Author's Note
This is also the first time I've actually ever written for Sweetie Belle!
Remember, never be afraid to say how you feel to someone you hold dear to your heart, as you never know when the time you say goodbye to them will truly be the last. A memory will only go so far, but a life never does, seeing as they can very well end in the most unexpected of ways.
You may regret never saying goodbye to the person you love, and it will haunt you forever, believe me on that one.
Heart-Shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box
By RibeIsFireRain
Freezing. Just freezing.
The interior of Carousel Boutique in the room of Sweetie Belle's sleeping quarters was drafty with icy air. Even from beneath her covers draped over her bed's mattress, the frosty sensation was able to be felt by her nerves, sending chills down her spine and causing parts of her two-tone pink and purple mane to stand on end, along with her pearl white coat.
She shivered and whimpered in the cold of her room, disturbed by the weather of the season as she tried to drift off into sleep. It was colder than last Winter's season, and it caused her to give an occasional squirm as she hugged her hooves closer to her body to retain warmth, much to no avail.
Rarity had long been asleep, on account of having to get her 'beauty sleep' so that she could return back to work for a really important client of hers, which she claims is going to be expected to arrive to the Boutique in around a weeks time, and she wants to get at least enough time to check then re-check her designs for any faults.
As important as a job she may have to maintain along with her reputation as a fashionista, it tugged an annoyed string in Sweetie Belle's heart at knowing that her plans for tomorrow to play with her were going to be put on hold. Again.
A part of the young girl's mind wanted to leave the comforting confines of her sheets to ask Rarity for an extra blanket to block out the cold, but the other told her to resist that temptation, as the already low-temperature bedroom would just make her even colder than any blanket could relieve her from, regardless.
In a brief outburst of frustration, Sweetie gave a huff and tossed her sheets from her body, groaning to herself once a sudden flood of infiltrating cold shot through her at her own vulnerability, prompting her to quickly snatch up her discarded covers and reapply them to her body, clutching them tight around her as she sat upright in bed, sighing in defeat.
All around her, the bedroom was only allowed some blue light from the moon in the sky to break through the only open window of three, as the others were sealed with pink and purple curtains to match the plaid wallpaper of the Boutique's colour scheme.
Sweetie's green eyes peaked out of the windows from her position on her bed, and she felt a playful twinge in her heart at seeing the snow freshly laid out over the ground outside, meaning that she would be able to play outside in the morning, hopefully with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, in place of Rari-
Oh. Scootaloo. Scoots.
The twinge of momentary excitement in her body died in an instant as a thought came rushing back into her mind. She watched the snowflakes flow smoothly to the ground in a light motion, glistening with the moon's light as they collected on the ground, thickening the already laid-out snow with each forming layer.
A frown worked its way down the lips of the young unicorn as her gaze remained fixed on the outside world, her eyes watching the snow cascade down as her thoughts began to play in her mind, running so deeply that her body refused to acknowledge the cold, having already grown partially numbed.
The outside, like the inside of her room, was silent, save for her slow and spared breathing, a small puff of frosty breath forming in a small cloud with each and every exhale before dissipating into nothingness.
''Why'd you have to be so stupid?'' She said, her voice a whisper to the dead atmosphere around her. She had spoken to nothing nor no one in particular, as she was the only living being in the building apart from her elder sister, whom was upstairs.
In the blue light provided from the moon on the outside, a small spec caught the eye of Sweetie. Raising a brow in confusion, the girl slowly tilted her head to the side, giving herself a much more effective viewing range of the night outside.
A couple of trees stood firmly outside of her window, lined together like twin towers of bark, their leaves both piled with thick layers of snow and ice, the wood of their trunks adorned with a tinge of blue from the cold winds, giving them a crystalline appearance.
Something was behind one of them, a faint but visible spec of something that contrasted against the snow. Something...purple? No, it couldn't be, snow isn't purple. It's white as marble and made of frozen condensation! The very thought of purple snow is absurd and unnatural! It doesn't exist!
Wait, is that...? Orange? Something orange and purple? Outside? At this time of night, and in this weather?
No, no. No, don't be daft, Sweetie, it's only your imagination. There's no way that it's-
''Sweetie.''
The chill down Sweetie Belle's back transformed into pure ice as a voice called to her, clearly pronouncing her name. Her body went stiff as a rock, not daring to move a single motor neuron in her muscles. Although scared and confused, the young, white unicorn couldn't help but feel a hint of curiosity rise in her mind for the source of the voice.
It sounded familiar. Weak and quiet, but there.
She was sure that she heard correctly. It didn't even sound as if it came from the outside, but much rather from inside her own room, clear as if it had been spoken directly into her ear.
