“Rope?”

“Check.”

“Counterweights?”

“Check.”

“Lock pin?”

“Uhm… check!”

“Cutie marks?”

Scootaloo’s wings buzzed and she lifted from the ground with a little hop; Scootaloo grinned. “We’re gonna check that box next! I can feel it.”

Snickers and the other crusaders high hoofed at once with a practiced move, their hooves clacking when they met. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara watched from the sidelines, warily. “Uhm, are you four sure this is a good idea?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Snickers snickered. “You don’t have to ask,” he replied with a cheeky smirk that he’d adopted from Rainbow Dash, “this is a great idea. I was an engineer, this can’t possibly go wrong!”

The two former bullies looked at the crusaders that had just returned to their trebuchet with caution. “Silver Spoon?”

Silver sighed and looked around at the trees lining the edge of the Everfree Forest and the grassy area they were on. She walked to the path that led from the forest to Ponyville and made her way to town. “I’m on it,” she said knowing an adult was going to be needed, not because it was her turn to get them. “This is not gonna end well,” she said trotting back toward town.

Diamond Tiara walked closer to the four and stayed a little ways back. “Okay, I know I asked already, but why do you think this will get you your marks?”

The CmC all looked at Diamond with grins and ran into a high hoof formation. “Cutiemark Crusaders siege weapon experts, yeah!”

Diamond Tiara facehoofed. “You do know there hasn’t been a war in two hundred years, plus this thing might not even work!” She gestured to the machine.

Scootaloo scoffed. “Whatever, we built it with Snickers’s help and you know he knows how to build stuff.”

“Yeah, because he said so, that doesn’t mean he actually can.” Diamond replied, trying to impress the importance of the situation.

“Hey, I know what I know; and I know that I can build what I see in a book,” Snickers said.

Diamond pointed to the siege weapon. “That’s not electricity! You were an expert in electricity, Snickers.”

“Yeah, and how to convey the stuff through buildings and ships. If I can wire a metal spaceship, in theory,” he mumbled, “then I can certainly build something made from wood.”

“Yeah, and he’s really smart, too,” Sweetie added. “He’s working with Twilight to make a new way to use electricity. That’s more proof this is gonna work.”

“Hey, ya’ll,” Apple Bloom said from beside the trebuchet, near the crank, “less talkin’ more tossin’!”

Diamond Tiara growled and pointed to their left. “And the catapult?!”

Scootaloo turned back. “What about it?”

“Why?!” Diamond shouted.

“In case this one doesn’t work, we have a backup!” Sweetie Belle shouted, standing by the release lever for the trebuchet.

Scootaloo strapped her goggles onto her head with a snap and climbed quickly into the bucket and laid back. “Ready!”

“Roger!” Was the reply from her three friends.

“Three!”

Diamond looked at Silver Spoon’s tail still in sight as the filly cantered towards town. “Hurry up, Silver.”

“Two!”

The trebuchet creaked as Apple Bloom gave it one last little twist.

“Go!” They all shouted in unison and Sweetie pulled the release lever with a thunk.

A basket of stone that the entire group of friends had collected and were using as a counterweight lowered and the machine worked well enough to toss Scootaloo into the air several yards just as the machine collapsed under itself and sent wreckage backwards, several parts skipping around the pink filly before she could react.

Diamond screamed and ran to the side, out of the debris zone after it had finished destroying itself in a split second of releasing several tons of tension.

Scootaloo landed wobbling and laughing. “Whoo, what rush! That was awesome!”

“Yeah,” Snickers said glumly, “but the machine destroyed itself.”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, that’s why we have the catapult! Backup!”

Snickers laughed. “Yeah, I told you we should double up. Now who’s crazy for wasting time, Silver Spoon… hey, where’d she go?” He asked and looked around to see Diamond Tiara running back to town just after Silver Spoon, still visible in the distance. “Rude!” Snickers shouted.

