Knock, Knock, Knock
Three soft taps sounded at the door belonging to a cottage located on the outskirts of Ponyville, audibly dampened out by the thickness of the door.
Within the passing of a few moments of waiting, the door creaked open softly to reveal a smiling pegasus pony with a long, curtain of pink mane, a yellow coat resembling butter, and a tri-pink butterfly cutie mark. With happy, turquoise eyes, the pony greeted the two in front of her.
''Oh, good morning, Rainbow.'' She said with a smile, finding that beside her rainbow-maned friend was another pony, a filly with a vibrant orange coat and purple mane, with eyes to match. ''And you, too, Scootaloo.'' Scootaloo smiled back and waved her uninjured hoof in greeting. ''What can I do for you?''
''Morning, Fluttershy. Don't suppose you have a moment?'' Rainbow asked.
''Sure. Something the matter?'' She asked, to which Rainbow dismissively waved her hoof.
''No, no, nothing like that.'' Rainbow lied with half of a heart. ''I was wondering if you were free to watch over Scoot, here, while I go to Sweet Apple Acres to talk with AJ?'' That caught Fluttershy's attention.
With a tentative raise of her eyebrow, she asked, ''Do you mind if I ask why? Nothing bad's happened, has it?'' Fluttershy scanned Rainbow up and down carefully, her thorough eyes taking in every last detail of her figure, especially in her eyes, almost as if she was trying to read her thoughts. She seemed to pay extra attention to both her own and Scootaloo's injuries with curiosity and concern.
A pang of guilt hit the cyan pegasus's heart at know that she was about to lie to one of her most dearest and closest friends. ''Uh...no. N-Nothing's wrong, 'Shy, there's only one thing I need to ask her.'' She said, trying her best to sound not dismissive about the truth, failing miserably in doing so. ''So, can you watch her for a while? I shouldn't take too long. Please?''
Fluttershy took one last scan of Rainbow, detecting her south-ward attitude and demeanor. She knew her friend well enough to know that when she was acting out of the ordinary, but wisely kept quiet, no matter how much she wanted to say something to her.
''Sure, Rainbow.'' She eventually said, her voice remaining casual and smooth. She giggled when Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo's hair with a hoof.
''Be good for her, squirt. I won't take long.'' She said, to which Scootaloo smiled warmly. Before taking her leave for Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow said her goodbyes and thanks to her fellow pegasus.
At the Apple's Farm
Over at the vast, open fields of Sweet Apple Acres, not a single cloud interrupted the peace of the clear skies, the sun providing a comforting warmth over the vibrant green leaves that hung from the many wooden limbs on the trees around the orchard.
The rural area surrounding the land was used to grow various vegetables, ranging from carrots, lettuces and potatoes all the way to the most renowned, delectable apples that the farmers who own the area are well known for.
They have been here ever since the pre-founding period of Ponyville, and the farm house that sits slap-bang in the middle of the land was the first building to exist, a red-bodied, wooden farm house that the residents of the land occupy.
Not far off from the house itself was the barn, of equal colour, with a touch of white paint around the borders and around the grooves on the large doors that allows entry.
One of the owners of this land was Applejack, a friend of Rainbow Dash's that shares an equal reputation for stubbornness and loyalty, yet the most renowned thing she is known for that is signature to her character as a pony is honesty - the exact same as her element: The Element of Honesty.
Currently, Rainbow Dash was making the distant journey all the way from the entrance of the farm's white, wooden entry gate towards the farm house. It made her hooves hurt and ache, sure, but the only thing that made the pain bearable was her thoughts tuning out her senses at what she was here for.
Today, the plan of the rainbow-maned pegasus was to live up to her own Element, seeking to find the truth of what she found out the night before from her sister, Scootaloo. What itched in the back of her mind was the ignorance of the knowledge of the situation with the filly. Applejack gave the clubhouse where she used to hang around as a kid to the Crusaders, whom also all hang around in said clubhouse, so how can they not notice anything amiss with their friend?
