“I don't know, eh. Sounds kind of boring.” Snails protested, the gangly and somewhat unattractive colt shook his head, his normally clueless expression looking as bored as ever.

“Yeah! You can come up with better games than Doctor!” Snips added, frowning. He was smaller and rounder than the other ponies of his class. Scootaloo wanted to call him a pig, but remember her own mocking of being called a chicken and decided against it. “I thought Scootaloo knew games to play!” he mocked.

“But the two colts I saw doing it seemed to be having lots of fun!” Scootaloo explained, her tiny wings erect at the thought of what she had witnessed in the barn of Sweet Apple Acres. She wasn't about to name names however, as she did have some respect for privacy. “You can pretend you got some serious disease or something! Snails could be turning into a zombie pony!”

“I AM?!” the blue colt began to panic.

“No!” Scootaloo waved a hoof. “I'm just saying that Doctor is more fun than you make it sound.” Fortunately for the little pegasus, Snips and Snails were the type easily swayed by a cute filly, and her penchant for knowing fun games did come in handy.

“Well, we haven't played it before, eh. Maybe it won't be so bad.” Snails relented. “So how do we start, eh?”

“First you got to start by checking out the patient, making sure everything is still there.” Scootaloo smirked. Snails shrugged and began looking over Snips, who stood stoic, trying not to snicker at the awkward feeling this was bringing.

“Looks fine to me, eh.” Snails replied, looking up. “Now what?”

“No no no! You got to be hooves on, and check everywhere!” Scootaloo snapped, using her forehooves to elaborate that last word. Her little wings flared at the thought of the colt stupidly groping his friend, and a mischievous smirk spread across her face.

Snails sighed in frustration as he began prodding around Snips rotund body, the points of his hooves sinking painlessly into the chubby colt. Snips giggled at the tickling sensation each prod caused, but his eyes went wide when Snails' hooves ventured lower, to the place between his flanks.

Scootaloo was grinning madly now as she watched the scene play out. She didn't know why she enjoyed this so much, but the sight of Snails stupidly groping his friend was appealing nonetheless.

Snails finished his examination of Snips, and stood up, blushing slightly but thinking nothing of it. “He looks fine to me, eh.”

“You mean I'm not turning into a zombie pony?” Snips asked, his face showing relief more that he was still among the living than towards his friend ceasing his explorations. Though he did feel kind of excited about the whole ordeal, especially with Scootaloo watching like she was. Snails had noticed Snips excitement, but shrugged it off because he got those sometimes too.

“Well, now you have to take his temperature.” Scootaloo explained, her voice having an air of authority on the subject. This prompted Snips and Snails to look around dumbly at nothing in particular for a few moments, before the both looked back at the pegasus and shrugged.

“We don't have a thermometer, eh.” Snails replied.

The orange filly's smile grew wider. “Yes you do.”

“Pinkie, we need to talk.” Twilight spoke to the door of Sugarcube Corner. She absentmindedly tapped a hoof as she waited for the party pony to answer. After a few moments, the door cracked open.

“I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry....” Pinkie began chanting, the one blue eye that peered from behind the door staring into infinity. Twilight bit her lip, as this confirmed all of her suspicions. Pinkie would never survive being banished to the Everfree Forest, or even worse given the weight of the crime.

“Pinkie, I believe you. I'm sure it was only an accident or some crazy situation you created...” Twilight rolled her eyes as she waved a hoof passively. That's all it is, an accident...

“No....I....forced myself on her....” Pinkie opened the door a bit more, showing she had been crying. Her mane was flat as the day she was born. Twilight flinched at the sight, and even more at these words.

“You...forced yourself....” she jerked her head to look Pinkie in the eyes. “Pinkie, this is a very serious situation! If Princess Celestia finds out about this she'll....” Twilight was cut off by Pinkie's wide eyed stare. She shouldn't have frightened her like that, but it was the truth. “I....I need to know what happened....”

“I was selfish. I hurt Minty, and I was so sad.” she looked up at the unicorn. “That's not me, Twilight! I'm not a bad pony!”

Twilight draped a hoof across Pinkie's back and pulled her close. “It's okay Pinkie...I know what it's like to be caught up in the moment,” the pink pony nodded in understanding. “But, you still have to apologize, and hope Minty forgives you.”

“How can she forgive me if I can't forgive myself?” Pinkie whispered. Twilight was stunned at how frighteningly profound she could be, especially when in this kind of mood.

“Ow, ow, OW!” Snails cried out at the pain. Snips was now behind him, attempting to take the green pony's temperature with his thermometer, his forelegs gripping Snail's flanks tightly. “I think you're doing it wrong, eh!”

“You got to push it in and pull it out!” Scootaloo continued to provide instructions, enjoying this way more than she should. Snips' legs began to cramp as he strained to reach Snails, and he finally gave up, placing his front hooves back on the ground with a frustrated sigh. “Come on guys! Don't stop now!”

“Why don't you play with us, eh?” Snails asked, sneering a bit.

“Yeah, it's easier to show than tell.” Snips added, his face daring the filly to join the fun.

Scootaloo cocked her head in a manner similar to her idol. Never one to back down from a challenge, she accepted and approached the two colts, both of them now somewhat excited from the physicality of their game. Snips and Snails decided to start over, both being doctors while Scootaloo was their patient.

