//------------------------------// // A Mother or Two // Story: Frightening Little Details // by FlutterDash777 //------------------------------// -A Mother or Two Scootaloo's intentions were of course to go to Carousel Boutique, and that's what she was going to do, but she found herself buying time as she moved along as slowly as she could stand. She would distract herself by looking at the scenery as if she had never seen Ponyville before, and she would smile at the ponies that walked by as if she was actually friendly and cared. Of course the only reason she was doing these things is so she could procrastinate about getting there. Honestly, she was just nervous. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Her mouth was getting tired of smiling so much and she couldn't handle walking this slow for too long. It was almost unbearable right now, but she tried to let it carry on for as long as she could. She trotted along at a pace that Fluttershy would, and she greeted everypony as if she were Pinkie Pie. She couldn't stand it! But she had to. She just wasn't strong enough to face the boutique just yet. She just couldn't face Sweetie Belle. The pegasus clenched her eyes shut as she stopped in her tracks. She knew the time would come that she would be standing outside of the boutique.....but she didn't know it would be now! Scootaloo opened her eyes to see that she was now standing straight in front of Rarity's home. She gulped down at the very sight of it. The building seemed to tower above her and at this moment in time, it felt as if it were going to fall atop of her and suck her inside where she would be forced to see the one filly that she didn't want to see! Scootaloo's heart raced as she looked at the ominous store before her. She had never felt so afraid in her life as to how she felt now. It was the worst feeling ever and she didn't know how to approach it. She knew the best thing to do was probably fix all of this right now and approach Sweetie Belle, but she didn't think she would be able to look into her green eyes and tell her what was on her mind the whole time. What was it exactly that was on Scootaloo's mind? Was it the fact that she really.....No! It couldn't be that! But how would she be able to explain her actions before? The filly thought hard. She couldn't stand out here forever, she knew that, but she wished that she could have more time. Maybe she could lie about it.....Just tell Sweetie Belle that she was in a bad mood because....um....she was tired. Yeah! She was just worn out from practicing with Rainbow Dash the day previous or something like that! But that wouldn't work....she was with the crusaders the day previous....and she had went straight to bed once she had gotten home that night. She hadn't really spent any time with Rainbow or Fluttershy since then. Just eating breakfast and then she left for the clubhouse. Scootaloo sighed. This was a lost cause. There was really no other way to do this other than to tell Sweetie Belle the truth...that she.... She clenched her eyes shut again. She wished that when she opened them, she would be far away from the boutique, but when she did, it was still in front of her. "You have to do this, Scootaloo....there is no other way....just....be brave like Rainbow Dash!" She whispered to herself as she tried to help her build up the confidence needed to walk through those doors and tell the truth. Her heart began to race as she moved one hoof in front of the other. Sweat dripped down her forehead when she was now directly in front of the door. She lifted a hoof forward slowly. She was trying to make up another excuse as to why she couldn't while she was doing this, but of course, she was unable to think of anything good. Nothing was going to work other than this, and she knew it. Scootaloo threw all her other thoughts aside and gripped the door nob. With a gulp, she opened it. Her heart dropped as she entered into the store. There was definitely some ponies here waiting....but none of them were the one she was expecting! Scootaloo couldn't turn away now. Applejack, Rarity, and Applebloom were all facing her. Their mouths were left open and their eyes were staring her down as if she were some sort of animal! Scootaloo didn't know what to think to herself except, why were they all here?! Her heart was expecting Sweetie Belle and maybe Rarity, but Applejack and Applebloom? Not a chance! She didn't really feel nervous anymore though. Was this...maybe a good thing that it was these three instead of Sweetie Belle? Was this another way to avoid the truth coming out? Scootaloo didn't know for sure, but she was going to take this opportunity, and use it in that manor. "H-hey guys." She smiled cheekily as she walked a little further into the shop. Far enough to shut the door behind her that is. "Scootaloo! What brings you here?" Applebloom came over to the pegasus. Her yellow eyes were filled with concern, but a hint of relief as well. "I...uh..." "Don't worry darling! You're not in trouble with me." Rarity threw a hoof in the air as if she felt flattered for some reason. She smiled at the orange filly like she were trying to be reassuring or something. "Oh...that's....good..." Scootaloo decided to play along, though she wasn't really sure why Rarity would be mad at her...unless....it was about making Sweetie Belle cry!! Did Applebloom tell them?! As if the yellow filly could read her mind, she turned