Practice and Patience

by Matthew Penn

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 5823

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie have so much to teach the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they volunteer for their first Winter Wrap Up.

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie have so much to teach the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they volunteer for their first Winter Wrap Up.

Published 2017-09-26 18:40:07 UTC
Last updated 2017-09-26 18:40:07 UTC

Practice and Patience

Winter was coming to an end. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, due to a little persuasion from Apple Bloom, convinced their sisters to let them participate in Winter Wrap-Up. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity had a meeting with the event’s All-Team Organizer, their good friend Twilight Sparkle. She agreed it wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, it could a great learning experience for them, as long as they were supervised by an adult.

When the day of the Wrap-Up arrived, Apple Bloom couldn’t believe Applejack had the audacity to enter her bedroom to wake her at five o’clock in the morning. They had to, Applejack explained, because when the work begins early it’s finished early, and Spring will come on time. “Early birds sing the first song,” which was one of mottos of the Apples during this time. It was half-past six when everyone assembled in the municipal square. Apple Bloom found her two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, drowsy, eyes half open, might faint at any moment. They stood next to their older sisters. Unlike the fillies, the two were fully awake. The Mayor greeted everyone, explained the Ponyville tradition of Winter Wrap-Up, then at seven o’clock the town was at work. Twilight assigned each of the three to a specific team led by three of her friends, gave them their respective vests, and much to their disbelief they were separated for the remainder of the day.

“Why am I with Fluttershy?” asked Apple Bloom.

“How come I’m with Pinkie Pie?” said Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle was the only one among them to work with her sister, although she’ll be spending the day weaving bird nests. And Rarity can be rather bossy at times.

“We thought we were going to be with our sisters,” whined Apple Bloom. “That’s the whole reason why we wanted to join.”

“I’m sorry, but I only chose the teams that would be the most appropriate for your skills.” She gave an apologetic look to Scootaloo. “And… well, I couldn’t get most of you into the teams you wanted.”

Scootaloo hanged her head and sighed. Twilight didn’t need to say anymore. She looked at Rainbow Dash disappointingly.

“Hey, sorry Scootaloo,” said Rainbow. She gently rubbed the filly’s back. “Maybe we’ll be together for next year’s Wrap-Up. I’ll make it up to you when this is over.”

They gave each other a hoof-bump. Rainbow Dash went off to join the Weather Team.

The Crusaders dejectedly went to their respective teams when everything was settled.

Apple Bloom followed Fluttershy through the snow-covered forest. She found it strange that Twilight had assigned her to Fluttershy. Why didn’t she sign me up with my sister? she thought. The two were silent as walked under the trees. They were joined by other ponies wearing the same tan vests, the Animal Team. Apple Bloom looked up and saw the branches had no leaves. Fluttershy turned around to make sure Apple Bloom was behind her. The look on the filly’s face told her that she wasn’t very excited, so Fluttershy tried to smile.

“Are you ready for your first Winter Wrap-Up?” she asked.

“Well, I guess so. What are we gonna do?”

Fluttershy gestured to small holes that were on the ground and beneath the trees. “We’re responsible for waking all the little creatures from their hibernation.”

“Hibernation? You mean they’ve been asleep all winter?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Of course. They can’t play in the snow like us, but they’ll be so pleased to know that Spring is nearly here.”

“How do we wake them up?”

Fluttershy motioned for Apple Bloom to come close to her. The pegasus crouched near a hole that was covered in snow. She gently pushed the snow out of the way and searched for any signs of life. She giggled when she spotted a family of sleeping rabbits. Fluttershy whispered to them in a sweet voice. A moment later she spoke to them again, raising her voice only slightly while keeping the sweet tone. One by one the rabbits woke. Fluttershy giggled again knowing their first sight of Spring was her smiling yellow face.

Apple Bloom watched as the rabbits came out. The younger ones rubbed their eyes, while the littlest one hid itself from the morning sun. She awkwardly smiled at the rabbit family. The rabbits wiggled their noses.

“It’s not very hard,” said Fluttershy. “It’s quite easy. Do you want to try?”

Fluttershy took Apple Bloom to another hole, where another family of forest critters dwelled. She pushed the snow out of the way and let Apple Bloom look inside, then stood aside to see what she can do. Apple Bloom glanced at her, then turned back to the hole.