“Bah, don’t’cha worry ‘bout them, they probably got the hots and need a bit’a personal time to take care of it. Let’s get on the ‘pult; it’s gonna do way better than this one. Ah can feel it my flank, where mah marks gonna be.” Apple Bloom tapped the spot her mark would appear someday, maybe this very day, in fact.

Snickers climbed onto the catapult and helped Sweetie up, then they gathered a bundle of sandbags between them. With a heave, they both grunted and grumbled until the bundle was in the basket. “Okay, just a second,” Snickers said, climbing over the bundle to stomp it in more firmly.

Scootaloo landed beside the release lever. “So, can I pull it this time?” She asked Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie shrugged. “I don’t see why you can’t.”

“Cool! This’ gonna be so awesome, I’ve never pulled the lever before.” She pranced in place. “So, all I have to do is,” she reared up and rested her forelegs on the release lever with all her weight, releasing the tension. Her eyes tracked the various parts in slow motion as the weight of her slight exuberance might have played a part in causing.

Before she could form any actual thought there was a clunk and Snickers vanished from her view behind the arm holding the basket, holding a bundle of bags, all pressing dozens of times the force of gravity against a tiny earth pony foal. “...this?”

Scootaoo grimaced when she heard Snickers screaming and saw him flying far past the sandbags that had split apart from their bindings, raining forty pounds of potential death as all the above rocketed towards the edge of Ponyville.

Sweetie grunted as she got up from the ground, having fallen from the catapult when the tension had been released. “Ugh, ouch,” she whined and pressed her ribs, “I think I might have bruised something and my ears are ringing.”

Apple Bloom ran between Sweetie and Scootaloo and shouted, “Ain’t no time fer whinin’! Our stallion’s flyin’ away!” She ran off leaving the other two to look between one another.

“‘Our stallion’? Since when were we back in a herd?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie shrugged and grunted. “Ouchie. I dunno, but I can’t gallop right now. You go ahead, I’ll catch up with you all at the Clubhouse and we can work on our bandaging cutie marks again.”

Scootaloo looked at Sweetie. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Sweetie smirked. “When haven’t we been okay?”

Reluctantly, Scootaloo ran to the path and picked up her scooter, wishing she’d brought the wagon. “If you’re not there in an hour, I’m coming back here to find you, okay?”

“I got it, now hurry up and check on Snickers,” Sweetie waved her friend on and Scootaloo tightened her helmet and zoomed off leaving a dust trail in her wake.

…

Snickers was pressing the sandbags down, wondering why they weren’t settling better and wondering if they’d have to return the sand to the lakeshore. He set his legs at four points and stood up, arching back to get a slight kink from his spine when the air was pressed out of him. A fading memory of being in a liftoff situation crossed his mind, then he was floating freely.

Zero G training had been standard for everypony on his planet, just in case; and right now he knew he was freely spinning. Through the blur in his vision he could hear loud static and see the local star pass his vision every two seconds. His chest ached and he realized he’d exhaled before being thrown into whatever situation he was in.

Opening his mouth, Snickers forced himself to inhale and as soon as his lungs inflated from being dramastically compressed, his situation became clear. Where he was, who he was, and what as happening resolved to one simple thing in his mind. ‘I’m so gonna fucking die.’

With the air he inhaled to clear his senses and return oxygen to his brain, he exhaled in a scream loud enough to be heard across the town. He couldn’t stop himself, it was pure terror and panic gripping him. Knowing he was near his end before he could get his mark. Before he could find true love. Before he could get Twilight to understand distributing alternating current across long distances while learning how to use gems to help with the task in place of massive power hubs.

“Hey, you know you shouldn’t try to fly without wings, right, dick shaft?”

“Shut the fuck up and save me, you walking reason for birth control!” Snickers screamed.

