Hard To Handle

Chapters

Ch. 1 Mysterious Ways
Ch. 2 Bad Day
Ch. 3 Last Dance

Ch. 1 Mysterious Ways

Chapter 1: Mysterious Ways

It was a warm morning in Ponyville. An orange pegasus filly with a purple mane was trotting through the town. While every other pony around her seemed to be preoccupied with something to do, Scootaloo was carefree as she was trotting along. Her destination finally came into view. She stepped up onto the porch of the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. Scootaloo heard a voice inside coming toward the door. The door opened and a unicorn filly was on the other side.

"Oh, hello, Scootaloo!" the white pony greeted her friend.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle! You ready to go and get our cutie marks today?" Scootaloo had a strong conviction in her voice, as if she knew that today would be the day.

Sweetie Belle titled her head slightly to one side, causing her pink and purple mane to bounce a little, "Sorry, I can't."

"What? Why in Celestia's name not?"

"Because of the barn dance, that's why."

Scootaloo was puzzled, "Huh? You're actually going to that?"

Sweetie Belle's face lit up, "Of course! Pip actually asked me to go with him! So Rarity is helping me with making a dress."

"What's the big deal? It's just a dumb dance that the town does for the colts and fillies," Scootaloo didn't like the idea of the dance in the least.

"You're just sour that nopony asked you!" Sweetie Belle pointed out.

Scootaloo snickered slightly, "Trust me, I don't care if anypony asked me."

The unicorn filly gave a sly smile, "Sure."

"Come on, it's just a dumb dance, I really don't care for it at all. Look, you can get all girly for the thing, Applebloom and I will get our cutie marks," the orange filly was about to turn around.

"Actually, Applebloom is busy, too."

"Huh?" Scootaloo was in disbelief.

"Yeah, she's busy with preparing the barn and all with her family," Sweetie Belle explained.

"Fine! I'll get my mark by myself!" Scootaloo stormed off the porch and trotted away.

The orange pony trotted in a slightly hurried pace with an annoyed look on her face. Her mind was racing as she thought about how her friends were more worried about a dance than their cutie marks. In frustration, she closed her eyes as she continued her march forward. Not looking ahead of her, she ran into somepony. Both of the ponies fell to the ground after their collision.

Scootaloo, who had yet to look at whom she ran into, spoke first, "Hey! Watch where you're going!" She wasn't going to admit it was her fault.

A meek male voice replied, "Sorry about that, Scootaloo!"

The filly knew that voice. Opening her eyes, she saw it was a blue unicorn with an orange mane. It was her classmate, Snips.

"Yeah, yeah…." Scootaloo said distantly as she didn't make a move to stand up right away.

Snips, however, was already on his hooves and offered a hoof up to the pegasus, "You okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Scootaloo took his hoof to get back on all fours, "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing broken." She flapped her small wings at her last statement.

Snips looked around before speaking again, "Where are the other crusaders? I thought you guys were always together."

The pegasus was slightly annoyed by his comment, "If you must know, they are too busy to get their cutie marks because of that dumb dance tomorrow. I don't get why it's so important."

The colt laughed slightly at Scootaloo's comment, "I hear that. Snails is acting the same way. He actually asked if I could leave him alone today so he could ask Twists to the dance."

Scootaloo couldn't help but snicker as well, "Really? He has a crush on Twists?"

Nodding, Snips replied, "Yeah, he's had it bad for her for a long time. Just don't tell him I told ya."

The filly nodded, "Alright."

"So what are your plans for today?" the blue unicorn asked.

Scootaloo thought for a few moments before concluding that she had no idea. She shrugged.

"Well, you wanna hang out or whatever?" Snips asked with a smile, his buckteeth plainly visible.

Scootaloo was slightly taken back by his question. She wasn't expecting anything of that sort.

Snips continued after not getting an answer right away, "I understand if ya don't wanna. I mean, I am Snips after all," he laughed at himself.

"Sure," the orange filly finally replied.

"Huh?" the colt was surprised to her agreeing.

"Yeah, your not that bad of a pony," Scootaloo said with a warm smile.

Snips smiled back, "Really? Ha, awesome! Let's go to Sugarcube Corner then!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Ch. 2 Bad Day

Chapter 2: Bad Day

The next day, Scootaloo was feeling good. The hanging out with Snips the day before put her in a good mood. The two young ponies went to Sugarcube Corner and enjoyed talking to each other about whatever little thing came to their minds. Afterwards, they trotted around Ponyville aimlessly, telling jokes and stories to one another. While Scootaloo would never admit it, she hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

Trotting to the Cutie Mark Crusader tree fort, Scootaloo arrived to meet her friends with a smile on her face. Upon entering, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were surprised.

