Imperfections

Chapters

The Beginning
The Middle
The End

The Beginning

Almost there... Sweetie Belle nervously thought as she fidgeted in her seat. Her eyes were locked on the clock that hung from the wall of the schoolhouse. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and they were only minutes away from being let out for the weekend.

Ugh, come on already! Sweetie Belle thought as she watched the seconds hand tick much too slowly for her liking. She tapped her hoof on her desk as if it would help the seconds pass faster. Just like the rest of her classmates, her saddlebag was already packed at her side and she was ready to bolt outside.

“Aaaand that will conclude our lesson for today, my little ones,” Cheerilee said as she tossed what remained of her piece of chalk down on her desk.

Sweetie Belle’s head whipped up to look at Miss Cheerilee as she heard those words. “We’re getting out early?” she whispered under her breath, unable to believe her ears. When she saw Miss Cheerilee start to pack her bags like she always did at the end of the day, her eyes widened in surprise. Then, as everypony slid out of their seats, she cracked a wide smile and grabbed her own bag. “Hey Scootaloo, ready to go crusadin’ today?” she asked, giving her a playful nudge on the shoulder.

“Totally, but I gotta talk to Miss Cheerilee about some late homework first,” Scootaloo said as she straightened some papers on her desk. “This is already a few days late, and I really need to get this turned in soon.”

“Oh, okay then. You want me to just wait outside then?” Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. Her eyes drifted down to Scootaloo’s late assignment. She couldn’t help but notice that most of the problems were still left blank.

“Sure! I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Something tells me you’re gonna take longer than a few minutes... “Okay!” Sweetie Belle tightened the strap on her bags just in time to see Apple Bloom walk up to her. They had been put on other corners of the room because Cheerilee had caught them passing notes to each other in class yesterday. “Hey, Scootaloo’s gotta talk to the teacher for a few minutes before we go crusading today. Wanna wait outside with me?” she asked, though her smile faltered when she noticed her friend wasn’t smiling back.

“Ah gotta take care of some chores first, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said. “AJ said she wants me to clean up the barn and the tree house before I can play with y’all today, so I’m gonna get that out of the way right quick, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, alright. You want us to come over when Scootaloo’s done talking to the teacher?” Sweetie Belle asked, her voice cracking ever so slightly on her last word.

“Hm...” Apple Bloom rubbed her chin as she thought. “Tell ya what... Since I did a lot of the work this morning before I came to class, all I really have to do is clean up the tree house and sweep the barn’s floor.” Apple Bloom tightened her saddlebag around her back. “I’m gonna gallop home and get it out of the way, so how about you guys take the scenic route? You can just meet me in the tree house, alright?”

“Okay, see ya!” Sweetie Belle yelled after her friend. She grabbed her stuff and trotted outside into the sun. It was nearing the end of spring and the sun’s heat was nearly approaching summer temperature levels. A cool breeze swept in to contrast nicely with the ambient heat.

After casting a glance back at the closed door of the schoolhouse, Sweetie Belle sat down near the edge of the road, wondering how much longer Scootaloo was going to take. After a good minute, she heard a pair of hoofsteps coming from the schoolhouse, so she lifted her head with a smile, hoping to find her friend. Instead of laying eyes on Scootaloo, she found Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Her hopes dropped like a rock falling down an endless well when she saw Diamond Tiara’s smirk. She hoped they would just keep walking, but alas, they stopped right in front of her.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, is everything alright at home?” Diamond Tiara asked, her voice laced with a tone she couldn’t place.

Sweetie Belle was taken aback. She looked up and saw an expression unlike the one of scorn and distaste that Diamond Tiara usually wore when she was teasing her. Feeling a bit uneasy, she started to think that Diamond Tiara had turned over a new leaf, though she still had her reservations.

“Uh, yeah? Why do you ask?” she asked as she cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing. She still felt a bit apprehensive, but if Diamond Tiara was willing to start making amends, she wouldn’t want to stop her. Sweetie thought that it would be rather nice to not have to worry about being harassed constantly. She shot a look at Silver Spoon to try and glean what their true intentions were, but she wore a neutral expression.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Diamond Tiara said. “I don’t know if I should say it, but...”

“But what?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously as she watched Diamond’s eyes run over her body. She flicked her tail around her blank flank just in case they wanted to make another joke about that, but she knew that wouldn’t help much. It never did. Diamond and Silver Spoon shared a quick glance, though it wasn’t quick enough for Sweetie Belle to miss Diamond's smirk.

“Well, if you really want to know... I think that you’ve become rather... pudgy,” Diamond Tiara said with an unsettling giggle.

“A little?” Silver Spoon asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Sweetie Belle’s belly. “Don’t you mean a lot, Di’? She’s easily gained a lot more weight this past semester.”

“What?” Sweetie Belle’s face scrunched up as she looked down at herself. “No I haven’t...” she muttered, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

“Hmph! I suppose you are right, Silver...” Diamond Tiara said. She poked Sweetie’s side and stepped back with a giggle. “Silver, did you see that?”

“See what?” Diamond’s compatriot in arms asked.

“This!” Diamond poked Sweetie’s side again. “Can’t you see the ripples on her stomach when I poke her?”

“Hey, stop that!” Sweetie Belle slapped Diamond’s hoof away and stood up. “I’m not fat!”

“You so are!” Diamond retorted. “Just look at me, and then look at you! This is how a filly should look!” She stuck her left hind leg out while simultaneously sticking out her right foreleg. She lifted her head and flicked her mane so that it fell on the opposite side of her neck.

