Who Do You Love?

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 1
Chapter 5

Chapter 2

Trotting at a rather quick pace, Scootaloo gazed into the sky, watching the Pegasi hurry back and forth as they added more and more clouds to the great, looming mass above. The warm orange of the sun was blocked by the jagged peaks of moisture and the thin sheets of fog which blanketed the skies, growing lower by the second. The air grew heavier and damper as she neared Ponyville, instilling even more urgency within her. She sped up to a near gallop.

The rumblings of thunder, along with the muffled commands and responding yells of the pegasi, rung through her ears as she neared the storms epicenter. Making her way through the town streets, she noticed the bright, but what she assumed to be judging eyes of a group of passersby. She slowed her pace to a hurried walk, not wanting to appear frightened.

She couldn’t help but shiver at the increasingly cool air as she continued forth. The only thought that filled her mind was that of the warm and safe confides of her home and her room. Concentrating on the task at hoof, she barely even noticed the high pitched, almost shrill calls of her name from behind.

Her ears finally intercepted the sounds and perked up to receive them better. “Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Can you wait up for a second…please?”

The pegasus whipped around, realizing it was the familiar voice of Sweetie Belle. “Oh, hey Sweetie Belle, what’s up?” she yelled, using a hoof to motion for her to come closer.

“How was the meeting?” the small white unicorn asked as she came to a stop before her.

“…Well, we really didn’t have one…” Scootaloo mumbled, giving her friend a rather simple shrug.

“Oh, it’s okay. We can always do it some other time, I guess.”

“And how was the, uh, thing you were doing with Rarity?” Scootaloo questioned.

She responded with an eager nod. “It was good. Probably one of the most serious talks I’ve ever had with her.”

“Serious? What were you talking about?”

“Uh…well…” Sweetie Belle mumbled out in almost inaudible squeaks, then gulped. “We were talking about colts and fillies…and love…there’s something I need to tell you.” Her white cheeks grew red as she gulped once again, this time much more loudly.

“Oh yeah? Is there a colt you like?” the pegasus blurted out in excitement. “There’s something I wanna tell you too! …But you can go first.”

“Well, you see, it’s not really a colt that I’m interested in. It’s-”

“A filly?” Scootaloo interrupted, her excited wings lifting her hooves just slightly off of the trodden dirt path below, before quickly making contact with it again.

A joyous and hope filled grin appeared on Sweetie Belle’s face which grew an even deeper red. This caused her friend to tilt a curious head, wondering what it was that she had said which caused the response. “Oh Scootaloo!” she exclaimed, pouncing forward and wrapping her hooves tightly around the filly’s neck. “Why didn’t I tell you sooner? Ugh! I’m so stupid sometimes…I just never knew that you liked me too!”

Scootaloo’s entire body froze with a sudden jolt, her heart raced, and her mind clouded with confusion, surprise, and angst. Her mouth fell slightly open as her friend nuzzled at her neck with adoration. “Uh...”

“I was really hoping you’d say yes. That’s what I was talking to Rarity about! …Well, she didn’t know it was you specifically; but she told me about dates and how to plan a good one. At first she said I was too young and that the colt should do all the planning…but then mumbled something about times changing and told me!” Sweetie blurted out excitedly. “What were you going to tell me? Were you going to say you liked me too? That’s so sweet!”

Scootaloo was struck with a horrid bout of silence, interrupted by the occasional unformed mutter trailing out of her mouth as she contemplated the situation. With the lack of noise, she heard the soft, un-rhythmic patter of a light rain as drops began to plummet down and crash into the roofs of houses and the earth below. She then felt a cold sting as a few drops of the frigid liquid soaked through her fur and settled upon her skin. “Uh!” she repeated in a more panicked tone. This didn’t cue Sweetie Belle in on her dire situation though, but instead provided her with an assumption.

“It’s okay, I’m really nervous too…but I didn’t think a pony like you would be…oh well!” the overjoyed filly burst out with utter excitement.

Scootaloo was hopeless and still in the midst of recovering from the sudden realization. She had no way or idea of how to respond. Sweetie Belle’s hopes had been driven so high, to the point of belief, that she couldn’t bring them crashing down now. She though, was pulled down lower than ever before by this. The ecstatic high of love she had been traveling on earlier was seemingly unreachable now. But yet, at the same time, the soft fluttering within her was returning and growing stronger by the second. Not hurting her friend’s high spirits wasn’t the only excuse for her absence of speech. Having the same feelings return only made things more confusing and strange for the poor filly. If she loved Apple Bloom, then why was the same sensation, of what she assumed to be love, tingling through her core and hooves once more?

“…Y-yeah…that’s exactly what I was going to say!” the pegasus finally spat out in excitement, some true, some false. She immediately regretted her words, but at the same time, they gave her joy.

“Wonderful!” Sweetie exclaimed with a happy shriek, giving her an uncomfortably tight squeeze. Just as the pain from the constriction shot through Scootaloo’s body, a blinding, purple flash of lightning, followed by an ear shattering clap of thunder, quickly reminded both the fillies of the storm. It was not only a reminder, but a harbinger of its true intentions as well. As the thunderous sound rumbled to a close, a soaking torrent of water burst from the dark skies above. “Meet me tomorrow morning, early. We’re going to spend the entire day together!” she squeaked, her mane, weighed down by the moisture, nearly covering her eyes. “I have a whole date planned out.”

The small unicorn quickly turned for home in an attempt to escape the downpour sooner rather than later, even though her fur was already entirely soaked through. She was stopped however, as she felt the small hoof of Scootaloo press down upon her back. She turned around quizzically.

“Huh? What is it?” she asked, giving her body a shake to expel, at least, a small amount of water from her now heavy coat. Scootaloo gave the pony a smile, so filled with confidence that it was almost smug, and then leaned forward, her lips puckered. Sweetie Belle’s cheeks lit up with a burning blush, realizing what was coming. She barely had time to let her eyes fall shut before the filly’s ever so slightly roughened lips pressed down deeply upon her own.

Scootaloo smiled into the kiss as she felt her lovers smooth lips begin to press back after recovering from the initial shock. The coldness of the rain seemed to dissipate, taken over by the warmth from the passionate kiss. Every now and again she felt small trickles of rain travel across her eyelids or snake down her muzzle, but that was all she experienced of the storm; even though her undercarriage was now dripping with rain. Finally she broke away, her body shuddering from the deep cold soon after.

“You just made my day!” Sweetie Belle squealed, jumping up and down to emphasize her point. “Or…I guess you already did when you said that you liked me…but you made my day even more now!”

The confident smile returned to Scootaloo’s face, but not a word came out of her mouth as the bouncing filly turned and galloped towards home. She turned as well, her air of confidence easily transforming into that of self-hatred and despair. She trudged towards home, her thoughts bothering her much more than the chaos of the storm around her. She wondered what she had just done. Even more so, why she had done it. Her actions were rather idiotic, she thought. She had gotten herself into a problem, a large problem at that, when all could have been resolved if she had told the truth about her and Apple Bloom. Instead, she lied. She felt utterly ashamed that she had somehow developed feelings for both of her closest friends in such a short amount of time. It would only cause more problems if she told them both the truth, but in the end, it would actually make things better. Or did she have to tell them at all? It may be difficult, but she could retain her relationships with both of them and keep it a secret. Things would be better that way, or so she thought.

These pestering thoughts were soon driven from her mind when she heard a loud, rasping voice calling out to her over the now tumultuous winds. “Scootaloo! Hey kid, what the hay are you doing out here?” The voice was muffled by the buffeting and ominous whistles of the fast moving air.

“Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash,” she greeted as turned, seeing the pegasus land beside her with brash elegance.

Being brash and elegant at the same time seemed rather contradictory, but it was how the mare always was, even more so around her protégé. She stood tall, proud, and confident beside Scootaloo; the chaotic storm and dowsing rain bothering her just as little as it did the filly. She could tell though, that something was in fact bothering the young pegasus by the noticeably grim look upon her face.

“First off, why the hay are you out here?” Dash flicked her wet mane to the side of her face as if to better reveal her fierce and questioning eyes. “Second, is something wrong?” Her tone became slightly more comforting as she asked.

Scootaloo quickly straightened her body, making sure there were no slumps, and attempted to give the interrogative mare the greatest of smiles. “Nope…nothing wrong here,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I…just sort of…got caught in the rainstorm before I could make it home.” She gazed up at Rainbow Dash, hoping the cracks of her wavering excuse and fake joy wouldn’t cause her motive to fall through. Her idol paused a moment in study. As she gazed back in her fake air of happiness; she realized that even though the pegasus’ bright colors were slightly darkened by the rain, they were seemingly just as vivid.

Finally Rainbow let out in exasperated huff. “Yeah, right, that’s like, the fakest smile I’ve ever seen, kid.” Scootaloo quickly averted her eyes to the puddled water at her hooves in shame. “You know you can tell me anything, right? We’re ‘sisters’ after all.” A warm smile appeared on her face as she finished the sentence, warm enough to take the harshness out of the cold, wet air. The filly barely even noticed this, lost in her thoughts.

Scootaloo knew she could tell Rainbow Dash anything, but something like that not only seemed too personal, but too degrading as well. If Rainbow knew about the completely brainless decision she had made, she was sure their ‘sisterhood’ would be over. Nopony, especially Rainbow Dash, would make a mistake like that. Besides, there had to be some way to figure it all out herself. She sighed as she gazed down at her rather glum looking reflection in the dark puddle. Dash already knew she was lying and she wasn’t the best at forming excuses out of thin air. She had to tell the truth somehow, but in a way which wouldn’t affect her standing.

The small filly finally turned her head upward and met the gaze of Rainbow’s large, pink eyes. “Well…I was…I was helping some ponies out with their, well, their relationship. One of them made a really big mistake and doesn’t know how to fix it-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up…why are you helping out with relationships? Is that really any of your business? You’re kinda young to be some kind of therapist or something.”

