//------------------------------//
// A Filly's Pain 
// Story: But I'm here for you now 
// by Dashzilla93 
//------------------------------//

"What are you doing?!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle flinched under the firm voice.

Fluttershy glared in shock and anger from what she had just witnessed. She had just gotten back from tending to Elizabeak when she stumbled upon the CMC… with her memory box, the box wide open. Her irises shrank to penny size and knew dozens of problems had aroused, yet she hooked her eyes on the filly who didn't glance back; she didn't even flinch from hearing her voice.

Angel hopped over to the box and tugged it away from them, glaring lightly at them. Yes, he knew Scootaloo had to find out sooner rather than later, but he didn't want it to be in the form of snooping.

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom flinched from the sudden defense from the rabbit; they looked up and flinched even harder when it got the others attention.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the fillies and hunched a bit. The birds frowned disapprovingly and turned their heads away. Mr. Slithers glared and hissed at them for getting in something that they weren't meant to get into. Mina, that sweet innocent kitty, glared at Sweetie Belle and hissed, waving her now unsheathed claws at her.

They apparently managed to get the entire cottage mad for getting into this box; the two fillies panicked and rushed over to Fluttershy and apologized while crying for her forgiveness. 

"We're so sorry Fluttershy." Sweetie Belle cried, she felt extremely guilty.

"We didn't mean to look inside your box. We were just curious!" Applebloom said as she felt the same guilt Sweetie Belle felt. They whimpered and pleaded, but got no response from Fluttershy.

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at the two crying fillies. Her eyes hinted anger, but they also displayed more of guilt, regret, and curiosity. She'll come up with punishments for them for snooping, but her mind wasn't focused on that. 

She gazed at the pleading fillies a bit with a firm answer for the two guilty foals, "I'll deal with you two later."

The two wince but look down, understanding that they invaded Fluttershy's privacy. 

Fluttershy looked to the creatures and silently motioned with her head, silently ordering them to back off, which they did. She nodded at them before focusing on the true situation. 

She watched Scootaloo's back and waited for her to do something, but all she did was kept her eyes on what she held in her hooves. 

‘I was too late for her to tell her…' 

Pinkie Pie was right; she waited too long and had done nothing but procrastinate her promise to tell Scootaloo the truth. Her daughter found it out on her own, and she just let it happened. All she needed to do was say something, and that's what she intended to do. 

Fluttershy walked pass Sweetie Belle and Applebloom as they watched her walk up to Scootaloo and sat behind with her ears perked down. 

"Scootaloo?" Fluttershy softly said in the hope she'd listen.

Sweetie Belle walked a bit closer to Applebloom as they watched. They were still teary-eyed with the guilt still hurting them. They tried to take a step closer, but Mr. Slithers blocked them off with Snappers the crocodile, his tail slapping down in front of Applebloom while Snappers growled at Sweetie Belle. The two reptiles narrowed their eyes down at the earth filly and unicorn filly, warning them to stay out of this.

Fluttershy ignored what was occurring behind her and simply watched her daughter and waited, but Scootaloo never moved a muscle. She just sat there hunched over and stared down at the certificate. 

Fluttershy narrowed her head to her daughter's left shoulder and saw the birth certificate that she was looking at. She frowned as she waited for Scootaloo to say something, but she still didn't say or do anything. She knew her real mother was behind her and didn't respond, not a reaction, a sound, anything; all Fluttershy wanted was to hear her daughter's words. She assumed the worst until Scootaloo finally spoke to her. She was relieved for a split second until she heard the tone in Scootaloo's voice. Something was off and it was starting to scare her.

"All this time… this whole time…you were my real mother? W-why?" Scootaloo said in a calm, yet sad and confused tone. 

Fluttershy was glad to hear her talk, but her voice didn't sound too happy; she figured it would happen. She took one step and was about to get up and hug Scootaloo and help cheer her up, but noticed a tear droplet fell from Scootaloo's cheek and splashed on the floor. Fluttershy looked back at Scootaloo with worried eyes, "Scootaloo, I--"

Scootaloo took a sharp turn and glared daggers at Fluttershy, "Why didn't you tell me?!" she growled with teary eyes. "Why did you do this to me?! Why did you put me in that orphanage?!" she stepped a bit closer to Fluttershy and gave her an angry, confused look. "Why did you abandon me?!"