Even though she didn’t want to, Sweetie Belle took a quick glance at Diamond Tiara’s belly. She was nicely-toned, though she could have sworn she saw the outline of her rib cage. As far as she could tell, Diamond Tiara did not have a single ounce of fat on her body. Sweetie Belle looked down at herself for just a moment as she compared herself to her bully. M-maybe they’re right... Maybe I am getting a little fat...

“You know, if you’re so self-conscious about gaining weight, why don’t you do what I do? I read in one of my daddy’s magazines that all of the famous celebrities make themselves throw up after eating. They get the best of both worlds, you see. They get to eat whatever they want and they get to look skinny! You can’t get a body like mine just from working out, you know...” She spun around once. “Anyways, Silver and I are going to the spa to get our hooves done. Have fun playing in the mud, piggy!” Diamond trotted away, making oinking noises much like a pig would.

Sweetie shot a glance at Silver Spoon as they walked away. She could have sworn that she saw a little bit of regret in her eyes, but Sweetie didn’t say anything to her as she watched her walk down the road with Diamond Tiara.

Do I really look that fat? Sweetie thought as she looked down at her belly. She poked it a couple times and saw a couple small ripples flow outwards from where she touched herself, just like how Diamond Tiara had pointed out.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” she heard Scootaloo say from behind her. “You ready to go over to Sweet Apple Acres?”

Sweetie Belle bit back her insecurities and threw on a fake smile. “S-sure!” she said, tightening her saddlebag’s strap in a small effort to try and make her belly look smaller. Scootaloo pushed her scooter next to her as they trotted through town. “So, what did the teacher say about your late stuff?”

“Eh, nothing much, really. I just have to have my math homework turned in by Monday and I’ll be fine.”

“That’s cool. I can help you on that if you want. It’d be no trouble at all,” Sweetie Belle offered. They had left the main part of town behind them, and only had another few minutes until they made it to the front gate to Sweet Apple Acres. “Hey, um... I have a question for you.”

“Yeah? What’s up?” Scootaloo asked nonchalantly.

“Do you think I’ve been gaining weight?” Sweetie Belle hesitantly asked. She stopped in the middle of the road, making Scootaloo come to a halt several feet away. Scootaloo quickly closed the small distance between the two of them and glanced at her belly just like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had done. She wanted to suck in her gut, but she had to know.

“Uh... maybe a little bit?” Scootaloo cocked her head to the side, blissfully unaware of the damage she was causing. “But that’s probably from all of those big lunches your parents send with you for school! You have no idea how jealous I am that you get to eat brownies everyday...”

“Yeah... maybe...” Sweetie Belle muttered, casting her gaze downwards. It was as she had feared. If one of her closest friends thought she was gaining weight, then surely Diamond Tiara was right. Sweetie Belle, much like her sister, put a good amount of effort into looking good. Keeping a white coat clean was never an easy task to do, and keeping a styled mane in shape was even harder. She was never one for working out, because she feared that her exertions would ruin her look. Usually, she spent nearly an hour before school getting ready.

Now Diamond Tiara’s suggestion was rather tempting. She wouldn’t have to work out, and all she had to do to eat whatever she wanted was to simply throw it up after eating. To her, spending a minute throwing up was much more desirable than spending time working out then grooming herself back to perfection.

“Hey, is everything alright, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked, her voice sounding rather unsure.

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle’s head snapped up. “Uh... yeah, everything’s okay.” She trotted forward as she bit her lip, leaving Scootaloo behind. Her friend caught up quickly and slowed down to match her pace. Their conversation slipped into silence as they made their way through the front gate, and it took them just a quick minute’s trot to the treehouse.

As Scootaloo set her scooter against a nearby tree, Sweetie Belle trotted up the ramp to the treehouse and poked her head inside. “Apple Bloom? You in here?” She stepped inside and looked behind the door, but found nothing. “Huh... she’s probably still busy in the barn,” she murmured to herself.

“Huh?” Scootaloo asked from behind.

“Apple Bloom isn’t here, so let’s go check the barn.” Sweetie Belle turned and eased her way past Scootaloo, taking care to not push her off of the tight ramp.

“Wait, why there?” Scootaloo cocked her head to the side and watched her as Sweetie Belle trotted away from her.

“Because that’s where she told me she’d be!” Sweetie Belle called over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go see if we can go help her so we can start having fun faster!”

“Alright!” Scootaloo jumped off of the top of the ramp and flapped her wings as hard as she could, barely keeping herself aloft. Alas, her strength ran out, making her drop straight down for the last couple of feet. Scootaloo landed on all four hooves, though she did stumble a bit as she tried to catch her balance. “So close...” she whispered. With shaky legs, she trotted up to her scooter and noticed that Sweetie Belle was almost to the barn. As a grin broke out on her face, Scootaloo pushed herself as fast as she could, nearly overtaking Sweetie Belle.

“Dang, you gals got here fast!” Sweetie Belle heard Apple Bloom call out from inside the barn as Scootaloo screeched to a halt beside her. “I’ll be out in a few minutes, I just gotta finish sweepin’ up in here!”

“Okay!” Scootaloo yelled back. “Hey Sweetie, wanna watch me jump my scooter over that fence over there? I know I can do it!” She let her scooter fall to the ground as she scampered over towards some spare plywood and a couple of cinder blocks.

“Huh?” I thought we were gonna help... oh well. Apple Bloom said that she’d be done in a few minutes anyways... Sweetie Belle turned to watch Scootaloo finish setting up her ramp. It was easily twice as tall as she was, and she knew there was no way that Scootaloo would be able to make it, even with her improvised ramp. “That doesn’t look so safe...” she said, her voice wavering a little as Scootaloo finished propping up the wood on the blocks.