“Uh…well,” Scootaloo mumbled, scratching a hoof at the back of her soggy mane. “Cutie mark…yeah, trying to get my cutie mark.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but smirk ever so slightly. “Your cutie mark, huh? Clever…trying out the whole relationship aid thing, I mean. But why’s that got ya so down in the dumps?”

“I just don’t know what to do…for them,” she said, the end of the helpless statement added as a quick after thought.

“Well, what’s the problem?”

“One of the ponies was, sort of, told by another pony that she liked her and didn’t really know the other two were dating. She didn’t want to hurt the pony’s feelings by saying no…but actually in a way, sort of, loved her too?” Scootaloo inadvertently ended the question as a sentence, still rather confused by the situation she had successfully bound herself into, and by her actions and thoughts upon it.

“So it’s three fillies we’re talking about here?” Scootaloo’s heart jumped at the question, but she quickly assured herself that she could be talking about any three fillies. She did revert to ‘her’ and ‘she’ in her sentence rather than ‘they,’ after all. “I’m guessing they’re your age, right?”

The small pegasus nodded in agreement before she spoke. “So…uh, got any ideas?”

“First off, I don’t even think fillies or colts your age should even be into that stuff yet. Hay, it may sound fun,” she emphasized the statement with a shrug, “but that stuff’s complicated. You shouldn’t be worrying and have all that stress until you’re older. It can kinda be too much to handle if it goes bad…even for grown-ups like me.” She gave herself a quick shake which caused miniature beads of water to fly away from her fur in a mist. “Anyways, tell her that she’s gotta make a choice. Loving two ponies is just going to cause problems. Then, she’s gotta figure out a way to tell the one she ends up not choosing...and probably the one she does too. Lies aren’t all that good for relationships. My advice, let one down lightly and be as nice as possible to the other when explaining. But I guess I don’t really know these ponies. It all depends on personality. That’s all I got for now, kid, sorry.”

Scootaloo was rather angered by the suggestion, or at least frustrated with it. She knew she was young, but she was sure she could handle it. It was as if Rainbow had absolutely no trust or confidence within her; even if she wasn’t the actual subject of the speech. Although she had already known it would be the final outcome of the situation, she now had to choose between Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. She was completely clueless on how to reach such a conclusion. “Um…thanks…yeah, I guess that’ll work,” she muttered out, barely audible over the continuous spraying of rain and gusting of wind.

“Now get home, would ya!” Dash commanded sternly as her wings shot out from her sides. “Don’t wanna be feeling under the weather, right? Especially on the weekend…need a ride?” she asked, motioning for the pony to climb onto her back.

“Nah…It’s cool. I can walk.” With that, the agile pegasus gave a farewell nod, lifted herself into the air, and sped off through the drenching skies. Scootaloo was left to her thoughts once more, although she had never really escaped them in the first place. She trudged home, attempting to form a plan, but nothing too ingenious entered her mind.

***

Scootaloo pulled her blanket to her chin as she gazed up at the dark ceiling above. Although her fur had thoroughly dried from her previous outing and she now lay in the warm embrace of her bed, she still felt cold. It was a cold which seemed to be coming from deep within her body rather than its exterior. The sound of the rain pattering loudly against the pane of her window was the only cue that the storm still raged outside, the engulfing blackness of night making it too obscure to witness with her eyes.

The almost calming sound would have easily lulled her to sleep if it weren’t for the thoughts still racing through her mind. She attempted to ignore them, but to no avail. As they once again pushed to the forefront of her mind, her body grew warm, almost feverish. She felt a drip of sweat tickle at her forehead and quickly threw away the blanket. She felt sick, although she was certain she had not caught some form of illness from being out in the storm, but rather it was just a side effect of her extreme worry.

Scootaloo assumed she should choose Apple Bloom since she rightfully asked first, but yet she somehow already loved Sweetie Belle just as much. She attempted to form a list of pros and cons about both of the fillies in her mind, but all she could think about was how amazing the two of them were. Against all odds, she smiled as thoughts of the sassy, stubborn, and occasionally sensitive Apple Bloom filled her mind. Those thoughts quickly dissipated when her head was flooded with times spent with the excitable, sweet, squeaky, and adorable Sweetie Belle.

Her disgruntled frown quickly returned. Even if she somehow managed to choose, she had no clue how she’d let the other down. They were both her best friends and she couldn’t bear to even picture hurting them in such a way. At this point, she began to believe in Rainbow’s words. Maybe she was unable to handle this, maybe she was too young. She gave herself a harsh shake in an attempt to expel the thoughts. It was her actions which created the disaster she was now in, and it would too be her actions that would get her out.

Chapter 3

Scootaloo awoke late the next morning in a haze, and threw herself from the warmth of her bed. Sweetie Belle had said to meet her early that morning, although she never fully explained the exact time which early meant. Barely giving a second thought to her morning routine and still not fully awake, she forgot to comb her already unkempt mane, which seemed even messier than normal.

Somehow, perhaps in her sleep or because of a sudden realization when she awoke, she had decided on informing Sweetie Belle of the situation before their date began, and then moving forward from there. Although she did not have any idea on how the filly would react or what exactly to go about doing next, it seemed to be the easiest and simplest way to tell her before they advanced any further.

The cool morning air with a lingering dampness about it, cleared away the fog of a rather sleepless night from her head. She immediately realized that although the heavy clouds of the previous night had now dissipated and the sun shone brightly upon the world around her, the storm must have been much more powerful than planned. With the help of a rather jumbled weather team, still scratching their heads about the mistake, the townsponies went about cleaning up its destruction.

Scootaloo’s eyes traveled across the scene in observation as she made her way towards Rarity’s boutique in which Sweetie Belle was spending the weekend. Large branches, broken off of the trees by the heavy winds, were scattered across the street. Ponies milled about them, either moving the branches to the side or hauling them off to be cut. Along with the branches, the path was peppered with bright green buds and young leaves. It oddly looked as though it was fall once again with the exception of green rather than the vivid shades of red, orange, and yellow. She tried her best to maneuver around the large, murky puddles as she came across them, but couldn’t escape receiving a little splatter upon her hooves. The liquid felt cool and almost grainy as it spattered up onto her fur. Her ears were filled with a few exhausted voices and the rushing of the much less stagnant water on either side of the road as it quickly traveled to lower ground.

The sun seemed to grow even brighter as the tiered, brightly patterned exterior of the seemingly unaffected Carousel Boutique came into view. Scootaloo squinted in the almost painful light as she approached its entrance. Before her hoof could event touch the handle, the door burst open, causing her to retreat backwards ever so slightly.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle squeaked joyfully, pouncing onto her like Rarity’s cat, except much less menacingly and nearly as painful. Scootaloo weakly returned the hug, the nauseous, uneasy sensation of anxiety taking over. “You okay? I hope you didn’t catch a cold or something because I made you stand out in the rain…I’d feel horrible,” she said with a frown as she examined the visible circles beneath her strained, glassy eyes.

“Nah…I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep very well,” Scootaloo mumbled in a failed attempt to widen her eyes.

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well either. I’m just as nervous as you, if not more. But it’s not like we haven’t spent time together, right? It’ll be just like when we were friends except…well, now it’s more than that!”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to force out any words before being dragged, nearly against her own will, into the shop. She knew exactly what she had to tell the young unicorn, but instead of words, there came a painful quickening of her heartbeat and the horrid sensation of near vomiting.

"Have you had breakfast yet? Rarity bought us some pastries and made tea. I was going to cook for you, but…you know.” Sweetie Belle let out a soft, slightly angered sigh and shook her head. “Anyways, it’ll be really nice. We can just relax and talk for a bit.”

“Wait!” Scootaloo yelped, her heart pounding even faster. “R-rarity knows now?”

The excited filly let out a pleasing giggle. “No, of course not. She just thinks we’re spending time together is all.”

The pegasus sighed in relief. “Whew…good.”

Sweetie Belle turned back with a frown as she ascended the stairs towards the guest room, tugging Scootaloo along as she went. “You know, we’re going to have to tell her at some point.”

“But…I…” Scootaloo’s voice faltered as the world around her seemed to spin and blur. She gave herself a shake, hoping to lessen these newfound effects. “...Yeah…I know,” she muttered in defeat. The urge to tell Sweetie Belle the truth became stronger and stronger within her mind, yet her voice and body seemed to have thoughts of the exact opposite.

“You sure you’re doing alright?” Sweetie Belle asked as they reached the second floor, causing the pegasus to realize that she’d just let out a long and rather weak sounding sigh.

“Yeah, of course I am. The tea and stuff should help wake me up,” she explained, displaying an equally weak smile.

“If you say so,” the unicorn said in an almost curious manner as she opened the door to her room and invited her date inside. There was a small but rather elegant tea table set up in its center. Its light pink color unfortunately reminded Scootaloo of the blossoms she had admired at Sweet Apple Acres on the previous day. She gulped softly as her eyes traveled to the steaming white teapot at its center with a floral pattern embossed upon its surface, and the matching tea cups, saucers, and plates for their pastries. Her eyes then met with a flaky, golden brown pile of pastries upon a large silver platter.

Scootaloo’s mouth suddenly and furiously watered as she gazed at the assortment of delectable looking treats. Her previous nausea disappeared altogether. Some were filled with berry jams, others with custards; they were then either drizzled modestly with chocolate or coated lightly with powdered sugar. Her stomach grumbled loudly.

Sweetie giggled. “Wow, somepony must be really hungry. Let’s get to eating, shall we?”

Scootaloo nodded her head vigorously, the thought of food now being pushed to the forefront of her mind. She felt somewhat ashamed, but she had eaten dinner early the previous evening so she could reach the clubhouse on time. She hoped that the new found energy from nourishment and the rush of sugar would better prepare her for her talk with Sweetie Belle. That meant she would wait until they had finished before once again attempting to bring up the elusive subject.

