Scootaloo was sure to keep her distance from Sweetie Belle; lest she give her the impression that she was at an advantage. Scootaloo was simply doing her a favor, yeah. She didn't have any intention of coming under Rarity's care; she simply hated seeing Sweetie Belle upset.
Her deliberate pace allowed her to get a good panorama of the Apple Family farm. Usually a reflection of the productive, boisterous family who tended to it for generations; recent events made it more symbolic in the way a haunted house does to the bare trees and desolation around it. It wasn't that the orchards themselves were in disarray or untended, it was more that she knew, as everyone else did; that something was very much wrong in the Apple Family at the moment.
The last time she had seen Apple Bloom, they were fresh off a futile go at being storm chasers. It was Scootaloo's idea of course; it involved Cloudsdale, 36 styles of danger, and nearly decimated the clubhouse. Not that the later surprised them, after all, they did figure out how to spawn a dust devil; this certainly didn't mean Scootaloo knew the slightest about controlling it. Fortunate for her, her lack of knowledge lead the thing to diffuse before wreaking too much havoc. After a decent scolding from Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight about safety, and the dangers of handling the weather; the three parted ways in high spirits. At no point did it seem like something was off about any of the Apples; everything seemed as it always was.
Making sure to keep track of Sweetie Belle, who helped some having her horn illuminated amongst the heavy rain and reckless winds, Scootaloo began to ponder about her current situation. While she more than loved the idea of being in an insulated, sanitary home, stocked with food; she did not like the idea of living with Rarity. The very thought of what would happen to her image if she were live there unsettled her.
Scootaloo was startled off her train of thought as Sweetie Belle had seen her, and had slowed down to walk with her.
"Glad you listened to me." Sweetie Belle grinned as they approached the boutique.
"Just for tonight." Scootaloo reminded her. This was simply a sleepover with a late start so far as she was concerned.
It was unusual for Scootaloo to see the boutique this late at night, as when she was her for sleepovers, they were either playing in the guest room, which served as Sweetie Belle's room; or asleep. A single dim light glowed from the kitchen and disappeared again, as Sweetie Belle prepared hot cocoa inside. Scootaloo remained in the foyer, listening to the relentless weather outside, unsure of what to do next. Despite being her many times before, it seemed slightly intimidating. Scootaloo for some reason felt embarrassed simply by being here.
This odd thought, as well as the cold which gripped her since the night began, was all done away with as the soothing, delicious hot chocolate made its way from the mug, through her.
"This is really good Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo whispered.
"Thanks, I guess." Sweetie Belle shrugged. "You just get a pot of hot water, add in some cocoa powder, and stir for a bit. It's really easy."
Once they finished their drinks, Sweetie Belle returned the mugs to the kitchen, and then lead Scootaloo to her room, with the intent of going to bed
Scootaloo didn't need much exposition, she hopped on the bed in the guest room, and made herself comfortable as she usually did. The pillow top mattress, the thick, silk-lined comforter, and the perfect pillow permitted her to defer her troubles to tomorrow as she slowly succumbed to sleep.
Morning arrived much quicker than Scootaloo was used to. After managing to summon the willpower to life her head, only to be blinded by the intense sunlight pouring through the enormous window; she slinked off the side of the bed, eyes facing the wall. Once this awkward maneuver was completed successfully, her senses were awakened to the smell of breakfast. Through the door of the bedroom which was slightly ajar, she could hear the clatter of silverware and plates, a fosset, and the soft humming of a familiar unicorn mare.
For a few minutes, the pegasus filly simply sat idly, taking in the smell and sound of what lie beyond the door; coping with temporary amnesia. She finally remembered where she was, and why she was here. While this remembrance did diffuse her mood a little, the filly figured now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. She checked behind her and atop the bed to see if her suspicion was confirmed, it was, Sweetie Belle was more than likely downstairs already, having not bothered waking her up.
Remembering the regimen she and the other crusaders followed during sleepovers here, the filly made her way to the washroom to take a quick shower. Given the sound of food preparation, she figured she had some time to indulge in a hot shower; with the comfort and serenity of the sound and sensation of the shower and its steam permitting her some time with her thoughts.
Meanwhile, Rarity was finishing making breakfast for the two fillies. Contrary to what Sweetie Belle expected, her sister didn't seem so much bothered by Scootaloo being there, or even the fact that Sweetie had snuck out to 'rescue' her; she was more unsettled by the fact that Scootaloo had been so secretive about her less-than-stellar circumstances; and had never at any point solicited help from either of the mane six.