“Pfft, I know Rainbow wouldn’t back down from a challenge like this!” Scootaloo said as she trotted back to her scooter. “Besides, what can go wrong? I’ve done jumps like this all the time!”

“You sure?” Sweetie Belle asked, tentatively raising a hoof in the air as if she was trying to hold her back.

“Of course! Just watch!” Scootaloo said with a confident grin. She ground her back hoof into the ground and pushed off with as much force as she could muster, her tiny wings buzzing rapidly. She gained speed and rocketed up the ramp. Though as it looked like she would clear it and land safely on the other side, her front truck caught on the tip of the fence, stopping her in mid-air. She flipped over the handlebars with a surprised squeak before she slammed face-first into the ground.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle cried out. She darted across the courtyard and crawled under the fence, albeit with a little difficulty. The bottom of the fence dug into her back painfully, but she had to get to her friend. She heard a small groan come from Scootaloo as the fence finally released its grasp on her. “Scootaloo, are you okay?!” she asked, her voice thick with worry as she galloped up to her.

“Ugh... yeah, I think so,” Scootaloo muttered as she pushed herself up.

Sweetie Belle sat down beside her and helped her sit up. Scootaloo looked up at her, and what she saw made her hooves shoot up to cover her mouth in shock. Scootaloo had a cut on her forehead and her forelegs looked bruised. “Oh my gosh, Scootaloo! Doesn’t that hurt? You’re bleeding!” Movement in her peripheral vision made her look up to find Apple Bloom trotting out of the barn. “Hey Apple Bloom! Grab the first aid kit, alright? Scootaloo had an accident!” she called out.

Scootaloo pushed Sweetie Belle away as she tried to stand up. “I’m fine, Sweetie Be-”

“No, you’re not. You’re bleeding, and it looks like bruised your legs.” Sweetie Belle helped prop Scootaloo up against a tree trunk, getting her out of the sun. Apple Bloom scampered up with the first aid kit in her mouth. She set it down next to Sweetie Belle, who promptly opened it up. “Can you go get something for her to drink, Apple Bloom?” she asked. Apple Bloom nodded once and ran back towards the house.

“Seriously, Rainbow Dash has taken harder hits than that, and-”

“Stop!” Sweetie Belle ordered as she pulled out a roll of gauze. She wrapped up one of Scootaloo’s forelegs in silence, and as she started wrapping up her other one, she relented. “Look... I don’t like seeing you get hurt. Rainbow Dash is a fully-grown mare, and we’re still fillies...”

Scootaloo sighed. “Yeah, I know you’re right, but still...”

Apple Bloom walked up, a glass of water balanced perfectly on her back. “You doin’ alright, Scootaloo?” she asked as she hoofed her the glass.

Scootaloo took several large gulps, emptying the glass in seconds. “Yeah, I think so... Thanks, Apple Bloom,” she said, hoofing the glass back to her. “I don’t know about you guys, but I kinda just want to relax for a little while. That okay?” she asked with a sheepish smile.

“It’s always okay, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said as she helped Scootaloo to her hooves. “Hehe... anypony up for some truth or dare up in the clubhouse?”

“Everypony else is skinny and fit, Sweetie Belle!” Diamond Tiara said as she stalked around Sweetie Belle. They were in the school’s playground and everypony had formed a circle around them. Nopony else said a word except the two bullies walking around her like sharks who had picked up the scent of blood. “I think you’ve been spending too much time on Sweet Apple Acres because it looks like you’re turning into a pig! Maybe you should stop hanging around those weird blank flank friends of yours... Who knows? If you hang out with Silver and I you just might actually get your cutie mark...”

“That’s... that’s not true!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice lacking most of its usual confidence. “I love my friends! What makes you think I would want to hang out with a bully like you?”

“Oh! She didn’t deny that she was fat, Diamond!” Silver Spoon laughed, shoving her from behind. Sweetie Belle fell face-first into a mud puddle, her pristine white coat turning brown. “I bet you like the mud, you pig!”

“See, you are turning into a pig!” Diamond Tiara laughed with Silver Spoon. “After all, that is your proper place: down in the mud!”

Sweetie Belle tried to get up, but Diamond just pushed her back down. She felt mud being kicked in her face, making her turn away. Her hind legs kept slipping out from under her, and as hard as she tried to get up, she just couldn’t. She clenched her eyes shut, waiting for somepony else to hit her.

“You see how worthless you are? Your fat is holding you down, Sweetie Belle!” Diamond Tiara yelled at her. “You! Are! Fat!”

“Fat!” Silver Spoon started chanting with Diamond Tiara.

“Pig!”

“Fat!”

“Pig!”

“Stop!” Sweetie Belle yelled. She bolted upright and opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the schoolyard, she was surprised to find that she was in the clubhouse. It was nearly pitch-black out, but she was able to see the faint outlines of her friends’ sleeping bags.

“Sweetie?” she heard Scootaloo’s tired voice ask. “What’s wrong?” She looked to her right and saw Scootaloo lift her head from her pillow.

“I was about to wake you up... you wouldn’t stop tossing and turning, and you kept moaning things I didn’t understand.” Scootaloo sat up and gathered up her blanket.

“I... I, um...” Sweetie Belle stuttered, looking away from Scootaloo. Her eyes fell on Apple Bloom, who was still fast asleep. That filly always slept like a rock, and she wasn’t surprised to see that her commotions had not woken her. Then, a moment later, Sweetie Belle felt Scootaloo press up against her left side. She looked back just in time to see Scootaloo draping a blanket over their shoulders, wrapping it tightly around them.