“Would you like some tea as well?” the unicorn asked in a posh accent before giving herself a shake. “Sorry…I think Rarity is rubbing off on me.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle as a light smile appeared on her face. The pony before her was too adorable for her own good. “Yeah, sure. What kind is it?”

“You’ll see!” the filly said with a squeak, a green aura appearing around her horn and the teapot as it was lifted to Scootaloo’s cup and tea was ever so gently poured out.

“You’re getting really good with your magic, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo praised with an approving nod.

The novice unicorn’s cheeks lit up at the compliment and her magic faltered slightly, causing her to nearly drop the pot as she poured her own cup. “Th-thanks, I guess you’re right,” she cooed shyly, setting the now shaking teapot back down.

Scootaloo thought that perhaps she shouldn’t be acting so kind if they weren’t, or may not be, dating, but quickly realized that she would have complimented her just the same as a friend.

“So, are you going to try the tea? I thought you were really curious,” Sweetie Belle questioned, rousing the filly from her thoughts.

The pegasus gave a quick nod before lightly clamping her teeth on the cup’s lip and tilting it slightly back to get a small sip of the steaming, golden green liquid. She allowed it to pool around her tongue for a moment, but quickly swallowed as it began to burn. “Tastes sort of like perfume or something,” she said after setting the cup back down upon its saucer and smacking her lips indecisively.

Sweetie Belle responded with a grin. “No silly, it’s a flower. Jasmine Blossom tea to be exact...I think maybe they use it in perfume sometimes. It’s one of my favorites!”

“It’s pretty good…anyways, let’s get to those pastries, huh?” Scootaloo gave her lips an eager licking and rubbed her hooves together greedily.

“Go right ahead,” Sweetie said with a soft smile after taking a sip from her cup. Scootaloo nearly lunged at the finishing of her sentence and picked out a few of the pastries she had been eyeballing, then placed them upon her plate. Sweetie Belle seized a pastry of her own and watched as the pegasus shoveled the sweet, airy treats into her mouth, one after the other. “You were hungry, weren’t you?” she asked with a giggle to which the filly responded with a muffled grunt and placed another load of pastries onto her already cleaned plate.

The unicorn took this as a queue to continue. “It’s funny, I’ve always really enjoyed Rarity’s cooking, but get extra excited when she buys pastries.” She paused, took a small bite, and then swallowed. “And it’s not just because they taste so good either. I think it must be all the different flavors to choose from…maybe sometimes I eat too many because of that.” She shrugged before taking another sip of her tea. “Am I rambling? Sorry, I’m still sort of nervous.”

Scootaloo looked up with a comforting smile, or it would have been comforting if it weren’t for the many different pastry flake dotted jams and custards slathered around her mouth. “No, it’s okay. I’m listening.” Sweetie Belle responded with a rather strange sounding snort before breaking out into a laugh which caused the pegasus to do the same. This, in turn, created a rather long session of laughter.

“I think you might need this,” Sweetie said with a laugh, levitating a napkin to the filly while she wiped another beneath her watering eyes. Scootaloo followed the suggestion and wiped away her tears as she struggled to hold back another series of laughs. She probably had, but couldn’t remember a time when she laughed so hard. It wasn’t even that funny, she thought to herself before being interrupted as her napkin was engulfed with magical aura and pulled away from her hoof. “No, I meant for your face, silly.”

Scootaloo’s cheeks heated up as the napkin was gently caressed around her mouth, successfully absorbing and wiping away the mess. It was an action she could have easily done herself. She knew she wasn’t a little foal any longer, yet at the same time it felt as though it was a very sweet and genuine gesture. Having similar thoughts, Sweetie Belle paused a moment, her cheeks growing just as red, but then continued. “You’re so cute when you blush!” the unicorn exclaimed, knowing that it would only cause her blush to deepen even further.

“S-shut up…” Scootaloo grumbled, her cheeks growing warmer by the second.

“It’s not a bad thing. It’s just nice to see it when somepony like you actually has some emotion.”

“Has some emotion?” the pegasus repeated curiously.

“Well, you’re always trying to act cool like Rainbow Dash, so seeing you let your guard down is really sweet.”

Scootaloo was about to speak, but suddenly lost herself in thought. She seemed to be connecting with Sweetie Belle much more than she had with Apple Bloom, although it could just be her imagination. “You look really cute when you blush too, ya know,” she said, her heart lurching painfully before quickly picking up its pace, pounding confusedly even faster than before. She hated herself for making the truth even harder to tell, but at the same time, what she had said felt as though it was an accomplishment rather than a hindrance.

“Thanks,” Sweetie mumbled shyly, turning away at the opportune time to miss the strange look which had befallen her date’s face. Scootaloo attempted to collect herself as she continued. “I’m really, really, really glad we’re doing this…I’ve liked you for ages, but just wasn’t sure how to say anything. I hope I don’t jinx us by saying this is going really well so far.”

“Ages?” Scootaloo repeated.

“Yeah, it wasn’t when we first met or anything like that…but not really that long after,” the unicorn said with a shrug.

Scootaloo gulped as quietly as possible, her heart racing even faster. This was yet another reason that she should choose Sweetie Belle instead, or perhaps just an excuse. “I never would’ve guessed.”

“Yeah, probably because I was so nervous that I tried to hide it,” she said with a shameful frown, her green eyes looking even wider and cuter than normal. “We would’ve been together a lot sooner if I wasn’t so shy about it.”

“About that,” Scootaloo stated before freezing with shock, realizing that she’d somehow actually forced out the first couple of words which she’d been urging herself to say since she had arrived. Sweetie gazed forward intently, causing the poor filly to shake slightly beneath the spotlight. “Uh…I…uh…I wanted to say…that doesn’t mean we can’t still make the best of it, right?” She quickly wrapped her hoof around the soft white one which lay nonchalantly upon the table before her as if to prove her point. Scootaloo blinked slowly as she heard an excited gasp expel from the unicorn’s mouth, once again disappointed by her own actions.

As her eye’s reopened, she noticed Sweetie Belle staring back in a dreamy manner. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

Scootaloo sighed, but in content rather than worry, as she leaned forward, making sure not to knock the teapot or any other item upon the table off onto the floor below. Sweetie Belle blushed deeply as the pegasus tilted her head slightly and puckered her lips. She lifted her flank away from her chair and leaned forward as well, giving Scootaloo’s hoof a tight squeeze. Scootaloo’s cheeks lit up as a soft but exceptionally loving moan escaped from Sweetie’s mouth and traveled into her own. Both of their eyes quickly fell shut.

As the deepening kiss continued, seemingly for a rather long, but surprisingly comfortable amount of time, Scootaloo’s mind blazed with thoughts. Perhaps there was some way to date both of them, but not lie? They would surely understand. They were best friends, after all. Maybe all three of them could date one another. Was that possible, or even acceptable? She contemplated the thought for a moment and realized how awkward it would be to explain such a thing to them. Even more awkward than what she already must say. Perhaps keeping it a secret was the best option, even though Rainbow Dash had specifically explained that lying was not good for relationships. She wasn’t necessarily lying though. It was just that nopony had yet asked her. Although that still felt completely wrong.

Scootaloo’s thoughts quickly dissipated as Sweetie Belle broke the kiss while letting out a blissful sigh, and then gazed into her companion’s light purple eyes which were still slightly glazed over with fatigue. “Want some more tea?” she asked, in a rather dreamy tone.

“I’m good,” Scootaloo replied, suddenly realizing her stomach felt as though it was going to burst from all the pastries which had settled within.

“Same here, Rarity said she’d take us to the spa after we finished. I know you’re not really into super girly stuff like that…and we already did have tea which is pushing it; but it is a nice offer and I think it would be fun and relaxing.”

After a nearly sleepless night, the prospect of being pampered, massaged, and then soaking in a tub of steaming water did seem rather enticing to the pegasus. “Sure, why not?” she responded, her smile already giving off a sense of relaxation as she dreamed of the warm embrace of the water.

“Really?” Sweetie asked in both surprise and excitement, nearly jumping out of her seat, then stammering on her hooves as they hit the floor. “Thanks! I promise that on our next date we can do whatever you want because that’s a really important part of a relationship.”

“What is?”

“Making exceptions, of course…or at least that’s what Rarity told me. So then everypony involved can be happy.” Scootaloo thought for a moment and nodded her head in agreement. “Anyways, come on, let’s get going! I’m sure Rarity will be excited too.”

As Scootaloo struggled to stand with the exceptionally large load in her stomach, she came to the conclusion that putting off such an important subject which must be discussed instead of letting the two fillies’ date get any farther, probably wasn’t the greatest of ideas. Perhaps she truly was too tired. Maybe explaining to the fillies the next day would be a better option.

Chapter 4

“Ugh, what’s taking her so long?” Sweetie questioned with a grumble and stamped her hoof against the wet earth beneath it. “It’s like she has to look absolutely perfect for everything! Her face is going to be covered in mud when we get to the spa anyways. So what’s the point?”

Scootaloo sighed and watched as the impatient filly paced back and forth in the cool shadow of Carousel Boutique. “It’s just Rarity being Rarity. I thought you’d be used to it by now.”

The unicorn gave a huff before speaking bitterly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But still, this is important!”

Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, but soon realized that once again reiterating the fact that Rarity had no knowledge of the true intention of their meet up, would only anger Sweetie further. She decided instead to disregard the repeated complaints. She turned her gaze to the busy street ahead where ponies still scurried about, trying hard to complete their tasks of cleaning up and repairing the mess produced by the storm before lunch, or perhaps by dinner. She began to realize that neither of these options would be the case. The damage inflicted wasn’t just upon the town’s aesthetics, but many of the homes and businesses were affected as well. She was sure the maintenance would take a week, if not more, to complete.