“Alright y’all! Rise and shine!” Apple Bloom said in a loud voice. “Springtime’s a-coming! The snow is gone and it’s time to come on out!” She startled the sleeping critters, and when they saw a giant, yellow grinning face they hid further back in the hole. Fluttershy had to step in to assure them that Apple Bloom meant no harm.

“Apple Bloom, you have to speak to them softly, like I’m doing, or else you’ll scare them.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Fluttershy took her to a hole in the ground to set another example. Apple Bloom watched her intently as she spoke to whoever it was that lived the hole. She greeted two little hedgehogs who stuck their heads out.

“See? Nice and softly, and they’ll come out,” said Fluttershy.

“What if they don’t?” asked Apple Bloom.

Fluttershy placed a hoof under her chin. “I never had that problem before. But if they don’t want to come out you have to persuade as best as you can. Say how nice the weather is, or let them know the other animals are out.”

Fluttershy pointed to a hole near a pile of logs for Apple Bloom, then she hovered to a tree to wake up some chipmunks and squirrels. Apple Bloom repeated what Fluttershy said to her. Nice and softly. Nice and softly. She crouched down and looked inside the hole and saw a sleeping badger. Apple Bloom shivered just by looking at it. She heard badgers were dangerous. She wanted to call out to Fluttershy, but she was occupied by creatures in the trees. Apple Bloom took a deep breath and spoke to the badger.

“Hey, little guy. Uh… Spring is here. Aren’t you excited?” The badger didn’t budge. “So, since winter is over, don’t you want to wake up? It’s a nice day outside. Well, it’s almost a nice day. We have to wait until the pegasi clear the skies. Anyway, you should wake up right now. Everyone else is.”

Apple Bloom paused when there was movement. The badger opened its eyes and raised it head. She grinned nervously at it, but she received a frightening hiss in return, then returned to sleep. “Don’t you hiss at me!” said Apple Bloom. “You better come out or I’ll send my big brother after your striped behind!”

The badger didn’t move. “Fine, be that way! I never liked badgers anyhow!”

Apple Bloom grumbled and stomped her hooves. Her mumbling caught the ears of Fluttershy.

“Did you get any creatures out?”

“A stupid little badger won’t move, so I left it alone!”

“Apple Bloom, you shouldn’t call animals those names. If he doesn’t want to come out, then don’t worry about it. Maybe you can help me some of the squirrels.”

Fluttershy was going to ask if she needed help getting up the tree, but was stunned once she see how Apple Bloom can climb and grab hold to the branches.

“So are we doing this, or what?” said Apple Bloom, noticing that Fluttershy was silent.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Fluttershy said quickly.

There was a hole in the middle of the tree which was occupied by several sleeping squirrels. Fluttershy believed Apple Bloom needed another lesson in how to wake the animals without any trouble. She smiled at the filly then turned to the sleeping squirrels. Fluttershy once again spoke to them in a soft, soothing voice, emphasizing every word so Apple Bloom can listen. After a long time the squirrels ignored her, choosing to sleep for as much as they can.

Apple Bloom stuck her head in the hole, then said, plain and simple, “If you guys don’t come out, I’m gonna get Big Mac and Applejack to come down here and buck this tree.”

Quickly, like fast-moving furry darts, the squirrels dashed out of the tree. Fluttershy was visibly disturbed, quite speechless at the smiling Apple Bloom. “How did I do?” she asked.

“I don’t think threatening them is very good thing to do,” said Fluttershy.

“You said to persuade them, and that got them out, didn’t it?”

“Well, yes, but that’s not what I meant,” said Fluttershy.

She was about to put emphasize on being nice, but Apple Bloom was quickly on her way to wake up other animals. Whenever there were little critters who didn’t want to wake up, Apple Bloom persuaded them to come out in her own unique way. However, when the filly stepped away, Fluttershy came to assure them in her soft, motherly voice that Apple Bloom was only delivering empty threats. She noticed Apple Bloom sticking her head inside a hole at the bottom of a tree, speaking firmly, telling whoever was in there orders. Fluttershy gently pushed her aside and saw snakes. She quickly told the snakes to pay no attention to Apple Bloom, then she turned around to stare at her.

