//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Ones We Love... // Story: Through The Eyes of Innocence // by Icudeadnow //------------------------------// Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action? -Arthur Miller * * * * * The wind whistled, rustling her purple mane, and tickled behind her ears. It beckoned with its lonely song of need... desire. She knew how it felt. To be cast out among the unwanted. She had experienced this many times but... she felt almost happy. She felt like her hardships in the past were forgotten. These past few years with her two best friends, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have been the highlight of her young life. The hurt and sadness that were her sorrowful memories had been reduced to a dull thud in her subconcious. She looked up and smiled, letting the afternoon sun wash across her face. A butterfly perched upon her nose and she opened her eyes, slowly. The two exchanged a blank stare with one another. How can something so small cause such unexplainable emotions inside of her? they were good emotions but they were unexpected to say the least. She felt curious and happy at the same time. As soon as it had made itself known, it spread its wings and flew free of the connection they shared. How could something so small mean something so big...? "Scootaloo, you coming or what?" Sweetie belle asked, an annoyed tone of voice evident. Scootaloo looked back down from this strange sight and down to her two friends who were looking at her rather strangely. Scootaloo smiled again and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm coming" Scootaloo said. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a look and a raising of an eyebrow that said they knew something was up. "Scoots... what in tarnation is up with ya? Ya been more distracted than bear eyein' fish in a river" Applebloom asked, concern showing in her eyes. Oh, if only they knew how lucky they had it. How lucky she has been these past few years.... "Yeah, I'm good. Can you stop worrying about me and can we just go already?" Scootaloo asked, feigning annoyance when she actually enjoyed talking with them every chance she got. It reminded her that this wasn't some hopeful dream that would later prove to be some sort of cruel joke by life. But, thankfully and fortunately, it proves to be fixed upon reality. The three friends walked along the winding road, familiar sights surrounding them. "So, I think Rumble likes you Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle said with a mischevious and teasing tone of voice. Her head was turned away from the orange filly's gaze but she thought she could see the outline a wicked grin. Scootaloo blushed but still glared at her unicorn friend. "No he does not!" Scootaloo shot back at her firend who giggled. she looked to Applebloom who just rolled her eyes and acted like this wasn't happening. "Yes he does. He even asked me to tell you that he wanted to take you to the dance." Sweetie Belle said with a slight blush and a giggle. Scootaloo's glare softened and turned to happiness, which she tried to hide to her friends but to no avail. Applebloom raised an eyebrow and giggled softly. "He did? Well... huh..." Scootaloo said, at a loss for words. She had always thought Rumble was such a nice colt. He even walked her home after she learned that her mother had finally lost the battle with cancer. Her mother had always been such a strong-hearted mare. She knew when Scootaloo was sad... when she needed guidance. But that one day at school was what tore her apart from the inside... but Rumble was there. * * * * * "Can anypony tell me about why we celebrate the summer sun celebration? Anypony at all?" Ms. Cheerilee asked the colts and fillies situated at their desks. A few hooves were raised into the air, most reluctantly, but one eagerly shot up. "Yes, Twist? Can you tell the class why?" Ms. Cheerilee asked enthusiastically. Twist began but was cut off when a police pony ran through the door. "Is Scootaloo here?" The police pony asked. The class was stunned at what had just happened. Most of all Ms. Cheerilee. "Has she done something wrong?" The teacher asked, worry evident in her voice. The police pony hesitated and looked to the ground. He obviously was uncomfortable with whatever he had to say. "No... it's... about her mother." The police pony said, his gaze as serious as it gets. "What about my mom?