Her heart gave a sudden and exceptionally startling jolt as she spotted the familiar, pale yellow fur, red mane, and large pink bow of Apple Bloom in the distance. Her heart gave another jump, just as frightening as the previous once she realized how quickly the filly approached. Her eyes slammed shut, her heat pounded rapidly, and her body shook with terror as Sweetie Belle’s greeting to the fellow crusader rang through the air.

With complete and utter concentration, Scootaloo hoped that the elegant and stylish sister of Sweetie Belle would appear from the shop’s entrance and pull the two away from the looming situation before it even had a chance to begin. These hopes were soon crushed when the country filly returned the greeting as she came to a stop before them.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, I’ve been lookin’ for you two all morning. Where’ve ya been?”

“Oh, we were just having tea,” Sweetie Belle explained with a wide smile and finished with a joy filled jump. “Anyways, what did you need?”

“Well, me and Scoots need to tell you somethin’….speakin’ a which, you doin’ okay?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, turning her gaze to the shuddering pegasus.

Completely oblivious to the second half of the statement, Sweetie quickly responded. “That’s weird, me and Scootaloo have something to tell you too…Can you please tell her, Scootaloo? I’m still kind of nervous.” She looked down shyly and prodded a hoof lightly against the ground.

“Hmm, interestin’…go ahead, Scoots, tell me.”

The only thought which ran through Scootaloo’s mind was that of fleeing the scene before the two could figure out the situation for themselves. Sadly, her hooves were seemingly glued in place and her body stiff with fright.

“You can’t be that nervous. You’re the bravest pony here,” Sweetie Belle said in a rather insistent tone.

“Uh…um…uh,” the pegasus muttered, her eyes never opening, even for the slightest peek.

“How about ah go first?” Apple Bloom suggested impatiently. Scootaloo’s body shook furiously. She knew she had to scream out ‘no,’ but was unable. Only a dry, inaudible utter expelled from her half open mouth. “Me and Scootaloo…well, we’re datin’.”

“Wait, what?” Sweetie Belle shrieked. Her large green eyes looked as though they would soon burst out from their sockets. “What do you mean you and Scootaloo are dating? She’s mine!”

Scootaloo allowed her eyes to open just enough to see that Apple Bloom’s face had grown a deep red from anger, and then quickly slammed them shut once more. “What in the hay are you talkin’ about, Sweetie?”

“That’s what Scootaloo and I had to tell you…we’re the ones who are…d-dating!” the unicorn’s voice cracked and faltered as tears filled her eyes. “We were in the process of going on our first date, actually!” she then shrieked furiously.

“Oh yeah? Me and Scoots went on our first date yesterday!” Apple Bloom yelled back in a harsh tone.

“But yesterday, Scootaloo…I…who’s dating who?” Sweetie Belle whimpered and shook her head confusedly.

Apple Bloom turned her piercing gaze towards the only other filly who might have the answer; and was followed suit by Sweetie as she wiped away her tears and gave a rather ferocious sounding sniff. The accused suddenly burst into an uncontrollable fit of tears, implying that she was, in fact, guilty. Scootaloo tried her best not to look as though she was a complete and utterly sad fool, but the task seemed to grow harder and harder as she gasped for air through her sobs. She then attempted to wipe away the streams of saline tears as they passed between the crease of her muzzle and down over the edges of her lips. This only helped for a moment before the warm, tickling streams returned with even greater force than before. After a long bout of silence, she hoped that the two fillies had somehow disappeared. Perhaps it was just another nightmare and she still lay in the comforting warmth of her bed.

As Scootaloo opened her eyes with hesitation, she realized that this truly was reality, and that she must say something in hopes of repairing the quickly deteriorating situation. “I’m really sorry…” she forced out painfully, her throat stinging as the words passed through it. “Applebloom, you asked first…but when I was heading home…” she paused to inhale the liquefied snot which trickled down the face of her snout. “I…Sweetie saw me…and then she told me that she, well, that she liked me. I just couldn’t say no…and I guess I sort of…kind of…liked her too…and ended up saying yes…sorry! I just…I just couldn’t make either of you two sad! A-and I love both of you, okay?” The pegasus sighed, knowing that her small sob story did nothing to justify her actions; and that the two fillies who fumed angrily before her knew this just as well.

“So, you were trying to date both of us?” Sweetie Belle shrieked before grinding her teeth with rage, a tear occasionally dripping from her eyes.

“That’s really not okay,” Apple Bloom growled, her eyes growing even more intense.

“I…it’s just that-” Scootaloo’s indecipherable mumbling was quickly interrupted by the now wholly irate Sweetie Belle.

“I don’t care about your excuses! They make no sense! You messed up and now you’ve got to fix it! You need to choose one of us, and that pony will be me, right?”

“You?” Apple Bloom snapped back ferociously. “Ah had her first! Why in hay would you get her? That’s just stupid!”

Sweetie Belle huffed loudly and a painfully angry grimace appeared on her face. “I would’ve asked her first if I wasn’t busy yesterday…or if I knew you were going to steal her from me!”

“Steal her? Ah just told ya, I asked her first! You’re the one doin’ the stealin’!”

“Girls, please!” Scootaloo yelled helplessly over the bickering in hopes it wouldn’t evolve into a full-fledged filly fight. “Calm down, okay?” she pleaded, rather shocked that the simple statement attracted their attention.

Sweetie Belle’s shrill response rang through the pegasus’ ears. “It’s your fault, Scootaloo! You’re the one who did this, all of this! You better make a decision before things get even worse than they already are!”

Scootaloo sucked in a deep breath of air as a previous thought invaded her mind. “This is gonna sound really bad…but hear me out, okay?” Although the looks upon the other ponies’ faces seemed as though they would rather not, their mouths were clamped shut with anticipation. “I really think I love both of you…and maybe, just maybe, you two might be interested in each other too? Can we, maybe, all three date each other…we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders and we should stick together. This is just, sort of, the next level of that…but…it…” her voice slowly ambled to a halt, not exactly sure where her plea was headed.

“So you’re sayin’ all three of us should be dating each other? That’s just confusin’ and sounds wrong if ya ask me!” Apple Bloom grumbled.

“Yeah, that’s kind of sick, Scootaloo. I don’t even know how you came up with it, honestly,” Sweetie Belle agreed.

“I just-” the defeated filly’s pleas were drowned out by the unforgiving voice of Apple Bloom.

“Well, whatever it is…you made the wrong choice! I’m outta here!” With that, Apple Bloom whipped around and stomped off.

“Yeah…me too!” Sweetie squeaked and then gave a vigorous nod of agreement.

This only created backlash as the filly she began to follow came to a halt and glared back at her with a bitter scowl. “I don’t wanna see you neither! Back off, ya…you filly stealer!”

The shocked unicorn looked as though she was about to pounce at her friend, or perhaps former friend, but quickly stormed off in the opposite direction. Scootaloo’s untimely and would be savior finally appeared from the shop and watched shamefully as Sweetie Belle stormed towards her. “Oh, Sweetie, I do apologize for the wait, my hair was a fright and I…”

“It’s not that! The trip to the spa is off!” she screeched in response, causing Rarity to wince.

“Sweetie, what is the matter, dear?” she questioned as her small sister stomped passed her and through the entrance.

The pegasus intercepted a final, muffled scream as Rarity followed, closing the door behind her. “Scootaloo is what’s the matter! She really screwed up this time!”

Then, Scootaloo was alone, left to struggle through all the despair she had single-hoofedly created. She realized then that her lies may have not only jeopardized her own friendship, but the bond between the other two fillies as well. Did her imprudent, rather self-centered notions actually cause the destruction of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?

The filly turned away and plodded silently down the road, gazing down at her hooves, but not actually paying them any attention. She had no destination in particular, only wanting to walk in an attempt to escape the thoughts of her now, likely ruined, future. She let out a soft, broken sigh as another wave of tears traveled down her face and soaked through her fur. She wondered if this is what Rainbow meant when she said she was too young for the drama which was often associated with relationships. If relationships only made things worse, then what was their point? Although, it may have gone more smoothly if she had only told the truth right away. The complete bliss filled joy she had just experienced yesterday, and even the pain and worry which ensued after, was like a wonderful dream compared to what she now felt.

“Hey, kid!” she heard from behind, causing her to jump as the unwelcome sensation of fear joined the other undesirable emotions which coursed through her body. She couldn’t believe that Rainbow Dash had the nerve to startle her for kicks after what she had just experienced. She quickly whipped around to expel all her pint up emotions in the form of rage, but was suddenly locked into a warm and powerful embrace. “I take it my advice didn’t help, huh?” the pony asked, stroking a hoof against her small back.

“No, it wasn’t that, I really messed up big time…I-I mean they did…no, it was me, alright? Me, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom,” the filly admitted in a muffled voice as she nuzzled her snout into Rainbow’s strong chest. She attempted to stay strong in the embrace of her idol, but couldn’t hold back the occasional gasping sob which expelled humidly onto the pony’s cyan fur.

“Yeah, I knew that,” Rainbow responded in what Scootaloo perceived as an almost smug tone. “It may not seem like it, but I’m always looking out for ya. It’s sorta my duty as a sister, you know?”

The small pegasus broke away from her chest and looked up curiously. “Huh…w-what do you mean? You knew it was us three the whole time? You knew I was the filly with the problems?”

Rainbow smirked and gave the filly’s purple mane a light ruffling. “Yeah…it’s not like I was spying on you or anything. That’s not cool. I just kinda noticed, I guess. Saw you and AB the other day when I was rounding up clouds for the storm. I didn’t think much of it, just young love or whatever. It’s usual. Then when me and the team were finishing up the preparations, I saw you and Sweetie Belle. I knew something was up.”

Scootaloo’s already fractured heart, jumped painfully at the statement. “Wait…so that means you knew how much I screwed up….” she said in a weak whisper. “Did you see what happened today too?”

