Fluttershy walked out of Sugar Cube Corner shortly after Rainbow flew out to search for Scootaloo and sat down on the stairs in front of the entrance of the bakery. She sighed lightly as Pinkie Pie bounced out of the entrance and stood in front of her gloomy friend, noticing the still depressed emotion on her face.
"Aw, come on, Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said reassuringly with a reassuring smile. "Cheer up. Dashie will find Scootaloo faster than you can say cupcakes," her stomach suddenly growled like a dog. "Speaking of cupcakes, you want to get a few before we start searching? My treat."
As much as she wanted too, Fluttershy just wasn't in the mood for it. She looked away from Pinkie Pie and was quiet for a moment. She liked how her friends were willing to help her out, but the guilt constantly tore at her very soul. She blinked now and then before waking up when Pinkie called her name, "Huh?" she looked at Pinkie confusingly before shaking her head and responding with a down tone, "That's okay, Pinkie Pie. I think I'll just head home," she got up with a sad look on her face. She needed her own alone time, so this agonizing feeling may go away.
She wanted to sit this one out because she figured if she found Scootaloo instead of Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, she'd make things worse for her and risk getting Scootaloo even madder; she didn't want that to happen. "I'll leave it to you and Rainbow Dash."
"You sure?" Pinkie raised a confused brow and tilted her head. "I was going to give you a special cupcake with extra sprinkles on it."
Fluttershy nodded, "I'm sure. I just need to be alone for a while," She walked away from Pinkie Pie and headed back her home at a rather slow pace, looking down at the ground.
"Oh, okay. See you later, then" Pinkie Pie frowned, her ears lowering. She felt so bad to see her friend like this. She wanted to try and cheer her up, but seeing Fluttershy in this condition made her realize that only time can heal wounds as bad as the ones Fluttershy had.
Pinkie Pie watched on until the sound of her stomach perked her head up and looked down at it confusingly. "Huh?" her stomach growled, again. This time, sounding almost like a lion growl. "Oh, almost forgot. Let's eat" She giggled, hopping back into Sugarcube Corner.
***Diamond Lake***
A sparrow flew high above the sky with a dead worm in its mouth. When it reached its destination, it dived down like a professional diver and let the air brush against its fur as it neared the secluded lake, disappearing in the surrounding oak trees. The bird timed its dive before spreading its wings its graceful wings and saving itself from the water below as it made an 'L' turn over the clear lake. The bird easily soared over the lake with grace and elegance before it aimed at a specific oak tree with a bowl-shaped nest. The sparrow flapped its wings to keep itself balanced so it flew could use its momentum to fly straight into the oak tree and carefully land on the thick branch where the nest is. It hopped two times as it looked down to see her three baby sparrow chicks await their mother for their food; all three chirping from hunger.
The mother sparrow proceeded to feed her young ones when she spotted a bush rustling near the oak tree. She didn't pay a single thought to it and happily fed her chicks. When she was done, she noticed an orange mass walk out of the bush and head to the lake's edge.
Looking closely, the mother bird realized it was just a filly, and it looked like she was upset. However, looking closely, she noticed the little filly also had purple to her, just like her friend Hummingway had tweeted to her about. Earlier, he and their fellow birds came around to spread word of a little filly's runaway. Perhaps this is the filly that they're looking for. She must spread the word, but she couldn't leave her babies alone where they could get hurt – they couldn't fly yet. But seeing the other birds and dragonflies that were flying here, she started tweeting to the surrounding critters in the area.
A depressed Scootaloo slowly walked up to the edge of the lake and sat down, looking at her reflection in the water. Finally, some alone time. She let out a deep sigh before looking up at the blue sky and thinking about the hidden truth she found.
Fluttershy was her real mother and kept it hidden. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie knew all along and never told her from the start. A few questions burned into her skull that she couldn't help but want to know, but didn't bother to ask because she figured everyone else would've either dodge her questions, ignore her or hide that truth just to keep Fluttershy safe. She felt painful pressure build up in her chest as tears began to form.
Waves of emotion thrashed about inside her and forced her to grab her head; anger, betrayal, bitterness, and confusion. Why? Why did this have to happen? Scootaloo dropped her hooves and gazed at the reflecting waters as a tear dropped and rippled the water. Can she even trust her older friends anymore? Depression was really taking its toll on the poor filly.
A soft, soothing breeze covered Scootaloo's back like a blanket. It got her to stop crying; it's like it knew she was troubled. She blinked a few times and shook her head, snapping herself out of her mental breakdown before gazing out into the lake. The lake was crystal clear; so clear, she could see the fish swimming about, almost like they were putting on a show. Scootaloo couldn't help but crack a small smile at the sight. She noticed a few birds fly above the trees and chirping a melody-like tune.
Scootaloo's smile grew a bit; her secret spot was working its charm. When she would get depressed or sad from something, she would sometimes come here to this secret lake to calm down and enjoy the peaceful scenery it provided to her. And today, it felt right to come here; she desperately needed it; even thinking about that punch she gave to Diamond Tiara boosted the smile on her face, almost making her giggle.
The half-smiling filly looked at what the lake had in store; besides the usual gentle breeze. She was greeted with the sound of birds chirping in the trees, rustling bushes from the wind, and an occasional fish jumping out of the water. She even spotted two or three dragonflies buzzing over the water. The place looked like it hasn't been touched by any hoof for many, many years -- aside from her's, but she knew she wouldn't dare mess with anything. This place was so therapeutic.
Scootaloo slowly closed her eyes to let the soothing sounds of the lake and forest take all her stress away. A few slow, deep breaths, it slowly worked for her. It helped take her mind off of today's stupid event. Or, at least, that's what she thought until an unwanted memory was too stubborn to leave. Hasn't been a few hours and what happened earlier can't be pushed away. And other memories just had to join in!
Her smile faded; a frustrated frown took its place. Everything she remembered leading up to this point was torturous. From growing up living in an orphanage with other demonic orphans and an equally lousy deadbeat caretaker; to going to school and dealing with snooty, stuck-up brats who think they're better than everypony; to now finding out the one pony to a well-known group who watched over them a few times, cared for them, and saved the world dozens of times... was her mother all along. And, yet, she hid that secret from her and never bothered to tell her. The mere glimpses of those memories were painful; these memories were hard to get rid of. Her body twitched, her eyelids crushed, she grinded her teeth and grabbed her head. She groaned in frustration before it turned into a hot-tempered growl as she pounded the ground with her small hooves.