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a fear unlike any she had ever felt before. The police pony looked at her with pity-filled and apologetic eyes. "Come over here so nopony can hear us... trust me... they don't need to know right now..." The police pony said. There was something in his voice and in his eyes that told her that this was going to be bad. She got up out of her desk and walked over to the stallion. She reluctantly got out of the listening distance of her childhood friends and walked to the doorway with the police pony. "Scootaloo... I don't know how to tell you this but... your mother... she... died just this afternoon. I am so sorry..." The police pony said with a look of apolegetic sorrow that ripped through her soul. Her mind reeled with a million thoughts and feelings. This could not be happening... couldn't... she just saw her this morning. She spent the night listening to her breathing in her sleep. They had exchanged jokes and she had said something that had her thinking all day. Her mother had told her that no matter how hard and grim things seem in life... never stop reaching for the stars. "What...?" Scootaloo whispered, her voice cracking up as she felt the tears break free of their prison. For so long she had kept these feelings at bay but they all came out in a flood. "Scootaloo..." The police pony began. Scootaloo did not want to hear any more of this... there was no way this was happening.... "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Scootaloo screamed as the tears ran freely down her cheek. She ran off down the road, leaving the police pony and the gathered crowd of her classmates at the door. "Scootaloo! Where are ya going?!" Applebloom yelled after her. She did not stop but just kept on running, hoping she could escape this all too real nightmare. She wanted to wake up... to all be some kind of sick nightmare. She ran to a alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. She let the tears fall freely as she let all her pent up emotions out. Her mother dead? Did dad know about this? She had already been there for about an hour, which was long enough for school to be out by now. If only her friends knew what kind of pain she was experiencing right now. She slowly loooked up to see a small butterfly perched upon the edge of the dumpster, making eye contact with her. It flew up to her and landed upon her nose. By then she had stopped crying and was enthralled with this strange occurance. They held the gaze for five long seconds before flying off into the air, free of the bonds of life's constant torment. "Scootaloo? Is that you?" A deeper voice than a filly but lighter than any stallion she had ever known called to her. She peeked over the side and saw Rumble standing at the entrance of the alleyway, looking at her in concern. When she did not say anything but broke down crying again, that was when he went up to her and held her in his hooves. Usually, she would reject this kind of affection but she so dearly needed somepony to hold her till' the hurt melted away. He made soft cooing sounds as they rocked back and forth. She cried into his shoulder and told him everything. About her mother, about the bond that they had shared... everything. "Shhh... it's alright. It's going to be alright." Rumble whispered softly while tightening his hold on her. She wanted to stay like this. To be loved like her mother had loved her. Maybe it would fill the gap? No... such foolish thinking only made things worse. Eventually they broke their hold on one another and awkwardly exchanged smiles and uncomfortable conversations. "So... you want me to walk you home? I would be more than happy to do that." Rumble offered while putting a hoof under chin and looking into her eyes. She didn't know why, but she felt like the world couldn't hurt her while she was with him. "No... I can't ask you to do that." Scootaloo said, almost on instinct. But more on the fact that she already felt like a helpless filly and not a strong mare, which she so desperately wanted to portray to those around her. "No, I insist! Here..." Rumble said and took her hoof in his. they both started to walk out of the alleyway together, not saying a single word the entire time. She looked at him and felt like her mother was right there beside him. She lay her head on his shoulder and got a suprised gasp in return. He relaxed after a bit and continued his curious observing of his surroundings. "You know... my mom died of cancer too." Rumble said, breaking the silence they had created. She looked up at him in suprise at this. "She did? How did... how did you handle this?" Scootaloo asked, which resulted in a stare into her eyes that made her shiver with a strange excitmement. "I... saw you everyday and... you remind me of her." Rumble said after a bit of hesitation. He had a warm smile on his face that literally melted her heart on the spot. I remind him of his mom? How? "I do? But how?" Scootaloo asked, feeling a crimson blush upon her soft cheeks. He only laughed and pulled her closer to him. "Because you're the most strong-willed filly I have ever met. You are kind, you don't take any lip from anypony. And you're so pretty, I could just look at your face all day and be happy the rest of my life." Rumble said, which made Scootaloo blush furiously and giggle. He put a hoof under chin and made her look at him, but gently and somehow not forcefully. "I mean it..." Rumble said with a hint of some other kind of emotion in his voice. She didn't know what to call it but it shone through his eyes the most. She simply smiled and rested her head upon his shoulder again. they finally made it to the front door of her father's house and they broke their connection with one another. "So... see you at school tomorrow?" Scootaloo asked. He smilled, reached in, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. She blushed a deep crimson and looked away, not knowing