“Uh, yeah, I think most of the town heard it because of how loud your friends were,” Dash said with a laugh. This caused Scootaloo’s mouth to quiver in a combination of shame and embarrassment. “I was just kidding, trying to lighten the mood up a bit,” she quickly added, giving the small pegasus a squeeze.

“I don’t care about anypony else that saw it, I just care that you did,” she muttered, pushing herself away from the embrace and then turning as another fit of tears came over her. “You…you probably think I’m too dumb to be your sister now, huh? I just made, like, the worst decisions in the history of Equestria, even after you gave me all that advice. You hate me now, don’t you?”

Rainbow responded with a stubborn shake of her head and pinned the filly’s tail to the ground with her hoof before she could commence any form of escape. “Trust me, if I hated you, you’d know. Besides, everypony makes mistakes and I’m pretty sure the ones you made weren’t the worst. Were they bad? Yeah, but it happens.” She sighed, seemingly not making any ground with Scootaloo as she frowned dejectedly and attempted to tug her tail away. “Look, kid, even an awesomely awesome pony like me makes mistakes like that. Love is just confusing and nopony really knows how to deal with it.”

“Wait…you did stuff like this too?” Scootaloo asked, her frown subsiding.

“Of course I did,” the pegasus admitted confidently. “But…I’m pretty sure it wasn’t as bad as yours. Kissing two fillies in one day and going on a date; then going on another and ruining three friendships the next?” She quickly removed her hoof from Scootaloo’s tail and placed it on her mouth before she had a chance to respond. “Just kidding,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t even wanna tell you all the stuff I’ve done…it’s sorta, really embarrassing.” She then smiled and pulled away her hoof as a small laugh pushed against it. “What really matters is if you’re good enough to make up for it, and I’m pretty confident you will.”

A small frown once again appeared on the young pony’s face as she pondered the statement. “Yeah, of course I will…but how? They’re so ticked at me…What do I say?”

“Well, you gotta do the only thing you can do, apologize to both of them. After that, try to convince them to make up too. Listen, I know you don’t like to be cheesy and I know I don’t like to be either, but sometimes you sorta have to. When you can get them both together, make sure it’s both so you can all come to an understanding at once, you can’t try to play it cool or keep it short. You have to be sincere. You have to mean everything you say and let them know you’re actually sorry. Other than that, I don’t really have much for ya. Like I said yesterday, you know them way better than me and that means you know how to work with them too.”

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Rainbow Dash!” the filly exclaimed, a sense of profound determination coming over her. The plan seemed easy enough, and if Rainbow claimed it would work, then she was sure it would.

Her mentor leaned forward and wrapped her into another quick embrace. “It’s gonna be tough, and they won’t be willing to talk right away; but I know for a fact that you can do it.”

“Thanks,” Scootaloo said with a nod before pushing away and turning to make her leave.

“Oh and one more thing, give them the first day to steam off a bit. Don’t wanna push it too soon. Maybe get some sleep instead?” Rainbow Dash asked with a laugh, shaking her head at the groggy little pony. “Good luck, kid, but I know you won’t need it. Gotta go help clean up this mess…that I may or may not have caused. Told ya I make mistakes,” she gave Scootaloo a final wink as she hovered into the air. Before taking off, she spun around in a circle with her hooves pointed at the chaos caused by the storm around her as if to emphasize the point she was making.

Chapter 6

Scootaloo sat upon the floor of her room with a quill in her mouth as she scrawled upon a slightly crumpled piece of paper. A few flecks of dust glittered in the light pouring in from the window which lit up the spot where she sat, as well as her letter. She gave a proud smile after signing her name at the bottom and placing the quill back into the inkwell, then went about rereading her words.

Dear Sweetie Belle,
I know I made a mistake and it’s okay if you’re still upset. I need to talk to you, though. It’s about Apple Bloom. I hope you’ll do this for her sake more than mine, but I would really appreciate it. We both know you’re a really sweet pony and I guess we sort of take it for granted sometimes. This time, I’m not, and I’m not trying to use you or anything either. I just want you and Apple Bloom to be happy is all. Meet me down by the stream near Fluttershy’s cottage once you get this letter. I’ll be there and we’ll talk.

Your friend,
Scootaloo

Satisfied, she then folded the letter three times and scrawled the filly’s name upon its front. Setting it aside, she began reviewing the letter which was previously concealed beneath the other and smiled.

Dear Apple Bloom,
I can tell you’re still mad at me and I deserve it after what I did. I need to talk to you, though. It’s about Sweetie Belle. You’re not as mad at her, right? I know you still care about her and so do I. You’re a tough filly, even tougher than me sometimes, and pretty stubborn too. So I know it’s hard to say yes to this. But please trust me, I’m doing this for yours and Sweetie’s sake more than mine. Even if you are a bit stubborn, you’ve still got a heart and I know that. Please do this for you and Sweetie Belle. Meet me down by the stream near Fluttershy’s cottage once you get this letter. I’ll be there and we’ll talk.

Your friend,
Scootaloo

She repeated the folding process as with the previous note. After adding the recipient’s name on its front, she placed both of them snuggly beneath her small wing before rushing outside. Luckily, she found the pony who she searched for almost immediately after exiting the door. Upon a small but extremely fluffy cloud lay her big sister in a peaceful slumber, her loud snores echoing through the street. Scootaloo felt somewhat bad for rousing her from a nap, but what she asked was of the utmost importance.

“Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash!” the filly called loudly in hopes to wake the mare above. She buzzed her wings furiously, lifting herself just slightly away from the ground as she called once more, hoping the slight change of distance would allow her voice to reach the cloud better.

“Oh…hey, Scoots, what’s up?” Rainbow mumbled, peaking over the cloud and rubbing a hoof against her groggy eyes.

“I need your help!” she exclaimed with a confident smile. “I figured out how I can apologize.”

Dash’s eyes brightened and she smiled back before gliding down to meet the filly. “Oh yeah? What do you need me for?”

Scootaloo quickly but gently bit down upon the two letters tucked beneath her wing and pulled them into view. “I need you tho thake thesthe to Sthweetie Belle and Apple Bloom,” she sputtered out between her teeth.

The cyan pegasus took the two letters in her mouth and placed them beneath her own much larger and stronger wing for the time being. “Easy enough. Where are they?”

“Apple Bloom should be somewhere between Sweet Apple Acres and the market, probably still at the market. Then, Sweetie Belle, I think, is at Rarity’s again.”

“That it? Anything else I need to do?” Rainbow asked.

“Nah, they’ll know what to do when they read the letters,” the filly responded with an eager grin. “Thanks for doing this.”

“Hey, it’s no problem kid. I’m just glad to see ya actually doing it…and to see you smile again.” Dash took the letters in her mouth once more and unfurled her wings with a quick snap. She then raised a hoof to her forehead, saluted the small filly, and gave a confident nod before she pushed off into the clear blue skies. Now, Scootaloo only had to reach the selected place of meeting and await the letters’ recipients. She easily hopped onto her scooter, nearly forgetting to strap on her helmet in the process, and pushed off towards the edge of the Everfree Forest.

***

Scootaloo reached the small stream in what seemed like only minutes and noticed that, of course, nopony else had yet arrived. The pegasus took the free time to collect herself for the final task at hoof. She plopped down upon the vibrant, grassy bank beside the water and allowed her eyes to fall shut as she turned her concentration to the beats of her heart.

They were quick, but her calm, deep breaths aided in slowing the organ down. With her heart comforted, she then went through the makeshift speech she had prepared for the two fillies in her head. She wanted every detail to be perfect, but overthinking it wasn’t necessarily a good idea either. As her heart began to pound once more, she decided to find a way a better way to occupy her time.

Opening her eyes, the pegasus gazed down at the fast moving and slightly murky stream below. She gingerly pushed the tip of her hoof below its ever changing surface. Its frigid touch was a stark contrast to the near sweltering heat of the day, which caused her to gasp ever so lightly. She did not pull her hoof away though, but instead let it relax. It was the hottest it had been since the previous summer, even warmer than the day she had made her way to Sweet Apple Acers. It brought back thoughts and hopes for the free time ahead, something else which hadn’t crossed her mind since then. The reason being was because her future seemed lost without the two fillies whom she’d imagined spending those warm days with her. But now, she was sure they would be there after what she was about to do, that is, if they made the decision to follow her instructions. This, she was also sure of.

She briefly glanced over at Fluttershy’s peaceful looking cottage in the distance and wondered what she and the animals were doing inside as she leaned back and rested her head against the soft grass. She pulled her hoof away from the stream to allow time for it to dry and gazed up into the infinite expanse of blue. A sudden but certainly enjoyable sensation of contentedness flowed through her body, letting it relax and fall motionless against the cool earth. While the constant rushing sound of water invaded her ears, her eyes slowly drew closed once more, but this time in a light, almost half awakened state of sleep.

Scootaloo’s ears perked up as they perceived the crushing down of grass nearby. She easily shook herself from the near-sleep which had overcome her and allowed her eyes to shoot open as a shadow was cast down upon her. “Sweetie Belle…you came!” the pegasus exclaimed with a groggy smile as she admired the unicorn’s familiar face.

“Hi, Scootaloo,” the filly responded as distantly as possible, although a tinge of sadness could be perceived in her words.

Scootaloo hardly struggled to push herself up into a sitting position, feeling more alive and renewed than even that morning when she had first awoken from a long night’s sleep. “Is Apple Bloom here too?” she asked curiously, rubbing one eye as the other scanned the rolling field along with the path which ran through it, heading back towards town.

“Apple Bloom? I thought you-” Sweetie’s question came to a halt when a perturbed voice hollered out from behind her. Although she already knew who it was by the distinct accent, Scootaloo peered around the unicorn to watch as the second crusader approached. A rather large paper sack of what she assumed to be the supplies she had retrieved for Applejack, was balanced precariously upon her back.

“Ah thought you said it was just gonna be me and you? Lyin’ even more now, huh? Ah don’t even know why ah came,” Apple Bloom grumbled, coming to a stop before them and then lowering the bag to a flat resting place upon the ground.

