The next morning was quiet. The grass outside of Twilight's home was wet with dew. misty and foggy, providing moisture to the wings of Anemone and Amaryllis, content with hanging upside down in their tree. It was comfortable. Nice and cool in this warm air. Just how hey like it. The glass sliding door slid open before Twilight stepped out, wearing a pair of red pajamas with puppies on them that Rainbow Dash would call cute. Hopefully she wasn't around, Twilight would turn into a cherry. She slipped her glasses on her face and looked up at the gray pods hanging from the tree. One of them shifted and moved a little, causing a family of squirrels to peek their heads out and spy at their own surroundings. The two thestrals were already awake, just not registering anything. Like there was absolutely nothing else in the world.
Once Twilight was comfortable, she lifted her hand and called, "Alright, girls! Come down and have breakfast!"
Amaryllis groaned before letting herself drop, like a giant gray. Spanning her wings, she flipped through the air and landed on her feet. Anemone did the same thing and landed next to her sister to get the aches and pains out of their bones. They were a little stiff from shrouding themselves in a cocoon-like state for around eleven hours. And Anemone was still a little bruised from the fight with Celestia. Twilight made a note to call Fluttershy over later to get a look at her. She was the more experienced one than any of them when it came to other beings. Let alone anything that had wings. Even bats.
Twilight turned around and led them through the patio doors into living room, quiet and silent. Twilight truly relished living in the house by herself. While Shining Armor enjoyed music and stuff to get him moving in the morning, it disturbed Twilight to no end. So much so that she just uses a pair of earphones to block out the noise as much as she can.
She led them across the carpeted floor to the front door. Then turned a sudden left in to the kitchen. While they got comfortable at the clean wooden table, Twilight walked towards the counter directly across and explained, "Since you guys don't eat meat, I just made you a veggie sandwich. It looks like meat, but there is actually no meat in it. Just tofu."
Anemone and Amaryllis shared a glanced before Twilight slid two plates their way across the table. Stopping right at their hands. It looked like a sandwich but had a weird piece of pink in between the two buns. Twilight sat down across from them and watched Amaryllis lean over to take a loud whiff. Were their noses different too? She was truly fascinated by the way Thestrals were made. She talked with Sunset on the subject before who said they lived out in the abandoned and deserted parts of Equestria. Which meant they had different survival functions. Different ways hey did things. Including smell. I would make sense for them to take big whiffs like that. It'd be hard to tell the difference between dirt and what they were actually looking for if everything was made out of dirt.
Amaryllis sat back and pointed to the sandwich with a skeptical look on her face and asked, "Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that's not meat?"
"Positive. I read the box." Twilight picked up a nearby box off the counter behind her and read the ingredients out loud. After she was finished, she looked up to see Anemone poking at the sandwich and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, just eat it."
They glanced up at her before they timidly picked up the sandwiches and hesitated. Amaryllis, deciding to take the plunge, took a huge bite. She chewed it slowly before shrugging and taking another. "It's... Good," she decided. Anemone looked over before taking a small bite out of her own, eyes widening in surprise.
"See? Nothing to be afraid of." Twilight grabbed her own sandwich while they ate, preparing to tell them her plan.
After swallowing, Amaryllis smirked and asked, "So... What are you doing today, Twi? Going to see Rainbow?"
Going to see Rainbow? What did Amaryllis know about relationships? Speaking of, she recently told them to go and have sex. What did she know about that? According to Sunset the freshman of Canterlot High would be fillies and colts in Equestria. So like older than three and younger than eight. So how did Amaryllis know about this stuff? "How old are you?" She asked seriously.
Amaryllis took a bite and answered, "In Equestria, I was ten."
"And you're talking like you're sixteen," Anemone added. She shook her head and asked, "And just how do you know about sex?"
"Come on, I'm ten, not five." She took another bit out of her sandwich then set it down so she could face her sister. "I'm pretty sure I know how foals are made. I knew when I was three."
"And who taught you that at THAT age?!" Rainbow asked incredulously. Twilight also wanted to know that.
