Tale of a Lost Scoots

by RDfan27

Chapter 6 - The Search Begins

"Scootaloo!"

Applebloom and Sweetie ran forward to where their friend had been standing just moments before. There was a small divot in the ground where the flower once was, but now, there was no trace of the flower, or Scootaloo.

"She's gone!" Sweetie said, a nervous squeak in her voice. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" Sweetie cried. "W-where did she go? She... she was right here!” Sweetie Belle started hyperventilating, while Applebloom, although equally as worried, tried to calm her down.

“Sweetie Belle, calm down. Yer gonna have a stroke or something.” Applebloom put a reassuring hoof on Sweetie Belle’s back.

“We almost lost her once. I'm not losing her again!" Sweetie shouted and ran forward towards where the flower had been. Applebloom leapt forward in front of her friend, holding her back with a hoof.

"No!" Applebloom said sternly. "It's not safe.” Sweetie still tried to get by Applebloom, but she was no match for the Earth Pony's strength. “I don't like it either, but neither of us know how she disappeared or where she went. For now, we need to calm down and think."

Sweetie finally stopped struggling, and let out a sigh, dropping down onto her haunches, defeated. She looked up, past Applebloom, at where Scootaloo had been standing mere moments ago.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she began to sob. She couldn't hold it in any longer. All of the events that had happened lately were catching up to her, and it hit her chest like a ton of bricks. Applebloom wrapped her into a hug, and she just sat there, sobbing into her best friend's shoulder.

***

Applebloom noticed the sun beginning to sink down beneath the tops of the trees. She nudged Sweetie Belle, who had cried herself to sleep in Applebloom's embrace. Sweetie Belle groaned as her eyes creaked open. Applebloom hated to disturb her sleep. She looked so peaceful. But she knew they had make it back to the clubhouse before dark. Everypony knows you don't want to be out in the Everfree Forest at night.

Sweetie let out a tired yawn as she sat up, looking around. A look of panic swept across her face as the events of the previous afternoon came back to her.

"Scootaloo..." she whispered sadly as it all came flooding back to her in a torrent of emotions. She dropped her head in defeat when there was no answer.

Applebloom sighed. "Come on Sweetie. We're not going to find her tonight. Tomorrow we'll go and get Twilight. I'm sure she'll be able to help.” Sweetie said nothing, she just nodded and got up to follow her friend. Applebloom led the way out of the forest, and back to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.

It was a long walk back to the clubhouse, and they made it just as the sun was slipping beneath the horizon. "I reckon we oughta just sleep here tonight. It's too far to walk back home for either of us.”

Sweetie Belle gave a silent nod as she started to make her way up the stairs, following after her friend.

Once inside, Applebloom quickly went over to the emergency stash of blankets and pillows that the Crusaders kept in the clubhouse for emergencies There was one red blanket with a yellow pillow and one pink and purple blanket with a white pillow.

Applebloom stopped as she looked at the last pair. A magenta blanket, and an orange pillow. Applebloom sighed sadly, realizing that those would not be of any use tonight, however, for some reason, she found herself laying out the blanket and pillow anyway.

After setting up the sleeping arrangements, Applebloom snuggled up under her blanket with Sweetie Belle to her left, and Scootaloo's spot set up to her right. Applebloom still didn't know why she had laid out the spot for Scootaloo, but it made her feel a little better, to know that there was a chance. She just had to hold onto the hope that they would be able to find her in the morning.

Holding on to this faint wisp of hope, Applebloom closed her eyes and she let sleep overtake her.

***

"Ahh!" Applebloom shot up, jolted awake by the sound of sad moans. She looked around, before she spotted Sweetie Belle, curled up in a ball under her blanket, sobbing.

Applebloom sighed and walked over to her friend, placing a hoof on her shoulder. This caused the unicorn filly to jump, and look back at Applebloom. She sat down next to her crying friend, and wrapped her hoof around her shoulder, allowing Sweetie to lean on her. "It's okay Sweetie," Applebloom spoke gently, as Sweetie's crying slowed. "I know, I miss her too, but we're going to find her in the morning. I just know it."

Sweetie Sniffled. "R-really? You... y-you really th-think s-so?" Sweetie said through her sobs.

Applebloom looked her friend in the eye and gave a warm smile. "I know so." The two sat like that for a while longer, until Sweetie's crying had ceased. Sweetie let out a loud yawn, tired from the previous day, and from crying so much. Both fillies lay down on the clubhouse floor, Applebloom's hoof still wrapped around Sweetie's shoulder. The two snuggled up next to each other, each providing comfort for the other. As Applebloom let out a yawn, they both closed their eyes and prepared to drift off to sleep. "Night Sweetie," Applebloom said gently.

Sweetie smiled and let out another yawn. "Night Bloom." Sweetie's smile widened into a sheepish grin as she looked over at her best friend. "Thanks, Applebloom," Sweetie said, a slight blush barely visible in the moonlight shining through the open clubhouse window.

She was glad that she could rely on Applebloom in times like this. It was one of the things she liked best about her. Sweetie closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

Twilight awoke with a start. A rainbow-colored blur darted into her room, and jumped onto her bed. "Where is she!" Rainbow shouted, shocking the lavender mare, and making her jump. Fluttershy trotted in behind Rainbow, panting from running.

Twilight rubbed her eyes groggily and groaned. "Where is who?" she asked, somewhat irately. "Rainbow, you better have a good reason for waking me up this late. It's the middle of the night for Celestia’s sake!"