He felt forelegs wrap around him and, while he didn’t stop screaming like a panicked piglet, he at least knew he was in safe hooves. Once his tail brushed the ground, Snickers rolled and fell flat onto his belly, nuzzling the grassy soil under him. Tears flowed freely from his tightly shut eyes as he breathed and shook all over. “Fuck you, fuck you, fuckyoufuckyoufucking… shit,” he mumbled and panted.

Rainbow patted his back. “It’s okay, sport. You’re back on land, I didn’t think you’d take flying so badly,” she looked around, “I mean bad. You totally nailed that arc, good thing I was there to save you before you landed, right?” Rainbow grinned and looked around to see onlookers roll their eyes and go about their business. “Are you okay?”

Snickers shook his head slightly. “Terrified. I peed, I think. I’ve never been so scared in my whole life,” he opened his eyes and looked at the opening door to his home. “M-mom?” He said and then planted his forehooves in the ground and galloped to her, nearly knocking her over as he started to cry. “It was so awful! I was on the thing, then I was gonna die, then Rainbow saved me, and I…”

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash curiously, giving the crying colt a hug. “Rainbow, can you explain what happened?”

“Uh, I think so. So, I was taking one of my epic naps after flying some new totally awesome stunts and tricks when I woke up and started doing some sit ups, since I’ve gotta stay in shape, right? Then I noticed Scootaloo pop over the horizon and then fall back down, so I looked to see if she’d do it again when I saw Snickers flying at a 37 mark 230 degree arc at roughly,” she blinked and cleared her throat, “I mean, I saw him flying outta control towards town here, so I flew over to meet him and brought him down.”

Rarity nodded. “Okay, but I have to wonder why he was suddenly flying,” she pondered and didn’t come up with any reasonable or realistic methods. “Well, I can tell you’re still shaking from adrenaline, so what say you to some soda to help calm your nerves?”

Crying quietly, Snickers nodded and was led into the boutique with Rainbow following. Rainbow stopped when she heard a familiar buzzing of wings and hooves on the rough streets pattering. “Rares, I’ll catch up in a minute. Save me a bottle of soda, I’ve gotta ask the girls what happened with Snickers.”

“Do as you will, Rainbow Dash. I only need you to close the door when you leave,” Rarity replied, looking back with an intense look.

“Sheesh, I forget to close the door a couple times and suddenly I’m a monster,” Rainbow mumbled and closed the door before Rarity could snap back a comment. Rainbow flew around the corner to meet the girls and cocked her head when she saw the group arriving didn’t include Sweetie Belle and were looking tired from their rush.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon slowed and stopped when they reached Rainbow Dash. “Miss Rainbow Dash! Snickers just got launched into town and he might be hurt! Can you help us find him?”

Silver Spoon nodded. “Yeah, it was supposed to be a cutie mark thing, but it might have turned into a doomed colt thing!” She leapt and landed on her belly, looking up at the hovering mare. “Please, don’t let the love of my life leave me before I can carry his foals,” she gave the best pleading look she could.

Had it been a beam of light, would have reflected off Rainbow for how effective it was. “Girls, he’s in his house getting some soda to calm his nerves. Where’s Sweetie Belle, wasn’t she with you?”

Scootaloo looked back to see Apple Bloom trotting up to herself. “Well, she got a little hurt and said she’d walk to catch up. She didn’t want Snickers to get hurt and I was supposed to find somepony to help him,” she looked at Rainbow Dash. “And the best somepony ever saved him! I bet it was totally awesome, did you do a rainboom to catch him at the last second, like you did to save Rarity?”

Silver Spoon dusted her chest off. “Are you really asking that? Did you see or hear her do one?”

Scootaloo’s eyes glimmered. “Rainbow, did you just invent a stealth sonic rainboom?! You’re, so, awesome!”

Rainbow, while basking in the praise, didn’t feel right taking everything too seriously. She lowered her hooves a couple times to imply the girls to quiet down and flew closer. “Look, it’s a total top secret, so you can’t tell anypony, okay? The Stealth Sonic Rainboom is totally secret and can’t be shared.