She shot up on her hooves and shouted angrily, "Why did you abandon me?!" Her voice echoed around the last as she took several breaths before she sat back down to calm down from that brief mental explosion. Silence only answered her call; even the visual therapy the lake provided didn't help her. At least she was alone, but the thought of someone investigating her shout briefly occurred. She let out a frustrated sigh before closing her eyes to try and get rid of these thoughts, again. But when she opened them back up, she gasped in shock to see an unwanted reflection in the water of her ‘mother' sitting next to her and giving her a warm smile. Scootaloo snapped her gaze behind her but saw nothing; no one was there. What's going on? She looked back to see the same reflection, again. Was the lake trying to tell her something? If it was, she didn't want to hear it. In fact, this reflection made her more furious than ever. The filly snarled, and shouted, "Go away!" as she lashed out at the water and splashed the illusion away. A few more repeated hits in the water and Scootaloo finally stopped. As the water's ripples contorted back to a flat surface, Fluttershy was gone. Never to be seen again.
Scootaloo sat there and looked at her reflection for some time before feeling the gentle breeze brush against her fur. But it still didn't help wipe the frown off her face; she was too hurt and sad to have her spirit lifted. Her secret place failed to help her. No, it tried to help, but it wasn't enough. One last question crept into her brain, 'Can I trust Rainbow Dash anymore?' a single tear slid down her cheek. She was furious with Fluttershy, but her confusion and angry was also not just hooked on to Rainbow Dash, but Pinkie Pie, too. She rested on her stomach and chest as she crossed her arms to lay her head on with a bitter scowl on her face.
Aside from Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Rarity, she doesn't know who to believe, or trust, anymore.
Who else was hiding this secret from her?! Princess Luna? Twilight? Big Mac? Anyone of them could know Fluttershy's secret and would they even bother spilling the beans? Probably not.
Just the thought made her mad even more as she pounded the surface of the lake one last time with an angry grunt. The lake probably paid her back for that by splashing a glob of water in her face. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and shook her head to dry it off.
"Okay, I'll stop," Scootaloo said as if the lake told her to stop hitting it.
She calmed down long enough to see her rippling reflection; she looked a little surprised that her reflection seemed to be changing.
The wind strangely picked up a bit as it blew into Scootaloo's face and startled her into sitting back up; the sudden sound of wings flapping and hooves patting the ground caught her attention. She looked at the lake one more time and was stunned to see her own reflection seemed to have changed into a red pony, frowning lightly right at her.
Intrigued, Scootaloo peered back to see a familiar cyan Pegasus fold her wings and smile sheepishly and happily at her. But she wasn't the only one – there was also, to her slight surprise, Big Macintosh. He looked like he had been through Tartarus as his mane was a little messy and he was sweating.
"Hey, squirt," Rainbow Dash greeted.
"Little sugarcube…" Big Mac panted lightly, exhausted from his search. He had spent every minute of every passing hour, trying to find her. When he saw Rainbow Dash fly overhead, he asked if she had seen her – and when she answered that she may have an idea of where she went, made his heart soar. "…thank Equestria, you're safe." He held out a hoof to bring her into a hug.
Scootaloo raised a brow at him but gave a dirty look to Rainbow Dash and frowned at her ‘idol'. Slapping Big Mac's hoof away, she lowered her front hooves and looked away from the two.
Rainbow Dash frowned. That look alone told the athletic pegasus that Scootaloo wanted her to leave, and that her trust in her was completely shattered. She knew Scootaloo was still mad, but she never expected her to be this broken; she needed to approach lightly with the filly; she didn't want to make things worse for her. Even Big Mac was going to have a tough time with this -- even though she was surprised to know he cared just as much as she did. Guess raising Applebloom must've brought out his inner father-figure or something. Whatever was going on, she was happy to at least have some help.
Big Mac was stunned, he knew that Scootaloo was rightfully angry, but the very thought of her being this mad was terrifying. He felt a little hurt that she rejected his comfort, but he was no fool. He knew she wanted to be alone, but his worry for her drove him to stay here.
Silence engulfed their surroundings for minutes until Rainbow Dash broke it, saying "I take it you found out, didn't you? About the truth?" she said, asking the young filly but received no answer. She just looked at the lake and remained silent.
Big Mac sighed, "Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle told us what happened. I was real worried for you, Scootaloo…" his voice dripping with relief. But she still kept her sight on the lake's surface.
Rainbow sighed, as well, and continued, hoping to get through to her, "Look, Scootaloo, I know you're upset, but you gotta know. Fluttershy--"
"How'd you two find me?" Scootaloo asked sternly, interrupting her.
"I was lookin' everywhere in and out of town for you, before I saw Dashie flying and followed her… had a feelin' she knew where you were," Big Mac somberly answered.
Rainbow Dash raised a brow at her, "It wasn't hard. I just followed your shout while I was flying around looking for you. And I was right all along," she said, boasting a little and smiling that she was right about Scootaloo's location. Her conscious, however, wanted to scowl at her so badly, because this was not the time and place to boast.
Big Mac narrowed his eyes lightly at the cyan pony, seeing that Scootaloo was in no mood for one of her boastings.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes in irritation. She wanted to lash out at Rainbow for what she did, instead of that she just asks, "Right about what, exactly?"
"That you'd be here… at my old secret spot," Rainbow Dash said in a calm tone.
"What?!" Scootaloo looked back at Rainbow Dash, surprised and shocked by what she heard.
Big Macintosh blinked at the tomboy mare. What was she talking about now?
Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yup, you heard right. This place used to be my old hiding spot when I was a filly; if I ever felt angry and sad about anything, I would fly down here to calm down and relax," Rainbow Dash looked around the mystic-looking lake and smiled, "And I can see it hasn't changed; not one bit."
She peered back at Scootaloo and chuckled in surprise, gazing down at the ground under the little filly's hooves.
"You're even sitting on the exact spot where I use to sit," She pointed her hoof at the spot Scootaloo was sitting.
