//------------------------------// // Chapter 63; Consequences // Story: Working Towards The Future // by Dasponi //------------------------------// After what felt like forever, but was only a few hours in reality, Scootaloo finally heard the bell signalling the end of the school day. Cheerilee had come into the office at the beginning of each lesson to give her some work but for the most part she had been left alone with her thoughts. Cheerilee probably wanted Scootaloo to think about what she had done. She was too busy thinking about the consequences. She had contemplated diving out the window and running away but there was nowhere for her to run to. She felt there was nothing for her to do but wait it out and face the music. Scootaloo heard the shuffling of chairs and muffled chatter as her classmates left the school. She wondered how many of them were talking about her. Probably all of them. If she couldn’t get out of being suspended for a week then there was no telling what their opinion of her would be like when she got back. If, indeed, it could be any worse than it already was. Amidst all the scuffling and chatter Scootaloo heard the door open and Cheerilee poked her head into the room. “I’m going to go get Rainbow Dash, you stay in here.” Cheerilee said. “You two go home already.” she added, turning to face Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The pair had tried to stay behind to talk to Scootaloo again. They sighed and left the school with Cheerilee behind them to make sure they did actually leave. Scootaloo thought about the impending meeting and couldn’t help but start crying again. Outside the school Cheerilee watched as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran to their respective guardians and made her way across to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was fidgeting almost as much as Scootaloo had. Seeing Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom without Scootaloo had unnerved her enough without adding Cheerliee coming out to talk to her. “Hi Cheerilee, where’s Scootaloo?” Rainbow Dash asked merrily to hide her nerves. “I’m afraid there’s been an...incident. Scootaloo is in my office and I need to talk to you there.” Cheerilee replied. “Follow me please.” she added, heading back into the school. Rainbow Dash followed her into her office. Scootaloo looked up and smiled when she saw who came into the office. It fell again soon after when she thought about what was coming. Rainbow Dash was even more unnerved after seeing Scootaloo’s behaviour. It seemed that no matter how depressed Scootaloo had been in the past, just seeing Rainbow Dash had put a smile on her face. It had here too, but only for a second. Rainbow Dash sat down next to Scootaloo placed a wing around her. Scootaloo leaned into the wing and started crying again. “Please tell me what’s happened, I hate seeing her this upset.” Rainbow Dash practically pleaded with Cheerilee. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, it’s just you never know who might be listening and this is a matter I wanted dealt with privately.” Cheerilee replied. “Scootaloo got into a fight today and as a result she’s suspended for a week.” she said. Scootaloo braved looking up at Rainbow Dash to see how she reacted. She seemed to be surprised more than anything. “A fight? When? Who?” Rainbow Dash replied hurriedly. She thought she might already know the answers and one of them was something she would hate to hear. “It happened at lunch time. She jumped on Diamond Tiara and hit her in the face.” Cheerilee replied. Rainbow Dash’s face fell. “Lunch time...I should have been there...I thought she’d be okay...I felt silly for worrying so much…” Rainbow Dash said quietly to herself. She was going to punish herself for this one. Probably more than she would actually punish Scootaloo. Scootaloo was looking at her wide eyed. Cheerilee couldn’t really hear what Rainbow Dash was saying but Scootaloo could. “In any case,” Cheerilee said, bringing Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. “I hope you can understand why she’s suspended. No matter the reason, violence isn’t tolerated.” “Yeah I can see that. In Flight Camp we settled things with races instead of fighting. The fastest was seen as the strongest.” Rainbow Dash replied. “‘Course I still got into some scraps here and there.” she added sheepishly. Scootaloo smiled up at her. “One thing I still don’t know is why though. Why’d you do it?