“What was it about?” Scootaloo asked softly, gently nuzzling her cheek to break her from her thoughts.

“No... nothing,” Sweetie Belle lied. “It was nothing...” She felt Scootaloo’s hoof guide her head to look back at her.

“Sweetie, out of all the sleepovers we’ve had you’ve never had a nightmare like that before,” Scootaloo said as she rubbed Sweetie’s back. “I’m here if you want to talk...”

“I’ll be fine, but... thanks.” Sweetie Belle looked up into Scootaloo’s eyes. She looked away, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. “Want to go back to bed?” she asked with a yawn. “My sleeping bag is big enough for the both of us.” She slid back into it and used her magic to hold it open for her friend. “Surely this would be better than the little blanket you brought,” she said with a giggle, teasing her friend with a small smile.

Scootaloo eyed the blanket that was hanging loosely off of her shoulders. It was rather old; the colors had faded and it had a few holes. “That might be a good idea,” she said with a chuckle. She carefully stepped forward and slipped inside the sleeping bag. There wasn’t that much room for them to lay down facing each other though, making her feel a bit awkward.

“Teehee, this is a little tighter than I thought it would be,” Sweetie Belle said, covering her growing smile with a hoof. Her back was pressed tightly against the seam of the sleeping bag.

“You know... I can just go back to my blanket if you want,” Scootaloo offered, averting her gaze.

“Nah, don’t be silly. I don’t want you getting chills in the middle of the night,” Sweetie Belle said. She rubbed her chin as she thought. “Hm... how about this?” She rolled over onto her other side and scooted towards the middle of the sleeping bag. After fluffing her thick pillow, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Come on, slide on over here. I saw my big sister do this with one of her other friends a while ago.”

“You... you want us to cuddle?” Scootaloo asked with a slightly nervous-sounding giggle.

“Is that what’s it called?”

“I think so,” Scootaloo replied. “So... like this?” She gently pressed her belly against Sweetie Belle’s back and laid a hoof over her side, right under her forelegs. Scootaloo laid her head over Sweetie’s so that the unicorn’s head fell right into the crook of her neck.

“I think so...” Sweetie Belle replied. “It sure does feel comfy though... right?”

“Yeah, it kinda does,” Scootaloo replied, letting herself relax. “Listen... if you start having another nightmare, I’ll be right here to wake you up. I’m kind of a light sleeper, so if you start doing what you did earlier, I’ll wake up and get you up.” Scootaloo tightened her grasp around Sweetie’s belly momentarily. She tried to lay a wing around her, but she couldn’t even reach Sweetie Belle’s body. With a tinge of regret, she folded her wing back to her side as she bit back a sigh.

“Thanks, Scootaloo...” Sweetie Belle muttered. The warmth emanating from Scootaloo’s belly was quickly luring her back to sleep. She wasn’t scared of the possibility of having another nightmare, for she knew her friend had her back.

“Yeah, no problem...” Scootaloo slid a little closer to Sweetie Belle and closed her eyes. After pulling the sleeping bag up over her shoulders, she whispered, “Good night, Sweets...”

“Night, Scoots...” Sweetie Belle whispered back. She gently grasped Scootaloo’s hoof and snuggled deeper into her embrace. Sweets? She’s never called me that before, but... I think I kinda like it...

The Middle

“Today is the day…” Scootaloo whispered to herself as she buckled her helmet on. She stretched her hind legs then her forelegs, holding each pose until she felt limber. Sweat dripped down her brow only to be wiped away by her hoof. The past couple of days had been hotter than usual and today was no exception, but that came nowhere close to making her want to take a break from practicing.

Their sleepover had gone off without a hitch, and she had slept like a rock next to Sweetie Belle. They had spent the rest of the weekend crusading, and like usual, none of them had gotten their cutie marks.

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, letting the hot summer sun beat upon Scootaloo’s back. She’d been at it for nearly an hour already, getting in her morning practice run before she and her friends went to school. They were supposed to be getting up sometime soon, but she didn’t see them anywhere.

As the sun started to rise above the horizon behind her, Scootaloo stretched her wings and tightened her grip on the scooter. She eyed the ramp that lay ahead of her, a good thirty feet away. This time, she had made sure that this one was stable, unlike the one that had caused her to have that accident. She flapped her wings as hard as she could and pushed off, gaining speed quickly. Her injuries hurt for a brief moment, but she pushed the pain away and concentrated on what she was doing. The ramp came closer and closer, and before she knew it she was soaring through the air.

Scootaloo took the briefest of moments to enjoy the sensation of feeling weightless. It wasn’t often that she got to feel this way, so she cherished every time she launched herself into the air. As she felt herself reach the peak of her jump, she kicked the bottom part of the scooter out from under her, whipping it around two times before she caught it, nailing the trick with less than half a second to spare.

Phew! That was close! Scootaloo thought as she let her knees flex, taking the impact as she landed. She grunted as pain shot out from her left hind leg, but she kept things under control. Her scooter wobbled for a couple seconds, and just as she felt like she was about to fall off, she slid a hoof off of the platform and dug it into the ground, pushing as hard as she could to slow herself down.

“Hey, nice trick, Scootaloo!” she heard Apple Bloom call out. Lifting her head with a smile, Scootaloo looked back over her shoulder to see her friends back by the ramp. Apple Bloom was standing at its peak, her forehooves perched right on the lip of the ramp. “Is that the one you wanted to show us?”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo called back. Her muscles trembled with exhaustion, but she felt like she had it in her for one more go. “Wanna see me do it again?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom said, her voice teeming with excitement.