“Wait, huh?” Sweetie Belle muttered. “Scootaloo’s note told me it was just going to be the two of us,” she turned to the orange filly with a scowl and shrieked. “Scootaloo! Ugh! The nerve of some ponies! I have no clue why I came either! I guess I just hoped you were changing back to your normal self.”

Scootaloo smiled calmly. “I never said it would just be me waiting here. I said I needed to talk to Apple Bloom about Sweetie Belle and Sweetie Belle about Apple Bloom. What I need to say deals with both of you and me too. Can you just hear me out?”

Sweetie Belle gave a slight nod of agreement. “I don’t know exactly where you’re headed with this, but I guess.”

“Ah didn’t come all the way out here for nothin’,” Apple Bloom growled.

“Well, first off, I just wanna say I’m sorry…really, truly, and sincerely sorry. I was scared, I didn’t know what I was feeling or how to deal with it, but that’s no excuse. I should have reacted better, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to hurt either of you two, but ended up hurting you both even worse than I ever would’ve thought. I was sorta selfish too, thinking more about myself than you. I screwed up, and I’m really sorry.” Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak, but held back her words as the pegasus before her raised a hoof. “I hope you do, but if you don’t forgive me and still hate me, that’s okay. I just don’t want you to hate each other. I was the one who made this mess and you should be mad at me, not each other. You’re both really great friends and I want you to stick together. I really just want you two to be happy again. ”

“Ah-” Apple Blooms interjection was quickly interrupted be Scootaloo’s raised hoof. The two fillies came to the conclusion that the speech would not be paused unless finished.

“I love both of you, but as friends. Rainbow Dash told me that I was too young for that kind of stuff and she was totally right. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m gonna wait a while to do that. I have something way more important to deal with anyway, getting my cutie mark and making sure you two fillies get yours. Even if we aren’t friends anymore, I still wanna help. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, no matter what!”

The speech was followed with a whimper, sniffle and then high pitched cry as Sweetie Belle burst into tears. “Scootaloo…I…never knew you could…be so…sweet,” she forced out in between sniffles. Her mouth formed into a wide smile as she sprang forward and wrapped her hooves around the filly’s neck. “I completely forgive you and Apple Bloom; and you’re right, that whole love thing kind of seems silly when I look back on it, silly for all of us,” the unicorn said calmly, regaining her composure as she nuzzled her cheek against Scootaloo’s chest.

“Well, ya sound honest enough, and ah guess you’re right. Ah forgive both of ya too,” Apple Bloom said with a slight, half-hearted nod. “Ah’m still a little angry though.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Scootaloo said with a warm smile as Sweetie broke away from the embrace. “I’m just glad you’re talking to me again. I don’t know about you girls, but I felt horrible without having anypony to talk to or hang out with.”

Sweetie Belle agreed with a shudder. “Really horrible. What about you, Apple Bloom?”

“Ah…oh alright, ah missed ya real bad, both of you.”

“That’s what I thought,” the unicorn responded smugly. “Now I think a group hug is in order,” she then demanded with a cute squeak.

Scootaloo grinned and nodded her head as she wrapped one hoof around Sweetie Belle and extended the other to country filly before her. Apple Bloom gave a playful huff before taking a few steps forward and completing the circle of embrace. “When did ya get so cheesy, Scoots?” she asked as she tightened her hooves around them.

“Sometimes you just have to be…and hey, it isn’t all that bad,” the pegasus said with a shrug and smile.

“Ah guess,” Apple Bloom said with a laugh.

“Hey, if you want, I can help carry that bag back for you,” Scootaloo suggested, motioning her head towards the paper sack as the hug came to an end.

“Ah can always get it myself. Ah did lug it all the way out here, after all, but ah guess that’s alright.”

“Sweet, it’s the least I can do,” the pegasus responded with an eager grin and an equally eager buzz of the wings.

“Mind if I tag along too?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ah don’t see why not.”

With Apple Bloom’s approval, the two fillies balanced the overhanging edges of the bag as she lifted it up onto her back. In that position, they then began the long trek which would lead them back through town and all the way to the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. Although the evening grew closer and closer with every minute passed, the sun remained fairly high in the sky. Celestia was keeping it up longer and longer every day after all. This once again reminded Scootaloo that it would soon be summer. A fluttering sensation spread through her body, but it certainly wasn’t the same sensation she had experienced when the two fillies had admitted their feelings for her. It was the feeling of love and happiness in the form of friendship. One of the greatest feelings she had ever felt, and one which she never wanted to lose again.

“Maybe we could get our cutie marks in transportin’ goods?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, breaking the silence.

“I think it’d have to be something a lot more complicated than just carrying a bag full of groceries and whatever else you’ve got in there,” Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head.

Scootaloo couldn’t help but let out a contended and joy filled laugh. “It’s good to be back, crusaders, real good. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Chapter 1

It was the perfect afternoon, Scootaloo thought to herself as she approached Sweet Apple Acres. She had finished school, eaten dinner, and now had an entire weekend of freedom ahead of her. Although it wasn’t necessarily freedom that the weekend was composed of, but rather the tough work of once again trying to gain her cutie mark with her fellow Crusaders. Although tonight’s meeting was at a standstill. Upon greeting Sweetie Belle at the boutique’s door, she was informed that the small unicorn would not be making it to the gathering, but instead spending the evening with her sister. They could at least throw around a few ideas, but without a third to add more input, it might just be a waste of their time.

This seemed okay to the orange filly though, because she rarely spent time with just Apple Bloom, and it would be nice to do something truly fun for once. She breathed in a deep breath of air filled with the scent of the many blossoms covering the apple trees in the nearing orchard. She then gazed ahead, admiring how their vibrant whitish-pink color blanketed the waving hills of the fields. Apple blooms….Apple Bloom. Oh, so that’s how she got her name! the pegasus thought to herself, thinking it rather silly that the idea had never crossed her mind before.

A smile grew upon her face as a sense of light-heartedness spread through her body. It was spring, so the days were getting warmer and longer. Soon school would be out and she would have the entire summer to find her cutie mark, that is, if she hadn’t received it by then already. But for now, it was a lovely evening, the sun shone warmly upon her back, though the cool but gentle breeze kept her from getting too hot. If the day could get any better, she had no clue how.

Her hooves traveled across the cool, almost wet dirt of one of the paths between the many rows of apple trees. She then broke from the path into short, bright green blades of grass as she traveled up the hill to the location of their clubhouse, which had an almost idyllic view of the outskirts of town below.

Scootaloo made her way up the steps and paused before the clubhouse door, giving it a few hollow knocks. “What’s the secret knock?” she heard in Apple Bloom’s muffled voice.

“Oh come on!” the pegasus grumbled. “We change it, like, every week. How am I supposed to remember?”

She heard approaching hoof steps and, as the door opened, was greeted by the yellow filly with a huff and glare. This disdainful look soon turned into one of surprise as she realized nopony accompanied the pegasus. “Where’s Sweetie Belle?”

“Said she couldn’t make it. Had something to do with Rarity.”

“Well, then, what’re we gonna do?” Apple Bloom asked, closing the door as her friend entered and then proceeding to pace back and forth across the green, wooden planks which made up the floor.

Scootaloo gave her a shrug. “I dunno, I was thinking we could just hang out or something.”

“Yeah, ah guess. We can always talk ta Sweetie tomorrow,” the filly said with a thoughtful nod.

“Yeah, I was thinking it’d be pretty cool since, ya know, just the two of us never hang out.”

Apple Bloom gave a rather peculiar gulp in response to her friend’s words and spoke with hesitation. “Y-yeah…that’s…gonna be nice.”

“Something wrong, Apple Bloom?” the pegasus asked, tilting her head and raising a curious eyebrow.

The filly shyly turned her sunset orange eyes to floor below. “No, ah really do wanna spend some time with you…but that’s the problem.”

“What problem?” Scootaloo asked, her demeanor noticeably becoming more and more confused by the second.

“Well…ah…ah need to tell you somethin’, somethin’ private,” Apple Bloom said and followed with another gulp as she sat her flank upon the wooden floor, then patted the area beside her with a hoof. Her friend gave an unsure shrug, but was curious as to what private talk she spoke of and quickly took a seat beside her.

“Alright, I’m listening,” Scootaloo said after a few awkward moments of silence. She then blinked, noticing the growing blush upon the filly’s cheeks as they turned a deeper and deeper shade of pink.

“Well…ah…ah…this is probably gonna sound real silly, Scoots. I-if ya don’t feel the same, please don’t make fun of me, okay?” Apple Bloom struggled to push out.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” the pegasus replied with a warming smile and confident nod.

“Ah, well…ah know everypony would say we’re still too young for lovin’ and all…and ah know we’re both fillies…but…” She paused and slammed her eyes shut as if in an attempt to escape the impending continuation of her statement. “…Ah really like you, as in more than just a friend,” she finally, and nervously, uttered out.

Scootaloo’s entire body, with the exception of her growing eyes, froze in place. “You…do?”

The filly’s heart sunk noticeably as a frown formed on her face. “Ah’m sorry…ah know it’s weird. Maybe ah shoulda just kept it a secret.”

Scootaloo’s heart began to pound heavily against her chest as she finally managed to fully absorb the information that had just been given to her. Then, her body was overcome by a fluttering sensation from deep within. “No…wait!” she exclaimed with speed to which Apple Bloom looked up at her with hope. “I haven’t really ever thought of you like that…until now, I mean. We have been pretty close friends and you are pretty cool and sweet and stuff.” Her cheeks suddenly filled with pink. “I guess I might like you like that too.”

“You do?” Apple Bloom asked joyously as she wrapped her hooves around the pegasus who was left voiceless by the action.

