Chapters Scootaloo looked up at the building, unbeknownst of what would be inside it.What if they don't want to be friends with me? she wondered. What if they discriminate against me? What if-
"Are you worried, my little firefly?"
With a gentle push, Scootaloo sighed and walked towards the two fillies.Pinkie Pie, or something like that?
"Mom?" Scootaloo asked. "Yes, my little firefly?" the adult changeling asked, hovering a picture into the bag of her, her daughter, and her now deceased husband. "I was just wondering if you could tell me some stuff about other species..." the filly awkwardly scraped her hoof against the floor. Firefly hovered the bag onto the "table" they had in the middle of the room, thinking for a second before changing into a pink pegasus with a blue mane. "Well as you know, ponies come in three species. Earth," she shapeshifted her wings away, "unicorn," she shapeshifted a horn onto her head, "and pegasus," the wings reappeared on her back, and the horn disappeared, "some creatures think that only ponies have the magic of friendship, but that's not true." Turning back into a changeling, she thought some more. "Ooh, kirin!" Scootaloo tilted her head, confused. "Kirin?" Firefly nodded, turning into a pony like creature, with a pink, almost white, coat and a blue mane. There were scales trailing down her snout, and she had a strange horn like appendage, that was also scaly. "Kirin are sort of like... a deer-pony-dragon, I guess," Scootaloo's mother explained, "they have magic like unicorns, and took a vow of silence due to a fight breaking out." The filly nodded as her mother turned back into a changeling for a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it seconds, before turning into a zebra. "Zebras all have speaking ticks," she mused, "whether it's rhymes or accents or something else, they all do." She turned back into a changeling, before saying, "That's all I can think of, and it's getting late anyways. Goodnight, my little firefly."
"Are ya okay?"after the kirin took their vow of silence?" Scootaloo asked.
The filly quickly scribbled something on a notepad with her horn, showing it to the changeling.My parents made me take the vow of silence when I was a newborn. They carefully dipped me into the Stream of Silence, so I never learned to talk. I can read and write though, and know sign language! it read, with a little smiley face next to it.
"Sign language?" Scootaloo asked, turning to Apple Bloom.It's something kirin made in order to communicate with each other and other species. It's a lot of signs that means various things. Look at me, for example!
"All creatures who haven't headed inside should head inside now!" a voice bellowed. The three looked up, and Scootaloo's eyes glowed as she saw...Accurate, Sweetie quickly scribbled, showing it to Scootaloo.
"Scootaloo, you'll share a dorm with Sweetie and Apple Bloom." Twilight said, hovering a paper over to Scootaloo, along with dorm keys.
πππ
"Ah'm bored." Apple Bloom groaned as she collapsed onto her bed.Calm down AB, she scribbled on a piece of paper, Scootaloo'll be here soon, and then-
"An' then ya can confess to 'er~"
"A ponytail, ay Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked.
Author's Note
Symbols that mean it's transitioning into a different Crusader's POV:
πππ
After waving a hoof at the blaring alarm clock and turning it off, Apple Bloom jumped out of bed, a spring in her step as she entered the bathroom to brush her teeth and mane.
She soon became aware of Sweetie Belle's awake nature as the latter came into the bathroom and slid a piece of paper over.
I'm making pancakes for breakfast, want some?
"Yah, actually," the zebra drawled, "two please!"
Sweetie waved her tail around in a 360Β° circle five times, seemingly trying to remember how many pancakes to make. Either she's makin' three fer herself or Scootaloo only wants one. With how unfriendly she was yesterday, the latter's more likely, ah'd say.
After finishing her bathroom stuff, she exited and walked to the table, taking a seat. Scootaloo sat across from her, reading something, though the zebra couldn't tell what it was.
"What're ya lookin' at?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Nothing." Scootaloo was clearly lying as she hovered the phone in her saddlebag.
"Applejack told me-"
"Applejack's your sister, Apple Bloom. She's not a godly creature or anything, unlike the great Faust." Scootaloo continued.
Sweetie hovered a note over, seeming to read something like, Why are you so nice to me but not to her?