“Shouldn’t we get going to school guys?” Sweetie Belle asked. “We only have about ten minutes to get across town.”

“Yeesh, is it that late already?” Scootaloo asked as she pushed herself over to where her friends stood. She hooked up the old wagon to her scooter and waited for her friends to hop in. “Don’t worry, we’ll get there in time!”

Staying true to her word, Scootaloo got the three of them to school in a jiffy with only a minute left to spare. The school day went like any other Monday: boring and uneventful. Well, uneventful until the end of the day, that is.

The three of them walked outside, the school bell ringing from the top of the schoolhouse marking the end of the school day. Since they had spent the entire weekend crusading, they all decided that they should take a day off, so everypony simply went their separate ways.

“Hey sis, I’m home!” Sweetie Belle called out as she walked into the Carousel Boutique. She was staying with Rarity for the week while their parents were on vacation. She didn’t hear her sister call back but she did hear the sound of a sewing machine coming from upstairs, so she shrugged and cantered into the kitchen.

Her saddlebag feeling a tad bit too heavy, she lit her horn and focused her attention on the strap between the two bags, just like Princess Twilight had taught her. A faint green aura appearing around it, she fed more power into the spell, starting to struggle a bit as her heavy books fought to keep her from succeeding. Sweetie Belle was determined to not give up, so she grit her teeth and put even more power into the spell. She felt her saddlebag start to rise from her back by a few inches, and she was just barely able to lift it high enough to allow her to walk out from under it.

She took a few steps forward and released the bag with a groan, letting it fall to the floor with a dull thud. “Hm… I think now is as good a time as ever to get an after-school snack!” she said happily as she pulled open the refrigerator. She scanned the shelves for anything but didn’t see anything good.

“Oh, I know! Rarity probably has some ice cream in the freezer!” Sweetie Belle darted over to the kitchen table and used her head to push one of the chairs over, taking care to not hit her horn on the hard wood. She got the chair into position and hopped on it. Lighting her horn, she pulled open the freezer with a lot less difficulty and smiled as her eyes fell upon her prize.

Tub after tub of varying flavors of ice cream lined the entire freezer. Sweetie Belle giggled as she pulled out the one closest to her. Vanilla? Nah, let’s get something better… she thought as she reached into the back of the freezer. A few moments passed in silence as she rummaged around with a hoof.

Oh, here we go! Rocky Road; perfect! Sweetie Belle grabbed the entire tub and hopped off of the chair. She pushed it back to the table and grabbed a spoon from the drawer next to the sink and went into the living room. She hopped on the couch and settled down on her back, laying her head on a thick pillow as she popped open the lid.

Seeing its smooth, unblemished surface made Sweetie Belle’s stomach rumble, so with a grin, she plunged the spoon into the tub. She closed her eyes and smiled as she put the first scoop of many into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the treat. It only took her a few minutes to eat nearly half of the container, and when she heard her sister’s hooves come down the stairs, her eyes shot open.

She saw what she did, and she had little time to hide Rarity’s ice cream. Sweetie Belle sighed, knowing that she was surely going to get caught. She knew her older sister hated it when ponies took her stuff without permission, and that’s exactly what she had done. To top it all off, she had grabbed her sister’s favorite flavor.

“H-hey sis!” she called out nervously. She put the lid back on the bucket of ice cream and pushed it behind her, hoping her sister wouldn’t see it. Rarity walked around the corner a couple of seconds later.

“Ah, hello there, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said as she made a beeline to the kitchen. “Have a good day at school?”

“Yeah, I guess.” She cringed as she heard the freezer door open. She heard Rarity rummage around inside of it.

“Sweetie Belle? Do you know where my favorite ice cream is? I just bought some at the store this morning, and I don’t see it in here...” Rarity walked into the living room and spotted the carton sitting behind her sister. The look on Rarity’s face made it quite apparent that she wasn’t happy with her.

Sweetie Belle gulped.

Scootaloo pushed herself around town on her scooter, her thoughts all muddled. She liked the feeling of snuggling with her friend, and she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want to do it again. She had gotten out of school a few hours ago and was still simply bored out of her mind, so she decided to swing by the Carousel Boutique to see if Sweetie Belle wanted to go do something.

She started to feel a bit nervous as she approached Rarity’s place of business. Although she’d come here more times than she could count, this time felt rather different. Her wanting to snuggle more made her bite her cheek as she raised a hoof to knock. As she struggled to figure out what to say, the door opened before her hoof struck the door. Rarity stepped out, looking all flustered.

“Eating half of my favorite ice cream without asking for permission...” Rarity muttered before she noticed Scootaloo standing to the side. “That is simply unacceptable.”

“Hey R-Rarity, is Sweetie Belle home?” Scootaloo asked hopefully.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle is in big trouble right now.” Rarity pulled a rack of covered clothes out of the foyer of the boutique with her magic and shut the door behind her. “I am afraid that she cannot come out and play right now, and won’t be able to until I come back from my trip in a couple of days.”

“Oh... okay then,” Scootaloo said softly. She flicked her ears back and let her head droop in defeat as she walked back over to her shoulder. She pretended to mess with her helmet until she was sure Rarity had vanished around the corner. Scootaloo dropped her helmet next to her scooter and scurried over to one of the ground-floor windows. She poked her muzzle under the bottom of the window and nudged it upwards, and much to her relief, it slid open a few inches.

Yes! Her back hooves scraped against the wood of the building as she pushed herself up. She shoved the window open further with a hoof then slid inside, landing on her face with a soft ‘oomph’. Scootaloo shut the window behind her then flicked an ear about, trying to figure out where her friend was.

