Imagine Wonders of Dawn

by Tangerine Blast

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 5169

Mini sequal to Spark Visions of Twilight. A in the Nightmare Moon timeline from season 5

The sun is back, the world is saved.

And yet, life has to go on. The brand new Bearers of the Elements, and all their families, have to deal with an upbruptly changing political landscape and just getting life back to normal.

Or finding what normal even is now that peace has been restored after years of the dark.

Published 2019-10-26 01:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-04-22 23:54:30 UTC

Cutie Mark {Error}

Apple Bloom was glad the sun was back.

This wasn’t a very interesting or unique point of view. She was pretty sure every sane creature in the world was glad about that and probably most of the insane ones too. It was hard not to miss the warm beams, like a cozy blanket, on your fur. Or the undisturbed hours of steady light that seemed to banish shadows both literal and figurative.

She felt so much safer recently. Though that had more to do with Nightmare Moon leaving than the sun returning. She didn’t have to fear one of the Queen’s goons attacking her if she did something wrong or potentially killing her family if they discovered the resistance.

The resistance was technically disbanded, anyway. There was no need for one when the ponies that had formed it now practically controlled the government.

They had won. And Apple Bloom couldn’t be happier.

But there was something the little pony was missing.

Sitting on a bench in the Everfree Castle, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but glance at her blank yellow flank.

The universe had shifted, she could feel that. There had been a general sense of unease for years that had finally settled. It was like a puzzle piece had clicked into place after being skewed and lost.

She could see the difference in her sister the most. As soon as Applejack had gone with her friends to bring the sun back she had been more… complete than she had in years. Happier, brighter, and more confident in herself. It was like she had finally found her destiny.

But, even with the return of the sun, Apple Bloom hadn’t found hers.

She was much too old to be a blank flank. She didn't know of a single other pony her age that still didn't have their cutie mark. All of her classmates and relatives had long since found their destinies. This fact hadn’t bothered her until now. No one gave her grief about something so inconsequential--not with the task of just staying alive taking everyone’s attention--and she didn't have much free time of her own to worry about such things.

But she still felt incomplete. It was like her destiny was at the edge of her vision and if she could just turn her head she’d be able to find it and become complete.

The only problem was she had no idea how to do that.

The door to her right opened and her sister walked into the hallway. She looked... perturbed, but it was a much lighter perturbed than Eternal-Night-Applejack would have been. Rainbow Dash and Rarity also followed her out but simply said a quick goodbye before heading off in the other direction.

Apple Bloom hopped off the bench as her sister approached and gazed up at her expectantly. “How’d it go?”

Applejack’s face flipped to a fond smile as she ruffled Apple Bloom’s mane. “Fine, things are goin’ well. They’re just… frustrating.” The two sisters set off down the hall as Applejack talked and Apple Bloom listened. “It’d be a lot easier ta settle this leadership issue if Cadence would just come down and take the throne. But she’s convinced Nightmare Moon’s just bidin’ her time ‘till she comes out of hidin’ to destroy us all.”

“What do you think?” Apple Bloom asked, letting her shoulder brush against Applejack’s in an attempt to comfort.

Applejack grumbled and subconsciously adjusted her hat. “Ah think Luna got pulled inta somethin’ bigger than she could handle and deeply regrets the consequences of her actions. Don’t mean ah have ta like her but ah ain’t afraid of her.”

“You and your friends can just hit her with those elements if she does go bad again, right?”

Applejack glanced down at the jewel necklace nestled against her chest. She didn’t wear it all the time, of course, but people seemed to feel better seeing her and her friends with the tools that had stopped Nightmare Moon and freed Celestia. She chuckled and shook her head. “Yeah, ah suppose we could. See? Nothin’ ta worry about.”

The conversation faded shortly afterward. But, though Apple Bloom would have been just fine walking in silence, her sister seemed uncomfortable with it.

Applejack cleared her throat. “Ah’m sorry ya had ta wait for me again, AB. It probably ain’t much fun wonderin’ around an old castle when ya could be with your friends in Ponyville.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “I don’t mind. I like supportin’ ya. Plus, I think I need ta be here.”

Applejack pulled her into a sudden hug that Apple Bloom wasn’t entirely sure was warranted. “Ah, sis, always lookin’ out for ya big sister. Yer right, ah suppose, ah do need someone in ma corner here.”

That wasn’t what Apple Bloom meant at all. “What about all yer new friends?”