"Ummm... Me." She took two more bites out of her sandwich, making sure her mouth was full to keep her from saying anything else.
"Yeah, we're definitely not done with this conversation, swallow your food." Amaryllis pouted before doing what she asked. "Now... It hurt me a lot when I wasn't able to be in your life while we were in Equestria, and it's a relief I am now. But... Who exactly took you in? I didn't actually leave you on a doorstep."
Amaryllis shook her head and answered, "I'm not quite sure." Twilight stood across from the two of them to go to the fridge, listening closely. "I was... Umm..." She tapped her fingers nervously together.
"You were what?" Amaryllis didn't say anything. "Amaryllis?...Who took you in?"
After Twilight got her drink she turned around to face them and listen to Amaryllis' answer. "I'm not really sure. I never got to actually see them. The most I can remember is... Sleeping outside." She said it so quietly, Twillight didn't hear her. And neither did her sister, even with those big ears on that could hear anything.
"What?" Anemone asked timidly.
Twilight looked at Amaryllis intrigued. Who would tell a child, er...filly, about sex at the age of three?
"Sleeping outside."
Anemone placed a hand on her shoulder desperately. "Speak up. I need to know about your living situation. Please tell me."
Amaryllis looked up at her sister worriedly. "Outside. Sleeping outside." Anemone and Twilight gasped and glanced at each other. Then focused back on Amaryllis.
"For how long?"Twilight asked worriedly.
"For as long as I can remember... Since I was two." Both of the girls gawked at her.
Anemone stood up and whispered, obviously upset, "Are you telling me you've slept outdoors in Equestria, in Ponyville, for seven years?! Oh just wait until we get back, I'm wringing Celestia's throat!" Her hands started glowing with magic before she grabbed her sandwich and started back eating, trying to calm her nerves. "I should've known. I should've been there," she scolded around her mouthful.
Amaryllis sighed and watched her sister eat like lightning. In her mind, Anemone was stressing out over nothing. In Anemone's mind, she was worried for her sister's safety. Amaryllis slid out of her seat and placed a hand softly on Anemone's right bicep and cooed, "It's okay. I mean...it wasn't too bad."
Anemone almost choked on her food she swallowed. When she did, she looked down at her appalled. "Not bad? You could've died out there! I would've lost you more than I already did!"
Amaryllis wrapped her arms around Anemone's middled and responded, "But you didn't. I'm alive right here. Right now. Moving, breathing, walking, talking, and unfortunately giving you a hug. You didn't lose me, Anemone." Anemone sighed and looked around the kitchen for a moment. Then decided to hug her back. Tight. There was no way she was getting away with the fact that somepony made her sleep outside, no way.
But she let it be for now. They had to worry about getting home first. She rubbed Amaryllis' back and whispered, "You're right. That doesn't matter right now." She leaned down and gave her sister a kiss on the forehead. "Right now we need to worry about where we are and what to do. We can't just camp out in Twilight's house all day. Shining Armor will be coming home tomorrow. Right, Twilight?"
They directed their vision towards Twilight who was apparently deep in thought. She was leaning with her back against the counter holding her chin with narrowed eyes directed to the floor, rubbing it. Something was wrong. This was big, this was really big. If Equestria's Scootaloo was abandoned, then... Oh no.
Twilight shot her hand into her pocket and whipped out her phone. Then immediately dialed a number. She raised it to her ear and waited for the dial tone to end, eying Amaryllis and Anemone across still wrapped in each other's arms. Cute."Hey, Twilight, what's up?" Rainbow asked. Her voice spooked Twilight a bit.
She shook her head and greeted quickly, "Hey, Rainbow. Look, do you know where Scootaloo lives? I just got a very troubling thought. And news."
"Uhhhh... No, I don't. Why?" Twilight looked at Anemone and Amaryllis in alarm who were sharing the exact same expression. Whatever happens in Equestria happens there as well. Just in a different form. If Amaryllis was sleeping in the streets for years in Equestria, where was Scootaloo sleeping?!
