"I don't care what Fluttershy thinks, that guy is no good!"
Rainbow Dash's voice carried from the kitchen well into the living room where Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were playing. Well, pretending to play. In reality, they were curious about what all the commotion was about and were trying to eavesdrop without getting caught.
Rarity's voice, softer but with the same conviction, followed. "Dash, you don't know a thing about that young man, other than seeing his face in the paper. And a trashy tabloid paper, at that. Honestly, I thought you had more sense than to believe the things they post."
"They had pictures, Rare. You can't fake pictures!"
"Iffin' y'all saw the pictures of them t'gether, why didn' ya say something?" AJ drawled, careful to keep any accusation out of her voice.
"What was I supposed to say? You guys wouldn't have believed me, even with the proof right in front of you, since it was in a 'trashy tabloid'," she snarled. "Besides, it was weeks ago and he was never mentioned again...I thought maybe he'd left and Shy was safe. But that is so obviously not the case!"
By now, Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom were staring at Scootaloo in disbelief. Certainly Dash couldn't be talking about her pictures.
"Scoot..." Apple Bloom started slowly, unsure of what exactly to say. "What did y'all do with those pictures ya took of Fluttershy and that guy?"
Scootaloo suddenly became very interested in the book she'd been pretending to read, feigning sudden deafness. Sweetie Bell snatched the book out of her lap and tossed it aside, glaring at her friend. Scoot looked from one friend to another, her expression settling into a mutinous scowl.
"I sold them to the tabloid, ok! We needed the money to fix up the CMC clubhouse, remember?" she asked, referring to the small club they'd formed after Rarity had exasperatedly referred to the trio as "Colossal Mischief Creators" one day. AJ had been so tickled by them adopting the name, she'd shown them the old treehouse her dad had built for her over a dozen years earlier.
Something about Scoot's tone alerted Apple Bloom that there was more going on here than she'd realized. Sitting down next to her orange-haired friend, she put an arm around her shoulders and softly asked, "Is that really why you sold them, Scoot?"
Scootaloo looked back down at the carpet, jerking her shoulders in an attempted show of nonchalance. Realizing that Apple Bloom was on to something, Sweetie Bell sat down so that they flanked Scoot, resting her small hand on Scoot's jean-clad knee.
Without warning, Scoot burst into tears. Her friends squeezed in even more tightly while she cried, silently comforting her until she calmed down enough to explain what was really going on.
"My dad...my dad lost his job about six months ago. Mom's been picking up odd jobs, cleaning people's houses and stuff but it's not enough. I heard them saying how if we couldn't get enough money together, we'd lose our h-house." Scoot's voice cracked as the memory resurfaced. "Then when I saw that paper saying they'd pay for pictures, I just...I just thought...I didn't think it would hurt anybody!" She blurted out, sobbing once again.
"Shhh, it'll be ok, Scoot," Sweetie Bell whispered soothingly. "We'll figure something out, right Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "After all, if three Colossal Mischief Creators can't solve a simple problem like findin' yer dad a job, what good are we?" Scoot let out a watery laugh at her friend's declaration and then sighed.
"Guess I should probably apologize to Fluttershy, huh?" she asked dejectedly, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
Apple Bloom jumped to her feet and held a hand out to help her friends up. "Yup, an we're gonna go right now. Mah big brother says it's always best to apologize as soon as ya know ya messed up, or else it'll jus' mess ya up inside 'til ya do. So let's go."
"Wait, shouldn't we tell someone where we're going?" Sweetie Bell asked, shooting a nervous glance towards the kitchen.
Taking in the desperate look on Scoot's face at the suggestion, Apple Bloom shook her head. "Nah, we shouldn't be gone that long. They won't even notice we left the farm."
Fluttershy was pissed. An emotion she had never truly felt before, and had trouble recognizing in herself. But after struggling to identify it, pissed definitely fit the bill for what she was feeling. How dare Rainbow Dash treat, well, anyone the way she'd treated Falchion? Accusing him of hurting people, and Celestia only knows what else. Couldn't she see how fake those stories were?
And Falchion. Just leaving like that and disappearing for days like nothing had happened between them. She understood why he had left after Dash's ridiculous accusations, but to completely ignore her afterwards? Shy felt her heart break alongside the anger she felt towards the two people she cared for most dearly in the world.
By noon, she'd worked up enough anger to take action. She let Dr. Whooves know she was taking a long lunch and set off towards the Everfree forest. She glance up towards the sky, her resolve wavering for a moment when she spotted the heavy gray clouds settling in over the small town. It looked like there might be a blizzard coming, but she decided not to let the threat of a little snow deter her.
When she reached the edge of the forest, she heard someone calling her name. Turning, she spotted three small forms running towards her. She wasn't the best at dealing with children on a good day, and this was most decidedly not a good day. Summoning what little patience she had left, she greeted the trio.
"Hello, girls. What are you doing out here without your sisters?" she asked, hoping the impatience she felt sounded more like stern concern to the three young girls.
Apple Bloom nudged Scootaloo, who was staring at the ground as though it held the secrets to the world's problems. "Tell her," Apple Bloom hissed when Scoot remained silent.
Scootaloo mumbled something under her breath that Fluttershy couldn't quite make out. She thought she heard the word "pictures", but she wasn't sure. "Scootaloo...look at me please," she requested quietly, her usual soft tone back in place. It was obvious the child was upset and wanted to tell her something, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it might be.
Scootaloo took a deep breath and looked up at Fluttershy, tears in her eyes. "I took those pictures of you and that man and sold them to that paper and I'm really sorry, I didn't think it would be such a big deal, Fluttershy, I really am super sorry!"
Fluttershy took a step back, stunned. "You...?" her voice failed her for a moment, but when it returned, it was filled with unusual strength and fury. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused? Do you know what they said about him? You've hurt so many people, Scootaloo, and for what? A few dollars in your piggy bank? How could you?!"
"Fluttershy, please, it's not what -" Apple Bloom's explanation was cut off when Fluttershy turned her fierce gaze on her.
"Did you two know about this?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell glanced at each other and then nodded and shook their heads in turn.
"We knew she took the pictures, but we didn't know she actually sent them in," Sweetie Bell explained, in a rush. "We were just trying to solve a mystery, honest!" It wasn't the absolute truth, but Sweetie Bell felt honor bound to try and protect her friend.
Fluttershy shook her head in disbelief. "Go home, girls. I have to go find my friend and explain what happened." When she turned to leave, she heard Scootaloo's quiet voice behind her.
"Will you ever forgive me?" The quiet, broken voice eased some of Fluttershy's pent up anger. Turning back to the trio, she smiled sadly.
"Of course I forgive you, all of you. But it's going to be a long time before I can trust you again. Now, go home before this storm hits," she ordered gently.
"But what about you?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up at the sky in concern.
"I'll be fine," Shy promised, bending to give them all a quick hug in succession before heading back towards the Everfree forest.
**Short chapter, but I wanted to get this up quickly after my "update" chapter. Hope it satisfies for now!**