Scootaloo glanced under herself then back at Rainbow Dash. This may be a surprising revelation to her, but that still doesn't change her attitude towards the athletic pegasus. She looked away and huffed.
Big Mac lowered his ears lightly, seeing Scootaloo this upset was chipping away at his spirit piece by piece. He sighed lightly and took a seat, he made sure to give her space but there was arm's distance between them as he looked to his own reflection. He looked to her and wanted to speak to her, but they were a bit jumbled. He had to word this carefully.
Rainbow Dash frowned and had that face of defeat on her. So much for that little surprise. She sighed before saying, "Scootaloo, I know you're mad at Fluttershy, but let me explain. She was just--"
"Fluttershy isn't the only one I'm mad at, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo snapped at Rainbow Dash without looking at her.
Rainbow Dash flinched and jerked a folded front hoof close to her chest; there's the anger she was looking for. She figured it'd come up eventually.
"She told me that you and Pinkie Pie knew from the start," Scootaloo said as she breathed choppy breaths, letting her know how angry she was, "I can't believe you and Pinkie Pie knew about this the whole time and never bothered to tell me. I thought I trusted you; both of you!" She said as she kept her eyes on the water, a depressed face shown.
Rainbow Dash widened her eyes in slight shock. She never expected Fluttershy to tell Scootaloo that, then again, she only caught the part where Scootaloo confronted Fluttershy before storming off.
"Little Sugarcube, she—" Big Mac wanted to speak to her but was stunned when she turned on him too, glaring those heartbroken eyes at him.
"Did you know about this, too?" Scootaloo narrowed her eyes at the stallion that she had considered her big brother-figure. If he had known about this, she would decide that she couldn't trust anypony anymore. "Did you know about Fluttershy being my mom, Big Mac?"
Confused, but giving his genuinely honest answer, he swiftly shook his head, "Eenope!" He told her the cast iron and honest truth, "I really didn't know, Scootaloo. I only found out just a while ago from my little sister and Sweetie Belle. They're plum worried out of their minds for you and looking for you," He lowered his ears, again, feeling sad she's going through all this pain, "Just like I was, I was wanting to make sure you're okay."
"Well, I'm sure not okay now!" Scootaloo barked at him, making him wince.
Rainbow Dash looked at Scootaloo with sad, sorry eyes before saying, "You can trust me, Scootaloo. But I had a reason why Fluttershy and I kept it from you."
"A reason?"
A snarl crept Scootaloo's face as her angerslowly grew. She swiftly turned her body and shouted, stamping her hooves on the soft grass, "What was your reason?!" she glared venomous, angry, puffy red, tear-filled daggers at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash quickly got back on her hooves and backed up a bit to give her space, but that wasn't enough to keep Scootaloo from unleashing her anger on her. "Was it so you could lie to me? To betray me? To crush me? Let me suffer from not knowing who my parents were?!" she squeezed her eyelids tight as she grunted from the pain in her eyes as sobbed in front of Rainbow Dash. "I thought you were cool, Rainbow Dash!" she opened her puffy, red eyes, trying so hard to ignore the pain from the salty tears, "But no! You lied to me behind my back. Why? Why would you do that?!" she exclaimed, yet Rainbow Dash remained firm through her meltdown.
"Little Sugarcube, listen! Dash said she's got a reason and if you just let her explain—" Big Mac calmly tried to defuse this situation, but what Scootaloo said next broke the camel's back.
"You stay out of this, Big Mac!" Scootaloo scowled at him, furiously, "Just go home! This is between me and Rainbow Dash! And I don't need you to defend my so-called idol or hold my hoof!" That jab hurt both the adult ponies, but Dash remained strong.
Big Macintosh, however, had quite enough of this. With a firm frown, he responded back, "No, I will not ‘stay out of this'. I have just as much right to be involved in this conversation as much as Dash does. I may not know the entire story, but I came here on my own accord – for you."
Scootaloo scoffed with a roll of her eyes, "Gee, don't I feel special."
"You should be!" He grunted in a bit of frustration, "I was worried out of my mind about you, you know that?"
"Well, I didn't ask for you to come searching for me, did I?!" The filly stood up. "And I really don't need your help right now."
Big Mac frowned lightly as he took a sober expression, "That's not what you said yesterday when you wanted to find out who your mother was." He jabbed back that she came to him and Rarity for help yesterday, so if she thought she can get out of this scot-free, the joke's on her. "You definitely needed help. More than you ever knew."
"Yeah, well, maybe I shouldn't have let you and Rarity or my friends know about my dream, then!" She growled almost viciously, "Besides, why do you even care?!" Scootaloo angrily pointed at the stallion. "You're not my brother!"
That last sentence broke something in the stallion. He looked stunned at her, going silent after her personal stab at him. His stunned expression slowly turned devastated; his Little Sugarcube was so angry, that she regretted asking him for help about finding out more on her dreams, and unknowingly, yet verbally disowned him.
"Just leave me alone; both of you!" The orange filly stomped before turning away, starting her waterworks again.
When Scootaloo stopped her verbal meltdown, Rainbow Dash looked at her crushed composure and felt ever-so-sorry for Scootaloo. She frowned at the crying filly before she sat back down and thought about Scootaloo's pain; knowing exactly how she felt. The only difference was that Scootaloo found her mother; Rainbow Dash never knew her mother when she was a filly. She was raised by her father. And it was her father alone that made her be what she is today; tough and loyal. But being loyal did have its consequences, and this was one of them; she just didn't expect something like this to happen. Needless to say, she wouldn't question her loyalty, because she made a promise to Fluttershy. But now that the cats out of the bag, she thought it was time to tell Scootaloo the whole truth.
Rainbow Dash sighed and replied to Scootaloo with one sentence that even she never expected the cyan pegasus to say, "She wanted you to have a better life with another family. She asked me to never tell, and I promised her I'd never tell anypony; not even our friends and family."
Scootaloo felt a cold touch spread in her chest as she sat down; her eyes widen with more tears rolling down. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Better life? Another family? Rainbow Dash was wrong; very, very wrong. She has no clue what she's been through. That place was full of hate and neglect; bitterness and greed. Anger and denial slowly swelled up inside, and it hurt. Scootaloo glared at Rainbow Dash, and said, "Then she, and you, were wrong; No family adopted me," her small wings buzzed out of anger.