Twilight quickly ordered, "Rainbow, meet me here now. I'll get the others."
Rainbow asked nervously, "Twilight, what's going on?"
"Just get here." Twilight hung up the phone before she could respond. "I really hope what happened to you is not happening to Scootaloo."
~✶~
It didn't take them long to get to the house. Applejack walked in stating she was just relaxing on the porch with nothing to do and Fluttershy was off from Volunteering at the pet shelter today. They would usually call her in and that was on most days when they were busy. According to them from Fluttershy, "She had a special touch."
Once they were all on the couch, Rainbow took in a deep breath and huffed. "Alright, Twi', we're all here. Now what exactly is going on?"
Twilight nodded and turned to Anemone who turned to Amaryllis on her left. "Is it okay if I tell them?" Anemone asked her in a hushed whisper. She may have been the oldest but her sister still had a say so in her business.
"Yeah," she answered sadly. Then shook her head and answered, "I don't see no other option."
Anemone sighed and looked back up towards the group. "This morning, Twilight, Amaryllis, and I were talking about something when the subject of how Amaryllis learned about sex was brought up."
Applejack widened her eyes and began to ask, "What in the—!"
"Anyhow," she continued, cutting off Applejack's inquiry. "I asked my sister about how she learned about it. They just don't have classes in Equestria about intercourse unless the parents sign a permission slip or something else. Well, she said she learned about it at... Three years old." They all looked at her wide-eyed before shifting their sights to Amaryllis, who was rubbing the back of her neck nervously and looking away, avoiding her gaze. "I then asked her who she lived with."
Lived with? Rarity asked, "She didn't live with you?"
"No, she couldn't. Celestia knew that two thestral sisters escaped without parents. If we were living together, she would have known something fishy was going on. I didn't want to leave a single clue. Anyway, I asked her who she lived with and she said she couldn't rightly remember. All she could remember since the age of..."
"Two."
"Two, was that she lived... Outdoors."
"WHAT?!" They all yelled.
Rarity jumped up and yelled, "She's been living on her own?! Couldn't you have done something?!"
"I didn't know, I already feel bad about it, okay?" Anemone retorted.
"But that's not the troubling part," Twilight interjected, grabbing all their attention. Rarity sat back down and focused on her just like everyone else. "Equestria and this city are all part of one thing. It's just in a different view. For instance. Applejack in Equestria lives and owns a farm, same as the Applejack here. Rarity in Equestria does fashion and owns a boutique, like the Rarity here, except you don't own a boutique yet."
"I would like one though," Rarity added, daydreaming.
"And Pinkie Pie here lives in a bakery with the Cake family, just like in Equestria. Right, Anemone?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah."
"So a troubling thought came to me. Everyone in Equestria is in the exact same living situation as the ones here. So what do you think is going on—"
"Are you saying Scootaloo might be living on the streets?!" Rainbow interrupted in horror, standing up abruptly. Twilight nodded slowly. "Well we have to find her! I'm not letting her sleep on the streets like that!" She started making her way towards the door, the others right behind her, determined to find Scootaloo.
Scootaloo was actually walking down one of the less popular streets of downtown Canterlot City, keeping herself out of view of anyone she may recognize. Wearing the same clothes for years that were too small was definitely a big enough clue, she didn't want to see someone familiar looking at her and seeing the rip in her jeans. She had fell out of a tree earlier in the woods where she was living at. It's been like this for years. Before, she was kept in the shack in the backyard by her "parents", although they didn't deserve that title. All they did was give her scraps and keep her in the backyard, practically in a doghouse. No type of warmth. Why and how she was still around was a mystery.
Finally after three more years, when she turned five, she was forced away from the house like an animal. Literally picked up and thrown into a bunch of bushes before they hopped in their car and drove away. That was so long ago. So very long ago. She was fifteen now. Ten years. You never forget something like that. Homeless and digging through trash cans, stealing food, and going through dumpsters. Fighting animals and people. Gross men and boys who thought they could take advantage of her. And did.