The sudden action caused not only Applebloom and Sweetie Belle to flinch, but it caused the reptiles alarm, too. They did not expect Scootaloo to react like this, but it certainly paled to how Fluttershy was reacting.

Fluttershy flinched and widened eyes in fear and shock. Time slowed and her heart felt heavy. She felt really guilty for letting her daughter find out this way, and when she tried to speak – that's when it got really difficult.
She tried so hard to give Scootaloo an answer, but she choked on her words as she sadly looked at her angry daughter; pressure began to build up. "I… I… I…" her voice grew damp as she managed to say one word before Scootaloo threw her blind rage again at her.

"All this time, you were my mother and you never told me?!" she grinded her teeth as her eyes became teary and red. "Do you have any idea what that orphanage put me through? Do you have any idea what it's like living in that dump full of loud-mouthed, thieving creeps?" Scootaloo barked as she stepped a bit closer to Fluttershy. 

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stepped back and felt like they should not get involved in this. They climbed up the stairs and peeped from behind the wall as they watched Scootaloo verbally tear Fluttershy apart. They've never seen Scootaloo so angry and emotional.

Mr. Slithers, Snappers and the animals kept their distance and blocked the stairway where the two fillies are, making sure that they don't get involved, yet they kept their eyes on their mistress and little Scootaloo. They felt really bad for her being this upset, especially at Fluttershy. 

‘To think we were having such a good time, too…' The critters sadly thought to themselves, the fun and happiness that had occurred hours ago yesterday, the good mood that was brought by the bliss of play, had all but crumbled to pieces because of the thirst of curiosity.

Fluttershy tried her best to stay strong and respond to her daughter as best she could, but the pressure grew in her chest. Her mind raced drastically. It was too much for her. 

Tears wallowed up and rolled down her cheeks and her lip quivered, "S-Scootaloo… I… please…" she tried desperately to fight her choking words, but the sheer pain of the pressure and her daughter's words were overwhelming. She tried to talk, but Scootaloo interrupted her.

"It's horrible!" she shouted as Fluttershy backed up. 

"I've been bullied, made fun of, humiliated! And the caretakers don't do a darn thing about it. They don't even care I'm in pain!" she miserably said with tears flowing down her face. "I was forced to put my stuff in the clubhouse!" she motioned her hoof at the direction of the cutie mark clubhouse. "Because the other orphans at that dumb orphanage are always stealing my stuff!" she hiccupped and sobbed, from the pain, the anger and the confusion of it all.

Fluttershy gasped in horror from what Scootaloo was told her. 

Her own daughter was suffering and she never knew about it. She thought that the orphanage would've been a better place for Scootaloo, but now she can see she was plainly wrong; she felt her heart crumble from hearing Scootaloo's sorrow. Her mind was filled with despair. 

She wanted to go up and hug her daughter tight, but something held her back. Even though she choked, Fluttershy spoke out, "I… I never knew…" she softly said, but that made it a little worse. 

Scootaloo started to cry, "Of course you never knew, you weren't there!" she screamed and grabbed her face as she wiped the stinging tears from her eyes and glared red, puffy dagger at her, "Every day, I dreamed of having a family who would adopt me. I wanted to have a mother and father to support and love me. When parents came to the orphanage, I was excited and hoped they'd adopt me, but no, they didn't!" she cried painfully. "Instead, they adopt those… those… those bullies!" she jumped a bit and crushed her eyelids with tears rolled down her cheeks.

Fluttershy sat there heartbroken at what her daughter was saying. She craned her head down, but her words finally caught up to her for her to say, "Scootaloo… please, let me explain."

Scootaloo glared at her again and snapped, again, "Explain what?! Explain why you abandoned your only child? Explain why you let her suffer in a place where caretakers don't give two hooves about anything and only care about themselves?!" she choked back a sob. 

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle widened their eyes and gasped at this revelation. 

The animals were just as equally shocked as they looked to one another in worry. One of their own has been suffering for that long? Unbelievable!

They continued to watch as Scootaloo exploded with rage, "Who else knows about your stupid secret?!"

Fluttershy jumped and frightfully responded, "Pinkie and Rainbow Dash--"

"What?!" Scootaloo shouted and widened her eyes from hearing those certain names. She sat down in shock and breathed choppy breaths trying to take in what she just heard. She looked at the ground, feeling devastated and betrayed. 