Scootaloo gave off an awkward smile and patted a hoof against her back, feeling their two hearts beating against one another with equal speed as their chests made contact. These newfound feelings within her were so spontaneous, so confusing, that she was unsure if ‘love’ was what they truly meant. These sensations made her happy, even blissful, but at the same time felt strange and almost wrong. She had heard many times that love was a very confusing thing, and now she was experiencing it firsthoof.

“You okay?” her friend, or perhaps now, her lover asked, gazing up into the filly’s large eyes.

“...Of course!” Scootaloo exclaimed with a quick shake of her head. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Are you just as nervous as me?” she then questioned, her cheeks still glowing with pink.

“Y-yeah…that’s it. I’m nervous…” the pegasus mumbled, not quite sure if the word ‘nervous’ could actually describe her emotions.

“Ah’m sure we’ll get used to it soon. Maybe going on a…well…a first date would help?”

Scootaloo gave her friend a simple but interrogative stare as she finally broke their embrace. Although inside, her heart once again quickened its pace as the word ‘date’ travelled into her ear. “I’m not really an expert at this kind of stuff. Any ideas on what we should do?”

“Ah’m not really either…uh…um…” Apple Bloom mumbled as she pondered the question. “Ah got it!” she suddenly exclaimed, a wide smile upon her face. “‘Round this time a year, ah always like to take walks through the orchard. It’s just so pretty, especially during sunset. Ah used to think it’d be romantic if ah had a special somepony.”

“Sounds fun,” Scootaloo said in an excitable tone, her wings matching the fluttering sensation within her, which returned with increased force.

***

Scootaloo once again breathed in the sweet fragrance as they walked beneath the flowered canopy above them. The pinkish hue of the pedals was now a fiery salmon as the lowering sun shone through their flesh and pierced through the gaps between them. Apple Bloom’s body rested haphazardly, but warmly, against her own. On occasion, the two would fumble over one another’s hoof, nearly crashing, muzzle first, into the dark soil below. Scootaloo’s heart and spirits were elevated, by far, much further than they had been when she first approached the orchards. She didn’t believe that anything could increase her happiness further, but the small, country filly who now walked beside her proved that thought wrong. Just the touch of her smooth yellow fur against her own was enough to make the pegasus grin with delight. Her previous hesitation had completely disappeared.

“Hey, Apple Bloom, how’d you figure out that you liked me anyways?” she asked, turning away from the intense but erratic rays of sunshine.

“Well ah…ah dunno. It just kinda happened,” Apple Bloom said with a shrug. “Ah started thinkin’ about you more and more, even had some dreams about you, then it just all the sudden clicked in my mind.”

“When did that start happening?” Scootaloo questioned.

“A week or two ago,” she said, her cheeks filling with pink once more.

The filly’s purple eyes grew wide with surprise. “That soon…and you already told me?”

“Well, I wasn’t gonna wait around and say nothin’,” Applebloom said with a proud, nearly smug, smile.

Scootaloo sighed blissfully. “I’m glad you did. I would’ve never known how much I liked you too.” The smile of whom she addressed became more heartfelt at the response before it was pushed against her cheek in a loving nuzzle. The ecstatic pegasus’ heart nearly burst from her chest, but she kept a calm, cool demeanor on her exterior as she nuzzled back.

“It’s gonna be real nice havin’ somepony to do silly stuff with, like just walking around and such.”

“Yeah, it makes all the boring stuff really fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed, her wings giving an excited flutter.

“Ah mean, ah know you woulda done it already, but this just makes it even more special,” Apple Bloom breathed out dreamily.

“I’m guessing that’s why they call them your special somepony,” the pegasus suggested, her cheeks growing red with heat as she finished the sentence.

“Yeah, somethin’ like that,” Apple Bloom said, breaking away from their route. Scootaloo watched curiously as she sat beneath one of the trees and rested her back against its thick trunk, its surface toughened by many years of weathering. “Come here.”

Following the command, she sat down directly beside the filly. The thin blades of grass tickled at her flank and the rough bark of the tree rubbed harshly against her back. “Taking a rest?”

Apple Bloom responded with a dreamy sigh and wrapped her hoof tightly around Scootaloo’s. “Ah guess you could say that.”

The fluttering sensation within the small pegasus’ body returned with a force stronger than ever. She couldn’t control the awkward giggle that then came from her mouth, expelling a small amount of the nervous energy within. “Uh…in those dreams about me, what was I doing?” she asked, gently caressing Apple Bloom’s hoof with her own.

The filly chuckled and rested her head against Scootaloo’s shoulder. “You were mainly just spendin’ time with me…but near the end we, well, we kissed.”

Scootaloo gazed down into her fiery eyes, as bright as the lowering sun. Her heart never received a break from its quickened pace. Its beat only grew faster with every second. “We can always do it for real,” she mumbled, letting her eyes fall shut and puckering her lips.

Apple Bloom expelled a sigh of both contentedness and excitement as she lifted her head and followed suit. As their small, delicate lips made contact with one another, the two fillies’ faces were covered with a deep red. Scootaloo nearly had no clue what she was doing or how the process of kissing necessarily worked, but continued with complete confidence. She kept her lips puckered as she held the kiss, unsure of what else to do. She then wrapped her hooves around the filly, letting her fall blissfully limp in her embrace.

Applebloom breathed dreamily into Scootaloo’s mouth as she was gently lowered onto her back, their lips still locked into the awkwardly passionate kiss. As her back made contact with the cool earth below, a slight shiver traveled upwards through her spine. This chill was easily dissipated by the pegasus’ warm body as she lay down on top of her.

Scootaloo had heard of tongue kissing from older fillies and even seen it in action previously. Although she wasn’t sure exactly how it worked; she was ready and willing to give it a shot. She pushed her tongue against the unsuspecting pony’s lips, which allowed it to easily slip between them.

Apple Bloom’s eyes shot open as she brought her hooves to Scootaloo’s chest and struggled to push her away. The pegasus gazed down confusedly as the kiss was broken, her eager tongue still protruding from her mouth. “What’re you doin, Scoots?”

“Tongue kissing…it’s-”

"Ah know what it is, but why?” Applebloom interrupted, staring up at her in what seemed close to shock.

Scootaloo responded with a shrug. “Uh…well, I thought we could give it a try. It sounded fun and…” her voice trailed off into an inaudible mumble and then haltered as she stumbled off of the filly. “Sorry…”

Apple Bloom’s lips formed into a comforting smile as she pushed herself up from the ground and onto her flank. “Nah, it’s okay. It’s just that this is our first date. I dunno if we should be takin’ it that far yet.”

The pegasus shook her head in shame as she too returned to sitting upon her flank. “I’m really sorry, Apple Bloom. I wasn’t trying to push it or anything…I guess I just got carried away.”

“It’s alright, Scoots. Maybe we’ll get there someday soon. For now, sittin’ here and cuddlin’s just fine,” the filly said, wrapping a loving hoof around her shoulders.

Scootaloo smiled giddily as she felt the touch of her hoof and responded by wrapping her own around Apple Bloom’s small waist. “Awesome,” she breathed ecstatically. “Alright…this is gonna sound really cheesy, but that’s what…love is all about…right?” Apple Bloom nodded silently, giving the pegasus her full attention. “Alright, here we go…I know it’s only been, like, well, not very long since you told me you liked me and we started this walk, but I really think I love you. I’m so happy, like, really happy just to be here with you right now.” Scootaloo could easily perceive an increased pulsation caused by the quickening beats of the filly’s heart as her sentence came to a close.

“Ah-ah love you,” she mumbled shyly.

“I love you too, Applebloom,” Scootaloo said in a contrastingly eager tone.

“M-maybe we could give that tongue kissin’ a try…just a little.”

“Really?” Scootaloo questioned, her wings flittering excitedly.

“…Um….yeah, you start,” Apple Bloom mumbled, closing her eyes and leaving her mouth just slightly opened.

The pegasus couldn’t help but display a euphoric grin before she dived into the kiss. She pressed her half opened lips deeply against that of her companion and pushed her tongue into the warm cavity of her mouth. She moved it back and forth until she made contact with that of Apple Bloom’s. Under an assumption of what to do next, but in reality, not sure at all, she continually brushed their tongues together, back and forth. Apple Bloom shuddered nervously at the strange feeling, but played along a moment before pulling away.

“How was it?” Scootaloo asked with a confident grin before wiping the small traces of saliva from her lips.

“It was…uh, weird?” Apple Bloom mumbled, still sorting through her head in an attempt to find the correct words to describe it.

The pegasus scratched a hoof awkwardly against her untidy mane. “Yeah, I don’t even know if we were doing it right…still worth the try though, right?”

The filly let out a soft giggle. “Of course…now I was thinkin’ that maybe we should keep all this secret. I’m not really embarrassed to tell anypony, but AJ, Big Mac, and Granny might find out and…you know them,” she said with a huff.

“Yeah, it’s cool…but we gotta tell Sweetie Belle though. She’s our friend and it’s hard to keep a secret from her anyways. She’d probably figure it out herself after a while,” Scootaloo said, pulling her young lover closer.

Apple Bloom responded with a soft but affirmative nod. “Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me. We can tell her tomorrow. I’m sure she won’t tell anypony else…well, hopefully.”

The two fillies’ conversation was interrupted by a sudden, startling swoosh from above. In reflex, Scootaloo jumped to her hooves and quickly cocked her head back to see a speedy blur of cyan and rainbow in the light orange, seemingly cloudless sky. “Just Rainbow Dash,” she said, returning her gaze to Applebloom. “Wonder what she’s…oh yeah, big rain shower tonight!”

“Huh?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head confusedly.

“Didn’t you hear? The weather team’s been planning a big one for tonight,” Scootaloo explained, peering through the trees. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the towering peaks of the raincloud, menacingly dark with moisture. “Actually…I should probably get home soon. Not sure when they’re gonna start…and you too. They’ll be building it up over here soon,” she said hastily, a sudden sense of anxiety overtaking her.