Applejack hesitated and disengaged the hug. “...they’re alright. Ah do like ‘em enough and all but we don’t know each other too well yet. Seems every time we meet is ta talk about politics.” She sighed and bowed her head. “Feels like we’re more coworkers than friend ta be honest.”

“You should spend more time with them, then,” Apple Bloom suggested, pointing to the Element around her sister’s neck. “Don’t those things only work with friendship?”

“Truth be told ah don’t really know what they work with…” Applejack admitted, fiddling with the necklace, “but ah suppose yer point still stands. Ah should reach out ta them more.” She shook her head and snorted. “Ah hate ta admit it, but Harmony knows ah need more friends.”

“It’s the right time for it,” Apple Bloom supplied.

Applejack smiled again. “When did ya get so smart, little sis?” She glanced over her shoulder and chewed on her lip in thought. “Hey, if ah went off ta find them would you be alright on yer own? Ah know you’ve been waiting so long already…”

Apple Bloom shook her head and patted her sister’s leg reassuringly. “I’ll be fine Applejack. I wanted to explore a bit by myself anyway.” Applejack hesitated for a moment but Apple Bloom directed her gaze slightly higher than was necessary and moved her bottom lip out just a tad.

“...well, alright,” Her sister relented to her incredible puppy-dog eyes, “but don’t go anywhere that it seems like ya shouldn’t and if ya get into any trouble come find me or Big Mac right away, ya hear?”

“Alright,” Apple Bloom agreed, though she doubted she would need the assistance. The two sisters embraced again and then, with one last look over her shoulder, Applejack turned around and headed back the way they had come.

Apple Bloom watched her go until Applejack rounded a corner and turned out of sight. With her sister gone, Apple Bloom turned back and headed down the hallway in the other direction.

She didn’t actually know where she was going. Not that she was lost in the winding hallways--she had been there long enough by this point to have a vague idea of how to get around. If she wanted to go find her brother, or get something to eat, she knew exactly which turns to take to do so.

No, she knew where she was, she just didn’t have any particular destination in mind. She had found that simply going with the flow of life was the best way to end up where you were supposed to be.

She didn’t know how long she wandered the twisting halls. Ponies passed her on occasion but none took more notice than to say a quick hello or be dismissed when asked if she was lost.

Eventually, her meandering was interrupted by a very peculiar noise just at the edge of her hearing.

She glanced around and realized she had stumbled into some back area, where only those with business to attend would transverse. There was no one there now, but she could distinctly hear a rustling sound coming from one of the opened doors.

Cautiously, she nudged the door open a crack wider and peered in. It was a storage room in the back of the dining area that Apple Bloom knew Pinkie Pie liked to work in. Dry food lined the walls in bulk and sacks of grain piled in the corners. In the middle of the room, a small orange Pegasus was rifling through some of the lower placed bags. She was eagerly shoving bread and cookies into the pockets of a faux-leather jacket she wore.

“What’re ya doin’?”

The Pegasus filly jumped at the unexpected question and whirled around, dropping into a defensive stance. Her eyes, wide and panicked, locked onto Apple Bloom’s and in that moment the farm filly knew. Knew, without a shadow of doubt that this scruffy, orange and purple filly was a part of her destiny.

The purple eyes quickly narrowed as they took Apple Bloom in. While the fear was still there it was obviously depleted from encountering another foal. Still, she was eyeing the door as if the only reason she hadn’t bolted was for the fact Apple Bloom was blocking the exit.

“Who are you?” The Pegasus snapped, suspicion radiating off her in waves.

“I’m Apple Bloom,” Apple Bloom answered plainly, moving further into the room and closing the door behind her. “Who are you?”

The filly raised her snout in defiance but didn’t take her eyes off the farm filly. “None of your business. What are you doing back here? Spying?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Just wanderin’.” She cocked her head to the side and eyed the Pegasus up and down. “What about you?”

“Uh, I’m…” The Pegasus stuttered, clearly caught off guard. She glanced around--as if the storage room full of food would give her an excuse to why she was discreetly shoving apples into her pockets.

“You know you don’t need ta steal,” Apple Bloom continued, growing tired of the other filly’s floundering. They both knew what was happening anyway, might as well just say it. “The food’s available to everyone who works in the castle.”

The Pegasus snorted. “Well, guess what, genius. I don’t work anywhere.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Pinkie won’t check yer ID if you asked her for a snack.”