"I feel a strange attraction to you, Sweetie Belle, but not to Apple Bloom. I mean, she's probably a good pony - er, zebra - once you get to meet her, but I'm unfriendly towards those I don't know well sometimes." Scootaloo explained.
Strange attraction? She's crushin' on her, ain't she? Ah'll bet fifty bits she doesn't realize.
The kirin twitched her tail as she walked over.
"Why are you anxious?" the changeling asked. "Are you worried I'll snap on Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom frowned as Sweetie nodded, hovering a plate in front of each of her friends.
"Sorry..." Scootaloo murmured.
"It's fine Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said, "let's jus' eat, sound good? Good, cuz ah'm starvin'!"
Apple Bloom was not aware of her friends judging her as she simply ate with her hooves. She looked up at Scootaloo and Sweetie, who were giving her a look of disgust.
"What?" Apple Bloom asked. "Is that not how yer supposed ta eat? It's how AJ taught me, and Granny, and Big Mac, and basically everyone!"
Sweetie hovered a knife over, cutting her pancake into smaller pieces before stabbing one with her fork.
"It's probably since she's a zebra and can't use magic like us." Scootaloo shrugged.
"Speciesist..." the zebra grumbled,
"I'm not being speciesist, I'm just stating a fact!" the changeling's eyes became pure purple, and her wings began to become more spiky, before she realized what was happening and snapped out of it.
"What in Celestia's name was that about?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie shrugged.
"It just happens when I get mad," Scootaloo answered, smoothing down her wings. "The changelings in the hive I come from accepted friendship when Celestia came to them after Equestria was formed, and thus managed to partially reform."
"Partially?" Apple Bloom inquired.
"You know about Thorax, right? Y'know, normal changeling, less holes and blue instead of green?" Apple Bloom nodded, and Scootaloo continued, "He's a reformed changeling now. Trying to get into Chrysalis' hive to get the others to accept friendship. He eventually just gave up and came to the hive I live in. Since my hive accepted it so long ago, newer changelings in the hive get less reformed as generations move on. We won't go back to being fully feral changelings, though, just feral changelings with coat colors, manes and less holes."
The other two creatures in the room blunk from confusion. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
"We won't go back to being normal changelings, we'll still have our colors and manes." Scootaloo simplified.
"Ohhhhh." Apple Bloom said. Sweetie nodded.
The door creaked open, and in came Twilight.
"How are you three settling in?" the longma asked.
"Good." Scootaloo said, hovering the dirty dishes into the sink. Sweetie nodded.
"Besides the fact that somepony's bein' grumpy fer no reason whatsoever!" Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle sighed and scribbled something on a piece of paper, giving it to Twilight.
After a few seconds, Twilight sighed. "Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, are you two arguing?"
"No!" both fillies exclaimed.
"Scootaloo, apologize for being mean to Apple Bloom." Twilight said.
The changeling sighed. "Sorry Apple Bloom..."
"Apple Bloom, apologize for, according to Sweetie Belle, annoying Scoots and making her not want to be friends. " Twilight read.
"Ah'm sorry Scoots..." Apple Bloom sighed.
"Now, I came here to see if Sweetie needed help communicating with you two," Twilight hovered a necklace over, "if not, then this amulet - the Amulet of Alstroemeria - will help you with that."
Sweetie scribbled something on a piece of paper, giving it to Twilight. The longma whispered something in her ear, to which the kirin filly nodded.
"We're mostly communicatin' with 'er fine, ah think." Apple Bloom shrugged. "Ah'm not sure though."
"Maybe just in case, then." Scootaloo shrugged.
Sweetie hovered the necklace onto her neck, looking to Twilight for what to do.
"If you ever need to use it," she said, seeming to have to recall her knowledge of what it did, which came off as strange to Apple Bloom, who was used to Twilight remembering everything she read, "simply ignite your horn and think what you want to say, and every creature will hear it as if you said it out loud."
"Ah think you should test it out, it sounds interestin'!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. She was used to Sweetie writing everything she wanted to say on paper, or struggling to use her magic to project it into a pony's brain, which she (Sweetie) knew she (yet again, Sweetie) could do, she just struggled with.
Sweetie nodded, igniting her horn, thinking for a second. Did it work? Can you hear me?
