Scootaloo felt the wind against her coat as she flapped her small wings like a hummingbird's. It felt cool, and it whipped against her as it picked up along with her speed.

'I gotta get to him!' Scootaloo thought, her heart pumping, 'I gotta catch up!'

It had all been so fast. One second they were following Thunderlane, the next they were watching him kiss Applejack. Nopony had known that they dating, Apple Bloom and Rumble included. Though the reason for them keeping it a secret wasn't exactly the best one, it was still a secret nonetheless.

The most baffling thing to Scootaloo was the reason why Rumble and Apple Bloom were so upset. So their brother and sister didn't tell them they were dating. What was the big deal?

'Well, I just gotta catch up to him!' Scootaloo reminded herself, 'I can figure out the details when I do!'

But he wasn't easy to catch up to. Rumble was an excellent flier, no doubt because of vigorous training from Thunderlane, who was known for getting a spot in the Wonderbolt Academy and being a past winner of the Best Young Flier Competition, him being runner up to Rainbow Dash in the most recent one. Rumble had been a part of the weather team to get the water up to Cloudsdale for the big storm for a reason.

Scootaloo's eyes scoured the terrain as she searched for Rumble, but she found she could barely see because of the wind whipping into her eyes. She should have brought her flying goggles with her, she realized. Not that she was able to wear them while actually flying, of course, but it would get rid of the sting the wind brought her eyes.

With a sigh, she slowed down and brought the scooter to a screeching stop. She looked left and right, hoping to find a sign of where Rumble had gone. Her eyes widen as she caught sight of several broken branches on a pair of trees, no doubt from something that gave extreme force.

"Rumble?" she called out.

Silence was her response.

She sighed as she realized how ridiculous it would be to ask for him to come out and she turned her scooter as she kicked her wings into overdrive into the trees. She winced as several branches whipped against her and she sucked in air through her teeth as she continued to bounce unevenly on the rocky ground.

Finally, like dawn breaking, Scootaloo broke out of the trees and into a clearing. But, as she continued on, she realized she was on the shore of the swimming hole near Sweet Apple Acres. And she also realized, that sand wasn't the most ideal terrain for scooters.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she came flying off of her scooter. Without much grace, she flipped off the scooter as it dug into the sand and she flopped onto the shore, her rear in the air as her chin slammed into the ground.

"Oh my, gosh, Scootaloo!" she heard a voice say, "Are you alright?"

Scootaloo grunted as she stood up and shook off the sand, then turned to see Rumble looking at her with wide, bloodshot eyes. He had been crying, she realized.

"I'm fine," Scootaloo said, then winced as she walked over to him, "Are you alright?"

Rumble looked like he wanted to say yes and be over with it. That's what Scootaloo would have done. But, instead, he shook his head dejectedly and looked down at his hooves with the saddest eyes she had ever seen on anyone but herself.

"What was that back there?" Scootaloo questioned, "You were pretty upset."

Rumble sighed. "It's... nothing. It's really stupid."

Scootaloo frowned in sad agreement. "Yeah, it kinda of is. Not you being upset, but AJ and your brother. What's the big deal with them being together, anyway?"

Rumble gave her a hard look. "I'm not mad that they're together."

"Huh?" Scootaloo couldn't help but blink at him. "Then why are you upset?"

Rumble scoffed. "I knew you wouldn't understand. Nopony understands."

Scootaloo frowned. "Hey! Just because I don't understand doesn't mean I don't want to!"

Rumble shook his head. "You don't know what it's like. You don't have a big brother or sister, so you don't get what it's like."

Scootaloo felt a vein pulse in her head. "I also don't have a Mom or Dad, either. Are you going to criticize me for that, too?"

Rumble blinked, then hung his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just... super hard."

"Why? Because your brother is dating somepony?"

"No!" Rumble sighed. "No. It's not because he's dating somepony; it's because he didn't tell me."

"Maybe it just slipped his mind?" Scootaloo suggested.

Rumble shook his head. "He had a ton of times to tell me. All those times he said he was going out, all he told me was just that: that he was going out. He never said it was to smooch it up with Applejack."

"Gross." Scootaloo tried not gag at the thought of Applejack and Thunderlane kissing. "But why does that bother you so much? Maybe he just didn't want to embarrass you."

Rumble frowned. "Sweet Celestia, you really don't get it, do you?"

Scootaloo gave him a hard-set frown. "Why do you keep saying that? Do you expect me to magically understand when you say that? I'm not supposed to know what's wrong until you say something, Rumble!"

Rumble froze at Scootaloo's words, but his reaction didn't stop Scootaloo.