She couldn't steal clothes like she could in the past. So she's been wearing the same ones she has now for years. She was wearing an orange shirt, slightly darker than her skin tone. It was really small, exposing part of her scarred stomach covered up by the worn black jacket she was wearing. That was one of the things that kept her as warm as possible during the dangerously cold winters primarily.
At a certain point on the sidewalk, Scootaloo stopped in front of an alley and looked around. Anyone that was in sight weren't paying attention to her. And those that were glanced at her for a fleeting second before moving on, completely oblivious. Taking her chance, Scootaloo ducked into the semi-dark alley and made her way for the dark green dumpster at the end. It may be a dumpster for one. But just like the saying goes: One man's trash is another's treasure. Or something like that.
She squeezed her body in between the wall and the dumpster. Then reached up to grab the black plastic lid and threw it upwards. It was heavy, but it definitely got her what she needed. The inside. Sometimes, there would be a whole meal in there from someone who definitely didn't value the necessities in life. The best one she had before was from Happy Burger. Someone had thrown a whole bag of french fries and a half eaten cheeseburger. She went ahead and ate it. Nothing was perfect, but it kept her going. She needed to brush her teeth sometime. It was difficult doing it at Canterlot High. She was already stealing school.
Scootaloo hasn't been to the doctor in years, any type of doctor. Having barely no information on her own self besides her name, birthday, and age didn't help her get one. Add that to the extreme lack of money and no doctor. The last time she could remember going to the doctor was... Never. In the last ten years. Maybe more. Her jerk of a family probably never actually took her. Of course in the future she would have to talk to somebody about it. But that probably wouldn't happen until she was eighteen or something, based off what she knew now. She could have a life-threatening disease and she wouldn't even know. Nor care. Her life was over once she was thrown in the bushes.
Once the lid was flipped, Scootaloo poked her head in and grimaced. The smell was really bad. Almost causing her to gag. That was what digging through the trash does. But if she wanted to eat, she had no choice. She had to do what she had to do.
Scootaloo jumped inside and began shifting through the bags for something she could eat. Is this what her life would come to? A homeless person? More than likely. At school, she always boasted about having dreams. Goals, skills. Riding her scooter was actually the only thing she was actually really good at. Other than that, nothing.
Eventually she felt something like waffles in one of the wet black trash bags. It more than likely came from the restaurant next door, a breakfast joint. She ripped the bag open, revealing a stack of soggy waffles. Of course, it was in something dirty. Grease. Old grease based on the smell.
Scootaloo sighed before grabbing the stack with her hands, making a face at the stack. She had to do what she had to do. So without further hesitation, she pulled in her lips before opening her mouth and taking a bite. The grease had made the pancake stack bad, and she would more than likely get sick later on, but it was either that or starve for the day.
While she chewed and held own her gag reflex, a few footsteps passed by the alley. Including a voice. "Anything yet?" Scootaloo glanced up at the roof of the dumpster but continued eating. They sounded familiar. Really familiar. Like she just talked to them familiar. Where did she recognize that voice from? "I haven't seen her. I'm getting really worried. Are you certain she could have been living out in the streets like that?" Scootaloo slowly stopped chewing and listened closer.
"Of course, dear." Dear?! That's what Rarity says! What were they talking about? Scootaloo slowly lowered the burger-pancake-trash and stopped her movement. The dumpster was making a few creaks. "Twilight is usually right about everything, darling. If Amaryllis was living like that, I'm sure Scootaloo is as well." Scootaloo gasped. What about her now? They knew about her living situation? How?! That didn't matter right now. Point is they knew or they had suspicions. Oh god, it was all coming back to her. The pain, the suffering, the sorrow of abandonment.
Scootaloo lifted the wet and possibly moldy stack of cakes to her mouth and took another bite when her foot slipped from the wet trash bags she was squatting on, pausing her chewing. She froze. Then glanced down. Was her foot slipping? It slipped some more before she finally fell, sliding down into the muck at the bottom. The impact made a loud crash from some metal cans and more on the inside that caught the attention of Fluttershy and Rarity. The two looked down the alley before glancing at each other. "A cat?" Rarity asked.