“What? I’m only doing like you said,” said Apple Bloom.

“I know, but you shouldn’t talk that way to snakes. They’re very unpredictable, and sometimes really grouchy. In fact, I didn’t appreciate the way you’ve been speaking to the animals.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

As time passed on the Animal Team gathered many of the creatures outside their homes. Fluttershy consulted her checklist to make sure every animal was wide and awake. She checked off the squares on the list, while noticing Apple Bloom jumping in the background.

“What are we gonna do now?”

“After we wake all the animals, we feed them,” answered Fluttershy.

“Feed them? Don’t they usually store food for the winter?”

“Yes they do, but we like to give them fresh food to eat.”

Fluttershy led Apple Bloom to the feeding area. Bowls were laid out on the ground. Team members poured fruits, vegetables, and nuts into the bowls, then the animals helped themselves to their first meals of the season. Fluttershy and Apple Bloom stopped at an empty bowl. She gave the filly a bag of veggies.

“Would you like to feed some hungry critters?” asked Fluttershy.

Apple Bloom shrugged, and poured little pieces of carrots and lettuce into the bowl. She waited for some hungry critters to approach her.

“I ain’t seeing any critters yet,” said Apple Bloom.

“They’ll come. You just have to be patient.”

She waited and waited, growing frustrated when animals ate from bowls that weren’t her own. A pair of rabbits slowly approached Apple Bloom from behind, pausing when she turned around to face them. They were locked in a staring contest.

“Well, what are you waiting for? It’s the first day of Spring! Eat up! Go on!” Apple Bloom said firmly.

The rabbits took one step backward.

“Remember what we talked about,” said Fluttershy. “A nice voice, like this.”

Apple Bloom looked at the rabbits again. They hadn’t retreated, and stared back wiggling their noses. She thought about what she was going to say, what tone she should use, and spoke.

“It’s the first day of Spring,” Apple Bloom said in a sweet voice. “Lovely weather, isn’t it? We got y’all some food to eat. I know y’all must be very hungry after sleeping for three months.”

The rabbits gazed at her.

Then they took a step forward. Slowly they approached her bowl and ate.

“Good job, Apple Bloom. I’m so proud of you,” said Fluttershy.

Apple Bloom watched the rabbits nibbling on the carrots and lettuce. Then she scanned the area and saw other animals either finishing their bowls or beginning to eat.

The rabbits looked up to her and wiggled their noses. Fluttershy explained it was their way of saying thank you for the food.

“You know, it kinda did felt good talking to them nicely and all,” said Apple Bloom. “Um… you didn’t think I was too direct with them, did you?”

“You were fine, but thing with animals, especially smaller ones, is that they’re easily scared. That’s why it’s best to speak softly when you want them to come out, so they’ll know you don’t mean them any harm. But, uh… I guess you did a good job getting most of them out.”

“I’m mighty sorry about that,” said Apple Bloom.

“That’s okay, I know you didn’t mean it. You helped out so much today.”

“Thank you kindly, Fluttershy.”

“I’m so thrilled you’re here, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said excitedly. “Can you believe it? It’s your first Winter Wrap-Up! I wonder why I haven’t gave it thought.” Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to say something, but Rarity had spoken once more. “Now Sweetie, we’re part of the Animal Team, and we have a specific task to make sure they’re comfortable when Spring arrives.”

They were outside the Carousel Boutique, much to Sweetie Belle’s surprise. There were several tables set throughout the back courtyard, each occupied by two poines. Beside each table there were stacks of hay, and on top of the tables there were box containing supplies such as scissors and ribbons.

“What are they doing?” Sweetie asked.

“They’re weaving nests for the birds returning from the south,” explained Rarity, “which is what we are going to do.”

“But I don’t know how to weave nests.”

“That’s why your brilliant sister is here. I am going to teach you the art of weaving.”

Rarity led Sweetie Belle to an empty table and prepared everything they needed for their assignment. She took a basket and laid out hay, straws, and ribbons. Sweetie simply stared at her while she created a nest with only her hooves and teeth with no difficulty at all, but it took a few minutes to do so. After those short minutes everything was combined neatly. The nest was completed.

“There’s no way I’m going to get this done as fast,” said Sweetie.

