Author's Note
We've all seen how Luna helped Scootaloo with her fears. This story is my take on how their EqG counterparts' interaction would be like.
Sentences in italics are thoughts.
Enjoy.
Movie Night
Scootaloo sucked in a deep breath, puffing her cheeks before blowing a raspberry at the window. In response, rain lashed against the glass in a violent torrent, obscuring the view of the small town below.
"Stupid storm," she mumbled with her chin in her hands. "I was supposed to train with Rainbow Dash today."
As if to spite her, the sky unleashed a lightning bolt that struck a nearby tree, tearing a thick branch loose and hurtling it towards her window.
"Gah!" Scootaloo leapt back as the branch crashed against the glass, shattering it, then toppled off the ledge and plummeted to the ground below. Rain and howling wind immediately slapped her across the face and she ran wildly around the apartment searching for something to cover the hole.
She eventually found a box and flattened it over the hole, haphazardly taping it to the wall. By the time she was done, her clothes were dripping and the expression on her face had gone from annoyed to positively gloomy.
"At least I won't have to laundry these anymore." She muttered, tugging her sopping clothes off and throwing them in the corner. A glance at the clock showed it was only 7 PM, and suddenly hungry, she resignedly put on her slippers and cloud-print bathrobe and trudged into the kitchen.
She opened the first cabinet. Marshmallows.
She opened the fridge. Jelly.
She opened the pantry door. Chips.
She looked underneath the kitchen table. Two and a half stale cookies.
The chair toppled over from the force of her kick as she cursed and fisted her fingers into her hair. "Why isn't there anything to eat in this stupid house?!"
In a fit of petulance, she grabbed the marshmallows, jelly, chips, and stale cookies along with a large bowl. Setting it atop the table, she threw the entire mix together and stirred it around before shoving the entire thing into the oven and setting it to broil.
Then, she left the kitchen long enough to grab her pillows and blanket from her room, bringing both items to the living room where she dumped them on the floor in front of the TV. She couldn't afford cable and anticipated having to spend the rest of the night watching old ladies knit sweaters on the arts and crafts channel, when the preview for the Friday night movie caught her eye.
Immediately, her sour expression dissolved into one of intrigue.
It was a horror film, and one about ghosts, at that. It was going to start in fifteen minutes.
At the same time she realised this, a small voice surfaced in the back of her mind.
Eh, this is probably not a good idea. You know how you get with ghost stories…
Scootaloo swallowed hard, then changed the channel to her only other alternative besides the news and weather channel. The old lady on the arts and crafts channel held up a scrapbook.
"Today we'll be showing you how to laminate! That way, you'll be able to preserve your precious memories forever. You never know when a hurricane or flood might jeopardise the well-being of your scrapbooks. I remember one time…"
Scootaloo stared blankly at the screen. "There's no way I'm watching this."
Mind made up, and ignoring that little voice in the back of her head, she changed the channel back to the movie and went into the kitchen to grab her dinner. The concoction in the bowl bubbled enticingly in a blob of yellows, browns, whites, and greens and, despite its appearance, smelled rather appetising.
She grabbed a large spoon and turned off the kitchen light, along with the rest of the lights in the apartment before settling comfortably into her mound of pillows and blankets.
A moment later, the movie started; shivering slightly in anticipation, she leaned back against the front of the couch and tucked into her dinner, watching the screen over the rim of her bowl.
An hour and a half later.
"You idiot!" Scootaloo screeched, gesticulating wildly at the screen. "You stupid idiot! Don't go upstairs!"
One of the characters slowly ascended a shadowed staircase with an idiotically vapid look on his face, calling out for his missing friend. Scootaloo had the blanket over her head like a shroud, her terrified face illuminated by the ghostly glow of the television. Next to her, her bowl laid half-empty and a mangled pillow was clutched in her hands.
Outside, the storm raged louder than ever, the silent moments in the movie interspersed with the howling wind seeping through the gaps in the broken window. Teeth chattering, Scootaloo gnawed on her fingernails, peeking over her raised knees at the screen as one by one the characters were decapitated, crushed, impaled, or mutilated by the destructive power of the poltergeist.
Only the main character, smart enough to surround herself in a circle of protective salt during the final scene, was able to exorcise the spirit without getting killed. The fact that she looked a lot like Apple Bloom did nothing to help remind her that the movie was mere fiction.
