After being discharged from the hospital, Twilight and Rainbow set out for the Castle of Friendship. Since Spike and Scootaloo were still asleep when being discharged, Rainbow Dash and Twilight had to carry them on their backs. They were discussing things regarding Scootaloo being an orphan. As soon as they arrived, Twilight decided to put Spike and Scootaloo in bed. She walked to Spike's room carrying the two with her magic and placed them on Spike's bed. Twilight looked at them snuggle up close to each other and smiled.
"So cute!" Twilight said.
She put a blanket over them and closed the door. When Twilight got to the throne room, she saw all her friends sitting in their assigned thrones with worried looks on their faces, even Pinkie Pie.
"Hey girls." the alicorn said.
"Hey, Twilight. Rainbow Dash said she had something super important to tell us. So she brought all of us here." Pinkie said, without her enthusiasm.
"Now that Twilight's here, can somepony please tell us what's goin' on?" Applejack asked while the others nodded in agreement.
With all eyes on Rainbow, she took a deep breath and began talking.
"I-It's Scootaloo... Sh-She's..."
But Rainbow didn't have it in her heart to finish her sentence. She looked to Twilight to help her out.
"Scootaloo... She's an orphan." Twilight finished.
All the girls gasped except Rainbow, who kept her head down.
"How do you know?" Fluttershy asked.
"S-She told me... Her parents died in a terrible storm..." Rainbow jumped in.
"Well, how does Twilight know?" Applejack asked.
"Well..." Twilight started. "It started when Spike wanted to take a walk. He told me he heard a sneeze coming from the Crusader's clubhouse. He opened the door and saw Scootaloo shivering under a blanket. She had a severe fever so Spike had to carry her to the hospital. He collapsed on the floor one second after entering. Rainbow and I were both informed that Spike and Scootaloo were at the hospital. They are currently sleeping in Spike's room."
There was some silence until Rarity broke it.
So what are we going to do for poor Scootaloo?" Rarity asked.
"I-I don't know," Rainbow confesses.
"I have an idea. One of us should take care of Scootaloo until we figure something out." Twilight said.
Everypony looked at Rainbow Dash.
"I guess that means me..."
Scootaloo moved in bed trying to get more comfortable when she realized her movement was restricted. She opened one eye and also realized she wasn't in the hospital anymore. She was in Spike's room. Scootaloo thought the pillow felt scaly so she looked up and saw Spike wrapping one of his arms around her neck. She looked down and saw that her "pillow" was actually Spike's chest. Scootaloo's face turned a crimson red. She carefully wiggled out of the dragon's grasp so she won't wake him up. The pegasus filly sat up in bed and looked at Spike. He looked kinda cute when he was sleeping with his little smile.
'Wait what?! Spike isn't cute. Well, he sorta is cute with his jokes and his laugh... Stay on task, Scoots! You don't like Spike and you never will. You don't like mushy stuff, remember?' Scootaloo thought to herself while staring at Spike.
To distract herself, Scootaloo decided to read some Power Ponies. She went over to the bookshelf and looked for the next comic in the series. When she found it, Scootaloo sat down on the bed again and began reading. Though it was impossible to focus because the pegasus kept glancing back at Spike. Every time she looked at the dragon, Scootaloo would blush and her tummy would feel funny. She figured she would have to ask the girls for help. Just then, Rainbow Dash and Twilight came into the room.
"Hey squirt. You feeling better?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah."
"Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash needs to ask you something very important." Twilight said.
"What is it?"
"How would you like to live with me?" Rainbow Dash asked, rather quickly.
Scootaloo's eyes were big as saucers. Her jaw was slacked and all she could do was scream.
"YES!" Scootaloo exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running to hug Rainbow.
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Rainbow!" Scootaloo squealed once again.
"No problem, Scoots!" Rainbow chuckled.
"I gotta go tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo said, running out of the room.
"Hold on!" Twilight said, holding Scootaloo with her magic. "Not until you wear proper clothes!"
Twilight put Scootaloo on the ground and put a jacket, a scarf, some gloves, and a hat on the orange filly.
"Now you can go."
Scootaloo zoomed out of the castle to go find her friends while Rainbow and Twilight chuckled about her antics. All the commotion woke up the purple dragon.
"What's going on?" Spike asked, yawning.
"Rainbow Dash agreed to take care of Scootaloo until we can figure out what to do. That means that Scootaloo will be staying at Rainbow's place." Twilight explained.
"Aww! Can Scootaloo please stay over for one more night? I want to finish reading Power Ponies with her!" Spike pleaded.
"Hmm. I guess that's ok! Only if it's fine with Twilight." Rainbow said.
"I see no problem with that." Twilight confirmed.
"Yes!" Spike exclaimed, doing a little victory dance on his bed.
The two mares just grinned and giggled.
Scootaloo ran as fast as she could to the CMC Clubhouse to tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle about living with Rainbow Dash. But she slowed down when she came to a realization. She would have to tell her friends that she's an orphan. Would they leave her like her old friends did? No never! It was Cutie Mark Crusaders Forever! Right? As Scootaloo approached the clubhouse, she heard giggling from the inside. She walked up the ramp and opened the door.
"Hey guys!" Scootaloo said, putting on a fake smile.
"Heya Scoots! Sweetie and ah were just making funny faces. Ya wanna try?" Apple Bloom explained.
"No can do, AB. I have to tell you guys something very important." Scootaloo said.
"Well what is it?" Sweetie asked, her curiosity intrigued.
"I'm going to live with Rainbow Dash!"
"Really?!" the other two fillies exclaimed.
"Yep!"
"But wait! Won't your parents be worried or do they know that you're going to live with Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Scootaloo took a deep breath. 'This is the moment you've been waiting for. Tell your friends the truth.'
"I...My..." was all Scootaloo could utter.
"Scootaloo? Is something wrong?" Sweetie asked, concerned for her friend.
"I don't have parents..." the pegasus confessed.
"WHAT?!"
Scootaloo explained what had happened from beginning to end. Spike finding her in the clubhouse, ending up in the hospital, all of that stuff.
"I'm sorry I lied to you guys. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore." Scootaloo said, keeping her head down.
Scootaloo waited for them to say something but she got something way better. A hug from her best friends.
"Scoots, of course we still wanna be friends with ya!" Apple Bloom reassured.
"Yeah! Who else would drag us around on their scooter?" Sweetie said.
"T-Thanks guys!" Scootaloo sniffed, returning their hug. "Oh yeah! That reminds me! I need your help."
"With what, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asks.
"With Spike."
Scootaloo proceeds to tell them about sleeping with Spike and how she was blushing and had a funny feeling in her tummy whenever she looked at him.
It was silent for a second or two before the two fillies burst out laughing leaving Scootaloo confused.
"What's so funny?" Scootaloo asked.
"Sounds like somepony has a crush!" Sweetie Belle teased.
"Wait what?! I do not! I hate mushy stuff!" Scootaloo protested.
"I'm sure ya hate mushy stuff!" Apple Bloom said sarcastically.
"But I do! You know what? I don't have time for this!" Scootaloo said, running out of the clubhouse.
"She so has a crush on Spike." the two fillies said in sync.