//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: In Sickness or in Sorrow // Story: Oh Mother, Where Art Thou? // by Locomotion //------------------------------// Soarin, Slate Shard, Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders searched every nook and cranny of Ponyville for Scootaloo, calling out her name wherever they went. Down alleys and streets, over rivers, streams and railway lines, under trees, bushes and bridges, in town and countryside, from high in the air or down on the ground, they kept their ears open and their eyes peeled for any lead as to where the orange Pegasus filly might be. But no matter where they looked, or how hard they tried, there was no sign of her whatsoever, and even when they asked around, nopony else seemed to know where she was. After a whole hour of searching, even Rumble was almost ready to give up. “This is hopeless,” he whimpered despairingly, as he and Tornado Bolt searched the edge of Sweet Apple Acres for the umpteenth time that evening. “We're never gonna find her at this rate.” “Get a hold of yourself, Rumble!” urged Tornado Bolt. “We can't just leave her to freeze to death or be struck by lightning or whatever. Her father would never let us hear the end of it if we did. Anyway, I thought she was your fillyfriend!” “Who said she wasn't?” objected Rumble. “I still love that filly as much as I do my own family – well, a lot more than that, if I'm honest – but how's that going to help me find her anyway?” Tornado Bolt was just about to reply when they heard Apple Bloom calling out Scootaloo's name from nearby – “SCOOTALOO! SCOOT-SCOOTALOOOOOO!” Rumble grimaced in annoyance as he marched over to the yellow farm filly. “Apple Bloom,” he burst out crossly, “what the hay are you doing?!” “Well that's the way ya call fo' a chicken,” retorted Apple Bloom pointedly, “so why not Scootaloo?” “Cut it out, Apple Bloom!” shouted Rumble, angrily swatting Apple Bloom with the back of his hoof. “This is a lost filly we're dealing with, not an escaped hen!” “Yeah, Apple Bloom, get serious!” added Tornado Bolt. “This isn't a laughing matter, you know – if we fail at this mission, we stand to lose a friend as well as a fellow Crusader...” “Okay, okay, Ah get the message already!” interrupted Apple Bloom promptly. She paused for a few seconds; “Any sign of 'er yet?” “Not a thing,” replied Rumble anxiously. “For all we know, she could have gone beyond the outskirts.” Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “Then keep lookin'!” she ordered. “We've gotta find her!” and she galloped away quickly. But just as soon as the little farm filly disappeared into the haze created by the heavy rain, Rumble and Tornado Bolt heard an excited shout from nearby. The two Pegasi spun round to see Sweetie-Belle and Lickety-Split pointing towards a flash of orange that was just crossing a small stream. “There she is!” cried Tornado Bolt thankfully. “We've found her!” Overwhelmed with relief, Rumble raced towards the bridge, ready to fling his arms around Scootaloo and bury his face in her shoulder – but his elation quickly turned to horror as he came close. No sooner was he within a few yards of his fillyfriend than she suddenly collapsed, shivering uncontrollably. “Scootaloo!” he wailed fearfully. The grey Pegasus colt ran alongside the trembling filly and nudged her repeatedly, trying his best to bring her round. “Scootaloo, are you okay? Answer me! Please, say something!” Scootaloo's eyes flickered, but she barely seemed to recognise any of the ponies now surrounding her, let alone Rumble. She opened her mouth to try and reply to him, but her voice was so slurred and tremulous that he couldn't understand a word she was saying, and it took all her strength even to move her jaw. Before anypony could try and get any sense out of her, said strength finally gave out, and her head slumped against the side of the bridge. “Oh no!” gasped Rumble in terror. He shook her body vigorously, desperately shouting into her ear; “Scootaloo, wake up! Don't leave me, please! You're gonna be okay! Wake up! Please, speak to me!” “I don't think she will if we stay out here any longer.” Lickety-Split removed his right front hoof from Scootaloo's forehead, a grave look on his face. “She's pretty delirious right now, and if we don't get her inside, she could......well...” but he didn't say any more. He didn't need to. Just by looking at his grim expression, Rumble could easily tell what he was getting at. “Sweetie-Belle, go and tell Rarity what's happened to Scootaloo!” he barked. “The Carousel Boutique's nearby; it's our only hope if we're to save her life!” Sweetie-Belle was aghast. “But what if she refuses?!” she protested. “Scootaloo's not exactly her favourite pony at the moment – and besides, with Spike at the boutique, she'll...” “There's no time!” ordered Rumble sharply. “We won't be able to make it to the farmhouse before...well...” “Before what?” “Never mind what,” yelled Rumble, “just go!” Without another word, Sweetie-Belle turned and galloped over to the boutique as fast as she could, silently praying to Celestia that Rarity would be merciful enough to help them, while Rumble, Tornado Bolt and Lickety-Split set about perching Scootaloo on their backs... At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity and Spike stood back to examine the white unicorn mare's latest creation. For several weeks now, Rarity had been working on a smart new dress for the Duchess of Trottingham, and had only just finished applying the final touches. Spike marvelled at the sight of the newly completed dress as he looked it all over. “Wow, Rarity,” he breathed, “that looks fantastic! Forget the Duchess; that design looks fit for a queen!” Rarity smiled warmly as she nuzzled her dragon lover. “Why, thank you, my little Spikey-Wikey,” she replied fondly, “but I could never have done it without your help,” and she planted a kiss on his cheek. “Anything for you, Lady Rarity,” said Spike, beaming affectionately at the pure-white unicorn. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments, lost in the love they had shared ever since Rarity had risked life and limb to save Spike from drowning. Even after a whole year, she could hardly believe how much he had changed; when he and Twilight had first moved in from Canterlot, he was still only a baby dragon. Now, having physically aged to just a few years younger than Rarity in pony terms, he was about a head taller and far more handsome than what he used to be, and had become rather more generous and well-mannered too. And to think that his last growth spurt, fuelled purely by greed, had temporarily turned him into a hideous beast until she miraculously managed to bring him out of it! Well worth the wait for this new and improved Spikey-Wikey, she thought as she slowly moved her face closer to his... Suddenly, there was a loud slamming noise accompanied by the jingling of store bells, which startled both pony and dragon. They sprang apart, wondering what was going on. Next minute, they could hear a familiar voice screaming up the stairs. “RARITY, HELP!!” “That's Sweetie-Belle!” exclaimed Spike. Rarity quickly flung open the door with her magic and bolted out into the hallway to find her sister running towards her in a state of panic. “What is it, Sweetie-Belle?” “Scootaloo!” panted Sweetie-Belle, trying to catch her breath. “Ran away...from home...me...Rumble...Lickety...found her...unconscious...near orchard...boutique...nearest shelter...please...help us!” Rarity's eyes widened in horror. She may not have been particularly fond of Scootaloo at the moment, but after hearing how dire her condition was from Sweetie-Belle, all she could think of was how little time the orange filly had left. “Where exactly!?” she asked. “East of...boutique...” “Right, then you help Spike get my bed ready!” instructed Rarity tersely. “I'll go and bring her in!” and before Sweetie-Belle could answer, she dashed down the hallway and out of the front door. The wind and rain seemed to come at Rarity from all directions, ruining her expertly brushed mane and tail as she galloped through the storm-racked streets. But for one of the few times in her life, she didn't care; all that mattered to her was finding Scootaloo and bringing her back to the safety of her boutique. At last, she found Rumble, Tornado Bolt and Lickety-Split stumbling along in the opposite direction, with the weakened Pegasus filly draped over all three foals' backs. “Rarity!” cried Rumble, noticing the white mare rapidly approaching them. “Thank Celestia you're here! Scootaloo's in an awfully bad way...” “Calm down, Rumble,” interrupted Rarity gently, “everything's going to be alright. I'll get her under cover tout suite; you go and tell her parents where she is.” She then scooped up Scootaloo with her magic and raced back to the boutique. A look of fresh consternation spread across Rumble's face. “Hang about – we don't even know who her parents are or where they live!” he exclaimed. Lickety-Split paused. “Then go tell Rainbow Dash,” he instructed. “If anypony knows who her parents are, she will. Tornado Bolt and I will let Apple Bloom and the others know she's safe.” Within half an hour, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were gathered in the Carousel Boutique along with Lickety-Split, Truffle Shuffle, Piña Colada and Ruby Pinch. All had been anxious to see how Scootaloo was doing, but Rarity refused to let anypony else into her bedroom, so they had no choice but to wait in the lobby, all the while praying to Celestia for their friend to be alright. Rumble, still terrified for his unfortunate fillyfriend, had singled himself out from the rest of the fillies and colts and was now sitting in a foetal position against the wall on the far side of the room to them, silently crying to himself. Sweetie-Belle was rather distressed too, not just because of the fever from which Scootaloo was suffering, but also out of fear for what Rarity might be doing to her at this very moment. Lickety-Split did his best to comfort her, but it wasn't until Rarity returned downstairs that her fears began to dissipate – though only by a small amount. “How is she, Rarity?” asked Apple Bloom. “You didn't do anything nasty to her while she was still out, did you, sis?” whimpered Sweetie-Belle. “Please say you didn't.” Rarity gave her little sister a blank stare. “Why in the world would I do such a thing?” Sweetie-Belle looked away, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. “Well...I