“There is nothing to be worried about. All it takes is practice and patience. Remember what I have taught you about the art of serenity?”

Sweetie rolled her eyes. For Rarity there was an art to everything, even the mundane. Rarity took another basket, this time for Sweetie Belle, and once again laid out the needed materials for building a nest. Sweetie didn’t know what to do first. When Rarity weaved the nest into form, it looked as though she grabbed everything at once. Sweetie’s first instinct was to gather some hay and form it into a circle. She did it slowly. She picked up two sticks, not sure of what to do next. She dropped them.

“This is hard,” said Sweetie.

Rarity placed the sticks on the table. Sweetie noticed she didn’t use magic. She gave a sympathetic look to the filly. “Perhaps I was moving a tad-bit quickly for you,” she said. “Let me show you again.”
This time, without going for everything at once, Rarity showed Sweetie the process that went into making a nest, step by step. It took longer than the first time, but Rarity thought it was appropriate this way, so as Sweetie wouldn’t grow frustrated. The second nest appeared better than the first one.

“Did you see what I did?”

“Yes. I think. Actually, I’m still not sure what to do first.”

Rarity put a hoof on her chin.

“Maybe a hoofs-on demonstration will help.”

Rarity set two baskets and laid out the building materials for herself and Sweetie Belle. Motioning for the filly to do the same, she slowly placed her hooves on the item that need to be used. Rarity held Sweetie’s hooves and guide her through each motion whenever she had trouble. With each step the nest was slowly completed. It didn’t look as perfect as Rarity’s, but it looked like the kind of nest a bird will be pleased to claim as its home.

“Did you notice how easy it was?” she asked.

“Yeah. I think so,” said Sweetie.

“Now we are going to do it together one last time, after that you will get to weave one yourself.”

Sweetie didn’t like the sound of that, but her sister insist that it happen. Rarity went through the motions again. As the process continued Sweetie was nervous about building one herself without help. Even though Rarity gave her a step-by-step lesson, it still seem like she was grabbing for everything at once. There were many things she had to do, and she couldn’t keep up. The second nest was completed, and Sweetie tried to remember what she did.

“Perfect, another job well done,” said Rarity. “Now then, let’s see you do it.”

“Okay. If you say so.”

She replayed how Rarity made the nests in her thoughts, and tried to replicate those movements. It shouldn’t be that hard, Sweetie thought to herself. Rarity basically moved through her, so she had to get it right. However, it took much longer than it was with Rarity. Although she managed to complete it by herself, the nest came out a little lopsided and uneven, one side wider than the other.
“How did I do?” asked Sweetie.

“Well… the important thing is that you tried.”

Sweetie frustratingly stared at her nest and cast it aside. “Why can’t you use magic?” she asked. “It’ll make things much easier.”

“We talked about this, Sweetie. Ponyville was founded by Earth ponies, so every year we transition from Winter to Spring without the use of magic. It’s a tradition that’s essential to this event.”

Sweetie sighed. “It would be nice if we used a little bit of magic.” She looked around the courtyard and saw an equal amount of unicorns and earth ponies on the Animal Team. All of them weaved perfectly good nests. There must have been hundreds of them. “Maybe this was a bad idea,” she muttered.

“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked.

“Me volunteering for Winter Wrap-Up. Look at them. How can I keep up?”

Sweetie slumped on the table. She held her head between her hooves. There was another basket of weaving material set beside her, but she ignore them.
Rarity sat on the other side of the table.

“You know Sweetie Belle, you should never put yourself down like this. Everything ponies are good at takes practice. When I was your age, when I decided to become a dressmaker, all the dresses I made when I was a child were terrible.”

“They were?” Sweetie asked, surprised.

“They’re memories I’d rather never want to revisit. It was a dreadful time in my life. I thought my dreams will never come true. And then inspiration came to me in the form of a sonic rainboom! I found my purpose, worked very hard, and here I am now, the greatest dressmaker in all of Equestria! All I’m trying to say is that practice makes perfect, not mention a little support from somepony close. Such as I.”

Sweetie thought for a moment. She remembered the reason she volunteered for Winter Wrap-Up was to spend quality time with her sister. She agreed to give weaving another try.

