Prologue: A Single Moment
Scootaloo walked through the silent streets of Ponyville, the only sound making itself known the gentle clink of the occasional falling snowflake, the soft crunch of the freshly fallen snow. All sound made by nature and not of the ponies sleeping through the calmness of the winter's night. She walked with little purpose, simply enjoying the cool and quiet night, a sharp contrast to how she usually spent her days, flitting from one thing to another, always trying to get her cutie mark. Yet this night Scootaloo could feel the stillness, to break it was almost unthinkable. She found herself in front of a lake, one of the many in Ponyville. The lake's clear icy surface, rather than simply reflect the moonlight, instead felt as though the ice held onto and emanated its own glow. This was truly Scootaloo's favorite spot at this time of the year.
Content to watch the slowly thickening snowfall, carefree, Scootaloo stared at the now clouded sky. Suppressing a shiver, she returned her gaze to the darkening ice, deciding it was time to go she slowly stood from her snowy indent, and began walking home, albeit with a rather oblong and detour filled route. Sparing a glance towards the buildings of Ponyville Scootaloo noticed an anomaly, a single light burned against the cloudy sky. Quickly deciding to investigate, Scootaloo walked towards the area filled with its golden embrace.
Upon entering the area, Scootaloo slowly looked around, searching for the source of the light. Her gaze passed over the sparsely decorated street, soon Hearth's Warming decorations would be littering every square inch of the place, but right now, only the calm anticipation of the incoming holidays. Even the soft sound of singing permeated the air as Scootaloo searched for the source of the light.
Now seeing the beams coming from their source, reflected by the mystical seeming snow, Scootaloo glanced towards the beaming light and saw Sweetie Belle's bedroom window. Realization slowly dawned on Scootaloo; the singing was Sweetie Belle. Glancing left and right, searching for something to climb on Scootaloo spotted a tree that was perfect to shimmy up. After several minutes of climbing, she soon found herself in a position to look in on Sweetie's bedroom.
The light came from a single, yet bright, lamp sitting behind Sweetie Belle. Her hunched form, continually muttering and scribbling with fervor, hummed a melody to herself. Walking forward with the barest of sounds escaping from her hooves contacting the floorboards, Scootaloo eased the window open and slipped inside. Unsure of how to proceed she simply sat there and watched Sweetie Belle become lost into herself. Soon Scootaloo herself became entranced as she sat there gazing at Sweetie Belle slowing working on her project.
At some point or another Scootaloo must have made a noise as she watched because Sweetie Belle turned around sharply. There was an awkward pause as they stared at each other in silence. Sweetie was the first to break the silence.
"What are you doing here Scootaloo?" Sweetie's voice was slightly raspy from lack of use.
"Erm, just… Y'know, watching?" Was all Scootaloo could say.
"No, why are you here in the middle of the night for no reason other than to watch? That's a little creepy."
"Oh, um…" Scootaloo fidgeted for a second, why was she here? "I saw a light while walking, and it was your room so I kinda… Snuck in through the window."
"So… you saw a light, in the middle of town, and wanted to see what it was, then after finding out, instead of continuing on like any normal pony, you decide to climb into the window because it was a friend's house?"
"Well when you put it like that… Yeah?"
The look of confusion on Sweetie's face only grew with the passing time, until finally she stated, "That's really weird Scoots, like… Really weird."
"But not bad weird right? I mean, if you want me to, I could leave." Before waiting for an answer, Scootaloo started to get up and walk towards the window.
"No. You can stay, you just… caught me by surprise." Sweetie Belle, who had raised her hoof at one point, slowly lowered it. "Was it any good?"
"What?"
"The song, did you like it?"
"Er, I didn't exactly hear it very well… could you sing it to me?"
"Ok, tell me if you don't like though." Sweetie slowly stood up, holding onto a slightly crumpled piece of paper. "It's called Painful Regret," clearing her throat before continuing, "A Thousand years have come and passed, I wish forever more. That these tears wouldn't last, I wait outside your door."