By the time it was over, only her eyes were visible through the small gap in blankets and pillows, darting nervously around the room.
Strange, her apartment had never looked so ominous and creepy before. The only light in the room came from the static screen of the television. Various items in the small room cast jagged shadows against the walls that moved with the flickering light of the static. A glance at the clock showed it was nearly 10 PM and reluctantly she wondered whether it was worth leaving the living room to go sleep in her bedroom. The hallway between her room and the living room suddenly seemed a mile long.
"I'll just spend the night here," she rambled, bringing his knees in closer to his body. "L-Like having a sleepover with the crusaders... except by m-myself…" she swallowed hard, voice cracking. "…in the dark."
She eventually arranged a pillow on the floor next to her, hugging one to her chest as she lay down against it. The TV continued buzzing static and just as she debated whether to turn it off and relinquish her only light source, a sudden clatter from the kitchen nearly scared the life out of her.
Emitting a strange noise somewhere between a squeak and yelp, she leapt to her feet, lunging for the light switch near the apartment door. The living room immediately lit up, but she still hesitated at the prospect of entering the kitchen. A cold feeling started in her chest and descended to the tips of her toes when she found a pot upside down on the kitchen tiles.
It had fallen out of the dish rack. But how?
Almost immediately, images from the movie, consisting of scenes where the poltergeist rattled and hurled household objects flitted across her mind's eye.
"It can't be," she whimpered. "This place can't be haunted."
Thunder rumbled loudly outside in response, and not wanting to take any risks, she grabbed her salt shaker and ran back to the living room. It didn't occur to her to question the validity of salt's repelling qualities against spirits, or what would happen if she had to leave the circle in the middle of the night to pee. She continued pouring the salt in a circle around her makeshift bed until—just before completing it—the salt shaker ran out.
The blood drained out of her face as she shook the canister and nothing came out.
"N-No way..."
The neighbours, the little voice suggested in the back of her mind. Go borrow some. They can't turn you down over a little salt, can they?
Without reconsidering, she dropped the shaker, flung open her apartment door and ran out into the hallway. Even the hall, she realised with a shudder, looked menacing this late at night, and her hopes were quashed when every door she knocked on either resulted in her getting yelled at or ignored.
Finally, she reached the last door in the hall, praying that the new tenant wouldn't slam the door in her face. When the door opened, her expression morphed from desperate to shocked.
"Vice Principal Luna!"
"Oh, Scootaloo," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I live down the hall," Scootaloo answered, considerably relieved at the sight of her. "Hey, hey, you're the new tenant?"
"Ah, yes," she replied, smiling slightly and glancing over her shoulder. "Just me and my bat. I would invite you in, but I haven't even unpacked and the place is a mess."
The vice principal of Canterlot High School looked at her curiously, eyeing her robe and slippers. "Did you need something, by the way?"
The grin on the younger lady's face wavered as her cheeks turned an embarrassing shade of red. "Well, uh, yeah. Sort of. I was wondering if… you had any salt?"
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Salt? Are you cooking? At this time of night?"
"No," she mumbled, glancing apprehensively down the hall at her cursed apartment. "It's kind of stupid, but…" She paused, scratching her head and squinting up at the older woman. "I need it for protection."
Luna looked positively confused now. "Protection from what?"
Scootaloo's expression contorted into a grimace. "I kinda watched a movie I wasn't supposed to watch—about ghosts and stuff and, well, it sorta scared me—okay, it really scared me and I'm starting to think that branch didn't hit my window by mistake and my pot fell on the floor, but maybe that was a mouse? I'm not sure. I just need salt!" She blurted.
Luna stared at her blankly. The purple haired girl shifted uncomfortably on the spot and scratched her head again.
Eventually, a small grin spread over Luna's face.
"All right," she said calmly, eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'll get you some salt. But are you sure that's enough?"
"Huh?" Scootaloo looked alarmed. "You don't think it is?"
"Well," she said, tapping her chin, thinking of a way to play along. "I believe ghosts are attracted to fear; a scared child is easy target. Maybe if I lend you something happier to watch, it'll propel any negative energies out of your apartment."
That worked as her student's eyes immediately brightened. "Really?"