Rarity grabbed materials for herself and a produced a separate pile for Sweetie. This time she wanted Sweetie to repeat her movements while she weaved the nest. Rarity was determined to have her little sister create her first perfect nest.

“Do you know when the birds will come back?” asked Sweetie.

“Sometime after midday. Much of the snow will be melted by that time, as well as the majority of the work being accomplished.”

“And there’s another thing I always wondered. Why do you volunteer for Winter Wrap Up, anyway?”

“Because it’s a day where I can use my creative skills to help the community. Just as I make dresses and clothes for ponies, I make homes for animals who need them. Do you think that because I’m finesse and immaculate means that I can’t do things like these?”

Sweetie didn’t answer.

“Did you know Macintosh Apple was a member of the Animal Team for a time?”

“Really?” asked Sweetie.

“Of course. He helped build a birdhouse. A rather large one, as well. We were all impressed.”

“Why did he join the Animal Team. Doesn’t he work with Applejack on the Plant Team?”

“I guess he figured that there was a hidden carpenter inside of him. I believe it. It goes to show everyone is capable of anything.”

Rarity and Sweetie finished their nests. Sweetie’s looked almost perfect, but not perfect enough. A string was coming loose. Rarity smiled, and then they tried again. Sweetie’s troubles about not being able to keep up with the other team members faded away.

Scootaloo gazed at the wide frozen lake. Nobody told her skating was going to be involved. She realized she made a huge mistake volunteering for Winter Wrap-Up.

Pinkie was in charge of the Weather Team responsible for scoring the ice so the Pegasi can clear the sky for the sun. Almost everyone admitted that it was one of the few fun tasks of Winter Wrap-Up, so as long as you don’t fall on your flake on the ice, which was something Scootaloo was afraid of doing.

“Come on, let’s kick some ice!” said Pinkie.

Scootaloo wasn’t too eager to move.

“Aren’t you coming?” asked Pinkie.

“Why is everyone skating? I thought we were supposed to melt the ice.”

“We’re just breaking the ice into little pieces so they can be easier to melt.”

Scootaloo continued to gaze at the skating ponies.

“What’s wrong?” asked Pinkie.

Scootaloo said nothing. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She didn’t know if it was from the cold or for just being nervous.

Pinkie tilted her head. She looked at Scootaloo, then at the ponies on ice.

“Do you… know how to skate?”

“Not really. Well… no, I don’t.”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know.” A moment passed and Pinkie smiled. “Don’t worry about a thing! Your best friend Pinkie Pie is here, and I’m gonna teach you how it’s done! You’ll be a natural in no time! Whaddaya say?”

“... I don’t know,” said Scootaloo. “What if I fall?”

Pinkie held the young filly’s hoof and slowly led her to a frozen lake that was empty. She helped Scootaloo put on her ice skates. Scootaloo watched the skaters on the other lake, how they kept a steady but quick pace as they went up and down, left and right, which made her even more unsure of herself.

“Scoring the ice is easy as pie,” said Pinkie. “Once you get the hang of it, it kind of feels more like sliding than skating. Allow me to demonstrate.”

Scootaloo watched Pinkie move swiftly to each side and corner of the frozen lake, smoothly making straight lines on the surface. Pinkie Pie makes everything look easy, Scootaloo thought. Pinkie skidded to a stop in front of Scootaloo, smiling while awaiting her answer.

“I’m not doing that,” Scootaloo said flatly.

“Oh, come on. It’s easy, not to mention loads of fun! Here, let me help you out.”

Before Scootaloo had a chance to protest, Pinkie grabbed her hoof. She slowly guided Scootaloo to the icy surface by gently shoving her from behind. Scootaloo couldn’t take her sight away from her legs. They felt like jelly on the ice, so she watched herself if she ever slipped and fall, and break something fragile. Pinkie looked down to see she was gliding smoothly.

“You’re doing good,” she said. “Just try to look forward.”

“I can’t. What if I fall?”

“Don’t worry, I got you.”

Scootaloo nodded and looked forward. The cool air surrounded her face, sending chills through her orange skin. She forced herself to keep her legs still, but they kept wobbling on the cold surface. One of them slipped, causing her to fall. Luckily Pinkie was there to catch her.

“That sure was a slippery slope,” she said, laughing. “I’m just kidding, you did good.”