"Howdy, Scootaloo!" Applebloom welcomed the pegasus, "What's got ya in such good spirits?"

"Aw, nothing really. How are ya girls doing?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle was the first to reply, "We're both excited for the barn dance tomorrow!" The unicorn filly hopped up and down for a moment before calming herself.

"You ponies are still worried about that?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I mean, I did get Spike to agree to come along!" Applebloom's voice was extremely happy.

"Poor dragon," the orange filly commented to herself.

"What about you, Scootaloo? Are you going to dance with somepony?" Sweetie Belle asked.

The pegasus laughed slightly, "I told you that I'm not going. Besides, who would I dance with?"

Applebloom interjected, "Why not Snips? You were spendin' an awful lot of time with him yesterday."

Scootaloo's face became red, "N-No!"

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked at the pegasus's flustered face. "Scootaloo? Do you like Snips?" Applebloom asked curiously.

"N-No! Not a ch-chance!" Scootaloo quickly blurted out, her face bright red.

"Oh my Celestia, you do!" Sweetie Belle's hooves covered her mouth as she laughed.

"I'm telling you that I don't!" the pegasus filly was trying to defend herself, but her friends were already too far gone to listen.

"We should go tell him!" Applebloom said in mid-laugh.

Scootaloo's face dropped in terror, "No!"

"Totally! Let's go!" Sweetie Belle agreed with the yellow earth filly. The two quickly leaped out and down from the tree fort and headed toward the schoolhouse.

"Wait! Don't!" Scootaloo shouted to her friends as they giggled and trotted away. Gritting her teeth, Scootaloo became angry and began her pursuit to stop them.

At the schoolhouse, Snails and Snips were sitting at one of the tables, playing a card game. However, they looked up from their game as they heard a number hoofsteps in the distance. The sound grew louder and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were visible.

"Snips! Snips!" Sweetie Belle called out, with a huge grin on her face.

The blue unicorn looked at the three running fillies as they came closer, "Huh?"

"We got a secret to tell you!" Applebloom called out before coming to a stop with her white unicorn friend.

Both of the male unicorns were puzzled by Sweetie Belle and Applebloom's manner.

"What is it?"" Snails asked, using a hoof to scratch his green mane atop of his yellow head.

A loud, exhausted voice shouted, "Don't you dare say a thing!" Scootaloo was tired from her running.

Just as the orange pegasus arrived to where the other four were, Sweetie Belle spoke, "Guess what, Snips?"

Applebloom finished, "Scootaloo has a crush on you!"

Scootaloo let out an angry yell. She trotted to Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, shoving each of them to the ground in anger.

"What the hay was that for?" Applebloom asked in a surprised tone as she got back on her hooves.

"Are you seriously asking me that? You just told Snips that I have a crush on him!" Scootaloo's voice was full of rage.

"But don't you?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head as she got back on all four hooves.

"No! I don't!" Scootaloo quickly replied.

"Oh….why didn't you say so?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently.

Scootaloo shouted again, "I did! You didn't listen!"

"So you don't like Snips?" Applebloom asked.

"Didn't you just hear me? No! Now get out of here before I really lose it!" Scootaloo pointed a hoof back towards the tree fort.

"Goodness, you don't have to yell…." Sweetie Belle's voice was one of disdain as she and Applebloom turned around.

"What? Are you kidding me? It seems the only way I can get you guys to listen!" Scootaloo had one of her hooves hit her face, "Just…please go back, I'm sorry for yelling…."

The white unicorn and yellow earth fillies walked back in the direction that they came.

Scootaloo took a deep sigh before turning to the unicorn colts who where puzzled of what they just witnessed, "Sorry about all of this." Turning around, Scootaloo followed after her friends, hoping to make some amends after that ordeal they just had. The orange pegasus muttered to herself about how things were going so great and how they turned for the worse.

Snails and Snips watched the fillies trot away before they looked at each other. Snails broke the silence, "Fillies sure are weird."