"Scootaloo, it's only a matter of patience before--"
"No!" Scootaloo shouted. She was sick to death of hearing that. "I'm tired of waiting. I'm sick of that orphanage. I'm sick of those bullying orphans. I'm sick of those caretakers. I'm sick of the lies!" She was fed up with everything. "I hate my life! If Fluttershy said I'd have a better life then she's wrong. So very wrong!" Scootaloo breathed heavily, having her voice nearly diminished from releasing all that rage. She sat back down to catch her breath, but the glare never went away and the rage was far from gone.
Rainbow Dash slowly and cautiously walked up to the mentally exhausted Scootaloo and sat in front of her, "Scootaloo, I'm sorry you think that, but your mother felt like it would've been better if she let another family take good care of you."
"Well, fat load of good that does me!" Scootaloo glared at her, "Because nopony wants me!"
Dash flinched a bit, stunned by the sudden declaration of Scootaloo's hate of the orphanage. She knew she hated it there and it sounded really bad, but really? No pony wanted her?
She was about to speak, but Big Mac spoke up, having never left but still hurt, "That's not true, Little Sugarcube…"
"I told you to stay out of this and leave me alone, Big Mac!" Scootaloo yelled in fury, even going so far as to try and push the stallion away physically, but it was difficult seeing how he was older and stronger than her. "You don't even know what being an orphan's like!"
At that jab, the red stallion's frown deepened, "You should try witnessing your parents dyin' in front of you when you couldn't save them." Scootaloo froze at that comment, stumped because she didn't see that coming. Rainbow Dash was the same. Scootaloo looked up at Big Mac shocked when he said in a pained tone, "Applejack's, Applebloom's and my parents…" He sighed lightly and looked away, "They died when they were trying to make a surprise delivery trip to Vanhoover on hoof. They left us under Granny's care – but what they didn't know was that a wicked storm was occurring during their trip. They were crossing a bridge across a ravine when lightning struck…"
He sniffed, "The cart's weight made it worse when the bridge started weakening from the stress of Mother Nature, and the weight it held… they tried running back to the other side. I hurried out of the barn and ran as fast as my hooves could carry me to get to them so I could bring them home… only for dad to warn me to stay back just as the bridge broke." He looked down sadly; he had blamed himself for not being quick enough to save their parents.
He frowned firmly as his eyes hardened, "I do know what being an orphan's like, but you don't see me makin' a big ol' hissy fit over it like some big baby!"
Scootaloo had been stunned to hear Big Mac's confession of being an orphan, but when he said that she was making herself look like a baby by making this into a big fuss, she resumed her scowl – a look of hate on her face. "I'm not a baby!"
He shrugged a shoulder, "I never directly said you were. But I'm trying my absolute best to be a supporting figure towards you."
"Then where were you when I needed you when the orphanage started getting even worse?" She frowned, her tears starting to overflow her eyes.
"Apparently, stuck on the farm – because some little filly never bothered to tell me about this orphanage being as worse than landing in a big, steaming pile of cow patties." He jabbed back, he only knew about it being worse just yesterday. "So if you're looking to blame anyone, you should've come to me sooner. I wanted you to have a loving family, just as much."
"Yeah, but nobody wants me!" She glared furiously, hating having to repeat that no pony wanted her.
"Well, have you given any couple a chance? They would've seen you were something special!" He assured, but could tell this was hardly getting through to her. "Then you would truly have a home. But all honesty, I think you should return to Fluttershy."
"Never in a million years!" Was the immediate response to that suggestion.
"Well, at least she's been treating you kinder than anypony else has been!" He scowled, he was getting really frustrated about her stubbornness, for it reminded him all too well about his sister's own stubbornness. "Especially when you have this kind of attitude."
Scootaloo huffed, "Yeah, but that was before I found out she was my mom!"
He retorted back with his own eye roll, giving her a slight mocking ‘yeah' in return, "Yeah, but she wanted to tell you sooner or later." He gave a slight defend for Fluttershy before bringing up what Scootaloo's dreams had been telling her, "Maybe your dreams meant she was willing to get you out of that orphanage." He encouraged her to give Fluttershy a chance, so that they could be happy, at long last. "If no other couple would take you, then she will. If you just gave her a chance. She can take you away from there… You could be part of a happy family."
But that only seemed to set the poor filly off as she yelled at the top of her lungs at him. He winced when she did, but it only made him angrier and it was hard to keep what was bottled inside bottled up any longer.
"BUT NOPONY EVEN WANTS TO TAKE ME OUT OF THAT STUPID ORPHANAGE, BIG MAC!!! NOPONY WANTED TO MAKE ME A PART OF THEIR FAMILY!!!" Scootaloo exploded on him with utmost fury, her face almost as red as his fur, she was sick of repeating herself but she had to get it through his apparently thick skull that nopony wanted her until he finally exploded himself and silenced her with a declaration that rocked her whole world.
"I DID!!!!" He yelled at her in anguish, looking broken as his ears had fallen flat against his skull. His eyes were filled with tears, but they were also filled with defeat and heartbreak. He looked away, sitting down with his short tail wrapping around his hip, looking down at his reflection in great sadness.
Scootaloo and Dash looked at him, stunned. Did they hear that right? Did he really just confess that he himself wanted to adopt Scootaloo?
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it. The quietest pony – next to Fluttershy – in Ponyville, and the big brother of her farmpony friend, wanted to make Scootaloo a part of his family?
Scootaloo looked shocked. For the longest time, every couple that came to the orphanage, they gazed at her and sized her up, but when she hoped that they would choose her they ended up choosing one of the rotten orphans that picked on her – but Big Mac, he wanted to bring her into his family as his own?
But why didn't he? And how come he didn't say anything sooner? How long had he been feeling this way?
"W-When?" She was about to ask, but he beat her to it.
"Before I found out about Fluttershy being your mom…" He said as he sniffled, "And before the dreams," He wiped his nose, hiccupping a little before glancing at the filly that he had viewed as his little sister figure. "Before everything." He revealed to her; ever since his little sister first became friends with her and Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo had been unknowingly bringing brightness to not only his little sister's life but also his, too. And over time, as she and her friends started trying new things every day to get those cutie marks, she had become a littler little sister to him.
