The next morning as everyone sat around the table munching on their plateful of waffles with apple cinnamon compote, Raindrops looked over at Scootaloo, “Scootaloo, while Sparkler and Dinky are going back to their place, why don’t you come with me to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie said that she missed giving you your testing goodie bag.”

“Okay. Hey Dinky?”

Dinky looked up from her warzone that was her side of the table, “Whafs ish zit?” Dinky asked, tiny flecks of food shooting out like masticated missiles.

“Hahahaha! Oh that’s funny! I was wondering if you’d like to go Crusading with us if everypony is allowed to today?” Scootaloo said with a grin.

Gulping down her food, Dinky gave a Scootaloo a thoughtful expression, “Well I want to hang out with my mommy for a bit since she just got better, but if I think I might be able to.”

“So Dinky, what do you think is going to happen to Diamond Tiara?” Scoots asked.

“I don’t know, but I hope she’s not mean anymore.” Dinky sighed before digging back into her waffles.

Raindrops looked over at Sparkler, “Sparkler, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing a foalsitting job next Wednesday?”

“What time?”

“From around sixish till around ten.”

“Okay. Sounds perfect.” Sparkler said taking out a date planner and marking it down.

The rest of breakfast continued in relative silence, and all too soon Scootaloo and her new friends split ways. Raindrops looked down at the filly trotting beside her as they entered Ponyville proper. “You know about what we talked about yesterday?”

“Yeah. When is Pinkie going to get everypony together?” She asked.

“This saturday. Lyra’s going to be coming with Bon Bon since she’s the co-owner of Bon Bon’s Confectionaries, but everypony is going to be there. Before we get into Ponyville I wanted to tell you something.” Raindrops said with a sad smile.

“What?” Scootaloo asked looking up at her.

“You are no longer alone. If you need anything I’ll do my best to be there for you. Even if you end up with a different family, I’ll make sure that you never have to be alone again. You’ve been through so much, and have done things that most ponies never have to go through. But you don’t have to do those things any more. I just wanted you to know that.” She said, draping a wing across Scootaloo’s back.

“Raindrops?”

“Yes Scootaloo?”

“Did I really do something wrong taking those things?” She asked with a shiver borne from guilt as she moved closer into Raindrops.

“You did what you needed to do to survive. But yes, what you did was something that you should never have been driven to do. I can’t tell you how the others will react, and I’m sorry I can’t. But I will stand by you and help you where I can.”

“Kays.” Scootaloo whispered.

The rest of their walk was as silent as the breakfast they had earlier. But where the breakfast was a comfortable silence this was one of the most awkward silences Scootaloo had to go through feeling like a pony marching to the gallows rather than going to her favorite sweet shop. She really hoped that the rest of the day would turn out awesome. But she’d know depending on how things turned out with Pinkie Pie.

As they entered the back entrance to the Cake’s Confectionary Emporium, Pinkie Pie opened the door with a fanfare of confetti and noise makers. “Hiya Scoots!” she said with unbridled enthusiasm.

“Hi Pinkie.” Scoots said mournfully with her head hung low.

“Awww! What’s the matter?” She asked while plopping down next to Scootaloo.

“Did Raindrops tell you what I was going to say to everypony on Saturday?” She murmured, averting her gaze from Pinkie Pie.Her heart was steadily sinking with the realization that she was going to have to tell everypony the truth, that she stole from her friends and from ponies who needed the bits just as much as she did..

“Raindrops, I changed my mind. I can’t do this.” Scoots said sadly as she started to turn around.

“What’s the matter Scootaloo? Come on, let’s put a smile on that face!” Pinkie bounced softly over to Scootaloo before affectionately ruffling her mane.

“I-I just can’t. I thought I could be braver when I asked, but I can’t. And I don’t deserve a friend like you.” Scoots miserably stuttered.

She went to turn gallop away, but Pinkie Pie picked her up and whispered gently, “Don’t be a silly filly, of course you deserve a friend like me. Everypony needs friends. Now why don’t you tell Auntie Pinkie what the problem is.”

“Pinkie, I can’t take any of your food, I’ve been a bad pony.” Scootaloo said whispered back. The warm embrace of Pinkie Pie shocking her out of her misery a little bit.

“Why do you say that?” Pinkie asked setting Scootaloo down.

“I don’t want to tell you. You’ll hate me.” Even saying it made a lump in her throat.

Pinkie nuzzled her, and placing her left foreleg under her chin rose Scootaloo’s head up, “Come on inside and you can tell me all about it. I promise that no matter what you tell me I won’t hate you, you’ll always have a friend in me.”

Ushering her in. Scootaloo thought that the newly formed pit in her stomach, and accompanying dread must be what a pony felt like walking to the gallows. When everypony got inside Raindrops wrapped a wing around her and gave her an encouraging nuzzle, before whispering, “It’ll be okay. I’ll be right here with you.”