“If Celestia found out you knew, she’d probably revoke your desserts for a decade.”

The fillies all inhaled sharply and clamped their lips closed.

“Exactly, so hush about the Stealth Sonic Rainboom, okay?” Rainbow asked to a chorus of nods.

Scootaloo raised a foreleg. “Can we go see Snickers?”

Rainbow Dash started backing up. “Sure, meet you in the kitchen.” Rainbow flew above the thatched rooftops and looked the way the fillies had come from, her eyes following the path they should have taken. “Huh, I don’t see her. Maybe she took a different route. She did say Sweetie Belle was a little hurt, so maybe she straight-lined it.”

Rainbow leaned forwards and flapped her wings casually reaching speeds that would have blinded most other ponies from the air pressure alone. Hovering over the destroyed trebuchet, Rainbow looked around the area for any signs of the unicorn filly. “Well, where the hay is she?”

Rainbow directed herself back to town and flew in a serpentine pattern until she reached the houses and then glided. “Well, she must be around here somewhere. I bet she’s making her way back, or stopped to get some help along the way. Celestia knows every house knows first aid now thanks to them,” she smirked.

“Well, guess I’d better go check on my little ounce of spunk,” she snickered breathily. “If anypony heard me call him that, I think I’d be in a little trouble.”

Shortly after her search, Rainbow landed and walked into the boutique to a worried Rarity pacing and dramatically waving a lacy cloth at herself. “Oh, my darling sister! Injured, left behind by her friends to drag herself home after an unfortunate cutie mark attempt.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and walked along the wall while Rarity dramatized her feelings, her destination; the kitchen. “Hey, sport,” Rainbow said once she noticed the colt holding a shaking bottle of soda in his hooves. “Ya doin’ better?”

Snickers looked up at her eyes. “That… was awesome, but the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced in any and all of my lives. If I was a cat, I’d have two lives left right now.”

Rainbow flew over to him and tousled his mane. “That’s what flying is all about! The thrill, the excitement, the feeling of wind blowing through every hair on your body; it’s the best feeling ever!”

Snickers ducked down to get away from Rainbow’s hoof in his hair. “Yeah, and what about having absolutely no control and falling to your certain death? Ever have that happen?” He snarked.

“Psh, yeah! It’s called the Dive Bomb! I go up really high and then close my wings and let gravity pull me to terminal velocity and just before I smash into the ground and break my leg or wing, I open my wings and fight the weight trying to pull my wings from their sockets as I bank sharp to wow the crowd and do a double barrel roll, a corkscrew, a double inverted tail spin, and glide into a perfect hover!

“So, ya see, Snick… hey, where’d you go?” Rainbow asked the empty room, noticing the half full soda bottle on the table, then frowned. “I don’t brag that often, at least he could listen once in a while,” she groused and flew to the only other way out that wasn’t a closed door or the doorway to Rarity, still mid-scene to the audience of two unfortunate fillies.

Rainbow went down the hallway and saw Snickers’s tail as he descended the stairs to the basement. She slowed and flew after him, nudging the door open a little more so she could follow his hoofsteps down. She reached the dirt floor and noticed a pale glow around the basement noting the old light gems around the room, many having fallen from their places and left undisturbed for untold years.

“Snickers, ya doin’ okay?” Rainbow asked looking around and listening for where he may have gone. “C’mon, ya little splooge stain, where ya hidin’?”

“I’m back here, you walking douche advertisement,” Snickers’s voice said somewhat muffled.

Rainbow flew toward his voice and found him digging into an open trunk pressing against the wall. “Hey, there’s my favorite face! Oh, wait, that’s your ass… couldn’t tell the difference at first, by bad,” Rainbow laughed nasally and tapped her rear hooves along his spine as she flew over him. “What ya lookin’ for, is this your secret dildo stash?”