With that thought in mind, along with a slight burn of anger in her veins, Rainbow Dash arrived at the porch of the farm house. With a knock to the door, she heard the voice of none other than Granny Smith call to her to come inside. Upon entering the house, lightly closing the door behind her, Rainbow felt the never-ending homely atmosphere surround her in all of its warmth.
Not only were the family known for their mastery in baking and cider brewing, they were also holders of their current reputation around town because of their kindness and welcoming gestures to everypony.
Currently, the residents of the household were Big Macintosh, the older, bigger brother of the family that normally tends to the orchards during harvest time, Applejack, the second oldest sibling to Big Mac, whom also works the fields, and Apple Bloom, the baby of the family. While she wasn't actually a baby, she was still a foal, of around fourteen, a year older than Scootaloo was. Granny Smith is the 'adoptive mother' of the three siblings and original descendant of the first Apple Family members that inhabited the land. She's the one whom took care of the three during the harsh period of their parents passing.
The living room of the farm house was decorated with contrasting, medium-dark beige wooden planks that ran halfway up the walls before it transitioned into green wallpaper with small, white markings and curls on it. The floors on the interior also shared the same aspect of wooden planks.
It was clear that the house was old from a single glance on the inside, yet, by well-kept maintenance work, it looked as if it has just had a fresh lick of paint applied to its body. From this, anypony that ever laid eyes on it would know right away that the Apple's are very fluent in maintenance and repairs.
Granny Smith, an elderly, green coated and white-haired mare with a pie for a cutie mark and a red-apple-on-yellow knot scarf, smiled invitingly at recognizing the visitor of her home as Rainbow Dash. She beckoned her to come inside and greeted her from her rocking chair across from the entrance of the home.
''Well, howdy, there, young'n. Not seen you in a Timberwolf's age. What brings ya here?'' She inquired, still holding her warm smile. Rainbow gave a low chuckle.
''Hey, Granny. I was looking for Applejack.'' Rainbow said, to which Granny's amber eyes brightened.
''Of course, deary, your friend's in the kitchen.'' Granny said with a motion of a hoof to the right, pointing towards an archway that led to the kitchen area of the building where a table and chairs were set out, of a size approximately enough to accommodate around six or seven ponies.
''Thanks, Granny.'' Rainbow nodded her head in thanks and headed off towards the kitchen area of the house where Applejack was coming into view from a short ways from the dining area. She was tending to something on the stove, and from the sweet, tangy aroma that filled the air and drifted into Rainbow's snout, she knew right away what she was doing. Cider.
The fresh, sweet and slightly tangy juice from the apples that were freshly bucked from the trees in the orchard were being used to prepare the delectable beverage, their scent hanging in the room. It practically danced around Rainbow, almost teasingly.
Shrugging it off and forcing herself to block out the smell, Rainbow set herself to carry out her reasons for being here. She needed to talk to the orange farmpony, and now was going to be the soonest she knew she was going to get to do so.
''Applejack?'' Rainbow called, seeing her ear twitch in acknowledgement of her name being called. ''Can we talk?'' From her position at the stove in the kitchen, Applejack was stirring the cider mixture around with a wooden spoon, allowing the brew to incorporate its signature flavour. However,after hearing her friend call her name, she gently slowed down and stopped stirring and released the spoon, allowing it to rest against the side of the pot it was being used in.
Turning to face her rainbow-maned friend, Applejack smiled her signature smile and pushed up her trade-mark, brown Stetson from her brows to her forehead. Rainbow, however, did not. As a matter of fact, she looked to be angry. Although, not too much that she was conjuring up steam from her ears and nostrils. The emotion that Applejack could sense the most of from her was in her eyes. She knew right away what it was. It was hurt. Pure hurt.
''Howdy, Rainbow.'' She greeted, meeting eyes with the frowning pegasus. ''Uh...something wrong, sugarcube?''
Before Rainbow could answer, the voices of two ponies outside the kitchen area could be heard, getting louder and louder as they gradually became closer. With both Applejack and Rainbow turning their heads to face the source of the voices as they entered the kitchen, they saw that it was none other than fellow Crusaders, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
They both stopped their conversation and remained still when they saw the expression on both other present pony's faces. Apple Bloom raised a brow in concern at her older sister.
