There is No Easter Bunny

Sweetie Belle trotted happily along to school. Last night had been Easter and now she was so excited at what the Easter Bunny had brought her. He had brought her so much candy to share with her friends, and now, most of that candy was in her saddle bags. Today she was the happiest filly around.

Sweetie trotted along until she reached her school. Outside the school were the other colts and fillies as they played on the playground the school had. After locating her two friends, Sweetie galloped over to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Hey, guess what the Easter Bunny brought me!” Sweetie exclaimed to her friends; not able to contain her joy.

“What’d he bring ya?” Apple Bloom asked taking a step forward in excitement.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed as, she too, took a step forward.

Sweetie Belle moved her hoof back to her saddle bags and opened one up. “He brought me all of this,” Sweetie Belle said happily.

“Whoa, the Easter Bunny brought ya all that?” Apple Bloom asked in amazement.

“The Easter Bunny?” somepony asked in a high pitched voice. “You seriously think that the Easter Bunny is real?” The three fillies looked over to the origin of the voice, and standing there was Diamond Tiara and her friend Silver Spoon.

“The Easter Bunny is real!” Sweetie Belle yelled at the two fillies that had tormented her on several different occasions.

“Like if! There is no Easter Bunny. Only stupid blank flanks would ever think there was one,” Diamond Tiara told them.

“Yeah. Like seriously, how stupid are you three?” Silver Spoon asked. “Thinking that the Easter Bunny actually exists.”

“He does exist!” Sweetie Belle defended. “If he doesn’t, how do you explain the candy I got from him?”

“Yeah, how do ya’ll explain that?” Apple Bloom agreed.

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “It’s easy. Your mom or dad buys the candy, hides it for a bit, and after you go to bed on the night before Easter they put it out. Wait, for you three it’s your older sisters, since two of you are orphans and the other one barely ever see her mommy and daddy.” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughed.

“Hey, don’ say things like that!” Apple Bloom yelled at her classmates as she was tearing up. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked to the ground at the mention of their parents.

“It’s true isn’t it?” Silver Spoon asked. “And my daddy has always told me to always tell the truth.” The two bullies smirked.

“Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon!” The two fillies looked over at the mention of their names and trotting towards them was a somewhat angry looking Ms. Cheerilee. The two fillies backed away from their teacher, as their teacher reached the place they were at. “What are you two doing?” Ms. Cheerilee asked them.

“Only telling the truth,” Diamond Tiara said truthfully.

Ms. Cheerilee frowned at the vagueness of Diamond Tiara’s answer. “About what?” she then asked.

“Easter,” Silver Spoon quickly said.

“What about Easter?” the teacher then asked.

“The Easter Bunny. Those three shouldn’t think such a thing is real at their age,” Diamond Tiara admitted.

“So why were you two talking about their parents the way you were?” Ms. Cheerilee asked the two fillies.

This question had stopped the two bullies in their tracks. “Well you see…” Diamond Tiara began.

“Three days of detention for both of you,” Ms. Cheerilee told them, “your detention will start after school today.”

“But-” Diamond Tiara began.

“No ‘buts’,” Ms. Cheerilee scolded. “Now, go back to the classroom; recess is just about over.”

The two fillies slowly trotted away, upset that they had detention for telling the truth.

“Are you three okay?” Ms. Cheerilee asked.

“Yeah, they were jus’ bein’ mean to us,” Apple Bloom said. “So, is there an Easter Bunny, Ms. Cheerilee?”

Ms. Cheerilee opened her mouth and then closed it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders could tell that she was thinking. “Well, you should just ask your sisters. They’ll know for sure,” Ms. Cheerilee told them, “now come on; recess is over.”

“Okay,” the three fillies said as they began to trot back to the school.

><><><><><

Sweetie Belle trotted through the door of the Carousel Boutique with a sad look on her face. All day she had pondered over the idea of the Easter Bunny not being real, and now she was going to ask the single pony that she looked up to the most. Her sister Rarity.

Rarity will know if the Easter Bunny is real, she has to, Sweetie Belle thought to herself.

The white filly trotted into her older sister’s workroom and there was her older sister. The beautiful white unicorn mare with the amazingly styled purple mane stood in the room while levitating fabrics over to work on a dress she was in the process of making. Sweetie Belle slowly trotted over to her older sister.

“Rarity, can I ask you something?” Sweetie Belle timidly asked.