Rainbow Dash, the pony she idolized as a sister and role-model, knew as well and kept that secret from her. And Pinkie Pie knew, too. Did Princess Luna know about this, too? Her thoughts, questions, emotions, all bombarded her violently. She wiped the tears but kept sobbing from receiving that fact. 

Fluttershy realized her error when she said Rainbow Dash's and Pinkie Pie's names, but she weakly walked up to Scootaloo in tears and said again, "Scootaloo, please, let me explain."

Scootaloo looked up angrily and backed away from Fluttershy, "No, stay away from me…"

Fluttershy flinched but reached a hoof towards her, "But… sweetie…" 

However, no one was prepared for what slipped out of Scootaloo's mouth next.

"I hate you!" she shouted in pure frustration and anger.

Fluttershy felt her mind, heart, and soul break. Those three words echoed through her mind and hit their mark as she sat back down.

The fillies and animals gasped in shock and horror at hearing those three words. 

Applebloom and Sweetie looked beyond shocked but heartbroken upon witnessing their friend say such a thing. Sure, they themselves had struggles with their own siblings or family too, but never in their lives had they ever say that they hated them.

Angel and every creature were stunned. They had mixed emotions running through them – shock that Scootaloo had been going through so much, fear that if she yelled any more she might explode, anger that she should give Fluttershy a chance to explain – plus for Fluttershy to tell her daughter the truth, but heartbreak when they heard those three words escape out of her mouth. To hear those words from someone like her caused a piece of not only Fluttershy, but they themselves, to break.

Scootaloo glared at Fluttershy and everyone before her being melted into pure heartbreak. Her lower lip quivered, her eyelids tightened, she couldn't bear to look at Fluttershy and everyone around her. Rage and pain took over and, before anyone in the cottage knew it, she dashed towards the front door and ran out, crying from the pain and betrayal. 

Fluttershy gasped and ran to the entrance of the cottage, "Scootaloo, wait!" she called out, but it was too late; Scootaloo was gone. Even her bird friends tried to call her back, but not even that worked.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle dashed down the stairs, over Mr. Slithers and Snappers and headed straight outside to get Scootaloo back. They ran passed Fluttershy and over the bridge, calling her name.

Her one chance to tell her daughter everything and it lead to this. It's as if fate decided a happy moment had to be earned; a cruel choice in the long run. She could go after Scootaloo, but it would make things worse for both of them. Fluttershy turned around and walked back inside with her head hunched down. A tear dropped from her cheek. The monstrous impact of failure slammed into her hard and it showed no remorse. Her body gave out from the pressure and she collapsed in the center of her cottage in tear of pain and sorrow. She then saw a picture frame in front of her and weakly reach out and pulled it close to her. Her animal friends watched on in heartbreak and grief. They didn't know what to do, at all. What could they even do? Fluttershy looked at the picture frame and suddenly felt herself broken in two as she caved-in and covered her face in her arms with the picture frame of her holding baby Scootaloo and cried out loud. 

"I'm sorry, Scootaloo," She whimpered and sobbed in heartbreak, she had been broken, emotionally and physically, "I'm so sorry!"

Her animal friends gathered around her quickly and tried to give her comfort, even if they themselves felt broken. They wanted to go after Scootaloo, but they knew that they could not leave their mistress.

Angel sighed sadly as he lowered his ears while giving Fluttershy a hug in an attempt to comfort her, for even he didn't know what to do. He's never seen Fluttershy this broken before.

***near the Ponyville school***

Scootaloo ran until she came near the elementary school. She tightened her eyes and screamed in her mind as she buzzed her wings and clenched her teeth in rage; tears fell from her cheeks. She slowly stopped beside a bench in front of the fence in front of the elementary school.

Scootaloo panted heavily from exhaustion. She noticed the bench and instinctively walked up and sat down to rest her hooves and cool herself down after what happened. But her cooldown was gonna take much more time than she realized. Fluttershy was her biological mother the whole time and she kept it a secret from her for so long; not to mention Rainbow Dash knew, too, and she didn't tell her. This information was putting a gigantic weight on her and it was taking its toll, hard.

