Re: The Whitetail Woods
Scootaloo let out another heavy sigh, reaching up a wing to brush along the name as she looked up into the darkening sky. Her eyes drifted about until they settled on the area where Rainbow's cloud house was.
♪♫♪♫
There is a castle on a cloud
I like to go there when it's night
Ain't anypony to yell and fight
Not in my castle on a cloud
♪♫♪♫
Tracking by nightfall wasn't the best of ideas, but it wasn't like the White Tail Woods were dangerous. The most vicious creature they might have encountered in that area would have been a particularly ornery squirrel. Greenwood continued to lead the bunch along but paused as the sound of a quiet, wafting voice carried itself on the breeze.
"Well... that makes things simpler." she noted, gesturing for the rest to keep quiet as they continued along in pursuit of that familiar voice singing its sad song. It wouldn't take them long at all to crest a low hill and find Scootaloo at that somber bit of stonework she favored so much, though the Unicorn thrust out a hoof to keep her companions where they were and out of sight. She had a bad feeling about this all a sudden...
Rainbow Dash was just about to speak when Greenwood raised a hoof to ensure silence. Was that Scootaloo singing? Of course it was... she would recognize that voice anywhere. She swallowed hard, hearing the words. It was such a sad song... and Scootaloo always seemed so upbeat.
As they got sight of Scootaloo, Rainbow noticed the stones she was singing beside. Were those gravestones? Like her unicorn guide, Dash began to get a pit in her stomach.
Scootaloo, unaware that she had gained an audience continued to sing. Her eyes never strayed from where they were, locked firmly on Rainbow's cloud house.
♪♫♪♫
There is a room that's full of toys
Full of friendly fillies and colts
Nopony is cruel or too proud
Not in my castle on a cloud
♪♫♪♫
Her voice lifted up as she turned her focus back to the marker, extending her wing out and running her feathers over the name.
♪♫♪♫
There is a mare she's all in white
Holds me and sings me a lullaby
♪♫♪♫
She wrapped her wings and forelegs around herself, her voice starting to choke up as she continued.
♪♫♪♫
She's warm and soft and she smiles too
She says "I love you, Scootaloo."
♪♫♪♫
♪♫♪♫
I know a place where nopony's lost
I know a place where nopony cries
Crying at all is not allowed
Not in my castle on a cloud
♪♫♪♫
Her voice trailed off as she drew the song to a close, letting her eyes slip shut and leaning forward to rest her forehead on the stone.
"Starting to get the idea? I imagine she's been coming here for quite a while... kid's lost quite a lot, and she's scared." Greenwood stated quietly to the Ponies at her sides. She didn't fully explain the situation - it wasn't her place to do so. That was Scootaloo's choice and she was entitled to it. But that didn't mean the Poacher would go and let the dumb brat go and screw her life up any more than she already had without at least making some effort to set her straight.
Applebloom looked back and forth between the adults and where Scootaloo sat with her expression one clearly conflicted. She didn't quite understand what was happening but had a sinking feeling she knew where things were going. It occurred to her that Scootaloo had never been all that forthcoming about her life... they all trusted each other and shared so much, but each of the three fillies naturally had their secrets. She hesitated by Rainbow Dash's side, worried and still as Greenwood quietly cantered forward into the little clearing. The Unicorn cleared her throat loudly enough to let her presence be known.
As the words of the song were heard more clearly and the grave markers seen more clearly and Greenwood's words understood, the pit in Rainbow Dash's stomach became a downright gnawing feeling that made her feel like she was going to be sick. Not because she was disgusted by the situation in any way, but because of the stunning realization of it all. Scootaloo... was alone... and had obviously been for quite some time. How could she not have seen it before? How could nopony have seen it before?
As she walked out into the clearing beside Greenwood, she was aware of the stinging in her eyes and the warm wet feeling running down her cheeks. This may have been the first time that Scootaloo ever saw Rainbow Dash cry. "Scootaloo..." she announced her presence as well after Greenwood did.
Scootaloo's head whipped up at the sound of somepony clearing their throat behind her! She leaped to her hooves and twisted around, her little wings spread wide to block the name carved into the stone behind her. How had she been discovered?! She let out a little sigh when she saw that it was Greenwood. "Oh, it's just you. You scared me Greenwood, I thought you might be......."
Scoots trailed off, her eyes widened when she saw Rainbow Dash appear out of the woods. Her mouth worked silently for a few seconds before she managed to force herself to speak. "HRGHK!" She shook herself, trying to act cool and collected. "I mean! Um...h-hey Rainbow Dash! What uh, what brings you here?" She asked, a very pained forced smile on her face.
Not to be left out, and certainly not without sympathy for the situation especially given how the grown ups were acting, Applebloom wasted no time in practically tackling her friend. She darted up on tiny hooves and pounced Scootaloo, clasping her tight in a big Earth Pony hug.
"Where in th'hay have y'been, Scootaloo? We've all been worried sick lookin' for ya' all week! Why'd ya'... where did... what's..." she seemed to be a little flustered by a sudden rush of emotion at finally having her friend back after such a hard time fretting over her absence.