“Give me a minute, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity told her younger sister as she continued to work on the dress.

“Well, okay,” Sweetie said before she trotted into another room of the Carousel Boutique.

Sweetie Belle didn’t have to wait long until her sister trotted out of her workroom. “Now then, Sweetie Belle, what did you want to ask me?” Rarity asked.

“Well, today at school Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon overheard me talking about the candy the Easter Bunny brought me,” Sweetie Belle began, as her older sister frowned. “And they said that there isn’t an Easter Bunny and that it is just you giving me the candy and lying to me about the whole thing. Is it true?”

Rarity sighed. “Sweetie Belle, darling, every colt and filly grow up believing that the Easter Bunny is real. Now, it’s not really lying, but the Easter Bunny isn’t real. He’s just a figment of your imagination.

“I was the same way when I was younger. And when somepony told me that the Easter Bunny wasn’t real, I asked mother and father if he was real. And as many parents do when a foal asks that question, they said that he wasn’t real. That he’s just a thing foals believe in.”

“So… you’re saying that the Easter Bunny isn’t real?” Sweetie Belle began to tear up.

“Yes, I’m saying that the Easter Bunny is not real.” Rarity put a hoof around her younger sister. “I know exactly how you feel right now; I went through the same thing.”

“Well, if that’s true then what about everything else Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon say about me and the other crusaders? Is that true too?” Sweetie Belle asked her sister with tears on the brink of going down her face.

“Well, no,” Rarity replied. “They may be right about this, but you’ll get your cutie mark someday. And that day will be soon. I promise.” Rarity gave her sister a wink.

“But if they’re right about one thing, can’t they be right about others?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Sweetie, even if somepony is right about one thing, it doesn’t mean that they’re right about everything out there. Nopony is right about everything they say,” Rarity told Sweetie Belle.

“But some ponies are right about a lot of things,” Sweetie Belle argued.

“But they aren’t bullies like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Bullies are mean, but what they say isn’t right,” Rarity told Sweetie Belle.

“Are you sure, Rarity?” Sweetie asked.

“Yes, I’m absolutely positive that they are not right about the other things they say.” Rarity pulled her sister into a hug.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle thanked. “I’m sorry for not believing you at first.”

“It’s not a problem, Sweetie,” Rarity replied.

><><><><><

Apple Bloom trotted into her family’s farm. At Sweet Apple Acres the sound of trees getting hit by hind hooves could always be heard, well except in the winter months. Apple Bloom trotted as fast as she could without galloping on the road that led to her home, so she could ask her older sister, Applejack, if the Easter Bunny truly existed.

Apple Bloom trotted through her family’s orchard and up to her house. The young filly trotted through the door and inside she saw Big Mac and Granny Smith, but no Applejack.

Applejack must be out in the field buckin’ trees, Apple Bloom thought to herself.

Apple Bloom trotted over to Big Mac and asked, “Is Applejack out in the orchard buckin’ trees?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac simply replied in his deep voice.

“Ah’m gonna go ask her somethin’,” Apple Bloom said before she trotted out the door.

“Okay,” Big Mac told her.

Apple Bloom didn’t have to trot far to find her older sister, for it was near the beginning of the season for Apple Bucking and Applejack had not got into the deeper areas of the orchard.

“Hey, Applejack,” Apple Bloom called out to her sister, “can Ah ask ya somethin’?”

“Sure, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said happily as she trotted away from the tree and to her younger sister.

“Well, today at school, Diamond Tiara an’ Silver Spoon were goin’ on ‘bout how there’s not an Easter Bunny. An’ they kept sayin’ stuff ‘bout ma an’ pa, and…” Apple Bloom trailed off with tears streaming down her face.

“Now, Apple Bloom, ya know not ta take what them bullies say seriously. They’re jus’ bein’ mean to ya an’ yer friends,” Applejack told the crying filly as she wrapped her hoof around her.

“But, why would they say stuff like that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’ know, but they’re jus’ bein’ mean to ya an’ yer friends. Ah don’ know why they are, but they are,” Applejack told her. “There’s nothin’ you can really do ‘bout it, unless the teacher catches them.

“But when the teacher does catch them, they get in big trouble, right? Of course they do. And Ah’m sure that Ms. Cheerilee would get real angry if she caught Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon sayin’ stuff like that.”