Scootaloo stood stock still as the words flowed over her, feelings of sadness and regret permeated her, but what was more, the ever-shining glimmer of hope.
"Please, come to me, I can't do this anymore. I need you there for me, to be right there for me, just so you could see, what you do to me."
Feelings now of crying out for a lost loved one, one who could not be with her no matter how much she pleaded.
"I hate this feeling of regret; it is something that has gone, forever more forsaken. Please… forget, my pain is only the dawn, my life the only thing left… to be taken."
The sound of Sweetie's singing stirred something inside Scootaloo, something deep and emotional, before she knew it Scootaloo was positioned within a few inches of her face, Sweetie's soft breath tickling her muzzle. Even before that registered, Scootaloo inched forward and pecked Sweetie Belle on the lips, abruptly ending her song with a squeak.
The silence that permeated the room was so complete, the soft sound of dust settling could be heard. It was a very dry kiss, one born more out of mindless awe than of passion, but still it was a kiss regardless, something neither of them could believe for the first few seconds.
"W-why?" Sweetie was once more the first to break the silence.
"I-I don't know." Scootaloo could barely speak, let alone form coherent thought, her wings stood out in surprise at her own brashness.
"Scootaloo, that was my first kiss and the best you can come up with is 'I don't know'? I'm not even sure if I like fillies!"
"I should go…"
"No, you don't get to leave until you tell me why. Why would you kiss me?"
"Because I like you! I didn't know at first but I do, ok? I kissed you subconsciously because I like you."
"Like, like like me?
"Yes." Scootaloo closed her eyes before whispering, "I'm sorry, I'll go." She then proceeded to walk towards to the window, push it open, and grasp the tree.
"Why do you never fly? I know you can now, so why don't you?"
The question caught her off guard, "I never really thought about it… I guess it reminds me of someone I'll never have."
"I never said no, Scootaloo, just give me time."
"Ok, will you come watch me fly tomorrow?"
"I will, just don't expect an answer." Sweetie answered before closing the window to the cold night. Before Scootaloo could make an inch progress down the tree the window flew back open and she found herself being hugged tightly. "I got my cutie mark," was all she heard before the warmth left her.
For the first time since she learned to fly, Scootaloo flew the whole way home with a smile on her face.
Memories of that night faded from memory as the years passed, awkward love was replaced by studies and training. Scootaloo never got her answer but she knew now was not the time to ask about it, in only a couple months everyone in their grade would be leaving for higher training in their given fields of cutie marks, Scootaloo would be in Cloudsdale, flying, while Sweetie Belle would be in Canterlot, singing. However, for now those thoughts get pushed to the wayside as the final months of their senior year approach, everyone hell-bent on enjoying the last few weeks of childhood.
The recent Winter-Wrap-Up only adding to the excitement, bringing in the sweet scents of spring and a feeling of renewal, the all too short period of time between winter's chill and spring exams, and what better way to spend the current spring break then by reminiscing with one's friends on the beach.
"Ugh! Sand sucks." Scootaloo's cries were ignored as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom continued to build a sand castle. "It sticks to everything, how can you stand it?"
"Are ya'll still angry over those exams?" Apple Bloom asked with the air of someone who had asked the same thing repeatedly.
"No…"
"C'mon, you can tell me."
At that, Scootaloo jumped up into Apple Bloom's face. "I failed flying. Flying! The one exam every pegasus takes every year, and I failed."
"Because ya saw Sweetie Belle watching ya. Yeah I get it, you got distracted and got a bad mark I don't see why I gotta hear ya complain about it every ten seconds." Apple Bloom grumbled while slowly running a ruler along the edge of her half of the castle. "An' seriously ya'll, when are ya going to tell me what happened between you two, all this back an' forth is gettin' old."
"Nothing!" both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shouted at the same time. At which each turned to face the other before meeting Apple Bloom's deadpan stare. Sweetie returned to her misshapen lump of a half while Scootaloo flopped down onto her back and stared pointedly at the clouds.