Wordlessly, Rainbow Dash rushed forward and took Scootaloo in a tight hug. The filly could feel Rainbow's body shake a little and feel wetness dripping onto her shoulder. Rainbow Dash was crying... and not even bothering to hide it. "Scootaloo..." she whispered again. "Why didn't you tell us...? Why didn't we see it before...?" she muttered, shaking her head. "Scootaloo... I'm so so sorry..."
Scootaloo was at a total loss, completely unsure of what to do or how to react. First Applebloom hugged her, scolding her for going missing for more than a week which she couldn't really blame her for. Then the Rainbow Dash was hugging her! And crying! And she was talking as though she knew her secret! How did she know?!
Her eyes drifted to Greenwood, wondering if she had told them. "I......I uh, don't know what you're talking about."
As it were, Greenwood had kept her peace about the whole matter. Well... at least in outright explaining everything herself, though not in orchestrating the meeting to some degree. As Scootaloo continued to protest the situation, however, the Poacher just groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Cut the horse apples, kid." she groused as she met eyes with the fretting filly. Was she really so quick to forget? Just earlier that afternoon Scootaloo had been left burning with shame as Greenwood called her out on her own mistakes, and here she was making another. Why? Because she was scared? Proud? Just too dang stupid to see what she had going for her? It was almost enough to make Greenwood lose her temper as Scootaloo was in the process of doing exactly what the Unicorn had accused her of earlier; she had so much that Greenwood never had as a child, literally holding her tight just then, and she was willing to squander it for no reason.
Rainbow Dash sniffled a little, doing her best to hold back her tears. She had to keep up the brave and cool appearance after all! But to think that Scootaloo had been alone and living like this for so long... bearing that burden all by herself... it broke Dash's heart all over again.
She sniffled once again, blinking out a few more tears. She cast her gaze down toward the grave markers. Surely those must be for her parents... either they were actually buried there, or Scootaloo made it in their honour. Either way, it had the same impact and meaning for the little filly... and for Rainbow Dash as well. "I'm sorry, Scootaloo... How could I have been so blind for so long? How could we all have?" she turned to Greenwood and smiled. "I guess we just needed a guide is all."
She turned back to Scootaloo, finally releasing her from the hug and looking her in the eyes. "Scootaloo... please... come back with me to Sweet Apple Acres. I know you may not want to talk about it right now, but please... know that I know. I can see it all now." she said a little sadly. "Please let me take care of you, at least for now."
Scootaloo looked back and forth between Greenwood and Rainbow, her mouth working soundlessly as she tried to come up with a lie to salvage this mess. But she had finally run out of lies, finally come to the end of her rope, confronted and caught at the marker she made for her mother she could no longer keep it buried inside. When Rainbow released her spoke kind words of acceptance and offering to look after her, not words of shipping her off to an orphanage she was stunned. She looked up at her idol, eyes beginning to glisten with tears as her lips trembled. "I............I....I..I'manorphan!" She blurted out, rushing forward and throwing herself against Rainbow, locking her in a fierce hug and bawling her eyes out. "I'manorphanI'manorphanI'manorphan!"
Greenwood gave Rainbow Dash a congenial smile when she looked her way, though once the Pegasus returned her attention to the weeping filly, she let that expression drop and just rolled her eyes in disgust. Ugh... how sappy were these small town hicks? She half expected the lot of them to burst out into song at any moment... again. Still, all these bumpkins were too ignorant to notice an orphan in their midst and needed someone with a bit more savvy to set things straight. Playing mastermind wasn't exactly Greenwood's forte, but someone had to do it.
"Scootaloo... why didn't y'ever tell us? Ah lost m'parents too -- y'know that. We coulda helped." Applebloom had extracted herself from the hug more to give Rainbow Dash room to move than anything else. The little filly was rightfully confused. Why hadn't Scootaloo trusted them with this? How could they have never noticed until now?
"Can we discuss this on the way to that farm? I've spent enough evenings in the woods as of late, thank you very much." Greenwood interjected on the emotional moment with a jab of practicality.
Rainbow Dash sniffled and wiped a tear away with a hoof. She held Scootaloo throughout that entire confession and only now let her go enough to look into her eyes with a smile. "You may be an orphan... but you're not alone." she gave a knowing nod. "And you will never be alone again... I swear to Celestia."
She crouched down to allow Scootaloo to hop up onto her back before nodding at Greenwood's practical comment. "You're right. We need to get back... it'll be nearly morning by the time we get to the farm as is." she smiled and began the trek back to town. "You're all right, Greenwood. You might want to consider a career change and come live in Ponyville someday." she flashed her a little look. It seemed Rainbow Dash wasn't a dense country bumpkin after all... though she made sure to keep her comment covert enough so that the fillies wouldn't catch on.
Scoots wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears but unable to do so. She nodded once at Rainbows words, almost unable to believe what she was hearing. She didn't have to be alone anymore. She gave up the battle to stop her tears, the rush of emotions to great for her to combat any longer. She barely managed to clamber onto the cyan coated pony, her hooves slipping more than once. Finally managing it she curled up high on Rainbow's back, burying her face in the prismatic mane before her as she cried. As they headed back to Sweet Apple Acres it wasn't long before her soft crying trailed off to be replaced by light snoring.
To Sweet Apple Acres! -->