Fluttershy shook her head and answered, "That was way too big to be a cat." She turned her whole body towards the alley, listening closely.
Scootaloo gawked in disgust and looked down. She fell in something brown and gross. "Eeewww," she groaned. There was a bunch of other gross stuff in here too she wasn't too happy about slipping in. Her pancake stack fell in this crap too. Literally.
Rarity slowly moved into the alley with Fluttershy and called, "Hello? Is there someone in there?" The door to the buildings were in the front. And they were standing directly in front of the alley. If someone walked past and for some reason wanted to pull a Pinkie Pie and jump into the dumpster, they would've noticed.
Scootaloo hunkered down and silently muttered to herself, "Don't say anything, don't say anything, don't say... What is this?" She lifted up a red colored tube thing sticking out of a trash bag that had a string attached. Then immediately dropped it when she realized what it was. "A freakin' tam—" Her foot slipped a little more, ceasing the conversation she was having with herself.
Rarity held her arm out in front of Fluttershy, pausing her movement. Then continued her own by stalking on her toes towards the dumpster. Taking timid steps so as not to alarm whoever was inside. Once she was close enough, she slowly reached up and grabbed the edge while Scootaloo was trying to find stable trash to hold onto so she didn't fall into the crap at the bottom. Then peeked her head in and gasped at her find. "Scootaloo?!" She yelled.
Scootaloo shot her head up and mentally cursed. She was so distracted, she forgot about them for a second. Rarity stared into her eyes. They were filled with sadness and desperation. She asked timidly, "Darling? What are you doing in the dumpster?"
"I.. Um..." Fluttershy walked forward and looked inside, spectating all the trash.
"I was... ummm..." Scootaloo stuttered, trying to find an alibi.
"She was looking for food," Fluttershy declared. She lifted a hand over and pointed into the dumpster at a stack of waffles with a splotch of black on one of the trash bags. "Those waffles are tightly pressed together. And there's an outline of fingers on the top. Very recent. You were hungry, weren't you?" Scootaloo looked from the pancakes to the inside of the dumpster. Settling in on the pancakes. Then she sniffled before her face scrunched up.
Scootaloo sobbed a little before she cried it out. She couldn't take it anymore. "Yes! Yes, I'm starving!" She shouted. She lifted an arm to her eyes and began bawling. Her voice resonated through the trash dumpster like she was in a tunnel. Filled with hopelessness and despair.
"Oh you poor thing," Fluttershy fawned. She looked around to spot some type of tool to get her out. She couldn't stay in a dumpster like this.
Rarity sighed and stepped back to pull out her phone to text everyone in the group chat that they found her. Immediately after the message was received with a location, the started running, and flying towards the location. Rainbow was the first to arrive after twenty minutes, literally sliding into the alley and nearly off her feet. "Where is she? Where... Oh no."
Rainbow stopped and stared down at the person they found in the trash. Scootaloo had her knees pulled up to her chest and eyes to the ground while she cried out her pain. Fluttershy was doing what she could to clean her up. She had managed to get her out somehow and was now providing as much comfort as she could to her while she cried. Rubbing her eyes with her dirty hands.
While the others jogged to a stop into the alley, Rainbow Dash kneeled by Scootaloo and looked her over. Not good. Not good at all. Twilight's theory was correct. Rainbow grabbed one of her arms and looked at her hands. They had small scars on them. Very old from wear and tear. As far as she could tell, Scootaloo's been like this for more than enough. She dropped her arm with a sigh and focused on Scootaloo's hidden face. "We gotta get you cleaned up. Why didn't you say something, we could've helped you."
Scootaloo refrained from answering. Those pancakes were starting to hurt her stomach. She could feel it. It was churning and bubbling. She looked up and shook her head at Rainbow before dropping it back and crying.
With the mentality that she wasn't going to be getting an answer anytime soon, Rainbow sighed and turned back to the others standing above her. "How are we going to get her out of here without being seen?"