"What is it that's so bad about what happened? So Thunderlane didn't tell you he was dating somepony. Big freaking whoop! He just didn't want to tell you or his friends because he was embarrassed, that's all!"

Rumble let out a frustrated half-growl, half-scream. "That's not why I'm upset!"

Scootaloo flinched at the intensity of his voice and immediately piped down, her eyes wide as she watched him break into a new level of emotional distress.

"I'm upset because--" Rumble took a quick, shaky breath. "Because-- Because--" Tears welled in his amethyst eyes. "Because..."

Without warning, he dropped to the ground, his wings wrapping himself in a weak attempt to defend himself from an unknown threat.

"Rumble!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she rushed over to him. He didn't even move away from her as she sat down next to him. "What are you so upset about?"

Rumble didn't respond immediately. He wrapped his wings around himself tighter, though the short wingspan allowed little comfort for himself. He was shaking, Scootaloo realized, perhaps not from the temperature, but he was practically shivering. With a wary look, Scootaloo laid down next to him.

Rumble froze against her, but he didn't give her any verbal communication. Taking that as a good sign, Scootaloo wrapped a wing over an area of torso his wings weren't able to reach, careful to brush anything that might be considered pushing boundaries.

"Rumble, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on," Scootaloo said softly. She was almost never gentle with emotional matters, but she felt like if she wasn't for this one time, then something bad might happen.

Rumble shivered beside her, but the shaking went down to a degree.

"You don't have to talk yet," Scootaloo told him, "I don't care how long it takes. I just wanna know what's up with you."

Scootaloo spared the setting sun a look. While it would be a while before it was nighttime, Scootaloo knew that it wouldn't be wise to stay out at such an hour.

"Alright," Rumble said, breaking through her thoughts, "I'll talk."

Scootaloo blinked. "Really?"

Rumble nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I think... I think it's time I tell somepony about this. Just one thing, though."

"What?"

"Can you... please take your wing off of me?"

Scootaloo blinked, then immediately pulled her wing off of him. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he told her, though Scootaloo wasn't sure if he meant it or if he didn't want her to feel bad.

"So... What is it ya wanna tell me?" Scootaloo asked.

Rumble took a deep breath. "The reason I got so upset was because... Because I don't like it when ponies keep things from me."

"Why not? It's not like this was a big deal."

Rumble frowned. "How would you feel if somepony you looked up to kept a secret from you? Something super important?"

Scootaloo paused for a moment to think about that. What if Rainbow Dash had been keeping stuff from her? Even though they weren't related and she wasn't entitled to the things that blood gave you, she knew that Rainbow would never keep something from her.

Would she?

"I think I'd feel pretty bad..." Scootaloo admitted.

Rumble nodded. "It's... been that way for me for a long time."

"Why? What happened?"

Rumble took a deep breath. "Ya know how Thunderlane is my legal guardian?"

Scootaloo nodded. It was no secret that Rumble and Thunderlane lived by themselves after their parents' passing all those years ago. Although Scootaloo had been too young to really understand when it happened, she could still remember seeing Rumble hanging out by himself as he mourned over his loss at school.

"Well, I was too young to really remember what had happened. I can barely remember what my mom or dad looks like, to be honest."

Scootaloo frowned. She knew how that felt, too.

"But, I remember my mom going first." He took a shaky breath. "And that it was so..."

"Sudden?" Scootaloo suggested, having been familiar with the word all too well.

He nodded. "I can't remember her face, but I remember her being gone really quickly. And I didn't know why." He sighed. "Until a couple years ago."

Scootaloo blinked in surprise. "What happened? Was it an accident or something?" Nopony had really talked about Rumble's parents after they were gone, mainly out of respect, so she didn't really know what had happened.

"No." His voice was hard and rigid. "At least then I would've gotten a good excuse for not knowing."

Scootaloo flinched, but she couldn't help but ask, "Know what?"

"That she was..." He swallowed, hard. "That she was sick."

Scootaloo gaped at him. "What?"

"My mom was really sick. She had a disease that the doctors couldn't treat or something, I don't know. But all I know is that she was really, really sick."

"And nopony told you?" Scootaloo asked, her voice light.

Rumble nodded. "Not even Thunderlane." He scoffed lightly. "Even after she died."

Scootaloo gave him a sympathetic look. "Wow, that's... That's really harsh. Why didn't he tell you?"

Rumble let out a small 'hmph'. "He said it was to keep me from getting upset." Another scoff, only louder. "Sound familiar?"

Scootaloo found herself frowning. "Geez, that's really messed up. He should've told you."

"Yeah, he should've." Rumble shook his head. "And that's not it."