“No, everypony keeps their dildo’s stuffed up your ass, right beside your head when you start talking,” Snickers said as he moved something around.

“Wow, that wasn’t as good as I was expecting. Heh, get used to hearing that when you get older, spunky.”

Snickers lifted his head from the trunk and looked up. “Wow, I can see the ceiling through this weird tunnel… shit! That’s your over used pussy, my bad… bad… bad. Wow, I love that echo.”

Rainbow crossed her rear legs and backed from above him. “Wow, rude!”

“That’s what I call a win, you multichromatic public cum dump.”

Rainbow blushed. “Okay… that’s enough,” she giggled nervously.

“Fine, fine. Just like your last lover, I’m tired of using you, too.”

Rainbow frowned at Snickers. “Hey, that’s a bit too far. I’m here ‘cuz I care, not because I wanna shove jokes smaller than your dick down your throat. If you want me to go, I will. I don’t have to take this kinda shit from you,” she crossed her forelegs and turned to fly away.

“Wait! Rainbow… I’m sorry. I went too far and… please, don’t leave me right now.”

Rainbow turned quickly and flew to Snickers’s side. “Woah, don’t think I’d ever leave you hangin’. Hey, once you turn old enough, I’ll even help you get laid so you’ll never have to hang out alone,” she winked her eye at him and got a snortle in reply. “So, what’re you doin’ here? Is this your secret lair, or something? Are you gonna hire me and make me write ransom letters to the nobles for the ponies you capture? Because my ransom rates are goin’ up every year.”

Snickers chuckled a hum. “Well, that’s a fucking bright idea from such a dim bulb,” Rainbow frowned at his jibe, “but this is something I found that kinda helps me feel better and… can you keep this between us?”

Rainbow adopted a serious look. “Snickers, no joke; I’ll take this serious, you have my word.”

Snickers looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Promise on your primaries.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly and she floated back from him. “Where’d you hear about that? That’s a serious promise, dude.”

“So, you can’t make it, then?” Snickers pressed what he held deeper into the box raising Rainbow’s curiosity. “Then you should just go and leave me be with my secrets.”

Rainbow nibbled her hoof while she thought it over, then landed and extended her wings towards Snickers and stood proud. “On my primaries, may I lose flight until they grow back, will I keep my word.”

Snickers grinned and pulled something from the trunk and held it to his chest and turned around. “This is Aeries, he’s my comfort buddy,” Snickers showed a poorly made stuffed pony to Rainbow Dash. “I found him one night I was sleeping alone and couldn’t get to sleep so I started checking out the basement after I got some water and then I found this little guy and now he’s my friend and when I feel alone and can’t handle it then I come find him and hug him and he takes my problems away and sends them to somewhere they won’t ever bother me again and then I put him back and it’s okay because I know he’s here for me when I need him no matter what.”

Snickers inhaled deeply and swallowed to wetten his dry throat and squeezed Aeries a little tighter with a happy smile.

Rainbow snerked and held back a laugh getting control over herself quickly. “Wow, well, at least that’s better than what some ponies do to get over their stress. Good on ya.”

Snickers frowned at Rainbow. “You better not be gettin’ moist thinkin’ of tellin’ about this. I’ll dust your snatch with sand if you are.”

“Sheesh, maybe you should mount that little pony and make sure it’s stuffed enough and cool your fuckin’ temper.”

The two shared angry expressions, then grinned. Snickers gave the doll one last hug and tossed it back into the trunk and buried it under other stuff. He turned around and gave it a kick with a hind leg dropping the lid with a loud clack. “Rainbow, I know I give you a hard time,” Snickers said rubbing the back of his head. Rainbow snickered and Snickers smirked at her. “And maybe, someday, I’ll give you the real hard time,” Snickers suppressed a laugh at Rainbow’s grimace, “but… thank you for being awesome with me and Scootaloo.