Even Pinkie and, possibly, Princess Luna knew about it, too? This was madness! Did other ponies know?  So many questions popped into her skull that it gave her a small headache. She had such a hard time processing this that it made her wonder if there were other secrets she didn't know about. Like, does she have any secret siblings? Or, was Derpy Hoove secretly her cousin? No, that would just be too silly. She shook her head and grabbed it and let out an annoyed, frustrated grunted. On the plus side, she was glad to be alone. She needed to think.

Scootaloo looked at the ground in sorrow. She may need time, but the pain was still noticeable, "Why?" She sniffled lightly, "Why did you do this?"

Two shadows appeared in front Scootaloo, "Well, well, well," a familiar, unwanted voice said. Scootaloo's right ear twitched as she carelessly looked up slightly. The last ponies she wanted to see were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She still felt hurt and betrayed, but it was immediately covered up with annoyance and out of patience. She was having enough problems as it was; she didn't want these two making it worse. But she knew they weren't going to leave until they broke her. Ironic, really.

Scootaloo didn't say anything, but Diamond Tiara kept going, "One of the blank flanks is here alone," Diamond Tiara said. "Where're the other two? Are they finally fed up with your uselessness?" Silver Spoon chuckled at that last part. These two were just hoping to get a rise out of the orange filly.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and groaned, she said in a snappy tone, "Go away! I don't want to deal with you two."

The two snobbish fillies flinched but never got rid of their smug smiles. They chuckled before Diamond Tiara decided to continue her taunting, "You know Mother's day is just around the corner, and the school's going to have all of us make gifts for our mothers, right? What gift are you going to make for your mommy?" Diamond Tiara said with a snicker. Scootaloo's eyes slowly widened, the Pegasus filly was starting to see red and her target was right in front of her. "Oh wait, that's right. You don't have a mommy!" She pointed at Scootaloo and laughed at her. She wanted to make sure to go all-out in bring Scootaloo down. Let her know what her place is around here. 

Her annoyance bubbled back into anger. Her patience was stretching thinner with every second, "Shut up. leave me alone," Scootaloo said as she grinded her teeth as she gave these two rich fillies a glare that went unnoticed. The miniature volcano was about to burst.

"Hey Diamond, speaking of mothers, do you think a mare would ever adopt a filly who can't fly?" Silver Spoon smirked. Diamond Tiara snickered in return.

"Let me think. Hmm, nope!" they both laughed in front of Scootaloo. Diamond Tiara grinned evilly at Scootaloo, not caring if she's getting angry, this was fun for her, "Face it, no pony is going to adopt you. Might as well give up and stay in that crummy orphanage," Diamond Tiara said with a smug grin as she jabbed a hoof at Scootaloo's chest. "Not even a pony like Rainbow Dash would adopt you." Another verbal jab was thrown, but it only fueled the impending lava within.

Diamond Tiara's words were aggravating and tiresome to listen to. As treating her like dirt wasn't bad enough, using Rainbow Dash as ammunition barely affected her anyway. She felt betrayed by her, so what was the point? Scootaloo just wanted to be alone, but these obnoxious fillies were being a pain worse than any crash she's had with her scooter. Don't these fillies have anything else better to do?

The red in her vision faded and she simply rolled her eyes and looked away from the bullies to hopefully ignore them, but they just wouldn't stop. She had to go someplace else. Clearly, they weren't going to leave and the way they were acting was very parasitic. Trying to calm down was going to be a challenge, but she had to at least try. She shook her head at the two bullies, disappointed that they would go out of their way just to get her angry. It almost worked, but she was better than that.

She was just about to hop off the bench when...

"Or even Fluttershy!" Silver Spoon said out loud to further the taunt, laughing with Diamond Tiara as if they hit the final blow.

She stopped. A snarl curled itself and teeth flared. Daggers glared and targets acquired. The volcano erupted. That was the final straw and she had enough. She could ignore them saying what they previously said, but to bring her own mother into this and use her as ammo? They know nothing of what she went through and they certainly don't know how much it hurt her. Scootaloo was gonna let them off the hook, but no more. She was done. All she felt was rage and merciless intent. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon crossed the line.

Scootaloo hopped off the bench and approached the two fillies, seeing nothing but red, again.

Diamond Tiara laughed some more, relishing the moment in taunting her favorite victim. She and Silver Spoon glanced at each other for a moment, sharing the same intent before they looked back at Scootaloo to try and see if they can aggravate her a little more, glutton for more of her reactions.