"There's more?" Scootaloo blurted out.

"Yeah." Rumble sighed. "I wish there wasn't, though. Then maybe my dad would still be here."

Scootaloo gaped at him. "Wait a second, your dad was still around when your mom...?"

Rumble nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He... went after she did."

"Celestia, that's awful!" Scootaloo couldn't help but shake her head. "I'm sorry, man, but that's super upsetting to hear."

Rumble sighed. "Yeah, it is. But it's even worse when you have to hear how he went."

Scootaloo spared him a sad look. "Rumble, I had no idea how much you went through. I thought that it was just..."

"Scoots, it's fine. You didn't... You didn't know." He sighed. "Ya know my dad was a Wonderbolt, don't you?"

Scootaloo gaped at him. "Huh? He was?"

Rumble nodded. "Yeah. I found out when I saw Thunderlane looking at some old photographs one day and he told me all about him. He was a Lieutenant, and was well-respected throughout the base."

"What's so bad about that?" Scootaloo asked.

Rumble scowled. "It's not. It's what happened after that's bad." He scoffed lightly. "And ya know who I heard it from?"

Scootaloo shook her head.

"Let me give you a hint: she wears a stupid tiara all the time."

Scootaloo gaped at him. "Diamond Tiara told you what happened to your dad? What the heck did she say?"

Rumble's scowl deepened. "I'll tell you what she told me: the truth. The first time I get told the truth and it's by Diamond freaking Tiara."

Scootaloo frowned. "Yeah, I can see how that would be upsetting."

"And ya wanna know what she had to say?" Rumble shook his head. "My dad was a drunk. After my mom died, he drank himself to death. But not before he made sure to make all his achievements look cheap and his family a joke to the town. My grandfather never gave support after my dad went downhill, so Thunderlane had to take up two jobs to support me and my beer-loving dad."

"Rumble..." Scootaloo tried to say.

"And the worst part about all of it? Thunderlane never told me." He shook his head. "He never said a word about what really happened, all because he was scared I'd be embarrassed or upset. Well, I was embarrassed and upset when I found out from stupid Diamond."

Scootaloo gave him a soft look. "I... I had no idea." She paused for a moment. "Is that why you were so upset?"

"That's why I am upset," Rumble corrected, "after I found out and came home with tears in my eyes, I made him promise never to keep secrets from me again."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Was it a Pinkie Promise?"

"What? No, not that. What is that, anyway?" He shook his head. "Anyway, even after all that, he still kept it from me!"

Scootaloo sighed. "At least you know what happened to your parents."

Rumble's anger seemed to fade away almost instantly. "What?"

Scootaloo turned to look at him and was surprised to see him looking at her with kind, concerned eyes. He was curious, though he was unsure if wanted to be.

Scootaloo sighed. "I never had a home. I showed up at the orphanage almost immediately after I was born. I don't even know who my parents are. At least you knew yours, even if it wasn't for long."

Rumble gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound insensitive."

Scootaloo shook her head. "It's alright. I shouldn't have brought it up. Besides, we're talking about you."

Rumble wrapped a wing around her. "I'm done talking. I have nothing else to say."

Scootaloo blinked, not so much at his words, but at his action. "Really? So, are you still upset?"

"Yeah. But not as much as before. I think talking helped." He paused. "Do you think they're nice together?"

"What? You mean Thunderlane and Applejack?"

Rumble shrugged. "Yeah. I kinda wanna know what you think."

Scootaloo shrugged. "They're pretty weird... But I've seen weirder."

Rumble snorted. "You're talking about Pinkie Pie and her coltfriend, aren't you?"

Scootaloo grinned. "Yes! Celestia, they're such a weird couple!"

"I knooow! How did they meet, anyway?" Rumble had gotten up by then, Scootaloo coming up with him.

"I think it was through Twilight..." She shrugged. "But I don't know for sure. He seems nice enough."

"Yeah, I guess. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are super scared of him, though."

Scootaloo laughed as she picked up her scooter from the sand. "That's 'cause he yelled at them when he caught them makin' fun of me and the girls! Celestia, those two are such pansies!"

"Who, Diamond and Silver, or the Crusaders?" Rumble joked.

"Hey!" Scootaloo shoved his shoulder. "We can kick your flank any day of the week and you know it!"

"Even in a race?" Rumble challenged, his wings flaring out in preparation.

Scootaloo dragged her scooter to a smoother area, away from the sandy shore. She smirked. "You're so on."

Author's Notes:

If y'all know who Pinkie's coltfriend is, then good for you. If ya want to find out, check out my other stories. That is, if you're interested, of course.