The filly’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Yeah, like I’m going to trust an adult. They’ll just rat me out to whoever the next Nightmare Moon is the second they see me.”

Now Apple Bloom was curious. Where had this pony, that was obviously so intertwined with her destiny, been all these years? “You were also stealing from Nightmare Moon?”

Pride was not the reaction she had expected from that question. “Yep! Only got caught a few times, too. But they could never keep me away from long.” A devilish grin spread across her face. “That overgrown Unicorn thinks she can control the world. But she can’t control Scootaloo!”

“It’s nice ta meet ya, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom greeted politely now that the other filly had finally given her name.

Scootaloo smacked her forehead as she realized her blunder. “Uhg, why are you in this castle anyway? I didn’t think kids were even allowed here.”

“I’m one of them ‘Element Bearers’ little sister,” Apple Bloom answered, testing the title the newspapers had given her sister and her friends. She couldn’t decide if it was too pretentious sounding or not enough.

Scootaloo scratched idly at her ear, raising a brow at Apple Bloom. “Who?”

“The group of mares that took down Nightmare Moon.” Apple Bloom cocked her head again. “I thought everpony had heard about them by now?”

“Eh,” Scootaloo shrugged, “I don’t really pay attention to politics. As far as I’m concerned the grown-ups can do whatever they want. Long as they don’t bother me.”

Apple Bloom cocked her head to the other side. She tried to fathom how the sun being gone or not wasn’t a bother to the other filly. “You’re weird,” she eventually concluded.

“Thanks,” Scootaloo snarked, turning back to the shelves of food, “now if you’re not going to tattle on me than I’m going to get back to my day.”

Then the Pegasus seemed content to ignore Apple Bloom as the Earth Pony watched her hunt for food.

Scootaloo continued raiding the lower shelves before an unopened bag of marshmallows a few feet up caught her eye.

Apple Bloom watched curiously as Scootaloo reared up onto her hind legs and stretched for all her worth, her front hooves pawing feebly towards the just-out-of-reach bag. Scootaloo’s wings buzzed in desperation as she strained for the gooey treat.

“Can ya not fly?”

“Gah!” Scootaloo yelped, jumping in surprise and knocking her head on the shelf above her. She fell onto her backside as foodstuff rained down on her, including the marshmallows. The fluffy goodness bounced off her messy purple mane and landed right in Apple Bloom’s hooves. Scootaloo rubbed her head and glared daggers at the other filly. “Why don’t you mind your own business, huh?”

“Sorry.” Apple Bloom offered the marshmallows out for Scootaloo to take. “Sensitive subject?”

Scootaloo snatched the treats from Apple Bloom’s hoof and shoved them into her pockets. Then, without saying a word, she brushed herself off and stomped out of the storage closet.

Apple Bloom momentarily glanced back at the mess they had made before following the other filly out the door.

They walked down the empty hallway in silence for a few moments before Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with her tagalong. “Uhg, why are you following me? What do you want?”

“Do you want to be friends?” Apple Bloom asked, keeping a respectful distance away.

Scootaloo stopped and Apple Bloom did as well. The two children stared at each other, both expressions relatively blank.

Finally, Scootaloo turned back around and resumed walking away. “No.”

Apple Bloom actually frowned at that. “No?” She trotted a little faster so she was walking only a step behind Scootaloo. “What do ya mean, no?”

“Exactly what I said.” Scootaloo didn’t even glance over at Apple Bloom. “I don’t have any friends and I don’t want them. I don’t need anyone but myself.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “But why? Having friends and family ta support ya and look after ya is how ya live.”

Scootaloo snorted. “I find I survive much easier by myself.”

“Ah said live,” Apple Bloom pointed out, “not survive.”

Scootaloo stopped and looked at her oddly for a few long moments, as if taking her in for the first time. Then she shook her head and continued on her way. “You’re weird. And delusional. This was an experience but, no offense, I hope we never meet again.”

“Wait,” Apple Bloom called, but didn’t further pursue, “can’t ya feel that we’re meant to be friends?”

“Nope,” Scootaloo called over her shoulder.

Apple Bloom stared after her, a small frown on her face. “I’ll see ya again tomorrow.”

“No you won’t.” And that was the last thing said before the Pegasus filly disappeared around the corner.

Apple Bloom stood in the hallway for a few moments longer. Watching where her destiny had disappeared.