“No I didn’t. I stunk.”

“You weren’t that bad. All it takes is practice. Let’s try again.”

Pinkie helped Scootaloo to her legs, got behind her and moved forward. She kept the pace slow and steady so Scootaloo can adjust her legs.

“Okay, now I want you to relax your legs.”

Scootaloo took a deep breath and did as she was told. She placed less intensity on her legs, but was anxious once more when Pinkie slightly increase the speed. From behind she remind Scootaloo to relax and don’t worry about falling. Scootaloo attempted to relax her legs again. Pinkie looked down and saw lines on the surface.

“You’re doing great. In a few moments I’m going to let you go.”

“What? Why?” yelped Scootaloo.

“Trust me,” said Pinkie.

Pinkie picked up the pace. Scootaloo felt herself losing control of her mobility. If Pinkie lets go of her she wouldn’t know what to do.

Pinkie Pie said she was about to let go, but Scootaloo didn’t hear her. She was busy worrying about falling and hurting herself. The last thing she thought she heard Pinkie said was to relax her legs and focus, and the filly was nudged forward. Scootaloo fought with all her might to keep control of her legs. With every slip of the hoof she tried to keep them still. She heard Pinkie from far away yelling about keeping the blades firmly on the ice. Scootaloo found herself losing speed, so she tried to push herself forward while at the same time drawing lines on the surface. One small misstep immediately sent her tumbling on the ice. She slid on her belly to a full stop on the edge of the lake, crashing into the snow.

Pinkie quickly skated to her.

“That’s what I call a Winter wipeout. Are you alright?”

She picked Scootaloo up and wiped the frost from her purple hair and orange skin. Pinkie noticed the look of disappointment on her face. Then she saw the pair of lines made by her skates.

“I told you… I don’t know how to skate,” said Scootaloo.

“You weren’t bad. Actually, you almost got it there,” said Pinkie. “Let’s practice a little bit more.”

Scootaloo nodded. She looked back and saw the ponies on the other lake. They were already finished scoring, and the ice was breaking apart into small pieces. She shook her head. There was no way she was going to be good at this, she realized.

But they kept trying. Scootaloo skated, fell, Pinkie picked her up while delivering her snow puns to lighten the mood. There were classics such as “I thaw what you did there,” and “Do the Dew,” and of course “We’re doing this weather it takes!” Not to mention “Don’t turn this into a cold war.”

They suddenly stopped in the middle of the frozen lake.

“Enough with the puns!” said Scootaloo.

“Say it ain’t snow,” gasped Pinkie.

“Enough already! I don’t think this helping at all.”

“Just because you fell a few times doesn’t mean you’re not good.”

Scootaloo didn’t want to be reminded of how many times she fell on the ice. Now she began to think volunteering for Winter Wrap Up was a mistake. She already wish the day was over. From the center of the lake she skated across the other side with ease. Not once did her legs wobble, never did she fell on her belly or her bottom.

“Scootaloo… you did it! You really, really, really did it!” exclaimed Pinkie.

“Eh. So I did,” Scootaloo replied, unimpressed with herself.

Scootaloo sat on the snow and unbuckled her skates. If she knew the day would be like this she could have just stayed in bed all day. Pinkie rolled next to her.

“What’s the problem?”

“I think I made a mistake volunteering for this,” said Scootaloo.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well… It’s just… I know you tried your best, and I appreciate that. But I didn’t get into the team I wanted, and I can’t skate. Even if I did, look how big the lake is. It will take me forever to break the ice apart.”

“You really wanted to be with Rainbow Dash, huh?” said Pinkie.

“I should’ve known things never go my way,” sighed Scootaloo. “I got nothing against you. Like I said, you did your best and I thank you for trying. But I just gotta face the facts. I’m not good at this. I still want to thank you. It’s nice to know you believed in me.”

She left the unbuckled skates on the snow, then decided to spend the rest of the day doing something else. Scootaloo hoped maybe Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle was having a better time than she was.

A snowball hit the back of her head.

Scootaloo turned around. She could’ve sworn it was Pinkie who threw the snowball, but she was whistling, acting as though nothing had happened. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and continued on her way until she was hit with another snowball. This time she knew it was Pinkie.

“What gives?” Scootaloo said frustratingly.

