"You're sure this is a good idea? Trees aren't built for you to climb," a dull grey earth mare droned monotonously, her face stiffly neutral. No matter what happened, she would never change her voice no matter how incredibly frustrating this filly was.
"Yes, Maudy, Treehugger said so," the young filly named Scuttle snootily lied.
The apathetic, rocky dark-grey maned earth pony closed her eyes like she was falling to sleep, as her lid closed they bounced back lethargically taking her time to finish blinking. "No."
"But you're supposed to do whatever sissy says!"
"I'm here to keep you safe, not horse around."
Maud had difficulty keeping track of the lengthy conversation. This was the most shallow talking she had done in a while. Usually, she let others do the talking, but her job as a babysitter obligated her to talk more than she's comfortable with.
"Ugh! You're so stupid!!" She wiggled her forehooves above.
"Remember your breathing techniques."
"I don't want to, you're not the boss!"
"You're not the one whom I talking to."
The filly's curiosity piqued, "Really, then who?"
"Myself."
Her mood shifted. She cracked a giggle, "that's silly, you never get frustrated."
"I’m not a robot. I’m not good at showing emotions, but I do feel them." Maud sat down quietly, breathing calm deep breaths with closed eyes.
The filly sat down with her copying what maud is doing. Breathing in at first and at the final second added a spin to the routine.
"Ohm... Ohm... Ohm..." Scuttle chanted.
Maud's eye peaked in the corner of her eye.
The filly saw maud, making her self-conscious thus responding a goofy grin "Umm... Umm... Umm..." She mischanted. She giggled at her mistake.
Maud ever so slightly smiled. "Better?"
"Yeah, better... But I still wanna climb that tree."
Maud sighed, silently wishing she had rejected Tree hugger's favor to babysit the anxious filly. She hoped for Maud to have a good influence on the filly, and rub off some of her extremely borderline attitude on her. She could not say no so she accepted begrudgingly "Why risk climbing. There are plenty of things just as interesting but are just as fun?"
The filly closed her eyes, taking time to process that, "because I think I found my calling," she pointed at the side of her plot. "I want a cutie mark and I want it now!"
Maud stared at her.
"Please?"
"You should wait for a cutie mark come up naturally---
"Ugh! I never get things my way."
"Maybe we could work this out---"
Twig pointed at a far distance and shouted in fear "Puppy!". She hid behind Maud using her as a shield.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm hiding from a puppy, cheese, isn't it obvious?"
Hearing a high pitched bark, her ears and eyes followed towards the direction. On the other side of the tree was a Chihuahua in the guard position. "It's just a small dog."
"Yeah, but it might bite me."
"It's just defending its territory."
The Dog for some reason sprinted towards them, charging at them.
Twig squeaked as she buried herself in her body, even more, hugging her leg. Maud's tail softly hugged the filly.
Maud kept her composure facing the dog, her expression an intimidating deterrent saying back off.
The dog ignored her and zoomed in closer, and closer, and closer---
---and stopped.
*Arf* *Arf* *Arf*
It kept its distance from them.
She stared at the, predicting the next move it might make.
*Arf* *Arf*
Nothing happened.
“Maybe it’s a neighbor’s dog.”
She flicked her hoof nonchalantly. “Shoo.”
It only stood there.
“What does it want?”
“I don’t know, make it go away.”
Her eyes drift to a stick, she picked it up and carried it between her teeth.
The dog stared at her menacingly.
She curled her hoof around the stick and waved it. The dog still like a stone statue.
She swung her mouth, flinging the stick off to the side.
The Dog watched it go off of the distance.
It looked back at Maud. Then looked at the stick. It instinctively chased after it.
“It looks trained by an owner. Must have lost its collar.”
“What? So the dog doesn’t bite?”
“I’m not entirely sure.”
“Where’s the owner?”
“I'm not sure of that either.”
“Do you know how to find its owner?”
“I can’t think, this situation has been too stressful for me.”
“Let’s ask the neighbors, how about that house over there?” She brightened up but shrieked when she saw the dog again and hid behind her, the chihuahua but hold it tight with its teeth
“Okay,” she responded.
Maud picked up the stick and threw it ahead. She walked towards the nearest home while the chihuahua fetched it for her.
Twig kept the opposite side of Maud away from the dog yet took a peek. As she watched Maud toss the stick, she felt a powerful urge to emulate her and participate in the activity.
“Can I throw the stick?”
“I thought you were afraid of dogs?”
“If it’s a nice dog, it won’t jump or bite on me. I’m not afraid of nice dogs.” She grabbed the stick with her hoof and faced the chihuahua, the sight paralyzed her.
While holding still, she managed to utter a few words, “come here, boy/girl!” She blew through her squeezed lips, successfully blowing a whistle, even though it had a wisp to it. The dog dropped its stick and steadily watched hers.