“I know I can be a pain, but you being you has helped more than anything else, I think.”

Rainbow landed and nuzzled Snickers. “You tell anypony I did that and I’ll write you’re single and looking in the clouds over Town Hall,” she hopped into the air and clacked her right hooves to her left. “Now, I’m gonna get outta here before I get any more sappy and any more of this dirt gets all over my hooves.”

Snickers chuckled. “Why, don’t like a little dirt on your hooves? What would Aj think if she found out you didn’t like to get dirty hooves?” Rainbow’s mouth opened and two seconds passed. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in your offer.”

Rainbow closed her mouth with a click as her teeth met. “Whatever... Aj’s something I need to talk to you about, kid.” Snickers felt his ears droop and move back slightly.

“Uh, what about? I didn’t do anything to upset her, so whatever problem she has is on her,” he said looking at a light gem on the wall and tapping his hind hoof against the dirt.

Rainbow frowned and crossed her forelegs over her chest, again. “Look, at me, Snickers. Aj said you said something about being with her sister and using Apple Bloom as a foal factory. That’s not something my Jackie would say,” Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut for a second to collect her thoughts. “That’s not something Applejack would say, that’s definitely something from your mouth.

“What’s going on there, and don’t lie because you have obvious tells. I need to know what’s going on in your male brain to make you say something so crazy.”

Snickers looked at his hooves and kicked a clump of packed earth lightly. “I… was upset because Applejerk,” Snickers flinched and cowered. “Sorry! I meant Applejack, honest!” He quickly said curling his tail around his side. He looked up and saw Rainbow waiting with a patient smile.

“No prob, I’m not mad. Just keep talkin’ so I can work this out.”

Snickers nodded quickly. “O-okay. I was mad cuz she told me I was going to be Bloom’s mate and sire a herd to work for free on the farm, so I thought I was pretty nice about telling her that she shouldn’t only think of her sister as a foal factory.”

Rainbow nickered and rolled her eyes. “That mare; sounds just like her. I have it from both of you that Applejack said something like that, only she didn’t say it that way. And since it only sounds like something Aj’d say, I won’t take your word on it any more than I will with hers. But, I will take both of what you say and tell you, Snickers, this: Ignore when a pony says something that incites you, don’t lash back.

“Whatever Applejack said, you could have easily told her to show more respect for her sister. What you did was tell her off and make her sister, your herdmate at the time, look like a slut. That’s why Applejack was ready to spank you, and she’s not easily pushed to that; especially by a colt.

“The way we talk, you and I, is how mares talk with their close friends. Mostly mares, with a couple stallions that might be allowed to join in. I’ll let you know that while our society is open to a lot of things, we still gather by gender to share stories and trade gossip. The fact you’re surrounded by mares is just luck.

“There are only a dozen colts in this town to over three hundred and fifty females. And, sorry to say, all you colts are spread across the town while fillies live in every other house and rented room. I think I have an idea, though,” Rainbow tapped a hoof to her chin, “I think I can talk to one mare I know pretty well.

“Her son is kinda like you, he shares your colors, and likes technology. Maybe you two will hit it off, but I won’t know for sure until I get you two to actually meet. I don’t know his name, but I’ll talk to her as soon as I can, okay?”

Snickers nodded and grinned. “Rainbow, you got somethin’ on yer mouth.”

Rainbow crossed her eyes looking down her muzzle. “What, what is it?”

“It looks like you rubbed shit on your lips,” he replied and kicked the clod of dirt to get Rainbow’s attention. “I guess that’s why you don’t like getting dirty hooves, or maybe you like hoofing plots?”

Rainbow wiped her foreleg across her mouth and looked at her arm. “Gross! Get out of here before I hoof your plot.”

“Ooo, kinky. Maybe in two years when I’m of age,” Snickers winked and brought a sneer to Rainbow’s lips.

