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Chapter 15

Scootaloo quietly sniffled, and held a tiny handkerchief up to her face. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said nothing nor did the headmistree, but they all just awaited Scootaloo breaking the silence.

"I'm afraid..." Scootaloo mumbled, and all three ponies in the office inched closer to be able to hear the timid voice. It was a whole new thing for Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, to hear Scootaloo's usually strong and fierce voice, to remind them of a squealing mouse.

"Of what, Scootaloo? You're the bravest of all three of us, you don't ever get sca-"

"I'm scared, Sweetie! Okay, I'm scared," Scootaloo snapped, before looking away and looking ashamed, "I'm afraid of being alone."

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glanced at each other, not quite understanding what Scootaloo meant.

"Scared of being alone, like... um, not walking home from school with someone?" Sweetie Belle asked again, earning a headshake from Scootaloo. The unicorn glanced at Applebloom, who seemed equally confused.

"Alone so ye don't hav' anyone to talk to when ye get home?"

"No, Applebloom." Scootaloo replied. The two schoolfillies scratched their heads, and pondered even further over Scootaloo's apparent fear of being alone.

"Sweetie Belle, Applebloom," the headmistress spoke and awaited their attention before she continued, "do you ever feel like the ponies that matters most to you are around you, but you still feel alone?"

Applebloom proudly shook her head, but Sweetie Belle remained silent, and nodded. Scootaloo seemed surprised that the headmistress understood her so well, even more so that Sweetie Belle felt the same way.

Scootaloo glanced towards Sweetie Belle, who let out a weak smile.

"Sometimes it's like that with Rarity. I know she's just a single pony, but she means so much to me, and everytime she's busy with something else, it's like I'm invisible."

The pegasus nodded in agreement, and thought of all the conversations that the unicorn and earth pony had had about what their sister had done, what they hadn't done, and their homes. As much as the two fillies appreciated their homes and families, whenever they spoke of those two factors in their lifes, they would always complain. Thus, Scootaloo thought of them as ungrateful at times, and Sweetie Belle's feelings about Rarity's occasional lack of attention surprised her.

"Scootaloo, how come you've been so focused about these things, all of sudden?"

Oh well, I don't know... ever since I was little, I thought nopony cared about me. I wasn't loved, cared for, or bothered about. I thought it would change here, but I guess not. I just want what they have! I just want to be loved.

"I don't know. I just..." Scootaloo started, her thoughts dying to leave the prison she had kept them in for so long, and to be finally be free.

The headmistress put a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder, which, to her surprised, trembled.

"Scootaloo, you don't need to keep all of this inside of you. You are only confined by the walls you build yourself."

The pegasus sniffled, and rubbed her muzzle with her hoof before nodding. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, it was as if all of the walls that had been created within herself, crumbled and vanished.

"I'm afraid I won't ever be loved. I'm afraid I'm not unique. I'm afraid I won't ever get my cutie mark. I'm afraid that I'll be alone forever." she whispered.

"Scootaloo, my dear, I can promi-"

"Um, headmistress, mind if I say something?"

Sweetie Belle smiled widely as she received an accepting glance from the headmistress, and coughed slightly.

"Scootaloo, before you came to Ponyville, I had no one. You were my first friend, because we had one thing in common: We don't have a cutie mark. Twilight once told me, that, eh, um..." the filly scratched her mane for a second, before she realized what she should say, "that friendship is born at that moment when one pony says to another 'What! You, too? I thought I was the only one'. We have been friends from day one Scootaloo."

"She's right, Scoots. And if we think 'bout it, we owe the Cutie Mark Crusaders to ye'."

Scootaloo blinked away a few tears, before turning to her two friends, who also seemed to be shedding some tears.

"How? I'm not special at all."

"Scootaloo, now that ain't true! Ye' so special, that Derpy is jealous!"

Sweetie Belle gasped loudly, and bumped into Applebloom's flank with her own.

"Applebloom! You can't just say that!"

Applebloom shot a glare at Sweetie Belle before replying.

"Well, I did! And Derpy is the best mailmare 'round, but she's one of a kind, in a good way," the earth pony looked towards Scootaloo again, who, despite her mood, had difficulty holding back a giggle, "and Scootaloo is one of the two best fillies I know."

Sweetie Belle now smiled widely, and nodded her head in agreement, before walking over to Scootaloo. She placed a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder.

"And if it's any comfort, if there's anypony I'd like to be a blank flank with forever", Applebloom was now by Sweetie Belle's side, and the unicorn placed a hoof around her,"it's you two."

"Urgh, you two are so sappy, it's untrue..." Scootaloo gagged, before letting out a loud grin, causing all three fillies to burst out into laughter. For a minute, it seemed like the old Scootaloo was back, as the pegasi's three friends knew her. But the moment only lasted so long, before her ears hung low, and her eyes shimmered with sadness.

