorry Sugarcube… I had no idea what yah had been through, but believe me, we will never think of you differently, and neither should anypony. Yah are sill our Friend and We forgive yah Rainbow, but does another?” at that point a table cloth lifted up at the bottom and Rarity moved beside applejack to let the filly through.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t look at the bright orange ball that bounded towards her but she did the instant she wrapped herself around the mare’s leg. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you,” she said, “I really do love you……….. mum!” her eyes welled up with happiness as she tightened her grip on the older mare. She would finally have the home and family she always wished for. Rainbow cleared her thought ant attempted to make herself a bit cooler than she really felt in this situation. “uhh… c’mon squirt… let go… r-really,”
“Awwwwww” all five girls said together.
“Uhhh… C-c’mon girls… it ain’t all that ‘awww’…”
“sorry, darling.” Rarity said. “this is just a truly, unforgettable moment.”
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom winked at Rainbow and then nudged the still hugging Pegasi. “So Scootaloo,” Sweetie whispered, “are you coming to the Cutie Mark Crusader’s meeting?” Scootaloo loosened her grip on Rainbow’s arm and looked at the girls questiongly. “So you are still my friends?” she said quietly. “Of course!” Sweetie exclaimed. The three girls then ran out of the bakery, giggling. “Thank god that’s over” Rainbow whispered, rubbing her hoof which was trobbing purple after the tight hug. She held her breath as the purple-maned filly poked her head through the door. “Hey, Rainbow da—I mean, mum, can I have some money?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow and waved her hoof. “Now don’t start getting ahead of yourself Kid.”
“Aww… you’re no fun!”
Rainbow gave the filly a playful noogie before letting her run off with her friends.
“What are you going to do now Dashie?” Pinkie said, obviously not being able to comprehend the situation that had just played out.
“Pinkie’s right, Rainbow. How in Equestria are you going to get her up to your house in Cloudsdale every day?” Rarity said, tossing her mane.
The cyan Pegasus shrugged. “Yah know,” she said thoughtfully. “I’ll teach her how to fly, I mean like, you’ve all seen the tricks she can do on that scooter of hers. She had potential. It won’t take her long.”
Twilight nodded. “I think we all have learned something today, Spike, Take a letter to the princess. Dear princess cele—“
Rainbow placed a hoof over Twilight’s mouth. “Sorry, Twi, but I’m embarrassed enough as it is and you really think you should let the princess know I had a foal when I was eight…I have a rep to protect ya know.”
Rainbow lowered her hoof and Twilight nodded. “Point taken.”
“I can trust you guys to keep this a secret right?”
“Of course, Rainbow, after all, that is what friends do!,” fluttershy quietly noted.
Rainbow closed her eyes and listened to the laughter of a certain filly and smiled to herself, knowing that the future was going to be bright and full of happy days to come.
THE END