''Applejack? What's goin' on?'' She asked, looking between the two, and then at Sweetie whom simply gave a left-shouldered shrug.
Of all the times...
A calm, firm appearance made its presence in the emerald eyes of Applejack, and she gently brushed her orange fur at her shoulder very briefly.
''Don't worry, sis, nothing's wrong. Rainbow just came to ask me something.'' She said, her voice calm and measured. ''Why don't you go up to your room or go outside while we talk, sugarcube?''
That didn't settle well to the younger earth pony's ears. Never ever has Applejack, her older sister, ever requested her to vacate to her room like this. Not once, unless something was very wrong, or there was some kind of emergency taking place.
With a tentative glace to each other, both Sweetie and Apple Bloom shared uncertain expressions, brows raised. Since they were kids, their curiosity easily takes charge of their brains, much like when the smell of cookies infiltrates their muzzles, they want to go straight for it. It acts as a form of kid-nectar.
However, in this case, neither one of the young fillies was naive enough to be dismissive to the fact that something was indeed wrong.
''S-Sure...'' They both agreed in unison, their voices slow as they glanced over to find that worrysome glint in Rainbow's eyes as they back-peddled out of the room slowly.
It wasn't too soon that the two heard soft creaking of ascending hooves on the stairs and the follow-up of a door closing with an audible but not loud resonating bang.
Turning back to face her loyal friend, Applejack regained a worried and inquiring appearance. ''Dash? What's troublin' ya?'' She asked, waiting in a patient suspense. To her surprise, the angry gleam in Dash's eyes transformed into an inquisitive glare that bored into AJ's eyes like a drill made of brain-searching nanites, rummaging for an answer.
''Did you know?'' Is all Rainbow said, her voice low and almost quiet. This seemed to catch the farm pony completely off guard, and she visibly flinched back a little at the unusual tone her friend has adopted.
She took a step forward, leaving Applejack no choice but to back into the stove, rump-first and leaving her no place to go.
Rainbow was now only a short length off making contact with her muzzle, now. She could practically smell and feel her warm, off-minty breath.
''Did. You. Know?'' She asked again, clearly dressed in angry anticipation for a response.
Confusion built itself up even further in the back of Applejack's mind. She had know idea what her friend meant by those words. Know of what? Something she wasn't aware of? She truly had no idea what was going on, right now.
''Kn-Know what, Rainbow?'' She asked, gently pressing a hoof to Rainbow's breast, lightly pushing her back so that she could stand up straight again. Thankfully obliging, but still keeping hold of her posture, Dash continued to stare into AJ's emerald eyes.
''Did you know about Scootaloo?'' She asked, this time being the very last. Applejack's ear twitched.
''Uh...N-No?'' She eventually responded, her voice slow. This seemed to grind the pegasus's gears. ''What exactly do ya'll mean? Ah still don't get whatcha tryin' ta say, Dash.''
''You're going to tell me you had no idea, none what so ever? Even after the past couple years, you're still gonna tell me you had not the slightest clue?'' Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes at the orange mare, finding herself unable to believe her.
''About what?!'' Applejack said firmly and confusedly. She had no idea what was wrong with her friend or what she was accusing her of lacking knowledge for, but she could, however, read that something has upset her, and deeply, at that. ''What's wrong with ya, girl? What's gotten ya'll upset all o' a sudden?''
At that, Rainbow seemed to lose some of the anger that was burning behind her magenta orbs and a hint of calmness took place. It wasn't usual for her, seeing as she usually put up a defense for her egotistical and tomboyish personality whenever she was challenged, but for this, there was simply no need to be the stubborn one. Especially when it was related to her sister's well-being.
''What's the matter is that I found my sister alone in the hospital a couple days ago! She was hurt and upset!'' Rainbow said, almost gritting her teeth. Applejack's face took a twist of shock and worry at the news, her eyes becoming softer.