A few minutes passed before, "Sand sucks."
Apple Bloom threw down her ruler and glared at Scootaloo, "Ya'll don't have to stay ya know."
Scootaloo grumbled something inaudible and rolled onto her stomach, "Sand beats telling my parents I failed."
"Then stop complaining and build your moat, it's not like you can hide it from them forever."
"I don't have to hide it from them forever, just for a few years until it doesn't matter anymore." Scootaloo started digging the moat around the base of the castle.
Hours passed as the castle raised from the sand, at the time of its completion the sun was beginning its loving embrace of the earth. The final result was not dissimilar to a half slagged farmhouse with half a trench carved around its base, the other half filled with the ruins of war.
"Ooh, Rarity needed my help with something, bye guys." Sweetie Belle half squeaked, half yelled as she ran away.
"Yeah… hehe, I'm gonna go too." Scootaloo started flapping off right as Apple Bloom grabbed her tail with her teeth. "Yeeow! Geez what is it with you Apples and biting tails off anyway."
"What happened between you and Sweetie Belle? I want answers." Apple Bloom at this point had straddled Scootaloo onto the ground, pinning her.
"Why now? Why not when things started getting awkward?"
"Because ah didn't care then, I figured it was just a phase. Scootaloo, it's been five years."
"I don't want to push her," a dejected flap of her wings, "it's stupid."
"If it were stupid you could talk about it." Apple Bloom shifted her weight more onto her own hooves than Scootaloo's body. "And if ya can't talk about it then it's something ah should know about."
"It's nothing important."
"It's important to me."
"Promise not to laugh."
"Always."
Scootaloo motioned with her wings for Apple Bloom to get off of her at which Apple Bloom slow released her weight and crawled off to the side.
"I kissed her…" Scootaloo stopped at Apple Bloom's stare. "What?"
"That's it? You just kissed her one day and suddenly all Tartarus breaks loose and you can barely make eye contact for five years?"
"Well… yeah?"
"There has to be more to this, explain." Apple Bloom motioned Scootaloo to continue with her hooves.
"It was, like, midnight or something around Hearth's Warming Eve, and I was out on a walk around Ponyville. So… long story short Sweetie Belle sang to me and I kissed her."
"That sounds more romantic than it probably was."
"I may have snuck into her bedroom because I saw her light on."
"Aaannd now it's creepy, so what was her reaction?"
"Well, she kinda flipped, yelled at me for taking her first kiss, kicked me out, but then hugged me because she got her cutie mark from singing to me."
"Ah always wondered if her cutie mark had any connection with this."
"She said she would give me an answer when she was ready but, she's apparently not ready yet. What do I do Apple Bloom? I still care about her, and don't want to make her think that I wasn't serious about her by moving on, but I also don't want her to think that I'm obsessing over that one moment."
"Was it ever serious?"
"I don't know, that's the thing, I can't tell if I actually love her or if it's some awkward first crush that never went away."
"You want mah advice?"
"Yes please, give it to me."
"Talk to her. Get it settled that you don't want an answer right now and see how your lives pan out."
"But that still has it hanging over our heads."
"Any more than it is now?" At Scootaloo's empty stare Apple Bloom continued, "Didn't think so. Talk to her, get it settled and let's enjoy our final months together as true friends, and not awkward strangers, ok?"
"Ok…"
"Ah mean right now, before you start making excuses."
"Like right now, right now?"
"Yeah, do ah have ta drag you there so you do it?"
"N-no, I'll go, just… come with me?"
Apple Bloom took one more look at the sand-thing before nodding. "Alright, but I'm not going in I'll just be out on the street so you don't run away."
"I wouldn't run away…"
"Ya sure about that, you've ran away from things before. If fact I'm pretty sure you've ran away from this discussion for around five years now."
"Let's just, go already." Scootaloo started walking towards Ponyville proper, or, more specifically, Carousel Boutique.