Author's Note

Next Chapter Release Date: Dec. 9th

Crusaders of the Lost Foals

Scootaloo hid under a bench in the castle halls, tucked in tight so not even the tip of her bright purple tail peeked out. It was an odd position for her to be in, for sure. The change of authority around the palace recently had shooken up her normal routine. Both in ways good and bad.

Good in the sense it caused a lot of daily chaos that Scootaloo could use to remain undetected. No one would notice one little filly out of place if no one knew who was supposed to be there in the first place.

But, on the other hoof, it was also bad because it meant she couldn’t memorize guard shifts or when ponies would be frequenting certain hallways. Her days had gone from careful sneaking in a tight schedule to a lot of quick ducking and hiding.

A group of mares had passed through what she thought was an empty hallway just as she had entered so she had been forced to cram herself under a bench before they could spot her.

Thankfully, the group seemed too preoccupied with their own conversations to notice the little orange blotch hidden in the shadows. They passed without even a change in their pace, the echoes of their voices fading away, and Scootaloo sighed in relief.

“What are you hidin’ from?”

Scootaloo yelped and whacked her head on the bottom of the bench. Groaning, she scuttled out of her hiding spot and turned to glare at the Earth Pony filly peering back out at her. Annoyance was already crawling up her spine and, yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to be surprised. “Where the heck did you come from?”

Apple Bloom’s gaze swept to the end of the hall where the group of mares had disappeared.

Scootaloo facehoofed. “Of course.” She froze mid groan as she realized that, in her attempt to escape the yellow filly, she had left her protective cover. Biting her lip, she gazed worriedly down the corridor. “No one else saw me, did they?”

Apple Bloom stared at her, unblinking, for an uncomfortably long time before shaking her head. “No. I don’t think they noticed me leavin’ neither.”

Scootaloo let out the breath she’d never admit she’d been holding and turned away. “Awesome. Well, if you’ll excuse me I’ll be going back to my own business now.”

Scootaloo knew it was wishful thinking that Apple Bloom would take the hint and leave her alone. Didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed when she heard the tell-tale clop of hoofsteps following along after her.

She briefly considered snapping at the Earth Pony to get lost but dismissed the idea quickly. It would be child’s play for Apple Bloom to run off and tell an adult about the weird kid roaming the castle halls and swiping treats. Scootaloo was much better off just ignoring her and hoping she’d go away on her own.

Still, Scootaloo was a little unnerved as the two walked down the twisting corridors in complete silence. Apple Bloom stayed a good two body lengths behind and didn’t say a single word as she followed. Like a creepy, apple-scented shadow.

It was… actually weirding Scoots out. Knowing someone was following you but having them not say a word. It felt like she was being stalked.

“So, remind me why you’re following me?” Scootaloo eventually asked when the silence had gotten too uncomfortable to stand.

“‘Cause I wanna be your friend,” Apple Bloom answered simply, neither speeding up or slowing down to talk, “And you have to spend time with ponies to be their friends.”

Scootaloo slipped into a small hole in the wall, not pausing to see if the larger Earth Pony could follow. “Why would you wanna be friends with me? I’m just a dirty little orphan.”

“I’m an orphan too.”

Scootaloo froze. She would have turned to look at the filly breathing on her tail but the gap she had squeezed into was too tight for such movements. Instead, she swallowed hard and continued to crawl forward. “Oh? I didn’t know that.”

“You didn’t ask.” The reply wasn’t snarky or harsh but instead blunt and factual. Not a hint of emotion. It almost seemed to Scootaloo like Apple Bloom didn’t even care that her own parents were dead.

“I guess I didn’t…” Scootaloo mumbled as she popped back out the other side of the hole. They were in a completely different section of the castle now, by one of the back doors. Scootaloo had done her pillaging for the day and she was ready to head home. “Welp, this is where we say goodbye.”

She finally turned to look at Apple Bloom. The farm filly was staring at the door, seemingly lost in thought.

“You don’t want me ta see where you live.”

It wasn’t a question, and it didn’t seem to even be directed at Scootaloo. But she answered anyway. “Yeah, no offense but I like to keep my private sanctuary, you know, private.”

Apple Bloom turned to her so fast it made Scootaloo jump. “Do you wanna see my bedroom?”

Scootaloo wanted to say no. She had places to be and she didn’t even like the weird other orphan. “Sure.”

She didn’t know why she didn’t.

Now their positions were reversed. Scootaloo followed behind Apple Bloom, as she led her down paths she had never been. She followed knowing full well that every second spent in the castle was another chance to potentially get caught.