''Scoots was in the hospital? Alone?'' Rainbow nodded. ''Well, where was the filly's Ma and Pa? Are ya'll meanin' to tell me that a young filly, hurt and upset, was all on her lonesome in the hospital, not a trace of a guardian?'' She asked, feeling a pang in her heart.
All Rainbow Dash could do was look down for a brief second, remembering that day. ''I found her because I was there for my accident.'' Dash leaned her body to Applejack, with her injured and bandaged wing held securely to it, showing it to her. She gave a slight cringe at the sight, yet couldn't help but give a quiet chuckle.
''Good gravy, girl, you're practically a full-time patient at that hospital with alla those fancy tricks and whatnot.'' She grimaced lightly at the stitches above Rainbow's collar when she caught glimpse of them. ''Ah really wish ya'll would be more careful when yer flyin'.'' She said lowly. Rainbow ignored it.
''I don't get it AJ. My little sister has a broken hoof she supposedly got from practicing tricks on her scooter, manages to find her way to the hospital, and where are her parents? Worst yet, she won't tell me about them! Heck, I've barely ever seen them in all the time I've known the kid!'' Rainbow wiped a hoof to her eye. ''I feel so useless...''
A light and delicate hoof touched against Rainbow's chin and raised her head. Meeting Applejack's eyes, she found a sense of tranquil, although, it didn't do much for her troubled mind.
''Ya'll ain't useless, Rainbow. Now, why would ya'll go an' think like that?'' A sigh escaped Rainbow and she used what strength she had in her to keep her posture from letting her confident side drop. Some of her previous anger found its way back into her voice when she next spoke.
''How did you not know, AJ? About the clubhouse? How did you not have the slightest clue that Scootaloo, my sister, and yours and Rarity's sisters' best friends not know that she was sleeping in their clubhouse!? HOW?!''
The gears in Applejack's mind could practically be heard grinding as she tried to process this new information that was brought into the light. All she could do was stare with wide eyes at her rainbow-maned friend, her blood seemingly running cold with shock and concern. Scootaloo? Living in the Crusaders' clubhouse? By the name of Princess Celestia, Applejack hoped she had heard that wrong.
She didn't have a clue what to say. Heck, she could barely even think at this moment. She took a good few minutes in regaining her composure. Turning her back towards Dash for a moment to switch off the stove and save the cider from becoming ruined, she took off her Stetson hat and placed it to her chest as she turned back to face Rainbow, a sad expression plastered upon her face and eyes. Looking past the sadness behind her eyes, Dash could find what was known as truthfulness in her intentions.
''S-Sugarcube, Ah swear that Ah didn' have a clue as to what's goin' on with Scoots. That is the honest truth.'' She said, lightly popping her Stetson back atop her head and mane, pushing it back a little. Placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder, she could feel her tense beneath her cyan coat. From this, she knew that she was clearly and greatly disturbed, and possibly also feeling helpless: one thing that the normally confident and strong Rainbow Dash wouldn't ever be feeling.
Despite what she may be feeling right now, the emotion that was rising to the surface of her skin the most was anger, something that, throughout the years, Dash has managed to keep herself from exploding with, but under the circumstances of the past couple days to the present, she found herself unable to contain the majority of it.
Applejack saw her lip trembling as a growl emanated from her throat. ''Easy, there, partner. Take it easy.'' She said carefully, unable to make sense of what was rolling around in Rainbow's mind. ''Ya'll need ta chill out. Breathe, Rainbow.''
As Dash moved, she grit her teeth from the stiffness that had built up in her back legs. She turned around, not saying a single word as she made for the backdoor, overlooking the forest area in which the Crusaders' clubhouse was situated. As she left, she didn't bother to close the door, almost as if she was intending and beckoning for Applejack to tail her.
Swallowing a solid lump as heavy as iron in her throat, Applejack breathed out heavily before catching up to her friend, on route to the clubhouse.
The Clubhouse
''Dash! What're ya lookin' for, exactly?'' Applejack called to the pony in front of her, only just steps away from entering the clubhouse, her hoof contacting the door a brief moment before she pushed it open and entered. The farm pony sighed, shaking her head in bemusement. ''Land sakes...'' She muttered, making her own way up to the clubhouse by trotting up the painted, green wooden planks.