“I’ll make you a deal. We’re gonna have a snowball fight. If you win, you get to go home. If I win, then you have to help me break apart the rest of the ice on this lake. Deal?”

Scootaloo really wanted to go home, but Pinkie threw the first snowball. There was no way she was going to let it slide. Once a snowball has been thrown, and it hits her, she had to strike back at her opponent. It was unofficial rule, but a rule she followed greatly. They gazed at each other, for what seemed like forever. She felt like she was in a showdown from a western film, two gunslingers waiting for the other to make a move. Scootaloo’s small hoof slowly reached for the snow on the ground.

She only blinked once, and Pinkie and Scootaloo were already throwing snowballs at each other. They released were warlike cries of laughter, snow in the form of spheres flew over their heads and splattered on their bodies. Scootaloo leaped and ducked, Pinkie let her arm take control. The two of them were determined to win this snowbound battle.

Somepony cleared her throat, and the battle ceased.

Scootaloo and Pinkie fell under the gaze of Twilight Sparkle. They looked around and found they have gained the bewildered stares their team members.

“Hi Twilight,” said Pinkie.

“Uh, Pinkie, I thought you were teaching Scootaloo how to break the ice apart.”

“Funny story about that. You see, I was teaching her, but Scootaloo kept slipping and fall and was getting really frustrated that she didn’t know how to skate and how she felt bad about not being in the team she wanted. She was about to go home until I threw two snowballs at her. I gave an ultimatum about staying with me for the rest of day if I win the snowball fight, so here are throwing snowballs at each, then you came along.”

“... Okay, a very peculiar story. But keep your mind on the task. Remember, we have to be on schedule. You two can have fun later.”

And Twilight was off elsewhere.

“For a second I thought she was going to yell at us,” said Scootaloo.

“Nah, not Twilight. The only time she gets really angry is when reality doesn’t make sense anymore. Sometimes she’ll burst into flames. It doesn’t happen too often… but it does.”

Scootaloo didn’t want to know what that meant.

She looked at the skates she left on the snow, and wondered if she really wanted to quit and go home. Did her friends also decided to quit when things didn’t go the way they wanted? Without thinking it over too much, she slipped the ice skates on her hooves.

“You change your mind?” asked Pinkie.

“I’m gonna give the ice scoring another try.”

Pinkie smiled. She got behind Scootaloo and pushed her forward on the ice. The little pegasus relaxed her legs and let the blades do their work. Scootaloo knew she was going to fall a few more times, but at least she was having fun doing so. Scootaloo thought about it, and realized maybe that’s why Twilight paired her with Pinkie Pie.

The mayor and Twilight inspected everything the ponies have done, going through item on the checklist and marking it off. There were no inch of snow to be found, every bird and creature was accounted for, all seeds have been planted on the soil. Twilight and the mayor looked at each other, silence passed between them. They nodded, agreeing everything was cleared.

Twilight reached for her pocket watch and studied it.

“Eight hours. A new record,” she announced.

They began at seven in the morning and the work was done at three in the afternoon, an entire day of school. The mayor bid everyone congratulations. Twilight and the mayor shook hooves.

Everyone else gathered around. Applejack and Macintosh from the fields, Rainbow Dash from the sky, and Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy from elsewhere, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Well, I hope the three of you had a wonderful experience,” said the mayor. “Why don’t you inform Twilight on what you’ve learned today.”

The Crusaders exchanged glances at each other. Nopony told them they had to learn a lesson. After a moment of hesitation, Apple Bloom was the first to speak.

“Well, I learned that you have to be patient with some things, and ya can’t force stuff to happen, even if you really want to.”

“And you shouldn’t be afraid to try something new, because you’d never know what you’re capable of,” added Sweetie.

“And even if you don’t get it right the first time, that’s okay, because nopony’s perfect. You fall, get back up, and try again,” said Scootaloo.

Everyone agreed those were great lessons. Even Princess Celestia herself would be proud of them. All the work was accomplished and the day had come to an end. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie wanted to celebrate the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ first Winter Wrap Up, but the fillies had another idea in mind: they wanted to go back to their warm beds after a long day of hard work. It wasn’t a bad idea. The effects of the five o’clock wake up call had caught up with them, they could drop like rocks at any moment.