But, as she argued to herself in the silence of their echoing hoofsteps, she realized that, for once, getting caught might not be a catastrophic event.

Apple Bloom said her sister was one of those Element Bearers right? The ponies that took down Nightmare Moon and were now figuring out who was in charge? Surely everyone in the castle would know them and their family members. If Scootaloo was seen hanging out with essentially a celebrity then ponies wouldn’t dare question what she was up to. It was the perfect way to get around without risk.

Feeling more confident in their unbidden ‘friendship’, Scootaloo picked up her pace until she was walking side by Apple Bloom's side. “So do you, like, live here in the castle? That’s pretty awesome but, no offense, you don’t seem the type.”

Apple Bloom glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “What type do I seem?”

Scootaloo blinked, bemused by the question. “You got a country accent. What type do you think you seem?”

A smile tugged at Apple Bloom’s lips but she looked away before it could fully form. “Ah live on a farm in Ponyville with my Granny and siblings. We’re just camping here while Applejack works on fixin’ the government.”

“Heh, I knew it. You even look like a farm filly.”

“Where do you live?”

Scootaloo almost stumbled over her own hooves at the sudden question. “W-what? Why do you wanna know that?”

Apple Bloom didn’t turn to look at her but Scootaloo could swear she spied a fleeting, mischievous smile. “You don’t seem the type ta live in the castle.”

“I do live in the castle. Nowadays,” Scootaloo shot back, drawing slightly away from the other filly, “And I’m not going to tell you where that little hole in the world is so don’t ask.”

“Wasn’t going to.” Apple Bloom turned another corner in the seemingly endless maze of hallways. “But you can’t have always lived here. Where are you from? Where were you livin’ before the not-so-eternal night?”

Scootaloo pursed her lips, debating how much she could safely tell about her past. With a disinterested kick of her hoof, she answered semi-honestly. “Nowhere really. I traveled a lot when I was younger. We never stayed in the same place long enough to call it home.”

“That sounds hard.” Apple Bloom’s face was as flat as always and, despite her words, there wasn’t a hint of pity in her voice. “I’ve lived in the same place ma whole life. I can’t imagine what it’d be like ta move around so much.”

“It wasn’t bad,” Scootaloo quickly clarified, “It was actually really cool traveling all over Equestria and seeing so many different places. It was like I was in the middle of an adventure story. Sure, I didn’t have tons of friends but I had mom and dad and we were going to settle in Ponyville for a couple years of normal schooling before…”

Apple Bloom cocked her head as Scootaloo trailed off. “Before Nightmare Moon took over,” she finished for the Pegasus.

“Huh?” Scootaloo said, shaking herself out of her memories, “Oh, yeah. That too, I guess.”

Apple Bloom didn’t say anything after that and it suited Scootaloo just fine. She found herself suddenly not in a mood to talk, lost in her own memories. At least Apple Bloom seemed to know when to drop a conversation and not pry further than she was invited.

The silence only lasted a few short minutes, however, before Apple Bloom stopped abruptly at an unmarked door. She fished around in her jacket pocket for a moment before producing a key and unlocking the door.

Scootaloo eyed the thing with a cocked head. “You lock the door? I would think the whole ‘savior of the world’ thing would make it so no one would mess with your family.”

“You’d be surprised,” Apple Bloom answered, fiddling with the lock, “Some ponies think my sister and her friends are criminals.”

Scootaloo stared at her in bafflement. “For bringing back the sun?”

“For committin’ treason.”

Any further discussion was cut off by the door swinging open and Scootaloo getting a good look at Apple Bloom’s room.

It was big. Really big. So big Scootaloo had to pause a moment just to take it all in.

This wasn’t just because Scootaloo was used to a very small living space or even because the castle rooms were larger than an average house’s would be. No, Scootaloo was shocked by the size because what she had been expecting was a single bedroom for one little filly and what she had been presented was a three pony deluxe living area.

There were three beds. Each pushed against a different wall that wasn’t already occupied by the door. Said walls were sparsely decorated with knick-knacks, posters, and a few small windows letting in the sunlight. While it would be huge for a single, it was actually pretty cramped for the purpose of a three-person bedroom. The limited amount of things each of the three ponies owned engrossed on the others’ spaces, making the area seem messier and smaller than it really was.

Apple Bloom walked over to the side with the most stuff clustered around it. There were cheesy posters, toys, books, a collection of tools, half-finished carvings and other projects on the bed and floor.