Not a moment later, she heard the sounds of somepony throwing up coming from upstairs. Knowing that it had to be Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as she scampered upstairs. She turned the corner, and stopped in front of the closed bathroom door.

“Sw-Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo hesitantly called out, pressing her right ear against the door. She heard sobbing from inside, so she cautiously pushed against the door. Luckily enough, it swung open. “Are you okay?”

“Go aw-ay-hay-hay!” Sweetie Belle sobbed as she threw up in the toilet. Her mane was a mess and held flecks of barf, but it seemed like she didn’t care.

Scootaloo stood stock still, not sure what to do. She spotted something shiny in Sweetie Belle’s hooves, and it looked like she was trying to force it down her throat. “Hey, stop that!” she yelled, momentarily stunning her friend. As Sweetie Belle turned to look back at her, Scootaloo spied a spoon in her hoof. Looking at her with concern etched all over her face, she swatted it out of her grasp. “What do you think you’re doing?!” A sour pungent smell hit her nostrils, making her crinkle her nose. She flushed the toilet to get rid of the smell and turned back to find her friend pushing her out of the bathroom.

“Just leave me alone!” Sweetie Belle yelled at her.

Scootaloo froze, unsure of what to do. Her friend stared at her, tears threatening to pour down her face at any moment. She felt so helpless at that moment. Her eyes danced across Sweetie Belle’s face, trying to figure out what she was going to do next, but when she saw her face relax just slightly, she quickly closed the distance between them and pulled Sweetie Belle into a hug.

Sweetie Belle feebly protested for a couple of seconds then gave up, instead choosing to sob into Scootaloo’s shoulder. Scootaloo felt Sweetie Belle start to slip from her grasp, so she sat down next to her, hoping to comfort her friend.

They laid there for many minutes, but Scootaloo would have sat there till the end of time if it meant making her friend feel better. Though after a couple more minutes, Sweetie Belle’s sobs slowly died out.

“Uh... Sweets?” Scootaloo asked, gently shaking her back with a hoof. Soft snoring answered her. “Oh... hehe. She cried herself to sleep...” She stood up and went back to the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth, and started cleaning Sweetie Belle’s face and mane. When that was done, she tossed it in the sink and carefully pulled Sweetie Belle onto her back, balancing her between her two spread wings.

Scootaloo walked as softly and quietly as she could, taking care to not let Sweetie Belle slip off of her back. She walked her to her bedroom and then clambered onto the bed, nearly losing her balance in the process. Sweetie Belle mumbled something and twitched in her sleep, but Scootaloo paid that no mind. The sun was already starting to set, so she pulled back the sheets on Sweetie Belle’s bed and tucked her in.

She looked so peaceful sleeping there, and though Scootaloo so desperately wanted to find out what was wrong with Sweetie Belle, she knew that now was not the best time to press her with questions that would surely stress her out more. No, she needed time to sleep and recuperate.

Knowing that Rarity wouldn’t be back for at least a couple of days, Scootaloo figured that she should stick around. In her mind, Sweetie Belle needed her help, and as one of her closest friends, Scootaloo knew that she wouldn’t leave her side until she found out what was going on. That’s what friends do for each other, after all; they watch out for each other.

So with that thought in mind, she lay down next to her friend and snuggled up against her, just like they had done a few nights ago in the tree house. “Ain’t gonna lie... your bed is a lot more comfortable than the floor of the tree house, Sweetie...” Scootaloo whispered. She usually didn’t go to bed so early, but if it meant staying by her friend’s side, then she would do it. Besides, it had been a while since she had gotten a good night of sleep.

Scootaloo slid up close to her friend and gently wrapped a hoof over her friend’s forelegs, then she tucked her friend’s head into the crook of her neck. Though she wasn’t really that tired, her friend’s warmth quickly pulled her towards the world of dreams. Right before she fell asleep though, she thought back to what she had caught her friend doing. She grimaced as she saw Sweetie Belle pushing the spoon down her throat to throw up in her mind’s eye. Scootaloo had half a mind to wake Sweetie Belle up to ask her about it, but decided against it. In stark contrast to just a few minutes ago, Sweetie Belle looked too blissful to wake up as she slept in her embrace.

Scootaloo bit her lower lip and nuzzled the back of Sweetie Belle’s head, determined to find out what was going on when they woke up.

The End

Sweetie Belle stirred awake, her back wondrously warm. She felt Scootaloo breathe in and out, her belly slowly expanding and deflating with each breath. With a light giggle, she rolled out of Scootaloo’s grasp and laid on her other side, facing her. “S-scoots?” Sweetie Belle slowly asked. Her stomach felt a bit funny, an unexpected result of her actions from last night.

Scootaloo woke up a few moments later. She blinked at Sweetie Belle, then smiled when she saw that she was awake. After clearing her throat, she croaked out, “Morning, Sweets... how’re you feeling?”

“Alright, I guess. My stomach’s feeling kinda weird, but I think it might be because I’m hungry...” She flicked her eyes to look into her friend’s. “I’m sorry you had to see me doing... that yesterday.” Sweetie Belle glanced away as she saw Scootaloo’s smile fade into a look of concern.

“Yeah, what the heck was all that about? You sick or something?” Scootaloo propped herself up, then laid her head back down on the pillow as she waited for Sweetie Belle to explain.

“No, I’m not... but, um... well... yesterday, Diamond Tiara pointed out that I was getting kind of fat...”

“So?”