back to Scootaloo and gave her a sympathetic smile. Scootaloo knew now that she most likely told them....everything! Scootaloo wasn't very happy about it, but for the time being she pushed that aside. She just wanted to know what was going on here. It didn't seem like just a simple get together. If it were, Sweetie Belle would be here too to keep Applebloom company. "Um...so....what's....going on around here?" She wasn't sure if she should have been so forward about it or not, but it was too late to take back her words. "Well...." Applebloom looked up in thought. She was trying to think of a good excuse, just like Scootaloo was earlier. "No need to tell no lies." Applejack walked behind Applebloom and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I wasn't gonna' tell no lie. I was just gonna'...." "Not tell the whole truth?" Applejack looked to her little sister who was now crouching down in shame. "Oh please. Don't make her feel so bad about it." Rarity pranced over to include herself into the circle that was now being created around Scootaloo, or so it seemed. "What I mean to say is....it's about Sweetie Belle." Applebloom looked back to Scootaloo who was now doing the crouching. She knew this was coming....but why so soon?! "Oh....wh-what about her...?" Scootaloo tried to make a playful laugh as if nothing were wrong, but she knew she was bad at doing that. "We thought maybe y'all would know, sugarcube." Applejack had a remorseful look upon her face as if she were feeling Scootaloo's guilt for her. Scootaloo knew that everypony here already knew what she did, but for some reason, she wasn't able to just admit to it and tell them herself... "I...uh....don't really know what you're talking about..." She turned her head away casually to avoid all their darting eyes. "Then why did she run off cryin'?" Applebloom asked. "I don't know! She's...such a baby!" Scootaloo regretted those words the moment they left her lips. "I say! Don't say such things. You should know she is very tenderhearted." Rarity lifted a hoof in defense of her little sisters honor. "Yeah, Scootaloo! That wasn't very nice." Applebloom turned away from her friend. "Now y'all shouldn't go around sayin' things like that about your friends." Applejack added. Scootaloo felt as if they were all ganging up on her, but truly....she deserved it and she knew it too, but she just couldn't stand it anymore. All of their stares and all of their blaming was eating her alive. She just couldn't take being scolded by them all at the same time like this anymore. She needed to get out of here. She needed to escape these ponies! "Now I just don't know when little Sweetie Belle will ever return to me." Rarity lifted a handkerchief to her face melodramatically. She sniffled a bit and it got Scootaloo's attention. "Wait...what?!" The pegasus forgot about their scolds long enough to face Rarity with disbelief. "She never came home when she ran off at the clubhouse..." Applebloom looked up with sorrowful eyes at the news that she had just recently learned when coming over to the boutique with Applejack. Rarity had been expecting Sweetie Belle anytime then, but when Applebloom and Applejack arrived with the story of Sweetie Belle running off, Rarity realized that she must have ran away as well. Scootaloo's heart sank with this information that she had just obtained. It was worse than she had ever imagined. It was not just a situation that she had made Sweetie Belle cry anymore, it was now that she had made Sweetie Belle run away from home! There was no telling where she was now! And it was all Scootaloo's fault! The filly looked around at the ponies near her. Applebloom was covering her head on the ground. Applejack was laying a sisterly hoof upon Applebloom's back in comfort, and Rarity was tearing up at the very thought of her missing little sister. Applejack tried to reach of hoof to her as well, but she was having trouble tending to both ponies at once. All of this was Scootaloo's fault. She had caused trouble for not just Sweetie Belle and herself, but Applebloom, Applejack, and Rarity herself! All of this heartache was all on her! Her little heart raced as she glanced again at the two moping ponies and their comforter. She looked around them quickly. Her eyes darting from one corner to the other. Now was her chance! Scootaloo swiftly turned around and opened the door. She jolted out before anypony could stop her and she ran off in the direction of the only place left she would feel comfort herself... Home. --- Her run didn't feel at all as long as it truly was. She was in front of the cottage before she even knew it. Her little hooves had taken her farther than they had ever taken her before, or faster than they had ever taken her before. She tried to catch her breath as she sat on the steps for a few moments. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she felt dizzy as she tried to look up. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the door to the home she had known for quite some time now. This was the only place where she ever felt comfortable. This was the only place she was ever able to call home, and the two residing in it were the only two that she had ever truly felt the warmth of love from. Yes. Her mothers. Scootaloo had been living under Fluttershy's and Rainbow Dash's wings for three years now. She always loved every waking day she was able to spend with them and she felt so proud that she was able to call them hers. She couldn't imagine life without them, for she had forgotten what it was like before they came into her life and gave her the love that they had poured into her. It wasn't only that they were caring and kind, that was usually Fluttershy's job. She was the loving mother. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof was the awesome mother! It wasn't that Rainbow wasn't loving or Fluttershy wasn't awesome, but Scootaloo liked to give them their own type of "motherhood." Rainbow Dash was the cool mother that would take Scootaloo to games and try to teach her how to fly type of mother, while Fluttershy was the tender mother that would feed her and tuck her into bed at night and sing to her. Most fillies and colts wouldn't have this opportunity. To have two totally different mothers. But Scootaloo was one of the lucky ones. She got to have them both. Her heart started to slow down as she began to think of the love that was behind this very door. The comfort that was awaiting her when she entered inside. All day, she wanted to come here and talk to Rainbow Dash about what all had happened that day, but she never felt like it was the right time. But now that she was standing in front of her home, she wished that she would have come sooner. It was always the right time to come to Rainbow Dash, but she hadn't realized that earlier. She got up from sitting and opened the door of the cottage. She looked inside, but it seemed empty. "Rainbow? Fluttershy?" Scootaloo walked inside and shut the door behind her. She saw Angel Bunny hop along from the kitchen and into the living room. She smiled at the rabbit as she turned her head to the kitchen that he had came from. "Scootaloo?" The filly hurried and ran to the kitchen to see somepony she had never expected to be in the kitchen alone. Rainbow Dash was closing the fridge as she took a bottle of water and set it on the table. "What's up kiddo? It's kind of early for you to be home, isn't it?" Rainbow went over to the filly and ruffled her mane with her hoof. Scootaloo almost felt better with the single touch. "Maybe.." She turned her head away from Rainbow's pink eyes. "Why aren't you out there trying to be awesome like me?" Rainbow pointed a hoof at herself and cackled to her own enjoyment. She lifted the bottle from the table and twisted the lid off and lifted it to her lips. "I'm...sorry..." Scootaloo lowered her head now. She could feel the pain coming back even though Rainbow was here. "Oh, I'm just messing with you. You can be awesome any time you want!" Rainbow winked and then gulped down the water that was in the bottle. "Not...really...." It was all over now. She could feel it coming. She couldn't stop it... Rainbow Dash lowered the bottle as she finally realized Scootaloo was acting strange. She was never this quiet around her and she always had a smile on her face at home. "Hey! What's wrong, sport?" Rainbow put the bottle back down on the table and turned her body to Scootaloo in concern. Her eyes shimmered as she waited for a reply. Scootaloo couldn't open her mouth. She had her eyes clenched tightly together and her lips were stuck. Her heart pounded as she felt it was coming. She didn't want to. She was too prideful. She especially didn't want to do it in front of Rainbow Dash, but.....she knew.....she couldn't stop it. Not this time. It was too strong.... Rainbow felt a bit afraid from Scootaloo's silence. She was definitely not acting right, not acting like Scootaloo... All was silent....and then....it happened. Scootaloo began to burst out in tears. She had rarely ever cried before, but now was one of those times when she just had to. Rainbow Dash had never seen her cry before either, Fluttershy had, but only when she had gotten hurt really bad one time. Neither of them had ever seen her cry because of her feelings, and she was afraid that Rainbow wouldn't take it very well because Rainbow wasn't really the kind of pony to care for that kind of thing unless it came to Fluttershy. Scootaloo was afraid that Rainbow would be mad at her for being so weak. For crying because of another filly, but she couldn't stop it from flowing. Her eyes were swelling as the tears continued to pour out of her and her wails were unbearable to even her, but she couldn't stop. She felt so embarrassed right now. She felt so alone. She felt like that warmth of love that her mothers had given her were leaving her body and even the presence of Rainbow couldn't stop it from disappearing. But right when Scootaloo felt like there was nothing left for her, when she felt like giving up, she felt arms wrap around her body. Rainbow Dash had began to embrace the crying Scootaloo. She had her arms wrapped around her waist, and her head was resting in her mane. Scootaloo was shocked, but all at the same time she was so very happy. She reached her arms around Rainbow and grabbed onto her mother as tightly as she could. She never wanted to let go. "She! She ran away!!! I--It's.....It's all....m-my f-fault!!!!!" Scootaloo wailed into Rainbow's ears, however, Rainbow only tightened her grip around the crying filly. "I....I.....I love her, Rainbow Dash!!! I love her!!!" Scootaloo screamed. She couldn't stop herself, it was overwhelming. Rainbow held her daughter close as she let Scootaloo let out all of her sorrows onto her. Scootaloo didn't even notice that she had finally told the truth...