“Sure thing,” Apple Bloom muttered, quickly stumbling to her hooves and brushing the damp soil from her flank. “Ah guess ah’ll be seein’ ya sometime tomorrow then?”

“Uh…yeah, sounds good,” the pegasus mumbled, turning to leave. “Wait!” she exclaimed, turning back and locking her eyes with the filly’s. “One more kiss before I leave?” she asked in her approach. “Doesn’t have to have tongue or anything,” she quickly added.

Apple Bloom smiled adoringly as she met her lover in mid-step. “Yeah, sure.”

Scootaloo pressed a hoof against her chin, situating her snout so that her lips became an easy target. She leaned in and gave her a quick peck, but quickly pulled away as a distant clap of thunder echoed through the air. “See you tomorrow,” she said as she turned once more. Why the hay didn’t I bring my scooter! she thought to herself with a scowl as she walked away, realizing that the trek home would’ve become much quicker with the device. She gave Apple Bloom a final wave, already feeling almost lost without the pony being by her side.

Chapter 5

The end of the weekend as well as the first half of the week seemed to pass by at a sluggish pace, but oddly blurred together in a haze for Scootaloo. She tried her hardest to speak with both of her fellow crusaders, but they simply avoided her, and succeeded.

Her newly created morning routine seemed to proceed just like the previous days of the week. She arrived at the schoolhouse somewhat early and attempted to catch Apple Bloom in the yard before she passed into the classroom. She, as with the previous days, was greeted with a scowl and huff which was followed by silence.

The pegasus sighed in frustration and plopped down near the edge of the building. She gently bounced her head against the structure’s wooden sideboards, the red paint upon them faded and chipped. Something which would have to be fixed when summer finally rolled around. Upon the thought of summer, Scootaloo realized that the morning did in fact seem like one which would fit into such a season. The day was already warm, the skies cloudless, and the sun’s rays which reached over the hills had an intense feel about them. Normally, she’d be restless and already awaiting the end of the school day, so she could play or perhaps test new professions for cutie marks with her friends. She, of course, had nothing planned for the afternoon, except actually finishing her homework for once and retiring to bed early. That is, unless she somehow managed to get her thoughts across to Sweetie and Apple Bloom.

“Hi, Scootaloo!” exclaimed a misleadingly enthusiastic voice, causing the addressed filly to literally jump from her thoughts. Her wings flicked wildly in panic as she clambered up onto her hooves. Her eyes then met with the familiar ice blue stare of Diamond Tiara. The light pink filly along with her gray compatriot burst out into a fit of laughter, their combined voices even more annoying in the form of snickers and snorts. “Anyways…what are you doing out here all alone, Scootaloo? Not even good enough for your little friends anymore?” she asked with an amused smirk.

“No! I…well…I…just back off, alright!” Scootaloo grumbled in defense, although Diamond Tiara’s statement was, in fact, somewhat accurate.

“Oh, somepony’s feisty today,” Silver Spoon teased before turning to her friend and giving a wink. Luckily, the loud ring of the bell signified it was time for class to start before they could ask any further questions.

“Hmm, we’ll talk more later, okay? Oh, and I know you’re probably going through some kind of tough time or something, but you look absolutely horrible. At least take care of yourself,” the pink filly said with a huff before trotting inside.

Scootaloo sighed, wondering if she indeed looked so bad. The stress did seem to be weighing down on her after all. It felt strange and even depressing knowing that she did not have the support she normally would when arguing with her nemeses. There was nopony to tell her she looked fine or nopony to develop a smart comeback in her defense.

Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she saw a familiar white unicorn rushing towards her through the school yard. A sudden sensation of hope slowly trickled through her veins as the Sweetie Belle neared. Her mind exploded with possibilities of the filly’s reaction. Perhaps she would tackle her to the ground in an embrace and apologize, so that she too could do the same; or maybe she would come to a halt before her and shyly await an apology before she too gave her own. “Sweetie Belle!” she exclaimed with a loving grin. Her joyous thoughts easily disappeared as the unicorn simply lifted her head ignorantly, and walked past.

The second bell rang as the pegasus trudged through the entrance in defeat. “Scootaloo, you’re cutting it close. You need to be here before the second bell rings, not coming in while it’s ringing,” Cheerilee scorned, tapping a hoof against her desk. The class predictably burst out into a small series of laughs and taunts.

Great, just great! That’s exactly what I needed, Scootaloo thought as a scowl appeared on her face and her cheeks reddened with anger rather than embarrassment. She crawled hopelessly into her chair, and then blinked in confusion as she noticed that the two seats next to her were occupied by colts rather than Sweetie and Apple Bloom. After confirming that she was in the correct seat, she peered around the classroom and realized that the two fillies had exchanged seats so they were not only away from her, but away from each other as well, each on opposite sides of the room. Her hopes that the situation would be forgotten or at least calm down slightly, quickly dissipated.

The pegasus pushed out an inaudible groan, as the teacher’s droning voice set forth another dismal day, even if the sun shone brightly through the windows. There was nopony to exchange notes with or even whisper to in an attempt to pass the time more quickly. There were no smiles or silly faces to be made. There were no thoughts and ideas on recess to be planned ahead; and there was nopony to complain to about the pointless homework which was given.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were truly her only friends, or at least once were. Now she was alone, and felt alone at that. She wondered if the two fillies were having the same thoughts and emotions. She never saw them with anypony else either. She knew she must talk to them and somehow re-establish their previous friendship, although she had no idea how. Every attempt on her part was either ignored or scoffed at, and the other two seemed as if they didn’t care about the situation at all.

***

The end of the day finally came after what seemed like ages to Scootaloo; but rather than jumping up from her seat with renewed vigor, the filly instead slowly and methodically packed her school things into her side satchel before situating it upon her back. Oddly enough, she noticed Sweetie Belle doing just the same. A thought crossed her mind that perhaps this meant, she indeed was affected by the situation.

She quickly picked herself up and gave a smile as the filly’s green eyes connected with her own. A look of sadness fell upon the unicorn’s face before she quickly returned her gaze to the floor as walked away, nearly forgetting her bags completely. Scootaloo was unsure if the frown did exist or was just a hopeful hallucination. “Sweetie?” she asked, but of course the pony did not listen. Instead her pace quickened as she reached the exit, then disappeared.

Scootaloo gave a halfhearted shrug as she gazed back at Cheerilee, who busily went about correcting papers. “See ya, Miss Cheerilee,” she said with a wave before turning.

“…Hm? Oh, goodbye, Scootaloo,” the teacher mumbled in response, giving a quick glance to watch as the filly made her way outside.

Riding her scooter was one of Scootaloo’s favorite ways to escape her thoughts. She quickly strapped on her helmet and pushed off, using both her wings and a hoof to propel herself forward. Her thoughts dulled and eventually came to a halt as she turned around the corner towards home. She now concentrated on the path ahead and the warm wind which pushed at her face and whistled through the holes upon her blue helmet.

Strangely, as she pushed herself up over a small incline in the path and readied herself to speed downward from it’s top, she noticed a bouncing pink bow in the distance. The thoughts she had finally accomplished forgetting just moments before quickly rushed back into her mind. Apple Bloom, why is heading the wrong way? …Is she going to town to…talk to me me? She shook the amusing thought from her mind, knowing that it surely wasn’t the case. That did not mean she couldn’t attempt to speak with her though.

With a gentle push of her hoof, the front of the scooter lurched forward and then easily glided down the hill. Scootaloo’s wings buzzed furiously as she leaned forward to make her body more aerodynamic. The wind howled furiously against and around her face as she plummeted downward. A slight smile appeared upon her face once she realized that she would effortlessly reach the filly, if not speed past her without even kicking her hoof against the ground once more.

“Hey, Apple Bloom, can we talk?” she asked confidently as she dragged a hoof against the path for a break and pulled up upon the handlebars.

Apple Bloom looked rather surprised to see the pegasus screech to halt directly in front of her, and rather angered at being confronted. “No, we can’t. Now can ya please get outta my way,” she grumbled, giving the filly who blocked her path a fierce and stubborn glare.

“…Just curious what you’re going into town for is all,” Scootaloo replied, crossing her front hooves and resting them against the scooter’s handlebar.

“Just pickin’ up some things for Apple Jack. Ah really gotta go,” she muttered unhappily in response before quickly skirting around the pegasus.

“Hey wait, I wasn’t finished,” Scootaloo said, fumbling to turn around on her scooter.

“Please just back off, please,” the filly growled, stamping her hooves in frustration as she trotted away.

To her own reluctance as well as Apple Bloom’s surprise, Scootaloo pushed off and glided past the filly, giving her a friendly wave goodbye, but not letting even the shortest of words escape her mouth. She knew pushing the pony too far would only cause the situation to worsen more than it already had.

Instead of letting the gentle breeze and the trodden path ahead invade her thoughts as she did previously, she instead let it fill with feelings of hope. It was perhaps the most realistic hope she had felt all week. Though it seemed close to nothing, she realized she had in fact made leeway with both of the fillies, although the two showed it rather differently. Sweetie Belle had actually given her the slightest of acknowledgements and even seemed saddened by her presence rather than angered. While Apple Bloom had seemed harsh in her manners, she was at least speaking to her, and even pleaded with her rather than commanded.

As the sides of the path began to grow thicker with homes once she drew nearer the town’s main thoroughfare, another thought crossed her mind. If the two fillies were slightly more forgiving with her, then they had to be even more so with one another. After all, she was the pony that caused the situation in the first place, and they had nearly nothing to be angered at one another about. Perhaps the only reason they had exchanged seats was because they were not quite ready to admit their merciful feelings towards one another.

She nearly lost her balance and collapsed to the hard earth below as the thought suddenly created a much greater one. Just the simple trail which her mind had followed had led her to an unexpected conclusion upon how exactly to fix the situation. Somehow, she knew it would work, and with a reinvigorated fury, regained her balance fully and sped towards home.