But now this pain was so great, he was finally letting it all out to how he really felt about the young Pegasus filly.
"Seeing you so happy with my little sister was all I ever wanted. You brought brightness in her life. But when she brought you around more often, especially at that tree house of yours, you somehow brought that brightness in my life, too." He blushed lightly, gazing away at the view. "Over time, you became quite like a littler little baby sister to me." This had managed to calm down Scootaloo and finally bring her anger to a temporary stop as she stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. "We weren't related by blood, but the bond I felt with you was genuine."
But Scootaloo's eyes widened to basketball-size when he spoke out one sentence that really caught her attention for sure, "I wanted to take you in so badly. Especially after you told me how bad that orphanage really was."
"W-Why didn't you?" She reluctantly asked him.
"We may be famously known for our apples and the goods that come with it, but it's tricky bit-wise… for whatever Greedy Bags had, if I had the right amount of bits, I would've gladly taken you," He sighed sadly, "Though, Granny would get on to me for having another mouth to feed. Plus, I don't think you'd handle working on a farm, doing chores like me and my sisters do when you deserve to be free."
Scootaloo couldn't blame him for that reason, while she loved her best friend, she knew that she herself probably couldn't get used to all the hard work they do each and every day.
Big Mac sadly looked at her, broken and defeated as he admitted one last thing. "I love you, Scootaloo. I love you as if you were a part of the apple family," He heard her gasp lightly from the filly and the sound of wings springing out in surprise byRainbow Dash, but he didn't dare make eye contact as he lowered his head.
Scootaloo's eyes widened to the size of pumpkins in shock. This was the first time any pony had ever said that to her with such genuine love. And it was coming from him, of all ponies. "You…. You…" But she couldn't utter any other word out.
Scootaloo was speechless, and she knew he wasn't faking this to comfort her – this was all too true for he wouldn't be this emotional if it was fake; she just looked up at him in stunned silence.
He sighed lightly as he gazed at her, making eye contact, overcome with grief, "Now you know."
"Big Mac… I…" She tried to speak, but once again, couldn't form the words. His revelation had stumped her, and it had brought her anger down significantly.
He looked away for one second, ears pinned to his head in depression and refusing to rise back up, before he looked back at the little filly giving the last word, "Scootaloo, I just want you to be happy." He shook his head, wanting his little sister-figure to be happy no matter what happens to her. "Regardless of what happens now." He coughed a bit from crying silent tears as his cheeks were soaking wet, "Because, no matter what, you'll always be my Little Sugarcube." He then turned his head away and stayed silent as he cast his sight on the lake and the dirt beneath him.
Rainbow Dash slowly and cautiously walked up to the stunned Scootaloo and sat in front of her, but also felt bad for the hurt filly, "Scootaloo?"
Scootaloo didn't look at Rainbow Dash; she kept her eyes on the mentally exhausted, broken stallion nearby. She just sat there, before finally replying to her with a soft, stumped "W-What?"
Rainbow Dash needed to take easy steps with Scootaloo. She didn't want to risk hurting the poor filly even more. She had to tell her the truth, but approaching it was difficult. She needed the right words, but how? Time wasn't on her side in this situation until she remembered what Fluttershy did before she decided to put Scootaloo in that orphanage. She softly spoke to Scootaloo, "I know you hate that orphanage, and I know you probably still want to be alone, and I don't blame you either way. But, please, hear me out on this."
Scootaloo just gave Rainbow Dash a glance, but she allowed herself to listen.
"When Fluttershy was younger, she wanted to keep you."
Scootaloo's glance turned into a full-blown, turnaround, shocked face as she hooked her full attention to her, "W-What?"
Big Mac glanced lightly at the mare but once again looked away, feeling he should stay out of this, now that he spoke his piece.
Rainbow Dash nodded, "That's right." She smiled a bit, happy to get her attention, and explained, "When Fluttershy and I were very young, we didn't know any better back then. Heh, especially during high school." Those were wild memories back then, now that she thought about her high school experiences. "It was a sophomore year, and I was pretty competitive and tough. I always remind other ponies I meant business; I'm still like that today." She giggled at herself. "Anyway, your mother hadn't changed that much back then; she was always shy and timid, almost everyone pushed her around. But lucky for her, I was always there to protect her from those who bullied her."
She went on for a few minutes as Scootaloo calmed down while she was telling her story. The little filly was intrigued and enjoyed the bits where Rainbow Dash fought off others to protect Fluttershy. However, Rainbow Dash's smile contorted into a soft frown as she told her more.
"But, by the time senior year rolled around, your mother went on and on about wanting to start a family; it was a phase she was going through," she said thinking that she was glad she didn't go through that herself but felt ashamed she wasn't there to stop Fluttershy from doing something stupid. "I thought ‘Hold up, Fluttershy, we're still in high school. Can't you wait before thinking about that?' So, I told her what I thought about her decision. Big mistake." She said with soft chuckle and told Scootaloo about how her mother flipped and chewed her out for not agreeing with her. This caused Scootaloo to smile a little and chuckle.
Scootaloo finally calmed down, her anger gone and she continued to listen to Rainbow Dash, "What happened after that?"
"Well, a few days went by and your mother actually got herself a coltfriend. She loved him so much, she thought that he was the one for her. But, I knew something was up. She was so clueless and naive about what he actually had planned for her, and I tried so hard to tell her what he was up to," Rainbow Dash explained, trying very hard not to bring Fluttershy down and let Scootaloo think she was the worst mother ever, but gosh-darn-it, ever since that infuriating event happened, Rainbow Dash thought Fluttershy was the biggest idiot in Equestria. She wanted to chew her out for making that decision, but she couldn't since she herself made a decision that was just as idiotic. She could've prevented it, but it was too late, and then she said, "But, she was completely oblivious to the truth. We argued for a while until ‘he' showed up and took her away. I was so furious, I gave up after that and went on with my day. I wasn't aware of what 'he' was going to do until the deed was done."