Her voice was quite high-pitched, much like Pinkie Pie's, although it cracked more, likely due to her young age, or her voice unused to being used, although it was being used through magic, so why would that affect it?
"It worked!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Great job, Sweetie."
A blush was visible on Scootaloo's face, and her horn seemed to be vaguely glowing. She's soakin' up her own love for Sweetie, ain't she? But she's still oblivious of her crush on Sweetie, Apple Bloom chuckled, will she ever realize? Pro'lly not, but if she does, that'll be the best thing ah'll ever dang see.
"Well, classes start later today, so make sure you're ready." Twilight said. The three fillies nodded, starting to get ready for class.
Author's Note
No, I won't tell you what the hay an alstroemeria is, Google it yourself.
First Day of School, Part 1
πππ
"What class do ya have first Sweetie?"
Sweetie Belle looked at her schedule, trying her best to focus on it.
Period 1 - Generosity (Teacher: Rarity) Period 2 - Laughter (Teacher: Pinkie) Period 3 - Magic (Teacher: Twilight) Lunch Break Period 4 - Honesty (Teacher: Applejack) Period 5 - Loyalty (Teacher: Rainbow Dash) Period 6 - Kindness (Teacher: Fluttershy)
"Aw, thas' too bad. Ah have Honestly first, and Scoots has Loyalty. Ah think that there's a colt who has that class first, though - Button Mash, ah think? He's a griffon, ah believe." Apple Bloom mused.
Is Button Mash my suitor or something? Nuh uh, Apple Bloom, I'm not interested in colts, or any creature at the moment, Sweetie thought, making her way to class.
"Sweetie Belle, darling, you'll sit next to Button Mash." Rarity said as Sweetie entered.
Sweetie internally groaned, but reluctantly sat next to Button. He was a brown griffon, with a propeller hat and seemingly unmobile wings. Interesting...
"Hi, I'm Button!" he exclaimed. "What's your name? And what creature are you? Oh, let me guess! Em... a dracorn!"
Sweetie rolled her eyes at Button's hyperactiveness, quickly scribbling on a piece of paper, I'm Sweetie Belle, a kirin, I can't talk because of that. Please leave me alone.
Button read it over Sweetie's shoulder, frowning afterwards. "But whyyyy?"
You're too hyperactive.
"I am not !" he protested, fluffing up his wings.
"Alright every creature, class starts now!" Rarity exclaimed, grabbing a piece of chalk between her talons and writing, Rarity - Dragon and Element of Generosity . "Now, you might think those two statements contradict each other, but creatures evolve over time. Take changelings like Nectar over there, for example," the named changeling was clearly surprised at her mentioning, "when we Equestrians think of changelings, we think of them as shape-shifting love parasites. But, many moons ago, one hive of changelings led by Queen Pupa reformed due to Celestia's guidance, but after generations of changelings, they started to look less and less reformed. That aside, creatures can change what they're like from what they're stereotyped as. Now, let's go over how to be generous to our friends."
That was boring... Sweetie thought with a sigh, making her way to her next class.
"Sweetie Belle!"
The kirin turned around, smiling a bit as she saw her friends.
"Rainbow's class was awesome ! She rocketed around the room andwetriedtochaseherbutnoonecouldcatchherexceptthisonechangelingfromthesamehiveasmenamedSwallowtailturnedintoachollimalikeDashandalltheotherchangelingsdidtooanditwasawesomewedidn'tevenlearnanything!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie blunk confused, and Scootaloo simply said, "You don't learn anything in her class."
"Ohhhh!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. Sweetie nodded. "Applejack's was sorta borin' too honestly. She taught us how ta be honest, yah, but she's Applejack, nothin' she does' really that excitin'."
"What did ya just say 'bout me, lil' sis?"
Apple Bloom cursed under her breath, ready to get told off, but Applejack just chuckled.
"Ah will admit, ah can be a bit borin' sometimes, but ah try not ta be. Run along to yer next class now, you four." Applejack said, walking away.
"That was surprising, huh?" Scootaloo asked jokingly.
"Shush it Scoots."