just thought......since you hadn't accepted Scootaloo's apology for what happened to Spike...I mean...I'm not really gonna hold a grudge against her myself,” she stammered, “but......” “Yes?” At last, the little unicorn filly couldn't contain herself any longer. She suddenly broke free from Lickety-Split's embrace and flung her forelegs around Rarity. “I was scared you might try and harm her further!” she wailed, sobbing hard into her sister's mane. Rarity was struggling to fight back tears herself as she returned the embrace. “Oh, Sweetie-Belle, of course I wouldn't,” she said softly. “Scootaloo may have been a bit harsh with Spike before I got back from Canterlot, but I'd never wish any harm on her myself. It was really ungrateful of me not to accept her apology, I understand that now; but what's important right now is that Scootaloo is nursed back to full health.” “That still don't answer our question!” interjected Apple Bloom impatiently. “Is she recoverin' from that fever o' hers or ain't she?!” “Calm down, Apple Bloom,” soothed Rarity calmly. “Scootaloo's going to be fine; she's gone down with a really bad cold, but given plenty of rest, it should clear itself up in about a week's time.” This prompted a collective sigh of relief among most of the other ponies. The only response Rumble could manage, however, was a soft whimper. “But what about Spike?” added Lickety-Split anxiously. “He didn't take an opportunity to burn away part of Scootaloo's mane or something, did he?” “Ah, don't go on, Lickety, I'm past that stage now.” Everypony turned to find Spike standing at the foot of the staircase. “Rarity's right; both of us should have accepted Scoot's apology months ago – that and it wouldn't have been right to just let her perish. Rainbow Dash would never forgive us for a start, and besides, we've gotta consider...” But before he could finish, there was the rattling sound of a door handle turning to no effect, followed by a sharp knock. Rarity hurriedly trotted over to the front door, unlocked it, and opened up to find Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Slate Shard and a further two Pegasi whose names seemed to have escaped her standing just outside. “Why, Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed. “What took you so long?” “We came as quickly as we could,” answered Rainbow Dash. “It's just that Memphis Belle and Blue Finch were out looking for Rumble, so we had to tell them what was going on with Scootaloo.” Rumble gingerly lifted his head from his forelegs at the mention of his parents. His vision was still heavily blurred by his tears, but he could just make out the colours and outlines of both his parents as they walked slowly towards him. Memphis Belle was most dismayed to see her son in such a state. “Oh, my baby,” she gasped, trotting over to him, “what's wrong?” Rumble opened his mouth to reply, but only succeeded in bringing further tears to his eyes. Unable to hold himself back, he flung his forelegs around his mother and bawled loudly into her shoulder as she gently stroked his head. “She could have died......we nearly lost her...” “Shh, it's okay, honey,” soothed Memphis Belle calmly. “Mommy's here. Mommy's got you.” Blue Finch raised an eyebrow. “I don't understand. What's going on around here?” “Yeah, where's my daughter?” added Slate Shard frantically. “She's resting in my bed at the moment,” explained Rarity gravely. “She had gone down with a terrible cold while out in the rain, and if it hadn't been for Sweetie-Belle, she might have succumbed to a severe case of hypothermia.” Slate Shard was so mortified that he couldn't think of anything to say or do; he just stood and gazed at Rarity, his mouth agape with despair. His knees quivered, threatening to give way any second, and he was forced to take a seat before they did. “Oh no!” he faltered, bursting into tears for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. “This is all my fault...I'm so sorry, Typhoon...I didn't mean for this to happen...please forgive me...” “Forgive you for what?” asked Blue Finch, confused. Slate Shard avoided looking at anypony, least of all Rainbow Dash. “For being the worst father in history, that's what,” he sniffed morosely, hanging his head in shame and choking back further tears. “I should have been there for Scootaloo – but I wasn't! I never even took a morning off of work to bond with her; all I ever did was slave away in the quarries till I was completely spent, and all because I was so stupid as to obsess over my sadness for the death of my wife!” Even though he wasn't looking, the broken quarry-pony could feel the many eyes gazing at him in what he thought was mere disbelief. “I know – I deserve to be imprisoned for this.” But he couldn't have been any more wrong about the other ponies' reactions. They were so deeply dismayed by his revelation that no-one, not even Spike, could help but feel sorry for him. Rumble was the first to respond. Gently breaking free from Memphis Belle's arms, he tiptoed over to the deflated stallion and rested a comforting hoof on his knee. “I'm really sorry to hear about your wife, mister,” he said gently. “It must have been really horrible for you both when you heard about it.” Slate