Still peering from behind the glass of the open window in the bedroom that separated her from the snow, the odd colouration behind the trees against the snow became more prominent, and stepping into the open, causing the heart of the filly to stop dead in mid-beat, going completely silent.
''Sweetie.''
''S-Scootaloo?'' Sweetie asked to the dead air, her voice shaky from shock and surprise. There, standing next to the tree after stepping out of hiding was the face of her friend, a soft smile upon her lips as she returned Sweetie's stare.
No, no! That's impossible, she had to be dreaming! There's no way that she could be there! Not out in this cold!
In a swift motion, her heart and blood returning back to functioning order and allowing blood to pump and circulate back through her system, Sweetie removed her covers from her body, made for her wardrobe and pulled out a scarf woven by Rarity herself, corresponding to the colours of her mane, and then made her way out of the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her.
Although her visibility was cut off from the darkness of the night, and without pushing the risk of waking Rarity up by turning on any lights, the girl made her way towards the front door of the boutique, wincing to herself as she forgot that the bell was there in her moment of fast-paced choices, the sound ringing through the shop, accompanied by the frosty winds that caused Sweetie to squirm at the blast of cold.
Making no effort to close the door on her departure from the shop, the young, white unicorn fought against the wind as she made her way around the back of the Boutique, to where her bedroom windows peaked out to, directly in front of where the two trees were planted into the ground.
Sure enough, by the time she had gotten to where she saw what was the face of her friend, she saw her standing by the tree with a red scarf around her neck, bordered with yellow. She was staring directly at her, her eyes as lively as always. ''Lively'' being in the ironic sense, seeing that-
''Oh, no. No, no! I've gotta be dreaming! I just have to be! Scoots, why are you here?'' Sweetie asked, a hint of strong worry for her friend staining her voice.
The other pony gave a small shrug, ruffling her small pegasus wings to shake off the snow. ''Because I wanted to see you.'' She said in that raspy voice of hers, the same that Sweetie remembered.
''But you should be resting! Even if you feel better, you shouldn't be out and about! You could have asked for your Mum to send a letter if you wanted to talk so badly!'' The unicorn argued, but Scootaloo didn't budge her expression.
''Sweetie Belle, I couldn't wait. I didn't have the time to tell my Mum.''
Wait, what? What did she mean by that?
''What do you mean?'' Sweetie asked. The orange pegasus gave a sigh, yet no breath frosted in the air.
''I became too weak.'' She said quietly. ''I suppose you were right. I was stupid.''
Sweetie came trotted up to her. ''But what do you mean? You still shouldn't be here! I-'' Sweetie's hoof moved to place itself upon Scootaloo's shoulder, but, instead, all it did was pass through. All that met her hoof was cold, icy air.
Sweetie Belle screamed, and the young pegasus girl covered her ears from the ear-splitting volume her vocal chords produced.
''Hey, hey! I thought we talked about this!'' Scootaloo scowled as she waved her hooves in front of Sweetie, a frown upon her lips, and eventually, Sweetie stopped screaming.
''W-Wha-!? What happened to you?!'' She shrieked, her eyes beginning to sting. ''Wait! Let me go get Rarity!'' Just as soon as Sweetie tried to bolt on off back for the Boutique to retrieve her sister for help, the other girl stopped her in great haste.
''No! No, Sweetie!'' She shouted, freezing the unicorn in her tracks as she turned back around to face her. ''I-I mean...no, don't bother. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm...'' The scruffy purple maned filly hung her head, facing away from Sweetie's hurt eyes. She didn't want to say that last word.
''Why?'' Sweetie asked, her voice broken. ''I told you to listen to me! I told you, I told you, I TOLD YOU!'' Sweetie's voice gradually became angrier as she began to try and pummel her hooves against the orange-coated pegasus's chest, only to fail miserably and fall into the snow, landing on her chin. Thankfully, the thickened snow layers cushioned her tumble.
A stray tear escaped from her eye as she laid there on the floor, her cheeks soon becoming moist and damp as one tear turned into a constant stream, running hot against the cold.
''Sweetie, I'm sorry.'' Scootaloo said, her own voice holding pockets of hurt as she spoke. ''You're right, I am stupid. I'm such a dodo.'' She said bitterly, her words colder than her being.
She looked at her friend on the ground, her chin still buried into the snow and her rump stuck high in the air. She would offer her a hoof, but knew it would be fruitless, seeing as she doesn't actually possess the means to interact physically with anything, especially not now.