Upon entering the clubhouse herself, she found that Rainbow Dash was inspecting every last gap, wall and floor and tabletop in the small, wooden room, thoroughly skimming through what she could in hopes of finding trace, hair or tail of evidence that Scootaloo was here recently.
At the back of the room, a small, dark-wooded podium about the size of a foal stood, with the Cutie Mark Crusader logo carved onto it within a shield. At this point, Dash was acting like a bloodhound, sniffing and snooping around for even the smallest evidence of existence of an item or anything with Scootaloo's mark on it.
Tapping her hooves around the podium as if she was Daring Do about to take the Sapphire Stone, Dash peered behind it, finding a small shelf built into the middle of it, two medium-sized storage compartments visible, one above, one below. The top shelf held nothing of interest or anything that may trail back to Scootaloo, but the bottom shelf, however, did have something. Or rather, two things.
A red and gold CMC cape and a sleeping bag, the same one that Rainbow recognized from their trip to Rainbow Falls some time ago.
Bingo.
With a caring hoof, Rainbow took possession of the two items, looking them over. First, she held the cape up in her hooves. Under and over, she checked it, from the blue and yellow CMC badges on the sides, and eventually to the right side of the cape, where a small tear was visible. If she could recall correctly, Fluttershy was babysitting the three Crusaders one night as they had plans for a sleepover at Rarity's boutique, but she offered them a place at her cottage because of Rarity having a large order to complete by the next morning.
Apparently, from what she heard about the ordeal, the three of them went out after one of Fluttershy's chickens after it got out of the pen and into the Everfree Forest. During their chase, one of the capes got torn on a fence pole, and that cape was Scootaloo's.
Yet, despite acknowledgement of this, it didn't prove that Scootaloo has been sleeping here. The only other object that Rainbow had to redeem her answer was the sleeping bag.
''Rainbow!'' Applejack said, coming through the door and closing it behind her. ''Do ya'll mind explainin' what yer lookin' for in here?'' She inquired, a confused and stern expression carved onto her features, her lips turned down in a frown.
Rainbow simply ignored her and unfurled the sleeping bag, upon doing so, spotting something made out of paper drop out of it as the folds flattened out.
Applejack seemed to notice, too, sharing a confused and curious glance with Rainbow. The two blinked at the item on the floor.
It was a book. A diary. (At least, from what they could tell.). It was hard-backed and dark royal-purple in colour, the cover marked with the word 'Diary' on the upper-middle, white in colour and in a bold, standard font.
The world seemed to hang on in their shared suspense as Dash reached out a hoof and picked up the small, hard-backed diary in her hooves. Applejack joined her, positioning herself on her haunches beside Rainbow, both fixated on the book.
Pushing the cover so that it turned and flopped, revealing the inside page, Rainbow found exactly what she was looking for:
Scootaloo's Diary
Please do NOT touch!
It was just the very thing that Rainbow Dash had hoped of finding, and if anything was going to give her any answers to her own questions about her sister, this had to be it.
With another turn of the page, both friends found that the date in the top left of the corner read August 7th, entered last year. The current date was May 12th
...It seems like I've been here forever. Sometimes, I wonder if they left me because of me. What kind of parents could like me, never mind love me? Being home never feels the same, anymore. I never want to see it again. The last time I was home, it was only to get a few things of mine. My sleeping bag, my scooter, my Crusader's cape and this diary.
Continuing reading the text, both mares could clearly make out what looked to be small, splotches that were unmistakably from tear drops, scattered about the page in various areas, some even smudging the writing a little.
I don't know if I should tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle about it, or if I ever will. I guess they might figure it out for themselves, one day. So far, I don't think they know, or if they chose not to say anything, but ever since leaving home for good, I'm now living in this clubhouse. It's the only place that makes me feel safe and happy.
Applejack gasped in horror at what she was reading. The same could not be said about Rainbow Dash.