"Hey, at least she called me Scoots," the changeling said to Sweetie, who nodded, internally giggling.
"Ah have Fluttershy's class next," Apple Bloom said, "whaddabout y'all?"
"Me and Sweetie seem to both have Pinkie's class next!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "See you later AB!"
πππ
Ah wonder what kinda creature Fluttershy is, Apple Bloom thought as she sat in her chair, ah think ah heard some creature says she's a griffon or somethin' like that, but that doesn't seem ta suit 'er, from what ah've heard 'bout her.
Apple Bloom had never met Fluttershy, although the animal-lover often took care of Winona when the family was out delivering something or other. She assumed she would be a combination of a bunch of creatures, Maybe a draconequus? But ah doubt it, isn't Discord the only one o' those anyways?
It didn't take long for a griffon-like creature to enter the room, who Apple Bloom presumed was Fluttershy. She had the dull tail of a peahen, a dog-like head, and lion claws.
"Um, hi everypony, I'm Fluttershy," she said, "you might not know, but I'm a simurgh, which is a lot like a griffon, but with a dog-like head, peahen tails, lion claws, and - at least for me - normal pegasi wings. Now, today we're going to learn about how to show kindness to our friends when they don't agree with us. I need two volunteers."
Apple Bloom quickly raised her hoof, as did a gray griffon filly.
"I see Apple Bloom and Gabby raising their, er... appendages that they use for movement, so they can come up," Fluttershy frowned as she heard sad mumbles, "you can come up next time, okay?"
Apple Bloom trotted to the front of the classroom, smiling a bit as the griffon filly excitedly hopped over.
"Hi! I'm Gabby!" she exclaimed, her wings fluffing up with excitement.
"Ah'm Apple Bloom, an' it's nice ta meet ya Gabby!" the zebra exclaimed, holding out her hoof for Gabby to shake. The griffon excitedly shook it, leaving Apple Bloom a bit dizzy.
"Oops, sorry!" the griffon exclaimed.
"So let's say, for example, that these two are deciding what to have for lunch, and can't agree," Fluttershy continued with her lesson.
"Ah want applesauce for lunch!" Apple Bloom's tone was a bit patronizing, and she heard some groans from the back of the classroom, but went on regardless.
"Well I want fish!" at a few gasps ("oh right, ponies and some other creatures are vegetarian, oopsie daisy..." she murmured), she said, "Er, vegetarian fish, I mean!"
"What would you do if you found yourself in this situation?" Fluttershy asked the class.
"Battle, the winner's food choice gets picked!" a dragon colt proclaimed.
"No, Cinder, we do not battle our friends," Fluttershy scolded, "any creature else?"
"Ooh, ooh, I think I know!" a changeling filly exclaimed. "Co... promise? No, that's not how you say it... C - o - m - p - r - o - m - i - s - e."
"Compromise! Exactly, Aylanuu!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"Ah have an idea. How about we have applesauce an' vegetarian fish!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"That's a great idea Apple Bloom!" Gabby exclaimed.
"Compromising can be hard sometimes, but you just have to remember to not get hostile," Fluttershy explained. She looked at the clock, "you can have free-time for the last five minutes."
"Pinkie Pie's class was awesome! " Scootaloo exclaimed. "She taught us how to cheer up our friends, and this one dragon was really good at it!"
"Ah made a friend at Fluttershy's class," Apple Bloom drawled, "Gabby, she's a griffon, and she's real kind, an'-"
"Ooh, some zebra's got a crush~" the changeling teased her friend.
"Ah do not! " Apple Bloom protested.
Will you two please calm down!? Sweetie Belle asked magically.
"Sorry Sweetie..." the fillies said in unison.
Apologize to each other, Sweetie said magically, please.
"Sorry for teasing you Apple Bloom..." Scootaloo murmured.
"Ah'm sorry for gettin' worked up, ah don't know why ah did, it jus' happened. Sorry." Apple Bloom apologized.
Sweetie smiled at her friends. Good job you two. Now, we both have Twilight's class together, so let's go!
Author's Note
I just really wanted to post this, so you're getting two chapters today.
First Day of School, Part 2
β‘β‘β‘
"Is every creature here?" Twilight asked.
