After some helpful input and some rethinking, Scootaloo's chapter has now been re-worked to fit more in line with the rest of the story, but is no less traumatic. ENJOY!

The wait was agonizing.

Twilight didn't know what was taking them so long, but each passing minute added another brick to the already heavy load of the two guilty ponies. Rarity's mane had started to slowly become unhinged, her stress more from trying to keep Pinkie Pie from bolting off than her own apology at the moment. The look in the party pony's eyes was one of pure fear. Fear of rejection, of self loathing, of loneliness. Twilight remembered that look in her eyes at Pinkie's birthday party. She hoped to never see it again.

The door finally opened all to slowly for the waiting trio. Fluttershy emerged and shut the door almost completely behind her, those cyan eyes giving her three friends a mild form of the stare she was known for. “I've gotten Minty to talk, and I know what happened. She's in a much better mood, but still fragile,” she looked at Pinkie. “Be careful what you say to her.”

Pinkie nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off the ground. Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and let the three inside. Twilight's breathing became short as she felt the air inside was more oppressive than outside, thick with guilt and tension. Minty sat at the living room table, eyes fixed on the wall in front of her. She didn't feel like making eye contact with Pinkie, which made the pink pony shrink back even more. Rarity sighed and gently tapped her forward with her horn until she was sitting across from her best friend.

“Minty...I'm...I'm sorry for what I did to you. That's not the kind of pony I am. I.... just wanted us to have fun and....I'm sorry.....” Pinkie felt tears sting her eyes.

“I am sorry as well, Minty,” Rarity chimed in, appearing behind the sniffling earth pony. “If I had not of sold Pinkie that offending item, neigh, if I had not been foalish enough to not explain proper use, none of this would have happened.”

Minty’s sorrowful violet eyes stared at the pony she once called a friend for the longest time, searching for any hint of sincerity in those words she barely heard. Could she bring herself to forgive her? Twilight was nervously fidgeting her hooves, biting her lip as she held out for the fateful answer. With a deep breath, Pinkie’s world shattered.

“No..”

Fluttershy was horrified. She didn’t want to choose sides in all of this, but the sight of Pinkie in tears drew the line. She opened her mouth, about to protest, when Minty began talking again.

“Pinkie, I understand that what happened was an accident. I accept your apology, but...I just can't forgive you.” she shook her head sadly. “You understand, don't you?”

The pink pony nodded. “I really am sorry, Minty....are....are we still friends?” Pinkie began fumbling her hooves.

Minty nodded slowly, glancing away from the terrible sight of the happiest pony in Equestria now a whimpering heap.

Twilight was about to cry herself when she felt the reassuring hoof of Rarity across her back. “Don't worry, Twilight. It'll take Pinkie a while to earn Minty's trust again, but I know she can do it.” That didn't make her feel any better about the outcome. Pinkie still had her friend, but now had a long road ahead of her. In a way, she understood Pinkie's pain, as she had to earn her own friends back at one point.

In a surprising move, Minty had worked up the courage to at least lean forward and give Pinkie a hug. Fluttershy nodded, though her eyes shown she was also unhappy about the conclusion that took place. Twilight thought to herself that perhaps it was too optimistic to think something like this could easily be forgiven with a simple apology. Pinkie, however, was learning a new lesson in humility and responsibility. Twilight made a note to include that in her friendship report the next time around.

“Want to go do something...?” Pinkie asked, her demeanor returning somewhat. Twilight noticed as Minty looked away, towards Fluttershy, as if she were a foal asking her mother for permission. That's strange.

After a few seconds of silence, the green pony shook her head. “I....I still need some time to think. Maybe later, okay?” she mustered a smile.

“Okay....thank you, Minty. I promise, no more games...” Pinkie did all the motions for her Pinkie Pie Swear then rose from the table and joined her friends. Twilight quirked a brow at Minty's behavior, but shook it off in favor of the task at hand. Pinkie needed comforting, otherwise she might revert.

Spike was alone in the library. He had wished Twilight the best of luck with helping Pinkie, but didn't want to come along for what he felt was a 'private matter'. He wasn't really kept in the loop to begin with, so figured it was none of his business. After checking himself in the mirror to make sure the spines on his head were straight, he adjusted his garish looking bow tie and grabbed the flowers he had picked from outside. No harm would come from visiting Apple Bloom and it would get his mind off the tension from this morning. He idly walked along the main thoroughfare as his mind wandered between if he should ease Twilight's tensions by submitting an admission and let her down gently, or if he should just keep playing dumb and let her drop it on her own accord. He knew Twilight would never want to impose on his relationship with Apple Bloom, but she didn't even know about that. So many secrets... Spike lamented as he tried to remember the path to the CMC clubhouse.

He neared the clubhouse, seeing that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were occupied with a very sad looking Scootaloo. “What's going on?” he asked, worry in his voice as he approached the three.

“Scootaloo had a bad experience,” Sweetie Belle explained, rubbing a comforting hoof on the pegsai's back.

“What happened?” Spike walked up to the orange filly and began offering his own comforting pats on her head.