"...so, Scootaloo could live here if she wanted?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Only if she wants to, dear." Rarity clarified. "I would be in no way surprised, let alone put off if we find that I'm a no-show in her list of prospective parents. We aren't the most, shall we say, 'compatible' ponies in many regards-you should know that,"
Sweetie did, but nonetheless, she let out a sigh. She wanted nothing but unwitting enthusiasm from her sister. "Scootaloo thinks Rainbow Dash will adopt her."
"Ah...I see." Rarity frowned. It wasn't so much that Rainbow was unfit, she had the means to take care of the filly certainly; the Wonderbolt wannabe was far from compassionate, patient, let alone tempered enough to be ideal for raising a filly, especially of such an advanced age. That, and her residence was anything but accessible to the filly...among other aspects of Rainbow's lifestyle.
Fluttershy was a viable option...at least she would be if it weren't for her seemingly boundless repository of critters and criten under her constant care. Her home was less than accommodating to the needs of another pony; their personalities were all but inverted as well. This didn't rule her out though.
Pinkie Pie...Not even worth consideration.
Twilight was certainly capable, but like Rainbow Dash, lead a life that left no room for the trials and tribulations of parenthood. Spike was enough of a responsibility on top of her various pursuits on behalf of the princess, and her own scholastic endeavors.
Applejack was another viable candidate in the sense of capability, though Apple Bloom was already a handful, and given the financial predicament of the Apple Family, another mouth to feed was far from ideal; not to mention their current state, they couldn't possibly be troubled with such a request right now.
For now though, Rarity figured she could stick around the boutique until she sorted something out. The filly in question coming down the stairs, prompted her to prepare a plate for her guest.
"Good morning, Scootaloo." Rarity smiled, placing a plate next to Sweetie Belle.
"Hey." Scootaloo passively mumbled. The filly looked somewhat muted.
"Did you sleep well?" Rarity found herself oddly intimidated trying to strike conversation with this filly. Normally her sister was a proxy; a buffer if you will. She figured if Scootaloo was sticking around, she might as well get her talking.
To her bemusement, Scootaloo's reply was about as uninspired as the previous.
"Mmhm." The filly mumbled. Inspecting the food with a suspicious eye.
"Something the matter, Scoots?" Sweetie Belle asked with concern. She knew the fellow crusader wasn't in the best of spirits the night before, but figured she'd reset to her usual spunky, energetic, and somewhat crass self; not so much.
"Tired." Scootaloo sighed.
"Understandable dear. I heard you had a rather unpleasant night…" Rarity wasn't too sure what to say, "You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you like-until you find something more suitable."
Scootaloo's ears perked a bit, but her tone was the same.
"Cool. Thanks."
Rairy was unsure of how to read that response. A quick glance at her younger sister who seemed pleased with it put her at ease.
"I prepared you both lunches for school. Sandwiches and hay fries...is that agreeable Scootaloo?"
A nod. To which Rarity couldn't see as she was in the kitchen.
"She said 'Yes'." Sweetie Belle answered.
Rarity figured pressing the filly any further was a bad idea; and placed two paper lunch bags before the two fillies, who took them and headed to the front door.
"Thanks sis!" Sweetie smiled as the two made their way outside.
With the door shut, Rarity heaved a sigh of relief. Scootaloo was going to make this difficult, that much she could tell. She was uncomfortable clearly, the boutique was not where she wanted to be and she showed it. Knowing full well the poor girl had a poor hand in this round, she insisted running it by her friends at the spa today; if anything to get some advice on how to handle this new dependency
Scootaloo let out a long sigh as they made their way to school.
"What's up with you this morning?" Sweetie asked.
"What's not?" Scootaloo mused with a sarcastic tone, "Apple Bloom is still hold up, and now it looks like I'm stuck with your sister."
"Hey! I know she isn't your first choice, but..can you at least try to be nice?"
"What's the use? We're two totally different ponies She gives me a place to stay and food to eat, I stay out of her way. Seems pretty simple to me."
Sweetie Belle sighed herself. Her friend was awfully stubborn and cranky this morning. She was saddened by Scootaloo's seemingly total lack of appreciation for what her sister was offering her. Worse, Sweetie's parents were back home later today, meaning the two would be alone together. Her minds eye reeled through the best and worse-case scenario; the latter causing a chill down her spine.
Neither looked forward to the day ahead.