Applejack reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. "I'll call Big Mac," she suggested. "He has a truck, we can put her in the back and take her to Sweet Apple Acres. Get her cleaned, fed, and whatever else from there." Rainbow nodded and turned back to face Scootaloo. Fluttershy had gotten some gloves from somewhere and was now scraping something from off her black jacket, now pretty much ruined.
"You weren't supposed to know," she whispered. "You weren't supposed to know about any of this." She buried her face back in her hands and cried some more. Tears started running down her face, pouring down her neck and into her shirt.
Rainbow rushed forward and pulled Scootaloo into a hug, despite the smell, whatever the heck Fluttershy scraped off, and the dirt Scootaloo definitely had on her. She hugged her tight and whispered, "It's okay, we'll figure something out. These days are over. No one deserves to be living on the streets. Especially a kid." Scootaloo wrapped her own arms around Rainbow tightly, crying into her neck. Releasing those pent up tears she's held inside for so long.
After a few minutes a burly red truck roared down the street. The growling engine reached Applejack's ear and ripped her away from the heartwarming scene of Scootaloo crying into her Rainbow's neck. She peeked her head out at Big Mac's truck slowing to a stop. Then made her way towards the curb when he pulled up. Once the truck was parked in front of the alley, he rolled down the passenger side window and waved to Applejack innocently.
She rolled her eyes but smirked. "Hiya, Big Mac. Put her in the back?"
"Eeyup," he answered.
Applejack patted the side then turned around for the others. "Twilight!" She called.
Twilight whipped around then made an "oh" with her mouth. She turned back to Rainbow Dash and said something. They lifted Scootaloo up from her position on the ground and led her towards the back. Applejack ran back their first to unhook the hatch and stepped to the side once she did. Rainbow jumped in first and turned around to lift Scootaloo inside from underneath her arms. Once they were situated on the toolboxes, Applejack pushed the hatch back into place. Then patted the steel and yelled, "Alright, Big Mac!"
He stuck his thumb out and shifted the gears. then pulled out and into the street. Rainbow waved at the girls watching them, then focused on Scootaloo who wrapped her in a hug once more around the middle. Rainbow looked down towards her and pulled her into a tight side hug. "No more streets, Squirt," she whispered. "You belong with someone who loves you. Not in the trash."
While they were attempting damage control across the portal, Twilight was running herself ragged to try and find different methods on how to create the portal between dimensions back in Ponyville. She was going all over the library, flying high and low, digging through every single book that may actually include even the term "portal" inside. When Spike pushed the front doors open and walked across the crystal floor for the pile of useless books Twilight ws throwing inside, he sighed, guessing in his head at her find. He stooped a few inches away from the pile and crossed his claws. "Well? Anything?" He asked.
Twilight grabbed another book and used her magic to flip through and scan the pages. Then sighed and tossed it over her shoulder. It flipped open and landed on top of Spike's head, who merely sighed in response. This wasn't the first time this happened. And it certainly wouldn't be the last. He was surprised Twilight was actually tossing books over her shoulder. Let alone tossing a book.
Twilight lowered to the ground and shook her head while he tossed the book into the pile. "No," she answered. Then landed and made her way over to the pile. She used her magic to grab a single book and looked at the cover. Then shot it back into its place way above them. She started to do the same to the rest, speaking all the while. "I really don't wanna do dark magic. At all. But it seems we have no choice. The other books are being destroyed. Why? No idea. And the only ones left are through a bunch of scrolls. I have to let Luna know about this. Take a letter."
Twilight tossed the last book into place and made her way for the bean bags set up in the middle of the room while Spike grabbed a Quill and a scroll. Twilight jumped onto her bag and said, "'Dear Princess Luna. I have completed the search for a portal in the light side of magic. Unfortunately, I have not discovered any sign, nor term, relating to dimensional transportation or dimensions in general. I am afraid, with your approval, we will have to resort to the dark arts. I really do not want to, and I know nopony else does either. But it seems we have no choice."' Spike jumped onto the bag next to her and wrote the rest of that down.
