"Scootaloo, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Scootaloo looked up from the game of checkers that her and Sweetie Belle were playing together and saw Cheerilee, looking stern, but a little bit anxious as well. "Oh, sure." Scoot got to her feet and followed her teacher into the schoolroom.
"I need you to tell me about your personal life. I don't want to butt into your business, but I know nothing about you and as your teacher I need to know." Cheerilee didn't seem angry, only confused.
Scootaloo looked at her feet. "What do you want to know?"
"Tell me about your parents."
Scootaloo felt like she knew and trusted Cheerilee enough to tell her the truth. "Promise not to tell anypony?"
Cheerilee nodded.
The filly took a deep breath. "I last saw them when I was a baby. I don't even remember what they look like. But I know that they left me in Town Square, and I managed to live."
Cheerilee tried to remain calm, but inside she was screaming, "What kind of heartless monsters would leave a poor baby in the middle of Ponyville to live on its own?"
Instead, the teacher asked, "What did you eat?"
Scoot shrugged. "Anything left behind. Lots of ponies gave me food and offered me places to live, but I always said no."
"What? Why?"
"I don't need anypony." Scootaloo looked more confident all of a sudden. "I do just fine by myself, and I don't take charity from others because..."
"Because what?"
"Because...I-it's embarrassing. Lots of ponies found out that I'm...homeless, and they're always trying to help me by giving me food or a place to stay. And they look down on me! Like I actually need their help!" Tears were streaming down her face.
"Oh, Scootaloo..." Cheerilee didn't know what to say. This poor baby filly, alone with the idea in her head that she didn't need anypony to live.
"Don't try and help me," Scoot wiped her runny nose with her front leg. "They all try, but I never let them."
"Scootaloo, you can't just live your life like this!" Cheerilee was distraught.
"Try and stop me," the young pegasus said stubbornly. "Everypony tells me that they know how I feel. Well, they don't. Nopony knows. And nopony could understand!"
The teacher sighed and looked out the window of the school. "Could I tell you a story?"
Scoot shrugged.
"I...I was married once. To a wonderful, handsome colt."
"That's why you didn't want a special somepony on Hearts and Hooves day!" Scootaloo interrupted.
Cheerilee nodded. "He was the most amazing pony I ever met. He swept me off my feet, and I swore never to love another."
"He WAS the most amazing pony? What happened to him?"
Cheerilee struggled to appear calm. "It was a month after our wedding. He left one day...and never came back." Tears had escapes her eyes and were leaving wet streaks on her face. "I don't know if it was something I did, or if he was k-killed..."
Scootaloo, despite herself, wrapped her chubby arms around her teacher.
"That kind of hurt, that kind of pain," Cheerilee continued, wiping her face with a handkerchief. "-can make you feel like your life is worth nothing. It can also make you feel angry and stubborn. You have to decide between whether or not you're going to let other ponies help you."
"I know what I chose," Scoot muttered.
"You have to let go of your stubbornness, Scootaloo!" Cheerilee cried. "I know it's hard, but if you want to become happy again you have to let other ponies help you!" The teacher sighed. "I know someone that will be able to help you."
"I doubt they can do anything." Scootaloo crossed her arms.
"I want you to stay with her for one week. No school. I just want you to become friends with her. Is that okay with you?"
An excuse to skip school could not be turned down. "Okay. But just for one week."
Cheerilee nodded. "One week."
###
Scootaloo and Cheerilee agreed to meet the next morning, as it was Saturday.
After making a few arrangements with her friend, Cheerilee went straight to bed, exhausted.
Scootaloo, however, had no place to fall asleep. Cheerilee, without thinking, had locked the school doors and the filly was locked out.
Scoots wandered around Ponyvilke as the sky grew dark, hoping she would soon be able to find somewhere to stay for the night.
As night fell and rain started dripping from the sky, Scootaloo was becoming more frantic about finding shelter of some sort. As the sprinkles of rain turned into gallons, the small Pegasus was forced to make due with a park bench. She crawled underneath it, relieved to escape the weather.
It took several hours, but Scoot managed to find sleep. Interrupted, anxious sleep, but sleep nonetheless.
###
The next morning Scootaloo ran as fast as she could to the schoolhouse. It was still raining, do she had to hurry to avoid getting soaked.
Cheerilee was waiting for her, along with two white pegasi and a chariot of some sort.
"What the heck?" Scoot thought as she came closer.
"Are you ready to go?" One of the pegasi asked. She noticed that he was wearing polished, golden armor.
Scootaloo glanced at Cheerilee nervously.
"It's okay, Scoots." The teacher winked.
The pegasi helped Scootaloo into the chariot and attached themselves to the harness on the front.
"Goodbye, Scootaloo!" Cheerilee waved.
Scoot waved back, but couldn't help but feel puzzled. What was waiting for her?
The pegasi took off, leaving Cheerilee to only hope that this idea was a good one.