“Girls! I thought Magnum told you to go home”! Thunder Runner snapped
“not until we know that our friend is okay”! Apple Bloom defiantly retorted, her eyes beginning to fill with tears, Thunder Runner was in no mood to argue, he just turned away just in time to see the police and now nurse Red Heart wheel the covered body out and load it into the ambulance “Thunder, please tell me that is not Scootaloo, please tell me its not” Apple Bloom begged tears now falling freely down her face
“girls I’m sorry but it is” Thunder Runner announced sadly, trying not to let the girls see his own tears, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom broke down totally, trying to talk but coming up with anything coherent, Thunder Runner put foreleg around them and just let them cry, while he silently let his own tears fall “girls I think its time you got home now” Thunder Runner suggested, the girls just nodded, still to upset to speak.
The girls had decided that neither of them wanted to be alone tonight, so they stopped at the Carousel Boutique and Sweetie Belle explained what had happened today and Rarity was more than happy to agree to let Sweetie Belle stay over at Sweet Apple Acres, on the way back, both ponies who were still both visibly upset ran into Rainbow Dash who was obviously concerned about the two younger sisters of her best friends “girls, what’s wrong”?
“Scootaloo is dead” Apple Bloom sobbed, her voice hollow and empty
“oh my, what happened? I’m sorry girls” Rainbow replied sincerely
“it was her mother, she had been beating her and today she killed her” Apple Bloom cried, Rainbow Dash went pale and quiet as a memory began to replay in her mind.
FLASHBACK
Rainbow Dash was on her way to Sugar Cube Corner to meet up with Pinkie Pie when she heard a quiet sobbing coming from the alley, she walked over to the opening and called out, she waited for a few seconds and heard some sniffing but no reply, she was about to turn back and continue on her way when out from behind some crates walked Scootaloo “oh hey Rainbow Dash” she greeted glumly
“what’s wrong kiddo”? Rainbow asked, concerned at the upset look on the little fillies face
“n-n-nothing” Scootaloo stuttered, hoping Rainbow would just drop it
“Scoots, you’re obviously upset, now tell me what’s wrong, you know you can trust me” Rainbow Dash smiled at her young friend
“I can’t tell you, I really can’t” Scootaloo told her, getting distressed as Rainbow kept trying to push the issue
“is it school? Are you getting bullied”? Rainbow asked, trying to gather some clue as to why Scootaloo is so upset “you can trust me, I promise I wont say anything, infact I Pinkie promise it” Rainbow smiled as she acted out the Pinkie promise, Scootaloo giggled
“I am being bullied” she admitted “but….” she was about to continue and confess all about her mothers abuse of her when she was suddenly cut off by a high pitch
“RAINBOW DASH”.
Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo with a look of guilt in her eyes, “kid, I am really sorry but I gotta shoot, come and find me later and I swear that we’ll talk and you’ll be okay again after” Rainbow Dash apologised
“okay, I guess I’ll see you later” Scootaloo sighed dejectedly, Rainbow Dash looked sadly back over her shoulder at the lonely figure of Scootaloo, hunched over trying to keep warm as the weather in Ponyville was beginning to turn colder, Rainbow ran off and quickly found Pinkie “hey Pinkie, listen I’m really sorry about this but I can’t hang out with you right now, there’s something more important I need to do first” she explained “but I promise we’ll hang out tomorrow, but this is just something I have to do” she added before running off without giving Pinkie time to answer.
She made it back to the alley way in seconds “hey Scootaloo, come out and we’ll have that talk now” she called out, she waited, but this time there was no reply, no sniffing, no noise what so ever, the alley way was completely deserted, Rainbow knew that what Scootaloo wanted to tell her was something and important and she was angry and disappointed with herself for not staying with her to listen to her “Some Element of Loyalty I am huh” she scolded herself before going back out of the alley to search for Scootaloo.
Rainbow Dash snapped back to reality with a heavy heart and a huge lump in her throat that she couldn’t get rid of, no matter what she tried “girls get home now, this is no time for you two to be on your own” Rainbow choked, she watched the girls make their way back to Sweet Apple Acres before flying off into the sky, heading for a lone cloud on the edge of the Everfree Forrest.
“this is all my fault” Rainbow told herself “if I’d had just stuck around and listened to her, I’m sure that is what she was going to tell me” she summarised “why did I have to be so selfish”? she asked nopony “this is all my fault, cause I was to selfish to listen to her” she choked, letting her tears fall down her cheeks. “I let her down” she stated, guilt consuming her entire body.