"Hey, yeah, not even Fluttershy would want someone as weak, worthless and obnoxious as—" Diamond Tiara was ready to deliver, what she thought was, the final blow to Scootaloo's physique, but she wasn't ready for an orange hoof to grab her by the skin of her chest and see another orange hoof come crashing into her face. The force was decently strong enough to send her toppling on her back hooves and tripping on her back. A tooth dropped next to her face as she lied on the ground, dazed from the impact. Blood slightly spread across her muzzle and mouth while her right eye was starting to swell.

Silver Spoon gasped in horror as she watched her friend sprawl on the ground, out cold. She looked at Scootaloo and shouted, "Hey!" but her anger instantly contorted into fear when she stared into the eyes of an annoyed, angry, agitated Scootaloo. 

The frightened gray filly shook in cold fear. She backed down, slightly crouching. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. Those eyes, something was off about them. She stared into them and never looked away; they seemed... hypnotic. Almost as if she was looking into the eyes of a demon. "P-Please... d-don't hurt me," she finally worked up the nerve to ask in a soft, terrified tone with choppy breaths as Scootaloo glared down at her with her soul-piercing stare.

She was in luck, Scootaloo's intentions were not to hurt Silver Spoon, but she was at least grateful she got the message. Least one of them was the smart one. Maybe now she'll understand this, "Leave me alone and never bother me again. Got it?!" Scootaloo said with a slight growl at Silver Spoon. 

The message was received and Silver Spoon nodded immediately and quickly run towards the unconscious Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon was wise to stop what she did because that punch looked like it hurt more than getting hair plucked out. She picked Diamond Tiara up and hauled her away, crying in fright and terror. They disappeared out of sight and the moment Scootaloo immediately walked away from the school.

Maybe someplace secluded was something she needed. And she knew exactly where to go.

***Ponyville***

Meanwhile, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle unknowingly took a different path as they rushed through Ponyville, avoiding other ponies and objects, desperately trying to find Scootaloo. Panic overtook them like an unwanted virus. They expected Scootaloo to get angry, but they never expected her to blow up on Fluttershy and take off crying. They should've never looked through that box. 

"This is all our faults!" Sweetie Belle blamed herself as she glanced at Applebloom, the guilt running through her veins.

Applebloom agreed as she tried to fight her own tears; if she had known this was going to happen, she would've never looked in that box either. "We should've never looked in that box!"

They dashed through one street full of ponies, zig-zagging and narrowly avoiding any oncoming ponies. They succeeded, only to stumble upon three familiar ponies blocking their way. They skid trails before stopping in front of their older sisters.

"Whoa there, fillies," Applejack said in her southern accent. "Where's the fire?"

"Yes, why are you two in such a rush?" Rarity asked them in a gentle, confused tone.

Big Mac paused his delivery walk as he looked to his sister and Sweetie Belle, concerned to why they're in such a rush. "What's goin' on, Applebloom?" The wagon creaked behind him. "Y'all look like a pack of timberwolves is chasin' ya." He also took notice of one of the fillies being absent, he softly asked in a hint of worry, "Where's Scootaloo?"

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle gasped and tried to come up with excuses, but panic grew stronger and forced them to run around their siblings while blurting out, "Can't talk! Gotta find Scootaloo!" Applebloom said as they ran.

"Fluttershy is Scootaloo's mom! We have to find her so they can talk," Sweetie Belle accidentally blurted.

Applejack raised a brow while Rarity scratched her head, Big Macintosh just blinked slowly from how those two fillies were off in such a rush, all three very confused by what their little sisters said. They looked at each other and shrugged before Applejack and Rarity head to Twilight's library for a little comic book hang out while Big Mac continued his delivery rounds until they all stood stiff and gasped in shock…

"Fluttershy is Scootaloo's mom?!" they all said in unison.

Big Mac looked very concerned now. He knew something had to be wrong since Scootaloo wasn't with them, but to hear that Fluttershy is the little filly's mom, it didn't take him long to figure out that Scootaloo had ran off – with a lot on her mind, no doubt. 

"Aw no, Little Sugarcube," He lowered his ears in worry and fear; he didn't want Scootaloo to get herself hurt. He knew she most likely wanted to be alone to think after finding out the truth, but his big brother instincts were now put on overdrive. 