"'I await your decision. Your fellow Equestrian, Princess Twilight Sparkle.'" Spike finished writing the letter before sending it through the magical flames he spewed from his mouth onto the scroll. The wisp of ashes flew out the window into the sunny skies above them, leaving their sights. Then they turned to each other.
Twilight sighed and whispered, "I know you don't want to deal with any of this, Spike."
Spike fell back into his bag and sighed towards the ceiling. "It's okay, really," he responded. "It's just noneof this would be happening right now, should be happening, if Celestia hadn't gone all cookoo."
"But if what Luna is saying is true, then Celestia was taken over, not gone 'cookoo', as you so put it." Twilight stood up and made her way over to tower over Spike, staring into his eyes. "I don't know if I can forgive her for what happened. Ever, or at least for some time. But at least I know what would have caused this. Well, at least a little."
Spike sighed and asked, "So now we just wait?"
Twilight left his sight and made her way back for her bean bag. "Yup. We wait. And if she approves, then we tell the others and do it. It's more than likely gonna bite us in the flank for sure though."
"...Yeah."
The ride back to the farm was quiet. The truck holding Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo jostled at random intervals from the speed they were going and the bumps they were hitting. A truck was built to do this. It surely wasn't helping Scootaloo's stomach though.
When they passed Canterlot High, Rainbow moved her eyes down from the road to Scootaloo's form, still holding on tightly to Rainbow Dash's middle. Desperately holding on while they moved. Rainbow Dash had a very bad feeling about the way she was holding her though. And not because Scootaloo was rank. She needed a bath. Big time. But because she was sure she saw something on her wrist too. It was mostly hidden from the jacket she was wearing, but it was there. A scar. It was cut right through where her veins would be. Did Scootaloo attempt suicide before? Or were there a more issues she didn't know about her surrogate sister than the fact that she was homeless?
The truck started rocking when they reached the farm and Big Mac drove onto the dirt road leading up to the farm house. They kicked up dust, leading through the trees and up to the clearing where the farmhouse stood. Big Mac swiveled the truck and parked parallel to the building. Rainbow Dash leaned towards the glass separation for the cabin and yelled, "Thanks, Big Mac!"
"Eeyup!"
Rainbow looked down to Scootaloo and whispered, "We're here, squirt. We're getting up, alright?" Scootaloo nodded into her shirt. So Rainbow gripped her side and helped her stand. Then led her towards the edge of the truck. She had to let Scootaloo go to reach over and lower the hatch, but she definitely didn't. Once it was down. She reached down and slowly pried off Scootaloo's arms. "Let me help you down, okay?" She requested. Then jumped over the edge and landed on the ground. Once she was down, she motioned for Scootaloo to take her hand. Then grabbed her arm and helped her over the edge of the truck.
Rainbow Dash grabbed the hatch and pushed it back into place while Scootaloo's arm went around her middle again. Then led her towards the farmhouse. While they moved, Scootaloo's thoughts moved too. What would happen to her now? Would the police come and grab her? The hospital? Some state workers? A bunch of questions were headed her way, she could hear them already. What happened to you? Where are your parents? And the one she was not anticipating at all: How long?
"Hey, Scoots!" Up ahead was Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Great. Just to the two she needed to see in this state. "We were just... Um, what's going on?"
Rainbow swooped into the rescue with a quick answer, "Nothing, keep doing what you're doing." They walked past, letting the two girls get a whiff of their friend's body. They glanced at each other before they strode in right behind them.
Once they were inside, Rainbow pried Scootaloo's arms off again and grabbed her shoulders. She looked into her eyes and instructed, "Stand here, don't run off. Okay?" Rainbow stood up and made her way into the kitchen where she knew Granny Smith was right now. Scootaloo watched her go then turned around to face an older couch with crossed arms so she could make some thoughts and plans. So much has changed within a minute. When Rarity and Fluttershy poked their heads and saw her, it was over. She feels as if she lost this battle. As if everything she had, even if it was just trash she lost it. Everything was gone.