Sweetie Belle shrunk under the sheets, curling her forelegs up to her chest. “Um... well, I don’t know if you know this, but I put a lot of effort into looking good everyday when I get up. I’d much rather lose sleep getting ready for the day rather than sleeping in. Anyways, Diamond Tiara suggested that instead of working out, I should just throw up whatever I eat. That way, I could eat whatever I want to, and I wouldn’t have to groom myself twice in one day.”

“So what you’re telling me is that you’d rather take the easy way out? Come on, Sweetie Belle! I know you better than that.” Scootaloo’s eyebrows furrowed as she rolled over onto her belly. She sat up and flicked her tail around her flank. “Besides, why would you even listen to what Diamond Tiara has to say? I’m pretty darn sure she doesn’t have her best interests at heart like I do.”

Sweetie Belle shifted a bit closer to Scootaloo. “She was right, though. I am getting fat. After I got home yesterday, you know what I did? I ate half a tub of ice cream without realizing the consequences. But once I did? I could have sworn I actually felt my belly getting fatter because of that, so to keep myself from getting worse, I did what those celebrities do: I... I got rid of the problem.”

“And did it make you feel better?” Scootaloo asked softly. She wrapped her hoof around Sweetie Belle’s left foreleg and held on to it tightly. “Come on...”

“...No, it made me feel worse. It made my stomach hurt, and, uh... well, my throat sort of burned afterwards, too.”

“So how can that possibly be good for you?” Scootaloo asked. “Do you really want to throw up three times a day for the rest of your life? That’s like... twenty-something times a week! What if you were at a restaurant, or eating dinner with your parents? Everypony’s gonna have a little bit of fat on them, so I don’t see why you should be so worked up about having a little fat on you.”

“I guess...” Sweetie Belle looked out of the window at the rising sun as she spoke. “I just saw how skinny Diamond Tiara was and sorta thought that that was how I should look too.”

“Come on, when have we ever wanted to be like that whiny brat?” Scootaloo asked with a chuckle. “Just because she’s skinny doesn’t mean that she looks nicer than you, you know? It’s all about who you are and what’s in your heart.” She poked Sweetie Belle’s breast with a hoof. “I really don’t like seeing you hurt yourself, so can you promise me you won’t ever do what you did again?”

Sweetie Belle sat up, mere inches separating them. “I do.” She leaned forward with a smile and nuzzled Scootaloo’s neck as she pulled her into a hug. Sweetie Belle squeezed as hard as she could for a few moments. “Thanks for being there for me, Scootaloo...” she murmured.

“Yeah, you know I have your back.” Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around her friend’s back, then as they let go of each other, she placed her hoof on Sweetie Belle’s. “And listen, if you ever feel like you have to throw up to look better, just find me, alright? We’ll be able to work things out.”

“Okay...” Sweetie Belle said with a blush. Not a moment passed before she heard her stomach grumble.

Scootaloo grinned at that. “Hehe, now I don’t know about you, but skipping dinner makes me really hungry! Wanna go get a quick snack at the bakery before we go to school? I have a few bits left in my bag that’ll buy us some muffins!”

“Sure!” Sweetie Belle perked up at that and jumped off of the bed. “I’ll carry our bags if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be cool! Also, do you promise to not throw them up after eating them?” Scootaloo asked with a giggle.

“Of course I do, you silly filly! I already told you I wouldn’t!” Sweetie Belle nudged her friend’s shoulder with her own and trotted past her, a smile spreading on her face.

With the promise of delicious snacks, the two of them raced to the bakery. They both ordered two blueberry and chocolate chip muffins each, then scarfed them down. After throwing away their wrappers, they tossed their saddlebags onto their backs and made their way to school.

Luckily enough for them, they only had to suffer just one more day before they got to the five-day weekend. School passed by uneventfully and they were let out earlier than usual. As it turned out, the teacher had planned a vacation and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Of course, none of the students really paid attention that day, and they were more than happy to encourage Miss Cheerilee to let them go as early as possible. After some convincing, everypony was able to convince the teacher to just push the rest of the math lesson to next week.

The three of them walked outside, their spirits high. “Whatcha feel like doin’, gals?” Apple Bloom asked. “Wanna go tubin’ down the river?”

“Nah, I think Sweetie Belle and I just want to chill out, if that’s alright. Maybe we can all find a good place to nap on the farm?” Scootaloo glanced at Sweetie Belle, who nodded back at her with a small smile. “I’d be down to go tubing later, but not right now. That math lesson bored me so close to death I just wanna sleep for a while.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Sure, if that’s what y’all wanna do. You guys wanna race there?” Her muscles tensed up and she ground a hoof into the dirt. “Three two one, go!” she yelled. She turned around and galloped down the path, leaving Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle standing in the school’s courtyard with a bunch of the other students.

Scootaloo stared in shock as Apple Bloom disappeared down the path, her dust cloud getting smaller with each passing second. “She sure is pretty quick, huh?”

“Yeah... she’s almost as fast as you are on your scooter.”

“I’d probably say that she’s faster!”

“You think?”

“Totally...” Scootaloo paused as she looked around. “Speaking of which... where is my scooter?”

“Oh, you mean this old piece of junk?”

Scootaloo’s and Sweetie Belle’s heads whipped around to find Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing behind them.

“You know, Silvie...” Diamond Tiara started, one of her hooves on Scootaloo’s scooter. “You’d think that having friends that are so in shape would make you want to get in shape too. It’s a pity that you’re just so lazy, Sweetie Belle.” Silver Spoon sat down and rolled her eyes, looking away from everypony. “Ain’t that right, Silver?” She nudged her friend, trying to get her to back her up.