“Don’t joke about that at your age, I’m strongly against adult-foal relations.”

“Okay, my bad,” Snickers said walking past her and toward the stairs before stopping at the first step. “Rainbow, thanks for everything you did with Scootaloo. She was really messed up and you helped her a lot, from what I heard.”

Rainbow hovered beside him. “Well, it sounds like you did way more than I did in one seventeenth the time. Maybe you’ll get your cutie mark in psychology.”

“Maybe I’ll get a mark in being a smart ass; imagine it, a picture of a donkey with a lightbulb over his head,” Snickers snickered and Rainbow looked up with a resigned sigh. She lightly kicked his flank and they returned to the kitchen to hear a scream from Rarity.

“What in Celestia’s name were you doing down there without boots on?! Your lovely hooves are soiled and… Rainbow Dash, what is that on your mouth? No, don’t bother telling me because I don’t feel I can stomach the thought.”

“Hey, that’s really rude, Rarity.”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I have to do something I’ve put off for far too long,” Rarity exclaimed, taking Snickers in her magic and carrying him to the rear doorway. “You, young stallion, are going with me to the spa for some time together. Work and worries can wait while you get treated like the little prince you are… and to clean every nook and cranny since I first met you.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to say something but a dry towel struck her face. “And, Rainbow,” Rarity said sweetly, “be a dear and clean your hooves and the steps down since you were kind enough to allow my little prince to play in that muck. Hm, little prince, I really like the way that sounds! See you in a while, darling. You know where we’ll be if you need us.”

Rarity closed the door behind her and left Rainbow looking at a towel in her forehooves. Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon entered the kitchen and looked at Rainbow Dash. “Ew,” Silver Spoon said, “were you, like, wiping a baby, or something?”

Rainbow growled and wiped her muzzle and all her hooves quickly with the towel doing a poorer job on each until she was done. She threw the towel on the floor and flew to the door. “Rarity wants you to clean the basement stairs, but do a bad job at it so she thinks it was me. I’ve gotta rinse myself in a raincloud.”

The fillies looked at the towel on the floor and walked around it. “So,” Scootaloo said, “who wants some ice cream since we’re alone for a couple hours?”

“We do! But, what about Sweetie Belle?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Oh, she’s on her way, I’m sure.”

The sound of a toilet flushing preceded Apple Bloom entering the kitchen. “Hey, ya’ll, what’re we up to?” She walked around the soiled towel and stood with the former bullies as Scootaloo pushed a chair into place to reach the freezer. “Oh, are we gettin’ some ice cream? Sweetie Belle should be here fer this.”

Scootaloo waved Apple Bloom off. “She’s probably two minutes out. I’ll only have a couple spoons, then I’ll scooter back to meet and carry her back. Oh, I’ve gotta hook up our wagon and get her helmet from upstairs,” she said, pulling a bucket of oatmeal and nuts ice cream from the freezer, buzzing her wings and tipping to the side before the chair slipped from under her hooves and nearly sent her onto her side.

Silver Spoon caught her while Diamond Tiara dived and grabbed the bucket of ice cream before it hit the floor at the cost of hitting her head on the cupboard. “Ouch. Silver Spoon, check my tiara! It’s not damaged, is it?”

Silver bucked Scootaloo off her back and looked at the tiara. “Nope, perfect as always. Is the ice cream okay?”

Diamond sat up and wiped a fake tear from her eye. “I don’t know. We’ll have to all make sure… where are the spoons in this dumb kitchen?”

“Ah got’m,” Apple Bloom said tossing seven spoons between them. “Oh, we’re two short… hurry up and eat some, Scoots! We need ta get Sweetie in on this.”

Scootaloo saluted. “Yes, Sir, Ma’am!”

Author's Note

The discontinuity between Scootaloo saying Sweetie will return to the boutique and their initial plan to meet back up at the clubhouse is because Scootaloo wasn't paying attention.