He facehoofed in stress as all he could think about was making sure Scootaloo – his "Little Sugarcube", that little sister-figure of his – was okay. "Oh, if anything happens to that little filly while she's alone…" He gazed out beyond town, knowing she was out there. "…I'll never forgive myself." He finished with a fearful tone of voice, the worry about his little sister-figure overwhelming him. It was too much to ignore now.

With his mind made up, he decided right then and there what he had to do. "I've got to find her!"

At this moment, his rounds meant nothing to him, and with a swift kick, he released himself from being tethered to the wagon by his yoke and he quickly ran off to go find Scootaloo.

"Little Sugarcube!" He started calling for her as he began his search, worry etched on his face as he looked from left to right for an orange pegasus filly "Little Sugarcube!" 

He vanished among the town and the citizens as he ran off down the path, determined to find her. And no pony was going to stand in his way until he does.

"Big Mac, wait!" Applejack called out, but it was too late. She gets he cared for the little pegasus, but he should've focused on -- oh, who was she kidding. "Dang-nab it!" she looked at Rarity with a defeated, but determined glare. "Rarity, I think Twilight's hangout is gonna have to wait."

Rarity nodded in agreement. As much as she would've loved to visit Twilight, her little sister had a friend that's missing. Fluttershy had a lot of explaining to do, but that can wait until they find Scootaloo. And with Big Mac acting the way he did, it made her feel the same way. "Right. We'll explain it to Twilight, later. Our sister's need help."

With that, the apple farmer and fashionista ran together to go help find Scootaloo.

***Ponyville, an hour later***

Just like Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and now Big Macintosh, Fluttershy ran to a different street in Ponyville, in a desperate search for her daughter. Her animal friends formed a search party and went to spread the word to the other woodland creatures to keep an eye out for Scootaloo.

She aimed her vision left and right but couldn't see her daughter anywhere in town. "Scootaloo!" She slowed her pace when she passed a cabbage stand near Sugar Cube Corner. She sat down and sighed; her eyes still a bit red and puffy from earlier. She hung her head and looked at the ground, feeling distressed. "I'm sorry, Scootaloo…" Her voice was barely heard as she felt tremendous guilt for not telling Scootaloo about this sooner. "I'm so sorry…"

Her thoughts suddenly came to her in a flash, beating her up with images of Scootaloo yelling and tearing up. A stern, aggressive voice that almost matched her own suddenly revealed itself and spoke to her.

‘Why did you choke?!' her conscious shouted at her for choking back at the cottage. ‘Why didn't you explain it to her? She was right there! You could've told her why, but no, you didn't! You are such a coward and a—‘

"I'm not," she whispered and cringed a bit. "I wanted to tell her, but... it was too late."

"Fluttershy!" a somewhat high-pitched, kooky voice quickly brought her back to reality. She cocked her head and looked straight ahead to find the smiling, pink form of Pinkie Pie call out to her, again, "Come here, I need to talk to you about something. Something so important, only you should hear it" the pink mare blurred out; a loud, grumbly groan emitted inside Sugar Cube Corner; Fluttershy, unfortunately, didn't hear it.

Fluttershy rubbed her eyes before getting up and walking over to Pinkie Pie. As much as she loved talking to Pinkie about all sorts of things, she wasn't in the mood to talk; unfortunately, Pinkie Pie doesn't take no for an answer, so the depressed pegasus walked up to her anyway.

Once Fluttershy approached the bubbly, pink mare, her smile was instantly replaced with a confused frown as she tilted her head, "What's wrong, Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie asked. "You look like you've been through something much worse than Twilight going through a day without reading."

Fluttershy let out a deep, exhausted, impatient sigh. She was not in the mood to talk to Pinkie. She had to find her daughter, "Pinkie, I'm kind of in a crisis right now. What do you need?" Wait... does Pinkie Pie know where Scootaloo is? Okay, maybe a small break wouldn't hurt.

Funny business aside, Pinkie Pie gave a serious, straight face to Fluttershy and took a guess on what the crisis could be, "Would that crisis involve Scootaloo?" she asked, thinking that was probably the answer.

Fluttershy perked her head and widened her eyes in surprise. "Y-yes…"

"Scootaloo found out?"