"Of course," she said confidently, resisting the urge to laugh. "I have a movie I haven't watched yet, but you can borrow it for the night. It might even put you to sleep."
"Come watch it with me!" Scootaloo exclaimed, doing nothing to hide the fact that she didn't want to be alone.
She blinked. "Right now? But it's late and I—"
Scootaloo made a face. "It's not that late! Besides, I already cooked dinner if you're hungry. It's nothing fancy, but it's pretty good, I think. Come on, it'll be like a sleepover."
Luna expression softened at her beseeching tone. Her silly apprehension regarding the salt was still there and was probably the main reason she wanted her to come with her, but amidst that, there was genuine desire for some company. It wouldn't surprise her if this was Scootaloo's first time having someone over to her apartment.
When she thought about it, the prospect must have sounded terribly exciting for a child of Scootaloo's age who'd lived on her own for most of her life.
"All right," she finally said, smiling in defeat as the girl grinned triumphantly. "Wait here, I'll be back in a minute."
Luna disappeared behind the door, and when she returned, she was wearing a pair of blue pajamas resembling the night sky with little white stars scattered around, holding a bag of fresh popcorn, a blanket and pillows, the movie, and her salt shaker. Scootaloo eagerly led the way to her apartment, far braver now that she had a familiar face with her.
Her apartment was sparse, devoid of most furniture except for the very basics, but it had a homey feel nonetheless. The powerful smell from tonight's dinner hung in the air and Luna almost laughed out loud at the sight of a partially complete circle of salt on the living room floor.
Scootaloo took the shaker from Luna's hand and unabashedly completed the ring, gesturing for woman to sit next to her within it. Shaking her head, Luna closed the door and shut the light, making her way over to where the girl had already settled down.
"Are you hungry?" Scootaloo asked, and before Luna could answer, she plopped her bowl of half-eaten whatever-it-was into her lap along with the spoon.
Luna blanched at the sight of it. "Uh, what… exactly is this?"
She shrugged. "I didn't have anything to eat so I mixed a whole bunch of stuff together. Don't worry, the slimy green stuff is jelly."
"Er, thank you."
In return, Luna offered her the bag of popcorn she'd brought from her own apartment, gingerly setting the bizarre confection in the bowl aside.
Scootaloo inserted the tape and settled back next to her, shoveling a handful of popcorn into her own mouth.
"What kinda movie is it, Vice Principal Luna?"
"Please, just call me anything but that on weekends," She chuckled. "And well, Celestia gave this to me as a present, it's her favourite genre. So it's the kind that will completely take your mind off of ghosts."
Definitely, she added inwardly, struggling not to laugh. Romantic comedies have a tendency to do that. If you're lucky you might even fall asleep halfway through it. I know I will.
The movie started and Luna comfortably reclined against the front of the sofa, glancing at the clock and wondering how long it would be before Scootaloo, or her, pass out from boredom.
An hour and a half later.
"You idiot!" Scootaloo shouted at the screen, flinging a piece of popcorn at the protagonist's face. "You stupid idiot! She loves you!"
Luna stared at the girl next to her, shocked as Scootaloo scowled at the screen, completely engrossed in what she was watching. It had turned out to be a rather sappy film, predictable as far as most romances went, but it had completely held the girl's attention the entire way through.
Scootaloo seemed to have forgotten all about her previous fear, stretching her legs out beyond the range of her protective circle and oblivious to the thunder that continued to rumble outside the building.
In the midst of watching the movie, they passed the popcorn bag back and forth between each other, taking moments to comment on the film.
Scootaloo was exasperated. "How come she doesn't just tell him she likes him? What the heck is wrong with girls?"
"It's not that simple," Luna said lightly, recalling the way a certain purple girl looked at a blue haired guitarist. "Some girls are shy."
"Okay, so how come she's going after that other guy?"
"She's trying to make the first one jealous to get his attention."
"That's dumb."
"Women are complicated creatures, Scootaloo." Luna spoke, recalling her sister's love life.
"Ehh, not all of us are. We aren't." Scootaloo shot back, earning a proud smile from Luna.
"You'll understand when you're older and hopefully not by experience."
"I think I'm starting to get why Rumble thinks all girls are annoying."