The spring night air wafted through Ponyville, the sweet scent of fresh grass with the sounds of crickets stretching their leg muscles after a long winter. But for Scootaloo, these did little to calm her nerves as she sat in front of the door into Carousel Boutique. Raising her hoof to knock she gently set it against the door frame. Raising her hoof once more she rushed forward to knock and created a loud tap… by Fluttershy's standards.
"Ugh, why is this so hard?" Steeling her will, Scootaloo once more raised her hoof and created a few normal knocks, if slightly quieter than most would consider a knock.
"Coming!" a voice called out from within the Boutique. Rarity opened the door, wearing a silk gown and further in a table was set for two with a bottle of wine on the table. "Oh, hello Scootaloo, I was expecting someone else, hehe. Sweetie Belle went to bed a little while ago."
"Oh, um… ok. Do you mind getting her, if she's still up. I kinda need to talk to her about something."
Standing aside from the doorway Rarity motioned her inside, "I'll let you go up, don't make too much noise though, I am expecting company soon."
"Ok Rarity, thanks."
Walking up the stairs Scootaloo rounded the corner to see Sweetie Belle standing in the hallway staring towards the stairwell. "Hey." Scootaloo mumbled.
"Hey yourself… I heard you come in." Sweetie Belle murmured.
"It's about that thing."
"The thing at the beach, or the thing that caused the thing at the beach?"
"The thing that caused it…"
"Scootaloo…"
"Wait… just hear me out first ok? I don't want to lose any confidence."
"Ok, continue."
"Look, Sweetie, I really do like you. I don't want to push you into anything your uncomfortable with it's just, I have to know. Not a definite yes or no just, is there any way you'd possibly consider me as a potential fillyfriend."
"Scootaloo, I've been thinking on that for five years now, almost every day. I want to give you a yes but now it just feels too late, we're going to continue on with our lives after high school. It's already been decided. I'm going to Canterlot, and you're going to Cloudsdale."
"Then let's just get our lives started and then decide. I just want the last few months we'll have together as carefree kids to be something we can look back on, not something that's either a missed chance or a mistake."
"Ok, once our lives are settled we'll talk about it some more, I like that." Sweetie Belle ran up to hug Scootaloo, "And to answer your earlier question, yes. Just, not until I'm ready."
Scrunching into the hug Scootaloo let out a sigh. "Ok."
A knock came from the door, quickly followed by Rarity sprinting (in a lady-like manner) to the door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both tip-hoofed over to the top of the stairway to peer down into the show room.
"Oh, hello Apple Bloom. Why are you here?"
"This fella' here said her was looking for a Rarity of Carousel Boutique, so I showed him over here."
"Oh, right. Ah-hem, thank you Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are upstairs if you wanted to see them."
"Ok, thanks I'll be sure to tell them to keep it down for your date." Apple Bloom slowly trotted towards the stairs while Rarity greeted a white unicorn.
"It's not a date per se Apple Bloom. Hello, Fancy Pants, glad you could find the place I wasn't sure if I had put enough detail into the directions or not."
"Oh, no dear, I was simply wondering around the quaint little town of Ponyville, I'm not much used to the rural lifestyle as I should be, though that Apple Bloom sure made it sound quite enjoyable."
"Yes, she's the sister of Applejack, whom I'm fairly certain you've met before."
"Ah, the younger sister to the Element of Honesty, quite prestigious I must say."
The young adult trio slowly creeping their way up the stairs was slowly tuning out the conversation.
"So… How'd it go?" Apple Bloom asked when they reached the top of the stairs.
"Umm… it went, good?" Sweetie Belle stated with a look of confusion between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
"Yeah, good," Scootaloo echoed.
"Well that's nice. Because Ah'm pretty sure Rarity won't want us downstairs for the rest of the night."
"Soo… sleep over, for old time's sake?" Sweetie Belle offered.
The answer was a solid yes, and morning light found the trio asleep beside each other, with Sweetie Belle almost touching Scootaloo.