"What's the matter, Scootaloo?" the headmistress asked, and the three fillies all seemed surprise to hear her voice, as they had obviously forgotten the old mare was even there.

"I still want a family... but I don't know how to get one."

"Now, Scootaloo, my dear, I can promise you, one day, you will have a family."

"How do you know?" Scootaloo snapped, as the headmistress spoke. The older pony ignored the harsh response, as she only knew that it was Scootaloo's hurt feelings that spoke.

"Can you keep a secret?"

All of the fillies nodded quietly.

"I am an orphan myself. I have only met my parents once, and they disowned me, when I was older than the three of you," the mare let out a laugh, that was so filled with sorrow, that it gave the three fillies the urge to cry, "then I met my husband. He was an extraordinary stallion, but he died from sickness before his time was right. Since then, i have been alone, but I still have a family."

"What family?" Sweetie Belle quietly asked, the sadness evident in her voice, and the eyes of the other fillies.

The mare's previous look of sorrow had disappeared instantly, and she smiled as if she hadn't told the story of her life just seconds before, that obviously was one of grief. She glanced lovingly at Scootaloo, and ruffled up the filly's purple mane in just a loving way.

"Scootaloo is my family. Ms. Sprinkles is my family. All the other orphan ponies, are all my family. You see, Scootaloo," the headmistress looked at Applebloom, "don't you ever get sick of Applejack, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith?", she turned her head towards Sweetie Belle, "or you get sick of Rarity and Opal?"

Both fillies nodded.

"Your friends are the family you choose. On that note, be sure to choose wisely," the headmistress winked at the pegasus, before whispering into her ear, "I think you've made two excellent choices right there."

Scootaloo smiled widely, and blushed, but her smile didn't reach the corners of her mouth, before her ears hung low again. She thought she might aswell confess about what happened between her and Rainbow Dash.

"I had a bit of a... fight, with Rainbow Dash." the pegasus admitted.

"Why?" the headmistress asked, well-aware of how Rainbow Dash had shown her desire to help Scootaloo with her flying, whereas she had denied it.

"Well, I don't know... I just came to see her, because I thought," her voice cracked over, before she spoke again, "I thought I meant something her. She seemed really upset."

Applebloom promptly placed a hoof in her face, her annoyance obviously and directly aimed at Scootaloo.

"Scoots, I tell ya, I ain't never met such a silly filly! Sometimes, when I shoul' be in bed, I can hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash talkin' 'bout ya. Ofcourse, Applejack don't know that I know, so maybe ye' shouldn't go on and tell all of Ponyville", Applebloom added.

Scootaloo let out a cold grin.

"Right, she'd never bother about a silly filly like myself."

"Scootaloo, even I, know that isn't true. Rainbow Dash cares about you, quite a lot."

Those words were just the ones that Scootaloo had dreamt about hearing, ever since she first saw Rainbow Dash soar across the skies of Ponyville. She had had idols and ponies to look up to wherever she had been, but nopony compared to what she felt when she saw a pony made rainbow in the sky. It wasn't a romantic feeling, but more one of deeply desired friendship and adoration. Scootaloo was sure the excitement she felt inside of herself was obvious, but it only lasted so long, before she remembered the confrontation they had. The excitement and joy she felt about the headmistress' and Applebloom's statements disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

"I don't care."

"Say wha' now?"

"I don't care, Applebloom. If she does, she wouldn't have treated me that way."

The two fillies looked at the headmistress for some sort of advice, as they all knew it wasn't true. Scootaloo was suddenly occupied with staring at her own hooves, and didn't notice the slight nod the headmistress sent the two fillies way.

"Scootaloo, don't be so quickly to make your decision", the headmistress urged, "things of such important matters can't just be done with judg-"

"No! I don't ever want her to talk to me again." Scootaloo shouted, the grief in her voice as clear as day.

"But, Scoota-"

"No, Sweetie Belle."

"Scootaloo, you're being unreas-"

"No! I just don't want to be hurt again! And she can do that anytime, because...because..."

"Because of what, Scootaloo?"

"Because I love her!" Scootaloo cried, and ran into the chest of the headmistress in a dire need of comfort. Just like she had broken down in tears when she saw Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, she did the same now. Her loud sobs seemed so much louder, and so much more filled with emotions than earlier. Noponies spoke, but let Scootaloo's confession and cries sink in.

A week after the confrontation between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, the same day that Scootaloo finally told her friends and the headmistress everything, life didn't seem so bad, after all. Sure, Scootaloo missed Rainbow Dash more than anything, but she couldn't let the pegasus know that. She had begged Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and the headmistress not to tell anything to anypony, and they had all Pinkie Promised not to.