The movie ended half an hour later, expectedly with the heroine and hero resolving their differences and getting married. Luna yawned as the credits rolled, stretching her arms over her head before turning to look at Scootaloo.
To her surprise, the girl almost looked disappointed.
"Something wrong?" Luna asked, concerned.
"Huh? No." Scootaloo said, blinking and tearing her gaze away from the screen.
The woman tilted her head questioningly. "You didn't like the movie?"
"It's not that. It was just…" She paused. "Short."
Luna blinked, surprised as Scootaloo lowered her gaze and scratched her head again. It took a moment for her to elaborate and she did so awkwardly.
"I usually don't like this mushy sort of stuff in movies and I never watch that stuff by myself, this is Sweetie Belle's thing. But, you know, watching it with someone else is kinda fun, even if the movie is the mushy type." She paused, an almost wistful look coming into her features. "I think it'd be fun no matter what kind of movie it is."
When Luna didn't reply, Scootaloo chanced a glance at her, eyes widening when she saw that hers were bright with mistiness. Alarmed, she sat up.
"You don't have to get that worked up over a movie! It wasn't even sad!"
"No," Luna said, voice slightly high-pitched. "It wasn't sad. I'm just happy I watched it with you, is all."
Scootaloo looked somewhat puzzled at that, but pleased nonetheless as Luna offered her a wavering smile. Luna took a moment to gather herself as Scootaloo reached for the television and turned it off, stifling a loud yawn with her hand.
"You can have the sofa," Scootaloo suddenly offered, collapsing sideways onto her makeshift bed. "I'm too tired to get up."
Luna shook her head, affectionately ruffling the girl's hair before clambering onto the sofa with her own blanket and pillow. The cushions were scratchy and a little lumpy, but she didn't mind, nestling her face into the side of her pillow and blinking contentedly in the darkness.
"Sweet dreams, Scootaloo."
When she merely snored in response, Luna muffled a laugh into her sleeve and closed her eyes, eventually drifting off.
When Luna woke the next morning, it was to the sight of scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice being shoved under her nose. Scootaloo stood there, grinning proudly with what resembled singe marks over her clothing and hair.
"I sorta forgot I didn't have anything to eat from last night," Scootaloo explained as Luna sat up, rubbing her eyes. "So I got this stuff from your apartment. Your bat freaked out and knocked me onto the stove, but I put out the fire, don't worry."
Scootaloo laughed sheepishly at the look on the Luna's face, looking visibly relieved as the vice principal smiled and accepted the tray from her. She choked down the toast even though it was burnt and ate the eggs despite the suspicion that Scootaloo had salted them from the salt on her floor.
"Thanks for this," Scootaloo said suddenly, offering her salt shaker when she finished eating. "I know it was a stupid thing to ask for, but…"
"You're welcome," Luna replied, accepting the empty shaker from her. "And thank you for yesterday."
When Scootaloo glanced curiously at her, Luna gestured to the TV.
"It's been a long time since I've had fun like that," she admitted. "I probably wouldn't have watched the movie at all, otherwise."
"How come?" Scootaloo asked, bewildered.
Luna gave her a knowing look. "I guess because it's not that fun to watch movies alone, no matter what type they are."
A light flush spread over her face at the familiarity of the words. Not wanting to embarrass her, Luna stood up and stretched, letting her arms flop back to her sides.
"I bet you have some training to do with Rainbow Dash, right?"
Scootaloo blinked, a grin making its way onto her face at the mention of her older sister figure. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash owes me double-training for yesterday!"
"Just don't over-do it," Luna said lightly, giving her an admonishing look. "I expect to see you at school tomorrow."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."
"All right then," she said, mollified as she gathered her pillow and blanket into her arms. "I'd better get going. Thank you again, Scootaloo."
As she made her way to the door, Scootaloo suddenly cleared her throat.
"Um, Luna."
She stopped, turning to look at her. "Yes?"
That light flush had returned to her orange cheeks and Luna didn't miss the hopeful look that brightened her eyes as she habitually raised her hand to scratch her head. "Um…are you free next Saturday, too?"
Luna took one step outside her door, pausing without turning her head. "Yes, but only on one condition."
When Scootaloo blinked curiously, Luna turned her head and smiled at her over her shoulder. "It's your turn to bring the movie."
END