"It's Scootaloo!" Rainbow shouted. "She's gone! She never came home from school today. I figured she was just with her friends or something, but she still hasn't come home! What do we do?" Rainbow shouted, on the verge of tears. "I don't want something to happen to her. Not again. I just adopted her Twilight. I can't lose her."

Twilight blinked, before gaining a look of determination in her eyes. "You won't. We'll find her. Come on. Let's go get the others! We need to find her, now!" With that, Twilight rushed out of her room, and out the front doors of the castle, followed closely by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. The three mares ran through the town, heading towards Rarity’s boutique.

When they arrived, they were nearly hit by the mare, rushing out of her door. "Twilight!" Rarity shouted. "I was just on my way to see you. Sweetie Belle never came home tonight. I've been waiting for her. I expected that she was just late as usual, but she still hasn't shown up. I'm getting worried!"

Twilight groaned. "Not Sweetie Belle too!" Twilight said in annoyance, earning a confused look from Rarity.

"Uhh, pardon me darling, but what exactly do you mean by that?" Rarity asked quizzically.

"Come on," Twilight called out as she began to run towards Sugar Cube Corner. "I'll explain on the way!"

***

Applejack paced back and forth. It wasn't like Applebloom to be this late. She had been late before, but nothing like this. She was beginning to worry when a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Applebloom!" she shouted, rushing over to open the door. When she opened the door though, to her surprise, she was met, not by Applebloom, but by all five of her best friends. "Uhh, what are y'all doing out here so late? Is something wrong?"

Twilight sighed, "Let me guess, Applebloom hasn't come home yet?" Twilight guessed. Applejack looked at her incredulously.

"Uhh, how'd you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well," Fluttershy began, "nopony has seen any of the CMC all night. We were all getting kind of worried, so we decided to look for them."

"Huh," Applejack said, "Well, have you checked the clubhouse yet? I was about to run out there and check when you all showed up."

Twilight facehoofed. "Ughh! How did we forget to check there?" Twilight said out loud to nopony in particular. "Well, I guess we can head over there now. Want to tag along?"

"Sure," Applejack replied. "I've been getting a might worried myself." With that, the six mares turned and headed towards the clubhouse in the distance.

***

When the they arrived, Fluttershy and Rainbow walked up to the door. Fluttershy peeked inside and nearly died of cuteness. It was the most adorable sight she had ever seen. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were sound asleep. Applebloom had a hoof wrapped around Sweetie Belle in an embrace, who was snuggled tight, up against the yellow filly's chest. All of the other mare's crowded around to see what Fluttershy was looking at. They all let out a simultaneous "aww," at the sight.

Then, Rainbow noticed something. There were multiple blankets and pillows scattered about the room, including what Dash had to guess belonged to Scootaloo. It was a magenta colored blanket right next to an orange pillow. But there was one problem: no Scootaloo.

"Umm, girls," Rainbow said, catching the attention of the mares, who were still fawning over at the sight of the two fillies snuggled up together. "Where's Scootaloo?"

Twilight shot Rainbow Dash a confused look. "What do you mean? She's right th—" Twilight paused, looking back at the clubhouse. "Huh. You know, you're right, I don't see her either."

Fluttershy pushed the door open a little more, allowing herself to step inside and walk over to the two sleeping fillies. "I'll go ask them." She said as she walked closer to the two fillies. She leaned her head down and nuzzled the top of the girls' heads. "Girls, wake up. We need to talk to you." Sweetie Belle and Applebloom slowly opened their eyes, looking up.

Sweetie Belle was the first to notice all of the eyes on them. She quickly jumped, and a deep blush spread across her cheeks. "Uhh, hey there." Sweetie chuckled nervously. Applebloom jumped out of the covers, awake and blushing equally as much as Sweetie Belle was.

Applejack walked over to the two fillies, followed by Rarity. "Applebloom! What in Tartarus' name are you doing out here? We've been worried sick!” Applebloom looked down with a face full of guilt.

"Ah'm sorry sis. It got too dark for us to make our way back." Applebloom said sadly.

Rarity sighed. "What in Celestia's name were you two even doing out here this late in the first place? And where's Scootaloo?"

A look of sadness appeared on both fillies faces, their ears flopping down. “Uhh…”

Rainbow gulped. Twilight walked over to the two fillies. "Girls," Twilight started calmly, although she was afraid of what she was about to hear. "I need you to tell me everything that happened last night.”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look, before bursting into tears. Fluttershy came forward and wrapped the two fillies into a comforting hug. "There, there," Fluttershy said, trying to calm the two sobbing fillies. "It's okay. We're here for you, just tell us what's wrong."

Rainbow started shaking now, as tears fell from her own eyes. She wouldn't admit it, but she was terrified. She knew something terrible must have happened. She just knew it.

Her Scootaloo was gone...

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why isn't there a sad tag?

[RDfan27]

9216742
Ran out of tags. It only lets you add 3 tags of a certain kind. I had to choose 3. I might consider changing them around though if you think it’s necessary.

[melodic_harmony]

"Huh," Applebloom said, "Well, have you checked the clubhouse yet? I was about to run out there and check when you all showed up."

Don’t you mean applejack?

[RDfan27]

9217129
Yes, thanks for catching that. I fixed it.

[RDfan27]

9234066
Thanks. Should be fixed to your liking now.

[Dashie04]

Once inside, Applebloom quickly went over to the emergency stash of blankets and pillows that the Crusaders kept in the clubhouse for emergencies There was one red blanket with a yellow pillow and one pink and purple blanket with a white pillow.

Beaides the fact that there should be a period after emergencies...

You gotta love those emergency blankets you keep for emergencies, you know, just in case you have to visit the Department of Redundancy Department.