"Yes, but…"

"She didn't take it well and she yelled at you?"

"Yes, but she…"

"Took off crying and now Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and you are trying to find her?" Pinkie asked, raising a questioned brow.

Fluttershy didn't question how Pinkie Pie found all of that out and just exhaled another deep sigh, "Yes, it's all true." She openly admitted to Pinkie Pie, because, at this point, she hated herself for what she did. "I choked under the pressure and I couldn't explain anything to her. I'm a useless pony, I'm such a coward and a--"

"If you even finish that sentence, I'll clean your clock so hard you'd wish you'd never have said that, to begin with," A frustrated voice with a familiar tomboyish tone called out behind Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy flinched and tried to look behind Pinkie Pie, but the voice erupted behind her again, "Will you two get in here already? Do you want other ponies to know what's going on?" Pinkie jumped and dragged Fluttershy into the small bakery before closing the door behind her and locking it.

Fluttershy looked back at Pinkie Pie before turning to see a familiar cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail hover in front of her, forearms crossed and looked at her with a stern face.

"R-Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy said before gulping and asking, "H-How did you--"

"I found out when I was on my daily flights around Ponyville," Rainbow Dash interrupted. "My senses are 20/20 when I'm flying, you and everypony else should know that."

Of course. Dash always makes daily flights around Ponyville, she's like the eyes in the sky. No doubt she'd find out

"And it so happened that I overheard your conversation with Scootaloo, and how she found out the truth," Rainbow Dash said. "Why didn't you tell her? Why did you let her storm off?"

Fluttershy scrunched her face in annoyance, tired of the pressure everypony has been giving her and in a fit of anger, she exploded, "I choked and couldn't form the bucking words I wanted to tell her, okay, Rainbow Dash?!"

The outburst caused Pinkie Pie to flinch, but Rainbow Dash kept her figure firm despite the light wince on her face from the unexpected eruption, "I wanted to tell her this morning, but I had things to do at that time!" 

Dash would've made a snide comment but kept quiet, because not only would that make it worse, but she knew that Fluttershy had animals to take care of, especially if it concerned those chickens that she once or twice sees Fluttershy tending to while she herself had been making her daily flights.

Tears slowly appeared and rolled down her cheek. "I saw her looking at her birth certificate, I wanted to tell her, but she didn't want to listen to me. I just didn't know what else I was supposed to do," She coughed a bit from the pressure; the pain was just too much for her. "I was too late." Fluttershy sat down and started to sob once again. That's all she could do. She felt useless trying to talk to Scootaloo, she felt terrible for putting her in that orphanage and she regretted holding everything in. 

She sniffled, her voice drenched in heartbreak, "Now I don't know what to do anymore… She hates me!" Pinkie Pie gasped lightly while Dash widened her eyes at hearing this; it's one thing getting angry, but it got to the point where those three painful words were said? This just got even more heartbreaking as the two finally understood the pain that Fluttershy was going through.

Poor Fluttershy sat there like she lost everything, and she didn't know how to get it back. "My own daughter…. She hates me." She could not stop her tears, only shutting her eyes from the salty stinging of said tears; however, the stinging sensation in her eyes was nothing compared to the heartbreak she was feeling. "I lost her. I lost Scootaloo," She looked down, blaming only herself for what has happened. She wished she had never placed her daughter in that forsaken orphanage in the first place. 

"She's gone, Rainbow… Pinkie… and it's all my fault." She whimpered only lightly as she cried, looking down as her mane covered her entire face as her sobs continued to fill the bakery. "It's my fault."

Pinkie Pie walked around Fluttershy and stood next to Rainbow Dash, feeling very sorry for her friend, "Don't cry, Fluttershy," she said before she approached Fluttershy and gently gave her a soft, warming hug. "I-It's going to be okay…"

But Fluttershy, being in so much pain, only pushed away from the embrace and covered her face, sobbing in her hooves. Pinkie Pie lowered her ears, her mane starting to deflate as she listened to her friend's crying.

Rainbow Dash's frustration slowly relaxed before guilt and sorrow replaced it. Just like Pinkie, she felt really bad for Fluttershy and felt guilty for pressuring her so much. Now her best friend was suffering big-time, feeling like there's nothing she can do. She had to try and comfort her.