She kept re-reading that line; I wonder if they left because of me. What kind of parents could like me, never mind love me? It made her heart sting intensely. The typical reaction of anypony that would steel themselves to read such a thing would feel disheartened, but this was Rainbow Dash.
She didn't feel sad or doleful, nor did she feel angry. She felt disgusted.
Never has she ever read nor heard anything like this before! It made her feel sick to her stomach. Her parents abandoned her. They shirked her. Out of the blue. Just like that. Left her to fend for herself, alone and scared, without any sort or type of reason as to why they simply up-and-left. It's...
''Sugarcube?'' Rainbow Dash felt cold and clammy, despite the warmth inside the clubhouse, as Applejack found out when she wrapped her hoof around the back of Rainbow's neck. She pressed her cheek into her friend's own cheek as she remained still. The concern she held in her mind for her friend cancelled out her own rocky thoughts.
''Why're ya'll going through Scoot's stuff?'' A voice said from the doorway of the clubhouse. When both mares looked up from the book, they saw that the owner of the voice was Apple Bloom. On her face, she wore a worried expression. Behind her, Sweetie Belle could be seen, sporting the same expression as her fellow Crusader.
''Apple Bloom! Ya'll mind tellin' me why ya'll were standin' in the doorway?'' Applejack asked, getting up and scowling at both her sister and Sweetie. The two backed up a few paces as the orange farm pony approached, ears plopping back guiltily.
''A-Ah wasn' snoopin', AJ, honest.'' Apple Bloom said, feeling dwarfed beneath her older sister's gaze. ''We were jus' curious! All Ah heard was somethin' about Scoots!'' She admitted, feeling tiny and scared from that scolding glare in Applejack's eyes.
''Ya'll shouldn'ta heard nothin', you two! It's not the kinda thing for youngun's like yourselves ta get into.'' She said with a disapproving frown.
''Sorry, sis...Ah didn't mean nothin' bad...'' Apple Bloom whimpered slightly.
''Y-Yeah...sorry, Applejack.'' Sweetie apologized, feeling ashamed.
Applejack dropped her glare down to a soft, neutral expression. ''Apology accepted, girls.'' She turned back towards Rainbow, seeing that she was looking over the diary entry again. She only looked up after a few moments of finishing a sentence she was reading to face the two other Crusaders.
She pulled herself up, gritting her teeth at the pain in her legs, eventually getting herself onto all fours and placing the diary on top of the podium before she hobbled towards the girls.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie watched her limp slightly, concerned when they saw the stitches and bandages, but even more so at that glare in her eyes. That was never a good thing, especially in Rainbow's case.
''You didn't know, either?'' Rainbow Dash said simply, her tone of voice failing to hide any and all traces of her irritation and low-boiling anger. The two girls flinched at her voice. They looked as if they would rather try and speak to a Timberwolf than to Dash when she was angry.
''K-Know what?'' Apple Bloom asked innocently, although cautious.
''About Scootaloo! Did any of you know that she was here?! Sleeping and living in this clubhouse?!'' She glowered, ignoring the ache in her shoulder and legs from her tensed muscles. ''Tell me!''
''Rainbow! Knock it off! Don't talk to my sister or her friends like that!'' Applejack warned in an even bigger scowl, her face contorted in a frown of anger towards the pegasus. ''You're scaring them!'' She motioned a hoof to the shaking and whimpering fillies.
Rainbow only turned around with an audible grunt, approaching the podium and collecting the diary, followed by the other items belonging to Scootaloo, barely wasting any time in storming through the door in a huff and down the ramp. In any other circumstance, her exit would have been executed with a lightning-speed bolt of wing power that launched her out of sight in an instant, but given that she couldn't actually fly at the moment, she couldn't exactly do that for the time being.
''Applejack? What...what was t-that all about?'' Sweetie Belle asked through her shock. Applejack could only frown, herself still uncertain about the whole ordeal with the pegasus and the situation with Scootaloo.
''Ah have no idea, sugarcube. Ah've got no idea.'' She said quietly, watching the figure of her pegasus friend walk off into the distance from the doorway of the clubhouse, becoming smaller and smaller. ''No idea, at all.''