“Huh?” Silver Spoon feigned ignorance. “Oh, yeah, sure...” she said in the most uncaring of ways as she inspected a hoof.

Diamond Tiara chuckled and turned around to find herself nose to nose with Scootaloo. Momentarily shocked, she took a couple steps back, but Scootaloo matched her step for step.

“Hey, you know what kind of crap you’ve put Sweetie Belle through these past couple of days?!” Scootaloo asked, her tone harsh and demanding. “I’ve never seen her get so messed up in my life, and it’s all because of you!” She jabbed Diamond Tiara right in the chest, pushing her another step back. “Do you really just judge ponies based on their looks?!”

“Well duh, she’s just a stupid blank flank!” Diamond Tiara spat out, failing to see the look of disgust on Silver Spoon’s face.

“So you’re just gonna judge her based on what she doesn’t have?” Scootaloo scoffed. “You know, you were just a stupid blank flank not so long ago! How simple-minded are you?” She heard Sweetie Belle giggle behind her, making her turn around. But instead of seeing a look of elation and happiness upon her friend’s face like she had expected, she saw one of alarm and horror. Right as she was about to cock her head to the side and ask what was wrong, she heard a small grunt behind her. Taking a step back, she found Silver Spoon standing between her and Diamond Tiara, holding one of the bully’s hooves in her own.

“That’s enough, Diamond!” Silver Spoon shoved Diamond back. “How long are you going to keep this up, huh? Why do you keep acting like you’re better than everypony else?”

“My Daddy is gon—”

“Nopony cares what your Daddy’s gonna do, D’!” Silver Spoon shoved her old friend back again. “I’m sick of listening to you be mean to everypony around you just so you can make yourself feel better!”

“Silver Spoon, what are you—” Diamond Tiara’s ears flicked back.

“I hate that I once called you a friend!” Silver Spoon yelled at Diamond Tiara. “What kind of horrible pony makes fun of her own friends?!”

“They aren’t my friends, Silver Spoon! They’re blank flanks; they’re below us!” Diamond Tiara spat back, her face scrunching up in confusion.

“I was talking about me, you dunce!” Silver Spoon yelled. “I have just as much fat as Sweetie Belle, and every time you made fun of her for being fat, you drove a nail into me!” Tears formed in her eyes. “How could you not see the pain you were putting me in?!” she yelled, letting the tears flow freely down her face. “I’ve been sucking in my gut ever since you started making fun of them for being fat!”

“Silver Spoon, you know I wasn’t talking about you, so why are you getting so upset?” Diamond Tiara asked slowly, talking in a manner as if she considered Silver Spoon a little crazy.

“How can you be so blind?” Silver Spoon shoved her old friend harder than ever, making her trip over her hind legs. Diamond Tiara fell into a puddle of mud, covering her pristine coat in a thick layer of the goop. “I’d rather have no friends than be friends with you!” At that, she turned and ran away, running down the path away from Ponyville.

“Hey, stop!” Sweetie Belle called out, reaching out with a hoof. She missed Silver Spoon as she ran past her, so she got up and galloped after her, running as fast as she possibly could. Silver Spoon slowed down after running a hundred or so feet, stopping off on the side of the road near a small grove of trees. Sweetie Belle watched Silver Spoon slump down to the ground in the shade, crying her little heart out.

Sweetie Belle felt bad for Silver Spoon. She knew how tough it was to not have friends, and to have given up on your only friend like that must have taken a lot of strength. Walking up to her, she settled down next to the crying filly and rubbed her back, making her look up in shock.

“H-hey,” Silver Spoon stuttered out, wiping the tears from her eyes with a hoof. Many moments passed before she looked away from her and said, “I’m sorry for all the pain Diamond Tiara and I put you three through. I always kinda felt bad about not stopping her, but... you know, I just wanted to have a friend so bad that I...” she trailed off, crying. It took her nearly a minute to calm down enough to get to the point where she could talk again. “These p-past couple of days have really shown me just how little my old friend thinks of me...” Silver stood up on trembling legs and looked at the ground in front of her. “I’ll see you two in school on Monday...” she said, letting out a forlorn sigh. “I promise I’ll never make fun of you ever again, and I hope that you guys can forgive me...”

“Wait, you really gonna waste this awesome five day weekend?” Scootaloo asked with a giggle.

Silver Spoon shrugged, her head hung low. “I was just gonna stay home, I guess. I don’t really have anypony to play with anymore, so... yeah,” she finished rather lamely.

“You have us,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice strong and firm. Silver Spoon looked up at her, a hopeful expression on her face. “Anypony who stands up for me and my friends is definitely a friend of mine.” She looked over her shoulder at Scootaloo. “Ain’t that right, Scootaloo?”

“Totally!” Scootaloo shot back. “Hey Silver, we were gonna go hang out at Sweet Apple Acres! Wanna come? Apple Bloom wants to go tubing later, and we kinda need a fourth pony for the second tube! You can ride with me if you want!”

“Re-really?” Silver Spoon asked, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. “Do you guys mean it?”

“Of course!” Sweetie Belle pulled Silver Spoon into a brief hug. She felt her new friend’s tears soak into her coat and mane, but she didn’t care. Her new friend’s happiness was all that mattered to her.

“You know, I bet Apple Bloom’s wondering where we all are!” Scootaloo said. “Hop on in; I’ll get us there in a jiffy!”

“So... what do you say, Silver?” Sweetie Belle asked with a smile, letting go of Silver Spoon. “You want to be friends with us?”

Silver Spoon smiled at both of them, then hugged Sweetie Belle back twice as hard. Her tone full of happiness and joy, she said, “Definitely!