“She don't want to talk about it, but ah think ah know what happened.” Apple Bloom spoke up. Spike didn't notice she was right beside him until she began leaning into him slightly, a smirk on her face as her eyes cast a sidelong glance at him. He blushed slightly, but the gravity of the situation cleared that away. “Are those flowers for me?”

“Huh?” Spike snapped from his thoughts, glancing at the flowers in his hands. He blinked a few times then held them up to her. “Uh...yeah.”

“Aww! That's sweet!” Apple Bloom smiled. She ate one of them right out of his hand, giving him a seductive wink.

Scootaloo was calming down, her face showing disgust at what she saw between the dragon and her friend. She wanted no part of love right now. She hated this feeling of showing weakness, and hated even more that those two idiots violated her without even realizing it, or even an apology. She gritted her teeth at the thoughts of revenge swirling through her brain.

“Apple Bloom, can I talk to you a minute?” Spike asked, glancing at the other two to make sure there was no suspicions. The filly nodded and they walked a safe distance away from earshot, Apple Bloom looking at Spike with a mix of anticipation for more fun and worry for bad news. “I....” he began, swallowing. “I think Twilight might be developing a crush on me....”

Apple Bloom blinked for a moment before a smile spread across her face. “Awww, Spike. You're such a stud!” Spike was taken aback by this reaction, figuring that she would at least be jealous or upset. But here she was, praising him for being so adorable that no pony can resist him.

“That's the thing. I want to be with you. But I don't want Twilight to feel bad that she might get between us.” Spike explained, fumbling with his claws as he began to blush.

“Do you like her in that way?” the filly asked, tilting her head.

Spike jerked his head to look at the filly, eyes wide in fright. “Of course not! She's like a sister to me! I mean, that would be just, well....weird....” Spike sighed. “But, I don't want to break her heart either. I saw those novels she reads. I think she wants me because she can't find a guy.” DO I like her like that.... his mind began to wander.

“Well shoot! We can find her a guy!” Apple Bloom perked up. “In fact, ah know just the pony! Cutie Mark Crusaders Dating Service!” she proclaimed, ready to run and tell her friends about their sudden business opportunity.

“I don't want to be any trouble.” Spike shook his head, trying to decline her offer. He pushed back as hard as he could to keep the filly in place until she relented.  

“Aw it ain't nutthin! Ah'll send a letter no problem!” Apple Bloom broke free and bounded off to get what she needed, leaving Spike to stand in utter shock at what he had just done. On the one hoof, he just did his 'sister' a big favor. On the other, well, it wasn't that he didn't trust Apple Bloom's judgement, but he just felt unsettled by the whole thing. Apple Bloom then bounded back and grabbed Spike's tail in his teeth, pulling him into the clubhouse.

Rarity was back in her shop, staring at the now ornate door that blocked the room full of forbidden objects. Had her business venture really just caused that mess back there? A brief thought crossed her mind as she pondered to end her business venture. Well, that would probably make Pinkie feel worse because she hurt my business, she shook her head. That option wouldn't be viable. No more guilt.

The unicorn decided that she did indeed need a better education on how these devices worked, or at least some personal experience with them.

But who to ask? Who would be so eager as to help try out and learn how these things worked so she was no longer lying to her customers?

“IDDEEEAAA!” she sang out to herself, a hoof of triumph in the air. She knew just the pony to help her out with such things.

She rushed over to her work table and began to prepare a scroll for a friend she had known all her life. Rarity's false accent and obsession with being part of the Canterlot elite was only a mask to hide the fact that she was not a pure unicorn. Her sire was an earth pony, but he did have connections. She had known this family friend all her life, which made them the perfect unexpected match when she was of age. Rarity thought for a moment about what to say, knowing that it didn't matter because they would come anyway. In fact, this friend already knew about the objects here, but only tried a few in their first visit. Surely they would be hungry for more, schedule permitting of course.

Taking quill to parchment with her magic, Rarity began her message.

“Dear....Mayor Mare...”

“Minty...” Fluttershy called, her voice almost a whisper. “Did you mean that when you said you and Pinkie were still friends?”

Minty nodded, her eyes wet from fresh tears as she thought about what had happened. “We can still be friends, but I can't trust her anymore. At least, not now.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. “So will you be going back to Fillydelphia?”

“Actually, I kind of like it here.” Minty replied.

“So you're moving to Ponyville?”

“No....I like it here” The yellow pegasus blinked in confusion. Minty lay down next to her on the floor and sighed. “You're so nice to me. I like you...”

Fluttershy's face instantly turned crimson as she looked away, hiding behind her mane. She hesitated on how to approach this, her cyan eyes looking around as her mind processed what had happened. “Minty....did you....understand what Pinkie was doing to you?”

The green pony shook her head. “I was sheltered when I was young. I know what sex is, but not much else. Is....is that what Pinkie was trying to do to me?” She looked at the pegasus still in hiding, her stare forcing Fluttershy to reply.

Fluttershy jerked around to look at Minty, eyes wide. “No! Well...yes, but she was doing it wrong...” her voice trailed off.

“So what's the right way?” Minty tilted her head.

Fluttershy felt her blush grow hotter.