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo. Scootaloo went back to not smiling and fidgeting nervously. “I...She...She said some things...Can…Can I tell you later?” Scootaloo replied nervously. “Sure you can Squirt. As long as Miss Cheerilee doesn’t need to know everything.” Rainbow Dash replied. “I don’t need to know specifics. It’s enough for me to know it was provoked and not just a random attack.” Cheerilee said. “That’s all I really had to say too. You’re free to go now. I’m sorry it had to come to this Scootaloo. You’re a bright young girl and I hope you come back in the same mood you’ve been these past few days, before all this...unpleasantness.” Cheerilee added. Scootaloo nodded slowly. “I will Miss Cheerilee.” she said simply. “Come on then Scoots. Let’s get you put in your dress and then we’ll head out to Canterlot and you can tell me all about what happened.” Rainbow Dash said as she got off her chair and made her way towards the door. “We’re still going to Canterlot?” Scootaloo replied, containing her excitement in case she had heard wrong or misunderstood. Rainbow Dash nodded and Scootaloo jumped on her and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash’s neck in a tight hug and nuzzled against her cheeks. Rainbow Dash lifted a foreleg to support Scootaloo so she didn’t have to squeeze so hard to stay there. “I was so worried you wouldn’t let me go, or wouldn’t let me live with you or..or..” Scootaloo whispered hurriedly into Rainbow Dash’s ear, trying to get out all of her worries and fears now it seemed that none of them would actually come to fruition. “Whoa Squirt, calm down. You don’t want to get suspended for hitting me now do you?” Rainbow Dash teased, bringing up her other foreleg to gently stroke Scootaloo’s back. “Is this really something to be joking about?” Cheerilee asked. It seemed to her Rainbow Dash didn’t quite understand the severity of the situation. “She attacked another student!” she added, exasperated. “Trust me Cheerilee, if it was something she didn’t want to say in front of you I think that spoiled brat deserved it.” Rainbow Dash said, smiling as Scootaloo worked her way around on to Rainbow Dash’s back. Cheerilee looked shocked that somepony could say such a thing. “You saw how Scootaloo was when she was in trouble and look at her now. I’ll accept she needs punishment, I just think a week suspension is enough. Right now, after everything she’s been through, she needs a good time and so do I.” Rainbow Dash added. She felt terrible that she wasn’t there to stop it happening in the first place and was blaming herself for it happening. “Well it is true she looks a lot different.” Cheerilee said. She couldn’t help but smile at Scootaloo’s antics. Scootaloo had now settled for laying down on Rainbow Dash’s back. “Still, I hope both of you understand she is in trouble.” Cheerilee added, being serious again. “I know, and she will be punished. Star Shine is way more serious about this stuff than me.” Rainbow Dash replied. “Her flight instructor?” Cheerilee asked, remembering the dark blue colt she had told off for making sudden appearances on the playground. He hardly seemed serious to her. She liked seeing Scootaloo happy but was beginning to feel she was a little spoiled, just in a different way to Diamond Tiara. “Yeah he’s pretty nice but he deals with kids a lot. To be honest I’m still learning how to handle her and what I should do, but he’s got plenty of experience with it. If I’m not punishing her, it’s because I don’t know how.” Rainbow Dash explained. “You can understand that can’t you?” she asked. She could hardly punish Scootaloo when she felt at fault herself either. “Yeah I sure can.” Cheerilee replied, smiling at the memories of when she first started teaching. “It took me a while to learn how to properly handle kids, especially the ones who misbehaved. From what I understand Scootaloo was pretty much dropped on you.” Cheerilee said. Scootaloo winced at the poor choice of words. She had literally fallen on Rainbow Dash. “We’re all learning.” Cheerilee added. She was content knowing that Scootaloo hadn’t gotten away with what she had done. She really could understand Rainbow Dash was still learning and she couldn’t hold it against her. It went against her principles as a teacher to blame somepony for not knowing something. “Well anyway, I’ve taken up enough of your time. You need to get going right?” Cheerilee asked. Rainbow Dash nodded and prepared to leave when Scootaloo suddenly jumped off her back and ran in front of Cheerilee. “I am sorry miss Cheerilee, and I know what I did was wrong. It won’t happen again. I didn’t want it to happen this time but she kept pushing me and pushing me and I just...lost it I guess.” Scootaloo said. “I know you’re a good girl Scootaloo, and I look forward to seeing you come back happy. Maybe some more time off would do you some good anyway.” Cheerilee replied. “Maybe.” Rainbow Dash replied as Scootaloo made her way back on to Rainbow Dash’s back. The last time Cheerilee had suggested that she had argued vehemently and actually gotten Diamond Tiara suspended. She didn’t think that was likely to happen this time and part of her thought that maybe a little time off might actually help Scootaloo. “In any case, we really need to get going. I’m sorry all this happened too Cheerilee, and it won’t happen again. It really shouldn’t have happened this time.” she added. Scootaloo waved goodbye to Cheerilee and together she and Rainbow Dash left the office, and left the school.