“Well, she did get real mad at them an’ they got three days detention fer sayin’ the stuff they said to us,” Apple Bloom admitted.

“See, Ms. Cheerilee did get on to them, so ya have nothin’ ta worry ta ‘bout.” Applejack gave Apple Bloom a nice, warm smile.

“Applejack, can Ah ask ya somethin’ else?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Sure,” Applejack replied.

“What were ma and pa like?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well, yer ma was a wonderful mare with a beautiful orange coat an’ a light red, almos’ pink, mane….” The two sisters talked about their parents in that orchard for the rest of Celestia’s day and then some. Apple Bloom had one of the longest and best conversations with her older sister she had ever had before.

><><><><><

Scootaloo rode through town on her scooter as she looked for the mare that is just like her older sister, or just Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was a hard pony to find at times, since she would fly around Ponyville all the time. And sometimes would just nap on a cloud.

After thirty minutes of searching Ponyville, Scootaloo found Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was napping on a cloud.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called.

Rainbow Dash woke up, and looked to the ground at who called her name. “Oh, hey Scoots. What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Can I ask you something?” Scootaloo asked the rainbow maned mare.

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well, today at school, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were going on and saying that the Easter Bunny doesn’t exist. Are… are they right?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, the Easter Bunny isn’t real. It’s just something foals believe that is real,” Rainbow Dash told her.

“So, they were right?” Scootaloo asked.

“About one thing, but not about the others they’ve been saying about you and your friends,” Rainbow Dash told her. “You’ll get your cutie marks soon, I know it.” Rainbow Dash ruffled Scootaloo’s mane with her hoof.

“Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said.

“No problem. If you need anything, just come on over and talk,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew back up to her cloud, “you need anything else?”

“Well, can you help me with flying?” Scootaloo asked.

“Sure,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Wait,” Scootaloo said.

“What is it, Scoots?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Can… can I ask you something?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well you just did, but go on and ask away,” Rainbow Dash told the orange pegasus filly.

“Rainbow Dash, did you know my parents?” Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow Dash paused. Had she known Scootaloo’s parents? Wait did Scootaloo say “known”? But if she said that….

“Scootaloo, who exactly are your parents?” Rainbow Dash asked her.

“Oh… um, well, I don’t think I’ve ever told this to you before, but, well, I’m an orphan,” Scootaloo said, looking to the ground, ashamed and thinking that Rainbow Dash would consider her “uncool” since she was an orphan.

“You… you are? I was never told,” Rainbow Dash said, dumbstruck with her mouth open.

“Well… yeah. I never knew my parents, but they… died… when I was still a baby,” Scootaloo told Rainbow Dash.

“What… what happened to them?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, my mom… she died in foalbirth and my dad died soon after in a large storm from the Everfree forest that got out of hoof,” Scootaloo said, still looking to the ground.

“What were their names?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, my mom was named Firefly, and my dad was named Rush,” Scootaloo told the older pegasus, “I don’t have any memories of my mom, but I have a few of my dad and if I think really hard I can think of them.” Scootaloo began to cry. Too much thinking of her parents always did this to her.

“Come here, Squirt,” Rainbow Dash said as she wrapped a wing around Scootaloo. Thank Celestia we’re not in a public place. If somepony saw this, my rep would be ruined, Rainbow Dash thought to herself.

“Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said.

“For what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Being here for me,” Scootaloo told her.

“Hey, Squirt, I’m always here for ya, and if ya need me, just ask,” Rainbow Dash said with a smile.

“Oh, and thanks for not thinking that I’m too uncool for you after this,” Scootaloo said.

“Is that why you ever told me you are an orphan? Is it because you thought I’d think you were ‘uncool’?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Scootaloo nodded her head.

“I’d never think you were ‘uncool’; you’re cool in my book anytime,” Rainbow Dash said happily as she offered a warm smile.

Scootaloo reached up and hugged Rainbow Dash. “Thank you,” she simply said, “thank you for everything.”

“No problem, Squirt. Not a problem at all,” Rainbow Dash told her. “Oh, and I did know your parents. They were some awesome ponies on the Weather Team here in Ponyville. I, practically used to idolize them.”

“Wait, you idolized somepony?” Scootaloo asked surprised.

“Yep, but don’t tell anypony. I have a reputation to keep,” Rainbow Dash said with a small smirk.

“I won’t. Your secret is safe with me,” Scootaloo said as she smirked back.