what to say next or even how to react to what just happened. "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world..." Rumble said in a small whisper that only they could have heard had somepony been listening to them. They parted ways and she went inside the house. She put her back against the door and couldn't help but smile even though her mother had died this morning. She walked to the living room to find her father with a bottle of whiskey and staring at the newspaper with dried tears on his eyes. "Oh... Scootaloo. You heard didn't you? What happened to mom?" Her father asked with a tone of emotional pain. She simply smiled sadly and looked off out the window, spotting a small butterfly perched outside the closed window. The sunlight beat down on the small creature that seemed strinkingly familiar to the one she had seen in the alleyway. "Yeah I heard." Scootaloo said with a dreamy smile fixated upon her soft lips. He looked at her like she had done something wrong and stuttered. "T-then why in the wide world of Equestria are you smiling for?" Her father asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "Because I know that she won't suffer anymore. She is finally in a better place away from the harm that this world has done to her." She said straight from the heart. The look of anger melted away from his eyes and was replaced with a father's pride. "You remind me so much of her, you know that? I'm sure wherever she is right now, she is smilin' at you." Her father said. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks dad..." Scootaloo said, somehow happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing? Maybe it was what needed to be done for her to finally be happy. But she knew what her mother would say right now... There is no better place that would make me any happier than I am with you. The world was full of hate and sadness but it was also filled with something else... something wonderful.... * * * * * "So, what do ya say to that Scoots?" Applebloom asked with a grin. Scootaloo just smiled and looked off to the side with a blush. "When is the dance?" Scootaloo asked with a dreamy look on her face. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged knowing smiles and giggled again like a couple of school fillies. Scootaloo glared at them and huffed. "Not sayin' I was going to go with him just... I need to know... for... reasons" Scootaloo tried to improvise, hoping she could take some of the heat off of her. "Oh come now. Ever since... that one day after school about 5 years ago when... Rumble comforted you and walked you home you have had a crush on him. You literally fell head over hoof in love with him if I was to guess." Sweetie belle said, cutting the bullshit that was eminating from Scootaloo's last comment. She guessed that lying to her friends was not the way to go so she decided that the truth was better. "I guess you're right... I think I do love him! What of it?" Scootaloo admitted but tried to mask her embarressment with some Scootaloo pride. Applebloom and Sweetie looked at her in shock. Scootaloo guessed that they weren't expecting her to give up so easily and admit that. "So... you want to go to the dance with him?" Sweetie Belle asked with a smile on her face although her eyes said that she already knew the answer. "Yeah. I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." Scootaloo said with another dreamy smile on her face. They looked at her like she was some stranger that had intruded upon her lives, which made the orange filly uncomfortable. "Ok... who are you and what have you done with Scootaloo?" Applebloom jokingly asked with wide eyes. Sweetie belle didn't say anything but just blushed and continued their walk. Scootaloo and the farm filly followed after her after about 5 seconds of of eye contact. "So... Sweetie Belle. Who are you taking to the dance?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked at the darm filly with a dreamy look on her face. "That nice colt, Shady Daze." Sweetie Belle said proudly. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes and giggled, which got a sharp glare from the white unicorn. "So, Applebloom. Now that you know who me and Scootaloo are are goin with... who are you going with?" Sweetie Belle asked, taking her glare away from the orange filly. Applebloom looked down and frowned, seemingly hesitant in her response. "Ah don't have a date..." Applebloom said. Sweetie Belle gasped and gawked at her apple-loving friend. "Well, that just won't do! We have to get you a date pronto!" Sweetie Belle said rather loudly, adopting her squeaky voice that was possitively annoying but still managed to be cute. Kind of a weird thing to think her friend as... cute.... "It really isn't that big of a deal... ya don't need to worry yerself' with me. Ah'll be fine." Applebloom said. But Sweetie Belle would not have any of it. "A pretty filly like you? Nonsense. I will make it my personal duty to get you a date for the dance!" Sweetie Belle vowed. Applebloom blushed and shook her head, while rolling her eyes. Scootaloo knew exactly how the farm filly was feeling right about now. "Well... ya know that one colt? Chip Mint?