Something clicked in Scootaloo's mind. She thought about what Rainbow Dash said by 'he', but quickly solved what piece she had, and asked "Was he… my…"
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly, "Yes, it was your father who tricked your mother into using her for his needs." Rainbow Dash cringed at the memory, hating how all that turned out back then. The look on Fluttershy's face when they saw each other again, and the look when they found out she was pregnant, it wasn't a happy face she saw. It was a look of regret. Fluttershy made a mistake. No, they both made a mistake. Rainbow Dash remembered how she wanted to scold Fluttershy for what she had done to herself, but decided against it; she was suffering enough; her mistake would remain with her for a long time. Yet, Scootaloo's father thought he got off easy for what he did. A terrible mistake she hoped he'd still remember.
"My father used my mother? But…" she was confused on a new level. More questions started to develop in her mind-blown skull. "Why did my dad use Fluttershy?"
Rainbow Dash scrunched her face in shock and thought that telling Scootaloo about her moronic father was a huge slip-up. Her irises shrunk to pebble size; she zipped her irises left and right and tried to come up with something to get her out of this, until an idea popped in her noggin, "That is something you and your mother need to talk about. To me, he wasn't the brightest stallion out there."
Scootaloo regained her sad look and blinked a few times before looking back down at the grass, "Oh."
Rainbow Dash smiled warmly and approached Scootaloo, sitting next to her, "But if it wasn't for them," she wrapped her wing around the sad filly, "You wouldn't be here with me…and your mother…" She looked up, remembering they were not alone. "…and Big Mac, too." she meant it, too. Despite the mistake Fluttershy and Scootaloo's father made, Rainbow Dash was happy, no, thrilled, that Scootaloo came into Equestria.
Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash, never saying a word as the loyalty bearer gazed down at her with a warm, comforting smile. She smiled a little in return. She finally understood Rainbow Dash's reason and hugged her close, nuzzling against her fur as if she was like an older sister.
Rainbow Dash giggled, "There's that happy filly I wanted to see."
Scootaloo hooked her eyes back to Rainbow Dash and asked, "Hey Rainbow Dash, what did you do to my dad when you found out Fluttershy was pregnant?"
Rainbow Dash let out a loud ‘ha' before replying, "I went and decked him so hard, I made sure his ancestors felt it."
Scootaloo giggled a bit before they both started to laugh, enjoying their moment. As it went on, her trust and friendship with Rainbow Dash slowly grew back to normal.
"You feeling any better, squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked, releasing her from the hug.
Scootaloo nodded to her, "Yeah, I'll be fine. But I'm still upset that Fluttershy never told me from the start."
Rainbow Dash facehooved herself kind of hard at that. She thought that this might be a while; she even thought that Scootaloo's stubbornness might rival Applejack's. She sighed deeply, agitated a bit before saying, "Scootaloo, Fluttershy was very young. She wasn't capable of taking care of a foal back then," This caused Scootaloo to scrunch her face angrily and look down at the grass, "but…" she looked back at Rainbow Dash as she said, "She wasn't a dummy either. She's more mature than me." She joked about herself. "Remember the time she foalsitted you and took care of you and the other two?"
Scootaloo nodded, blushing lightly as she recalled how wild she and her friends were the first time that happened.
"I think she'll reconsider her decision and take you back. Fluttershy is at the right age now and she would probably love to have her daughter back," Rainbow Dash said as she grinned again, hopefully raising Scootaloo's spirit; which started to work. Scootaloo grew a small smile on her face. "What do ya say, squirt? Think you'd give your mother a second chance?" she asked the recovering filly.
Scootaloo thought about it and tried to come up with an answer, "Well..."
"Before you answer, I'd also like to tell you this," Rainbow Dash said while telling herself ‘Sorry, Applejack, Applebloom, Big Mac. Please, forgive me', she gazed at Big Mac apologetically. Scootaloo gazed back at Rainbow Dash as she sighed, and said, "Be happy you actually found your mother. I never knew my mother when I was a filly. When I was younger than you, she up and left my dad to take care of me all alone."
Scootaloo widened her eyes in shock, never realizing this at all. She sat there speechless.
"And look at Applebloom. When she was a filly, she never knew her mother or father; she only remembers glimpses and that's it, Applejack and I were the only ones who got to know mom and dad," Big Mac said, feeling rather backstabbed that Rainbow Dash was telling Scootaloo about this, but he knew it was in the right place. He sighed lightly, "Why else do you think I've been overprotective of my family?"
But nonetheless, Scootaloo was baffled by this revelation and realized that she never took any time to think about how others felt; rage and confusion just corrupted her. The guilt started to come to her when she finally realized that her rage and confusion had been trying to get her to push them away when they only wanted to help her.
"I… I never knew about that. Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry I yelled at you" she said, feeling bad for what she did.
Rainbow Dash waved a forearm at her, "Pfft, don't worry about it, Scootaloo. I understand what you were going through. You had every right to be mad. I'm sorry for never telling you, but I had to keep my promise. You know, element of loyalty and all that. I was loyal way before I even got that element." Rainbow Dash started to drift off before Scootaloo stopped her with a hug. Rainbow Dash was caught off-guard, but she smiled softly and hugged Scootaloo back.
Scootaloo smiled lightly after hugging her before realizing that she isn't the only one who deserved an apology. Rainbow Dash gingerly nudged her and motioned her to go ahead.
Scootaloo lowered her ears and looked over toward the lakeside to their company, "Big Mac?" she started to speak, but her eyes widened upon seeing he was no longer at the spot he was at. Dash looked equally surprised about his sudden disappearance. Looking around, they found he was leaving the area for his own home, with his head down and no longer speaking a word as he walked out the same way he came in here.
She called out desperately, wanting to make up with him for what she said to him after finally learning the truth from him, "Big Mac, I'm sorry!"
But he didn't hear her, he was gone, heading for home. He said his piece, so it's best that Scootaloo made her own decisions without his aid.
Scootaloo winced, her ears lowered down. While she was no longer mad after learning the complete truth, she ended up hurting the one pony that was the closest thing to a brother, or even a father, she could've ever had, "Oh no…"
Worried, Dash rubbed her back and gave the best reassurance she could give, "I-It'll be okay, maybe you and him can catch up later?" She had been stumped upon learning about his personal feelings, but she had no idea of the sibling-like relationship that he shared with Scootaloo. But hopefully, they can make up soon.