In her own time, Sweetie curved her head up to meet the eyes of the pegasus. ''Does this mean...you know?'' She asked slowly, picking herself off of the snowy ground to regain her posture in front of the other girl. Scoots only gave a frown and looked away from her, giving her enough of a response. ''Oh. I-''
''It's okay, Sweetie.'' Scootaloo said quietly, turning her head back to gaze straight into her friend's frosted eyes. Sweetie didn't say anything. All that came out as a response was a choke, a held back sob. ''By the way, do you still have my scooter? I couldn't find it back at the hospital.''
''Y-Yeah, sure. It's inside. Wait here.'' Sweetie said with a sniffle, leaving her friend to retrieve the scooter from where it was stored away in the Boutique.
She had taken it from the scene of the accident, meaning to give it back to Scootaloo at some point, leaving it inside of her wardrobe for when she had permission to check up on her. Unfortunately, that time never came.
Returning back to meet Scootaloo on the outside of Carousel Boutique by the trees, Sweetie had the scooter balanced on her back, the neck connected to the handlebars folded downwards to touch the main body of the vehicle that was prized to the tomboyish pegasus filly.
Allowing it to slide from her back, Sweetie offered it back to the pagasus, whom accepted it in her hooves with thanks, propping it up against one of the two trees before returning back to her.
''Thanks, Sweetie. Hey, could you maybe do one last thing for me?''
''Sure. Anything, Scoots.'' She replied with a smile, warm despite her broken heart.
''Tell Rainbow Dash that I'm sorry, too. I haven't been to her yet, and I don't think that it would sound as good coming from me when I tell her that...you know.'' She said, her voice quiet on the last two words. ''I don't know how she would react to seeing me like this after the accident.''
''I will.'' The unicorn said with a sad smile. ''But what about Apple Bloom? What do I tell her?''
''Tell her the same as you tell Rainbow Dash. I'd tell her myself, but I don't think she'd take it all too well.'' She admitted, a frown of a mix of regret and sorrow crossing her lips.
In a time long ago, when Sweetie and Scootaloo first met each other, they had become close friends, and even closer with more time, becoming more of what other ponies would describe as sisters. They knew each other both on the inside and outside, deeply enough to know that neither one has a lie or thought that the other doesn't know about.
With the addition of Apple Bloom to their group, she too became much like their sister, becoming a trio of sisters. They may not have known Apple Bloom as long as they had known each other for, but they never thought any less of her. As far as they were concerned, she was their sister, and the two of them knew that she thought the same of them.
It's why their bond was so strong in the first place. The reason that they became the Cutie Mark Crusaders', on a quest to find out who they are. It's what they had in common, and it only added into the range of compatibility that they all shared as one.
But now that their numbers have been reduced back to a duo in the recent absence of Scootaloo, the Crusaders' circle was broken at the heart.
A pair of pegasus wings that couldn't be replaced. A voice that couldn't be replaced. An orange coat and scruffy purple mane that couldn't be replaced.
A Scootaloo that couldn't be replaced.
''Oh, Scoots...'' Sweetie cooed sadly, wanting nothing more than to hug the filly in front of her, but knew she couldn't. ''How could we ever go on without you?''
''You'll find a way, Sweetie. Don't worry. I'll always be here.'' She said reassuringly. Moving for her scooter, Scootaloo took it in her hooves, unfolding the neck and handlebars and clicking them into place with a metallic CLACK that indicated they were securely locked in place. Stepping up a hoof to the body of the scooter, the orange filly gave a smile to the white unicorn in front of her. ''Goodbye, Sweetie. I love you.''
And, just like that, the tomboyish figure of the pegasus filly disappeared, scooter and all.
Sweetie, on the other hand, stared at where she had been standing, unable to tear her gaze from the spot where her friend had previously been. Tears stung her eyes and her cheeks were damp. She could feel the snow's weight in her mane and the bite of the icy wind, but she didn't care to acknowledge the discomfort they brought along to her already frozen frame.
The last words of the pegasus still vibrated in her ears, the last time she shall ever hear her voice.
She trotted over to where her friend had been standing, her hoofsteps akin to a ghost's as she made her way towards the spot in front of the tree, all the while staring at the ground.
There, on the ground in front of her, was the scarf that Scootaloo had been wearing. It was now covered in small specs of snow, but the red material that it was made out of stood out prominently in the white snow.
Taking it in her hooves and looking it over, Sweetie gave a wet sniffle, hugging the scarf to her cheek, and she could smell the scent of the departed pegasus through her frozen muzzle. It was like rainwater and grass, a typical scent for a pegasus, but hers was warmer, like her smile and attitude.
''I love you, too, Scootaloo. Goodbye.'' She said, her eyes closed as she continued to hug the scarf.
''Sweetie Be-eelle!'' A voice called out, clearly identifiable as none other than Rarity's, coming from the Boutique.