The stick flew off into the distance, the chihuahua after it. Twig galloped towards the target house screaming atop of her lungs. She knocked a few time on the door without delay.
The house opened revealing a grey stallion, “why are you---?”
“Is that your dog?” She pointed over to the chihuahua running towards them
“No, and I have no clue who the owner is.”
“Thanks!” She ran off across the lawn to the nearest house, trying to steer clear of the dog.
“Hey, stay off my lawn!”
She trotted to the next house with conviction, the dog followed her in hopes of fetching the stick.
She knocked on the door and paused.
The door opened revealing a mare with a pale yellow coat. Her notable mane was raspberry with light raspberry streaks. “Hello, what’s this?”
“Is this your dog!?” She billowed, stepping aside for the miniature dog
“Uhh… You mean that chihuahua?” She pointed at it.
She nodded.
“Well you’re in luck, I happen to know a friend who owns that chihuahua, how about I take in the chihuahua.”
“Yeah, that would be great. Say, do you need a stick?” She showed a stick within her hoof.
“Neah, no thanks, I’ll just lure it in with a peanut butter on a stick. I have some peanut butter in the pantry so I’ll be right back.” She dashed off into the house leaving the door opened in her wake.
The yard full of bedazzling roses caught the filly’s eyes, drawing her in like sirens. She fondled the silky rose petals. It smelled lavish.
Maud stood in front of the lawn, staring at her.
Those eyes made the filly feel uneasy and embarrassed. “Sorry.”
“No, go ask Roseluck about the flowers.”
She glanced at the door. “You mean her?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“...Yeah.”
“Don’t be afraid to pursue your passion, ”
She took that in “what’s your passion?”
“Rocks.”
“Rocks? That sounds boring!”
“It’s not as fun hearing about something than actually doing it.”
The door opened. Roseluck appeared this time with a stirrer laced with peanut butter. She whistled with a sharp tone shift. The filly stepped aside as the dog casually paced through the door, yelping peckishly
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
The filly turn around to see maud, only to remember and change her mind. “Wait, can I ask you something?”
“Yes?”
“Can I play with your flowers?”
Roseluck grinned nervously, she was protective of her flowers and didn’t want anypony to touch her delicate roses lest they destroy them.
“Please?”
“Well…" Something occurred to her. " How about I supervise?”
“Yay!”
~
“Look, it’s Scuttle, she’s with Roseluck!” Pointed out Applebloom.
Scuttle and Rokeluck, down in the dirt, wore work hoof gloves, shoveling weeds with trowels.
“There you are! Once we heard about your cutie mark problem, we had to track you down,” explained Scootaloo
“I heard you wanna scale up trees, so I spent time in our hasty travels listing trees to climb. I found a perfect conifer for a beginner like you in case you're not naturally adept. I can't wait 'till---” Sweetie Belle babbled before being interrupted Applebloom.
“Uh, guys?”
“Yes, Applebloom?”
“I think she already has a cutie mark.”
“You mean... You did all that... for nothing!” Squeeled sweetie Belle.
Roseluck pulled and snapped a weed from the ground. She spat it out in the pile. “Yeah, can you believe it! Her cutie mark is some metal basket of flowers suspended sideways, that must mean she’s a born gardener just like me!"
Scuttle pet the silky rose. "This reminded me of one of my chores, watering plants, but I didn't know that was gonna be my talent. Can you believe it! By the way, Roseluck," she pointed at the basket full of weeds, "I need you to dump those into the yard waste."
"Yes, Mam!" She picked up the weeds and did what she commanded
“All that time wasted,” Scootaloo said bluntly
“You’re telling me, what do I do with this list now?” complained sweetie belle.
“It’s alright, Sweetie Belle, I’m sure we could… use it when we need to pick the right kind of tree or something,” responded Applebloom.
“How about the hearth warming eve---uhh… What’s maud doing here?” Scootaloo asked.
Maud silently lingered in the background making her virtually invisible.
“Good point, what are you doing here?” Sweetie Belle asked Maud.
“I’m her babysitter.”
“Shouldn’t babysitting require babysitting?”
“My job is to help her overcome her anxiety, and having spending time with Roseluck will do more good. I’ll return her to Treehugger when she’s done. Until then, I’ll scrutinize these suspicious looking rocks very closely.” Her eyes scanned the line of rocks surrounding the garden.
“Okey dokey, seems like all loose ends are tied up here, let’s go find something else to do. Any ideas?” Applebloom said optimistically. She led the trio away.
Scuttle worked endlessly, blocking out everything else but the weeds and the sweet flowers that begged for their attention.
"You better grow, flowers, or else," she whispered. Suffice to say, her empty threat will not give her what she wanted.
Author's Note
What? You thought we were going to mess up everything? Shame on you for thinking so! Now, time to decorate that---where's that tree again?