There was a lot of weird stuff going on for Scootaloo to take in and she didn’t know what, exactly, to comment on first.

“This is ma room,” Apple Bloom announced, climbing up on the bed and sitting to face Scootaloo, knocking a few things off as she did. She didn’t seem to notice.

“You got… uh… a lot of things,” Scootaloo eventually said, kicking over a prone stuffed rabbit, “I didn’t think you’d be into such… kiddie stuff.”

Apple Bloom frowned slightly before looking away. “It’s comforting. Helps with the nightmares.”

“Does it?” Scootaloo mused, inspecting the toy, “Maybe I should get some for myself then, heh. That’d look ridiculous. Almost out of Marking Age and I’m a blank flank with a stuffed bunny. Might as well give the bullies rotten tomatoes to throw too.”

“You can have some if you want.”

“Huh?” Scootaloo glanced up in surprise. “What?”

Apple Bloom nodded to the doll in Scootaloo’s hoof. “Toys. I doubt you can afford your own so you can take some of mine.”

“Uuuuh,” Scootaloo said dumbly, “Thanks? But I seriously am kinda too old for this stuff. I don’t, like, actually know any bullies but it’d still be weird...”

Apple Bloom raised a brow. “You don't have to take it if you don’t want.”

Scootaloo scoffed as she stuffed the toy in her jacket pocket. “And pass up on free stuff? Are you crazy?”

Apple Bloom smiled, a little, at that, but didn’t say anything in reply. She seemed content to just sit and watch Scootaloo.

Scootaloo was not content with that, however, and cleared her throat. “So, uh, you’re bunking with ponies? I didn’t think the castle would run out of rooms.”

“It didn’t. We requested it this way.”

There was never a moment of sanity with this filly, was there?

“What?” Scootaloo asked, jumping up to sit on the bed next to Apple Bloom, “Why? Don’t you want your own space?”

“No.”

Scootaloo waited for her to elaborate… and waited… “Are you going to actually answer one of these days or do you just love being cryptic?”

Apple Bloom blinked and scooted away slightly, as if startled by the accusation. “Sorry. I just got lost in my head. I do that a lot.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo raised a brow and scrutinized the farm filly, “I kinda noticed.”

Apple Bloom took a breath and looked around the room. “Ma siblings all share this room. We’re always really close at home and we didn’t want to be separated for however long we’re gonna be here. I sleep in my brother’s room at home anyway so this just made sense.”

“Ah,” Scootaloo’s eyes sparkled in understanding and she leaned back casually on her elbows, “I get why you’ve been following me around now.”

Apple Bloom cocked her head and Scootaloo took that as an invitation to explain.

“Well, you’re a weird distant orphan with a famous sibling who still sleeps with a stuffed animal.” Scootaloo gave her a sympathetic, if not condescending grin. “It can be kind of hard for someone like you to find friends.”

Apple Bloom’s brow furrowed. “What are you talkin’ about? I have lots of friends.”

Scootaloo almost fell off the bed. “W-what? Really?”

Apple Bloom nodded slowly. “Yeah, most of the kids in Ponyville are close to each other. We all spend time together at school and when our parents are busy.” Her head cocked to the other side and her face grew thoughtful. “Actually… you said you and your parents settled here a while ago, right? Why have I never seen you at school?”

“Pah!” Scootaloo scoffed, “Like I’d waste my time going to dumb ol’ school. My days have been filled with finding reliable food sources and honing these puppies.” She flexed, both her arms and her wings, so Apple Bloom could clearly see the muscles she had developed in her stubby limbs. “You don’t get guns like this just lying around and studying.”

Instead of saying something about the obviously stunning display, Apple Bloom’s face curled in on itself like she had to violently sneeze. Scootaloo actually became worried once the Earth Pony started rocking back and forth and shaking like she had walked into a cold snap.

“H-hey, are you okay? Are you having a stroke or something?”

“Ha! Hehehe,” Apple Bloom laughed, snorting every so often and falling onto her back to giggle harder, “Hahaha hehe!”

The tension faded from Scootaloo as she watched the other filly laugh herself horse, a beam splitting her yellow muzzle.

Scootaloo couldn’t help a little smile of her own creep onto her face. “Heh, alright fine. I guess we can be friends. If you really want.”

Author's Note

I... thought I had already posted this chapter... oops.

I defiantly like writing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom like this. Their dynamic is very fun to explore when it's starting from square one.