"You took role call twice, I'm pretty sure you got everyone," Scootaloo turned, smiling as she saw one of the changelings from her hive.
"I am well aware Swallowtail, I just get anxious about these things," the longma sighed, "anyways, today we're learning about the history of friendship. Many moons ago, before the tribes lived in peace, six ponies set off to find a new home - two of each tribe. The earth ponies being Smart Cookie and Chancellor Puddinghead, the unicorns being Clover the Clever and Princess Platinum, and the pegasi being Private Pansy and Commander Hurricane. Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy bonded while the windigos loomed above and froze their superiors, and Clover the Clever's horn lit the Fire of Friendship, unfreezing their superiors, and bringing the tribes to peace, as they not long after founded Equestria.
Not long after that, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ascended to alicorn status, going to the non-pony creatures' homes to form alliances. One changeling hive allied themselves with Equestria, as did a few other groups of non-ponies. In the end, friendship always wins at the end of the day, and all the creatures of Equus - for the most part, at least - live in harmony," she finished.
"Did all that really happen, or is it just an old mare's tale?"
"Of course it really happened!" Twilight exclaimed. "Who said that?"
A changeling colt raised his hoof. Scootaloo turned around, growling as she saw Rumble.
"Rumble!" she growled.
"Oh, Scootaloo," the colt replied.
"You two know each other?" Apple Bloom asked. "Thas' surprisin', ah guess."
"Normally I'd send you to Starlight's office, but, " the princess continued, "it's the first day, so I'll give you a pass."
"What?! " Scootaloo growled.
"I'm sorry Scootaloo, but it's the first day of school, he's probably just used to summer break, and/or not going to school at all," Twilight shrugged.
"Dangit Rumble..." Scootaloo grumbled.
"He's always so smug after his snarky comments!" Scootaloo groaned. "Who does he think he is?!"
"A changeling colt named Rumble?" Apple Bloom asked.
"That was rhetorical, but thanks for the dryness regardless," Scootaloo said simply.
Why is this such a big deal to you Scoots? Sweetie's voice rang through the room magically.
"Rumble's always been like this! I've known him since we were foals in the nursery, and he's always been snarky like this, and smug afterward!" the changeling sighed.
Scootaloo looked up at her mother, smiling.
"Now Scootaloo, you're going to be at daycare for a bit while I go to work, okay?" Firefly asked. The filly nodded, excitedly running towards the daycare door.
"Oh, who do we have here?" a voice asked.
Scootaloo smiled as she saw the daycare's head-mare, Lovebug.
"I need to go to work, and Scoots is too young to be left alone," Firefly explained, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead, "she needs to make friends anyways."
"Of course," Lovebug agreed, "come in now Scootaloo, meet some of the other changelings!"
The filly stumbled a bit as she walked in, gasping at all the toys and changelings.
"Elytra, Rumble!"
A changeling filly and colt looked up at the mare, one hopping over and the other simply walking over.
"Hi!" the filly exclaimed. "I'm Elytra, you can just call me Ellie!"
"I don't want to make friends!" the colt - he must've been Rumble - protested.
"Rumble, Scootaloo has no friends, please be nice." Lovebug asked gently.
"Nuh-uh!" the colt protested. He looked a bit smug as he walked away.
What was that about? Scootaloo wondered, before getting distracted by Elytra beckoning her towards some coloring pages.
"He doesn't sound very nice at all," Apple Bloom agreed, "but why's he at the school if he ain't wanna make friends?"
"I don't know," Scootaloo murmured, "his older brother probably just made him, or Elytra did. I don't know though."
"This whole thing's makin' mah head spin," Apple Bloom murmured, "let's jus' have some lunch and not talk 'bout this again, okay?"
Sweetie nodded, hovering plates of macaroni over to the table.
"Why did ya put 'em on plates and not in bowls?" Apple Bloom inquired.
Sweetie simply shrugged, hovering a fork over and eating her food.
Author's Note
A bit of a short chapter today, I just didn't have a lot of ideas that I thought were good. Sweet Silver Bell(e) sometime today or tomorrow, so look forward to that!