Giving a nod, she trotted over to Pinkie Pie, who looked at her in a caring, non-judgemental fashion waiting for Scootaloo to begin the radiant, kind smile on her face giving Scootaloo a bit of courage to continue. She struggled past the lump in her throat before she let it all out.

“I-I-I sto-stole from you,” she bawled. It was something that had been nagging at the back of her mind since Raindrops told her that money was their livelihood. And Pinkie Pie was everypony’s friend. The fact that she, and the Cakes needed that money to live was something that she could ignore, but now was eating at her.

“What did you steal?” Pinkie Pie asked with a sad smile, holding Scootaloo is a matronly hug.

“Money from the table. I … I’m an orphan, and I didn’t think I was stealing until I talked with Raindrops yesterday, and you need that money, and I’m sorry.” Scootaloo babbled while burying her head in Pinkie Pie’s chest. The second she started she just let loose everything that had happened, “I just didn’t want to go hungry, and I needed to fix my scooter. It’s the only thing I have left of my family, and I needed to pay Apple Jack back for taking apples. I-I I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was being a bad pony.”

“Shhhh… Shhhh,” Pinkie Pie said said stroking her mane as Scootaloo cried into her coat, “I know that you were an orphan. Heck after being one for awhile you know what it looks like. That’s why I let you know that you were always welcome here. Although you never spent the night here, you’re okay and that’s all that matters.”

Sniffling onto Pinkie’s coat, Scootaloo, between snorts and tears, asked, “Really?”

“Really, really. As for the money. I knew some of it was missing, but you really didn’t have to steal. After all, I was giving you bits whenever you visited, even if it was only what I could afford to give. But Scootaloo?” She said lifting Scootaloo’s head up.

“Yes Pinkie?” Her eyes still leaking rivulets of tears.

“I forgive you. I’m glad you found somepony for you like the Cakes were for me. It’s good to have a home.”

Scootaloo squeezed Pinkie Pie in as strong as possible while Raindrops finally got an edge in to talk, “You knew? Why didn’t you do anything if you knew?”

“Which knew?” She countered with a head tilt.

“That she was an orphan?”

“Easy, I thought that everypony knew with all the nice things the girls were doing for her, and how Rainbow Dash took her as an honorary little sister. With how much she talks about Scootaloo, and how the topic of her parents never came up I thought they were just avoiding a sensitive subject. But I did tell her that she was always welcome here and that meant day or night. Since she never came at night I thought that she had places to go.” Pinkie Pie replied as if the subject was as easy as pie.

Raindrops felt the need to facehoof, but she knew that Pinkie Pie’s heart was in the right place. With how rare orphans and orphanages were, she couldn’t blame Pinkie for not knowing the proper things to do when these things came up. Before she could say anything Scootaloo spoke up again.

“Pinkie Pie, you are the best friend ever. Thank you! Are you sure you don’t hate me?” Scootaloo asked in a fragile manner.

“Of course not, and you’re welcome. You are a good pony, you just did what you needed to do. I paid off the missing bits when it happened so the Cakes don’t know, but if you want to make it up to me, on Hearth’s Warming Day me and the girls as well as their sisters are going to have a huge party. You will help me the day before getting the food cooked. Sound fair?” She said with a huge grin.

“Sounds good.” Scootaloo said with a smile.

“Pinkie Pie, on the subject of cooking. Can I schedule her to learn how to cook from you? She learned from Rainbow -”

“Say no more. I know how super, duper, action packed, Rainbow Dash can be with food. But it’s not for every pony. Of course I’ll teach her how to not summon Elder Gods, demonic entities, and beings that should never be from the oven.”

“Perfect. Scootaloo, I’ll give Rainbow Dash the birthday cake of chaos that you made two nights ago before it goes bad. Also I’m looking for ponies who’ll plant those weird, tasty fruit things that your cake summoned. I’m still finding weird vines in random spots in the kitchen.” Raindrops said, gathering Pinkie Pie’s goodie bag and putting it in Scootaloo’s tattered saddlebags mentally making sure that she would go and get a new pair for her later.

Pinkie Pie gave Scootaloo another hug and assurance that she was forgiven and everything was alright between them. As Scootaloo and Raindrops walked to the schoolhouse, Scootaloo had a good feeling about the coming day, That turned out alright, and I feel different now. Better? Lighter? I don’t know what this is, but I’m feeling like today is going to be perfect.

Author's Notes:

So starting to build a buffer. A special thank you to Cold Spike for pointing out that Raindrops would be shocked, and as for the guilt thing. It's starting to show up here and next chapter. It's going to build over the next few chapters. If y'all want to see it show up more prominently let me know, or if you want her to tell the Crusader's everything before the big reveal.

Next Chapter RaindropsX Cloud Kicker shipping set into motion. And I wonder if y'all will be able to guess which Crusader ends up with who.