A timid pair of footsteps stepped up behind her, catching her ear. "...Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle whispered. "What happened?"
"Nothing, just... Leave me alone," she replied quietly.
"Scootaloo, we just want to help," Apple Bloom said.
"I don't need your help," she retorted, a little upset at their persistence. "Just leave me alone."
"Scootaloo—"
"I SAID LEAVE—" She held a hand up to her mouth to block of airflow. Those waffles and that grease were definitely not agreeing with her stomach. Especially since they immediately left the latter's presence and were waiting at the door to the outside world. Scootaloo quickly looked around to find a bathroom. There, in the back. She pushed past the two girls and ran down the small hallway, ducking into a bathroom and letting her guts spill out a little on the floor and more into the toilet.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gasped and looked to each other. Then ran down the hall behind Scootaloo. Apple Bloom yelled, "Scootaloo, what's wrong?!" They slid to a stop and immediately turned around. Scootaloo had either eaten something or she was possessed. She was puking up a storm. But what them disgusted and almost made Apple Bloom puke was the fact that it was black. What happened out there?
When Apple Bloom yelled, Rainbow immediately ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. She looked around and saw the other girls leaning against the hall across from the bathroom. Scootaloo must've been over there. She jogged over there and walked in. Black. A lot of black vomit. Food poisoning. She poked her head out and yelled, "Granny, call the ambulance!! Oh god, Scootaloo what did you eat?" She stood back up and closed the door, leaving her in the bathroom with Scootaloo and her friends in the hall wondering what in the world was going on.
After Granny made the call, the nearest ambulance rushed from their station straight to the farm. They rushed down the dirt road and swerved just like Big Mac's truck parallel to the door. While three paramedics jumped out and headed inside, the driver turned it around to back it up to the door, just in case they needed to get to the hospital. When they walked in, one yelled, "What's happening?"
Apple Bloom waved her hands to get their attention. Then pointed down the hallway. The one she got patted his partner's arm and jogged their way. Sweetie Belle pointed to the door, insinuating it was happening inside. One grabbed the handle and twisted it open, completely taken back by what they saw. A lot of vomit on the floor by the toilet that was nearly about to run over. Rainbow Dash had Scootaloo on her back with her head propped up on her knee away from the mess on the floor. She was taking quick breaths to calm her stomach, but it wasn't really working out right now.
"Looks like food poisoning based off the coloring," one of them concluded. They walked inside and kneeled down beside her to take some readings and apply as much care as they could in here. He looked up at Rainbow Dash and asked, "What did she eat?"
Rainbow Dash quickly shook her head and answered, "I'm not sure. I wasn't there when she ate."
He nodded and focused back on taking her blood pressure. They had to get her to the hospital. "Alright, well we need to get her flushed out, so we're taking her to the hospital." He nudged his partner and said something then turned back to Rainbow Dash. "While they're getting the stretcher, we need to stand her up and get her out of here."
Rainbow Dash nodded and looked down to Scootaloo. "Squirt, we're gonna get you out of here, okay?" She didn't respond. Too tired to even move if she were being honest with herself. Her stomach felt like something was about to blow up. As if someone grabbed a bunch of rocks and started stuffing her mouth, forcing her to swallow.
Once the stretcher was in the house, Rainbow Dash stepped back and allowed the Paramedics to lift her up by her legs and arms, and carry her to the stretcher that was parked in front of the bathroom. Door. Once they had her strapped in, they began to move her out of the house, leaving Rainbow Dash with the vomit to clean up, and a few people to tell. Not the first time.
Her friends in the living room watched in hope when Scootaloo was rolled out. Her eyes were shut, facing the ceiling when she was moved out the door, stopped in front of the ambulance doors, and hefted into the vehicle.
While the ambulance sped off, Apple Bloom turned to Granny Smith who got up out of the kitchen to watch and asked, "Granny, what is going on?"
"Well child... Your friend has been having a very rough time since she before she even attended pre-school. And we finally found out about it."