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie's smile widened and she stiffled a giggle. Wow... that unicorn and her colts. Exactly like Rarity.... "Say no more, I get it." Sweetie said with a big, knowing smile on her face. The three fillies stayed quiet the entire time, walking along the path. They eventually reached the entrance to Ponyville and veered off down an alleyway. This was an extremely creepy part of town and should never be taken lightly. There have even been kidnappings around here as well, which was worrying. Everything was probably going to be okay.... They walked halfway down the alleyway before they were stopped by three stallions who had surrounded them on all sides. The three fillies knew exactly what this meant. They were either going to be mugged or raped. "Now... we don' want no trouble..." Applebloom said slowly, a slight tone of fear eveident. The biggest thug laughed at them and glared down at them with malicious intent. "We jus' wanna' play... don't we boys?" One of the thugs behind them said jokingly. The other two thugs laughed and the two closest to each other bumped hooves and started to walk slowly towards the two fillies with grins from ear to ear. Scootaloo had never before felt fear of this magnitude. She literally felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She had moved her gaze to the two in front of her for a second but that was enough time for the one behind her to grab her. Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs in fright. This only served to make the thugs laugh even more than they already were. the other two thugs had grabbed a hold of Applebloom and Sweetie and she thought that they were on the verge of tears. "LET THEM GO!" A sudden voice rung out through the dark alley. The lowlife scum let go of their prey and took a defensive stance. Scootaloo and the her friends scattered to the side of the alley and huddled together, hoping that whoever had shown up would save the day. "You don't scare us! Wherever you are..." The skinny thug said with a sneer. He also had fear in his eyes, which provided Scootaloo with some consolation. "Ah think ya should start runnin'... mah kick will be sure to leave a mark..." A familiar country voice warned from behind the thugs who turned around quickly. Standing there was a orange mare with the nastiest glare that you could ever see on anypony. "Applejack? Oh thank Celestia..." Applebloom mummered a prayer of thanks to the half-deity that ruled the land, even though she wouldn't have heard it. The thugs backed off in fear from the one pony that would most likely be thrown into a rage if they touched her sister. "A-Applejack... heh... we were just... makin' sure these here filles were safe. Yeah... s-safe..." Stuttered the biggest thug, who, in reality, wasn't that big but was still intimidating. The two other thugs had already ran off and the big thug had just noticed that they had abandoned him. "Heh... I'll just go..." He said. And with that he ran off, stumbling more than Derpy after leaving the bar. Applejack just continued to glare. She looked to the fillies with a stern expression, who had by then started shuffling their hooves in silence. "Just what are ya fillies doin' in the most dangerous part of town? Somethin' bad coulda' happened!" Applejack scolded the three fillies who didn't know what to say. Sweetie looked like she was on the verge of tears and Applebloom looked scared half to death, even more so than when they were ambushed by those thugs. "Well... we just wanted to take a shortcut. We didn't think something like this would have happened." Scootaloo said, stepping up when the other two didn't. Scootaloo then asked, "By the way... what are you doing around here anyway?" Applejack's eyes widened and she looked around nervously. "Uhhh... this is about you three! Don't turn this around to me." Applejack avoided the question like the cutie pox and then asked, "Besides... where were ya three headin'?" Why had Applejack avoided her question? Scootaloo would have to look into that later. Before Scootaloo could reply, Applebloom said, "We were just goin' to the boutique. To get dresses for the dance..." Applejack's stern gaze softened and melted away. "Oh... ah see. Well uhm... ah'll escort ya girls so nothin' like this happens again." Applejack said with what seemed to be indifference although Scootaloo could see the pride beaming from her eyes. The three fillies and Applejack made their way to the dress store, talking about their day and about the upcoming dance. Applejack seemed fidgety and nervous, which meant that she had been doing something under the radar before she had spotted those thugs after them. Maybe Scootaloo was just grasping at smoke here. Applejack was the most honest pony in Ponyville, maybe even in all of Equestria. After all they didn't call her the Element of Honesty for nothing. She didn't exactly lie when Scootaloo had asked her what she was doing, she just avoided answering. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo!? Equestria to Scootaloo!" Sweetie said, with an annoyed tone of voice. She had apparently been trying to get Scootaloo's attention for some time now. "Oh... what?" Scootaloo said, snapping out of her deep contemplative thoughts. She probably should just let it go. After all, letting herself worry like this wasn't exactly healthy. Especially just two days away from her birthday. "Ummm... I was asking if you wanted to come over to my house for a sleepover." Sweetie asked, looking at Scootaloo with an expression of confusion and slight concern. "Sure! I should probably ask my dad though." Scootaloo replied, acting as if nothing was bothering her. Sweetie's look of concern faded away and was replaced with her usual radiant smile that most adult ponies found adorable. Scootaloo had to admit... she pulled the adorable look off without even trying. About thirteen minutes of walking, which Scootaloo was getting quite tired of by now, they finally reached the Boutique. "Well there ya are. Just... try not to get into any more trouble. I can't save ya all the time so ya need to take the long way around and avoid that part of town. It's jus' too dangerous for small fillies ta' be roamin' around." Applejack said with a warning tone in her voice. "We will! Thanks for walkin' with us sis'. Oh and see ya later!" Applebloom said her goodbyes. Scootaloo and Sweetie wordlessly waved goodbye after the country mare. She disappeared around a corner of a building and the fillies proceeded to make their way to the entrance of the boutique. They walked in and were greeted by the sounds of a sewing machines and a unicorn frantically talking to herself. "Have to get this order done... and this one.. AND that one... oh sweet Celestia..." Rarity mumbled to herself, oblivious of the three fillies giving her a strange look of worry and confusion. "Ummm... Rarity?" Sweetie bravely ventured with a semi-question. Rarity stopped what she was doing and looked at the three fillies with suprise. "Oh hey girls! I'm assuming you want dresses for the dance. I already had them made for you this morning." Rarity said with her usual big smile and went on to say, "Go look in the closet. I put them in there. I'm sorry I can't talk anymore right now. A lot of orders to fill" Rarity went back to work, dismissing the existance of everything around her, including the three fillies who made their way to the closest closet. They peeked in and saw three dresses that were the most beautiful things they had ever seen. There were nametags on each of them to indicate which dress belonged to which filly. Sweetie's dress was pink and represented her personality perfectly. There were linings of purple here and there, which complimented the pretty pink color. Apple Bloom's dress was a bright, sparkly red, which was sort of like the the color of an apple. There was also a green, sparkly bow on the side. She instantly plopped it on her head, having removed the original bow. She looked at It also represented the orange filly's personality almost perfectly. Scootaloo's dress was a bright purple, a pair of purple dress shoes off to the side. It reminded Scootaloo of a dress her mother had once worn, although that one was for a high school reunion and was a lighter purple than this. Purple had always been the filly's favorite color. Sweetie Belle squealed in delight and jumped up and down on the spot and said, "This is amazing! I love it Rarity! I love it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" And ran over to give Rarity a hug, who graciously accepted with a smile and eyes that beamed with pride. Scootaloo didn't usually like dresses but she had to admit... this one was pretty awesome. If only mom could have seen her right now... if only. She put the dress on and liked the way it looked on her. Scootaloo looked in her saddlebag, rummaging around and stopped when she spotted something. She pulled the object that had peaked her interest and gasped, holding back her tears. There in her hooves was the necklace that Scootaloo's mother had lost two years before her death. How did it show up in her saddlebag? So many questions were racing through the orange filly's mind and she couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. A tear of immense joy but mixed with a sadness that she would never be able to get rid of slid down her cheek and harmlessly fell to the ground. This necklace brought back the memory of what her mother had said to her.... "Family is what defines us Scootaloo... for the ones we love are the ones that bring us happiness." Her mother had said so long ago... Scootaloo felt her tears break free of their prisons and she wept with a mix of joy and sadness. She missed her... for every moment that she was away from her, it felt like an eternity of solitude. "Scootaloo? Are you done in there?" Sweetie called from behind the curtain, obviously not hearing the orange filly cry for if she did she did not acknowledge. Scootaloo brought back her composure slowly and looked up from the necklace. "Yeah... comin'..." Scootaloo said quietely yet coherently, trying not to show the hurt that had clouded her mind. With that, she stuffed the necklace in a smaller pocket of the saddlebag and continued her day, unware of the butterfly perched upon a manequin. For the ones we love... anything is possible.