And Scootaloo was comfortable with that, as she knew nopony proke a Pinkie Promise if they could avoid it. When she had been a little more gullible, when she first came to Ponyville, some of the older orphan ponies used to say that Pinkie Pie could tell whenever there was a Pinkie Promise being made, and if it was broken, she'd find you, and fill you up with so many goodies, you'd be sick. Scootaloo thought it was normal Pinkie behaviour anyway, so she didn't bother much about it.

But even if those three ponies had promised not to share, the change was evident for all of the ponies in Ponyville, especially the librarian, the fashionista, the farmpony, the party pony and the animal lover. Whenever Rainbow Dash name was spoken when Scootaloo was around, the little pegasus made an excuse to leave the conversation. Rainbow Dash hadn't been seen in Ponyville for awhile, and even though the weather patrol could manage the weather without her, the change was obvious. The weather wasn't cleared as fast, let alone half as nice. Twilight hadn't told her friends about what had happened that day between her and Rainbow Dash, but the others knew that something was up. In an effort to explain what had happened, and be shouted at, or be given advice.

"Twilight, what in tarnation's been going on with ye' and Rainbow Dash? I kno' somethin' is up, so ye best go on and spill the beans!"

"Beans! You got beans! Again?!" Pinkie exclaimed, her usual cheerful personality oblivious to the situation.

"Pinkie, it's just a saying. And I was going to tell you, but I hoped I could have thought of something myself."

"Please, don't keep us in the suspense anymore, Twilight, darling. Whatever happened between you two, I am absolutely certain we can fix it." Rarity stated, gracefully levitating her cup of tea up to her mouth.

"Rainbow Dash wanted to adopt Scootaloo and I accidently called her a poor mother!" Twilight blurted out, and as a result, the tea Rarity was sipping, ended up on her face.

"You what?!"

Even Fluttershy's voice seemed to be loud, as Twilight winced over their reactions.

"I didn't mean to, okay! She just, borrowed that book," she glanced evilly at Spike, who grinned sheepishly, "and she came back to deliver it, and I asked her why, and she told me about Scootaloo and adopting her, and it just slipped out!" she rambled, but Applejack quickly put a hoof over the librarian's mouth to keep her quiet.

"Um, Twilight, I, uh, don't know if you know, but... you usually don't call your friends a, um, poor mother..." Fluttershy mumbled, her previous volume of tone vanished.

Twilight groaned and placed a hoof on her forehead in annoyance.

"I know, Fluttershy, and I don't think she is. I just thought, it was a bit rushed, that's all. She's not a poor mother, I don't think she will be."

"Twilight, everypony can't start out to be good at whatever they do! I mean, if I didn't have partying as my special talent, I wouldn't be very good at it to start out with, but since I am, I just do great at it! If your special talent wasn't magic, I betcha you'd find it really, really, really, really, really," the glance Pinkie received from all of the other ponies made her continue her sentence,"tricky in the beginning!"

"I must agree with Pinkie, Twilight," Rarity added, carefully levitating a handkerchief around Twilight's face to wipe off the tea, "I firmly believe that ponies grows with the tasks they choose, or do not choose. We all mistakes, some graver than others, but mistakes must be made on the path we choose to walk upon."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Rares." Applejack said as she tipped her hat to Rarity.

"But, I think I really hurt her feelings. That's why she's been gone for so long."

"I think we best throw her a we're-sorry-Twilight-called-you-a-bad-mother-party!" Pinkie squealed.

"I don't think that's the right way to do it, Pinkie. What if we went to see her, though?" Twilight suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Applejack cheered, before giving shooting a glance in Rarity's direction, "but why can't you give me them fancy pancy wings this time?"

"I beg your pardon, my wings were fabulous!" Rarity objected, but the blush that spread upon the white mare's cheeks was easily seen.

All of the ponies except Rarity laughed loudly, before Twilight began to cast the spell that would allow all but Fluttershy to walk on clouds.

"Spike, please stay here and take care of the library while I'm gone? Don't want you to cause anymore trouble than you already did."

"That sucks! You've caused trouble too, y'know!"

Twilight blushed instantly, and began to stutter.

"Well, but, I, um... that's different!" she hissed.

"No it's not! I'm coming, and you ca-"

"Oh, Spikey-Wikey, darling, don't you think that this is best to be a little alone time with the girls for Rainbow Dash? I promise you, you can come over for a delightful cup of tea when we have sorted out this little... misunderstanding." Rarity cooed.

Spike didn't need convincing, and merely saluted the mares as they left the library. Twilight was certain that she could see small hearts in his irises as she shut the door behind her, mentally preparing herself for a meeting with Rainbow Dash.

I just hope she isn't too mad at me.

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