Scootaloo sighed lightly, feeling guilty for being so hard-headed and hard in general on him, "I hope so…" But she understood now Big Mac needed his own space to recover, especially after that emotional explosion.
Deciding to change the subject, Rainbow Dash looked at her and gently asked, "Hey, you made your decision, though?"
Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash and nodded, "Yes. I'll go see Fluttershy." She backed away and buzzed her tiny wings a bit excitedly.
Rainbow Dash smiled with joy, "I won't stop you, Scootaloo," she stepped out of the way. "She's waiting to see her daughter; waiting to see you," She said.
Scootaloo looked at Rainbow Dash one last time before nodding and heading back to the cottage, running as fast as she could while Rainbow Dash watched her go.
Rainbow giggled before saying to herself, "You did good, Rainbow Dash. That turned out better than I thought," she said before gasping, remembering something. Since the talk about Scootaloo's father was brought up, she slightly turned her head to her right and glanced back at the sky with a one-eyed venomous glare. "Now there's one more thing I gotta do, and you better still be there, because when I see you--" she stretched she wings out, "--I'll be settling one huge score with you. You ungrateful, abandoning, uncaring, piece of--" she burst into the clear blue sky like a rocket and darted straight to Ponyville, leaving a rainbow trail as she did.
***Fluttershy's cottage***
The living room was filled with sorrowful animals, cooing, growling and whimpering sadly. The aura in the air was sad, and they all stared in the same direction it was coming from.
Angel hopped onto the couch next to Fluttershy; She returned a while ago from Ponyville still feeling depressed about what happened with Scootaloo. He looked very worried as he gazed at his master, feeling crushed from seeing her so sad.
She sobbed in her arms and mane as sorrow and pain ate away at her body; her heart nearly torn apart by guilt. Angel hopped close to Fluttershy and rubbed his paw on her forehead.
He, and other animals that showed up to give her comfort, felt sad to see her so down. A few animals squeaked and chittered, thinking of ways to cheer their caretaker up, but others suggest she should be left alone.
Angel kept rubbing his owner's forehead before she slowly raised her head to look at him. Her eyes blistered red and grew puffy from crying. She sniffled as more tears rolled down her cheeks; her mane covering her left eye. Her vision became blurry before slightly clearing up as she looked at her animal friends who all shared concerned looks. She then looked at Angel who was the most concerned and most worried; he didn't like seeing Fluttershy so destroyed.
"Angel? My friends…" She sniffled, her nose sounding stuffy. "Am I… Am I a bad mother?" she asked the white rabbit and her animal friends, choking from asking that question.
Angel perked his ears and twitched his whiskers, widening his eyes in shock. He knew Fluttershy was a mother from the start, but hearing her ask that question wasn't right. He looked at the other animals that heard her ask that question; they all had a look of shock before quickly making noises of disagreement. He looked at them seriously and nodded. Fluttershy always took care of him and all the other animals that approached her. Whether sick, physically and mentally hurt, depressed, or just needing some comfort and love, Fluttershy would tend to them and make them feel better.
Like Angel, they cared deeply about Fluttershy, because she wasn't just a caretaker. She was more than that and she was definitely more than just a best friend to most of them; she was family – she was like a mother to them, and they didn't want to see her torn up; they wanted their mother to smile again.
Mr. Slithers quivered and hissed gently, openly disagreeing with her question, he lowered himself from the support beam and nuzzled her cheek, wiping away her tears with his cheek.
Snappers growled and whimpered, shaking his head at her. He hissed and clicked his tongue repeatedly, telling her that she most definitely wasn't a bad mother.
Harry groaned in disagreement that she was a bad mother; from what they've witnessed of her ever since each of them met her, he growled out that she was an amazing mother and they loved her with all their hearts because of how kind and loving she had been to all. He reached over and grabbed her gently, bringing her in for a close yet gentle and warm hug, kissing her forehead in reassurance.
Angel gazed up at Fluttershy and gives her a sharp head shake.
Fluttershy, while appreciating and returning the hug, gave a confused notion, "You all don't think I am?" she asked. Angel shook his head again and gestured to himself and the animals in front of her.
She looked at them then back at Angel who gestured at her again, squeaking as he motioned, explaining and letting her know the times when she took care of them; all of them. How she gave them the love they deserved and that love was returned with loyalty, respect, friendship and their own love.
Fluttershy raised her head up and wiped the tears away. She recalled doing those things, and yet, she still does it to this day. She looked to all her animal friends as Angel squeaked each animal's story out and how she found it in her heart to care for them when no one else did. She started to smile back as they gazed upon her with warm, loving smiles.
Angel continued to gesture to Fluttershy and let her know that she's been a mother-figure to them from the very start and that what she's been doing can be used on Scootaloo. He made one last point gesture to her that made her realize what she doing.
Fluttershy blinked and gasped softly from the revelation, "Y-you're right, Angel. I was too young to take care of a filly; it would've been harder on me. But, I don't think my child would ever come back to me; not after what happened," She sadly narrowed her eyes away from Angel only to have a small, white paw softly thwack her on the side of the head, getting her to look at him as he gestured to her, again; he was going to make sure his point got across to her.
"You mean all those years of taking care of you and the others made me learn what it means to be an actual mother?" Angel nodded while the other animals chorused out their agreement. "And that I shouldn't judge myself for the things I already know?" Angel nodded again and motioned his arm to her whole cottage. "Y-you're right. My house is big enough for another to live in." she examined her house and grew a smile on her face. Angel gestured to her and to the door, smiling. "You want me to go find her?" he nodded, knowing that her daughter and she must be reunited, and end this ridiculous drama.
"B-But, I don't know where she is, Angel," Angel widens his eyes and lowered his whiskers, not even thinking that one through. The animals had looked so eager momentarily looked crestfallen; of course, there was still that.
As angry as they temporarily were at the filly for her hurtful words, it didn't stop them from worrying about her safety – but they were saddened because so far, they hadn't heard back from any of the other animals of Equestria yet if they found her. Harry growled out and flapped his lips in a disappointed exhale, his shoulders sagging in exaggerated disappointment.
"It's okay, guys. She must've gone back to the orphanage. I wouldn't blame her. She must still be mad at me for keeping that secret from her," Fluttershy looked away with gloomy eyes.