Ch. 3 Last Dance

Chapter 3: Last Dance

The day of the dance came and Scootaloo had no idea how her friends got her to go along. Scootaloo wasn't happy to be wearing the dark purple dress, but she had to admit, that Sweetie Belle and Rarity did a good job on it. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle trotted along with Scootaloo from the tree fort to the barn for the dance.

"So, are ya excited, Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked happily in her white and red checkered dress.

"No," Scootaloo replied.

Sweetie Belle gave a sour look, "Oh come on, Scootaloo! You promised to come along to the dance!"

"I didn't say I'd enjoy it," the pegasus looked to her unicorn friend in a pinkish gown.

"But still, you promised. It's how we will forgive you for yelling at us!" Sweetie Belle reminded her friend.

"I know, I know. Just don't expect too much, will ya?" Scootaloo asked as they neared the barn.

"Alright," both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom said as they came closer to the barn.

As soon as the three friends entered the barn, they saw that the dance had already begun. There were many of their classmates already there as well as other colts and fillies from nearby towns. The Crusaders looked around and saw balloons, streamers, and other party favors throughout the barn, decorated to add to the enjoyment. There was a live band of six ponies playing live music for the ponies dancing on the floor. The Crusaders looked on in awe, surprised it was be so festive.

"Whoa…." they said in unison.

After a few moments to soak in the atmosphere, Sweetie Belle broke the silence between the fillies, "I'm going to try and find Pip! I hope we can dance a lot!" Sweetie Belle quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Applebloom spoke right after her unicorn friend left, "I think I'll find Spike as well! Have fun, Scootaloo!" She trotted off to find the purple dragon, leaving Scootaloo alone.

The pegasus looked around, seeing her friends left her alone. She sighed to herself and slowly made her way to the refreshment table. Looking at the food and drinks laid out, she grabbed a cupcake and slightly nibbled it as she trotted to one of the many chairs placed around the wall. Sitting down and slouching, Scootaloo watched all of the other ponies dancing and enjoying themselves. She turned her attention to the band playing songs for the audience. She had to admit, they were very good and she was enjoying their songs.

As the night went on Scootaloo didn't move much from her seat. She watched as Pip and Sweetie Belle slow danced almost every chance they got and she enjoyed witnessing Applebloom dragging Spike to the dance floor every single time against his wishes. While she was having a fun time pony-watching, she found it a bit odd that a couple colts asked her to dance. She refused each time politely, but she found it very odd.

Scootaloo heard that the band was beginning another slow song. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about how some colts might try and ask her again to dance. Sure enough, another colt trotted up to the orange pegasus.

"Um, excuse me? Would you like to dance?" the colt asked meekly.

"Look, nothing personal, but I'm not really in a dancing mood," Scootaloo replied with a hint of annoyance with her eyes closed.

"Oh, okay….thanks anyway, Scootaloo," the blue unicorn said before turning away.

Recognizing the voice, the pegasus opened here eyes to see Snips right in front of her. She became slightly panicky, "Ah….Snips, wait!" Snips turned around to see Scootaloo, blushing slightly and looking someplace else as she continued, "Uh….yes, actually….I'd like that…."

Snips smiled as he led the orange filly from the wall to the center dance floor. Scootaloo was shaking slightly as she placed her hooves on Snips and as he did the same to her. Together, they began to dance. Scootaloo kept her sight away from Snips' eyes, knowing it would cause her cheeks to turn a darker red.

Looking around, she saw her friends dancing as well as most of the other young ponies dancing to the slow song. It helped her relax. As she relaxed more, she listened to the song that the band was playing, listening to the words. She noticed that the song was about how it was hard to change how one is. It kind of rang true for her, despite not being a fan of country-sounding music. Finally, she had the courage to look at Snips, who was still looking at her, smiling.

The pegasus spoke, "Hey Snips….sorry about yesterday…." her cheeks were flustered, but she managed to not look away.

The blue unicorn kept smiling warmly, "It's alright. No harm done."

"No, really. What I did was really just dumb, Snips. I really do like ya. You're a pretty awesome colt, ya know," Scootaloo spoke.

"Well, thank you, Scootaloo! That's really nice of you to say. You're really awesome, too," Snips smiled.

Scootaloo blushed more at his words, sheepishly smiling back.

The song was coming to a close and many of the couples had finished dancing. Scootaloo and Snips, however, were still swaying up to the band's final notes. Finally, as the band finished the last song of the evening, Scootaloo closed her eyes and kissed Snips, surprising everypony in the barn, including the orange pegasus herself. But she didn't care in the least.

END