Shard looked up slightly to see the grey Pegasus colt smiling kindly at him, but it did little to soothe his hurt feelings. “You don't understand,” he sobbed. “None of you do...” “Well, actually,” interjected Blue Finch, “we do. Everypony goes through that sort of thing no matter who they are or what their age happens to be. Look at me for example; my grandfather was really special to me, but nothing I could do would save him from dying of old age.” “Yeah, and then there was my uncle Hawk Wing,” added Rumble solemnly. “He was killed by something the doctor calls a stroke when I was just a toddler, and it took me a long time to recover from his death.” “I 'ad an uncle who used to show me round the ships at Manehattan Harbour,” volunteered Pipsqueak. “We would visit 'im quite frequently during the school 'olidays, but then one year we got a telegram saying the ship 'e was workin' on 'ad just......well, vanished. We never found out what 'appened to him.” “I never found out what happened to my parents either,” chipped in Spike gravely. “I was hatched from my egg by Twilight as part of her entrance exam, so I never even got the chance to find out who they are.” “Nor did I get the chance to know my Daddy,” said Dinky. “He passed away shortly before I was born.” “Even Ah've lost both mah parents to an applebuckin' accident when Ah was about six months old,” finished Apple Bloom. “Ever since then, mah brother an' sister an' Ah have had ta provide for ourselves.” Slate Shard goggled in disbelief. “You mean to say you've been going it alone for most of your lives?!” he gasped. “That's just...it's incredible is what it is!” “Well...not exactly alone,” corrected Apple Bloom. “We have our Granny Smith lookin' after us too, but she's gettin' on in years, so it's mostly been Applejack an' Big Mac an' a family friend of ours. The point is,” she went on, giving Slate Shard an understanding smile, “y'all aren't alone in yo' grief. We've all been there at some point in our lives.” The other fillies and colts in the room nodded their agreement, but were secretly impressed by Apple Bloom's wise words. They had never known her to be so philosophical before. Even Slate Shard was moved by her uncharacteristic eloquence. “It's natural to grieve over the loss of a loved one,” observed Blue Finch, “but that kind of emotion can be extremely unpredictable at the best of times. Sometimes it can draw us closer to our friends and family, and sometimes it can cause us to try and bury our sorrow in such a way that we forget our true responsibilities, whether through work, play or even alcoholism.” “So perhaps you may have forgotten to compromise between work and play, Slate Shard,” Soarin pointed out, “but you still did a fairly good job of trying to raise Scootaloo alone under the circumstances.” Slate Shard didn't look too convinced though. “If only that were true,” he muttered sadly. “Scootaloo has every reason to hate me now that I've made her life so miserable.” He took a deep breath, trying in vain to steel himself for what he had to say next; “In fact, the only thing I could possibly do to make things better now is to...well, what I should have done in the first place.” “Which is what?” “To let her go, Soarin – put her up for adoption and......and never get to see her again.” Rainbow Dash was so deeply shocked by Slate Shard's heart-wrenching decision that it made her own heart bleed. He may not have been a competent parent by any means, but now that the rainbow-maned Pegasus had got to know him better, she had come to realise just how much he loved his little filly, and it brought tears to her eyes to know he was about to give up altogether – especially if it meant he never got to visit his daughter once she had been adopted... Or did it, she wondered? If her adoptive parents happened to be a family friend, then maybe Slate Shard wouldn't need to worry about being separated from Scootaloo for the rest of his life – somepony like Blue Finch, or one of her fellow Wonderbolts – or maybe...just maybe...... “Come on, Slate Shard,” she encouraged, “you and Scoot may not be on the best of terms with each other right now, but that doesn't mean you have to distance yourself from her. In fact, I think I might have a solution that could work for all of us.” “Really?” asked Slate Shard, perking up for the first time in several hours. “Sure,” beamed Rainbow Dash, and motioned for him and Soarin to come closer. Both ponies were rather confused, but leaned forward nonetheless, and listened intently as the soon-to-be Wonderbolt whispered into their ears. Nopony else could make out what she was trying to say, but from the look on the quarry-pony's face, it was clearly giving him a faint glimmer of hope. At last, Slate Shard simply nodded in reply. “That would be really helpful, Rainbow Dash,” he said softly. “I sure hope Scootaloo agrees.” “Oh, she will, Slate Shard,” chuckled Soarin. “Whether she forgives you is up to her, but I'd say she'd be over the moon. Mind you, Dashie, it'd be a good idea to run it past Spitfire first,” he added. “Don't worry, Soar; I was gonna send her a telegram anyway, so I may as well let her in on my plan too. I'll be right back,” and Rainbow Dash left the boutique for the nearby post office...