She lightly landed on the floor and approached her gloomy friend, and spoke, "F-Fluttershy, it's alright. Um, how about Pinkie Pie and I help you find her?" She offered. "I know you're having a tough time right now, but you got to stay strong. If one of us finds her, we'll talk to her, er, I'll talk to her." She winced but offered to talk to Scootaloo herself.

As much as Pinkie Pie loved to talk, she wasn't there when Fluttershy was pregnant. She would just make things worse. Rainbow Dash has been through the entire experienced and stayed with Fluttershy until the time arrived. If anything, Rainbow Dash did felt a surge of regret for not knowing sooner about Scootaloo being Fluttershy's daughter; she was fully aware of Fluttershy's delivery but wasn't aware it was Scootaloo.

Hearing that conversation in the cottage even surprised her; much more than Pinkie Pie finding out.

Fluttershy glued her teary eyes to Rainbow Dash, parting her mane to look at her, her eyes red and bloodshot but yet the tears still flowed, "Y-you will…?" 

"Of course, Mamashy" Pinkie Pie said as she chuckled. "We'll help find your little joy and get her back to you." She smiled, enthused about the search.

"Yeah, what Pinkie said." Rainbow Dash gave a little smile at Fluttershy before addressing their bubbly friend. "I'll do the talking, Pinkie." She looked at Pinkie nonchalantly "You just stay back."

"Aww, why?" Pinkie Pie whined with a pout, looking at Dash sadly. "I wanna help!"

"Pinkie, the last time you talked to Fluttershy, you almost broke her into never performing on stage that one time, at all!" Rainbow Dash reminded her about that incident when their shy friend once had to fill in for Big Mac in the Ponytones group she loved so much, making pink mare shrug; Fluttershy remembered that clear as day. Perhaps it would be for the best.

"I thought I was--"

Rainbow Dash gave her a deadpan look and gave her the cast-iron truth of what her talking had done during that event, "No, you only made it worse." She sighed lightly and shrugged, "No offense, Pinkie, I know you have good intentions, but sometimes your form of helping does a little more harm than good." 

Pinkie winced lightly; that kind of hurt, just a bit. But thinking about other situations that she claimed she helped, she was a bit embarrassed to find out that in certain instances, she actually ended up making things a lot worse. 

She simply gave a big embarrassed yet apologetic smile in Fluttershy's direction once she realized this, her pink cheeks turning red.

"Just help me find Scootaloo and let me talk to her, okay?" Dash asked her, asserting that she is to let her deal with the talking.

"Okie Dokie Loki," Pinkie Pie hung her head down in defeat.

Fluttershy finally stopped crying and smiled softly at her friends, happy to know they want to help her. Wiping her tears away, she made her gratefulness known as she thanked the two "Thanks, girls."

Dash nodded and smiled in return, "Don't worry, Fluttershy, we'll find your kid in no time." She said proudly until a thought miraculously emerged. "In fact, I think I might know where she could be."

"You do?" Both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy said.

The cyan mare with rainbow hair nodded, "It's a spot where I used to go when I wanted to be alone from other ponies." She looked a bit sheepish as she traced the floor, bashfully stating, "But I hardly ever use it anymore." She explained, yet she was surprised to know Scootaloo found it, that is if she's there.

Fluttershy brushed the last of her tears away, cleaning her eyes before nodding to her cyan friend. "Alright." She sighed softly, her ears lowering down, "Rainbow Dash…"

The tomboy mare glanced at her as she got up to spread her wings, readying herself to go look for the little filly who considered herself as her biggest fan, "Yeah?"

"If you find her, make sure she's okay, and tell her that I'm so sorry," Fluttershy whimpered; she just couldn't bear the thought of her only child hating her for the rest of her life.

Rainbow rubbed her snout with a determined and promising smile, "You got it, Fluttershy." She said before walking out of Sugar Cube Corner. "Oh, and, I'll make sure to let her know you never meant to hurt her in the first place," She glanced back at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled a bit and nodded again, "Please, she has to understand. She has to." she pleaded to the athletic mare. She gazed down with her ears low, before looking back up at her. "Bring her home."

With one final nod, Rainbow Dash looked away from the two mares, and spreading her wings wide, she burst out of Sugarcube Corner and into the air as fast as lightning.

The search for Scootaloo had begun…