“First we have to look you over, eh.” Snails remembered, pushing Scootaloo over onto her back. He commanded Snips to help and soon the two were looking over and poking the pegasus, who giggled when the pokes tickled her somtach and flanks.

“SNAILS! SNAILS!” Snips cried out in alarm, causing the green colt to rush to his colluge's side. His glance followed the blue hoof to where Snips was pointing. “Her thingy is missing!”

Scootaloo glanced down to see the two staring between her flanks, and blushed slightly. That place was private. “Girls don't have one,” she explained.

“Then how can you take anypony's temperature?” Snips asked, his head tilted like a confused puppy. Scootaloo only rolled her eyes at how dense these two actually were.

“Well, we can take her temperature for her, eh.” Snails replied, getting into position. Scootaloo gritted her teeth and braced herself for the inevitable insertion into her butt. Her eyes were closed, so she could only feel Snails moving around as he tried to get ready. She wondered what it felt like when she saw Big Mac and Braeburn do it in the barn, and now was her chance.

Snails thrust forward, and Scootaloo's eyes shot open in horror as pain tore through her flanks. That's not my butt! The green pony began thrusting blindly, remembering to push in and pull out like Scootaloo said. His already simple brain was addled with the awakening instinct to mate.

“I wanna take her temperature too!” Snips protested. Snails glanced over at the bounding blue colt and thought for a moment.

“You can take it in her mouth.” Snails replied, pointing with a hoof.

WHAT?! Scootaloo was afraid now. Forgoing all sense of toughness and attitude, the filly began thrashing and screaming. “NO! NO! NO!”

Snips and Snails were horrified by this sudden shift in behavior, as they thought Scootaloo actually liked this. Snails stopped and pulled back. He gasped in horror when he saw blood. Snips saw it too, and felt sick to his stomach. The two colts scrambled backwards, shaking their heads in disbelief as they clumsily turned and ran off.

Scootaloo got to her hooves, her legs shaking from the pain in her rear and other places, and coughing because of her violent sobs. “Jerks!” she muttered, looking over her shoulder at the retreating cowards. Wait till Princess Celestia hears about this.... but her thoughts paused when she remembered she was a part of the act to. She looked at the quiet expanse of the forest and sighed. For some strange reason, she felt more sadness than anger at the two. A strange hollow feeling in her heart. It wasn't out of love for those two, nor was it lack of any more attention. Her mind eventually settled on a definition. Garbage.  

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, was alone in the CMC clubhouse for the day. After her friends went their separate ways, she whiled away the hours pondering what they found out, as well as take some time to contemplate the obtuse yet disturbing meanings of Scootaloo's crayon art. She glanced up from a particularly red covered drawing when she heard familiar hoofsteps. Apple Bloom came bounding in, her head held high and a smile on her face. “So, what did you find out?” Sweetie asked, her eyes lit up with wonder at how Apple Bloom seemed to be carrying herself now.

“Ah just bucked with Spike! It was amazing!” she exclaimed, bounding even higher as she dove into the clubhouse, scattering the papers and other items around. “He's so cute! Ah feel like a big girl now!”

Sweetie Belle let this sink in for a moment before she smiled weakly and nodded. “Well, congratulations....I think....” This felt wrong to her still, and she couldn't place a hoof on rather it was out of fear or jealously. She wanted her friends to be happy, but now that Apple Bloom had experienced something more personal and enjoyable than getting a cutie mark, how could she ever hope to compete?

Another sound followed, weak and coughing. The two turned to see Scootaloo hobbling towards the clubhouse. The others knew something was terribly wrong, as they never seen Scootaloo cry before. At least not when she didn't need to.  

“What the hay happened to you?!” Apple Bloom ran over to help the pegasus up.

“Now I know why Dash hates colts....” the filly groaned, collapsing onto the ground again. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn't press further, instead volunteering to help give her a bath and talk it out if needed. Scootaloo smiled at her friends caring, but that didn't hide the feeling she still had in her heart.

“And that's what happened...” Minty concluded. Fluttershy was overjoyed that she was talking a lot more than she did when she first arrived. But the terrible incident related to her made her wish she hadn't heard anything.

“Well....that is sad...but...Pinkie isn't like that.” Fluttershy replied, pouring more tea. Minty nodded in response, staring at her newly acquired socks.

“I know she isn't. But....I don't know if I can forgive her...It's my fault for letting her do it anyway...” she was cut off when hooves grabbed her own, and she glanced up to see the yellow Pegasus staring at her. It wasn't the normally potent stare she was known for, but enough to get her attention.

“Listen here, Minty! What happened was an accident! Neither of you are to blame, especially not yourself!” Fluttershy's voice was firm yet still soothing and sweet. The right mix of being serious but not too mean. Minty was more surprised by this feat than the actual statement, but she sighed and looked back at her own tea.

“You think Pinkie will apologize?” she asked, glancing back up at the face which now wore an expression of worry.

“I'm sure she will. In fact, I KNOW she will! She's not that kind of pony.” Fluttershy nodded.

“Do you think I should forgive her?” Minty asked, not missing a beat. This made Fluttershy pause, and her eyes searched around for something to change the subject but to no avail. She sighed in defeat, and looked up at the mint pony.

“I don't know....”