Angel sighed, disappointed in himself. The rest of the animals felt the same way, feeling they failed in aiding her when she needed it most.
Fluttershy then looked at her animal friends and gave them a soft smile while gently pushing on her bear friend's chest, getting him to carefully put her back down on the couch, "I know you all want me to be happy. Truthfully, I'm happy you all see me as a mother figure, but when it comes to an actual foal, it's completely different. I hope all of you understand. I went through a terrible life before meeting all of you, and it tore me apart," she placed a hoof on her chest, "This was my child, my daughter. She was a part of me that I couldn't take care of. I was a young filly who made a foolish decision; a decision that I lived with for many years."
As she gave her speech, a shadow loomed over the door as it slowly and quietly opened behind them, letting a shadow loom inside. Some animals looked behind themselves and gave shocked, relieved and surprised looks.
"And I wouldn't blame her if she was still mad at me for what I did," another tear rolled down Fluttershy's cheek before softly saying, "Oh Scootaloo, my baby, I miss you so much."
"I missed you, too," a voice illuminated in the cottage. All the animals shifted their attention to the front door where a silhouette of a filly stood between the entrance and the evening light.
Fluttershy cocked her head up and widened her eyes as big as they could. She thought she was going crazy from hearing voices. She then noticed the walls behind her gleam with shadows of her animal friends, and a shadow of a familiar filly.
She looked at her animal friends as they made a clearing. Her eyes glittered with hope as she saw the same silhouette her animal friends did. The silhouette moved closer inside the cottage revealing who it was.
She gasped softly and held her muzzle. She shed more tears as she watched an exhausted, teary Scootaloo approached her, panting heavily from running.
"Scootaloo…" Fluttershy crawled off the couch while Angel hopped off. She slowly walked up to her daughter and sat down; the animals just watched, not making a sound so they can have their moment. Scootaloo sat down and took deep breaths. Not because she was catching her breath, but because she wanted to say something to her mother. Anger still lingered within the filly and she wanted to scowl Fluttershy for lying and abandoning her, but happiness seeped in and built-up inside her mind, too. She was happy that she finally found her mother and was able to see her again. She finally caught her breath as the two nervously looked at each other in silence.
Angel and the other animals watched with anticipation; the suspense was getting to them.
The whole cottage got quiet for a while until Fluttershy broke the barrier and talked to Scootaloo nervously, "Scootaloo, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I understand how angry and confused you were when you found out about the truth," She said, trying not to sob in front of her daughter. "I'm sorry for putting you in that orphanage, I didn't know it would be that bad. And, I'm sorry you went through so much pain because of it," Her lower jaw quivered. Trying might be harder done than said. "If you're still mad at me, I completely understand. I understand if you still hate me, too" Fluttershy crushed her eyes and lowered her head, sobbing from the pain. Darn it! Her effort failed too easily; she felt so weak. She thought Scootaloo came back just to yell at her for what she had done. She wanted Scootaloo to have a better life, with a better family; to have happiness with her new life. Instead, she got the complete opposite.
Fluttershy continued to cry in front of Scootaloo until a small force approached her with what felt like small arms wrapping around her chest. Fluttershy snapped her eyes and gazed down to see a crying Scootaloo cling to her tight. She looked at her daughter in confusion.
"I'm sorry too, Fluttershy," Scootaloo said as she whimpered, nuzzling against Fluttershy's fur and hugging her close.
Upon seeing this, Angel and the animals of the cottage started to smile in hope, their spirits started rising.
Fluttershy blinked a few times as she watched Scootaloo. Her confusion turned to care and love as a warm smile formed on her face. She wrapped her arms around her little daughter, and softly said, "You don't need to be sorry, sweetie. I'm the one who made those mistakes, not you."
"I know, but I shouldn't have stormed off like that. I was just so mad, I didn't know what to think. I'm so sorry --" Scootaloo was unaware of Fluttershy using her wings to wrap around Scootaloo, making her stop to feel the full embrace of her mother; a motherly hug Scootaloo longed for and wanted.
Scootaloo peeled her teary eyes open and looked around to see Fluttershy's arms and wings around her body. Her embrace felt soft like a pillow and warm like a blanket. Scootaloo looked up as Fluttershy gave her a caring, motherly smile. The young filly had finally, for so long ever since she was born, got to be in her mother's arms, and it felt great. Tears welled up. Words could not describe how Scootaloo felt. Rainbow Dash was right to say what she said. She felt so bad for Big Mac and Applejack and Applebloom for losing their parents, but she really did felt lucky she found her mother. Her lips quivered and she planted her face in Fluttershy's fur. The emotional pressure was too much to bear and she finally erupted into a massive sob.
Fluttershy held her daughter close and nuzzled the top of her head, letting her cry it all out, "My baby, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but I'm here for you now," she said as she caressed her daughter's back, keeping her close and never letting go.
Scootaloo nuzzled her head under Fluttershy's chin before eventually calming down enough to rest her head against her chest. She was still teary-eyed, but they were tears of joy, this time, "I missed you… I missed you so much…" she sniffled until she finally worked the nerve to call Fluttershy what she was supposed to call her, to begin with, "…mommy!"
Fluttershy gasped quietly and paused for a moment. She looked down at Scootaloo and slowly smiled. Her heart warmed up. She expected it to be later done the line for Scootaloo to call her that, but to hear her say that one word now made it all the more special; it felt like a dream come true. Tears began to roll down Fluttershy's cheeks as she hugged her daughter close, "I missed you too, Scootaloo, my sweet, sweet baby."
The animals, touched beyond recognition by the loving sight, quietly left the cottage, taking the back-way, so that the reunited mother and daughter could be alone together.
Some animals left the cottage in tears from that heartwarming scene, crying softly as they left. Some were grinning in happiness, glad that at last, their mother will finally be happy again – and happy to see that their little one had returned – if she's gonna be staying with them, they're probably gonna have to do their fair share of helping care for the little filly. Besides, it will all be worth it, just like it was worth it tonight in the end.
Angel closed the door and turned around to see them still hugging. Angel let out a warm smile of his own at this beautiful sight before hopping away to let them have their moment. He hopped upstairs and headed for his bed as nightfall had approached Equestria.
Turning in for the night, he had a feeling that from this moment on, everything is going to finally be okay.